APRIL 2024

VOLUME 91 / NUMBER 4

President Kevin Maher

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4 DOWNBEAT APRIL 2024

 APRIL 2024

ON THE COVER
COURTESY BLUE NOTE RECORDS

22 Béla Fleck’s
Rhapsody
BY BILL MILKOWSKI
Over the course of his eclectic
career — one that stretches
across four decades — Grammy-
winning banjo virtuoso Béla
Fleck has boldly, almost
defiantly, taken his five-stringed
instrument to places where no
banjo player has gone before. As
proof, witness his latest project,
Rhapsody In Blue, reinterpreting
the century-old Gershwin classic
with a brand new twist.
FEATURES

28 Kahil El’Zabar Duke Ellington and Louis Armstrong — two undeniable members of the 90 most
influential artists in jazz history — on The Ed Sullivan Show in 1961.
32
Heritage Ethnic Ensemble @ 50 Cover photo by Hazel Coonagh
BY MICHAEL JACKSON

32 The 90 Greatest
Artists in Jazz History
BY DOWNBEAT STAFF

55 Indie Life
55 Jon Irabagon
Absurdist Tendencies
58 Myles Wright 41 Charles Lloyd 42 Vijay Iyer Trio 45 Jim Snidero 53 Julian Lage
Gaming Music

68 The NAMM Show Report

REED SCHOOL DEPARTMENTS

60 Master Class 66 Toolshed 8 First Take 20 NYC Winter Jazzfest @ 20

Standing on the Shoulders
67 Gear Box 21 Jean-Philippe Allard’s
of Giants 10 Chords & Discords
BY RICK MARGITZA
Artwork Records

64 Transcription 13 The Beat 41 Reviews

David Murray’s Solo 13 Jan Garbarek 73 Jazz On Campus
on ‘Metouka Sheli’ 16 Amaro Freitas
BY JIMI DURSO P. Mauriat Saxophone Touring Case
74 Blindfold Test
18 Big Chief Donald Harrison Samara Joy

6 DOWNBEAT APRIL 2024

 First Take BY FRANK ALKYER

MICHAEL JACKSON

Christian McBride, one of today’s guiding lights on

the jazz scene, is one of only two artists under 60 to make this list.

The Dumbest Idea Ever?

WE KNOW THAT MAGAZINES, FANS AND ble: choosing between literal gods of this music.
anybody who has listened to a lot of music have Phrases like, “I’ll go to my grave …” were
attempted to make lists of their favorite songs, bandied about to suggest an artist should be
artists and albums. It’s just some odd quirk of on, or off. With each round, we would inde-
human nature. So, when the question of how to pendently make a list of who we had to cut. If all
kick off our 90th anniversary year in 2024 was three agreed, we’d grudgingly remove that art-
raised last summer, we said, “Why not do the ist — very grudgingly. If not, they went through
90 greatest artists in jazz history?” to the next round.
OK, “we” didn’t say it. I did. Beginning on page 39, you can see that final
But the rest of the DB crew went along with list. It took seven rounds, which felt more like
the idea. Seemed like a no-brainer. After all, a 15-round championship boxing match. Well,
it’s become commonplace in the music media actually, it was eight. After that seventh round,
to generate lists like this: “The 500 greatest Mike West noted that the youngest artist on the
albums of all time,” “The 100 greatest guitar- list was 62, and hasn’t there been anyone wor-
ists of all time,” etc. Here at DownBeat, we’ve thy of “greatest” consideration to come around
also done it, our 75th anniversary year being a after that? So, that eighth round required more
prime example. hand-wringing over who could fill those spots,
But this task turned out to make our collec- as well as additional, exceedingly painful,
tive brain hurt. How the hell do you boil jazz’s cuts to the list. In the end, we happily added
vast history of people, creativity, art, music, toil Christian McBride and Jason Moran, two of the
and sweat from thousands upon thousands of guiding lights on today’s jazz scene.
artists down to a mere 90 individuals? After that, we said, “Why not pick one great
Let’s just say what I thought would be a fun tune from that artist to give as an example?”
experiment was painful. If you have beefs with those tunes, blame me.
We started out with a list of more than 200 Some are as obvious as Benny Goodman’s
names and sent it out to the editorial staff, who “Sing, Sing, Sing.” Others are just songs that
began to ask, “What about … ?” The list grew. have been meaningful to me.
Then we set about the work of trying to pare that That’s how this month’s jazz sausage was
list down. I took the first shot, creating a spread- made! Could this list have been different? Heck,
sheet so we could all see who was being elimi- yes. But this is the list, on this day, at this hour,
nated in what round. After hours of debate (with at this minute. Check it out. Smile at what we
myself), the list was down to about 200. I sent got right. Scoff at where we went wrong. Let me
it out to Mike West, our reviews editor, and Ed know how we did and who we missed. I’m all
Enright, our senior editor. They whittled a few ears at editor@downbeat.com. Stay tuned for
more names down. Then it went from tough more fun, though: Our official 90th anniversary
(choosing between favorites) to nearly impossi- edition comes your way with the July issue! DB

8 DOWNBEAT APRIL 2024

 Chords Discords

No Myth in Philly
Thank you very much for preparing and pub-
lishing another edition of your “100+ Great
Jazz Venues” series, in the February 2024 edi-
tion of your magazine. We appreciate this very
useful series — especially for planning travel.
For the Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, por-
tion, you very rightly included Chris Jazz Café
and South Restaurant & Jazz Club. However,
you have a huge omission for our City of Broth-
erly Love — the somewhat new (just over one-
year-old) jazz venue Solar Myth (solarmyth-
bar.com). This club is the home base for the
absolutely essential Ars Nova Workshop (ar-
snovaworkshop.org), which is a U.S. national
and international treasure for promoting both
up-and-coming and well-established jazz acts
— including our international treasure and be-
loved Sun Ra Arkestra and its still quite active
leader Marshall Allen (who will turn 100 years
young this May).
The Solar Myth club is a combination jazz/
experimental live performance club, wine/
beer/amaro bar, coffee shop, lounge and vi- year. My favorite show of the three was the
nyl records shop. When the live music is not one where she was backed by the Pasquale
onstage, the wine/coffee bar and lounge has Grasso Trio. It was a very intimate and excel-
recorded jazz playing in a background for an lent show.
absolutely wonderful hangout for jazz fans. Finally, it was great to see four of my
I hope you and your staff will stop by Solar favorite records from this year in your Best
Myth on your next visit to our wonderful city! Albums of 2023 list, especially Terell Staf-
TIM HERRING ford’s Between Two Worlds. I shouldn’t be
PHILADELPHIA
surprised as I read the record reviews or ar-
ticles about them in your magazine. I was
disappointed that Pat Metheny’s Dream Box
Head to Dear Head Inn record didn’t make the list. It was my favorite
How can DownBeat keep omitting the ven- record of 2023 and an excellent addition to
erable Deer Head Inn, the country’s lon- his solo discography.
gest running jazz club, in your list of top jazz MARC NEBOZENKO
scenes? Longtime pied à terre for the late Phil EVANSTON, ILLINOIS

Woods and very-much-alive Dave Liebman, it’s

situated just off the Appalachian Trail in beau-
tiful Delaware Water Gap, Pennsylvania. Make
a visit to the Deer Head, and you’ll never forget Making Radio History Disappear
the experience or the great vibe there. I am disappointed and, currently, greatly
inconvenienced by DownBeat’s decision
ROB STEVENS
ALLENTOWN, PENNSYLVANIA to force World Radio History to remove the
DownBeat archive.
Editor’s Note: Thanks Rob. We didn’t feel
I’ve been engaged in writing a biography
comfortable adding the inn to the list this
of a jazz musician for a number of years and
year because it had to close temporarily
the World Radio History DownBeat archive has
due to a stretch of road being washed out.
proved invaluable.
The Deer Head Inn will be back on next
year’s list! W WHITE
LEEDS, U.K.

