JAZZ LOVERS ARE NOT BORN THEY ARE MADE

An age-old adage in jazz is that if only people had more exposure to it they would learn to love it. Like my Mom used to say about broccoli, "How do you know you don't like it if you won't try it?"

I was lucky. My Dad, then a cop, now a painter/sculptor, used to play "Dixieland drums" on the weekends along with his Louis Armstrong, Kenny Ball and Red Nichols records. My folks would take us down to a Quonset hut next to the L.A. river to hear live trad jazz. It was an Elks Lodge or some such meeting house just downstream and across the "river" from the present day Autry Western Heritage Museum in Griffith Park where my father has some sculpture in their permanent collection. My brother and I would climb through a hole in the chain link fence, scurry down the slanted cement walls of the "riverbed" and forage for tadpole and anything scavenge-able for 7-10 year olds while our parents and their friends would slide the the first pitcher of beer and sack of pretzels listening to the bands.

Once we'd get bored or wet and filthy, we'd head back to the lodge, belly up to the bar for a Coca-Cola in a bottle and sit down in front of the stage. There would generally be 5-8 musicians up there mostly older than my folks by 10-20 years with the occasional young acolyte, playing standard New Orleans fare. "Bourbon Street Blues", "Bill Bailey", Rampart Street Parade", "Tiger Rag" (I loved that one as a kid), "My Mother's Eyes" and on and on. They were transplanted Southern men, for the most part. Many had come West for gigs working in the TV and movie studios. Occasionally they'd bring in a ringer. Someone in town for a big paying gig who would drop by and jam a few numbers with the locals. "The Southern California Hot Jazz Society" was what, I believe, this group of fans and players called themselves. I don't know if they are still in existence.

My mom also loved music. She'd play records by vocalists like Ella Fitzgerald, Steve Lawrence & Eydie Gorme, John Gary as well as the occasional Swing record and show tunes. She also adored taking us to Children's Symphony concerts at the Pasadena Civic where we were exposed to orchestral music. 

So I was lucky, the exposure to music and especially improvised music really set me up for those first jazz records I'd buy on my own at the used LP stores in San Diego while attending college. The first one I really recall twisting my head around was Miles Davis' "Round Midnight" LP featuring John Coltrane. Once in college, with a little expendable cash, I haunted the used record stores and sucked up lots of jazz. I was a huge fan of anything Miles, Monk or Mingus did and LOVED the Brazilian sounds o Flora Purim, Airto, Milton Nascimento, Hermeto Pascoal. I was involved in booking concerts on campus and helped bring a lot of great jazz acts to the school including Sonny Rollins, Weather Report, Art Blakey, The L.A. Four,  Hubert Laws, Freddie Hubbard, Mose Allison, Pat Martino, McCoy Tyner (with John Blake), Leonard Feather, Jean-Luc Ponty, Cobham-Duke Band (with John Scofield & Alphonso Johnson, Elvin Jones, Chuck Mangione, Ron Carter, Tom Waits, Gary Burton, Jan Hammer Group, Noel Pointer, Yusef Lateef, John Klemmer, Oregon, Flora & Airto, Manhattan Transfer, Old & New Dreams (Charlie Haden, Ed Blackwell, Don Cherry & Dewey Redman, and Hiroshima, Stanley Clarke, The Crusaders, among them.

These were just the jazz bands we had on campus. I was hooked, I took Jazz Appreciation classes with Dr. Eddie Meadows, and also hit tons of shows around town by any jazz artists I could find. Places like The Catamaran Hotel in Mission Beach and for a short while Elario's penthouse restaurant in La Jolla were hot spots for national jazz acts. You could go to the Civic Theater downtown and see people like the Milestones Jazz Stars (Rollins/Tyner/Carter/Al Foster) or VSOP (Hancock/Shorter/Carter/Tony Williams/Hubbard) but the number of dedicated jazz venues were fw and far between other than on the college campuses. These days with the establishment of the beautiful downtown cultural area, the town's jazz offerings are more frequent.

My tehn soon-to-be father-in-law also needed someone to attend swing concerts with since his wife and daughters were less likely to go with him while he fed his obsession. Through his tutelage I was lucky to see and in some cases meet many of the great band leaders, singers and players from the golden years of the Big Bands such as Count Basie, Harry James, Lionel Hampton, Benny Goodman, Les Brown, Maynard Ferguson, Sinatra, Rosemary Clooney, Joe Williams, Marshall Royal, Snooky Young, as well as "ghost" bands like Glenn Miller Orchestra, and the bands of Woody Herman and Artie Shaw. I was just old enough to still catch many of the jazz greats who are no longer with us like Dexter Gordon, Stan Getz, Sarah Vaughan, Miles Davis, Alice Coltrane, Hank Jones, Colin Walcott, Ray Brown, Dizzy Gillespie, Gerry Mulligan, Willie Bobo, Jaki Byard, Dannie Richmond, Don Pullen, Joe Farrell, Jaco Pastorius, Joe Zawinul, Tony Williams, Bud Shank, Shelley Manne, Laurindo Almeida, Milt Jackson, Connie Kay, Gerry Niewood, Esther Phillips, T. Lavitz, Tito Puente, Kenny Kirkland, and on it goes.

Once out of school, I couldn't stay out of the music business. I built a log house, worked in the burgeoning video business but never seemed far from a conversation about music and especially jazz. When I made the switch and moved from California to the East Coast in the early 1980s I could only take 100 of my 1200 LPs with me. 30 of them were Miles Davis records. I was in deep, a die hard collector since my first Beatles 45 in 1964. Within a decade, I was pushing 10,000 LPs and the CD thang was just beginning.

