APRIL 2023—ISSUE 252

YOUR FREE GUIDE TO THE NYC JAZZ SCENENYCJAZZRECORD.COM

Mario
Bauza
Godfather ofAfro-Cuban Jazz

SPECIAL FEATURE:WAYNE SHORTER
IN MEMORIAMCHRISTINE
CORREAWENDY
EISENBERG

SVEN-ÅKE
JOHANSSONHAL
WILLNERManaging Editor:
Laurence Donohue-Greene[Co-Founder/Editor Emeritus: Andrey Henkin]

To Contact:
The New York City Jazz Record
66 Mt. Airy Road East
Croton-on-Hudson, NY 10520
United States
Phone/Fax: 212-568-9628

APRIL 2023 – issue 252

Laurence Donohue-Greene:ldgreene@nycjazzrecord.com

NEW YORK@NIGHT

Nate Dorward (Copy Editor):ndorward@nycjazzrecord.com

INTERVIEW: CHRISTINE CORREA

Advertising:advertising@nycjazzrecord.com

ARTIST FEATURE: WENDY EISENBERG

Keith Hoffman(Event Calendar Manager):calendar@nycjazzrecord.com

ON THE COVER: MARIO BAUZÁENCORE: SVEN-ÅKE JOHANSSON

Suzanne Lorge (VOXNews):
voxnews@nycjazzrecord.com

LEST WE FORGET: HAL WILLNER

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Staff Writers
Alex Henderson, Tom Baker,
Dan Bilawsky, Stuart Broomer,
Robert Bush, Marco Cangiano,
Brian Charette, Mike Cobb,
Thomas Conrad, Pierre Crépon,Ori Dagan, Ken Dryden,
Phil Freeman, Pierre Giroux,
Kurt Gottschalk, Tom Greenland,
George Grella, Tyran Grillo,Alex Henderson, Keith Hoffman,
Terrell Holmes, Marilyn Lester,
Steven Loewy, Suzanne Lorge,
Marc Medwin, Francesco Martinelli,
Jim Motavalli, Russ Musto,
Monique Ngozi Nri, John Pietaro,
John Sharpe, Elliott Simon,
Thomas Staudter, Anna Steegman,
Scott Yanow
Contributing Writers
Fred Bouchard, Jason Gross, George Kanzler,
Franz Matzner, Zachary Weg
Contributing Photographers
Caroline Conejero, Chris Drukker, Enid Farber,
Gary Firstenberg, Peter Gannushkin, Bob Gore,David McIntyre, Timothy Greenfield Sanders,
Robert Sutherland-Cohen
IN CORRECTION (March 2023 issue)
We regret the following errors…
In the Album Reviews, Hailey Brinnel’slast name was mis-spelled within thereview; in the Artist Feature on Endea
Owens it was Miles Davis’ rendition of“Human Nature” referenced

nycjazzrecord.com

LABEL SPOTLIGHT: EVIL RABBITVOXNEWSFESTIVAL REPORTSPECIAL FEATURE: WAYNE SHORTER IN MEMORIAM
ALBUM REVIEWSEVENT CALENDARCLUB DIRECTORYOBITUARIES

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by george grellaby matty bannondby terrell holmes
by francesco martinelliby kurt gottschalkby anna steegmann
by suzanne lorge
by mike cobb

by thomas staudter

Letter from the Editor

In this month’s issue we pay tribute to three individuals who have passed on, but not before leaving theirindelible marks on the music. Afro-Cuban jazz pioneer Mario Bauzá (Cover Story) is belatedly still getting hisdue; this month, he will be fêted with a performance at Dizzy’s Club and a posthumous induction into the
Ertegun Jazz Hall of Fame, joining the likes of Chick Webb, Ella Fitzgerald and Dizzy Gillespie (all of whom heworked with). Hal Willner (Lest We Forget), one of COVID’s early casualties, produced records on which jazzmusicians and pop stars rubbed shoulders. By introducing musicians from multiple genres, he created a uniquesubgenre, even subculture. (A Willner tribute is at Roulette this month.) And we are at a loss for words regarding
the passing in early March of Wayne Shorter (inducted into the Ertegun Jazz Hall of Fame in 2016 and virtually
every other Jazz Hall of Fame within his lifetime). We invited 19 musicians, colleagues and close friends ofShorter’s to share their thoughts and memories (see Special Feature: In Memoriam).
And speaking of footprints (to take a page from the enduring Shorter songbook), check out some of ourother features on players who are all currently leaving their respective marks, blending influences andinspirations to create very personal interpretations and original music of their own. Guitarist Wendy Eisenberg(Artist Feature) updates Derek Bailey’s sonic experimentalism with a hardcore, grunge, punk rock sensibility,
while the Abbey Lincoln-influenced vocalist Christine Correa (Interview) passionately whispers, sings andshouts, picking up in the 21st century where Lincoln left off.
As always, there’s plenty to feast your eyes and ears on as you flip through our pages: much of our Album
Review section (pgs. 16-36) offers previews of new albums by many artists who will be performing in April atvarious venues throughout the city. So be adventurous, and check out something new or someone you havealways been meaning to hear live. You just might catch the “next” Bauzá or Shorter.
Onwards and outwards, happy reading and listening—and see you out at the shows!
On The Cover: Mario Bauzá (photos © Enid Farber Fotos)
All rights reserved. Reproduction without permission strictly prohibited. All material copyrights property of the authors.

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April 27, 2023

M

PHOTO BY BOB GORE

any tales are lost to the everchanging spin
cycle of time in New York City. David Hajdu
has tried to capture the kaleidoscopic tale of one
seemingly normal but incredibly intriguing building in the City’s East Village neighborhood on his
new recording, The Parsonage

March Gladness with vocalist Stephanie Nakasianat Pangea (Mar. 15), plus Matt Baker (piano) and
Savannah-based Karl Kimmel (bass), was a springthemed show that dispensed swinging happinessbeyond mere gladness. The show opened with a zippy
instrumental of Vernon Duke’s “Taking a Chance on
Love”. Baker not only is a master of rubato, but his
dynamic, nimble playing is pure musical storytelling.
Nakasian is a seasoned singer with deep roots in jazz.
If anyone doubts her chops, they need only turn to her
conquering of Clifford Brown’s “Joy Spring”, turned
into an epic vocalese challenge by Jon Hendricks’ lyrics;
Nakasian, who worked for a time with Hendricks, acedit (despite personal dissatisfaction with her delivery).
The diva clearly loves performing and spreads thecheer liberally. Her curated set included spring songs
such as “You Must Believe in Spring” (Legrand, Demy,
the Bergmans), all demonstrating keen phrasing anddepth of interpretation. Kimmel excelled with lyricalplaying overall and delicate bowing on Nakasian’s
comic rendition of “To Keep My Love Alive” (Rodgers
and Hart), with Baker’s glissandos adding emphasis tothe irony. The set closed with “Make Someone Happy”(Styne, Comden and Green) swinging into a supercharged “I Want to Be Happy” (Youmans, Harbach,Caesar), together proving Baker’s versatility andability to simultaneously be a sensitive, supportive
accompanist and a pure jazz artist with a wealth ofcreative ideas.
— Marilyn Lester
R.I. SUTHERLAND-COHEN/JAZZEXPRESSIONS.ORG

DAVID HAJDU’s THE PARSONAGE

H arlem’s Schomburg Center celebrated Women’s
History Month with its 31st Women’s Jazz Festival.
The opening event (Mar. 6), the first of three, titled“Moods of Her”, was curated by North Carolinaborn drummer Shirazette Tinnin, backed by Sonic
WallPaper, her quintet comprising Orange Coffee(vocals/sax), Brittany Anjou (piano), Alicyn Yaffee(guitar), Amina Scott (bass) and special guest, hoofer
Maurice Chestnut, whose extraordinary tap dancing
could’ve earned him a billing as a percussionist. Sitting
alone on cajón, rubbing the heel of her Day-Glo pink/orange/yellow sneaker up and down the front side asshe played a funky 6/8 groove, Tinnin was soon joinedby the band on the samba-styled “Her Powerful Locs”.
Moving to drumkit, she laid down an authoritative, nononsense beat reminiscent of one of her mentors, Terri
Lyne Carrington. Her playing was so charismatic, infact, that it threatened to steal the show as the group
worked through the rest of the set: “Persistence” (byScott), “Malibu Hang”, “Weeping Pillow”, “AuntSissy”, “Hey There Mama”, “Ode to Geri [Allen]”,Mongo Santamaria’s “Afro Blue”, Neal Hefti’s “Cute”,“Drowning” (a catchy song co-sung with Coffee) and“Money Funk”. Each musician had a chance to shine,
the final two numbers featuring cameos by Lessie
Vonner (trumpet) and Chelsea Baratz (tenor). Chestnut
was a major asset, but it was Tinnin’s vitality and warm
vibrations—both personal and rhythmic—that carried
the evening.
— Tom Greenland

Shirazette Tinnin @Schomburg Center

Stephanie Nakasian @Pangea

There’s a reason trombonist Conrad Herwig & The Latin F or the closing night of a three-night stand at

CHICO PINHEIROROMERO LUBAMBOTWO BROTHERS
SSC 1697 / AVAILABLE 4/14/23

T

he art of Brazilian guitar playing has almost become a musical genre unto itself. The gorgeousmusic written by composers like Antônio Carlos Jobim
and João Gilberto echoes differently on six strings.
Guitarists Romero Lubambo and Chico Pinheiro havespent their lives absorbing and refracting Brazilian
music through the lens of the guitar.

www.sunnysiderecords.com

Side All-Stars’ residency at TriBeCa’s The Django, begun
in January, has been held over through May. Certainly the
25-five-year-old septet—currently comprising Herwig,
Alex Norris (trumpet), Craig Handy (baritone/flute), Bill
O’Connell (piano), Ruben Rodriguez (bass), Robby Ameen(drums) and Camilo Molina (congas)—is esteemed forits seven-album series paying tribute to jazz icons; but
the real reason is its vibrancy, a vibrancy that seizes you
from the downbeat. On Mar. 7 the All-Stars honored thelate Wayne Shorter with arrangements of his songs fromtheir 2008 album, The Latin Side of Wayne Shorter. The
first, almost two-hour-long set, included “Ping Pong”,“Tom Thumb”, “This Is for Albert”, “Masqualero”,“Virgo” (as a slow bolero) and “Footprints”; the second(only a half-hour shorter) included an even livelier takeon “Ping Pong”, “Adam’s Apple”, “Night Dreamer”, “El
Gaucho”, “Virgo” (a stunning trombone/piano duet),
to close again with “Footprints.” Ameen’s strident but
tasty touches more than compensated for the lack oftimbalero and bongosero. The horns and piano served
up uniformly excellent extended solos, stretching eachnumber to 15 minutes or more without compromisinginterest or intensity. Herwig, especially brilliant, often
ended his solos in the upper range with ridiculously
fast, trombone-defying legato patterns. The intertwined
moñas (improvised ostinatos) were so flawless it was
hard to tell which parts were adlibbed and which precomposed.
(TG)

4 APRIL 2023 | THE NEW YORK CITY JAZZ RECORD

Smoke (Mar. 5), pianist-composer Renee Rosnes
once again gathered together long-time collaborators
Peter Washington (bass) and Lewis Nash (drums),
along with Steve Nelson (vibes)—musicians whoplay so finely in the pocket that their music making
is inevitably off the charts. Opener “Rouge” (John
Lewis) revealed Nash as a delicate player who leans
to cymbals, which he applies in accenting to great
textural effect. The inventive, amazingly relaxed andversatile Nelson is never intrusive, even out front,
laying down harmonies in service to the number athand. In tribute to the very recent death of Wayne
Shorter, with whom she toured, Rosnes offered aversion of his “Diana”, a melodic ballad featuring
powerfully dramatic, clean phrasing. Lyrical, birdlike trills and agility defined her touch on “Tones
for Joan’s Bones” (Chick Corea), while her own“Mirror Image” conveyed fluid, flowing motion,with each player traveling in perfect sync along
the beat. Washington was especially inspired on“Mr. Gentle and Mr. Cool” (Duke Ellington, Harold
Baker), dextrously utilizing the entire length of thebass neck. Playout with “Tin Tin Deo” (Gil Fuller,
Chano Pozo) provided a rhythmic feast for Nash andNelson especially, the latter demonstrating his speed
and agility on this classic tune; the quartet’s dynamic
performance sent the audience on its way in a moodof toe-tapping joy.
(ML)T he day’s announcement of the death of Wayne It was Oscar night, but avoiding the Hollywood trip,

gala Academy fête and exclusive after-party, of course,
there was Claire Daly’s “Jazz Oscars” at Smalls (Mar.
12). This year, the ubiquitous baritone saxophonist was
flanked by one of the piano’s greatest proponents, Chris
Forbes, veteran downtown bassist Hilliard Greene andclassic hard bop drummer Dwayne “Cook” Broadnax,
offering the varied mix of vibes and hue that the redcarpet crowd might hope for. Over several pre-COVID
Oscar nights, we’ve enjoyed Daly’s compelling jazzarray of movie standards, and now she has made up forseveral of those lost years. The enthusiastically packed
room welcomed “People Will Say We’re in Love” (fromOklahoma) with Broadnax dynamically rolling through abossa/samba like a Latin percussion section. Daly’s deepthroated horn illuminated the house as the heat built on
this cold night. Forbes’ multi-chorus solo sat on the edgeof harmony, as Greene seemed to be in perpetual motion.
“It Might as Well Be Spring” was reimagined as a hip jazz
waltz with calypso touches, Broadnax conjuring Blakey(while bearing a resemblance to Zutty Singleton—he’dplay Face in the biopic). The leader sang “That Old
Feeling”, while “Secret Love” ventured “outside” under
Forbes’ rhapsodic playing. In the second set, trombonist
Ron Wilkins completed the ensemble (Daly absolutely
must keep this quintet together!). “Jazz Oscars” were
given out in the name of Oscars famous and infamous,
this writer happily surprised by the Oscar Zeta Acosta
award.
— John Pietaro

PHOTO BY JENNIFER TAYLOR

Terri Lyne Carrington and Social Science @Zankel HallTNYCJR’s Robert Sutherland-Cohen’s Afrofuturist-centric
photos are being exhibited through May 25 at St. Peter’s Church
in midtown Manhattan. The opening coincided with a multidisciplinary exhibit that also opened in March at Washington,
D.C.’s Smithsonian’s National Museum of African American
History and Culture (one of Sutherland-Cohen’s photos hanging
in the D.C. exhibit—of Greg Tate—was licensed for the book that
accompanies that exhibit). Sutherland-Cohen’s “Afrofuturism inJazz” exhibit at St. Peter’s Church features two dozen images ofbands and artists such as the Sun Ra Arkestra, Greg Tate,
Kamasi Washington, Nicole Mitchell and William Parker. A talkwith Sutherland-Cohen on the creation of the exhibit and the artof photographing live music is scheduled for Apr. 19 (7 pm) at
Saint Peter’s Church. For more info visit saintpeters.org/
news/2023/3/1/afrofuturism-in-jazz-on-view-in-the-narthex.
Vocalist and Artistic Director Alexis Cole presents Vocal Jazz
Summit (Jun. 23-25) in Virginia Beach, VA featuring workshops,
panels and performances with guest artists including Sheila
Jordan, Jane Monheit, Johnny O’Neal, Brianna Thomas andKate McGarry. For more info visit vocaljazzsummit.org.
The 38th Bistro Awards takes place Apr. 17 at the Gotham
Comedy Club with the top “Enduring Artistry” Award being given
to pianist/vocalist Daryl Sherman, one of the event’s 15
honorees. For more info visit BistroAwards.com.
The Jazz Gallery—founded in 1995 by Roy Hargrove, Dale
Fitzgerald and Lezlie Harrison—presents The Jazz Gallery
Honors Gala on May 15, honoring Lifetime Achievement Award
recipients Joanne Brackeen, Tom Harrell and Henry Threadgill;
Contribution To The Arts Award recipient Robin Bell-Stevens(Director of Jazzmobile) and Founders Award recipient Janet
Luhrs (The Jazz Gallery Executive Director). For more info visit
jazzgallery.org.

New York Hot Jazz Camp is Apr. 10-16. This year’s facultyincludes trumpeter/vocalist/NYHJC co-founder Bria Skonberg,
plus vocalist Catherine Russell, clarinetist Dan Levinson,
trombonist Ron Wilkins, pianist Rossano Sportiello, bassist Tal
Ronen, banjoist Cynthia Sayer and drummer Kevin Dorn. For
more info visit nyjotjazzcamp.com.

Claire Daly @Smalls

At Birdland, International Women’s Day (Mar. 8) B y day, this writer is employed by musicians Local
fittingly found Jane Bunnett & Maqueque performing.
The Canadian soprano saxophonist/flutist’s all-female
Afro-Cuban jazz ensemble featured Zimbabwean
lead vocalist Joanna Majoko and the fiery Cuban
rhythm section of Dánae Olano (piano/vocals), Tailin
Marrero (bass/vocals), Yissy Garcia (drums) and MaryPaz (percussion/vocals). The band, celebrating therelease of their new album, Playing With Fire (Linus
Entertainment), eased into the evening’s second set with
“Tomorrow”, an optimistic ode by Majoko, who sang her
English language lyric and also wordlessly, buoyed bylilting flute, soulful electric bass, pulsating percussion
and melodious backing vocals. The group fired things
up on Olano’s “Reencuentro”, Bunnett soaring on
soprano and the composer stretching out with virtuosic
ambidexterity over incendiary tipico polyrhythms.
Marrero sang lead on her romantic “Bolero a un Sueño”
and soloed lyrically on acoustic bass with the leader
featured on flute. An arrangement of Bud Powell’s“Tempus Fugit” began with pianist Olano playing a
Bach fugue before the band charged in full speed ahead,flute and piano harmonizing the bebop melody behind
Majoko’s scat vocal. Things got funky on the pianist’s
engaging “On Firm Ground”, which had the audience
singing the chorus along with the band, and withMarrero’s beautiful “Musica En El Alma”, on which thebassist sang lead, before the set closed out rumba-stylewith the explosive descarga “Café Pilon”.
(RM)

W H AT ’ S N E W S

The NEA Jazz Master class of 2023 induction ceremony will be
live-streamed on Saturday, Apr. 1 (7:30 pm EST), honoring
drummer Louis Hayes, violinist Regina Carter and alto
saxophonist Kenny Garrett, as well as A.B. Spellman NEA Jazz
Masters Fellowship for Jazz Advocacy posthumously awarded
to the late Sue Mingus. For more info visit arts.gov/honors/jazz.

PHOTO BY CAROLINE CONEJERO

Shorter prompted drummer Terri Lyne Carrington
to open her concert at Zankel Hall (Mar. 2) with atribute to her late mentor, leading her band Social
Science in a performance of the maestro’s “Fall”. It
was prefaced by Morgan Guerin’s succinct tenor solo
rendering of the classic “Footprints” tagged witha sample of Shorter himself speaking. Afterward,
Carrington spoke of Shorter’s importance in her
development as an artist. The rest of the evening wasdevoted to the groundbreaking group, with Debo
Ray (vocals), Aaron Parks (piano/keys), Matthew
Stevens (guitar), Guerin (electric bass/sax) and DJ/
MC Kokayi powering through a program culled from
Carrington’s politically charged 2019 album Waiting
Game. They began with “Trapped in the American
Dream”, a poignant episode on which Ray orated
poetically and sang atmospherically and Kokayi
rapped. The echoing sampled voice of Kassa Overall
blended with Ray’s on “Abolition Song”. The group’s
unique melding of genres was manifest as it flowed
through “Love”, “Over and Sons” and “Dreams andDesperate Measures Part 4”. Its call for change cameto the fore on “No Justice (For Political Prisoners)”
with the sampled voice of Mumia Abu Jamal, “Praythe Gay Away” and closer “Bells (Ring Loudly)”, on
which James Baldwin was heard. After a standing
ovation, the band returned for a rousing encore,“Purple Mountains”.
— Russ Musto

802, where among his outreach duties is hosting its“Jazz Nights”. In honor of Women’s History Month(Mar. 13), veteran pianist Bertha Hope featured her
all-women trio with Kim Clarke (bass) and Luciana
Padrone (drums), adding Eddie Allen (trumpet) andsaxophonist Gene Ghee (tenor) for an historic evening.
The horn section addition to Hope’s trio line-up turned
out to be a magical choice. “We’re so pleased to playthis music for you,” the bandleader said, referencing
the compositions of her late husband Elmo Hopeduring his centenary year. The two were married in1960 and collaborated on numerous projects until his
1967 passing. Her solo rendition of his hard bopper“De-Dah” opened the concert. The quintet rolled
into “So Nice”, Ghee’s tenor nimbly substituting fororiginal Harold Land’s on the 1957 recording madeduring Elmo Hope’s West Coast sojourn after thesuspension of his NYC cabaret card. Bertha spoke ofthe struggle with authorities experienced by many
jazz artists in years past, most profoundly those ofcolor. “Carvin’ the Rock”, she explained, was jointly
composed with Sonny Rollins on Rikers Island
following arrests for possessing drug paraphernalia.
This quintet retained the urgency, anger and fightback of the original, right from the opening crackle ofPadrone’s drum break. Hope is planning a series of“Elmo@100” events to honor the woefully overlooked
pianist/composer.
(JP)

Our congratulations go out to Karen Kennedy (founding
President of 24/Seven Artist Development, one-time executive
at A&M Records and teacher at The Juilliard School, Manhattan
School of Music and returning lecturer at the Herbie Hancock
Institute of Jazz in Los Angeles) who was recently elected
President of NAPAMA (North American Performing Arts
Managers and Agents), following former President Gail Boyd.
For more info visit napama.org.
Celebrated by independently owned brick and mortar record
stores and the music-buying public around the world, the annual
Record Store Day this year falls on Apr. 22. Conceived 16 years
ago as a gathering of independent record store owners andemployees of nearly 1,500 record stores nationwide (and similar
stores internationally), the very first Record Store Day was inApr. 2008. Look for limited edition runs of special vinyl titles ofjazz and other genres, specifically released for RSD! For more
info visit recordstoreday.com
Stony Brook, NY’s The Jazz Loft has recently acquired legendary
trombonist Jack Teagarden’s collection. Teagarden was afrequent collaborator and pioneer of early jazz with Louis
Armstrong as well as Coleman Hawkins and Earl “Fatha” Hines.
For more than 35 years the archives have been in the possessionof Jimmy Nicholas in Phoenix, AZ; Nicholas was entrusted withthe collection by Addie Teagarden (Jack’s widow). In thecollection: manuscripts, music from Teagarden’s 1940s big bandand small groups with Armstrong from the 1950s, as well as
personal letters from Armstrong, Bunk Johnson, W.C. Handy,
Johnny Mercer, Joe Glaser and others, as well Teagarden’s own
Buescher trombone. For more info visit jazzloft.org.
Submit news to: ldgreene@nycjazzrecord.com

THE NEW YORK CITY JAZZ RECORD | APRIL 2023 5

PHOTO BY CHRIS DRUKKERI NTERVIEWCHRISTINE
CORREA

in order to give these songs the respect they deserve.
I should also mention that the title of myrecording is taken from Paul Dunbar’s poem “WhenMalindy Sings”, which has a 16-bar blues composed by
Oscar Brown Jr. I’m extremely grateful to Sunnyside
President Francois Zalacain for supporting this projectand releasing it. And I’m looking forward to a live
performance; until now, most of the performances
have been live-streamed.
TNYCJR: And did you do technical voice studies at
NEC?
(CONTINUED ON PAGE 37)

BY GEORGE GRELLA
V ocalist Christine Correa, a native of Mumbai, India, is

one of the most distinctive artists in contemporary jazz. Her
attention to articulation and diction, her succinct, gracefulphrasing, and her subtle manipulations of timbre and color
bring together meaning, drama, strength and beauty. She
mixes knowledge of the Great American Songbook, anembrace of song lyric, and musical inspirations like Steve
Lacy and—above all—Abbey Lincoln to produce a stylethat turns classic elements into modern music making. This
winter, Sunnyside Records released her latest, Just You
Stand and Listen with Me, an album that gathers musicoriginally from the seminal albums We Insist! Freedom
Now Suite and Percussion Bitter Sweet, collaborations
between Lincoln, Max Roach and lyricist Oscar Brown Jr.
from 1960-61 that offered powerful, scintillating critiquesof racism in America. This is the third album Correa has
produced that honors Lincoln, following two tribute records
made with pianist Ran Blake, Down Here Below (2012)
and The Road Keeps Winding (2015), both on Red Piano
Records. She also performs and records regularly with her
husband, pianist Frank Carlberg, and is on the faculty ofColumbia University’s Louis Armstrong Jazz Performance
Program.
The New York City Jazz Record: How were you first
exposed to jazz, and how did you get started singing?
Christine Correa: I definitely come from a jazzbackground from an early age because of my father,
who was the director of a big band. I grew up in
Mumbai, India, but in 1979 relocated to Boston to study
with Ran Blake at the New England Conservatory(NEC). I had intended to focus on my piano playing,
but was soon steered towards singing by Ran, and it
didn’t take long for me to realize that I was much more
comfortable expressing myself musically through myvoice.
While in India, I was already familiar with Billie
Holiday, Sarah Vaughan, Carmen McRae and Ella
Fitzgerald. But in Boston, I was introduced to Abbey
Lincoln, Betty Carter, Chris Connor, Jeanne Lee andJune Christy. It was Ran who introduced me to Abbey,
who has since had a very strong influence on mymusic. I was just quite stunned and inspired by herdelivery and her sense of conviction and honesty.

TNYCJR: Before 1979, were you performing as asinger?
CC: Well, I was singing, but I never had a voice lesson
in my life. My father would write stuff for my siblings
and myself, and I did enjoy singing, but none of us
were really trained singers.
TNYCJR: What was the style of your father’s band?
CC: It was a dance band. I knew most of that [songbook]repertoire. I was very fortunate because I had alreadybegun to take music more seriously, and to have myparents’ support and encouragement. Because of mydad, there was always music around me, whether
classical or jazz or Indian folk music. And somehow heknew my musical needs and he saw my strengths andshortcomings and helped me. And when he couldn’t
help me, he found teachers who could, so he was a big,
big influence.
He was a pretty successful bandleader. The U.S.
State Department sponsored cultural programs likethe Jazz Ambassadors, (and) they would bring jazz
luminaries like Duke Ellington and Paul Desmondand Dave Brubeck to Mumbai. And my dad was able
to mingle with these giants. They were a profoundinspiration to him …
TNYCJR: … and to you by extension.
CC: Yes, and I was able to attend those rehearsals.
TNYCJR: That’s a rare upbringing, even for a lot ofAmerican jazz musicians.
CC: Yeah, and I had very little access to recordings. So
I would listen and tune into Willis Conover on Voiceof America. That was late at night—I just remember
listening on the transistor radio.
TNYCJR: How was the transition from that and piano
to singing?

HMARCH 28TH - APRIL 2NDH

JOE MARTIN QUARTETMARK TURNER - KEVIN HAYS - MARCUS GILMORE

HAPRIL 4TH - APRIL 9THH

MELISSA ALDANA QUINTETLAGE LUND - FABIAN ALMAZAN - PABLO MENARES - KUSH ABADEY

CC: It was very gradual. I listened to this music; I
wasn’t exactly sure; it was rather edgy. The lyrics wereedgy. So it took some listening, and it kind of grew on
me. Being around those concerts at NEC, I was alreadybeginning to be exposed to different music.

JEREMY MANASIA - DAVID WILLIAMS - McCLENTY HUNTERTNYCJR: Do you mean the edginess of Abbey Lincoln
and the social and political context to that music
making?

NEW MASADA QUARTET

CC: It was more the edginess of the music. I knew thehistory, but I was somewhat cut off. I didn’t realize
how jarring it really was. It was in the music. It was“Garvey’s Ghost” [Percussion Bitter Sweet], and it was
all these straight-ahead songs that were just melodic ina different stylistic manner.
TNYCJR: And that all led to the new album.
CC: Yes, Oscar Brown Jr.’s lyrics in “Driva’ Man” areraw, edgy and challenging, and “Freedom Day’s”
lyrics show the complexity of freedom. They have had
a visceral effect on me, especially as we’re now, again,
engaged in issues of injustice, systemic segregation andprejudice. Those words serve as a reminder that thesestruggles are still very much alive. It was crucial that
all the artists on this project [soprano saxophonist Sam
Newsome, pianist Andrew Boudreaux, bassist Kim
Cass, drummer Michael Sarin] knew these lyrics well

6 APRIL 2023 | THE NEW YORK CITY JAZZ RECORD

HAPRIL 11TH - APRIL 16THH

JAVON JACKSON QUARTET
H3 PM MATINEEH
HSUNDAY APRIL 16TH ONLYH

JOHN ZORN’S

HAPRIL 18TH - APRIL 23RDH

DAYNA STEPHENS QUARTETCHARLES ALTURA - RICK ROSATO - JONGKUK KIM

HAPRIL 25TH - APRIL 30THH

SAMARA JOY

LUTHER ALLISON - MICHAEL MIGLIORE (APR. 25-27)
FELIX MOSEHOLM (APR. 28-30) - EVAN SHERMAN

COMING IN MAY

HIMMANUEL WILKINSH
HPETER BERNSTEINH
HMARCUS GILMOREHHJAKOB BRO/JOE LOVANOH

PETER GANNUSHKIN / DOWNTOWNMUSIC.NET

ARTIST F EATURE

Darkness outside the family home. Inside, darkness tooand strange movements. It is two o’clock in the morningand something shatters 12-year-old Wendy Eisenberg’snightly rest. Reaching through the gloom, Eisenberg
grabs a guitar. “It was really early”, the guitarist recalls,
almost two decades and several albums later. “That was
the first song I wrote and it was about being emo withsome stupid battle metaphor. I remember feeling like it
was the correct thing for me to do—writing songs in the
middle of the night.”
Eisenberg’s parents had recently separated. The
instrument belonged to the guitarist’s mom, while Dad
had previously soothed his child to sleep by playing
guitar and singing lullabies. After six years of piano
lessons, Eisenberg quit when the family constellation
shifted. Just a few months later, those six strings andcountless possibilities offered a much-needed channel toexpress the turbulence within.
“I was listening to Sunny Day Real Estate andTelevision,” the 31-year-old says. “And Thelonious
Monk, Wes Montgomery… A bass player was showing
me all this jazz theory stuff and I had to figure it out on
guitar. I think, in figuring it out, the theory felt deeper
in me when I would write. But it wasn’t about serving
theory, it was just things I found beautiful.”That devotion to harmony and beauty earned
Eisenberg a place in the Jazz Studies program at Eastman
School of Music. The course demanded discipline. The
young guitarist stuck to the task, while also looking
beyond jazz for additional musical pathways that mightlead to truth. Together with noise artist Brian Blatt,among others, Eisenberg entered the undergroundscene.
Two key figures influenced the guitarist during
master’s studies at the New England Conservatory.
“Joe Morris was probably the most supportive person atNEC”, Eisenberg says. “And my first semester there wasJohn Zorn’s giant birthday thing, so I played a lot of theBill Frisell parts in Naked City stuff and other things. I
got to meet Zorn and he was really supportive, which
was huge. I was like ‘Whoah, I’ve been listening to thisdude’s music since middle school!’”
In 2018, Zorn’s Tzadik label released an Eisenberg-led
album of improvisations, The Machinic Unconscious. The
guitarist teamed up with Trevor Dunn (bass) and Ches
Smith (drums) to deliver eleven frenetic, disconcerting
tracks. Eisenberg’s guitar sound is spike-toothed andraging. On the same day, VDSQ released a solo record of
acoustic improvisations, Its Shape Is Your Touch. Its paceand energy are much gentler. Plucked notes course andfall like teardrops onto threadbare carpet.
The self-released 2020 album Dehiscence alsopresented solo guitar—but singing too. It is often
described as a break-up album. Invited into that solitude,listeners get a clandestine experience of Eisenberg’s
artistry. “That was probably the rawest I’ve ever felt …
Musical ideas just flew out. There’s a sense of genuine
invention and surprise in every song. It feels really sad,really funny and really true. And really honest.”

WENDY
EISENBERG

For more info visit wendyeisenberg.com. Eisenberg is at
Alternative Guitar Summit at Drom Apr. 11, Roulette Apr. 20
and Le Poisson Rouge Apr. 27. See Calendar.
Recommended Listening:• Wendy Eisenberg—Its Shape Is Your Touch (VDSQ, 2017)• Wendy Eisenberg—The Machinic Unconscious(Tzadik, 2018)• Wendy Eisenberg/Shane Parish—Nervous Systems(Verses, 2018)• Wendy Eisenberg—Cellini’s Halo (GPT, 2019)• Wendy Eisenberg—Bloodletting(Out Of Your Head, 2019)• Strictly Missionary—Meisse Scheisse (Astral Spirits, 2021)

BY MATTY BANNOND
Tenor banjo is the driving force of Bent Ring, released
in 2021 on Dear Life Records. After spotting a Craigslist
ad a few years earlier, Eisenberg drove out to an oldschool house in Worcester to buy the instrument. The
banjo’s percussive pluckiness is a neat fit for Eisenberg’s
twitching, disjointed patterns. Clean vocals generate aconfiding, conspiratorial tone that pulls the listener close.
Noise, grunge and punky stuff are still a big partof Eisenberg’s output. Alongside break-up ballads
and banjos, there’s playing guitar and singing in posthardcore trio Editrix. In this context, Eisenberg’s bright
vocals blaze through the heavy-shadow energy. Conflictand contradiction are never far away, along with
contempt for genre labels: “If someone’s calling me a jazzmusician and I get to play a jazz festival, hell yeah. But
if I get to play a rock ’n’ roll festival with Editrix, that’s
not wrong.”
What motivates Eisenberg to keep twisting between
categories, rather than carving out a niche and opting tostay there? “For me, everything is interesting, so I justwant to do a lot of it … It’s not normal and it’s not veryeasy. But the driving force is connection … to myself,with history, with a sense of what the world is, with mycollaborators, with listeners. I feel unconnected a lot of
the time, and it’s a way to reach through this sense of
distance from the world and between people. We cando this live, crazy ritual and this beautiful phenomenon.
Together.” The Alternative Guitar Summit this monthis one crazy ritual where Eisenberg will be connectingwith people. The annual festival celebrates daring andinventive players with new, unusual approaches to the
instrument. Eisenberg will perform a solo set showcasing
textural concepts.
This month the guitarist also presents an experimental
song cycle called Eye Music at Roulette, where Eisenberg is
a resident artist this year. The piece features a new sextet
with Chris Williams (trumpet), Zekkereya El-Magharbel(trombone), Andrew Links (keys), Tyrone Allen (bass)
and Booker Stardrum (drums); photographer Richard
Lenz has created an accompanying video projection. It’s
the second show of Eisenberg’s residency, following aperformance with cellist Lester St. Louis and drummer
Ryan Sawyer, the same trio performing at Le Poisson
Rouge later in the month.
Eye Music draws on the guitarist’s experience ofLASIK surgery. “You’d think it’d be scary because there’s
lasers in your eyes”, says Eisenberg. “But it’s a beautiful
refraction of light, like an unrepeatable 15-minute movie.
It was so dynamic to feel my eyes grow stronger and theworld get clearer. I want people to feel something of it.
And what I love about improvised music, in particular,
is that sense of depth of field. The clarification of what
was once blurry.”
Eisenberg is a captivating improviser andsongwriter: the depth and range of the guitarist’s projects
is remarkable, the product of a wide-eyed fascination
with the possibilities of sound and a big-hearted courage.
Reaching through the gloom to grab a guitar or banjo,
Eisenberg expresses the turbulence within.