Editor’s Note: Dear Mr. White. I’m sorry

for the inconvenience, but folks shouldn’t,
‘Juhmping’ for Johnathan and can’t, just slap up complete issues of
Thank you Ammar Kalia for the excellent arti- DownBeat online for their own financial
cle on Johnathan Blake in the January 2024 gain without first making an agreement
issue. I have enjoyed listening to this superb with us. Meanwhile, we are working toward
young drummer on many of my favorite jazz putting our own archive online for readers,
records and live shows the past 10 years. researchers and fans like you.
I also enjoyed the article on Samara Joy
(my favorite vocalist) by Suzanne Lorge. I Have a Chord or Discord? Email us at editor@downbeat.com
caught her live twice in 2022 and once this or find us on Facebook & Twitter.

10 DOWNBEAT APRIL 2024

12 DOWNBEAT APRIL 2024
 The
Amaro Freitas, Donald Harrison, NYC Winter
Jazzfest, Jean-Philippe Allard & More!

COURTESY ECM RECORDS

Two ECM reissues of historic albums by saxophonist Jan Garbarek, shown

here with pianist Keith Jarrett, celebrate his 50 years on the label.

Retracing Jan Garbarek’s ECM Emergence

I
t has become standard practice for jazz century and more ago takes on new cultural debut Afric Pepperbird from 1971 and Keith
labels of any substance and historical depth meaning with age, and ageless, relevance. Jarrett’s Garbarek-featured chamber jazz
to revisit, remaster and re-issue gems from ECM’s latest archival forum comes in the venture Luminessence, from 1974, the pair of
their vaults. The natural process becomes ever form of two important albums, both from albums nicely demonstrate the range of even
more significant when the label is one of wide- the early 1970s featuring iconic Norwegian the young Garbarek’s musicality. He roamed
ly acknowledged and unique artistic impor- alto saxophonist Jan Garbarek, being issued freely and easily from fervent John Coltrane-
tance as well as having attained the elite glow on vinyl with the original embossed sleeves esque intensity to clarion lyrical flights suit-
of milestone longevity. Both conditions aptly and fitted with new liner notes. Between able for classical-tinged contexts.
describe ECM Records. The label that found- the acclaimed and surprisingly some- By the time of the release of Luminessence,
ing producer Manfred Eicher built — and con- times rough-edged Garbarek quartet (gui- Jarrett’s alliances with both classical compo-
tinues building — officially turned 50 in 2019, tarist Terje Rypdal, bassist Arild Andersen sition and orchestration and a kinship with
and its reissuing program of titles from a half and drummer Jon Christensen) album Garbarek were well-established. Garbarek was

APRIL 2024 DOWNBEAT 13

a key player in Jarrett’s “European Quartet” in ization currently being explored by many a rhythm section. The openness and quartet
the 1970s, along with bassist Palle Danielsson musicians seeking to unhinge stubborn genre sound was just in my musical direction and
and Christensen (contrasting Jarret’s constraints. By contrast, Garbarek conveys also in the way it was recorded, it made the
“American” quartet with tenor saxophonist a wilder side of his musical persona on Afric bass as an equal voice to the sax and guitar.
Dewey Redman, bassist Charlie Haden and Pepperbird, recorded in the tender early years The band was very democratic.”
drummer Paul Motian). Jarrett had also previ- of ECM’s existence and before any Jarrett link On Afric Pepperbird, the democratic ideals
ously blended jazz and classical machinations was made manifest. The music contained — laid out in top-down fashion from lead-
on the album In The Light and would continue and sometimes barely contained — on this er Garbarek resulted in opening up select
in 1976 with the renowned Abour Zena, also quartet debut blends touches of the coloristic moments to feature each player. Andersen
showcasing the soloing voice of Garbarek, as and impressionistic qualities to come in his steps forward, as a solo voice, on the tunes
well as Haden. career, but also unleashes an edgy, cathartic “Mah-Jong” and “MYB.” By his recollec-
(A broad overview of Jarrett’s vast discog- intensity evocative of later-period Coltrane’s tion, Anderson notes that “‘Mah-Jong’ hap-
raphy reflects his passionate engagement with abandon and the exploratory license of free- pened there and then. Jan and Manfred had
classical music, both of his own devising and jazz and electric Miles Davis voodoo (as on been downstairs for a cup of coffee and Terje,
Jon and I were just jamming when they came

‘The melodies that Jarrett back and Manfred said, ‘That sounds great,
let’s record it.’ So we improvised a bit and it
was included on the record. For ‘MYB’ it came

writes sound like Garbarek about because I just had practiced harmon-
ics at the end of the fingerboard and this little
melody came up. Jan and I did a version of it.”
improvisations, so great is Touching on more pragmatic memories of
the sessions, he recalled, “Most of the music
was recorded the second evening. We record-
the rapport between the ed in the evening when the elevator in the
building was less in use — the elevator had to

two men.’ stop when we recorded.”

