Some videos, interviews, broadcasts added… the marvellous Marian McPartland Piano Jazz programmes, interviews with Coltrane, Lester Young and Liebman, plus some practice advice from Joe Lovano and Steve Coleman. Click here…

From November 4th to 28th, Madrid is becoming once again the capital of music thanks to a new edition of its International Jazz Festival. This is already the 26th edition of Madrid International Jazz Festival, which has become an unmissable appointment for jazz lovers. It’s the most eagerly awaited music event, which will be inaugurated this year by one of the most important tenor saxofonists in the world, Joe Lovano, who is performing on November 4th in Fernán Gómez Theatre.

This theatre will be the main venue of the festival. On its scene we will see, among others, great names such as Richard Bona, Cassandra Wilson, who’s presenting her exquisit Thunderbird, and Toni Zenet, a captivating Andalusian crooner who’s bringing to Madrid the songs of his first solo album, Los Mares de China, which has the makings of a classic. Fussion is his thing: a travel around the world that will take the audience from the Andalusian copla and the Argentinian tango to Cuban rythms and the jazz of New York.

In Fundación Carlos de Amberes we can see Roy Hargrove, and in the Teatro Circo Price, Kike Perdomo & Eric Marienthal and the always surprising Madeleine Peyroux, who will approach us thanks to her voice to the melodies of Bare Bones, her latest album, in which, according to her, she tries to explore the essence of the things she believes in and really cares for. Two more women, Patricia Krauss and Edith Salazar, will be the protagonists in the Centro Cultural Nicolás Salmerón, on November 27th and 28th.

Besides, a total of 15 jazz clubs spread all over the city will also take part in this edition, completed with the programmes of the 28th San Juan Evangelista Jazz Festival and the 14th Ciudad Lineal Jazz Festival. There will also be musicians performing on the streets, workshops, presentations of new young artists and a lot of cinema, with different venues showing films in which soundtracks stand out on their own, such as the Umbrellas of Cherbourg (Institut Français de Madrid) and Breathless (Centro Cultural Nicolás Salmerón).

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Siz hiç 2 davullu grup gördünüz mü? 2-3 gitarlı ya da klavyeli hatta 3 baslı bile  (SMV)  grup görmüştüm de 2 davullu grup gördüğümü hatırlamıyorum. En azından canlı olarak. 23 Ekim Cuma akşamı CRR’de sahne alan Joe Lovano ve grubu işte böyle bir “2 davullu grup”. Olmuş mu? Hem de nasıl. Biste çaldıkları parçadan bir örnek: Davulda bize yakın olan Francisco Mela, uzaktaki ise Otis Brown. Sonraki saksafon solo tabii ki Joe Lovano’dan.

Haven’t made it to the show yet, but I blabbed about this week’s Steve Kuhn’s Birdland gig in the Voice. The pianist and saxophonist Joe Lovano demonstrated just how powerful their collaboration was back in July, making the songbook of Kuhn’s Mostly Coltrane (ECM) resound with grace and passion. The pianist was aggressively boppish and the horn player brought the heart of each tune to the foreground. The video above gives you an idea of what to expect on 44th Street.

Nate Chinen’s on the case.

Check a clip of “My Little Brown Book” after the jump.

By Michael Katz

What happens when the world’s greatest jazz festival meets the era’s worst economy? The recession made its presence felt at the 52^nd Monterey Jazz Festival, with arena seats available at curtain time for the first time in memory. Even the official program was slimmed down by about 20 pages. But by any other measure the Festival was a stunning success, a cornucopia of diverse musical formats and virtuosity unmatched in the decade or so I’ve been attending. From the opening warmth generated by saxophonist Roger Eddy, floating Brazilian melodies over the Garden Stage, to the closing chords of Chick Corea’s acoustic trio, the festival was a series of highlights, spread over 6 stages, far too much for one person to take in.

Esperanza Spalding

The Friday arena show opened with Esperanza Spalding, the young singer/ bassist who’s been causing such a stir. Tall and willowy, her hair styled a la Billie Holliday, Spalding presented a set full of verve and sensuality. Alternating between stand-up and electric bass, she bridged the territory between Wayne Shorter-inspired jazz funk and the lush Brazilian melody of Milton Nascimento’s “Ponta de Areia.” Though I’m partial to her upright, her vocals often seem more effective when she was playing the more compact electric bass, as on her bouncy hit, “Sunlight.” There is such a disparity in octaves between her alto voice and the deep, rich tones of the stand-up that they sometimes seem to compete, or at least give the illusion there-of. There were times when it might have been a better idea, especially on ballads, just to put the bass aside. Still, it was an appealing set that got the arena series off to a rousing start.

Russell Malone and Kiyoshi Kitagawa

The second set was a breathtaking performance by the 2^nd edition of the Monterey All Stars. Anchored by pianist Kenny Barron’s trio with Kiyoshi Kitagawa on bass and Johnathan Blake on drums, the band featured violinist Regina Carter, Russell Malone on guitar and vocalist Kurt Elling. The fact that most of this group had played with one another previously in one shape or form more than made up for lack of rehearsal time. Starting with a swinging rendition of “When I Get Too Old To Dream,” with everyone providing an introductory solo, they moved on to the Billie Holiday standard “Don’t Explain,” featuring first Barron and then a heart-tugging violin solo by Carter. Malone took over with a nod to Wes Montgomery on “Road Song,” Kenny Barron chiming in with a spirited riff. Then Kurt Elling nearly stole the show with a Kerouc-inspired free-poetic reading of Barron’s “What If.” Everyone in the band was burning at this point, but there was more to come, with Barron’s composition “Calypso” featuring Malone and Carter, and then Elling with a nod to Jon Hendricks on “Soul Food.” Russell Malone is always terrific on up-tempo tunes, but when he does a ballad, the earth stops. He described the advice he had been given, that a ballad should be “like a kiss, sweet, deep and slow” and proceeded to show why with an achingly beautiful “Time After Time.” They closed with an Elling-led romp through “Nature Boy.” This group will be touring in the winter, and hopefully will release a CD of this performance, as did the first edition of the All Stars. They are not to be missed.