Albumavailable
Apr. 14!
EVA NOVOA: NOVOA/ KAMAGUCHI/ CLEAVER TRIO VOL. 1
Eva Novoa piano, Fender Rhodes, Chinese gongs, whistling
Masa Kamaguchi bass | Gerald Cleaver drums
Available for pre-order in CD, digital download andlimited edition silver vinyl on 577 Records!
577records.com"A bold and restless pianist, moving easily between acuteprecision and painterly fervor" - DownBeat
Novoa's ectomorphic touch is explorativeand exciting" - Jazz Weekly

4/8: Eva Novoa (acoustic guitars, vocals, whistling)@Café Ix, Brooklyn, NY (7 pm / 2 sets)

evanovoa.com

THE NEW YORK CITY JAZZ RECORD | APRIL 2023 7

ON THE COVER© ENID FARBER FOTOS

Mario Bauza
Godfather of Afro-Cuban Jazzby terrell holmes
The word “Godfather” is primarily a familial honorificthat indicates profound love and respect. It also defines
someone worthy of reverence by virtue of reputation or
innovation. In the jazz world, particularly within the AfroCuban idiom, there is no man more worthy of that title
than Prudencio Mario Bauzá Cárdenas, more commonly
known as Mario Bauzá, creator of Afro-Cuban jazz.
Bauzá was born April 28, 1911, in Havana. He started
his musical journey as a child prodigy clarinetist who
played with the Havana Philharmonic Orchestra at theage of eleven. During his teen years he would also playwith dance bands in Havana, becoming immersed in the
popular danzónes and charangas that would eventually lead
him to the music that he would help create. A tour withpianist Antonio Marìa Romeu, who led the most popular
danzón orchestra in Cuba, took Bauzá to New York in 1926.
The city’s vibrancy enraptured the 15-year-old Bauzá, andhe was dazzled by the big band music he heard.
“I started listening to all these great bands,” Bauzá
recalled in a TV interview from 1993. “Charlie Jones,
Fletcher Henderson, Paul Whiteman. I fell in love withjazz. I bought [myself] a saxophone, went back to Cuba,[and] I said I’d be back to live in [America].” Three years
later, Bauzá returned to New York. When his friend,
bandleader Antonio Machín, needed a trumpeter, hebought Bauzá a trumpet for $15; Bauzá practiced for two
weeks, then joined Machín’s quartet. His trumpet skills
would earn him a place in Chick Webb’s orchestra in 1933,
and a year later he was the band’s musical director (he iscommonly credited with recommending Ella Fitzgerald,
following her famed audition at The Apollo, to Webb).
It was from Webb that he first truly learned the jazz
idiom, or, as Bauzá put it, “He taught me how to play in
English.” Bauzá met Dizzy Gillespie in Webb’s orchestra,
took the younger trumpeter under his wing (both would
eventually star in Cab Calloway’s orchestra and they
became life-long friends.)
Despite playing with these luminaries, Bauzá feltthat something vital was missing from the music he wasplaying. In 1939, he joined his singing brother-in-law
Francisco Raúl Gutiérrez Grillo, nicknamed Machito,
and became co-founder and musical director of Machito
and his Afro-Cubans. In 1943 the band released “Tanga”,
regarded as the first example of Afro-Cuban jazz.
As far back as 1938, Gillespie had spoken to Bauzá
about using a conga player in a jazz band. Dizzyapproached Bauzá before his landmark Carnegie Hall
concert in 1947 and Bauzá introduced him to Chano Pozo.
Pozo joined Dizzy at Carnegie, and the concert mademusical history. Their collaboration produced such AfroCuban jazz standards as “Manteca” and “Tin Tin Deo”.
Bauzá stayed with the Afro-Cubans until 1976
and performed little over the ensuing years. But a 1990
celebration of his 80th birthday with his big band at
Symphony Space, featuring Gillespie, Chico O’Farrill,
Celia Cruz and others, brought Bauzá back into the
public eye and led to him recording for the German-based
Messidor label. The albums he made—Tanga: The Original
Mambo King, 944 Columbus Avenue and My Time Is Now—
brought Bauzá Grammy nominations, critical acclaim andrediscovery. He assembled a band and toured Europe,

was featured on the cover of DownBeat, and even made anappearance on The Cosby Show. During that renaissance,
Bauzá employed and mentored some of the most talented
musicians on the scene today.
“Mario Bauzá was a larger than life character,”trumpeter Michael Philip Mossman says. “He wasamazing. And everybody respected his opinion. Everyone
put him on a pedestal. So many musicians became
leaders and superstars through his mentorship. For me,
as a young twenty-something trumpet player, it was justa dream come true.” He recalls his start with Bauzá. “I
was in graduate school in New Jersey, and the Machito
Orchestra came and played a concert at the school, andI’d never heard an Afro-Cuban jazz big band before. I
remember marching myself right up to the bandstandand saying that I needed to play in the band. They looked
at me like I was nuts! Lo and behold, a couple of weeks
later they called me, and I wound up being the lead
trumpet player in the Machito Orchestra when their lead
trumpet player, Chuck Davidson, went to Copenhagen.
Once I was kind of in the family I met Victor Paz, the lead
trumpet player, and it was Victor that got me into Mario’s
band. One day I’m on the band bus and Mario sits down
next to me. And he sees me writing these charts and hesays ‘I like the way you write for the bass. You’re myarranger now!’ I’m thinking ‘Okay, who’s the only guy on
the bus who doesn’t understand how this music works?
Me!’ Mario was the one to give me my first opportunity
to become a professional arranger, and I built a career outof it.”
Pianist, composer and arranger Arturo O’Farrill,
whose father, Chico, knew and worked with Bauzá, had
another perspective on him. “When I was little, I didn’tknow who these people were. I didn’t know who Diz was;I didn’t know who Mario was; I didn’t know Tito. They
were just crazy adults in my life. My mother and father
would hang out with them. All I knew is that these werereally beautiful and interesting people. I can tell you this:I was seriously fascinated with him. He was one of thesefolks who spoke really animatedly and had a cigar in his
hand. He would gesticulate wildly with the cigar, and asa child I thought this was so amusing, and scary because I
didn’t want to get poked in the eye! I saw him a lot in mylife, and looking back I can see now that he was a centralenergy to all of this great music that we have. We were so
blessed to have had Mario Bauzá.”
Bauzá’s deep respect for the music resulted in his
being a demanding, but never domineering, bandleader.
“With Afro-Cuban jazz, and jazz in general, conducting
is not about keeping time, it’s about shaping,” O’Farrill
explains. “Because musicians are busy playing, and they’rereading the charts, it’s the conductor or the bandleader
that really galvanizes the attention of the musicians sothat they’re fully focused as one unit. And that was a
Mario Bauzá specialty. Watching Mario rehearse, he wasa taskmaster. Of course, cats would be responsive towards
him because they had no choice, but you cannot be meek
around a person like Mario Bauzá because he was very
demanding.”
Trombonist Conrad Herwig agrees: “He didn’t wantguys to play it safe. He wanted people to take chances

8 APRIL 2023 | THE NEW YORK CITY JAZZ RECORD

and to move it forward. He was a very demanding
musical director, but in the best way possible. We would
rehearse over and over. You didn’t play it right once,
you didn’t play it right twice, you didn’t play it right athousand times, you played it right every time. That was
his mentality. There was no room for error. He was among
the most focused and intense individuals I ever met in mylife.”
Interestingly, one of the lessons Bauzá passed on
to his bandmembers was not to overemphasize a key
element of the music that earned him his place in the
canon. “I remember one time there was a rehearsal or agig,” Herwig recalls. “I went to him, and I said, ‘Mario, I
want to apologize. I’m still trying to [solve] the mystery of
the clave, I’m trying to play the clave.’ [Mario] goes, ‘You
don’t play clave! Don’t play clave, play music! You playmusic and the clave finds you! You don’t have to look forthe clave. Play music!”
Mossman learned something similar. “The mostimportant thing that I learned [from Bauzá] was tounderstand the importance of the groove, and that insteadof imposing your music upon the rhythm section, try tounderstand what makes different styles of music different.
And what that did for me was that it opened the door forme to study other grooves, other types of music, and try
to understand it from the inside rather than imposing
something on it from the outside.”
All too frequently, the true innovators of an art form
are overlooked, or drowned out by imitators. “When I
started playing in Mario Bauzá’s band I’d never heard ofhim,” Mossman recalls. “I had no idea who he was, because
in my jazz education nobody ever talked about these guys.
Of course, now we know that those contributions madethe music super popular all over the world.”“Mario didn’t really get his just due until the very
end,” Herwig says. “I was very happy to see him on the
cover of DownBeat, getting Grammy nominations, doing
his own albums and working with his band into his 80s. It
inspired all of us.”Three decades after his passing, Bauzá continues
to inspire musicians playing Afro-Cuban jazz, and they
ensure that the legacy of this man—described by O’Farrill
as “the short, fiery Cuban with the cigar who generated alifetime of pleasure for millions”—will endure. Because,as Herwig said, “Mario was the godfather of everything.”
An Ertegun Hall of Fame induction tribute to Bauza is at Dizzy’s
Club, featuring Carlos Henriquez, Apr. 16. See Calendar.
Recommended Listening:• Machito—Afro-Cuban Jazz: The Music of Chico O’Farrill(Clef-Verve, 1950)• Chico O’Farrill—2nd Afro-Cuban Jazz Suite(Norgran-Verve, 1952)• Machito & His Orchestra—Kenya (Roulette, 1957)• Dizzy Gillespie Y Machito—Afro-Cuban Jazz Moods(Pablo, 1975)• Mario Bauzá/Paquito D’Rivera/ Jorge Dalto/
Graciela—AfroCuban Jazz (Yemayá/Caiman, 1986)• Mario Bauzá and His Afro-Cuban Jazz Orchestra—
Tanga (Messidor, 1991)

PHOTO COURTESY OF NI-VU-NI-CONNUENCORE

SVEN-ÅKE
JOHANSSONBY FRANCESCO MARTINELLI

B orn in 1943 in Mariestad, Sweden, drummer/
composer Sven-Åke Johansson was one of thedefining personalities of Germany’s free jazz scene,
his influence transcending not only jazz but also
music, overcoming genre borders and spreading into
theater, environmental sounds and the visual arts.
His multifaceted, lively personality was celebrated atthe 2022 Berlin Jazz Festival just one year short of his
80th birthday. His passion for banging on things was
already apparent as a child, when he played on “pansand lids or metal buckets I’d found, fashioned into akind of drum kit … my bass drum was a sawn-off
wine barrel.” Quickly moving into the dance sceneof his hometown and then into jazz with the school
band, Johansson joined Skövde Bosse Skoglund’s
sextet, before moving to Stockholm. After the firstinternational tours with Kent Silver and the Silver
Stars, including Finland and its obligatory tangos,
he formed a quartet with pianist Bobo Stenson, Ivar
Lindell and Gunnar Fors; as Johansson notes, they“stopped playing dances (a pity), just concerts.”
From there he began his late ’60s career in thebudding European jazz and free improvisation scene,including stints with Lasse Nilsson’s big band andwith visiting Americans—organist Lou Bennett,
pianist Ran Blake and saxophonist Pony Poindexter.
In Belgium, Johansson met and then establisheda first solid collaboration with saxophonist Peter
Brötzmann, pianist Fred van Hove and bassist Peter
Kowald in a quartet that played in numerous clubs
all over Germany (but “got thrown out of Jazzdomicilin Munich”) while beginning to compose and writing
associative texts (Manifesto, 1970). This led to his
participation in the seminal Brötzmann recordings
For Adolphe Sax (1967) and Machine Gun (1968).
In 1968, at the club Zodiak in what was thenWest Berlin, he established MND (Moderne
Nordeuropäische
Dorfmusik,“Modern
North
European Village Music”) with tabletop guitarist
Norbert Eisbrenner and string player Werner Götz. In

the countryside, in a former monastery in Mariental(Lower Saxony), a bigger formation developedaround the core trio, which was called Schlangenfeuer
and was closer in its esthetic to groups like Faust—infact Johansson had played with an early incarnationof the band Tangerine Dream—than to contemporary
improvised music. Shortly after, he moved back toWest Berlin.
After meeting Alexander von Schlippenbach in
the Manfred Schoof group, he played with Globe
Unity Orchestra and other Schlippenbach bands; thetwo also regularly performed as a duo for piano andpercussion, adding accordion and voice (e.g. Kung
Bore, 1978). With Schlippenbach he released a seriesof ten-inch records on FMP’s SAJ imprint, whichcontained tongue in cheek, affectionate, slightly
skewed recordings of jazz standards, with tenor
saxophonist Rüdiger Carl and bassist Jay Oliver.
The band was more recently recorded live for a 6-CD
project in 1992; their approach was later revisitedby the Cool Quartett with Axel Dörner (trumpet),
Zoran Terzic (piano) and Jan Roder (bass), as wellas the bigger Ol’ Man Rebop Ensemble, whose
work parallels ICP Orchestra’s Monk and Ellington
reinterpretations.
Johansson developed an approach to making
music that was often theatrical and text-based.
This means that his full expressivity is not well
represented by sound recordings alone, even if partsof it have been adequately captured. He pioneered
the drum and percussion solo album (Schlingerland,1972)—and his work also includes an album almost
perfectly poised between comedy and drama (Idylle
und Katastrophen (Po Torch, 1979) and a number oflarge-scale projects (Ol’ Man Rebop Ensemble, 1998).
“His absurdist humor,” wrote Peter Margasak,“really shines through his solos: in Västerås,Sweden, in 2010, where he played his drum kit likea child tackling an outsize toy, combining hamfisted
mock amateurism and excited wonder. At one point
he used cucumbers as drumsticks and pressed
his cymbals into service as vegetable cutters—hescattered slivers of cucumber around the stage,then thoughtfully tasted a slice himself.” In 2000,
he conducted a composition for tractors in Weimar,and on the album Für Paul Klee (Jazzwerkstatt), herecited the painter’s poems over music provided byhis band.
Johansson still likes “playing in mental
hospitals, schools, music therapy sessions, withkids who want to try playing, and concerts in carehomes.” His compositions have been performed
in major European festivals and art galleries. His
book Dynamische Schwingungen – mit Händen undFüssen gespielt (“Dynamic vibrations/Swing, playedwith hands and feet”) is an art book with numerous
illustrations of his different works, including poetry
and sound/texts.
Among his recent works is Stumps: a rubberdisc engraved with QR codes that can be used to
stream “my opus magnum for small ensembles”.
Says Johansson: “The six compositions are basedon a potential for variation with falling and risingshort signals (notes). Repeating the theme four times
establishes the piece and provides a solid ground forthe ensuing improvisations. A simple repetition of
the theme at the end rounds off the composition as akind of return. The underlying tempi of the themes
are rather calm; there is no fixed tempo but moreof a free positioning. Within the improvisations therhythm section operates according to the principleof ‘free tempo/dynamic vibration’. This producesswing.” The band features Pierre Borel (alto sax),
Axel Dörner (trumpet), Joel Grip (bass) and Simon
Sieger (piano), and was recorded live in Berlin in
2021.
Through his excellent web page one can order
recordings and books as well as access free audiovisual
documents, which include text-based compositions,a documentary on the piece for 12 tractors, Irving
Berlin songs and solo drumming. It gives a richportrait of this musician’s fertile imagination andhealthy disrespect for rules, including those thatparadoxically circumscribe freely improvised music.

impact might not have been. Willner and Reed wereclose friends and worked together on Reed’s last foursolo albums—including The Raven, a typical Willner
project: high concept with multiple guests. The
producer had a knack for bringing unlikely musicians
together and bringing new audiences to the musicalfringes. He collided and created subcultures.
“Hal was the heart and soul of our scene,” said
Laurie Anderson, whose marriage to Reed was asunlikely as many of the combinations Willner concocted
for his projects. “The instigator, the generous lover of
all music, always full of wonder, always ready to laugh,hilarious, dark and wise; so full of joy and curiosity.”
Willner died at his Manhattan home in 2020 at
the age of 64 with symptoms of COVID-19 infection.
Although not a performer himself, he left a legacy that
could be summed up as having all but invented the allstar tribute album. A series of productions that brought
together performers from jazz, rock and the avant gardebegan with his 1981 dedication to film composer Nino
Rota, best known for his work with Federico Fellini.
“Amarcord Nino Rota was an extremely important
record in my personal listening history,” said John

Corbett, who was 18 when the album came out and, in
2019, reissued it on his own Corbett vs. Dempsey. “Itconfirmed some of the mix-tape-derived thinking I had
around the time, mainly about how siloed we were as
listeners and how productive it could be to juxtapose
types of music coming from very different directions.
Hal Willner was a pioneer of this approach, and his
choices were ever eye-popping, head-scratching andear-pleasing. I listened to the LP incessantly and later
wondered how it could possibly have fallen out of
print. Then one day Hal arrived out of thin air at our
Chicago gallery and he and I agreed on the spot thatreissuing it was a no brainer.”
Another teenager who fell under Amarcord’s spell
was trumpeter Steven Bernstein. The two later met
when Bernstein appeared with Karen Mantler’s bandon Willner’s beloved and short-lived television show
Night Music. Years later, Willner produced Bernstein’s
2013 album Circus, Cinema & Spaghetti: Sex Mob Plays
Fellini: The Music of Nino Rota (he also worked with
Bernstein on other projects including the group Spanish
Fly and Robert Altman’s Kansas City soundtrack).

For more info visit sven-akejohansson.com
Recommended Listening:• Peter Brötzmann Trio—For Adolphe Sax(FMP, 1967)• Sven-Åke Johansson—Schlingerland/Dynamische
Schwingungen (FMP, 1972)• Alexander von Schlippenbach/Sven-Åke Johansson—Live 1976/77 (FMP, 1976-77)• Sven-Åke Johansson/Per-Henrik Wallin—
Magnetische Hunde Vol. 1 (FMP, 1986)• Sven-Åke Johansson/Axel Dörner/Andrea
Neumann—Barcelona Series (hatOLOGY, 1999)• Sven-Åke Johansson—Blue For A Moment(Ni-Vu-Ni-Connu, 1978/2007-17)

PHOTO BY TIMOTHY GREENFIELD SANDERSLEST WE FORGET

HAL
WILLNERBY KURT GOTTSCHALK

Last month, the New York Public Library for the
Performing Arts at Lincoln Center closed its Lou Reed:
Caught Between the Twisted Stars exhibit after eightmonths. Visitors to the show were treated to rare
recordings, videos, writings and guitars. Near the exit,
in a separate nook off on its own, was a recreation of
the home production studio of Hal Willner. The room
was a 3D portrait of a serious collector who liked tohave fun. Albums from every walk of recorded culture
and toys from decades past filled the shelves and someof the floor space of the facsimile office.
Willner’s name was surely known to many who
saw the show, although the depth and breadth of his

10 APRIL 2023 | THE NEW YORK CITY JAZZ RECORD(CONTINUED ON PAGE 37)

L ABEL SPOTLIGHT

EVIL RABBITBY ANNA STEEGMANN

Founded in Amsterdam in 2006 by Dutch pianist Albert
van Veenendaal and German double bass player MeinradKneer, and since 2015 based in Berlin and run solo byKneer, Evil Rabbit Records, as it says on its website,
is “an independent label by musicians for musicians
as a platform for honest, authentic, contemporary
improvisation and jazz music with a European touch.”
Kneer has certainly achieved his goal of creating acommunity of improvisers and like-minded artists. A
nonprofit organization with worldwide distribution by
Subterranean Distribution, its profits go directly to theartists, who keep the copyright of all their work.
Kneer moved to the Netherlands in 1995 tostudy double bass, formed the quartet Dalgoo withreed player Tobias Klein and became a member of
Amsterdam’s vivid improvisation and jazz scene. He
had the chance to work with Han Bennink, Ab Baars,
Ig Henneman, Joost Buis, Paul Pallesen and Tristan
Honsinger, to name a few. Always open to exploration,
he found himself in bands performing ethnic crossovermusic with musicians from India, Morocco and Turkey.
He started to work with the pianist and composer van
Veenendaal. When the two had no success finding alabel to publish their duo improvisations, they decided
to release it themselves.
Kneer recalls that, after a fruitless brainstorming
session trying to come up with a name for the label, “I
stood in the door with my jacket on to leave, I turned

The Munderkingen Sessions Part 1
Meinrad Kneer/Albert Van Veenendaal

Monk On Viola
George Dumitriu

around, and without thinking, I said ‘Evil Rabbit’. I
don’t know where it came from, but there it was, andwe couldn’t find any better name after that.”
Not flush with money, both musicians insisted that
the CD packaging should mirror the music’s quality. To
be cost-effective, they printed six outer sleeves at a timeand added specific information about the tracks closer tothe production time. The CD sleeves, initially designed
by Lysander Le Coultre and, after his untimely deathat age 46, by his colleague Jeroen Gouw, are truly eyecatching. Printed on light brown cardboard, the sleeves
became a characteristic of their design. Three concentric
rabbit holes were cut into the cover, revealing the color
on the front and the CD on the inside. Monique Besten
provided gorgeous photos for each recording, and thecolor of each CD was chosen to match the image.
Kneer stayed in Amsterdam for 15 years andformed many connections and friendships withmusicians, many of whom recorded with Evil Rabbit.
In 2012 he moved to Berlin, and van Veenendaal left
the label two years later. Asked about his criteria for
accepting music for release, Kneer doesn’t think there
are definite criteria for music to be accepted. The label ismostly about improvised music, but he doesn’t want to
exclude anything. However, he must feel that the music
and the musicians fit in with his catalog. He further
explained: “I would never have thought of releasing a
Monk CD, though I love his music, (and) there it is:
Monk on Viola by George Dumitriu—too good not to bereleased! Other exceptions, like 81 Matters in Elemental
Order by Marko Ciciliani, were too good to be turned
down, even though the music didn’t fit then.”
Asked about the artists/recordings people should
listen to get a feeling for the catalog, Kneer found it

Live At Konfrontationen Nickelsdorf 2012
Ab Baars/Meinrad Kneer/Bill Elgart

challenging to answer. “There are recordings fromsolo instrumentalists up to sextets so far. You canfind well-known musicians like Matthew Shipp, Han
Bennink, Paul Lovens, Floros Floridis, Bill Elgart,next to less-known musicians in the catalog.” Herecommended starting with the label’s first release:his duo improvisation with van Veenendaal and thereason the label was created, as well as Playstation 6,
an exciting sextet, plus Rigop Me by Tone Dialing, a trio
that still surprises him a lot. There’s van Veenendaal’s
dazzling solo recordings, the double bass quartet
Sequoia’s Rotations (with Kneer and Miles Perkin); a
powerful free jazz trio (Ab Baars/Kneer/Elgart–Live
at Konfrontationen Nickelsdorf 2012); a duo recording ofviolin and turntables (Ayumi Paul/Achim Mohné—
Sketches For Violin and Vinyl), which should get more
attention; Andreas Willers’ delicate quartet from
Amsterdam (Haerae); and the label’s latest release:
Dumitriu’s Monk on Viola.
Asked about his move to Berlin, he said, “I met
a lot of amazing improvisers here, the scene is huge,and many new musicians are moving in—and you
meet another scene with a different approach to
improvisation. So your improvisational vocabulary
grows fast, and your playing changes into somethingelse, based on where you come from.” Asked how hebalances his career as a musician with the work for thelabel, he admitted that it’s not always easy. Starting thelabel, he decided that it was not about making money.
He’s still content with that. When he is touring orbusy with other career-related things, the label worksometimes has to wait.
(CONTINUED ON PAGE 37)

Tone Sequence Evaluators
Floros Floridis/Yorgos Dimitriadis

Featuring Matthew ShippThe Core Trio

VOX NEWSEPIC TALESBY SUZANNE LORGE

Forty years ago, guitarist/singer John Pizzarelli released
his debut album, I’m Hip (Please Don’t Tell My Father)(P-VINE). The father in this scenario is famed guitarist
Bucky Pizzarelli, who passed in 2020—one of the jazz
world’s many profound losses to COVID. John, like hisother siblings, follows in his father’s outsized footsteps;
to date, he’s recorded more than 20 solo albums andcontributed to scores more as a guest. This month he adds
another title to this impressive body of work: Stage &Screen (Palmetto), a carefully-parsed collection of 12 songs
from mainstream musicals and films.
These traditional pop songs perform a particular functionin the narratives they serve, by moving the storytelling along.
They are rich in dramatic impact, a value that was top-ofmind for their lyricists and composers. For Stage & Screen,
Pizzarelli culls tunes from the best ampersand-linked writing
teams, including Kander & Ebb, Rodgers & Hart, Rodgers &Hammerstein, Youmans & Caesar, Stein & Green/Comden,
Bernstein & Green/Comden, Cahn & Styne and Lerner &Lane. He then adds his own imprimatur to these well-craftedsongs—a near-plaintive vocal on “Tea for Two”, a rarely
heard verse on “As Time Goes By”, a Django-esque turnon the comedic uptempo “A Coffee in a Cardboard Cup”.

Most impressive is his locomotive scatting on tunes such as“Too Close for Comfort” and “I Love Betsy” and his flawless
fretwork on instrumental tracks including the ballad “SomeOther Time” and the shifting medley “Oklahoma Suite”.
These instrumentals (with bassist Mike Karn and pianist
Isaiah J. Thompson) demand as much interpretive skill
as does a vocal line—something Pizzarelli seems to know
intuitively. The John Pizzarelli Trio appears at Jazz Forum
Arts in Tarrytown (Mar. 31-Apr. 1), gearing up for the releaseof the anniversary album at Birdland (Apr. 25-29).
When Cécile McLorin Salvant recorded the Grammynominated album Ghost Song (Nonesuch), she kept one
song behind. This original composition, “Mélusine”—asimple air for guitar and voice that recounts a medieval
tale of death, love and phantasms—became the title track
for her just-released new album. In choosing material for
14 tracks, Salvant turned to eclectic sources: early chantand secular music, 20th century Francophone popular
music, rock opera and her own wide-ranging jazz roots.
Additionally, she sings mostly in French on the album, attimes switching to English, Haitian Kreyòl and Occitan (aromance language from Southern Europe). These creative
moves signal Salvant’s increasingly personal approach as
she tackles themes of “solitude and self-reliance and being
adaptable”, as stated in the album bio. As a pre-launchteaser, she created an arthouse video containing self-footage
interspersed with text, animation and outdoor shots (birds,
a lizard, gardens, a flaming building). This evocative videoreflects Salvant’s serious interest in the visual arts. This

other side of her artistry will receive fuller expression with
Ogresse, an animated film project that Salvant has been
touring the last several years. In February she announced acreative partnership with Belgian animator Lia Bertels andFrench studio Miyu Productions to develop the film, which
will feature Salvant’s music and animated characters, allbased on oral fairy tales from the 19th century.
One of the stages where Salvant first unveiled theOgresse material was Jazz at Lincoln Center, where she’ll
return this May. No doubt she’ll introduce Mélusine then; inthe meantime, you can hear her in a tribute to Nobel Prizewinning author Toni Morrison at Princeton University(Apr. 12), or on Olympians, a new album by Vince Mendoza
and Metropole Orkest for BMG. According to Mendoza,
the Olympians of the title are musicians, like Salvant, atthe height of their godlike powers.
Last month’s VOXNews attributed Both Sides of Joni(ACME) to singer Alexis Cole. That’s almost right: Colewill in fact launch the album with pianist/arranger Monika
Herzig at Chelsea Table + Stage (Apr. 26). But singer/
producer Janiece Jaffe recorded the album with Herzig;
her vocals ring and growl and whisper on this homage to
Mitchell, another protean artist. The April concert will in turnhonor Jaffe, who passed away unexpectedly in November.
Also at Chelsea Table + Stage, Tawanda, winner ofthe 2020 Sarah Vaughan International Vocal Competition,
officially launches Smile on Resonance (Apr. 21). Tawanda
is the rare singer who brings optimism and hope to every
lyric—this Songbook collection bursts with promise.

THE NEW YORK CITY JAZZ RECORD | APRIL 2023 11

FESTIVAL REPORT

MAR 31–APR 1 ROSE THEATER

INTERNATIONALLY ELLINGTON
Featuring a hand-picked ensemble of some of thegreatest young talent in jazz today—including a numberof Essentially Ellington alumni—this concert explores
the international side of Duke Ellington. In the words ofWynton Marsalis, “Duke was out there in front, dealing
with the world as a singular place.”

HUDSONJAZZ FESTIVAL
BY MIKE COBBROSA PASSOS WITH KENNY BARRON,RON CARTER, AND RAFAEL BARATA
The Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra with special
guest Paquito D’Rivera premiere a pair of exclusive
JALC-commissioned pieces by two of jazz’s most prolificand insightful voices: Tres Aguas by Cuban pianist
Elio Villafranca and Music of Colombia by Colombian
harpist Edmar Castaneda.

APR 21 –22 THE APPEL ROOMMONTEREY JAZZ FESTIVAL ON TOUR
WITH DEE DEE BRIDGEWATER AND KURT ELLINGThe Monterey Jazz Festival celebrates its 65th yearwith a once-in-a-lifetime concert event featuring Tonyand Grammy Award-winning NEA Jazz Master vocalist
Dee Dee Bridgewater, Grammy Award-winning vocalist
Kurt Elling, rising star saxophonist Lakecia Benjamin,
visionary pianist Christian Sands, bassist Yasushi
Nakamura, and drummer Clarence Penn.

Dee Dee Bridgewater by Mark Higashino

212.721.6500
BROADWAY AT 60TH ST., 5TH FL.

PHOTO BY DAVID MCINTYREAPR 14 –15 ROSE THEATERMarquis Hill @Hudson Hall

The diversity and stylistic breadth of the musiciansfeatured at the 2023 Hudson Jazz Festival (curated by
Cat Henry, formerly of MoMA’s Summergarden) were
aptly encapsulated by its tagline, “The Shape of Jazz
Today”. Taking place over two consecutive weekends(Feb. 16-19 and Feb. 23-26) in Hudson, New York (atwo-hour drive, 120 miles north of Manhattan) at theformer opera house, Hudson Hall, this year’s roster
represented cutting-edge artists who blend traditionaland contemporary sounds. Local residents paid
what they wished, and the room was noticeably andconsistently packed with lively crowds.
The party started opening night with guitarist
Ed Cherry and keyboardist Kyle Koehler performingin the first floor gallery, where artist-designer Marine
Penvern exhibited her paintings and a textile work
titled “Body and Soul”. Vocalist and composer Sarah
Elizabeth Charles and her band SCOPE (Jesse Fischer,
piano/keyboards; Rashaan Carter, bass; John Davis,
drums) kicked things into high gear the next day by
blending modern jazz vocals with neo-soul.
Saturday was a festival highlight: trumpeter
Marquis Hill presented tracks from his New Gospel
Revisited, backed by the stellar musicianship of Dezron
Douglas (bass), Joel Ross (vibes/piano) and Michel Piolet(drums), whose behind-the-beat grooves referenced
J Dilla. In two compositions Hill incorporated soundbites from Roy Hargrove and actress Phylicia Rashad.
“I try to have a message in all of my projects. It’s notjust about the music. It’s about making people thinkand uplifting their energies”, he said in an interview
after the show. Hill’s music has an elasticity thatallows sound to ebb and flow, something he attributes
to groups like the Art Ensemble of Chicago from his
hometown of The Windy City. His restrained approachand remarkable use of silence was in full effect, theband sometimes dropping out and leaving him to finish
sections alone. The effect was dynamic and stunning.
As he noted: “I make sure I’m surrounded by musicians
who aren’t afraid of space, diving into it and reallyletting it take the music somewhere else.” Production
crew and audience members then gathered after hours
at Padrona, a two block walk away from Hudson Hall,
to hear pianist Tony Kieraldo play ragtime-inspired
renditions of contemporary and classic tunes.
On Sunday, Feb. 19, Michael Mayo presented astunning set showcasing his vocal dexterity. Mayo
comes from a serious musical pedigree. His parents
performed with countless R&B and soul musicians,
including Earth Wind & Fire, Whitney Houston,

12 APRIL 2023 | THE NEW YORK CITY JAZZ RECORD

Beyoncé and Stevie Wonder. “I grew up going torehearsals, recording sessions and gigs. The firstjob I knew one could have was that of a professionalmusician. For me, music is wrapped up with family,
love and soul,” he said after the show. Mayo alsostudied and toured with Herbie Hancock, who taught
him humility, curiosity and exploration. These qualities
were evident in Mayo’s sense of joy and play onstage,
including using his voice like an instrument in ways
recalling his hero Bobby McFerrin.
On the first Thursday of the second week (Feb. 23),
drummer Ulysses Owens Jr. delivered an exciting set
backed by his quintet Generation Y. An energetic leader
who really knows how to drive his group, he is also a
passionate educator, conducting a free masterclass forstudents from the Hudson City School District as partof its “Voices of Freedom” series—exploring the role ofart as a vehicle for social change.
For the second Friday of the festival, vocalists Lucy
Yeghiazaryan and Vanisha Gould presented “In Her
Words”, a collaborative work mixing new compositions
and interpretations of jazz standards that give a
glimpse into the private lives of women. The following
day pianist Aaron Parks and vocalist Samantha Rise
presented “Dreaming Home” with a knockout bandfeaturing Milena Casado (flugelhorn/trumpet), Meshell
Ndegeocello (bass) and JK Kim (drums). Endea Owens’
The Cookout turned out to be the perfect choice to closeout the festival. A Detroit native, Juilliard graduate andmember of The Late Show with Stephen Colbert’s houseband, Stay Human, Owens knows how to command thestage. “When I wake up every day, I’m inspired by myfavorite artist: me!” she declared. Owens generously
highlighted her band with Alexis Lombre (piano),
Jerome Jennings (drums) and a three-piece horn sectionof Irwin Hall (sax), Giveton Gelin (trumpet) and Jeffrey
Miller (trombone). She spoke of finding joy throughmusic despite the pandemic, racism and gun violence,and even got the crowd dancing. Focusing on material
from her upcoming self-released album Feel GoodMusic, Owens’ group also played Nina Simone’s “For
Women” and Frankie Beverly and Maze’s “Before I Let
Go”, impressively sung by Ekep Nkwelle. The Cookout
takes its name from Owens’ work as an activist fighting
hunger by feeding and performing for impoverished
New Yorkers. “Music guides the spirit and is one of themost powerful tools humans have. I’m doing what I
can to create a change,” she said. Hudson Jazz Festival
followed her lead by partnering with Operation Unite
NY to live-stream Owens’ concert, providing hot meals
at the State Street AME Zion Church and delivering
meals to local homebound seniors.
Good music for a good cause. Here’s to next year’s
Hudson Jazz Festival.
For more info, visit hudsonhall.org

TMA Records is proud to announce
the release of Tim Armacost’s
The Inevitable Note
LP Release Party April 14-15 at
The Jazz Forum, Tarrytown, NY(7:30/9:30 pm sets)“A force to be reckoned with… a player of great
originality and distinction” – Jazz Views
tmarecords.org

Diverse Artists. Transformative Art.

UPTOWN NIGHTSLOUIS HAYES QUINTETNEA JAZZ MASTER &ALBUM RELEASE CELEBRATIONAPRIL 21, 2023 | 7:30PM
Harlem Stage presents one of the leading jazz
drummers of all time, Louis Hayes, as part of theirUptown Nights music series. The evening is acelebration of Hayes’ forthcoming album, Exactly
Right, to be released on Savant Records, as well as
his being named a National Endowment for the Arts
Jazz Master in 2023, which will be officially bestowed
on him just a few weeks prior to his arrival at theHarlem Stage Gatehouse. Performing with his quintet
on Friday, April 21 at 7:30pm, Hayes will be joinedon stage by Steve Nelson (vibraphone), Vincent
Herring (saxophone), David Hazeltine (piano),
and Dezron Douglas (bass). Don’t miss thisunforgettable evening honoring a living legend.

TICKETS AT HARLEMSTAGE.ORG

I N ME MORIAM

Wayne
Shorter
was aninspiration
to memusically andpersonally.
One can feel theimagery throughhis tunes painting
pictures, while
his relationship to
the soprano gave mea constant lesson on
the “fish horn”. With aspirit and presence like noother, he will forever remain an
indelible voice in the cosmos.
One moment I will always
cherish was the Live Under the
Sky Tokyo performance in July
1987 with me, Wayne, Jack
DeJohnette, Richie Beirach andEddie Gomez. The rehearsal took
place in the hotel lobby. There wasa talk-down about the repertoire:
Wayne comes over to me and says,“I’m down for floating around like
Eric (Dolphy) used to.” Whew!
Direct from the maestro’s being.
What a night that was. Incredible!
Rest in peace, Wayne andthank you for your wisdom,
creativity and humanity!

PHOTO BY GARY FIRSTENBERG

WAYNE
SHORTER
1933-2023
W is for wonderful
A is absolute
Y Yes
N Necessary
E is for eternal– RON CARTER,BASS– DAVE LIEBMAN,
SOPRANO/TENOR
SAX
It feels odd tobe the last man
standingfromthat
Weather Report quartet.
I asked Jimmy Cobb how hefelt regarding being the only
surviving member of the Kind of Blue
band. His answer mirrors my feelings:“I miss those guys.” One interesting thing
about Wayne was that, in all of the time I was in
Weather Report, he never referred to Miles or his timein Miles’ band to serve as any sort of example, musicalor otherwise. Meanwhile, he never failed to mention Art
Blakey at least once a day when we were on tour or in
the studio. Wayne was otherwise the quietest member ofthe Weather Report quartet, but easily the most profoundwhen he wanted to be. He was also the nicest personin the band. Joe (Zawinul) and Wayne seemed to be
the yin to the other’s yang. His latest “koan” or advice
riddle came as a question to my question when I asked
him, when visiting his beautiful but remote house in the
Hollywood Hills, what did he do if he needed butter? Heturned and looked out the window, then looked at his
refrigerator and then looked back at me and said, “Whoneeds butter?”– PETER ERSKINE, DRUMS

14 APRIL 2023 | THE NEW YORK CITY JAZZ RECORD

The first time I heard Wayne play was in 1965 when hehad joined the Miles Davis Quintet. Having listened toMiles’ recordings since 1957, I noticed a clear change inthe sound and even concept of the music being played.
It became evident to me that this was due to Wayne’s
presence and, of course, his unique compositions.
Wayne was not only an exceptionally gifted player, he
was also a true composer in the sense that he brought a
new concept into jazz composition. His composing had
a direct influence on my own compositional work andhas continued throughout my life. Till now I have spoken
exclusively about Wayne the musician, but I cannot end
these words without speaking about the effect Wayne hadon me as a man of profound spirituality. Wayne radiateda kind of quiet joy that affected everyone around him,
and to have experienced this personally changed my life
forever.
– JOHN MCLAUGHLIN, GUITAR
Wayne Shorter, my best friend, left us with courage in hisheart, love and compassion for all, and a seeking spirit for
the eternal future. He was ready for his rebirth. As it iswith every human being, he is irreplaceable, and he wasable to reach the pinnacle of excellence as a saxophonist,composer, orchestrator, and recently, composer of themasterful opera ...(Iphigenia). I miss being around him andhis special Wayne-isms but I carry his spirit within myheart always.
– HERBIE HANCOCK, PIANOMy heart aches when talking about music and Wayne
Shorter. I had the opportunity to play live together withhim a few times with Miles Davis. We were riding highand I was just waiting for Wayne to start soloing so I could
enjoy the music coming from his horn. Every time heapproached the mic I could feel magic was happening. The
whole band shifted styles to match his “less is more” style.
He always played less, but those few notes were a songthat touched our hearts. Playing with him felt so good—it
was pure happiness. Wayne, I know you’ve joined “TheGreat Jazz Band” and you’re still playing, continuing yourmission somewhere new. Have a wonderful journey, myfriend. Maybe someday we can play some music together
again.
– AIRTO MOREIRA, PERCUSSION
Wayne spoke to you through his horn and in hismusic. Pure enlightenment of spirit, love and beauty
with a childlike innocence. A union of simplicity andcomplexity with no boundaries. He was always searchingfor answers in his mysterious adventure of life. I feel so
fortunate to have had his embrace through the years, andlearned so much from his wisdom and playfulness. In
2012 Dave Douglas and I formed a quintet called Sound
Prints in honor of Wayne’s inspiration. We played afestival in Europe opening for his quartet and he dug
the fact that we were celebrating him playing our own
music, not his. In 2013 we were asked to join his quartet
on a number of concerts celebrating his 80th birthday.
During the tour, a commission came from the Monterey
Jazz Festival. Maestro Shorter wrote two pieces forus—“Destination Unknown” and “To Sail Beyond theSunset”—and gave them to us when we played in Juneat Town Hall in NYC. In September we recorded Liveat the Monterey Jazz Festival (Blue Note). For the liner
notes he wrote: “ONWARD! Dave Douglas, Joe Lovano,
Lawrence Fields, Linda May Han Oh and Joey Baron!
It’s not often when a combination of musicians such as
the aforementioned elect to immerse themselves in an
explorative adventure without hesitation or reservation.
May they continue forging ahead in the trail less trodden.
Onward!” Sound Prints had an amazing week of musiccelebrating Wayne Shorter February 28th–March 5th at
the Village Vanguard, a stage he graced countless times
over the years.
– JOE LOVANO, TENOR SAX

The very first time I heard Wayne’s music (when I waseight years old) his song “Children of the Night”, from
Art Blakey and the Jazz Messengers’ Mosaic, moved me
so deeply even though I did not understand jazz musicyet. I never could have imagined that I would experience36 blessed years where I got to make music with him,
be mentored by him, become family with him and have
my life and music changed forever. Wayne’s profoundgenius, love, humanity and compassion will remain deeply
implanted in my heart and soul forever. Wayne changed
the course of jazz music so many times with his unique
individuality. His childlike wonder and invention will
be an inspiration for all musicians forever. He and Miles
Davis spoke of “trying to play like they didn’t know how
to play”. He could melt you with one note or a flurry of
beautiful colors. His tunes and large-form compositions
changed so many lives. This was all because his spirit anddepth of soul transcended music. In fact, he fully embodied
his self-declared definition of jazz. Wayne once said thatjazz means “I DARE YOU!” We all will never be the same
and we are so grateful for the gift Wayne Shorter is and has
been to us all!!!
– JOHN PATITUCCI, BASS
My very first Blue Note recording in 1965 was with
Wayne on Grachan Moncur’s Some Other Stuff. I recall
entering Blue Note’s rehearsal studio and being blown
away because he, Tony Williams and Herbie Hancock
were all there for this session. Wayne must have heard
something in me that he was comfortable with, as it
wasn’t too long after I got a call asking me to practicewith him on some music he had been working on.
Subsequently I wound up at Slugs’ Saloon for a weekwith him, Roy Haynes and Albert Dailey. As I reallywanted to get past what was expected of me, Wayne’s
music was very similar to my approach: playing outsideboundaries of who you might become and beyond what
you are expected to be. That’s what I liked about him.
His choices, his application of harmonies and rhythms
were unique to his inspiration to say something thatwas uniquely his. When you were around him, he wasa man of few words. He might be distant like Monk, but
you knew you were with somebody who had a verybroad imagination and who would provide anotherlevel of creativity. Writing music is about the spur ofthe moment, a collection of tones which musically says
something you cannot say in words. He is one whoorchestrated beyond paper improvisationally, and isarguably one of the greatest romantics to ever write
music in the form of jazz. The sadness is that I was
hoping I could play and perform with him again, nowthat I can play the instrument to an even higher level hewould appreciate.
— CECIL MCBEE, BASS
I was so blessed to have had the opportunity to experience
the otherworldly essence of Wayne Shorter when he andI played with Miles. He was also a loving, compassionate
human being and I love him very much for that. May hecontinue to co-create in infinity.
– JACK DEJOHNETTE, DRUMS
I had the privilege of recording and performing with theindomitable Wayne Shorter who was, beyond a shadow of
doubt, one of the great composers of the modern jazz era
and heir apparent as a player of the tenor sax tradition that
includes John Coltrane and Sonny Rollins. Wayne was also
a visionary, delving into music theater, a vision I share.
Safe travels Wayne, and I hope to see and play with you
again someday.
– JOE CHAMBERS, DRUMS
Even as we are sad as our brother departs, we are joyful as
we realize what gifts he has left us. We must use his genius
to help us find ours. Thank you, dear brother.
– SONNY ROLLINS, TENOR SAX

Wayne Shorter was a visionary genius artist and generous
human being who used his music and Buddhist practiceto celebrate the incomprehensible phenomenon known aslife itself. His beautiful heart and brilliant mind made him
an incredible mentor. I’d like to share a story during myaudition in 2000 while recording Alegría. “Danilo, I need
you to put water on those chords in that section,” he said
as we played the vamp-style section. I became puzzled.
“Ah, what?” I exclaimed. This was an entirely novel
experience for me. I tried different chords but couldn’t
find the evocative voicings that he sought, so he moved
on to the next piece. Naturally, I was disappointed. Thatnight, while watching a soap commercial on TV in myhotel room, I heard the sounds of water chords built in
fifth intervals and wrote many new voicings. The next
day we returned to the same section of the music and I
played what I thought were nice water chords, to which
Wayne replied, “Now we’re talking. But the water has to
be clean.” I chuckled and thought right then, “I’m ready.
We’re going to another GALAXY!” Dear Wayne, thankyou for mentoring and encouraging us to use the creative
process in all aspects of our lives and for inspiring us toplay and compose music as we imagine the world to be
like. With Eternal Love and Gratitude.
– DANILO PÉREZ, PIANOMy admiration for Wayne is eternal. It was from my earlydays, growing up in Detroit, where I heard Wayne for thevery first time. I was around 19 and he was playing with
Art Blakey and the Jazz Messengers. I became so influenced
by his sound and what he was doing, and was especially
fascinated the way he and Lee Morgan could play together
because I had never heard anything like that before. From
my teenage years to the present, he has always been asignificant person to me. I wanted to be Wayne Shorter!
It made me realize then I had a hell of a lot of work to do.
Those recordings with Blue Note profoundly influenced
my thinking to find ways to express myself the way he so
successfully expressed himself.
We built a long-standing relationship over the years,
and it was after I met him that I realized he actuallyinspired me to be me. He has been such an integral partof my development and an inspiration in overcoming a lotof different hardships. I’ve been able to see him manifest
an unbelievable amount of courage, not only as a creative
artist but as a man. He was bold, and definitely courageous
in going after something a bit different than anyone
else at that time; he found a way to express himself notnecessarily using things totally identified with bebop. The
only way I can describe it is: “sonic”. He was incredible
and my connection to him was deep, like family. One of mygreatest treasures was when I was asked by Miles Davisto come and record Bitches Brew. I got to be with Milesand Wayne every day. They embraced me through theirbody language and music, giving me the confidence andinspiring me even more to develop myself. My connection
with Wayne grew that much closer when we and a numberof musicians moved from New York out West. We started
practicing Buddhism, along with Herbie Hancock, Buster
Williams and others. It is a life philosophy you can utilize
to bring out your best qualities. The deepest thing is that
our conversations were rarely about music: they wereabout life. We realized that music is a great art and a great
gift, but people are the most important and sharing withpeople is the greatest gift.
– BENNIE MAUPIN, TENOR SAX/BASS CLARINET
Wayne Shorter was a phenomenal musician who could
write all kinds of music, even symphonies. He was a very
respectful, spiritual man and I will always appreciate
how he inspired everyone around him with his writing
and arranging. I’m so blessed that I was able to record
those three great Blue Note albums (The All Seeing Eye,The Soothsayer, Schizophrenia) with him. God bless Wayne
Shorter.
— JAMES SPAULDING, ALTO SAX/FLUTE

We mourn the loss of a great friend and mentor. The
universe has lost a very important creative being who in
my mind will live on forever. Having experienced many
hours with Wayne in the same band and traveling on theroad, I also witnessed the pain that he experienced and theway he came out the other end of that traumatic tunnel witha pure mind. We simply have to look at the way he titled
his songs and the way he created a new harmonic way of
approaching creative music. Wayne was ordained witha particular mission and very deep understanding of theworld around him. He should be revered for centuries tocome. How lucky we have been, to be able to share Wayne’s
path for as long as we did. He will never be forgotten.
– REGGIE WORKMAN, BASS
March 2, 2023, was a horrible day for music. Wayne Shorter
left the earth. I will miss my friend, mentor, collaborator
and musical dad. His music was my roadmap for following
the life path of jazz, which began in 1978 when I first heard
Miles Smiles, Nefertiti, ESP, Heavy Weather and Atlantis.
Wayne’s final message, which he expressed with great
courage and grace, was, “It is now time to move on to geta new body so I can come back to complete the mission.”
In 1993, when I went to L.A. to work on Highlife, he took
me to Portlynn’s (“The Black Swan”) funeral and used it
to teach about eternal life through Buddhism. I went to hishome and orchestrated “Black Swan” on my MIDI rig andstayed there for over a year working on the album. I wasfortunate to be the Sorcerer’s Apprentice for the creationof the Highlife recording and tour, and our close friendshiplasted throughout the years to the end. As a human, he
was as beautiful as his music reflects, a true champion of
women and a strong man with a backbone. Wayne Shorter
is now an eternal being—an “ideal”, and his musical spirit
is like magical fairy dust that we can sprinkle on our future
music endeavors. Now it is time to live his message of the
HIGH LIFE CONDITION as we celebrate his life and holdhim in our hearts forever. I love you, Wayne.
– RACHEL Z, PIANO/KEYBOARDS
Wayne….. a truly beautiful spirit. What an extraordinary
life he had and what an amazing presence he has been
during his time with us. Of course his musical legacy
is there to inspire future generations, but for those ofus that knew him he touched us all in so many ways.
To spend time with him was to share in his expansive
cosmic perspective and boundless imagination. When I
was a young musician living in London, listening to his
recordings and compositions introduced me to new waysof thinking about music. When I joined Miles’ band in
1968, Wayne went out of his way to make me feel welcome
and spent time talking to me about his unique vision oflife and music. As a stranger in a strange land this meantso much to me. I remember a rehearsal that we had a few
years ago for a concert with Herbie Hancock and a large
group of amazing musicians. After a few hours of putting
together the music we took a break. When we came backwe were discussing which compositions we should takeanother look at when Wayne said, “You can’t rehearse
the unknown.” We looked at each other and realized thatwe’d spent enough time preparing the material and that
all we needed to do was turn up at the concert and enjoy
exploring the spontaneity of the moment. His musicaljourney was one of fearlessly exploring the unknown andsurrendering to the moment of creation.
– DAVE HOLLAND, BASS
Wayne Shorter had an unusually great gust of highly andineffably created wind blowing behind him, moving him
progressively forward at great speed. And while being
permanently and unimaginably affected by this unusual
wind, his name was being symbolically written on thebreast of all our tomorrows. It’s then as though he’s stillwith us. His memorable voice being heard here, there andeverywhere.
– BENNY GOLSON, TENOR SAX

THE NEW YORK CITY JAZZ RECORD | APRIL 2023 15

ALBUM REVIEWS

It’s Always Now
Ralph Alessi Quartet (ECM)
by Tyran Grillo

T rumpeter Ralph Alessi returns to ECM with his
fourth leader date for the label, this time with a newly
minted European quartet that reflects his relocation to
Switzerland in 2020. Alongside Florian Weber (piano),
Bänz Oester (bass) and Gerry Hemingway (drums), he
carves out a vivid baker’s dozen of original material.
“Hypnagogic” not only sets a tone but alsoestablishes the album’s heart, the veins and arteriesof which are traced with anatomical faithfulness by
Alessi and Weber. It’s one of a handful of duo turns(including the haunting title track) building on theirnearly 20-year relationship as sonic allies. Abstract yet
comforting, their dialogues feel like waking from a
dream yet holding on to its fading tendrils. The effectis such that when the light of “Migratory Party” reveals
a rhythm section trailing an even longer history, theband’s ability to balance independent voices andmelismatic intermingling reigns supreme.
Both as musician and composer, Alessi creates
constant washes of color. Whether in the groovier
strains of “Residue” (a fantastic testimony to Oester’stalents) or in the nocturnal urbanism of “The Shadow
Side” and “Diagonal Lady”, he navigates every moment
as a director would a scene of actors improvising
within a loose script. The latter two tunes have a threedimensional feel that yields the album’s deepest magic.
When at its most forthright (“His Hopes, His Fears,
His Tears” and “Everything Mirrors Everything”), theband swings forward and backward rather than side
to side, while the dramatic resolution of “Hanging
by a Thread” leads perfectly to the concluding“Tumbleweed”, bringing us back to where it all began.

