NOVEMBER 2021—ISSUE 235

YOUR FREE GUIDE TO THE NYC JAZZ SCENENYCJAZZRECORD.COM

BEN
ALLISON
JAZZ COMPOSER

reCOLLECTIVESS
AB
SI SUEMARTINWIND

IN MEM
ORIAM

GEORGE
MRAZ
SEAN
CONLY

CALVINHILL

VICTORSPROLESManaging Editor:
Laurence Donohue-Greene
Editorial Director &Production Manager:
Andrey Henkin
To Contact:
The New York City Jazz Record
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Croton-on-Hudson, NY 10520
United States
Phone/Fax: 212-568-9628

NOVEMBER 2021—ISSUE 235
NEW YORK@NIGHT

Laurence Donohue-Greene:ldgreene@nycjazzrecord.com

INTERVIEW : MARTIN WIND

Andrey Henkin:ahenkin@nycjazzrecord.com

ARTIST FEATURE : SEAN CONLYON THE COVER : BEN ALLISONAdvertising:advertising@nycjazzrecord.com
Calendar:calendar@nycjazzrecord.com
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Staff Writers
Duck Baker, Stuart Broomer,
Robert Bush, Kevin Canfield,
Marco Cangiano, Thomas Conrad,
Pierre Crépon, Ken Dryden,
Donald Elfman, Phil Freeman,
Kurt Gottschalk, Tom Greenland,
George Grella, Anders Griffen, Tyran Grillo,Alex Henderson, Robert Iannapollo,
Mark Keresman, Marilyn Lester,
Suzanne Lorge, Marc Medwin,
Jim Motavalli, Russ Musto,
John Pietaro, Joel Roberts,
John Sharpe, Elliott Simon,
Anna Steegmann, Scott Yanow
Contributing Writers
Dan Bilawsky, Ori Dagan,
Pierre Giroux, George Kanzler,
Sylvia Levine, Monique Ngozi Nri
Contributing Photographers
Olff Appold, Peter Gannushkin
Kasia Idzkowska, Alan Nahigian
Sherry Rubel, Robert I. Sutherland-Cohen
Adrien H. Tillmann, Cees Van de Ven
Fact-checker
Nate Dorward

ENCORE : CALVIN HILLLEST WE FORGET : VICTOR SPROLESVOXNEWS
OBITUARIESIN MEMORIAM : GEORGE MRAZALBUM REVIEWSMISCELLANY
EVENT CALENDAR

4
6
7
8
10
10
11
14
16
18
37
38

by ken dryden
by john sharpeby jim motavalli
by anders griffen
by sylvia levine
by suzanne lorge
by andrey henkinby andrey henkin

As we approach the Thanksgiving holiday with great anticipation of being able toovereat with our families in person rather than through computer screens, we would
like to take this opportunity to express gratitude for those who do not get enough credit
for what they do: the bassists. Sure, saxophones and trumpets are flashy and piano can
do it all and drums get the crowds roaring but without the bass—upright or electric—it
would not hit you in your soul, that deep resonance that ties everything together.
We feature three bassists this month, all of whom are well established and have newalbums: Ben Allison (On The Cover) with Moments Inside (Sonic Camera), appearing
at Birdland; Martin Wind (Interview) with My Astorian Queen (Laika) and gigs at
Cellar Dog and Mezzrow; and Sean Conly (Artist Feature) with The Buzz (577
Records) and appearances at Flushing Town Hall and The Jazz Gallery. Plus wecelebrate the history of the instrument with Calvin Hill (Encore) and Victor Sproles(Lest We Forget) and its present and future with a front-loaded CD Review section(pgs. 18-22) We also mourn the loss of a giant of the instrument, George Mraz, with a
two-page In Memoriam spread of remembrances by friends and colleagues (pgs. 16-17).
We wish all of you, our dear readers, a joyful and meaningful Thanksgiving holiday.

nycjazzrecord.com
On The Cover: Ben Allison (photo by Cees Van de Ven / courtesy of the artist)
Corrections: In last month’s What’s News, Henry Threadgill’s project is “Migration and the Returnof the Cheap Suit”. In last month’s Obituaries, it was not Ulrich Kurth but his son who worked
with JazzHausMusik.
All rights reserved. Reproduction without permission strictly prohibited. All material copyrights property of the authors.

2 NOVEMBER 2021 | THE NEW YORK CITY JAZZ RECORD

WINTER 2021

Marcin Wasilewski
En attendant

Craig Taborn
Shadow Plays

Marc Johnson
Overpass

Andrew Cyrille
The News

Enrico Rava
Edizione Speciale

Eberhard Weber
Once Upon A TimeNEW YORK @ NIGHT
It was the first and only gig François Grillot ever The abundantly talented bassist Dezron Douglas
missed. Until his passing last June at age 66 the
Burgundy, France-born, longtime NYC resident had
held down the bass chair in Matt Lavelle’s 12 Houses
for hundreds of shows, ever since the very first one at
University of the Streets ten years ago. The gig at
Williamsburg’s Scholes Street Studio (Oct. 3rd) was acelebration of his life and though he wasn’t there inperson his living spirit was palpable in the crowded
room.
The
14-piece
amalgamation—Lavelle(conductor/trumpet/alto clarinet), Mary Cherney andCheryl Pyle (flutes); Stephanie Griffin (viola); Lee
Odom, Charles Waters and Claire Daly (saxophones);
Matt Lambiase, Nicole Davis and Art Baron (brass);
Chris Forbes (piano); Hilliard Greene (stepping into
Grillot’s shoes); Leonid Galaganov (drums); Jose Luis
Abreu (percussion)—channeled this spirit into a lively,
heartfelt set. They began by singing his name overa 4-note theme in 6/8: “Fran-çois Gril-lot! Fran-çois
Gril-lot!” followed by three saxophone solos—Odom(alto), Daly (baritone) and Waters (tenor)—anda second meditation on his name. The remaining fourpieces (“X Chord”, “6 A.M.”, “Blues in F”, “Hymn to
the World”), all written by Grillot, spotlighted eachmusician in turn, capped by Baron’s talkative trombone
on “Hymn”. Following the music were spoken
remembrances and a poem by G.E. Schwartz, which
exhorted everyone in the audience to “keep theenliveness going”. 		
—Tom Greenland

JENNIFER WHARTON’S
BONEGASM

NOT A NOVELTY
SSC 1612—”(Jennifer Wharton) blows the doors wide open forthe bass trombone” All About Jazz—“Her gorgeous turns as a low-frequency melodist…
are breathtaking” Down Beat
JOHN FEDCHOCK trombone
NATE MAYLAND trombone
ALAN FERBER trombone
JENNIFER WHARTON bass trombone
MICHAEL ECKROTH piano, fender rhodes
EVAN GREGOR bass
DON PERETZ drums
SAMUEL TORRES percussion (1 & 8)
KURT ELLING vocals (10)—Introspective, peaceful and decidedly personal, this collection of largely first takes is pure magic.
—-Bill Milkowski Down Beat
—Perhaps it is hindsight that gives this album its aspect offinality, of farewell, of summation. But its atmosphere of rapt
contemplation culminates in an actual elegy, “All These Years”
by Kimbrough’s wife, Maryanne de Prophetis. She wrote it forher father, but it is perfect as the last movement of Ancestors,
a beautiful gift that Frank Kimbrough left behind.
—Thomas Conrad Jazz Times
FRANK KIMBROUGH piano
KIRK KNUFFKE cornet
MASA KAMAGUCHI bass

PHOTO BY SHERRY RUBEL

SSC 1639

R.I. SUTHERLAND-COHEN / JAZZEXPRESSIONS.ORG

FRANK KIMBROUGHANCESTORS

delivered a treasure chest of music at (clubpreviously known as Fat Cat) Cellar Dog (Oct. 21st),
from jazz standards to American Songbook favorites tobossa nova, all with a seamless, organic flow of rhythm
and harmony. The spotlight was on him out front as
leader, yet the ultimate sound was fully interwoven,
like a melodic tapestry, with pianist Keith Brown anddrummer Curtis Torian. Douglas has a charismaticpresence at the bass. He coaxes the most out of it, as if
tangling with a living, breathing creature. His
mastery of the instrument includes a flexibility andagility that he makes seem completely effortless. “TheGirl from Ipanema” (Antônio Carlos Jobim-Vinícius deMoraes) was a perfect storm of creativity on asamba beat platform, with Torian recalling the samba
band ethos, allowing him to shine, versus his role
mainly as trio anchor. Great American Songbook
standard “Just One of Those Things” (Cole Porter)featured a super-speed swing arrangement, putting
Douglas to the test of remaining dexterous while
maintaining rhythm and harmonic integrity. Brown,
who can make a piano sound much more than it is,particularly soared on this tune. His magic lies inmaintaining a light touch on the keys, yet conveying
an assured, assertive mastery of sound. Another highpoint of the set was “Yardbird Suite” (Charlie Parker),a beautifully executed toe-tapper and homage to the
bebop innovator.
—Marilyn Lester

Dezron Douglas @ Cellar Dog

Hilliard Greene with Matt Lavelle’s 12 Houses @ Scholes Street Studio

Sackbut Saturdays, a trombonist-led series at Ibeam Tenor

RUSS LOSSINGMETAMORPHISM
SSC 1607

Lossing’s latest recording, Metamorphism, is an extension of his continually evolving compositional identity.
Here he presents eight original compositions, each written with its own particular strategy for interplay among a
stalwart ensemble of longtime collaborators. It is only withmusicians with whom he has established a deeply felt musical connection that this music could actually be realized.
RUSS LOSSING piano
LOREN STILLMAN alto & soprano saxophones
JOHN HEBERT bass
MICHAEL SARIN drums

www.sunnysiderecords.com

Brooklyn, featured for the opening act of its second
installment (Oct. 17th) Ed Neumeister’s quartet withpianist Gary Versace, drummer Tom Rainey and Chris
Tordini subbing on bass for Drew Gress. The veteran,who spent 20 years in the city’s best big bands before
an extended sojourn overseas, now back in the area
since 2017, was clearly enjoying the company of themusicians in his group. In fact, he couldn’t even wait
for the scheduled 8 pm start-time so what had begun
ten minutes earlier as a sound-check evolved into afree improv. “That was your walking-in piece!”
Neumeister quipped apologetically to the late arrivals.
“Gratitude”, the first ‘official’ piece was, like all of
Neumeister ’s compositions, painstakingly arranged
while still leaving ample space for spontaneousinteractions: “Gmunden” was based on a Schoenberginspired 12-tone line; “Chillin’” on the Phrygian mode;“Ridgewood” flipped between bars of 9/8 and 17/16(among other meters); and the extended suite“Inclusion” transitioned between eclectic vignettes.
Versace adroitly negotiated the charts’ trickiest turns
even as he lithely shadowed Neumeister ’s melody andsolo lines. Rainey, the epitome of a good listener, often
used sidestrokes on his cymbals for clickety or chiming
effects, intuitively seeming to know which direction
Neumeister was headed. The latter was in top form,
often grabbing a plunger mute to color his musicalideas with a growly, almost human tone.
(TG)

4 NOVEMBER 2021 | THE NEW YORK CITY JAZZ RECORD

saxophonist/flutist
Lew
Tabackin’s
extraordinary career has included embracing thingsoutside the mainstream, which now informs an
impressive creative repertoire. In a post-lockdown
monthly residency at Michiko Studios Stage 2, where
the mood is collegial and highly informal, Tabackin
has the freedom to gig without constraint. And that hedid (Oct. 13th), fearlessly and viscerally letting loose,
his attack a full-bodied, intense choreography of
movement. Also fully on display were the abruptchanges in mood, tempo and technique for which he is
known, such as on a creative “I Hear a Rhapsody”(Jack Baker-Dick Gasparre-George Fragos) and anotherjazz standard, “Autumn Nocturne” (Kim Gannon-Joe
Myrow). His own composition for flute, “Garden at
Lifetime”, brilliantly displayed his cross-culturalartistry in a tapestry of sound and melody, based in a
Japanese ethos. On tenor, his “Tanuki’s Night Out”, theexploits of an imagined raccoon-like creature, featured
significant discordance in this inspired musicaladventure. Throughout the set, frequent solos bybassist Boris Kozlov revealed a finely tuned bond
between the two men (they have been working together
for 20 years), as well as Kozlov’s proficiency withmelodic pizzicato. Drummer Jason Tiemann applied anabundance of inventive ways to extract a range of
percussive sounds from his kit. His speed playing,particularly on “Night and Day” (Cole Porter), wasalso mighty impressive. 			
(ML)

The Guinness record holder as the most recorded jazz The Cutting Room (Oct. 13th) shook with a certain
bassist in history, with appearances now numbering
near 2,500, Ron Carter is perhaps still best appreciatedin live performances as a bandleader. In his appearance
at Birdland (Oct. 7th) with his Golden Striker Trio withguitarist Russell Malone and pianist Donald Vega, theNEA Jazz Master ’s warm clear tone and impeccable
beat were in sharp focus. The evening’s second set got
started with Carter ’s “Parade”, a jaunty Spanishtinged outing built around a pulsating bassline. Vegasoloed lyrically, buoyed by Malone’s percussive
fretboard tapping, before the guitarist took his own
turn, swinging bluesily, quoting both “Eleanor Rigby”
and “It Don’t Mean A Thing (If It Ain’t Got Swing)”.
The set continued with “The Third Plane”, Carter ’s
melodious dedication to erstwhile Miles Davisbandmate Wayne Shorter, which had the maestro
alternating between leisurely bossa nova and brisk
walking lines behind extended Vega and Malone solos.
Malone was in the spotlight on “Candlelight”, another
Carter dedication, this one to his longtime partner, thelate guitarist Jim Hall. Carter took the lead on Oscar
Pettiford’s “Laverne Walk”, crisply playing therhythmic melody and stretching out with an
engaging solo, then walking strong backing for Vega
and Malone features before taking it out. The trio
played beautifully on Carter ’s classic “Little Waltz”
and then ended the set swinging hard on Fletcher
Henderson’s “Soft Winds”.
—Russ Musto

excitement normally reserved for rock stars. As
drummer Cindy Blackman Santana took the stage
with her band of dynamos: guitarists Aurelien Budynek
and David Gilmore, saxophonist Emilio Modeste,
keyboard player Marc Cary and bassist Felix Pastorius,
we may as well have been at the Fillmore East of old.
The unique instrumentation, the leader later explained,
was inspired by Bitches Brew but with dual guitars“to add that edge”. And it was ever-present in thisenticing set of fusion, which delved heartily into therealm of James “Blood” Ulmer and something new. In
other words, this was not your father ’s jazz-rock. Rightfrom opener “The Blue Whales”, Blackman tore into
the atmosphere like cannons as guitars—in harmony—
doubled lead lines of Modeste’s tenor and Cary’s synth
impressionism. Pastorius, scion of bass royalty, waswatched closely by the house, but had limited room inthe sound tapestry. More than once, however, he andhis six-string fretted beast (whatever happened to dad
Jaco’s old Fender Jazz?) had intriguing solo features,
but the rhythmic command was held by Blackman’scontinuous commentary of Tony Williams-inspired
tom fills and silvery, aerial shimmer. The band trod theunderground and swung hard too, particularly in one
piece of fiery film noir music gone electric. Watch forthis band and particularly for Budynek, a freely
improvising, post-punk jazz master who tours with
Marky Ramone (really), among others. —John Pietaro

W H AT ’ S N E W S
The Doris Duke Charitable Foundation has announced its
2021 Artists, each receiving an award of $275,000. In the jazz
category the recipients are saxophonist Wayne Shorter andpianists Kris Davis and Danilo Pérez. For more information,
visit dorisdukeartistawards.org.
On Nov. 4th, bassist Christian McBride will receive the Medalof Honor for Achievement in Music as given by the National Arts
Club. For more information, visit nationalartsclub.org.
New Jersey Performing Arts Center has announced the five
finalists of the 10th Annual Sarah Vaughan International
Jazz Vocal Competition, taking place Nov. 14th and judged byRenee Rosnes, Steven A. Williams, Jazzmeia Horn, John
PIzzarelli and Sheila Jordan. The finalists are Andrea Miller,
April May Webb, Arta Jēkabsone, C. Thomas Allen and Viktorija
Gečytė. The first-prize winner will receive $5,000 , secondplace $1,500 and third-place $500. For more information, visit
sarahvaughancompetition.com.
The Erroll Garner-Martha Glaser Archive Research Awardat the University of Pittsburgh has been established to support
research into the Erroll Garner jazz collection: correspondence,
sheet music, legal documents, photographs, memorabilia,
awards, sound recordings and moving images documenting
the life and work of pianist Garner. Grants up to $2,500 will begiven. For more information and to apply, visit library.pitt.edu/
sites/default/files/asc/Garner-Glaser
Research
Award
Application.pdf.

David Rubenstein has donated $10 Million to “expand arts andcivic engagement initiatives at Lincoln Center”, specificallyprogramming at the David Rubenstein Atrium, founded 10
years ago with a gift from Rubenstein and featuring extensive
free programming.

PHOTO BY ALAN NAHIGIANADRIEN H. TILLMANN - WWW.AHT1985.COM

Z2 Comics and artist David Chisholm, a pairing that produced
a 2020 Charlie Parker graphic novel, have announced a new
project, Blue Note Records - Enter the Blue, a fictional
account of the famed record label. For more information, visit
z2comics.com/bluenote.

Ron Carter @ Birdland

Cindy Blackman Santana & Felix Pastorius @ The Cutting Room

W ith a fanbase stretching across the worlds of jazz, Thunder and lightning could begin to describe the
hip-hop and R&B, it is no surprise Robert Glasper had
been packing the house every night of his month-longresidency at Blue Note. Opening the second set of thefirst night (Oct. 12th) of his Tribute To Wayne Shorter,
the Grammy Award-winning pianist called for a roundof applause for the man he described as “one of myheroes”, then joked with crowd noting, “I know someof you don’t even know who he is.” The band, with
Keyon Harrold (trumpet), Jaleel Shaw (alto), Marcus
Strickland (tenor), Vicente Archer (bass) and Kendrick
Scott (drums), got things started with “Angola”. The
three horns played the melody, after which Harrold
dug in with a blistering solo, followed by bold tenor
and soaring alto, with bass and drums modulating
tempo, before Glasper stretched out with inspired
abandon. The mood turned mysterious on “Lost”, afeature for brooding alto and Miles Davis-ish trumpet.
The latter vibe took hold on “Dolores”, which kicked
off with an incendiary drum solo, giving way to wildly
bellowing tenor and mottled snarling trumpet solos,
followed by an impressionistic piano outing. Glasper
got the crowd involved finger-snapping the tempo fora swinging rendition of “Speak No Evil”. Strickland’s
yearning soprano was featured along with meditative
piano for a stirring reading of “Infant Eyes”. The set
ended with Glasper inviting pianist Christian Sands,
drummer Eric Harland and trumpeter Maurice Brown
to join in on “Footprints”.
(RM)

sound environment of Vijay Iyer and Zoh Amba at
The Clemente (Oct. 15th) but the other elements
featured into the atmosphere. Iyer ’s piano, as always,
encompassed every shade of the spectrum, as Amba’stenor saxophone, lofty, fluid, at points guttural,
occupied the region above. The set was a multi-faceted
new music, with streams of free improvisation andwhat folks once called New Age layered in. Iyer ’s
propensity for repetitive tones reeling against swinging
left-hand motion toyed with minimalism, particularly
when set against Amba’s dry horn. Within his
chromatic contrapuntal themes, she often caught andblew over tonal centers, but in a bottomy saxophone
voice. By 7:40, her tenor lead was almost reminiscent of
Lenny Pickett’s street sound, if he was to stretch intosuch a universe. The second set was a unique quartet
led by pianist Eri Yamamoto with trumpeter/bass
clarinetist Matt Lavelle and drummers Ikuo Takeuchi
and Jackson Hillmer. From the downbeat of “JoyfulSoul” (a celebration of the city’s re-opening), theensemble fell into place, as the leader ’s arpeggios flew
across the stage. Trumpet, in an almost modal strain,
resounded with cathedral reverberation as the
drummers built momentum within exquisite dynamics.
The band captured the drive and wonderment of lateera John Coltrane as piano held snatches of melody
bursting over the keyboard, a death grip on the rhythm,
enveloping Takeuchi and Hillmer ’s pulsations.
(JP)

South Arts has awarded 52 Jazz Artists $2 million in grants
supporting creative residencies. Recipients are: Chico
Freeman, Edward Simon, John Escreet, Marcus Roberts,
Sammy Figueroa, Wycliffe Gordon, Damon Locks, Ernest
Dawkins, Joshua Abrams, Mars Williams, Aurora Nealand, Ben
Jaffe, Donald Harrison, Jason Marsalis, Felipe Salles, Mehmet
Ali Sanlikol, Terry Jenoure, Marc Cary, Adegoke Steve Colson,
Delbert Anderson, Adam O’Farrill, Andrew Drury, Aruán Ortiz,
Bobby Previte, Camille Thurman, Clarence Penn, Craig Harris,
Elio Villafranca, Fabian Almazan, Ches Smith, ImmanuelWilkins, Jaimie Branch, Jason Moran, M3 Musicians LLC,
Magos Herrera, Meg Okura, Melvin Gibbs, Michele
Rosewoman, Miles Okazaki, Nasheet Waits, Nona Hendryx,
Ronnie Burrage, Naima Lowe, Jamaaladeen Tacuma, Orrin
Evans, William Cepeda, Gregory Tardy, Lisa E. Harris, Kip
Hanrahan, Amy Denio, Johnaye Kendrick and Julia Keefe. For
more information, visit southarts.org.
Don Vappie has been named one of two winners of the Steve
Martin Banjo Prize, receiving $25,000.
Resonant Motion, Inc. has named the 2021 Claire’s
Continuum Artistic Collaborations: Taylor Simone Harvey andJohnnie Gilmore; Jackie Soro and Caili O’Doherty; and Carla
Kihlstedt and Umbrella Pine (Allison Burik and Magdalena
Abrego). For more information, visit clairescontinuum.
com/2021-artists.
The International Society of Jazz Arrangers & Composers(ISJAC) has announced Fundamental Freedoms, a special
commission opportunity for women jazz composers. The
winning piece will be premiered at the ISJAC’s symposium thisspring in Austin, Texas. Applications are open to all women jazzcomposers regardless of age or nationality and will be accepted
through Nov. 4th. For more information, visit isjac.org/
awards/2022-fundamental-freedoms-prize-guidelines.
Matthias Pees has been named the new director of Berliner
Festspiele, which celebrates its 70th anniversary this year.
Submit news to ahenkin@nycjazzrecord.com

THE NEW YORK CITY JAZZ RECORD | NOVEMBER 2021 5

OLFF APPOLD / COURTESY OF THE ARTISTINTERVIEWMARTIN
WIND

Note. Frank Kimbrough was the pianist. So I played inthose session bands a lot and met many people thatway. Those were all important steps for me to establish
myself on the New York scene.
TNYCJR: Since you had Jim McNeely, Mike Holober
and Kenny Werner as teachers, all gifted composers,
how did each of them have an impact on your writing?
MW: I had heard Jim McNeely during the seven years
I lived in Cologne, six of which I spent in theconservatory. We had the WDR band there and I knew
most of the players by the second or third year.
				(CONTINUED ON PAGE 12)David Janeway Trio
Appearing:by ken dryden
O ver the past quarter-century, bassist Martin Wind has

established himself as a versatile player and composer withan extensive discography as a leader and sideman. A nativeof Germany, Wind honed his craft as a young man on thecontinent then began to gain wider exposure through hiswork with pianist Bill Mays. Most of Wind’s albums havebeen issued by various European labels, even though he haslong been a U.S. resident. His most recent album,
My Astorian Queen (Laika), comes out this month. He
also serves dual role as a professor of both jazz and classicalstudies. Wind’s warm arco playing rivals any bassist active
and he is a valued player in any setting.
The New York City Jazz Record: Did you grow up in amusical family?
Martin Wind: My father was an amateur flute player,
but nobody was playing an instrument around thehouse. In high school I started to play guitar. WhenI was 15 years old, the big band director asked me if
I wanted to fill the electric bass position. I thought,“Sure, I’m not going to become a bass player becauseof that” but that’s exactly what happened. I found myvoice that way, or the bass came to me. I played theelectric bass for a couple of years. I took lessons witha classical bassist from the local orchestra and he kept
working on me to finally pick up a ‘real instrument’.
When I was 17 , I finally started playing upright bass.
TNYCJR: Were you playing strictly classical music on
the upright bass or were you playing jazz too?
MW: After two or three months, I brought the big bass
into band and never looked back. We had a pretty goodschool orchestra, so from the time I learned to playscales and find my way around the fingerboard andget a decent sound with the bow, I was playing withthe orchestra and the big band. That duality has beenwith me for my entire career and I think that it’ssomething that sets me apart.
TNYCJR: You use your bow a lot more than most. Do
you attribute that to your classical studies?
MW: Absolutely! I graduated from high school when I
was 19, because back then you went to school for 13
years in Germany and military service was mandatory,
so I played in the navy band for two years and preparedmyself for conservatory auditions because the entry
level is so incredibly high. It’s tuition-free and open to
people from other European countries and the entire
world. Everybody who comes there can really play so
I used those two years to get ready. I passed theaudition and did a six-year program. I have a diploma
as an orchestra musician and that’s where I truly
learned how to play the instrument.
TNYCJR: Your professor, Wolfgang Beutler, really lefta lasting impression on you.

MW: He was phenomenal. We’re still in touch. I got tosee him in late 2018. He was an influence on so many
levels. He was very influenced by Pablo Casals, thegreat cellist from Barcelona. His left-hand technique
was completely different from the usual classicaltraining. He was from Romania. He studied with avery famous teacher and bassist there so he had a very
different bowing technique too, which worked out
perfect for me. He was not interested in producing as
many successful orchestra bassists as possible. His
main goal was to turn us into independent, thinking
artists, musicians who would find their own solutions
and have their own way of finding interpretations. As
a result, he was incredibly open-minded. He had no
problem with me being a jazz player as well. He
supported it wherever he could. I owe him so much.

November 3rd
sets at 7:30 and 9 pm
Mezzrow Jazz Club, NYC:
smallslive.com
David Janeway Triofeaturing
Cameron Brown, bass
Tony Jefferson, drums“This is an excellent recording, and the more you
listen, the more compelling the music becomes.
This could easily be one of the Top Ten Jazz
CD’s of 2021, and maybe one for the ages.”(Michael G. Nastos; Hot House Magazine,
SEMJA Update, WCBN, Ann Arbor, MI)

CD Release Event“Distant Voices”
on Steeplechase“...And while the trio illuminates the covers,
Janeway’s compositions sound like classics..
A compelling and polished product.”(Dan McClenaghan, All About Jazz)

CDs, downloads and streaming
available at Amazon, Statesidemusic.com,
Apple Music, Spotify & YouTube

For further info and bookings:
DavidJaneway.com orconnect on facebook.com/
david.janeway.5

TNYCJR: How did you learn about NYU’s jazz program?
MW: When I was about to join the navy band, theyfounded a national youth jazz orchestra in Germany.
They auditioned and tried to put together an orchestraof the most talented young jazz musicians up to theage of 22 or 23. I was one of two bass players. That wasa huge step for me, being exposed to the level of all
those talented players. Till Brönner and Peter Weniger
were part of that illustrious club. A lot of those players
ended up in the excellent radio big bands like the WDR
and NDR. We met twice a year for workshops andconcerts and that’s how I got introduced to Mike
Richmond. Mike came over as the bass teacher there
and when I told him about my plans to come to New
York, he hooked me up with NYU because he wasalready teaching there. In 1995, I hadn’t heard that
NYU had a jazz department, it was under everybody’s
radar, even though all these great players were teaching
there: Joe Lovano, Jim McNeely, Kenny Werner cameon later, Dave Liebman used to be there, Todd Coolman
did his doctorate there. Since it was not a welldeveloped program when I got there, I was
immediately the best player on my instrument. I ended
up in the jazz orchestra right away, working with Jim
McNeely and Tom Boras, and made it into the rhythm
section that backed up all of the great artists brought infor master classes. I was in New York for maybe two
weeks and backing up Joe Lovano, Randy Brecker andMike Mainieri. I thought, “Wow, that’s what I came to
New York for.” Even though it was a master classsetting, it was an important first step.
TNYCJR: Did you start getting calls to fill as a bassist
around this time?
MW: I started subbing in a band led by Bob Parsons,
who was a teacher there. Since Tom Boras was onsabbatical when I arrived, it was Bob Parsons who sat
down at the piano and auditioned me. After threechoruses, he said, “I think we’re done here.” At thattime, he led the after-hours session band at the Blue

6 NOVEMBER 2021 | THE NEW YORK CITY JAZZ RECORDHNOVEMBER 2ND - NOVEMBER 7THH

JAVON JACKSON QUARTETJEREMY MANASIA, DAVID WILLIAMS, McCLENTY HUNTERHNOVEMBER 9TH - NOVEMBER 14THHHTUESDAY - THURSDAYH

JAKOB
BRO TRIO
THOMAS MORGAN, JOEY BARONHFRIDAY - SUNDAYH

JAKOB BRO QUARTETMARK TURNER, THOMAS MORGAN, ANDREW CYRILLEHNOVEMBER 16TH - NOVEMBER 21STH

EMMET COHEN TRIOFEATURING RON CARTEREVAN SHERMANHNOVEMBER 23RD - NOVEMBER 28THH

JASON MORAN &THE BANDWAGONTARUS MATEEN, NASHEET WAITSHNOVEMBER 30TH - DECEMBER 5THH

CHRISTIAN McBRIDE
INSIDE STRAIGHTSTEVE WILSON, WARREN WOLF, PETER MARTIN, CARL ALLEN

COMING
IN DECEMBERHCHRISTIAN M BRIDEHc

HKENNY BARRONHHCHRIS POTTERHPETER GANNUSHKIN/DOWNTOWNMUSIC.NET

ARTIST FEATU RE

SEAN
CONLY

For more information, visit seanconly.com. Conly is at
Flushing Town Hall Nov. 11th with Amanda Monaco and
The Jazz Gallery Nov. 12th with Joe Fiedler. See Calendar.
Recommended Listening:• Sean Conly–Re:Action (Clean Feed, 2007)• Sean Conly/Michaël Attias–
Think Shadow (OutNow, 2009)• Sean Conly, Alex Harding, Chad Taylor,
Darius Jones–Grass Roots (AUM Fidelity, 2011)• Mara Rosenbloom–Prairie Burn
(Fresh Sound-New Talent, 2016)• Joe Fiedler–Open Sesame (Multiphonics Music, 2018)• Sean Conly–The Buzz (577 Records, 2020)

by john sharpe
You get a good insight into Colorado-born, Kansas-

raised bassist Sean Conly’s playing style from his
conversation: focused and direct. Of course that is not
the whole story, as he also possesses a robust woody
tone, pliable sense of swing and broad adventurous
streak. That combination has made him a fixture forleaders as diverse as saxophonists Gregory Tardy (withwhom he has waxed nine CDs), Darius Jones and Yoni
Kretzmer, to the extent that he appears on over 80
releases. He is also helmed six dates under his own
name, with the most recent The Buzz released on 577
Records last month.
Involved in music from an early age, Conly moved
to New York City at 24 and, even while still at college
studying with Rufus Reid, began taking on gigs.
Trumpeter Philip Harper was one of the first but, as one
thing led to another, he connected with big names suchas trumpeters Freddie Hubbard and Nicholas Payton,
pianist Andrew Hill and saxophonist James Moody.
Even though his own music tends towards the modern
improvised end of the spectrum, he continues to cultivatea presence across a range of styles. Conly explains:“I love having these different voices and it’s given me a
lot of different opportunities. I don’t feel that style isnecessarily indicative of creativity. Charlie Parker is justas free to me as Ornette. So I enjoy as a sideman having
the possibility of all these different challenges.”With his own music the challenge is different
again. “I’m fascinated by how individuals can be in the
moment with music and make beautiful sound in as
many ways as possible. It can be that we’re playing
very composed tunes or it could be more free but
I want to surround myself with people who can dothat. That’s the most inspiring thing for me.” One ofhis most frequent collaborators is saxophonist Michaël
Attias, who performs on several of his leadershipsessions, including the first, Re:Action (Clean Feed,2007). They met through drummer Igal Foni, who had
moved from Paris around the same time, and developed
a strong relationship. “He has provided a lot offriendship and inspiration for me and I just love his
writing and his playing. He has really been a huge partof a lot of my music. The relationships of playing withpeople over many many years is where you start torealize, yeah, you can start to play with someone once
and it can be good but, boy, when you really know
somebody it just gives you so many possibilities.”
Conly has composed his own music right from theoutset. But he does so with particular individuals in
mind, with the aim of constructing a universe within
which they can shine. “Every project of mine I’m
thinking about specific people. What kind of things
they will sound good on.” On The Buzz he recruited
drummer Francisco Mela and pianist Leo Genovese fora highly simpatico trio. How did that come about?
“Francisco and I have known each other for a longtime, but for the last few years Francisco has been very
interested in new music and taken on this thing of,man, I want to be a great improvising drummer andnot just a jazz drummer. I met Leo through Francisco.
We were hired to go and teach at a jazz camp in Malaga[Spain] a couple of years ago and we did a bunch ofconcerts and I just really loved the fit of the three of us.
It’s a joy to hang and make music with them. So I was
like, wow, as soon as I can I want to make a trio record
with these guys. They both have such huge ears. They
hear everything, they know how to support and leadwhen they need to.”One distinctive aspect of the program is that Conly
often leads the line, handling the melody rather than
piano, something he wanted to do for a while. “We play
the Steven Sondheim song ‘Send In The Clowns’ andthat wasn’t even supposed to be on the record. But wewere in rehearsal and Francisco was like, oh man weshould play like a standard or something and open it up.
And I had been really in love with that tune for a while
so it was sort of a last-minute addition. I felt like I wantto embrace being the melody player a little more, so thewhole project has a little more of that than my otherprojects.” It is not the only offbeat cover on the disc,which also features “Euterpe” by Sam Rivers, on which
Conly carries the tune using his bow, and Paul Motian’s
oblique blues “Good Idea” alongside his own numbers.
“I was always a huge Paul Motian fan. He was a great
inspiration to me and I love the fact that particular tune
is a blues but the way he wrote it and what he came up
with is very distinctive within being just a blues. Sam
Rivers I’ve been a fan of since I was a kid and thatparticular melody I just always really loved that song. I
just started messing with it with the bow and realizingthat this would be a beautiful open rubato melody.”
Although Attias doesn’t appear on the album, thetrio covers one of his tunes, “From C To Sea”. “Thatpiece is interesting because basically he reversed an
Ornette piece in a way. Like the melody is backwards.
He loves to mess with palindromic kind of things, takethem and do the mirror images and so on. He showedme that when we were playing at his house one day
and I thought this would be a great open swinging
melody for the band to play.” Conly’s title track is
especially intriguing as it pitches disparate elements
against one another. He explains further: “New Yorkhas such a city energy and I’ve always really just loved
to walk the streets and that’s what ‘The Buzz’ is to me,that intense energy of New York City. The melody
doesn’t fit in strict time over what the bassline concept
is and I wanted it to have a little of that sense of when
you’re hearing ten conversations at the same time andthey’re all melding into one.”
While Conly’s teaching has carried on through the
pandemic, along with a series of live streams, he isbeginning to return to live performance and is thinking
what comes next. “Right now I’m collecting material tofigure out what the next project will be. Trying tofigure out where I can get this band out now that therecord is coming out. Just continuing to practice andhope that soon this whole thing will be over and that
we can go back to some kind of real life.” v

Composers ConcordanceNovember 2021
Woodwind Motion
Concerts
Nov 05, 7:30 PM
Greenwich House

Adam Holzman: Piano
Nov 18, 7:00 PM
Kostabi World

CompCord Big Band
‘Humbug Jitterbug’

Feat. Valery Ponomarev, trumpet
and Gerry Brown, drums
Nov 29, 7:30 PM
City Winery, The Loftcomposersconcordance.com

THE NEW YORK CITY JAZZ RECORD | NOVEMBER 2021 7

ON THE COVER
KASIA IDZKOWSKA / COURTESY OF THE ARTISTBEN ALLISONJAZZ COMPOSER RECOLLECTIVE
by jim motavalli

NPR recently wrote that bassist Ben Allison is“known for writing jazz that sounds like rock.” Whatthat means, in essence, is that his work—while in noway compromised—is nonetheless accessible. He hasa talent for catchy melodies, which he attributes to a
study of his favorite composers: Andrew Hill, Herbie
Nichols, Thelonious Monk and Ornette Coleman.
Allison is from New Haven, CT and lives in the
East Village. He has released 14 albums as a leader and6 as a co-leader and made many others as a sideman,often with a revolving cast of players including
saxophonist Ted Nash and guitarist Steve Cardenas.
For the most part, they are a warm, enveloping listen.
In New Haven, Allison was fortunate to havediscovered the Neighborhood Music School, where hestarted guitar lessons at nine. He also studied West
African, Haitian and Cuban drumming with
Richard Hill of the band Mikata and some of those
influences come out in his music, too. Says Hill, “I
remember Ben as an unusually focused, serious dude
who seemed to always be digging for a deeper grasp
and ability in the way he pursued the theory andtechnique of the music.”“In high school, I struggled to find a musicalidentity,” Allison says. “My musical taste even thenwas pretty eclectic. I listened to everything. I played
guitar and also drums, but couldn’t settle on anything.
But then I had the opportunity to play the bass and it
felt like the guitar and drums coming together.”
Playing in salsa bands was rewarding and lessons withbassist extraordinaire Steve Swallow, then aConnecticut resident, proved energizing.
“Steve is a super-great guy and a wonderfulteacher,” Allison said. “I don’t remember how we got
in touch but it was back in the ‘80s. He is one of thoseguys who helped me by demystifying functional
harmony. He taught me some basics. I think he is aphenomenal player and one of the sweetest cats.”
Allison has always had mentors. He moved to New
York in 1985 to attend NYU as a University Scholar,
studying bass and jazz performance. He remembers
just after arriving in town going to hear the legendary
Ron Carter play in a duo at the nearby Knickerbocker
Bar & Grill on University Place. “I went up to him andasked him about something and he more or less gave
me a bass lesson right there on the bandstand.”Through pianist Frank Kimbrough, Allison met
late pianist Hill and, in addition to being inspired byhis memorable compositions, got some very usefuladvice. “I was just about to put out my first record
with Koch Jazz and he recommended that I license therecording, not sell it outright. That way I would end up
owning the masters,” Allison said. “He had a long
battle with Blue Note over that issue. I took that toheart.” Allison owns his masters and is in the processof re-releasing 10 of his records.
Sometimes, when playing in jazz clubs, theatmosphere is not conducive to intimate, dynamicallysubtle music. One night, a piece Allison wrote with asection for three bass clarinets was drowned out by abartender turning on a daiquiri machine. And so, in

1992 when he was 25, he joined with longtime
collaborators Nash, Kimbrough, trumpeter Ron Horton
and others to form the Jazz Composers Collective. The
Collective presented over 100 concerts featuring theworks of over 50 composers, the performances of over
250 musicians and, most notably, the premieres of morethan 300 compositions. Allison was Artistic Director
and a Composer-in-Residence.
“We wanted a more controlled environment andthe ability to play our new music to people who werelistening in a quiet room,” Allison said. An inspiration,
besides the AACM in Chicago, was a collective set upby the composer Arnold Schoenberg. “I read abiography of him and he started his own loft scene in
Vienna,” Allison said. “They put on regular concertsand Debussy and Webern were regulars.”
From 1996, the Collective was in residence at The
New School, where Allison is now an associate teachingprofessor in the college of contemporary andperforming arts. He teaches classes in entrepreneurshipand music technology and has led deep dives into themusic of Monk, Nichols, Miles Davis and others.
The Collective lasted until 2005. “We all got too
busy touring and recording, doing the things we
wanted to do when we started,” Allison said. “Wethought about turning it over to a hired Executive
Director. But, in the end, it felt better just to stop. There
are TV shows that pass their peak and then do that one
extra season that probably shouldn’t have happened.
We wanted to avoid that and end on a high-note.”
Nash says of Allison, “Ben is one of the mostcreative composers and bass players I know. He has
always found his own voice with the music he writes,
the ensembles he puts together and the way heapproaches playing the instrument. When he formed
the Jazz Composers Collective, he really understoodthe need for creating a forum where composers could
explore their own voices.”
Allison has a political side to him, leading to
involvement with the Recording Academy, the groupthat puts on the Grammys. He served two terms aspresident of the Academy’s New York chapter andtestified before the U.S. House of Representatives in
2012, supporting performing rights. “We got most ofwhat we wanted,” Allison said of the update to federal
copyright law, its first significant change in a decade.
“We addressed some of the challenges that streaming
poses for songwriters.” While streaming services give
unprecedented access to music, including a hugelibrary of jazz, Allison points out that listeners don’t
get any significant information about the tracks they
are hearing, including who wrote them and whoplayed on the recording.
Allison’s work as a composer received a welcome
endorsement from the Jazz Sinfonica, an 80-pieceorchestra (with a big band inside) in São Paulo, Brazil,
which has featured his work three times, in 2005, 2008
and 2013. When COVID is no longer an issue, they will
likely do it again: “It’s an amazing experience toperform your music with a full orchestra and big band.
They have great arrangers who work off of the sheet

8 NOVEMBER 2021 | THE NEW YORK CITY JAZZ RECORD

music we send down. We do a few days of rehearsals
where we put it all in shape, followed by two nights ofperformances. It’s hard to explain the thrill of hearing
your music performed by a large orchestra. It’s a very
emotional experience and deeply rewarding.”
Allison’s latest album, Moments Inside, comes out
this month on his Sonic Camera label and features theinterplay between two guitarists, Cardenas andBrazilian Chico Pinheiro. The whole album is beautiful,an enveloping cloud of music. “The past few years
have been extremely difficult,” says Allison. “The riseof authoritarianism, the misery surrounding the
pandemic. It’s been a very difficult time. As I sat down
to write for this album, I was expecting the music toreflect this. Artists typically write what they feel.
However, I was surprised to find that the music thatcame out was positive, calm, even optimistic. Looking
back, I realize that I wasn’t writing what I was feeling.
I was writing what I needed.”
The only cover is Nichols’ “House Party Starting”,
which Allison says is the first tune that Kimbroughbrought in when they started work on their Nichols
project. ““I wanted to include it on Moments Inside asa tribute to Frank [who passed in December 2020].”
Allison says, “Steve and Chico are very different
players stylistically, but there is a clear chemistry
between them. I wanted to write music that reflected
that. Chico, being from Brazil, brings a great sense of
lyricism and rhythmic intensity. The music on Moments
Inside references some of my favorite Brazilian artists
such as Milton Nascimento and Caetano Veloso.”
Allison is reflective about playing and composing.
“I’d say that my playing and my writing areintertwined,” he said. “So, when I’m playing bass I try
to think like a composer. Sometimes that means
thinking melodically, creating lines that have lyricalstructures and shapes. Other times, I think of my role
as being closer to a drummer, utilizing the wide rangeof percussive effects that can be made with acoustic
bass. My bass playing, in turn, informs my writing. My
approach usually involves singing melodies alongwith playing bass notes. In this way, I get the basic
shapes, the outline of harmonies, which I fill in later.
Playing bass and singing is a very natural feeling.
There’s nothing between me and my ideas.” That
seems to be the crux of Ben Allison as a musician, no
separation between the person and the music. v
For more information, visit benallison.com. Allison’s Moments
Inside project is at Birdland Nov. 4th-6th. See Calendar.
Recommended Listening:• Frank Kimbrough–Chant (Igmod, 1992/1997)• Ben Allison–Seven Arrows (Koch, 1995-6)• Ben Allison & Medicine Wheel–
Riding The Nuclear Tiger (Palmetto, 2000)• Herbie Nichols Project–
Strange City (Palmetto, 2001)• Ben Allison–The Stars Look Very Different Today(Sonic Camera, 2013)• Ben Allison–Moments Inside (Sonic Camera, 2021)

nov 5 - 21

christianmcbridethu, nov 11 @ 7:30 PM

Chris
Botti

Chaka
Khan

DianneReevesThe Movement Revisited:
A Musical Portrait of Four Icons
Celebrate the great leadersof the Civil Rights Movementin this evening of readings andjazz starring Christian McBride.
Django Festival Allstars
featuring Samson Schmitt,
Ludovic Beier, Pierre Blanchard,
Doudou Cuillerier & Antonio Licusati
Fri, Nov 5 @ 6 & 8:30PM
With energy and swing, the Django
Festival Allstars pay tribute to legendary
gypsy jazz guitarist Django Reinhardt.
Chaka Khanwith special guest Leela James
Sat, Nov 6 @ 8PM
You know it’s going to be a party when
Chaka Khan hits the stage! Join us foran evening of fun and funk at NJPAC.