Conrad Herwig's Latin Side All-Stars

Friday’s arena program closed with trombonist Conrad Herwig’s Latin Side All Star Band, with veteran East Coasters including Bill O’Connell on piano, supplemented by the Festival’s featured artist Joe Lovano and Randy Brecker. It was Herwig who was the real revelation here, at least for those of us on the West Coast who hadn’t seen him. His tone is authoritative, his style swinging and technically brilliant, whether on ballads or Latin-peppered riffs. His band started with a salute to John Coltrane’s Giant Steps, with Joe Lovano in fine form on the title tune and “Cousin Mary.” The band then moved to a Kind Of Blue tribute featuring Randy Brecker on “Flamenco Sketches” and a Latin funk version of “So What.” Brecker has a hard bop sound, closer in spirit to Freddie Hubbard than Miles Davis, and though the music was engaging, it seemed farther afield from its source than the Coltrane tunes. But no one could complain about the final number, “All Blues,” which has stood up to anything and everything over the years. Lovano returned to supplement the front line with Herwig and Brecker, and the three of them soared through to the conclusion. All in all, it was the most exciting opening night of a festival in I can remember. It was past one AM when the last stragglers cleared out of the fairground, and the festival was only beginning.

Photographs © Craig Lovell courtesy of the Monterey Jazz Festival

]]> http://thejazzbreakfast.wordpress.com/2009/09/22/disc-of-the-day-22-09-09/ Tue, 22 Sep 2009 21:35:43 +0000 peterbacon http://thejazzbreakfast.wordpress.com/2009/09/22/disc-of-the-day-22-09-09/

Steve Kuhn Trio with Joe Lovano: Mostly Coltrane (ECM 270 1114)
The pianist played with Coltrane in between his leaving Miles and forming the famous Quartet, so he has good reason to record an album dedicated to the great man.

It features his long-time trio of David Finck on bass and Joey Baron on drums, plus Lovano in absolutely stunning form. Lovano is not usually the most Traneish of tenors, but he achieves a fascinating thing here, sounding very much himself but also conjuring up, strangely, the original player of this music. Just try the opener, Welcome, for a taste of this wonderful feat: Lovano hangs those notes in the air and the spirit of Coltrane is in the room.

Kuhn is a rich and mult-layered player – a far cry in style from the pianist who would come to be most strongly associated with Coltrane, McCoy Tyner – but one who gets to new places in the music via a very different route.

And the music he covers here reaches from those he played with Coltrane, like Central Park West and I Want To Talk About You, right through to those that came much  later, like Configuration.

Baron and Finck are wonderfully supportive, and again very different from the players we most often hear playing this music, but, like Lovano, they get to the source. And isn’t it amazing how, with such a well-worn quartet line-up, and playing mostly music from 40 years ago, really creative musicians make it all sound so fresh and new.

Many choice moments, like when the intense declaration of  Song of Praise gives way to the swing and a deep-digging solo from Kuhn. Or Kuhn’s own compositions, the piano solos With Gratitude and Trance, the latter quite Abdullah Ibrahimish at first, before spreading like a river over a flood plain.

By Don Heckman

Los Angeles

- Sept. 23. (Wed.) Mike Lang Trio. Lang has played piano on thousands of film scores, backed everyone from Aretha Franklin to John Lennon and written songs for Stan Getz, Herb Alpert and others. Here’s a chance to hear him doing his own thing with bassist Abraham Laboriel and drummer Walter Rodriguez. Catalina Bar & Grill.  (323) 466-2210.

- Sept. 23. (Wed.) Slavic Soul Party! Brooklyn’s best brass band, in the tradition of Eastern European brass band ensembles, applies a massive amount of energy to their blend of traditional music, jazz, funk and gospel. The Echo.  (213) 413-8200.

- Sept. 23. (Wed.) Jack Sheldon California Cool Quartet. California’s coolest trumpeter leads his own appropriately titled group, mixing his potent trumpet with atmospheric vocals and — depending o his mood — some of his uniquely sardonic humor. Charlie O’s.  (818) 994-3058

- Sept. 23. (Wed.) Alan Broadbent & Pat Senatore. Pianist/composer/arranger Broadbent brings compositional insights, a sensitive touch for tone and a rhythmic lift to everything he touches. Senatore’s bass adds a sturdy sound, a propulsive groove and an empathetic musical ear. Expect to hear music that is as thoughtful as it is swinging. Vibrato Grill Jazz… etc.  (310) 474-9400.

- Sept. 24. (Thurs.) The Yuval Ron Ensemble performs “Days of Awe” featuring vocalist Maya Haddi in a program of “Sacred music and stories for the Season of Renewal.” Electric Lodge, Venice.

- Sept. 24. (Thurs.) The Dave Brubeck Quartet. Fifty years after “Take Five” and more than sixty years after he started recording, Brubeck still has something fascinating to say, musically, wheneveer he sits down at the piano.The Cerritos Center.  (562) 916-8501.

