YOUR FREE GUIDE TO THE NYC JAZZ SCENESEPTEMBER 2022—ISSUE 245

NYCJAZZRECORD.COM

CÉCILEMcLORINSALVANTTHE PLANTERAND THE SEEDDAVID
SANFORDRONNIEFOSTERTOMASZSTANKO
‘

SEAN
JONES

Managing Editor:
Laurence Donohue-Greene
Editorial Director &Production Manager:
Andrey Henkin
To Contact:
The New York City Jazz Record
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Phone/Fax: 212-568-9628

SEPTEMBER 2022—ISSUE 245
NEW YORK@NIGHT

Laurence Donohue-Greene:ldgreene@nycjazzrecord.com

INTERVIEW : SEAN JONES

Andrey Henkin:ahenkin@nycjazzrecord.com

ARTIST FEATURE : DAVID SANFORD

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Calendar:calendar@nycjazzrecord.com

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Staff Writers
Duck Baker, Dan Bilawsky,
Stuart Broomer, Robert Bush,
Kevin Canfield, Marco Cangiano,
Thomas Conrad, Pierre Crépon,Ken Dryden, Donald Elfman,
Phil Freeman, Pierre Giroux,
Kurt Gottschalk, Tom Greenland,
George Grella, Anders Griffen,
Tyran Grillo, Alex Henderson,
Robert Iannapollo, Marilyn Lester,
Suzanne Lorge, Marc Medwin,
Jim Motavalli, Russ Musto,
John Pietaro, Joel Roberts,
John Sharpe, Elliott Simon,
Anna Steegmann, Scott Yanow
Contributing Writers
Matty Bannond, Brian Charette,
Jordannah Elizabeth, George Kanzler,
Steven Loewy, Eric Wendell
Contributing Photographers
Caroline Conejero, Laurence Donohue-Greene,
Enid Farber, Shawn Michael Jones,
Alan Nahigian, Jen Rosenstein,
Robert I. Sutherland-Cohen,
Christopher Tribble, Sabato Visconti

nycjazzrecord.com

ENCORE : RONNIE FOSTERLEST WE FORGET : TOMASZ STANKO‘

VOXNews:
voxnews@nycjazzrecord.com

ON THE COVER : CÉCILE McLORIN SALVANTLABEL SPOTLIGHT : PHONOGRAM UNIT
VOXNEWS
OBITUARIESFESTIVAL REPORTALBUM REVIEWSEVENT CALENDARCLUB DIRECTORY

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by russ musto
by george grellaby jordannah elizabeth
by matty bannond
by eric wendellby stuart broomer
by suzanne lorge
by andrey henkin

As listeners, we often think of musicians as sprouting out of the ground fully developed;
yes, we all know the history, the family background or formative listening and playing,but it is all too easy to forget the process that brought a musician to the fore, one that
continues throughout the course of their careers, no matter the length.
All of our features this month have their own stories, how they became who they are
and the gradual development of identity that came with exposure and hard work.
Vocalist Cécile McLorin Salvant (On The Cover) seemed to come almost out of nowhere
when she won the 2010 Monk Competition but that was just a pinnacle of a mountainshe had been climbing since childhood. This month she celebrates her latest release,
Ghost Song (Nonesuch) at Blue Note. Trumpeter Sean Jones (Interview) came out of
the church tradition and the cauldron that is the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra under
Wynton Marsalis, growing from both to become a compelling performer and valued
educator. He is at Dizzy’s Club in September. Composer David Sanford (Artist Feature)
had to work against the strictures of academia to write the music he heard in his head.
Some of that music will be presented at New School Stiefel Hall as part of the Festivalof New Trumpet Music. Organ player Ronnie Foster (Encore) grew up listening toBlue Note LPs, then made five himself, and has now returned to the label after 50 years
with Re-Boot. And the late Tomasz Stańko attained the freedom he could not have inSoviet-era Poland through American jazz and his development of same. A tribute to thelate trumpeter is at Roulette this month with many of his past collaborators.

On The Cover: Cécile McLorin Salvant (photo by Shawn Michael Jones / courtesy of Nonesuch Records)
Corrections: In last month’s NY@Night, the Kat Edmonson photo was taken by Adrien H. Tillmann
All rights reserved. Reproduction without permission strictly prohibited. All material copyrights property of the authors.

2 SEPTEMBER 2022 | THE NEW YORK CITY JAZZ RECORD

Michael Brecker’s Music Comes Alive:
Tod Dickow, Charged Particles, andSpecial Guest Randy Brecker
On September 8, the California-based jazz trio,
Charged Particles, will appear at Birdland withblazing tenor saxophonist Tod Dickow and special
guest Randy Brecker, playing music from the quartet’s
new CD, “Live at the Baked Potato!”, featuring thecompositions of jazz superstar Michael Brecker.

Randy Brecker

Tod Dickow,
Charged Particles,
and Special Guest

Randy Brecker
September 8, 2022 8:30 pm

Birdland Theater
315 West 44th Street

This performance at Birdland will premier new
arrangements of Michael Brecker’s compositions,featuring trumpet for the first time. Saxophonist Tod
Dickow and special guest Randy Brecker will be joinedby Greg Sankovich (piano), Aaron Germain (bass), and
Jon Krosnick (drums).

The band’s heartfelt tribute to iconic tenor
saxophonist Brecker, who passed away in 2007 after
a prolonged illness, is staggering in its authenticity
and collective desire by the participants to get it right. Randy Brecker weighed inwith his approval of the record: “Everyone’s at the top of their Mike game. I foundmyself pinching my arm to remind myself that Mikeis sadly no longer with us.”“Tod Dickow is one of
the best saxophonists

Indeed, this dedicated crew really did get it right.
And in tackling Brecker’s imposing oeuvre, they
– Jazz Life Magazine
reveal the genius of his compositional prowess, aside of the multi-faceted Michael that was often
overshadowed by his legendary chops. Fans, aficionados, and aspiring saxophonists
all over the world still share YouTube clips of Brecker’s incomparable speed anddarting imagination on the instrument, yet there“Tod Dickow has
is no attempt here to recreate Brecker’s awesome
captured the magic andtechnique on this record. Instead, Charged
Particles captures the essence of Michael’s spirit
brilliance of Brecker.”in their faithful renditions of his tunes spanning– L.A. Jazz Scene
three decades.
in the world.”

The success of the group’s mission to honor Michael is due in no small part to thecontributions of veteran San Francisco tenor saxophonist Tod Dickow. The sheer
force and fluency of his lines seem to lift the entire band throughout their live set
at the intimate Baked Potato in Los Angeles, while“Exciting,his passionate intensity and Breckerian authority
satisfying stuff.”
immediately command our attention. Truly, he is a
– Downbeat Magazine
talent worthy of wider recognition.

– Bill Milkowski

The show will be preceded by remarks
from David Demsey, Curator of theMichael Brecker Archives at William
Paterson University, and from journalist
Bill Milkowski, who will present a gift of
thanks to Demsey.

www.chargedparticles.com
www.summitrecords.com
Find out more at:birdlandjazz.com/event/tod-dickowcharged-particles-w-randy-breckerin-the-theater/
Tod Dickow and Charged Particles

NEW YORK @ NIGHT
Ever since it came blasting out of New Orleans’ Tremé Lately, Samara Joy has been creating quite a stir in the

ABEL MIRELES
ANIMO
WITH

BENITO GONZALEZ / E.J. STRICKLAND / MYLES SLONIKER
SSC 1678 - AVAILABLE 9/9//22

ALAN NAHIGIAN

Inspiration and motivation were assets that Abel
Mireles was able to access from the words of his
father. These messages continue to push the young
saxophonist in his life and career. Mireles’s new recording, Animo, is a touching tribute to his father
and powerful statement of purpose in his evolving
career.

jazz world and with good reason. At a mere 22 years ofage, she has prodigious vocal chops. At The Glade in
Little Island (Aug. 10th) she was stunning—perhaps
the love child of Ella Fitzgerald and Jon Hendricks—
with a mastery of phrasing and vocalese that madethis demanding technique seem easy. Opener“Social Call” (Gigi Gryce-Jon Hendricks) immediately
set the tone for the set, with frequent collaborator,
guitarist Pasquale Grasso and his trio (bassist Neal
Caine and drummer Keith Balla), syncing perfect
support for her vocals. Featured on “Linger Awhile”(Vincent Rose-Harry Owens), Grasso demonstrated
with speed and flexibility why he is a premier
guitarist. Joy is also a composer and lyricist, setting
vocalese to Fats Navarro’s “Nostalgia”. In “Round
Midnight” (Thelonious Monk-Bernie Hanighen), Joy
demonstrated how a jazz vocalist can create mood anddeep interpretive feeling with superior vocal dynamics,
as well as a tempo change for a few bars in themidsection of the ballad. Citing Carmen McRae as aninspiration, she delivered an extended closer of “Just
Squeeze Me (But Please Don’t Tease Me)” (DukeEllington-Lee Gaines), which featured a few bars ofslap-bass from Caine and more wondrously creativeideas from Balla. An interlude of audience participation
further demonstrated Joy’s warm personality, stage
presence and desire to connect to those at the unique
outdoor venue on the Hudson River. —Marilyn Lester© 2022 ENID FARBER FOTOGRAPHY

neighborhood in the early ‘80s with a new take on old
traditions, Rebirth Brass Band has brought a loose-istight ethos to live shows. To prepare for its New Yorkappearance (Aug. 4th), the front half of Sony Hall
was cleared, a vast empty seabed slowly filling tocapacity as dancers, drawn by the beats, inexorably
migrated forward, leaving a desert of empty tables
behind. With five stentorian brass (trumpeters
Chadrick Honoré and Glenn Hall III, trombonists
Stafford Agee and Caleb Windsley and tenor
saxophonist Vincent Broussard) and a booming threepiece rhythm team (sousaphone player Clifton Smith,bass drummer Keith Frazier and snare drummer
Jenard Andrews), the octet didn’t need any
amplification; indeed, in spite of uneven mic’ing, thecollective resonance was plenipotent. The set
comprised NOLA standards like Fats Domino’s “I’m
Walkin’” and Hank Williams’ “Jambalaya” (sounding
more like ‘funky-honk’ than honky-tonk), covers of
Bobby and Shirley Womack’s “It’s All Over Now” andParliament’s “Tear the Roof Off the Sucker” andoriginals “Sounds of the Sarah”, “Move Your Body”,“Bingo”, “My My My”, “Feel Like Funkin’ It Up”,
“Chicken Little” and “Do Whatcha Wanna”, even an
as-yet-untitled song on which Smith blew sinewy,
hyper-funky bass-lines, no easy feat on the behemothhorn. Andrews was equally engaging for his perpetual,slow-billowing fills. 		
—Tom Greenland

Clifton Smith of Rebirth Brass Band @ Sony Hall

Samara Joy @ Little Island

It has been six years since Darcy James Argue dropped J azz grande dame Mary Stallings is a trouper of the

ANGELICA SANCHEZ TRIOWITH

MICHAEL FORMANEK & BILLY HARTSPARKLE BEINGS
SSC 1674 - AVAILABLE 9/23//22

Inspirational people always live with you. They cancome from memories of past or they may be sitting
next to you. Angelica Sanchez recognizes that someof the illuminating people in her life can be interacted with on any given day. She chose to capture one
special day with Billy Hart and Michael Formanekon their wonderful Sparkle Beings.

www.sunnysiderecords.com

Real Enemies, his third album of compositions/arrangements for his big band Secret Society, so fansare understandably impatient to hear his upcoming
double album, recorded in August. They got a taste of
it at Dizzy’s Club (Aug. 10) —after Argue broke icewith a growly, simmering rendition of “Ferromagnetic”
featuring trumpeter Matt Holman—when he counted
off “Dymaxion”, a tribute to futuristic inventor
Buckminster Fuller (fondly referred to as “Bucky” inthe prefatory remarks), which grew from individual
tones piling up one at a time into a tall pyramid ofharmony, then locking on to a fast steady pulseorganized in a long 15-beat cycle over which baritone
saxophonist Carl Maraghi blew sinewy snakecharming themes. The third number was, as Argue
warned the crowd, “epic”: a half-hour-plus meditation
on Duke Ellington’s “Diminuendo and Crescendo inBlue”, not a blues but a slow waltz transitioning
through an impressive range of styles and textures,with notable solos by bass trombonist Gina Benalcazar,
flugelhorn player Brandon Lee, tenor saxophonist
John Ellis and pianist Martha Kato. A final taste ofArgue’s newest, yet-to-be-released music was heard
on closer “Last Waltz for Levon [Helm]”, a spin on
The Band’s iconic live performance of “The Night
They Drove Old Dixie Down”, cleverly appropriating
its horn parts, hooks, riffs, even the distinctive minorto-major modulation setting up the chorus.
(TG)

4 SEPTEMBER 2022 | THE NEW YORK CITY JAZZ RECORD

first order. On the threshold of her 83rd birthday(Aug. 16th), having just undergone foot surgery andwearing a substantial orthopedic boot, she delivereda peerless performance of jazz and blues at Smoke Jazz
Club (Aug. 12th), beautifully remodeled and reopened
after being closed throughout the pandemic. Stallings
was preceded by a musical tour de force of bop andswing by three A+ musicians: pianist Emmett Cohen,bassist Yasushi Nakamura and drummer Joe
Farnsworth. Stallings can certainly swing: “I Love
Being Here With You” (Bill Schluger-Peggy Lee)—and
she can swing and scat: “Ev’rything I Love” (Cole
Porter). The vibe was joyous, inducing spontaneousclapping from the audience as she created emotive
arcs with expert phrasing and vocal dynamics.
What was also uplifting was the camaraderie among
Stallings and the musicians; it was hugely apparent
they were all having a great time and the feeling wascontagious. “Old Devil Moon” (Burton Lane-Yip
Harburg) with a samba arrangement particularly
showcased Farnsworth, whose nuance with brushes
and sticks gave texture to the tune. When it comes toblues, Stallings is at the front of the pack. Her “Fineand Mellow” (Billie Holiday) beautifully captured the
yes-no paradox of the lyric. A melodic solo by
Nakamura was a special highlight. Ending with arobust swing version of the Gershwins’ “I Got Rhythm”
had a pumped up audience flying even higher.
(ML)In preparation for the upcoming recording of their“G ood evening, ladies and gentleman,” Christian

McBride announced from the Village Vanguard stage(Aug. 11th), “I’m Bill Frisell.” The celebrated bassist,called in at practically the last minute to cover for theailing guitarist, kept the joke going with his formidable
bandmates during this quite electric set, though thecrowd was left wondering what may become ofFrisell’s residency. Still, McBride’s driving lines andthrobbing leads cut a whole other soundscape. Tenor
saxophonist Greg Tardy, who hails from New Orleans,
held down the topline, weaving a timbre that recalledclassic postbop while constantly throwing a nod to
Joe Henderson. Tardy’s CV includes years with Elvin
Jones as well as work with Betty Carter, Tom Harrell
and so many more. Kicking off with an Eddie Harris
blues, the saxophonist leapt into a near aerial solowith the smoking rhythm section just beneath. Special
mention must be made of Johnathan Blake, whose
drumming is so relaxed as to sit as low as his cymbals(almost touching drum rims!), barely concealing his
flaming core. The spirits of Philly Joe Jones, Al Foster
and Mel Lewis seem to hover over his gigs and Blue
Note catalogue, ideal company for a set of standards
like Cedar Walton’s “Firm Roots” (with throbbing
perpetual motion by Tardy, McBride AND Blake),a whirling take on Henderson’s “Narcissus” andperfect retellings of Monk classics. As John Cage once
prophesied, sometimes happenstance provides“marvelous accidents”.
—John Pietaro

PHOTO © CAROLINE CONEJERO 2022

PETER B. BLAIKIE FOR BACHRACH.PHOTO

next album, allstar female collective Artemis cameinto Birdland for a weeklong engagement that showed
off each of the sextet’s skills as both improvisers andcomposers. The group kicked off its first set (Aug.
10th) with Music Director/pianist Renee Rosnes’“Galapagos”, a tour de force outing that recalled thespirit of McCoy Tyner in its sound and vigor. The piece
opened in trio with bassist Noriko Ueda and drummer
Allison Miller playing an impressionistic prelude
before leaping into a galloping rhythm. The horn
section then played the imposing melody, followed byhigh-flying solos from newest member, multiinstrumentalist Alexa Tarantino on flute, trumpeter
Ingrid Jensen, tenor saxophonist Nicole Glover, Rosnes
and a climactic outing from Miller. Segueing right into
Thelonious Monk’s “Hackensack” the group bebopped
fierily, then calmed the mood with an exquisite
rendering of Billy Strayhorn’s “A Flower Is A Lovesome
Thing”, featuring Tarantino’s alto and Glover ’s tenor.
The band was back in full swing mode on Ueda’s“Step Forward”, a jaunty song with an appealing
melody on which warm bass was in the spotlight.
The band charged forward boldly on Rosnes’ newarrangement of her “Empress Afternoon” and played
stirringly on her original orchestration of Wayne
Shorter ’s “Penelope”. The set ended potently with
Miller ’s “Goddess Of The Hunt”, her homage to thedeity for whom the band is named. —Russ Musto

The Royal Canadian Mint is honoring legendary
pianist and Canada native Oscar Peterson with a$1 circulation coin designed by Valentine De Landro
of Ajax, Ontario. For more information, visit
mint.ca/oscarpeterson.
As part of this month’s Festival of New Trumpet
Music, there will be several international virtual
events: Sep. 7th at 7pm: Brass Without Borders I –Night for Ukraine with opening night nods to Dizzy
Reece and Doc Severinsen by Dennis Adu, Yakiv
Tsvietinskyi and Dima Bondarev (Ukraine); Sep. 9that 7 pm: Brass Without Borders II with Natsuki Tamura(Japan), Jeanette Nenezian (Argentina) and Ashley
Ballat (Australia); Sep. 12th at 7pm: Brass Without
Borders III with Lily Carassik (UK), Sthembiso Bhengu(South Africa) and Charlotte Keeffe (UK); and Sep.
14th at 7pm: Award of Recognition to Enrico Rava
(Italy). For more information, visit fontmusic.org.
New Music USA has announced the 100
organizational awardees of its 2022 Organizational
Development Fund. Relevant local groups include:
Alarm Will Sound (Brooklyn, NY), Americas Society(New York, NY), Arts for Art (New York, NY), Brooklyn
Raga Massive (Brooklyn, NY), Creative Music Studio(Woodstock, NY), Hypercube (Astoria, NY), JACK
Quartet (New York, NY), Jazz Power Initiative (NewYork, NY), Music From The Sole (New York, NY), So
Percussion Summer Institute (Brooklyn, NY) andWorld Music Institute, Inc (Brooklyn, NY). For more
information, visit newmusicusa.org.
Director Tyler Perry’s ‘40s deep South period drama
A Jazzman’s Blues will premiere on Netflix
Sep. 23rd.

Noriko Ueda & Allison Miller of Artemis @ Birdland

Greg Tardy, Christian McBride & Johnathan Blake @ Village Vanguard

A big man with a huge sound on the tenor saxophone,

O ld New York? Fine and Rare’s dark woods, deco

Joel Frahm was back in his old haunt Smalls (Aug.
12th) for his first engagement there since the onset of
the COVID-19 pandemic. Leading a quartet withpianist John Chin, bassist Omer Avital and drummer
Anthony Pinciotti, he got things started stretching out
on the classic Charlie Parker blues “Relaxin’ At
Camarillo”. Frahm unfurled long serpentine lines,
soulfully interjecting a quote from Sonny Rollins’ “St.
Thomas”, before giving way to Chin, who soloed
fluidly with ambidextrous virtuosity, and Avital who
improvised lyrically. Then tenor and piano engaged ina series of eight-bar exchanges with drums before
taking things out. Addressing the wildly appreciative
full house Frahm told the crowd it was “amazing anda little bit surreal to be back here in the place where
I learned how to play with my peers.” He continued,“We’re going to play some old favorites” and told
an amusing anecdote about meeting Dave Brubeck
before going into the pianist’s “In Your Own SweetWay”, playing movingly along with Chin on thebeautiful ballad, tagging it with a reference to John
Coltrane’s “Naima”. An unaccompanied tenor solo
prefaced a tender reading of Mal Waldron’s “SoulEyes, which featured Avital. Gruff-toned tenor
introduced an uptempo version of Parker ’s“Ornithology” on which the whole band cooked withpalpable fire before they ended the show mellowly
with Jerome Kern’s “I’m Old Fashioned”.
(RM)

W H AT ’ S N E W S

backdrop and modern art shimmer with it, but it is themusic that compels the look back to lost times. Uprightbassist/vocalist Peter Maness holds a unique niche in
the city’s nightlife, one drenched in jump blues, jazzand early R&B from those years when men’s suits werecomplemented by fedoras. On this night (Aug. 7th),
the fedora-wearing leader presented selections
featuring his vocals out front and, more so, theswinging, mile-wide harmonies of pianist Thomas
Linger just to his side. Linger, an award-winning,
quickly rising jazz artist who also performs with Joe
Farnsworth, Peter Bernstein, Francisco Mela andothers, just released his first album as a leader (watch
for record-release events in November at Smalls).
As the Maness band sailed over the Gershwins’ “They
Can’t Take That Away From Me”, Linger ’s extended
solo demonstrated his artful skill to color variations
with near-Baroque tenacity. And Alex Raderman who
performs regularly with Maness but also with a Louis
Armstrong tribute ensemble, is a solid drummer
focused on the music’s pulse but his crisp, loose solos
became evident as he traded 4s with the pianist on
Richard Rodgers-Lorenz Hart’s “This Can’t Be Love”.
John Lee Hooker ’s “One Bourbon, One Scotch, One
Beer” hit Maness’ sweet spot, yet Herbie Hancock’s“Watermelon Man” (hiply played with a “Sidewinder”
vibe and including a biting Linger solo) stayed with uson the subway ride, all the way home.
(JP)

The Jazz Journalists Association will present thevirtual JazzBash Sep. 11th at 3 pm featuringperformances by many of the winners of 2022 Jazz
Journalists Awards. For more information, visit
JJAJazzAwards.org.
It has been reported that pianist Jon Batiste has
stepped down from his role as Music Director for
The Late Show with Stephen Colbert.
Roulette has announced its Resident andCommissioned Artists for the 2022-2023 season.
Year-long residences have been awarded tointerdisciplinary artist Eddy Kwon, violinist Joanna
Mattrey, saxophonist Morgan Guerin, interdisciplinary
artist Muyassar Kurdi and guitarist Wendy Eisenberg.
Commissioned artists include trumpeter Adam
O’Farrill; media-theorist, curator, and self-described“rhythmanalyst” DeForrest Brown, Jr; artist, composer,
and musician Gryphon Rue; instrumentalist,
spiritualist, and sound designer Jennifer Simone;composer and cellist Lester St. Louis; and drummer
Tomas Fujiwara. For more information, visit
roulette.org/commissions-residencies.
Jazz St. Louis has announced the appointment of
saxophonist Victor Goines as its new President andChief Executive Officer, succeeding Gene Dobbs
Bradford, who led the organization for 23 years. For
more information, visit jazzstl.org.
Submit news to ahenkin@nycjazzrecord.com

THE NEW YORK CITY JAZZ RECORD | SEPTEMBER 2022 5

COURTESY OF THE ARTISTINTERVIEW

SEAN
JONES

These valuable lessons, along with my initial decision
to devote my time equally between education andperformance, would send me on a journey to take on
more leadership roles whenever and wherever the
aforementioned spirit would lead me. So I followedthat spirit to Boston, taking on a role at the Berklee
College of Music as Chair of their Brass Department.
I LOVED my job at Berklee and the entire school sowhen that same spirit said “time to go”, I went kicking
and screaming to Peabody. But, there’s no way that
I was going to sit back and watch the oldest
conservatory in the country not have a viable jazzprogram. It just didn’t make sense. So, instead of				(CONTINUED ON PAGE 39)

by russ musto
At the relatively young age of 44, Warren, Ohio born

trumpeter Sean Jones has accomplished more in his two
decades on the international jazz scene than most musicians
can hope to achieve in a lifetime, with a resumé that includes
membership in the Gerald Wilson Orchestra and the Jazz at
Lincoln Orchestra with Wynton Marsalis and sideman
recordings with veterans Charles Fambrough, Steve Turre,
Ralph Peterson, Nancy Wilson and Dianne Reeves. Most
notably he has made a name for himself as the leader of his
own forward looking ensembles with eight well received Mack
Avenue albums, which showcase his talent as an originalcomposer. Just as importantly he has distinguished himself as
an important figure in the field of jazz education with
auspicious tenures at Berklee College and Peabody Institute.
The New York City Jazz Record: How did music firstcome into your life?
Sean Jones: Honestly, I can’t remember my life without
it. I was around church 9 days a week and 397 daysa year! One of my first memories was standing in front of
the church choir pews attempting to air conduct aninvisible choir. I was fascinated that the choir director
seemed to have music in his hands. So, I thought thatwhen he gave cues, the sound was coming from hishands. Well, I was very confused to say the least, when
the sound didn’t come out of mine when I was cueing theinvisible choir. That, in a way, began my musical curiosity.
TNYCJR: When did you begin formal studies?
SJ: I began to take “lessons” in the fifth grade. The
reason that I say “lessons” was the fact that we had
weekly group sessions with just the four trumpet
players that decided to play that particular instrument.
They weren’t nearly as serious as I was. I would makesure that I was the first one to show up for thosesessions as well as band practice in order to get the one
black Manhasset music stand that existed at the school.
In my mind, if I got that black Manhasset stand I would
surely stand out and be seen as the best. That was mynumber-one goal. And somehow it worked! My teachers
noticed that I was always early and always moving
ahead in the Ed Sueta band method book that we used,which in my view was very self-explanatory. This
prompted my sixth grade band director Jessica Turner
to spend more time with me. She actually gave me myfirst two jazz albums, Miles Davis’ Kind of Blue andTutu. Jessica was a clarinetist and loved Marcus Miller.
Lucky me, right? The moment she gave me thoserecords, my fate was sealed and I didn’t even know it.
TNYCJR: How and why did you choose the trumpet?
SJ: I wanted to play the drums first but I realized thatmy right hand and left foot didn’t agree so much.
I really chose the trumpet because it was difficult.
I noticed that most of the students wanted to playdrums, flute, saxophone and instruments with more

‘buttons’. I quickly learned that even though thetrumpet only had three buttons, it was very difficult toget sound out of those three buttons. In fact, it took me
an entire month to even be able to make a sound. Thatall said, this began my obsession with that beautiful
struggle, which is the relentless pursuit of mastering
an instrument that cannot be mastered. I vaguely
remember my grandmother mentioning that my great
great grandfather played a bugle in the Civil War orsomething like that and being somewhat intrigued.
But, really the choice was all about the challenge ofplaying the instrument that drew me to it.
TNYCJR: What were some of your first gigs?
SJ: In the early ‘90s, I performed with a group called The
Sounds of Victory out of Warren, OH. We were a group ofyoung men that were intrigued by music and its power.
We were also all very intellectual and curious youngmen. So, we hung out pretty much on a daily basis
chatting about music, spirituality and any other nerdy
things we could think of. We’re all best friends to this daywith careers ranging from the medical field to a novelist.
Those gigs happened throughout Ohio, Pennsylvania
and Michigan and we would literally bring down thehouse wherever we went. I’d say that this is where
I learned the power of spiritual connectivity throughmusic. This never left me and is a huge part of what
I attempt to communicate on stage. Not the religious sideof it but the spiritual connection that affords theaudience/congregation the ability to transcend current
circumstances. What a beautiful journey.
TNYCJR: Describe the trajectory of your career from
Ohio to New York to Pittsburgh to Boston then to
Baltimore and some highlights from each place. What
prompted your interest in music education and how
have your experiences informed your opinion of thecurrent state of jazz studies programs in this country?
SJ: My career journey can be summed up by a Jack
Kerouac quote: “The only people for me are the madones, the ones who are mad to live, mad to talk, mad tobe saved, desirous of everything at the same time, theones who never yawn or say a commonplace thing, butburn, burn, burn like fabulous yellow Roman candles
exploding like spiders across the stars.” I like to thinkof my journey as being ‘spirit-led’. Now, I have toadmit that at times some of those spirits were in liquidform. Ha! But, I’ve always done my best to courageously
and with calculated risk follow opportunity that
effected positive change not just for myself, but thecommunities that I chose to call home. Pittsburgh andOhio will always be close to my heart as they’re myfoundation. Teaching at both Duquesne University andOberlin Conservatory gave me the foundation that
I needed early on in my career. I was very fortunate tohave great mentors along the way that would offer
advice on how to navigate through higher academia.

6 SEPTEMBER 2022 | THE NEW YORK CITY JAZZ RECORDHAUGUST 30TH - SEPTEMBER 4THH

BRAD MEHLDAUSOLOHSEPTEMBER 6TH - SEPTEMBER 11THH

PETER
BERNSTEIN QUARTETSULLIVAN FORTNER – DOUG WEISS – AL FOSTERHTWO WEEKSHHSEPTEMBER 13TH - SEPTEMBER 18THH
HSEPTEMBER 20TH - SEPTEMBER 25THH

BILL CHARLAP TRIOPETER WASHINGTON – KENNY WASHINGTONHSEPTEMBER 27TH - OCTOBER 2NDH

KURT
ROSENWINKEL QUARTETAARON PARKS – ERIC REVIS – GREGORY HUTCHINSON

COMING IN OCTOBERHGERALD CLAYTONHHBILLY HARTH
HFRED HERSCHHHRAVI COLTRANEHSABATO VISCONTI / COURTESY OF THE ARTISTARTIST FEATU RE

DAVID
SANFORDby george grella

O ne thing that is very, very cool about the composerDavid Sanford is that last year ’s album, A Prayer For
Lester Bowie (Greenleaf Music), and his recompositionof Ornette Coleman’s “Chronology” for the Shape of
Jazz to Come reimagining at the Long Play 2022 festival
this spring show an artist with a command of theexciting balance between form and freedom. And his
new piano piece, La Pulga Variations, for Nadia
Shpachenko’s project commissioning pieces aroundthe theme of soccer, presents a composer who can write
tonal counterpoint in the structures of Western classicalmusic. On the one hand, jazz, swing, improvisation,and on the other, 21st Century baroque-ish-ness.
Even cooler is Sanford’s context, the world heis not just part of but creating. Some 60 years after
Gunther Schuller coined the term “Third Stream” there
are a select few musicians—Tyshawn Sorey is anotherprominent name—who make exceptional modern jazzand also compose exceptional music in an entirely
non-jazz idiom and, crucially, don’t bank heavily on
improvisational strategies in either area.
This is a matter of skill, knowledge, and inclination.
Sanford uses the word “control”, the types ofdecisions a composer makes with their materials andhow they communicate (notate) information tomusicians. He uses another sports metaphor, basketball
this time: “I liked the idea of having a big band andallowing other people to play, I like to think of in thesame way of Magic Johnson…he had guys who hepassed to, so it’s kind of like I’m facilitating otherpeople’s enjoyment. I know, some people don’t likeplaying in big bands because somebody else iscontrolling the temporal aspects. And then, evenworse, with me, I tend to like having them having tofight against the scenery!”He adds that, “I’m projecting [that] I would love
to be able to play this.” Mentioning a famous trumpet
player, he points out that musician writes a lot of musicin the style they play, in one way to showcase their own
ability. Sanford used to play trombone, but admits hecouldn’t master the range to be a top-flight performer.
But he takes what is in his head and gives it to othermusicians via composing. “As far as where jazz goes,”
he says, “I’ve always liked big orchestral textures.”
He connects using a large ensemble to all kinds ofcomposing: “With a big band I’m walking that line as
far as a ‘classical’ aspect.” But improvisation is where
he draws the line for himself. “That part of it I’ve neverworked with,” he explains, “I’m aware that people doand people make it work, you know, other than here’s
a box with a bunch of pitches and play these or graphic
scores and things that work. But my own composing,even within jazz, I tend to always kind of want certain
things to be really well controlled.”
Control of one’s materials is a virtue for any
composer, but being adept in more than one formal
and structural—not to mention stylistic—idiom is still
rare. Sanford describes playing trombone and working
out how to write big band charts when he was a

For more information, visit davidsanford.org. Sanford is at New
School Stiefel Hall Sep. 10th as part of FONT. See Calendar.
Recommended Listening:• Meridian Arts Ensemble–Brink (Channel, 2005)• David Sanford & The Pittsburgh Collective(featuring Matt Haimovitz)–Live at the Knitting
Factory (Oxingale, 2005)• Matt Haimovitz and Uccello–
Meeting of the Spirits (Oxingale, 2010)• Meridian Arts Ensemble–Seven Kings (Innova, 2011)• David Sanford–Black Noise (BMOP Sound, 2011/2017)• David Sanford Big Band (featuring Hugh Ragin)–
A Prayer For Lester Bowie (Greenleaf Music, 2016)

BAR BAYEUXCOCKTAILS, WINE, CRAFT BEER,
1066 NOSTRAND AVENUE - BARBAYEUX.COM

teenager. He went to the University of Northern
Colorado as an undergrad, a place with a jazz programand several big bands, but few opportunities to explore
classical ensembles, but that desire was there. “Bigband [music] was my first. That’s what made me want
to be a composer. I wrote my first piece before I knew
how to write chords.” In a fascinating throwback to the19th Century, Sanford describes how his exposure toclassical music came through “transcriptions of what
drum corps were doing”, which is how he first heard
Stravinsky’s Firebird and Shostakovich, through“a wonderful transcription of Symphony no. 10.”
As an undergrad, the music was mainly jazz at aplace with six big bands. Studying music meantlistening to “George Crumb’s Ancient Voices of Children
and Bartók’s String Quartet No. 4 and I was certainly
impressed by orchestral music, Mahler, The Planets, The
Rite of Spring, but I didn’t write anything for an
orchestra until much later. I was writing woodwind
quintets, thinking of a brass quintet.” His graduate
studies brought him to the New England Conservatoryof Music and then Princeton. At New England,
he studied with Arthur Berger: “That’s when I started
writing 12-tone music…I still wanted to write forsaxophones.” He points out, though, that “it took
a long time,” working through getting his PhD. “2003was really when I got back to classical music.”
The talk moves to generations, how through theyears dogmatism about both what is proper in classicalcomposition and in jazz has fallen away. No jazzmusician or composer has to prove anything through12-tone music in the 21st Century and personal values
have come to the fore. Sanford loves to hear a big bandswing and he loves to hear late 19th Century orchestralmusic and the two are separate but complementary.
“I think it’s surprising how many people my age andyounger will say that, I was forced to write this way ingraduate school. And I when I was an undergraduate
I was writing big band charts and I sort of knew that
we didn’t have a jazz composition major. So if you
brought one to the big band and they didn’t want
to play it, which usually happened, then you just went
back to the drawing board, but no one was saying,‘Oh, my gosh, why are you doing that?’ I have acolleague who’s slightly younger, he was writing
minimalist music…teachers said to him, ‘what are you
doing? That’s not music.’ And I was surprised.
I thought, well, you know, I will do other stuff besides
what they know. We’d already taken theory, no parallel
fifths and all that. Why?
“Now,” he continues, “I feel like you couldn’t
name a jazz composer who hasn’t written for someclassical ensemble, probably because every classicalensemble says, wow, hey, I want to hear that person.
You know? So, I think that’s part of what Schuller did
say, that Third Stream didn’t have to satisfy the formal
complexity of European music and didn’t have toswing from jazz. I’d like to think that I’m stretching,but I generally like things to swing, I have to say.” v

Tuesdays: 8 pm-12 am
Jam Session with Diego Voglino
Wednesdays: 8 & 9:30 pm
Mareike Wiening CD Release (Sep. 7th)
EJ Strickland Quartet (Sep. 14th)
Jerome Sabbagh/Melissa Aldana Quartet (Sep. 21st)
Ohad Talmor Quartet (Sep. 28th)
Thursdays: 8 & 9:30 pm
Adam Kolker/Jeremy Stratton with guests
Sasha Dobson & Billy Mintz (Sep. 8th) | Jason Rigby (Sep. 15th)
Carlo Moreno & George Schuller (Sep. 22nd)
Gary Versace & Anthony Pinciotti (Sep. 25th)
5 - 7 pm Happy Hour with Marta Sanchez
Fridays: 8 & 9:30 pm
Gil & Ansy Defay (Sep. 9th) | Lafayette Harris (Sep. 16th)
Marianne Solivan (Sep. 23rd) | David Berkman (Sep. 30th)
Saturdays: 8 & 9:30 pm
Rob Garcia (Sep. 10th)
Dan Weiss, Immanuel Wilkins, Thomas Morgan (Sep. 17th)
Elsa Nilsson (Sep. 24th)
6 - 7:30 pm Adam Kolker Duo Series

THE NEW YORK CITY JAZZ RECORD | SEPTEMBER 2022 7

SHAWN MICHAEL JONES / COURTESY OF NONESUCH

ON THE COVER

CÉCILE McLORIN SALVANTTHE PLANTER AND THE SEED

by jordannah elizabeth

I t is nothing less than a profound comfort to live withthe awareness that as the centuries fall away andmodernity reinvents itself time and time again, no
matter the day or the hour, there will always bea timeless voice that manifests and offers the world
another season of unique genius.
The word “genius” should never be thrownaround lightly, but jazz vocalist Cécile McLorin
Salvant has proven since her 2009-10 debut album
with the Jean-François Bonnel Paris Quintet that“genius” is not pinned to the lapel of her garments,
but pierced through her skin and uneasily removed.
Salvant has reimagined jazz standards and createdoriginal music by imbuing her vocal style with all themusic she encountered in her early life: Baroque,Vaudeville, blues, folk, soul, jazz and more.
Everything she was exposed to, beginning withclassical piano lessons at age five and thenparticipation in choruses a few years later, gave her
a foundation that would go on to define her
future excellence.
“Talking about one’s own maturation is very
difficult. I would have to see myself from the outside
to measure it. I don’t see it as growth or advancement.
I see it more as acceptance,” says Salvant. In regard toher accomplishments, acceptance is a humble
understatement for a four-time nominated, three-time
Grammy winner for Best Jazz Vocal Album, two-timewinner of Jazz Album of the Year from DownBeat andBest Vocal Album from the NPR Music Jazz Critics
Poll and, most notably, being one of the 2020
MacArthur “Genius Grant” recipients. Salvant’s
success doesn’t look or feel like domination. Hermusic is on such a high level, so far above the bar, thatshe gives no option but to honor her.
It has been over a decade since Salvant received
first prize at the Thelonious Monk International Jazz
Competition, part of which included a record deal
with Mack Avenue, which released a majority of her
catalogue: WomanChild (2012), From One To Love(2015), Dreams And Daggers (2016) and The Window(2018). Having a home for her music gave McLorin
Salvant consistency and a steady process of unfolding
her stories, her voice, her brilliance and musicality.
“I never pressure myself to create great work,”says Salvant. “I have no expectation of greatness; thisis key for me. Otherwise, I would be paralyzed andnot make anything. Everything I make I see as an
essay, as trying something, enjoying the processof making it, and then letting it go withoutlooking back.”
With her ability to select evocative songs that tellan array of humanistic stories and several different
forms of emotional circumstances, listeners are neverthinking of just her. She pivots the stories back tothem and you spend your time thinking of what she issinging about, not who or how. The how is whatdraws one in to keep listening, but her selections ofstandards and unmined songs of the Baroque era andbeyond create the full package of sophistication andthoughtfulness. She has reimagined standards andtraditional songs like “Devil May Care”, “JohnHenry”, “What a Little Moonlight Can Do”, “BabyHave Pity on Me” and “I Didn’t Know What Time It
Was” in ways that invigorate and innovate.
“The different ways I look at these ideas arethrough the songs,” Salvant says. “Each song to me isan examination of the different aspects of what itmeans to want something that isn’t there, somethingthat is possibly unattainable. My memories are
beautiful and I cherish them.”
She has deep admiration for forebear singers like
Sarah Vaughan, Betty Carter and Billie Holiday. She
takes the virtuosic groundwork of these voices andcreates landscapes that transcend generations, adding
components of Broadway and classical music. Raisedin Miami, her entry into serious jazz study began in
her late teens in 2007 at the Darius Milhaud
Conservatory in Provence, France and continued with
exploration of music composition and theory at The
New School in New York City. Her mother, who is
French, gave her the ability to approach her music ina globalist European lens along with the diverse
elements she gleaned over time.
“I compose some of the music I perform,” Salvant
says. “In fact, most of my compositions have built-in
arrangements. I also have bandmates, like [pianists]
Sullivan Fortner and Aaron Diehl, [bassist] Paul
Sikivie, arrange songs for me. I don’t give muchdirection, I like for it to be completely collaborativeand see what they do with the song I suggest. We also
work things out on the road. As we play, the songs
change and turn into something else completely.”
Her collaborative style is embedded with thosemusicians who understand her vision, artistic
personality and needs. The effortlessness of her soundis matched by her earthy awareness and execution.
She is not a wordy person when it comes to explaining
how she creates such unique music. She projects
sublimity without overthinking. Her sound is in her
spirit, in her body and mind. Those near her tap into
her sonic projections and her previous works lay thegroundwork for the future.
“I don’t understand the state of jazz, I don’t knowwhat jazz is! I would like to see more people breakout of their niches and cliques and embracecontradictory things in their music,” Salvant says. I
would like to hear more ragtime played by electronic
instruments, I would like to hear a wider variety of
instruments being played, including early and ancient
instruments, and I would like to hear what happens
when people sacrifice being impressive in order toreveal their paradoxes. I want more wackiness,humor, simplicity.”
The 32-year-old singer is also inspired by myriad
pieces of literature. The opening track of her mostrecent album Ghost Song (Nonesuch) is entitled“Wuthering Heights” after the 1847 novel by Emily
Brontë. She appreciates many different writers.
“Emily Dickinson is an inspiration in life! I love her
poems even when I can’t understand them.”
Ghost Song is a powerful album, featuring more

8 SEPTEMBER 2022 | THE NEW YORK CITY JAZZ RECORD

original music than her past releases. The touchingsadness, the symbolic theme of working with theinvisible and what has gone, no longer able to beseen, makes the album slightly eerie as a remembranceof loss. And in the reality of the making of the album,
no one would know that she had to encounter postmodern delays. “I worked with multiple bands on
Ghost Song,” Salvant sats. “It was really fun andstrange since it was the beginning of the pandemic, so
for some of it we had to be isolated.”
The album does not reflect the isolation she andher band experienced. This body of work is a forwardmoving continuation of her merging of a simplistic,
atmospheric sound. She doesn’t attribute to herself
any specific genre though the jazz world has given
her the deep accolades of access to move forward.
“My fascination is with the imagination, the world ofimages, and what we do as creative beings when weare confronted with absence.”
Though Salvant’s music has a prepared practice,
to listeners and critics her music is unpredictable.
With such breadth of knowledge, no one can truly
know what new sounds she is going to concoct. This
makes her albums exciting. She always does
something surprising with her voice or sings arendition of a song in a such a way that the listener isunable to resist what has never been done before.
As a new or casual listener, the only advice thatcan be given is to pay homage to her gifts. Salvant
will be remembered as an artist creating new sounds
for many years to come. As her youth drifts away andshe journeys through mid-life and seniority, she issure to offer more and more. Salvant will inspire those
who will grow up listening to her music. She will
have singers who come after her heavily influenced
by her sound and eager to create new worlds andsounds that sit outside of genre, that sit outside ofwhat has been done.
Cécile McLorin Salvant is both a a planter and aseed and it is going to be wonderful to hear what will
come next. “My plan is to follow my intuition!,” shesays. “We’re finishing up a new album, and I’mstarting to think about the one after that.” v
For more information, visit cecilemclorinsalvant.com.
McLorin Salvant is at Blue Note Sep. 20th-25th. See
Calendar.
Recommended Listening:• Cécile McLorin Salvant (with Jean-Francois Bonnel
Quintet)–Cécile (Agate, 2009-10)• Cécile McLorin Salvant–WomanChild(Mack Avenue, 2012)• Cécile McLorin Salvant–From One To Love
(Mack Avenue, 2015)• Cécile McLorin Salvant–Dreams And Daggers(Mack Avenue, 2016)• Cécile McLorin Salvant–The Window(Mack Avenue, 2018)• Cécile McLorin Salvant–Ghost Song
(Nonesuch/Warner Music Group, 2021)

nov 8 – 20

Christian
McBrideMaria
Schneider
Fantasia
BarrinoIssac Alain
Delgado Perez

Nikki
Giovanni
Represent! A Night of Jazz,
Hip Hop and Spoken Wordfeaturing Christian McBride,
Rakim, Nikki Giovanni and more

Terence Blanchard
Thu, Nov 10 @ 7:30PM
GRAMMY®-winning jazz trumpeter
and composer Terence Blanchard
is joined by The E-Collective andTurtle Island Quartet.
Fantasia Barrino& Jazzmeia HornThu, Nov 10 @ 8PM
A night of powerhouse vocals with
GRAMMY® winner Fantasia Barrino(American Idol) and Sassy Awardwinner Jazzmeia Horn.
Dee Dee Bridgewater& Savion Glover
Interpretations
Sat, Nov 12 @ 3 & 7:30PM
Icons Dee Dee Bridgewater andSavion Glover come together for an
evening of jazz, dance and improvisation
like you’ve never seen before.
Yellowjackets
Sun, Nov 13 @ 7PM
Get in the jazz-fusion groove
with Yellowjackets’ sophisticatedarrangements, tight rhythms andexpansive improvisations.

