YOUR FREE GUIDE TO THE NYC JAZZ SCENEDECEMBER 2022—ISSUE 248

NYCJAZZRECORD.COM

FRANK
LACY
JAZZGAZERHOLIDAY
GIFT
GUIDE

MARC
COPLANDLAURENSEVIANALVIN
CURRAN

URBIE
GREEN

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

DECEMBER 2022—ISSUE 248
NEW YORK@NIGHT

Laurence Donohue-Greene:ldgreene@nycjazzrecord.com

INTERVIEW : MARC COPLAND

Andrey Henkin:ahenkin@nycjazzrecord.com

ARTIST FEATURE : LAUREN SEVIANON THE COVER : FRANK LACY

Advertising:advertising@nycjazzrecord.com
Calendar:calendar@nycjazzrecord.com
VOXNews:
voxnews@nycjazzrecord.com

ENCORE : ALVIN CURRANLEST WE FORGET : URBIE GREENLABEL SPOTLIGHT : BEAD

US Subscription rates: 12 issues, $40
Canada Subscription rates: 12 issues, $45
International Subscription rates: 12 issues, $50
For subscription assistance, send check, cash ormoney order to the address aboveor email info@nycjazzrecord.com

Staff Writers
Duck Baker, Dan Bilawsky,
Stuart Broomer, Robert Bush,
Kevin Canfield, Marco Cangiano,
Thomas Conrad, Pierre Crépon,Ken Dryden, Donald Elfman,
Phil Freeman, Pierre Giroux,
Kurt Gottschalk, Tom Greenland,
George Grella, Anders Griffen,
Tyran Grillo, Alex Henderson,
Robert Iannapollo, Marilyn Lester,
Suzanne Lorge, Marc Medwin,
Jim Motavalli, Russ Musto,
John Pietaro, Joel Roberts,
John Sharpe, Elliott Simon,
Anna Steegmann, Scott Yanow
Contributing Writers
Matty Bannond, Mike Cobb,
Jason Gross, George Kanzler,
Steven Loewy, Franz Matzner,
Monique Ngozi Nri
Contributing Photographers
George Council, Paul Martinka,
Alan Nahigian, Anna Niedermeier,Frank Rubolino, Robert I. Sutherland-Cohen,
Guido Werner

nycjazzrecord.com

VOXNEWS
OBITUARIESFESTIVAL REPORTALBUM REVIEWSSPECIAL FEATURE : HOLIDAY GIFT GUIDEEVENT CALENDARCLUB DIRECTORY

4
6
7
8
10
10
11
11
12
13
14
34
36
42

by robert bushby matty bannondby mike cobb
by george grellaby elliott simonby eric wendellby suzanne lorge
by andrey henkin‘Tis the season to be...well, what exactly? We come into December and suddenly we haveto feel jolly? Rather hard with a war in Europe, a midterm election that demonstrated
exactly how divided this country is, a world struggling with food and energy needs,a World Cup that is rife with corruption and human rights violations and far too muchattention spent on a narcissistic, destructive billionaire (no, not that one).
It may feel slightly delusional but it is times like these when we need music most. To thinkof all the periods of world upheaval that jazz has seen is to be inspired by its resilience andits need to reflect upon and try to better the people and places it touches. The supposed
spirit of the holidays—divorced from the commercial and sectarian realities—is one ofunified personhood, joy, generosity and understanding. All those apply to jazz no matterthe season. So as we approach the end of yet another turbulent year, let us be thankful that
we have music—and in person especially—to act as a soothing balm. We all need it.

On The Cover: Frank Lacy (photo by Alan Nahigian)
Corrections: In last month’s Artist Feature, the founder of 577 Records is Federico Ughi.
In last month’s Lest We Forget, Oliver Jackson played drums. In last month’s Festival Report,
the ballad towards the end of Kurt Elling’s set is called “Endless Lawns”.
All rights reserved. Reproduction without permission strictly prohibited. All material copyrights property of the authors.

2 DECEMBER 2022 | THE NEW YORK CITY JAZZ RECORDNEW YORK @ NIGHT
J udging by conversations overheard in Zankel Hall J azz and religion? Absolutely. Jazz Vespers at SaintPeter ’s Church combines both, most recently withpianist Miki Yamanaka and bassist Tyrone Allen(Nov. 13th). This mix of music and liturgy has been
going strong since 1965, when the late Rev. John Garcia
Gensel began the jazz ministry at the church. Jazz
Vespers offers an hour of a simple Lutheran service,punctuated by jazz music. Opening with a thematicallyappropriate “There But for the Grace Of” (Harold
Mabern), Yamanaka and Allen demonstrated a synergyof playing that was decidedly hand-in-glove. Allen
frequently turned to the bow in the set, also sensitively
bowing in the underscoring of several liturgicalsections of the vespers. Two Billy Strayhorn
compositions were offered; the first, “A Flower Is a
Lovesome Thing”, innately mellow, showcased
Yamanaka’s expressive playing; she is able to create
mood in a way that a vocalist phrases a song to thrustor pull back, modulating volume and emotion. Thisability was again demonstrated in “Lush Life”, inwhich Yamanaka’s artistry mystically communicatedthe lyric. With the piano forward, Allen offeredresponsive, supportive playing. In her own
composition, “Early Morning”, both entered intoa more energetic expression of the music, with bop
undertones and a powerful conclusion. Throughout
the set, Yamanaka’s touch was light and elegant, with
the insertion of glissandi, riffs and other touches à la
the Oscar Peterson school of playing. —Marilyn Lester

PAUL MARTINKA

R.I. SUTHERLAND-COHEN / JAZZEXPRESSIONS.ORG

before, between and after Slovaks in Concert (Nov.
3rd) a majority of attendees were from the Slovakian(or Czech) Republics, creating familial atmosphere for
vocalist Kristína Mihal’ová and guitarist Jakub Šedivý
(aka Lash&Grey, both in their mid 20s), who opened
the event with a set mixing covers of “There Will
Never Be Another You”, “East of the Sun and West of
the Moon” and “I’ll Remember April” with theoriginals “Passing Truth”, “Incurved in Love” and“Cakam”—all sung in English save the last, a romantic
ballad evoking especially warm response. Buoyed byŠedivý’s finger-picked acoustic and trumpeter Keyon
Harrold’s fine solos, Mihal’ová’s voice—agile, soulful,
inventive, resonant on bottom, clear at top—promisesa bright future. The Jánoška Ensemble, comprised ofbrothers Ondrej, František (violins) and Roman (piano)
Jánoška and brother-in-law Julius Darvas (bass), plus
guests Bireli Lagrène (guitar) and Martin Valihora(drums, also featured in the first set), upped the jawdrop factor with playfully virtuosic arrangements ofclassical pieces like Brahms’ “Hungarian Dance No.
1”, Beethoven’s “Moonlight Sonata” (mashed-up with
Cole Porter ’s “Night and Day”), Bach’s “Concerto for
Two Violins”, a czardas by Vittorio Monti and
The Beatles’ “Hey Jude”, the crowd nah-nahing along.
With impeccable showmanship, chops and taste,
sparked by František and Roman’s improvisations, thegroup is a breath of fresh music.
—Tom Greenland

Kristína Mihal’ová & Keyon Harrold @ Zankel Hall

Miki Yamanaka & Tyrone Allen @ Saint Peter’s Church

70 years ago, in the heyday of NYC’s mambo and Victor Gould has a stellar pedigree: playing pianochachachá crazes, crowds thronged the Palladium tohear singer Tito Rodríguez’ orchestra. The craziness
continued at a concert (Nov. 12th) by his son Tito’s
16-piece orchestra fronted by vocalist Gilberto Santa
Rosa, part of a three-day tribute to Rodriguez padre
titled ¡El Inolvidable! at Hostos Center in The Bronx.
Seated before two giant mushroom-shaped lighting
props, dressed sharp in red jackets, white shirts, black
pants and bow ties, the ensemble played two sets ofRodriguez’ most famous mambos, chachachás andboleros, with an occasional rhumba or pachanga forcontrast. Four trumpets punched accents, four
saxophones thickening the mix while Tito, Jr.
(on timbales), veteran bongosero John “Dandy”
Rodríguez, Jr. and conguero Wilson “Chembo” Corniel
added plenty of habanero pepper to the musical pique.
The mostly elderly audience sang along with favorites
like “Cuando Cuando Cuando”, “Un Cigarrillo,
la Lluvia y Tú”, “A los Muchachos de Belén”, “El Aguade Belén” and “Amor Perdóname”, exclaiming
encouragement, waving hands until, finally, a few rose
to dance. At center was Santa Rosa, suave in shiny red
jacket, light on his feet as he side-slipped across thestage, executing lithe step-ball-changes between songverses, his infectious repartée drawing laughs fromthe crowd, his versatile voice clipping/chopping themambo lyrics, caressing the boleros, proving himself
a worthy proxy for El Inolvidable’s legacy.
(TG)

4 DECEMBER 2022 | THE NEW YORK CITY JAZZ RECORD

since age four; won a Herbie Hancock Presidential
Scholarship at Berklee College of Music; attended the
Thelonious Monk Institute of Jazz; earned a Masters
Degree; and garnered several key awards. The sum
total of all this has yielded a splendidly talented
musician. At Cellar Dog (Nov. 14th), Gould’s “SirCarter” immediately demonstrated clean, direct
execution bolstered by a charming lilt and plenty of
personal warmth. With bassist Noam Wiesenberg, thetwo created a synergistic unit, with tradeoff solos
yielding strong statements and sturdy, anchoredmusical affirmations. “Nardis”, written by Miles Davisin his modal period, underscored Gould’s economical
attack within an easy, balladic interpretation. Herein
could be heard the influence of late trumpeter Wallace
Roney, a main mentor of Gould’s, who imparted tohim his concept of free precision. Several jazz standards
were included. “Body and Soul” (Johnny GreenEdward Heyman-Robert Sour-Frank Eyton) and“Stella by Starlight” (Victor Young-Ned Washington)
were played with so much improvisation and creative
license as to almost qualify as contrafacts. “Lover”(Richard Rodgers-Lorenz Hart), the most uptempo of amellow set, stuck closest to the melody before aninterlude of improv. The drawback to an otherwise
superb set was drummer Mark Whitfield, Jr., whoarrived at the last minute, played without charts andseemed to be in his own often-dissonant world. (ML)

Celebrating the 20th Anniversary of the release of

W hen Interpretations welcomed Scott Robinson and

GEORGE COUNCIL/POETICELEGANCEPHOTOGRAPHY.COM

their debut album (Introducing The Rodriguez Brotherson their RodBros Music imprint), the Rodriguez
Brothers—pianist Robert and trumpeter Michael—brought a fiery quintet into Dizzy’s Club for twonights of exhilarating Latin Jazz. The band, withbassist Ricky Gonzalez, drummer Adam Cruz andconguero Anthony Almonte, kicked off their secondset (Nov. 4th) with the trumpeter ’s “Rowdy Rod”,
a boppish line played over a percolating AfroCuban
rhythm. That underpinned commanding solos byboth brothers and Gonzalez, which were tagged witha climactic Cruz outing to take things out. The group
followed with the pianist’s “Guayaquil”, an infectious
melody somewhat reminiscent of Horace Silver witha gamboling folkloric conga rhythm; the song paid
tribute to the siblings’ mother ’s Ecuadoran heritage,
making way for an exciting Almonte-Cruz tête-à-tête.
“La Guaracha”, another melodious Robert composition,
recalled the sound and soul of Dizzy Gillespie’s
AfroCuban adventures with bebopping trumpet andpiano solos. On his lush ballad “Lulu’s Song” Michaelplayed stirring soft toned flugelhorn, sharing
the spotlight with his sensitive piano as the full house
listened with rapt attentiveness. The ensemble
opened Robert’s episodic “Minor Things” with focused
intensity, building dynamically into a tour de force
rumba to end the set, before returning for an encorewith Moisés Simons’ “El Manisero”.
—Russ Musto

Elliott Sharp to Roulette (Nov. 3rd), the broad array ofsounds, oftentimes emitted concurrently, tended
toward the breathtaking throughout Robinson’s multimovement “Hypocloid”. In the piece, Sharp on a
Django-like acoustic guitar and Robinson on alto
clarinet played the noir-like modal melody, one partloss, another longing, aurally painted the night. Sharp
moved to double-neck electric viola, played both arco
and pizzicato, but later his electric guitar and sopranosaxophone sought new realms while Robinson wasarmed with woodwinds including contrabass
sarrusophone, a vintage metal Eb clarinet, a fascinating
slide saxophone and duel-headed “Jazzophone”
Rahsaan Roland Kirk would have killed for, alongside
metal percussives, a “power bore” bugle and a rare
Moog-designed theremin. At points the music evoked
Krzysztof Komeda’s “Rosemary’s Baby” theme, but
once Robinson was on tenor, he unleashed an original,
moving ballad, which could have wonderfully beendeveloped into the body of the work. The evening’s
second set was dedicated to two Wadada Leo Smith
compositions for solo instruments. The composer wasin the house to celebrate the astounding technique ofclassical guitarist Jordan Dobson (who performed“Bardsdale Suite”) and pianist Erika Dohi(“Meditations, Reflections and Studies on Light”).
Smith and Robinson were also given awards by the
Jazz Journalists Association.
—John Pietaro

W H AT ’ S N E W S
A GoFundMe campaign has been established to aid Wendy
Oxenhorn, NEA Jazz Master and former longtime head of the
Jazz Foundation of America, who lost her house and possessions
to Hurricane Ian. For more information and to donate, visit
gofundme.com/f/wyrez5-helping-an-angel.
Winners of the 11th Annual Sarah Vaughan International
Jazz Vocal Competition have been announced. Recipient of a
$5,000 cash award and winner of The SASSY Awards was
Lucía Gutiérrez Rebolloso. The Second Place honor and $1,500
prize went to Ekep Nkwelle. Third Place and a prize of $500 wasawarded to Allan Harris. For more information, visit
SarahVaughanCompetition.com.
Nominees for the 2023 Grammy Awards, taking place Feb. 5th,2023 have been announced. Among the relevant categories are
Best Jazz Instrumental Album: Terri Lyne Carrington, Kris Davis,
Linda May Han Oh, Nicholas Payton, Matthew Stevens—New
Standards Vol. 1 (Candid); Peter Erskine Trio­­­­­­­­—Live In Italy(Fuzzy Music); Joshua Redman, Brad Mehldau, Christian
McBride, Brian Blade—LongGone (Nonesuch); Wayne Shorter,
Terri Lyne Carrington, Leo Genovese, Esperanza Spalding—Live At The Detroit Jazz Festival (Candid); and Yellowjackets—Parallel Motion (Mack Avenue). Best Improvised Jazz Solo:
Ambrose Akinmusire; Gerald Albright; Melissa Aldana; Marcus
Baylor, John Beasley; and Wayne Shorter & Leo Genovese; andBest Jazz Vocal Album: The Baylor Project—The Evening: LiveAt APPARATUS (Be A Light); Samara Joy—Linger Awhile(Verve); Carmen Lundy—Fade To Black (Afrasia Productions);
The Manhattan Transfer With The WDR Funkhausorchester—Fifty (Craft); and Cécile McLorin Salvant—Ghost Song
(Nonesuch). For the complete list, visit grammy.com.
A benefit concert for Michiko Studios, displaced from its
longtime home last month, will take place at The Church of SaintMary the Virgin on Dec. 11th at 2 pm with performances by Joe
Lovano, Donny McCaslin, Johnathan Blake, Steve Nelson andmore. For more information, visit eventbrite.com/e/last-show-onmusic-row-tickets-466506713137.

ALAN NAHIGIAN

Berklee College of Music has established an annual
scholarship in honor of alumnus John Abercrombie (’67) inpartnership with the John Abercrombie Jazz Scholarship Fund
Charitable Trust (JAJSF), One student, selected by the Berklee
Guitar Department, will receive a $2,000 tuition credit eachspring between 2023 and 2027. For more information, visit
johnabercrombiejazzfund.org.

Rodriguez Brothers @ Dizzy’s Club

Scott Robinson & Elliott Sharp @ Roulette

An early evening set (Nov. 6th) at The Django gave

This review declares that Café Bohemia is back. The

versatile saxophonist Craig Handy the chance to debut
his new quartet, featuring a rhythm section with three
exceptional young Israeli players in pianist Eitan
Kenner, bassist Alon Near and drummer Eviatar
Slivnik. The band got things started playing Mulgrew
Miller ’s Jazz Messenger anthem “Second Thoughts”.
Handy stretched out, blowing robust tenor, after which
Kenner turned in a brightly swinging solo, followed
by Near ’s lyrical outing and a series of four-bar
exchanges by Slivnik with Handy and Kenner before
the band took things out. Up next was Handy’s original“It’s Up To You”, a soulful piece brimming with
optimistic fervor, the band hitting hard, swinging at
length with unabashed enthusiasm. After introducing
his young colleagues to the appreciative crowd Handy
took time out to speak on both the talents of Miller andthe composer of the set’s next song, pianist George
Cables, whose pretty bossa nova had the bandgrooving elegantly over the Brazilian beat. Sticking
with the music of modern piano masters Handy next
called Harold Mabern’s “Edward Lee”, his dedication
to longtime bandmate Lee Morgan. The quartet dug
into the bluesy gospel-tinged piece with spirited
aplomb. Picking up on Near ’s solo’s quote of “HaitianFight Song”, Handy segued the piece into the Mingus
classic. The set ended with the saxophonist showing
off his vocal skills, singing “Do You Know What It
Means To Miss New Orleans”. 		
(RM)

Village jazz cellar, just below the site of its legendary‘50s namesake, carries Miles Davis and Jack Kerouac
vibrations. Its pre-COVID opening produced agroundswell, but the space was pandemic-shuttered
until recently. A welcome resurrection came via Peter
Bernstein and Pasquale Grasso (Nov. 11th). Thispairing makes the case for guitar duets, so swinging,so musically adventurous, the vision of singable
repertoire. While an eyebrow was raised when the duo
was announced as “the greatest guitarists on theplanet”, the seeming hyperbole became justified withopener “East of the Sun” (though the alternate chords
and shifting harmonies wonderfully rewrote the tune).
Lush, sliding melodic statements by Bernstein painted
the air alongside Grasso’s uncannily fast single-string
bop runs. Trading solos, each comping for the other,
the magic in both roles was on full display, with thethoroughly packed house recalling Jim Hall, Gabor
Szabo, Tal Farlow and Django Reinhardt on high andBernstein’s solos, probing, commanding, spoke of thehistory of jazz guitar. “If Ever I Would Leave You”
came alive on tandem fretboards as did Thelonious
Monk’s “Reflections” and “Off Minor” and Clifford
Brown’s “Daahoud”, among others, flooding the roomwith singularly old-school cool. The only regret is that
this wasn’t recorded, thus no moody album coverbrandishing the club’s logo, which codified so many
great live records of the day. 		
(JP)

Universal Music Publishing Group has announced an exclusive
global publishing agreement to represent the song catalogue oflegendary songwriter Irving Berlin and will act as representatives
for the Berlin estate’s brand and social marketing efforts,
including a new Tik Tok channel. For more information, visit
irvingberlin.com.
The Jazz Loft in Stony Brook is a recipient of $10,000 in New
York State Council on the Arts grant funding, allowing the venue
to program three to five additional shows during the upcoming
2023 season. For more information, visit thejazzloft.org.
Pianist Deanna Witkowski’s Mary Lou Williams: Music for theSoul has won a 2022 ASCAP Foundation Deems Taylor/Virgil
Thomson Book Award for excellence in pop music writing.
Infrequent Seams has announced a new project for 2023, The
K7 Commissions Series, “a subscription model for connecting
artists with the greater community that engages creative
music.” One digital album per month will be released (plus alimited run of 50 cassettes) for the entire year. There will be four
membership levels available. For more information, visit
infrequentseams.com.
Drummer William Hooker’s documentary film The Lost
Generation: Outside the Mainstream won Audience Favorite
for the 2022 Workers Unite Film Festival.
The Australian Art Orchestra has appointed Aaron Choulai as
its new Artistic Director, replacing outgoing AD Peter Knight.
Submit news to ldgreene@nycjazzrecord.com

THE NEW YORK CITY JAZZ RECORD | DECEMBER 2022 5

GUIDO WERNER / COURTESY OF THE ARTISTINTERVIEW

MARC
COPLAND
by robert bush

Marc Copland has been creating vital music for more than

40 years and the pianist is arguably at the very top of his
game. He is most well known for his long associations withbassist Gary Peacock and guitarist John Abercrombie,
issuing several game-changing albums on ECM. Copland isa consummate small-group ally in the duo, trio and quartet
formats. His long-running trio with bassist Drew Gress andJoey Baron was consistently delightful and he is hitting thepost-COVID landscape with aplomb, releasing Someday,
a new quartet session on InnerVoice Jazz.
The New York City Jazz Record: Can we talk about
the new record and what your immediate plans are?
Marc Copland: It is a project that I’m really happy
with. It features a great young sax player, Robin
Verheyen, with whom I’ve been playing for several
years; Drew Gress, of course, who I’ve been playing
with for a few decades; and Mark Ferber, a great young
drummer who was doing a lot of Gary Peacock’s trio
work towards the end of Gary’s life. We’re going toEurope at the end of the month for 10 days and we’relooking to do some more over there next year. There
will be a 2023 European tour with another quartet withMark Feldman on violin and Drew and my trio is now
Drew and Billy Drummond. The trio has done a coupleof gigs and is planning Europe in May and we’ll be at
Mezzrow on Jan. 6th-7th.
TNYCJR: What do you look for in a drummer?
MC: I don’t look for anything, I go by feel. For example,
I had some work coming up and Joey wasn’t available.
Drew and I got together and played with Billy
Drummond and it just felt really good. That means that
there’s all kinds of technical things that are going right,
but it is kind of hard to verbalize all of them. I mean allthese guys are great drummers, right? Like Joey, Billy’s
a great listener and I really dig his time feel. He brings
something that’s kind of earthy.
TNYCJR: What about choosing a bass player?
MC: Again, it is what feels right. I’ve been very luckywith bassists: Gary and Drew, playing with both fordecades. The guys I like to play with can cover thewhole instrument. They can lay it down on the floor,
which is important, but also play loose and hang withsome of the harmonic things I do. There’s a goodamount of bass players who can do all of that today,
but it wasn’t always like that.
TNYCJR: You are one of the premier accompanists injazz. How did you get there?
MC: I started out as a saxophonist, from the age of 10
until I was 25. I think that gave me a unique perspectiveon what a soloist doesn’t want to hear from a piano
player. The switch to piano felt really comfortable

to me. One of the things I liked about it is approaching
the instrument as a part of the rhythm section, which isa real team, or should be. There’s also the sense oforchestration. As an orchestrator, I’m trying to support
everything going on around me, not only the soloist—
whether it is a horn player or the bassist or the
drummer—but also the vibe of the entire band. This has
always been my first concern. I focus on the feel andsound of the whole group. Of course, soloing isimportant, but setting the sound and vibe is firstpriority.
TNYCJR: I’d like to return to the subject of your history
with Peacock. How did your great chemistry develop?
MC: It was kind of instantaneous. I went out to Seattle
to play a week and he was the quote-unquote “local
bass player”. I was 30-something, had never met him
and was absolutely petrified. While listening to him
warm up—and he was playing all of this incredible
stuff—I waited until he paused and then playeda chord. Then he played a note with that chord andI looked up. He was grinning from ear to ear. We justhooked up immediately and it carried on like that for
40 years. Our concepts were very close in termsof orchestration. When he stopped warming up fora second and I played a particular chord voicing, hejust said, “Oh, let me put a note under that”, you
know? So right away he was listening, even though
I was just playing a chord to get the sound of the piano.
When he did that, I reacted and he reacted in turn. And
we both looked up and thought, “Whoa, this is real.”
We shared that aesthetic and it made making musicwith him just wonderful. I’ve been fortunate to be able
to pick and choose situations and play with likeminded musicians, which makes it fun.

MC: Yes and no. They certainly captured theexperimental and freewheeling side. We also enjoyedplaying standards and most of that is not captured on
the recordings, but you can’t do everything on one
record. So, they’re a very accurate picture of a big pieceof what we did, but certainly not all of it.
TNYCJR: Will any of that standards stuff ever surface?
MC: When I’m playing with Drew Gress and Billy
Drummond, it is pretty much the same aesthetic.
Different cats, but the same kind of approach. So, I do
believe it is happening, just with two different players.
(CONTINUED ON PAGE 42)			

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

Tuesdays: 8 pm-12 am Jam Session with Diego Voglino
Wednesdays: 8 & 9:30 pm
Randal Despommier (Dec. 7th)
Noah Gershwin (Dec. 14th)
Greg Tuohey (Dec. 21st)
Marc Copland (Dec. 28th)
Thursdays: 8 & 9:30 pm
Adam Kolker, Jeremy Stratton and guests
5 - 7 pm Happy Hour with Marta Sanchez
Fridays: 8 & 9:30 pm
Kyle Nasser/Simona Premazzi (Dec. 2nd)
George Garzone (Dec. 9th)
Jerome Sabbagh (Dec. 16th)
Harish Raghavan (Dec. 23rd)
5 - 7 pm Happy Hour with Peter Watrous
Saturdays: 8 & 9:30 pm
Darius Jones (Dec. 3rd)
Sebastien Ammann (Dec. 10th)
Marty Ehrlich (Dec. 17th)
6 - 7:30 pm Adam Kolker Duo Series

HNOVEMBER 29TH - DECEMBER 4THH

CHRISTIAN McBRIDE~~NEW JAWN~~JOSH EVANS - MARCUS STRICKLAND - NASHEET WAITSHDECEMBER 6TH - DECEMBER 11THH

CHRISTIAN McBRIDE~~INSIDE STRAIGHT~~STEVE WILSON - WARREN WOLF - PETER MARTIN - CARL ALLENHDECEMBER 13TH - DECEMBER 18THH

KENNY
BARRON QUINTETIMMANUEL WILKINS - STEVE NELSONKIYOSHI KITAGAWA - JOHNATHAN BLAKETNYCJR: Another longtime associate was guitarist
John Abercrombie. Can you reflect on that relationship?
MC: It was very similar. John and I met in Chico
Hamilton’s band when I was still playing saxophone.
We had a different kind of dynamic then. We were bothyoung and into burning out and all that. But we werealso trying to do things that we felt were exploratory
with harmony, tunes and ways to play. Then I switchedto piano and left town for 10 years. When I got back,we were hanging, but not really playing together. Then
one day it happened and the connection was immediate,
but it wasn’t two young guys burning out, it was twoguys really listening to each other. We were both a little
older and there was this magic between guitar andpiano. That was what was on the menu and we wereboth totally into it. Our longstanding friendship madeit that much easier.
TNYCJR: Those albums you did with Gary’s trio on
ECM. Do you think they were an accurate representationof that band?

6 DECEMBER 2022 | THE NEW YORK CITY JAZZ RECORDHDECEMBER 20TH - DECEMBER 25THH

KENNY
BARRON QUINTETMIKE RODRIGUEZ - DAYNA STEPHENSKIYOSHI KITAGAWA - JOHNATHAN BLAKEHDECEMBER 27TH - JANUARY 1ST, 2023H

CHRIS POTTER QUARTETCRAIG TABORN - SCOTT COLLEY - MARCUS GILMORE

COMING IN JANUARY

HFRED HERSCH & ESPERANZA SPALDINGHHDAVID MURRAYH
HBRAD MEHLDAUHHJON COWHERDH

COURTESY OF THE ARTISTARTIST FEATU RE

LAURENSEVIANFor more information, visit laurensevian.com. Sevian is at
The Django Dec. 2nd, Flushing Town Hall Dec. 8th with
Lioness and Midnight Theatre Dec. 14th with Mingus Big
Band. See Calendar.
Recommended Listening:• Ada Rovatti and The Elephunk Band–For Rent (Apria, 2002)• Lauren Sevian–Blueprint (Inner Circle Music, 2007)• Mingus Big Band–Live at Jazz Standard(Jazz Workshop, 2009)• Amanda Monaco–Glitter (Posi-Tone, 2016)• Lauren Sevian–Bliss (Posi-Tone, 2017)• Lioness–Pride & Joy (Posi-Tone, 2018)by matty bannond
A gruff male voice is bellowing at Lauren Sevian

when she answers her phone. The baritone saxophonist
has just boarded a train from Boston to New York andthe announcer is laying down his commandments for
how to pick a destination and safely land on theplatform in one piece. It is a Wednesday. On Sunday,
she ran the NYC Marathon in less than four-and-a-halfhours. On Monday and Tuesday, Sevian taught at
Berklee College of Music. And she has gigs coming up
on Thursday and Saturday night.
Sevian’s career is marked by her unflinching
willingness to take on tough challenges and grab
opportunities for growth. In fact, that is how she
wound up lugging around an instrument that weighs
more than a bowling ball. She started out playing
piano, then switched to alto saxophone. When she wasabout 15 years old, her teacher suggested trying the
baritone. “I said, ‘It is massive, are you crazy?’” sherecalls. “I didn’t want to carry that thing around withme for the rest of my life.” Despite these initial
objections, Sevian didn’t back away from the baritone.
“I tried it and in the first couple of minutes I felt very
connected to the instrument,” she says. “Something
about it sort of hit me… I loved playing alto but
I immediately fell in love with the baritone. I liked thefact that it was different.”
While her choice of horn owed something tochance, it was inevitable that Sevian would learn toplay some instrument or other. Music spilled out fromevery room of her family home in Long Island. Her
mother played piano and her brother played several
reed instruments but it was her violin-playing father
who ignited Sevian’s love of jazz by sharing recordingsof legendary figures like Miles Davis and John
Coltrane. “I always really wanted to practice,” shesays. “My parents never had to force me.”By 1997, those self-inflicted scales and études had
opened the door to the Manhattan School of Music.
After graduating, Sevian began snatching up an
incredible range of roles and projects. She toured withgroups including Diva and the Artie Shaw Orchestra
and performed with Jane Monheit and the Ladies of
Jazz, as well as Steely Dan, the Dizzy Gillespie All-Star
Big Band, the Count Basie Orchestra and other highprofile and artistically demanding projects.
Joining the Mingus Big Band in 2003 is one of thebiggest milestones in Sevian’s career so far, including
winning a Grammy for Live at Jazz Standard in 2011.
“Playing with that level of people… I didn’t want to be
the weak link,” she says. “I was a little intimidated andI didn’t think I was anywhere near the level they wereat. But I’m also the type of person who is going to do
the homework and get it together and make the gig.”
Mingus’ influence is often evident in Sevian’swork. Her compositions coil swing-beat figures aroundslippery rhythmic shifts and her improvisations arecharacterized by a combative, shark-trapped-ingoldfish-bowl energy. “It is just so ingrained in me,”she says. “Playing his music is a privilege anda responsibility. I’m lucky to be part of his history, so
I take it very seriously.”
Sevian has multiple projects running in smaller
formations too. She co-leads the quintet LSAT with alto
saxophonist/frequent collaborator Alexa Tarantino.
She also leads LSQ, a quartet showcasing her broad,
crisp baritone voice alongside piano, bass and drums.
“When I started that quartet, I felt like I wasn’t readyto be a bandleader,” she says. “But it made me realize
that, as a bandleader, you have people to support you.
It may be your music but it is about the band and thesound.” These small-group formats provide the setting
for both of Sevian’s studio albums: the 2007 quartet
session Blueprint (Inner Circle Music) and 2017’s Bliss(Posi-Tone), adding Tarantino. Both are marked byswing rhythms and twisty, bop-infused melodic lines
revealing Sevian’s deep admiration for the great ghostsof 52nd Street. “There was a ten-year gap between
those two records,” she says. “I feel like my playing
had evolved a bit more, I was more comfortable on my
instrument. Maybe some of the music on Bliss
is a little more complex. But I’m always striving to getbetter and that’s the bottom line.”
Lioness is another project that benefits from thebaritone player ’s can-and-will-do spirit. It began asa monthly concert series presenting various female
bandleaders at Queens’ Flushing Town Hall. The artists
casually kicked around the idea of forming a collective.
Sevian is now Co-Director of that venture alongside
guitarist Amanda Monaco. Together, they released thealbum Pride & Joy in 2019. Today, Lioness gigs bring
together established and emerging female performers
to shine a spotlight on compositions by women.
Early in 2022, Sevian accepted a position as
Associate Professor of Woodwind at the prestigious
Berklee College of Music in Boston. It is a neat fit for amusician with such heartfelt reverence for the jazz
tradition. “I try to instill a sense of respect when it
comes to playing this music,” she says. “We have aunique opportunity, in the classroom, to pass along themessages of our ancestors and traditions. And I tell mystudents exactly what they should expect to deal with ifthey want to be a musician. I don’t sugarcoat anything.”
In modern times, it is entirely typical for a jazzartist to wear many hats. It is less typical, however, for
an artist to prepare for and complete a 26.2-mile roadrace beneath such a towering heap of metaphorical
headgear before leaping into a packed week of tutorials
and gigs. Sevian’s zeal for forward momentum haspropelled her into an extraordinary range of situations
and settings and she is harnessing that dynamic force
to give jazz’ next generation a flying start. As she
concludes the phone call, the train announcer barks
another warning about the dangers of disembarking
at the wrong location. His words imply a challenge.
He should know his audience better. Sevian may justfeel tempted to pick up her hefty horn, take a leap offaith onto an unfamiliar platform and then figure out
a nifty way to set the whole town swinging. v

THE NEW YORK CITY JAZZ RECORD | DECEMBER 2022 7

ON THE COVER

ALAN ANHIGIAN

FRANK
LACY
JAZZGAZER
by mike cobb

O ften called one of the “baddest sidemen in jazz”,

Frank Lacy prefers to be known for his own work as an
artist. With an extensive recorded catalogue, leadershipof many groups and numerous collaborations, thetrombonist is justified in his desire to be acknowledged
for what he brings to the world of music.
“I get annoyed that I’m always asked about who
I’ve played with. I’m 64. I’m a senior citizen!” hedeclared in a recent phone interview.
But his roots and experience are notable. Born in
Houston, Texas, he had a teacher and guitarist father
who worked with Arnett Cobb, Illinois Jacquet andEddie “Cleanhead” Vinson. Lacy’s mother was a gospel
singer and he started learning piano when he waseight. As a teenager, he played trumpet, tuba andeuphonium. Lacy earned a degree in Physics from
Texas Southern University and later studied trombone
at the Berklee College of Music with Branford Marsalis,
Greg Osby and Marvin “Smitty” Smith as classmates.
Over the years, Lacy worked with Jacquet’s
big band, acted as Musical Director for Art Blakey’s
Jazz Messengers and released his first album, Tonal
Weights & Blue Fire on Tutu in 1990 (which included his
father). He has worked with other jazz legends
including Lester Bowie, Marty Ehrlich, Michael
Formanek, Slide Hampton, Roy Hargrove, Rufus Reid,
Henry Threadgill, Steve Turre, McCoy Tyner andBobby Watson and spent over 20 years with the Mingus
Big Band. Lacy has also worked with Erykah Badu,
D’Angelo, Common, Elvis Costello and many otherartists outside the realm of jazz.
When asked about working with jazz legends,
Lacy says, “With [late trumpeter] Roy Hargrove,
I felt like his little big brother. I was featured in the[recent] documentary movie Hargrove. I first worked
for Roy on the record The Vibe as a guest artist with
Branford Marsalis and Brother Jack McDuff. But
I mostly worked with his sextet Crisol [which translates
as melting pot]. I think that was his best band because
it had four generations: Larry Willis on piano, myself
on trombone, Gerald Cannon on bass, Sherman Irby on
sax, Willie Jones on drums and Roy on trumpet. His
record Habana got a Grammy. We have an album
recorded live at the Village Vanguard, but that hasn’t
been released yet. And the recent work I did with [reedand wind player] Michael Marcus is important [therecently released Abstractions in Lime Caverns on ESPDisk’]. He has played with a lot of people. I like that
Michael allowed me to just play French horn. It isa great record. But no one asks me about my stint I did
with the great Lester Bowie or Henry Threadgill. I also
have a very avant garde career,” he says. Lacy recorded
five albums with Bowie from 1986-1992 and a pair withThreadgill in 1986 and 1987.
At a gig last month at the Upper West Side club
Smoke, Lacy acknowledged early jazz trombonists
Melba Liston and Benny Powell, both with whom hehad worked before. “I knew Benny and we talked about
trombone all the time. I got to play with Melba with
Slide Hampton in 1981,” he adds. For the show, Lacy
played trombone, French horn and sang. Alto

saxophonist T.K. Blue acted as musical director for aband of tenor saxophonist Wayne Escoffery, pianist
Dave Kikoski, bassist Paul Beaudry and drummer
George Coleman, Jr.
Live, Lacy’s tone is powerful and pure, his presence
intense, almost athletic. He swiftly swipes away hishorn when finished with a solo and scans the audiencefrom under his hat with a fierce gaze, checking to seethat they are paying attention. You can tell he means
business.
Regarding the balance between the preservation ofjazz traditions and creating new sounds, Lacy states,“I definitely do both, but lately the jazz community has
slacked off of pushing something new and innovative.
It goes all the way down the chain from the record
companies, agents, venues, musicians and theaudience. There are certain establishments in New
York that always book the same artists. One thing I like
about Smalls is that you have a lot of young guys who
have a chance to perform.”
An avant jazz trio Lacy co-leads with bassist Kevin
Ray and drummer Andrew Drury is 10³²K , whose 2018
release The Law of Vibration featured the late trombonist
Roswell Rudd. Regarding the name, he explains, “Thatrefers to the Max Planck temperature of hot. Most artists
think of music as an art form. I disagree. I distinctly
believe it is not; it is a science. The Sufis called it divine
science because it deals with a lot of intangibles. You
can’t touch, see or smell music. The only way music hits
you is through hearing and feeling. I think people
would get more out of it if they closed their eyes andlistened instead of looking at who’s playing.”
As much as it is scientific, his knowledge of jazz isalso historic. In a 2012 interview from the now-closedand much-missed St. Nick’s Pub in Harlem, he
explained how the African diaspora created thefoundations for jazz in America. “When the slaves
were working in the field, they’d be picking cotton andsinging spirituals. The bending of the third note wascalled the Blue Note and is where the blues came from.
Later on, it was put into song form with 12 bars. Thiswas something that had never happened in music andI think it is African Americans’ contribution to modernmusic. After that it became jazz, which developed into
rock, R&B, funk and hip-hop. It all comes from Blackmusic and the blues.”
Ever busy, today Lacy also has two quartets, one ofwhich recently played at the NAMA (New Amsterdam
Music Association), founded and conceived in 1900 by
James Reese Europe as the first African Americanmusicians’ union for those denied admission into thewhite-only local unions. He also leads the Frank Lacy
Quartet, which recently played The Pittsburgh Jazz
Festival. Lacy has a sextet and a septet, which recently
did the music of Blakey, and a classical-music inspired
jazz group with two drummers, two bassists and twohorns. “I prefer to call it a small orchestra, with basses
being the string section, wind and percussion section,”he explains. In addition, Lacy has a new quintet withtrumpet and trombone in the frontline, “Like Woody
Shaw used to do. I’m tired of the typical front lines

8 DECEMBER 2022 | THE NEW YORK CITY JAZZ RECORD

with tenor sax and trumpet,” he says. He also plays
rock and blues with Danny Petroni. “The great
clarinetist Tony Scott used to be in that band. Those
guys from the Jersey shore do Americana music like
Bruce Springsteen,” he explains. He also has an R&B
band with pianist Greg Murphy with future gigs
booked in Harlem and this month his band
Tromboniverse, which features eight trombones and arhythm section, will be playing at Jazz at Lincoln
Center ’s Dizzy’s Club. “See what I’m saying? I get
annoyed that I’m always asked about who I’ve playedwith. I’m an artist, not just a trombonist. I like to keep
myself busy,” he says.
So how does he keep up with himself? Lacy
explains, “When I was a sideman, I had time to write
for myself, but I never had a chance to do my own
stuff. I’m looking for management and agents. You can
put that in the magazine... There’s an artistry ofmanagement. Everyone talks about how musicians
should be artists. I think management should be more
forward-thinking. Somebody with a breadth of vision.
The world needs it now. We need a paradigm shift to
make the world a better place,” he adds.
Does he still believe in the power of music to dothat? “Yes, but as time goes on, less and less. But you
gotta persevere and keep the faith,” he says.
Lacy cites “God” as an enduring source of
motivation, which he defines as “that which speaks
within myself, a deep and constant conversation
between my mind, heart and soul.” As a citizen, hefinds inspiration from both negative and positive
aspects of society, including recent politics, while asa scientist, he cites astronomy. “I go outside with mytelescope. Seeing Jupiter or the craters of the mooninspires me. The pictures from the Hubble and Webb
telescope, seeing the Crab Nebula. Wow. That inspires
me. Movies inspire me. Life inspires me.”He closes with a message: “Everyone on the planet
stay strong, persevere and, in the words of the great
Larry Willis, keep straightahead and strive for tone.” v
For more information, visit msmnyc.edu/faculty/frank-lacy.
Lacy is at Dizzy’s Club with his Tromboniverse band Dec.
13th, New Amsterdam Music Association Dec. 14th and28th, The Porch Dec. 15, Cellar Dog Dec. 23rd, Smalls Dec.
27th and Midnight Theatre Dec. 7th and 21st with Mingus
Big Band. See Calendar.
Recommended Listening:• Henry Threadgill Sextett–
You Know The Number (RCA Novus, 1986)• Lester Bowie’s Brass Fantasy–
Twilight Dreams (Venture, 1987)• Frank Ku-umba Lacy–
Tonal Weights & Blue Fire (Tutu-Enja, 1990)• Frank Lacy/The Smalls Legacy Band–
Live at Smalls (smallsLIVE, 2012)• Ku-umba Frank Lacy/Mingus Big Band–
Mingus Sings (Sunnyside, 2014)• Michael Marcus–Abstractions in Lime Caverns(ESP-Disk’, 2021)

50 years of jazz recordings

RELEASES 2022

Complete catalog: www.steeplechase.dk

CD - Download - Streaming

SCCD 31939

SCCD 31934

SCCD 31938

SCCD 31933

SCCD 31937

SCCD 31932

SCCD 31936

SCCD 31931

SCCD 31935

SCCD 31930

SCCD 36501

G1109

G1043

G1295

G1006

G1260

G1082

SCCD 36501

SCCD 31929

SCCD 31928

SCCD 31927

SCCD 31926

SCCD 31925

SCCD 36501

SCCD 31922

SCCD 36039

SCCD 36042

SCCD 33147

SCCD 33148

SCCD 36501

US distribution:

180g Audiophile
Vinyl Editionwww.statesidemusic.com email: info@statesidemusic.com

ENCOREALVIN
CURRANby george grella“My friendship with Richard goes back to 1961.”