Cohen’s previous, much celebrated trio with Shai
Maestro and Mark Guiliana. The empathy within
the trio is remarkable. Shirinov is an outstanding
musician who makes self-restraint the base of his
lyrical approach. Kaspi’s drumming is imaginative,
making the music far more rhythmic than in earlier
incarnations of Cohen’s trio. Cohen seems to lead frombehind, limiting his solo outings and letting Shirinov
lead the dance. This is well-structured music thatprovides for total freedom within which each musician
has plenty of space to express individual personality.
It is once more an example of the total being far morethan the sum of the unique contributions. The nineoriginals—“Hitragut” being a traditional melody—
showcase Cohen’s full composing range within adistinctive style: initial repeated patterns shifting into
open sections with a sense of circularity. “Interwined”,“Below” and “Videogame” are cases in point, building
over piano patterns leading to Shirinov’s intense solos;“Window” and “Joy” rely on Middle Eastern dancelike rhythmic figures; and “Dvash” is a suspensefulchamber-like piece recalling the Modern Jazz Quartet
at its most austere.
IROKO is a project that has been in the making
for decades. Although presented as Cohen’s banda, it
feels more of an Abraham Rodriguez Jr. project than
Cohen’s. Rodriguez Jr. has performed, recorded andstudied for more than 40 years with most of the mastersof the Afro-Latin and jazz idioms. He is currently an
active member of the Grupo Folklorico Experimental
Nueva Yorquino and the Oyu Oro Afro-Cuban Dance
Ensemble. The music is infused with Cuban influences,with Cohen’s at times dramatic bass an integral part ofa thick rhythmic tapestry. His outings are limited toa few introductions, such as “Avisale A Mi Vecina”
and a few solos, but he contributes decisively to theoverall texture. The only explicit link to Cohen’sbackground is an ingenious version of “Exodus”,
where the vocals are sustained by percussion and an
insistent bass pattern. “Fly Me to the Moon” concludes
as an homage to the American songwriting tradition
and with another beautiful solo by Cohen.
For more info visit naiverecords.com. The IROKO project is
at Blue Note Apr. 25-30. See Calendar.

For more info visit ecmrecords.com. Alessi is at Bar Bayeux
Apr. 5 with Michaël Attias. See Calendar.

Shifting Sands
Avishai Cohen (Naïve/Believe)
IROKO
Avishai Cohen //Abraham Rodriguez, Jr.
(Naïve/Believe)by Marco Cangiano

T hese two albums display distinct aspects of bassist
Avishai Cohen’s musical personality. Shifting Sands isa gorgeous piano trio, which has been Cohen’s mostfamiliar format since his collaborations with the late
Chick Corea. His newest, IROKO, announces Cohen’s
love for and affinity with Latin American music, whichdates back to the early ‘90s when he was studying in
New York with the likes of Fort Apache’s bassist Andy
Gonzalez.
Shifting Sands features a brand-new trio. Whereas
Elchin Shirinov (piano) has collaborated with Cohenon a number of occasions since 2018, this is Cohen’s
first recording with Roni Kaspi (drums), a fresh
Berklee graduate. The result is splendid and rivals

Fantasías Barcelónicas: Tribute to Paquito D’Rivera
Barcelona Clarinet Players (Paquito-Sunnyside)by Marilyn Lester

T he clarinet is one of the most versatile of woodwinds,
so the tradition of clarinet bands and quartets has long
been associated with creative arrangements across
many genres. Established in 2010, the Barcelona
Clarinet Players (BCP)—Manuel Martínez (clarinet),
Javier Vilaplana (clarinet), Martí Guastev (basset horn)and Alejandro Castillo (bass clarinet)—is basically achamber group, even though the members describe
themselves as dedicated to a diversity of projects andfusion of genres. Their collaboration with CubanAmerican alto saxophonist, clarinetist and composer
Paquito D’Rivera, a creator of chamber works aswell as jazz, seems a natural and has thus resulted in
Fantasías Barcelónicas: A Tribute to Paquito D’Rivera.
The album is an 11-track compendium of hiswork, with the master sitting in on four pieces. The
collaboration began in 2018 with the commissioned
piece “Fantasías Barcelónicas”. It is in three parts,

16 APRIL 2023 | THE NEW YORK CITY JAZZ RECORD

each dedicated to a Catalan artist: novelist Carlos
Ruiz Zafón, pianist Tete Montoliu and architect
Antoni Gaudí. The first two movements, “La sombradel viento” and “Mamblues pal Tete”, are initiallydominated by bass notes before the entrance of lighter
rhythmic flute-like tones, which completely dominate
the third movement, “Choro Gaudiano”. As a whole,“Fantasías Barcelónicas” invokes images such as bird
flight, sharing with earlier D’Rivera chamber works
an ethereal rhythmic quality created by a delicate
interweaving of instruments. “The Elephant and theClown” is more episodic, a series of melodic/harmonic
variations that invoke these two characters from thecircus and the story they share.
In contrast to these “classical” compositions,the earlier jazz numbers by D’Rivera include “MonkTuno” and “Wapango”. The former was originallydriven by solid Afro-Cuban rhythms, complete with
Fender Rhodes, drums and congas. Even though
D’Rivera himself has adapted the work for a sax
quartet, this BCP iteration tries gamely for the beat,but falls short. “Wapango” misses the point entirely.
The original version began as a chamber-oriented
piece but quickly evolved into a conga-driven AfroCuban rhythmic feast. There’s none of the latter in thisinterpretation, which remains entrenched in chambermode. There’s no question that the BCP are virtuoso
players; their best work on the album is on “Fantasías
Barcelónicas”, a mature composition well-suited to the
BCP style, but beyond that there’s a sameness to theirinterpretations. Listeners looking for the Afro-Cuban
spark present in D’Rivera’s early work unfortunately
won’t find it here.
For more info visit sunnysiderecords.com. D’Rivera is at
Rose Theater Apr. 14-15. See Calendar.

Alessi Quartet—It’s Always Now
R • Ralph(ECM)
Impro Group—Live at Pariser Platze • AOA(Evil Rabbit)
Bingert–Ariba (Moserobie)c •• Daniel
Michael Blake—Dance of the Mystic Blisso (P&M)De Clive-Lowe/Shigeto/m • Mark
Melanie Charles—Hotel San Claudio
Bank Music)m • (Soul
East Axis—No Subject (Mack Avenue
e Music-Brother Mister Productions)
Fujii/Otomo Yoshihide—n • Satoko
Perpetual Motion (Ayler)
Kimura, Artur Majewski, Barry Guy,d • Izumi
Ramon Lopez—Kind of Shadowe (Fundacja Słuchaj)
Laubrock—The Last Quiet Placed • Ingrid(Pyroclastic)

n
e
w
r
e
l
e
a
s
e
s

• Brandon Lopez—
vilevilevilevilevilevilevilevile (TAO Forms)• Antti Lötjonen Quintet East—Circus/Citadel(We Jazz)• Carlo Maria Nartoni/Danilo Gallo/
Filippo Sala—Ellittica (AUT)• Eva Novoa—Trio, Volume 1 (577 Records)• Aruán Ortiz Trio—Serranías(Sketchbook for Piano Trio) (Intakt)• Ivo Perelman/Ray Anderson/Joe Morris/
Reggie Nicholson—Molten Gold
(Fundacja Słuchaj)• John Pizzarelli—Stage & Screen(Seven String)• Mark Sanders/Emil Karlsen—
Muted Language (Bead)• Alister Spence/Tony Buck—
Mythographer (Alister Spence Music)• The Vampires (feat. Chris Abrahams)—
Nightjar (Earshift Music)• We Will Intersect—s/t (Off-Record)

eek!

Open 7 Days a W

Like Minds
Wayne Escoffery (Smoke Sessions)
by Jim Motavalli

CBGB’s 1987
Curlew (Cuneiform)
by John Pietaro

W hen vocalist Lizzie Thomas recorded “Lush Life”
with just Wayne Escoffery’s tenor sax for her Duo
Encounters album, she says they hadn’t even played
it together before the red light went on. “But what
he played was just so perfect.” Escoffery also uses a
vocalist, his old friend Gregory Porter, on two tracksof Like Minds, and they’re proof that every singer
should hire him.
The basic group is Escoffery (tenor/soprano),David Kikoski (piano/keyboards), Ugonna Okegwo(bass) and Mark Whitfield, Jr. (drums). With Mike
Moreno (guitar) added, they take on the leader’sappealing hard-bop title track. Escoffery offers a
muscular solo, and Moreno a fluid and swinging one,while Kikoski’s playing is warm on Fender Rhodes.
Charles Mingus’ “Nostalgia in Times Square”
is not very nostalgic here—in fact, with Kikoski’s
Rhodes once again in evidence, it’s kind of funky.
Escoffery spent a decade in trumpeter Tom Harrell’squintet, and brings him on board for two tunes inwhich Harrell’s hip, spare groove over electronics
admirably manages not to be reminiscent of Miles
Davis.
The leader’s “Sincerely Yours” is based on
Coltrane’s “Giant Steps”, but isn’t chasing that classic
too closely. It certainly captures Trane’s heady rush.
Escoffery has a big tenor sound but keeps his solo
compact, and nicely sets up Moreno and then Kikoski,
who’s back on the acoustic instrument.
Of the vocal selections, Porter is especially
impassioned on Escoffery’s “My Truth”, which also
has very effective and extended playing by Harrell.
The song itself could have come out of the spiritual
jazz era, and other vocalists should have a look at thisfor its potential. The Melodians’ “Rivers of Babylon”
is memorable on The Harder They Come soundtrack
and, frankly, works better as uptempo reggae. Porterand Escoffery are in fine form, but slow it down to aslow spiritual.
The leader switches to soprano for “Song ofSerenity”, written by the group’s late drummer, Ralph
Peterson. The tune is very pretty and everyone’s
playing keeps it that way, with especially sparkly
playing by Kikoski and the saxophonist managing
to be intense without being frantic. “Idle Moments”
was written by pianist Duke Pearson (and recorded
by guitarist Grant Green with Pearson on board in1963). Escoffery’s version matches the original’s slow
tempo, like something you’d hear at last call. It makes
sense, then, that Moreno is effectively featured, alongwith bluesy Gene Ammons-ish tenor work by theleader.
Closing out, “Shuffle” was worked out whenPeterson was still on board, and with Whitfield on
drums it’s got an urgent feel. The guitarist plays it
more modern here, edging into territory inhabited by
two players who recently left us: Pat Martino and Vic
Juris. Kikoski builds up to a fairly intense approach
while Escoffery comes out on and maintains a boil,
leading a class on tenor authority.

T his historic reach back to 1987, one of the highFor more info visit smokesessionsrecords.com. This projectis at Smoke Apr. 20-23. Escoffery is also at Dizzy’s Club
with the Yale Jazz Ensemble Apr. 3. See Calendar.

Presenting

years of “Downtown”, opens in the hallowed
crush of CBGB (there was no “s” in the title) with
Curlew’s pulsating rendition of “Ray”. The pieceby saxophonist George Cartwright was inspired bynovelist Barry Hannah. Like Cartwright, Hannah
was an artist with his roots in the deep South who
thrived on dark humor. But Curlew’s urgency
leaves little space for laughter. One reference
point is Ornette Coleman’s Prime Time, had thatensemble been reared not in a Prince Street loft, butacross and over Bowery. The linear work of eachmember of Curlew reached as far as any band at
CBGB would, or could. “Ray”, angular, swinging,funk-infected, is a celebration of musical liberationthat lusciously conjoins into a raw Coleman-likepiece, the B-section of which will send shivers down
the spine. The wonderfully restless electric bass of
Ann Rupel, tenaciously seeking new paths throughthe thicket, pushing the primal-scream solos of
Cartwright, guitarist Davey Williams and especiallycellist Tom Cora (who passed away 25 years ago
this month), as well as the sonic explosions ofdrummer Pippin Barnett, remains a touchstone of
the Downtown sound.
“Kissing Goodbye”, which follows, is perhaps themissing link between Prime Time and the throttlingpolyrhythms of ’80s King Crimson, peppered by
the essence of stale beer that perfumed Bowery andBleecker. Ornette’s penchant for folkish melodies
is often realized in Cartwright’s compositions;the improvisations they inspire are nothing shortof legendary. As an aside, aspects of Crimson’s
1973 “Larks’ Tongues in Aspic” are evident within
the ominous pulsations of “To the Summer in Our
Hearts”, but then Rupel turns its harmonic structure
on its head.
Curlew was founded in 1979 not long after
Cartwright arrived in NYC. His biography,
intertwined with that of the band, is the stuff of East
Village legend, and by the time this set was recorded(directly off the mixing board), the ensemble hadfound its classic line-up. Yet it remains vexing
as to why Curlew has so often sat on the music’s
periphery. The answer may be found in its volatileline-up, even with the Downtown A-list on hand.
Earlier, Bill Laswell, Fred Frith, Nicky Skopelitis
and Denardo Coleman held chairs, and later Chris
Cochrane, Kenny Wollesen and Sam Bennett,
among other notables. The scene overflowed withtalent and there was a vast array of venues, which
often encouraged transience. Just a year after thisperformance at CBGB, Ann Rupel founded No Safetywith Cochrane, Barnett, Zeena Parkins and Doug
Seidel, an outgrowth of Curlew’s magic. Around thesame time, Tom Cora co-led Skeleton Crew with Fred
Frith, and Frith continued his own trans-Atlantic
foray, including the Golden Palominos and Massacrewith Laswell. Cross-pollination was everywhere, but
so daring the synthesis that it was often fleeting, anemulsion. Captured here, though, at one point in
time, the music remains immortal.

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Michael Kanan Trio

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Rico Jones Quartet
Liam Sutcliffe Quartet

7:30pm
10:30pm

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Jason Tiemann Quartet
Joe Strasser Quartet

7:30pm
10:30pm

THR
4/6

Tyler Blanton Quartet
People of Earth:
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7:30pm
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4/7

Mike DiRubbo Quartet
Eric Alexander Quartet

7:30pm
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Max Johnson Trio
Benny Benack III Quartet

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Gabrielle Stravelli Quartet
Liya Grigoryan Trio

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Sam Dillon Quartet
Ben Wolfe Trio

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Joe Farnsworth Trio
Mark Whitfield

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Joe Magnarelli Quartet
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7:30pm
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Craig Handy Quartet
Neal Miner Trio

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James Haddad Quartet

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THE NEW YORK CITY JAZZ RECORD | APRIL 2023 17

G LO B E U N I T Y

Folk Songs
Ensemble SONGS/Sarah Maria Sun (Blaser Music)
Ravel
Dieter Ilg (ACT Music)
Perspective Suite
Carl Wittigs Aurora Oktett (Nwog)
by Kurt Gottschalk

The border between what is termed “jazz” andwhat’s rather anachronistically called “classical”
is blurred and broken so often that it’s really not
worthy of consideration as such. But there are times
when artists stand firmly enough with one foot ineach camp that we can only consider their work fromconverging viewpoints. Such is the case with Samuel
Blaser’s stunningly inventive Worksongs, which opens
the recital from Ensemble SONGS. The second half of
the album comprises a faithful and exquisite readingof Luciano Berio’s 1964 Folk Songs, itself a work
steadfastly falling between genres. Blaser keeps Berio’s
septet instrumentation but adds piano, Fender Rhodes,
electronics and his own trombone to the lineup. His
work was clearly inspired by Berio’s but is executedwith a contemporary sensibility, and it’s a wonderfulpairing. The hits include “Black is the Colour” and “I
Wonder as I Wander” in the Berio set and “Where Did
You Sleep Last Night” and “I Am Going to Memphis”
in Blaser’s. Nestled between the two is ensemble
pianist Oscar Strasnoy’s Chanzuns Popularis Rumanchas,a joyously dizzying 17-minute suite taking songs fromthe Swiss Alps as its source material. In the unenviable
position of singing the Berio songs, first performedby the brilliant Cathy Berberian, is the capable Sarah
Maria Sun, who has in the past recorded Messiaen,
Kurt Weill and Screamin’ Jay Hawkins. She’s a pitchperfect soprano with a flair for the dramatic, bringing a
rapturous animation to the collection.
Bassist Dieter Ilg finds his source material in thecompositions of Ravel, and sits them solidly in the
piano trio tradition. Like a true jazzman, Ilg takes theoriginal scores as inspiration for improvisation. The
French impressionist’s pleasantly evocative work is anatural for such treatment, but the themes tend to getlost in Ilg’s shuffle. Even the composer’s most famous
work, “Bolero”—a proto-Krautrock masterpiecerobbed of its power by Blake Edwards and any
number of ice skaters—barely pushes through theconcept, and is disappointingly only about a third aslong as the original. Surprisingly, Ravel’s Gaspard de lanuit didn’t make the set list; Ilg & Co. would have beenwell-suited for its demanding trills and repetitions.
Bassist Carl Christian Wittig crosses the border
not with borrowed themes but by melding a pianolessjazz quartet and a conventional string quartet toestablish his Aurora Oktett. His seven-part Perspective
Suite finds moderate success in both musical camps,
for better or worse. Somewhere between the realmsof jazz and classical lies a land known as soundtrack
music, and that’s where Wittig, heart on sleeve,pitches his tent. The album is enjoyable enough. It
doesn’t fail on either side of the divide (even if it’s
hard to hear his lofty ambitions of gaining perspective
on life’s hardships by adopting new perspectives) but
it doesn’t quite captivate, either. Wittig is a strong
orchestrator, though, and it’s his arrangements forthe mixed ensemble that make the album work—
pleasantly if not profoundly.
For more info, visit samuelblaser.com, actmusic.com andnwog-records.com

Americana Vol. 2
JD Allen (Savant)by Keith Hoffman

With his 2016 album Americana, JD Allen poseda challenge: Why is the genre called “Americana”
based so heavily on the ancient Scots-Irish ballads of
the Appalachian Ridge? Are the Mississippi Delta,
Chicago’s Southside and Detroit’s Black Bottom notpart of America? Allen wrote, “(T)he blues is thegateway to the past and the future of American music.”
Americana Vol. 2 is a significant expansion of thatthesis. Long-time trio mates Gregg August and Rudy
Royston are here on bass and drums, respectively,
while guitarist Charlie Hunter is newly added. Hunter’sability to lay down soft tremolo shimmer, gut-bucket
string bending and the universe of sounds in-between
adds a significant dimension.
“The Battle of Blair Mountain” is named after an
obscure chapter in the Coal Wars, which raged in West
Virginia and Kentucky from 1890 to 1930 when miners
tried to unionize. The accepted narrative obscures thefact that nearly a third of the miners in southwesternWest Virginia were Black, most of them having arrived
in the 1880s/1890s from the deeper South after the
failure of Reconstruction. Consider also the presenceof tens of thousands of slavery’s survivors in theAppalachians, and the fact that Jimmie Rodgers, thefounder of country music, learned his art from his
fellow railroad workers who were Black. Puts a very
different perspective on the country and Americana
genres, doesn’t it?
With “You Don’t Know Me”, written andperformed by country singer Eddy Arnold in 1956,
Allen reminds us that Ray Charles defied expectationsin 1962 with Modern Sounds in Country Music. Allen
then launches into a distillation of the terror and painthat feed the deep well of the blues. In the mini-suiteof “Jackie and Johnny”, “Mickey and Mallory” and “A
Mouthful of Forevers”, Allen strips everything bareand produces ten minutes of horror and dark beauty.
His plaintive tenor cries over an insistent bass ostinato
recalls Jackie McLean pushing intonation over the edge
on Grachan Moncur III’s masterwork “Love and Hate”(from Destination Out).
While Americana was a fine album, its sequel is artof the highest order.
For more info, visit jazzdepot.com. This project is at Dizzy’s
Club Apr. 13-14. See Calendar.

embraces the do-it-yourself ethos to a remarkable
degree. Not only has curating an improvised musicseries guaranteed him regular opportunities to perform,
but his steely determination to document his musicon his own label ensures visibility for all concerned.
Among a string of recordings from the Scholes Street
Studio in Williamsburg, Brooklyn, Gauci’s quartet
with Matt Mitchell (piano), Eivind Opsvik (bass) andBilly Mintz (drums) ranks as one of the finest. The
saxophonist remains a notably singular voice, his tenor
veering between a crusty bottom end and a querulous
falsetto, stuffed with over-ripe split tones and raucous
wails, as he pursues an oblique trajectory through thetwo spontaneously conceived excursions here. As withother reedmen who avoid conventional tonality, heposes quite a conundrum for a pianist. It’s a challenge
to which Mitchell amply rises. He plays an absolutely
pivotal role and the exchanges between him and Gauci
are as enthralling as they are unpredictable. Althoughrenowned for his intricate compositional style, Mitchelldazzles in this free-flowing ensemble, often laying
down a polytonal carpet fizzing with overtones thatenables rather than constrains. When he cuts loose,the independence of his two hands allows his cleanly
articulated contrapuntal lines to simultaneously
support and soar. In that he’s helped by Opsvik’s
firm foundational presence, the bassist’s keen sense of
dynamics manifest in contrasts of meter and texture,adding immeasurably to the depth of the groupinterplay. Opsvik exerts influence even when he’s not
involved. When he drops out at one point during the
35-minute “#1”, the resultant space and air suddenly
redirect Gauci’s tenor squalls, Mitchell’s flurries and
Mintz’ martial fragments. Elsewhere, Mintz, taking aleaf from the Paul Motian instruction manual, colors
and shades in painterly fashion, while applying
unshowy force when necessary. This stupendous
outing was the first time Gauci and Mitchell played
together and it likely will not be the pair’s last.
For more info visit gaucimusic.com. Gauci is at Downtown
Music Gallery Apr. 8 and Main Drag Music Wednesdays;
Mintz is at Main Drag Music Apr. 12 with Igor Lumpert;
Mitchell is at Bar Bayeux Apr. 26 with Caroline Davis and
The Jazz Gallery Apr. 14. See Calendar.

BLOSSOM-ing(Celebrating the Music of Blossom Dearie)
Roberta Donnay (s/r)
Once Upon a Summertime:
The Music of Blossom Dearie
Sharon Sable/Joe Holt (Village Jazz Café)
by Jordannah Elizabeth

N ext April marks the centennial of the late vocalist

Live at Scholes Street Studio
Stephen Gauci, Matt Mitchell, Eivind Opsvik,
Billy Mintz (Gaucimusic)
by John Sharpe

In a city where there are always too many musicians
and not enough gigs, tenor saxophonist Stephen Gauci

18 APRIL 2023 | THE NEW YORK CITY JAZZ RECORD

Blossom Dearie, who passed away in 2009 at the ageof 84. As these two albums under review prove, thesinger’s impact on modern jazz vocals continues tothis day. Singing with a silky, sensual, tranquil andatmospheric style, Dearie created a blueprint forblue-eyed jazz singers from Nancy Sinatra and Daryl
Sherman to more recently Champian Fulton and thepresent two singers: Roberta Donnay and Sharon
Sable. Each singer’s recent album highlights several
well-known songs associated with Dearie; Sable
additionally covers more widely sung standards,
while Donnay spotlights obscurities like “Moonlight
Savings Time” and “A Paris”.
Donnay convincingly replicates Dearie’s innocenceon her BLOSSOM-ing, yet her simmering voice hasa slight edge. On “You Fascinate Me So”, she bendsnotes and tightens the end of each bar with a lightbreath (this contrasts with Sable’s vocal extension ofeach lyrical thought as her band gives the song a bossa
nova touch). “Spring in Manhattan” offers a taste ofromance, with sensual guitar repeating the melody
for a nice dramatic addition. (The album also features
the harmonica of David Sturdevant). In addition to
Donnay overlaying her personal vocal expression on
Dearie’s slightly more reserved style, the decision
to use a larger ensemble results in a thoughtful andrespectful album that shows deep appreciation for thelate jazz legend.
Sharon Sable is a veteran vocalist who began in
R&B/pop but has shifted toward a lounge jazz styleideally suited to her Dearie tribute Once Upon a
Summertime: The Music of Blossom Dearie. The title track
is a mesmerizing jazz ballad that embodies a sensual
combination of shyness, innocence and romance thathas been given previous touching vocal interpretations
by Betty Carter, Sarah Vaughan, Barbra Streisand andTony Bennett, and of course Dearie. Sable sings thesesongs with many of the vocal qualities that made Dearieso original and distinct. In a slightly lower register,
she offers breathy, soft tapering notes with well-timed
airy pauses and a beautifully controlled vibrato. Her
rendition of “You Fascinate Me So” accentuates the
milkiness of her voice against the backdrop of pianist
Joe Holt’s complementary accompaniment.
Both albums offer strong and entertaining odes to
Dearie’s enduring influence on jazz.
For more info visit
sharonsablemusic.com

robertadonnaymusic.com

andBrand New Life
Brandee Younger (Impulse!)
by Monique Ngozi Nri

H arpist Brandee Younger has a powerful lineage inthis music we call jazz, from Alice Coltrane whose“Blue Nile” she obsessively listened to after she wasintroduced to it by her father, to her parallel studyof classical and jazz music at the Hartt School at the
University of Hartford. There, she dropped in to listen
and learn at the Jazz Institute headed by the legendary
Jackie McLean. Younger went on to play at Alice
Coltrane’s memorial concert at the invitation of Ravi
Coltrane. The list of names that she has played with is astellar one: Pharoah Sanders, Reggie Workman, Lauryn
Hill and Drake, to mention a few. “The music,” shesays, “is more than a means of expression. It’s God’s
purpose for me. I’m inspired every morning”.
Brand New Life pays tribute to her inspirations
while branching out into as many styles and genres as
possible. The opening track is a haunting arrangementof “You’re a Girl for One Man Only”, written by jazz
harpist Dorothy Ashby for a musical called Choice
about a pregnant Black girl. It is an enchanting ridethat portrays a journey through a city center on the
tracks of the harp. Bassist Rashaan Carter provides a
funky groove throughout the album, while the leader’sharp glides thrillingly above it. This opening sets thetone for the harpist’s latest project. The title track has
her joined by vocalist Mumu Fresh in a lush ballad thatmerges the lines ”Here’s to love, here’s to life” with
“Nothing every really dies, Nothing ever dies, no”.
Mumu’s voice soars, perhaps with the intention to
make music that allows us to transcend earthly cares.

Carter and Makaya McCraven (drums/percussion)
form the rhythm section, supplemented on various
tracks by Joel Ross (vibes/xylophone), Desean Jones(flute) and Yuri Popowycz (strings). Pete Rock turns
up on a hip-hop-influenced piece, and “Dust” is sungby Meshell Ndegeocello over a reggae beat. “Moving
Target” and “Running Game” add an overtly politicalslant to the mix in terms of race and gender. The intro
to “Running Game” urges a discussion about men
who may be “quadrupling” (twice as bad as doubletalking!). The last two songs are covers of “Windmillsof Your Mind” and a solo harp of Stevie Wonder’s“If It’s Magic”, meaning that we leave as we came in.
Gently.
For more info visit vervemusic.com. This project is at Public
Records Apr. 7. See Calendar.

JUNE 2023

NEW YORK CITYGRACE JONES
UnalomeBuster Williams (Smoke Sessions)by Ken Dryden

A s Buster Williams nears his 81st birthday, he showsno signs of slowing down. One of today’s top bassists,
the veteran is well known for his work as a sideman
with Herbie Hancock, Denny Zeitlin and manyothers, in addition to being a member of Sphere (theThelonious Monk tribute quartet). But since the mid‘70s, Williams has also proven himself as a bandleader,in addition to his strengths as a compelling composer
and arranger. Unalome features Bruce Williams (alto/
soprano), Stefon Harris (vibes), George Colligan(piano) and Lenny White (drums), plus an inspired
choice as vocalist, Jean Baylor. The leader also put
together an enjoyable playlist, blending different
moods and styles as only a veteran can. While a strong
soloist, he actually puts much of his focus into a
supporting role during this session. That said, each of
his solos command attention.
Williams’ upbeat “Stairways” is a bright opener,
on which Baylor sings wordless lines. The breezy
melody suggests a brisk walk on a sunny spring day.
The sensual take on the bossa nova favorite “Estate”(written by Italian composer Bruno Martino) features
another moving performance by Baylor; both Bruce
Williams and Harris contribute well-conceived
solos. Another new work is his heartfelt ballad “In
the Middle of a Rainbow”, for which the bassist also
penned the lyric, conceived on the way to the studio.
Colligan’s elegant piano, Harris’ whispering vibes
and the bassist’s well-spaced supporting line provide
a terrific rhythmic backdrop for the singer. Perhaps
the biggest surprise is the offbeat setting of thenormally swinging, fast-paced ‘30s show tune “42ndStreet”, which utilizes a deliberate introduction,then adds a funky backbeat as the full band enters;
Bruce Williams’ sinewy soprano and Harris’ hipvibes share the spotlight with Baylor. The lush takeon the ballad “Here’s to Life”, a song associated withpianist/vocalist Shirley Horn’s landmark recording,showcases Baylor’s rich voice, backed by Colligan’s
luxurious piano playing and the leader’s spacious,
tasty bass.
Unalome deserves consideration for year-end top
ten lists.

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ROBERT GLASPER

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For more info visit smokesessionsrecords.com. This projectis at Smoke Apr. 13-16. See Calendar.

THE NEW YORK CITY JAZZ RECORD | APRIL 2023 19

Bluesology
George Cables (SteepleChase)by Scott Yanow

P ianist George Cables first began recording regularly
as a leader in 1979, following stints with Dexter
Gordon, Art Blakey, Max Roach, Freddie Hubbard,
Art Pepper and Sonny Rollins. Though his consistentexcellence has arguably been somewhat taken for
granted by the jazz public, he has always played
extremely well in his own voice, performing forwardlooking hard bop. And after all of these years, there
are still no unworthy George Cables recordings.
The LP reissue of Bluesology, recorded in Sep.
1997, is from a particularly busy time in the pianist’s
career. It is the eighth of nine SteepleChase albums
that Cables led during the ‘90s; there were also
three other recordings for other labels. He had
previously utilized Jay Anderson (bass) on three of
his SteepleChase albums, while this was the only timethat he has utilized Billy Drummond (drums).
The results are as rewarding as one would expect.
The LP (which has seven of the ten selections thatwere issued on CD) features Cables and his trio
performing a song apiece by Dave Brubeck (“In YourOwn Sweet Way”), Dizzy Gillespie, Randy Weston

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and Milt Jackson, plus two standards and the pianist’s“Voodoo Lady”. To name a few highlights, Cables’
version of the Swing-era ballad “Easy Living” begins
quite tenderly, evolves into medium-tempo swing
and closes back in its opening mood. “There Is No
Greater Love” is a solid swinger that gets more heatedas it progresses, giving the illusion that the tempo
is speeding up even though it actually stays thesame. “Voodoo Lady” is a change of pace—a joyful
and rhythmic homage to Africa that could almost be
mistaken for a celebratory tune by Abdullah Ibrahim.
With Anderson and Drummond contributing
stimulating and sympathetic support and occasional
concise solos, Bluesology features George Cables once
again in top form.
For more info visit statesidemusic.com. Cables is at Smokethrough Apr. 2 and at Ornithology Jazz Club Apr. 27 with
Hillai Govreen. See Calendar.

Quarantine Dream
Caili O’Doherty (Posi-Tone)
by Elliott Simon

N YC still attracts young, gifted jazz musicians who
hope to gain valuable experience in its numerous
clubs and venues. During the pandemic this fertile
milieu was shut down just beyond a year. Pianist
Caili O’Doherty’s Quarantine Dream (recorded
in September 2021) is a testament to the jazz
community’s resilience and its ability to adapt tochallenging circumstances. Originally from Oregon,
the pianist possesses an elegant touch that is strikingly
complemented by saxophonist and fellow Oregonian
Nicole Glover. The result is an exceptionally wellcrafted album.
Bassist Tamir Shmerling and drummer Cory Cox
are the hot glue holding this session together as on
the album opener “Blues for Big Scotia”, a playful
reworking of the Oscar Peterson tune. Once the twoenter, the quartet’s interconnectedness is immediately
apparent. The wistful title cut is a pensive, elegantly
structured composition that demonstrates O’Doherty’s
melodic strength, while “Reach Within” showcases
the synergy between Glover’s spiritual playing and
O’Doherty’s lovely lines. On “WTF”, the rhythm
section’s energy and depth enhance O’Doherty andGlover’s performances as Shmerling adds a richtexture to the ensemble sound and Cox contributes aninfectious groove.
O’Doherty’s styling shines on “Al” and “Mr.
O”, each graceful expressions of profound emotion.
Two other standards, Duke Pearson’s “You Know I
Care” and Charles Tolliver’s “Runaway”, are pleasantenough exploratory exercises, but O’Doherty’s own
compositions, including “The Last Trip to the Moon”
and “Salt and Vinegar”, drive the players forwardwith even greater intensity. Shmerling’s arco work
and Glover’s sax combine gorgeously on the former,
and the piano/sax interplay on the latter is especially
noteworthy. “Truth” is a foreboding closer thatdelicately explores both uncertainty and resoluteness.
Quarantine Dream is a cohesive and engaging musicalstatement—a standout offering in this year’s jazzscene.
For more info visit posi-tone.com. O’Doherty is at St.
Peter’s Church Apr. 9. See Calendar.

20 APRIL 2023 | THE NEW YORK CITY JAZZ RECORD

The Way to You
Sara Caswell (Anzic)by Thomas Conrad

S ara Caswell is at the center of the recent violin
renaissance in jazz. She is not really on every new jazzalbum that uses her instrument, but sometimes it feelsthat way. When people from Fred Hersch to Henry
Threadgill to Bruce Springsteen need a violinist, theycall Sara Caswell. But despite her stature, The Way to
You is her first record under her own name in over
17 years.
It could be called a string album. In the frontline with Caswell is Jesse Lewis, a guitarist who
shares her devotion to the lush, lingering lyricism
only possible with stringed instruments. Ike Sturmand Jared Schonig are the bassist and drummer, andvibraphonist Chris Dingman guests on four numbers.
Caswell says the five have played together “countlesstimes in various…circumstances”, and it sounds likeit.
The opening track is the yearning yet piercing“South Shore”, composed by trumpeter Nadje
Noordhuis. The beauty of Caswell’s sound will
come as a revelation to many listeners, because mostjazz fans, even during a violin renaissance, tend tooverlook the instrument. It is a sound that speaks ofthe secrets of the human heart. In Caswell’s hands theviolin is a jazz instrument: her phrasing, for all its
sweetness, also has bite.
Two of the most memorable pieces are Michel
Legrand’s “On My Way to You” and “O Que Tinha
de Ser” by Antonio Carlos Jobim and Vinicius
de Moraes. Barbra Streisand and Johnny Mathis
sang the former. Caswell’s version, on which her
improvisation covers a three-octave range, reaches
a purity of emotional truth. She ends the song in
the quietest of keening cries. The latter, a relatively
obscure Jobim work, has one of his most haunting
melodies. And haunting melody is Caswell’s
specialty. But she and her band can also let their hair
down and get funky too, as on “Last Call”.
It is early in the year, but The Way to You is on
this writer’s working list of top jazz albums for 2023.
For more info visit anzicrecords.com. Caswell is at Owl
Music Parlor Apr. 6. See Calendar.

