March 2024—ISSUE 263

YOUR FREE GUIDE TO THE NYC JAZZ SCENEWOMENIN JAZZISSUENYCJAZZRECORD.COM

H I W
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IN MEMORIAM

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RACHEL
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SHOKO
NAGAI

CORKY
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BLANCHECALLOWAY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

March 2024 – ISSUE 263

Laurence Donohue-Greene:ldgreene@nycjazzrecord.com

NEW YORK@NIGHT

Mariyn Lester (Copy Editor)
Nate Dorward (Fact-Checker)

INTERVIEW: RACHEL Z

Advertising:advertising@nycjazzrecord.com

ARTIST FEATURE: SHOKO NAGAI

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

ON THE COVER: HIROMI

Suzanne Lorge (VOXNews):
voxnews@nycjazzrecord.com
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Staff Writers
Duck Baker, Fred Bouchard,
Stuart Broomer, Daniel Brown,
Marco Cangiano, Brian Charette,
Brad Cohan, Ken Dryden,
Tristan Geary, Pierre Giroux,
Kurt Gottschalk, Tom Greenland,
George Grella, Jason Gross,Alex Henderson, Keith Hoffman,
Terrell K. Holmes, Marilyn Lester,
Suzanne Lorge, Kyla Marshell,Franz Matzner, Marc Medwin,
Russ Musto, Russ Musto,
Monique Ngozi Nri, John Pietaro,
Mike Shanley, John Sharpe,
Elliott Simon, Anna Steegman,
Ken Waxman, Scott Yanow
Contributing Writers
Paul Gaita, Sophia Valera Heinecke,
George Kanzler
Contributing Photographers
John Abbott, Max Blease, Rachel Cobb,
Caroline Conejero, David Garland,
Alan Nahigian, Mitsuru Nishimura,
Satoshi Takeishi, Adrien H. Tillmann
IN CORRECTION (February 2024 issue)
In the album review section, Kent
Engelhardt’s last name was mis-spelled in
the Madd For Tadd Central Avenue
Swing & Our Delight review

nycjazzrecord.com

ENCORE: CORKY HALELEST WE FORGET: BLANCHE CALLOWAYLABEL SPOTLIGHT: AMBIANCES MAGNÉTIQUESVOXNEWSFESTIVAL REPORTSPECIAL FEATURE: COBI NARITA IN MEMORIAM
ALBUM REVIEWSEVENT CALENDARCLUB DIRECTORY
IN MEMORIAM

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by anna steegman
by sophia valera heineckeby franz matzner
by MARILYN LESTER
by lynn heiser
by ken waxman
by suzanne lorge
by tom greenlandby Marilyn Lester

Letter from the Editor

For TNYCJR’s annual “Women in Jazz Issue”, we place the spotlight squarely on a significant number of female
contributors, past and present, who have immeasurably added to the depth and dynamics of this music we call jazz.
Starting with two pianists—Hiromi (Cover) and Rachel Z (Interview), both have taken their experience-turned-expertise
to expand their instrumental vocabulary and capacity. Each has incorporated keyboard/synth work inspired by theirrespective jazz fusion apprenticeship-collaborations with mentors and masters of the artform: as Chick Corea is to
Hiromi, Wayne Shorter is to Rachel Z. Over the pandemic both Corea and Shorter passed on, so these two women now
carry the baton. Of other recently fallen jazz sequoias, stalwart jazz advocate “Cobi” Narita, a fixture on NYC’s jazzscene since the late ‘60s (venue proprietor, founder of International Women in Jazz, etc.), passed away late last year andmany of those close to her have shared fond remembrances in tribute (Special Feature In Memoriam). A “Cobi Narita
Jazz Memorial” will take place Mar. 20 at Saint Peter’s Church. Corky Hale (Encore) and the late Blanche Calloway (Lest
We Forget) are pioneers. The former helped legitimize the harp as a jazz instrument in the ’50s (preceding Dorothy
Ashby); the latter was the older sister to and original influence on Cab— and, significantly, the first African-American
female to ever lead an all-male big band. Gen X’er Shoko Nagai (Artist Feature), in the last two decades has made her
fluency on accordion, piano and keyboards an asset in many NYC-based groups (including her own). There’s the frontloaded Album Review section (pgs. 16-21), of almost two dozen recordings led or co-led by (or in tribute to) female
musicians you may or may not already be familiar with. Check ‘em out! And though a female-run record label has
become, thankfully, more common, Canada’s Ambiances Magnétiques (Label Spotlight), celebrating its 40th anniversary,has also historically incorporated a high percentage of women.
Hopefully, the pop world isn’t the only genre of music in which the gender needle seems to be getting betterbalanced (at the recent GRAMMYS, women dominated the awards). So, a tip of our proverbial jazz hat to the non-malerepresentation who certainly deserve more recognition, let alone acknowledgment, than history has given them.
TNYCJR will continue to do its part, regardless of whether or not it’s Women’s Herstory Month.

On The Cover: Hiromi (photo by Mitsuru Nishimura)All rights reserved. Reproduction without permission strictly prohibited. All material copyrights property of the authors.

2 March 2024 | THE NEW YORK CITY JAZZ RECORD

LOST &
FOUND
TOUR

MAR

2024

™ NOMINEEYM
M
2X GRA

23

Acclaimed blind singer songwriter
guitarist Raul Midón is back at

THE IRIDIUM NYC
MAR
24

For ticket info
RaulMidon.com

2024

and

For tickets: RaulMidon.com

theiridium.com • 1650 Broadway, New York, NY 10019
thebasie.org/the-vogel • 99 Monmouth St, Red Bank, NJ 07701

NEW YORK @ N IGHT
In what will hopefully be the first installment of an Named for a legendary Harlem speakeasy, the Red

MAR 8–9 ROSE THEATERWAYNE SHORTER CELEBRATIONFEATURING THE JLCO WITH WYNTON MARSALISAND SPECIAL GUEST ANDY FARBER

A special tribute concert celebrating the life works oflegendary jazz saxophonist Wayne Shorter. Shorter was agroundbreaking musician, composer, and band leader, andhis influence on Jazz at Lincoln Center and the jazz world atlarge is immeasurable. The Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra
and special guests pay tribute to his enduring legacy.

enduring event, Arts for Art launched the “Out Music
Festival” (Jan. 29-Feb. 4), a week of concerts held at theTheater for the New City. One highlight came midway(Feb. 1) when Brew, a collective trio comprised of Miya
Masaoka (koto, dan bau), Reggie Workman (bass,
percussion) and Gerry Hemingway (drums, vibes,
electronics, vocals) pooled their ingenuity to concoct atranscendent listening experience. Bookended by twostirring saxophone/drum duets (Darius Jones/Tomas
Fujiwara before; Joe McPhee/Jay Rosen after), Brew’s set
stood out for its other-worldly ebbs and flows, illustrating
the trio’s willingness to suspend time, let silences linger
and resist the impulse to cross every “t” and dot every “i”
of the musical narrative. As a result, background sounds
loomed to the fore and negative space became a positive
asset. Both handling strings, Masaoka and Workman’s
touches and techniques overlapped, a slide or bend
introduced by one translating into something else by
the other. Hemingway moved between drum kit andvibes, playing melodically on the former, percussively
on the latter. Although he used a few electronic samples,
the trio’s tonal palette was primarily acoustic, contrasts
arising from the juxtaposition of struck metallic
idiophones and warm sustaining chordophones.
Masaoka’s work on dan bau (the Vietnamese instrumenta cross between zither, theremin and steel guitar) was
especially evocative as she plucked, palmed, pushed,
slid and strummed its single string. — Tom Greenland

Rooster on Lenox Avenue opened in 2011 with a
mission (beside great food) to celebrate local artists
and musicians. That goal was readily achieved—yet
its music scene might still be the realm of those in
the know; in truth, there’s a smörgåsbord of talent tochoose from, and every Tuesday patrons can enjoy The
Deborah Newallo Experience from 6:30-9 pm. Newallo
is indeed an experience. The vocalist is an energetic,
dynamic performer with excellent engagement skills—agood thing since her proximity in the space is near thebar and in the pathway to the main dining room. Her(Feb. 6) opener, by the Georges Shearing and Weiss,
was a swinging “Lullaby of Birdland”, immediately
establishing jazz chops. Her band, drummer John
Cooksey and organist Nate Lucas, had already set themood with Ellington-Strayhorn’s “Satin Doll”, launching
into seriously intuitive support of Newallo (note: there
was no set list). Soul reigned supreme with a downlow “Dr. Feelgood (Love Is a Serious Business)”, thesaucy Ma Rainey-esque blues by Aretha Franklin. The
versatile Newallo covered funk with a groovin’ Stevie
Wonder staple, “I Wish”, offering plenty of improv andfunky swing. For delicious R&B, she applied her crisp
yet smooth vocal tone to Anita Baker’s “Sweet Love”.
Newallo has a list of solid credits but deserves a lot
more recognition. Taking the trip to Harlem, ‘A’ train
or otherwise, is well worth it to experience the Newallo
Experience.
— Marilyn Lester

Join 2024 Grammy award winner Bryan Carter in honoring
the life and legacy of Bayard Rustin as he leads his 31-piece
Jazz at Pride Orchestra against the backdrop of Columbus
Circle in the Appel Room. Rustin’s pivotal role in the Civil
Rights Movement and his contributions as a vocalist are
acknowledged with an unforgettable evening of diverse, soulstirring arrangements celebrating Black American music.

PHOTO BY ALAN NAHIGIAN

BRYAN CARTER’S“RUSTIN IN RENAISSANCE”

PHOTO BY ADRIEN H. TILLMANN

MAR 15–16 THE APPEL ROOM

Miya Masaoka, Reggie Workman @Theater for the New City

Minton’s Playhouse in Harlem, where bebop developed Singer-pianist Champian Fulton is a performer that’s

MAR 22–23 ROSE THEATER

KURT ROSENWINKELFEATURING THE JLCO WITH WYNTON MARSALIS

Guitarist Kurt Rosenwinkel, one of the most respectedcomposers and improvisers of 21st century jazz, performs
the world premiere of his Jazz at Lincoln Center-commissioned
suite Community and Continuum alongside the Jazz at
Lincoln Center Orchestra with Wynton Marsalis.

MAR 29–30 THE APPEL ROOMCATHERINE RUSSELL

Join acclaimed vocalist Catherine Russell for a celebrationof Hot Club jazz, the vibrant and swinging style thatemerged from 1930s Paris. Let Russell’s rich and soulful
voice transport you back to the golden era of jazz with the
New York City skyline as a backdrop.

CATHERINE RUSSELL
Photo by Frank Stewart

Deborah Newallo Experience @Red Rooster Harlem

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

during late-night jam sessions in the ‘40s, is once again
a cauldron of creativity. Late-night jams are now heldfrom 11 pm to 3 am, Thursdays through Sundays. Alto
saxophonist and host Kevin Oliver Jr. (Feb. 3) got thingscooking with an hour-long suite of originals performedby Esteban Castro (piano), Jayla Chee (bass) and Domo
Branch (drums). Castro turned the heat up with flashy
yet refined pyrotechnics, Oliver dialing it down witha reflective reading of Hoagy Carmichael’s “Stardust”.
By midnight, the room temperature was simmering,with musicians lined up along the walls waiting to
sit in. The ensuing jam session repertoire included
blues numbers by Bud Powell (“Croscrane”), Charlie
Parker (“Billie’s Bounce”), John Coltrane (“Equinox”)
plus standards including Thelonious Monk’s “Teo”
and “Green Chimneys”, Coltrane’s “Impressions”,
Jimmy McHugh/Dorothy Field’s “On the Sunny Sideof the Street”, and Billy Strayhorn’s “Take the ‘A’
Train”. A parade of personalities came on stage toply their craftsmanship, many returning again andagain, rewarded with appreciative feedback from theaudience. Those waiting in the wings often ad-libbed
background parts to support soloists such as Morgan
Faw, Yegor Noskov, Charles Owens (saxophones) andJonah Hieb (trumpet). Though some numbers ran long(a 20+ minute “Impressions”), energy ran high, so thatthree hours later, when the jam finally cooled down, we
could all go home fully sated.
(TG)

4 March 2024 | THE NEW YORK CITY JAZZ RECORD

appeared in both cabaret rooms as well as jazz venues(but always as a jazzer first). The blessing of Cellar Dog isthat its funky vibe allows a performer to stretch out andexperiment. On this (Feb. 14) gig, with French bassist Alex
Gilson and drummer Jason Tiemann, Fulton did a deeper
than usual dive into her improv skills. That approachmeant that singing took a relative back seat to her playing.
Many tunes featured tradeoffs with Tiemann, showcasing
his abundant skills and demonstrating Fulton’s superior
comping style. There were also two strictly instrumentals
in the set: her own “Happy Camper” and Fats Waller’s
melodically rippling “Jitterbug Waltz”. The former was aswingy, Latin-tinged delight, evoking an old Havana dancehall. The uplift was not unexpected; Fulton’s personality
is positively cheerful. It’s a quality she organically infuses
into her performances. It being Valentine’s Day, the set
opener was an instructional for love: Billy Mayhew’s“It’s a Sin to Tell a Lie”. Her delivery, in story-tellingmode (her preferred style), was dynamic—a rising/falling treatment of accenting lyric, sometimes with thebeat and sometimes very subtly behind it. Listen to her
vocalize and you’ll detect ingredients of Billie Holiday,
Louis Armstrong and Barbara Carroll with a slight dashof Blossom Dearie. In a varied set list of standards, she
ranged from the almost obscure “I Cried for You (Now
It’s Your Turn to Cry for Me)” (Arnheim/Lyman/Freed)
to a rousing “Just in Time” (Styne/Comden/Green) inlightning-fast tempo.
(ML)For years, inspired partially by personal connection, Celebrating the release of her new album, Cloudward(Nonesuch) at 92NY’s newly-minted upstairs performance
space (Feb. 10), guitarist and avant garde new music original,
Mary Halvorson, presented her Amaryllis Sextet: Adam
O’Farrill (trumpet), Jacob Garchik (trombone), Patricia
Brennan (vibraphone), Nick Dunston (bass) and Tomas
Fujiwara (drums). The group performed the album’s opening
selections (“The Gate” and “The Tower”), followed by a
new composition “Amaranthine”. The three pieces, played
without interruption, flowed with suite-like continuity,
ranging from peaceful to restless. The effect clearly evinced
the guitarist’s skills as a truly creative composer, melding
the qualities of jazz, new music and other genres (the basis ofher compositional style as well) in a manner that has marked
her style as distinctively her own. This MacArthur Fellow
is indeed a true individualist, one whose music could bereasonably compared to that of iconoclasts Cecil Taylor orHenry Threadgill. The set included other new compositions
such as “Eventidal”, an airily floating excursion initiatedby the leader’s delicate solo guitar prelude amplified by
Brennan’s vibes in an engaging dialogue before horns
entered in a mournful march. “Absinthian” was an uptempo
tour de force before the mood noticeably calmed on thesolemn “Collapsing Mouth”, only to be ramped up again by
Fujiwara’s backbeating drums on the rocking “Desiderata”.
Dunston was featured on “Ultramarine”, digging deep
into the blues, before the show ended with “Polyhedral”,
another new piece, assuring fans that another great album
is destined to come.
— Russ Musto

PHOTO BY MAX BLEASEW H AT ’ S N E W S
For the recent 66th Annual GRAMMY Awards (announced
during its television broadcast on Feb. 4), the envelope
please (for those who don’t know already)… the jazzrelated winners included Samara Joy (“Tight”: Best Jazz
Performance), Nicole Zuraitis (How Love Begins: Best
Jazz Vocal Album), Billy Childs (The Winds of Change:
Best Jazz Instrumental Album), Count Basie Orchestra(Basie Swings The Blues: Best Large Jazz Ensemble
Album), Miguel Zenón/Luis Perdomo (El Arte Del Bolero,Vol. 2: Best Latin Jazz Album), Meshell Ndegeocello (The
Omnichord Real Book: Best Alternative Jazz Album),
Béla Fleck/Zakir Hussain/Edgar Meyer feat. Rakesh
Chaurasia (As We Speak and “Pashto”: Best
Contemporary Instrumental Album + Best Global Music
Performance), Shakti (This Moment: Best Global MusicAlbum), säje feat. Jacob Collier with arrangers: Erin
Bentlage/Collier/Sara Gazarek/Johnaye Kendrick/Amanda
Taylor (“In The Wee Small Hours of the The Morning”:
Best Arrangement, Instruments and Vocals). TNYCJR
congratulates all the nominees, as well as the would-be
and should-have-been ones. We note that the GRAMMYS
Memoriam reel included Tony Bennett, Carla Bley, Astrud
Gilberto, Ahmad Jamal, Bill Lee, Les McCann andMarlena Shaw, among several others who passed awaylast year, arguably more jazz-related musicians thantypically seen from prior GRAMMY Memoriams. For more
info visit grammy.com.
The Rhode Island Music Hall of Fame Class of 2024
has been announced: Daryl Sherman (pianist/vocalist),
Shawnn Monteiro (vocalist), Harry Allen (tenor
saxophonist) and George Kent (educator, organist andfounder of the Chorus of Westerly), joining such priorinductees as Carol Sloane, Dave McKenna, Mike
Renzi, George Masso and George Wein. The 10th
induction season concert is scheduled for Apr. 28 at
The Met in Pawtucket, RI. For more info visit
rhodeislandmusichalloffame.com/index.html.

PHOTO BY CAROLINE CONEJERO

saxophonist and flutist Caroline Davis has been working
in the carceral justice space, advocating for the rights of
the wrongfully incarcerated. Now, with her electronicsoriented band Alula and its new album, Captivity(Ropeadope), she has created a vehicle to tell the stories ofincarcerated people across time, race, gender and cause ina series of performances that serve as conversation-starters
about this under-addressed societal problem. Along with
Chris Tordini (bass) and Jason Nazary (drums), Davis
performed selections from the album at Rizzoli Bookstore(Feb. 4). Each composition was dedicated to and got its
title from a formerly or currently incarcerated person: “[iwon’t be back, ms. Susan Burton]”; “the promise i made”[for Joyce Ann Brown]”; “and yet it moves [for Galileo]”.
Most of the names are not well-known, just as most of thestories go unheard and untold. Davis cued samples of
the individuals speaking and shared backstories between
tunes. Despite the heavy subject matter, the music wasnever morose, and in many places was rocking androllicking, each musician creating an individual pathwayof textures that converged and diverged in unexpected
places. Nazary especially added an excited, propulsive
energy to each piece. The leader takes her inspiration from
forebears who used jazz and creative music as a meansof speaking out against injustice: Max Roach, Ma Rainey,
Nina Simone. That meant inviting the audience to speakwith her afterward about how they might be involved inbeing part of the change.
— Kyla Marshell

Caroline Davis @Rizzoli Bookstore

Mary Halvorson @92NY

Drummer Ronnie Burrage and his band Holographic
Principle brought their funky, soulful, socially conscious
music to SoulBK, a recently opened supper club in Crown
Heights, Brooklyn (Feb. 3). Burrage—a veteran jazz
drummer who since the late ‘70s has played with a vastarray of musicians including McCoy Tyner and manyothers—thoughtfully and generously guided the audiencethrough his set of mostly originals, detailing stories andintentions behind each piece. His “Flight Endless” featured
all manner of spacy-sounding effects, from both keyboardist
Alex Collins and Ku-umba Frank Lacy applying pedals totrumpet. The tune was one that the leader had originallydone straight-ahead with Tyner but had rearranged in thissetting to reflect how “life is change.” Lacy, though best
known as a trombonist, alternated between trumpet andhis beautiful, rich singing voice, notably on “Baptism”.
With bassist Kim Clarke, the band seemed to have such awide range of styles, begging the question how it all came
together. But their aesthetic eclecticism worked in theirfavor, lending to a palpable sense of adventurousness. The
group also performed the leader’s “A Time in Amerikkka”,
accompanied by a video that reflected centuries of racial
injustice and protest in the U.S. Burrage ended the night byhanding the stage over to his students, the Brooklyn College
Jazz Ensemble, with a wish that SoulBK, beyond beinga new performance space, could also become a place foryoung musicians to learn about the history of jazz, as thesepromising students got to do in the presence of Professor
Burrage and a rapt and welcoming audience.
(KM)

A Well-Being Concert, hosted by vocalist Sarah Elizabeth
Charles, had trumpeter Sean Jones leading his quartet withTyler Bullock II (piano), Ryoma Takenaga (bass) and Domo
Branch (drums) at Zankel Hall (Feb. 4). The performance,
one of a series at the august institution, is designed to“combine world-class musical performances with elementsof self-care and mindfulness.” The event began withCharles leading the audience through a series of physicaland mental exercises over Bullock’s impressionistic piano.
The resulting calming mood set the tone, and remained,with the addition of the other members of the band joining
in to continue the program. Jones’ clarion tone rang out on
John Coltrane’s “Welcome” on top of Bullock’s rhapsodic
playing, Takenaga’s bowed bass and Branch’s rumbling
malleted drums as the trumpeter extended rapturous long
tones on the classic melody. Bullock’s sparkling pianisms
moved the group directly into Jones’ “Two or Three”, anemotional episodic excursion that began tenderly before
escalating dynamically, the trumpeter fervently blowing
serpentine upper register lines, then tagging the song witha warm solo cadenza. Charles introduced alto saxophonist
Tim Green’s “Divine Inspiration” with a recorded poem
recitation and added sonic vocal harmonies behind Jones’soaring trumpet on the inspirational song. Takenaga’s solo
initiated a rousing rendering of another Coltrane melody in“Resolution” (the second movement from A Love Supreme).
The bandleader spoke of the connection between love andspirit, introducing his “No Need for Words” before ending
the concert, swinging on his “BJ’s Tune”.
(RM)

South Arts unveiled its Winter 2024 Jazz Road Artists, a
program that—with help from the Doris DukeFoundation—supports musicians (with up to $15K) totour around the country. Among the 16 artists chosen
are: Or Bareket’s Quartet, Jesse Fischer’s Quartet and
Hillai Govreen’s Quartet (Brooklyn, NY); Natalie
Cressman & Ian Faquini (Berkeley, CA); Julian Quall’s
Mamey, Sam Thousand’s Soul Vortex and Jim Gailloreto’s
Metropolitan Jazz Octet (Chicago, IL) and Dan White’sHuntertones (San Francisco, CA). For more info visit
southarts.org.
Trumpeter Wadada Leo Smith has been appointed Fromm
Foundation Visiting Lecturer on Music at Harvard University
for Spring 2024. Smith has served on the faculty at the
University of New Haven (1975-76), The Creative Music
Studio in Woodstock (1975-78), Bard College (1987-93)
and at the Herb Alpert School of Music at California
Institute of the Arts (1994-2013). For more info visit
frommfoundation.fas.harvard.edu/people/wadada-leo-smith.
Wolfram Knauer announced his retirement from
Jazzinstitut Darmstadt. As its Founding Director in
1990, Knauer was instrumental in creating what has
become a highly-regarded international research andinformation center on jazz and a cultural institution(located in Darmstadt, Germany). It houses Europe’s
largest public jazz archive (including books, periodicals,recordings, photos, etc.) with a cellar that is utilized as aperformance space for concerts and the “JazzTalk”
series. Bettina Bohle has been announced as Knauer’s
successor at Jazzinstitut Darmstadt. For more info visit
jazzinstitut.de.
Submit news to: ldgreene@nycjazzrecord.com

THE NEW YORK CITY JAZZ RECORD | March 2024 5

PHOTO BY JOHN ABBOTTI NTERVIEWRACHELZ
standalone spirit

BY ANNA STEEGMAN
I nternationally acclaimed pianist/keyboardist Rachel Z

is known for her creative brilliance and innovative
compositions that, though compared to Herbie Hancock andMcCoy Tyner, defy classification. She has released over adozen albums, co-wrote the GRAMMY award-winning“Tokyo Blue” with saxophonist Najee and has worked with
Al Di Meola, Wayne Escoffery, the fusion band Steps Ahead,
Terri Lyne Carrington, Stanley Clarke, Marcus Miller andPeter Gabriel, as well as Wayne Shorter on his GRAMMYwinning album High Life. In 2010, she formed the band
The Trio of Oz (now OZmosys) with her husband, virtuoso
drummer Omar Hakim, and launched the OZmosys MediaGroup. She is also a teacher of Jazz and Contemporary
Music at The New School of Jazz, and Jazz and Electronic
Music at Montclair State University and the Cali Schoolof the Arts Masters’ Program. TNYCJR recently had thechance to speak with her about her remarkable path tomusical greatness.
The New York City Jazz Record: Your current trio
includes Omar Hakim (drums) and Jonathan Toscano(bass). Most recently you played at Klavierhaus aspart of the five-day New York City Jazz Piano Festival
in January, during which you introduced new songs
from Sensual (Dot Time). Tell us more about the newalbum being released this month.
Rachel Z: “Save My Soul” is a prayer for world
peace. And it’s been working out nicely at concerts
to bring people into that headspace, especially withall the events that keep happening: it reminds us tolook inside and see what kind of world we can create
from the inside out. “What I Fear” is introspective. I
invite the audience to think about a major fear theymight have and work through it with our band’s
improvisation on that song. “Bodhisattva” is a
Buddhist term for someone who could have been
enlightened in this life but chose to come back into thecycle of birth and death to take care of other people.
Someone like Wayne Shorter might have chosen tocome hang with us, teach us how to have a better lifeand make better music.
TNYCJR: You call yourself a technologist, keyboardist,
pianist and futurist.
Rachel Z: You could start with how scary AI could
be. And then also how friendly AI could be. I’m reallyinterested in this and so I deal with that. Then I’m also
dealing with a lot of technology with music. I have arecording studio; I use Ableton Live software to writeand I’m a sound designer. I like to orchestrate and play
jazz and mix it all together like I did on Shorter’s HighLife and on my Room of One’s Own.
TNYCJR: How would you describe your creative
process, where and how you find inspiration for a newsong and what you want for listeners to experience inyour music?

Rachel Z: Words and pictures. I wrote “Artemisia”
because I saw her work next to Michelangelo’s in The
Uffizi. I was impressed and decided to turn to songfor her. I have a lot of songs about my emotions, andmaybe trying to help my friends and younger people
through the emotional part of dealing with life as amusician.
TNYCJR: Were you raised in a musical family, and do
you remember how you first got started and interested
in music?
Rachel Z: My parents said, “You’re gonna be a musician,okay.” I think they wanted me to be an opera singer.
When I wanted to go to Berklee College of Music for
jazz, they were like, “We’ll get you jazz piano lessons,but you’re gonna have to pay to go to Berklee summer
school.” So, I had to work at McDonald’s. They alsosaid, “Don’t ever get a day job. You have to make 100
calls to venues, and then you get through eventually.”
TNYCJR: Your parents gave you good advice about
the business aspects of the industry.
Rachel Z: My dad said, “Do what you love. The money
will follow.” That gave me the spirit not to quit. And
Wayne (Shorter) called that standalone spirit. You
plant the seed, and you just have to keep going for it.
TNYCJR: What were your influences and who wereyour teachers and mentors?
Rachel Z: I really believed in the mentor-disciple
relationships early on. My first jazz teachers were Fred
Hersch, Joanne Brackeen and John Hicks. I could walkup to them and ask for a lesson when I was 15. Wow.
My dad would drive me to the Village Vanguard or to
my lessons with Joanne or John and that was a great
foundation. And William Thomas McKinley, a greatcomposer and jazz pianist, who is super-unusual andsuper-exciting. I have made a living as a musician since
I was 15. I started off making a living. I don’t know
why. Maybe my mom and dad trained me that way.
They were Depression era. I had a lot of fear actually.
TNYCJR: Justified fear going into this career.
Rachel Z: You have to be very determined andunderstand numbers and finance. So, just instinctually,
I did that. And I always had a piano gig. In Boston, asa student, I had a gig on Wednesdays with my electricband with the great drummer Bob Moses. I had
another gig for two nights: Thursdays and Fridays I
was at the Marriott Hotel with George Garzone. We
played hits by John Coltrane and went crazy. They did
not care: they liked it! I was always working while in
Boston.
TNYCJR: And in New York?

6 March 2024 | THE NEW YORK CITY JAZZ RECORD

Rachel Z: When I moved to New York, I did the same
pattern. I found a club and started to play. I played
every Monday night at Bond Street Café. Matt Piersonfrom Blue Note Records and Dr. George Butler came
down. Then I got in Steps Ahead. Regina Carter andBill Banfield, amazing musicians, helped me. Najee
took me on the road so I could stay in New Yorkbecause it’s expensive.
TNYCJR: Did the breakthrough come with “Tokyo
Blue”, the GRAMMY award-winning song you wrote
with saxophonist Najee?
(CONTINUED ON PAGE 35)

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Improvised Musicat the Main Drag
Monday, March 25th, 2024
7:00PM

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Claire de Brunner - bassoon
Shu Odamura - guitar
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PHOTO BY DAVID GARLANDARTIST F EATURE

SHOKO
NAGAI

For more info visit shokonagai.net. Nagai’s Tokala is at
Barbes Mar. 28. She is also at Roulette with Chris CochraneMar. 17, Barbès with Sanda Weigl Mar. 15 and The Keepwith Welf Dorr Mar. 31. See Calendar.

traversing time and space

Recommended Listening:• Shoko Nagai—VORTE (s/r, 2002)• Fire of Space—Handbasket (482 Music, 2005)• Matana Roberts—Coin Coin Chapter Two:
Mississippi Moonchile (Constellation, 2012)• Shoko Nagai—Taken Shadows (Live at Roulette NYC)
(Animul, 2014)• Jane Rigler—Refraction (Neuma, 2015)• Erik Friedlander—Rings (Skipstone, 2016)

BY SOPHIA VALERA HEINECKE

T he collected works of Shoko Nagai create a unityof world cultures that grapple with past, present andfuture. Her soundscapes are a place to reimagine. As aleader and ensemble member, a teacher and a student,
a composer and improviser, Nagai’s wholistic practicepresents balance and paradox, creating liberatory
currents through unexpected choices.
Known equally as a pianist and accordionist, her
improvisational practice is rooted in Yamaha training.
Nagai grew up in Japan and subsequently studiedclassical and jazz at the Berklee College of Music. “Icame to the U.S. to become a successful jazz pianist,”
she says. “Avant garde scenes opened me up... To
create my identity as a musician, I had to become
free to use every moment and every trick I have tothe fullest.” Though she is an impeccable soloist, she
admits her preference is not working alone. The big
ideas that serve as connective tissue for her projects
are often worked through in collaboration, such aswith notable cellist Erik Friedlander, who she hasrecorded with on numerous occasions. Of Friedlander
Nagai notes, “To work within his projects always
makes me focus my own intentions, always proving
important for my experience.” Their music on thealbum Rings (with percussionist Satoshi Takeishi,
another mainstay collaborator) includes tinges ofAmerican folk, chamber music and adventurous
unresolved tracks that evoke a Hitchcock film. Though
not Jewish, she regularly participates in the Sabbath
as a musician, accompanying the Rabbinic staff at an
uptown synagogue. Her intimacy with and admiration
for different cultures further bolsters her intuition in
responding to her creative culture. Takeishi notes,“When she finds music from diverse cultures, shelistens until it resonates with her emotions. Once themelody and rhythm become ingrained, it transforms
into her music... she unites herself with whatevermusic she performs.”
Her 2020 release, Taken Shadows (recorded live at
Roulette in 2014), is a glitch across time. Nagai leads
with piano and employs the Moog and Nintendo
DS sounds. The album opener, “Intimate Wish”, isoperatic, stretching clock time like putty. The building
fervor orchestrated by Nagai on piano saturates thelistener with a feeling of lifting as if we have beenlaunched into space. Traversing the past and future,
the speculative and the tangible connect Nagai’s work
like veins, but narrative is most present in her ongoing
live series Tokala. Nagai, Takeishi and friends are
reimagined as raconteurs, building character withtone and arc with orchestration. When she first viewed
artworks, instruments and other artistic objects fromthe Persian empire preserved in The (Imperial) Shosoin
Repository in Nara, Japan, she felt the strength intheir lineage. “When we saw a lute from Persia at theexhibition,” Takeishi notes, “we could not help but
imagine what it was like for musicians in the Imperial
Court to hear (such) unfamiliar sounds.” Tokala,inspired by such discovery, has received numerous

awards, most recently a City Artist Corps/NYFA grant(2021) centering on cultural exchange and integrationof the two cultures Nagai names as home. “There aremany great artists in Japan, but here in New York, wefeel the struggle is in the stories of our work. Japan is
too comfortable. New York is not a comfortable place,”
Nagai explains. “It always has a pain that wakes me
up. After 23 years here, I am always expressing that in
my mind.”
Audiences absorb a rapacious mystical energy
when they witness Tokala, swaying and cheering
along with the ensemble. Every live performance is arealization of speculative fiction equally emphasizing
research and imagination to answer the ‘what if’ ofthese disparate cultures merging. Nagai leads withstrong vocals and rousing accordion, which begins
many of the striking reinventions of traditional songs
from the Middle East, the Balkans and Japan. Of her
performance, she notes, “I never thought I was goingto sing, but it adds a texture that nothing else can
express. It was all developed here in an expression of
my identity.”
Breathing life into her next project, Forbidden
Flowers (supported by NYFA), Nagai intends tobring together a cohort of musicians who identify
as women, to plumb the depths and dualities offeminine expression. The project focuses on the uniqueproperties of female collaboration, reimagining theworld in which they make sound. Nagai notes, “Thespace created with these female collaborators is
sensitive and impressionable, yet deeply powerful.”
Simultaneously, she has begun to build a new projectwith Takeishi, Parallel World, which will be completed
this year. The projects, she says, “complement eachother in my own palette of colors. Yes, they do differ
in configuration and the sound each project produces.
But they both come from my personal point of view of
the current world situations.”
Mystery and mastery merge in all of Nagai’s work,with the element of play mediating between them.
The way that she and Takeshi build suspense makes
their soundscapes a natural fit to amplify the drama of
cinema. Since 2006, they’ve scored a variety of media,
ranging from a documentary about the aftermathof the atomic bomb in Hiroshima to a narrative
miniseries lambasting a Japanese media conglomerate.
“The power of the music in films always fascinates
me. When the music is placed in the right momentwith the right emotional response, it emphasizes thestory,” she says. Her creativity is boundless. Called
upon by Friedlander, when he was invited to score thefeature documentary Nothing on Earth, Nagai applied
accordion, piano and mini-xylophone to build a sonicworld witnessing the stark beauty of the melting ice
caps of Greenland.
Now, what seems most in sync with Nagai’s
intentions and impulses is the continued creation ofjoy for the future that allow us to hear the world as one
and imagine new pluralities and possibilities.

INTERPRETATIONSSEASON 34 2024

YUKO FUJIYAMA'SCONTEMPORARY EAST

MAR 7
THU

REGGIE NICHOLSONNICHOLSON BRASS CONCEPT
Photo by R. I. Sutherland-Cohen
THOMASBUCKNERROULETTE 509 Atlantic Ave Brooklyn NY$20: General $15: Members, Students, Seniors.
INTERPRETATIONS.INFO, ROULETTE.ORG
Concert begins at 8:00pm.

THE NEW YORK CITY JAZZ RECORD | March 2024 7

PHOTO BY MITSURU NISHIMURAON THE COVER

HIROMIin Wonderland
by franz matzner

If pianist Hiromi Uehara was a novelist, her form would bemagical realism. Strains of familiar musical pedigrees canbe traced throughout her repertoire, from traditional jazz tofunk to classical to prog-rock and fusion. And just when the
trajectory appears stable, patterns morph and the unfamiliar
manifests into wondrous gardens of sound bloom: whimsy
and the unknown intervene, keeping listeners engaged. Yet,a sense of totality remains firm, driven by her virtuosic,
irrepressible energy, which is particularly true when
witnessing her undeniable artistic talents live. The chance
to watch and hear the pianist in person is simply a joy thatshould never be passed up. As one audience member once
described to me after a Hiromi concert featuring musicfrom her most recent release, Sonicwonderland: “It’s like theinstrument is an animal come alive under her fingers andshe knows how to draw every possible sound from it. Total
control of the entire machine… [It’s] an experience thatleaves a mark on the mind!”
Hiromi’s rocket-ship rise started early with classicalpiano lessons as a child. She was immediately recognized
as a prodigy, playing live by 12 and performing with the
Czech Philharmonic Orchestra at 14. A career-defining
moment and opportunity came when Chick Corea invited
her on stage after hearing her once, a fortuitous meetingand significant contribution to her rapid ascent (the twowould later record together in 2007 on Duet). Her studies at
Berklee College of Music further honed her talent, but she
was already destined to play—and play hard.
Creatively restive, Hiromi’s discography demonstrates
a stunning absorption of musical elements, influences andtechniques, assimilated as fast, furious and seemingly
without limit. She also mesmerizes through her capacity toturn everything inside out and convert it into unique, multidimensional forms, without dismissing the inseparability ofpractice and one’s internal muse. “The most important thingis to have a strong vision of who you want to be. What you
want to do with your life,” she explains. “I always wanted
to write my music and play the music. Practicing wasalways part of it: there is no short cut… It is like climbing
mountains looking for the amazing view.” Hiromi captured
one of those sought-after views, dating back to her very
first album (Another Mind, 2002) in which she demonstrated
right out of the gate that she does not simply engage withthe keyboards—she dominates them. Whether playing a
blistering funk jam like “Kungfu Champion” (from Brain)
or a bittersweet blues like “Sicilian Blue” (from the Stanley
Clarke Trio’s Jazz in the Garden), the shape is always under
her command. Or, in the words of Clarke, the renowned
bassist, “Her performances are nothing short of superdynamic.” Asked about her intensity, Hiromi says, “I
always give 100% of my energy towards every show. I nevertake one for granted. Every show is (treated as) the first andthe last.” Audiences can feel this passion and dedication.
Standing ovations are the norm. “Her relentless energy andgoal of creating music that is accessible to her fans always
provides a wonderful thing to watch and listen to,” observes
renowned British drummer Simon Phillips, who has beenplaying with the pianist for over a dozen years.
This observation easily applies to Hiromi’s entire bodyof work. From her debut album as leader to the thematic,
relatively constrained, blues-oriented Alive (2011) and theluminous Spectrum (2019), Hiromi has remained at theforefront of jazz. She has captured a variety of prestigious
awards along the way as leader and performer, including
multiple DownBeat Annual Critics and Readers Polls, a
GRAMMY for “Best Contemporary Jazz Album” and “Best
Jazz Act” at the Boston Music Awards. She also performedat the opening ceremony of the Tokyo Olympics in 2021.
All underscore the exuberance and joy underpinning hermusic. “I am always hungry to learn, and curiosity is the
key to everything,” she emphasizes. “I keep learning everyday. I just love performing. I feel so [at] home when I am
sharing music with the audience. I feel very grateful andcan’t hide how happy I am!” Nor does Hiromi’s exuberance
end with the music—it permeates her personality. Asked
about the best part of touring, she responds with gusto:“FOOD!“. Her Facebook stream confirms this gastronomic
passion, resembling a food critic’s survey of the world’s
cuisines. “She is a warrior, disciplined, strong, appreciates
life, always wants to help and please the people aroundher… Her music employs a lot of technical and emotional
prowess. It’s like a roller coaster ride… And she loves to eat
well!” reaffirms harpist and collaborator Edmar Castañeda.
Silver Lining Suite (2021), the pianist’s prior release to
Sonicwonderland, merits recognition for its demonstrationof an additional aspect to Hiromi’s evolution: she is joinedby a string quintet formed by violinist Tatsuo Nishie,
concertmaster of the New Japan Philharmonic. Thoughevolution often implies a linear path from simple to more
complex, that doesn’t exactly apply to the pianist; herartistic timeline looks more like a mobius strip, merging
past and present, tearing the established apart andreconstituting pieces into new, innovative contexts. This
album’s result is a beautiful marriage of the pianist’s more
emotive side with the sweeping constructs only strings
could provide, even though the collaboration arose fromthe constraints of COVID-19 isolation, during which timemusicians were forced to find new outlets. It would also be
remiss to overlook Hiromi’s recent score to and soundtrack
for Blue Giant, a stirring and insightful anime film (basedon the highly popular Japanese-themed manga series),
which represents yet another layer of depth to the pianist’s
capabilities as player and as composer. Centered on a young
saxophonist trying to make his way in the Tokyo jazz scene,
Hiromi’s compositions are crucial to shaping the film’s
emotional moments and supporting the narrative while
depicting the improvisational magic that flows from theyoung man so strongly that it expands the universe of those
who encounter it.
Last year’s aptly named Sonicwonderland was released
exactly 20 years after her first album, and her forthcoming
week-long residency this month at Blue Note serves as abelated NYC album release concert coinciding with the
pianist’s 45th birthday. The album presents yet another
innovative leap in her wild arc of ingenuity, musical strengthand success, reflecting both an extension of Hiromi’s corevoice and a venture into new territory. The recording circles
back to a dominantly electric mode, with the merging ofelectric keyboards and acoustic piano. Hiromi’s fingers
bound and surge over the electric instrument, while Hadrien
Feraud’s funky bass joins Gene Coye’s heavy beats andmalleable coloring to sustain the grooves. Simultaneously,

8 March 2024 | THE NEW YORK CITY JAZZ RECORD

trumpeter Adam O’Farrill’s dark and sumptuous tones andastonishing flights, combined with his aptitude for creating
effects, enhance textural and atmospheric possibilities. “I
met Hadrien Feraud [and]… felt a very special musicalchemistry with him, so it started there,” the leader recalls.
“The more I wrote, the clearer the sound image of the band
got. I asked Gene Coye to be part of the band… [then] I
heard the sound of trumpet and had to find someone [with]a warm and dark sound who [also] could play with effects.
I found Adam.” The result is a blend like no other. On theopener, “Wanted”, piano and trumpet carom and skitter
like playing kittens, while at other times race and pounce
like a cheetah. Funk grooves and heavy beats that would
make Bootsy Collins smile, drive pieces including “Utopia”
and “Go Go”. On “Up”, the themes dance in pagan swirls,
as if waiting for a final passionate kiss, while multiple
pieces introduce atmospheric electronic effect washes, attimes pastel, at others bold. Overall, Hiromi’s mastery of
the electric keyboard allows more pliable expression as
notes stretch and retract like rubber. Sounds bounce in
unexpected combinations, the band uniting to sustain aconstantly engaging balance of grounding unpredictability.
Throughout, trumpet and keyboards leap and plunge:
O’Farrill and Hiromi are like dolphins, sinuous masters of
the waves.
Given this is Women’s History Month, it is interesting
to consider that by some estimates, the percentage of women
jazz musicians hovers around the 25% mark, even thoughaccording to outlets like NPR this figure may not provide
a full picture. Concurring that there clearly remains a gap,
Hiromi remarks, “It is definitely changing. [However] itis true. And when it comes to instrumentalists, it is evenless. I personally have never felt any gender discrimination,
but it is still is more a man’s world. I really hope that it
becomes equal in true meaning someday, not even needing
the words ‘women in jazz’, just ‘human in jazz’.” Hercontributions to jazz expand the experience and the joyof humanness, whether grounded in her gender and/or
simply her virtuosic expression. And Hiromi’s continuously
growing artistry never ceases to shape modern music, nor
her irrepressible personality, as observed by bandmate
Phillips, who notes how she “has encouraged so many otherJapanese, and other nationalities of musicians, to become
recognized for their talents.”
Sonicwonderland is just the latest example of Hiromi’s
dedication to exploration without pretension. Her vigor andinstrumental command, impressive when recorded, remain
almost shocking when enjoyed live and in-person. We all
have a week in NYC later this month not to pass up on that
opportunity.
For more info visit hiromiuehara.com. Hiromi’s Sonicwonder is atBlue Note Mar. 26-31. See Calendar.
Recommended Listening:• Hiromi—Another Mind (Telarc, 2002)• Chick Corea & Hiromi—Duet (Stretch, 2007)• Stanley Clarke Trio—Jazz in the Garden (Heads Up, 2009)• Hiromi/The Trio Project—Move (Telarc, 2011)• Hiromi—Alive (Telarc, 2014)• Hiromi—Sonicwonderland (Telarc, 2023)

JAZZ FOUNDATIONOF AMERICAGALA CONCERTFEATURINGBOBBY WEIRFOUNDING MEMBERGRATEFUL DEAD
SUN RA ARKESTRADIRECTED BY
MARSHALL ALLEN
MAX ROACHCENTENNIAL TRIBUTEFEATURINGCHARLES TOLLIVER
DEE DEE BRIDGEWATERGEORGE CABLESBILLY HARPER
DONALD HARRISON
RUFUS REIDAND
THE TITANS
OF JAZZ DRUMSAL FOSTER
BILLY HARTLOUIS HAYESAND MORE TO BE ANNOUNCED
HONORING

RICHARD D. PARSONSMUSICAL DIRECTORSTEVE JORDAN

A
GREAT
NIGHT
THURSDAYMARCH 282024
8:00 PMTHE APOLLOIN
HARLEM
253 WEST 125TH STREETNEW YORK, NY 10027

A benefit for JFA’s life saving programs which provide housing
assistance, pro bono healthcare, disaster relief, meaningful
work, and direct financial support to musicians and their families
across the country.
To purchase a benefit package or benefit tickets,
please email Marianne Carey Hayes or Debbie Fife at
JFA@eventassociatesinc.com or call 212.245.6570.
For individual concert-only tickets visit
JazzFoundation.org/Gala2024

PHOTO COURTESY OF ARTISTENCORE

CORKY
HALE

MUSIC, MARRIAGE AND ACTIVISM
BY MARILYN LESTERF rom a tiny midwest farm town to dazzling Los
Angeles, jazz harpist, pianist, flutist and vocalist,
Corky Hale has cut a wide swath in her 87 years. And
these are not her only accomplishments; she has been atheater producer, restaurateur, the owner of a women’s
clothing store, a philanthropist and activist. Halealso speaks Italian, French and Spanish. She imbues
optimism and positivism and has a good word for justabout everyone who’s crossed her path; of her closenessto Billie Holiday, with whom she toured and played the
piano for a time, she says: “She was a darling woman—very sweet but very, very shy.” Hale especially adoredand misses Tony Bennett, George Michael and Frank
Sinatra, with whom she had a special relationship. “I
still wear a little silver locket with his picture in it,”she reveals. Her dislike is reserved for one person
only, a dislike that cuts to the heart of her beliefs andthe core of her nature (his identity is revealed in her
recently released memoir, Corky Hale Uncorked). In thebook’s promotional material, Sally Kellerman sums
up the Corky-love: “She’s a character with a heart ofgold. Smart, empathetic, generous and supportive ofher friends beyond the call.” And who hasn’t Hale
worked with? The list of artists she has played pianoor harp for is a who’s who: Nat King Cole, Barbra
Streisand, Liberace, Anita O’Day, Ella Fitzgerald, Björk
and countless more merely scratch the surface. Hale’s
mantra is gratitude. More than once in our interview
she acknowledged, “I’ve been very lucky. I’ve had awonderful life and I give thanks for it.”Hale was born Merrilyn Hecht in Freeport, IL. “It
was a tiny farm town,” she says. “My father and his
brothers got to the Midwest and my father opened awomen’s clothing store in the 1920s.” That upscale
store, owned by Max and Dorothy Hecht, operated
successfully until about 1960. “I was a spoiled child,”

she recalls. Hale, a musical prodigy, had alreadybegun taking piano lessons at age three. She had her
first paying gig at seven with the Horace Heidt band
and around this time became fascinated by the harp.
She demanded to have one and her parents couldn’t
refuse. The seeds of her activism were also planted
in childhood; with mother Dorothy occupied with
Hecht’s, Hale was largely raised by Mississippi-born
Idamae Cunningham. “One day, I declared,” Halerelates, “‘I’m going to join the NAACP.’ I don’t know
why, but I was always drawn to Black people.” Halestudied at the Chicago Music Conservatory and at
Interlochen Center for the Arts. Upon graduating highschool, she was poised to move to Hollywood to be amusician. To mollify her protesting parents she enrolled
in the nearby University of Wisconsin-Madison (where
she did join the NAACP), but determined, transferred
to UCLA in her sophomore year. She hit the groundrunning, playing professionally while a student. A TV
appearance one night startled her unknowing parents
back in Freeport.
Determination and ambition paid off. It wasn’tlong before that Merrilyn Hecht became Corky Hale,and a first-call studio musician playing harp, piano or
flute on recordings for that who’s who of performers.
She was encouraged to sing, working as a vocalist with
Freddy Martin at L.A.’s Cocoanut Grove. Her 1968
outing on The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson has
become a YouTube favorite; in that appearance Haleaccompanied Bennett and soloed on her own tune. As
she forged her career, playing in the recording studio,
and for films and television, as well as gigging, sheseemingly had no difficulties with “me too” momentsor the trials and tribulations of gender discrimination.
She attributes this charmed part of her life to her
professionalism—never playing through vocals as a
pianist and always providing excellent support. “Plus
I have perfect pitch,” she says. “I was very easy towork with.” Trumpeter Randy Brecker remembers
Hale’s professionalism and demeanor clearly—like “itwas yesterday.” He adds, “When she was on the gig,
you knew she would get the job DONE! There was noquestion about that! She was First Call… and usually it
was first take and DONE!” Ironically, as a jazz harpist,
Hale considers her piano skills to be as important, if
not more so, in her musical career. She gives props

to her contemporary, harpist Dorothy Ashby, but so
far no modern jazz harpist has impressed her. About
one she says, “She didn’t do much for me. Nothing.”
Vocalist-bassist Jay Leonhart is inclined to agree on the
excellence of Hale the harpist. “Corky was and still isthe finest jazz harpist I ever heard,” he firmly declares.
“She plays a mean piano and so she wants to play thesame stuff on the harp. Impossible, but she does it.”Hale has been married to Mike Stoller (of Lieber
and Stoller) since 1970. It has been, as the saying
goes, a match made in heaven, a union of soul mates.
But before this, Hale was married to a Los Angeles
knitwear manufacturer and consequently spent three
years living in Rome, where she got a gig on the
successful TV show Tempo di Jazz. Back in the U.S., she
continued to conquer show business, and not only as
a musician—Hale produced and performed in a series
for the City of Beverly Hills called Plaza Sweets and was
the associate producer of the hit show Fully Committed
at the Hollywood Coronet Theatre. Equally important
to her and Stoller has been their commitment to social
justice and activism. The couple are major donors to
the arts and progressive causes. They support Angel
Harvest, which delivers overages of food to theneedy. She is a fierce supporter of abortion rights,
active in Planned Parenthood, the National Abortion
Rights Action League (NARAL) and the Women’s
Reproductive Rights Assistance Program (WRRAP).
Still going strong and working, Hale has continued to
be a dynamo and superhero. Read her book to find out
more.