Chris Botti
Fri, Nov 12 @ 8PM
GRAMMY® Award-winning trumpeter
Chris Botti has become the largestselling American instrumental artist.
Dianne Reeves plus Artemis
featuring Renee Rosnes,
Anat Cohen, Ingrid Jensen,
Nicole Glover, Noriko Ueda
and Allison Miller
Sat, Nov 13 @ 8PM
An evening with the extraordinary
women of jazz!

Nimbus Dance
Sat, Nov 6 @ 7PM
Nimbus Dance joins forces with tango
virtuoso Pedro Giraudo for the world
premiere of Raucous Caucus Tango!

Dorthaan’s Place:
Cyrus Chestnut
Sun, Nov 14 @ 11AM & 1PM
Enjoy the piano stylings ofCyrus Chestnut during brunch
at NICO Kitchen + Bar.

Divine Sass:
Lillias White Sings Sarah VaughanFri, Nov 12 @ 7PM
TONY® Award-winning singer Lillias
White and her trio return to NJPAC for a
tribute to the legendary Sarah Vaughan.

Sarah Vaughan International
Jazz Vocal Competition
Sun, Nov 14 @ 3PM
Celebrate the 10th annual competition
with special performances by jazz greats
Christian McBride and Dianne Reeves!

A Celebration of George Wein
Sat, Nov 20 @ 7:30PM
Featuring Anat Cohen, Kenny Barron,
Randy Brecker, Christian McBride,
Lewis Nash, Lew Tabackin,Peter Washington and Duchess.
Maria Schneider Orchestra
Sun, Nov 21 @ 3 & 7PM“Revelatory, riveting, daring and beyond
categorization”: NEA Jazz Master Maria
Schneider’s orchestra takes the stage.

Visit 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

JazzRecord_9.5x10_Nov21.indd 1

10/15/21 1:26 PM

ENCORECALVINHILL
by anders griffen
Bassist Calvin Hill grew up in Bridgeport, CT in a

family with a passion for music. He enjoyed listening to
the greats on record at home and at concerts at theApollo, including Pearl Bailey, Duke Ellington, RayCharles and James Brown. By the end of high school, hestarted to think about becoming a professional musician.
“It was a dream. I said, man, if I could… I know I’m notgoing to be good enough, but I’m going to keep trying.”
It wasn’t long before he was accompanying the likes ofBilly Eckstine, Mel Tormé, Mose Allison and John Lee
Hooker before tenure with leaders such as McCoy
Tyner, Pharoah Sanders, Max Roach, Michael Carvin
and Joanne Brackeen, among others.
Hill started out on the trumpet in grammar school,
but the band director switched him to trombone. He
didn’t like it, but wanted to play music so badly that hestuck with it until he was able to switch to saxophone.
Having played for some years at this point, he was able
to read pretty well and got an opportunity to join somelocal big band rehearsals. This led to his personal
discovery of the bass. “I was playing in the section andnoticing the bass player. I liked the rhythms and thesounds of the drums and I noticed that [the bass had]a beautiful sound and it was kind of like the drums
with some melody.” His high school band director was
delighted to have him switch to bass and set him up
with an instrument and a teacher. “It was kind of fromthat point on (laughs), school ended (laughs),
academics ended. Music totally took over my life.”
The local Boys’ Club had trumpeter Steve Furtado
visiting from New York. Hill was sure to be there andended up learning about Berklee College of Music,
where he matriculated in 1963. His father covered his
tuition provided that he majored in music education sothat he had something to fall back on should he notmake it as a professional, which was still a fantasy that
seemed out of reach to the young Hill. However, hiscommitment was steadfast and he soon had plenty ofwork to cover his room and board.
“At that point I was a sponge for music. If it had to
do with music, 24-7, music, music, music. I just wanted
to play, that’s all I did. I did as much playing as I possibly
could. There were three major clubs in the Boston area.
There was a club in Roxbury called Connolly’s and I got
to be in the house rhythm section. I played witheverybody from John Lee Hooker to George Coleman onthat gig. Guys would come up and they might hire one
musician [but] we were the house band and whoever
came in we would back them up. John Lee Hooker camein, ‘oh, yeah, we’re going to be playing the blues.’
I thought, I know how to play the blues. But I realized,
I didn’t know how to play the blues (laughs). John Lee
Hooker, I mean, that was a different kind of blues. That
was freedom, man. It wasn’t like 12 bars. It was 13 and ahalf bars or 11 and a quarter bars (laughs). It washowever he felt. That was an experience, doing that gig.
And then I was in the house band at a place called Paul’sMall. It was two clubs right next to each other. The Jazz
Workshop and Paul’s Mall in the same basement indifferent rooms. At Paul’s Mall we had a trio and wewould do dance music in between the shows andsometimes we would get to work with the acts coming
through. That’s where I got to work with people like the
Kirby Stone Four and Matt Monro. And in the Workshop
I got to work with Mose Allison. The third club was not
in downtown Boston. That was in a suburb of Boston
called Peabody, which was maybe 25 miles outside of
Boston. Lennie’s on the Turnpike. This guy Lennie
Sogoloff at the Turnpike was kind of like a jazz buff.
There were people that he brought into his club that he
was really interested in. That’s where I got to work with
Billy Eckstine and Mel Tormé.”
The Boston scene dried up for him after graduation.
He was not doing very much when he got a call from
drummer Chip White, who asked to him to come down
to New York in 1969. They recorded for Capitol Records
with a rock band called Cynara, played some big rockfestivals and toured with various artists such as Laura

Nyro and played opposite Miles Davis, but he was soonback in Boston. “I left Cynara. I left that whole scene. It
got to be too crazy, the music was too loud and nothing
was really happening. I wasn’t making any money andI couldn’t make the jazz connection. I would hang out,but I hadn’t really worked with anybody. I wasn’t
known as a jazz musician, so I moved back to Boston.
One day I got a call from a friend who I met in Boston,a saxophone player named Byard Lancaster. [He] said,’would you like to work with McCoy Tyner tonight?’ So
I went and I played one night at The Jazz Workshop[with] Byard Lancaster, Eric Gravatt and McCoy.” Tyner
invited Hill to join him on a six-week tour along withsaxophonist Sonny Fortune and drummer AlphonseMouzon. “I never played with McCoy except for that
one time. I had met Sonny once. I had never even met
Alphonse Mouzon. So, we kind of all met in the car. I
had no idea what we were going to play or how wewere going to play it. I learned the music on the
bandstand. McCoy didn’t tell me much.” Soon after,
Tyner called Hill for a couple of gigs and a recording in
New York. They continued to play the same music they
were playing, which Hill still only knew by ear. It
turned out to be the material for the album Sahara(Milestone), which they recorded in January of 1972.
“So we started playing and McCoy stopped and said,‘no, no, that’s not what I want you to play, this is what
I want you to play.’ And that was the first time that hesaid anything (laughs) in all that time [about] what hewanted.” Later in 1972, they recorded Song for My Lady.
By this time, Hill had established a reputation. He
was living in New York and getting calls. He wasworking with George Coleman when Sanders asked
him to play New Year ’s Eve at Ornette Coleman’splace. It was his first time working with Sanders and,like that first gig with Tyner, he was invited to go on
tour as soon as it was done. In 1973 they recorded
tracks that would appear on Village of the Pharoahs(Impulse!) and Elevation (Impulse!).
“I would say the albums I did with McCoy andPharoah were some of [my] best. And the albums I did
with Max Roach, especially Chattahoochee Red. I thoughtthat was an incredible album, the statement of that					
(CONTINUED ON PAGE 13)

is known about him in that period as so many of his
bandmates have passed on. From his discography inthe mid ‘50s, along with his tenure with Sun Ra, Sproles
was also with the Red Rodney-Ira Sullivan group andrecorded with Stan Getz/Chet Baker and Simmons. By
1960 he had recorded with Johnny Griffin (The Big Soul
Band, Riverside) and played in Muhal Richard Abrams’
Experimental Band. He was very close with blindpianist Chris Anderson, who was also from Chicago
and only a year apart in age, and they remained friends
for many years. He also married around then as his
2005 Chicago Sun-Times obituary lists his surviving
wife of 52 years Jan, daughter Vicky and a grandson,
Chase. He had returned to the Chicago area in 1998.
Sproles worked often with singers and toured andrecorded with Billie Holiday, Joe Williams, Odetta andCarmen McRae. Although the chronology of his
significant life events is somewhat muddled, he seems
to have toured with, for example, McRae, from hishome in Chicago and after his move to New York City
sometime in the early ‘60s. Sun Ra also moved to New
York in 1961 and there may have been a connection
with the timing.
Once in New York he worked some with other
Chicago associates, including Clifford Jordan, andbecame very busy according to Williams’ recollections.
Sproles worked with Williams, in fact, off and on
throughout his time in New York until he disappeared
from the scene in the mid ‘80s. He spent time at Barry

Harris’ Jazz Cultural Theater around then, where his
friend Anderson often was and Williams remembersthat Harris asked him to do a live recording there for
Uptown. “I thought Victor was supposed to be on that,
but the time came and there was no Victor. So Rufus
Reid luckily made the date. I don’t think I ever saw
Victor again after that. He just kind of disappeared.”
Sproles became a Jazz Messenger in 1964, joining
fellow Sun Ra alumnus John Gilmore, and toured andrecorded with Art Blakey for about six months. After
Gilmore left the band, alto saxophonist Gary Bartz
joined the Messengers: “I joined in 1965,” recalled
Bartz. “John [Hicks] and Lee [Morgan] recommended
me after I heard that John [Gilmore] was leaving. It
was actually my dad, who owned a jazz club in
Baltimore, who first told me he thought Gilmore wasgetting ready to leave. He’d heard it. Victor was thebassist. I remember that we drove right across thecountry to Seattle. Art and Lee flew out and the rest of
us had to drive. Victor shared the driving duties withthe roadie John Smith. He got paid extra for that. We
did three days straight without stopping. My
daughter ’s mother drove with us, the only lady friendon the trip. We did two weeks in Seattle, two weeks in
San Francisco and two weeks in L.A. with that band.
We also made a recording, Soul Finger (Limelight).”
That LP was Bartz’ recording debut.
Bartz remembers that when the going got tough					(CONTINUED ON PAGE 13)

LEST WE FORGET

VICTORSPROLESby sylvia levine
Bassist Victor Sproles (Nov. 18th, 1927-May 13th,2005), was by all accounts a really nice guy (Gloria
Ware, Wilbur ’s widow, remembers him as “a very
special person” and Sproles himself really looked up toWare, listing him in several places as a personalfavorite) and among the giants of his instrument—bothmusically and physically at 6’3”. He had a really big
pure sound with a ‘point’ on the notes, not a thump,according to at least one fellow jazz artist. Born inChicago, Sproles was a member of the pantheon ofmusicians who went to DuSable High School andstudied under Captain Walter Dyett. Fellow Windy
City-ite drummer Leroy Williams recalls how much helooked up to the older Sproles. “We used to go hear
him down at the Beehive, where he had the house gig
for many years with Norman Simmons. He wasdefinitely one of the greats.”
While still in Chicago, Sproles joined the Sun Ra
Arkestra and made several recordings. Not much else

10 NOVEMBER 2021 | THE NEW YORK CITY JAZZ RECORD

L ABEL SPOTLIGHT

TRIPTICKS
TAPES
by george grella
N ew record labels pop up all the time these days, as

the costs to establish an imprint and release music on
the internet are relatively low. And analog media has
been enjoying a decade-long revival, with vinyl LPs
hitting such a level of market hipness that single
albums now often retail for more than $20 and there isa backlog at pressing plants. Even cassettes are part ofthat boom, but it is still unusual when a new label thatis jazz-based, or at least jazz-adjacent, dedicates itself
to producing music on cassette tape.
But that’s the case with Tripticks Tapes, Nat
Baldwin’s new label. Tripticks, based in Massachusetts,
launched in November 2020 with Baldwin’s solo bass
album, Autonomia III: Endnotes, available at thelabel’s Bandcamp page both digitally and on cassette.
“First off, it’s the most economical format,” Baldwin
explains. “I wanted to release as much as I could thefirst year and get out strong, so tapes made the mosteconomic sense.”
Money is a big issue in jazz, improvised and othercreative music, but that wasn’t the only consideration.
Baldwin adds that “I’ve always loved tapes and there’s
been renewed interest in that. Doing vinyl right now is
not feasible. If the opportunity was there to expand on
our release format, I would do that. But I like the ideaof releasing tapes in small-batch format. I like thephysical format, I like collecting books and records
and I’ve always liked the feel of cassettes.”

AUTONOMIA III: Endnotes
Nat Baldwin

Thip
Fraser/McCowen/Weinberg

As of this writing, Tripticks has issued 11 albums,
all on cassette, including saxophonist Travis LaPlante/
drummer Jason Nazary’s Tunnel to Light; Thip by thetrio of saxophonist Sam Weinberg, clarinetist John
McCowen and bassist Henry Fraser; Luke Stewart’s
Works for Electric Bass Guitar; Empty And/Or Church of
Plenty by TAK with bassist Brandon Lopez; and Deathin the Gilded Age from the quartet of violinist Gabby
Fluke-Mogul, violist Joanna Mattrey and guitarists
Matteo Liberatore and Ava Mendoza. The most recent
release is Steve Long’s solo organ album Code-Talker,
drone-based music that hints at Olivier Messiaen andPhilip Glass. The label’s aesthetic focus is clear:
improvised music that draws from many formal
traditions but occupies the floating, international space
where musicians come together to create something
brand new, on the spot and of the moment.
The style of the music comes directly out of
Baldwin, his playing and connections. Like prettymuch every label, it is grounded in what he himself
knows and likes. He describes how it all began: “In the
beginning, I basically made a short list of folks I wanted
to reach out to. It was the beginning of the pandemic.
Then the Bandcamp Fridays started and everyone wasreleasing all this amazing music digitally. As someone
who likes physical media, I thought it would be great
to have stuff like this on tape. Almost everyone
responded and they were excited to put out music.
I thought it would be two or three albums, but it waseight or nine and it turned out I had a catalogue for theyear.” Tripticks is now sufficiently established to thatmusicians are sending in demos. “We’ve been getting
submissions,” Baldwin points out, “and I love getting
them, whether I know the person or not, and I listen to

Tunnel To Light
Laplante/Nazary

everything. And there’s so much great stuff, we can’teven work with everything, we’re already set for late
into next year.” Code-Talker was the label’s first
unsolicited submission.
What about the unusual name? Baldwin explainsthat it comes from “one of my favorite books, by British
writer Ann Quin. Tripticks (1972) was her last novel.
It’s the one most parallel to the music we’re puttingout. She was part of the experimental literature scene,very non-linear and strange. There’s something very
musical, I think, about her work.”
The label is mostly a one-man operation. By
necessity, it will stay small and that is okay with him.
“Just on a logistical level,” he says, “I’m doing most of
the work. My wife is helping out with a lot of thedesign and a lot of other things. But even at this level,
it is a lot of work. I want to put as much behind eachrelease as I think they deserve. I want to keep
showcasing things that in this world of experimental
music is even at the edge of things.” The consistentmusical quality and presentation of the label showsthat Baldwin is putting quite a lot behind each release.
“I don’t think of this as a business. That would bea different thing,” he continues, “I want everything to
be as visible as possible, but there’s only so much we
can do and I want to get out this strange music to thepeople who love it.” Long’s album is an example:“That’s a unique record. I was drawn to it and decided
to put it out within a minute of listening to it. I want to
put stuff out that I imagine would have trouble finding
a home elsewhere.”That is the tale of Tripticks. The organ album issomething “that feels really unique,” Baldwin says,
				(CONTINUED ON PAGE 13)

Works For Electric Bass Guitar
Luke Stewart

Empty And/Or Church of Plenty
TAK + Brandon Lopez

VOXNEWS

BLURRY LINES
by suzanne lorge

The Metropolitan Opera, long a citadel of European

classicism, celebrated its reopening post-pandemic withthe premiere of its first opera by an African Americancomposer. Trumpeter Terence Blanchard’s Fire Shut Up
In My Bones adapts Charles M. Blow’s searing memoirby that name, a recounting of Blow’s troubling youth ina small Louisiana town before his emergence as an
influential artist, writer and thinker. The threeprincipals—baritone Will Liverman and sopranos AngelBlue and Latonia Moore—are superb opera singers who
readily cross over to roots-based American music. Such
vocal versatility is a tricky thing to pull off, requiring
mastery in both the powerful technique classical texts
require and emotive spontaneity setting improvisatory
music apart. How we talk about these syncretic works
raises some vexing issues. For instance, while Blanchard
is a jazz musician, Fire Shut Up In My Bones is not a jazz
opera. It isn’t clear that jazz opera as a genre even exists:
the oft-cited Treemonisha by Scott Joplin hews closely tothe classical tradition; Carla Bley’s Escalator Over The
Hill pulls from a wide swath of musical sources; andWynton Marsalis’ Blood On The Fields, an oratorio, plays
in a concert setting. But how these works may be definedraises less debate than does assertions about who gets tocreate them. Aware of this debate, The Met refused to
produce Porgy and Bess for three decades. While theGershwins’ jazz-based opera has turned out several
beloved standards (“Summertime”, “It Ain’t Necessarily
So”, “I Loves You, Porgy”), its characterization of Black
Americans encourages accusations of racial insensitivity
and cultural appropriation, painful stuff for those wholove the seemingly inclusive Songbook and its culturally
diverse composers. But after Blanchard’s opera closes
this month, the Met will stage Porgy and Bess, a reprisalof its 2019 season opener. Both Blue and Moore will lend
their considerable talents to this year’s production and,however problematic this opera’s provenance, it is hardto deny the beauty of the Gershwins’ exquisite arias or
the achievement of the singers who will perform them.
This is exactly the point that culture writer John
McWhorter makes in a recent article in The New YorkTimes, where both he and Blow are columnists. In “Can
Cultural Appropriation Be Beautiful?” McWhorter
writes about Blue’s rendition of “I Wonder What Becameof Me” by the white songwriting team of Harold Arlen
and Johnny Mercer. “The song originated in the
precursor to Blues Opera, the 1946 Broadway musicalSt. Louis Woman,” he wrote. “Arlen and Mercer werewhat we might today call Black-adjacent artists, often
writing, respectfully, in Black-derived idioms, for scripts
about Black characters. And ‘I Wonder What Became of
Me’ is an art song, not a show tune—a lovely example offusion music.”
While writers like McWhorter and Blow push thisimportant debate forward, the fusion continues. In
September singer Roseanna Vitro released Sing a Songof Bird (Skyline), a dozen Charlie Parker tunes reworked
with modern lyrics and vocals by Vitro, Sheila Jordan,
Bob Dorough and Marion Cowings. Couched in coolbop and tight swing, clever turns of phrase reveal thehidden whimsy in Parker’s writing. To start, listen to
Cowings’ take on “Now’s The Time”, Vitro’s “Grapple
With The Apple”, Dorough’s “The Scatter” and Jordan’s“Quasimodo”. Enduring music—with blurry lines.
Jordan, who turns 93 this month, works relentlessly.
She will participate in the NEA Jazz Masters concert at
Flushing Town Hall (Nov. 12th) before celebrating herbirthday at Birdland (Nov. 18th-20th). In between (Nov.
14th), she will be a judge for the 10th Annual Sarah
Vaughan International Jazz Vocal Competition at
NJPAC, alongside host Dianne Reeves and fellow judge
Jazzmeia Horn. Both play the metro area this month:
Reeves fronts powerhouse group Artemis at NJPAC(Nov. 13th) and Horn releases her first big band album
Dear Love (Empress Legacy) at Joe’s Pub (Nov. 16th-20th).
Notable bookends: JJA Hero Award recipientLouise Rogers and pianist Mark Kross open the monthwith the WaHi Jazz Fest (Nov. 4th-7th). And on Nov.
28th, CBS will air “One Last Time: An Evening With
Tony Bennett and Lady Gaga”, a replay of the duo’s
August concerts at Radio City Music Hall. v

THE NEW YORK CITY JAZZ RECORD | NOVEMBER 2021 11

(INTERVIEW CONTINUED FROM PAGE 6)
Some of my friends and I would show up at therehearsals and check out the writers and soloists. So
I had experienced his writing but didn’t get involved
with him until I was a student at NYU. He put up signup sheets that said, “I will be in on Tuesday from 3 to
6” and you could put your name in there and do
whatever you wanted with him, play duo or talk aboutarranging or composition. I couldn’t believe that otherstudents there didn’t take advantage of it more. I put
my name in whenever I saw an open space. We ended
up playing duo a lot, which was fantastic. At the sametime he taught arguably the best college class that
I ever took. It was called Jazz Orchestra. He would talkabout his compositional techniques, how he comes up
with new harmonic and rhythmic material. I still havea whole binder with stuff that would last me withinspiration for the rest of my days. When he wasn’t
there, he brought in first-class subs like Ed Neumeisteror Richard Shemaria. They would play some of theirpieces for large ensemble and talk about theirapproaches. It was a phenomenal class and he’s one of
the great writers and teachers.
When I studied with Mike Holober, it was about
how to write for sections in a big band. I only studied
with him one semester but we focused on a narrow
area. It was incredibly helpful.
Kenny Werner was completely different. I studiedcomposition with him privately and the first lesson
was by far the most important one. I could have walked
away from lessons after that. What he asked theguitarist and me to do for the first few minutes was to“sit down, grab an empty sheet of music paper and apencil and for the next five to seven minutes, I want
you to keep the pencil moving. Don’t think about what
you’re writing, don’t try to make sense of it, don’t try
to react to anything you’ve written before. You canwrite notes, rhythm, chords” and that’s what we did.
He showed us techniques to generate material withwhat was on the page. It could be a three- or four-note
motif. He might say, “I like the intervals, what would
happen if we put those in the bass? Here are somechord qualities, how about we assign those chordqualities to those three or four notes?” Then he would
play through it and say, “What if I played it backwards?
How about taking every other chord down a half-step?
That’s nicer.” With that playful, random way, we
would find things that resonated with us. Some things
that resonated with him didn’t resonate with me andit’s still your writing, even though the material was
generated in a random fashion. That one exercise
completely liberated my writing.
TNYCJR: When you lead dates, you seem open toothers’ originals and arrangements. I recall that you
also didn’t solo on several songs in your CD Light Blue.
MW: I feel that the concept of the album is mine. I’mbringing in some of the arrangements or my own tunes,
I feel that there is already enough of me represented inthat piece, I don’t necessarily have to play a solo.
I really try to see the whole picture, not just me trying
to produce myself. [Drummer] Matt Wilson is such anincredible influence on so many different levels, to see
his dedication as a bandleader and his approach tomusic. He always says in every workshop we dotogether, “Serve the song. Just take care of the songand you’ll be fine.” It’s such a simple message, but if
you just keep that in mind, you will not play a solo on
every song. What else does the song need right now?
Not what do I need from the song. Those are thequestions that lead to good taste and good music.
TNYCJR: Which other musicians do you consider
influences or helped you focus in the right direction?
MW: The most important influences on my instrument

are Ray Brown and Ron Carter. They are two pillars formodern jazz bass playing and I’m very fortunate that
I got to meet both of them and I’m still in touch withthe “Maestro”. I’m standing on their shoulders.
Somebody who comes out of Ray Brown is John
Clayton, who has been one of my mentors for 30 years.
I’ve never taken an official lesson with him but he’s
been so influential, so helpful, especially leading by
example. He does so many things so well, he is a greatarranger, great composer, he’s a phenomenal educator.
When I looked at him, I wanted to be as perfect androunded a musician as he is. That was how I got intowriting for orchestra, big band and believe that I could
do these things.
TNYCJR: When you write for small ensembles, are you
writing for particular musicians or does thecomposition come first?
MW: It depends. There’s a track on the new album(My Astorian Queen), “Solitude”, which I wrote in the
pandemic after the lockdown, April 2020. A friend had
sent me some photos from the Flensburg Fjord, thearea where I grew up. It comes in from the Baltic Sea,
beautiful beaches and landscape. You see Denmark inthe background. I was inspired by those images. I was
feeling a little blue and couldn’t visit my family. My
folks are still over there. I wrote this piece while being
influenced by all those emotions. One of the trademarksof a really good piece is that you can apply it to manydifferent musical situations. It will work in a duo,
arranged for orchestra, with a quartet, a horn player,with a guitarist playing the melody, and that doesn’t
happen too often. Some pieces you write, record andmove on while others will stay with you for a long timeand keep coming back. I think that’s one of thosepieces. I obviously had Scott Robinson on bass
saxophone in mind for my arrangement of “Broadway”.
I don’t know how many concerts I’ve played with myquartet or his group and all other kinds of groupings
too. What continues to amaze me is that it doesn’t
matter which style he plays because he has a hugevariety of expressions from really free to traditionaland he always sounds like Scott Robinson. It’s so easy
to say that but difficult to accomplish that.
TNYCJR: How did you meet pianist Bill Mays?
MW: Bill and I both appeared at the North Sea Jazz
Festival, I believe it was 1991. I was playing with apianist from Belgium, Jack van Poll. We had a guest
vocalist, Silvia Droste, who was the grand dame of jazzsinging in Germany. Bill was with Ray Drummond andheard me. Right after the festival he was asked to tour
with an American trombonist living in Hamburg, Jerry
Tilitz. He asked, “In case you’ve not asked a bassist
yet, I just heard this young German guy at the North
Sea Jazz Festival and why don’t you ask him to playthis tour with us?” We ended up driving together andreally hooked up. We still refer to it as the “tour fromhell”. We’d play in Munich one night and Hamburg thenext night, which is like Chicago, then New York City.
We started playing trio concerts together in Germany
with the late drummer Keith Copeland. I recorded myvery first album with those two, Gone With The Wind.
That was his idea, by the way. At the end of the CD
there’s a very short, uptempo arrangement of “GoneWith The Wind”, referring to us getting a speedingticket on the German Autobahn. They actually sent us
the photo of us chatting away, sitting in the car,laughing and zooming through the radar gun. We
established a friendship through that. He would fax
me long pages full of tunes that he wanted me to learn
and really kick my behind, get on my case andchallenge me. It was wonderful. Nobody had done that
before. When I got the scholarship to come to New
York, something called the German Academic Exchange
Service, that I had to audition for, which required a

12 NOVEMBER 2021 | THE NEW YORK CITY JAZZ RECORD

degree finished in Germany, I contacted him and we
started playing in New York. In 1995, I came over tosee if I would even like it here. Bill organized a week atthe Knickerbocker Bar & Grill and a trio concert at the
C.O.T.A. Festival in Delaware Water Gap. I was staying
with him, playing some gigs. I arrived on Sep. 1st. He
and his then-wife organized a blind date. We went to
the Mezzo Grill on Fifth Avenue and they asked one of
his wife’s co-workers at New York Hospital if she
would join us. So on my second day in New York, I met
my future wife. That’s the Astorian Queen. I was here
for five weeks and she came to Germany right afterI flew back. In November, I was a semi-finalist in the
Thelonious Monk Bass Competition, so we met again
in Washington, DC. In 1996, I moved here.
TNYCJR: I know it was great reuniting with Bill, Matt
and Scott for this project. When did you record it?
MW: We played one warm-up concert on Jul. 4th at
the Deer Head Inn in Delaware Water Gap. We hada packed house, a beautiful audience. It was wonderful
to reunite with these special musicians. After theconcert, we drove to French Town and recorded thealbum on Jul. 5th at Maggie’s Farm.
TNYCJR: Tell me a little about the album.
MW: When we met, Maria, my wife of 24 years, had
this cute little apartment in Astoria, Queens, more orless right under the Amtrak train. When I visited her
there the first time and the train came by, the cabinets
and everything was shaking. I couldn’t believe it but
it’s amazing what you can get used to. So I wrote thispiece for her in the summer of ’96 when she turned 30.
I recorded it and sent her the recording, because, in themeantime, she had broken up with me. It was for her
and the times we spent there in Astoria, where our firstson was born. When I think about pieces that havesomething to do with these 25 years in New York, thisone had to be on the album.
There are a couple of other older pieces. “Out in
PA” refers to Pennsylvania. Mays owned a place in the
Poconos. That’s one of the things Maria and I did
together, spending time with Bill Mays and his thenwife Thalia. I was mesmerized by the vibe andatmosphere there. It’s pristine and something I’d neverexperienced before. I think of it as one of the central
pieces. I used a shout chorus that I’d written for asmall big band at the Jazz Baltica festival. We recorded
Bill’s “Peace Waltz”. I was listening to it before I evermet him, I wanted to include it and do it as a duo
because of how much he means to me. When we played
it on Jul. 4th, it was something else to play this pieceafter all these years. The opener is a Thad Jones piece[“Mean What You Say”] and it refers to my subbing inthe Vanguard Jazz Orchestra, an experience you can
only have in New York City. Every title has a connection
to my time here and the people whom I’ve sharedsounds with. v
For more information, visit martinwind.com. Wind’s My
Astorian Queen project is at Cellar Dog Nov. 18th andMezzrow Nov. 19th. Wind is also at Birdland Theater
Nov. 12th as part of a Frank Kimbrough tribute andBirdland Nov. 23rd-27th with Ken Peplowski. See Calendar.
Recommended Listening:• Martin Wind/Bill Mays/Keith Copeland–
Gone With The Wind (September, 1993)• Martin Wind–Remember October 13th
(Edition Longplay, 2000/2010)• Jeff Cosgrove/Frank Kimbrough/Martin Wind–
Conversations with Owls (Grizzley Music, 2012)• Martin Wind–Light Blue (Laika, 2017)• Martin Wind/Phillip Catherine/Ack Van Rooyen–
White Noise (Laika, 2019)• Martin Wind–My Astorian Queen (Laika, 2021)

(ENCORE CONTINUED FROM PAGE 10)
album. Talk about high level, this is unbelievable. I had
no idea he was going to do anything like this. Max had
a way of putting you in a state. At the end of just about
every night I played with him, I said, ‘what am I goingto do tomorrow [if I] can make it through tonight?’ He
put such demands on you and made you do things thatyou didn’t think that you could possibly do.”While working with these artists in the ‘70s, Hill
recalls, “the direction of the music and the artists was
searching higher consciousness, higher existence,higher levels of culture. It was going way beyond
entertainment. It was really a message in the music.
[A concert] was a total experience. You weren’t being
entertained; the audience was part of the performance.
That’s probably one of the biggest things that I miss.
Back then, it was more like everybody was on the same
wavelength, striving for something more than justcommercialism or making money. It was…a totalcommitment to spirituality, or a higher existence.”
Reflecting on the significance of tradition, Hillsays, “You’re handed down a heritage from yourfamily. You inherit characteristics, behaviors,
appearance. I’m from the Hill family and that meansthat there’s certain characteristics that would be
different from the Smith family. In jazz there’s a family,
there’s behaviors that are handed down, musically.
I feel to be in the jazz family you have to have thosejazz characteristics that have been handed down, thathave been kept in the family, that have made it a family,that make it what it is. I think of the people I’ve been
fortunate enough to play with, they’re like myforefathers, like my family. They handed the tradition
to me and I try to pass it on the same way I pass theHill tradition on to my kids.”

Hill has been living in Englewood, New Jersey for
30 years now. He retired from teaching several years
ago but continues to focus on his playing today. Next
summer he is looking forward to the 10-year
anniversary of the “Jazz Under the Stars” series with
the Englewood Public Library. “Last year things kindof loosened up in September and we did four concerts
for the month of September. So, we actually have notmissed a year in nine years. I think we started [with]
four, maybe six concerts and it turned out to be themost popular program that they have and it expanded
up to ten concerts. We start in June and [go] to the endof August. It is an educated crowd, they know what
they’re listening to. The people love the music.” v
Recommended Listening:• Pharoah Sanders–Village of the Pharoahs(Impulse, 1971-73)• McCoy Tyner–Song For My Lady (Milestone, 1972)• Max Roach–Pictures In A Frame (Soul Note, 1979)• Hugh Lawson–Colour (Soul Note, 1983)• Calvin Hill–I Can’t Give You Anything But Love
(Arichi Music, 1996)• Michael Cochrane–Minor Matrix (SteepleChase, 2000)(LEST WE FORGET CONTINUED FROM PAGE 10)
during that tour, Sproles would say, ”Carmen, pleasetake me back” to no one in particular, referring toCarmen McRae. After his time as a Messenger, Sproles
recorded with fellow Blakey alumnus Lee Morgan,
George Braith, Larry Willis and Harold Ousley and waspart of Clark Terry’s big band in the mid to late ‘70s. In
1981, Sproles reunited with his old Chicago friends for
the Bee Hive album Hyde Park After Dark, made with

Jordan, Simmons, Von Freeman, Cy Touff and Wilbur
Campbell. His last known recording was a 1990 trio datewith Vernel Fournier released on the Swiss TCB label.
“He had a great sense of humor, but he was quiet,
didn’t hang out or anything like that, just a nice man,”
Bartz recalls. Like Williams, Bartz says that one day(long after the Messenger stint) Sproles just disappeared
and no one ever heard from him again. Rumor was hewas disillusioned with the business, that he went toDenver, but no one could confirm that. v
Recommended Listening:• Sun Ra And His Arkestra–Sound of Joy (Delmark, 1956)• Lee Morgan–The Rumproller (Bue Note, 1965)• Andrew Hill–Dance With Death (Blue Note, 1968)• Clark Terry–Ain’t Misbehavin’ (Pablo, 1979)• Clifford Jordan, Von Freeman, Cy Touff,
Norman Simmons, Victor Sproles, Wilbur Campbell–
Hyde Park After Dark (Bee Hive, 1981)• Vernel Fournier–Trio (TCB, 1990)(LABEL CONTINUED FROM PAGE 11)
but sits comfortably alongside Thip and Stewart’s solo
electric bass guitar album. “Everything may not be
perfectly aligned in style, but there’s a connective tissue
that brings together these different approaches.” v
For more information, visit triptickstapes.bandcamp.com. Artists
performing this month include Gabby Fluke-Mogul and Luke
Stewart at Roulette Nov. 17th with Bob Bellerue; Brandon Lopez
at The Stone at The New School Nov. 5th and 12th and Clemente
Soto Velez Cultural Center Nov. 13th; Joanna Mattrey at Center
for Performance Research Nov. 4th; and Jason Nazary at BarbèsNov. 5th, 12th, 19th and 26th with Oscar Noriega. See Calendar.