- Sept. 24 – 27. (Thurs. – Sun.) The John Patitucci Trio. Patitucci takes time out from his busy schedule as one of jazz’s A-list bassist to lead his own world class trio featuring tenor saxophonist George Garzone and up and coming drummer Marcus Gilmore (grand son of the ageless Roy Haynes). Catalina Bar & Grill.  (323) 466-2210.

Sept. 25. (Fri.) Sally Kellerman. Yes, of course you know her as the original Hot Lips in the film verson of M.A.S.H. But Kellerman’s always had at least one foot in the music world. And over the past decade she’s thoroughly established herself as an entertaining diva who easily finds the linkages between jazz, folk, country and pop. She performs with the Joel Scott Quartet. The Culver Club for Jazz. Radisson Hotel.  (310) 649-1776.

- Sept. 25.& 26 (Fri. & Sat.) Gladys Knight. Grammy-winning Knight has had a stellar career, with and without the Pips. Although she was named one of the “100 Greatest Women of Rock and Roll,” Knight’s singing transcends any single genre, reaching easily from jazz and soul to torch songs and beyond. The Cerritos Center.  (562) 916-8501.

- Sept. 25 & 26. (Fri. & Sat.) Ahmad Jamal Quartet. The one and only, the pianist whose sense of time had a profound effect upon Miles Davis, and who still comes up with ear opening musical ideas every time he performers. Nate Holden Performing Arts Center. (323) 964-9766. http://www.ebonyrep.org

- Sept. 25 & 26. (Fri. & Sat.) Wavefest. Smooth jazz and more smooth jazz, performed by some of its best known artists. Among the line-up: On Friday: Brian McKnight, Al Jarreau, David Benoit, James Torme. On Saturday: Kenny G, Vanessa Williams and Jesse Cook. The Greek Theatre.  (323) 665-3125.

- Sept. 26. (Sat.) Iliana Rose.  She’s not well known yet, but Rose’s extraordinary skills — as a singer, songwriter, composer and arranger, mark her as a soon-to-break-out, potential major talent. Here her now, before the cover charge goes up, and you can brag that you saw a new star in her ascendance.  The 322 Cafe.  (626) 836-5414.

- Sept. 26. (Sat.) Phil Norman Tentet. A 14th anniversary Party for the band that has kept alive the briskly swinging, compact and contrapuntal styles of ’50s West Coast jazz. Radisson Hotel. The Culver Club for Jazz.  (310) 649-1776.

- Sept. 26. (Sat.) Grant Geissman Quartet. There isn’t a guitar style that the versatile Geissman can’t handle with ease. But with the band he’s working with on this gig, expect some stirring, straight ahead jazz. With Brian Scanlon, alto saxophone, Emilio Palamo, piano, Trey Henry, bass and Ray Brinker, drums. Spazio.  (818) 728-8400.

- Sept. 27. (Sun.) Bill Cosby. The master, story-telling stand up comic, who drives his tales with the improvisational spontaneity of the jazz musician he’s always wanted to be. The Cerritos Center.  (562) 916-8501.

- Sept. 27. (Sun.) Louie Cruz Beltran. “Dancing on the Water” Beltran’s enthusiastic performances, ranging across r&b, salsa, reggae, Latin jazz, Brazilian bossa nova and rock should stimulate plenty of dancing during this cruise through Long Beach Harbor. On the Hornblower yacht, Endless Dreams, 5:30 p.m. boarding at Rainbow Harbor, Long Beach, cruising from 6 – 8 p.m.  (888) 467-6256.

San Francisco

Sept. 23. (Wed.) “India & Africa: A Birthday Tribute to John Coltrane” Another celebration of the iconic saxophonist’s birthday on Sept. 23. This one features percussionist/composer Anthony Brown’s Asian American Orchestra with special guests. Yoshi’s San Francisco.  (415) 655-5600.

- Sept. 25 – 27. (Fri. – Sun.) Stanley Jordan Trio. Jordan’s tap-on style continues to be one of the jazz world’s most unique styles. This time out, he enhances the setting with the backing of bassist Charnett Moffett and drummer Eddie Barattini. Yoshi’s Oakland. (510) 238-9200.

- Sept. 26 & 27. (Sat. & Sun.) Roberta Gambarini and James Moody. The gifted Italian jazz singer and the veteran tenor saxophonist perform together with irresistible musical affinity. Hopefully “Moody’ Mood For Love” will surface somewhere during one of the sets. Yoshi’s San Francisco. (415) 655-5600.

Albuquerque

Sept. 25 & 26. (Fri. & Sat.) Globalquerque! Fifth annual world music highlight of the Southwest. The far-ranging line-up of artists includes Roberto Mirabal, Doyle Lawson & Quicksilver, Novalima, Maria de Barros, Mamek Khadem, Blick Bassy, Vasen with Mike Marshall & Darol Anger, Lorin Sklamberg & Susan McKeown. Globalquerque! (505) 724-4771.

New York

- Sept. 22 – 25 and Sept. 27. (Wed. – Fri. and Sun.) Billy Hart Quartet. Drummer Hart has played in every imaginable style during his nearly five decade career. This time out he works with younger generation stalwarts — Ethan Iverson, piano, Mark Turner, tenor saxophone and Ben Street, bass. The Village Vanguard. h (212) 255-4037.