Rakim

Terence
Blanchard

Trouble No More
Performing the iconic album
Eat a Peachfeaturing special guest DumpstaphunkSun, Nov 13 @ 7PM
The Allman Brothers Band’s Eat a Peach
will be performed in its entirety by theincredible musicians of Trouble No More.

Maria Schneider Orchestra
Sat, Nov 19 @ 3 & 7:30PM
NEA Jazz Master, GRAMMY® winnerand acclaimed composer/bandleader
Maria Schneider returns to NJPAC.

Carolyn Dorfman Dance
Jazz Legends and the Power of NOW!
Nov 16 @ 7:30PM
Carolyn Dorfman Dance premieres
Jazz Legends and the Power of NOW!,
with a live jazz performance byRegina Carter.

Represent! A Night of Jazz,
Hip Hop and Spoken Word
with Rakim, Speech, Chuck D,
Sonia Sanchez, Nikki Giovanni,
Mayor Ras Baraka, The Last Poets,Javon Jackson, andChristian McBride Situation
Sat, Nov 19 @ 8PM
For one unmissable night, NJPAC unites theleading voices in jazz, hip hop and poetry.

Issac Delgado & Alain Perez
Fri, Nov 18 @ 8PM
The GRAMMY®-winning duo
Issac Delgado and Alain Perez
perform their dazzling style of salsa
and Cuban jazz.

Dorthaan’s Place:
Vanessa Rubin Trio
Sun, Nov 20 @ 11:30AM & 1PM
Join us for Dorthaan’s Place, the legendary
jazz brunch series at NICO Kitchen + Bar —starring vocalist Vanessa Rubin.

NJMEA All-State Jazz Band and NJMEAAll-State Jazz Choir
Fri, Nov 18 @ 7PM
Hear the next generation of jazzartists as NJMEA Jazz Band andJazz Choir perform with special
guest Christian McBride.

Sarah Vaughan International
Jazz Vocal Competition
Sun, Nov 20 @ 3PM
Hear the next generation of powerhousejazz vocalists at “The Sassy Awards,”
honoring the legacy of Sarah Vaughan.

Buy tickets today at njpac.org or call 1.888.MY.NJPAC! • For full jazz lineup visit njpac.org/jazz
New Jersey Performing Arts Center • One Center Street • Newark, NJ

JEN ROSENSTEIN / BLUE NOTEENCORERONNIEFOSTERby matty bannondBlue Note albums circulated at high speed in Ronnie

Foster ’s community in the ‘60s. When somebody in
Buffalo had the latest release revolving on theirturntable, they made a lot of new friends quickly. Those
initial experiences of the iconic label set the young
man’s head spinning. In 1972, Blue Note released
Foster ’s debut album Two Headed Freap. Half a century
later, the Hammond organ player is now returning to
the label with a new record, Reboot. It is bursting withthe spirit of a man whose life in music has come fullcircle. But in truth, Foster ’s return to Blue Note hastaken a labyrinthine route.
Foster made his first ever appearance for Blue
Note in 1970, on the Grant Green album Alive!.
A couple of years earlier, the two had met when Foster
was a member of the Billy Wooten Trio and opened forGreen in Indianapolis. They chatted, snapped a photoand went their separate ways. “Then I was staying inHarlem and one day I got a knock on the door andit was Grant Green,” Foster says. “To this day, I don’tknow how he found me. But the rest is history.”
Green took Foster on tour, holding back a few
dollars from the younger man’s wages to make sure hehad savings on which to fall back. After hearing therecording session for Alive!, Blue Note executive
Francis Wolff then offered Foster a contract. But Wolff
died before the paperwork was final.
Dr. George Butler took over and Foster hastily
informed the new Blue Note head honcho about his
verbal agreement with Wolff. Butler flew to Detroit tohear him play, then signed on the dotted line. “Evento this day, I believe everything happens for a reason,”
Foster says. “I was just thinking positive and one path
led to another. My five Blue Note albums are the solid
foundation of my recording career. It could have beena different story.”
Foster ’s 2022 comeback on Blue Note is dedicatedto his Hammond organ hero Dr. Lonnie Smith, who
passed away last year. The musicians both grew up in

Buffalo and formed a strong friendship. When Smith
left George Benson’s band to pursue solo projects,
15-year-old Foster stepped in to play weekend gigs
while still attending high school. In 1976, he joined
Benson to record the triple-platinum LP Breezin’ inStudio A at Capitol in Hollywood. In another exampleof Foster ’s uncanny musical destiny, Reboot wasrecorded right next door in Studio B.
Benson and Foster met when the guitarist arrived
one night early for a gig in Buffalo, determined to catcha performance by Jimmy Smith. Foster had taken a few
informal lessons with Smith after tracking him down
two years earlier to ask for guidance. Backstage at theshow, Smith introduced his young protégé to Benson.
“My relationship with Jimmy Smith changed my life ina lot of different ways,” Foster says. “Remember when
I spoke about things happening for a reason?”
Reboot is chock-full of tracks that explore lifechanging connections from Foster ’s five decades inmusic. The fiery and filthy “Carlos” is inspired by rocklegend Carlos Santana, one of Foster ’s close compadres.
“Isn’t She Lovely” is a shuffling take on the classic
song by Foster ’s best friend Stevie Wonder. Foster
appeared on his pal’s 1976 hit album Songs in the Key ofLife while Wonder played drums on songs from
Foster ’s two Columbia albums Love Satellite (1978) and
Delight (1979).
This Blue Note homecoming is also a family affair.
Son Chris features on four tracks as a drummer.
Daughter Kaylie shot photos in the studio and designed
the album cover, even integrating a secret code into theartwork. “The kids grew up around music, so they
couldn’t help being exposed to that,” Foster says.
“Everybody used to be like a garage band, foolingaround…it warms my heart.”Three songs on Reboot feature Latin rhythms,
perhaps reflecting the four years Foster spent in Brazil
working as a producer. “Sultry Song II” is an update ofa Foster composition that appears on flutist Nestor
Torres’ 1991 album Dance of the Phoenix, which Foster
produced. It is a stormy track, with long chordshanging like purple clouds. Foster attacks his solo
hard, displaying his 30-year familiarity with the song.
The title track is infused with a rock-solid beat,vampy chord patterns and crystalline high notes. The
overall effect is reminiscent of Herbie Hancock’s
Headhunters. “I met Herbie when I was 13,” Foster says.
“I used to sneak into this club in Buffalo and the owner
would tell me to stay in the corner and not let anyone

see me. So I met all the greats.”
Reboot reveals significant evidence of Foster ’s
after-hours excursions as a youngster. “Swingin’” skips
along a little faster than the majority of the album,
for example. Passions boil over and solos take greater
liberties with each cycle of the 12-bar chord progression.
The uptempo R&B track “Hey Good Lookin’ Woman”
is a further indication of Foster ’s early immersion in
his local music scene, with its call-and-response chorus
and passage of vocal scatting. Foster employs his
singing skills here, although the clean and youthfulvoice could easily belong to a club-going teenager.
“After Conversation with Nadia” is the final track
and produces an unexpected aftertaste. Listeners who
associate Foster with funk and acid jazz may besurprised to discover this alkaline piano piece,
unfurling slowly with harmonic twists and turns.
Foster displays his masterful keywork, with inventive
phrasing and unpredictable shifts of direction. “I wasraised by my grandfather and there was an upright
piano in the house so I would goof around,” Foster
says. “There was a lot of blues and jazz around and
I was like a sponge. I’m self-taught. I just sat down
and played.”
It is strikingly apt for Foster ’s latest record toconclude by linking back to his first ever musicalmoments. Reboot is an album overflowing withsentiment, without ever tipping over into sugary
nostalgia. Foster has put together nine tracks that
express his deep affection for music and thepeople it has brought into his life.
The past 50 years have taken the organ player on ajourney marked by quirks of fate and flashes oftransformational serendipity. And with this return toBlue Note, Foster shows that deeper grooves are
opening up with each revolution on life’s turntable. v

condition and translate it into the jazz language.
Born on Jul. 11th, 1942 in Rzeszów, Stańko grew up
under the thumb of the Soviet regime, where art was
heavily controlled by the government. He first heard
jazz through broadcaster Willis Conover ’s Voice ofAmerica, a show that helped keep jazz alive in Eastern
Europe. During this time Stańko saw Dave Brubeck in
1958 on a U.S. State Department-sponsored tour andlater recalled in a 2006 profile for The New York Times,“The message was freedom.” This acted as the callingcard for Stańko to use jazz as an instrument of creativeand political immunity.
In 1962, Stańko started the group Jazz Darings,
which had saxophonist Janusz Muniak, pianist Adam
Makowicz, bassist Jacek Ostaszewski and drummer
Wiktor Perelmuter. The group helped to ignite the freejazz scene in Europe. In the early ‘60s, Stańko began toperform with pianist/composer Krzysztof Komeda
and was featured on his seminal 1965 album Astigmatic.
Stańko exhibits a canorous tone, which brilliantly plays
off of the forceful performance of Komeda. The album
is considered to be a classic of Polish jazz.
In 1970, Stańko released his first album, Music for K(Polskie Nagrania Muza) and, in the same year, joined

the Globe Unity Orchestra, the lineup of which has
included everyone from saxophonists Peter Brötzmann
and Evan Parker to trumpeter Kenny Wheeler and bass
clarinetist Gunter Hampel, to name a few. The
following year, Stańko was a member of trumpeter
Don Cherry’s New Eternal Rhythm Orchestra for thelive recording Actions.
Stańko’s introduction to international jazz was in1975 when he signed to ECM Records and released
Balladyna, a quartet date with compatriot tenor/
soprano saxophonist Tomasz Szukalski, British bassist
Dave Holland and Finnish drummer Edward Vesala.
The album is an excellent example of his use of space,
never clouding the environment with a ton of notes.
This is especially true on “Duet”, which features justStańko and Holland’s loose timbres weaving in and outof each other.
The ‘80s saw Stańko experimenting with several
different sonic palettes. His album Freelectronic
incorporated synthesizers and other electronicelements into the jazz ensemble. In the ‘90s Stańko
resumed his association with ECM, releasing several
acclaimed albums into the new millennium.
					(CONTINUED ON PAGE 39)

For
more
ronnie-foster

information,

visit

bluenote.com/artist/

Recommended Listening:• Grant Green–Alive! (Blue Note, 1970)• Ronnie Foster–Two Headed Freap(Blue Note, 1972)• Ronnie Foster–Sweet Revival (Blue Note, 1972)• Ronnie Foster–On The Avenue (Blue Note 1974)• George Benson–In Concert-Carnegie Hall
(CTI, 1975)• Ronnie Foster–Reboot (Blue Note, 2022)

TOMASZSTANKOby eric wendell‘

CHRISTOPHER TRIBBLE / ECM

LEST WE FORGET

J azz is a music of freedom, a language supporting
collaboration while cutting through political dogma.
In concert with the inherent spirit of collaboration,
jazz sustains itself through the individuals who hearits calling. The late trumpeter Tomasz Stańko was born
into a world that required the young mind to thinkbeyond political discourse and take charge of his
creative voice.
Heavily associated with the avant garde and freejazz movements, Stańko had a tone that was moreruminative and introspective than his peers. Stańko
was subtle and tender and took time to examine sonicenvironments. From his beginnings in Poland to his
late offerings, Stańko was keen to interpret the human

10 SEPTEMBER 2022 | THE NEW YORK CITY JAZZ RECORD

L ABEL SPOTLIGHT

PHONOGRAM
UNIT
by stuart broomer
Over the past two decades, Portuguese free jazz has

moved at a rapid pace, developing a strong presence athome and spreading to other parts of Europe. It isevident in the expanding international collaborations
and presence of more and more Portuguese musicians
like Gonçalo Almeida, Rodrigo Amado, Susana Santos
Silva and the collective Red Trio. Two of Europe’s mostactive record labels, each launched in 2001, reside in
Lisbon: Pedro Costa’s Clean Feed on the jazz front andErnesto Rodrigues’ Creative Sources emphasizing free
improvisation. Further indication of the scene’s vitality
is Phonogram Unit, a musicians’ imprint, which, in its
first two years, has released just ten CDs, but with an
improbable number of masterpieces among them.
Among the label’s founders are two members of
Red Trio, pianist Rodrigo Pinheiro and bassist Hernâni
Faustino, musicians whose credentials include
collaborative recordings with Lotte Anker, John
Butcher and Nate Wooley. Pinheiro describes thelabel’s beginnings: “Phonogram Unit was founded asa collective by Jorge Nuno, José Lencastre, Hernâni
Faustino, Vasco Furtado and me. Many years ago,Hernâni, Jorge and I talked about the idea of creatinga new record label, but the project was left in standby
mode for many years. Two years ago, the idea finallycame to life with this new collective. All members arelocated in Lisbon, except Vasco Furtado, who is basedin Cologne, Germany. All of us share the same musical

Vento
Lencastre/Faustino/Furtado

Twelve Bass Tunes
Hernâni Faustino

interests in free improvisation, free jazz andexperimental music.”
The defining element in the label’s first ten releases
may simply be quality, but there are other characteristics
that emerge with a certain immersion. Vasco Furtado’s
recent Aforismos, the drummer ’s trio with Germanmusicians Salome Amend (vibraphone) and Luise
Volkmann (alto saxophone), represents a very different
milieu from the other releases. Yet the style,a minimalism that somehow feels simultaneously
atmospheric, abstract and intimate, has a strange
kinship of mood with Habitation by the No Nation Trio,from the label’s first batch, a trio of guitarist Jorge
Nuno, Faustino and drummer João Valinho, whichfeels strangely like folk music played by a forest itself,
as if the wood of acoustic guitar, bass and drums werestill connected to the originating trees. Each is musicalcommunication so intimate that it moves to anotherlevel, the molecular.
Nuno and Valinho have created both the subtlest
and the noisiest recordings the label has released thus
far. At the opposite extreme from Habitation is 290421
with the trio completed by Luis Guerreiro on trumpet
and electronics. The wall of noise leavens for momentsof brutalist melody to emerge and there is enoughcoherent shaping to share in the label’s serious
musicality. The title, which names the CD’s single
44-minute track, could be a contemporary date code,a random number or a speculative year far in the
future, every reading resisting further identification.
Faustino, who must have the distinction of being
Portugal’s busiest improvising musician, appearing
regularly with every other musician of distinction in
the field, comes to the foreground on Twelve Bass Tunes.

Thoughts Are Things
José Lencastre Nau Quartet + Pedro Carneiro

He brings a special depth to the program, often
focusing on profound reflections in his instrument’s
resonant lower register, whether playing pizzicato or
bowing dense and shifting multiple tones.
That lyricism is close to a certain neo-classicalimpulse apparent in some of the recordings, most notably
those with the presence of Pedro Carneiro, a classicalconductor and master percussionist who entered theimprovisers realm about a decade ago in the company ofviolinist Carlos Zingaro, father figure to Lisboan freemusic. It is evident in Carneiro’s duo recording with
Pinheiro, Kinetic Etudes, in which the levels of precisionand complexity result in improvisations that could only
have sprung from the deliberations and intensive
rehearsal of a composer and two virtuosi, respectively. Its
spontaneity, however, gives it further dimension, as do
the resonant bass register and the quarter-tone extension
of Carneiro’s vast marimba. Thoughts Are Things by
Lencastre’s Nau Quartet + Pedro Carneiro places themarimba master in another context, a quintet that creates
its own genre in which the leader’s post Albert Aylerlyricism on tenor saxophone combines with the group’s
artfully abstract support.
Three of the label’s founders—Lencastre,
concentrating on alto saxophone, Faustino, playing
acoustic or electric bass and Furtado—have produced
two trio recordings, the inaugural Vento and the recent
Forces in Motion. Both are characterized by spareinteractivity and light, fleet, speech-like familiarity.
Lencastre also leads another triumph of the subtly
beautiful Common Ground by a quintet with Zingaro,bassist Gonçalo Almeida, pianist Clara Lai anddrummer João Sousa.
					(CONTINUED ON PAGE 39)

Kinetic Études
Rodrigo Pinheiro/Pedro Carneiro

Inter.Independence
Hyper.Object

VOXNEWS

MAJOR
SPINS
by suzanne lorge
This month Samara Joy makes her Verve Records

debut with Linger Awhile, joining the likes of Ella
Fitzgerald, Billie Holiday, Nina Simone, Shirley Hornand Abbey Lincoln on the label’s distinguished rosterof singers. Verve represents other great jazz vocalists
like Diana Krall, Harry Connick Jr., Seth MacFarlane
and Jon Batiste but as a singer, Joy keeps to tradition
more than these popular Verve voices do, favoring
fluid scats and subtle phrasings that belie her 22 years.
Notably, Joy only started singing jazz six years ago.
Then, three years in, she took first place at the Sarah
Vaughan Vocal Competition while still a vocal jazz
student at SUNY Purchase. One of the prizes for thatyear ’s win was a slot at the prestigious Newport Jazz
Festival in 2020, the year the pandemic leveled concerts
everywhere. Rescheduled for this year ’s Festival, Joy
displayed a newfound sophistication as she crossedthat auspicious career benchmark. She now boasts animpressively wide listener base that reaches from
TikTok to The Morning Show to global stages. The newalbum, out as of Sep. 16th, follows quickly after her
eponymous debut last year on Whirlwind. As with thatalbum, Joy digs into the Songbook on Linger Awhile,

though with a more discerning eye for the unfamiliar,
such as Ronnell Bright’s “Sweet Pumpkin” and Frank
Loesser ’s “Can’t Get Out Of This Mood”. The album’s
pre-release promo includes music videos for these twotitles, quick intros to Joy’s irresistible way with a tune.
But to hear her live, visit Blue Note (Sep. 12th or 26th),
the New York dates for her international tour this fall.
The recently formed trio SONICA—singer/
instrumentalists Julia Adamy, Thana Alexa and Nicole
Zuraitis—offer uplift and encouragement on theireponymous debut. Fully engineered by Alexa, Sonica(Outside In Music) comprises seven tracks written or
arranged either by individual members or incooperation. The artists integrate intriguing soniceffects, rhythmic feels and several musical languages;
the through-line is expert lead vocals and tight,
tripartite choral sections. Note Alexa’s gospel turns on
Adamy’s arrangement of “Love’s In Need Of Love
Today”, Zuraitis’ mournful lyrics on her original“Come A Long Way” and the impactful fusion ofvoiced beats, soaring harmonies, electronica andspoken word (from abolitionist Sojourner Truth’s 1851
speech “Ain’t I A Woman”) on album showpiece“Doyenne”. The associated video for the latter—three
young dancers in improvised movement—drives homethe message of female empowerment through positive
collaboration. SONICA’s “Doyenne” also appears on
Warner Music’s SHIFT (Bad Hombre, Vol. II), drummer
Antonio Sánchez’ sequel to his Grammy-nominatedalbum Bad Hombre (CAM Jazz). Sánchez, who ismarried to Alexa, also sings on his new album in
addition to playing drums, guitar, bass, mandolin andoud. The multi-faceted composer, with no shortage oftalent at his disposal, also pulled several prominentco-creators into the project, among them Dave
Matthews, Pat Metheny and Nine Inch Nails’ Trent
Reznor and Atticus Ross. But the compositional focus,
according to Sánchez, is the equal weighting of vocals
and drums. To facilitate this end he invited several
other singer-songwriters from around the world tocontribute, including Meshell Ndegeocello, Lila
Downs, Kimbra, Ana Tijoux, Becca Stevens, Silvana
Estrada and MARO. You can hear how he strikes thisbalance in the pre-launch video for the rock track“I Think We’re Past That Now”, with Reznor and Ross,a declaration of freedom from social oppression and astrong corollary to Sánchez’ earlier work.
Beyond the studio: basking in the success of her
Nonesuch debut, Ghost Song, earlier this year, Cécile
McLorin Salvant will play Blue Note (Sep. 20th-25th).
Catherine Russell, celebrating her April 2022 releaseon Dot Time Records, Send For Me, headlines
Dizzy’s Club (Sep. 29th-Oct. 2nd). And The Jazz
Journalists Association will honor its 2022 award
winners with an online interactive “JazzBash”(Sep. 11th); singers Sheila Jordan, Kurt Elling and thetrio Duchess have all accepted the JJA’s invite toappear at the virtual event. v

THE NEW YORK CITY JAZZ RECORD | SEPTEMBER 2022 11

IN MEMORIAMJÖRG BECKER (Jul. 8th, 1950 - Jul. 5th,2022) The German photographer ’s workfrom the late ‘60s well into the newmillennium was found in releases from
MPS, MJQK, ECM, ACT Music,
Finetone, Jazzhaus, Birth and otherlabels. Becker died Jul. 5th at 71.
SONNY BURKE (1945 - Jul. 4th, 2022)
The keyboard player was active since
the early ‘70s with George Freeman,
Robin Kenyatta, Stanley Turrentine,
Sonny Criss, Johnny Hammond, John
Handy, Nancy Wilson, Dizzy Gillespie,
Blue Mitchell, Stan Getz, Narada
Michael Walden and Norman Connors, plus dozens ofpop, rock and soul artists. Burke died Jul. 4th at ~77.
VINCENT DEROSA (Oct. 5th, 1920 Jul. 18th, 2022) The French horn player
has the most recording credits on his
instrument in a career that started in the‘40s with Harry James, continued withPete Rugolo and Marty Paich andincluded dates with Red Callender,
Shelly Manne, Carmen McRae, Paul Horn, Lennie
Niehaus, Stan Kenton, Art Pepper, Ella Fitzgerald, Cal
Tjader, Bill Holman, Neal Hefti, Clare Fischer, Sarah
Vaughan, Horace Silver, Oliver Nelson, Chuck
Mangione, Sonny Criss, Pharoah Sanders, Les McCann,
Stanley Clarke, Sammy Nestico, Freddie Hubbard,
Louie Bellson, Doc Severinsen, Miles Davis, Arturo
Sandoval and many others. DeRosa died Jul. 18th at 101.
MICHAEL HENDERSON (Jul. 7th,
1951 - Jul. 19th, 2022) The bassist was a
triple threat: a player amassing credits
with Miles Davis (notably early ‘70s
recordings like Live-Evil, Jack Johnson,
On The Corner and Black Beauty andthen, later in the decade, Agharta andPangaea), Gary Bartz, Norman Connors, Reggie Lucas;
a leader with several mid ‘70s-early ‘80s releases for
Buddah; and a songwriter/producer for numerous
pop, rock and soul acts. Henderson died Jul. 19th at 71.
SY JOHNSON (Apr. 15th, 1930 - Jul.
26th, 2022) The pianist had mid ‘60s
credits as part of the Rod Levitt Orchestra
but is better known as an arranger,
especially with Charles Mingus on thealbums Let My Children Hear Music,
Mingus Moves and Changes One & Two
and, after the bassist’s death, the Mingus Dynasty
album Chair In The Sky and Dannie Richmond’s Mingus
tribute band, as well as Toshiyuki Miyama, Larry Elgart,
Lee Konitz and others. Johnson died Jul. 26th at 92.
HERBERT NOORD (Jul. 26th, 1943 - Jul.
13th, 2022) The Dutch keyboard player waspart of Soulbrass Inc. in the late ‘60s, which
had a single album, Live At The Bohemia
Jazzclub (Stichting Jazz Werkgroep), andhad releases since the late ‘70s on Cat,
Timeless, Affinity, Shuttle Music, Limetreeand Blue Room. Noord died Jul. 13th at 79.
BARBARA THOMPSON (Jul. 27th, 1944
- Jul. 9th, 2022) The saxophonist/flutist
was a rare female instrumentalist in
Britain’s jazz scene, appearing on albums
by Howard Riley, Keef Hartley, New Jazz
Orchestra, Michael Gibbs, Colosseum(co-led by her drummer husband Jon
Hiseman), Neil Ardley, Don Rendall, United Jazz+Rock
Ensemble, Volker Kriegel and others while leading herband Paraphernalia for albums on MCA, veraBra andIntuition. Thompson died Jul. 19th at 77. v

12 SEPTEMBER 2022 | THE NEW YORK CITY JAZZ RECORD

FESTIVAL REPORTLAURENCE DONOHUE-GREENE

CMSFESTIVAL
by laurence donohue-greene

Cyro Baptista & Karl Berger

Co-founded by vibraphonist/pianist Karl Berger,

vocalist Ingrid Sertso and saxophonist Ornette
Coleman, Creative Music Studio (CMS) has served as ameeting point for improvisers since the early ‘70s. Don
Cherry, Gil Evans, Gunther Schuller, George Russell,
Dave Holland, Jack DeJohnette, Sam Rivers and Ed
Blackwell were charter participants and workshop
instructors. Last month, in the town of its inception,
Bearsville Theater in Woodstock hosted the first annual
CMS Festival (Aug. 6th), a marathon celebrating thenon-profit’s half-century of accomplishments.
Five-plus hours of music reflected the breadth ofthe organization, including new life breathed into it
since the torch was handed down five years ago to new
Executive
Director
Billy
Martin,drummer/
percussionist third of Medeski, Martin & Wood.
His openness to and encouragement of fruitfulcollaborations continues CMS’ guiding philosophy
and maintains its relevance into the future. This wasevident in up-and-coming talent in a variety ofcontexts, from solo performances to the CMS
Improvisers Orchestra (still conducted by Berger).
The program Martin curated was full of highlights
and featured a diverse cast, primarily consisting ofnoticeably
young,
non-maledominated
instrumentalists. Strong solo sets included those by
Wendy Eisenberg, Joanna Mattrey, Ned Rothenberg
and Marilyn Crispell. Eisenberg, whom Martin firstcollaborated with pre-pandemic in an electric guitar
quintet he conducted at The Stone, is one of today’s
standout experimental guitarists, playing outside thelines in the Derek Bailey tradition, but with a punksensibility at times. The guitarist’s extreme andpercussive extended technique approach to the
instrument’s body and strings was magnificently
juxtaposed to hints of a more ‘natural’ guitar tone,even chordal progressions, which is how the single
improvisation set concluded, echoed by a unison“Whoah!” from the audience. The deceivingly placid
facial expressions of violist Mattrey (who has aforthcoming duo project release with Martin) belied
the thrilling journey of extended techniques andastonishing effects. A nearly 10-minute improvisation
featured a staccato prelude, which, similar to Eisenberg,
intensified with each momentous bang, pluck andstroke. Rothenberg represents in Martin’s words, “theconnection and probable influence CMS has played on
the Downtown scenesters of yesteryear.” Embodying
the CMS concept of musical cross-pollination of
influences and deep, personal improvisations,
Rothenberg presented prayerful shakuhachi flute
followed by masterful clarinet, exploring the latter ’sfull range and utilizing fiery, circular breathing.
Other than octogenarian Berger and septuagenarian

Sertso, veteran pianist Marilyn Crispell represented
CMS’ longevity. Her opening lyrical solo piece wasdynamic with double-handed prestissimo interjections;soon dancer Savia Berger joined her, reacting to the
pianist’s ecstatic pace up and down the keyboard,a mix of sudden body movements with a slow motion
interpretive dance against the accelerating tempo.
At the other end of the age and experience
spectrum is tenor saxophonist Zoh Amba, who hastaken New York and beyond by storm in 2022 withseveral impressive releases on Tzadik, 577 Records and
Mahakala Music. With an approach judiciously fusing
elements of, among others, Albert Ayler, Peter
Brötzmann and former teacher David Murray, Amba
blows a powerful horn with relentless climaxing
exclamations. After first being tipped off to her music
by Downtown Music Gallery’s Bruce Gallanter, Martinsummed up her raw talent, saying, “She sounds likean old soul even though she’s only 22.” Playing with
Martin for the first time in public, Amba and the small
ensemble recalled the John Lurie National Orchestra
trio with original JLNO drummers Martin and
G. Calvin Weston. Joining the tenor saxophonist on thefrontline, violinist (and CMS Program Manager) Gabby
Fluke-Mogul elevated the set when she turned her
instrument upside down to attack it percussively, thus
creating a triangular percussive springboard for
Amba’s dominating lead, helping to showcase thesaxophonist’s range from altissimo cries to bottom end
stage-rattling bellows.
Another youthful entry into the CMS sphere andthe night’s program was the dynamic Kalia Vandever
Trio, introduced by Martin as, “And this is a BAND!”
The trio provided the night’s first (and perhaps only)
program of written originals and compositional
structure versus improvisation. Vandever (trombone/
vocals), Hannah Marks (bass) and Savannah Harris(drums) sampled a few selections from the leader ’s
recent release Regrowth (New Amsterdam). Harris hasa sly talent of not being overbearing in her rhythmic
contributions, rather adding colors, switching between
sticks and brushes, cymbals and snare while
incorporating purposeful rests as encouragement forher bandmates to peel away layers while pressing
momentum forward. Some of those ‘layers’ included
Vandever convincingly shadowing herself as if playing
in a cistern, soloing over multi-tracked trombone choirecho effects on “An Untimely Visit” and “Fall Again”.
The only other vocals of the night were by vocalist/
kalimba player Eva Geisler (her debut public
performance) with John Medeski (melodica), Cyro
Baptista (percussion/vocals) and Martin (percussion,
including sasa bamboo branches and rattles) in what
was a mesmerizing ten-plus minutes of soothing vocals
with understated but colorful accompaniment.
Electric and eclectic festival night opener Dave
“Fuze” Fiuczynski’s Mid East MicroJamz had theleader fine-tuning his distinct approach to his doubleneck guitar and concept. Turkey-born keyboard player
Utar Artun was especially complementary to themicrotonal music, slipping his way into the nooks andcrannies with flute-like sliding pitches, a Middle
Eastern tinge and an acoustic piano effect taking into
account variations and possibilities well beyond theequal temperament of a traditional piano. Of otherelectric guitarists on the bill, Juanma Trujillo performedin duo with longtime musical partner and fellow
Venezuelan Leonór Falcon (viola). Falcon’s deeptoned, loose-string tuning was deceptively bass-like,
especially in staccato plucked portions. The festival’s
closing act was a lengthy high-energy jam with asuper-charged Nels Cline (guitar), Medeski (organ),
Martin and Baptista plus guests Berger (melodica) andWeston (mostly off-mic trumpet and percussion).
The centerpiece of the night, however, was the
CMS Improvisers Orchestra, which included many of
the aforementioned performers. Bassists Michael Bisio
and Ken Filiano immediately set the tone as Berger ’s

conductions signaled and welcomed in the entry ofother strings (Fluke-Mogul, Mattrey and Sana Nagano
on violins plus Eisenberg and second guitarist Michael
Gassman), reeds and winds (Amba, Rothenberg, Steve
Gorn, Bill Ylitalo), brass (Vandever and trumpeter
Chris Pasin) and drums/percussion (Tani Tabbal,
Baptista). Soloists included Amba, Gorn and Sertso.
The former ’s early Gato Barbieri/Pharoah Sandersinspired playing was reminiscent of Berger ’s own
collaboration with those two saxophonists back in 1966
on Don Cherry’s Symphony For Improvisers (Blue Note).
In contrast, Sertso’s calm spoken words wafted overand under the incessant swirling, shifting sounds andtextures of the orchestra, prodded on by Berger ’s hand
gestures. And Baptista seemed to be ‘soloing’
throughout, with his typically restless even humorous
creativity, which particularly amused Eisenberg who
was visibly entertained and inspired, maybe
foreshadowing a future duo similar to Baptista’s early‘80s duo with Derek Bailey?
In speaking with Martin following the festival, his
vision for CMS is quite clear: “It is to help and wantpeople to find their own voice through workshops andperformances and how that will inform their own
personal path. In order to survive, CMS has to bepresent as an intergenerational community, including
20-year olds, even younger, so that it will survive
through the next decade and even next century. I want
to look that far!” Given CMS’ fostering ofcollaborations and creativity, especially intergenerationally, even to entertain the potential fora hypothetical Baptista/Eisenberg duo is just one
example of the myriad possibilities that makes CMS
unique, then, now and especially into the future. v
For more information, visit creativemusic.org

THE NEW YORK CITY JAZZ RECORD | SEPTEMBER 2022 13

ALBUM REVIEWS

Reflections
Al Foster (Smoke Sessions)by Scott Yanow

Drummer Al Foster has been uplifting the music ofmajor jazz artists since the late ‘60s. Reflections finds
Foster at 79 paying tribute to some of those immortals
with an allstar group filled with four of today’s greats.
The music features concise solos from tenor saxophonist
Chris Potter, trumpeter Nicholas Payton and pianist
Kevin Hays with fine support supplied by bassist
Vicente Archer.
“T.S. Monk” is one of three Foster originals andone of two paying tribute to Thelonious Monk, withwhom he worked briefly in 1969. While the melody
nods a bit to its dedicatee, it utilizes more complex
harmonies. Hays takes solo honors, coming up with his
own conception of Monk’s playing. Foster performedon many occasions with Sonny Rollins so he includes
an uptempo version of his “Pent-Up House” with ablazing Payton solo. Potter contributes the moody
waltz “Open Plains”, which precedes McCoy Tyner’s“Blues On The Corner”. In the ‘70s, Foster toured with
the Milestone All-Stars with Rollins, Tyner and Ron
Carter. “Blues On The Corner” is played by a pianolesstrio, the chameleonic Potter sounding Rollins-esque.
The drummer wrote the lyrical ballad “Anastasia”
for his eldest granddaughter and Potter (soprano),
Payton and Hays all have thoughtful solos. Foster isbest known for his work with Miles Davis and Payton’s“Six”, catchy with a funky groove, sounds like a piecefrom the Bitches Brew period. The drummer also had alongtime association with Joe Henderson, recalled on
the latter ’s “Punjab”, with torrid spots for Payton,
Potter and Hays. The pianist’s “Beat” is based on Sam
Rivers’ “Beatrice” and Hays is in the spotlight on
Herbie Hancock’s slow ballad “Alone And I”.
Reflections concludes with second tributes to Davis(“Half Nelson” from the trumpeter ’s bebop days) andMonk (“Monk’s Bossa”).
Considering that Foster also made significant
contributions to the music of many other notables(including Blue Mitchell, Stan Getz, Bobby Hutcherson,
Tommy Flanagan, Joe Lovano and John Scofield), it iseasy to imagine him recording Reflections 2 someday.
For more information, visit smokesessionsrecords.com. This
project is at Smoke Sep. 1st-4th. See Calendar.

