December 2023—ISSUE 260

YOUR FREE GUIDE TO THE NYC JAZZ SCENENYCJAZZRECORD.COM

HOLIDAY
GIFT GUIDESPECIAL FEATURE:

CARLA BLEY
IN MEMORIAM

GREGORY
HUTCHINSON

JEFF
LEDERER

STEPHANIENAKASIAN

EARTHAKITTManaging Editor:
Laurence Donohue-Greene[Co-Founder/Editor Emeritus: Andrey Henkin]

To Contact:
The New York City Jazz Record
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Staff Writers
Fred Bouchard, Stuart Broomer,
Daniel A. Brown, Marco Cangiano,
Thomas Conrad, Ken Dryden,
Pierre Giroux, Kurt Gottschalk,
Tom Greenland, George Grella,
Tyran Grillo, Keith Hoffman,
Terrell Holmes, Robert Iannapollo,
Marilyn Lester, Suzanne Lorge,
Kyla Marshell, Franz Matzner,
Marc Medwin, Jim Motavalli,
Russ Musto, Monique Ngozi Nri,John Pietaro, John Sharpe,
Elliott Simon, Elijah Shiffer,Thomas Staudter, Anna Steegmann,
Ken Waxman, Scott Yanow
Contributing Writers
Tristan Geary, George Kanzler,
Mike Shanley, Zachary Weg
Contributing Photographers
Matt Baker, Max Blease,
Caroline Conejero, Hubert Lawlas,
Rob Lowell, Alan Nahigian,John Sharpe, Adrien H. Tillmann

nycjazzrecord.com

December 2023 – ISSUE 260
NEW YORK@NIGHT
INTERVIEW: GREGORY HUTCHINSON
ARTIST FEATURE: JEFF LEDERER
ON THE COVER: MARTY EHRLICH
ENCORE: STEPHANIE NAKASIANLEST WE FORGET: EARTHA KITTLABEL SPOTLIGHT: GOTTA LET IT OUT
VOXNEWSFESTIVAL REPORTSPECIAL FEATURE: CARLA BLEY IN MEMORIAM
ALBUM REVIEWSHOLIDAY GIFT GUIDEEVENT CALENDARCLUB DIRECTORY
IN MEMORIAM

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by russ mustoby tristan geary
by john sharpeby ken dryden
by monique ngozi nriby franz matzner
by suzanne lorge

by marilyn lesterby thomas staudter

Letter from the Editor

At TNYCJR we consider each issue, in essence, a gift from us to you, dear readers. And with ourHoliday Issue, that’s especially the case. (Full disclosure: A copy of TNYCJR makes a great stocking stuffer,or first night’s Hanukkah gift.) We take great pride and joy in sharing the gift of music, the gift that keeps
giving, with time-relevant features and recent album and concert reviews, as well as live concert listings,
all to help you help those who make this music possible. To spice up that hypothetical eggnog, enjoy thisissue’s Holiday Gift Guide, which is full of gift suggestions for the jazz lover in your life. And if you can’t
find that perfect gift, or time is running out, venues all around the city seem to be more in the holiday
spirit than ever before, so check the Event Calendar for nightly suggestions for you and your loved ones!
It goes without saying, the world would be a much lesser place without the music we rely on and themusicians, record labels, publicists, venues, presenters, et al. who bring those sounds to our ears for
comfort, inspiration and/or distraction from the turmoil we may be experiencing personally—and
especially from what is happening around the world, including two tragic wars cross seas. So, indulge andallow us to suggest taking a step back to acknowledge the true meaning of this time of year, a common
ideal shared by many around the world. To paraphrase Leon Thomas who famously chanted so memorably
and timelessly with Pharoah Sanders: The creator makes but one demand, happiness through all the land … The
creator has a master plan. Peace and happiness for… everyone.
We could all use such holiday spirit. Peace and love. And happy holidays.
On The Cover: Marty Ehrlich (photos by Caroline Conejero)All rights reserved. Reproduction without permission strictly prohibited. All material copyrights property of the authors.

2 December 2023 | THE NEW YORK CITY JAZZ RECORDNEW YORK @ N IGHT

SSC 1731 / AVAILABLE 11/24/23

Grammy Award winning multi-instrumentalist, arranger, and composer Ted Nash and singular singer/
songwriter Kristen Lee Sergeant havebrought something of this high caliber
to the party in Holidays: a markedly
distinctive record for the season.

T

ed Nash is well known as a bandleader and as a member and arranger for
the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra. He
is paired with Kristen Lee Sergeant, a
vocalist and songwriter who has been
singled out for her intelligent lyrics anddramatic styling of song.

Holidays capitalizes on the best ofwhat a coupling like this can bring.
Nash’s memories of holidays spent
making music with his family of legendary Hollywood studio musicians infuse many arrangements with a gravitas and depth which Sergeant treats
with an actor’s grace; and as Nash’s
more adventurous arrangements buckat conventionality, Sergeant clearly relishes the opportunity, and occasionallysupplies original lyrics that add bracing
clarity.

www.sunnysiderecords.com

When guitarist John Paul “Bucky” Pizzarelli died on

April 1, 2020 at age 94, he left behind a tremendous
legacy. In over seven decades he’d played with a galaxyof artists in performance and on recordings. In A Tributeto Bucky Pizzarelli at 54 Below (Nov. 7), bassist son
Martin Pizzarelli (younger brother to guitarist/vocalist
John Pizzarelli) and vocalist David Rose—a GermanRomani crooner who worked with Bucky on one of
his last recording sessions—selected some of the elder
Pizzarelli’s favorite tunes and arrangements. Steeped in
the American Songbook, Rose offered his own ballad,“You Tell Yourself”, as well as standards that included
a relaxed “Coquette” (J. Green, C. Lombardo, G. Kahn),
a lilting “Haven’t We Met” (K. Rankin, R. Batchelor)and a lightly swinging “Manhattan” (R. Rodgers,
L. Hart). Bookending the vocals, Martin Pizzarelli
offered a short set of instrumentals in the company ofthe extraordinarily talented pianist Hyuna Park andversatile reed man Linus Wyrsch. Duke Ellington’s“Do Nothing Till You Hear from Me” featured bass inthe spotlight long enough to reveal that in a family ofguitarists, Martin had absorbed the guitar ethos into
his own bass technique. During “I Can’t Give You
Anything but Love” (J. McHugh, D. Fields), a reedfeature saw Wyrsch “do a Carling” by alternating
quickly and seamlessly between tenor and clarinet. A
rousing play-out reprise of “Stompin’ at the Savoy”(E. Sampson) had the audience spontaneously clapping
along.
— Marilyn Lester

PHOTO BY ALAN NAHIGIAN

HOLIDAYS

PHOTO BY ADRIEN H. TILLMANNTED NASH
KRISTEN LEE SERGEANT

During their summer tour with Dave Holland’s New
Quartet, saxophonist Jaleel Shaw and pianist Kris
Davis developed a close artistic kinship that was readily
apparent at their duo shows at The Jazz Gallery (Nov.
10-11). After Friday’s rigorous gig, they wanted to loosen
up and stretch out Saturday, opening the first set witha free but structured improvisation. Davis establisheda pensive mood with sparse textures, Shaw adding
slow, crab-walking lines on soprano, concluding eachphrase with wide vibrato. Davis segued into Shaw’s“Conclusions”, fleshing out the protracted bassline withhigh-register filigree before Shaw’s alto brought it togentle closure. Creative juices were in full flow for Davis’“Scissortail”, a whimsical, winding theme with doublet
and triplet accents. Her unremitting high clusters goaded
the saxophonist’s register-spanning, languorously
swinging alto lines. On the following section she usedrefrigerator magnets, erasers and gaffer tape to creategong effects, akin to an Indonesian gamelan ensemble. He
in turn balanced these ethereal chimes with warm, earthy
tones, some bent or shaded with micro-pitches. On his“Solidarity”, based on an Arabic mode (Phrygian major),
he dug deep, using a single repeated pitch to usher ina poignant mood-swing that affected everyone listening.
Davis’ solo sustained this ambiance, gradually taperingoff. It was a fitting, if implicit, reflection on current eventsin Palestine. Shaw’s “Contemplations”, a galloping sambawith gnarly changes, served as a coda to and respite fromthe previous gravitas.
— Tom Greenland

Kris Davis, Jaleel Shaw @The Jazz Gallery

Martin Pizzarelli, Linus Wyrsch @54 Below

Fresh from a month’s curatorship at Blue Note, The performance by the Tyshawn Sorey Trio at the
keyboardist Robert Glasper donated his talents to afundraiser at/for Brooklyn Music School (Nov. 4), hisway (in the emcee’s words) of “paying [it] forward” toan up-and-coming generation of young music students,
many of whom sat watching in the auditorium. Glasper
sparked things off with a rapid flurry of percussive chords,
soon cuing Derrick Hodge (bass) and Marcus Gilmore(drums) to join in on an up-tempo version of Chuck
Wayne’s “Solar”. To give his solo coherence, Glasper
inverted, diverted and otherwise maneuvered shortfragments of the theme, linking them in twisting, turning
chains. The tune ended with an unusual outro vamp,
part mariachi, part lopsided polka. He started the second
piece (which turned out to be Victor Young’s “Stella byStarlight”) alone again, following then diverging fromthe melody with idiosyncratic reharmonizations, someprovoking an audible crowd response. For improvised
sections he used a move that might have been gleaned
from hip-hop production: ‘sampling’ then looping fourmeasures of the song’s original chord changes. The thirdand final number of the set was a 12-bar blues featuring
guest trumpeter Kenyatta Beasley, who brought a hefty
dollop of hard bop to the proceedings. After the concert,
the trio came out front to answer questions about music
and life. One young girl with a booming voice asked
Glasper what one thing he’d bring to a desert island.
“Food?” he mused after a short reflection, explaining: “I
don’t know how to fish.”(TG)

4 December 2023 | THE NEW YORK CITY JAZZ RECORD

Village Vanguard (Nov. 1), on the second night of theirweek-long residency, saw the drummer somewhat takea back seat, offering mostly solid assertive support to
Aaron Diehl (piano) and Harish Raghavan (bass). Whatbecame immediately clear was the synergy among theplayers. Cerebral, yet inspired, each was confident in
his own ability to flow in and out of dynamic personal
improvisations while maintaining a pleasing unity ofsound. “Autumn Leaves” (Joseph Kosma) began theset with Diehl playing a slow piano meditation before
opening up with multiple glissandi and an outpouringof creative ideas, such as riffs suggesting leaves fallingfrom tree to earth. Raghavan’s inspired time-keeping
shifted forward and back, creating dynamic changes inmood with harmonic articulation. The tune’s well-known
melody line was largely obscured throughout, with hints
briefly emerging—but amazingly, there was no doubt
about the song’s identity. On Wayne Shorter’s “Remote
Control” (originally from Phantom Navigator, 1987), Sorey
started with a soundscape of slaps, thuds, sticks, rolls
and other aural devices, as Diehl and Raghavan added
depth from their respective toolkits, building to a unified
conclusion as the piece reached its final note. The set
closed with Ahmad Jamal’s “Seleritus”, where repetitivephrasing and tempo changes built up to a climax ofwailing cymbals before reaching a satisfyingly mellow
conclusion, capping a set of outstanding improvisational
artistry.
(ML)

Arts

Family, friends, fellow musicians and music industry
associates filled Jazz at Lincoln Center’s Appel Roomto honor the life and legacy of Ahmad Jamal, the iconic
National Endowment for the Arts Jazz Master pianistcomposer who passed away on Apr. 16 of this year. The
Saturday afternoon (Nov. 4) event, which stretched overfour hours, featured guest speakers who traced in detail
Jamal’s storied life, from his upbringing as a child prodigy
growing up in Pittsburgh, to his move to Chicago. It
was there he recorded Live at the Pershing featuring theclassic rendition of “Poinciana” that launched him into
international stardom. All while photographs and videosof Jamal were projected on a big screen above the stage
overlooking Central Park South, the imam of the mosque
Jamal attended spoke of his devotion to the Islamicfaith, and impresario Todd Barkan, record producer
Zev Feldman and agent Maurice Montoya each told of
their fruitful business and personal relationships withthe pianist. The musical portion of the program beganwith Yoko Miwa (piano), Calvin Keys (guitar) and Peter
Washington (bass) playing Jamal’s Three Strings grouparrangement of “Love for Sale”. The two-tenor quintetof George Coleman and Ned Otter with Michael Weiss(piano), James Cammack (bass) and Aaron Seeber(drums) played a stirring “My Foolish Heart” and swung
on “But Not for Me”. Pianist Monty Alexander, withCammack and Herlin Riley (drums), closed the eventwith his original “You Can See” (recorded by Jamal on In
Search of Momentum two decades ago).
— Russ Musto

PHOTO BY MAX BLEASEPHOTO BY CAROLINE CONEJERO

for Art kicked off its annual three-day
interdisciplinary “Piano and Poets” series at Clemente
Soto Vélez Cultural Center (Nov. 9) with pianists
Angelica Sanchez and Cooper-Moore, and the dance–
viola–poetry trio of Miriam Parker, Joanna Mattrey and
NoLand. In line with its identity as an organization for
free jazz, the pianists came in with no sheet music or set
lists. Sanchez played solo for nearly an hour, sometimes
standing up to tap the piano strings with various mallets.
Her set was replete with movements, like a score, creatinga shape and ushering us on a journey. Cooper-Moore
displayed his characteristic exuberance, oscillating
between moments of blues and piano-pounding rancor.
He dedicated his performance to the Mississippi blues
guitarist and singer R. L. Boyce, whose death wasannounced earlier that day. The aforementioned trio
dreamed up an intriguing set. Mattrey at various points
treated her viola like a cello, held upside down in her lap,
then like a drum, slapping the bow across the strings.
Parker, a dancer and performance artist, was focused on
movement, embracing a large bundle of “something” asshe moved across the floor, but also on sound: the object
was mic’d, picking up every breath and brush of her
hands against it. At one point, she poured a bag of small,powdery beads onto the floor, adding another sonictexture. Each artist across the evening seemed at home inexperimentation, in a space of genuine creation. It was awelcoming environment for an audience, no matter theirplace on the avant garde spectrum.
— Kyla Marshell

Angelica Sanchez @Clemente Soto Vélez Cultural Center

Calvin Keys, Peter Washington, Yoko Miwa @Appel RoomH e may be better known as the son to Nat and nephew
to Cannonball—in fact, that’s how he was introduced—
but pianist and arranger Nat Adderley, Jr. is animpressive musician in his own right. His quartet set
at Sistas’ Place (Nov. 4) was a real demonstration of
his range and legacy, not just in terms of his family,
but as the composer and arranger of some of soul andR&B singer Luther Vandross’ best and most affecting
work. He showed us this range by opening with
Wayne Shorter’s “Yes or No”, then segueing into histake on the title track from Cannonball’s Fiddler on the
Roof. Another standout: his arrangement of “People
Make the World Go Round” (Thom Bell, Linda Creed),which alternated between swing and a kind of hip-hop
vamp, with extended flute breaks by Mike Lee (whoalso played tenor). Knowing the audience would be
expecting it, Adderley promised he would, “Play some
Luther,” and that he did, with “Superstar” (Bonnie
Bramlett and Leon Russell), which he called his “first
big arrangement” for Vandross. But instead of trying
to “do Luther,” Adderley had a whole new angle on
the tune: a lyrical piano intro, followed by an up-tempo
bossa nova, a reversal of his original move, when heturned The Carpenters’ famous version into a ballad.
It was familiar yet inventive: great traits to employ
as an arranger. Nat Adderley, Jr. is the producer andproduct of a multitude of legendary music-makers,
and he wore that badge, earned over five decades ofmusicianship, with pride.
(KM)

F êting Tito Puente in this year of his centennial, theMambo Legends Orchestra brought a host of guests into
Hostos Center for the Arts & Culture (Nov. 11) to playmusic by the legendary timbalero-vibraphonist. The
concert got started when the orchestra, led by Puente
band alumni José Madera (timbales), Johnny “Dandy”
Rodriguez (bongo) and Mitch Frohman (saxophone
and flute), was joined by vibraphonist Ronnie Puente
to play “Mambo Diablo”; baritone saxophonist Pete
Miranda blew a roaring solo. Next, guest sonero Jeremy
Bosch came out to sing the beautiful bolero “La Gloria
Eres Tú”. Guest Louis Bauzo played conga with George
Delgado on the percussion-fueled tour de force ”Elegua
Chango”. Bosch returned on flute to trade choruses
with Frohman on the easy grooving cha-cha “Que SeráMi China”, then sang lead out front of the orchestra
on a fiery “New Guaguanco” and spry “Caimitillo yMarañon”. Singer Yolanda Duke closed out the show’s
first half, recalling the exciting sound of La Lupe with afervent “Que Te Pedi” and a wildly swinging “Oriente”.
Second half highlights included Bosch on “Rumba En
El Patio”, Carlos Henriquez’ solo on “More Bass” andguest vocalist Lucretia’s medley of songs originallysung by Celia Cruz with Puente. The obligatory
rendering of “Oye Como Va” got the crowd fired up,
dancing and singing; they were further energized byTito Puente Jr.’s exciting timbale exchanges with guest
Jimmy Delgado on “Ran Kan Kan”. All participants
returned for the encore, “Abaniquito”.
(RM)

W H AT ’ S N E W S
The GRAMMY nominations were recently announced forthe awards ceremony taking place next year (Feb. 4). Oneof three new music categories debuting for the upcoming
GRAMMYs includes “Best Alternative Jazz Album”, forwhich the nominees are: Love in Exile (Arooj Aftab/Vijay
Iyer/Shahzad Ismaily), Louis Cole, Kurt Elling/Charlie
Hunter SuperBlue, Cory Henry, Meshell Ndegeocello. Jon
Batiste appears in five categories: “Record Of The Year”,“Album of The Year“, “Song Of The Year”, “Best American
Roots Performance” and “Best Jazz Performance”. Others
for “Best Jazz Performance”: Lakecia Benjamin, Adam
Blackstone featuring The Baylor Project and Russell
Feranté, Fred Hersch & Esperanza Spalding, Samara Joy.
For “Best Jazz Vocal Album”: Patti Austin featuring Gordon
Goodwin’s Big Phat Band, Fred Hersch & Esperanza
Spalding, Gretchen Parlato & Lionel Loueke, Cécile
McLorin Salvant, Nicole Zuraitis. “Best Jazz Instrumental
Album”: Kenny Barron, Lakecia Benjamin, Adam
Blackstone, Billy Childs, Pat Metheny. “Best Large
Ensemble Record”: ADDA Simfònica/Josep Vicent/Emilio
Solla, Darcy James Argue’s Secret Society, Count Basie
Orchestra, Vince Mendoza & Metropole Orkest, Mingus Big
Band. “Best Latin Jazz Album”: Eliane Elias, Ivan Lins with
the Tblisi Symphony Orchestra, Bobby Sanabria Multiverse
Big Band, Luciana Souza & Trio Corrente, Miguel Zenón &Luis Perdomo. “Best Contemporary Instrumental Album”:
Béla Fleck/Zakir Hussain/Edgar Meyer, Bob James, JulianLage, Ben Wendel. “Best R&B Performance”: Robert
Glasper. “Best Global Music Performance”: Love in Exile(Arooj Aftab/Vijay Iyer/Shahzad Ismaily), Béla Fleck/Edgar
Meyer/Zakir Hussain, Ibrahim Maalouf featuring Cimafunk& Tank and The Bangas. “Best Global Music Album”:
Shakti. “Best Album Notes”: Ashley Kahn (for Evenings at
the Village Gate by John Coltrane with Eric Dolphy). “BestHistorical Album”: The Moaninest Moan of Them All—The
Jazz Saxophone of Loren McMurray, 1920-1922. “BestInstrumental Composition”: Lakecia Benjamin, Gordon
Goodwin & Raymond Scott, Edgar Meyer. “Best
Arrangement”: Hilario Duran. “Best Arrangement,
Instrument and Vocals”: Gordon Goodwin with Patti Austin,
John Beasley with Maria Mendes, Godwin Louis with
Cécile McLorin Salvant, säje featuring Jacob Collier,Kendric McCallister with Samara Joy. “Best ClassicalCompendium”: Aaron Diehl Trio & The Knights. For more
info visit grammy.com.
Jazz Congress 2024 registration is open. Hosted by Jazzat Lincoln Center (Jan. 11), the annual Jazz Congress
conference (which took a two-year hiatus due to thepandemic) will bring together the jazz community of media
professionals, industry leaders, musicians and others. On
the schedule: panels on jazz, gender and justice and AI. A
Celebration of Wayne Shorter keynote address hosted by
Shorter biographer Michelle Mercer also includes many
Shorter collaborators and colleagues. Vocalist Dee Dee
Bridgewater will receive the Bruce Lundvall Visionary
Award. For more info visit jazzcongress.org.
The APAP|NYC Global Performing Arts Conference (Jan.
12-16) registration deadline is Jan. 5. APAP (Association of
Performing Arts Professionals) is the world’s premiergathering of the performing arts presenting, booking andtouring industry and will take place at the New York
Hilton Midtown, and will also feature concerts andpresentations throughout the city. Take advantage ofprofessional development, networking opportunities, artist
discovery sessions and live showcases, etc. For more info
visit apap365.org/conference.
Well-known Canadian rapper Drake sampled U.K. jazz
vocalist Norma Winstone for his “IDGAF”, which hasreportedly already accrued 120 million+ Spotify streams.
Winstone’s “The Tunnel”, which opens the Drake track,
originally appeared on the eponymously-titled album by thetrio Azimuth (ECM, 1977), with Kenny Wheeler (trumpet),
Winstone’s then-husband John Taylor (piano) and the nowoctogenarian singer herself. For more info visit
normawinstone.com.

THE NEW YORK CITY JAZZ RECORD | December 2023 5

PHOTO COURTESY OF ARTISTI NTERVIEWGREGORY
HUTCHINSON
know your worth
BY RUSS MUSTO

I n a career spanning five decades, versatile NYC native,
drummer Gregory Hutchinson, has made an impressive
name for himself touring the world with many of themusic’s greatest artists, including Betty Carter, Joe
Henderson, Ray Brown and Roy Hargrove. Possessing a
distinctive sense of swing that sets him apart from manyother players of his generation, he can hit as hard as anyone
on the scene yesterday or today, but it is the tastefulnessof his rhythms and sophisticated sense of space that has
garnered him a reputation as the quintessential sideman.
Speaking from his current home in Italy, he shared someof the lessons culled from his wealth of experience.
The New York City Jazz Record: You are Brooklynborn.
Gregory Hutchinson: Yes. Born in Brooklyn, New
York, June 16, 1970. My mom and dad are from
Trinidad. I went to high school at Erasmus Hall Highin Brooklyn and started playing drums really at theage of three. But professionally, I’d say probably 16
or 17.
TNYCJR: What were some of your early gigs? The
first time I saw you, you were playing a Jazzmobile
concert with saxophonist Bill Saxton. I remember
before the music started, Bill told me, “You gotta
hear this young drummer I got with me!”Hutchinson: Yeah. That was one of the first ones,
with Bill, Enos Payne and Paul West. I came up
playing jam sessions with the great (alto saxophonist)
Clarence “C” Sharpe at University of the Streets.
TNYCJR: Are you self-taught? Or who were yourteachers?
Hutchinson: My first teacher at the Brooklyn
Conservatory of Music was Wade Barnes, rest inpeace. And then my next teacher was next-door
neighbor Marvin “Smitty” Smith. And then Kenny
Washington. But then also, you know, just being in
New York, hanging out at Bradley’s.
TNYCJR: That was when you were young, when
you were a teenager, or after you were playing
professionally?
Hutchinson: When I was young, a teenager. Kennyand “Smitty” were my teachers right through highschool, as well as Justin DiCioccio, who was reallyinfluential in my career and helped me out with manythings. Louis Hayes, “Tain” Watts, all the guys in
New York: Blakey, A.T. [Art Taylor], Al Harewood,
Vernel Fournier… you know, everybody that wasthere, Elvin [Jones], Tony [Williams] when theycame through. I hope I’m not leaving anyone out.
That was “camp”. Whenever people came to town,
I’d be sitting right there in the Village Vanguard,

right in the drummers’ row, what we call right by
the drums!
TNYCJR: Was your first internationally-renowned
gig with Betty Carter?
Hutchinson: No. Before that I was with [trumpeter]
Red Rodney.
TNYCJR: Oh, right. Who was in the band when you
were with Red?
Hutchinson: It was pianist Gary Dial, bassist Jay
Anderson, saxophonist Dick Oatts and Red, of course.
TNYCJR: And that was deeply in the bebop tradition.
Hutchinson: Oh yeah. Though sometimes we would
play some snake-charming music, as Red would callit. I did that for about a year and a half, almost two
years… I got that gig through going to the Manhattan
School of Music. I was in a big band with Dial andOatts. The cats knew me from playing sessions in
New York and Gary recommended me, and that’s all
it took.
TNYCJR: And then along came Betty (Carter)… Talk
about what you learned playing with her. She wasquite the taskmaster.
Hutchinson: Yes, after that I went with Betty.
Betty was exactly that, some taskmaster but also a
perfectionist. She taught me how to be consistenton the road. Nothing matters, [whatever] happens
the whole day, the only thing that matters is when
you get to the stage and how you perform. Because
people pay to see and hear you; they don’t care about
any of your problems… She was about consistency,
about being new. She didn’t want anything old. She
told me as much on the first day of rehearsals. I was
playing my Max [Roach] and my Philly [Joe Jones]
stuff and Blakey, and she basically said, I don’t want
to hear that shit, that’s old. “I played with those guys
already. I don’t want to hear that. Who are you?”
And that was the first time I ever I started to justthink, like, who am I going to be in this music? So I
owe her a lot of credit for that. Thank you, Betty.
TNYCJR: You were there for 2-3 years? Who was in
the band with you?
Hutchinson: In the band when I joined, it was Marc
Cary (piano) and Tarus Mateen (bass). Then when
Tarus left, Dwayne Burno came in. After Marc left,
Peter Martin came in, though Marc came back for alittle bit, and then Cyrus Chestnut came, but I wasgone by the time Cyrus really came into the band.

6 December 2023 | THE NEW YORK CITY JAZZ RECORD(CONTINUED ON PAGE 38)

 NOVEMBER 28TH - DECEMBER 3RD 

MARK TURNER QUARTETJASON PALMER - JOE MARTIN - JONATHAN PINSON
 DECEMBER 5TH - DECEMBER 10TH 

CHRISTIAN MCBRIDE
Remembering Ray Brown

BENNY GREEN - GREGORY HUTCHINSON
 DECEMBER 12TH - DECEMBER 17TH 

CHRISTIAN MCBRIDE &Inside Straight

STEVE WILSON - WARREN WOLF - PETER MARTIN - CARL ALLEN
 DECEMBER 19TH - DECEMBER 24TH 

KENNY BARRON QUINTETIMMANUEL WILKINS - STEVE NELSON KIYOSHI KITAGAWA - JOHNATHAN BLAKEDECEMBER 26TH - DECEMBER 31STKENNY BARRON QUINTETMIKE RODRIGUEZ - DAYNA STEPHENS KIYOSHI KITAGAWA - JOHNATHAN BLAKE

COMING IN JANUARY CHRIS POTTER  KRIS DAVIS  FRED HERSCH  ETHAN IVERSON  VIJAY IYER MONDAY NIGHTS ARE RESERVED FOR

THE VANGUARD JAZZ ORCHESTRA

PHOTO BY ROB LOWELL

ARTIST F EATURE

What is it about the wintertime and jazz that pair so
effortlessly well? New Yorkers, emerging from various
underground establishments, scurry from club to club,coats pulled tightly over, hats drawn down, seeking respitefrom the biting cold, warmed by the music and spirits.
This quintessential New York scene, deeply felt by
all music-hungry nocturnals, is the backdrop for reedplayer Jeff Lederer’s twelve-year-long holiday concert
series with Matt Wilson’s Christmas Tree-O. Formerly
held at The Jazz Standard (which closed in 2020), it now
tours across the country each December, making its NYC
appearance at Dizzy’s Club this month. Far from Christmas
commercialism, the Tree-O, rounded out by bassist Paul
Sikivie, swings the lexicon of holiday carols and spiritualswith Yuletide merriment, without sacrificing the sacredsensation that permeates a song like “O Come, O Come,
Emmanuel”. Even when adorned in Christmas sweaters
and reindeer ears, gesticulating on a stage decked out inartificial Christmas trees, they leave the audience feeling
positively holy.
This is just one of the many projects and ensembles
in which Lederer is involved. He’s a musician with aninsatiable musical appetite, which allows him to straddle
a huge spectrum of jazz. Equally at home in the free
tradition of Albert Ayler, or the minimalism of Morton
Feldman, or as an adept player of Latin music, Lederer’s
abilities on reeds and as a composer cannot be neatly
categorized.
It’s not all sleigh rides and snowmen this time of year
for Lederer, who released two mind-bending albums in
October. “If I have one redeeming quality,” Lederer wrote
in a 2020 essay, “it is that I will follow the thread of curiosity
doggedly.” The proof is in these two albums. The first,
Schoenberg on the Beach, is a jazz song cycle reimagining
works of Arnold Schoenberg and Anton Webern for an
ensemble of cello, vibraphone, bass, reeds, electronics
and vocals. Each is set to the anguished writings of Rilke,
Goethe and Nietzsche. Vocalist Mary LaRose matches theintensity of the sweeping words above the ensemble’s
hard-driving, spiraling sound. Haunting soundscapes
created by turntablist ArturEyE introduce the pieces withfound seaside sounds from Coney Island, a particularly
sentimental part of NYC for Lederer. In Schoenberg on the
Beach, the Viennese art song has moved from the parlorsof the storied capital to the fairgrounds of Coney Island.
But if that all sounds too heady, and the thrashingexistentialism of tortured poets and philosophers just
isn’t what you’re looking for on a Friday night, Ledereralso has an ensemble called Swing n’ Dix that provides araucous jamboree of danceable swing tunes. It’s anothercollaboration with drummer Matt Wilson, and theensemble features Kirk Knuffke (cornet) and veteran Bob
Stewart (tuba). Even Swing n’ Dix, though, is sincere in its
silliness. Each of the saxophonist’s projects demonstrates aunique part of his voice: intellectual, improvisatory, evencomedic. “He is able to insert his very singular personality
into any kind of musical setting,” noted trombonist Joe
Fiedler, a close collaborator. “Even gifted improvisers
have their bag that they do, and they either put it in low

JEFF
LEDERERa window into improvisationof the more silly things we do, and those are the momentsthat I really love.”
For more info visit littleimusic.com. Lederer is at Dizzy’s Club
with Matt Wilson’s Christmas Tree-O Dec. 12. See Calendar.
Recommended Listening:• Matt Wilson Quartet—Humidity (Palmetto, 2002)• Matt Wilson’s Christmas Tree-O—s/t (Palmetto, 2010)• Jeff Lederer—Swing n’ Dix (Little (i) Music, 2012)• Honey Ear Trio—Swivel (Little (i) Music, 2014)• Jeff Cosgrove/John Medeski/Jeff Lederer—
History Gets Ahead of the Story (Grizzley Music, 2018)• Jeff Lederer Sun Watcher—Eightfold Path
(Little (i) Music, 2020)

BY TRISTAN GEARY
gear or high gear, but Jeff is thinking on another plane.
He’s thinking about the entire shape of a musical piece inreal time.”
Lederer’s own comments confirm this observation.
“I’m always looking for a window into improvisation,”
he said, and his recent appearance on Jeff Cosgrove’s
Welcome Home spotlights his fearless improvising on
tenor saxophone. The track “No Booze Blues” sees him
confident in spacious simplicity, taking his improvisations
into curiouser and curiouser realms, pushing the tenor
into ultra altissimo, finally returning faithfully back to theblues.
If Schoenberg on the Beach is a maximalist explosionof words and improvisation, Lederer’s other recent
album, Balls of Simplicity, achieves its intensity throughrestraint—an airiness that conveys a soaring freedom.
It’s astonishing to think that both albums, one an ode to
the “youthful romanticism” of Schoenberg injected withimprovisation, the other a breathy, through-composedmusing inspired by Shakerism (more on that later), werecreated by the same artist.
“I was making a point in releasing these both on
the same day. The musical language couldn’t be moredifferent,” noted Lederer. Balls of Simplicity is a summationof 35 years of his notated music previously kept behindclosed doors, finally realized by the Morningside Tone
Collective. “If [people] have any impression of me, it’s
as a noisy jazz tenor player. But to me, Balls of Simplicity
sounds as much my voice as when I’m playing more edgy
improvised music.”
It’s clear that Lederer’s array of extramusical interests
inspire his creations. In Schoenberg on the Beach, he is abedfellow of a range of deep thinkers. In Balls of Simplicity
his inspiration comes from his fascination with religion,
specifically a sect of Christianity called the Shakers. Now
all but extinct, the Shakers were lauded for their simple
living, egalitarianism and ecstatic worship. “The shinyballs of simplicity will set you free” goes a Shaker saying,
and thus the name and ethos of the album were born. The
music on it, like the Shaker way of life, is simple but rich,airy yet expansive and, most importantly, endows puresound with spiritual significance. Lederer’s label itself iscalled Little (i) Music, another point of Shaker inspiration.
“It’s a phrase of humility that comes from a [Shaker] song
lyric,” he explained, a statement of the Shaker belief in
the abandonment of ego, of surrendering power. In thatvein, both album covers feature images with personnel
turned away, underscoring their gravitas and yielding to
the wisdom of the world.
From Goethe to Shakerism to Winter Wonderland,
Lederer’s albums and ensembles are propelled into
existence based on the pursuit of spiritual depth, ecstatic
improvisation and freewheeling raucousness withequal earnestness. If you catch him with the Christmas
Tree-O this month at Dizzy’s Club, while overlooking
that hallowed New York vista, you will hear music thatflows effortlessly from foot-stomping to belly laughs tosomething sanctified and holy. That’s the highlight for
Lederer, too: “Sacred song[s] come seamlessly out of some

THE NEW YORK CITY JAZZ RECORD | December 2023 7

PHOTO BY CAROLINE CONEJERO

ON THE COVER

by john sharpe
One of the pivotal events in reedman Marty Ehrlich’s life
occurred when he was still a teenager. He was alreadyplaying clarinet in the St. Louis Youth Orchestra whena weekend arts program turned his head completely.
Though he was there for the poetry, the poets discoveredthat he also played saxophone and flute, and encouraged
him to improvise accompaniments to their readings. Thischance encounter led to meeting Jim Marshall, founding
member of the Human Arts Ensemble, and through him
members of the seminal Black Artists Group, including
drummer Charles Bobo Shaw and theater director
Malinké Elliott. Ehrlich recalls: “When I make the jump,
I jump all the way. Not to jazz in general. It was the
new jazz that grabbed me, hearing Coltrane, hearing
Dolphy on bass clarinet, hearing Ornette, hearing the
Art Ensemble [of Chicago], hearing Anthony Braxton’ssolo alto record, hearing Dogon A.D. on the radio. And
I jump[ed] a hundred percent into playing with Jim
Marshall.” At age 17, that led to an appearance andco-arranger credits on the HAE’s Under the Sun album,
alongside Oliver Lake, Lester Bowie, J.D. Parran (alifelong friend and collaborator since) and others.
Having made the transition to jazz, Ehrlich enrolled
at the New England Conservatory, where his teachers
included George Russell, Jaki Byard and Ran Blake.
Although he was familiar with the wider tradition of jazzand African American music, it was not what drove him.
“Without question, the innovations of the AACM andBlack Artists Group [BAG] shaped my creative focus andmy artistic goals. It was people like Malinké and Julius[Hemphill] who said to me, listen, you’ve got a good feelfor this, but to play this music, you have to know thehistory. Then Malinké would say, don’t throw classicalmusic out the window. You’ve played classical music, andyou’re Jewish. What is your Jewish musical background?
They were inclusive.” Ehrlich took those words to heart,and his music has subsequently privileged the lyrical as
much as the experimental.
Moving to New York City after graduation, hejoined Russell’s Living Time Orchestra, appearing at
the Village Vanguard, and then reconnected with Shawand trombonist Joe Bowie from BAG, who were living
in LaMama Studio on the Lower East Side at the time.
It was there that he got another big break, being invited
to join Anthony Braxton’s Creative Music Orchestra for
a European tour. “It’s where I begin to meet the AACM
people. I meet Wadada [Leo Smith], who recommends me
to Leroy Jenkins, who recommends me to Muhal Richard
Abrams. After that Braxton tour, I begin to work in New
York City with the Chicago musicians, all of whom aredoing big bands or octets.” Ehrlich also worked in small
groups with Jenkins, Hemphill, Jack DeJohnette andothers, while taking his own first steps as a leader.
One of his earliest groups was what became his
Traveler’s Tales quartet. College buddy Stan Strickland(and later Tony Malaby) shared the front line, and there
has been a changing roster of bassists and drummers. It
was here that Ehrlich began to develop his compositional
voice. “I’m beginning to do my sort of pan-stylistic
looking, using traditional forms, using open forms, ina sense following the Jaki Byard/George Russell/Julius

Hemphill playbook. Find what you need to express,
use the materials, don’t censor them as, ‘oh, that’s too
traditional, that’s too avant garde, that doesn’t haveenough improv,’ whatever. And I’m getting an audience
for it.” Having largely put his clarinet to one side after
his teen years, he began to incorporate it back into hismusic again, with a clarinet/cello/bass trio he named
the Dark Woods Ensemble. Ehrlich explains: “The title’s
taken from [Spanish poet Federico García] Lorca, where
he says that everything that has duende (elfin or goblinlike) dark sounds. So it is an ensemble that I begin towrite for to really get into this sound. You could call it
the wood sound.”While these two units provided the main outlets forhis writing for many years, the reedman also exploredother avenues, including duets with pianists Myra
Melford, Mike Nock and Muhal. At the other extreme, hebecame involved with Wayne Horvitz, Robin Holcomb
and Bobby Previte in the New York Composers Orchestra,and recorded two large ensemble albums, The Long View
and A Trumpet in the Morning. But whatever the scale,
improvisation has always loomed large for Ehrlich. “Theoverwhelming majority of my composing is creating
compositional contexts that always involve some amountof improvisation in their realization, using any number ofstrategies, even just small amounts. My passion is to write
for this wonderful community of improvisers.” Trombonist
Ray Anderson, a colleague since the Braxton Orchestra
days, offers his own appreciation: “Marty Ehrlich is thewhole package—encyclopedic knowledge of the AfricanAmerican musical culture that jazz is based on, as well as
the European music that is interwoven with it. He has his
own creative voice, can play all the saxophones, clarinets
and flutes superbly and is a powerful composer of works
for large and small ensembles.”Ehrlich also took on a production role for New World
Records, appearing on, leading or producing some 15
albums in the CounterCurrents series in the early ’90s.
New connections ensued and he became part of the John
Carter Octet and Andrew Hill Sextet. Indeed, Ehrlich
was the first person Hemphill rang when he formed his
all-reed Julius Hemphill Sextet after he left the World
Saxophone Quartet. One of the most significant figures in
Ehrlich’s career, Hemphill became a close friend as wellas an employer. Later, Ehrlich stepped in at various points
when illness meant Hemphill was unable to perform, andhe led the Sextet after the reedman’s death in 1995.
That history made him the ideal person to establish
the Hemphill Archive at NYU, a role he took on in2018 in conjunction with Hemphill’s Artistic Executor,
pianist Ursula Oppens. Over three years he catalogued
250 compositions and 180 archival documents andrecordings, as well as personal papers, all of which
are available online in an archive which is now seenas the gold standard. Ehrlich found the experience
tremendously rewarding: “It’s a love thing and it’s also
because I happen to think this music is really worth it.
There’s amazing discoveries. And I start talking. And
I’m just met by such warmth. His community was mycommunity.” Just after he had finished his 280-pagebook documenting the archive, New World Records

8 December 2023 | THE NEW YORK CITY JAZZ RECORD

got in touch saying they had a grant for a project which
had fallen through and were looking for a proposal. The
upshot was that Ehrlich spent the next year curating The
Boyé Multi-National Crusade for Harmony, a stupendous
seven-CD boxed set of unissued material that revealed
the enormous breadth of Hemphill’s work.
Since completing the Archive and since COVID-19,
he has turned his attention back to his own work. A
new six-piece group will debut at Roulette this month.
Ehrlich explains, “I’ve called the concert Dark Woods/
Bright Sparks. Both titles and words I’ve used in thepast, but this is not a retrospective concert. I’ve put
together an ensemble that affords me a really large
range of directions. I’m looking to make a soundscapethat incorporates all these players, [bassoonist] Sara
Schoenbeck, [trumpeter] Ron Horton, [bassist] Matt
Pavolka, [cellist] Erik Friedlander, [percussionist]
Satoshi Takeishi, and poet Erica Hunt. All will have an
improvisational role—solo, duo, collective. I’ve always
heard this moving through time, with a slow beatunderneath whatever happens on top. What’s on top
might be extremely vigorous and extroverted, but there’s
still this sort of heartbeat underneath it. And I invite
people in. To me the excitement of collective improvised
music is the dialectic with the audience. You don’t go to
it to hear the finished, perfect piece. You are there to bepart [of it]. You play a role in listening, in the realizationon this evening of the complete expression.”
It’s been a busy and rewarding Fall for Ehrlich. He
is resuming his role in pianist Anthony Davis’ Episteme
group, which will be playing in the Metropolitan Opera’s
remounting of X, Davis’ opera based on the life of
Malcolm X. “I play a certain amount of composed parts,
some lead melodies, some within sections. I have maybe
seven short improvisational moments that often serve theaction on stage in different ways.” He is also taking on
the role of Interim Director of Jazz Studies at Stony Brook
University following Anderson’s retirement. And thenthere are more plans as yet unfinalized for other groups.
But it is all part of a continuum for Ehrlich: “My roots
and my passions are in this place where improvisationand notation combust, and in the powers of collective
improvisation. It’s what I started doing with the Human
Arts Ensemble when I was 16, and I’m still doing it. To
me, it is the revolutionary force.”
For more info visit martyehrlich.com. Ehrlich’s Dark Woods/
Bright Sparks is at Roulette Dec. 10. Ehrlich also plays at The
Stone with Wayne Horvitz’ New Music for Electronics andMixed Ensemble Dec. 1 and with Michael Bates’ Acrobat at
Owl Music Parlor Dec. 22. See Calendar.
Recommended Listening:• Marty Ehrlich—The Welcome (Sound Aspects, 1984)• Julius Hemphill Sextet—Fat Man and The Hard Blues(Black Saint, 1991)• Marty Ehrlich’s Dark Woods Ensemble—
Just Before The Dawn (New World, 1995)• Andrew Hill—Dusk (Palmetto, 1999)• Marty Ehrlich—Fables (Tzadik, 2010)• Marty Ehrlich—Trio Exaltation (Clean Feed, 2017)

Thurman Barker, a charter member of the AACM, has collaborated with Joseph Jarman, Muhal Richard Abrams,
Amina Claudine Myers, Anthony Braxton, Leroy Jenkins, Roscoe Mitchell,
Henry Threadgill, plus Sam Rivers and Cecil Taylor.
A celebrated percussionist who has built his career oninnovation, the drummer/percussionist’s C.V. spans decades,from jazz and blues to contemporary, classical and beyond,with a sound blurring traditionally rigid lines.

“Barker has the rare ability to make thunder intimate. If
there is an art to playing softly with intensity, there is also
an art to playing loudly with restive ease and he’s got it.”