That is composer Alvin Curran, speaking from Rome,
explaining how he first met Richard Teitelbaum,
a composer, improviser and important electronic
musician who died in April 2020. Curran will be in
New York this month for a tribute to Teitelbaum at
Roulette, which will also feature Elliott Sharp, James
Ilgenfritz and the Ghost Ensemble playing a world
premiere from the leading contemporary composer
Catherine Lamb, who studied with Teitelbaum at Bard.
“I was already a graduate student at Yale andRichard became a graduate student in ’61,” Curran
explains. “We became very, very close friends andactually roommates in that period. We were coming
out of a strict period of 12-tone theocracy. I was invitedby Elliott Carter, who was my teacher at Yale, to join
him in Berlin in a residency program. After my year
there, I decided I needed a Mediterranean cure. So
I came to Rome. Richard was already there ona Fulbright. We met up again and with others, primarily[political composer and pianist] Frederic Rzewski, we
decided to form an experimental music group called
Musica Elettronica Viva [MEV]. This was vitalmusically and even, to some degree, politicallyrevolutionary.”
There had never been a group like MEV before, nor
one like it since, bringing electronic instruments—even
homemade ones—to the stage, including early Moog
synthesizers, and using those for free improvisation.
Their performances were often raucous and explosively
chaotic, going on until the musicians could no longer
sustain the energy. “We absolutely swore to createa music that had no score, no director, no starting time,no ending time and accepting anything within the arcof time that we played together. This had a lot of riskymusical and social, even economic consequences,”
Curran said.
At times, the group included trombonists Garrett
List and George Lewis and soprano saxophonist SteveLacy. “We were among one of the first groups,” Curran
avers, “I can’t say in the world because that would not
be entirely true of composers, that is those people who
thought it was still about writing notes on paper and ofbeing a musician in a historically classical way, to havedecided to radically expand our musical perspective.
And some of us, like myself and Rzewski in particularand also Richard, continued writing music on paper.
But above all, we began to improvise, to createcollective works, in a very honest and political sense of
the word. We truly shared everything, the good and thebad, equally among ourselves as a kind of a principledfamily. “He adds that “the experience, the friendships andmusic making, with Richard in particular…all very
unique individuals, hardly ever agreeing on anything,
except being able to sit down together and really knockout spontaneous music.” It also opened upa longstanding direction in Curran’s work, using foundsounds as musical material. He explains: “I would goaround with a microphone and record everythingaround me. And that’s become one of my characteristic
compositional and musical languages.”
Curran still uses found sounds in his language, butmodern technology now means he has them collected
in a sampling keyboard and can bring them up
instantaneously, everything from a piano to screeching
car tires. “I’ve created a monstrous patch, which hasover 3,000 files, which basically covers sounds from allover the world, its people, its machines, nature,atmospheres, rivers and so on. And I’m a performer
with the old fashioned grand piano too, which issomething I feel very, very comfortable with.”
Curran covers what is arguably the broadest rangeof any contemporary composer, including Songs andViews of the Magnetic Garden, one of the classics ofelectronic composition; radio compositions like
Maritime Rites and Crystal Psalms; the massive pianocollection Inner Cities; and The Art of the Fluke, aspontaneous composition with Cenk Ergün using
turntables. There is the Alvin Curran Fakebook, collecting
hundreds of his ideas in lead-sheet format, available
for any musician to play on any instrument. And there
is more than a little jazz in the music he has produced.
“In my youth, you know, I was both in jazz anddance bands. A third part of my sounding life is withwind instruments, namely brass. Originally as a young
man I took up my father ’s trombone and then I went
on to playing flugelhorn”—his lovely brass playing

can be heard on Songs and Views—“and more recently
that’s just come down to my playing primitive
instruments like shofar and animal horns and huge
Australian shells, these gigantic shells. So I keep mylips useful.”
The shells and shofar may seem a separate worldfrom sampled sounds and electronic instruments, but
Curran’s thinking makes them all part of the whole.
His work, whether composing or improvising,always connects back to the fundamental impulse to
make music and to make it using the simplest means
possible. That can produce complex results, but theroots are always in the most basic material, as in his
Fakebook, which distills his ideas down tostraightforward notation.
Curran digs into the human experience to pointout that making music is one of the essential things
that separates humans from the rest of life on Earth. “I
speak about humans being musical animals, likeanimal horns and shells, because believe me, when
there’s a glitch in the electrical systems or when things
fall down, people are going to have to go back andlearn how to make music, beat on their chest, findsomething that makes comparable and simple
expressive sounds. So I never let go of these very, very
simple forms of expression and these primitive
instruments. They’re very meaningful to me,
especially when they’re going through very complex
digital systems today, which are completely unreliable.
You can look at a seashell and you know that this thinghas been there for millions of years and is always going
to work.” v

trombonist Murray McEachern, who cut down his
slide to move first and all other positions further out,
allowing for more room.
Green sat in with drummer Gene Krupa’s band in1947 at a Mobile club. Playing in the key of C, he hit
a high D and the Krupa band had a new lead trombonist.
For the next three years Green matured and subsequently
joined Woody Herman’s band. He then relocated to
NYC as a freelancer and released New Faces, New Sounds(Blue Note, 1953), a solid release but not yet
groundbreaking. On Joe Newman’s I’m Still Swinging(RCA, 1955) Green’s solo on “Slats” showcases what
would become his revolutionary sound. On thesoundtrack for the Benny Goodman Story (UniversalInternational, 1955) Green improvised solos instead ofplaying the piece as written until an exasperated
Goodman agreed to let Green do his own thing as it
bettered the originals; Green always proudly stated that
he got his “four bars” into the film. Stellar in a section oras a bandleader, accompanying singers perfectly suited
his vocal approach. His solos on Billie Holiday’s Lady inSatin (Columbia, 1958) and on Tony Bennett’s Hometown,
My Town (Columbia, 1959) are among the loveliest heever recorded. Citing vocalist Perry Como as a major

influence, Green advised musicians to play like you
know the lyrics even if you don’t.
Producer Enoch Light utilized Green extensively
during the ‘60s-70s for his Command and Project 3labels and The Persuasive Trombone Of Urbie Green(Command, 1960, 1962) and 21 Trombones sessions(Project 3, 1967, 1968) are legendary. They swing
without pretentiousness and Green’s velvet touch is
uncanny. The great session trumpeter Marvin Stammremembers those years, “Urbie was one of the busiest
musicians in town…The first jazz gig I remember
working with Urbie was a concert that pianist Dick
Hyman arranged, celebrating MacDougal Alley, thehistoric street he lived on. The group included Urbie,
Dick, saxophonist Phil Bodner, bassist George Duvivier
and drummer Teddy Sommers…I was honored to be
included.” When composer and trumpet player John
Carisi approached Stamm to do a recording(Machinations, Verve, 1968), they chose Green as leadtrombonist. Stamm recollects that “Urbie was one of
the most flexible lead and solo players; there seemed to
be no setting in which he wasn’t comfortable...and heperformed John’s music beautifully.”

For more information, visit alvincurran.com. Curran is
at Roulette Dec. 20th with a Richard Teitelbaum Memorial
Celebration as part of the Infrequent Seams Festival.
See Calendar.
Recommended Listening:• Musica Elettronica Viva–MEV 40(New World, 1967-2007)• Alvin Curran/Evan Parker/Andrea Centazzo–(In) Real Time (Ictus, 1977)• Alvin Curran/Rova Saxophone Quartet–
Electric Rags II (New Albion, 1990)• Alvin Curran–Toto Angelica (I Dischi Di Angelica, 1999-2005)• Alvin Curran–Shofar Rags (Tzadik, 2008/2012)• Alvin Curran–Endangered Species (New World, 2018)

LEST WE FORGET

URBIE
GREEN
by elliott simon
In 1933, seven-year-old Urban “Urbie” Green left

Mobile, Alabama for Hollywood, California with hismother, sister and 3 older brothers. A year later, they
were back in Mobile with little to show for their trip
save a trombone that Earle Hagen sold to Green’s older
brother. Hagen later wrote the Duke Ellington tribute“Harlem Nocturne” and became a celebrated TV
soundtrack composer whereas Green, with over 600
credits, became one of the most recorded trombonists
in history. The “trombonist’s trombonist,” Green had arounded tone and unsurpassed lyricism that wereunmistakable. His style featured the often-neglected
higher registers while maintaining the instrument’s
unique vocal qualities. He attributed some of this to

10 DECEMBER 2022 | THE NEW YORK CITY JAZZ RECORD					(CONTINUED ON PAGE 42)

L ABEL SPOTLIGHT

BEAD
by eric wendell
Bead Records has a longstanding tradition ofpromoting adventurous music and championing
collective spirit. Based in the UK, Bead has served as aspringboard for musicians wanting to explore free jazzand improvised music. Musicians featured on Beadrecordings include Swedish saxophonist Mats
Gustafsson, English percussionist Paul Lytton andDutch trombonist Wolter Wierbos, to name just a few.
The genesis of Bead Records began in the early‘70s when violinist Philipp Wachsmann pursued anavenue to release his own recordings. Born in Uganda,
Wachsmann received first class honors from England’s
Durham University. A scholarship from Indiana
University at Bloomington brought him to the UnitedStates where he studied composition with Juan OrregoSales. An additional scholarship led him to theattention of famed teacher Nadia Boulanger.
In 1970, Wachsmann became “very bored withnotated music being regurgitated and not ‘performed’.”Bead, initially started with guitarist Peter Cusack(current member of Creative Research in Sound Arts
Practice) and clarinetist Simon Mayo, eventuallybecame a consortium of like-minded performers. As
Wachsmann states, “we continued it and it grew fromthat as a sort of collective.”
As Wachsmann states, “[the] main aim is to own
control of our music, put out when and what we wantto and essential is the involvement and commitment of

The Way We SpeakSpaces Unfolding

In AirTernmusicians in the music they are making—self-valued.”
For a longstanding record label, Bead has seen its fairshare of paradigm shifts throughout the years.
Wachsmann contextualizes by stating, “eventually as
the recording scene and commercial considerations
changed, it became hard gradually to continue as
before. I kept things going with a number of CD
initiatives.”
Recently, Bead has added Norwegian percussionist
Emil Karlsen to its administration. “My dad is a jazz
drummer,” says Karlsen, “and I was quickly steered
into the direction of Nordic avant garde/free jazz
drummers, big influences being Paal Nilssen-Love,particularly in the group Atomic and, of course, thelegendary Jon Christensen with his open, melodic formof free playing. I was quite active on the local jazzscene from an early age and was fortunate to regularly
experience top-class visiting musicians at the jazz clubin the neighboring town.”
Karlsen continues, “I moved to the UK in 2017 topursue music studies at Leeds Conservatoire. ThereI met [drummer] Mark Sanders, who has since been
an important influence. Mark exposed me to the British
tradition of improvising and in 2019 introduced me to
the London Improvisers Orchestra, which is where
I met Philipp. I used to run my own label back in 2018,
which in many ways became a platform for me tosporadically experiment and make errors.”
When it comes to what Bead wants to release,
it comes down to a largely humanistic approach. As
Wachsmann states, “The aesthetics and integrity of thestart of Bead are still vitally important and are part ofphilosophical values, of humanism and the nature of
the human beast and, as such, are very fragile andTranslated SpaceDavid Leahy/Philipp Wachsmannvulnerable: truth and personal honesty; having
something of value to say; not repetitive.” Karlsen
expands on this idea stating, “First and foremost
I want to promote music that I find exciting. It sounds
obvious but I’m not able to fully commit if I don’t
believe in it to begin with.”
Bead’s most recent release is The Way We Speak by
Spaces Unfolding, a group fronted by Karlsen andcompleted by Wachsmann and flutist Neil Metcalfe.
Recorded last year at St. Mary’s Old Church in London,
Karlsen explains that “my idea for the group was thenotion of the acoustic space acting as a fourth memberof the ensemble.”
In terms of Bead’s future, on the docket for next
year is lightbox + Emil Karlsen, a trio recording withbassist Pierre Alexandre Tremblay and trumpeter Alex
Bonney. The album is in contrast to previous Beadrecordings with its utilization of electronics andextended production techniques. Bead will also be
releasing Muted Language, a duo recording fromKarlsen and Sanders.
In terms of the future, Bead is planning on keeping
their values at the forefront of everything they do.
Karlsen expands on this by stating, “I see Bead as
having great potential to keep making important
contributions to the development of improvised
musics, as it has done for the last 50-odd years. My aim
is to increase our scale of operation organically overtime with a focus on being sustainable.” Wachsmannhopes that his credo from its inception remains
consistent by stating that he plans to “keep its integrity
and value humanity, freedom and honesty.” v
For more information, visit beadrecords.com

GarudaPhilipp Wachsmann/Lawrence Casserley

Imagined Time
Philipp Wachsmann/Paul Lytton

VOXNEWS

CROSSINGS-OVER
by suzanne lorge
Despite their resolute popularity, holiday songs don’t

fit neatly into any genre. Such stubborn resistance toniche makes tracking the commercial success of any
one holiday release tricky and subject to the limitationsof the metrics used: just how do you measure
popularity? Consider that sales of holiday tunes have along tail, most of the historic favorites are in the publicdomain and a certain amount of holiday listening isforced, like that extra piece of pumpkin pie. Regardless,holiday tunes seem closest in appeal to traditional pop
tunes and that is where the National Academy ofRecording Arts and Sciences drops them each year. Lastmonth Nora Jones’ I Dream of Christmas (Blue Note)received a 2023 Grammy nomination in the Best
Traditional Pop Album category, alongside country
singer Kelly Clarkson’s When Christmas Comes Around(Atlantic). Including these two, just eight of the 170+
nominations in the category over the last 30 years havegone to holiday music. (NARAS introduced theTraditional Pop category in 1992.) Not that it should beotherwise: This catchall category has long served as animportant channel for honoring non-scatting standards
singers like Tony Bennett, Natalie Cole and Jones. It isalso a place where all manner of singers can cross over
onto common ground: Lady Gaga, Paul McCartney,
Willie Nelson, Joni Mitchell and Elvis Costello have allshown up on this particular Grammy roster. You won’t
see Mariah Carey there, however, even though her 1994
album Merry Christmas spawned “All I Want For
Christmas Is You”, consistently the top-ranking holiday
tune year after year. In December 2021 this decades-old
boogie-rock track was the first holiday tune ever to go
diamond, according to the RIAA. That’s 10 million
sales and a pretty solid measure of popularity.
Emerging star Samara Joy, too, offers her own
contribution to the canon with “Warm In December”, asoftly swinging take on the ‘50s traditional pop classic.
She will follow with a second single, the shimmering
air, “O Holy Night”, early this month. These comeswiftly on the heels of her Verve debut, Linger Awhile,which will vie for Best Jazz Vocal Album at the
Grammy’s in February, against established artists like
The Baylor Project, Carmen Lundy, Manhattan Transfer
and Cécile McLorin Salvant. More auspiciously,
however, Joy was also nominated for Best New Artist of
the Year, an extremely rare distinction for a jazz singer.
This month she celebrates with the JALC Orchestra in
Big Band Holidays at Rose Theater (Dec. 14th-18th).
No stranger to success on the jazz charts, vocalist
Jane Monheit just unveiled her second holiday album,
The Merriest (Club44). Monheit’s gorgeously resonant
voice lends a soupçon of sophistication to these seasonal

numbers, especially on tracks like “Christmas Time Is
Here”, “It’s The Most Wonderful Time Of The Year” and“(Christmas) Stay With Me”. It is an impressive lineup of
players, too, including guitarist/singer John Pizzarelli,saxophonist Joel Frahm and drummer Rick Montalbano.
Singers’ singer Roz Corral passed away in
September, leaving a hole in New York’s vibrant club
scene. For two decades she had booked the North
Square Lounge Jazz Brunch, providing a regular mic forboth breakout newcomers (like Erli Perez) and crowdpleasing headliners (like Paul Jost). Accomplishedfrontman and Corral’s longtime associate Ben Cassara
has taken over as booker; he also curates Wednesday
jazz nights at Pangea. He will present his annual holiday
show there (Dec. 21st) with a host of singers from
Corral’s universe, among them Louise Rogers, Daryl
Sherman, Kate Baker and Tessa Souter.
Last chances of 2022: Allan Harris, who placed
third in the 2022 Sarah Vaughan Vocal Competition lastmonth, takes to the stage in “Nat King Cole Christmas”
at Smoke (Dec. 7th-8th). Kurt Elling plays two different
programs at Birdland, one with pianist Danilo Pérez(through Dec. 3rd), most likely from their 2020
collaboration Secrets Are The Best Stories (Edition) andthe other with his quartet (Dec. 7th-10th), featuring theholiday songbook. Birdland also hosts international
songstress Stacey Kent (Dec. 15th-17th); Svetlana andher exuberant big band (Dec. 8th); and avant garde
master Jay Clayton (Dec. 5th). v

THE NEW YORK CITY JAZZ RECORD | DECEMBER 2022 11

EMMANUEL ABDUL-RAHIM (Feb.
20th, 1934 - Oct. 2022) The percussionist(né Juan Amalbert and based in
Denmark since the ‘70s) led his Latin
Jazz Quintet from 1960 into the early‘70s for albums on Prestige, Tru-Sound,
UnitedArtists
and
Trip
and
collaborations with Shirley Scott, Eric Dolphy andPharoah Sanders and also had credits with Willis
Jackson and Duke Ellington. Abdul-Rahim died in
October at 88.
RONNIE CUBER (Dec. 25th, 1941 - Oct.
7th, 2022) The baritone saxophonist was
one of the giants of his instrument fromhis earliest work as part of the Newport
Youth Band and early credits with
Maynard Ferguson, Slide Hampton andGeorge Benson to his own dates for
Xanadu, Electric Bird, Fresh Sound, Milestone,
Timeless, SteepleChase, ProJazz and other labels andsideman work under Lonnie Smith, Eddie Palmieri,
Idris Muhammad, Grant Green, Lee Konitz, Joe Farrell,
Lalo Schifrin, Dom Um Romao, Frank Zappa, Mickey
Tucker, Sam Noto, Thijs Van Leer, Chris Hinze, Xanadu
All-Stars, Hank Crawford, Sadao Watanabe, Tony
Williams, Eric Gale, Willie Colón, Terumasa Hino, Rein
De Graaff, Ralph MacDonald, Sam Jones, Charles
Mingus, Mark Murphy, Nick Brignola, Roland Hanna,
Marvin Stamm, Steve Gadd, Roland Vazquez, Jim Hall,
Richard Tee, Horace Silver, Mingus Big Band, Bobby
Broom, Dave Valentin, Conrad Herwig and others plus
myriad credits in the pop, rock and Latin worlds anda three-year membership in the Saturday Night Liveband. Cuber died Oct. 7th at 80.

CHUCK DEARDORF (Apr. 3rd, 1954 Oct. 9th, 2022) The bassist and husband
to vocalist Kelly Harland had a pair ofleader dates for Origin in the 2010s,
long associations with Don Lanphere,
Bud Shank and Jovino Santos Neto andsideman credits with Tom Collier,Barney McClure, Pete Christlieb, Larry Coryell, Richie
Cole, Randy Brecker, Hadley Caliman and others.
Deardorf died Oct. 9th at 68.

TERRY
SHANNON (Nov. 5th, 1929
- Oct. 29th, 2022) The British pianist
was a staple of London’s jazz scene inthe ‘50-60s, playing with Vic Ash,
Jimmy Deuchar, Ronnie Scott, Victor
Feldman, Dizzy Reece, The Jazz
Couriers, Tubby Hayes, Wilton Gaynairand Harold McNair as well as visiting Americans like
Sonny Stitt and Zoot Sims as part of the Ronnie Scott’s
house band. Shannon died Oct. 29th at 92.

BÉLA SZAKCSI LAKATOS (Jul. 8th,1943 - Oct. 2nd, 2022) The Hungarian
pianist released albums on GRP, Krém,
Creative Art Ensemble, Hungaroton andBudapest Music Center Records, worked
with countrymen Aladár Pege, Tommy
Vig, George Jinda and Attila Zoller andwas a member of Saturnus, Special EFX and Hungarian
Jazz Quartet. Szakcsi Lakatos died Oct. 2nd at 79.

JANET THURLOW (May 21st, 1926 Oct. 4th, 2022) The vocalist (and wife oftrombonist Jimmy Cleveland) had
recording credits with Lionel Hampton
on MGM and Charles Mingus on his
Debut in the ‘50s, Thurlow died Oct. 4that 96.

ANTHONY ORTEGA (Jun. 7th, 1928 Oct. 30th, 2022) The saxophonist/clarinetist/flutist was active since theearly ‘50s, working with Lionel
Hampton, Clifford Brown, Gigi Gryce,
Sonny Stitt, Billy Taylor, Johnny
Hartman, Nat Pierce, Herbie Mann,
Dinah Washington, Maynard Ferguson, Wingy
Manone, Gerald Wilson, Richard “Groove” Holmes,
Blue Mitchell, Jean-Luc Ponty, Lalo Schifrin, Mike
Wofford, Quincy Jones, Frank Zappa and others andhad leader dates for Herald, Coral, Bethlehem, Jazzz,
Discovery, Evidence, hatOLOGY and other labels.
Ortega died Oct. 30th at 94.

12 DECEMBER 2022 | THE NEW YORK CITY JAZZ RECORDPAUL WEINSTEIN (1932 - Oct. 11th,2022) The jazz advocate founded the
Heavenly Jazz and Jazz at Six concert
series at the Church of the Heavenly
Rest, was a trustee of The Jazz Gallery
and helped establish the New School’s
The School of Jazz and Contemporary
Music. Weinstein died Oct. 11th at 90.

ANDREA KAUFFMAN

BLICHMANN MUSICIN MEMORIAMTERRY WOODSON (Dec. 19th, 1941 Oct. 19th, 2022) The trombonist spent 19
years as the conductor for Frank Sinatra,
Jr. and produced albums for Diane
Schuur and Diana Krall but got his start
as a member of the Don Ellis Orchestra inthe ‘60s. Woodson died Oct. 19th at 81. v

FESTIVAL REPORTBERLINJAZZFESTIVAL
by john sharpe
ANNA NIEDERMEIER / BERLINER FESTSPIELE

Angel Bat Dawid

EDGEFESTby kurt gottschalk

FRANK RUBOLINO

ALAN NAHIGIAN

BRIC
JAZZ
FEST
by tom greenland

Anthony Braxton

Sven-Åke Johansson

Eight years old, BRIC Jazz Fest, this year co-curated It Is nothing but testament to the tenacity of Edgefest P resenting its 59th edition (Nov. 3rd-6th), the Berlinby trumpeter Maurice Brown, BRIC’s Viviana Benitez
and Winter JazzFest’s Brice Rosenbloom, continues topromulgate innovative young artists who, whilehonoring jazz’ past, are more attuned to its future. The
festival, all in downtown Brooklyn, included a freeoutdoor afternoon show (Oct. 15th) and three-night
marathon five days later (Oct. 20th-22nd) at BRIC’s“House”, each night featuring 6 sets in the Gallery or
Infiniti Ballroom, 18 acts in all, the scheduled
downbeats staggered to allow attendees to hear half ofall the sets, or all of half the sets.
The outdoor show was a ‘70s+ funkathon,
beginning with DJ Spinna’s mix of hyped-up covers ofJames Brown, Kool & The Gang, Ohio Players,
Parliament, etc., spliced with quotes from John Coltrane
and the recently departed Pharoah Sanders. By the time
Burnt Sugar—an 11-piece “avant-groidd” Arkestra
founded by the late critic/guitarist Greg Tate, who had
been inspired by late ‘conductioneer’ Butch Morris—
hit the stage, the funk fumes were close and stanky. Ledby bassist Jared Michael Nickerson, conducted by
vocalists Bruce Mack and Shelley Nicole, with solofeatures by alto saxophonist Avram Fefer, tenor
saxophonist V. Jeffrey Smith, trumpeter Lewis Barnes,
keyboardist Leon Gruenbaum, et al., the band tethered
extraterrestrial impulses to grounded grooves: funk
(Ohio Players’ “Pain”); disco (A Taste of Honey’s“Boogie Oogie Oogie”), punk (“RU Insane?”), reggae(“Conduction #1”) and swing (Sanders’ “You Got toHave Freedom”). As promised by the publicity posters,
the musical ride was “hella bumpy”.
Trombonist Kalia Vandever opened the firstmarathon night in the gallery, developing bare-boned
original themes into fully fleshed solos. In the ballroom
Harlem’s Freelance octet, fronted by dynamic vocalist
Tim “Smithsoneon” Smith, covered Coltrane, Stevie
Wonder and Bel Biv Devoe, one of many festival acts todraw equal inspiration from jazz and hip-hop. Keyanna
Hutchinson, backed by her Nameless and Endless trio,
unveiled a refreshingly unorthodox guitar style—partdelta blues, part Malian jali—telling old tales in a newway. One of the most satisfying sets was vibraphonist
Joel Ross & Parables’ epic suite, which morphed from
improvised orchestration to extended solo features,with particularly powerful contributions fromtrumpeter Giveton Gelin, tenor saxophonist Sergio
Tabanico and especially alto saxophonist Godwin
Louis, whose turbulent 10-minute disquisition wasa standout. Ross was a paradigm of good leadership:charismatically present when required, wisely absent
when the nonet could handle musical matters on its
own. Hoofer Michela Marino Lerman, clad in a blackthat on the afternoon of the fourth and final day of theannual festival (Oct. 19th-22nd), British pianist
Alexander Hawkins played a matinee set with exquisite
grace for three dozen people as his solitary North
America appearance. It was the first time he had
played in Michigan and for someone who has rarely
made it to the States at all, getting him there took
multiple funding sources and likely came at a costticket sales, or even room capacity, didn’t recoup.
He opened with Anthony Braxton’s “Composition No.
40C”, played deliberately, softly, with preparations
gaving him midrange bells, then space, precision,a history of jazz at his fingertips, from Art Tatumworthy runs to Paul Bley pastorals, moments of
Thelonious Monk and Duke Ellingon and Cecil Taylor
clusters. He was himself a jazz festival.
Edgefest is a small festival with big-city ambitions.
Ann Arbor ’s population is just under 125,000, but
it built a reputation for forward-thinking jazz festivals,
first with the Ann Arbor Blues and Jazz Festival (where
the Art Ensemble of Chicago and Sun Ra recorded
some of their best albums) and, since 1997, withEdgefest. Hawkins may not be well known even among
the American jazz cognoscenti, but he was the highlightof a program including such revered names as Braxton,
Jay Clayton, Matthew Shipp and Oluyemi Thomas.
The 26th edition, however, opened in Detroit,at the much-loved artist-run Trinosophes, with an
evening honoring that city’s vital free jazz scene. The
concert was dedicated to the memory of Pharoah
Sanders and, as seems often to happen around theEdge, the spirit of Sun Ra was in the house. The large
ensemble of a dozen or so was pulled together by thefine and under-recorded pianist Kenneth Green under
the name The Cosmic Music Community and included
saxophonist Alex Harding (once a frequent presence
on New York stages) and Jaribu Shahid (on-call bassist
for Roscoe Mitchell and David Murray), both Detroitborn and both, not incidentally, Arkestra alumni. The
set touched on John Coltrane but was mostly Green’s
compositions, climaxing with a spirited take on Ra’s
“Love in Outer Space” sung by Shirley Hayden, whobooked time in the spaceways aboard the ParliamentFunkadelic mothership in the ‘70s.
After the first night, the festival moved 40 miles
west, with most of the concerts happening at Ann
Arbor ’s cozy Kerrytown Concert House. The first night
opened with the Fortune Teller Trio led by the powerfuland controlled tenor saxophone of Tokyo-born,
Ypsilanti resident Kenji Lee, his rhythm section rolling
like it was on a rocky surface. After them, another trio
stepped up, led by drummer William Hooker. Other

Jazz Festival remains one of Europe’s most prestigious.
Happily its venerable age isn’t reflected in the
programming, which under Director Nadin Deventerencompassed an inspired mix of left-field swerves andglobally-sourced performers. While most of the 43 acts
appeared in various spaces in the magnificent Haus
der Berliner Festspiele, other concerts took place offsite
in nearby venues. With concurrent shows it wasn’t
humanly possible to see everything, confronting thefestivalgoer with some devilish choices.
Among the event’s multiple strands it would havebeen quite possible, though unwise, to miss the homage
to undersung Swedish-born Berlin resident drummer
Sven-Åke Johansson, soon to be 80. A veteran of theEuropean free music scene since the ‘60s, Johansson is
as much a conceptualist as a drummer, as evidenced byhis “Overture for 15 Fire Extinguishers”, which began
the second evening on the main stage. High on CO 2
and foam, though addressed in all seriousness byconductor and musicians alike, the work was a funvisual spectacle rather than must-hear sounds. But
there is no disputing that Johansson is also a drummerof note, as he demonstrated with both a spellbinding
improv trio with Bertrand Denzler (tenor saxophone)and Joel Grip (bass), as well as a quintet playing “6Stamps”. This latter piece was a masterful minimalist
deconstruction of small-group jazz, termed his
magnum opus by Johansson. But this was soonrevealed to be a tongue-in-cheek perspective, as eachof the six numbers was composed of varying
permutations of one, two or three notes, sounded byeach of the band in turn. But what followed waswonderful. Pointedly eschewing interplay, Axel
Dörner (trumpet), Pierre Borel (alto saxophone) andSimon Sieger (piano) soloed on each piece, supportedby the rhythm section of the leader and Grip, eachhaving to dig deep to discover new ways of approaching
the limited material. It was a challenge eliciting
riveting results, prompted and cajoled by Johansson’s
pared-back pulsation.
Another pioneer was also honored during theproceedings when iconoclastic reedman Peter
Brötzmann received a Lifetime Achievement Award
from the German Jazz Critics Association before his set
with drummer Hamid Drake and guimbri player Majid
Bekkas. Their mesmeric Gnawa beats provided a
buoyant platform for the saxophonist’s gruff clarion
wail, with Drake finding countless ways of modulating
the cadence. Brötzmann offered moments of light aswell as shade, one tenor saxophone soliloquy inparticular embracing tender, rough-hewn, vibratoladen melodies, to belie his fire-breathing reputation.

					

					

					

(CONTINUED ON PAGE 42)(CONTINUED ON PAGE 43)(CONTINUED ON PAGE 43)

THE NEW YORK CITY JAZZ RECORD | DECEMBER 2022 13

ALBUM REVIEWS

FourBill Frisell (Blue Note)
by Joel Roberts

O ver the years, acclaimed 71-year-old guitarist Bill

Frisell has developed a unique brand of modernist jazz
mixed with elements of country, folk and rock that hasreally become a genre unto itself.
Frisell’s latest release, his third for the Blue Notelabel, debuts his stellar new quartet with longtime
collaborator Gregory Tardy (tenor saxophone, clarinet
and bass clarinet), Gerald Clayton (piano), Johnathan
Blake (drums) and, notably, no bass. The album, which
had its genesis during Frisell’s pandemic isolation, is amostly serene, thoughtful rumination on loss, renewal
and friendship, informed by the recent deaths ofseveral people close to him, including trumpeter Ron
Miles and heralded producer Hal Willner. It unfolds asa conversation among the four, focusing more on colors
and nuance than flashy solos. The 13 tracks include
both new tunes and fresh interpretations of previously
recorded originals. Most are mere sketches, rather thanfully realized compositions, giving the musicians
plenty of freedom to explore and fill in the blanks.
As is to be expected, the songs hop constantly andseamlessly among styles and genres. Opener “Dear
Old Friend (for Alan Woodward)”, a folk-ish lullaby
propelled by poignant clarinet, sounds almost like it
was written by Aaron Copland. “Monroe” is a mostly
straightforward blues while “Blues from Before”
explores the blues through the lens of Thelonious
Monk, whose influence is also apparent in the quirky,
darting rhythms of “Holiday”. “The Pioneers”, with its
uplifting country-spiritual feel and stirring solos from
Frisell and Tardy, is a prime example of the former ’s
trademark melding of jazz and Americana. Other tunes
lean more to his experimental jazz side, especially the
explosive closer, “Dog on a Roof”, which moves fromabstraction to a steadily grooving waltz-like finish.
This may not be a definitive Bill Frisell album.
There is no overarching theme and no significant new
ground is broken. But it is a successful and rewarding
launch for his new group and a reminder of the leader ’s
distinctive perspective and singular artistry.
For more information, visit bluenote.com. Frisell is at Blue
Note through Dec. 4th. See Calendar.

Crisálida
Danilo Pérez (Mack Avenue)
by Russ Musto

O n Crisálida, his most ambitious project to date,Panamanian pianist Danilo Pérez introduces his Global
Messengers, culled from alumni of his Berklee College
Global Jazz Institute. The band, U.S.-born vocalist
Farayi Malek, Greek lauoto player Vasilis Kostas, IraqiJordanian violinist and vocalist Layth Sidiq, Palestiniancellist Naseem Alatrash and Israeli percussionist Tareq
Rantisi, creates genre-crossing music inspired by

Pérez’ vision of a borderless planet. The title (Spanishfor chrysalis) metaphorically speaks to the need for a
global transformation on critical issues through music.
Comprised of a pair of four-movement suites, thealbum draws from contemporary and Latin jazz,modern classical and world musics to illustrate theinherent possibilities of unity.
The first movement of La Muralla (Glass Walls)
Suite, “Rise From Love”, opens with the gentle duo
prelude of piano and guest ney flutist Farish Ishaq,
which introduces the strings and a short interlude by
Greece’s Children Choir of the Ark of the World,
followed by the rhythmic percussion of Rantisi andguest bata drummer Román Díaz and Malek’s emotive
vocal. The yearning “Monapatia (Pathways)” adds the
vocals and Spanish spoken word of guests Erini and
Patricia Zárate Pérez, respectively, to the mix. Rantisi
and Díaz powerfully begin “Calling For The Dawn”,
blending Middle Eastern and AfroCuban cadences
over which Malek vocalizes before Díaz closes witha Santeria chant. The suite culminates festively with
“Muropatia”, utilizing the sparkling rhythms ofa folkloric Panamanian dance and including a bluesy
piano solo and powerful Zarate Pérez rap chorus.
The second section, Fronteras (Borders) Suite,
begins emotionally with “Adrift”, Malek singing her
prayerful lyric of “the tale of a Mexican mother seeking
to reunite with her daughter after 20 years apart”.
“Al-Musafir Blues”, with Erini rejoining the core
sextet, is a heady blend of Middle Eastern and jazzmodes inspired by the story of a Palestinian youth
trying to reach the U.S. to find his birth mother. The
penultimate “Kalesma (True Calling)” begins
plaintively, then dramatically progresses with Malek’ssoaring vocal leading to a percussion-fueled climax.
The album concludes with “Unknown Destination”,
the ensemble melding their individual voices reflectiveof their diverse cultures.
For more information, visit mackavenue.com. Pérez is at
Birdland through Dec. 3rd. See Calendar.

Beauty Lies | Within
Die Hochstapler (Umlaut)by Stuart Broomer

Die Hochstapler is a French/Italian/German collectiveof alto saxophonist Pierre Borel (doubling on cymbals
and bird calls), trumpeter Louis Laurain (bird calls andvocals), bassist Antonio Borghini and drummer/
vibraphonist Hannes Lingens. The quartet has been
together since 2011 and the instrumentation may
immediately suggest some likely parallels in the earlyquartets of Ornette Coleman and Anthony Braxton (Die
Hochstapler’s debut, a two-CD set called The Braxtornette
Project, also on Umlaut, consisted of five long tracks
initially juxtaposing and then merging the works ofthose two central influences) as well as more recent
groups, e.g., John Zorn’s acoustic Masada and theoriginal form of bassist Moppa Elliott’s Mostly Other
People Do the Killing, sharing with the first version of
the latter certain postmodern elements of parody,collage and stylistic time travel. “Die Hochstapler” isGerman for “The Impostors”, but they’re far subtler andmore inventive than the name implies.
That subtlety is apparent in the simultaneous
release of separate recordings so intimately entwined
they are more closely connected than many multipleCD sets, even to the extent that the title Withincompletes the sentence begun with Beauty Lies,
compounding its meaning significantly in the process.

14 DECEMBER 2022 | THE NEW YORK CITY JAZZ RECORD

The two CDs were recorded at Berlin’s Au Topsi Pohl
in February 2022, Beauty Lies during two afternoon
rehearsals, Within from an evening performance. The
temporal relations are startling. While the twosegments of Within stretch to 57:36, Beauty Lies manages
to present 25 tracks in a mere 42:26, with one track,“True Love” running to 10:11 while four “Loops” run
between 4 and 19 seconds each.
Among the micro-episodes of Beauty Lies, the titleof “Bells” may hint at Albert Ayler (Borel is a far more
expressionist saxophonist in some other contexts, likethe trio Schnell, with Borghini and drummer Christian
Lillinger), but it really is about bells, Borel locking
cymbals within the drum beat to create a bell-like
illusion backed by rapidly boppish muted trumpet.
The Coleman-esque “Squid Pro Quo” may be a scant
50 seconds, but much of that is devoted to silences
between bursts of unadorned theme statement. “Rien
Nul” runs just over two minutes, but is a continuous
repetition of a brief industrial figure that is only
occasionally and microscopically varied. That extended“True Love” is very close to an early Coleman ballad.
Those isolated bits of Beauty Lies are literally thestorehouse of elements from which the continuous
creations of Within are built, whether juxtaposed,sequenced or improvised on at length. “Part 1” begins
with held notes against the machine rhythms of bass anddrums, rapidly evolving towards playfully rhythmicallydriven passages, which can recall early Coleman, tocompounds of written and improvised elements that are
Braxton-inspired. A drum roll is extraordinarily extended
in duet with the alto’s circular breathing of a two-notephrase, the strangeness giving way to muted trumpet
and pizzicato bass playing some bluesy bop. Borel’s
rejoinder is a whispered tone sustained by circularbreathing occasionally punctuated by a rapid Coleman
quotation (here it is “Dancing in Your Head”, elsewhere
it is near-“Peace”) and a sudden honk.
In each long segment, the complexity expands
both simultaneously and sequentially, new elementsaligning both vertically and horizontally only to shift,develop or disappear, notions of the form constantly
mutating. A tense pattern of rapid, loosely aligned,
rising tones gives way to a sudden funeral dirge, thena solemn meditation with the horns in loose unison.
There is seldom a sense of parody, but there is rare wit.
A perfect facsimile of ‘50s cool jazz with gentle alto,
walking bass and sparking vibraphone is accompanied
by Laurain’s weirdly scratchy effects. Bird calls? A pun
on “Bird”? The alto sounds more like Lee Konitz.
Each near-half hour episode of Within will range
from playful to dream-like. It is work that welcomes
being heard as much as it resists anything like summary.
For more information, visit umlautrecords.com. This band
live-streams Dec. 1st at kinggeorg.de/stream.

Wondering
Harvie S/Roni Ben-Hur (with Sylvia Cuenca) (Dot Time)by Marilyn Lester

To date, guitarist Roni Ben-Hur and bassist Harvie S

have recorded three previous albums. For their latest,
they are joined by drummer Sylvia Cuenca, wholargely provides solid support for the establishedpartnership. Ben-Hur and Harvie S are, at their core,intensely simpatico. Their styles mesh so well thelistening experience is the musical equivalent ofdonning a comfy pair of slippers and relaxing on thesofa. In this intimate collaboration, the two harmonize,play counter melodies, trade off solos and otherwise
create a continuous stream of easy listening, flowing
and rippling along, all sublimely and impeccably
elegant, whether a ballad or a gentle swing tune.
Wondering benefits from careful curation of its
selections. The duo was mindful to include lesserknown works, such as Bobby Hutcherson’s “For DukeP.”, along with the well-known songs, such as Miles
Davis-Gil Evans’ “Boplicity”. With Ben-Hur ’s
background in Brazilian music, Antônio Carlos Jobim’s
bossa nova “Ligia” and Raul de Souza’s samba “A
Vontade Mesmo” are standouts, particularly with
Cuenca featured. For Oscar Pettiford’s “The Gentle Art
of Love”, Ben-Hur and Harvie S create a lush balladStåhl, Per Texas Johansson–
R Matthias
All Slow Dream Gone (Moserobie)e • Patricia Brennan–More Touch (Pyroclastic)
Cyrille/Elliott Sharp/c • Andrew
Richard Teitelbaum–Evocation(Infrequent Seams)o • Dreamstruck(Marilyn Crispell/Joe Fonda/
Sorgen)–With Grace In Mindm Harvey(Fundacja Słuchaj)m • Maria
Faust–MOnuMENT (Bush Flash)• Insomnia Brass Band–Road Works (Tiger Moon)e • Samara Joy–Linger Awhile (Verve)
Marcus–n • Michael
Abstractions in Lime Caverns (ESP-Disk’)Collective (with Idris Ackamoor)–d • TheIdrissa’s Dream (Strut)e • Per Zanussi & Vestnorsk Jazzensemble–
Li (And The Infinite Game) (Clean Feed)d Laurence
Donohue-Greene, Managing Editor• Konrad Agnas, Ingebrigt Håker Flaten,

Lazro, Jouk Minor, Thierry Madiot,n • Daunik
David Chiesa, Louis-Michel Marion–
Sonoris Causa (NoBusiness)e • Janel
Leppin–Ensemble Volcanic Ashw (Cuneiform)

r
e
l
e
a
s
e
s

• Hedvig Mollestad/Trondheim Jazz
Orchestra–Maternity Beat (Rune Grammofon)• Ikue Mori–Tracing The Magic (Tzadik)• Kresten Osgood/Martin Philadelphy–
Komp (Delphy Rekords)• Howard Riley/Keith Tippett–
Journal Four (NoBusiness)• Rick Rosato–Homage (s/r)• Josh Sinton’s Predicate Quartet–
Four Freedoms (Form Is Possibility)• Various Artists–West Coast In Amsterdam(Nederlands Jazz Archief)• Andreas Willers–search & rescue(JazzHausMusik)
Andrey Henkin, Editorial Director

with the bassist excelling on cadenza passages. He also
creates a playful extended solo opening for “Ray”, his
tribute to bassist Ray Brown, which also features somebreathtaking, fast pizzicato in a joyful swing rhythm.
Ben-Hur’s “What Was” is a bossa-based balladwith Cuenca solidly in a Brazilian groove. Another tune
with a playful air is Herbie Nichols’ “Some Wandering
Bushmen”, featuring an assertive drum intro, Cuenca
continuing principally to use the toms to create triballike rhythms. In the mix, creative bowed bass subtly
emulates a low, funny-scary humming conversation
among those bushmen. The closer, Frank Wess’ “Ménage
à Bleu” is indeed a blues effectively integrating thecontributions of all three players in a slow-burn cool.
As to the title, Ben-Hur explains, “It’s about themarvel of how this music came together.” The date wasrecorded in 2020 before there were COVID-19 vaccines,
live in Harvie S’ apartment, with the pressure on to get
it right the first time. There was simply no opportunity
to correct anything. These conditions alone attest to
the empathic connection between the two musicians
and the wise selection of Cuenca to join them.
For more information, visit dottimerecords.com. S and BenHur are at Flushing Town Hall Dec. 2nd. See Calendar.

Everything Happens
Rich Perry (SteepleChase)by Ken DrydenRich Perry has become an institution as first tenor

saxophone chair in the Vanguard Jazz Orchestra (VJO)
since 1993 and Perry has recorded extensively as aleader or co-leader for SteepleChase, in addition toscores of albums with others. Over the past several
albums, Perry has been playing mostly his own
originals. This is the third recorded meeting of hisquartet with pianist Gary Versace, bassist Jay Anderson
and drummer John Riley (also a VJO member). Perry
gives credit to Versace for adding harmonies thatunveil the full potential of the composer ’s themes.
The date begins with “Dec 18”, opening witha brief drum feature, building tension through thegradual addition of Anderson, followed by Versace andPerry, a mysterious miniature that never loses steam.
The brisk yet pensive rhythm in “Málà” behindemotional tenor packs a punch, with inventive pianolines pushing it all the way. Sam H. Stept-Lew Brown-Charles Tobias’ “Comes Love” has been around so longthat it has fallen out of fashion, yet it seems to be moreof a vocalist’s song. Perry skirts around its well-known
theme like a skilled singer while the rhythm section also
finds a fresh approach to backing him. The funky “CDC”
is a change of direction, utilizing quirky lines and a hip
vamp to convey a bit of humor in these trying times.
The other standard is Matt Dennis-Tom Adair ’smelancholy ballad “Everything Happens To Me”, anextended workout played in a deliberate manner withsubtle improvising. Perry’s sense of loss is apparent in
his delicate ballad “Denise Bell”, a memorial tribute toa friend and poet who served the community in many
ways. Perry conveys the frustration, regret and anger
with her premature death in a powerful performance.
Perry has found the perfect group for his compositions
and hopefully more sessions are already being planned.
For more information, visit steeplechase.dk. Perry is at
Smalls Dec. 2nd-3rd and Village Vanguard Mondays with
the VJO. See Calendar.