Generation Gap Jazz Orchestra
Steven Feifke/Bijon Watson (Cellar Music Group)
by Dan Bilawsky

Rising-star pianist, arranger and composer Steven

Feifke was long an admirer of lead trumpeter Bijon
Watson’s playing, having heard his work on recordings
from the Clayton-Hamilton Jazz Orchestra, John
Beasley’s MONK’estra and other top-flight artists andbands. When the two finally met, they struck up afriendship built on mutual respect for the tradition andlineage. Tapping into that shared belief system, they
formed a mixed-generation ensemble driven by trustin the power of collaboration. Music videos andarrangements created for the Jazz Education Network’s
conference(s) followed, ultimately serving as an
impetus for this dynamic debut.
Though there is more than two decades separatingthese co-leaders and age varies a fair amount acrossthe ensemble too, there is no space or divide when it
comes to commitment. That is clear from the get-go on
the sensationally swinging “I’ve Got Algorithm”.
Firing on all cylinders while supporting tenor stands
from Tom Luer, Roxy Coss and featured guest Chad
Lefkowitz-Brown, the Generation Gap Jazz Orchestra
immediately captures attention. Funk then finds its
rightful place into the program via “Sassy”. Vocal
heavyweight Kurt Elling, fronting this new take onthat selection from his own SuperBlue, comes on slick
and strong while leaving space for alto saxophonist
Christopher McBride to shine. Later, returning to singon Feifke’s grandly gamboling arrangement of Sting’s“Until”, Elling trips the light fantastic before exiting ona hypnotic, self-harmonizing episode.
Nodding to big band music’s rich past while
acknowledging the potential it holds today, theensemble presents Feifke’s “Scenes From My Dreams”
as the album’s centerpiece. Taking the ears on a journey
across time, marrying classic large ensemble ideals andmodern language while creating space to showcase
trombone icon John Fedchock’s slide work, this crew
brilliantly harnesses and refracts seminal influences.
Watson’s flugelhorn then gets top billing as the band
shifts gears with a warm and wondrous look at“Remember Me” (from Pixar ’s Coco) and guest
trumpeter Sean Jones sets the scene ablaze on Feifke’s
version of Hugh Masekela’s “Dollars Moods”. Taken
together, all of this music indicates that there is little tonothing this group cannot achieve. Chalk it up tostrength fostered through the generations.
For more information, visit cellarlive.com. This project is at
Birdland Sep. 4th. See Calendar.

RooGeeAirOh!!!
Charles Ruggiero (RMF)
by Ken Dryden

Drummer Charles Ruggiero has made a few albums

as a leader, but this is first focusing exclusively on his
own compositions. While drummers are all too
frequently dismissed as songwriters, more than a few
have become heralded for their writing. That is not to
say Ruggiero claims his songs have potential to become
jazz standards, but they have enough substance tostimulate great playing by his band of pianist Jeremy
Manasia, tenor saxophonist Stacy Dillard and bassist
Ugonna Okegwo, all seasoned veterans.
Unlike some drummers, Ruggiero doesn’t pen
songs and arrangements to feature himself. The opener,
the laidback, bluesy “The Blue Gorilla”, which sounds
like it could have been written for a ‘50s or ‘60s
detective show, sets the mood nicely with gritty
saxophone and the ominous flavor of the rhythm
section. “The Creeper” evolves from a simple riff intoa swinging anthem that would have fit into any typical‘50s Blue Note session. While Dillard and Manasia get
the lion’s share of attention in the top of the mix,
attention also needs to be given to Okegwo’s inventive
undercurrent and the leader ’s subtle percussion.

14 SEPTEMBER 2022 | THE NEW YORK CITY JAZZ RECORD

The sole vocal number has the expressive Hilary
Gardner bringing joy to Ruggiero’s upbeat ballad“Penguins & Fools” while the driving “It’s New Again”
is a showcase for Manasia. Jazz waltz “Altered States”
is wistful, as Dillard captures its emotions perfectly.
The signoff theme is “B.Lew’s ‘Be Loose’ Blues”, apunchy blues riff. The only issue with this CD is that it
is a bit too short at just over 40 minutes, though
Ruggiero may have looked at this session like a live set:
give your best effort and don’t extend the performancewith anything that doesn’t measure up to the rest.
For more information, visit ruggierodrums.com. Ruggierois at Smalls Sep. 6th and The Django Sep. 7th. See Calendar.

Amba–Bhakti (Mahakala Music)
R •• Zoh
Gordon Grdina’s Nomad Trio–e • Eunhye
Boiling Point (Astral Spirits)of Time/KM-53 Project,c Vol. 1 (577Jeong–End
Records)
Leppin–Ensemble Volcanic Asho • Janel(Cuneiform)
Lovato–Microcosms (ears&eyes)m •• Shawn
Christian Marien–The Sun Has Set, The
Drums Are Beating (Solo) (MarMade)m • Lucas
Niggli/Matthias Loibner–
Still Storm (Intakt)e • Kresten
Osgood/Martin Philadelphy–
Komp (Delphy)n • Tarbaby
Oliver Lake)–d Dance of(feat.
the Evil Toys (Clean Feed)e Laurence Donohue-Greene, Managing Editor
Trance–Green of Winterd • Battle(New Amsterdam)• JD Allen–Americana, Vol. 2 (Savant)

n
e
w
r
e
l
e
a
s
e
s

• Peter Brötzmann/Fred Van Hove/
Han Bennink–Jazz in der Kammer Nr.71(Trost)• Albert Cirera/Kamarilla–
Aquella Cosa (Underpool)• Dick Hyman–George Avakian Presents One
Step to Chicago: The Legacy of Frank
Teschemacher and the Austin High Gang
(Rivermont)• Payton MacDonald, Billy Martin,
Elliott Sharp, Colin Stetson–Void Patrol(Infrequent Seams)• Helga Plankensteiner–Barionda (Jazzwerkstatt)• RedGreenBlue–The End and the Beginning(Astral Spirits)• Perry Robinson, Mark Whitecage,
Ken Filiano, Lou Grassi–
Live@VisionFest20 (Not Two)
• Juan Saiz–Pindio II (Leo)• Jim Self/John Chiodini Duo–
Hangin’ Out (Basset Hound Music)
Andrey Henkin, Editorial Director

UNEARTHED GEM

Perpetual Pendulum
Larry Goldings/Peter Bernstein/Bill Stewart(Smoke Sessions)
Tenacity / As We Speak
Caesar Frazier (Track Merchant)by George Kanzler

The mid ‘60s through the late ‘70s were the heyday of

Hammond B3 organ combos, usually trios or quartets,organ joined by drums and guitar and/or saxophone.
Many of the era’s best guitarists worked in organ
combos, including Kenny Burrell, Grant Green andGeorge Benson. But by the mid ‘80s, hip-hop had
eclipsed soul jazz in African-American neighborhoods
and the once prevalent organ bars/clubs disappeared.
The last decade of the 20th Century saw a revivalof B3 interest among younger jazz musicians, both
black and white. One of the first B3 trios of that era was
Larry Goldings with guitarist Peter Bernstein anddrummer Bill Stewart. Unlike the earlier organ combos,
they did not concentrate on soul jazz, but exploreda variety of jazz tunes and styles. Perpetual Pendulum isthe latest product of their over 30-year collaboration.
Bernstein is also featured on Tenacity: As We Speak,a definitely soul jazz album from a B3 player who was
active on the organ club circuit in the ‘70s, Caesar
Frazier. So these two albums feature the guitarist in
au courant organ trio as well as an organ combo(quartet) that is a throwback to the spirit of that earlier
soul jazz heyday.
Perpetual Pendulum is noteworthy for manyreasons, from the scintillating interplay of the members
to the variety of the repertoire, the authoritative solos
to the sonic diversity of Goldings and Stewart’s
approach to their respective instruments. It is hard to
think of another album that successfully essays Wayne
Shorter ’s “United”, Duke Ellington’s “Reflections in
D”, George Gershwin’s “Prelude # 2” and John Lewis’“Django” along with just as varied originals from its
members. On tracks like “United”, Gary Bartz’ “Libra”
and Stewart’s “FU Donald”, the trio becomes aninseparable unit, riding on waves of rhythmic,
harmonic and melodic interplay, often propelled byoffbeat or exotic rhythms. Bernstein contributes two
distinctive originals: “Little Green Men” is a brighttempo, breezy, bop-inflected tune with an off-andrunning quicksilver solo from his guitar; the title
tune—at a deliberate, rolling midtempo he says is
updated Charleston—is dynamic and rangy. His guitar
also frames “Django”, playing the rubato opening andmid-tune interlude with deep feeling.
On Frazier’s Tenacity / As We Speak the guitarist ismore in-the-pocket groove-oriented, falling easily into
the leader’s soul jazz pocket. They are joined byBernstein’s longtime musical associate, tenor saxophonist
Eric Alexander, plus drummer Vincent Ector. Frazier’s
B3 sound is deep, almost guttural, rocking and prodding
the beat and dishing out heaping portions of multilayered soul. Frazier’s originals range from a bluesy
shuffle (“Excuse Me”) and hardbop (“Mergin’ Traffic”)
to forays into soulful flamenco (“Festival El Spañol”)and samba (“Just Passin’ Through”). Bernstein andAlexander dig into their solo turns with soulful gusto
throughout. And with Alexander laying out, the guitarist
conjures memories of Burrell and Benson with B3s on“Polka Dots and Moonbeams”.
For more information, visit smokesessionsrecords.com andcaesarfrazier.com. Bernstein is at Village Vanguard Sep.
6th-11th and Zinc Bar Sep. 23rd-24th with George Garzone.
See Calendar.

A Love Supreme: Live in Seattle
John Coltrane (Impulse!)by Marc Medwin

As the well-worn adage has it, time is of the essence.

In a broader sense, it is certainly true of the music wecall jazz and especially pertinent to this live version
of John Coltrane’s ubiquitous A Love Supreme suite(ALS). Whatever musical innovations pervade thelistening space—and there are many—time is at theheart of this extremely important release, its
representation and layers of implication on staggering
display and evident as each instant ushers in the next.
What we are fortunate to be able to hear, captured
in surprisingly vivid stereo, is the Oct. 2nd, 1965
performance of ALS at Seattle’s Penthouse, about two
and a half months following the scorching quartet
performance from the Antibes Jazz Festival in France.
The “Classic Quartet” of pianist McCoy Tyner, bassist
Jimmy Garrison and drummer Elvin Jones, then at its
zenith and just beginning its slow disillusion, is
augmented by saxophonists Pharoah Sanders (tenor)
and Carlos Ward (alto) and bassist/clarinetist Donald
Rafael Garrett. Ashley Kahn’s ever-informative
portion of the extensive liner notes—more on the rest
presently—provides
theconnections
betweenColtrane and these additions, some vividly presented
background on the Penthouse and the Seattle jazzscene and the circumstances that led to saxophonist
Joe Brazil facilitating the recording of this, now only
the second complete concert version of ALS.
From the outset, time is manipulated on multiple
levels. As Kahn observes, the suite takes more than
twice the time of its studio counterpart, but eachsection balances time and stillness, often frommoment to moment, even before the music begins. It
is a joy to indulge in the atmosphere commencing andconcluding the set, the room sound present enough tobecome immersive. Some ambient sound, a tentative
sonority from Tyner and then, the magical ALS
invocation, here feathery and more suggestive thandeclamatory, whispers its way into existence, almost
as if it wishes to prolong the illusion of timelessness
captured in those few intimate near-silent moments.
So much more poignant, then, is the vast arc ofwhat ensues, “Acknowledgement” extended to morethan 20 minutes. By contrast, “Psalm” is briefer
than the studio version by about a minute but also
more ethereal, less momentous drone thaninterregistral exploration, balancing the earlier
movements’ heat and energy.
That fire and brimstone, contrasted with theirfeathery-soft polar opposite, tell the tale, in
microcosm, of 1965’s musical developments and of
Coltrane’s assimilation of them. Around the country
and then the world, freedom in so many manifestations
was being tested and reevaluated, all manner ofconsciousness expanded in kind. The most radical
innovation of ALS was its travels along the continuum
between time and timelessness indicative ofimprovised music’s history, the journey “from swing
to bop” and beyond that would come to typify the“New Thing” sounds favored by Coltrane’s young
collaborators on albums like Ascension and, mostnotably, the still-astonishing and transculturally

incendiary OM, which had just been recorded on Oct.
1st, 1965. These documents were not available to the
Seattle audience of Oct. 2nd and Kahn registers
listener difficulties when experiencing Coltrane’s
evolving conception. From 2022’s vantage point, we
can hear this rendition of ALS striding boldly forward
to meet the slow descent from burning exuberance
toward calm that would be explored more completely
on Meditations, waxed nearly two months later andwith Sanders as part of a similarly augmented
ensemble. We are also now privy to the sextet takes of
ALS from Dec. 11th, 1964, abandoned by Coltrane infavor of the quartet version but made available in2015. This 75 minutes of sound in space comprises anextremely important piece of the Coltrane legacy,a moment captured in a time of unprecedentedchange as the modus operandi of his longstanding
quartet was moving rapidly beyond the recognitionof much of its audience and even of its musicians.
Listening and relistening exposes the motion
toward moments amid the huge wash of sound whose
depths Coltrane would continue to plumb in 1966.
It is fascinating to hear these players dealing withthat language even as it is formed, like Sanders’varying articulation and registral leaps, so close to
Coltrane’s, as they both navigate Tyner ’s ambiguous
harmonies on “Acknowledgement”. Ward’s solo on“Resolution” brings the swing-to-bop transition into
stark relief as he perfected the language that would
define his sound. “Acknowledgement” surges in andout of harmonic and cultural implication with thetsunami-like certainty of a vision in flux. “Pursuance”
offers a similar degree of penetration via high-energy
interplay but digging into rhythmic intrigue, suchis the melody’s nature. The bass interludes delve
deep into the felicities of arco and pizzicato,
strummed, walked and bluesily swung, a veritablemicrocosm of the references Coltrane’s group engaged
at a moment’s notice. The dual bass and percussioninterlude separating the first two movements isparticularly interesting as it lopes and strides in andout of anything approaching the steady pulse withwhich Coltrane, on cowbell, brought forward the firstmovement proper. To untangle the various sonic andtemporal forces at play, an expert listener should
provide commentary to complement historicalperspective. Far too often, this type of engagement isabsent from liner notes, but Lewis Porter ’s
contributions are just the ticket. His detailed
observations, complete with time points, encapsulate
the music’s multiple and symbiotic histories withclarity and concision. Yes, Coltrane’s vibrato has
become richer and deeper à la Albert Ayler, as Porter
rightly observes, but his familiarity with all currently
available ALS versions and fragments means that hecan account for the concentric and morphing layers of
percussion enhancing the orchestration as it relates toColtrane’s aesthetic trajectory.
Unfortunately, even as Seattle hosted thismiraculous journey into the fundamentals ofcompositional expansion, time was running out forthe saxophonist and composer so beloved of so many.
In a 1966 interview, he told of wanting to have agroup that could do two things, expanding on theClassic Quartet model but fusing it with something
akin to his increasingly diverse and introspective
explorations. On Jul. 17th, 1967, that creative voice
would be silenced before Coltrane reached his 41stbirthday. True, the saxophonists can be difficult tohear and balances throughout are skewed, but thesense of being present for an event, not simply
another set, could not be more palpable. The fact that
this snapshot of creativity in motion has beenpreserved should be celebrated with the same gusto
pervading every note of the music.
For more information, visit impulserecords.com

THE NEW YORK CITY JAZZ RECORD | SEPTEMBER 2022 15

G LO B E U N I T Y

The Meeting
Jimmy Branly Trio (Branly Music)
SenderoAxel Filip (ears&eyes)
Gifts
Alex Acuña (Le Coq)
by Tom Greenland

Three Central or South American drummers leading

record dates—Cuban Jimmy Branly, Peruvian Alex
Acuña (both L.A. based) and Berlin-based Argentine
Alex Filip—each combining and blending AfroLatin,jazz and other ingredients to concoct musical equivalentsof a Havana ajiaco, Lima cau cau or Buenos Aires locro.
Though raised in Havana, absorbing local music
along with conservatory training, Jimmy Branly was
also influenced by extensive work in L.A. studios, where
he polished a relaxed yet assertive, extremely precise
technique. The Meeting, his leader debut, with guitarist
Will Brahm and bassist Sezin Ahmet Türkmenoğlu, is an
ideal setting to showcase his work, the pared-down trio
format affording him copious space to comment andexplore. He doesn’t abuse the privilege by overplaying,creating instead improvisations/dialogues in tandemwith the melody readings and solos. There are somethorny metrical schemes (Brahm’s “Bis Bis” parses into
2+2+2+3, Jerome Kern’s “If I Should Lose You” into
9+6+8+4+5, Joe Henderson’s “Gazelle” into 7+6+3), but
you would never notice from the supple handling ofthese accent patterns. Brazilian, AfroCuban and swing
influences abound, but this musical olio follows a newrecipe, with an added pinch of Angeleno flavoring.
Axel Filip’s Sendero (his third effort for ears&eyes)
is an outing with pianist Mariano Sarra and bassist
Flavio Romero, Filip furnishing all compositions,arrangements and lyrics, augmented with cameos by
vocalists Melina Moguilevsky (“El Brujo”), Milton
Amadeo (“A la inconsciencia”) and the SurdelSur string
quartet (also “El Brujo’), guitarist Pablo Passini guesting
on four cuts. There are tricky meters here as well:“Cerrado por el tiempo” sets up a nifty ying-yang, pingponging between on- and off-beats while “Al rio”’sslippery backbeats are downright subversive. The
drums are close-mic’d to capture every detail, Filip
seeming to prefer the role of colorist to beat-keeper,
though where he is placing the pulse is never in question.
Sarra is a valuable asset, pulling on the rhythmic pocketwith mercurial phrasing, interjecting unpredictable but
effective chord comps and generally stirring things up
throughout this artfully eclectic set.
Alex Acuña’s Gifts, his first leader date since 2005,
tempers formidable studio chops in service of taste andaccessibility. Its mellifluous, chart-friendly veneer hasn’t
the heavy blowing Weather Report fans may like(though tenor saxophonist Lorenzo Ferrero takes some
impressive turns), but at 77, 100+ record dates in his
quiver, Acuña aims not to impress but rather to touch/move/bless his audience. On hand are Ferrero andguitarist Ramón Stagnaro (both Peruvians), Venezuelan
keyboardist Otmaro Ruiz and Nuyorican bassist John
Peña, collectively cooking up a dazing array of deep
grooves: jazz-fusion (“In Town” and “Postlude”);
Brazilian funk (“Malencia”); percolating AfroCubanismo(“Chuncho” and “Aletin Aletun”); romantic balladry(“Amandote” and “Divina”); impressionistic percussion(“Regalo”); rhythm & bluesiness (“Mercy Mercy”); andpostbop swinging (“One Finger Snap”).
For
more
information,
visit
branlymusic.com,
earsandeyesrecords.com and lecoqrecords.com

Sounds of LoveJohn Hébert (Sunnyside)
by John SharpeCharles Mingus’ outsize influence certainly left its

mark on bassist John Hébert. Unusually it was Mingus’
1975 Changes quintet that intrigued Hébert, who in2011 convened a similarly constituted outfit of his own
to lay the ghost to rest. Rescued from the vaults, Soundsof Love finds the band in full flow in Switzerland duringa 2013 European tour. Abetting Hébert in his quest area cast of familiars who had nonetheless never played
together before the first rehearsal: cornet player Taylor
Ho Bynum, alto saxophonist Tim Berne, pianist Fred
Hersch and drummer Ches Smith. Notwithstanding
the wayward tendencies of his crew, they play the two
Mingus pieces on the setlist fairly straight and leanmore inside than out on the four originals.
Hébert furnishes an eloquent fingerboardspanning prologue to “Duke Ellington’s Sound Of
Love”, as the band gives Mingus’ paean to the thenrecently departed bandleader a tender reading, graced
by a beautifully lyric Hersch solo and an envelopestretching outing full of whinnying half notes andnagging motifs from Bynum. The latter also shines on“Remember Rockefeller At Attica”—an upbeat sunnyromp, which belies prison riot subject matter—in awheezing introductory exchange with Smith, which
segues into a bravura demonstration of the drummer ’scommand of tone and color.
Of Hébert’s charts, opener “Constrictor” showcasesa characteristically expressive and wily Bynum intro, aseries of wailing peaks of gripping intensity from Berneand elegant variations on the woozy waltz theme from
Hersch, “Love What?”, a reference to a Mingus tune ofearlier vintage, appropriately contains a splendid duet
between register-leaping alto and jostling drums whilecloser “Frivolicity”, loosely based upon the riff ofMingus’ “Sue’s Changes”, opens into a cat-on-a-hottin-roof prance punctuated by punchy horn solos.
Although the lineup on paper perhaps promises more
fireworks than it ultimately delivers, the heartfelt
expositions and surefooted interplay offer more thanadequate compensation.
For more information, visit sunnysiderecords.com. Hébert
is at Mezzrow Sep. 8th with Álvaro Torres. See Calendar.

Esthesis Quartet
Dawn Clement, Elsa Nilsson,
Emma Dayhuff, Tina Raymond (Orenda)
Atlas Of Sound - Coast Redwoods 41°32’09.8”N 124°04’35.5”WElsa Nilsson (ears&eyes)
by Anna SteegmannThisall-female quartet named itself Esthesis(elementary sensation of touch) because they had been
deprived of human contact throughout the COVID-19
pandemic. Formed during that time as a composition
support group, they met via Zoom. Once it felt safe toconnect in person, they gathered in Los Angeles to

16 SEPTEMBER 2022 | THE NEW YORK CITY JAZZ RECORD

record this album. The quartet is comprised of Denverbased pianist Dawn Clement, Swedish-born/New
York-based flutist Elsa Nilsson, Chicago-based bassist
Emma Dayhuff and Los Angeles-based drummer Tina
Raymond. All are accomplished musicians as well as
professors in jazz programs at various universities.
The six original compositions are emotionallyintense explorations that force listeners to question
their notions of traditional instrumentation roles. The
album opens with Clement’s “Cricket”, composed forher daughter, who was called by that name before she
was born because she would move constantly. Powerfuland energetic piano playing carries the chord changes,
Raymond is dynamic and Nilsson adds a stunningsolo. Dayhuff’s “Two Moons” honors the Cheyenne
chief who fought many battles against the U.S. Army.
The track starts in a slow, contemplative mood, features
excellent bass and piano solos and fades beautifully
with flute leading the way. “The Gardener”, composedby Raymond, shines in its simplicity and elegance. The
album contains two vocal pieces beautifully sung byClement: her “Partial” and Nilsson’s “Finding What’sLost”, her musical exploration of finding a path back tolife from grief after her father ’s funeral.
Atlas Of Sound - Coast Redwoods - 41°32’09.8”N
124°04’35.5”W feels more organic and better developed,with greater rapport between the three musicians,
possibly because they were able to get together inperson more regularly. During her visit to the Redwood
National Park, inspired by her connection to thenatural world, Nilsson found the seeds for seven of theten tracks. She recruited pianist Jon Cowherd, wellknown for his partnership with drummer Brian Blade,and bassist Chris Morrissey. Both are fierce in their
willingness to experiment and make Nilsson’s
compositions flourish. The music is sumptuous andmelodic. A recurring theme appears in all and passes
from one instrument to another.
“Sunshift Haze” is gorgeous in tone and unfolds
at an unhurried pace. Nilsson states: “As the piece
progresses, the melody becomes more and more clear,
like the sun burning off the fog. The flute represents
the sun, bass and piano the fog and together we clear
the way for the day to begin.” “Coralie” enchants withits meditative piano. In “Old Growth”, at eight minutes
the longest track, bass lays down an exquisite
foundation and allows piano to take center stage attimes. “Molted Steps” echoes the feeling of walking
along fallen needles. The final track “Hold On To Each
Other” allows the listener to connect to the familiar
theme one last time, wishing for more.
For more information, visit orendarecords.com andearsandeyesrecords.com. Nilsson is at Roulette Sep. 9th
with Vinny Golia and Bar Bayeux Sep. 24th as a leader.
See Calendar.

Live@VisionFest20
Perry Robinson, Mark Whitecage,
Ken Filiano, Lou Grassi (Not Two)by Robert Bush

The legendary two-horn frontline at the helm of thislive date, clarinetist Perry Robinson and alto saxophonist
Mark Whitecage, have both sadly, made their transitions,the former in 2018, the latter 2021. Seven years later, theNot Two label resurrected this session, the quartet
completed by Ken Filiano (bass) and Lou Grassi (drums).
It is all spontaneously conceived with each player
earning equal composing credit, even though it certainly
sounds like there is at least a degree of written material
throughout the three pieces.
The album opens with the sprawling, nearly
24-minute “One For Roy” (presumably dedicated to
the late trumpeter Roy Campbell). Alto and clarinet
swirl in close orbits to each other over bowed bass andvituperative drums. Horns trade lines until the fiveminute mark, when alto breaks into the open field witha marvelous exposition. Whitecage possessed a very
distinctive voice on the instrument—dark and drywith a hefty bottom end that almost sounds likea tenor, or at least a C-melody saxophone. Robinson
hits the gates next, with yelps, guffaws and woundedcries. The music is sometimes reminiscent of a smallgroup version of John Coltrane’s Ascension, withlayered kinetic waves of energy. Filiano’s spot adds
some type of electronics, which creates a kind of
ghostly pall to the landscape and Grassi lays back,rather than contributing a solo as such. When the horns
return, they adapt a wild and wobbly vibrato, as ifchanneling the spirit of Albert Ayler.
The quartet flirts as close as they will come withthe jazz tradition on “Dance Macabre”, opening witha solid walking bass line in tandem with swinging ridecymbal triplets. After a brief bass solo, Filiano retreats
into a supportive role while Whitecage and Robinson
spin endless curlicues in tandem. At this stage of thegame, Whitecage seems to be the stronger of the two.
Robinson does acquit himself nicely on the closing“Glyphs”, however. Both players begin with theswooping vibrato of wooden flutes before returning totheir original instruments at the half-way mark, when
they lead their associates into a languid blues that
seems conjured from the New Orleans aesthetic.
For more information, visit nottwo.com. Filiano is at Children’s
Magical Garden de Carmen Rubio Sep. 5th with Michael TA
Thompson and Roulette Sep. 9th with Vinny Golia. Grassi is
at LaSalle Open Streets Sep. 15th. See Calendar.

Adumbrations
Tony Falco/Josh Sinton/Jed Wilson(Form Is Possibility)b.
Josh Sinton (Form Is Possibility)
Steve Lacy’s Book of Practitioners, Vol. 1 “H”
Josh Sinton (Form Is Possibility)
by Steven Loewy

From Harry Carney to Pepper Adams to Hamiet
Bluiett, the baritone saxophone has occupied a lofty

place in the jazz pantheon, its rich, deep tone a striking
contrast to the higher ranges of the tenor and alto
saxophones. Recently, Brooklyn–based baritone
saxophonist Josh Sinton released three very different
recordings highlighting his virtuosity in different ways
while emphasizing his breadth and vision. Sinton
marvels as a first-rate improviser and technical virtuoso
with compelling insights and a wide palette.
Despite a friendship going back a couple ofdecades, Adumbrations is the first time that Sinton,
drummer Tony Falco and pianist Jed Wilson worked
together as a group. What distinguishes the album is
not only the complementary way in which the threemesh, but also the diverse range of the music and thestatements by Sinton not only on baritone, but also on
flute and bass clarinet. The trio performs tightly, eachanticipating the other’s steps. The pieces flow freely
and without a compass in unexpected ways, whichdraws in the listener. Sinton has clearly worked hard on
his sound and when he plays flute on “Adumbrations2”, he focuses on timbre, even when veering slightly
outside. Each piece surprises, such as “Adumbrations
3”, which opens with shimmering cymbals, joined bybass clarinet, always fluid and forward-thrusting, its
beautiful, melodic and disciplined lines bouncing off
flowing piano, gradually more and more intense in
their interactions, but still exploring the nooks andcrannies of sensuous performance. There is an appealing
loveliness to the album; no grandstanding, justthoughtful and enchanting, with strong playing by
each member.
Solo albums can be among the most difficult toexecute and to which to listen. b., Sinton alone on
baritone, goes in an entirely different direction than
Adumbrations. On “b.1.iii”, for example, he stretchesout, occasionally growling, repeating rough phrases,
trilling, eventually lunging forward, rarely swinging,but always retaining exquisite control and an attractive
sound. The piece is a good example of Sinton’s
explosive technique, although he never deviates fromhis vision. There are numerous treasures throughout
the date and Sinton keeps it interesting withconsiderable variety. Sinton knows how to pace himself
and even when he strays far outside, he always returns
to his core, completing a journey that impresses as it
mesmerizes, never losing its sense of high and low art.
Steve Lacy’s Book of Practitioners, Vol. 1 “H”, anothersolo album but with a twist, is Sinton’s first take on a
portion of Lacy’s seminal studies for sopranosaxophone, with more volumes presumably coming
later. Ever since studying under Lacy at the New
England Conservatory in 2002, Sinton has analyzed
and perfected these very difficult exercises, which
demand the highest level of proficiency. Neverintending the sometimes excruciatingly demanding
exercises to be performed by others, Sinton recalls that
Lacy told him that the pieces could not be played on
baritone. After hearing Sinton perform “Hustle”, Lacy
“rubbed his chin”, conceding that, “I guess you canplay it on the baritone.” Initially , the listener islikely to marvel at the difficulty of the compositions,which also incorporate improvised sections. With
repetition and an exacting approach, portions of
the pieces sound like practice drills, particularlycompared to those on b. But Sinton ultimatelytranscends inherent limitations, leading to what isundoubtedly an important statement on baritone andunlikely to be repeated by too many others. Along theway, the ‘tunes’ stretch the limits of the horn, withrepetitive phrasing, growls and more extended
technique than on b. Only someone with patience,technique and discipline could pull off this strangely
steely set of pieces, which are far more than a show of
singular virtuosity.
For more information, visit joshsinton.com. Sinton is at
Roulette Sep. 9th with Vinny Golia and Downtown Music
Gallery Sep. 13th. See Calendar.

THE NEW YORK CITY JAZZ RECORD | SEPTEMBER 2022 17

VEER Quartet
Sarah Bernstein (New Focus)by Thomas Conrad

There have been a few well-known jazz violinists over

the years and jazz recordings “with strings” have beenaround forever. But historically, string sections havebeen used mostly in backgrounds for soloists, as‘sweetening’. In the last 10 or 15 years, many jazzmusicians have become interested in writing forstrings, integrating violins and violas and cellos into
their ensembles as full foreground participants.
Sarah Bernstein takes this development to its next
logical step. VEER Quartet is not an album thatincorporates strings into an existing jazz band. The
jazz band is a string quartet. To be sure, it is a jazz band
equally capable of executing erudite classical chambermusic, should the moment—or a Bernsteinarrangement—call for it. Violinists Bernstein and Sana
Nagano, violist Leonor Falcón and cellist Nick Jozwiak
represent a new generation enabling new roles fortheir instruments in jazz. They can read like classicalexperts and wail like badass jazz improvisers.
Bernstein’s six meticulously detailed compositions
demonstrate uncommon skill in manipulating four
instruments. She treats her quartet like an orchestra.
Two players may split off and become a plucked rhythm

section. Two duos may exchange calls and responses.
Three players may weave intricate counterpoint while
a fourth solos. Bernstein’s sophistication in managing
all the moving parts is not an end in itself. It serves alarger purpose. She writes intriguing melodies. Thenher band takes them through elaborate permutations.
The centerpiece, at almost 13 minutes, is “Clay Myth”.
Each member of the quartet is given space to reflect
spontaneously on the stately, resonant melody while theremaining three provide provocative accompaniment.
Those not ready to relinquish familiar jazz
instrumentation and dynamics may find this album a
bridge too far. But for those open to the stylistic
relativity now blurring the borders of the jazz art form,
VEER Quartet will be technically impressive andimaginatively liberating.
For more information, visit newfocusrecordings.com. Bernstein
is at Roulette Sep. 9th with Vinny Golia and Central Park
Summerstage Sep. 10th with Adam Rudolph. See Calendar.

Symphonic Tone Poem for Brother Yusef
Bennie Maupin/Adam Rudolph (Strut)by Andrey Henkin

When this reviewer was just a jazz fetus, he heard

Miles Davis’ Bitches Brew for the first time and fortune

had it that he started with the wrong cassette. Running
through “Spanish Key”’s opening salvo of drums,
throbbing bass, spiky guitar and stabbing keyboard
was something as elusive to young ears as dark energy
is to cosmologists. Amid the thicket of three electric
pianos, two electric bassists and paired drummers andpercussionists was Bennie Maupin’s bass clarinet,
often felt rather than heard.
Over 50 years later after Bitches Brew, that bass
clarinet still has the same impact, but now in an album
both very different than Bitches Brew in that it is a duet
but also similar in that it envelops a listener in a fog ofreeds and percussion, electronics and chanted vocals.
Decades of jazz reviewing does not help to pierce themystery of this musical universe.
Maupin, who also plays soprano saxophone anda panoply of flutes is paired with Adam Rudolph,
credited
withkeyboards,
myriadpercussion
instruments and idiophones, plus selya flute, mbuti
harp, drum machine and thumb pianos. The latter isa veteran of the groups of Yusef Lateef, whose
centennial was the impetus for this project at the 2020
Angel City Jazz Festival.
Across five movements and just over 40 minutes,
Maupin and Rudolph operate in a restrained, almost
minimalistic approach, sedate on the surface like a still
pond but teeming with life just below, as various
instruments dart and float through one another. The
individual sections are not extricable, the complexity
growing as more attention is paid, details requiring
a new skill: peripheral hearing. Those listeners withpatience will be greatly rewarded.
For more information, visit strut.k7store.com. Rudolph is atCentral Park Summerstage Sep. 10th and The Jazz Gallery
Sep. 15th. See Calendar.

KERRYTOWN CONCERT HOUSE presents

WEDNESDAY-SATURDAY, OCTOBER 19-22, 2022

JASON KAO HWANG

FAY VICTORANTHONY BRAXTON“One of the premier national events for avant-garde
and improvisational music in the world.”- The Detroit Metro Times

A 4-DAY EXPLORATION OF
NEW MUSIC & IMPROVISATION

composed and performed by artists noteworthy forraising their voices and music in response to ongoingsocial-cultural issues and the day’s disturbing events;
calling for justice.
KERRYTOWN CONCERT HOUSE • ANN ARBOR, MICHIGAN( 73 4 ) 7 6 9 - 2 9 9 9 • e d g e fest a n n a r b o r. c o m

18 SEPTEMBER 2022 | THE NEW YORK CITY JAZZ RECORD

Los Ángeles
Michaël Attias, Nataniel Edelman,
Santiago Lamisovski, Nicolás del Águila(ears&eyes)by Phil Freeman

Alto saxophonist Michaël Attias met Argentinian

pianist Nataniel Edelman and bassist Santiago
Lamisovski in 2016, when they traveled to New York toattend School for Improvisational Music’s Summer
Workshop, where he was teaching. The three connected
strongly both in class and afterward, bonded by a mutual
love of Paul Motian (whose On Broadway, Vol. 5 Attias
had performed on in 2009). Two years later, drummer
Nicolás del Águila connected with Attias after one of thesaxophonist’s performances and it turned out they had
mutual acquaintances. Attias came to Argentina for aseries of shows in 2019 and used the three young men as
his band; just before he left, they all went into Estudio
Libres in Buenos Aires and recorded this album.
Recording at the end of a tour often gives anensemble a terrific cohesion; David Murray, among
others, often prefers to take musicians into the studioafter they have been onstage together for a week or so.
That is definitely the case here. The music is composed:
three tunes by Attias; one each by Edelman andLamisovski; two by Motian; and a version of the

Richard Whiting-Leo Robin-Newell Chase standard“My Ideal” but has the real-time conversational feel ofthe best improvisation.
The first track, “Ping Pong Angel Fold”, begins
delicately, with piano laying down gentle chords, bass
following in at the shallow end and a few soft phrases
from the saxophone. When the full quartet is finally atwork, nearly 2 minutes into a 12-minute piece, they are
exploring the melody so slowly, softly and cautiously,
one would think they were squinting to read the musicin an unlit room. By the three-and-a-half minute mark,though, it has all come together and by the halfway
point, you realize you have been drawn inexorably
into a place you are going to be really happy to spend
the next hour. If the album has any flaw, it is that they
try to do the tentative-beginning thing again later andyou can really only pull off that trick once. But
ultimately, this is an extremely satisfying set of music.
For more information, visit earsandeyesrecords.com. Attias
is at 411 Kent Ave Sep. 7th, Bar Lunàtico Sep. 11th andDowntown Music Gallery Sep. 27th. See Calendar.

AUG 30-SEP 4

TRIO DA PAZ & FRIENDSSEP 6YOTAM SILBERSTEIN QUARTETSEP 7–8

THEO CROKER QUINTET FEATURING GARY BARTZSEP 9JAMES MORRISON QUARTET
SEP 10DOMINICK FARINACCI: TRIAD FEATURING SHENEL JOHNSSEP 11

SONGBOOK SUNDAYS: IN AN ELLINGTON MOOD
SEP 12

SARAH HANAHAN QUARTET
SEP 13–15
Manos
Omar Sosa/Marialy Pacheco (Skip)by Elliott Simon

Omar Sosa is a prolific pianist who has a singularapproach that melds Cuban music and contemporary
jazz. A duet with fellow pianist Marialy Pacheco on his
composition “El Bola” is a wonderful study in interactive
pianistic tension and release that opened her Duets(NEUKLANG, 2017). For Manos, live at Beethovenhaus
in Bonn, Germany, the pair combine for a crossgenerational grand piano duet, which is at times artfully
augmented with atmospheric electronics and voices.
Piano duets are prone to one-upmanship, which
can devolve into corniness or worse yet be disastrous if
the artists are out of sync. “El Bola” again serves as an
introductory piece but immediately avoids thosepotential pitfalls. It is significantly expanded and the
pianists are given space to show off their individual
skills but their joint phrasing in the context of aclassical atmosphere impresses most. Compositional
duties are equally divided among the six original
selections before a unique interpretation of Moisés
Simons’ chestnut “El Manisero (Peanut Vendor)”,which unfortunately strays too far from the original’s
intent, closes out the program.
Sosa’s “Angustiado Intro” is a solo piece and is
a forum for his virtuosity and interpretive skill while“Angustiado” itself allows the tune to breathe andillustrates the outstanding reticulation their dual
pianos weave. Pacheco’s compositions provide awonderfully ethereal counterpoint to Sosa’s more
traditional offerings. Foremost among them is thestunning “Cambodian Smiles”, a culturally sensitive
triumph of atmospheric expression and tenderness.
“Metro” is a bit of a bumpy ride that ambles aimlessly
before finding a hot groove whereas “Low Tides”
defiantly drifts through supple interplay, gently moves
to a crescendo and then nimbly recedes.
An elegant artistic experience, Manos ebbs andflows as Sosa and Pacheco take the audience by thehand for a beautiful journey through myriad colors
and soundscapes.
For more information, visit skiprecords.com. Sosa is at
Dizzy’s Club Sep. 16th-18th. See Calendar.