Thus possessing a big personality and big dreams,
Blanche Dorethea Jones Calloway, the eldest of fivechildren born to Cabell Calloway II, an attorney, andMartha Eulalia Reed, a Morgan State College graduate,teacher and church organist, was not to be dissuaded
from show business. Although young Calloway was
given piano and voice lessons, mother Martha wasadamant that Blanche pursue a “respectable” career.
But Calloway quit Morgan State at age 19 in 1921 forshow business, soon making her professional debut
in the historic all-Black musical on Broadway, Noble
Sissle and Eubie Blake’s Shuffle Along (which ran for506 performances from 1921-22). Calloway then moved
into the national tour of Plantation Days, which ended
in 1927 in Chicago. During that gig she found timein 1925 to record her own compositions with the first
iteration of her “Joy Boys” band, a group that included
none other than Louis Armstrong while in his early 20s.
It was on the Plantation Days tour, that Cabell
Calloway III, five years her junior, graduated from highschool and joined his sister on the road. When the tour
ended, Blanche remained in Chicago to perform at theSunset Café, bringing Cab along with her. “I was onlywith both of them simultaneously a very few times
during my childhood,” Brooks says, “and it seemed likethey were kind of wary of each other, but never hostile

like two cats. It was always fascinating and instructive
how two different offstage personalities could bothso successfully portray the same type of exuberant,
confident, electrifying persona on stage.” To that end,
Cab was busy advancing his career, relocating to New
York in 1929; his success brought him to the Cotton Clubto replace Duke Ellington’s band by 1931. Meanwhile,
Blanche’s popularity continued to spectacularly soar.
She was the first African American woman to lead an
all-male jazz orchestra. Her Joy Boys, which included
Chick Webb, Ben Webster, Cozy Cole, Bennie Moten
and others (later renamed Blanche Calloway and Her
Orchestra) recorded, toured worldwide and performedin New York at the Lafayette and Apollo Theatersand Harlem Opera House. One of her recordings, in
1931, “Just a Crazy Song (Hi, Hi, Hi)” had the calland response refrain “Hi, de, Ho”; that same year Cab
recorded “Minnie the Moocher” with the same refrain.
In Blanche’s own “Growling Dan”, the lyric evenreferences “Minnie the Moocher”.
Yet, despite the stunning successes, Calloway had
her struggles with racial and gender discrimination. She
frequently had to play to segregated audiences. While
touring in 1936, she was jailed for using the women’s

For more info visit corkyhale.com
Recommended Listening:• Kitty White—Kitty White (A Moment of Love)(Pacifica, 1954)• Herbie Harper—Herbie Harper Septet(Bethlehem, 1955)• Corky Hale—Plays George Gershwin and Vernon Duke
(Gene Norman Presents Corky Hale: Modern Harp Vol.17)(GNP, 1955-56)• June Christy—The Misty Miss Christy (Capitol, 1956)• Tony Bennett—Tony Makes It Happen(Columbia, 1966-67)• Corky Hale—Corky (Lass-Hale Productions, 1998)

PHOTO COURTESY OF FAMILY

LEST WE FORGETBLANCHECALLOWAY

BIG PERSONALITY, BIG DREAMSBY LYNN HEISERIn Cab Calloway’s 1976 memoir, Of Minnie the Moocher& Me, the popular and charismatic vocalist/bandleader
said of his sister, Blanche, that she was “vivacious…
and a hell of a singer and dancer.” Yet it was Blanche
who first made it big as an entertainer—a fact that
faded to the background in a history controlled bywhite patriarchy. Blanche taught little brother Cab (whoeventually eclipsed her) everything he knew aboutentertaining. Bandleader Christopher Calloway Brooks,
observed firsthand: “I spent much more time with mygrandfather Cab; I spent a fair amount of one-on-onetime with Aunt Blanche... and her off-stage personality
was always vivacious and similar to her on-stage
personality. This was in contrast to my grandfather,whose off-stage personality was quite different andmuch more subdued than his personality on stage.”

10 March 2024 | THE NEW YORK CITY JAZZ RECORD(CONTINUED ON PAGE 35)

L ABEL SPOTLIGHTAMBIANCESMAGNÉTIQUESLIBERTY, EQUALITY AND AU COURANT
BY KEN WAXMAN
K eeping a record company functioning for 40 years is

an achievement. Doing so with a label that is dedicatedto releasing experimental music of all kinds is even more
noteworthy. But since its founding in 1984, Montreal’s
Ambiances Magnétiques (AM) has done just that and todate has put out almost 300 albums of ensemble, jazz,song, poetry, improvised, jazz, rock and noise sounds
under the rubric of what the Québécois call “Musique
Actuelle.”
Explaining AM’s genesis, which very quickly
grew to include nine participating musicians, AMlabel director Joane Hétu says: “Those were the days
we wanted to do something different. We were allmusicians and we thought we were best-placed to
manage our music.” Any other label that put out
non-mainstream music was either affiliated with auniversity or produced straight-ahead jazz. “There
was no opening for the music we did.” In fact, a coupleof the collective’s members, who eventually included
André Duchesne, Jean Derome, Robert Marcel Lepage,
Diane Labrosse, Danielle Palardy Roger, Michel F Côté,
Martin Tétreault and Hétu, had tried to release projects
on two micro labels, which soon went bankrupt. Hétu,

Musiques Émeraude
Ensemble SuperMusiqueFilature
Joane Hétu

who is a saxophonist, vocalist and composer, has
released 40 different albums on AM. Annually, thelabel puts out a certain number of CDs—a numberthat has increased and decreased over the decades—with physical product now distributed by Distribution
Ambiances Magnétiques Etcetera Inc. (DAME), an
affiliated company founded in 1991. Since AM is a nonprofit enterprise, Hétu explains, the for-profit DAME
allowed the company to apply for grants, first from the
Canadian and then the Quebec government.
Individually, members of the collective can also
apply for grants to help produce their albums. Eachhas the right to release albums on AM, while Hétu
decides which non-members record for the imprint.
Besides herself, the staff is limited and sometimes
shared with a local electric-acoustic record company.
Montreal percussionist/composer Danielle Palardy
Roger, who has been part of the collective since 1985,
and has 20 AM releases, had been involved in ongoingmusical projects with Hétu even before that. “I belong
entirely and voluntarily to this label,” she affirms.
“Ambiances Magnétiques represents a very highquality sound and musical experience and it has built
up a superb reputation for producing and distributing
its records.” While she has had discs released onother labels, she says,“I’ve stayed loyal to Ambiances
Magnétiques because, in my opinion, it’s still the onethat best meets my needs and objectives.” Adds Hétu:“Artists are responsible for recording their music,
mixing and editing. They provide their album masterto us and DAME takes care of the mastering andproduction of the album such as cover design, printing
and CD duplication. DAME also offers promotion andOut of NowhereJoëlle Léandre/Quentin Sirjacq

distribution services.”
Since DAME now receives an annual grant fromthe provincial government, 50% of AM’s releases
must be by Québécois artists. The few non- Québécois
represented are what Hétu calls “friends andacquaintances.” DAME has never had the means to
respond to all the requests to record from artists aroundthe world. “Unfortunately, given our small team, I
opted to never respond to these requests; it’s easier thatway. It’s a shame, but DAME can’t do more,” she says.
One person who has recorded for AM is Toronto-based
pianist/composer Marilyn Lerner, who over the years
has put out about 30 albums, mostly jazz-oriented discs
on various imprints. On AM she’s represented by four
sessions, a solo piano disc and three with different
groups. “The artistic vision of Ambiances Magnétiques
is superlative, the best experience I have had to date,”
she asserts. “It’s a fabulous label, progressive, has awonderful design team, is easy to work with and chockfull of amazing talent on the roster.” Lerner adds that inher estimation, Hétu has promoted and fostered young
talent beside presenting works by the more establishedartists. “I feel that Joane really appreciated my music
and if the project I was doing felt right for the label she
put a lot of effort into producing and promoting it,”
Lerner adds. “There may be more value in considering
the huge contribution Ambiences Magnétiques has
made to the artistic and cultural life of Quebec, Canada
and worldwide in showcasing the phenomenallycreative talent in the improvised or Musique Actuelle
scene. It has provided international exposure for the(CONTINUED ON PAGE 35)

3
Lori Freedman

Luminance
Marilyn Lerner

VOX NEWSJAZZ ADJACENTBY SUZANNE LORGE

You would hardly suspect that Hilary Gardner, one
third of the smashing vocal jazz trio Duchess, grew up in
the (comparative) wilds of Alaska, immersed in country
music and Western swing. But on her newest record, On
the Trail with The Lonesome Pines (Anzic), she not only digs
into this musically rich past but reveals how it informs
her musically astute present.
Birthed during the stir-crazy days of the pandemic,
the album evokes the high skies and wide plains
memorialized by the “singing cowboys” in the first half ofthe 20th century. “These ‘trail songs’ have been neglected
for decades because they can’t be easily classified as jazzor country or pop or Americana—they’re a combinationof all those genres, and they inhabit a sonic landscapeuniquely their own, too,” Gardner says in the album’s
press release.
To this point, note how the loping groove and blues
licks of Gardner’s take on “Cow Cow Boogie”—first
popularized by Ella Fitzgerald in 1943—lend an earlyswing sophistication to the pastoral mood of the tune. Or
how the lilting pulse of Gene Autry’s “Under Fiesta Stars”
embodies the easy vibe of a traditional Mexican romantic
song. Or how the relaxed harmonies of “Twilight on the

Trail” (previously recorded by stars like Bing Crosby, NatKing Cole and Sam Cooke) still usher in the calm of thesetting sun, even if the trail in question is a homeward
commute in Manhattan. These tunes settle naturally—and familiarly—in Gardner’s lovely voice.
Notably, they were written when the U.S. wasseveral degrees closer to its pioneering past and imagesof the unsettled frontier were prominent in the American
imagination. Given the country’s fascination with thishistory—Western movies dominated our culture from the’30s to the ’50s—Gardner had plenty of material to draw
from, some of it even by popular Songbook composers
such as Frank Loesser (“Jingle Jangle Jingle (I Got Spurs)”)
and Johnny Mercer (“I’m an Old Cowhand (From the Rio
Grande)”). Gardner will officially release the album at
Birdland Theater (Mar. 3).
The ever-surprising Nellie McKay recently dropped
her first post-pandemic release, Hey Guys, Watch This
(Hungry Mouse)—her first album of original material in
13 years. Though native to New York and London, McKay
recorded this disarming collection in Charleston, WV, all
the better to capture the Appalachian sonority that runs
throughout. Listen, for instance, to the rollicking fiddle
on “Did I Catch You Dreaming”, the cheery harmonica
on “Lali” and the contagious bonhomie of The Carpenter
Ants, her “old-style R&B” rhythm section, on tunes
including “The Drinking Song” and “The Party Song”.
Even so, by McKay’s own admission, the record isn’tstrictly Appalachian in feel; her writing tends to straddle

jazz and indie rock, and her lyrics smack of an activist’s
defiance: “Reap the fruits of sweet resistance,” she singson “Make A Wish”. McKay performs at My Father’s Placeat the Roslyn Hotel in Glen Cove, NY (Mar. 1).
In 2022, electric guitarist, drummer and singer/
songwriter Cedric Burnside won a Best Traditional BluesGRAMMY for I Be Trying (Single Lock), a crowning reward
after his years dedicated to furthering the centuries-old
musical forms that sprung from the American South. He
continues this mission with Hill Country Love (Provogue/
Mascot Label Group), dubbed “an earnest explorationof roots and evolution in the Hill Country Blues genre.”
Recorded in Ripley, MS, these 14 tracks not only recall
the grinding blues of his grandfather, renowned guitarist
R.L. Burnside, but take the younger Burnside ever deeper
into their contemporary expression. Standout tunes:“Juke Joint”, a gritty homage to dive bars everywhere,
and “Funky Raw”, an explosion of irrepressible danceenergy.
New York singers step out for Women’s History
Month: First, Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra and vocalist
Tammy McCann honor the “Queen of Gospel” in Who Is
Mahalia Jackson? at Rose Theater (Mar. 16). Then, Louise
Rogers presents a set by all-female songwriters including
Elisabeth Lohninger, Andrea Wolper, Sue Maskaleris, Val
Hawk, Jhoely Garay and Lauren Lee at Pangea (Mar. 20).
Also at Pangea, Judi Silvano fronts her quartet (featuring
Joe Lovano) in a dedication to the late Jay Clayton as partof the Lady Got Chops Festival (Mar. 27).

THE NEW YORK CITY JAZZ RECORD | March 2024 11

F ESTI VAL REPORTWINTER JAZZFESTPHOTO BY ADRIEN H. TILLMANNBY TOM GREENLAND

Milena Casado @Winter Jazzfest

F rom a one-night event at the Knitting Factory in 2005,
the Winter Jazzfest has expanded over Manhattan
and Brooklyn to nine-days, including two nine-hourmarathon nights, with over a hundred participatinggroups. Founder/producer Brice Rosenbloom’s
commitment to innovation and his mission to present
artists from all walks of improvisation remains
unchanged. This year’s edition (Jan. 10-18) reaffirmedthat jazz is alive and kicking and changing with thetimes.
Drummer Tyshawn Sorey’s “Reimagines Max
Roach’s Members, Don’t Git Weary” was the official
festival opener at Brooklyn’s Public Records; thesecond night comprised three events: flutist/festival
Artist-in-Residence Shabaka and tenor saxophonist Joe
Lovano at Dizzy’s Club, Gilles Peterson at Nublu andDonald Harrison’s Music Omniverse at The Town Hall.
The first of Jazzfest’s Marathon nights occurred on the
Friday, the third night, and was held in nine Manhattan
venues in the Meatpacking District, Greenwich Village
and Alphabet City—with acts scheduled from 6 pm toafter 3 am. Festival attendees faced difficult choices:
attending shows at smaller venues: Zinc Bar, The Bitter
End and Loove Labs offered intimate settings but
required pre-planning and early arrival. Despite online
capacity updates, events in these venues typically led
to long lines in the street. Another frustration wastrying to simultaneously schedule “must-see” acts,
compounded by the physical separation of venues,
making it impossible to hear everyone you might want
to. Your correspondent’s plan was to visit each andevery venue (best accomplished on bicycle). The restof the plan adopted these mandates: don’t be afraid
to check out something completely unfamiliar, try tosurprise yourself and… see what happens.
First up on the Manhattan Marathon itinerary:
the City Winery, where Brazilian brujo Cyro Baptista
conjured seductive syncopations on triangle, jew’s
harp, waterphone or just the palms of his hands. At
Bitter End, French vocalist/violinist Aurore Voilqué
kept the jazz manouche flame kindled with rapid-firesolos, closely shadowed by her even faster fingered
guitarist, Simba Baumgartner. A quick dive into Zinc
Bar revealed pianist Micah Thomas’ light but emphatic
touch, enhanced by his supportive rhythm team.
Farther east, at Zürcher Gallery, trombonist Kalia
Vandever was finishing a solo set using electronic
loops that allowed her to create ad hoc, moving andmysterious brass chorales. South to Bowery Ballroom,
guitarists Marc Ribot and Mary Halvorson packed the
big hall, he on steel string acoustic, singing a Randy
Newman-esque ode to the Empire State Building, along(CONTINUED ON PAGE 32)

12 March 2024 | THE NEW YORK CITY JAZZ RECORD

Live JAZZ

Returns to

“...The most elegant spot in New York City”
Stephen Sorokoff, Broadway World
Antonio Ciacca
March 15, 16, 20, 22, 23, 27, 29 & 30
Eli Yamin - March 6, 8 & 9Adrian Galante
March 1 & 2Jill McCarron
Katie Cosco
March 7, 13, 21 & 28 March 14th
Wednesday through Saturday
6:00pm - 9:00pm
No Cover | No Reservations

2 EAST 61st STREET ON FIFTH AVENUE

TwoE_March_NYCJazzRcrdAdColor.indd 1

2/16/24 11:43 AM

jcsanford.com/shiftingparadigmrecords.com

JC Sanford

NEW PAST NYC CD Release Showfeaturing

Matt Mitchell (piano) and John Hébert (bass)
Festival Producer
Allan Molnar

Wednesday, March 27, 8:00pm
Scholes Street Studio
www.scholesstreetstudio.com

Mar.13-15, 2024
Lehman College Studio Theatre

Daytime events: 10am - 3:30pm
Live Broadcast! BronxNet Television | BronxNet Live Stream - BX Omni
Wed. March 13th (7:30 pm)
Salsa Picante!: A Night of Latin Jazz at Lehman College
Featuring Lehman College Percussion Ensemble and Latin Jazz Ensemble
Bronx Conexión Latin Jazz Big BandThu. March 14th (6:30 pm)
Celia Cruz Bronx High School of Music
Featuring Instrumental and Vocal Jazz Ensembles
Fri. March 15th (7:30 pm)
Jazz at Lehman College Featuring: Jazz Alumni
With special guests Mike Mainieri, Connie Grossman and Alan Eicher!
Festival Mission Statement:
The Johnny Pacheco Latin Music and Jazz Festival at Lehman College is an annual event which
provides performance and learning opportunities for talented young musicians who are studying
music in New York City schools. The Pacheco Festival is committed to developing a world-wide
audience via live Internet streaming and other forms of broadcast media. More than 250 student
musicians perform at this festival each year.
2024 Pacheco Festival Funding

This program is supported in part by a grantfrom The Louis Armstrong Educational Foundation, Inc.

““Trombonist-composer Sanford
deploys a refreshing understatement
and artfully dodges the temptation of
overkill or showboating without artistic
intent . . . The end result: Intrigue grows
in the respected spaces and inventive
twists of the music.”--Josef Woodard, DownBeattive twists of

I N ME MORIAM

PHOTO BY RACHEL COBB

Cobi Narita—a magnificent human being! Her
extraordinary life is the very definition of a life welllived and, in being so true to herself, she gave and gave
and gave: to her communities, to jazz, to the world. I’m
so grateful that our paths crossed. From its earliest days,
and for many years, International Women in Jazz was mycommunity, and had an undeniably positive impact on
my life in music. Cobi has moved on to produce the Great
Celestial Jam Session, but her legacy of action, activism
and powerful love remain forever.
—ANDREA WOLPER (vocals andInternational Women in Jazz, Former President)

Beloved Cobi Narita was a matriarch and patron saint to the
NY tap dance and jazz communities. Without her support
early on in my career, especially as a young woman in thefield, I would not be in the place where I am today. Cobi
made you feel loved, supported, valued and so much more.
There are countless memories filled with joy and laughter,and remembering her weekly sessions at Cobi’s Place whichharbored the tap dance community. Carrying on in thattradition of the jam session and weekly community gatherings,
for over 6 years Cobi Narita also sponsored the weekly tap
dance session I hosted at Smalls Jazz Club. Cobi is an angelthat touched our lives during her time here on Earth and I am
forever grateful that I got to know her. I will miss her dearly.
—MICHELA MARINO LERMAN (tap)NOBUKO“COBI” NARITA(1926-2023)

14 March 2024 | THE NEW YORK CITY JAZZ RECORD

Cobi was a living breathing institution dedicated to New
York jazz culture. If there was some project that needed
getting over a bureaucratic hurdle, Cobi could make that
happen. She will forever be missed in a world now devoidof her beautiful resourceful soul.
—CHARLES TOLLIVER (trumpet)
I met Cobi through a dear friend of mine, Pat Patrick(a musician’s musician and member of the Sun Ra
Arkestra), who introduced me to her and the Universal
Jazz Coalition on Lafayette Street. I was in awe of what
she was doing, and how many men and women she
assisted. I was growing, not only as a modest producer,
but my love of jazz worked well with my poetry writing.
I started performing my poetry with jazz musicians andwas the only non-musician founding member when Cobi
began the powerful and neededorganization,
International
Women in Jazz. I came tojazz in my 20s and still goingstrong now at 86 years of age.
And Cobi Narita will always be
a role model for me in my career,most importantly as a mentor to
emerging musicians, and poets.
—GOLDA SOLOMON (poet)
The jazz world of the ’70s was an arduous one
here in New York City. Most of the small clubsthat had sustained musician’s livelihoods had folded(we all remember the ones that didn’t). There was, as
there is still now, a small group of well-known players
who traveled around the world, playing festivals andheadlining at the major clubs and other venues, but foreveryone else, times were getting ever more challenging.
Add to that the way the music was coming to grips in a
post-Coltrane world where fusion music was becoming
ever more popular, and you can begin to understandthe waves of support and gigs and love that Cobi Narita
generated and that sustained so many musicians andlisteners alike.
The outlines of what Cobi did and when she did it
have undoubtedly been laid out by many people who
were closer to her than I. All I can add is that starting inthe ‘70s, and for many years afterward, Cobi Narita was aname that commanded respect from the highest echelonsof the jazz world for her integrity and dedication to
generating not only a loving circle of artists and creating
venues for them to socialize at but, most importantly, forgenerating gigs—moolah/bread—the very life blood that
let the musicians sustain their livelihoods in a music thatwas, in a commercial sense, an endangered species. Cobi
didn’t suffer fools gladly and developed an exquisitely
fine-tuned BS meter that never left her. It served her wellin a hurly-burly world.
May her memory ALWAYS be a blessing.
—LOREN SCHOENBERG (National Jazz Museumin Harlem, Founding Director/Senior Scholar)
Cobi Narita was a tour de force. Back in the ’70s you
couldn’t go anywhere without hearing about Cobior being involved in one of her projects. She always
supported women in jazz and I was lucky enough to be
on her radar at that time along with Janice Robinson,
Paula Hampton, Carline Ray, Bertha Hope, Kim Clarke,
Jean Davis, Willene Barton, Sarah McLawler and so manyother wonderful female musicians. We followed thetrailblazers of the ’30s and ’40s and Cobi knew about all ofthem. Cobi was involved with Lincoln Center where we
performed the IWJ (International Women in Jazz) Festival
at the bandshell. She also produced shows at Bryant Parkand of course at Saint Peter’s Church. She remembered
everyone’s name and what they played and supported us
in every way she could. And now we get to remember her
as the beautiful soul she was. Kudos to Cobi!
—ANDREA BRACHFELD (flute)NOBUKO “COBI” NARITA: A giant of a human being.
A pioneer. An organizer of bands even during the very
difficult circumstances of her teen years. A lover of tap
dance. A mentor of women in jazz. A promoter of jazz andjazz musicians. The founder of International Women in Jazz,
the Universal Jazz Coalition, of women’s jazz festivals andof two or three jazz clubs!
Is it possible that we are talking about one single person?
Could one woman do all this? Yes, incredibly. Cobi left alegacy that affected all in the jazz community. How different
our lives and paths would have been without her. Of my
most precious memories… There was the day when, muchto my surprise, she invited me to dinner in a restaurant.
Once seated, she said “It is a tradition to exchange gifts atthe start of our meeting. Here is mine. What do you havefor me?” Another is when she told me over and over, “I likeyour baritone playing. You’re a good baritone player. You
should play baritone all the time and promote yourself on
it!” And then there was the day I was “knighted,” when
Cobi said: “You can call me Mom!”—CAROL SUDHALTER (saxophones, flute)Anytime anyone ever asked me about Cobi Narita, I would
always say: “She is my Jazz Mother”. Cobi was always
there on the jazz scene ready to help anyone, including
newcomers. And, in 1960s New York, I was one of these very
fortunate “newcomers.” She introduced me to musicians
who were already established, knowing and hearing that
I belonged with them. She had that special ability to hearthose who would go on to become the real contributors to
the music. And she helped them. She made it happen. She
found opportunities for them to fit in with the imported
flow of the real music. Even more than that, she went outof her way to create and foster opportunities for numerous
jazz musicians through the projects she produced, venues
she engaged with, people she brought together—creating awelcoming network and musical home for all of us.
Cobi was sort of like a jazz angel seemingly tasked
by the Universe to seek out the “real deal” ones and bringthem out into the light, with no interest or gain to herself.
She was simply devoted to the music and helping it growand thrive. She was like a mother to all the overlooked/
underappreciated “underdogs” in jazz, an antithesis toforced, hoop-jumping demands of present-day recordlabels, agents, publicists, social media... She had real “jazzears” and knew how things were supposed to sound. Not
needing any kind of name recognition or draw power or
number of followers to tell her when someone had thatspecial something. Those fine-tuned jazz ears made her
instantly recognize who she should take under her generous
wing and help them grow and establish themselves. Just theway “mothers” do.
The enormity of Cobi’s contribution to this music is hardto grasp in words. Nevertheless, her legacy is documented
in the simple fact that so many of us got to where we aretoday as artists, thanks to having the fortune of crossing
paths with the one and only, “Jazz Mother” Cobi Narita.
—BILLY HARPER (tenor saxophone)
Cobi and I are of the same sign: Pisces. I’ll be 89 this month,
but we were celebrating her birthday when she was wellinto her 90s before she passed on last year at 97. Our vibes
and our accomplishments were parallel. She was gracious,very personable, always there for musicians and did a lot
for others, working closely to the many she helped and so
deeply cared about in the jazz community. We first met in
the late ’60s/early ’70s. She would help me to get an NEA
grant through her Universal Jazz Coalition and asked me toplay on numerous occasions, including at her Jazz Centerof New York on Lafayette Street, from my multi-saxophoneensemble to Coltrane tributes. It was just so gratifying toknow her. She lived a full, rich and very positive life, andwas just full of love. This month is her and my birthday
month. A lot of my contemporaries are now gone, but thecreators have let me stay on. I do miss Cobi deeply.
—GEORGE COLEMAN (tenor saxophone)

When I think of Cobi Narita, I have to thank her for her
work within the jazz community, as she helped so many jazzartists build their careers. She would assist them in getting
grants, doing concerts and, for a number of years, she was
the Executive Director of the Collective Black Artists, Inc.
She was responsible for the successful funding of the CBAin the presentation of The Town Hall concerts in New York,
along with various workshops that addressed musical andbusiness areas. The CBA ensembles put many musicians towork and presented artists with newer areas of performance.
Cobi’s work with female jazz artists, through her manyefforts, gave them a career push. Thank you, Cobi, for youryears of creative, hard work in the jazz business.
—JIMMY OWENS (trumpet)
We always hear about musicians who dedicated their life tothis music—Cobi was just as legendary in her dedication.
Her devotion to the musicians and to creating a space andtime for the music to live in and have its “Being” took
decades and was a way of life for Cobi. Her presence will
always be felt but she will be missed down here below.
—WENDY OXENHORN(Jazz Foundation of America, Founding Director Emeritus)
I met Cobi in the late ’70s as the secretary at the Collective
Black Artists, an organization that hosted a music businessclass that I attended under Professor Jimmy Owens. She
was a highly respected, positive, encouraging influence
who knew and deeply cared for the jazz community. She
guided me with life-changing advice regarding NEA(National Endowment for the Arts) grants and later
provided me with the opportunity to perform with thelate great Mary Lou Williams on the very first Women’s
Jazz Festival. Cobi helped us all, from her regular
newsletter to the formation of Universal Jazz Coalition
and International Women in Jazz, informing the public
while uniting the community. She was a warm, loving
and wise humanitarian with a big heart.
—KIM CLARKE (bass)
International Women in Jazz, Inc. (IWJ) suffered a major
loss with the recent passing of our beloved co-founderand President Emeritus, Cobi Narita. Our condolences
to her family. For over 40 years Cobi was one of the mostinfluential jazz supporters. As an advocate for the jazz
community, she springboarded and supported many jazzmusicians’ careers. Her popular jazz festivals, concerts andopen mics as founder of the Universal Jazz Coalition, Cobi’sPlace and annual IWJ festivals at Saint Peter’s Church in
NYC were highly anticipated and well-attended by the jazz
community. When I became president, she was there for
consultation and guidance and ready to assist in resolving
issues. Her contributions to IWJ are deep-rooted and we
pay tribute to Cobi by continuing to convey her philosophy,
philanthropy and vision. We thank her for sharing her giftsof love and appreciate her tireless efforts as we continue topreserve her legacy. Rest in peace dear Cobi.
—JACQUELINE LENNON(International Women in Jazz, President)
Cobi was a true Samaritan for a community of wonderfulmusic players, some of whom may not have been at thecenter of the popular scene. She was appreciated for her
generous spirit and she truly loved the music and themusicians.
—MONTY ALEXANDER (piano)
Cobi Narita single-handedly held the jazz community
together for decades through her Universal Jazz Coalition.
We always knew what was going on in the community
through her regular UJC newsletters. There were somany wonderful concerts at many venues around the city
including Cobi’s Place. My mother, Carline Ray, was very
close to Cobi which is how I met her back in the ’80s. I
will always be grateful for Cobi’s passionate support andencouragement. Thank you, Cobi!
—CATHERINE RUSSELL (vocals)

I knew Cobi and always tried to support her efforts. It
should be suggested for her to receive a posthumous
NEA Jazz Master Award for Jazz Advocacy. She may
have been gentle and quiet-spoken, but she did SO muchto promote jazz—from the Universal Jazz Coalition andthe UJC’s “Salute to Women” (which became The New
York Women’s Jazz Festival) to the Jazz Center of New
York and Cobi’s Place and so much more. I have fondmemories of how she was also instrumental in Abbey
Lincoln’s career because I loved Abbey and we weregood friends. Bright moments.
—DORTHAAN KIRK(WBGO Jazz FM Founder/Emeritus)
Cobi Narita became one of the most important people in
my life, beginning in the ‘70s, here in New York City. She
was a warm, compassionate woman who not only loved
jazz as an artform, but additionally she was an active force
in keeping jazz musicians employed in a number of venues
that she created and financed. Cobi recognized that women
jazz musicians had no organization and little support as agroup, so she made it possible for us to know each otherand then created spaces for us to play. Drummer Paula
Hampton (niece to Lionel Hampton and sister of Slide
Hampton) and I formed the all-women group Jazzberry
Jam! as a result of Cobi’s efforts to encourage women tostrengthen their visibility on the jazz scene. Cobi was atremendous business resource and was always available toadvise me and others and to cheer us on in our latest projects,
in addition to sponsoring them in her performance spaces.
She was generous with both her spiritual and financial
resources and was always ready to help underwrite aproject and provide support in any way needed. She will becherished forever in my memory as someone who changed
the direction for women in a powerful way.
—BERTHA HOPE (piano)I, and everyone else, loved, admired and respected Cobi
dearly. She was my biggest supporter and actually gave mysmall ensemble Ascensión its very first paying gigs. She also
was the one who gave me a platform in music education as
she got me numerous school concert appearances throughher association with Arts Connection. Those appearances
honed my skills not only as an educator, but as a leader
and they’re reflected when you see me onstage today.
That’s all because of her. The amount of musicians, who
she helped provide work for, are too numerous to mention.
As a concert promoter she also thought outside the box,
coming up with innovative events and, more than anyone
else I’ve met, she gave a platform for women to shine asmusicians. The entire jazz community owes her a debt
of gratitude that can’t be repaid. May she be where shebelongs, with the angels.
—BOBBY SANABRIA (drums, percussion)
Her over 40 years of accomplishments in jazz as animpresario, and the impact she had on the NYC jazz scene,in particular, is well known in our community of musicians,
composers, presenters, educators and audience members.
Cobi was a true champion and advocate for all aspects ofthis American art form we call jazz.
Cobi was also understanding, loving and caring. She
made a space better just by being in it. First meeting her
was one of those iconic moments that has stayed with me.
I was introduced to her by jazz musician Dr. Aaron Bellat Saint Peter’s Church (the “jazz church”) and she wassurrounded by an admiring group. It was clear that she was
the one everyone wanted to speak with. When we met, she
was genuinely interested in hearing that I had started myjourney in jazz and generously invited me to reach out at
any time. And I did. That and her warm handshake withher joyful smile is a memory that I can think about and getthat same feeling I had when we first met. With Cobi it wasboth what she said and how she made you feel that will
forever endure.
—ROBIN BELL-STEVENS (Jazzmobile, President)

THE NEW YORK CITY JAZZ RECORD | March 2024 15

WOMENIN JAZZALBUM REVIEWS

Life’s a Gig
Vanisha Gould/Chris McCarthy (Fresh Sound)by Anna Steegmann

Vocalist Vanisha Gould fell in love with jazz when her
brother, pianist and composer Victor Gould, introduced herto the music of Ella Fitzgerald and Louis Armstrong. She hassince collaborated with fellow vocalist Lucy Yeghiazaryan(on the album In Her Words) and released several singles.
Chris McCarthy, on the other hand, is an in-demand jazzpianist who has released two previous albums (Still Timeto Quit and Priorities) and is known for his inventive
and sensitive work with vocalists. The two have been
performing together since 2016 and Life’s a Gig represents an
excellent showcase for their respective talents and musicalchemistry. The duo creates an ambiance that transports us toa ’40s/50s jazz club where we might nurse our cocktails andheartbreak: nine ballads narrate romance, falling in and outof love, and overcoming sorrow and hardship. McCarthy’s
piano playing suitably and exquisitely reflects the overallmood, especially in his solos, while empatheticallycomplementing Gould’s storytelling. Whether her voice isbold and vigorous or soft and unhurried, she always seems
to express the essence of each selection.
For “Aisha”, the vocalist wrote the lyrics to the McCoy
Tyner melody, under which McCarthy creates an intimate,heartfelt tone. Gould’s soulful singing and impeccablephrasing convey the song’s message of taking a chance onlove and chasing the blues away. “What a Little Moonlight
Can Do” (Woods) is a fresh take on the beloved standard,featuring exceptional piano soloing and Gould’s scatting
chops. Her original composition “Fall in Love With Me in
Fall” presents her partner’s most outstanding piano workon the album, while guest violist Kayla Williams enhances
the elation/anticipation expressed in the song as we hear
Gould’s influence of Billie Holiday. Most surprising isthe duo’s interpretation of Dolly Parton’s “Jolene” (again
featuring violist Williams), which is performed in a slow
tempo but with remarkable rhythmic variations. Gould’svoice is pleading and full of anguish. “Between the Devil
and the Deep Blue Sea” (Arlen/Koehler) honors Fitzgerald’s
version while simultaneously sounding present-day. The
same can be said for “Monk’s Dream” (Monk/Hendricks).
If you love Nina Simone, Holiday and Carmen McRae,
you will absolutely love Vanisha Gould, for she is apersuasive musical storyteller cut from the same cloth. And
McCarthy’s superlative piano accompaniment is a bonus.

Anzic albums to date), Hilary Gardner has just released an
attractive jazz-tinged country album On The Trail. In theliner notes, she comments that it was conceived during the
pandemic where she dreamed of “wide open spaces andthe freedom to roam”. Upon researching different trail
songs written by singing cowboys and jazz luminaries, shethus assembled this collection with the intent of conjuring
all the romantic mythology of the American West.
Starting off with the swinging shuffle of “Along
the Navajo Trail”, guitarist Justin Poindexter plays acool pedal steel. Gardner has a classy swagger in her
vocal delivery, backed by simple trucking from herrhythm section of Noah Garabedian (bass) and Aaron
Thurston (drums), which maintain the laid-back tempo.
Her golden tone and vocal ease shine beautifully
against the stark bass accompaniment intro of the lilting
ballad “Call of the Canyon”. The uber-relaxed delivery
spotlights the vocalist’s excellent diction and spot-on
intonation over the tune’s chromatic melody, enhanced
by perfect mandolin strumming, which charges thenrecedes. Poindexter’s lovely solo with the sforzando
mandolin is placed underneath the quiet, pulsing
restraint of the band. “Under Fiesta Stars” is a gentle
cha cha, with gliding lines cascading from Gardner invocal harmony with Poindexter against Sasha Papernik’s
tasteful accordion contributions. The smoky dirge of “A
Cowboy Serenade” finds the leader taking long phrases
with superb breath control and a change in vibrato. Her“yippy-kai-ayes” are soulful and hypnotizing. Spooky
tremolo-picking and vintage, sublime reverb complete
the mood, the swooning feeling enhanced when
Poindexter switches to deftly-played, reedy organ on
the bridge. Thurston doubles the hi-hat and adds a little
more snare slap for the guitar solo, even hinting at a flattire groove on the bridge out. The ’70s Americana rocknumber “Sing a Song of the Sierras” features Gardner ina three-part Appalachian harmony. The strong melody
is delivered with laser-like pitch and precision thatwavers so slightly into the most eloquent vibrato fromthe vocalist at the end of the lines. The bridge swings,
bolstered by Poindexter’s pedal steel before morphing
into a jazzy-picked solo. “I’m an Old Cowhand (From the
Rio Grande)” (most memorably played in a jazz context
by Sonny Rollins on his classic 1957 album, Way OutWest) features a hand-drumming intro with dirty guitarand sly slide guitar work. The vocalist’s entry has a sassy
bounce as she takes her time on this beloved Western/country standard. Album closer “Twilight on the Trail”
has a fun whistling intro, setting a lovely mood as thisgreat album rides out into the sunset.
Gardner and her band play a great set of no-nonsense
Western ballads and swing that will definitely have you
humming along.
For more info visit anzicrecords.com. Gardner’s album release
concert is at Birdland Theater Mar. 3. See Calendar.

Open Question Vol. 2
Daniel Carter/Ayumi Ishito/Eric Plaks/
Zach Swanson/Jon Panikkar (577 Records)
Magic Heart
Playfield (577 Records)by George Grella

Though the connecting thread between Open Question

Known for her previous work with the Anzic recordlabel and singing trio Duchess (which has recorded four

Arriale Trio—
R • Lynne
Being Human (Challenge)
Bryant—Plays and Sings: Completee • Clora
Recordings 1957-1960 (Fresh Sound)c • Sharel Cassity + Colleen Clark—(Shifting Paradigm)o • Alliance
Ephemeris [Louise Dam Eckhardt Jensen,
m Tom Blancarte, Carol Liebowitz, John
Wagner]—Ephemeris (Marsken)m • Bernard
Satoko Fujii Tokyo Trio—Jet Black (Libra)e • Charlotte Greve, Vinnie Sperrazza, Chris
Choir Invisible: Town of Twon Tordini—The
Faces (Intakt)d • Anni Kiviniemi Trio—Eir (We Jazz)
Léandre/Pascal Contet—e • Joëlle
Miniatures (Trost)d • Michelle Lordi—Two Moons (Imani)new

For more info visit freshsoundrecords.com. Gould and
McCarthy are at Ornithology Mar. 12 and Mezzrow Mar. 17.
See Calendar.