THE NEW YORK CITY JAZZ RECORD | NOVEMBER 2021 13

I N MEMORIAMGEORGEWEIN
by andrey henkin

G eorge Wein, NEA Jazz Master and famed impresario,
responsible for the Newport, New Orleans, Playboy,
Schlitz, Kool and JVC jazz festivals, among others, andwhose Festival Productions presented thousands ofconcerts through the decades, died Sep. 13th at 95.
Wein was born Oct. 3rd, 1925 in Lynn, MA. He
took up the piano as a child and played around Boston
during his college days. It was in that town that Wein
got his start as a producer, both running the Storyvilleclub and its sister record label. As Wein told our own
George Kanzler in 2006, “Playing is my raison d’etre
for being in the business. And I enjoyed playing very
much, but I knew I wasn’t going to be Art Tatum andfound out I had a good head for organizing. So, thenext thing I knew, I was a producer, but I still play.”
Wein would spend the next seven decades
balancing his two loves. He released albums under his
own name sporadically for Atlantic, Impulse andConcord Jazz—on the latter label with his Newport
Jazz Festival All-Stars (“I could hire the musicians
I wanted to play with and...I get a lot of gigs, because
people like the idea. It was a good selling name”)—andworked as a sideman on dates by Sidney Bechet, Pee
Wee Russell, Will Bill Davison, Ruby Braff and others.
Concurrently, he created and expanded the template of
the modern jazz festival, beginning in 1954 with the
Newport Jazz Festival, the first U.S. outdoor jazzfestival, and continuing in 1970 with the New Orleans
Jazz & Heritage Festival and many others undervarious corporate sponsorship labels and in both
American and international cities.
Wein was pragmatic, a key trait in jazz longevity,and presented different acts at different festivals fordifferent audiences. As he told Kanzler, “It’s very, very
difficult you know. I mean there are very few attractions
that can sell Carnegie Hall; you’ve got to cross over
into different forms of music every so often. And there
are only a few jazz players that can fill the big halls.
It’s very difficult... But the Newport festival will bemostly pure jazz and we live and die with it up there.”
Wein’s activities have also included philanthropy
with the Jazz Foundation of America as well as
spotlighting another form of African-American art
with the establishment—with his late wife—of The
George and Joyce Wein Collection of African-American
Art, pieces from which were displayed at Wein’s almamater Boston University in 2005-06.
Wein received numerous accolades for his work:
he was named a National Endowment for the Arts Jazz
Master in 2005; was honored by two U.S. Presidents;
awarded the Legion of Honor by the Frenchgovernment; and received several honorary degrees.
In 2003, he published (with now-noted jazz critic NateChinen) his autobiography, Myself Among Others: A Lifein Music (Da Capo Press).

DR.
LONNIE
SMITH
by andrey henkin

Lonnie Smith, organ player and NEA Jazz Master,
who had a seminal run of albums on Blue Note in thesecond half of the ‘60s and whose work both
inspired future organ players and myriad hip-hop
artists who sampled his work, died Sep. 28th at 79
from pulmonary fibrosis.
Smith, who later appended the honorific Dr. to hisname and was known for his flowing beard and turban,
was born in Lackawanna in upstate New York on Jul.
3rd, 1942. His early experience in music informed thesoulful quality of his professional work. As he told
Terrell Holmes for this gazette in 2003, “My motherand I used to sing around the house. And my aunts anduncles and cousins, we’d sit around playing gospel
music. The joy was always there. It was always in myblood.” After being part of a local singing group, Smith
was given an organ by a local music store owner andwas soon playing around Buffalo.
His break came when he joined guitarist George
Benson’s band in 1966—”I played my last gig in Buffalo
and we went to his mother ’s house,” he told Holmes.
“We practiced two songs, ‘Clockwise’ and ‘SecretLove’, and we were off.”—which brought him south to
New York City. He recorded on Benson’s 1966 Columbia
album It’s Uptown and the same label released his
debut album, Finger Lickin’ Good Soul Organ, thefollowing year, which also saw him appearing on alto
saxophonist Lou Donaldson’s Alligator Bogaloo [sic] onBlue Note. This led to five albums for the label through1970, most notably 1968’s Think! and 1969’s Turning
Point. After his Blue Note run ended, Smith madealbums for Kudu, Groove Merchant, Black & Blue,
Palmetto, Criss Cross, Pilgrimage and other labels
before returning to Blue Note in 2016. In March of thisyear, he released Breathe, his last recording.
He was also in demand as a guest artist, compiling
credits since the ‘70s with Jimmy Ponder, Jimmy
McGriff, Ronnie Cuber, Eric Gale, Joe Beck, Richie
Hart, Gerry Eastman, Donaldson once more, Javon
Jackson, Bobby Broom, Ed Cherry, Karl Denson, Akira
Tana, Kresten Osgood, Ray Brown, Jazz Orchestra ofConcertgebouw and Norah Jones. He was introduced,
albeit indirectly, to a new audience via hip-hop, hissongs being sampled by A Tribe Called Quest, Wu-Tang
Clan, Brand Nubian and other groups, about which hetold Holmes, “They’re using these songs that we did
years ago and they’re coming up with some pretty nicethings. Some of them. I won’t say all of them. My hat’s
off as long as people are halfway musical.” In a flip, in2003 Smith recorded an entire album of songs byalternative rocker Beck, Boogaloo to Beck (Scufflin’).
Smith never lost his spirituality. As he told Holmes
about his career, “I didn’t do it to be popular or to berich. You’re already rich when you play. It’s a gift from
God. I was blessed and you never forget that.”

14 NOVEMBER 2021 | THE NEW YORK CITY JAZZ RECORDLENNART ÅBERG (Feb. 26th, 1942 Sep. 30th, 2021) The Swedish saxophonist
came up in the ‘60s, working with Jan
Johansson, Georg Riedel and as amember of Sveriges Radiojazzgruppen,
had credits in the ‘70s under Bengt-Arne
Wallin, George Russell, Lars Gullin,
Arne Domnérus and others, was a stalwart member ofRena Rama (which released albums in the ‘70s-80s on
Caprice, JAPO, Organic Music and Dragon) and Okay
Temiz’ Oriental Wind (which released albums in the‘70s-80s on Sonet, JG, Sun and JA&RO) and had his own
sessions for JAPO, Caprice, Mirrors, Phono Suecia andAmigo from the mid ‘70s well into the new millennium.
Åberg died Sep. 30th at 79.
COLIN BAILEY (Jul. 9th, 1934 - Sep.
20th, 2021) The British drummer was
active since the mid ‘50s, recordingwith Bryce Rohde, Vince Guaraldi,
Clare Fischer, Joe Pass, Paul Horn,
Benny Goodman, Victor Feldman, Julie
London, Dave Mackay, Harvey Mandel,
Blossom Dearie, Richie Cole, Carol Sloane and others.
Bailey died Sep. 20th at 87.
BARON BROWNE (Mar. 5th, 1960 - Sep.
2nd, 2021) The electric bassist had credits
under Frank Quintero, Kevin Eubanks,
Jean-Luc Ponty, Billy Cobham, Walter
Beasley and others and was a longtime
member of Steve Smith’s Vital
Information. Browne died Sep. 2nd at 61.
DOTTIE DODGION (Sep. 23rd, 1929 Sep. 17th, 2021) The drummer got her
start in the ‘40s as a singer, thenswitched to the drumkit, worked with
Marian McPartland, Wild Bill Davison,
Zoot Sims, Ruby Braff, Eddie Gomez
and others in New York, was MusicalDirector of Washington, DC club The Rogue and Jar,
continued her career as a drummer both back in New
York and later California, playing regularly until the
pandemic and publishing her autobiography, The Lady
Swings: Memoirs of a Jazz Drummer, in March 2021.
Dodgion died Sep. 17th at 91.
ALFRED “PEE WEE” ELLIS (Apr. 21st,
1941 - Sep. 24th, 2021) The tenor/
soprano saxophonist was best known for
his long associations with James Brown
and Van Morrison but had jazz credthrough albums on Savoy, Gramavision,
Minor Music and Skip; credits under
Shirley Scott, Leon Thomas, Johnny Hammond, Jack
McDuff, Sonny Sitt, David Liebman, Bill Laswell, Karl
Denson, Jimmy Cobb and others; and his often-coveredtune “The Chicken”. Ellis died Sep. 24th at 80.
JOHN FINKBEINER (Jun. 19th, 1974 Sep. 25th, 2021) The guitarist was amember of Adam Lane’s Full Throttle
Orchestra in the early Aughts and worked
with Vijay Anderson, Sheldon Brown
and, most extensively, Lisa Mezzacappa.
Finkbeiner died Sep. 25th at 47.
LEONARD “DOC” GIBBS (Nov. 8th,
1948 - Sep. 15th, 2021) The percussionist
was best known for his work with
Grover Washington, Jr. and Bob Jamesbut also had credits under Michael
Pedicin, Jr., Earl Klugh, Hiram Bullock,John Blake, Mike Stern, Kirk Whalum,
Onaje Allan Gumbs, Charles Fambrough, George
Benson, Ronnie Burrage, Gerald Veasley, Eric Gale andAlphonso Johnson. Gibbs died Sep. 15th at 72.

RUTH CAMERON HADEN (Jun. 4th,
1947 - Sep. 11th, 2021) The wife of latebassist Charlie Haden was his manager
and produced his albums (occasionallyadding vocals) for Verve, Universal,
Naim and EmArcy, plus led two sessions
as a singer in the late ‘90s for EmArcy.
Cameron Haden died Sep. 11th at 74.
RALPH IRIZARRY (Jul. 18th, 1954 - Sep.
5th, 2021) The timbalero worked with Ray
Barretto, Rubén Blades, Carmen Lundy,
Larry Harlow, Paquito D’Rivera, SteveKahn, Samuel Torres, Steve Grossman
and others and led his Timbalaye band on
albums for Shanachie, BKS and Truth
Revolution. Irizarry died Sep. 5th at 67.
ELEKTRA KURTIS (Mar. 16th, ??? Sep. 16th, 2021) The Polish-born violinist
worked with Steve Coleman, Henry
Threadgill, Craig Harris, Butch Morris,
Jason Kao Hwang, Adam Rudolph andJoseph Daley, led her Ensemble Elektra
for three new millennium albums on
Milo and co-founded the New York Jazz Philharmonic.
Kurtis died Sep. 16th at an unknown age.
GEORGE MRAZ (Sep. 9th, 1944 - Sep.
16th, 2021) The Czech-born, longtime
U.S.-based bassist did not lead many
albums in a career beginning in Eastern
Europe in the mid ‘60s—this notcounting many duo albums of which he
was one-half with the likes of Walter
Norris, Roland Hanna, Jimmy Rowles, Richie Beirach

and Adam Makowicz—only a handful since the early‘90s on Arta, Milestone and Multisonic, the result of
being too busy with hundreds of credits with SHQ, Jan
Hammer, Oscar Peterson, Charlie Mariano, Steve
Kuhn, Horacee Arnold, Billy Harper, Thad Jones-Mel
Lewis Orchestra, Dee Dee Bridgewater, Pepper Adams,
Frank Foster, Zoot Sims, Jon Faddis, Grover
Washington, Jr., Carol Sloane, Kenny Drew, Jack
Wilkins, Kenny Burrell, Art Farmer, Lionel Hampton,
Tommy Flanagan, John Scofield, Mike Nock, John
Abercrombie, Hank Jones, Bob Brookmeyer, Scott
Hamilton, Stephane Grappelli, Art Pepper, Attila
Zoller, Harold Ashby, Mark Murphy, Elvin Jones, Larry
Coryell, Clark Terry, Stan Getz, Warne Marsh, Dexter
Gordon, Phil Woods, Toshiko Akiyoshi, Dizzy
Gillespie, Eddie Harris, Nick Brignola, Andy Laverne,
Freddy Cole, Norma Winstone, Helen Merrill, Archie
Shepp, Barry Harris, Joe Lovano, David Hazeltine,
Billy Childs, Tete Montoliu, Arturo O’Farrill, Jim Hall,
George Cables, Don Friedman, Ted Rosenthal, Roberta
Gambarini, Kenny Barron, John DiMartino, Yelena
Eckemoff and many others along with membership in
New York Jazz Quartet, Quest and Keystone Trio andKeystone Quartet. Mraz died Sep. 16th at 77. [see an In
Memoriam tribute on pgs. 16-17]
RUTH OLAY (Jul. 1st, 1924 - Sep. 3rd,2021) The singer had albums from themid ‘50s-mid ‘60s on Top Rank
International, EmArcy, Mercury, United
Artists, ABC and Everest and then again
in the mid ‘80s on Laurel. Olay died
Sep. 3rd at 97.
MIKE RENZI (Apr. 28th, 1941 - Sep.
29th, 2021) The pianist and MusicalDirector for Sesame Street from 2000-10,
was also Musical Director for Mel
Tormé and Peggy Lee and had credits
with numerous singers since the ‘70s
like Ann Burton, Meredith D’Ambrosio,
Blossom Dearie, Lena Horne, Hilary Kole, Mark
Murphy, Annie Ross, Carol Sloane and Grady Tate.
Renzi died Sep. 29th at 80.
NISSE SANDSTRÖM (Mar. 13th, 1942
- Sep. 8th, 2021) The Swedish
saxophonist had albums on Odeon,
Phontastic, Dragon and Moserobie andsideman credits under Red Mitchell,
Sture Nordin, Phontastic Dixieland
Band, Ruth Olay, Rolf Ericson, Bertil
Lövgren, Monica Zetterlund and others. Sandström
died Sep 8th at 79.
PHIL SCHAAP (Apr. 8th, 1951 - Sep.
7th, 2021) The radio personality,
historian, educator, producer, Charlie
Parker authority and 2021 NEA Jazz
Master got his start via his jazz historian
father, went on to curate expansive jazzprogramming at Columbia University’s
WKCR, starting from his student days up until his
death, taught jazz history at Jazz at Lincoln Center,
Juilliard, Columbia and Princeton and worked onarchival albums for Savoy, Verve, EmArcy, Muse,
Columbia and other labels in both production anddocumentary roles. Schaap died Sep. 7th at 70.
MACIEJ STRZELCZYK (1959 - Sep.
28th, 2021) The Polish violinist worked
with countrymen Kazimierz Jonkisz,
Zbigniew
Namysłowski,
TomaszStańko, Włodzimierz Nahorny and
Jarek Śmietana, was a member of SetOff and Jazz Trio + and made records
under his own name for Polonia, Pomaton and Not
Two. Strzelczyk died Sep. 28th at 62. v

THE NEW YORK CITY JAZZ RECORD | NOVEMBER 2021 15

IN MEMORIAM
I played on and off with George Mraz since we
met in Munich in 1967. Many many tours, clubgigs all over the world and over 40 recordings
with him. He was the best of the best.
Besides great tone, perfect intonation, deep
swing, read anything first time, brilliant with hisbow, George had a great open warm musical spirit.
He had an abundance of love in his playing besides
the amazing skills. He was a very great soloist andwe played in every genre, from bebop to freely
improvised compositional improvisations.
He was my spirit brother and I had the honourof playing in his band for the first time when hereturned to Prague after him leaving just before
the Russians rolled in with their tanks in 1968. I
miss him and his extraordinary playing every day.
—RICHIE BEIRACH, PIANO
In thinking about playing with George Mraz thefirst thing that comes to mind is trust—trust
beyond the notes. You could always trust that realmusic was going to be made and a real groove
was going to be happening. And you’ll probably
hear something to surprise you and inspire you.
His presence was always a plus on and off the
bandstand. He had a sense of humor that always
kept me smiling. He will be missed.
—GEORGE CABLES, PIANOGEORGE
MRAZ
1944-2021

For me George Mraz was one of the greatest
musicians and bassists in the history of the music.
I had the great fortune to know, travel theglobe and create music with George in someincredible moments through the years in quartet
settings with the likes of Hank Jones and Paul
Motian/Lewis Nash, Grand Slam with Jim Hall
and Lewis Nash and trio with Al Foster inparticular.
George’s vibrant personality, sound and ideas
will live on forever. He was well documented andlived a blessed life of love and music. He was
everyone’s favorite! God Bless George Mraz.
—JOE LOVANO, SAXOPHONE
I was shocked to hear of George Mraz’ death. It isso sad that one of the best bass players in theworld has passed away. I knew George andplayed with him many times in clubs, jazz festivals
and studios.
George Mraz didn’t just play the bass, butrather delicately pirouetted through the music,
provided a sensitive lyricism that transcended
accompaniment and made himself a true creative
partner. I will miss the wonderful sound of his
bass and the way he played.

ALAN ANHIGIAN—ADAM MAKOWICZ, PIANO

16 NOVEMBER 2021 | THE NEW YORK CITY JAZZ RECORD

I met George Mraz in 1995, both of us members of
the Slide Hampton Big Band. From 1998-2013,
George and I recorded seven CDs together, mostly
with great percussionist Billy Drummond. We did
several tours over the years, some with my trio
and others with his quartet.
George Mraz was an incredible musician anda stellar bassist, possibly the greatest of his
generation. He personified perfection: perfectsound, perfect intonation, perfect basslines,
perfect solos and always perfectly swinging.
I am sure I speak for the entire jazz world
when I say George Mraz will be greatly missed,
always remembered and very dearly loved.
RIP George!
—DAVID HAZELTINE, PIANOI had the pleasure of spending a lot of time over
the years playing with George. We played in a lotof different bands together like Stan Getz andTommy Flanagan, just to name a couple.
Every neighborhood around the world interms of music and the musicians has something
special. Eastern European classically trained bass
players in jazz are a case in point. As the old
expression goes “it must be the water!” We allknow it takes more than just the water.
George was one of the most consummate
musicians I ever played with. His consistency
when the count off announced ‘here we go’ defied
nature. What I mean is on the road—tired, doing
one-nighters, jet-lagged, sleep-deprived, etc.—
it didn’t matter. Once he and his bass came
together, it was on!!!
On a humorous real-life note, George had that
Eastern European classical prowess on the bow
but didn’t get to use it with Stan Getz because
Stan didn’t like the bow and he would say, “nobowing in my bands.”
Of all the great musicians that I have been
lucky and blessed to play with George Mraz iscertainly one of them. Of course, I will miss him
dearly.
—VICTOR LEWIS, DRUMS
I remember meeting George Mraz in an NYC jazzclub in 1971. I had been alerted by European jazz
aficionados that there was a young man heading
our way coming out of conservatory in Prague
and that we should pay attention! Hearing
George’s tone and grace awoke my memories ofwhen I had heard cellist Mstislav Rostropovich
who was such a rave in Europe. Those same
feelings came back when I heard George Mraz.
As a singer, I was always so privileged tohave him on the bandstand with me. I usually
worked with three musicians and George would
always be my choice as one of those three.
Certain conversations with him have remainedwith me throughout my life. I remember his
explaining that he never really “practiced” jazz,that he had been playing so much inconservatory that there was no time left for“practice” of anything else other than his classicalrepertoire. He said he would continually hear the
standard jazz tunes from the bandstand andlearned that repertoire from simply listening. To
learn to play jazz, he listened. That was the musicof George Mraz.

George Mraz was quite something. He covered all
the bases. An extraordinary and very versatile
bassist. Many well-known musicians wanted towork with George. Always in demand, he wasable to fit in any context.
He had worked with a lot of different people
before he was brought to my attention many,
many years ago dating back to the early ‘70s when
we first played and recorded together on myalbum Live in New York (Cobblestone, 1972). I felt
it prestigious that he agreed to record with me soearly in my career.
I can’t give high enough praise to George,
who was influenced early on by Scott LaFaro, oneof my closest friends back in the day. George, like
Scott, was also in a league of his own.
—STEVE KUHN, PIANO
George Mraz was a part of several what I will call“firsts” in my career: it was with him that for the
first time I played with a lot of master-level
pianists including Tommy Flanagan, McCoy
Tyner, Hank Jones, Kenny Drew, Tete Montoliu,
Don Friedman, Kenny Barron, Cyrus Chestnut…
For some reason in that pianist world, I playedwith a lot of masters in my career and many tomost were with George the first—or very near—
the first time.
For me one of the beautiful things about thatas a young musician playing for the first timewith someone at that star level is you could bethinking, “what can I bring to the table with thismaster who has already played with so many thatpreceded me?” What I now realize is that we arepart of a continuum and they are the connectors,
significant in that they connect us with what came
before them and help us as those who are going tofollow. And I was notably helped by the fact I had
an established bassist like George who was there
to assist me in my initial interaction with thesemany piano masters, making it as smooth andrewarding an experience as it could be.
My comfort level, and years of playing, withhim really helped benefit any situation we could
be as the rhythm section. You know, I actuallyhadn’t thought about this and all these “firsts”
until he was gone.
—LEWIS NASH, DRUMS

George was a real nice guy, that’s number one. He
was also a first-rate bassist—one of the mostswinging! As everyone probably knows, manyreferred to him as “The bad Czech”. He was socreative whatever the groove was in, whether inor out. And what a great sound and great
intonation he had. It was really a pleasure to playwith him. He will definitely be missed.
—KENNY BARRON, PIANO
We made a lot of records together, George and I.
So many records, and so many stories. But there is
one I remember most when I think of George,
who was famous for a bunch of things. But he wasparticularly famous and popular with certain
musicians because he played so in tune, like noother bass player and I’m talking about NO otherbass player! I was teasing him about that and he
was saying that he really didn’t subscribe to that.
He said, “I know a lot of people say that but,really, it’s not that important.” And so he told me
this story that happened about 15 years ago withthe classical violinist Itzhak Perlman. A friend of
George’s was in the Orchestra at Lincoln Centerand invited him to come to the rehearsal. So hewent and sat there by himself. And as soon as
there was a break, Perlman, who was guestingwith the Orchestra, walked out into the audienceand sat right down next to George and said,“You’re George Mraz, aren’t you? You probably
noticed we were playing a little out of tune?”
Mraz replied, “As a matter of fact I did notice.
I do think you’re playing a little sharp.” Perlman
said, “The reason I do this is that I guest with somany orchestras.” Now I myself remember
something similar when I was playing with
Shirley Horn. She would tune the bass a little flatand the piano a little sharp and because I wasfamiliar with Shirley, I could relate to this story.
So, however famous George Mraz was known forplaying in tune, the fact that he thought it wasn’t
as important reinforced his true greatness andhow humble he was about his own talents andhow he was able to fit into so many different
situations with such an amazing variety ofmusicians. I really miss him.
—BILLY HART, DRUMS

I had the great honor and pleasure to play with
George Mraz on a few Japan tours with Helen
Merrill. Subsequently, George played on two of
my CDs. Playing with George was always athrilling experience. He was the consummate bass
player: great time, great feel, great notes andintonation and he could at once be extremely
supportive and also was a virtuoso soloist. George
was a fantastic accompanist and fantastic duo
partner. As advanced as he was musically, playing
with George was EASY. Everything he playedsounded right.
He also had a very dry sense of humor and weshared a particularly humorous and memorable
experience playing a fancy private party where
Sean Connery was attending and decided to sit inand scat with us—not successfully. We laughed
the whole trip back and I got to hear George’s
attempts to imitate Connery’s signature Scottish
accent, with Czech overtones, of course!

Over the three decades that I worked as a producer
and presenter with my dear friend George Mrazfor dozens of memorable recording sessions andlive performances, I was always deeply moved by
the completely heartfelt and ceaselessly inventive
lyricism that informed every note he played forany musical setting or program of which he wasan invaluable part.
Hank Jones told me several times during thenumerous gigs and record dates that theycollaborated on, “You know, Todd, George Mrazis my favorite bass player because he always
plays exactly what the music needs and absolutely
no more and no less. The level of strong
support he gives all of us on the bandstand or in
the studio makes it both more fun and a lot easier
to say what we’re trying to say.” Tommy Flanagan
felt the same way about George’s totally
empathetic
andmelodic
accompaniment:“Always the best notes and nicest sense of song,
George has this very special kind of musicalintelligence and taste.”George Mraz always remained supremely intune with the song in his heart while mostlovingly serving the music at hand.

The first time I heard George was on Tommy
Flanagan’s Eclypso (Enja, 1977). I was new on thescene then and I distinctly remember buying thatrecord and then having to wait to hear it until
after getting off a gig with Lee Konitz before
getting home to play it. George’s in-tune playing,technique and time on that record was outstanding
and he fit in so well with Tommy and Elvin Jones.
Remembering where I first met him…I used to go
check out Tommy’s trio with Al Foster and after
Al had quit in the middle of a week, that was thefirst time I played with George. From the very
beginning, it was amazing and a lot of fun. I
played with him in Tommy’s trio for two to three
years and we released the Jazz Poet album. Tommyand George: that’s just the strongest bass andpiano team I ever played with! These two guys
played so well together, if I made a mistake they
were so strong, they would together step on myhead and keep going. In terms of harmony, George
could hear wet paint drying; any way Tommy
would go harmonically George would go rightwith him. George was an amazing musician andan amazing person, very nice and soft-spoken
though funny as hell, and an amazing player towork with as his musicianship was incredible.

—TED ROSENTHAL, PIANO—TODD BARKAN, PRODUCER—KENNY WASHINGTON, DRUMS—CAROL SLOANE, VOCALSTHE NEW YORK CITY JAZZ RECORD | NOVEMBER 2021 17

BASS
ISSUE

ALBUM REVIEWS

Painters Winter
William Parker (AUM Fidelity)
Re-Union
William Parker/Matthew Shipp (RogueArt)
Music Frees Our Souls, Vol. 1
Francisco Mela (featuring Matthew Shipp andWilliam Parker) (577 Records)
by John Pietaro

To call William Parker an institution of New York newmusic is a woeful understatement. His presence as abassist is only matched by his leadership of multiple
acclaimed ensembles. As of late his busy schedule had
him in the studio with a variety of name artists and for
Painters Winter, he stands as a leader among leaders.
From the opening notes of “Groove 77”—drummer
Hamid Drake’s single-handed 12-stroke triplets—thesounds project the generations through which thismusic has unfolded. Parker ’s bassline unites,
accentuates and grows the tapestry of Daniel Carter ’shorns and Drake’s kit, the latter, as always, castinga veritable symphony within four truly independent
limbs. Carter, here on muted trumpet, recalls Miles
Davis at his most austere while unmuted he seems tofête lost compatriots Don Cherry and Roy Campbell.
But when moving to alto saxophone, where he is filledwith finesse and mastery, the ensemble’s art becomesmost evident. The title cut, however, flips the
instrumentation into a new zone, with Carter ’s flute
matching melodic statements of Parker ’s trombonium,
a marching valve trombone he has used in tuba-strong
brass bands. Setting off these two contrasting lines is
Drake playing drum cases, or perhaps plastic trashcans. The combination, extreme percussive staccato,
punchy low brass and mellifluous flute is intriguing.
But, generally, the music on this album rolls out
patiently, carefully, yet with an ear-inviting ease. The
sinewy jazz of “Happiness” and “A Curley Russell”
and the global “Painted Scarf”, in which Parker ’s
shakuhachi enraptures Carter ’s clarinet, is the newstandard of free; these vets understand that the music
is NOT a race. The album’s title refers to the long cold
winter braved in the 2020-21 season, which foundthese three in the studio. Traditionally, Parker states,
painters become deeply focused on work when theoutdoors ceases to be inviting. There lies the muses’
mesmerizing hold.
On Re-Union, Parker is paired with pianist
Matthew Shipp in a gripping duet. These two haveworked together in myriad ensembles over 30 years,
but not so often in tandem and even less so in the newmillennium. The elements of creativity they havehoned over the decades is the focus here. And the
22+-minute title piece speaks to this most clearly.
Parker naturally rounds the jagged soundscapes
Shipp’s orchestral hands carve and in this regard they
are a perfect balance for one another. At around theseven-minute mark, Shipp continually expands withlush atonal harmonies and dizzying runs ending in
stabbing repetitive bites amid Parker ’s almost brutallyswinging perpetual motion. The development is
crucial, building as it does into a crunching series ofaccents offset by displaced 16th note rests. Shipp’s notso-secret delving, way back when, into the LES postpunk scene resurfaces here as elbow crushes and toneclusters in dubious battle with Parker ’s slapping andpull-offs. The partnership continues on “The New Zu”
with its 3 am darkness upfront (re: bowed bass)
culminating in a quite dynamic duo of vexing,
simultaneous counterpoint. Three of the four pieces on
Re-Union are lengthy but the closer, “Song of Two”, is amuch briefer, more concise statement comfortably
straddling free music and what many attribute tocontemporary classical music. Shipp’s modal, mile-

wide chords, evocative of the passage of time, establish
the piece masterfully and while he maintains fully
liberated harmony, there is a minor key sensibility
throughout that touches deep. Parker drapes Shipp ina thicket of low moans, pulling, careening and shaping
as the final section comes to be.
Shipp and Parker are back for Francisco Mela’s trio
outing Music Frees Our Souls. While the drummer leads
voraciously, tirelessly from behind, the pianist andbassist are never relegated to support roles. As is Mela’s
wont, this album is a living organism of collaboration,with deep-toned snare drum and toms and dark cymbal
colors igniting every sizzling solo and head. A point ofreference: Mela is from Cuba and wears that islandnation’s musical heritage well (evinced by thepolyrhythmicsonofclosingcut“Infinite
Consciousness”). His mastery of the drumkit, however,also reflects the full jazz tradition, down to the chokedup traditional grip. Within Mela, one hears the haunt of
Zutty Singleton, Max Roach, Elvin Jones and bits of Baby
Dodds too. He tends to thrive where most percussionists
become exhausted, perfectly matching the veracity of
Messrs. Shipp and Parker. The lengthy opener “Light ofMind” and especially the aforementioned closer take thelistener on wild rides through the unconscious spirit ofthese artists, by turns tumultuous, expressionist,wonderfully shocking and always riveting. Parker’slines celebrate the titular freeing and his solo on thelatter dances over the AfroCuban foundation like a
Loisaida street fair. The second piece, “Dark Light”, is abrief glance into the project’s core ethic, Shipp’s modal
atonality painting a rich, open backdrop, reveling in analmost astral spaciousness. Beyond the tumult, thisselection calls on the breadth and the breath of the music
to sing out for the ages.
For more information, visit aumfidelity.com, roguart.com
and 577records.com. Parker is at Bar Bayeux Nov. 3rd with
Zoh Amba, Clemente Soto Velez Cultural Center Nov. 12thand Scholes Street Studio Nov. 20th with Stephen Gauci.
See Calendar.

Red (DB)
Cecilia Lopez (Relative Pitch)
Empty And/Or Church of Plenty
TAK + Brandon Lopez (Tripticks Tapes)
Live at Roulette
López Trio (Relative Pitch)
by Kurt Gottschalk

There was a time, in the infancy of recorded jazz,when musicians were constrained by the few minutes
available on each side of a 10” disc. Their artistic
descendants have been blessed with the curse of wellover an hour of play time—endless hours of streaming
if they want it—and the question has become, what to
do with it? Recent releases featuring bassist Brandon
Lopez, two of them as leader, demonstrate an economy
of restraint and no bashfulness about high drama.
Cecilia Lopez’ Red (DB) is a stunning exercise ingroup discipline and exertion, building almost steadily
for close to an hour. The album can be streamed on
Bandcamp and the performance viewed on YouTube,but the richness of Lopez’ work deserves to be heard infull resolution. Her primary instrument here isresonance: feedback and atmospheric sound created by
microphones attached to a pair of large nets (that arebright red), in this case suspended from the highceiling at Roulette like huge mesh shopping bags. Oneof the nets holds a drum kit and the other three bass
viols, creating acoustic spaces within the amplified
field. Lopez crafts the sound from a mixing board
while bassist Brandon Lopez and drummer Gerald
Cleaver play their own instruments below the ensnared

18 NOVEMBER 2021 | THE NEW YORK CITY JAZZ RECORD

ones. It makes for quite a sight but Red (DB) is mostimpressive as a composition, doubtfully a notated one
but seemingly following a time-based structure.
It is an absolutely exciting piece of music. Cleaver isslow to come in but when he does it is in crashingwaves. Brandon Lopez lurks within the electronicnoise-bed, rising to surprise with unexpected acoustic
sounds. It is a loud record, but one filled with subtlety
and resolution with a two-steps-forward-one-stepback tension, a thorough and satisfying realization.
Empty And/Or Church of Plenty, commissioned byand performed with TAK ensemble, comes in two
parts, each about 20 minutes, and, presumably,comprising a whole, which, conceivably, is a part ofa larger whole that includes Lopez’ 2018 solo recording
The Church of Plenty, Empty. In any event, the two sidesof the cassette bear the same title (and share no titles
with the 2018 tape), so whether it is “and” or it is “or”
is less than clear. It works, though, as a single piece in
two sections. Rather like Red (DB), it starts in low andslow sonorities and builds, in the second half, tosomething fairly combustive. Again, like Red (DB), theindividual voices are slow to make themselves known,even though they are there from the outset. The
ensemble—comprised of flute, clarinet, violin, voice,percussion and bass—adheres to the formula
wonderfully well, executing unexpectedly quick andclear stops and changes in the second half.
Where the above albums are dark and gradualsubmersions, Live at Roulette by the López Trio (being
Brandon and here with the added diacritical) is closer
to a standard group improv outing, although as such it
is an unusual one. While nothing particularly suggests
the six tracks are intended as a suite (other than apervasive attitude in the titling), it does scan like one,with open spaces given to Cleaver and to saxophonist
Steve Baczkowski along the way. There are also plentyof odd decisions over the course of the CD’s 51 minutes.
They work quite well together, but they don’t reallywork like most saxophone trios. The album is full ofwhat seem to be musical quirks and compulsive
behavior, reaching an apex in “Born Slumming It”,
where Cecilia Lopez joins in on synthesizer. While
what, in a sense, is fascinating about the trio tracks is
the holes left in the group dynamic, it is just as
intriguing to hear those holes filled. The trio has
previously recorded with her as the López 4 andBrandon and Cecilia have worked as a duo under thename LopezLopez. Familiarity here seems to breed
intent. In this set of recordings there are a lot of ideas
at play and a lot of playing with ideas.
For more information, visit relativepitchrecords.com andtriptickstapes.bandcamp.com. Lopez is at The Stone at The
New School Nov. 5th and 12th and Clemente Soto Velez
Cultural Center Nov. 13th. See Calendar.

Amanda Monaco’s am4

20th Anniversary Concert
Amanda Monaco - guitar
Jon Irabagon - tenor
Sean Conly - bass
Jeff Davis - drums

Thursday, November 11
7:30 p.m.
Q&A to follow concert
Part of the Lioness™
Women in Jazz Concert Series
Flushing Town Hall137-35 Northern Blvd,
Flushing NY 11354
amandamonaco.com
flushingtownhall.org

BASS
ISSUE

The South Bronx Story
Carlos Henriquez (Tiger Turn)by Dan Bilawsky

The South Bronx Story—a ten-part suite blending social

history with persistent memories—offers a rare balanceamong ambition, information, first-rate artistry andaccessibility. Bassist Carlos Henriquez, best known as
the anchor of the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra,takes a top-notch nonet for a visit to his formative
stomping grounds. Delivering music full of stirring
statements set atop well-conceived architecture,
Henriquez raises the bar while distinguishing himself
as a master craftsman and storyteller.
Opening right smack in the heart of “The SouthBronx”, the spotlight points toward tenor saxophonist
Melissa Aldana (who encapsulates Henriquez’ early
history with her horn) before shifting to trumpeter
Terell Stafford for heated soloing. That leads to anelectrified “Hydrants Love All”, a joyful dance
featuring vocalist Jeremy Bosch and recalling carefree
days spent playing in open fire hydrants; the blazing“Boro of Fire”, telling the tale of “greedy landlords andcorrupt political insiders [who] aided and abetted theburning of buildings” while showcasing several band
members including trombonist Marshall Gilkes andthe combustible combination of conguero Anthony
Almonte and drummer Obed Calvaire; soulful andbluesy “Moses on the Cross”, addressing Robert
Moses’ creation of the Cross Bronx Expressway and thehavoc it brought to the area through destruction anddivision; and touching “Momma Lorraine”, dedicatedto champion-of-the-people Lorraine Montenegro andhighlighting the tenderly expressive side of trumpeter
Michael Rodriguez and pianist Robert Rodriguez.
Continuing to join the sociocultural with thepersonal, Henriquez starts the second half of the album
with “Soy Humano”, a punchy look at a broken
housing system, which put his family (and so manyothers) in jeopardy. And what follows and finishes
things off—dramatic “Black (Benji)” built around themurder of Cornell Benjamin and an ensuing gangcease-fire; swaying “Guajeo De Papi” honoring theleader ’s father; simmering “Fort Apache”, nodding toLatin jazz legends Andy and Jerry Gonzalez; and“Hip Hop Con Clave”, playing to its name—sits rightin that same junction. The stories of the South Bronx
and Carlos Henriquez’ development, true to map andman, are purely and positively inseparable.
For more information, visit carloshenriquezmusic.com.
Henriquez is at Rose Theater Nov. 19th-20th with Jazz at
Lincoln Center Orchestra. See Calendar.