THE NEW YORK CITY JAZZ RECORD | DECEMBER 2022 15

G LO B E U N I T Y

TALESFabian Neubauer/Duy Luong/Pablo Liebhaber (Leo)
Sol Expression
River People (Chap-Chap)
Resonance
Megumi Yonezawa (Sunnyside)
by Tyran Grillo

The albums gathered here are strikingly different,

linked by a freedom of expression needed more thanever in a wounded world. And while each connects
dots to regional affiliations in the South/East
China Sea, their reach is ultimately global and loving.
First is TALES, which documents a series ofcollective improvisations by Fabian Neubauer(piano, Wurlitzer, electronics), Vietnamese Duy
Luong (bass, electronics) and Pablo Liebhaber(drums). Between the exploratory gestures of“Faces” in three parts and the softer focus of“Metamorphoses/Reprise”, the trio maps its journeyin real time with tasteful rapport. Key moments
include the electronic hum of “Tides of Time” andthe title track’s free-floating Wurlitzer, arco bass andshuffling brushes. Despite being the most open, thelatter is one of the more forthright expressions, evenagainst the engaging abrasions of “Scirocco”.
Grooves peek above the surface now and then, but
are never the point. Like crocodiles in the water,
they bare their teeth only when necessary.
Alongside this is Sol Expression, another freely
rendered set with Filipino bassist Tetsuro Hori,
guitarist Jonny Alegre, drummer Christian Bucher
and saxophonist Rick Countryman. The opening
title track sets the stage for an album moving
patiently and with reverence. Like the Forest Spirit
in Princess Mononoke, it leaves behind blooms ofvegetation that quickly wilt as the musicians moveonward. Such ephemerality is most evident in the
more visceral moments, as in “Melting Point 4º” and“River Rain”, both of which evoke Naked City-era
John Zorn. Like the seemingly post-facto titles,
moods and measures could be switched around at
any moment yet still feel the same.
Finally, we have Resonance, the second leader
effort from Japanese pianist Megumi Yonezawa,whose A Result of the Colors introduced listeners to a
distinct voice. While Yonezawa has always had arich sound, she takes her compositional voice to
new heights this time around and we are all themore fortunate for its rewards. Joined by bassist
Mike McGuirk and drummer Mark Ferber, she offersa set of mostly originals, of which “Before the Wind”
introduces a glistening and welcoming world(beautifully recorded to boot). Yonezawa’s artful
pianism skims the waters along her rhythm section’s
crisp shorelines, McGuirk adding the deepest
footprints in the sand across tracks like “TheRadiance” and “It’s All That Matters”. Highlights
include the balladic masterstroke “Yet Again atWill” and Cole Porter ’s “Everything I Love” amonga handful of standards noteworthy for Ferber ’s
attention to detail. It takes an immense talent tocarry so much emotional cargo while making it feelweightless from start to finish. Combined with
Yonezawa’s classic yet forward-leaning sound, theresult is one of the most uplifting trio records you
are likely to encounter all year.
For
more
information,
visit
leorecords.com,
chapchap-music.com and sunnysiderecords.com

Root Perspectives
Whit Dickey Quartet (TAO Forms)
by John Sharpe

If one of the most important choices, especially in

improvised music, is selecting the lineup, thendrummer Whit Dickey has pulled off a masterstroke on
Root Perspectives. Thus alongside enduring partner
pianist Matthew Shipp and more recent accomplicebassist Brandon Lopez, he has recruited saxophone
gun-for-hire Tony Malaby, his first time recording withany of the others. And it is Malaby who is the defining
presence on the four cuts in this 50-minute studiosession. His effortlessly inventive tenor, full of
emotionally freighted distortions and an occasional
oblique lyricism, constantly grabs the ear in what isessentially collective communion.
Credited with direction on the sleeve, it is often
Dickey who establishes the tempo, but never so rigidly
as to inhibit his crew. On the opening “Supernova”,
a slow hi-hat beat concurrent with a rapid pulsing ridecymbal offers multiple options and at the same timeleaves space in the bottom end, amply filled bythrobbing bass and a pounding right hand on the
piano. And with Shipp persistently pushing Malaby,
whose strangulated tones twist and fray in response, itcan even seem as if Dickey needs to chase to catch up.
Shipp’s fondness for hammered motifs andreiterated rhythmic figures suggests structural markers
throughout the set, a predilection shared by Malaby,and excitement levels peak when the pair snag on
a repeated phrase in the latter stages of the sometime
martial “Doomsday Equation”. Their continual
exchanges enliven the following “Swamp Petals” aswell, one particularly engaging passage ensuing as
Malaby’s choked slurs surf over a song-like progression
from the pianist, then blend in mournful anguish witharco bass hum. The piece closes following anotherburning climax, Malaby extemporizing a melodic tag,which almost serves as a head to cap the precedingunbridled interplay. It is just another example of theway in which form-seeking improvisers can elevatesuch dates beyond the ordinary into the outstanding.
For more information, visit taoforms.com. This project is
at 411 Kent Dec. 3rd. See Calendar.

warmth, often difficult to capture, is present throughout
and the quality allows the trio’s light touch to bediscernible. For example, the subtleties of Drummond’s
brushwork come through clearly, which ultimately
proves one of the material’s most enticing elements.
Bach is prominent and the overall album relies
heavily on establishing a blues feel or inserting Latinrhythms. These reformulations act as launching pads
for improvisation and demonstrate jazz’ ability tomine even what some would label musically sacrosanct.
Chesky is surely aware of European classicalmusic previously used in similar ways: as a platform;
integrated into jazz standards; or as part of originalcompositions. This suggests his focus is more on the
how than the why, as well as the specific pieces chosen.
The most inviting aspects of the album are its
consistent delicacy and the insouciance permeating thewhole. The trio avoids the temptation to bury theoriginal pieces with overly ornate or brash excursions,leaving them unrecognizable. The most successful arethose that bridge blues to the original, like the opening“Second Prelude” and “Wachet Auf”. Less so are thosethat merge Latin rhythms, like Chopin’s “Prelude no. 4
in E minor”, which sound forced.
Opinions are likely to differ on the success of eachpiece. One may speculate that this is part of Chesky’s“why’”. To challenge listeners’ willingness to think
differently about compositions to which they haveattachment or certain perspectives; at the very least, the
The Great European Songbook offers this opportunity.
Moreover, regardless of listeners’ evaluation of individual
tunes, it is a quite listenable album to turn to whensomething warm, inviting and well executed is needed.
For more information, visit theaudiophilesociety.com. This
project is at Dizzy’s Club Dec. 6th. See Calendar.

Brooklyn Woodwind & Brass is a full service
woodwind and brass repair shop located justacross the East River in Greenpoint, Brooklyn.
We buy, sell, rent and repair wind instruments
and have accessories to match.
We oﬀer short and long term rental for gigs, aswell as school year rentals on all instruments.

The Great European Songbook
David Chesky (The Audiophile Society)by Franz Matzner

P ianist David Chesky’s The Great European Songbook

is another of his forays into diverse musical approaches.
In this case, Chesky, joined by bassist Peter Washington
and drummer Billy Drummond, look to reconfiguresome of the most recognized compositions in theWestern European classical canon.
Recorded in The Audiophile Society’s MegaDimensional Sound system, a form of 3D audio, thealbum is pleasantly listenable. The music’s consistent

16 DECEMBER 2022 | THE NEW YORK CITY JAZZ RECORD

88 FRANKLIN STREETBROOKLYN, NY 11222
CONTACT US DIRECTLY BY PHONE OR TEXT:
917-597-1087
PLEASE DIRECT EMAIL INQUIRIES TO:BROOKLYNWB@ICLOUD.COM
WWW.BROOKLYNWOODWINDANDBRASS.COM

What’s Love?
Judy Niemack (Sunnyside)by Alex Henderson

J azz vocal albums with some type of romantic theme

are not uncommon. What sets Judy Niemack’s
What’s Love? apart is her emphasis on songs thatstarted out as instrumentals, many to which she adds
her own lyrics, such as late pianist James Williams’“Right Here, Right Now”, guitarist Peter Bernstein’s“Feelin’ It in Your Bones” and “Firefly” and saxophonist
Eric Alexander ’s “Let Life Lead You”.
But even when she embraces lyrics that aren’t herown, Niemack makes them sound personal. The 1984
Tina Turner hit “What’s Love Got to Do With It” is aperfect example. Originally on Turner ’s comeback
album Private Dancer, the song is an R&B/pop classic.
Niemack takes it into dusky jazz noir territory andcaptures the song’s cynical outlook. The term jazz noir
also applies to her performance of singer Mel Tormé’smelancholy ballad “Born to Be Blue”. Niemack doesn’t
downplay the song’s dark lyrics and fits them into thealbum’s love-oriented concept. One of the disc’s
highlights is her introspective performance of the 1934
J. Fred Coots/Sam M. Lewis ballad “For All We Know”.
Niemack’s band is Bernstein, Sullivan Fortner(piano), Doug Weiss (bass) and Joe Farnsworth(drums), Alexander added for “Let Life Lead You” onalto. The players are not merely a backdrop for her
vocals but are an integral part of the album andNiemack gives Fortner and Bernstein plenty of solo
space. With What’s Love?, Niemack has delivered athematic concept album that manages to be bothfocused and unpredictable.
For more information, visit sunnysiderecords.com. Niemackis at Pangea Dec. 7th. See Calendar.

Close Connection
Laszlo Gardony (Sunnyside)by Pierre Giroux

Laszlo Gardony is a highly celebrated pianist,composer and teacher at Berklee College of Music,
known for his improvisational and technical acumen.
On Close Connection, Gardony and his longtime trio ofbassist John Lockwood and drummer Yoron Israel play
six Gardony compositions informed by his Hungarianroots and that country’s folk music and six
improvisations, all full of inventive twists and turns.
The jumping off point is Gardony’s “Irrepressible”
replete with a pattern of tonal contrasts and dissonance.
Another touchstone for Gardony is progressive rock,which formed part of his life growing up in Budapest.
Such groups as King Crimson and Emerson, Lake &Palmer were on his playlist and Gardony readily
admits “that kind of energy profoundly inspired me atan early point in my life, so I am looking to recreatethat energy on the particular harmonies and melodies
that I write.” This is clearly evident in his “Strong

Minds” which has a dark undertone and is driven by
a florid, back-beat barrage from Israel. “Sweet
Thoughts” is done up as a jazz waltz but Israel expandson that form in a tasteful and swinging way while“Cedar Tree Dance” is supported by a solid New
Orleans Second Line beat.
The six improvisations bookend two Gardony
originals, four of them ending the album. On “All That
Remains”, Gardony’s playing has a gem-like gleam
and Israel is full of whispers and asides. “Night Run”
has a jet-propelled tempo and a “name that tune”
quality due to musical quotes. The closing “Cold
Earth” gives Lockwood an opportunity to deliver anarco solo with a tone that has a beauty all its own. Thisis an ambitious and message-driven release.
For more information, visit sunnysiderecords.com. This
project is at Birdland Theater Dec. 8th. See Calendar.

Everyone’s Children
Surya Botofasina (Spiritmuse)by Anna Steegmann

If spiritual jazz, the musical search for transcendence,started with John Coltrane, keyboard player Surya
Botofasina is a keeper of its flame. Raised in the Sai
Anantam Ashram in California, he participated indaily Hindu devotional songs led by pianist/harpist/
Coltrane widow Alice, whose influence on his music isstrongly felt. Botofasina has been inspired by genresfrom Sanskrit chanting to classic hip-hop and worked
with Reggie Workman, Joey Bada$$, Gangstarr ’s
GURU and N’Dea Davenport, to name a few.
A project ten years in the making, the key players
are Botofasina and multi-instrumentalist Carlos Niño,
who produced the album and plays percussion on
several tracks. They met in 1994 when then-17-year-old
Niño visited the ashram where Botofasina lived,
beginning a friendship and, later, a creative partnership.
The 27-minute-long opener, “Surya Meditation”,
is keyboards and percussion and the high devotionalmusical vibrations are echoed later in “Surya
Meditation (Reprise) Radio Edit” and the closing track“Surya Meditation (with Swami Satsang) Excerpt”.
Niño complements Botofasina’s explorations with his
delicate use of various instruments. Both create ahypnotic, absorbing, exquisite soundtrack, whichallows the listener to experience the patter of raindrops
and rainclouds being chased away by the sun. An
uplifting, healing experience.
This is followed by “I Love Dew, Sophie”, a solo
piano piece (another, “Sun of Keshava”, comes later). It
is intimate and introspective. Then comes “Beloved
California Temple”, which starts in a meditative,
dreamy state, then takes the listener on a thrilling, fastpaced journey, invigorated by Dwight Trible’s wordless
vocals, Pablo Calogero’s saxophone, Nate Mercereau’s
guitar synth and Efa Etoroma Jr.’s drums. “Everyone’s
Children” feels like an homage to the devotional sounds
Botofasina experienced growing up, indie-folk vocalist
Mia Doi Todd’s dreamy singing having a hypnotic
effect, while “Waves For Margie” features Botafasina’s
mother Radha’s vocals and gorgeous harp.
An extraordinary debut album and, in the wordsof its creator, “the divine energy of a new life withinevery second of the music”.
For more information, visit spiritmuserecords.com. This
project is at Public Records Dec. 10th. See Calendar.

UNEARTHED GEM

Universal Tonality
William Parker (Centering Records)
by Kurt Gottschalk

W illiam Parker ’s 2007 album Raining on the Moon

wasn’t the first time he had used vocals on an album,
but it was the first time it was committed to record
that, in addition to being a bassist/multiinstrumentalist, on top of being a bandleader,organizer and galvanizing force, Parker was going
to be a songwriter with whom to be reckoned.
It was already more than 25 years after his firstrelease as a leader (Through Acceptance of the Mystery
Peace, which included his recitation of his own text)
and seven years after the fine “James Baldwin to the
Rescue”, sung by Aleta Hayes on his Little Huey
Creative Music Orchestra album Mayor of Punkville,
but Raining on the Moon demonstrated that Parker ’slyrics could be funny, charming and profound andwould provide a new portal into his tone world.
That album also wasn’t the first time Parker had
worked with, or even recorded with, the entrancing
vocalist Leena Conquest (who remains criminally
under-recorded), but with his lyrics, it put her into
the consciousness of those clued in to Parkeriana.
He has worked with other singers, very goodsingers, before and after Raining on the Moon
(Ellen Christi and Lisa Sokolov chief among them)
but Conquest is his chanteuse, his muse, even her
name suggests a goddess warrior constructed forone of his fables.
And while she is by no means the only thingthat makes Universal Tonality a great record, it isher presence—in a remarkable 17-piece band
completed by Jin Hi Kim (komungo), Miya Masaoka(koto), Billy Bang and Jason Kao Hwang (violin), Joe
Morris (guitar), Dave Burrell (piano), Grachan
Moncur III and Steve Swell (trombones), Daniel
Carter (reeds, brass), Matt Lavelle (trumpet), Rob
Brown and Cale Brandley (saxophones), Jerome
Cooper (balafon, chiramía, keys, drums), Roger
Blank (balafon) and Gerald Cleaver (drums)—that
makes it an important addition to his catalogue.
And it is not only the sung and spoken segmentsthat make it a great album. Parker ’s mastery inleading a large, improvising ensemble in scripted,
open-form pieces is at the center of the greatness.
But if Parker ’s the heart and the instrumentalists thelife blood, Conquest is the mouth. It is Conquest
who calls to us.
The album, six tracks across two CDs wasrecorded live at Roulette’s original Tribeca locationin 2002 and somehow only now seeing the light ofday. It is a joy from beginning to end, the unrehearsed
orchestra trusting in the leader ’s graphic scores andsurviving on impulse. culminating in the magnificent“Open System One”, a sweeping 26-minute blessingof violin and bass viol, komungo and koto, balafonand donso’ngoni adorned with the ribbons of Rob
Brown’s alto. Parker ’s universe spins quickly, but it
is more than welcoming.
For more information, visit aumfidelity.com. Parker is at
Blank Forms Dec. 9th with Isaiah Collier and Saint Peter’s
Church Dec. 11th with Andrea Wolper. See Calendar.

THE NEW YORK CITY JAZZ RECORD | DECEMBER 2022 17

Love and the Catalyst
Aimée Allen (Azuline Music)
by Dan Bilawsky

Change is inevitable. And through each development

comes a transmutation of the self and spirit, an
opportunity to evolve and, in turn, effect greaterchange. That is the idea behind the latest from Aimée
Allen. Teaming up with pianist Toru Dodo, bassist
François Moutin and drummer Kush Abadey andadding trumpeter Noah Allen and guitarist Tony
Romano for one track apiece, this standout singer
spreads that message with flair.
Through choice covers and smart originals, Allenmakes her mark as both an enlightened interpreter andperceptive composer/lyricist. Opening with Freddie
Hubbard’s “Little Sunflower”, she owns the Al Jarreaupenned lyrics while digging deep over a skittering,
animated arrangement. Then she delivers the first of her
own tunes, “Earth is Waiting”, tackling climate crisis
through an emotional ebb and flow, and the focused yet
flowing “Quantum Entanglements”, concerned with theneed to remain rooted and unrestrained all at once.
Shifting back toward the familiar, Allen salutes the late
Chick Corea on a “Crystal Silence/500 Miles” medley,
which welcomes rubato romance and straight-time
seduction, and gives new life to an old favorite,

foregrounding the voice-and-drum relationship on
Gene de Paul-Don Raye’s “Star Eyes”.
Save for Fahir Atakoğlu’s smooth-contoured“Love’s Crescendo” and a pull from Wolfgang Mozart’s
Requiem with the weighted “Mortally Immortal”,
which both feature Allen’s lyrics, the remainder are hercompositions: “Reaction Time”, with amped-up
ambitions, pushes toward provocative implications;“The Comet’s Tail”, which instantly charms, reflects on
the impermanence of the extraordinary; “Man Ripples
Through Time”—a protest piece paying tribute toGeorge Floyd—proves absolutely spellbinding; thesoulful “Hidden Place”, serving up just desserts,
satisfies on several levels; and “Worlds Collide”, whichcloses the set, uses astronomical scale to tell the tale oftwo drawn together. Allen has created a project with,for and about love. Now that is an enviable outcome.
For more information, visit aimeeallenmusic.com. Allen is
at Pangea Dec. 9th. See Calendar.

Unstuck in Time: The Kurt Vonnegut Suite
Jason Yeager (Sunnyside)by Marco Cangiano

J azz and literature have a long history characterized

by mixed success. Pianist Jason Yeager succeeds here

for a number of reasons. Although labeled as a suite,
each piece stands on its own, though inspired by one ofKurt Vonnegut’s characters and/or situations, thus
avoiding an overly impressionistic approach. This may
be in part a reflection of Vonnegut’s literary aesthetic,
which defies easy categorization. Vonnegut once said,”what I would really like to have been, given a perfectworld, is a jazz pianist.”
Unstuck in Time is Yeager’s most complex andelaborate project so far, essayed by an expanded
ensemble capable of providing quite a range of sounds
throughdifferent
combinations
andcleverarrangements. There are also some elements of thegrotesque if not theatrical, reminiscent of the Bertolt
Brecht-Kurt Weill tradition, such as “So It Goes” and“Kilgore”, which features a splendid solo by tenor
saxophonist Lucas Pino. Each piece is structured andarranged as a mini-suite and while the individual
themes may not be memorable, the colors this ensemble
is able to generate are. “Ballad for Old Salo”, the longest
piece, is a case in point. It starts in a mysterious veincarried by Mike Fahie’s trombone over a four-note
pattern, then proceeding in waves upon which Yuhan
Su’s liquid vibraphone surfs.
Bassist Danny Weller and drummer Jay Sawyer are
the backbone of this ensemble (listen to “Unk’s Fate”
and the atypical “Blues for Billy Pilgrim” with a
Mingus-inspired polyphonic coda) along with theleader’s essential piano. The use of clarinets isparticularly evocative both in the ensemble and in solo
contributions, where Pino (“Ballad”) and Patrick Leslie(“Nancy’s Revenge”) alternate. A very successful andmost pleasant recording.
For more information, visit sunnysiderecords.com. This
project is at Soapbox Gallery Dec. 9th. See Calendar.

MARC COPLAND TRIOBAR BAYEUX 12/28/22
MEZZROW 1/6/23 & 1/7/23

MARC COPLAND, PIANOROBIN VERHEYEN, TENOR AND SOPRANO SAXOPHONES
DREW GRESS, BASSMARK FERBER, DRUMSW W W.BANDC AMP.COM
WWW.INNERVOICE JAZZ.COM
WWW.SQUIDCO.COM

18 DECEMBER 2022 | THE NEW YORK CITY JAZZ RECORD

Dedication
Dan Weiss Trio (Cygnus)
by Phil Freeman

Drummer Dan Weiss has been playing with pianist

Jacob Sacks and bassist Thomas Morgan for over two
decades and they have made three previous albums
together: Now Yes When (Tone Of A Pitch, 2006), Timshel(Sunnyside, 2008) and Utica Box (Sunnyside, 2015).
This fourth release lives up to its title; every track
carries a dedication: jazz elders and musical heroes(“For Elvin [Jones]”, “For [Burt] Bacharach”, “For
[Conlon] Nancarrow”, “For Tim Smith”) and family
members (“For Vivienne”, “For Grandma May”). Twoothers stand out: “For George Floyd” and “For Jacob”.
Last but not least we get “For Andrei Tarkovsky”,
unsurprisingly the longest piece on the album at 8:32,
but still only 1/20th the running time of Solaris.
“For Nancarrow” is one of the most interestingpieces. The composer created music for player pianos,
which allowed him to sculpt sequences of notes thathuman beings couldn’t play (too few arms, too few
fingers). The melody Weiss has given Sacks, by contrast,
is simple and almost romantic at times, witha few tinkling, tumbling passages, but what he himself
is doing behind the drumkit is extraordinary, repeatedly
shifting gears and adding one rhythmic pattern orelement after another until he sounds like two or threedrummers all working at cross purposes to one another.
This piece could just as easily have been dedicated to
the English electronic music duo Autechre.
“For George Floyd” rumbles in the piano’s low
end, as Weiss lays down a swinging beat, giving it thefeel of a late ’60s TV cop show theme; it is hard not towonder if this is some kind of dark irony (it may also
remind some listeners of Jason Moran’s trio The
Bandwagon). “For Elvin” is focused on bass anddrums, unsurprisingly; Morgan and Weiss lock
together smoothly, ticking along and periodically
erupting as Sacks plays variations on a relatively
simple melody. Then, out of nowhere, it all stops deadand Morgan brings it back in with a short but powerful
solo, behind which Weiss lays a snapping breakbeat.
For more information, visit cygnusrecordings.bandcamp.com.
This project is at The Jazz Gallery Dec. 10th. See Calendar.

Tracing The Magic
Ikue Mori (Tzadik)
by Jason Gross

Coming up in the no wave scene of the late ‘70s, Ikue
Mori later traded in drums for drum machines but
managed to take the seemingly staid instrument into
uncharted territory in the ‘80s. By the new millennium,
she was creating more subtle, melodic work,
acknowledged by her recent MacArthur Fellowship.
She has now created her most ambitious work, dedicatedto women experimental visual artists who kept working
even as octogenarians and nonagenarians: Joan Jonas,
Louise Bourgeois, Agnes Martin, Judit Reigl, Jakucho
Setouchi, Leonora Carrington and Toko Shinoda.
The compositions are done in duos and trios. “You
Better Grow Up” (for Bourgeois) is the most monumentalof the tracks, going through several sections of Ned
Rothenberg’s tender then impassioned shakuhachi,
blaring saxophone and klezmer-like clarinet with Moriadding bell tones, tape loop washes, string cascades andthunderous percussion. Other intriguing groups
abound, including “Down Below” (for Carrington) with
Charmaine Lee adding vocals and her own electronics
to create whooshing, bird-like noises giving way to aseries of child-like electronic themes; the gloomy thenserene ambient atmospherics of “Dusk to Dawn” (forShinoda) with David Watson on bagpipes; and the
comic free-jazz stylings and swaying strings on“Outburst” (for Reigl) alongside harpist Zeena Parkins.
Perhaps most impressive though are the opener,“Moving Off the Earth” (for Jonas) where Koichi
Makigami’s throat singing and chanting combines with
Sae Hashimoto’s scattered percussion to settle into
shades of breezy Brazilian Tropicalia music, and “Beautyin Disarray” (for Setouchi) where shimmering, spacey
electronics team up with Satoko Fujii’s stern piano andNatsuki Tamura’s fluttering trumpet throughascending/descending themes traded off among thetrio as a series of mini-melodies engulfed by Frank
Zappa/Edgard Varèse abstractions. “Falling Blue” (forMartin), featuring Erik Friedlander’s somber cellopaired with Mori’s random background noise, is lesssuccessful than the other pieces but only because it issurrounded by much more breathtaking company.

For more information, visit tzadik.com. Mori is at The Stone
at The New School Dec. 7th and 14th-17th, 411 Kent Dec.
9th-10th and Roulette Dec. 17th. See Calendar.

THE NEW YORK CITY JAZZ RECORD | DECEMBER 2022 19

tOpen a 30 pm!
6:

Spider Season
Nick Dunston (Out Of Your Head)by Steven Loewy

Presenting

NEXT GENERATION JAZZ

Bassist Nick Dunston’s latest release is a tour de force,

WED
12/7

Jason Tiemann Trio
Ben Wolfe Trio

7:30pm
10:30pm

SAT
12/10

Max Johnson Trio
Joe Saylor & “The Kingdom”

7:30pm
10:30pm

SAT
12/11

Ray Gallon Quartet
Michael Kanan Trio

7:30pm
10:30pm

MON
12/12Champian Fulton Trio
Hank Allen-Barfield Quintet

7:30pm
10:30pm

WED
12/14

Eric Alexander Quartet
Danny Jonokuchi Quintet

7:30pm
10:30pma larger-than-life trio navigating 11 different scenarioswith unusual instrumentations. The bassist, still in his
early 20s, focuses here on pure sound, meditative
abstraction and various experimental interactions to
produce a highly cooperative mélange of melodic
punches and dissonant explorations, journeying roads
not often traveled.
Featuring the unusual instrumentation of bass,
trombone and gayageum (12-string Korean zither),plus voice and special effects, the album has the feel ofa larger ensemble due to its many layers. This sense isexacerbated by Dunston’s diverse arrangements inwhich each piece stands on its own. “Pre-Nasal
Tension”, for example, showcases DoYeon Kim’s openended, expansive voice, with a tip of the hat to Tuvanthroat-singer Sainkho Namchylak, juxtaposed against
Kalia Vandever ’s pulsing trombone. The emblematic“Thousand-Year Old Vampire”, the longest track, is insome ways the most realized piece, slowly unfolding
and revealing hidden treasures, opening with abeautiful elongated bass solo and soon joined bygorgeous pulsing trombone and later Kim’s gayageum.
The piece evolves quietly and slowly, drifting toward asomewhat intense ending with busy insect-like strings.
The hypnotic allure of the title track, with its buzzing
bass and repetitive trombone clusters and percussive
strings, ends abruptly but not before it makes its mark.
Throughout the recording, Dunston displays strongchops and writing skills, Vandever furthers her status
as an up-and-coming trombonist with an original wayof blowing and the versatile Kim impresses as a
powerful singer and improviser.

THR
12/15

Alexander Claffy Quartet
Ian Hendrickson-Smith

7:30pm
10:30pm

For more information, visit outofyourheadrecords.com. This
project is at Roulette Dec. 14th. See Calendar.

FRI
12/16

Mike LeDonne Trio
Craig Handy & 2nd Line Smith

7:30pm
9:30pmSAT
12/17

Tommy Campbell Trio
Nick Hempton Band

7:30pm
10:30pm

SUN
12/18

Brian Charette Trio
Neal Miner Quartet

6:30pm
9:30pmMonday Nites ft. Up & Coming Talent!
7:30pm & 10:30pm Shows Every Week!

THR
12/1

David Gibson Quartet
Ty Bailie B3 Trio

7:30pm
10:30pm

FRI
12/2

Lauren Sevian Quartet
Hudson Horns

7:30pm
10:30pm

SAT
12/3

David Hazeltine Trio
Richard Cortez Band

7:30pm
10:30pmMON
12/5

Dmitri Baevsky Quartet
David Yee Quartet

7:30pm
10:30pm

TUE
12/6

Manuel Valera & New Cuban Express 7:30pm
Itai Kriss and Telavana
10:30pm

New Year’s Eve
SATURDAY, 12/31

Benny Benack III Quartet AT 7PM
Benny Benack III Quintet AT 10PM
*Closed Christmas Eve & Christmas Day

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

2 AVE OF THE AMERICAS

Linger Awhile
Samara Joy (Verve)by George Kanzler

Every song on this, vocalist Samara Joy’s second album,

was around during what many consider the Golden Ageof jazz singers: the end of World War II (1945) and thefull-blown Rock Era (late ‘60s). Although only 22, Joy isan unabashed admirer of those singers, including Sarah
Vaughan, Carmen McRae, Ella Fitzgerald and Nancy
Wilson. She is a dedicated student of classic jazz history.
Of her fondness for that era she’s said: “I think maybe
people connect with the fact that I’m not faking it, that I
already feel embedded in it.”
On Linger Awhile, which was nominated for a Best
Jazz Vocal Grammy last month, Joy accomplishes thedifficult feat of combining nostalgia and tradition andbringing it into the 21st Century with her own voice,
one well suited to the goal. In mid- and lower registers,

20 DECEMBER 2022 | THE NEW YORK CITY JAZZ RECORD

her tone is plush, velvety, with a burnished glow. But
in a higher range and when at uptempo, she is liltingly
pert, recalling Vaughan’s early nickname Sassy.
A song recorded by Vaughan, Frank LoesserJimmy McHugh’s “Can’t Get Out of This Mood”, kicks
off the album in a jaunty tempo, Joy nimbly delivering
the lyrics while relishing the mood. She also sings one
of Vaughan’s signature tunes, Erroll Garner-Johnny
Burke’s “Misty”, with a sultry confidence all her own.
Joy brings the dramatic savvy of a good cabaret
singer to ballads, two of them indelible. The Gershwins’“Someone to Watch Over Me”, delivered with mellow
legato phrasing, is an intimate duet with guitarist
Pasquale Grasso. And her take on Murray Grand-Elisse
Boyd’s “Guess Who I Saw Today?”—with her
accompanying band of Grasso, pianist Ben Paterson,
bassist David Wong and drummer Kenny Washington—
is a perfect dramatic gem, cooler than Wilson’s angerfueled classic, but conveying emotional shock througha sudden octave jump for a repeat of the title line.
Another aspect of mid 20th Century jazz Joy has
embraced is vocalese. She sings two of Jon Hendricks’
lyrics, to Gigi Gryce’s “Social Call” (a Betty Carter
staple) and his little known ones to Thelonious Monk’s“‘Round Midnight”, featuring a horn section emulating
Cootie Williams’ arrangement on the original ‘40s
recording. She also includes her own vocalese words toFats Navarro’s “Nostalgia (The Day I Knew)” andaugments Fats Waller ’s “I’m Confessin’” with her
words to a 1952 Lester Young tenor saxophone solo of
the tune. It all adds up to a stunning major label debut
from a jazz singer mining the jazz past for today.
For more information, visit vervemusicgroup.com. Joy is at
Rose Theater Dec. 14th-18th with Jazz at Lincoln Center
Orchestra. See Calendar.

Altamirage
Pauline Oliveros/James Ilgenfritz(with Anagram Ensemble)(Infrequent Seams)
by John Pietaro

The odyssey of Pauline Oliveros (1932-2016), a masterof sound art whose Deep Listening concept crossed allboundaries of music, meditation, healing andexperimentation, has reach beyond her lifetime.
Oliveros’ advancement into concurrent outer and inner
spheres began in ‘50s San Francisco at that city’s TapeMusic Center; her journey led to such renowned artists
as John Cage, Terry Riley and a stream of global
collaborators, particularly improvisers.
After decades of composing, performing andteaching on the West Coast, in 1981 she set base inKingston, NY. It was in this period that her concept
was established, a study of musical, environmental
and internal sound often performed within dark,
massive spaces. This resulted in uncanny levels ofmusical communique, as exemplified by Oliveros’
Deep Listening Band: her accordion, Stuart Dempster ’strombone and didgeridoo, vocalist Panaiotis (né Peter
Ward) and then keyboard player David Gamper.
Beyond the Deep Listening Band, Oliveros’collaborators included her performance artist life
partner Linda Montano, saxophonist/trumpeter
Joe McPhee and bassist/composer James Ilgenfritz.
The latter engaged in multiple duets with Oliveros
during her later years and Altamirage brings together
several, as well as two of her earliest works performedby his Anagram ensemble.
The opening track, “Outline: for flute, percussion
and string bass” easily exemplifies the depth of thebassist’s study and partnership into this rather mysticalgenre. At first glance, this is classic 20th Century
music, but in it one hears the direction Oliveros would
soon take. Fluid colors of flute, vibraphone, metals
and arco bass blend as intimately as sonorities possibly
can, before splitting into dry, choked brevity (use of
xylophone and woodblocks with hard mallets against
flute air sounds and the bassist’s string snapping). Yeteach episode within this nearly 14-minute work carries
moving melodic phrases, a hallmark of the latecomposer. A similar palette is heard in “Altamirage I”
wherein arco bass, empowered with swerving,

Sassy & swinging DARYL SHERMAN
at MEZZROW

james chirillo, guitar
BOOTS MALESON, bass

sunday, December 11, 7:30 & 9 PM
MEZZROW 163 W. 10th Street NYC
reservations: smallslive.com
darylsherman.com

shuttering false harmonics, matches wheezing, shifting
accordion. By the time the bassist drops his bow,streams of pizzicato enrapture the breadth of Oliveros’
instrument in a manner befitting of a practice called
deep listening.
The sections of “Altamirage” feature Oliveros andIlgenfritz, but Anagram plays Oliveros’ multimovement “Trio for Trumpet, Accordion and String
Bass”, a deeply introspective, dramatic score cryingout for just the right film. Ilgenfritz, Martha Cargo(flute), Stephanie Richards (trumpet), Nathan Kosi
(accordion) and percussionist Chris Nappi not only
capture the spirit of the Deep Listening Institute but
also lead it into the present.
One can imagine that the album production
must have been an emotional experience for the bassist
as he relived this collaboration into a soundscape thestuff of legend.
For more information, visit infrequentseams.bandcamp.com.
Ilgenfritz is at Roulette Dec. 19th-20th as part of theInfrequent Seams Festival. See Calendar.

DEC 14–18 ROSE THEATERBIG BAND HOLIDAYSThe Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra with Wynton Marsalis
continue the ever-popular annual tradition, playing fresh,swinging arrangements of holiday classics with special guest
vocalist Samara Joy.

JAN 20–21 ROSE THEATER

MIDDLE EAST MEDITATIONS

Oud virtuoso Naseer Shamma joins Wynton Marsalis and the
JLCO to mesmerize audiences with a musical journey to theMiddle East in this milestone event featuring arrangements by
Marsalis, Shamma, and other orchestra members.

FEB 10–11 ROSE THEATERDIANNE REEVES: LOVE IS IN THE AIR

NEA Jazz Master vocalist Dianne Reeves returns for her
annual Valentine’s Day concert in Rose Theater. The ultimate
storyteller, Reeves will take audiences on a journey of love—fulfilled, unrequited, carnal, and spiritual.
Evocation
Andrew Cyrille/Elliott Sharp/Richard Teitelbaum(Infrequent Seams)
by Tyran Grillo

Evocation documents a free-improvised performanceby Andrew Cyrille (drums, percussion), Elliott Sharp(eight-string guitarbass, bass clarinet, electronics) andRichard Teitelbaum (piano, computer, sampler) at
Brooklyn’s Roulette on Oct. 13th, 2011. While each has
been known for balancing power and vulnerability
in other configurations, there is something especiallytactile about the audible seesaw on which they teeter
in this archival playground.
Cymbals, bass clarinet and electronics prepare thestage for an insightful conversation mixing two parts
listening for every part speaking. Seeming
contradictions make perfect sense in this context:
simple foregrounds depend on complex backgrounds,
flashes of light take on meaning only because of thedarkness from which they are born and so on. An
expression of strength without assertion of a will to
power is the music’s ethos.
Even when hinting at drone, Teitelbaum pulls
at the seams until political messages bleed through. In
this regard, “Singularity To Unity” is among the morecolorful assemblages, combining tambourine, lyricalbows and figures of traditions that would not otherwise
eat at the same table. Guitar carries a biological charge
throughout, working at the molecular level to build its
language, elusive yet eerily moving.
Flashes of rhythm are few and far between. Like theprayers floating from disembodied loudspeakers in“Hudson North, Hudson South” or prepared piano in“Transoceanic Travelers”, they are intimate, kinetic and(above all) shuffled into the deck of thought before being
dealt in a flush of execution. As the title track closes in
the quietude with which the album began, it draws on
introspective percussion to decode its message. It is atransmission from outer space to inner, rendered not in
dots and dashes but in inhalations and exhalations.
For more information, visit infrequentseams.com. Cyrilleand Sharp are at Roulette Dec. 20th with a Richard
Teitelbaum Memorial Celebration as part of the InfrequentSeams Festival. See Calendar.

FEB 16–18 THE APPEL ROOMJOURNEY THROUGH JAZZ PART III

JALC presents the third installment of its Journey ThroughJazz Series, in which the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra
with Wynton Marsalis focuses on and illuminates a themewith musical examples.

SAMARA JOY
Photo by Chris Mees

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

THE NEW YORK CITY JAZZ RECORD | DECEMBER 2022 21

Let Sound Tell All
Julius Rodriguez (Verve)
by Russ Musto

W ith his debut recording as a leader, 24-year-old

genre merging pianist-keyboardist-drummer Julius
Rodriguez demonstrates that he is poised to become aleading voice of his generation. The date opens withRodriguez showing off his jazz piano chops on his“Blues At The Barn”, leading a trio of bassist Phillip
Norris and drummer Joe Saylor through a hardswinging romp in the McCoy Tyner tradition. His skill
as an arranger is evident on a dynamically building
cover of Stevie Wonder ’s “All I Do”; it features theimpassioned lead voice of Mariah Cameron over Ben
Wolfe’s loping bassline and Saylor ’s tick-tocking beat,before the pianist delivers a roiling interlude usheringin backing vocals by Vuyo Sotashe.
The pretty minute-long “Soundcheck Interlude”
with soprano saxophonist Morgan Guerin anddrummer Brian Richburg, Jr. leads into the atmospheric“Gift To The Moon”. The latter has the mellow trumpetof Giveton Gelin floating ambiently over Rodriguez’
electric piano and synthesizer, with Daryl Johns andJK Kim taking over bass and drum duties, respectively.
“Two Street” begins with Rodriguez’ energized
drumming in duo with Guerin on tenor, first heard
acoustically, then electronically filtered into a potent
kaleidoscopic skronky tonality, after which Rodriguez
doubles on electric bass for an acoustic pianosaxophone trio racing to a swinging conclusion.
Rodriguez, on piano and organ, with Gelin, Norrisand Richburg, delves into his church background on theaffecting original hymn “Where Grace Abounds”. The
mellow mood continues on the stirring “Elegy (ForCam)”, vocalist Haley Knox joining the trio, singing
airily over an orchestral synthesizer background.
Rodriguez and Samara Joy duet on the Darlene Andrews
gospel lament “In Heaven” and the disc concludes withthe trio’s terse NOLA-styled tag “Phillip’s Thump”.
For more information, visit vervemusicgroup.com. Rodriguez is
at Aaron Davis Hall Dec. 16th with Carmen Lundy. See Calendar.

Standards From Film
Mike Moreno (Criss Cross Jazz)
by Marilyn Lester

Classic movies contributed immeasurably to thecanon of the Great American Songbook. Guitarist Mike
Moreno chose ten iconic film-derived songs forStandards From Film. As opposed to songs frommusicals, Moreno was intrigued by the resonant backstories that cinema offers, all the better to build on for
his approach to the work. The opener, Victor Young’s“Beautiful Love” (The Mummy), for instance, begins
with a haunting message from the mummy, Imhotep(played by Boris Karloff), with Moreno launching intoa stride-style guitar in 6/8, producing a spooky Middle
Eastern feel. Vocal snippets open half of the selections,with an overarching highly dramatic-atmospheric tone
infused into all tracks.
Pianist Sullivan Fortner has some excellent solo
moments, especially on David Raksin’s eponymousand inherently haunting “Laura”, which ends with aguitar cadenza akin to a reverie. Throughout, bassist
Matt Brewer offers steady support, but the talents of
Obed Calvaire are largely wasted. The drummer does
get to show his chops on the nearly eponymous “On
Green Dolphin Street” (Bronisław Kaper), which moves
from a vocal into another haunting improvisational
section before opening up into the familiar melody.
Standards From Film features several works byYoung, one of the most prolific of film composers. His
work from a classic haunted house film, The Uninvited,is featured by its title song and by “Stella by Starlight”.
These are two ballads with a mellow, dreamy feel,propelled by Fortner’s solid underscoring of Moreno on
the former and his glissandi and arpeggios on the latter.
While applying his own twists to these classics ofthe silver screen, Moreno wisely bows to two masterarrangers whose work on these particular tunes is
unimpeachable. For Harry Warren’s “There Will Never
Be Another You” (Iceland), Moreno based his version
on the Nelson Riddle arrangement for Frank Sinatra.
Likewise, the Henry Mancini arrangement of his “Daysof Wine and Roses” ends Standards From Film with afairly traditional, lush balladic take. For film buffs,
Standards From Film may have appeal but the narrowfocus of the album doesn’t invite repeat listening. And
while the vocal intro on “Beautiful Love” is clever, thevocal sections of other tracks don’t offer much
substance and could easily be eliminated.

exploration of just that, scales and intervallic patterns,
the musicians following and evolving each other ’spatterns, sometimes spiralling together in rhythmic
unison. “Relations”, a 16-minute dialogue, begins withascending melodic patterns from Lacy, soon answered
by Parker, with the two gradually expanding theirsonic vocabularies, including Lacy’s lower-register
growls and Parker ’s flights into an extreme upper
register. The final “Twittering” is a brief and joyous
explosion, another act of definitive camaraderie.
For more information, visit corbettvsdempsey.com. Parker
plays Roulette virtually Dec. 17th as part of Transatlantic
Trance Map. See Calendar.

For more information, visit crisscrossjazz.com. Moreno is at
Bar Lunàtico Dec. 1st with EJ Strickland. See Calendar.