On The Trail
Hilary Gardner and The Lonesome Pines (Anzic)
by Brian Charette

Magic Heart features the addition of Aron
Namenwirth and Yutaka Takahashi (guitar, electronics)
plus Luisa Muhr (vocals). And though that addition of
personnel makes a difference in sound, the approach issimilar: music that sounds organized around thematic
material and a simple sense of form outlined by specificharmonic motion. There is still lots of space for solo
improvisations and collective improvisation to explore
alternate directions. Each album contains three tracks:
Magic Heart is open-ended and an hour long, while Open
Question Vol. 2 approaches a denser 40 minutes.
Magic Heart’s spacious sound provides each player
plenty of room to stretch out, interact and create acertain complexity that belies the generally relaxedsurface. That’s the intriguing quality of this album: it’sa quasi-dreamy aesthetic that could be an outtake fromIn a Silent Way mixed by Augustus Pablo. It’s taut andpurposeful underneath the gentle spaciness. Ishito’s
beefy sound on tenor is a compelling contrast to thepointillism of the guitarists and Carter’s legato playing.
It’s the freer album of the two, not just in the long, open
improvisations, but in the stretches exemplified in thetitle track that feature organized time and swing. Thisquality emerges underneath stabs from the guitarists,
twinned sax solos and Muhr’s scatting. That’s a quirky
and at times frustrating combination of surprises, but
all are possible when strong and sensitive improvisers
come together. However much there may seem a senseof drift, the strength of the album is in that drift and theunexpected that results.
Creative drift is also the strength on Open Question
Vol. 2. The smaller group puts the interplay and creativityof the rhythm section to the fore, and they deliver, as
does Ishito, who plays like she’s drawing strength from
Plaks and Panikkar especially, using this inspiration asfuel for her improvisational flights. Her often-gravellyVol. 2 and Magic Heart might be considered leader, multiinstrumentalist Daniel Carter, there’s such significant
overlap in the two—starting with Ayumi Ishito (tenor),as well Eric Plaks (keyboards), Zach Swanson (bass)
and Jon Panikkar (drums)—that the two releases could
almost be combined into a double-album.

16 March 2024 | THE NEW YORK CITY JAZZ RECORD

r
e
l
e
a
s
e
s

• Jill McCarron Trio—GIN (Jazz Bird)• Francisco Mela/Shinya Lin—
Motions, Vol. 2 (577 Records)• Yael Acher-KAT Modiano—
Nomad Imagination (Roots of Love) (Aliud)• Youn Sun Nah—Elles (Warner Music Arts)• Eva Novoa—Novoa/Gress/Gray Trio Vol. 1(577 Records)• Potsa Lotsa XL—Chamber Works(Trouble in the East)• Mai Sugimoto—Sunlight Filtering ThroughLeaves (Asian Improv)• Trespass Trio (feat. Susana Santos Silva)—
Live in Oslo (Clean Feed)• Lisa Ullén—Heirloom (Fönstret)• VoicEquilibrium (Pernille Mejer Richardt)—
Depth & Ease (AMP Music)• Mamiko Watanabe—Being Guided By The Light (JoJo)WOMENIN JAZZ
timbre is a fine contrast to Carter’s singing sound. There
are moments on “Peach Blossom” that seem lost, andCarter’s trumpet playing is not up to the level of the restof his horns, but this is still a concentrated, focused andmusically successful album.
For more info visit 577records.com. Ayumi Ishito is at
Downtown Music Gallery Mar. 12 and 19, and at Main DragMusic with Marc Edwards Slipstream Time Travel Mar. 20.
See Calendar.

Devotion
Muriel Grossmann (Third Man)by Elliott Simon

Muriel Grossmann, an Ibiza-based saxophonist, hasbuilt a distinguished career with a focus on modal jazz,
using it as a foundation for both sonic and spiritual
exploration. The double-LP Devotion presents a fresh
all-encompassing sound and includes her standby
bandmates, including electric guitar wizard Radomir
Milojkovic and the intensely perceptive and insightful
drumming of Uros Stamenkovic. The release also
introduces Abel Boquera on the Hammond B3 organ,
who brings a heavy dose of soulful sauce complementing
the leader’s trademark piety. This shift in direction
began five releases ago with the incorporation of theB3 into their sound (Reverence, 2019). Since that time,
the band has grown into a world-class integrated unit,
and the members know when to step back and let thecompositions unfold. This new release is the group’s
realization of embodying a broader scope, analogous
to presenting full symphonies rather than focusedconcertos.
Side one is devoted to “Absolute Truth” and before
Grossmann blows a note, the atmosphere assumes acaptivating persona. Milojkovic skillfully adds depthwith slide guitar, setting the stage for the saxophonist’s
entrance with a hypnotic riff unifying a piece that
culminates as Grossmann switches between saxophone
and flute. The dead-wax provides a moment of runout respite, allowing the lingering satisfaction of themusic to settle in, ensuring that the listener remains
sonically sated. The remaining three sides are a headycombination of her powerful and creative horn in amilieu of expressive B3 grooves, psychedelic/jazz/rockguitar, the blues and world beats.
Side two includes sister compositions “Calm” and“Care”. Both have catchy melodies, while the former
is an elegant blues/rock outing that showcases theband’s connectiveness, the latter is a B3-supported
excursion into soul/rock environs. Side three is a
potpourri with “Knowledge and Wisdom”, a trippy
psychedelic Eastern-influenced soprano fantasy, and“All Heart”, an Afrobeat cooker. The title cut is aunique take on Delta blues, in the context of modern
jazz, which features Grossmann on alto while “Motherof All” closes the fourth and final side with a return to
the group’s devout core.
Devotion is surprisingly the saxophonist’s U.S.
label debut, and with it she crafts a transcendent
musical experience, creating a musical “uber” state—amultifaceted journey through her diverse influences
and beyond. This Spring, she is set to embark on a
North American tour, a move that will greatly enhance
her profile here in the States.
For more info visit thirdmanrecords.com

Uncork a novel of delights!
Famed Jazz Musician Corky Haleregales readers with stories about
life, love, music and philanthropy...she’s been more fun than anyone I’ve everknown. This long overdue book is wild,
funny and outrageous just like Corky.
-Dyan Cannon
Corky is one of a kind. She’s a characterwith a heart of gold. Smart, empathetic,
generous and supportive of her friends
beyond the call.
-Sally Kellerman
Corky Hale is a rare American treasure,someone whose activism came of age
during the Civil Rights movement andwhose entertainment career has continued
to surge since Hollywood’s Golden Age.
-Eric Garcetti,
Former Mayor of Los Angeles
Talent, passion, commitment, joy; Corkycombines them all like no one else.
-Jason Alexander
Corky Hale plays so beautifully thather performances set the standard.
-Tony Bennett

Available in Paperback and Kindle on Amazon.
THE NEW YORK CITY JAZZ RECORD | March 2024 17

WOMENIN JAZZ

G LO B E U N I T Y

Dédé Java Espiritu
Marianne Trudel/John Hollenbeck (s/r)
Wild Knots
Silke Eberhard/Céline Voccia(Relative Pitch)
Elles
Youn Sun Nah (Warner Music Arts)
by Daniel A. Brown

I n honor of Women’s History Month, this editionof Globe Unity explores a set of recent international
duo albums by artists hailing from Canada, France,
Germany, South Korea and the U.S. The music
encompasses ideas born from the natural world andthe inorganic elements transmitting from the outerorbits of free improvisation, as well as a reverence
for a reinterpretation of celebrated standards andpopular songs; all offer a unified takeaway on thevast array of approaches offered by contemporary
female jazz artists.
Dédé Java Espiritu from Montreal-based
pianist-composer Marianne Trudel and drummercomposer John Hollenbeck is an impressionistic
15-song collection inspired by the bucolic mysteriesof nature. The title track is a churning, syncopatedinterplay between Trudel’s clipped piano notes
and Hollenbeck’s softly rhythmic shuffle. Over thecourse of the tune’s nearly 10 minutes, the pianist
explores West African melodies, nuanced blues
motifs and then dissolves into freeform exploration,
while Hollenbeck comments and retracts with animpressive volley of beats and rolls. The intuitive
interplay of “Résonances et échos” is a sensitive
call-and-response between Trudel’s rolling pianoswells and Hollenbeck’s wood blocks; throughchance or volition, a song structure develops fromtheir dialogue and then shimmers away. “Oceanmusique” finds the pair using overtones to createa Gamelan-like cluster of sound, the drummer/
percussionist scraping out percussive raindrops
over Trudel’s gentle, ringing melodies.
The seven performances of Wild Knots aredevil-may-care free improvisations conjured byGermany’s Silke Eberhard (alto) and France’s Céline
Voccia (piano). The album is a demanding listen,but Eberhard and Voccia’s evident proficiency
and passions draw us in to the experience. Album
opener “Exuberance” jumps the turnstiles, withthe listener feeling like an eavesdropper suddenly
privy to a manic conversation between the
saxophonist’s burnished horn lines and the jabbed
underpinning of Voccia’s scattershot piano tones.
“Gemini” offers a similarly accelerated volley of
discovered and discarded themes moving between
the pair. A counterpoint to this flurry of activity,“Paradoxe” floats and shifts at a glacial pace; using

quick two-note figures, the pianist seems to coax
Eberhard through a void of sound. At the halfway
point, Voccia rubs and then knocks her hand along
the frame of the piano, discarding notes altogether,and Eberhard concedes with a hushed melody as
the music collapses inward.
A 21st-century ambassador of the chanson
tradition, Elles, the latest from South Korean
vocalist Youn Sun Nah, reinterprets songs
associated with ten female vocalists, ranging from
Édith Piaf and Roberta Flack to Grace Slick andGrace Jones. In lieu of the roadhouse mysticism ofNina Simone’s definitive 1965 version, on “FeelingGood” Nah is joined only by American pianist
Jon Cowherd and synthesizer accompanimentfrom Tomek Miernowski to reduce the standard
into a soft-hued arrangement of chiming notes
and restrained vocals. “Sometimes I Feel Like a
Motherless Child” boasts the same minimalism,with Cowherd’s Fender Rhodes chords offering a
flickering framework for the vocalist to delve into
the innate fragility of the song’s forlorn lyrics. The
album takes a surprising layover with the arrivalof Jefferson Airplane’s “White Rabbit”. Gone is theoriginal version’s Ravel-style flamenco-psychedelic
menace, supplanted by Cowherd’s shifting chords
and Nah’s decidedly subdued yet still-emotive
delivery.
For more info visit mariannetrudel.com,
relativepitchrecords.com and younsunnah.com

Lynne Arriale Trio Being Human

THE JAZZ GALLERY
March 30st (07.30 pm, 09.30)

TINEKE POSTMA
ARIA GROUP“Postma’s mastery of freely lyrical improvisation”
2023“There’s endless detail in this music, but its
overall impression is as ﬂuid and indivisible as an
onrushing wave.” - Nate Chinen, WBGO Take 5
Rising Star Soprano Saxophone, Downbeat 2019

Pianist-composer Lynne Arriale’s 17th releaseas a leader is an exquisite suite of optimistic,
life-affirming compositions addressing a troubled,
divided world by exploring the shared humanqualities of passion, courage, love, persistence,courage, heart, soul, curiosity, faith, and joy.
Tineke Postma saxophones, Miles Okazaki
guitar, Hannah Marks bass, Dan Weiss drums
The Jazz Gallery, 1158 Broadway 5th
For tickets go to jazzgallery.org
More info tinekepostma.com

18 March 2024 | THE NEW YORK CITY JAZZ RECORD“...easily the most outstanding album we have heard
recently...summons all the resources that Arriale hasat her disposal from composition to performance,
deep immersion in the language of jazz piano anda trio that allows everything, beat, groove and pulse,
to break through and shine.” – HHHH Marlbank, UK
lynnearriale.com • challengerecords.com

WOMENIN JAZZ

Toshiko’s Blues
Toshiko Akiyoshi (Fresh Sound)
Melba Liston And Her ’Bones
Melba Liston (Fresh Sound)
Bird Call
Vi Redd (Fresh Sound)by Scott Yanow

F emale instrumentalists (particularly those who were
not pianists) have always had it rough in the jazz
world, with many fine musicians from the past being
lost to history not having the opportunity to record.
Each of the three artists here had their struggles.
In the ’50s, Toshiko Akiyoshi had the added
difficulty of not only being a female non-singing pianist,but one who was Japanese and potentially being seen as
a novelty in the U.S. She had the good fortune of being
discovered by Oscar Peterson, who recommended her
to producer Norman Granz, who recorded her for his
Norgran and Verve labels. She also impressed George
Wein who documented her on Storyville. The two-CD
set Toshiko’s Blues includes the long out-of-print albums
Toshiko’s Piano (Norgran), The Toshiko Trio (George Wein
Presents Toshiko) (Storyville) and The Many Sides ofToshiko (Verve) plus four songs from the 1957 Newport
Jazz Festival, two selections from the television show
The Subject is Jazz, and half of her performances from
Toshiko—Her Trio Her Quartet (the remainder is available
on a Boots Mussulli CD release). Already a brilliant
pianist, Akiyoshi is showcased in a trio (except for theearliest set which has guitarist Herb Ellis), receiving
swinging and sympathetic accompaniment by bassists
Ray Brown, Paul Chambers, Oscar Pettiford, Gene
Cherico or Eddie Safranski and drummers J.C. Heard,
Ed Thigpen, Roy Haynes or Jake Hanna. The pianist
sounds very much like Bud Powell (a primary idol andinfluence) on the initial album from 1953 but shows a
bit more individuality on the sessions from 1956-58,
particularly on her originals, which comprise half of thematerial. Akiyoshi would later become renowned as anarranger-composer and leader of her own distinctive bigband while never losing her love for Powell’s playing.
Melba Liston was the first significant female jazztrombonist to record. She worked with arrangerbandleader Gerald Wilson in Los Angeles during
1944-48, sounded fine on a quintet session with Dexter
Gordon and played briefly with the big bands of
Dizzy Gillespie and Count Basie. Tired of the constantsexism, in 1950 she temporarily left music to get a dayjob, but after four years returned, touring the world
with Gillespie’s big band in 1956-57. By then, herarranging talents were overshadowing her abilities asa trombonist. In later years Liston was championed
and often hired by Randy Weston as an arranger. Melba
Liston And Her ‘Bones is the only album that she everled and the reissue’s first eight selections, from 1958,
comprise the music from the original record, whichfeatures Liston as one of four trombonists in a septet.
The personnel is different on the two sessions with
Liston holding her own with trombonists Bennie Green,
Al Grey, Benny Powell, Jimmy Cleveland, Frank Rehak
and Slide Hampton. The colorful music (all Listonarrangements) is straight ahead and swinging. For the
CD reissue, the four selections that she recorded ona sextet date (Jazzville Vol. 2) with fellow trombonist
Rehak (who was actually the leader) in 1956 are
included, and in a similar style.
Vi Redd was a bluesy and boppish alto saxophonist
with her own sound. In 1962 she led two albums (BirdCall and Lady Soul) but that was nearly her entire
recording career. Redd did tour with Count Basie in
1968, took a vocal on a Gene Ammons jam session
album and played alto on a Marian McPartland album

in 1977, but otherwise gigged now and then in Los
Angeles and slipped away into obscurity. It was amajor loss, for on Bird Call, which consists of a sextet
session with Carmell Jones (trumpet) and Roy Ayers(vibraphone), and a quintet date with Russ Freeman(piano) and Herb Ellis (guitar), she sounds in top form
both as an altoist and occasionally as a singer. Most of
the songs were associated with Charlie Parker, otherthan two Leonard Feather compositions (including “I
Remember Bird”), and Redd consistently creates freshand inventive statements, making one wish that she
had been able to do much more in her career.
For more info visit freshsoundrecords.com

ON SCREEN

Soundies: The Ultimate Collection
Various Artists (Library of Congress-Kino Classics)
by Paul Gaita

Coincidental Moment
Lisa Hilton (Ruby Slippers Productions)by Tristan Geary

Unapologetically bluesy, pianist Lisa Hilton’s
Coincidental Moment showcases nine new compositions
and two arrangements. Her 29th release (27 in the
U.S. and two in Asia) balances feel-good grooves withintrospective, eerie and atmospheric compositions.
From the very first track, “Anxiety Society”, Hilton
pulls a deep, full-bodied sound from her instrument,
establishing a special fondness for the piano’s bass range
throughout the album. Her left hand, an unstoppablestaccato machine, often syncs up with bassist Luques
Curtis in satisfying ostinatos on originals such as“Anxiety Society” and “Multiple Perspectives”. A
West coaster, Hilton endows her playing with a natural
coolness, relaxed and seldom overblown, tipping her
hat to the genre’s “cool jazz” forebears who settled on
the Golden Coast.
Mysterious titles reflect mysterious compositions.
The original “Enigmatic Adventure” evokes preciselythat with a dreamy atmosphere immediately establishedthrough an inviting whole-tone cascade. The piecehighlights Rudy Royston’s textural and intimate
drums and percussion and Igmar Thomas’ airy andpunctuated trumpet playing. It also unspools a buoyant
Latin rhythm with interstitial moments of expansive
meandering. What’s created are modal washes thatenvelop the listener and injects the track with a healthy
dose of what Jelly Roll Morton referred to as the “Spanish
Tinge”. Returning to the groove, Hilton tastefully laysout, confidently allowing the piece to float as Thomas’
unfolding trumpet lines dance around bass and drums.
One of the covers on the album is an arrangement of
Lana Del Rey’s “West Coast”. The leader plumbs thedepths of the already moody pop tune, drawing out
its melancholy and taking it to new levels of lamenting
blueness. Thomas’ muted trumpet sparsely doubles the
melody, adding further gravitas to the arrangement.
The album selections pitch striking moods against eachother, plus there’s a naturally mellow rendition of Miles
Davis’ (or Bill Evans’, depending on your sources) “Bluein Green”, digging deep into pensive realms, whileothers, such as “Jagged Lil’ Blues” and “Happily Go
Luckily” both steep in an infectious bluesy attitude. The
album wraps up with “Uncommon Poetry”, a tendersolo piano piece, offering a warm, reflective closing
thought from the award-winning pianist.
For more info visit rubyslippersproductions.com. Hilton’s
album release concert is at Weill Recital Hall Mar. 14. See
Calendar.

It’s entirely understandable that the term “soundies”
might not ring a bell. These were early music videos,short black-and-white films viewed on “Panorams,”
coin-operated rear-projection machines. Soundies
were produced between 1940-47, and remain best
known today by culture historians such as Susan
Delson and Mark Cantor, both of whom lend theirexpertise to Kino Lorber’s new Blu-ray presentation,
Soundies: The Ultimate Collection. Beyond the uniquecharms of soundies, the more significant takeaway
from The Ultimate Collection is the sheer numberof female performers, artists of color and multiple
genres on display in the shorts.
Soundies were directed by mostly anonymous
filmmakers who toiled almost exclusively in thisarea of short subjects, which ranged from staged
performance pieces to elaborate fantasies with(budget-minded) visual effects and choreography.
The former is exemplified by “Jam Session” featuring
Duke Ellington and His Orchestra delivering “C-Jam
Blues”, with solos by Ben Webster, Barney Bigard
and Rex Stewart; similar soundies featured Count
Basie (“Airmail Special”), Stan Kenton (“Jammin’ in
the Panoram”), the Nat King Cole Trio and others,
all of which are included in the set. As for the latter,
the soundies veer from the sublime—dancers Grace
Poggi and Igor Dega drifting through rear-projected
clouds in “May I Have the Next Trance” and Marian
Lawrence and Her Dancers filtering Indian classicaldance through Hollywood-style Arabian fantasies
in “Swinging in a Harem”—to the ridiculous: SpikeJones and Mel Blanc’s barroom antics in “Clink!
Clink! Another Drink”.
And while stereotypes abound in soundies (seeIvan Scott’s grimly unfunny “Ching Chong”), theformat also took an inclusive approach to its subjects
extending beyond musical genres; these included
shorts featuring Latin, pop, hillbilly, novelty andfaux exotica acts along with jazz musicians. The onscreen talent counts a notable number of womenamong their number. In these shorts, the focus issquarely on the performer’s musical talent: a youthfuland exuberant Sister Rosetta Tharpe leads the LuckyMillinder Orchestra through “The Lonesome Road”
and “Four or Five Times”. Women-centric orchestras
including the International Sweethearts of Rhythm
were also filmed, giving such groups a rare chance at
visibility and to shine. In the accompanying bookletof The Ultimate Collection, Delson notes that thisfocus on diversity is particularly crucial in the caseof performers who are sorely unrepresented in any
medium, such as the hard-driving boogie-woogie
pianist Lynn Albritton (“Dispossessed Blues”) or the
Chinese vocal group the Kim Loo Sisters (“Gee! The
Jeep Jumps”).
As a showcase for rare musical film shorts andeven rarer artist diversity, Soundies: The Ultimate
Collection shines.
For more info visit kinolorber.com

THE NEW YORK CITY JAZZ RECORD | March 2024 19

WOMENIN JAZZ

Volume 1: Small Ensemble Repertoire
Cecilia Smith/The Mary Lou Williams
Resurgence Project (Innova)
Mary Lou Williams: Zodiac Suite
Umlaut Chamber Orchestra (Umlaut)by Fred Bouchard

The Pittsburgh-reared pianist Mary Lou Williams

traveled the Black vaudeville T.O.B.A. (Theatre Owners
Booking Association) circuit, anchored Andy Kirk’s
Clouds of Joy, soloed at toney Café Society while jammingon the edge at Minton’s Playhouse, hosted radio on
WNEW, mastered Joplin rag, Waller stride, innovatedin swing and bebop and even mentored Thelonious
Monk and Bud Powell. Her oeuvre of 350 works span
secular songs to classical chamber music and big band
charts to liturgical hymns and masses. Williams’ legacy
also includes four years of artist residency at Duke
University, opening her home to rehabilitating needy
musicians and launching a foundation with heiress
Doris Duke; her personal aesthetic embraced feminism,
Catholicism and civil rights.
Since 2000, veteran vibraphonist Cecilia Smith has
immersed herself into the lore and legacy of pianist/composer Williams. Investigating the then newly
promulgated Williams Collection at Rutgers University’s
Institute of Jazz Studies at the behest of a hip Catholic
congregation in Brooklyn, Smith, herself a Berklee
College alumna and ex-prof, became delighted with the

RACHEL Z SENSUAL

breadth and depth of Williams’ accomplishments. Smithapproaches The Mary Lou Williams Resurgence Project’s
Volume 1: Small Ensemble Repertoire with meticulous
reverence and boundless joy. Modest, swinging, relaxed,soulful, generous: such adjectives apply equally to thevibist as with the honoree. Smith’s band—Lafayette
Harris Jr. and Carlton Holmes (pianos, organs), Carla
Cook (vocals), Kenny Davis (bass) and Ron Savage(drums), find themselves on the same illuminated page.
The leader’s edgy, playful album opener (“Sketch 1 –Truth Be Told for MLW”) shifts gears and quotes Monk’s“Rhythm-A-Ning“ (a melody, which he acquired from
Williams, but even predates her), paying truth toDuke Ellington’s Williams honorific as “perpetuallycontemporary.” Davis and Savage (Berklee Collegeveep) lay down patterns worthy of a Modern(-ized) Jazz
Quartet on two versions of “Miss D.D.” (composed for
Doris Duke). Cook coos reflective, quizzical Williams
ballads; musicologist Dr. Tammy Kernodle writes
expansive notes and an encomium for speaker (andWBGO host) Sheila Anderson. Two live tracks stretchingstylistic eras cap a worthy tribute to this mysterious,
resilient artist who recalled her youth with affectionate
awe as “the little piano girl of Liberty Hill.”
Resurgence takes imitative form in yet anotherrecent interpretation of Williams’ signature masterwork
Zodiac Suite (1945). Europe-based Umlaut Chamber
Orchestra’s director, Pierre-Antoine Badaroux, having
dusted off and refurbished 42 (!) compositions from theWilliams archives for a 2021 double-album set, tackled
reassembling and correcting the previously mishandled
Suite in which Williams emulates the midcentury
classical styles of Gershwin, Ravel and Hindemith.
The tidy 39-minute result might double as an elegant
Hollywood studio soundtrack: squeaky-clean episodes
feature caricature crafted “solos” for piano, muted
trombone, bassoon, voice and tenor sax (“Taurus”
presages Mancini’s “The Pink Panther Theme”).
For all its light-hearted whimsy, this formal “pops”

Rock your body and stimulate your mind…heal your soul.
"Sensual" is an album that pushes the boundaries ofcontemporary music, blending elements of jazz, rock, folk,
and world music to create a truly unique and captivating
sound. Rachel Z, a virtuoso pianist known for her expressive
playing and innovative compositions, takes the lead incrafting the album's healing melodic mantras and harmonies.

available
March 29th
Rachel Z - piano
Omar Hakim - drums
Jonathan Toscano - bass
Matt Penman - bass
Mino Cinelu - percussion
Photo by John Abbott
Album Art by Miho Morita

rachelz.com

For more info visit innova.mu and umlautrecords.com

Two MoonsMichelle Lordi (Imani)by Keith Hoffman

On the first day of this recording, Michelle Lordi andher rhythm section recorded a unique “Blue Moon”,
with a delicate, haunting beauty modulating between
the major Richard Rodgers wrote it in, and the minor.
This likely happened because her “rhythm section”
consisted of three of the greatest, most imaginative
musicians on Earth, Tarbaby: Orrin Evans (piano), Eric
Revis (bass) and Nasheet Waits (drums).
That night Lordi had a post-apocalyptic dream that,
oddly enough, was also hopeful. This dream became theunifying theme of Two Moons, Lordi’s fourth leader date.
Her recounting became “Both”, a spoken word pieceover a musical vamp, that is horrifying, lovely, funnyand sad. This is courageous work of the highest order.
Two Moons explores the ambiguity of our experience,and the ambivalence we feel.
The vocalist is also a supremely gifted songwriter.
She told me she thought of “Never Break” as an ’80s roller

B OXED SE T

Four Women: The Nina Simone Complete Recordings
1964-1967
Nina Simone (Verve)
by Jason Gross

Originally released in 2003 as a 4-CD boxed set, thisvisit dottimerecords.com to orderversion captures a rich aspect of Williams’ fertile andexploratory imagination. A scratchy b/w concert video
even accompanies “Scorpio”, shot in eerie, eldritch
Orson Welles-style.

luxurious 7-LP set is a fine way to rediscover one of themost vital catalogs from the ’60s. After an impressive runof albums in the late ’50s and early ’60s, Nina Simone’s
dark, rich voice and sparkling piano hit its stride on the
Dutch Philips label in the ’60s as she simultaneously
became a Civil Rights icon. Spanning 75 songs across four
years, including some of her best loved material, the set
offers an embarrassment of riches in highlights to enjoy.
Nina Simone In Concert (1964) sparks with some jokey
audience interaction before moving into the politicallydriven Kurt Weill/Bertolt Brecht “Pirate Jenny” and the
now historic, anti-racism anthem, “Mississippi Goddam”.
Broadway-Blues-Ballads (1964) features an intense Simone
with the original, aching version of “Don’t Let Me Be
Misunderstood”, the yearning, simmering “Don’t TakeAll Night” and declamatory percussion-based folk/
playground song “See-Line Woman”. I Put A Spell On

20 March 2024 | THE NEW YORK CITY JAZZ RECORD

You (1965) offers the sultry, joyous “Feeling Good”, theheartbreakingly sweet “You’ve Got To Learn” and theassertive, scatting bluesy title track. Pastel Blues (1965) has
some interesting stylings—including “Be My Husband”,
mimicking a prison work song and bluesy R&B on “Ain’t
No Use”—but will be remembered for the 10-minuteplus drama of “Sinnerman” featuring a galloping guitarand clapping section. Let It All Out (1966) leans heavily
toward languid material such as the melancholy “TheOther Woman” and the a cappella “Images”, balanced by
the triumphant “For Myself” and a folk-blues take on Bob
Dylan’s “The Ballad of Hollis Brown”. Wild Is the Wind
(1966) favors stark, minimal backgrounds (for example
the drawn-out vocals on the title track and “Black Is the
Color of My True Love’s Hair”) and features pointed
and telling commentary of racial stereotypes in “Four
Women”. The final LP, High Priestess of Soul (1967), may
well be Simone’s greatest accomplishment and mostvaried set of the ‘60s. It features a soul-pop take on Chuck
Berry’s “Brown Eyed Handsome Man”, the gorgeously
tortured ballad “Keeper of the Flame”, the shouting,testifying gospel of “I’m Going Back Home” and the Latin
percussion-flavored “Come Ye”. Duke Ellington’s rarely
performed “The Gal From Joe’s” is featured as big band
noir, and the lovely R&B ballad “He Ain’t Comin’ HomeNo More” recalls Sam Cooke. After this series of releases,
Simone moved from Philips to RCA Victor, becoming
even more of an African American cultural legend. Yet
it’s still on this grouping of LPs where you’ll find some ofmost prime material by the pianist/vocalist, who died 20
years ago in April 2003 at the age of 70.
For more info visit ninasimone.com

WOMENIN JAZZ
rink pop song. It is superbly crafted. It is impossible totell from the lyrics whether she knows her lover will
never break her heart because she has absolute trust, or
because she will never allow herself to be vulnerable.
It means both. Though her voice can be breathy anddelicate, while also expressive and powerful, there is
no ambiguity in the mastery of her instrument. Her
intonation is perfect; she is up front in the album’s mix,
exposed and hitting every note exactly where intended.
As great as “Never Break” is, it is admittedly not
the most effective original on Two Moons. That honor
goes to “Sailor and the Sea”, an answer song, 50+ years
later, to Tim Buckley’s “Song to the Siren” (from his
1970 avant-pop masterpiece, Starsailor). Her chorus:“When you were the Sailor, and I was the Sea, you
would always come back to me.” But whether to love, ordeath, Lordi leaves this unanswered. The brilliant Caleb
Wheeler Curtis accompanies her on soprano saxophone
and, along with the always-inventive voicings of Evans,takes the tune to the highest level. Along the way,
Matthew Parrish (Lordi’s musical and life partner) joins
Revis in a two-bass 12/8 march deconstruction of Neil
Young’s “Only Love Can Break Your Heart”. And thatworks too.
Acknowledging the sheer terror she felt during
this leap-of-faith creative experience, Lordi wasphilosophical: “Look, even if we get it wrong, thatwrong is still better than getting it right in mediocrity.”
For more info visit imanirecords.bandcamp.com. Lordi is at
Bar Bayeux Mar. 6. See Calendar.

a spirited rendition of the tune’s encouraging message.
“What a Little Moonlight Can Do” (Woods) is a fresh,
fast-paced, exuberant and surprising take on thefamiliar number. Both “Let Them Talk” (Thompson)and “A Lover is Forever” (Goodman/Knobloch) mayvery well become in-concert favorites—her voice inboth the lower and higher registers convincingly wins
this listener over.
Each selection is uplifting and spiritual, and forgood reason: Harrison, the granddaughter of a preacher
in Winston-Salem, NC, has her roots in gospel music.
She succeeds in moving us the way her grandfather
must have moved his congregation.

UNEARTHED GEM

For more info visit сellarlive.com. Harrison is at Birdland
Theater with “Flying High: Big Band Canaries Who Soared”
Mar. 8-10. See Calendar.

Queen Talk: Live at the Left Bank
Shirley Scott (Reel to Real)by Monique Ngozi Nri

Hotel San Claudio
Mark de Clive-Lowe/Shigeto/Melanie Charles(Soul Bank Music)
by Terrell K. Holmes

Vocalist Melanie Charles and DJs Mark de Clive-Lowe

Let Them Talk
Lezlie Harrison (Cellar Music)
by Anna Steegmann

Lezlie Harrison is a woman of many talents. After
working as a model in Paris and as an actress in
the U.S., she became a vocalist later in life, touring
internationally. Harrison co-founded the nonprofit The
Jazz Gallery, an essential incubator for generations ofyoung jazz musicians and composers. She also hosts theweekly radio show Come Sunday on WBGO fm, where
she explores the spirit of jazz. Her Let Them Talk, is her
sophomore album, following Soul Book Vol.1.
In the liner notes to her new album, Harrison callsmusic “her connective tissue.” The songs “share amessage of bringing us together in our collective humanexperience.” Her collaborators: Matt Chertkoff (guitar),
Ben Paterson (Hammond B3 organ) and Pete Zimmer(drums) play with considerable variety, warmth andvigor, creating a swinging foundation for the leader’svocal explorations (and they are each given ample if notextended time for solos and instrumental/non-vocal
sections). From the opening track, “Close Your Eyes”(Petkere)—on which she seduces listeners with her
sultry, soulful voice—the singer brings new life to thisand eight other well-known standards and melodies,making them each her own. Chertkoff’s lively, gorgeous
guitar playing adds exuberance, while drummer
Zimmer adds light, feathery touches as the music fades
out and Harrison’s delivery changes over to a whisper.
Harrison’s voice can be bold and earthy or subtle
and delicate, but it’s always powerful, especially whenrising and falling with the lyrics. “Love Won’t Let
Me Wait” (Barrett/Eli) is an excellent showcase forher astonishing range, spot-on phrasing and skill at
elongating notes, while “Fly Like an Eagle” (Miller) is

and Shigeto have created a distinctive work with Hotel
San Claudio, an album that uses earlier iterations of jazz,
hip hop and dance music to create a new perspective forpresent-day ears. The three also are heard on keyboards,
drums and flute, giving the music presented here evengreater depth.
The album opens optimistically with the spiritual
love anthem, Pharoah Sanders’ “The Creator Has
A Master Plan”. Charles sings the elemental lyrics
with strength and clarity, and the gradually soaring
production underscores how powerful the lyrics
truly are. The head-bouncing “Strings” finds the trio
tapping into its hip hop pedigree. The sound of strings
is clearly present, but bass and percussion will not bedenied. Charles, who received well-deserved acclaima few years ago for her bold-faced major label release
Y’all Don’t (Really) Care About Black Women (Verve),
lays down a rap that is both sassy and instructive.
“MFT” and the irresistible R&B blueprint “Kanazawa”
showcase her impressive flute skills (plus pitch-perfect
vocal styling on the former), while the sleek “Bushido”
would fit snugly onto any jazz fusion playlist.
The trio returns to Sanders with “Love Is
Everywhere”, which bursts out of the gate and neverlets up. Charles’ exuberant singing is featured as is de
Clive-Lowe and Shigeto’s dynamite keyboards anddrumming. The album closer is a second version of“The Creator Has A Master Plan”. The trio evidently has
great respect for the saxophonist (who passed away in2022) and they clearly take solace in the message of hismusic. It’s a message that bears repeating. Where thefirst version is as strong as an oracular pronouncement,
the players stretch out and have fun on this second take,lighthearted singing and laughter seeming to suggestthat the oracular pronouncement will happen eventually.
One can only hope that this isn’t the last we’veheard from Charles, de Clive-Lowe and Shigeto,because Hotel San Claudio is an exceptional album withan unconquerable groove that would work equally wellin an East Village hangout or the venerable Village
Vanguard.
For more info visit soulbank.k7store.com. Melanie Charles is
at Blue Note Mar. 18. See Calendar.

Philadelphia-born pianist/organist Shirley Scott(who would have celebrated her 90th birthday thismonth, passing away in 2002, days shy of turning68) grew up with her father who hosted jazz musicin his basement which is where she accompanied hersaxophonist brother, TL (beginning with piano andtrumpet before she was introduced to the Hammond
B3 organ). Her ears were fine-tuned on the likes of
Thelonious Monk, Erroll Garner, Philly Joe Jones and
Red Garland. Soon after working and releasing several
records with tenor saxophonist Eddie “Lockjaw”
Davis, she released her first solo album, Great
Scott! (1958). During her ten-year marriage to tenor
saxophonist Stanley Turrentine, she released her own
records in addition to working with him. She was alsoa jazz music and piano professor at her alma mater,
Cheyney University, the first HBCU (HistoricallyBlack College or University) in the country.
In this previously unreleased session, and hosted
by the Left Bank Jazz Society, Scott brings her feisty,
unique and confident music to the bandstand in
August 1972 at the Famous Ballroom in Baltimore (avenue that served much the same function as today’s
Sistas’ Place in Brooklyn). The meeting between thisaudience and the musicians can be heard on every
track as one can sense the excitement of jazz giants
being brought back into the community. Scott can beheard with characteristic laughter as she powers her
way through. Tenor saxophonist George Coleman
opens the double-album, galloping throughColtrane’s “Impressions” with amazing speed,sound and dexterity. He pushes us onward, striving
to take us up and down the rhythmic and melodic
highway. It is nothing short of breathtaking. As she
was affectionately known, “Scottie” swings into uptempo action, providing the bass line, melody andharmony—and sass. Bobby Durham, another Philly
jazz legend, assertively beats his drums while issuinga chant, all with irrefutable force, before quieting
down to let Coleman lead the band out. This album isadditionally joyful with the treat of featured vocalist
Ernie Andrews’ extemporizing on “You Don’t Mess
Around with Jim”, “Girl Talk” and a blues, whichshows his extraordinary ability as both a storytellerand singer.
Producers Zev Feldman and Cory Weeds
have done a masterful job of making this release acollector’s item. The packaging is exquisite: from
Ray Ross’ color photo, which shows Scott dolled upahead of her time, including an African fabric crownbefitting Scott’s title as the “Queen of the Organ”,
to the impeccable liner notes (A. Scott Gallaway
amassed and researched a set of facts about Scott thatare seemingly not available elsewhere.) There arealso interviews with Coleman, Joey DeFrancesco, Tim
Warfield and Monty Alexander (on his playing withdrummer Durham).
It’s guaranteed this music will lift your spirits.
For more info visit shirleyscott.bandcamp.com

THE NEW YORK CITY JAZZ RECORD | March 2024 21

Live at Smalls Jazz Club
George Coleman (Cellar Music)
Big George
One For All (feat. George Coleman) (Smoke Sessions)
The Proper Time (ft. George Coleman)
Marcus Persiani (Persiani Music)
by Scott Yanow

Tenor-saxophonist George Coleman, who turns 89

this month, will probably always be best known for his
recordings with the Miles Davis Quintet (1963-64) where
he succeeded Hank Mobley and preceded Sam Rivers
and Wayne Shorter. Coleman has had a busy solo career
during the 60 years since, consistently playing with fireand creativity while stretching the hard bop tradition.
Live at Smalls Club is one of his best recordings ofthe past decade; 87 at the time of this 2022 set, Coleman
stretches out in a quartet with Spike Wilner (piano),Peter Washington (bass) and Joe Farnsworth (drums).
Still sounding close to the peak of his powers, the tenor
saxophonist provides plenty of surprises throughout
the set. “Four” begins with his out-of-tempo reading of
the melody before taking a seven-minute solo. He gives
both “At Last” and “(Theme From) New York, New
York” unusual treatments, playing them at cooking
tempos. Coleman tops off “Blues for Smalls” with asurprising high note, caresses the melody of “WhenSunny Gets Blue” (a duet with Wilner) and takes someblazing double-time runs on “The Nearness Of You”.
Throughout the set, which also has some fine solos
and sympathetic accompaniment from Wilner, theapparently ageless saxophonist never runs short ofideas or enthusiasm.
Since it was first formed in 1997, One For All has
been one of jazz’ top hard bop-oriented combos despite
being a part-time group with: Jim Rotondi (trumpet),
Steve Davis (trombone), Eric Alexander (tenor), David
Hazeltine (piano), John Webber (bass) and Joe Farnsworth(drums). Each of its members have had long busy solo
careers, so aligning their schedules for a record date or aclub engagement can be tricky. Prior to Big George, One
For All had gotten together for at least 16 albums (for
Sharp Nine, Criss Cross, Venus, Jazz Legacy, Cellar Liveand Smoke Sessions labels), but their new set is theirfirst recording since 2015. The first three selections of
Big George showcase the group on a couple of cooking
numbers, plus Alexander’s boogaloo blues “Chainsaw”.
Coleman, long a booster of the band, is on the next threenumbers: a medium-tempo blues (“Oscar Winner”), a
ballad feature that is mostly taken at a medium-tempo
pace (“My Foolish Heart”) and filled with his expressive
double-time outbursts and a memorable rendition of
Hank Mobley’s “This I Dig Of You”. The arranged
harmonies behind Coleman and the other players are
particularly memorable. The album concludes withthree additional songs sans Coleman, including a Davisfeature on a tasteful version of “The Nearness of You”
and Rotondi’s tribute to Lee Morgan on “Leemo”.
While pianist-keyboardist Marcus Persiani’s The
Proper Time proudly states that it features George
Coleman, the tenor is only on one of the nine songs. Sevenof the numbers (all Persiani originals) have the pianist
heading a quintet that also includes Joe Magnarelli(trumpet), Wayne Escoffery (tenor, soprano), Kenny
Davis (bass) and Byron Landham (drums). Persiani’s
music employs complex melodies and original chord
changes, some of which one could imagine are from
Wayne Shorter’s pen. His songs inspire inventive andgenerally swinging solos. The highlights include theunusual stop-time rhythm during Escoffery’s solo on“Little House Mouse”, Persiani’s improvisation on“Tropic Rain”, the ’60s Blue Note-style funky jazz of“Walking & Talking” and the brooding ballad “Before
You Go”. A change of pace is offered on the electric andsomewhat eccentric “Mirage”. Coleman appears withan altogether different group, a quintet with Persiani,
Patience Higgins (tenor), David Williams (bass) andDavid Gibson (drums), taking a typically inventive andswinging solo on the straight-ahead “Forecast Blues”
that holds its own with Higgins’ solo that follows. The
same unit without Coleman is excellent on the uptempo“Voodoo Call”. One can understand the album giving
George Coleman a major billing, but it is a pity that
Persiani did not feature the great tenor more extensively
on his otherwise rewarding album.
For more info visit cellarmusicgroup.com,
smokesessionsrecords.com and marcuspersiani.com.
The One For All featuring George Coleman album release
concert is at Smoke Mar. 14-17. See Calendar.

Laugh Ash
Ches Smith (Pyroclastic)by Kurt GottschalkRarely is a record so perplexing and, in equal measure,so enjoyable as Ches Smith’s Laugh Ash. I have listened
to it repeatedly, and quite happily, and still have little
idea what to truly make of it. Calling it a “pop outing”

22 March 2024 | THE NEW YORK CITY JAZZ RECORD

would be a cop-out, even though the processed beats
and the warm vocals of Shara Lunon and the deep bassof Shahzad Ismaily suggest something contemporary
and potentially populist, whether or not it’s destinedfor mainstream popularity. There are also horn charts
and a string section, but it’s not a pop record and,despite occasional, brief but burning solos, it’s not a
jazz record either. Desperate for guidance, I looked at
Smith’s liner notes and nodded approvingly, saying“uh huh, uh huh,” under my breath as he introduced
elements of influence: Steve Reich, Beethoven, early hiphop. But the truth is, Smith could have cited anything as
an influence: people he’s played with (Tim Berne, Mike
Patton, Terry Riley) or arbitrary names (Björk, Alice
Coltrane, Keith Moon) and I would have scratched mychin and muttered, “yes, yes, I can hear it.” And I could
just as easily say that Laugh Ash is the logical conclusionof the Haitian inspirations of his previous Path of Seven
Colors and the near perfect, sheer beauty of Interpret It
Well, which preceded it, and say to myself “yes, yes, I
can hear it.” And again, it wouldn’t be wrong.
I’m going to suggest Laugh Ash is a part of somethingthat might be called “New Brooklyn Expressionism,” ormaybe that should be “Nu Brooklyn Expressionism,”a particular pastiche also being mined by the likes ofKris Davis, Tomas Fujiwara and Mary Halvorson—that they don’t all live in Brooklyn is irrelevant to thebranding (and please, I hope that name doesn’t catchon). Ultimately, Laugh Ash is the work of musicians witha lot of talent who have done a lot of listening in theirlives and are unconcerned about delineation of source or
flow. Every January, I start a list of potential best-of-theyear albums for the perfunctory year-end lists. By June,
I’ve usually forgotten about it, so the exercise doesn’t
gain me much ground. But for 2024, Laugh Ash is thefirst entry.
For more info visit pyroclasticrecords.com. Smith’s album
release concert is at Roulette Mar. 20. See Calendar.