BUSTER WILLIAMS QUARTET
WITH STEVE WILSON, RENEE ROSNES AND LENNY WHITE
SEP 16–18

OMAR SOSA QUARTETO AMERICANOSSEP 19GRACE FOX BIG BAND
SEP 20EAST AXIS: MATTHEW SHIPP, SCOTT ROBINSON,GERALD CLEAVER, KEVIN RAY
SEP 21

ASHLEY PEZZOTTISEP 22ORAN ETKIN: OPEN ARMS PROJECTSEP 23–25

SEAN JONES QUARTETSEP 26–27

SULLIVAN FORTNER TRIOSEP 28DRUM BATTLE: JAZ SAWYER FEATURING
JOE FARNSWORTH CELEBRATING RICH VERSUS ROACH
SEP 29–OCT 2

CATHERINE RUSSELL

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

212.258.9595
BROADWAY AT 60TH ST.

THE NEW YORK CITY JAZZ RECORD | SEPTEMBER 2022 19

Complete catalog: www.steeplechase.dk

New releases CD - download - streamingsCCD 36501

sCCD 31935

sCCD 31934

For New Zealand
The Chicago Plan (Not Two)by Robert Iannapollo

G erman reedplayer Gebhard Ullmann has beenrecording since the early ‘80s and through the years
developed into a major player internationally. He has
led several unique bands including a clarinet trio, two
exploring the lower end of the sonic spectrum(Basement Research and Bass X 3) and worked with
Satoko Fujii and others and co-led several groups withtrombonist Steve Swell (one of which also includes
drummer Barry Altschul).
For New Zealand is the second album from theband labeled The Chicago Plan. The first was released
by Clean Feed in 2016 but the group had played
together on and off for ten years prior. Ullmann and
Swell share the frontline and the compositional chores.
The rhythm section is unique in that it includes
a cellist, Fred Lonberg-Holm, plus drummer Michael
Zerang, both of whom have (or have had) Chicago
residencies. It is an excellent combination with fourlike-minded musical adventurers and improvisers.
The album’s opener, Swell’s “Composite 13 – For
New Zealand”, is an intense ten-minute journey
divided in two parts: a fiery opening free section before
settling into a masterful groove, setting the stage forexpressive solos by Ullmann and Swell. It is a great
way to begin the set and the remainder of the program
follows through. The music scales down a couple oflevels for the ensuing Ullmann composition “Welcome
To The Red Island”, a contemplative track with some
remarkably subtle bass clarinet playing by its composer.
Ullmann’s “Yoyo” revolves around a jabbing insistentphrase played by the frontline and also features anextended section for Lonberg-Holm, which eventuallymorphs into a duet with Swell for one of the most
exciting interludes on the disc.
Each track has something different to offer. And
behind it all Zerang plays a role of both support andinstigation, pushing each player forward, either
through commentary or drive.

sCCD 36502

For more information, visit nottwo.com. Steve Swell is atChildren’s Magical Garden de Carmen Rubio Sep. 17th.
See Calendar.

This is pianist Marcin Wasilewski’s fifth trio recording

G1006

US distribution:www.statesidemusic.com - email: info@statesidemusic.com

N

U

EW

SE
D

236 West 26 Street, Room 804
New York, NY 10001
Monday-Saturday, 10:00-6:00
Tel: 212-675-4480
Fax: 212-675-4504

LP’s, CD, Videos (DVD/VHS),Books, Magazines, Posters,
Postcards, T-shirts,
Calendars, Ephemera
En AttendantMarcin Wasilewski Trio (ECM)
by Marco Cangiano

G1295

For more information, visit ecmrecords.com. Wasilewski is
at Roulette Sep. 18th as part of a Tomasz Stańko tribute.
See Calendar.

Email: jazzrecordcenter@verizon.net
Web: jazzrecordcenter.com

New releases 180g audiophile VinyleFirst tim
on vinyl

today’s technology, thus underlining once more theless-is-more concept Wasilewski and his very congenial
partners have been practicing. Time is stretched andoften suspended, much more than in earlier outings.
This is a true cooperative, making the listeners at times
wonder whether it is Kurkiewicz leading theproceedings given his presence and authority, leaving
aside his incredible taste in picking the right notes.
The somewhat eclectic material should not fool
the listeners: this is Wasilewski’s trio at its best,
showing an unique ability at bending material
apparently so distant as Bach’s Goldberg “Variation
25” and The Doors’ “Riders on the Storm” to their own
aesthetic. The three “In Motion” episodes are declared
as group improvisations but come across morestructured and at times lyrical than the other pieces.
Although undoubtedly a group effort, each of themfeatures one of the many aspects of the trio: upper
register piano shining on the first; bass and drums
emphasizing the more rhythmic aspect on the second;
and the third based on a dialogue between piano andbass floating on top of brushes while exploring thetrio’s most experimental and daring aspects.
Carla Bley’s “Vashkar” receives a suspensefultreatment whereas Wasilewski’s sole original, “Glimmerof Hope”, is a delightful ballad. Both had been recordedby the trio plus saxophonist Joe Lovano on last year’s
Arctic Riff. These versions are more intimate and perhaps
complete. Finally, “Riders on the Storm” is even more
hypnotic than the iconic original, with a touch of
funkiness in the piano. Once again, Kurkiewicz comes
across as the true gravity center of this ever-evolving trio.

for ECM since 2005. He, bassist Sławomir Kurkiewicz
an drummer Michał Miśkiewicz had establishedthemselves as the Simple Acoustic trio prior to
becoming the backbone of the late trumpeter TomaszStańko’s quartet. Their symbiosis has thus been
evolving organically over a long period of time andreached the gamut of essentiality in their most recent
recording. The CD is brief (just over 43 minutes) given

20 SEPTEMBER 2022 | THE NEW YORK CITY JAZZ RECORD

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

Eleven O’Seven
Grace Fox Big Band (Outside In Music-Next Level)
by Pierre Giroux

George Bernard Shaw famously said, “Youth is wasted

on the young.” Trumpeter Grace Fox does not fall intothat category: 19 and still studying at the Manhattan
School of Music, she put together this all-female 18-piece
big band sourced from across the United States usingsocial media, bringing together leading lights of the
distaff side of the jazz world.
In seven compact tracks totalling 41 minutes, theband makes the most of Fox’ innovative charts. Opener“Right On Red” has a slippery and groove-soaked
approach, the brass section offering a full-fisted attack
throughout the introduction and relaxed phrasing insolos from trumpeter Kelin Hanas, trombonist Zhane
Brown and tenor saxophonist Jade Elliott.
“Gospel Interlude” and “The Gospel” are a medley
by late trumpeter Roy Hargrove, which benefits froma Fox chart giving gospel a whole new meaning. Theband offers a broad-shouldered sense of swing withHanas again featured as well as alto saxophonist
Veronica Leahy. Harold Adamson-Jimmy McHughstandard “I Just Found Out About Love” gives Grace’s
older sister Alexis a crack at the vocal spotlight,
swinging right along with her delivery full of frisky

enthusiasm. She also appears on the album’s closer,
Janis Ian composition “Stars”. In a rather somber
version, Fox makes the most of her empathetic readingof the lyrics over Noomi Nakanishi’s smooth piano
wanderings. All the while alto saxophonist Sarah
Hanahan gives full measure on her lengthy solo.
The remaining two tracks, “Echelon” and“Sterility” are Fox originals. The former is a lengthy
affair with piano establishing a straightforward line.
Elliott is prominent in picking up the line and engaging
in skilful interplay with the piano and, as the number
spools out, there are sections of first-rate ensemble
work. She is also in the spotlight on “Sterility” but on
Electronic Wind Instrument, it and piano opening thenumber in conjunction with the searing trumpet
section laying out the tempo and theme, which pushes
the arrangement along. We also get a taste of theinterplay between bassist Zoe Harrison and drummer
Bryana Crocket. This is what every big band aspires tobe: big, bold and brassy with stellar soloists.
For more information, visit outsideinmusic.com. This
project is at Dizzy’s Club Sep. 19th. See Calendar.

Green of WinterBattle Trance (New Amsterdam)by George Grella

Battle Trance is a liminal group making liminal music.

They are a saxophone quartet, but unlike any othersince the instrumentation is four tenor saxophones andtheir compositional organization and playing exist ina space somewhere between avant garde composition,
improvisation and rock (the tether to jazz is there, butmainly through the saxophone itself and the non-Battle
Trance playing of members like Travis LaPlante).
Their 2014 debut, Palace of Wind, is still in a class of
its own, a long-form arc-shaped piece, which can really
only be related to Harley Gaber ’s obscure, justintonation, minimalist string ensemble piece The Wind
Rises In The North.
The other, fundamental liminal quality of thegroup is that everything begins and ends withbreathing. Yes, that is how you play the saxophone, butbreathing, how exhalation turns into instrumental
sound and, maybe, pitch and then dissipates, is where
their debut piece and this single, three-movement
work begins and ends: dal niente, al niente. The concept
and aesthetics sounds like a realization of Ligeti’s
dreams of attics filled with cobwebs, but for saxophones
rather than massed voices.
But there are voices here too, as breathing out often
turns into singing, both along with and instead ofmaking the reeds vibrate. Each breath out builds toa mass of sound, often lovely and evocative and thenaccumulates into plateaus of pithy, melodic homophonyand stretches of what comes off as improvisation. The
feel of this, the quality, is more like pop music thananything else, full of sweetness and lyricism.
Out of context, this would be clichéd (and there area few clichés that do mar the album, moments where a
dream-like experience is jerked back into reality), but inthis piece, it is egalitarian and communicative. Green of
Winter is a grand rising and falling of glossolalia thatcomes together into specific words, a star-like burningout of which sunflowers appear.
For more information, visit newamrecords.com. This projectis at Pioneer Works Sep. 20th. See Calendar.

THE NEW YORK CITY JAZZ RECORD | SEPTEMBER 2022 21

Piano Music
Satoko Fujii (Libra)
Any News
Satoko Fujii/Alister Spence (ASM)
Mosaic: This Is It!
Satoko Fujii (Libra)
by Kurt Gottschalk

Any but the most avid of listeners to pianist Satoko

Fujii’s records would be forgiven for falling behind overthe last several years. In 2018, she issued a CD a month
to mark her 60th birthday. She has slacked off sincethen, with only a half-dozen or so albums a year. It is a
bit of a cliché to say that you can’t keep up with anartist’s output. The difference with Fujii is that any discyou fish out of the barrel is likely to be pretty spectacular.
Lockdown only encouraged her to try new things.
The simply titled Piano Music may rank among the bestin her extensive discography; it is certainly one of themost unusual. Two long tracks (19 and 27 minutes,
with a third part released digitally) of sound collage
are built from home recordings of her piano, played
traditionally, percussively, with preparations andinside the case. It is surprisingly outside-the-lines fora musician whose work is so often linear and scoredand that makes it that much more of a treasure. It isa bold album and one that shouldn’t be missed.
Any News, Fujii’s set of duets with pianist Alister
Spence was recorded in three sessions over the internet
between her home in Kobe, Japan and his in Sydney,
Australia. The two have appeared in duo live andrecorded the wonderfully fresh Intelsat in 2017, on
which Spence is heard on Fender Rhodes. Fujii’s
Orchestra Kobe recorded a strong album-length suiteof his music (Imagine Meeting You Here, 2017) and thetwo have played together in Bright Force with Natsuki
Tamura. This, however, is their first two-piano album
and it is a well-programmed pleasure. The first third isa gentle drift, recalling Something About Water, a record
Fujii made nearly 30 years ago with her former teacher,Paul Bley. With “The First Day of Autumn”—one of two
tracks breaking the 10-minute mark—the two maketheir ways inside their pianos and mark a shift in moodand tempo represented in the titles (“Puzzle Piece”,“Dice Piece 3”, “Ping Pong”). The second, long piece(“Improvisation 2”) sets the tone for a lovely closer in“Dice Piece 1”. Barely breaking an hour, the album isfull of easy joy and soft contemplation.
Fujii can generally be counted upon for smart,
upbeat tunes. Her music isn’t simple, but more often
than not can elicit a smile. If that mood is lacking in the
piano musics above, it can be found on Mosaic, the newalbum by her trio with trumpeter Tamura and drummer
Takashi Itani. Recorded online in real time, between
Kobe and Tokyo, the album is alive, full of spirit andtight changes. The Latin-tinged “Habana’s Dream”
and more exploratory rollick “76 RK” bookend threecomparatively more somber tracks, the most notablebeing “Dieser Zug” for Itani’s lovely vibraphone work.
The band name suggests immediacy, one that theyremarkably found crossing the 400 miles between
them. It is joyously convincing.
All of the above accolades aside, Fujii’s strong suithas long been writing and arranging for large ensembles,
something impossibly difficult over the last couple ofyears. While it is a pleasure to peek in on how she has
been spending the pandemic, it will be a thrill to see her
convene a powerful nonet this month to play and record
her Hyaku: One Hundred Dreams. It has been at least 100
dreams too long since she has played in town.
For more information, visit librarecords.com and alisterspence.com.
Fujii is at The DiMenna Center Sep. 20th. See Calendar.

22 SEPTEMBER 2022 | THE NEW YORK CITY JAZZ RECORD

Bhakti
Zoh Amba (Mahakala Music)
by Matty Bannond2022 has the coming-out party for Zoh Amba. In

March, the 22-year-old saxophonist’s debut album
O, Sun was released on Tzadik. Bhakti is now her fourth
release this year. She is joined by pianist Micah Thomas
and drummer Tyshawn Sorey, with guitarist Matt
Hollenberg added to the third and final track.
The soul-bearing and primal-screaming begins on
opener “Altar-Flower”. Amba fires a scorching barragestraight from the heart. Rumbling chords andrampaging percussion throw fuel on the fire. Twists
and turns keep the listener meat-hooked for almost 30
minutes and the flow of ruthless candor relents only fora few pockets of prettiness. It is an apoplectic andapocalyptic way to launch an album. The heat cools for“The Drop And The Sea”. Albert Ayler’s influence isclear in Amba’s use of flat-sharp oscillations and a thin,reedy tone during the track’s hymnal opening phase.
Thomas and Sorey hang back, then pounce. Coaxing
turns to chasing. The musicians push each other to run
off at the mouth, shoot from the hip and howl from thegut. Hollenberg chucks extra spice into the bubblingcauldron for “Awaiting Thee”. Thomas and Sorey mesh
together with the new participant skillfully while Amba
adds a troubled and troubling edge.
Bhakti is an album that dances along a knife-edge,
teetering from violence to vulnerability and back again
with every suffocating breath. Amba’s blazing
saxophone voice is perilously uninhibited and her
wide-open spirit conjures a pulsating one-hour
listening experience. Rather than blunting the blade,her prolific output in 2022 is making Amba’s musicrazor sharp. And it is still only September…
For more information, visit mahakalamusic.com. This
project is at Roulette Sep. 27th. See Calendar.

The Chopin Project
Kurt Rosenwinkel/Jean-Paul Brodbeck (Heartcore)by Anna Steegmann

American jazz guitarist Kurt Rosenwinkel and Swiss

pianist Jean-Paul Brodbeck teamed up to create The
Chopin Project, a daring and successful endeavor to
rework the music of the leading pianist and composerof the Romantic period. Brodbeck provided
arrangements and they recruited drummer Jorge Rossy,
stalwart member of the Spanish and American jazz
communities, and Swiss bassist Lukas Traxel, amember of Brodbeck’s trio. The pair provide energetic
textures for Brodbeck, Rosenwinkel’s ecstatic lines
rising above, the ensemble transforming Chopin’s
timeless melodies into something profoundly new.
There are ten captivating takes on Chopin’s works,
all six to seven minutes. Romantic melodies turn into
swing, folk melodies transform into the blues andelegant melodies become postbop and bossa. Brodbeck

says about his process: “I was so driven by Chopin’sworld over the years… I began to absorb his aesthetics
and approach to phrasing and melodies. I let it speak
naturally with my jazz language and then I started tohear Kurt’s guitar sound in this music that led to thosearrangements.” The entire album exemplifies beautiful
ensemble work, great chemistry and rapport.
The first track, “Étude in E-flat minor (Op. 10, No.
6)”, is bluesy, haunting and seductive with its gorgeous
tone. Rosenwinkel shines on the exquisite “Nocturne in
C-sharp minor (Op. 27, No. 1)” and “Valse in C-sharp
minor (Op. 64, No. 2)”, the latter a robust, uptempo,
interpretation. “Nocturne in C-sharp minor (Op. 27, No.
1)”, characterized by an elegant, languorous mood, fades
beautifully. Brodbeck is fluid and graceful in “Prélude in
E Major (Op. 28, No. 9)” and slow and tender on“Nouvelle Étude in A-flat Major (No. 2)”, which is
riveting for its dreamy mood and remarkable for Traxel’s
brilliant lines. “Prelude in A-minor (Op. 29, No. 2)” feels
Chick Corea-infused while “‘Raindrop’ Prélude in D-Flat
Major (Op. 28, No. 15)”, gentle like a summer breeze,enchants with its warm and tender tone.
This album will appeal both to fans of classicalmusic and jazz. Chopin must be smiling down fromheaven—or wherever musicians spend the afterlife—
listening to this brilliant interpretation of his work.

ride cymbal. Elsewhere Virelles’ pulse is lesspronounced, floating right-hand ideas over relaxed but
firm left-hand figures, used to especial effect on“Rezo”, “Ignacio Villa”, “Mambo Escalonado” and“Pórtico”. The opening track is played on marímbula,a wooden box with metal keys emanating soft, thicksounds, coalescing into a six-beat pattern to end witha resounding smack. Even if Nuno isn’t an ‘easy’ listen,
there is coherent beauty in Virelles’ most dissonant
chords, deep intention in his most abstract gestures.
For more information, visit pirecordings.com. Virelles is at
Roulette Sep. 18th as part of a Tomasz Stańko tribute and
Bar Bayeux Sep. 28th with Ohad Talmor. See Calendar.

For more information, visit heartcore-records.com. Rosenwinkel
is at Village Vanguard Sep. 27th-Oct. 2nd. See Calendar.

NunaDavid Virelles (Pi)by Tom Greenland

Santiago-born pianist David Virelles defies easy

categorization, though its possible to glean certain
musical influences—Cuban folkloric, European
classical, North American jazz—and a shortlist of his
collaborators—Chris Potter, Tomasz Stańko, Steve
Coleman, Andrew Cyrille, Henry Threadgill, Wadada
Leo Smith, Román Diaz, Román Filiú—gives anindication of his aesthetic affinities. Nuna is his seventh
date as a leader (since 2007’s Motion), third on the
Pi label and first (mostly) solo effort, where he is joinedby percussionist Julio Barreto on three tracks.
Although the two covers, “Cuando Canta El
Cornetín” and “Germania” (by Mariano Mercerón and
Gumersindo Garay García, respectively, both fellow
Santiagueros), are buffered by functional harmonies,
Virelles’ compositions are not so patently tonal, relying
more on linear motion of separate, highly independentlines underpinned by unusual chord voicings, which,though they could suggest a certain harmony, often
contain tones that subvert such harmony, suggestingsomething else, maybe something entirely different.
The result is not so much hummable melodies as
abstract textures—melodic ‘vectors’ if you will—containing their own motion and logic, even if that
logic may not be easy to identify.
Played on a piano without preparations or
enhancements, the recording is notable for Virelles’
deft, mercurial touch, evoking a range of incisive yet
legato runs, percussive punctuations, swelling
overtones, high-octave chimes, rolled arpeggios, dense
polychords, fractured montunos and high-speed, Cecil
Taylor-esque interjections. The tracks Barreto appearson (“Ghost Town”, “Ignacio Villa”, “Pórtico”) featurestrong grooves of layered cajón, congas, guataca(Cuban marimba), claves and what sounds like a dry

THE NEW YORK CITY JAZZ RECORD | SEPTEMBER 2022 23

Bright Light
Mark Sherman (The Audiophile Society)by Scott Yanow

Mark Sherman has had a wide-ranging career. He

studied classical piano and percussion, played drums
in a trio with Kenny Kirkland, performed with Wynton
Marsalis and was a fixture on Broadway. A busy studiomusician on drums, percussion, piano and vibraphone,
he worked with everyone from Peggy Lee to Larry
Coryell. Sherman has led at least 18 albums and since1997 has been best known as a vibraphonist. However
in recent years he has focused more on piano (his first
instrument), displaying both impressive technique andan original style within jazz’ modern mainstream.
Bright Light features Sherman exclusively on pianoin a quartet with Joe Morganelli (trumpet andflugelhorn), Dean Johnson (bass) and Tim Horner(drums); this unit was frequently Sherman’s groupduring 2006-12. They perform seven of the leader ’ssongs plus three jazz standards.
The first three numbers (“Bright Light”, “Uplifting”
and “Miles In Front”), all by Sherman, are joyful
performances with original chord changes, speedy
double-time lines by Magnarelli during his solos andfine spots for the leader. The mood shifts with Arthur
Hamilton’s “Cry Me A River”, an emotional trio outing
with Sherman putting plenty of feeling into thestandard’s melody. “Suddenly” is his tribute to the latepianist Frank Kimbrough. It is more upbeat than somber,celebrating his life rather than being excessively
mournful. Sherman jams a midtempo blues with the trio(“Blues On The Run”) and plays with sensitivity on his
ballad “For EH”, a song with one of his most memorable
melodies. The remainder of the program consists of aswinging version of Joe Henderson’s “Serenity”, a trio
exploration of Bud Powell’s bop classic “Hallucinations”
and the fiery “Eternal Sound”.
This outing makes the case that, in addition to hisother talents, Sherman is a top-notch jazz pianist.
For more information, visit theaudiophilesociety.com. This
project is at Smalls Sep. 20th. See Calendar.

Nu-Jive: Nations United
Troy Roberts (Toy Robot)
by Dan Bilawsky

This fourth release from Troy Roberts’ slick andsophisticated Nu-Jive is a global affair embracing
a wide range of musical languages and styles. Reflecting
the diverse backgrounds of the band’s membership, withorigins spanning a number of countries and continents,
this work also speaks to firm belief in broad-minded
expression beyond those personal and geographic
anchors. With well over a decade of experience in action
at this point, Nu-Jive remains as imaginative as everwhile exploring this particular course.
Opening with “Funkafarian”, this outfit appends
soulful grooves to reggae riffing and a fired-up neo-

gospel outro. The first of ten tasty Roberts originals, it
proves powerful in its marriage of multiple dimensions.
Followup number “Tribes & Tribulations”, drawing
attention to the plights surrounding recognition for
Aboriginal and African American tribes in modern
times, features impassioned blowing and strong signsof life from all corners of the quintet. “Mind Melder”
leans on an idea from Star Trek and conceptual
strength(s) drawn from the music of Africa, Cuba,
India and elsewhere. “Linger”, built on a vamp from
Roberts’ “Hightail”, stirs circular energy. And “BigNight In”, which parties on its own terms, recognizes
pandemic nightlife and offers a definite detour witha bridge built around Venezuelan merengue.
Roberts, guitarist Tim Jago, pianist/keyboard
player Silvano Monasterios, bassist Eric England anddrummer David Chiverton have developed their own
collective sound—literally and figuratively electric, boththoughtful and hard-hitting with turn-on-a-dime
capabilities and plenty of room for interplay and solo
space—and they put it to good use on the first half of the
program and what follows. That latter run includes“Sobrino”, a slow-burner featuring England; “Big Daddy
Ghetto-Rig”, a cyclical joint and the latest in a series ofdedicatory tracks nodding to Dana Salminen, the band’srecording engineer; “Five Nations”, an inviting number
respecting the Mohawk, Oneida, Onondaga, Cayuga
and Seneca, which, together, once comprised the Iroquois
Confederacy; and saxophone-and-drums stage-setter“Hypnagogia” with tension-filled closer “Dreamstation”,
which relishes connection, the art of transition andopportunities to overlay different thoughts. From album
to album and track to track, it remains clear that Nu-Jivenever runs out of things to say.
For more information, visit toyrobotmusic.com. This projectis at Nublu 151 Sep. 9th. See Calendar.

Staycation
Ralph Lalama (SteepleChase)by Ken Dryden

Tenor saxophonist Ralph Lalama has been playing

jazz for a half-century, including 35 years in the
Vanguard Jazz Orchestra. Going stir crazy after nearlya year of the COVID-19 pandemic, he put together arecording session in early 2021 that is kind of a family
affair, as it involves his wife, vocalist Nicole Pasternak
Lalama, brother Dave Lalama (who contributed three
originals for the date), plus a second husband-and wife
team, Lalama’s good friend Joe Magnarelli (trumpet)
and his wife, Akiko Tsuruga (organ), plus drummer
Clifford Barbaro, who isn’t a blood relative but aregular collaborator for decades. The session seems to
unfold effortlessly, even with a bevy of new material in
addition to a pair of time-tested standards.
The leader ’s title track produces a hip groove with
Lalama blending lyricism spiced with occasional gritwhile Magnarelli’s more circular solo journey has aplayfulness reminiscent of Clark Terry. The swaggering“I Could Not Compare You” was penned by Nicole
Lalama with chord changes contributed by Mike
Holober; it suggests the heyday of vocalese solos
created on the spot to instrumentals, though in thiscase, the lyric came first. Any Vanguard Jazz Orchestra
veteran has a great respect for Thad Jones’ brilliant
writing and Lalama’s engaging “Thaditude” is areworking of the late trumpeter ’s “Quietude”.
Brother Dave doesn’t play on the date, but his

24 SEPTEMBER 2022 | THE NEW YORK CITY JAZZ RECORD

compositions fit the band perfectly. His Latin-flavored“Stutter Steps” and funky “Good Trouble” would get
any audience on their feet swaying along with them.
The grand finale is an uptempo workout of Peter
DeRose-Bert Shefter ’s ‘40s ballad “The Lamp Is Low”,
featuring warm vocals and soulful organ, followed byinventive trumpet and tenor solos. Throughout thedate, Barbaro propels the mood, providing high-octane
fuel for the group.
For more information, visit steeplechase.dk. Lalama is at
Ornithology Sep. 14th, Flying Lobster Sep. 24th and Village
Vanguard Mondays with the Vanguard Jazz Orchestra.
See Calendar.

IN PRINT

Sound Experiments: The Music of the AACMPaul Steinbeck (University of Chicago Press)
by Kurt Gottschalk

The formality of the musical score has largely kept

jazz masters out of the league of great composers since
the inception of the form. It is difficult to point to agroup more dramatically left out of the pantheon thanthe Association for the Advancement of Creative
Musicians (AACM). Surely Muhal Richard Abrams,
Anthony Braxton and Henry Threadgill are as
deserving of a place at the table of 20th Century musicalgenius as are George Crumb, Mauricio Kagel and
Karlheinz Stockhausen. Innovations in scoring, it
seems, are only recognized by certain demographics.
From the annals of academia, Paul Steinbeck is
working to change that. An Associate Professor ofMusic at Washington University in St. Louis and authorof Message to Our Folks: The Art Ensemble of Chicago,
Steinbeck breaks down the recordings of nine AACM
leaders and ensembles to illustrate intricacies unseen
on the printed page. In particular, he examines
recordings by Abrams, Braxton, Threadgill (with his
early trio Air), Fred Anderson, George Lewis, Roscoe
Mitchell, Wadada Leo Smith, Nicole Mitchell and
AACM Great Black Music Ensemble to highlight thevarying ways the composers have used improvisationand individual decision-making to create a musicrooted in jazz, African and African-American traditions.
Musical analysis dominates the text, but
Steinbeck’s thoughtful writing makes the descriptions
work on several levels: for a student, or anyone
interested in learning about how the music works; fora non-musician who may breeze past the score excerpts
but dig into the plain-speak breakdowns; or theattentive fan who can relate the structures discussed tostage dynamics they have witnessed.
The most valuable parts are discussions of Lewis’work in interactive electronics and a chapter including
a biographical sketch of reedplayer Mwata Bowden andmusical analysis of the little recognized Great Black
Music Ensemble, active since 2005. The shortcoming iscommon in AACM writings: Steinbeck all but ignoresthe ‘90s. The book certainly doesn’t claim to becomprehensive, but it is a shame to see that decade of
the organization’s history and, in particular Edward
Wilkerson’s great 8 Bold Souls, overlooked once again.
For more information, visit press.uchicago.edu. A bookrelease event is at Rizzoli Bookstore Sep. 9th.

The Q Sessions
Christian McBride (Mack Avenue)by George Kanzler

Until Marcus Strickland’s tenor saxophone intones thetheme, at the conclusion of the first track, you would be
hard-pressed to identify it as Ornette Coleman’s “Blues
Connotation”. Of the over three-dozen covers of thetune in the 60-plus years since Coleman’s quartet
recorded it, this one is probably the least Ornette-ish.
Bassist Christian McBride casts it here as the blues
member of a trio of distinctly different representative
tracks, alongside a jaunty standard and a funky original,
comprising his half-hour The Q Sessions quartet EP.
According to McBride, the session was his opportunity
to play with a guitarist he highly admires, Mike Stern.
Rounding out the band are Strickland, on soprano aswell as tenor, and drummer Eric Harland.
Coleman’s original “Blues Connotation” ispropelled by snappy, repetitious, racing rhythms.
McBride’s version is anchored by his warm, bluesy
walking basslines, which begin the track, and then are
joined by drums as Stern constructs a long, choketoned solo. Strickland’s evocative solo is followed by
the leader ’s equally engaging pizzicato interlude, thenguitar and tenor trade choruses with drums before
Strickland’s theme closer.
A bass ostinato and perky, syncopated drums
introduce Bronisław Kaper-Ned Washington’s “On
Green Dolphin Street”, guitar and soprano vamping
into the melody, dominated by the latter, Strickland
also taking the first solo. Stern evokes a high, electric
tone in his solo, alternating chords with quicksilverlines. McBride fashions a compelling narrative in his
pizzicato solo before guitar and soprano engage inoften-bright trades with Harland. Stern and Strickland
continue to dialogue in tandem in an extended coda.
McBride switches to electric bass for his funkyoriginal, “Brouhaha”, Harland joining in hip-hop
rhythms. Solos from tenor and guitar (Stern in fulljazz-rock mode) are punched up by an emphatic
turnaround in the theme and this, the shortest track,ends with electric bass and drums soloing over riffing
guitar and saxophone. It caps off this short session
memorable for its interactive verve and pert enthusiasm
from a band most evidently enjoying itself.
For more information, visit mackavenue.com. McBride is atBlue Note Sep. 13th-18th. See Calendar.

Exit...Stage Left!
Cinghiale (Catalytic Sound)Prime Numbers
Paul Lytton/Joe McPhee/Ken Vandermark(Catalytic Sound)
The Field Within A LineKen Vandermark (Corbett vs. Dempsey)by John Sharpe

As well as being a prolific bandleader and composer,
Chicago reedplayer Ken Vandermark has also thought
more than most about how to fashion a sustainable
income stream from experimental music. As such he isa leading figure in Catalytic Sound, a musicians’

cooperative acting as a distributor, organizer, fundraiser
and most recently streaming service. One of the benefits
for subscribers, beyond the warm glow from supporting
creative artists, is that they receive an exclusive digital
album each month, of which two are considered here,
alongside a more conventional release.
Exit...Stage Left reunites Vandermark with fellow
reed maven Mars Williams under the moniker
Cinghiale, a banner resurrected from a partnershipthat last recorded in 1996. By that time they had worked
together in a variety of groups, including the NRG
Ensemble and not least the Vandermark Five. They
wrote new material for a couple of festival shows inearly 2019, which were so successful that they took it
on tour, where this album was captured. Even though
only a duo, Cinghiale comes on like a saxophone
quartet (think World as much as ROVA). On sevenpieces (four by Vandermark, three from Williams) they
combine adventurous tonal control with foot-stomping
drive in carefully crafted arrangements slipping in andout of punchy unisons and contrapuntal lines, spiced
by sassy asides, solo breaks and spontaneous fills, allwoven into an intricate thread. There is humor too, as
Williams’ instrumental command stretches to an
evocation of a wailing infant during his part-dreamy,
part-fractious “The Baby Barks”. It is a high-octane setof full-on engagement.
On Prime Numbers, a 2003 date from Chicago’s
Empty Bottle, Vandermark is with reedplayer Joe
McPhee and British drummer Paul Lytton mingling fiery
outpourings, judiciously calibrated timbral exchanges
and bittersweet refrains hovering somewhere between
Albert Ayler, gospel and Americana. Vandermark and
McPhee share a special bond forged in the cauldron ofPeter Brötzmann’s Chicago Tentet; at times it can bedifficult to distinguish between them, particularly in full
flight, although ultimately Vandermark’s propensity forreiterated motifs that aid overall form and McPhee’s
fondness for extemporized melody that often furnish thepunctuation within that flow, serve as reliable markers.
But it is Lytton who gives this set its distinctive flavor.
That is partly due to his resolutely non-rhythmic
movement and unconventional textures, which suggest
slowly tipping out the contents of a toolbox. But it is also
down to his almost willfully unexpected gambits. One
comes right at the start as Vandermark launches into
series of baritone bellows and screams. Lytton’s responseis the complete opposite of the anticipated percussive
tumult (though there is that too later), selecting instead asteady tick. The sound of surprise indeed.
Like many, Vandermark turned to unaccompanied
recording during the pandemic. The Field Within A Line
offers a great opportunity to hear Vandermark without
distraction as he avails himself of all the techniques ofthe modern practitioner in his drive to communicate.
Each track has two dedicatees from various disciplines
who have been important to Vandermark over thisperiod. But one of the most noteworthy influences sansa dedication is the author William Burroughs, whose
cut-up method—a literary equivalent of the collage—
assumes a significant role in these performances or, in
Vandermark’s words, “impacted the construction anddeconstruction of compositional strategies used on therecordings.” So on “Arcade of Persuasive Language”
for example, bass clarinet juxtaposes stuttered plosives,a light melodic air, multiphonic squeaks, resonant long
tones and a circular-breathed drone, perpetuallykeeping the listener off balance. At the other extreme is
the restless abstraction of several brief lyrical pieces,which pack direct emotional heft, such as the heartfelt“Shared Testament”, bluesy “Every Waiting Room” orspryly courtly “Capture Chaos”, which recalls
Elizabethan folk song. The introspective feel istempered by vigor, conviction and passion.
For more information, visit catalytic-sound.bandcamp.com
and corbettvsdempsey.bandcamp.com. Vandermark is atMichiko Studios Sep. 10th. See Calendar.

THR
9/1

Henry Hey Trio
Duane Eubanks Quartet

7:30PM
10:30PM

FRI
9/2

Ed Cherry Quartet
Nick Hempton Band

7:30PM
10:30PM

TUE
9/6

Nanny Assis Brazilian Quartet
Itai Kriss & Telavana

7:30PM
10:30PM

WED
9/7

Charles Ruggiero Quartet
Rachel Z Quartet

7:30PM
10:30PM

THR
9/8

Michael Kanan Trio
Ben Wolfe Trio

7:30PM
10:30PMFRI
9/9

Spike Wilner Trio
Hudson Horns
After Dark with Kenner

7:30PM
10:30PM
1:00AM

SAT
9/10

Mike LeDonne Trio
Roxy Coss Quintet
Late Night with Sam Dillon

7:30PM
10:30PM
1:00AMMON
9/12

David Yee Quartet
Joe Block Trio

7:30PM
10:30PMTUE
9/13

Pedro Cortes Flamenco Ensemble
Los Hacheros with Jeremy Bosch

7:30PM
10:30PMWED
9/14

Joe Peri Trio ft. David Kikoski
Eric Alexander Quartet

7:30PM
10:30PM

THR
9/15

David Gibson Quartet
David Hazeltine Quartet

7:30PM
10:30PMFRI
9/16

An Evening with Dave McMurray
After Dark with KENNER

7:30PM
1:00AM

SAT
9/17

An Evening with Dave McMurray
Late Night with Sam Dillon

7:30PM
1:00AMSUN
9/18

Benny Benack III Quartet
Neal Miner Trio

6:30PM
9:30PMMON
9/19

Hank Allen-Barfield Quintet
Eitan Kenner Quartet

7:30PM
10:30PMTUE
9/20

7:30PM
Helio Alves Quartet
Manuel Valera & New Cuban Express 10:30PM

WED
9/21

Ari Hoenig Trio
Dan Aran Band

7:30PM
10:30PM

THR
9/22

Michael Rabinowitz Quartet
C. Antony Bryant

7:30PM
10:30PM

FRI
9/23

Ty Bailie B3 Trio
Richard Cortez
After Dark with KENNER

7:30PM
10:30PM
1:00AM

SAT
9/24

DJANGO ANNIVERSARY
Benny Benack III
Django All-Stars
Late Night with Sam Dillon

7:30PM
10:30PM
1:00AM

SUN
9/25

Jonny King Ft. Steve Wilson
Noah Haidu Trio

6:30PM
9:30PMMON
9/26

Liam Sutcliffe ft. Byron Landham
Sarah King Quartet

7:30PM
10:30PMDINNER, LIBATIONS & LIVE JAZZ!

THEDJANGONYC.COM
2 AVE OF THE AMERICAS

THE NEW YORK CITY JAZZ RECORD | SEPTEMBER 2022 25

Eponymous
John Scofield (ECM)
by Robert BushIn the 45 years since releasing his first album as aleader, guitarist John Scofield has matured into the roleof a leading voice on the instrument. Solo represents
his third contribution to the ECM label as a leader or
co-leader, following Saudades with Larry Goldings andJack DeJohnette (2004) and Swallow Tales with Steve
Swallow and Bill Stewart (2019).
This latest disc is quite different. ECM has a long
tradition with solo guitar albums, ranging from John
Abercrombie’s Characters (1977) all the way up to
Ralph Towner ’s stunning My Foolish Heart (2016).
On those albums and indeed on most ECM productions,
one can feel the influence and ears of long-time ECM
founder Manfred Eicher. Solo was recorded last August
at Top Story Studio in a tiny hamlet of Katonah, New
York. Tyler McDiarmid was the engineer and Eicher
acted as executive producer.
Scofield plays a wildly eclectic set of about 50%
originals balanced by four jazz standards and several
rock, country and traditional pieces like “Danny Boy”,“Not Fade Away” (Buddy Holly) and “You Win Again”(Hank Williams). The sound is stark and profoundly
minimalistic, with Scofield usually brushing out a few
chords into a looper then tracking the melody andsolos on top. Nowhere to be found is the heavily
reverbed “ECM sound”.
Repertoire from the Great American Songbook
comes off as the most compelling prima facie case for
Scofield as a master improviser. There is a palpable joy
hearing him swinging gently over a tune like Jimmy
Van Heusen-Johnny Burke’s “It Could Happen To
You”, evoking the spirit of cats like Barney Kessel andWes Montgomery along the way. There is also much toadmire in the guitarist’s wistful exploration of “DannyBoy”, which Scofield claims is “everybody’s favorite
song if they’re being honest.” That is a stretch, but one
can definitely still be moved by this performance.
Somewhat troubling, perhaps, is Scofield’s overreliance on his admittedly impressive vibrato. A little
goes a long way and there is a lot more than a little
throughout this otherwise stellar recording.
For more information, visit ecmrecords.com. Scofield is atBlue Note Sep. 27th-Oct. 2nd. See Calendar.

Valse Sinistre
Billy Drummond and Freedom Of Ideas(Cellar Music Group)by Phil Freeman

It is astonishing that Billy Drummond hasn’t made analbum under his own name in over 25 years, but it istrue. His last release as a leader was 1996’s Dubai, an
ass-kicking quartet date with saxophonists Chris
Potter and Walt Weiskopf and bassist Peter Washington.
It featured a few new pieces (one by Drummond

himself, two by Weiskopf, one by Potter) and somerelative obscurities by Irving Berlin, Pat Metheny,
Dewey Redman and Billy Strayhorn. He has kept busy
in the interval, of course; no one with this much talentis going be sitting around long.
This album puts him in the Art Blakey-esqueposition of corralling three players many years younger
than himself. Drummond is 63 while saxophonist
Dayna Stephens is 44, bassist Dezron Douglas is 41 andpianist Micah Thomas is just 25. The session was
produced by trumpeter Jeremy Pelt.
As on Dubai, the tunes come from all over, with
only two new pieces: “Never Ends” by Thomas andDrummond’s “Changes for Trane & Monk”. The others
are Jackie McLean’s “Little Melonae”, starting things
off on a bebop note; a smoky treatment of the David
Raksin ballad “Laura”; Carla Bley’s rarely recorded
title track; Grachan Moncur III’s “Frankenstein”; Frank
Kimbrough’s “Clara’s Room”; Stanley Cowell’s“Reconfirmed”; and Tony Williams’ “Lawra”. Moncur,
Kimbrough and Cowell have all died within the last
two years, making this album a particularly potent
tribute to large swaths of the music’s history.
The performances aren’t soaked in mood-killing
reverence, however. The tunes are treated like tunes,
not collections of chords, and the structures, particularly“Frankenstein”, seem to inspire them to leap aroundand bounce off one another. Stephens switches between
tenor and soprano and Thomas occasionally has aremarkably vibraphone-like percussiveness. Douglas isa thick supporting column in the middle of it all andDrummond’s playing has a vibrant energy, even whenjust brushing his way through a ballad. It is good tohave him back as a leader.
For more information, visit cellarlive.com. Drummond is at
Smalls Sep. 23rd-24th. See Calendar.