The World of Cecil Taylor
Cecil Taylor (Candid)
by Pierre Crépon

T aped in October 1960 and already Cecil Taylor’s

fifth-and-a-half album (one being a split), The Worldof Cecil Taylor was among the pianist’s last recordings
before he made the final leap. It’s just before all theelements of his later music were finally in place, butwhat was there was already mighty interesting.

Those were the last days of Taylor’s collaboration
with bassist Buell Neidlinger and drummer Denis
Charles, which began in 1956. In late 1960, the trio
played Mondays—the Mingus band’s day off—at
Greenwich Village’s The Jazz Showplace, attracting
only “a few beatniks”, a report once noted. A thenunknown Archie Shepp joined Taylor at the time ofthis recording, seemingly not on a full-time basis.
However, he played tenor with the group during its
three-week stint in the play The Connection shortly
thereafter.
The music differs from Taylor’s later work inseveral ways: the pieces are relatively short, thematerial includes “This Nearly Was Mine” and“Lazy Afternoon” in addition to three originals
and, importantly, the music swings in a traditional
sense. Often pretty hard. A lot is happening, but
shorter forms lead to greater variety and ultimately
great accessibility. When Taylor plays the swirling
torrents of notes he was known for, he does so with
jaw-dropping precision, articulating every nuancein a way that can make you shake your head inwonderment.
Shepp plays on only two numbers. The outtakes ina 1989 Mosaic boxed set showed that close to 30 takesof “Air” were necessary for the young saxophonist to
play something that could be released. No one is bornan avant garde master, but Taylor had the foresight
to see Shepp’s potential. The music is good enoughfor the full Mosaic set to remain the definitive version(check out Sunny Murray’s contributions too), but
this new remastering offers slightly superior sound,most noticeably for Neidlinger’s bass. This album
was part of the six-title batch that launched the
Candid label in January 1961. Three of those LPs havebecome classics: Max Roach’s We Insist! Freedom Now

Suite, Mingus’ Presents Charles Mingus and Taylor’s
album. This is essential music, representing a unique
waystation in the pianist’s continued development,
offering an excellent entry point into his discography
as we commemorate this month being the five-year
deathaversary of the late, great pianist.
For more info visit candidrecords.com.

Both Sides of Joni
Janiece Jaffe/Monika Herzig (ACME)
by Zachary Weg

J oni Mitchell is no stranger to jazz, having loungedwith the big cats in the ‘70s—even making an album
called Mingus by decade’s end, recorded the same
year its namesake passed away. It featured the likes
of Herbie Hancock, Peter Erskine, Jaco Pastorius,
Don Alias and the recently departed Wayne Shorter.
Monika Herzig and Janiece Jaffe’s new album, Both
Sides of Joni, consequently serves as a fitting return offavors for the iconic singer/songwriter.
Stemming from singer Jaffe’s renewed enthusiasm
for Mitchell a few years back, and recorded during
lockdown, this hour-long record is a passion projectwith reach. Alongside Herzig (piano) and a tightband of Jeremy Allen (bass), Cassius Goens (drums)
and Greg Ward (saxophone), Jaffe (who passed away
unexpectedly last November) finds the jazz in thefolk, the folk in the jazz, and offers a warm parting
gift.
After opener “Help Me” sets the light tone with
Herzig’s plonks, Jaffe begins “Both Sides Now” with
joyful aplomb. “I really don’t know clouds at all,” shesings in her breathy timbre, and even on an overcast
day, she finds sunnier shades. An intimate renditionof the Mitchell tune, it would have played wellat such nooks as the now-closed Upper West Side
haunt Cleopatra’s Needle, yet sounds equally cozyon record. All of Both Sides of Joni has this inviting
quality. As its title hints, the record offers a peekinto Mitchell’s duality: her folk origins and her jazzleanings, her warmth and her wrath, her smile andher snarl. On “Don’t Interrupt the Sorrow”, Jaffe
sings, “Since I was seventeen / I’ve had no one overme,” and Mitchell’s ferocity, her now famous refusal
to take any nonsense, shines through.
A theatrical record that could almost be thesongbook to a Broadway musical about Mitchell,
it shows the whole Mitchell, conviction mingledwith tenderness. As Jaffe sings on “My Old Man”
(originally from Mitchell’s Blue), there’s the Mitchell
who praises the titular character for “keeping away
my blues”, as well as the Mitchell who obliterates“darkness” on “The Hissing of Summer Lawns”.
But the record ends with Mitchell as a child, going“around and around” on “The Circle Game”, as Jaffe
restores her innocence and honors her artistry.
For more info visit acmerecords.com. This project withvocalist Alexis Cole is at Chelsea Table + Stage Apr. 26.
See Calendar.

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DROP THE NEEDLE

Scream for Peace
Joachim Kühn Trio (Linoleum Analog Series)
by Ken Dryden

J oachim Kühn’s escape from East Germany in the
1960s helped launch his career. The pianist (whois in his 80th year) began building his voluminous
discography not long after as a sideman, leader
and soloist. Free jazz musicians who were making
insufficient income from gigs in the U.S. had
been moving to Europe beginning in the mid‘60s, drawing the interest of local players, manyof whom invited the younger locals to join themon gigs and eventually recordings. Kühn fell
under their influence and joined forces with two
Frenchmen, Jean-François Jenny-Clark (bass) andJacques Thollot (drums) in 1967, finding kindred
spirits with a similar sense of adventure. They
began recording as a trio in the summer of 1969 for
MPS, though by the following year, Thollot tooka break from performing, while Kühn and JennyClark would continue to work together until not

long before the bassist’s death in 1998.
This archival trio recording with JennyClark and Thollot, released as a beautiful
gatefold LP package with inside booklet, is apreviously unissued concert recorded Oct. 25,
1969, in Amougies, Belgium, that was produced
by BYG/Actuel and emceed by Frank Zappa (hisintroduction is unfortunately not heard). The
music can be described in many ways: intense,
innovative and at times overwhelming, though
the players’ chemistry is apparent. The leader’s“Scream for Peace” opens the concert, as Kühn
wails on alto saxophone with an attack anddissonance showing the influence of Americans
like Albert Ayler, before continuing his musicalprotest with a Cecil Taylor-like barrage on piano.
Kurt Weill’s “Mahagonny” (an excerpt from the1927 song-play) provides a bit of relief from thefirst piece, though the pianist’s brooding left hand
and the freedom of the bassist and drummer keep
things on edge.
The pianist’s “Cascaden” features waves offiery, jagged piano, propelled by Thollot’s explosive
drums and Jenny-Clark’s rapid-fire bass, followedby his “It’s Only for You”, which hints at being aballad, though the rhythmic accompaniment keeps
it firmly in avant garde territory. This concert
offers ample evidence that the Joachim Kühn Trio
was one of the leading European free jazz bandsof its time.
For more info visit linoleum-records.com.

That’s My LifePaul Dunmall/Paul Rogers/Tony Orrell (577 Records)
by Tom Greenland

That’s My Life, recorded live on July 1, 1989, at theAlbert Inn in Bristol, England, by saxophonist Paul
Dunmall, bassist Paul Rogers and drummer Tony
Orrell, documents the trio at their creative peak.
Dunmall and Orrell had first played together ten years
prior in Bristol’s Spirit Level, while Rogers (who turns
67 this month), their contemporary from the London
and Bristol free jazz scenes, had recently returned froma stateside sojourn to form Mujician, a collective quartet
with Dunmall, pianist Keith Tippett and percussionist
Tony Levin, which would prove to be long-lived.
The July reunion gig reveals Dunmall in a postColtrane, fire-music mindset, showing incrediblecommand of his soprano saxophone, exploring ideas
to the extreme limits of the instrument’s capability, allwith rich resonant sound. Rogers is equally intense,
his attack clean, very fast and slightly scratchy, as if
his fingernails were clawing sparks from the strings
and fingerboard. There are only two tracks, 24 and16 minutes long, each beginning with an F minor
pentatonic improvised theme before it embarks on
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22 APRIL 2023 | THE NEW YORK CITY JAZZ RECORD

to the original idea (or a least a close cousin of it)
to give the trip a sense of closure. The first track is
notable for Dunmall’s opening salvos of long-winded,
rapidfire, horn-spanning lines replete with intricate
internal ornaments, all delivered with logical rigor
and passionate intensity. Halfway through, the moodbriefly becomes meditative, until Rogers’ frenetic
bluesy bursts and popping harmonics come to the fore,
giving way in the final section to Dunmall, now backwith a vengeance. Orrell’s drums could have been
better mic’d, so some of his finer touches get lost in
the mix, but his musical presence is immediate andtangible. On the second track, Dunmall, at first politely
passionate, blows a frenzy of well-honed, chromaticallyside-slipping ideas. Four minutes in, Rogers takes
over, flourishing harmonics, slides, string-slaps andthe sounds of revving engines, Chinese ‘whooping’gongs and flocks of birds in flight. After some quickwitted repartee with Rogers, Orrell fashions a gently
propulsive, nicely-variegated solo, before all three
regroup for the theme, Dunmall now at his rudest andrawest.

ON SCREEN

Two Headed Freap
Ronnie Foster (Blue Note)
RebootRonnie Foster (Blue Note)by Brian Charette

H ailing from Buffalo, NY, organist Ronnie Foster

Eliane Elias left her native Brazil for the U.S. to pursue
a jazz career in the early ‘70s. She has performed bop,
post-bop, fusion and even classical music, but has
never given up her love of the music of her homeland,
which she has frequently explored on record dates. To
make this album, Elias returned to Brazil, evidently
making several different trips (due to the varied castof supporting musicians and the presence of Oscar
Castro-Neves, who died in 2013) to record ten of theeleven tracks on this album, joined by some of the best
Brazilian musicians and accompanied on several tracks
by her husband, bassist Marc Johnson.
In recent years, the pianist has been singing
more frequently on her albums; her sensual, almost
conversational approach to vocals works well, while
her musicians make everything sound effortless, as if
playing at home for friends. Elias chose songs that, forthe most part, are probably more familiar to Brazilians
than to jazz fans, although some of them, like the breezyopener “Você E Eu”, have appeared on jazz albums by
Stan Getz, Phil Woods and others over the decades.
Her emphasis is on the beauty of each song, so there
are few solos and most of the tracks don’t exceed fiveminutes. She steps away from the piano for a playful
medley of Dorival Caymmi songs, “Saudade Da Bahia”
and “Você Já Foi À Bahia”, backed by the late guitarist
Luis Galvão (who died around the time this album wasreleased last fall) and percussionist Emilio Martins.
Special guest Dori Caymmi shares the vocal duties withElias for his lovely ballad “Seveiros”, which serves as aperfect, romantic finale.
The only thing missing is liner notes to give listeners
additional background about her song selections,musicians and what she loves about the songwriters;
it would also be helpful to have translations of thePortuguese lyrics.

exploded onto the scene in 1972 with his classic
Blue Note debut, Two Headed Freap. The album was
extensively sampled by hip hop artists including
A Tribe Called Quest and J. Cole, and is cited as amajor influence on acid jazz. It opens with the pedalpointed “Chunky”, featuring a great tape-squashedbreak beat from drummer Jimmy Johnson. Pentatonic
melodies are peppered with a quartal sidestep andsuper straight organ sound. The bell hit at the endof the bridge is choice. The title track is upbeat Latinwith a twisty melody and altered chords that meander
up and down in cool cross-rhythm. The bridge has
an elegant elided cadence, cueing Arthur Jenkins’
churning conga. Double-time organ lines spill from
Foster’s fingers with plinky percussion and soulful
blues.
“Mystic Brew” opens with snare side stickand George Devens’ vibes. Organ and vibes are agreat textural choice on the double melody, whichholds at a point while interesting harmonic tensions
swirl underneath. “Kentucky Fried Chicken” has a“Shot Gun” vibe, with an infectious rock beat andchromatically rising chords. The band breaks for a
slick, quick organ riff, then goes back to grooving withstraight up power chords in the bass. A surprise sustain
gets vibed by Devens as the band gets back to the funk.
Foster comps for himself with overdriven left-handshells that accommodate the harmonic explorations of
the right, all while working the drawbars in and out to
add a gospel flair.
Reboot represents Foster’s triumphant return,almost a half-century later, to Blue Note, and showcases
the artist with modern beats and an organ sound withdecidedly more vibrato. The title track still has theleader’s signature memorable minimalist melodies.
Quite a few artists contributed to the album, beautifully
augmenting the core trio that includes Michael O’Neil(guitar) and Foster’s son Chris (drums). Blowing firstis O’Neil. His bluesy tube-driven sound is lyrical witha glint of subtle pick harmonics. The ride cymbal struts
in sixteenth notes, bringing us to an interlude and theleader’s organ solo. Snaky melodies slither between
the snappy snares of his son (say that thrice!). On the
traditional organ blues “Swingin”, O’Neil’s great boplines slide in and out of the blues. Foster channels
Jimmy Smith with a soulful stuck note with lots ofactivity from the other fingers on top.
“Isn’t She Lovely” gets a churchy solo chorus before
the band comes in with a shuffle that deconstructs
into crunchy dissonance in the last four bars. The
next track quickly changes the vibe with Jerry Lopez’
flamenco intro to the Latin rocker “Carlos”. On thebridge’s double-time samba, cool chords leak into a
montuno with slick solos from the whole band. “After
Chicago” has another surprising texture from analog
synth strings, as does Foster’s thoughtful solo piano on“After Conversation with Nadia”. Foster has a singularsound on all the keyboard instruments.
Both of these albums have great grooves,memorable melodies and blazing solos; they’re a mustfor any Hammond-friendly record collection.

For more info visit candidrecords.com. Elias is at Birdlandthrough Apr. 2. See Calendar.

For more info visit bluenoterecords.com. Foster is at Blue
Note Apr. 24. See Calendar.

For more info visit 577records.com

Quietude
Eliane Elias (Candid)
by Ken Dryden

Love You Madly /A Concert of Sacred Music at Grace Cathedral
Duke Ellington(Mercury Studios/Jazz Casual Productions)by Marilyn Lester

In 1965 two Emmy-nominated television programs
produced by Ralph J. Gleason were aired: Duke
Ellington: Love You Madly, a documentary about the lifeand legacy of the great American composer-arranger
and bandleader (whose birthday is this month), and A
Concert of Sacred Music at Grace Cathedral. Both have beenout of print until now. Mercury Studios, in cooperation
with Jazz Casual Productions, have now re-released theprograms, once again giving Ellington fans a chance toview the Maestro at age 66, ever elegant, erudite andcharismatically charming.
A Concert of Sacred Music at Grace Cathedral
showcases selections from the suite, which celebrated theconsecration of the restored cathedral. The suite went on
to have many more iterations, but the first is a historicpresentation of the music Ellington called the “the mostimportant statement I’ve ever made”. He initially refused
because he felt unworthy. After some thought andprayer, he acceded and started work, using some existing
compositions and adding new material. He incorporated
his 1943 masterwork “Black, Brown and Beige”, amusical history of the American Negro, and the spiritual“Come Sunday” and “New World A-Comin’” from the1963 stage show My People. The new “In the Beginning,
God”, titled after the first four words in the Bible, won a1967 Grammy Award and was threaded throughout theconcert, whether played or sung by Herman McCoy.
The music combines elements of jazz, classicalmusic, choral music, spirituals, gospel, blues and dance—
Bunny Briggs tapped to “David Danced Before the Lord”,
while Jon Hendricks delivered the spoken/sung words.
A young Esther Marrow sang “Come Sunday”, and in
an instrumental segment, an alto sax solo by Johnny
Hodges revealed a mystical tonality that has never been
replicated. The band, with “Cat” Anderson and Cootie
Williams (trumpets), Paul Gonsalves (tenor), Harry
Carney (baritone), Lawrence Brown (trombone), LouisBellson (drums) and others, is in top form. This filmed
slice of brilliance immortalizes one of the brightest gems
in the Ellington crown of masterworks.
Love You Madly, shot in and around the San
Francisco Bay Area, documents Ellington’s preparations
for the Concert of Sacred Music, recording sessions anda gig at the Monterey Jazz Festival. Several segments
feature Ellington’s piano artistry. Duke, who used hisband as a laboratory for his compositions, dispenses
observations about his players and insights into his
composing. He reveals he wrote the classic “Solitude”
in 20 minutes but struggled with “Sophisticated Lady”
for months. There are accolades from peers such as Earl
“Fatha” Hines and Dizzy Gillespie. Love You Madly isa portrait of a genius that gives a unique window on
Duke as he contemplates his life’s work, often with theflights of fancy and allegory for which he was known.
And what better way to end the video than with Duke’s
charming recipe for being hip and cool, and of course,
his traditional sign-off, “love you madly”.
For more info visit mercurystudios.com

THE NEW YORK CITY JAZZ RECORD | APRIL 2023 23

THE TOWN HALL PRESENTSBARRY GUY

And FRIEndSKRAKÓW 2018

Krakow 2018
Barry Guy and Friends (Not Two)by John Sharpe

British bassist and composer Barry Guy (who turns 76

THU, MAY 4

SAT, MAY 6

this month) is renowned for his leadership of multiple
large ensembles over his 50+ year career, from thestoried London Jazz Composers Orchestra to the Barry
Guy New Orchestra and latterly the Blue Shroud Band.
But on Krakow 2018 he wields a unit convened expressly
for the occasion—not that his collaborators are complete
strangers. In fact, he has recorded with all of the starry
cast except one, Danish reedwoman Mette Rasmussen.
The five-CD boxed set documents the outfit’s threenights in the titular Polish city, showcasing subsetsof the group on the first four discs and presenting theworld premiere of “For to End Yet Again” on the final
album.
There’s a paradox inherent in the work, as themost explicitly composed sections are not by Guy atall, but rather nine miniatures by Hungarian composer
György Kurtág. Guy sets these exquisite shorts within
a 57-minute framework inspired by the wavelikearchitectural forms of the Manghha Center, where thework was scheduled to be performed, and the concise
texts by Samuel Beckett, which give the piece its name.
With limited time for rehearsal (Lithuanian reedman
Liudas Mockūnas and Swedish saxophonist Mats
Gustafsson arrived only for the performance), Guy
fashions an expansive score, which privileges broad
gesture over incisive detail, to form seamless transitions
between the charts and the wild thrilling invention forwhich his crew is famed.
Baroque violin virtuoso Maya Homburger lovingly
renders each of the Kurtág pieces either alone or inconsort with Guy, starting with the haunting, almost
unbearably sad, “Elegie”. Thereafter, reeds join thestrings’ long tones as if breathing together, conjuring
dark colors to create a portentous atmosphere. A swellof sound engulfs Agustí Fernández’ rippling piano,
before launching the squawk and snort of Gustafsson’sbaritone saxophone, presaging a bristling polyphony.
The move from chamber music to chaos is magisteriallyhandled, leaving listeners marveling at how theycome to find themselves transported to such different
surroundings. It’s a trick Guy pulls time and again.
Particularly noteworthy is the shift from Kurtág’s“Doloroso”, where a raw-toned soprano saxophone(likely Mockūnas) takes the tentative sighing of
Homburger’s violin as the basis for a terrific twosome
with piano. Like Homburger, Fernández plays a keyrole, popping up in multiple combinations. He adds
clanking piano to a rampaging threesome completed by
the snaking soprano saxophone of Torben Snekkestad
and Guy’s frantic sawing, enjoys a tumultuous seriesof quickfire pairings early on, and another sparklingthen fractious duet, this time with trumpeter Percy
Pursglove before the final tutti. Although it’s notalways possible to distinguish the participants, due
to the overlap between the saxophonists in particular,
there is no mistaking Guy’s explosive solo passage
where it seems as if he possesses at least three hands,
such is the near-simultaneous range of textures hegenerates.
While time is necessarily tight within thecompositional confines, the small formations chronicled
on the first four CDs spotlight the constituent parts.
The overall strike rate remains high, demonstrating

24 APRIL 2023 | THE NEW YORK CITY JAZZ RECORD

yet again how the best improvisers can produce inthe moment something that stands up to repeatedlistening. Standout sets include the conversationaltrio of Pursglove, Polish acoustic bass guitarist Rafał
Mazur and Spanish drummer Ramón López, in which
the trumpeter’s distinctively melodic sensibility finds
its match in the drummer’s timbral diversity and thebassist’s resourceful twang. López also features in the
Aurora Trio, alongside Fernández and Guy, playing
the only other compositions in the set, the first an
aching melancholy theme and the second a percussive“Algarabia”, this time with the potent addition of
Rasmussen’s keening alto wail.
Rasmussen also graces a trio with Guy and drummer
Paul Lytton for a tour de force of disorientating swerves
and incendiary free blowing, as well as a trio ofintertwining reeds with Snekkestad and Ken Vandermark(who had to leave before the final show). Vandermark
also revisits his partnership with Guy in a brace of
intricate, fast-moving dialogues that veer between
delicate tracery and concentrated torrent. Indeed, one of
the great pleasures of these small groups is how much
exposure they offer to Guy, the peerless improviser,whose energy, spontaneity and wit effortlessly elevate
any proceedings in which he’s involved.
For more info visit nottwo.com

Are We There Yet?
Ed Cherry (Cellar Music)
by George Grella

The first word that comes to mind in listening to this new

album from Ed Cherry is “tasty”. The guitarist’s bright,
plump sound is an immediate pleasure, and from there,
the music grows out of his innate values and musicality,
as he has excellent musical judgment in both his playing
and arranging. Everything here is straight-ahead andsong-based. There are familiar tunes, including “Spring
Is Here” and Carla Bley’s “Lawns”, lesser-known
repertoire such as Grant Green’s “Green Jeans” and John
Patton’s “Ding Dong”, plus two originals. Each selection
is treated with craft and respect, and infused with asimple joy of playing that makes it sound as fresh as any
predetermined attempt to break new ground.
This is an easy, swinging band and Cherry isoften content to lay back and play quiet, well-placed
rhythm chords. Centered on the organ-trio core of
Cherry, frequent partner Kyle Koehler (Hammond B-3),
and Byron “Wookie” Landham (drums), the three areaugmented with vibraphonist Monte Croft, who adds
a volume of sound and color and an elegance that
expands the music.
The style the band hits on tunes such as “DingDong” has a very subtle but fascinating contemporary
quality—this is not a throwback album, it’s an up-to-themoment take on groove music. That there’s more swing
than soul and funk in no way hides that this is a responseto the likes of Medeski Martin & Wood (especially their
albums with guitarist John Scofield); it also differs fromorganist Brian Charette’s take on this style.
By going back to the clarity and succinct intelligenceof Grant Green, Cherry shows that some virtues are
eternal.
For more info visit cellarlive.com. Cherry is at Cellar Dog
Apr. 5, Bar Lunàtico Apr. 10, Café Bohemia Apr. 14 and The
Django Apr. 29. See Calendar.

Exactly Right!
Louis Hayes (Savant)by Ken Dryden

His strolling backbeat gives the late Wayne Shorter’s
exotic “Nefertiti” an entirely new perspective, Burton
focusing on its theme as Hazeltine and Nelsoninterweave contrasting lines around it. Horace Silver’s
infrequently performed “Mellow D” is a nice surprise,
yet the quintet’s fresh approach breaks new ground
while paying tribute to the pianist’s prolific output
as a composer. Fred Lacey’s “Theme For Ernie” is aheartfelt, emotional ballad, savored at a slow tempo,
featuring Burton’s vocal-like tenor and Nelson’s
spacious, subtle vibes. The band’s interpretation of

For more info visit jazzdepot.com. This project is at Harlem
Stage Apr. 21. See Calendar.

B OXED SE T

L ouis Hayes is still going strong at the age of 84

and has long been among the top drummers, so it
is fitting that he was recently named an NEA Jazz
Master, an honor which was long overdue. In theselate 2022 sessions, the drummer leads his superb
regular working band, which also appeared on his
prior Savant album, Crisis. Abraham Burton (tenor),David Hazeltine (piano), Steve Nelson (vibes) andDezron Douglas (bass) are all veterans also at the
top of their game. The music includes familiar bopand hard bop repertoire, along with lesser known
works from past masters and new originals. The
performances give the feeling that these songs havebeen played in clubs and that the musicians feel atease with their challenges.
The breezy, explosive treatment of Cedar Walton’s“Hand in Glove”, a thinly disguised reworkingof Cole Porter’s “Love for Sale”, is highlighted by
Burton’s searing tenor; a series of drum breaks by
the leader wrap up the exciting arrangement. Hayes
displays his mastery of brushes in the lush, deliberatesetting of the Sérgio Mendes ballad “So Many Stars”.

“Scarborough Fair” provides an interesting twist:
they play it in a funky manner and alter the familiar
melody so much that it is barely present. The closer is aromp through another Walton composition, “Ugetsu”.
The timeless piece, first recorded by Walton as pianist
in Art Blakey and the Jazz Messengers nearly 60 years
ago wraps up the session with Hayes and his men
firing on all cylinders.

The Complete Decca Recordings
Billie Holiday (Decca-Verve)by Ori Dagan

Billie Holiday’s days at Decca are fêted once again
with this exclusive collector’s edition 4-LP boxed set.
Included here are all 36 master takes she recorded
for the label between 1944 and 1950, plus additionalversions, three alternate takes released for the firsttime and even some breakdown and chatter. The
accompanying 20-page booklet offers priceless insight
into the subtext of these historic recordings. All but
one of the sessions were produced by Milt Gabler,
who, in his day, was as influential in the recording
industry as Holiday (born this month on April 7,
1915) still is in popular music.
Timing is everything. Following the recordingof “Strange Fruit” on Gabler’s Commodore label
and the attention it garnered, he was able to offer
Holiday a contract at Decca when he was hired there.
It was important that she trusted him and that herespected her unique musical vision. Recording witha string section, for instance, was a dream come true
for Holiday. For the most part, Gabler also chose
excellent material and gave her a say in the repertoire.
He saw Holiday not as a jazz stylist but rather
as a pop singer; as such, while not a single tempo isburning, there are plenty of torch songs here. Oneof her biggest commercial successes, “Lover Man”,
was recorded on the first Decca date in 1944, witha gorgeous string arrangement by Salvador “Toots”
Camarata, who later went on to work for Walt
Disney. Along with lyricist Bob Russell, Camarata
also composed the brooding “No More”, a highlightof this collection that Holiday considered one of her
best performances.
Holiday cemented her status as a songwriter
not with a plethora of originals, but with a handfulwhich went far. Several of her co-writes with Arthur
Herzog, Jr., appear here, including the magical“Don’t Explain”, arguably the best lyric she ever
penned. It has been effectively covered by dozens ofartists, though none could rival the original (Nina
Simone came pretty close). A lesser-known Herzog
collaboration, the sentimental “Somebody’s On My
Mind”, is beautifully complemented by the Gordon
Jenkins Orchestra.
One significant caveat regarding this collectionis that in some cases, the arrangements are not as
enduring as Holiday’s performances. Vocal group
The Stardusters are thankfully only present on two

selections (recorded December 10, 1948): Ralph
Blane’s outrageously dated “Girls Were Made toTake Care of Boys” and the cliché-ridden JenkinsAdair “Weep No More”, with a vocal arrangement
so laughably bad it borders on parody. There must
be a backstory to this debacle. It couldn’t have been
easy for Holiday to put up with these circumstances
but miraculously, after The Stardusters left, thatevening she recorded two of the most breathtaking
cuts of her entire career: “I Loves You Porgy” and“My Man (Mon Homme)”, with the stellar sensitivityof Bobby Tucker (piano), John Levy (bass) and Denzil
Best (drums).
The big band arrangements are hit-and-miss; forexample, Buster Harding’s arrangement of “Baby,
Get Lost” is unnecessarily bombastic. Sy Oliver, too,
is way over the top on “’Taint Nobody’s Business
If I Do”, faring far better with the bouncy “Them
There Eyes”, on which Holiday’s vocal oozes with
sensuality.
Two charming duets feature the vocals (but not
the trumpet) of Louis Armstrong: “You Can’t Losea Broken Heart” is a lightly swingin’ old-fashioned
cautionary tale and “My Sweet Hunk o’ Trash” gets
sweeter with every listen, the two giants making
each other crack up as they ad lib. If only there werealternate takes of these duets, let alone false starts andchatter!
All in all, this collection is a mixed bag ofimmortal masterpieces, hidden gems and a few
interesting duds. Yet no matter the tune, Holiday’s
vocals are truly epic throughout this golden epoch.
On the surface, the tone of her unusual instrument
is at its most appealing here, like an exotic fruit
perfectly ripened. Her relaxed phrasing sails
freely and warmly as a midsummer breeze. While
Holiday is a masterclass in subtlety most of the time,occasionally she’ll make a bold choice out of left
field; for instance, for the brilliant last note on “What
Is This Thing Called Love?” she chooses the major
third of the chord rather than the written tonic, in
effect italicizing the question which is the song’s
title.
And then there is the interpretation of the lyrics,
which is what made Lady Day the most influential
vocalist of her time. Holiday’s undeniably modern,conversational style of singing—which could not have
happened without the invention of the microphone—can be heard in hundreds, if not thousands of diverse
voices, from jazz contemporaries Carmen McRae andAbbey Lincoln to pop icons Frank Sinatra and Peggy
Lee. Indeed it is difficult to imagine what popular
music would sound like without her contributions.
Lady Day didn’t need to shout, wail or scat; simply
to feel and share. As Gabler stated in the liner notesof these historic Decca recordings, Holiday was“essentially a one-take singer”, with a second takeoften recorded for safety. In most cases it is nearly
impossible to decide which take is superior.
For more info, visit ververecords.com

THE NEW YORK CITY JAZZ RECORD | APRIL 2023 25

UNEARTHED GEM

New Gospel Revisited
Marquis Hill (Edition)
by Phil Freeman
Music Is Here: Live at Maison de la Radio(ORTF) Paris 1973
Freddie Hubbard (WeWantSounds)
by Jim Motavalli

F reddie came to play. The year was 1973, andHubbard (who would have turned 85 this month)
was producing some fairly glossy music via his
contract with CTI, but also some future classics such
as Red Clay. Earlier that year, he had put together
his new touring quintet, with George Cables(Fender Rhodes), Junior Cook (tenor/flute), Kent
Brinkley (bass) and the explosive Michael Carvin(drums). The radio show Jazz sur Scéne captured(with excellent sound quality) what Carvin called“lightning in a bottle” that March night.
The tunes are all Hubbard classics: “Sky Dive”,“The Intrepid Fox”, “Povo” and “First Light”. The
musicians really stretch out: the shortest take, on“Sky Dive,” is over 12 minutes! On the 24-minute“First Light” (a relatively new tune at that point),
Cables gives a class on how to maintain a straightahead course on an electric instrument. The familiar
theme is stated with Carvin dropping bombs behindit, then Hubbard takes off on an extended flight. Thisis Hubbard at the peak of his game, basically flipping
the bird at an American audience then deeply into
rock, and giving his all for the loyal European fans.
His solo builds to a frenzied peak and then, very
gradually, subsides. Cook, best known for his workwith Horace Silver, enters on flute and takes thetemperature down a notch. Is there room for second
solo spots for both Hubbard and Cables? You bet.
“The Intrepid Fox”, from Red Clay (where itfeatured an all-star cast), is here taken very uptempo
and at similar length. Again, Hubbard explodes outof the gate with some thrilling upper-register volleys.
He’s feeling high and happy, as “Hot Lips” Pageused to say, and has those French folk on their feetwith excitement before Cook briefly opens the door
to a shimmering solo from Cables. Hampton Hawes
used to play Fender Rhodes like this, and Brinkley
is both holding him up and egging him on. Drumsolos often slow the music down, but not Carvin’s
dynamic, high-energy feature here. It builds tension
by slowing to a cymbal crawl, then—after Carvincalls out, “are you ready?”—comes back with roll onroll until the band brings the tune home.
The funkier “Povo”, with Brinkley on(uncredited, but pretty repetitive) electric bass,
belongs to Cook whose big-toned tenor solo is
exciting and deeply dug in, like something Sonny
Fortune unspooled in his time. Hubbard musthave been off on a cigarette break, because Cookis followed by a noticeably long bass solo. The
version of “Sky Dive” is relatively relaxed, not quite
as furious as the rest of the evening. Cook again
sounds up to the mark, and Brinkley gets off a finesolo before Hubbard enters, loaded for bear.
The concert was filmed (in black and white),
and, with a different selection of tunes, can be seen
on YouTube.
For more info visit wewantsounds.com

Chicago trumpeter Marquis Hill self-released New
Gospel in 2011. It’s been out of print almost ever since;
you can’t even get it from his Bandcamp page. The bandfeatured Chris Madsen (tenor), Christopher McBride(alto), Josh Moshier (piano), Kenneth Oshodi (guitar),
John Tate (bass) and Jeremy Cunningham (drums),
many of whom also appeared on his next albums, 2012’s
Sounds of the City and 2013’s The Poet. Hill decided in2019 to revisit that first set of compositions and put
together an all-star band—Walter Smith III (tenor), Joel
Ross (vibes), James Francies (piano), Harish Raghavan(bass) and Kendrick Scott (drums)—for a performanceat Constellation in his hometown. Six pieces fromthe album (“Law and Order”, “The Believer”, “New
Gospel”, “Autumn”, “A Portrait of Fola” and “TheThump”) are played in the same order as the studiorecording, with unaccompanied solos in between
from, in order, Smith, Scott, Ross, Hill, Raghavan andFrancies.
The pieces owe almost nothing to gospel, andif we’re being honest with each other, they’re notparticularly “new” either. As a composer, Hill would
fit comfortably into the mid ’60s Blue Note stable. His
melodies are singable and memorable, and occasionally,
as on the title track, he allows himself a meditative
abstraction reminiscent of the work of Jackie McLean
or Wayne Shorter. The repetitive opening melody of“Autumn” feels like a deliberate nod to the latter’s“Nefertiti”. But there’s also an energy here echoing
the Young Lions era of the late ’80s/early ’90s; Scott’s
drumming knocks harder than the “inside-outside”
players of the ’60s did; he’s operating more in thespirit of Jeff “Tain” Watts or Ralph Peterson than Joe
Chambers or Billy Higgins. Perhaps the most surprisingelement is Raghavan, whose bass playing has a sticky
quality that brings to mind the rubber-band sound of
the mid ’70s. Smith and Hill take lyrical but passionate
solos, and Ross’ unaccompanied “Lullaby” is thealbum’s loveliest moment, a shimmering interlude
that seems to dim the lights and waft a gentle breeze
through the room.
For more info visit editionrecords.com. Hill is at Birdland
Theater Apr. 6-9. See Calendar.

forward-looking concepts about composition. Little
was born the same year as Lee Morgan and Freddie
Hubbard, and deserves to be as well-remembered asthese titans. Leaving discussions of sheer technique totrumpeters, all three were brilliant players who burst
on the scene as very young men whose distinctive
styles were already fully formed (Morgan was 18, Little
20 and Hubbard 22). Of the three, Little had the mostoriginal language, in itself no small achievement, but it
was as a composer that he really distinguished himself.
His short but busy recording career began as a memberof Max Roach’s band, just as Roach was about to form
a pianoless quintet with three horns. This gave Little
the chance to develop his concept of harmonizing horn
voicings, one of the main features of both Out Front andhis last record, Booker Little and Friend. Both of these are
masterpieces, but Out Front has the edge because of thepresence of Little’s two most important collaborators,
Roach and reed master Eric Dolphy. Pianist Don
Friedman does extremely well on both sessions, as does
trombonist Julian Priester, providing the perfect third
voice to ensemble parts and soloing with verve. He
later called it the most difficult music he ever played,and it’s easy to see why; the dense charts are full oftime and tempo changes even during the solos. Mostof that solo space is reserved for the leader’s keening
trumpet, but Dolphy does some of his best playing
on record, wildly angular on tracks like the opening“We Speak”, then crying in anguish on “Moods in FreeTime”. Roach is masterful as always, playing tympani
as well as traps, and keeping everything moving. That
he would use Little, Dolphy and Priester on his next
leader date (Percussion Bitter Sweet) shows how he felt
about this truly necessary recording.
For more info visit candidrecords.com

AVAILABLE
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Booker Little (Candid)by Duck Baker

O f all the artists in jazz history who left the stage far
too young, Booker Little (born 85 years ago this month)
may have been the greatest loss of all. Others may havegotten faster starts or had more influence on those
who played the same instrument, but few had such

26 APRIL 2023 | THE NEW YORK CITY JAZZ RECORD

lizziethejazzsinger.com

visit dottimerecords.com to orderEight Pieces for Two Cellos
Tomeka Reid/Fred Lonberg-Holm(Corbett vs. Dempsey)
Let Our Rejoicing Rise
Tomeka Reid/Joe McPhee (Corbett vs. Dempsey)by Kurt Gottschalk

The noble violincello has long had a foothold in jazz,even if it seems never to gain purchase. Ray Brown,
Ron Carter, Oscar Pettiford, Abdul Wadud all helped
bring the instrument into the fold and Tom Cora, Akua
Dixon, Erik Friedlander, Ernst Reijseger and Hank
Roberts have helped keep what stature it’s gained.
Add to that list (in boldface type) Tomeka Reid, wholaunched the first Chicago Jazz String Summit 10 years
ago and has gained prominence playing with Anthony
Braxton, Nicole Mitchell and the Art Ensemble ofChicago, and leading projects with Silvia Bolognesi,
Mary Halvorson, Mazz Swift and others.
On Eight Pieces for Two Cellos, she and Fred LonbergHolm celebrate the instrument’s place in history witha set of duet arrangements of tunes by notable cellists
Harry Babasin, Sam Jones and Fred Katz, as well as
Carter’s “Rally” (recorded with Eric Dolphy and Mal
Waldron in 1961). Those tracks are set alongside threecompositions by Lonberg-Holm and one by Reid (“AllaMingus for La Bang” pays tribute to bassist Charles
Mingus—who studied cello then switched to bass—
and violinist Billy Bang).
The track list and composer credits say more about
the album than the instrumentation might suggest. It’san upbeat and swinging affair, taking full advantage ofthe cello’s broad range, alternately occupying the bass
register and stretching up near where violins usually
live. The album recalls the great records made by cellist
Diedre Murray and bassist Fred Hopkins during andafter their tenure with the Henry Threadgill Sextett.
Common instrument pairings can, at times, soundtruncated, as if missing a limb. With the full voice ofthe cello, and more importantly the spirit of its players
here, these eight pieces sing.
Let Our Rejoicing Rise, a live recording by Reidand Joe McPhee, is less joyful than the Lonberg-Holmduet. It is also an important document, and Corbett vs.
Dempsey is to be commended for making it available(like 8 Pieces, as LP or download). The set was recorded
at Corbett vs. Dempsey’s Chicago gallery on June 19,
2021, on the Juneteenth holiday and a year after thekilling of George Floyd. It was a fevered time in the
country, and the summer heat is felt on the recording.
The set begins with McPhee reading two of his poems,“Alone Together” and his touchstone “Nation Time”,
without accompaniment. Combined, they fill only fiveminutes, but set a tone of fury that’s not months old
but years, even centuries. The remaining 33 minutes arefilled by a duo improvisation (McPhee on tenor) thatfeels weary but resilient, as if decades later Albert Ayler
were still howling. With a wider field open to her thanon the cello duets, Reid is energized and astounding.
She supports McPhee without comping or reducing, andat the flick of her wrist flies off into aching glissandi andinsistent tremors. It would be an interesting exercise
to listen to the music without the poems (or, indeed,without reading this review, so too late for that), to see
what emotions are revealed without the suggestions of
McPhee’s powerful verse. As it stands, though, it’s aresounding, powerful, fragile and beautiful statement.
For more info visit corbettvsdempsey.com. Reid is at The
Jazz Gallery Apr. 12 with Tomas Fujiwara 7 Poets Trio. See
Calendar.

Stage & Screen
John Pizzarelli (Palmetto)
by Jim Motavalli

I n a drum-free trio that echoes Nat Cole, John
Pizzarelli here presents a program of twelve
Broadway and film tunes. But that’s the Great
American Songbook, isn’t it? Well, any excuse for analbum of standards, which are obviously near anddear to this great guitarist/singer’s heart.
The format makes for some nice improv,
including, on opener “Too Close for Comfort“,
one of Pizzarelli’s patented singing solos. Isaiah J.
Thompson is sparkling on piano and Michael Karnplays acoustic bass. The little-heard “You’re All
the World to Me” (from Burton Lane and Alan Jay
Lerner’s Royal Wedding) also uses the guitar/vocal
technique to excellent effect.
“I Love Betsy”, from the stage musical version of
Honeymoon in Vegas, is one of those wordy tonguetwisters Pizzarelli loves. “I like Shake Shack / I
like MOMA / And New Jersey’s ripe aroma / The
parade’s when I see ’em / And even the DMV andthe Brooklyn Bridge by bike— / Heck, there’s lotsof stuff I like / But I love Betsy and she loves me.”
Also pleasantly wordy—and taken at an exhilarating
pace—is the Kander/Ebb “Coffee in a Cardboard
Cup” from 70, Girls, 70.
An instrumental version of “I Want to Be Happy”(Vincent Youmans/Irving Caesar, from No, No
Nanette, 1925) is the occasion for jaw-dropping guitar
work. Playing a Moll signature seven-string archtop,
Pizzarelli clearly articulates every hyperspeed note.
The guitarist was so busy playing he forgot to sing.
Thompson, a Juilliard graduate and up-and-comerfrom West Orange, NJ is also featured, and matches
Pizzarelli note for note. A brilliant player, juststarting out, he’s also showcased on “The Oklahoma
Suite”, a relaxed but spritely medley of songs fromthe familiar show. Hear the pace pick up dramaticallywhen they start swinging “Surrey with the Fringe on
Top”.
“Tea for Two” (also from No, No Nanette) includes
the verse that was in the Tony Bennett version.
It’s ballad time, and they play pretty (Thompson
especially) in a long middle section. Pizzarelli ispossessed of a light tenor voice—he’s certainly not
Johnny Hartman. He’s sometimes underrated as asinger—maybe because his guitar work is so great.
But his cords are in fine shape on this session.
Witness the wistful ballad treatment of “Where or
When” (from the 1937 Rodgers and Hart musicalBabes in Toyland). He really understands standards,
and how to standardize pop, too. The fact that “Justin Time” (Styne/Comden/Green) was sung by Judy
Holliday and Dean Martin in Bells Are Ringing doesn’t
intimidate him. And Dino couldn’t sing along withhis guitar. Hell, he couldn’t even play guitar.
“Some Other Time” (Bernstein/Comden/Green),
memorably sung by Tony Bennett with Bill Evans,
is taken as a lovely solo guitar piece. The version of“As Time Goes By” by Herman Hupfeld won’t makeyou forget Dooley Wilson in Casablanca, but it’s fineanyway. Did you know that Dooley couldn’t actuallyplay the piano?
For more info visit palmetto-records.com. This project is at
Birdland Apr. 26-29. See Calendar.