ChirpsSteve Lacy/Evan Parker (FMP-Corbett vs. Dempsey)by Stuart Broomer

When Steve Lacy emerged in the mid ‘50s, playing

with Dixieland bands and Cecil Taylor, he was uniqueamong modern jazz musicians in playing the sopranosaxophone, the instrument that New Orleans clarinet
virtuoso Sidney Bechet had adopted to add the bore
and brass of a saxophone to compete with the trumpet
as a lead instrument. When Evan Parker began playing
the soprano publicly in the early ‘70s, he was adding it
as a distinct alternative voice to his tenor saxophone,pressing John Coltrane’s example, adapting the horn to
the keening wail and subtle microtones of Bismillah
Khan, the Indian master of the shehnai, an Indian
double-reed instrument with a brass bell. Parker
eventually added another of Khan’s techniques,circular breathing, and his own mastery of overtones
and fingerings to create multiple simultaneous lines.
Those clear differences in identity are largely
jettisoned in this duet set recorded during the 1985
Summer Music series at the Haus am Waldsee in Berlin.
Originally released in 1991 on FMP, Chirps lives up to
its title in its occasional resemblance to bird sounds,
but part of its charm comes from its relatively narrow
pitch spectrum, emphasizing the closeness of two
highly attuned musicians.
Chirps consists of three pieces of diminishinglength, each demonstrating some of the closest
listening and mirroring one is apt to hear in improvised
music. The opening “Full Scale” is a 21-minute

22 DECEMBER 2022 | THE NEW YORK CITY JAZZ RECORD

LIONESS™

LAUREN SEVIAN -BARITONE SAXOPHONE
SARAH HANAHAN -ALTO SAXOPHONEJENNY HILL -TENOR SAXOPHONE
AMANDA MONACO -GUITAR
KAISA MÄENSIVU -BASSSHIRAZETTE TINNIN -DRUMSSPECIAL GUEST: BERKLEE STUDENT ENSEMBLE
DIRECTED BY SHIRAZETTE TINNIN

THURSDAY, DECEMBER 8 - 7 PM
FLUSHING TOWN HALL
137-35 NORTHERN BLVD
FLUSHING NY 11354
FLUSHINGTOWNHALL.ORG
CONVERGENCEARTS.ORG/LIONESSTime Frame
Gary Versace (SteepleChase)
Cold Faded
Anthony Ferrara (SteepleChase)by Ken Dryden

Gary Versace is so well known as an organ player

listeners often overlook his immense skills as a pianist.
While he played both as well as accordion in his youth,
piano was his primary interest. After a decade of being
recruited by leaders seeking organ, along with anumber of record dates he led on Hammond B3, Versace
now seeks more opportunities to play the piano.
Time Frame, a trio session with bassist Jay Anderson
and drummer Rudy Royston is primarily a showcase
for the leader ’s creative originals, all of which stimulategroup interplay. The lighthearted opener is “Cold
Duck Soup”, cheerful and choppy with a whimsical air.
Charlie Parker ’s bop anthem “Red Cross” is alteredsubstantially with chord substitutions and a wild
piano solo taking it well off familiar paths. Versace’s
delicate ballad “Faro” is a master class by the trio ofplaying softly with ample space. There are surprises
awaiting in “Panda Blue” with a seemingly meanderingsolo piano intro before it gradually reveals itself when
Anderson and Royston join in on what is anything but
a predictable blues. Versace’s closing ballad “One Year
From Today” has a bittersweet but hopeful air, with atouching bass solo and whispering brushwork later
uplifting lyrical, heartfelt piano.
Versace also appears on tenor saxophonist Anthony
Ferrara’s sophomore SteepleChase CD Cold Faded.
Veteran bassist Ron McClure discovered Ferrara a few
years ago when he subbed in a student ensemble andliked what he heard, hiring him for gigs and his
SteepleChase CD Lucky Sunday. What is particularly
impressive about Ferrara is that he not only has amature, confident and appealing sound, but also isfinding his own voice. Ferrara is also a capablecomposer, penning a diverse set of songs that invite
repeated hearings, a huge challenge for any musician at
the beginning of their career. Supported by a seasoned
rhythm section completed by bassist Anderson anddrummer Billy Drummond, all part of Ferrara’s debut
CD as a leader, this isn’t a typical leader plus rhythm
section date, but one where the musicians interact likea working band. “Force Field Vein” is a quirky opener
with an intricate bop line over booming walking bass,
with the leader using the full range of his instrument.

Ferrara’s arrangement of Cole Porter ’s “I Love You” isset as a jazz waltz with Versace’s minimalist, darting
chords supplying a stimulating backdrop for theleader ’s gritty solo while the pianist takes the song far
afield in his brilliant improvisation. To wrap thesession, Ferrara’s quirky “Infinity Unravels” blends amelancholy theme with an off-center rhythm, whichhints at transforming into a ballad but keeps shifting inother directions. Ferrara is a rising star to watch.

NOV 30–DEC 4

For more information, visit steeplechase.dk. Versace is at
Birdland Theater Dec. 5th with Jay Clayton and Dec. 15th
with Dave Pietro. See Calendar.

DEC 5

ULYSSES OWENS, JR. BIG BAND
JOHN MANZARI AND
THE LUTHER ALLISON QUARTETDEC 6

DAVID CHESKY TRIO
DEC 7
Four Freedoms
Josh Sinton’s Predicate Quartet (Form Is Possibility)
by John Sharpe

Since inaugurating his Form Is Possibility label, lowreed specialist Josh Sinton has presented a series ofalbums showcasing different aspects of his art. On
Four Freedoms, his Predicate Quartet (formerly a trio)
makes a welcome return. This incarnation benefits
from the addition of Steve Coleman alumni trumpeter
Jonathan Finlayson to the core of cellist Christopher
Hoffman and drummer Tom Rainey from the 2018
debut, completing a starry and accomplished unit.
They winningly interpret four of Sinton’s wily multifaceted compositions, which morph between chamberand groove, between tunefulness and abstraction.
However, in spite of the promised riches, opener“Step” involves Sinton alone on baritone saxophone.
He is a consummate solo player with a deep grounding
in the format, as can be heard from how he approaches
the piece, blending unconventional and traditional
techniques. He begins with a breathy multiphonicdrone, which eventually blossoms into bright fanfares
and emphatic pursuance of a forthright line, fromwhich a plaintive melody emerges, before a return todrone mode for a satisfyingly symmetrical finish.
The following “Gateway” serves as just that, an
introduction to the crew, incorporating unaccompanied
spots for both Finlayson and Hoffman into its fabric.
A sequence of fugue-like overlapping tones set up
vivid
darting
trumpet,Hoffmanprovidingcounterpoint, Rainey tappy propulsion and Sinton agrainy undercurrent, before the cellist takes center
stage, his aching songlike arco reminding why he issuch a fixture with the likes of Henry Threadgill. The
piece ends on a high with an attractive four-way
interwoven extemporization of the theme.
Sinton deploys his resources with an eye tovariation, so not only does he switch to alto flute on“Blood”, but the track also contains two duets at its
heart: the first for flute and cello, which bursts into a
jazzy lilt, before the second for trumpet and drums, inwhich repeated flurries dance atop infectious beats.
The latter combination also resurfaces during therhythmic “Shards”, although Sinton’s bass clarinet
feature, where he assembles a sequence of odd
textures—snorts, yowls and cries—into an engrossing
whole, may be the standout here. The final “Violets”
perhaps sums up Sinton’s inclusive ethos, fusing as it
does an easy lyricism and drifting atmospherics, with
Finlayson recalling Wadada Leo Smith in his use of
space and Rainey churning under a declamatory finale.
For more information, visit joshsinton.bandcamp.com. This
project is at Academy Record Annex Dec. 7th. See Calendar.

BRYAN CARTER’S SWANGIN’ CHRISTMAS
FEAT. MARTINA DASILVADEC 8–11

MARY STALLINGS AND THE EMMET COHEN TRIO
DEC 12JUILLIARD JAZZ ENSEMBLES
DEC 13FRANK LACY’S TROMBONIVERSE
DEC 14JOE MCCARTHY’S NEW YORK AFRO-BOP
ALLIANCE BIG BAND
DEC 15–18

MARILYN MAYE
DEC 19TED ROSENTHAL TRIO: WINTER WONDERLAND
DEC 20

MATT WILSON CHRISTMAS TREE-O
DEC 21–24

CHRISTIAN SANDS QUARTET
DEC 26–30

CARLOS HENRIQUEZ NONETDEC 31CARLOS HENRIQUEZ’SNEW YEAR’S EVE CELEBRATIONJAZZ.ORG/DIZZYS
7:30PM & 9:30PM
SUNDAYS 5PM & 7:30PM

212.258.9595
BROADWAY AT 60TH ST.

THE NEW YORK CITY JAZZ RECORD | DECEMBER 2022 23

Fade to Black
Carmen Lundy (Afrasia Productions)by Alex Henderson

Singer/composer Carmen Lundy isn’t any easier tocategorize now than when she began recording as aleader during the ‘80s. Postbop vocal jazz is the primary
direction of Fade to Black, which finds Lundy performing
exclusively original material. Yet R&B is a major
influence on everything from the funky “Daughter of
the Universe” to hypnotic opener “Shine a Light”.
Fade to Black is an often-political album reflecting
on the turbulence of the early 2020s. “Ain’t I Human”
is especially blunt, addressing topics ranging fromvoter suppression to abortion. Meanwhile, police
overreach is the theme on “Say Her Name”, inspiredby the George Floyd protests of 2020, and mentions not
only Floyd, but also Breonna Taylor, Eric Garner,
Trayvon Martin and other deaths to which Black Lives
Matter (BLM) has been bringing attention. BLM is also
an obvious inspiration on “Reverence”.
Tracks like “Lonesome Blue Butterfly” and“Transition (to a Promised Land)” recall the type of
spiritual themes Nina Simone and Abbey Lincoln
embraced during the ‘60s-70s. Lundy has never claimed
to be a jazz purist and isn’t shy about using R&B andgospel to her creative advantage; ballad “Rest in Peace”
is especially gospel-ish, an homage to the people whodied during the COVID-19 pandemic. The lush “Spellof Romance” is the date’s most lighthearted song.
Lundy’s accompaniment varies from track to track
and the influences that served her well in the past
continue to do so, including Lincoln, Simone, Sarah
Vaughan and Aretha Franklin. Fade to Black finds
Lundy, at 68, still at the top of her game.
For more information, visit carmenlundy.com. Lundy is at
Aaron Davis Hall Dec. 16th. See Calendar.

(tenor and soprano saxophone), Yasushi Nakamura(bass), Rudy Royston and Brian Richburg, Jr. (drums)
and guest appearances by Sasha Masakowski (vocals)and Hasan Bakr (percussion).
The opening title track links tribal rhythms withthose of her native Azerbaijan, Bakr ’s excellent
percussion work setting the buoyant tone. When thehorns join, listeners are seized by the exuberance.
Figarova allows for lengthy solos by all of her
outstanding collaborators yet there is a unique beauty
when she takes the lead on slower, less boisterous
tracks; “Morning Dew”, a tribute to the wonders ofnature, tender and lyrical in tone, is the best showcase
for her exquisite playing. That delicate touch also
opens the melancholy “October Phantasy”. After along instrumental intro, Masakowski’s voice emerges,
lyrics conveying both loss and hope. Figarova’s new
puppy inspired “Ruby at Play”, a joyous, energetic
tune and a bit unruly as puppies are.
Figarova resides both in New York and New
Orleans and several tunes came into being in The Big
Easy. The far-off fireworks of New Orleans’ 4th of Julycelebration, peaceful and so different from the noisy
holiday in New York, inspired the reflective beauty of“Only Peace Liberates”. “Suddenly Stars are Fallingfrom the Sky” was born during a power outage in New
Orleans due to Hurricane Ida when, gazing up at anight sky devoid of electric lights, Figarova conceived
the melody. “Road Ahead” gains momentum throughthe interplay of Nakamura and Royston.
At a Jazzmobile-sponsored concert at Harlem’sInterchurch Center last month, Figarova, Platteau andRoyston were joined by Morgan Guerin (tenor
saxophone), Freddie Hendrix (trumpet) and Luques
Curtis (bass). The live version of “Road Ahead” started
with an extended drum solo before piano and other
instruments came in. The tune took listeners on a fastpaced ride before fading out beautifully and receiving
vigorous applause. Figarova talked about theinspiration for the closing piece, “Muse”: living on afirst-floor Harlem apartment, she absorbs all the action
on the street and although Adam Clayton Powell
Boulevard is noisy, the song that came from her
sidewalk inspiration felt dreamy, hopeful and ethereal.
Figarova definitely achieved her goal of inspiring
listeners. On the bus ride home, this reviewer observed
passengers who had attended the concert share howmuch they enjoyed it and how uplifted they felt.
For more information, visit aminafigarova.com

Joy
Amina Figarova (AmFi)
by Anna Steegmann

Amina Figarova began her career as a classical pianist
in her native Azerbaijan and later studied jazz in
Holland and at Berklee College of Music. In 1998, when
she played with a large ensemble of fellow students at
the Thelonious Monk Institute, she dreamt of a small
group with the power of a big band. She realized thatdream 20 years ago and has been working with thesextet ever since . This long collaboration has produced
extraordinary chemistry among the musicians.
Figarova describes Joy, her 16th album, as a “postpandemic release and a celebration of life, hope andnew beginnings.” The ten compositions are full of
passion and positive energy. For this recording, shereturned to acoustic piano after the electronic
excursions of her last album Persistence. She is joinedby her husband Bart Platteau (Bb and C flutes), Alex
Pope Norris (trumpet and flugelhorn), Wayne Escoffery

More Touch
Patricia Brennan (Pyroclastic)by Dan Bilawsky

P atricia Brennan has become the poster person forleading-edge mallet work. She has dazzled as amember of drummer Tomas Fujiwara’s 7 Poets Trio,
pianist Matt Mitchell’s Phalanx Ambassadors andguitarist Mary Halvorson’s Amaryllis; made her markwithin the ranks of celebrated outsized outfits such as
drummer John Hollenbeck’s Large Ensemble, bassist
Michael Formanek’s Ensemble Kolossus andsaxophonist/flutist Anna Webber and Angela Morris’
co-led big band; and drawn plenty of attention on her
own with a texturally expressive solo vibraphone
debut—2021’s Maquishti. Now, through this sophomore
release showcasing an inventive, percussion-forward
quartet, she is poised to earn even more acclaim.

24 DECEMBER 2022 | THE NEW YORK CITY JAZZ RECORD

Growing up in Veracruz, Mexico, Brennan was
exposed to folkloric marimba playing, AfroCuban
bands, various streams of rock, classical strains and thestrings-and-percussion play of the indigenous son
jarocho style. Synthesizing all of those influences (andmore) to create present-tense portraits of her past, shefinds new angles of communication with her trippy andfulgent, electronically-enhanced vibraphone andmarimba. Brennan works wonders on her own withthose instruments, but takes it to another level in thecompany of bassist Kim Cass, drummer Marcus Gilmore
and percussionist Mauricio Herrera. Case in point issoca-inspired opener “Unquiet Respect”. Establishing aband dynamic built on rhythmic webbing, Brennan laysout a narrative that is difficult to penetrate yet easy tofollow and enjoy. Then the title track serves up interest
through intrigue, beaming in with distant transmissions,
showing its strength with a paroxysm of percussion andmaking no fuss as it leaves with a whisper.
In the numbers that follow, Brennan brings
disparate inspirations—musical and otherwise—to thefore. The lengthy “Space for Hour”, a somewhat
paradoxical ode to silent moments and the energy they
manufacture, proves to be a heady standout. “The
Woman Who Weeps”, an homage to Brennan’s lateaunt/godmother, swirls and sighs as it sheds its tears.
“Square Bimagic”—math music, quite literally—infuses
geometric thought with Cuban son. And “Sizigia(Syzygy)”, referencing the alignment of celestial objects,
percolates as it rotates. Additional pieces draw on
shadow souls, oceanic convergences, the magic ofMaine and even the almighty creator of human life,
further enriching this mind-expanding program.
For more information, visit pyroclasticrecords.com. This
project is at The Jazz Gallery Dec. 9th. See Calendar.

New Now
Dave Liebman/Adam Rudolph/Tyshawn Sorey(Meta/Yeros7)
by Phil Freeman

Saxophonist Dave Liebman and percussionist Adam

Rudolph have worked together for several years andhave released two previous collaborations, 2016’s The
Unknowable and 2018’s Chi. On each occasion, theybrought another drummer into their sonic matrix, first
Tatsuya Nakatani and then Hamid Drake. This third
encounter, recorded at The Jazz Gallery on Sep. 30th,
2021, has Tyshawn Sorey behind the kit.
The music is presented as a single hour-long suite,
though divided into seven tracks for listenerconvenience. The breaks are inserted at logical points,
so you can actually hit skip and the next track willseem to have a beginning and mark a shift from what
was going on before. Still, there is continuity to themusic; the sections flow coherently and none of thetransitions feel sudden or forced.
Liebman and Rudolph are kindred spirits in some
important ways. The latter is a master percussionist
who has studied techniques, instruments and rhythms
from all over the world and synthesized them intoa holistic approach, allowing him to work extensively
with other open-eared and enlightened players,
including the late Yusef Lateef and Pharoah Sanders,Bill Laswell, Bennie Maupin and many others, while
also leading his Go! Organic Orchestra, an ensemble
that grows or shrinks depending on the occasion. Here,he plays hand drums and various other percussion
instruments while also processing the music—his own
contributions and his bandmates’—using live
electronics, adding echo and reverb, subtle atmosphericsquiggles and the occasional distorted mutter.
Liebman, who has participated in some of Rudolph’s
other projects, is certainly comfortable with electronics;
he played on Miles Davis’ On The Corner, after all, andwas in the trumpeter’s funk-metal septet in 1973-74. His
playing has the feeling of a man finding his way throughfog, but also has a spiritual, questing quality.
Sorey is the perfect third man; he pounds out
tribal-sounding beats at times, but in the quieter
moments offers just the merest whisper of cymbals andsometimes switches to piano (as does Liebman).
Ultimately, this is a sustained and fascinating mood
more than a piece of music, a trance you are sorry to
feel break.
For more information, visit metarecords.com. This project is
at The Jazz Gallery Dec. 15th. See Calendar.

suite comprising the first half, Rituals, is a Jim McNeely
composition inspired by one of Potter ’s favoriteclassical compositions, Igor Stravinsky’s The Rite of
Spring. But we don’t hear any of that piece’s melodic
themes until the very end of Rituals, Potter ’s closing
cadenza on “Rebirth”, an epilogue added by McNeely,tenor quoting the opening theme of The Rite of Spring,
minus the final note.
Rituals is a concerto for tenor and augmented(French horn, harp, tympani) jazz big band. According
to McNeely, the The Rite of Spring “is full of rhythmic
and harmonic textures that cry out for treatment in ajazz piece” and he uses many of them in Rituals.
However, he doesn’t use Stravinsky’s themes, instead
employing “a combination of the jazz and blues
language to compose the themes.” He points out that
The Rite of Spring was originally a ballet score and feels
we miss the important visual element as well as thestory of the ballerina who dances herself to death: “Iwanted Chris Potter to provide the energy and spiritthat we miss when the dance is not there.”
Rituals builds through three “Adoration”
movements, the big band laying a carpet for fervid
tenor passages and solos, culminating in a longcadenza across “Adoration II and III”. Two “Sacrifice”
movements range from ruminative, lyrical passages
featuring tenor echoed by obbligati from other reeds
to faster swing and martial sections with rhythms
echoing Stravinsky. McNeely added his epilogue,“Rebirth”, because he didn’t like the conclusion of theballerina dancing herself to death, so he brings herback to life “to dance another day”.
The album also includes four of Potter ’s
compositions, arranged for big band by McNeely.
“Dawn”, a lush, languorous ballad features overlapping
solos from Potter and two tenor saxophonists of theFrankfurt Radio Big Band (for whom McNeely is
Composer in Residence). “The Wheel”, from Potter ’s
jazz-funk date Underground, is a romp built arounda repeating riff voiced alternately by sections of the
big band and Potter and he also interacts with the band
on “Wine Dark Sea”. His sole foray with soprano,“Okinawa”, is an episodic, kaleidoscopic track
displaying the tonal range of the band and McNeely’s
arranging.
For more information, visit challengerecords.com. Potter is
at Village Vanguard Dec. 27th-Jan. 1st. See Calendar.

Rhythm and Blues of the 20s
Chris Byars (SteepleChase)by Ken Dryden

Though reedplayer Chris Byars has varied the size

Rituals
Jim McNeely/Frankfurt Radio Big Band(featuring Chris Potter) (Challenge-Doublemoon)by George Kanzler

This is a sumptuous orchestral showcase for one
primary soloist, saxophonist Chris Potter. The six-partand instrumentation of his groups during his decadeplus recording for SteepleChase, he seems to havefound a preferred lineup, one unchanged over the
past several years. During this period, Byars has
focused on tenor saxophone, joined by alto saxophonist
Zaid Nasser, bass clarinetist Stefano Doglioni,
trombonist John Mosca, bassist Ari Roland anddrummer Phil Stewart.
All but one piece is a Byars original and the title isa bit of humor on the leader ’s part, since Rhythm And
Blues of the 20s actually refers to some works being
based on the chord changes to the Gershwins’ popular“I Got Rhythm”, though the chord changes don’tnecessarily make it all that obvious. The 12-bar blues
he wrote for this date represent the decade of the 2020s.

Because he knows his musicians so well, Byars ismasterful in his writing, blending the reeds andtrombone in intricate ensembles while letting thesoloists all shine throughout. Both Nasser and Doglioni
deserve wider recognition as important voices withsomething to say. Mosca, a longtime Vanguard Jazz
Orchestra member and now its director, is a soloist
who makes every performance seem effortless.
One of the highlights is the toe-tapping “Salute To
The Mailbox”, which nods to Gigi Gryce’s obscure“Salute To The Bandbox”. “Minor Miracle” is similar to
the approach both Gerry Mulligan and Bob Brookmeyer
were masters of throughout their careers; the solos areshort and sweet, with Mosca’s witty turn and Roland’sarco stealing the show. The only established song is theclosing track, an extended, easygoing treatment ofFreddie Redd’s “Serenade To Sweden”.
For more information, visit steeplechase.dk. Byars is at
Smalls Dec. 11th and Cellar Dog Dec. 29th. See Calendar.

Counterfeit Mars
Ingrid Laubrock/Tom Rainey (Relative Pitch)
by John Sharpe

W ife/husband duo saxophonist Ingrid Laubrock anddrummer Tom Rainey already possessed a formidable
track record even before the pandemic, but theirweekly Stir Crazy series of duets during lockdown,shared through Bandcamp, not only provided a muchappreciated outlet for musicians and listeners alike but
also has resulted in an even more thoroughly honed
conception. To maintain freshness on Counterfeit Mars,
their fourth album together since 2013’s And Other
Desert Towns, they mix six compositions with sevenjoint concoctions, only one of which exceeds the fiveminute mark, in a captivating program.
While the writing sometimes anchors a particularfeel longer than would otherwise be the norm in such
quicksilver hands, no one mood outstays its welcome.
Such is their near telepathic communication that pieces
like “Tucker ’s Grove”, where spare drums and cymbal
strikes align so closely to saxophone’s distinctive mixof melody and abstraction, may suggest charts but is infact conjured from the ether. Rainey is typically crisp
and precise while at the same time supportive andinventive. Check out his spontaneous orchestration on“Andy’s Eyes”, another collective number, where after
shading Laubrock’s paraphrases of her annunciatory
tenor line with an airy cymbal spume, he switches toearthy toms as soon as she hits a gruff snagged phrase.
While Laubrock often tends more to theexperimental timbres, her expressive range is so wide
it also encompasses pure uninflected tones andsometimes both within the same selection, as is thecase with “Orbiting Orbits” where passages of burbling
splutter alternate with chirpy soprano murmurs andhiccups. Among other highlights are the slightly
melancholic
ruminationofLaubrock’s“Rear
Windows”; relaxed exchanges of the title cut; classic
free jazz skronk of “Ruckus” with its choked wails andchoppy pulsation; and contrast between staccato blurts
and long tones on Laubrock’s initially explosive“Uneven Surface”. But such is the couple’s rapport
that every track both merits and repays time spent.
For more information, visit relativepitchrecords.com.
Laubrock and Rainey are at 411 Kent Dec. 21st and The
DiMenna Center Dec. 30th. See Calendar.

THE NEW YORK CITY JAZZ RECORD | DECEMBER 2022 25

DROP THE NEEDLEA Modern Jazz Symposium of Music and Poetry
Charles Mingus (Bethlehem-New Land)by Duck Baker

All Charles Mingus recordings are valuable but it

was during the decade from 1956-65 that most of his
masterpieces were recorded. Nat Hentoff’s liners
state that the gospel music Mingus heard growing up
made an enormous impact and a case can easily bemade that when his music began reflecting that
influence in the mid ‘50s, he really came into his own.
The title of this record is misleading; firstly
because the word “symposium” leads us to expect
the somewhat dry Third Stream music he wasrecording a few years earlier and secondly because it
does not feature poetry but a narration, on the
opening “Scenes In The City”. The evocative text,
read by Mel Stewart, was written by playwrightLonnie Elder with an assist from the great Langston
Hughes. In fact the African American Everyman
protagonist of “Scenes” bears a more than passing
resemblance to the Hughes character, Jesse B. Simple.
Mingus used narration many times over the years,

usually but not always read by himself. A few
months before Symposium was recorded, Jean
Shepherd had narrated for the title track of The
Clown and the following year saw the release ofLangston Hughes’ Weary Blues, which many consider
the best poetry-jazz collaboration ever (Mingus’
band provided the backing on half of that LP). The
music for all these poems and recitations wasbasically programmatic, featuring sections where
the musicians backed the reader and other sections
that were instrumental. But the musicians aren’t justplaying written parts; more often they are
improvising in controlled settings and on “Scenes”
they often interact with Stewart.
The original LP featured four other tracks: theballad “Nourag”; the programmatic “New York
Sketches”; the homage called “Duke’s Choice” here(later reworded as “I X Love” on Mingus, Mingus,
Mingus, Mingus, Mingus); and a short burner called“Slippers”. These are all great pieces and the band atthat time featured players known to this day largely
for their association with Mingus: Clarence (Gene)
Shaw on trumpet, Jimmy Knepper on trombone,
Shafi Hadi (Curtis Porter) on alto and tenor
saxophone, Horace Parlan on piano and, on drums, a
newcomer named Dannie Richmond. As great as theindividual soloists were, the group synergy was
what made this band stand out, as was usually thecase with Mingus.
But since “Scenes” and “Sketches” took up morethan half the record, listeners tended to associate theLP with that kind of programmatic development.
That impression was shattered when, in the ‘90s, CD
versions added an alternate take of “Slippers” andextended versions of Bird’s “Billie’s Bounce” and26 DECEMBER 2022 | THE NEW YORK CITY JAZZ RECORD

Dizzy’s “Woody ’n’ You”. These are not only thehottest versions of these two tunes on record, they
are some of the hottest jazz ever. Shaw doesn’t playon these but everyone else gives it their all and, inthe case of Knepper and Hadi, even more than that,as the incredible drive of Mingus, Parlan andRichmond elevates the music to the stratosphere.
Bebop played with Ellingtonian colors and the fervorof gospel, this is Mingus at his mightiest.
One would think that leading a band that could
kick as hard as this would have been enough foranyone to aspire to, but it wasn’t enough for Mingus.
The variety of styles, moods and approaches we hearon Symposium was typical; he wanted to reach inevery direction he could and working with narrationand poetry was one of them. Though we have norecorded evidence, reports of the live collaboration
between Mingus and the poet Kenneth Patchen in
the spring of 1959 indicate that the band wasn’t
playing program music but blowing as usual while
the poet narrated his material.
Buyers should note that Symposium has beenreissued under two other titles, Scenes In The Cityand Duke’s Choice, but those were LPs and did notinclude the bonus tracks added to most CD releases.
The present edition is the first vinyl release with thebonus tracks and there is even an extra added track,
which is a version of “Scenes In The City” edited
down for radio play (one wonders how much it got).
Every Mingus lover needs this record and it is great
to see it get the deluxe treatment it deserves.
For more information, visit newlandrecords.co.uk.
The Mingus Big Band is at Midnight Theatre Wednesdays.
See Calendar.

Color Changes
Clark Terry (Candid)
by Scott Yanow

During 1960-61, writer Nat Hentoff ran the Candid

label and virtually every release was special, featuringsome of his favorite musicians in inventive and wellplanned settings differing from the artists’ usual
recordings. In recent times, Candid has been reborn
and, in addition to new releases, the early classics arebeing remastered and reissued.
In the case of trumpeter Clark Terry (who would
have turned 102 this month), Color Changes features hisalways lively and joyful playing in an octet. Terry, who
during the era normally recorded with fellow alumni of
the Ellington orchestra, had a rare chance to interact
with Jimmy Knepper (trombone), Julius Watkins (Frenchhorn), Seldon Powell (tenor saxophone and flute) andYusef Lateef (tenor, flute, English horn and oboe) alongwith pianist Tommy Flanagan, bassist Joe Benjamin anddrummer Ed Shaughnessy. Terry plays pieces by Bob
Wilber (“Blue Waltz), Lateef (the surprisingly brooding
ballad “Brother Terry”) and Duke Jordan (“No Problem”)
plus several of his originals.
The arrangements (mostly by Budd Johnson) add
color and variety to the music with “No Problem” andthe delightful “Flutin’ and Fluglin’” being among the
highpoints. The latter has both Lateef and Powelltrading off on flutes, spots for Knepper and Watkins (amajor asset throughout the set) and a tradeoff by Terrywith himself on both flugelhorn and trumpet.
While most of the songs are not all that different
than on a typical Terry date with the blues and common
chord changes being well represented, the company hekeeps and the sound of the ensembles (along with thetypically high-quality playing) make this a standout.
For more information, visit candidrecords.com

Love Dance(Solo Live At Galerie De Café 伝 Tokyo 1987-1997)
Mototeru Takagi (Nadja 21-King International)by Pierre Crépon

H oused in an old-school five-CD jewel case, Love

Dance contains five hours of previously unheard
Mototeru Takagi (born 81 years and dying 20 years ago
this month). Recorded live—and well—at a smallTokyo gallery, the music is strictly solo saxophone,save for one track adding guitarist Taku Sugimoto.
Four late ‘80s sets are complemented by a 1997 tape.
The release narrows a close to ten-year gap in Takagi’s
discography, whose most well-known titles remain
contributions to Japanese free jazz’ heydays. Althoughthat résumé would suggest hardcore energy playing,
this is not at all what Love Dance is about.
Here, Takagi focuses on songs. They range from
“Going Home” to “The People United Will Never Be
Defeated”. France, where Takagi resided, makes
appearances through an Édith Piaf number and Sidney

Bechet’s “Petite fleur”, as do Thelonious Monk andCharles Mingus standards. What connects thisseemingly disparate material is a matter-of-fact
greatness making it transcend genres or evendiscussion. A case in point is Nina Simone’s “Don’t Let
Me Be Misunderstood”, played in medley with the
Korean classic folk song “Arirang”. The nuances ofSimone’s vocal interpretation, echoed closely by
Takagi, have made the song something special not justin Simone’s catalogue but also in music in general andthis is what Takagi taps into. Tunes such as Takagi’s“Stone Blues” are present in multiple versions anda large part of the material remains unidentified, but
it does contain more in the way of compositions, forinstance Steve Lacy’s “Bone”.
The other thread is how Takagi approaches his tenor
and soprano, the latter used on a third of the material. In
this close-quarter context, in between sparse applause,
Takagi seems to devote his complete attention to every
aspect of tone production, intonation, articulation, attack
and release. He plays notes fully, holding them at an
unhurried pace, finding ways to stretch out in the purityof his sound as well as in the material played. No English
notes are there to provide context and ascribing
intentions would be risky, but if Takagi set out to find thelimits of long-form solo melodic playing, he did notencounter them during those sessions. Unsurprisingly,
this expansive set is a standout among the recent slew ofarchival Takagi releases.

really great and majestic, like a collision between
Davis’ Live Evil and John Coltrane’s Africa/Brass andwould possibly have been a staple of Byrd’s bookif audiences weren’t then clamoring for something
more commercial. His solo is especially to be savored.
“Poco-Mania” is very bright and busy and thehead is a bit overwhelmed by having so manymusicians on stage. But the solos are intense andcommitted and the whole thing hot to the touch, guitar,
saxophones, Rhodes, synthesizers, percussion, allwhipped up into a frenzy. The Montreux audience goesnuts and maybe you will too.
For more information, visit bluenote.com

For more information, visit kinginternational.co.jp

Live: Cookin’ with Blue Note at Montreux
Donald Byrd (Blue Note)by Jim Motavalli

The story is that these tapes were intended as part ofa series of releases recorded at the Montreux festival in
1973. Those by Bobby Hutcherson, Ronnie Foster andBobbi Humphrey came out, but this set from trumpeter
Donald Byrd (who would have turned 90 this month)
was shelved for some reason, possibly because his huge
hit Black Byrd (released in 1973) was still selling strongly.
That is too bad, but here is the set now, with sparklingsound via two-inch tape. Black Byrd producer Larry
Mizell, heard here on synthesizers, let things get a whole
lot looser live with a 10-piece band. Four of the musicians
were Byrd’s students at the University of Pittsburgh:saxophonist Allan Barnes, drummer Keith Kilgo,
guitarist Barney Perry and electric pianist Kevin Toney.
The album starts out with the expected “BlackByrd” (written by Mizell). That track goes nowhere but
to the charts. A Stevie Wonder cover (“You Got it Bad
Girl”) is much better, with an extended and burning
soprano saxophone solo from sometime-expatriate
Nathan Davis, Byrd himself sounds good, too, andthings continue to improve.
The cauldron that was electric Miles Davis hangsover these recordings, which is not a bad thing. Byrd’snine-minute “The East” leads off with wah-wah guitar,
supported by Ray Armando’s congas, electric pianoand veteran Henry Franklin on electric bass. The
bubbling melody is sinuous and urgent and Byrd’shorn is funkily talkative as it gets into a productive
dialogue with tenor. Sure, Davis could have sued, butmany other artists have usefully mined this territory.
“The East” is otherwise unrecorded, as are theother two Byrd originals, “Kwame” and “Poco-Mania”
rounding out the album. The extended “Kwame” is

THE NEW YORK CITY JAZZ RECORD | DECEMBER 2022 27

ON SCREEN

Live at The Blues Alley Washington, D.C.
Nancy Wilson (Liberation Hall)by Monique Ngozi Nri

Classy, graceful, beautiful, sultry and elegant are

just some of the often-repeated descriptors of Nancy
Wilson. It should be no surprise then that she graced
the stage at Blues Alley, the intimate DC jazz club,
resplendent in a black off-the-shoulder beaded
gown with diamante black and silver earrings andholding a contrasting red silk square, which shetucks into the end of her sleeve as she raises herarms in song. There is much drama before Wilson
even sings a single note. She takes a deep bow in
response to the audience’s rapturous applause
before slipping into a rendition of the Richard
Rodgers-Lorenz Hart standard “Lover”.
This 1993 performance captures Wilson 30 years
into her recording career. She came to New York in
1959 on the advice of Cannonball Adderley and had
a hit with her first recording, “Guess Who I Saw
Today”, which she showcases halfway through thisconcert. She establishes a banter with the“gentlemen” in the audience, whom she gently
berates that they should sing the lyrics of some ofthe songs to her. She charms all by suggesting that
this audience is sophisticated enough for her to try
out new material for a just completed album though
she jokes that without her glasses, she will have tosing the songs as she feels them. Her hit “Save Your
Love For Me”, a standard in the toolkit of many jazz
singers, is included in a medley of songs that
includes another hit, “How Glad Am I”, andconcludes with “The Masquerade is Over”.
Her longtime pianist Lou Matthews is ably
supported by a new bassist to the group, Bruce Lett.
Wilson comments that he brings a new meaning to“in the pocket”. This band swings the uptempo “TwoClose for Comfort”, Lett delivering a solo followedby drummer Roy McCurdy before Wilson resumes
the song in a style reminiscent of her idol Dinah
Washington.
Wilson’s storytelling finds her slipping from
dialogue into song and back again. We learn of herlove for her children, son Kaycee in particular, andfor her second husband, Reverend Wiley Burton.
Just before she sings this reviewer ’s favorite song, “I
Can’t Make You Love Me”, a man calls out, “ I love
you, Nancy.” She blows him a kiss. Her rendition ofthis song is a remarkable effort she makes even more
dramatic at the climax by letting the audience know
in no uncertain terms they won’t feel the power.
Though Wilson was a quadruple pioneer as asong stylist, TV and radio show host, Civil Rights
activist, entrepreneur and actress who won almost
every award in each medium, there is a biography.
She passed away four years ago this month, in aptly
named Pioneertown, at 81. This video was filmed bydirector Gene A Davis for the A&E Biography series
but did not air. Its release is an excellent addition to
Wilson’s legacy. Kudos to Liberation Hall for thiswonderful entry in the Great Women Singers of the20th Century series.

The Steps That Resonate
Martin Küchen/Agustí Fernández/Zlatko Kaučič(Not Two)
Correspondence With No Words
Agustí Fernández/Rafał Mazur(Not Two)by Steven Loewy

Here Comes the Whistleman | Blacknuss
Rahsaan Roland Kirk (Atlantic-Modern Harmonic)
by George Kanzler

These two LPs are a vinyl purists dream: analog discs

improvisation both feature Catalan Agustí Fernández
(who turns 68 this month) with highly capable partners.
The pianist, who has made a substantial mark with hislush and diverse discography since the ‘80s, explores
some new directions, both powerful and innovative,
sometimes disturbing, but always uncompromisingand fascinating.
The Steps That Resonate, a concert recording from
Goriška Brda, Slovenia, is comprised of two improvised
pieces, with “Pt 1” taking up most of the album and“Pt 2” perhaps somewhat less intense but continuing
the process set by the first track. The sounds areexacting, compelling and exciting, almost always witha bold urgency, as the members of the trio display
muscular thrusts, variegated sounds, with changes
taking place quicker than you can say “John Zorn”.
So many types of sound are articulated that it isdifficult to keep up with them. Swedish soprano/
sopranino saxophonist Martin Küchen’s disjointed andaggressive plunges feature flutter tones, wails, silence,screeching cries, ferocious phrases interspersed withsoftness and dramatic changes in tempo. Slovenian
drummer/percussionist Zlatko Kaučič is brilliant
throughout, his large tsunami-like phrases combining
with lots of little sounds and his hard-driving pounding
percussion kit and and plethora of kitchen sinkobjects a great foil for the saxophonist. Fernández isalways in the mix, sometimes relying on the inner
strings of the piano, at other times flirting with extreme
speed and intense layering. His contributions areegoless, but central to the project’s success. Along theway, the trio remains cohesive, never relenting,always “on”, so that at the end of each track, there is
a visceral groundswell of applause from an appreciative
audience for a thoroughly exhausting and worthwhile
experience.
Frustrated by not being able to perform together
due to COVID, Fernández and Polish bass guitarist
Rafał Mazur decided to perform a series of musicalletters to each other, which yielded CorrespondenceWith No Words. Alternating tracks, each prepared asolo piece, which was answered by the other in anothersolo piece and so on for ten tracks.
It is an unusual duo, as each participant engages
in extremes of his instrument. For example, the opening“For Rafal” features the pianist performing un-pianolike sounds, with a strong percussive element anda focus on the inside strings, sounding nothing likea traditional piano. There are long and intense noises,
swishes, lots of scratchy noises and plucked strings.
The bass guitarist responds in kind and it is astonishingthat, without a scorecard, it would be difficult to tellwhich is which, as the percussive strings from the
piano and bass guitar sound surprisingly similar. The
sound is non-stop, with constant changes in velocity,
volume and range. Low tones are prevalent as thisstrange duo prevails with consummate weirdness as it
mines the lower depths. While this can be difficult
listening, it is nonetheless compelling and its uniqueapproach shines through.

recreating the original 12” LPs, Here Comes theWhistleman in the original mono, Blacknuss in stereo.
The Atlantic label covers are also reproduced, but withnew liner notes added in place of the original.
Kirk’s musical career started in 1955, when he wasstill a teenager, ending with his death 45 years ago thismonth. Blind at two years old, he embraced music, andmusical instruments, of all kinds. He was already, atage 15, playing two saxophones simultaneously while
touring with an R&B band, and he began collecting
exotic instruments like the stritch and manzello—both
variations of the saxophone or saxello—early on, as
well as straight flutes and nose flutes. His musicalinterests were protean, ranging from jazz, blues andthe pop music of his day to gospel and African
traditional music. On these two albums he employs
simultaneous blowing sparingly on Here Comes theWhistleman, more frequently on Blacknuss.
Here Comes the Whistleman, released in 1967, wasreedplayer Roland Kirk’s first LP for Atlantic. Producer
Joel Dorn, recognizing the rapport and connection Kirk
forged with audiences (encouraging participation likeclapping and whistling) had “recorded ‘live’”
emblazoned on the LP cover and the session wasrecorded in 1965 with an audience in an Atlantic studioin New York. It is a basic quartet setup, Kirk withbassist Major Holley, drummer Charles Crosby andeither Jaki Byard or Lonnie Smith (in pre-organ days)on piano. A mix of originals and standards, it features
little of Kirk’s simultaneous multi-horn playing. The
title tune does feature nose flute, tenor saxophone andwhistling, but Kirk is best digging in on tenor, in a
Gene Ammons vein on his own “Roots”, and manzelloon Byard’s “Aluminum Baby”. His flute is featured on
three tracks, the best “Making Love After Hours”, aclose cousin of the Herbie Mann hit, “I’m Comin’
Home Baby”.
Blacknuss, recorded in 1971, Kirk’s panoramic,
decidedly original take on the soul and R&B music ofthe day, with forays into gospel/spirituals and Africanroots, is a much more elaborate production. Bill
Withers’ “Ain’t No Sunshine When She’s Gone” hasKirk adding vocal intonations to his flute lead, all overa strings (synth?) background. He gins up the tempo
with a rock-soul backbeat on a Marvin Gaye medley of“What’s Going On” and “Mercy Mercy Me” and takes
a wild, funky swing at Bread’s “Make It With You”.
His flute includes vocalizing on Smokey Robinson’s“My Girl” and leads a hillbilly-like two-step on his
own “Which Way Is It Going”.
That last leads to Side One’s closer “One Nation”,
a song by Princess Patience Burton, who sings in
Xhosa (the ‘click’ language from South Africa) overpolyrhythmic percussion and stomping tenor. After theJacksons’ “Never Can Say Goodbye” is treated toa manzello solo, Kirk preaches/raps into “Old Rugged
Cross”—“don’t get lost on the cross while you’re trying
to cross”—then preaches over a slow gospel feel withemphatic tenor, before upping the tempo to bring funkto the gospel. The title song, spelled out over and overby Kirk and singer Cissy Houston, followed by tenor
and simultaneous horns solo and some boogie piano
from Sonelius Smith, closes the eccentrically exuberant
proceedings.