— Chicago Sun Times“Barker’s sound on traps is invitingly warm but filled withtension between an early buoyancy and a brooding, dark,
blues drenched undercurrent… emotional nuance withdisplaced accents, sometimes funky and sexy, sometimes
marching and proud.”— CODA Magazine“Barker is the AACM’s equivalent of Philly Joe Jones.”— The Village VoiceDr. Muhal Richard Abrams had a lifelong impact on mydevelopment as a musician. He mentored me from the ageof 16. Watching Muhal carry out his duties as a pianist,
conducting the Experimental Band, performing with him
and watching him carry the weight of President of the
AACM, gave me the strength to become the person I am
today. That is the IMPACT! he had on me as a musician.

— Thurman Barker

upteeproductions.com

PHOTO BY MATT BAKER PHOTOGRAPHY

ENCORESTEPHANIENAKASIAN

FROM WALL STREET TO SWING STREETBY KEN DRYDEN

Stephanie Nakasian has been singing jazz for decades,

but she didn’t plan it as a career despite showing an
early interest in music. The vocalist’s mother sang ina Washington night club in the ‘40s and in the USO
during the war. “I started tinkling at the piano at four
years old and my parents thought they should giveme lessons,” Nakasian says. Her parents sent her toJuilliard to study with a professor at eight and, by age
fourteen, the professor invited her to tour with him.
Her father was a businessman, and she worked at banks
starting in high school. She went to Northwestern
to study economics and business and earned her BA
and MBA in a combined five-year program. Though
Nakasian admits to loving economics, working as aninvestment banker on Wall Street just wasn’t fulfilling.
It was an introduction to her future husband’sfamily that ultimately changed her focus. “HodO’Brien’s sister and family lived in Charlottesville,
VA, where my parents retired to from Westchester. Hissister’s children knew my youngest sister. I met themand one said, ‘My uncle’s a jazz piano player,’ which I
thought was cool.” O’Brien (whose early records werewith trumpeters Art Farmer and Donald Byrd in thelate ‘50s) was playing at Gregory’s (in New York’s
Upper East Side) five nights a week for five years withguitarist Joe Puma and various bassists. As Nakasian
lived nearby, she went to see him with frequency and,as she says, “hit it off!” The pianist heard her sing andwas very impressed with her voice. She then decided
to take five years off to try being a jazz singer and she
hasn’t looked back since.
Her knowledge of jazz prior to meeting O’Brien(who died in 2016) was admittedly minimal. “I had
sung in choirs, but had no formal voice training.
I started singing and knew a lot of songs and had acertain sound that Hod liked and a natural sense ofrhythm.” The pianist thought she sounded like Ella
Fitzgerald, as she especially enjoyed swinging andimprovising. Says Nakasian, “Being with Hod was
the education: Hod was really laid back, he got me towhere I wasn’t pushing it, that I wasn’t too rock ’n rollor too Streisand. It was pretty easy to just sing.”
The vocalist admits to not being very academic
about choosing songs to perform or record. She andthe pianist were at the Deer Head Inn in the Delaware
Water Gap when drummer Bill Goodwin suggested
she record. She recalls him insisting, “You should
record now [and] Phil Woods would like to be on
your recording.” The result was her auspicious debut
recording (Comin’ Alive, 1988). Two years later, when
she was singing frequently in the Poconos with Frenchhorn player Bobby Routch, she would then record
her follow-up French Cookin’ with Routch, Nakasianemulating the sound of a French horn. Later when she
was doing courses on the Great American Songbook
and shows about great ladies of jazz, Nakasian put
together her album Thrush Hour, on which she goesfrom Bessie Smith to Blossom Dearie, revealing how
she approaches the music differently. But Nakasian’s
repertoire has changed over the years. She says, “I try
to do bebop, but it’s not in America’s conscious. I’ve
been singing ’60s and ’70s pop music with a swinging,
improvised feeling to it… making it fresh. That’s mychildhood music.”
Vocalist Veronica Swift, who has successfully
made quite the name for herself in recent years,
is Nakasian and O’Brien’s daughter. It may seem
destiny, but Nakasian admits, “The last thing any
musician would want is for their child to live the lifeof a musician.” Swift originally liked architecture andwas good in school, but she had a wild drive and was,as Swift once said in an interview, hooked on music
before she was born. She would write a song at three(which Nakasian and O’Brien recorded), and when she
was nine, she was already included in several of thecouple’s recordings. Swift’s debut recording under
her own name was at 10, with accompaniment by her
parents (and alto saxophonist Richie Cole). Says mom,“It’s been constantly surprising and delightful to watch
her creative process. It’s a lot more uninhibited thanmine, because I had blinders on to be a successful
businesswoman and didn’t understand my artistic sideat all. She got it from the beginning. To this day, shedoes the music she wants to do. She’s made a lot ofturns that have shocked people, but when you watch
her, she’s totally self-expressed. I learn from her in thatway.”Musicians who have worked with Nakasian have
only strong praise for her. Trumpeter Randy Sandke isall compliments: “Stephanie is a total professional anda joy to work with. She also has one of the broadest
repertoires of any singer I can think of. Whatever genre
she is doing, it always sounds great.” And drummer
Joe LaBarbera: “Stephanie is an outstanding singer who
knows her craft well. I recall the first time I played with
her and Hod and how impressed I was by her singing.
It’s clear where her daughter gets her talent, with two
incredible artists as parents.” Nakasian occasionallyspecial guests at her daughter’s concerts and vice versa,
so who knows what will happen on her Holiday Tour
this month, including a stop in NYC.

by abusive relatives and finally by an aunt in Harlem.
There, she attended the High School for Performing
Arts and earned a scholarship with the Katherine
Dunham Dance Company during her teenage years.
Touring with the company ignited a passion for travel
and languages, which would later become major
features of her cabaret act, first showcased in Paris. Castby Orson Welles in Dr. Faustus, she garnered his praiseas the “most exciting woman in the world,” a moniker
she embraced fully. Settling in New York, she graced
the stages of iconic Greenwich Village clubs such as theVillage Vanguard and the Bon Soir, becoming part of thevibrant community of nightclub misfits that included
Phyllis Diller, Woody Allen and Barbra Streisand.
In 1952, Kitt’s allure reached a new heightwith her role in the Broadway musical revue New
Faces of 1952. The persona presented with the song
“Monotonous” was that of a temptress yearning for
luxury, accompanied by numerous suitors capable ofproviding champagne, caviar and a life of opulence.
Her recordings from the Broadway show, including“C’est Si Bon”, the perennial favorite “Santa Baby” and“I Want to Be Evil” catapulted her to stardom. Notable

among her early albums is “That Bad Eartha” (1956),
wherein she showcased her multilingual prowess by
singing in Turkish, French, Spanish and more. By theend of her career, she spoke four languages and sangin eleven.
Eartha Kitt achieved rapid stardom, earning a
Hollywood star in 1960 while still in her thirties.
Recognized for her multifaceted talents as a singer,
actress and dancer, she also left an indelible mark as
Catwoman in the Batman television series (despite
appearing in only three episodes). Her unique ability tomock herself and have fun, evidenced in an interview
where she playfully climbed into the interviewer’slap, set her apart. Yet, few can claim to have irked
a president, as Kitt did with Lyndon B. Johnson in
1968, allegedly making comments to Lady Bird about
the Vietnam War that led to FBI surveillance andblacklisting in the U.S. After semi-exile, residing inEurope, she returned to the U.S., being celebrated at
the White House under President Jimmy Carter andperforming at Ronald Reagan’s inaugural ball. She
went on to star in the Broadway musical The Wild

For more info visit stephanienakasian.com. Nakasian is at
Chelsea Table + Stage Dec. 20. See Calendar.
Recommended Listening:• Stephanie Nakasian—Comin’ Alive(with Phil Woods) (V.S.O.P., 1988)• Stephanie Nakasian—French Cookin’(V.S.O.P., 1990)• Stephanie Nakasian—Invitation To An Escapade(Chase Music Group, 1998)• Stephanie Nakasian—Lullabye in Rhythm(A Tribute To June Christy) (V.S.O.P., 2001)• Stephanie Nakasian—If I Ruled The World(Inner City, 2010)• Stephanie Nakasian—Show Me The Way(To Get Out Of This World) (Capri, 2011)

PHOTO COURTESY OF UME MUSICLEST WE FORGET

EARTHA
KITTTHAT BAD EARTHA
BY MONIQUE NGOZI NRI

I t has been almost 15 years since Eartha Kitt’s passing
on Christmas Day 2008, just short of 82. A star ofstage, screen and song, she embodied the sultry sex
kitten persona; yet offstage, she grappled with thescars of her upbringing, as an abused and rejectedsharecropper’s daughter. These two personas, Eartha
Kitt and Eartha Mae, coexisted within her, shaping anarrative of complexity and resilience.
Eartha Kitt was born Jan. 17, 1927, in the town ofNorth, in South Carolina. Her mother abandoned her
at the age of eight, and later died under suspicious
circumstances; her father’s identity remained obscured
on her birth certificate. Kitt was subsequently raised

10 December 2023 | THE NEW YORK CITY JAZZ RECORD(CONTINUED ON PAGE 38)

L ABEL SPOTLIGHT

GOTTA LET IT OUT
ENTER THE WORLD OF WEIRDBY FRANZ MATZNER

F ounded in 2016 by Tomo Jacobson, Gotta Let It
Out (GLIO) is hard to pin down with its genre-freecatalogue—unless there is a genre of weird. Not in thecommon usage of strange, odd or off-kilter but, rather,
we’re talking about disconcerting, preternatural,
uncanny.
Rootedin
Copenhagen’s
thriving
international music scene, the label features a wide
range of experimentation and musical improvisationthat falls somewhere between jazz, electronica and theuntamed.
Asked about his central motivation for establishing
the label, Jacobson explained that it reflects his love ofdiscovering “something that I never even imagined.”
He emphasized that this “doesn’t mean it’s something
I’d want to listen to all the time,” but ultimately its
purpose is to be “an expander of human perception.”
From this perspective, GLIO hits the mark. What Is
Jazz sounds like Einstürzende Neubauten colliding
with a cement truck. Tisziji Muñoz’ sizzling guitar on
Spiritual Drum Kingship explodes into freneticism akin
to Jerry Garcia playing backwards. And the unnerving
noisescapes produced by trumpet innovator Timothée
Quost on Before Zero Crossing unfold as if he has tapped
into sound’s primordia.
The label originated with Jacobson’s desire to“strip the music-making process of everything thatgets in the way of doing it. So, we’d do everythingourselves… just make music and cast it into an object.”

Spiritual Drum Kingship
Bob Moses/Tisziji Muñoz/Kresten Osgood

Speaking to label artists, there is a clear consensus
that GLIO is a rare forum for unrestricted creativity
where ideas and explorations can be pursued bothindividually and via exchange within a circle ofcollaboration and community. In the words of drummer
Szymon Gąsiorek, “what makes it a special label
is acknowledging and supporting the spontaneous
creative gesture of artists—a necessity to share withthe world.” Violist Mat Maneri, who features on two
particularly inventive releases, concurs: “I yearned to
be in different areas of the structure… I found [that]the viola could navigate the rhythms and harmoniesof the music I was playing… [GLIO opened the doorto] unfettered ideas, [which] is so needed in today’s
world.”
Another hallmark of the label is the array ofunusual techniques utilized on its albums. A primeexample is Lake of Light: Compositions for AquaSonics
featuring veteran New York bassist William Parker andhis quartet. The AquaSonic is a more portable versionof the waterphone invented in the ’60s and is renowned
for its ability to create and manipulate a wide rangeof sound. On Lake of Light, all four quartet members
play the instrument. The result is an unending streamof sonic variations, from wails to gongs to dropletsof water falling on a taut drum, to whale song, deep
rumbles and dissonant screams. Parker explainedthat the draw of working with GLIO is “they are
homegrown with the musician’s interest at heart…
there is no contract: the music is the contract. The vibe
is beautiful… a beacon that attracts light.”
Another example of the label’s adventurousness is
Underwater Disco by Lo Arsare and Albert Karch, theduo behind NENNE. Solely comprising Ersare’s vocals

SPIRIT SPIRITTorben Snekkestad/Søren Kjærgaard/Tomo Jacobson

nullpluss
Kristian Tangvik

and Karch’s music production, the album manipulates
the human voice’s range, shaping it into a variety oflayers, floating and swerving with ethereal lightness.
Oneness and the Transcendent Truth, a solo album by
the Latvian saxophonist Kārlis Auziņš, plumbs themany techniques applied to the saxophone, including
an array of novel methods that produce everythingfrom bird calls to minimalist, prolonged murmurs to
distorted sibilation. Striking a common theme, Auziņš
again expressed admiration and gratitude to Jacobson,
stating, “I have released two conceptually rather
different solo albums on this label… (and) I wouldn’t
have done this without Tomo’s encouragement.”
In addition to managing the label, Jacobson also
appears on several releases, primarily playing bass,
but experimenting with more unusual elements likethe midi-ribbon. Most notable is his ability to adapt
to the significantly divergent musical structures fromone album to the next. For example, the (mostly)
minimalist, spectral Egin is an entirely different beast
from Warmbladder, which dives into layered percussive
dissonance created by Jonathan Leland (electric drums,
percussion), Ignacio Nacho Cordoba (electronics) andJacobson (midi-ribbon). The music throbs with energy
and erratic effects.
GLIO’s album sounds are also consistently matchedwith gorgeous and unique album art, including
paintings, photographs and drawings. Select releases
are additionally put out on lovely, well-produced
vinyl. In short, not only has the label facilitated aspace for free expression, it also has established a close
community of support and mutual respect. It is evident(CONTINUED ON PAGE 39)

Farm Fresh
Maria Faust/Tim Dahl/Weasel Walter

Lake of Light: Compositions for AquaSonics
William Parker

VOX NEWSRICHESBY SUZANNE LORGE
Pent-up demand? Rampant escapism? A sudden
groundswell of goodwill? For some reason, an
unprecedented number of thematic vocal jazz
performances and releases come to New York thisholiday season. Given the geo-cultural-politicalclimactic-financial upheavals that attended 2023,
perhaps we might just accept this downpour as a gift—
whatever its provenance.
Most of the songs on Gregory Porter’s first-everholiday album, Christmas Wish (Blue Note), speak ofpeace, hope, love—yardsticks by which we measure
the year at its closing. The record covers many winterclassics but the crossover composer has his own songs—
and point of view—to add to the holiday lexicon;
his three originals (“Christmas Wish”, “Heart for
Christmas”, “Everything’s Not Lost”) remind us of our
responsibilities toward others in our world, the message
wrapped in that generous, comforting baritone.
Porter invited 2023’s breakout jazz star Samara
Joy to join him on “What Are You Doing New Year’s
Eve?”, and Joy has her own seasonal debut, A Joyful
Holiday (Verve). Both Porter and Joy developed theirpowerhouse voices in the church, and gospel is never a

far remove from their work as jazz singers. Hear Porter’srousing exultations on the title cut or Joy’s choir-backed
praise on “O Holy Night”. The gospel singers on thelatter are Joy’s family—she’ll be touring the record withthem, with a stop at the Apollo (Dec. 14-15).
Family Guy creator Seth MacFarlane and singer/
actor Liz Gillies recall the flirty duets of Bing Crosby
and Rosemary Clooney on We Wish You the Merriest. No
surprise, perhaps, that several of the album’s tunes are
best known from animated Christmas specials (“Frosty
the Snowman”, “Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer”,“Holly Jolly Christmas”) or beloved seasonal movies(“Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas”, “Happy
Holiday”, “Here Comes Santa Claus”). Notably, these
popular films and TV shows were created in the
mid-20th century, when jazz was the lingua francaof orchestrators and soundtracks. Arranger Andrew
Cottee artfully captures this retro vibe on each of the
13 songs, framing MacFarlane’s happy crooning and
Gillies’ charming delivery with festive orchestrations.
With a categorically different take on holiday
classics, pianist/composer George Burton puts forth
The Yule Log (Porge)—nine stunning modern jazztreatments of both well- and lesser-known melodies.
Vocalists Nancy Harms and Aryssa Leigh Burrs shine
all the brighter for the chamber setting, but don’t be
misled: the groove and the bite are the main takeaways
here. Burton celebrates the album release at Dizzy’s
Club (Dec. 5).

Not every event this month relates to sleigh bells
and mistletoe. London-based American singer Stacey
Kent will introduce Summer Me, Winter Me (Naïve)at Birdland (Dec. 13-16); this multi-lingual collection
highlights tunes from some of our most romantic musicalstorytellers—Michel Legrand, Jacques Brel and Antonio
Carlos Jobim among them. As a follow-on to their 2019
duo debut, LP1, this month vocalist Theo Bleckmann
and electronic musician Joseph Branciforte self-release
LP2, a marvel of improvisation/composition, live
performance/studio recording and human/machinesounds. And Nicole Zuraitis, a 2024 Grammy nomineefor How Love Begins (Outside In Music), releases abundle of bonus tracks from those sessions with Caffeineand Affirmations (La Reserve) at Drom (Dec. 2).
Check this list twice: After Champian Fulton
plays Django (Dec. 12), she’ll present Christmas withChampian at Birdland (Dec. 21-25). Kat Edmonson, too,visits Birdland with Holiday Swingin’! (Dec. 14). At Blue
Note is Lauren Henderson’s Holiday Favorites and More
(Dec. 17). Stephanie Nakasian’s holiday tour takes her
to Chelsea Table + Stage (Dec. 20). At JALC, Ashley
Pezzotti fronts Wynton Marsalis’ JLCO in Big Band
Holidays (Dec. 13-17) and Tammy McCann headlines in
Merry Christmas Baby (Dec. 20). The Hot Sardines offer
Holiday Stomp & Midnight in Paris at Joe’s Pub (Dec. 31).
And singer/composer Anne Phillips’ perennial favorite,
Bending Towards the Light: A Jazz Nativity is at St. Paul &St. Andrew United Methodist Church (Dec. 18).

THE NEW YORK CITY JAZZ RECORD | December 2023 11

F ESTIVAL REPORTBRIC
JAZZFESTHenry Threadgill, Silke Eberhard @JazzFest Berlin

Now in its 60th edition, JazzFest Berlin (Nov. 2-5)
remains one of the premier events in the European
calendar. But rather than rest on its laurels, it combines
an adventurous outlook with an enviable breadththat encompasses practitioners from across the globe,
bringing together up-and-coming talent and venerable
performers in varied and stimulating bills. Given that 36
shows were packed into the festival’s four days—mostin the splendidly appointed Haus der Berlin Festspiele,
but some offsite in smaller clubs and other venues—it
was impossible to hear everything, necessitating somefiendish choices.
However, one unmissable concert was the keenly
anticipated collaboration between Henry Threadgill’s
Zooid and German saxophonist Silke Eberhard’s Potsa
Lotsa XL. The project had its genesis when Threadgill
viewed a livestream of Potsa Lotsa performing his
compositions in the 2020 lockdown edition of thefestival. Five days of rehearsals resulted in the premiereof “Simply Extreme Surfaces”, written by Threadgill
for the 15 members of the two bands. Like Zooid
writ large, the plethora of crisscrossing lines createda web of interaction, full of conflicting impulses,
often emotionally ambivalent, but also possessing
an inexorable rhythmic pulsation. Much of the hourlong piece showcased subsets of the participants andafforded diverse backdrops for individual statements.
Grabbing the ears were a passionate and tender tenor
sax excursion by Patrick Braun, a sanctified incantationfrom Threadgill on alto, and a showstopping clarinet
outburst from Jürgen Kupke—just some of the highlightsfrom a richly woven tapestry.
Similarly expansive, French pianist Eve Risser’s
dozen strong Red Desert Orchestra was anotherstandout. Risser conducted her multidimensionalband from the piano, often as much with her body as
her hands, in a wildly exciting brew that incorporated
abrupt gear switches between Arabic-sounding themes,
driving rhythms, horn chorales, scratchy improv andmore. Two balafons and a djembe drum alongside theregular trapset gave the orchestra a West African feel,
while Risser’s preparations in her piano accentuatedher naturally percussive style. Even among the fine
individual moments intricately embedded into thecharts, special guest Susana Santos Silva’s trumpet
solo dazzled until subsumed by the glorious anthemic
noise.
Susana Santos Silva also featured alongside
guitarist Fred Frith in the duo project that previously

BY KYLA MARSHELL

PHOTO BY ALAN NAHIGIAN

PHOTO BY JOHN SHARPE

BY JOHN SHARPE

Melanie Charles @BRIC JazzFest

JAREK SMIETANA JAZZGUITAR COMPETITION
BY THOMAS CONRADPHOTO BY HUBERT GAWLASJAZZFESTBERLIN‘

Marek Napiórkowski @Jarek Śmietana Jazz Guitar Competition

N ow in its ninth year, Brooklyn’s BRIC JazzFest at The main square of Kraków, Poland, is the largest
BRIC House presented a dynamic three-night, twostage event that also managed to feel like a giant party(Oct. 19-21). In honor of hip-hop’s 50th anniversary,
this year’s festival aimed to highlight artists working
across both genres. As with many jazz festivals today,
the music encompassed under the term “jazz” waswide-ranging, but, in this case, the term also felt
expansive and inclusive, a prism turned to reveal all its
many facets and colors.
One thing that makes BRIC JazzFest special is theinclusion of an Artist Curator, this year’s being singer
and flutist Melanie Charles. Her signature was evident
on every night of the three-day showcase—her varied
tastes and talent for mixing and matching artists, allwithout being overbearing. In an Artist Feature in the
October issue of this publication, she talked about
how having artists curate festivals influences a lineup
by including performers otherwise not on the radarof traditional presenters. “Sometimes cats that arereally doing killing things may not catch the attentionof people that are creating certain festivals. I guess
sometimes it’s hard to be tapped in.”Charles opened the festival in duo with pianist
Orrin Evans. Instead of simply stripping down the
tracks from Charles’ last record, Y’all Don’t (Really) Careabout Black Women, or doing vocal versions of his mostly
instrumental music, she and Evans met somewhere in
the middle. One such highlight was a medley of thestandard “There Is No Greater Love” (Isham Jones,
Marty Symes) and a mesmerizing version of “Amazing
Grace”. The room fell completely silent with an energythat felt deeper than politeness and more like a state oftransfixion.
Endea Owens & The Cookout was another opening
night delight. The bassist recently released her debut
album Feel Good Music and the intention behind thetitle was evident throughout her set. Backed by power
vocalists Shenel Johns and J. Hoard, Owens walked
out to Stevie Wonder’s “Living for the City”, setting
the tone for the type of soulful energy she wanted tocreate. Her own compositions were melodic in a waythat suggested lyrics—hummable, danceable andmemorable. The band also performed “Lift Ev’ry Voiceand Sing”; Quincy Jones’ “Miss Celie’s Blues” (fromThe Color Purple) was a duet between Owens and Johns,
full of radiant kinship.
Even to the untrained ear, the new, young ensemble
Panikkar Rosner & Leigh is a clear nod to Lambert,

medieval town square in Europe, and one of the mostbeautiful. The Fifth International Jarek Śmietana Jazz
Guitar Competition (Oct. 19-22) took place just off thesquare in the Kraków Philharmonic, the city’s primaryconcert hall.
Śmietana is not a household name outside Poland,
but he is a revered figure in that country. When he diedin 2013, the guitarist left behind a large discography,
including over 30 albums as a leader. In 2015, Witold
Wnuk, a prominent music impresario in Poland, createda guitar competition in honor of Śmietana. It is held every
other year and attracts contestants from Europe, the U.S.
and Asia. By the time the four-day competition began in
Kraków this year, a committee had narrowed the field to
11 semifinalists who had auditioned for a jury including
Wnuk, professor Karol Ferfecki from the Academy ofMusic in Katowice, your correspondent and three worldclass jazz guitarists: Peter Bernstein, Romain Pilon andMarek Napiórkowski. After two days of auditions, thejury narrowed the field to seven finalists. After anotherday of auditions, the final placement was determined:
Ohad Niceberg of Israel (1st); Mateus Saldanha ofPortugal (2nd); Ben Turner of the U.S. (3rd). A separate
special prize was also presented to Raphael Silvermanof the U.S. by Anna and Alicja Śmietana (Jarek’s widow
and daughter).
If the above summary makes the competition
sound staid and business-like, it was not. The spirit of
the occasion was more about camaraderie than rivalry.
The entire event was a joyful communal electric guitar
celebration. There were hours of audition performanceseach day by the contestants, and the three guitarists on
the jury played each night in clubs on the main square.
Their sets were followed by jam sessions (in which
guitarists predominated). If you were a fan of jazz guitar,for these four days in October, there was no better place
to be than Kraków, Poland.
The field was so strong this year that the jury’s job
was difficult. There was, however, consensus on theoverall winner. Niceberg blew everyone away in theauditions. The contestants all played in a trio with the“house” rhythm section of Adam Kowalewski (bass) and
Grzegorz Palka (drums). But Niceberg chose to play twoof his pieces solo. On “Almost Like Being in Love” and“All or Nothing at All”, he was not only astounding in
his sheer speed, but exhilarating in his melodicism. Eachof his solo performances was a tour de force of themeand-variation, and each was crafted into a finished(CONTINUED ON PAGE 39)(CONTINUED ON PAGE 39)(CONTINUED ON PAGE 39)

12 December 2023 | THE NEW YORK CITY JAZZ RECORD

CELEBRATE THE HOLIDAY’S WITH

NICOLEHENRY
IN CONCERTFRIDAY, DECEMBER 8 AT 7PM (TICKET: $50)
TICKETS AVAILABLE AT CITYCOLLEGECENTERFORTHEARTS.ORG

CITY COLLEGE CENTER FOR THE ARTS: WHERE CULTURE AND CREATIVITY CONNECT

NEA

JAZZ
Masters
ConcertFRIDAYDEC 15, 2023
8:00 PM

Flushing Town Hall’s Annual NEA JAZZ Masters Concert is back!
Featuring:
Ron Carter, Gary Bartz, Joanne Brackeen, Louis Hayes, Jimmy Owens and Wycliffe Gordon.
In-Person Tickets: $40/$32 members and seniors/$20 students w/ID, table pkgs $130/$110
Purchased concert tickets come with admission to a free pre-concert workshop.
Free Pre-Concert Workshop: 5-6:30 PM • Concert: 8 PM

Watch this show from anywhere in the world! Get virtual access on CultureStream.tv!
Scan the code and follow the Culture Stream link to register!
This project is supported in part by the National Endowment for the Arts.
This engagement of NEA Jazz Masters is made possible in part through the Jazz Touring Network program of Mid Atlantic Arts with support from the National Endowment for the Arts.

I N ME MORIAM
Carla was and still remains one of the most originalcomposers of instantly recognizable and beautiful music,
not only in jazz but in the entire music world, as well as
an extremely gifted musician with an exceptional andall-encompassing musicality. One can only hope that,
despite today’s pathetic “music” business, her music
lives on and is introduced to new audiences who may
not have known her during her lifetime. For me, she was
the first influence that led me down a musical path thatmight otherwise have been completely different. During
our shared personal and musical journey of around 25
years (and even afterwards), she was always (althoughoften perhaps only in my thoughts) my musical “thirdear”, my point of reference for the music I was working
on, whereby I often had to ask the question: “What would
Carla think of this?”—MICHAEL MANTLER (trumpet/composer)This is a huge loss for music, and for me personally.
I spent the better part of the early ’80s in her band as
well as Charlie Haden’s Liberation Music Orchestra andother related projects, films, recordings, etc. She was atrue composer right down to the discipline and drive ofgetting up every morning, going to the piano with pencil
and paper and working on it every day! We traveled allover the world when travel was easier and the world
wasn’t quite the mess it is now. Orchestration was the key
talent I learned from her, which she was a master of, as
well as her positive and fun outlook on life and people. I
met Ornette Coleman and Gil Evans through her, not tomention playing nightly with her bassist supreme, Steve
Swallow. Here’s to us all living such long and unique
lives… Carla Bley was one of a kind.
—STEVE SLAGLE (alto sax, flute)
I remember recording Kew. Rhône. (Virgin, 1977) at
Carla’s Woodstock in-home studio with John Greaves, theprogressive Welsh rock and experimental jazz pianist/bass guitarist/composer (and member of Henry Cow andSoft Heap). And who happens to unexpectedly walk inthe door to say hello to Carla—Charles Mingus! That’s theway it went when you were with Carla. Always surprises.
Among the number of other musical relations I had with
Carla, the one I remember the most was the European
tour in 1977 with the ensuing recording European Tour
1977 by The Carla Bley Band: Carla (conductor), Terry
Adams (piano), Hugh Hopper (electric bass), Bob Stewart(tuba), Roswell Rudd (trombone), Gary Windo (tenor sax),
Elton Dean (alto sax), John Clark (French horn), Michael
Mantler (trumpet) and myself. One time, when we werein France, the band played Carla’s “Spangle Banner
Manner”, a song that had excerpts of national anthems
from several countries, and some people in the audience
started to throw things at the band. As a result, we started
throwing their garbage back at them. HA, HA, HA!
—ANDREW CYRILLE (drums)
Touring with Carla in ’77 and ’78 was unforgettable; her
unconventional and powerful music inspired the players,
and audiences either loved or hated our work. Gigs in
Italy, Norway and France were particularly memorable.
Even though Carla’s music was not always immediately
embraced, she persevered. One time, in Perugia, Italy,
we went on after McCoy Tyner, and the audience booed
and threw bottles and rocks, causing us to flee the stage
and head for the bus. Next, the so-called fans tried tooverturn the bus! Carla remained unfazed. Her legendary
irreverence was on full display one time in Norway: Carla
didn’t bat an eye when Gary Windo’s tenor solo consistedof him chewing the contents of a bag of potato chips into
the mic rather than playing his horn. The audience was
confused, but fortunately didn’t throw anything. Carla’s
unique and uncompromising sensibilities attracted
singular personalities. She celebrated each player’s
individuality as she explored her own.
—JOHN CLARK (French horn)

I love Carla Bley! I started working with Carla in 1979
and was with her until 2009. I was with her for basicallymy whole development as a jazz trombone player. Carla
wrote for me. Beautiful melodies and incredible solo
space. One thing was for sure, she always let me be me.
In 1979, I got a call one night from my friend D. Sharpe,
Carla’s drummer at the time. He asked if I could makethe rehearsal the next day with Carla’s band. So I showed
up the next day with my trombone and my 3-year-old
son Free in tow. We walked into the lobby and I pushed
the elevator button. While waiting for the elevator, whowalks up behind me? Carla and Mike Mantler! We walk
into the elevator, push the floor button and Carla says,“Well, I hope I finally found a trombone player who canplay my music!” I said, “You just have!” And I played hermusic for 30 years. And I am proud, humble and gratefulto have done so. One thing I loved about Carla is that she
wrote new music for every tour. Incredible! Carla Bley
was a GENIUS! I love you, Carla. You make the planet abetter place. All love and music.
—GARY VALENTE (trombone)
I first met Carla Bley in 1971 while she was inrehearsal for Escalator Over the Hill. After attending
two rehearsals, Carla invited me to join the ensemble,
although it was not on tuba: given it was an opera, I
became part of the chorus (at the time Howard Johnson
and Jack Jeffers were in the instrumental ensemble). By
the mid-late ’70s Carla asked me to join her nine-pieceband for multiple tours of Europe. She introduced me toa much more musically integrated approach to writing
for the tuba. As in many traditional big bands, the tubaparts were quite often written parallel or in unison withthe bass or baritone sax. Carla, however, would create
melody lines for the tuba, or the tuba would be in close
harmony, with the five other horns (tenor, trumpet,
French horn, trombone and alto). Immediately I would
be an octave to a 10th higher than the more traditional
big band parts, introducing me to a plethora of colors,
textures and musical emotions. Thank you Carla! The
experience serves me well still.
—BOB STEWART (tuba)
I had the honor of playing in Carla’s big band in Europe
and Japan, and working with her in Charlie Haden’s
Liberation Music Orchestra. We will all miss Carla. A
unique, wondrously direct and focused composer andarranger, she never wasted a note. Like Duke, all parts
were essential. Her big-hearted music had both passion
and humor, thirst for justice and whimsy.
—RAY ANDERSON (trombone)
A unique woman who wrote unique music and knew
what she wanted and how to get it from the musicians she
worked with. Her music was challenging, interesting andfun to play. Carla will be missed.
—BARRY ALTSCHUL (drums)
I am grateful for the presence of many courageous,imaginative and determined women in my life. My
friend and mentor Carla Bley was one such figure. She
was a beacon for welcoming possibilities and she createdmusic that was honest and without compromise. For
Carla, the answer was always “yes.” I loved playing,traveling and visiting with Carla. We shared a SwedishAmerican heritage and penchant for the unusual andhumorous. Conversations with Carla were always
thoughtful, provoking and hilarious. Her words andpursuits always were inspiring. I loved her dearly. I am
especially grateful for the years of sharing sounds andwords with her. Carla Bley was, without a doubt, a true
original whose imaginative and unique compositions
have contributed greatly to the legacy of improvised
music. “Well-behaved women rarely make history.”–Eleanor Roosevelt. Tack så mycket, Carla Bley.
—MATT WILSON (drums)

14 December 2023 | THE NEW YORK CITY JAZZ RECORD

I discovered Carla Bley’s music when I started my firstband in 1967, thanks to Steve Swallow. For the next two
decades, we played Carla’s music at every performanceand, over time, collaborated on two of my most important
recordings solely dedicated to her compositions (AGenuine Tong Funeral and Dreams So Real). She wascertainly one of the most important composers I had thepleasure of collaborating with. What an impressive legacy
she leaves for the jazz world.
—GARY BURTON (vibraphone)
For me Carla Bley has been like a shadow whose contours
have crystallized over the years. She was so versatile andtalented. In 2016, the year Carla turned 80, the fabulous
saxophonist Fredrik Ljungkvist and myself made atribute album And Now the Queen (Lilalo), featuring only
Carla’s compositions. When I prepared for the session, I
forced myself not to listen to Paul Bley and his amazingrecordings of Carla’s tunes. It was very tempting to try
to play like him but he was such a master. Instead, I tried
to develop a spontaneous and exploring attitude morein the spirit of Carla on various instruments, including
a Mellotron, Moog Taurus bass pedals and a small ARP
synth together with the grand piano, to get a feeling ofgetting out on virgin snow. We recorded before lunch thefirst day in the studio and that was it. Once the album
was released, we sent the record right off to Carla, but
I remember it took a couple of years before we got any
response from her. Finally we received a beautiful letterfrom her and Steve Swallow and I’m happy to say thatthey both loved the record! I think I will keep that mail ina security box for the rest of my life.
—MATTIAS RISBERG (piano)
I have been blessed to have worked with the great Carla
Bley, first with her band and then with Charlie Haden
and the Liberation Music Orchestra. She was a giftedcomposer/orchestrator, who was innovative, meticulous,sensitive, politically astute, prepared and quite
knowledgable about the leading theoretical concepts ofthe day.
—JOSEPH DALEY (tuba)
I cherish the time I spent making music with Carla,both in the Lost Chords and in her Big Band. I went toEurope with her on several tours and did four albums. I
learned so much. It helped me grow as a musician to playsomeone’s music that was so unique, as I had to comeup with a way of playing and interpreting that was very
challenging but also very rewarding. Those experiences
for a musician are so very important. She did things her
way and had done that her whole career, which in itself
is quite remarkable. It’s an incredible body of work thatshe gave the world and we’re fortunate to have it now toenjoy and study. I’ll certainly miss her, and I thank her forgiving me the opportunity to help her bring her music tofruition. My last recording’s title track, “Valse Sinistre”,
was composed by Carla; I’m so happy and honored that
she was able to hear it and approved of the performance.
—BILLY DRUMMOND (drums)
I first heard from Carla Bley by phone in 1978. She had a
10-piece band that toured Europe in 1977 and she wanted
to make some changes in that band. She called me, andher first question was what was my real name. I told her,“you just said my full name.” She said, “Oh, I thought
Chancey was your stage name!” That was the beginningof an incredible six-year stint with the Carla Bley Band:
we toured Europe two or three times a year and all over
the U.S. Then around 2005 I got a call from Charlie Haden
saying that Carla had recommended me to play in the
Liberation Music Orchestra, which I would play withfor about 15 years. Carla was a person and a band leader
like none other. Her wit and personality were all overeverything she ever did. She was an original, plus a very
thoughtful horn arranger.
—VINCENT CHANCEY (French horn)

One of my fondest memories, of the many playing with Carla
Bley, is when she would downplay her own improvisingskills, afterwards saying that she wasn’t a “real” jazz soloist.
Truth of the matter, I always wished I could play like her.
There’s something in the way great composers improvise.
Their natural tendencies are to improvise compositional
ideas, take you on a journey of shapes and colors… Duke
Ellington comes to mind. Carla comes to mind, too. A
deeply dedicated soul to her music and to sharing it with
us all.
—STEVE CARDENAS (guitar)
Whenever I am asked who is my “favorite living
composer”, I always answer “Carla Bley.” Now, with herpassing, I can no longer say that, though no-one takes herplace. We last saw each other at Big Ears in 2017 when, toher open-mouthed amazement, I sang the whole of “The
Tennessee Waltz” to her outside the Tennessee Hotelas a “goodnight.” More recently she was delighted that
I arranged “End of Vienna” for an orchestra concert I
conducted in Tasmania, though by then she was no longer
able to listen to recordings. But she saw the score, andSteve (Swallow) kept her in touch with the whole process.
Now her sufferings are over, and I am currently writing
a quintet for harpsichord and string quartet which isdedicated to her memory. Rest in Peace Carla.
—GAVIN BRYARS (bass/composer)

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PHOTO BY ALAN NAHIGIAN

I met Carla Bley at Creative Music Studio in 1977 when
I was 15... a little over ten years later I was playingin Karen Mantler’s band (Carla’s daughter). So myrelationship with Carla was as much familial as it
was musical. I will say three things from mymusical perspective: 1. Escalator Over the
Hill opened the door...for everything.
2. Dinner Music changed my life.
3. “8 1/2” (from Hal Willner’s
Amarcord Nino Rota) is one of
the greatest arrangements
ever written. Thank you,
Carla.
—STEVEN BERNSTEIN(trumpet)

THE NEW YORK CITY JAZZ RECORD | December 2023 15

ALBUM REVIEWS

Torrent (Piano Solo)
Satoko Fujii (Libra)
by Andrew Hamlin

I’d resisted Satoko Fujii’s solo piano albums—even as I
found her one of the mightiest, most beguiling talents on
the jazz scene today. I liked her best, so I thought, with atleast one partner—often her husband, trumpeter Natsuki
Tamura, but just as often with other collaborators fromaround the globe, sharing a secret sauce to grease thegears of collaboration. But Torrent, her latest of many solo
piano records, suggests I’ve misheard her this whole time.
Fujii functions as her own foil, laying out comparisonsand contrasts lightning-fast, but shaping individual tracks
into a unified work. Eerie strummings of the piano’s inner
strings—in passing in the second cut, “Voyage”; wider anddeeper for “Cut the Painter” two tracks later—resoundlike some beast, a little too sinister to be called an angel,rising up and out in flight. For “Horizon” she starts slowly,
offsetting all the wild runs from the first four selections,laying out a framework, letting each sonic girder stick inplace under the sustain pedal; when the sparkly runs andlow-end concussions return, they fill in the grid. During
the last minute she grabs another intuitive progression,
linking it to what came before, letting its independence
bloom…then die down, slowly, from a sustain cloud to
one-note Morse code.
“Wave Crest”, the album closer, moves from heavy
lumberings offset by surprising higher notes, throughrepeated runs (parts put in, left out, rotated and then senton their way) and back again to not quite where we as thelistener came in. A volley of high notes, a final rumble,
then out. It’s not clear whether she’s composing in the
moment, though it certainly sounds like it. In any case, herlogic holds. Through structure, through evolving logic,
through evocations of evolution and transience, Fujii
constructs her case. At the bottom end of “Wave Crest”,
we have completed a cycle, and we’ve run through a life.
No other soul required.
For more info visit librarecords.com. Fujii is at The Stone with
Ikue Mori Dec. 15 and 17. See Calendar.

