My Favorite Things

Woody, Stan and Count

2008-12-23T15:37:00.012-05:00

My introduction to jazz came at the hands of Woody Herman, Stan Kenton and Count Basie. In the space of one winter concert season I attended performances by each of the bands.
What's more I had free tickets to each of the concerts. A local disc jockey would run call-in contests during his afternoon show. The questions were pretty easy but the trick was getting through on the one phone line to his studio. Also, this being the era of rotary dial telephones I literally dialed my fingers to the bone!

I don't know what I expected to hear at the first concert, the Woody Herman band. However, I was blown away by the power of the band and the swing of the soloists. One of the names I recall is drummer Jake Hanna who really propelled the band. The other soloist I remember was saxophonist Sal Nistico, who I would meet some 15 years latyer when he played a local gig.

Next up was Stan Kenton. This was in the mellophonium era when Stan was carrying the extra brass in addition to the standard sixteen piece big band. Once again I was transfixed by the power of the band even though at the time I didn't realize that I was seeing and hearing an unusual group of instruments. The standout soloist was trombonist Dee Barton. A few years later I would see Kenton again and Barton then was playing drums! With his composing and arranging skills Barton must have been an important part of the Kenton machine.

Finally Spring brought the Basie band to our town. While Basie's troops could wail with the best of them, I was taken with the rhythm section and especially Freddie Green on guitar. I remember his big solo on "Little Darlin'".

Over the ensuing years I would trek out to warm my ears with big band jazz. It was all I wanted to hear. Considering that I was then a senior in High School I guess I didn't fit the image of a typical teenager growing up in the sixties. But I had made up my mind that this was what I liked.

In fact, it would be several years before I began to appreciate small group jazz. By the time 1970 rolled around and I started the first version of the My Favorite Things radio show I had developed a broad appreciation of jazz and the extraordinary people who create it. Over 40 years later I'm still in awe.

Grammy Nominations for Jazz

2008-12-04T09:13:00.002-05:00

Best Contemporary Jazz Album
(For albums containing 51% or more playing time of INSTRUMENTAL tracks.)

Randy In Brasil
Randy Brecker
[MAMA Records]
Floating Point
John McLaughlin
[Abstract Logix]
Cannon Re-Loaded: All-Star Celebration Of Cannonball Adderley
(Various Artists)
Gregg Field & Tom Scott, producers
[Concord Jazz]
Miles From India
(Various Artists)
Bob Belden, producer
[4Q/Times Square Records]
Lifecycle
Yellowjackets Featuring Mike Stern
[Heads Up International]

Best Jazz Vocal Album
(For albums containing 51% or more playing time of VOCAL tracks.)

Imagina: Songs Of Brasil
Karrin Allyson
[Concord Jazz]
Breakfast On The Morning Tram
Stacey Kent
[Blue Note]
If Less Is More...Nothing Is Everything
Kate McGarry
[Palmetto Records]
Loverly
Cassandra Wilson
[Blue Note]
Distances
Norma Winstone (Glauco Venier & Klaus Gesing)
[ECM]

Best Jazz Instrumental Solo
(For an instrumental jazz solo performance. Two equal performers on one recording may be eligible as one entry. If the soloist listed appears on a recording billed to another artist, the latter's name is in parenthesis for identification. Singles or Tracks only.)

Be-Bop
Terence Blanchard, soloist
Track from: Live At The 2007 Monterey Jazz Festival (Monterey Jazz Festival 50th Anniversary All-Stars)
[Monterey Jazz Festival Records]
Seven Steps To Heaven
Till Brönner, soloist
Track from: The Standard (Take 6)
[Heads Up International]
Waltz For Debby
Gary Burton & Chick Corea, soloists
Track from: The New Crystal Silence
[Concord Records]
Son Of Thirteen
Pat Metheny, soloist
Track from: Day Trip
[Nonesuch Records]
Be-Bop
James Moody, soloist
Track from: Live At The 2007 Monterey Jazz Festival (Monterey Jazz Festival 50th Anniversary All-Stars)
[Monterey Jazz Festival Records]

Best Jazz Instrumental Album, Individual or Group
(For albums containing 51% or more playing time of INSTRUMENTAL tracks.)