TOUR DATES FEATURING ALEXIS COLE
March 30 USF, Tampa, FL
March 31 Timucua Arts Foundation,
Orlando, FL
April 1 Fogartyville, Sarasota, FL
April 7 Acorn Theater, Three Oaks, MI
April 8 Merriman's Playhouse,
South Bend, IN
April 14 First Christian Church,
Madison, IN
April 15 Jazz Kitchen, Indianapolis, IN
April 16 Schwartz's Point,
Cincinnati, OH
April 19 WV Wesleyan College,
Buckhannon,WV
April 20 Unity of Charlottesville,
Charlottesville,VA
April 21 Piedmont Jazz Alliance,
Winston-Salem, NC
April 22 MCGJazz, Pittsburgh, PA
April 23 Deer Head Inn, Fancy Gap, PA
April 24 Jazz Erie, Erie, PA
April 25 Jazz Buffalo, Buffalo, NY
April 26 Chelsea Table & Stage,
New York, NY

For more info visit bothsidesofjoni.com
Celebrating the life of vocalist Janiece Jaﬀe and therelease Both Sides of Joni, a reimagined set of Joni
Mitchell's music arranged by pianist Monika Herzig
and interpreted by award-winning vocalist
Janiece Jaﬀe, who passed unexpectedly in 2022.

AVAILABLE IN STORES AND ONLINE:
MARCH 31, 2023

acmerecords.com

THE NEW YORK CITY JAZZ RECORD | APRIL 2023 27

RegrowthKalia Vandever (New Amsterdam)
We Fell in Turn
Kalia Vandever (AKP Recordings)
by Marco Cangiano

K alia Vandever is a well-known entity on the New

York scene as a composer, educator and, of course, a
new voice on the trombone. She has been leading her
own groups, is part of the Brooklyn-based collective
tilt, and is also a much sought-after soloist. A Juilliard
graduate, she has toured extensively in the U.S. andabroad. These two albums showcase her full range ascomposer, bandleader and solo artist.
Regrowth is Vandever’s sophomore album andmarks a decisive evolution over her debut, In Bloom,
reflecting a growing confidence as both soloist
and bandleader. Her music is characterized by anunresolved tension that makes for interesting andunpredictable listening throughout. Individual tunes
sound as if reduced to their bare essence as they
evolve organically at an initially deliberate pace,often based on minimalistic repetitions and patterns,
as in “Memories” and “More of the Good Stuff Later”.
There is plenty of space for individual contributions
from a very congenial and well-rounded band (mostof them also on her debut album) comprising guitarist(and producer) Lee Meadvin (who is featured on“Pick It Up” and “Lift”), Nick Dunston (bass) andConnor Parks (drums). Paul Cornish (piano) replaces
Theo Walentiny and is featured extensively in“Passing Thoughts”. The addition of the imaginative
alto saxophonist Immanuel Wilkins contributes tothe overall success of the album, as he blends very
effectively with Vandever’s at times raucous trombone
playing. The empathy between her and Wilkins isparticularly evident in the opening sections of “Soft”
and “An Unwelcome Visit”, where her trombone
dialogues contrast with Wilkins, before they are
joined by the rest of the group in dramatic statementsof the main themes. Vandever’s skill as bandleader
and arranger should not be overlooked, as she obtains
a sound that is more than the sum of the individual
contributions. Dunston and Parks should be given
due credit for their understated yet vital roles.
We Fell in Turn is Vandever’s solo debut andpresents quite different, contemplative atmospheres
portraying memories of her Hawaiian childhood andheritage—and an unavoidable sense of mana (thunderor wind). Her sumptuous trombone sound, often using
harmonics, is supported by subdued echoes, overdubs
and minimal electronics that induce a sense of floating.
The pieces, while relatively brief, do not rely on
melodic/harmonic structure but on pure sound andimprovisation. That said, Vendever’s improvisations
always contain strong melodic elements, as in “Temper
the Wound”. The whole album comes across as asuite with consistent inspiration and moods, whether
offering a grand overture, as in “Recollections from
Shore”, or poignant moments, as in “We Wept inTurn”. She uses an impressionistic approach, whererhythmic patterns are implicit rather than explicitly
marked, as in “Mirrored Solitude”. The overdubbingat times creates drones or a minimalistic canvas overwhich Vandever paints dreamy sequences, as inApplications open through May 15th, 2023

28 APRIL 2023 | THE NEW YORK CITY JAZZ RECORD“Stillness in Hand”. This is compelling and original
music, which has no immediate point of comparison.
Only Albert Mangelsdorff’s solo albums provide aremote reference.
Both albums are extraordinary efforts that markVandever’s maturity and bode well for the future.
For
more
info
visit
akprecordings.com
andnewamrecords.com. Vandever is at National Sawdust
Apr. 5. See Calendar.

Causa y Efecto, Vol. 1
Francisco Mela / Zoh Amba (577 Records)
by John Sharpe

W hile 21-year old saxophonist Zoh Amba’s O

Life, O Light (577 Records, 2022) featured drummer
Francisco Mela alongside bassist William Parker ona program of her own compositions, the credits on
Causa y Efecto Vol. 1 all stem from Mela, excepting
one joint effort. However, the outcomes on the five
tracks remain largely the same: heartfelt, unfetteredplaying, centered around simple folk-inflectedmotifs and dancing rhythms. Hailing from Tennessee
but now based in New York, Amba’s acceptanceonto the scene has been swift, yielding this fourthrelease from last year, showcasing her impassioned
tenor saxophone and hypnotic flute. Mela has beena fixture for rather longer. Already well-establishedwith heavyweight leaders such as McCoy Tyner, Joe
Lovano and Esperanza Spalding, as well as a seriesof dates under his own name, Mela has increasingly
embarked on a quest for spontaneous magic. In doing
so here he harkens back to his Cuban roots withvocal exhortations that back up his flexible beats andtuneful drums.
While she doesn’t project the raw power of a
Brötzmann (very few do), Amba likewise takes atenacious hold on a phrase, worrying away at its shapewith gradual elaboration and timbral distortion.
Rather than conversational, the pair’s interaction
tends to the form of two simultaneous outpourings,
calibrated on-the-fly. On “Maria”, dedicated to hismother, Mela’s sparse hand drumming and baritone
voice conjure a controlled exuberance, one amplified
by Amba’s percolating flute, which ultimately settles
into an incantatory feel. She favors that vibe on tenortoo, alternating insistent variations with passages ofsqualling overblowing that takes the instrument outof its accustomed range. Mela’s tumbling cadences
give lift to her free flights, imparting momentum
to her keening repetitions on “Serenata”, providing
a rapidfire chattering counterpoint as she ups theemotional ante on the dirge-like “ZOME” and averitable drum cascade on the explosive flag-waving
closer “Desafios”. It’s a tribute to both that the results
are so fresh and natural.
For more info visit 577records.com. Amba is at The Stoneat New School Apr. 15 with Micah Thomas, Apr. 27 with
Sally Gates and as leader at Zürcher Gallery Apr. 25. See
Calendar.

Oblong Aplomb
Matt Mitchell (Out Of Your Head)by Marc Medwin

W e hear the term “freedom” bandied about withvigor and vengeance when musical creativity isreferenced, but to what end? At what point does
the word become another box in which to packthe seemingly incomprehensible? Matt Mitchell’s
latest offering, with its staggering musicianship,compositional craft and even its multi-pronged title,
further complicate the already loaded concept.
In one sense, Oblong Aplomb is typical of thecomposer-pianist’s sardonic wit. Just look at thetitles on any disc of the epic Snark Horse project,which he co-helmed with Kate Gentile, the drummer
who collaborates on half of this new double disc.
The trend continues here. “Escalatory Chicanery”
and “Giggle Trigger” could have emerged fromthe Snark Horse book, with pithy phrases creating
and discharging meaning while embodyingcommensurate musical whimsies and complexities.
The obsessive piano figurations of “Scrutiny”
eventually fall apart under the strain, while Gentile
seems to be doing everything possible to subvert
and then rebuild them after a near collapse. She

has the last delicate word. If that miniature’s
form is parabolic, “Equanimity” concentricizesin tiny waves of parallel listening and staggering
precision, a miracle of harmonic déjà vu amidst
rhythmic counterpoint beyond description.
Ches Smith, who plays on the album’s second
half, is equally at home with Mitchell’s duo
contributions, evident as the alternately stolid andhectic rhythms of “Inveiglers” dance and march byor as the slightly more traditional “Full Koala” lopes
and swings past in a delightful attempt at structuralcongeniality. Smith’s grooves swing and rock theirway into a historicity never completely evoked but
always in the shadows. This is as it should be; he’s
been privy to Mitchell’s compositional development
for more than a decade. The album’s two concluding
pieces demonstrate the pair’s symbiosis and timbral
range as the playfully mystical sonic diversities of“Ingenuous” are countered by “Baleful’s” playfully
lugubrious ostinati.
These three performers are so in tune with themusic and their easy virtuosity that each gesture
is countered even as it emerges. With playing sovaried, assured in a way befitting the album title’s
second half,
how can Mitchell’s aphoristicallypuzzling encapsulations be explained by a term asclumsy as freedom? Liberation ultimately resides inthe exquisite moment-to-moment expression of its
performers as they navigate the rocky terrain. Eachsecond brings dynamic shifts and articulations that
beggar description. Suspending time, the performers
illuminate each charged instant with the clarity
afforded only by immersion and insight.
For more info visit outofyourheadrecords.com. This projectis at The Jazz Gallery Apr. 14. See Calendar.

THE NEW YORK CITY JAZZ RECORD | APRIL 2023 29

Reminiscing at Rudy’s
Houston Person (HighNote)by Phil Freeman

Tenor saxophonist Houston Person came on thescene in the early ’60s, playing with soul jazz organist
Johnny “Hammond” Smith before making his debut asa leader with 1966’s Underground Soul!, which featured
an unusual tenor-trombone-organ-drums lineup. Since
then, he’s made over 75 more albums for a variety oflabels—Prestige, Muse, CTI and, for the last quarter
century or so, HighNote.
Over the decades, Person has slowed down andambled over from the soul jazz realm into deep, latenight blues and heartfelt balladry. If you close youreyes when his playing is at its most velvety, you canalmost picture him in a red tuxedo with a ruffled shirt,
but his music is always a little deeper than it seems at
first. On his previous album, 2019’s I’m Just a Lucky
So and So, he delivered a version of Billy Eckstine’s “I
Want to Talk About You” with almost as much grit andmelancholy as John Coltrane’s legendary 1958 version,
while sharing the spotlight generously with trumpeter
Eddie Allen.
On this album, he’s joined by Larry Fuller (piano),
Russell Malone (guitar), Matthew Parish (bass) and"There's a new player in town
New York, and you can hear
him in his element in Lucas
Amorim: Live in New York
City." (All About Jazz)
Available on all digital platforms!

www.lucasdeamorim.com

Lewis Nash (drums) for a collection of extremely
standard standards: “At Long Last Love”, “MoonRiver”, “My Romance” and “Please Send Me Someone
to Love”. You can calibrate your expectations before
pressing Play. But don’t get too smug; the old man’s
got some surprises up his sleeve, as when he lets Lewis
Nash sing “Nothing Ever Changes My Love for You”.
(Nash has a clean, Johnny Mathis-like voice, very
nice but unfortunately too prominent in the mix; he’s
obviously not singing with the band, and kind of sounds
as if he’s doing a podcast voiceover.) The band is awake
throughout, playing harder than expected on “My
Romance” and wading hip-deep into muddy water on“Please Send Me Someone to Love” and the closing title
track. Person isn’t out here trying to reinvent the wheel,
but he is a highly skilled interpreter of love songs, withgood taste in material and a pleasingly warm sound on
tenor. This is certainly a nice way to spend an hour.
For more info visit jazzdepot.com. Person is at Smoke Apr. 5
with Cynthia Scott. See Calendar.

A Thousand Pebbles
Ben Rosenblum Nebula Project (One Trick Dog)by Marco CangianoThis is the sophomore album by Ben Rosenblum’s

Nebula Project, and overall his fourth. It is a perfect
example of what “globalized” jazz sounds likethese days. Building on his debut Kites and Strings,
this new album broadens Rosenblum’s melting-pot
approach—from klezmer music to Bulgarian vocal
polyphony, Brazilian choro and Irish music, just to
mention a few—coupled with a knack for complex
yet melodic compositions that tell a story (which herefers to as “cohesive storytelling”). The opening track,“Catamaran”, is a perfect summary of his approach,a concise suite sweeping together many genres: an
unaccompanied piano solo moving into a repeated
melody influenced by Croatian folk music is followedby the subdued entrance of the rest of the group, andculminates in an Irish jig.
Overall, the music has an impressionistic, cinematic
flavor, each individual musician has the opportunity tocontribute freely within the overarching structure. The
main course is the title-track suite, with Rosenblum’s
piano in good evidence along with his working trio,
featuring Marty Jaffe (bass) and Ben Zweig (drums). Theband could not be more congenial. While everybody has
the chance to solo, it is the ensemble work that catches
the listener’s ears. Each voice weaves the musicaltapestry from which solos emerge organically. Jasper
Dutz’ reeds take the lion’s share—his bass clarinet workon “Lilian” is noteworthy—along with Wayne Tucker’s
supple trumpet and the leader’s accordion, which adds
depth and originality to this project.
The album was officially released at Smalls on
March 2 with the entire group present, a mini event in
itself given that all three musicians are very much indemand. In addition to showcasing compositions fromthe recording, a few came from Kites and Springs, inparticular a spirited “Laughing on the Inside” based on
the blues. After opening with the captivating “Village
Steps”, featuring a brilliant alto solo by Dutz, the “A
Thousand Pebbles” suite was the set’s centerpiece, withheartfelt solos by all, particularly guitarist Rafael Rosa
and tenor saxophonist Alex Del Castillo. “Bulgares”
received a livelier treatment than on the album, thanks

30 APRIL 2023 | THE NEW YORK CITY JAZZ RECORD

to Tucker’s brilliant trumpet solo. Jaffe and Zweig
enjoyed more solo space than on the album, providing
an additional bonus for those in attendance.
For more info visit onetrickdogrecords.com

Fly With the Wind
Temple Jazz Sextet (BCM+D)
by George Kanzler

The Temple Jazz Sextet is a gathering of prominent jazzmusicians associated with Philadelphia and Temple
University’s Boyer College of Music and Dance. Theyare Bruce Barth (pianist and also arranger of all thetunes), Terell Stafford (trumpet), Dick Oatts (alto), Tim
Warfield (tenor), Mike Boone (bass) and Justin Faulkner(drums). The four tracks are all by iconic jazz musicianswith Philly roots: Jimmy Heath, McCoy Tyner, John
Coltrane and Lee Morgan.
The first track, Heath’s “All Members”, serves as
an introduction to the members of the sextet. An easy
hard bop swinger, its melody is ushered in with a calland-response between solo trumpet and ensemble,
leading to the trumpeter’s brash solo. Heath’s sturdy
tune provides fodder for subsequent solos (Warfield,
Oatts, Barth and Boone), before a repeated ensemble tagwith drum fills by Faulkner takes it out. That opener
has a minimal, utilitarian arrangement, but Barth gets
more creative on Tyner’s “Fly With the Wind” andColtrane’s “Naima”. A heraldic, overture-like passage
introduces the Tyner tune before the horns introduce
Barth’s statement of the cyclonic theme, the rhythm
section pushing the piece’s hurtling momentum. Oatts
and Stafford solos are framed by repetitions of theinfectious theme, giving way to a Warfield-Faulkner
tenor sax/drum dialogue, the saxophonist continuing
to solo over the ensemble as Barth returns to the theme.
Coltrane’s “Naima” floats along dreamily,
Warfield’s burnished tone giving way to the otherhorns in tags that lead to Stafford stating the familiar
theme. Warfield, Boone and Barth’s solos maintain themesmerizing mood before Stafford’s trumpet takes itout. “Yes I Can, No You Can’t”, one of Morgan’s lesser
known and more intricate boogaloos, inspires everyone:
Warfield is gritty, Stafford flashy, Oatts preachy, Barthexpansive and Faulkner commanding.
For more info visit boyer.temple.edu. This project is at Jazz at
Lincoln Center’s Rose Theater Apr. 16. See Calendar.

The Universe’s Wildest Dream
Marcus Strickland Twi-Life (Strick Muzik)
by Keith Hoffman

Whether in the science fiction of Samuel R. Delany, theotherworldly canvasses of Jean-Michel Basquiat, or thecollective mythology created by Parliament-Funkadelic,a common theme runs through Afrofuturism: there is aspace and time beyond the distressing past and presentof the African Diaspora, an otherworldly place wherelies Liberation.
With The Universe’s Wildest Dream, the latest
Afrofuturist, genre-crossing work by Marcus Strickland,
the multi-instrumentalist makes a sobering argument:
unless we turn our attention back to this Earth, now,there will be no future liberation anywhere, because
this world and all its people will have ceased to exist.
It’s not new ground for Strickland. In his 2018 Twi-Life
release, People of the Sun, he touched on the miracle ofEarth’s fragile and unlikely genesis in “On My Mind”.
This new album is wholly consumed by the impending
ecological Armageddon of climate change, which if
unchecked will eventually altogether destroy the arc ofhistory.
Strickland is again joined by Twi-Life bandmates
Mitch Henry (keyboards), Kyle Miles (bass) and Charles
Haynes (drums); Haynes also shares production duties
with Strickland. The sound-world is established in thefirst notes of “Prayer”, where the warmth of Strickland’s
bass clarinet is joined by an electronic drone, leading
to a spoken introduction that questions the wisdom ofbillionaires vying to exploit the mineral riches of far-off
worlds, while our own miraculously-balanced planet
spins towards destruction.
The most effective tune, “Dust Ball Fantasy”, is an
Afrobeat groove with guest Lionel Loueke, the Beninborn guitarist, who also contributes a vocal chant in his
native language, a plea to concentrate our efforts here
and now. Strickland’s fine tenor solo darts in and outof the slow, ambiguous rhythm. “Amygdala” is alsostrong, a slow-burn groove with Strickland (tripletracked) contributing a plaintive alto over two earthy
bass clarinets. Given the album’s subject matter, it’s
an interesting choice for a song title: the amygdala isthe part of the brain that processes humans’ “fight or
flight” response when faced with danger. It’s clear what
Strickland’s choice is: stay here now, rather than fleeing
into space, and fight until we can survive and leave ourchildren a livable planet.
For more info visit marcusstrickland.com. Strickland is at
Dizzy’s Club Apr. 4-9 with Christian McBride’s New Jawn.
See Calendar.

For Jemeel—Fire From the Road
Steve Swell’s Fire Into Music (Rogue Art)
by John Sharpe

While not exactly undersung, alto saxophonist Jemeel

Moondoc definitely wasn’t sung enough. There havenot been too many musical tributes since his passingin August 2021, but this is a cracker. The French Rogue
Art imprint has raided the archives and come up withover three hours of live material from 2004 and 2005
by trombonist Steve Swell’s Fire Into Music, one of
his finest units, which featured Moondoc, William
Parker (bass) and Hamid Drake (drums). The 3-disc set
showcases all four at the top of their respective games.
Moondoc deploys his characteristic raw, slightly
astringent blues-drenched tone to great effect, allgawky odd angles and hoarse expressive cries. He
forms a potent front line with Swell, who fully exploits
the trombone’s boisterous nature, but subverts thatwith precisely nuanced twists conveying more subtle
emotion. Whether the two are pushing each other toextremes or engaging in solemn colloquy, the highvoltage interplay between them is one of this set’s major
pluses.
This was the era when it seemed everyone aspired
to record with the Parker/Drake rhythm tandem, andyou can hear why. Displaying an almost telepathic
connection, they create a butt-shaking free swing
rhythm section, conjuring smile-inducing vamps andinfectious grooves, yet remain superbly responsive
both to each other and to the vagaries of the horns.
The repertoire comprises tunes from both Swell andMoondoc, whose “Junka Nu” is the only piece to appear
more than once. With attractive but uncomplicatedthemes ripe for extrapolation in all directions, there’s
ample space for all to shine—which they also dowhen they discard the charts for flowing, inspired
improvisations, such as the 55 minutes of the first discfrom Houston.
Technically a reissue, as it was previously released
on a tiny independent label, the set from Marfa Ballroom
similarly includes an extemporized component, whichcontains a lovely passage braiding bowed bass withreflective alto and trombone. It’s an illustration of thesort of unanticipated territory this band could stake out,
alongside the expected fertile ground of Swell’s punchy“Box Set” and the relaxed lope of his “Swimming in a
Galaxy of Goodwill and Sorrow”.
For more info visit roguart.com. Swell is at Main DragMusic Apr. 5 with Dave Sewelson and Apr. 12 with Hans
Tammen and William Parker. See Calendar.

THE NEW YORK CITY JAZZ RECORD | APRIL 2023 31

Fishin’ Again: A Tribute to Clyde Stubblefield& Dr. Lonnie Smith
Dan Trudell (OA2)
by Dan Bilawsky

Chicago-based organist Dan Trudell isn’t simply
a fan of both the late funk drummer extraordinaire
Clyde Stubblefield (who would have turned 80 thismonth) and organ guru Dr. Lonnie Smith: he led aband with the storied sticksmith and learned fromthe soulful mystic of the keys, developing friendships
with these late great artists. He pays tribute here withgrooves, grease and all of the glories that defined thesemusicians’ sounds.
Working with guitarist Mike Standal, drummer
Dana Hall and horns of plenty in the form of Pat
Mallinger (alto), John Wojciechowski (tenor) and Joel
Adams (trombone), Trudell focuses on good-time tunes
originally penned for the project with Stubblefield.
Kicking things off with the title track, the band rides
right down the center of a funky freeway. Standal sings
with his strings, Hall keeps everything feeling goodwith some pocket play, Trudell delivers a standout
statement and the reeds triumphantly trade fours. Then,
shifting gears, the outfit gets comfortable with slick
cruiser “Chocolate Martini”, goes bad-ass Baroque on

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weekendpackageavailableTchoose departurefrom NYC or
Newarkthe sly “Hip Hop Bach” and gets playful and punchy
at the halfway point with “Horse”. Throughout thealbum, the Trudell-Hall hookup proves central andreinforces what their instrument-matched honoree was
all about.
Spirits continue to soar as Trudell and company
approach the end of the program. “Holler Back”
hits a hot spot with angular lines and a jam-friendly
atmosphere. A reflective organ introduction on Paul
Lincke’s pliable “Glow Worm” leads to wonderfully
campy capers and heated throw-downs on this multidimensional classic. A number sourced from the good
doctor’s own playbook—Smith’s “Scream”—serves up
a handful of hip solos and closes things out on the rightnote. Establishing your own sound while celebratingothers is tricky business, but Trudell handles it with
aplomb. He remains true to his instrumental voice
without losing sight of the heart and soul of the artists
he praises on Fishin’ Again.
For more info visit originarts.com

Tilting Curvaceous
patrick brennan s0nic 0penings (Clean Feed)by Robert Bush

Alto saxophonist patrick brennan (who prefers to use
all lowercase letters when spelling his name) is at thehelm of a superb New York-based ensemble for his newrelease: Hilliard Greene (bass), Rod Williams (piano),
Brian Groder (trumpet/fluegelhorn) and Michael T.A.
Thompson (drums).
Rhythm seems to be the prime directive in thisparticular suite of music (14 selections referred toin numerical sequence). The saxophonist describes
these as “groove instances” or “cells”. The opening
salvo features a nerve-jangling stop/start landscapereminiscent of Anthony Braxton’s “pulse-track
structures” from his quartet and quintets back in the‘70s and ‘80s, a high compliment.
Each cell proceeds on its own terms and there
are many attractive moments throughout the session.
Williams’ piano begins as a soliloquy on “(4)”,soon joined by Greene, until Thompson’s explosive
drumming transports the idea into a more hyperactive
element.
Trumpet and saxophone dominate “(5)” withrelentless trilling, and the two horns spar to great effecton “(6)”, where they take the collective cacophony toa higher level. A return to the splintered rhythmic
dynamic returns on “(7)”, where everyone seems to beplaying and juxtaposing a different tune; the piece istransformed near the end by Greene’s gorgeous basssolo, a highlight of the album. Along the way there are
two bittersweet rubato ballads: “(2)” and “(9)” reveal
an Ornette-ish influence.
The hidden weapon of this session is Williams,
who somehow manages to provide his bandmates withabsolute support throughout, even when the horns veer
off into harsh dissonance. There’s also an intoxicating
extended Thompson drum solo at the end of “(10)”,which further elucidates the drummer’s value to thegroup and why he’s one of the great undersung players
on the scene.
For more info visit cleanfeed-records.com. brennan’stransparency kestra is at The Church of St. Edward the
Martyr Apr. 28. See Calendar.

32 APRIL 2023 | THE NEW YORK CITY JAZZ RECORD

Prime
Christian McBride’s New Jawn
(Brother Mister Productions-Mack Avenue)
by Russ Musto

O n the sophomore effort from New Jawn, bassist
Christian McBride’s pianoless quartet with Josh Evans(trumpet), Marcus Strickland (tenor sax/bass clarinet)and Nasheet Waits (drums), the intrepid ensemble
offers adventurous music that colors outside the linesof traditional jazz chord changes. McBride’s mission torevisit the freewheeling spirit of the 1960s avant garde
is immediately evident on the opener, “Head Bedlam”,
where the horns blow with an explosive frenzy,recalling Albert Ayler’s “Ghosts” band, wrappedaround a tuneful midsection with Evans’ trumpet
and Strickland’s bass clarinet soloing over a soulful,strutting bass line and slowly marching drum beat.
Strickland’s “Prime” is an Ornette-ish melody
on which the composer harmonizes the head with
Evans before digging in boldly on tenor, playing dark
serpentine lines that give way to his front line partner’s
searing trumpet solo and a climactic drum interlude
reminiscent of Ed Blackwell. Fluttering plucked bass
and brooding bass clarinet open Waits’ “Moonchild”,
a moody atmospheric exploration that showcases thegroup’s tight ensemble playing. The band then charges
straight ahead on Larry Young’s “Obsequious”, aseesawing free-bop composition first heard on Woody
Shaw’s 1965 leader debut, Cassandranite.
Bowed bass and malleted drums underpin bass
clarinet and muted trumpet on McBride’s “Lurkers”,
conjuring an ominous mood. The band is joyous in its
take on Ornette Coleman’s “The Good Life”, a rollicking
calypso that this group often uses as a theme song toclose out its live sets. “Dolphy Dust”, by Evans, is afree-bop escapade rekindling the daring spirit of theLive at the Five Spot recordings by the late saxophonist
Eric Dolphy and his front line bandmate, trumpeter
Booker Little, who is a palpable influence on thesong’s composer. The date closes with a tour de force
rendition of Sonny Rollins’ urgently swinging classic“East Broadway Rundown”, underscoring McBride’s
philosophy of finding inspiration in the music’s past
while moving it into the future.
For more info visit mackavenue.com. This project is at
Dizzy’s Club Apr. 4-9. See Calendar.

In the Valley
Todd Marcus Jazz Orchestra (Stricker Street)by George Kanzler

This is bass clarinetist Todd Marcus’ second album
exploring his paternal Egyptian heritage. Blues for
Tahir (2015) celebrated the Arab Spring, while In theValley was inspired by a trip he took with his family
to Egypt, and includes impressions of modern Cairo aswell as the Valley of the Kings (home to the Pyramids).
Compositionally, Marcus fuses jazz rhythms andharmonies with classical Middle Eastern scales andpatterns. And his vehicle, the Todd Marcus Jazz
Orchestra is a nonet with four reeds, two brass, piano,bass and drums.
Middle Eastern scales inform “Horus”, the frenetic
opener, where ensemble themes usher in a fleet
bass clarinet solo that sacrifices the resonance of the
instrument for jazzy harmonic fluency. Alex Norris’
trumpet follows, horn riffs rising behind him, leading
to an extended coda kicked off by the trio of Xavier
Davis (piano), Jeff Reed (bass) and Eric Kennedy(drums), with short solos from all six horns: Marcus,
Norris, Brent Birckhead and Russell Kirk (altos),
Greg Tardy (tenor) and Alan Ferber (trombone). Two
impressionistic portraits of modern Egypt follow. “TheHive” evokes “the feel of modern-day Cairo”, teemingwith the bustle of different strains of melodies andpatterns; Ferber’s extended solo is shadowed at times
by bass clarinet-with-bass riffs. “Cairo Street Ride”
again pairs bass clarinet and bass as the others evoke
traffic bustle and car horns, before solos from Reed andTardy.
Marcus delves into the sonorities of his bass
clarinet on “Final Days”, an elegy for his deceased
father and their family home in New Jersey, withgorgeous ensemble writing for horns and chiming
piano. On the finale, “In the Valley”, bass clarinet isanswered by the ensemble in an attempt to “capture
the grandeur of ancient Egyptian sites”, mainly byincreasing momentum and building tension throughalto sax and piano solos to climactic ensemble swirls.
For more info visit toddmarcusjazz.bandcamp.com. Marcus’
Jazz Orchestra is at Dizzy’s Club Apr. 10. See Calendar.

Globe Unity
Alexander von Schlippenbach(SABA-Corbett vs. Dempsey)
Unwalled
François Carrier/Alexander von Schlippenbach/John
Edwards/Michel Lambert (Fundacja Słuchaj)by Steven Loewy

W hile pianist Alexander von Schlippenbach is often

identified with the extremes of free improvisation,
his legacy is more nuanced, and now as a midoctogenarian (he celebrates his 85th birthday thismonth), Schlippenbach has evolved into a wise
performer with not only considerable technique,but also a musical sensibility that transcends genre
as exemplified in the two albums reviewed here,
recorded more than 55 years apart.
The long out-of-print Globe Unity was recorded
in 1966 (originally released by SABA in 1967).
Featuring Schlippenbach’s first large group, thisreissue still sounds sharp, clear and innovative ahalf-century later. The group eventually morphed
into the influential Globe Unity Orchestra,and some of the young players on this seminal
recording presage what was to come, among themPeter Brötzmann (heard here on alto), Peter Kowald(bass), Gunter Hampel (flute/bass clarinet),
Manfred Schoof (trumpet), Karl Berger (vibes) andWillem Breuker (soprano/baritone). Combining

Christian Ernst

ROBERT BROWNING ASSOCIATES, LOTUS MUSIC & DANCE, AND ROULETTE PRESENT

graphically notated scores with free improvisation,
the two tracks, entitled “Globe Unity” and “Sun”,
each approximately 20 minutes, combine unhinged
group and individual improvisations with bells,
little sounds and raucous noise punctuated by bigband thrusts. With lots of hard-hitting percussion
and a wild piano solo from the leader, “Globe
Unity” delivers monumentally. “Sun” offers
constantly moving parts that have John Zornlike eccentricity, and adds a whimsical element,with a fiery trumpet solo, whistles and bells andpounding piano. This is an essential recording that
does not falter.
Fast forward 56 years to 2022, and to Unwalled,
a quartet led by Canadian alto saxophonist François
Carrier, with Schlippenbach, John Edwards (bass)and Michel Lambert (drums). Carrier produces
lovely rapid-fire post-bop phrases that rub against
the limits of the horn. He chooses his notes carefully,
sometimes singing through his saxophone, at othertimes zipping along briskly. Carrier punches out
short, complex phrases and on the title track adds
trills and repetitive phrasing, as his mostly midtempo forays highlight his beautiful sound andsensitive styling. The bass and drums fill in the
backdrop effortlessly, creatively building tension,
while the sweet sounds of alto sax ride effortlessly
above, and Schlippenbach’s confident, melodic
piano holds sway. “Unification” combines lush bass
with a majestic piano sound, changing tempos andsome altissimo sax, while the closer, “Open End”,
contrasts powerful, sometimes gruff saxophone with
innovative piano musings.
For more info visit corbettvsdempsey.com/records andsluchaj.bandcamp.com

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THE NEW YORK CITY JAZZ RECORD | APRIL 2023 33

APR 1–2

DIVA JAZZ ORCHESTRAAPR 3Jarasum International Jazz Festival 2014
Allan Holdsworth (Manifesto)
by Alex Henderson

THE YALE JAZZ ENSEMBLE
APR 4–9

CHRISTIAN MCBRIDE’S NEW JAWN
APR 10TODD MARCUS JAZZ ORCHESTRAAPR 11

FROST SCHOOL OF MUSIC SEPTETAND ALUMNI BIG BAND
APR 12HELEN SUNG: BIG BAND & BEYOND
APR 13–14

JD ALLEN FEAT. CHARLIE HUNTER: AMERICANA VOL. 2
APR 15TOSHIKO AKIYOSHI (7:30PM SET)ROMERO LUBAMBO HONORS JOBIM (9:30PM SET)APR 16

A TRIBUTE TO HUGH MASAKELA (5PM SET)CARLOS HENRIQUEZ CELEBRATES MARIO BAUZA(7:30PM SET)APR 17MONTCLAIR STATE UNIVERSITY JAZZ ENSEMBLE
APR 18ELI DEGIBRI QUARTET: HENRI AND RACHELAPR 19DIZZY’S CLOSEDAPR 20–23

RENÉ MARIEAPR 24

TEMPLE UNIVERSITY JAZZ BAND WITH STEFON HARRISAPR 25

PURCHASE JAZZ ORCHESTRASAPR 26KELLY GREEN TRIO FEAT. ELIJAH THOMAS (7:30PM SET)NICOLE ZURAITIS QUINTET (9:30PM SET)F usion suffered a major loss when British guitarist
Allan Holdsworth died of a heart attack at age 70
six years ago this month in Southern California (hisadopted home). This posthumous two-disc release,recorded/filmed three years earlier, is an exciting
document of Holdsworth’s appearance at the 2014
Jarasum Jazz Festival in South Korea.
The Manifesto label offers both CD and DVD
versions of an hour-long set that finds the guitarist
forming a cohesive power trio with electric bassist
Jimmy Haslip (formerly of the Yellowjackets) andveteran drummer Gary Husband. The performances arequite faithful to the spirit of fusion, combining amplified
rock muscle with jazz’ improvisatory freedom andspontaneity. Holdsworth revisits some of the favorites
he performed with drummer Tony Williams’ Lifetime
during the ‘70s, including the mysterious “Fred” andbassist Tony Newton’s scorching “Red Alert” (whichtakes Holdsworth into hard rock/heavy metal territory).
But he obviously has no desire to provide carbon
copies of Lifetime’s versions. Alan Pasqua’s electric
keyboards were an important part of Lifetime’s sound;the Jarasum performances, however, omit keyboards
and are power trio all the way. Holdsworth isn’t shy
about letting his sidemen stretch out and improvise,
including Husband on “Letters of Marque” and theangular “Gas Lamp Blues”, and Haslip on “Devil
Take the Hindmost” (a probing tune from 1985’s Metal
Fatigue). The guitarist’s original 1979 version of “Lettersof Marque” was very much a workout for Husband’s
drums, and his forceful, intricate drumming is equallyprominent on this performance 35 years later.
The influence of Stanley Clarke and the late Jaco
Pastorius continues to serve Haslip well, yet he is a fineelectric bassist in his own right. And he is a valuablepart of this trio whether Holdsworth is feeling moodyon “Leave Them On” or turning up the heat on “Red
Alert”.
The guitarist had his share of health problems
near the end of his life, including heart disease, butthey don’t affect the quality of his playing on any ofthese performances. Holdsworth, Haslip and Husband
are clearly on top of their game throughout Jarasum
International Jazz Festival 2014.
For more info visit Manifesto.com

APR 27

SOUTH AFRICA FREEDOM DAY: STEVE DYER AND FRIENDSAPR 28–30

SOUTH AFRICA FREEDOM DAY WEEK:BOKANI DYER GROUP
JAZZ.ORG/DIZZYSWITH MELISSA ALDANA

7:30PM & 9:30PM

The Name of This Terrain
Denny Zeitlin (Now-Again)
by Pierre Giroux

SUNDAYS 5PM & 7:30PM

212.258.9595
BROADWAY AT 60TH ST.

Denny Zeitlin is a pianist of immeasurable talent with
an idiosyncratic approach. In considering Zeitlin’s
career, one is reminded of a line from the Robert

34 APRIL 2023 | THE NEW YORK CITY JAZZ RECORD

Frost poem “The Road Not Taken”: ”I took the one
less traveled”. The genesis of this album is unusual:
recorded and pressed in 1969 as a custom-run demo,
it was never meant to be released and remained inmusical limbo for several decades. Following a recent
reappraisal by Zeitlin (who will be 85 this month), thealbum is being brought to market with his endorsement
and guidance.
Over the six tracks, Zeitlin is accompanied by
George Marsh (drums) and Mel Graves (bass), eachof whom plays several instruments and contributes
vocals, as they run through an eclectic mixture of jazz,
funk, rock, free music and avant garde classical. In thelate ‘60s, when this recording was laid down, jazz wasin turmoil: audiences were shrinking, nightclubs weregoing dark and rock and roll was reaching new heights.
New technology was changing the landscape by not
only offering the musicians pristine recorded soundbut allowing them to create new electronic sounds ormanipulate recorded sound.
On the opening title track, Zeitlin and his cohorts
test our audio senses with a full variety of musical andelectronic pulses that are interwoven into shapes thatmake explicit the structure of the composition. The
electronic and musical dexterity and wizardry continue
with “2 Steps Forward, 1 Step Back”; on “Gonna TakeYou Away”, the spin cycle accelerates further as the
textures become more complicated.
The remaining three tracks (“What’s In It For
You?”, “Free Piece” and “The Wizards”) show thesame ingenuity and carefully crafted arrangements. Of
special interest is “Free Piece”, which Zeitlin describes
as follows: “we first recorded a free improvisationleaving a lot of space, and then each getting aheadphone feed of the music, free associated to phrases
from a dozen books opened to random pages.” Zeitlin
remarks, “thinking back on that recording session overfifty years ago, I remember how much fun it was”.
Amen to that.
For more info visit nowagainrecords.com

Smoke Gets in Your Eyes
Cory Smythe (Pyroclastic)by Kurt Gottschalk

F or those, like this reporter, who had hoped the final
installment of Cory Smythe’s mysterious songbook
triptych might clear things up, disappointment lies instore. Adding insult to injury, it seems the brillianceof these albums remains outside the grasp of thegeneral public. I, at least, am yet to overhear people
talking about the odd wonder of Smythe’s albums at
the supermarket.
The first of his Americana explorations focusedon “Oh Susanna”, with a trio including singer Sofia
Jernberg and guitarist Dan Lippel. That was followed
by a set reworking “Lift Every Voice” for five voices,piano and percussion. The new installment—curiously
the only one to use the source song as the album title—
assigns “Smoke Gets in Your Eyes” to a remarkabletentet (Smythe and Jernberg with violinist Joshua
Modney; cellist Tomeka Reid; trumpeter Peter Evans;trombonist Zekkereya El-magharbel; saxophonists
Ryan Muncy, Ingrid Laubrock, and David Leon;
percussionist Jessie Cox; and bassist Stephan Crump),
although the ensemble never sounds nearly that large
and the music rarely sounds like the pop standard.