At The Swing Cats Ball, Volume 1 (1938-1940)
Luis Russell (Dot Time)
by Jim Motavalli

Panama-born Luis Carl Russell (who died 60 years
ago this month) was jazz royalty, married to the finesinger, bassist and guitarist Carline Ray and the fatherof the incomparable jazz vocalist (and musical historian)Catherine Russell. (A 2019 article on the Russells by Scott
Yanow in the Syncopated Times includes a great photo of
toddler Catherine sitting on daddy’s lap at the piano.)
Russell was a pianist, but not much known forsoloing—his strength was as a bandleader. He came to
the U.S. in 1919, and became steeped in the music of New
Orleans before moving to Chicago in 1925 and working

with the likes of King Oliver. His own group, withsoloists such as Henry “Red” Allen, Albert Nicholas andJ.C. Higginbotham, was formed in 1929 and taken overby Louis Armstrong in 1935. Russell’s recording career
under his own name was sporadic, but “New Call of the
Freaks” was a big number for him. From 1935-1943 he
was Armstrong’s musical director, and then he led a band
until 1948, after which he opened a notions store in New
York and played irregularly.
What’s captured on this issue are live disc recordingsof radio broadcasts, found in a closet. Russell kept thesecuts so he could know how his bands sounded. The music
was transferred by sound engineer Doug Pomeroy fromheavily worn masters (Russell listened to them a lot). “Thesource materials were among the roughest Pomeroy had
ever encountered,” the liner notes reveal.
The sound quality consequently is a mixed bag,though the overall clarity is actually quite good. But there
are horrendous drop-offs, distortion and glitches here andthere. No matter, the music comes through, all the better
because it’s got that live energy. Listen to the Tauber/
Pinkard/Tracey “Them There Eyes” and you’ll say, “Wow,that vocalist sure sounds like Louis Armstrong.” Well,that’s because it is him, with a totally energized extended
trumpet solo too: it’s Satchmo and his orchestra from 1938,
recorded at the Grand Terrace Ballroom in Chicago.
There are nine tracks from that session, and it’s all
worthwhile, Russell keeping the band tight and hot. Checkout the two-part “Riffs (Dunkin’ a Donut)” from the penof Mary Lou Williams. Armstrong calls for “Brother Red”
(Allen) to take a solo and he does, followed by trombonist
Higginbotham. The seldom-heard “Mr. Ghost Comes
to Town” with Armstrong’s vocal is fragmented, but aworthy response to the announcer’s call for some “realhot stuff.”
Sam Coslow’s “Jammin’” comes across very well,with Armstrong again heard to good advantage. And on“I’ve Got a Heart Full of Rhythm”, Armstrong’s own tune,
the trumpeter provides both a memorable vocal and aswinging solo full of high notes. Chappie Willet’s “BlueRhythm Fantasy” has drummer Paul Barbarin sounding
Gene Krupa-like in one of his movie appearances. It’ssans Louis (except for some vocal exhortations), and a bit
sweet.
Russell is also heard playing solo stride piano in 1940
recordings. He sounds totally assured in this mode, and his
own man stylistically. “Rippling Waters” and “Moonlight
Cocktail” (by Luckey Roberts) are memorable, though all
the pieces are short and snapshot-like. I’ll bet Willie “TheLion” Smith would have liked Russell’s fast and accurateinterpretations of “Echoes of Spring” and “Fussin’”.
Five tracks are from Russell’s own orchestra, recorded
live but without dates or location. Russell’s featured
vocalist was then Percy “Sonny” Woods, a bit overblownand dated on “Ol’ Man River”. The soloists blow the roof
off the song, though. Woods features well on “Melancholy
Lullaby/Lilacs in the Rain”, too.
A standout among these numbers is a very rocking“Hot Bricks”, Russell’s own tune. And who can denyanother Russell original, “At the Swing Cats Ball”? Russell
never recorded a studio version of this great slap-happysong (which probably dates back to 1938), though Louis
Jordan did, and it was also deliciously waxed last year by
daughter Catherine.
Russell also worked with female vocalists, andBobbie Caston (who worked with Ellington and Jimmie
Lunceford’s bands) comes off very well on Boyd Atkins’“Heebie Jeebies”. For some reason, vocalist Woods isagain featured on two tracks from an Armstrong WABC
broadcast from late 1939 and early 1940. Russell must have
liked him a lot. Woods is a very unconvincing cowboy on“Leanin’ on the Ole Top Rail”. Bob Crosby had a hit with“Top Rail” in 1940. It’s schmaltzy.
It’s great these battered discs came out of the closet.
Luis Russell’s recorded legacy—and Carline Ray’s too, forthat matter—are thinner than they should be.
For more info visit dottimerecords.com

16 December 2023 | THE NEW YORK CITY JAZZ RECORD

a grain of Earth
Marta Warelis (Relative Pitch)
O Hushed October
Ab Baars/Ig Henneman/Marta Warelis(Catalytic Sound)
by Kurt Gottschalk

Depending on your source, the prepared piano is either

73 or 75 years old. The notion of inserting objects on or
between the piano strings to alter the sound is generally
dated to John Cage’s Bacchanale, which he apparently
began in 1938 and finished in 1940. I sincerely doubt,
however, that he was the first to explore extended
technique on the instrument; you’d be hard-pressed toconvince me that Beethoven never got drunk and banged
around inside the case.
In certain musical circles, nontraditional playing has
become so standard that the outlier has become the norm,
which is all well and good, all sounds being equal andall. But the sliding distinction becomes relevant with theremarkable pianism of Marta Warelis. The Polish-born
Amsterdam resident works both inside and outside thecase, and turns anti-tradition on its ear. While ordinarily
I’m happy enough to hear the pleasant plings and plopsof muted strings, to engage with the resonant sighs
and moans that come with prodding the instrument as
if it were a felled harp, Warelis’ keyboard technique isso extraordinarily on point that when I hear her play“experimentally,” I find myself waiting for the extensions(Marta Warelis/Onno Govaert/
R • .omawi
Wilbert de Joode)–Waive (Relative Pitch)
Allemano–Canons (Lumo)e •• Lina
Rodrigo Amado—The Bridge (Trost)c • Emad Armoush’s Duos–Electritradition
Audio)o • (Drip
Derek Bailey/Paul Motian—m Duo in Concert (Frozen Reeds)
Bier/Gunnar Geisse/Ignaz Schick—m • Ernst
Hawking Extended (Zarek)e • Rob Brown Quartet–Oblongatan • (RogueArt)
Dave Brubeck Quartet—Live from thed Northwest, 1959 (Brubeck Editions)Dunmall—Bright Light A Joyouse • PaulCelebration (Discus Music)d • Peter Ehwald/Stefan Schultze—

n
e
w
r
e
l
e
a
s
e
s

Stamp (Jazzwerkstatt)• Fly or Die—Fly or Die Fly or Die Fly or Die((world war)) (International Anthem)• Sullivan Fortner—
Don’t You Worry About A Thing (Artwork)• Mendoza Hoff Revels—
Echolocation (AUM Fidelity)• NoSax NoClar—No Dåhïss (YOLK Music)• Peter Manning Robinson–Disturbances(Owl Walk)• Jason Roebke—Four Spheres(Corbett vs. Dempsey)• Loren Stillman—Time and Again(Sunnyside)• Anna Webber—Shimmer Wince (Intakt)• Nils Wogram—
The Pristine Sound of Root 70 (Nwog)• Miguel Zenón/Dan Tepfer—
Internal Melodies (Main Door Music)

to end so she can get back to circumnavigating the blacks
and whites.
The two approaches up her sleeves are neatly
segregated on a grain of Earth, an all-too-short solo
session recorded in Amsterdam in 2021. Over thecourse of nine pop song–length tracks, she alternates
between inside and out—of convention, of the case—and while true enough her direct-to-string technique
can be appealingly inscrutable, again and again it’s
the hyper-workings of her keyboarding that astound.
“In Waves”, falling at the end of Act II, merges the tworealms quite nicely, and is my takeaway track. (But you
be the judge. The whole of the album is streaming on
various platforms.)
O Hushed October finds the pianist in the presence ofthe power couple of serious Dutch free improvisation,
violist Ig Henneman and reed player Ab Baars (heard
here on clarinet, tenor saxophone and two Japanese flutes:
shakuhachi, and nohkan), the former who celebrates her
78th birthday this month and the latter who just turned 67.
It’s a mysterious and elusively beautiful album, recordedin Amsterdam during lockdown. I mean it as no backhanded compliment that as many times as I’ve played
the record, I keep forgetting to listen. Somewhere in thecourse of the first, 10-minute track, I’m set adrift, andtime and again I float through the next 20 minutes or so.
Each time, it’s with the final “Days Run Off Like Water”(another roughly 10-minute cut, the second bookend tofour shorter ones in-between) that I’m called back bywhat seem to be more pronounced instrumental voices
in concurrent and incongruous solos. It’s an unusual
phenomenon to happen repeatedly, brought about by aquietly beautiful recording.
I do not say lightly that I don’t know if I’ve heard
another pianist approach the technique of the great Cecil
Taylor more closely than does Warelis, not in the deluge
but in the multi-linearity. She can, and does, let loose
tempests, but can also represent the unrelated trajectoriesof raindrops.
For more info visit relativepitchrecords.com and catalyticsound.com

Cape Verdean Blues
Kavita Shah (Folkalist)by Anna Steegmann

Raised in Manhattan in a family of Gujarati origin,vocalist Kavita Shah first trained as a classical pianist andthen sang with the Young People’s Chorus of New York
City, where she was exposed to a range of music styles
and cultural traditions. Her neighbor, the saxophonist
Patience Higgins, sparked her love for jazz and, later,
she would join his band. For the past seven years, she
has immersed herself in the music and culture of theCape Verde Islands. The stunning result, this album, is
her interpretation of traditional Cape Verdean mornas,
songs that express longing and love, homesickness andnostalgia. The 12 tracks are a deeply felt tribute to thelate Cape Verdean (and arguably its most famous) singer
Cesária Évora, who introduced this music to a worldwide
audience. Shah’s main collaborators, as a matter offact, are Évora’s former musical director Bau (guitars,
cavaquinho, ukulele) and percussionist Miroca Paris,
who also played with Évora.
Shah’s voice is pristine and expressive, whether
she’s singing, scatting or supplying vocal percussion.
The ballads captivate the listener with their melancholy
mood and minimal instrumentation. Her take on Horace

Silver’s “Cape Verdean Blues” is especially original:
there is no guitar or other instruments, no lyrics, just
hypnotic vocal percussion by Shah and Paris. “Angola”(Ramiro Mendez) shows remarkable chemistry between
the leader’s soaring vocal, Bau (on guitar) and Paris.
“Um abraço di morabeza” (Morgadinho/Shah) features
closely harmonized singing by Shah and Fantcha (aprotégé of Évora). A mood change arrives with “Chaki
Ben”, a cheerful Gujarati folksong on which Maalem
Hassan Benjaafar plays guembri and qraqeb. “Flor di nhaesperança”, like many of the rest of the tracks, is slow,
sad and sensual, but invigorated by Bau’s excellent guitar
solo.
This album is a winning take on Cape Verdean music.
For more info visit kavitashahmusic.com. Shah is at Mezzrow
Dec. 10. See Calendar.

Live from the Northwest, 1959
Dave Brubeck Quartet (Brubeck Editions)by Ken Dryden

The classic edition of the Dave Brubeck Quartet,featuring alto saxophonist Paul Desmond, bassist
Eugene Wright (who died two years ago this month) anddrummer Joe Morello, existed for just over a decade. The
unique chemistry between Brubeck, whose birthday anddeathaversary are this month (b. Dec. 6, 1920 – d. Dec. 5,2012), and Desmond came from their ability to anticipate
where each other was headed in their improvised lines.
The previously unissued Live from the Northwest, 1959
consists of excerpts from two concerts recorded in the
Portland, OR area (at the Multnomah Hotel and nearby
Clark College) on back-to-back days in April, both early
remote recordings by the legendary Wally Heider.
Given that a studio recording (Gone with the Wind)was scheduled later the same month, it isn’t surprising tofind five of the songs that ended up on that album present
in these concerts. As such, while Brubeck was already aprolific composer at this point, most of the music focuseson older standards and favorites. The album openswith a rousing, refreshing arrangement of “When theSaints Go Marching In”, proving that the song stands
on its own outside of Dixieland. Likewise, the quartet’s
cool approach to “Basin Street Blues” finds Desmondin his prime as an improviser, with Brubeck’s vocal
encouragement. In “These Foolish Things”, the pianist’s
spacious playing behind Desmond allows him to takeflight, while the leader’s inventive, strident two-handed
chords bring the piece to a crescendo, though his touch
lightens a bit as his solo progresses. Morello’s brushwork
and Wright’s nimble bass playing serve as the perfect
backdrop. The breezy take of “Gone with the Wind” finds
Desmond in creative form, delivering an endless streamof ideas; Brubeck’s choruses are equally inventive, and he
audibly sings softly to himself in spots.
The improvised “Multnomah Blues” sounds like a
set-closer: everything seems to fall into place effortlessly
as the band develops the pianist’s opening riff into an
extended workout. The quartet’s lengthy explorationof Brubeck’s “Two-Part Contention”, introduced at
Newport in 1956, features an intricate duo conversation
between Desmond and Brubeck. “The Lonesome Road”
finds the quartet shifting from ballad to brisk romp; themusicians trade fours and then wrap things up with a softpolytonal coda.
For more info visit brubeckeditions.com

THE NEW YORK CITY JAZZ RECORD | December 2023 17

DEC 1–3

MIMI FOX TRIO WITH SPECIAL GUEST HOUSTON PERSON:ONE FOR WES
DEC 4Live at the Village VanguardMark Turner Quartet (Giant Step Arts)
by Franz Matzner

Live at the Village Vanguard is a double album that captures

CRAIG BRANN ADVENT(URE)
DEC 5

GEORGE BURTON: THE YULE LOG
DEC 6–10

ULYSSES OWENS, JR. BIG BAND
DEC 11JUILLIARD JAZZ ENSEMBLES
DEC 12

MATT WILSON CHRISTMAS TREE-O
DEC 13JOE MCCARTHY AFRO-LATIN BIG BAND:
THE NUTCRACKER SUITE
DEC 14–17

MARY STALLINGS AND THE EMMET COHEN TRIO
DEC 18A VERY IRBY CHRISTMAS
DEC 19TED ROSENTHAL TRIO: WINTER WONDERLAND
DEC 20TAMMY MCCANN: MERRY CHRISTMAS BABY
DEC 21–24

CHRISTIAN SANDS TRIO: CHRISTMAS STORIESDEC 26–30

CARLOS HENRIQUEZ NONET: A NUYORICAN TALE
DEC 31tenor saxophonist Mark Turner’s distinctive approach to
improvisation. His lightness of touch, adroitness andlooseness convey a certain ebullience, at times overtly andat others within the music’s substrate. Despite his lengthy
career, this marks his first live album as leader. Here, on
the stage of the iconic club, we get Turner fully on his
own terms, with his working unit featuring Jason Palmer(trumpet), Joe Martin (bass) and Jonathan Pinter (drums).
The music is dominantly straight-ahead in idiom: this is
the ecosystem of Turner’s artistry.
The opener (and title track to the quartet’s priorreleased ECM album) “Return from the Stars” rests on tap
dance snares and a swing rhythm, as the tenor saxophonist
dances with laid-back ease. “Nigeria 2” swings briskly,
Martin supplying a rapid, bouncing walking bass and Pinterdelivering a dynamic, tom-heavy solo. “Brother Sister”
emphasizes Turner’s solo skills in an extended opening,
followed by a slow exchange between the two horns that’s
full of bends and slides. “Lennie Groove” stands as agood example of the quartet’s ability to operate as a unit,
synchronizing lines while trading off playfully. The album’s
tunes are consistently inviting frameworks, but the finedetails are equally rewarding: on “Terminus” the leader
delivers a brief, fluttering tumble before ascending quickly
into the altissimo register, one of his stylistic hallmarks.
Not every live album conveys the excitement ofaudience energy and interaction, but Live at the Village
Vanguard audibly accomplishes this goal. Turner playswith joy, letting the crowd’s appreciation and the historyof the room soak into his music without weighing it down.
As a lovely bonus, the liners feature photos of the venue by
photographer/engineer Jimmy Katz, who records every
Giant Step Arts album and whose images also grace eachof the label’s releases.
For more info visit giantsteparts.org. Turner’s album release
concerts are at Village Vanguard through Dec. 3; Turner is also
at Smoke with Billy Hart Quartet Dec. 7-10. See Calendar.

SPECIAL EVENT: NYE AT DIZZY’S WITHCARLOS HENRIQUEZ NONET

LACE
Zeena Parkins (Chaikin)by George Grella

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

212.258.9595
BROADWAY AT 60TH ST.

Zeena Parkins is an important avant garde/new music
harpist, but she doesn’t play a note on this album. The music
is two of her graphic- and text-based compositions, andcomes in a boxed set containing an LP and a booklet that
includes the scores and a Steve Dalachinsky poem. LACE
1 is played by the TILT Brass Sextet, Maggie Parkins (cello)
and James Fei (electronics), with Parkins conducting; LACE
2 is a solo percussion piece performed by William Winant.
The underlying concept behind these pieces is
exploring the patterns in lace stitching, and how they can

18 December 2023 | THE NEW YORK CITY JAZZ RECORD

translate to the pattern-based art of music. The answer on
this album is: inconsistently. LACE 1 comes off as fully
realized, while LACE 2 is both compelling but frustrating.
The latter piece is laid out on a series of 23 index cards, eachwith a pattern, meant to be played in short bursts. Winantdoes just that. His responses feel creative with unexpected
moments like the rhythmic phrase suggesting Harry Partch
in “Necklace-Swell-X” plus some gamelan elements. Eachburst is fine, but the shortness is close to Naked City–
style jump-cutting, which undermines pattern-building.
It’s like hearing a series of individual stitches that neveraccumulates enough repetitions to make lace.
The score for LACE 1, in contrast, lays out the graphics
horizontally and there are detailed text instructions. There
are also fewer patterns to play, though (only five), and withmultiple instrumental voices at work the simplicity builds
into a more coherent complexity. There’s a strong forward
flow and musical interweaving, the counterpoint within thebrass yielding a sonic cognate of the score. There’s as muchtiny detail as in LACE 2, but also an identifiable larger form.
It’s rewarding to hear this result of Parkins’ creative thinking.
For more info visit chaikinrecords.com. Parkins is at The Stone
with Ikue Mori and at Catalytic Sound Festival at Public
Records, both on Dec. 10. See Calendar.

Con Alma
Jason Palmer (SteepleChase)by George Kanzler

Trumpeter Jason Palmer has been based in Boston forover two decades, where he teaches at Berklee Collegeof Music. He’s also played with a host of jazz greats,
including Roy Haynes, Herbie Hancock, Phil Woods andfellow trumpeters Wynton Marsalis and Roy Hargrove.
Additionally, he’s a longtime front-line partner in tenor
saxophonist Mark Turner’s quartet.
His new release fleshes out an album Palmer recordedwith a quartet in 2017, plus three additional tracks. He’s
joined by Leo Genovese (piano, Fender Rhodes), Joe
Martin (bass) and Kendrick Scott (drums). In his notes,
the trumpeter describes the album as a “reimagining ofsome of my favorite ballads…mixed in with a few of myoriginals”. It’s a misleading description, as the first real
ballad is actually the fifth track (and a ballad well-worth
more exposure): a ruminative take on Duke Pearson’s “YouKnow I Care”. That piece, and two short takes of Palmer
originals, are the only conventionally tempo-ed ballads.
Palmer’s “reimagining” includes three familiar ballad
standards, each radically transformed. Jimmy Van Heusen’s“Moonlight Becomes You” is recast in 5/4 that fans of “TakeFive” might not get, as Scott’s drumming is more coloristic
and flexible than Brubeck’s Joe Morello. Willard Robinson’s“Old Folks” is sparked with Afro-Latin rhythms; Ralph
Rainger’s “Easy Living” is performed in triple meter.
Palmer, who has a forthright tone and complete
technical command of his horn, eschews mutes here,playing open horn throughout. Genovese complements
the leader’s solos with cogent contributions on piano andatmospheric ones on Fender Rhodes, especially on “ConAlma”, which Palmer transforms into a 5/4 romp, Martin
holding down the rhythm as Scott applies a broad brushof cymbal colors. Another highlight is an incandescentversion of Wayne Shorter’s “Nefertiti”, featuring theleader’s most wide-ranging and adventurous solo.
For more info visit steeplechase.dk. Palmer is at Village Vanguardwith Mark Turner thru Dec. 3. See Calendar.

freedom now suite
celebrating
max roach’s centennial
jan 26 @ 8PM

with Cassandra Wilson, Ravi Coltrane, Sonia Sanchez,
Saul Williams, Nasheet Waits, Nduduzo Makhathini and more

njpac arts education

celebrating peggy lee
and frank sinatra

feb 8 @ 7:30PMfeaturing Aloe Blacc,
Dee Dee Bridgewater,
Paula Cole, Bettye LaVette,
Christian McBride,
Rachael Price,
Brian Stokes Mitchelland The Christian McBride
Big BandThe American Song series at NJPAC is presented, in part, through thegenerous support of the Blanche and rving Laurie Foundation,
the David S. Steiner and Sylvia Steiner Charitable Trust,the Joan and Allen Bildner Family Fund, and the Smart Family Foundation/David S. Stone, Esq., Stone & Magnanini.

jul 14 – 20
upright bass players | ages 14 – 18
Dive into an immersive week of masterclasses, performances, small ensemble work,
studio sessions, lectures and workshops on
the Montclair State University campus.
To learn more, contact
Rosa Hyde, Sr. Director, Performances
at 973.297.5805 or rhyde@njpac.org.

@NJPAC • 1.888.MY.NJPAC • njpac.org
One Center Street, Newark, NJ

JazzRecord_color_9.5x12_Dec.indd 1

11/21/23 9:31 AM

UNEARTHED GEM

Maximum Swing: The Unissued 1965
Half Note Recordings
Wes Montgomery/Wynton Kelly Trio (Resonance)by Pierre Giroux

Produced by Zev Feldman and Richard Seidel—andincluding a 51-page booklet with a comprehensive
essay by Bill Milkowski about Wes Montgomery
and Wynton Kelly’s highly-acclaimed Half Notecollaborations—Maximum Swing: The Unissued 1965
Half Note Recordings showcases the exceptionalmusicianship of the guitarist with the pianist’s trio
in what is the first official release of the complete
previously unissued performances from the final
months of 1965.
Kelly’s working trio (Kelly, piano; Paul Chambers,
bass; Jimmy Cobb, drums) has antecedents datingback to the historic 1959 dates for Miles Davis’ Kindof Blue, while Larry Ridley (8 tracks), Ron Carter (3tracks), and Herman Wright (3 tracks) take the placeof Chambers (3 tracks) for the balance of the sessions

over the course of two CDs.
On Disc 1, “Laura”, “Cariba”, and “Blues”(featuring
theclassic
Kelly/Chambers/Cobbtrio) are dazzling; the musical chemistry between
Montgomery and this rhythm section in particular
creates an absolutely electrifying atmosphere.
The set with Carter charges out of the gate with astunning performance of Coltrane’s “Impressions”.
The guitarist showcases his unique thumb-picking
technique, inventive phrasing and sense of swing
alongside the trio. “No Blues” audibly honors Kelly’s
time with Miles, and includes a blues-drenchedsolo by the pianist. Montgomery’s ad-libbing isremarkable, filled with octaves and melodic chords,
while Cobb’s inventive drumming keeps the whole
performance together.
Disc 2 (split between Wright and Ridley onbass) includes several lengthy numbers that benefit
from extra flow and freedom. Whether it is the rapid
trading of eights on the energized “Cherokee”, Kelly’s
extended solo on the up-tempo “The Song Is You” orMontgomery’s smooth octaves and chordal cadenza
on the lovely “Star Eyes”, there are numerous delights
and surprises on these tracks.
This proves to be not only a testament to theindividual brilliance of each of the musicians, but also
to their remarkable and legendary collaboration.
For more info visit resonancerecords.org. Wes Montgomery
tributes are at Dizzy’s Club with Mimi Fox Dec. 1-3 andPangea with John Zweig Dec. 13. See Calendar.

JULIETAEUGENIO
TRIO

Crying in Space
Mette Rasmussen/Paul Flaherty/Zach Rowden/
Chris Corsano (Relative Pitch)
Belladonna Garnish
Chris Corsano/Andrew Scott Young/Ryley Walker(Husky Pants)
by Mike Shanley

There are times when Chris Corsano’s arms are flying

around his trap kit and he’s sounding like the freest of
free jazz drummers, and yet an underlying structure or
thought process can still be detected. The drummer might
approach a certain snare attack or tom-based thunder
the same way a saxophonist might expound on a clusterof notes. Whatever he plays always helps to elevate thesound of those around him, either adding greater clarity or
bringing gravity to the wildest of situations.
Crying in Space captures him in the company of Mette
Rasmussen (alto), Paul Flaherty (alto, tenor) and Zach
Rowden (bass). Two lengthy tracks and a brief one all offer
an uninhibited musical ride, as the quartet moves throughnumerous shades and musical terrains without running
short on inspiration. The whole set feels spontaneous, yet“The Hesitant Nature of Doubt (Shadow Chase)” begins
with the quartet sounding as if they’re reading an Albert
Ayler-esque theme. Flaherty and Rasmussen go heavyon the vibrato while Rowden bows in the upper register,sounding like a violin. From there, things proceed naturally
and wildly, with the saxophonists often providing

2023 NYSCA awardee,

Pianist Gabriel Chakarji

performs his recent composition,“Immigrant Tales”, with his Jazz quartet
and a small chamber ensemble.

Julieta Eugenio (tenor saxophonist)
Matt Dwonszyk (bass)
Jonathan Barber (drums)

Friday, December 15
at 7:30PM
This trio won 1st Placein the 2022 DCJazzPrix
International Band
Competition. Julieta Eugenio
won the International
Women in Jazz competition
as a member of the SIJ trio.

199 Chambers St., New York, NY(212) 220 - 1460 TribecaPAC.org

20 December 2023 | THE NEW YORK CITY JAZZ RECORD

Bronx House of Jazz
Bronx River Art Center
1087 East Tremont Ave.

(one block east of the West Farms,
East Tremont subway station on the 2 or 5 lines).

Thursday, December 14, 2023 at 7 PM.
Tickets: $15.00 adults, $12 Seniors
and students up to age 18, children
under 10 Free. online at EventBrite.com,
or $18 at the door pending availability.

This program is made possible with support from the New York City Department of Cultural
Affairs in partnership with the Bronx Delegation of the City Council, the NYS Council on theArts with support from Gov. Kathy Hochul and the NYS Legislature and private donors.

thoughtful counterpoint to the other’s jousting. Rowden’s
deep, resonant bowing brings things to a heavy conclusion,as Flaherty colors the background with his mouthpiecedetached from his horn. “What to Expect from Faking YourOwn Death” keeps the flow going, beginning with several
minutes of Rasmussen slap-tonguing some intervallic leaps
and unleashing overtones that sound as barbed as they are
beautiful. In the final track, Corsano sounds like several
drummers going whole-hog on a couple of trap kits, but
again, even this type of freedom has foundation.
For Belladonna Garnish, the drummer teams up withAndrew Scott Young (bass) and Ryley Walker (guitar), thelatter who has another life as a strong singer-songwriter.
During a tour playing Walker’s music, the trio went into
the studio on an off-day and improvised freely. The results
avoid anything resembling traditional technique. The
album begins with metallic crashing and bass scratching;
the guitarist elicits noises from his fretboard that evoke
flute or saxophone pads being struck rapidly. Right asthings begin to cohere, and Corsano brings this meeting toorder, the track ends, foreshadowing things to come.
Walker evokes the sound of a melting guitar at thestart of “Unlike an Empty Box”, making it howl like someof Black Flag’s excursions into free jazz, where enthusiasm
didn’t always find a good direction. The track’s concluding
rhythmic amp static stops being amusing pretty quickly,
yet continues for an additional and unnecessary 30
rather annoying seconds. When the trio stretches out for
13 minutes (“Counterfeit Egg”), it brings up the album’s
main issue: the musicians sound less like an improvisingtrio than three people playing concurrently. Corsano’s
presence might help, but he’s unfortunately buried in
the mix, behind incessant bass tapping and harmonics.
Extended technique can be fun, but this set feels like thepreparation before the group interaction actually starts.
For
more
info
visit
relativepitchrecords.com
andhuskypantsrecords.bandcamp.com. Chris Corsano is at Nublu
Dec. 6. See Calendar.

Art of the Trio
The Michael Carvin Experience (MCE Music)
by Marco CangianoWith his illustrious resumé, Michael Carvin rightly

belongs in the distinguished club of musician’s musician.
In addition to leading his own groups and being one ofjazz’ most respected drum teachers, he has collaborated
with a who’s-who from the post-hard bop arena, amassing
a discography of 250+ recording credits. This month, heturns 79, continuiing to be robust, as evidenced by his
latest recording.
On this album by his Experience trio (Lanny Hartly,
piano; Sezin Ahmet Turkmenoglu, bass) he has chosen
to revisit eight familiar standards. Although relatively
unknown to the wider public, Hartly and Turkmenoglu aresolid throughout. The former has worked as a conductor forshows such as Ain’t Misbehavin’ and The Late Great Ladies ofBlues and Jazz. A touching solo-piano version of “Who Can
I Turn To”, made immortal by Bill Evans, exposes Hartly’s
most intimate side. The latter is a University of Southern
California graduate who has performed with Stanley
Jordan, Bob Mintzer and Peter Erskine. Turkmenoglu’s
big round bass sound is well showcased throughout, butparticularly on the trio’s rendition of “Round Midnight”.
It is, of course, Carvin’s tasteful and imaginative
drumming that holds the proceedings all together. Carvin
may be more at ease on up-tempos, where his approach

resembles Philly Joe Jones, but his impeccable taste
underscores pieces such as “The Way You Look Tonight”
and “These Foolish Things”, where he provides a clinicon brushes. Surprisingly, Carvin reserves very little solo
space for himself despite being one of the most exciting
drummers for decades, as the exchanges in “This Will
Be the Start” and “Paper Moon” demonstrate. While theprogram may come across as relatively conventional, it’s
deceptive: “Softly as in a Morning Sunrise” receives anastonishingly ethereal treatment, in which the main theme
emerges slowly, but only toward the end after an intense
three-way conversation by this empathetic trio.
For more info visit michaelcarvin.com

Good Company
Simón Willson (Fresh Sound New Talent)by Jason Gross

With an impressive career already firmly established,bassist/composer Simón Willson was overdue to make his
debut album as a leader. Born in Chile, and now a New York
resident, Willson has worked over the last several years
with everyone from Dave Douglas to Ethan Iverson. Herehe has assembled an arresting quartet, with Jacob Shulman(tenor), Isaac Wilson (piano) and Jonas Esser (drums).
The first half of the album is almost a playground fortenor saxophonist Shulman, who’s free and wild on theopener “Being on Free Time”, playful on the sweet, lively
swing of “Business Card”, languid on “No More X” (also afeature for the pianist’s block chords), breezy on “Snacks”
and melancholy on “Calma“, which also features a nicelanguid bass solo by the leader.
The second half of the album is where Willson shows
off his songwriting skills. Pianist Wilson’s slow carefulplaying leads off the delicate ballad “Gracious” before
revving up into a bouncy groove and then alternating
between tempos; there are sections where he’s mostly on
his own, passages playing off Shulman and a bouncy basssolo at the end. “Not Necessary” also alternates between adelicate ballad and galloping pace; the pianist here applies
a light touch à la Vince Guaraldi and Esser gets frisky inthe middle, before Wilson and Willson play off each other.
“Viridiana” (a sax-less piano trio) has a nice light strolling
feel and elegant Ellington-like theme.
All of this leads up to two extraordinary pieces that
culminate the album. “My Respects” (dedicated to “victims
of injustice”) starts with a considered piano solo. Shulman
enters mournfully, backed by Esser’s subtle cymbal
shadings. The fascinatingly complex “Loops” is built
from bubbly bass lines, quiet cymbal rolls and quizzical
piano. The sound of Shulman’s tenor saxophone floats
lithely over the ensemble, repeating a light-hearted theme
at first, then hitting a fast, more intense tone. Drummer
Esser then gets more insistent as Willson subtly solos inthe background; there’s a quiet, intense dialog between the
pianist and drummer before Shulman comes back with areturn of his theme. The leader then follows with a concisefeature before a display of screaming saxophone. It’s adazzling ending and the start of a promising career for thisbassist/bandleader.
For more info visit freshsoundrecords.com. Willson’s Trio is at
Down & Out Dec. 17. Willson is also at Bar Bayeux Dec. 1 &9, at Ornithology Dec. 8 and Owl Music Parlor Dec. 9, all withPeter Watrous Quintet; at Ornithology Dec. 8 and Smalls Dec.
10, both with Mike Troy Quartet; and Lowlands with Kevin Sun
Dec. 19. See Calendar.

THE NEW YORK CITY JAZZ RECORD | December 2023 21

CHRIS
BOTTI
HOLIDAY RESIDENCY
Celebrating Blue Note Records
Album Release: VOL. 1

DEC 11
thru
thru
JAN 7

Renderings
Chuck Owen and the WDR Big Band
(with guest Sara Caswell) (MAMA)
by Jim Motavalli

Chuck Owen is a masterful big band leader andarranger, and the band doesn’t have to be his own. That’s
the takeaway from this album with the 18-piece WDR Big
Band from Cologne, Germany. Owen, who conducted
his own charts, showcases writing from within the band,
often featuring the composer as soloist. And he knows
how to keep a big band light on its feet—the music neverblares, and the WDR band both hits the pocket pretty
hard and demonstrates an admirable lightness of touch.
Owen’s arrangements tend to gather momentum
as they go along, with the full band taking wing only inthe second half. All the pieces are relatively long, giving
plenty of solo space. Three of the selections are by Owen
but only one, “Knife’s Edge”, is new—inspired by an
intimidating trail at Maine’s Mount Katahdin. It’s abright, upbeat piece, with Paul Heller jumping out of thebox on tenor before Andy Haderer’s trumpet, sounding
like a mid ‘60s Freddie Hubbard. The two horns spar andweave to thrilling effect before another written section
and some high-note blowing by the soloists. Hans Dekker,
in particular, sounds great on drums.
Mattis Cederberg’s tuba is featured on the intro to“…And Your Point Is?“. The tune is Owen’s and waswritten for his sextet. Andy Hunter takes an extroverted
but subtle trombone solo, followed by Gabor Bolla’s
fluid tenor solo. The horns weave, as they do on “Knife’sEdge”, but what’s this? It’s a funky soul-jazz organ solo
via PA-born Billy Test, who holds the WDR piano chair.
Special mention should also be made of “Of Mystery and
Beauty” by Karolina Strassmayer. It’s one of two tracks
to feature violinist Sara Caswell. Strassmayer herself ison alto, sounding relaxed and taking an extended solo
cushioned by the band. There’s a Charlie Parker with
Strings feel. Then it’s Caswell’s turn to be lofted upby the band, and she turns in some soaring, searchingplaying in the upper register. Strassmayer’s horn is also
featured on “Fall Calls” (written by John Goldsby). It’sa tender ballad with guitarist Phillipp Brämswig, withthe alto saxophonist providing counterpoint. The soundof her soaring over the band is alone worth the price ofadmission.
“This Love of Mine” (by Sol Parker, Hank Sanicola),with lyrics by Sinatra himself, was first performed by
Tommy Dorsey and the “Chairman of the Board” in1941. The band offers subtle shading in a relatively
conventional arrangement, with Billy Test on piano.
Brämswig doesn’t sound like the same guitarist on
Chick Corea’s “Arabian Nights” (from Corea’s Ultimate
Adventure); Corea actually played the tune in-personwith Owen’s Jazz Surge group. The guitarist serves up
a long, slowly-building rock solo out of Mike Stern andJimi Hendrix, and even a faint Al Di Meola influence canbe detected.
“A Ridge Away”, from Owen’s River Runs concerto,
has a late-night Chet Baker feel, with trumpeter Breuls
and Test again on piano. The album ends with “Canoe”
by Johan Hörlén, and features the composer on alto
saxophone plus Ludwig Nuss’ trombone. Its fingersnapping melody provides a great, swinging way to go
out for this must-have big band album.
For more info visit summitrecords.com. Sara Caswell is at
Birdland Theater with Frank Vignola Dec. 20. See Calendar.

22 December 2023 | THE NEW YORK CITY JAZZ RECORDFor Rhina P. Espaillat
Steve Swell (Relative Pitch)
Kurt Schwitters Would Have Been Pleased
Special Ops (Idyllic Noise)
For the People of the Open Heart
Swell/Tokar/Kugel (Fundacja Słuchaj)by Elijah Shiffer

The trombone is an instrument particularly well-suited

to free improvisation. Its capacity for a full range ofpitches beyond tempered scales, and seemingly unlimited
possibilities for quirky extended techniques, have drawn
many trombonists into the avant garde. Steve Swell has
explored the instrument’s potential in this setting as muchas anyone. On three recent releases, he gives a taste ofjust how far one can explore on the trombone, while also
displaying a highly individual voice as an improviser.
Rather surprisingly, For Rhina P. Espaillat is Swell’s
first entirely solo album; its title references a poet whose
works often concern artistic longevity. Here he places thefocus squarely on noise and abstraction in a collectionof esoteric soundscapes. One of the few aural handles tograsp is his bluesy riffing toward the end of the 18-minuteopener “Hope”. The other seven tracks are short sketches,
each staying within a single texture. These condensed
blocks of improvisation feel like field recordings
documenting traditional music of some distant dimension
in the multiverse.
Swell presents a slightly more accessible style in trio
settings with bass and drums. Kurt Schwitters Would Have
Been Pleased, recorded in 2012, features the Special Ops trio
in which the trombonist is joined by Jon Rune Strøm (bass)and Michael Vatcher (drums). This album is also named fora poet, of sorts: the Dada polymath Schwitters is revered
among avant garde musicians as the author of Ursonate, anepic of non-linguistic sound poetry. The collective soundhere is both very free and very tight, full of spontaneous
yet coordinated shifts of dynamics, and transitions in andout of tempo. This applies to both the extended opener“There Are Many Memories” and the shorter tracks that
follow. The last and longest of the six tracks, “Jimmy
Knepper Knew”, is more tonal and steadily rhythmic
than the others, in a suitably Mingus-esque blues mood.
Though there is plenty of raw instrumental power, thisis not an overly loud album. Vatcher brings a distinctive,
subtle layer of intricacy to the quieter moments with his
vocabulary of clicking and rattling licks. The slipperinessof the trombone and bass make this a visceral music, felt
much more strongly in the body than the head.
For the People of the Open Heart finds Swell in anothertrio, this time with Mark Tokar (bass) and Klaus Kugel(drums). This is another closely interconnected ensemble,
despite the lack of steady tempo throughout almost allnine tracks. The convergence of trombone and bass phrases
near the end of “Found Poetry” almost sounds composed.
Tokar and Kugel sound like they are improvising against
each other in the album opener “Let It Grow”, but in “TheOngoing” they play a fascinating stop-and-start game
together behind Swell. On one track in both trio albums,
Swell doubles on a high-pitched recorder or pennywhistle
and his wailing on “Other Worlds” is an unhinged highpoint of the album. There are moments of introspective
noise here, but with Kugel’s blasting power and thetrombonist using fewer mutes than on Kurt Schwitters
Would Have Been Pleased, the overall sonic environment ismore bombastic than the earlier recording.
For more info visit relativepitchrecords.com, idyllicnoise.com
and sluchaj.bandcamp.com. Swell is at The Delancey with Gene
Pritsker Brass Quartet Dec. 1 and at Saint Peter’s Dec. 6 as partof the Dom Minasi Memorial Concert. See Calendar.
(ALBUM REVIEWS CONT’D. PG. 26)

Live JAZZ
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Marchione,
Chudoba,BrandonLee and“Farewell toJohn
JingleBells”, hedeconstructs
theAlexsongNorris
into(trumpets),Andrew
Gould, Alejandro
Aviles,
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Luiscontemplation.
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are sprinkled
amongfamiliar
seasonal fare:
US isBasile
Given” (saxophones),and “Run, Run, Run
to Bethlehem!”,
Hernandez
and“ToFrankMark
Patterson,
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a reverent
meditation
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Ryan
Keberle,John Yao
and James
Borowski(trombones),
from
a
slow
waltz
to
a
skippingjoy,
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Luis Perdomo (piano), Vinny Valentino (guitar), Boris Kozlov
statement of arrival. Most church-based celebrations of Christmas(bass)and Samuel
Torresuse Tchaikovsky’s
place “Silent
Night” highon the (percussion)
altar. Brubeck honors
that tradition,
belovedmusic
asa
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for
combining classical technique with intuitive jazz (holiday-)spiritedphrasing. For fun,“Winter Wonderland”
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fine-tunedandglissandi,flourishes,fromtinklesandturns. The
jazziestwhich
cut iselementsrich textures
thevarioussections,“Santa Claus Is Coming to Town” with hints of ragtime and blues.
includesome of the finest big band elves you can find. The
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modernizes
thingspercussion
andthis cooland magicalalbumwithis theexploratory
soul that Brubeck
infuses into
different
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we additionallycelebrateanddeathaversary
this monthwithathisnew“March”,
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beingfriskyslinky “Dance
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Sarah andwill neverrelease aof theFor
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new holiday album again, there’s solace in Samara Joy, the“WaltzoftheFlowers”.
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wethehave
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name““O Come,
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all lovingly
arrangedby Leonhard
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andbarely 24 minutes long. The six tracks go by quickly, leaving thedirectedby Jazzrausch founder/leader Roman Sladek. The
listener wanting much more.
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takelikeon throwing
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inplaya tight-yet-loose
ambience,
into“big bandplushighsinger”,
it’s a festive nine tracks of thea classic
microwave
on thesetting.
sacred and secular with vocalist Kristen Lee Sergeant. Nearly all
Lyn Stanley’s entry into the genre, Novel Noëlof the arrangements are by Nash, the exception “A Child Is Born”,(Aarranged
Jingle Jazz
Celebration), begins
slightlyYouby altosaxophonist
Sherman
Irby.blue
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Santa
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supporting
hervoice,
which
moves
from
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solos by Paul Nedzela (baritone) and Marcus Printup (trumpet).
to“Sleighreverent.
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Stanley
includessomeRide”, by the master of the two-minute instrumental,songs
Leroy
that
are Christmas-adjacent
like “ComeDancewithWith
Me”,
Anderson,is expanded to a thrilling
five minutes,
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at high“It’s
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Look propelling
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inspeed.
Vermont”
alongside thetypical is“HaveYourself
vocalese “Blue Xmas (To Whom It May Concern)”. This is the kind
Merry
Christmas”,“LittleBoy” and“Holyof tuneLittle
that only
Bob Doroughcould Drummer
write, with additional
lyricsbyNight”.
TheThearrangements
nicelytovaried,fromtraditional
Sergeant.
song is ironicare
enoughtake theedge
off any
bigband toLatin toAnd
lushdidpop.
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a memogo Woogie
out that Santaevery holiday
album must
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benefitsfrombacking
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a higherrange,featuring
a nicea Nash solo,
is reminiscentof thetone,
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justcontrast
to Stanley’s
deeperthemellow
bonusandtrack,
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Did Holidays
You Know”,
tinge underneath
open fire.
harks hasbackatopsychedelica simpler, traditionaltime but initsa smoothness
intended.
decidedly freshthat
andprobably
up-to-datewasn’t
way, bringing
the best of bothworlds to happy holiday-making.

For
information,
visit joemccarthymusic.com,
For moremore info
visit craftrecordings.com,
ververecords.com andactmusic.com
and Joylynstanley.com.
McCarthy’sNewsunnysiderecords.com.
is at The Apollo Dec.
14-15. The Nash/
Sergeant
concertis at Gotham
Restaurant
Dec.
17.
York
Afroalbum
Bop release
Alliance
Big Bandis at Dizzy’s
Club
Dec.
See Calendar.
14th.
See Calendar.

THE
THENEW
NEWYORKYORKCITYCITYJAZZJAZZRECORD
RECORD||DECEMBER
December2022
2023 35
25

(ALBUM REVIEWS CONT’D. FROM PG. 22)

Grand Company
Ray Gallon (Cellar Music)
by Ken Dryden

NEW RELEASE!
Erika Paul & David Aller
Our Christmas Gift to You
Enjoy the full sound of this duo performing
unique instrumental and vocal
arrangements of 15 original andclassic holiday gems!
“The Holiday Season is Here”“Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy”“Spending the Holidays with You”
“Merry Christmas Darling”“The Christmas Song”“Mary Did You Know”“Santa Baby”“Santa Bring Daddy Back Home”“Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas”“All I Want for Christmas is You”
“Petit Papa Noel”“Blue Christmas”“Driving Home for Christmas”“Christmas Time is Here”“Wishing You a Swingin’ Happy Holiday”

NOW AVAILABLE WORLDWIDE!
"Keep on blessing the public with your talents.”
HORACE SILVER- legendary jazz pianist“Tasty, uncluttered, jazz-at-it's-depths to enjoy
for years to come…"
Francesca Nemko (Downbeat, Jazz Now)

Pianist Ray Gallon may be one of New York City’s best
kept secrets. A veteran sideman with a career spanning overfour decades, Gallon was mentored by greats including
John Lewis, Jaki Byard, Jimmy Rowles and Steve Kuhn.
He has worked with Lionel Hampton, Ron Carter and Lew
Tabackin, and had a long career as a jazz educator. Yet hedidn’t make his debut recording as a leader until 2021,
with the excellent Make Your Move. This follow-up is evenmore formidable, with both Carter and drummer Lewis
Nash joining. Their chemistry is immediately apparent.
On the leader’s jaunty take of Duke Ellington’s “Drop
Me Off in Harlem”, his offbeat chords suggest Thelonious
Monk, while his melodic improvisations favor Bud Powell.
Because the late Bill Evans recorded Miles Davis’ “Nardis”
so many times, every pianist’s interpretation is inevitablycompared. Gallon is more laid-back than Evans, and thetrio infuses the piece with a gentle Latin groove. The
program also features a pair of chestnuts from the ’30s—a
hip, playful interpretation of “If I Had You” and a beautiful
reharmonization of “Old Folks”, a favorite of Ron Carter’s
decades ago when Gallon first became his sideman.
The pianist also excels as a composer. His mysterious
ballad “Zombette” has a sense of foreboding, the haunting
yet infectious theme delivered with ominous chords
and a bit of whimsy, as Carter’s soft bass playing andNash’s brushwork round out the piece. The lively “Pinsand Needles” brings to mind Bud Powell at the heightof his career; Carter’s constantly shifting bass line andNash’s strong pulse receive vocal encouragement in the
background, presumably from the pianist. The plucky
rhythms and upbeat melody of “Monkey Bars” (on which
Nash contributes a strong solo) suggest children at play.
Ray Gallon proves himself an inventive pianist andinspired composer here with two masters.
For more info visit cellarlive.com. Gallon is at Mezzrow Dec. 7
and at Cellar Dog Dec. 10. See Calendar.