For more information, visit nottwo.com

For more information, visit modernharmonic.com

These two strikingly dissimilar approaches to free

For more information, visit liberationhall.com

28 DECEMBER 2022 | THE NEW YORK CITY JAZZ RECORD

Domestic Jungle / Domestic Jungle DAT
Derek Bailey (Scatter Archive)
New York 1982
Derek Bailey, Charlie Morrow, & Friends (Recital)
by Kurt Gottschalk

It is no surprise that, 17 years to the month after his

death, we would still be getting unheard recordings by
a musician as committed to spontaneous performanceas Derek Bailey. But that three recordings would make it
to market within the last six months and that all of themstand among the best in his catalogue is remarkable tosay the least. That two should serve to right a small
wrong in his discography and are made available
essentially for free is a genuine cause for celebration.
That now-rectified weak link is the 1996 album
Guitar, Drums ‘n’ Bass, unusual even for the fearless
guitarist and one that polarized fans. Bailey had beenplaying over, or against, high-speed electro d’n’b tracks
on his radio at home in London, but for that album waspaired with D.J. Ninj, who brought less mayhem to thetitle than he could. Glaswegian label Scatter has madeavailable two volumes of Bailey’s home recordings
playing over pirate radio (around the same time as thestudio date) and they are far more blissfully frenetic.
Bailey’s edits are brutal, clicking off abruptly when asegment has done all it needed to and listening to whatmade the cut feels fairly schizophrenic: impossibly fast,canned beats, buried voices (sampled or DJ, it’s hard totell) and synth phrases passing in and out. Those whoaren’t already acclimated to Bailey’s approach would
likely find it abrasive and even confrontational andwouldn’t be wrong. But to anyone who has absorbed his
idiosyncratic approach and thirsted for more, the two
Domestic Jungle volumes are nothing short of fascinating.
Bailey played against his collaborators (either in personor on tape, as in the duets he and drummer Han Bennink
made by mailing cassettes back and forth). He didn’t
feel the need to play along with others; after all, thatmusic was already being played. He contrasted rather
than complemented and hearing him do so against
tracks that feel as entirely nonhuman and inorganic as
the unnamed d’n’b cuts is a crazy wonder. What is evenmore fascinating is that the two volumes are so different.
Audio quality lends to the distinction, with the first
volume recorded to magnetic tape and the second
captured digitally, but that is not the whole of it.
Domestic Jungle DAT is brighter, but also has more voices
and tonal elements from the radio in the mix. The homesessions clearly invigorated Bailey. His playing, bothacoustic and electric, is knotty and exemplary.
American label Recital has unearthed a pair of older
sessions, coupled as New York 1982 and released digitallyand on vinyl. The dates were organized by Bailey andthe composer/sound poet Charlie Morrow. It is a more
typical Bailey meeting, with percussionist Glen Velez
and paired saxophones (Patricia Burgess and Steve
McCaffery) and trumpets (Carol E. Tuynman andMichael Snow) in various combinations. What makes it
unusual is the vocalizations by Morrow (also trumpet
and ocarina) and McCaffery. The first half is a live
recording and the sound is clean but a bit dense. It may
be a single microphone, likely not more than two, andthe voices in particular get a bit lost. The second half,though, is in-studio and clear as a bell. Where the live set
tends toward the chaotic, the studio tracks are beautifully
subdued, understated and abstract. At midpoint is alovely, four-minute solo piece by the master.
These three invaluable releases remind how vital
he was as a spirit for the immediacy of expression.
For more information, visit scatterarchive.bandcamp.com
and recitalprogram.bandcamp.com

THE NEW YORK CITY JAZZ RECORD | DECEMBER 2022 29

Never More Here
Larry Bluth Trio (Fresh Sound)by Marc Medwin

Bassist Don Messina is proving to be an archivist ofsome stature. Along with a treasure-trove of Sal Mosca
home recordings, Fresh Sound has released this superb
set of live and soundcheck tracks by the Larry BluthTrio, whose work was sadly concluded by the pianist’s
2020 passing (he would have turned 82 this month).
They made three albums in the ‘90s and now we add
an extra/welcome 25 percent to its discography.
It is no easy task to describe what sets Bluth apartfrom so many pianists. Part of that challenge stems fromthe still pervasive and lamented unfamiliarity withwhat could be called his lineage, if that is evena proper way to hear what Bluth does. To trace his work
to that of Mosca and then to Lennie Tristano is also toreconsider the innovations in ‘40s improvised music.
While Tristano and Co. certainly do owe an allegiance tothat chromatically complex music known as bebop andto the innovations of Art Tatum preceding it, they
approach tunes from harmonic and melodic freedoms ofa different and often contrapuntal variety. You won’t
hear Parker’s now-ubiquitous licks and chromaticallyinflected resolutions here. Bluth’s harmonic ambiguities
accent and emphasize pitches in completely unexpected
places and patterns. Just check out “Larry’s Line” tohear the difference. Conceivably, the arpeggiatedmelody had its genesis in the “impressionist” intro to
the 1944 Jo Stafford recording of Cole Porter’s “I LoveYou”, providing the changes on which “Larry’s Line” isbased, but talk about turning a moment into a fantasy!
Bluth’s invention is as stunning as his pianism isunderstated, or perhaps simply stated. Each note of thequietly blistering melody emerges with exquisite clarity,each somehow integral to the whole. To suggest thatbassist Don Messina and drummer Bill Chattin provide
support is both true and woefully lacking. Like Bluth,
they swing through each rapid-fire change and complex
inflection with the consummate ease of familiarity, with
one another and with the converging musical traditions
they represent. You can hear the symbiosis as Bluth andMessina’s melodic interplay unifies at 2:07 and in
Chattin’s perfectly timed micro-roll at 2:28.
All the innovation and intrigue is so natural that it
just glides by. Dig the scintillating staticity of “These
Foolish Things” that never quite impedes its flow, or the
languid but never lethargic treatment of “Sweet andLovely” as those delightfully crunchy harmonies go byover Bluth and Messina’s contrapuntal interweavings.
The harmonically altered opening to “Yesterdays”, aradical instant of deconstruction, is navigated with thefinesse of veterans playing together for some two
decades. Nothing sums up all this trio could bring to atune better than “Sound-Lee”. Bluth pushes and pulls
its linear implications ever so slightly, long before theline is even stated, leading ultimately and beautifully
into Messina’s best solo on the disc, a model of motivic
development in improvisational flux. Chattin’s snare
and cymbal interplay is as deliciously sparse as his
slight dynamic increase coming out of Messina’s solo is
expertly judged. Read Messina’s liner notes where heaccomplishes the rare feat of combining personal
reminiscence with relevant musical commentary,
providing the capper to a wonderful package befitting
the work of this underappreciated group.
For more information, visit freshsoundrecords.com

30 DECEMBER 2022 | THE NEW YORK CITY JAZZ RECORD

version of the 1962 Skeeter Davis pop tearjerker “Endof the World”, with musical saw accompaniment bybassist Jim Connolly to the crowd’s approval. Whata delight to see this finally surface long after Kaiser ’s
big 5-0 celebration.
For more information, visit jeffkaiser.com

132350Jeff Kaiser Ockodektet (pfMENTUM)
by Robert Bush

O ne way to introduce more folks into an appreciationof what is commonly known as “free-jazz” or the“avant garde” is to let them know that the music, while
dead serious, is also a lot of fun. The Art Ensemble ofChicago have always understood this. Trumpeter/
composer/bandleader/record label owner Jeff Kaiser(who turns 62 this month) is another who has frequently
woven humor into his personal aesthetic and the
raucous applause that begins 132350 is the audience’s
reaction to his entering the hall wearing an outrageous
outfit. After tossing a bag full of noisemakers into thecrowd, he sat at a pump organ, grabbed a megaphoneand spoke/sang the Allen Ginsberg poem “Father
Death Blues”.
Then things got serious. The title of the album has
a numeric explanation: it should read “13”, “23”, “50”,meaning 13 pieces for 23 improvisers for the occasionof Kaiser ’s 50th birthday. It begins with soft, lighter,random tones before the low brass of two tubas(Jonathan Piper and William Roper), two trombones(Michael Dessen and Michael Vlatkovich) and theleviathan contrabass saxophone of Vinny Golia begin
a stuttering series of blatts that could easily blow the
sheet music off the stands. Bassist Mark Dresser thenemerges with myriad sounds only he could conjure
before trumpeter Kris Tiner takes the baton. Dessen
and Vlatkovich proceed with a wicked trombone essay
then Brad Henkel wraps things up with a balloon,
a trumpet mouthpiece and a ton of chutzpah.
Golia’s contrabass saxophone also leads off thefollowing section and it is worth noting that of thehalf-dozen or so multi-instrumentalists who can afford
one, he seems to transform the instrument past thenovelty and into a purely musical dynamic. Manytimes the orchestra volleys huge dissonant chords,
sounding like Bob Graettinger ’s City of Glass(performed by Stan Kenton) laced with copious dosesof LSD. Throughout, there are multiple opportunities
for the upper-echelon of the Southern California free
improvising community to strut their stuff.
And, one cannot deny the power of Kaiser ’s
twisted sense of humor. To close out the show, hereturned to the pump organ to croon out a hilarious

two instruments, they never step on each other ’s toes
and frequently joust playfully, tossing quotes left andright, sounding like they are having a great time.
Although drawing from separate concerts two
years apart, everything segues nicely from track to
track with no jarring variability in sound and no
applause, the album playing like one long suite. Only
the final two tracks, the improvised pieces placed at
the end of the program, sound a bit out of place. They
fade at their conclusion rather than ending at a logicalpoint. But that is a minor distraction and doesn’t really
mar an excellent album. It gives the listener a generous
program of these masters of their respective
instruments playing together at length. And for that
we should be grateful.
For more information, visit dottimerecords.com

Live
Roswell Rudd/Duck Baker (Dot Time)by Robert Iannapollo

This album presents an interesting prospect. Two

American music originals from different eras andgenres in jazz trombonist Roswell Rudd (who died five
years ago this month) and fingerstyle acoustic guitarist
Duck Baker uniting for a series of duets. But it is not
surprising to followers of either player if one is awareof their history.
Rudd emerged in the mid ‘50s from Yale as a
Dixieland trombonist but, upon arriving in New York ,fell under the spell of pianist Cecil Taylor and began
his involvement in the jazz avant garde, eventuallyplaying on a number of vital recordings throughout
the decade. He became a major interpreter of the musicof Thelonious Monk and Herbie Nichols and led
groups playing his own music firmly rooted in themodern impulse and the jazz tradition. After several
quirky and original recordings of Irish music, ragtime,gospel and early jazz influences released in the ‘70s,
the modern impulse found its way into the music ofBaker as well. He was especially interested in Monk
and Nichols. Eventually the two met and hit it off.
Baker learned the intricacies of their music from Rudd
and the two began to play together sporadically inconcert and on the occasional recording.
But Live is the only full recording of them as a duo
released to date. It is culled from two concerts, one
from New York (2002), the other from Albuquerque(2004). The program stems not only from their mutualinterest in Monk and Nichols but also the Great
American Songbook and free improv. Lively interactive
renditions of Monk’s “Well You Needn’t”, Nichols’“The Happenings” and Jelly Roll Morton’s “Buddy
Bolden’s Blues” are among the highlights. “A Bouquet
For J.J.” is a Rudd solo paying homage to his great
predecessor. Despite the delicate balance between theLive From Vienna 1967
Dave Brubeck Trio (Brubeck Editions)by Scott Yanow

Dave Brubeck (born 102 years and dying 10 years ago

this month) was not in a good mood on Nov. 12, 1967;
in fact the mild-mannered pianist and bandleader was
downright angry. It was near the end of a final
European tour by the Brubeck Quartet before the groupwas set to break up after 16 years. The classic unit
(with alto saxophonist Paul Desmond, bassist Eugene
Wright and drummer Joe Morello) had played a concert
in Hamburg, West Germany on Nov. 10th. Desmondwent out on the town after the performance andmanaged not only to miss the quartet’s plane that nextmorning but all of the flights the following day. The
quartet was scheduled to play in Vienna, Austria on
Nov. 12th but Desmond would not show up until thefollowing day in Paris (where they recorded The Last
Time We Saw Paris, released in 1968 on Columbia).
What was Brubeck to do?
Not wanting to disappoint the packed house,he gamely took the stage with Wright and Morelloeven though they had never performed a full-length
concert as a trio before. There had been projects
without Desmond (including The Real Ambassadors andsets with Carmen McRae) and Brubeck had led a trio
during 1950-51 but this was something different.
The previously unreleased results show that thetrio was certainly up to the challenge. With the absenceof Desmond, more solo space was given to Wright andMorello had some extra breaks for variety. Brubecksounds downright angry during the opening number,an intense and hard-swinging take on WC Handy’s“St. Louis Blues”. But then, after realizing that thecrowd was on his side and the music was quite good,
Brubeck calms down a bit for his original “One Moment
Worth Years”, is quite adventurous on Stephen Foster ’s“Swanee River” and Mexican children’s song “La
Paloma Azul” (the latter sounds very different than it
would have with Desmond), really stretches himself
on Frank Churchill-Larry Morey’s “Someday My
Prince Will Come” (from the 1937 Walt Disneyanimated film Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs) andtreats Billy Strayhorn’s “Take The ‘A’ Train” as if itwere a new modern jazz composition.
The result is a unique entry in Brubeck’s
discography and an enjoyable set of “new”
performances that are highly recommended.
For more information, visit brubeckeditions.com

THE NEW YORK CITY JAZZ RECORD | DECEMBER 2022 31

IN PRINT

Return To Shore (The Duo Sessions)
Kate Baker/Vic Juris (Strikezone)
by Jim Motavalli
Musical Revolutions:
How the Sounds of the Western World Changed
Stuart Isacoff (Knopf)
by Kevin Canfield

W hen a tradition-bound observer is baffled by a

new development in jazz, an incoherent denunciation
is sure to follow. American composer John PhilipSousa was a ragtime “naysayer”, Stuart Isacoff tells
us in this smart but uneven book, calling it musicthat “makes you want to bite your grandmother.” Aswith many such insults, this one tells us more about
the speaker than his target. One can only imagine
how many elderly family members Sousa might
have bitten had he heard bebop or free jazz.
In Musical Revolutions, Isacoff, founder of Piano
Today magazine, focuses on artists whose innovations
caused purists to bare their teeth. Though his
narrative reaches back more than 1,000 years—there
is a fascinating chapter on an 11th Century Italianmonk who “devised a practical way of connecting
notation to the physical act of singing”—he devotes
much of his book to two strands of jazz history. Oneof these is set against a backdrop of early 20th
Century Europe. The other, for the most part, playedout in Manhattan clubs and recording studios after
the Second World War. In the first of these—by far
the more compelling of the pair—Isacoff recounts
the story of James Reese Europe, a Black Harlem
conductor whose success in France in the 1910s
helped jazz go global. A lieutenant in the unit known
as the Harlem Hellfighters, Europe led the 369th
Infantry Regiment’s band, “the best band in the
United States Army,” Isacoff writes, which played“in hospitals and public squares” during World War
I. Their busy, irreverent sound recalled “that of a
New Orleans marching band”, captivating French
audiences. Europe was 38 when he was killed by afellow musician in the U.S., but his time abroadinspired other Black Americans to follow his lead,
opening jazz clubs and making albums in France.
The popularity of the first wave of American jazz
performers also roused successive generations ofEuropean musicians.
Isacoff’s second jazz storyline—it focuses on
Charlie Parker’s bebop innovations and Miles Davis’
restless artistic journey—is unenlightening. You could
fill a city-block-sized library with all that has been
written about these two over the last eight decades
and Isacoff, alas, has little of note to say about Parker’s“reformulations of standard songs into bebop
showpieces” or the “rock-suffused rhythms” of Davis’
fusion period. These are fascinating landmarkmoments in jazz history, of course, but Isacoff only
rehashes what is already known. Knowledgeable
readers can probably take a pass on this book, butthey could mention it to neophyte fans. The singularartists and recordings discussed therein can help
adventurous listeners escape the insidious artificialintelligence-based recommendations determining somuch of what gets listened to today. Breaking freefrom the grip of streaming-service algorithms would
be another musical revolution worth writing about.

Station ‘70: Call in Question / Live Independence
Masayuki Takayanagi (P.S.F.-Black Editions)by Pierre Crépon

J ust after recording a lovely duet with vocalist wife In 1994-95, under arresting covers featuring urban
Kate Baker on The Beach Boys’ classic “God Only
Knows” (from Pet Sounds), guitarist Vic Juris felt
extremely fatigued. A subsequent visit to the doctor
confirmed the worst: neuroendocrine cancer, with abad prognosis. The world lost the prolific Juris in
December 2019. Three years later, we have these
intimate recordings. The duo performed live together
frequently, but hadn’t made a recording. The album
also serves as Baker ’s solo vocal debut (she concentrates
on teaching), both introducing her to a wider world
and paying tribute to a remarkable guitarist.
Juris made 26 solo albums, the most recent being
Let’s Cool One eight months before his death. He had
a 20-year association with saxophonist Dave Liebman
and worked frequently with his close friend and fellow
guitarist Dave Stryker (who produced here). On thisalbum, we hear his sensitive side, on both electric andacoustic guitar, perfectly complementing his wife’sclear, unaffected singing.
On a slow, full-of-longing “God Only Knows”,
Juris solos on acoustic before picking up his electricand improvising over his unamplified bed. Baker
convinces us that God isn’t the only one who knows
what she would be without him. Baker heard the title
track in a Juris duo performance with Larry Coryell.
She added the lyrics and wordless passages, recallingbliss on the beach “when we were young and free”.
The tune has a Brazilian feel and Juris’ solo isreminiscent of the exquisite work guitarist Joe Diorio
did with saxophonist Ira Sullivan on The Breeze and I.
Also from down Brazil way is Ivan Lins’ “Magdalena”,
best known in its Elis Regina version; Baker sings it
expertly in the original Portuguese and Juris’ electricsolo is one of quiet intensity.
Frederick Loewe-Alan Jay Lerner ’s “I’ve Grown
Accustomed to His Face” (from My Fair Lady) wasa staple of Juris-Baker live shows and she is clearlysinging it to and about him. There are two Joni Mitchellselections, “Black Crow” and “Both Sides Now”; thelatter is much recorded, but the former (from Mitchell’smasterpiece Hejira) could use wider recognition. It getsan uptempo rendition, with furious flamenco-style
strumming. In a wordless passage, Baker ’s voiceclosely mirrors Juris’ guitar, a tribute to their telepathy.
Judy Collins’ version of Jimmy Webb’s “The Moon
is a Harsh Mistress” is a model of clarity, but the Juris/
Baker take adds empathy and feeling, Juris in supportive
folk mode. “Moonscape”, another look at the wondrous
orb, is a Juris ballad with Baker’s touching words andskillful vocalese. The harsh mistress can also inspire,“here at the edge, where moments measure time”. Alec
Wilder’s “Blackberry Winter” is an elegiac breakup
song, with pain and loneliness tied to the seasons. The
focus is on Baker and she brings the poignancy fully
home but Juris’ solo is gorgeous, too. Finally, there’s
Baker’s “Are You Kind”, co-written by her friend ShariMiller and about her father’s passing at 55. In light ofJuris’ too-early death at 66, it has new and affecting
meaning. He also “took the time to be kind”.
This lovely album can be comfortably shelved
next to Bill Evans’ duets with Tony Bennett, or Bill
Frisell’s with Petra Haden.

landscapes and contrasted skies, the PSF label issued
the the “J⋅I⋅コレクション” (“JI Collection”), an eight-CD
series of unreleased live recordings. It challenged
conceptions of what free jazz had sounded like during
its Japanese beginnings c. 1969-72. The featured tapes,of saxophonists Kaoru Abe and Mototeru Takagi,
guitarist Masayuki Takayanagi and bassist Motoharu
Yoshizawa were of a different essence than the era’s
studio albums. The music that had been played insmall Tokyo coffeehouses and bars was rawer, uneasy,
discomforting.
Plainly, it was also more violent, regularly reaching
direful intensity. More violent than what had come outof Tokyo studios, but also of free jazz’ homeland. Therewas something strongly non-American that demanded
attention. Two titles, Call in Question and Live
Independence,featured
Masayuki
Takayanagi’s
New
Directiongroup.
Those
March
1970
recordings are reissued here as a three-LP set.
20minutes of (noteworthy) previously unreleased
music, taped a month earlier, fill a side of the third
vinyl, and the original Japanese liner notes have now
been translated.
The lineup is the original trio with whom
Takayanagi (who would have turned 90 this month)
started New Direction in the summer of 1969: bassist
Yoshizawa and drummer Sabu Toyozumi. Saxophonist
Takagi, another preeminent Japanese musician, attimes joins. Several cuts use Takayanagi’s “massprojection” framework: a sudden, total unleashing ofenergy and guitar feedback, putting all meters firmly
in the red, relentlessly.
Little documentation of Takayanagi’s thinking has
been available in English until the recent publication ofextended interviews in the fifth issue of the Blank Forms
journal. “The Mass Projection schema, where it comessmashing through in a single blow, I based that on theimage of a vein rupturing and blood suddenly spurting
out,” Takayanagi says there. The image is apt.
Other pieces are built on a less harsh framework,
tending instead toward a kind of stasis. “Excavation”
stands out, with its slow thrust reminiscent of the
hypnotic motion of construction work. Whatever theapproach, this is difficult music, at times literally
painful when employing extreme shrills. But it
cannot be dismissed as mere experimental curiosity.
The musicians are clearly reaching the goals they haveset for themselves, highly futuristic for 1970.
They include ripping the notion of group apart andyet ending complete improvisations in a highly
together manner.
Even if often not understood, American free jazz
had at its core a profound sense of the beautiful, of theintensely beautiful. It seems that Takayanagi’s radical
departure lay there: this was not what he was seeking.
“My sole intention was to drive a wedge of malevolence
into the earth itselfI couldn’t have cared less if anyone
understood objectively what we were doing because
the earth would understand,” he said of a 1971
performance. Such intent places one at the edge of thevoid. Listeners willing to follow suit are bound to get
an often vertiginous glimpse of what lies there.

For more information, visit davestryker.com

For more information, visit blackeditionsgroup.com

For more information, visit penguinrandomhouse.com

32 DECEMBER 2022 | THE NEW YORK CITY JAZZ RECORDB OXED SE T

The Complete Blue Note & Impulse ‘60s Studio Sessions
Freddie Hubbard (Mosaic)
by George Grella

In 1960, trumpeter Freddie Hubbard (who died 14

years ago this month), recorded with Ornette Coleman,
Eric Dolphy and Hank Mobley and released his leader
debut Open Sesame on Blue Note. Those are the first
tracks on Disc 1 of this new seven-CD collection. He
was 22 and right at the start of a decade where he was
essential to establishing the mainstream of postbop
modernism, adding more complex harmonies andexperimenting with structure and form while keeping
the blues and soul. As ill-fate would have it, his peersin this endeavor, Booker Little and Lee Morgan, would
not survive to see this all the way through. Hubbard’s
status was in no way by default, though, as this set
demonstrates. These are his own albums, whichamount to a fraction of his contributions on Blue Noteas part of Art Blakey’s Jazz Messengers and as sideman
with Wayne Shorter, Herbie Hancock, Dexter Gordon,
Andrew Hill, John Coltrane and more. The range ofthat playing alone, from Blakey and Gordon to Dolphy

and Coleman is incredible and that and the quality ofhis musicianship made him, after Miles Davis, the key
trumpeter in the decade.
The chronological sequence shows him finding
his way to a personal style. That is one of the pleasuresof this set, hearing a young musician forming himself
in what can feel like real time. On those abovementioned 1960 recordings, he is solid but often
sounds like he is playing from a place in between all
three, fitting in but not yet thriving. On Open Sesame,
everything fits together but things are not yet distinct,
except for the singular voice of Tina Brooks on tenor(Hubbard had already played on Brooks’ exquisite
Blue Note album True Blue). The set provides
enormous context and Open Sesame doesn’t sound as
good as it does as a separate album. That is because
appended at the end of Disc 1 are two tracks from thefollowing session, Goin’ Up, and it is not that the debut
is bad, it is just that against the swagger and energy ofwhat came next, the touch of bite and grit, it sounds
polite, like a job interview. That grit and bite make
Goin’ Up one of the high points of this great body ofwork, along with the tremendous drumming of Philly
Joe Jones. He appears on several other sessions, but
for whatever reasons, on that Nov. 9th in 1960, he wasat what could be the most joyously driving andconstructively raucous he had ever been in the studio.
This seems to bring out the blues and extroverted
language in Hubbard, not taking away from but
adding to the always-cerebral quality of his playing.
The following albums sway back and forth
between these two sides and all are classics. The music
is often rich, with inventive orchestrations andalterations to song forms—a fascinating arrangementof “Summertime” from The Artistry of Freddie

Hubbard—and the leader’s fantastic sound. His balladplaying is consistently deep. The bite and grit returnwith a vengeance on Breaking Point, the equal inbrilliance to Goin’ Up, with two takes of the insanely
hip “Blue Frenzy”.
The Impulse! sessions are the curiosity here andthe one stretch of inconsistent music. There were three
sessions: orchestra, big band and septet. The first two
sets can be tough listening, a poor mix of what feels
like commercial pressures and the shockingly badarrangements by Shorter, which are overblown, murky
and lugubrious. There are only three septet tracks, but
are once again excellent, bringing in Hubbard’s
colleagues in the Jazz Messengers, Shorter andtrombonist Curtis Fuller, and reuniting him with
Dolphy. The music is smart and also fun.
Those Impulse! tracks are currently out of print,
but the Blue Note sets are generally available and havebeen staples of the label’s catalogue. So that does bringup the questions of need and value. Everything has
been remastered by Malcolm Addy and probably
sounds as good as can be. Compared to the RVG Blue
Note editions, the sound is slightly mellower, which isan improvement, and side by side with the HDCD
pressing of Hub Tones, the quality is identical. As
always, Mosaic delivers with the album-format book,with extensive new liner notes by Bob Blumenthal,detailed sessionography and the usual lovely black
and white photos from the original sessions.
Thus this is a different kind of listening. One canpick out the favorite albums from within, but having
everything in this format turns this into the story ofa great artist creating an important part of jazz history.
For more information, visit mosaicrecords.com

THE NEW YORK CITY JAZZ RECORD | DECEMBER 2022 33

HOLIDAY GIFT GU IDELOUIS ARMSTRONG—LOUIS WISHESYOU A COOL YULE
While plenty of jazz musicians made Christmas
albums, there are few as deserving of wearing
red and white as trumpeter Louis Armstrong,
who was a real-life Santa Claus in his adopted
home of Corona, helping out generations ofneighborhood kids. He now makes it official
with his first holiday LP, Louis Wishes You A
Cool Yule, available in either festive red or green
vinyl or as a jolly picture disc. Collected are allof Satchmo’s Christmas songs plus arecording of Armstrong reading of “A Visitfrom St. Nicholas” with brand new
accompaniment from pianist Sullivan Fortner.
SHOP.LOUISARMSTRONGFOUNDATION.ORG

MILES DAVISNEWPORTEDITIONSUNGLASSES“Oh, you’re a musician? What
instrument do you play?”
Now you can answer thatperennial question by simply
pointing to the delightfulembroidery on this unisex slouchy
adult winter hat while keeping
your head warm so those musicalideas can keep percolating,even in the coldest weather.
ETSY.COM/SHOP/GETSTITCH

Who was cooler than Miles
Davis? No one, especially if
you asked the trumpeter thequestion. Now you can comeclose with this limited edition
pair of shades, inspired bythose worn by The Prince ofDarkness and made incollaboration with his estate.

VINYLIZE.COM/PAGES/MILES-DAVISINSTRUMENTEMBROIDERED BEANIETHE MUFFINS­—
BAKER’S DOZENJAZZ PATCHES
Why should metalheads be the only ones to show off
their passion? Dig out that old denim jacket fromyour closet and sew on these adorable jazz patches.

ETSY.COM/SHOP/BSIDELIMITEDRUMINATIONS& REFLECTIONS—
THE MUSICAL JOURNEY
OF DAVE LIEBMAN
AND RICHIE BEIRACH.
There have been plenty of fruitfulpartnerships in jazz history. One of themost storied is that between saxophonist
Dave Liebman and pianist Richie Beirach,which will reach 50 years in 2023 andshows no signs of slowing down. The pairdiscuss their long friendship in thistouching book as well as wax prosaic on all
aspects of jazz playing and history, subjects
on which they have few living peers.

CYMBALPRESS.COM
34 DECEMBER 2022 | THE NEW YORK CITY JAZZ RECORD

Cuneiform Records has gone above andbeyond with this 12-CD/1 DVD/Book
boxed set, with 135 tracks, mostly
unreleased, by the The Muffins,a progressive rock/avant-jazzgroup active from 1973-81 andreformed from 1998-2015, whichFred Frith called, “the finest progressive
band that America produced.”
The DVD is a 2005 performance fromNEARFest in Bethlehem, PA and thebook contains history, credits andnever-seen-before photographs.
CUNEIFORMRECORDS.BANDCAMP.COM

JOHN ROGERS PHOTO PRINTS
Photographer John Rogers, whose work has graced
releases from ECM, Palmetto, Intakt, Blue Note, Sunnysideand many other labels, is offering individual prints from his
first photo collection book Old & New Dreams, contrasting
New York city life before and during the pandemic.

PHOTOS.APP.GOO.GL/42AMFNRMI8L8ZXRWAIVO PERELMAN­—REED RAPTURE
IN BROOKLYN
You could get your true lovesome boring, hackneyed
Christmas gifts like a partridgein a pear tree or ten lords
a’leaping but then you have toworry about supply-chain issues
and if the US Postal Service will
get it delivered before Easter.
Make your life easy and takecare of all 12 Days of Christmas
with this latest epic releasefrom saxophonist Ivo Perelman.
12 CDs find him in reed duos
with Vinny Golia, Jon Irabagon,
Dave Liebman, Tim Berne, Joe
Lovano, Joe McPhee, James
Carter, Roscoe Mitchell, Colin
Stetson, Lotte Anker, David
Murray and Ken Vandermark.
IVOPERELMAN.BANDCAMP.COM

JAZZ
CANDLESSpecially created candles by singer
Lizzie Thomas are the perfectcomplement to a cozy evening,playing records at home, the jazzy
sounds mingling with the restorative
aromas. Evening Jazz is curated scentof clove, cinnamon and palo santowhile Jazz This mixes blood orange,ylang ylang, anise and sandalwood.

LIZZIETHEJAZZSINGER.COM/SHOPPETER BRÖTZMANN& HAN BENNINK—SCHWARZWALDFAHRTIn Spring 1977, German reedplayer Peter
Brötzmann and Dutch drummer Han Bennink
recorded Schwarzwaldfahrt (FMP) in the open airof Germany’s Black Forest. 45 years later
Brötzmann discovered photos he took during
the sessions. These are collected in this lovely
120-page volume, along with the original album
and an essay by David Keenan.
TROST.AT

The Pan American Nutcracker Suite
Joe McCarthy’s New York Afro Bop Alliance Big Band (Angelface)
Alle Jahre wieder
Jazzrausch Bigband (ACT Music)
Novel Noël (A Jingle Jazz Celebration)
Lyn Stanley (with her Big Band Jazz Mavericks) (A.T. Music)
by Andrey Henkin

Christmas started in a manger and ended up in a mall.

Everything about the modern holiday is big: big lines;
big boxes; big trees; big bottles of extra-strong eggnog toprevent a nervous breakdown from your Trumpist uncle andAOC-obsessed cousin. So it makes sense to focus on three
Christmas albums featuring big bands.
Drummer Joe McCarthy’s New York Afro Bop Alliance
Big Band takes on that most classic of holiday fare withThe Pan American Nutcracker Suite. A band of Nick
Marchione, John Chudoba, Brandon Lee and Alex Norris(trumpets), Andrew Gould, Alejandro Aviles, Ben Kono, Luis
Hernandez and Frank Basile (saxophones), Mark Patterson,
Ryan Keberle, John Yao and James Borowski (trombones),
Luis Perdomo (piano), Vinny Valentino (guitar), Boris Kozlov(bass) and Samuel Torres (percussion) use Tchaikovsky’s
beloved music as a springboard for (holiday-)spirited
readings of the suite, bringing in Latin jazz and world musicelements and rich textures from the various sections, which
include some of the finest big band elves you can find. Theband modernizes things with exploratory percussion anddifferent feels across eight parts taken from the larger
suite, with highlights being a frisky “March”, slinky “Danceof the Sugar Plum Fairy” with funky guitar and a syncopated“Waltz of the Flowers”.
From Germany, we have the Jazzrausch Bigband’s
Alle Jahre wieder (roughly translated as That Time of Year).
While the band is known for its electronic explorations,
it has a tradition of ending each year with holiday concerts
showing a more traditional side. But traditional doesn’t mean
hidebound as the group is still innovating in both its playing
and choice of material, most of which will be unfamiliar toAmerican audiences accustomed to the (mostly Jewishpenned) holiday canon. The 10 tunes are drawn from therealms of German Advent songs and hymns, lullabyes andtraditional Christmas carols with the only ringer being“Adeste fideles”, the original Latin name of ““O Come, All
Ye Faithful”, all lovingly arranged by Leonhard Kuhn anddirected by Jazzrausch founder/leader Roman Sladek. The
20+ person band has been together for almost a decadeand plays over a hundred shows a year, all of which results
in a tight-yet-loose ambience, like throwing a fruitcake intoa microwave on the high setting.
Lyn Stanley’s entry into the genre, Novel Noël(A Jingle Jazz Celebration), begins slightly blue with “Zat You
Santa Claus?”, playing up the commercial aspects of theseason with her purred gift list and sly promises of what
will come in return. Her big band is brash and cinematic,
ably supporting her voice, which moves from sultry to joyous
to reverent. Interestingly, Stanley includes some songs
that are Christmas-adjacent like “Come Dance With Me”,
“It’s Magic”, “The Way You Look Tonight” and “Moonlightin Vermont” alongside the more typical “Have Yourself A
Merry Little Christmas”, “Little Drummer Boy” and “HolyNight”. The arrangements are nicely varied, from traditional
big band to Latin to lush pop. “Boogie Woogie Santa Claus”
benefits from backing vocals in a higher range, a nicecontrast to Stanley’s deeper tone, while the bonus track,“Mary Did You Know”, has a psychedelic tinge underneathits smoothness that probably wasn’t intended.

For more information, visit joemccarthymusic.com,
actmusic.com and lynstanley.com. McCarthy’s New
York Afro Bop Alliance Big Band is at Dizzy’s Club Dec.
14th. See Calendar.

THE NEW YORK CITY JAZZ RECORD | DECEMBER 2022 35

CALENDAR
Thursday, December 1• Peter and Will Anderson with Bruce Harris, Wayne Tucker, Neal Miner, Paul Wells,
Dalton Ridenhour
59E59 Theaters 7 pm $40-65• Marta Sanchez
Bar Bayeux 5 pm
• EJ Strickland’s Transient Beings with Sarah Elizabeth Charles, Mike Moreno,Alex Wintz, Rashaan Carter
Bar Lunàtico 8:30, 10 pm $10• Kurt Elling/Danilo Pérez
Birdland 7, 9:30 pm $45
êPeter Bernstein soloêBill Frisell solo

Birdland Theater 8:30 pm $30
Blue Note 8, 10:30 pm $35• Max Light; Mike Camacho
Café Bohemia 7, 10 pm $10• Joe Farnsworth Quartet; Jon Davis Trio		
Cellar Dog 7, 11:30 pm $5• Timothy Norton
Diwine 8 pmêUlysses Owens, Jr. Big Band with Sarah Hanahan, Sophia Kickhofel, Diego Rivera,
Nicole Glover, Andy Gutauskas, Eric Miller, Gina Benalcazar, Seth Weaver, Andrew Kim,
Benny Benack III, Walter Cano, David Sneider, Noah Halpern, Luther Allison,
Philip Norris
Dizzy’s Club 7:30, 9:30 pm $25-55• Danny Jonukuchi Big Band
Dizzy’s Club 11:15 pm $15• David Gibson Quartet; Ty Bailie Trio		The Django 7:30, 10:30 pm• Josh Sinton solo
Fotografiska 7 pm $35
êRoy Hargrove Big BandThe Jazz Gallery 7:30, 9:30 pm $35-45
êChes Smith, Tim Berne, Gregg Belisle-Chi
		Lowlands 8 pm
• Peter Mazza; Ray Gallon
Mezzrow 7:30, 9, 10:30 pm $25-35
êLeo Genovese Trio with Francesco Marcocci, Jeff Williams
		
Ornithology Jazz Club 9 pm $10• Mary Foster Conklin and Andrea Wolper with John DiMartino, Ken Fillano				Pangea 7 pm $25• Eric Yves Garcia
Pierre Hotel 6 pm
• Y&I; Yotam Ben Horin
Room 31 at Arlo NoMad 7:30, 9:30 pmêJoe Fiedler Quartet with Pete McCann, Marcus Rojas, Jeff Davis		
Silvana 7 pmêPeter Brendler
Smalls 7:30, 9 pm $25-35
êBuster Williams Band with Stefon Harris, Steve Wilson, George Colligan, Lenny White		
Smoke 7, 9 pm $35-55• Ingrid Schyborger Trio with Tommaso Perazzo, Christian McGhee		
Soapbox Gallery 8 pm $25• Rebekah Heller solo
The Stone at The New School 8:30 pm $20
êChristian McBride New Jawn with Josh Evans, Marcus Strickland, Nasheet Waits				
Village Vanguard 8, 10 pm $40• Jonathan KarrantWest Bank Café 7 pm $30

Friday, December 2• Peter and Will Anderson with Bruce Harris, Wayne Tucker, Neal Miner, Paul Wells,
Dalton RidenhourêJohnny O’Neal Trio

59E59 Theaters 7 pm $40-65
Arthur’s Tavern 7 pm

• Peter Watrous
Bar Bayeux 5 pm
• Kyle Nasser/Simona Premazzi Quartet
		Bar Bayeux 8, 9:30 pm• Bessie and The Rainbow Kids with Russell Hall		Bar Lunàtico 8:30, 10 pm $10êOscar Noriega Crooked Quartet with Marta Sanchez, Christopher Tordini, Jason Nazary
		Barbès 5 pm $20• Birdland Big Band
Birdland 5:30 pm $30• Kurt Elling/Danilo Pérez
Birdland 8:30, 10:30 pm $45
êPeter Bernstein Quartet with Sullivan Fortner, Peter Washington, Joe Farnsworth				
Birdland Theater 7, 9:30 pm $30
êBill Frisell Trio with Thomas Morgan, Rudy Royston and guests Ambrose Akinmusire,
Gregory Tardy
Blue Note 8, 10:30 pm $35• Hank Allen-Barfeld Band with Wallace Roney, Jr.; Jacob Melsha		Café Bohemia 7, 10:30 pm $20• Dave Gibson Organ Quartet; Miki Yamanaka Quartet
		
Cellar Dog 7, 11:30 pm $10• Lizzie Thomas Holiday Show with John DiMartino, Yoshi Waki, Carmen Intorre, Jr.,
Antoine Drye
Chelsea Table & Stage 7, 9:30 pm $30
êUlysses Owens, Jr. Big Band with Sarah Hanahan, Sophia Kickhofel, Diego Rivera,
Nicole Glover, Andy Gutauskas, Eric Miller, Gina Benalcazar, Seth Weaver, Andrew Kim,
Wallace Roney, Jr., Walter Cano, David Sneider, Noah Halpern, Luther Allison,
Philip Norris
Dizzy’s Club 7:30, 9:30 pm $25-55• Danny Jonukuchi Big Band
Dizzy’s Club 11:15 pm $15êLauren Sevian Quartet; Hudson Horns; Eitan Kenner		
The Django 7:30, 10:30 pm 1 amêSongs for Barry Harris: Sheila Jordan, Harvie S, Roni Ben-Hur		
Flushing Town Hall 8 pm $40• Art of the Art Song: Ljiljana Winkler Lynn Bechtold, Katie Scheele, Peter Oswald,
Jai Jeffryes, Gene Pritsker, Chalres Coleman		Greenwich House Music School 8 pm $30• Caroline Davis and Play Beings with Angelica Sanchez, Chris Tordini, Kengchakaj,
Selina Trepp
The Jazz Gallery 7:30, 9:30 pm $30-40• Albert Ahlf Duo
Knickerbocker Bar & Grill 9 pm $3.50• Roberta Piket Trio with Andy McKee, Victor Jones		
Mezzrow 7:30, 9 pm $25-40• Tony Turner
Minton’s 7, 9:30 pm $25
êRas Moshe
Mount Morris Ascension Presbyterian Church 7 pm $20• Bright Dog Red: Joe Pignato, Cody Davies, Tyreek Jackson, Matt Coonan,
Mike LaBombard
Nublu 151 7:30 pm $20• Eli Yamin
Pierre Hotel 6 pm
• Michael Feinberg Quartet with Santosh Sharma, Davis Whitfield, JK Kim
		
The Porch 9 pm $10• Altus; Sam Dillon
Room 623 at B2 Harlem 7, 8:30, 10 pm $15-20
êRich Perry
Smalls 7:30, 9 pm $25-40
êBuster Williams Band with Stefon Harris, Steve Wilson, George Colligan, Lenny White		
Smoke 7, 9, 10:30 pm $35-55• Rebekah Heller/Fay Victor
The Stone at The New School 8:30 pm $20
êChristian McBride New Jawn with Josh Evans, Marcus Strickland, Nasheet Waits				
Village Vanguard 8, 10 pm $40
êJulian Lage; The Bad Plus: Reid Anderson, Dave King, Chris Speed, Ben Monder		
Webster Hall 7:30 pm $49

Saturday, December 3êAnthony Coleman; Whit Dickey Root Perspectives with Tony Malaby, Matthew Shipp,Brandon Lopez

411 Kent 8 pm $15• Peter and Will Anderson with Bruce Harris, Wayne Tucker, Neal Miner, Paul Wells,
Dalton Ridenhour
59E59 Theaters 7 pm $40-65• Adam Kolker/David Berkman
Bar Bayeux 6 pmêDarius Jones Quartet with Matt Mitchell, Chris Lightcap, Ches Smith		Bar Bayeux 8, 9:30 pm• The Brazilian Trio: Duduka Da Fonseca, Helio Alves, Nilsson Matta		Bar Lunàtico 8:30, 10 pm $10• Kurt Elling/Danilo Pérez
Birdland 8:30, 10:30 pm $45
êPeter Bernstein Quartet with Sullivan Fortner, Peter Washington, Joe Farnsworth				
Birdland Theater 7, 9:30 pm $30
êBill Frisell Trio with Thomas Morgan, Rudy Royston and guests Ambrose Akinmusire,
Gregory Tardy
Blue Note 8, 10:30 pm $35• Pat Bianchi Band with Troy Roberts; Matthew Rotker-Lynn
		
Café Bohemia 7, 10:30 pm $20• Wayne Tucker Quintet; Ai Murakami Quartet
		
Cellar Dog 7, 11:30 pm $10• Kellin Hanas Quintet
Chelsea Table & Stage 9:30 pm $25
êUlysses Owens, Jr. Big Band with Sarah Hanahan, Sophia Kickhofel, Diego Rivera,
Nicole Glover, Andy Gutauskas, Eric Miller, Gina Benalcazar, Seth Weaver, Andrew Kim,
Wallace Roney, Jr., Walter Cano, David Sneider, Noah Halpern, Sean Mason,
Philip Norris
Dizzy’s Club 7:30, 9:30 pm $25-55• Danny Jonukuchi Big Band
Dizzy’s Club 11:15 pm $15êDavid Hazeltine Trio; Richard Cortez Band; Sam Dillon Quartet

		
The Django 7:30, 10:30 pm• Tyrone Birkett’s Emancipation Goddard Riverside Community Center 7 pm $25• Craig Harris’ Waiting At The Wall Harlem Stage Gatehouse 7:30 pm• Caroline Davis and Play Beings with Angelica Sanchez, Chris Tordini, Kengchakaj,
Selina Trepp
The Jazz Gallery 7:30, 9:30 pm $30-40• Albert Ahlf Duo
Knickerbocker Bar & Grill 9 pm $3.50• Roberta Piket Trio with Todd Coolman, Billy Mintz
		
Mezzrow 7:30, 9 pm $25-40
êJC Hopkins Biggish Band
Minton’s 7, 9:30 pm $25
êJames Carney Quartet with Ravi Coltrane, Dezron Douglas; Sivan Arbel
		
The Owl Music Parlor 8 pm $12• Eli Yamin
Pierre Hotel 6 pm
• Tamar Eisenman
Room 31 at Arlo NoMad 7:30 pmêGreg Organ Monk Lewis Trio
Sistas’ Place 9, 10:30 pm $25
êHenry Threadgill Zooid with International Contemporary Ensemble		
Skirball Center 7:30 pm $25
êRich Perry
Smalls 7:30, 9 pm $25-40
êBuster Williams Band with Stefon Harris, Steve Wilson, George Colligan, Lenny White		
Smoke 7, 9, 10:30 pm $35-55• Rebekah Heller, Lester St. Louis, Chris Williams
		
The Stone at The New School 8:30 pm $20• Dirty Cosmos; Tape Hiss: Ernie Brooks, Steve Shelley, Peter Zummo, David Nagler;
Pete Galub; Daniele Del Monaco’s The Zone with Fay Victor, Marco Cappelli,
Ken Filiano, Satoshi Takeishi
The Sultan Room 6 pm $25• Jihye Lee Orchestra
The Times Center 7:30 pmêChristian McBride New Jawn with Josh Evans, Marcus Strickland, Nasheet Waits				
Village Vanguard 8, 10 pm $40
êStrings Attached: Jack Wilkins, Rodney Jones, Joe Cohn, Yotam Silberstein with
Saadi Zain, David F. Gibson
Zinc Bar 7, 8:30 pm $35