The live music scene in Philadelphia was especially strong and had great opportunities for jazz. At clubs like the original Zanzibar Blue and The Ripley Music Hall (both now gone) where you could catch national talent as well as accomplished local heavyweights. Larger crossover and fusion guys played the Chestnut Cabaret (defunct) or the T.L.A. and occasionally a BIG act like Pat Metheny would play the legendary Tower Theater in Upper Darby. Later on the Keswick Theater in Glenside became the go-to spot for fusion, contemporary and groups too popular for the smaller clubs like from straight-ahead legends like Marian McPartland to the chameleon-esque Chick Corea performed there. Philly may get short shrift in the press since many of the great, homegrown talents have made a tradition of leaving for the more fertile jazz climes in NYC just up I-95 but this proximity also allows for artists of note stopping in town more frequently than to cities a greater distance from the jazz center of the universe. Locally you could catch the Sun Ra Arkestra a couple times a year or the masterful saxist Odean Pope regularly at places like the Painted Bride Arts Center. The great Pat Martino still gives lessons from his family home in South Philly when not on the road as one of the predominant guitarists of his generation. For a few years the Afro-American Museum or the Clef Club was a hot spot for shows by the likes of Benny Carter, David Murray, Max Roach, The Art Ensemble of Chicago and many others, the latter still promtes jazz through concerts, education and community outreach.  The Philadelphia Art Museum still has a long-running weekly series Art After 5 on Friday nights. !st Fridays feature international music and all other Fridays feature jazz, drink & food and of course, their world-class art exhibits. Art After 5 has featured everyone from Greg Osby, Jason Moran, Brad Mehldau, Trudy Pitts, Bill Charlap, Trio 3, and hundreds of others. The Academy of Music hosted big names and the KOOL Jazz Festival played multiple venues in town including dates at the large outdoor Mann Music Center where you might see Miles, Dizzy, Blakey, Ella, Herbie, Oscar Peterson, The Heath Brothers etc. over the course of a two-day festival. Nowadays Philly boasts the Kimmel Center, one of the nation's finest performing arts venues for it's most prestigious jazz shows and right around the corner.  Ars Nova Workshop continues to put on dozens of concerts a year featuring the hippest avant-garde musicians and ensembles from around the country and the world, many shows free of charge in unique and varied setting from college classrooms, off the beaten track city parks to venerable old historic buildings. By far one of the premier left-of-center jazz series presented continually in the country. Philly's vibrant jazz history continues to evolve and there is always some new venue or neighborhood embracing the music.

I was also very blessed to have always lived in towns where there was a strong and dedicated jazz radio station or two. In L.A. it was KLON back in the day, now KJaZZ has taken up the standard. KSDS in San Diego was an incredibly vibrant station back in the late 70s and long a major contributor to the popularity of the music in the region. In Philly, WRTI, even when going from 24/7 jazz to jazz all-night and classical all-day, still holds onto some of the hippest programming around with the old school knowledge and good taste of DJs like Philly's own Bob Perkins and the ever challenging, hip and wide-open playlists of J. Michael Harrison's late-night show, "The Bridge" on Fridays which stretches the boundaries of improvised music with great interviews, a dash of poetry and genre-bridging choices.
 
So through the 10 years of owning a jazz-centric record store, booking shows by national jazz acts and later as a publicist for over a decade and a half for some of the greatest jazz legends and legends-to-be, collecting nearly 30,000 pieces of recorded music and memorabilia and enjoying a legion of mind-blowing performances, I have been and always will be indebted to those first Sundays when my folks would take us to the river and anoint us with the jazz spirit.  

As a long-time publicist for the lamentably dissolved IAJE's annual jazz conference, I witnessed first hand each January, 1000s of jazz fans, musicians, educators, students and industry professionals coming together to share their enthusiasm and love for the music. Every year formal panels and informal discussions proliferated asking the same question, "How do we get more people to love jazz?" And often, through all of the hypothetical business models, prospective educational  solutions and harsh economic realities, the answer always seems to hinge delicately on the idea that one must "play it and they will come."

Nearly every time you go into a Starbucks or half of the fine restaurants in the world. You will hear jazz playing in the background at some point during your stay. In a huge portion of the movies in theaters, jazz or jazz influenced music is part of the soundtrack. Commercials constantly pick hip vintage jazz tunes to help them sell their products.

Maybe we just need to get more music out of the pricey concert halls, dwindling clubs and back out on the streets, into the public's ears where it is unavoidable. More free concerts in town squares, more festivals and yes, more jazz for cows.

 The most entranced jazz crowd ever.

I attend some fascinating concerts...in my dreams...

1:35am

Dream –

The first half of the dream is gone but it was long and outdoors…

I’m on a street corner. Nighttime. I walk across the street into a small parking lot between two older, brick storefront, mid-block. I am talking to someone who is telling me a story they heard from, “You know that guy that lives out here who is a bit messed up but otherwise cool.”  A white rental van starts up in the space I (alone now) am standing in front of. There are two guys, 20s, brown hair, typical looking, in the front seat looking suspicious, like they’ve just been caught smoking pot or something. One talks to me and I hear them even though he doesn’t look to be yelling and the windows are all rolled up. He was asking directions. I point how to get out of the lot the back way, through a chain link fence. 

As I watch them pull away, to my right, something moves. I seem to know it’s the “messed up” street guy I was told about. He’s young, mid-late 20s. Blond and bearded, tall and looks clean. He’s pushing a weird sort of gondola on wheels covered with an Army-green canvas. He says hello as if he knows me and we walked out the driveway toward the sidewalk. When we get there we see my friend Greg Bierman who is also going to the concert/rave/event (?). We go right on the sidewalk and we are on Duarte Road, across the street from the back corner of Hinshaw’s in West Arcadia. We stand at the traffic light talking about the concert. Someone presses the crosswalk button and we wait. As we finally cross, “Messed Up Guy" leaves his gondola there at the corner. “No one will bother it.” We cross the street and Greg is checking little address numbers on the glass doors of Hinshaw’s and finds the right one. “This is where it is?” I say, surprised. “Yeah, it’s in some kind of conference room.”

We walk inside. It is a pretty luxurious seeming room. Everyone is dressed fairly nice and I see a lot of faces that I recognize. Back East music scene people. I am, of course, naked but have a soft yet roughly textured olive covered blanket, lightweight it seems but overflowing, wrapped over my shoulders covering everything nicely except my chest hair. I feel sure that someone will notice my odd raiment but no one does. My ex-wife, Lynn, looking basically like she does today, has reserved a flat, highly polished very low table. Japanese, on which we are to sit on little cushion. I wonder if “Messed Up Guy" will sit with us and I wonder if he will stink.