A Midsummer Odyssey (featuring Ben Monder)
Randal Despommier (Sunnyside)by Marco CangianoThis is an album by an up-and-coming alto saxophonist

to an almost forgotten jazz hero. Let’s start with Randal
Despommier, a New Orleans-born and New Yorkadopted artist who captured listeners’ attention withhis daring 2020 debut Dio c’e’. He is not only an
accomplished player but also a teacher, composer andjazz historian. Which leads us to Lars Gullin, to whom
the record is dedicated and whose compositions arefeatured. Gullin was a baritone saxophonist from
Sweden who never set foot in the United States anddied at 48 in 1976, but not before leaving behinda legacy of exciting recordings and bop-inspired
compositions, many of which were inspired by Swedish
folksong. It is thus no surprise to find out that quite
a few of Gullin’s compositions later had lyrics added.
The connection between the two apparently very
distant musicians was sparked by a casual encounterthat took place in 2005 when Despommier heard
Gullin’s “Danny’s Dream” for the first time. Fast
forward then to 2021, when Despommier rediscovered
Gullin’s compositions and decided to record some ofthem in duo with guitarist Ben Monder. The result isan outstanding inner look not only at Gullin’s poetic
world but also at Despommier ’s talent and deep
understanding and appreciation of the jazz tradition.
The music is mainly melodic and lyrical, inevitably
recalling the “Cool” era. Despommier has been

26 SEPTEMBER 2022 | THE NEW YORK CITY JAZZ RECORD

compared to Paul Desmond but it is Lee Konitz who
really comes to mind thanks to his essentially angularlines. Monder is a wonder in his capacity to blend,
support and drive. His basslines are reminiscent ofBilly Bauer, another unsung jazzer whose contributions
should be rediscovered much as Gullin’s.
Opener “Toka Voka Oka Boka” sets the scene with
Monder ’s
mysterious
harmonies
leadingtoDespommier ’s bouncing lines. The ballads “Danny’s
Dream” (dedicated by Gullin to his son), “Silhouette”
and “I Hope It’s Spring for You” stand out as theycapture Gullin’s understated melancholy throughKonitz’ lens as Despommier and Monder trade andweave melodic lines. But there are also plenty of joyous
moments, such as the bossa nova-inspired “I min smalasäng” and “BBC Blues”, a lively boppish take on the
12-bar traditional form. This is a wonderful recording
and much-deserved tribute to Gullin’s music.
For more information, visit sunnysiderecords.com. This
project is at Soapbox Gallery Sep. 29th. See Calendar.

Mesmerism
Tyshawn Sorey (Yeros7 Music)
by George Grella

The frustration with Tyshawn Sorey’s parallel careers

as both pre-eminent jazz drummer and important
contemporary classical composer is that one has to
wait patiently for something new in one area evenwhile enjoying his latest accomplishment in the other.
But now, with excellent timing, comes this recent piano
trio album ahead of the opening of his major new work
Monochromatic Light (Afterlife), staged by Peter Sellars
at the Park Avenue Armory the end of this month.
Mesmerism is his second self-released album,
following the magnificent Unfiltered. It is, in a word,
fantastic, and in another, illuminating. One always
hears new jazz piano trios with the hopes that they will
inaugurate a longterm musical relationship on par withthose from Keith Jarrett and Fred Hersch and the talenthere, pianist Aaron Diehl and bassist Matt Brewer, is onthat level. This group is imaginative, flexible, tightly
coordinated while focused enough to expand on theunexpected without every losing their way.
By design, the musicians had very little rehearsal andnever performed together before this session. While
laying out themes and improvising, one hears themlistening to one another, forming the ideal group phrasingaround individual ideas, like playing musical exquisite
corpse, and coming out with perfect balance andcoherence. Diehl has the lead voice and it is a pleasure tohear him pull together so many things—George Gershwin,
Herbie Nichols, Robert Glasper—and come out withunique and often gorgeous transformations of standards.
Because that is the other draw here and it is a deep
one: how does Sorey lead a group playing standards
like “Autumn Leaves” and “Detour Ahead” and tunes
by Horace Silver, Paul Motian and others? There issomething about hearing a great artist use brushes on
the snare, splash the cymbal on the same beat Motian
would have. It is a great artist listening and responding
to the same music so many jazz heads love. More thanjust the sheer sound of this album, there is the feelingof Sorey and Co. sharing what we all love.
For more information, visit tyshawn-sorey.bandcamp.com.
Sorey is at Smoke Sep. 15th-18th with Vijay Iyer and Park
Avenue Armory Sep. 27th-Oct. 8th. See Calendar.

B OXED SE T

Even To This Day… Movement One: Inoculations(Music For Orchestra and Soloists)
Vinny Golia (Ninewinds/pfMENTUM)
by Robert Bush

Composer/multi-woodwind

virtuoso/bandleader
Golia is well represented on Even To This Day,a sprawling, ambitious and ultimately inspiring
testament to the unlimited parameters of humancreativity. Golia conceived this gargantuan project inpreparation for his 75th birthday in a performancefeaturing 75 musicians. Unfortunately, the COVID-19
pandemic struck and that performance never took
place. But Golia persevered and spent the better partof a year composing the first movement of thismasterpiece. It features a virtual orchestra with theaddition of 20 improvisors culled from the pool ofincredibly talented West Coast players who have
populated many of the composer’s musical landscapes.
Golia has never shied away from hard work. He
has appeared on hundreds of recordings since heemerged as a member of Anthony Braxton’s Creative
Orchestra (Köln) 1978 (hatART) and he plays more

instruments than one can comfortably mention withan alarming dexterity. This document, however,
could shock even long-time Golia advocates in its
leviathan proportions. What we have here are 12
discs (he calls them “modules”) comprising morethan 10 hours and 32 minutes of original music. He
is almost halfway done with the subsequent
movement Part Two: -Syncretism for the draw… (formetal band and orchestra) and there is also a
commitment for a third, as of yet unnamed
movement for symphony orchestra and improvisors.
He would have preferred to accomplish all of
this live in the same room but was forced to assemble
the music and send it out to the 20 players: Steve
Adams (sopranino and alto saxophones, alto andbass flutes and electronics), Matt Barbier (euphonium
and trombone), Kyle Bruckmann (oboe, English hornand electronics), Dan Clucas (cornet), Clint Dotson(drums), Tim Feeney (percussion), Ken Filiano (bass),
Randy Gloss (hand drums and electronic percussion),
Nathan Hubbard (drums and percussion), Jeff Kaiser(trumpet and electronics), Ellington Peet (drums),
Wayne Peet (piano, organ and synthesizer), Vicki Ray(prepared piano), Sarah Belle Reid (trumpet andelectronics), Steven Ricks (trombone and electronics),
William Roper (bombardondino, tuba and spoken
word), Derek Stein (cello), Cassia Streb (viola), BrianWalsh (Bb and bass clarinet) and Miller Wrenn (bass).
Special note must be given to longtime Golia ally
Wayne Peet, who not only plays excellent keyboards
but handled the huge task of engineering andassembling the music as it evolved.
The end result is astonishing. The orchestralwork itself (many of the pieces are throughcomposed) are brilliant examples of a hybrid fusionof the best advances in modern classical with healthy
doses of electronics and free improvisation. There
are moments that seem to evoke people like Braxton,
Karlheinz Stockhausen, Ornette Coleman, even
Bernard Herrmann, but mostly the music reflects an
extrapolation of Golia’s earlier work for small andmid-sized ensembles.
There are many examples of the soloists
ratcheting the music into a higher dimension.
Bruckmann’s English horn and oboe consistently
deliver, for instance. “From The Ancient Race”
introduces the tart cornet of Clucas who shines in allof his appearances. Hubbard’s drums and Roper ’stuba highlight “Project One Transition” as well.
Kaiser ’s trumpet and electronics are wonderfully
weird and Walsh’s bass clarinet, especially on “Elegy
For Don LaFontaine”, is absolutely riveting.
Ultimately, there are too many sterling contributions
to single out individually, but these improvisors
were all invited for a reason and don’t disappoint.
Which brings us to Golia himself as the starsoloist on many of these tracks. Few can play somany instruments so well. His work with the low
woodwinds like baritone saxophone or contrabass
clarinet is beautiful, but so are his contributions on
tenor saxophone, sopranino or C-flute. He playsthem all like they are his main axe.
It is hard to fathom how one man can have somuch music inside of him. There are many stories
that came out of the pandemic that we as a species
can justifiably celebrate. Even To This Day has to beright up there.
For more information, visit vinnygolia.com. Golia’s Large
Ensemble is at Roulette Sep. 9th. See Calendar.

THE NEW YORK CITY JAZZ RECORD | SEPTEMBER 2022 27

Pacifica Koral Reef
Wadada Leo Smith/Henry Kaiser/Alex Varty(577 Records)
by John Sharpe

Although not mentioned on the sleeve, there is an

intriguing back-story to Pacifica Koral Reef by the trio of
trumpeter Wadada Leo Smith and twin guitarists
Henry Kaiser and Alex Varty. Kaiser, who with Smithco-led Yo, Miles!, an incendiary outfit addressing Miles
Davis’ electric jazz funk masterpieces, invited Varty tojoin him in a duet to explore Smith’s titular
Ankhrasmation score. As divers (Varty amateur, Kaiser
professional), Smith’s inspiration for the work had
special resonance for both men. They certainly did it
justice, borne out by their varied and absorbing
interplay, at times suggesting the flux of light andshade underwater or the surge of changing currents.
Pleased with the outcome, Kaiser sent the recording to
Smith who liked it so much he asked to overdub sometrumpet parts.
But the resultant 55-minute album offers no clue
whatsoever as to its genesis: it is all perfectly in sync.
That is exemplified by the way in which Smith doesn’t
appear until ten minutes in, at a point where there isa slight lull, seeming tailor-made to encourage thetrumpeter ’s entry. Smith is similarly judicious about
when he plays throughout, revealing a keen sense oforchestration, both of his own sound and overall
ensemble dynamics. That can be said about Kaiser aswell. He sits out the opening period, allowing Varty(a sometime alternative rock guitarist who plies his
trade as an arts journalist in the Pacific Northwest) tofashion a beautiful solo introduction with folk, Indianraga and Spanish inflections, which cohere into an
introspective and occasionally even forlorn lament.
It is just one of a stream of notable moments,
others being the passage where plinking guitars
contrast with heraldic blues-infused trumpet fanfares,a rhythmic episode of harp-like plucks and sparetwangs, variously evoking such illustrious forebears as
Pete Cosey and Derek Bailey, and the sequence ofbright electronic textures bringing to mind a shoal offish glinting as they twist and turn.
For more information, visit 577records.com. Smith is at
Roulette Sep. 18th as part of a Tomasz Stańko tributeand The DiMenna Center Sep. 20th with Satoko Fujii.
See Calendar.

A Message From The People
Ray Charles (Tangerine)
Play Ray Charles
3 More Sounds (SP Records)
Shades of Ray (The Songs of Ray Charles)
Steve Tyrell (New Design)by Marilyn Lester

Blind by age seven, Ray Charles (who was born 72

years ago this month and died in 2004 at 73), aka“The Genius” and “Brother Ray”, was taught to readmusic written in Braille and play the piano at a schoolfor the deaf and blind. He dropped out at 15 to pursue
a music career and because of his genius, quickly

established himself as a professional. In his 20s he
combined soul music with blues, R&B, jazz and gospel
to create a unique style sung with a unique voice. He
was greatly influenced by fellow pianist/singer Nat
King Cole, who was, like Charles, lured into pop musicfrom jazz. Charles was also influenced by jazzsaxophonist Louis Jordan and R&B singer-pianist
Charles Brown. Ray Charles was rightly a muchlauded ‘musician’s musician’, influencing the work ofothers for generations beyond his lifetime.
In 1972, Charles produced A Message From The
People, heavily influenced by his Civil Rights advocacy
and move into progressive soul. Still highly regarded,
the album is a shining example of Charles’ genius.
It is a highly produced date of 10 tracks, with 16
musicians and his vocal backing group The Raelettes,
beginning and ending with anthems. The first, “LiftEvery Voice and Sing,” informally known as the Negro
National Anthem, was written as a hymn in 1905 (James
WeldonJohnson-J.
Rosamond
Johnson),andreverentially performed; Charles turns the tune on its
head with plenty of brass in astounding, energetic popgospel swing. The last track is an organ-backed, gospeltinged, R&B “America the Beautiful”, for which Charles
received much criticism at the time. With “Abraham,
Martin and John” (Dick Holler), Charles’ solo pianoleads into a choral soul dirge of emotive power. Solidly
planted in R&B are statement songs “Seems Like I Gotta
Do Wrong” (Dee Ervin-Lynne Farr) and “What Have
They Done to My Song, Ma” (Melanie Safka). The
protest throughout A Message From The People is not somuch an iron fist in a velvet glove, but potent enoughto make strong points about poverty, inequality,
brotherhood and more, still (if not more) relevant today.
The 3 Sounds (1956-73) was formed by pianist
Gene Harris with bassist Andrew Simpkins anddrummer Bill Dowdy. The Los Angeles-based 3 MoreSounds are pianist Robert Turner, drummer Carl
Burnett and bassist Henry Franklin, a later member ofa previous The 3 Sounds incarnation. These musiciansof a certain age play a double tribute to Harris andCharles, largely in a jump blues style. The 10 tracks ofPlay Ray Charles include very recognizable big hits,with Turner responsible for the heavy lifting. Each of
the players has a flexible light touch on their respective
instruments, with soulful driving beats moving
improvised melody forward. Ballads “Georgia on My
Mind” (Hoagy Carmichael) and “Moonlight inVermont” (Karl Suessdorf) offer the most room forsoulful improvisation, allowing Burnett and Franklin
to shine, especially with melodic bass in the latter
number. Toe-tappers such as Charles’ “Hallelujah,
I Love Her So” and two versions of “Hit the Road Jack”(Percy Mayfield) conform to midtempo. As a whole,
Play Ray Charles is a very pleasant collection of firstrate music.
Grammy Award-winning, blues and R&B-inspired
vocalist Steve Tyrell has been a Charles fan sincechildhood. He had long thought about making
a Charles album, with the COVID-19 lockdown theimpetus along with what would have been Charles’
90th birthday. Shades of Ray features the charting big
hits but also more intimate songbook standards suchas “Ruby” (Heinz Roemheld-Mitchell Parish) and“Am I Blue” (Harry Akst-Grant Clarke), both featuring
Alan Broadbent’s lyrical piano fronting lush
orchestrations. The album opens with “Let The Good
Times Roll” (Sam Theard-Fleecie Moore), since Tyrell,
who worked with Charles, heard him open with that
number many times. The Tyrell version is a swinging
little big band blues. A collaboration with Charles
himself is the unreleased duet “Curiosity” (Steve
Tyrell-Stephanie Tyrell-Guy Moon) with Charles backand Tyrell forward, in a perky pop style. Randy
Kerber ’s piano anchors the intensely blues-driven
ballad “Georgia on My Mind” (lyric by Stuart Gorrell)with a Raelette-style choral backing and muted
trumpet solo by the late Lew Soloff. Likewise, ballads

28 SEPTEMBER 2022 | THE NEW YORK CITY JAZZ RECORD“You Don’t Know Me” (Cindy Walker-Eddy Arnold)and “I Can’t Stop Loving You” (Don Gibson) are
intimate, emotive and straightforward. Energetic anduptempo, Charles’ “What’d I Say” is most closely
reminiscent of Charles own style and delivery. Witha 50-year career of wearing several hats in the record
industry, Texas-born Tyrell ultimately gravitates to a
big cinematic approach to his music. His work is notstrictly jazz or strictly blues or R&B, but the output isauthentic and in Shades of Ray serves the Charles legacy
well, with much respect.
For
more
information,
visit
sprecords.com and stevetyrell.com

raycharlesstore.com,

DROP THE NEEDLE

Moon Rappin’ (Blue Note Classic Vinyl Series)
Brother Jack McDuff (Blue Note)by Brian CharetteMoon Rappin’ is Brother Jack McDuff’s mostadventurous recording. Recorded in 1969 and recently
reissued for Blue Note’s Classic Vinyl Series andmastered from the original tapes by Kevin Grey, thefunky concept album was an ambitious undertaking,
McDuff writing the tunes and organizing the spacey
soundscapes. Even though the mix is unusual, withsnare especially present and occasional inconsistencies
in the horns, the album is very groovy with interesting
twists and turns. The personnel is not made very clear:
Bill Phillips played saxophone and flute but the otherhorns are unnamed; the rhythm section is Jerry Byrd
(guitar), Richard Davis (bass) and Joe Dukes (drums).
McDuff (born 96 years ago this month and dying
in 2001 at 74) is best of the organ-playing composers.
Opener “Flatback” has trippy wah-wah guitar andfunky break-beat drums. The blues form has achromatic turnaround in the horns, which breaks intoa traditional swing foundation. An atmospheric guitar
interlude cues another riff fest from McDuff, this timewith no vibrato and barely audible blues grunts fromthe leader. Phillips takes over with choruses ofoverblown funk flute over a face-melting groove fromDukes. “Oblighetto” has a “Killer Joe” vibe withplinky sounds from McDuff that switch to glassy
textures on the bridge. A spooky female voice warbles
in the distance wrapped in lots of reverb. 			
Side Two begins with the title track and a rare
glimpse of McDuff on piano. The tune has tight fusion
hits in the horns and a relentless bassline. Guitar
splanks lock with the snare in perfect background forsoulful piano, which drifts into dreamy soundscapes.
As an interesting aside, McDuff hits a slightly unrelated
chord throughout the tune as if communicating withsome funk spirit. Dukes owns “Made in Sweden”, his
churning beat pushing the waltz into Jimi Hendrix
territory. McDuff squabbles with a shear setting
answered with lower manual spits and chops. A
surprise major seventh chord stab disrupts the minor
blues walk as drums solo over the ice skating rinksounds. Minor swinger “Loose Foot” has bouncy
McDuff choruses that bark with blues and tightpercussion. Moon Rappin’ is the perfect album for those
who dig funky beats, smart writing and greasy solos.
For more information, visit bluenote.com

Studio Sessions 1973-1983
Toots Thielemans Meets Rob Franken(Nederlands Jazz Archief)
by John Pietaro

Toots Thielemans was born in Brussels (this is his

centennial year) and, as a boy, was drawn to the music
heard locally. Playing accordion, he became exposed toa wider variety after moving with his family to France.
By the time they returned to Belgium, Thielemans hadcome under the spell of Django Reinhardt who inspired
him to learn guitar and it was on this instrument that
he first became known. Following World War II,
absorbed in developing modern jazz, Thielemans
played the Paris Jazz Festival and made importantconnections in American circles. He relocated to the
U.S. in 1951, recording with Zoot Sims and playing
with Charlie Parker’s All-Stars before being hired by
George Shearing. With the pianist, he performed not
only on guitar but also harmonica, through which hecarried the airy sound of his first instrument.
Thielemans was soon celebrated for the chromatic
harmonica with which he wove melodic lines of great
flexibility and emotion. He worked with everyone fromBill Evans and Peggy Lee to Shirley Horn and Jaco
Pastorius, but it was the Dutch pianist Rob Franken
with whom he shared a deep musical partnership.
This newly released three-CD collection
documents a decade’s worth of the pair ’s recordings,
including a 28-page booklet brimming with informationand photos. A generation Thielemans’ junior, Franken,
who never sought migration to become a New Yorker,
remains legendary in Western Europe. A busy studiomusician, he recorded with numerous artists, spreading
the sounds of the Fender Rhodes and the HammondB-3 organ throughout the region. He and Thielemans
founded a quartet in the early ‘70s and continued thismusical partnership until Franken’s untimely death in
1983; Thielemans, during the pianist’s funeral, playeda solo rendition of “Nature Boy”, tearfullycommemorating their final studio session.
Fittingly, this collection places the pair’s recordings
in reverse order across the discs, with the Nature Boy set
out front. The opening number is a rousing “What isThis Thing Called Love?”, with Thielemans
pronouncing Cole Porter’s timeless melody and thevery Chick Corea-inspired Franken establishing a
cooking samba just beneath, the band—guitarist Peter
Tiehuis, bassist Theo de Jong and drummer Bruno
Castellucci—easily adapting the tempo and feel of“Spain” as the basis. A series of jazz standard ballads
are also included, “Lush Life”, “Midnight Sun”,“Daydream” among them, and, as per the period’s
commercial mellowness, the production tends to numbthe ear, yet in Thielemans’ chromatic harmonica, little
is lost even with the most inane music on the call sheet.
However, “Nature Boy”, largely a Thielemans-Franken
duo, ranks among their best and with Mingus’“Goodbye Porkpie Hat”, the inherent darkness andblue core are exacted artfully. Listen, too, for deeply
moving film music (“Yves et Danielle” by Vladimir
Cosma and “The Summer Knows” by Michel Legrand),as well as Pastorius’ “Three Views of a Secret”.
Disc Two, Absorbed Love, recorded in the mid tolate ‘70s with a different ensemble (bassists James
Leary or Wim Essed, drummers Eddie Marshall orPeter Ypma, guitarist Joop Scholten), largely eschews
pop and focuses on jazz standards including Lee
Morgan’s “The Sidewinder” and Ellington’s “In A

Mellow Tone”. Corea’s “Crystal Silence” is given
special treatment with the inclusion of Ferdinand
Povel’s flute. Happily, Thielemans’ whistling is heard
on several cuts, his guitar doubling octaves below.
A different version of “Yves et Danielle” is included
and compares favorably with the later take. Even withthe abundance of mellow sounds, magic is to be found.
Disc Three, Together, cut in 1973, opens withThielemans-Franken’s Latin-esque “Old Friend”, guitar
fitted with a wah-wah pedal. The disc comprises film
music and standards (Thielemans’ “Bluesette” amongthem) as well as shiver-inducing renditions of Antônio
Carlos Jobim’s “One Note Samba” and “Wave” thatsound like they were composed only for this pairing.
For more information, visit jazzarchief.nl

UNEARTHED GEM

Live at Room at the Top
Pepper Adams (with the Tommy Banks Trio)(Reel to Real)by Duck Baker

A case can be made that Pepper Adams (who died

Another Dance
Mike Nock, Hamish Stuart,
Julien Wilson, Jonathan Zwartz (Lionsharerecords)
by Jim Motavalli

Mike Nock, who turns 82 this month, is a New

Zealand-born pianist who studied at Berklee College ofMusic and played with Yusef Lateef for a couple ofyears (1963-65) before moving to the West Coast andco-founding the pioneering (pre-Weather Report)
fusion group The Fourth Way. He moved to Australia inthe mid ‘80s, which is why we haven’t heard all thatmuch from him in New York. But he is still making vitalmusic. Another Dance is from a collaborative Australiabased quartet with drummer Hamish Stuart, tenor
saxophonist Julien Wilson and bassist Jonathan Zwartz.
The music is all by members and they are killer tunes.
Nock’s “Deception”, his only composition here,
is an ECM-type brooder. In fact, the whole album is inthat mode; it could be a sequel to Nock’s seminal Ondas
on ECM in 1982. This album benefits hugely from thepresence of Wilson, who is a real find. Wilson’s own“L.D.T.” finds him breathily stating the theme, thensoloing at midtempo as Nock comps. Wilson’s touch islight, out of Lester Young and Lee Konitz but also quite
modern. Even when he goes outside it is inside. Nockis fluid, lyrical and easy as well. “Headlands” by
Stuart starts out delicately, with the composer ’sbrushes sounding like gentle waves under Nock’s lighttouch. But then Wilson picks up a meatier theme andthe sticks swing into action. The longish song stays
edgy and has an almost through-composed feel.
Zwartz contributes the soundtrack-friendly“Wheelbarrow Road” and his “Little Stars” is astandout. The tempo and mood are consistent with
“Deception” and “Headlands”, a slow crawl acrossa twilight cityscape, with nighthawks in that corner
diner. Wilson dominates and his work here, at a glacialpace, is soulful and true. And then Nock takes overand matches him just before the close. Some light gets
through the cracks on “Johnston Street”, anotherWilson work, with a welcome focus on Zwartz’ playing.
After he solos, lo, we are suddenly moving forwardwith a sprightly Latin-type beat. It swings: Johnston
Street must have turned a corner. “Yearning” is an
evocative two-minute palate cleanser, an amuse bouche,
which, paradoxically, comes at the end of the record.
Incidentally, This World on the same label from2019 has exactly the same personnel and now it isgoing to be required listening.

36 years ago this month at only 55) was the greatest
baritone saxophonist in jazz history and that case ispresented convincingly in the liner notes to thisexemplary release. Adams biographer Gary Carnernotes that he was held in high esteem by virtually
the entire jazz community but never had a highenough profile to be able to tour with his own
working band. Much of the problem is the perceptionof the baritone as an overgrown stepchild of thesaxophone family, great in ensembles but lesscompelling as a solo voice. From the mid ‘50s throughthe ’60s, when Adams was establishing himself withappearances on classic hardbop records, as well aswith the Thad Jones/Mel Lewis Orchestra, the only
baritone players to win the DownBeat critics poll
were Harry Carney and Gerry Mulligan and only thelatter could tour leading his own bands.
Had Adams been satisfied with his place as thepreeminent postbop baritone saxophonist, he may
not have frustrated himself trying to build up his
solo career, but he needed to stretch out further thanhe could as a sideman, in much the same way as John
Coltrane needed to when he left Miles Davis. The
point is not whether Adams’ stature was as great as
Coltrane’s but just that he had so much to say andcouldn’t keep it bottled up. His solos go over the tenminute mark several times on this outing (recorded
50 years ago this month) but his outrageous techniqueand tremendous sound and swing allow him to blow
whatever comes into his mind and the seemingly
endless ideas keep building and building. Very few
artists can sustain our interest when taking suchlong solos, but Adams commands it.
The backing band on this Edmonton, Alberta date
was led by pianist Tommy Banks. Banks had chops
galore and some interesting ideas of his own. More
importantly, he did a great job comping, mixing up
his approach much more than one usually hears.
Drummer Tom Doran fits into things perfectly, though
it must be said that the sound of Bobby Cairns’ electricbass is less than ideal. Cairns, who was primarily aguitarist, was called in to sub on this date. His lines
are good but the electric isn’t a perfect sonic fit,
especially as it is so often in the same register as the
baritone. But this is a minor distraction given how
much amazing soloing we get. Standout performances
include Thad Jones’ bright swinger ”Three And One”,
a killer version of Sonny Rollins’ “Oleo”, and Vincent
Youmans-Harold Adamson-Mack Gordon standard“Time On My Hands”. Also of particular interest are
Adams originals “Civilization and its Discontents”
and “Patrice”; these are the only live versions we haveof these two fine pieces. Reel to Real has quickly
established itself as one of the most dependable labels
releasing previously unissued recordings. The care
and attention that goes into every aspect of productionis what great jazz deserves, but rarely gets.
For more information, visit cellarlive.com

For more information, visit lionsharecords.com

THE NEW YORK CITY JAZZ RECORD | SEPTEMBER 2022 29

IN PRINT

Mabern Plays Coltrane
Harold Mabern (Smoke Sessions)by Ken Dryden
Good Night The Pleasure Was Ours
David Grubbs (Duke University Press)by Kevin Canfield

N ear the end of his new collection of narrativeverse, David Grubbs, who turns 55 this month, gives
us a glimpse of a man at the start of what will
become a rewarding, exhausting career: “When he
first picked up an / instrument, the musician was
limited to making barbed antisocial noise / withpeople who lived within walking or bicycling
distance”. Grubbs doesn’t identify himself as the
neophyte musician, but the character ’s experiences
are clearly informed by those of the author, a busy
guitarist and composer who has released many
albums under his own name and played on scores ofothers (he also teaches at Brooklyn College and theCity University of New York’s Graduate Center).
The last entry in a trilogy about life in the recording
studio and on the road, Good Night The Pleasure Was
Ours follows various iterations of the musician
across a span of 30 years, beginning in the late ‘80s
and wrapping up right around now. It is a generous,
idiosyncratic book memorably illustrating thebifurcated nature of life on tour.
The book’s backbone is composed of vivid set
pieces about playing music and killing time while
waiting to play music again. Before a show in an
unnamed European country, he and his bandmates
look on in astonishment as audience members begin
nonchalantly entering the venue through the band’s
dressing room window, “each making the breachand leap / in their own style, some with great
panache, some chatty and full of / questions thequartet can’t begin to interpret”. In Japan, completist
fans come bearing meticulous lists of his recordings,
asking that he add any obscure dates they may
have missed. His recollection of a “homecominggig”—probably New York, though he doesn’t
specify—showcases Grubbs’ talent for describing
his craft, specifically how a “musical phrase
pronounced slowly and / with great clarity” can be
subtly “altered by the movement of / time as wellas the addition and subtraction and substitution ofnotes, / the shifting of stresses within a phrase”.
Grubbs excels at melding depictions ofephemeral
artistic
gratification
withwryrecollections of the many hours he is spent flying to
far-off countries and idling in hotel rooms, bars andvans hurtling down interstate highways. A Japanesemonk, learning “that there are native English
speakers in the / venue”, asks his band for “input
on his translation for a conference / on peacestudies”. He fills a cabinet at home with“a sedimentary layer of lire, guilders, Belgian andFrench francs, / Austrian schillings, Yugoslavian
dinars” and “taxi receipts from the previous /century”. And even when he is sleeping on floors
and in cars—“rest / the head at an economical tilt often or fifteen degrees”—he appears to love his job:
“It is a single hour of work every day and even /calling it work requires irony”.
For more information, go to dukeupress.edu/good-nightthe-pleasure-was-ours

The passing of Harold Mabern at 83 three years ago

this month left a huge void in the jazz community. The
Memphis native had long been a part of the New York
jazz scene, a pianist with an instantly recognizablesound who was a heralded leader, in-demand sideman,inspiring jazz educator and champion of generationsof young musicians who crossed his path.
In early 2018 he assembled an allstar sextet tointerpret the music of John Coltrane at Smoke over
several nights. Tenor saxophonist Eric Alexander anddrummer Joe Farnsworth were among his favorite
students, as is apparent with the frequency of their
being in his bands and his readiness to be on their gigs
and CDs as well. Seasoned veterans trombonist Steve
Davis, alto saxophonist Vincent Herring and bassist
John Webber round out the band.
One of the biggest challenges interpreting
Coltrane’s music is to find a fresh approach to eachsong, yet Mabern makes this task seem effortless. Partof the reason is that he doesn’t stick exclusively to theusual repertoire, starting with a swaggering setting of“Dahomey Dance”, with searing solos by the hornplayers and Mabern’s trademark strident chords. “BlueTrain” is one of Coltrane’s most performed tunes andthe instrumentation differs from the original only by
replacing trumpet with alto saxophone. Mabern’s solo
is joyful, subtly adding an unexpected quote from thetheme to television’s Perry Mason for humor. The
unison riffs by the two horns when the third is soloing
are also a nice touch.
Mabern takes no prisoners with his blazing
interpretation of “Impressions”, his distinctive driving
chords pushing the soloists to the peak of their ability.
While Coltrane made Richard Rodgers-Oscar
Hammerstein’s “My Favorite Things” into a jazzstandard, Mabern adds a well-disguised introduction,
blending in a bit of Latin jazz and hardbop before
revealing the well-known theme, giving it his own
unmistakable sound. Latin flavor is also present in
Mabern’s rollicking setting of the gorgeous ballad“Naima”. Hopefully additional live sets by Harold
Mabern remain to be issued by the label.

David Sanborn, Ronnie Laws, The Crusaders’ Wilton
Felder and others. Another tenor saxophonist
Turrentine has influenced is Australia native turned
London resident Brandon Allen, who pays tribute tohim on The Stanley Turrentine Project.
Although recorded in London in January 2022,
this CD sounds like it could have been recorded during
the ‘60s or ‘70s; Allen and sidemen Will Barry (acoustic
piano, electric keyboards, congas), Conor Chaplin(acoustic and electric bass) and Dave Ingamells(drums) are mindful of Turrentine’s improvisatory
Blue Note and CTI output, avoiding the overproduced,
heavily arranged smooth jazz albums he later recorded
for Fantasy.
From two classics by The Beatles (“Can’t Buy Me
Love” and “The Fool on the Hill”) to André Previn’s“You’re Gonna Hear From Me”, a soul-jazz mindset
prevails throughout. One can hear echoes of
Turrentine’s distinctive tone in Allen’s warm,
expressive playing, but he shows other influences as
well, including Gene Ammons, David “Fathead”
Newman and Eddie “Lockjaw” Davis. Allen, in fact,
paid tribute to Ammons on a previous release, The Gene
Ammons Project.
Allen also shows a John Coltrane influence attimes, especially on Cole Porter ’s “Love For Sale”.
But his quartet doesn’t get into outside playing at allon The Stanley Turrentine Project. The Coltrane that
Allen acknowledges on parts of this CD is his late ‘50s
hardbop work for Prestige and the postbop he recorded
for Atlantic after that.
Turrentine is remembered for his recordings with
Philadelphia organ players, including Jimmy Smithand Shirley Scott (whom he was married to when helived in Philly). But he also recorded plenty of albums
that used piano or keyboards instead of organ andAllen takes that approach on this release. Barryfluctuates between piano and keyboards while Allengets the basslines from Chaplin instead of froma Hammond organ (which was common during souljazz’ ‘60s/’70s heyday).
On Brazilian singer Ivan Lins’ “The Island”,
Allen’s hard-swinging blend of jazz and samba is along way from bossa nova’s caressing subtlety. Equallyhard swinging are three Turrentine originals that Allen
embraces (“Mississippi City Strut”, “And Satisfy” and“Let It Go”) and R&B multi-instrumentalist/singer
Stevie Wonder ’s “Evil” from his 1972 album Music of
My Mind.
Throughout the CD, Allen and his cohesive band
maintain a Turrentine-like atmosphere. The result isa satisfying, if slightly derivative, effort that celebrates
Turrentine’s legacy while letting Allen’s own
personality come through.
For more information, visit weareubuntumusic.com

For more information, visit smokesessionsrecords.com

The Stanley Turrentine Project
Brandon Allen (Ubuntu)
by Alex Henderson

22 years have passed since the death of tenor

saxophonist Stanley Turrentine, who was 66 whena stroke ended his life in New York City on Sep. 12th,
2000. Turrentine is remembered for his gritty, funky,
blues-drenched blend of hardbop and R&B and had
a major impact on soul-jazz, directly or indirectly
influencing Grover Washington, Jr., Rusty Bryant,

30 SEPTEMBER 2022 | THE NEW YORK CITY JAZZ RECORD

Tone Paintings (The Music of Dodo Marmarosa)
Craig Davis (MCG Jazz)by George Kanzler

This is a wonderful example of a “what could havebeen” album, resurrecting an important but largely
forgotten figure from the first post-WWII decade, Michael“Dodo” Marmarosa. Born in Pittsburgh in 1925, he washailed as a top pianist by the likes of Artie Shaw and Art
Tatum while in his early 20s. He is probably best
remembered for work on Charlie Parker’s Dial recordings.
Physical and psychological problems (results of a comafrom a beating when he was a teen) limited his career
after 1951 and he lived the next half-century mostly inseclusion in Pittsburgh, dying 20 years ago this month.
Pianist Craig Davis is also a Pittsburgh native. He
became intrigued with Marmarosa’s music when heplayed with the Artie Shaw (tribute) Orchestra andused Marmarosa charts. He began exploring recordings
and put together ten of them by transcribing them, as
no charts were available. Many of Marmarosa’s ‘40s
recordings featured his tunes, but often with others,
including guitarist Barney Kessel or tenor saxophonist
Lucky Thompson, taking many of the solos. Davis has
recast them for trio with the formidable rhythm teamof bassist John Clayton and drummer Jeff Hamilton.
Marmarosa wrote distinctive, highly melodic

bebop tunes, many in the classic popular song 32-bar
AABA form. This trio closely mirrors his approaches
and tempos, so that Davis seems to be fleshing out“what could have been” if Marmarosa had been able torecord them in trios in the high fidelity era. Davis
departs from Dodo’s template on “Opus # 5”, slowing
down the tempo and casting it in a Latin groove, while
his own “A Ditty for Dodo” is a waltz with a melody
chorded Marmarosa style but also quoting “MoonRiver”. Marmarosa quoted, as does Davis, “If I Only
Had A Brain”, on the only solo piano track, theclassically-influenced “Tone Paintings I”. Marmarosa
was a grammar school classmate of Erroll Garner andhis influences show on both his and Davis’ “DaryDeparts”. The singularity and instant memorability ofthese Marmarosa tunes firmly cement his reputation asa top jazz pianist and bebop composer.
For more information, visit mcgjazz.org

Light and Dance
Judson Trio (RogueArt)
by Kurt Gottschalk

The Judson Trio carries with it a heavy name. Judson
Memorial Church hosted early gallery shows for Claes
Oldenburg and Robert Rauschenberg and later Yoko

Ono and hosted performances by Nam June Paik, Trisha
Brown and Lucinda Childs. The church on the south
side of Washington Square Park is also a past home for
the Vision Festival where, in 2015, bassist Joëlle Léandre(who turns 71 this month), violinist Mat Maneri anddrummer Gerald Cleaver first convened, released by
the French label RogueArt as An Air of Unreality.
The trio reunited in January of 2020 for a pair of
festival appearances in France, quickly followed bya studio session, the results of which are heard (in part)on the double-CD Light and Dance, two hours of quick
thinking and agile playing, not to be taken in passively.
The live disc is the most compelling as they seem tothrive on immediacy. This is an enormously active trio;
careful listening is not just rewarded, it is demanded.
Judson is a leaderless trio and the music is all
spontaneously composed. There is no foreground or
background, just three instruments (Maneri on viola
this time) with the occasional voice of Léandre and,less frequently, utterances from Cleaver. There areno solos, or it is all solos. There are no particular riffs
to call out. But there is something that makes thisrecord worth hearing in a sea of instantaneous musicpreserved for posterity. With Léandre, an unusually
melodic bassist, and Maneri, whose unconnected lines
generally circle musical activity rather than cutting
through it, Cleaver is left not alone but unconstrained.
And rather remarkably, he leaves much of the space
he could claim empty. He doesn’t play time, he doesn’t
play fills, he just plays. The strings radiate not fromhim but around him. And like a new vantage on an
Oldenburg soft sculpture or another iteration of one ofPaik’s painted televisions, listening to Cleaver ’s
intuitions make this album worthy of repeat visits.
For more information, visit roguart.com

THE NEW YORK CITY JAZZ RECORD | SEPTEMBER 2022 31

CALENDAR
Thursday, September 1êAdrien Chevalier; Terry Waldo’s Gotham City Band		
Arthur’s Tavern 7, 10 pmêEmmet Cohen Trio with guest Bruce Harris		Birdland 7, 9:30 pm $40
êChampian Fulton Trio with Hide Tanaka, Fukushi Tainaka		Birdland Theater 8:30 pm $30
êKenny Garrett Sextet with Keith Brown, Ronald Brunner, Corcoran Holt, Rudy Bird,
Melvis Santa
Blue Note 8, 10:30 pm $35• Eli Yamin Trio with Elias Bailey, David Gibson and guests
		
Bond 45 8:30 pm $25• Frank Owens
Bryant Park 12:30 pm• Dion Tucker Quintet; Carol Morgan Quartet
		
Cellar Dog 7 pm $10• Trio Da Paz: Romero Lubambo, Nilson Matta, Duduka Da Fonseca and guests
Maucha Adnet, Harry Allen, Vitor Gonçalves		
Dizzy’s Club 7:30, 9:30 pm $45• Henry Hey Trio; Duane Eubanks The Django 7:30, 10:30 pm• Laurence Hobgood; Ray Gallon Mezzrow 7:30, 9, 10:30 pm $20• House of Jade: Vuyo Sotashe, Jenn Jade, Benny Benack III, Nicole Glover,Mathis Picard, Russell Hall, Bryan Carter		
Minton’s 7, 9:30 pm $25• Variation For Dusk: John Also Bennett, Caroline Davis, Micah Frank, Chet Doxas,
Jacob Sacks
Nublu 151 7 pm $20• Adam Larson
Smalls 7:30, 9 pm $20
êAl Foster Quintet with Chris Potter, Nicholas Payton, Kevin Hays, Vicente Archer
and guest
Smoke 7, 9 pm $40-60• Ryan Easter, Jason Nazary, Elias Stemeseder		The Stone at The New School 8:30 pm $20
êBrad Mehldau solo
Village Vanguard 8, 10 pm $40