In terms of musical and attitudinal guide-
posts for the album’s distinctive mix of mus-
as interpreter of existing repertoire. The new- “Blow Away Zone” and the title track). cle, freedom and impressionistic yearning,
est entry in Jarrett’s discography, for instance, In a 1971 DownBeat review, Joe Klee lav- Andersen pointed out that the bandleader
is a luminous recording of keyboard music ishly lauded Garbarek’s arrival on the jazz and influential musical theoretician George
by C.P.E. Bach, translated from harpsichord scene, especially in its special case European Russell “was living in Oslo at the time and both
to piano and originally recorded in Jarrett’s orbit, noting that his “playing is full of jag- Jan and I had been to his lecture ‘The Lydian
home “Cavelight” studio in 1994, finally ged edges and beautiful surprises, Coltrane- Chromatic Concept of Tonal Organization.’
issued in 2023.) influenced but his own. Garbarek should be We also played in his sextet at the time. The
Despite Jarrett’s earlier orchestrated heard. I would venture that not since Django lecture had a great impact on me.”
projects in the ’70s, Luminessence — Reinhardt has there been a European jazz In its more livewire and raucous passages,
released the same year as the well-known musician so original and forward-looking as the music on Afric Pepperbird runs count-
“European Quartet’s” debut Belonging this young Norwegian.” er to any stereotyped descriptor of a certain
— showed a deeper engagement with While Garbarek was unavailable for an more refined and introspective “ECM sound.”
Jarrett’s chamber orchestral palette (with interview for this article, we checked in “I don’t think any of us thought about this,”
the strings from the Südfunk Symphony with veteran Norwegian bassist Andersen, Anderson says on the subject. “First of all, what
Orchestra Stuttgart Orchestra). Here, whose own long and fruitful association you could call a stereotyped ECM music had
Garbarek was featured as the album’s more with ECM Records as sideman and as lead- not happened yet,” he says with a soft laugh.
prominent and improvisational protago- er had its launch on Afric Pepperbird. He “This was just how we played live at that time.”
nist atop the string textures. Jarrett’s three would go on to work and record expan- ECM is a label that prides itself on pristine
pieces on the album form loosely form a sively with fellow Norwegians Garbarek, sonic content and elegant packaging, and has
suite, evolving from the pensive and light- Rypdal and Christensen, but this formative only reluctantly yielded to advancing tech-
ly dissonant opening “Numinor” through quartet had a particular importance, and nological formats, whether the switch from
the drone-like brood of “Windsong” and expressive firepower. Andersen confirms vinyl to CDs in the ’80s or giving in to the dig-
capped off with the joyful pulse and themes that the 1970 album “started our early-’70 ital streaming revolution. With elegantly pre-
of the title piece. Throughout, Garbarek’s ties. Manfred and I became good friends served vintage reissues such as these projects
signature saxophonic voice soars with a and he invited me to several recordings at from the Garbarek annals, audiophiles and
kind of tender heroism. that time. It has been natural for me to keep other purists are invited to savor these land-
In his five-star DownBeat review of the the relation with ECM.” mark albums in the form first presented to the
album, Ian Carr asserted, “The melodies that Asked if listening back to the 1970 record- world, in clean, vinyl format.
Jarrett writes sound like Garbarek improvi- ing sparked nostalgic or visceral reaction Count Andersen as one of the true believ-
sations, so great is the rapport between the these many years later, Andersen commented, ers in analog technology and other old-school
two men.” “I think it is just a memory of some starting values in recorded music.
Heard a half century later, Luminessence point for me being part of a quartet — play- “The digital world has made an impact on
suggests that it could be an influential seed- ing freely yet structured and with interplay as all record companies,” he admits, but adds, “I
bed of the impulse for classical-jazz hybrid- a strong guideline, rather than a soloist with like the older version better.” —Josef Woodard

14 DOWNBEAT APRIL 2024

APRIL 2024 DOWNBEAT 15
 shows how potent this culture and heritage is
BRUNO ZANARDO

and how it can connect with the world.”

As Freitas spoke about his formative years, it
was apparent that, from the beginning, he’s
extrapolated quotidian experience into notes
and tones in a similarly immersive manner.
Now 31, he began on piano at 11, when his father
assigned him to switch from drums to play at
church services. At 15, he entered the local con-
servatory. Strained finances forced him to drop
out six months later, but he practiced assidu-
ously on a keyboard, learning autodidactical-
ly via “different circles of people in Recife who
brought me information on harmony, poly-
rhythms and so on.” That year, after hearing a
Chick Corea concert DVD, Freitas essayed his
first efforts at composition.
“I was inspired by the depth of his concept,
which has improvisation but also contains
a long form that the musicians must learn
“I want to inform myself to better convey ideas about nature deeply in order to connect — on the level of
and sustainability through my music,” says Amaro Freitas.
Jobim,” he said. Over the ensuing years, his

Amaro Freitas’ Brazilian Roots

ALTHOUGH BRAZILIAN PIANIST AMARO Jazz Festival in Manaus, Brazil, a city of 2 mil-
sense of improvisational possibility expand-
ed as he absorbed albums by Keith Jarrett,
Gonzalo Rubalcaba, Herbie Hancock, Michel
Freitas amply displayed his compositional bril- lion that lies adjacent to the dense Amazon for- Petrucciani and Oscar Peterson.
liance and instrumental derring-do on three trio est at the conjunction of the Rivers Negro and Freitas worked odd jobs for several years to
albums between 2016 and 2021, his solo recital Solimões that coalesce into the Amazon River, finance his musical studies. Eventually, he
last March, one that opened the 2023 Bergamo 2,870 miles west of his hometown, Recife, a city landed a long sinecure playing standards at
Jazz Festival, proved to be mind-blowing. of 1.6 million on Brazil’s Atlantic coast. After 50 Recife’s Mingus Jazz Bar, while devoting off-
Freitas performed originals from his third minutes, he dismissed his bandmates, conclud- hours to the compound-meter compositions
date, Sankofa (Far Out), and individualistic ing the concert with a long, ritualistic solo piece. that appear on his first album, the self-fi-
interpretations of Wayne Shorter’s “Footprints” In a post-concert interview (translated by nanced Sangue Negro. He spent quality time
and John Coltrane’s “Giant Steps.” His own piec- Brazilian composer-saxophonist Felipe Salles), absorbing the rhythmic and textural worlds of
es featured strong melodies narratively focused the 31-year-old pianist explained the new Cecil Taylor and Thelonious Monk, practicing
on Afro-Brazilian and indigenous dance and album’s title, which references an Adinkra sym- “six to eight hours a day, five days a week,” he
carnival traditions, upon which he improvised bol depicting a backwards-facing bird in flight, a said. His trio wasn’t keeping up, and his desire
orchestrally with vocabulary culled from the pungent metaphor for the notion of “going back to refract his explorations into artistic practice
jazz and Euro-classical canons and various folk- to our roots to realize our potential to move for- prompted him to focus on the solo space and
loric dialects, tossing off complex polymetric ward.” He first saw the image at an African mar- piano preparation.
passages, some at extreme velocities and deploy- ket in Harlem back in 2019, while in the city He opines that these ministrations posi-
ing homegrown extended techniques. for a trio gig at Dizzy’s Club. It sparked with- tioned him to connect to the energies exhibit-
As an example, on one piece, Freitas applied in Freitas a consciousness that the music he’d ed by similarly ancient-to-future-oriented cre-
a shaker to different areas of the piano’s exoskele- grown up listening to in his father’s evangelical ative musicians like Hutchings, Drake, Parker
ton and strings, which he’d prepared in real time church, where “a lot of African traditions had and Younger, as Wayne Shorter did with Milton
with Amazonian seeds, clothespins and other been erased or denied,” had a direct connection Nascimento on Native Dancer, or Pixinguinha
objects, eliciting the sound of a sampled drum to African antecedents. with American jazz musicians in Paris a centu-
ensemble. On another, he addressed a wood- It was well after midnight, but Freitas — ry ago. Freitas also admires such like-minded
encased mbira that stood to the right of the who’d spent most of the afternoon in the jun- Brazilian elders as Moacir Santos (for “working
piano bench, executing a brisk melodic right- gle with a local ecologist — showed no signs out the candomble rhythms of the orishas in the
hand line that he answered contrapuntally on of fatigue. He mentioned that the solo vignette structure of orchestration”), Hermeto Pascoal,
the piano. foreshadowed his latest release, Y’Y (Psychic Dom Salvador and Egberto Gismonti.
He morphed the “Footprints” refrain into a Hotline) (with Hamid Drake, Shabaka “It’s important to me that the Brazilian art-
dense harmonic forest, carving a pathway with Hutchings, Jeff Parker and Brandee Younger as ist is the protagonist of this work, and not the
clearly articulated, jackhammered lines that collaborators), inspired by a visit to Manaus in supporting actor, like Nascimento was on
evoked a pointillistic Cecil Taylor. He revisit- 2020 that connected him to the rituals, customs Native Dancer,” Freitas said of Y’Y. For now,
ed the piano-as-hand-drum trope on “Giant and spirits of the regional Sateré Mawé indige- even as his international profile expands, he
Steps,” caressing the melody with legato touch nous community. intends to remain based in Recife.
at a ballad tempo, gradually building to another “I want to inform myself to better convey “I made an important point by breaking the
Taylor-esque explosion, then decrescendoing to ideas about nature and sustainability through myth that every successful musician either goes
a crystalline theme restatement. my music,” Freitas said. “Our culture in Brazil to São Paulo or to New York. For those who live
Four months later, Freitas and his breathe- doesn’t support the memory of the nation’s in Recife, it brings forth a whole other possibili-
as-one trio at the Amazonas played the Green pre-colonial culture. I want to be an artist who ty, a sense of worth.” —Ted Panken

16 DOWNBEAT APRIL 2024

APRIL 2024 DOWNBEAT 17
 est people in the world. Biggie would come to my

COURTESY ROPEADOPE
house every day to work on music and became the
king of East Coast rap. If you type in “Notorious
BIG quotes,” you’ll see all these messages of hope
to young people hidden underneath his music.
That if you work hard, you can achieve anything.