She is sitting just behind this table on a stool. To our right is a guy standing at a tall soundboard. It is a young Joey Calderazzo (which is weird since the group billed is Keith Jarrett, Jack DeJohnette and others and Joey is also a pianist). He speaks softy to the crowd, asking everyone to now be quiet and they take their seats. I ask Lynn what the news is and she says, “Not good. Kidneys.” The implication in the dream is that it is a diagnosis she just got back. I decide to not tell her about my health. “No Ed?” I whisper instead and she shakes her head side-to-side which makes sense for I know I was just with them somewhere and Ed was going to be working at home that night. She steps off the stool, gives me a hug and comes around to two of the places (cushions) facing the stage. I think, “Good, I didn’t want to sit hunch-necked and backwards all night.”

As the music softly starts, a light short acoustic piano figure is followed by a very quiet woodwinds wash and then some bowed acoustic bass. Subtle and atmospheric sounds with very little movement. People are sitting low, on the floor in front of us and I wonder if I will be able to stay awake through this since I got no sleep the night before. I consider asking her to poke me if I snore but it is too quiet to talk and I’m sure she would poke me anyway. She turns and whispers, of course, “Nice blanket.” Hahaha. That’s my girl.

In front of us is a not quite opaque curtain made of what looks like soft roughly textured material pleated thickly like a theater curtain. It is lit softly from in front and behind. The impression is that the musicians are behind it playing. There are strongly lit big squares or perhaps projections of rich color on the curtain. I somehow know that the piece of music is titled “Journey in Three Colors”. I wonder if the screen will ever go up. I surmise that this could be Jarrett being elitist, or pretentious or it could be some kind of sense-experiment where the colors are controlling the music or vice-versa. I also consider that if we never see musicians just a curtain, Lynn might bail, people may boo or start getting rammy and chatty since the music is so soft and static. I’m very curious to see what happens. I realize that we are more reclined than sitting up straight, our legs out before us. I hope I can stay awake.

On the screen is what at first looks like a list of songs or credits as if on an album cover but when I look at the left column, I realize it is sort of like poetry that describes the color and action of the story while mentioning what the instruments represent. It seems to be changing in real time to the sounds being heard. Unfortunately, I can’t retain the opening lines of the poem.

In the dream, I wake up and I am in another part of the room looking in another direction, at a different more traditional stage set up. I'm sitting in another group of chairs/stools with Greg and a woman who is my date or someone I am dating who also happens to be there. The room behind us is crowded. There is a stage in front of us, which seems off to the right and on a wall perpendicular to the previous stage. Singing in front of a royal blue rich velvet, gold-trimmed curtain is Merle Haggard and to his left is a tall, balding guy playing a bass guitar. Merle is holding a trumpet in his hand, fingering though not playing it. He is singing the line from Emmylou Harris’s song <that I actually played in my gig earlier yesterday>, “I was Feeling Single, Seeing Double / wound up in a whole lotta trouble. / But today I’ll face the big fight / ‘cause I really had a ball last night.” When he repeats the last line, he comes to the C#7 chord and really emphasizes the trumpet as if meaning “Here’s the chord…pay attention,” towards the bassist who misses the note but plays one that almost works. The song ends and I hear him say top the bassist off mic, “That was that C#7 I warned you about.” The crowd claps excitedly and Merle walks off the stage.

I see him walk out onto a balcony off to the right of the stage. It’s like a high school gym balcony with tall wooden folding bleachers filled with people standing and applauding. Merle is walking along the front with a large entourage of people. At first I think he is going to sing from there with a wireless mic but he is walking across the front of the balcony toward the exit on the right. It must be break time. 

From where I stand, somehow looking down on him, though it seems like more of a close-up camera angle than what I should be seeing from where I sit below, he is wearing HUGE light blue dungarees. So are his entire entourage (about 7-8 guys). The POV I am seeing is only their legs and you can’t see their shoes because the flare of the pant legs are so huge. Like rapper/rave boy jeans. A couple of them are dragging behind them what look like fake big ball and chains, like prison guys of old, coming out from under these huge pant legs. The music being played to their exit is a big band version of Merle’s famous prison song, “Mama Tried”.

I turn and Lynn is across the room getting up from her seat. The seat next to her where I had been sitting is filled by someone I don’t know and I feel bad for it seems I must have left her sitting there to go say hello to someone between acts and fell asleep and never gone back.

I feel horrible about it and literally wake up on the couch having fallen asleep at 7:30 last night when I got home from town. I had laid down for a nap and set my cell phone alarm for 9pm. I remember hitting the snooze key 5-6 times and I guess it finally gave up on me. I had finally got up at 1:30am and had to jot this dream down before I lost it. Now, I’ve some editing to do on my father’s new art book and need to watch this movie, MY IDIOT BROTHER that my cousin lent me tonight and wants to get back back on his way to work at 8am today. I’m wide-awake, after 6 hours of dreaming.

Charter for Compassion

Charter for Compassion

CD REVIEW: STATE OF ART by Ben Williams

            Young bassist Ben Williams, while schooled in the music of his predecessors makes a hip statement here about the state of jazz music today on his Concord Jazz debut, State of Art. In the liner notes he states his respect and love for the music of the past but also sees this album as his “honest and humble attempt at expressing (musically) what it means to be alive in 2011.” In interpreting the music of Stevie Wonder, Michael Jackson, and Goapele as well as his own compositions, he believes that “The great American Songbook is an open book to which we should continue to add pages.” And yes, this has always been a huge part of the jazz tradition itself: reflecting a modern spin on the state of the world in the present.

            A solid and spirited bassist, Williams has surrounded himself with a young crew of his peers who obviously embrace the same sense of NOW in their approach to Williams’ vision. Saxophonists Jaleel Shaw (Mingus Big Band, Roy Haynes Quintet) and Marcus Strickland (Haynes, Jeff “Tain” Watts, Tom Harrell, Dave Douglas) as well as pianist Gerald Clayton are all accomplished leaders in their own right.