Friday, September 2êJohnny O’Neal Trio

Arthur’s Tavern 7 pm

• Birdland Big Band
Birdland 5 pm $30• Emmet Cohen Trio with guest Ruben Fox		Birdland 8:30, 10:30 pm $40
êChampian Fulton Trio with Hide Tanaka, Fukushi Tainaka		Birdland Theater 7, 9:30 pm $30
êKenny Garrett Sextet with Keith Brown, Ronald Brunner, Corcoran Holt, Rudy Bird,
Melvis Santa
Blue Note 8, 10:30 pm $35• Frank Owens
Bryant Park 12:30 pm• Wayne Tucker Quintet; Kyoko Oyobe Quartet
		
Cellar Dog 7 pm $10• Trio Da Paz: Romero Lubambo, Nilson Matta, Duduka Da Fonseca and guests
Maucha Adnet, Harry Allen, Vitor Gonçalves		
Dizzy’s Club 7:30, 9:30 pm $45
êEd Cherry Quartet; Nick Hempton Band		The Django 7:30, 10:30 pmêSolos: Camila Nebbia; Emi Makabe; Yoon Sun Choi; Carmen Rothwell				Ibeam Brooklyn 8:30 pm $15• Yotam Silberstein
Mezzrow 7:30, 9 pm $20• Russell Hall
Minton’s 7, 9:30 pm $25• Verena McBee with Alberto Pibiri, Paul Beaudry, Wayne Henderson		Pangea 7 pm $25• Gabriel Schillinger-Hyman; Kris Allen		
Room 623 at B2 Harlem 7, 8:30, 10 pm $15-20
êJohn Fedchock
Smalls 7:30, 9 pm $20
êAl Foster Quintet with Chris Potter, Nicholas Payton, Kevin Hays, Vicente Archer
and guest
Smoke 7, 9, 10:30 pm $40-60
êOG Garage A Trois: Charlie Hunter, Skerik, Stanton Moore		Sony Hall 8 pm $30-50• Aliya Ultan, Henry Fraser, Nava Dunkelman, Simon Kanzler, Elias Stemeseder		The Stone at The New School 8:30 pm $20
êBrad Mehldau solo
Village Vanguard 8, 10 pm $40

Saturday, September 3êEmmet Cohen Trio with guest Houston Person

		Birdland 8:30, 10:30 pm $40
êChampian Fulton Trio with Hide Tanaka, Fukushi Tainaka		Birdland Theater 7, 9:30 pm $30
êKenny Garrett Sextet with Keith Brown, Ronald Brunner, Corcoran Holt, Rudy Bird,
Melvis Santa
Blue Note 8, 10:30 pm $35• Nick Hempton Quartet; Dan Aran Quartet
		
Cellar Dog 7 pm $10• Take Me Back To Manhattan: Anaïs Reno, Alphonso Horne, Vanisha Gould,
Olivia Chindamo
Chelsea Table & Stage 7 pm $40• Jeff Miles Band with Igor Lumpert, Aaron Irwin, Zach Lapidus, Marty Kenny,Mark Whitfield, Jr.
Culture Lab LIC 7 pm
• Trio Da Paz: Romero Lubambo, Nilson Matta, Duduka Da Fonseca and guests
Maucha Adnet, Harry Allen, Vitor Gonçalves		
Dizzy’s Club 7:30, 9:30 pm $45• Tatiana Eva-Marie Avalon Jazz Band		Drom 8 pm $25• William Hooker’s The Silver Fleece with On Kaa Davis, Hans Tammen, Kevin Ramsey,
Theodore Woodward
Governors Island Building 10a, Nolan Park 3 pm
• Theo Bleckmann
Little Island 6:30, 9:30 pm• Yotam Silberstein
Mezzrow 7:30, 9 pm $20• Anthony Wonsey Exxxodus Band Minton’s 7, 9:30 pm $25
êJohn Fedchock
Smalls 7:30, 9 pm $20
êAl Foster Quintet with Chris Potter, Nicholas Payton, Kevin Hays, Vicente Archer
and guest
Smoke 7, 9, 10:30 pm $40-60• Kris Chen Little Injure/Elias Stemeseder and guests
		The Stone at The New School 8:30 pm $20
êBrad Mehldau solo
Village Vanguard 8, 10 pm $40

Sunday, September 4• Creole Cookin’ Jazz Band

Arthur’s Tavern 7 pm
Barbès 8 pm $20• Steven Feifke/Bijon Watson Generation Gap Jazz Orchestra		
Birdland 5:30 pm $30
êArturo O’Farrill Afro Latin Jazz Orchestra		
Birdland 8:30, 10:30 pm $30
êChampian Fulton Trio with Hide Tanaka, Fukushi Tainaka		Birdland Theater 7, 9:30 pm $30
êStéphane WrembelêTadataka Unno
Blue Note 12:30, 2:30 pm $25
êKenny Garrett Sextet with Keith Brown, Ronald Brunner, Corcoran Holt, Rudy Bird,

Melvis Santa
Blue Note 8, 10:30 pm $35• Brandi Disterheft Trio
Cellar Dog 7 pm $10• Jeff Bradshaw
City Winery 7:30 pm $20-40• Trio Da Paz: Romero Lubambo, Nilson Matta, Duduka Da Fonseca and guests
Maucha Adnet, Harry Allen, Vitor Gonçalves		
Dizzy’s Club 5, 7:30 pm $45
êDan Blake, Dmitry Ishenko, Jeff Williams
		
The Keep 9 pm
• Audrey Chen/Gabrielle Chou
Little Island 4:30 pm• Ken Fowser
Minton’s 7, 9:30 pm $25• Roz Corral Trio with David Berkman, Paul Gill
		
North Square Lounge 12:30, 2 pm
• Marcus Goldhaber; Mimi Jones and Friends		
Room 623 at B2 Harlem 6, 8 pm $15-20• Ambivert Trio: Sebastian Noelle, Yaniv Taubenhouse, Ronen Itzik
		Saint Peter’s Church 5 pm
• Saul Deutch
Smalls 7:30, 9 pm $20
êAl Foster Quintet with Chris Potter, Nicholas Payton, Kevin Hays, Vicente Archer
and guest
Smoke 7, 9 pm $40-60
êBrad Mehldau solo
Village Vanguard 8, 10 pm $40

Monday, September 5• Grove Street Stompers
Arthur’s Tavern 7 pm
• John di Martino Quartet with Wayne Escoffery, Boris Kozlov, Carmen Intorre				
Birdland 7 pm $30• Richard Cortez with Marius van den Brink, Alex Tremblay and Strings		
		Birdland Theater 8:30 pm $30• Melody Gardot/Philippe Powell Blue Note 8, 10:30 pm• George Gee Big Band
Bond 45 8 pm $25• Larry Ham
Bryant Park 12:30 pmêMiM Children’s music workshop led by Cooper-Moore; Sam Newsome Trio with
Laura Cocks, Daniel Carter; Michael TA Thompson’s Sonic Matters with Ken Filiano,
Sara Schoenbeck; Andrew Lamb Trio		Children’s Magical Garden de Carmen Rubio 12 pm• Sean Mason Quintet with Tony Glausi, Chris Lewis, Felix Moseholm, Domo Branch		Dizzy’s Club 7:30, 9:30 pm $35• Spike Wilner
Mezzrow 7:30, 9 pm $20• Henry Hey Quartet with Adam Rogers, Tim Lefebvre, Shawn Pelton
		Rockwood Music Hall Stage 1 9 pm
• Matt Pavolka
Smalls 7:30, 9 pm $20
êVanguard Jazz Orchestra
Village Vanguard 8, 10 pm $40• Ben Monder Trio with Chris Lightcap, Anthony Pinciotti
		Zinc Bar 7, 8:30 pm $30

Tuesday, September 6êWill Bernard, Eric Finland, Eric Kalb

		
Arthur’s Tavern 7 pm
• Diego Voglino Jam Session
Bar Bayeux 8 pm
• Olli Soikkeli Trio
Bar Lunàtico 8:30, 10 pm $10êVincent Herring’s Something Else with James Carter, Jeremy Pelt, Dave Kikoski,
Russell Malone, Essiet Essiet, Johnathan Blake		
Birdland 7, 9:30 pm $40• Will and Peter Anderson
Birdland Theater 5:30 pm $20• Melody Gardot/Philippe Powell Blue Note 8, 10:30 pm• Larry Ham
Bryant Park 12:30 pm• Curtis Stigers
City Winery 7:30 pm $20-35• Yotam Silberstein Quartet with Vitor Gonçalves, John Patitucci, Antônio Sánchez andguests Gregoire Maret, Itai Kriss Dizzy’s Club 7:30, 9:30 pm $35• Nanny Assis Brazilian Quartet; Itai Kriss and Televana		
The Django 7:30, 10:30 pmêAndy Haas/David Grollman; Ayumi Ishito; Ben Goldberg
		Downtown Music Gallery 6:30 pmêHarvey DiamondMezzrow 7:30, 9 pm $20• Bob Lanzetti Trio with Zach Brock, Keita Ogawa
		
Rockwood Music Hall Stage 2 9 pm
• Charles Ruggiero; Josh Evans Smalls 7:30, 9, 10:30 pm $20
êPeter Bernstein Quartet with Sullivan Fortner, Doug Weiss, Al Foster		Village Vanguard 8, 10 pm $40
êManuel Valera Trio with Hamish Smith, Mark Whitfield, Jr.
		Zinc Bar 7, 8:30 pm $30

Wednesday, September 7êMichaël Attias, Samuel Ber, Matt Mitchell; Nepenthae: Zach Layton, Raf Vertessen,

Henry Fraser

411 Kent Ave 8 pm $15• Mareike Wiening
Bar Bayeux 8, 9:30 pm• Eddie Barbash/Giacomo Smith Bar Lunàtico 8:30, 10 pm $10êDavid Ostwald’s Louis Armstrong Eternity Band		
Birdland 5:30 pm $30
êVincent Herring’s Something Else with James Carter, Jeremy Pelt, Dave Kikoski,
Russell Malone, Essiet Essiet, Johnathan Blake		
Birdland 7, 9:30 pm $40• Aubrey Johnson Group with Sara Caswell, Alex LoRe, Chris McCarthy, Matt Aronoff,
Jay Sawyer
Birdland Theater 8:30 pm $30
êArturo SandovalBlue Note 8, 10:30 pm $55• Larry Ham
Bryant Park 12:30 pm• Ehud Asherie Trio
Cellar Dog 7 pm $10êTheo Croker Quintet with Gary Bartz, Mike King, Eric Wheeler, Shekwoaga Ode				
Dizzy’s Club 7:30, 9:30 pm $45• Charles Ruggiero Quartet; Rachel Z Quartet
		
The Django 7:30, 10:30 pm• Dayramir Gonzalez and guest Willard Morgan		
Joe’s Pub 7 pm $25• Kenny Wessel
Mezzrow 7:30, 9 pm $20
êMichael Formanek Drome Trio with Chet Doxas, Vinnie Sperrazza
		
Nublu 151 7 pm $20• Ilhan Ersahin, Trevor Dunn, Kenny Wollesen		
Nublu 151 10 pm $20• Diana Gitesha Hernandez Trio Pangea 7 pm $25• Peter Brainin and Friends
Room 623 at B2 Harlem 8 pm $15• Gene Pritsker’s Sound Liberation with Franz Hackl, Paul Carlon, Jose Moura,
Damien Bassman, Erik T. JohnsonSilvana 7 pm
• Jonahan Barber
Smalls 7:30, 9 pm $20

32 SEPTEMBER 2022 | THE NEW YORK CITY JAZZ RECORDêPeter Bernstein Quartet with Sullivan Fortner, Doug Weiss, Al Foster		Village Vanguard 8, 10 pm $40
êTerry Waldo’s Gotham City Band Zinc Bar 8, 9:45 pm

Thursday, September 8êTerry Waldo’s Gotham City Band

Arthur’s Tavern 10 pm• Marta Sanchez solo; Adam Kolker, Jeremy Stratton and guests Sasha Dobson,
Billy Mintz

Bar Bayeux 5, 8, 9:30 pmêVincent Herring’s Something Else with James Carter, Jeremy Pelt, Dave Kikoski,

Russell Malone, Essiet Essiet, Johnathan Blake		
Birdland 7, 9:30 pm $40
êMichael Brecker Tribute: Tod Dickow and Charged Particles: Greg Sankovich,
Aaron Germain, Jon Krosnick and guest Randy Brecker		
Birdland Theater 8:30 pm $30
êArturo Sandoval Band with Maxwell Haymer, Maximilian Gerl, William Brahm,
Michael Tucker, Mark Walker, Daniel Feldman
		Blue Note 8, 10:30 pm $55• Eli Yamin Trio with Elias Bailey, David Gibson and guests
		
Bond 45 8:30 pm $25• Larry Ham
Bryant Park 12:30 pmêAaron Diehl and Orrin Evans
Bryant Park 7 pm
• Ilya Lushtak Quartet; Miki Yamanaka Quartet
		
Cellar Dog 7 pm $10• John Yao and His 17-Piece Instrument with Alejandro Aviles, Hashem Assadullahi,
Tim Armacost, Jeremy Powell, Frank Basile, Raul Agraz, John Walsh, Andy Gravish,
Dave Smith, Matt McDonald, Mark Patterson, Sam Blakeslee, Max Seigel,
Adam Birnbaum, Bob Sabin, Tim Horner		
Culture Lab LIC 7 pmêTheo Croker Quintet with Gary Bartz, Mike King, Eric Wheeler, Shekwoaga Ode		Dizzy’s Club 7:30, 9:30 pm $45
êMichael Kanan Trio; Ben Wolfe Trio The Django 7:30, 10:30 pm• Edward Perez’ Festejation
Drom 8 pm $25
êRoy Hargrove Big BandThe Jazz Gallery 7:30, 9:30 pm $35-45• Stephanie Chou Quintet with Andy Lin, Or Matias, Matt Aronoff, Ronen Itzik;
Chien Chien Lu
Joe’s Pub 7, 9:30 pm $25• Álvaro Torres Trio with John Hébert, Barry Altschul		Mezzrow 7:30, 9 pm $20• House of Jade: Vuyo Sotashe, Jenn Jade, Benny Benack III, Nicole Glover,Mathis Picard, Russell Hall, Bryan Carter		
Minton’s 7, 9:30 pm $25• Nick Gianni’s Evolution Ensemble with Matt Lavelle, Welf Dorr, On Ka’a Davis,
Rick Bottari, Jony Dos Santos, Reggie Sylvester		Nublu 151 10 pm $20
êFONT: Alexandra Ridout Trio with Iver Cardas, Will Sach; Sonny Singh Quintet with
Jonathan Goldberger, Mackenzie Shivers, Yuka Tadano, Rohin Khemani		
The Owl Music Parlor 8 pmêDreamstruck: Marilyn Crispell, Joe Fonda, Harvey Sorgen		
Roulette 8 pm $30• David Bixler
Smalls 7:30, 9 pm $20
êEddie Henderson Quintet with Donald Harrison, George Cables, Essiet Essiet,
Lenny White
Smoke 7, 9 pm $40-60• Michael Thomas Trio
Terraza 7 7 pm $15êPeter Bernstein Quartet with Sullivan Fortner, Doug Weiss, Al Foster		Village Vanguard 8, 10 pm $40• Charlie Rauh, David Rothenberg, Zosha Warpena, John Wieczorek
		Zürcher Gallery 8 pm $20

Friday, September 9êJohnny O’Neal Trio

Arthur’s Tavern 7 pm
Bar Bayeux 8, 9:30 pmêWill Bernard Freelance Subversives with Eric Finland, Eric Kalb, Moses Patrou,
Ben Zwerin
Bar Lunàtico 8:30, 10 pm $10• Birdland Big Band
Birdland 5 pm $30
êVincent Herring’s Something Else with James Carter, Jeremy Pelt, Dave Kikoski,
Russell Malone, Essiet Essiet, Johnathan Blake		
Birdland 8:30, 10:30 pm $40
êHarry Allen Quartet
Birdland Theater 7, 9:30 pm $30
êArturo Sandoval Band with Maxwell Haymer, Maximili an Gerl, William Brahm,
Michael Tucker, Mark Walker, Daniel Feldman
		Blue Note 8, 10:30 pm $55• Larry Ham
Bryant Park 12:30 pm• Summer Camargo’s Sextet
Bryant Park 7 pmêFrank Lacy Quartet; Jamale Davis Quartet
		
Cellar Dog 7 pm $10• James Morrison Quartet with Libor Šmoldas, Harry Morrison, Patrick-Earl Danao				Dizzy’s Club 7:30, 9:30 pm $55• Spike Wilner Trio; Hudson Horns; Eitan Kenner		
The Django 7:30, 10:30 pm 1 amêDavid Rothenberg at 60 with Elliott Sharp, Hans Tammen, Ben Neill and guests
		Estonian House 4 pmêMichel Gentile Trio with Michael Formanek, Vinnie Sperrazza		Ibeam Brooklyn 8 pm $20• Jane Monheit
Iridium 8:30 pm $65• Patrick Zimmerli’s Messages with Steve Wilson, Chris Potter, Ron Blake,
Thomas Enhco, Scott Colley, EJ Strickland
		The Jazz Gallery 7:30, 9:30 pm $30-40• Kuni Mikami Duo
Knickerbocker Bar & Grill 9 pm $3.50• Kevin Hays
Mezzrow 7:30, 9 pm $20• John Iannuzzi
Minton’s 7, 9:30 pm $25• Troy Roberts’ Nu-Jive with Tim Jago, Silvano Monasterios, Eric England,David Chiverton
Nublu 151 7 pm $20• Kate Curran; Taru Alexander
Room 623 at B2 Harlem 7, 8:30, 10 pm $15-20
êVinny Golia Large Ensemble with Thomas Heberer, Jack Walrath, Joe Moffett,
Joe Fiedler, Jen Baker, Reut Regev, Dave Taylor, Jay Rozen, Elsa Nilsson,
Libby Van Cleve, Josh Sinton, Marty Ehrlich, Ingrid Laubrock, Tim Berne,
Sarah Schoenbeck, Matt Moran, Russell Greenberg, Gregg Belisle-Chi, Alexis Marcelo,
Sarah Bernstein, Jason Kao Hwang, Melanie Dyer, Tomas Ulrich, Zachary Brown,
Dan Barrett, Adam Lane, Ken Filiano, Michael TA Thompson, Harris Eisenstadt		
Roulette 8 pm $30• Jason Marshall
Smalls 7:30, 9 pm $20
êEddie Henderson Quintet with Donald Harrison, George Cables, Essiet Essiet,
Lenny White
Smoke 7, 9, 10:30 pm $40-60
êPeter Bernstein Quartet with Sullivan Fortner, Doug Weiss, Al Foster		Village Vanguard 8, 10 pm $40• Gil and Ansy Defay

Saturday, September 10êChampian Fulton Trio

• Adam Kolker Duo; Rob Garcia

Arthur’s Tavern 7 pm
Bar Bayeux 6, 8, 9:30 pm

Scan for more
upcoming
events!

\êAyumi Ishito, Dave Sewelson, Zachary Swanson, Dalius Naujo

		
Barbès 6 pm $15êVincent Herring’s Something Else with James Carter, Jeremy Pelt, Dave Kikoski,
Russell Malone, Essiet Essiet, Johnathan Blake		
Birdland 8:30, 10:30 pm $40
êHarry Allen Quartet
Birdland Theater 7, 9:30 pm $30
êArturo Sandoval Band with Maxwell Haymer, Maximilian Gerl, William Brahm,
Michael Tucker, Mark Walker, Daniel Feldman
		Blue Note 8, 10:30 pm $55• Jade Synstelien Quartet; Simona Premazzi Quartet
		
Cellar Dog 7 pm $10êAdam Rudolph’s Go: Organic Orchestra with guests Hassan Hakmoun, Dave Liebman,
Marcus Gilmore, Graham Haynes, Brooklyn Raga Massive; Gift of Gnawa honoring
Don Cherry; Brandee Younger/Joel Ross; Angel Bat Dawid		
Central Park Summerstage, Rumsey Playfield 7 pm
• Dominick Farinacci Triad with Shenel Johns, Christian Tamburr,
Michael Ward-Bergeman
Dizzy’s Club 7:30, 9:30 pm $55• Mike Ledonne Trio; Roxy Coss Quintet; Sam Dillon
		
The Django 7:30, 10:30 pm 1 amêMax Johnson/Erin Rogers; Stephen Gauci/James Paul Nadien;
Spirit Clarinet Orchestra: Paul Austerlitz, Charles Waters, Michael Moss,
Randolph Murphy, Zizl Slepovitch Downtown Music Gallery 6 pmêFay Victor, Liany Mateo, Lesley Mok; Melanie Dyer, Mara Rosenbloom, Kyoko Kitamura;
Miriam Parker/Luke Stewart; Mara Rosenbloom, Anais Maviel, Sean Conly		First Street Green 1:30 pmêFred Moten, Brandon López, Gerald Cleaver; Pamela Z; SYANIDE		First Unitarian Church 7 pm $20-30• Eric Frazier Band with Reggie Woods, Danny Mixon, Keith Jordan, Stanley Banks,
Winard Harper
Fort Greene Park 3 pm
• Jane Monheit
Iridium 8:30 pm $65
êAnna Webber Simple Trio with Matt Mitchell, John Hollenbeck
		
The Jazz Gallery 7:30, 9:30 pm $20-30• Keith LaMar/Albert Marquès
Joe’s Pub 7 pm $25• Kuni Mikami Duo
Knickerbocker Bar & Grill 9 pm $3.50• Kevin Hays
Mezzrow 7:30, 9 pm $20
êKen Vandermark/Joe Morris
Michiko Studios 7 pm $20• Phil Young with Annette St. John Minton’s 7, 9:30 pm $25
êFONT: David Sanford Big Band with Hugh Ragin		New School Stiefel Hall 7 pm
• Jason Marshall
Smalls 7:30, 9 pm $20
êEddie Henderson Quintet with Donald Harrison, George Cables, Essiet Essiet,
Lenny White
Smoke 7, 9, 10:30 pm $40-60
êPeter Bernstein Quartet with Sullivan Fortner, Doug Weiss, Al Foster		Village Vanguard 8, 10 pm $40

DelfeAyO
mArSAliSquintetSAT, SeP 30
AT 8PM
Tickets: $35-$45

Sunday, September 11• Creole Cookin’ Jazz Band

Arthur’s Tavern 7 pmêMichaël Attias’ Lumisong with Santiago Leibson, Matt Pavolka, Mark Ferber		
Bar Lunàtico 8:30, 10 pm $10êStéphane Wrembel
Barbès 8 pm $20• Hyeseon Hong Big Band
Birdland 5:30 pm $30
êArturo O’Farrill Afro Latin Jazz Orchestra		
Birdland 8:30, 10:30 pm $30
êHarry Allen Quartet
Birdland Theater 7, 9:30 pm $30• Nellie McKay
Blue Note 12:30, 2:30 pm $25
êArturo Sandoval Band with Maxwell Haymer, Maximilian Gerl, William Brahm,
Michael Tucker, Mark Walker, Daniel Feldman
		Blue Note 8, 10:30 pm $55• Gerry Eastman
Bushwick Inlet Park 3 pm
• Bruce Harris Trio
Cellar Dog 7 pm $10• Sivan Arbel with Nick Hetko, Sam Weber, Evan Hyde		
Culture Lab LIC 7 pm
• In an Ellington Mood: Ashley Pezzotti, LaTanya Hall, Nicolas King, Chris Lewis,
Philip Norris, Alon Benjamini, Deborah Grace Winer		
Dizzy’s Club 5, 7:30 pm $40
êIrreversible Entanglements Quartet: Keir Neuringer, Luke Stewart, Aquiles Navarro,
Tcheser Holmes; Jason Kao Hwang Trio with Max Johnson, Andrew Drury;
Ellen Christi, William Parker, Jackson Krall; Dave Sewelson, William Parker,
Bobby KappFirst Street Green 1:30 pm• Kelly Green/Luca Soul Rosenfeld and guest Bill Mobley		Green Soul Studios 6:30 pm $40• Welf Dorr, Dmitry Ishenko, Rob Mitzner
		
The Keep 9 pm
• Claudia Acuña
Mezzrow 7:30, 9 pm $20• Chip Crawford
Minton’s 7, 9:30 pm $25
êFONT: Tribute to Cynthia Robinson by Lessie Vonner with Gabrielle Murphy,
Christin Devine, Arco Sandoval, Keyanna Hutchinson, Jonathan Michel,Anwar Marshall; Tribute to Jon Hassell by Aaron Shragge with Damon Banks,
Deric Dickens and guest Nadje Noordhuis
		New School Stiefel Hall 7 pm
• Ed Laub Trio with Roni Ben-Hur, Josh Marcum		North Square Lounge 12:30, 2 pm
• Marta Sanchez; Caleb Curtis
The Owl Music Parlor 7:30 pm $10• Marcus Goldhaber; Mimi Jones and Friends		
Room 623 at B2 Harlem 6, 8 pm $15-20
êMelanie Dyer, Mara Rosenbloom, Kyoko Kitamura
		Saint Peter’s Church 5 pmêMartin Wind
Smalls 7:30, 9 pm $20
êEddie Henderson Quintet with Donald Harrison, George Cables, Essiet Essiet,
Lenny White
Smoke 7, 9 pm $40-60
êPeter Bernstein Quartet with Sullivan Fortner, Doug Weiss, Al Foster		Village Vanguard 8, 10 pm $40

Monday, September 12• Grove Street Stompers

Arthur’s Tavern 7 pm

êEd Cherry Trio
Bar Lunàtico 8:30, 10 pm $10êHenry Fraser Trio with Brandon Seabrook, Randy Peterson

		Barbès 7 pmêSamara Joy with Isaiah J. Thompson, Paul Sikivie, Evan Sherman		Blue Note 8, 10:30 pm $35• George Gee Big Band
Bond 45 8 pm $25• Yuka Aikawa
Bryant Park 12:30 pmêSarah Hanahan Quartet with Marc Cary, Nat Reeves, Jeff “Tain” Watts				
Dizzy’s Club 7:30, 9:30 pm $35• David Yee Quartet; Joe Block Trio The Django 7:30, 10:30 pmêVanguard Jazz Orchestra
Village Vanguard 8, 10 pm $40• Gilad Hekselman/Steve Cardenas Zinc Bar 7, 8:30 pm $30

george Porter Jr.
& runnin’ Pardners

the James hunter Six

SaT, SEP 10 aT 7PM

Peabo Bryson
Tickets: $59-$79

THU, SEP 15 aT 7:30PM

Tickets: $36-$56

FRI, SEP 23 aT 8PM

Tickets: $35-$49

Billie & Blue eyes presented byJohn Pizzarelli & Catherine russell
SaT, SEP 24 aT 8PM

Bettye laVette & raul midón
FRI, OCT 7 aT 8PM
Tickets: $42-$59

Tickets: $48-$68

Buy Tickets Today!

SOPACnow.org/Jazz(973) 313-2787

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THE NEW YORK CITY JAZZ RECORD | SEPTEMBER 2022 33

Tuesday, September 13• Diego Voglino Jam Session
Bar Lunàtico 8 pm
• Song Yi Jeon/Vinícius Gomes Bar Lunàtico 8:30, 10 pm $10• BossaBrasil: Marcos Valle and guest Paula Morelenbaum		Birdland 7, 9:30 pm $40• Will and Peter Anderson
Birdland Theater 5:30 pm $20
êChristian McBride Quintet with Nicole Glover, Ely Perlman, Mike King, Savannah Harris		Blue Note 8, 10:30 pm $45• Yuka Aikawa
Bryant Park 12:30 pmêBuster Williams Quartet with Steve Wilson, Renee Rosnes, Lenny White				
Dizzy’s Club 7:30, 9:30 pm $45• Pedro Cortes Flamenco Ensemble; Jeremy Bosch and Los Hacheros		
The Django 7:30, 10:30 pmêJosh Sinton/Simon Kanzler; Dave Miller, Marco Cappelli, Daniel Carter				
Downtown Music Gallery 6:30 pmêFONT: Keyon Harrold
The Jazz Gallery 7:30, 9:30 pm $25• Kevin Sun, Solène Cairoli, Kobi Trenchfoot		
Lowlands 8, 9:30 pm• James Chirillo
Mezzrow 7:30, 9 pm $20
êBill Charlap Trio with Peter Washington, Kenny Washington
		Village Vanguard 8, 10 pm $40• Erik Charlston JazzBrasil with Charles Pillow, Vitor Gonçalves, Eduardo Belo,
Keita Ogawa, Rogério Boccato Zinc Bar 7, 8:30 pm $30

Wednesday, September 14êMarcia Bassett, Sandy Gordon, Ted Gordon;

Marco Cappelli/Jum Pugliese Italian Doc Remix		
411 Kent Ave 8 pm $15
êE.J. Strickland Quartet with Tom Guarna, Miki Hayama, Eric Wheeler		Bar Bayeux 8, 9:30 pm• Brooklyn Circle: Stacy Dillard, Diallo House, Ismail Lawal
		Bar Lunàtico 8:30, 10 pm $10êDavid Ostwald’s Louis Armstrong Eternity Band		
Birdland 5:30 pm $30• BossaBrasil: Marcos Valle and guest Paula Morelenbaum		Birdland 7, 9:30 pm $40
êFrank Vignola’s Guitar Night with John di Martino, Gary Mazzaroppi, Vince Cherico
and guests
Birdland Theater 8:30 pm $30
êChristian McBride Quintet with Nicole Glover, Ely Perlman, Mike King, Savannah Harris		Blue Note 8, 10:30 pm $45• Yuka Aikawa
Bryant Park 12:30 pm
ê Johnny O’Neal Trio
Cellar Dog 7 pm $10êBuster Williams Quartet with Steve Wilson, Renee Rosnes, Lenny White				
Dizzy’s Club 7:30, 9:30 pm $45• Joe Peri Trio with David Kikoski; Eric Alexander Quartet
		
The Django 7:30, 10:30 pm• Dwayne “Cook” Broadnax Band with Patsy Grant, Lance Bryant, Lafayette Harris, 		Hilliard Greene
Grant’s Tomb 6 pmêLeroy Williams Memorial Celebration
		Interchurch Center 6:30 pm• Steve Slagle
Mezzrow 7:30, 9 pm $20
êLew Tabackin Trio with Yasushi Nakamura, Jason Tiemann		Michiko Studios 7 pm $20
êMichael Sarian Electric Quartet with Santiago Leibson, Marty Kenney,
Nathan Ellman-Bell; True East: Dan Lehner , Ran Livneh, Zack O’Farrill				Nublu 151 7 pm $20
êRalph Lalama Bop Juice
Ornithology Jazz Club 6:30 pm• Mark Winkler
Pangea 7 pm $25• Chamber Orchestra with Suzanne Vega		The Players Theatre 7 pm $42-62• Peter Brainin and Friends
Room 623 at B2 Harlem 8 pm $15• Robert Rucker
Smalls 7:30, 9 pm $20• Steve Turre Sexte with Wallace Roney, Jr., Emilio Modeste, Isaiah Thompson,
Corcoran Holt, Orion Turre
Smoke 7, 9, 10:30 pm $25• David Berkman
Soapbox Gallery 8 pm $25
êSusie Ibarra/Yuka C. Honda
The Stone at The New School 8:30 pm $20
êBill Charlap Trio with Peter Washington, Kenny Washington
		Village Vanguard 8, 10 pm $40
êTerry Waldo’s Gotham City Band Zinc Bar 8, 9:45 pm

Thursday, September 15êTerry Waldo’s Gotham City Band

Arthur’s Tavern 10 pm• Marta Sanchez solo; Adam Kolker, Jeremy Stratton, Billy Mintz and guest Jason Rigby

		
Bar Bayeux 5, 8, 9:30 pm• BossaBrasil: Marcos Valle and guest Paula Morelenbaum		Birdland 7, 9:30 pm $40• Elan Mehler Trio with Tony Scherr, Francisco Mela		
Birdland Theater 8:30 pm $30
êChristian McBride Quintet with Nicole Glover, Ely Perlman, Mike King, Savannah Harris		Blue Note 8, 10:30 pm $45• Eli Yamin Trio with Elias Bailey, David Gibson and guests
		
Bond 45 8:30 pm $25• Yuka Aikawa
Bryant Park 12:30 pm• Greg Glassman Quartet; Mariel Bildsten Quartet
		
Cellar Dog 7 pm $10• Arthur Askerov Trio with Zachary Swanson
		
CityWell Brooklyn 6:30 pm $75
êBuster Williams Quartet with Steve Wilson, Renee Rosnes, Lenny White				
Dizzy’s Club 7:30, 9:30 pm $55• David Gibson Quartet; David Hazeltine Quartet
		
The Django 7:30, 10:30 pm• Pedro Martinez
Drom 9 pm $30
êGraham Haynes/Adam Rudolph The Jazz Gallery 7:30, 9:30 pm $30-40• Hood Organment: Kenny Wessel, Paul Odeh, Lou Grassi
		
La Salle Open Streets 6 pm
• Noah Haidu
Mezzrow 7:30, 9 pm $20• House of Jade: Vuyo Sotashe, Jenn Jade, Benny Benack III, Nicole Glover,Mathis Picard, Russell Hall, Bryan Carter		
Minton’s 7, 9:30 pm $25
êMichael Bates’ Acrobat with Marty Ehrlich,, Mazz Swift,, Sara Schoenbeck,Michael Sarin and guest ALTA String Quartet: Gabryel Smith, Rachel Hauser,
Emily Bookwalter, Ken Hashimoto The Owl Music Parlor 7:30 pm $10• Hendrick Meurkins
Smalls 7:30, 9 pm $20
êVijay Iyer Trio with Harish Raghavan, Tyshawn Sorey		
Smoke 7, 9 pm $40-60• Melody Gardot
Town Hall 8 pm $49.50
êBill Charlap Trio with Peter Washington, Kenny Washington
		Village Vanguard 8, 10 pm $40

Friday, September 16êJohnny O’Neal Trio

Arthur’s Tavern 7 pm

• Lafayette Harris, Jr.
Bar Bayeux 8, 9:30 pm• Birdland Big Band
Birdland 5 pm $30• BossaBrasil: Marcos Valle and guest Paula Morelenbaum		Birdland 8:30, 10:30 pm $40• Steve Smith Vital Information Trio with Manuel Valera, Janek Gwizdala				
Birdland Theater 7, 9:30 pm $30
êChristian McBride Quintet with Nicole Glover, Ely Perlman, Mike King, Savannah Harris		Blue Note 8, 10:30 pm $45• Yuka Aikawa
Bryant Park 12:30 pm• Accordion Festival: Heart of Afghanistan; Ukrainian Village Voices; Balaklava Blues;
Cinco12
Bryant Park 7 pm
• Dave Gibson Quartet; James Austin Quartet
		
Cellar Dog 7 pm $10êMingus Orchestra
Chelsea Table & Stage 7, 9:30 pm $20• Omar Sosa Quarteto Americanos with Peter Apfelbaum, Ernesto Mazar Kindelán,
Josh Jones
Dizzy’s Club 7:30, 9:30 pm $55
êDave McMurray; Eitan Kenner
The Django 7:30, 10:30 pm 1 amêJoel Ross’ Being A Young Black Man with Patrick Bartley, Tivon Pennicott,Jeremy Corren, Junius Paul, Marcus Gilmore		Harlem Stage Gatehouse 7:30 pm $25-35
êDevin Gray Trio with Zoh Amba, Micah Thomas		Ibeam Brooklyn 8, 9:30 pm $15• Frank Shiner and Daisy Jopling Iridium 8 pm $40-55
êDezron Douglas Sextet with Glenn Zaleski, Johnathan Blake, Akili Bradley, Chris Lewis,
Sachal Vasandani
The Jazz Gallery 7:30, 9:30 pm $30-40êDavid Amram and Bobby Sanabria’s Masters of the Multiverse with Peter Brainin,
Silvano Monasterios, Leo Traversa, Jennifer Jade Ledesna, Adira Amram,
Marcos De La Fuente
Joe’s Pub 7 pm $25• Mikey Migliore Duo
Knickerbocker Bar & Grill 9 pm $3.50• Mark Soskin
Mezzrow 7:30, 9 pm $20• Monica HopeMinton’s 7, 9:30 pm $25• Rico Jones; Josh Evans
Room 623 at B2 Harlem 7, 8:30, 10 pm $15-20• Doug Weiss
Smalls 7:30, 9 pm $20
êVijay Iyer Trio with Harish Raghavan, Tyshawn Sorey		
Smoke 7, 9, 10:30 pm $40-60• Roberta Brenza with Stacy Dillard, Dawn Clement, Cameron Brown, Matt Wilson				
Soapbox Gallery 8 pm $25
êBill Charlap Trio with Peter Washington, Kenny Washington
		Village Vanguard 8, 10 pm $40

Saturday, September 17êAdam Kolker Duo; Dan Weiss, Immanuel Wilkins, Thomas Morgan		
Bar Bayeux 6, 8, 9:30 pm• Steve Cromity with Richard Clements, Gene Ghee, Paul Beaudry,
Dwayne “Cook” Broadnax
Betty Carter Auditorium for the Arts 6 pm $20• BossaBrasil: Marcos Valle and guest Paula Morelenbaum		Birdland 8:30, 10:30 pm $40• Steve Smith Vital Information Trio with Manuel Valera, Janek Gwizdala				
Birdland Theater 7, 9:30 pm $30
êChristian McBride Quintet with Nicole Glover, Ely Perlman, Mike King, Savannah Harris		Blue Note 8, 10:30 pm $45
êWayne Escoffery Quartet; Sarah Hanahan Quartet
		
Cellar Dog 7 pm $10êSteve Swell, Kirk Knuffke, Michael TA Thompson; Jaimie Branch Group;
Larry Roland Urban Project with Kiyoko Layne, Waldron Ricks, Michael TA Thompson;
Whit Dickey/Rob Brown
Children’s Magical Garden de Carmen Rubio 1:30 pm• Omar Sosa Quarteto Americanos with Peter Apfelbaum, Ernesto Mazar Kindelán,
Josh Jones
Dizzy’s Club 7:30, 9:30 pm $55
êDave McMurray; Sam Dillon
The Django 7:30, 10:30 pm 1 amêJoel Ross’ Being A Young Black Man with Patrick Bartley, Tivon Pennicott,Jeremy Corren, Junius Paul, Marcus Gilmore		Harlem Stage Gatehouse 7:30 pm $25-35• Annie Chen’s Guardians with Alex LoRe, Marius Duboule, Vitor Gonçalves,
Jeong Lim Yang, Satoshi Takeishi Ibeam Brooklyn 8 pm $20
êDezron Douglas Sextet with Glenn Zaleski, Johnathan Blake, Akili Bradley, Chris Lewis,
Sachal Vasandani
The Jazz Gallery 7:30, 9:30 pm $30-40• Mikey Migliore Duo
Knickerbocker Bar & Grill 9 pm $3.50
êEddie Palmierie Salsa Orchestra Lehman Center 8 pm $58-103• Mark Soskin
Mezzrow 7:30, 9 pm $20• Daniel DeJesus
Minton’s 7, 9:30 pm $25• Reuben James
National Sawdust 7:30 pm $20• Doug Weiss
Smalls 7:30, 9 pm $20
êVijay Iyer Trio with Harish Raghavan, Tyshawn Sorey		
Smoke 7, 9, 10:30 pm $40-60• Steve Sandberg/Tobias Meinhart Soapbox Gallery 8 pm $25
êBill Charlap Trio with Peter Washington, Kenny Washington
		Village Vanguard 8, 10 pm $40