With Freedom (featuring Sam Dillon)
Mark Sherman (Miles High)by Marco Cangiano
PHYSICAL LINK:
amazon.com/Christmas-Gift-Erika-David-Aller/dp/B0CJGY7W8W
DIGITAL/STREAMING LINK:
orcd.co/epdaocgty
WEBSITE:
thejazzlady.com
Facebook - Instagram - Twitter/X - Threads YouTube - Amazon Music - Spotify

This is pianist/vibraphonist Mark Sherman’s twentieth

album under his own name, and it is a compellingstatement of jazz’ good health. The quartet Sherman
has assembled here includes Sam Dillon (tenor) and theimpressive rhythmic duo of Ugonna Okegwo (bass) andJohnathan Blake (drums). Their music falls squarely into
a post-bop/Coltrane vein (the program is mostly originals
with a few less-played standards associated with Coltrane),though Sherman’s juxtaposition of piano and vibraphone,in particular, helps give the music its distinctive character.

26 December 2023 | THE NEW YORK CITY JAZZ RECORD“I’ll Wait and Pray” is executed as a duo with Dillon,
who shines throughout: over the course of the album,
he offers a clinic on modern tenor sax playing within
the tradition. His sound can be raucous on ballads andmedium-tempo tunes such as “Fanny O”; meanwhile,
Dillon is muscular or even explosive on “Third Eye
Vision”, “Transcendence“ (in which the quartet comes
ever-so close to the classic Coltrane quartet sound) and“Love Thy Neighbor” (the late Joe Farrell comes to mind).
Okegwo and Blake have regrettably little solo space, otherthan a brief exchange in “Love Thy Neighbor”, but the twosound supple yet sturdy, like a reincarnation of Wilbur
Ware and Philly Joe Jones. Blake is particularly effective at
distributing unexpected accents with precision, lightness
and taste. Last but not least, Sherman’s contributions
should not be overlooked: his capable shifting between
piano and vibes is well showcased in “Fanny O”, and as
pianist his deep appreciation, not imitation, of McCoy
Tyner is evident on “Transcendence”.
For more info visit mileshighrecords.com. Sherman is at Smalls
Dec. 28. See Calendar.

They Tried to Kill Me YesterdayPaul r. Harding/Michael Bisio/Juma Sultan(ESP-Disk’)by John Pietaro

The inclusion of spoken word artistry within the ranks

of free jazz has a long history that goes back to the Beatgeneration and has been part of jazz’ most revolutionary
epochs. Paul r. Harding, who hails from the Boston area,
is a much-lauded writer who has been the recipient of a2010 Pulitzer, an international PEN award and a National
Book Award. That said, his spoken word performance on
They Tried to Kill Me Yesterday is radical, grassroots stuff,
informed by the full blues-drenched Black Arts repertoireof jazz poetry. In 2022, Harding wrote: “the Blues has its
sharpest patterns, straight pins but fingers on a ‘National’
guitar. The Strings—merely Juxtaposing needlepoints.”
All of this becomes evident on this latest release.
Harding, in collaboration with bassist Michael
Bisio and (on several cuts) the legendary Juma Sultan(percussion), carves out new territory while celebrating
past history. The poet (a drummer in his earlier days)
wraps his words about the underground melodies emitted
by Bisio’s upright. The opening cut, “Forgive, Forgive,
Forgive”, with its sung refrain, drips with profoundirony. Once Sultan enters (“New World Gypsy Dawn”),
the rhythm threaded through the poetry turns profound,supported by Bisio’s harmolodic journeying and Sultan’s
throbbing hand drums. However, it’s the title piece(enlivened perhaps by Terrance Hayes’ stirring “American
Sonnet for My Once and Future Assassin”) that finds
Harding’s syllabic bending, repetitive patterning andpoetic streams flooding the listener’s consciousness. And
then there’s the brief, vital “Hard to Watch”: “Hard to watch/ not hard to look at / On the contrary / …like feudal wading oftime / sung in a woman’s blues song… / Hard to ignore / like
Billie’s bounce.”
With memories of jazz past as well as Brooklyn
gone, They Tried to Kill Me Yesterday, created by a nativeof Massachusetts and recorded in Kingston, NY, capturesa shadowy vision of NYC that we possibly haven’t heard
since the closing foray of Amiri Baraka’s Blue Ark.
For more info visit espdisk.com. Harding is at Downtown Music
Gallery Dec. 26. See Calendar.

B OXED SE T

Hot House: The Complete Jazz at
Massey Hall Recordings
Charlie Parker/Dizzy Gillespie/Bud Powell/
Charles Mingus/Max Roach(Craft Recordings)
by Tom Greenland

L istening again to this iconic May 15, 1953
concert by Charlie Parker (alto), Dizzy Gillespie(trumpet), Bud Powell (piano), Charles Mingus(bass) and Max Roach (drums) is a bit like poringover an old family photo album: the images might
be murky and faded but there’s a clear sense of
who those people were and how much they mean
to you. This reissue is the first to include both theoriginal recordings (six quintet numbers, a drum
solo, six piano trio numbers) plus the same six
quintet numbers with Mingus’ overdubs. Since theoriginal tape, made by an inebbriated soundman
50 years of jazz recordings
Complete catalog: www.steeplechase.dk

CD - download - streaming

SCCD 31948

using the hall’s public address system, lost muchof the bass parts, Mingus later tried to fix this in
the mix, doing an incredible job of emulating live
energy in the studio. Many jazz fans will haveheard these overdubbed versions, and some may
be familiar with the 2002 Jazz Factory release of
the undubbed originals. This new release allows
comparison between the two.
Without the overdubs, it can be difficult tofollow the song forms, as many tunes are taken
at rapid tempos and Parker, Gillespie and Powellwere all masters of over-the-bar phrasing that
resisted Mingus and Roach’s anchoring pulse
in artful ways. While you can certainly feel thebassist’s rhythmic presence on the originals, it’svery difficult to distinguish his actual note choices
and any triplets, syncopations and other subtleties
are gone. Mingus ‘improved’ the original tracks
by adding, in addition to walking basslines, abrazen bass cadenza at the end of “Perdido”,
an ostentatious flourish behind Gillespie’s
cadenza on “A Night in Tunisia”, and a brandnew bass solo on “All the Things You Are”.
Interestingly, his original solo on “Hot House”,
now more prominent in the mix (thanks to current
remastering technology) was left as is. If you’re
not a purist, you’ll probably prefer the overdubbed
versions, particularly if you want to hear how thesoloists’ rhythmic trickery comes into high relief
against Mingus’ bedrock bass. Other aspects of the

new CD releases
fall 2023

SCCD 31949

sound have been improved as well, particularly
the separation of parts on the drumkit, but muchof the charm of this near-perfect record remains in
its imperfections.
Various problems accompanied the show.
There was low audience turn-out and a numberof personal issues: Gillespie was distracted by aradio broadcast of a championship boxing matchoccurring simultaneously, Powell had to be led
to the piano by a court-appointed guardian andParker walked onstage (according to eyewitness
Don Brown) “looking like an unmade bed,”
wielding a white plastic saxophone because his
Selmer was in hock. Despite such setbacks, theshow still stands as a classic in the history of
jazz, and with good reason. These men were tops
at their art and craft, and they brought out theirbest in the heat of this concert. Almost every solo
could be a treatise on how to play jazz. Even moreamazing is their teamwork, how these strong,disparate individuals work together as one. You
hear this convergence reflected in the musicians’
and audience’s responses, how closely everyonein that hall is attuned to each telling detail, eachnuance, how deeply they appreciate the collective
experience.
For more info visit craftrecordings.com. The Mingus
Orchestra is at Birdland Theater Dec. 15-17; Mingus Big
Band is at Drom Dec. 4, 11, 18. See Calendar.

Special Audiences and Musicians, Inc.
Benefit Concert

SCCD 31950

Anticipated artists to perform: George Coleman,
Jimmy Owens, Peter Bernstein, Scott Robinson, Ron McClure,
Virginia Mayhew, Javier Arau, Ehud Asherie+ more surprise guests
SCCD 31951

SCCD 33150

US distribution:

SCCD 31952

SCCD 36509

SCCD 31953

SCCD 36509

Sunday December 10th, 2023

National Jazz Museum in Harlem
58 W. 129th Street, NYC (2 – 4PM)
Tickets $35
www.specialaudiencesandmusicians.org
RSVP: Jeffrey.nussbaum@gmail.com"Creative music is for everyone, not just an elite few. Expanding accessto the beneﬁts of a creative life, for all people, is so important. I salute
Special Audiences And Musicians for their efforts in carrying on thislife-changing work.” – Scott Robinson

www.statesidemusic.com email: info@statesidemusic.com

THE NEW YORK CITY JAZZ RECORD | December 2023 27

IN PRINTThe Sam Rivers Sessionography: A Work In Progress
Rick Lopez (The Vortex)
by John Sharpe

H aving already published a William Parker
Sessionography in 2014, Rick Lopez has done anotherstunning job pulling together this mammoth 768page tome on the work of the great Sam Rivers (19232011). It had to be this big, because Rivers (who wecommemorate, as the day after Christmas this month
represents the 12-year deathaversary) was a largerthan-life presence on the scene. His credits include
performances with figures from across the jazz
spectrum, including Billie Holliday, Miles Davis,
Dizzy Gillespie and Cecil Taylor. Not only that, but hepersonified the self-reliant ethos of his times, whether
through running the legendary Studio Rivbea in theheart of the New York loft scene, or holding together
a regularly performing big band for the last two
decades of his life after he decamped to Florida.
While associated largely with the avant garde, Rivers

composed some 500 works, cultivating an exploratory
pan-stylistic approach which nonetheless mined thejazz tradition.
The book itemizes not only 121 official leader
and sideman dates, but also thousands of unofficial
tapes and concert listings. Infinitely more than a drylist of recording sessions and gigs, the book includes
500+ photographs and flyers for shows as well as
extracts from interviews with Rivers, his family andhis collaborators from across his career. Some comefrom published sources, or from transcriptions ofradio broadcasts; others were conducted by the author
and writer Ed Hazell in person. Altogether, they
offer as comprehensive a portrait of Rivers as you
could possibly imagine, one enlivened by Lopez’ wry
observations and his painstaking attention to detail.
Lopez calculates he spent 15 weeks (!) perusing backcopies of The Village Voice for listings. Even with sucha meticulous approach, some mysteries still remain.
Did Rivers actually punch Stanley Crouch to theground in a bust-up about conflicting bookings insummer 1977? Well, Lopez quotes eye witnesses whocome down on both sides. “Embrace the mythology,”
as he says. While not a cover-to-cover read, the bookprovides a treasure trove of information, and endlessinviting rabbit holes in which to get lost.
This is the perfect book for the avid Sam Rivers
fan in your life, and in a perfect world that would
really mean just about everybody.
For more info visit bb10k.com

28 December 2023 | THE NEW YORK CITY JAZZ RECORD

Chess Moves
Alex Norris (SteepleChase)by Ken Dryden

Trumpeter Alex Norris began his career in New York

City in 1992, when many artists his age sought to record as
leaders. But he chose to focus on contributing as a sideman
to numerous bands, in addition to pursuing a long career
as a jazz educator. His second SteepleChase album as
leader features his working band of the last 15 years, with
Ari Ambrose (tenor), Paul Gill (bass) and Brian Floody(drums) and with old friend Rick Germanson taking overpiano duties from Jeremy Manasia.
Norris’ originals aren’t overly flashy or complex,
just catchy themes that invite creative improvising. The
quintet is quickly afire with his bright album title original,a straight ahead post-bop gem featuring brief but effective
solos by both horn players, Germanson and Gill (on arcobass). The colorful “Short Waltz” reveals Norris’ lyrical side
as both a writer and player; his solo is cleanly articulated
and notably lacking in filler. The swaggering, upbeat “TooMany Trips” has a bluesy hard bop flavor, with Ambrose’s
soulful tenor playing as its centerpiece. “No News” is built
from a bluesy opening riff that quickly sets an infectious
groove, each solo building to a series of exchanges with the
drummer, by Germanson, Ambrose and then Norris.

The sole standard, “My Ideal”, is a lush duet
between the pianist and Norris on muted trumpet. It’s amasterful performance that would quickly quiet a noisy
club. “Bossa Tranquillo” isn’t a typical bossa nova due
to its detours into secondary lines, but it holds listenerinterest with superb solos and Floody’s strong pulse
driving the band. Norris’ “There It Went” is a creative
contrafact of the warhorse “Gone with the Wind”, carriedby the leader’s effusive trumpet playing and Ambrose’s
gritty tenor. “Lights Out” is harmonically rich, set at arelaxed but swinging tempo, with Germanson’s diverse
background colors providing ample support for the horn
frontline. “For a Change” is a barely disguised contrafactof “East of the Sun”, but the new melodic line over thefamiliar changes fuels some of the best playing of thisenjoyable session.
For more info visit steeplechase.dk. Norris is at The Django
with Conrad Herwig’s Latin Side All-Stars every Tuesday. See
Calendar.

Están?” and “Presente”—slogans chanted in responseto the disappearance of individuals due to their beliefs.
Alcorn masterfully weaves this narrative, intertwining
with the traditional instruments to gracefully bridge pastand present. The suite concludes with an homage to theChilean musician/activist Lukax Santana, symbolizing
the struggles faced by the Chilean people during the
dictatorial Pinochet regime (1973-1990). Following asincere tribute to Sosa, Irarrazabal sings an anthemic
rendition of Jara’s “El Derecho de Vivir en Paz”.
On both releases, Alcorn crafts sophisticated stories
that resonate across disparate contexts. Her long-term
commitment to freeing the pedal steel guitar fromstereotypical constraints expands to encompass a broader
concept of freedom in general.
For more info visit relativepitchrecords.com andcleanfeed-records.com. Alcorn is at Saint Peter’s as part of the
Dom Minasi Memorial Concert Dec. 13. See Calendar.

DEC 13–17 ROSE THEATERBIG BAND HOLIDAYS
Canto
Susan Alcorn Septeto del Sur (Relative Pitch)
Manifesto
Susan Alcorn/José Lencastre/Hernâni Faustino(Clean Feed)by Elliott Simon

Canto teams pedal steel guitarist Susan Alcorn with six

Chilean musicians for a large-scale suite in praise of Nueva
Canción, the musical and political movement that arosein the ’60s to promote equality and justice. In contrast,
Manifesto is a stripped-down improvisational expeditionin partnership with Portuguese instrumentalists José
Lencastre (saxophone) and Hernâni Faustino (bass).
Together, these albums demonstrate Alcorn’s versatility,
technical expertise and dedication to both artistic andsocial liberation.
The absence of drums and percussion on Manifesto
fosters a distinctive conversational idiom. Lencastre
and Faustino knew each other well before the session,
but neither had met Alcorn before. However, all share apassion for unrestricted exploration. Angular passages,
spontaneous creation and moments of abstraction pushsonic and compositional boundaries. The bassist often
plays a supportive role, elegantly buttressing Alcorn’sstatements. Lencastre, reticent on lengthy opener “ThePoet”, is anything but on “Two Distant Realities” inwhich he attempts to cajole and redirect the pedal steel
guitarist’s contributions. On “Sombra”, Alcorn’s lap steel
guitar engages with Lencastre with countrified, albeit
silky licks. In this unhampered environment, subtlety
and intuition take precedence over convention, resulting
in compelling soundscapes.
Canto presents Alcorn in relatively unfamiliarinternational company but in a more structured setting.
The group was assembled expressly for this endeavor by
jazz guitarist Luis “Toto” Alvarez with bassist Amanda
Irarrazabal, to represent Chile’s folkloric and Nueva
Canción tradition; the band also includes Claudio Araya(drums, cuatro), Francisco Araya (charango, quena),
Rodrigo Bobadilla (flute, guitar) and Danka Villanueva(violin). Mercedes Sosa and Victor Jara, hailed as folk
legends and powerful change agents, deeply influence thesession’s style and approach. Alcorn seamlessly blends
into the ensemble, where contemporary compositions
rooted in folk protest traditions merge with modern
improvisatory jazz elements.
Villanueva’s mournful violin is at the heart of thehauntingly beautiful “Suite Para Todos” that precedes
Canto’s three-part titular suite which includes “¿Dónde

Spotlighting soulful big band versions of classic holiday tunes,
this perennial favorite features the Jazz at Lincoln Center
Orchestra with Wynton Marsalis and emerging star singer
Ashley Pezzotti with music direction by Marcus Printup.

Natural Bounce
Rob Garcia 4 (Fresh Sound New Talent)by Andrew Hamlin

Pelham’s own Rob Garcia fashioned his own three

Natural Bounce short tracks, each incorporating, as the
drummer notes, the “natural rhythm of a dropped stickbouncing.” “#1” leaps between toms and a not-too-dry
snare, the runs running faster, more complex, like turning
your faucet on, little by little. “#2” uses the bass drumfor punctuation early on, so you’ll be listening for its rare
intrusions again, and for the skins in harmony (I got into apitched battle with a music head once, on whether drums
can give us melody, much less harmony—no prizes forguessing which side I picked.) “#3” elicits drama fromwhat sounds like pencils rattling in a cup, before moving
to cymbals, then around the rest of the kit.
The bold “let it ring” dynamic on “#2” proves usefulfor the segue to “Mr. KC”, where bassist Kim Cass takes
off on a melody line built entirely from harmonics.
Cass never quits probing, questioning, at the centerof the tune, not even when he drops down to just-theroots plucks. “A Flower for Diana Pt. 2” (you’ll have to
venture somewhere else in this world for any “Pt. 1”)
finds Garcia ringing cymbal bells to hurry time along,while tenor saxophonist Noah Preminger sluices across
Leo Genovese’s piano contributions in a fetching roughand-sweet combo.
“Gary Song”, inspired by both Cameroonian Bikutsi
tradition and a new friend made while on the road,features Genovese funky, Preminger funkier, Casstrying every medical/spiritual variation he can wring
out of one lub-dub heartbeat. The leader demonstrates,
more than usual, his thing for the kit as a concatenationof conversation—here a cymbal nobly nodding assent
to something, there toms a-murmur about somethingthat’s gone on too long, down low the bass drum in thebasement, hearing assent, murmur, mumbling, maybe
even a hint of menace, but content to occasionallypound a sign of life on the ceiling below so many floors.
Consensus, we must keep in mind, comes most easily
when a band is a well-oiled machine. Garcia’s mastered
the art of preserving the individual tensions of the parts,
until this machine stands and walks, then beckons to his
bandmates down the block.
For more info visit freshsoundrecords.com. Garcia’s album
release concert is at Ibeam Brooklyn Dec. 2. See Calendar.

JAN 12–13

UNITY FESTIVAL

One weekend—two evenings—more than 15 bands performing
live throughout The House of Swing. Experience Jazz at
Lincoln Center’s inaugural Unity Festival, featuring Scatterthe Atoms That Remain, Chief Adjuah, Linda May Han Oh,
Endea Owens, Summer Camargo, and more incredible artists
leading acoustic ensembles and electric projects.

JAN 19–20 ROSE THEATER

MAX ROACH CENTENNIAL: THE JLCO WITHWYNTON MARSALIS

Celebrate the centennial of the great drummer, bandleader,and activist Max Roach (1924–2007), a leader in the civilrights and social justice movements whose no-limits virtuosityand endless musicality made him a legend of modern jazz
drumming.

JAN 26–27 ROSE THEATER

THE BLUES WITH BOBBY RUSH
AND SHEMEKIA COPELAND

Two-time Grammy Award winner and Blues Hall of Famer
Bobby Rush is, at 90, one of the last living master blues
practitioners of his generation. A singer, harmonicist, andguitarist, he brings his soulful storytelling, gritty vocals,
and finger-picking guitar sound—rooted in the down-homeblues—to The Appel Room. Multi-Grammy nominatedvocalist Shemekia Copeland will join Rush on stage after
she opens the show.

ASHLEY PEZZOTTI
Photo by Lawrence Sumulong

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

THE NEW YORK CITY JAZZ RECORD | December 2023 29

G LO B E U N I T Y

Retratos
Duo Kvaratskhelia (Acoustic Music)
MosaicJulian & Roman Wasserfuhr (ACT Music)
Live in Europe 2022
Akira Sakata & Entasis (Trost)by Daniel A. Brown

Family roots are often as important in jazz as swing.

Siblings have helped create, develop and guide themusic. The Heath Brothers (Albert, Jimmy and Percy);
the Jones Brothers (Elvin, Hank, and Thad); theMarsalises (Branford, Delfeayo, Jason and Wynton);
Wayne and Alan Shorter; Rashied and Muhammad
Ali and Europeans Rolf and Joachim Kühn; Albert
and Emil Mangelsdorff; François and Louis Moutin,
are all siblings that have collectively and respectively
made jazz a family affair. This month we explore threebrotherly and global releases—representing Latin
American, urban contemporary and international
improvised music—that all seem to ask the question:“Am I my brother’s timekeeper?”The latest from Duo Kvaratskhelia, Retratos is aneight-song release that concentrates on the work of
three South American composers: Radamès Gnattali,

Astor Piazzolla and Guido Santórsola. It hardly
matters whether the tasteful interplay between nylonstring guitarist-brothers David and Nick Kvaratskhelia
benefits from a genetic edge, or is simply the result of
the sensitivities and technical prowess of two top-tiermusicians. In their hands, the dynamic and fluctuating
tempos, typical of Latin American music, takes full
flight on their performance of Gnattali’s “Chiquinha
Gonzaga”: the dialogue between the brothers is richwith syncopated guitar flourishes, blurring the rolesof soloist and accompanist, never losing the focus of
Gnattali’s poignant composition. With guitar taps
and daredevil octave leaps, Duo Kvaratskhelia tackle
Piazzolla’s later composition, “Allegro” (from 1984’s
Tango Suite), with glee, culminating in a duel of
percussive hits and rapid-fire arpeggios.
Utilizing a big-band setting, the aptly named
Mosaic from trumpeter Julian Wasserfuhr and pianist
Roman Wasserfuhr is an elegiac and rapturous 11song collection. “Rêveries” features Roman tentatively
picking through a melody that is equal parts Satie andKeith Jarrett, atop a bed of string instruments; Julian
joins in with a muted solo that complements andexpands upon Roman’s slow-stroll piano. “Dakira” issheer jazz romanticism, bassist Markus Schieferdecker
and drummer Oliver Rehmann in gentle communionas Roman and Julian trade solos. On the other end of
the spectrum, “Never Hold Back” is restrained electric
funk meeting a freestyle rap from Harry Mack. Mosaic
never breaks new ground but also keeps its footing ina variety of contemporary jazz styles and group-and-

30 December 2023 | THE NEW YORK CITY JAZZ RECORD

solo playing.
Live in Europe 2022 from Akira Sakata & Entasis is a
deep dive into improvised music, a transmission fromsome nebula that contains elements of the past halfcentury of liberated jazz. Japanese reeds man Sakata
offers plenty of breathing room for the assembled
players to animate these six long-form performances,which are compiled from three different concerts withoverlapping personnel. Giotis Damianidis (guitar) ispresent on all three, and his brother Petros Damianidis(bass) joins in on “Live in Thessaloniki Pt. 1” and “Livein Thessaloniki Pt. 2”, which are especially demanding
and rewarding listens. Over the bedrock of pianist
Giovanni de Domenico’s flurry of shard-like arpeggios
and clusters, Giotis reveals himself to be a generator of
truly out electric guitar, evoking kindred players suchas Sonny Sharrock and Nels Cline and the twin-flame
guitar freakouts of Sonic Youth’s Thurston Moore and
Lee Ranaldo—musicians who gleefully obliterated
the barrier between jazz and rock. Throughout the
combined 40-minute swirl of “Thessaloniki”, Petros
seems to coax and crush ideas discovered by the band,
primarily through muscular pizzicato lines. At age 78,
Sakata remains a formidable player and his decision tofoster younger, fearless players is commendable.
All three of these releases are worthy offerings
that are highly varied in style and character—notunlike family itself.
For more info visit acoustic-music.de, actmusic.com andtrost.atSummer Me, Winter Me
Stacey Kent (Naïve)by Scott Yanow

Stacey Kent has a fetching voice and quietly expressive style,swings even at the slowest tempo and has flawless elocution(one can always understand the lyrics that she interprets).
Her recordings have been consistently rewarding throughout
her career, Summer Me, Winter Me being no exception.
For this project, Stacey Kent and her husband, thetenor saxophonist, flutist, arranger Jim Tomlinson, mostly
perform popular numbers requested by her fans and songs
that they had not previously recorded. On most selections,they are joined by Art Hirahara (piano), Tom Hubbard(bass) and Anthony Pinciotti (drums); three (of eleven)tracks utilize a different rhythm section, and a string
quartet is added to the first rendition of “If You Go Away”.
The opening five numbers, “Under Paris Skies”, “If
You Go Away”, Tomlinson’s “Thinking About the Rain”(a wistfully romantic tale about a temporary relationship)
and two Michel Legrand songs (including the title cut),find the vocalist sounding quite at home on the Frenchoriented material. And her melancholy interpretation of “If
You Go Away” is an album highlight. Tomlinson’s tenor
and flute playing are major assets, accentuating the moods
set by his arrangements and her singing.
The style changes with the joyful bossa treatment of“Happy Talk” (which has some Getz-ian tenor) and “ShowMe”. Tomlinson’s “Postcard Lovers” is about the hintsof life’s adventures that are written about on postcards,
while Jobim’s “Corcovado” is reharmonized and darker
than usual. After Tomlinson’s “A Song That Isn’t FinishedYet” (a clever love story about an affair with an as-yet
undetermined future), the enjoyable program concludes
with a second version of “If You Go Away”, this time sungin the original French (“Ne me quitte pas”).
Stacey Kent fans and those who enjoy hearing highquality jazz singing will certainly want this one.
For more info visit naiverecords.com. Kent is at Birdland
Dec. 13-16. See Calendar.

On a Clear Day: Live in Zurich, 1971
Oscar Peterson Trio (Mack Avenue/Two Lions)by Pierre Giroux

This previously unreleased live recording is a testament

to the remarkable talent of the legendary pianist Oscar
Peterson (who died 16 years ago this month), featuring
a new iteration of his trio with Niels-Henning Ørsted
Pedersen (bass) and the incomparable Louis Hayes(drums). Together they demonstrate enormous chemistry.
The set opens with a blistering version of “The Lamp
is Low”, where Peterson’s brilliance is fully displayed withlightning-fast runs and cascading arpeggios. AlthoughNHØP was new to the trio, his bass lines are exemplaryand Hayes’ drumming cuts like a knife through butter. The
following track, “Younger than Springtime”, comes fromthe Rodgers & Hammerstein musical South Pacific. On thisuptempo reading, Peterson demonstrates his usual highstandard of artistry with a block-chord-heavy solo; thebassist and drummer are self-assured, commanding forces.
“On a Clear Day”, from the Lane/Lerner musical On a
Clear Day You Can See Forever, is similarly brightly paced.
For a change of mood, the trio then turns to a restrained“Soft Winds”. NHØP is at the forefront, demonstrating
both his virtuosity and depth of tone. “Mack the Knife”
starts with a bit of a head fake by the pianist as he embarks
on a lengthy solo excursion covering the full scope of the
keyboard with effortless grandeur and dynamic swells.
NHØP and Hayes join midway through and are off at full
gallop; Peterson’s technique leaves the audience gasping.
Ferde Grofé’s “On the Trail” (from the Grand Canyon
Suite), closes things out on a swinging note. Again, the trio
demonstrates their versatility and ability to reinterpretfamiliar tunes with a fresh and innovative approach. This
live recording exquisitely captures Peterson’s uniqueartistry and is a testament to his legacy as one of jazz’ mostinfluential figures.

eek!

Open 7 Days a W

RING IN THE NEW YEAR
AT THE DJANGO
with vocalist Stella Katherin Cole
Seatings at 7PM and 10PM

For more info visit mackavenue.com

The Peplowski ProjectDavid Larsen (s/r)
by Ken Dryden

Multi-reed player David Larsen has long been a fan of Ken

Peplowski, one of the primary baby boomer mainstream
players who came to prominence with a brilliant seriesof albums made for Concord Jazz in the ’80s and ’90s.
Larsen planned this recording with Peplowski, whobrought a number of Al Cohn arrangements as a salutein part to the Al Cohn/Zoot Sims duo tenor partnership.
However, with Larsen switching between alto, tenor andbaritone saxophones plus clarinet, and Peplowski between
tenor and clarinet, this pairing creates a rich sound of
its own, backed by the accomplished rhythm section of
Jake Svendsen (piano), Josh Skinner (bass) and Brendan
McMurphy (drums). The two reed players meld together
as if their’s was a long-standing partnership.
They bring life to Johnny Mandel’s hip “BlackNightgown” (written for the soundtrack to I Want to Live).
Larsen’s potent, melodic baritone invites comparison to
Gerry Mulligan’s recordings of the song, while Peplowski’s
wry clarinet has a whimsical air. “Doodle Oodle” (basedon the chord changes to “Sweet Georgia Brown”) is a twotenor affair, not a battle but rather a fruitful exchange
where both men come out on top. The acid test for jazzmusicians is playing a ballad, and their lush setting of Duke
Ellington’s “In a Sentimental Mood” is gorgeous, opening
with Larsen’s sonorous baritone against Peplowski’s
inventive counter line; their individual solos are masterful.
“Love Me or Leave Me” is an old warhorse that seems
rarely played these days, but Peplowski’s twisting clarinet,
Svendsen’s engaging piano and the leader’s nimble
baritone revive it with a flourish. Larsen also contributes
several originals, including his hip baritone feature “He
Who Getz the Last Laugh”, buoyed by Skinner’s walking
bass and Svendsen’s bluesy piano. The rousing two-tenor
feature “Tenor for Dinner” best captures the flavor of theaforementioned Al Cohn–Zoot Sims partnership.
This rewarding session merits a follow-up recording
to further explore Cohn’s charts.
For more info visit larsenjazz.com. Ken Peplowski is at Birdland
Theater with Frank Vignola Dec. 7. See Calendar.

FRI
12/1

Jason Tiemann Quartet
Ben Stivers Quartet

7:30pm
10:30pm

SAT
12/2

Ed Cherry Quartet
Craig Handy And 2nd Line Smith

7:30pm
10:30pm

SUN
12/3

Caelan Cardello Quartet
Steve Ash Trio

6:30pm
9:30pmMON
12/4

Wilfie Williams Quartet
Ricardo Grilli Quartet

7:30pm
10:30pm

WED
12/6

Joe Farnsworth Quartet
Joe Strasser Quartet

7:30pm
10:30pm

THR
12/7

Itai Kriss Quartet
Mark Whitfield

7:30pm
10:30pm

SAT
12/9

Ron Jackson Trio
Nick Hempton Band

7:30pm
10:30pm

SUN
12/10

Craig Handy Quartet
Antonio Ciacca Trio

6:30pm
9:30pmMON Adam Moezinia And Folk Element Trio 7:30pm
Marty Scott Quintet
12/11
10:30pm
WED
12/13

Spike Wilner Trio
Greg Skaff Trio

7:30pm
10:30pm

FRI
12/15

Eric Jacobson Quartet
JC Hopkins Biggish Band

7:30pm
10:30pm

SAT
12/16

Jonny King Trio
The Richard Cortez Band

7:30pm
10:30pm

SUN
12/17

Jed Levy Quartet
Michael Kanan Trio

6:30pm
9:30pmMON
12/18

Eitan Kenner Quartet
Altin Sencalar Quartet

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

THE NEW YORK CITY JAZZ RECORD | December 2023 31

Swing Low
Michael Dease (Posi-Tone)by George Kanzler

This is the debut recording of Michael Dease as a baritone
saxophonist, though he’s had a lengthy career as a top jazztrombonist. Like his many albums as a trombonist-leader,
Swing Low is intelligently programmed and arranged.
Dease embraces the depths of his new instrument,
exploiting the deep croak and rumble at the bottom of
its range. In the baritone pantheon, he favors giants who
exploited the instrument’s deep reservoirs of sound, suchas Harry Carney and Joe Temperley, rather than the lighttoned modernists following Gerry Mulligan.
The album begins and ends with examples of close
musical dialogue. Dease’s rendition of “Dancing in theDark” (Dietz, Schwarz) is inspired by the duo piano
recording of Bill Charlap and Renee Rosnes; here, thebaritone saxophonist duets with trumpeter Ingrid
Jensen, his frontline partner through most of the album.
The two share the melody and trade solos of decreasing
length, eventually soloing in tandem. The album closer,
Gershwin’s “Embraceable You”, is a gorgeous low-end
dialogue between Dease and bassist Boris Kozlov. The
rest of the album features the full quartet (with drummer
Rudy Royston) and several guest appearances bytrombonist Altin Sencalar.
Of the eleven tracks, three are Dease originals
plus the two aforementioned standards and six
intriguing tunes by jazz composers, including Rosnes,
Bill Cunliffe and Virginia MacDonald. A reading of
the late trombonist-arranger Melba Liston’s gorgeous
ballad “Just Waiting” is notable in the way Dease andJensen tag-team the melody. Rosnes’ “Galapagos” hasa distinctive stop-start hard bop theme, and Cunliffe’s“Melancholia” makes perfect use of Jensen’s Harmonmuted trumpet. The leader’s originals include thehard-charging “Phibes’ Revenge”, inspired by the 1971
Vincent Price “comedy-horror cinematic gem“, The
Abominable Dr. Phibes, and “New Blues”, a 20-yearold piece that explores polytonality, pedal points andgraduated dissonances.
For more info visit posi-tone.com. Dease is at Dizzy’s Club
with the Ulysses Owens, Jr. Big Band Dec. 6-10. See Calendar.

Off the Charts
Richard Baratta (Savant)by Keith Hoffman

Richard Baratta was staring down the barrel of therest of his life; he was settling into his seat at the prep
course for law school entrance exams, unenthused. On
the other hand, there was Coltrane. He stood up andwalked out, determined to dedicate himself to the thing
he really loved: music. In a fantasy of the movie version,
he sits down at his drums, works his hands bloody andclaws his way up the ladder. In the final scene, he and

32 December 2023 | THE NEW YORK CITY JAZZ RECORD

Miles exchange fours at the Village Vanguard. Cut to hiswife and young son beaming at the front table. Fade toblack. Roll credits.
But this wasn’t the movies. This was the crashing
New York scene of the late ’60s and ’70s. He got goodwork, but not enough of it, and he wanted to starta family. A couple of lucky breaks and a lot of hard
work later, and Baratta secured himself a more thanrespectable three-decade career in movie production,crowning it with executive producer credits for The
Irishman and Joker. But he always kept up with the scene,and of course cast himself as the drummer whenever hecould. And then The Epilogue. At 69, he returned to his
first love in earnest, releasing two movie-themed albums
with first-call musicians.
For his third leader effort, Off the Charts, he revisits
under-appreciated tunes loved by that kid who walked out
on a law career. To help him, he brought in some serious
musical heavyweights: Jerry Bergonzi (tenor), David
Kikoski (piano), John Patitucci (bass) and Paul Rossman(percussion). On McCoy Tyner’s “Peresina” (originallyfrom the pianist’s Expansions, 1970), Kikoski shines,
honoring Tyner’s sound without mimicking it, while
Rossman tastefully contributes as well. Joe Henderson’s“Afro-Centric” (recorded by the tenor saxophonist on
his Power to the People, 1969) is, however, the scintillatingheart of the record. Bergonzi’s outstanding lower register
is almost baritone-like, and Patitucci’s gut-crunching
electric bass grounds everything deep in the Earth.
This is no mere vanity project. Baratta is a damn
good drummer and arranger, and this album swings hardfrom beginning to end. Reflecting on his life coming fullcircle, Baratta told me, “I’m like a kid in a candy store.”
So it is a Hollywood ending, after all.
For more info visit richardbaratta.com. Barratta is at Zinc Bar
Dec. 5. See Calendar.

The Rite of Spring – Spectre d’un songe
Sylvie Courvoisier/Cory Smythe (Pyroclastic)
Live in Willisau
Sylvie Courvoisier/Joey Baron (Catalytic Artist)by Mike Shanley

Sylvie Courvoisier might be best known as a prolific jazz
improviser who has worked in a variety of freewheelingsituations as both leader and collaborator. But the Swissborn pianist also lays claim to a long career interpreting
chamber music, which has involved an emphasis on
her technique rather than spontaneity. Her two recent
releases put both sides of the pianist on display, blurring
the line between the composer and improvising artist in
the process.
A tour as an accompanist for a flamenco dancer
inspired Courvoisier to work on a solo recital of Igor
Stravinsky’s ballet score The Rite of Spring, taking someliberties with the music. Upon hearing about it, theStravinsky family informed her that the only piano
performance of Rite must be the one the maestro wrote
for two sets of 88s. Inspired by this decree, she immersed
herself in the original score, while also composing her
own duet to be played in tandem with it. She also founda kindred spirit in fellow pianist Cory Smythe to bringit to life.
Smythe, who also has one foot in classical music,
brings a deep understanding to the project. Together
they pound viscerally on the riot-inducing chords of“The Adoration of the Earth”, the first of two parts of
the recital. Later they virtually recreate the swirl of anorchestra in terms of timbre and harmonies. “Spectred’un songe”, Courvoisier’s new work, offers 29 minutes

that stand respectfully in the presence of the Stravinsky
work. Beginning with haunted sounds that rise from thelow end of the pianos, it glides into cascades of upper
register notes that rain down on each other, expanding
the whole idea of what two pianists can create together.
Hammered chords, which evoke both Stravinsky andCecil Taylor, are balanced by moments of open space, all
the while maintaining a sense of focus.
Suspenseandunderstatement
factorinto
Courvoisier’s previously unreleased set with drummer
Joey Baron on Live in Willisau from the 2006 edition of thefestival. In their first ever duo performance, they head
into free territory and it’s Courvoisier who most often
sets the scene. Throughout the hour-long set, she prepares
the piano strings to create metallic low-end thunder,
throws angular chords at Baron, and incorporates
the frame of her instrument, making it sound as if it’scracking at the seams. Baron often begins with subtle
punctuation, bursting into thunder only after several
minutes go by. Some tracks flow into each other, whilea few come off as independent works, with applausebreaks as emphasis. At times the set has considerable
tension without immediate release. Yet when they blow
the lids off towards the end, the climax makes the whole
set work like an extended, continuous piece.
For
more
info
visit
pyroclasticrecords.com
andcatalyticsound.com. Courvoisier is at Roulette with Patricia
Brennan Dec. 6, at The Jazz Gallery with Mary Halvorson Dec.
9, at Public Records as part of Catalytic Sound Festival Dec. 10,
and at The Stone with Ikue Mori Dec. 13 and 17. See Calendar.

Bridges
Kevin Hays/Ben Street/Billy Hart (Smoke Sessions)by Marco Cangiano

Kevin Hays has an impeccable and varied resume.
Besides being a gifted pianist and composer, who has a
sharp appreciation for pop and rock music in addition tojazz, he has recorded with the likes of Chris Potter, Bill
Stewart, Joshua Redman, Jeff Ballard, Nicholas Payton
and Al Foster. This is the second album by the trio ofHays, Ben Street (bass) and Billy Hart (drums), and theysound very tight here, possibly the result of the one-week
European tour that preceded the recording.
This album represents a sort of state of the art forwhat could be labeled the modern mainstream piano trio.
Right from the get-go, with the exquisite, Jarrett-inspired
original “Butterfly”, the trio showcases its propensity fora carefully paced melodic approach. Street’s deep soundis the perfect fit for Hays, and Hart seems to have hiton the magic formula for eternal youth and taste. Wayne
Shorter’s “Capricorn” follows, hesitantly at first but
building to a fiery interpretation, with Street establishingsupple support and Hart coloring the tune. But what
captures the ears is Hays’ careful choice of notes andavoidance of predictable patterns.
The timely “Song for Peace” is a luscious yet somber
ballad embellished by Hart’s understated brushwork.
Once again, the music unfolds suspensefully, withpauses as significant as the notes played. There is noshowboating here, only pure pleasure and empathy.
They bring a certain levity to Lennon-McCartney’s
immortal “With a Little Help from My Friends”—anoriginal and effective treatment. Frisell’s reflective“Throughout” finds Hays in a rhapsodic mood, building
on a repetitive left-hand figure, beautifully sustainedby Street’s long notes and Hart’s sighing brushes. The

drummer’s bouncy “Irah” finds the pianist at his mostplayful, and the sense of swing is exhilarating, while“Bridges” is a musical tribute to Milton Nascimentothat metaphorically brings together different cultures,
different traditions, and different generations.
This is an album to play with close attention, pausing
and repeating, as this trio’s music grows with each listen.
For more info visit smokesessionsrecords.com. Hays is at SaintPeter’s with Chase Elodia Dec. 3. See Calendar.

Arctic Riff
Marcin Wasilewski Trio/Joe Lovano (ECM)
by Marilyn Lester

Tenor saxophonist Joe Lovano was baptized in music
and raised in it, resulting in an astounding versatility asa player. In the company of Poland’s Marcin Wasilewski
Trio (Wasilewski, piano; Sławomir Kurkiewicz, bass;
Michał Miśkiewicz, drums), the master easily finds hisplace in this album of group improvisations, originals andone standard: Carla Bley’s “Vashkar”. That tune has two
iterations on Arctic Riff. On the album version, Lovano
leads into the theme lyrically, and then, supported by thetrio, opens things up to a free jazz fiesta of improvisation
over the full range of the tenor; yet he never loses thesmoothness of the track’s opening, despite a retinue ofrhythmic displacements, bleeps, blips and flutters. The
second cut is virtually all Lovano’s, the trio only entering
for a few bars at the close. “Vashkar” was also playedby the trio and Lovano recently at the Village Vanguard(Nov. 14), with Miśkiewicz’s drumming more forwardin accenting and comping. Several more numbers from
Arctic Riff were offered at the belated NYC release concert(the album came out during the pandemic lockdown).
“Old Hat” in the album version is a melodic feature forLovano, with a brief piano interlude in the center. The live
performance leaned toward stronger statements, with
Lovano leaning into bop tropes and the pianist making
the most of his feature in terms of speed and complexity.
On both the recording and live, Wasilewski’s “Glimmerof Hope” was balladic to the core, a kind of jazz chamber
piece that invokes a mood of hope.
A number of album selections are collective
improvisations. For anyone who’s ever been a companion
to a cat, or observed a cat, domesticated or stray, thefanciful improvisation “Stray Cat Walk” captures that
strut to the proverbial “t.” Lovano’s opening lines aresoon joined by a strutting bass that evokes the cadenceof feline movement. Miśkiewicz’ drums then enter,mirroring the bass line. (For this track, Wasilewski wascontent to sit out.) The saxophonist comes forward again,
completing the evocation of a feline journey, which
ends with one, very satisfied note from a single cymbal.
Lovano’s “On the Other Side” (also performed live at theVanguard) is again highly evocative. Beginning with acall and response between the saxophonist and pianist,
Lovano and the trio are quizzical, jangling, startling—
together, they propel the listener into a space of harmonic
imbalance. The music offers one way to grapple with theconcept of the afterlife. The brilliance of the piece is thatit ends with a simple musical question mark.
Arctic Riff is full of creativity and thoughtfulness. Is
it as cool as the Arctic? Not so much; rather, the album islyrical and warm, allowing Lovano to balance his melodic
and rhythmic improvising in an especially pleasing way.
For more info visit ecmrecords.com

THE NEW YORK CITY JAZZ RECORD | December 2023 33

sparkling emphasis is either replicated by Mitchell’sgraceful comping or melded with the saxophone’s swells
and slithers. Su’s three-part title track introduces moreballadic and measured impressionism to the program.
If criticism could be directed towards the session,
it’s that except for some very brief dips into romanticism,
deeper emotions could have been expressed. Still, Liberated
Gesture demonstrates Su’s consistent gifts for composing
and playing, and offers an accomplished example ofcontemporary small-group jazz.
Liberated Gesture
Yuhan Su (Sunnyside)by Ken Waxman

For more info visit sunnysiderecords.com. Su’s album release
concert is at The Jazz Gallery Dec. 13. See Calendar.