The Milwaukee Tapes, Vol. 2
Fred Anderson Quartet (Corbett vs. Dempsey)by Alex Henderson

The late saxophonist Fred Anderson (who this monthwould have been 95) was very much a product ofChicago’s big-toned tenor tradition, albeit with a strong
John Coltrane influence. And when he brought his soundinto the avant garde, the results were often compelling.
Anderson is in fine form on The Milwaukee Tapes, Vol. 2,
which contains previously unreleased live performancesin that city from early 1980. Here Anderson draws
on influences ranging from late-period Coltrane tosaxophonist Ornette Coleman to the AACM (Association
for the Advancement of Creative Musicians). His
Chicago-based pianoless working quartet of that time
consisted of Billy Brimfield (trumpet), Larry Hayrod(bass) and Hamid Drake (drums), the same lineup whichappears on the preceding first volume (also 1980) as wellas the live Dark Day album from the year prior (excepting,in the case of the latter, the bassist was Steven Palmore).
The album’s most intense moments come on“Our Theme”, and like many of the AACM-associatedmusicians of that era, Anderson brings a great dealof nuance to the table. The mysterious “Bernice”, thedusky “Another Place” and Coltrane-ish “3 On 2” arenot an exercise in scorching atonality, but rather favor
an inside/outside approach and underscore the group’s

desire to use some restraint and subtlety. Throughout,Brimfield is featured extensively, including his own “He
Who Walks Alone” (the only non-Anderson original of
the five tracks), which is a dark, melancholy piece that,as its title indicates, conveys a mood of loneliness andisolation. Like Anderson, the trumpeter (who died in2012) was also heavily involved in the AACM— and it
shows. During the ’60s, the AACM became known for an
approach to avant garde jazz that made extensive use of
space and was more restrained than the dense, blistering
free jazz coming out of NYC. There is plenty of passion
on “Another Place”, “Bernice” and “3 On 2”, but thetwo horn players never sound like they’re going out of
their way to be abrasive. And even on “Our Theme”, theintensity is something the cohesive quartet builds up to.
The Milwaukee Tapes, Vol. 2 reinforces that the early’80s were a highly creative period for Anderson and his
Windy City colleagues.
For more info visit corbettvsdempsey.com

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EmpathyMark Soskin/Jay Anderson (SteepleChase)by Ken Dryden

Pianist Mark Soskin and bassist Jay Anderson are oldfriends who fit hand in glove in any setting on stage orin the studio, having recorded several albums together
over the past two decades. The COVID-19 pandemic wasespecially hard on New York-based musicians as venues
closed and social gatherings were discouraged. When
Soskin invited the bassist over to play in the midst ofit, Anderson suggested playing via webcam, where they
could interact without risk, and thus the seeds of this2022 recording were planted. While Soskin chose themusic, penning ten of the twelve tracks, Anderson is far
more than just an accompanist. He engages the pianist
in musical conversations as the two weave intricate linesthat compare with some of the landmark piano-bass
meetings ever recorded.
The tracks range from music Soskin recorded decades
ago to new works. While the arrangements are laid backand mellow, they allow for musical expression that issometimes sacrificed in more uptempo approaches.
“Saints And Sinners” is the tantalizing opener, whichconstantly shifts focus in unpredictable ways without
losing its bright, upbeat mood. The pianist’s deliberateballad, “Shadow Dancing”, is made for a lyric (though
it may present challenges for a vocalist). Anderson’s
inspired solo serves as its centerpiece. The ballad “Little
Fingers” begins with a delicate air but as the tempo andintensity increases, it keeps revealing new facets. The
passionate “Breathless” draws the listener in with its
lush, circular theme, as the musicians develop the lovestory within it. The luxurious jazz waltz “Wanderlust”
shimmers with Anderson’s creative bass line blending
beautifully with Soskin’s lush chords. The engaging andlyrical “Better Times” delivers its message quite wellwithout words. The duo also performs two pieces by
jazz piano greats: the intimate setting of McCoy Tyner’s
waltz “Three Flowers” gives listeners a chance to stopand smell (or maybe hear) the roses and Joe Zawinul’s“In A Silent Way”, which contrasts with Miles Davis’
landmark recording, evoking both beauty and abrooding air in this moving, acoustic setting.
For more info visit steeplechase.dk. Jay Anderson is at
Mezzrow with Kenny Wessel Mar. 5. See Calendar.

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THE NEW YORK CITY JAZZ RECORD | March 2024 23

Blutopia
Ron Caines//Martin Archer AXIS (Discus Music)
From The Rough Hill
Fjall (Discus Music)
by John Sharpe

B ritish multi-instrumentalist Martin Archer (whoturns 67 this month) pursues a panoramic range ofinterests, reflected in the varied output of his Discus
Music imprint. He might reference free jazz, avantpop, prog-rock, noise or electronica, but the bottom
line is that he sees boundaries between these genres aspermeable, ripe for subversion even. As a consequence,
he tends to generate his own forms, with a fondness
for post-production alchemy, which means that these
two fascinating outings contain some inevitable twists.
It is Blutopia that hews closest to the jazz vernacular,
but this isn’t a straightforward blowing date. Fellow
saxophonist Ron Caines is the only person to appear
on all seventeen tracks in the generous 72-minuteprogram, either alone, in duet or as part of a group.
Drummer Johnny Hunter and bassist Gus Garside arepresent on ten cuts, with Archer primarily on baritone
saxophone on slightly fewer. While that foursome wasin the studio simultaneously, Archer has subsequently
woven in a cast of regular collaborators: Chris
Sharkey (electric guitar), Graham Clark (violin), Laura
Cole (piano) and Charlotte Keeffe (trumpet). Eachsometimes add counterpoint, contribute to ensemble

unisons or intertwine with the lead voice. So adroitly
has he undertaken the overdubbing that, without thesleeve notes detailing the genesis of the music, a listener
would never suspect that the cohesion exhibited isanything other than organically produced. Caines’
inspiration is laid bare on the dedication “Ornette’s
Leap”, confirmed by his fluent but angular alto lines,
shaded by overtones, emotive scuffs and frayed blues
inflections, especially on the wistful unaccompanied“Bell” or the ballad-like “Hunting Horns” where
Sharkey’s jangling guitar conjures a whiff of Ornette
Coleman’s Prime Time. Archer’s baritone shines
through most prominently on the collective “Ancient& Modern”, but it is his placements of the additional
instruments throughout which elevate the album into
something special.
Archer joins with three other improvisers underthe moniker Fjall for From The Rough Hill. He explains
the outfit’s intent as “making improvisation andinstant compositions, which avoid the highly active
language of free improvisation and tend towards
ritual or even contemporary classical music.” Thelineup—with Archer on an assortment of woodwinds,
two percussionists Fran Comyn and Richard Jacksonand multi-instrumentalist Jan Todd—gives the dozen
tracks a distinctive flavor, accentuated by collaging
field recordings including muffled voices and tricklingwater, electronics and loops. The result is a selflessmusic. Although separately demarcated, the pieces
run together, creating a slowly mutating kaleidoscopeof sheet metal resonance, clanking percussion,
tumbling harp, growling long tones and coiling reeds.
A variety of unexpected textures surface: an achingcello, a fluttering flute, a plaintive folky melodica air,stately psaltery (a precursor of the zither), arpeggios,
shuffling tattoos and the occasional sudden squall.
Assembled from live and studio performances, themusic follows an arc that builds to its most anarchic
and energetic on the penultimate cut (Part 12), before
a crow croak presages a gradual withdrawal into
mystery. It’s ambient music but with copious jagged
edges whose overall effect is strangely soothing.
For more info visit discus-music.org

electronics of “BuyPoloDisorder’s Daughter Wears a
3000® Button Down Embroidered”, and the ghostly
synths, gentle guitar and fluttering flutes on “Ants toYou, Gods to You?”
Following the release with more surprises, heannounced a tour with one week’s advance notice,
starting with six immediate dates in New York(including a three-night, sold out run at Blue Note). His
final NYC concert, at a packed house in Brooklyn’s St.
Ann & The Holy Trinity Church (Feb. 6), featured thealbum’s musicians along with fiery percussionist Adam
Rudolph. Clad in overalls, with a dozen wood andbamboo flutes lined on a carpet behind him, André 3000
echoed bits of the album but sounded more exotic andwilder on the improvised five-song, 90-minute set. Aftera peaceful, cascading song that mystified the crowd, heasked them to turn the church into a jungle, proceedingwith child-like melodies, as well as squeaking, birdlike noises and Reich-like phase shifting on the flutes.
Next, he began with a meditative vibe, then added
animal growls over booming percussion, creating aneven wilder, freer realm that got the crowd howlingback at him. With delightful trills on EWI and the synth
imitating him, he added in a comical faux-African
language speech. And for the last song, André 3000
wailed on the bottom piece of a bagpipe, then switchedback to the EWI as the band roared behind him into an
extended climax, ending with robotic R&B EWI ‘vocal’scatting. “Next time you see us, it’ll be totally different,”
he promised. No doubt it will.
For more info visit epicrecords.com

You’re Never Really Alone
Jonah Parzen-Johnson (We Jazz)
by Brad Cohan

A t the heart of the remarkable, and positively

New Blue Sun
André 3000 (Epic/Sony)by Jason Gross

W hen multi-platinum hip hop crew Outkast went on
hiatus in 2006, speculation mounted about what theeccentric half of the group, André 3000, would do.
Guest rap appearances and acting roles continued foryears until he suddenly released his first full-length
solo record last November, New Blue Sun. Stories of
his flute obsession still didn’t prepare many for the
rap-free album, which relied instead on spiritual jazz,
new age and ambient music, addressed on the opening
track’s title: “I Swear, I Really Wanted to Make a ‘Rap’
Album but This Is Literally the Way the Wind Blew Me
This Time”. Collaborating with percussionist Carlos
Niño and fellow flutist Shabaka (Hutchings) helped
situate the music in their mutual cosmic, mystic realm,with dreamy synths and subtle percussion. André
3000’s own Moog-like electronic wind instrument’s(EWI) gentle tones likewise set the ethereal mood forlengthier tracks. Varying the album’s dynamics werethe mysterious looping flutes and towering, stern
24 March 2024 | THE NEW YORK CITY JAZZ RECORD

spellbinding sound worlds that Jonah Parzen-Johnson
elicits from his baritone saxophone, is an ethos he’s
staunchly faithful to: less is more. Beginning with his
2012 debut Michiana, Parzen-Johnson has carved anindelible mark for himself by rendering singular formsof minimalism created with only baritone, flute anda stockpile of electronics and effects pedals. When it
comes to the Brooklyn-based composer’s gripping,soul-baring pieces, he has certainly earned his keep asa consummate one-man-show over the course of fiverecordings.
On the latest entry in his catalog, You’re Never
Really Alone, Parzen-Johnson plays his customary roleof perennial solitary craftsman to perfection, but witha mission statement: he couldn’t accomplish this featwithout help. The fittingly named album is actuallya joint effort of sorts, but not in the cooperative way
you might think. The synergy laid bare is not between
musicians but by the performer and audience. In thealbum’s liner notes, he proclaims that he and thelistener are united as a community in which “we madethis together.” But Parzen-Johnson has never soundedas exposed and vulnerable as he does here on the set’s
eight selections. On previous efforts, electronics-based
rhythms and synthesizer flourishes would serve as
melodic drivers. Those instruments are nowhere to
be found on his new set but he’s just as formidable
a voice and storyteller without them. The carefully
constructed pieces attain such a deeply meditative
level that with every melodious note, circular breathand heavy drone, Parzen-Johnson delivers a work ofintense beauty.
The opening track, “When I Feel Like Myself”, isevidence of his challenging compositional technique.
Over its six-and-a-half-minute length, it doesn’tdevelop beyond a slow crawl, but its deliberate paceand every sound is striking in its attention to detail. The
approach is meticulous while the atmosphere ParzenJohnson sets is also ethereal; it’s easy for the listener tofall into its trance and become one with the performer,
just as intended. He is masterful in unloading a catchyline that will linger in your head (“When I Feel Like
Myself”) to laying out cathartic drones on flute that
conjure doom metal vibes (“There Is So Much To Be
Afraid Of”) then back again to jazzy melodicism (“NotWriting About This”).
Parzen-Johnson certainly throws out a wide net
on You’re Never Really Alone, but it’s his unmistakably
warm tone radiating from his baritone saxophone thattranslates as a healing force.
For more info visit wejazzrecords.bandcamp.com. ParzenJohnson’s album release concert is at Nublu Mar. 7. See
Calendar.

Night City
Neal Kirkwood Big Band (BJU Records)by George Kanzler

P ianist-composer-arranger

Neal Kirkwood is amusical impressionist in the tradition of Duke Ellington
and Billy Strayhorn. Like the great impressionist
painters, Kirkwood unearths colors and combinations
that are strikingly fresh, revealing aural facets of the
jazz orchestra often overlooked. He clues listeners to
his extended palette in the short (under 2 minutes)
opening track, “Prelude: Invitation”, a bouncy
etude that introduces his big band’s array of colors,
beginning with low horns—bass trombone, baritone
sax—and progressing through higher reeds, open andmuted brass, pizzicato bass and marimba/vibes. Those
last, sometimes interacting with his piano or sectionsof the orchestra, bring an element as distinctive as his
affection for low trombones and reeds to his uniqueensemble sound.
Many of the nine main tracks after the “Prelude”
are interspersed with two more short “Interludes”,
which are suite-like in their multiple tempi, rhythms
and themes. One of the longest (10:29), “Paddy
Harmon’s Dreamland Ballroom”, is akin to a bigband travelogue, beginning with a bass-driven, riffy
swing section before slowing down for piano andtrumpet solos over billowing reeds and muted brass.
Then Dan Block’s Goodman-esque clarinet ushers in
riffs and shouts returning to the Swing era mood. The
other 10+ minute track, “Monolithic Attitude”, begins
with marimba rising out of a wash of ensemble chords
that coalesce into a bouncy theme shared by marimba
and horns. A soprano solo (Matt Hong) gives way to
trades from tenor, trumpet, trombone and baritone,
which culminate in tandem soloing, followed by apercussively Monk-ish solo from the leader to take itout. The Ellington influence is most evident on “When
I Hear That Serenade in Blue” as Ducal saxes cushion
the vibraphone lead, and a Cootie Williams-esqueJames Zollar solos on plunger muted trumpet. And on“Alaskan Serenade” (originally written for Ellington
trombonist Britt Woodman), trombonist Art Baron,

another of Duke’s slippery horns alumnae, solos
evocatively with a variety of mutes and plunger. Night
City is a triumphant and expansive big band album
that treats the listener to a delightfully wide palette oforchestral tones and colors, all from a fairly standard
big band lineup.
For more info visit bjurecords.com. Kirkwood’s album
release concert is at Third Street School Mar. 3. See
Calendar.
Off The End
Brandon Ross Phantom Station (Sunnyside)by George Grella

Short Stories
Vicente Archer (Cellar Music)
by Marco Cangiano

S urprisingly, Short Stories is Vicente Archer’s debut
album after a long and distinguished career as a soughtafter bass player, who has appeared on more than 150
albums and played with the likes of John Scofield,
Norah Jones and Robert Glasper. He is also a successful
producer and prolific composer, as illustrated by his
originals on this recording. On Short Stories he leadsa stellar and very congenial trio consisting of Gerald
Clayton, a well-established all-around pianist, anddrummer Bill Stewart, another much sought-after
player characterized by a melodic approach to the
instrument. The trio displays their individual skills
and empathic relationship in a program consisting of
short and varied vignettes capturing different moods
and tensions while maintaining a consistently relaxing
atmosphere.
“Mirai” (“future” in Japanese) captures Archer’s
relations with his young daughter by providing aspacey atmosphere, Clayton alternating between
acoustic and electric keyboards to help set thetone. The pianist’s intro to his own “Round Comes
Round” has a Monk-ish angularity that shifts into an
impressionistic soundtrack. With the bassist providing
a solid anchor, Stewart audibly seems to have quite
a bit of fun circling around rhythms, particularly inthe coda. The drummer also contributes two originals:
the slightly ominous “Drop of Dusk” peppered by
Clayton’s brilliant solo lines, and the more assertive“Space Acres”, which opens with Archer’s suspensefulsolo over subtle comping by Clayton. The leader’ssolo outing “Lighthouse”, sustained by an insistent
two-note pattern by Clayton, should make evident
his mastery of the bass. The pianist is particularly
impressive for his lightness and essentiality in pieces
including Jeremy Pelt’s post-bop “13/14”, where his
two-handed harmonization is reminiscent of Ahmad
Jamal, while his solo lines at times resemble Red
Garland. Pat Metheny’s ballad, “Message to a Friend”
is splendidly interpreted as a dirge thanks to an
intense dialogue between Clayton’s sparing notes andthe bassist’s deep sound. Archer’s “Bye Nashville”
reveals a penchant for a bluesy, almost gospel-like,atmosphere. Once again, Clayton’s taste is toward ahealthy restraint to the temptation of over-playing
against Stewart’s bouncy brushes. The album closer,
Nicholas Payton’s “It Takes Two to Know One” (whichcomes with an alternate take), is an unusual yet very
musical bass-drums duo, which rounds out this mostpleasant and auspicious project by the newly minted
bassist/leader.

G uitarist Brandon Ross dedicated his new album toLawrence D. “Butch” Morris and that great composerand conductor’s piece, The Skyscraper—and it’s thesound and conception of Morris’ work that createsthe springboard for Off The End. Ross can be a slicing,rocking player and anyone familiar with his musicmaking in the terrific band Harriet Tubman will
likely be surprised at the Debussy-like pastels androunded shapes heard here. But Ross is a musician
who is sensitive to sound and timbre, and Phantom
Station starts with his collaboration with sound artist
Hardedge. Together the two work roughly in the same
area as Evan Parker’s Electro-Acoustic Ensemble,
creating an emulsification of individual voices—Ross,
cornetist Graham Haynes and keyboardist David
Virelles—into a rich, integrated mass of sound that
also pulses with individual details, and can move invery different directions. There is JT Lewis’ drumming
to begin with, and there is Morris’ idea of large-scale
form that’s made up of components (individual tracks
are demarcated) but is complete in both symphonicsense and scale.
The remarkable thing about Off The End is thatboth the small and large components all work throughsensitive group improvisation. There’s no conduction
here; it is a complete live performance, recorded
December 10, 2021, at Firehouse 12. The shape isremarkably logical in itself; the musicians find their
way to what feels like predetermined transitions andsectional endings. There are a few open windows,
like a quick solo statement from Ross to begin“Immaculate Toes”, but usually everyone is playing
and playing together, combining their instrumental
voices, via Hardedge’s interactive design, to create
what sounds like a singular voice. There are colors inthis project that don’t yet have names—and may never
be heard again. For certain the mood is mysterious
and beguiling.
For more info visit to sunnysiderecords.com. Ross’ Phantom
Station’s album release concert is at The Jazz Gallery
Mar. 16. See Calendar.

For more info visit cellarlive.com. Archer is at Birdland
Theater with Alicyn Yaffee Mar. 7. See Calendar.

THE NEW YORK CITY JAZZ RECORD | March 2024 25

LIP
gabby fluke-mogul/Dave Rempis (Catalytic Artist)
Live in Accord
Charmaine Lee, Fred Lonberg-Holm, Joanna Mattrey,
gabby fluke-mogul, Weston Olencki(Notice Recordings)
by Stuart Broomer

The brilliant violinist gabby fluke-mogul is emerging
as a significant presence in improvised music, and has
worked with Pauline Oliveros, Fred Frith, Ava Mendoza,
William Parker and various other distinguishedmusicians. fluke-mogul’s work—dazzling, spontaneousand genuinely collaborative—stands out in these two
recent releases.
LIP is a single 31-minute improvisation by flukemogul and saxophonist Dave Rempis. Each musician
can cover a lot of musical territory, but this duet isparticularly exploratory, each reflecting the practiceof the other, even when only one is playing. The two
greet each instant as an occasion, subject to change,
subject to revelation. Rempis initially concentrates
on alto, the register roughly matching fluke-mogul’s
violin, creating a remarkable homogeneity of register
that, surprisingly, extends to very close timbres andeffects. The violinist can find much of the same gritin the lowest register that Rempis summons up in his;the affinity extends to certain passages in which theyecho one another’s circulating harmonics or barely

articulated wisps of sound.
When Rempis turns to baritone, a certain pitch range
opens up between the instruments, but the empathy
is still audibly apparent, with the saxophonist’s airysound blending with his musical partner’s rapid fire,
microtonal arpeggiation. LIP is filled with miniaturesolos, exchanges of lead voice, and much playing thatis so densely coordinated one cannot make distinctions.
When Rempis turns to delicately overblown runs,
fluke-mogul matches them with skittering, tremololaden double-stops. Meanwhile, echoing, whispered
asides still arise. If improvised duets can suggest aconcentrated effort, this one rises above it, achieving
playful and expressionistic turns that are almost
offhandedly virtuosic.
Live in Accord (New York) is a cassette release of an
outdoor performance from June 2021, held atop a hillat Deer Creek Farm “under a shadowy tree canopy ofthick leaves.” It’s an hour of shifting performers, withfluke-mogul appearing on a single track, a first-time
meeting with Fred Lonberg-Holm (cello) and Joanna
Mattrey (viola), joined (almost inaudibly) by three
dancers, who might be detected in a rustling of leaves.
Essentially a classical string trio, the three musicians
are so profoundly involved in their instruments’
timbral resources that they can resemble a percussion
ensemble, with much low-register rhythmic bowing at
the outset. At times, Lonberg-Holm’s earthy, guitarlike pizzicato anchors the soaring upper-register
wails of the violinist and violist. Close micing (oramplification) celebrates surprising intensity fora recording of an outdoor string ensemble. Other
material consists of similarly untitled improvisations
including: a solo by Charmaine Lee which develops
mouth-near-microphone effects with expansive
electronics; Lee’s duet with Weston Olencki (synths,
trombone), a wild ride of layered electronics andmuffled screams; and Olencki who joins LonbergHolm in an introspective duet, trombone and celloengaging with subtle electronic displacements.
For more info visit stream.catalyticsound.com andnoticerecordings.bandcamp.com. fluke-mogul is at The
Stone at New School Mar. 1. See Calendar.

Wishing Flower
Jeremy Udden (Sunnyside)by Marco Cangiano“I absolutely love the Marcus Persiani In-Motion
album, one of the best piano trio albums
I've heard this year...“- Ed Blanco (W-DNA fm, allaboutjazz.com)
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Contact/Purchase: marcuspersiani.com
Scott Thompson PR: scottthompsonpr.com

J eremy Udden grew up in Plainville, MA, and thenmoved to Boston, where he became a member of theEither/Orchestra. He eventually landed in Brooklyn
in 2005, after graduating from the New EnglandConservatory, and has since been a very active memberof the NYC jazz community as composer, organizer
and educator.
His
mostrecentalbum
continues
his
autobiographical Torchsongs project; the focus this time:a walk with his daughter in a post-pandemic Prospect
Park in Brooklyn, close to where he now lives. Udden’s
music is becoming increasingly original as it blends
earlier pastoral influences (the saxophonist grew up ina rural area) with more urban sounds; his approach ishighly melodic, based on song form and carrying vivid
echoes of Americana.
The overall sound is at times ethereal, but with anedge. The individual contributors are excellent—Ben
Monder (guitar) and the rhythmic duo of Jorge Roeder

26 March 2024 | THE NEW YORK CITY JAZZ RECORD(bass) and Ziv Ravitz (drums)—but it is the collectivethat matters most. The group has been playing together
for almost two decades, allowing them to pull off a piece
like “Pendulum”, which is a sort of artistic manifesto
for Udden. The slowly evolving multi-layered
composition brings together various influences andsounds, including electronics; a soft melody emerges,
then reaches an apex with a tight dialogue between
airy alto saxophone and Pink Floyd-ish electric guitar,
before a return to the main theme.
In addition to alto, Udden plays the Lyricon, an
early ’70s electronic wind instrument he has augmented
over the years with pedals and looping devices. The
opener “Flowers” refers to his daughter picking
dandelions, which she calls “wishing flowers.” The
impressionistic atmosphere is quintessential Udden;
his warm, breathy alto provides a strong contrast to
Monder’s guitar; “1971” features Udden’s ethereal
Lyricon on top of a funk-rock riff carried with gusto
by Roeder. Of note is the guitarist’s elegant comping
behind Udden’s flowing solo. On “Lullaby”, a tender
melody emerges from an alto intro, supported by
spacey guitar. Roeder is featured on “Prospective
Retreat” and introduces, then carries, the suspenseful“Fade”, where the Lyricon’s softness is countered by
Monder’s shiny guitar playing.
For more info visit sunnysiderecords.com. Udden is at Ibeam
Brooklyn with JC Sanford Nonet Mar. 28. See Calendar.

Plot Armor
Taylor Eigsti (GroundUP Music)
by Tom Greenland

Taylor Eigsti’s Plot Armor, his ninth and latest release,
is a canny and capricious blend of compositions,arrangements and improvisations. Following Tree Falls,
the 2022 GRAMMY winner for Best Contemporary
Instrumental Album, the pianist/composer is backwith another strong contender, joined by some of his
frequent and favorite collaborators: Gretchen Parlato
and Becca Stevens (vocals), Ben Wendel (tenor), Maya
Kronfeld (keyboards), Charles Altura (guitar), David
Ginyard and Harish Raghavan (bass) and Kendrick
Scott and Oscar Seaton Jr. (drums). The instrumental
settings vary widely, from trios to large, orchestrated
numbers with overdubbed strings by Stephanie Yu(violin), Corrine Sobolewski (viola), Mia BarciaColombo (cello) and the flute of Rebecca Kleinmann.
“Nancy with the Laughing Face” (a bonus track) is an
intimate duet with Wendel; “Bad Sport Lobby” is a
restless trio number (acoustic piano with overdubbed
Rhodes) and “201918” is a more delicate trio outing withrestive harmonies. In fact, one of Eigsti’s trademarks,
heard in many his compositions, is a penchant for
shifting, sliding key centers.
One of the more interesting tracks is “Rumor”, an
improvised duet with violist Benni von Gutzell, which
was later arranged for the string section and flutes byAndrew Balogh, the result being a provocative hybridof contemporary classical and jazz music. Strings arealso employed to great effect on “Let You Bee”, wherea quartet “answers” melodic phrases, and on the title
track, where they provide padding for swinging J
Dilla funk. “Actually”, another funk number featuresa slightly distorted, sweetly wailing solo by Alturaand “Beyond the Blue” has the strings setting the stagefor Parlato’s agile vocals. Notable cameos include

vocalist Lisa Fischer’s torchy delivery of “Fire Within”(accompanied by Eigsti and guitarist Julian Lage),
Stevens’ breathless reading of “Look Around You”,
Wendel’s outwardly-bound horn on “Bucket of F’s”
and tenor saxophonist Dayna Stephens’ three-way“conversation” with Eigsti and Altura on Rodgers& Hart’s “Bewitched, Bothered and Bewildered”.
Trumpeter Terence Blanchard’s slightly pinched,keening, crying solo on “Light Dream” slowly builds
in speed and intensity, only to end abruptly andoffhandedly, like an unfinished sentence.
What Plot Armor may lack as a cohesive opus is
more than compensated for by its broad scope andkeen craftsmanship.
For more info visit groundupmusic.net. Eigsti’s album
release concert is at Le Poisson Rouge Mar. 7. He is also
at Village Vanguard with Ben Wendel Mar. 12-17. See
Calendar.

breathing exercise, “Zena’s Circle”, provides somecatharsis. The pianist’s uplifting tribute “For James”(recalling Abdullah Ibrahim) combines an audience
sing-a-long, a Black student band and Moran’s speech
about connection to Reese Europe. Smithsonian
Institution, take note: Jason Moran’s From the Dancehall
to the Battlefield provides a lively, surprising, breathtaking musical history lesson.
For more info visit yesrecords.bigcartel.com. This projectwith Jason Moran is at Zankel Hall Mar. 9. Also “James
Reese Europe: A Musical Life (1900-1920)” (hosted by
National Jazz Museum in Harlem’s Loren Schoenberg) is at
Stanley H. Kaplan Penthouse as part of the Legacies of San
Juan Hill Mar. 19. See Calendar.

City of Birds, Volume 1
Elijah Shiffer (Star Jelly)
by Elliott Simon
From the Dancehall to the Battlefield
Jason Moran (Yes)by Jason GrossAward-winning pianist Jason Moran doesn’t makeit easy for himself. After 25 years of being a band
leader, soundtrack composer, educator, museumcommissioned artist and leading light in modern jazz,he’s built up an amazing CV that’s difficult to top,even by himself. His catalog has a stunning range that
includes, along with his own work, music by Brahms,
Björk, rapper Afrika Bambaataa, Duke Ellington, Fats
Waller, visual artist Joan Jonas and guitarist Mary
Halvorson. Remaining on his own record label, Moranembarked on one of his most ambitious projects yet,in early 2023, honoring pioneering, barrier-breaking
ragtime-era and jazz bandleader, arranger andcomposer James Reese Europe. Europe was the leading
figure in African American music in the 1910s. He
formed one of the earliest American Black musicians’
collectives, led a 125-piece band and performed from
Carnegie Hall to the battlefields of World War I withhis Hellfighters, bringing jazz to European soil.
After a dynamic, moving piano intro by Moran,
touching on Reese Europe’s amazing story, he delves
into the catalog of Reese Europe and his contemporaries,
working with a seven-piece horn section. There arealso some surprising modern touches. The jaunty“Ballin’ the Jack” trades off in an uptempo medleywith Geri Allen’s “Feed the Fire”, ending in a rowdy
triumph featuring trombonist Reginald Cyntje. The
joyous, New Orleans romp “Russian Rag” shows off
its Rachmaninoff roots and evolves into a wild, freefor-all before settling into quiet abstractions. Shelton
Brooks evergreen “Darktown Strutters’ Ball” rides
along on comedic frills. The hymn “Flee as a Bird toYour Mountain” is played mournfully alongside thefury of Albert Ayler’s “Ghosts”, underscoring thesorrow. A trio of lovely pieces by W.C. Handy pays
homage to the meeting of the two men in 1917. Reese
Europe would subsequently add Handy’s music to
his repertoire: the album features a lengthy, spirited
work-out on the immortal “St. Louis Blues” with tapeeffects and harmolodic phrasings, and “Hesitating
Blues” featuring David Adewumi’s soaring trumpet.
After Reese Europe’s somber “Clef Club March” andhigh-speed “Castle House Rag” (showing off Moran’s
piano skills), avant garde composer Pauline Oliveros’With traffic, noise, never-ending queues and soaring

prices, it’s no wonder New York City residents
sometimes quip: “This city is for the birds.” Yet, beneaththe surface lies a hidden symphony and a diverse cast ofavian characters, each with its own unique behavioral
quirks and songs. Alto saxophonist Elijah Shiffer has
tuned into this undercurrent, crafting clever tributes toten of the city’s feathered denizens with City of Birds,
Volume 1, joined by Kevin Sun (tenor), Dmitry Ishenko(bass) and Colin Hinton (drums).
Rather than using impressions or aspects of eachspecies as a jumping-off point for their own creative
endeavors, they operate as a cohesive unit, fully
embracing the leader’s premise. This unified approachis a refreshing departure as the band translates
Shiffer’s bird-watching experiences into music. Bothsaxophonists can blow, swing and bop, and they makeuse of the room they are given to strut their stuff.
The rhythm section skillfully portrays the distinctive
patterns that define each bird, aligning them with
their corresponding tunes. This serves them well inpresenting Shiffer’s precise, and at times, intricatearrangements. Detailed notes offer insight into theinspiration behind each composition. For example,
the dove’s mournful coo shapes the bass line of “Dovein the Mourning”, while “Slide Mountain” draws
its melody from the slowed-down call of Bicknell’s
Thrush.
Opener, “Flip, Flap and Glide”, builds upon
the Spotted Sandpiper’s call for its lively “saxualintercourse” and mirrors the bird’s erratic flight patternin its compelling rhythm. In “Skydance Over 6th
Avenue”, Ishenko and Hinton set the stage for Shiffer
and Sun to describe the American Woodcock’s flightthrough glorious in-tandem and solo runs. Hinton
captures the pigeon’s confident yet hesitant bob andwaddle in “Pigeonology”, with more than a passing
reference to Charlie “Bird” Parker’s “Ornithology”,
while “Walking, Running, Open Wing” channels
Coltrane’s “Giant Steps”, to describe the tricoloredheron’s elegant appearance. Beyond the avian themes,
Shiffer’s adept arrangements and facility across genres
ensure a captivating listening experience. And withover 300 types of birds in New York City, Shiffer has
no shortage of material for future volumes.
For more info visit elijahshiffer.com. Shiffer is at Main DragMusic Mar. 13 and Ibeam Brooklyn Mar. 23. See Calendar.

DROP THE NEEDLE

The Complete Full House Recordings
Wes Montgomery (Riverside-Craft)by Duck Baker

After an apprenticeship that dated back to the late ’40s,
John Leslie “Wes” Montgomery (whose centennial waslast March) made his first record as a leader in 1959 for
the Riverside label and was quickly recognized as a major
new jazz star. Riverside responded by recording anotherfive Montgomery studio dates over the next two years, bywhich time producer Orrin Keepnews wanted to put out
a live recording. The result was the stunning Full House,recorded on June 25, 1962 at a short-lived club in Berkeley,CA, called Tsubo. The rhythm section of Wynton Kelly(piano), Paul Chambers (bass) and Jimmy Cobb (drums)
would record again with Montgomery almost exactly
three years later, on another of the guitarist’s mostcelebrated releases, Smokin’ at the Half Note. At the time of
the Tsubo gig they were in the area to perform across thebay in San Francisco with Miles Davis. Also on hand for
Full House was the exceptional tenor saxophonist Johnny
Griffin, and this puts the album in a category almost allits own, since Montgomery recorded with top-shelf hornplayers in small group situations only rarely, and onlywith Griffin live. Hearing these two in peak form withthis dream rhythm section is something no jazz fan shouldmiss. Nor should we neglect Kelly’s abilities as a soloist.
He was among the greatest accompanists of his era, but
he could hold his own when his turn to solo came up, nomatter who he was with, and he played with the best.
Much the same can be said of Chambers, one of the alltime great bassists. Cobb likewise shines when he gets tosolo, and always finds the right accent or comment whenaccompanying—the right way to mix things up.
The original six tracks feature the title track, a bluesy
3/4 number somewhat in the vein of “West Coast Blues”;
the Latin-tinged “Caribe”; a very pretty, straight readingof “I’ve Grown Accustomed To Her Face” with bass anddrum backing; a soulful version of “Come Rain Or Come
Shine”; a superb Montgomery original called “S.O.S.”;and an absolutely burning rendition of “Blue ‘N’ Boogie”,
on which Griffin carries all before him. Over the years,
alternate versions of all of these tunes except “FullHouse” and “Accustomed” have been issued, along with
two takes of “Born to Be Blue”, a quartet performance notincluded on the original LP. This new release adds a thirdtake of “S.O.S.” and another version of the title track—
not an alternate take, but the unedited version of the take
we already know; it turns out that Wes’ solo was actuallydrawn from solos from two takes and spliced together.
As for the extra version of “S.O.S.”, it’s odd we haven’t
heard it before. Like the other alternate of this tune, it’smore ragged around the edges than the masterpiece on
the LP, but has notable moments from all the soloists.
What a pity that Montgomery never recorded anotherversion of “S.O.S.”, surely one of his best tunes. Montgomery
fanatics will be pleased with the additional “S.O.S.”, but
the real attraction here is the spectacular audio quality on
this 3-LP set. It’s a bonus that Craft Recordings is doing
justice to so many of the best jazz records of all time, andone thing jazz fans should know by now is that we can’ttake such efforts for granted; they need to be supported.
For more info visit craftrecordings.com

THE NEW YORK CITY JAZZ RECORD | March 2024 27

Borrowed Roses
Gonzalo Rubalcaba (Top Stop Music)
Pédron Rubalcaba
Pierrick Pédron & Gonzalo Rubalcaba (Gazebo)by George Kanzler

The Cuban-American pianist Gonzalo Rubalcaba is

one of jazz’ most accomplished and versatile artists,
and now at 60, he’s at the top of his game. Known forhis high-energy playing in the Afro-Latin and post-bop
genres, Rubalcaba reveals a more introspective aspectof his artistry on these two albums: one solo piano,
the other duets with alto saxophonist Pierrick Pédron.
Both are devoted to popular and jazz standards, with
an emphasis on ballads.
Borrowed Roses, the solo album, is intimate andpersonal, recorded on his Bösendorfer piano at the
pianist’s home in Coral Gables, FL. Six tracks werechosen by Rubalcaba and six by producer Gregory
Elias. The pianist not only recorded multiple takesof each, but also familiarized himself with the lyrics
to the songs. That deep dive of dedication is evident
in the close communion achieved with these songs.
Some renditions are ethereally down tempo, yet
the pianist never breaks the lyrical, legato flow of
the melodies. George Gershwin’s “Summertime”
has rarely been heard played so slow and spare, yet
the tune is penetratingly evident. Billy Strayhorn’s“Chelsea Bridge” conjures images of the title structure
in a London fog. Other triumphs of ruminative spaceand legato phrasing include Duke Ellington’s “In A
Sentimental Mood” and Paul McCartney’s “Here Thereand Everywhere”. Rubalcaba is just as captivating andmasterly when he picks up the pace, expanding the
sprightly melody of Paul Desmond’s “Take Five” in aquicksilver improv; turning Cole Porter’s “Night andDay” brittle with staccato runs; and propelling Bill
Evans’ “Very Early” forward with brisk momentum.
But the heart of this album is in the pianist’s sensitive
capturing of melodic essence in the slower ballads as
he makes each indelibly sing.
On Pédron Rubalcaba, the pianist is paired with thecelebrated French (Breton) alto saxophonist Pierrick
Pédron in duos, with further participation fromarranger Laurent Courthaliac. The two seem at their bestwhen less constrained by sometimes over-formulaicarrangements. Jackie McLean’s hard bop, 32-bar “Five
Will Get You Ten” is a bouncy highlight, while George
Russell’s “Ezz-Thetic” unspools like a complicated,

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uptempo puzzle, the pair deftly executing added shout
choruses. Co-arranged by Pédron and Courthaliac, thenumber is a highlight beyond the more over-arranged
tracks. As with Borrowed Roses, the best tracks here are
the slow ballads. Henry Mancini’s “Dreamsville” isevanescent and quite dreamy, anchored by a repeating
short piano ostinato that keeps it from sentimentality.
And Jerome Kern’s “The Folks Who Live on the Hill”
has never sounded more wistful and enchanting, withalto and piano weaving languorous strands of melody
in an indelible version of the standard.
For more info visit gonzalorubalcaba.com. andpierrickpedron.com. Rubalcaba is at Blue Note Mar. 5-10.
See Calendar.

The New Wonders
Mike Davis (Turtle Bay)by Marilyn Lester

Mike Davis, cornetist, arranger and vocalist, has thelook and the love of the 1920s about him. Even before
graduating from the Manhattan School of Music,
he was working as a sideman with the likes of Terry
Waldo, Dandy Wellington and Vince Giordano. Withhis own septet, The New Wonders (a reference toBix Beiderbecke), the mood is speakeasy/dancehall.
The group’s rendition of “The Baltimore” (McHugh/Kahal/Healy), last of the 13 tracks, is a Charlestoninducing pacer that leaves the listener in an uplift. Fora two-step, there’s the slower “Reaching for Someone(And Not Finding Anyone There)” (Donaldson/
Leslie). What goes on throughout is a syncopated Jazz
Age potpourri of tunes that have receded into history
for most of us. Davis returns them to life. His choice ofopener “Flamin’ Mamie” (Rose/Whiteman) is a “poster
child” for the era—you can imagine the good times
being had on the other side of the speakeasy door.
Once inside, “Persian Rug” (Kahn/Moret) greets you
with an exotic two-beat and wah-wah muted horn.
These top-notch musicians play as a true ensemble,
with Davis’ cornet most prominent in “I’m Walking
Between the Raindrops” (Fischer/Rose). That familiar
um-pah beat of the ’20s is upheld faithfully by bass
saxophonist, Jay Rattman, while the drumming of
Jay Lepley keeps the rhythm light and basic, aided
by some sweet accents with sticks, especially on theuptempo “I Need Lovin’” (Creamer/Johnson). The mostrecognizable number on the project is “She’s Funny
That Way” (Whiting, Moret), which remains a Songbook
standard and which puts a large spotlight on Davis as asinger. His reedy tenor and the group’s backups won’t
win any talent contests, but the cats are true to styleand having fun. Their barbershop quartet harmony on“I’m More Than Satisfied” (Klages/Waller) is a goodold college try sure to bring smiles. And “Smile, Darn
Ya, Smile!” (Meskill, O’Flynn, Rich), from a 1931 Warner
Brothers Merrie Melodies cartoon, is a toe-tapping
delight. Most intriguing is a stylistic outlier, “Jungle
Crawl” (Parham), but a great tip of the top hat to Duke
Ellington and the Jungle Music of the Cotton Club.
Listen to Ellington’s “The Mooche” or “Black and Tan
Fantasy” for comparison. For lovers of period music andfeel-good, The New Wonders is the cat’s pajamas.
For more info visit turtlebayrecords.com. Davis is at
Birdland with Vince Giordano Mondays and with David
Ostwald Wednesdays. See Calendar.

28 March 2024 | THE NEW YORK CITY JAZZ RECORD

The Langston Hughes Project, Vol. 1
David Bixler (Tiger Turn)by John Pietaro

O f Langston Hughes, the Harlem Renaissance poet/writer and activist, alto saxophonist-composer David
Bixler was deeply inspired by the depth and universalityof Hughes’ poetry of struggle and protest—words as
relevant today as when they were written in the ’20s
and ’30s. Bixler thus began the Langston Hughes Projectin 2016, at a crucial time in U.S. history, drawing fromfour Hughes poems. These are threaded together on thealbum by electronics artist Elianie Lillios’ atmosphericcaptures, which produces a mosaic of the music as bothan improvised and composed artform. The ghost of
progressive jazz is evident through masterful voicings,
arrangements and solo statements of the central nonet:
Bixler, Mike Rodriguez (trumpet), Jon Cowherd(piano), Gregg August (bass), Fabio Rojas (percussion),
Judith Ingolfsson (violin), Heather Martin Bixler(violin), Arthur Dibble (viola) and Rubin Kodheli(cello). Strains of Gil Evans are found within, but not
more so than those of Sun Ra or Max Roach’s Double
Quartet. But the naked cry of Ornette Coleman’s alto,
too, is undeniable, never far from Hughes’ words ofanguish or celebration.
At just over 40 minutes, this epic evokes Hughes’
life work. Opening with “Justice”, based on a 1932
poem, Rojas’ flowing, aerial dance over drumkit sets
the tone for urgency as well as pensive moments.
“Liars” begins with an intriguing string quartet tango
theme; the juxtaposition of the jazz quintet, in and out,
flows seamlessly. Listen for the fluid bass solo in frontof the strings. One might assume that Bixler heard the
deep resonance of Hughes while composing. “End”,
as heard here and within the original poem, signifies
a brokenness, finality, but in the Hughes ethos that
nothing is final. The last movement, “Moan”, brings thelistener to Blue Note-like hard bop, deftly, perseveringly
swinging in dual horn lines built on the Hughes poemof 1927.
If there’s a negative aspect in this spectacularoffering, it’s the lack of the four poems within the
packaging; their inclusion would have been a great, andseemingly essential, asset.
For more info visit davidbixler.com. Bixler is at Penny Jo’s
Mar. 23. See Calendar.

Jardineros
Hery Paz (577 Records)
by Ken Waxman

Aiming for that sweet spot where a variant of Cuban
music meets free improvisation, Cuban-born, New Yorkbased multi-instrumentalist, composer and visual artist,
Hery Paz, is joined by two rhythm makers in Jardineros(“the gardeners”) for a unique sonic concoction.

Although his partners—drummer Francisco Mela andpercussionist/vocalist Román Díaz—are also Cuban,
the ten tracks aren’t restricted to typical Latin cadences.
The trio’s intent is to move beyond those forms of
traditional, and often clichéd, Cuban structures to forge
new improvisational ground. Paz, who has worked
with the likes of Nate Wooley, begins the session with
“Calle Libertad”, a lilting, delicate lute piece; several
tunes, especially “El Real de las Palmas“, are linked to
unforced drum rattles, featuring Paz’ minimalist pianocomping behind Díaz’ dramatic recitations in Spanish.
On other selections, the three creatively demonstrate
their affiliations with exploratory sounds in individual
avenues of improv. Díaz’ responsive conga and bongolike rhythms, for example, energize the tracks withvivid coloring, while Paz and Mela involve themselvesin stimulating tenor saxophone-drum exchanges.
Intense and jagged saxophone overblowing and flutter
tonguing often create even more emotional expositions,as doubled paradiddles and cymbal shivers from Mela’s
regular kit are enhanced by Diaz’ pulsating palm slaps.
Dexterous reed asides on “Communión” can be longlined and irregularly spaced, or, as on “Arroyo Lajaz”,
built up note-upon-note and tone-upon-tone, each timeencouraged by verbalized yells from the players. The
leader’s one detour into tradition occurs on “Conga
Espirituna” where his blowing of the brassy Cornta
China (a traditional Cuban wind instrument similar
to the Chinese suona) joins triangle pings, cowbell
slaps and other idiophone beats to create an episode of
Cuban carnival gaiety. This particular contrasting Latininterlude also confirms the skill with which the trio
members have constructed this exclusive and distinct
Cuban-improv mélange. The gardeners showcase theverdant music the three have nurtured into flowering.
For more info visit 577records.com. Paz is at The Jazz Gallery
with Willy Rodriguez Mar. 13 and Main Drag Music withJames Wengrow Mar. 27. See Calendar.

title track has a strong Monk influence, and Bergonzi
is equally angular on “They Knew”. The relaxed,
contemplative “Czech Mate” was written by Bergonzi
as an ode for Lukas Oravec, the trumpeter born in what
is now the Slovak Republic. Grenadier (who has an
attractive sound, influenced by, among others, Freddie
Hubbard and Randy Brecker) is featured and, insteadof trying to emulate, he lets his own personality prevailand shine through. Laid back on “Double Billed” and theballad “The Truth”, Bergonzi’s playing takes a bluesy
turn on “Obama” (written of course for the former U.S.
President). New Haven, CT native Gray has been avaluable contributor to Boston’s avant garde jazz scene
since the mid ’70s, and throughout this album proves tobe no less appealing, even in this more straight-ahead
setting.
Bergonzi has built an impressive catalogue over theyears and Extra Extra is a solid addition.
For more info visit jazzdepot.com. Bergonzi is at Smalls
Mar. 22-23. See Calendar.