Sunday, September 18• Creole Cookin’ Jazz Band

Arthur’s Tavern 7 pmêStéphane Wrembel
Barbès 8 pm $20
êJohn Fedchock New York Big Band Birdland 5:30 pm $30
êArturo O’Farrill Afro Latin Jazz Orchestra		
Birdland 8:30, 10:30 pm $30• Steve Smith Vital Information Trio with Manuel Valera, Janek Gwizdala				
Birdland Theater 7, 9:30 pm $30
êChristian McBride Quintet with Nicole Glover, Ely Perlman, Mike King, Savannah Harris		Blue Note 8, 10:30 pm $45• Firey String Sisters
Brooklyn Museum of Art• Organ Grooves
Cellar Dog 7 pm $10êChris Williams, Luke Stewart, Cinque Kemp; Daro Behroozi, Éléonore Weill,
Martin Shamoonpour; Anne Waldman; William Hooker Trio with Sarah Manning,
Jair-Rohm Wells
Children’s Magical Garden de Carmen Rubio 1:30 pm• Steve Blum Molecular Jazz Trio Clove Lakes Park 6 pm
• Omar Sosa Quarteto Americanos with Peter Apfelbaum, Ernesto Mazar Kindelán,
Josh Jones
Dizzy’s Club 5, 7:30 pm $35• Benny Benack III Quartet; Neal Miner Trio		The Django 6:30, 9:30 pm• CompCord Ensemble: Melanie Mitrano, William Anderson, Gene Pritsker, Joan Forsyth,Mari Asakawa and Zentripetal: Lynn Bechtold/Jennifer DeVor		
Drom 6 pm $30
êAmina Claudine Myers/María Fernanda González
		Flushing Town Hall 1 pm $15• Janis Siegel
Joe’s Pub 7 pm $25• Welf Dorr, Elias Meister, Dmitry Ishenko, Dalius Naujo
		
The Keep 9 pm
• Jane Irving
Mezzrow 7:30, 9 pm $20

34 SEPTEMBER 2022 | THE NEW YORK CITY JAZZ RECORD• Tony Glausi
Minton’s 7, 9:30 pm $25• Marianne Solivan Trio with Leandro Pelligrino, Steve Wood		
North Square Lounge 12:30, 2 pm
• Vicki Burns Quartet with Sean Fitzpatrick, Sam Bevan, Curtis Nowosad				
Ornithology Jazz Club 2 pm
• Eric Vloeimans/Will Holshouser Rizzoli Bookstore 5 pm $20• John Benitez
Roberto Clemente State Park 2 pm
• Akemi Yamada Quartet with Toru Dodo, Peter Slavov, Ronen Itzik		Rockwood Music Hall Stage 3 5 pm $20• Marcus Goldhaber; Mimi Jones and Friends		
Room 623 at B2 Harlem 6, 8 pm $15-20
êRemembering Tomasz Stańko: Ambrose Akinmusire, Wadada Leo Smith,Ravi Coltrane, Joe Lovano, Chris Potter, Jakob Bro, Craig Taborn, David Virelles,
Marcin Wasilewski, Dezron Douglas, Sławomir Kurkiewicz, Reuben Rogers,
Gerald Cleaver, Michał Miśkiewicz Roulette 8 pm
• Marcos Varela Trio
Saint Peter’s Church 5 pm
• Richie Vitale
Smalls 7:30, 9 pm $20
êVijay Iyer Trio with Harish Raghavan, Tyshawn Sorey		
Smoke 7, 9 pm $40-60
êBill Charlap Trio with Peter Washington, Kenny Washington
		Village Vanguard 8, 10 pm $40

Monday, September 19• Grove Street Stompers
Arthur’s Tavern 7 pm
• Tom Beckham’s Slice with Brad Shepik, Gary Wang, Diego Voglino

		Bar Lunàtico 8:30, 10 pm $10• Billy Stritch/Gabrielle Stravelli Birdland 7 pm $30• George Gee Big Band
Bond 45 8 pm $25• Danny Mixon
Bryant Park 12:30 pm• Grace Fox Big Band
Dizzy’s Club 7:30, 9:30 pm $45• Hank Allen-Barfield Quintet; Eitan Kenner Quartet
		
The Django 7:30, 10:30 pmêMakaya McCraven
Public Records 7:30 pm $20• Ari Hoenig
Smalls 7:30, 9 pm $20• Glenn and Mark Zaleski
Soapbox Gallery 8 pm $25
êVanguard Jazz Orchestra
Village Vanguard 8, 10 pm $40• Andy Bianco Quartet with Wayne Escoffery, Brad Whiteley, Paul Wells
		
Zinc Bar 7, 8:30 pm $30
êZoh Amba, Micah Thomas, Trevor Dunn, Billy Martin
		Zürcher Gallery 8 pm $20

Tuesday, September 20• Diego Voglino Jam Session
Bar Bayeux 8 pm
• Tobias Meinhart Quartet with Julian Shore, Rick Rosato, Obed Calvaire		
Bar Lunàtico 8:30, 10 pm $10êColtrane Revisited 21st Anniversary: Jimmy Greene, Greg Osby, Vincent Herring,
Jeremy Pelt, Helen Sung, Lonnie Plaxico, Steve Smith		
Birdland 7, 9:30 pm $40• Will and Peter Anderson
Birdland Theater 5:30 pm $20
êCécile McLorin Salvant
Blue Note 8, 10:30 pm $45• Danny Mixon
Bryant Park 12:30 pmêHyaku—One Hundred Dreams: Satoko Fujii, Wadada Leo Smith, Kappa Maki,
Ingrid Laubrock, Sara Schoenbeck, Ikue Mori, Brandon López, Tom Rainey,
Chris Corsano
The DiMenna Center 8 pm $20
êEast Axis: Matthew Shipp, Scott Robinson, Gerald Cleaver, Kevin Ray				
Dizzy’s Club 7:30, 9:30 pm $35
êHelio Alves Quartet; Manuel Valera New Cuban Express
		
The Django 7:30, 10:30 pmêBeyond Group: Cheryl Pyle, Michael Eaton, Haruna Fukazawa, Gene Coleman,
Yuko Togami
Downtown Music Gallery 6:30 pm• International Contemporary Ensemble with guests Lesley Mok, Chris Ryan Williams
		Joe’s Pub 7 pm $25• Kevin Sun Quartet with Dana Saul, Walter Stinson, Matt Honor		
Lowlands 8, 9:30 pm• Judy Neimack
Mezzrow 7:30, 9 pm $20
êBattle Trance: Travis Laplante, Patrick Breiner, Matthew Nelson, Jeremy Viner;
Darius Jones, Ryan Sawyer, Shahzad Ismaily		
Pioneer Works 8 pm $25
êKenny Warren, Christopher Hoffman, Nathan Ellman-Bell; Stephen Gauci,
Santiago Leibson, Adam Lane, Colin Hinton; Juan Pablo Carletti’s Biggish with
Rick Parker, Chrisof Knoche, Thomas Heberer, Yoni Kretzmer
		
Scholes Street Studio 7:30 pm $20• Mark Sherman Quartet with Joe Magnarelli, Dean Johnson, Tim Horner				
Smalls 7:30, 9 pm $20
êBill Charlap Trio with Peter Washington, Kenny Washington
		Village Vanguard 8, 10 pm $40
êEthan Iverson solo
Zinc Bar 7, 8:30 pm $30

Wednesday, September 21êJerome Sabbagh/Melissa Aldana Quartet with Joe Martin, Bill Stewart

		Bar Bayeux 8, 9:30 pm• Loren Connors/Jeff Fuccillo; Ayal Senior/Gray Smith		
411 Kent Ave 8 pm $15êDavid Ostwald’s Louis Armstrong Eternity Band		
Birdland 5:30 pm $30
êColtrane Revisited 21st Anniversary: Jimmy Greene, Greg Osby, Vincent Herring,
Jeremy Pelt, Helen Sung, Lonnie Plaxico, Steve Smith		
Birdland 7, 9:30 pm $40
êFrank Vignola’s Guitar Night with John di Martino, Gary Mazzaroppi, Vince Cherico
and guests
Birdland Theater 8:30 pm $30
êCécile McLorin Salvant
Blue Note 8, 10:30 pm $45• Danny Mixon
Bryant Park 12:30 pm• Ehud Asherie Trio
Cellar Dog 7 pm $10• Ashley Pezzotti with Vincent Herring, Sean Mason, Jason Clotter, Joe Farnsworth				Dizzy’s Club 7:30, 9:30 pm $35• Ari Hoenig Trio; Dan Aran Band The Django 7:30, 10:30 pm• Charles Altura Quintet with Taylor Eigsti, Harish Raghavan, Eric Harland,
Johnathan Blake
The Jazz Gallery 7:30, 9:30 pm $30-40êMilton Suggs
Mezzrow 7:30, 9 pm $20
êFrank Lacy Quartet with Yayoi Ikawa, Taru Alexander, Hilliard Greene		New Amsterdam Musical Association NAMA 8 pmêJay Clayton Quartet with Jay Anderson, Ed Neumeister		Pangea 7 pm $25• Peter Brainin and Friends
Room 623 at B2 Harlem 8 pm $15• Gilad Hekselman
Smalls 7:30, 9 pm $20
êDan Weiss/Miles Okazaki
The Stone at The New School 8:30 pm $20
êBill Charlap Trio with Peter Washington, Kenny Washington
		Village Vanguard 8, 10 pm $40
êTerry Waldo’s Gotham City Band Zinc Bar 8, 9:45 pm

OCT 7–8

CHUCHO VALDÉS:LA CREACIÓN

SEP 30–OCT 1

WYNTON MARSALIS:THE SHANGHAI SUITE

Chucho Valdes celebrates his
81st birthday by returning to theHouse of Swing with La Creación,a four-movement suite exploring
the story of creation according to
the Santería religion, featuring
elements of ritual music, West
African music, and the blues.

The Jazz at Lincoln Center
Orchestra with Wynton Marsalis
opens the 35th Season with
the U.S. Premiere of Marsalis’s
The Shanghai Suite. Joinedby master Chinese musicians,
we celebrate the mythology,
folklore, and culture of China.

212.721.6500
BROADWAY AT 60 ST., 5TH FL.

Jazz Lake 2022
at

September 16 - 18, 2022
Shepard Park, Lake George NY
FREE ADMISSION
Presented by

Friday,September 16

6pm: Chembo Corniel Quintet
Evening: regional jazz favorites
performing around town

Saturday,
September 17

1pm: Gilad Hekselman& Far Star Trio
3pm: Samara Joy
5pm: Ike Sturm + HEART
7pm: Camille Thurman withSunday,September 18

1pm: Zach Brock Quartet
3pm: Vanderlei Pereira & Blindfold Test
5pm: Elio Villafranca &The Jass Syncopators

the Darrell Green Quartet

LAKEGEORGEARTS.ORG

Thursday, September 22êJohnny O’Neal Trio; Terry Waldo’s Gotham City Band		
Arthur’s Tavern 7, 10 pm• Marta Sanchez solo; Adam Kolker/Jeremy Stratton with guests Carlo Moreno,
George Schuller
Bay Bayeux 5, 8, 9:30 pmêColtrane Revisited 21st Anniversary: Jimmy Greene, Greg Osby, Vincent Herring,
Jeremy Pelt, Helen Sung, Lonnie Plaxico, Steve Smith		
Birdland 7, 9:30 pm $40• Fleurine
Birdland Theater 8:30 pm $30
êCécile McLorin Salvant
Blue Note 8, 10:30 pm $45• Eli Yamin Trio with Elias Bailey, David Gibson and guests
		
Bond 45 8:30 pm $25• Danny Mixon
Bryant Park 12:30 pm• Akiko Tsuruga Quartet; Avi Rothbard Quartet
		
Cellar Dog 7 pm $10• The Jazz Legacy of San Juan Hill with Loren Schoenberg and guest		David Rubenstein Atrium 7:30 pmêOran Etkin Open Arms Project with Vinicius Gomes, Sam Minaie, Alvester Garnett andguest Samir Langus
Dizzy’s Club 7:30, 9:30 pm $45• Michael Rabinowitz Quartet; C. Anthony Bryant
		
The Django 7:30, 10:30 pmêSouren Baronian’s Taksim Middle East Ensemble with Adam Good, Lee Baronian,Paul Brown, Mal Stein
Drom 7:15 pm $25• Underground Horns
Groove Bar & Grill 7 pmêJon Batiste’s American Symphony Isaac Stern Auditorium at Carnegie Hall 8 pm
• Charles Altura Quintet with Taylor Eigsti, Harish Raghavan, Eric Harland,
Johnathan Blake
The Jazz Gallery 7:30, 9:30 pm $30-40êGeorge Braith
Jazz Museum in Harlem 2 pmêPete Malinverni
Mezzrow 7:30, 9 pm $20• House of Jade: Vuyo Sotashe, Jenn Jade, Benny Benack III, Nicole Glover,Mathis Picard, Russell Hall, Bryan Carter		
Minton’s 7, 9:30 pm $25• Ilhan Ersahin, Trevor Dunn, Kenny Wollesen		
Nublu 151 10 pm $20• Martin Nevin; Alex LoRe Quartet The Owl Music Parlor 7:30 pm $10• Kiyoshi Kitagawa
Smalls 7:30, 9 pm $20• One For All: Jim Rotondi, Eric Alexander, Steve Davis, David Hazeltine,Peter Washington, Joe Farnsworth Smoke 7, 9, 10:30 pm $40-60• The Jazz Expressions: TK Blue, Sharp Radway, Hilliard Greene,
Dwayne “Cook” Broadnax
St. John’s in the Village 7 pmêDan Weiss, Miguel Zenón, Matt Mitchell
		The Stone at The New School 8:30 pm $20• Magos Herrera
Terraza 7 7 pm $15êBill Charlap Trio with Peter Washington, Kenny Washington
		Village Vanguard 8, 10 pm $40

Friday, September 23• Marianne Solivan• Birdland Big Band

Bar Bayeux 8, 9:30 pm
Birdland 5 pm $30
êColtrane Revisited 21st Anniversary: Jimmy Greene, Greg Osby, Vincent Herring,
Jeremy Pelt, Helen Sung, Lonnie Plaxico, Steve Smith		
Birdland 8:30, 10:30 pm $40
êRoberta Gambarini Quartet
Birdland Theater 7, 9:30 pm $30
êCécile McLorin Salvant
Blue Note 8, 10:30 pm $45• Danny Mixon
Bryant Park 12:30 pm• Richard Clements Quartet; Raphael D’lugoff Quartet
		
Cellar Dog 7 pm $10êMingus Orchestra
Chelsea Table & Stage 7, 9:30 pm $20• Steve Oquendo Big BandDavid Rubenstein Atrium 7:30 pmêSean Jones Quartet with Alex Brown, Matthew Clohesy		Dizzy’s Club 7:30, 9:30 pm $55• Ty Bailie Trio; Richard Cortez Band; Eitan Kenner		
The Django 7:30, 10:30 pm 1 amêLenny White and Friends with Tom Guarna, Quinton Zoto, Richie Goods, Vince Evans		
Flushing Town Hall 8 pm $40• New York Ska Jazz Ensemble Iridium 8:30 pm $35• Quite Sane: Anthony Tidd, Kokayi, Laurin Talese, Erika Hicks, Paul Cornish,
Miles Okazaki, Miguel Zenón, Sean Rickman
		
The Jazz Gallery 7:30, 9:30 pm $30-40• Jon Davis Duo
Knickerbocker Bar & Grill 9 pm $3.50• Adam Birnbaum
Mezzrow 7:30, 9 pm $20• Whitney Marchelle
Minton’s 7, 9:30 pm $25• Live Equinox: Seiki Yukimoto, Andew Lamb, Spaceman Patterson, Terry Burrus,
Stanley Banks, Craig Haynes, Newman Taylor Baker
		
Nublu 151 7 pm $20• James Haddad; Stacy Dillard
Room 623 at B2 Harlem 7, 8:30, 10 pm $15-20
êBilly Drummond
Smalls 7:30, 9 pm $20• One For All: Jim Rotondi, Eric Alexander, Steve Davis, David Hazeltine,Peter Washington, Joe Farnsworth Smoke 7, 9, 10:30 pm $40-60
êDan Weiss/Ari Hoenig
The Stone at The New School 8:30 pm $20
êBill Charlap Trio with Peter Washington, Kenny Washington
		Village Vanguard 8, 10 pm $40
êJerry Bergonzi and George Garzone with Peter Bernstein, Peter Slavov,
Adam Nussbaum
Zinc Bar 7, 8:30 pm $30

Saturday, September 24êHarry Allen Trio
Arthur’s Tavern 7 pmêAdam Kolker Duo; Elsa Nilsson Quartet with Santiago Leibson, Lim Yang,

Rodrigo Recabarren

Bar Bayeux 6, 8, 9:30 pm
Bar Lunàtico 8:30, 10 pm $10êColtrane Revisited 21st Anniversary: Jimmy Greene, Greg Osby, Vincent Herring,
Jeremy Pelt, Helen Sung, Lonnie Plaxico, Steve Smith		
Birdland 8:30, 10:30 pm $40
êRoberta Gambarini Quartet
Birdland Theater 7, 9:30 pm $30
êCécile McLorin Salvant
Blue Note 8, 10:30 pm $45• Will Terrill Quintet; Jinjoo Yoo Quartet
		
Cellar Dog 7 pm $10êJamie Baum Septet+ with Jonathan Finlayson, Sam Sadigursky, Chris Komer,
Brad Shepik, Ricky Rodriguez, Gary Versace, Jeff Hirshfield, Aubrey Johnson				Chelsea Table & Stage 7 pm $20
êSean Jones Quartet with Alex Brown, Matthew Clohesy		Dizzy’s Club 7:30, 9:30 pm $55• Benny Benack III Django All-Star Jam; Sam Dillon
		
The Django 7:30, 10:30 pm 1 amêJuan Pablo Carlett/Rob Brown; Company López; Patrick Holmes/Sarah Sandaval;
James Brandon Lewis Trio
First Street Green 1:30 pm• Ralph Lalama Bop Juice
Flying Lobster 7 pm
• Quite Sane: Anthony Tidd, Kokayi, Laurin Talese, Erika Hicks, Paul Cornish,
Miles Okazaki, Miguel Zenón, Sean Rickman
		
The Jazz Gallery 7:30, 9:30 pm $30-40• Alvaro Benavides Group• Juilliard Jazz Orchestra• Jon Davis Duo• Adam Birnbaum

Juilliard School Peter Jay Sharp Theater 7:30 pm $20
Knickerbocker Bar & Grill 9 pm $3.50
Mezzrow 7:30, 9 pm $20
êBobby Sanabria
Minton’s 7, 9:30 pm $25• Medicine Singers: Yonatan Gat, Jaimie Branch, Laraaji, Lee Ranaldo, Ikue Mori,
Thor Harris, Christopher Pravdica; Lee Ranaldo/Hassan Ben Jafaar;
Laraaji/Mamady Kouyate
Pioneer Works 8 pm $35• Steve Hudson Trio with Hilliard Greene, Jerome Jennings
		Rockwood Music Hall Stage 3 7 pm $15êBilly Drummond
Smalls 7:30, 9 pm $20• One For All: Jim Rotondi, Eric Alexander, Steve Davis, David Hazeltine,Peter Washington, Joe Farnsworth Smoke 7, 9, 10:30 pm $40-60
êAnna Webber, Darius Jones, Craig Taborn, Chris Tordini, Dan Weiss		The Stone at The New School 8:30 pm $20
êBill Charlap Trio with Peter Washington, Kenny Washington
		Village Vanguard 8, 10 pm $40
êGeorge Garzone Quartet with Peter Bernstein, Peter Slavov, Ari Hoenig
		Zinc Bar 7, 8:30 pm $30

Sunday, September 25• Creole Cookin’ Jazz Band

Arthur’s Tavern 7 pmêStéphane Wrembel
Barbès 8 pm $20
êRyan Keberle All Ears Orchestra Birdland 5:30 pm $30
êArturo O’Farrill Afro Latin Jazz Orchestra		
Birdland 8:30, 10:30 pm $30
êRoberta Gambarini Quartet
Birdland Theater 7, 9:30 pm $30• Juilliard Jazz Small Ensembles Blue Note 12:30, 2:30 pm $25
êCécile McLorin Salvant
Blue Note 8, 10:30 pm $45• Ned Goold Trio
Cellar Dog 7 pm $10• Travis Sullivan Björkestra with Becca Stevens, Sean Nowell, Mitch Marcus,
Matt MacDonald, Max Seigel, Matt Hilgenberg, Eli Asher, Alex Smith, Yoshi Waki,
Joe Abba, Ian Cook
The Cutting Room 9 pm $20
êSean Jones Quartet with Alex Brown, Matthew Clohesy		Dizzy’s Club 5, 7:30 pm $40
êJonny King Quartet with Steve Wilson; Noah Haidu Trio		The Django 6:30, 9:30 pmêAakash Mittal Trio with Jasmine Wilson, Lesley Mok; William Parker/Hamid Drake;
Julia Wilkins; Michael Wimberly Trio with Alexis Marcelo, Adam Lane		First Street Green 1:30 pm• Kelly Green/Luca Soul Rosenfeld and guest Art Baron		
Green Soul Studios 6:30 pm $40• Welf Dorr, Elias Meister, Dmitry Ishenko, Vijay Anderson
		
The Keep 9 pmêChampian Fulton
Mezzrow 7:30, 9 pm $20• Isaiah Collier
Minton’s 7, 9:30 pm $25• Roz Corral Trio with Eddie Monteiro, David Silliman		North Square Lounge 12:30, 2 pm
• Days of Wild: Rick Bottari, Dan Walsh, Mike Delgado
		
Nublu 151 7 pm $20• Marcus Goldhaber; Mimi Jones and Friends		
Room 623 at B2 Harlem 6, 8 pm $15-20• Andrew Hartman Trio
Saint Peter’s Church 5 pm
• One For All: Jim Rotondi, Eric Alexander, Steve Davis, David Hazeltine,Peter Washington, Joe Farnsworth Smoke 7, 9, 10:30 pm $40-60
êBill Charlap Trio with Peter Washington, Kenny Washington
		Village Vanguard 8, 10 pm $40

Monday, September 26• Grove Street Stompers
Arthur’s Tavern 7 pm
• Harish Ragavan Quartet with Gilad Hekselman, Alfredo Colon, Savannah Harris		Bar Lunàtico 8:30, 10 pm $10êSamara Joy with Isaiah J. Thompson, Paul Sikivie, Evan Sherman		Blue Note 8, 10:30 pm $35• George Gee Big Band
Bond 45 8 pm $25• Sue Maskaleris
Bryant Park 12:30 pmêSullivan Fortner Trio with Tyrone Allen, Kayvon Gordon
		Dizzy’s Club 7:30, 9:30 pm $45• Liam Sutcliffe Quartet with Byron Landham; Sarah King Quartet
		
The Django 7:30, 10:30 pm• Henry Hey Trio with David Cook, Josh Dion		
Rockwood Music Hall Stage 1 9 pm
• Joe Farnsworth
Smalls 7:30, 9 pm $20
êVanguard Jazz Orchestra
Village Vanguard 8, 10 pm $40
êEd Cherry Trio
Zinc Bar 7, 8:30 pm $30

Tuesday, September 27• Diego Voglino Jam Session• Pedro Giraudo Tango Quartet

Bar Bayeux 8 pm
Bar Lunàtico 8:30, 10 pm $10êMingus Big Band
Birdland 7, 9:30 pm $40• Will and Peter Anderson
Birdland Theater 5:30 pm $20
êJohn Scofield/Dave Holland
Blue Note 8, 10:30 pm $45• Sue Maskaleris
Bryant Park 12:30 pmêSullivan Fortner Trio with Tyrone Allen, Kayvon Gordon
		Dizzy’s Club 7:30, 9:30 pm $45• Alex Brown Quartet; Hector Martignon’s Foreign Affair
		
The Django 7:30, 10:30 pmêDustin Carlson/Michaël Attias; Sana Nagano/Kevin Shea		
Downtown Music Gallery 6:30 pmêTomeka Reid Quartet with Mary Halvorson, Jason Roebke, Tomas Fujiwara
		
The Jazz Gallery 7:30, 9:30 pm $30-40• Sarah Elizabeth Charles
Joe’s Pub 7 pm $25• Kevin Sun Quartet with Dana Saul, Walter Stinson, Matt Honor		
Lowlands 8, 9:30 pm• Tyshawn Sorey’s Monochromatic Life (Afterlife)		Park Avenue Armory 7:30 pm $40
êZoh Amba’s Bhakti with Micah Thomas, Thomas Morgan, Marc Edwards,
Matt Hollenberg
Roulette 8 pm $30• Kurt Rosenwinkel Quartet with Aaron Parks, Eric Revis, Gregory Hutchinson
		Village Vanguard 8, 10 pm $40

Wednesday, September 28• Ikue Mori, Ned Rothenberg, Alex Waterman; Che Chen with Talice Lee, Barry Weisbalt,
Alex Zhang Hungtai

411 Kent Ave 8 pm $15

Eric McPherson

Bar Bayeux 8, 9:30 pmêOhad Talmor Back to the Land Quartet with David Virelles, Chris Tordini,• Ross Pederson Quartet with Donny McCaslin, David Cook, Sam Minaie		
Bar Lunàtico 8:30, 10 pm $10• Los Aliens: Ricardo Gallo, Sebastián Cruz, Stomu Takeishi, Andres Jimenez				Barbès 8 pm $15

36 SEPTEMBER 2022 | THE NEW YORK CITY JAZZ RECORDêDavid Ostwald’s Louis Armstrong Eternity Band		
Birdland 5:30 pm $30
êMingus Big Band
Birdland 7, 9:30 pm $40
êFrank Vignola’s Guitar Night with John di Martino, Gary Mazzaroppi, Vince Cherico
and guests
Birdland Theater 8:30 pm $30
êJohn Scofield/Dave Holland
Blue Note 8, 10:30 pm $45• Sue Maskaleris
Bryant Park 12:30 pm• Saul Rubin Trio
Cellar Dog 7 pm $10êDrum Battle—Rich versus Roach: Jaz Sawyer and Joe Farnsworth with Stacy Dillard,
Josh Evans, John Chin, Jennifer Vincent
		Dizzy’s Club 7:30, 9:30 pm $45
êChampian Fulton Trio; Jason Tiemann Quartet
		
The Django 7:30, 10:30 pm• Manhattan School of Music Jazz Orchestra Conducted by Dennis Mackrel				
Manhattan School of Music Neidorff-Karpati Hall 7:30 pm• Mike LeDonne
Mezzrow 7:30, 9 pm $20• Dylan Pramuk
Pangea 7 pm $25• Tyshawn Sorey’s Monochromatic Life (Afterlife)		Park Avenue Armory 7:30 pm $40• Peter Brainin and Friends
Room 623 at B2 Harlem 8 pm $15• Larry Banks
Smalls 7:30, 9 pm $20
êMicah Thomas Trio with Dean Torrey, Kayvon Gordon		
Smoke 7, 9 pm $25
êBorderlands Trio: Kris Davis, Stephan Crump, Eric McPherson
		
The Stone at The New School 8:30 pm $20• Kurt Rosenwinkel Quartet with Aaron Parks, Eric Revis, Gregory Hutchinson
		Village Vanguard 8, 10 pm $40
êTerry Waldo’s Gotham City Band Zinc Bar 8, 9:45 pm
êErik Friedlander, Mark Helias, Satoshi Takeishi
		Zürcher Gallery 8 pm $20

Thursday, September 29êJohnny O’Neal Trio; Terry Waldo’s Gotham City Band		
Arthur’s Tavern 7, 10 pmêMarta Sanchez solo; Tribute to John Abercrombie: Gary Versace, Adam Kolker,
Jeremy Stratton, Anthony Pinciotti Bar Bayeux 5, 8, 9:30 pmêMingus Big Band
Birdland 7, 9:30 pm $40
êBud Powell Birthday Tribute: Steve Smith, Lonnie Plaxico, Helen Sung, Manuel Valera		
Birdland Theater 8:30 pm $30
êJohn Scofield/Dave Holland
Blue Note 8, 10:30 pm $45• Eli Yamin Trio with Elias Bailey, David Gibson and guests
		
Bond 45 8:30 pm $25• Sue Maskaleris
Bryant Park 12:30 pm• Mike Ledonne Quartet; Ai Murakami Quartet
		
Cellar Dog 7 pm $10êCatherine Russell with Matt Munisteri, Sean Mason, Tal Ronen, Mark McLean				
Dizzy’s Club 7:30, 9:30 pm $45• Sam Dillon Quartet; Ian Hendrickson-Smith		The Django 7:30, 10:30 pm• Second Life Trio: Manuel Valera, Alex Goodman, Jimmy Macbride		
Hermana 8:30 pm• House of Jade: Vuyo Sotashe, Jenn Jade, Benny Benack III, Nicole Glover,Mathis Picard, Russell Hall, Bryan Carter		
Minton’s 7, 9:30 pm $25
êWendy Eisenberg, Jay Gandhi, Dustin Carlson
		
The Owl Music Parlor 7:30 pm $10• Tyshawn Sorey’s Monochromatic Life (Afterlife)		Park Avenue Armory 7:30 pm $40• Interpretations: Peter Kotik 80th Birthday Celebration		Roulette 6 pm $20
êElio Villafranca and The Jass Syncopators with Steve Wilson, Vincent Herring,Alex Norris, Edward Perez, Dion Parson, Mauricio Herrera		Smoke 7, 9 pm $40-60• Randal Despommier/Ben Monder Soapbox Gallery 8 pm $25
êKris Davis solo
The Stone at The New School 8:30 pm $20• Kurt Rosenwinkel Quartet with Aaron Parks, Eric Revis, Gregory Hutchinson
		Village Vanguard 8, 10 pm $40

Friday, September 30• David Berkman• Birdland Big Band

Bar Bayeux 8, 9:30 pm
Birdland 5 pm $30
êMingus Big Band
Birdland 8:30, 10:30 pm $40
êBud Powell Birthday Tribute: Steve Smith, Lonnie Plaxico, Helen Sung, Manuel Valera		
Birdland Theater 7, 9:30 pm $30
êJohn Scofield/Dave Holland
Blue Note 8, 10:30 pm $45• Sue Maskaleris
Bryant Park 12:30 pm• Philip Harper Quintet; Courtney Wright Quartet
		
Cellar Dog 7 pm $10• Alex Madeline Band with Sami Stevens, Michael Valeanu, Chris McCarthy,
Clovis Nicolas, Joshua Henderson, Sean Lim, Kayla Williams, Julia Henderson				
Culture Lab LIC 7 pmêCatherine Russell with Matt Munisteri, Sean Mason, Tal Ronen, Mark McLean				
Dizzy’s Club 7:30, 9:30 pm $55• Nick Biello Quartet; Craig Handy and 2nd Line Smith		The Django 7:30, 10:30 pmêPeter Evans Ensemble with Alice Tessyier, Caroline Davis, Nick Jozwiak, Levy Lorenzo,
Sam Pluta
The Jazz Gallery 7:30, 9:30 pm $20-30• Joe Paskov Duo
Knickerbocker Bar & Grill 9 pm $3.50
êIbrahim Maalouf
Le Poisson Rouge 7 pm $40• Peter Zak
Mezzrow 7:30, 9 pm $20• Ron Jackson
Minton’s 7, 9:30 pm $25• Tyshawn Sorey’s Monochromatic Life (Afterlife)		Park Avenue Armory 8 pm $40• Gabrielle Stravelli; Oscar Perez Room 623 at B2 Harlem 7, 8:30, 10 pm $15-20• The Shanghai Suite: Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra
		
Rose Theater 8 pm $40-170• Ex Machina: The Orchestre National de Jazz and IRCAM
		Roulette 8 pm $30• Ben Wolfe
Smalls 7:30, 9 pm $20• Elio Villafranca and The Jass Syncopators with Steve Wilson, Vincent Herring,Alex Norris, Edward Perez, Dion Parson, Mauricio Herrera		Smoke 7, 9, 10:30 pm $40-60
êKris Davis, Ches Smith, Michael Formanek, Tony Malaby
		The Stone at The New School 8:30 pm $20• Kurt Rosenwinkel Quartet with Aaron Parks, Eric Revis, Gregory Hutchinson
		Village Vanguard 8, 10 pm $40

100 MILES OUT
CONNECTICUT
9/2, 9/9, 9/16, 9/23, 9/30 (7 pm) Bill’s All-Star Jazz Band
Bill’s Seafood (Westbrook, CT) www.billsseafood.com
9/8 (6 pm) Haneef N. Nelson Quintet with Sean Berry, Taber Gable, Avery Sharpe, Yoron Israel
Butler-McCook House (Hartford, CT)
ctlandmarks.org/properties/butler-mccook-house-garden
9/3 (8 pm) Gianni Gardner
Buttonwood Tree Performing Arts Center (Middletown, CT) www.buttonwood.org
9/5, 9/12, 9/19, 9/26 (7:30/9 pm) Hartford Jazz Orchestra
Elicit Brewery (Manchester, CT) www.elicitbrewing.com
9/14 (8 pm) Al Di MeolaInfinity Hall (Hartford, CT) www.infinityhall.com
9/8 (7:30 pm) Frank Vignola/Martin Taylor
Katherine Hepburn Cultural Arts Center (Old Saybrook, CT)
www.katharinehepburntheater.org
9/14 (7 pm) Roberta Piket Quartet with Harvie S, Scott Robinson, Billy Mintz
9/28 (7 pm) Michael Palin’s Other Orchestra
La Zingara (Bethel, CT) www.lazingara.com
9/21 (6:30 pm) Zwelakhe-Duma Bell le Pere Quintet
New Britain Museum of American Art (New Britain, CT) www.nbmaa.org
9/7, 9/14, 9/21, 9/28 (9 pm) Hawkins Jazz Collective
Owl Shop (New Haven, CT) www.owlshopcigars.com
9/9 (7/9 pm) Chase Elodia Quartet
Palace Theater Poli Club (Waterbury, CT) www.palacetheaterct.org
9/4 (2:30 pm) Ken Vandermark/Joe Morris
Real Art Ways (Hartford, CT) www.realartways.org
9/10 (8 pm) Big Bad Voodoo Daddy
Ridgefield Playhouse (Ridgefield, CT) www.ridgefieldplayhouse.org
9/2-9/3 (8:30 pm) Christian Sands Trio
9/9 (6:30 pm) Back In The Swing Celebration: Jonathan Barber’s Vision Ahead;
Joey Alexander Trio Side Door
9/10 (4:30 pm) Back In The Swing Celebration: Sean Nelson’s New London Big Band;
Katie Thiroux Trio with Melissa Aldana;
Kenny Garrett & Sounds From The Ancestors
The Side Door (Old Lyme, CT) www.thesidedoorjazz.com
9/9 (7 pm) Wayne Krantz with Keith Carlock, Tim Lefebvre
9/18 (7 pm) Al Di Meola
The Warehouse (Fairfield, CT) www.fairfieldtheatre.org/venue/warehouse
NEW JERSEY
9/2 (7:30/9:15 pm) Eddie Allen Quartet
9/9 (7:30/9:15 pm) Ginetta’s Vendetta Quartet
9/16 (7:30/9:15 pm) James Stewart Organ Trio
9/23 (7:30/9:15 pm) John Coltrane Tribute: TK Blue, Matt Smyth, George Coleman, Jr. 9/30
(7:30/9:15 pm) Bruce Williams Quartet
Brothers Smokehouse (Ramsey, NJ) www.brotherssmokehousenj.com
9/3 (3:30 pm) Peter Lin
9/10 (3:30 pm) Mike Boone
9/17 (3:30 pm) James Stewart
9/24 (3:30 pm) Todd Bashore
Candlelight Lounge (Trenton, NJ) www.candlelighteventsjazz.com
9/1 (7:30 pm) Tuba Skinny
9/13 (8 pm) Al Di Meola
9/21 (7/9:30 pm) Pat Metheny with Antonio Sanchez, Linda May Han Oh, Gwilym Simcock
Count Basie Center’s The Vogel (Reed Bank, NJ) www.thebasie.org
9/11 (7 pm) Ellen Woloshin
Englewood Public Library (Englewood, NJ) www.englewoodlibrary.org
9/29 (8:30 pm) John Pizzarelli Swing Seven
9/30 (12:15 pm) Brian Betz, Edgardo Cintron, Christian Sands; All-Star Philly Jawn with
Orrin Evans, Anthony Tidd, Kevin Eubanks, Jaleel Shaw, Lil’ John Roberts;
Joshua Redman
Exit Zero Jazz Festival (Cape May, NJ) www.exitzerojazzfestival.com
9/9 (1-6 pm) Central Jersey Jazz Festival: Lee Hogans Quintet;
Lucy Yeghiazaryan Quintet with Houston Person; Cyrus Chestnut Quartet
George Street (New Brunswick, NJ) www.centraljerseyjazzfestival.com
9/18 (4 pm) Eri Yamamoto Trio with David Ambrosio, Ikuo Takeuchi
JazzNights at Jones/Hockaday Barn (Hopewell, NJ) www.jazznightsprinceton.com
9/15 (6 pm) PJ Keiter Sextet
Kaycee Ray’s (Vineland, NJ) www.kayceerays.com
9/24 (4-8 pm) Jazz & Roots Festival: Dianne Reeves; Kean University Jazz Ensemble;
Don Braden/Karl Latham Big Fun(k), Judah Tribe with Josh David;
Blues People with Kelton Cooper, Victor Burks, Mike Griot, Gene Lake
Kean Stage Enlow Hall (Union, NJ) www.keanstage.com
9/9 (1-6 pm) Central Jersey Jazz Festival: Metuchen High School Jazz Ensemble;
Bobby Sanabria Ascensión
Metuchen High School (Metuchen, NJ) www.centraljerseyjazzfestival.com
9/18 (2:30 pm) Lenore Raphael Trio with Hilliard Greene, Dwayne “Cook” Broadnax
Millburn Free Public Library (Millburn, NJ) www.millburnlibrary.org
9/10 (1-9 pm) 2022 Montclair Jazz Festival Downtown Jamboree: Matthew Whitaker;
Monty Alexander Harlem Kingston Express; Christian McBride;
Ozmosys with Omark Hakim & Rachel Z; Immanuel Wilkins;
Jazz House Collective; The Cookers with Billy Harper, Cecil McBee,
George Cables, Eddie Henderson, Billy Hart, David Weiss. Donald Harrison;
Danielle Ponder; Claudia Acuña; Artemis with Renee Rosnes, Ingrid Jensen,
Alexa Tarantino, Nicole Glover, Noriko Ueda, Allison Miller
Montclair Jazz Festival (Montclair, NJ) www.montclairjazzfestival.org
9/9 (8 pm) Randy Brecker and Ada Rovatti
New Brunswick Performing Arts Center (New Brunswick, NJ) www.nbpac.org
9/9 (1-6 pm) Central Jersey Jazz Festival: Lezlie Harrison Quartet;
Curtis Lundy Emoja Ensemble; Dizzy Gillespie Afro-Latin Experience
Somerset County Courhouse (Somerville, NJ) www.centraljerseyjazzfestival.com
9/24 (8 pm) “Billie & Blue Eyes: The Songs of Sinatra and Billie Holiday”:
John Pizzarelli and Catherine Russell
9/30 (8 pm) Delfeayo Marsalis Quintet
South Orange Performing Arts Center (South Orange, NJ) www.sopacnow.org
9/9 (1-6 pm) Central Jersey Jazz Festival: Marion Cowings with AC Lincoln; Blues People
Stangl Road (Flemington, NJ) www.centraljerseyjazzfestival.com
9/1 (8 pm) Vanessa Parea Quartet
9/7 (7 pm) CJ Margolis and The Cats
9/8 (7 pm) Dave Schumacher Septet “Cubeye”
9/29 (7 pm) Kate Curran Quartet
Tavern on George (New Brunswick, NJ) www.tavernongeorge.com
9/22 (6 pm) S.O.L.E. with TK Blue
Van Vortst Park (Jersey City, NJ) www.jcparks.org/van-vorst-park