Energized after a six-month residency in Paris and apandemic-era sojourn in her native Taiwan, vibraphonist
Yuhan Su organized this New York-based quintet toperform the new music she composed during that period.
The pieces include a three-part suite, tributes to particularartistic inspirations, and a setting of her own poem (herevoiced by alto saxophonist Caroline Davis).
Davis, one of the young veterans in the group,
contributes
straight-ahead
story-telling,
twittering
affirmations and sliding reed variations. Pianist Matt
Mitchell switches easily from measured formalism toexpressive patterning. Bassist Marty Kenney punctuates
the rhythmic flow, and adds a slinky electric bass line to
drummer Dan Weiss’ backbeat on “Hassan’s Fashion
Magazine”. As for Su, she favors a bright, minimalist stylewith touches of Milt Jackson-like swing.
Weiss’ rhythms are more deliberate on other tracks,
a series of press rolls and power pops that carefully push
the program forward. He’s particularly effective on “SirenDays”, providing ballast for Su’s affirmative metal echoes
and Davis’ widening reed slurs and trills. Such closepairings are present on most of the disc, as the vibraphonist’s

Shimmer Wince
Anna Webber (Intakt)
Capacious Aeration
Anna Webber/Matt Mitchell (Tzadik)
by Mike Shanley

Anna Webber’s prior two albums, Idiom and Clockwise,
did a great deal to highlight the tenor saxophonist/flutist’s
idiosyncratic compositions. The pieces on the former
were built on specific extended techniques utilized bywoodwind players, while the latter took inspiration frompercussion compositions by 20th century composers suchas Stockhausen. If anything was lacking in either thesestrong releases, it was the chance to hear Webber the tenor
saxophonist stretch out. Her performances usually placed

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34 December 2023 | THE NEW YORK CITY JAZZ RECORD

her within an ensemble, not at the forefront and even there,
her tenor was often put aside in favor of flute or bass flute.
Both these newer releases rectify that situation and offer
more saxophone moments while additionally emphasizing
new approaches to composition.
Shimmer Wince was inspired by Webber’s studies
of just intonation, the ancient tuning system based on
the harmonics and resonances of notes. She states in her
liner notes that she “wanted the music to feel playful
and open, almost like a collection of incredibly bizarre
standards.” Played by a quintet that includes Adam
O’Farrill (trumpet), Mariel Roberts (cello), Elias Stemeseder(synthesizer) and Lesley Mok (drums), the music fits that
description, presenting sonic structures in which themes
and countermelodies regularly shift between players withlittle transition. The musicians often repeat simple two-noteintervals that are based on just intonation, but the music
never gets repetitive. The long tones from the two hornplayers that open “Swell” might not resemble a standard
but they feel accessible enough. Throughout, the two solo
in a manner that feels both puzzling and beguiling, in part
because they often finish as the music moves into a second
phase, and the scene changes. “Periodicity 1” features one ofWebber’s best moments, with a pleading line that maintains
its beauty. Stemeseder adds unique twists that range from
fulfilling bass duties to adding sci-fi soundtrack texturesthat Sun Ra might have played on a broken celeste.
The leader spends more than half of Capacious Aeration
playing flute, while three of her four contributions focus
on tenor. The music that she and pianist Matt Mitchell
contribute to this album resides in the gray area wherechamber music and free improvisation commingle, withneither quite coming out on top. If the final results seem
turbulent and unsettled, that’s likely part of the idea. Even
when they seem to be moving on different rhythmic tracks,
the duo implies a connection between parts. Webber’s tenor

ranges from throaty and wistful (“Maximum Cadence”)
to jagged (“Zooquaria”). The pianist’s work can sound a
bit knotted, but in “Most Capacious” (a Webber original),
he still makes rapid lines engaging. Mitchell’s 28-minute“Re-Aeration”, his sole composition, takes up half thealbum. Consisting of multiple movements and pregnant
pauses, it begins with piano ostinatos and ends with several
murmurs that feels like the duo can’t come to a decisiveending. The trick endings come off feeling a bit unfocused,especially considering what preceded them.
For more info visit intaktrec.ch and tzadik.com. Webber is at
Scholes Street Studio Dec. 2 and Ibeam Brooklyn Dec. 18. See
Calendar.

s/t
The Bad Plus (Edition)
by Zachary Weg

This is arguably the most serious album yet by the New

York jazz futurists The Bad Plus. It’s an intense listening
experience, but also accessible and warm. In a sense, it’s still
the band that once doled out unique renditions of David
Bowie and Nirvana songs, when Ethan Iverson was playing
piano. Yet, with its modern quartet lineup, which includes
Ben Monder (guitar), Chris Speed (tenor, clarinet) andfounding members Reid Anderson (bass) and Dave King(drums), they’ve become noticeably more introspective.
“Motivations II” opens the record and sets its
meditative tone. Starting with a serpentine intro from
Anderson, the song begins to simmer as King enters withcymbals that sizzle and swish. By the time Monder steps inand unspools strings of pearls from his five-stringed electric,
The Bad Plus show that they’ve lost none of the finesse thatthey first exhibited upon their arrival on the New York jazzscene over 20 years ago. Tracks such as “Sun Wall,” with
its frenetic horn intro and “Not Even Close to Far Off”,
under its tumbling drums, show that Anderson and co. arestill restlessly innovative. “Sick Fire” has a rambunctious
start, then traverses thrilling free jazz territory with rapid
drumming and whirling horns. On album closer “The
Dandy”, Speed skips along while King taps cymbals, theband inching towards the future with all of the youthfulabandon of their previous incarnation. This band may be
several albums in, but they’re just getting started.
For more info visit editionrecords.com. The Bad Plus is at The
Sultan Room Dec. 2-3. See Calendar.

One for Wes
Mimi Fox Organ Trio (Origin)
by Pierre Giroux

The guitarist Mimi Fox has consistently demonstrated
a deep appreciation for the artistry of the legendary Wes
Montgomery. Now, as a celebration of the guitarist’scentennial, she has released One for Wes, which serves asa heartfelt tribute to the iconic musician, showcasing her

exceptional skill and versatility across various musicalstyles. Accompanied by Brian Ho (Hammond B3 organ)
and Lorca Hart (drums), the album pays homage toMontgomery’s musical style while allowing Fox to express
her own creative flair.
The repertoire consists of six original compositions
and three covers. Opening track, “Mr. White’s Blues”, rolls
merrily along: the leader shows she is a champion of her
instrument and, together with Ho, builds the harmonicframework from the ground up. The two work hand inglove with an overall breezy command of the material.
Bobby Timmons’ jazz standard “Moanin’” opens withstop-and-start fragments before the organist picks up thegroove, while “Blues for Les” has a down-home feel, thanks
to Lorca who lays down a strong backbeat. This trio has an
audibly solid grounding in the blues, as heard in “Blues for
Us” which additionally reveals the close listening evident
among all three musicians.
Fox’ original “For Django, Avec Amour” is an
homage to the great Romani-French guitarist. Interestingly
switching to acoustic guitar, her solo has a more dramaticand athletic expressivity. Ho’s solo is reflective and relaxedand showcases nicely structured choruses. The album closer
successfully combines two pop songs: Lennon/McCartney’sclassic “In My Life” and Paul Simon’s “Old Friends”.
Through her musicianship and enthusiastic
interpretations, Mimi Fox has created a compelling andevocative musical journey with One For Wes.
For more info visit originarts.com. Fox’ album release concert
featuring Houston Person is at Dizzy’s Club Dec. 1. See Calendar.

Live at Ronnie Scott’s, 1963
Roland Kirk (Gearbox)
by Robert Iannopollo

The year 1963 was a good one for (not yet Rahsaan) Roland

Kirk. He had a steady stream of releases coming out on the
Mercury label and two of his finest albums had appearedin 1962: Domino and We Free Kings. In 1963, he also released
Reeds & Deeds and made a stellar guest appearance on Roy
Haynes’ quartet album Out of the Afternoon. And in the fall of
1963, sixty years ago, he went on a tour of Europe, appearing
with local rhythm sections, which sometimes included
American players who happened to be in Europe at the time.
Surprisingly, not much has been released from that
tour, apart from the Mercury album Kirk in Copenhagen. But
seemingly out of the blue, a live set recorded on October 15,
1963, at Ronnie Scott’s in London has surfaced as a vinylonly release from the UK/Tokyo-based Gearbox label. Kirk
is accompanied by some of Britain’s finest: Stan Tracey(piano), Malcolm Cecil (bass) and Ronnie Stephenson(drums). None of the tracks here duplicates the Copenhagensets. They include the only known recording of Kirk playing
Duke Ellington’s “Angelica” (aka “Purple Gazelle”), and it’sa tasty, nearly 10-minute version that’s nicely harmonized.
The remainder includes the standard “Close Your Eyes”(featuring a manzello solo), the then-current pop song (Kirk
always included those) “Days of Wine and Roses”, andKirk’s own “Three for the Festival”, a piece that remained in
his sets well into the ’70s.
Kirk’s brief but humorous introductions are preserved.
Though Tracey is a bit under-mic’d, the recording is generally
good and a worthwhile addition to the discography of Kirk
(who passed away 46 years ago this month). One only
wishes more music from this night had been preserved.
For more info visit gearboxrecords.com

ON SCREEN

Wayne Shorter Zero Gravity
Dorsay Alavi (Amazon Documentary)
by Anna Steegmann

Distraught fans of jazz legend Wayne Shorter, whodied this March at 89, will find solace in Dorsay
Alavi’s cinematic tribute to him. Alavi met Shorterin 1995 when she directed the video for his album
High Life and three decades of friendship gave her
unique insights and access. She was also able toenlist Brad Pitt as the executive producer.
The three-hour mini-series covers three distinct
periods of Shorter’s personal and creative life. Alavi
sees it as “a story about how a man grew to greatness.”
The documentary contains concert footage, film
clips, interviews, Shorter’s vivid recollections,reenactments in which Shorter’s brother (the late,great trumpeter Alan Shorter) and parents are playedby actors, and animation that uses surreal imagery
to give a visual representation of Shorter’s music.
Joni Mitchell, Carlos Santana, Herbie Hancock,
Sonny Rollins, Renée Fleming, Reggie Workman,
Terence Blanchard, Jimmy Heath and many others
share memories and their understanding of thesaxophonist’s genius that helped define the sounds of
distinct periods in jazz history. Shorter’s biographer
Michelle Mercer (Footprints: The Life and Work ofWayne Shorter) also participates.
Part 1 covers Shorter’s beginnings. As a kid, heloved comic books, sci-fi movies and radio, where
he heard bebop for the first time. At the Newark
Arts High School, he cut classes to go to the movies
and played clarinet and later saxophone. He studiedclassical composition at NYU and was thrilled tojoin Horace Silver’s band when he came out of thearmy. We see him playing with Art Blakey’s Jazz
Messengers and Miles Davis. He speaks about his
first marriage, the birth of his daughter, the death of
his father and falling in love with his second wife.
Part 2 covers the time from 1970 to 1999. While
Shorter had massive success with Weather Report,
he also experienced enormous tragedy: his daughter
Iska died of a grand mal seizure at 13; his second
wife was killed in the 1996 TWA 800 plane crash;and his mother and brother died in rapid succession.
Buddhist practices and beliefs helped him cope andbuild resiliency.
Part 3 has superb performance footage. We
witness Shorter carving out new territory as abandleader (his quartet with Danilo Pérez, John
Patitucci and Brian Blade), becoming a wise elder
with a childlike love for superheroes and fairies andfinding happiness with his third wife.
Wayne Shorter Zero Gravity is a marvelous film,
undoubtedly one of the best made about a jazzmusician and proof of Dave Holland’s words that
“his music will outlast all of us.”
For more info visit…
amazon.com/Wayne-Shorter-Zero-Gravity/dp/B0BX3YRTDX.
Shorter tributes are at Blue Note with Dave Pietro Dec. 3
and at Soapbox Gallery with Albert Marques and Ben
Sherman Dec. 30. See Calendar.

THE NEW YORK CITY JAZZ RECORD | December 2023 35

DROP THE NEEDLE

Cannes ‘58
Paris ‘58
Donald Byrd & Bobby Jaspar (Sam/INA)
by Fred Bouchard

T he post-World War II jazz diaspora was alive

and in full bop around Europe in the ’50s. Cannes
and Paris were hot-spots where the French went
all ears for le dernier cri from the hip Yanks acrossthe pond. These previously unreleased dates show
trumpeter Donald Byrd (born 90 years ago thismonth) near the top of his bop game at 26, lyricaland thoughtful, long before his later successes infunk and R&B fusion idioms with the Blackbyrds.
His bandmates were trusted regulars: Walter
Davis, Jr. (piano), Doug Watkins (bass) and Art
Taylor (drums). The ringer was ‘elder’ (at 32),
Belgian-born reedman Bobby Jaspar; an emigré to
New York in 1956, he’d recorded with Gil Fuller,
J. J. Johnson and Miles Davis. These deluxe LPs,in slick packaging with gatefold photos and noliner notes, document both festival and studio
performances.
Byrd’s quintet kicked off its busy 1958 tour
with a flurry of festivals in Belgium, Sweden,
Norway, Germany and (on July 11) the firstand only jazzfest at Cannes, the Riviera jet-set
mecca. From the downbeat, the band takes an
exhilarating turn through Cole Porter’s “I Get
a Kick Out of You”: waltz-then-stop-time head,lickety-split solos, ripping fours with Taylor.
Jaspar’s pretty flute feature, “It Could Happen toYou”, shows a flourishing wit. Taylor’s martial
snare paces Jaspar’s featherlight “Long to You”,
as Byrd blows fast and tight and Jaspar flaunts
his spurs on tenor as a Stan Getz/Zoot Sims
advocate. (His long discography notes that herarely played flute before moving stateside.)“Flute Bop”, based on “I’ll Remember April”,
shows off more flute, Taylor’s brushwork, Byrd’s
cornet and a shining Davis. The trumpeter has atender ballad feature, and a Basie shuffle leads to“Boogie Woogie”, a hip Dizzy-esque blues thatbrings down the house.
In Paris the band seems more laid-back,following comfy gigs at the jazz club Au Chat
Qui Pêche and a concert at Olympia Theater,
the prime destination for transatlantic stars.
Byrd slated time to study composition withrenowned teacher Nadia Boulanger. We hearFrench Radio’s crisp tape of the band for its TV
series Jazz aux Champs-Elysées. Staunch locals(Jack Diéval, piano; Jacques Hess, bass; Daniel
Humair, drums) were recruited to back the horns
on “Paul’s Pal”, an amiable Sonny Rollins tune
showing Jaspar’s avuncular Al Cohn side; an
up-tempo “After You’ve Gone” that displays
Byrd’s masterful chops and dazzling drummingfrom Humair; and a shorter “Flute Bop” marredby mic imbalance. The Yanks blow through twoneat, snappy Davis charts and Robin-Rainger’s“Easy Living”; I’m betting on Davis again for thefloridly romantic arrangement that admirably
showcases the horns.
For more info visit samrecords.fr

The Extra Something (Live at the Village Vanguard)
Enrico Pieranunzi Quintet (CAM Jazz)by Scott Yanow

The veteran Italian pianist Enrico Pieranunzi (who turns

74 this month) has recorded at least 60 albums as leader
since 1975, of which around 40 have been since 2000.
Along the way he has worked with numerous Americans(Chet Baker, Johnny Griffin, Art Farmer, Jim Hall, Lee
Konitz, Phil Woods, Charlie Haden, et al.), but most often
he has recorded at the head of a trio, in duos or as solo
pianist. The performances on the previously unreleased
The Extra Something come from a residency at the Village
Vanguard from Jan. 13-14, 2016. And there seems to be no
evident musical reason why this material has sat on the
shelf for this long.
The pianist teams up here with Diego Urcola(trumpet, trombone), Seamus Blake (tenor), Ben Street(bass) and Adam Cruz (drums) for a set of seven originals.
While the pianist has sometimes been compared to Bill
Evans, he sounds here somewhat closer to McCoy Tyner
actually, but mostly just sounds like himself. The set
begins with the uptempo “Blue Afternoon”, notable forits heated trumpet solo and hard-driving tenor. “The
Extra Something”, in 6, is often quite intense: Blake wails
and Urcola’s trumpet screams recall Freddie Hubbard;
the leader Pieranunzi ventures a little outside during his
brief solo.
Some of the other pieces find the quintet sounding
a bit like some of their predecessors: “Atoms” has thegroup hinting at Art Blakey’s Jazz Messengers, while thetenor/trombone frontline on “Entropy” echoes the Jazz
Crusaders. Of the other selections, “The Real You” is anadventurous ballad, “Song for Kenny” features a lyrical
melody that one could imagine the late trumpeter Kenny
Wheeler playing and the rollicking “Five Plus Five”
could pass for an Ornette Coleman tune. Pieranunzi is
generous in featuring the two horn players throughout
the album, so much so that one wishes he took longer
solos. However, since the pianist is well featured on
countless other albums, it is easy to enjoy this one forwhat it is: a burning quintet set by some of today’s top
jazz artists.

For more info visit camjazz.com

Echolocation
Mendoza Hoff Revels (AUM Fidelity)
by Marc Medwin

Mendoza Hoff Revels is a quartet led by guitarist Ava
Mendoza and bassist Devin Hoff (who also compose
the band’s book), joined by tenor saxophonist James
Brandon Lewis and drummer Ches Smith. Each brings
sonic diversity to the table, but more important is theirability to blend as part of a thrillingly varied ensemble.
Dig deep into to the opening salvo of “New Ghosts” tohear saxophone and strings erect a wall of sound miles-

36 December 2023 | THE NEW YORK CITY JAZZ RECORD

thick but wrought of strong and delicate metal. It’s all
re-enforced tenfold when Smith enters during a melodic
reiteration, his playing metrically free yet restrained andsupportive.
That controlled freedom accounts for the disc’s
multivalent success, especially in creating explorative
spaces that blur time and style in the service ofgorgeously constructed compositional frameworks.
Genre is always asserting itself only to be sublimated. The
grungily distorted, resonantly protean bass solo on “Ten
Forward” brings the ’90s into focus while the saxophoneand guitar’s serpentine lines conjure the slinky beauty of
Ornette Coleman’s late ’50s compositions. It’s all awash
in cymbal and guitar haze that would make the indie rockband Low proud, but the concluding loops and obscured
articulations bring ’70s ambient works into the headymix.
The album steps, bounces and leaps forward in
masterfully herded loose association. Hoff commences“The Stumble” sounding like Hatfield and the North-era
Richard Sinclair, but as Mendoza and Lewis lengthen
licks into lines against Smith’s rapid-fire swing, Henry
Cow’s first album glides into focus while guitarist
Mendoza hammers home allusions to contemporaneousFrank Zappa ventures. Yet, and best of all, no single
influence overshadows the rest, and none obscures
band interaction. Despite overriding heat and loads of
distortion, no one genre becomes determinate. FromKing Crimson to Albert Ayler and back again, each piecerides history like the rollercoaster it is. These eight teapot
tempests are brewed by a quartet equally adept in sonicsignifiers and the complex histories birthing them.
For more info visit aumfidelity.com. The album release concert
is at Union Hall Dec. 13. See Calendar.

Timba a la Americana
Harold López-Nussa (Blue Note)by Russ Musto

The latest effort from Harold López-Nussa finds the
Cuban-born pianist exploring a new sound in his music—
one deeply rooted in the traditions of his homeland, but
pushing the sound of Latin jazz into the future. At thesuggestion of the date’s producer, Snarky Puppy founderMichael League, López-Nussa is heard recording for the
first time on Fender Rhodes, in addition to the acoustic
piano on which he is an absolute virtuoso. League’s
various synthesizers further enrich the date, whichfeatures the leader’s working band: Grégoire Maret(chromatic harmonica), Luques Curtis (bass), brother
Ruy Adrián Lopez-Nussa (drums) and guest Bárbaro(Machito) Crespo (percussion).
The album opener “Funky” flawlessly exemplifies
the leader’s visionary musical perspective. An electrifying
episodic adventure, it begins with him charging straightahead with an unaccompanied acoustic piano intro thatis equal parts Bud Powell and Eddie Palmieri, before
the band joins in seamlessly blending Afro-Cuban andstraight-ahead jazz components that buoy Maret’s
wailing harmonica solo. “Cake a la Moda” follows in
kind, starting off with a chanted mambo that flows
into a pretty melody. League’s “Rat-a-Tat” is a rocking
percussion-fueled tour de force that is followed by“Conga a la Americana”, a pulsating Latin jazz excursion
rooted in Cuba’s dance music tradition.
The pianist pays further tribute to his homelandon “Afro en Toulouse”, which begins with bata drums

and a vocal chant that hearkens to the island’s Santeria
rituals. The band lets loose on “Tumba la Timba”, a noholds-barred rumbafied outing. The mood calms on the
piano-harmonica duet “Mamá”, then ramps back up on“Tierra Mia”, a festive clave-driven jaunt. The celebratory
atmosphere persists on closer, “Hope”, which merges thesound of New Orleans gospel and R&B with the spirit of
Cuba.
The album’s release concert was marked at the Blue
Note (Nov. 6) with a performance by the core quartet. The
exhilarating sound of the music remained undiminisheddespite the absence of synths and congas, as the band
members stretched out with extended solos on “Funky”,“Conga a la Americana”, “Mal du Pays” and “Hope”,
garnering raucous cheers from the audience. For theencore, fellow Cuban pianist Axel Tosca joined LopezNussa on stage, the pair taking turns switching between
piano and Fender Rhodes for “Tierra Mia”.
For more info visit bluenote.com(saxophones), Wayne Horvitz (keyboards), and Henry
Franklin (bass) plus Summers as a guest on a few tracks—
has a strong flavor of Hancock’s mid ‘60s Blue Note era.
The grooves are elegant and sophisticated, hip modern
jazz. This is in a way a Tony Williams tribute album.
Clark has deep roots in Williams’ skittering, precise,march-like drumming; it’s one of the things that makes
him an exceptionally flexible partner. They play Dolphy’s“Hat and Beard”, in which Clark does an incredible jobof recreating Williams’ drum part from the original, notcopying per se but rather the concept of taking existingmaterial and breathing new life and relevance into it.
There’s some out-soloing on this selection, too, though
the rest of the album is an impeccable straight-ahead
modern jazz workout. There’s a graceful ballad, “Distance
Between Leaves”, and the funk track “Signature” has amost personal stamp, revealing the band here is truly
speaking in its own voice. A quick return to hard bop
proves the album’s one flaw: it’s too long, going on nearlyan additional 15 minutes after the funk has danced you
off the floor.
For more info visit ropeadope.com and widehive.com

Live From Brooklyn Bowl
The Headhunters (Ropeadope)
Kosen Rufu
Mike Clark (Wide Hive)by George GrellaThis has been quite a year for drummer Mike Clark,
who’d already released three albums in 2023 before thispair appeared. As solid as the previous records were,
they seem in retrospect to be mere footnotes to thesetwo, which together paint a clear and deeper pictureof the artist. It’s all there musically—the post-hard bop
swing, the funk, the rock—framed in his personal history.
That history has been tied to the Herbie Hancock funkrepertoire band The Headhunters and in particular to
percussionist Bill Summers. The pair first appeared
together on Hancock’s 1974 album Thrust, and are theconstant foundation of The Headhunters (which has been
independent of Hancock since their 1977 album Survivalof the Fittest).
Live From Brooklyn Bowl, recorded February of thisyear, celebrates the band’s 50th anniversary (Harvey
Mason was the first drummer, back in 1973). The current
lineup fronts the great Donald Harrison (alto, vocals on“Hey Pocky A-Way”), Kyle Roussel (keyboards) andChris Severin (bass). The band’s sound is up to date,
which was reinforced at their live show this Octoberat Cafe Wha? featuring DJ Logic, who joined the band,
adding timbres and underlining the grooves from histurntables. The album and live sets shared about half thematerial. “Watermelon Man”, with Summers’ percussion
and pipes intro, is an album standout track and was, notsurprisingly, also a concert highlight. The curiosity at theshow was an arrangement of Wayne Shorter’s “E.S.P.”
that filled out the slender original with more funk andchords—intriguing at first, but also a bit of a pullback
from the band’s essence, which is funk for both themind… and the hips.
Clark and Summers fit subdivided rhythmic details
together, while Roussel and Severin are a fine duo andjudicious with providing space in the music. This isn’t
dense funk. It’s sinewy, which ideally suits Harrison: thesaxophonist always proves to have something meaningful
to say. Every note has a purpose, and he knows how tobuild, from a mellow, almost casual start to a raging
fire. Harrison also brings out the New Orleans flavor in
the funk, something inherent in Clark’s and Summer’s
playing.
Kosen Rufu goes further into Clark’s history. The
lineup—with Eddie Henderson (trumpet), Skerik

Continuing
Tyshawn Sorey Trio (Pi Recordings)
by Terrell K. Holmes

A superficial listen to Continuing might suggest it’s
simply a tribute to three composers who recently left
us: Wayne Shorter, Ahmad Jamal and Harold Mabern.
But homage is only one element, and not the primaryone. This album is best described as a series of four
extended, carefully crafted meditations. The shortest of
the four tracks clocks in at over ten minutes, and overeach piece’s duration the band mines every possibility
the song offers.
The trio downshifts “Reincarnation Blues”, one of
Shorter’s countless hard bop blueprints, to somethingslow and seductive. Sorey’s drumming drives Jamal’s“Seleritus”, and gradually he folds in the irresistible
rhythm of “Poinciana”, Jamal’s signature piece. Pianist
Aaron Diehl goes off on a swirling, spiraling orchestral
run that recalls Franz Liszt. Matt Brewer’s plucked bass
and Sorey’s brushes mark the sad, inexorable march oftime in “Angel Eyes” (Dennis, Brent), a heartfelt dirge
to lost love. The trio then moves to “In What Direction
Are You Headed”, a straight-up workout on Mabern’sboogaloo/funk anthem.
This trio has been together for some time now, so they
understand timing, shading and how to build intensity
and tension. Melodies emerge gradually, are delayed andtransformed and ultimately revealed. Brewer’s playing
throughout is articulate, nimble and bluesy. Diehl, a firstcall pianist in both the jazz and classical worlds, can playwith refinement or barrelhouse-piano robustness. And
Sorey’s drumming is as masterful as ever, a case study incomplexity without pretension.
Each track on Continuing shows how jazz can stepaway from its theme/solos/theme template and ask thelistener to, well, listen. Some might complain that thesongs are repetitive; they are so in the way that Ravel’s“Bolero” is repetitive. Layers are revealed, textures
emerge, colors become bolder and the music shifts andintensifies to a rewarding conclusion.
For more info visit pirecordings.com. Sorey is at 92NY with
JACK Quartet Dec. 16. See Calendar.

IN PRINT

A Strange Celestial Road:My Time in the Sun Ra Arkestra
Ahmed Abdullah with Louis Reyes Rivera(Blank Forms)
by Kurt GottschalkJ udging books by their covers is a two-way
street; literary consumers are guaranteed to doso, just as they do at the fruit stand, picking red,
red apples and nice, yellow bananas. And giventhat inevitability, books would be well-advised
to dress appropriately.
Ahmed Abdullah’s A Strange Celestial Road
comes in a beautiful slipcover with his old boss,the legendary, mythical bandleader Sun Ra,
in a rainbow robe with arms outstretched. The
pages are nicely appealing as well, laid out witha wide gutter and the text pushed to the edges.
It’s an attractive volume. The subtitle reinforces
the implicit promise: “My Time in the Sun Ra
Arkestra.”It’s not a short book, over 500 pages, and it
could have been cut down considerably had it
actually kept to Abdullah’s time in the Sun Ra
Arkestra. An amended subtitle, “My Time In andOut of the Sun Ra Arkestra,” would have been afairer cop. Abdullah spent considerable chunksof his career outside the mothership, and he gives
the same, considerable scrutiny to those years.
His own peccadillos and indiscretions, however,the boasting and blaming, don’t hold a fractionof the intrigue.
But nobody can make you read thosechapters (although a sense of obligation forced
this reporter to do so). Between those sections is
the first written account to come from within theArkestra’s operations. Ra was a self-proclaimed
sage and the devotion of his band members
approached cult-like status. Abdullah does
an excellent job of portraying the composer/
philosopher (who was given to autobiographicalreinvention—coming from Saturn no doubt
brought some extra followers into his musicalfold) as a human, both fallible and inspirational.
Abdullah has valuable insights to offer, suchas the failure to build stars with public profiles
within the band (as Basie and Ellington did),keeping the musicians dependent on the bandfor employment, and leaving the band without
a plan for surviving its leader. Ra’s ultimate
decline and the infighting that followed are someof the strongest parts of the book, even if it’salso there that the narrator’s bitterness comesthrough. It’s an imperfect book. Fortunately, we
still have John Szwed’s bio Space Is the Place: The
Lives and Times of Sun Ra. Taken together, the twobooks make a more balanced, 1,000+ page profileof the jazz visionary who invited us all to travel
the spaceways.
For more info visit blankforms.org. Abdullah’s
Diaspora is at Church of St. Luke and St. Matthew
Dec. 14 and Brooklyn Circus Dec. 15. See Calendar.

THE NEW YORK CITY JAZZ RECORD | December 2023 37

(LEST WE FORGET CONTINUED FROM PAGE 10)
Party and gained new audiences and an Emmy as
the evil Yzma in The Emperor’s New Groove and its TV
spinoff The Emperor’s New School.
The 1962 album Bad But Beautiful (a recent reissue
on Verve/UMe) is an excellent example of Kitt’s
artistry, featuring repertoire that delves into various
facets of the mating game, from pursuit to profitable
retreat. In that voice that is uniquely hers, Kitt
demands an excess of things material and male in “AllI Want Is All There Is and Then Some”. “Do It Again”
and “It’s Nice to Have a Man Around the House”
continued Kitt’s seduction of her listener. As with hercabaret acts, many of the songs are Broadway tunes
chosen to highlight her storytelling and acting skills.
Her annual engagement at the Café Carlyle, which
persisted until she was 80, captured the essence of her
dual existence. Live recordings from these sessions,featuring songs “All by Myself”, “Here’s to Life”
and “I’m Still Here”, encapsulate the rawness of alife marked by rejection and an unyielding desire to
be seen and heard. Dry wit permeates songs such as“An Englishman Needs Time”, where she explores aloneliness born from the larger-than-life persona she
created, a persona that, in her words, “intimidates
men.” Yet, she refuses to compromise for love, apoignant irony explored in the 1982 documentary All
by Myself: The Eartha Kitt Story, which reveals thatthe singer’s most enduring relationship was with herdaughter, Kitt Shapiro.
Eartha Kitt explored the myth of Black women’s
hyper-sexuality through her stage persona. In reality,
she founded the KittsVille Foundation, a youth
charity teaching African dance, and championed
Black, youth and LGBTQ rights as a single parent
raising her daughter. Her insistence on owning ahome with land, where she raised chickens and greworganic food, contradicted the lavish jewels she
craved on stage. Remembrances from neighbors andher daughter portray a shy and kind Eartha, a far cry
from the commanding presence that could captivate aroom with a flutter of her false eyelashes. Her legacy
resides in her extraordinary body of work including
her memoirs Thursday’s Child, Alone with Me and I’m
Still Here: Confessions of a Sex Kitten, along with her
self-help book Rejuvenate (It’s Never Too Late).
Despite her talent and longevity, Eartha Kitt
was rarely awarded the top honors in the industries
in which she worked so hard. Twice-nominated, aposthumous Grammy would certainly be fitting.
For more info visit simplyeartha.com
Recommended Listening:• Eartha Kitt—“That Bad Eartha” (with Henri René and
His Orchestra) (RCA Victor, 1953)• Eartha Kitt (with Shorty Rogers and His Giants)—
St. Louis Blues (RCA Victor, 1958)• Eartha Kitt—Bad But Beautiful (MGM-Verve, 1962)• Eartha Kitt—In Person at The Plaza(GNP Crescendo, 1965)• Eartha Kitt—Live in London (Ariola, 1989)• Eartha Kitt—Live at the Cheltenham Jazz Festival(Strike Force Entertainment, 2008)(INTERVIEW CONTINUED FROM PAGE 6)
Ari Roland (bass) came into the band when I was
there, too. And yes, Betty could be hard on cats. But
we got along great because I knew the music fromthe first day. Like I said, I came in ready to go. And
I had already been on the road, so I kind of knew
what it took to make things happen. I’ve got to say,she at first may have seemed intimidating, but thenshe was a softy and she was cool. As long as you did
your job, everything was cool. But if you didn’t doyour job, then you had shit to worry about! There
was that mental aspect of playing in the band, too. If
she knew you were weak, she would lay on your ass
all the time. She knew that if she had a spot where
she could mess with you, she would do that. For me
she didn’t really have that because I kept to myself
and when we talked, I talked about just enoughmusic to let her know what was up, but then not too
much so that she could say, “All you do is listen to
the music. That’s why you sound like you’re playing
old stuff.” I was always listening to different things
too.
TNYCJR: And after Betty, who was next?
Hutchinson: Roy Hargrove, my man!… I think wechanged the jazz scene in the ’90s, after Wyntoncame and Branford, but we were younger. The“young lions” thing was applied and Roy, well he
was an incredible trumpet player, an incredible
person, just a spirit—and he wrote some killer
music. There’s an album just out now [recorded in1993] that we did live at Lincoln Center called The
Love Suite: In Mahogany (Blue Engine). I listened to it
the other day and I swear I will put me and Rodney
Whitaker up against any bass and drum team ever!
I was in the airport listening to it and, I had sucha smile on my face, people were looking at me likeI’m crazy. I was like, damn, this shit was done in theearly ’90s and it sounds better than a lot of the shitthat is out now.
TNYCJR: Yeah, I miss Roy. Who was in that bandwith you?
Hutchinson: At first, Antonio Hart, Roy, Marc Cary,me and Rodney. Then Antonio left and Ron Blake
came in. Marc left and Peter Martin came in. I always
got him on gigs that I was on because he can play.
Marc did come back again and we did this record:
Roy, Joshua Redman, Stanley Turrentine, Ron Blake...
it was crazy: Tenors of Our Time (Verve, 1994).
TNYCJR: And you were Joshua’s drummer for quite
a bit.
Hutchinson: Twenty years with me, (Brian) Blade andEric Harland at different times. Joshua is particular
about drums. So we had a nice run. Now he’s got
a brand new band. I think Blade might be playing
some, but he’s using some of the younger cats, also.
It’s super nice that the younger cats get a chance toexperience the genius of Joshua. I mean, he’s really,
truly a genius.
TNYCJR: Okay, other than Ray Brown (in addition
to a shopping list of others: Harry Connick, Jr., John
Scofield, Freddie Hubbard, Cedar Walton, Eric Reed,
Common, et al.), there’s Joe Henderson. You were on
the Lush Life record.
Hutchinson: That was the record we did of Strayhorn’smusic, arrangements by Don Sickler. Yeah, it was
great, man. That changed my career. Really gave mea chance to get out there to meet more people, and it
was healing because it also was a resurgence for Joe,
you know. And so to do those recordings definitely
was really great for all of us to be part of it. And forJoe, it really helped to help his career, too.
TNYCJR: And Ray Brown?
Hutchinson: Yeah. The great Ray Brown. He wasactually before Joshua. Ray was great because I
met Ray on a cruise playing with Roy. And so Ray
remembered years later, and then Kenny Washington
and Lewis Nash recommended me. So when I got in
the band, “Hammer” Jeff Hamilton was just leaving,

38 December 2023 | THE NEW YORK CITY JAZZ RECORD

and Ray said to me, “You know, I want you to doyou, all that stuff you were playing with Roy. That’s
what I want.”
TNYCJR: I guess you learned a lot about the musicbusiness from Ray, too.
Hutchinson: Oh, yeah. The music business was
essential. [Pianist] Benny Green was in the band, so
super cool. Those are times where you can’t reallyreplace them. Like those guys, between Ray and
Benny, there was so much knowledge that I wasbeing exposed to, so it was awesome for me to just sit
there, listen and learn.
TNYCJR: Talk about how Ray told you, “you have toknow your worth”.
Hutchinson: Yeah. And you know, if you don’t,
people will just kind of walk over you. Then you
keep playing for the same money your whole life
and that’s not gonna work. So you got to really know
what’s going on out here and pay attention. And
so that’s what I did. For me, it was really killing toreally understand how to negotiate contracts and allthat kind of stuff, you know?
TNYCJR: And after that you played with Christian(McBride).
Hutchinson: Yes, with Christian for a while. We madea great record, A Family Affair (Verve, 1998). And we
still do a Ray Brown tribute, and that’s coming up at
the Vanguard this month. So that’s always good to
pay homage to somebody that we love.
TNYCJR: How long have you been doing that?
Hutchinson: A couple of years, when everyone’sschedule works out and we get it together. It gives
us a chance to, like I said, pay homage to the master.
And this time we’ve got a week. We might have to
do some other tunes, I mean in the tradition of Ray.
TNYCJR: And talk about your new record DA BANG.
Hutchinson: DA BANG is a culmination of my life,
music that I grew up listening to, which is popular
music, urban hip hop, R&B, everything. But, youknow, music is music to me. And every kind of music
has a swing to it. So I just wanted to do a record thatwasn’t a jazz one because everyone knows me forthat. I wanted to go with a genre that was going to
be a little different. I was signed by Warner Brothers
Germany, and we put this record together. I had
Karriem Riggins produce it and we got a bunchof people on it. It’s been percolating for years andfinally we got it done and put it out. It’s been out fora little bit doing well and [I’m] just trying to keep
the momentum. I’m really trying to get my music out
there for the people to hear.
For more info visit openstudiojazz.com. Hutchinson
is at Village Vanguard with Christian McBride’s“Remembering Ray Brown” Dec. 5-10. See Calendar.
Recommended Listening:• Joe Henderson—Lush Life
(The Music of Billy Strayhorn) (Verve, 1991)• Roy Hargrove—The Love Suite: In Mahogany(Jazz Engine, 1993)• Ray Brown Trio—Live at Scullers(Telarc Jazz, 1996)• Joshua Redman—Trios Live
(Nonesuch, 2008/2013)• Ben Wolfe Quintet—Live at Smalls(smallsLIVE, 2010)• Eric Reed—The Adventurous Monk (Savant, 2013)