If You Could Read My Mind
Nicki Parrott (Arbors)by George Kanzler

Bassist Nicki Parrott, a staple of the neo-swing andmainstream modern jazz scene for almost three decades

has, in recent years, increasingly added vocals to herplaying. Earlier vocal albums included standards, a
tribute to Blossom Dearie and, earlier this year, aJapanese import, Great 70’s (Venus). This album
continues to explore the pop-rock and pop-folk hits ofmostly that decade. Parrott is accompanied by pianist(plus Fender Rhodes on 2 of the 12 tracks) Larry Fuller,
drummer Lewis Nash, tenor saxophonist Harry Allenand guitarist David Blenkhorn. All five appear on only
one track, the opener: “I Can See Clearly Now”, Fuller
on Fender Rhodes.
Parrott has obvious fondness for these songs,
keeping many in the tempos familiar from their hit
versions. But she also, through her approach andarrangements, transforms them the way singers andmusicians have for generations transformed pop songsof their day into appealing jazz. In the process, a few
jazz singers have expanded the parameters by which weaward standards status to songs, bringing Hit Parade
pop music into the American Standards catalogue longconsidered exclusively the preserve of pre-rock, mostly
Broadway and Hollywood, songwriters.
Parrott ranges widely in her choices of artists, from
Carly Simon to Dolly Parton; The Carpenters to Captain& Tenille; Bill Withers to Sting. Roberta Flack’s hit,
“The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face”, is taken at Flack’s
languorous tempo, Allen providing sensitive, caressingly
intimate obbligati and solo. Allen is also outstanding inthe same role on a swinging version of Simon’s “You
Belong To Me”, also featuring one of Parrott’s rare scat
excursions. Parrott’s bass and voice are equally featured
on the two duets, with tenor on Burt Bacharach-Hal
David’s“This
Girl’s
In
Love
With
You”
(a hit for Dionne Warwick) and guitar on the widely
recorded folk song “The Water Is Wide”, also featuring
Parrott’s only arco work. Lyrical, plummy pizzicato bass
is front and center on the one instrumental (a piano trio)
track: Don McLean’s “Vincent (Starry Starry Night)”.
For more information, visit arborsrecords.com

5
Schnellertollermeier (Cuneiform)by George Grella

Schnellertollermeier is a progressive rock band witha similar technique to the Swiss Band Sonar, but a very
different sound and style. It is something of an
indicator of the richness of this long-derided genrethat two bands can build music out of minimal,interlocking rhythms and not only produce suchtectonic grooves but also get to far different aesthetic
and expressive results. Schnellertollermeier does thisas a trio and the name is an amalgam of the members:
bassist Andi Schnellmann, guitarist Manuel Troller
and percussionist David Meier.
Their newest album, 5, is their fourth, following
two previous strong releases on Cuneiform, X (2013) andRights (2016). Across these records, the band seems tohave become slightly less experimental, at least on thesurface. The grooves on 5 are more grounded and direct,
but that is a subtle result of a change in form. On earlier
records, the band created an atmosphere, anything frommysterious to industrial, out of which the grooves
coalesced. On the new album, you can hear the trio
laying down the bricks, lumber, mortar and nails.
Tracks like “Before and After” assemble
themselves; there are bursts of electronic percussionthat sound like a cross between a nail gun and a drill,sequenced perfectly into the beat as a rapid subdivisionthat hits like lightning. Underneath the aggressive
surface, there is a playful feeling, with fleeting Afrobeat
riffs. There is more of that on “Velvet Sun”, with
Schnellmann and Troller picking out harmonics thatgive a chiming quality to what is a weighty sound.
Like minimalism in general, this is process music.
The opening track, “209 Aphelion”, sets out onintertwined, complex polyrhythms and slowly adds
details and extensions as it expands into a rugged rockjam. The meter is tricky to track, but the backbeat is clear,steady and in the pocket. Prog doesn’t get any better.
For more information, visit cuneiformrecords.com

UNEARTHED GEM

Going For It
Harvie S Trio (Savant)by Marco Cangiano

As eloquently put by Whitney Balliett, jazz is

indeed the music of surprise. A trio assembled on
short notice, consisting of two already affirmed
musicians—master drummer Alan Dawson and bass
wonder Harvie S—plus an up-and-coming, eclectic,
if not iconoclastic, guitarist named Mike Stern met
at the 1369 Club in Cambridge, MA, for three nights,
produced exciting music and then disappeared.
Their paths probably crossed again, but this is the
only document remaining of the trio; as the third
evening set ended, the music was “gone in the air”,
to paraphrase the late Eric Dolphy. Luckily, tapes
existed and only Harvie S’ perseverance and keenawareness that something special happened in those
July 1985 nights made that music see the light again.
The late Dawson, eldest of the three, had a longresumé and was on faculty at the Berklee College ofMusic; either in trio or solo he provides a clinic onmodern drumming. Harvie S, a Berklee alumnus
himself, has a deep, warm sound and over the years
would establish himself among the bassists of choiceby singers, most notably Sheila Jordan. Last but
certainly not least, Stern, another Berklee alumnus,
at the time better known as a fusion player, cruises
through the bop material, showcasing his typicalmetallic, edgy sound. For those who have had thegood fortune of stumbling on Stern in one of his
many evenings at the 55Bar, there is no need to spell
it out; for all the others, just listen to his delicate
treatment of Horace Silver ’s “Peace”, the infectious
swing of Jimmy Van Heusen-Johnny Burke standard“Like Someone in Love” and what he is able to do inon his original “Bruze”, the somewhat rowdy
reaction of the audience being a clear giveaway. But
each piece is memorable. From the somewhat spacey
treatment of Bronisław Kaper ’s “On Green Dolphin
Street” to the lively interpretation of Sigmund
Romberg-Oscar Hammerstein II’s “Softly, as in a
Morning Sunrise” to the bouncy Chick Corea waltz“Windows” the interplay is remarkable.
This is a trio that could have developed into
something truly unique had they had the opportunityof playing together for a longer period.
For more information, visit jazzdepot.com. Harvie S is at
Birdland Nov. 18th-20th with Sheila Jordan. See Calendar.

THE NEW YORK CITY JAZZ RECORD | NOVEMBER 2021 19

BASS
ISSUE
G LO B E U N I T Y

db DuetJoão Madeira/Hernâni Faustino (FMR)
ZIP
Kontrabass Duo Studer-Frey (Leo)Rested Turquoise
Szilárd Mezei Tubass Quintet (NoBusiness)by Tom Greenland

Though the acoustic bass is often consigned to asupportive role, when featured it reveals remarkablevitality and versatility. Three albums (two bass duos,
one bass quartet-cum-tuba) verify its range.
To celebrate a two-decade musical relationship,
Lisbon-based João Madeira and Hernâni Faustino
played a two-night stand at O’Culto da Ajuda, which
provided the music for dB Duet. The free improvisations
show different players, independent yet cooperative,
executing an impressive array of timbral manipulations
and special effects, the emotional arc swinging
smoothly but widely between gentle lulls and manicheights. After experimental exchanges, “Primeira”
ramps up mid-track to a coordinated yet chaotic
climax, swiftly followed by a quieter though equally
expressive section. “Segundo” is similarly mercurial
and eclectic, opening with airplane engine hums, eachthen taking a turn as ‘leader’ before another rumbling,
grinding co-climax. The shorter “Final” moves fromguitar-like power chords to the sounds of grunting
sumo wrestlers and phasing hiccups, ending abruptly.
Swiss bassists Peter K Frey and Daniel Studer too
share a 20-year collaborative relationship as
Kontrabassduo Studer-Frey, celebrated in April 2019with ten half-hour concerts at Zurich’s Kronen
Gallerie, which provided the music for ZIP, their sixth
CD. The seven tracks are named for the types of teeth
used for zippers (curved, triangular, saggitate,semicircular, lustre, shape and trajectory, respectively),interesting images of specific shapes ‘zipping’ thebassists together. Thus “Curved Teeth” contains short,ricocheting phrases that ape a sped-up game ofcomputer Pong, lingering silences and swirls of
circular bowing. While their titles are not obviously
programmatic, the tracks are notable for their scopeand invention, conjuring images of footsteps down ahallway, raccoons rummaging through trashcans,
growling wolves, raindrops, mice in the cupboard,bulldozers pushing felled trees and the like, alltestament to sonic flexibility.
Rested Turquoise, a studio date by Hungarian/
Serbian composer Szilárd Mezei’s Tubass Quintet,
features a larger group (bassists Ervin Malina, ErnőHock, Zoltán Csányi, Mezei and tuba player Kornél
Pápista) under greater compositional control. Panned
across the channels from left to right, tuba (often
muted) in the middle, it is often possible to pinpoint
each musician in the mix, except when Mezei’s
directions call for loosely played unisons and/or quiet
droning tones. Not a free blow, the date is neverthelessreplete with aleatoric elements. Thus “Hep 26” starts
with a 12-beat chromatically ascending and descending
pattern that sounds like a migrating elephant herd
until it devolves into less organized caterwauls andcacophonies before reprising the theme. Just as the
dynamic curve of each track is deliberate yet malleable,
so too are the musicians ordered yet disorderly, eachsubsumed into a collectively intoned mantra ofsimmering intensity.
For
more
information,
visit
fmr-records.com,
leorecords.com and nobusinessrecords.com

Sam Rivers Archive Project, Volume 4: Braids
Sam Rivers Quartet (NoBusiness)
Another Land
Dave Holland (Edition/Dare2)
by Robert BushPlay As You GoJoëlle Léandre/Pauline Oliveros/George Lewis (Trost)by Stuart Broomer

Since Dave Holland arrived in New York City from Recorded live in Prague in 2014 at the festival “VS.
London, at the invitation of the legendary Miles Davisto fill the bass chair in his quintet (replacing Ron
Carter), there has been little doubt that he would
achieve legendary status himself.
These two albums represent a perfect set ofbookends by which to examine Holland’s illustrative
career. He was already quite a monster—having playedwith Davis and Anthony Braxton to name just a few—
by the time Braids was recorded (May of 1979) live in
Hamburg, Germany. On the other end of the spectrum
is Another Land, Holland’s most recent offering as aleader, with his trio of guitarist Kevin Eubanks anddrummer Obed Calvaire, recorded after a tour
workshopping the material in September 2019.
Holland’s tenure with the Sam Rivers Quartet wasan especially fruitful association and this particular
iteration could hardly be more dangerous, with Joe
Daley (tuba) and the criminally underrated Thurman
Barker (drums). It is a document of the Rivers aesthetic
at the time (totally free improvisation), hence the rather
unimaginative titling: “An Evening in Hamburg Part I
and II”. Those titles might be dull and the sound (itmust be said) is rather one-dimensional but the musicon Braids is nothing short of astonishing. The first
selection finds Rivers in top form, blowing all over hishorn with John Coltrane-ish energy as Holland and
Daley offer independent slices of furious timekeeping.
The music ranges from freebop to a bossa nova groove.
The second selection is almost twice as long andbegins with a blistering drum solo. This is where thequality of the recording becomes an issue, however.
Compare this to the Braxton live record Performance[Quartet] 1979 on hatART to hear how Barker actuallysounded to understand what is missing. Holland fares
somewhat better sonically. He has got a huge naturalsound with more wood than an acre of old-growthforest. Daley is marvelous throughout, whether he issplitting time duties with Holland or striking out on
his own with trombone-like alacrity. Despite the rather
lo-fi audio quality, there is so much to recommend
about the music on Braids. Each musician acquits
himself admirably and this is a band for the ages.
Another Land is a studio session and Holland’s trio
has virtually limitless potential. In a sense, this album
belongs as much to Eubanks as it does to the leader.
Each player contributes four original compositions to
the mix. There is an unmistakable rock energy at work,with electronics, overdubbing and instrumentation(Holland plays electric bass on a few tunes). In fact, it
is a Eubanks tune (“Mashup”) that steals the show.
Imagine the infamous James Brown chord careening
through an M-Base centrifuge. Eubanks is on fire andHolland walks from here to eternity andback while Calvaire’s crisp ride cymbal pings keep
everything pushing forward. Also noteworthy is
Holland’s “Quiet Fire”, which first appeared on the
incendiary 1988 ECM date Triplicate with Steve
Coleman and Jack DeJohnette. At the last minute, thecomposer offered the tune to Eubanks to interpret as avehicle for solo guitar. It is one of those ‘happy
accidents’ that makes this music come alive.
For more information, visit nobusinessrecords.com andeditionrecords.com

20 NOVEMBER 2021 | THE NEW YORK CITY JAZZ RECORDInterpretation”, this is three of the world’s mostliberated musical minds in one 43-minute improvisationthat asserts its operating principle in its monosyllabic
title, at once direct and allusive. Joëlle Léandre plays
bass and sings, Pauline Oliveros plays a Roland Button
V-Accordion, an instrument with expanded capacities,
and George Lewis plays laptop electronics as well as
trombone. Though there is a definite latitude suggested
by Lewis’ laptop, it hardly prepares a listener for thewide-ranging sonic collage marking the beginning of
this work: Léandre’s voice may suggest opera stage orRomany campsite, but the rapid combining of sounds
seems to multiply each voice, human, processed or
instrumental, constantly recontextualizing the mostbriefly sustained sounds to suggest a school of Vienna
choir and a string section far more diverse than even
Léandre’s expansive bass. The button accordion canitself suggest an organ or a synthesizer, inserting
sudden abstracted runs while electronics shift textures
every second or so, mining a range of sampled sounds.
It is an initial disorientation, if one wishes to risk
the “interpretation” condemned in the festival’s name,but also an insistent liberation from expectation, an
assault on the notion of points of view the instrumentationsuggests. By the 15-minute mark, the individual parts,
even though some of them are transfigured in identity,
begin to settle down a little. There are harsh, insistentrhythms and consistent whistling high frequencies,
whether Lewis’ transformations or Léandre’s bowedharmonics. It is as if the trio has been getting all of thatchaos out of our systems.
Rhythmic bass figures come from trombone, spiccato
bass and laptop, assembling into an orchestra of inchoate
menace, extending to that electronic accordion. This dark
mass thins to a bowed bass and a wobbling metallic
shuddering, laptop and trombone combined one
imagines, but the quality of mystery is far richer than any
self-imposed blindfold test around instrumental
identities. The trio is as intense, as collectively self-aware,
as some of the best long-standing ensembles, producing
work of a transformative impact, far richer than any mere
sonic costume party. Bass and accordion create a distorted
mirror version of a French café while voices are cut andpasted digitally into a Swingle Singers dementia with
cutting plunger-muted trombone. A subtle pause serves
not to introduce new voices but to shift the discussion of
all those other parts, words from trombone and chorusednear-Swingles discuss matters just outside the range ofcomprehension, suggesting dream text as possible
definition of a range of music. Sudden massed sound—accordion a stand-in for a cathedral’s pipes’ potential for
clashing overtones—appears after the half-hour mark,gradually giving way to a distant soundscape, its echoes
seemingly sound-lit by bells. By the time it is over, there
will be giant mosquitos.
No mere trio improvisation, this invention
suggests symphonic construction with the voices ofa massed unconscious rising just below the surface,standing finally on the depth and range of its
compound discourse and suggestion, achieved withprofound seriousness, rare aplomb and intensely
concentrated invention.
For more information, visit trost.at

BASS
ISSUE
wherein the bassist draws along multiple axes. It is oneof two overdubbed tracks, the other being “Samurai
Fly”, a reworking of his timeless “Samurai Hee-Haw”
from 1985’s Bass Desires on ECM. Featuring morearco than pizzicato, it opens new possibilities at
a time when such hopes are needed in abundance (thatalbum’s sequel, Second Sight, is also referenced here on“And Strike Each Tuneful String”). The culmination of
all this is “Whorled Whirled World”, a tessellated
masterstroke carrying itself into the night singing ofanother day.

Overpass
Marc Johnson (ECM)
by Tyran Grillo

Three years after being laid down in a São Paolo

studio, Marc Johnson’s Overpass comes to light. Indeed,light is in abundance across the full spectrum of thissolo effort. The double bass, whether due to its size or
range, is easily typecast as a darker instrument. And
yet, as this set of eight pieces proves, it has plenty ofbrightness to share with the world. A hint of that innerglow is found in Eddie Harris’ “Freedom Jazz Dance”,
the first of three classic tunes to triangulate Johnson’s
original grammar with iridescent crossbeams. Its
meshing of firm foundations and lithe upswings
renders a fitting prologue to broader expositions ofarchitectural proportion. The other touchpoints in thisvein are Miles Davis’ “Nardis” and Alex North’s “Love
Theme from Spartacus”, each of which seems to inspire
the other in mutual admiration. The latter melody isamong the album’s airiest and, as such, speaks to thewisdom of a life drawn to affectionate things. Like
“Life of Pai” that follows, it is fueled by the gentlest of
propulsions, singing as if it were speaking.
Despite the above assertions of light, one cannot
necessarily ignore Johnson’s artful corralling of
shadow, as evident throughout “Yin and Yang”,

N

U

EW

SE
D

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New York, NY 10001
Monday-Saturday, 10:00-6:00
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Fax: 212-675-4504
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For more information, visit ecmrecords.com

IN PRINT

Universal Tonality: The Life and Music of William Parker
Cisco Bradley (Duke University Press)by Robert Bush

For decades, bassist William Parker has been at the

Irvin’s Comet
Barry Guy (NoBusiness)by Stuart Broomer

Cecil Taylor once remarked, “If I was a bass player,

I would want to be Barry Guy.” It is hardly a selfeffacing remark, for Guy’s commitment to the nearimpossible—tempo, density, complexity—seems likehomage to Taylor himself, or to the late Scott LaFaro,
Guy’s nearest predecessor in stretching the bass’ limits.
There are parallels, too, with circular breathing
multiphonic collaborators Evan Parker and Peter
Evans. Technique for technique’s sake? Hardly. All
artists try to gather the materials needed to realize
their visions; some just need more.
Recorded in October 2019 during Improdimensija
at MAMAstudios in Vilnius, Irvin’s Comet alludes tothe cover art, the painting “Comet” by the late British
artist Albert Irvin, a work that may have suggested
a comet’s transit but also presents abstracted parallel
figures in contrasting colors and patterns. In the arco
brilliance of both “Comet” and “Silence”, dense
tapestries of bowed and plucked notes combine withsharp contrasts in volume, achieving a multiply-codedpresence. Further, floating amid the upper register
mysteries of “Comet”, it sounds like a theremin could
have been set loose among the strings.
There is often a sense in Guy’s work of how much
could be accomplished, registered or tested within alimited amount of time, how many techniques may berapidly alternated to create another state of musicalmind. That quest for expression can be as joyous as it isdarkly mysterious. “Ding Dang a Diggy Ding Dang”
may seem unlikely here, wittily reimagining as it does
the bass as a different kind of rhythm instrument;
instead of a walking bass, it is a fretless chordal
instrument, a rhythmically charged, idiomaticcomposition filled with sliding chords suggesting
acoustic bluesmen with William Parker and/or Chuck
Berry lending a hand.
“Old Earth Home” is a pizzicato lament, a work as
emotionally direct as one could imagine, suffused withspecifically Spanish passions. Heir to Narciso Yepes orCharles Mingus, it moves from the dark intensity ofminor modes towards the playful light of the major. The
concluding “Barehead” is a maelstrom of bowing andplucking, energized runs and pinpoint lights amid upperregister harmonics, plucked chords and bowed frenzy.
Fully appreciating Guy’s performances requires
the visual component. It ends nagging questions about
how he is accomplishing one thing or another, evenwhile hands and mind remain quicker than the eye.
Meanwhile, Irvin’s Comet is a good stand-in.

center of the free improvisation world, appearing on
hundreds of recordings with a deeply centered tone
and incredible groove. Parker’s ability to unite
almost any ensemble instantly has long qualified
him as sui generis in that world. When he partneredwith drummer Hamid Drake in 1993 to drive
saxophonist Peter Brötzmann’s Die Like A Dog
Quartet, a ‘dream team’ was born. Parker has become
to free jazz what Ron Carter is to postbop and for
those who hear that call, the publication of Universal
Tonality by author, blogger and historian Cisco
Bradley is both long overdue and richly appreciated.
Universal Tonality begins with a genealogicaltracing of Parker’s family and exploration of hischildhood. Music, especially Duke Ellington, wascentral to his upbringing thanks to his father. The
Parkers lived in the Bronx and endured long periodsof poverty, but there was no shortage of love in thehouse. He didn’t acquire his first bass—a
Czechoslovakian Juzek, from a pawnshop in theneighborhood for $100 on credit—until 1969. Waiting
for a bus on the way back home, he was approached
by a stranger inviting him to a jam session in a week’stime. Parker practiced along with records for a week
and managed to acquit himself well enough to be
invited for a second session. He did study at the
famous Jazzmobile with Richard Davis and eventually
had private lessons with Wilbur Ware and Jimmy
Garrison but was for the most part self-taught.
He came up in the heyday of the Loft Scene inthe ‘70s, establishing hookups with Rashied Ali,
Milford Graves, Frank Lowe, Charles Gayle and Bill
Dixon, associations that would yield iconic albums
like Gayle’s Touchin’ on ‘Trane, Dixon’s Vade Mecumand Lowe’s Black Beings.
Of prime importance to Parker ’s development
were the ten years he spent as the bassist in Cecil
Taylor ’s various small groups. Parker first came incontact with Taylor for an orchestral project in 1974
with three other bassists but, by 1980, had become
the bassist of choice in the Cecil Taylor Unit. It was
Taylor who said “Music is supposed to change
people. When you dance you change. When you
sing you change.” Bradley’s excellent and thoroughexamination of this monumental slice of the bassist’s
career is a delight to read.
Subsequent chapters detail the stories behind
Parker ’s massive Little Huey Orchestra, the In Order
To Survive Quartet with Rob Brown, Cooper-Moore
and Susie Ibarra and William Parker Quartet with
Drake, Rob Brown and Lewis Barnes. Also
fascinating is the chapter about the Raining on theMoon group with vocalist Leena Conquest.
Anyone interested in the state of the free
improvising scene needs to read this book.
For more information, visit dukeupress.edu. Parker is at
Bar Bayeux Nov. 3rd with Zoh Amba, Clemente Soto
Velez Cultural Center Nov. 12th and Scholes Street
Studio Nov. 20th with Stephen Gauci. See Calendar.

For more information, visit nobusinessrecords.com

THE NEW YORK CITY JAZZ RECORD | NOVEMBER 2021 21

Echoes
Jaleel Shaw (s/r)
by Russ Musto

Sequestered at home, separated from bandmates andin-person live performance opportunities as a result of
pandemic restrictions, musicians were compelled tofind different avenues for the advancement of theirartistry. Alto saxophonist Jaleel Shaw began recording
himself practicing improvised ideas to see/hear where
they would lead him. The result is this imaginative
recording, which represents many of the thoughts andideas upon which he meditated during the enforced
period of isolation.
The music begins with “LEE”, a five-minute long
improvisation created with friend and mentor Lee
Konitz, one of the first jazz victims of the pandemic, inmind. The song reflects Konitz’ influence in its purityof tone and boppish lyricism, propelled by an internal
rhythmic drive, which comes as no surprise considering
the many years Shaw has been a member of Roy
Haynes’ Fountain Of Youth Quartet.
The news of Breonna Taylor ’s death stirred anemotional reaction reflected in “Breonna”, a poignant
lament employing electronic delay pedal to create
echoing apropos to the fact that yet again anotherperson of color died at the hands of the police. “Tulsa”
is another reflection on racism in America with torrents
of notes that cry and scream before closing with abellowing wail.
“Improvisation for Mom” builds on an appealing
melodic motif, which progresses with increasing
complexity, offering insight into Shaw’s improvisational
process, while East-African tinged “Tesmegen”, its
title an Ethiopian term meaning to be blessed, reflects
his interest in world musics. “DOOM”, dedicated to
the late rapper MF Doom, is yet another indication of
the broad scope of Shaw’s musical awareness.
The forlorn ambience of “On Being Invisible”
showcases the clarity of Shaw’s airy upper register,
accented here with concurrent hummed overtones. The
doleful mood persists on the Ornette Coleman-ish
dirge “Silence”.
The date concludes with “Isolation”, the longest
track at just over seven and a half minutes. It employs
delay, phase shifter and Whammy pitch controller
pedals to create an expansive sonic environment
redolent of the polyphonic sound of the Aka pygmies
and Mongolian throat singers.

phrasing, hallmarks throughout his long playing
career. These attributes are fully evident in the 2019Live in Paris recording from Cité de la musique as partof the Festival Jazz à la Villette. Backed by organ player
Ben Paterson, guitarist Peter Bernstein and drummer
Willie Jones III, Person covers a lot of ground, fromswing to ballads and back, in a setlist appreciated by
the attentive Parisian audience.
Person’s association with the organ goes back to1966 and his first album as a leader, Underground Soul
for Prestige, with organ player Charles Boston. Clearly
this genre suits his playing style as evident in the
opening track “Sweet Sucker”, written by tenor
saxophonist Johnny Griffin and part of Person’srepertoire for some time. In this medium tempo blues,
Person delivers a squared-shoulder attack on thetheme over Paterson’s riffs and Bernstein follows witha solo filled with dexterous focus; later there isdelightful exchange of eights among the quartet.
“Never Trust Your Heart” is a bossa nova written by
Benny Carter and Stan Getz in 1964 and first performedby the New Stan Getz Quartet featuring Astrud
Gilberto. Person and Company keep the bossa nova
beat intact, tenor floating over the rhythm section in
garrulous fashion.
In 1973, Alan and Marilyn Bergman along with
Marvin Hamlisch wrote “The Way We Were” for the
Sydney Pollack-directed movie of the same name.
Person has kept this popular standard as part of his
rotation because audiences know the number and havememorized the lyrics and thus he can take chanceswith his improvisation to achieve greater depth. All of
this is obvious in the band’s rendition and theaudience’s reaction. “Lester Leaps In”, written bytenor saxophonist Lester Young in 1939 for the Count
Basie band, is based on the chord changes to “I Got
Rhythm”. Person gives this Swing Era classic a modern
update, with a loose-jointed but tightly focusedrendition. Jones knocks out his solo with expressive
and muscular proficiency.
The musical center of this release is the Buddy
Johnson ballad “Since I Fell For You”. Person delivers a
blues-saturated performance filled with emotion andheart and both Paterson and Bernstein unspool soulful
and surefooted solos to complement Person’s efforts.
The Parisian phrase that best captures this session
is “C’est chouette” (meaning it’s terrific/cool/great).
Take your pick.
For more information, visit jazzdepot.com. Person is at
Birdland Nov. 2nd with Bill Charlap and Soapbox Gallery
Nov. 3rd. See Calendar.

For more information, visit jaleelshaw.com. Shaw is at
Birdland Nov. 1st-2nd with Mike Clark. See Calendar.
Street of Dreams
Bill Charlap (Blue Note)by George Grella

The piano trio format is such a classic in the jazz

Live in Paris
Houston Person (HighNote)by Pierre Giroux

N ow approaching his 87th birthday, tenor saxophonist

Houston Person continues to enjoy well-deserved
acclaim for his mellowness of tone and clarity ofimagination that one can be surprised to realize
actually just how few piano trios—as working bands—
there have been in the history of the music, especiallycompared to all the quartets and quintets led by hornplayers: Red Garland, Ramsey Lewis and Ahmad
Jamal’s trios, the Bill Evans Trio, Keith Jarrett’sStandards Trio, Jason Moran and Bandwagon and Brad
Mehldau’s Trio amount to the bulk of the mainstream
discography.
Another long-standing and contemporary groupis the Bill Charlap Trio, gracing the jazz world with

22 NOVEMBER 2021 | THE NEW YORK CITY JAZZ RECORD

their seventh album, released over what is now nearlya 25-year existence. Grace is both a verb and a noun
with this group, which in the late 20th Century seemedwise beyond its years and now in 2021 seems bothageless and bursting with the springtime of youth.
What has changed is the natural progression of any
longterm intimate association; from a lead voice(mainly pianist Charlap) and accompaniment (bassist
Peter Washington and drummer Kenny Washington) ,the musicians are now speaking the same languagewith such unanimity that the blend of timbres between
these very different sources can sound like one
inseparable voice.
There is also a feeling of inside knowledge andhumor between the three, but it is not rude. We may
not get the punchline, but we get that, when Charlap
teases at the dynamics or rhythms, ghosts a few notes
in a run, he is playing at something with both
Washingtons and everybody is in on the good feelings,
the wit. It is part of the sensuality of this group, whichis all about what mood and sound they can produce.
Charlap is the most sensual pianist on the scene,
working with so many variations of touch. He is aconnoisseur of the instrument, one of the few players
who can shape the timbre of a series of notes and keep
the legato flowing. The program is a masterclass ingood taste and musical judgment: Dave Brubeck’s“The Duke”, Billy Strayhorn-John LaTouche-Duke
Ellington’s “Day Dream”, a stunning take on Michel
Legrand-Alan and Marilyn Bergman’s ““What Are You
Doing the Rest of Your Life?”, a great song that few
groups take on. A gorgeous, humane record, every
moment a perfect realization of the jazz mainstream.
For more information, visit bluenote.com. Charlap is at
Birdland Nov. 2nd-6th. See Calendar.

Carl/Joel Grip/Sven-Åke Johansson–
R • Rüdiger
In Early November (Corbett vs. Dempsey)e • Sinne Eeg & Thomas Fonnesbæk–Staying in Touch (Stunt)c • Wendy
Eisenberg–Bloodletting(Out
OfYour Head)o • Eunhye Jeong–NOLDA(ESP-Disk’)Peter McEachern–Code 2 (SteepleChase)m •• Barre
Phillips/John Butcher/Ståle Liavik Solberg–m We Met-and
Then (Relative Pitch)• David Sanford Big Band–A Prayer For
e Lester Bowie (featuring Hugh Ragin)(Greenleaf Music)n • Michael
Stephenson–Meets The
Alexander Claffy Trio (Cellar Live)d • Roseanna
Vitro–Sing A Song of Birde (Skyline Productions)d Laurence Donohue-Greene, Managing Editor• Borderlands Trio–Wandersphere (Intakt)

Anderson Pocket Brass Band–n • Ray
Come IN (Double Moon)
Blakey & The Jazz Messengers–e • ArtFirst Flight to Tokyo: The Lost 1961
Recordings (Blue Note)w • Rüdiger
Carl/Joel Grip/

Sven-Åke Johansson–In Early November(Corbett vs. Dempsey)r • Carlos
Henriquez–The South Bronx Story(Tiger Turn)e • Marc
Johnson–Overpass (ECM)l • Peter Madsen’sSix on Six Guitar Ensemble–
Where There Was No Path (Playscape)e • Mujician–10 10 10 (Cuneiform)
Naughton/Jerome Harris/a • Bobby
Cleve Pozar–About Time (Otic)
Parker ElectroAcoustic Quartet–s • EvanConcert in Iwaki (Uchimizu)e • We3–S/T (AUT)s Andrey Henkin, Editorial Director

Distant Voices
David Janeway (SteepleChase LookOut)
by Ken Dryden

F or jazz fans not residing near New York City, there

will always be musicians who have been active locallyfor decades yet fly under the radar due to limited
touring. One such player is pianist David Janeway,
a professional for over four decades though, like
Denny Zeitlin, also a full-time psychiatrist. In addition
to forming the Hastings Jazz Collective with Harvie S,
Tim Armacost and others, Janeway has recorded anumber of CDs for his own label, so that may explain
why this CD is on SteepleChase LookOut, a sub-label
normally for up-and-coming artists. He recruited two
seasoned veterans for the session, bassist Cameron
Brown and drummer Billy Hart, with whom he has
performed over the years, and the setlist has a wealthof treasures, including rarely recorded jazz works, jazzstandards and the pianist’s strong originals.
Hank Jones’ demanding bop theme “Minor
Contention” showcases the potent interplay of the trio
and the pianist’s formidable chops. Mercer Ellington’s“Blue Serge” dates from the ‘40s and although his
famous father performed it, the piece fell into unjust
obscurity. Janeway’s bittersweet introduction gives
way to an upbeat, lyrical setting that simmers rather
than catches fire, with a creative bassline and skilled
brushwork adding valuable seasoning to the leader’seloquent solo. Gary Peacock’s “Gardenia” is a natural
fit for Brown’s inventive soloing, as he is also a master
worthy of comparison to the late composer. Brown sets
the mood for Wayne Shorter’s “Nefertiti” with an exotic
solo before Janeway makes a surprising shift to electric
piano and the trio offers a delicate, moving setting ofWalter Bishop, Jr.’s “Waltz For Zweetie”. Janeway’s
compositions include the bouncing “One For Cedar”
and constantly shifting “Excursion”, both of whichsound like jazz standards in the hands of this trio.
For more information, visit steeplechase.dk. This project is
at Mezzrow Nov. 3rd. See Calendar.

Not A Novelty
Jennifer Wharton’s Bonegasm (Sunnyside)by Elliott Simon

The trombone solo on Antônio Carlos Jobim’s “Wave”

performed by the Buddy Rich Band is ethereal andraises goosebumps. The reasons are that Bill
Reichenbach, Jr. is playing a bass trombone in an
arrangement perfectly suited for the song and his
instrument. Solo moments like this for bass trombone
are rare in jazz but Jennifer Wharton is ensuring they
are Not A Novelty any longer. Musicality, catchy melodies
and unique arrangements permeate this sophomore
release and Wharton extends the group’s approach. She
shows off the bass trombone’s wide range andoutstanding harmonics with a returning lineup of
pianist Mike Eckroth, bassist Evan Gregor, drummer

Don Peretz and three standard trombones played byJohn Fedchock, Nate Mayland and Alan Ferber.
There is an immediate Latin presence on Eckroth’s“BonGasmo” provided by percussionist Samuel Torresand his precise rhythm and coloration define this lively
opener and circumscribe the gorgeous voicings andtrombone interplay on Manuel Valera’s “La Otra Mano”.
Wharton’s fervid attention to instrumental andcompositional
detailcombinedwithinspired
improvisation is an infrequent blend in jazz and unequaled
on the bass trombone. These qualities allow her toimplement a methodology of commissioning pieces andarrangements specifically for the band in ways thathighlight her instrument. In this milieu, her tone andrange are superb and illuminate the session. This is mostevident on Remy Le Boeuf’s touchingly delivered “FaceValue” and Ayn Inserto’s more uptempo “Blue Salt”.
Soundgarden’s “The Day I Tried to Live” closes
things out and guest vocalist Kurt Elling nails it.
Gregor and Peretz set up a great bottom to permit
Elling’s vocalese to play off of the trombone’s vocal
aspects and create a previously unknown grunge/
swing genre. They brilliantly capture the anger borneout of despair at the heart of this tune. Its title
notwithstanding, Not A Novelty is creative and fresh.
For more information, visit sunnysiderecords.com. Wharton
is at The Jazz Gallery Nov. 4th with Anna Webber/Angela
Morris and 5th with Remy Le Boeuf and Birdland Nov. 14th
with Jihye Lee. See Calendar.

90-second setup, lightly bounds beneath Matt Holman’s
flugelhorn and Martha Kato’s piano before spreading its
wings to fly. Add three more winners to the tally—“Secondhand Smile”, a brilliant bricolage of percussive
paranoia and sweeping suggestions; “Bring Me There”,
with a bossa-ish foundation perfectly supporting
trombonist Natalie Cressman’s inviting stand; and“Rumpus”, nodding to raucous, blues-coated soul—and
it is clear that Le Boeuf and his Assembly of Shadowshave managed to create and maintain a perfect record
with Architecture of Storms.
For more information, visit remyleboeuf.com. This project is
at The Jazz Gallery Nov. 5th. See Calendar.

UNEARTHED GEM

Comes Love: Lost Session 1960
Sheila Jordan (Capri)
by Ori Dagan

Life can be mighty monotonous, but not whenArchitecture of Storms
Remy Le Boeuf’s Assembly of Shadows (SoundSpore)by Dan Bilawsky

Shadows envelop all that they touch. So it goes that aband with an incorporeal identity surrounds andsuffuses the ears with colors and character both boldand poetic in nature. Having already netted two
Grammy nominations for music from this large
ensemble’s 2019 eponymous debut, Remy Le Boeuf now
extends and augments Assembly of Shadows’ reality ona sophomore set as powerful as it is downright attractive.
Putting his horn(s) to greater use and widening thestylistic scope of his writing, the saxophonist creates aworld apart, speaking to many and varied influences
while maintaining integrity and identity.
Opening with dazzling “Neener Neener” followed
by a hypnotic take on Bon Iver’s “Minnesota, WI”,
Le Boeuf immediately eliminates any real or perceived
gap(s) between indie rock, forward-thinking folk andbig band modernism. The former number, offering both
glimmering and intense forms of energy, highlights theleader’s boundless creativity and the latter arrangement,
dealing in entrancing waves of wonder, actuates andelevates trumpeter Michael Rodriguez’ creative feats.
Wholly unique yet bound by their propagation of
intangible beauty, both address new thoughts taking
hold in an established instrumental format.
With the seven original works that make up thebalance of the program, Le Boeuf further fascinates withhis pen (and playing): “The Melancholy Architecture of
Storms”, with vocalist Julia Easterlin breathing life into
poet Sara Pirkle’s lyrics, muses and grows as it goes;“Face Value”, showcasing well-matched solos fromguest tenor saxophonist Dayna Stephens and trombonist
Sam Blakeslee, wins out with suspense and strength;“Union”, written for his sister’s wedding, wears its
heart in its harmony; and “Sibbian”, after an initial

Sheila Jordan is taking chances on a stage andcertainly not when her ethereal voice is singing into
your headphones. The ageless “Jazz Child” remains
one of the last entertainers born in the ‘20s who is
still standing, let alone working. Born in Detroit, thismonth she turns 93 and is still touring, meaning she
has been singing professionally for nearly 80 years.
Jordan is not able to recall this decades-lostsession, so the piano-bass-drums trio remains
unidentified for now. They took no solos andgranted much support on this mix of thencontemporary ‘50s songs and fresh readings onstandards by the Gershwins, Richard RodgersLorenz Hart and Duke Ellington.
The 98-second rollercoaster that is Ellington’s “It
Don’t Mean a Thing” sizzles with surprising choices,
as Jordan transforms the swing anthem into a bebop
statement by way of a scintillating scat sequence, long
tones high and low, alternate lyrics and a stop-you-inyour-tracks cadenza. In complete contrast, the Fran
Landesman-Tommy Wolf classic “Ballad of the Sad
Young Men” was published in 1959, meaning that thiswas one of its first readings. The tragic interpretation
showcases the range of Jordan’s haunting instrument
as well as an innate ability to connect with andpersonalize a tune. In the same vein, from the wishfullanguid verse to the pulsating last chorus of swing,
every tasteful musical choice in Harold Arlen’s “A
Sleepin’ Bee” only sweetens Truman Capote’s lyric.
Billie Holiday, who died the previous summer, ishonored with a painfully heartfelt reading of her
collaboration with Arthur Herzog, “Don’t Explain”,
and her influence can also be heard in Eric MaschwitzJack Strachey’s “These Foolish Things” and RodgersHart’s “Glad to Be Unhappy”.
Although she was only 31 years old at the timeof the recording, by 1960 Jordan had been singing
for more than half of her life. Captured two years
before she recorded her official debut, this lostsession provides a fascinating glimpse into the deep,
daring, dazzling artistry of a genuine jazz legend.
For more information, visit caprirecords.com. Jordan is
at Flushing Town Hall Nov. 12th and Birdland Nov.
18th-20th. See Calendar.

THE NEW YORK CITY JAZZ RECORD | NOVEMBER 2021 23

Uma Elmo
Jakob Bro (ECM)
by Marc Medwin

O n one level, it is just a pitch, a trumpet sustain.

It does not even stray from equal temperament into theintriguing world of microtone, as trumpeter Arve
Henriksen is wont to do. Only the dynamics change,
opening the gateway for the countless timbral intrigues
for which traditional Western musical vocabulary has
not even got a suitable analog. It is a diminuendo
followed by a crescendo, but the event beginning at
6:15 of “Morning Song” and governing the next
12 seconds is more than the sum of any components,
especially given what guitarist Jakob Bro and drummer
Jorge Rossy interweave around and through one ofmany extraordinary moments from Uma Elmo.
The disc brings Rossy, a relative ECM newcomer,
together with veterans Bro and Henriksen and a bettermatched trio would be difficult to fathom. When
Henriksen nuances and widens that pitch, Bro andRossy just hang back and paint the borders. They dot
and swirl a transparent but palpable miasma of skewed
repetitions placing Henriksen’s overtones in a shifting
series of kaleidoscopic contexts, which, in theproverbial nutshell, could encapsulate the album.
It actually ends with another take on “Morning Song”

and the differences render the approach crystal clear.
In the first take, the melody eases its way into focus;
the second foregrounds it, starkly beautiful against
Bro’s effects and Rossy’s gently atmospheric“Drumscapes”, to appropriate a title from Bro’s The
Stars are All New Songs.
That album also contains a much earlier version of“Reconstructing a dream”, one so vastly different thatthe current version comes to spectacular life as arecomposition nearly twice the original’s length. The
melody is present but dissected and reharmonized,
initially sent forward in gracefully slow dance,
floating over the chords and arpeggios only to build,taking on time and meter as ornate solo structures areconstructed by Henriksen and then swept aside. A
gorgeously sustained modality pervades, nearly static
as the dynamics rise, only propelled by staggeringly
fluid-time drumming and crystal-clean church-bellguitar distortions.
As with many ECM albums, there is an abiding
sense of calm that the music does not disrupt,
no matter how busy or dynamically charged. Rossy
is largely responsible for the various states of motion
and stasis that keep the music in a kind of meditative
limbo. His playing can be deceptively understated, aswith the opening of “Music for Black Pigeons”, and his
nearly imperceptible cymbal work gracing the alreadyenigmatic “Beautiful Day” before he incorporates therest of his kit. What subtle work with sticks andbrushes! Who knew such pointilistically poignant
galaxies of sound were possible? Bro and Henriksen
rain down tones and loops too difficult to define savethat, despite everything, they are often sparse andmore frequently downright gorgeous.
It seems an imperative, in this case, to reserve
some space for the production. ECM recordings neversound less than excellent, but there are those few that
surpass even Manfred Eicher ’s high standards. This
disc sets the bar absurdly high, on every level of formal
and structural detail. Something as apparently simple
and straightforward as Rossy’s brushes translate witha clarity and presence that beggars description, as does
every nook and cranny of each note Henriksen plays.
Guitar sound inhabits similar spheres of complexity,
which range from clean to cleaner but always in theservice of miles-deep tone. The rare moments ofhigh-volume impact hit with power that travels from
subtle to devastating, all the more so due to theirrelative absence.
Like Sir András Schiff’s albums of the music ofJohann Sebastian Bach for the same label, this trio’s
soundworld, once inhabited, makes long-term listening
as much of a pleasure as leaving it becomes a chore.
For more information, visit ecmrecords.com. Bro is atVillage Vanguard Nov. 9th-14th. See Calendar.