The New Crystal Silence
Chick Corea & Gary Burton
[Concord Records]
History, Mystery
Bill Frisell
[Nonesuch Records]
Brad Mehldau Trio: Live
Brad Mehldau Trio
[Nonesuch Records]
Day Trip
Pat Metheny With Christian McBride & Antonio Sanchez
[Nonesuch Records]
Standards
Alan Pasqua, Dave Carpenter & Peter Erskine Trio
[Fuzzy Music]

Best Large Jazz Ensemble Album
(For large jazz ensembles, including big band sounds. Albums must contain 51% or more INSTRUMENTAL tracks.)

Appearing Nightly
Carla Bley And Her Remarkable Big Band
[WATT]
Act Your Age
Gordon Goodwin's Big Phat Band
[Immergent]
Symphonica
Joe Lovano With WDR Big Band & Rundfunk Orchestra
[Blue Note]
Blauklang
Vince Mendoza
[Act Music and Vision (AMV)]
Monday Night Live At The Village Vanguard
The Vanguard Jazz Orchestra
[Planet Arts Recordings]

Best Latin Jazz Album
(Vocal or Instrumental.)

Afro Bop Alliance
Caribbean Jazz Project
[Heads Up International]
The Latin Side Of Wayne Shorter
Conrad Herwig & The Latin Side Band
[Half Note Records]
Song For Chico
Arturo O'Farrill & The Afro-Latin Jazz Orchestra
[Zoho]
Nouveau Latino
Nestor Torres
[Diamond Light Records]
Marooned/Aislado
Papo Vázquez The Mighty Pirates
[Picaro Records]

Happy Thanksgiving

2008-11-27T16:40:00.000-05:00

Other Places

2008-11-08T12:50:00.003-05:00

I’ve recently found several interesting sites in my travels around the web. Two of them are the online homes of major figures in Jazz. The third is a source of streaming music.

Jazz In America is the online home for the Thelonious Monk Institute of Jazz. The institute and the website are devoted to spreading the message of Jazz through educational channels. The major component of the site is the collection of lesson plans. Teachers are always on the lookout for resources they can use to enhance their teaching. The lesson plans on this site nicely complement cultural, historical and musical programs. When viewing the site don’t overlook the video featuring an animated Herbie Hancock. Educator or just a fan, there are things to be learned at Jazz In America.

The Official Duke Ellington Site is everything the name implies. Operated on behalf of the Mercer Ellington and Duke Ellington estates, this visually rich site is a must see site. Not content with merely housing historical materials, this site contains recent news about the Ellington Orchestra now headed by Duke’s grandson. They’ve just added an online store of Ellington-related merchandise. Well worth a visit.

Pandora, the third site is one of many online music sites. As with most of these sites you can tailor your listening by selecting your favorite artists and allowing the website to suggest additional artists in whom you might be interested. I input Wynton Marsalis and before long was listening to Cannonball Adderley. Since Pandora runs in your browser you must keep a browser window open. If your work takes you off line this could be a problem. Perhaps a service such as Screamer Radio, which is not browser connected, would be a better choice. Screamer features a nice collection of stations playing all varieties of Jazz.

Blues Guitar

2008-10-27T10:44:00.003-04:00

Found this clip while browsing online. Great guitar and also notice Memphis Slim on the piano.

Matt Guitar Murphy - Murphy's Boogie
Uploaded by bluespunt

Danilo Perez “Across The Crystal Sea”

2008-10-18T14:21:00.003-04:00

Initially I had mixed feelings about this most enjoyable disc. The music presented by Danilo Perez and composer-arranger Claus Ogerman is some of the most gentle and relaxing music I’ve had the pleasure of encountering in a long time.

However, I cannot shake the nagging feeling that what is entertaining me is not jazz. If it isn’t is that such a bad thing? I think not, especially in light of Maestro Ellington’s sentiments that are noted at the top of this page. Why quarrel over category?

I’ve long been a fan of the music of Claus Ogerman, ever since the days when he was providing those cloud-like cushions for Antonio Carlos Jobim. Danilo Perez has been someone with whom I been familiar. Their marriage here works wonderfully.

The percussive nature of Perez’ playing does not, as some have suggested, clash with the gentle orchestrations provided by Ogerman. The title track is particularly engaging. It has become for me one of those melodies which I cannot banish from my brain.