McCree: You also learned a lot from the quantum

physicist Stefon Alexander. How did that connec-
tion come about?
Harrison: After I did a recording called Quantum
Leap, I emailed him to ask about the idea of mul-
tiverses: that if they exist, each one would be dif-
ferent, but they would contain the same elements.
We’ve stayed in touch and it’s been a great mar-
riage. Sometimes when we’re talking, we come
up with the same ideas. It’s a little bit scary, but
wonderful. Einstein was a violinist, Max Planck
was also a musician and Stefon Alexander plays
saxophone.

McCree: Bingo.
Harrison: Music fueled their finding new ways to
look at science. In the universe, everything goes
to its natural conclusion. If you see a tree blow-
ing in the wind, it moves naturally because of the
wind. Music is the same way. The great bassist Bill
Lee, Spike Lee’s father, would always say, be true
to yourself. Be natural. When John Coltrane and
Sonny Rollins were playing together, each stayed
true to his realm.
“Einstein was a violinist, Max Planck was also a musician and Stefon Alexander plays
saxophone,” says Donald Harrison about the relationship between science and music.
McCree: Why did you choose Ropeadope to contin-

Harrison’s Passion Mixes ue your journey?

Harrison: Because it embraces the totality of music
that’s out right now. It’s open to new ideas. I’ve
Hard Swing, Trap Hip-Hop been trying to get other labels to look at releas-
ing multi-genre music since my early days on
“IF YOU DON’T LIVE IT, IT WON’T COME OUT Master began recording a single song in several Impulse. And they always looked at it from a
of your horn.” mix-and-match genres. marketing point of view: We’re not gonna spend
That sage advice from Charlie Parker became The Art Of Passion (Ropeadope), his new that much money to put all these songs into all
Big Chief Donald Harrison’s lodestar, even three-track EP, premiered Jan. 11 at New York’s these different marketplaces. But Ropeadope
though Parker passed away before Harrison was Town Hall with guest stars ranging from DJ Logic embraced the idea wholeheartedly.
even born. and Vernon Reid to Charles Tolliver and Arturo
“I realized that was the path I should be on,” O’Farrill. Shortly afterward, Harrison sat down McCree: What do you hope listeners will take away
recalled the New Orleans-born saxophonist to discuss his musical journey and Passion’s mix from The Art Of Passion?
and composer, the scion of Big Chief Donald of hard swing, trap hip-hop and jazz. Harrison: Well, I hope they enjoy all the music.
Harrison Sr. “I was already part of the roots cul- That people who may not normally listen to hip-
ture of New Orleans music and Congo Square. Cree McCree: I love the title, The Art Of Passion. hop realize, OK, this is actually good music. And
So I went on a mission to play with as many Donald Harrison: Yeah, passion comes in many that people who mostly listen to hip-hop get a
masters of jazz as I could and see where that forms. The recording shows a mirror image of taste of jazz and see that jazz is something that
would take me.” two styles of music: hard swing that greats like they should add to their list of musical styles.
His trajectory flew fast and far. At age 19, he what Coltrane and Miles Davis were doing in the
started playing with Roy Haynes and introduced ’60s and the modern trap hip-hop young people McCree: How does New Orleans fit into your
Big Apple jazzbos to New Orleans brass bands came up with. Those two bookends merge in the musical equation?
with New York Second Line. Miles Davis became middle track, so you can see the whole journey if Harrison: New Orleans is a root incubator for the
an early mentor, as did Art Blakey, and Harrison’s you listen to the music. world’s music and the cultural home of jazz.
quest to explore the musical omniverse soon took Because if you play our traditional songs like
him to Africa, South America, the Caribbean McCree: And you were living that journey, just like “Handa Wanda,” everyone from a 2-year-old to
and beyond. Closer to home, he gleaned mate- Bird advised. You were mentored by Miles and an 80-year-old knows those songs. All the social
rial from the radio and The Notorious BIG, his actually lived near Biggie Smalls in Brooklyn. and economic strata, all of the races. The music
Brooklyn neighbor. But it wasn’t until 2005, Harrison: That’s the part I’m always pinching and the culture ties us together as one. We all
when he released 3D (Fromp), that the NEA Jazz myself about, being around some of the great- enjoy it and love it together.” —Cree McCree

18 DOWNBEAT APRIL 2024

APRIL 2024 DOWNBEAT 19
 with Wilkins, were the music’s stars, with sup-

MELANIE MOR
port from pianist Micah Thomas and drum-
mer Kweku Sumbrey. Wilkins’ spellbinding set
wove intense improvisations like a single organ-
ism, propelled by Doraiswamy and McDoom’s
remarkable vocal incantations, which elevated
the music to other galaxies, other dimensions.
Nublu and RadioNublu, in Manhattan’s East
Village, offered jazz, sorta-jazz and definite-
ly-not-jazz for WJF, six nights total. One evening
I caught an early set by Mozambique vocal/bass-
ist Natalie Greffel before stumbling six blocks
in the snow to hear Pedro Martins & Friends at
Radionublu. Playing guitar like a reincarnat-
ed Allan Holdsworth, supported by an agile
quartet including fiery drummer Justin Brown,
Martins created a beautiful, kinetic rendition of
Joe Zawinul’s “Young And Fine” before soaring
through the stratosphere with original material.
Mary Halvorson expanded her hollowbody guitar to match her These guys played contemporary jazz-with-beats
imaginative foot-pedal-assisted forays at this year’s NYC Winter Jazzfest.
free of cliche, rife with inventiveness and tremen-

NYC Winter Jazzfest at 20: dous skill.