Rose of Lifta
Lena Bloch & Feathery(Fresh Sound-New Talent)by Marilyn Lester

Tenor saxophonist Lena Bloch knows first-hand what

it means to leave home (Russia), spend periods of timeliving here and there—often with struggle—and thenfinally plant roots in a new home, in this case,
Brooklyn (in 2008). Her new CD, Rose of Lifta, with herquartet Feathery, speaks to that wandering, seeking
and finding (even the album art remarkably conveys

24 NOVEMBER 2021 | THE NEW YORK CITY JAZZ RECORD

the musical contents therein); each of the seven tracks
is a discrete story of a suite that is a journey of longing
and resolution.
Lifta is an Arab village in Israel with a legacy ofcontention and a fight for survival. In the title track,
the melancholy is palpable, as if watching a thing ofbeauty climbing to survive in the sun. The beauty ofRose of Lifta is that Feathery—Bloch, Lossing, bassist
Cameron Brown and drummer Billy Mintz—are so
deeply in the pocket that their ensemble work prevails
beyond any solos taken. Even the extraordinary
opening bass on the Middle Eastern-inflected “Promiseof Return” or the mournful extended saxophone intro
to an essentially non-melodic “Mad Mirror” carry thepsychic overtones of the collective.
Feathery takes inspiration from a wide variety ofmusic traditions and prides itself on playing witha mix of composition and spontaneous improvisation.
The result is a wondrous creation of mood. In “NewHome” the tone is light, yet unsteady and unsure but
hopeful while, in contrast, in “Old Home”, there is apush and pull, an up and down of emotion.
It is in “Mahmoud Darwish” where a powerfulexistential rush of emotion is loosed. The tune is aheart-rending dirge in tribute to Darwish, the late
Palestinian poet whose art and work—most particularly
these words, “I am from there. I am from here. I am notthere. I am not here.”—inspired the album. Finally, inthe closer “Wintry Mix”, in which, mid-section, Lossing
magically evokes dancing, falling snow, the ensemble
conveys indecision, until the final notes of the pieceturn to uplift. Clearly now, there is reason to believethat all is, without doubt, right and well.
For more information, visit freshsoundrecords.com. This
project is at Scholes Street Studio Nov. 10th. See Calendar.

James Brandon Lewis: Tenor Saxophone
Aruán Ortiz: Piano · Brad Jones: Bass · Chad Taylor: Drums

Angelika Niesicer: Alto Saxophone · Alexander Hawkins: Piano

Ohad Talmor: Tenor Saxophone
Miles Okazaki: Guitar · Dan Weiss: Drums

Intakt CD 367

Fred Frith: Electric Guitar, Voice
Jason Hoopes: Bass · Jordan Glenn: Drums
Lotte Anker: Saxophones · Susana Santos Silva: Trumpet

OHAD TALMOR TRIO WITH DAN WEISSAND MILES OKAZAKIMISE EN PLACE

Intakt CD 370

JAMES BRANDON LEWIS QUARTETCODE OF BEING

Intakt CD 369

FRED FRITH TRIO WITH LOTTE ANKER ANDSUSANA SANTOS SILVA ROAD (2 CDs)

ANGELIKA NIESCIER – ALEXANDER HAWKINSSOUL IN PLAIN SIGHT

Intakt CD 366

Intakt CD 371

Intakt CD 372

INTAKT RECORDS WWW.INTAKTREC.CH

KAPPELER / ZUMTHORHERDBORDERLANDS TRIOSTEPHAN CRUMP – KRIS DAVIS –ERIC MCPHERSON WANDERSPHERE (2 CDs)

Vera Kappeler: Piano, Toy Piano
Peter Conradin Zumthor: Drums, Toy Piano

BROKEN SHADOWSBROKEN SHADOWSTim Berne: Alto Sax · Chris Speed: Tenor Sax
Reid Anderson: Bass · Dave King: Drums

DISTRIBUTED BY: VIRTUAL LABEL GROUPNYCJR_FP_Nov2021.indd 1

Intakt CD 364

Intakt CD 368

Intakt CD 362

Stephan Crump: Bass · Kris Davis: Piano
Eric McPherson: Drums

SARAH BUECHI CONTRADICTION OF HAPPINESS+ JENA PHILHARMONICTHE PAINTRESSCHRIS SPEED
LIGHT LINE
Chris Speed: Clarinets

Sarah Buechi: Voice · Vincent Membrez: Piano
Wolfgang Zwiauer: Bass · Lionel Friedli: Drums
Estelle Beiner: Violin · Isabelle Gottraux: Viola
Sara Oswald: Cello · Jena Philharmonic

AVAILABLE IN NYC: DOWNTOWN MUSIC GALLERYDIGITAL DOWNLOADS: intaktrec.bandcamp.com

10/25/21 12:31 PMsoprano, the last on the lush, romantic “Capricorn
Lady”, a duet with pianist Gary Versace. Among othersignificant contributors to the proceedings are tenor
saxophonists Scott Robinson, Rich Perry and Noah
Preminger and pianists Fred Hersch, Elan Mehler, Dan
Tepfer and Glenn Zaleski.
Ancestors
Frank Kimbrough (Sunnyside)
KIMBROUGH
Various Artists (Newvelle)by George Kanzler

For more information, visit sunnysiderecords.com andnewvelle-records.com. A Kimbrough tribute hosted by Newvelle
Records is at Birdland Theater Nov. 11th-13th. See Calendar.

P ianist Frank Kimbrough, who died last December at

64, is remembered on these two projects. Ancestors wasrecorded in 2017 with the unusual lineup of piano,bass (Masa Kamaguchi) and cornet (Kirk Knuffke).
KIMBROUGH, available as a download, is a tribute by
67 musicians—colleagues, students and admirers—on
61 tracks ranging from solo to septet, playing
Kimbrough’s compositions and benefitting the Frank
Kimbrough Jazz Scholarship at The Juilliard School.
Kimbrough had a singular, airy lyricism, letting
notes and chords linger into space, often with barely apulse or a very slow tempo, the strategy on most ofAncestors, which consists of his own tunes, save for one
by wife Maryanne de Prophetis. The album is full ofcontemplative moments, the trio in close rapport
centered more on the melodic than harmonic content.
A majority of the tracks on KIMBROUGH are also
in slow tempos and many with bass and drums featurethem suspending rhythm to proceed in freeform swirlsof semi-rubato, much like the introductions or preludes
on pieces before the rhythmic time takes over.
The adaptability of Kimbrough’s tunes can beheard in the six included on both albums, two especially.
Ancestors’ title track is introduced by cornet over abarely discernible pulse, with languorous solos frompiano and bass. On KIMBROUGH it features a sextet
and Tim Horner’s drums, ranging freely rather thankeeping time, setting the stage for the theme, delivered
semi-rubato by trumpeter Jesse Neuman and baritone
saxophonist Allan Chase. The horns solo in tandem
over slow, rolling rhythms, followed by similar tandem
soloing from guitarist Steve Cardenas and bassist Tony
Scherr; chattering drums herald a solo from pianist
Addison Frei before the horns return with the melody.
“Over”, a rare uptempo track on Ancestors, begins withbass, then cornet and piano play an Ornette Colemanish line, followed by a jagged piano solo and a probing
cornet turn before the theme is reprised. A Colemanstyle quartet—Ron Horton (trumpet), Michael Blake(tenor), Michael Formanek (bass), Tony Moreno(drums)—plays “Over” on KIMBROUGH. The tempo isfaster, horns limning the theme in unison, drums, tenor
and tandem horns soloing before the theme reprise.
Among the many surprises and delights on the
KIMBROUGH collection is the chance to hear thepairing of Joe Lovano’s tenor and Dave Douglas’
trumpet in a quintet not doing music by, or inspired by,Wayne Shorter. On “727” they immerse themselves in
Kimbrough’s elastic melodic and rhythmic universe.
Lovano is also heard in a quintet with fellow tenor
Donny McCaslin (“Helix”) and in trio with pianist
Craig Taborn and guitarist Ben Monder (“Elegy forP.M.”). Douglas also appears on two trio tracks, as wellas on another quintet one, “C Minor Waltz”, with alto
saxophonist Alexa Tarantino, guitarist Todd Neufeld,
bassist Rufus Reid and drummer Matt Wilson.
Kimbrough was comfortable writing heartbeat tempos
in 3/4; others include “Falling Waltz”, at a snappy clip
from a trio led by pianist Helen Sung, and a septet
version of “Waltz for Lee”, a bouncy AABA tune withan expressive trombone solo from Ryan Keberle, whoshares the solo space with resonant pianist Samora
Pinderhughes. Other notable turns on the collection
come from Steve Wilson, on alto or soprano, not tenor
as mis-credited; Ted Nash, on tenor, clarinet and

26 NOVEMBER 2021 | THE NEW YORK CITY JAZZ RECORD

Fuzzy and BlueJoe Fiedler’s Open Sesame (Multiphonics Music)
by Steven Loewy

After the acclaimed 2019 album Open Sesame,

trombonist Joe Fiedler works his magic once again on
Fuzzy and Blue. There was immediate talk of a sequel,following a free-wheeling performance at Dizzy’s Club,
joined by Wynton Marsalis and Elmo, to celebrate the50th season of Sesame Street. There is no lack of material:
the Sesame Street library is blessed with more than “sixor seven thousand songs,” according to Fiedler.
For Fuzzy and Blue, Fiedler, affiliated with the
Sesame Street franchise for years as an arranger, musicaldirector and instrumentalist, has tweaked the group’s
sound by expanding the presence of Steven Bernstein(trumpet, flugelhorn, slide trumpet and G trumpet,
adding a fourth valve) to all tracks and adding thedelightfully fitting vocalist Miles Griffith, who blurts,
bobs and scats, often to hilarious effect, with atriumphant contagious affection on the songs on which
he appears. As with its predecessor, Fuzzy and Blueshould appeal to a range of listeners, from school-age
children who love the catchy melodies to others who
relishFiedler’s
accessible
butsophisticatedarrangements, outstanding improvising and unique
swirl of styles, from free jazz to hardbop and funk, witheven a touch of the Caribbean, performed in an uplifting
way, reminiscent of the positive outlook of the show.
Fiedler ’s unique arrangements capture the essenceof the tunes while providing fertile ground for superb
improvisations. Fiedler covers the range of his horn,adding a touch of multiphonics (singing while playing,producing chords in a way perfected by German
trombonist Albert Mangelsdorff, whom Fiedler names
as one of several influences), which are especiallypotent in the Dixie-inflected “Bip Bippadotta Suite”,
where Fiedler blows in the lower register juxtaposed
against the higher tones of soprano saxophonist Jeff
Lederer and Bernstein. The trombonist sometimes uses
an inverted Harmon mute and solos passionately, withregular forays into the upper register, spitting out
notes with lightning speed, but generously shares solo
space with his colleagues. Bernstein can always be
counted on for his imagination and off-the-wall humor,
with twisted notes and characteristic panache, andLederer ’s solos exhibit a rich, compelling sound with arapid-fire technique flirting gently with the edges of
tonality and rhythm, tempered by a masterful control.
The versatile Michael Sarin continues to impress as oneof the best drummers in the business, showing an
exquisite sensitivity (on “We are All Earthlings”, forexample) and an extraordinarily colorful range ofsounds, while bassist Sean Conly is tastefully
supportive and adds an extra dimension on electric.
For more information, visit joefiedler.com. This project is at
The Jazz Gallery Nov. 12th. See Calendar.

The News
Andrew Cyrille Quartet (ECM)
by Robert Bush

Master musician Andrew Cyrille could just be themost underrated drummer in modern jazz. At 81, he
has the curriculum vitae to which only his mostcelebrated peers can aspire. He is all over jazz history—
his early years range from Coleman Hawkins to Cecil
Taylor—and his association with ECM goes back to1970 and Marion Brown’s Afternoon of a Georgia Faun.
The News is his third session as a leader on ECM,
following The Declaration of Musical Independence (2014)
and Lebroba (2017), made with Bill Frisell (guitar) and
Ben Street (bass) with late addition David Virelles
filling in for an ailing Richard Teitelbaum.
The sound of his drums is nothing short ofglorious. The cymbals are so clearly articulated thatthe listener can hardly resist surrendering to their call.
On “Mountain”, a tune by Frisell, Cyrille plays freely
across barlines with coloristic rolls over groaning bass
whole notes; Virelles picks up the baton with anebullient solo to take the tune out.
There is a dream-like feel to much of this album,
a gauzy sheen of rubato that will be a familiar backdrop
to fans of the ECM sound (although this disc wasrecorded at Sound on Sound in New Jersey rather thanWilliam Parker & Patricia
Nicholson"No Joke!”gebhard ullmann/gerhard
Gschlossel/johannes fink/janleipnitz/michael haves

Eunhye jeong"nolda”

Rova"the circumference of
reason”"gulfh of berlin”

Europe). Frisell is brilliant, particularly so on his
original “Go Happy Lucky”, an abstracted blues thatleans heavily on the tradition but also wanders
gleefully when Virelles takes the helm. The sound ofbrushes spread across snare drum dominates theleader ’s title track.
Also noteworthy is “Leaving East of Java”,
a composition by AACM composer/pianist Adegoke
Steve Colson (previously recorded by Cyrille on a Trio
3 session with Oliver Lake and Reggie Workman.)
Large parts of the tune seem through-composed,
although Frisell’s solo tugs at the edges.
For more information, visit ecmrecords.com. Cyrille is atVillage Vanguard Nov. 12th-14th with Jakob Bro. See Calendar.

The Democracy! Suite
Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra Septet with
Wynton Marsalis (Blue Engine)by Alex Henderson

The early 2020s have been difficult times in the UnitedStates: the COVID-19 pandemic; George Floyd’s
murder and the months of unrest that followed; Donald
Trump’s efforts to subvert democracy and steal the2020 election, culminating in the Jan. 6th insurrection.
Trumpeter Wynton Marsalis reflects on the turbulence

the U.S. is experiencing on this digital-only release.
Marsalis and other Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra(JLCO) members form a septet: Marsalis, saxophonists
Ted Nash and Walter Blanding and trombonist Elliot
Mason are joined by pianist Dan Nimmer, bassist Carlos
Henriquez and drummer Obed Calvaire. This downsizedversion of JLCO often recalls Blue Note groups of the‘50s. In fact, the hard-swinging opener “Be Present”
is right out of the Art Blakey and The Jazz Messengers
school as are “It Come ‘Round ‘Gin”, “That Dance We
Do (That You Love Too)” or “Deeper Than Dreams”. The
influence of New Orleans jazz is impossible to miss on
the exuberant “That’s When All Will See” andsaxophonist John Coltrane’s drawing on Eastern religion
in the ‘60s is an inspiration on “Sloganize, Patronize,
Realize, Revolutionize (Black Lives Matter)”.
While the album does not use lyrics to express its
themes, titles like the aforementioned “Sloganize,
Patronize, Realize, Revolutionize (Black Lives Matter)”and “Ballot Box Bounce” emphasize the politicalunderpinnings. There is also a spiritual element;
African-American gospel is a major influence on“Out Amongst the People (For J Bat)” and “That’s
When All Will See”.
Pundits described 2020 as the year from hell andhave been saying the same thing about 2021, yet The
Democracy! Suite by no means wallows in pessimism.
Nor does the material come across as bitter. Thomas
Paine famously said, “These are the times that try
men’s souls.” Marsalis responds to the challenges of
our times by encouraging not only politicalinvolvement, but also hope.
For more information, visit 2021.jazz.org/blue-engine-records.
Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra with Wynton Marsalis is at
Rose Theater Nov. 18th-20th. See Calendar.

Gabriel zucker"leftover beats from theedge of time”

attitude!
"pause & effect”

ESP-DISK’
THE NEW YORK CITY JAZZ RECORD | NOVEMBER 2021 27

Fallen Heroes
Willie Jones III (WJ3)
by Scott Yanow

So many jazz greats have passed in the last few years
that one could easily put together a heavenly allstar
big band. Drummer Willie Jones III pays tribute to fiveon Fallen Heroes: Roy Hargrove, Larry Willis, Jimmy
Heath, Ndugu Chancler and Jeff Clayton.
While three of the nine numbers are mournful andeven gloomy in spots, overall the music is more upbeat,remembering the joyful spirit of the musicians. The set
begins with a well-constructed four-minute drum solo,“Something For Ndugu”. “Fallen Hero”, one of three
Larry Willis pieces, is taken quite slowly with alto
saxophonist Sherman Irby in the lead.
The mood changes quickly with one of Heath’s
beloved songs, “C.T.A.”, featuring solos and trades by
Irby and fellow alto Justin Robinson and a fine spot for
pianist George Cables. Hargrove’s “Trust” is given asomber treatment with a vocal by Renee Neufville andheartfelt playing from Robinson.
Trumpeter Jeremy Pelt’s “Truthful Blues” is not an
obvious tribute although one could easily imagine
Clayton joining in. The happy midtempo blues has
a melody and soulful ensemble sound reminiscent of
Horace Silver. Pelt, Robinson, trombonist Steve Davis,

November 2021

Cables and bassist Gerald Cannon all make statements.
A pair of Willis pieces, modal jazz waltz “Annika’s
Lullaby” and “To Wisdom, The Prize”, include
rewarding solos from the horns and Cables. “I’ve Just
Seen Her” starts out with an introspective piano solo by
Isaiah J. Thompson, includes some warm trumpet
playing and also has a return spot for Thompson that is
a bit happier. The CD concludes with uptempo minor
blues “Jackin’ For Changes”: it begins withunaccompanied drums, adds fast walking bass, includes
blazing Cables, Robinson and Pelt solos and ends as it
started, with bass and drums and finally Jones solo.
While paying tribute to the departed, Fallen Heroes
also shows that their music will carry on through those
who are still with us.
For more information, visit wj3records.com. Jones is at
Birdland Nov. 23rd-27th with Ken Peplowski. See Calendar.

Overcome
Dave Douglas (Greenleaf Music)
by Tom Greenland

Count on versatile trumpeter Dave Douglas to find

new ways to navigate new challenges. The album coverof Overcome, his latest release, shows a POV phototaken aboard a small craft, gazing across a dark restlessbody of water covered by overcast skies with clouded
peaks in the distance: a visual metaphor for the postquarantine socioeconomic malaise that threatened toovercome the musicians, which they in turn met (andovercame) with collective creative resistance. A digitalproduction, which required the musicians to sharefiles, overdubbing their parts individually, Overcome
generates the surprising audio illusion that it wasmade during a joint session.
On many tracks—e.g. “We Shall Overcome”, theCivil Rights anthem, and vocalist/guitarist Camila
Meza’s title track about being bewitched by her lover ’s
voice—bassist Jorge Roeder and drummer Rudy
Royston serve as malleable but functional click-tracks.
Douglas and trombonist Ryan Keberle play over thesein constant ‘dialogue’, one leading the improvisation
while the other plays obbligato parts or guide-tonelines in the manner of a New Orleans tailgate
trombonist. These cohesive exchanges between thebrass is one of the project’s chief delights. Meza andfellow singer Fay Victor too play off each other, one
reading lyrics while her counterpart encircles her with
scatted figures. Somehow all of this activity doesn’tinterfere with itself and the result comes off like a welloiled trad-jazz band working contemporary material.
“Perspective”, the longest and most interesting
track, manages to sustain the illusion of interactivity,
even over an extended free-blowing section when
Royston opens up and unwinds on the toms, at lastcuing the ensemble back with a return to steadyquarter-note pulsing. If Douglas & Co. can make music
this unified via the interzones of digital media, it bodes
well for in-person interaction.
For more information, visit greenleafmusic.com. Douglas is
at Birdland Nov. 30th-Dec. 4th. See Calendar.

“[An] uncanny
ability to blur theline between
avant-garde andmainstream
jazz.”- Downbeat

new releases CD - download - streaming

Complete catalogs: www.steeplechase.dk

Bud Powell piano

Thorbjörn Hultcranz bass
Erik Amundsen bass
Sune Spångberg drums
Ole Jacob Hansen drums"Fiedler pay[s]indirect tribute to
tradition while
simultaneously
turning themusic insideout."- Jazziz

SCCD 36041

Nate Radley guitar

Jay Anderson bass
Adam Nussbaum drums
SCCD 31921

Monnette Sudler
guitar, vocal
Oliver Collins piano
Kenny Kellem bass
Newman T. Baker drums
SCCD 31923

Release Date: November 12, 2021
Available on these platforms:
Spotify, Apple Music, iTunes Store,
Bandcamp, Deezer, Tidal
TOUR DATES
11/12 • THE JAZZ GALLERY / NYC
11/19 • NEXT STAGE ARTS / PUTNEY, VT
11/20 • BOP SHOP / ROCHESTER, NY
11/21 • THE LINDA / WAMC’s PERFORMING ARTS STUDIO / ALBANY, NY
11/22 • QUINN'S / BEACON, NY

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

28 NOVEMBER 2021 | THE NEW YORK CITY JAZZ RECORDThis tour is made possible with the support of Jazz Road, a national
initiative of South Arts, which is funded by the Doris Duke Charitable
Foundation with additional support from The Andrew W. Mellon
Foundation.

212.258.9877
BROADWAY AT 60TH ST., 5TH FL.

NOV 18–20

WYNTON AT 60

Join the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra with
Wynton Marsalis for a special concert celebrationof Marsalis’s milestone birthday.

DEC 15–19

BIG BAND HOLIDAYSWith swinging, big band versions of everyone’s holiday
favorites, don’t miss this inspiring seasonal event
perfect for the whole family, featuring the JLCO
with Wynton Marsalis and special guest vocalists.

Dear Love
Jazzmeia Horn and Her Noble Force(Empress Legacy Records)
by Russ Musto

The followup to Grammy-nominated Social Call andLove and Liberation, Dear Love finds Jazzmeia Horndisplaying impressive abilities, not only as a strikingly
original vocalist, but also as a talented composer,
arranger and poetess. Leading a 13-strong big band of
first-call players she has dubbed Her Noble Force,Horn presents originals and arrangements extending
the traditions personified by Ella Fitzgerald, Sarah
Vaughan, Betty Carter and Abbey Lincoln.
The date opens with Horn’s “I Feel You Near” onwhich she recites her poem “Grand Rising” over aprocessional rhythm anchored by Jason Marshall’s
baritone saxophone. A multi-tracked vocal interlude,“Be Perfect”, introduces Lafayette Harris’ “He Could
Be Perfect”, a grooving outing with Horn singing thewishful lyric in a full-bodied soprano voice over therhythm section of Keith Brown, Eric Wheeler andAnwar Marshall with Jason Marshall soloing boldly on
a bottom-heavy arrangement. The ensemble swings
straightahead on Horn’s uptempo arrangement ofGene de Paul-Don Raye’s “He’s My Guy”, whichfeatures her high-flying upper register and scat chorus
and Keith Loftis’ wailing tenor. The singer ’s sensual”(Let Us) Take Our Time” lives up to its title andincludes a spoken word oration of her poem “Hearts
Choose” over Freddie Hendrix’ muted trumpet.
A multi-tracked vocal chorale introduces Sigmund
Romberg-Oscar Hammerstein II’s “Lover Come BackMe”, which includes a tour de force scat section andfoot-stomping shout chorus. Horn is accompanied
only by piano and string quartet on a delicate readingof The Beatles’ “Can’t Buy Me Love”, interspersing hersocially conscious poem “Faces”. On Yunie Mojica’s
beautiful “Nia”, Bruce Williams offers an impassioned
alto solo, complementing Horn’s ardent reading of the
lyric. Horn’s multiplied voice initiates her politicallycharged anthem “Strive (To Be)”, which includes apoetic tribute to her grandmother, “Her Infinite Well”.
Hymn-like ”Where We Are” follows, with the singer
once again accompanied by a string quartet, before thealbum proper concludes with Pastor E.J. Robinson
sermonizing on “Judah Rise”. Bonus track “Where Is
Freedom” has Sullivan Fortner joining the fray onorgan for a rollicking New Orleans-styled encore.
For more information, visit artistryofjazzhorn.com. This
project is at Joe’s Pub Nov. 16th-20th. See Calendar.

Broadbent Plays Brubeck
Alan Broadbent (Eden River)by Pierre Giroux

Alan Broadbent is a triple-threat: pianist with ahoneyed, polished sound; composer for classicalensembles; and arranger for a variety of jazz

aggregations and vocalists. Broadbent Plays Brubeck
goes back to his youth in New Zealand when he cameacross a book of transcriptions, Brubeck Plays Brubeck,
prepared by Dave’s brother Howard. Without any
musical reference point, Broadbent simply played thepieces as written, enchanted by the chord structure,
harmony and melodies. Youthful memories are long
lasting and, when actualized, very gratifying.
Broadbent, bassist Harvie S and drummer Hans
Dekker, plus the London Metropolitan Strings using
Broadbent’s arrangements, bring to life those Brubeck
compositions so evocative to him as a youth. Beginningwith “The Duke”, which bewitched listeners in theMiles Davis/Gil Evans collaboration, Broadbent avoids
comparison by creating layers of nuance around thewell-known theme and filling it with the brightness of
his pianistic touch.
Brubeck, with his classical music education, nevershied away from compositions that utilized rhythms
and time signatures considered non-standard. Twonumbers in this category are “Bossa Nova USA” and“Blue Rondo à La Turk”. On the former, the bossa nova
rhythm is crisply articulated and the lush stringarrangement provides the cushion for Broadbent andspace for Harvie S to show his strength and sensitivity.
On the latter, the strings establish the repeating themewith multiple alternating episodes before Broadbent
slides in with a solo filled with slicing swing. The
theme is then repeated with ever increasing intensity
until a crescendo closes out the number.
“In Your Own Sweet Way” is one of the mostrecognized Brubeck compositions, written for wife Iola
as a jazz ballad in a 32-bar form. Broadbent’s
arrangement does not stray, with a structure that keeps
the melody in mind and his piano interjection swinging
lightly with an elegant touch. The coda for Broadbent
Plays Brubeck is that sometimes dreams do come true.
For more information, visit eden-river-records.com.
Broadbent is at Birdland Nov. 18th-20th with Sheila Jordan
and Mezzrow Nov. 21st. See Calendar.

Live at the Churchill School
Rob Scheps & The TBA Band (Powder Rhythm)
by Ken Dryden

Rob Scheps is a veteran saxophonist who has worked

with artists as varied as Jaki Byard, Henry Threadgill,John Abercrombie, Clark Terry, Terumasa Hino andNancy King in addition to leading his own groups.
Scheps sticks exclusively to soprano saxophone andflute on this CD, offering a diverse array of originals,
beautifully interpreted by a band he recruited during a
return visit to his native Oregon: pianist Matt Cooper,
bassist Laurent Nickel, drummer Michael Rodenkirch
and guitarist Luke McKern.
Multifaceted opener “Hatshepsut” is a hip originalalternating between postbop and a playful reggae
rhythm, producing an infectious groove to get
audiences swaying along with the band. “Green
Goddess” is an elegant jazz waltz highlighted by thework of both Cooper and Scheps. Ballad “Pellucid
Redemption” is atypical, incorporating both funk andsamba, with added percussion by McKern. “Amethyst”,
midtempo with a hint of mystery, is dedicated to thelate bassist Gary Peacock. When Scheps switches toflute, his bright lyricism is even more prominent while
Nickel shines in the spotlight, paying tribute to a latemaster without trying to emulate his sound.

30 NOVEMBER 2021 | THE NEW YORK CITY JAZZ RECORD“Stick Pimps” is a sudden change in direction
with the addition of McKern’s electric guitar andNickel switching to electric bass. It evolved from theleader asking the guitarist to play like John Fruscianteof The Red Hot Chili Peppers; the brittle guitar soundand funky riff grows on the listener, with brief detours
into a more placid, straightahead sound. The intense“McCoy’s Luminous Mountains” is a driving workfeaturing furious soprano and a dazzling piano solo,
paying tribute to the late maestro Tyner. A followup
recording is strongly merited.
For more information, visit robschepsmusic.com. Scheps is
at The Cutting Room Nov. 3rd. See Calendar.

IN PRINT

Griot: Examining The Lives of Jazz’s
Great Storytellers, Vol. 1
Jeremy Pelt (s/r)
by Russ Musto

The West African tradition of the itinerant musician

storyteller, the griot, resonates greatly in the worldof jazz. Inspired by Art Taylor ’s landmark Notes And
Tones, trumpeter Jeremy Pelt (who turns 45 thismonth) takes the tradition into the 21st Century inthis first volume of musician-to-musician interviews,
which offers a telling insight into the music throughthe lens of Black experience. To call it a most valuableaddition to the bibliography would be a grossunderstatement.
Paul West, Warren Smith, Bertha Hope, Eddie
Henderson, Larry Willis, René Marie, Lewis Nash,
Wynton Marsalis, Peter Washington, Terri Lyne
Carrington, Justin Robinson, Greg Hutchinson, JD
Allen, Robert Glasper and Ambrose Akinmusire offera broad perspective on what it means to be a Black
Jazz musician (Pelt capitalizes both words throughout,emphasizing their importance to the narrative).
Pelt queries each concerning parentage,
upbringing, musical exposure, political awareness,
community, culture and mentors. Through the latter
we learn the lessons of unsung heroes and gain thewisdom of departed masters like Dizzy Gillespie,
Art Blakey, Betty Carter, Ray Brown, Tommy
Flanagan, Ellis Marsalis, Marcus Belgrave and Roy
Hargrove. Thus is the way of the griots.
The camaraderie between author and subject isapparent throughout and contributes greatly to thetone of the discussions, which move easily between
colloquial and eloquent. Many of Pelt’s questions
and the interviewees’ often divergent responses on
the subjects of race, segregation, the meaning ofswing and the efficacy of the word jazz are bound toengender controversy and invite further discussion.
And rightly so. It is time for a candid conversation
regarding these matters.
But if there is a key message to be taken awayfrom what is told here, it is best expressed by JD Allen:“A lot of things made people realize that we wereintelligent … You have all these great Black intellectuals… but when we came out with Jazz you could notdeny that we are some very intelligent people.”
For more information, visit jeremypelt.net. Pelt is at
Smalls Nov. 2nd with Adam Shulman. See Calendar.

Pathways
Michael Rodriguez (Rodbrosmusic)
by Dan Bilawsky

A confluence of influences, this release from trumpeter

Michael Rodriguez taps into his experiences working
with jazz icons. Sharing a frontline with tenor
saxophonist John Ellis and engaging a stellar rhythm
section of pianist Gary Versace, bassist Joe Martin anddrummer Obed Calvaire, he delivers an arresting
program focused on originals speaking to travels withlegends and lessons learned along the way.
Opening on the title track, Rodriguez uses bothdriven straight-time and seriously swinging space togenuflect to the giants of the music. He then focuses on
specific artists who have figured into his journey: “In
Due Time”, gliding along gracefully, nods to Kenny
Barron (and Rodriguez’ decade-long tenure in the
pianist’s quintet); sinuous “Just in Case”, supported by
seductive grooves and exiting with wonderfully
twined lines, honors Gonzalo Rubalcaba, anotherpianist who employed the trumpeter and left a strong
impression; and literal centerpiece “Crossroads”,
recognizes pianist Chick Corea and bandleader Maria
Schneider in its development. Rodriguez, having
written the piece after recording with Corea’s Spanish
Heart Band in 2019 and absorbing the colorful melodies
and shapes in Schneider ’s art as a member of herorchestra, intentionally and lovingly infused theessence of both singular visionaries into this work.
The last of Rodriguez’ composition, “Solid Ground”,
calls to Corea in more overt fashion, accentuating aplayful energy that is absolutely magnetic. Things cometo a close with different yet complementary covers:
guitarist Bill Frisell’s “Throughout”, in tribute to Charlie
Haden and serving as a reflection on Rodriguez’ timewith the bassist’s Liberation Music Orchestra; andRichard Rodgers-Lorenz Hart classic “Spring is Here”,
opening on Rodriguez all by his lonesome, patiently
bringing each member into the picture and settling intoa full-band flow to mark the dawn of a new season ofcreativity. Showing respect for those who have welcomed
him and opened doors to new possibilities, Rodriguez
demonstrates mastery and majesty all his own.
For more information, visit rodbrosmusic.com. Rodriguez is at
The Jazz Gallery Nov. 5th with Remy Le Boeuf. See Calendar.

a Romantic-era classical quartet employing tonalharmonies with chromatic embellishments; other times
like programmatic film scoring; still others like theunisons, soli and tuttis germane to jazz big band charts.
In places cellist Wataru Mukai plucks walking ‘bass’lines or bows guitar-like riffs. On the final track
violinists Tatsuo Nishie and Sohei Birmann and violist
Meguna Naka trade solos, imitating the style of a Romadance. The four movements of the suite—“Isolation”,“The Unknown”, “Drifters” and “Fortitude”—are all
set in minor keys, often favoring 6/8 rhythms at fast
tempos, though the third begins with a five-beatBrahms-esque chorale. The fifth track, “Uncertainty”,
is a solo rumination that lingers in the high register.
Hiromi’s astounding technique could come off as
grandstanding—for example, in the fourth movement
she holds a high right-hand trilling figure while
simultaneously moving a left-hand bass part, soloing in
the midrange, and some of her runs are so fast it is hardto hear the separate notes—but even in her mostprecipitous moments she seems to be working with anidea, expressively pulling on the time, lacing her longlines with internal ornaments and figures. Without
laying back in the traditional jazz sense, she neverthelesscreates her own brand of swing through rhythmic
mobility. Some of her finest playing is heard on“Someday”, “Jumpstart” and “11:49PM” where, à laOscar Peterson, she sequences motives into long, wellarticulated passages peppered with bluesy inserts.
If the album crackles and sparks, Hiromi’s earlyset (Oct. 7th), the first of four she would play at Times
Square’s Sony Hall, positively exploded. She covered
all but one piece from the album, opening with
“Someday”, followed by the suite, then “11:49PM”,“Jumpstart” and “Ribera Del Duero” for an encore.
The string section hired for the two-night stand—violinists Curtis Stewart and Fung Chern Hwei, violist
Nick Revel and cellist Hamilton Berry—did a fine job
with the inventive arrangements, nailing the long fast
tricky unison passages, milking the rich choral section,
improvising adeptly on the finale. Hiromi, always anenergetic presence, seemed especially charged up to beback on stage at last, grinning directly into the crowd
as she developed an intricate motive, stomping hergold lamé, pom-pom-laced hi-top sneakers in time tothe beat, at one point jumping up to dance while thestrings played, clapping a 6/8 clave pattern toaccompany them. At times she sounded like a conguero,using rapid alternating hand combinations to achieve
masterful syncopation, at others she held down gnarly
left-hand ostinatos while her right hand sped up anddown the keyboard for long stretches, only to stopsuddenly with millisecond precision. But the audience
wasn’t just shaking their heads or dropping theirjawbones in amazement: they were smiling at Hiromi’s
sheer cleverness and contagious enthusiasm, sharing
her joy in the act of music-making.

segueing directly from one track to the next. He also
has a group of loyal musicians, a few of whom arecharter members while others have long tenure andobviously enjoy Palermo’s madcap yet swinging
arrangements.
While the band’s latest CD is primarily focused onhits by British rock bands, Palermo manages to sneakin some Zappa, sometimes as a part of a medley andother times inserted in unexpected places. Who else
would score a medley of The Beatles’ “Within You
Without You” with The Hollies’ “Stop Stop Stop”, only
to include quotes of Zappa works like “Little House
I Used To Live In” and “G-Spot Tornado”? The musicof Traffic, Thunderclap Newman, Jethro Tull andProcol Harum are also subjected to Palermo’s
experimentation. The blending of The Beatles’ “ComeTogether” and Zappa’s “Chunga’s Revenge” issidesplitting, especially with yet another cameo of“G-Spot Tornado”. “Let’s Move To Cleveland” andThe Beatles’ “Fixing A Hole” is more mashup than
medley, with Zappa dominating the musical landscapeand violinist Kate Jacoby’s spicy violin prominently
featured.
The controlled insanity concludes with a hilarious
mashup of The Moody Blues’ “Nights In White Satin”
utilizing Zappa’s “Moggio” as a backing theme,
showcasing keyboardist Ted Kooshian and a sincere
vocal by Bruce McDaniel (who also arranged theintroduction), before slowing the tempo to parody theoriginal closing narration with several biting asides by
Michael James. Palermo fans will also enjoy the band
caricatures in the artwork, with references to thefamous Beatles LP Abbey Road.
For more information, visit palermobigband.com. Palermo
is at Iridium Nov. 22nd. See Calendar.