With the exception of two tracks, all the music here comes from the pen of Claus Ogerman much of it based on classical themes. The pair of non-Ogerman tunes are given added life via the vocals of Cassandra Wilson. Fans of Bill Evans will recognize “(All of a Sudden) My Heart Sings.”

To my ears Ogerman has given Perez an ideal canvas upon which to paint his improvisations. No matter how you classify this music, “Across The Crystal Sea” makes for good listening.

Record Making WIth Duke Ellington

2008-10-03T13:00:00.002-04:00

Found this 1937 promotional film online. Ellington & the orchestra are used to describe the record making process. We hear a bit of one of Duke's many train compositions as well as a brief vocal by Ivie Anderson.

Ted Nash – The Mancini Project

2008-09-11T14:05:00.002-04:00

A collection of Henry Mancini compositions performed by the son and nephew of two of Mancini’s long-time players seems at first glance to be an open invitation to sentimentalism. Such is definitely not the case with this tonal offering from saxophonist Ted Nash.

In the hands of the Nash quartet the tried and true becomes new again. Listeners are also introduced to several unfamiliar pieces of music including “Something For Nash” composed by Mancini for Ted’s father trombonist Dick Nash.

The proceedings could have slid into melancholy with the inclusion of such themes as “Solider In The Rain” and “Two For The Road.” However, Nash has looked at them with fresh eyes so we can listen to the tunes with fresh ears.

Even before I read the liner notes I knew this recording featured a rock-solid rhythm section. Thus I was not surprised to see that the legendary Rufus Reid was on the bass and the highly talented Matt Wilson was at the drums. Pianist Frank Kimbrough provides plenty of melodic filling and some tasty solos. In all, a well-rounded group with something to say musically.

A confession here: the first record album I ever owned was the Henry Mancini soundtrack to the television show “Mr. Lucky.” Over the years my collection included an uncountable number of Mancini albums. In recent years I’ve drifted away from such music. “The Mancini Project” makes me want to go back and dig out those old albums. Now, if I could only find a turntable on which to play them!

Tim Warfield - "One For Shirley"

2008-08-27T09:56:00.004-04:00

I've followed Tim Warfield's career since he was a youngster sitting in at Central Pennsylvania jam sessions. In fact, Tim was so young that his Dad would bring him to whatever venue was hosting a jam session any given week.

"One For Shirley," his most recent offering from the Criss Cross label, is more than a tribute to a mentor; it is the documentation of a mature jazz talent. That Warfield has always been a substantial talent on saxophone is without question. However, on this disc we hear a depth of playing that only comes with the payment of significant dues.

In the Warfield ensemble's hands old standards are examined from fresh perspectives and new compositions are presented for our inspection and appreciation. The resulting collection of music swings with the familiar and the unfamiliar. The new music on this disc is devoid of the self-absorbed introspection that passes for depth of thought and feeling.

As this is being written Tim is coming off a week at the Village Vanguard with Terell Stafford's Quintet. Just another example of the musical company this York, PA native keeps.

So Long Little Giant

2008-07-30T09:39:00.002-04:00

Johnny Griffin played several gigs here in Central PA during the early years of the local jazz society, the Friends of Jazz. Sadly, I remember little about those performances which happened over 20 years ago. I do recall Griffin's muscular approach to the sax and his blazing speed all belied by his diminutive presence.

To refresh my memory I located a pair of videos of what must have been typical performances.

The first video is a blistering run through "Just Friends" with an unnamed quartet.

Just Friends - Johnny Griffin
Uploaded by boberwig

The second clip is from a live gig at the Village Vanguard and features Griffin with Ronnie Mathews, Ray Drummond and Kenny Washington.

Gerald Wiggins

2008-07-20T11:53:00.003-04:00

It is particularly telling that an online video search for Gerald Wiggins turns up no videos wherein he is the leader. As we see below, there are a pair of fine videos where he accompanies saxophone greats Benny Carter and Scott Hamilton. Each video gives a nice snapshot of Gerry's astute handling of the accompanist' s role. In the Hamilton video note the obvious glee in Scott's reaction to the piano solo.