Two nights later, I returned to Nublu to hear
keyboardist BIGYUKI as he and his trio with
Immediacy Meets Intensity guitarist Randy Runyon and heroic drummer
Charles Haynes threw down salty chunks of
CRISSCROSSING DOZENS OF VENUES, IN Fujiwara, the former expanding her hollowbody slippery funk rock, created from shards of ’90s
multiple New York neighborhoods, presenting Johnny Smith model Guild guitar to match her block-rocking electronic beats, anthemic gui-
smart lineups and thoughtful creative events, brain-altering, imaginative foot-pedal-assisted tar solos and Haynes’ slam-your-head drum-
this year’s NYC Winter Jazzfest celebrated its forays, the latter matching her inventiveness with ming majesty. BIGYUKI alternately punished
20th anniversary as an overwhelming success. full set shuddering. What began as dissembled and romanced his Korg keyboard stack, recalling
Musicians both known and unknown, playing and clinical culminated in beautiful dual waves ’80s funk trio Cameo one second, Mahavishnu-
challenging music in unique configurations, gave of rhythm and melody. worthy Jan Hammer the next.
this year’s fest, held Jan. 10–18, a feeling of imme- Drummer Mark Guiliana followed with a On Sunday, I took a train to Crown Heights.
diacy and intensity, a splintering of old ways in solo set at Superior Ingredients. Beginning There, the circa-1900, multipurpose Crown
service to fresh ideas and bold imaginings. on jazz kit, Guiliana moved to playing vari- Hill Theatre presented “A Night At The East.”
Qualifier: If you expected standards played ous floor-mounted bells, cymbals and electron- This performance drew on jazz past/spiritual
by a familiar quintet lineup polishing their best ics, providing sparse piano accompaniment to a future, as the rhythm section of drummer Billy
Mobley-Flanagan-Pass-Chambers-Taylor spang- recording of broadcaster Vin Scully, then a full- Hart, bassist Luke Stewart, keyboardist Julius
a-lang swing-fest, you’d be woefully disappoint- on Bonham-meets-Squarepusher drum assault Rodriquez and percussionist Kweku Sumbrey
ed. But if your senses were open, your ears keen to projected video complement. An audience churned a swelling backdrop. Saxophonists
and your willingness to move engaged, joy would participation segment led to a full-set Guiliana David Murray and Gary Bartz joined with reed-
be yours. crescendo. Next, quirky and illuminating, sax- smiths Nicole Mitchell and Shabaka Hutchings,
The scope of this year’s event was inspiring, ophonist Matana Roberts delivered a beautiful weaving call-and-response lines, ascending like
entertaining and hopeful. Shows were remark- solo set on soprano, interspersed with thought- birds.
ably positive, giving audiences more than their ful spoken word observations (“We don’t deserve Over a 25-minute performance, prefaced by a
money’s worth, perhaps more than they hoped dogs”). free-ish trumpet-and-drums duo, the ensem-
for, more than past years’ WJFs would have One night, I barely made it to Le Poisson ble followed the natural sound-course of spiri-
predicted. Rouge on Bleecker Street in time to catch a spar- tual praise, the music rising and falling in inten-
While 2024 WJF offered more single perfor- kling set by harpist Brandee Younger (with bassist sity. Bartz enunciated freely over Hart’s pulsing
mances than any one reporter could cover, Rashaan Carter and drummer Allan Mednard), groove, his solo ending with “A Love Supreme”
including big names (Joe Lovano, David Murray, trailed by an inspired, surprising performance refrains. Murray followed, extolling muscularity,
Shabaka Hutchings), big tributes (Ryuchi from pianist/vocalist Samora Pinderhughes. mounting quavers, plunging tenor squalls.
Sakamoto, Curtis Fowlkes, J Dilla) and “Jazz The pianist’s 10-voice choir took the subterra- Back at Nublu, a crowd poured in to hear
Talks” including “The Art of Being a Multi- nean crowd to church with gospel invocations singer/songwriter Genevieve Artadi. The tiny
Hyphenate” and “The Universality of Jazz,” and impassioned spiritual pleadings — Donny artist sang queasy melodies over manic-grooved
I stuck to lesser-knowns and what-ifs. The Hathaway meets The Edwin Hawkins Singers. pop, driven hard by drummer Louis Cole, key-
Manhattan and Brooklyn Marathon Nights and At City Winery, found on West Side Highway boardist Isis Giraldo and Pedro Martins on gui-
a trip to the revived Crown Hill Theatre in Crown and 11th Avenue, the first truly revelatory WJF tar. Artadi’s hyper-robo sounds reminded me of
Heights Brooklyn dominated. performance (for this reporter) was deliv- ’70s new wave act Missing Persons, amped up
Williamsburg’s Superior Ingredients ered by saxophonist Immanuel Wilkins and on steroids and a fiendish click track. The crowd
stretched the envelope starting with the duo of his profoundly shapeshifting octet. Vocalists loved it, brows bouncing, feet squiggling. Jazz-
guitarist Mary Halvorson and drummer Tomas Alyssa McDoom and Ganavya Doraiswamy, not, future hits, yes. —Ken Miccalef

20 DOWNBEAT APRIL 2024

Jean-Philippe Allard: The Artwork of Jazz
IN DECEMBER 2022, FRENCH RECORD EXEC- gestion of his,” Barron said. “I love working with