For more information, visit concord.com/labels/telarc

Silver Lining Suite
Hiromi (Telarc)
by Tom Greenland

S ilver Lining Suite is Japanese pianist Hiromi’s 12th

studio project, inspired in part by months of separationfrom bandmates and audiences, in part by a desire to
write for and play with a classical string quartet.
Known for her unique style—a meshing of jazz,classical and pop/rock influences delivered withexpressive virtuosity—Hiromi here uses the string
section in innovative ways: sometimes it sounds like

The Great Un-American Songbook, Vol. III
Ed Palermo Big Band (Skycat)
by Ken Dryden

Ed Palermo has been leading his big band since themid ‘90s and his frequent inspiration has been thecompositions of Frank Zappa. Like him, Palermo
enjoys creating medleys, occasionally throwing inmashups of several other songs into the mix while

THE NEW YORK CITY JAZZ RECORD | NOVEMBER 2021 31

ON SCREEN

and sudden changes of direction. This is another strong
addition to Lossing’s discography.
For more information, visit russlossing.com andsunnysiderecords.com. Lossing is at Scholes Street Studio
Nov. 10th with Lena Bloch. See Calendar.
Twice
Russ Lossing/Gerry Hemingway (Aqua Piazza)
Metamorphism
Russ Lossing (Sunnyside)by Ken Dryden

We Knew What We Had:
The Greatest Jazz Story Never Told
Directed by Jeff Sewald
Produced by Marty Ashby(MCG Jazz)by Thomas Conrad

P ittsburgh, Pennsylvania: It is not a place nameredolent with mystique and romance. But writer/
director Jeff Sewald and producer Marty Ashby
intend to change your understanding of Pittsburgh.
Early in their 57-minute documentary they stake aclaim: “Pittsburgh produced more jazz innovators
than any other city its size.” Their supporting
evidence includes names such as Earl Hines, Billy
Strayhorn, Erroll Garner, Kenny Clarke, Billy
Eckstine, Ray Brown, Stanley Turrentine, Ahmad
Jamal, Mary Lou Williams, Art Blakey and George
Benson. Their film contains entertaining footage of
all of the above in action. It also sheds light on thesocial conditions and historical events thatengendered an artistic flowering in Pittsburgh.
Black migration into the city started in the early
1800s. Pittsburgh schools desegregated in the 1870s.
The music curriculum of the schools was classical.
There was a strong classical component to the Blackmusical culture that developed in Pittsburgh(one example: the National Negro Opera Company
began there in 1941). Saxophonist/educator Nathan
Davis says, “For the jazz musicians with classicaltraining, that standard of perfection of the
instrument was always there.” Style-making
pioneers like Hines, Strayhorn and Garner cameinto jazz with substantial classical backgrounds.
From the ‘40s, the nerve center of the Pittsburgh
jazz scene was the Black district, known as “TheHill”. You could go from club to club (the mostimportant The Crawford Grille) seven nights a week
and hear jazz until three in morning. Yet the scene
was more intimate than in larger cities. Trombonist/
historian Nelson Harrison says, “I was of thegeneration that had direct access to the innovators.
They were up close and personal.”This documentary tells its story throughfascinating performance clips, a rich cache ofhistorical film footage and photographs andcommentary from many authorities and eye
witnesses:
musicians,
educators,
producers,
recording engineers and historians. It is a kick tosee, even in cloudy black and white, Duke Ellington
usher Strayhorn to the piano for “Take the ‘A’ Train”
and Williams unleashing her extraordinary left hand
and to experience Garner ’s orchestra, which washimself alone, playing “Misty”.
There is sadness at the end when the original
Hill district is demolished by urban renewal.
Historian Ralph Proctor says, “You began to losethat culture. What you are left with is the memories.”
But memories are always at risk of fading into
the shadows of history. This film safeguards thosememories. A quality of sweetness accompanies theserious purpose of this project. We Knew What We
Had is an act of love for a place and time long gone.
For more information, visit mcgjazz.org

Russ Lossing is a pianist who covers a wide spectrumof jazz styles, equally at home in mainstream and avant
garde jazz. A 2014 studio meeting with drummer Gerry
Hemingway produced Twice, a stunning album of free
improvisations, where the players seem to be of one
mind. Lossing’s manipulation of the piano strings,
whether by hand-muting as he plays a chord or
strumming them, creates moody, striking textures
while Hemingway’s deft use of his drumkit adds to thetension, especially his fascinating cymbal work. The
opening track, “Yellow Light”, has many twists anduses space effectively, making it perfect for asoundtrack to a suspense film. In “Keeping Still” someof Hemingway’s percussive effects are reminiscent of
those used by avant garde classical composer Edgard
Varèse in “Ionization”, ominous gong-like sounds
drawn from his cymbals, blending with mysterious
piano. The centerpiece of the threatening “In What Is
Small (For John Cage)” is the recurring vocal-likesounds by Hemingway, which could include him
drumming on his cheeks with his mouth open, though
only he and Lossing know for sure. The piano
introduction to “Earth Mother” is the closest thing tomusic that sounds composed, with jagged lines thatseem inspired by Igor Stravinsky’s early 20th Century
ballets while the Russian composer ’s influence is also
heard in the rapid piano finale to “Water Above And
Below”. The music within this duo date is not forcasual listening. It demands full attention without any
distractions, likely the requirements for Lossing andHemingway to create this stimulating music.
Lossing’s quartet recording Metamorphism from2017 is a straightahead session for the most part,featuring three talented veterans: saxophonist Loren
Stillman and bassist John Hébert, both of whom haverecorded with him a number of times, plus drummer
Michael Sarin. The pianist brought eight strong
compositions to the date and while it is unclear
whether the band had the opportunity to test theseworks on live audiences, the musicians are clearlystimulated. One of the things that is refreshing about
Lossing is that he puts so much emphasis on thecontributions of his sidemen, willing to step back tofeature them at length, though he is a dynamic,
inventive soloist when he steps into the spotlight.
Lossing worked quite a bit with Paul Motian, hiring
the drummer for recordings and also appearing alongwith him on others’ CDs. He is clearly a fan of Motian’scompositions, having devoted an entire CD to some ofthem, so dedicating the title track to the late giant is
no surprise. This extended work has a melancholy air
with mournful soprano saxophone supported by therhythm section’s spacious backdrop. Lossing’s
introspective solo slowly unfolds in dramatic fashion
while Sarin emulates Motian’s frequent ‘less is more’approach to percussion, providing sporadic accents
versus being constantly active. The lyrical ballad “Mai”
has a wistful air conveying a sense of loss throughemotional alto saxophone. “Blind Horizon”, dedicatedto the late pianist/composer Andrew Hill, creates amysterious mood with its tantalizing solo piano
introduction, the addition of soprano and the rhythm
section shifting the piece to a more foreboding mood.
“Canto 24” takes a different direction; it brings to mind
Ornette Coleman’s compositions with its angular lines

32 NOVEMBER 2021 | THE NEW YORK CITY JAZZ RECORD

Lowell Davidson Trio
Lowell Davison (ESP-Disk’)by Duck Baker

The one record the late Lowell Davidson (born 80

years ago this month) made for ESP-Disk’ was recorded
in 1965 and gained some attention among free jazz fansfor the simple reason that there were not yet a lot ofrecords available by the generation of players to comeup in the post-Ornette Coleman era. Then it was mostly
forgotten. Davidson didn’t record again or gig verymuch and his music seemed opaque even to people
who were digging The New Thing. As time has passed,
however, a growing number of people seem to bereevaluating Davidson’s music and we may hope that
this vinyl reissue pushes things along in this direction.
To mid ‘60s ears, Davidson’s piano style seemed tosynthesize very different approaches. He built his
improvisations largely on short, abstract phrases that
seemed to start in mid-sentence and veered off in
unexpected directions before dissolving, reminiscent ofPaul Bley at his best. But the vocabulary used for thesebrief flights sometimes evoked Cecil Taylor. One canalso detect a tenuous relationship to both Mal Waldron
and Andrew Hill’s playing. Compositionally,
Davidson’s pieces are similar to the quizzical kernels
Carla Bley was writing at the time and, like her, he canbe almost painfully lyrical (“Stately I” here). But there
were things about Davidson that didn’t sound likeanyone else, especially harmonically. At times the senseof harmonic progression felt almost ‘normal’, but thensuddenly things could move in a way that left listeners
asking themselves what just happened, as if they had
fallen down a rabbit hole and popped up in an
unfamiliar landscape. More often, Davidson halts any
feeling of harmonic progression, even repeating a fairly
straight chord with his left hand while the right goes off
on seemingly unrelated tangents. There was much
more tension than release in this music and the listenermust give full attention, perhaps taking it one track at atime while getting used to this demanding approach.
The fact that Davidson asks a lot of his listeners
may explain why he did not attract more of an
audience. Another is that he was ahead of his timeeven by the standards of free jazz. While most of themusic does conform to the idea of a head played at the
beginning and end with room for soloing in between,
there are passages where the three musicians all playvery minimally to create a group improv much likethat associated with European players in the following
decade. And bassist Gary Peacock and drummer
Milford Graves are at their absolute best, not only
plugged into what Davidson was doing but alsoseeming to play in ways they never did before or since.
It is a must for serious Graves fans.
Does it all really work? Is this record as good assome people think it is? Listeners should answer thatquestion for themselves, certainly, but no one who loves
free music should ignore Lowell Davidson. That has
already gone too long.
For more information, visit espdisk.com

Germany’s first Jazz label and its
treasure trove of pioneers andinternational jazz stars

E U R O P E ’ S I C O N I C JA Z Z L A B E L
AND ITS MOS T PERFECT SOUND

High-quality reissues on LP and CD, re-mastered fromthe original master tapes, have hit the US and Canada at last.
Reissues by Oscar Peterson, George Duke, Monty Alexander,
Ella Fitzgerald, Freddie Hubbard, Dexter Gordon,
Bill Evans, Baden Powell and many more!
Find out more: www.mps-releases.com

www.mps-music.com

Organic Music Theatre Chateauvallon 1972
Don Cherry’s New Researches(featuring Nana Vasconcelos) (Blank Forms)
by Monique Ngozi Nri

Don Cherry, who would have turned 85 this month,and his wife and collaborator, Moki, left New Yorkbehind in 1970 to establish a home of music and art inTågarp, Sweden. This 1972 concert, whose audio wastaken from a video of the titular French festival,
represents Cherry’s departure from the exploitative
world of jazz, drugs and city life and his immersion inmusic as an environmental alternative way of life.
Opening track “Dha Dhin Na, Dha Tin Na” is an
Indian chant, the audience heard clapping a rhythmwith a cowbell and Cherry on piano and vocals
accompanied by saxophonist Doudou Gouirand. The
music flows into a charming second piece, “My
Butterfly Friend”, Cherry singing the title phrase
repeatedly. Nothing of the avant garde that made him
famous is to be found here except, perhaps, theimprovisations and way the pieces flow into one
another. On “Ganesh”, Cherry sings with piano, barely
accompanied by Gouirand and Naná Vasconcelos onlight percussion, creating a feeling of folksy mysticism.
Hari Krishna is invoked and Cherry sings to theaudience, “I wanna give you something from myheart.” He jokes that folk don’t smile much in the
North as compared to folks from the South. It is a
happy, playful scene that is set, like being immersed ina hippie commune in the ‘70s.
At least two decades before it became a household
word, what is here is world music, taken from many
spheres and melded into a sound that speaks to Cherry’s
concern that music be a part of everyday life with noseparation between performers and audience. There is
Brazilian, Malian, South African, Indian and Native
American music in these tracks. “Relativity Suite, Part1” features the donso ngoni, a hunter’s guitar from
Mali, which brought Swedish reedplayer Christer
Bothén to Cherry’s attention when Cherry saw him playthe instrument on TV, and Vasconcelos on berimbau, an
instrument of African origin played in Brazil.
The two-CD set is attractively packaged, witha bright orange cover image reminiscent of Moki
Cherry’s paintings. The liner notes consist of an essay
written by Magnus Nygren, Cherry’s biographer, withAndrew Lampert pointing to two fundamental
concepts created by Moki and Don. The first is “Organic
Music Theatre”, described in the book The Organic
Music Societies, also published by Blank Forms, as“a collaborative intermedia initiative” that emerged
from the Cherry’s home in rural Sweden, “open spacefor musicians and community members to produce art
and music in their home.” The second is an
improvisational technique called “collage music”,
which builds the performance through the use ofsmaller composed pieces and music created on the
spot. The notes also contain black and whitephotographs of Don, Moki and the Organic Music
Theatre in different settings and the scenography that
Moki created, consisting of banners, carpets andcostumes, an essential part of the musical process ofOrganic Music Theatre.
This project does a great job of preserving a criticalpart of the work of Don and Moki Cherry and their life
contribution to expanding jazz, music of the spirit.
For more information, visit blankforms.org

Dancing in the Dark
Tony Coe/John Horler (Gearbox)
by Marco Cangiano

Nothing is more challenging to navigate than a duo

setting. Tony Coe (clarinet, turning 87 this month) andpianist John Horler elevate the event to a celebration.
Coe’s focus on the clarinet makes the music even moreessential compared to his more familiar tenor saxophone,thus offsetting Horler’s occasional exuberance. The
result is an exceptionally well-balanced and joyful set
benefitting from the acoustics of Appleby St. Michael
Church and an attentive and appreciative audience.
Whereas Coe enjoys global recognition, Horler ’s
exposure outside the U.K. has been somewhat limited.
He is a well-rounded pianist who has absorbed Bill
Evans’ legacy via Chick Corea. But that would be
limiting his palette as he has a rare ability of dissecting
and recomposing standards reminiscent of Martial
Solal. The dynamics between his two hands is infectious
right from the start of the program with Evans’ rarely
executed “Re: Person I Knew” and comes across loudand clear in Cole Porter ’s “Night and Day”.
The empathy is uncanny as the two have lived andbreathed immortal melodies such as Johnny GreenEdward Heyman-Robert Sour-Frank Eyton’s “Bodyand Soul” and Thelonious Monk’s “Blue Monk” formost of their lives. Coe’s woody sound introduces his“Some Other Autumn”, an intriguing paraphrase of“Autumn Leaves” featuring Horler’s tunefulcounterpoint. Horler’s “Piece for Poppy”, dedicated to
his wife, initially brings back a certain Evans-esqueatmosphere, piano picking up the pace, soaring towards
a more rhythmic territory after a delightful clarinet
interlude. Arthur Schwartz-Howard Dietz’ “Dancing in
the Dark” follows a similar approach, but this time it isclarinet providing a dose of exhilaration prior towrapping up the theme. In such a program, a touch ofblues could not have been absent: Horler’s “Around inThree” and paradigmatic “Blue Monk”, Coe’s bowing
towards Pee Wee Russell over the imaginative tapestry
provided by Horler, conclude the celebration.
For more information, visit gearboxrecords.com

swinging music is still quite enjoyable even if the set’s‘plot’ is a bit diminished. A more serious fault has to dowith the packaging: although the CD has liner notes,
nowhere are the soloists identified (other than theguests), an inexcusable omission for an orchestra withmany excellent improvisers.
Things begin with “Passing Of The Torch”, amidtempo blues by Todd Bashore, which features finetenor, bass trombone (Omeed Nyman), trumpet, piano,bass and guitar solos. It serves as an excellent
introduction to the professional-sounding college
band. The title track, a line Dizzy Gillespie once said in
tribute to Louis Armstrong, was commissioned by
Gillespie; the boppish trumpet soloist is excellent as is
the tenor saxophonist. Other selections include a
tribute to the Philadelphia tenor player Bootsie Barnes
lost to COVID-19 (“Bootsie”); a pair of spirited vocals
by Danielle Dougherty (Sam H. Stept-Sidney Clare’s“Please Don’t Talk About Me When I’m Gone” and avery effective version of Shirley Scott’s “The Blues
Ain’t Nothin’ But Some Pain”); “Voice Of The
Saxophone” (a ballad showcasing a warm-toned tenor);and “The Wise Old Owl” (written in memory of Temple
University’s longtime basketball coach John Chaney).
Of the guest performances, “In That Order” is afeature for Joey DeFrancesco’s hard-swinging organ,“I Can’t Give You Anything But Love” is entirely a basssolo by Christian McBride and “Perdido” finds
DeFrancesco and McBride taking their turns alongwith a variety of fine soloists from the band. By then,
one can be forgiven for having long forgotten theconnection of this album to Jimmy Heath. Without You
No Me is easily recommended to fans of straightahead
big band jazz.
For more information, visit boyer.temple.edu

UPCOMING SHOWS
Fri & Sat, November 5th & 6th

JOHNNY O'NEAL TRIO

Friday, November 12th

GILAD HEKSELMAN TRIO

Saturday, November 13th

DAVE MEDER TRIO

Fri & Sat, November 19th & 20th

BOBBY WATSON QUARTET

Fri, Sat, & Sun, November 26th, 27th, 28th

BILL CHARLAP TRIO

Friday, December 3rd
Without You No Me (Honoring the Legacy of Jimmy Heath)
Temple University Jazz Band with Terell Stafford(BMC&D)by Scott Yanow

Temple University Jazz Band, under the direction of
trumpeter Terell Stafford (who turns 55 this month), is
one of the top college big bands. They recorded two
albums during the pandemic. Unlike Covid Sessions:
A Social Call, recorded remotely, Without You No Me wasmade in the studio with plenty of plexiglass dividers.
While this CD is subtitled “Honoring the Legacyof Jimmy Heath”, only two of the ten songs (the title
cut and “Voice of the Saxophone”) are actually by
Heath and his better-known originals are absent. The

34 NOVEMBER 2021 | THE NEW YORK CITY JAZZ RECORD

JUNE BISANTZ QUARTET

Saturday, December 4th

TYLER BLANTON (ft. Helio Alves)

Fri & Sat, December 10th & 11th

GEORGE COLLIGAN TRIO

(ft. Buster Williams & Lenny White)

Use code "NYJAZZ" for 5% off atthesidedoorjazz.com

Detail-90
Frode Gjerstad/Kent Carter/John Stevens(NoBusiness)
by John Sharpe

Recorded 41 years ago this month, Detail-90 (available

as LP or download) presents two side-long
improvisations from the seminal free jazz unit:
Norwegian alto saxophonist Frode Gjerstad, expat
American bassist Kent Carter and British drummer
John Stevens (who died in 1994). By this stage thegroup was eight years old, with the only significant
change being the passing of original member South
African bassist Johnny Dyani in 1986. However theshift in personnel didn’t alter the trio’s essential
character and it remained a pioneering co-operative
thriving in the fertile soil between jazz and abstraction.
Stevens looms large in the outfit’s triangulations
here, with a firm hand on tiller, steering the interplay
and dynamics from behind his kit. Even his choice ofwhen not to play proves decisive in calibrating theoverall trajectory while his prompting and cajoling act
as a fulcrum around which saxophone and bass pivot.
He often lays down a regular pulse, pitching theexchanges towards freebop (indeed Stevens maintained
a band of that name for several years), with Carterwalking propulsively and Gjerstad unfurling bright

Ornette Coleman-inspired dancing lines in response.
At other times Gjerstad adopts a querulous rawedged tone, embellished with dissonance andmultiphonics, presaging his later approach. Carter(who cut his teeth in the ‘60s with the Jazz Composers
Orchestra and Paul Bley, then was part of Steve Lacy’sgroups in the ‘70s) moves in resonant parallel toGjerstad, switching easily between bow and fingers.
Interaction between the pair reaches a high on thesecond side, with Gjerstad gradually running repeatedphrases together in swinging style as Carter fashions abuoyant counterpoint, before they peak with sustainednotes from alto and arco bass pleasingly intertwined.
With much of the band’s discography out of print,
this flowing set makes a fine addition, particularly
timeless in all senses of the word when they strike out
into the unknown.
For more information, visit nobusinessrecords.com

Live at Lobero, Vol. 2
Horace Tapscott (Nimbus West-Pure Pleasure)by Scott Yanow

O ne of the joys of the jazz scene in Los Angeles during
the ‘80s-90s was seeing pianist Horace Tapscott (193499) regularly lead a trio with bassist Roberto Miranda

and any one of several drummers. Tapscott had a very
original sound, based in the modern mainstream whilelooking forward.
Oddly enough, Tapscott, while featured on records
leading his Pan Afrikan Peoples Arkestra, heading
allstar combos and trios and on a series of solo piano
albums, only recorded with Miranda in a trio on one
occasion, 40 years ago this month. The Nov. 12th, 1981
session in Santa Barbara resulted in two records
originally released by Nimbus West. The Pure Pleasurelabel has reissued the music on two LPs.
Vol. 2 begins with “Lino’s Pad”, a piece in 7/4
time with Miranda mostly playing a six-note bass
pattern with occasional departures. Tapscott, Miranda(bowing his bass) and drummer Sonship Theus eachhave solos. “Close To Freedom” is a boppish numberthat features the trio swinging with a celebratory
mood. Miranda and Theus are both interactive with
Tapscott behind his solo, driving the piece and offering
melodic and rhythmic ideas that fit in well with
Tapscott’s musical direction.
The second side of the album is completely filled
up by a 22-minute version of Miranda’s “St. Michael”.
Part of each chorus during its first section is a vamp
while the remainder features the trio cooking. The
music is beyond hardbop but not quite avant garde,occupying a fertile middle ground. After the pianosolo, the trio plays out of tempo, creating thoughtfulensemble passages, which gradually build in passion
before the theme returns and Theus concludes themusic by hitting a gong.
While it is too bad there is not more of Tapscottand Miranda in this setting, one should be grateful thatthe tapes were rolling during this very musical evening.
For more information, visit purepleasurerecords.com

Freedom Jazz Danceis the latest releasefrom bassist
Leon Lee Dorsey
alongside
drummer extraordinaire
Mike Clark
and the brilliant
Cuban-born pianist
Manuel Valera.
Dedicated to the late
Puerto Rican-born piano
master Hilton Ruiz.
Get the music:
Veteran bassist Leon Lee Dorsey and drummer extraordinaire
Mike Clark have forged a deep simpatico over the course of four
projects on Dorsey’s Jazz Avenue 1 label.
2019’s Monk Time (with guitarist Greg Skaff)
2020’s Play Sgt. Pepper (with pianist Michael Wolff)
2021’s Thank You Mr. Mabern (with late, great pianist Harold Mabern)leonleedorsey.com
THE NEW YORK CITY JAZZ RECORD | NOVEMBER 2021 35

B OXED SE T

Creation Series
Joel Futterman (NoBusiness)
by John Sharpe

Pianist Joel Futterman recorded this outstanding five-

volume solo set between June-December 2008, but it
has only now been released on the enterprising
Lithuanian NoBusiness imprint. While grounded in
the tradition and classical study, Futterman quickly
graduated to freer means of musical expression in acareer largely pursued out of the limelight, having
moved to Virginia from his native Chicago back in
1972. But that hasn’t held him back as he has followed
his muse in consort with stellar collaborators such as
saxophonists Jimmy Lyons, Joseph Jarman and Kidd
Jordan, as well as alone. Now 75, he has amassed a
discography of over 70 entries, showcasing a style inwhich laser focus, independence of movement between
hands and crisp articulation at pace are given full rein.
Remarkably, each session was forged in the
moment and issued as complete unedited first takes
in the order recorded. Each volume comprises
between two and four parts of which seven exceed

the half-hour mark while a pair are less than 2
minutes. Fellow pianist Marc Medwin’s detailed
liners, which can almost act as listening notes,
helpfully trace correspondences and emphasize
recurring components across the five volumes.
Futterman’s favorite mode is an atonal rollercoasterstream of rapidly repeated figures, which evolve andexpand, embracing all sorts of digressions, flourishes
and snags on the way as inspiration trumps direct
travel. But that is not the end of the story. What is
striking is that Futterman’s singular vision sires anodyssey, which touches on much of the history of
jazz, but transmutes it into an intensely personal
journey. So allusions to spirituals, stride, bebop andmore surface at various points, not in any kitsch oraffected manner, but as part of an organic flow.
Futterman proves himself a master of creating
form from spontaneous materials by keeping multiple
ideas concurrently in mind, which he periodicallyrevisits, lending an appealing whiff of structure. His
extraordinary ability to give his two hands radicallydifferent voices is evident in the combination of highspeed undulations across the keyboard at the sametime as atmospheric manipulations of the innards andgets its fullest manifestation when he plays curved
soprano saxophone and piano simultaneously, a tactic
he deploys sparingly, only on the final two volumes,
but to devastating effect. And these are no simple
blasts. It sounds as if a saxophonist has wandered
into the studio.
The narrative does not necessarily develop in
linear fashion, as he juxtaposes and reprises previous
notions, sometimes across pieces as on Volume One.
Here, on the 20-minute-plus opener, his abstractions
unfurl into an extemporized gospel air in the last

NOV 2

NOV 11–14

LOU DONALDSON’S 95TH
BIRTHDAY CELEBRATIONWARREN WOLF & THE HISTORY
OF THE VIBES

NOV 3

NOV 19THE TRIO FEATURING TED NASH,
STEVE CARDENAS AND
BEN ALLISONYOUNG STARS OF JAZZNOV 4–7

NOV 24–28

STÉPHANE WREMBEL’S“DJANGO NEW ORLEANS”
WITH SPECIAL GUESTS BRIA
SKONBERG AND DAISY CASTR0
NOV 10

GILAD HEKSELMAN TRIO

five minutes. The same impromptu ballad also
reappears in the two subsequent selections on that
CD, acting as a linking motif between otherwise
disparate parts. Even when he establishes such
constructs, he often defers resolution, whether by
abrupt about-turns or by disrupting expectations. So
a bluesy refrain lasts just that bit longer than would
be anticipated to elicit a delicious, almost tantric,
tension. But elsewhere most tracks show little
explicit relation to others in the same session.
One of the absolute highlights, among a vastarray of riches, is the rolling free blues that opens
Volume Three, which, in Futterman’s hands, extends toencompass much of his sonic universe. It is the sort of
territory familiar from his alliance with Jordan,
heartfelt and exuberant rather than deconstructed,
though enlivened by the occasional rhythmic
dislocation and embellishments, such as glissandolike slurs called forth through his wondrous fluency.
Later, on “Part Three”, Futterman alternates what
could be a Monk-ish standard with a low-register
scuttling, the sort of contrast on which he thrives. One
particularly effective ploy is the sudden hiatus justwhen he seems in full spate. It is impossible to predict
what might come next, but a regular occurrence is thedive under the bonnet to extract drastically dissimilar
timbres. Through his adroit command of keys, wires,
pedals and touch he generates a wide range of
textures: percussive taps, koto-like plucks, spectral
shimmers, echoing thunder and scratchy rasps. You
have to marvel at Futterman’s sustained artistry. Eachinstallment can be enjoyed on its own terms, but taken
together the impact is intoxicating.
For more information, visit nobusinessrecords.com

NOV 20–21

RILEY MULHERKAR SEPTETWYCLIFFE GORDON &THE INTERNATIONAL ALL STARS
JAZZ.ORG/DIZZYS
7:30PM & 9:30PM
212.258.9595
BROADWAY AT 60TH ST.

36 NOVEMBER 2021 | THE NEW YORK CITY JAZZ RECORDQUINTETO ASTOR PIAZZOLLA"100 Years of Astor Piazzolla"
The Latin Grammy Award-winning ensemble
gathers to celebrate the centennial of the man
who revolutionized traditional tango music byintroducing elements of jazz and classicalcomposition into "nuevo tango".

NOV 14
7:30 PM
2537 Broadway at 95th Street

www.worldmusicinstitute.org

MISCELLANY
ONbyTHISDAYAndrey Henkin

In Concert
Charles Bell (Gateway)
November 9th, 1963

Triple Threat
Roland Kirk (King)
November 9th, 1956

This is the very rare, original issue of

Roland Kirk’s leader debut, made forthe King label, based in Cincinnati,
100 miles southwest of his Columbus
birthplace. The reedplayer, only 21,
proves the veracity of the title withthe cover: him playing tenor, straight
alto and straight soprano saxophones,
which he does throughout the date(though not always at the same time).
Alongside “Stormy Weather” and“Easy Living” are four originals
played with James Madison (piano),
Carl Pruitt (bass, ‘40s Cootie Williamsvet) and Henry Duncan (drums).

Pittsburgh

pianist Charles Bell’squartet was on the schedule for theinfamous 1960 Newport Jazz Festival
cancelled due to rioting. After thatmissed opportunity came quartet
albums for Columbia and Atlantic(including a young Allen Blairman on
drums) and this final trio session for
local label Gateway. The location isPittsburgh’s Carnegie Lecture Halland the band is completed by Thomas
Sewell (bass) and William Harris, Jr.
(drums). Unlike the earlier albums,
jazz standards outnumber Bell’s
original compositions.

Ten To Two Blues
Dusko Goykovich (Ensayo)
November 9th, 1971

Serbian trumpeter Dusko Goykovich,then-Yugoslavia’s most famous jazzexport, is found in Barcelona,recording for a local label with a
Catalan pianist (Tete Montoliu),
Dutch bassist (Rob Langereis) andGerman drummer (Joe Nay). By thispoint Goykovich had been aprofessional for 15 years as a leader orsideman (often with big bands of Kurt
Edelhagen, Kenny Clarke/Francy
Boland, Maynard Ferguson andWoody Herman). He wrote three ofthe six tunes, Montoliu one, the othertwo jazz and Songbook standards.

Zürich Live 1986
Mike Westbrook (hatART)
November 9th, 1986

TributeKen McIntyre (Serene)
November 9th, 1990

days after a set at theInternational Jazz Festival Zürich,documented on this 1994 CD, U.K.
pianist/bandleader Mike Westbrookentered the studio to record Rossini,released in 1987 on hatART. The
material is the same, though somepieces grew in length in performance.
The music is by Gioachino Rossini(1792-1868), including overtures fromoperas William Tell and The Barber Of
Seville. The band is also the same:
Lindsay Cooper, Peter Whyman, Kate
Westbrook, Paul Nieman, Andy
Grappy and Peter Fairclough.

Ken McIntyre (alto saxophone, bass

Twoclarinet, flute, bassoon and oboe) had
not yet appended Makanda (“manyskins” in Zimbabwe’s Ndebele
language) to his name by the time ofthis set from the Tourcoing Jazz
Festival. His group is peer bassist
Richard Davis, Frenchmen Thierry
Bruneau (alto, bass clarinet, bassoon)and Jean-Yves Colson (drums) and
Finnish vibraphonist Severi Pyysalo.
The music is by McIntyre, 1960
partner Eric Dolphy (“G.W.”), Beaver
Harris bandmate Grachan Moncur III(“Frankenstein”) and Bruneau.

BIRTHDAYS
November 1†Sabby Lewis 1914-94†Sam Margolis 1923-96
Lou Donaldson b.1926
Roger Kellaway b.1939†Raphe Malik 1948-2006
Carmen Lundy b.1954
Conrad Herwig b.1959
Antonio Sanchez b.1971

November 5
Diego Urcola b.1965
Kenny Brooks b.1966
Neil Cowley b.1972

November 11†Willie Cook 1923-2000†Mose Allison 1927-2016†Ernestine Anderson 1928-2016†Mario Pavone 1940-2021
Hannibal Peterson b.1948
Kahil El’Zabar b.1953
Mark Shim b.1971

November 6†Francy Boland 1929-2005
Arturo Sandoval b.1949
November 7†Joe Bushkin 1916-2004†Howard Rumsey 1917-2015†Al Hirt 1922-99†Ray Brown 1948-2002†David S. Ware 1949-2012
René Marie b.1955
Iro Haarla b.1956

November 2†Bunny Berigan 1908-42†Rudy Van Gelder 1924-2016†Herb Geller 1928-2013†Phil Woods 1931-2015
Phil Minton b.1940
Rudy Walker b.1947
Ernest Dawkins b.1953†Frank Kimbrough 1956-2020
Gebhard Ullmann b.1957
Kurt Elling b. 1967
Chris Byars b.1970

November 12†Buck Clayton 1911-91†Lou Blackburn 1922-90†Charlie Mariano 1923-2009†Sam Jones 1924-81
Wolfgang Schluter b.1933
Koby Israelite b.1966
November 13†Bennie Moten 1894-1935†Eddie Calhoun 1921-93†Hampton Hawes 1928-77†Idris Muhammad 1939-2014
Janet Lawson b.1940
Ernst Reijseger b.1954
Ari Hoenig b.1973

November 8†Chris Connor 1927-2009
Bertha Hope b.1936
Don Byron b.1958
Jerry Costanzo b.1959
Russell Malone b.1963
John O’Gallager b.1964
Vadim Neselovskyi b.1977

November 3†Joe Turner 1907-90†Billy Mitchell 1926-2001†Andy McGhee 1927-2017†Henry Grimes 1935-2020
Joe McPhee b.1939
Azar Lawrence b.1953
Deric Dickens b.1973

November 14†Art Hodes 1904-93†Billy Bauer 1915-2005†Don Ewell 1916-83†Ellis Marsalis 1934-2020
George Cables b.1944
Kim A. Clarke b.1954

November 9†Mezz Mezzrow 1899-1972†Pete Brown 1906-63†Muggsy Spanier 1906-67

November 4†Joe Sullivan 1906-71†Joe Benjamin 1919-74†Ralph Sutton 1922-2001†Carlos “Patato” Valdes
1926-2007†Larry Bunker 1928-2005†Willem Breuker 1944-2010
David Arner b.1951
Jeremy Pelt b.1976

November 10†Paul Bley 1932-2016
Houston Person b.1934
Andrew Cyrille b.1939
Hubert Laws b.1939
Stanton Davis b.1945
John LaBarbera b.1945
Mark Turner b.1965
Warren Wolf b.1979
David Virelles b.1983

November 15†Gus Johnson 1913-2000†Jerome Richardson 1920-2000†Ali Haurand 1943-2018
Kevin Eubanks b.1957
Ted Rosenthal b.1959
Roland Guerin b.1968
Susie Ibarra b.1970

November 16†WC Handy 1873-1958†Eddie Condon 1905-73†Dolo Coker 1927-83
Diana Krall b.1964
November 17
David Amram b.1930†Roswell Rudd 1935-2017
Lisle Ellis b.1951
Ben Allison b.1966

November 22†Hoagy Carmichael 1899-1981†Horace Henderson 1904-88†Ernie Caceres 1911-71†Gunther Schuller 1925-2015†Jimmy Knepper 1927-2003
Ron McClure b.1941†Tyrone Hill 1948-2007
Rogério Boccato b.1967

November 23†Tyree Glenn 1912-74
November 18†Johnny Mandel 1925-2020†Johnny Mercer 1909-76†Pat Patrick 1929-1991†Claude Williamson 1926-2016 †Victor Gaskin 1934-2012†Victor Sproles 1927-2005†Alvin Fielder 1935-2019
Sheila Jordan b.1928
Jiří Stivín b.1942†Don Cherry 1936-95
Ray Drummond b.1946
Bennie Wallace b.1946
Melton Mustafa b.1947
Cindy Blackman-Santana b.1959
November 24
November 19†Scott Joplin 1868-1917†Tommy Dorsey 1905-56†Teddy Wilson 1912-86†Nobuo Hara 1926-2021†Wild Bill Davis 1918-95†André Persiany 1927-2004†Serge Chaloff 1923-57
Vincent Herring b.1964†Al Cohn 1925-88
Gary Boyle b.1941
November 20
Brian Charette b.1972†Skeeter Best 1914-85†June Christy 1925-90
November 25
Jay Rosen b.1961†Willie “The Lion” Smith
Don Braden b.1963
1897-1973
Geoffrey Keezer b.1970†Willie Smith 1910-67†Joe “Bebop” Carroll 1919-81
November 21†Paul Desmond 1924-77†Coleman Hawkins 1904-69†Matthew Gee 1925-79†Lloyd Glenn 1909-85†Dick Wellstood 1927-87†Alvin Burroughs 1911-50†Etta Jones 1928-2001†Sal Salvador 1925-99†Rusty Bryant 1929-91
Peter Warren b.1935†Nat Adderley 1931-2000†Alphonse Mouzon 1948-2016 Steve Johns b.1960
Rainer Brüninghaus b.1949
Terell Stafford b.1966

November 26†Jack Perciful 1925-2008
Kiane Zawadi b.1932
Art Themen b.1939
Mark Dresser b.1952
November 27†Eddie South 1904-62†Nesuhi Ertegun 1917-89
Michel Portal b.1935
Randy Brecker b.1945†Lyle Mays 1953-2020
Maria Schneider b.1960
Joris Teepe b.1962
Wessell Anderson b.1964
Jacky Terrasson b.1966

KIM A. CLARKE

November 14th, 1954

November 28†George Wettling 1907-68†Gigi Gryce 1927-83†Gato Barbieri 1934-2016
Roy McCurdy b.1936
Adelhard Roidinger b.1941
Butch Thompson b.1943†Dennis Irwin 1951-2008
Charlie Kohlhase b.1956
November 29†Billy Strayhorn 1915-67†Nathan Gershman 1917-2008†Bobby Donaldson 1922-71†Ed Bickert 1932-2019
Tony Coe b.1934
Billy Hart b.1940
Adam Nussbaum b.1955
Fredrik Ljungkvist b.1969
November 30†Benny Moten 1916-77†Jack Sheldon 1931-2019†Johnny Dyani 1945-86
Stan Sulzmann b.1948

Acoustic and electric bassist
Kim A. Clarke has had a longcareer both as a performer
and presenter. She was alongtime member of the Joe
Henderson Quartet andJoseph Bowie’s Defunkt;
worked with Art Blakey,
Mary Lou Williams, Bertha
Hope, Harold Ousley, Jimmy
Heath, Leon Thomas, Sun
Ra, Sam Rivers, George
Braith, Rashied Ali, Junior
Cooke, Clifford Jordan, Steve
Coleman, Andy Bey, Louis
Hayes, Lionel Hampton,
Arturo O’Farrill, Donald
Byrd, Candido, Patato, Billy
Taylor, Geri Allen, Johnny
O’Neal and many others; lednumerous groups; founded
the LADY GOT CHOPS
Women’s History Month
Music and Arts Festival in
2002; and been a valued
collaborator with the Jazz
Foundation of America. (AH)

CROSSWORD
1

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3

4

7

9

ACROSS

6

8

10

11

14

12

13

15

16

17

18

21

5

19

20

22

23

26

24

25

27

28

29

31

32

33

34

By Andrey Henkin 			30

1. Winter & Winter reissued its albums
4. NYC jazz clubs better stay on the up and up with it
7. Bassist who played with Monk and Sun Ra
8. Noted recording engineer David Baker studied at thisNYC school
9. Flora and ?
11. 1957 Cal Tjader Fantasy album Más ____ Caliente
14. Ernst Karel/Kyle Bruckmann duo
15. Australia’s Red ____ Jazz Band16. 1954 Bennie Moten His Master’s Voice compilation
Kay ____ Jazz
17. Element of harmony
18. Scion of the Waits drumming family
21. Short-lived ‘90s festival organized by the Berlin
Improvisation Free Initiative
23. 1990 Gramavision John Scofield album ____ Sco:
Best Of The Ballads
26. Lee Morgan wrote “One for ____” for his boss’ son
27. British trad-jazz label
28. What jazz musicians do better than most
29. Bassists Lane, Hopkins and Linson
31. 2008 Ernesto Rodrigues/Christine Abdelnour/
Axel Dörner Creative Sources album

32. Label founded by Chris Cutler
33. You will need this curr. for the Windhoek Jazz Festival
34. Pianist Richard
DOWN
1. German clarinetist Theo
2. This saxophonist did not have a mohawk
3. Producer Macero
4. Bassist né Norris Jones
5. Singer Cooke
6. Maria Schneider label
9. AACM band
10. This saxophonist was not born in Canada
12. Bovine 1977 Satoru Ikeda ALM album
13. At the heart of bassist Okegwo?
17. German clarinetist Sebastian
19. Tree used for kalimbas and ukeleles
20. How Dizzy liked his peanuts
21. What jazz musicians could all use
22. Evan Parker ens.
24. Vibraphonist who moonlighted as a cop, or vice versa
25. They played bs. and pno.
29. Father of 26 Across
30. Repeated, NEA Jazz Master singer

visit nycjazzrecord.com for answers

THE NEW YORK CITY JAZZ RECORD | NOVEMBER 2021 37

CALENDAR
Monday, November 1• Pedro Giraudo Tango Quartet Bar Lunàtico 9, 10:15 pm $10• Max Johnson’s Quarantet with Allison Philips, James Brandon Lewis, Lesley Mok		
		
Barbès 7 pm $20
êMike Clark Quartet with Jaleel Shaw, Jon Davis, Leon Lee Dorsey
		Birdland Theater 8:30 pm $30• Keyon Harrold
Blue Note 8, 10:30 pm $45• Yuko Togami, Ayumi Ishito, Rema Hasumi; Adam Caine Ensemble; Stephen Gauci,
Adam Lane, Colin Hinton; Kenneth Jimenez, Hery Paz, Tom Rainey; Mat Muntz,
Pablo O’Connell, Xavier Del Castillo, Yuma Uesaka, Alec Goldfarb, Michael Larocca		
Bushwick Public House 7 pm $15• Pasquale Grasso/Ari Roland
Mezzrow 10:30 pm 12 am $20• Jonathan Barber
Smalls 7:30, 9 pm $20
êVanguard Jazz Orchestra
Village Vanguard 8, 10 pm $40

Tuesday, November 2êMatt Munisteri’s Scraps & Scrapes with Danton Boller, Ben Perowsky

		Bar Lunàtico 9, 10:15 pm $10êBill Charlap Duets with Houston Person
		Birdland 7, 9:30 pm $40
êRobert Glasper Tribute to Chick Corea with Christian McBride, Marcus Gilmore
		Blue Note 8, 10:30 pm $55
êLou Donaldson 95th Birthday Celebration: Akiko Tsuruga, Fukushi Tainaka,
Champian Fulton, Charlie Sigler, Zaid Nasser and guests
		Dizzy’s Club 7 pm $35
êMingus Big BandThe Django at Roxy Hotel 7:30, 9:30 pm• Monastic: Yuhan Su, Kevin Sun, Walter Stinson, Steven Crammer
		Lowlands 6:30, 8 pm $10• Marlyn Kleinberg
Mezzrow 7:30, 9 pm $20• Chris Morrissey with Marco Bolfelli, Chris Parker, Dan Rieser
		