(BRIC JAZZFEST CONTINUED FROM PAGE 12)
Hendricks & Ross, and not just in name: straight-aheadswing and whimsical vocalese are their bag. The trio
was led by vocalists Sydney Panikkar and Eleanor
Leigh; alto saxophonist James D’Ambrogia stood in asa third voice of sorts for Rosner, who was ill. Let’s see
how this group, clearly skilled as individuals and as aunit, comes to distinguish itself from its predecessor.
A number of artists used the festival to try out new
projects, including bassist Jonathan Michel. Titled
L’Ouverture, after the Haitian revolutionary ToussaintL’Ouverture and also for its meaning (“The Opening”),
Michel presented the most thoughtfully conceived
set of the festival, an homage to Haitian women andmusicians as names and images of notable Haitian
women (from foremothers to contemporary figures)
flashed across the screen behind the stage. All of theguest performers, including Charles (playing flute ona melancholic blues), Val Jeanty on electronics andbeloved vocalists Riva Précil and Emeline Michel, areHaitian by birth or heritage.
Pianist Miki Yamanaka also explored a new angle
beyond her regular trio with her eight-piece ensemble,
Origami. Performing both her own music and thatof keyboardist and arranger Vickie Yang, her group,featuring horn-players Caroline Davis, Nicole Glover,Brandon Lee and Nick Finzer, had a familiar big bandsound while also being fresh, with a real textural range
across the set. Yamanaka claimed the name Origami
didn’t have a deeper meaning beyond being an artformfrom her native Japan, while also acknowledging thatcolors and shapes are things she’s drawn to—abstract
concepts that permeated her set.
Vocalist Sarah Elizabeth Charles always weaves
intention and a grounded presence into her performances,and this set was no different. She offered the notion that
this moment, within the room and at a time of global
turmoil, “could be healing.” With visual art projectedbehind her, and cuing effects, she guided us through notjust the sound, but the feeling of the music, while also
expressing genuine reverence for her bandmates.
The Trill Mega Jam was the festival’s pièce deresistance of sorts. Featuring the members and leadersof New York City jam sessions from the last several
years, including Arlene Grocery’s The Lesson andNublu’s Producer Mondays, it had at various points
three alto players simultaneously sidling up on a vamp
and all manner of cowbell and tambourine—a true andbeautiful free-for-all. One glowing moment: the Cuban
vocalist Xiomara Laugart commanding the room withher rendition of “Bésame Mucho”, with her son Axel
Tosca on keys.
Throughout the festival and across the manystyles, backgrounds and talents of the artists whoplayed, the spirit of forward movement within themusic shone through. BRIC JazzFest felt hip and fun,a true something-for-everyone type of space that was a
testament to the vibrancy of jazz culture.
For more info visit bricartsmedia.org/bric-jazzfest(ŚMIETANA JAZZ CONTINUED FROM PAGE 12)
whole. Niceberg is 23. You will hear his name again.
Runner-up Saldanha was a remarkably polished,mature, tasteful player. As was Turner in third place,
though he was more funky and bluesy. Raphael
Silverman, a senior at Columbia University, was oneof the youngest entrants. He is another name to watch
for. In the semifinals and also at the concert in the main
auditorium of the Philharmonic on the fourth and final
night of the competition, he offered gorgeous versionsof “Manhattan”. The depth of Silverman’s lyricism israre in such a young player.
The first night of concerts took place in Piwnica pod
Baramani, an atmospheric stone cellar where, during thecommunist era, the Polish Beat Generation (and politicalresistance) hung out. It is now the communists in Poland
who are underground, but the Piwnica is still a very coolplace to hear jazz. Pilon played in a duo with Szymon
Mika, who won the first Śmietana competition in 2015,
and who is now a presence on the Polish scene. Though
based in Paris, Pilon has recorded and toured withnotable musicians such as drummer Gerald Cleaver andsaxophonist Walter Smith III. Alone together, Pilon andMika conjured an evening of warm, sonorous stringedinstrument intimacy.
On the second night, Marek Napiórkowski, in atrio with Kowaleski and Palka, played the Harris Piano
Jazz Bar, next door to the Piwnica. The Harris is also abasement cavern, and it was packed. Probably Poland’s
foremost living jazz guitarist, Napiórkowski can segueorganically between hammering funk and rapt ballads,
hitting you right between the eyes and then touching
your heart.
On the third night, Peter Bernstein played theHarris (packed again) with the adept Kraków-basedorganist Kajetan Galas. The guitarist is an A-list New
York musician who has played with everyone from Lee
Konitz to Sonny Rollins. Unlike many guitarists, he does
not force himself upon you. He draws you in, with pearllike notes that always flow and feel relaxed, whether on
Horace Silver’s ballad “Peace” or a burning rendition of“Speak Low”.
The final night’s gala concert featured Napiórkowski
in a mostly acoustic duo with guitarist Artur Lesicki.
Then Bernstein and Pilon teamed up as the front line of aquartet. They took turns, beautifully, on the affirmationalarc of melody that is “My Ideal”. The competition’s four
winners also played one tune each.
Everyone involved in this year’s event seemedaware that it was taking place during an especially dark
moment for the world. The war in Ukraine was raging(close to Poland’s borders), and the catastrophe in Israel
and the Gaza Strip had exploded only a few days before
the competition began. So much darkness and deathmade the light and life of music more necessary.
For more info visit smietanacompetition.com(JAZZFEST BERLIN CONTINUED FROM PAGE 12)
made the fabulous Laying Demons To Rest (Rogue Art,
2023). Here they were supplemented by Berlin-based
Brazilian percussionist Maria Portugal, whose sensitive
deployment of texture and clear appreciation of space
only enhanced the pair’s near extrasensory communion.
Silva exploited all the tools in the modern trumpeter’sarmory while Frith’s range seemed limitless as herestlessly modified his sonic signature, abetted by anarray of implements and FX. Their set was a quicksilver
series of memorable vignettes, constantly posing thequestion: how on earth did we get from there to here?
Unfetteredexpression
andpreternaturalcommunication were also the stock in trade ofsaxophonist Ingrid Laubrock’s trio with Brandon Lopez(bass) and Tom Rainey (drums). Lopez’ unconventional
techniques—scuffing, swishing and scratching—proved
key to the unpredictable and empathetic interplay.
Simultaneously poised and experimental, Laubrockalways seemed to hold something in reserve, giving her
another gear which she utilized to electrifying effect. In
fact, all three knew the virtue of holding back, veering
into the weeds at will, before uncovering new trails to be
pursued, as if following a lucid narrative thread.
Two of the most distinctive and forward-facing
voices on the New York scene, Sylvie Courvoisier(piano) and Mary Halvorson (guitar), launched theproceedings with palpable duo chemistry. Courvoisier’scommand of high-wire improvisation and new-musicinflected classicism spiced an idiosyncratic take on the
jazz vernacular. In that she’s matched by the guitarist
who defies classification, as happy touching on spidery

scuttling as scrubbed skronk. Their compositions burst at
the seams with knotty not-quite harmonies, unexpected
volte-faces and sudden unmoorings where everything
you knew was upended.
Joshua Abrams presented an augmented versionof his Natural Information Society for a set which went
far beyond their customary brand of trance-inducing
gnawa free jazz. The cornet of Ben LaMar Gay andsaxophones of Anna Kaluza and Mia Dyberg added
an ecstatic, almost oceanic swell to Abrams’ guimbrifueled dusty grooves. But the undoubted star of theshow was 79-year-old AACM veteran tenor saxophonist
Ari Brown, who issued a majestic stream of hoarse
vocalized cries and tart, piercing runs which invigorated
everything he touched. German trumpeter Axel Dörner
further deepened the discourse, offering not only
episodes of free splutter and circular breathed snark,
but also provocative commentary on whatever else was
happening.
Zoh Amba’s records in no way prepared the listener
for the visceral impact of the sound emanating from her
slight frame. Having taken NYC by storm, the young
saxophonist is doing the same on the European touring
circuit. Her first-time encounter with Berlin-based
Brazilians Vinicius Cajado (bass) and Mauricio Takara(drums) was a high-energy meeting of minds in whichcathartic benedictions mingled with searing tumult. But
what distinguishes the saxophonist, and indeed the trio,
from the norm, was the ability to sustain such gambits
into something deeply cohesive and gut-wrenchingly
engaging.
Also of note were the combination of trombonist
Connie Bauer and morphing grooves of the almost
telepathic bass/drum tandem of William Parker and
Hamid Drake, while the melodic dialogue of saxophonist
Bill McHenry and drummer Andrew Cyrille couldn’t
have been further from the tropes of Interstellar Space.
Cellist Vincent Ceccaldi was the most sedate presencein his exuberant Bonbon Flame quartet, an anarchic
assemblage illuminated by the histrionics of guitarist
Luis Lopes and keys of Fulco Ottervanger. Paal NilssenLove’s Circus was likewise unhinged, rallying behindsome ferocious beats, enhanced by the remarkable
voice of Juliana Venter. The firebreathing saxophones,
gusty brass, propulsive drums and careening stringsof Andreas Røysum’s Ensemble closed the festival ina raucous good-time extravaganza, which also foundspace for one of the most beautiful songs heard over thefour days, a haunting version of the old English folk air“Hares on the Mountain”.
That every concert was sold out provides eloquenttestimony to the marvelous work of the team led by
Festival Director Nadine Deventer. With its superb
programming, appreciative audiences, excellent soundand top-notch venues, JazzFest Berlin demonstrates once
again that there’s no need to dumb down to succeed.
For more info visit berlinerfestspiele.de/en/jazzfest-berlin(LABEL SPOTLIGHT CONTINUED FROM PAGE 11)
that the level of freedom it provides has unlocked aunique wellspring of creativity.
Ultimately, Gotta Let It Out lives up to its nameand the motivation feels compulsive rather than overtly
planned. Its catalogue comprises a wide range of talent,with approaches that are often groundbreaking andcertainly unpredictable. Experiencing this label is notnecessarily about loving all the music or understanding
every piece. However, it is as much about honoring
the artists’ musical endeavors and the purity of
their motivations, while experiencing new auditory
sensations.
Prepare to enter the world of the weird and see
where it leads.
For more info visit gottaletitout.com

THE NEW YORK CITY JAZZ RECORD | December 2023 39

CALENDAR
Friday, December 1• Peter Watrous Quintet with Simón Willson; Simona Premazzi/Kyle Nasser Quintet
Bar Bayeux 6, 8, 9:30 pm• Oscar Noriega’s Crooked Quartet with Marta Sanchez, Christopher Tordini,
Jason Nazary; Mamie Minch/Dean Sharenow Barbès 5, 8 pm $20• Bill Saxton Harlem All-Stars Bill’s Place 7, 9 pm $30• Birdland Big Band; Cyrille Aimée with Victor Campbell, Tyrone Allen, Jafet Perez

Birdland 5:30, 8:30, 10:30 pm $30-40
Birdland Theater 7, 9:30 pm $25-35• Max Kutner with Eli Asher, Colin Hinton, Adam Minkoff, Kurt Kotheimer,
Michael Eaton
Bloomingdale School of Music 7 pm
Blue Note 8, 10:30 pm• Cautious Clay
• James Austin Quartet; Ai Murakami Quartet Cellar Dog 7, 8:30, 11 pm $10• Raphael Rogiński/Martyna Basta David Rubenstein Atrium 7:30 pmêGene and the Brass with Gene Pritsker, Franz Hackl, Peter Oswald, John Clark,
Steve Swell
The Delancey 5:45 pm
êMimi Fox with Houston Person, Will Gorman, Yoron Israel; Benny Benack with
Russell Hall, Joe Peri, Mathis Picard Dizzy’s Club 7:30, 9:30, 11:15 pm $25-65• Jason Tiemann Quartet; Ben Stivers Organ Quartet
The Django 7:30, 9, 10:30 pm, 12 am $25• Yasser Tejeda With DJ Sabin Blazin Harlem Stage Gatehouse 9 pm $20
êHarish Raghavan Sextet with Jasper Dutz, Ben Wendel, Gilad Hekselman,
Simon Moullier, Kayvon Gordon The Jazz Gallery 7:30, 9:30 pm $30-40
Knickerbocker Bar & Grill 9 pm
• Miho SasakiêBilly Drummond, Fred Hersch, John Hebert; Joe Block Trio
Mezzrow 7:30, 9, 10:30 pm, 12 am $40
êCarla Cook
Mount Morris Ascension Presbyterian Church 7 pm
• Didi Gutman with Gabi Sarlo, Yuval Lion Nublu 151 8 pm $22.66
êMakaya McCraven & Resavoir Pioneer Works 8 pm $30-50• Freddie Hendrix; Courtney Wright Room 623 at B2 Harlem 7, 8:30, 10 pm $20
Roulette 8 pm $25• Shelley Hirsch• Miguel Zenon and Dos Alas with Camila Cortina Bello, Noam Tanzer, Varun Das;
Corey Wallace Dubtet and Jam Smalls 7:30, 9, 10:30 pm, 12 am $40
êBrad Mehldau solo
Smoke 7, 9, 10:30 pm $40-75
êMarty Ehrlich, Briggan Krauss, Ray Larsen, Sara Schoenbeck, Doug Wieselman,
Marika Hughes, Kenny Wollesen, Wayne Horvitz, Jeong Lim Yang, Mike Gebhart
The Stone at The New School 8:30 pm $20
êSoul Monde
Symphony Space Leonard Nimoy Thalia 7:30 pm $20-30
Two E Lounge 6 pm
• Eli YaminêMark Turner Quartet with Jason Palmer, Joe Martin, Jonathan Pinson
Village Vanguard 8, 10 pm $40• Leo Yablans/Kwami Coleman Williamsburg Music Center 8:30 pm $30
êBria Skonberg

Saturday, December 2• Darada David, Christopher Hall, Terri Vernelle Davis

449 La Scat in Harlem 7 pm

• Osmium/Robin Fox: “TRIPTYCH” Alice Tully Hall at Lincoln Center 7:30 pm• Seydurah & Her Avecmoi Band of Blues Arthur’s Tavern 7 pm
• Santiago Leibson/Adam Kolker; Tony Moreno Trio with Gary Versace,Francois Moutin

Bar Bayeux 6, 8, 9:30 pm• Anant Pradhan/Larry MacDonald Bar LunÀtico 9, 10:30 pm $10

ê = Recommended Shows• Olivier Conan, Adele Fournet, Felipe Wurst, Andres Fonseca, Neil Ochoa,

Dan Martinez; 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 8, 10 pm $20• Bill Saxton Harlem All-Stars Bill’s Place 7, 9 pm $30• Gabrielle Stravelli Trio; Cyrille Aimée with Victor Campbell, Tyrone Allen,
Jafet Perez
Birdland 5:30, 8:30, 10:30 pm $20-40êBria Skonberg
Birdland Theater 7, 9:30 pm $20
Blue Note 8, 10:30 pm• Cautious ClayêAndrew Lamb: “Circadian Spheres of Light”
Brooklyn Conservatory of Music 7 pm $20• Dave Gibson Organ Quartet; Carol Morgan Quartet Cellar Dog 7, 8:30, 11 pm $10
Cut by Wolfgang Puck 12 pm• Maria KaushanskyêMimi Fox with Houston Person, Will Gorman, Yoron Israel; Benny Benack with
Russell Hall, Joe Peri, Mathis Picard Dizzy’s Club 7:30, 9:30, 11:15 pm $25-65
êEd Cherry Quartet; Craig Handy 2nd Line Smith
The Django 7:30, 9, 10:30 pm, 12 am $25
Drom 6, 8 pm $30• Nicole ZuraitisêRob Garcia 4 with Noah Preminger, Leo Genovese, Kim Cass
Ibeam Brooklyn 8 pm $20• Charles Altura Dark Horse V with Philip Dizack, Taylor Eigsti, Harish Raghavan,
Johnathan Blake
The Jazz Gallery 7:30, 9:30 pm $30-40êTomoko Ohno/Jay Leonhart
Knickerbocker Bar & Grill 9 pm
Louis Armstrong House 3 pm
• Amyra LeónêBilly Drummond, Fred Hersch, John Hebert; Taber Gable Trio
Mezzrow 7:30, 9, 10:30 pm, 12 am $40
êDezron Douglas Quartet with Emilio Modeste, George Burton, Joe Dyson
Miller Theatre 8 pm $25-40
êKenny Wessel Trio with Marc Mommas, Jay Anderson
New York Jazz Workshop 8 pm
Nublu 151 9:30 pm $22.66• Julius Rodriguez• Amirtha Kidambi: “Sparrows and Doves” Public Records 7 pmêAnna Webber, Max Johnson, Michael Sarin Scholes Street Studio 8 pm
Silvana 8 pm
• Velvet Affairs BandêT.K. Blue
Sistas’ Place 8, 9:30 pm $25• Miguel Zenon and Dos Alas with Camila Cortina Bello, Noam Tanzer, Varun Das;
Chris Beck Quintet and Jam Smalls 7:30, 9, 10:30 pm, 12 am $40
êBrad Mehldau solo
Smoke 7, 9, 10:30 pm $40-75• Robin Holcomb/Wayne Horvitz The Stone at The New School 8:30 pm $20
êThe Bad Plus
The Sultan Room 7 pm $37.19• Peter and Will Anderson: “The Andersons Play Arlen”Symphony Space Leonard
Nimoy Thalia 3, 5:30 pm $25-35
Two E Lounge 6 pm
• Eli YaminêMark Turner Quartet with Jason Palmer, Joe Martin, Jonathan Pinson
Village Vanguard 8, 10 pm $40
Zürcher Gallery 8 pm $20• Sarah Galas Band

Sunday, December 3

Arthur’s Tavern 7 pm
• Creole Cookin’ Jazz Band
Bar LunÀtico 9, 10:30 pm $10• Didi Gutman• Chuño with Franco Pinna, Sofia Tosello; Stéphane Wrembel; Daisy Castro withMax O’Rourke, Brad Brose, James Robbins Barbès 8, 10 pm $20• Quintin Harris Quintet with Dakarai Barclay, Bailey Giles, Sam AuBuchon, Marlen
Suero-Amparo; Afro Latin Jazz Orchestra Birdland 5:30, 8:30, 10:30 pm $20-40êBria Skonberg
Birdland Theater 7, 9:30 pm $20• NYU Wayne Shorter Ensemble with Dave Pietro; NYU Dezron Douglas Ensemble;
Cautious ClayBlue Note 12:30, 2:30, 8, 10:30 pm $25
Cellar Dog 7, 8:30 pm $5• Mike LeDonne TrioêMimi Fox with Houston Person, Will Gorman, Yoron Israel
Dizzy’s Club 5, 7:30 pm $25-65• Caelan Cardello Quartet; Steve Ash Trio
The Django 7:30, 9, 10:30 pm, 12 am $25
êJon-Erik Kellso and the EarRegulars The Ear Inn 8 pm
• William Hooker with Laura Feathers, Kevin Ramsay, Hans Tammen, Mike
Clemmow, Jennifer Grossman, Jennifer Pyron, Ayumi Ishito, Sara Wentworth,
Nebula, Dave Sewelson
Funkadelic Studios 11 am• Welf Dorr, Elias Meister, Dmitry Ishenko, Dalius Naujo The Keep 9 pmêLibby York, Warren Vache, John DiMartino; Lucy Wijnands Trio
Mezzrow 7:30, 9, 10:30 pm, 12 am $35
êKendra Shank with Paul Bollenback, Dean Johnson
North Square Lounge 12:30, 2 pm
• Jonathan Scales Fourchestra Nublu 151 8 pm $22.66• Michael Foster, Greg Kelley, Brandon Lopez, Sean Meehan; Zosha Warpeha/
Carlo Costa Duo
P.I.T. 8:30 pm $20• Nate Lucas All-Stars; Sing Harlem Gospel Brunch Red Rooster Harlem 12 pm• Marcus Goldhaber; Mimi Jones and Jam Room 623 at B2 Harlem 6, 8, 10 pm $20• Kevin Hays, Chase Elodia, Conway Campbell, Jr. Saint Peter’s Church 5 pm
Shrine 8 pm
• Shrine Big Band
• Dan Aran Sextet with John Ellis, Itai Kriss, Glenn Zaleski, Matt Clohesy,
Samuel Torres; Aaron Johnson Boplicity and Jam
Smalls 7:30, 9, 10:30 pm, 12 am $35
êBill Charlap solo
Smoke 7, 9, 10:30 pm $40-50êThe Bad Plus
The Sultan Room 7 pm $37.19
êMark Turner Quartet with Jason Palmer, Joe Martin, Jonathan Pinson
Village Vanguard 8, 10 pm $40

Monday, December 4
Arthur’s Tavern 7 pm
• Grove Street Stompers
Bar LunÀtico 9, 10:30 pm $10• Mike Dillon & Punkadelick• Musics with Ilusha Tsinadze, Gocha Tsinadze, Chris Tordini, Jason Nazary
Barbès 7 pm $20• Joey Alexander Trio with Theo Croker Birdland 7, 9:30 pm $30-40

Red Rooster Harlem 6:30 pm• Ahmaya Knoelle
Shrine 10 pm• Skye Band
• Jonathan Pinson Quintet with Mario Castro, Andrew Renfroe, Taber Gable,
Joshua Crumbly; Mike Boone Quartet and Jam
Smalls 7:30, 9, 10:30 pm, 12 am $35
êVanguard Jazz Orchestra
Village Vanguard 8, 10 pm $40• Tom Guarna with Lenny White, James Genus Zinc Bar 7, 8:30 pm $30

Tuesday, December 5• Wayne Tucker and The Bad Mothas Arthur’s Tavern 7 pm
Bar LunÀtico 9, 10:30 pm $10• Leo Genovese’s Quilombo• 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• Joey Alexander Trio with Theo Croker Birdland 7, 9:30 pm $30-40• Lucy Wijnands: “Swings Ella” Birdland Theater 5:30 pm $25-35
êHypnotic Brass Ensemble
Blue Note 8, 10:30 pm $30-45
Cellar Dog 7, 8:30 pm $5• Brandi Disterheft TrioêGeorge Burton with Nancy Harms, Diane Monroe, Veronica MJ, Maura Dwyer,
Pablo Menares, Joe Dyson: “The Yule Log”
Dizzy’s Club 7:30, 9:30 pm $20-45
êConrad Herwig and the Latin Side All-Stars
The Django 7:30, 9, 10:30 pm, 12 am $25• patrick brennan, Paul Austerlitz, Claire De Brunner, Nick Gianni, Josh Sinton;
Samantha Kochis, Kevin Murray Downtown Music Gallery 6:30 pmêJeff “Tain” Watts 4 with James Francies, Paul Bollenback, Yunior Terry
Drom 7:30, 9:30 pm $30• Jerome Jennings/Naomi Extra: “GET FREE COLLECTIVE”
Jazz Museum in Harlem 7 pm
• Kevin Sun Trio with Walter Stinson, Kayvon Gordon
Lowlands 8, 9:30 pm $10• Neil Podgurski, Madison Rast, Chad Taylor; Tardo Hammer Trio
Mezzrow 7:30, 9, 10:30 pm, 12 am $35
Red Rooster Harlem 6:30 pm• Deborah NewalloêJonathan Reisin Trio; Tal Yahalom Scholes Street Studio 8 pmêLew Tabackin Trio with Yasushi Nakamura, Jason Tiemann; Craig Brann Quintet
with Greg Tardy, Ethan Herr, Nick Morrison, Johnathan Blake and Jam
Smalls 7:30, 9, 10:30 pm, 12 am $35
êChristian McBride with Benny Green, Gregory Hutchinson:“Remembering Ray Brown”
Village Vanguard 8, 10 pm $40
York College 7 pm
• Amy OrtegaêRichard Baratta with David Kikoski, Boris Kozlov, Paul Rossman
Zinc Bar 7, 8:30 pm $30

Wednesday, December 6• CNOTENYC

333 Lounge 7:30, 9:30 pmêHumanity Quartet with Julieta Eugenio, Tony Davis, Sean Smith, Leon Parker

Bar Bayeux 8, 9:30 pm• Kazemde George Quartet with Leandro Pellegrino, Joel Mateo, Raul Reyes
Bar LunÀtico 9, 10:30 pm $10• Andy Statman Trio with Larry Eagle, Jim Whitney; Mamady Kouyate and his
Mandingo Ambassadors

Barbès 8, 10 pm $20• Joey Alexander Trio with Theo Croker Birdland 7, 9:30 pm $30-40êDavid Ostwald’s Louis Armstrong Eternity Band; Frank Vignola’s Guitar Nightwith Olli Soikkeli

Birdland Theater 7, 9:30 pm $20-30• Adam Blackstone: “A Legacy Christmas” Blue Note 8, 10:30 pm $30-45
Cellar Dog 7, 8:30 pm $5• Tardo Hammer TrioêUlysses Owens, Jr. Big Band
Dizzy’s Club 7:30, 9:30 pm $25-65
êJoe Farnsworth Quartet; Joe Strasser Quartet

The Django 7:30, 9, 10:30 pm, 12 am $25
The Ear Inn 11 pm• Kengchakaj, Nitcha Tothong The Jazz Gallery 7:30, 9:30 pm $20-30êTrevor Deke Bajus, Ayumi Ishito, Yuko Togami; Ken Kobayashi, Jeff Miles,
Ken Filiano; Stephen Gauci, Adam Lane, Colin Hinton; Sam Newsome,
Sandy Ewen, Kevin Murray; André Matos, Leo Genovese, Billy Mintz
Main Drag Music 7 pm $15êHarish Raghavan, Miki Yamanaka, Jimmy Macbride; Stefan Vasnier Trio
Mezzrow 7:30, 9, 10:30 pm, 12 am $35
êZoh Amba/Chris Corsano; Gian Perez Trio with Marc Edwards, Michael Gilbert;
Palenque Monastery with Selendis Sebastian, Alexander Johnson, Alfredo Colon,
Samantha Kochis, Caleb Smith, Anna Abondolo, Joshua Matthews
Nublu 151 7 pm $22.66• Mark Kirby: “Birthday Celebration” Pangea 7 pm $25
Red Rooster Harlem 6 pm
• Rodrigo Bonelli Trio
• Harlem Jazz Session with Peter Brainin Room 623 at B2 Harlem 8 pm $20
êPatricia Brennan/Sylvie Courvoisier Roulette 8 pm $25
êDom Minasi Memorial with Hans Tammen, Ken Filiano, Jay Rosen, Tor Synyder,
Steve Swell, Dominic Duval, Jr., Jackson Krall, Harvey Valdes, Ras Moshe,
Cheryl Pyle, Hilliard Greene, John Pietaro, Tomas Ulrich, Eyal Maoz,
Susan Alcorn, Nora McCarthy, Jorge Sylvester, Blaise Siwula, Carol Mennie
Saint Peter’s Church 5 pm
• Hannah Marks Quartet with Nathan Reising, Lex Korten, Steven Crammer;
Yago Vazquez Quartet and Jam Smalls 7:30, 9, 10:30 pm, 12 am $35
êDavid Hazeltine Trio with Rufus Reid, Louis Hayes Smoke 7, 9, 10:30 pm $25-35
êDee Dee Bridgewater with Sean Jones, NYO Jazz All-Star Big Band
Stern Auditorium at Carnegie Hall 7:30 pm $15-85
êCaroline Davis/Wendy Eisenberg The Stone at The New School 8:30 pm $20
Two E Lounge 6 pm
• Eric Yves GarciaêChristian McBride with Benny Green, Gregory Hutchinson:“Remembering Ray Brown”
Village Vanguard 8, 10 pm $40• Terry Waldo’s Gotham City Ragtime Band Zinc Bar 7, 8:30 pm $30
êSasha Dobson

Thursday, December 7êVince Giordano And The Nighthawks Birdland Theater 5:30, 8:30 pm $20-40êTerry Waldo’s Gotham City Band Arthur’s Tavern 10 pm

David Geffen Hall 8 pm
• Craig Brann with Greg Tardy, Ethan Herr, Nick Morrison, Johnathan Blake
Dizzy’s Club 7:30, 9:30 pm $20-45• Wilfie Williams Quartet; Ricardo Grilli The Django 7:30, 9, 10:30 pm, 12 am $25
êMingus Big Band
Drom 7:30, 9:30 pm $30• Spike Wilner Trio; Ed Cherry Trio Mezzrow 7:30, 9, 10:30 pm, 12 am $35• Dark Is Light Is; Swedish Lucia; Elsa Nilsson Quartet with Jeff McLaughlin,
Kaisa Mäensivu, Cody Rahn; Queen Esther with Jeff McLaughlin
Nublu 151 7 pm $22.66

Bar LunÀtico 9, 10:30 pm $10• Trio Catarina• Ourida; La Banda Chuska with Felipe Wurst, Sam Day Harmet, Adele Fournet,• Lila Bloom Band with Simón Willson Bowery Electric 9 pm
Cellar Dog 7, 8:30 pm $5• Willerm Delisfort Trio
• Caretaker and Moor Mother: “Black Encyclopedia of the Air”

40 December 2023 | THE NEW YORK CITY JAZZ RECORD

Back Bar 5:30 pm• Maria Kaushansky• Max Light; Peter Bernstein, Anthony Pinciotti, Adam Kolker, Jeremy Stratton
Bar Bayeux 6, 8, 9:30 pm

Erica Mancini, Abe Pollack, Joel Mateo Barbès 8, 10 pm $20• Joey Alexander Trio with Theo Croker Birdland 7, 9:30 pm $30-40
Blue Note 8, 10:30 pm $30-45• Fearless Flyers• James Burton Quintet; Jon Davis Trio Cellar Dog 7, 8:30, 11 pm $5êUlysses Owens, Jr. Big Band

Dizzy’s Club 7:30, 9:30 pm $25-65• Itai Kriss Quartet; Mark Whitfield The Django 7:30, 9, 10:30 pm, 12 am $25• Yemen Blues with Ravid Kahalani House of Yes 8:30 pm $30

êRoy Hargrove Big BandThe Jazz Gallery 7:30, 9:30 pm $35-45• Lex Korten, Adam Olszewski, JK Kim; Ray Gallon Trio

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

Red Rooster Harlem 6:30 pm• Lynette Washington
Silvana 8 pm
• Harlem Jazz Circus• Tobias Meinhart Quartet with Julian Shore, Matt Brewer, Mark Whitfield Jr;
David Gibson Quartet and Jam Smalls 7:30, 9, 10:30 pm, 12 am $35
êBilly Hart Quartet with Mark Turner, Ethan Iverson, Ben Street
Smoke 7, 9, 10:30 pm $40-55
êCaroline Davis, Craig Taborn, Val Jeanty
The Stone at The New School 8:30 pm $20
Two E Lounge 6 pm
• Eric Yves GarciaêChristian McBride with Benny Green, Gregory Hutchinson:“Remembering Ray Brown”
Village Vanguard 8, 10 pm $40

Friday, December 8êNicole Henry: “Holiday Concert” Aaron Davis Hall 7 pm $50• Johnny O’Neal Trio; Bobby Harden with Off Da Hook

Arthur’s Tavern 7, 10 pm• Peter Watrous Quintet with Simón Willson; Spike Wilner

Bar Bayeux 6, 8, 9:30 pm• Oscar Noriega’s Crooked Quartet with Marta Sanchez, Christopher Tordini,

Jason Nazary; Michael Hearst with Allyssa Lamb, Dylan Thurston,
Kaethe Hostetter, Eric Allen; Living Language with Nikhil P. Yerawadekar
Barbès 5, 8, 10 pm $20
Bargemusic 7 pm $35• Rob Schwimmer• Bill Saxton Harlem All-Stars Bill’s Place 7, 9 pm $30• Birdland Big Band; Joey Alexander Trio with Theo Croker
Birdland 5:30, 8:30, 10:30 pm $30-40
Birdland Theater 7, 9:30 pm $25-35• Richard Bona Assante Trio
Blue Note 8, 10:30 pm $30-45• Fearless Flyers• Cellar Dog All Stars; Katie Cosco Quartet
Cellar Dog 7, 8:30, 11 pm $10• Madison Greenstone; andPlay The DiMenna Center 7:30 pmêUlysses Owens, Jr. Big Band
Dizzy’s Club 7:30, 9:30 pm $25-65• Yoon Sun Choi with Angela Morris, Anne Rhodes, Raina Sokolov-Gonzalez
Ibeam Brooklyn 8 pm $20
Iridium 8:30 pm $30-40• Howard Levy 4êKalia Vandever Quartet with Mary Halvorson, Tyrone Allen, Kayvon Gordon
The Jazz Gallery 7:30, 9:30 pm $30-40
Knickerbocker Bar & Grill 9 pm
• Tommaso PerazzoêAdam Birnbaum, Joe Martin, Al Foster; Jon Davis Trio
Mezzrow 7:30, 9, 10:30 pm, 12 am $40• Wayne Tucker with Miles Tucker, David Linard, Addison Frei, Tamir Shmerling,
Diego Ramirez
Nublu 151 7 pm $22.66• Mike Troy Quartet with Simón Willson Ornithology Jazz Club 9 pm
• Caili O’Doherty; Gabriel Schillinger-Hyman
Room 623 at B2 Harlem 7, 8:30, 10 pm $20
Shrine 9 pm
• Chaphouse
Silvana 8 pm
• Peter Louis Octet• Joe Magnarelli Quartet; Philip Harper Quintet and Jam
Smalls 7:30, 9, 10:30 pm, 12 am $40
êBilly Hart Quartet with Mark Turner, Ethan Iverson, Ben Street
Smoke 7, 9, 10:30 pm $40-55
êCaroline Davis, Matt Mitchell, Rashaan Carter, Terri Lyne Carrington
The Stone at The New School 8:30 pm $20• Schapiro 17 with Roberta Piket Third Street Music School Settlement 6:30 pm
Two E Lounge 6 pm
• Antonio Ciacca
êChristian McBride with Benny Green, Gregory Hutchinson:“Remembering Ray Brown”
Village Vanguard 8, 10 pm $40

Saturday, December 9
Arthur’s Tavern 7 pm
• Axel Tosca• Jeremy Udden with Frank Carlberg, Bridget Kearney, Ziv Ravitz:“Wishing Flower”

Bar Bayeux 8, 9:30 pm• Bill Saxton Harlem All-Stars Bill’s Place 7, 9 pm $30• Gabrielle Stravelli Trio; Joey Alexander Trio with Theo Croker

Birdland 5:30, 8:30, 10:30 pm $20-40
Birdland Theater 7, 9:30 pm $25-35
Blue Note 8, 10:30 pm $30-45êJohn Mosca Quartet; Matt Martinez Quartet Cellar Dog 7, 8:30, 11 pm $10
Cut by Wolfgang Puck 12 pm• Maria KaushanskyêUlysses Owens, Jr. Big Band
Dizzy’s Club 7:30, 9:30 pm $25-65• Ron Jackson Trio; Nick Hempton BandThe Django 7:30, 9, 10:30 pm, 12 am $25• Shantelle Courvoisier Jackson, Hannah Lemmons, Bobby Morgan; Mary
Prescott, Kalí Rodríguez-Peña Harlem Stage Gatehouse 7:30 pm $20• FloaTrio with Ben Sutin, Luca Soul Rosenfeld, Carlo Costa; Fungal Bloom with
Fung Chern Hwei, Shawn Lovato, Colin Hinton Ibeam Brooklyn 8 pm $20
êSylvie Courvoisier/Mary Halvorson The Jazz Gallery 7:30, 9:30 pm $30-40êAmirtha Kidambi/Darius Jones: “Angels & Demons” The Kitchen 7 pm
• Joe Camardo/Marshall Herridge Knickerbocker Bar & Grill 9 pm
Louis Armstrong House 3 pm
• Vuyo SotasheêAdam Birnbaum, Joe Martin, Al Foster; Jon Davis Trio; Dave Kikoski Trio
Mezzrow 7:30, 9, 10:30 pm, 12 am $40• Peter Watrous Group with Simón Willson Ornithology Jazz Club 6:30 pmêCarl Stone: “70th Birthday Lollapalooza” with Soo Yeon Lyuh, Ned Rothenberg,
Matt Sargent, Elliott Sharp, Booker Stardrum, Min Xiao-Fen Roulette 8 pm $25
Shrine 8 pm
• Baklava ExpressêJerome Jennings
Sistas’ Place 8, 9:30 pm $25• Joe Magnarelli Quartet; Stacy Dillard Quartet and Jam
Smalls 7:30, 9, 10:30 pm, 12 am $40
êBilly Hart Quartet with Mark Turner, Ethan Iverson, Ben Street
Smoke 7, 9, 10:30 pm $40-55
êCaroline Davis, Qasim Naqvi, Chris Tordini, Jason Nazary
The Stone at The New School 8:30 pm $20
Two E Lounge 6 pm
• Antonio Ciacca
êChristian McBride with Benny Green, Gregory Hutchinson:“Remembering Ray Brown”
Village Vanguard 8, 10 pm $40• William Hill III Trio with Chet Carlson, Matthew Fu
Williamsburg Music Center 10 pm $20• Richard Bona Assante Trio
• Fearless Flyers

Sunday, December 10• Creole Cookin’ Jazz Band
• Los Cielitos

Arthur’s Tavern 7 pm
Bar LunÀtico 9, 10:30 pm $10êStéphane Wrembel; Olli Soikkeli Barbès 8, 10 pm $20
êGeorge Gee Swing Orchestra: “Winter Wonderland”; Afro Latin Jazz Orchestra

Birdland 5:30, 8:30, 10:30 pm $20-40

Birdland Theater 7, 9:30 pm $25-35• Richard Bona Assante Trio
• Svetlana and The New York Collective; Fearless Flyers

Blue Note 12:30, 2:30, 8, 10:30 pm $30-45êSullivan Fortner Trio with Tyrone Allen, Kayvon Gordon

Brooklyn Public Library Central Branch 4 pmêRay Gallon Trio
Cellar Dog 7, 8:30 pm $5êSquirrel Nut Zippers
City Winery 5:30 pm $45-60
êUlysses Owens, Jr. Big Band
Dizzy’s Club 5, 7:30 pm $25-65• Craig Handy Quartet; Antonio Ciacca Trio
The Django 7:30, 9, 10:30 pm, 12 am $25
êJon-Erik Kellso and the EarRegulars The Ear Inn 8 pmêPapo Vázquez and the Mighty Pirates Troubadors with Camille Thurman,
Héctor Mercado, José Mangual, Iván Renta, Rick Germanson, Ariel Robles,
Alvester Garnett, Reinaldo De Jésus, José Claussell
Hostos Center 8 pm $15êGeorge Coleman, Jimmy Owens, Peter Bernstein, Scott Robinson, Ron McClure,
Virginia Mayhew, Javier Arau, Ehud Asherie: “Special Audiences andMusicians Benefit”
Jazz Museum in Harlem 2 pm $35• Welf Dorr, Robert Boston, Dmitry Ishenko, Yuko Togami The Keep 9 pmêAdam Holzman, Jane Getter, Gene Pritsker, David Taylor
Kostabi World 6 pm $20-30êKavita Shah, Julian Shore, Francois Moutin, Varun Das; Jamile Polite Jam
Mezzrow 7:30, 9, 10:30 pm, 12 am $35• Melissa Stylianou with Roni Ben-Hur, Josh Marcum
North Square Lounge 12:30, 2 pm
• Sue Matsuki/Gregory Toroian Pangea 7 pm $25
êCatalytic Sound Festival: Lotte Anker, Sylvie Courvoisier, Charmaine Lee,
Fred Lonberg-Holm, Brandon Lopez, Cecilia Lopez, Ikue Mori, Zeena Parkins,
Ned Rothenberg, Nate Wooley Public Records 7 pm
• Nate Lucas All-Stars; Sing Harlem Gospel Brunch Red Rooster Harlem 12 pm
Room 623 at B2 Harlem 8, 10 pm $20• Mimi Jones and JamêCarl Stone: “70th Birthday Lollapalooza” with Soo Yeon Lyuh, Ned Rothenberg,
Matt Sargent, Elliott Sharp, Booker Stardrum, Min Xiao-Fen Roulette 8 pm $25
êMarty Ehrlich Dark Woods/Bright Sparks with Ron Horton, Sara Schoenbeck,
Erik Friedlander, Matt Pavolka, Satoshi Takeishi Roulette 8 pm $25
Saint Peter’s Church 5 pm
• Eduardo Belo TrioêRas Moshe, Patricia Spears Jones Scholes Street Studio 4:40 pm• NYYS Jazz Band: “Thad Jones - Living Legacy” ShapeShifter Lab 5:30 pm• Thomas Laubhan Quartet; Nicolaus Gelin Silvana 8 pm
• Mike Troy Quartet with Jon Elbaz, Simon Willson, Corey Garcia;
Asaf Yuria Quartet and Jam
Smalls 7:30, 9, 10:30 pm, 12 am $35
êBilly Hart Quartet with Mark Turner, Ethan Iverson, Ben Street
Smoke 7, 9, 10:30 pm $40-55• Ron Carter Trio with Russell Malone, Donald Vega
Trinity Church 3 pmêChristian McBride with Benny Green, Gregory Hutchinson:“Remembering Ray Brown”
Village Vanguard 8, 10 pm $40

Monday, December 11
Arthur’s Tavern 7 pm
• Grove Street Stompers• Karen Mason: “Christmas, Christmas, Christmas” Birdland 7 pm $30-40êVince Giordano And The Nighthawks Birdland Theater 7, 9:30 pm $20-40• Chris Botti with Lee Pearson, Daniel Chmielinski, Leonardo Amuedo
Blue Note 8, 10:30 pm $75-95

Cellar Dog 7, 8:30 pm $5• Ehud Asherie Trio
• Juilliard Jazz Ensembles: “The Grammar of Sound—Ornette Coleman”
Dizzy’s Club 7:30, 9:30 pm $20-45• Adam Moezinia and Folk Element Trio; Marty Scott Quintet

The Django 7:30, 9, 10:30 pm, 12 am $25
Drom 7:30, 9:30 pm $30• Burnett Thompson Trio; Pasquale Grasso Trio
Mezzrow 7:30, 9, 10:30 pm, 12 am $35• Jim Piela/Caroline Davis; Michael Sarian’s Esquina Nublu 151 7 pm $22.66
Red Rooster Harlem 6:30 pm• Ahmaya Knoelle• Joe Farnsworth Quartet; Obasi Akoto Quartet and Jam
Smalls 7:30, 9, 10:30 pm, 12 am $35
êVanguard Jazz Orchestra
Village Vanguard 8, 10 pm $40• Ed Cherry Trio with Kyle Koehler, Joe Peri Zinc Bar 7, 8:30 pm $30
êMingus Big Band

Tuesday, December 12• Duduka Da Fonseca & Quarteto Universal Bar LunÀtico 9, 10:30 pm $10• 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
Birdland 7, 9:30 pm $40-50êVince Giordano And The Nighthawks Birdland Theater 7, 9:30 pm $20-40• Chris Botti with Lee Pearson, Daniel Chmielinski, Leonardo Amuedo
Blue Note 8, 10:30 pm $75-95
Cellar Dog 7, 8:30 pm $5• Vanderlei Pereira TrioêMatt Wilson Christmas Tree-O with Jeff Lederer, Paul Sikivie
Dizzy’s Club 7:30, 9:30 pm $20-50êConrad Herwig and the Latin Side All-Stars
The Django 7:30, 9, 10:30 pm, 12 am $25
êKappa Maki, Yonono BW; Steve Hubback; Sabrina Salamone, James Paul Nadien,
Nick Fraser, Darius Jones
Downtown Music Gallery 6:30 pm• Two Tenors with Ben Solomon, Kevin Sun, Jeonglim Yang, Kayvon Gordon
Lowlands 8, 9:30 pm $10• Vanessa Perea, Adam Birnbaum, Neal Miner, Aaron Kimmel; Michael Kanan
Mezzrow 7:30, 9, 10:30 pm, 12 am $35
Red Rooster Harlem 6:30 pm• Deborah Newalloêgabby fluke-mogul/Ava Mendoza Roulette 8 pm $25
Silvana 7 pm
• Zeju Zheng; Adam WootenêSteve Nelson Quartet with Rick Germanson, Kiyoshi Kitagawa, Charles Goold;
Barry Stephenson Quartet and Jam Smalls 7:30, 9, 10:30 pm, 12 am $35
êChristian McBride’s Inside Straight with Steve Wilson, Warren Wolf, Peter Martin,
Carl Allen
Village Vanguard 8, 10 pm $40
êMarc Copland with Drew Gress, Billy Drummond Zinc Bar 7, 8:30 pm $30• Luisa Muhr, Daniel Carter, Jessica Pavone Zürcher Gallery 8 pm $20
êStacey Kent

Wednesday, December 13

333 Lounge 7:30, 9:30 pm• Lessie Vonner• Zaccai Curtis Quintet with Luques Curtis: “Ode to Maestro Eddie Palmieri”
Alianza Dominicana Cultural Center 7 pm

THE NEW YORK CITY JAZZ RECORD | December 2023 41

êJerome Sabbagh Trio with Al Foster, Joe Martin Bar Bayeux 8, 9:30 pm• Chris Botti with Lee Pearson, Daniel Chmielinski, Leonardo Amuedo

Bar LunÀtico 9, 10:30 pm $10
Birdland 7, 9:30 pm $40-51• Stacey Kent
• David Ostwald’s Louis Armstrong Eternity Band; Frank Vignola’s Guitar Nightwith Ed Cherry
Birdland Theater 7, 9:30 pm $20-30• Chris Botti with Lee Pearson, Daniel Chmielinski, Leonardo Amuedo
Blue Note 8, 10:30 pm $75-95
Cellar Dog 7, 8:30 pm $5• Chris Beck TrioêJoe McCarthy Afro-Latin Big Band: “The Nutcracker Suite”
Dizzy’s Club 7:30, 9:30 pm $20-60• Spike Wilner Trio; Gregg Skaff Trio The Django 7:30, 9, 10:30 pm, 12 am $25
êSteven Bernstein’s Millennial Territory Orchestra with Fay Victor: “Holiday Party”
Drom 7:30, 9:30 pm $30
The Ear Inn 10 pm• Christine Santelli Trio
• Louis Armstrong Legacy Jazz Jam with Carol Sudhalter
Flushing Town Hall 7 pm
• Lynette Washington with Wayne Escoffery, Bart Platteau, Amina Figarova, Dezron
Douglas, Tommy Campbell
Interchurch Center 7 pm
The Jazz Gallery 7:30, 9:30 pm $20-30• Vinicius GomesêAiden O’Connell, Jon Elbaz, Brandon Terzakis; Patrick Golden Ensemble;
Stephen Gauci, Adam Lane, Kevin Shea; Jeremy Carlstedt, Ray Anderson,
Hilliard Greene; Matei Predescu, Jonathan Reisin, Michael Gilbert, Jarred Chase,
Miranda Agnew
Main Drag Music 7 pm $15• Behn Gillece, Bob DeVos, Paul Gill; Ben Rice Trio
Mezzrow 7:30, 9, 10:30 pm, 12 am $35• John Zweig Quartet: “Tribute to Wes Montgomery” Pangea 7 pm $25
Red Rooster Harlem 6 pm
• Rodrigo Bonelli Trio
• Harlem Jazz Session with Peter Brainin
Room 623 at B2 Harlem 8 pm $20
êJALC Orchestra with Wynton Marsalis, Ashley Pezzotti: “Big Band Holidays”
Rose Theater 8 pm $40-185• Nate Jones Quartet with Sophia Kickhofel, Nolan Nwachukwu, Matt Lee;
Evan Sherman Quintet and Jam Smalls 7:30, 9, 10:30 pm, 12 am $35
êMarquis Hill, Joel Ross, Michael King, Junius Paul, Kendrick Scott
Smoke 7, 9, 10:30 pm $40-55
êZeena Parkins, Sylvie Courvoisier, Lotte Anker, Ikue Mori
The Stone at The New School 8:30 pm $20
Two E Lounge 6 pm
• Antonio Ciacca
êMendoza Hoff Revels with Ava Mendoza, Devin Hoff, James Brandon Lewis,
Ches Smith
Union Pool 7 pm $18.54
êChristian McBride’s Inside Straight with Steve Wilson, Warren Wolf, Peter Martin,
Carl Allen
Village Vanguard 8, 10 pm $40
Zinc Bar 7, 8:30 pm $30• Sarah KingêAhmed Abdullah’s Diaspora with Salim Washington, Alex Harding, Monique• Loren Stillman Trio with Drew Gress, Mark Ferber: “Time and Again”