- Sept. 23 – 26. (Wed. – Sat.) “Coltrane Revisited” A team of ultimate all-stars celebrate John Coltrane’s 83rd birthday with former Coltrane sideman Kuhn leading the way. Joe Lovano, tenor saxophone, Steve Kuhn, piano, Lonnie Plaxico, bass, Andrew Cyrille and Billy Drummond, drums. Birdland.  (212) 581-3080.

- Sept. 24. (Thurs.) “Jazz Guitars Meet Hendrix” With Sheryl Bailey and Vic Juris, guitars, Brian Charette, keyboards, George Gray, drums. The 55 should be rocking happily when Bailey and Juris take on high flying pleasures of the Hendrix songbook. 55 Bar.  (212) 929-9883.

- Sept. 24 – 27. (Thurs. – Sun.) Barry Harris Trio. The masterful bebop pianist spends a lot of his time teaching these days, so he should be heard at every opportunity. He performs with Ray Drummond, bass and Leroy Williams, drums. The Jazz Standard.  (212) 576-2232.

- Sept. 26. (Sat.) Barbra Streisand. The diva of all divas does a one-nighter to hype her new album.  Tickets were handed out long ago.  it will nevertheless undoubtedly cause some major paparazzi-induced traffic jams on Seventh Avenue. The Village Vanguard.  (212) 255-4037.

By Don Heckman

Los Angeles

- Sept. 16. (Wed.) Dominick Farinacci. The twenty-something Farinacci has been making waves lately as an emerging new trumpet star. Catalina Bar & Grill. (323) 466-2210.

- Sept. 16. (Wed.) Peter Erskine, Alan Pasqua and Darek Oles. Listen to this gifted trio of jazz masters in one of their too-rare performances, and you’ll wish that their busy schedules would allow them to play more frequent gigs. Upstairs at Vitello’s.  (818) 769-0905.

- Sept. 16 – 20 (Wed. – Sun.) Viva Mexico Festival L.A. A celebration of the 199th anniversary of Mexican independence via theatre and popular and classical music events, many of them free to the public. Among the musical artists performing at the California Plaza and Hancock Park: Omar Torrez, Oscar Chavez y Los Morales, Kinky, Viola Trigo, Conjunto Hueyapan and Banda Santa Rosa.  Viva Mexico Festival L.A. (213) 368-2728.

- Sept. 17. (Thurs.) Soulive. The jazz/funk/pop/reggae group’s many manifestations now seem to have morphed once again back to an instrumental context. But whatever form they take, they’re always interesting to hear. The El Rey. (323) 936-6400.

- Sept. 18. (Fri.) Kool and the Gang. More than forty years on the scene, the band — performing with two original members, continue to display their winning combination of fun, pop, r&b and soul. The Cerritos Center.  (562) 916-8501.

- Sept. 18. (Fri.) Carol Bach-y-Rita with Sambalicious. A singer with the moves of a dancer and an engaging vocal style, Bach-y-Rita performs with the right group to explore her love of Brazilian music. The Culver Club for Jazz.  (310) 649-1776.

- Sept. 18 & 19. (Fri. & Sat.) The Gipsy Kings. Call it rumba Catalonia, call it rumba flamenca, whatever the label, the surging, rhythm driven guitar sounds and stirring vocals of the Kings continue to be among the great pleasures of world music. The Greek Theatre.  (323) 665-3125.

- Sept. 18 – Oct. 18. Medea (w. Annette Bening). Bening has always been something more than just another pretty film star, and she affirms her dramatic skills in the Euripides classic — UCLA Live’s first theatrical production, directed by Lenka Udovicki. The Freud Playhouse, UCLA. (310) 825-4491

- Sept. 20. (Sun.) “India Calling.” With Malkit Singh, Anoushka Shankar, the Ravi Shankar Centre Ensemble, Kailish Kher’s Kallasa, Rhythm of Rajasthan. An evening jam-packed with an overview of the stunning length and breadth of Indian music and dance. The Hollywood Bowl. (323) 436-2827.

- Sept. 20. (Sun.) Julie Kelly Quartet. Kelly’s love of jazz, combined with her ability to bring new life to old songs, is present in everything she sings. Charlie O’s.  (818) 994-3058.

San Francisco

- Sept. 16 – 18 (Wed. – Fri.) Chick Corea, Stanley Clarke and Lenny White. Two thirds of Return to Forever return to action. Corea, Clarke and White, however, are a different entity from RTF, producing compelling, more mainstream-oriented, displays of world class contemporary jazz. Yoshi’s Oakland.  (510) 238-9200

- Sept. 19 & 20. (Sat. & Sun.) Lizz Wright. The ever-fascinating Wright, with her warm sound and intimate singing style, will no doubt showcase some material from her most personal album yet, “The Orchard.” Yoshi’s Oakland. (510) 238-9200.

Monterey

- Sept. 18 – 20. (Fri. – Sun.) The Monterey Jazz Festival. Not just the longest-running jazz festival, MJF is arguably — year in and year out — one of the best jazz festivals in the world, bearing the label “Jazz” proudly via its choice of programming. Among this year’s highlights in a remarkably rich line-up — Randy Brecker, Joe Lovano, Conrad Herwig, Esperanza Spalding, theMJF All-Stars, John Scofield, Wynton Marsalis and the Lincoln Center Jazz Orchestra, Hank Jones, Dee Dee Bridgewater, Dave Brubeck, Jason Moran, Chick Corea, Lennie White, Stanley Clarke, Brian Blade, John Patitucci and much, much more. The Monterey Jazz Festival.  (831) 373-3366.