Sunday, December 4• Julie Benko/Jason Yeager
54 Below 7 pm $35-70• Peter and Will Anderson with Bruce Harris, Wayne Tucker, Neal Miner, Paul Wells,
Dalton Ridenhour
59E59 Theaters 7 pm $40-65• Creole Cookin’ Jazz Band
Arthur’s Tavern 7 pm
• Frank Perowsky Jazz Orchestra with Brian Pareschi, Valery Ponomarev, Chris Pasin,

Bud Burridge, Nick Grinder, Jason Jackson, Brian Drye, Max Siegel, Matt Hong,
Nick Biello, Peter Brainin, Chris Bacas, Andrew Hadro, Chip Jackson, Ben Perowsky,
Kat Gang, Keith Fluitt
Birdland 5:30 pm $30
êArturo O’Farrill Afro Latin Jazz Orchestra		
Birdland 8:30, 10:30 pm $30
êPeter Bernstein Trio with Peter Washington, Joe Farnsworth		
Birdland Theater 7, 9:30 pm $30• NYU Wayne Shorter Ensemble Blue Note 12:30, 2:30 pm $20
êBill Frisell Trio with Thomas Morgan, Rudy Royston and guest Immanuel Wilkins
		Blue Note 8, 10:30 pm $35• Ray Gallon Trio
Cellar Dog 7 pm $5êUlysses Owens, Jr. Big Band with Sarah Hanahan, Erena Terakubo, Diego Rivera,
Nicole Glover, Andy Gutauskas, Eric Miller, Gina Benalcazar, Seth Weaver, Andrew Kim,
Benny Benack III, Walter Cano, David Sneider, Noah Halpern, Luther Allison,
Philip Norris
Dizzy’s Club 5, 7:30 pm $25-55• Jeb Patton Quartet; Ben Stivers Trio		The Django 6:30, 9:30 pm• Michael Blake’s Chroma Nova with Guilherme Monteiro, Mauro Refosco,
Rogério Boccato, Skye Steele, Chris Hoffman, Michael Bates
		
Dupuy’s Landing 3 pm
• Kelly Green/Luca Soul Rosenfeld and guest T.K. Blue		Green Soul Studios 6:30 pm $40• Eyal Vilner Big Band
Guggenheim Museum 7:30 pm $5-70• Welf Dorr, Elias Meister, Dmitry Ishenko, Dave Miller
		
The Keep 9 pm
• Avi Rothbard Trio with Ugona Okegwo, Ray Marchica		Lela Bar 5 pm
• Tamuz Nissim
Mezzrow 7:30, 9 pm $25-35
êGabriel Alegria Afro-Peruvian Sextet
		
Minton’s 12, 2 pm $39• Joe Moffett; Sam Decker; Kenny Warren’s Sweet World with Christopher Hoffman,
Nathan Ellman-BellThe Owl Music Parlor 8 pm $12• Benoît Pioulard; Slow Spaces Collective; BlankFor.ms; Micah Frank/Chet Doxas				
Public Records 7 pm $20• Marcus Goldhaber; Mimi Jones Room 623 at B2 Harlem 6, 8 pm $12-15• Mavis Pan, Mark Wade, Andreas Brade		Saint Peter’s Church 5 pm
• William Hooker, Hans Tammen, Adam Lane		
Scholes Street Studio 8:30 pm $10• Todd Bashore 10:30 Nick Green Smalls 7:30, 9, 10:30 pm $25-35
êBuster Williams Band with Stefon Harris, Steve Wilson, George Colligan, Lenny White		
Smoke 7, 9 pm $35-55
êMonty Alexander Trio
Trinity Wall Street 3 pmêChristian McBride New Jawn with Josh Evans, Marcus Strickland, Nasheet Waits				
Village Vanguard 8, 10 pm $40
êBrian Charette Trio with Jordan Young, Eric Zolan
		
The Wayland 8:30 pm

Monday, December 5• Peter and Will Anderson with Bruce Harris, Wayne Tucker, Neal Miner, Paul Wells,
Dalton Ridenhour
59E59 Theaters 7 pm $40-65• Grove Street Stompers
Arthur’s Tavern 7 pm
• Caracas Trio: Gabriel Chakarji, Juan Diego Villalobos, Daniel Prim		Bar Lunàtico 8:30, 10 pm $10• Paul Jones Quartet
The Belfry 7 pmêJay Clayton with Ed Neumeister, Gary Versace, Jay Anderson, Billy Drummond 				Birdland Theater 8:30 pm $30• Chris Botti with Leonardo Amuedo, Reggie Hamilton, Holger Marjaama, Lee Pearson,
John Splithoff and guests Caroline Campbell, Chad Lefkowitz-Brown,
Anastasiia Mazurok, Alita Moses, Alicia Olatuja, Sy Smith, Andy Snitzer
		Blue Note 8, 10:30 pm $55-125• Duduka Da Fonseca Trio
Cellar Dog 7 pm $5• John Manzari and Luther Allison Quartet with James Zito, Stanley Ruvinov,
Zach Adleman
Dizzy’s Club 7:30, 9:30 pm $20-45• Dimitri Baevsky Quartet; David Yee Quartet
		
The Django 7:30, 10:30 pm• Eyal Vilner Big Band
Guggenheim Museum 7:30 pm $5-70• EJ Strickland’s Language Of The Unheard with Antonio Hart, Nikara Warren, Mike King,
Tamir Schmerling
Smalls 7:30, 9 pm $25-35
êVanguard Jazz Orchestra
Village Vanguard 8, 10 pm $40
êSteve Cardenas Jim Hall Tribute with Ben Allison, Allison Miller
		
Zinc Bar 7, 8:30 pm $35

Tuesday, December 6• Peter and Will Anderson with Bruce Harris, Wayne Tucker, Neal Miner, Paul Wells,
Dalton Ridenhour
59E59 Theaters 7 pm $40-65• Moses Patrou and The Brooklyn Dive Bombers
		
Bar Bayeux 8 pm
• Julieta Eugenio Trio
Bar Lunàtico 8:30, 10 pm $10• Dave Stryker Trio with Jared Gold, McClenty Hunter		
Birdland 7, 9:30 pm $30
êJay Leonhart Duo
Birdland Theater 5 pm $30
êVince Giordano and The Nighthawks
		Birdland Theater 8:30 pm $30• Chris Botti with Leonardo Amuedo, Reggie Hamilton, Holger Marjaama, Lee Pearson,
John Splithoff and guests Caroline Campbell, Chad Lefkowitz-Brown,
Anastasiia Mazurok, Alita Moses, Alicia Olatuja, Sy Smith, Andy Snitzer
		Blue Note 8, 10:30 pm $55-125

36 DECEMBER 2022 | THE NEW YORK CITY JAZZ RECORD• Ehud Asherie Trio

Cellar Dog 7 pm $5êDavid Chesky Trio with Peter Washington, Billy Drummond		Dizzy’s Club 7:30, 9:30 pm $20-45
êManuel Valera New Cuban Express; Itai Kriss and Televana		
The Django 7:30, 10:30 pm• Patrick Golden, Jeff Pearring, Matt Hollenberg, Dave Sewelson;
Marc Sloan Forever Moonlight; Marco Cappelli/Hans Tammen
		
Downtown Music Gallery 6:30 pm• What We Hear—Student Compositions: Juilliard Jazz Ensembles
		Juilliard School Paul Hall 7:30 pm $20• Kevin Sun Trio with Walter Stinson, Kayvon Gordon
		
Lowlands 8, 9:30 pmêJames Weidman
Mezzrow 7:30, 9 pm $25-35
êCompCord Big Band: Gene Pritsker, Gerson Galante, Michiyo Suzuki, Scott Hoefling,
Lance Bryant, Stefan Zeniuk, Eddie Allen, Franz Hackl, Peter Oswald, Valery Ponomarev, Alex Kuttler, Valentin Metzger, Wyatt Pepper, John Clark,
Jason Jackson, Jen Baker, Joe Turgeon, Alon Nechushtan, Larry Goldman,
Dave Cossin, Melanie Mitrano, Dizzy, Kathleen Supové		
The Players Theatre 7 pm $32-52• Jade Synstelien
Smalls 7:30, 9 pm $2535
êChristian McBride Inside Straight with Steve Wilson, Warren Wolf, Peter Martin,
Carl Allen
Village Vanguard 8, 10 pm $40• Benito Gonzalez Trio with Will Slater, Jeff “Tain” Watts
		
Zinc Bar 7, 8:30 pm $35

Wednesday, December 7

êEd Cherry Trio with Kyle Koehler, Kirk Driscoll		
333 Lounge 7:30, 9:30 pm• Peter and Will Anderson with Bruce Harris, Wayne Tucker, Neal Miner, Paul Wells,
Dalton Ridenhour
59E59 Theaters 7 pm $40-65
êKenneth Jimenez, Ingrid Laubrock, Yoon Sun Choi; Josh Sinton Predicate Quartet with
Jonathan Finlayson, Christofer Hoffman, Tom Rainey		Academy Record Annex 7:30 pm $10• Randal Despommier Quartet with Jason Yeager, Aaron Holthus, Rodrigo Recabarren		Bar Bayeux 8, 9:30 pm• Joe Dyson Quartet
Bar Lunàtico 8:30, 10 pm $10• Kurt Elling Holiday Show
Birdland 7, 9:30 pm $45• David Ostwald’s Louis Armstrong Eternity Band		
Birdland Theater 5:30 pm $30
êFrank Vignola’s Guitar Night with guest Lolivone De La Rosa		
Birdland Theater 8:30 pm $30• Chris Botti with Leonardo Amuedo, Reggie Hamilton, Holger Marjaama, Lee Pearson,
John Splithoff and guests Caroline Campbell, Chad Lefkowitz-Brown,
Anastasiia Mazurok, Alita Moses, Alicia Olatuja, Sy Smith, Andy Snitzer
		Blue Note 8, 10:30 pm $55-125• Simon Moullier; Akili Bradley Band with Stacy Dillard		
Café Bohemia 7, 10 pm $10• Akiko Tsuruga Trio
Cellar Dog 7 pm $5• Bryan Carter’s Swangin’ Christmas with Martina DaSilva, Lucas Pino, Alphonso Horne,
Mathis Picard, Philip Norris
Dizzy’s Club 7:30, 9:30 pm $20-45• Jason Tiemann Trio; Ben Wolfe Trio		The Django 7:30, 10:30 pmêJames Nadien, Caleb Duval, Luke Rovinsky, Ben Eidson; Igor Lumpert, Rubin Kodheli,
Billy Mintz; Stephen Gauci, Adam Lane, Kevin Shea; Yoni Kretzmer, William Parker,
Juan Pablo Carletti; Elliott Sharp, Marco Cappelli, JT Lewis
		
Main Drag Music 7 pm $20• Ricardo Grilli; Steve Nelson
Mezzrow 7:30, 9, 10:30 pm $25-35
êMingus Big Band
Midnight Theatre 8 pm $45-55• Judy Niemack Trio
Pangea 7 pm $25• Eli Yamin
Pierre Hotel 6 pmêAyumi Ishito Quintet with Hajime Yoshida, Yana Davydova, Yoshiki Yamada,
Carter Bales
Rockwood Music Hall Stage 1 11 pm• Peter Brainin and Friends
Room 623 at B2 Harlem 8 pm $15• Tedd Chubb
Smalls 7:30, 9 pm $25-35• Allan Harris’ A Nat King Cole Christmas with Gregoire Maret, Arcoiris Sandoval,
Marty Kenney, Norman Edwards Smoke 7, 9 pm $20-35êIkue Mori, Zeena Parkins, William Winant
		The Stone at The New School 8:30 pm $20• Hilliard Greene Trio with Kevin McNeil, Doug Richardson
		The Studio 7 pmêChristian McBride Inside Straight with Steve Wilson, Warren Wolf, Peter Martin,
Carl Allen
Village Vanguard 8, 10 pm $40• Terry Waldo’s Gotham City Band Zinc Bar 8, 9:45 pm

Thursday, December 8• Peter and Will Anderson with Bruce Harris, Wayne Tucker, Neal Miner, Paul Wells,
Dalton Ridenhour
59E59 Theaters 7 pm $40-65• Marta Sanchez
Bar Bayeux 5 pm
• Jason Lindner and Nate Wood Bar Lunàtico 8:30, 10 pm $10• Miss Maybell and The Jazz Age Artistes		
Barbès 8 pm $20• Kurt Elling Holiday Show
Birdland 7, 9:30 pm $45
êLaszlo Gardony Trio with Avery Sharpe, Yoron Israel		Birdland Theater 8:30 pm $30
êIsaiah Collier solo: Beyond: Isaiah Collier/Michael Shekwoaga Ode		Blank Forms 7:30 pm $30• Chris Botti with Leonardo Amuedo, Reggie Hamilton, Holger Marjaama, Lee Pearson,
John Splithoff and guests Caroline Campbell, Chad Lefkowitz-Brown,
Anastasiia Mazurok, Alita Moses, Alicia Olatuja, Sy Smith, Andy Snitzer
		Blue Note 8, 10:30 pm $55-125• Marcos Varela Band with Paul Bollenback; Flávio Silva		
Café Bohemia 7, 10 pm $10• Abraham Burton Quartet; Kyoko Oyobe Quartet
		
Cellar Dog 7, 11:30 pm $5• Timothy Norton
Diwine 8 pmêMary Stallings and Emmet Cohen Trio with Yasushi Nakamura, Kyle Poole				
Dizzy’s Club 7:30, 9:30 pm $20-55• Craig Brann Advent(ure)Dizzy’s Club 11:15 pm $15êJoe Farnsworth Quartet; Mark Whitfield		
The Django 7:30, 10:30 pm• Mary Margaret O’Hara/Peggy Lee; Rena Anakwe
		First Unitarian Church 8 pm $20-30êLioness: Sarah Hanahan, Jenny Hill, Lauren Sevian, Amanda Monaco, Kaisa Mäensivu,
Shirazette Tinnin
Flushing Town Hall 7:30 pm $5êThe Music of James Reese Europe: Dance Clarines led by JD Parran with
Isaiah Richardson Jr., Paul Austerlitz, Lee Odom, Ivan Barenboim, Andrew Hadro,Randolph Murphy, Alexis Marcelo, Andrew Drury		Greenwich House Music School 7:30 pm $20• Micah Thomas
Jamaica Center for Arts and Learning 8 pm
• Joy Guidry Group with Scott Li, Jillian Grace, Imani Rousselle, Samantha Feliciano,
Morgan Guerin, Tyrone Allen II, JK Kim
		
The Jazz Gallery 7:30, 9:30 pm $20-30• Jamie Reynolds
Mezzrow 7:30, 9 pm $25-35• Rebecca El-Saleh/Dan Knishkowy; Carmen Q. Rothwell; Minor Moon		The Owl Music Parlor 8 pm $12• Eric Yves Garcia
Pierre Hotel 6 pm
• Diana Herold
Silvana 7 pm
• Arthur Kell Quartet with Brad Shepik, Nate Radley, Allan Mednard; David Gibson				
Smalls 7:30, 9, 10:30 pm $25-35• Allan Harris’ A Nat King Cole Christmas with Gregoire Maret, Arcoiris Sandoval,
Marty Kenney, Norman Edwards Smoke 7, 9 pm $20-35êThurston Moore, Tom Surgal, William Winant
		The Stone at The New School 8:30 pm $20
êChristian McBride Inside Straight with Steve Wilson, Warren Wolf, Peter Martin,
Carl Allen
Village Vanguard 8, 10 pm $40

Friday, December 9êCatalytic Fest: Zeena Parkins, Fred Moten, Sylvie Courvoisier, Nate Wooley,

Chris Corsano, Ikue Mori, Lotte Anker, Cecilia Lopez, Brandon Lopez
		
411 Kent 8 pm $15• Peter and Will Anderson with Bruce Harris, Wayne Tucker, Neal Miner, Paul Wells,
Dalton Ridenhour
59E59 Theaters 7 pm $40-65
êJohnny O’Neal Trio
Arthur’s Tavern 7 pm
• Peter Watrous
Bar Bayeux 5 pmêGeorge Garzone
Bar Bayeux 8, 9:30 pmêOscar Noriega Crooked Quartet with Marta Sanchez, Christopher Tordini, Jason Nazary
		Barbès 5 pm $20• Birdland Big Band
Birdland 5:30 pm $30• Kurt Elling Holiday Show
Birdland 8:30, 10:30 pm $45
êIsaiah Collier solo: Isaiah Collier Trio with William Parker, Michael Shekwoaga Ode				
Blank Forms 7:30 pm $30• Chris Botti with Leonardo Amuedo, Reggie Hamilton, Holger Marjaama, Lee Pearson,
John Splithoff and guests Caroline Campbell, Chad Lefkowitz-Brown,
Anastasiia Mazurok, Alita Moses, Alicia Olatuja, Sy Smith, Andy Snitzer
		Blue Note 8, 10:30 pm $55-125• Joe Block; Kaisa’s Machine
Café Bohemia 7, 10:30 pm $20
êJason Marshall Quartet; Mariel Bildsten Quartet
		
Cellar Dog 7, 11:30 pm $10• An Afrofuturistic Winter Wonderland: Michael Mwenso and The Shakes
		
Clark Studio Theater 7 pm
• Cynthia Sayer Joyride BandDavid Rubenstein Atrium 7:30 pmêMary Stallings and Emmet Cohen Trio with Yasushi Nakamura, Kyle Poole				
Dizzy’s Club 7:30, 9:30 pm $20-55• Craig Brann Advent(ure)Dizzy’s Club 11:15 pm $15• Eitan Kenner
The Django 1 amêPatricia Brennan’s More Touch with Kim Cass, Marcus Gilmore, Mauricio Herrera
		
The Jazz Gallery 7:30, 9:30 pm $30-40• Kuni Mikami/Jon Roche
Knickerbocker Bar & Grill 9 pm $3.50
êVictor Gould
Mezzrow 7:30, 9 pm $25-40• Jordan Young
Mount Morris Ascension Presbyterian Church 7 pm $20
êA Concert for Ukraine: Laurie Anderson/John Zorn; Marc Ribot/Mary Halvorson;
Brooklyn Rider; Sara Serpa/Marta Sanchez; Ravi Coltrane Quartet with Adam Rogers,
Dezron Douglas, Kush Abadey New School Tishman Auditorium 7:30 pmêDave Douglas Quintet with Jon Irabagon, Matt Mitchell, Matt Penman, Rudy Royston
and guest Oren Bloedow
The Owl Music Parlor 8 pm $20
êAimée Allen Trio with Leandro Pellegrino, Michael O’Brien		Pangea 7 pm $25• Jill McCarron
Pierre Hotel 6 pmêKalia Vandever Quartet; Holland Andrews
		
Public Records 7 pm $20• Ryan Sands; David Gilmore
Room 623 at B2 Harlem 7, 8:30, 10 pm $15-20• Mark Gross Quartet with Brandon McCune, Ark Ovrutski, Corey Rawls		
		
Smalls 7:30, 9 pm $25-40
êOrrin Evans All-Star Quintet with Nicholas Payton, Gary Thomas, Robert Hurst,
Jeff “Tain” Watts
Smoke 7, 9, 10:30 pm $35-55• Jason Yeager’s The Kurt Vonnegut Suite with Lucas Pino, Danny Weller, Jay Sawyer
		Soapbox Gallery 8 pm $25• Carol Liebowitz and guests
Soup & Sound 8 pmêAva Mendoza, Ches Smith, William Winant
		The Stone at The New School 8:30 pm $20• The 8-Bit Big Band
Town Hall 8 pm $37-122
êChristian McBride Inside Straight with Steve Wilson, Warren Wolf, Peter Martin,
Carl Allen
Village Vanguard 8, 10 pm $40

Saturday, December 10êCatalytic Fest: Zeena Parkins, Fred Moten, Sylvie Courvoisier, Nate Wooley,

Chris Corsano, Ikue Mori, Lotte Anker, Cecilia Lopez, Brandon Lopez
		
411 Kent 8 pm $15• Peter and Will Anderson with Bruce Harris, Wayne Tucker, Neal Miner, Paul Wells,
Dalton Ridenhour
59E59 Theaters 7 pm $40-65• Adam Kolker/Santiago Liebson Bar Bayeux 6 pm
• Sebastien Ammann
Bar Bayeux 8, 9:30 pmêSheryl Bailey 3 with Ron Oswanski, Ian Froman		
Bar Lunàtico 8:30, 10 pm $10• Kurt Elling Holiday Show
Birdland 8:30, 10:30 pm $45• Chris Botti with Leonardo Amuedo, Reggie Hamilton, Holger Marjaama, Lee Pearson,
John Splithoff and guests Caroline Campbell, Chad Lefkowitz-Brown,
Anastasiia Mazurok, Alita Moses, Alicia Olatuja, Sy Smith, Andy Snitzer
		Blue Note 8, 10:30 pm $55-125• Rico Jones Band with Victor Lewis; Sasha Berliner 10:30-1
		Café Bohemia 7, 10:30 pm $20• Brian Newman Quintet; James Austin Quartet
		
Cellar Dog 7, 11:30 pm $10êJazz at The Ballroom: Konrad Paszkudski Trio; Tony DeSare; Duchess;Champian Fulton
Chelsea Table & Stage 7 pm $40• An Afrofuturistic Winter Wonderland: Michael Mwenso and The Shakes
		
Clark Studio Theater 11 am 2 pmêMary Stallings and Emmet Cohen Trio with Yasushi Nakamura, Kyle Poole				
Dizzy’s Club 7:30, 9:30 pm $20-55• Craig Brann Advent(ure)Dizzy’s Club 11:15 pm $15• Max Johnson Trio; Joe Saylor and The Kingdom
		
The Django 7:30, 10:30 pm• Nora Stanley, Victor Tsilimparis, Eliza Salem; Stephen Gauci, Adam Lane, Colin Hinton;
Kuba Cichocki, Kenneth Jimenez, Jeremy Carlstedt
		
Downtown Music Gallery 6 pm
• WORKS: Michel Gentile, Daniel Kelly, Rob Garcia
		Ibeam Brooklyn 8, 9:15 pm $20
êBertha Hope solo
Jackie Robinson Recreation Center 2 pmêDan Weiss Trio with Jacob Sacks, Thomas Morgan		
The Jazz Gallery 7:30, 9:30 pm $30-40• Kuni Mikami/Jon Roche
Knickerbocker Bar & Grill 9 pm $3.50
êVictor Gould; Johnny O’Neal
Mezzrow 7:30, 9, 10:30 pm $25-40• Nat Adderley Jr. Quartet
Minton’s 7, 9:30 pm $25
êOran Etkin’s Timbalooloo Jazz for Kids with guest Vitor Gonçalves		
National Sawdust 11 am $20• Mahan Mirarab, Golnar Shahyar, Sam Minaie, John Hadfield		Nublu 151 7:30 pm $20• A Charlie Brown Christmas
The Opera House 2, 4 pm $20
êDave Douglas Quintet with Jon Irabagon, Matt Mitchell, Matt Penman, Rudy Royston
and guest Oren Bloedow
The Owl Music Parlor 8 pm $20• Jill McCarron
Pierre Hotel 6 pm
• Carlos Niño and Friends with Surya Botofasina, Adam Rudolph		
Public Records 7 pm $20• Wayne Tucker Quartet
Room 31 at Arlo NoMad 7:30, 9:30 pmêWinard Harper and Jeli Posse with Anthony Perez, Nick Masters, Anthony Ware,
Ted Chubb, Charlie Sigler, Kameelah Harper, Gabriel Roxbury		
Sistas’ Place 9, 10:30 pm $25• Mark Gross Quartet with Brandon McCune, Ark Ovrutski, Corey Rawls		
		
Smalls 7:30, 9 pm $25-40
êOrrin Evans All-Star Quintet with Nicholas Payton, Gary Thomas, Robert Hurst,
Jeff “Tain” Watts
Smoke 7, 9, 10:30 pm $35-55

êShawnn Monteiro with Matt DeChamplain, Alex Tremblay, Yoron Israel				
Soapbox Gallery 4 pm $25
êShayna Dunkelman, Nava Dunkelman, William Winant
		The Stone at The New School 8:30 pm $20
êJazz in Progress—2021 DCJazzPrix International Band Competition Winners:
Dayramir Gonzalez; Giveton Gelin Tribeca Performing Arts Center 7:30 pm $30
êChristian McBride Inside Straight with Steve Wilson, Warren Wolf, Peter Martin,
Carl Allen
Village Vanguard 8, 10 pm $40• Samora Pinderhughes’ Rituals for Abolition with Elliott Skinner, Nio Levon,
Jehbreal Muhammad Jackson, Amanda Krische, Saudade Toxosi, Savannah Harris,
Immanuel Wilkins, Vijay Iyer, Elena Pinderhughes, Jack DeBoe, Nia Drummond				Westbeth Artists Complex 4:30 pm• Jovino Santos Neto Hermeto Pascoal Tribute		Zinc Bar 7, 8:30 pm $35

Sunday, December 11• Daniel Kelly solo
440Gallery 4:40 pm $10• Peter and Will Anderson with Bruce Harris, Wayne Tucker, Neal Miner, Paul Wells,
Dalton Ridenhour

59E59 Theaters 7 pm $40-65
Arthur’s Tavern 7 pmêStéphane Wrembel
Barbès 8 pm $20• Olli Soikkeli Trio with Paul Sikivie, Dani Danor		
Barbès 10 pm $15• New York Youth Symphony
Birdland 5:30 pm $30
êArturo O’Farrill Afro Latin Jazz Orchestra		
Birdland 8:30, 10:30 pm $30• JJ SansaverinoBlue Note 12:30, 2:30 pm $20• Chris Botti with Leonardo Amuedo, Reggie Hamilton, Holger Marjaama, Lee Pearson,
John Splithoff and guests Caroline Campbell, Chad Lefkowitz-Brown,
Anastasiia Mazurok, Alita Moses, Alicia Olatuja, Sy Smith, Andy Snitzer
		Blue Note 8, 10:30 pm $55-125• Vanderlei Pereira Trio
Cellar Dog 7 pm $5êLast Show on Music Row Benefit Concert for Michiko Studios: Joe Lovano,
Donny McCaslin, Johnathan Blake, Steve Nelson
		
The Church of Saint Mary the Virgin 2 pm $100
• An Afrofuturistic Winter Wonderland: Michael Mwenso and The Shakes
		
Clark Studio Theater 11 am 2 pmêMary Stallings and Emmet Cohen Trio with Yasushi Nakamura, Kyle Poole		
Dizzy’s Club 5, 7:30 pm $20-55• Ray Gallon Quartet; Michael Kanan Trio		The Django 6:30, 9:30 pm• The Klezmatics
Drom 8 pm $45-55• Nate Smith + KINFOLK; Butcher Brown
		
Elsewhere 7 pm $25• Welf Dorr, Elias Meister, Dmitry Ishenko, Dalius Naujo
		
The Keep 9 pm
• Avi Rothbard Trio with Ugona Okegwo, Ray Marchica		Lela Bar 5 pmêDaryl Sherman Trio with James Chirillo, Boots Maleson; Alyson Murray				Mezzrow 7:30, 9, 10:30 pm $25-35
êGabriel Alegria Afro-Peruvian Sextet
		
Minton’s 12, 2 pm $39• Chuck Fowler
Minton’s 7, 9:30 pm $25• Ari Hoening, Panagiotis Andreou, Nitai Hershkovits
		Nublu 151 7:30 pm $20• Eyal Vilner Big BandOn Stage at Kingsborough 3 pm $37-42• A Charlie Brown Christmas
The Opera House 2, 4 pm $20• Marcus Goldhaber; Mimi Jones and Friends		
Room 623 at B2 Harlem 6, 8 pm $12-15
êHans Tammen’s Third Eye Orchestra 15th Anniversary with Shelley Hirsch,
Sarah Bernstein, Dafna Naphtali, Sarah Manning, Tomas Ulrich, Ursel Schlicht,
Denman Maroney, Jason Hwang, Nick Didkovsky, Briggan Krauss,
Michael Schumacher, Ned Rothenberg, Stephanie Griffin, Chris McIntyre,
Brian Landrus, Gordon Beeferman, Michael Lytle, Shoko Nagai, Satoshi Takeishi				
Roulette 8 pm $30• Andrea Wolper/William Parker Saint Peter’s Church 5 pm
• Chris Byars Sextet with Zaid Nasser, John Mosca, Stefano Doglioni, Ari Roland,
Phil Stewart
Smalls 7:30, 9 pm $25-35
êOrrin Evans All-Star Quintet with Nicholas Payton, Gary Thomas, Robert Hurst,
Jeff “Tain” Watts
Smoke 7, 9 pm $35-55• JP Schlegelmilch
Soapbox Gallery 8 pm $25• CompCord String Quintet with guest David Taylor, Erick Hawkins
		St. Marks Church 4 pm $30
êChristian McBride Inside Straight with Steve Wilson, Warren Wolf, Peter Martin,
Carl Allen
Village Vanguard 8, 10 pm $40• Creole Cookin’ Jazz Band

Monday, December 12• Tom Hamilton and Thessia Machado		
411 Kent 8 pm $15• Grove Street Stompers
Arthur’s Tavern 7 pm
• Time Stamp: Roy Nathanson, Curtis Fowlkes, Diedre Rodman Struck		
Bar Lunàtico 8:30, 10 pm $10• Paul Jones Quartet
The Belfry 7 pm
• Chris Botti with Leonardo Amuedo, Reggie Hamilton, Holger Marjaama, Lee Pearson,
John Splithoff and guests Caroline Campbell, Chad Lefkowitz-Brown,
Anastasiia Mazurok, Alita Moses, Alicia Olatuja, Sy Smith, Andy Snitzer
		Blue Note 8, 10:30 pm $55-125êBrandi Disterheft Trio
Cellar Dog 7 pm $5• The Music of George Russell and George Shearing: Juilliard Jazz Ensembles				
Dizzy’s Club 7:30, 9:30 pm $20-45• Champian Fulton Trio; Hank Allen-Barfield Quintet
		
The Django 7:30, 10:30 pm• Burnett Thompson
Mezzrow 7:30, 9 pm $25-35• Ekep Nkwelle Quartet
National Arts Club 9 pm $25• Ari Hoenig
Smalls 7:30, 9 pm $25-35
êVanguard Jazz Orchestra
Village Vanguard 8, 10 pm $40
êRale Micic/Steve Cardenas Quartet with Jared Gold, Adam Nussbaum		Zinc Bar 7, 8:30 pm $35

Tuesday, December 13• Ben Monder, Joe Martin, Diego Voglino

		Bar Bayeux 8 pm
• Stacey Kent
Birdland 7, 9:30 pm $40
êVince Giordano and The Nighthawks
		Birdland Theater 8:30 pm $30• Gene Pritsker’s Sound Liberation with Matt Herskowitz, Franz Hackl, Harvie S,
David Rozenblatt and guest Lara St. John		The Bitter End 7 pm $30• Chris Botti with Leonardo Amuedo, Reggie Hamilton, Holger Marjaama, Lee Pearson,
John Splithoff and guests Caroline Campbell, Chad Lefkowitz-Brown,
Anastasiia Mazurok, Alita Moses, Alicia Olatuja, Sy Smith, Andy Snitzer
		Blue Note 8, 10:30 pm $55-125• Organ Grooves
Cellar Dog 7 pm $5êFrank Lacy’s Tromboniverse with Corey Wallace, Conrad Herwig, Coleman Hughes,

Mariel Bildstein, Rahsaan Salaam, Tina Wilcox, Becca Paterson, James Rogers,
Jon Elbaz, Marty Jaffe, Malik Washington
		Dizzy’s Club 7:30, 9:30 pm $20-45• Pedro Giruado Quartet; People Of Earth		
The Django 7:30, 10:30 pmêBen Tyree/Sameer Gupta; Kenneth Jimenez; Mahakala Trio: Chad Fowler,
Dave Sewelson, Steve Hirsh; Ben Goldberg, Michael Coleman, Matt Hollenberg				Downtown Music Gallery 6:30 pm• Everything is Sound—Hermeto Pascoal: Juilliard Jazz Orchestra
		
Juilliard School Peter Jay Sharp Theater 7:30 pm $20• Kevin Sun Trio with Walter Stinson, Kayvon Gordon
		
Lowlands 8, 9:30 pm• Behn Gillece Trio with Bob DeVos, Steve LaSpina
		Mezzrow 7:30, 9 pm $25-35
êNed Rothenberg Crossings Four with Mary Halvorson, Sylvie Courvoisier,Tomas Fujiwara
Roulette 8 pm $30
êAyumi Ishito, Daniel Carter, Eric Plaks, Zach Swanson, Jon Panikkar; Stephen Gauci,
Shinya Lin, Adam Lane, Kevin Shea; Yoni Kretzmer, Gordon Beeferman, Max Johnson,
Ehran Elisha
Scholes Street Studio 7:30 pm $20• Bruce Williams Quintet with Ted Chubb, Brandon McCune, Chris Berger, Chris Beck		
Smalls 7:30, 9 pm $25-35
êKenny Barron Quintet with Immanuel Wilkins, Steve Nelson, Kiyoshi Kitagawa,Johnathan Blake
Village Vanguard 8, 10 pm $40• Rachel Z Trio with Jonathan Toscano, Colin Stranahan
		Zinc Bar 7, 8:30 pm $35

Wednesday, December 14• Jon Davis Trio with Santi Debriano, Kirk Driscoll		
333 Lounge 7:30, 9:30 pmêPhilip Greenlief, Angelica Sanchez, Tom Rainey; Shoko Nagai
		
411 Kent 8 pm $15• Noah Gershwin Trio with Ben Street, Billy Hart		Bar Bayeux 8, 9:30 pm• Brooklyn Circle
Bar Lunàtico 8:30, 10 pm $10• Stacey Kent
Birdland 7, 9:30 pm $40• David Ostwald’s Louis Armstrong Eternity Band		
Birdland Theater 5:30 pm $30
êFrank Vignola’s Guitar Night with guest Harry Allen		
Birdland Theater 8:30 pm $30• Chris Botti with Leonardo Amuedo, Reggie Hamilton, Holger Marjaama, Lee Pearson,
John Splithoff and guests Caroline Campbell, Chad Lefkowitz-Brown,
Anastasiia Mazurok, Alita Moses, Alicia Olatuja, Sy Smith, Andy Snitzer
		Blue Note 8, 10:30 pm $55-125• Simon Moullier; Julieta Eugenia Café Bohemia 7, 10 pm $10êDezron Douglas Trio
Cellar Dog 7 pm $5êJoe McCarthy’s New York Afro-Bop Alliance Big Band with Boris Kozlov, Luis Perdomo,
Samuel Torres, Vinny Valentino, Nick Marchione, John Chudoba, Brandon Lee,
Alex Norris, Mark Patterson, Ryan Keberle, John Yao, James Borowski, Andrew Gould,
Alejandro Avilés, Ben Kono, Luis Hernandez, Frank Basile
		Dizzy’s Club 7:30, 9:30 pm $20-45• Eric Alexander Quartet; Danny Jonokuchi Quintet
		
The Django 7:30, 10:30 pm• BronX BandA: Arturo O’Farrill, Annette A. Aguilar, Kayla Faccilongo, Clark Gayton,
Baba Israel, Juan Carlos Polo, Leo Traversa and guests Juancho Herrera, Ali Bello				
Drom 7:30 pm $30• Roni Ben-Hur
Mezzrow 7:30, 9 pm $25-35
êMingus Big Band
Midnight Theatre 8 pm $45-55
êFrank Lacy
New Amsterdam Musical Association 8 pm
• Jon Thomas Trio
Pangea 7 pm $25• Jill McCarron
Pierre Hotel 6 pm
• Yotam Silberstein Trio
Room 31 at Arlo NoMad 9 pm
• Peter Brainin and Friends
Room 623 at B2 Harlem 8 pm $15êBig Band Holidays: Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra with Wynton Marsalis and guest
Samara Joy
Rose Theater 7 pm $40-170êNick Dunston’s Spider Season with Doyeon Kim, Kalia Vandever		
Roulette 8 pm $30• Carmen Intorre
Smalls 7:30, 9 pm $25-35
êIkue Mori, Zeena Parkins, Charmaine Lee		The Stone at The New School 8:30 pm $20
êKenny Barron Quintet with Immanuel Wilkins, Steve Nelson, Kiyoshi Kitagawa,Johnathan Blake
Village Vanguard 8, 10 pm $40• Terry Waldo’s Gotham City Band Zinc Bar 8, 9:45 pm

Thursday, December 15• Pauline Harris
411 Kent 8 pm $15• International Jazz Power Jam Barry Harris Birthday Celebration with Eli Yamin,

Zah! Ensemble and guests Phil Bigham, Ari Roland		Alianza Dominicana Cultural Center 7:30 pm• Marta Sanchez
Bar Bayeux 5 pm
• Stacey Kent
Birdland 7, 9:30 pm $40• Dave Pietro Quintet with Michael Rodriguez, Gary Versace, Johannes Weidenmueller,
Johnathan Blake
Birdland Theater 8:30 pm $30• Chris Botti with Leonardo Amuedo, Reggie Hamilton, Holger Marjaama, Lee Pearson,
John Splithoff and guests Caroline Campbell, Chad Lefkowitz-Brown,
Anastasiia Mazurok, Alita Moses, Alicia Olatuja, Sy Smith, Andy Snitzer
		Blue Note 8, 10:30 pm $55-125• Grant Stewart Quartet; Anwar Marshall		
Café Bohemia 7, 10 pm $10êJames Burton Quintet; Sarah Hanahan Quartet
		
Cellar Dog 7, 11:30 pm $5• Timothy Norton
Diwine 8 pm
• Marilyn Maye
Dizzy’s Club 7:30, 9:30 pm $25-55• Ruben Fox and Friends
Dizzy’s Club 11:15 pm $15• Alexander Claffy Qyartet; Ian Hendrickson-Smith		The Django 7:30, 10:30 pm• Pedrito Martinez Holiday Show Drom 7 pm $30-35êDave Liebman, Adam Rudolph, Tyshawn Sorey		
The Jazz Gallery 7:30, 9:30 pm $30-40• Avi Rothbard Trio with Dave Wong, Joe Farnsworth		Mezzrow 7:30, 9 pm $25-35• Eric Yves Garcia
Pierre Hotel 6 pmêFrank Lacy
The Porch 9 pm
• Adam Minkoff, Todd Caldwell, Michael Eaton, Scott Metzger, Tony Mason				Rockwood Music Hall Stage 1 11 pmêBig Band Holidays: Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra with Wynton Marsalis and guest
Samara Joy
Rose Theater 8 pm $40-170• Peter Hess
Silvana 7 pmêBilly Mintz Quartet with Scott Robinson, Roberta Piket, Don Falzone
		
Smalls 7:30, 9 pm $2535
êLarry Goldings, Peter Bernstein, Bill Stewart		Smoke 7, 9 pm $35-55
êIkue Mori, Brian Chase, David Watson
		The Stone at The New School 8:30 pm $20
êKenny Barron Quintet with Immanuel Wilkins, Steve Nelson, Kiyoshi Kitagawa,Johnathan Blake
Village Vanguard 8, 10 pm $40

THE NEW YORK CITY JAZZ RECORD | DECEMBER 2022 37

Friday, December 16• Carmen Lundy with Julius Rodriguez, Matthew Whitaker, Ben Williams, Terreon Gully,
Andrew Renfroe

Aaron Davis Hall 7 pm $30
Arthur’s Tavern 7 pm
• Peter Watrous
Bar Bayeux 5 pm
• Jerome Sabbagh
Bar Bayeux 8, 9:30 pmêJohn Ellis Double Wide
Bar Lunàtico 8:30, 10 pm $10êOscar Noriega Crooked Quartet with Marta Sanchez, Christopher Tordini, Jason Nazary
		Barbès 5 pm $20• Birdland Big Band
Birdland 5:30 pm $30• Stacey Kent
Birdland 8:30, 10:30 pm $40• Chris Botti with Leonardo Amuedo, Reggie Hamilton, Holger Marjaama, Lee Pearson,
John Splithoff and guests Caroline Campbell, Chad Lefkowitz-Brown,
Anastasiia Mazurok, Alita Moses, Alicia Olatuja, Sy Smith, Andy Snitzer
		Blue Note 8, 10:30 pm $55-125• Joe Farnsworth; Luther Allison Café Bohemia 7, 10:30 pm $20• Jade Synstelien Quartet; Jamale Davis Quartet
		
Cellar Dog 7, 11:30 pm $10• Anton Kot and Friends
Chelsea Table & Stage 9:30 pm $20• Marilyn Maye
Dizzy’s Club 7:30, 9:30 pm $25-55• Ruben Fox and Friends
Dizzy’s Club 11:15 pm $15• Mike LeDonne; Craig Handy and 2nd Line Smith; Eitan Kenner		
The Django 7:30, 10:30 pm 1 am
• Kings Return: Vaughn Faison, Gabe Kunda, J.E. McKissic, Jamall Williams		
		Harlem Stage Gatehouse 7:30 pm $25-35
êSullivan Fortner Trio with Tyrone Allen, Kayvon Gordon
		
The Jazz Gallery 7:30, 9:30 pm $30-40• Joe Camardo/Marshall Herridge Knickerbocker Bar & Grill 9 pm $3.50
êJonny King Trio with Dezron Douglas, Nasheet Waits		
Mezzrow 7:30, 9 pm $25-40• Misha Piatigorsky
Minton’s 7, 9:30 pm $25
êBob Stewart
Mount Morris Ascension Presbyterian Church 7 pm $20
êAlex Skolnick Trio with Nathan Peck, Matt Zebroski		Nublu 151 7 pm $20• Antonio Ciacca
Pierre Hotel 6 pm
• Seawind of Battery; Matt LaJoie Room 31 at Arlo NoMad 8 pm
• Holly Bean; Patrick Gannon
Room 623 at B2 Harlem 7, 8:30, 10 pm $15-20
êBig Band Holidays: Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra with Wynton Marsalis and guest
Samara Joy
Rose Theater 8 pm $40-170êWayne Escoffrey
Smalls 7:30, 9 pm $25-40
êLarry Goldings, Peter Bernstein, Bill Stewart		Smoke 7, 9, 10:30 pm $35-55• Staten Island Jazz Festival: Jazz Woman to the Rescue; Antoinette Montague;
Winard Harper and Jeli Posse; Andy McKee Quintet; Nat Adderley, Jr. Quartet
		
St. George Theatre 7 pm $35-125êIkue Mori, Craig Taborn, Lotte Anker
		The Stone at The New School 8:30 pm $20
êKenny Barron Quintet with Immanuel Wilkins, Steve Nelson, Kiyoshi Kitagawa,Johnathan Blake
Village Vanguard 8, 10 pm $40
êJohnny O’Neal Trio

Saturday, December 17• Momenta Quartet: Emilie-Anne Gendron, Alex Shiozaki, Stephanie Griffin,

Michael Haas; The Jazz Expressions: TK Blue, Dwayne “Cook” Broadnax,
Sharp Radway, Hilliard Greene, Stephanie Griffin, Robert Dick		
1075 Grand Concourse Lobby 2 pm
• Adam Kolker/Sebastian Amman Bar Bayeux 6 pmêMarty Ehrlich

Bar Bayeux 8, 9:30 pm• Stacey Kent
Birdland 8:30, 10:30 pm $40• Chris Botti with Leonardo Amuedo, Reggie Hamilton, Holger Marjaama, Lee Pearson,
John Splithoff and guests Caroline Campbell, Chad Lefkowitz-Brown,
Anastasiia Mazurok, Alita Moses, Alicia Olatuja, Sy Smith, Andy Snitzer
		Blue Note 8, 10:30 pm $55-125• Joe Farnsworth; Joe Magnarelli’s New York Osaka Junction with Gary Smulyan
		Café Bohemia 7, 10:30 pm $20• Richard Clements Quartet; Simona Premazzi Quartet
		