            The uplifting vibe of the music throughout is refreshing, especially on Williams’ own compositions including “Mr. Dynamite”, a modern take on a groove-based, mid-60s soul/jazz trip featuring a fun bowed bass solo. Even the more laid-back tunes on the disc have a palpable positive strength to them. 

            The leader’s short original intro to Michael Jackson’s “Little Susie” is a wonderful minute and a half bass solo highlighting his warm tone and fluid touch. Shaw’s soprano sax is featured on this decidedly jazzy take on this Williams’ hip arrangement of this pop chart. This tune features a stroing quartet which is also wonderfully incorporated on the Goapele cover, “Things Don’t Exist”.

            The most noticeable diversion from form here is the tune, “The Lee Morgan Story” which features emcee John Robinson rapping his own composition about the legendary trumpeter. Guest star Christian Scott fills the Lee Morgan role with his winding trumpet lines. Other than this track, the CD is an all-instrumental affair.

             There are a couple of older pieces here illuminating Williams feel for what came before. Woody Shaw’s great tune “Moontrane” comes early in the program to keep your ears attuned to the fact that this release is versed in the masters as well as embracing today’s world. Ending the CD is a more straight-ahead arrangement of the standard “Moonlight In Vermont” . Guitarist Matthew Stevens and Clayton play wonderfully off of each other her. Stevens also really shines on the solo laden burner, “November” 

            Also of note are the tasty contributions of drummer Jamire Williams, percussionist Etienne Charles throughout. Expect great things from Ben Williams and his bandmates for years to come. State of Art is a sterling introduction.
             DC native, Williams was winner of the prestigious Thelonious Monk International Jazz Competition in 2009. This led to his signing by Concord Records. He has worked with Wynton Marsalis, Terence Blanchard, Mulgrew Miller and Roy Hargrove among others. If State of Art is any indication, you will be hearing much from this ambitious and talented young musician.

- A short interview with Ben Williams

- Hear all of the music from State of Art on YouTube. Here’s track 1: “Home”

6th Annual JazzTrax Summer Music Festival in Big Bear Lake

It has been a hectic summer this year. Now back in Big Bear Lake, I have been gigging like a madman and getting down off "the hill" sporadically to catch shows in Southern California and a few short trips East. It is all too rare when a national act comes up the mountain to Big Bear Lake and when we get them it is always a big occasion for music fans up near the 7000 feet mark. The Skeleton Key Folk Music Center, the town's best kept secret for free weekly local and regional music had one of their first national acts earlier in the year when folk/country songwriter Butch Hancock came to town from Texas for an intimate concert. Granted the natl. acts here are ticketed events but Hancock was well worth the price of admission playing a wonderful set of his funny, poignant and savvy originals. He even got the house band, Skeleton Key up for a mini-set at one point.

The Letterman also play a yearly gig in town as well as city sponsored concerts at The Discovery Center and at the Swim Beach. Maria Muldaur played this summer and previous concerts have featured America, Marcia Ball, and many others. But jazz music is sporadic at best. We did have bebop and country guitar master Jackie King in town a couple of years back. Willie Nelson, Jimmy Witherspoon, Chet baker, Ray Charles are just a few the names on his CV. He played a magnificent solo jazz set and then joined my local group Porch Jones for 2+ hours of country, rock, blues and Bob Dylan tunes. Keep dreaming if you expect to see straight-ahead or outside jazz artists up here very often though the location and proximity to L.A. would make for a great, hip jazz festival. Perhaps an ancillary, smaller version of the spectacular Angel City Jazz Fest that happens in L.A. each year.

One area of jazz that DOES get some action on the mountain is SmoothJazz. Okay, if you know me you may be surprised to see me writing about a SmoothJazz festival. I admit, it is not my favorite genre of music and yes, in an uncharacteristic moment I told Kenny G he "sucked" to his face many years ago. What a couple of cocktails and an opening act horning over his allotted time can do to someone waiting to hear Miles Davis. Apologies, Mr. G. You're the millionaire, I'm not. So what do I know. Though I stand by my comments.

Anyway, I will also mention that it is not the standard hate rap against SmoothJazz that I beat a drum to.  But, we all know that even the best SmoothJazz can remind one of a) soul music rid of it's funky heart b) music to shop or ride elevators by or c) background for "your local weather on the 8's" if heard out of context.

Wait, context? Well, maybe the best context is exactly what many of the best SmoothJazz festivals give their audiences--bright, sunny music in vacation-like settings...rolling vineyards, exotic tropical beach fronts or lakeside in a beautiful mountain resort with plenty of good food and libations.

Somehow all of that sunshine, all of those wine-flushed cheeks of the exuberant if a tad slurry crowds dressed in their splendiferous summer duds just brings out the best in this music. Who says you can take the music out of the elevator but you can't take the elevator out of the music?

Still, I'd rather hear this music in this setting instead of mixed into an otherwise straight ahead jazz program. I do admit having worked PR on records by great SmoothJazz forefathers like The Yellowjackets and Acoustic Alchemy. I also booked Hiroshima, Spyro Gyra, and a plethora of fusion bands into SDSU back in the mid-late 70s, so I'm not adverse to the music when done with a bit of integrity and jazz harmonized solos by major players. I also LOVED almost everything on CTI Records back in the day which was really the precursor to the whole genre but which featured some jazz heavyweights such as George Benson, Ron Carter, Hubert Laws, Paul Desmond, Herbie Hancock, Stanley Turrentine, etc etc. So I am not tone deaf to the genre's intricacies and possibilities. Just often let down by the commercial elements and sameness tonally these days. So would I generally be prone to a full day, much less a weekend of this music? Not generally, but this is Big Bear and a day in the sun, on the beach just may get me motivated.

The 6th Annual Big Bear Lake JazzTrax Summer Music Festival in what is called Southern California's only "four season resort" proves just that. Growing every year through the fine promotion efforts of JazzTrax, the city of Big Bear Lake and local sponsors, the festival has quickly grown accustomed to its recent digs on the Floating Stage Lakeside Lawn on the beach of the Marina Resort. In conjunction with Nottingham's Restaurant & Tavern across the street who catered the event, the perfect weather, ideal setting and strong line-up the weekend of June 24-26 made this wonderful start of the Big Bear summer tourist season.