Rockwood Music Hall Stage 2 9:30 pm $12• Adam Shulman Sextet with Cory Weeds, Ken Fowser, Jeremy Pelt, Peter Washington,
Billy Drummond
Smalls 7:30, 9 pm $20• Javon Jackson Quartet with Jeremy Manasia, David Williams, McClenty Hunter				
Village Vanguard 8, 10 pm $40

Wednesday, November 3êZoh Amba Quartet with Micah Thomas, William Parker, Marc Edwards

		Bar Bayeux 8, 9:30 pm• Sebastian Noelle’s System One with Matt Mitchell, Chris Tordini, Dan Weiss		
Bar Lunàtico 9 pm $10êDavid Ostwald’s Louis Armstrong Eternity Band		
Birdland 5:30 pm $30
êBill Charlap Duets with Jon Faddis Birdland 7, 9:30 pm $40
êFrank Vignola’s Guitar Night with Jimmy Bruno, Peter Washington, Vince Cherico andguests Ken F. Smith, Gene Bertoncini
		
Birdland Theater 8:30 pm $30
êRobert Glasper Tribute to Chick Corea with Christian McBride, Marcus Gilmore
		Blue Note 8, 10:30 pm $55• Ehud Asherie Trio
Cellar Dog 7 pm $10• Rob Scheps Core-tet with Jim O’Connor, Jamie Reynolds, Anthony Pinciotti,

David Kingsnorth
The Cutting Room 9 pm $20-25êTed Nash, Steve Cardenas, Ben Allison
		Dizzy’s Club 7:30, 9:30 pm $35• Benny Benack III; Lucy Yeghiazaryan
		The Django at Roxy Hotel 7, 9 pmêDavid Janeway Trio with Cameron Brown, Tony Jefferson, Dave Baron, Steve Wilson,
Bruce BarthMezzrow 7:30, 9, 10:30 pm $20• Anibal Rojas Quartet
Minton’s 8, 10 pmêRay Blue Organ Quartet
New Amsterdam Musical Association 8 pm
• Melissa Hamilton/John DiMartino Pangea 7 pm $25• Alex Hamburger
Rockwood Music Hall Stage 3 7 pm $15• Harlem Jazz Session: Peter Brainin and Friends		
Room 623 at B2 Harlem 8 pm $12êBrian Charette Quartet with Cory Weeds, Ed Cherry, Bill Stewart		Smalls 7:30, 9 pm $20
êHouston Person
Soapbox Gallery 8 pm $25• Javon Jackson Quartet with Jeremy Manasia, David Williams, McClenty Hunter				
Village Vanguard 8, 10 pm $40

Thursday, November 4• Gyan Riley’s Elixir with Taylor Levine, Greg Chudzik, David Cossin

		Barbès 10 pm $20
êBill Charlap Duets with Chris Potter		
Birdland 7, 9:30 pm $40
êBen Allison Quartet with Steve Cardenas, Chico Pinheiro, Allan Mednard				
Birdland Theater 8:30 pm $30
êRobert Glasper Trio with Chris Dave, Derrick Hodge
		Blue Note 8, 10:30 pm $55• Peter Zak Quartet
Cellar Dog 7 pm $10• Joanna Mattrey
Center for Performance Research 8 pm $10• Kristina Koller Quartet with Fima Chupakhin, James Robbins, Juan Chiavassa		
		Chelsea Table & Stage 9:30 pm $22êStephane Wrembel’s Django New Orleans with Bria Skonberg, Josh Kaye,
Daisy Castro, Nick Driscoll, Joe Correia, Scott Kettner, David Langlois				Dizzy’s Club 7:30, 9:30 pm $40• Ray Gallon Trio; Mark Whitfield The Django at Roxy Hotel 7, 9 pm
• Michael Winograd and The Honorable Mentshn
		
Jalopy 8 pm $15êAnna Webber/Angela Morris Big Band with Jay Rattman, Caroline Davis, Adam Schneit,
Lisa Parrott, Nolan Tsang, Dave Adewumi, Jake Henry, Kenny Warren, Tim Vaughn,
Kalia Vandever, Jen Baker, Jennifer Wharton, Patricia Brennan, Dustin Carlson,
Marta Sanchez, Adam Hopkins, Jeff Davis		
The Jazz Gallery 7:30, 9:30 pm $15-25• Washington Heights Jazz Festival: Erli Perez Quartet with Hyuna Park, Yoshi Waki,
Curtis Nowasad
Le Chéile 8 pm $15• Dan Block; Jeremy Manasia
Mezzrow 7:30, 9, 10:30 pm $20
êThe Consecutives: Andrew Berman, Ray Cetta, Dan Klug, Victor Pablo, Tom Wilson		Rockwood Music Hall Stage 2 10:30 pm $10• Charlie Porter Quintet with Nick Biello, Willerm Delisfort, Alexander Claffy,
Kenneth Salters
Smalls 7:30, 9 pm $20• Perez and Friends with Misha Tsiganov, Paul Bollenback, Ron Horton				
Soapbox Gallery 8 pm $25

38 NOVEMBER 2021 | THE NEW YORK CITY JAZZ RECORDêIkue Mori, Ingrid Laubrock, Zeena Parkins

		The Stone at The New School 8:30 pm $20• Javon Jackson Quartet with Jeremy Manasia, David Williams, McClenty Hunter		Village Vanguard 8, 10 pm $40

Friday, November 5• Wayne Tucker and The Bad Mothas with Miles Tucker, David Linard, Tamir Shmerling,
Diego Joaquin Ramírez

Bar Lunàtico 9, 10:15 pm $10

Jason Nazary

Barbès 5 pm $20• Oscar Noriega’s Crooked Quartet with Marta Sanchez, Christopher Tordini,• Dana Lyn’s Baby Octopus with Mike McGinnis, Sara Schoenbeck, Gary Wang				Barbès 8 pm $20• Birdland Big Band
Birdland 5;30 pm $30
êBill Charlap Duets with Ron Carter Birdland 8:30, 10:30 pm $40
êBen Allison Quartet with Steve Cardenas, Chico Pinheiro, Allan Mednard				
Birdland Theater 7, 9:30 pm $30
êRobert Glasper Trio with Chris Dave, Derrick Hodge
		Blue Note 8, 10:30 pm $55• Greg Glassman Quartet; Ray Gallon Trio		
Cellar Dog 7, 11:30 pm $10• Joseph Webb and Friends with Lafayette Harris, Jr.
		
Chelsea Table & Stage 7 pm $32
êStephane Wrembel’s Django New Orleans with Bria Skonberg, Josh Kaye,
Daisy Castro, Nick Driscoll, Joe Correia, Scott Kettner, David Langlois				Dizzy’s Club 7:30, 9:30 pm $45• Cory Weeds Quartet; Ken Fowser Quintet
		
The Django at Roxy Hotel 7, 10 pmêEddie Allen Quartet
Greater Calvary Baptist Church 7 pm $20• Woodwind Motion: Sylvan Winds: Svjetlana Kabalin, Kathy Halvorson,
Jo-Ann Sternberg, Gina Cuffari, Zohar Schondorf with Max Pollak, Sydney Burtis,
Tommy Wasiuta, Taytum Buford, Dario Natarelli		Greenwich House Music School 7:30 pm• Remy Le Boeuf’s Assembly of Shadows with Gregory Robbins, Julia Easterlin,
Ben Kono, Lucas Pino, John Lowery, Carl Maraghi, Tony Kadleck, Tony Glausi,
Michael Rodriguez, Matt Holman, Mike Fahie, Natalie Cressman, Javier Nero,
Jennifer Wharton, Alex Goodman, Martha Kato, Matt Aronoff, Peter Kronreif
		
The Jazz Gallery 7:30, 9:30 pm $25-35• Washington Heights Jazz Festival: Festival All-Stars		
Kismat 7 pm
• Rodney Jones/Kenny Davis; Micah Thomas, Dean Torrey. Kayvon Gordon 				
Mezzrow 7:30, 9, 10:30 pm $20• Brandon Lewis Quintet
Minton’s 8, 10 pmêDayna Stephens Group
Neighborhood Church of Greenwich Village 8, 9:30 pm• Ethan Mann Trio; Calvin Johnson And Native Son		Room 623 at B2 Harlem 7, 8:30, 10 pm $18-25• Quincy Davis
Smalls 7:30, 9 pm $20
êDan Weiss Trio with Jacob Sacks, Thomas Morgan		
Soapbox Gallery 8 pm $25
êBrandon Lopez/Zeena Parkins
The Stone at The New School 8:30 pm $20• Javon Jackson Quartet with Jeremy Manasia, David Williams, McClenty Hunter				
Village Vanguard 8, 10 pm $40

Saturday, November 6êWashington Heights Jazz Festival: Bruce Edwards Trio

• A Crusaders Tribute: Craig Dreyer, Clark Gayton, Brian Charette, Al Street, Matt Clohesy,
Tony Mason

Bar Lunàtico 9, 10:15 pm $10êBill Charlap Duets with Ron Carter Birdland 8:30, 10:30 pm $40
êBen Allison Quartet with Steve Cardenas, Chico Pinheiro, Allan Mednard				
Birdland Theater 7, 9:30 pm $30
êRobert Glasper Trio with Chris Dave, Derrick Hodge
		Blue Note 8, 10:30 pm $55• Steve Blum; Miki Yamanaka
Cellar Dog 7, 11:30 pm $10êStephane Wrembel’s Django New Orleans with Bria Skonberg, Josh Kaye,
Daisy Castro, Nick Driscoll, Joe Correia, Scott Kettner, David Langlois				Dizzy’s Club 7:30, 9:30 pm $45• Charles Owens; Joe Farnsworth The Django at Roxy Hotel 7, 10 pm• Eli Asher, Noah Kaplan, Andrew Smiley, Giacomo Merega; Will Greene, Raf Vertessen,
Daniel Pencer
Downtown Music Gallery 6:30 pmêThe Music of Oliver Lake: Dance Clarinets led by JD Parran		Greenwich House Music School 7 pm
• Ross Kratter Jazz Orchestra with Brian Schatz, Paul Corn, Stan Killian, Benjamin Kean,
Lo Wood, Bryan Davis, Charles Clausen, Michael Sarian, Alex Norris, Ric Becker,
Eric Miller, Chris Zatorski, Dan Jordan, Grant Braider, David Salter, Mike Verselli,
Rick Erwin
Hungarian House 8:30 pm $35• Washington Heights Jazz Festival: Louise Rogers’ Jazz for Kids
		
Le Chéile 11 amêWashington Heights Jazz Festival: Purchase College Jazz Quintet with Pete Malinverni;
Andrew Hartman Group; Meg Okura and The Pan Asian Chamber Jazz Ensemble;
Travis Sullivan Quartet; Nixtaband; Robert Fernandez; Jhoely Garay/Alec Castro Sextet;
Karen and Norbert Stachel LehCats Le Chéile 1 pm $20• Rachel Z, Jonathan Toscano, Ben Perowsky		Mezzrow 7:30, 9 pm $20• Tony Glausi Quartet
Minton’s 7:30, 9:30 pm $10êDanny Mixon Trio
Sistas’ Place 9, 10:30 pm $20• Quincy Davis
Smalls 7:30, 9 pm $20• Luiz Simas solo
Soapbox Gallery 8 pm $25• Ryan Ross Smith, Zeena Parkins and guests
		The Stone at The New School 8:30 pm $20• The Anderson Brothers Play The Dorsey Brothers: Peter and Will Anderson				Symphony Space Leonard Nimoy Thalia 5, 7:30 pm $35• Javon Jackson Quartet with Jeremy Manasia, David Williams, McClenty Hunter				
Village Vanguard 8, 10 pm $40

Sunday, November 7• Nick Hakim/Roy Nathanson• Sarah King

Bar Lunàtico 9, 10:15 pm $10
Barbès 7 pm $20
êArturo O’Farrill and The Afro Latin Jazz Orchestra		
Birdland 8:30, 10 pm $30• Ashley Pezzotti Trio
Birdland Theater 9:30 pm $30
êRobert Glasper Trio with Chris Dave, Derrick Hodge
		Blue Note 8, 10:30 pm $55• Bruce Harris Quartet
Cellar Dog 7 pm $10êPete Malinverni/Juliet Kurtzman Chelsea Table & Stage 7 pm $22êStéphane Wrembel’s Django New Orleans with Bria Skonberg, Josh Kaye,
Daisy Castro, Nick Driscoll, Joe Correia, Scott Kettner, David Langlois				Dizzy’s Club 7:30, 9:30 pm $35• Washington Heights Jazz Festival: Tres Gatos
		
Hilltop Park Alehouse 5 pm
• Welf Dorr, Dmitry Ishenko, Dave Treut The Keep 9 pm

		Kismat 11:30 am• Nate Smith and Kinfolk
Le Poisson Rouge 8 pm $20• Marianne Solivan Quartet with Leandro Pellegrino, Steve Wood, Jay Sawyer				Mezzrow 7:30, 9 pm $20• Roz Corral Trio with Michael Kanan, Paul Gill
		
North Square Lounge 12:30, 2 pmêMichael Feinberg’s Hard Times with Noah Preminger, Leo Genovese, Victor Lewis				Rockwood Music Hall Stage 3 9 pm $15• Mimi Jones and Friends
Room 623 at B2 Harlem 6 pm $15• Andrew Hartman and guests
Saint Peter’s Church 5 pm
• Charles Owens Quartet with Miki Yamanaka, Kris Monson, Kofi Shepsu				
Smalls 7:30, 9 pm $20• Javon Jackson Quartet with Jeremy Manasia, David Williams, McClenty Hunter				
Village Vanguard 8, 10 pm $40

Monday, November 8• Anything Mose: John Chin, Richard Julian, Stacy Dillard, Matt Pavolka, Dan Rieser

		
Bar Lunàtico 9, 10:15 pm $10• Harold López-Nussa’s Timba à la Americana with Grégoire Maret, Luques Curtis,
Ruy López-Nussa
Blue Note 8, 10:30 pm $35• Jim Clouse, Daniel Carter, Patrick Golden; Gabriel Zucker Ensemble; Stephen Gauci,
Adam Lane, Colin Hinton; Joey Sullivan, Victor Vieira-Branco, John Moran;
Santiago Leibson Ensemble with Fabrizio Marlo		
Bushwick Public House 7 pm $15• Willy Rodriquez
Smalls 7:30, 9 pm $20
êVanguard Jazz Orchestra
Village Vanguard 8, 10 pm $40

Tuesday, November 9êOran Etkin

Barbès 7 pm $20• Peter Cincotti
Birdland 7, 9:30 pm $40• Harold López-Nussa’s Timba à la Americana with Grégoire Maret, Luques Curtis,
Ruy López-Nussa

Blue Note 8, 10:30 pm $35
The Django at Roxy Hotel 7:30, 9:30 pmêMingus Big Band

• On Ka’a Davis, Jesse Dulman, Whit Dickey		Downtown Music Gallery 6:30 pm• Kevin Sun Quartet with Dana Saul, Walter Stinson, Matt Honor		
Lowlands 6:30, 8 pm $10• Mayra Lawrence
Mezzrow 7:30, 9 pm $20• Julius Rodriguez
Rockwood Music Hall Stage 2 10 pm $15• Matt Pavolka Quintet with Jason Rigby, Santiago Leibson, Mark Ferber				
Smalls 7:30, 9 pm $20• Paul Jost Quartet
Soapbox Gallery 8 pm $25
êJakob Bro Trio with Thomas Morgan, Joey Baron		
Village Vanguard 8, 10 pm $40

Wednesday, November 10êOtis Brown III

Bar Bayeux 8, 9:30 pm• Ricardo Gallo’s Horse’s Mouth with Sam Kulik, Rodrigo Recabarren, Aaron Novik				Barbès 8 pm $20
êDavid Ostwald’s Louis Armstrong Eternity Band		
Birdland 5:30 pm $30• Peter Cincotti
Birdland 7, 9:30 pm $40
êFrank Vignola’s Guitar Night with Jimmy Bruno, Peter Washington, Vince Cherico andguest James Chirillo
Birdland Theater 8:30 pm $30• Harold López-Nussa’s Timba à la Americana with Grégoire Maret, Luques Curtis,
Ruy López-Nussa

Blue Note 8, 10:30 pm $35
Cellar Dog 7 pm $10êGilad Hekselman Trio
Dizzy’s Club 7:30, 9:30 pm $35
êPete Malinverni Trio with Anaïs Reno; Johnny O’Neal		The Django at Roxy Hotel 7, 9 pm
• Louis Armstrong Legacy Monthly Jazz Jam led by Carol Sudhalter		
Flushing Town Hall 7 pm $10• Tom Guarna
Mezzrow 7:30, 9 pm $20
êLew Tabackin Trio
Michiko Studios 7 pm $20• Alex Claffy Trio
Minton’s 7:30, 9:30 pm $10• Stephanie Nakasian/Matt Baker Pangea 7 pm $25
êMelanie Charles; Xiomara Laugart Public Records 7:30 pm $23• Harlem Jazz Session: Peter Brainin and Friends		
Room 623 at B2 Harlem 8 pm $12êLena Bloch’s Feathery with Russ Lossing, Cameron Brown, Billy Mintz		
		
Scholes Street Studio 7:30 pm $15• Adam Brenner
Smalls 7:30, 9 pm $20• David Berkman Trio
Soapbox Gallery 8 pm $25
êJakob Bro Trio with Thomas Morgan, Joey Baron		
Village Vanguard 8, 10 pm $40• Carlos Abadie Quintet

Thursday, November 11• Yotam Silverstein/Cesar Garabini Bar Lunàtico 9, 10:15 pm $10• Peter Cincotti
Birdland 7, 9:30 pm $40

êNewvelle Records Presents A Tribute to Frank Kimbrough: Scott Robinson,

Ron Horton, Elan Mehler, Tony Scherr, Jeff Hirshfield		Birdland Theater 8:30 pm $30
êDirty Dozen Brass BandBlue Note 8, 10:30 pm $35• Grant Stewart Quartet
Cellar Dog 7 pm $10êDon Braden Quartet with Art Hirahara, Kenny Davis, Jeremy Warren		Chelsea Table & Stage 7 pm $32
êFrancisco Mora Catlett’s Afro-Horn with Sam Newsome, Alex Harding, Román Díaz,
James Weidman, Rashaan Carter; Roman Diaz Ruumba Ensemble with Clemente Medina,Rafael Monteagudo, Abraham Rodriguez, Onel Mulet; Michele Rosewoman’s NewYor-Uba
with Alex Norris, Mike Thomas, Isaiah Collier, Chris Washburne, Gregg August,
Robby Ameen, Román Díaz, Rafael Monteagudo, Mauricio Herrera, Abraham Rodriguez
		
Clemente Soto Velez Cultural Center 7 pm $25• Kenny Carr Trio with Lincoln Goines, Kirk Driscoll		
The Cutting Room 9:30 pm $20-25êWarren Wolf and The History of the Vibes with Leo Genovese, Richie Goods,
Eric Harland
Dizzy’s Club 7:30, 9:30 pm $40• Joe Block Trio; Jeffery Miller Quintet The Django at Roxy Hotel 7, 9 pmêAmanda Monaco’s AM4 20th Anniversary Celebration with Jon Irabagon, Sean Conly,
Jeff Davis
Flushing Town Hall 7:30 pm $5• Kevin Laskey’s The Snow, Like Me with Molly Netter, Mikael Darmanie, Pat Swoboda
		
The Jazz Gallery 7:30, 9:30 pm $15-25• Daymé Arocena
Le Poisson Rouge 8 pm $35-50• John Colliani
Mezzrow 7:30, 9 pm $20• Steven Kirby Illuminations Project with Aubrey Johnson, Carl Clements,
Mark Shilansky, Mark Poniatowski, Mike Connors
		Rockwood Music Hall Stage 3 7 pm $15• Isaiah Collier
Smalls 7:30, 9 pm $20• Romain Collin/Jeremy Loucas Soapbox Gallery 8 pm $25• David Watson/Yasunao Tone
The Stone at The New School 8:30 pm $20
êJakob Bro Trio with Thomas Morgan, Joey Baron		
Village Vanguard 8, 10 pm $40

FLUSHING TOWN HALL PRESENTSNEA Jazz Masters Celebrating 15 Years:
The Music of Thelonious Monk & Horace Silver
FRI, NOV 12, 8 PM ET
This IN-PERSON LIVE concert features ve NEA Jazz Masters, the nation’s
highest honor in jazz, including Jimmy Owens on trumpet, Kenny
Barron on piano, Sheila Jordan on vocals, Albert “Tootie” Heathon drums, and Donald Harrison Jr. on saxophone, joined by Kenny
Davis on bass, and a special surprise guest. WHAT A LINEUP!

Tickets: $10-$42 (sponsorships available)

DAYMÉ AROCENA
With her captivating charisma and radiant spirit,
Daymé Arocena effortlessly blends traditional Santerían
chant, jazz stylings, contemporary R&B influences, andAfro-Cuban rhythms. “Reigniting the Cuban soundtrack
wherever she plays” (NPR)

NOV 11 8PM
LPR NYC
158 Bleecker Street

MORE LIVE JAZZ IN NOV 2021

Louis Armstrong Legacy Monthly Jazz Jam
WED, NOV 10, 7 PM ET
Amanda Monaco's am4
THU, NOV 11, 7:30 PM ET
Mini-Global Mashup:
Yiddish Meets Argentina
SUN, NOV 21, 1 PM ET

TICKETS & MORE

www..ushingtownhall.org(718) 463-7700 x222
137-35 Northern Blvd.
Flushing NY 11354

www.worldmusicinstitute.org
THE NEW YORK CITY JAZZ RECORD | NOVEMBER 2021 39

Friday, November 12

êTC III• Tyler Blanton’s Electric Hornè BandBar Lunàtico 9, 10:15 pm $10• Oscar Noriega’s Crooked Quartet with Marta Sanchez, Christopher Tordini,
Jason Nazary
Barbès 5 pm $20• Birdland Big Band
Birdland 5;30 pm $30• Peter Cincotti
Birdland 8:30, 10:30 pm $40

êNewvelle Records Presents A Tribute to Frank Kimbrough: Donny McCaslin,

Steve Wilson, Gary Versace, Martin Wind, Billy Drummond		Birdland Theater 7, 9:30 pm $30
êDirty Dozen Brass BandBlue Note 8, 10:30 pm $35• Richard Clements Quartet; Jabba Quartet
		
Cellar Dog 7, 11:30 pm $10êWilly Rodriguez Exploraciones Ponceñas with Yoni Kretzmer, Santiago Leibson,
Dezron Douglas; William Parker’s Southern Satellites with Isaiah Barr, Dario Gomez,
Oscar Pena, Isaiah Parker, Francisco Mela		
Clemente Soto Velez Cultural Center 8 pm $25
êWarren Wolf and The History of the Vibes with Leo Genovese, Richie Goods,
Eric Harland
Dizzy’s Club 7:30, 9:30 pm $45
êEd Cherry; Ken Fowser Quintet The Django at Roxy Hotel 7, 10 pmêNEA Jazz Masters play The Music of Thelonious Monk and Horace Silver:
Jimmy Owens, Kenny Barron, Sheila Jordan, Albert “Tootie” Heath, Donald Harrison
with Kenny Davis
Flushing Town Hall 8 pm $45
êAlex Harding Quartet
Greater Calvary Baptist Church 7 pm $20• Music From The Sole: Leonardo Sandoval and Gregory Richardson		Harlem Stage Gatehouse 7:30 pm $25-35
êJoe Fiedler’s Open Sesame with Steven Bernstein, Jeff Lederer, Sean Conly,
Michael Sarin and guest Miles Griffith
		
The Jazz Gallery 7:30, 9:30 pm $25-35
êRick Germanson
Mezzrow 7:30, 9 pm $20• Alexis Lombré
Minton’s 7:30, 9:30 pm $10• Philip Harper Quartet; Sam Dillon Room 623 at B2 Harlem 7, 8:30, 10 pm $18-25• Juanma Trujillo
Scholes Street Studio 8 pm $15• Tommy Campbell
Smalls 7:30, 9 pm $20
êJames Carney Quartet with Oscar Noriega, Chris Lightcap, Mark Ferber		Soapbox Gallery 8 pm $25• David Watson, Michael Wimberly, Brandon Lopez, Leila Bordreuil		The Stone at The New School 8:30 pm $20
êJakob Bro Quartet with Mark Turner, Thomas Morgan, Andrew Cyrille		Village Vanguard 8, 10 pm $40

Saturday, November 13• Pedro Giraudo Tango Quartet• Peter Cincotti

Barbès 8 pm $20
Birdland 8:30, 10:30 pm $40

Ben Allison, Matt Wilson

Birdland Theater 7, 9:30 pm $30
Blue Note 8, 10:30 pm $35

êNewvelle Records Presents A Tribute to Frank Kimbrough: Ted Nash, Steve Cardenas,êDirty Dozen Brass Band

• Joe Farnsworth Quartet; Chris Flory Trio

Minton’s 7:30, 9:30 pm $10• Jillian Laurain with Jon Weber, Marco Panascia, Dave Silliman

		Cellar Dog 7, 11:30 pm $10êJuan Pablo Carletti’s Danzas Band with James Brandon Lewis, Ben Stapp;
Brandon Lopez Die Dreaming with Matt Nelson, James Brandon Lewis, “Buz” Donald		Clemente Soto Velez Cultural Center 8 pm $25
êWarren Wolf and The History of the Vibes with Leo Genovese, Richie Goods,
Eric Harland
Dizzy’s Club 7:30, 9:30 pm $45• Jon Beshay; Lezlie Harrison
The Django at Roxy Hotel 7, 10 pmêVijay Anderson/Stephen Gauci; Sandy Ewen/Stephen Gauci; Stephen Gauci,
Sandy Ewen, Vijay Anderson
Downtown Music Gallery 6:30 pm• Music From The Sole: Leonardo Sandoval and Gregory Richardson		Harlem Stage Gatehouse 7:30 pm $25-35
êJonny King
Mezzrow 7:30, 9 pm $20

		Pangea 7 pm $25
êPatricia Brennan’s Maquishti
Public Records 7 pm $23êBryan Carrott/Eric Person’s One Step Beyond		
Sistas’ Place 9, 10:30 pm $20• Brandon Lee Lewis
Smalls 7:30, 9 pm $20• Vanessa Rubin Trio
Soapbox Gallery 8 pm $25• David Watson/Che Chen
The Stone at The New School 8:30 pm $20
êJakob Bro Quartet with Mark Turner, Thomas Morgan, Andrew Cyrille				
Village Vanguard 8, 10 pm $40• Raga Jazz and the Art of the Songbook: Charu Suri with Falsa, Danielle Erin Rhodes,
Justin Lee, Jesse Gerbasi, Jay O’Brien		
Weill Recital Hall at Carnegie Hall 8 pm

Sunday, November 14• Nick Hakim/Roy Nathanson

Bar Lunàtico 9, 10:15 pm $10êStephane Wrembel
Barbès 9 pm $20
êJihye Lee Big Band with Ben Kono, Rob Wilkerson, Quinsin Nachoff, Jeremy Powell,

Carl Maraghi, Brian Pareschi, John Lake, Dave Smith, Alex Norris, Alan Ferber,Mark Patterson, Matt McDonald, Jennifer Wharton, Adam Birnbaum, Sebastian Noelle,
Evan Gregor, Mark Ferber
Birdland 5 pm $30
êArturo O’Farrill and The Afro Latin Jazz Orchestra		
Birdland 8:30, 10 pm $30• Ty Stephens Standard Tyme with Richard Cummings, Jr., Robert “R.T.” Taylor,
Leo Traversa, Russell Worrell
Birdland Theater 7 pm $30• Alon Yavnai Trio
Birdland Theater 9:30 pm $30
êDirty Dozen Brass BandBlue Note 8, 10:30 pm $35• Neal Kirkwood Big Band with Dan Block, Patience Higgins, Matt Hong, Adam Kolker,
Bruce Williamson, Art Baron, Sam Burtis, Curtis Fowlkes, James Rogers,
Andy Gravish, Ron Horton, Dave Smith, James Zollar, Aidan O’Donnell, Rob Garcia
		
Brooklyn Conservatory of Music 7:30 pm $20• Chris Byars Quartet
Cellar Dog 7 pm $10êWarren Wolf and The History of the Vibes with Leo Genovese, Richie Goods,
Eric Harland
Dizzy’s Club 7:30, 9:30 pm $35• Welf Dorr, Dmitry Ishenko, Dave Treut The Keep 9 pm
• Emily Braden Trio with Joe Block, Kimon Karoutzos
		North Square Lounge 12:30, 2 pm
• Hearing Things: Matt Bauder, Vinnie Sperrazza, JP Schlegelmilch		Rizzoli Bookstore 5 pm $20• Caili O’Doherty/Cory Cox
Saint Peter’s Church 5 pm
• Ras Moshe
Scholes Street Studio 7 pm $15• Frank Basile
Smalls 7:30, 9 pm $20• Quinteto Astor Piazzolla: Pablo Mainetti, Nicolás Guerschberg, Serdar Geldymuradov,Armando de la Vega, Daniel Falasca Symphony Space Peter Jay Sharpe Theatre 7:30 pm $35-100êJakob Bro Quartet with Mark Turner, Thomas Morgan, Andrew Cyrille				
Village Vanguard 8, 10 pm $40

Monday, November 15• Elsa Nilsson Quartet with Sebastian Noelle, Matt Aronoff, Mark Ferber				
55Bar 6:30 pm• Wayne Tucker and The Bad Mothas with Miles Tucker, David Linard, Tamir Shmerling,
Diego Ramirez
Birdland Theater 8:30 pm $30• Dizzy Gillespie Afro-Latin Experience		Blue Note 8, 10:30 pm $35• Asher Herzog, Nora Stanley, Nick Saia, Ethan Cohn, Shinya Lin; Nebula, Ayumi Ishito,
Theo Woodward, Steven Bartishev, Jake Thomas; Stephen Gauci, Adam Lane,
Colin Hinton; Jon Goldberger, Shoko Nagai, Satoshi Takeishi;
Sandy Ewen/Stephen Gauci
Bushwick Public House 7 pm $15

MARTIN WIND - MY ASTORIAN QUEEN“Besides technicalfacilities, Wind seeksartists who can‘make the music come
off the page.’”— John Murph,
DownBeat“Wind bows melody
with a tone as richas a magnificent
cabernet sauvignon.”— Sascha Feinstein,
Jazziz

CD RELEASE PERFORMANCES
Sunday, November 14, 5-7:30 pm, Deer Head Inn:
Scott Robinson (reeds), Alan Broadbent (p)and Bill Goodwin (d)Thursday, November 18, 7-11pm, Cellar Dog:
Scott Robinson (reeds), Gary Versace (p)and Rudy Royston (d)Friday, November 19, 7:30 & 9 pm, Mezzrow:
Scott Robinson (reeds) and Gary Versace (p)MARTINWIND.COM | LAIKA-RECORDS.COM
40 NOVEMBER 2021 | THE NEW YORK CITY JAZZ RECORD• Michael Evans Memorial
Freddy’s Backroom 8 pm
• Joe Farnsworth
Smalls 7:30, 9 pm $20• Jacob Shulman Quartet with Simón William, Hayoung Lyou, Avery Logan				êVanguard Jazz OrchestraêCarmen Staaf Group

Soapbox Gallery 8 pm $25
Village Vanguard 8, 10 pm $40

Tuesday, November 16

Bar Lunàtico 9, 10:15 pm $10• Max Kutner, Sam Minaie, Gregg Bendian		Barbès 7 pm $20
êThe Hot Sardines
Birdland 7, 9:30 pm $40• Christian Scott aTunde Adjuah Blue Note 8, 10:30 pm $35
êMingus Big BandThe Django at Roxy Hotel 7:30, 9:30 pmêJazzmeia Horn and Her Noble Force with Keith Brown, Eric Wheeler, Anwar Marshall,
Bruce Williams, Anthony Ware, Jason Marshall, Josh Evans, Dion Tucker, Max Seigel,
Corey Wallace
Joe’s Pub 8 pm $40• Happy Trio XVI: Kevin Sun, Noah Garabedian, Mark Ferber		Lowlands 6:30, 8 pm $10• Naama GheberMezzrow 7:30, 9 pm $20• Momentum
Rockwood Music Hall Stage 3 9 pm $15• Dave Meder Trio with Marty Jaffe, Jonathan Barber		Soapbox Gallery 8 pm $25
êEmmet Cohen Trio with Ron Carter, Evan Sherman		Village Vanguard 8, 10 pm $40

Wednesday, November 17êDan Tepfer

Bar Bayeux 8, 9:30 pm• Max Kutner’s Reluctant Millionaires with Jessica Lurie, Ari Foleman-Cohen,David Gervais
Bar Lunàtico 9, 10:15 pm $10• Leni Stern Quartet with Leo Genovese, Mamadou Ba, Alione Faye		
Barbès 8 pm $20
êDavid Ostwald’s Louis Armstrong Eternity Band		
Birdland 5:30 pm $30
êThe Hot Sardines
Birdland 7, 9:30 pm $40• Roberta Donnay and The Prohibition Mob Band		
Birdland Theater 8:30 pm $30• Christian Scott aTunde Adjuah Blue Note 8, 10:30 pm $35• Ehud Asherie Trio
Cellar Dog 7 pm $10êSherman Irby and Momentum
Chelsea Table & Stage 9:30 pm $32• Emily Braden; Richard Cortez The Django at Roxy Hotel 7, 9 pmêJazzmeia Horn and Her Noble Force with Keith Brown, Eric Wheeler, Anwar Marshall,
Bruce Williams, Anthony Ware, Jason Marshall, Josh Evans, Dion Tucker, Max Seigel,
Corey Wallace
Joe’s Pub 8 pm $40• A BuMezzrow 7:30, 9 pm $20• Amaury Acosta Quartet
Minton’s 7:30, 9:30 pm $10êRay Blue Organ Quartet
New Amsterdam Musical Association 8 pm
• Janis Siegel with Addison Frei Pangea 7 pm $25
êJazz Coalition: Aaron Parks; Benjamin Williams
		
Public Records 7 pm $23• Harlem Jazz Session: Peter Brainin and Friends		
Room 623 at B2 Harlem 8 pm $12• Bob Bellerue’s Radioactive Desire with Jessica Pavone, Zach Rowden, Luke Stewart,
Gabby Fluke-Mogul, Ed Bear
Roulette 8 pm $25• Ben Solomon
Smalls 7:30, 9 pm $20
êZach Brock
Soapbox Gallery 8 pm $25
êEmmet Cohen Trio with Ron Carter, Evan Sherman		Village Vanguard 8, 10 pm $40

Thursday, November 18êDuchess
55Bar 6:30 pm $10êJohn Ellis and Double Wide with Jon Lampley, Eric Miller, Carmen Staaf,

Anwar Marshall
Bar Lunàtico 9, 10:15 pm $10êThe Hot Sardines
Birdland 7, 9:30 pm $40
êSheila Jordan Birthday Celebration with Alan Broadbent, Harvie S		Birdland Theater 8:30 pm $30• Christian Scott aTunde Adjuah Blue Note 8, 10:30 pm $35
êMartin Wind Quartet with Scott Robinson, Gary Versace, Rudy Royston
		
Cellar Dog 7 pm $10• Ian Hendrickson-Smith
The Django at Roxy Hotel 9 pm
• Pedrito Martinez
Drom 8 pm $30• Nerissa Campbell’s Silence Is A Song with David Cieri, Desmond White, Andie Tanning,
Leah Coloff, Arta Jēkabsone
The Jazz Gallery 7:30, 9:30 pm $15-25
êJazzmeia Horn and Her Noble Force with Keith Brown, Eric Wheeler, Anwar Marshall,
Bruce Williams, Anthony Ware, Jason Marshall, Josh Evans, Dion Tucker, Max Seigel,
Corey Wallace
Joe’s Pub 8 pm $40
êAdam Holzman and guests Jay Rodriguez, Jane Getter, Gene Pritsker
		
Kostabi World 7 pm $20• The Venus Project: Manhattan School of Music directed by Sherisse Rogers				
Manhattan School of Music Neidorff-Karpati Hall 7:30 pm• Arcoris Sandoval/Steve Wilson Mezzrow 7:30, 9 pm $20
êWynton at 60: Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra with Wynton Marsalis				Rose Theater 8 pm $40-130• Interpretations: Mari Kimura; Joseph Kubera
		Roulette 8 pm $20• Davy Mooney
Smalls 7:30, 9 pm $20• Jim Ridl/François Moutin
Soapbox Gallery 8 pm $25• Modum: Jon Madof, Yoshie Fruchter, Chris Stromquist, Mathias Kunzli
		The Stone at The New School 8:30 pm $20
êEmmet Cohen Trio with Ron Carter, Evan Sherman		Village Vanguard 8, 10 pm $40

Friday, November 19• Oscar Noriega’s Crooked Quartet with Marta Sanchez, Christopher Tordini,
Jason Nazary
Barbès 5 pm $20• Ben Holmes’ Naked Lore with Brad Shepik, Shane Shanahan		Barbès 8 pm $20• Ron Schwimmer
Bargemusic 7 pm $35• Birdland Big Band
Birdland 5;30 pm $30
êThe Hot Sardines
Birdland 8:30, 10:30 pm $40
êSheila Jordan Birthday Celebration with Alan Broadbent, Harvie S		Birdland Theater 7, 9:30 pm $30• Christian Scott aTunde Adjuah Blue Note 8, 10:30 pm $35
êEd Cherry; Pete Malinverni
Cellar Dog 7, 11:30 pm $10• Bobby Sanabria Quarteto Aché Chelsea Table & Stage 7, 9:30 pm $32• Young Stars of Jazz: Isaiah J. Thompson, Endea Owens, Kyle Poole, Julian Lee,Zoe Obadia, Anthony Hervey
Dizzy’s Club 7:30, 9:30 pm $40• Brandi Disterheft; Ken Fowser The Django at Roxy Hotel 7, 10 pm• Jordan Young Quartet
Greater Calvary Baptist Church 7 pm $20
êBenny Golson Tribute: Ron Blake, Dayna Stephens, John Ellis, David Virelles,
Dezron Douglas, Johnathan Blake The Jazz Gallery 7:30, 9:30 pm $25-35
êJazzmeia Horn and Her Noble Force with Keith Brown, Eric Wheeler, Anwar Marshall,
Bruce Williams, Anthony Ware, Jason Marshall, Josh Evans, Dion Tucker, Max Seigel,
Corey Wallace
Joe’s Pub 8 pm $40
êMartin Wind Trio with Scott Robinson, Gary Versace		Mezzrow 7:30, 9 pm $20• Richard Baskin, Jr. Quartet
Minton’s 7:30, 9:30 pm $10• Svetlana; Kelly Green Trio
Room 623 at B2 Harlem 7, 8:30, 10 pm $18-25
êWynton at 60: Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra with Wynton Marsalis				Rose Theater 8 pm $40-130• Jessica Pavone’s Lull with Brian Chase, Nate Wooley, Aimée Niemann, Charlotte Munn-Wood,
Abby Swidler, Christopher Hoffman, Mariel Roberts, Shayna Dulberger, Nicholas Jozwiak
		Roulette 8 pm $25• Duduka Da Fonseca
Smalls 7:30, 9 pm $20
êZoh Amba Trio with Matt Hollenberg, Kenny Grohowski
		The Stone at The New School 8:30 pm $20• Neal Kirkwood’s Blue Inventions Trio with Tim Harrison, Ron Horton		
Third Street Music School Settlement 7 pmêEmmet Cohen Trio with Ron Carter, Evan Sherman		Village Vanguard 8, 10 pm $40