New York

Sept. 15 – 20 (Tues. – Sun.) Ravi Coltrane Quartet. He may be the son of one of jazz’s most iconic saxophonists, but Ravi Coltrane has been emerging lately as a vital innovative artist in his own right. The Village Vanguard.  (212) 255-4037.

Sept. 16 – 20 (Wed – Sun.) Marlena Shaw with Sherrie Maricle and the Diva Jazz Orchestra. The veteran jazz vocalist gets together with Maricle’s stirring, all-female big band as part of the Fifth Annual Diet Coke Women Inn Jazz Festival. Dizzy’s Club Coca-Cola.  (212) 258-9595.

Sept. 17 – 20 (Thurs. – Sun.) Richard Bona Group. Cameroonian bassist/singer Bona — whose work with Joe Zawinul, Joni Mitchell and others has established new musical standards of versatility — leads a seven piece band. Hopefully, he’ll introduce a tune or two from his new CD, “The Ten Shades of Blues,” scheduled for release in mid-October. The Jazz Standard. (212) 576-2232.

John Patitucci Trio: Remembrance (Concord Jazz)
The master modern bass players seem equally at home on acoustic and electric instruments. Like Christian McBride, John Patitucci jumps back and forth between instruments with no trouble at all. There is one track here, the final title track, where he plays six-string electric and six-string electric piccolo bass, both making sounds that Pat Metheny might equally convey. This one is in memory of Michael Brecker, and there are many other greats who have gone before to be honoured on this disc.

We start out with Monk/Trane, follow it with Messaien’s Gumbo and Sonny Side, and later there are Meditations (Trane again), Blues For Freddie (Hubbard) and Joe Hen (derson). Less obvious titles still act as tributes: Play Ball for Ray Brown and Mali for Ali Farka Toure.

His partners in the Trio are Joe Lovano on tenor and fellow Wayne Shorter Quartet member Brian Blade on drums. They communicate superbly, playing around each other and never getting in each other’s way. All are so fleet of musical foot, and so flexible, that the music dances with light steps throughout.

Early favourites are Messaien’s Gumbo which has a seriously funky electric bass line, Sonny Side with its both muscular and witty melody, Mali with its effortless mastery of a tricky time signature, and the ever-so-slow blues musings of Play Ball.

By Don Heckman

Los Angeles

- Aug. 25. (Tues.) Placido Domingo and Yo-Yo Ma and the L.A. Philharmonic. What a combination. Domingo conducts Tchaikovsky’s dramatic Symphony No. 5 and Ma plays Dvorak’s controversial, but compelling, Cello Concerto. Hollywood Bowl (323) 850- 2000.

- Aug. 25. (Tues.) Dana Bronson. Singer/pianst Bronson usually performs in cabaret and hotel venues. Here’s a chance for him to open up his repertoire in the Southland’s premiere jazz setting. Catalina Bar & Grill. (323) 466-2210

- Aug. 25. (Tues.) John Pisano’s Guitar Night continues to be one of the Southland’s most dependable jazz destinations. This week Pisano hosts guitarist John Chiodini, bassist John Hughart and drummer Enzo Tedesco, Spazio.

- Aug.. 25. (Tues.) The Sam Most Trio with organist Joe Bagg and drummer Mark Ferber. The veteran Most was one of the first jazz flutists, but he’s also an impressive exponent of the cool tenor saxophone style. Bar Melody. (310) 670-1994.

- Aug. 26. (Wed.) Dizzy Gillespie All-Star Big Band. Here it is — one of the Bowl’s major jazz highlights of the summer. In addition to the sizzling Gillespie band, the evening also includes the irrepressible James Moody, the irresistible Roberta Gambarini, the Roy Hargrove Big Band and Gordon Goodwin’s Big Phat Band. The Hollywood Bowl. (323) 850-2000

- Aug. 27. (Thurs) An Evening with Terence Blanchard. The trumpeter/composer discusses his new CD, “Choices,” his film composing and his educational work with Robert Santelli, the Grammy Museum’s Executive Director, before playing selections from “Choices” with his full band. The Grammy Museum. (213) 765-6800.

- Aug. 27. (Thurs.) Theo Saunders Sextet. Pianist Saunders has assembled a sterling ensemble to perform selections emphasizing his belief that a musician should “Play what you hear, not what you think you hear.” The group includes Zane Musa, alto and soprano saxophones, Chuck Manning, tenor and soprano saxophones, David Dahlsten, trombone, Jeff Littleton, bass and Tony Austin, drums. Vibrato. (310) 474-9400.

- Aug. 27. (Thurs.) Dewey Ernie-Ron Eschete 4-Tet. Ernie, a songwriter’s singer, has been placing all of his considerable story-telling skills at the service of American songs for decades. He’s in particularly supportive circumstances whenever he works with his long time associate, the versatile guitarist, Eschete. Steamers. (714) 871-8800

- Aug. 27 – 29. (Thurs. – Sat.) Pharoah Sanders Quartet. Sanders keeps the adventurousness of the 60s alive in a tenor saxophone style that nonetheless always expresses itself in utterly contemporary fashion. Catalina Bar & Grill. (323) 466-2210.