Thursday, December 14êSamara Joy and the McClendon Family: “A Joyful Holiday”

Apollo Theater & Music Café 8 pm $70-120êTerry Waldo’s Gotham City Band Arthur’s Tavern 10 pm• Max Light; Bruce Barth, Adam Cruz, Adam Kolker, Jeremy Stratton
Bar Bayeux 6, 8, 9:30 pm• Buck And A Quarter Quartet; Balsa de Fuego with Raquel Baena, Dan Neville,

LIZZIE THOMAS

HOLIDAY SINGLESAVAILABLE
MARCH 24th

Wonderful Christmastime (November 17th)
Christmas Time Is Here (December 1st)
It's Magic (December 8th)
Star Of Wonder (December 15th)
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Neal Smith - drums

Justin Flynn, Andrés Fonseca, Juan Sebastián Monsalve
Barbès 8, 10 pm $20
êStacey Kent
Birdland 7, 9:30 pm $40-52
êKat Edmonson: “Holiday Swingin” Birdland Theater 5:30, 8:30 pm $30-30• Chris Botti with Lee Pearson, Daniel Chmielinski, Leonardo Amuedo
Blue Note 8, 10:30 pm $75-95
Bronx River Art Center 7 pm $15• Gabriel Chakarji• Bebop Collective Quartet; Miss Maybell Quartet Cellar Dog 7, 8:30, 11 pm $5êAhmed Abdullah’s Diaspora with Salim Washington, Alex Harding, D.D. Jackson,
Obasi Akoto, Brandon Lewis, Monique Ngozi Nri
Church of St Luke and St Matthew 7:30 pmêMary Stallings with Emmet Cohen Trio
Dizzy’s Club 7:30, 9:30 pm $25-65• Tyler Blanton Quartet; AC Lincoln Quintet
The Django 7:30, 9, 10:30 pm, 12 am $25
êBertha Hope
Jackie Robinson Recreation Center 6 pm
• Cameron Campbell, Conway Campbell Jr, Kabelo Mokhatla
The Jazz Gallery 7:30, 9:30 pm $20-30• Tal Ronen, Tamar Korn, Josh Dunn, Dalton Ridenhour; Greg Murphy Trio with
Obasi Akoto, Steve Johns
Mezzrow 7:30, 9, 10:30 pm, 12 am $35
National Sawdust 7:30 pm $20• JJJJJerome Ellis• Paul Bedal with Martin Nevin, Adam Arruda; My Tree with Caroline Davis,
Ben Hoffmann
The Owl Music Parlor 8 pm $12
Red Rooster Harlem 6:30 pm• Lynette WashingtonêJALC Orchestra with Wynton Marsalis, Ashley Pezzotti: “Big Band Holidays”
Rose Theater 8 pm $40-185êRavi Coltrane
Schomburg Center 7 pm
Silvana 8 pm
• Harlem Jazz Circus• David Smith Quintet; Curtis Nowosad Quartet and Jam
Smalls 7:30, 9, 10:30 pm, 12 am $35
êMarquis Hill, Joel Ross, Michael King, Junius Paul, Kendrick Scott
Smoke 7, 9, 10:30 pm $40-55
êCraig Taborn, Lotte Anker, Ikue Mori The Stone at The New School 8:30 pm $20
êStephane Wrembel
Symphony Space Leonard Nimoy Thalia 7:30 pm $20-30
Two E Lounge 6 pm
• Antonio Ciacca
êChristian McBride’s Inside Straight with Steve Wilson, Warren Wolf, Peter Martin,
Carl Allen
Village Vanguard 8, 10 pm $40

Friday, December 15• Darada David, Christopher Hall, Terri Vernelle Davis

449 La Scat in Harlem 7 pmêSamara Joy and the McClendon Family: “A Joyful Holiday”

Apollo Theater & Music Café 8 pm $70-120êJohnny O’Neal Trio; Bobby Harden with Off Da Hook Arthur’s Tavern 7, 10 pm• Peter Watrous Group with Simón Willson; Wayne Tucker
Bar Bayeux 6, 8, 9:30 pm• Helio Alves/Guilherme Monteiro Bar LunÀtico 9, 10:30 pm• Oscar Noriega’s Crooked Quartet with Marta Sanchez, Christopher Tordini,

visit dottimerecords.com to order

lizziethejazzsinger.com

visit dottimerecords.com to order

Jason Nazary; Eszter Balint with David Nagler and Marlon Cherry;
Pangari and the Socialites
Barbès 5, 8, 10 pm $20• Bill Saxton Harlem All-Stars Bill’s Place 7, 9 pm $30
êBirdland Big Band; Stacey Kent Birdland 5:30, 8:30, 10:30 pm $30-50êMingus Orchestra
Birdland Theater 7, 9:30 pm $30-40• Holiday Brass with Eli Asher, Brandon Vazquez, Lisa Pike, Kevin Krumenauer
Bloomingdale School of Music 7 pm

42 December 2023 | THE NEW YORK CITY JAZZ RECORDBlue Note 8, 10:30 pm $75-95

Ngozi Nri, DD Jackson, Obasi Akoto, Brandon Lewis Brooklyn Circus 7 pmêJoe Farnsworth Quartet; Simona Premazzi Quartet

Cellar Dog 7, 8:30, 11 pm $10êMary Stallings with Emmet Cohen Trio Dizzy’s Club 7:30, 9:30 pm $25-65• Eric Jacobson Quartet; JC Hopkins Biggish BandThe Django 7:30, 9, 10:30 pm, 12 am $25

êJimmy Owens with Ron Carter, Gary Bartz, Joanne Brackeen, Louis Hayes,

Wycliffe Gordon

Flushing Town Hall 8 pm $20-40
The Jazz Gallery 7:30, 9:30 pm $30-40
Knickerbocker Bar & Grill 9 pmêGeorge Cables Trio; Miki Yamanaka Trio Mezzrow 7:30, 9, 10:30 pm, 12 am $40
êCraig Harris
Mount Morris Ascension Presbyterian Church 7 pm
Room 623 at B2 Harlem 7, 8:30 pm $20• Adam MoeziniaêJALC Orchestra with Wynton Marsalis, Ashley Pezzotti: “Big Band Holidays”
Rose Theater 8 pm $40-185• Leo Yablans; Mecadon McCune Silvana 7, 9 pm
• Donald Edwards Quintet; Greg Glassman Quartet and Jam
Smalls 7:30, 9, 10:30 pm, 12 am $40
êMarquis Hill, Joel Ross, Michael King, Junius Paul, Kendrick Scott
Smoke 7, 9, 10:30 pm $40-55
Sony Hall 7:30 pm $60-125• 8-Bit Big BandêStaten Island Jazz Festival: Universal Temple of the Arts All Stars with
Leopoldo Fleming, Reggie Workman, Danny Mixon, Betty Shirley, Darrell Smith;Winard Harper & Jeli Posse; Santi Debriano Septet; DLG Trio; Nabaté Isles;
Billy Harper Quintet
St. George Theatre 7 pm $35
êSatoko Fujii, Kappa Maki, Jim Staley, Ikue Mori
The Stone at The New School 8:30 pm $20
The Sultan Room 7 pm $23.28• Super Yamba BandêJulieta Eugenio with Matt Dwonszyk, Jonathan Barber
Tribeca Performing Arts Center 7:30 pm $30-40
Two E Lounge 6 pm
• Antonio Ciacca
êChristian McBride’s Inside Straight with Steve Wilson, Warren Wolf, Peter Martin,
Carl Allen
Village Vanguard 8, 10 pm $40• Bruce Williams• Mamiko Watanabe

Saturday, December 16êJACK Quartet with Tyshawn Sorey 92NY 7:30 pm $25-40
êStephan Crump Trio with Johnathan Blake, Sam Newsome

Bar Bayeux 8, 9:30 pm
Bar LunÀtico 9, 10:30 pm $10
Barbès 8 pm $20
Bill’s Place 7, 9 pm $30
êGabrielle Stravelli Trio; Stacey Kent Birdland 5:30, 8:30, 10:30 pm $20-50êMingus Orchestra
Birdland Theater 7, 9:30 pm $30-40• Chris Botti with Lee Pearson, Daniel Chmielinski, Leonardo Amuedo
Blue Note 8, 10:30 pm $75-95• Darrell Green Quartet; Stefano Doglioni Quartet Cellar Dog 7, 8:30, 11 pm $10
Cut by Wolfgang Puck 12 pm• Maria KaushanskyêMary Stallings with Emmet Cohen Trio Dizzy’s Club 7:30, 9:30 pm $25-65
êJonny King Trio; Richard Cortez Band The Django 7:30, 9, 10:30 pm, 12 am $25
êYuhan Su Liberated Gesture with Matt Mitchell, Kevin Sun, Marty Kenney,
Dan Weiss
The Jazz Gallery 7:30, 9:30 pm $20-30• All-City High School Latin Ensemble with Alberto Toro, Steven Oquendo:“Ode to Maestro Eddie Palmieri” Jazz Museum in Harlem 4 pm
Knickerbocker Bar & Grill 9 pm
• Marc Devine• Jessica Bowers/Oren Fader Kostabi World 7 pm $20-30• Vuyo Sotashe with Chris Pattishall, Jonathan Michel, Ahmad T. Johnson
Louis Armstrong House 3 pmêGeorge Cables Trio; Miki Yamanaka Trio; Johnny O’Neal Trio
Mezzrow 7:30, 9, 10:30 pm, 12 am $40
êJALC Orchestra with Wynton Marsalis, Ashley Pezzotti: “Big Band Holidays”
Rose Theater 8 pm $40-185êEddie Henderson
Sistas’ Place 8, 9:30 pm $25• Donald Edwards Quintet; Jason Marshall Quartet and Jam
Smalls 7:30, 9, 10:30 pm, 12 am $40
êMarquis Hill, Joel Ross, Michael King, Junius Paul, Kendrick Scott
Smoke 7, 9, 10:30 pm $40-55
êKoichi Makigami, John Zorn, Cyro Baptista, Ikue Mori
The Stone at The New School 8:30 pm $20
Two E Lounge 6 pm
• Antonio Ciacca
êChristian McBride’s Inside Straight with Steve Wilson, Warren Wolf, Peter Martin,
Carl Allen
Village Vanguard 8, 10 pm $40
York College 7 pm
• C.J. Wright• Armo• As For the Future• Bill Saxton Harlem All-Stars

Sunday, December 17êJosh Sinton

440Gallery 4:40 pm $10
Arthur’s Tavern 7 pmêJamie Baum Quartet with Carmen Staaf, Tony Scherr, Allison Miller
Bar LunÀtico 9, 10:30 pm $10• Juancho Herrera/Franco Pinna; Stéphane Wrembel; Baklava Express with
Josh Kaye, Daisy Castro, Max O’Rourke, James Robbins, Jeremy Smith
Barbès 6, 8, 10 pm $20• Svetlana’s Big Band: “New York Holidays”; Afro Latin Jazz Orchestra
Birdland 8:30, 10:30 pm $30-40êMingus Orchestra
Birdland Theater 7, 9:30 pm $30-40• Lauren Henderson: “Holiday Favorites and More”; Chris Botti with Lee Pearson,
Daniel Chmielinski, Leonardo Amuedo Blue Note 12:30, 2:30, 8, 10:30 pm $75-95
Cellar Dog 7, 8:30 pm $5• Greg Glassman TrioêMary Stallings with Emmet Cohen Trio Dizzy’s Club 5, 7:30 pm $25-65• Jed Levy Quartet; Michael Kanan Trio The Django 7:30, 9, 10:30 pm, 12 am $25
êSimón Willson Trio with Yvonne Rogers & Jonas Esser Down & Out 8 pm
• Mulebone: “Christmas Party” The Ear Inn 8 pmêTed Nash/Kristen Lee Sergeant: “Holiday” Gotham Restaurant 6 pmêCharles Turner & Uptown Swing with Jasmine Rice LaBeija:“Rotunda Holiday Concert”
Guggenheim Museum 7 pm $35-70• Welf Dorr, Elias Meister, Dmitry Ishenko, Rodrigo Recabarren The Keep 9 pm
• Denise King Trio; Vanisha Gould Polite Jam
Mezzrow 7:30, 9, 10:30 pm, 12 am $35
êLew Tabackin Trio with Yasushi Nakamura, Tony Jefferson
Michiko Studios 7, 8:30 pm $20
North Square Lounge 12:30, 2 pm
• Kate Baker TrioêDan Loomis; Kenneth Jimenez with Hery Paz, Angelica Sanchez, Tom Rainey
The Owl Music Parlor 8 pm $12• Creole Cookin’ Jazz BandêAmina Claudine Myers with Richarda Abrams: “Choral Workshop”

Park Avenue Armory 3 pm $10• Nate Lucas All-Stars; Sing Harlem Gospel Brunch Red Rooster Harlem 12 pm
Room 623 at B2 Harlem 8, 10 pm $20• Mimi Jones and JamêJALC Orchestra with Wynton Marsalis, Ashley Pezzotti: “Big Band Holidays”
Rose Theater 8 pm $40-185• Daryl Foster Trio with Bruce Edwards, Laurence Goldman
Saint Peter’s Church 5 pmêShelley Hirsch, Hans Tammen, Ken Filiano Scholes Street Studio 7 pm
• Sasha Dobson Quartet with Peter Bernstein, Neal Miner, Jerome Jennings; Aaron
Johnson Boplicity and Jam
Smalls 7:30, 9, 10:30 pm, 12 am $35
êMarquis Hill, Joel Ross, Michael King, Junius Paul, Kendrick Scott
Smoke 7, 9, 10:30 pm $40-55
Sony Hall 7 pm $59-99• Pieces of a DreamêNed Rothenberg, Sylvie Courvoisier, Charmaine Lee, Ches Smith, Sae Hashimoto,David Watson, Makigami Koichi, Satoko Fujii, Kappa Maki, Erik Friedlander,
Zeena Parkins, Ikue Mori
The Stone at The New School 8:30 pm $20
êChristian McBride’s Inside Straight with Steve Wilson, Warren Wolf, Peter Martin,
Carl Allen
Village Vanguard 8, 10 pm $40

Monday, December 18
Arthur’s Tavern 7 pm
• Grove Street Stompers
Bar LunÀtico 9, 10:30 pm $10• Jeff Rum Trio
• Reginald Chapman’s Chaphouse with Maxx Spinelli, Julia Chen, Ryan Easter,Mark McIntyre, Eli Rojas

Barbès 7 pm $20• James Barbour: “Holiday Concert” Birdland 7 pm $35-45

êVince Giordano And The Nighthawks Birdland Theater 7, 9:30 pm $20-40• Chris Botti with Lee Pearson, Daniel Chmielinski, Leonardo Amuedo
Blue Note 8, 10:30 pm $75-95

Cellar Dog 7, 8:30 pm $5• Our Delight• Ella Mae Dixon with Sean Harkness, Rob Mitzner, Dmitry Ishenko

Chelsea Table + Stage 7 pm $20-40êChris Brubeck, Bobby Sanabria, Maurice Chestnut: “A Jazz Nativity”

Church of St. Paul and St. Andrew 8 pm $20-40êSherman Irby: “A Very Irby Christmas” with Gerald Cannon, Willie Jones III,

Keith Brown, Vincent Gardner, Sofija Knezevic
Dizzy’s Club 7:30, 9:30 pm $20-60• Eitan Kenner Quartet; Altin Sencalar Quartet
The Django 7:30, 9, 10:30 pm, 12 am $25
êMingus Big Band
Drom 7:30, 9:30 pm $30
êDoyeon Kim/Henry Fraser; Anna Webber’s Simple Trio with Matt Mitchell,
John Hollenbeck
Ibeam Brooklyn 8 pm $20• Spike Wilner Trio; Stefano Doglioni Quartet
Mezzrow 7:30, 9, 10:30 pm, 12 am $35
êGeorge Lewis; Amina Claudine Myers Park Avenue Armory 7 pm $65
Red Rooster Harlem 6:30 pm• Ahmaya Knoelle• Ari Hoenig Trio with Gadi Lehavi, Ben Tiberio; ELEW Trio and Jam
Smalls 7:30, 9, 10:30 pm, 12 am $35
êVanguard Jazz Orchestra
Village Vanguard 8, 10 pm $40
êGilad Hekselman with Matt Brewer, JK Kim Zinc Bar 7, 8:30 pm $30

Tuesday, December 19• Wayne Tucker and The Bad Mothas Arthur’s Tavern 7 pm
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
êIsaiah J. Thompson Trio: “A Guaraldi Holiday” Birdland 7, 9:30 pm $35-45
êVince Giordano And The Nighthawks Birdland Theater 7, 9:30 pm $20-40• Chris Botti with Lee Pearson, Daniel Chmielinski, Leonardo Amuedo
Blue Note 8, 10:30 pm $75-95
êAkiko Tsuruga Trio
Cellar Dog 7, 8:30 pm $5êTed Rosenthal Trio: “Winter Wonderland” Dizzy’s Club 7:30, 9:30 pm $20-50êConrad Herwig and the Latin Side All-Stars
The Django 7:30, 9, 10:30 pm, 12 am $25
êGiacomo Merega; Dave Miller; Eyal Maoz Downtown Music Gallery 6:30 pmêKevin Sun Quartet with Simón Willson, Christian Li, Jon Starks
Lowlands 8, 9:30 pm $10• Vitor Goncalves, Vinicius Gomes; John Merrill Trio
Mezzrow 7:30, 9, 10:30 pm, 12 am $35
Red Rooster Harlem 6:30 pm• Deborah Newallo
Shrine 7 pm
• Spaghetti Eastern
Silvana 8 pm
• PundêFrank Lacy Quartet
Smalls 7:30, 9, 10:30 pm, 12 am $35
êKenny Barron with Immanuel Wilkins, Steve Nelson, Kiyoshi Kitagawa,Johnathan Blake
Village Vanguard 8, 10 pm $40
êSteve Williams with Tardo Hammer, Lee Hudson Zinc Bar 7, 8:30 pm $30

Wednesday, December 20• Jonathan Michel with Christin Devine: “Is it Kwanzaa Yet?”
333 Lounge 7:30, 9:30 pm

Arthur’s Tavern 10 pm• Marty Kenney Trio
• Henry Hey Trio with Joe Martin, Jochen Rueckert Bar Bayeux 8, 9:30 pm
Bar LunÀtico 9, 10:30 pm $10• Eden Bareket ZAMAN
êOrrin Evans’ Captain Black Big Band: “Holiday Extravaganza”

Birdland 7, 9:30 pm $35-45• Noam Wiesenberg Quartet with Morgan Guerin, Mike King, Mark Whitfield Jr;
Benny Benack Quartet and Jam Smalls 7:30, 9, 10:30 pm, 12 am $35

êColtrane Festival Countdown 2024: “The Cats” with George Coleman,Peter Bernstein, Emmet Cohen, John Webber, Joe Farnsworth
Smoke 7, 9, 10:30 pm $55-60
Two E Lounge 6 pm
• Antonio Ciacca
êKenny Barron with Immanuel Wilkins, Steve Nelson, Kiyoshi Kitagawa,Johnathan Blake
Village Vanguard 8, 10 pm $40• Terry Waldo’s Gotham City Ragtime Band Zinc Bar 7, 8:30 pm $30

Thursday, December 21êTerry Waldo’s Gotham City Band Arthur’s Tavern 10 pm

Back Bar 5:30 pm• Maria Kaushansky• Max Light; Rich Perry, Billy Mintz, Adam Kolker, Jeremy Stratton
Bar Bayeux 6, 8, 9:30 pm

Bar LunÀtico 9, 10:30 pm $10• DJ & The Yams
• Pre-War Ponies with Daria Grace, J. Walter Hawkes, Jim Whitney, Willie Martinez;

Sugartone Brass Band with Moses Patrou, Kenny Bentley, Conor Elmes,
Thomas Abercrombie, Steve Thomas, Scott Bourgeois, Tim Vaughn, Alex Asher
Barbès 8, 10 pm $20
êKlea Blackhurst, Jim Caruso, Billy Stritch: “A Swinging Birdland Christmas”;
Monty Alexander Holiday Show Birdland 5:30, 8:30, 10:30 pm $30-50êChampian Fulton: “Christmas with Champian” Birdland Theater 8:30 pm $30-40• Chris Botti with Lee Pearson, Daniel Chmielinski, Leonardo Amuedo
Blue Note 1:30, 8, 10:30 pm $30-95• Ehud Asherie Quartet; Steve Ash Quartet Cellar Dog 7, 8:30, 11 pm $5• Anson Jones with Jesse Harris, Kenny Wollesen, James Buckley
Chelsea Table + Stage 9 :30 pm $20-40êChristian Sands Trio: “Christmas Stories” Dizzy’s Club 7:30, 9:30 pm $25-60• Spin Cycle; Mariel Bildsten Septet The Django 7:30, 9, 10:30 pm, 12 am $25
Drom 8 pm $30• Pedrito Martinez• Sean Satin, Matt Panayides, Gene Pritsker, Erik T. Johnson, Imelda O’Reilly,
Robert C. Ford
Greenwich House Music School 7 pm $20-30êCaroline Davis
The Jazz Gallery 7:30, 9:30 pm $20-30• Tony Davis, Dezron Douglas, Eric McPherson; Andrea Domenici Trio
Mezzrow 7:30, 9, 10:30 pm, 12 am $35
Red Rooster Harlem 6:30 pm• Lynette Washington• Phill Niblock: “90th Birthday 24 Hour Solstice” Roulette 8 pm $25
Silvana 8 pm
• Harlem Jazz Circus• Itai Kriss Sextet with Wayne Tucker, Arthur Alvarez, Tamir Shmerling, Dan Aran,
Samuel Torres; David Gibson Quartet and Jam Smalls 7:30, 9, 10:30 pm, 12 am $35
êColtrane Festival Countdown 2024: “The Cats” with George Coleman,Peter Bernstein, Emmet Cohen, John Webber, Joe Farnsworth
Smoke 7, 9, 10:30 pm $55-60
Two E Lounge 6 pm
• Antonio Ciacca
êKenny Barron with Immanuel Wilkins, Steve Nelson, Kiyoshi Kitagawa,Johnathan Blake
Village Vanguard 8, 10 pm $40

Friday, December 22êJohnny O’Neal Trio; Bobby Harden with Off Da Hook Arthur’s Tavern 7, 10 pmêPeter Watrous; Rob Garcia Quartet with Noah Preminger, Gary Versace, Kim CassFALKNEREVANS.COM

Bar Bayeux 6, 8, 9:30 pm• Tomek Miernowski: “Christmas Bash” Bar LunÀtico 9, 10:30 pm $10• Oscar Noriega’s Crooked Quartet with Marta Sanchez, Christopher Tordini,

Jason Nazary; Mehrnam Rastegari with Daro Behroozi, Martin Shamoonpour,John Murchison, Dara Anissi Barbès 5, 8 pm $20• Bill Saxton Harlem All-Stars Bill’s Place 7, 9 pm $30
êKlea Blackhurst, Jim Caruso, Billy Stritch: “A Swinging Birdland Christmas”;
Monty Alexander Holiday Show Birdland 8:30, 10:30 pm $30-50êChampian Fulton: “Christmas with Champian”
Birdland Theater 7, 9:30 pm $30-40• Chris Botti with Lee Pearson, Daniel Chmielinski, Leonardo Amuedo
Blue Note 1:30, 8, 10:30 pm $30-95• Wayne Tucker Quintet; John Lang Quartet Cellar Dog 7, 8:30, 11 pm $10êChristian Sands Trio: “Christmas Stories” Dizzy’s Club 7:30, 9:30 pm $25-60• Dwayne “Cook” Broadnax Quartet; Ty Ballie B3
The Django 7:30, 9, 10:30 pm, 12 am $25• TJG Singers: “Holiday Concert” The Jazz Gallery 7:30, 9:30 pm $30-40
Knickerbocker Bar & Grill 9 pm
• Victor Lin• Gene Pritsker, Arthur Dibble, Magdalena Stern-Baczewska, Sishel Claverie,Sonya Hensley
Kostabi World 7 pm $20-30• Bruce Barth, Vicente Archer; Jon Davis Trio Mezzrow 7:30, 9, 10:30 pm, 12 am $40
êCraig Harris
Mount Morris Ascension Presbyterian Church 7 pmêCameron Brown Dannie’s Calypso Nublu 7 pmêMichael Bates’ Acrobat with Marty Ehrlich, Fung Chern Hwei, Sara Schoenbeck,Michael Sarin
The Owl Music Parlor 8 pm $12êRay Blue
Room 623 at B2 Harlem 10 pm $20• Phill Niblock: “90th Birthday 24 Hour Solstice” Roulette 8 pm $25
êPete Malinverni Trio with Ugonna Okegwo, Matt Wilson; Willerm Delisfort Quartet
and Jam
Smalls 7:30, 9, 10:30 pm, 12 am $40• Coltrane Festival Countdown 2024: “The Cats” with George Coleman,Peter Bernstein, Emmet Cohen, John Webber, Joe Farnsworth
Smoke 7, 9, 10:30 pm $55-60
Two E Lounge 6 pm
• Antonio Ciacca
êKenny Barron with Immanuel Wilkins, Steve Nelson, Kiyoshi Kitagawa,Johnathan Blake
Village Vanguard 8, 10 pm $40

Saturday, December 23êDavid Ostwald’s Louis Armstrong Eternity Band; Frank Vignola’s Guitar Nightwith Sara Caswell
Birdland Theater 7, 9:30 pm $20-30• Chris Botti with Lee Pearson, Daniel Chmielinski, Leonardo Amuedo
Blue Note 8, 10:30 pm $75-95
Cellar Dog 7, 8:30 pm $5• Rick Germanson TrioêStephanie Nakasian with Matt Baker, Karl Kimmel, Alvester Garnett
Chelsea Table + Stage 7 pm $20-50êTammy McCann with Arcoiris Sandoval, John Sutton, Jay Sawyer, Craig Bailey:“Merry Christmas Baby”
Dizzy’s Club 7:30, 9:30 pm $20-50• Alex Brown Quartet; Fima Ephon Quartet The Django 7:30, 9, 10:30 pm, 12 am $25
êJames Paul Nadien, Cosmo Gallaro, Brenna Rey; Adam Caine’s Main Drag Guitar
Orchestra; Stephen Gauci, Adam Lane, Kevin Shea; Yoni Kretzmer & Juan Pablo
Carletti’s BIGGISH; Main Drag Conduction Orchestra Main Drag Music 7 pm $15• Luke Carlos O’Reilly Trio; Jihee Heo, Paul Gill, Aaron Seeber
Mezzrow 7:30, 9, 10:30 pm, 12 am $35• Ronny Whyte, Daryl Sherman, Louise Rogers, Karen Mack, Jay Leonhart, Alex
Leonard, Val Hawk, Ben Cassara: “A Jazzy Holiday” Pangea 7 pm $25
Red Rooster Harlem 6 pm
• Rodrigo Bonelli Trio
Rockwood Music Hall Stage 2 6 pm
• BENJI with Monika Ryan
• Harlem Jazz Session with Peter Brainin Room 623 at B2 Harlem 8 pm $20"Evans is understated, measured, and methodical.
Yet his way of elaborating a thematic structure…
creates its own subtle surprises."

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                        ­       Arthur’s Tavern 7 pm
• Axel Tosca
Bar Bayeux 8, 9:30 pm• Caili O’Doherty• Wayne Tucker & The Bad Mothas Bar LunÀtico 9, 10:30 pm $10• Bill Saxton Harlem All-Stars Bill’s Place 7, 9 pm $30

êKlea Blackhurst, Jim Caruso, Billy Stritch: “A Swinging Birdland Christmas”;

Monty Alexander Holiday Show Birdland 8:30, 10:30 pm $30-50êChampian Fulton: “Christmas with Champian” Birdland Theater 7, 9:30 pm $30-40• Chris Botti with Lee Pearson, Daniel Chmielinski, Leonardo Amuedo
Blue Note 1:30, 8, 10:30 pm $30-95êPhilip Harper Quintet; Tad Shull Quartet Cellar Dog 7, 8:30, 11 pm $10• Maria Kaushansky

Cut by Wolfgang Puck 12 pm

êChristian Sands Trio: “Christmas Stories” Dizzy’s Club 7:30, 9:30 pm $25-60• David Gibson Quartet; Freddy DeBoe The Django 7:30, 9, 10:30 pm, 12 am $25• TJG Singers: “Holiday Concert” The Jazz Gallery 7:30, 9:30 pm $30-40• Michael Kanan/Caleb TobacmanKnickerbocker Bar & Grill 9 pm
• Bruce Barth, Vicente Archer; Jeremy Manasia Trio
• Timo Vollbrecht

Mezzrow 7:30, 9, 10:30 pm, 12 am $40
The Owl Music Parlor 8 pm $12

visit mightyquinnrecordsmusic.com to order

THE NEW YORK CITY JAZZ RECORD | December 2023 43

• Ken Kobayashi Project• Evan Wood Quartet

Shrine 7 pm
Silvana 8 pmêGreg “Organ Monk” Lewis
Sistas’ Place 8, 9:30 pm $25
êPete Malinverni Trio with Ugonna Okegwo, Matt Wilson; Eric Wyatt Quartet
and Jam
Smalls 7:30, 9, 10:30 pm, 12 am $40
êColtrane Festival Countdown 2024: “The Cats” with George Coleman,Peter Bernstein, Emmet Cohen, John Webber, Joe Farnsworth
Smoke 7, 9, 10:30 pm $55-60
Two E Lounge 6 pm
• Antonio Ciacca
êKenny Barron with Immanuel Wilkins, Steve Nelson, Kiyoshi Kitagawa,Johnathan Blake
Village Vanguard 8, 10 pm $40

Sunday, December 24• Creole Cookin’ Jazz Band

Arthur’s Tavern 7 pmêKlea Blackhurst, Jim Caruso, Billy Stritch: “A Swinging Birdland Christmas”;

Monty Alexander Holiday Show Birdland 8:30, 10:30 pm $30-50êChampian Fulton: “Christmas with Champian” Birdland Theater 7, 9:30 pm $30-40• Chris Botti with Lee Pearson, Daniel Chmielinski, Leonardo Amuedo
Blue Note 1:30, 8, 10:30 pm $30-95êChristian Sands Trio: “Christmas Stories”

Dizzy’s Club 5, 7:30 pm $25-60• Jason Marshall Quartet; Jay Leonhart The Django 7:30, 9, 10:30 pm, 12 am $25• Alyson Murray, Alicyn Yaffee, Kelly Green, Lucy Clifford; Naama Polite Jam
Mezzrow 7:30, 9, 10:30 pm, 12 am $35
North Square Lounge 12:30, 2 pm
• Kevin Fitzgerald Burke Trio
• Nate Lucas All-Stars; Ahmaya Knoelle Red Rooster Harlem 12, 5:30, 8:30 pm• Chris Byars Quartet; Ned Goold Quartet and Jam
Smalls 7:30, 9, 10:30 pm, 12 am $35
êColtrane Festival Countdown 2024: “The Cats” with George Coleman,Peter Bernstein, Emmet Cohen, John Webber, Joe Farnsworth
Smoke 7, 9, 10:30 pm $55-60
êKenny Barron with Immanuel Wilkins, Steve Nelson, Kiyoshi Kitagawa,Johnathan Blake
Village Vanguard 8, 10 pm $40

Monday, December 25• Grove Street Stompers

Arthur’s Tavern 7 pmêKlea Blackhurst, Jim Caruso, Billy Stritch: “A Swinging Birdland Christmas”;

Monty Alexander Holiday Show Birdland 8:30, 10:30 pm $30-50êChampian Fulton: “Christmas with Champian”

Birdland Theater 5:30, 8:30 pm $30-40• Chris Botti with Lee Pearson, Daniel Chmielinski, Leonardo Amuedo
Blue Note 1:30, 8, 10:30 pm $30-95• Spike Wilner Trio; Carol Morgan, JinJoo Yoo, Jonathan Lakey

Mezzrow 7:30, 9, 10:30 pm, 12 am $35
Red Rooster Harlem 6 pmêAlan Broadbent, Harvie S, Billy Mintz; Tyler Mitchell Quartet and Jam
Smalls 7:30, 9, 10:30 pm, 12 am $35• Rodrigo Bonelli Trio

Tuesday, December 26
Bar LunÀtico 9, 10:30 pm $10• Yacouba Sissoko & SIYA
• 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
Birdland 7, 9:30 pm $30-40• Birdland Big BandêVince Giordano And The Nighthawks Birdland Theater 7, 9:30 pm $20-45• Chris Botti with Lee Pearson, Daniel Chmielinski, Leonardo Amuedo
Blue Note 1:30, 8, 10:30 pm $30-95
Cellar Dog 7, 8:30 pm $5• Lafayette Harris Jr. Trio
• Carlos Henriquez Nonet: “A Nuyorican Tale”
Dizzy’s Club 7:30, 9:30 pm $20-55
êConrad Herwig and the Latin Side All-Stars
The Django 7:30, 9, 10:30 pm, 12 am $25• Paul r. Harding with Daniel Carter, Takuma Kanaiwa, Jonathan Wilson; Yoni
Kretzmer/Shanir Blumenkranz Downtown Music Gallery 6:30 pmêMichael Cochrane, Calvin Hill, Steve Johns; Neal Miner Trio
Mezzrow 7:30, 9, 10:30 pm, 12 am $35• Eden Bareket Quintet with Vanisha Gould, Chris McCarthy, Pablo Menares,
Jay Sawyer
Smalls 7:30, 9, 10:30 pm, 12 am $35
êColtrane Festival Countdown 2024: “Blue Train Sextet II” with Eddie Henderson,
Vincent Herring, Steve Davis, Eric Reed, Dezron Douglas, Joe Farnsworth
Smoke 7, 9, 10:30 pm $55-60
êKenny Barron with Mike Rodriguez, Dayna Stephens, Kiyoshi Kitagawa,Johnathan Blake
Village Vanguard 8, 10 pm $40
Zinc Bar 7, 8:30 pm $30• Josh Evans

Wednesday, December 27• Rafael Enciso with JK Kim, Charles Altura, Nicola Caminiti, Gabriel Chakarji

Bar Bayeux 8, 9:30 pm
Birdland 7, 9:30 pm $30-40êDavid Ostwald’s Louis Armstrong Eternity Band; Frank Vignola’s Guitar Nightwith Ken Peplowski
Birdland Theater 7, 9:30 pm $20-30• Chris Botti with Lee Pearson, Daniel Chmielinski, Leonardo Amuedo
Blue Note 1:30, 8, 10:30 pm $30-95êNed Goold Trio
Cellar Dog 7, 8:30 pm $5• Carlos Henriquez Nonet: “A Nuyorican Tale”
Dizzy’s Club 7:30, 9:30 pm $20-55• Misha Piatigorsky Quartet; Aaron Seeber Quartet
The Django 7:30, 9, 10:30 pm, 12 am $25
The Ear Inn 11 pm• Mulebone• Cameron Campbell, Conway Campbell, Kabelo Mokhatla; Caelan Cardello Trio
Mezzrow 7:30, 9, 10:30 pm, 12 am $35• Harlem Jazz Session with Peter Brainin Room 623 at B2 Harlem 8 pm $20• Adam Niewood Quartet with Eric Lewis, Sean Conly, Paul Wells; Matt Jorgensen
Quintet and Jam
Smalls 7:30, 9, 10:30 pm, 12 am $35
êColtrane Festival Countdown 2024: “Blue Train Sextet II” with Eddie Henderson,
Vincent Herring, Steve Davis, Eric Reed, Dezron Douglas, Joe Farnsworth
Smoke 7, 9, 10:30 pm $55-60
Two E Lounge 6 pm
• Eric Yves GarciaêKenny Barron with Mike Rodriguez, Dayna Stephens, Kiyoshi Kitagawa,Johnathan Blake
Village Vanguard 8, 10 pm $40• Miss Maybell & The Jazz Age Artistes Zinc Bar 7, 8:30 pm $30• Birdland Big BandThursday, December 28êRicardo Grilli Trio; Terry Waldo’s Gotham City Band Arthur’s Tavern 7, 10 pm

44 December 2023 | THE NEW YORK CITY JAZZ RECORD• Max Light; Rich Perry, Billy Mintz, Adam Kolker, Jeremy Stratton
Bar Bayeux 6, 8, 9:30 pm

Birdland 7, 9:30 pm $30-40• Birdland Big Band
Birdland Theater 7, 9:30 pm $40-50• Marilyn Maye
• Chris Botti with Lee Pearson, Daniel Chmielinski, Leonardo Amuedo
Blue Note 1:30, 8, 10:30 pm $30-95• Samba de Gringo; Kyoko Oyobe Quartet Cellar Dog 7, 8:30, 11 pm $5• Carlos Henriquez Nonet: “A Nuyorican Tale” Dizzy’s Club 7:30, 9:30 pm $20-55
êBenito Gonzalez Trio; Lee Taylor The Django 7:30, 9, 10:30 pm, 12 am $25• Chuck Redd, John DiMartino, Neal Miner; Jesse Green, Gene Perla,
Rudy Royston

Mezzrow 7:30, 9, 10:30 pm, 12 am $35
Silvana 8 pmêMark Sherman Quartet with Joe Magnarelli, Dean Johnson, Tim Horner;
Miki Yamanaka Trio and Jam Smalls 7:30, 9, 10:30 pm, 12 am $35
êColtrane Festival Countdown 2024: “Blue Train Sextet II” with Eddie Henderson,
Vincent Herring, Steve Davis, Eric Reed, Dezron Douglas, Joe Farnsworth
Smoke 7, 9, 10:30 pm $55-60
SoulBK 7, 9:30 pm $20-25• Reggie Woods
Two E Lounge 6 pm
• Eric Yves GarciaêKenny Barron with Mike Rodriguez, Dayna Stephens, Kiyoshi Kitagawa,Johnathan Blake
Village Vanguard 8, 10 pm $40• Philippe Lemm Trio with Simón Willson Winnie’s 6:30 pm• Harlem Jazz Circus

Friday, December 29êJohnny O’Neal Trio; Bobby Harden with Off Da Hook Arthur’s Tavern 7, 10 pm• Peter Watrous; Caleb Wheeler Curtis Bar Bayeux 6, 8, 9:30 pm• Oscar Noriega’s Crooked Quartet with Marta Sanchez, Christopher Tordini,

Jason Nazary; Bill Carney’s Jug Addicts with Karl Meyer, Brian Mulroney,
Steve Cooney, Jerry Fabris, Seth Kessel Barbès 5, 8 pm $20• Bill Saxton Harlem All-Stars Bill’s Place 7, 9 pm $30
Birdland 5:30, 8:30, 10:30 pm $30-40• Birdland Big Band
Birdland Theater 7, 9:30 pm $40-50• Marilyn Maye
• Chris Botti with Lee Pearson, Daniel Chmielinski, Leonardo Amuedo
Blue Note 1:30, 8, 10:30 pm $30-95• Richard Clements Quintet; Jinjoo Yoo Quartet Cellar Dog 7, 8:30, 11 pm $10• Carlos Henriquez Nonet: “A Nuyorican Tale” Dizzy’s Club 7:30, 9:30 pm $20-55
êMax Johnson Trio; Sam Dillon Quintet The Django 7:30, 9, 10:30 pm, 12 am $25• Angus Mason Trio with Simón Willson Fiction Bar/Café 9, 10:30 pm
Knickerbocker Bar & Grill 9 pm
• Hyuna Park
• Bill Goodwin Trio; Jordan Williams Trio Mezzrow 7:30, 9, 10:30 pm, 12 am $40
êCraig Harris
Mount Morris Ascension Presbyterian Church 7 pm
• Tima Volozh with Timo Vollbrecht, Brad Shepik, Sora Kim, Jerome Harris
Nublu 151 8 pm $22.66
Shrine 8 pm
• Peter Louis Octet• Nicole Glover Quartet; Ken Fowser Quintet and Jam
Smalls 7:30, 9, 10:30 pm, 12 am $40
êColtrane Festival Countdown 2024: “Milestones Sextet III” with Jeremy Pelt,
Vincent Herring, Wayne Escoffery, Eric Reed, Buster Williams,
Al Foster
Smoke 7, 9, 10:30 pm $55-60
êKenny Barron with Mike Rodriguez, Dayna Stephens, Kiyoshi Kitagawa,Johnathan Blake
Village Vanguard 8, 10 pm $40• Arcoiris Sandoval Sonic Asylum Trio Zinc Bar 7, 8:30 pm $35

Saturday, December 30• KJ Denhert & The NY Unit

Arthur’s Tavern 10 pm
Bar Bayeux 8, 9:30 pm• Bill Saxton Harlem All-Stars Bill’s Place 7, 9 pm $30
êGabrielle Stravelli Trio; Birdland Big Band; Mingus Big Band
Birdland 5:30, 8:30, 10:30 pm $20-40
Birdland Theater 7, 9:30 pm $40-50• Marilyn Maye
• Chris Botti with Lee Pearson, Daniel Chmielinski, Leonardo Amuedo
Blue Note 1:30, 8, 10:30 pm $30-95• Jade Synstelien Quartet; Jamale Davis Quartet Cellar Dog 7, 8:30, 11 pm $10• Margot Sergent : “The Piaf Experience” The Cutting Room 9 pm $20• Carlos Henriquez Nonet: “A Nuyorican Tale” Dizzy’s Club 7:30, 9:30 pm $20-55• Jon Gordon Quartet; Hector Martignon and Foreign Affair
The Django 7:30, 9, 10:30 pm, 12 am $25
Knickerbocker Bar & Grill 9 pm
• Hyuna ParkêBill Goodwin Trio; Anthony Wonsey Trio Mezzrow 7:30, 9, 10:30 pm, 12 am $40• Nicole Glover Quartet; Jon Beshay Quartet and Jam
Smalls 7:30, 9, 10:30 pm, 12 am $40
êColtrane Festival Countdown 2024: “Milestones Sextet III” with Jeremy Pelt,
Vincent Herring, Wayne Escoffery, Eric Reed, Buster Williams, Al Foster
Smoke 7, 9, 10:30 pm $55-60
êAlbert Marques: “Homage to Wayne Shorter” with Ben Sherman
Soapbox Gallery 8 pm $25
êJohn Medeski, Billy Martin, Scott Metzger, Nels Cline
Sony Hall $35-55
Two E Lounge 6 pm
• Antonio Ciacca
êKenny Barron with Mike Rodriguez, Dayna Stephens, Kiyoshi Kitagawa,Johnathan Blake
Village Vanguard 8, 10 pm $40
êMarianne Solivan

Sunday, December 31• Anant Pradhan/Larry MacDonald Bar LunÀtico 9, 10:30 pm $10êBirdland Big Band New Year’s Eve Birdland 8, 10:30 pm $50-150

Birdland Theater 7 pm $40-100• Marilyn Maye
• Chris Botti with Lee Pearson, Daniel Chmielinski, Leonardo Amuedo
Blue Note 1:30, 7, 10 pm $30-195• Zaid Nasser Trio; Dan Aran Trio Cellar Dog 7, 8:30 pm $5êDizzy’s New Year’s Eve with Carlos Henriquez Nonet Dizzy’s Club 7:30 pm $325

• Stella Katherine Cole with Caelan Cardello, Felix Moseholm, Ahmad Johnson
The Django 7:30, 9, 10:30 pm, 12 am $175-250êHot Sardines: “Holiday Stomp & Midnight in Paris” Joe’s Pub 6 pm $100

• Mark Sganga, Sue Williams, Kerry Linder Knickerbocker Bar & Grill 9 pm
• Spike Wilner; Ashley Pezzotti, Marty Jaffe, TJ ReddickMezzrow 7:30, 9, 10:30 pm, 12 am $35• Ben Cassara with Marius van den Brink, Boots Maleson