In a stroke of programming genius, the Central PA Friends of Jazz presented Gerry Wiggins and his bassist son, Hassan Shakur in a Father's Day performance a few years ago. It was an afternoon of musical comfort food, filling and satisfying.

It is a real shame that Concord has removed Wiggins' Maybeck recital from the catalog. There is an entire generation of music fans who could benefit from and enjoy making the acquaintance of Gerald Wiggins.

Benny Carter - Rosetta 1983
Uploaded by boberwig

Wynton and Willie

2008-07-10T10:42:00.004-04:00

I have to admit right up front that I’ve been a Willie Nelson fan for years. I always enjoy Nelson’s approach to a lyric and the comfortable timbre of his voice. Nelson’s appreciation of good guitar playing also is a point in his favor in my book.

Thus, it was with great anticipation that I learned that last year’s appearance by Nelson and Wynton Marsalis at Jazz At Lincoln Center had been recorded. I also heard that a video was shot of the performance. Can a DVD be too far in the future?

The CD “Two Men With The Blues” was released this week and in my estimation is well worth the wait. This is neither a Wynton Marsalis nor a Willie Nelson gig with a special guest. Both artists contribute equally to the musical proceedings. The recording is the result of a true meeting of the minds of two strong musical personalities.

While we do not encounter such war-horses as “On The Road Again” or “Crazy” there is sufficient quantity of Nelson staples to satisfy his fans. Wynton fans will discover healthy portions of the blues on this recording including “Ain’t Nobody’s Business” and “Basin Street Blues.” Although the music is tightly arranged there still is plenty of room for standout instrumental solos by all participants.

The recording quality is exceptional. We get a good sense of the atmosphere in the room at the live gig without our attention being diverted from the music. The stereo mix spreads the performers across the stage in what must be an approximation of their positions on stage. The clarity and detail of the recording brings the performance to life.

All in all I found “Two Men With The Blues” to be an enjoyable experience. However, when Wynton and Willie gather for a follow up in February someone please take the vocal microphone away from Wynton!

Happy Birthday Pops

2008-07-04T09:10:00.004-04:00

Even though recent research indicates that Louis Armstrong was not born on July 4, 1900, the legend is so strong that many in jazz still celebrate his birthday on Independence Day. What could be more American that celebrating the birth of the central figure in the development of this uniquely American music on the Fourth of July?

Here’s a link to the museum that is being established at the Armstrong House in New York.

Here’s a look at two Armstrong videos.

Louis Armstrong 1933
Uploaded by sirarnold

One of my favorite Armstrong recordings is his collaboration with Duke Ellington. Talk about a meeting of giants!

Finally, on a completely different note, here’s something to add a taste of history to your celebration. Enjoy!

Taking The A Train

2008-06-23T13:03:00.002-04:00

Sunday, June 22 my wife and I took the “A” Train to Harlem. In fact, it wasn’t the only train we took that day but for the purposes of this story it was the important one.
We were on a mission to hear Art Tatum. Our destination was the historic Apollo Theater on 125th. Street. The show we were about to see was “Art Tatum Piano Starts Here.”
The playbill described the performance as a “two-man show: one lives, one lives on.” For the next two hours the actor Paul Butler, in the persona of Doc Hanley, beguiled us.
Hanley was closing up his basement jazz club shortly after the death of his friend Art Tatum. Hanley reminisced about his friend and recounted their many musical adventures.
Art Tatum was the other performer on the Apollo stage even though the audience only saw him through images projected onto the stage wall. However everyone in the theater would testify that they were in the presence of the great man.
Tatum came to life through a Steinway B concert grand piano which commanded the stage by its presence. Oh what a piano it was! Three years in the making, the instrument was a symbiotic melding of the instrument-maker’s craft and digital technology. Add the cutting edge software of Zenph Studios and we were about to be mesmerized by the artistry of Art Tatum as surely as if he were seated at the keyboard.
In all the show featured 12 song performed by Tatum. Even though I had heard Tatum many times in the past, those performances were Tatum distilled and filtered through microphones and speakers. What emerged from the Steinway was pure Tatum, no amplification allowed.
There was something about the visual reinforcement of the aural. I was hearing it and I was seeing it, but I still didn’t believe it.
Along the way we learned much about Tatum the man. However, the information that came as the greatest surprise was the fact that his widow Geraldine survives to this day.
After the performance Zenph President and Founder John Q. Walker told the audience of his meeting with Mrs. Tatum and of her generous contribution of Tatum’s personal piano to the National Jazz Museum in Harlem. Generations to come will be able to view the piano and other artifacts from Tatum at the museum.
Overall I had a great time. The music was enthralling. Experiencing it in the historic Apollo Theater enhanced the special character of the performance. Kudos to one and all and especially to Art.