- August 28 – 29. (Fri. & Sat.) Liza Minnelli. The diva of divas makes her return to the Bowl after a recent induction into the venue’s Hall of Fame and the conclusion, in January, of her hit Broadway show. Expect the kind of entertainment fireworks that only Minnelli can trigger. The Hollywood Bowl. (323) 850-2000

- Aug. 28 & 29. (Fri. & Sat.) Sara Gazarek. The ever-adventurous Gazarek displays her boundary-less vocal skills in a pair of performances with the German group triosence and guitarist Vitally Zolotov. On Friday at Cafe Metropole. (213) 613-1537. On Sat. at Irvine Barclay Theatre. (949) 854-4646-

- Aug. 28 & 29. (Fri. & Sat.) The Jazz All-Stars: Patrice Rushen, piano, John B. Williams, bass, Ralph Penland, drums. The label might seem a little presumptuous, but not when it’s applied to players like Rushen, WIlliams and Penland. On Saturday night’s special guest, Billy Valentine joins the Stars on vocals. Spazio. (818) 728-8400

- Aug. 29. (Sat.) Ernie Andrews and Dori Caymmi. The Grammy Museum Jazz Bakery show. It’s accurately described as “Blues to Bossa” and no one can illuminate those categories better than Andrews and Caymmi. The performance is also another reminder that the Jazz Bakery is still alive and well, looking forward to opening in a brand new venue. The Grammy Museum. (213) 765-6800.

San Diego

- Aug. 28 & 29. (Fri. & Sat.) Strunz and Farah. They’ve been around since world music was more a generalization than a category, and the two-guitar duo continue to combine their Costa Rican (Strunz) and Iranian (Farah) roots into a mesmerizing two-guitar musical blend. Anthology. (619) 595-0300.

San Francisco

August 28 – 30. Outside Lands Music & Art Festival. There’s a ton of musical action for every taste in San Francisco’s Golden Gate Park this weekend. Among the highlights: on Friday — Pearl Jam, Thievery Corporation, Tom Jones, Zap Mama; on Saturday — the Dave Matthews Band, Black Eyed Peas, The Mars Volta, Jason Mraz, Os Mutantes, Trombone Shorty; on Sunday — Tenacious D, M.I.M., Ween, Modest Mouse, Lucinda Williams, Robert Randolph. And many, many more. San Francisco Golden Gate Park Outside Lands Music & Art Festival.

New York

- Aug. 25. (Tues.) Sachal Vasandani, Billboard praised the young singer’s first CD as “a superb debut of distinctive originals and intelligent makeovers that teem with a fresh vitality.” His second Mack Avenue CD is due out in September. The Jazz Standard. (212) 576-2252

- Aug. 25 – 29. (Tues. – Sat.) Hank Jones Trio + Special Guests. The ninety-something Jones, still playing like a veteran youngster, demonstrates that he can trade riffs with anyone. He’ll be performing with Armand Hirsch (guitar 8/25-29), Terrell Stafford (trumpet, 8/25) Eric Alexander (tenor saxophone, 8/26) Joe Wilder (trumpet (8/27), Ravi Coltrane (tenor saxophone (8/28), Frank Wess (tenor saxophone/flute (8/29), George Mraz, bass. Willie Jones III or Quincy Davis, drums. Birdland. (212) 581-3080.

- Aug. 25 – 30. (Tues. – Sun.) Paul Motian, Joe Lovano, Bill Frisell. It doesn’t get much more stellar than this combination, and it will be fascinating to hear how these three creative individualists find improvisational common ground. (Their booking — for two weeks — also includes Sept. 1 – Sept. 6.) The Village Vanguard. (212) 255-4037.

- Aug. 26. (Wed.) Julia Dollison and Kerry Marsh: “The Music of Maria Schneider.” When Dollison and Marsh told Schneider they were planning to do vocal versions of her big band music, she thought they were crazy. But they persuaded her otherwise, and here’s an opportunity to hear their remarkable vocal transformations live. Jazz Standard. (212) 576-2252

- Aug. 28 (Fri.) Kendra Shank. With a talent that can find the beating heart of any song — whether it comes from the pop or jazz worlds or elsewhere — Shank is a singer who reveals something special in every performance. 55 Bar. (212) 929-9883.

Washington, D.C.

- Aug. 27 – 29. (Thurs. – Sat.) John Surman Quartet. With Jack DeJohnette, drums, Drew Gess, bass, John Abercrombie, guitar. Surman’s duo performances with DeJohnette have been extraordinary experiences. The addition of Gess and Abercrombie should make the encounters even more fascinating. Blues Alley. (202) 337-4141.

]]> http://accosta.wordpress.com/2009/08/22/steve-kuhn-trio-joe-lovano-impressions/ Sat, 22 Aug 2009 17:38:26 +0000 costaacf http://accosta.wordpress.com/2009/08/22/steve-kuhn-trio-joe-lovano-impressions/

Uma dupla de músicos geniais: o pianista Steve Kuhn e o saxofonista Joe Lovano numa homenagem a John Coltrane. Completam o quarteto excepcional, David Finck (contrabaixo) e Joey Baron (bateria). No Jazz Baltica Festival, 4 de julho de 2008.

Para ouvir mais desse grupo garimpem o CD “Mostly Coltrane”, lançado pela ECM.  Até o momento é meu candidato preferencial a melhor disco de jazz de 2009.

Na área da música feita por brasileiros, o fantástico trabalho de Egberto Gismonti no CD duplo “Saudações” (ECM -2082), certamente abrirá a lista dos 10 melhores de 2009. No primeiro CD Gismonti apresenta a suite “Sertões Veredas – tributo à miscigenação”, interpretada pelo grupo cubano Camerata Romeu,  sob a regencia de Zenaida Romeu. A gravação foi realizada em Agosto de 2006 no Teatro Amadeo Roldán, em Havana. O segundo CD, “Dueto de Violões”, gravado no Rio de Janeiro em Abril/Maio de 2007, reune Gismonti com o filho Alexandre. O resultado é deslumbrante.