YANN ORHAN
utive Jean-Philippe Allard launched a new label, him. For this solo album, he found an old, ornate
Artwork, with the release of The Source, a non- theater with a great piano and fantastic sound —
chalantly brilliant solo recital by piano veter- just me, him and the engineer. As always, he told
an Kenny Barron. It earned a Grammy nomina- me, ‘Whatever you want to do.’ He’s the best pro-
tion. Over the next 12 months, Allard augmented ducer I’ve ever had.”
his catalog with well-received albums by Gen-Y “It’s wonderful to see someone who’s com-
New York pianist Sullivan Fortner (Solo/Game) mitted to trying to understand your truth,”
and Gen-Z pianist Micah Thomas (Reveal), while Kendrick cosigned. “I watched Jean-Philippe
representing France with jazz-adjacent saxo- function as a producer around strong, socially
phonist-vocalist Oan Kim’s Oan Kim & the Dirty involved people like Abbey, Randy Weston and
Jazz and Edouard Penne’s Génération Django, a Charlie Haden, and not only get along with them,
21st century gypsy jazz unit. but be accepted as part of the family.”
In January, Allard spoke with DownBeat Kendrick connected Fortner to Allard in
during New York’s NYC Winter Jazzfest, where “I still believe in making albums, not just tracks; I’m 2013, bringing him to a memorial service for a
he talent-scouted singers and checked in with trying to do the best record I can do,” says Jean- mutual friend. Following Kendrick and Weston
Philippe Allard about his work at Artwork Records.
Barron, Fortner and Thomas about their respec- on a “little bitty keyboard,” Fortner rendered
tive 2024 releases, all distinctively different from Universal, it’s easier to get an artist — even one “Danny Boy.” “What he played had so much
their immediate predecessors. you’re close to — than when you start an inde- depth, was so moving and simple, which to me is
“I always worked with great singers, and I pendent. But Kenny said, ‘Let’s work together.’” a sign of greatness,” Allard said.
want that to continue,” Allard said over lunch, The relationship between Allard and Allard held to his hands-off policy when
recalling long associations with Abbey Lincoln, Barron began at the cusp of the ’90s, when Fortner made Aria and Moments Preserved
Shirley Horn, Juliette Gréco and Dee Dee Allard paid Stan Getz $250,000 for tapes cap- for Impulse! in 2014 and 2017, respectively. He
Bridgewater. “Even when I’m working with non- turing his quartet with Barron, Rufus Reid and offered more input five years later, when Fortner
jazz and pop on the side, it’s singer-songwriters. I Victor Lewis at Copenhagen’s Café Montmartre presented him with Solo Game, which juxtapos-
think jazz musicians are never better than when in July 1987. Those tapes were for Serenity and es a suite of electronic-and-percussion-heavy
they play with singers. A song is not only chords. Anniversary! and an unreleased, “not unforget- vignettes with solo piano. He’d been shopping it
It’s about a story. It makes a big difference.” table” 1981 studio album titled Billy Highstreet to various labels for a year, and found no takers.
The “non-jazz and pop” remark referenced Samba. Getz, in the late stages of terminal lung “Sullivan is a great artist, and his label should
Allard’s clients in Le Bureau des Artistes, the cancer, decided to eschew royalties and take the go with what he wants to do,” Allard said. “I said,
management company he established in 2017 money up-front. ‘I will release it.’ Then he told me he wanted to
after departing Universal Music France, which, “It helped my credibility within the compa- release the two albums together, which didn’t
in 1999, purchased Polygram (his first corpo- ny,” Allard said. “Stan said, ‘Send the money make sense to me. I tried to convince him it
rate employer) in 2007, appointed him CEO of and I’ll send the tapes,’ like a hustler. Everybody wouldn’t be good for either of us.”
Publishing and, in 2014, green-lighted his reacti- thought I was crazy, that he’d keep the money, He was persuaded after a conference call with
vation of Impulse! Records. and I’d never see anything. My logic was: Perhaps, Fortner and his musical and life partner, Cécile
Under his stewardship, Impulse! released but he’s a great musician — he wants this album McLorin Salvant, who firmly explained the logic
Fortner’s first two albums and a roots-to-avant to be released, so he’ll send me the tapes and that’s of a single release. Fortner said: “Jean-Philippe
project by Henry Butler and Steven Bernstein; it. We recouped by the second release, and then it told us, ‘You’ll really have to work at this. You have
albums by Barron, Randy Weston and Rodney was pure profit. I offered Stan to change the deal to come with artwork concepts, social media sit-
Kendrick, each a frequent contributor to Allard’s and pay royalties, but he said, ‘No, you took the uations and liner notes that tie everything togeth-
1990s Gitanes Jazz imprint (which also released risk, and you did great.’” er.’ We did that. I think he was shocked by the
game-changers by Hank Jones, Charlie Haden In February and March 1991, a few months response. I definitely was.
and J.J. Johnson); consequential albums by John before his death, Getz recorded for Allard on “Jean-Philippe’s level of trust from artists is
Scofield and an all-star trio consisting of Jean- Abbey Lincoln’s You Gotta Pay The Band with rare with record producers. He’s willing to be
Luc Ponty, Biréli Lagrène and Stanley Clarke; Hank Jones and Charlie Haden, and on Helen the pillow if the artist falls. He provides a plat-
and the albums that introduced Snarky Puppy Merrill’s Just Friends, and booked a duo week form for us to be individuals, incorporate our
and Ibrahim Maalouf to a global audience. with Barron at Café Montmartre that generat- personal experiences and viewpoints, with-
For his new endeavor, Allard joined forces ed the co-billed, commercially successful People out trying to taint or tarnish it. He’s not about
with Mehdi Guebli, a well-connected A&R man- Time. A year later, at Barron’s request, Allard holding on to the tradition. He understands that
ager specializing in French rap (Guebli report- recruited Brazilian guitarist Toninho Horta for music is spirited, comes from a living source, so
ed to Allard at Universal) and 50% stakehold- the first of their 10 collaborations, a program of it’s constantly flowing and evolving, not some-
er PIAS, a large independent distributor with a Barron’s Brazil-oriented originals (Sambao). In thing stagnant intended to take you into some
substantial footprint in indie rock and classical. 1994, Barron embraced Allard’s suggestion to weird time warp.”
By 2022, he was restless to return to his first love. play trio with Haden and Roy Haynes on Wanton “You have to be ambitious, but reasonable,”
He told his PIAS colleagues, “One of these days I Spirit. In 1995, Allard green-lighted Barron’s pro- Allard said. “For a lot of reasons, I think the
might want to start a new jazz label.” To his sur- posal to do a plugged-in duo with percussionist industry could be easier a few years from now. I
prise, they agreed. Minu Cinelu (Swamp Sally). still believe in making albums, not just tracks; I’m
“Of course, my first call was to Kenny,” “Jean-Philippe was open to everything I sug- trying to do the best record I can do.”
Allard said. “When you’re working with gested, and he was cool if I didn’t accept a sug- —Ted Panken

APRIL 2024 DOWNBEAT 21

BELA
FLECK
REIMAGINING
RHAPSODY
BY BILL MILKOWSKI | PHOTO BY HAZEL COONAGH
Over the course of his remarkably eclectic, multiple-Grammy-winning career
— one that stretches across four decades — banjo virtuoso Béla Fleck
has boldly, almost defiantly, taken his five-stringed instrument to places
where no banjo player has gone before. Consider this globe-trotting itiner-
ary: 2023’s Grammy-winning As We Speak (India), 2020’s The Ripple Effect
(Africa), 2009’s Grammy-winning Throw Down Your Heart (Africa) and 1996’s
Tabula Rasa (India and China).

A dd in his contemporary jazz the classical canon on 2001’s Perpetual

excursions with his Flecktones Motion (which won a Grammy for Best
and love of old-timey Classical Crossover Album) and two
Appalachian music, which he performs banjo concertos that he’s written and
in duets with wife Abigail Washburn, performed with symphony orches-
his various one-on-one encounters with tras, and you get a sense of the sheer
Chick Corea, his deep immersion into breadth of his musical range.
22 DOWNBEAT APRIL 2024
APRIL 2024 DOWNBEAT 23
 BILL MILKOWSKI: Because you have continually
HAZEL COONAGH