The New World
Tony Oxley (Discus Music)
by Mike Shanley

Listening to the six tracks on Tony Oxley’s The New
World, each simply titled as a numbered composition,
could be compared to a visit to a Percussion Curiosity
Shop. Low clattering sounds float in, only to disappear

quickly. Bowed cymbals, or something very similar,
come out of the corner, together with wood block hits.
A creak could be something Oxley produced, or it
could be a loose floorboard that fits into the mix. The
performance never rises to a frenetic level, and evenwhen it flows rapidly, the mood always feels rather
gentle, a quality emphasized by a recording that captures
the sound of Oxley and fellow percussionist Stefan
Hölker performing in a room, rather than a productionthat closely mics their artillery of instruments.
Neither Oxley or Hölker play in a busy manner.
They are respectful of each other’s space to such an
extent that they practically become one sound, with
Oxley’s electronics acting as an additional voice. This
third element folds into the proceedings; sometimes
it seems like a surly ogre that rises and falls, while atother times the electronics respond to the acoustic
instruments, even playing them back in reverse. Thissubdued element presents a level of intrigue with these
open-ended works, but it also means that the dynamic
range doesn’t vary too much from track to track. Whatsounds methodical and alluring in “Composition 1”
starts to wear a little thin a few tracks later, as if a search
for the right sound continues, whatever that may be.
In spite of this, the two tracks on The New World thatlast longer than ten minutes (“Compositions 4” and“6”) both offer some of the album’s best moments.
“Composition 6” delivers the feeling to which thealbum has been gradually building. The electronics ebb
and flow around the more pronounced drum strikes.
Oxley plays more aggressively here, building towards
crescendos and bangs, aided by more surprisingelements that approximate garbled piano notes, banjo
plucks and even a typewriter. Then, when everything
seems wide awake and ready to blast off, the trackfades out enigmatically. Perhaps Oxley, who died lastDecember at age 85, wants to conclude this session byindicating that the music never really ends.
For more info visit discus-music.org

IN PRINT

Extra Extra
Jerry Bergonzi (Savant)by Alex Henderson

J erry Bergonzi may have earned a great deal of respectfrom cool jazz enthusiasts when he played in pianist
Dave Brubeck’s group in the ’70s and early ’80s, but
the Boston-born and -based tenor saxophonist has since
moved in more of a postbop/hard bop direction on his
own recordings, as is evidenced on his latest release,
Extra Extra.
Now 76, Bergonzi continues to be still quite
active on the Boston scene, and on his latest project
leads a predominantly Bostonian lineup. Despite theroughly 200-mile distance between New York City
and Boston, veterans Bergonzi and NYC-based bassist
Harvie S have enjoyed a highly productive, longlasting relationship. The album was recorded at the
saxophonist’s home studio and S is also credited as its
producer. The pianoless outing finds the two joinedby Phil Grenadier (trumpet), Sheryl Bailey (guitar)and Luther Gray (drums), primarily performing andfocusing on the leader’s original postbop material (mostof the selections are composed by Bergonzi, excepting
Harvie S’ “The Truth”).
The modal “Loudzee” has a haunting quality,
bringing to mind Joe Henderson’s “Black Narcissus”,
given with more of a Brazilian flavor here. The quirky

The Rhythm of UNITY: A Jazz Musician’s Lifelong
Journey Beyond Black and White
Mike & Dorothy Longo, with Joscelyn Duffy(Redwood Publishing)by Terrell K. Holmes

Acclaimed pianist, composer, teacher and author Mike

Longo (who passed away four years ago this month,
only days after turning 83) recorded prolifically as
both sideman and leader. His belief that racial bias
applied to music as much as it did in society, led tohis mission of using music to promote racial harmony,equality and the consciouness-raising of humanity.
Longo’s autobiography, The Rhythm of UNITY: A Jazz
Musician’s Lifelong Journey Beyond Black and White, details
stories from the front lines of jazz, from his strugglesof developing and refining his craft, to musical andspiritual epiphanies that redefined and redirected hislife. After Longo’s passing, his widow Dorothy added
supplemental material, including her own memories
and insights, especially what guided and motivated herhusband.
Longo was born in Cincinnati, but grew up in

Florida, raised by enlightened musician parents who
advocated racial equality. Musically precocious, hefrequently played in racially mixed groups as a teenager,
which meant that Longo and his bandmates often had
to deal with Jim Crow. Ironically, he was criticized forsounding “too black” by whites and Blacks who believed
he was taking jobs away from them. After becoming
established, he played and recorded with many jazzlegends, but the one who was central to his life was
Dizzy Gillespie, whose presence runs throughout thebook. His connection to Gillespie began long before they
met: it was hearing Gillespie’s music on the radio back in
Florida that sparked his interest in jazz. The seven years
he spent in the trumpeter’s band, as pianist and musicaldirector, was a time of boundless musical and personal
growth. The two remained friends until Dizzy’s passing
in 1993, bonding through music as well as the Bahá’í
faith, which emphasizes unity and acceptance.
The Rhythm of UNITY clearly conveys Longo’s
regrets as well as exhilarations—the uncompromising
spectrum of feelings and events of one man’s life.
Despite redundancies and musical technicalities (which
may be confusing to the casual reader), the passion ofLongo’s life work is yet entertaining and informative. He
lived with a fierce dedication to musical excellence andhuman equality.
In its 228 pages, the book is an enlightening
celebration of music and life from an exceptional man
and musician dedicated to life-long learning andgrowth—and a forceful reminder that music is theuniversal tie that unites us as human beings.
For more info visit mikelongojazz.com

THE NEW YORK CITY JAZZ RECORD | March 2024 29

Also outstanding is Eddie Harris’ “Cryin’ Blues”,
wherein the tenor saxophonist perfectly honors
Harris’ delivery before going off into his own bag.
He even uses the electronic octave-doubling of theSelmer Varitone pickup, which was introduced byHarris and Sonny Stitt.
Three is an excellent addition to the organ trio
tradition: swinging, sophisticated, soulful andmodern, even as it honors past masters.
Three
Pat Bianchi (21H)
by Keith Hoffman

G rowing up in a musical family in Rochester, NY,
Pat Bianchi was always surrounded by some formof music, and by the age of 12, was subbing in his
father’s dance band. Although Bianchi figured he’dprobably be a professional keyboard player, he
hadn’t committed to any particular type. “I heardorgan players in Rochester, but it was all ‘grits andgravy’ stuff,” Bianchi told me, referring to the older
style of playing that brought the heat, but lacked theharmonic sophistication and sheer technical masteryon the B3 that Jimmy Smith introduced in Philidelphia
in the ’50s. Bianchi’s lack of focus changed when
he was turned on to 1993’s Live at the Five Spot by
Philadelphia B3 virtuoso, Joey DeFrancesco. Then it
was all Hammond all the time, as Bianchi developed
the technical and artistic mastery of his now-chosen
instrument. You can hear this dedication in Bianchi’sninth release as a leader, Three, with Australian-borntenor saxophonist Troy Roberts and Denver-raised
drum master, Colin Stranahan.
The album opener is a searing “Love for Sale”,
which Bianchi morphed into a swinging 7/4 groovethat catches even more fire when it switches to fourat the bridge. The beat goes back and forth that way,with Roberts tearing it up with equal parts bebop
sophistication and “grits and gravy” fire. Stranahan
is inventive, precise and swinging throughout,especially in his excellent solo over a 7/4 vamp.
“When Sunny Gets Blue” is taken as a natural,easy-swinging organ trio number, so much so thatit’s surprising the tune hasn’t been used more likethis (as opposed to the ballad-style Sonny Stitt andBrother Jack McDuff 1962 version). “I wanted thefeel that Shirley Scott and Stanley Turrentine might
have given it,” Bianchi said, referring to the great
Philly organ master and her Pittsburgh-born, Phillyadopted husband. “I like to have at least one Wayne
tune on every album, referring to Wayne Shorter’s
dark and moody “Dance Cadaverous”—one of
the album’s six tracks and played as an ominous
and understated organ voicing; this approach
perfectly underscores Roberts’ excellent playing.

For more info visit patbianchi.com. Bianchi is at Smallswith Troy Roberts Mar. 28. See Calendar.

Last Calls
AMM (Matchless)by Marc Medwin“W hat has been your overall view…” drones thedisembodied voice coming over guitarist Keith Rowe’s
radio. It’s a moment of AMM-style synchronicity
twelve minutes into the long-standing aggregate’s
final performance. It’s one that somehow speaks tohistories incorporated into one of the disparate andspontaneous “musical” frames Rowe (who turns 84
this month) and Eddie Prévost have constructed overthe course of AMM’s nearly six decades. Last Calls was
the final event of percussionist Prévost’s “Making
a Journey to a Bright Nowhere”, his 80th birthday
series in July 2022 at Café Oto (long-standing AMM
pianist John Tilbury was advised not to participate
for medical reasons).
Those
uninitiatedwillexperienceanextraordinary web of sonic references informing
the 53-minute AMM duo set, which encompasses
the intersection of sounds continuously blurring
the boundaries of recognition: traditional Japanesemusic sharing Protean spaces with what sounds likedistorted sine tones, and bowed strings and various
other samples courtesy of Rowe’s ever-evolving
sonic palette. Those in the know will hear familiar
signifiers, including Prévost’s bowed gong andcymbals alongside Rowe’s cultural templates, suchas recordings of Purcell’s Funeral Music for Queen
Mary and Wagner’s Tristan and Isolde prelude, which
lend poignancy to the evolving texture. We evenhear Tilbury’s beautifully calm pianism, iridescenttones and chords in symbiosis, courtesy of Rowe’s
technological machinations. Tilbury also contributes
a gorgeously recorded solo as a post-script, not tomention liner notes culled from chronologicallydisparate documents that shed light both on his
biography and on AMM’s modus operandi.
This particular AMM performance breathes
luminosity with long tones predominating. It was
this characteristic that separated the group from its
free-improvisation colleagues in the mid ’60s, andalthough tonal sustain looms large here, it is joinedby so many other timbres typifying AMM’s long andmutable history. The music undulates patiently andgathers layers of density only to relinquish it in theend, neither succumbing to nor embracing a final
silence. It simply happens, and like a fragment ofspeech or a tone rising and returning to the spacebirthing it, there is something achingly transparent
in the action/non-action duality that has defined thegroup and bids it farewell.
For more info visit matchlessrecordings.com

30 March 2024 | THE NEW YORK CITY JAZZ RECORD

Speak to Me
Julian Lage (Blue Note)by Tom Greenland

G uitarist Julian Lage’s Speak to Me, his fourth
record on Blue Note, returns to an ore-rich veinhe’s been mining for most of his career. You mightcall it progressive-Americana, but that wouldn’t
encompasshis
eclectic
influences,
restless,
exploratory spirit and prodigious command of guitar
techniques and textures. Much of the repertoire on
the album was written and workshopped in early2023 on a European tour with bassist Jorge Roeder
and drummer Dave King. Because the tunes had
been hammered and honed on the road, it took only
a few studio sessions to capture performances thatwere both carefully crafted and highly spontaneous.
Producer Joe Henry was brought in to help mix thelooser jams into tighter song structures. Lage switches
between acoustic and electric guitars, the former
tuned down a half-step (or more) for a rich, glowing
tone. He’s on his lonesome for “Myself AroundYou”, an excellent primer on his unique approach
to chord voicings, heard in a series of ascending
passages that grow stranger sounding as they rise.
Many tracks feature the trio with keyboardist Patrick
Warren evoking an array of moods: “Hymnal” would
make an effective theme for a classic Hollywood
Western and “Omission” suggests mid-period Bob
Dylan, while “Serenade”, sounding like a soul balladplayed on Hawaiian steel guitar without the slide,contains one of Lage’s best solos. “Two and One”
and “As It Were” have an old-timey vibe, with a bitof slow blues and ragtime, respectively; “Tiburon”
is swinging Americana with fat chords and slapping
attacks. Pianist Kris Davis appears on “Northern
Rock” in the guise of a New Orleans piano tickler,
rolling the boogie, and on “South Mountain”, adding
unusual accents and harmonic counter-lines to
Levon Henry’s birdlike clarinet. Roeder features on“Vanishing Point”, accompanying his single-notelines with double-stops, while King, vigorous when
he needs to be, shows the power of tasteful restraint
on the outros and endings of “Serenade”, “Vanishing
Point” and “Nothing Happens Here”.
With each album, Lage digs a little deeper,
finding precious resources in North America’s
vernacular music, one step closer to the mother lode.
For more info visit bluenote.com. Lage’s album release
concert is at Town Hall Mar. 22. See Calendar.

The Phyllis Wheatley ProjectGeorge Colligan (PCJE)
by Ken Dryden

G eorge Colligan’s move to Oregon to teach at
Portland State University in 2011 has paid a number

of dividends. He’s since become an important
contributor to its jazz scene, in addition to becominga renowned educator. This unusual project consistsof music Colligan composed for poetry written
by Phyllis Wheatley, an 18th century slave who
published her first book at the age of twenty.
His band includes several of his former students,
including Zyanna Melada (vocals), Noah Simpson(trumpet), Garrett Baxter (bass) and Domo Branch(drums). The leader’s music is stylistically diverseand brings the most out of Wheatley’s timelesspoetry, which is very sophisticated for someone ofher background and young age—and the text works
perfectly in 21st century music. It is fairly obviousthat the young musicians were as passionate about
The Phyllis Wheatley Project as Colligan, playing
fully engaged with uncovering the possibilities
within each song. Melada is a vocalist to watch: her
vocal range, inventive scatting and expressivenessindicate a star in the making. Simpson’s nuanced
trumpet is an effective foil for the powerful vocalist,
while Baxter and Branch provide solid backing
throughout the session.
Colligan is also one of the most dynamic andinventive pianists of his generation. The intense
post-bop vehicle “Ode To Neptune” serves asa dramatic interdiction, with Melada’s lively
scatting and the pianist’s dazzling solo interlude.
“On Virtue” is a glistening ballad with a magicalair, as Simpson’s moving trumpet sets the tablefor Melada’s sensitive vocal. The haunting “OnImagination” is a stunning vocal-piano duet thatwould hush the noisiest audience. The brooding “Toa Lady and Her Children, on the Death of Her Son
and Their Brother” proves particularly effective,
with Colligan’s dark chords, the free-spirited
rhythm section and distorted trumpet accenting thesorrowful lyric.
There are two things that would have madethis outstanding release even better: liner notes
detailing the background of the project and having
the trumpet a little less prominent in the mix whenplayed in unison with the vocals, as it is challenging
at times to actually understand the lyrics.

(inspired by John Coltrane’s “Psalm”). As the
drummer and pianist Genovese lay down a fervid
carpet of clattering attack, Hery Paz’ probing
saxophone is full of shimmering intensity anda shifting harmonic approach to all parts of thesong. On Palmer’s “Where There’s a Will, There’sa Way”, the trumpeter takes the lead throughout
the straightforward chart with fluency andcreativity. Bassist John Hébert has a solo that isdeftly propulsive, and Genovese audibly shows
he is a pianist with both a crisp touch and exciting
technique.
The first of Liebman’s two guest appearances is
on Paz’ “Guani”. In this offering, Liebman and theothers take full advantage of the free association
setting to stuff their notes with weight and force,
fully aware of the sound space in which the number
moves. The other Liebman feature is Rodriguez’“The Infinity of Your Love”. Here, he is set against
Palmer’s muted trumpet in a form of call-andresponse that is measured and insistent, and nevergrows too garrulous. The infrequently presented
Ornette Coleman composition “Fixed Goal” is set
up by the leader’s swinging drums and is filledwith rampant energy. Paz’ tenor keeps up the pacein the language of chiming dissonance.
Whether it is the unusually named “The RedTailed Hawk Is Going to Eat Your Babies” (packed
with field recordings by producer Tehn Vega), “Self
Love” (the technically astounding solo drumming
excursion by Rodriguez) or the closing track“Praise”—Rodriguez’ unconventional approachand commitment to ambitious structures allow for
moments of brilliance to unfold. In that space, chaos
and discordancy merge into a harmonious althoughunusual musical experience.

ostensibly created for a random person’s ordinary
Sunday. Sure, this may have you imagining typicalmusic for a lazy Sunday as you roll out of bed, hit
the local coffee joint, run some errands, go for a run
and zone out for an afternoon nap. Sperrazza andcompany may capture that state of mind—but thisSunday happens to be way more riveting.
The drummer may be underrated as far as
leaders go, but he’s in full command of this terrificgroup, with both heavy-hitting and sensitive
aplomb—from the knotty thrashing he metes out on
his kit on “First Weather” to the ultra-soft touches
and cymbal caresses of the rustic twang of “Harvey
Pekar“. Sperrazza is also adept at ceding space forhis bandmates to shine. And that they do. Seabrookis his usual wildly inventive self throughout the
set’s eight compositions. On “Presence” he sprays
prickly riffs from his banjo that are skin-piercing;he adds jazzy guitar lines on the boppish furyof “PM Drift”; and on album closer “Hitheringand Thithering” he shreds on the mandolin.
Stillman, too, is top-notch, providing the perfectcounterpoint to Seabrook’s bonkers picking withaddictive saccharine melodies. The Sperrazza/
Opsvik rhythm section proves to be one of the best,completely dialed in on the burning blues of “IfOnly”.
Here’s hoping we don’t have to wait anotherseven years for the next Apocryphal record.
For more info visit loyallabel.com. Sperrazza is at BAM
with Mark Morris Ensemble Mar. 20-23, Pangea with
Judi Silvano Mar. 27, BierWax Queens with EmberMar. 29 and Ibeam Brooklyn with Yoon Choi Mar. 30.
See Calendar.

For more info visit willyrodriguezmusic.com. Rodriguez’
album release concert is at The Jazz Gallery Mar. 13.
See Calendar.

For more info visit pjce.org. Colligan is at Smalls
Mar. 31. See Calendar.

SundayVinnie Sperrazza Apocryphal (Loyal Label)by Brad Cohan

Seeing Sounds
Willy Rodriguez (s/r)
by Pierre Giroux

D rummer/composer Willy Rodriguez’ selfreleased debut album, Seeing Sounds, catapults
listeners into a mesmerizing realm that pushes theboundaries of traditional structures and embraces
the risky yet often brilliant edges of open andfree improvisation. With his percussive prowess,
Rodriguez is the guiding force in this odyssey.
He has brought along two of his long-standing
musical partners, trumpeter Jason Palmer andpianist Leo Genovese, in addition to several otherstandout players, including multi-instrumentalist
Dave Liebman whose career has spanned years oftransformation in and out of contemporary jazz.
The eleven compositions performed offer a sonicjourney that is both daring and sophisticated,
beginning with Rodriguez’ “Beyond The Struggle”

I t’s no secret in the Brooklyn avant jazzunderground that Vinnie Sperrazza is one of thescene’s guiding lights and a go-to collaborator
as well as reliable sideman. A Paul Motian-esquedrummer with a fiery streak, his stylistic knowhow covers a wide spectrum from swinging postbop fervor to traditional jazz stylings to free
improvisation. His wealth of talents also extends
to that of bandleader and to that of a composer andarranger where he thrusts his muscular presence
into the limelight.
For the last decade, Sperrazza has led
Apocryphal, his fleet-footed and risk-taking quartet
made up of fellow Brooklyn scene stalwarts: Loren
Stillman (alto, tenor, soprano), Brandon Seabrook(guitar, banjo, mandolin) and Eivind Opsvik (bass).
The group’s first two stellar recordings, Apocryphal(2014) and Hide Ye Idols (2017) threaded intricate
but mellifluous webs coated in a psychedelic glintthat proved easy to lose oneself in. Apocryphal’s
third set, Sunday, is not as aggressive and jarring
as its predecessors but that may be the point;
the concept behind the album is a soundscape

NOW AVAILABLE and featuring original musicby saxophonist/clarinetist Kirk Edwards!

Shout!, a collection of songs inspired by the exuberant,
expressive and spiritual qualities of African American gospel
music traditions but with a jazz sensibility, features
pianist Donald Vega (2023 Guggenheim Fellow andmember of Ron Carter's Golden Striker Trio).
“Edwards' contributions are wonderful — lovely, searing,adventurous and cunning as called for.”—The New London Day“This quartet is a hard-swinging group with Kirk Edwards'
burnished tenor sax (think Benny Golson crossed with Ben
Webster) backed by a superb rhythm section…”—The Jazz and Blues Report“… take a spin with this cat who was with the Coast Guard bandfor 20 years and knows what to do with a sax. Surrounded byﬁrst call cats that know the score, and recording at Van Gelder's,
this straight-ahead jazz quartet is so in the pocket you hope theyﬁnd the time and tide to go out as a real band sometime. Tight andsolid, these guys blow up a most righteous storm. Well done.”—Chris Spector, The Midwest Record
Contact and Purchase Infokirksmusic.net

Music Promotions: Scott Thompson PR
scottthompsonpr.com

THE NEW YORK CITY JAZZ RECORD | March 2024 31

(WINTER JAZZFEST CONTINUED FROM PAGE 12)with other folksy fare, and she on large hollow-bodyelectric, snapping spiny responses—a disparate pairstrangely in sync. Vocalist Samora Pinderhughes’
set at Le Poisson Rouge presented a free-form gospel
choir, individual singers beginning their phrases atdifferent times, often soloing simultaneously, tuning
their voices into blended chords, unified in spirit. Up
in the Meatpacking District, late hip hop producer
J Dilla was fêted at Racket by keyboardist/music
director Ray Angry’s large ensemble, a gospel/funk/neo-soul juggernaut inspired by Dilla’s slippery,“swinging” productions. Three miles east (a modest

distance on bicycle, but complicated by the onset ofrain), Nublu hosted rapper Saul Williams, whose
trenchant observations of social-political issues served
as a call to arms: “We’re not here to repeat! We’rehere to break cycles!” One last adventure occurred at
RadioNublu, where deejays Photay and Yuka Honda
worked laptops in a sardine-packed backroom; chestrattling bass-booms, inhumanly fast snare and cymbal
patterns and thick clouds of machine-generated fog
created an eerie stygian atmosphere.
Saturday’s Brooklyn Marathon was held in eight
Williamsburg venues on a windy, bitter cold night. The
glass walls and ceiling of Superior Ingredients’ Rooftop
room rattled like a ship in a storm as alto saxophonist
Steve Lehman’s trio played a potent mix of originals
and Anthony Braxton covers—bassist Matt Brewer
and drummer Damion Reid navigating the leader’sbyzantine rhythmic structures with ease and finesse.
At Baby’s All Right, flugelhornist/vocalist Milena
Casado— the Next Jazz Legacy awardee and whose
NJL Creative Mentor is Grammy-winning Meshell
Ndegeocello—led her quartet with EWI player Morgan
Guerin, mixing sounds of neo-soul and MPB, bothmusicians joining (Guerin now on drums) vocalist/
keyboardist Zacchae’us Paul for a high-volume set
influenced by Latin music and progressive soul. At
Superior Ingredients’ main room, drummer Mark
Guiliana attempted an ambitious solo act combining
home movies of road trips, marathon runners andwalking crowds, with turbulent live drum interludes
and light, looping keyboards. Vibraphonist Simon
Moullier’s concert in the Loove Labs backroom wascrammed and cramped, but well worth a wait for a
glimpse of his fleet, fast, elegant mallet work. Harriet
Tubman’s set at Union Pool, fomented by Brandon
Ross’ lead vocals and heavily processed guitar, was

U

D

N

For more info visit winterjazzfest.com

Album release event: March 23, 2024 at Big Ears Festival (Knoxville, TN)SE

EWboth psychedelic and cinematic. A quick pop into
Jolene, Moxy Hotel’s disco, where deejay Toribio
was mixing, served as an aural palate cleanser for the
next show: a Pharoah Sanders tribute at Music Hall of
Williamsburg in an extended free-form jam invoking
the ancestors. A final late-night set at Brooklyn Bowl
led by DJ Logic (turntables), featuring BIGYUKI(keyboards, electronics), Felix Pastorius (bass), Mike
“Black Dynamite” Mitchell (drums) and Baptista(percussion), was so kinetic that some of the musicians
seemed to be putting themselves into a trance.
The next day, Gary Bartz (alto), David Murray(tenor), Billy Hart (drums), Nicole Mitchell andShabaka (flutes), Charlie Burnham (violin) and Ahmed
Abdullah (trumpet) were headliners at Crown Heights’
Crown Hill Theatre to tribute The East, a seminal
neighborhood cultural/educational center active in the’70s. Despite sound balance issues, the loose, protracted
jams held some fine moments, especially exchanges
between Burnham, Mitchell and Shabaka, and the foilof Bartz with Murray.
The festival’s final night was curated by bassist
Mononeon at Brooklyn Steel in East Williamsburg.
Guitarist David “Fuze” Fiuczynski’s set wasparticularly appealing, suggesting a Jimi Hendrix
playing North African microtonal scales on a fretless,wah-wah guitar. Mononeon briefly sat in to add his
distinctive rumbly bass. The eclectic evening concluded
with Knower, a vocal/drum duo innovatively mashingup visual media and dance beats. These acts, like all theothers in the festival, fell under the umbrella of “jazz.”
After a full week of more than two dozen concerts,
your correspondent was left to ponder: “What is thisthing called jazz?” Hard to say, but it is changing.

bigearsfestival.org

236 West 26 Street, Room 804
New York, NY 10001
Monday-Saturday, 10:00-6:00
Tel: 212-675-4480
Fax: 212-675-4504
Email: jazzrecordcenter@verizon.net
Web: jazzrecordcenter.com
LP’s, CD, Videos (DVD/VHS),Books, Magazines, Posters,
Postcards, T-shirts,
Calendars, Ephemera

AsianImprovRecords.com

MIN XIAO-FEN(pipa, ruan, sanxian, ﬁnger piano, sound effects, voice)
RIVER GUERGUERIAN(Middle Eastern and Indian frame drums, kanjira talking drums, berimbau, doumbek,
Chinese gongs, hand-pan, didgeridoo, rain stick, drum set, voice)“(Min Xiao Fen)…
one of the world’s
greatest virtuosos…”—Ned Wharton, NPR
Weekend Edition

Buy, Sell, Trade
Collections bought
and/or appraised
Also carrying specialist labels
e.g. Criss Cross, ECM, Enja, ESP,
Fresh Sound, High Note, Pi, Savant,Sunnyside, Venus and many more.

minbluepipa.com
32 March 2024 | THE NEW YORK CITY JAZZ RECORD

eek!

Open 7 Days a W

MAR 1–3

PAULA WEST
MAR 4

NEW YORK YOUTH SYMPHONY JAZZ: PATHWAYS
Presenting

MAR 5–6

NEXT GENERATION JAZZJUDY CARMICHAEL QUARTET

Monday Nites ft. Up & Coming Talent!

MAR 7

SANAH KADOURA

2 Sets of Shows—7:30pm & 10:30pm Every Week!

MAR 8–10

FRANK CARLBERG

ANN HAMPTON CALLAWAY:INSPIRED CLASSICS AND ORIGINALS
MAR 11

JAZZ AT LINCOLN CENTER YOUTH ORCHESTRAMAR 12WILLIAM PATERSON UNIVERSITYJAZZ ENSEMBLES AND ORCHESTRAMAR 13RYCARDO MORENO AND YOTAM SILBERSTEIN
WITH CELIA FLORES
MAR 14–17

TOM HARRELL QUARTET
MAR 18LARGE ENSEMBLE

FRI
3/1

Edsel Gomez Quartet
Bruce Williams Quintet

7:30pm
10:30pm

SSC 1716 / AVAILABLE 3/8/24

SAT
3/2

Ed Cherry Quartet
Sarah Hanahan Quartet

7:30pm
10:30pm

SUN
3/3

Peter Zak Quartet
Bennett Paster’s Understated Trio

6:30pm
9:30pmMON
3/4

Hank Allen-Barfield Quartet
Max Johnson Trio

7:30pm
10:30pm

TUE
3/5

Fima Ephron Quartet
Emily Braden

7:30pm
10:30pm

WED
3/6

Rale Micic Quartet
T.k. Blue Quartet

7:30pm
10:30pm

THR
3/7

Jonny King Trio
Joe Strasser Quartet

7:30pm
10:30pm

FRI
3/8

David Gibson Quartet
Lee Taylor

7:30pm
10:30pm

Greg Skaff Trio

7:30pmSUN
3/10

Pete Malinverni Quartet
Michael Kanan Trio

6:30pm
9:30pmMON
3/11

Aaron Seeber Quartet
Nick Green Quartet

7:30pm
10:30pm

TUE
3/12

Manuel Valera Quintet
Julieta Eugenio Quartet

7:30pm
10:30pm

WED
3/13

Misha Piatigorsky Quartet
Dan Aran Band

7:30pm
10:30pm

THR
3/14

Philippe Lemm Trio
Hendrik Meurkens Quartet

7:30pm
10:30pm

ELEGY FOR THELONIOUS

C

arlberg says “I’ve chosen the various
soloists specifically for each piece, I
want to highlight their strengths and personalities. Although many things are very
specifically written and need to be performed a certain way, I also always welcome the special contributions that eachmusician brings to the work, they all put
their hearts and souls into this project!”

DOMO BRANCH BIG BAND
MAR 19TORD GUSTAVSEN TRIO

SAT
3/9

MAR 20SHEILA JORDAN WITH RONI BEN-HUR & HARVIE S
MAR 21–24

GET HAPPY WITH THE DIVA JAZZ ORCHESTRAMAR 25

EKEP NKWELLE BAND
MAR 26

BEN GOLDBERG’S GLAMOROUS ESCAPADES
MAR 27

BEN GOLDBERG’S EUPEMYSTICAL VIBRAPHONIUM
MAR 28–31

DUDUKA DA FONSECA, MAUCHA ADNET & HELIO ALVESVINICIUS CANTUARIAPSYCHEDELIC RIO
SSC 1725 / AVAILABLE 3/22/24

O
JAZZ.ORG/DIZZYS
7PM & 9PM
SUNDAYS 5PM & 7:30PM

n his new recording, Psychedelic Rio,
Vinicius Cantuaria tries to give anothervision of Brazilian music, one of intensityand power that will attract audiences thatare looking for new sounds beyond thosethat have been connected heretofore to
the Brazilian musical world.

212.258.9595
BROADWAY AT 60TH ST.

FRI
3/15
SAT
3/16

Matt Chertkoff Quartet Feat. Houston Person 10:30pm

Dwayne “Cook” Broadnax Quartet 7:30pm
Ben Stivers Quartet
10:30pm
Tommy Campbell Trio
The Richard Cortez Band

7:30pm
10:30pm

See The Line-Up AND Reserve At
THEDJANGONYC.COM
DINNER, LIBATIONS & LIVE JAZZ!
IN THE OF TRIBECA

2 AVE OF THE AMERICAS
www.sunnysiderecords.com

THE NEW YORK CITY JAZZ RECORD | March 2024 33

(INTERVIEW CONTINUED FROM PAGE 6)
Rachel Z: I was jamming on my tune, which wasbasically “Tokyo Blue”. The song would not have beenon the radio was it not for Najee putting in his ideas
and making it more, you know, palatable. I love how
it came out. It went gold, so I got royalties. Yeah, that
kept me in New York. And sustained me and allowed
me to play very weird music that I like. You know, I
like complex harmonies.
TNYCJR: And then…?
Rachel Z: While I was on tour with Najee, I got the callfor Steps Ahead. And I still had two or three months
with Najee. And he was, like, “Just go get it. Send me
a sub.” He let me leave the tour because he knew that I
liked to play more hardcore jazz. Steps Ahead led us toopen for Wayne Shorter. Wayne heard me, and he also
saw me on The Tonight Show with my band. Believe
it or not, The Tonight Show featured jazz musicians.
And since I was signed to Columbia, they let me play
my fairly weird jazz from my first record Trust the
Universe.
TNYCJR: You play a Fazioli F-228. During the concert
at Klavierhaus, you called the piano your partner inlife. Watching you, the music was vibrating throughyou; you played with your entire body, possessed bymusic. It was beautiful to witness.
Rachel Z: Wow. That was my experience. I studied
with Kenny Werner during the pandemic. I was getting
more uptight. Kenny helped me get into breathing, into
my body and changing. Just making sure that I wasconnected, and I think I’m more connected than I’ve
ever been.
TNYCJR: Tell us about Room of One’s Own. You named
the record after the book of Virginia Woolf with thesame title?
Rachel Z: Yeah, glad you know that. It makes a lot ofsense, right? I got divorced and I found myself needinga room of my own. And the room I found wasn’t big. It
was dark. It was in Soho. I lucked out though because
I needed to find an affordable place. And it turns out
Emmylou Harris had lived in the same apartment. And
that was my room of one’s own. Many of the songs
were dedicated to women. “Feel the Power” was formy mom. I told a writer in 2008 that I plan a follow up.
I’m a little behind schedule. And I said I was going tocall it Warriors, because I have many women warriors
in mind. A lot of times women warriors are leaders andpeaceful warriors. I want to honor them in my next
extravaganza.
TNYCJR: In your career you must have frequently
been the only woman in the room. Is the jazz world
still predominantly a man’s world? Have sexism andhardships women face become less in the last 20, 30
years?
Rachel Z: I don’t have anything to lose so I can tell you
the truth. It’s not better in any way, shape or form. In
fact, I’ve heard of women getting raped and that never
happened during my time. I think we had gentlemenin the room. They were respectful of women. In theirmind we earned our place. I have played with Wayne
Shorter, Stanley Clarke, Al Di Meola. Most guys didn’t
have that experience. It was strategy on my part, andit was fortune. I aimed to play with the best musicians
I could find. Terri Lyne Carrington, Cindy Blackman,
we aim to be the best and play with the best. But thatmeans that only the top 1% of women could be in theroom with the guys. I find the young men, my students,
to be significantly less sexist. Generation Z: I commend
them for having so much heart. I find that I’m able tobring the women out a bit more, although I think it
scares guys when a girl is really, really great. The guys
think they have to be perfect, and that they should beleading. If not, they feel they have failed.
TNYCJR: What advice would you give younger women
about embarking on a career in jazz, and how theyshould navigate the music business?
Rachel Z: I would avoid getting involved with guys
in the band. Stand alone and know yourself. You
have to stand alone because you can’t be part of theguys’ clique. So, I would encourage a sister-brotherinteraction for your entire career. Stand alone at all
times. Know yourself. This sounds ironic since I’mmarried to Omar, but that was after 30 or 40 years ofproving myself standing alone.
TNYCJR: You had worked with Omar for a long time
before you got into a relationship. You have been partof the same scene that merged jazz, rock, fusion andR&B.
Rachel Z: I played with Wayne. Omar played with
Weather Report. I played with Steps Ahead. He hadalready played with Steps Ahead. I played with Peter
Gabriel. He played with David Bowie.
TNYCJR: It was meant to be. Talk about your musicalcollaboration and what’s next…
Rachel Z: It felt natural to play together. We willcontinue with our jazz trio OZmosys, continue thetrail, do a new record. We’re releasing singles, first“Bodhisattva”, then “Save My Soul” and then the fullalbum and we’ll be touring. Then we’ll do my band
Sonic Boom Squad. And then another jazz record, andalso an electronic record. I hope to do that Warriors
record but I’m gonna need to do it in an orchestral
setting. It’s important for me to honor how womensurvived through all time. It’s going to be expensive.
I need to raise funds, maybe from the Guggenheim...
For more info visit rachelz.com. Rachel Z’s Sensual album
release concert is at Iridium Mar. 29. See Calendar.
Recommended Listening:• Rachel Z—Trust The Universe (Columbia, 1993)• Wayne Shorter—High Life (Verve, 1995)• Rachel Z Trio—On The Milky Way Express(Tone Center, 2000)• Dept. of Good and Evil—Featuring Rachel Z(Savoy Jazz, 2006)• Wayne Escoffery—Live at Firehouse 12(Sunnyside, 2013)• Rachel Z—Sensual (Dot Time, 2023)

Calloway Murphy: “Aunt Blanche was devoted tofamily, always kind to people, was the same onstage
and off… entertaining was just in her blood… (she) tookcommand of wherever she was. She was my rock that I
always went to when I had any problems.”
For more info visit blanchecalloway.com
Recommended Listening:• Louis Armstrong—Vol. 8 (Complete Edition)(Okeh-Masters of Jazz, 1925)• Blanche Calloway and Her Joy Boys—
The Chronological: 1925-1935 (Classics, 1925-35)• Blanche Calloway and Her Joy Boys—
Without That Gal! (Monk, 1925-35)• Reuben “River” Reeves - And His Tributaries/
River Boys 1929 (Retrieval, 1929)• Andy Kirk and His Twelve Clouds of Joy—
The Chronological: 1929-1931 (Classics, 1929-31)• Blanche Calloway—1931 (Harlequin, 1931)(LABEL SPOTLIGHT CONTINUED FROM PAGE 11)
many artists, myself included, who are fortunate
enough to have projects on this label.”
As for production and distribution, there’s apreference for CDs over other formats. As Hétu
confirms: “CDs seemed so much better. Less expensive to
produce, more music for each album and less expensive
to post. We were excited to drop the vinyl format.” AM
has released two LPs in the last few years, but its othermain outlet is downloads. An agreement with digital
distributor The Orchard has AM product on major
services, and its music is also available on Bandcamp,currentcd.com, and its own actuelle.com web shop. As
far as sales go, 75% are from physical product. Hétu says
her main job is making available via AM/DAME “greatmusic” that is “so rich, particular, personal, avantgarde
and alive by the strength of our community and by thestrength of extraordinary musicians.”
Since it’s the artist/leader on each album whochooses the ensemble and repertoire, she neverinterferes with their choices. However, she says “I’ve
always had a concern for fairness that I’ve never reallyachieved. Women musicians in new music are still
under-represented, and we’ve been promoting theplace of women in our community for a long time.”
She has tried to apply this credo to her own projects
and makes sure to include female musicians as often
as possible. The Ensemble SuperMusique, directed by
Hétu and Roger, for instance, which is represented
by twelve AM releases has, since its 1998 founding,included an increasing number of women in its ranks.
For more info visit ambiancesmagnetiques.com/en/accueil(LEST WE FORGET CONTINUED FROM PAGE 10)
bathroom at a gas station in Yazoo, MS. Her flamboyanceoften challenged accepted norms for female behavior anddespite being an exceptional musician and entertainer,
she was denied opportunities that would have beenoffered to men, so clearly illustrated by her brother’s
meteoric rise and ultimate success story. As the 1940s
dawned, Blanche struggled to find bookings. In 1938,
she declared bankruptcy and broke up her band. Not tobe dissuaded, Calloway formed a short-lived all-femaleorchestra in 1940, but that too struggled and soon wasforced to disband. Calloway focused on working as
a vocalist, but stopped performing in the early ’50s,
turning to many other pursuits: manager of the Crystal
Caverns nightclub in DC, and of vocalist Ruth Brown;
disc jockey and program director for WMBM Miami;
and an activist for civil rights. Breast cancer ended herlife in December 1978 at age 76. The last words about
this amazing woman belong to Cab’s first-born, Camay

Album release concert Sunday March 3rd (3 pm)
at the Third Street Music School (235 East 11th St., NYC)

…Night City is a triumphant and expansive
big band album that treats the listener toa delightfully wide palette of orchestral
tones and colors, all from a fairly
standard big band lineup.”—The New York City Jazz Record

bjurecords.com

THE NEW YORK CITY JAZZ RECORD | March 2024 35

CALENDAR

ê = Recommended Shows

Friday, March 1• Dave Stryker Trio with Jared Gold, McClenty Hunter; Corey Wallace Dubtet• Johnny O’Neal Trio; Bobby Harden with Off Da Hook

Arthur’s Tavern 7, 10 pm• Kaz Takemura with Caleb Wheeler Curtis, Santiago Leibson, Matt Wilson
Bar Bayeux 8, 9:30 pm
Bar LunÀtico 9, 10:30 pm $10• Yamba Quartet• Oscar Noriega’s Crooked Quartet with Marta Sanchez, Christopher Tordini,
Jason Nazary; Mamie Minch; Chia’s Dance Party with Ben Stapp,
Tim Vaughn, Livio Almedia, Andrew Pereira, Martín Vejarano
Barbès 3, 8, 10 pm $20• Bill Saxton Harlem All-Stars Bill’s Place 7, 9 pm $30
êBirdland Big Band; The Cookers with Billy Hart, Cecil McBee, David Weiss,
Donald Harrison, Craig Handy, Eddie Henderson, George Cables
Birdland 5:30, 8:30, 10:30 pm $25-40
êDon Braden Quartet
Birdland Theater 7, 9:30 pm $25-35• Chris Dave + Pino Palladino + Isaiah Sharkey Trio
Blue Note 8, 10:30 pm $30-45• James Burton Quintet; Ai Murakami Quartet
Cellar Dog 7, 8:30, 11 pm $10• Paula West with Ed Cherry, John Chin, Sean Conly, Jerome Jennings
Dizzy’s Club 7, 9pm $20-65• Edsel Gomez Quartet; Bruce Williams Quintet
The Django 7:30, 9, 10:30 pm, 12 am $25
êVijay Iyer: “Eternal Spirit - Music of Andrew Hill” with Nasheet Waits,
Milena Casado, Mark Shim, Devon Gates, Reggie Workman, Nicole Mitchell,
Yuhan Su
Harlem Stage Gatehouse 7:30 pm $25-50• Rose Tang, Chris Kelsey, Charles Downs, Steve Holtje; Marc Edwards &Slipstream Time Travel with Tor Snyder, Takuma Kanaiwa, Gian Perez,
Hidemi Akaiwa
Ibeam Brooklyn 8 pm $20
êMicah Thomas solo
The Jazz Gallery 7:30, 9:30 pm $25-35
Knickerbocker Bar & Grill 9 pm
• Esteban CastroêDavid Berkman, Vicente Archer, Billy Mintz; Jesse Green, Daniel LaCour
Duke, J. Taylor Leach
Mezzrow 7:30, 9, 10:30 pm, 12 am $40
êSharp Radway; Isaiah Collier Minton’s 7, 9, 11 pm $30• Jazz Jam with Patience Higgins
Patrick’s Place 8 pmêTerence Blanchard: “A Career Retrospective in Jazz” with Turtle Island
Quartet, Benny Green, Christian McBride, Ben Wendel
Rose Theater 8 pm $40-185• Dave Stryker Trio with Jared Gold, McClenty Hunter; Jason Marshall Quartet
and Jam
Smalls 7:30, 9, 10:30 pm, 12 am $40• Emmet Cohen Trio with Joe Ranieri, Joe Farnsworth
Smoke 7, 9, 10:30 pm $35-55
êAnthony Coleman, Billy Martin, gabby fluke-mogul, Simon Hanes
The Stone at the New School 8:30 pm $20
Town Hall 8 pm $35-85• TomatitoêWycliffe Gordon Quintet with Adrian Cunningham, Ehud Asherie,
Yasushi Nakamura, Alvin Atkinson, Jr.
Village Vanguard 8, 10 pm $40