Art Tatum: Piano Starts Here

2008-06-05T15:39:00.004-04:00

When I read about this recording in Marc Myers’ “Jazz Wax” blog I knew I wanted to add it to my collection. The disc arrived this week and I am not disappointed.

If you’ve not heard the story of this recording here it is in a nutshell. In the spring of 1949 Tatum performed at the Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles. A less-than-stellar recording of the gig has seen multiple releases as “Piano Starts Here.” The new disc, released June 3, is promoted as a “RePerformance” and was recorded September 23, 2007 also at the Shrine.

Zenph Studios takes vintage recordings and through digital wizardry turns those recordings back into a live performance. In the case of the Tatum session a Yamaha Disklavier Pro digital reproducing piano is the performer.

After listening to the new disc I am pleased at the musicality of the performance. I have to keep telling myself that I am listening to a machine. Having listened to my share of Tatum recordings over the years, I feel that this is more than just an accurate representation of Tatum. This is the essence of the great pianist. No wonder the 2007 audience breaks into applause.

In addition to the usual surround sound recording, the disc also contains binaural stereo recordings. For this, two microphones mounted in a dummy head are placed at the keyboard of the piano. The resulting recording, when listened to on headphones, gives you the sense of sitting at the piano and hearing what Tatum must have heard.

Here’s a link to the Zenph website. Follow it for details on the recording and a planned performance later this month at the Apollo Theater in New York.

Unlike some other digital manipulations of old recordings, I don’t find this to be a misuse of the technology. One has only to listen to a track from the original recording and then the same track from the new disc to fully appreciate the amazing difference. To me this is technology employed in the service of artistry.

Steve Rudolph

2008-05-25T10:42:00.006-04:00

Steve Rudolph has been a mainstay of the South Central Pennsylvania musical fabric for more years than either of us care to remember. The Indiana native brought his pianistic prowess to Harrisburg while touring with the Tommy Dorsey ghost band more than two decades ago.

In my earlier days as a Public Radio Jazz Producer Steve was a frequent contributor to my programs both as a performer and commentator. Through him I was introduced to countless members of the Jazz Community. He and I formed one half of the Founding Four of the Central PA Friends of Jazz
.
While his career has taken him to such far-flung locales as Russia, Germany and India; Steve always returns home to Central PA. I think that because he is usually here Steve is sometimes taken for granted by the local fans. Too bad because those fans are missing out on partaking of a prodigious talent who also happens to be a nice guy.

In 2007 Steve recorded a television show for WVIA Public Television in Scranton, PA. He used the opportunity to not only showcase himself but also some of his musical friends.
Here are two clips from that program. The first is a trio session and for the second the group expands to a quartet to feature saxophonist Tom Strohman. Enjoy!

Art Blakey

2008-04-30T10:16:00.002-04:00

A Google search turned up the attached video. It runs 48-minutes and as you can see features Art Blakey and The Jazz Messengers in 1961. Unfortunately no further information is provided.
Since it would be a few years after this was recorded before I became interested in jazz, I was only 15 at the time, I do not recognize any of the players except Blakey. Use the email link in the right column if you can share any information. Thanks!

2007 NEA Jazz Masters Special Online Event

2008-04-02T21:04:00.002-04:00

LEGENDS OF JAZZ Presents the 2007 NEA Jazz Masters Special Online Event

Available Online all month long

TV special profiles NEA Jazz Masters Ramsey Lewis, Phil Woods,
Jimmy Scott, Toshiko Akiyoshi, Frank Wess, & Curtis Fuller

In honor of Jazz Appreciation Month (April) 2008, LRSmedia debuts LEGENDS OF JAZZ Presents the 2007 NEA Jazz Masters as a special webcast premiere in conjunction with the entire online jazz community.