Instead, Smythe deploys the title of the 1933 show tune
as a climate crisis warning and wraps stark, brittle
music around it, only occasionally wandering in to theactual song. Noises and dissonance seamlessly sneak
into actual grooves, making for a truly unusual suite.
That’s the four tracks that make up the first half,
anyway. The previous Accelerate Every Voice concluded
with a 20-minute track of piano and ocean waves thatwould be hard not to classify as “new age”. (It’s alsoquite nice.) The second half, longer than the first, is
Smythe alone at the piano, with electronic augmentationthat seems to shift the flow of time. Delays and decaysbuild in uncanny ways, and deep rumbles reverberate
in the strato-form, making perfect sense unless thought
about. His playing through the cloud is lovely anddizzying, seeming to touch on elements of the originalsong, although that may be a sonic mirage through thepower of suggestion.
Smythe’s methodology is not easily parsed
and no more so with the new release. It’s abstract
impressionism stamped onto the most literal of themes,
and it’s a fascinating drift to follow. For those who,
like this reporter, are wanting for more of Smythe’sradical reinterpretations, his reworking (with Sylvie
Courvoisier) of Stravinsky’s piano duet transcriptionof The Rite of Spring is due out next month (also on
Pyroclastic).
For more info visit pyroclasticrecords.com. Smythe is at
Zankel Hall Apr. 25 with Imani Winds. See Calendar.

Maternity Beat
Hedvig Mollestad/Trondheim Jazz Orchestra(Rune Grammofon)by Franz Matzner

The music of guitarist Hedvig Mollestad (who recently
turned 41) is recognizable from the very first notes:
whatever the setting, she expresses a consistent vision.
Maternity Beat, her collaboration with the 12-piece
Trondheim Jazz Orchestra, is no exception, as a musicalexploration of the emotional and psychological facetsof motherhood from pregnancy to the joys, fears andresponsibilities of child rearing. This album plumbs
the richness, compositional options and variety of alarge ensemble. The music soars and plunges, volcanic
eruptions bursting across driving beats, sturdy
melodies pushing forward over distorted guitar andunexpected bass lines.
The opening “Horizon part 1” offers a calm chantof “mothers, fathers, and children”, backed by droning
violin, drum rolls, rising brass and flute, then segues
into Mollestad’s signature riff-laden, driving guitar,
before the textures thicken as the entire orchestra joinsin. Elements of jazz, art rock, avant garde abstraction,
Jimi Hendrix and heavy metal are all present here in
her playing and writing, the album shifting easily from
instrumental frenzy to mellifluousness. On “Do Re Mi
Ma Ma” violinist Adrian Loseth Waade momentarily
emerges from orchestral bedlam to emit a sumptuousclassical melody. Throughout, component parts are
tossed from brass to organ and strings in a variety of
combinations.
The heart and soul of the album is, however,“Her Own Shape” and the closing “Maternity
Beat”/“Maternity Suite”. The former is a personal
testament to the dreams and hopes of motherhood,from conception to the child’s development into anindependent individual, delivered as an elegiac tone
poem. In turn, the final pair of pieces traverses calm
meditation, subtle instrumental shifts, unexpected
instrumental combinations and rollicking effusions toreach a call of triumph.
Bold in its themes, architecture, and expressive
complexity, Maternity Beat is yet another eloquent
entry in Mollestad’s growing discography.
For more info visit runegrammofon.com

Assassinations (For Free-Jazz Quintet)
Luke Stewart (Catalytic Sound)
Kingston Solo Trio Quintet
Timothy Angulo, Laura Cocks, Chris Corsano,Fred Lonberg-Holm, Luke Stewart (Catalytic Sound)by Scott Yanow

Bassist Luke Stewart conceived of Assassinations as atribute to three murdered activists (Malcolm X, Patrice
Lumumba and Steve Biko) who became martyrs in theendless fight for Black liberation. While considered
radicals by their detractors during their lifetimes, theircommon goal was simple: for Blacks to be treated as
equals to the ruling white class. Decades have passed
since their deaths, but the fight continues and their
dream is still only partly fulfilled.
Assassinations features Stewart reading words by
its dedicatees and the poet/musician Camae Ayewa,
with instrumental interludes by the quintet which
are spontaneous and generally have a strong forward
momentum. The interplay between Stewart’s spoken
word and the instrumentalists is often dramatic, withpianist Janice Lowe making particularly memorable
contributions. While some of the impact that surely
must have been felt during the concert is a bit lost
without visuals, the visions and hopes of the threemartyrs are sincerely expressed. The last ten minutesof this lengthy piece contains some of the most stirring
music of the night.
Kingston Solo Trio Quintet (another digital
download-only release) consists of three lengthy
selections from a March 2022 concert, with one
performance apiece drawn from a trio of sets. First,
Chris Corsano is featured on a powerful nine-minuteshowcase for his drums. Next, the trio of Corsano,Fred Lonberg-Holm (cello) and Luke Stewart (bass)
creates a bewildering variety of sounds for 30 minutes,
reminiscent of late guitarist Derek Bailey. The dense
ensembles overflow with different timbres, and it
must have been intriguing to watch the musicians
create these semi-musical noises. After the first six
minutes, the music becomes surprisingly sparse withthe strings in the lead, before things get crowded again
with a variety of otherworldly sounds. There is anotherrespite at the 18-minute mark, while the trio creates adrone at 24 minutes, and becomes quite conversational
near the end. On the last track, the unit is expanded
to a quintet with the addition of flutist Laura Cocks
and drummer Timothy Angulo, who had performed asa duo earlier that night. They add to the wide range ofsounds, the flutist often leading the ensembles before
the other musicians jump in to make their voices heard.
As with the trio performance, the quintet explores avariety of moods, ending quietly after 16 minutes andconcluding what must have been a fascinating concert
for those in attendance.
For more info visit catalyticsound.com. Stewart is at Main
Drag Music Apr. 12 with Hans Tammen and Steve Swell.
See Calendar.

THE NEW YORK CITY JAZZ RECORD | APRIL 2023 35

Mondays at the Enfield Tennis Academy
Jeff Parker’s ETA IVtet (Eremite-Aguirre)by Tom Greenland

BOSSA NOVA ATCARNEGIE HALLFEATURED PERFORMERS INCLUDE:
BOLA SETE, JOÃO GILBERTO,SERGIO MENDEZ SEXTET, SERGIO RICARDO,
LUIZ BONFA, AND CAETANO ZAMACHARLIE PARKER
THE LONG LOST BIRD LIVE
AFRO-CUBOP RECORDINGS!
FEATURED PERFORMERS INCLUDE:DIZZY GILLESPIE, MACHITO, MILT JACKSON,
ART BLAKEY, STAN KENTON,WOODY HERMAN,
RED RODNEY, RAY BROWN,
AND KENNY CLARKEA LS O AVA I L A B L E O N V I N Y L

Rare Live 1978 Performance

For more info visit eremite.com. Parker is at Public Records
Apr. 15. See Calendar.

Classic 1969 Album

Fever: A Peggy Lee Celebration
Ann Hampton Callaway (Palmetto)by Marilyn Lester

liberationhall.com
LiberationHallRecords

Ten years ago, after twenty years in Chicago, guitarist
Jeff Parker (who turns 56 this month) relocated to Los
Angeles. He’s since then successfully integrated himself
into the local music scene, establishing a residency atthe Enfield Tennis Academy, a pocket-size bar (namedfor a key location in David Foster Wallace’s Infinite Jest)
located in the Highland Park neighborhood (similar
in flavor to Brooklyn’s Williamsburg). He’s helmed
the house band there every Monday night since 2018,
comprising Josh Johnson (alto sax), who plays with
Parker in New Breed, Anna Butterss (bass) and Jay
Bellerose (drums), supplemented by frequent guest
artists.
The ETA IVtet has been conducting R&D for a
new type of ‘jazz-plus’ that’s grounded in the melodic
vocabulary of bebop and modal improvisation, but adds
electronic enhancements (both Parker and Johnson are
wizards on analog and digital synth pedals), hip-hop
inspired grooves (Bellerose is one of those drummers
who can ‘drag’ and ‘rush’ the beat simultaneously) anda we’re-in-no-hurry attitude toward developing a jam.
The result is a type of ambient, alpha-wave-inducing
groove music, something like The Necks or Dawn ofMidi, but with rigorous melodic improvisations inclean, clear tones by guitar and alto against a backdropof sampled, looping waves of electronica.
There are four tracks total, averaging twenty
minutes each, culled from gigs recorded in 2019 and2021. Lingering in certain keys, the music will thenshift seamlessly, almost unnoticeably, into closely
related key areas, steered by Butterss’ pedal points,
while Bellerose lays down a firm but flexible pulse.
Parker and Johnson are the principal soloists, but theirroles are highly imbricated. Sometimes they provide
their own electronic accompaniment or layer their own
lines; at other times they interlace improvised ideas
in tandem. Both take strong solos on the second track,achieve a beautiful balancing of roles towards the end of
the third and emerge from a sea of swirling electronica
with open, choppy tones on the last. The music, likeminimalism, is noninvasive, allowing you to absorb it
subconsciously, but it also rewards patient listening,
following its slow but inexorable development of
textures and ideas.

liberationhall.bandcamp

T here are a few key traits that Peggy Lee and Ann

Hampton Callaway have in common. They are both

36 APRIL 2023 | THE NEW YORK CITY JAZZ RECORD

singer-songwriters; handle jazz, blues and pop
styles with equal authority; and share a mellow,
commanding vocal tone. It’s no wonder that Lee’s
music resonates with Callaway, who’s been touring
the country with her Peggy Lee Celebration show andwho, in a recent appearance at 54 Below (March 2)
with Amanda McBroom in Divalicious!, made sure toinclude “Black Coffee” (Lee, Dave Barbour).
The 14 tracks of her latest CD, Fever: A Peggy
Lee Celebration, contain a goodly portion of Lee as a
songwriter. The first cut, though, “Fever” (Eddie
Cooley, Otis Blackwell), was written as an R&B tune
for Little Willie John. Lee reconfigured it and made ita hit. Callaway sings it like she means it, in a breathy
version with special lyrics and Martin Wind’s deep
bass forward. A vocal duet with John Pizzarelli on“The Glory of Love” (Billy Hill) has a clever snippetof Callaway scatting in harmony with Pizzarelli’s
guitar. Her clear-as-a-bell vocal tone is applied to apreviously unrecorded ballad, “Clair de Lune”, asetting of a poem by Lee that features the lyrical piano
artistry of Ted Rosenthal.
“The Other Part of Me”, another unrecordedsong, was written by Lee and Paul Horner for
Peg, A Musical Autobiography, which played but 13
previews and five performances on Broadway in
1983. It was an evening of song and chat starring
Lee, with new numbers written for the show, whichFrank Rich of The New York Times brutalized in his
review. Callaway plays it straight, but “The Other
Part of Me” is a soppy, unremarkable “soul mate”
ballad that makes Rich’s reaction understandable.
In contrast, “I Love Being Here with You” (Lee andBill Schluger) says pretty much the same thing withplenty of swing.
For melodrama, it’s hard to beat the story song
“Johnny Guitar” (Lee, Victor Young), from the 1954
film of the same name and loosely based on Enrique
Granados’ “Spanish Dance No. 5”. This noir-liketorcher features no guitars but has plenty of heat
supplied by a tormented Callaway. That same angst isapplied to “Black Coffee” (Sonny Burke, Paul Francis
Webster), delivered as a deep blues conveying thesinger’s emotional pain.
Uptempo and bright defines the sublime pairingof Lee’s “This Is a Very Special Day” with “It’s a GoodDay” (Lee, Barbour). Callaway sells the happinesswith her cheerful interpretation. The prayerful,
sweetly delivered and life-affirming closer, “Angels
on Your Pillow” (Lee, Horner), is the perfect finale foran album of well-chosen, varied tunes—even minus
the mega hit, Lieber and Stoller’s “Is That All ThereIs?”
For more info visit palmetto-records.com

(INTERVIEW CONTINUED FROM PAGE 6)
CC: The teacher I had at the time was more a Broadway
type. She taught me some exercises, but I would say
my education came more from listening to recordings,
and realizing how these vocalists delivered lyrics,
the sound, the diction and how the songs conveyed
feelings and ideas and moods. One expresses those
things in speech, and to me singing is an extensionof one’s speaking voice. One articulates phrases
and words, or changes the timbre of one’s voice,depending on how one wants to come across. When I
listen to Billie or Abbey, it’s all [about] the way they
deliver lyrics.
TNYCJR: That’s a eureka moment, because you havea specific theatrical style as part of your singing. Did
that come from your teacher or is it something thatdeveloped naturally?
CC: It’s all from singing with recordings, and justimitating Sarah and Billie.
TNYCJR: Your sound is really your own.
CC: There’s something interesting about singing
to me. It doesn’t go through a middleman, such as
an instrument; it’s the interior, you’re transferring
your interior into sound, and there’s something very
universal and direct about that. There’s hardly aculture that doesn’t have singing and many cultures
are defined to a great extent by a great voice, like
Mahalia Jackson or Mercedes Sosa, Ray Charles,
Stevie Wonder.
TNYCJR: Are there any instrumentalists, though, thatyou feel have contributed to your own style?
CC: I would say Steve Lacy, very much. He’s sodeliberate in the way he plays. There’s nothing that’s
unnecessary, it’s very specific. There’s this puresound that I absolutely love about his music. Thereis Bill Evans, who I absolutely love. He touches meevery time; I connect with his music. But it’s mostly
vocalists, I have to say.

directing the main jazz camp, which is a summer
camp for much younger students, since the early ’90s.
I find this very, very fulfilling, because the Columbia
students are a complete inspiration and a joy to bearound, they’re totally focused, they want to bechallenged, they’re completely open to any music I
bring to them. I bring in Mingus, I bring in Monk, I
bring in Kenny Wheeler, Abbey Lincoln. And to hear
their interpretations in class and their performancesbrings me pleasure.
The summer students tend to be middle schoolers
and high schoolers, and the only experience those kids
have is playing in jazz big bands, so I bring in faculty
like Tony Malaby and Kris Davis. Some of thosestudents do end up taking music [later], but that is
not my goal. The goal is to just have them incorporate
the arts into their regular lives and be supporters. We
want to make them a good audience. The rewarding
thing is to watch these students just blossom and findtheir own voice.

guests Bill Frisell, Laurie Anderson, Bob Stewart, Marty
Ehrlich, Gary Lucas and others. See Calendar.

For more info visit christinecorrea.com. Correa’s album
release concert is at Bar Bayeaux Apr. 28. See Calendar.

Musicians who have published with Evil Rabbit
have nothing but praise for Kneer. Willers said,“Meinrad is a close friend, and we have worked on
several projects. So when I gave him my recording,asking for feedback on this solo acoustic endeavor, I
felt happy and honored that he offered to release it
on ER immediately. It feels good to have a harbor for
personal musical statements like this.”Baars sums it up: “Meinrad puts out CDs that reflect
his musical taste. He always pays much attention to themusicians, a good collaboration, and he only does it for
the love of the music.”

Recommended Listening:• Frank Carlberg—Crazy Woman (Accurate, 1995)• Frank Carlberg—Variations On a Summer’s Day(feat. Christine Correa)(Fresh Sound New Talent, 1999)• Frank Carlberg—State of the Union(Fresh Sound New Talent, 2005)• Ran Blake/Christine Correa—Down Here Below(Tribute to Abbey Lincoln, Vol. One) (Red Piano,
2011)• Frank Carlberg’s Word Circus—No Money In Art(Red Piano, 2014)• Christine Correa—Just You Stand and Listen With
Me (Sunnyside, 2021)(LEST WE FORGET CONTINUED FROM PAGE 10)

TNYCJR: What kind of ideas do you want to cultivate
in your students?

“Summer of 1981, I’m at a friend’s home, a wholefamily of musicians,” Bernstein recalled enthusiastically.
“The father is an instrument maker and loved jazz, loved
to turn his daughter’s friends on to cool music. So I go
there one day and he’s like, ‘Steve, come here, you gotta
hear this really far out record.’ It’s like, whoa, this iswhat I’ve been imagining but didn’t know what it was.”Bernstein pulled out his copy of Amarcord and spokeeven more excitedly. “Blondie, 1981, that’s ‘Rapture’.
Man, it was crazy, you have Steve Lacy solo, you havethe biggest pop act in the world, and then you have
Muhal [Richard Abrams]. I was like, this is the world
I want to be in!” Bernstein was to be a part of bringing
Amarcord to Lincoln Center Out of Doors in 2018, but
the concert was rained out and never rescheduled. Fiveyears later, that show will finally happen at Roulette,following Willner’s Lincoln Center set list and notes
and with Bernstein at the helm.
Amarcord has evolved over the years. Guitarist Bill
Frisell will be present at Roulette, for example, but his
solo rendition of “Juliet of the Spirits” is now arranged
for ensemble. And Anderson, who was not on theoriginal album, will appear in this new version, as willa couple dozen other performers mostly associated with
the Downtown scene from which Willner drew.
“Hal helped put the original world of Downtown
and Roulette on the map”, Bernstein said. “I thinkpeople don’t understand how wide a door Hal opened.”
He recited a quick list of Willner’s unlikely productions,
including putting Reed and Ornette Coleman together
for The Raven. “Hal opened the door to a world where
all that was possible.”

CC: It’s very inspiring to teach at Columbia. I’ve beenon the faculty the past 15 years or so. I’ve also been

For more info visit haltribute.com. Steven Bernstein presents
Willner’s Amarcord Nino Rota at Roulette Apr. 8 withTNYCJR: Your improvising tends towards a legato,
lyrical style. Is that your natural inclination orsomething that you developed?
CC: It’s kind of interesting. When I’m practicing athome, I will scat because I want to get more familiar
with the harmony of what I’m singing. But when I singin public, I will not scat because I made the decision
not to. And then when I’m in teaching situations, I’mteaching improvisation with scatting and everything,but, personally, I will not do it in public. Scat syllables
don’t appeal to me. Are we doing it just because
instrumentalists are doing it? We don’t have to.
TNYCJR: But is improvisation where you have space
to add in some non-Western details?
CC: When I was in India, I never studied classicalIndian music. We were always in this Western kindof vein. However, in school, we learned Indian
folk tunes. And I’ve sung folk songs in concert. My
ancestors are from Goa, south of Mumbai, which used
to be a Portuguese colony. I’ve sung the music of Goa,
I’ve sung in these languages. I think maybe that someof the inflections creep into [my singing], even withwords.

Recommended Listening:• Various—Amarcord Nino Rota (Hannibal, 1981)• Various—That’s The Way I Feel Now: A Tribute To
Thelonious Monk (A&M, 1984)• Various—Lost In The Stars: The Music of Kurt Weill(A&M, 1985)• Various—Stay Awake: Various Interpretations of Music
from Vintage Disney Films (A&M, 1988)• Various—Hal Willner Presents Weird Nightmare:Meditations on Mingus (Columbia, 1992)• Hal Willner—Whoops I’m An Indian (Pussyfoot, 1998)• Various—Stormy Weather: The Music of Harold Arlen(Sony Classical, 2002)(LABEL SPOTLIGHT CONTINUED FROM PAGE 11)

For more info, visit meinradkneer.eu

INTERPRETATIONSSEASON 33 2022- 2023
TYSHAWN SOREY
ALEXANDRASCOTTDANROBINSONGARDNERJOSEPHMARFEB
APR
NOV
9 913
3
THUTHU
THU
THU
SEP 29THU
PETR KOTIK
80TH BIRTHDAY CELEBRATIONJOHANNES
WADADAADAM
THOMASMICHAELRUDOLPH
LEO
SIDENIUS
BUCKNER
BYRON
SMITH
ROULETTE 509 Atlantic Ave Brooklyn NY$20: General $15: Members, Students, Seniors.
INTERPRETATIONS.INFO, ROULETTE.ORG
Concert begins at 8:00pm.
6:00pm.

THE NEW YORK CITY JAZZ RECORD | APRIL 2023 37

CALENDAR
Saturday, April 1• Fred Hersch Trio with Drew Gress, Jochen Rueckert and The Crosby String Quartet:“Breath by Breath”

The 92nd Street Y 7:30 pm $30-60• Alex Kautz Quartet with John Ellis, Chico Pinheiro, Gili Lopes
Bar Lunàtico 9, 10:30 pm $10êMichael Attias, Santiago Leibson, Max Johnson, Michael Sarin

Barbès 6 pm $20• Bill Saxton and the Harlem All-Stars

Bill’s Place 7, 9 pm $30• Eric Comstock with Sean Smith, Barbara Fasano

Birdland 5:30 pm $20-30

Birdland 8:30, 10:30 pm $40• Eliane Elias
Birdland Theater 7, 9:30 pm $20-30• Emilie-Claire Barlow
Blue Note 8, 10:30 pm $25-35• Terrace Martin• Steve Davis Quartet; Mike DiRubbo

Café Bohemia 7, 8:30, 10:30 pm $25• Rafi D’Lugoff Quartet; Ai Murakami Quartet

Cellar Dog 7, 11:30 pm $5
Chelsea Table + Stage 9:30 pm $20-50êDIVA Jazz Orchestra
Dizzy’s Club 7:30, 9:30 pm $25-60• David Gibson Quartet; TK Blue Quartet
The Django 7:30, 10:30 pm $25-35
Fiction Bar/Café 9 pm
• Ross Lewicki Quartet• Jacques Schwarz-Bart with Victor Gould, Ian Banno, Obed Calvaire
The Jazz Gallery 7:30, 9:30 pm $30-40• Joe Camardo, Marshall Herridge
Knickerbocker Bar & Grill 9 pmêUlysses Owens Jr., Matthew Whitaker, Alain Lauture: “Armstrong Now”
LeFrak Hall, Queens College 8 pm $25
êEthan Iverson, Peter Washington, Eric McPherson; Anthony Wonsey Trio
Mezzrow 7:30, 9, 10:30 pm, 12 am $40
The Porch 8 pm $10-20• Bianca Love
Room 31 at Arlo NoMad 7:30 pm $34• Super Yamba Band
• Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra: “Internationally Ellington”
Rose Theater 8 pm $45
The Roxy Lounge at Roxy Hotel 6 pm
• Michael GarinêEddie Allen Quintet
Sistas’ Place 9, 10:30 pm $25
êJack Walrath Quintet with Jed Levy, George Burton, Ratzo Harris, Ronnie Burrage;
Eric Wyatt Quartet; 12 Midnight Jam Session
Smalls 7:30, 9, 10:30 pm, 12 am $35
êGeorge Cables with Craig Handy, Essiet Essiet, Jerome Jennings
Smoke 7, 9, 10:30 pm $35-55
êDave Liebman, Billy Hart, Adam Rudolph Trio
The Stone at The New School 8:30 pm $20• ”Wall to Wall Women of Soul”: Marcelle Davies Lashley, Lulada Club;The Soapbox Presents “The Ladies of Hip Hop”, J. Hoard; Martha Redbone,
Anthony Mills, GLR¥A & The Rakiem Walker Project; Nona Hendryx
Symphony Space Peter Jay Sharpe Theatre 3, 5, 7, 9 pmêJoe Martin with Mark Turner, Kevin Hays, Marcus Gilmore
Village Vanguard 8, 10 pm $40• Quintin Harris Quintet

Sunday, April 2êDave Burrell

411 Kent 5 pm $15

Bar Lunàtico 9, 10:30 pm $10• Yacouba Sissoko and SIYA
• Luca Benedetti, Tony Scherr, Tony Mason; Daisy Castro, Max O’Rourke;
Brad Brose; James Robbins

Barbès 6, 10 pm $20• Erica Seguine/Shon Baker Orchestra

Birdland 5:30 pm $30• Arturo O’Farrill Afro Latin Jazz Orchestra

Birdland 8:30, 10:30 pm $30-40
Birdland Theater 7, 9:30 pm $20
Blue Note 12:30, 2:30 pm $25
Blue Note 8:30, 10:30 pm $25-35
Café Bohemia 7:30, 9, 10:30 pm $25
Cellar Dog 7 pm $5êDIVA Jazz Orchestra
Dizzy’s Club 5, 7:30 pm $25-45• Ray Gallon Quartet; Michael Kanan Trio
The Django 6:30, 9:30 pm $25-35• Amir ElSaffar Two Rivers Ensemble with Hamid Al-Saadi
Drom 7:30 pm $15-20• Teri Roiger with Steve Berger, John Menegon
Entwine Wine Bar 6, 7:30 pm
Fiction Bar/Café 9 pm
• Rodrigo Bonelli Quartet• Marc Devine and Friends: “Jazz Jam”
Hamilton Hall Craft Bar & Kitchen 7 pm
• Welf Dorr with Elias Meister, Dmitry Ishenko, Joey Hartenstein
The Keep 9 pm
• Emily Braden, Joe Block, Luke Sellick; Jamile Polite Jam Session
Mezzrow 7:30, 9, 10:30, 12 pm $25-35
North Square Lounge 12:30, 2 pm
• Kate Baker Trio
• Kenny Warren’s Sweet World Trio with Nathan Ellman-Bell, Christopher Hoffman
The Owl Music Parlor 8 pm $15
The Porch 8 pm $10-20• Abe Ovadia
Room 623 at B2 Harlem 8, 9:30 pm $12-42• Mimi Jones & Friends
The Roxy Lounge at Roxy Hotel 6 pm
• Jon Regen• Noah Baerman, Henry Lugo, Curtis Nowosad
Saint Peter’s Church 5 pm
• Marty Scott Quintet; John Colonna Trio
Silvana 8, 10 pm• Nick Green Quintet with Joe Magnarelli, Mike Karn, Jeb Patton, Kenny Washington;
Aaron Johnson Boplicity; 12 Midnight Jam
Smalls 7:30, 9, 10:30 pm 12 am $35
êGeorge Cables with Craig Handy, Essiet Essiet, Jerome Jennings
Smoke 7, 9, 10:30 pm $35-55
êJoe Martin with Mark Turner, Kevin Hays, Marcus Gilmore
Village Vanguard 8, 10 pm $40• Emilie-Claire Barlow• Michelle Walker• Terrace Martin• JK Kim; Emmanuel Michael• Eric Wheeler Trio

Monday, April 3êRoberta Piket Quartet with Virginia Mayhew, David Kingsnorth, Billy Mintz

Bar Lunàtico 9, 10:30 pm $10

Birdland Theater 8:30 pm $20-30• Nick Finzer• Antonio Sanchez & Bad Hombre
Blue Note 8, 10:30 pm $30-45

Cellar Dog 7 pm $5• Neal Caine Trio
• Yale Jazz Ensemble with Wayne Escoffery

Dizzy’s Club 7:30, 9:30 pm $20-45• Rico Jones Quartet; Liam Sutcliffe Quartet

The Django 7:30, 10:30 pm $25-35* = Recommended Shows• Leonid Galaganov, Kenny Warren, Aquilles Navarro, David Crowell

Downtown Music Gallery 6:30 pm
Fiction Bar/Café 9 pm
• Nishchal Manjunath Quartet• Spike Wilner Trio; Pasquale Grasso, Ari Roland, Clifford Barbaro
Mezzrow 7:30, 9, 10:30 pm, 12 am $25-35
êThe Jamie Baum Septet+ with Jonathan Finlayson, Sam Sadigursky, Chris Komer,
Brad Shepik, Luis Perdomo, Ricky Rodriguez, Jeff Hirshfield; Ray Angry:“Producer Mondays”
Nublu 151 8, 10 pm $22
The Roxy Lounge at Roxy Hotel 6 pm
• Jon Regen• Ari Hoenig Trio with Gadi Lehavi, Ben Tiberio; Miki Yamanaka Trio; 12 Midnight Jam
Smalls 7:30, 9, 10:30 pm 12 am $35
Village Vanguard 8, 10 pm $40• Vanguard Jazz Orchestra
Zinc Bar 7, 8:30 pm $25-30• Tsutomu Nakai

Tuesday, April 4• Edu Ribeiro Trio
• Birdland Big Band
• Tatiana Eva Marie• Yussef Dayes Experience• The Octet• Our Delight

Bar Lunàtico 9, 10:30 pm $10
Birdland 7, 9:30 pm $20-30
Birdland Theater 5:30 pm $20-30
Blue Note 8, 10:30 pm $25-35
Café Bohemia 7:30, 9, 10:30 pm $25
Cellar Dog 7 pm $5êChristian McBride’s New Jawn with Josh Evans, Marcus Strickland,
Nasheet Waits
Dizzy’s Club 7:30, 9:30 pm $25-50
êConrad Herwig and the Latin Side All-Stars
The Django 7:30, 9:30 pm $25
êThomas Heberer, Joe Fonda, Joe Hertenstein; Giacamo Merega, Andrew Smiley,
Raf Vertessen
Downtown Music Gallery 6:30 pm
Fiction Bar/Café 9 pm
• Jimmy Kraft Quartet• Happy Trio XXVII with Kevin Sun, Alon Near, Angus Mason
Lowlands 8, 9:30 pm $10• Steven Oquendo Latin Jazz Orchestra
Mamajuana Café 4 pm
• JD Walter, Jim Ridl, Mimi Jones; Michael Kanan Trio
Mezzrow 7:30, 9, 10:30, 12 pm $25-35
The Roxy Lounge at Roxy Hotel 6 pm
• Michael Garin• Ben Solomon Quartet with Davis Whitfield, Jason Maximo Clotter, Jimmy Macbride;
Russell Hall Quintet with Mike Troy, Leo Larrett, Esteban Castro, Matt Lee;
12 Midnight Jam
Smalls 7:30, 9, 10:30 pm, 12 am $35
êMelissa Aldana with Lage Lund, Fabian Almazan, Pablo Menares, Kush Abadey
Village Vanguard 8, 10 pm $40• Hendrik Meurkens Samba Jazz Quartet: “Sō Brasil - A Tribute toRoberto Menescal”
Zinc Bar 7, 8:30 pm $30-35

Wednesday, April 5• Lafayette Harris Trio

333 Lounge 7:30, 9:30 pmêMichael Attias Quartet with Ralph Alessi, John Hébert, Michael Sarin

Bar Bayeux 8, 9:30 pm

Bar Lunàtico 9, 10:30 pm $10• Or Bareket Quartet• Jim Whitney with Bennett Paster, Pete Smith, Adrian Harpham
Barbès 8 pm $20

Birdland 7, 9:30 pm $20-30• Birdland Big Band
• David Ostwald’s Louis Armstrong Eternity Band; Frank Vignola’s Guitar Night withPaul Bollenback

Birdland Theater 5:30, 8:30 pm $20-30
Blue Note 8, 10:30 pm $25-35
êEd Cherry Trio
Cellar Dog 7 pm $5êChristian McBride’s New Jawn with Josh Evans, Marcus Strickland,
Nasheet Waits
Dizzy’s Club 7:30, 9:30 pm $25-50• Jason Tiemann Quartet; Joe Strasser Quartet
The Django 7:30, 10:30 pm $25-35
Fiction Bar/Café 9 pm
• Diallo House Quartet• Miki Yamanaka with Vickie Yang, Nicole Glover, Caroline Davis, Mike Rodriguez,
Tyrone Allen, Jimmy Macbride The Jazz Gallery 7:30, 9:30 pm $20-30êDanny Sher, Nick Jost, Jeremy Viner; Dave Sewelson, Chris Cochrane,
Brandon Lopez, Brian Chase; Stephen Gauci, Adam Lane; Colin Hinton;
Max Johnson, Hery Paz, Lesley Mok; Kenneth Jimenez, Brad Henkel,
Josh Sinton, Raf Vertessen
Main Drag Music 7 pm $20• Sarah Jane Cion, Alec Safy, Michael Camacho; Stefan Vasnier Trio
Mezzrow 7:30, 9, 10:30 pm, 12 am $25-35
êKalia Vandever and Joy Guidry National Sawdust 8 pm $20
Pangea 7 pm $25• John Zweig and Friends
The Porch 8 pm $10-20• Cynthia Soriano
Room 623 at B2 Harlem 8, 9:30 pm $12-42• Peter Brainin Quartet
The Roxy Lounge at Roxy Hotel 6, 8 pm
• Michael Garin; Bill Dobrow• Helio Alves with Chico Pinheiro, Joe Martin; Benny Benack Quartet;
12 Midnight Jam
Smalls 7:30, 9, 10:30 pm, 12 am $35
êCynthia Scott with Houston Person, Jeb Patton, Russell Hall, Willie Jones III
Smoke 7, 9 pm $20-40êBrian Marsella with Sae Hashimoto, Cyro Baptista, Tim Keiper
The Stone at The New School 8:30 pm $20
êMelissa Aldana with Lage Lund, Fabian Almazan, Pablo Menares, Kush Abadey
Village Vanguard 8, 10 pm $40• Yussef Dayes Experience

Thursday, April 6êRich Perry, Billy Mintz, Adam Kolker, Jeremy Stratton

Bar Bayeux 8, 9:30 pm• Rickie Lee Jones with Rob Mounsey, Russell Malone, Paul Nowinski,
Mark McLean

Birdland 7, 9:30 pm $40
Birdland Theater 8:30 pm $20-30
Blue Note 8, 10:30 pm $25-35• Yussef Dayes Experience• Danny Mixon, Alex Blake, Hassan Ben Jaafar: “Randy Weston 97th
Birthday Anniversary Tribute” Brooklyn Public Library Central Branch 7 pm
Café Bohemia 7:30, 9, 10:30 pm $25• Ari Hoenig• Chuck Redd Quartet; John Lang Quartet
Cellar Dog 7, 11:30 pm $5êChristian McBride’s New Jawn with Josh Evans, Marcus Strickland,
Nasheet Waits
Dizzy’s Club 7:30, 9:30 pm $25-50• Tyler Blanton Quartet; People of EarthThe Django 7:30, 10:30 pm $25-35
Fiction Bar/Café 9 pm
• John Koozin QuartetêEndea Owens and The Cookout Greenwich House Music School 8 pm $23• Eric DiVito Trio with Peter Brendler, Jon Wikan
Jamaica Air Train Station 5 pm
The Jazz Gallery 7:30, 9:30 pm $20-30• Roy Hargrove Big Band
Jazz Museum in Harlem 2 pm
• Ronnie Burrage Trio
• Tim Berne with Herb Robertson, Tom Rainey, Greg Belisle-Chi
Lowlands 8, 9:30 pm $10• Allen Farnham, David Kingsnorth, Eliot Zigmund; Greg Murphy Trio
Mezzrow 7:30, 9, 10:30, 12 pm $25-35
êMarquis Hill

38 APRIL 2023 | THE NEW YORK CITY JAZZ RECORD

Pierre Hotel 6 pm
• Eric Yves Garcia
The Porch 8 pm $10-20• Seydyrah Avecmoi
The Roxy Lounge at Roxy Hotel 6, 8 pm
• Michael Garin; Jon Regen
San Pedro Inn 8:30 pm• Michael Sarian• Sara Serpa with Ingrid Laubrock, Angelica Sanchez, Erik Friedlander
SEEDS 8 pm

• McBone Jazz Series; Jonah Weinstock Trio; Alessandro Florio, Suzan Veneman
Silvana 7, 9 ,10 pm• Mark Sherman Quartet with Sam Dillon, Ugonna Okegwo, Charles Goold;

Nic Cacioppo Quartet; 12 Midnight Jam
Smalls 7:30, 9, 10:30 pm, 12 am $35
êEddie Henderson with Donald Harrison, Kevin Hays, Gerald Cannon, Mike Clark
Smoke 7, 9 pm $30-55
êBrian Marsella solo
The Stone at The New School 8:30 pm $20
êMelissa Aldana with Lage Lund, Fabian Almazan, Pablo Menares, Kush Abadey
Village Vanguard 8, 10 pm $40• Organon Quartet with Joe Morris, Hery Paz, Juan Pablo Carletti, Kenneth Jimenez
Zürcher Gallery 8 pm $20

Friday, April 7• Anant Pradhan with Larry McDonald

Bar Lunàtico 9, 10:30 pm $10• Hearing Things with Matt Bauder, Vinnie Sperrazza, JP Schlegelmilch
Barbès 10 pm $20• Bill Saxton and the Harlem All-Stars

Bill’s Place 7, 9 pm $30• Rickie Lee Jones with Rob Mounsey, Russell Malone, Paul Nowinski,
Mark McLean

Birdland 7, 9:30 pm $40
Birdland Theater 8:30, 10:30 pm $20-30
Blue Note 8, 10:30 pm $30-45• Ezra Collective• Manuel Valera Quartet with John Ellis; Marcus Howell Quartet
Café Bohemia 7, 8:30, 10:30 pm $25• Richard Clements Quintet; Kyoko Oyobe Quartet
Cellar Dog 7, 11:30 pm $10êChristian McBride’s New Jawn with Josh Evans, Marcus Strickland,
Nasheet Waits
Dizzy’s Club 7:30, 9:30 pm $25-65• Mike DiRubbo Quartet; Eric Alexander Quartet
The Django 7:30, 10:30 pm $25-35
êMatthew ShippElebash Recital Hall at CUNY Graduate Center 7:30 pm
Fiction Bar/Café 9 pm
• Nikos Chatzitsakos Quartet
ê”Harlem Jazz Series” presents Yayoi Ikawa
Greater Calvary Baptist Church 7 pm $20• Mike Lee’s Ambassador Ensemble; Trinity Big Band with James Burton;
Steve Wilson’s Ambassador Ensemble; Jazz House Big Band:“Jazz House Kids Presents”
The Jazz Gallery 7, 8:30 pm $20-30
Knickerbocker Bar & Grill 9 pm
• Caelen Cardello• Larry Goldings Trio; Nitai Hershkovits
Mezzrow 7:30, 9, 10:30 pm, 12 am $40
Pierre Hotel 6 pm
• Antonio Ciacca
The Porch 8 pm $10-20• Amira BêBrandee Younger with Makaya McCraven, Rashaan Carter
Public Records 7 pm $30.90• Georgia Heers; Andrew Wagner Room 623 at B2 Harlem 7, 8:30, 10,
11:30 pm $20-50
The Roxy Lounge at Roxy Hotel 6 pm
• Michael Garin• Jean-Michel Pilc Trio with Francois Moutin, Ari Hoenig; Corey Wallace Dubtet;
12 Midnight Jam
Smalls 7:30, 9, 10:30pm, 12 am $40
êEddie Henderson with Donald Harrison, Kevin Hays, Gerald Cannon, Mike Clark
Smoke 7, 9, 10:30 pm $35-55
êKen Filiano/Santiago Leibson Duo and Horse’s Mouth with Terry Jenoure,Angelica Sanchez
Soup & Sound 8 pm
• Gene Pritsker, Jai Jeffryes, Max Dornauer aka Waxamilion
Steel Wig Music 7 pm $20-30êBrian Marsella with Trevor Dunn, Kenny Wollesen
The Stone at The New School 8:30 pm $20
êMelissa Aldana with Lage Lund, Fabian Almazan, Pablo Menares, Kush Abadey
Village Vanguard 8, 10 pm $40• Miss Maybell & The Jazz Age Artistes
Zinc Bar 7, 8:30 pm $30
êMarquis Hill

Saturday, April 8• Helio Alves and Guilherme Monteiro

Bar Lunàtico 9, 10:30 pm $10• Bill Saxton and the Harlem All-Stars

Bill’s Place 7, 9 pm $30• Eric Comstock with Sean Smith, Barbara Fasano

Birdland 5:30 pm $20-30• Rickie Lee Jones with Rob Mounsey, Russell Malone, Paul Nowinski,
Mark McLean

Birdland 7, 9:30 pm $40
Birdland Theater 7, 9:30 pm $20-30
Blue Note 8, 10:30 pm $30-45• Ezra Collective• Joe Lepore Trio; Simon Moullier Café Bohemia 7, 8:30, 10:30 pm $25• Darrell Green Quartet; Carol Morgan Quartet
Cellar Dog 7, 11:30 pm $10êChristian McBride’s New Jawn with Josh Evans, Marcus Strickland,
Nasheet Waits
Dizzy’s Club 7:30, 9:30 pm $25-65• Max Johnson Trio; Benny Benack III Quartet
The Django 7:30, 10:30 pm $25-35• Cisco De La Garza, Thomas Swindell; Stephen Gauci, Adam Lane, Kevin Shea;David Leon, Henry Fraser, Raf Vertessen
Downtown Music Gallery 6 pm
Fiction Bar/Café 9 pm
• Henry Plotnick Quartet
Knickerbocker Bar & Grill 9 pm
• Caelen Cardello• Larry Goldings Trio; Jeremy Manasia Trio
Mezzrow 7:30, 9, 10:30, 12 pm $40
Pierre Hotel 6 pm
• Antonio Ciacca
The Porch 8 pm $10-20• Casa Mantequilla
The Roxy Lounge at Roxy Hotel 6 pm
• Michael GarinêEric Person Quintet
Sistas’ Place 9, 10:30 pm $25• Jean-Michel Pilc Trio with Francois Moutin, Ari Hoenig; Ken Fowser Quintet;
12 Midnight Jam
Smalls 7:30, 9, 10:30 pm, 12 am $25
êEddie Henderson with Donald Harrison, Kevin Hays, Gerald Cannon, Mike Clark
Smoke 7, 9, 10:30 pm $35-55
êBrian Marsella Quartet with Ben Goldberg, Michael Formanek, Ches Smith
The Stone at The New School 8:30 pm $20
êMelissa Aldana with Lage Lund, Fabian Almazan, Pablo Menares, Kush Abadey
Village Vanguard 8, 10 pm $40
êMarquis Hill