Friday night featured a smaller scale concert under the tent by Chris Standring while Saturday's line-up ran from 2-8pm and included Marcus Anderson, Johannes Linstead and crowd-favorite Warren Hill. There was even an after-party at Nottingham's Robin Hood Resort featuring DJ Johnathan Phillips.

But Sunday's crowds even topped the previous days with a line-up of genre favorites. You saxophonist Jackiem Joyner opened the day with a modern, funky set followed by long-time Smooth Jazz superstar Marion Meadows and his impeccable band. A little soprano sax goes a long way with me so I was antsy by the time the band got around to the proto-rap anthem "Rapper's Delight". Why this decidedly non-jazz cover? Marian Meadows bassist of nearly 18 years, Chip Shearin was recently inducted into the Rock N Roll Hall of Fame as bassist on this seminal hip-hop classic from the Sugarhill Gang. Meadows even asked if there was any in the crowd who knew the word. A couple of brave women grabbed their moment of (out-of-tune) glory and hopped up on stage to the crowds amusement.

Closing the day was the penultimate SmoothJazz showman, guitarist Peter White. I must make note here that while I did work for a PR firm that has worked Peter White's records over the years, I never personally was his publicist. As a guitar player, I was impressed by his touch and tastefulness. Always, tossing in a sneaky quote from a 70s hit or a slick jazz harmony to spice things up when the music verged on the predictable. Most impressive though to me, a novice at Smooth fests, was White's easy rapport and natural stage presence and connection with the audience. Always opting for fun instead of heaviness even on tunes that bordered on the overly dramatic.

Most importantly, White knows his crowd. His set is peppered with silky covers of easily recognizable hits from the 60s and seventies as well as groove oriented jazzier numbers which allow the band some room to stretch. Like most Smooth acts though the solos lean heavily on the leader's signature sound. Even in a band with ringers such as Eric Marienthal on tenor and alto sax and Gregg Karukas on keys, both among the A-list purveyors on their respective instruments in the genre today, White took the lion's share of the spotlight. He played well-thought out and articulated solos through out the near 90 minute set. The rhythm section of Eric Valentine (who also backed Meadows) and bassist/vocalist Nate Phillips was propulsive throughout.

I wasn't hip to the titles of the first two tunes White played but the crowd sure was, leaping to their feet as the tunes transitioned one into the other. The third tune was a bit of Western pastiche called "Ramon's Revenge" which told the story of a friend's roller coaster love affair. White even tucked a humorous quote from the cowboy anthem "Ghost Riders In The Sky" into his solo. Next was a tastefully emotive number White wrote about the famous jazz space in Austin called "Caravan of Dreams" which featured Marienthal on a warm but too-short solo.

Commenting on the weather on his first trip to Big Bear Lake, White began the next number with a few bars of Johnny Nash's reggae hit, "I Can See Clearly Now" before thrilling the crowd with a tender mid-tempo version of Stevie Wonder's "My Cherie Amour" with ended with a brief quote of the standard "It Had To Be You". Don't quote me on that last title. i was scrambling to find a pen that worked at that point.

As the band vamped White, who communicated warmly with the crowd all night, told the audience that they weren't really playing a song just "warming up before we actually get to the song...don't try this at work, your boss won't appreciate it." Karukas even teased White into a short quote of the Rolling Stones' "Miss You" riff before they eventually landed on a shimmering take on the Isley Brothers' hit "Who's That Lady". This segued into a wah-wah fueled guitar figure for The Temptations classic "Papa Was A Rolling Stone" with White and Phillips splitting the vocal chores.

Next up was the beautiful song dedicated to his mother back in England, White's "My Prayer" followed by White's daughter's favorite song, "Bright". Taken from White's latest release, this he dedicated to the late NBA and SmoothJazz all-star Wayman Tisdale.

"We'll go back again to my 'big hair' album called Reflections for this one." They played a gorgeous version of the Bee Gees "How Deep Is Your Love". And on the set went...long and with lots of treks into the crowd to pose with folks and virtually play to nearly every corner of the joint. They even got down on the right end of the pier/stage and kicked their feet in the water while they played. Fans waded out into the water to get pictures and be close. It was a very interactive set with the crowd.

As the sun went down behind Butler Peak, the band was still playing Eric Marienthal's arrangement of the Les McCann/Eddie Harris classic "Compared to What". This was one of those rare gigs where the venue truly helped me enjoy the music much more than I would have in a normal boring auditorium. The folks that put on this fest and their longer, bigger festival on Catalina island know exactly what their fans are looking for and know just how to provide it. If SmoothJazz is your thing then make a point of attending next year's Big Bear Lake Jazz Festival. You can't go wrong.

LET'S NOT FORGET CORNELL DUPREE & JOE MORELLO

Better late than never...I wanted to be sure to not miss talking a bit about two of the music world's great musicians who passed away earlier this year.

Within two months of each other this past Spring, the music world lost two masterful musical treasures. JOE MORELLO, the innovative jazz drummer passed on March 11th and one of the major unsung heroes of the electric guitar, the great CORNELL DUPREE died on May 8th. Dupree was 68 years old and Morello, 82.

Having recorded on more that 2500 recording sessions, the word among musicians and fans alike was that Dupree always made everyone he played with sound better. His round tone and biting attack somehow complimented each other while his speed, tasteful choices and stylistic diversity made him an in-demand session man and band member.

If you have been collecting music for more than the past 5-10 years you will undoubtedly have numerous records in your stash featuring the smoldering licks of the always slick and tasty Mr. Dupree. Just a small illustration of the breadth and influence of this largely unheralded master, check out this very minor sampling of his session work. He has recorded with:

- King Curtis:

"Memphis Soul Stew"

- Esther Phillips

- Rahsaan Roland Kirk

- Wilson Pickett

- Freddy King

- Gabor Szabo

- Lulu

- Aretha Frankin

- Laura Nyro

- Les McCann

- David 'Fathead' Newman

- Carmen McRae

- Eddie Harris

- Leon Thomas

- Herbie Mann

- Grover Washington, Jr.