Saturday, March 2• Seydurah & Her Avecmoi Band of Blues

Arthur’s Tavern 7 pmêGregory “Organ Monk” Lewis Bar Bayeux 8, 9:30 pm• Anant Pradhan with Larry MacDonald
Bar LunÀtico 9, 10:30 pm $10• Pakula Surprise with Eric Pakula, Blake Lindberg, Nick Cudahy;
Anthony Coleman; Jim Campilongo’s 4 Tet with Luca Benedetti, Andy Hess,Dan Rieser; Banda de Los Muertos with Oscar Noriega, Jacob Garchik,
Chris Speed, Ben Holmes, Justin Mullens, Curtis Hasselbring, Brian Drye,
Rachel Drehmann, Jim Black, Mireya I. Ramos
Barbès 3, 6, 8, 10 pm $20• Bill Saxton Harlem All-Stars Bill’s Place 7, 9 pm $30
êLoston Harris; The Cookers with Billy Hart, Cecil McBee,David Weiss, Donald Harrison, Craig Handy, Eddie Henderson,
George Cables
Birdland 5:30, 8:30, 10:30 pm $25-40
êDon Braden Quartet
Birdland Theater 7, 9:30 pm $25-35• Chris Dave + Pino Palladino + Isaiah Sharkey Trio
Blue Note 8, 10:30 pm $30-45• Noriko Ueda Quartet; Clovis Nicolas Quartet
Cellar Dog 7, 8:30, 11 pm $10• Paula West with Ed Cherry, John Chin, Sean Conly, Jerome Jennings
Dizzy’s Club 7, 9pm $20-65
êEd Cherry Quartet; Sarah Hanahan Quartet
The Django 7:30, 9, 10:30 pm, 12 am $25
êVijay Iyer: “Eternal Spirit - Music of Andrew Hill” with Nasheet Waits,
Milena Casado, Mark Shim, Devon Gates, Reggie Workman, Nicole Mitchell,
Yuhan Su
Harlem Stage Gatehouse 7:30 pm $25-50
êMicah Thomas solo
The Jazz Gallery 7:30, 9:30 pm $25-35• Rick Germanson/Rob Duguay Knickerbocker Bar & Grill 9 pm
Lehman Center for the Performing Arts 8 pm
• Andy MontañezêDavid Berkman, Vicente Archer, Billy Mintz; Anthony Wonsey Trio
Mezzrow 7:30, 9, 10:30 pm, 12 am $40
êLinda May Han Oh with Sara Serpa, Mark Turner, Fabian Almazan, ObedCalvaire: “The Glass Hours” Miller Theatre 8 pm $20-35
Minton’s 11 pm• Those Guys
• The Harmony Bartz Experience: “Women’s History Month”
Patrick’s Place 7 pmêTerence Blanchard: “A Career Retrospective in Jazz” withTurtle Island Quartet, Benny Green, Christian McBride, Ben Wendel
Rose Theater 8 pm $40-185
Silvana 8 pm
• Peter Louis Octet

and Jam
Smalls 7:30, 9, 10:30 pm, 12 am $40• Emmet Cohen Trio with Joe Ranieri, Joe Farnsworth
Smoke 7, 9, 10:30 pm $35-55
êG Calvin Weston, Anthony Coleman, Peter Evans, Simon Hanes
The Stone at the New School 8:30 pm $20
êWycliffe Gordon Quintet with Adrian Cunningham, Ehud Asherie, Yasushi
Nakamura, Alvin Atkinson, Jr. Village Vanguard 8, 10 pm $40• CompCord Ensemble: “Music & Film @ Westbeth”
Westbeth Artists Complex 7 pm

Sunday, March 3• Eri Yamamoto Duo; Creole Cookin’ Jazz Band

Arthur’s Tavern 3, 7 pm

• Stéphane Wrembel; Daisy Castro with Max O’Rourke, Brad Brose,
James Robbins

Barbès 8, 10 pm $20• Noé Socha & Tony Scherr Bar LunÀtico 9, 10:30 pm $10• Jon Gordon Quartet; Afro Latin Jazz Orchestra

Birdland 5:30, 8:30, 10:30 pm $20-40êHilary Gardner and The Lonesome Pines

Birdland Theater 7, 9:30 pm $20-30• Chris Dave + Pino Palladino + Isaiah Sharkey Trio

Blue Note 8, 10:30 pm $30-45
Cellar Dog 7, 8:30 pm $5• Paula West with Ed Cherry, John Chin, Sean Conly, Jerome Jennings
Dizzy’s Club 5, 7:30 pm $20-65• Peter Zak Quartet; Bennett Paster’s Understated Trio
The Django 7:30, 9, 10:30 pm, 12 am $25• Teri Roiger with Steve Berger, John Menegon
Entwine Wine Bar 6, 7, 8 pm
Joe’s Pub 6 pm $30• Alejandro Hurtado• Welf Dorr with Elias Meister, Dmitry Ishenko, Yuko Togami
The Keep 9 pm $20• Kristina Koller Quartet with Fima Chupakhin, James Robbins, Cory Cox;
Lucy Wijnands Polite Jam
Mezzrow 7:30, 9, 10:30 pm, 12 am $35
Minton’s 9 pm
• Tyreek McDole
National Sawdust 11 am• Oran Etkin
North Square Lounge 12:30, 2 pm
• Kate Baker Trio
• Madeline Reddel; Miwa Gemini The Owl Music Parlor 7:30 pm $12• Jazz Brunch with Boncellia Lewis
Patrick’s Place 12 pm
Red Rooster Harlem 10 am• Nate Lucas All-Stars• Edmar Castaneda/Andrea Tierra
Rizzoli Bookstore 5 pm
• Marcus Goldhaber; Mimi Jones and Jam
Room 623 at B2 Harlem 6, 8, 10 pm $20
êJohn Zorn with John Medeski, Brian Marsella, Matt Hollenberg,
Kenny Grohowski: “Nothing is True Everything is Permitted”
Roulette 8 pm $30
Saint Peter’s Church 5 pm
• Caili O’Doherty Trio
• Joseph Herbst Big Band with Markus Howell, Zoe Obadia, Jasper Dutz,
John Lowery, Skyler Hagner, Michael Dudley, Brandon Choi, Joey Lamb,
Dave Adewumi, Altin Sencalar, Norah DeChant, Sam Blakeslee,
Gina Benalcazar, Connor Evans, Dabin Ryu, Adam Olszewski, Jake Richter
ShapeShifter Lab 7 pm $20
Shrine 8 pm
• Shrine Big Band• Konjur Collective/Luke Stewart Sisters 8 pm
Smalls 7:30, 9, 10:30 pm, 12 am $35• Jerry Weldon Quartet• Emmet Cohen Trio with Joe Ranieri, Joe Farnsworth
Smoke 7, 9, pm $35-55
êVeronica SwiftSony Hall 8 pm $39-65
êWycliffe Gordon Quintet with Adrian Cunningham, Ehud Asherie, Yasushi
Nakamura, Alvin Atkinson, Jr. Village Vanguard 8, 10 pm $40
êWillerm Delisfort Trio

Monday, March 4
Arthur’s Tavern 7 pm
• Grove Street Stompers
Bar LunÀtico 9, 10:30 pm $10• Sonido Solar• Musics with Ilusha Tsinadze, Gocha Tsinadze, Chris Tordini, Jason Nazary

Barbès 6 pm $20
Birdland 7 pm $25-35
êVince Giordano and the Nighthawks
Birdland Theater 5:30, 8:30 pm $30-40êHarry Allen Trio
Cellar Dog 7, 8:30 pm $5• New York Youth Symphony Jazz with Mike Rodriguez: “Pathways”
Dizzy’s Club 7, 9pm $20-50• Hank Allen-Barfield Quartet; Max Johnson Trio
The Django 7:30, 9, 10:30 pm, 12 am $25• Spike Willner Trio; Ed Cherry Trio
Mezzrow 7:30, 9, 10:30 pm, 12 am $35
Red Rooster Harlem 6:30 pm• Ahmaya KnoelleêJavon Jackson with Nikki Giovanni
Schomburg Center 7pm $35
Shrine 10 pm• Villagers Brass BandêIsaiah Collier & The Chosen Few
Sisters 8 pm
• Bruce Harris Quintet; Mike Boone Quartet and Jam
Smalls 7:30, 9, 10:30 pm, 12 am $35
êVanguard Jazz Orchestra with Dick Oatts, Billy Drewes, Rich Perry,
Ralph Lalama, Gary Smulyan, John Chudoba, Brian Pareschi, Terell Stafford,
Scott Wendholt, Dion Tucker, Jason Jackson, Robert Edwards,
Douglas Purviance, Adam Birnbaum, David Wong, John Riley
Village Vanguard 8, 10 pm $40• David Marino

36 March 2024 | THE NEW YORK CITY JAZZ RECORD• John Basile

Zinc Bar 7, 8:30 pm $35

Tuesday, March 5
Bar LunÀtico 9, 10:30 pm $10• BIGYUKI X Jharis Yokley• Tamar Korn; Slavic Soul Party with John Carlson, Kenny Warren,Peter Hess, Peter Stan, Tim Vaughn, Adam Dotson, Ken Bentley, Matt Moran,
Chris Stromquist
Barbès 7, 9 pm $20
Birdland 7, 9:30 pm $40-50• Hot Sardines• The Andersons: “Play Richard Rodgers” with Molly Ryan
Birdland Theater 5:30 pm $20-30êGonzalo Rubalcaba solo
Blue Note 8, 10:30 pm $30-45
Cellar Dog 7, 8:30 pm $5• Ehud Asherie Trio
• Judy Carmichael Quartet with Dan Block, Pat O’Leary, Chris Flory
Dizzy’s Club 7, 9pm $20-50• Fima Ephron Quartet; Emily Braden
The Django 7:30, 9, 10:30, 12 am $25• Permeations Gumvindboloo with patrick brennan, Paul Austerlitz,
Haruna Fukazawa, Nick Gianni, Thomas Heberer, Ben Stapp, Dave Miller,
Michael TA Thompson, William Hooker, Lloyd Haber, JP Nadien;
Nathan Chamberlain, Neel Ghosh, Pauline Roberts; Los Primos with
Gian Perez, Manuel Joe Perez III; Remedy with Thomas Heberer, Joe Fonda,
Joe Hertenstein
Downtown Music Gallery 6:30 pm• A Quintet Specializing in Spontaneous Combustion with Dave Sewelson,
Jeff Pearring, Alex Greene, Colson Jimenez, Zane Rodulfo
Ibeam Brooklyn 7:30 pm $20
Le Poisson Rouge 8 pm $20-25• Amaro Freitas• Simón Willson Quartet with Neta Raanan, Evan Main, Kayvon Gordon
Lowlands 8, 9:30 pm $10êKenny Wessel, Marc Mommaas, Jay Anderson; Michael Kanan Trio with
Greg Ruggiero, Neal Miner Mezzrow 7:30, 9, 10:30 pm, 12 am $35• Deborah Newallo Experience Red Rooster Harlem 6:30 pm
Shrine 7 pm
• Steven Blane Trio
• Alain Métrailler Quartet with Walter Stinson, Elias Stemeseder,
Eric McPherson
Sisters 8, 9:30 pm• Julieta Eugenio Trio; Tyler Mitchell Quartet and Jam
Smalls 7:30, 9, 10:30 pm, 12 am $35
Swing 46 9 pm
• Rob Edwards Big BandêPeter Bernstein Quartet with Sullivan Fortner, Doug Weiss, Al Foster
Village Vanguard 8, 10 pm $40
Zinc Bar 7, 8:30 pm $35• Lauren Kinhan

Wednesday, March 6• Yuichi Hirakawa Jazz Group; Arcoiris Sandoval Sonic Asylum Trio
Arthur’s Tavern 7, 10 pmêMichelle Lordi Group with Orrin Evans, Jerome Sabbagh, Matthew Parrish

Bar Bayeux 8, 9:30 pm

Bar LunÀtico 9, 10:30 pm $10• Yacouba Sissoko & SIYA
• Andy Statman Trio with Larry Eagle, Jim Whitney; Mamady Kouyate andhis Mandingo Ambassadors Barbès 8, 10 pm $20

Birdland 7, 9:30 pm $40-50• Hot Sardines• David Ostwald’s Louis Armstrong Eternity Band; Frank Vignola’s Guitar
Night with Al Gafa

Birdland Theater 5:30, 8:30 pm $20-30
Blue Note 8, 10:30 pm $30-45
Cellar Dog 7, 8:30 pm $5• Johnny O’Neal Trio
• Judy Carmichael Quartet with Dan Block, Pat O’Leary, Chris Flory
Dizzy’s Club 7, 9pm $20-50• Rale Micic Quartet; T.K. Blue Quartet
The Django 7:30, 9, 10:30 pm, 12 am $25
êMingus Big Band
Drom 7:30, 9:30 pm $35• Franklin Rankin with Alfredo Colón, Vittorio Stropoli, Ryoma Takenaga,
Elé Howell
The Jazz Gallery 7:30, 9:30 pm $25-35• Cheryl Pyle, Sylvain Leroux, Michael Eaton, Gene Coleman;
Main Drag Conduction Orchestra; Stephen Gauci, Adam Lane, Colin Hinton;
Nathan Chamberlain, Samantha Kochis, Paul Sakai,
Nathan Nakadegawa-Lee; Kaelen Ghandhi; Caleb Duval; James Paul Nadien
Main Drag Music 7 pm $15• Massimo Biocalti, Glenn Zaleski, Joe Dyson; Jihee Heo, David Williams,
Joe Farnsworth
Mezzrow 7:30, 9, 10:30 pm, 12 am $35• Traq Ataq with Q Morrow, Sam Trapcek, Christian Coleman; Diallo & Houseof Sextet with Diallo House, Stacy Dillard, Martin Kelly, Chris Cuzme,
Ismail Lawal, Reinaldo Dejesus, TW Sample, Michael-Louis Smith,Patty MCGuire
Nublu 151 7 pm $22.66• Val Hawk: “Birthday Celebration”
Pangea 7 pm $25
Red Rooster Harlem 6:30 pm• Rodrigo Bonelli Trio
• Harlem Jazz Session with Peter Brainin
Room 623 at B2 Harlem 8, 9:30 pm $20• Don Falzone Trio; Neal Caine Quartet and Jam
Smalls 7:30, 9, 10:30 pm, 12 am $35
êGeorge Cables Quartet with Craig Handy, Essiet Essiet, Jerome Jennings
Smoke 7, 9, pm $35-55
êBrian Marsella/Sae Hashimoto The Stone at the New School 8:30 pm $20
êPeter Bernstein Quartet with Sullivan Fortner, Doug Weiss, Al Foster
Village Vanguard 8, 10 pm $40
êGonzalo Rubalcaba solo

Thursday, March 7êTerry Waldo’s Gotham City Band

Arthur’s Tavern 10 pmêIngrid Laubrock, Tom Rainey, Adam Kolker, Jeremy Stratton

Bar Bayeux 8, 9:30 pm• Brandon Woody & UPENDO Bar LunÀtico 9, 10:30 pm $10

• Grupo Nostalgia wiuth Franco Valdés, Benjamín Schnake, Fabio Puentes,

Dan Martinez; As For the Future with Alexia Bomtempo, David Lizmi,
Mauro Refosco, Ray Rizzo, Ryan Keberle
Barbès 8, 10 pm $20
Birdland 7, 9:30 pm $40-50• Hot Sardines
Birdland Theater 8:30 pm $25-35• Alicyn YaffeeêGonzalo Rubalcaba solo
Blue Note 8, 10:30 pm $30-45• Dave Gibson Quartet; Miki Yamanaka Quartet
Cellar Dog 7, 8:30, 11 pm $5
Dizzy’s Club 7, 9pm $20-50• Sanah Kadoura• Jonny King Trio; Joe Strasser Quartet
The Django 7:30, 9, 10:30 pm, 12 am $25• Daniel Prim with Adam O’Farrill, Leandro Pellegrino
The Jazz Gallery 7:30, 9:30 pm $25-35
Le Poisson Rouge 8 pm $20• Taylor Eigsti Septet• Bob Devos, Behn Gillece, Todd Coolman; Ray Gallon Trio
Mezzrow 7:30, 9, 10:30 pm, 12 am $35• Regla Cumba; Michael Cruse Minton’s 7, 9, 11 pm $30
êJonah Parzen-Johnson & Marked For Death
Nublu 151 7 pm $22.66
êGilad Hekselman, Matt Penman, Kush Abadey, Ben Winkelman
Ornithology Jazz Club 9 pm
Patrick’s Place 7 pm
• Phil Young Experience
Red Rooster Harlem 6:30 pm• Lynette WashingtonêYuko Fujiyama’s Contemporary East / Reggie Nicholson Brass Concept with
Yuko Fujiyama, Lesley Mok, Miki Orihara, Eddie Allen, Marshall Sealy,
Steve Swell, Joe Exley
Roulette 8 pm $20• Lily White Quintet with Rob Garcia, Bennett Paster, David Smith,Jim Whitney; J. A. Granelli, Colin Mackenzie
ShapeShifter Lab 7, 8:30 pm $20• Moor_Pluto; Ken Kobayashi Project; Bees Deluxe
Shrine 7, 8, 10 pm
Silvana 8 pm
• Harlem Jazz Circus• Ben Rosenblum Sextet with Wayne Tucker, Xavier Del Castillo, Rafael Rosa,
Marty Jaffe, Ben Zweig; Curtis Nowosad Quintet and Jam
Smalls 7:30, 9, 10:30 pm, 12 am $35
êGeorge Cables Quartet with Craig Handy, Essiet Essiet, Jerome Jennings
Smoke 7, 9, pm $35-55
êBrian Marsella, Peter Evans, Nasheet Waits
The Stone at the New School 8:30 pm $20
êPeter Bernstein Quartet with Sullivan Fortner, Doug Weiss, Al Foster
Village Vanguard 8, 10 pm $40

Friday, March 8• Johnny O’Neal Trio; Bobby Harden with Off Da Hook

Arthur’s Tavern 7, 10 pm

Bar Bayeux 8, 9:30 pm• Ohad Talmor
Bar LunÀtico 9, 10:30 pm $10• Jim Campilongo 4tet
• Oscar Noriega’s Crooked Quartet with Marta Sanchez, Christopher Tordini,

Jason Nazary; Mehrnam Rastegari; Pangari and the Socialites with
Alec Spiegelman, Kyle Nasser, Maria Eisien, Jackie Coleman, Adam Dotson,
Dany Fox, Rob Ritchie, Adam Minkoff, Ari Folman-Cohen, Nick Anderson
Barbès 5:30, 8, 10 pm $20• Bill Saxton Harlem All-Stars Bill’s Place 7, 9 pm $30• Birdland Big Band; Hot Sardines
Birdland 5:30, 8:30, 10:30 pm $25-50• Flying High with Champian Fulton, Jane Monheit, Lezlie Harrison,
Nicholas Payton, Willie Jones III, Neal Miner
Birdland Theater 7, 9:30 pm $30-40êGonzalo Rubalcaba Trio with Eric Harland, Ricky Rodriguez
Blue Note 8, 10:30 pm $40-55• Tamar Korn Quartet; Mariel Bildsten Quartet
Cellar Dog 7, 8:30, 11 pm $10• Ann Hampton Callaway with Ted Rosenthal, Martin Wind, Tim Horner
Dizzy’s Club 7, 9pm $60• David Gibson Quartet; Lee Taylor
The Django 7:30, 9, 10:30, 12 am $25• Yoon Sun Choi, Borah Han, Elena Moon Park, Julianne Carney-Chung
Ibeam Brooklyn 7:30 pm $20• Miguel Zenón & Dos Alas with Camila Cortina Bello, Noam Tanzer,
Avery Logan
The Jazz Gallery 7:30, 9:30 pm $35-45• Joe Camardo/Marshall Herridge
Knickerbocker Bar & Grill 9 pmêDanilo Pérez Trio with John Patitucci, Adam Cruz
Kupferberg Center 8 pm $40-50• Jeb Patton, Clovis Nicolas, Billy Drummond; John Chin Trio
Mezzrow 7:30, 9, 10:30 pm, 12 am $40
Minton’s 11 pm• Soul Power CK Wright• Jazz Jam with Patience Higgins
Patrick’s Place 8 pm
• Kaiwei/Cherophobiac; Devon Osamu Tipp; Samantha Kochis/Kevin Murray
Record Shop 7:30 pm• Dan Montgomery; Rico Jones Room 623 at B2 Harlem 7, 8:30, 10 pm $20
êThe JLCO with Wynton Marsalis: “Wayne Shorter Celebration” with
Joe Lovano, Walter Blanding Rose Theater 8 pm $45-195• Stacia Thiel Trio; Heard Immunity Horns
Shrine 7, 8 pmêDavid Liebman Quartet; Saul Rubin Zebtet and Jam
Smalls 7:30, 9, 10:30 pm, 12 am $40
êGeorge Cables Quartet with Craig Handy, Essiet Essiet, Jerome Jennings
Smoke 7, 9, 10:30 pm $35-55
êBrian Marsella, John Medeski, Billy Martin, Cyro Baptista
The Stone at the New School 8:30 pm $20• Neal Kirkwood

Third Street Music School Settlement 7 pm

• Jazz Brunch with Boncellia Lewis

Village Vanguard 8, 10 pm $40

Red Rooster Harlem 10am
• Nate Lucas All-Stars• Teri Roiger; Mimi Jones and JamêPeter Bernstein Quartet with Sullivan Fortner, Doug Weiss, Al Foster

Saturday, March 9

Patrick’s Place 12 pm

Room 623 at B2 Harlem 6, 8, 10 pm $20

Saint Peter’s Church 5 pm
• Judy Niemack• Jonathan Shillingford Quintet with Kevin Oliver Jr, Mwanzi Harriot,• Axel Tosca; JT Bowen & the Mighty Kings of Soul

Arthur’s Tavern 7, 10 pm

Bar Bayeux 8, 9:30 pm• David Berkman
Bar LunÀtico 9, 10:30 pm $10• Armo• Anthony Coleman; Slow Motion with Joel Matteo, Julia Chen, Kyle Miles,

Alex Asher; Brooklyn Qawwali Party with Kenny Warren, Oscar Noriega,
Brian Drye, Xavier Del Castillo, Michael Gamble, Tony Kieraldo, Noah Jarrett,Conor Elmes, Brook Martinez; Stéphane Wrembel
Barbès 6, 8, 10 pm, 12 am $20• Bill Saxton Harlem All-Stars Bill’s Place 7, 9 pm $30• Loston Harris; Hot Sardines Birdland 5:30, 8:30, 10:30 pm $25-50
êFlying High with Champian Fulton, Jane Monheit, Lezlie Harrison,
Nicholas Payton, Willie Jones III, Neal Miner
Birdland Theater 7, 9:30 pm $30-40êGonzalo Rubalcaba Trio with Eric Harland, Ricky Rodriguez
Blue Note 8, 10:30 pm $40-55• Red Baraat with Sunny Jain Brooklyn Bowl 9:30 pm $25• James Austin Quartet; John Lang Quartet
Cellar Dog 7, 8:30, 11 pm $10• Ann Hampton Callaway with Ted Rosenthal, Martin Wind, Tim Horner
Dizzy’s Club 7, 9pm $20-60• Greg Skaff Trio; Matt Chertkoff Quartet with Houston Person
The Django 7:30, 9, 10:30 pm, 12 am $25• Miguel Zenón & Dos Alas with Camila Cortina Bello, Noam Tanzer, Avery
Logan
The Jazz Gallery 7:30, 9:30 pm $35-45• Sound Liberation with Lara St. John, Sonya Hensley, Adriana Valdés,Charles Coleman, David Banks, Franz Hackl, Gene Pritsker,
Geoffrey Burleson, Amanda Ruzza, John Ferrari
Joe’s Pub 7 pm $25
Knickerbocker Bar & Grill 9 pm
• Lauren LeeêEmmet Cohen Trio and Houston Person
Louis Armstrong House Museum 3 pm
• Jeb Patton, Clovis Nicolas, Billy Drummond; Charlie Sigler Trio with
Adrian Moring, Aaron Seeber Mezzrow 7:30, 9, 10:30 pm, 12 am $40
Minton’s 11 pm• Wayne Escoffery• Gabriel Chakarji; Martina Liviero
The Owl Music Parlor 8 pm $12• Jazz for Women’s History Month
Patrick’s Place 7 pmêThe JLCO with Wynton Marsalis: “Wayne Shorter Celebration” with
Joe Lovano, Walter Blanding Rose Theater 8 pm $45-195• Antonia Jiménez/Inma La Carbonera
Roulette 8 pm $31
êDavid Liebman Quartet; Greg Glassman Quintet and Jam
Smalls 7:30, 9, 10:30 pm, 12 am $40
êGeorge Cables Quartet with Craig Handy, Essiet Essiet, Jerome Jennings
Smoke 7, 9, 10:30 pm $35-55• Valerie Coleman: “Portraits of Josephine (Baker)”
Snug Harbor Cultural Center 2 pmêDiana Krall
St. George Theatre 8 pm $85-200êBrian Marsella
The Stone at the New School 8:30 pm $20
êPeter Bernstein Quartet with Sullivan Fortner, Doug Weiss, Al Foster
Village Vanguard 8, 10 pm $40
êJason Moran: “James Reese Europe and the Harlem Hellfighters: From theDancehall to the Battlefield” Zankel Hall 9 pm $60-80

Sunday, March 10• Eri Yamamoto Duo; Creole Cookin’ Jazz Band

Gervis Myles, Gary Jones III, Mar Vilaseca, Haku Leaf
Sisters 8, 9:30 pm• John and David Sneider with Erena Terakubo, Jeb Patton, Joseph Ranieri,
Joe Strasser; Aaron Johnson Boplicity and Jam
Smalls 7:30, 9, 10:30 pm, 12 am $35
êGeorge Cables Quartet with Craig Handy, Essiet Essiet, Jerome Jennings
Smoke 7, 9, pm $35-55
êPeter Bernstein Quartet with Sullivan Fortner, Doug Weiss, Al Foster
Village Vanguard 8, 10 pm $40

Monday, March 11
Arthur’s Tavern 7 pm
• Grove Street Stompers• Emily Filice; Milagro Verde Barbès 7, 9 pm $20• Jeff Harnar: “Sings Cole Porter”

Birdland 8:30, 10:30 pm $30-50êVince Giordano and the Nighthawks

Birdland Theater 5:30, 8:30 pm $30-40

Blue Note 8, 10:30 pm $30-45• Eddie Palmieri
Cellar Dog 7, 8:30 pm $5• Vanderlei Pereira Trio
• Jazz at Lincoln Center Youth Ensembles
Dizzy’s Club 7, 9pm $20-45• Aaron Seeber Quartet; Nick Green Quartet

The Django 7:30, 9, 10:30 pm, 12 am $25

êHarvey Diamond Trio; Pasquale Grasso, Ari Roland, Keith Balla

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

Red Rooster Harlem 6:30 pm• Ahmaya Knoelle• Paul Cortese/Gene Pritsker with Roxan Jurkevich, Machiko Ozawa
Silvana 7 pm

• Ari Hoenig Trio with Nitai Hershkovits, Ben Tiberio; Miki Yamanaka Trio
Smalls 7:30, 9, 10:30 pm, 12 am $35

êVanguard Jazz Orchestra with Dick Oatts, Billy Drewes, Rich Perry,

Ralph Lalama, Gary Smulyan, John Chudoba, Brian Pareschi, Terell Stafford,
Scott Wendholt, Dion Tucker, Jason Jackson, Robert Edwards,
Douglas Purviance, Adam Birnbaum, David Wong, John Riley
Village Vanguard 8, 10 pm $40

G R O U N D U P

M U S I CP R E S E N T S

Taylor Eigsti's

Arthur’s Tavern 3, 7 pm

• Misha Piatigorsky with Alon Near, Rudy Royston

Bar LunÀtico 9, 10:30 pm $10• Maendros with Lefteris Bournias, Megan Gould, Philip Mayer, Mavrothi
Kontanis, Umut Yasmut
Barbès 6 pm $20• Dan Pugach Big Band; Afro Latin Jazz Orchestra
Birdland 5:30, 8:30, 10 pm $20-40êFlying High with Champian Fulton, Jane Monheit, Lezlie Harrison,
Nicholas Payton, Willie Jones III, Neal Miner
Birdland Theater 7, 9:30 pm $30-40êGonzalo Rubalcaba Trio with Eric Harland, Ricky Rodriguez
Blue Note 8, 10:30 pm $40-55
Cellar Dog 7, 8:30 pm $5• Our Delight• Ann Hampton Callaway with Ted Rosenthal, Martin Wind, Tim Horner
Dizzy’s Club 5, 7:30 pm $20-60• Pete Malinverni Quartet; Michael Kanan Trio
The Django 7:30, 9, 10:30, 12 am $25
Joe’s Pub 6 pm $30• Los Migas• Welf Dorr with Eva Novoa, Dmitry Ishenko, Joey Hurtastone
The Keep 9 pm
• Faye Carol Trio; Naama Polite Jam
Mezzrow 7:30, 9, 10:30 pm, 12 am $35
Minton’s 9 pm
• Tyreek McDole• Ben Cassara Trio with Josh Richman, Yoshi Waki
North Square Lounge 12:30, 2 pm
• Kenny Warren’s Sweet World; Anna Webber/Matt Mitchell
The Owl Music Parlor 7:30 pm $12

Out Now
ALBUM
RELEASE
CONCERT

March 7that 7 P.M.
Le Poisson
Rouge NYC

Get tickets attayjazz.com/tour

THE NEW YORK CITY JAZZ RECORD | March 2024 37

• Rotem Sivan, Joe Martin, Karl Ouaback

Zinc Bar 7, 8:30 pm $35

Tuesday, March 12• Wayne Tucker and The Bad Mothas Arthur’s Tavern 7 pm
• Dred Scott, Matt Pavolka, Diego Voglino and Jam
Bar Bayeux 8, 9:30 pm• Slavic Soul Party with John Carlson, Kenny Warren, Peter Hess, Peter Stan,

Tim Vaughn, Adam Dotson, Ken Bentley, Matt Moran, Chris Stromquist
Barbès 9 pm $20
êMaria Schneider Orchestra
Birdland 7, 9:30 pm $40-50• The Andersons: “Play Richard Rodgers” with Molly Ryan
Birdland Theater 5:30 pm $20-30
Blue Note 8, 10:30 pm $25-35• Kiefer Trio!
Cellar Dog 7, 8:30 pm $5• Organ Grooves• William Paterson University Jazz Ensembles and Orchestra
Dizzy’s Club 7, 9pm $20-50• Manuel Valera Quintet; Julieta Eugenio Quartet
The Django 7:30, 9, 10:30 pm, 12 am $25
êAyumi Ishito/Dylan Delgiudice; Dave Miller, Devin Waldman, Ras Moshe,
Luke Stewart; Steve Hirsh, Sally Gates, Daniel Carter
Downtown Music Gallery 6:30 pm
Joe’s Pub 9:30 pm $25• AC Lincoln• Kevin Sun Trio with Walter Stinson, Kayvon Gordon
Lowlands 8, 9:30 pm $10• Will Sellenrad, Ed Howard, Victor Lewis; Tardo Hammer Trio
Mezzrow 7:30, 9, 10:30 pm, 12 am $35• La Suspendida: “A Jazz Metal Opera” Nublu 151 8 pm $33.99
êVanisha Gould/Chris McCarthy Ornithology Jazz Club 7:30 pm• Deborah Newallo Experience Red Rooster Harlem 6:30 pm• Michele Romeo Quartet with Piero Alessi, Carlo De Biaggio, Justin Salisbury
ShapeShifter Lab 7 pm $20• Harold O’Neal Quartet with Tivon Pennicott, Jeremiah Edwards,
Obed Calvaire; Frank Lacy Quartet and Jam
Smalls 7:30, 9, 10:30 pm, 12 am $35
êGraham Haynes with Maalem Hassan Hakmoun, Abdu Rrahim Hakmoun,
Adam Rudolph: “Gift of the Gnawa” The Sultan Room 7 pm
Swing 46 9 pm
• Rob Edwards Big Band
• Ben Wendel with Taylor Eigsti, Harish Raghavan, Nate Wood
Village Vanguard 8, 10 pm $40
York College 7 pm
• Titus DewelyêUri Caine, Mark Helias, Ben Perowsky Zinc Bar 7, 8:30 pm $35

Wednesday, March 13• Eri Yamamoto Trio; Sol Liebskind Arthur’s Tavern 7, 10 pm• Ethan Silverman Quartet with Sullivan Fortner, Paul Sikivie, Mike Camacho
Bar Bayeux 8, 9:30 pm• TuBari with Erik Lawrence: “Tribute to Howard Johnson”

Bar LunÀtico 9, 10:30 pm $10• Mamady Kouyate and his Mandingo Ambassadors Barbès 10 pm $20
êMaria Schneider Orchestra

Birdland 7, 9:30 pm $40-50• David Ostwald’s Louis Armstrong Eternity Band; Frank Vignola’s Guitar

Night with Chris Flory, Audra Mariel Birdland Theater 5:30, 8:30 pm $20-30
Blue Note 8, 10:30 pm $25-35
êBrandi Disterheft Trio
Cellar Dog 7, 8:30 pm $5• Rycardo Moreno/Yotam Silberstein with Celia Flores
Dizzy’s Club 7, 9pm $20-50• Misha Piatigorsky Quartet; Dan Aran BandThe Django 7:30, 9, 10:30 pm, 12 am $25
êMingus Big Band
Drom 7:30, 9:30 pm $35• Jeff Pearring, Dave Sewelson, Charley Sabatino, Steve Hirsh
Ibeam Brooklyn 8 pm $20
êWilly Rodriguez: A.B.A.C.O.A + 2 with Dave Liebman, Hery Paz, Brandon
Lopez, Kenneth Jimenez
The Jazz Gallery 7:30, 9:30 pm $25-35• Gian Perez, Aaron Quinn, David Leon, Diego Hedez; Adam Caine’s Main
Drag Guitar Orchestra; Stephen Gauci, Adam Lane, Kevin Shea;
Rich Rosenthal, Nick Gianni, Ken Filiano, Jeremy Carlstedt; Elijah Shiffer,
Ryan Siegel, Keenan Ruffin, Anna Abondolo, James Paul Nadien
Main Drag Music 7 pm $15• Tyler Blanton, Joe Martin, Kush Abadey; Alon Near Trio
Mezzrow 7:30, 9, 10:30 pm, 12 am $35• Jaana Narsipur with Nicki Adams, Alec Safy, Joe Abba Pangea 7 pm $25
Red Rooster Harlem 6:30 pm• Rodrigo Bonelli Trio
• Harlem Jazz Session with Peter Brainin Room 623 at B2 Harlem 5, 7 pm $20
Scholes Street Studio 8 pm
• Holman Alvarez
Shrine 7 pm
• Peter Louis Trio
• Jason Yeager Quintet with Milena Casado, Lucas Pino, Danny Weller,
Evan Hyde; Ameen Saleem Quartet and Jam
Smalls 7:30, 9, 10:30 pm, 12 am $35
êPeter Bernstein & Frank Senior with Neal Miner, Jerome Jennings
Smoke 7, 9, pm $35-45• Ben Wendel with Taylor Eigsti, Harish Raghavan, Nate Wood
Village Vanguard 8, 10 pm $40• Kiefer Trio!

Thursday, March 14• Terry Waldo’s Gotham City Band Arthur’s Tavern 10 pm• Jesse Simpson, Adam Kolker, Jeremy Stratton Bar Bayeux 8, 9:30 pm
Bar LunÀtico 9, 10:30 pm $10• Tucci Swing• Miss Maybell & the Jazz Age Artistes with Charlie Judkins, Brian Nalepka;
Balsa de Fuego with Raquel Baena, Dan Neville, Justin Flynn, AndrésFonseca, Juan Sebastián Monsalve Barbès 8, 10 pm $20

êMaria Schneider Orchestra

Birdland 7, 9:30 pm $40-50

Birdland Theater 8:30 pm $25-35• Tedd Firth• Nate Smith with Kiefer & CARRTOONS Blue Note 8, 10:30 pm $25-35

êWayne Escoffery Quartet; Jinjoo Yoo Quartet Cellar Dog 7, 8:30, 11 pm $5• Nate Smith with Jason Lindner, Tim Lefebvre

Blue Note 8, 10:30 pm $25-35• Wayne Tucker Quintet; Carol Morgan Quartet

Cellar Dog 7, 8:30, 11 pm $10êTom Harrell Quartet with Luis Perdomo, Ugonna Okegwo, Mark Whitfield, Jr.

êTom Harrell Quartet with Luis Perdomo, Ugonna Okegwo, Mark Whitfield, Jr.

• Philippe Lemm Trio; Hendrik Meurkens Quartet• Tommy Campbell Trio; Richard Cortez BandêSimon Moullier InterContinental New York Barclay’s Club 6:30 pm $55

êBrandon Ross’ Phantom Station with David Virelles, Amir ElSaffar, Chris

Dizzy’s Club 7, 9pm $20-55

The Django 7:30, 9, 10:30 pm, 12 am $25

Iridium 8:30 pm $40-45• Oz Noy• Annette A. Aguilar & Stringbeans Jazz Museum in Harlem 2 pm
• Israel Fernández/Diego Del Morao Merkin Concert Hall 8 pm $45-65• Peter Mazza, Gianluca Renzi, Rogerio Boccato; Wilfie Williams Trio

Mezzrow 7:30, 9, 10:30 pm, 12 am $35
Minton’s 11 pm• Ronnie Burrage
Patrick’s Place 7 pm
• Phil Young Experience
Red Rooster Harlem 6:30 pm• Lynette Washington
Riverbank State Park 11 am• Pucci Amanda Jhones
ê“Composer Joseph Daley at 75” with Buddy Williams, Randolph Noel,
Jerome Harris and Antiphonal French Horn Ensemble with Marshall Sealy,
Greg Williams, Eric Davis, Vincent Chancey, Patricia Reinhart, Kyra Sims,
Deryck Clarke, Bill Warnick; True Unity Bass Association with Keith Walton,
Joseph Daley, Bob Stewart, Earl McIntyre, Jon Sass, Jose Davila, Ben Stapp,Tony Underwood, Marcus Rojas Roulette 8 pm $25
Silvana 8 pm
• Harlem Jazz Circus• Jerome Sabbagh Quartet with Adam Birnbaum, Joe Martin, Kayvon Gordon;
David Gibson Quartet and Jam Smalls 7:30, 9, 10:30 pm, 12 am $35• One For All with George Coleman, Jim Rotondi, Eric Alexander, Steve Davis,
David Hazeltine, John Webber, Joe Farnsworth Smoke 7, 9, pm $35-55• Ben Wendel with Taylor Eigsti, Harish Raghavan, Nate Wood
Village Vanguard 8, 10 pm $40
êLisa Hilton Quartet with Luques Curtis, Rudy Royston, Igmar Thomas
Weill Recital Hall at Carnegie Hall 8 pm $20-45

Friday, March 15• Bryan Carter’s “Rustin in Renaissance” The Appel Room 7, 9:30 pm $65-100• Johnny O’Neal Trio; Bobby Harden with Off Da Hook Arthur’s Tavern 7, 10 pm
Bar Bayeux 8, 9:30 pm• Emi Makabe
Bar LunÀtico 9, 10:30 pm $10• Belo & The Beasts• Oscar Noriega’s Crooked Quartet with Marta Sanchez, Christopher Tordini,

Jason Nazary; Gypsy in a Tree with Sanda Weigl, Shoko Nagai,
Stomu Takeishi, Satoshi Takeishi; Yotoco with Sebastian Lopez,
Natalia Perez, Gabo Tomassini, Rubén Coca, Geovani Caldero
Barbès 5:30, 8, 10 pm $20• Bill Saxton Harlem All-Stars Bill’s Place 7, 9 pm $30• Birdland Big Band; Maria Schneider Orchestra
Birdland 5:30, 8:30, 10 pm $25-50
Birdland Theater 7, 9:30 pm $25-35• Hot Club of Cowtown• Nate Smith with Kiefer & CARRTOONS Blue Note 8, 10:30 pm $25-35• Samba de Gringo; Avi Rothbard Trio Cellar Dog 7, 8:30, 11 pm $10êTom Harrell Quartet with Luis Perdomo, Ugonna Okegwo, Mark Whitfield, Jr.
Dizzy’s Club 7, 9pm $20-55• Dwayne “Cook” Broadnax Quartet; Ben Stivers Quartet
The Django 7:30, 9, 10:30 pm, 12 am $25• Roxana Amed Ensemble: “Becoming Human” with Martin Bejerano,Mark Small, Kendall Moore, Edward Pérez, Ludwig Afonso
The Jazz Gallery 7:30, 9:30 pm $35-45
êCyro Baptista’s Chama with Felipe Hostins, Tim Keiper, Jason Fraticelli
Joe’s Pub 7 pm $25
êJill McCarron
Knickerbocker Bar & Grill 9 pm
• María José Llergo/Sandra Carrasco Le Poisson Rouge 8 pm $30• Roberta Piket, Andy McKee, Billy Mintz; Jon Davis Trio
Mezzrow 7:30, 9, 10:30 pm, 12 am $40• Kalí Rodríguez-Peña; Aris Dulce, Jr. Minton’s 7, 9, 11 pm $30• Jazz Jam with Patience Higgins Patrick’s Place 8 pm
• Faith Quashie; Courtney Wright’s “Bop Stew”
Room 623 at B2 Harlem 7, 8:30, 10 pm $20• JALC Orchestra and Tammy McCann: “Who is Mahalia Jackson?”Rose Theater 3 pm $20-35• Leo Yablans; Bill Warfield and The Hell’s Kitchen Funk Orchestra
Shrine 7, 8 pmêSteve Slagle Quartet with Scott Wendholt, Peter Brendler, Jason Tiemann;
Eric Wyatt Quartet and Jam Smalls 7:30, 9, 10:30 pm, 12 am $40
êOne For All with George Coleman, Jim Rotondi, Eric Alexander, Steve Davis,
David Hazeltine, John Webber, Joe Farnsworth Smoke 7, 9, 10:30 pm $35-55• Eric Stern Trio with Tyreek McDole, Abdias Armenteros
Soapbox Gallery 8 pm $25• Ben Wendel with Taylor Eigsti, Harish Raghavan, Nate Wood
Village Vanguard 8, 10 pm $40

Saturday, March 16• Bryan Carter’s “Rustin in Renaissance” The Appel Room 7, 9:30 pm $65-100• Fred Thomas of the J.B.’s Arthur’s Tavern 10 pm• Noah Garabedian Quartet with Dayna Stephens, Vitor Gonçalves,
Jimmy Macbride

Bar Bayeux 8, 9:30 pm• Pakula Surprise with Eric Pakula, Blake Lindberg, Nick Cudahy;
Anthony Coleman; Dolunay with Jenny Luna, Adam Good
Barbès 3, 6, 8 pm $20• Bill Saxton Harlem All-Stars Bill’s Place 7, 9 pm $30
êMaria Schneider Orchestra
Birdland 8:30, 10:30 pm $40-50
Birdland Theater 7, 9:30 pm $25-35• Hot Club of Cowtown

38 March 2024 | THE NEW YORK CITY JAZZ RECORD

Dizzy’s Club 7, 9pm $20-55

The Django 7:30, 9, 10:30 pm, 12 am $25

Eddleton, Hardedge

The Jazz Gallery 7:30, 9:30 pm $25-35• Sue Maskelaris/Conrad Korsch Knickerbocker Bar & Grill 9 pmêRoberta Piket, Andy McKee, Billy Mintz; Johnny O’Neal Trio

Mezzrow 7:30, 9, 10:30 pm, 12 am $40• Karen Maynard Quartet: “Women’s History Month”

Patrick’s Place 7 pm
Record Shop 7:30 pm
Shrine 7, 8 pmêSteve Slagle Quartet with Scott Wendholt, Peter Brendler, Jason Tiemann;
Philip Harper Quintet with Bernell Jones II
Smalls 7:30, 9, 10:30 pm, 12 am $40
êOne For All with George Coleman, Jim Rotondi, Eric Alexander, Steve Davis,
David Hazeltine, John Webber, Joe Farnsworth
Smoke 7, 9, 10:30 pm $35-55• Ben Wendel with Taylor Eigsti, Harish Raghavan, Nate Wood
Village Vanguard 8, 10 pm $40• Spit Temple• Gunks; Peter Louis Octet

Sunday, March 17êStephan Crump solo

440Gallery 4:40 pm $10• Eri Yamamoto Duo; Creole Cookin’ Jazz Band Arthur’s Tavern 3, 7 pm
• Juancho Herrera/Franco Pinna; Stéphane Wrembel; Baklava Express with