NEW YORK
9/2 (7 pm) Victor LaGamma Trio
9/3 (7:30 pm) Peter Hand Trio with Yuriy Galkin, Tony Jefferson
9/9 9/23 (7 pm) Dinah Vero
9/10 9/24 (7:30 pm) Leslie Pintchik Trio with Scott Hardy, Michael Sarin
9/16 (7 pm) Brazilwood Trio with Geoffrey Morrow, Tim Bayless, Joey “B”
9/17 (7:30 pm) Jared Pauley Trio with Wyethe Tvenge, Bryan Franheim
9/30 (7 pm) Rocky Middleton Trio
Alvin & Friends (New Rochelle, NY) www.alvinandfriendsrestaurant.com
9/2 (6 pm) Chico Alvarez & Mauricio with Ran Kan Kan
9/3 (6 pm) Spin Cycle with Scott Neumann, Tom Christensen, Pete McCann, Phil Palombi 9/9(6 pm) Goods Project with Richie Goods
9/17 (6 pm) Valery Ponomarev Quartet
9/24 (6 pm) Brian Conigliaro Consort with Dan Weiss, Ron Vinent, Lou Pappas
9/30 (6 pm) Rich Dashnaw Eclectic Project
Bean Runner Café (Peekskill, NY) www.beanrunnercafe.com
9/4 (12-9 pm) Woodstock Jazz Festival: Eric Person Trio; Kirk Knuffke Quartet;Peter Einhorn Quartet; Hudson Valley Jazz Quartet;
Ingrid Sertso, Karl Berger, Michael Bisio, Steve Gorn; Roseanna Sureda Trio;
Christine & Elliot Spero
9/5 (8 pm) Pat Metheny Side-Eye with Chris Fishman, Joe Dyson
9/8 (8 pm) Tuba Skinny
9/18 (12 pm) Nancy Donnelly Quartet
Bearsville Theater (Woodstock, NY) www.bearsvilletheater.com
9/30 (8 pm) Melissa Aldana Quartet
Caramoor Jazz (Katonah, NY) www.caramoor.org
9/15 9/22 9/29 (7 pm) Paul Connors Organ Groove with Chris Vitarello
Elk’s Lodge (Ossining, NY) www.jazzatthelodge.com
9/9 (8 pm) Joe Morris/Ken Vandermark
9/23 (8 pm) Stephan Crump solo
Elysium Furnace Works @Cunneen-Hackett Arts Center (Beacon, NY)
www.cunneen-hackett.org
9/1 (7 pm) Mahavishnu Project with Gregg Bendian, Neil Alexander, Matt Sewell, Brian Mooney9/3 (7 pm) Ed Palermo Big Band
9/4 (7 pm) Latin Jazz Express
9/9 (7 pm) Michael Leonhart and Big Lazy
9/11 (7 pm) Theo Bleckmann and Endless Field
9/15 (7 pm) Mark Lettieri Group
9/18 (7 pm) EJ Strickland Sextet
9/25 (7 pm) Camille Thurman
9/29 (7 pm) Analog Jazz Orchestra “Roland Vazquez Tribute”
The Falcon (Marlboro, NY) www.liveatthefalcon.com
9/1 (9 pm) Susan Tobocman with Robert Nissim, John Lang
9/8 (9 pm) Yala Ballin with Bob Albanese, John Lang
9/15 (9 pm) Roz Corral with Tom Dempsey, John Lang
9/22 (9 pm) Miles Griffith with Paul Odeh, John Lang
9/29 (9 pm) Ben Cassara with Josh Richman, John LangFirst Name Basis at Divino Cucina (Hastings-on-Hudson, NY)
www.facebook.com/FNBhastingsny
9/1 (6:30 pm) Oscar Feldman Quartet
Hamptons JazzFest @Church at Sag Harbor (Sag Harbor, NY)
www.hamptonsjazzfest.com
9/8 (6:30 pm) Dave Stryker Trio with Charles Owens
Hamptons JazzFest @Church at Sag Harbor (Sag Harbor, NY)
www.hamptonsjazzfest.com
9/4 (6 pm) Black Tie Brass
Hamptons JazzFest @Gosman’s Dock (Montauk, NY) www.hamptonsjazzfest.com
9/15 (6 pm) Alex Sipiagin Quintet
Hamptons JazzFest @LTV Media Center (Wainscott, NY) www.hamptonsjazzfest.com
9/2 (6 pm) The Lighthouse Project tribute to Elvin Jones with Jerry Bergonzi, Nicole Glover,Gene Perla, Adam Nussbaum
Hamptons JazzFest @Parrish Art Museum (Water Mill, NY) www.hamptonsjazzfest.com
9/3 (7 pm) Ada Rovatti Band
9/10 (7 pm) Bill O’Connell Afro-Caribbean Ensemble
Hamptons JazzFest @Southampton Arts Center (Southampton, NY)
www.hamptonsjazzfest.com
9/25 (2:30 pm) Creative Music Studio Improvisers Orchestra with Karl Berger
Handbell Studio at The Shirt Factory (Kingston, NY)
www/creativemusic.org/category/cms-improvisers-orchestra
9/2 9/3 (7/9:30 pm) Dave Stryker Group Jazz
9/4 (4/6 pm) Nelson Riveros Brazilian & Latin Quartet; (8 pm) David Janeway Trio Jam Session
9/9-9/10 (7/9:30 pm) Javon Jackson Quartet
9/11 (4/6 pm) Alexander McCabe Quartet
9/16 9/17 (7/9:30 pm) Benny Benack III Quintet
9/18 (4/6 pm) Sudan Baronian and Taksim
9/23-9/24 (7/9:30 pm) We ARE: Aaron Goldberg, Reuben Rogers, Eric Harland
9/30 (7/9:30 pm) The Levin Brothers with Ali Ryerson
Jazz Forum Arts (Tarrytown, NY) www.jazzforumarts.org
9/1 9/15 (7 pm) Bad Little Big Band with Richie Iacona and Madeline Kole
9/7 (1 pm) Tom Manuel and Young at Heart Trio Billie Holiday tribute
9/9 (7 pm) Aubrey Johnson/Randy Ingram Duo
9/21 (7 pm) Harbor Jazz Festival: Jazz Loft Trio
9/22 (7 pm) Harbor Jazz Festival: Interplay Jazz Orchestra with Joe Devassy and Gary Henderson
9/23 (7 pm) Harbor Jazz Festival: Harry Allen Quartet
9/24 (1-9 pm) Harbor Jazz Festival: Rubens De La Corte Brazilian Ensemble;
Ray Anderson Pocket Brass Band; Nicole Zuraitis Allstar BandThe Jazz Loft (Stony Brook, NY) www.thejazzloft.org
9/1 (8 pm) Mike Dopazo Trio
9/2 (8 pm) Curtis Nowosad Quartet
9/3 (8 pm) Pasquale Grasso solo
9/8 (8 pm) Kristina Koller Quartet
9/9 (8 pm) Lucy Yeghiazaryan with Pasquale Grasso
9/10 (8 pm) Pete Malinverni Trio
9/16 (8 pm) Tim Dehuff Quartet
9/17 (8 pm) Alicyn Yaffee Trio
9/23 (8 pm) Tahira Clayton
9/24 (7/9 pm) Champian Fulton Trio
9/30 (7/9 pm) Martina Dasilva
Jazz on Main (Mt. Kisco, NY) www.jazzonmain.com
9/16 (6 pm) Chembo Corniel Quintet
9/17 (1 pm) Jane Ira Bloom; Samara Joy; Ike Sturm and Heart with Donny McCaslin;
Camille Thurman with Darrell Green Quartet
9/18 (1 pm) Zach Brock Quartet; Vanderlei Pereira and Blindfold Test;
Elio Villafranca and Jass Syncopators
Lake George Jazz “Jazz at The Lake” (Lake George, NY) www.lakegeorgearts.org
9/3 (7 pm) Chris Pasin Group
9/10 (7 pm) Saints of Swing
9/17 (7 pm) David Gilmore Trio
9/24 (7 pm) Kelly Green Trio
Lydia’s Café (Stone Ridge, NY) www.lydias-cafe.com
9/8 (7 pm) Steve Salerno, Tom Manuel and guest
Madiron Wine Bar (East Setauket, NY) www.thejazzloft.org

9/2 (8 pm) Anthony Wonsey Trio with Lonnie Plaxico, Diego Voglino
9/3 9/10 9/17 9/24 (10 pm) David Budman
9/9 (8 pm) Manuel Valera Trio with Mark Whitfield, Jr.
9/10 (8 pm) Judimarie Canterino with Conal Fowlkes, Frank Tate, Steve Lamattina
9/16 (8 pm) Victor Jones Trio with Roberta Piket, Andy McKee
9/17 (8 pm) Tessa Souter Quartet
9/23 (8 pm) Valery Ponomarev Quartet
9/24 (8 pm) Ed Laub/Ed Moneiro
Maureen’s Jazz Cellar (Nyack, NY) www.maureensjazzcellar.com
9/3 (8 pm) Bill Charlap Trio
9/10 (8 pm) Jerome Jennings Trio with Laurin Talese
The Maverick (Woodstock, NY) www.maverickconcerts.org
9/11 (5:30 pm) Houston Person
PJS Jazz Society at First Presbyterian Church (Mt. Vernon, NY) www.pjsjazz.org
9/12 (8:30 pm) Renku: Michaël Attias, John Hébert, Satoshi Takeishi
9/16 (9 pm) Charlotte Greve’s Wood River
9/19 (8:30 pm) Devin Gray Trio
9/26 (8:30 pm) Luca Soul Rosenfeld Quartet with Kelly Green, Steven Frieder, Bob Meyer
9/27 (8 pm) Matt Mottel
Quinn’s (Beacon, NY) www.facebook.com/QuinnsBeacon
9/3, 9/10, 9/17, 9/24 (3 pm) Hal Galper Trio
Rafter’s Tavern (Callicoon, NY) www.rafterstavern.com
9/24 (8 pm) Al Di Meola
Tarrytown Music Hall (Tarrytown, NY) www.tarrytownmusichall.org
9/24 (7:30 pm) Jamaaladeen Tacuma, Billy Martin, Karl Berger, Ingrid Sertso
Theoria Foundation’s White Feather Farm (Saugerties, NY) www.theoriafoundation.org
9/5, 9/12, 9/19, 9/26 (8pm): Monday Jazz Sessions with John Richmond
9/9 (8 pm) Danny Zoli and The Jazz Expressions with Joe Tranchina, Hilliard Greene,
Dwayne “Cook” Broadnax
Turning Point Café (Piermont, NY) www.piermont.club
9/10 (7 pm) Neil Alexander and Nail
Unison Arts Center (New Paltz, NY) www.unisonarts.org
9/10 (7:30 pm) Gerry Malkin Quartet
Westchester Collaborative Theater (Ossining, NY) www.wctheater.org/music-in-the-box
9/14 (12 pm) JazzFest White Plains: I’RO & The Afro Latin Exchange
9/15 (12 pm) JazzFest White Plains: François Moutin/Kavita Shah Duo; (6 pm) Grace Kelly
9/16 (12 pm) JazzFest White Plains: Miki Hayama/Richie Goods Ensemble(7/9 pm) Joey Alexander Trio
9/17 (7/9 pm) JazzFest White Plains: Buster Williams “Something More” Quartet
9/18 (1:45 pm) JazzFest White Plains: Albert Rivera Quintet; Carlos Jimenez Mambo Sextet;
G. Thomas Allen Quartet; Ragan Whiteside
White Plains Jazz Fest (White Plains, NY) www.artswestchester.org/programs/jazz-fest-2
9/17 (8 pm) Jack DeJohnette and Savion Glover
Woodstock Playhouse (Woodstock, NY) www.woodstockplayhouse.org
PENNSYLVANIA
9/19 (8 pm) Katt Hernandez and Friends with Dan Blacksberg, Flandrew Fleisenburg,
D. Hotep, Kimya Imani Jackson
2223.fish (Philadelphia, PA) www.firemuseumpresents.com
9/1 (8/9:30 pm) Harry Forlenza Bailey and His Band
9/2 (8/10 pm) Wayne Smith, Jr. Quintet with Matthew Clayton, Madison Rast, Ian Macaulay
9/3 (8/10 pm) Darryl Yokley Band
9/7 (8/9:30 pm) Keith Chasin with Andrew Carson, Tom Whitney, Shane Aaserud, Kevin Blanke
9/9 (8/10 pm) Lynn Riley and The World-Mix with Rubin Edwards, Adam Faulk, Harry “Butch” Reed
9/10 (8/10 pm) Michael Pedicin with Jim Ridl, Dean Johnson
9/16-9/17 Kurt Rosenwinkel’s All-Star Quartet with Aaron Parks, Eric Revis, Gregory Hutchinson
9/23 (8/10 pm) Behn Gillece with Brian Betz Quartet
9/24 (8/10 pm) Tim Green with Webb Thomas Trio
9/27 (8/9:30 pm) Norman David & Combo Theory
Chris’ Jazz Café (Philadephia, PA) www.chrisjazzcafe.com
9/11 (7 pm) Jazz Is Phish
9/21 (8 pm) Ambrose Akinmusire
City Winery (Philadelphia, PA) www.citywinery.com/philadelphia
9/18 (2 pm) Tri-State Jazz Society presents Rosanno SportielloCommunity Arts Center (Wallingford, PA) www.communityartscenter.org
9/1 9/8 9/15 9/22 9/29 (7 pm) Bill Washer and Friends Jazz Jam
9/2 (7 pm) Corinne Mammana
9/3 (7 pm) Esteban Castro
9/4 (5 pm) Bill Charlap solo
9/9 (7 pm) Martin Wind’s Counterpoint with Jim McNeely, Ed Neumeister9/10 (12:30-10 pm) COTA Jazz Festival: Adam Niewood Quartet; Spencer and Nancy Reed;
Carolyn Leonhart; Skip and Dan Wilkins Quartet;
Water Gap Jazz Orchestra; Terry and Paul Kleinfelter;
Ron Thomas/Joe Michaels; Jay Rattman;
Bill Goodwin, Jon Ballantyne, Evan Gregor
9/11 (12:30-10 pm) COTA Jazz Festival: Andy Bianco; Ryan Devlin and Steve Kortka Quintet;
Marko Marcinko Organic Vibe Trio; Najwa Parkins Group;
Pete Fluck and The Foztomes; Bill Washer/Jon Ballantyne; Jim Ridl Trio;
Mike Stephans with Dave Liebman Quartet;
Bill Goodwin, Jon Ballantyne, Evan Gregor
9/16 (7 pm) Broadway Brassy and The Brass Knuckles
9/17 (7 pm) Dena DeRose with Sherrie Marcile, Noriko Ueda
9/18 (5 pm) Riverside Rhythm Band
9/23 (7 pm) Sarah Cion Trio with Alec Safy, Michael Camacho
9/24 (7 pm) The Lighthouse Project with Dave Liebman, Jerry Bergonzi, Gene Perla, Adam Nussbaum
9/25 (5 pm) Jackie Gage
9/26 (7:30 pm) Water Gap Jazz Orchestra with Matt Vashlishan
9/30 (7 pm) trioTrio with Sheila Jordan, Jacob Sacks, David Ambrosio, Vinnie Sperrazza
Deer Head Inn (Delaware Water Gap, PA) www.deerheadinn.com
9/2 (8 pm) Joe Morris/Ken Vandermark; Dan Blacksberg’s Perilous Architecture
Evangelical Lutheran Church of the Atonement (Philadelphia, PA)
www.firemuseumpresents.com
9/1 (6 pm) Jazz Bridge presents Bert Harris
Horton St. Playground (Philadelphia, PA) www.jazzbridge.org
9/8 (6 pm) Jazz Bridge presents Calli Graver Group
Kelly Park (Philadelphia, PA) www.jazzbridge.org
9/5, 9/12, 9/19, 9/26 (5:30-9:30 pm) Tony Williams Jazz Quartet
La Rose Jazz Club (Philadelphia, PA) www.jazzclublarose.com
9/15 (6 pm) Jazz Bridge presents Fareed Simpson Trio
Nichols Parks (Philadelphia, PA) www.jazzbridge.org
9/4 (8 pm) Oliver Mayman
9/8-9/9 (8 pm) Samara Joy
9/16-9/17 (8 pm) Grace Kelly
9/23 9/24 (8 pm) Bria Skonberg Quartet
9/29 (8 pm) Pablo Batista’s Latin Jazz Sextet
9/30 (8 pm) Tuck & Patti
South Jazz Club (Philadelphia, PA) www.southjazzkitchen.com
9/9 (8 pm) Catherine Russell
Williams Center for the Arts (Easton, PA) www.williamscenter.lafayette.edu
9/8 (8:30 pm) Ironman Trio Jazz Jam
9/15 (8 pm) Sun Ra Arkestra
9/29 (8:30 pm) Henri Herbert
World Café (Philadelphia, PA) www.worldcafelive.com
9/10 (8 pm) Hell’s Kitchen Funk Orchestra
Zoellner Performing Arts Center (Bethlehem, PA) www.zoellner.cas.lehigh.edu

THE NEW YORK CITY JAZZ RECORD | SEPTEMBER 2022 37

CLU B DI RE CTORY• 411 Kent Avenue 411 Kent Avenue
Subway: J, M, Z to Marcy Avenue
www.411kent.org• Arthur’s Tavern 57 Grove Street(212-675-6879) Subway: 1 to Christopher Street
www.arthurstavern.nyc.com• Bar Bayeux 1066 Nostrand Avenue(347-533-7845) Subway: 2, 5 to Sterling Street
www.barbayeux.com• Bar Lunàtico 486 Halsey Street(917-495-9473) Subway: C to Kingston-Throop Avenues
www.barlunatico.com• Barbès 376 9th Street at 6th Avenue, Brooklyn(718-965-9177) Subway: F to 7th Avenue
www.barbesbrooklyn.com• Betty Carter Auditorium for the Arts 1561 Bedford Avenue(718-971-9202) Subway: 2, 3, 4, 5 to Franklin Avenue-Medgar Evers College
www.majorowenscenter.com/betty-carter-auditorium-for-the-arts• Birdland and Birdland Theater 315 W. 44th Street(212-581-3080) Subway: A, C, E, to 42nd Street
www.birdlandjazz.com• Blue Note 131 W. 3rd Street at 6th Avenue(212-475-8592) Subway: A, B, C, D, E, F to W. 4th Street
www.bluenotejazz.com• Bond 45 221 W. 46th Street(212-869-4545) Subway: B, F, M to 47-50 Streets
www.bond45ny.com• Brooklyn Museum of Art 200 Eastern Parkway(718-638-5000) Subway: 2, 3 to Eastern Parkway
www.brooklynmuseum.org• Brooklyn Public Library Central Branch
Subway: 2, 3 to Grand Army Plaza; Q to 7th Avenue• Bryant Park 5th and 6th Avenues between 40th and 42nd Streets
Subway: 4, 5, 6 to 42nd Street
www.bryantpark.org• Bushwick Inlet Park Kent Avenue between N. 7th and 12th Streets
Subway: L to Bedford Avenue• Cellar Dog 75 Christopher Street at 7th Avenue(212-675-6056) Subway: 1 to Christopher Street
www.cellardog.net• Central Park Summerstage, Rumsey Playfield 72nd Street and Fifth Avenue(212-360-2777) Subway: B, D to 72nd Street
www.summerstage.org• Chelsea Table & Stage Hilton Fashion District Hotel, 152 W. 26th Street
Subway: C, E to 23rd Street; R, W to 28th Street
www.chelseatableandstage.com• Children’s Magical Garden de Carmen Rubio Norfolk and Stanton Streets
Subway: F to Second Avenue• City Winery 25 11th Avenue (at 15th Street)(646-751-6033) Subway: A, C, E to 14th Street
www.citywinery.com• CityWell Brooklyn 496 President Street(347-294-0100) Subway: R to Union Street
www.citywellbrooklyn.com• Clove Lakes Park 1150 Clove Road, Staten Island
Bus: X12• Culture Lab LIC 5-25 46th Avenue, Long Island City
(347-848-0030) Subway: 7 to Vernon Boulevard/Jackson Avenue
www.culturelablic.org• The Cutting Room 44 E. 32nd Street(212-691-1900) Subway: 6 to 33rd Street
www.thecuttingroomnyc.com• David Rubenstein Atrium Broadway at 60th Street(212-258-9800) Subway: 1, 2, 3, A, C, E, B, D, F to Columbus Circle
www.lincolncenter.org/venue/atrium• The DiMenna Center 450 W. 37th Street(212-594-6100) Subway: A, C, E to 34h Street-Penn Stationwww.dimennacenter.org• Dizzy’s Club 33 W. 60th Street, 5th floor(212-258-9800) Subway: 1, 2, 3, A, C, E, B, D, F to Columbus Circle
www.jazz.org• The Django 2 Sixth Avenue(212-519-6600) Subway: A, C, E to Canal Street; 1 to Franklin Street
www.thedjangonyc.com• Downtown Music Gallery 13 Monroe Street(212-473-0043) Subway: F to East Broadway
www.downtownmusicgallery.com• Drom 85 Avenue A(212-777-1157) Subway: F to Second Avenue
www.dromnyc.com• Estonian House 243 E. 34th Street at Second Avenue(212-684-0336) Subway: 6 to 34th Street
www.estonianhousenewyork.com• First Street Green 33 E. First Street near Second Avenue
Subway: F, V to Second Avenue• First Unitarian Church 50 Pierrepont Street, Brooklyn(718-624-5466) Subway: M, R to Court Street
www.fuub.org• Flushing Town Hall 137-35 Northern Boulevard, Flushing(718-463-7700) Subway: 7 to Main Street
www.flushingtownhall.org• Flying Lobster 144 Union Street(718-855-2633) Subway: F, G to Bergen Street
www.flying-lobster.com• Fort Greene Park Myrtle Avenue at Cumberland Street
B, D, N, Q, R to DeKalb Avenue• Governors Island Building 10a, Nolan Park
Ferry from Battery Maritime Building• Grant’s Tomb 122nd Street and Riverside Drive
Subway: 1 to 125th Street• Green Soul Studios
Subway: F to 75th Avenue
www.instagram.com/green_soul_studios• Groove Bar & Grill 125 MacDougal Street(212-254-9393) Subway: A, B, C, D, E, F, V to W. 4th Street
www.clubgroovenyc.com• Harlem Stage Gatehouse 150 Convent Avenue at W. 135th Street(212-650-7100) Subway: 1 to 137th Street
www.harlemstage.org• Hermana 349 E. 13th Street
Subway: L to First Avenue
www.hermananyc.com• Ibeam Brooklyn 168 7th Street between Second and Third Avenues
Subway: F to 4th Avenue
www.ibeambrooklyn.com• Interchurch Center 475 Riverside Drive at 120th Street
Subway: 1 to 116th Street
www.interchurch-center.org• Iridium 1650 Broadway at 51st Street(212-582-2121) Subway: 1,2 to 50th Street
www.theiridium.com• Isaac Stern Auditorium at Carnegie Hall 881 Seventh Avenue(212-247-7800) Subway: N, Q, R, W to 57th- Seventh Avenue
www.carnegiehall.org• The Jazz Gallery 1160 Broadway, 5th floor (212-242-1063)
Subway: N, R to 28th Street
www.jazzgallery.org• Jazz Museum in Harlem 58 W. 129th Street between Madison and Lenox(212-348-8300) Subway: 6 to 125th Street
www.jmih.org• Joe’s Pub at the Public Theater 425 Lafayette Street(212-539-8770) Subway: N, R to 8th Street-NYU; 6 to Astor Place
www.joespub.com• Juilliard School Peter Jay Sharp Theater 155 W. 65th Street(212-769-7406) Subway: 1 to 66th Street
www.juilliard.edu• The Keep 205 Cypress Avenue, Queens(718-381-0400) Subway: L to Jefferson Street
www.thekeepny.com• Knickerbocker Bar & Grill 33 University Place at 9th Street(212-228-8490) Subway: N, R to 8th Street-NYU
www.knickerbockerbarandgrill.com• La Salle Open Streets Corner of La Salle Street and Claremont Avenue
Subway: 1 to 125th Street• Le Poisson Rouge 158 Bleecker Street(212-228-4854) Subway: A, B, C, D, E, F, V to W. 4th Street
www.lepoissonrouge.com• Lehman Center 250 Bedford Park Boulevard West, Bronx(718-960-8833) Subway: 4, D train to Bedford Park Blvd.
www.lehmancenter.org• Little Island Pier 55 at Hudson River Park Greenway
Subway: A, C, E, L to 14th Street
www.littleisland.org• Lowlands 543 Third Avenue, Brooklyn(347-463-9458) Subway: R to Prospect Avenue
www.lowlandsbar.com• Manhattan School of Music Neidorff-Karpati Hall
Broadway and 122nd Street(212-749-2802, ext 4428) Subway: 1 to 116th Street
www.msmnyc.edu• Mezzrow 163 W. 10th Street(646-476-4346) Subway: 1 to Christopher Street
www.mezzrow.com• Michiko Studios 149 W. 46th Street, 3rd Floor(212-302-4011) Subway: B, D, F, M to 47-50 Streets
www.michikostudios.com• Minton’s 206 W. 118th Street(212-243-2222) Subway: B, C to 116th Street
www.mintonsharlem.com• National Sawdust 80 N. 6th Street(646-779-8455 Subway: L to Bedford Avenue
www.nationalsawdust.org• New Amsterdam Musical Association 107 W. 130th Street(212-234-2973) Subway: 2, 3 to 125th Street• New School Stiefel Hall 55 W. 13th Street, 4th Floor(212-229-5600) Subway: F, V to 14th Street
www.newschool.edu• North Square Lounge 103 Waverly Place at McDougal Street(212-254-1200) Subway: A, B, C, E, F, V to West 4th Street• Nublu 151 151 Avenue C
Subway: L to First Avenue
www.nublu.net

38 SEPTEMBER 2022 | THE NEW YORK CITY JAZZ RECORD• Ornithology Jazz Club 6 Suydam Street, Brooklyn(917-231-4766) Subway: J, M, Z to Myrtle Avenue
www.ornithologyjazzclub.com• The Owl Music Parlor 497 Rogers Avenue, Brooklyn(718-774-0042) Subway: 2, to to Sterling Street
www.theowl.nyc• Pangea 178 Second Avenue(212-995-0900) Subway: L to First Avenue
www.pangeanyc.com• Park Avenue Armory 643 Park Avenue(212-616-3930) Subway: 6 to 68th Street
www.armoryonpark.org• Pioneer Works 159 Pioneer Street, Brooklyn(718-596-3001) Bus: B61
www.pioneerworks.org• The Players Theatre 115 MacDougal Street
Subway: A, B, C, D, E, F, V to W. 4th Street
www.theplayerstheatre.com• Public Records 233 Butler Street
Subway: 2, 3, 4, 5, B, D, N, Q, R to Atlantic Avenue
www.publicrecords.nyc• Rizzoli Bookstore 1133 Broadway(212-759-2424) Subway: R, W to 28th Street
www.rizzolibookstore.com• Roberto Clemente State Park 301 W. Tremont Avenue, Bronx(718-299-8750) Metro North: Hudson Line to Morris Heights
www.parks.ny.gov/parks/140/details.aspx• Rockwood Music Hall 196 Allen Street (212-477-4155)
Subway: F, V to Second Avenue
www.rockwoodmusichall.com• Room 623 at B2 Harlem 271 W. 119th Street(212-280-2248) Subway: B, C to 116th Street
www.b2harlem.com• Rose Theater Broadway at 60th Street, 5th floor(212-258-9800) Subway: 1, 2, 3, A, C, E, B, D, F to Columbus Circle
www.jazz.org• Roulette 509 Atlantic Avenue(212-219-8242) Subway: 2, 3, 4, 5 to Atlantic Avenue
www.roulette.org• St. John’s in the Village 218 W. 11th Street(212-243-6192) Subway: 1 to Christopher Street
www.stjvny.org• Saint Peter’s Church 619 Lexington Avenue at 54th Street(212-935-2200) Subway: 6 to 51st Street
www.saintpeters.org• Scholes Street Studio 375 Lorimer Street(718-964-8763) Subway: L to Lorimer Street
www.scholesstreetstudio.com• The Schomburg Center 515 Macolm X Boulevard(212-491-2200) Subway: 2, 3 to 135th Street
www.nypl.org/locations/schomburg• Silvana 300 W. 116th Street(646-692-4935) Subway: B, C, to 116th Street
www.silvana-nyc.com• Sistas’ Place 456 Nostrand Avenue at Jefferson Avenue, Brooklyn(718-398-1766) Subway: A to Nostrand Avenue
www.sistasplace.org• Smalls 183 W 10th Street at Seventh Avenue (212-252-5091)
Subway: 1 to Christopher Street
www.smallsjazzclub.com• Smoke 2751 Broadway between 105th and 106th Streets(212-864-6662) Subway: 1 to 103rd Street
www.smokejazz.com• Soapbox Gallery 636 Dean Street
Subway: 2, 3 to Bergen Street
www.soapboxgallery.org• Sony Hall 235 W. 46th Street(212-997-5123) Subway: N, R, W to 49th Street
www.sonyhall.com• The Stone at The New School 55 W. 13th Street(212-229-5600) Subway: F, V to 14th Street
www.thestonenyc.com• Symphony Space Leonard Nimoy Thalia, Peter Jay Sharpe Theatre
2537 Broadway at 95th Street (212-864-5400)
Subway: 1, 2, 3 to 96th Street
www.symphonyspace.org• Terraza 7 40-19 Gleane Street(718-803-9602) Subway: 7 to 82nd Street/Jackson Heights
www.terraza7.com• Town Hall 123 W. 43rd Street(212-997-1003) Subway: 7, B, D, F, M to 42nd Street-Bryant Park
www.thetownhall.org• Village Vanguard 178 Seventh Avenue South at 11th Street(212-255-4037) Subway: 1, 2, 3 to 14th Street
www.villagevanguard.com• Zinc Bar 82 W. 3rd Street(212-477-8337) Subway: A, B, C, D, E, F to W. 4th Street
www.zincjazz.com• Zürcher Gallery 33 Bleecker Street(212-777-0790) Subway: 6 to Bleeker Street; B, D, F to Broadway-Lafayettewww.galeriezurcher.com

(INTERVIEW CONTINUED FROM PAGE 6)
sitting back and saying “what a shame”, I decided toput everything that I’d learned up to that moment to
the test and go! Here we are five years later with aprogram that had six students when I began, to now
having almost 60 students and a Masters program thatis fully funded. I don’t say these things as if I’m thereason. But, I will say that when you listen to THE
reason, you won’t go wrong. I’m truly thankful for thatspirit, guiding me in my life through every triumphand every lesson.
Although the experience began shrouded incontroversy, I’m thankful that I answered the call. Now
we have brand-new facilities and strategic partnerships
throughout the community of Baltimore. I feel that wehave one of the greatest jazz faculties on the planet and
80% of them live right in the community. The programis, in essence, split into two sections. The first two
years are largely foundational, focusing on thefundamentals of the music. The final two years, we
focus on the individual vision of each student,
affording them the opportunity to slowly go throughthe process of creating their own albums, which will
help them discover who they are as an artist. I’d saythat this distinguishes our program from most.
The Masters program is loosely based on the
Herbie Hancock Institute’s design, focusing on a
graduate ensemble. Each admitted grad student
receives full tuition remission as well as a $12,000-a-year
stipend. The first full class of the program will begin
their studies in the fall of 2023. It’s been achallenge during the pandemic, but with the help ofsome amazing colleagues, faculty and students withtenacity, we were able to achieve what many felt was apointless task.
Now that I find myself in this position in higher
academia, I’ve made it my life mission to effect change
in policy and the true codification of American musicin our institutions of higher learning. It’s time that thiscountry embraces its culture vs. the continued
propulsion of a culture that limits the narrative of theoriginal intent of “E Pluribus Unum”. To that end, I’ll
go wherever that mission takes me, as I believe that
this is one of the ‘calls of the spirit’ on my life.
TNYCJR: Talk about your playing experience as aleader and a sideman and the pros and cons of each.
SJ: I wouldn’t say that there are pros or cons to thevarying types of playing experiences. However, I will
say that if you have a musical vision that requires you
to step up in a leadership capacity, it’s more challenging
to see that vision through if you’re exhausting yourenergies helping others to bring their vision to fruition.
I’ve enjoyed my time as a sideperson in a variety ofsettings. But, nothing will ever be as fulfilling as
hearing an idea in your head and doing what isnecessary to birth that idea into the world. Both typesof artists are important and necessary.
TNYCJR: Elaborate on your time with Jazz at Lincoln
Center.
SJ: Wow! An open-ended Jazz at Lincoln Centerquestion. This may be the first time I’ve been asked tojust elaborate. Let’s see, where do I begin? First off,
Wynton Marsalis is my big brother. I never reallythought that I was ‘working’ FOR him over at Jazzat Lincoln Center. It always felt like a big brother thatwas constantly checking out your homework to see
if it looked right. I learned what it means to commit tovision.
I’ll say it again, Wynton is an amazing artist!
However, I believe his true gift lies in his ability towork tirelessly for the vision. My time with theensemble also made me realize that I needed to see myown vision through. So, I had to leave. I also realized

pretty quickly that playing lead trumpet is more thanhaving the physical capability. It’s also a mentality that
requires one to devote their energy to that discipline
and that’s not where I wanted to expend my energies.
I enjoyed my time with the band. I love those cats.
But, ultimately, I knew that I had work to do that
required the same level of dedication that I saw my big
brother Wynton exemplify. So, I had to take the leap.
Playing in that band was a huge boost for me, however.
I realized that there was no task too big or challenging
on the trumpet. It further solidified the notion that
I could face any challenge presented to me on the
instrument. So, here I am with those lessons learned.
I’m grateful for those six years and if big bro everneeds me in the band again…I’ll respectfully decline.
TNYCJR: What are your current band’s projects andare there any plans to record?
SJ: There are currently several projects in the works.
The Baltimore Jazz Collective, loosely based on the
SFJAZZ Collective concept, is poised to release its firstalbum either this winter or spring. Also, I’ve beenworking with Brinae Ali on a project called Dizzy
Spellz, which is an AfroFuturistic look into the music
and life of Dizzy Gillespie. I’m truly excited about
capturing that on video.
I’m also working on a few projects with my band,
one of which requires me to live through certain thingsin order to birth the album in its most honest form.
Some things simply can’t be rushed and that is thisparticular concept. More to come on that. Let’s just saythat it’ll be the crown jewel of my catalogue as it’ll be
the most personal reflection of my life to date.
TNYCJR: Talk about the National Youth Orchestra andthe recent tour.
SJ: Working with National Youth Orchestra out ofCarnegie Hall is one of the greatest joys of my career.
This group of 16- to 19-year-olds is literally one of thebest ensembles that I’ve ever been blessed to lead.
For the past five years, we’ve selected some of the mosttalented and inspirational young musicians to go on
tours throughout Asia, Europe and the U.S. Several
hundred students apply and we work extensively to
select 22 young musicians who are not only some of
the best artists of their age group, but ambassadors forthe music. Guest artists have included Dianne Reeves,
Kurt Elling and Jazzmeia Horn. We managed to evenrecord our first album over the pandemic entitled
We’re Still Here.
The true magic of the ensemble is that these folks
arrive at Purchase College mid-July as colleagues andleave the tour mid-August as family. We instill core
American values—or what should be American
values—of leadership, democracy, acceptance andteamwork by encouraging them to find common
ground in their human experiences and bringing thatto the bandstand. It’s truly magical to witness and I’meternally grateful for the opportunity to help mentor
these amazing young folks. v
For more information, visit sean-jones.com. Jones is at
Dizzy’s Club Sep. 23rd-25th. See Calendar.
Recommended Listening:• Sean Jones–Eternal Journey (Mack Avenue, 2003)• Sean Jones–Roots (Mack Avenue, 2006)• Ralph Peterson Fo’tet/Sextet–
The Duality Perspective (Onyx Music, 2012)• Sean Jones Quartet–Im.pro.vise: Never Before Seen
(Mack Avenue, 2014)• Sean Jones–Live From Jazz at the Bistro(Mack Avenue, 2015)• SFJAZZ Collective–Music of Miles Davis & Original
Compositions (Live SFJAZZ Center 2016)(SFJAZZ, 2016)(LEST WE FORGET CONTINUED FROM PAGE 10)Stańko died on Jul. 29th, 2018 in Warsaw from lungcancer exacerbated by pneumonia. He left his mark on
many. Guitarist Jakob Bro, who performed with Stańko
in his Dark Eyes quintet, stated “He had such a wild
energy. He wanted to play every night and wasconstantly talking about the importance of playing
concerts to develop as a musician and composer.
I simply loved standing next to him on stage, he wassuch a warm, soulful and poetic player. He told a story
with his horn every time he picked it up. There wasnever a need to show off or anything. He had somethingon his mind, something in his heart that he needed toexpress. It was truly beautiful to witness.”
A tribute to Stańko will take place this month atRoulette with appearances by trumpeters Ambrose
Akinmusire and Wadada Leo Smith, among manyothers. Smith finds the concert especially important asa means of keeping Stańko’s voice alive: “It is theremembrance, that’s one of the human qualities. Whenpeople pass on you remember them and byremembering them they stay alive.” v
A tribute to Stańko is at Roulette Sep. 18th. See Calendar.
Recommended Listening:• Komeda Quintet–Astigmatic(Polskie Nagrania Muza, 1965)• Tomasz Stańko–Balladyna (ECM, 1975)• Tomasz Stańko–Music From Taj Mahal and Karla
Caves (Leo, 1980)• Tomasz Stańko/Arild Andersen/Jon Christensen–
Bluish (Power Bros, 1991)• Tomasz Stańko Septet–Litania: The Music of Krzysztof
Komeda (ECM, 1997)• Tomasz Stańko New York Quartet–
December Avenue (ECM, 2016)(LABEL SPOTLIGHT CONTINUED FROM PAGE 11)“Our main idea in creating a record label,” Pinheiro
says, “was to have more control and to make it easierto release and promote our music. The feeling mostof us were getting was that the process of releasinga CD on a record label was too slow and we felt that thepromotion was not as good as we expected. So, by
creating a new record label we were trying to overcome
these issues and to have a more direct medium torelease our music. We also wanted to have complete
artistic freedom to release the music we want, with thegraphic design we want, when we feel comfortablewith it and to promote it the best we can.”So far Phonogram Unit appears to be doing justthat. One recent masterwork is the brilliantly counterintuitive Inter.Independence by the Pinheiro-led quintet
Hyper.Object with Faustino, Valinho, trumpeter JoãoAlmeida and electronic musician Carlos Santos. The
pianist proposed that, “besides having complete
freedom to improvise and to choose musical ideas,
there should be an active focus for each one to develop
their ideas individually and to not immediately react
or engage in direct dialogue with the other musiciansfrom the group.” The result? A collective improvisation
distinguished by extraordinary levels of design andformal coherence.
Meanwhile Pinheiro describes the label’s expanding
horizons: “Until now, the label has focused exclusively
on releasing music from the founders. We started slowly,
releasing a few records each year and slowly increasingit, so that we can adapt and optimize our internal
processes as the demand grows. We’re now reachinga point where we’re starting to be more comfortablereleasing records from people outside our collective.
We’re always exploring and trying to get better.” v
For more information, visit phonogramunit.bandcamp.com

THE NEW YORK CITY JAZZ RECORD | SEPTEMBER 2022 39

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NIGHT

O N LY !
T U E S D AY, S E P T E M B E R 2 0 T H

Hyaku:One Hundred Dreams
SATOKO FUJII
Join Pianist-Composer Satoko Fujii and
Her All-Star Band for the Live Recording of
Her 100th Album as a Leader
FEATURING

Unpredictable, wildly creative
and uncompromising.
—Dan McClenaghan, All About Jazz

Wadada Leo Smith

Ikue Mori

Kappa Maki

Brandon Lopez

Ingrid Laubrock

Tom Rainey

Sara Schoenbeck

Chris Corsano

Tuesday, September 20th
Cary Hall in The DiMenna Center
450 West 37th Street, Manhattan
Doors open at 7:30, concert at 8 p.m. Tickets are $20, cash only,
available at the door. For more information, including Covid-19
vaccination requirements, visit dimennacenter.org/calendar/

Check out Satoko Fujii’s 99 other recordings on Satokofujii.com
Special thanks: Matt Vernon, Robert D. Bielecki Foundation
This project is made possible in part through a grant from the Robert D. Bielecki Foundation
Photo: Christina Marx