- Archie Shepp

- B.B. King

- Donny Hathaway

- Rufus Thomas

- Eddie Palmieri

- Stanley Turrentine

- Bette Midler

- Sonny Stitt

- Duane Allman

- Guess Who

- James Brown

- Lou Donaldson

- Billy Cobham

- Ashford & Simpson

- Jackie DeShannon

- Maggie Bell

- Buddy Rich

- Big Mama Thornton

- Hank Crawford

- Eddie 'Cleanhead' Vinson

- Michel Legrand

- Ian Hunter

- Ringo Starr

- Elvin Jones

- Etta James

- Gladys Knight

- The Average White Band

- Carly Simon

- Chaka Khan

- John Mayall

- The Crusaders

- Sam Cooke

- Michael Franks

- Lou Rawls

- Lightnin' Hopkins

- Lena Horne

- Andy Gibb (yes, Andy Gibb)

- Mariah Carey

- Delbert McClinton

- David Sanborn

- LaVern baker

- Dakota Staton

- Jackie Wilson

- Yusef Lateef

- Grant Green

- Duke Ellington

- Ray Charles

- Peter Wolf

- Jack McDuff

- Dusty Springfield

- Sam Moore

- Quincy Jones

- Brook Benton

- David Ruffin

- Miles Davis

- The Gadd Gang:

"Watchin' The River Flow":

More Gadd Gang "Signed, Sealed, Delivered" (not Stuff as it claims)

Many of you folks of my generation know him from his work on Paul Simon's There Goes Rhymin' Simon or his work from the mid-70s with Joe Cocker. Dupree appeared on these records with his bandmates in STUFF, who released five records for Warner Brothers during the same period. This particularly prolific period for Dupree also found him recording and releasing his first records as a leader.

Cocker was a wreck on this tour but Stuff was the tightest, most inspired band he'd ever front. Here's an audio track from the tour. Listen to guitarists Dupree and Eric Gale wail!

During his recording career, his guitar playing on his own records was as diverse and genre busting as his work as a sideman. Always with a round tone and smooth, tasteful choice of notes, both his rhythm and lead playing were funky and soulful whether playing rhythmic soul numbers of more expansive jazz melodies. His late 80s/90s output was decidedly more jazzy with 1992's live UNCLE FUNKY and 1994's BOP N BLUES being among my favorites. COAST TO COAST WAS NOMINATED FOR A GRAMMY IN 1988.

"Sunny":

I recently spotted Dupree near the end of the wonderful documentary on reclusive singer Bill Withers. Withers has disappeared from the recording and live performance scene for many years and near the end of this illuminating film, we see Withers re-inspired and joining Dupree for an impromptu live version of the singer's own "Grandma's Hands". A stirring and soulful moment.

There is a ton of Dupree video on YouTube. Check out any of it...

The tasteful sounds of Cornell Dupree live on in our music collections.

##

If the only session he ever cut was Dave Brubeck's "Take Five", Joe Morello's place in musical history would be assured. The fact is that he was a vital force in the Dave Brubeck Quartet during the years when they were not only the most popular jazz band in the world but a band who brought jazz back onto the pop charts and influenced a nation of college kids and jazz fans with their popularization of non-traditional time signatures, their melodic compositions and impeccable group interplay. In the rhythm section alongside bassist Eugene Wright, Morello redefined jazz drumming for a generation of music students. 

He was child violin prodigy playing with the Boston Symphony at age 6 but by the time he turned 15 he had decided that the drums were his musical calling. He studied and played around Springfield, MA before heading out on the road with Grand Old Opry star, guitarist Hank Garland. In short order he found himself drawn to NYC where he begins getting gigs with the likes of Sal Salvador, Stan Kenton Big Band, Tal Farlow, Gil Melle, Jimmy Raney and really  began to make a name for himself with pianist Marian McPartland's Hickory House Trio (with bassist Bill Crow) in New York in the early 50s. He passed on stints with Benny Goodman and Tommy Dorsey to take a two-month tour with Dave Brubeck that would up lasting over 12 years.

When Brubeck disbanded the Quartet in 1968, Morello dove head first in academics given private lessons, clinics, lectures, etc. As a drum teacher he is raved about by all of his former students. He has mentored many young drummers through private lessons and instructional videos.

Delaware based drummer for the band Kombu Combo, John DiGiovanni remembers Joe:

"I took some lessons with Joe at Glenn Weber's Drum Shop in West Orange, where he'd been teaching for years. I don't know if he was completely blind at this point, but he didn't need to see well to know what I was doing! He was older at this point but he still had those blazingly fast hand chops. I was working through his Master Studies book at the time, putting 2 to 4 hours a day into it. Joe kept directing me to his teacher George Stone's book, Stick Control, which he basically took and made 10 times more challenging. The Master Studies book is arguably the best book for getting your hands together. Very unassuming and humble guy he was, and I wish I could have had more time with him. 

"Joe was one of the very best, one of the few drummers who could give Buddy Rich a run for his money, chops- wise, plus he had all of that sensitivity and great timing. After all, he played on the most famous jazz recording of all time!"

He eventually formed his own bands and played almost exclusively around the NYC area finding time over the years to record on over 120 records (including 60 with Brubeck).

Here are some examples of the late, great Joe Morello in action.

 

 Sounds of the Loop:

Take FIve in 1995 on Conan O'Brien

Heard here with Marian McPartland and Bill Crow in 1955:

and an hour long Drum Method video from Joe for all you drummers out there...don't say I never did anything for ya!

RYAN ADAMS: New Solo Tour Dates, NPR First Listen & Conan

New Solo Tour Dates, NPR First Listen & Conan

ARCHIVAL CD REVIEW - RYAN ADAMS & THE CARDINALS - III/IV

Having just listened to the brand spanking new Ryan Adams CD, Ashes & Fire about a dozen times on the free NPR stream, I am going to start digesting post gush and write about it but first let me pull s little something from the archives before it turns. I was gonna lay this review on y'all last year but got distracted by life and other roadblocks. Here's my review of the previous Ryan album. Okay, so I'm a little laid back. I wrote the review of Ryan's III/IV immediately after hearing it many months ago and then decided not to post it until I'd listened a few more times but never got around to a re-write. Here is the initial rushing spew in all of its flush-cheeked exuberance.