North Square Lounge 12:30, 2 pm
Sistas’ Place 8, 9:30 pm $25• Philip Harper Quintet; Johnny O’Neal Trio and Jam
Smalls 7:30, 9, 10:30 pm, 12 am $35
êColtrane Festival Countdown 2024: “New Year’s Eve Celebration” with Eric Reed/
Vincent Herring Quintet with Carla Cook, Jeremy Pelt, Joe Farnsworth
Smoke 7, 9:30, 11 $250-350êKenny Barron with Mike Rodriguez, Dayna Stephens, Kiyoshi Kitagawa,Johnathan Blake
Village Vanguard 8, 10 pm $40
êCraig HarrisWednesday, February 1

CONNECTICUT
333 Lounge 7:30, 9:30 pm
12/16
(7
pm)
Colin
HeshmatGroup:
JazzCluet			
Celebration”
Coles; Seth• Ian Douglas-Moore, Eric Wong, Dominic“Holiday
		Buttonwood Tree Performing Arts
411 KCenter (Middletown, CT) buttonwood.org
êMonte Croft Trio

12/2 (4 pm) Michael Coppola Jam
12/9 (4 pm) Gary Grippo Jam
12/16 (4 pm) Tony Di Jam
12/23 (4 pm) Chervansky, Tappan & Ice Jazz Jam
12/26 (7 pm) Mike DiRubbo and Jam
Café Nine (New Haven, CT) cafenine.com
12/1 (8:30 pm) Tyshawn Sorey Trio with Aaron Diehl, Matt Brewer
12/8 (8:30 pm) Tom Guarna Reimagine Trio with Pat Bianchi, Jason Tiemann
12/15 (8:30 pm) Loren Stillman Trio with Drew Gress, Mark Ferber
Firehouse 12 (New Haven, CT) firehouse12.com
12/1 (7/9 pm) Allegra Levy with Carmen Staaf, Allison Miller, Mimi Jones
12/10 (11 am) Nicole Zuraitis
Palace Theater Poli Club (Waterbury, CT) palacetheaterct.org/shows/jazz
12/3 (7 pm) Preservation Hall Jazz Band: “Creole Christmas”
Ridgefield Playhouse (Ridgefield, CT) ridgefieldplayhouse.org
12/6 (7:30 pm) Geoffrey Keezer
Sacred Heart University Community Theater (Fairfield, CT)shucommunitytheatre.showare.com
12/1 (8:30/10 pm) Richard Baratta Quintet with Craig Handy, Bill O’Connell,
Michael Goetz, Paul Rossman
12/2 (8:30 pm) Matt Wilson’s Christmas Tree-O with Jeff Lederer, Paul Sikivie
12/8, 12/9 (8:30 pm) Larry Fuller Trio
12/15, 12/16, 12/17 (8:30 pm) Christian Sands Trio
12/22 (8:30 pm) Ed Fast & Congabop Vibe Septet
12/23 (8:30 pm) Greg Abate Quartet
12/29 (7 pm) “Home For The Holidays Jam”
12/30 (8:30 pm) Nat Reeves Trio
Side Door (Old Lyme, CT) thesidedoorjazz.com
NEW JERSEY
12/1 (7 pm) T.K. Blue with Alva Nelson, Paul Beaudry, Orion Turre
12/8 (7 pm) Willie Williams Quartet
12/15 (7 pm) Chembo Corniel Trio
12/22 (7 pm) Kim Clarke Quartet
12/29 (7 pm) Winard Harper Trio
Brothers Smokehouse (Ramsey, NJ) brotherssmokehousenj.com
12/1, 12/8, 12/22, 12/29 (5 pm) Rich Seigal’s Open Mic and Workshop
12/7 (8/9:30 pm) Silvano Monasterios
12/9 (8/9:30 pm) Dave Stryker
12/13 (8/9:30 pm) Jillian Grace
12/16 (8/9:30 pm) Riza Printup Trio
Brush Culture (Teaneck, NJ) brvshcul7ur3.com
12/2 (3:30 pm) James Stewart
12/9 (3:30 pm) Robert Landham
12/16 (3:30 pm) Audrey Welber
12/23 (3:30 pm) Bill Schilling
Candlelight Lounge (Trenton, NJ) candlelighteventsjazz.com
12/21 (7:30 pm) Jazz Jam with James Austin, Jr.
Clement’s Place (Newark, NJ) njpac.org
12/7 (7:30 pm) Lynn Riley
Collingswood Community Center (Collingswood, NJ) jazzbridge.org
12/1 (7/9:15 pm) Blue Soul wiuth Herb Woodson, Bailey Gee, Ted Brancato,
Mike Hogan, Joseph DeVico
12/2 (7/9:15 pm) Jeff Levine
12/5 (6:30/8:30 pm) Bob Himmelberger Trio with Hal Slapin, John Vourtsis
12/6 (7/9:15 pm) Ed Laub with Hal Slapin, Jerry Vezza, John Vourtsis
12/9 (7/9:15 pm) SaRon Crenshaw Band
12/10 (6/8 pm) Jan Findlay Quartet with Tomoko Ohno, John Zweig, Rick Crane
12/12 (6:30/8:30 pm) Jerry Vezza Trio with Hal Slapin, John Vourtsis
12/13 (7/9:15 pm) Warren Vaché Trio with Earl Sauls, Eddie Monteiro
12/14 (7/9:15 pm) Meant To Be Quartet with Glen Merritt, Alan Hayes, Pete Omelio,
John Higgins
12/15 (7/9 pm) Eldorado Slim with Scott Sharrard
12/16 (7/9 pm) Nat Adderley Jr. Trio
12/17 (6/8 pm) Stephanie Nakasian Trio with Gregory Roroian, Karl Kimmel
12/19 (6:30/8:30 pm) John Bianculli Trio with Sue Williams, John Vourtsis
12/21 (7/9 pm) Leonieke Scheuble Trio with Bill Crow, Nick Scheuble:“Bill Crow’s 96th b-day Celebration”
12/23 (7/9 pm) Brynn Stanley: “Classic Christmas”
12/26 (6:30/8:30 pm) Tomoko Ohno Trio with Hal Slapin, John Vourtsis
12/28 (7/9 pm) Deep Groove Jazz Trio with Leonieke Scheuble, Leo Jordan,
John Vourtsis
Shanghai Jazz (Madison, NJ) shanghaijazz.com
12/5 (7/8:30 pm) Logan Bogdan Quintet and Jam
12/7 (7/8:30 pm) Stephen Fuller Quartet
12/12 (7/8:30 pm) Tristan Voitcu Quartet and Jam
12/14 (7/8:30 pm) Don Braden Quartet
12/19 (7/8:30 pm) Ariana Sowa Sextet and Jam
12/21 (7/8:30 pm) Dave Stryker Trio
12/26 (7/8:30 pm) Sud Suppiah Quartet and Jam
12/28 (7/8:30 pm) Jackie Jones Quartet
Tavern on George (New Brunswick, NJ) tavernongeorge.com
NEW YORK
12/9 (7:30 pm) Leslie Pintchik Trio with Scott Hardy, Matt Garrity

100 MILES OUT
12/23 (7:30 pm) Leslie Pintchik Trio with Scott Hardy, Michael Sarin
Alvin & Friends (New Rochelle, NY) alvinandfriendsrestaurant.com
12/2 (6 pm) Colin Heshmat Trio: “Holiday Jazz Celebration”
12/8 (7 pm) Tara Greenblat Band
12/9 (6 pm) Doug Munro: “A Very Gypsy Christmas”
12/10 (3 pm) Peter Calo
12/16 (6 pm) Ray Blue Christmas
12/23 (7 pm) Jonah Weinstock
12/29 (7 pm) Moonlight Initiative
12/30 (7 pm) Lady Kat
Bean Runner Café (Peekskill, NY) beanrunnercafe.com
12/16 (8 pm) Joe Fiedler solo
Cunneen-Hackett Arts Center (Poughkeepsie, NY) cunneen-hackett.org
12/2 (7:30 pm) Brooklyn Holdouts with Chris Bergson, Moses Patrou, Diego Voglino
12/7 (7:30 pm) The Mahavishnu Project: “Birds of Fire”
12/8 (7:30 pm) Joe Louis Walker
12/9 (7 pm) The Brighton Beat
12/10 (7:30 pm) Jerry Vivino’s All-Stars: “Jingle Bell Jazz”
12/14 (7:30 pm) Spaghetti Eastern
12/16 (7:30 pm) El Dorado Slim
12/21 (7:30 pm) Analog Jazz Orchestra Christmas
12/22 (7:30 pm) Jeremy Baum Trio: “Charlie ‘Baum’ Christmas”
12/23 (7:30 pm) Ed Palermo Big Band
12/31 (8 pm) New Year’s Eve with The Ed Palermo Big BandThe Falcon (Marlboro, NY) liveatthefalcon.com
12/7 (7/8:30 pm) Doug Munro with John “Hahnbone” Hahn, Jon Doty
12/9 (7/8:45 pm) Jon Doty/Tom Kohl Quintet with Matt Garrison, Mike Dopazo,
Bob Gingery
12/14, 12/21 (7/8:30 pm) John Basile: “Thursday Organ Groove”
Jazz at The Lodge (Ossining, NY) jazzatthelodge.com

12/22 (8 pm) Marvin Stamm/Mike Holober with Adam Nussbaum, Mike McGuirk
12/23 (8 pm) Lizzy Kates/David Budway “Dreaming of a White Christmas” with
Deirdre Friel, Katie Friel, Cameron Brown, Tim Horner, Anna De Carvalho
Maureen’s Jazz Cellar (Nyack, NY) maureensjazzcellar.com
12/2 (2 pm) Hiroshi Yamazaki, Mark Kraszewski, Dario Chiazzolino, Jake Robinson,
Miles Gilbert
Music Conservatory of Westchester (White Plains, NY) musicconservatory.org
12/15 (8 pm) The Mahavishnu Project: “Birds of Fire”
My Father’s Place (Glen Cove, NY) mahavishnuproject.com
12/1 (7:30 pm) Sylvia Cuenca
12/2 (7:30 pm) Akiko Tsuruga
12/7 (7:30 pm) Rebecca Haviland and Whiskey Heart
12/8 (7:30 pm) John Dokes
12/9 (7:30 pm) Jumaane Smith
12/10 (12/1:30 pm) Matt King Quartet
12/14 (7:30 pm) Brewster’s Millions
12/15 (7:30 pm) Rick Germanson
12/16 (7:30 pm) Ian Hendrickson Smith: “Christmas Show”
12/20 (7:30 pm) Moonrise Cartel
12/21 (7:30 pm) Tubby
12/22 (7:30 pm) Benny Benack III
12/23 (7:30 pm) Joy Brown
12/27 (7:30 pm) Champian Fulton
12/29 (7:30 pm) Dezron Douglas
12/30 (7:30 pm) Adam Levy
12/31 (7:30 pm) Uncle Cheef All Stars: “NYE Show”
Uncle Cheef (Brewster, NY) unclecheef.com
PENNSYLVANIA
12/6 (7:30 pm) Debbie Poryres
Cheltenham Center for the Arts (Cheltenham, PA) jazzbridge.org

12/1 (7:30/9:30 pm) Webb Thomas
12/2 (7:30/9:30 pm) April Varner with Tim Brey, Victor North, Madison Rast,
Anwar Marshall, Ben Turner
12/5 (7:30/9:30 pm) Eric McGarry Quintet with Mervin Toussaint, Lonell Johnson,
Jordan Berger, Gusten Rudolph
12/6 (7:30/9:30 pm) Gardyn Jazz Orchestra
12/7 (7:30/9:30 pm) Atenzia with Elliot Bild, Harry Forlenza-Bailey, João Bueno,
Madison Rast, Larry Shaw
12/8 (7:30/9:30 pm) Future Tense Quartet with Dave Brodie, Victor North, Elliot Bild,
12/1 (7 pm) Bad Little Big Band with Madeline Kole, Rich Iacona: “Holiday Show”
Doug Hirlinger
12/2 (7 pm) Ray Anderson’s Seasonal Solstice Party
12/9 (7:30/9:30 pm) Denise King Quintet with Anthony Wonsey, Abraham Burton,
12/4 (7 pm) Jeremy Carlstedt/Elliot Brown
Duane Eubanks, Ocie Davis, Kenny Davis
12/6 (1 pm) Tom Manuel with Steve Salerno, Keenan Zach
12/12 (7:30/9 pm) Mike Bond Quartet with Ryan Devlin, Matt Parrish, Billy Kilson
12/6, 12/13, 12/20 (7 pm) The Jazz Loft Trio Jam with Keenan Zach
12/13 (7:30/9 pm) Justin Farquharr Jazz Orchestra
12/7, 12/8, 12/9, 12/14, 12/15 (7 pm) The Jazz Loft Big Band with Tom Manuel,12/14 (7:30/9 pm) Laura Orzehoski Quintet with Cameron Sewell-Snyder,
Danny Bacher: “Nutcracker Holiday Show”
Greg Masters, Eli Pace, Tim Brey
12/9 (1 pm) Interplay Jazz Orchestra Family Show with Joe Devassy, Gary Henderson
12/15, 12/16 (7:30/9:30 pm) Joe Block: “Holiday Extravaganza” with Ekep Nkwelle,
12/11 (7 pm) Blowage Big Band; SBU Big Band
Stella Katherine Cole
12/12 (7 pm) SBU Graduate Jazz Combos
12/20 (7:30/9 pm) Peter Frank Orchestra with Monica Frank, Lucas Beltran
12/16 (7 pm) The Jazz Loft Big Band with Tom Manuel, Danny Bacher:
12/21 (7:30/9 pm) Leo Steinriede Association with Aidan McKeon, John Murray,“Nutcracker Holiday Show”
Nazir Ebo
12/17 (5/8 pm) Candlelight Jazz Nativity Service with Susanna Phillips
12/22 (7:30/9:30 pm) Luke O’Reilly Quintet with Imani-Grace Cooper
12/21 (7 pm) Nicole Zuraitis: “Big Band Jazz Christmas Party”
12/23 (7:30/9:30 pm) Dylan Band Quartet with Danielle Dougherty
12/22 (7 pm) Tom Manuel’s Egg Nog Romp
12/27 (7:30/9 pm) Philadelphia Jazz Orchestra with Joe Bongiovi
The Jazz Loft (Stony Brook, NY) thejazzloft.org
12/28 (7:30/9:30 pm) Ari Hoenig with Tim Motzer, Kevin Arthur, Max Hoenig,
12/1 (7/9 pm) Butterfly Blue with Gizem Gokoglu, Linus Wyrsch, David Pearl
Aidan McKeon
12/2 (7/9 pm) New Wonders with Mike Davis, Ricky Alexander, Jay Rattman,
12/29, 12/30 (7:30/9:30 pm) Joe Farnsworth Quintet with Joe Block, Alex Claffy,
Dalton Ridenhour
Aidan McKeon, Sarah Hanahan
12/3 (12) Sunday Brunch Jazz with Mark Capon, Kathleen Hard
12/31 (7/9/11 pm) Chelsea Reed and Fair Weather Nine
12/8 (7/9 pm) Sivan Arbel Group with Andrew Haug, Evan Hyde
Chris’ Jazz Café (Philadephia, PA) chrisjazzcafe.com
12/9 (7/9 pm) Giacomo Gates with Ron Drotos, Bill Moring, Vince Cherico
12/1 (7 pm) Sheila Jordan with Jacob Sacks, David Ambrosio, Vinnie Sperrazza
12/10 (12) Sunday Brunch Jazz with Gabriel and Eytan Schillinger-Hyman
12/2 (7 pm) Sara Caswell Quartet
12/14 (8 pm) Nick Natalie Quartet and Jam with Maxwell Howard, Dave Uhl,
12/3 (5 pm) Marvin Stamm/Mike Holober Quartet with Mike McGuirk, Dennis Mackrel
Ronald Stockwell
12/15 (7/9 pm) Trio Menjurje with Mar Vilaseca, Raul Reyes, Ahmed Alom, Joel Mateo 12/7, 12/14, 12/21, 12/28 (7 pm) Bill Washer Trio and Jam
12/16 (7/9 pm) Kathryn Farmer Quartet with Craig Holiday Haynes, Tommy Morimoto 12/8 (7 pm) Eric Mintel Quartet with Nelson Hill, Dave Antonow, Dave Mohn:“Charlie Brown Jazz”
12/17 (12) Sunday Brunch Jazz with Colin Heshmat, Steven Paul:
12/9 (7 pm) David Ostwald’s Louis Armstrong Eternity Band with Danny Tobias,“Season’s Standards”
Mike Hashim, Harvey Tibbs, Mark Shane, Alex Raderman
12/21 (8 pm) Derek Lewis Trio and Jam with Connor Sondergeld, Jackson Trout
12/10 (5 pm) Bill Charlap
12/22 (7/9 pm) Stephanie Nakasian with Matt Baker, Karl Kimmel, Alvester Garnett:
12/15 (7 pm) Gabrielle Stravelli Quartet with Josh Richman, Pat O’Leary, Bill Goodwin“For the Holidays”
12/16 (7 pm) Zach Brock
12/23 (7/9 pm) Corinne Mammana Quartet with Patrick Kerssen, Paul Rostock,
12/17 (5 pm) Najwa Parkins Quartet
Vernon J. Mobley: “For the Holidays”
12/22 (7 pm) Regina Sayles
12/28 (7/9 pm) KJ Denhert with Adam Armstrong, Nicki Denner, Eric Halvorson,
12/23 (7 pm) Stephanie Nakasian with Marty Nau, Karl Kimmel, Katy Cosco
Mark McIntyre
12/29 (7 pm) Billy Test with George Garzone, Jay Anderson, Ian Froman
12/29 (7/9 pm) Kate Curran with Will Gorman, Chris Berger, Noel Sagerman
12/30 (7 pm) Billy Test/Jay Rattman
12/30 (7/9 pm) Vanessa Racci with Glafkos Kontemeniotis, Marcus Mclaurine,
12/31 (9 pm) Giacomo Gates with Ron Drotos, Evan Gregor
Kenny Hassler
Deer Head Inn (Delaware Water Gap, PA) deerheadinn.com
12/31 (7:30/10 pm) Peter Calo with Jon Cobert, Steve Count, Denny McDermott
12/1, 12/2 (7/9:30 pm) Sherma Andrews
12/3 (4/6 pm) David Weiss Sextet
12/8, 12/9 (7/9:30 pm) Bill Charlap Trio with David Wong, Carl Allen
12/10 (4/6 pm) Neal Spitzer with Pablo Mayor
12/15, 12/16 (7/9:30 pm) Edmar Castaneda Trio with Gregoire Maret, Andrea Tierra
12/29, 12/30 (7/9:30 pm) Houston Person Quartet
12/31 (6/9:30 pm) Catherine Russell
Jazz Forum Arts (Tarrytown, NY) jazzforumarts.org

Jazz on Main (Mt. Kisco, NY) jazzonmain.com

12/14 (6 pm) Loren Stillman Trio with Drew Gress, Mark Ferber
Kinosaito Art Center (Verplanck, NY) kinosaito.org
12/1 (7 pm) Steve Wilson, Bill Mobley, Scott Reeves, Roberta Piket, Aidan O’Donnell,
Eric Reeves: “The Memphis Project”
12/2 (7 pm) Gary Smulyan Trio with Ugonna Okegwo, Aaron Seeger
12/8 (7 pm) Don Falzone Quartet with Jim Ridl, Tyler Blanton, Eric Halvorson
12/9 (8 pm) Peter Furlan Quintet with Vinnie Cutro, Neil Alexander, Charlie Dougherty
12/15 (8 pm) Judi Marie Canterino with Conal Fowkes, Steve LaMattina, Bill Crow
12/16 (4/8 pm) Rockland Youth Jazz Ensemble; Peter Bernstein/
Rodney Jones Quartet

12/22 (5 pm) Samara Joy and The McLendon Family: “A Joyful Holiday”
Kimmel Center @MillerTheater (Philadelphia, PA) kimmelculturalcampus.org
12/14 (8 pm) The Mahavishnu Project: “Birds of Fire”
Sellersville Theater (Sellersville, PA) mahavishnuproject.com
12/1 (8 pm) Mauro Refosco: “Airto Moreira’s Free”
12/8 (8 pm) Br-An-Ch with Chad Taylor, Angelica Sanchez, Brandon Ross
12/9 (8 pm) Gabriel Meyer Creative Orchestra
12/11 (8 pm) Kassel Jaeger + Stephen O’Malley
12/15 (8 pm) Hu Vibrational with Adam Rudolph
12/26 (8 pm) Marshall Allen’s Ghost Horizons
Solar Myth (Philadelphia, PA) arsnovaworkshop.org

THE NEW YORK CITY JAZZ RECORD | December 2023 45

C LU B D I RE C TO RY• 333 Lounge 333 Flatbush Ave.
(718-399-8008) Subway: B, Q to Seventh Ave.
333lounge.com• 440Gallery 440 Sixth Ave., Brooklyn(718-499-3844) Subway: F, G to Seventh Ave.
440gallery.com• 449 La Scat in Harlem 449 Lenox Ave.
Subway: 2, 3 to 135th Str.
• 92NY Lexington Ave. at 92nd Str.
(212-415-5500) Subway: 6 to 96th Str.
92y.org• Aaron Davis Hall 133rd Str. and Convent Ave.
(212-650-7100) Subway: 1 to 137th Str. /City College
ccny.cuny.edu/theatre/aarondavis• Alianza Dominicana Cultural Center 530 W. 166th Str.
(917-242-0811) Subway: 1, A, C to 168th Str.
facebook.com/ADCC530• Alice Tully Hall at Lincoln Center 1941 Broadway at 65th Str.
(212-875-5050) Subway: 1, 2 to 66th Str. - Lincoln Center
lincolncenter.org• Apollo Theater & Music Café 253 W. 125th Str.
(212-531-5305) Subway: A, B, C, D, 2, 3 to 125th Str.
apollotheater.org• Arthur’s Tavern 57 Grove Str.
(212-675-6879) Subway: 1 to Christopher Str.
arthurstavernnyc.com• Back Bar 851 Avenue of the Americas(212-201-4065) Subway: B, D, F, M to 34th Str.; 1, 2 to 28 Str.;
hoteleventi.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• Bargemusic Fulton Ferry Landing(718-624-4061) Subway: F to York Str. , A, C to High Str.
bargemusic.org• Bill’s Place 148 W. 133rd Str. btwn. Lenox and 7th Ave.
(212-281-0777) Subway: 2, 3 to 125th Str.
billsplaceharlem.com• Birdland 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• 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• Bloomingdale School of Music 323 W. 108th Str.
(212-663-6021) Subway: 1 to Cathedral Parkway
bsmny.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• The Bowery Electric 327 Bowery(212-228-0228) Subway: 6 to Bleecker Str.
theboweryelectric.com• Bronx River Art Center 1087 E. Tremont Ave. btwn. Boston Rd. & E. 177th Str.
(718-589-5819) Subway: 5 to East 180th Str.
bronxriverart.org• Brooklyn Conservatory of Music 58 Seventh Ave., Brooklyn(718-622-3300) Subway: F to Seventh Ave. , N, R to Union Str.
bkcm.org• Brooklyn Public Library Central Branch 10 Grand Army Plaza, Brooklyn(718-230-2100) Subway: 2, 3 to Grand Army Plaza; Q to 7th Ave.
brooklynpubliclibrary.org• Cellar Dog 75 Christopher Str. at 7th Ave.
(212-675-6056) Subway: 1 to Christopher Str. /Sheridan Sq.
cellardog.net• Chelsea Table + Stage Hilton Fashion District Hotel, 152 W 26th Str.
(212-434-0499) Subway: C, E to 23rd Str.; R, W to 28th Str.
chelseatableandstage.com• Church of St Luke and St Matthew 520 Clinton Ave.
(718-638-0686) Subway: A, C to Clinton-Washington Ave. s
stlukeandstmatthew.org• Church of St. Paul and St. Andrew 263 W 86th Str.
(212-362-3179) Subway: 1 to 86th Str.
stpaulandstandrew.org• City Winery 25 11th Ave. (at 15th Str.)(646-751-6033) Subway: A, C, E, L to 14th Str.
citywinery.com• Cut by Wolfgang Puck 99 Church Str.
(646-880-1995) Subway: E to WTC; A, C to Chambers Str.
wolfgangpuck.com• The Cutting Room 44 E. 32nd Str.
(212-691-1900) Subway: 6 to 33rd Str.
thecuttingroomnyc.com• David Geffen Hall 10 Lincoln Center Plaza at 65th Str.
(212-875-5030) Subway: 1 to 66th Str. - Lincoln Center
lincolncenter.org/venue/david-geffen-hall• David Rubenstein Atrium Broadway at 60th Str.
(212-258-9800) Subway: 1, 2, 3, A, C, E, B, D, F to Columbus Circle
atrium.lincolncenter.org• The Delancey 168 Delancey Str.
(212-254-9920) Subway: F to Delancey Str.
thedelancey.com• The DiMenna Center 450 W. 37th Str.
(212-594-6100) Subway: A, C, E to 34h Str. -Penn Station
dimennacenter.org• 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• Down & Out 503 East 6th Str.
Subway: F to 2nd Ave; L to 1st Ave
downandoutnyc.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• The Ear Inn 326 Spring Str. at Greenwich Str.
(212-246-5074) Subway: C, E to Spring Str.
earinn.com• Fiction Bar/Café 308 Hooper Str.
(718-599-5151) Subway: M, J to Hewes Str.
fictionbk.com• Flushing Town Hall 137-35 Northern Blvd., Flushing(718-463-7700) Subway: 7 to Main Str.
flushingtownhall.org• Funkadelic Studios 209 W. 40th Str.
(212-696-2513) Subway: 1, 2, 3, 7, A, C, E, N, Q, R to 42nd Str. -Times Sq.
funkadelicstudios.com• Gotham Bar and Grill 12 E. 12th Str.
(212-620-4020) Subway: R, W to 8th Str.
gothambarandgrill.com• Greenwich House Music School 46 Barrow Str.
(212-242-4770) Subway: 1 to Christopher Str.
greenwichhouse.org• Guggenheim Museum 1071 Fifth Ave. at 89th Str.
(212-423-3500) Subway: 4, 5, 6 to 86th Str.
guggenheim.org• Harlem Stage Gatehouse 150 Convent Ave. at W. 135th Str.
(212-650-7100) Subway: 1 to 137th Str.
harlemstage.org• Hostos Center 450 Grand Concourse(718-518-6700) Subway: 2, 4, 5 to 149th Str.
hostos.cuny.edu• House of Yes 2 Wyckoff Ave.
(646-838-4937) Subway: L to Jefferson Str.
houseofyes.org• Ibeam Brooklyn 168 7th Str. btwn. Second and Third Ave.
Subway: F to 4th Ave.
ibeambrooklyn.com• Interchurch Center 475 Riverside Drive at 120th Str.
Subway: 1 to 116th Str.
• 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• The Kitchen 55 Bethune Str. I-400(212-255-5793) Subway: A, B, C, D, E, F to W. 4th Str.
thekitchen.org• Knickerbocker Bar & Grill 33 University Pl. at 9th Str.
(212-228-8490) Subway: N, R to 8th Str. -NYU
knickerbockerbarandgrill.com• Kostabi World 225 W. 22nd Str.
Subway: C, E to 23rd Str.
• Louis Armstrong House 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• 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• Mount Morris Ascension Presbyterian Church 15 Mount Morris Park West(212-831-6800) Subway: 2, 3 to 125 Str.
• National Sawdust 80 N. 6th Str.
(646-779-8455) Subway: L to Bedford Ave.
nationalsawdust.org• New York Jazz Workshop 265 W. 37th St, 10th floor suite(212-287-5908) Subway: A, C, E to 34th Str.-Penn Station
newyorkjazzworkshop.com• 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

46 December 2023 | THE NEW YORK CITY JAZZ RECORD• P.I.T. 411 South 5th Str., Brooklyn(347-763-0333) Subway: J, M to Hewes Str.
propertyistheft.org• Pangea 178 Second Ave.
(212-995-0900) Subway: L to First Ave.
pangeanyc.com• Park Avenue Armory 643 Park Ave.
(212-616-3930) Subway: 6 to 68th Str.
armoryonpark.org• Pioneer Works 159 Pioneer Str., Brooklyn(718-596-3001) Subway: Bus: B61
pioneerworks.org• Public Records 233 Butler Str.
(347-529-4869) Subway: 2, 3, 4, 5, B, D, N, Q, R to Atlantic Ave.
publicrecords.nyc• Red Rooster Harlem 310 Malcolm X Blvd.
(212-792-9001) Subway: 2, 3 to 125th Str.
redroosterharlem.com• Rockwood Music Hall Stage 2 199 Allen Strreet(212-477-4155) Subway: F, V to Second Ave.
rockwoodmusichall.com• Room 623 at B2 Harlem 271 W. 119th Str.
(212-280-2248) Subway: B, C to 116th Str.
b2harlem.com• Rose Theater Broadway at 60th Str., 5th floor(212-258-9800) Subway: 1, 2, 3, A, C, E, B, D, F to Columbus Circle
jazz.org• Roulette 509 Atlantic Ave., Brooklyn(917-267-0363) Subway: 2, 3, 4, 5 to Atlantic Ave.
roulette.org• 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
scholesstr.tudio.com• The Schomburg Center 515 Macolm X Blvd.
(212-491-2200) Subway: 2, 3 to 135th Str.
nypl.org/locations/schomburg• 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• Sistas’ Place 456 Nostrand Ave. at Jefferson Ave., Brooklyn(718-398-1766) Subway: A to Nostrand Ave.
sistasplace.org• Smalls 183 W 10th Str. at Seventh Ave.
(212-252-5091) Subway: 1 to Christopher Str.
smallslive.com• Smoke 2751 Broadway btwn. 105th and 106th Str.
(212-864-6662) Subway: 1 to 103rd Str.
smokejazz.com• 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• 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• Symphony Space Leonard Nimoy Thalia 2537 Broadway at 95th Str.
(212-864-5400) Subway: 1, 2, 3 to 96th Str.
symphonyspace.org• Third Street Music School Settlement 235 E. 11th Str.
(212-777-3240) Subway: 6 to Astor Pl.
thirdstreetmusicschool.org• Tribeca Performing Arts Center 199 Chambers Str.
(212-220-1460) Subway: A, 1, 2, 3 to Chambers Str.
tribecapac.org• Two E Lounge 2 E. 61st Str.
(212-940-8113) Subway: N, R, W to Fifth Ave.
thepierreny.com• Union Pool 484 Union Ave. at Meeker(718-609-0484) Subway: L to Lorimer St
union-pool.com• Village Vanguard 178 Seventh Ave. South at 11th Str.
(212-255-4037) Subway: 1, 2, 3 to 14th Str.
villagevanguard.com• Williamsburg Music Center 367 Bedford Ave., Brooklyn, NY(718-384-1654) Subway: L to Bedford Ave.
• Winnie’s 63 West 38th Str.
(646-846-9063) Subway: B, D, F, M to 42nd Str. NQRW to Times Square; BDFM to 34th Str.
winniesnyc.com• York College CUNY, 94-20 Guy R. Brewer Blvd., Queens
Subway: E to Jamaica Centeryork.cuny.edu• Zinc Bar 82 W. 3rd Str.
(212-477-8337) Subway: A, C, E, F, V, Grand Str. Shuttle to W. 4th Str.
zincbar.com• Zürcher Gallery 33 Bleecker Str.
(212-777-0790) Subway: 6 to Bleeker Str. ; B, D, F to Broadway-Lafayettegaleriezurcher.com

I N ME MORIAMJULIAN BAHULA (Mar. 13, 1938 – Oct. 1, 2023) The
South African drummer and activist, who introduced the
traditional malopo drums to his country’s jazz scene in theearly ’60s, died at 85 in Johannesburg from bile duct cancer.
Born in one of Pretoria’s townships, Bahula first played jazzwith the Crotchets before forming the Malombo Jazzmen,
which later became the Malombo Jazz Makers in the mid’60s. Around the same time, the drummer began working
with the African National Congress and in 1973 moved to
London in political exile. In England, Bahula founded theband Jabula, combining it with Dudu Pukwana’s band in1977 to become Jabula Spear. He remained politically activewith the Anti-Apartheid Movement and helped organize the“African Sounds” 1983 concert and another, larger concert
and march in the UK for Nelson Mandela, leading to his
release from prison. Bahula continued to play, record andserve as a sideman, including on Stevie Wonder’s Characters(1987). In 2012, he was honored with the Order of Ikhamanga,
South Africa’s highest cultural award.
JOHN BANY (Mar. 24, 1941 – Nov. 5, 2023) The bassist/
vocalist died at 81 in Skokie, IL. Born and raised in Ohio—hecame from a family of bass and tuba players—Bany earned
a music degree from Miami University in Oxford, OH. In
1964, he won the U.S. Air Force Worldwide Talent Contest,
which led to playing bass and singing in the Jimmy Dorsey
Orchestra. He recorded two albums, Our Family and John
Bany Sings, with his drummer son Martin Bany, and over thecourse of his long career recorded and performed with many
Chicago jazz notables including pianist Eddie Higgins andtenor saxophonist Bud Freeman. Bany also wrote on jazz forBass World magazine during the ’80s.
ALISON BENTLEY (Dec. 16, 1957 – Sep. 22, 2023) The
vocalist, journalist and educator died at 65 in East Oxford,
England, after a long illness. Born in Bolton, outside
Manchester, Bentley studied literature before completing her
postgraduate studies in jazz at Guildhall School of Music.
She released her debut, Women with Voices (1993), led her
own groups and taught jazz at Oxford Brookes University.
Beginning in 2013 Bentley contributed to London Jazz News.
CARLA BLEY (May 11, 1936 – Oct. 17, 2023) A 2015 NEA
Jazz Master, whose work since the ’60s as a composer,
arranger, band leader and keyboardist helped shape jazz’
aesthetic, Bley died at 87 from brain cancer in Willow, NY,
where she had resided for many years with partner andcollaborator, bassist Steve Swallow. Her landmark 1971
album, Escalator over the Hill, with words by poet Paul
Haines, was three years in the making and brought together
over 35 jazz and rock musicians; it also gave prominence
to the Jazz Composer’s Orchestra (JCO), a similarly named
nonprofit organization and the independent label, JCOA
Records, all which Bley co-founded in 1966 with her second
husband, Michael Mantler (their child, Karen Mantler, wasborn in 1966). Born Lovella May Borg in Oakland, CA, she
was raised mostly—and musically trained—by her father, achurch organist/choir director and piano teacher. A growing
love of jazz, especially the big band sounds of Count Basie,
led her after high school to New York, landing a job firstas a Birdland cigarette girl. She married pianist-composer
Paul Bley in 1957 and started writing music for her husband
to perform. Soon after, George Russell and Jimmy Giuffre
recorded her compositions. In 1964, she helped organize
the Jazz Composers Guild and its house big band, which
led to the JCO. A spirit of mindful collaboration guided hercareer. Her compositions and piano are featured on Gary
Burton’s A Genuine Tong Funeral (1967) and, beginning in
1969, she was associated with Charlie Haden’s Liberation
Music Orchestra while also leading the JCO and appearing
on albums by Mantler, Jack Bruce, Pink Floyd’s Nick Mason
and more. Bley released 29 albums as leader—ambitious bigband works, duets with Swallow, live recordings, Christmas
carols, off-kilter chamber music and her quartet The Lost
Chords—mostly on her own label, WATT. Her last threealbums (on ECM), a late career coda in a trio with Swallow
and saxophonist Andy Sheppard, featured her brilliant
compositions and exquisite piano playing.

BY THOMAS STAUDTERMARY ALICE BROWN (Oct. 28, 1929 – Oct. 4, 2023) The
vocalist-pianist and educator known for her stage presence
and storytelling style died in Erie, PA, where she was bornand raised, at age 93, from cancer. Brown attended the Erie
Conservatory of Music after graduating from high school,then established herself locally, and recorded The Charcoal
Pit Presents Mary Alice Brown and Nancy Loper. Moving to
California in 1975, then Hawaii and Japan, she worked
steadily as an entertainer in resorts and hotels. In 1992,
Brown returned to her hometown, was recognized as Erie’s“Queen of Jazz”, and for two decades taught music at Erie’s
JFK Community Center.

Boulogne-sur-Gesse, a small village in the French sectionof the Pyrenees, he started on harmonica but switched tocornet after hearing Louis Armstrong. Work in Toulouse’s
local brass bands and cabarets led him to Paris, where heplayed in different jazz orchestras, eventually joining pianist
Claude Bolling in the Jeunesses Musicales de France in theearly ’60s. Dutour was also closely associated throughout
his career with singer Nino Ferrer while working steadily
as a studio musician. His collection Dance & Mood Musicbrought the trumpeter a sizable audience interested inlounge music and his Top Fiction (1979), just re-released on
vinyl, is a classic of the genre.

ROBERT BUSH (Oct. 7, 1958 – Oct. 20, 2023) The veteranjournalist, and TNYCJR contributor, died at 65 in San Diego,
CA, from esophageal cancer. Bush became jazz-entranced
after seeing Jean-Luc Ponty perform in 1976; the following
year a John McLaughlin Shakti concert was, by his own
admission, a tipping point. Bush studied guitar with Peter
Sprague and gigged for a while in local ensembles, but
focused on journalism instead, publishing widely in local
and national publications.

JIMMY LA ROCCA (Oct. 27, 1939 – Oct. 15, 2023) The New
Orleans trumpeter died at 83 in Metairie, LA. His father,
Nick La Rocca, the cornetist and co-founder of the Original
Dixieland Jass Band, started Jimmy on trumpet lessons
when he was 10. After his father passed away in 1961, he
led a version of the Original Dixieland Jazz Band, releasing
four albums.

ARTIE CABRAL (Feb. 25, 1940 – Sep. 17, 2023) The drummer
and educator died at 83 in Bristol, RI. A native of Providence,
RI, he started playing drums at 9 and turned professional by
15. He received a degree from Berklee College of Music, andfor two decades toured with Stan Kenton, Dakota Staton,
Mel Tormé and others. In 1969, he joined Woody Herman’s
Seventh Herd; his extensive recording credits also include
Ben Webster, Carol Sloane and Toshiko Akiyoshi. Cabraltaught at Berklee and Rhode Island public schools; he also
founded the Rhode Island School of Performing Music. In
2017, he was inducted into the Rhode Island Music Hall of
Fame.
ARNI CHEATHAM (Aug, 14, 1944 – Oct. 22, 2023)
The Boston-based saxophonist and educator died at 79
from atherosclerosis. A native of Chicago’s South Side,
Cheatham started as a photographer, then decided to playsaxophone, joining the Chetniks which played R&B, souland jazz. Moving to Boston in 1969, Cheatham studied at
Berklee College of Music with Charlie Mariano and, withclassmates, started the jazz fusion band The Thing (not tobe confused with saxophonist Mats Gustafsson’s band of
the same name). He also founded the Boston Jazz Coalition
and Jazz Week festival. A longtime member of the Aardvark
Jazz Orchestra and Makanda Project, Cheatham also led
two small groups, Search and Smoke, while continuing
to pursue his interest in nature photography. Cheathamtaught countless students in the JazzEd and JazzBoston
Riffs & Raps programs developed by Bill Lowe.
PAT CLOSE (Oct. 13, 1956 – Oct. 20, 2023) The drummer,a mainstay in the contemporary jazz scene for three-plus
decades, died at 67 in Clearwater, FL, from pancreaticcancer. A native of Lorain, OH, he started drum lessons at
5 and the following year conducted the local concert band;by age 12 he was working professionally. Close’s career rosewhen he moved to Florida in 1988, working with guitarist
Paul Brown. A long association with keyboardist AllonSams led to performances at the Clearwater Jazz Festival,
accompanying headliners and leading his group, The
Groove. In 2017, he released his debut album, Rhythms of
My Soul.
MIKE DENNY (Feb. 1, 1959 – Oct. 7, 2023) A guitarist andeducator based in Eugene, OR, Denny died at 64 after ashort illness. Born in California, his family moved to Oregon
when he was nine; a year later, he began playing guitar
and was working professionally by 14. Denny received abachelor’s degree in music at City College of New York. He
was on the faculty of the University of Oregon’s School ofMusic and Dance from 1995 to 2021 and released several
albums, including Mike Denny Trio: Live at Laurelwood (2019).
PIERRE DUTOUR (Nov. 10, 1931 – Nov. 1, 2023) The French
trumpeter and wide-ranging composer died at 91. Born in

NORBERTO MACHLINE (Sep. 11, 1943 – Sep. 20, 2023)
The Argentine pianist-composer died at 80 from heart
failure. Lauded as his country’s best jazz pianist, he playedwith Gato Barbieri and other top Argentine musicians andvisiting greats. Machline recorded four albums as leader.
One of his compositions was included in the first edition of
the Real Book Argentino.
JENS ARNE MOLVÆR (Dec. 16, 1940 – Oct. 10, 2023)
The Norwegian saxophonist-clarinetist and educator (andfather to trumpeter Nils Petter Molvær) died at 82. Molvær
was born and raised in Langevåg, a small town in western
Norway known for its many musicians. In the ’60s, Molvær
performed with traditional jazz groups in Stavanger and
Molde before founding the Ytre Suløens Jass-ensemble in1973. With his son, he recorded an album, September Song
(1998).
TOLTON ROSSER (Jul. 29, 1932 – Oct. 31, 2023) A jazztrumpeter, band leader and educator, Rosser died at 91 ofheart failure in Birmingham, AL, where he was a lifelong
resident. A Korean War veteran, he later received adoctorate in education from the University of Alabama at
Birmingham. Rosser was the director of the Birmingham
Heritage Jazz Band for 24 years; in 1992, he was inducted
into the Alabama Jazz Hall of Fame.
JOHN D. THOMAS (Feb. 25, 1954 – Oct. 12, 2023) The
guitarist, bandleader and associate professor at Berklee
College of Music for nearly 30 years, died at 69. A Chicago
native, Thomas was playing with Joe Henderson and Jimmy
McGriff by 19. Later, he worked with Dizzy Gillespie, Chet
Baker and Kenny Drew. Thomas moved to Germany in
1977, led his own bands—Lifeforce, Serious Business andExtremely Serious Business—while touring for the U.S.
State Department and National Endowment for the Arts.
He worked with drummer Art Taylor from 1978 to 1984 andtrumpeter Charles Tolliver for a decade and, after returning
to the U.S. in 1991, played with organist Charles Earland
for two years. Thomas also played regularly with fellow
Berklee instructor and drummer Kenwood Dennard. His
book Voice Leading for Guitar: Moving Through the Changes
was published in 2002.
OSCAR VALDÉS (Nov. 12, 1937 – Oct. 19, 2023) The Cuban
percussionist and vocalist died at 85 in Havana, Cuba, where
he was born and raised in a renowned musical family. Valdés
started his percussion studies at 12, learning to play—andbuild—the batá and abakuá drums and chekeres. In his early
20s, Valdés worked in the Red Army Band and Choir, as
well as with the CMQ orchestra, Benny Moré and Cubanade Música Moderna. When his brother Chucho Valdés(their father was the legendary Bebo Valdés) founded thegroundbreaking fusion-folkloric jazz band Irakere in 1972,
Oscar was brought in as singer and percussionist. Valdésformed another fusion-folkloric band, Diákara, in 2000. His
album Leyenda Viva won the 2010 Cubadisco Special Prize.

THE NEW YORK CITY JAZZ RECORD | December 2023 47