put your instrument into musical situations

where it seemingly doesn’t belong, it’s clear that
you love an epic challenge.
BÉLA FLECK: I do. And it’s almost like a civil
rights effort for me with the banjo, because I
love it so much and I’m very curious about it.
Ever since I first heard the banjo, it was just
so special to me. And then when people were
laughing at it … boy, that really bugged me.
From the time I was 5 or 6, seeing Deliverance
and The Beverly Hillbillies and even Bonnie and
Clyde and Hee Haw, all of the images of the
banjo that I saw were somehow connected to
a certain aspect of banjo playing, which is very
special as well. But it was just a tiny piece of
what the banjo really was, and it had taken over
in people’s minds as the whole true picture. It’s
so much easier to knock something down to a
“It’s not like Bach, where you had better play the notes correctly,” Fleck says. little stereotype than to look at what it truly is.
“In the case of Rhapsody, it had been done so many ways and with the blessing of George.”
And when you look at the banjo, it’s like …
He’s even collaborated and recorded with clawhammer banjoist, singer and songwriter. it’s the history of the world! I mean, it’s slavery,
such disparate artists as The Chieftains, Born Béla Anton Leoš Fleck (his name is a it’s the birth of the blues, the birth of American
Bootsy Collins and the Blind Boys of Alabama. composite of Hungarian composer Béla Bartók, music. It’s a continuation of African music, a
Yet, he remains steadfastly committed to his composer Anton Webern and Czech composer melting pot, a meeting ground. Plus, it just hap-
roots, having recently won a Grammy in the Leoš Janáček) on July 10, 1958, on New York’s pens to sound great to some of us. And I think
bluegrass category for his 2021 album, My Upper West Side, he was drawn to banjo at a a lot of the people who go, “Oh, I just can’t han-
Bluegrass Heart. young age after hearing Earl Scruggs play the dle the banjo,” are people who drank the Kool-
With Rhapsody In Blue, his interpretation theme song for the television show The Beverly Aid of the stereotype. They’re associating it
of George Gershwin’s enduringly popular mar- Hillbillies and also hearing Eric Weissberg’s with the stereotypical images that were por-
riage of classical form and jazz improvisation, “Dueling Banjos,” a hit instrumental song from trayed because they didn’t see images of Black
Fleck dives headlong into untested waters once the movie Deliverance that spent four weeks at people playing the banjo or even remember that
again. Performed with the Virginia Symphony No. 2 on the Billboard Hot 100 in early 1973. Louis Armstrong had a banjo in his first Hot
Orchestra, under the direction of Eric Jacobsen, He received his first banjo from his grand- Five band. That was the instrument that was
his recording of Rhapsody is set to coincide father Morris at age 15 and later took private around from the start of jazz. Not guitar, not
with the premiere of the original work exact- lessons from Erik Darling, Marc Horowitz and even piano; the banjo was there. So for me, it’s
ly 100 years ago at Aeolian Hall in New York Tony Trischka, the latter who would become his always been irritating. Because, I guess at the
City on Feb. 12, 1924. And because the piece mentor and an early collaborator. After gradu- age that I got into it, and being a New Yorker
itself relatively short, he fleshes out his latest ating from the High School of Music & Art in and growing up in the ’60s with Martin Luther
release with clever variations on that familiar upper Manhattan, Fleck moved to Boston in King and the Kennedys and the kind of world
theme, including “Rhapsody In Blue(grass),” a late 1976 and became a member of the group that we were hoping to make … I was inspired
spirited throwdown with players from his all- Tasty Licks while still a teenager. by all of that. So that’s why I say it’s almost like
star My Bluegrass Heart ensemble (flat pick- “It was my first full-time professional band a civil rights thing for me.
ing guitarist Bryan Sutton, fiddler Michael and my first experience touring band situation.
Cleveland, mandolinist Sierra Hull, dobro ace We went all over New England and even south MILKOWSKI: In your liner notes for Rhapsody In
Justin Moses and bassist Mark Schatz), and to D.C., Kentucky and Tennessee. Our first Blue you reminisced about your Uncle Steve
“Rhapsody In Blue(s),” his down-home homage album (1978’s Tasty Licks on Rounder) was pret- taking you and your older brother Louie to the
to Gershwin’s hallmark piece, recorded with ty progressive, and it was my first time making Thalia Theater, that great art deco movie house
his former New Grass Revival bandmate Jerry a record.” The following year, Fleck released his on the Upper West Side in Manhattan that
Douglas on dobro and Nashville super pick- solo debut, Crossing The Tracks, launching an specialized in Hollywood classics and foreign
er Sam Bush on mandolin (both of whom had ongoing investigation into the possibilities of films. And you saw the 1945 Hollywood biopic
also appeared on Fleck’s first solo album, 1979’s his instrument that continues to this day. of George Gershwin starring Robert Alda, Alan
Crossing The Tracks on Rounder) and with Aside from his recently released Rhapsody Alda’s father.
longtime Flecktones bandmate Victor Wooten In Blue, Fleck also produced another duo proj- FLECK: Yeah, it was a cool little theater to go to
on electric bass. ect with Chick Corea, which the two record- when I was growing up, and it was just four
An added treat on Fleck’s Rhapsody release ed remotely during the pandemic. Entitled blocks from my house. It was on 95th and
is the inclusion of two solo pieces: the ragtime Remembrance, it is scheduled for a May release Broadway, and we were on 100th and West
novelty number “Rialto Ripples,” written by and represents some of the legendary pianist’s End Avenue. And I recently found out that
Gershwin in 1916, and the previously unknown last recorded work. DownBeat caught up with Alan Lomax [the famed ethnomusicologist]
“Unidentified Piece For Banjo,” discovered in Fleck just prior to his whirlwind tour of Europe lived in that same building, and I never knew
the Library of Congress by Dr. Ryan Banagale, with My Bluegrass Heart and the concurrent it. But I was young enough to be impressed by
musicology professor, author of Arranging release of his Rhapsody In Blue on Thirty Tigers, that movie — his life story and then the sadness
Gershwin and college chum of Washburn, the a subsidiary of Sony Music Nashville. of him getting sick [Gershwin died of a brain

24 DOWNBEAT APRIL 2024

tumor at age 38, just eight years before the film if I wrote it for you!”], I think he’d probably be 1999. And she had an old school pal who is now
was released]. It was all so poignant and so pow- OK with my version. a professor there named Ryan Banagale. Turns
erful for me. But I haven’t had the nerve to go out he wrote a book called Arranging Gershwin,
look at it since all this Rhapsody stuff I’ve been MILKOWSKI: Tackling Rhapsody In Blue is anoth- which tells the whole story of Rhapsody In Blue,
doing because I kind of like how it fits in my er one of those epic challenges that you seem to from its genesis to the writing of it to all the dif-
memory. But recently, somebody sent me a clip enjoy. ferent arrangements of it. Ryan came to hear
of the performance of Rhapsody In Blue from FLECK: Absolutely. And it’s really fun to hear Abby’s commencement speech and afterwards
that movie, and sure enough, there’s a banjo those parts coming out of my banjo. It’s fun to he gave me a copy of his book. It was almost
right in the center of the orchestra. be that excited about something that you didn’t like a dissertation, but it was so good and it was
write, which maybe sounds egotistical, but a fascinating read. And also very inspiring, in
MILKOWSKI: In the 1930 movie King of Jazz there’s a tendency to over-focus on your own that it made me realize that there’s a lot of dif-
about bandleader Paul Whiteman, there’s a music. Sometimes it’s great, but sometimes it ferent ways to skin that particular piece. It’s not
performance of Rhapsody In Blue midway can trap you in your own mediocrity. I’m in the like Bach, where you had better play the notes
through the film with Gershwin himself play- situation where there really isn’t music written correctly. In the case of Rhapsody, it had been
ing piano. He was a technical monster, from for the banjo that suits the way I play, so I have done so many ways and with the blessing of
what I could tell. to write it myself. But when I do get to go learn George.
FLECK: Yeah. And having thoroughly studied something like Rhapsody or classical things by
Rhapsody, from my understanding of the piano, Bach, Chopin, Debussy and Tchaikovsky, like MILKOWSKI: How much time did you actually
I’d say it’s a very two-handed part. There’s lots I learned for Perpetual Motion, or play Chick’s spend woodshedding on Rhapsody?
of things that go in opposite directions, with music or whoever … it’s really a pleasure to play FLECK: If we’re talking about the piano part, I
both hands working really hard. And I simply great music. And if you pick someone else’s started fairly early in the pandemic, by May of
couldn’t do them on the banjo. It wasn’t possi- music to play, you’ve chosen it out of thousands. 2020 or somewhere in there. It was like a fun
ble. I was either going to have to do it with two So if you’re going to do someone else’s music, side project with no expectation, and I just kept
banjos or let some of these things go. And then it’s best that you’re crazy about it, as I was crazy on working at it. I spent more time on it than
I had to decide whether the piece was still good about Rhapsody In Blue. anything I can remember. But it was a process
enough as a banjo feature, doing without all of of trying things and discarding them, some-
the things that a piano could do. And finally MILKOWSKI: What was the initial spark for you times spending up to a week figuring out how
I decided that it if George was OK with Larry wanting to do Rhapsody In Blue on banjo? to finger each measure. Sibelius [music notation
Adler playing it on the harmonica [in 1934, FLECK: I suppose it goes back more than 20 software] saved me a lot of time, because with
Adler played Rhapsody In Blue for Gershwin, years. My wife, Abby, went to Colorado College, it I can transfer things from standard notation
who exclaimed, “The goddamn thing sounds as where she gave the commencement speech in to banjo tablature, then work with the tablature

APRIL 2024 DOWNBEAT 25

 good, and they made my somewhat dumb idea
TAYLOR CROTHERS

sound like it was a great idea.