Watch for the new review of Ashes & Fire in a day or two...the CD comes out on October 11. Pre-order here. I just spent hours deciphering and scrawling out the new lyrics, learning a few chord changes for my next gig and ordering it on Amazon. In the meantime listen it here while it is still up on NPR and buy his entire catalog.   

RYAN ADAMS - III/IV

Buy RYAN ADAMS III/IV now!...especially if you like The Strokes, Todd Rundgren, 80s power pop, Pretenders...his most rockin' record all the way through in ages...outtakes from Easy Tiger (Bonus CD) ...but this sounds so different than that wonderful album. Most of the tunes on this 2 CD set would have radically changed the vibe of that disc. Welcome back Ryan and Cardinals...keep 'em comin'.

Now, I'm one of these guys who can't believe that this guy isn't just the biggest thing ever but then again, I wouldn't want that because then he'd be even more pissy about the state of the bidness and maybe even quit again and I like him right where he is--big enough to be always striving for more vision and more expression. This guy is a craftsman first and foremost but not in the Steely Dan/Eagles pristine production way. More in the intense ability he has to make basic rock n roll songs sound unique and compelling through myriad sections, leaps of melodic faith, and memorable riffs. The thing about almost ALL of his records and the last couple in particular are how much is revealed on subsequent listens. Just when you think there are no hooks, they pull ya back in. On the next listen you feel inundated with them. This is music that is not obvious. My how refreshing he has become in today's rock world.

For those who don't know this guy HE RIPS! Any of his numerous previous albums are full of well-crafted songs, compassionate vocals and bottom line just a glimpse into one of the eras most prolific and accomplished singer/songwriters. And the Cardinals are what The Band used to be for Robbie Robertson...a songwriter's best friend: a group that can play any style you throw at them well.

There's a pretty direct paean to Tom Petty on the first disc's "Stop Playing With My Heart". But from past releases, you'll know that Adams is most definitely not afraid to wear his influences on his sleeve. I hear Todd R mostly in some of his vocal phrasing ("Kisses Start Wars" and the tune that immediately follows it "Crystal Skull", for instance).

                        Kisses Start Wars

There's a edgy hint of the Costello-esque in the slashing rhythm guitar figures here and there, but not much Dead or country or Neil Young this time out (but don't miss his last 3-4 for that tip). "NUMBERS" reminds me of X playing a Pete Townshend tune circa The Who Sell Out until the bridge which is pure Ryan.

 

Numbers                                      

"Sewers At the Bottom of the Wishing Well" melds The Clash with The Byrds, Crazy Horse with an opening riff halfway to The Beatles' "Please, Please Me". How hip is that!

         Sewers at the Bottom of the Wishing Well

He even gets a bit of Freddie Mercury overbite on in "Star Wars" which is just a weirdly cool song. He gets slagged for being prolific but bottom line is, I've downloaded buckets of unreleased outtakes from this guy that put many of the present day chartbusters to shame. Rock on, baby.

Adams' albums are like those of Neil Young or David Bowie in that you always know a) that it's him b) that it will be interesting, c) that it may just be very different and unexpected from what you previous know but d) that it will always be quality and always be compelling. Sure we all have our favorites (I'm a Cold Roses and Easy Tiger guy), and like Neil and Bowie, there are always masterpieces to exist alongside near misses and blunders. But in the big picture, such is life. That these guys consistently just put it out there, diving in, heart first, craft second, critics/audience/sales somewhere farther down the list is a call for discerning listeners to keep supporting them, keep listening, keep buying tickets. Give these sonic poets their canvas and let `em run with it.

Since his recent marriage to pop/movie star Mandy Moore and his "retirement" from music, this surprising release was a wonderful treat. Recorded in 2007 during sessions for the Easy Tiger album, these 21 tunes have more bite and no real country.folky vibe like lots of his output with the Cardinals. This is a ROCK record, teasingly referencing Ryan's earlier incarnations pre-Cardinals. Here he has modernized his alt-rock pose from years ago, left the Grateful Dead references behind. A bit of arena rock grandiosity, barroom brawling 80s edge, some punk simplicity with a dash of hippie metal. Fun and somehat tossed off, not as desperately rockin' as his pre-sobriety music but no real twang as he's recently courted either.

While this holds up well, there is still something of a feeling that it is a stop-gap release while Ryan rejuvenates himself, folds his prodigious radar around his new muse and waits to see what shakes out next time. With Adams, like the best of his forebears you never can tell what will come next...and you can't wait!

(Obviously, "next time" is HERE on Oct. 11 and here's a tease...if you haven't already checked out the full stream of Ashes & Fire on NPR...this is a solo acoustic version of the lead track, "Dirty Rain". The album version has some band on it though subtle and tasty...)

CONCERT REVIEW ARCHIVES: LE BUTCHERETTES

Where: The Echo, Echo Park, CA
When: March 11, 2011 opening for Mike Watt + Missingmen

I was inspired by the Watt show Sunday to troll around YouTube for some vids of LE BUTCHERETTES, the opening band from the MIKE WATT + THE MISSINGMEN Hyphenated-man performance at the Echo back on March 11 of this year.