Cellar Dog 7, 11:30 pm $10• Marilyn Maye
Dizzy’s Club 7:30, 9:30 pm $25-55• Ruben Fox and Friends
Dizzy’s Club 11:15 pm $15• Tommy Campbell Trio; Nick Hempton Band; Sam Dilllon Quartet

		
The Django 7:30, 10:30 pm 1 am
• Kings Return: Vaughn Faison, Gabe Kunda, J.E. McKissic, Jamall Williams		
		Harlem Stage Gatehouse 7:30 pm $25-35
êSullivan Fortner Trio with Tyrone Allen, Kayvon Gordon
		
The Jazz Gallery 7:30, 9:30 pm $30-40• Joe Camardo/Marshall Herridge Knickerbocker Bar & Grill 9 pm $3.50
êJonny King Trio with Dezron Douglas, Nasheet Waits		
Mezzrow 7:30, 9 pm $25-40
êJC Hopkins Biggish Band
Minton’s 7, 9:30 pm $25• Antonio Ciacca
Pierre Hotel 6 pmêBig Band Holidays: Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra with Wynton Marsalis and guest
Samara Joy
Rose Theater 8 pm $40-170êTransatlantic Trance Map: Ned Rothenberg, Sam Pluta, Peter Evans, Craig Taborn,
Ikue Mori, Sylvie Courvoisier, Mat Manieri and virtual guests Evan Parker, Matt Wright,
Mark Nauseef, Pat Thomas, Hannah Marshall, Robert Jarvis, Alex Ward				
Roulette 3 pm $30
êCarrie Jackson and Trio
Sistas’ Place 9, 10:30 pm $25
êWayne Escoffrey
Smalls 7:30, 9 pm $25-40
êLarry Goldings, Peter Bernstein, Bill Stewart		Smoke 7, 9, 10:30 pm $35-55• Steve Sandberg and Zach Brock Soapbox Gallery 8 pm $25
êIkue Mori, Sylvie Courvoisier, Ned Rothenberg, Lotte Anker
		The Stone at The New School 8:30 pm $20
êKenny Barron Quintet with Immanuel Wilkins, Steve Nelson, Kiyoshi Kitagawa,Johnathan Blake
Village Vanguard 8, 10 pm $40
êDavid Amram 92nd Birthday Celebration
		
Zinc Bar 7, 8:30 pm $35

Sunday, December 18• Creole Cookin’ Jazz Band

Arthur’s Tavern 7 pmêJohn Raymond Real Feels with Gilad Hekselman, Colin Stranahan		Bar Lunàtico 8:30, 10 pm $10êStéphane Wrembel
Barbès 8 pm $20• Svetlana’s Big Band
Birdland 5:30 pm $30
êArturo O’Farrill Afro Latin Jazz Orchestra		
Birdland 8:30, 10:30 pm $30• Aubrey Johnson Group with Tomoko Omura, Alex LoRe, Chris McCarthy, Matt Aronoff,
Jay Sawyer
Blue Note 12:30, 2:30 pm $20• Chris Botti with Leonardo Amuedo, Reggie Hamilton, Holger Marjaama, Lee Pearson,
John Splithoff and guests Caroline Campbell, Chad Lefkowitz-Brown,
Anastasiia Mazurok, Alita Moses, Alicia Olatuja, Sy Smith, Andy Snitzer
		Blue Note 8, 10:30 pm $55-125• Mike Ledonne Trio
Cellar Dog 7 pm $5

38 DECEMBER 2022 | THE NEW YORK CITY JAZZ RECORDêBending Towards The Light A Jazz Nativity with Bobby Sanabria, Maurice Chestnut,

Ingrid Jensen

Church of St. Paul and St. Andrew 5 pm $40• Marilyn Maye

Dizzy’s Club 5, 7:30 pm $25-55

êHoliday Swingin’: Kat Edmonson City Winery 7 pm $30-40êBrian Charette Trio with Jordan Young, Neal Caine; Neal Miner Quartet

		
The Django 6:30, 9:30 pm• Suburban Bohemia and Friends Downtown Music Gallery 6:30 pm• William Hooker’s Let Music Be Your Brunch with guests
		
Funkadelic Studios 11 am• Kelly Green/Luca Soul Rosenfeld and guest Bruce Williams
		Green Soul Studios 6:30 pm $40• Rob Garcia’s Good Songs with David Smith, Steve Cardenas, Tony Scherr				Ibeam Brooklyn 8, 9:15 pm $20• International Jazz Power Jam Barry Harris Birthday Celebration with Eli Yamin,
Zah! Ensemble and guests Phil Bigham, Ari Roland		Jazz Museum in Harlem 2 pm $10• Welf Dorr, Dmitry Ishenko, Dalius Naujo
		
The Keep 9 pmêGabriel Alegria Afro-Peruvian Sextet
		
Minton’s 12, 2 pm $39• Olli Hirvonen Trio with Marty Kenney, Nathan Ellman-Bell		
Nublu 151 7 pm $20• Habbina Habbina
Room 31 at Arlo NoMad 7:30, 9 pm
• Marcus Goldhaber; Mimi Jones and Friends		
Room 623 at B2 Harlem 6, 8 pm $12-15
êBig Band Holidays: Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra with Wynton Marsalis and guest
Samara Joy
Rose Theater 2 pm $40-170• Andrea Wolper, Mimi Jones, Jim Ridl
		Saint Peter’s Church 5 pm
• Andy Farber
Smalls 7:30, 9 pm $25-40
êLarry Goldings, Peter Bernstein, Bill Stewart		Smoke 7, 9 pm $35-55• The Baylor Project; Brian Courtney Wilson
		Sony Hall 8 pm $40-55
êKenny Barron Quintet with Immanuel Wilkins, Steve Nelson, Kiyoshi Kitagawa,Johnathan Blake
Village Vanguard 8, 10 pm $40

Monday, December 19• Grove Street Stompers

Arthur’s Tavern 7 pmêCaroline Davis Quintet with Marquis Hill, Julian Shore, Chris Tordini, Allan Mednard

		Bar Lunàtico 8:30, 10 pm $10• Paul Jones Quartet
The Belfry 7 pm
• Michael Kanan Trio
Birdland Theater 8:30 pm $30• Chris Botti with Leonardo Amuedo, Reggie Hamilton, Holger Marjaama, Lee Pearson,
John Splithoff and guests Caroline Campbell, Chad Lefkowitz-Brown,
Anastasiia Mazurok, Alita Moses, Alicia Olatuja, Sy Smith, Andy Snitzer
		Blue Note 8, 10:30 pm $55-125
êEd Cherry Trio
Cellar Dog 7 pm $5êTed Rosenthal Winter Wonderland Trio with Noriko Ueda, Tim Horner				Dizzy’s Club 7:30, 9:30 pm $20-45• Alex Minasian Trio; Steven Feifke Big Band		The Django 7:30, 10:30 pmêInfrequent Seams Festival: Either/Or Ensemble; Drew Wesely solo;
4tet2duos: James Ilgenfritz, Katie Porter, Teerapat Parnmongkol, Lucie Vítková;
Eli Wallace solo; Ghost Ensemble Roulette 8 pm $30• Joe Farnsworh
Smalls 7:30, 9 pm $25-34
êVanguard Jazz Orchestra
Village Vanguard 8, 10 pm $40
êSheryl Bailey 4 with Miki Hayama, Jennifer Vincent, Lucianna Padmore		Zinc Bar 7:30, 9 pm $35

Tuesday, December 20êEthan Iverson, Joe Martin, Diego Voglino

Friday, December 23

		Bar Bayeux 8 pm
• A Swinging Birdland Christmas: Klea Blackhurst, Jim Caruso, Billy Stritch		
Birdland 5:30 pm $40
êMonty Alexander Trio
Birdland 8:30, 10:30 pm $40
êVince Giordano and The Nighthawks
		Birdland Theater 8:30 pm $30• Chris Botti with Leonardo Amuedo, Reggie Hamilton, Holger Marjaama, Lee Pearson,
John Splithoff and guests Caroline Campbell, Chad Lefkowitz-Brown,
Anastasiia Mazurok, Alita Moses, Alicia Olatuja, Sy Smith, Andy Snitzer
		Blue Note 8, 10:30 pm $55-125• Greg Glassman Trio
Cellar Dog 7 pm $5êMatt Wilson Christmas Tree-O with Jeff Lederer, Paul Sikivie and guests				
Dizzy’s Club 7:30, 9:30 pm $20-45• John Lee Latin Project; Hector Martignon’s Foreign Affair
		
The Django 7:30, 10:30 pm• KnCurrent: Patrick Brennan, On Ka’a Davis, Jason Kao Hwang, Cooper-Moore;
Cheryl Pyle’s Beyond Music
Downtown Music Gallery 6 pm
• Happy Trio XXVI: Kevin Sun, Jeremy Stratton, George Schuller		
Lowlands 8, 9:30 pm• Mike Fahn Quartet with John Hart, Mary Ann McSweeney, Billy Mintz
		
Mezzrow 7:30, 9 pm $25-35
êInfrequent Seams Festival—Richard Teitelbaum Memorial: Ralph Samuelson solo;
Alvin Curran, Andrew Cyrille, Elliott Sharp, Lea Bertucci, James Ilgenfritz;
Miguel Frasconi, Leila Bourdreil, Shelley Hirsch; Ghost Ensemble		Roulette 8 pm $30
êSteve Nelson
Smalls 7:30, 9 pm $25-35
êColtrane Festival “Countdown 2023”: George Coleman/Eric Alexander Quintet with
Emmet Cohen, Peter Washington, Joe Farnsworth		Smoke 7, 9 pm $35-55
êKenny Barron Quintet with Mike Rodriguez, Dayna Stephens, Kiyoshi Kitagawa,Johnathan Blake
Village Vanguard 8, 10 pm $40
êLuis Perdomo Trio with Ugonna Okegwo, Adam Cruz		Zinc Bar 7, 8:30 pm $35

êJohnny O’Neal Trio

• Rachel Z Trio qith Jonathan Toscano, Kirk Driscoll• A Swinging Birdland Christmas: Klea Blackhurst, Jim Caruso, Billy Stritch

Wednesday, December 21

		333 Lounge 7:30, 9:30 pmêWet Ink with guests Ingrid Laubrock, Tom Rainey		
411 Kent 8 pm $15• Greg Tuohey Group with Isaac Wilson, Mike Harmon, JK Kim
		Bar Bayeux 8, 9:30 pm• A Swinging Birdland Christmas: Klea Blackhurst, Jim Caruso, Billy Stritch		
Birdland 5:30 pm $40
êMonty Alexander Trio
Birdland 8:30, 10:30 pm $40• David Ostwald’s Louis Armstrong Eternity Band		
Birdland Theater 5:30 pm $30
êFrank Vignola’s Guitar Night with guest Pasquale Grasso
		
Birdland Theater 8:30 pm $30• Chris Botti with Leonardo Amuedo, Reggie Hamilton, Holger Marjaama, Lee Pearson,
John Splithoff and guests Caroline Campbell, Chad Lefkowitz-Brown,
Anastasiia Mazurok, Alita Moses, Alicia Olatuja, Sy Smith, Andy Snitzer
		Blue Note 8, 10:30 pm $55-125• Rick Germanson Quartet; Jayla Chee		
Café Bohemia 7, 10 pm $10• Tamar Korn Quartet
Cellar Dog 7 pm $5êChristian Sands Quartet with Yasushi Nakamura, Ryan Sands, Marvin Sewell and guests
		Dizzy’s Club 7:30, 9:30 pm $25-55• Jon Gordon Quartet; Hendrik Meurkens Quartet
		
The Django 7:30, 10:30 pm• Underground Horns
Groove Bar & Grill 7 pm
• Adam Birnbaum’s Bach Refracted with Matt Clohesy, Keita Ogawa
		
Mezzrow 7:30, 9 pm $25-35
êMingus Big Band
Midnight Theatre 8 pm $45-55• Psychedelic Santa: Sex Mob; Seth Herzog; Charlie Burnham; Mauro Refosco;
Sasha Dobson; Dj Courtney K. Nublu 151 10 pm $20• Holiday Show with Kate Baker, Ben Cassara, Marcelino Feliciano, Tim Horner,
Alex Leonard, Boots Maleson, Louise Rogers, Daryl Sherman, Tessa Souter,
Ronny Whyte, Tracey Yarad
Pangea 7 pm $25• Antonio Ciacca
Pierre Hotel 6 pm
• Peter Brainin and Friends
Room 623 at B2 Harlem 8 pm $15• Phill Niblock Annual Winter Solstice Concert		Roulette 8 pm $30• Freedom Art Quartet: Omar Kabir, Alfredo Colon, Adam Lane, Lloyd Haber				
Smalls 7:30, 9 pm $25-35
êColtrane Festival “Countdown 2023”: George Coleman/Eric Alexander Quintet with
Emmet Cohen, Peter Washington, Joe Farnsworth		Smoke 7, 9 pm $35-55• Concert in the Dark: Virg Dzurinko, Andrea Wolper, Ryan Messina, Nick Lyons,
Claire DeBrunner, Ken Filiano, Andrew Drury		Soup & Sound 8 pmêKenny Barron Quintet with Mike Rodriguez, Dayna Stephens, Kiyoshi Kitagawa,Johnathan Blake
Village Vanguard 8, 10 pm $40• Terry Waldo’s Gotham City Band Zinc Bar 8, 9:45 pm

Thursday, December 22• Marta Sanchez

Bar Bayeux 5 pmêShoko Nagai’s Tokala with Satoshi Takeishi, DoYeon Kim

		Barbès 8 pm $20• A Swinging Birdland Christmas: Klea Blackhurst, Jim Caruso, Billy Stritch		
Birdland 5:30 pm $40
êMonty Alexander Trio
Birdland 8:30, 10:30 pm $40
êChristmas with Champian Fulton Birdland Theater 8:30 pm $30• Chris Botti with Leonardo Amuedo, Reggie Hamilton, Holger Marjaama, Lee Pearson,
John Splithoff and guests Caroline Campbell, Chad Lefkowitz-Brown,
Anastasiia Mazurok, Alita Moses, Alicia Olatuja, Sy Smith, Andy Snitzer
		Blue Note 8, 10:30 pm $55-125• Jason Marshall; Mike Camacho Café Bohemia 7, 10 pm $10• Mike Karn Quartet; Will Terrill Quartet
		
Cellar Dog 7, 11:30 pm $5• Timothy Norton
Diwine 8 pmêChristian Sands Quartet with Yasushi Nakamura, Ryan Sands, Marvin Sewell and guests
		Dizzy’s Club 7:30, 9:30 pm $25-55• Georgia Heers and Friends
Dizzy’s Club 11:15 pm $15• Rick Germanson Quartet; Lee Taylor
		
The Django 7:30, 10:30 pm• Luke Carlos O’Reilly
Mezzrow 7:30, 9 pm $25-35
êBilly Mintz Quartet with Roberta Piket
		
Ornithology Jazz Club 9 pm
• Eric Yves Garcia
Pierre Hotel 6 pm
• Charlie Porter
Silvana 7 pm
• Pete Zimmer Quintet with Stacy Dillard, Peter Bernstein, Zaccai Curtis, Yoshi Waki;
David Gibson
Smalls 7:30, 9, 10:30 pm $25-35
êColtrane Festival “Countdown 2023”: George Coleman/Eric Alexander Quintet with
Emmet Cohen, Peter Washington, Joe Farnsworth		Smoke 7, 9 pm $35-55
êKenny Barron Quintet with Mike Rodriguez, Dayna Stephens, Kiyoshi Kitagawa,Johnathan Blake
Village Vanguard 8, 10 pm $40

Arthur’s Tavern 7 pm
Bar Bayeux 5 pmêHarish Raghavan
Bar Bayeux 8, 9:30 pmêItai Kriss and Televana
Bar Lunàtico 8:30, 10 pm $10• A Swinging Birdland Christmas: Klea Blackhurst, Jim Caruso, Billy Stritch		
Birdland 5:30 pm $40
êMonty Alexander Trio
Birdland 8:30, 10:30 pm $40
êChristmas with Champian Fulton Birdland Theater 7, 9:30 pm $30• Chris Botti with Leonardo Amuedo, Reggie Hamilton, Holger Marjaama, Lee Pearson,
John Splithoff and guests Caroline Campbell, Chad Lefkowitz-Brown,
Anastasiia Mazurok, Alita Moses, Alicia Olatuja, Sy Smith, Andy Snitzer
		Blue Note 8, 10:30 pm $55-125• Saul Rubin; Assaf Yuria
Café Bohemia 7, 10:30 pm $20
êFrank Lacy Quartet; Jinjoo Yoo Quartet
		
Cellar Dog 7, 11:30 pm $10êChristian Sands Quartet with Yasushi Nakamura, Ryan Sands, Marvin Sewell and guests
		Dizzy’s Club 7:30, 9:30 pm $25-55• Georgia Heers and Friends
Dizzy’s Club 11:15 pm $15• David Hazeltine Trio; Freddie Deboe Band; Eitan Kenner		
The Django 7:30, 10:30 pm 1 amêGuillermo Gregorio/Paul Giallorenzo; Guillermo Gregorio, Charley Sabatino,
Jeff Pearring
Ibeam Brooklyn 8 pm $20• Miho Sasaki Duo
Knickerbocker Bar & Grill 9 pm $3.50
êJeremy Pelt Group with Bruce Barth, Vicente Archer		Mezzrow 7:30, 9 pm $25-40
êCraig Harris Harlem Nightsongs Mount Morris Ascension Presbyterian Church 7 pm $20• Antonio Ciacca
Pierre Hotel 6 pm
• Kendra Shank; Alicyn Yaffee
Room 623 at B2 Harlem 7, 8:30, 10 pm $15-20
êDuane Eubanks
Smalls 7:30, 9 pm $25-40
êColtrane Festival “Countdown 2023”: Melissa Aldana Quartet with Gadi Lehavi,
Pablo Menares, Kush Abadey
Smoke 7, 9, 10:30 pm $35-55
êKenny Barron Quintet with Mike Rodriguez, Dayna Stephens, Kiyoshi Kitagawa,Johnathan Blake
Village Vanguard 8, 10 pm $40• Peter Watrous

Saturday, December 24		Birdland 5:30 pm $40
êMonty Alexander Trio
Birdland 8:30, 10:30 pm $40
êChristmas with Champian Fulton Birdland Theater 7, 9:30 pm $30• Chris Botti with Leonardo Amuedo, Reggie Hamilton, Holger Marjaama, Lee Pearson,
John Splithoff and guests Caroline Campbell, Chad Lefkowitz-Brown,
Anastasiia Mazurok, Alita Moses, Alicia Olatuja, Sy Smith, Andy Snitzer
		Blue Note 8, 10:30 pm $55-125• Saul Rubin Quartet
Cellar Dog 7 pm $10êChristian Sands Quartet with Yasushi Nakamura, Ryan Sands, Marvin Sewell and guests
		Dizzy’s Club 7 pm $25-55• Miho Sasaki Duo
Knickerbocker Bar & Grill 9 pm $3.50
êJeremy Pelt Group with Jeb Patton, Vicente Archer		Mezzrow 7:30, 9 pm $25-40• Antonio Ciacca
Pierre Hotel 6 pmêDuane Eubanks
Smalls 7:30, 9 pm $25-35
êColtrane Festival “Countdown 2023”: Melissa Aldana Quartet with Gadi Lehavi,
Pablo Menares, Kush Abadey
Smoke 7, 9, 10:30 pm $35-55
êKenny Barron Quintet with Mike Rodriguez, Dayna Stephens, Kiyoshi Kitagawa,Johnathan Blake
Village Vanguard 8, 10 pm $40

Sunday, December 25• Creole Cookin’ Jazz Band
Arthur’s Tavern 7 pm
• A Swinging Birdland Christmas: Klea Blackhurst, Jim Caruso, Billy Stritch		
Birdland 5:30 pm $40
êChristmas with Champian Fulton Birdland Theater 7, 9:30 pm $30• Svetlana and The New York Collective		Blue Note 12:30, 2:30 pm $20• Chris Botti with Leonardo Amuedo, Reggie Hamilton, Holger Marjaama, Lee Pearson,
John Splithoff and guests Caroline Campbell, Chad Lefkowitz-Brown,
Anastasiia Mazurok, Alita Moses, Alicia Olatuja, Sy Smith, Andy Snitzer
		Blue Note 8, 10:30 pm $55-125• Marcus Goldhaber; Mimi Jones and Friends		
Room 623 at B2 Harlem 6, 8 pm $12-15
êRick Germanson Trio
Saint Peter’s Church 5 pmêKenny Barron Quintet with Mike Rodriguez, Dayna Stephens, Kiyoshi Kitagawa,Johnathan Blake
Village Vanguard 8, 10 pm $40

Wednesday, December 28êMarc Copland Trio

Bar Bayeux 8, 9:30 pm• Birdland Big Band
Birdland 7, 9:30 pm $50• David Ostwald’s Louis Armstrong Eternity Band		
Birdland Theater 5:30 pm $30
êFrank Vignola’s Guitar Night with guests Karrin Allyson, Ken Peplowski				Birdland Theater 8:30 pm $30• Chris Botti with Leonardo Amuedo, Reggie Hamilton, Holger Marjaama, Lee Pearson,
John Splithoff and guests Caroline Campbell, Chad Lefkowitz-Brown,
Anastasiia Mazurok, Alita Moses, Alicia Olatuja, Sy Smith, Andy Snitzer
		Blue Note 8, 10:30 pm $55-125• Frank Basile; Eric Zolan
Café Bohemia 7, 10 pm $10• Darrell Green Trio
Cellar Dog 7 pm $5êCarlos Henriquez Nonet with Robert Rodriguez, Obed Calvaire, Michael Rodriguez,
Terrell Stafford, Melissa Aldana, Marshall Gilkes, Jeremy Bosch, Anthony Almonte				
Dizzy’s Club 7:30, 9:30 pm $25-55• Rachel Z Quartet; T.K. Blue Quartet with Yayoi Ikawa, Paul Beaudry, Vince Ector
		
The Django 7:30, 10:30 pmêPeter Bernstein
Mezzrow 7:30, 9 pm $25-35
êMingus Big Band
Midnight Theatre 8 pm $45-55
êFrank Lacy
New Amsterdam Musical Association 8 pm
• John Zweig Trio with Tamoko Ohno, Rick Crane		
Pangea 7 pm $25• Antonio Ciacca
Pierre Hotel 6 pm
• Peter Brainin and Friends
Room 623 at B2 Harlem 8 pm $15• Noam Weisenberg
Smalls 7:30, 9 pm $25-35
êColtrane Festival “Countdown 2023”: Eric Reed Quintet with Vincent Herring,
Steve Turre, John Webber, Joe Farnsworth		Smoke 7, 9 pm $35-55
êChris Potter Quartet with Craig Taborn, Scott Colley, Marcus Gilmore		Village Vanguard 8, 10 pm $40• Terry Waldo’s Gotham City Band Zinc Bar 8, 9:45 pm

Thursday, December 29• Marta Sanchez
Bar Bayeux 5 pm
• Kalí Rodríguez-Peña’s Mélange Bar Lunàtico 8:30, 10 pm $10• Birdland Big Band
Birdland 7, 9:30 pm $50• Marilyn Maye
Birdland Theater 8:30 pm $50• Chris Botti with Leonardo Amuedo, Reggie Hamilton, Holger Marjaama, Lee Pearson,
John Splithoff and guests Caroline Campbell, Chad Lefkowitz-Brown,
Anastasiia Mazurok, Alita Moses, Alicia Olatuja, Sy Smith, Andy Snitzer
		Blue Note 8, 10:30 pm $55-125êDezron Douglas; Frank Basile
Café Bohemia 7, 10 pm $10• Chris Byars Quartet; Katie Cosco Quartet
		
Cellar Dog 7, 11:30 pm $5• Timothy Norton
Diwine 8 pmêCarlos Henriquez Nonet with Robert Rodriguez, Obed Calvaire, Michael Rodriguez,
Terrell Stafford, Melissa Aldana, Marshall Gilkes, Jeremy Bosch, Anthony Almonte				
Dizzy’s Club 7:30, 9:30 pm $25-55• Maria Marmarou and Friends
Dizzy’s Club 11:15 pm $15• Joe Peri Trio; Joe Magnarelli Quintet
		
The Django 7:30, 10:30 pmêPeter Bernstein
Mezzrow 7:30, 9 pm $25-35• Eric Yves Garcia
Pierre Hotel 6 pm
• Joey Berkley
Silvana 7 pm
• Itamar Borochov
Smalls 7:30, 9 pm $25-35
êColtrane Festival “Countdown 2023”: Eric Reed Quintet with Vincent Herring,
Steve Turre, John Webber, Joe Farnsworth		Smoke 7, 9 pm $35-55
êChris Potter Quartet with Craig Taborn, Scott Colley, Marcus Gilmore		Village Vanguard 8, 10 pm $40

Friday, December 30êJohnny O’Neal Trio

Arthur’s Tavern 7 pm

• Sugartone Brass Band
Bar Lunàtico 8:30, 10 pm $10• Daisy Castro Quartet with Max O’Rourke, Brad Brose, James Robbins		

Arthur’s Tavern 7 pm
The Belfry 7 pmêTadd Dameron Tribute: Gary Smulyan Quintet with Pete Malinverni, Ugonna Okegwo,
Matt Wilson, Anaïs Reno
Birdland Theater 8:30 pm $30• Chris Botti with Leonardo Amuedo, Reggie Hamilton, Holger Marjaama, Lee Pearson,
John Splithoff and guests Caroline Campbell, Chad Lefkowitz-Brown,
Anastasiia Mazurok, Alita Moses, Alicia Olatuja, Sy Smith, Andy Snitzer
		Blue Note 8, 10:30 pm $55-125• Ned Goold Trio
Cellar Dog 7 pm $5êCarlos Henriquez Nonet with Robert Rodriguez, Obed Calvaire, Michael Rodriguez,
Terrell Stafford, Melissa Aldana, Marshall Gilkes, Jeremy Bosch, Anthony Almonte				
Dizzy’s Club 7:30, 9:30 pm $25-55• Caelan Cardello Trio; Yvonnick Prene Quintet
		
The Django 7:30, 10:30 pm• Russell Hall
Smalls 7:30, 9 pm $25-35
êColtrane Festival “Countdown 2023”: Eric Reed/Vincent Herring Quartet with
Dezron Douglas, Louis Hayes
Smoke 7, 9 pm $35-55
êVanguard Jazz Orchestra
Village Vanguard 8, 10 pm $40

		Barbès 8 pm $20• Birdland Big Band
Birdland 5:30 pm $30• Birdland Big Band
Birdland 8:30, 10:30 pm $50• Marilyn Maye
Birdland Theater 7, 9:30 pm $50• Chris Botti with Leonardo Amuedo, Reggie Hamilton, Holger Marjaama, Lee Pearson,
John Splithoff and guests Caroline Campbell, Chad Lefkowitz-Brown,
Anastasiia Mazurok, Alita Moses, Alicia Olatuja, Sy Smith, Andy Snitzer
		Blue Note 8, 10:30 pm $55-125• Steve Slagle; Pasquale Grasso Café Bohemia 7, 10:30 pm $20
êSheryl Bailey 4 with Jim Ridl, Jennifer Vincent, Lucianna Padmore; Jared Gold Trio		
		Cellar Dog 7, 11:30 pm $10êTom Rainey Trio with Mary Halvorson, Ingrid Laubrock		The DiMenna Center 8 pm $20
êCarlos Henriquez Nonet with Robert Rodriguez, Obed Calvaire, Michael Rodriguez,
Terrell Stafford, Melissa Aldana, Marshall Gilkes, Jeremy Bosch, Anthony Almonte				
Dizzy’s Club 7:30, 9:30 pm $25-55• Maria Marmarou and Friends
Dizzy’s Club 11:15 pm $15
êEd Cherry Quartet; Eitan Kenner The Django 7:30, 10:30 pm 1 am
• Arnie Sainz
Knickerbocker Bar & Grill 9 pm $3.50
êSheila Jordan with Alan Broadbent, Harvie S		Mezzrow 7:30, 9 pm $25-40• Camila Aldet
Minton’s 7, 9:30 pm $25
êCraig Harris Harlem Nightsongs Mount Morris Ascension Presbyterian Church 7 pm $20• Antonio Ciacca
Pierre Hotel 6 pm
• Leandro Pellegrino; Valtinho Anastacio		Room 623 at B2 Harlem 7, 8:30, 10 pm $15-20
êColtrane Festival “Countdown 2023”: Eric Reed Quintet with Jeremy Pelt,
Vincent Herring, John Webber, Joe Farnsworth		Smoke 7, 9, 10:30 pm $35-55
êChris Potter Quartet with Craig Taborn, Scott Colley, Marcus Gilmore		Village Vanguard 8, 10 pm $40• Adam Kolker, Rob Duguay, Diego VoglinoêBinky Griptite Orchestra

Monday, December 26• Grove Street Stompers• Paul Jones Quartet

Tuesday, December 27

		Bar Bayeux 8 pmêBilly Mintz Quartet with Roberta Piket
		
Bar Lunàtico 8:30, 10 pm $10• Helen Gillet
Barbès 7 pm $15êVince Giordano and The Nighthawks
		Birdland Theater 8:30 pm $30• Chris Botti with Leonardo Amuedo, Reggie Hamilton, Holger Marjaama, Lee Pearson,
John Splithoff and guests Caroline Campbell, Chad Lefkowitz-Brown,
Anastasiia Mazurok, Alita Moses, Alicia Olatuja, Sy Smith, Andy Snitzer
		Blue Note 8, 10:30 pm $55-125• Ehud Asherie Trio
Cellar Dog 7 pm $5êCarlos Henriquez Nonet with Robert Rodriguez, Obed Calvaire, Michael Rodriguez,
Terrell Stafford, Melissa Aldana, Marshall Gilkes, Jeremy Bosch, Anthony Almonte				
Dizzy’s Club 7:30, 9:30 pm $25-55• Sonido Costeno; Chino Pons The Django 7:30, 10:30 pmêFreddie Bryant
Mezzrow 7:30, 9 pm $25-35
êFrank Lacy
Smalls 7:30, 9 pm $25-40
êColtrane Festival “Countdown 2023”: Eric Reed/Vincent Herring Quartet with
Dezron Douglas, Louis Hayes
Smoke 7, 9 pm $35-55
êChris Potter Quartet with Craig Taborn, Scott Colley, Marcus Gilmore		Village Vanguard 8, 10 pm $40

Saturday, December 31

Bar Lunàtico 8:30, 10 pm $10• Birdland Big Band
Birdland 8:30, 10:30 pm $150
• Marilyn Maye
Birdland Theater 7, 11 pm• Chris Botti with Leonardo Amuedo, Reggie Hamilton, Holger Marjaama, Lee Pearson,
John Splithoff and guests Caroline Campbell, Chad Lefkowitz-Brown,
Anastasiia Mazurok, Alita Moses, Alicia Olatuja, Sy Smith, Andy Snitzer
		Blue Note 7, 10 pm $75-165• Chris Beck Trio; Dan Aran Trio Cellar Dog 7, 11:30 pm $10êCarlos Henriquez Nonet with Robert Rodriguez, Obed Calvaire, Michael Rodriguez,
Terrell Stafford, Melissa Aldana, Marshall Gilkes, Jeremy Bosch, Anthony Almonte				
Dizzy’s Club 7:30, 11 pm• Benny Benack III
The Django 7:30, 10:30 pm• Mark Skanga, Martin Pizzarelli, Keri Linder		
Knickerbocker Bar & Grill 9 pm $3.50
êSheila Jordan with Alan Broadbent, Harvie S		Mezzrow 7:30, 9 pm $25-40
êJohnny O’Neal
Smalls 7:30, 9 pm $25-40
êColtrane Festival “Countdown 2023”: Eric Reed Quintet with Jeremy Pelt,
Vincent Herring, John Webber, Joe Farnsworth and guest		Smoke 7, 9, 10:30 pmêChris Potter Quartet with Craig Taborn, Scott Colley, Marcus Gilmore		Village Vanguard 8, 10 pm $40

THE NEW YORK CITY JAZZ RECORD | DECEMBER 2022 39

100 MILES OUT
CONNECTICUT
12/2, 12/9, 12/16, 12/23, 12/30 (7 pm) Bill’s Allstar Jazz Band
12/7, 12/21 (6:30 pm) Corinthian Jazz Band
Bill’s Seafood (Westbrook, CT) www.billsseafood.com
12/7, 12/14, 12/21, 12/28 (7 pm) Hartford Jazz Society presents Black-eyed Sally’s Jazz JamBlack-Eyed Sally’s Southern Kitchen & Bar (Hartford, CT) www.blackeyedsallys.com
12/3 (7 pm) French 75
12/9 (7 pm) Laszlo Gardony Trio with John Lockwood, Yoron Israel
12/14 (7:30 pm) Eric Mintel with Nelson Hill, Jack Hegyi, Dave Mohn
12/17 (7 pm) Ryan Devlin Quartet with Mike Bond, Gene Perla, Adam Nussbaum
Buttonwood Tree Performing Arts Center (Middletown, CT) www.buttonwood.org
12/3 (4 pm) Michael Coppola
12/10 (4 pm) Gary Grippo
12/13 (7 pm) Zwelakne-Duma Bell Le Pere
12/14 (8 pm) Bob Gorry, Vance Provey Quintet, Caleb Duval 4tet
12/17 (4 pm) Tony Di
12/27 (7 pm) Josh Walker
Café Nine (New Haven, CT) www.cafenine.com
12/11 (10:30 am) Sarah Hanahan Quartet “A Jazz Christmas”
Center Church - First Church of Christ (Hartford, CT) www.centerchurchhartford.org
12/3 (7 pm) Manchester Jazz Festival: Brian Charette Trio with Sachal Vasandani;
Eric Alexander Quartet with Rale Micic, Jonathan Barber, Jason Clotter;
Robb Gottfried
Cheney Hall (Manchester, CT) www.manchesterctjazzfest.com
12/5, 12/12, 12/19, 12/26 (7:30 pm) Hartford Jazz Orchestra
Elicit Brewery (Manchester, CT) www.elicitbrewing.com

12/1 (7:30 pm) Hot Sardines Holiday Stomp
South Orange Performing Arts Center (South Orange, NJ) www.sopacnow.org

12/3 (7 pm) Brenda Bufalino with Teri Roiger, John Menegon
Rosendale Theatre (Rosendale, NY) www.rosendaletheatre.org

12/5 (7:30 pm) “A Charlie Brown Christmas” with Ed Vezinho/Jim Ward Big Band
Stockton University Campus Center Theatre (Galloway, NJ) www.stockton.edu/pac

12/15 (8 pm) Glenn Miller Orchestra “In A Christmas Mood”
Tarrytown Music Hall (Tarrytown, NY) www.tarrytownmusichall.org

12/1 (7/8:30 pm) Akiko Tsuruga Quartet
12/6 (7/8:30 pm) Ilan Eisenzweig Quartet
12/8 (7/8:45 pm) Rob Edwards Quartet
12/13 (7/8:30 pm) Ben Frank Quartet
12/15 (7/8:45 pm) Marianne Solivan Quartet
12/20 (7/8:30 pm) Solomon Alber Quartet
12/22 (7/8:45 pm) Dave Stryker Quartet
12/27 (7/8:30 pm) CJ & The Cats
12/29 (7/8:45 pm) Jerry Weldon Sextet
Tavern on George (New Brunswick, NJ) www.tavernongeorge.com

12/2 (7 pm) Marc Miller + Maeve Schallert/Ben Vida/Lea Bertucci + Henry Fraser
12/4 (6 pm) Ava Mendoza/Gabby Fluke-Mogul: NYROCS: Michael Foster/Richard Kamerman;
Sarah Hennies Tubby’s (Kingston, NY)
12/7 (7 pm) Che Chen, Patrick Shiroishi, Alex Zhang Hungtai, Barry Weisblat, Talice Lee;
Chris Cochrane, Fred Lonberg-Holm, Jim Pugliese, John Thayer, Nick Jozwiak
Tubby’s (Kingston, NY) www.tubbyskingston.com

12/4 (2 pm) Rufus Reid Quartet with Anton Denner, Roberta Piket, Jarrett Walser
Wyckoff Public Library (Wyckoff, NJ) www.wyckofflibrary.org
NEW YORK
12/3, 12/23 (7:30 pm) Jared Pauley Organ Trio with Adam Hutcheson, Cengiz Baysal
12/9 (7 pm) John H. Smith Jazz Trio with Alva Nelson, Camille Gainer
12/10 (7:30 pm) Leslie Pintchik Trio with Scott Hardy, Michael Sarin
12/17 (7:30 pm) Barbara King
Alvin & Friends (New Rochelle, NY) www.alvinandfriendsrestaurant.com
12/1, 12/8, 12/15, 12/22 (7 pm) Paul Connors Organ Groove with David Ullman
12/3 (7:30/8:45 pm) Jones Factor Lite with John Fumasoli, Chris Pasin, Bill Harris, Rob Aries,
Dave Anderson, Tyger MacNeal
Elk’s Lodge (Ossining, NY) www.jazzatthelodge.com

12/4 (2 pm) Dave Santoro Trio with Larry Ham, Tom Molito
Gilson Café & Cinema (Wilsted, CT) www.gilsoncafecinema.com

12/3 (8 pm) Ava Mendoza/Susan Alcorn
Elysium Furnace Works @Cunneen-Hackett Arts Center (Beacon, NY)
www.cunneen-hackett.org

12/2 (8 pm) Kat Edmonson
12/4 (7 pm) Julian Lage
The Kate (Old Saybrook, CT) www.katharinehepburntheater.org

12/9 (8 pm) James Keepnews/Billy Stein
Elysium Furnace Works @Howland Cultural Center (Beacon, NY)
www.facebook.com/elysiumfurnaceworks

12/4, 12/11, 12/18 (11 am) Jeff Fuller & Friends
The Lobster Shack (East Haven, CT) www.lobstershackct.com

12/1 (7 pm) David Amram 92nd B-Day Concert
12/4 (7 pm) Jazz Coalition Series: Elio Villafranca
12/10 (7 pm) The Klezmatics
12/11 (7 pm) Jazz Coalition Series: Fay Victor
12/17 (7 pm) Ed Palermo Big Band
12/18 (7 pm) Jazz Coalition Series: DJ Logic
12/23 (7 pm) Jeremy Baum Trio “Charlie Baum Christmas”
12/29 (7 pm) Analog Jazz Orchestra
The Falcon (Marlboro, NY) www.liveatthefalcon.com

12/14 (6:30 pm) Jen Allen Trio
New Britain Museum of American Art (New Britain, CT) www.nbmaa.org
12/7, 12/14, 12/21, 12/28 (9 pm) Hawkins Jazz Collective
Owl Shop (New Haven, CT) www.owlshopcigars.com
12/2 (7/9 pm) Jonathan Karrant Quartet
Palace Theater Poli Club (Waterbury, CT) www.palacetheaterct.org/shows/jazz
12/3 (7:30 pm) Papo Vázquez Mighty Pirates Troubadors
12/4 (3 pm) Catalytic Sound Festival: Dan O’Brien/Grant Beale;
Joe Morris/Kaelen Ghandhi/ Michael Larocca;
Stalwart with Luke Rovinsky, Ben Eidson, Caleb Duval, James Paul Nadien
12/11 (2:30 pm) Angelica Sanchez with Hery Paz, Juan Pablo Carletti,
Kenneth Jimenez, Joe Morris
Real Art Ways (Hartford, CT) www.realartways.org
12/1 (7:30 pm) “Echoes of Sinatra” with Steve Kazlauskas, Jack Lynn, Tony T. Orchestra
Ridgefield Playhouse (Ridgefield, CT) www.ridgefieldplayhouse.org
12/2-3 (8:30 pm) Bill Charlap Trio with Peter Washington, Kenny Washington
12/4 (6:30 pm) Bill Charlap Trio with Peter Washington, Kenny Washington
12/9-10 (8:30 pm) Randy Brecker Quintet
12/16 (7 pm) “Home For The Holidays” Jam Session
12/17 (8:30 pm) Carmen Lundy Quintet with Julius Rodriguez, Ben Williams,
Terreon Gully, Andrew Renfroe
12/18 (6:30 pm) Carmen Lundy Quintet with Julius Rodriguez, Ben Williams,
Terreon Gully, Andrew Renfroe
12/23 (8:30 pm) Greg Abate Quartet
12/31 (8:30 pm) Lucy Yeghiazaryan Quintet
The Side Door (Old Lyme, CT) www.thesidedoorjazz.com
12/11 (7 pm) Jazz At The Ballroom presents “Holiday In” with Terell Stafford,
Adrian Cunningham, Champian Fulton, Alphonso Horne, Duchess
Wall Street Theater (Norwalk, CT) www.wallstreettheater.com
12/4 (2 pm) Typsy Gypsies with Dave Giardina, Rich Goldstein, Frank Varela
Windsor Arts Center (Windsor, CT) www.windsorartcenter.org
NEW JERSEY
12/11 (3 pm) Water Gap Jazz Orchestra with Matt Vashlishan “The Grinch Suite”
Bickford Theatre at Morris Museum (Morristown, NJ) www.morrismuseum.org
12/2 (7:30/9:15 pm) TK Blue with Kelly Green Trio
12/9 (7:30/9:15 pm) Rodney Jones Trio
12/16 (7:30/9:15 pm) Ed Cherry Trio
12/23 (7:30/9:15 pm) Ron Jackson Trio
12/30 (7:30/9:15 pm) Freddie Bryant Trio
Brothers Smokehouse (Ramsey, NJ) www.brotherssmokehousenj.com
12/3 (3:30 pm) Baritone Nation
12/10 (3:30 pm) Webb T
12/17 (3:30 pm) Winard Harper
12/24 (3:30 pm) James Stewart
Candlelight Lounge (Trenton, NJ) www.candlelighteventsjazz.com
12/2 (8 pm) Michele Rosewoman’s New Yor-Uba with Alex Norris, Mike Thomas,
Stacy Dillard, Chris Washburne, Gregg August, Robby Ameen, Roman Diaz,
Rafael Monteagudo, Abraham Rodriguez, Oludare Bernard
12/15 (7:30 pm) Monthly Jazz Jam
Clement’s Place (Newark, NJ) www.njpac.org
12/8 (7:30 pm) Patricio Acevedo
Collingswood Community Center (Collingswood, NJ) www.jazzbridge.org
12/22 (8 pm) Jonathan Butler with Grace Kelly
Count Basie Center’s The Vogel (Red Bank, NJ) www.thebasie.org
12/10 (8 pm) Horizons Quartet with Dan Wilkins, James Collins, Gene Perla, Byron Landham
Flemington DIY (Flemington, NJ) www.flemingtondiy.org/programs/jazz
12/11 (4 pm) Matt Wilson Christmas Tree-O with Paul Sikivie, Jeff Lederer
JazzNights at Jones/Hockaday Barn (Hopewell, NJ) www.jazznightsprinceton.com
12/11 (3 pm) Alexander Rausch, Audra Mariel and A Real Human Jazz Band;Art Baron and The Duke’s Men
Long Branch Distillery (Long Branch, NJ) www.lbdistillery.com