Sunday, April 9êSylvie Courvoisier

411 Kent 5 pm $15
Bar Lunàtico 9, 10:30 pm $10• Pasquale Grasso Quartet
Barbès 8 pm $20• Stéphane Wrembel
Birdland 5:30 pm $20-30• Yoko Miwa Trio
• Arturo O’Farrill Afro Latin Jazz Orchestra
Birdland 8:30, 10:30 pm $30-40êMarquis Hill
Birdland Theater 7, 9:30 pm $20-30
Blue Note 1:30 pm $30• Harlem Gospel Choir
Blue Note 8, 10:30 pm $30-45• Ezra Collective• Kanoa Mendenhall; Emmanuel Michael
Café Bohemia 7:30, 9, 10:30 pm $25
Cellar Dog 7 pm $5• Asaf Yuria TrioêChristian McBride’s New Jawn with Josh Evans, Marcus Strickland,
Nasheet Waits
Dizzy’s Club 5, 7:30 pm $25-50• Gabrielle Stravelli Quartet; Liya Grigoryan Trio
The Django 6:30, 9:30 pm $25-35• Teri Roiger with Steve Berger, John Menegon
Entwine Wine Bar 6, 7:30 pm
Fiction Bar/Café 9 pm
• Ryan Weisheit Quartet• Marc Devine and Friends “Jazz Jam”
Hamilton Hall Craft Bar & Kitchen 7 pm
• Alysha Umphress, Jeff Blumenkrantz
Joe’s Pub 6 pm $20• Dan Blake, Dmitry Ishenko, Joey Hartenstein
The Keep 9 pm
• Paul Jost, Jim Ridl, Dean Johnson; Lucy Wijnands Polite Jam
Mezzrow 7:30, 9, 10:30 pm, 12 am $25-35• Oran Etkin “Timbalooloo - Jazz for Kids”
National Sawdust 11 am $20• Tessa Souter with Paul Bollenback, Yasuhi Nakamura
North Square Lounge 12:30, 2 pm
• Teri Roiger with Jean-Michel Pilc, John Menegon
Ornithology Jazz Club 2 pm
The Porch 8 pm $10-20• Chase Elodia• Marcus Goldhaber; Mimi Jones & Friends
Room 623 at B2 Harlem 6, 8, 9:30 pm $12-42
The Roxy Lounge at Roxy Hotel 6 pm
• Jon Regen
Saint Peter’s Church 5 pm
• Caili O’Doherty Trio
• Audrey Silver; Dr. Paul Austerlick and the Vodou Horn
Silvana 7, 9 pm
• Sasha Dobson Quartet with Peter Bernstein, Tony Scherr, Smith Dobson;
Panas Athanatos Quartet; 12 Midnight Jam
Smalls 7:30, 9, 10:30 pm 12 am $35
êEddie Henderson with Donald Harrison, Kevin Hays, Gerald Cannon, Mike Clark
Smoke 7, 9 pm $35-55
êMelissa Aldana with Lage Lund, Fabian Almazan, Pablo Menares, Kush Abadey
Village Vanguard 8, 10 pm $40

Monday, April 10
êEd Cherry Trio
Bar Lunàtico 9, 10:30 pm $10êRenku with Michaël Attias, John Hébert, Satoshi Takeishi

Barbès 7 pm $20

Blue Note 8, 10:30 pm $25• James Francies
Cellar Dog 7 pm $5• Chris Beck Trio
• Todd Marcus with Xavier Davis, Eric Kennedy, Jeff Reed, Troy Roberts,

Brent Birckhead, Russell Kirk, Alex Norris, Alan Ferber, Irene Jalenti
Dizzy’s Club 7:30, 9:30 pm $20-35• Jamile; Luther S. Allison & Poesis
The Django 7:30, 10:30 pm $25-35
Fiction Bar/Café 9 pm
• Daniel Rossi Quartet• Glenn Zaleski, Dezron Douglas, Willie Jones III; Pasquale Grasso, Ari Roland,
Keith Balla
Mezzrow 7:30, 9, 10:30, 12 pm $25-35• Ray Angry: “Producer Mondays”
Nublu 151 10 pm, 12 am $22.66
The Roxy Lounge at Roxy Hotel 6 pm
• Jon Regen• Jonathan Barber Quartet; Miki Yamanaka Trio; 12 Midnight Jam
Smalls 7:30, 9, 10:30 pm 12 am $35
Village Vanguard 8, 10 pm $40• Vanguard Jazz Orchestra
Zinc Bar 7, 8:30 pm $25-30• Freddie Bryant

Tuesday, April 11• Uzupis with Kenny Wollesen Bar Lunàtico 9, 10:30 pm $10
Birdland 7, 9:30 pm $30-40• Joey Alexander Trio
• Vince Giordano and the Nighthawks

Birdland Theater 8:30 pm $30-40• Karl Denson Project with Keyon Harrold, James Francies, Burniss Earl Travis,
Blaque Dynamite

Blue Note 8, 10:30 pm $25-35• Jeff “Tain” Watts: “Tainish Tuesday Workshop”

Café Bohemia 7:30, 9 pm $25
êBrandi Disterheft Trio
Cellar Dog 7 pm $5
Frost
SchoolofMusic
SeptetDizzy’s Club 7:30, 9:30 pm $25-45•
êConrad Herwig and the Latin Side All-Stars
The Django 7:30, 9:30 pm $25• Danny Kamins, Max Kutner, James Paul Nadien;
Cheryl Pyle’s Beyond Music Group; Brad Henkel, Joanna Mattrey, Lesley Mok
Downtown Music Gallery 6:30 pm
ê”Alternative Guitar Summit”: Max Light Trio; Wendy Eisenberg; Joel Harrison andMarvin Sewell; Max Kutner’s Partial Custody with Ben Stapp, James Paul Nadi
Drom 7:30 pm $15-20
Fiction Bar/Café 9 pm
• William Zimmer Quartet• Juilliard Jazz Ensembles: “Women of Color in Jazz”
Juilliard School Paul Hall 7:30 pm $20• Happy Trio XXIX with Kevin Sun, Jared Beckstead-Craan, Curtis Nowosad
Lowlands 8, 9:30 pm $10• Steven Oquendo Latin Jazz Orchestra
Mamajuana Café 4 pm
• Jim Ridl, Lorin Cohen, Donald Edwards; Chris Byars Trio
Mezzrow 7:30, 9, 10:30, 12 pm $25-35
The Roxy Lounge at Roxy Hotel 6 pm
• Michael Garin• Steve Slagle Quintet with Joe Magnarelli, Gary Versace, Ugonna Okegwo,
Jason Tiemann; Jason Maximo Clotter Quartet; 12 Midnight Jam
Smalls 7:30, 9, 10:30 pm, 12 am $35• Javon Jackson with Jeremy Manasia, David Williams, McClenty Hunter
Village Vanguard 8, 10 pm $40• Sam Yahel with Yasushi Nakamura, Roberto Gatto
Zinc Bar 7, 8:30 pm $30-35• Gashford Guillaume & Creole Fusion Ensemble

Wednesday, April 12

Chelsea Table + Stage 9:30 pm $20-50• Silvano Monasterios Trio

333 Lounge 7:30, 9:30 pmêSheila Jordan with Jacob Sacks, Dave Ambrosio, Vinnie Sperrazza
Bar Bayeux 8, 9:30 pmêSimon Mouiller Quartet with Morgan Guerin, Rick Rosato, JK Kim
Bar Lunàtico 9, 10:30 pm $10• David Ostwald’s Louis Armstrong Eternity Band; Frank Vignola’s Guitar Night withPeter Bernstein
Birdland Theater 5:30, 8:30 pm $20-30• Karl Denson Project with Keyon Harrold, James Francies, Burniss Earl Travis,
Blaque Dynamite
Blue Note 8, 10:30 pm $25-35
Cellar Dog 7 pm $5• Ehud Asherie Quartet• Retrospective Quintet with Nicola Caminiti, Juan Diego Villalobos,
Gabriel Chakarji, Hamish Smith, Marcello Cardillo
Chelsea Table + Stage 9:30 pm $20-50êHelen Sung “Big, Band & Beyond” with Marcus Printup, Mike Rodriguez,
Tatum Greenblatt, Milena Casado, James Burton III, Gina Benalcazar,
Willie Applewhite, Deborah Weisz, Steve Wilson, John Ellis, Roxy Coss,Andrew Gutauskas, Alejandro Aviles, Vicente Archer, Adam Cruz
Dizzy’s Club 7:30, 9:30 pm $25-40• Sam Dillon Quartet; Ben Wolfe Trio
The Django 7:30, 10:30 pm $25-35• Michael Sarian, Lucio Balduini Fiction Bar/Café 9 pmêJazzmobile Presents: Charenee Wade
Interchurch Center 7 pmêTomas Fujiwara’s 7 Poets Trio with Angelica Sanchez, Adam O’Farrill,
John Hebert, Reggie Nicholson The Jazz Gallery 7:30, 9:30 pm $30-40êDanny Kammins, Marc Edwards, Brenna Rey; Hans Tammen, Steve Swell, Luke
Stewart; Stephen Gauci, Adam Lane, Kevin Shea; Igor Lumpert, Rubin Kodheli,
Billy Mintz; Main Drag Philharmonix Conduction Orchestra with Matt Moran, Peter
Hess, Nora Stanley, David Leon, Steve Swell, Travis Sullivan, Marc Edwards, Aaron
Bennett; Aaron Quinn
Main Drag Music 7 pm $20
êMichael Cochrane, Calvin Hill, Steve Johns; Dave Baron
Mezzrow 7:30, 9, 10:30 pm, 12 am $25-35• House Of Sextet with Diallo House, Martin Kelley, Christian Crawford,
Marius Van Den Brink, Michael Louis-Smith, Olatunji Ojore, Christian Coleman
Nublu 151 10, 12 pm $22.66• Judy Marie Canterino with Conal Fowkes, Steve Lammatina
Pangea 7 pm $25
The Porch 8 pm $10-20• Raphael Silverman
Room 623 at B2 Harlem 8, 9:30 pm $12-42• Peter Brainin Quartet
The Roxy Lounge at Roxy Hotel 6, 8 pm
• Michael Garin; Bill Dobrow• Timothy Norton Quintet with Greg Glassman, Seth Trachy, Lex Korten,
Roberto Giaquinto; Robert Edwards Quartet; 12 Midnight Jam
Smalls 7:30, 9, 10:30pm, 12 am $35
êKevin Hays, Ben Street, Billy Hart Smoke 7, 9 pm $20-40êMicah Thomas Trio with Kalia Vandever, Lesley Mok
The Stone at The New School 8:30 pm $20• Javon Jackson with Jeremy Manasia, David Williams, McClenty Hunter
Village Vanguard 8, 10 pm $40

Thursday, April 13• Sasha Dobson, Smith Dobson, Adam Kolker, Jeremy Stratton
Bar Bayeux 8, 9:30 pm

Bar Lunàtico 9, 10:30 pm $10• Ourida• Snarky Puppy with MAGO; Medeski & Martin Duo
Beacon Theatre 8 pm $50-80

Birdland 7, 9:30 pm $30-40• Joey Alexander Trio
• Myriam Phiro “Becoming Marlene Dietrich” with Hyuna Park, Elias Bailey

Birdland Theater 8:30 pm $20-30
Blue Note 8, 10:30 pm $30-45
Café Bohemia 7:30, 9, 10:30 pm $25• Vinicius Gomes Quartet• Dion Tucker Quintet; Miki Yamanaka Quartet
Cellar Dog 7, 11:30 pm $5
Chelsea Table + Stage 7 pm $20-50• Simone Baron + Arco BeloêJD Allen with Charlie Hunter, Gregg August, Rudy Royston
Dizzy’s Club 7:30, 9:30 pm $25-40• Joe Farnsworth Trio; Mark Whitfield
The Django 7:30, 10:30 pm $25-35
Fiction Bar/Café 9 pm
• Andrew Haug
• Keyanna Hutchinson “Plugged and Unplugged”
Greenwich House Music School 8 pm $17.85
êTomas Fujiwara’s 7 Poets Trio with Angelica Sanchez, Adam O’Farrill, John Hebert,
Reggie Nicholson
The Jazz Gallery 7:30, 9:30 pm $30-40
Jazz Museum in Harlem 2 pm
• Kathryn Farmer• Jim Ridl, Tim Armacost, Jay Anderson; Andrea Domenici Trio
Mezzrow 7:30, 9, 10:30 pm, 12 am $25-35
Pierre Hotel 6 pm
• Eric Yves GarciaêGreg “Organ Monk” Lewis
The Porch 8 pm $10-20
The Roxy Lounge at Roxy Hotel 6, 8 pm
• Michael Garin; Jon Regen
Silvana 7 pm
• Nick Grinder• Rob Gatto Quartet with Peter Bernstein, Sam Yahel, Dezron Douglas; David Gibson
Quartet; 12 Midnight Jam
Smalls 7:30, 9, 10:30pm, 12 am $35
êBuster Williams with Bruce Williams, Stefon Harris, George Colligan, Lenny White
Smoke 7, 9 pm $35-55
êMicah Thomas Trio with Thomas Morgan, Bill Stewart
The Stone at The New School 8:30 pm $20• Javon Jackson with Jeremy Manasia, David Williams, McClenty Hunter
Village Vanguard 8, 10 pm $40
êKenny Garrett

Friday, April 14
Bar Lunàtico 9, 10:30 pm $10• Sugartone Brass Band
• Alex Asher Quartet with Joel Matteo, Julia Chen, Kyle Miles
Barbès 8 pm $15• Bill Saxton and the Harlem All-Stars

Bill’s Place 7, 9 pm $30

Birdland 5:30 pm $20-30• Birdland Big Band
Birdland 7, 9:30 pm $30-40• Joey Alexander Trio
• Dangerous Rhythms Allstars with TJ English, Bobby Sanabria, Santi Debriano,
Edsel Gomez, Kali Rodriguez-Peñam, TK Blue, Roman Diaz
Birdland Theater 7, 9:30 pm $20-30êKenny Garrett
Blue Note 8, 10:30 pm $30-45êPeter Brendler Quartet; Ed Cherry
Café Bohemia 7, 8:30, 10:30 pm $25• Jade Synstelien Quartet; Jamale Davis Quartet
Cellar Dog 7, 11:30 pm $10

êJD Allen with Charlie Hunter, Gregg August, Rudy Royston

Dizzy’s Club 7:30, 9:30 pm $25-40

Fiction Bar/Café 9 pm
• Max Boiko Quartet• Mike LeDonne Trio; Ben Stivers Quartet

The Django 7:30, 10:30 pm $25-35

ê”Harlem Jazz Series”: David Murray

Greater Calvary Baptist Church 7 pm $20

êMatt Mitchell with Kate Gentile; Ches Smith

The Jazz Gallery 7:30, 9:30 pm $30-40

Knickerbocker Bar & Grill 9 pm
• Alex Minasian• Michael Weiss, Paul Sikivie, Hank Allen-Barfield; Jon Davis Trio

Mezzrow 7:30, 9, 10:30 pm, 12 a, $40• Wil Blades, Scott Amendola, Skerik, Cyro Baptista Nublu 151 7 pm $28.33
Pierre Hotel 6 pm
• Antonio Ciacca
The Porch 8 pm $10-20• Moon Soul
Room 623 at B2 Harlem 7, 8:30, 10, 11:30 pm $20-50• Angie Pastor; Josh Evans• Rosa Passos with Kenny Barron, Ron Carter, Rafael Barata, Jazz at Lincoln Center
Orchestra with Paquito D’Rivera: “Tres Aguas and Colors of Colombia”
Rose Theater 8 pm $55-170• Bassekou Kouyate and Ngoni Ba: “Blues From Mali”
Roulette 8 pm $25-30
The Roxy Lounge at Roxy Hotel 6 pm
• Michael Garin• Duane Eubanks Quartet; Philip Harper Quintet with Bernell Jones II,
Jonathan Thomas, Jason Maximo Clotter, Curtis Nowosad; 12 Midnight Jam
Smalls 7:30, 9, 10:30 pm, 12 am $40
êBuster Williams with Bruce Williams, Stefon Harris, George Colligan, Lenny White
Smoke 7, 9, 10:30 pm $35-55
êMicah Thomas Quartet with Spencer Whitfield, Kalia Vandever, Taja Cheek
The Stone at The New School 8:30 pm $20• Javon Jackson with Jeremy Manasia, David Williams, McClenty Hunter
Village Vanguard 8, 10 pm $40

Saturday, April 15
Bar Lunàtico 9, 10:30 pm $10• Armo• Max Johnson Quartet with Alfredo Colon, Kazemde George, Connor Parks
Barbès 6 pm $15• Bill Saxton and the Harlem All-Stars

Bill’s Place 7, 9 pm $30

Birdland 7, 9:30 pm $30-40• Joey Alexander Trio
• Dangerous Rhythms Allstars with TJ English, Bobby Sanabria, Santi Debriano,

Edsel Gomez, Kali Rodriguez-Peñam, TK Blue, Roman Diaz
Birdland Theater 7, 9:30 pm $20-30êKenny Garrett
Blue Note 8, 10:30 pm $30-45• New Jazz Underground; Tyler Henderson
Café Bohemia 7, 8:30, 10:30 pm $25• Zaid Nasser Quartet; Sarah Hanahan Quartet
Cellar Dog 7, 11:30 pm $10êToshiko Akiyoshi; Romero Lubambo: “Honors Jobim”
Dizzy’s Club 7:30, 9:30 pm $25-55• Joe Magnarelli Quartet; Ty Bailie B3 Trio
The Django 7:30, 10:30 pm $25-35
Fiction Bar/Café 9 pm
• Aviv Blum Quartet• Arta Jēkabsone, Erik LeuthäuserThe Jazz Gallery 7:30, 9:30 pm $20-30
Knickerbocker Bar & Grill 9 pm
• Alex Minasian• Michael Weiss, Paul Sikivie, Hank Allen-Barfield; Johnny O’Neal Trio
Mezzrow 7:30, 9, 10:30 pm, 12 am $40• dragonchild with D. A. Mekonnen
National Sawdust 8 pm $20
Pierre Hotel 6 pm
• Antonio Ciacca
Public Records 7 pm $30.90• Jeff Parker, Caroline Davis• Rosa Passos with Kenny Barron, Ron Carter, Rafael Barata, Jazz at Lincoln Center
Orchestra with Paquito D’Rivera: “Tres Aguas and Colors of Colombia”
Rose Theater 8 pm $55-170
The Roxy Lounge at Roxy Hotel 6 pm
• Michael GarinêDanny Mixon Quintet
Sistas’ Place 9, 10:30 pm $25• Duane Eubanks Quartet; Jon Beshay Quartet; 12 Midnight Jam
Smalls 7:30, 9, 10:30 pm, 12 am $40
êBuster Williams with Bruce Williams, Stefon Harris, George Colligan, Lenny White
Smoke 7, 9, 10:30 pm $35-55
êMicah Thomas Trio with Zoh Amba, Kweku Sumbry
The Stone at The New School 8:30 pm $20• Javon Jackson with Jeremy Manasia, David Williams, McClenty Hunter
Village Vanguard 8, 10 pm $40

Sunday, April 16êSteve Cardenas/Peter Bernstein Quartet with Ben Allison, Matt Wilson

Bar Lunàtico 9, 10:30 pm $10

Barbès 8 pm $20• Stéphane Wrembel• Arturo O’Farrill Afro Latin Jazz Orchestra

Birdland 8:30, 10:30 pm $30-40• Dangerous Rhythms Allstars with TJ English, Bobby Sanabria, Santi Debriano,
Edsel Gomez, Kali Rodriguez-Peñam, TK Blue, Roman Diaz
Birdland Theater 7, 9:30 pm $20-30êKenny Garrett
Blue Note 8, 10:30 pm $30-45• Simon Moullier Quartet; Emmanuel Michael
Café Bohemia 7:30, 9, 10:30 pm $25
Cellar Dog 7 pm $5• Ned Goold TrioêA Tribute to Hugh Masekela; Carlos Henriquez: “Celebrates Mario Bauzá”
Dizzy’s Club 5, 7:30 pm $25-45• Craig Handy Quartet; Neal Miner Trio
The Django 6:30, 9:30 pm $25-35• Teri Roiger with Steve Berger, John Menegon
Entwine Wine Bar 6, 7:30 pm
Fiction Bar/Café 9 pm
• Hina Oikawa Quartet• Marc Devine and Friends: “Jazz Jam”
Hamilton Hall Craft Bar & Kitchen 7 pm
• Nick Lyons, Dmitry Ishenko, Rob Mitzner
The Keep 9 pm
• Jane Irving, Joshua Richman, Kevin Hailey, Kayvon Gordon;
Naama Gheber Polite Jam
Mezzrow 7:30, 9, 10:30 pm, 12 am $25-35• Ben Cassara with Marius Van den Brink, Perrin Grace
North Square Lounge 12:30, 2 pm
The Porch 8 pm $10-20• Marianne SolivanêAmanda Monaco’s Pirkei Avot Project with Tammy Scheffer, Harry Skoler,
Sean Conly, Satoshi Takeishi
Rizzoli Bookstore 5 pm

THE NEW YORK CITY JAZZ RECORD | APRIL 2023 39

• Marcus Goldhaber; Mimi Jones & Friends

Room 623 at B2 Harlem 6, 8, 9:30 pm $12-42• Temple University Ensembles, with Terell Stafford, Dick Oatts, Bruce Barth,
Tim Warfield, Mike Boone, Justin Faulkner
Rose Theater 8 pm $26.50-46.50
The Roxy Lounge at Roxy Hotel 6 pm
• Jon Regen
Ken
Filiano,Lafayette
HarrisSaint Peter’s Church 5 pm•
• Bill Warfield; Caroline Kuhn; Steven Blane; Jonah Hieb Group;
Marty Scott Quintet
Silvana 6 pm
• Dan Aran Quartet with Itai Kriss, Glenn Zaleski, Matt Clohesy; John Webber Quartet;
12 Midnight Jam
Smalls 7:30, 9, 10:30 pm, 12 am $35
êBuster Williams with Bruce Williams, Stefon Harris, George Colligan, Lenny White
Smoke 7, 9 pm $35-55• Javon Jackson with Jeremy Manasia, David Williams, McClenty Hunter
Village Vanguard 8, 10 pm $40

Monday, April 17• Misha Piatigorsky Trio with Alon Near, Rudy Royston

Bar Lunàtico 9, 10:30 pm $10• Ron Carter Trio with Donald Vega, Russell Malone

Blue Note 8, 10:30 pm $30-45

Cellar Dog 7 pm $5• Bruce Harris Trio
• Montclair State University Jazz Ensemble with Marcus Printup

Dizzy’s Club 7:30, 9:30 pm $20-45• Adam Lamoureux Quartet; James Haddad Quartet

The Django 7:30, 10:30 pm $25-35• Stefano Battaglia/Allessandro D’Anna Quartet

Fiction Bar/Café 9 pm

Cellar Dog 7 pm $5• Akiko Tsuruga Trio
• Dan Aran Band; Sachal Vasandani Presents

The Django 7:30, 10:30 pm $25-35
Fiction Bar/Café 9 pmêKenny Warren, Nathan Ellman-Bell, Chris Hoffman; Alex Beckmann,
Mara Rosenbloom, Ken Filiano; Stephen Gauci, Adam Lane, Colin Hinton;
Yoni Kretzmer, Juan Pablo Carletti; Hery Paz, Pedro Melo Alves, Joao Grilo,
Kenneth Jimenez
Main Drag Music 7 pm $20• Russ Lossing, John Hebert, Billy Mintz; David Wong Trio
Mezzrow 7:30, 9, 10:30 pm, 12 am $25-35• Erik Leuthauser Trio with Allen Farnham, Steve LaSpina
Pangea 7 pm $25
Pierre Hotel 6 pm
• Jill McCarron
The Porch 8 pm $10-20• Rodrigo Bonelli Quartet
Room 623 at B2 Harlem 8, 9:30 pm $12-42• Peter Brainin Quartet
The Roxy Lounge at Roxy Hotel 6, 8 pm
• Michael Garin; Bill Dobrow• Adam Niewood Quartet with Roger Rosenberg, Mike Boone, Anthony Pinciotti;
Benny Benack Quintet; 12 Midnight Jam
Smalls 7:30, 9, 10:30 pm, 12 am $35
êE.J. Strickland with Jaleel Shaw, Myron Walden, Victor Gould, Eric Wheeler
Smoke 7, 9 pm $20-35• Will Greene Quartet with Anna Abondolo, Jon Starks, Kenny Wollesen
The Stone at The New School 8:30 pm $20
êDayna Stephens Quartet with Charles Altura, Rick Rosato, JongKuk Kim
Village Vanguard 8, 10 pm $40• Heroes of Toolik with Jennifer Coates, Evans Wohlforth, Moppa Elliott,
Rohin Kehmani, John Speck
Zürcher Gallery 8 pm $20• Becka Dots

Thursday, April 20• Spike Wilner Trio; Pasquale Grasso, Ari Roland, Clifford Barbaro• Ray Angry: “Producer Mondays”

Mezzrow 7:30, 9, 10:30 pm, 12 am $25-35

Nublu 151 10 pm, 12 am $22.66
The Roxy Lounge at Roxy Hotel 6 pm
• Jon Regen• Joe Farnsworth Quintet; Charles Goold Quintet; 12 Midnight Jam
Smalls 7:30, 9, 10:30pm, 12 am $35
Village Vanguard 8, 10 pm $40• Vanguard Jazz Orchestra• Yotam Silberstein with Alexander Claffy, Anwar Marshall
Zinc Bar 7, 8:30 pm $25-30

Tuesday, April 18êCyrille AimeéBirdland 7, 9:30 pm $30-40

Birdland Theater 5:30 pm $20-30• Tatiana Eva Marie• Chris Dave, Pino Palladino, Isaiah Sharkey
Blue Note 8, 10:30 pm $30-45• Joe Peri “Perillä” with Dave Kikoski

Café Bohemia 7:30, 9, 10:30 pm $25
Cellar Dog 7 pm $5
Dizzy’s Club 7:30, 9:30 pm $20-40êConrad Herwig and the Latin Side All-Stars
The Django 7:30, 9:30 pm $25• Masayo Koketsu; James McKain; Aidan O’Connell; Waterghost
Downtown Music Gallery 6:30 pm
Fiction Bar/Café 9 pm
• Jimmy Kraft Quartet• Lesley Mok with David Leon, Yuma Uesaka, Adam O’Farrill, Kalun Leung,
Joanna Mattrey, Aliya Ultan, Florian Herzog, Weston Olencki
The Jazz Gallery 7:30, 9:30 pm $20-30• Steven Oquendo Latin Jazz Orchestra
Mamajuana Café 4 pm
• Conal Fowkes, Brian Nalepka, Kevin Dorn; John Merrill Trio
Mezzrow 7:30, 9, 10:30 pm, 12 am $25-35
The Roxy Lounge at Roxy Hotel 6 pm
• Michael GarinêSteve Nelson Quartet; Russell Hall Quintet with Mike Troy, Leo Larrett,
Esteban Castro, Matt Lee; 12 Midnight Jam
Smalls 7:30, 9, 10:30 pm, 12 am $35
êDayna Stephens Quartet with Charles Altura, Rick Rosato, JongKuk Kim
Village Vanguard 8, 10 pm $40• Vanderlei Pereira Trio
• Eli Degibri Quartet

Wednesday, April 19
êEd Cherry Trio

333 Lounge 7:30, 9:30 pm• Ethan Silverman Quartet with Peter Bernstein, Simon Willson, Mike Camacho
Bar Bayeux 8, 9:30 pm• KASA Quartet with Eddie Barbash
Bar Lunàtico 9, 10:30 pm $10êCyrille AimeéBirdland 7, 9:30 pm $30-40• David Ostwald’s Louis Armstrong Eternity Band; Frank Vignola’s Guitar Night withMark Whitfield
Birdland Theater 5:30, 8:30 pm $20-30• Chris Dave, Pino Palladino, Isaiah Sharkey
Blue Note 8, 10:30 pm $30-45• Intergenerational Jazz Power Jam: “Voices & Rhythm”

Alianza Dominicana Cultural Center 7 pm

• Jerome Sabbagh, Adam Kolker, Jeremy Stratton, George Schuller

Bar Bayeux 8, 11 pm
Bar Lunàtico 9, 10:30 pm $10êCyrille AimeéBirdland 7, 9:30 pm $30-40• CompCord Jazz Ensemble with Dick Griffin, David Amram
Birdland Theater 8:30 pm $30-40• Chris Dave, Pino Palladino, Isaiah Sharkey
Blue Note 8, 10:30 pm $30-45
Café Bohemia 7:30, 9, 10:30 pm $25• Nick Green• Greg Glassman Quartet; Simona Premazzi Quartet
Cellar Dog 7, 11:30 pm $5
Chelsea Table + Stage 7 pm $20-50• TawandaêRené Marie
Dizzy’s Club 7:30, 9:30 pm $25-45• Jonny King Quartet; Tyler Mitchell & Dancing Shadows
The Django 7:30, 10:30 pm $25-35
Fiction Bar/Café 9 pm
• Raphael Silverman Quartet• Mafer Bandola “Pipiris Nights - Mi vida y tiempos”
Greenwich House Music School 8 pm $17.85• Hannah Marks with Nathan Reising, Lex Korten, Steven Crammer
The Jazz Gallery 7:30, 9:30 pm $20-30
Jazz Museum in Harlem 2 pm
• Gerry EastmanêTim Berne with Mark Helias, Timothy Angulo
Lowlands 8, 9:30 pm $10• John Colianni, Boots Maleson, Wayne Henderson; Ben Meigners Trio
Mezzrow 7:30, 9, 10:30 pm, 12 am $25-35
Pierre Hotel 6 pm
• Eric Yves Garcia
The Porch 8 pm $10-20• Louis Atlas
The Roxy Lounge at Roxy Hotel 6, 8 pm
• Michael Garin; Jon RegenêWendy Eisenberg Eye Music
Roulette 8 pm $30• “McBone Jazz Series - Slide Appeal”
Silvana 7 pm
• Reggie Watkins Quintet with Matt Parker, Luke Carlos O’Reilly, Nimrod Speaks,
Marko Marcinko; Sarah Hanahan Quartet with Luther S. Allison, Mike Migliore,
Michael Ode; 12 Midnight Jam Smalls 7:30, 9, 10:30 pm, 12 am $35
êWayne Escoffery with Nicholas Payton, David Kikoski, Ugonna Okegwo,
Mark Whitfield Jr.
Smoke 7, 9 pm $35-55• Will Greene trio with Elias Stemeseder, Raf Vertessen
The Stone at The New School 8:30 pm $20
êDayna Stephens Quartet with Charles Altura, Rick Rosato, JongKuk Kim
Village Vanguard 8, 10 pm $40• Jim Campilongo 4-Tet

Friday, April 21• Dee Dee Bridgewater, Kurt Elling, Lakecia Benjamin, Christian Sands,

Yasushi Nakamura, Clarence Penn: “Monterey Jazz Festival on Tour”
The Appel Room 7, 9:30 pm $125-145
Bar Lunàtico 9, 10:30 pm $10• Erik Deutsch Band• Bill Saxton and the Harlem All-Stars
Bill’s Place 7, 9 pm $30
Birdland 5:30 pm $20-30• Birdland Big Band
Birdland 8:30, 10:30 pm $40• Cyrille AimeéBirdland Theater 7, 9:30 pm $20-30• Tony DeSare• Chris Dave, Pino Palladino, Isaiah Sharkey
Blue Note 8, 10:30 pm $30-45• Luther Allison Quartet; Ken Fowser
Café Bohemia 7, 8:30, 10:30 pm $25• James Burton Quintet; Mariel Bildsten Quartet
Cellar Dog 7, 11:30 pm $10êRené Marie
Dizzy’s Club 7:30, 9:30 pm $25-45• Tommy Campbell Trio; Dwayne “Cook” Broadnax Quartet
The Django 7:30, 10:30 pm $25-35
Fiction Bar/Café 9 pm
• Jake Richter Quartet
ê”Harlem Jazz Series”: Bob Stewart
Greater Calvary Baptist Church 7 pm $20
Greenwich House Music School 7:30 pm $17-25• Yoko Yates QuintetêLouis Hayes Quintet
Harlem Stage 7:30 pm $25-$35• Kevin Sun with Adam O’Farrill, Dana Saul, Walter Stinson, Simón Willson,
Kayvon Gordon, Matt Honor
The Jazz Gallery 7:30, 9:30 pm $20-30• Tammaso Perazzo, Ilya Osachuk
Knickerbocker Bar & Grill 9 pmêGeoffrey Keezer, John Patitucci; Alan Broadbent Trio
Mezzrow 7:30, 9, 10:30, 12 pm $40
Pierre Hotel 6 pm
• Jill McCarron
The Porch 8 pm $10-20• Tamar Korn
Room 31 at Arlo NoMad 7:30, 9 pm $23.41• Arnan Raz Band• Ryan Sands; Alex DeLazzari Room 623 at B2 Harlem 7, 8:30, 10, 11:30 pm $20-50
The Roxy Lounge at Roxy Hotel 6 pm
• Michael Garin

40 APRIL 2023 | THE NEW YORK CITY JAZZ RECORD

Silvana 7 pm
• Mark Cataldo Trio
• Sasha Berliner Quartet with Mike King, Russell Hall, Timothy Angulo;

Greg Glassman Quartet; 12 Midnight Jam
Smalls 7:30, 9, 10:30pm, 12 am $40
êWayne Escoffery with Nicholas Payton, David Kikoski, Ugonna Okegwo,
Mark Whitfield Jr.
Smoke 7, 9, 10:30 pm $35-55• Will Greene with Webb Crawford
The Stone at The New School 8:30 pm $20
êDayna Stephens Quartet with Charles Altura, Rick Rosato, JongKuk Kim
Village Vanguard 8, 10 pm $40

Saturday, April 22• Dee Dee Bridgewater, Kurt Elling, Lakecia Benjamin, Christian Sands,

Yasushi Nakamura, Clarence Penn: “Monterey Jazz Festival on Tour”
The Appel Room 7, 9:30 pm $125-145
Bar Lunàtico 9, 10:30 pm $10• Binky Griptite Orchestra• Cerberus Quintet: James Brandon Lewis with Hery Paz, Neta Raanan,
Max Johnson, Jason Nazary
Barbès 6 pm $20• Bill Saxton and the Harlem All-Stars
Bill’s Place 7, 9 pm $30
êCyrille AimeéBirdland 8:30, 10:30 pm $40
Birdland Theater 7, 9:30 pm $20-30• Tony DeSare• Chris Dave, Pino Palladino, Isaiah Sharkey
Blue Note 8, 10:30 pm $30-45• Luther Allison Quartet; Jayla Chee
Café Bohemia 7, 8:30, 10:30 pm $25• Itai Kriss and La Guarancharanga; James Austin Quartet
Cellar Dog 7, 11:30 pm $10êRené Marie
Dizzy’s Club 7:30, 9:30 pm $25-45• Rick Germanson Trio; Sarah Hanahan Quintet
The Django 7:30, 10:30 pm $25-35
Faber Park 2 pm
• Santi Debriano
Fiction Bar/Café 9 pm
• Carson Young QuartetêPeter Evans with Joel Ross, Nick Jozwiak, Michael Ode
The Jazz Gallery 7:30, 9:30 pm $30-40
Knickerbocker Bar & Grill 9 pm
• Tom Placido, Scott RitchieêGeoffrey Keezer, John Patitucci; Johnny O’Neal Trio
Mezzrow 7:30, 9, 10:30 pm, 12 am $40• Debbie Deane, Tom Guarna, Jim Whitney, Alex Alexander, Adrian Harpham
Nublu 151 7 pm $22.66
êAACM Presents: Thurman Barker Quintet; Adegoke Steve Colson andIqua Colson’s Unity Troupe with Chico Freeman, Douglas R. Ewart
Park Avenue Armory 7 pm $65
Pierre Hotel 6 pm
• Jill McCarron
The Porch 8 pm $10-20• Danaya BandThe Roxy Lounge at Roxy Hotel 6 pm
• Michael Garin
êT.K. Blue Group
Sistas’ Place 9, 10:30 pm $25• Sasha Berliner Quartet with Mike King, Russell Hall, Timothy Angulo; Stacy Dillard
Quartet; 12 Midnight Jam
Smalls 7:30, 9, 10:30 pm, 12 am $40
êWayne Escoffery with Nicholas Payton, David Kikoski, Ugonna Okegwo,
Mark Whitfield Jr.
Smoke 7, 9, 10:30 pm $35-55• Will Greene, Kevin Murray, Teté Leguía
The Stone at The New School 8:30 pm $20
êDayna Stephens Quartet with Charles Altura, Rick Rosato, JongKuk Kim
Village Vanguard 8, 10 pm $40

Sunday, April 23
411 Kent 5 pm $15• Alexis Marcelo
Barbès 8 pm $20• Stéphane Wrembel• Purchase Latin Jazz Orchestra Birdland 5:30 pm $30• Arturo O’Farrill Afro Latin Jazz Orchestra

Birdland 8:30, 11 pm $40

Birdland Theater 7, 9:30 pm $20-30• Tony DeSare• Chris Dave, Pino Palladino, Isaiah Sharkey
Blue Note 8, 10:30 pm $30-45• Justin Robinson Quartet; Wilfie Williams

Café Bohemia 7:30, 9, 10:30 pm $25
Cellar Dog 7 pm $5êRené Marie
Dizzy’s Club 5, 7:30 pm $25-45• Alexander Claffy Quartet; Bennett Paster Trio
The Django 6:30, 9:30 pm $25-35• Teri Roiger with Steve Berger, John Menegon
Entwine Wine Bar 6, 7:30 pm
Fiction Bar/Café 9 pm
• Floyd Ding Quartet• B3+ with Franz Hackl, John Clark, David Taylor
Gallery MC 6 pm $20-30• Marc Devine and Friends: “Jazz Jam”
Hamilton Hall Craft Bar & Kitchen 7 pm
• Intergenerational Jazz Power Jam: “Voices & Rhythm”
Jazz Museum in Harlem 2 pm $10• Welf Dorr, Marta Sanchez, Dmitry Ishenko, Dalius Naujo
The Keep 9 pm
• Ben Waltzer Quartet; Richard Cortez Polite Jam
Mezzrow 7:30, 9, 10:30 pm, 12 am $25-35
North Square Lounge 12:30, 2 pm
• Jane Irving Trio
ê”Alternative Guitar Summit”: Brandon Seabrook; Joel Harrison, Anthony Pirog;
The Great Mirage with Stephan Crump, Dan Reiser; David Gilmore Trio
Nublu 151 7 pm $20
The Porch 8 pm $10-20• Carole Sylvan• Wayne Tucker, Tamar Korn, Vilray, Caili O’Doherty
Room 31 at Arlo NoMad 7:30 pm $15• Marcus Goldhaber; Mimi Jones & Friends
Room 623 at B2 Harlem 6, 8, 9:30 pm $12-42
The Roxy Lounge at Roxy Hotel 6 pm
• Jon Regen• Tyler Blanton, Eduardo Belo, Vitor Goncalves
Saint Peter’s Church 5 pm
Silvana 7 pm
• The Jazz Vocal Club
• Jay Rodriguez Quartet; Aaron Johnson Boplicity; 12 Midnight Jam
Smalls 7:30, 9, 10:30 pm, 12 am $35
êWayne Escoffery with Nicholas Payton, David Kikoski, Ugonna Okegwo,
Mark Whitfield Jr.
Smoke 7, 9 pm $35-55
êDayna Stephens Quartet with Charles Altura, Rick Rosato, JongKuk Kim
Village Vanguard 8, 10 pm $40• Peter Zak Trio

Monday, April 24• Lex Korten Quartet with Harish Raghavan, Nicola Caminiti, Miguel Russell
Bar Lunàtico 9, 10:30 pm $10

Birdland Theater 8:30 pm $20-30• Naama Gheber Quartet• Ronnie Foster with James Carter, Isaiah Sharkey

Blue Note 8, 10:30 pm $25-35
Cellar Dog 7 pm $5• Willerm Delisfort Trio
• Temple University Jazz Band with Stefon Harris and Terell Stafford
Dizzy’s Club 7:30, 9:30 pm $20-45• April Varner Quartet; Hank Allen-Barfield Quintet
The Django 7:30, 10:30 pm $25-35
Fiction Bar/Café 9 pm
• Max Buettner Quartet• Dan Block, Steve Ash, Lee Hudson; Stefano Doglioni
Mezzrow 7:30, 9, 10:30 pm, 12 am $25-35• Ray Angry: “Producer Mondays”
Nublu 151 10 pm, 12 am $22.66
The Roxy Lounge at Roxy Hotel 6 pm
• Jon Regen• ELEW Quartet; Charles Goold Quintet; 12 Midnight Jam
Smalls 7:30, 9, 10:30 pm, 12 am $35
Village Vanguard 8, 10 pm $40• Vanguard Jazz Orchestra
Zinc Bar 7, 8:30 pm $25-30• Greg Skaff