Josh Kaye, Daisy Castro, Max O’Rourke, James Robbins, Jeremy Smit
Barbès 6, 8, 10 $20• Emilio Solla & La Inestable de Brooklyn; Afro Latin Jazz Orchestra
Birdland 5:30, 8:30, 10 pm $20-40
Birdland Theater 7, 9:30 pm $25-35• Hot Club of Cowtown• Nate Smith with Jason Lindner, Tim Lefebvre Blue Note 8, 10:30 pm $25-35
Cellar Dog 7, 8:30 pm $5• Ehud Asherie TrioêTom Harrell Quartet with Luis Perdomo, Ugonna Okegwo, Mark Whitfield Jr
Dizzy’s Club 5, 7:30 pm $20-55• Jed Levy Quartet; Neal Miner Trio The Django 7:30, 9, 10:30 pm, 12 am $25• Teri Roiger with Steve Berger, John Menegon Entwine Wine Bar 6, 7, 8 pm
• Valerie Coleman: “Portraits of Josephine (Baker)” Flushing Town Hall 2 pm
Joe’s Pub 8:30 pm $30• Raúl Cantizano• Welf Dorr with Elias Meister, Dmitry Ishenko, Yuko Togami The Keep 9 pm
• Shabnam Abedi/Joe Block; Vanisha Gould Trio with Chris McCarthy,
John Sims and Polite Jam Mezzrow 7:30, 9, 10:30 pm, 12 am $35
Minton’s 9 pm
• Tyreek McDole• Jim Ridl, Sean Smith, Eril Perez, Dylan Pamuk, Kevin Fitzgerald Burke,
Ben Cassara: “Mark Murphy B’day Celebration”
North Square Lounge 12:30, 2 pm
• Jazz Brunch with Boncellia Lewis Patrick’s Place 12 pm• Nate Lucas All-Stars; Sing Harlem Gospel Brunch
Red Rooster Harlem 10 am, 12 pm• Trish Scott; Mimi Jones and Jam Room 623 at B2 Harlem 6, 8, 10 pm $20
êChris Cochrane: “How Will We Recognize Each Other, Part II” with
Catherine Sikora, Jessica Pavone, Stephen Haynes, TJ Borden, Yoona Kim,
James Paul Nadien, John Thayer, Nick Jozwiak, Shoko Nagai, Stan Zenkov
Roulette 8 pm $25• Emi Makabe, Thomas Morgan, Vitor Gonçalves Saint Peter’s Church 5 pm
• Gaucimusic Presents: “Live at Scholes Street Studio”
Scholes Street Studio 7:30 pm• Evan Dexter Quartet; Lawson Gardner Quartet Shrine 8, 9 pm
• Dan Aran Quintet with Joe Magnarelli, John Ellis, Glenn Zaleski,
Matt Clohesy; Ai Murakami Quartet and Jam
Smalls 7:30, 9, 10:30 pm, 12 am $35
êOne For All with George Coleman, Jim Rotondi, Eric Alexander, Steve Davis,
David Hazeltine, John Webber, Joe Farnsworth Smoke 7, 9, pm $35-55• Valerie Coleman: “Portraits of Josephine (Baker)”
Snug Harbor Cultural Center 2 pm
• Ben Wendel with Taylor Eigsti, Harish Raghavan, Nate Wood
Village Vanguard 8, 10 pm $40

Monday, March 18• Grove Street Stompers• Victoria Shaw

Arthur’s Tavern 7 pm
Birdland 7 pm $30-40êVince Giordano and the Nighthawks Birdland Theater 5:30, 8:30 pm $30-40êMelanie Charles
Blue Note 8, 10:30 pm $25-35
Cellar Dog 7, 8:30 pm $5• Ray Gallon Trio
Dizzy’s Club 7, 9pm $20-50• Domo Branch Big Band• Brian Richburg Quintet; Joey Ranieri Quartet
The Django 7:30, 9, 10:30, 12 am $25• Spike Willner Trio; Pasquale Grasso Trio with Ari Roland, Clifford Barbaro
Mezzrow 7:30, 9, 10:30 pm, 12 am $35
Red Rooster Harlem 6:30 pm• Ahmaya Knoelle
Shrine 10 pm• Villagers Brass Band
• Wayne Tucker Quintet with Miles Tucker, Addison Frei, David Linard,
Cory Cox; ELEW Trio and Jam Smalls 7:30, 9, 10:30 pm, 12 am $35
êVanguard Jazz Orchestra with Dick Oatts, Billy Drewes, Rich Perry, Ralph
Lalama, Gary Smulyan, John Chudoba, Brian Pareschi, Terell Stafford, Scott
Wendholt, Dion Tucker, Jason Jackson, Robert Edwards,
Douglas Purviance, Adam Birnbaum, David Wong, John Riley
Village Vanguard 8, 10 pm $40

Tuesday, March 19• Brian Melvin Quintet with Soren Lee, Danny Walsh, Tim Hegarty, Arthur Kell
Bar LunÀtico 9, 10:30 pm $10• Tamar Korn; Slavic Soul Party with John Carlson, Kenny Warren,Peter Hess, Peter Stan, Tim Vaughn, Adam Dotson, Ken Bentley, Matt Moran,
Chris Stromquist
Barbès 7, 9 pm $20
êChristian Sands
Birdland 7, 9:30 pm $30-40• The Andersons: “Play Richard Rodgers” with Molly Ryan
Birdland Theater 5:30 pm $20-30êRavi Coltrane
Blue Note 8, 10:30 pm $30-45
Cellar Dog 7, 8:30 pm $5• Zaid Nasser Trio
• Tord Gustavsen Trio with Steinar Raknes, Jarle Vespestad
Dizzy’s Club 7, 9pm $20-55• Roberta Piket Trio; People of Earth The Django 7:30, 9, 10:30 pm, 12 am $25
ê“Women In Free Jazz” with Cheryl Pyle, Jamie Baum, Brenna Rey,
Andrea Wolper, Judi Silvano, Catherine Sikora, Lee Odom, Claire Daly,
Ayumi Ishito, Yuko Togami Downtown Music Gallery 6:30 pmêAnna Webber’s Shimmer Wince with Adam O’Farrill, Mariel Roberts,
Elias Stemeseder, Lesley Mok The Jazz Gallery 7:30, 9:30 pm $25-35
Le Poisson Rouge 8 pm $20-25• Tigran Hamasyan• Kevin Sun Trio with Walter Stinson, Kayvon Gordon
Lowlands 8, 9:30 pm $10• Dida Pelled, Paul Sikivie, Kush Abadey; Neal Miner, Chris Byars,
Jason TiemannMezzrow 7:30, 9, 10:30 pm, 12 am $35• Deborah Newallo Experience Red Rooster Harlem 6:30 pm• Sam Weinberg/Nate Wooley; Jessica Pavone; Chris Williams/
Alex Zhang Hungtai
Sisters 8 pm
• Abraham Burton Quartet with Eric McPherson, Jordan Williams,
Jeremiah Edwards; Mike DiRubbo Quartet and Jam with Andrew Renfroe,
Brian Charette, JK Kim
Smalls 7:30, 9, 10:30 pm, 12 am $35
ê“James Reese Europe - A Musical Life”
Stanley H. Kaplan Penthouse 7 pm $10
Swing 46 9 pm
• Rob Edwards Big BandêDezron Douglas with Emilio Modeste, George Burton, Joe Dyson
Village Vanguard 8, 10 pm $40
York College 7 pm
• Jonathan Archer• Janis Siegel, Lauren Kinhan Zinc Bar 7, 8:30 pm $35

Wednesday, March 20
Bar Bayeux 8, 9:30 pm• Nikara Warren
Bar LunÀtico 9, 10:30 pm $10• Carolina Mama
• Mamady Kouyate and his Mandingo Ambassadors

Barbès 10 pm $20
Birdland 7, 9:30 pm $30-40êDavid Ostwald’s Louis Armstrong Eternity Band; Frank Vignola’s Guitar
Night with Tessa Lark
Birdland Theater 5:30, 8:30 pm $20-30êRavi Coltrane
Blue Note 8, 10:30 pm $30-45
Cellar Dog 7, 8:30 pm $5• Chris Beck TrioêSheila Jordan with Roni Ben-Hur, Harvie S
Dizzy’s Club 7, 9pm $20-50• Tim Ries Quartet; Marius Van Den Brink Quintet
The Django 7:30, 9, 10:30 pm, 12 am $25
Don’t Tell Mama 7 pm $20• Yuka Mito QuartetêMingus Big Band
Drom 7:30, 9:30 pm $35• Varun Rangaswami, Amirtha Kidambi, Alfredo Colón, Ananya Ganesh;
Ken Kobayashi, Jeff Miles, Adam Lane; Stephen Gauci, Adam Lane,
Colin Hinton; Alex Beckmann, Mara Rosenbloom, Ken Filiano;
Marc Edwards & Slipstream Time Travel with Tor Snyder, Takuma Kanaiwa,
Gian Perez, Ayumi Ishito, Ryan Siegel, Robert Mac Vega-Dowda, Brenna Rey,
Eric Plaks, Sophie Leetmaa, Samantha Kochis
Main Drag Music 7 pm $15• Russ Lossing Trio; Ricardo Grilli Trio
Mezzrow 7:30, 9, 10:30 pm, 12 am $35• Louise Rogers with Mark Kross, Wendy Luck: “Celebrating Woman In Jazz”
Pangea 7 pm $25• Jack Wright, Patrick Crossland, TJ Borden; Tom Weeks,
Jose Fernando Solares, Shogo Yamagishi, James Paul Nadien
Record Shop 8 pm
Red Rooster Harlem 6:30 pm• Rodrigo Bonelli Trio
• Harlem Jazz Session with Peter Brainin
Room 623 at B2 Harlem 8, 9:30 pm $20
êChes Smith & Laugh Ash with Shara Lunon, Anna Webber, Oscar Noriega,
James Brandon Lewis, Nate Wooley, Jennifer Choi, Kyle Armbrust,
Michael Nicolas, Shahzad Ismaily
Roulette 8 pm $25
êCobi Narita Jazz Memorial
Saint Peter’s Church 6:30 pm• Brian Melvin Quartet with Tim Hegarty, Danny Walsh, Soren Lee,
Arthur Kell; Aaron Seeber Quartet and Jam
Smalls 7:30, 9, 10:30 pm, 12 am $35
êEric Alexander, Emmet Cohen, Nat Reeves, Joe Farnsworth:“Harold Mabern Birthday Tribute”
Smoke 7, 9, pm $35-55
êNicole Mitchell, Pheeroan akLaff, Teddy Rankin-Parker, Melanie Dyer
The Stone at the New School 8:30 pm $20
êDezron Douglas with Emilio Modeste, George Burton, Joe Dyson
Village Vanguard 8, 10 pm $40
êChristian Sands

Thursday, March 21• Magos Herrera with Vinícius Gomes, Rogério Boccato; Monica Salmaso Triowith Teco Cardoso, Nelson Ayres
Americas Society 7 pmêTerry Waldo’s Gotham City Band

Arthur’s Tavern 10 pmêMarc Copland, Kayvon Gordon, Adam Kolker, Jeremy Stratton
Bar Bayeux 8, 9:30 pm• Pre-War Ponies with Daria Grace, J. Walter Hawkes, Jim Whitney,
Willie Martinez
Barbès 8 pm $20
êChristian Sands
Birdland 7, 9:30 pm $30-40
Birdland Theater 8:30 pm $25-35• Michael Kanan TrioêRavi Coltrane
Blue Note 8, 10:30 pm $30-45• Valerie Coleman’s “Portraits of Josephine (Baker)”
Bruno Walter Theatre 6 pm
• Greg Glassman Quartet; Simona Premazzi Quartet
Cellar Dog 7, 8:30, 11 pm $5êDIVA Jazz Orchestra: “Get Happy”
Dizzy’s Club 7, 9pm $20-55• Mike DiRubbo Quartet; Mariel Bildsten Septet
The Django 7:30, 9, 10:30 pm, 12 am $25
Drom 7 pm $20• Rana Farhan• Dan Block Trio; Greg Murphy Trio
Mezzrow 7:30, 9, 10:30 pm, 12 am $35• Bianca Love; Camille Gainer Jones
Minton’s 7, 9, 11 pm $30
Patrick’s Place 7 pm
• Phil Young Experience
Red Rooster Harlem 6:30 pm• Lynette Washington
Silvana 8 pm
• Harlem Jazz Circus• Ed Cherry Trio; David Gibson Quartet and Jam
Smalls 7:30, 9, 10:30 pm, 12 am $35
êAllison Miller’s Boom Tic Boom with Jason Palmer, Caroline Davis, Shamie
Royston, Rashaan Carter
Smoke 7, 9, pm $35-55
Soapbox Gallery 8 pm $25• Haeun Joo TrioêMax Raabe & Palast OrchesterStern Auditorium at Carnegie Hall 7:30 pm $19-105êNicole Mitchell, Anais Maviel, Samuel Boateng, Tamara Das
The Stone at the New School 8:30 pm $20• Lady Moon& the Eclipse; Chris Williams’ Neighbors of FireThe Sultan Room 7 pm $20
êDezron Douglas with Emilio Modeste, George Burton, Joe Dyson
Village Vanguard 8, 10 pm $40

Friday, March 22• Johnny O’Neal Trio; Bobby Harden with Off Da Hook
Arthur’s Tavern 7, 10 pm
Bar Bayeux 8, 9:30 pm• Harish Raghavan• Cali Mambo with Tom Beckham, Moses Patrou, Dred Scott, Matt Pavolka
Bar LunÀtico 9, 10:30 pm $10• Oscar Noriega’s Crooked Quartet with Marta Sanchez, Christopher Tordini,
Jason Nazary; Big Lazy with Stephen Ulrich, Andrew Hall, Yuval Lion
Barbès 5:30, 10 pm $20• Bill Saxton Harlem All-Stars Bill’s Place 7, 9 pm $30
êBirdland Big Band; Christian Sands
Birdland 5:30, 8:30, 10 pm $25-40
Birdland Theater 7, 9:30 pm $25-35• Joe Alterman TrioêRavi Coltrane
Blue Note 8, 10:30 pm $30-45• Hendrik Meurkens Quartet; Jamale Davis Quartet
Cellar Dog 7, 8:30, 11 pm $10êDIVA Jazz Orchestra: “Get Happy” Dizzy’s Club 7, 9pm $20-55• Chris Beck Quartet; Craig Handy and 2nd Line Smith
The Django 7:30, 9, 10:30 pm, 12 am $25• Camila Meza: “PORTAL” with Gadi Lehavi, Kush Abadey
The Jazz Gallery 7:30, 9:30 pm $35-45• Alexander Leonard/Jay Leonhart Knickerbocker Bar & Grill 9 pmêBill Charlap; Willerm Delisfort Trio Mezzrow 7:30, 9, 10:30 pm, 12 am $40
êMark Whitfield; Luciana Padmore Minton’s 7, 9, 11 pm $30• Wayne Tucker and The Bad Mothas with Julia Easterlin, Miles Tucker,
David Linard, Tamir Shmerling, Diego Ramirez
Nublu 151 7 pm $22.66• Jazz Jam with Patience Higgins Patrick’s Place 8 pm
• Alex Laurenzi; Georgia Heers Room 623 at B2 Harlem 7, 8:30, 10 pm $20
êJALC Orchestra with Wynton Marsalis and Kurt Rosenwinkel
Rose Theater 8 pm $40-175
Shrine 7 pm
• NY Jazz ForceSilvana 8 pm
• Empire BeatsêJerry Bergonzi Quintet Phil Grenadier, Sheryl Bailey, Harvie S,
Richard Baratta; JD Allen Trio Smalls 7:30, 9, 10:30 pm, 12 am $40
êAllison Miller’s Boom Tic Boom with Jason Palmer, Caroline Davis, Shamie
Royston, Rashaan Carter
Smoke 7, 9, 10:30 pm $35-55
êNicole Mitchell, Luke Stewart, Tcheser Holmes
The Stone at the New School 8:30 pm $20
êJulian Lage
Town Hall 8 pm $50-72
êDezron Douglas with Emilio Modeste, George Burton, Joe Dyson
Village Vanguard 8, 10 pm $40

Saturday, March 23• Axel Tosca• Neta Raanan• Nkumu Katalay• Anthony Coleman• Bill Saxton Harlem All-Stars

Arthur’s Tavern 7 pm
Bar Bayeux 8, 9:30 pm
Bar LunÀtico 9, 10:30 pm $10
Barbès 6 pm $20
Bill’s Place 7, 9 pm $30
êLoston Harris; Christian Sands Birdland 5:30, 8:30, 10 pm $20-40
Birdland Theater 7, 9:30 pm $25-35• Joe Alterman TrioêReza Khan; Ravi Coltrane
Blue Note 12:340, 8, 10:30 pm $25-45• Richard Clements Quintet; Kyoko Oyobe Quartet

Cellar Dog 7, 8:30, 11 pm $10• Caballito Negro Duo with Tessa Brinckman, Terry Longshore
The Delancey 6 pm $10êDIVA Jazz Orchestra: “Get Happy” Dizzy’s Club 7, 9pm $20-55• Duane Eubanks Quartet; Helio Alves Quintet

The Django 7:30, 9, 10:30 pm, 12 am $25• Megumi Yonezawa, Caroline Morton, Ken Kobayashi; Elijah Shiffer andthe Robber Crabs; Jeff Pearring, Welf Dorr, Michael Gilbert, Kevin Shea
Ibeam Brooklyn 6, 7, 8 pm $20
êRaul Midon
Iridium 8:30 pm $30-40• Camila Meza & The Nectar Orchestra with Gadi Lehavi, Noam Wiesenberg,
Keita Ogawa
The Jazz Gallery 7:30, 9:30 pm $35-45
Joe’s Pub 9:30 pm $25• Claudia Acuña
Knickerbocker Bar & Grill 9 pm
• Mamiko WatanabeêBill Charlap; Steve Ash Trio Mezzrow 7:30, 9, 10:30 pm, 12 am $40
Minton’s 11 pm• Kevin Oliver, Jr.
The Owl Music Parlor 8 pm $12• Miriam Elhajli; Ali Dineen• Grace Young: “Women’s History Month” Patrick’s Place 7 pm
Penny Jo’s 9 pm
• David BixlerêJALC Orchestra with Wynton Marsalis and Kurt Rosenwinkel
Rose Theater 8 pm $40-175• The Sway Machinery with Yuli Ya’el Be’eri, Jeremiah Lockwood, Jordan
McLean, John Bollinger
ShapeShifter Lab 7 pm $20
êJerry Bergonzi Quintet Phil Grenadier, Sheryl Bailey, Harvie S,
Richard Baratta; Stacy Dillard Quartet and Jam
Smalls 7:30, 9, 10:30 pm, 12 am $40
êAllison Miller’s Boom Tic Boom with Jason Palmer, Caroline Davis, Shamie
Royston, Rashaan Carter
Smoke 7, 9, 10:30 pm $35-55
êNicole Mitchell/Cooper Moore The Stone at the New School 8:30 pm $20
êDezron Douglas with Emilio Modeste, George Burton, Joe Dyson
Village Vanguard 8, 10 pm $40

Sunday, March 24• Eri Yamamoto Duo; Creole Cookin’ Jazz Band Arthur’s Tavern 3, 7 pm
Bar LunÀtico 9, 10:30 pm $10• Julieta Eugenio Trio
Barbès 8 pm $20• Stéphane Wrembel• Canadian Jazz Collective Septet with Kirk MacDonald, Derrick Gardner,

Lorne Lofsky, Virginia MacDonald, Brian Dickinson, Neil Swainson,
Bernd Reiter; Afro Latin Jazz Orchestra
Birdland 5:30, 8:30, 10 pm $20-40
Birdland Theater 7, 9:30 pm $25-35• Joe Alterman TrioêRavi Coltrane
Blue Note 8, 10:30 pm $30-45êSheryl Bailey Trio
Cellar Dog 7, 8:30 pm $5êJazzmeia Horn
City Winery 7:30 pm $35-60• Ballaké Sissoko/Derek Gripper Corpus Christi Church 4 pm $20-60êDIVA Jazz Orchestra: “Get Happy” Dizzy’s Club 5, 7:30 pm $20-55• David Hazeltine Quartet; Noah Haidu Trio
The Django 7:30, 9, 10:30 pm, 12 am $25• Teri Roiger with Steve Berger, John Menegon
Entwine Wine Bar 6, 7, 8 pm
• Welf Dorr with Santiago Leibson, Dmitry Ishenko, Yuko Togami
The Keep 9 pm
• Steve Laspina Trio; Jamile Polite Jam
Mezzrow 7:30, 9, 10:30 pm, 12 am $35
êLew Tabackin Trio with Boris Kozlov, Jason Tiemann
Michiko Studios 7, 8:30 pm $20
Minton’s 9 pm
• Tyreek McDole• Marianne Sollivan with Roni Ben-Hur, Andy McKee
North Square Lounge 12:30, 2 pm
• Jazz Brunch with Boncellia Lewis Patrick’s Place 12 pm
Red Rooster Harlem 10am
• Nate Lucas All-Stars
Rizzoli Bookstore 5 pm
• Hermon Mehari• Nathan Farrell; Mimi Jones and Jam
Room 623 at B2 Harlem 6, 8, 10 pm $20
Saint Peter’s Church 5 pm
• Ron Jackson Trio
Scholes Street Studio 8 pm
• Chaz Martineau• Hayes Greenfield Quartet with Jim Ridl, Dean Johnson, Tim Horner; Nick
Hempton Quartet and Jam Smalls 7:30, 9, 10:30 pm, 12 am $35
êAllison Miller’s Boom Tic Boom with Jason Palmer, Caroline Davis, Shamie
Royston, Rashaan Carter
Smoke 7, 9, pm $35-55”
êDezron Douglas with Emilio Modeste, George Burton, Joe Dyson
Village Vanguard 8, 10 pm $40

Monday, March 25
Arthur’s Tavern 7 pm
• Grove Street Stompers
Barbès 7 pm $20• Dana Lyn/Kyle Sanna• Karen Mason: “Sings Jule Styne” Birdland 8:30, 10:30 pm $30-40êVince Giordano and the Nighthawks

Birdland Theater 5:30, 8:30 pm $30-40

Blue Note 8, 10:30 pm $30-45• Eddie Palmieri
Cellar Dog 7, 8:30 pm $5• Saul Rubin Trio
• Ekep Nkwelle, Luther Allison, Russell Hall, Nazir Ebo, Kofi Hunter
Dizzy’s Club 7, 9pm $20-50• Eitan Kenner Quartet; AC Lincoln Quintet

The Django 7:30, 9, 10:30 pm, 12 am $25
Iridium 8:30 pm $30
Local 802 7 pmêAlan Broadbent Trio; Pasquale Grasso Trio with Ari Roland, Clifford Barbaro
Mezzrow 7:30, 9, 10:30 pm, 12 am $35
Red Rooster Harlem 6:30 pm• Ahmaya Knoelle• Ed Palermo Big Band
• Monday Night Jam

THE NEW YORK CITY JAZZ RECORD | March 2024 39

• Joe Farnsworth Quartet; Obasi Akoto Quintet and Jam

Smalls 7:30, 9, 10:30 pm, 12 am $35
êVanguard Jazz Orchestra with Dick Oatts, Billy Drewes, Rich Perry,
Ralph Lalama, Gary Smulyan, John Chudoba, Brian Pareschi, Terell Stafford,
Scott Wendholt, Dion Tucker, Jason Jackson, Robert Edwards,
Douglas Purviance, Adam Birnbaum, David Wong, John Riley
Village Vanguard 8, 10 pm $40• Tsutomu Nakai, Toru Dodo, Lonnie Plaxico, Dwayne “Cook” Broadnax
Zinc Bar 7, 8:30 pm $35

Tuesday, March 26• Wayne Tucker and The Bad Mothas Arthur’s Tavern 7 pm
• Stacy Dillard, Rob Duguay, Diego Voglino and Jam

Bar Bayeux 8, 9:30 pm
Bar LunÀtico 9, 10:30 pm $10• Dabin Ryu• Akiko Pavolka Band with Olli Hirvonen, Matt Pavolka, Bill Campbell;
Slavic Soul Party with John Carlson, Kenny Warren, Peter Hess, Peter Stan,
Tim Vaughn, Adam Dotson, Ken Bentley, Matt Moran, Chris Stromquist
Barbès 7, 9 pm $20
êSFJAZZ Collective with Chris Potter, David Sánchez, Mike Rodriguez,
Warren Wolf, Edward Simon, Matt Brewer, Kendrick Scott
Birdland 7, 9:30 pm $30-40• The Andersons: “Play Richard Rodgers” with Molly Ryan
Birdland Theater 5:30 pm $20-30êHiromi’s SonicwonderBlue Note 8, 10:30 pm $45-65
êHerbie Hancock
David Geffen Hall 7:30 pmêAkiko Tsuruga Trio
Cellar Dog 7, 8:30 pm $5• Ben Goldberg: “Glamorous Escapades” with John Ellis, Will Bernard,
Michael Coleman, Ben Allison, Allan Mednard
Dizzy’s Club 7, 9pm $20-50• Joe Davidian Trio; Richie Vitale Quintet
The Django 7:30, 9, 10:30 pm, 12 am $25• Thomas Helton; Jeremiah Cymerman; Samantha Kochis/Kevin Murray
Downtown Music Gallery 6:30 pm• Kevin Sun Quintet with Max Light, Simón Willson, Walter Stinson,
Jon Starks
Lowlands 8, 9:30 pm $10• Doug Wamble, Geoffrey Keezer, Barry Stephenson; John Merrill Trio
Mezzrow 7:30, 9, 10:30 pm, 12 am $35• Deborah Newallo Experience Red Rooster Harlem 6:30 pm
Scholes Street Studio 7:30 pm• Alain Metrailler• Pete Rodriguez Quintet with Silvano Monasterios, Raul Reyes,
Koleby Royston; Jason Clotter Quartet and Jam
Smalls 7:30, 9, 10:30 pm, 12 am $35
Swing 46 9 pm
• Rob Edwards Big BandêJakob Bro Septet with Chris Cheek, Craig Taborn, Larry Grenadier,
Anders Christensen, Brian Blade, Marcus Gilmore
Village Vanguard 8, 10 pm $40
York College 7 pm
• Richard ChowâêLeo Genovese Trio
Zinc Bar 7, 8:30 pm $35

Wednesday, March 27• Eri Yamamoto Duo

Arthur’s Tavern 7 pm
Bar Bayeux 8, 9:30 pm• The Gershwin Brothers with Dave Foster, Lane Steinberg;
Mamady Kouyate and his Mandingo Ambassadors
Barbès 8, 10 pm $20
êSFJAZZ Collective with Chris Potter, David Sánchez, Mike Rodriguez,
Warren Wolf, Edward Simon, Matt Brewer, Kendrick Scott
Birdland 7, 9:30 pm $30-40êDavid Ostwald’s Louis Armstrong Eternity Band; Frank Vignola’s Guitar
Night with Matt Munisteri, Jon-Erik Kellso: “Celebrating George Barnes/
Ruby Braff Quartet”
Birdland Theater 5:30, 8:30 pm $20-30êVijay Iyer/Graham Haynes
Blank Forms 7:30 pmêHiromi’s SonicwonderBlue Note 8, 10:30 pm $45-65
Cellar Dog 7, 8:30 pm $5• Ehud Asherie Quartet• Ben Goldberg’s Eupemystical Vibraphonium with Andrew Stephens,
Ryan Ferreira, Michael Coleman, Thomas Morgan, Hamir Atwal, Ches Smith,
Kenny Wollesen
Dizzy’s Club 7, 9pm $20-50êRick Germanson Trio; Ben Wolfe Trio
The Django 7:30, 9, 10:30 pm, 12 am $25
êMingus Big Band
Drom 7:30, 9:30 pm $35• Joy Guidry Quartet with Kyle Kidd, Luke Stewart, Jessie Cox
The Jazz Gallery 7:30, 9:30 pm $25-30• Haruna Fukazawa, Claire de Brunner, Shu Odamura, Ken Filiano;
Yoni Kretzmer & Juan Pablo Carletti’s BIGGISH; Stephen Gauci, Adam Lane,
Kevin Shea; James Wengrow, Hery Paz, Kenneth Jimenez,
James Paul Nadien; Ryan Siegel, Marc Edwards, Adam Lane
Main Drag Music 7 pm $15• Lorin Cohen, Ryan Cohan, Donald Edwards; Dave Baron Trio
Mezzrow 7:30, 9, 10:30 pm, 12 am $35
êDan Weiss Quartet with Peter Evans, Patricia Brennan, Miles Okazaki
Nublu 151 7 pm $22.66
êJudi Silvano, Joe Lovano, Vinnie Sperrazza, Jacob Sacks, Dave Ambrosio:“Jay Clayton Celebration”
Pangea 7 pm $25
Red Rooster Harlem 6:30 pm• Rodrigo Bonelli Trio
• Harlem Jazz Session with Peter Brainin
Room 623 at B2 Harlem 8, 9:30 pm $20
Roulette 8 pm $25• Morgan Guerin
êJC Sanford with Matt Mitchell, John Hebert
Scholes Street Studio 8 pmêLucian Ban and Elevation• David Sneider Quintet; Hank Allen-Barfield Quartet and Jam

Smalls 7:30, 9, 10:30 pm, 12 am $35
êMary Stallings with Emmet Cohen, Phillip Norris, Joe Farnsworth
Smoke 7, 9, pm $35-55
êJorge Roeder/Sofía Rei
The Stone at the New School 8:30 pm $20
êJakob Bro Septet with Chris Cheek, Craig Taborn, Larry Grenadier,
Anders Christensen, Brian Blade, Marcus Gilmore
Village Vanguard 8, 10 pm $40• Michael Kanan with Stephanie Greig, Takashi Inoue, Tomoko Omura,
Glenn Zaleski
Weill Recital Hall at Carnegie Hall 8 pm $35

Thursday, March 28

Minton’s 11 pm• Kevin Oliver, Jr.
• Jazz Jam with Patience Higgins Patrick’s Place 8 pm
• Denise Reis; Flavio Silva: “Brazil Night”

Room 623 at B2 Harlem 7, 8:30, 10 pm $20

êEliot Zigmund Quartet; Philip Harper Quintet

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

êMary Stallings with Emmet Cohen, Phillip Norris, Joe Farnsworth

Smoke 7, 9, 10:30 pm $35-55
The Stone at the New School 8:30 pm $20
êJakob Bro Septet with Chris Cheek, Craig Taborn, Larry Grenadier,
Anders Christensen, Brian Blade, Marcus Gilmore
Village Vanguard 8, 10 pm $40• Sofía Rei

Saturday, March 30

ê“A Great Night in Harlem” Gala Benefit with Sun Ra Arkestra andMarshall Allen; Max Roach Centennial Tribute with Charles Tolliver,
Dee Dee Bridgewater, Billy Harper, George Cables, Rufus Reid, Al Foster,Billy Hart, Louis Hayes; Bob Weir
Apollo Theater & Music Café 8 pm $80-500• Ricardo Grilli Trio; Terry Waldo’s Gotham City Band
Arthur’s Tavern 7, 10 pm• Carmen Staaf, Adam Kolker, Jeremy Stratton
Bar Bayeux 8, 9:30 pm
Bar LunÀtico 9, 10:30 pm $10• Peter Kronreif Wayfarers
Barbès 8 pm $20• Eszter Balint• SFJAZZ Collective with Chris Potter, David Sánchez, Mike Rodriguez,
Warren Wolf, Edward Simon, Matt Brewer, Kendrick Scott
Birdland 7, 9:30 pm $30-40
Birdland Theater 8:30 pm $25-35• Chris Byars
êHiromi’s SonicwonderBlue Note 8, 10:30 pm $45-65• Frank Basile Quartet; Katie Cosco Quartet
Cellar Dog 7, 8:30, 11 pm $5• Duduka Da Fonseca with Maucha Adnet, Helio Alves, Billy Drewes,
Vinicius Gomes, Gili Lopes Dizzy’s Club 7, 9pm $20-55• Luke Carlos O’Reilly Quartet; Mark Whitfield
The Django 7:30, 9, 10:30 pm, 12 am $25
Drom 7 pm $30• Pedrito Martinez• Momenta Quartet: “Graham Haynes’ String Quartet No. 1”
Greenwich House Music School 7:30 pmêNotet with JC Sanford, Andrew Green, Jeremy Udden, Dave Ambrosio
Ibeam Brooklyn 8 pm $20• Miho Hazama with Antonio Loureiro, Jeremy Powell, Olli Hirvonen,
Matt Clohesy, Obed Calvaire The Jazz Gallery 7:30, 9:30 pm $35-45
Jazz Museum in Harlem 2 pm
• Ghanniyya Green• Paraphrase with Tim Berne, Tom Rainey, Drew Gress
Lowlands 8, 9:30 pm $10• Neal Kirkwood Trio; Marius Van Den Brink Trio
Mezzrow 7:30, 9, 10:30 pm, 12 am $35
Minton’s 11 pm• Phil Young Experience
Patrick’s Place 7 pm
• New York Jazz Gypsies
Red Rooster Harlem 6:30 pm• Lynette Washington• John Colonna Quartet; Paul Austerlitz Band
Shrine 9, 10 pm
Silvana 8 pm
• Harlem Jazz Circus• Troy Roberts Quartet with Tim Jago, Pat Bianchi, Joe Peri;
Billy Mintz Quartet
Smalls 7:30, 9, 10:30 pm, 12 am $35
êMary Stallings with Emmet Cohen, Phillip Norris, Joe Farnsworth
Smoke 7, 9, pm $35-55• Leo Genovese, Juan Chiavassa, Sofía Tosello, Sofia Rei
The Stone at the New School 8:30 pm $20
êJakob Bro Septet with Chris Cheek, Craig Taborn, Larry Grenadier,
Anders Christensen, Brian Blade, Marcus Gilmore
Village Vanguard 8, 10 pm $40

Friday, March 29êCatherine Russell

The Appel Room 7, 9:30 pm $90-110• Johnny O’Neal Trio; Bobby Harden with Off Da Hook

Arthur’s Tavern 7, 10 pm

Bar Bayeux 8, 9:30 pm• Billy Mintz• Oscar Noriega’s Crooked Quartet with Marta Sanchez, Christopher Tordini,

Jason Nazary; Shoko Nagai’s TOKALA with Satoshi Takeishi, Frank London;
Armo with Jordan Mclean
Barbès 5:30, 8, 10 pm $20• Bill Saxton Harlem All-Stars Bill’s Place 7, 9 pm $30
êBirdland Big Band; SFJAZZ Collective with Chris Potter, David Sánchez,
Mike Rodriguez, Warren Wolf, Edward Simon, Matt Brewer, Kendrick Scott
Birdland 5:30, 8:30, 10 pm $25-40
Birdland Theater 7, 9:30 pm $25-35• Allan Harris BandêHiromi’s SonicwonderBlue Note 8, 10:30 pm $45-65• Darrell Green Quartet; Matt Martinez Quartet
Cellar Dog 7, 8:30, 11 pm $10• Duduka Da Fonseca with Maucha Adnet, Helio Alves, Billy Drewes,
Vinicius Gomes, Gili Lopes Dizzy’s Club 7, 9pm $20-55• Neal Caine Quartet; JC Hopkins Biggish BandThe Django 7:30, 9, 10:30 pm, 12 am $25
êAmbrose Akinmusire: “banyan seed”
Harlem Stage Gatehouse 7:30 pm $25-50
êRachel Z & Omar Hakim
Iridium 8:30 pm $30-40• Miho Hazama with Antonio Loureiro, Jeremy Powell, Olli Hirvonen,
Matt Clohesy, Jared Schonig The Jazz Gallery 7:30, 9:30 pm $35-45
Knickerbocker Bar & Grill 9 pm
• Kuni Mikani/Jon Roche• Ted Rosenthal Trio with Noriko Ueda, Tim Horner; Jon Davis Trio
Mezzrow 7:30, 9, 10:30 pm, 12 am $40

40 March 2024 | THE NEW YORK CITY JAZZ RECORDêCatherine Russell

The Appel Room 7, 9:30 pm $90-110
Arthur’s Tavern 10 pm
Bar Bayeux 8, 9:30 pm
Bar LunÀtico 9, 10:30 pm $10
Barbès 6 pm $20
Bill’s Place 7, 9 pm $30
êLoston Harris; SFJAZZ Collective with Chris Potter, David Sánchez,
Mike Rodriguez, Warren Wolf, Edward Simon, Matt Brewer, Kendrick Scott
Birdland 5:30, 8:30, 10 pm $20-40
Birdland Theater 7, 9:30 pm $25-35• Allan Harris BandêHiromi’s SonicwonderBlue Note 8, 10:30 pm $45-65• Jade Synstelien Quartet; Miss Maybell Quartet
Cellar Dog 7, 8:30, 11 pm $10• Duduka Da Fonseca with Maucha Adnet, Helio Alves, Billy Drewes,
Vinicius Gomes, Gili Lopes Dizzy’s Club 7, 9pm $20-55• Jason Tiemann Quartet; Nick Hempton BandThe Django 7:30, 9, 10:30 pm, 12 am $25
êAmbrose Akinmusire: “banyan seed”
Harlem Stage Gatehouse 7:30 pm $25-50• YSC Quartet with Yoon Sun Choi, Jacob Sacks, Thomas Morgan, Vinnie
Sperrazza
Ibeam Brooklyn 7:30 pm $20
êTineke Postma Aria Group with Miles Okazaki, Hannah Marks, Dan Weiss
The Jazz Gallery 7:30, 9:30 pm $35-45
Knickerbocker Bar & Grill 9 pm
• Jon Davis/Jakob Dreyer• Ted Rosenthal Trio with Noriko Ueda, Tim Horner; Jeremy Manasia Trio
Mezzrow 7:30, 9, 10:30 pm, 12 am $40• Magano & Josie: “Women’s History Month” Patrick’s Place 7 pm
• Altin Sencalar with Markus Howell, Boyce Griffith, Ted Chubb,
Luther Allison, Marcos Varela, Gary Kerkezou Penny Jo’s 9 pm
Record Shop 7:30 pm• Carlo Costa
Scholes Street Studio 6:30 pm• Adrienne Schoenfeld
êEliot Zigmund Quartet; Chris Beck Quartet and Jam
Smalls 7:30, 9, 10:30 pm, 12 am $40
êMary Stallings with Emmet Cohen, Phillip Norris, Joe Farnsworth
Smoke 7, 9, 10:30 pm $35-55
The Stone at the New School 8:30 pm $20• JC Maillard/Sofía ReiêJakob Bro Septet with Chris Cheek, Craig Taborn, Larry Grenadier,
Anders Christensen, Brian Blade, Marcus Gilmore
Village Vanguard 8, 10 pm $40• KJ Denhert & The NY Unit
• Garvin Blake• Alvaro Benavides Group• Anthony Coleman• Bill Saxton Harlem All-Stars

Sunday, March 31• Eri Yamamoto Duo; Creole Cookin’ Jazz Band Arthur’s Tavern 3, 7 pm
Bar LunÀtico 9, 10:30 pm $10• Jon Lampley
Barbès 8 pm $20• Stéphane WrembelêScott Reeves Jazz Orchestra: “A Salute to Chick, Wayne and Lieb”;

Afro Latin Jazz Orchestra

Birdland 5:30, 8:30, 10 pm $20-40
Birdland Theater 7, 9:30 pm $25-35
êHiromi’s SonicwonderBlue Note 8, 10:30 pm $45-65
Cellar Dog 7, 8:30 pm $5• Ned Goold Trio
• Duduka Da Fonseca with Maucha Adnet, Helio Alves, Billy Drewes,
Vinicius Gomes, Gili Lopes Dizzy’s Club 5, 7:30 pm $20-55• Wayne Escoffery Quartet; Ray Gallon Trio
The Django 7:30, 9, 10:30 pm, 12 am $25• Teri Roiger with Steve Berger, John Menegon Entwine Wine Bar 6, 7, 8 pm
• Welf Dorr with Shoko Nagai, Dmitry Ishenko, Dave Miller The Keep 9 pm
• Ben Waltzer Quartet with Bruce Harris, Ugonna Okegwo, Daniel Freedman;
Richard Cortez Polite Jam
Mezzrow 7:30, 9, 10:30 pm, 12 am $35
Minton’s 9 pm
• Tyreek McDole• Beat Kaestli with Ben Stivers, Evan Gregor
North Square Lounge 12:30, 2 pm
• Jazz Brunch with Boncellia Lewis Patrick’s Place 12 pm• Stalwart with Ben Eidson, Caleb Duval, James Paul Nadien, Luke Rovinsky
Record Shop 7:30 pm
Red Rooster Harlem 10am
• Nate Lucas All-Stars• Robbie Lee; Mimi Jones and Jam Room 623 at B2 Harlem 6, 8, 10 pm $20
êMara Rosenbloom, Melanie Dyer, Kyoto Kitamura
Saint Peter’s Church 5 pm
Scholes Street Studio 2 pm
• KamratonêGeorge Colligan Quartet
Smalls 7:30, 9, 10:30 pm, 12 am $35
êMary Stallings with Emmet Cohen, Phillip Norris, Joe Farnsworth
Smoke 7, 9, pm $35-55
êGraham Haynes with Lucie Vítková, Shakoor Hakeem
Sundown Bar 8 pmêJakob Bro Septet with Chris Cheek, Craig Taborn, Larry Grenadier,
Anders Christensen, Brian Blade, Marcus Gilmore
Village Vanguard 8, 10 pm $40• Allan Harris Band

Wednesday,
February 1
CONNECTICUTêMonteCroft Trio
333 Lounge 7:30, 9:30 pm
Bill’s Seafood(Westbrook, CT) billsseafood.com

Eric(7Wong,
Dominic
Seth Cluet			• Ian
3/1,Douglas-Moore,
3/8, 3/15, 3/22, 3/29pm) Bill’s
Allstar Coles;
Jazz Band		3/6, 3/20 (7 pm) Corinthian Jazz Band411 K