This one-hour television special, hosted by 2007 NEA Jazz Master Ramsey Lewis, will feature conversation and musical performances by bandleader and pianist Toshiko Akiyoshi, trombonist Curtis Fuller, vocalist Jimmy Scott, flutist Frank Wess, and saxophonist Phil Woods. Special guest and co-host Nancy Wilson will interview Ramsey Lewis about his music, 50-year career and his selection as an NEA Jazz Master.

Watch online here.

Sir Roland

2008-03-27T14:56:00.001-04:00

I first met Sir Roland Hanna when he filled in for an ailing Joe Pass on a concert I was producing. It may seem odd to have a pianist subbing for a guitarist but in the role of the melodic anchor of a band either of the two instruments works nicely.

I had wanted to book Hanna for several years anyway and this lucky happenstance made that happen. I was familiar with his work with the Thad Jones/Mel Lewis Orchestra and a host of trio and quartet dates which spanned several decades. Of course who can forget his work on those CTI albums including the Jim Hall session Concerto.

However, it was one particular recording that caught my attention and made Roland Hanna a regular on my radio show. The recording was a solo session for the tiny Town Crier label. I believe the session took place in a church. However, the recording quality was exceptional and Roland’s playing was captivating. I believe this is the only time he recorded his composition Century Rag. To me it was the highlight of the album.

The concert was a success and I asked Roland to put together a group for a return the following season. The return engagement featured the legendary Richard Davis on bass and Bill Easley on sax. The audience was treated to an evening of good friends making good music.

For me the highlight of the day came before the performance when we were walking to the concert hall from dinner. Roland remarked that my voice sounded familiar. He continued that I sounded like the announcer on a jazz show he briefly listened to while driving from New York to Washington, D.C.

He explained that after playing a Sunday matinee on Broadway he would drive to his home in Washington to spend his off day at home with his wife. It turned out that his route carried him into the signal area of the radio station for which I was doing a Sunday night jazz show. However, he only was able to listen briefly and had not heard me identify myself. I’ve since wondered who else was out there when I was playing jazz on the radio.

Over the years I’ve managed to collect a number of Sir Roland’s recordings including the 2003 tribute to Tommy Flanagan entitled “Tributaries.” I think that recording also serves as an appropriate summary to Roland’s career. To coin a phrase, his playing is soulful but stately.

The Piano/Herbie Hancock

2008-03-15T20:26:00.002-04:00

In 1978 Herbie Hancock went into a Tokyo studio to record a solo piano session for release in Japan. What made the recording noteworthy was the way it was recorded.

The album was recorded using the Direct-To-Disc method where the music goes from the studio to a master disc from which the vinyl LPs are pressed. In the pre compact disc era Direct-To-Disc represented the peak of recorded quality.

For his session Hancock chose three standards as well as four original tunes. Because of the recording technique each 16-minute side of the LP was to be recorded in one pass with only slight pauses between tunes.

The resulting album, “The Piano” was never released in the United States. However, in 2004 a compact disc was produced that included not only the 1978 release but also several alternate tracks. It can be found on the Columbia Legacy label.

The music here is absolutely stunning. Hancock rose to the challenge of performing under the constraints of the technology. His impressionistic intro to the opening track, “My Funny Valentine” is in itself worth the price of admission. Of the originals “Harvest Time” is a standout. The bonus of hearing additional takes of four of the tunes gives the listener a glimpse into Hancock’s creative process.

This is a piano recording done the way all piano recordings should be done. The instrument is well tuned and recorded with a presence and clarity that approaches the experience of hearing a live instrument. You hear the piano from the pianist’s perspective. The right hand is on the right channel and the left hand in the left channel. A gem of a recording!

Dave McKenna

2008-03-02T14:48:00.002-05:00

Back in the early 1990’s I was producing a series of summer jazz concerts here in Pennsylvania. Over the course of six years I met a lot of great jazz players and heard some exceptional music.

One of the artists whom I got to know a little was pianist Dave McKenna. I was familiar with his playing through his recordings that I was playing on my radio show.

When I was assembling a series of solo piano concerts Dave was one of the first names that came to mind. I knew that his rumbling left hand bass notes would roll like thunder through the open-air concert hall.