Tuesday, April 25

Birdland 7, 9:30 pm $30-40• John Pizzarelli• Vince Giordano and the Nighthawks

Birdland Theater 8:30 pm $30-40
Blue Note 8, 10:30 pm $40-55
Café Bohemia 7:30, 9, 10:30 pm $25
Cellar Dog 7 pm $5• Ehud Asherie Trio
Chelsea Table + Stage 7 pm $20-50• Evan Francis Quintet
Dizzy’s Club 7:30, 9:30 pm $20-45• Purchase Jazz OrchestraêConrad Herwig and the Latin Side All-Stars
The Django 7:30, 9:30 pm $25• Odon with Daniel Carter, Takuma Kanaiawa, Primus Luta, Jonathan William Wilson;
Hans Tammen, Marco Cappelli; Sha; Kenya Wilkins
Downtown Music Gallery 6:30 pm
Fiction Bar/Café 9 pm
• Edwin Corne Quartet• Sunhyun Yoo Quartet with Lex Korten, Adam Olzsewski, JK Kim
Lowlands 8, 9:30 pm $10• Steven Oquendo Latin Jazz Orchestra
Mamajuana Café 4 pm
• Tom Beckham, Henry Hey, Matt Clohesy; Tardo Hammer Trio
Mezzrow 7:30, 9, 10:30 pm, 12 am $25-35
Roulette 8 pm $25-30• Adam O’Farrill
The Roxy Lounge at Roxy Hotel 6 pm
• Michael GarinSaint Peter’s Church 6:30 pm• Roz Corral Memorial• The Gabriel Herrera Quartet; Lang Xie
Silvana 7, 9 pm
• Julieta Eugenio Trio with Matt Dwonszyk, Jonathan Barber; Jason Maximo Clotter
Quartet; 12 Midnight Jam
Smalls 7:30, 9, 10:30 pm, 12 am $35
êSamara Joy with Luther Allison, Michael Migliore, Evan Sherman
Village Vanguard 8, 10 pm $50
êImani Winds
Zankel Hall 7:30 pm $35-$45• Erik Charlston Jazzbrasil with Ted Nash, Eduardo Belo, Mauricio Zottarelli,
Keita Ogawa, Vitor Gonçalves Zinc Bar 7, 8:30 pm $30-35êZoh Amba, Steve Gunn, gabby fluke-mogul, Ryan Sawyer
Zürcher Gallery 8 pm $20
êAvishai Cohen Banda Iroko
êBrian Charette Trio

Wednesday, April 26• Ron Affif Trio

333 Lounge 7:30, 9:30 pmêCaroline Davis Quartet with Matt Mitchell, Chris Tordini, Allan Mednard
Bar Bayeux 8, 9:30 pmêGilad Hekselman
Bar Lunàtico 9, 10:30 pm $10
Birdland 7, 9:30 pm $40• John Pizzarelli• David Ostwald’s Louis Armstrong Eternity Band; Frank Vignola’s Guitar Night with
Dave Stryker
Birdland Theater 5:30, 8:30 pm $20-30êAvishai Cohen Banda Iroko
Blue Note 8, 10:30 pm $40-55
Cellar Dog 7 pm $5• Ray Gallon Trio
• Monica Herzig Acoustic Project with Alexis Cole: “Both Sides of Joni”
Chelsea Table + Stage 7 pm $20-40• Kelly Green Quartet with Evan Hyde, Luca Soul, Elijah Thomas;
Nicole Zuraitis Quintet
Dizzy’s Club 7:30, 9:30 pm $20-45• Jon Gordon Quartet; Hendrik Meurkens Quartet
The Django 7:30, 10:30 pm $25-35
Fiction Bar/Café 9 pm
• Nicholas Creus Quartet• Underground Horns with Welf Dorr
Groove Bar & Grill 7 pm
The Jazz Gallery 7:30, 9:30 pm $30-40• Rudy RoystonêLingyuan Yang , Jonathan Reisin, Asher Herzog; Patrick Golden, Jeff Pearring,Ken Filiano, Matt Hollenberg; Stephen Gauci, Adam Lane, Kevin Shea;
Nick Gianni, Mike Irwin, On Ka Davis, Dmitry Ishenko, Reggie Sylvester;
Colin Hinton, Jessica Pavone, TJ Borden, Erin Rogers, Lingyuan Yang,
Jonathan Reisin; Asher Herzog Main Drag Music 7 pm $20• Randy Ingram, Harish Raghavan, Jochen Rueckert; Nadav Nazarathy Trio
Mezzrow 7:30, 9, 10:30 pm, 12 am $25-35• Dave Smoota Smith with Yusuke Yamamoto, Tony Jarvis, Morgan Price,
Jason DiMatteo, Dylan Fusillo Nublu 151 10 pm, 12 am $22.66• Ema Mitrovic Trio with Josh Richman, Noriko Ueda, Tim Horner
Pangea 7 pm $25
The Porch 8 pm $10-20• Francesca Posla
Room 623 at B2 Harlem 8, 9:30 pm $12-42• Peter Brainin Quartet
The Roxy Lounge at Roxy Hotel 6, 8 pm
• Michael Garin; Bill Dobrow• Nick Hempton Quartet; Curtis Nowosad Quintet; 12 Midnight Jam
Smalls 7:30, 9, 10:30 pm, 12 am $35• Lezlie Harrison with Antoine Drye, John DiMartino, Yoshi Waki, Russell Carter
Smoke 7, 9 pm $20-35êMargaret Slovak, Harvie S, Michael Sarin
Soapbox Gallery 8 pm $25• Sally Gates Quartet with Andromeda Anarchia, Brandon Lopez, Kate Gentile
The Stone at The New School 8:30 pm $20
êSamara Joy with Luther Allison, Michael Migliore, Evan Sherman
Village Vanguard 8, 10 pm $50
êJacob Sacks, Angelica Sanchez, Santiago Leibson, Marta Sanchez:“Jazz Piano Pairings 1”
Weill Recital Hall at Carnegie Hall 8 pm $35

Thursday, April 27• Jeff Williams with Adam Kolker, Jeremy Stratton• Momentum with Joy Hansen• John PizzarelliêAvishai Cohen Banda Iroko

Bar Bayeux 8, 9:30 pm
Bar Lunàtico 9, 10:30 pm $10
Birdland 7, 9:30 pm $40
Blue Note 8, 10:30 pm $40-55• Akiko Tsuruga Quartet with Rob Edwards

Café Bohemia 7:30, 9, 10:30 pm $25• Victor Gould Quartet; Avi Rothbard Trio
Cellar Dog 7, 11:30 pm $5
Dizzy’s Club 7:30, 9:30 pm $20-45• Steve Dyer
• Lauren Sevian Quartet; Lee Taylor
The Django 7:30, 10:30 pm $25-35
Fiction Bar/Café 9 pm
• Chaz Martineau Quartet
Greenwich House Music School 8 pm $23.18• Nour Harkati: “Mawwal”
êRavi Coltrane
The Jazz Gallery 7:30, 9:30 pm $30-40
Jazz Museum in Harlem 2 pm
• Rod WilliamsêWendy Eisenberg, Lester St. Louis, Ryan Sawyer
Le Poisson Rouge 7 pm $25• Steve Davis, Anthony Wonsey, Matt Dwonszyk; Jon Elbaz, James Robbins,
Kayvon Gordon, Matt Knoegel Mezzrow 7:30, 9, 10:30 pm, 12 am $25-35
êGeorge Cables with Hillai Govreen
Ornithology Jazz Club 6:30 pm
Pierre Hotel 6 pm
• Eric Yves Garcia
The Porch 8 pm $10-20• The Nightwatch
The Roxy Lounge at Roxy Hotel 6, 8 pm
• Michael Garin; Jon Regen• Kevin Sun with Christian Li, Walter Stinson, Kayvon Gordon
SEEDS 7:30 pm• Matt McBone; Joy Jones; Marty Scott Quintet
Silvana 7, 9, 10 pm• Alden Hellmuth Quintet with Lucas Kadish, Yvonne Rogers, Hannah Marks; David
Gibson Quartet; 12 Midnight Jam Smalls 7:30, 9, 10:30 pm, 12 am $35
êCyrus Chestnut Quintet with Freddie Hendrix, Stacy Dillard, Gerald Cannon,
Willie Jones III
Smoke 7, 9 pm $35-55
êSally Gates Trio with Zoh Amba, Brian Chase
The Stone at The New School 8:30 pm $20
êSamara Joy with Luther Allison, Michael Migliore, Evan Sherman
Village Vanguard 8, 10 pm $50

Friday, April 28êChristine Correa• Kevin Sun with Christian Li, Walter Stinson, Kayvon Gordon
SEEDS 7:30 pmêAhmed Abdullah’s Diaspora Meets Francisco Mora Catlett’s AfroHORN

Sistas’ Place 9, 10:30 pm $25• Abraham Burton Quartet; Gerry Gibbs Quartet; 12 Midnight Jam

Smalls 7:30, 9, 10:30 pm, 12 am $40

êCyrus Chestnut Quintet with Freddie Hendrix, Stacy Dillard, Gerald Cannon,

Willie Jones III

Smoke 7, 9, 10:30 pm $35-55• Sally Gates Quartet with Matt Hollenberg, Trevor Dunn, Ches Smith

The Stone at The New School 8:30 pm $20• Columbia University’s Louis Armstrong Jazz Performance Program Ensembles

Symphony Space Leonard Nimoy Thalia 1, 4, 7 pmêSamara Joy with Luther Allison, Felix Moseholm, Evan Sherman

Village Vanguard 8, 10 pm $50

Sunday, April 30êAnthony Coleman

411 Kent 5 pm $15• NYC All-City Latin Ensemble & The Fat Cats; Steven Bernstein Millenial Territory
Orchestra

Birdland 5:30, 7, 9:30 pm $40• Arturo O’Farrill and The Afro Latin Jazz Orchestra

Birdland 8:30, 10:30 pm $30-40• Christos Rafalides & Manhattan VibesêAvishai Cohen Banda Iroko• JK Kim; Wilfie Williams• “Brazilian Grooves”• Bokani Dyer with Melissa Aldana

Blue Note 12:30, 2:30 pm
Blue Note 8, 10:30 pm $40-55
Café Bohemia 7:30, 9, 10:30 pm $25
Cellar Dog 7 pm $5
Dizzy’s Club 5, 7:30 pm $25-55• Noah Haidu Quartet; Hector Martignon Trio

The Django 6:30, 9:30 pm $25-35• “Downtown Music Gallery 32nd Anniversary Celebration Party”

Downtown Music Gallery 6:30 pm• Teri Roiger with Steve Berger, John Menegon

Entwine Wine Bar 6, 7:30 pm

Bar Bayeux 8, 9:30 pm

Fiction Bar/Café 9 pm
• Spencer Naess Quartet• Marc Devine and Friends “Jazz Jam”

• Bill Saxton and the Harlem All-Stars

Bill’s Place 7, 9 pm $30

Hamilton Hall Craft Bar & Kitchen 7 pm

• Birdland Big Band; Steven Bernstein Millenial Territory Orchestra

Birdland 5:30, 7, 9:30 pm $20-30
Birdland 8:30, 10:30 pm $40• John PIzzarelliêAvishai Cohen Banda Iroko
Blue Note 8, 10:30 pm $40-55• Chris Byars Original Sextet; Lucas Pino Quartet
Café Bohemia 7, 8:30, 10:30 pm $25• Wayne Tucker Quintet; Jon Davis Trio
Cellar Dog 7, 11:30 pm $10• patrick brennan’s Transparency Kestra with Ariel Pirotti, Eli Asher,
Claire de Bruner, Melanie Dyer, Ken Filiano, Haruna Fukuzawa, Hilliard Greene,
Jerome Harris, Patrick Holmes, Westbrook Johnson, Cheryl Pyle, David Sidman,
Catherine Sikora, Michael TA Thompson
Church of St Edward the Martyr 8 pm
• Bokani Dyer with Melissa Aldana
Dizzy’s Club 7:30, 9:30 pm $25-55• Spike Wilner Trio; Mariel Bildsten Septet
The Django 7:30, 10:30 pm $25-35
Fiction Bar/Café 9 pm
• Max Boiko Quartet
ê”Harlem Jazz Series”: Craig Harris
Greater Calvary Baptist Church 7 pm $20
êRavi Coltrane
The Jazz Gallery 7:30, 9:30 pm $30-40
Knickerbocker Bar & Grill 9 pm
• Hyuna ParkêMark Soskin, Jay Anderson, Matt Wilson; Steve Ash Trio
Mezzrow 7:30, 9, 10:30 pm, 12 am $40
êNabaté Isles with Sasha Berliner, David Gilmore, Manuel Valera, Richie Goods,
Eric Harland
Nublu 151 7 pm $25
Pierre Hotel 6 pm
• Antonio Ciacca
The Porch 8 pm $10-20• Angie Pastor Quartet• Elijah Shiffer and the Robber Crabs
Red Room at KGB Bar 10 pmêSheila Jordan Trio with Roni Ben-Hur, Harvie S
Room 31 at Arlo NoMad 7:30 pm $34.12• Elin Melgarejo; Samuel Martinelli: “Brazil Night”
Room 623 at B2 Harlem 7, 8:30, 10, 11:30 pm $20-50
The Roxy Lounge at Roxy Hotel 6 pm
• Michael Garin• Kevin Sun with Christian Li, Walter Stinson, Kayvon Gordon
SEEDS 7:30 pm• Annika Horne; Peter Louis Octet
Silvana 7, 8 pm
• Abraham Burton Quartet; Corey Wallace Dubtet; 12 Midnight Jam
Smalls 7:30, 9, 10:30 pm, 12 am $40
ê Cyrus Chestnut Quintet with Freddie Hendrix, Stacy Dillard, Gerald Cannon,
Willie Jones III
Smoke 7, 9, 10:30 pm $35-55• Sally Gates Trio with Trevor Dunn, Greg Fox
The Stone at The New School 8:30 pm $20
êSamara Joy with Luther Allison, Felix Moseholm, Evan Sherman
Village Vanguard 8, 10 pm $50• Welf Dorr, Elias Meister, Dmitry Ishenko, Dave Miller
The Keep 9 pm

North Square Lounge 12:30, 2 pm
• Ed Laub Trio
The Porch 8 pm $10-20• Marcelino Feliciano
Room 31 at Arlo NoMad 7:30, 9 pm $23.41• Russell Hall Band
• Marcus Goldhaber; Mimi Jones & Friends

Room 623 at B2 Harlem 6, 8, 9:30 pm $12-42

The Roxy Lounge at Roxy Hotel 6 pm
• Jon Regen• William Parker’s Intergeneration Ensemble
Saint Peter’s Church 5 pm

ê Cyrus Chestnut Quintet with Freddie Hendrix, Stacy Dillard, Gerald Cannon, Willie

Jones III

Smoke 7, 9 pm $35-55

êSamara Joy with Luther Allison, Felix Moseholm, Evan Sherman

Village Vanguard 8, 10 pm $50

THE MARGARET SLOVAK TRIO
Performing Music from Guitarist/Composer
Margaret Slovak’s Recent Album BALLAD FOR BRAD

WEDNESDAY, APRIL 26 – 8:00 PM
SOAPBOX GALLERY
636 Dean Street, Brooklyn, NY

Margaret Slovak – guitar
Harvie S – bass
Michael Sarin – drums
Performing Margaret’s Original Compositions“Slovak’s style is distinctive, profoundly personal and expressive.
A melancholy mood permeates the recording, and the superb chemistry
among the musicians produces a gorgeous texture.”—ANNA STEEGMANN, THE NEW YORK CITY JAZZ RECORD

Saturday, April 29êMax Johnson, Sam Newsome, Erin Rogers

Barbès 6 pm $20• Bill Saxton and the Harlem All-Stars

Bill’s Place 7, 9 pm $30• Eric Comstock with Sean Smith, Barbara Fasano; Steven Bernstein

Millenial Territory Orchestra
Birdland 5:30, 7, 9:30 pm $20-30
Birdland 8:30, 10:30 pm $40• John PizzarelliêAvishai Cohen Banda Iroko
Blue Note 8, 10:30 pm $40-55• Jerome Sabbagh with Nicole Glover; Matt Martinez
Café Bohemia 7, 8:30, 10:30 pm $25• Duduka Da Fonseca Quartet; Jinjoo Yoo Quartet
Cellar Dog 7, 11:30 pm $10• Michael Weiss Trio; Ed Cherry Quartet
The Django 7:30, 10:30 pm $25-35
Fiction Bar/Café 9 pm
• Takeshi Asai Quartet• eGALitarian Brass Quintet and David Taylor Trombone Ensemble with Craig Harris
Goddard Riverside Community Center 2 pm $20-30• Zah! Ensemble with Dr. E and Jazz Power with Bob Stewart, Curtis Stewart:“We Got That Swing”
Harlem School of the Arts 1 pmêRavi Coltrane
The Jazz Gallery 7:30, 9:30 pm $30-40
Knickerbocker Bar & Grill 9 pm
• Hyuna ParkêMark Soskin, Jay Anderson, Matt Wilson; John Chin Trio
Mezzrow 7:30, 9, 10:30, 12 pm $40• Chief Baba Neil Clarke Trio Plus Pelham Fritz Recreation Center 2 pm
Pierre Hotel 6 pm
• Antonio Ciacca
Room 31 at Arlo NoMad 7:30 pm $26.62• Khondzi
The Roxy Lounge at Roxy Hotel 6 pm
• Michael Garin

CD Available fromwww.margaretslovak.com

Tickets: (GA) $25; available fromwww.soapboxgallery.org

THE NEW YORK CITY JAZZ RECORD | APRIL 2023 41

C LU B D I RE C TO RY• 333 Lounge 333 Flatbush Avenue(718-399-8008) Subway: B, Q to Seventh Avenue
333lounge.com• 411 Kent 411 Kent Avenue
Subway: J, M, Z to Marcy Avenue
411kent.org• The 92nd Street Y Lexington Ave. at 92nd Str.
(212-415-5500) Subway: 6 to 96th Str.
92y.org• Alianza Dominicana Cultural Center 530 W. 166th Street(917-242-0811) Subway: 1, A, C to 168th Street
facebook.com/ADCC530• The Appel Room Broadway at 60th Str., 5th floor(212-258-9800) Subway: 1, 2, 3, A, C, E, B, D, F to Columbus Circle
jazz.org• Bar Bayeux 1066 Nostrand Avenue, Brooklyn(347-533-7845) Subway: 2, 5 to Sterling Street
barbayeux.com• Bar Lunàtico 486 Halsey Str., Brooklyn(917-495-9473) Subway: C to Kingston-Throop Ave. sbarlunatico.com• Barbès 376 9th Str. at 6th Ave., Brooklyn(718-965-9177) Subway: F to 7th Ave.
barbesbrooklyn.com• Beacon Theatre 2124 Broadway at 74th Str.
(212-496-7070) Subway: 1, 2, 3 to 72nd Str.
beacontheatre.com• Bill’s Place 148 W. 133rd Str. btwn. Lenox and 7th Ave.s(212-281-0777) Subway: 2, 3 to 125th Str.
billsplaceharlem.com• Birdland/Birdland Theater 315 W. 44th Str. btwn. 8th and 9th Ave.s(212-581-3080) Subway: 7, A, C, E, F, N, Q, R, to 42nd Str.
birdlandjazz.com• Birdland Theater 315 W. 44th Str. btwn. 8th and 9th Ave.s(212-581-3080) Subway: 7, A, C, E, F, N, Q, R, to 42nd Str.
birdlandjazz.com• Blue Note 131 W. 3rd Str. at 6th Ave.
(212-475-8592) Subway: A, C, E, F, V Grand Str. Shuttle to W. 4th Str.
bluenotejazz.com• Brooklyn Public Library Central Branch 10 Grand Army Plaza,
Brooklyn(718-230-2100) Subway: 2, 3 to Grand Army Plaza; Q to 7th Ave.
brooklynpubliclibrary.org• Café Bohemia 15 Barrow Street(212-691-6127) Subway: 1 to Christopher Street
cafebohemianyc.org• Cellar Dog 75 Christopher Street at 7th Avenue(212-675-6056) Subway: 1 to Christopher Str. /Sheridan Sq.
cellardog.net• Chelsea Table + Stage Hilton Fashion District Hotel,
152 W 26th Street(212-434-0499) Subway: C, E to 23rd Street; R, W to 28th Street
chelseatableandstage.com• Church of St Edward the Martyr 14 E. 109th Street(212-369-1140) Subway: 6 to 110th Street
saintedwardthemartyr.com• Dizzy’s Club 33 W. 60th Str., 11th floor(212-258-9800) Subway: 1, 2, 3, A, C, E, B, D, F to Columbus Circle
jazz.org• The Django 2 Sixth Ave.
(212-519-6600) Subway: A, C, E to Canal Str. ; 1 to Franklin Str.
thedjangonyc.com• Downtown Music Gallery 13 Monroe Str.
(212-473-0043) Subway: F to East Broadway
downtownmusicgallery.com• Drom 85 Ave. A(212-777-1157) Subway: F to Second Ave.
dromnyc.com• Elebash Recital Hall at CUNY Graduate Center 365 Fifth Avenue(212-817-7000) Subway: 6 to 33rd Street
gc.cuny.edu• Entwine Wine Bar 765 Washington Street(212-727-8765) Subway: 1, 2, 3, A, C, E, L to 14th Street
entwinenyc.com• Faber Park Richmond Terrace, Staten Island(212-639-9675) Subway: SIMC3C Bus to Faber Park
nycgovparks.org/parks/faber-pool-and-park• Fiction Bar/Café 308 Hooper Street, Brooklyn(718-599-5151) Subway: M, J to Hewes Street
fictionbk.com• Gallery MC 549 W 52nd Str.
(212-581-1966) Subway: C, E to 50th Str.
gallerymc.org• Goddard Riverside Community Center 593 Columbus Ave.
(212-873-6600) Subway: 1 to 86th Str.
goddard.org• Greater Calvary Baptist Church 55 W. 124th Street(404-227-3748) Subway: 2, 3 to 125th Street• Greenwich House Music School 46 Barrow Str.
(212-242-4770) Subway: 1 to Christopher Str.
greenwichhouse.org• Groove Bar & Grill 125 MacDougal Str.
(212-254-9393) Subway: A, B, C, D, E, F, V to W. 4th Str.
clubgroovenyc.com• Hamilton Hall Craft Bar & Kitchen 3493 Broadway, between
142nd and 143rd streets(646-454-9797) Subway: 1 to 145th Street
hamiltonhallnyc.com• Harlem School of the Arts 645 St. Nicholas Ave. at 145th Str.
(212-926-4100) Subway: D to 145th Str.
harlemschoolofthearts.org• Interchurch Center 475 Riverside Drive at 120th Str.
Subway: 1 to 116th Str.
• Jamaica Air Train Station 93-43 Sutphin Boulevard
Subway: E, J, Z to Sutphin Boulevard-Archer Avenue
panynj.gov• The Jazz Gallery 1160 Broadway, 5th fl(212-242-1063) Subway: C, E, to Spring Str. ; 1, 2 to Houston Str.
jazzgallery.org• Jazz Museum in Harlem 58 W. 129th Str. btwn. Madisonand Lenox Ave.s(212-348-8300) Subway: 6 to 125th Str.
jazzmuseuminharlem.org• Joe’s Pub 425 Lafayette Str.
(212-539-8770) Subway: N, R to 8th Str. -NYU; 6 to Astor Pl.
joespub.com• Juilliard School Paul Hall 155 W. 65th Str.
(212-769-7406) Subway: 1 to 66th Str.
juilliard.edu• The Keep 205 Cypress Avenue, Queens(718-381-0400) Subway: L to Jefferson Street
thekeepny.com• Knickerbocker Bar & Grill 33 University Pl. at 9th Str.
(212-228-8490) Subway: N, R to 8th Str. -NYU
knickerbockerbarandgrill.com• LeFrak Hall, Queens College 65-30 Kissena Blvd, Flushing(718-793-8080) Subway: 7 to Main Str., The n bus• Lowlands 543 Third Avenue, Brooklyn(347-463-9458) Subway: R to Prospect Avenue
lowlandsbar.com• Main Drag Music 50 S. 1st Street, Brooklyn(718-388-6365) Subway: L to Bedford Avenue
maindragmusic.com• Mamajuana Café 3233 East Tremont Ave, The Bronx(718-824-8400) Subway: 6 to Middletown Road
mamajuanacafebronx.com• Mezzrow 163 W. 10th Str.
(646-476-4346) Subway: 1 to Christopher Str.
smallsjazzclub.com• National Sawdust 80 N. 6th Street, Brooklyn(646-779-8455) Subway: L to Bedford Ave.
nationalsawdust.org• North Square Lounge 103 Waverly Pl. at McDougal Str.
(212-254-1200) Subway: A, B, C, E, F, V to West 4th Str.
northsquareny.com/about-jazz.php• Nublu 151 151 Ave C
Subway: L to 1st Ave.
nublu.net• Ornithology Jazz Club 6 Suydam Street, Brooklyn(917-231-4766) Subway: J, M, Z to Myrtle Avenue
ornithologyjazzclub.com• The Owl Music Parlor 497 Rogers Avenue, Brooklyn(718-774-0042) Subway: Subway: 2 to to Sterling Street
theowl.nyc• Pangea 178 Second Ave.
(212-995-0900) Subway: L to First Ave.
pangeanyc.com• Park Avenue Armory 643 Park Ave.
(212-616-3930) Subway: 6 to 68th Str.
armoryonpark.org• Pelham Fritz Recreation Center 18 Mt Morris Park West(212-860-1380) Subway: 2, 3 to 125th Street• Pierre Hotel Fifth Ave. at 61st Str.
(212-940-9109) Subway: 4, 5, 6 to 59th Str.
thepierreny.com

42 APRIL 2023 | THE NEW YORK CITY JAZZ RECORD• The Porch 750A St. Nicholas Avenue(646-895-9004) Subway: A, B, C, D to 145th Street
theporchnyc.com• Public Records 233 Butler Street, Brooklyn(347-529-4869) Subway: 2, 3, 4, 5, B, D, N, Q, R to Atlantic Avenue
publicrecords.nyc• Red Room at KGB Bar 85 E. 4th Street(703-221-4587) Subway: F to Second Avenue
redroomnyc.com• Rizzoli Bookstore 1133 Broadway(212-759-2424) Subway: R, W to 28th Street
rizzolibookstore.com• Room 31 at Arlo NoMad 11 E. 31st Street(212-806-7000) Subway: 6 to 33rd Street
arlohotels.com/nomad• Room 623 at B2 Harlem 271 W. 119th Street(212-280-2248) Subway: B, C to 116th Street
b2harlem.com• Rose Theater Broadway at 60th Str., 5th floor(212-258-9800) Subway: 1, 2, 3, A, C, E, B, D, F to Columbus Circle
jazz.org• Roulette 509 Atlantic Ave., Brooklyn(917-267-0363) Subway: 2, 3, 4, 5 to Atlantic Ave.
roulette.org• The Roxy Lounge at Roxy Hotel 2 Sixth Ave.
(212-519-6600) Subway: A, C, E to Canal Str. ; 1 to Franklin Str.
roxyhotelnyc.commorgan@njfpr.com• Saint Peter’s Church 619 Lexington Ave. at 54th Str.
(212-935-2200) Subway: 6 to 51st Str.
saintpeters.org• San Pedro Inn 320 Van Brunt St, Brooklyn(718-576-3916) Subway:
sanpedroinn.com• SEEDS 617 Vanderbilt Ave., Brooklyn
Subway: 2, 3, 4 to Grand Army Plaza
seedsbrooklyn.org• Silvana 300 W. 116th Str.
(646-692-4935) Subway: B, C, to 116th Str.
silvana-nyc.com• Sistas’ Place 456 Nostrand Ave. at Jefferson Ave., Brooklyn(718-398-1766) Subway: A to Nostrand Ave.
sistasplace.org• Smalls 183 W 10th Str. at Seventh Ave.
(212-252-5091) Subway: 1 to Christopher Str.
smallsjazzclub.com• Smoke 2751 Broadway btwn. 105th and 106th Str.s(212-864-6662) Subway: 1 to 103rd Str.
smokejazz.com• Soapbox Gallery 636 Dean Str., Brooklyn
Subway: 2, 3 to Bergen Str.
soapboxgallery.org• Soup & Sound 292 Lefferts Ave., Brooklyn(917-828-4951) Subway: 2 to Sterling Str.
soupandsound.org• Steel Wig Music 939 8th Ave, Suite 502
Subway: N, Q, R, W tro 57th St; 1, 2, 3, A, C, E, B, D, F
to Columbus Circle
livemusicproject.org/events/venues/5741/steel-wig-music• The Stone at The New School 55 West 13th Street(212-229-5600) Subway: F, V to 14th Street
thestonenyc.com• Symphony Space Leonard Nimoy Thalia 2537 Broadway
at 95th Street(212-864-5400) Subway: 1, 2, 3 to 96th Str.
symphonyspace.org• Symphony Space Peter Jay Sharpe Theatre 2537 Broadway
at 95th Street(212-864-5400) Subway: 1, 2, 3 to 96th Str.
symphonyspace.org• Village Vanguard 178 Seventh Ave. South at 11th Str.
(212-255-4037) Subway: 1, 2, 3 to 14th Str.
villagevanguard.com• Weill Recital Hall at Carnegie Hall 154 W. 57th Str. at Seventh Ave.
(212-247-7800) Subway: N, R to 57th Str.
carnegiehall.org• Zinc Bar 82 W. 3rd Str.
(212-477-8337) Subway: A, C, E, F, V, Grand Str. Shuttle
to W. 4th Str.
zincbar.com• Zürcher Gallery 33 Bleecker Str.
(212-777-0790) Subway: 6 to Bleeker Str. ; B, D, F to
Broadway-Lafayettegaleriezurcher.com

I N ME MORIAM
DIX BRUCE (Sep. 10, 1952 – Feb. 1, 2023) The Bay Area
guitar/mandolin/banjo player and prolific instructional
book author died in his sleep at age 70 in his Concord, CA
home. Originally from Madison, WI, he began playing
guitar at twelve. After college, he moved to California
and edited “Dawg Music” progenitor David Grisman’s
Mandolin World News for 6 years. As a performer, Bruce
led his own swing and jazz band Back Up & Push whileworking with Don Neely’s Royal Society Jazz Orchestra
for 35 years and Jeremy Cohen’s Violinjazz for 30 years.
Bruce recorded with mandolin master Frank Wakefield
and released four albums of duets with like-mindedguitarist Jim Nunally plus two solo albums, Tuxedo Blues
and My Folk Heart; he also provided music for the SimCity
computer games and the documentary film Wild Wheels.
A regular columnist for several music magazines, Bruce
authored more than 50 instructional books, many for
Mel Bay Publications.
BUTCH MILES (Jul. 4, 1944 – Feb. 2, 2023) The fiery,
expressive drummer and longtime educator died at age
78 in Austin, TX; he suffered from idiopathic pulmonary
fibrosis and received a lung transplant several years
ago. Born Charles J. Thornton, Jr. in Ironton, OH, hespent most of his childhood in Charleston, WV, where
he started playing drums at nine. Miles graduated witha music degree from West Virginia State University in1966 and soon joined bands led by Iris Bell and Mel
Tormé, then worked with the Count Basie Orchestra
on-and-off between 1975 and 2007. He had a long,
impressive list of studio and bandstand credits withmany greats—Frank Sinatra, Ella Fitzgerald, Dave
Brubeck, Gerry Mulligan, Rosemary Clooney, Zoot
Sims, Willie Nelson, Clark Terry, Woody Herman, Lena
Horne and Joe Williams. Miles continued to lead his
own band, the Jazz Express, from the ‘80s until 2020;
in 2007, he accepted a faculty position at Texas State
University in San Marcos. He recorded 11 albums as aleader and appeared on over 100 albums, including four
Grammy Award winners.
BURT BACHARACH (May 12, 1928 – Feb. 8, 2023)
The world-famous composer, producer, pianist andoccasional singer, whose songs have been coveredby over 1,000 different musical artists, died of naturalcauses at age 94 in Los Angeles, CA. Born in Kansas City,
MO and raised in the Forest Hills section of Queens in
New York City, he was an ardent jazz fan early on, witha particular fondness for Dizzy Gillespie and Count
Basie. After writing and arranging for Marlene Dietrich,Bacharach’s songwriting career took off in 1957 when heteamed up with lyricist Hal David; their long string of
hit songs, many sublimely voiced by Dionne Warwick,lasted into the ‘80s, by which time he was writing with
Carole Bayer Sager. His later collaboration with Elvis
Costello earned Bacharach his sixth Grammy Award.
Many jazz notables have covered Bacharach-David
titles over the years, including Ella Fitzgerald, Quincy
Jones, Oscar Peterson, Sarah Vaughan and Pat Metheny.
The Bacharach-David song “Wives and Lovers” wasrecorded by Frank Sinatra and the Count Basie Orchestra
in June 1964 for their album It Might as Well Be Swing.
TONI HARPER (Jun. 8, 1937 – Feb. 10, 2023) A former
child singer who spent 10 years in the jazz limelight
before retiring, Harper died at age 85 in Palm Desert,
CA. Born in Los Angeles, she was a young dancer on theset of Christmas Follies in 1945 when she was overheard
scat singing. Soon, she was sharing the stage with Cab
Calloway and Herb Jeffries, and in 1946 her hit song
“Candy Store Blues” brought her international fameand TV appearances. She appeared onstage with Frank
Sinatra, Count Basie and Sarah Vaughan. After singing
with Harry James in the early ‘50s, Harper released
her debut album, Toni, with the Oscar Peterson Trioin 1955, and then recorded with Dizzy Gillespie. Three
more solo albums followed, two of them with Marty
Paich. She toured Japan with Cannonball Adderley in1963 and appeared in several films before retiring fromperforming in 1966. Harper later married, raised a family
and spent 25 years working for the U.S. Postal Service.
MARK HENNEN (Jun. 15, 1951 – Feb. 10, 2023) The
avant-garde jazz pianist died at age 71 in New York
City following a stroke and a long bout with myasthenia
gravis. Hennen, whose most recent recording was Mark
Solo, a live date from 2022, was born in Madison, WI.
He studied with Cecil Taylor at Antioch College andBill Dixon at Bennington College before moving to
New York City, where he studied with Borah Bergman.
He worked with Jemeel Moondoc’s Ensemble Muntu,
William Parker in the Collective 4tet and Alan Silva’sSound Visions Orchestra while making a living as a
piano tuner. In 1994, he released the free piano duo
recording Theory of Everything with Toby Kasavan. He
later collaborated with Daniel Carter, Chris Kelsey’s
Unacknowledged Ensemble and Rashid Bakr, formed
the group Earth People, and more recently performed
with Jackson Krall and John Blum in the Piano Duo Trio.
GUIDO BASSO (Sep. 27, 1937 – Feb. 13, 2023) One of
Canada’s most treasured musical artists, who played
trumpet, flugelhorn and harmonica, and was also acomposer and arranger, died of natural causes at age 85 inBelleville, ON, outside of Toronto. Born in Montreal, hebegan playing trumpet at nine and formed his first bandat 11 before studying at the Conservatoire de musiquedu Québec à Montréal. Performing professionally as“Stubby” Basso, he toured with Vic Damone and Pearl
Bailey (in a band led by her husband, drummer LouisBellson) before moving to Toronto in 1960. For many
years Basso composed and led the music productions
for a number of popular Canadian television and radio
programs while also working with visiting jazz greats
including Duke Ellington, Count Basie, Quincy Jones,
Dizzy Gillespie and Benny Goodman. Basso’s trumpet
and flugelhorn can be heard on over 200 recordings,
but he is best known for his long membership in Rob
McConnell’s Boss Brass big band, with which he made18 albums. Basso won consecutive Juno Awards in 2003
and 2004 for “Traditional Jazz Album of the Year”. He
was made a Member of the Order of Canada in 1984
and is credited with the advice that you must attack a
trumpet and make love to a flugelhorn.
JERRY DODGION (Aug. 29, 1932 – Feb. 17, 2023) A
premier accompanist on alto and soprano saxophones,
flute and clarinet, who composed and arranged for agalaxy of jazz stars and big bands, Dodgion died at age
90 in New York City from an infection. He was born inRichmond, CA, and started his professional career in the
Bay Area working with Rudy Salvini, Benny Carter andGerald Wilson; while with the Vernon Alley Quartet hebacked Billie Holiday. He joined Red Norvo’s quintet
for three years, most of which was spent touring withFrank Sinatra. After touring the Soviet Union with
Benny Goodman, Dodgion moved to New York City andhooked up with the Thad Jones/Mel Lewis Orchestra,
where he was a steady presence from 1965 to 1979.
His virtuosity and versatility earned him steady work
across the jazz map—with Count Basie, Quincy Jonesand Oliver Nelson; the Lincoln Center Jazz Orchestra,
Carnegie Hall Jazz Band and Smithsonian Jazz Orchestra;
Louis Armstrong, Duke Pearson and Toshiko Akiyoshi.
A much-in-demand studio musician, Dodgion appearedon numerous Blue Note releases, including Herbie
Hancock’s Speak Like a Child and Blue Mitchell’s Boss
Horn, as well as countless sessions for popular musicartists. Only given an opportunity to record a few tracks
as a leader in the ‘50s, Dodgion finally stepped out front
with his 2004 album Joy of Sax.
JANN PARKER (b. ? - d. Feb. 18, 2023) The New York
City–based singer and lyricist had suffered a stroke in2014 that left her unable to perform. Born Janet Elizabeth
White in New Bern, NC, she won her first talent showat age six. Parker received a Bachelor’s in speech anddrama at North Carolina Central University and moved
to New York City in 1969. After starting careers in youth
counseling and fashion, she decided in 1987 to focus
solely on her love for music. She worked with notables
including Lionel Hampton, Leon Thomas, Grady Tateand Randy Weston, as well as with the Larry Ridley
Jazz Ensemble, Harlem Renaissance Orchestra, RonAnderson’s Versatiles, Lou Caputo’s Not So Big Bandand Spirit of Life Ensemble, with whom she recorded
two albums. In 1998, Parker won the “Voices of Fire”
competition sponsored by Jazziz magazine. She appearedon the Chip Shelton & Peacetime album Imbued withMemories and produced her own two solo recordings,
Voicings and Masterpieces. In 2003, Parker founded the
Jazz Preservation Society in New Bern and was given a
key to the city the following year.
LARRY ROLAND (Jul. 13, 1949 – Feb. 24, 2023) The
Boston-based bassist and spoken word artist diedat age 73 in Dorchester, MA from amyloidosis. A
Beantown native, who grew up in a family with many
jazz friendships, he graduated from Boston University
in 1973 with a bachelor’s in education, followed by amaster’s in public health from UMass; he taught healthand phys. ed. and coached basketball in public schoolsfor over 30 years. Roland didn’t start playing bass until
he was 30, by which time he was already reciting his
poetry at events around Boston. Mostly self-taught(with a few lessons from Cecil McBee), Roland became
the house bassist at Wally’s in Boston’s South End. He
toured and recorded with Raphe Malik and co-founded
Urge 4Tet with Donal Fox. Roland’s solo bass and spoken
word album As Time Flows On was released in 2001. Helater worked on projects with dancer/choreographer
Adrienne Hawkins, saxophonist Charles Gayle andthe free music ensemble We Free Strings. Roland was afounding member of the Jazz & Poetry Choir Collective
and is featured on its 2020 album We Were Here.
CARL SAUNDERS (Aug. 2, 1942 – Feb. 25, 2023) The
popular Los Angeles–based trumpeter died at age 80
in Burbank, CA following a long illness. Although hewas born in Indianapolis, IN, Saunders spent his first
five years on the road with his mother, a vocalist wholater sang with Stan Kenton, and his uncle, trumpeter
Bobby Sherwood. Settling in Los Angeles with anotheruncle, tenor saxophonist Dave Pell, Saunders began to
study trumpet at 13, emulating Pell’s bandmate Don
Fagerquist. After high school, Saunders joined Kenton’sorchestra in 1961, played drums for his Uncle Bobby fora time, and then settled in Las Vegas, where he playedin show bands. He later toured with Robert Goulet,
Paul Anka and Maynard Ferguson. In 1984, Saunders
moved to Los Angeles and took over the lead trumpet
chair in Bill Holman’s Orchestra while also playing with
Supersax and working with Gerald Wilson, Bob Florence
and Phil Norman. Saunders recorded 10 albums as aleader, the last of which, Jazz Trumpet, was a quartet datereleased in 2020.
HELMUT FORSTHOFF (Nov. 29, 1944 – Feb. 26, 2023)
The prolific German saxophonist died at age 78 in Berlin.
Forsthoff was born in Mühlhausen and grew up in East
Germany, where he first learned piano, then sax andclarinet. After studying music in Dresden, he moved
to Berlin, played in dance bands around the city andjoined Ulrich Gumpert and Günter “Baby” Sommer inthe famed jazz-rock fusion band SOK. Focusing on jazz,
Forsthoff recorded with Klaus Lenz and Uschi Brüning,then later Manfred Schulze and Hannes Zerba. His
many other bandstand credits, often as a featured tenor
sax soloist, included work with the East German Jazz
Orchestra, the jazz-rock outfit Bajazzo, Modern Soul
Band and Joe Sachse’s quartet. For 35 years, Forsthoff
led a quartet with trumpeter Paul Schwingenschlögl,
bassist Gerhard “Kubi” Kubach and drummer Denis
Stilke.

THE NEW YORK CITY JAZZ RECORD | APRIL 2023 43