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Joe Lovano : Saxophones

James Weidman : Acoustic piano

Esperanza Spalding : Acoustic bass

Francisco Mela : Drums

Otis Brown III : Drums

NPR/WBGO

http://rapidshare.com/files/266185979/Joe_Lovano_Newport_JF_9-8-2009.zip

Pues vengo de un fantástico concierto de jazz y he constatado:

- que me encanta el jazz. Posiblemente de los estilos de música que más me conmueven.

- que que te guste o no el jazz es cosa de sensibilidad. A mí me gusta desde los 12 años (o por ahí) que cansada de escuchar mi disco de Enrique y Ana, pasé a ver qué tenía mi padre: unos greatest hits de Glenn Miller Orquestra (a quién puede no gustarle esa música?), y unos Play Bach, unos discos de unos chicos gabachos que versioneaban a Bach. Me encantaban. Casi tanto como el single (perdido a mi pesar) del Borriquito como tú de Peret, al que no renuncié hasta que lo perdí.

- que no me guta el jazz vocal. Y eso que yo canto. Y eso que me encantaría cantar jazz. Pero la voz, como instrumento en este medio, no. Tampoco el violín. Están bien, pero no me van. Hoy había una señora que tenía una voz y una técnica estupendas (Judi Silvano), fantástica, pero los pirupiru nunca me han llegado…

- que los grandes grandes no sólo son grandes por lo que ellos hacen, sino por lo que “retuitean”: la gente que llevan en la banda… Joe Lovano se ha traído a un megabatería (Jordi Rossi, batería de Brad Mehldau entre otros), y a un megapianista y megabajista (como siempre, me engancho de los contrabajistas…). Tito Joe es muy grande, pero es que sus compañeros lo son también. Y da gusto.

- que George Lucas es muy listo haciendo pelis y que algo de culturilla tiene. Hace años fui a un concierto de Glen Velez, un maestro en pequeña percusión, que hace un ruido con el bodhran que es exactamente igual que el ruido que hacen las espadas láser. Pues bien, Joe Lovano lleva un instrumento digno de la cantina de Star Wars. Tito Joe ha cogido dos saxos sopranos (diría yo), los ha unido dándoles tres puntitos de soldadura y los tiene afinados a diferentes tonalidades (mi compañero de conciertos dice que a terceras o a cuartas, yo digo que vetetúasaber). El resultado visual es digno de la cantina, pero es que el resultado del sonido también! Es fantástico! Dos instrumentos sonando en uno! Cuando el señor quiere tocar sólo uno, se va a la embocadura del instrumento en cuestión, y cuando el otro al otro , y cuando los dos pues al medio. Fantástico… Tito George se lo copió para la cantina fijo.

By Don Heckman

Los Angeles

- July 8. (Wed.) Sergio Mendes, Eddie Palmieri, Poncho Sanchez. Three views of the colorful spectrum of Latin jazz – from samba and bossa nova to Afro-Cuban and salsa –are featured in the first entry in the Hollywood Bowl’s summer jazz programming. The Hollywood Bowl.

Luba Mason

- July 8 & 9. (Wed. & Thurs.) Luba Mason. Singer/actress Mason applies her impressive voice to selections from her “Krazy Love” CD, backed by bassist Jimmy Haslip, drummer Marco Costa and pianist Sandro Albert, as well as her husband, actor/musician Ruben Blades. Catalina Bar & Grill. (323) 466-2210.

- July 9. (Thurs.) Chris Botti w. special guest Renee Olstead. Trumpeter Botti’s accomplishing the rare task of gathering large audiences while continuing to expand his creative horizons. Olstead, just turned 20, is already a veteran songstress with a style all her own. The Greek Theatre.

- July 9. (Thurs.) Bern. It’s drummer Bernie Dressel’s “12-piece, supercharged horn funk band.” With four vocalists, horns and rhythm doing the music of Tower of Power, Funkadelic, the Beatles, Miles Davis and beyond. Café Cordial. (818) 7891985.

- July 9. (Thurs.) Joan Baez. The one and only, still performing with the power, the magic and the musicality that have been essential to her art for nearly five decades. The Santa Monica Twilight Dance Series. (310) 458-8901.

Teka

- July 9. (Thurs.) Teka and the NewBossa Trio. (w. Otmaro Ruiz, Tony Dumas and Ami Molinelli.) Singer/guitarist Teka’s “NewBossa” applies her lyrical voice and irresistible rhythms to songs rooted in classic bossa, blossoming in the new century. She spends most of her time around Santa Barbara, so hear her while you can. The Crowne Plaza Hotel. (310) 642-7500.

- July 10. (Fri.) Heart. The summer’s Golden Oldies series kicks off with Heart and the Wilson sisters But that’s just the beginning. Saturday features Duran Duran, followed by Rick Springfield on Sunday. And if that’s not enough, the following week showcases Smokey Robinson, Joan Jett, Tears For Fears, Anita Baker and the B-52s. The Pacific Amphitheatre. (714) 708-1500.

- July 10. (Fri.) The Rickey Woodard Quartet with special guest Jasmyn Roe. The always-engaging saxophonist Woodard leads a sterling ensemble –- pianist Joel Scott, bassist Luther Hughes, drummer Roy McCurdy – in a set brightened by the intimate vocalizing of the rapidly rising jazz star Jasmyn Roe. The Culver Club at the Radisson. (310) 649-1776.