To see Dave McKenna without knowing what his profession was one would think he might have been an accountant or some other office scribe. He was the quietest most self-effacing person I had ever met.

Make no mistake, you could engage him in conversation about music or his beloved Red Sox and you’d find a friendly though soft-spoken man. However, for the most part he let his music do the talking. For instance, in the two concerts he performed for me he never spoke a word to the audience. He would acknowledge their applause with a smile and nod of the head and then it would be back to work.

Of course his playing was sublime and swung like crazy. I was able, with his permission, to record the second concert for radio. What strikes me the most from the recording is McKenna’s seemingly spontaneous assembly of tunes into lengthy cohesive medleys.

My friend and recording engineer had just become a father a day or two before the gig. Dave must have heard us talking about the birth because to our amazement the second half of the concert contained a lengthy medley of tunes each with the word baby in the title.

I’ve frequently wondered what happened to Dave McKenna. Wikipedia says he retired around the turn of the millennium. Too bad for we fans but good for him.

Giant Steps

2008-02-17T17:58:00.003-05:00

Ever just type something into a search engine and see where it takes you? These video takes on Coltrane's "Giant Steps" are the result of just such an idle search.

First, for all the sight readers here's a look at the solo.

Next we have McCoy Tyner's version.

Finally, there's this thing.

I hope it has an "off" switch!

Grammy Awards for Jazz

2008-02-12T10:45:00.000-05:00

As promised, here is the list of Grammy Award winners in the Jazz categories. As just about everyone knows, Herbie Hancock also won Album of the Year.

Jazz Grammy Winners 2008

Category 45
Best Contemporary Jazz Album

* River: The Joni Letters
Herbie Hancock
[Verve]

Category 46
Best Jazz Vocal Album

* Avant Gershwin
Patti Austin
[Rendezvous Entertainment]

Category 47
Best Jazz Instrumental Solo

* Anagram
Michael Brecker, soloist
Track from: Pilgrimage
[Heads Up International]

Category 48
Best Jazz Instrumental Album, Individual or Group

* Pilgrimage
Michael Brecker
[Heads Up International]

Category 49
Best Large Jazz Ensemble Album

* A Tale Of God's Will (A Requiem For Katrina)
Terence Blanchard
[Blue Note]

Category 50
Best Latin Jazz Album

* Funk Tango
Paquito D'Rivera Quintet
[Paquito Records]

Sitting In With Sonny Stitt

2008-02-08T14:53:00.000-05:00

My friend Steve sent me the link to this video which, as he put it, is "seriously funny."

You don't have to be a jazz musician to appreciate the tale spun by master storyteller Bill Cosby. Also check out the reactions of both Dick Cavett and Jack Benny.

Enjoy!

The exceptional Ira Sullivan

2008-02-01T15:19:00.000-05:00

Like many in this area I was introduced to Ira Sullivan in the 1980's when he made a guest appearance at a jazz society Christmas Party. Up from his Florida home for a private engagement. Sullivan greeted the jazz society crowd with a blistering trumpet solo.

It was only later that I would learn that the trumpet was one of seven instruments over which Ira had command. I also learned that he was primarily self-taught on all those instruments.

His skill on alto, soprano and tenor sax is without match. To hear Ira on alto flute is to bring joy into your heart. On every instrument in his arsenal the man will swing you into bad health!

During the years when Sullivan was a regular participant in the annual Central PA Jazz Festival I had the good fortune to hang with Ira. I even once coaxed him to submit to an interview for my radio show.

I also had the opportunity to observe as he worked with not only his peers but also with the budding musicians who attended his clinics. This kind and gentle man seemed tireless as he coached and encouraged his charges.

The background of Ira Sullivan includes early encounters with Charlie Parker and other royalty of be-bop. Recordings are available of Sullivan's collaboration with Red Garland. Rahassan Roland Kirk and most notedly Red Rodney.

For me personally the ultimate Ira Sullivan experience came when I produced a concert featuring him with pianist Reuben Brown, bassist Steve LaSpina and drummer Steve Bagby. The music sizzled that night.

Ira lives in the Miami area and plays frequently in that area of Florida. Occasionally he ventures out for places such as Chicago, Denver or New York. If you get word that he's going to be close by, don't miss the opportunity to witness the exceptional Ira Sullivan.