12/1 (8 pm) Marty Elkins with John Merrill, John Lang
12/8 (8 pm) Mark Lopeman with John Merrill, John Lang
12/15 (8 pm) Freddie Jacobs with Scott Reeves, John Lang
12/22 (8 pm) Kathleen Hart with Sarah Jane Cion, John Lang
12/29 (8 pm) Lauren Lee with John Merrill, John LangFirst Name Basis at Divino Cucina (Hastings-on-Hudson, NY)
www.facebook.com/FNBhastingsny
12/16 (8 pm) Eddie Allen’s Jazzy Brass For The Holidays
Gardiner Theater (Pawling, NY) www.pawlingconcertseries.org
12/2-3 (7/9:30 pm) Edmar Castañeda Quartet
12/4 (4/6 pm) Greg Abate Quartet, (8 pm) David Janeway Trio
12/9 12/10 (7/9:30 pm) Eliane Elias
12/11 (4/6 pm) Sheila Jordan with Alan Broadbent, Harvie S
12/16-17 (7/9:30 pm) Bill Charlap Trio with Peter Washington, Kenny Washington
12/30 (7/9:30 pm) Mark Morganelli Jazz Forum All-Stars with Houston Person,
Helen Sung, David Williams, Billy Hart
12/31 (6/9:30 pm) New Year’s Eve with Catherine Russell
Jazz Forum Arts (Tarrytown, NY) www.jazzforumarts.org
12/1-3, 12/15-17 (7 pm) Tom Manuel Jazz Loft Big Band plays “Nutcracker Suite”
12/5 (7 pm) Marty Iseneberg
12/7 (1 pm) Tom Manuel and Young at Heart Trio
12/8 (7 pm) Bad Little Big Hand with Rich Iacona
12/9 Ray Anderson, Mark Helias, Steve Salerno, Jeremy Carlstedt
12/10 (1 pm) Interplay Jazz Orchestra, (7 pm) Tom Manuel “Egg Nog Romp”
12/13 (7 pm) Moshe Elmakias
12/18 (6 pm) A Jazz Nativity
12/22 (7 pm) Nicole Zuraitis “Jazz Christmas Party”
The Jazz Loft (Stony Brook, NY) www.thejazzloft.org
12/1 (8 pm) Jaana Narsipur Quartet
12/2 (7 pm) Nicole Henry
12/3 (7/9 pm) Mary Larose
12/9-10 (7/9 pm) Allan Harris “A Nat King Cole Christmas”
12/15 (8 pm) Cary Brown Trio
12/16 (7/9 pm) Alexis Cole Trio
Jazz on Main (Mt. Kisco, NY) www.jazzonmain.com
12/3 (7 pm) Mark Dziuba with Jim Donica, Bob Meyer
12/10 (7 pm) Nico Soffiato Trio
12/31 (7 pm) Teri Roiger 4tet with Bill Ware, John Menegon, Matt Garrity
Lydia’s Café (Stone Ridge, NY) www.lydias-cafe.com
12/2 (8 pm) Sarah Partridge Christmas Show with Tim Horner, Allen Farnham, Rick Crane
12/3 (8 pm) Freddie Jacobs Quartet with Allen Farnham, Dmitri Kolesnick, Tim Horner(10 pm) David Budman
12/9 (8 pm) Jane Irving Quartet with Peter Brendler, Aaron Seeber
12/10 (7 pm) Michael Wolff Trio with Jerry Priven, Victor Jones, (10 pm) David Budman
12/16 (8 pm) John Hart Quartet with Jim Ridl, Martin Wind, Steve Johns
12/17 (8 pm) Judimarie Canterino 84th B-Day with Conal Fowlkes, Steve Lamattina,Frank Tate, (10 pm) David Budman
12/23 (8/10 pm) Lizzy Kates with David Budman
12/31 (9 pm) David Budway, Ray Longchamp, Scott Hogan, Frank Colonnato, Josh Kates
Maureen’s Jazz Cellar (Nyack, NY) www.maureensjazzcellar.com
12/2 (7 pm) Harlem Blues and Jazz Band “Eddie Durham Tribute”
New Rochelle Library (New Rochelle, NY) www.nrpl.org
12/8 (6:30 pm) Caroline Davis/Dezron Douglas
The Pocantico Center (Tarrytown, NY) www.rbf.org/pocantico
12/5 (8:30 pm) Robert Kopec
12/12 (8:30 pm) Hannah Marks
12/19 (8:30 pm) Premik Russell Tubbs with Steve Sandberg
Quinn’s (Beacon, NY) www.facebook.com/QuinnsBeacon
12/3, 12/10, 12/17, 12/24, 12/31 (3 pm) Hal Galper Trio
Rafter’s Tavern (Callicoon, NY) www.rafterstavern.com

40 DECEMBER 2022 | THE NEW YORK CITY JAZZ RECORD

12/5, 12/12, 12/19, 12/26 (8 pm): Monday Jazz Sessions with John RichmondTurning Point Café (Piermont, NY) www.piermont.club
12/15 (8 pm) ShapeShifter Plus & Bardavon present Jack DeJohnette with Jon Batiste,
Matthew Garrison
Ulster Performing Arts Center (Kingston, NY) www.bardavon.org
12/3 (7:30 pm) Camille Thurman
Westchester Collaborative Theater (Ossining, NY) www.wctheater.org/music-in-the-box
12/4 (3 pm) Ray Blue Cross Cultural Connection Holiday Show
12/10 (6 pm) Lauren Lee Quartet
12/16 (6 pm) Kristina Koller
12/17 (6 pm) Ray Blue
Bean Runner Café (Peekskill, NY) www.beanrunnercafe.com
PENNSYLVANIA
12/9 (8 pm) Fire Museum presents Erik Ruin’s Ominous Cloud Ensemble; The Great Cackler;
Shinjoo Cho2223.fish (Philadelphia, PA) www.firemuseumpresents.com
12/10 (6 pm) Water Gap Jazz Orchestra with Matt Vashlishan “The Grinch Suite”
Cecilia S. Cohen Recital Hall (East Stroudsburg, PA) www.esu.edu
12/7 (7:30 pm) Neil Podgurski
Cheltenham Center for the Arts (Cheltenham, PA) www.jazzbridge.org
12/1 (8/9:30 pm) Steve Fidyk’s Philly Flyers
12/2-3 (8/10 pm) Benny Benack III Quintet with Joe Block, Alex Claffy, Stella Katherine Cole
12/6 (8/9:30 pm) V. Shayne Frederick Quartet with Aaron Graves, Conner Saltzer, Justin Sekelewski
12/7 (8/9:30 pm) Tony Miceli
12/8 (8/9:30 pm) Peter Frank Orchestra with Lucas Beltran
12/9 (8/10 pm) Dave Pollack/Ryan Devlin Quintet “Cannonball/Coltrane Tribute”
12/10 (8/10 pm) Matt Wilson Christmas Tree-O with Jeff Lederer, Paul Sikivie
12/13 (8/9:30 pm) The Chronicles with John Swana
12/14 (8/9:30 pm) Keith Chasin Band
12/15 (8/9:30 pm) Jake Kaplan Haunted Big Band
12/16 (8/10 pm) George Burton’s Yule Log with Diane Monroe, Nancy Harms
12/17 (8/10 pm) Rodney Green Quartet
12/20 (8/9:30 pm) Danielle Avicolli “Tis The Season” with Keith Chasin, David Bamber,
Gabe Preston, Dan Monaghan
12/21 (8/9:30 pm) Eddie Bruce/Tom Adams
12/22 (8/9:30 pm) Imani Records “Holiday Show” with Orrin Evans, Luques Curtis,
Mark Whitfield, Jr., Leandro Pelligrino, Alexia Bomtempo
12/23 (8/10 pm) Luke Carlos O’Reilly’s “Christmas Story” with Cibbon, Nimrod Elab Speaks,
Anwar Marshall, Ben O’Neil
12/27 (8/10 pm) Philadelphia Jazz Orchestra with Joe Bongiovi
12/28 (8/10 pm) Philadelphia Jazz Ambassador Big Band with Joe Block,
Dylan Band, Kurt Rosenwinkel
12/29 (8/10 pm) Kurt Rosenwinkel & The New Generation with Joe Block,Alex Claffy, Mark Whitfield, Jr.
12/30 (8/10 pm) Philly Reunion Band with Orrin Evans, Kevin Arthur, Ari Hoenig
12/31 (7/9/11 pm) New Year’s Eve with Chelsea Reed & The Fair Weather Five
Chris’ Jazz Café (Philadephia, PA) www.chrisjazzcafe.com
12/18 (1 pm) “Jingle Jazz” with Kevin Valentine, Maci Miller, Joshua Richman, Randy Sutin,
Nimrod Speaks, Dan Monaghan
Community Arts Center (Wallingford, PA) www.communityartscenter.org
12/1, 12/8, 12/15, 12/22, 12/29 (7 pm) Bill Washer & Friends
12/2 (7 pm) Dan Pugach Nonet with Emily Braden, David Smith, Mike Fahie, Jeff Nelson,
Andrew Gould, Jeremy Powell, Andrew Hadro, Nitzan Gavrieli, Tamir Shmerling
12/3 (7 pm) Greg Abate Quartet with Bill O’Connell, Harvie S, Jason Tiemann
12/9 (7 pm) 3D Jazz Trio with Sherrie Maricle, Jackie Warren, Amy Shook
12/10 (7 pm) Houston Person with David Leonhart, Matthew Parrish, Colby Inzer
12/11 (5 pm) Denny Carrig with Bill Washer, Paul Rostock, Bill Goodwin
12/16 (7 pm) La Cuchina: Vinny Bianchi, Bill Washer, Paul Rostock, Danny Gonzalez, Ruben Ariola
12/17 (7 pm) Charlie Brown Jazz with Eric Mintel Quartet
12/18 (5 pm) Bill Charlap solo
12/30 (7 pm) Nancy Reed with Skip and Dan Wilkins
12/31 (9 pm) Giacomo Gates Trio with Tomoko Ohno, Paul Rostock
Deer Head Inn (Delaware Water Gap, PA) www.deerheadinn.com
12/11 (7 pm) Fire Museum presents Utsav Lal/Rajna Swaminathan
12/15 (8 pm) Fire Museum presents Brandon Lopez/T.J. Borden/James McKain/Joey Sullivan 4tet;
Evangelical Lutheran Church of the Atonement (Philadelphia, PA)
www.firemuseumpresents.com
12/19 (8 pm) Sun Ra Arkestra with Marshall Allen
Kimmel Center Commonwealth Plaza Stage (Philadelphia, PA)
www.kimmelculturalcampus.org
12/5, 12/12, 12/19, 12/26 (5:30-9:30 pm) Tony Williams Jazz Quartet
La Rose Jazz Club (Philadelphia, PA) www.jazzclublarose.com
12/1 (8 pm) Ben Vida/Lea Bertucci + Chaka Benson
Pageant : Soloveev Gallery (Philadelphia, PA) www.pageantsoloveev.com
12/18 (7:30 pm) Fire Museum presents Amir ElSaffar/Omar Dewachi
The Rotunda (Philadelphia, PA) www.firemuseumpresents.com
12/8 (8 pm) Lotte Anker/Chris Corsano
12/16 (8 pm) Nasheet Waits/Hannah Marks/Miles Okazaki Trio
Solar Myth (Philadelphia, PA) www.arsnovaworkshop.org
12/1 (7/9 pm) Willie Bradley
12/8 (7/9 pm) Marcus Johnson
12/29 (7/9 pm) Gerald VeasleySouth Jazz Club (Philadelphia, PA) www.southjazzkitchen.com
12/8 (7:30 pm) Miguel Zenón
Teatro Esperanza (Philadelphia, PA) www.esperanzaartscenter.us
12/1 (8 pm) Julian Lage
12/4 (2/7 pm) Philly Pops Jazz Orchestra of Philadelphia “The Harlem Nutcracker”
with Terell Stafford
12/8 (8:30 pm) Ironman Trio Jazz Jam
12/9 (8 pm) Minas Sextet “Tribute to Jobim and Cole Porter”’
12/10 (8 pm) The Bad Plus, Billy Martin
12/14 (8 pm) Delvon Lamarr Organ Trio
World Café (Philadelphia, PA) www.worldcafelive.com

CLU B DI RE CTORY• 333 Lounge 333 Flatbush Avenue(718-399-8008) Subway: B, Q to Seventh Avenue
www.333lounge.com• 411 Kent 411 Kent Avenue
Subway: J, M, Z to Marcy Avenue
www.411kent.org• 440Gallery 440 Sixth Avenue, Brooklyn(718-499-3844) Subway: F, G to Seventh Avenue www.440gallery.com• 54 Below 254 W. 54th Street(646-476-3551) Subway: N, Q, R to 57th Street; B, D, E to Seventh Avenue
www.54below.com• 59E59 Theaters 59 East 59th Street(212-753-5959) Subway: 4, 5, 6 to 59th Street
www.59e59.org• 1075 Grand Concourse Lobby 1075 Grand Concourse, The Bronx
Subway: B, D to 167th Street• Aaron Davis Hall 133rd Street and Convent Avenue(212-650-7100) Subway: 1 to 137th Street/City College
www.adhatccny.org• Academy Record Annex 85 Oak Street, Brooklyn(718-218-8200) Subway: G to Greenpoint Avenue
www.academy-lps.com• Alianza Dominicana Cultural Center 530 W. 166th Street(917-242-0811) Subway: 1, A, C to 168th Street
www.facebook.com/ADCC530• Arthur’s Tavern 57 Grove Street(212-675-6879) Subway: 1 to Christopher Street
www.arthurstavern.nyc.com• Bar Bayeux 1066 Nostrand Avenue(347-533-7845) Subway: 2, 5 to Sterling Street
www.barbayeux.com• Bar Lunàtico 486 Halsey Street(917-495-9473) Subway: C to Kingston-Throop Avenues
www.barlunatico.com• Barbès 376 9th Street at 6th Avenue, Brooklyn(718-965-9177) Subway: F to 7th Avenue
www.barbesbrooklyn.com• The Belfry 222 E. 14th Street(212-473-6590) Subway: L to Third Avenue
www.belfrynyc.com• Birdland and Birdland Theater 315 W. 44th Street(212-581-3080) Subway: A, C, E, to 42nd Street
www.birdlandjazz.com• The Bitter End 147 Bleecker Street between Thompson and LaGuardia 		
Subway: A, B, C, D, E, F, V to W. 4th Street www.bitterend.com• Blank Forms 468 Grand Avenue, 1D
Subway: C to Clinton-Washington Avenues
www.blankforms.org• 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• Café Bohemia 15 Barrow Street
Subway: 1 to Christopher Street www.
www.cafebohemianyc.com• Cellar Dog 75 Christopher Street at 7th Avenue(212-675-6056) Subway: 1 to Christopher Street
www.cellardog.net• 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• The Church of Saint Mary the Virgin 145 W. 46th Street(212-869-5830) Subway: B, D, F, M to 47-50 Streets-Rockefeller Center• Church of St. Paul and St. Andrew 263 W. 86th Street(212-362-3179) Subway: 1 to 86th Street
www.stpaulandstandrew.org• City Winery 25 11th Avenue (at 15th Street)(646-751-6033) Subway: A, C, E to 14th Street
www.citywinery.com• Clark Studio Theater W. 65th Street at Amsterdam Avenue, 7th Floor
Subway: 1 to 66th Street• David Rubenstein Atrium Broadway at 60th Street(212-258-9800) Subway: 1, 2, 3, A, C, E, B, D, F to Columbus Circle
www.lincolncenter.org/venue/atrium• The DiMenna Center 450 W. 37th Street(212-594-6100) Subway: A, C, E to 34h Street-Penn Stationwww.dimennacenter.org• Diwine 41-15 31st Avenue(718-777-1355) Subway: E, M, R to 46th Street
www.diwineonline.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 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• Dupuy’s Landing 433 W. 22nd Street(646-770-0433) Subway: 1 to 23rd Street www.dupuyslanding.com• Elsewhere 599 Johnson Avenue
Subway: L to Jefferson Street www.elsewherebrooklyn.com• First Unitarian Church 50 Pierrepont Street, Brooklyn(718-624-5466) Subway: M, R to Court Street
www.fuub.org• Flushing Town Hall 137-35 Northern Boulevard, Flushing(718-463-7700) Subway: 7 to Main Street
www.flushingtownhall.org• Fotografiska 281 Park Avenue South(212-433-3686) Subway: 6 to 23rd Street
www.fotografiska.com/nyc• Funkadelic Studios 209 W. 40th Street(212-696-2513) Subway: 1, 2, 3, 7, A, C, E, N, Q, R to 42nd Street-Times Squarewww.funkadelicstudios.com• Goddard Riverside Community Center 593 Columbus Avenue(212-873-6600, ext. 314) Subway: 1 to 86th Street
www.goddard.org• Green Soul Studios
Subway: F to 75th Avenue
www.instagram.com/green_soul_studios• Greenwich House Music School 46 Barrow Street(212-242-4770) Subway: 1 to Christopher Street
www.greenwichhouse.org• Groove Bar & Grill 125 MacDougal Street(212-254-9393) Subway: A, B, C, D, E, F, V to W. 4th Street
www.clubgroovenyc.com• Guggenheim Museum 1071 Fifth Avenue at 89th Street(212-423-3500) Subway: 4, 5, 6 to 86th Street
www.guggenheim.org• Harlem Stage Gatehouse 150 Convent Avenue at W. 135th Street(212-650-7100) Subway: 1 to 137th Street
www.harlemstage.org• Ibeam Brooklyn 168 7th Street between Second and Third Avenues
Subway: F to 4th Avenue
www.ibeambrooklyn.com• Jackie Robinson Recreation Center 85 Bradhurst Avenue(212-234-9607) Subway: A, B, C, D to 145th Street
www.nycgovparks.org• Jamaica Center for Arts and Learning 161-04 Jamaica Avenue, Queens(718-658-7400 ext. 152) Subway: E to Jamaica Center
www.jcal.org• The Jazz Gallery 1160 Broadway, 5th floor (212-242-1063)
Subway: N, R to 28th Street
www.jazzgallery.org• Jazz Museum in Harlem 58 W. 129th Street between Madison and Lenox(212-348-8300) Subway: 6 to 125th Street
www.jmih.org• Juilliard School Paul Hall 155 W. 65th Street(212-769-7406) Subway: 1 to 66th Street
www.juilliard.edu• Juilliard School Peter Jay Sharp Theater 155 W. 65th Street(212-769-7406) Subway: 1 to 66th Street www.juilliard.edu• The Keep 205 Cypress Avenue, Queens(718-381-0400) Subway: L to Jefferson Street
www.thekeepny.com• Knickerbocker Bar & Grill 33 University Place at 9th Street(212-228-8490) Subway: N, R to 8th Street-NYU
www.knickerbockerbarandgrill.com• Lela Bar 422 Hudson Street(212-206-0594) Subway: 1 to Houston Street www.lelabar.com• Lowlands 543 Third Avenue, Brooklyn(347-463-9458) Subway: R to Prospect Avenue
www.lowlandsbar.com• Main Drag Music 50 S. 1st Street between Kent and Wythe Avenues(718-388-6365) Subway: L to Bedford Avenue www.maindragmusic.com• Mezzrow 163 W. 10th Street(646-476-4346) Subway: 1 to Christopher Street
www.smallslive.com• Midnight Theatre 75 Manhattan West Plaza
Subway: 7 to 34th Street-Hudson Yards
www.midnighttheatre.com• Minton’s 206 W. 118th Street(212-243-2222) Subway: B, C to 116th Street
www.mintonsharlem.com• Mount Morris Ascension Presbyterian Church 15 Mount Morris Park West(212-831-6800) Subway: 2, 3 to 125 Street• National Arts Club 15 Gramercy Park South(212-475-3424) Subway: 6 to 23rd Street
www.nationalartsclub.org• National Sawdust 80 N. 6th Street(646-779-8455 Subway: L to Bedford Avenue
www.nationalsawdust.org• New Amsterdam Musical Association (NAMA) 107 W. 130th Street(212-234-2973) Subway: 2, 3 to 125th Street• New School Tishman Auditorium 63 Fifth Avenue(212-229-5488) Subway: 4, 5, 6, L, N, Q, R to Union Squarewww.newschool.edu• Nublu 151 151 Avenue C
Subway: L to First Avenue
www.nublu.net• On Stage at Kingsborough 2001 Oriental Boulevard(718-368-6686) Subway:Q to Brighton Beachwww.onstageatkingsborough.org• The Opera House
288 Berry Street Subway: L to Bedford Avenue• Ornithology Jazz Club 6 Suydam Street, Brooklyn(917-231-4766) Subway: J, M, Z to Myrtle Avenue
www.ornithologyjazzclub.com• The Owl Music Parlor 497 Rogers Avenue, Brooklyn(718-774-0042) Subway: 2, to to Sterling Street
www.theowl.nyc• Pangea 178 Second Avenue(212-995-0900) Subway: L to First Avenue
www.pangeanyc.com• Pierre Hotel Fifth Avenue at 61st Street(212-940-9109) Subway: 4, 5, 6 to 59th Street
www.thepierreny.com• The Players Theatre 115 MacDougal Street
Subway: A, B, C, D, E, F, V to W. 4th Street• The Porch 750A St. Nicholas Avenue(646-895-9004) Subway: A, B, C, D to 145th Street
www.theporchnyc.com• Public Records 233 Butler Street
Subway: 2, 3, 4, 5, B, D, N, Q, R to Atlantic Avenue
www.publicrecords.nyc• Rockwood Music Hall 196 Allen Street (212-477-4155)
Subway: F, V to Second Avenue
www.rockwoodmusichall.com• Room 31 at Arlo NoMad 11 E. 31st Street(212-806-7000) Subway: 6 to 33rd Street www.arlohotels.com/nomad• Room 623 at B2 Harlem 271 W. 119th Street(212-280-2248) Subway: B, C to 116th Street
www.room623.com• Rose Theater Broadway at 60th Street, 5th floor(212-258-9800) Subway: 1, 2, 3, A, C, E, B, D, F to Columbus Circle
www.jazz.org• Roulette 509 Atlantic Avenue(212-219-8242) Subway: 2, 3, 4, 5 to Atlantic Avenue
www.roulette.org• St. George Theatre 35 Hyatt Street(718-442-2900) Bus: S74 to Bay Street/Borough Place
www.stgeorgetheatre.com• St. Marks Church 2nd Avenue and 10th Street(212- 674-6377) Subway: 6 to Astor Place• 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• Silvana 300 W. 116th Street(646-692-4935) Subway: B, C, to 116th Street
www.silvana-nyc.com• Sistas’ Place 456 Nostrand Avenue at Jefferson Avenue, Brooklyn(718-398-1766) Subway: A to Nostrand Avenue
www.sistasplace.org• Skirball Center 566 LaGuardia Place at Washington Square(212-992-8484) Subway: B, D, F, V, A, C, E to West 4th Street
www.nyuskirball.org• Smalls 183 W 10th Street at Seventh Avenue (212-252-5091)
Subway: 1 to Christopher Street
www.smallsjazzclub.com• Smoke 2751 Broadway between 105th and 106th Streets(212-864-6662) Subway: 1 to 103rd Street
www.smokejazz.com• Soapbox Gallery 636 Dean Street
Subway: 2, 3 to Bergen Street www.soapboxgallery.org• Sony Hall 235 W. 46th Street(212-997-5123) Subway: N, R, W to 49th Street
www.sonyhall.com• Soup & Sound 292 Lefferts Avenue (between Nostrand and Rogers Avenues)
Subway: 2 to Sterling Street• The Stone at The New School 55 W. 13th Street(212-229-5600) Subway: F, V to 14th Street
www.thestonenyc.com• The Studio 810 Gerard Avenue, Bronx
Subway: 4, B, D to 161st Street-Yankee Stadium• The Sultan Room 234 Starr Street(612-964-1420) Subway: L to Jefferson Street
www.thesultanroom.com• The Times Center 242 W. 41st Street(212-556-4288) Subway: 1, 2, 3, 7, A, C, E, S to 42nd Street-Times Square
www.thetimescenter.com• Town Hall 123 W. 43rd Street(212-997-1003) Subway: 7, B, D, F, M to 42nd Street-Bryant Park
www.thetownhall.org• Tribeca Performing Arts Center 199 Chambers Street(212-220-1460) Subway: A, 1, 2, 3 to Chambers Street
www.tribecapac.org• Trinity Wall Street 89 Broadway(212-602-0700) Subway: 4 to Wall Street
www.trinitywallstreet.org• Village Vanguard 178 Seventh Avenue South at 11th Street(212-255-4037) Subway: 1, 2, 3 to 14th Street
www.villagevanguard.com• The Wayland 700 E. 9th Street(212-777-7022) Subway: L to First Avenue
www.thewaylandnyc.com• Webster Hall 125 E. 11th Street(212-353-1600) Subway: 6 to 14th Street-Union Square• West Bank Café 407 W. 42nd Street(212-695-6909) Subway: A, C, E to 42nd Street
www.westbankcafe.com• Westbeth Artists Complex 55 Bethune Street(212-691-1500) Subway: 1, 2, 3 to 14th Street• Zinc Bar 82 W. 3rd Street(212-477-8337) Subway: A, B, C, D, E, F to W. 4th Street
www.zincjazz.com

THE NEW YORK CITY JAZZ RECORD | DECEMBER 2022 41

(INTERVIEW CONTINUED FROM PAGE 6)TNYCJR: Let’s return, for a moment, to your connection
with Drew. What can you say about that relationship?
MC: First of all, he is a great player. He really tries to
fit in any situation and you know, I encourage him, liketo just go for the jugular. In addition to being a guy
who can play all kinds of complex, wonderful stuff,
he has got this big, fat sound and can make you reallyfeel comfortable on the bottom. He is also a terrificcomposer. We play some of his tunes with the trio.
They’re challenging but rewarding. Not all challenging
tunes have that reward. What inspires me is to seea cool idea in somebody else’s tune and wonder, “whydidn’t I think of that?” Nothing to do but jump in andlearn how to play on the tune. That helps the music
grow and I want to keep growing.
TNYCJR: Do you ever look back on your earlier work?
MC: I generally don’t, but it can be instructive. It issimilar to baseball players who go back and look atvideotapes of their swing when they were doing reallywell, because they’re trying to maximize theirperformance. I’ve had that happen in a masterclasssituation. I’ll find an older recording of mine on YouTube,
which I’ll play for the class to demonstrate a certain
concept. While we’re listening I’m thinking, “Wow, thisguy sounds pretty good, I better get to practicing.” v
For more information, visit marccopland.com. Copland is at
Bar Bayeux Dec. 28th. See Calendar.
Recommended Listening:• Marc Copland–All Blues At Night (Jazz City, 1990)• Marc Copland Trio–Paradiso (Soul Note, 1995)• Marc Copland/David Liebman Duo–
Bookends (hatOLOGY, 2002)• Gary Peacock/Marc Copland–Insight (Pirouet, 2005-7)• Gary Peacock–Now This (ECM, 2014)• Marc Copland–Gary (Piano Solo) (Illusions, 2018)(ENCORE CONTINUED FROM PAGE 10)
Urbie Green’s Big Beautiful Band (Project 3, 1974)
again included Stamm and he has high praise, “It isa marvelous album that displays Urbie’s talents
brilliantly. But then all of Urbie’s albums did this...
over maybe 20 years, I came to know Urbie as botha friend and working colleague…the best of the best.”
In semi-retirement, Green’s yearly appearances at theDelaware Water Gap, PA Celebration of the Arts Jazz
Festival were highly anticipated. Green passed away
on Dec. 31st, 2018, leaving a legacy that lives on intrombonists like virtuoso John Fedchock and Michael
Dease, winner of DownBeat’s 2022 Critic’s poll.
Dease had this to this to say, “Urbie Green had thebest of it all; sound, tone, technique, range anda soulful sense of musicality that was inviting, exciting
and mature all at once…Whenever I need a jumpstart
to my practice regimen, I listen to any of his recordings,
particularly 21 Trombones and The Persuasive Trombone…
and I am inspired by the possibilities Urbie has
unlocked for us all. I love the reactions on my students’faces to their first Urbie Green recording! It is a mix ofwonder, admiration, a little shock and an overwhelming
sense of joy that guarantees Urbie’s artistry will behonored by generations to come.”
Fedchock reveres Green and declares he, “…wasone of the most complete trombone players to ever live.
I discovered his playing at age 16 and he became myhero for life…an ultimate technician with flawless
execution, effortless range and amazing accuracy. Hismusic carried an emotional element that was
unparalleled… A master of the ballad, Urbie could also
improvise in a variety of styles from blues to bebop andcould hang with any tempo…over the years performingwith him was a complete thrill. I was fortunate to be oneof the few trombonists chosen to play one of his solo
parts in a recreation of his legendary 21 Trombones,
performing ‘Stardust’ at the International Trombone
Festival in 2016 with Urbie sitting on stage listening. It
was the last time I saw him and I had him autograph mycopy of the music. It sits in a prominent location in myhome and I will cherish it forever. There was only one
Urbie Green and I feel so lucky to have known him.” v
For more information, visit urbiegreen.com
Recommended Listening:• Urbie Green Septet–New Faces–New Sounds(Blue Note, 1953)• Urbie Green Quintet–Blues and Other Shades Of Green(ABC Paramount, 1955)• Urbie Green–Green Power (Project3 Total Sound, 1971)• John Bunch–John’s Bunch(Famous Door-Progressive, 1975)• Urbie Green–Just Friends (E.J., 1981)• Urbie Green Quintet–Sea Jam Blues (Chiaroscuro, 1995)(BRIC CONTINUED FROM PAGE 13)
buffalo-fringe dress and heeled silver boots, let her feetdo the drumming over a mic’d wooden platform,
executing rolls, cross-beat patterns, two-heel stomps
and other percussive punctuations, whirling her arms
like a windmill, sounding like a conguera on a mambo,
a trap drummer on a jazz waltz, all buoyed by pianist
Mathis Picard’s deft light touches. Last was Lizz
Wright, a southern songstress in the vein of Odetta orTracy Chapman, who wrapped her deep warm altoaround hymns, spirituals and folk songs, new and old,anthems of spirituality and empowerment. Her coverof Neil Young’s “Old Man” featured a dynamic cameo
by Hutchinson, k.d. lang’s “Wash Me Clean” hada tastefully inventive organ solo by David Cook andher unadorned rendition of “Walk with Me, Lord”
inspired some of the most swingfully syncopatedclapping you could expect from an audience.
The second night commenced with Cuban singer/
pianist Melvis Santa’s Jazz Orishas quintet withdrummer Marcus Gilmore playing rumba, bolero andother AfroCuban styles, Santa stepping forward at one
point to chant in Yoruba while beating three doubleheaded batá drums. The most theatrical set of thefestival was singer/multi-instrumentalist Angel Bat
Dawid and movement/spoken word artist Viktor leGiven’s’ suite harriet, inspired by their trip to the homeof underground railroad conductor Harriet Tubman.
Focusing on the theme of “freedom”, le Given jiggled
his spine, sampled myriad instruments strewn acrossthe stage, rapped ‘off the dome’ and riffed on thespirituals “Go Down Moses” and “Wade in the Water”
as he explored various musical/metaphorical paths to
his goal. Dawid soon joined, resplendent in gold lamérobe and long green braids hanging over her face, briefly
experimenting with various clarinets, keyboards andpercussion instruments. A little latter le Given recruited
singers, dancers and musicians from the floor—those
who felt they had “personal audacity from the inside”—
the stage soon swelling to capacity with volunteers, acircus of celebration. As the collective ecstasy began topeak, Dawid suddenly collapsed, prostrate on the floor,
pounding it with fists and feet like a prophetesspossessed, rolling on to her side, lips quivering, finallyrising back to her feet, freedom triumphant. Pianist
Julius Rodriguez displayed lightning fast technique andlimber neo-soul vocals on his quartet set, showing
similar panache accompanying singer José James laterthat night. Tenor saxophonist Chelsea Baratz’ all-female
sextet HERA (vocalist Andromeda Turre, flutist Anne
Drummond, keyboardist Alexis Lombre, bassist Endea
Owens and drummer Shirazette Tinnin) ‘passed the

42 DECEMBER 2022 | THE NEW YORK CITY JAZZ RECORD

mic’ around to every musician, each contributing an
original, Owens’ “Where the Nubians Grow” earning
warm response. Solo keyboardist/saxophonist/vocalist
Sen Morimoto used looping machines and a vocal
harmonizer to concoct gentle swirling soundscapes, a
respite from some of the more hyped up groups. James’
set of Erykah Badu covers was another standout, thesinger/rapper strolling onstage in shades and stripedshepherd’s coat with matching slacks, ritualisticallyrubbing a prayer gong before busting into “On and On”,
his smoky nasal voice equally at home on soulful ballads
and raps. The most exciting aspect of his performance
was its rhythmic flexibility, bassist Ben Williams anddrummer Jharis Yokley maintaining a slippery but firm
beat for James’ break-beat scatting, jerking andscratching his voice like a turntablist. He began theencore with an a cappella rap, tapping his foot, clutchingand pulling ideas out of the air with his right-handfingers as the audience chanted “Flashlight”, throwing
in a bit of Freddie Hubbard’s “Red Clay”.
The final night started with Ajoyo, a sextet blending
Moroccan and Cameroonian grooves and dancehall
electronica with jazz harmonies and melodies,supported by fine solos from guitarist Michael Valeanu
and keyboard player Jesse Fischer. For his dazzlingly
acrobatic set, blind piano prodigy Matthew Whitakerplayed (among other things) a swunky reading of Dave
Brubeck’s “Blue Rondo à la Turk”, left hand on piano,right on synth; a gospel-tinged take on Dr. Lonnie
Smith’s “Pilgrimage” on Hammond B3 organ; MarvinGaye’s “What’s Going On”; and several originals,
quoting Charlie Parker’s “Ornithology” and George
Gershwin’s “Rhapsody in Blue” along the way. Tenor/
alto saxophonist Fefer’s set with guitarist Brandon Ross,
bassist Gregg August and drummer Chad Taylor
overcame sound imbalances to deliver an affecting set,
especially on “Bedouin Dream”, based on a hypnotic
beat structure of 6+7. Trumpeter Brown, anotheralchemist of jazz and hip-hop, pumped the crowd withhis soloing and rapping, switching between a glistening
open tone and a harmonized electronic tone, referencing
both genres: Coltrane’s “A Love Supreme”, Wayne
Shorter’s “Nefertiti”, Badu’s “On and On” (inspired byJames’ set the previous night?) and Drake’s “Hotline
Bling” (the crowd singing lyrics along with Brown’s
processed trumpet tone). His guests included tenor
saxophonists Tomaki Sanders and Baratz and guitarist
Angie Swan while bassist Burniss Travis and drummer
Gilmore kept the beats real. The final gallery set
presented South London tuba phenom Theon Cross,dressed for battle in army fatigues and combat boots,
his face breaking out in a glossy sheen of sweat as hepumped his horn full of warm air, evoking the lovebellow of an amorous water buffalo, his quartet’sswelling electronic drones finally erupting into highspeed danceclub workouts. Closing the ballroom,
delayed due to a non-booting laptop, was the muchhyped Gen-Z duo of French keyboardist DOMi andAmerican trap drummer JD Beck: she playing synth
bass in the left hand (supplemented by foot pedals) in
support of quirky nebulous chords and lightning fast
run-on phrases in the right; he reeling out jittery, similarsounding ‘punk-hop’ grooves with stuttered snare
strokes and tetchy high-hat; together navigating a seriesof erratic but cohesive musical mood swings. Covering
everything from Jaco Pastorius and Wayne Shorter toThundercat and Madvillain, along with originals “NOTTiGHT”, “SMiLE”, “TWO SHRiMPS” and “DUKE/SPACE MOUNTAiN”, the pair were one of a kind.
Something the fest made clear: if jazz hopes toregain its street smarts and reach a broader, more diverse
audience, it doesn’t need to dumb down, sell out orotherwise compromise core values. It will howeverrequire a newer, younger generation to lead the way.
Judging by local crowd responses to these youthful
innovators, that is already starting to happen. v
For more information, visit bricartsmedia.org/bric-jazzfest

(EDGEFEST CONTINUED FROM PAGE 13)
instrumentalists are often superfluous in Hooker ’sgroups—either they can’t be heard or are squeezing
into an already crowded table. Guitarist Hans
Tammen and synthesizer player Theo Woodward
occupied Hooker ’s sonic sphere with enough, anddifferent enough, force actually to complement rather
than being forced to compete.
The Double Duo, Jay Clayton and Ken Filiano(presumably so named because their electronic effects,
although sparingly used, gave each a second voice)appeared next, by means of The Connie Crothers
Legacy Project and paying tribute to Jerry Granelli(with whom Clayton recorded) and the late, great
singer Jeanne Lee. Clayton has been witness to avant
garde since the ’70s and it was a pleasure to share
space with her mind, as well as her unique singing
voice. Bassist Filiano, for his part, proved to be Edge
MVP, later appearing with Michael TA Thompson,
Jason Kao Hwang and WeFreeStrings. Shippconcluded the second night, opening solo with abeautiful, open-ended melody, slowly developing
without quite repeating, written in real time and shot
into space. He is the most geometric of pianists andbassist Michael Bisio and drummer Newman Taylor
Baker were right there with him, filling in every shape
he made.
Festivals come with hard decisions and when
Braxton’s afternoon lecture at University of Michigan
stretched past the two-hour mark, putting Thomas’
start time a little less than close, this reviewer put the
Kerrytown House live-stream on a muted phone as amakeshift means of minimizing FOMO and took
solace in knowing that it, like all the Edgefest streams,
would be available for free later. His set, at least thesecond half, seemed to recap the fest thus far. Ijeoma
Thomas echoed Clayton, in voice and in verse,reflecting on the music itself and recalling Sun Ra in
spirit and to the Wednesday night dedication to
Sanders in Thomas’ tone and beard.
Michael TA Thompson & Sonic Reality played an
extended piece called “Morse Code” with the
drummer tapping out a rhythm defining the full set,
codified by Vinny Golia’s saxophone and Filiano’s
distorted loops, Mara Rosenbloom’s metric piano
keeping step with the light, tight rhythms. A trio of
saxophonist Dave Rempis, violinist Mark Feldman
and drummer Tim Daisy took a wilder ride,
repeating themes in contrasting tempi like a lopsided
clock, occasionally falling into locked, harmonic
patterns. Fay Victor intoned and repeated familiar,
Trump-era phrases with her Mutations for Justice.
They weren’t protest songs (that is a different project);
this was more observational, more documentary thandrama and with a powerful band of violist Melanie
Dyer, bassist Luke Stewart and drummer Michael
Vatcher in a set dedicated to the late trumpeter Jaimie
Branch. Dyer ’s WeFreeStrings, the next afternoon,played a set dedicated to voting rights activist
Fannie Lou Hamer, poet Amiri Baraka and bassist
Fred Hampton, with Wimberley’s light, melodic
drumming sitting, usually, behind the strings. One
can’t help but imagine a Mutations for Strings double
band, with a half-dozen strings and a pair of pinpoint
percussionists playing sung and unsung songs ofunderstated protest.
While nights at the Music House brought fullaudiences of 60 or so, the final evening at the nearby
Bethlehem UCC church attracted about 150, beginningwith Braxton and fellow saxophonist James Fei
playing through a new structure called “Lorraine”
with saxophones and electronics. It was discordant attimes, even mildly abrasive, but there was asurprising, simple beauty to the certainly complex(and many-paged) score. The electronics, with varied
dynamics, sung in a wooden church generously
providing a wonderfully warm sound. The Andrew

Bishop (reeds)/Marc Hannaford (piano) Dectet,
coming out of the University of Michigan Department
of Jazz and Contemporary Improvisation, picked up
the baton, playing Braxton’s compositions 49, 109 and115. The challenge facing ensembles playing Braxton’smusic is that it can easily sound too studied, yetcannot be played without study. Some succeed, suchas Germany’s Ensemble Modern and the ItalianInstabile Orchestra; the dectet’s set fell together withorganic ease, supplanted by the tasteful percussion of
Jonathan Barahal Taylor, who had appeared with theFortune Teller Trio and in other realms plays with thefine pop-leaning electro band Saajtak. After two fullsets of Braxton’s poly-information, it was a bit hard tostay focused in the wooden pew for the closing set by
Hwang’s Burning Bridge and, indeed, the audiencethinned a bit, but the nonet presented a spirited andcosmopolitan set with pipa and electric guitar, tuba
and bass, brass flute and the leader ’s violin.
With small audiences in a small city, Edgefest is
kept alive by a web of financial support. Individualshows are often underwritten by one or another of thepeople sitting in the front row of every show. But it is
not the money that makes it matter. Smart
programming give the fest its Edge and has done sofor what is now officially more than a quarter of acentury. v
For more information, visit kerrytownconcerthouse.com/
edgefest-2022-breathing-free/(BERLIN CONTINUED FROM PAGE 13)
Their exceptional performance thoroughly merited
the consequent standing ovation.
A further strand woven through the festival
explored diverse European folk traditions. Romanianpianist Lucian Ban, violist Mat Maneri and reedplayer
John Surman served up one of the highlights, as they
revisited the repertoire from their Transylvanian Folk
Songs album in the stunning setting of the Kaiser
Wilhelm Memorial Church. Based on the early 20th
Century field recordings of Hungarian composer Béla
Bartók, their concert was simply sublime, as beautiful
songs which have been repositories for centuries ofhuman feelings—pain, tragedy, love, hope—acted as
the basis for soaring interpretations invoking jazz,
improv and classical influences.
Tenor saxophonist Rodrigo Amado supplied
another high point, with his allstar quartet in the
funky confines of Quasimodo. Joining him wereveteran pianist Alexander von Schlippenbach, bassist
Ingebrigt Håker Flaten and drummer Gerry
Hemingway for an hour of incandescent free jazz,albeit leavened by passages of extemporized melody
and meter. With the lexicon of 20th Century music
literally at his finger tips, Schlippenbach wascontinually feeding material to the rest of the group,
be that Monk-ish dissonance, astringent clusters or
dancing lyricism. Hemingway especially was amonster: powerful and incisive, stoking Amado’s
gruff false-fingered reiterations and multiphonicshrieks to new heights, just one manifestation of atremendous chemistry.
One of the pleasures of a festival is the opportunity
to encounter new artists and Berlin was no exception.
Among the many striking bands, the trio of Estonian
pianist Kirke Karja was noteworthy, corrallingclassical drama and bombast with unfettered improv,
which veered from delicacy to caffeinated in an
attention-grabbing amalgam of charts and freedom.
French percussionist Camille Émaille also wasremarkable in her trio OTTO, alongside her partners
Gabriel Valtchev and Pol Small, each wielding atapan, an outsize Bulgarian double-headed drum,
extracting an extraordinary array of timbres,sometimes suggesting a vibrant Steve Reich
minimalism, but both meditative and martial,
relentless and primal, even occasionally danceable.
With their razor sharp interaction and anarchic
spirit, Die Hochstapler came on like a distant relativeof Mostly Other People Do The Killing, fixated on
postbop classics. The spontaneous eruption of highenergy joshing horn lines from alto saxophonist Borel
again and trumpeter Louis Laurain meshed with thetaut but flexible axis of bassist Antonio Borghini anddrummer Hannes Lingens. Possessing a mercurial
quality that was positively dazzling, they imbued thewhole concept of a repertory band with attitude andinsouciant skill.
Other impressive segments included the chamberand swing tussle of Tomeka Reid’s Hemphill Stringtet,
playing works and arrangements by the late Julius
Hemphill, which opened the festival with a nod to
Chicago, and the foot-to-the-floor drive and soloistic
firepower of drummer Gard Nilssen’s SupersonicOrchestra, which closed the festival on one final peak.
Between times, to name just a few, came the constantly
morphing smolder of the Borderlands Trio withpianist Kris Davis, bassist Stephan Crump anddrummer Eric McPherson, the syncopation with acontemporary twist of the Umlaut Big Band and theJohn Coltrane-influenced incantations of reedplayer
Isaiah Collier and The Chosen Few.
Most of the shows were nearly sold-out, showingthat with the right presentation, avoiding the usual
big names in favor of more adventurous art does notmean losing the audience and throws down thegauntlet to festivals elsewhere to program suchcreative music in all its wondrous guises. v
For more information, visit berlinerfestspiele.de

THE NEW YORK CITY JAZZ RECORD | DECEMBER 2022 43