- July 10. (Fri.) Dr. Richard Allen Williams. How in the world does Dr. Williams maintain his position as a highly regarded professor of medicine at U.C.L.A. while keeping his chops together as a prime jazz trumpeter? Hard to say; but he does it. This time out he’ll be laying down his articulate trumpet and flugelhorn lines with the solid backing of tenor saxophonist George Harper, Jr., pianist Harold Land, Jr., bassist Jeff Littleton and drummer Lorca Hart. Spazio. (818) 728-8400.

Barbara Morrison

- July 10 & 11. (Fri. & Sat.) Barbara Morrison. She’s a consummate blues singer, but that’s just the beginning for the magnificent Ms. Morrison, who convincingly covers all the other areas of the jazz vocal art. Steamers. (714) 871-8800

- July 10 – 12. (Fr. – Sun.) Oleta Adams. Everything Adams touches – from ballads to covers to high spirited rhythm tunes — is illuminated by the soulful qualities at the heart of her singing. She’s right on target when she says she “tries to allow the righteousness to shine forth through the music. Catalina Bar & Grill. (323) 466-2210.

- July 11. (Sat.) Buika and Perla Batalla. It’s one of the Southland’s best summer bargains: more than two months of free performances by artists from around the world, presented in the atmospheric, open air setting of the California Water Court. This week; the passionate jazz/bolero/funk sounds of Spanish singer Buika, and the extraordinary ballads, blues and traditional mestiza of Perla Batalla (let’s hope she sings her stunning rendition of Leonard Cohen’s “Suzanne.”). Grand Performances. (213) 687-2159.

- July 12. (Sun.) Bruce Eskovitz, Charlie Shoemake, Luther Hughes and Pul Kreibich. A Southern California all-star quartet, performing at the ocean view setting of the Hamlet at Moonstone Gardens in the beautiful central coast village of Cambria. Moonstone Gardens. (805) 927-3535.

Ernie Andrews

- July 12. (Sun.) Jazz Explosion III A Fundraiser to Benefit California Jazz Musicians in Need. The all-star line-up includes Ernie Andrews, Llew Matthews, Richard Simon, Roy McCurdy, Bill Cunliffe, Bennie Maupin and his 20 piece Ikeda Kings Orchestra, Janis Mann, Gerry Gibbs and others. 2 – 6 p.m. The California Jazz Foundation. All Saints Church, Pasadena.

San Francisco

- July 9 – 12. (Thurs. – Sun.) Kurt Elling with Ernie Watts and Laurence Hobgood revive songs from the iconic recording match-up of John Coltrane and Johnny Hartman. Yoshi’s San Francisco. (415) 655-5600

- July 10 – 12. (Fri. – Sun.) Ladysmith Black Mambazo. A chance to hear South Africa’s inimitable, high spirited vocalizing in a club setting. Yoshi’s Oakland. (510) 238-9200

New York City

- July 7. (Tues.) Steve Kuhn, with saxophonist Joe Lovano, bassist David Finck and drummer Billy Drummond celebrates the release of new CD, “Mostly Coltrane” (ECM Records). Pianist Kuhn has assembled an all-star band to revisit his early playing years, when – at 21 – he performed with the player was already beginning to transform the future of the jazz saxophone. Birdland. 581-3080

Ron Carter

- July 7 – 12. (Tues. – Sun.) The Ron Carter Nonet. Bassist Carter’s musical curiosity has always had unlimited horizons. And his Nonet – which features a rhythm section, a cello quartet and his own piccolo bass is one of his more adventurous musical explorations. Don’t miss this rare opportunity to hear it. The Blue Note. (212) 475-8502.

- July 9 – 12. (Thurs. – Sun.) Generations: a band that reaches across four decades to seek – and find — generational common ground. Including saxophonists Frank Wess, Eric Alexander and Andrew Speight, trumpeter Jim Rotundi, pianist David Hazeltine, bassist Ray Drummond, drummer Kenny Washington. The Jazz Standard. (212) 576-2252

Butte, Montana

- July 10 – 12. (Fri. – Sun.) The 71st Annual National Folk Festival. It’s the oldest multi-cultural festival in the nation, and it’s free. Expect to experience music, dance, workshops, crafts, ethnic foods, children’s activities and more. The long colorful list of performers includes Thomas Mapfumo, Michael Doucet, Mariachi Los Camperos de Nati Cano, Melody of China, Bob French’s Original Tuxedo Jazz Band, Texas Shorty and numerous others. The 71st Annual Folk Festival. Butte Montana.

Joe Lovano makes his first album with his new band, Us Five, and the result is probably a bit more out of focus than anything else we had heard from Lovano before, a guy that does free-jazz like the best of them, always doing some very energetic pieces with more than a bit of bebop in them.

Now, Folk Art isn’t a bad record by any account, it’s quite nice actually, I just didn’t find myself enjoying that much, though I have a feeling it may grow on me later on. Groovy without any real groove is how I would define the album, if that statement makes any sense, though I do like how the piano creates nice harmonies for everyone else to improvise around.

The record sounds cheap, which is something I like in albums like this, a more honest sound that makes it seem as though this had been recorded three decades ago in some New York City basement, this one does have its things I like, since there are some tracks that allow Lovano to be what he is: one of the most creative and adventurous jazz saxophonists alive.

So, what do I make of this album overall? Well, firstly, that James Weidman, the guy that plays the piano, is a true joy to discover, but that even though there may be some gems like the title track, which lasts 10 minutes and has a fantastic tempo, there are some other tunes that don’t feel as refined, but it’s always nice to hear some new Lovano stuff.

Grade: B