Saturday, November 20êGreg Lewis Organ Monk Trio
Bar Lunàtico 9, 10:15 pm $10êThe Hot Sardines
Birdland 8:30, 10:30 pm $40
êSheila Jordan Birthday Celebration with Alan Broadbent, Harvie S		Birdland Theater 7, 9:30 pm $30• Christian Scott aTunde Adjuah Blue Note 8, 10:30 pm $35• Nick Biello; James Austin
Cellar Dog 7, 11:30 pm $10• Riley Mulherkar Septet
Dizzy’s Club 7:30, 9:30 pm $45• Mike King; Mike LeDonne Quartet The Django at Roxy Hotel 7, 10 pm• Guy Mintus Trio
Drom 8:30 pm $20• Vuyo Sotashe and Chris Pattishall Harlem Stage Gatehouse 7:30 pm $25-35
êKengchakaj’s Lak Lan with Sirintip, Yuma Uesaka, Caroline Davis, Perrin Grace,
Nolan Byrd
The Jazz Gallery 7:30, 9:30 pm $15-25
êJazzmeia Horn and Her Noble Force with Keith Brown, Eric Wheeler, Anwar Marshall,
Bruce Williams, Anthony Ware, Jason Marshall, Josh Evans, Dion Tucker, Max Seigel,
Corey Wallace
Joe’s Pub 8 pm $40
êEddie Palmieri Band
Kupferberg Center 7, 9 pm $35-45• Victor Gould
Mezzrow 10:30 pm $20
êWynton at 60: Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra with Wynton Marsalis				Rose Theater 8 pm $40-130êStephen Gauci, Matthew Shipp, William Parker, Francisco Mela		
Scholes Street Studio 8, 9:30 pm $15• Camille Gaynor Jones Group
Sistas’ Place 9, 10:30 pm $20• Ken Fowser
Smalls 7:30, 9 pm $20• Kendra Shank Trio with Gary Versace, Dean Johnson
		
Soapbox Gallery 8 pm $25• Modum: Jon Madof, Yoshie Fruchter, Chris Stromquist, Mathias Kunzli
		The Stone at The New School 8:30 pm $20
êEmmet Cohen Trio with Ron Carter, Evan Sherman		Village Vanguard 8, 10 pm $40

Sunday, November 21êBruce Barth Trio with Vicente Archer, Curtis Nowasad		
Bar Lunàtico 9, 10:15 pm $10êVinnie Sperrazza, Mike McGinnis, Lonnie Plaxico		
Barbès 7 pm $20
êStephane Wrembel
Barbès 9 pm $20• Andy Farber Orchestra
Birdland 5 pm $30
êArturo O’Farrill and The Afro Latin Jazz Orchestra		
Birdland 8:30, 10 pm $30• Gabrielle Stravelli and Tim Armacost Quintet
		
Birdland Theater 7, 9:30 pm $30• Christian Scott aTunde Adjuah Blue Note 8, 10:30 pm $35• Ned Goold Quartet
Cellar Dog 7 pm $10• Riley Mulherkar Septet
Dizzy’s Club 7:30, 9:30 pm $30• Welf Dorr, Adam Lane, Dave Treut The Keep 9 pmêAlan Broadbent
Mezzrow 7:30, 9 pm $20• Caili O’Doherty/Cory Cox
Saint Peter’s Church 5 pm
• Bruce Harris
Smalls 7:30, 9 pm $20
êNick Sanders solo
Soapbox Gallery 8 pm $25
êEmmet Cohen Trio with Ron Carter, Evan Sherman		Village Vanguard 8, 10 pm $40

100 MILES OUT
CONNECTICUT

11/5-6 (7/9:30 pm) Bob James Quartet
11/7 (4/6 pm) Sivan Arbel feat. Nanny Assis
11/17 (8 pm) Charlie Hunter/Scott Amendola
11/7 (8 pm) Jam Session with David Janeway Trio
Café Nine New Haven, CT www.cafenine.com
11/12-13 (7/9:30 pm) Gil Parris Quartet featuring Bernie Williams
11/19-20 (7/9:30 pm) David Amram’s 2nd Annual 90th Birthday Bash
11/5 (8:30 pm) Oasis: Rez Abbasi/Isabelle Olivier with Michael Sarin
11/26-27 (7/9:30 pm) Houston Person Quartet
11/12 (8:30 pm) Bill Lowe’s Signifyin’ Natives with Hafez Modirzadeh,
11/28 (4/6 pm) Melissa Stylianou with Gene Bertoncini, Eduardo Belo,
Taylor Ho Bynum, Kevin Harris, Ken Filiano, Luther Gray, Naledi Masilo 11/19
Rogério Boccato(8:30 pm) Avram Fefer Trio with Adam Lane, Michael Wimberly
Jazz Forum Arts Tarrytown, NY www.jazzforumarts.org NY
11/26 (8:30 pm) Daniel Levin/Mat Maneri
Firehouse 12 New Haven, CT www.firehouse12.com
11/27 (7:30 pm) Sheila Jordan with Alan Broadbent, Harvie S
Jazzstock @ Senate Garage Kingston, NY www.jazzstock.com NY
11/17 (6:30 pm) Walnut Hill Jazz Series presents Michael Carabello Quartet
New Britain Museum of American Art New Britain, CT
11/6 (7-10 pm) Rob Scheps Core-tet with Jamie Reynolds, Cameron Brown,
www.nbmaa.org/events/walnut-hill-jazz-series-2021
Anthony Pinciotti
11/13 (7-10 pm) Chad McLoughlin with Gary Kelly, Jeff Siegel
11/3,10,17,24 (9pm): Hawkins Jazz Collective
11/20 (7-10 pm) Geoff Vidal Band
Owl Shop New Haven, CT www.owlshopcigars.com
11/27 (7-10 pm) The Feral Cats with Steve Raleigh, Peter Tomlinson,
Mark Usvolk, Matt Garrity
11/12 (7 pm) Nick Di Maria Quintet
Palace Theater Poli Club Waterbury, CT www.palacetheaterct.org/shows/jazz Lydia’s Café Stone Ridge, NY www.lydias-cafe.com NY
11/5 (8 pm) Rachel Z Trio with Jonathan Toscano, Ben Perowsky
11/9 (8 pm) Pat Metheny Side-Eye with James Francies, Joe Dyson
11/6 (8 pm) Jason Clotter Trio with Eric Alexander, Joe Farnsworth
Ridgefield Playhouse Ridgefield, CT www.ridgefieldplayhouse.org
11/12 (8 pm) Stephanie Nakasian Quartet with David Budway,
11/5-6 (8:30 pm) Johnny O’Neal Trio
Cameron Brown, Tony Jefferson
11/12 (8:30 pm) Gilad Hekselman Trio
11/13 (8 pm) Jay Leonhart Trio with Tomoko Ohno, Vito Lesczak
11/13 (8:30 pm) Dave Meder Trio with Ben Tiberio, Jonathan Barber
11/19 (8 pm) Santi Debriano Trio with Bill O’Connell, Tommy Campbell
11/19-20 (8:30 pm) Bobby Watson Quartet
11/20 (8 pm) Steve Wilson Quartet with David Budway, Ugonna Okegwo,
11/26-27 (8:30 pm) Bill Charlap Trio
EJ Strickland
Side Door Old Lyme, CT www.oldlymeinn.com/TheSideDoorJazzClub.htm
11/26 (8 pm) Jazz Jam with Freddie Jacobs
11/27 (8 pm) Akiko Tsuruga/Joe Magnarelli GroupNEW JERSEY
Maureen’s Jazz Cellar Nyack, NY www.maureensjazzcellar.com NY
11/14 (1-7 pm) Cross-Cultural Connection Jazz In The Park Festival with
11/12 (8 pm) Ray Blue Organ Trio
Tony Jefferson Guitar Quartet, Ray Blue Septet,
Brothers Smoke House Ramsey, NJ www.brotherssmokehousenj.com
Kenny Barron Trio, Pro-Am Ensemble
11/27 (3:30-7:30 pm) Trineice Robinson Quartet
Paramount Hudson Valley Theater Peekskill, NY www.cccjazz.org NY
Candlelight Lounge Trenton, NJ www.jazztrenton.com
11/14 (7 pm) Pat Metheny Side-Eye with James Francies, Joe Dyson
11/14 (11:30 am/1:30 pm) Cyrus Chestnut
Patchogue Theater of Performing Arts Patchogue, NY
Dorthaan’s Place @Nico Kitchen + Bar Newark, NJ www.njpac.org
www.patchoguetheatre.org NY
11/14 (2 pm) Cynthia Sayer and Her Joyride Band
11/14 Danny Mixon
Haddonfield United Methodist Church Haddonfield, NJ www.tristatejazz.org PJS Jazz Society at First Presbyterian Church Mt. Vernon, NY
www.pjsjazz.org NY
11/4 (8 pm) Oasis: Rez Abbasi/Isabelle Olivier with Michael Sarin
Jersey City Theater Center’s White Eagle Hall Jersey City, NJ www.jctcenter.org 11/3 (8:30 pm) Joe McPhee Birthday Celebration
11/8 (8:30 pm) Joe Giardullo with Vance Provey, Billy Stein, Harvey Sorgen
11/5 (6/8:30 pm) TD James Moody Jazz Festival: Django Festival Allstars:
11/15 (8:30 pm) Jessica Jones, Tony Jones and Friends
Samson Schmitt, Ludovic Beier, Pierre Blanchard,
11/22 (8:30 pm) Joe Fiedler’s Open Sesame with Jeff Lederer,
DouDou Cuillerier, Antonio Licusati
Steven Bernstein, Sean Conly, Michael Sarin
11/6 (6 pm) TD James Moody Jazz Festival: Jazz Vespers with
11/29 (8:30 pm) Joe Vincent Trachina
Buster Williams, Pedro Giraudo + Nimbus Dance, Chaka Khan
Quinn’s Beacon, NY www.facebook.com/QuinnsBeacon NY
11/7 (2 pm) TD James Moody Jazz Festival: Don Braden Septet
11/11 (7:30 pm) Christian McBride Big Band’s “The Movement Revisited:
11/7 (7 pm) Ricky Ford Quartet with John Kordalewski, Jerome Harris,
A Musical Portrait of Four Icons”
Barry Altschul
11/12 (7 pm) “Divine Sass”: Lillias White sings Sarah Vaughan
11/13 (7 pm) Ian Hendrickson-Smith Quintet with Jeremy Manasia, Al Street,
11/13 (8 pm) TD James Moody Jazz Festival: Dianne Reeves & Artemis:
Aaron Thurston, Adam Coté
Renee Rosnes, Anat Cohen, Ingrid Jensen, Nicole Glover,
11/17 (7 pm) Beledo with Pete Levin, Scott Petito, Kenny Grohowski
Noriko Ueda, Allison Miller
11/20 (7 pm) Charlie Hunter/Scott Amendola Duo
11/14 (3 pm) TD James Moody Jazz Festival - 10th Annual Sarah Vaughan
11/21 (7 pm) Rudresh Mahanthappa with François Moutin, Rudy Royston
International Jazz Vocal Competition hosted by
11/28 (7 pm) Don Byron Quartet with David Gilmore, Dezron Douglas,
Christian McBride & Dianne Reeves with judges Renee Rosnes,
Bruce Cox
Steve Williams, Jazzmeia Horn, John Pizzarelli, Sheila Jordan
The Falcon Marlboro, NY www.liveatthefalcon.com NY
11/20 (7:30 pm) TD James Moody Jazz Festival: Anat Cohen and11/4 (7 pm) Jazz Loft Big Band with Tom ManuelNewport All-Stars Salute to George Wein featuring
11/5 (7 pm) Marilyn Maye Trio
Christian McBride, Kenny Barron, Randy Brecker,
11/18 (7 pm) Bad Little Big Band with Rich Iacona, Madeline Kole
Lewis Nash, Lew Tabackin, Peter Washington
11/19 (7 pm) Drumming Legends: Ronnie Zito, Jackie Williams, Chris Smith,
11/21 (3/7 pm) TD James Moody Jazz Festival: Maria Schneider Orchestra
Darrell Smith with Houston Person, Dean Johnson, Steve Salerno,
NJPAC Newark, NJ www.njpac.org
Tom Manuel
11/6 (8 pm) Jazz Small Group I; Rudresh Mahanthappa’s Hero Trio
The Jazz Loft Stony Brook, NY www.thejazzloft.org NY
Princeton University Richardson Auditorium www.music.princeton.edu
11/1,8,15,22,29 (8 pm) Monday Jazz Sessions with John Richmond
11/4 (7 pm) Alex Laurenzi Trio
Turning Point Café Piermont, NY www.turningpointcafe.com/index.htm NY
11/5 (7 pm) Jerry Vivino Quartet with Larry Fuller, Martin Pizzarelli, Karl Latham
11/6 (7 pm) Bernard Purdie Quartet
PENNSYLVANIA
11/12 (7 pm) John Lee with Cyrus Chestnut, Freddie Hendrix, Karl Latham
11/19 (7 pm) Nat Adderley, Jr. Trio
11/4 (8 pm) Peter Frank Orchestra
11/26 (7 pm) “Music of Grant Green” featuring Scott Sharrard
11/12 (8 pm) Willie Jones III Quintet with Justin Robinson, Giveton Gelin,
11/27 (7 pm) “Vince Guaraldi & The Holidays” with Eric Mintel Quartet
Jeremy Manasia, Alex Claffy
Shanghai Jazz Madison, NJ www.shanghaijazz.com
11/13 (8 pm) Mike LeDonne Quartet with Eric Alexander
11/19-20 (8/10 pm) Bill Charlap Trio with David Wong, Kenny Washington 11/2611/20 (8 pm) John Lee & Friends with Cyrus Chestnut, Freddie Hendrix,
27 (8/10 pm) Davina & The Vagabonds
Steve Carrington, Karl LathamSouth Orange Performing Arts Center South Orange, NJ www.sopacnow.org Chris’ Jazz Café Philadephia, PA www.chrisjazzcafe.com
11/5 (7 pm) Harry Allen
11/12 (8 pm) Pat Metheny Side-Eye with James Francies, Joe Dyson
11/6 (7 pm) Emily Braden
State Theater New Jersey New Brunswick, NJ www.stnj.org
11/7 (7 pm) Bill Charlap solo
11/2 (7 pm) Frankie Midnight Trio
11/13 (7 pm) Monika Herzig Sheroes with Reut Regev, Jaimie Baum,
11/4 (7 pm) Jerry Weldon Sextet
Jennifer Vincent, Rosa Avila
11/9 (7 pm) Mike Noordzy Trio
11/14 (7 pm) Martin Wind Quartet with Scott Robinson, Alan Broadbent,
11/11 (7 pm) Nat Adderley, Jr. Quartet
Bill Goodwin
11/16 (7 pm) Jem Seidel Trio
11/19 (7 pm) Marianne Solivan
11/18 (7 pm) Victor Jones Quartet
11/20 (7 pm) Ken Peplowski Quartet
11/24 (7 pm) Dave Schumacher Quartet
11/21 (7 pm) Aimée Allen Quartet
11/30 (7 pm) Patrick Gannon Trio
11/22 (7 pm) Houston Person with David Leonhart Trio
Tavern on George New Brunswick, NJ www.tavernongeorge.com
11/26 (7 pm) Co-op Bop
11/27 (7 pm) Michael Stephans with Steve Cardenas, Jim Ridl, Drew Gress
11/7 (4 pm) Scott Robinson, David Dempsey, William Paterson Jazz Orchestra
11/28 (7 pm) Paul Jost Trio with Arkadiy Figlin, Dean Johnson
11/14 (4 pm) Ryan Truesdell “Birth of the Cool Live”
Deer Head Inn Delaware Water Gap, PA www.deerheadinn.com
William Paterson University Wayne, NJ www.wpunj.edu/wppresents
11/20 (8 pm) Fire Museum Presents Daniel Levin/Mat Maneri Duo
NEW YORK
Evangelical Lutheran Church of the Atonement Philadelphia, PA
www.firemuseumpresents.com
11/6 (6 pm) Doug Munro & Gypsy Jazz
11/11 (8 pm) Pat Metheny Side-Eye with James Francies, Joe Dyson
11/13 (6 pm) Nelson Riveros “Latin Side of Wes Montgomery”
Keswick Theater Glenside, PA www.keswicktheatre.com
11/20 (6 pm) Valerie Capers Quartet with John Robinson, Alan Givens,
Doug Richardson + Pito Castillo
11/11 (8 pm) North Mississippi Allstars & Rebirth Brass Band
11/27 (6 pm) Guitar Trio featuring Jeff Barone and Tom Dempsey
11/6 (8 pm) Django Festival Allstars
Bean Runner Café Peekskill, NY www.beanrunnercafe.com NY
11/5 (8 pm) Jazz Philadelphia Summit Intergenerational Homecoming Jam
hosted by Luke Carlos O’Reilly and Larry McKenna
11/18 (8 pm) Roz Corral Trio with Tom Dempsey, John Lang
Kimmel Center Philadelphia, PA www.kimmelculturalcampus.org
Divino’s Hastings-on-Hudson, NY www.divinohastings.com NY
11/1,8,15,22,29 (5:30 pm) Tony Williams Ensemble with Dave Posmontier,
11/4,11 (7:30 pm) Paul Connors Trio with Chris Vitarello
Aaron Graves, Mike Boone, Craig McIver
11/6 (7:30 pm): Gerry Malkin Jazz Collective tribute to Wayne Shorter
La Rose Jazz Club Philadelphia, PA www.jazzclublarose.com
11/18 (7:30 pm) Paul Connors Trio with Mark Barden
11/20 (7:30 pm) Bright Size Life Project with Paul Connors
11/7 (6:30 pm) V. Shayne Frederick Trio
Elk’s Lodge Ossining, NY www.jazzatthelodge.com/shows NY
11/20-21 (7 pm) Webb Thomas SuperBand
11/26-27 (7 pm) Joey DeFrancesco
11/20 (8 pm) Ras Moshe Burnett/Dafna Naphtali
South Jazz Club Philadelphia, PA www.southjazzkitchen.com
Elysium Furnace Works @Howland Cultural Center Beacon, NY
www.facebook.com/elysiumfurnaceworks NY
11/16 (8 pm) Pat Metheny Side-Eye with James Francies, Joe Dyson
Williams Center for the Arts Easton, PA www.williamscenter.lafayette.edu
11/21 (4 pm) John Pizzarelli Trio
Gardiner Theater Pawling, NY www.pawlingconcertseries.org NY
11/7 (8:30 pm) Emmanuel Ohemeng & Perpetual Motion
11/10 (8 pm) Nate Smith + KINFOLK
11/20 (7 pm) “A Love Supreme: Celebrating the Legacy of Alice &11/11 (8:30 pm) Charlie Hunter/Scott Amendola
John Coltrane”: JD Allen Trio with Ian Kenselaar, Nic Cacioppo
World Café Philadelphia, PA www.worldcafelive.com
Hudson Hall Hudson, NY www.hudsonhall.org NY

THE NEW YORK CITY JAZZ RECORD | NOVEMBER 2021 41

Monday, November 22• Freda Payne
Birdland 7 pm $40• Dizzy Gillespie Afro-Latin Experience Blue Note 8, 10:30 pm $35• Nora Stanley, Noah Gershwin, Noah Garabedian, Chase Kuesel; Leo Chang,

Ayumi Ishito, Sandy Ewen; Stephen Gauci, Adam Lane, Colin Hinton; Jeff Davis,
Jason Rigby, Jonathan Goldberger, Luke Marantz, Chris Tordini;
Henry Mermer Ensemble
Bushwick Public House 7 pm $15
êEd Palermo Big Band
Iridium 8:30 pm $27.50• Audrey Silver
Soapbox Gallery 8 pm $25
êVanguard Jazz Orchestra
Village Vanguard 8, 10 pm $40

Tuesday, November 23êKen Peplowski Quartet with Glenn Zaleski, Martin Wind, Willie Jones III				
Birdland 7, 9:30 pm $40• The Manhattan Transfer
Blue Note 8, 10:30 pm $65• Ray Levier and The Intriguers with Aaron Heick, David Gilmore, Etienne Stadwijk,
Will Lee, Daniel Sadownick
The Cutting Room 7 pm $20-25êMingus Big BandThe Django at Roxy Hotel 7:30, 9:30 pm• Two-Fold: Neta Raanan, Kevin Sun, Dan Pappalardo, Jay Sawyer
		
Lowlands 6:30, 8 pm $10êSamara Joy
Mezzrow 7:30, 9 pm $20
êSteve Nelson
Smalls 7:30, 9 pm $20
êJason Moran and Bandwagon with Tarus Mateen, Nasheet Waits		
Village Vanguard 8, 10 pm $40

Wednesday, November 24• Brandon Lee Quartet with Willie Applewhite, Clovis Nicolas, Aaron Kimmel

		Bar Bayeux 8, 9:30 pmêDavid Ostwald’s Louis Armstrong Eternity Band		
Birdland 5:30 pm $30
êKen Peplowski Quartet with Glenn Zaleski, Martin Wind, Willie Jones III				
Birdland 7, 9:30 pm $40
êFrank Vignola’s Guitar Night with Jimmy Bruno, Josh Marcum, Vince Cherico andguests Matt Munisteri, Roni Ben-Hur		
Birdland Theater 8:30 pm $30• The Manhattan Transfer
Blue Note 8, 10:30 pm $65• Saul Rubin Quartet
Cellar Dog 7 pm $10êSherman Irby and Momentum
Chelsea Table & Stage 9:30 pm $32
êWycliffe Gordon International All-Stars with Adrian Cunningham, Ehud Asherie,
Yasushi Nakamura, Alvin Atkinson Dizzy’s Club 7:30, 9:30 pm $45• Tony Hewitt; Samara Joy
The Django at Roxy Hotel 7, 9 pm
• Alex Skolnick Trio
Iridium 8 pm $27.50• John DiMartino
Mezzrow 7:30, 9 pm $20• Harlem Jazz Session: Peter Brainin and Friends		
Room 623 at B2 Harlem 8 pm $12• Luke Selick
Smalls 7:30, 9 pm $20• Hayes Greenfield/Dean Johnson Soapbox Gallery 8 pm $25
êJason Moran and Bandwagon with Tarus Mateen, Nasheet Waits		
Village Vanguard 8, 10 pm $40

Thursday, November 25êKen Peplowski Quartet with Glenn Zaleski, Martin Wind, Willie Jones III

Birdland 7, 9:30 pm $40
Birdland Theater 8:30 pm $30
Blue Note 8, 10:30 pm $65

Yasushi Nakamura, Alvin Atkinson Dizzy’s Club 7:30, 9:30 pm $178
Smalls 7:30, 9 pm $20
êJason Moran and Bandwagon with Tarus Mateen, Nasheet Waits		
Village Vanguard 8, 10 pm $40• Jon Beshay

Friday, November 26• Oscar Noriega’s Crooked Quartet with Marta Sanchez, Christopher Tordini,
Jason Nazary
Barbès 5 pm $20• Miss Maybell and The Jazz Age Artistes with Charlie Judkins, Brian Nalepka

		Barbès 8 pm $20
êTRIO Words Within Music: Daniel Schnyder, Ron Stabinsky, David Taylor				Bargemusic 7 pm $35• Birdland Big Band
Birdland 5;30 pm $30
êKen Peplowski Quartet with Glenn Zaleski, Martin Wind, Willie Jones III				
Birdland 8:30, 10:30 pm $40• Loston Harris Quartet
Birdland Theater 7, 9:30 pm $30• The Manhattan Transfer
Blue Note 8, 10:30 pm $65• Itai Kriss and La Guaracharanga; Davis Whitfield Quartet
		
Cellar Dog 7, 11:30 pm $10êêWycliffe Gordon International All-Stars with Adrian Cunningham, Ehud Asherie,
Yasushi Nakamura, Alvin Atkinson Dizzy’s Club 7:30, 9:30 pm $55• Nick Hempton; Ken Fowser
The Django at Roxy Hotel 7, 10 pm• Rod Williams Quartet
Greater Calvary Baptist Church 7 pm $20• Oz Noy Band with Chris Potter, Will Lee, Antonio Sanchez
		
Iridium 8 pm $30• Arta Jēkabsone’s Searching For A Song with Theo Walentiny, Lucas Kadish,Hannah Marks, Connor Parks, Zosha Warpeha, Abby Swidler, Tamar Frankel Damari,Kana Miyamoto, Alfredo Colon The Jazz Gallery 7:30, 9:30 pm $25-35
êTed Rosenthal
Mezzrow 7:30, 9 pm $20• Benito Gonzalez Quartet
Minton’s 7:30, 9:30 pm $10• Joe Pino Quartet; Ray Blue Quartet Room 623 at B2 Harlem 7, 8:30, 10 pm $18-25• Steve Davis
Smalls 7:30, 9 pm $20
êJason Moran and Bandwagon with Tarus Mateen, Nasheet Waits		
Village Vanguard 8, 10 pm $40

Saturday, November 27• Arcoiris Sandoval’s Sonic Asylum Trio with Marty Kenny, Allan Mednard

		Bar Lunàtico 9, 10:15 pm $10êJeff Davis Band with Kirk Knuffke, Oscar Noriega, Jonathan Goldberger, Chris Tordini
		Barbès 7 pm $20
êKen Peplowski Quartet with Glenn Zaleski, Martin Wind, Willie Jones III				
Birdland 8:30, 10:30 pm $40• Loston Harris Quartet
Birdland Theater 7, 9:30 pm $30• The Manhattan Transfer
Blue Note 8, 10:30 pm $65• Cocomama; Nicole Glover QuartetCellar Dog 7, 11:30 pm $10êêWycliffe Gordon International All-Stars with Adrian Cunningham, Ehud Asherie,
Yasushi Nakamura, Alvin Atkinson Dizzy’s Club 7:30, 9:30 pm $45
êYotam Silberstein Trio; Itai Kriss and Telavana		
The Django at Roxy Hotel 7, 10 pm• Oz Noy Band with Chris Potter, Will Lee, Antonio Sanchez
		
Iridium 8 pm $30• Arta Jēkabsone’s Searching For A Song with Theo Walentiny, Lucas Kadish,Hannah Marks, Connor Parks, Zosha Warpeha, Abby Swidler, Tamar Frankel Damari,Kana Miyamoto, Alfredo Colon The Jazz Gallery 7:30, 9:30 pm $25-35
êAaron Goldberg
Mezzrow 7:30, 9 pm $20
êJason Moran and Bandwagon with Tarus Mateen, Nasheet Waits		
Village Vanguard 8, 10 pm $40—KVNF Radio“It’sbeautiful…”

		• Loston Harris Quartet• The Manhattan Transfer#1 Amazon New Release/Jazz
LISTEN: Transparent Sky is on all streaming services
CONNECT: on all socials with LisaHiltonMusic
WATCH: YouTube.com/LisaHiltonMusic

Sunday, November 28êêWycliffe Gordon International All-Stars with Adrian Cunningham, Ehud Asherie,

LisaHiltonMusic.com

42 NOVEMBER 2021 | THE NEW YORK CITY JAZZ RECORDêStephane Wrembel• Cocomama

Barbès 9 pm $20
Birdland 5 pm $30

êArturo O’Farrill and The Afro Latin Jazz Orchestra		
Birdland 8:30, 10 pm $30• Gabrielle Stravelli and Tim Armacost Quintet
		
Birdland Theater 7, 9:30 pm $30• The Manhattan Transfer
Blue Note 8, 10:30 pm $65• Jade Synstelien Quartet
Cellar Dog 7 pm $10êWycliffe Gordon International All-Stars with Adrian Cunningham, Ehud Asherie,
Yasushi Nakamura, Alvin Atkinson Dizzy’s Club 7:30, 9:30 pm $40• Welf Dorr, Adam Lane, Dave Treut The Keep 9 pm
• Ed Laub Trio with Roni Ben-Hur, Joshua Marcum		North Square Lounge 12:30, 2 pm
• Sunday Vocal Jazz Jam Hosted By Jocelyn Medina
		Room 623 at B2 Harlem 6 pm $15• Caili O’Doherty/Cory Cox
Saint Peter’s Church 5 pm
• Steve Davis
Smalls 7:30, 9 pm $20
êJason Moran and Bandwagon with Tarus Mateen, Nasheet Waits		
Village Vanguard 8, 10 pm $40

Monday, November 29• Matt Pavolka Band with Ben Monder, Santiago Leibson, Allan Mednard
		Bar Lunàtico 9 pm $10• Anna Kolchina Quartet with Michael Kanan, Paul Sikivie, Evan Sherman				
Birdland 8:30 pm $30• Dizzy Gillespie Afro-Latin Experience Blue Note 8, 10:30 pm $35• Fung Chern Hwei, Shawn Lovato, Colin Hinton; Cosmo Gallaro, Joey Sullivan,

Jared Radichel, James Mckain; Stephen Gauci, Adam Lane, Colin Hinton;
Juan Pablo Carletti’s Biggish with Yoni Kretzmer, Rick Parker, Kenny Warren,
Kenneth Jimenez, Ben Stapp, Jake Henry; Aaron Quinn, David Leon, Walter Stinson,
Matt Honer
Bushwick Public House 7 pm $15• Humbug Jitterbug: CompCord Big Band with Jay Rodriguez, Dennis Brandner,
Scott Hoefling , Michiyo Suzuki, Stefan Zeniuk, John Clark, Michael Seltzer,
David Whitwell, David Taylor, Franz Hackl, Peter Oswald, Dennis Hernandez,
Eddie Allen, Alon Nechushtan, Laurence Goldman, Rosa Avila, Melanie Mitrano,
Gene Pritsker and guests Valery Ponomarev, Gerry Brown
		City Winery 7:30 pm $20• Aaron Comess Group with Teddy Kumpel, Richard Hammond, Keith Loftis,
Leon Gruenbaum
Rockwood Music Hall Stage 2 8:30 pm $10êVanguard Jazz Orchestra
Village Vanguard 8, 10 pm $40

Tuesday, November 30• Secret Trio: Ara Dinkjian, Ismail Lumanovski, Tamer Pinarbasi

		Bar Lunàtico 9, 10:15 pm $10êJoe Lovano/Dave Douglas Sound Prints with Lawrence Fields, Linda May Han Oh,
Joey Baron
Birdland 7, 9:30 pm $40• Spyro Gyra
Blue Note 8, 10:30 pm $45
êMingus Big BandThe Django at Roxy Hotel 7:30, 9:30 pm• People of the Earth
Drom 8 pm $10• Kevin Sun Quintet with Adam O’Farrill, Kevin Sun, Dana Saul, Walter Stinson,
Matt Honor
Lowlands 6:30, 8 pm $10• Jamile
Mezzrow 7:30, 9 pm $20• Dahveed Behroozi
Soapbox Gallery 8 pm $25
êChristian McBride Insight Straight with Steve Wilson, Warren Wolf, Peter Martin,
Carl Allen
Village Vanguard 8, 10 pm $40

CLU B DI RE CTORY• 55Bar 55 Christopher Street between Waverly Place and Seventh Avenue South(212-929-9883) Subway: 1, 2 to Christopher Street www.55bar.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• Bargemusic Fulton Ferry Landing
Subway: F to York Street, A, C to High Street www.bargemusic.org• 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• Brooklyn Conservatory of Music 58 Seventh Avenue
Subway: F to Seventh Avenue, N, R to Union Street www.bkcm.org• Bushwick Public House 1288 Myrtle Avenue
Subway: G to Myrtle - Willoughby Avenue then B54
www.bushwickpublichouse.com• Cellar Dog 75 Christopher Street at 7th Avenue(212-675-6056) Subway: 1 to Christopher Street www.cellardog.net• Center for Performance Research 361 Manhattan Avenue(718-349-1210) Subway: L to Graham Avenue www.cprnyc.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• City Winery 25 11th Avenue (at 15th Street)(646-751-6033) Subway: A, C, E to 14th Street www.citywinery.com• Clemente Soto Velez Cultural Center 107 Suffolk Street
Subway: F, J, M, Z to Delancey Street www.csvcenter.com• The Cutting Room 44 E. 32nd Street(212-691-1900) Subway: 6 to 33rd Street www.thecuttingroomnyc.com• 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 at Roxy Hotel 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• Flushing Town Hall 137-35 Northern Boulevard(718-463-7700) Subway: 7 to Main Street www.flushingtownhall.org• Freddy’s Backroom 627 5th Avenue, Brooklyn(718-768-0131) Subway: R to Prospect Avenue www.freddysbar.com• Greater Calvary Baptist Church 55 W. 124th Street(404-227-3748) Subway: 2, 3 to 125th Street• Greenwich House Music School 46 Barrow Street(212-242-4770) Subway: 1 to Christopher Street www.greenwichhouse.org• Harlem Stage Gatehouse 150 Convent Avenue at West 135th Street(212-650-7100) Subway: 1 to 137th Street www.harlemstage.org• Hilltop Park Alehouse 3821 Broadway Subway: 1 to 157th Street• Hungarian House 213 E. 82nd Street(212-249-9360) Subway: 4, 5, 6, N, Q, R to 86th Street• Iridium 1650 Broadway at 51st Street(212-582-2121) Subway: 1,2 to 50th Street www.theiridium.com• Jalopy 315 Columbia Street, Brooklyn(718-395-3214) Subway: F to Smith Street www.jalopy.biz• The Jazz Gallery 1160 Broadway, 5th floor (212-242-1063)
Subway: N, R to 28th Street www.jazzgallery.org• Joe’s Pub at the Public Theater 425 Lafayette Street(212-539-8770) Subway: 6 to Astor Place www.joespub.com• The Keep 205 Cypress Avenue, Queens(718-381-0400) Subway: L to Jefferson Street www.thekeepny.com• Kismat 603 Fort Washington Avenue(212-795-8633) Subway: 1 to 191st Street www.kismatny.com• Kostabi World 225 W. 22nd Street Subway: C, E to 23rd Street• Kupferberg Center 65-30 Kissena Boulevard, Flushing(718-793-8080) Subway: E to 71 - Continental Avs - Forest Hills• Le Chéile 839 W. 181st Street (212-740-3111) Subway: A to 181st Street• Le Poisson Rouge 158 Bleecker Street
Subway: A, B, C, D, E, F, V to W. 4th Street www.lepoissonrouge.com• 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) 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• Neighborhood Church of Greenwich Village 269 Bleecker Street(212-691-1770) Subway: A, B, C, D, E, F, V to W. 4th Street www.ncgv.net• New Amsterdam Musical Association 107 W. 130th Street(212-234-2973) Subway: 2, 3 to 125th Street• North Square Lounge 103 Waverly Place at McDougal Street(212-254-1200) Subway: A, B, C, E, F, V to West 4th Street• Pangea 178 Second Avenue(212-995-0900) Subway: L to First Avenue www.pangeanyc.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• 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, A, C, E, B, D to Columbus Circle www.jazz.org• Roulette 509 Atlantic Avenue(212-219-8242) Subway: 2, 3, 4, 5 to Atlantic Avenue www.roulette.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• 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• Soapbox Gallery 636 Dean Street
Subway: 2, 3 to Bergen Street www.soapboxgallery.org• 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• Third Street Music School Settlement 235 East 11th Street(212-777-3240) Subway: 6 to Astor Place www.thirdstreetmusicschool.org• Village Vanguard 178 Seventh Avenue South at 11th Street(212-255-4037) Subway: 1, 2, 3 to 14th Street www.villagevanguard.com• Weill Recital Hall (at Carnegie Hall) 154 W. 57th Street at Seventh Avenue(212-247-7800) Subway: N, R to 57th Street www.carnegiehall.org

m!

pOpen at 6

CHRIS
ROGERS

60TH BIRTHDAY
CELEBRATION& ALBUM PRE-RELEASEPARTY!!!
with special guest trumpeter
INGRID JENSEN

TUE 11/2

MINGUS BIG BAND

7:30PM
9:30PMWED 11/3

BENNY BENACK III
LUCY YEGHIAZARYAN

7PM
9PM

THR 11/4

RAY GALLON TRIOMARK WHITFIELD

7PM
9PM

FRI 11/5

CORY WEEDS QRTKEN FOWSER

7PM
10PM

SAT 11/6

CHARLES OWENS QRTJOE FARNSWORTH

7PM
10PM

TUE 11/9

MINGUS BIG BAND

7:30PM
9:30PMWED 11/10

PETE MALINVERNI TRIO
FT. ANAÏS RENOJOHNNY O’NEAL

7PM

THR 11/11

JOE BLOCK TRIOJEFFERY MILLER QNT

7PM
9PM

FRI 11/12

ED CHERRYKEN FOWSER

7PM
10PM

SAT 11/13

JON BESHAY QRTLEZLIE HARRISON

7PM
10PM

TUE 11/16

MINGUS BIG BAND

7:30PM
9:30PMWED 11/17

EMILY BRADEN
RICHARD CORTEZ

7PM
9PM

THR 11/18

IAN HENDRICKSON-SMITH

9PM

VOYAGE HOME
featuring
Michael Breckeron
Art of Life
Records

FRI 11/19

BRANDI DISTERHEFTKEN FOWSER

7PM
10PM

RANDY BRECKER: “I can categorically say that
Chris is AT THE TOP OF HIS GAME on this CD!”SAT 11/20

MIKE KING QRTMIKE LEDONNE QRT

7PM
10PM

TUE 11/23

MINGUS BIG BAND

7:30PM
9:30PMDOWNBEAT: 4.5 stars“Best Albums of 2017”“Rogers’ hip, relentlessly grooving
compositions steal the show.”WED 11/24

TONY HEWITT QRTSAMARA JOY

7PM
9PM

FRI 11/26

NICK HEMPTON BANDKEN FOWSER

7PM
10PM

SAT 11/27

YOTAM SILBERSTEIN TRIOITAI KRISS & TELAVANA

7PM
10PM

TUE 11/30

MINGUS BIG BAND

7:30PM
9:30PM

ViEe-wUP

ReserveO N YCTHEDJA.CNOMG

OPENTABLELIN.C O M

9PM

Sunday, December 5th

Triad Theater
9:30pm, doors @9pm
$15 cover(proof of vaccination required)
158 W. 72nd Street, NYC
TICKETS: www.triadnyc.com
Chris Rogers & Ingrid Jensen - trumpets
Mike Holober - piano
Jay Anderson - bass
Steve Johns - drums
COME CELEBRATE WITH US!!!
***featuring ALL NEW MUSIC!!!

LATEST ALBUM

All About Jazz: 4 stars“Trumpeter Chris Rogers’ long-awaited debut
album as a performer, composer and bandleader…
the charts and the musicianship is all first rate.
The late great Michael Brecker delivers mighty
solos reflective of his legendary status.”

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T R I B EC A

DINNER, LIBATIONS & LIVE JAZZ!
IN THE OF TRIBECACHRISROGERSJAZZ.COM

THE NEW YORK CITY JAZZ RECORD | NOVEMBER 2021 43

The National Arts Club congratulates seven-time
GRAMMY®-winning bassist, composer, and bandleader
Christian McBride, recipient of the NAC Medal of Honorfor outstanding achievements in music.
This Medal of Honor is generously supported by Arthur H. Barnes.

The National Arts Club is dedicated to stimulating,fostering, and promoting public interest in the arts.
To learn more, visit nationalartsclub.org

Photo credit: Anna Webber

The National Arts Club, 15 Gramercy Park S, New York