Le Butcherettes were one of those rare, killin' opening bands that you can't wait to see again. Their latest incarnation features from Guadalajara, firecracker mouthpiece Teri Gender Bender on vocals, guitars, keys, serpentine motion and stage diving, Jonathan Hischke from Hella on bass, and Gabe Serbian from The Locust on drums. Tight and jugular pumping garage-punk. Here are a three vids from this very show to shove what you missed in your face....and a mersh vid or two...THE SOUND IS LOUD AND VOCALS PRACTICALLY BURIED ON THE LIVE TRACKS SO IF YOU CAN'T HANG TRY THE LAST TWO VIDS.....WIMPS

THE DEVIL LIVED and New York:

HENRY DON'T GOT LOVE:

BREATHE YOU IN:

BANG -

NEW YORK -

 

UPCOMING 2011  TOUR DATES

• Nov 1

  Santos Party House New York, NY

• Nov 2

  Milkboy Philadelphia, PA

• Nov 3

  Ottobar Baltimore, Maryland

• Nov 4

  Subterranean  Chicago, Illinois, US

• Nov 6

  Fun Fun Fun Fest - Orange Stage  Austin, Texas

• Dec 1   opening for Iggy & The Stooges

  The Palladium   Los Angeles, CA

  Dec 4  opening for Iggy & The Stooges  
  The Warfield  San Francisco, CA
• Dec 6      opening for Iggy & The Stooges
  The Warfield  San Francisco, CA

More on LE BUTCHERETTES Here 

Their official MySpace page 

Funk legend Sly Stone homeless and living out of a van in Los Angeles - NYPOST.com

Funk legend Sly Stone homeless and living out of a van in Los Angeles - NYPOST.com

CONCERT REVIEW: MIKE WATT & MISSINGMEN IN PEDRO

Where: TriArt Fest, Ports o' Call, San Pedro, CA
When: Sunday, September 25

Mike Watt + The Missingmen with Norton Wisdom at TriArt Fest 9/25/11. Photo by Skipper Jeff

 You know, I been hooked on the thud staff since I heard the MINUTEMEN for the first time back in the early 80s, saw the Ball Hog or Tugboat tour date in Philly at the Troc and many firehose and Watt shows since. But digging into his third punk opera, hyphenated-man (clenchedwrench) has been a brain shank of wondrous weirdness. Every time I tackle it again something else resonates wildly. As one who was a longtime BoschHead and near the same age as Watt this concept really feels thumpy, close to chest bone.

photo by Skipper Jeff

"This is based on the little creatures in Hieronymus Bosch's painting. The songs are the little creatures," Watt explained to fans in the parking lot of the TriArt Fest just after he and THE MISSING MEN finished their first local performance of the opera in Watt's long-time home town of San Pedro, California. Pedro is the working class town at the port of Los Angeles where Watt has been a leader of the local music scene for two decades now. He's staged shows to help raise funds for a community p.a. system shared by the local punk bands and performs free whenever he can generally on bills that help draw attention to the phalanx of talented bands from Pedro and surrounding beach communities.

Read Uncle Ray's essay on hyphenated-man

NY Times review and Watt spiel here.

This was my second live exposure to the full hyphenated-man. I'd been tingly when I heard Watt was heading out for the 51-gigs-in-52-days tour this past Spring. I was only able to grab a ducat for the 2nd show of the tour on March 11 in Echo Park but it was worth the haul down the hill. That gig was pumped and miles fun if a tad clammy so early in the trek. The vibe was deep, the fans crunchy into it and the Echo as always a great spot for a gig. And check out the vids of Le Butcherettes -- a crusher opener. You must catch this band too. Wild energy and muscle tight.

Yesterday, Watt + The Missingmen commandeered the second day of the free TriArt Fest on the lawn at the south end of the Ports O' Call village Pedro. Thanks to Greg Iberra and peeps the fest was typically econo with a simple canopy over a slab of concrete on the lawn at the end of the Ports O' Call shopping village on the waterfront. A handful of vendors of handcrafted wares, CDs and buttons, a handful of old metal folding chairs, two portable construction light rigs and the community p.a. Even the volume level of the music was amazingly controlled compared to the usual high test spleen shaking of the usual bar and hall scene. You could carry on a conversation within ten feet of the stage while still hearing every note. Not the usual ferocious punk face peeling assault. Not lessening the impact of the music much but keeping the non-festers from recoiling. Consequently there were families picnicking, shoppers and after-dinner strollers stopping by to check out the commotion and fans surrounding the stage digging in deep.

We missed Saccharine Trust (I was cranky at that) but heard The Last before Watt launched the whole of hyphenated-man shortly after 7pm. The 45+ minute piece of music flowed powerfully, much tighter than at The Echo. The roadwork paid off heavily. A few lyric babbles but all smiles. This is difficult shit to spew out. Fast and complex. Pedro's own Raul Morales was especially torched on drums, so sharp and propulsive playing for the pack. Tom Watson's guitar punctuations synced perfectly with Morales machine gun delivery and Watt's thud was pervasive, the homey crowd was right there with them. Two little girls waltzed together on a platform behind the stage area and Norton Wisdom's provocative real-time paintings behind the band were propelled by his familiarity with the material and band and his ability to shred the moment into spontaneous liquid vision.

Underground Railroad To Candyland closed the fest with a scorching set in the cool fall evening. Perfect Pedro day.

photo by Robert Francis 9.25.11

Buy hyphenated-man here

A photo gallery from Skipper Jeff (unless noted) from the TriArt Fest...

Raul Morales & Tom Watson

art by Norton Wisdom from Watt set 9/2511 (photo courtesy Norton Wisdom - find him on Facebook)

Skipper Jeff and Watt

Watt, Tsau & Bsau

Watt & Wisdom

econo dash

Below is the entire opera from the national tour in the spring. This show is from April 23rd at the Complex in Salt Lake City, UT. The 47th of 51 gigs in 52 days. Ball hog AND tugboat. No prisoners.

Follow the lyrics here.

Also shovel through Watt's tour diary  and dig into Watt's Hoot Page and podcast: the Watt from Pedro show! ...






Buy hyphenated-man here




pt. 1: arrow-pierced-egg-man > hollowed-out-man:

pt. 2: finger-pointing-man > pinned-to-the-table-man:

pt. 3: mouse-headed-man > funnel-capped-man:

pt. 4: blowin-it-out-both-ends-man > hell-building-man:

pt. 5: man-shitting-man > wheel-bound-man

pt. 6: encore:

ALSO: TWO LAST MINUTE ADDS from SKIPPER JEFF:

Video of two songs from the Tri-Arts Fest.

       Shields-Shouldered-Man (9/25/11)               

                     

 

                 Pinned-to-the-Table-Man (9/25/11)

Thanks to Watt, Raul, Tom, Norton and the people of Pedro for sublime graciousness...

Norton Wisdom 9/25/11. photo by Robert Francis