3/9 (4 pm) Gary Grippo Jam
3/12 (7 pm) Matt Knoegel and Jam
3/16 (4 pm) Tony Di Jam
3/23 (4 pm) Chervansky, Tappan & Ice Jazz Jam
3/24 (4 pm) Julian Gerstin Sextet
3/26 (7 pm) Christie Echols
Café Nine (New Haven, CT) cafenine.com
3/2 (4 pm) Michael Coppola Jam
Firehouse 12 (New Haven, CT) firehouse12.com
3/15 (8:30/10 pm) Ingrid Laubrock’s Lilith with Yvonne Rogers, David Adewumi, Adam Matlock,
Eva Lawitts, Henry Mermer
3/22 (8:30/10 pm) Noah Rott Quartet with Alfredo Colón, Mathias Jensen, Kobi Abcede
3/29 (8:30/10 pm) Marta Sanchez Trio with Chris Tordini, Savannah Harris
Jazzy’s Cabaret (New Haven, CT) jazzyscabaret.com
3/22 (7:30 pm) Stix Bones and The Bone Squad with Bob Beamon, Densen “Meighstro”Curwen,
Albert Brisbane, Steven Brown, Sean Taylor, Melvin Smith, Abiodun Oyewole, Khadejia
La Zingara (Bethel, CT) www.lazingara.com
3/20 (7 pm) Levin, Jackson & Siegel
3/27 (7 pm) Ali Ryerson Quartet
Owl Shop (New Haven, CT) owlshopcigars.com
3/5, 3/12, 3/19, 3/26 (9 pm) Red Planet
3/6, 3/13, 3/20, 3/27 (9 pm) Kevin Saint James Band
Palace Theater Poli Club (Waterbury, CT) palacetheaterct.org/shows/jazz
3/1 (7/9 pm) Rose Colella Quartet
3/10 (11 am) Jay Leonhart Trio
3/22 (7/9 pm) Chris Coogan Quintet
Ridgefield Playhouse (Ridgefield, CT) ridgefieldplayhouse.org
3/5 (7:30 pm) Taj Mahal Quartet
3/20 (7:30 pm) Julian LageSide Door (Old Lyme, CT) thesidedoorjazz.com
3/1 (8:30 pm) Ted Rosenthal Trio
3/2 (8:30 pm) Ronnie Burrage & Holographic Principle
3/8 (8:30 pm) Timothy Norton Quintet with Seth Trachy, Patrick Brennan, Willerm Delisfort,
Jesse Simpson
3/9 (8:30 pm) Tyreek McDole Group
3/15 (8:30 pm) Ulysses Owens Jr. and Generation Y with Ace Williams, Langston Hughes,
Tyler Bullock, Johnathan Muir Cotton
3/22 (8:30 pm) Tony Davis Trio
3/23 (8:30 pm) Donald Vega Quartet
NEW JERSEY
Bethany Baptist Church (Newark, NJ) njpac.org
3/2 (6 pm) Sullivan Fortner
Brothers Smokehouse (Ramsey, NJ) brotherssmokehousenj.com
3/1 (7 pm) Sarah Jane Cion
3/8 (7 pm) Bertha Hope
3/15 (7 pm) Harmony Bartz
3/22 (7 pm) Ray Blue
3/29 (7 pm) T.K.Blue
Brush Culture (Teaneck, NJ) brvshcul7ur3.com
3/1 (8/9:30 pm) Tyler Henderson
3/2 (8/9:30 pm) Gary Smulyan Quartet
Candlelight Lounge (Trenton, NJ) candlelighteventsjazz.com
3/2 (3:30 pm) Mike DeMonte
3/9 (3:30 pm) Liam Sutcliffe
3/16 (3:30 pm) Dan Kostelnik
3/23 (3:30 pm) Modern Day Story
3/30 (3:30 pm) Orrin Evans
Clement’s Place (Newark, NJ) njpac.org
3/21 (7:30 pm) Jazz Jam with James Austin, Jr.
Collingswood Community Center (Collingswood, NJ) jazzbridge.org
3/7 (7:30 pm) Denise King
Glass Woods Tavern at The Hyatt (New Brunswick, NJ) nbjp.org
3/20 (7/8:45 pm) Jackie Jones Quartet
Moore’s Lounge (Jersey City, NJ) winardharperjazz.com/moore-s-lounge
3/1, 3/8, 3/15, 3/22, 3/29 (8 pm) Winard Harper Hosts The Jazz Jame
3/3, 3/10, 3/17, 3/24, 3/31 (7 pm) Winard Harper Hosts The Jazz Jam
Oakley Kitchen (Nutley, NJ) theoakleykitchen.com
3/3, 3/10, 3/17, 3/24, 3/31 (7 pm) Yvonnick Prene, Radam Scwartz, Colby Inzer and Jam
Shanghai Jazz (Madison, NJ) shanghaijazz.com
3/1 (7/9:15 pm) Blue Soul Quintet
3/2 (7/9:15 pm) Karl Latham’s Living Standards with Teddy Kumpel, Carlos Mena, Henry Hey
3/3 (6 pm) Sarah Partridge Trio with Ted Brancato, Rick Crane
3/5 (6:30/8 pm) John Bianculli Trio
3/6 (7/8:30 pm) Danny Tobias Trio with Bill Crowe, Steve Ash
3/8 (7/9:15 pm) Axel Tosca
3/9 (7/9:15 pm) Ali Ryerson, Karl Latham
3/10 (6/7:30 pm) Steve Hess, Bud Ayers, Josh Rubin, Mark Weber
3/12 (6:30/8 pm) George Naha Trio with Hal Slapin, John Vourtsis
3/16 (7/9:15 pm) Bobby Harden Experience
3/19 (6:30/8 pm) Tomoko Ohno Trio with Hal Slapin, John Vourtsis
3/23 (7/9:15 pm) Nilson Matta: “Samba Night”
3/24 (6/7:30 pm) Audra Mariel
3/26 (6:30/8 pm) Jerry Vezza Trio with Hal Slapin, John Vourtsis
3/27 (7/9:15 pm) Warren Vache Trio with Earl Sauls, Eddie Monteiro
3/29 (7/9:15 pm) Cesar Orozco’s Kamarata Trio
3/30 (7/9:15 pm) SaRon Crenshaw Band
Shea Center for the Performing Arts @William Paterson University (Wayne, NJ)
wpunj.edu/wppresents/jazz-room-series
3/3 (3 pm) Joe Lovano
3/14 (8 pm) Preservation Hall Jazz Band
South Orange Performing Arts Center (South Orange, NJ) sopacnow.org/events
3/2 (7:30 pm) Kenny Garrett
3/24 (7 pm) James Austin Jr. and Luminescence
3/30 (8 pm) Rebirth Brass Band
South Valley BBQ (West Orange, NJ) southvalleybbqandlounge.com
3/3 (1/3/5 pm) Pucci Amanda Jhones Trio
3/10 (1/3/5 pm) Lynette Sheard
3/17 (1/3/5 pm) Carrie Jackson
3/24 (1/3/5 pm) Blues People
Tavern on George (New Brunswick, NJ) tavernongeorge.com
3/5 (7/8:30 pm) Ariana Sowa Quartet and Jam
3/7 (7/8:45 pm) Leonieke Scheuble Quartet

100 MILES OUT
3/12 (7/8:30 pm) Angelina Kolobukhova Quartet and Jam
3/14 (7/8:45 pm) Najwa Parkins Quartet
3/19 (7/8:30 pm) Violet Mujica Quartet and Jam
3/21 (7/8:45 pm) Vanessa Perea Quartet
3/26 (7/8:30 pm) Kirstin Field Quartet and Jam
3/28 (7/8:45 pm) Akiko Tsuruga Quartet
Triumph Brewing (Red Bank, NJ) triumphbrewing.com/red-bank
3/15 (8:30 pm) Ray Suhy Trio with Joris Teepe
NEW YORK
Alvin & Friends (New Rochelle, NY) alvinandfriendsrestaurant.com
3/1 (7/8:30 pm) Victor LaGamma Quartet
3/2 (7:30/9:15 pm) Jared Pauley Trio
3/9, 3/23 (7:30/9:15 pm) Leslie Pintchik Trio
Bean Runner Café (Peekskill, NY) beanrunnercafe.com
3/1 (7 pm) Tony Leon and Groupo Son Latino
3/2 (6 pm) Kristen Mather de Andrade Band
3/8 (7 pm) Eve Soto Band
3/9 (6 pm) Judi Silvano Quintet with Bruce Arnold, John Menegon, Bob Meyer + George Garzone
3/15 (7 pm) Jacqui Naylor with Art Khu, Richie Goods, Ele Howell3/16 (6 pm) Bertha Hope
3/22 (7 pm) Annette A. Aguilar and the Stringbean 5Tet
3/23 (6 pm) Arcoiris Sandoval Trio
3/29 (7 pm) Kristina Koller Band
3/30 (6 pm) SAGE Women Jazz Ensemble
Bliss (Setauket, NY) thejazzloft.org
3/19 (6 pm) Swing Into Spring Festival: Steve Salerno/Tom Manuel
3/20 (6 pm) Swing Into Spring Festival: John Marshall/Dave LobensteinCountry House (Stony Brook, NY) thejazzloft.org
3/20 (6 pm) Swing Into Spring Festival: Mala Waldron
3/21 (6 pm) Swing Into Spring Festival: Lee Tamboulian/Tom ManuelCroton Free Public Library (Croton-On-Hudson, NY) crotonfreelibrary.org
3/16 (2 pm) Andy Farber & Friends “Tribute to Manny Albam”
3/16 (1 pm) Richard Baratta Gotham City Quintet
Cunneen-Hackett Arts Center (Poughkeepsie, NY) cunneen-hackett.org
3/16 (8 pm) Joe McPhee and Strings with Michael Bisio, Hilliard Greene, Daniel Levin,
Aliya Ultan, James Keepnews, Billy Stein, Melanie Dyer, Mat Maneri, Rosi Hertlein,
Gwen LasterEmelin Theatre (Mamaroneck, NY) emelin.org
3/23 (8 pm) John Pizzarelli Trio
The Falcon (Marlboro, NY) liveatthefalcon.com
3/3 (7 pm) Joe Fiedler
3/7 (7 pm) Jim Campilongo 4Tet
3/9 (7 pm) Joe Louis Walker
3/10 (7 pm) Tyler Blanton with Joe Martin, Gary Versace, Johnathan Blake
3/14 (7 pm) Analog Jazz Orchestra
3/24 (7 pm) Camille Thurman and the Darrell Green Quartet with Wallace Roney Jr.,
Lonnie Plaxico, David Bryant
Farm to Table Bistro (Fishkill, NY) ftbistro.com
3/16 (7 pm) Richard Baratta’s Gotham City Quintet
Hudson Hall (Hudson, NY) hudsonhall.org
3/2 (7 pm) Sean Jones Quartet
Jazz at The Lodge (Ossining, NY) jazzatthelodge.com
3/9 (7:30/8:45 pm) Gabe Armstrong Quintet
3/23 (7:30/8:45 pm) Rhythm Rising Quartet
Jazz Forum Arts (Tarrytown, NY) jazzforumarts.org
3/1, 3/2 (7/9:30 pm) Ray Blue Quintet with Nat Adderley, Jr.
3/3 (6/8 pm) Jamile Staevie Ayres with Vinicius Gomes and Jam
3/8, 3/9 (7/9:30 pm) Bill Charlap/Renee Rosnes
3/10 (4/6 pm) Bill Charlap/Renee Rosnes
3/15, 3/16 (7/9:30 pm) Tierney Sutton/Tamir Hendelman
3/17 (4/6 pm) Glauco Lima Quartet with Dennis Bulhoes
3/22, 3/23 (7/9:30 pm) Joe Farnsworth Quartet with Sara Hanahan
3/24 (4/6 pm) Mafalda Minnozzi/Paul Ricci
3/29, 3/30 (7/9:30 pm) Steve Davis Sextet
The Jazz Loft (Stony Brook, NY) thejazzloft.org
3/6, 3/13, 3/27 (7 pm) Jazz Loft Trio Jam Session with Keenan Zach
3/6 (1 pm) Tom Manuel YAH Trio with Steve Salerno, Keenan Zach
3/7 (7 pm) Jazz Loft Big Band
3/8 (7 pm) Russell Hall Quartet
3/19 (7 pm) Swing Into Spring Festival: Bay Big Band; Moment’s Notice; Keenan Zach
and the Matt Godfrey Organ Trio
3/20 (7 pm) Swing Into Spring Festival: Workshop and Jam with Dean Johnson, Rich Iacona,
Tom Manuel, Ellis Holmes
3/21 (7 pm) Swing Into Spring Festival: Bad Little Big Band with Bruce Bonvissuto,
Madeline Kole, Rich Iacona
3/22 (7 pm) Swing Into Spring Festival: Dan Pugach Big Band
3/23 (7 pm) Swing Into Spring Festival: Andy McKee Quintet
3/28 (7 pm) Swing Into Spring Festival: Interplay Jazz Orchestra
Jazz on Main (Mt. Kisco, NY) jazzonmain.com
3/1 (7/9 pm) Quintin Harris Trio
3/2 (7/9 pm) Hilary Kole Quartet
3/3 (12 pm) Cary Brown/John Lissauer
3/6 (6 pm) Kevin Kane/Jim Fetherston
3/7 (7 pm) Suzy & the Gents
3/8 (7 pm) Maria Corsaro with the Gregory Toroian Trio
3/9 (7/9 pm) Oz Noy Trio
3/10 (12 pm) Alyssa Chetrick/Derek Lewis
3/14 (8 pm) SlideAttack
3/16 (7/9 pm) Susan Mack Quartet
3/17 (12 pm) Pete Ayres
3/21 (8 pm) Cary Brown
3/22 (7/9 pm) Dave Solazzo & The Bridge
3/23 (7 pm) Jaana Narsipur Quartet
3/28 (7 pm) Sarah Jane Cion Trio
3/29 (7/9 pm) Vivienne Aerts: Typuhthâng
3/30 (7/9 pm) Natalie Hamilton with Sara Caswell
The Lace Mill (Kingston, NY) facebook.com/TheLaceMill
3/10 (4 pm) Marilyn Crispell/Michael Bisio
Madarin Wine Bar (Setauket, NY) thejazzloft.org
3/19 (6 pm) Swing Into Spring Festival: Dean Johnson/Kevin Clark
3/20 (6 pm) Swing Into Spring Festival: Steve Salerno/Tom Manuel
Maureen’s Jazz Cellar (Nyack, NY) maureensjazzcellar.com
3/1 (7/9 pm) Orrin Evans Trio with Luques Curtis, Byron Landham
3/2 (7/9 pm) George Garzone Quartet with Dave Bryant, Chris Bowman, Jim Donica
3/8 (7/9 pm) Michael Wolff Trio with Victor Jones, Ben Allison
3/9 (7/9 pm) Lighthouse Tribute to Elvin Jones with Ryan Devlin, Dan Walsh, Gene Perla,
Adam Nussbaum
3/15 (8 pm) Harrow Sisters

3/16 (8 pm) Nova Blue with Charlie Alletto, Al Acosta, Joe Mannozzi, Michael Viñas,Tomås Martin López
3/22 (8 pm) Eddie Allen Quartet with Roberta Piket, Kenny Davis, Jerome Jennings
3/23 (8 pm) Adam Falco Trio with Etienne Stadwijk, Jonathan Toscano
3/30 (8 pm) Kathleen Hart/Steve LaMattina Quartet with Alex Gressel, Joe Corsello
Blue Door Art Gallery (Yonkers, NY) bluedoorartcenter.org
3/24 (2 pm) Po’ Jazz: Golda Solomon, Christopher Dean Sullivan, Ayana Lowe, David Lowe
Pound Ridge Community Church (Pound Ridge, NY) poundridgecommunitychurch.org
3/17 (4 pm) Lucy Wijnands with Pete Malinverni, Mikey Migliore, Aaron Seeber
Schnitzels (Stony Brook, NY) thejazzloft.org
3/23 (5 pm) Swing Into Spring Festival: Wallace Selzer/Vinny Raniolo
Southampton Arts Center (South Hampton, NY) southamptonartscenter.org
3/15 (7 pm) Richard Baratta’s Gotham City Quintet
Sweet Mamas (Stony Brook, NY) thejazzloft.org
3/19 (6 pm) Swing Into Spring Festival: Dave Lobenstein/James Micelli
Three Village Inn (Stony Brook, NY) thejazzloft.org
3/20 (6 pm) Swing Into Spring Festival: Dean Johnson, Rich Iacona, Ellis Holmes
Tubby’s (Kingston, NY) tubbyskingston.com
3/9 (7 pm) Bobby Previte with Matt Bauder, David Lizmi
3/18 (7 pm) Horse Lords; KA Baird
Uncle Cheef (Brewster, NY) unclecheef.com
3/1 (7:30 pm) Mark McLean
3/2 (7:30 pm) Kristina Koller
3/3, 3/24 (12 pm) Brazilian Jazz Brunch with Tyler Blanton
3/6 (7 pm) Zach Adleman
3/7 (7 pm) Jay Collins
3/8 (7:30 pm) Steve Shapiro
3/9 (7:30 pm) Marius Van Den Brink
3/14 (7:30 pm) Brewster’s Millions with Adam Small
Westchester Collaborative Theater (Ossining, NY) wctheater.org/music-in-the-box
3/9 (7:30 pm) Eddie Allen with Oscar Perez, Tom DiCarlo
3/23 (7:30 pm) Enrique Haneine
PENNSYLVANIA
Cheltenham Center for the Arts (Cheltenham, PA) jazzbridge.org
3/6 (7:30 pm) Sherrie Maricle
Chris’ Jazz Café (Philadephia, PA) chrisjazzcafe.com
3/1 (7:30/9:30 pm) Aaron Matson Quintet with Boyce Griffith, Joe Block, Ilya Osachuk, Kai Craig
3/2 (7:30/9:30 pm) Duane Eubanks Quintet with Abraham Burton, Jordan Williams,
Santi Debriano, Byron Landham
3/6 (7:30/9 pm) Matt Gallagher’s UArts “Z” Big Band
3/7 (7:30/9 pm) Silas Stewart Quartet with Craig Hall, Mike Boone, Dan Monaghan
3/8, 3/9 (7:30/9:30 pm) Joey Alexander Trio
3/12 (7:30/9 pm) Jordan Berger Generations Quartet with Byron Landham, Tim Brey, Dylan Band
3/13 (7:30/9 pm) Justin Farquhar Jazz Orchestra
3/14 (7:30/9 pm) Earl Phillips Big Band
3/15, 3/16 (7:30/9:30 pm) Larry Goldings, Peter Bernstein, Bill Stewart
3/20 (7:30/9 pm) Debbie Poryes Quartet with Dave Brodie, Kyle Andrews, Victor North
3/21 (7:30/9 pm) Mervin Toussaint Band
3/22 (7:30/9:30 pm) Anthony Hervey Quintet with Dylan Band, Joseph Block, Elay Kadosh,
Miguel Russell
3/23 (7:30/9:30 pm) Kaisa’s Machine
3/26 (7:30/9 pm) Inside Job with Sean McCusker, Jasyn Brazoban, Bill Saurman, Sam Turley,
Noah Uy, Max Fabiszewski, Bry Crocket
3/27 (7:30/9 pm) Eric Binder Organ Trio
3/28 (7:30/9 pm) Michael Kaplan Superband
3/29 (7:30/9:30 pm) George Colligan Quartet with Steve Wilson
3/30 (7:30/9:30 pm) Dave Stryker Quartet
Deer Head Inn (Delaware Water Gap, PA) deerheadinn.com
3/1 (7/8:45 pm) Bill Warfield & the Hell’s Kitchen Funk Orchestra with Gary Bartz, Charlie Porter,
Matt Hong, Dave Riekenberg, Kurt Bacher, Cecilia Coleman, Matt Chertkoff,
Steve Count, Scott Neumann, Jasia Ries
3/2 (7/8:45 pm) Zach Brock/Walt Bibinger
3/3 (5 pm) Joanie Samra/Jesse Green
3/7, 3/14, 3/21, 3/28 (7 pm) Jazz Jam with Bill Washer
3/8 (7/8:45 pm) La Cuchina with Vinny Bianchi, Bill Washer, Paul Rostock, Danny Gonzalez,
Ruben Ariola
3/9 (7/8:45 pm) Nancy Reed Trio
3/10 (5 pm) Paul Jost/Jim Ridl
3/15 (7/8:45 pm) Tessa Souter Quartet with Jim Ridl, Evan Gregor, Billy Drummond
3/16 (7/8:45 pm) Alan Broadbent Trio with Harvie S, Billy Mintz
3/17 (5 pm) Hot Takes Trio with Patrick Kerssen, Erica Golaszewski, Ron Bogart
3/22 (7/8:45 pm) Corinne Mammana
3/23 (7/8:45 pm) Max Siegel Nonet with Jay Rattman, Brian Pareschi, Matthew McDonals,
Eric Davis, Jason Marshall, Jose Davila, Bryan Reeder, Scott Ritchie, Paul Wells
3/24 (5 pm) Erin McClelland Band
3/29 (7/8:45 pm) Nancy & Spencer Reed
3/30 (7/8:45 pm) Ken Peplowski Quartet
Fire Museum (Philadelphia, PA) firemuseumpresents.com
3/6 (8 pm) G. Calvin Weston & TR7; Stephan Crump
Kimmel Center @Perelman Theater (Philadelphia, PA) kimmelculturalcampus.org
3/14 (7 pm) Emmet Cohen Trio
Solar Myth (Philadelphia, PA) arsnovaworkshop.org
3/1 (7/9:30 pm) The Bad Plus with Reid Anderson, Dave King, Ben Monder, Chris Speed
3/7 (8 pm) The Griots Speak with Charlie Apicella, Daniel Carter, William Parker, Juma Sultan
3/11 (8 pm) Ches Smith’s Laugh Ash with Shara Lunon, Anna Webber, Oscar Noriega,
Nate Wooley, Jennifer Choi, Kyle Armbrust, Michael Nicholas, Shahzad Ismaily
3/16 (8 pm) Tim Berne’s Bearclaw with Gregg Belisle-Chi, Tom Rainey
3/20 (8 pm) Horse Lords with Andrew Bernstein, Max Eilbacher, Owen Gardner, Sam Haberman
3/22 (8 pm) Azar Lawrence: “Salute to Pharoah Sanders”
3/27 (8 pm) Titan to Tachyons with Sally Gates, Matt Hollenberg, Trevor Dunn, Kenny Grohowski
3/29 (8 pm) Amirtha Kidambi & Elder Ones with Jason Nazary, Lester St. Louis, Matt Nelson,
Eva Lawitts
3/30 (8 pm) Messthetics with James Brandon Lewis, Joe Lally, Brendan Canty, Anthony Pirog
South Jazz Club (Philadelphia, PA) southjazzkitchen.com
3/1, 3/2 (7/9:30 pm) Julie Dexter3/3 (6/8:30 pm) Kym Still
3/7 (7/9 pm) Rebecca Jade
3/8, 3/9 (7/9:30 pm) Chien Chien Lu and Richie Goods
3/10 (6/8:30 pm) Chien Chien Lu and Richie Goods
3/14 (7/9) Cindy Blackman Santana
3/15, 3/16 (7/9) Brandee Younger
3/17 (6/8:30 pm) Romona with Diane Monroe
3/21 (7/9) Karen Briggs
3/22, 3/23 (7/9:30 pm) Sounds of A&R
3/24 (6/8:30 pm) Fawziyya Heart
3/28, 3/29 (7/9) Jazmin Ghent
3/30 (7/9:30 pm) Tyreek McDole
3/31 (6/8:30 pm) Tyreek McDole

THE NEW YORK CITY JAZZ RECORD | March 2024 41

C LU B D I RE C TO RY• 440Gallery 440 Sixth Ave., Brooklyn(718-499-3844) Subway: F, G to Seventh Ave.
440gallery.com• Americas Society 680 Park Ave.
(212-628-3200) Subway: 6 to 68th Str.
as-coa.org• Apollo Theater & Music Café 253 W. 125th Str.
(212-531-5305) Subway: A, B, C, D, 2, 3 to 125th Str.
apollotheater.org• 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• Arthur’s Tavern 57 Grove Str.
(212-675-6879) Subway: 1 to Christopher Str.
arthurstavernnyc.com• Bar Bayeux 1066 Nostrand Ave.
(347-533-7845) Subway: 2, 5 to Sterling Str.
barbayeux.com• Bar LunÀtico 486 Halsey Str.
(917-495-9473) Subway: C to Kingston-Throop Ave.
barlunatico.com• Barbès 376 9th Str. at 6th Ave., Brooklyn(718-965-9177) Subway: F to 7th Ave.
barbesbrooklyn.com• Bill’s Place 148 W. 133rd Str. btwn. Lenox and 7th Ave.
(212-281-0777) Subway: 2, 3 to 125th Str.
billsplaceharlem.com• Birdland / Birdland Theater 315 W. 44th Str. btwn. 8th and 9th Ave.
(212-581-3080) Subway: 7, A, C, E, F, N, Q, R, to 42nd Str.
birdlandjazz.com• Blank Forms 468 Grand Ave., 1D
Subway: C to Clinton-Washington Ave.s
blankforms.org• 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 Bowl 61 Wythe Ave., Brooklyn(718-963-3369) Subway: L to Bedford Ave.
brooklynbowl.com• Bruno Walter Theatre 111 Amsterdam Ave.
Subway: 1 to 66th Str.
• Cellar Dog 75 Christopher Str. at 7th Ave.
(212-675-6056) Subway: 1 to Christopher Str. /Sheridan Sq.
cellardog.net• City Winery 25 11th Ave. (at 15th Str.)(646-751-6033) Subway: A, C, E, L to 14th Str.
citywinery.com• The Delancey 168 Delancey Str.
(212-254-9920) Subway: F to Delancey Str.
thedelancey.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• Don’t Tell Mama 343 W. 46th Str.
(212-757-0788) Subway: A, C, E, F, V to 42nd Str. -Port Authority
donttellmama.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• Entwine Wine Bar 765 Washington Str.
(212-727-8765) Subway: 1, 2, 3, A, C, E, L to 14th Str.
entwinenyc.com• Flushing Town Hall 137-35 Northern Blvd., Flushing(718-463-7700) Subway: 7 to Main Str.
flushingtownhall.org• Greenwich House Music School 46 Barrow Str.
(212-242-4770) Subway: 1 to Christopher Str.
greenwichhouse.org• Harlem Stage Gatehouse 150 Convent Ave. at W. 135th Str.
(212-650-7100) Subway: 1 to 137th Str.
harlemstage.org• Ibeam Brooklyn 168 7th Str. btwn. Second and Third Ave.
Subway: F to 4th Ave.
ibeambrooklyn.com• InterContinental New York Barclay’s Club 111 E. 48th Str.
(212-755-5900) Subway: 6 to 51st Str.
intercontinentalnybarclay.com/• Iridium 1650 Broadway at 51st Str.
(212-582-2121) Subway: 1,2 to 50th Str.
theiridium.com• The Jazz Gallery 1158 Broadway, 5th fl(212-242-1063) Subway: N, Q, R, W to 28th Str.; F, M to 23rd Str.
jazzgallery.org• Jazz Museum in Harlem 58 W. 129th Str. btwn. Madison and Lenox Ave.
(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• The Keep 205 Cypress Ave., Queens(718-381-0400) Subway: L to Jefferson Str.
thekeepny.com• Knickerbocker Bar & Grill 33 University Pl. at 9th Str.
(212-228-8490) Subway: N, R to 8th Str. -NYU
knickerbockerbarandgrill.com• Kupferberg Center 65-30 Kissena Blvd., Flushing(718-793-8080) Subway: E to 71 - Continental Avs - Forest Hills
kupferbergcenter.org• Le Poisson Rouge 158 Bleecker Str.
(212-228-4854) Subway: A, B, C, D, E, F, V to W. 4th Str.
lepoissonrouge.com• Local 802 322 W. 48th Str. btwn. Eighth and Ninth Ave.
(212-245-4802) Subway: C to 50th Str.
jazzfoundation.org• Louis Armstrong House Museum 34-56 107th Str., Queens(718-478-8274) Subway: 7 to 11th Str.
louisarmstronghouse.org• Lowlands 543 Third Ave., Brooklyn(347-463-9458) Subway: R to Prospect Ave.
lowlandsbar.com• Main Drag Music 50 S. 1st Str. btwn. Kent and Wythe Ave., Brooklyn(718-388-6365) Subway: L to Bedford Ave.
maindragmusic.com• Merkin Concert Hall 129 W. 67th Str. btwn. Broadway and Amsterdam(212-501-3330) Subway: 1 to 66th Str. -Lincoln Center
kaufmanmusiccenter.org• Mezzrow 163 W. 10th Str.
(646-476-4346) Subway: 1 to Christopher Str.
smallslive.com• Michiko Studios 15 W. 39th Str. Floor 7(212-302-4011) Subway: N, Q, R, W to Times Squaremichikostudios.com• Miller Theatre 2960 Broadway and 116th Str.
(212-854-7799) Subway: 1 to 116th Str. -Columbia University
millertheatre.com• Minton’s 206 W. 118th Str. btwn. Str. Nicholas Ave. and Adam Clayton
Powell Jr. Blvd
(212-243-2222) Subway: B, C to 116th Str.
mintonsnyc.com• National Sawdust 80 N. 6th Str.
(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 Str., Brooklyn(917-231-4766) Subway: J, M, Z to Myrtle Ave.
ornithologyjazzclub.com• The Owl Music Parlor 497 Rogers Ave.
(718-774-0042) Subway: Subway: 2 to to Sterling Str.
theowl.nyc• Pangea 178 Second Ave.
(212-995-0900) Subway: L to First Ave.
pangeanyc.com• Patrick’s Place 2835 Frederick Boulevard(212-491-7800) Subway: B, D to 155th Str.
patricksplaceharlem.com• Penny Jo’s 3898 Broadway(646-609-2216) Subway: 1 to 168th Str.-Washington Heights• The Record Shop 360 Van Brunt Str.
(347-668-8285) Subway: Bus: B61to Van Brunt Str./King Str.
record-shop.business.site• Red Rooster Harlem 310 Malcolm X Blvd.
(212-792-9001) Subway: 2, 3 to 125th Str.
redroosterharlem.com• Riverbank State Park 679 Riverside Drive at 145th Str.
Subway: A, C, 1 to 145th Str.
• Rizzoli Bookstore 1133 Broadway(212-759-2424) Subway: R, W to 28th Str.
rizzolibookstore.com• Room 623 at B2 Harlem 271 W. 119th Str.
(212-280-2248) Subway: B, C to 116th Str.
b2harlem.com

42 March 2024 | THE NEW YORK CITY JAZZ RECORD• 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• Saint Peter’s Church 619 Lexington Ave. at 54th Str.
(212-935-2200) Subway: 6 to 51st Str.
saintpeters.org• Scholes Street Studio 375 Lorimer Str.
(718-964-8763) Subway: L to Lorimer Str. ; G to Broadway
scholesstreetstudio.com• ShapeShifter Lab 837 Union Str., Brooklyn(646-820-9452) Subway: D, N, R, W to Union Str.; B, Q to 7th Ave.;
shapeshifterlab.com• Shrine 2271 Adam Clayton Powell Blvd. btwn. 133rd & 134th Str.
(212-690-7807) Subway: B, 2, 3 to 135th Str.
shrinenyc.com• Silvana 300 W. 116th Str.
(646-692-4935) Subway: B, C, to 116th Str.
silvana-nyc.com• Sisters 900 Fulton Str.
(347-763-2537) Subway: C to Clinton-Washington Ave.s
sistersbklyn.com• Smalls 183 W 10th Str. at Seventh Ave.
(212-252-5091) Subway: 1 to Christopher Str.
smallslive.com• Smoke 2751 Broadway btwn. 105th and 106th Str.
(212-864-6662) Subway: 1 to 103rd Str.
smokejazz.com• Snug Harbor Cultural Center 1000 Richmond Terrace, Staten Island(718-448-2500) Subway:
jazzmobile.org• Soapbox Gallery 636 Dean Str.
Subway: 2, 3 to Bergen Str.
soapboxgallery.org• Sony Hall 235 W. 46th Str.
(212-997-5123) Subway: N, R, W to 49th Str.
sonyhall.com• St. George Theatre 35 Hyatt Str.
(718-442-2900) Subway: S74 Bus to Bay Str./Borough Placestgeorgetheatre.com• Stanley H. Kaplan Penthouse 165 W. 65th Str. btwn. Amsterdam Ave. andBroadway, tenth floor(212-875-5400) Subway: 1, 2 to 66th Str. -Lincoln Center
lincolncenter.org• Stern Auditorium at Carnegie Hall 881 Seventh Ave.
(212-247-7800) Subway: N, Q, R, W to 57th- Seventh Ave.
carnegiehall.org• The Stone at The New School 55 West 13th Str.
(212-229-5600) Subway: F, V to 14th Str.
thestonenyc.com• The Sultan Room 234 Starr Str.
(612-964-1420) Subway: L to Jefferson Str.
thesultanroom.com• Sundown Bar 68-38 Forst Ave., Queens(917-966-6078) Subway: M to Forest Ave.
sundownbar.com• Swing 46 349 W. 46th Str.
(646-322-4051) Subway: A, C, E to 42nd Str.
swing46.com• Third Street Music School Settlement 235 E. 11th Str.
(212-777-3240) Subway: 6 to Astor Pl.
thirdstreetmusicschool.org• Town Hall 123 W. 43rd Str.
(212-997-1003) Subway: 7, B, D, F, M to 42nd Str. -Bryant Park
thetownhall.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• Westbeth Artists Complex 55 Bethune Str.
(212-691-1500) Subway: 1, 2, 3 to 14th Str.
• York College CUNY, 94-20 Guy R. Brewer Blvd., Queens
Subway: E to Jamaica Centeryork.cuny.edu• Zankel Hall 881 Seventh Ave. at 57th Str.
(212-247-7800) Subway: N, Q, R, W 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

I N ME MORIAM
BILL ALLRED (Nov. 19, 1936 – Feb. 2, 2024) The trombonistvocalist (father of trombonist John), from an august familyof musicians, died at age 87. Allred played trombone at
Rock Island High School, in the U.S. Navy Band and at St.
Ambrose College. In 1971, he became a staff musician at Walt
Disney World in Orlando, FL. He led the Goodtime Jazz
Band at Rosie O’Grady’s in Orlando for 15 years and also
was a frequent performer at major jazz festivals and concertsin the U.S. and abroad. Allred was a member of the Wild Bill
Davison Jazz Band and appeared with Jack Teagarden, Billy
Butterfield, Al Hirt, Clark Terry, Dizzy Gillespie, Mel Torme,
Zoot Sims, Milt Hinton, Bob Haggart, Chuck Hedges, Max
Kaminsky, Jimmy McPartland and others. He led or co-led
albums on many labels including Fat Cat’s Jazz, World Jazz,
Sunjazz, Nagel Heyer and Arbors.
TONY CEDRAS (1952 – Jan. 29, 2024) The multiinstrumentalist died in Cape Town, South Africa fromchronic emphysema at age 71. He played piano, guitar,trumpet, harmonium and, most notably, accordion,collaborating over a long career with jazz musicians in South
Africa and the U.S. He first made his name with Cape Townbands including Pacific Express, where he played primarily
trumpet and keyboards. He was also in every lineup of
Paul Simon’s bands from 1987-2012. Cedras played with
Harry Belafonte, Miriam Makeba, Henry Threadgill, Muhal
Richard Abrams, Cassandra Wilson, Hugh Masekela andTony Bird, among others.
JERRY COKER (Nov. 28, 1932 - Jan. 14, 2024) Born in South
Bend, IN, to a musical family, Coker died at age 91. He was ajazz saxophonist, educator, theorist, composer, arranger andauthor, who spent his early career playing in big bands. He
attended Yale University and Sam Houston State University
before attending Indiana University as a doctoral student
in woodwinds. His studies were interrupted in 1953 when
Woody Herman offered him a job in “The Herd”. But after
completing his education he recorded under his own namein the mid ’50s and as a sideman with Nat Pierce, Dick
Collins, Mel Lewis and with Stan Kenton. Coker taught at
Duke University, the University of Miami (creating one of
the first jazz degree programs in the country), North Texas
State University and at the Frost School of Music. He also
started the Studio Music and Jazz program at the Universityof Tennessee, where he was a professor of music from the ’80s
through the aughts, with notable students including Randy
Brecker and Pat Metheny. In 1994 Coker was inducted into
the Jazz Educators Hall of Fame.
TAMÁS DEÁK (Apr. 27, 1928 – Feb. 12, 2024) Known as apioneer of jazz music education in his native Hungary, thetrumpeter died at age 95. Deák was head of the Bela Bartók
Music School, and as a composer and author, led a big bandfor albums on Qualiton and Pepita. His work was recordedby Magyar Rádió És Televízió Tánczenekara, Stúdió
11, Németh Lehel, Toldy Mária, Pannonia Allstars Ska
Orchestra, Mihály Borbély and Igor Butman. He composedand conducted scores for films, including for the animatedseries Gustav and the feature film, Cat City.
JAN EVENSMO (Aug. 10, 1939 – Feb. 4, 2024) The
Norwegian jazz historian, who published numerous
discographies, established the website jazzarcheology.com
and who wrote liner notes for various albums, died at age 85.
As a discographer, his solographies—detailing descriptionsof musicians’ solos on record releases—have become seminal
research tools. Educated as a physicist, Evensmo majored incybernetics, at the University of Oslo. Later, he also earned
a civil economics degree, lecturing in operational analysis,
queuing theory and linear programming. Evensmo sat on
the boards of the Norwegian Jazz Association and the Oslo
Jazz Circle and was key in establishing the Norwegian Jazz
Archive in the early ’80s.
SAMUEL HUBERT (1978 – Feb. 18, 2023) The French
bassist, who died at age 45, was a member of Switch Trio—a
project rooted in swing and blues—with a pair of albums
on Ahead and Jazz Family, and Wax. Hubert was also a

BY MARILYN LESTER
member of Esaie Cid Quartet and Quintet. He worked with
Samy Thiébault, Karim Blal, Véronique Hermann Sambin,
Jean-Philippe Scali, Frédéric Nardin and Olivier Temime.
KERRY “FATMAN” HUNTER (May 21, 1970 – Feb. 13,2024) Struck by a drunk driver on Mardi Gras Day, New
Orleans drummer Kerry “Fatman” Hunter died at age 53.
Hunter was a long-standing member of the New Orleans
Nightcrawlers. He won a 2021 Grammy for “Best Regional
Roots Music Album” (Atmosphere) and was nominated thisyear in the same category. Hunter also performed with the
Roots of Jazz Brass Band, the Preservation Hall collective
and the New Birth Brass Band, as well as a variety of other
New Orleans brass bands.
REUBEN JACKSON (1957 – Feb. 16, 2024) The poet,
educator, jazz historian, author, broadcaster and music
reviewer died at age 67 after suffering a stroke. Jackson
was curator of the Smithsonian Museum’s Duke Ellington
Collection from 1989-2009 and hosted “Friday Night Jazz”
on Vermont Public Radio from 2012-18. His critical writings
appeared in Washington Post, JazzTimes, DownBeat andallaboutjazz.com, among others. He also wrote liner notes
for albums on Verve, Bluebird, BMG and Koch.
WAYNE KRAMER (Apr. 30, 1948 – Feb. 2, 2024) The guitarist,
singer/songwriter and producer died from pancreaticcancer in Los Angeles at age 75. Kramer was best known for
co-founding proto-punk band MC5. He later worked with Was(Not Was), Orquestra Was, Bob Holman, Hal Willner, Mars
Williams and Lexington Arts Ensemble. Kramer’s 2014 freejazz album Lexington went to #6 on Billboard’s Top Jazz Charts.
TONY MIDDLETON (Jun. 26, 1934 – Feb. 7, 2024) Originallycoming to prominence as lead singer for the Du-wop group,
The Willows, Middleton died at 89 from chronic kidneydisease. Performing almost to the end, the baritone also
appeared on stage as well as in films. He was the Broadway
lead, Little Joe, in Cabin in the Sky and Purlie in Porgy and
Bess. Middleton worked with the likes of Burt Bacharach,
Quincy Jones, Nell Carter, Della Reese, Cissy Houston andmany more. He was one of the headliners at Lincoln Centerfor the 55th Birthday tribute to Charlie Parker. As a jazz
singer he performed regularly at Opia, the Roxy Hotel andfor 13 years led the Sunday Jazz Brunch at Jazz at Kitano.
RON MOSS (1945 - Jan. 30, 2024) The U.K.-born Moss, a
dedicated and long-time practitioner of Scientology, died atage 79. He was a trombone player as well as an artist manager
who settled in the U.S. in 1974. Since 2009 at MusiciansServices, Inc. he was the personal manager of Kyle Eastwood,
Down To The Bone, Tim Weisberg and Nate Najar, among
others. He worked at Chapman Management Co. and was
President of The Moss Agency from 1998-2001. His managed
the careers of musicians such as Chick Corea, John Patitucci,
Eric Marienthal, Isaac Hayes, Mark Isham, Stan Getz, Airto
Moriera and Flora Purim, among others. Other associations
included Return to Forever, Frank Gambale. Warren Zevon,
Mick Fleetwood and the Zoo, the Korgis, David Benoit and
Kenny Rankin. Moss also co-founded Stretch Records with
Corea, producing artists such as Bob Berg, Avishai Cohen,
Eddie Gómez, John Patitucci, Wallace Roney and Dave
Weckl. He is survived by his daughter, the successful actress
Elizabeth Moss (The Handmaid’s Tale).
TOM PLSEK (1949 – Feb. 12, 2024) The trombonist andcomposer, who began his musical career playing in polka
bands, died at age 76. He joined the teaching staff at
Berklee College of Music in 1972, performed at New Music
American in 1983 and 1986 and was a member of the Mobius
Artists Group from 1988-2021. He worked with Phil Wilson,
Mark Harvey, Gino Robair, Joe Morris, Boston Improvisors’
Orchestra and Aardvark Jazz Orchestra and was a memberof the improvising collective Kobold.
ED REED (Feb. 2, 1929 – Jan. 31, 2024) The San Francisco Bay
Area-based jazz vocalist, who made his recording debut in2007 at the age of 78, died at age 94 of liver cancer. Born in

Cleveland and raised in Los Angeles’ Watts neighborhood,
he was mentored for a time in his youth by Charles Mingus.
Drug addiction problems emerged after Army service when
he ran with a fast crowd of jazz musicians. The singer finallyovercame his addiction, which included stints in prison on
drug charges and in rehab facilities. He gained sobriety in1986. Reed had an encyclopedic knowledge of the Great
American Songbook, evidenced on his Ed Reed Sings Love
Stories (2007) and The Song Is You (2008). In recovery, Reed
performed regularly at the Cheese Board Collective Pizzeria
in Berkeley, CA, and attended Living Jazz’ summer intensive
in La Honda Jazz Camp West, which gave him a chance toplay with top professionals. He made his New York City
debut in 2015 at Dizzy’s Club with a favorable review fromThe New York Times. With his wife, Diane Reed, he wrote
Double Helix: A Memoir of Addiction, Recovery, and Jazz in Two
Voices. For 20 years he also taught at Kaiser Permanente
Vallejo and the New Bridge Foundation recovery center inBerkeley until the onset of the pandemic.
GÉRARD RÉGNIER (1934 – Feb. 11, 2024) The Frenchman,
who died at age 90, authored several jazz books in France.
His best-known work, Django Reinhart: Un musicien tsigane
dans l’Europe nazie, details the guitarist’s career during the
WWII Nazi occupation of France, as he attained immense
popularity despite his gypsy roots.
ROBERT D. RUSCH (Apr. 3, 1943 – Jan. 14, 2024) The jazzcritic and record producer died at age 80. Rusch ran the indie
jazz label distrutor North Country Record Distribution,founded record labels Cadence and CIMP and wrote
JazzTalk: the Cadence Interviews. His significant writings anddocumentation of music and hundreds of album releases
resulted in a large collection donated to the Schomburg
Center for Research in Black Culture.
MARLENA SHAW (Sep. 22, 1939 – Jan. 19, 2024) The New
Rochelle, NY-born jazz and soul singer died peacefully athome at age 84. Shaw began singing in jazz clubs in the ’60s,
notably working in 1963 with trumpeter Howard McGhee.
Her career took off in 1966 when she began performing at the
Playboy Club, Chicago, a gig that brought her to the attentionof Chess Records. She signed with the label and released
her first two albums on their Cadet subsidiary. “California
Soul” (1969) became one of her best-known hits. Starting in
the early ‘70s, she released a string of five albums over five
years for Blue Note (including Live at Montreux and Who Is
This Bitch, Anyway?), and would record for Columbia, Verve,
Concord and Eighty-Eight’s. Her last released album (2007)
was When You’re Smiling (Ratspack), with Freddy Cole.
SIEGFRIED “SIGI” SCHWAB (Aug. 15, 1940 – Jan. 11,2024) With over 15,000 recordings for film and television tohis credit, the German guitarist died at age 83. Schwab was
also a teacher and an accompanist to a plethora of artists. He
was versatile, playing in many styles over many genres, frombaroque to jazz. His affiliations include St Cetera, Embryowith Christian Burchard, Diabelli Trio with Willy Freivogel,
Guitarissimo with Peter Horton and Mandala duo withRamesh Shotham. In 1980 he played at the 5th North Sea Jazz
Festival with Chris Hinze. Schwab was also involved with
Percussion Academia with Freddie Santiago and Guillermo
Marchena and Percussion Project with Ramesh Shotham andAndreas Keller.
RENE TOLEDO (Jul. 3, 1957 – Feb. 6, 2024) The Cuban
guitarist, who died at age 66, was a member of Grupo
Afrocuba and Bolero Jazz, and worked with Marco Riza,
Paquito D’Rivera, Arturo Sandoval, The Manhattan Transfer,
Ed Calle, Jane Monheit and Pepe Rivero. He had his own
albums for GRP and Sony Latin Jazz.
GIULIO VANNINI (1960 – Feb. 9, 2024) The Italian promoter
died at age 64 at the Moderna Polyclinic of cancer. He wasa particular lover of bebop, and was Artistic Director of the
Modena Jazz Festival, producing numerous concerts acrossEurope with American and Italian stars. Vannini was also CEO
of Rat Pack Music and a correspondent for Jazz Hot Magazine.

THE NEW YORK CITY JAZZ RECORD | March 2024 43

MARCH 8-10 BIRDLAND THEATERBIG BAND CANARIESWHO SOAREDSEE THE LISA HILTON QUARTET ON TOUR:
3/6/24
RAITTto
RECITAL
HALL / 7:30PM,
PEPPERDINE
MALIBU CA
atributethe great
femaleATbigband &UNIVERSITY,
jazz vocalists
3/7/24 SF JAZZ / 7 AND 8:30PM, SAN FRANCISCO, CA
3/12/24 THE JAZZ SHOWCASE / 6:00PM, CHICAGO, IL
3/13/24 WEINBERG CENTER FOR THE ARTS / 7:30PM, FREDERICK MD
3/14//24 WEILL HALL AT CARNEGIE HALL / 8 PM, NYC, NY
3/15/24 JAZZ UPSTAIRS AT MILLER SYMPHONY HALL / 7:30, ALLENTOWN PA

CHAMPIAN FULTON Triowith WILLIE JONES III and NEAL MINER
and LEZLIE HARRISON & NICHOLAS PAYTON
and special guest JANE MONHEITINFO AT WWW.BIRDLANDJAZZ.COM

MARIANNE
TRUDELPIANIST, COMPOSER“An extraordinary pianist, Marianne
Trudel is one of the most respectedjazz musicians in Canada.”- CBC Radio (Canada)“Trudel always conducts a finebalance between the delicate andthe powerful in her music.”- NBC San Diego (USA)Available on Bandcamp