MILKOWSKI: You also got your longtime collabo-

rators Sam Bush, Jerry Douglas and Victor
Wooten to play on “Rhapsody In Blue(s),” anoth-
er adaptation of the famous Gershwin piece
where you’re bending strings big-time.
FLECK: There’s a fella, a blues guitarist back up
in Bowling Green named Kenny Lee Smith.
New Grass Revival used to play up there at his
club all the time and Kenny would take me
aside and say, “Now Béla, you’ve got to pluck
the banjo … like this!” And he’d grab the
string between his thumb and forefinger and
take it back and pull it off the neck, then let it
snap back to the neck so it would go … pank!
I always thought that was really cool, and I
used that technique on a tune called “Flight
Of The Cosmic Hippo,” the title cut from the
Flecktones’ second album in 1991.
And that became like a signature sound.
But you can’t do it very fast because you can’t
do fast notes in a row when you have to grab
the string for every note. But if a song is slow
enough and you can spank every note, then
Fleck has another project recorded with the late Chick Corea due out in May.
it works great. So that’s what struck me when
I was thinking of doing a blues version of
’til I get the right fingerings. just have to start making decisions. And as you Rhapsody. Initially, I got in touch with Keb’
It’s a big help because I don’t read well. start developing the piece, you kind of forget Mo’, who’s a friend of mine. He was too busy
When I first got Rhapsody into Sibelius it took what you’re used to hearing and you get into to do it so I got Sam and Jerry and we just start-
three banjo staves for me to even understand what you are hearing. And that’s the great thing ed messing around with it. The question was,
what the piano part was doing. And I worked about live performances, you take people on a “Is there a way to play this as a little Southern
on each measure over the course of the year. journey. It doesn’t have to be like something blues?” And that string-snapping technique
And I resisted as hard as I could putting any else they heard. It’s not supposed to be. was the first thing I tried. And it gave it a differ-
bluegrass in there because I was trying not to ent sound and a different tempo.
make a bluegrass version of it. What I wanted to MILKOWSKI: Your “Rhapsody In Blue(grass)”
do was really learn the music because I loved it. seems reverent yet also very personal. MILKOWSKI: At some point in your journey
That was my goal. FLECK: It turned out so much better than I with Rhapsody In Blue, Chick Corea came
At a certain point, I had to give up because expected, so much so that it justified the pun into the picture, if only tangentially. How did
there were certain things where I had to say, in the title. Since the orchestra piece is only that happen?
“OK, this can’t be done, so what can I do now?” about 18 or 19 minutes long I had to come up FLECK: We were on tour in Europe in 2017 and
You’ll hear some places where I had to chang- with something else to fill out the record. And he gets a phone call from the classical pianist
es things ever so slightly or change an order of I was under a pressing deadline because I real- Lang Lang, who was supposed to open the
a note or hit a note early and then glissando to ly wanted to get the album released right on the Carnegie Hall series that year with a perfor-
other chords where it’s supposed to be a block 100th anniversary of the Aeolian Hall show. mance of Rhapsody In Blue. But he was recov-
chord. I just had to figure it out and use my So I started messing around with this idea of ering from tendonitis in his right hand and he
own sense of what sounded good. And in the a bluegrass version of Rhapsody with Bryan asked Chick if he would come play the right
end, I had to get more and more brutal about Sutton and I asked him to approach it like the hand part of Rhapsody with him. And during
what I couldn’t do, because some passages were great flat picker Tony Rice would, in that con- our tour, Chick was mulling it over out loud
impossible to play on the banjo. It was just not temporary bluegrass rhythm style. in the bus. And so we’re chatting about it
going to happen. Then it was a race to the finish line to see if and I said, “Chick, you can do anything you
we could find a way to teach the piece to the want with this piece because I read this book,
MILKOWSKI: Just the idea of trying to transpose members of My Bluegrass Heart band, who I Arranging Gershwin, and it’s really ripe for
10-fingered chords from the piano onto the banjo was going out on the road with for two one-week reimagining. You could really take some lib-
seems daunting. periods in the summer. We ended up working erties with it.” Like he needed me to tell him
FLECK: Well, if you think about Chick Corea or on it in hotel rooms after gigs and before sound that!
Herbie Hancock, they leave a lot of space in checks. Then we had one day off on the second So during our tour, I would be coming to
their voicings, and it’s not as overwhelming as week of the tour and just went into Thundering sound check and Chick would be there early
somebody who plays with very dense voicings Sky Studio in Maine and recorded it in an after- practicing Rhapsody, and he’d say, “Hey, man, I
like Gershwin does on Rhapsody. That’s just noon. It’s just a testament to how great those think this is what George was trying to do with
not possible on banjo. I just can’t do it. I don’t musicians are. They’re all great session play- this section.” And for what he called “the Cuban
have the strings, I don’t have the fingers, so you ers who are really good at making stuff sound section” toward the end of the piece, he’d say, “I

26 DOWNBEAT APRIL 2024

think George was trying to do a montuno here.” at the Library of Congress. It’s this unidenti- buddy Edgar Meyer [bassist and frequent col-
He was thinking as a composer, of course. And fied Gershwin piece. It has no name, it’s not laborator who appeared on 2023’s As We Speak
he not only did that performance at Carnegie even registered. But it’s written in George’s with Fleck, tabla maestro Zakir Hussain and
Hall with Lang Lang [on Oct. 4, 2017], he ended handwriting. And it’s a solo banjo piece.” bansuri player Rakesh Chaurasia] on recording
up with this really fabulous live version of it So he sent it to me and it wasn’t very fleshed all of his bass concertos with Chris Thile pro-
[recorded on Nov. 29, 2018, with Orchestra da out, just the main line. The whole first half ducing. Eric and the orchestra did a wonderful
Camera Della Sardegnathe] that you hear on had almost no chords written in, but it was job, and we got it done in plenty of time to meet
his album Sardinia [Candid] that came out pretty obvious what the chords ought to be the deadline for 100th anniversary of Rhapsody
last year. I only found out just recently that he in there for that time period. It was a little bit In Blue.
had even recorded or performed the piece as a quirky but just a cool little tune. So I quickly
whole. I thought he had just done it with Lang learned that tune and it became another gift MILKOWSKI: You’ve described yourself as “very
Lang. But I heard his version of Rhapsody, and I from Ryan to me. self-critical.” How has that helped you in
was just thrilled. It’s so “Chick.” your career?
MILKOWSKI: So, that gala performance with the FLECK: There’s that saying: “Sometimes perfec-
MILKOWSKI: How did you find this unnamed solo Nashville Symphony got the ball rolling, but you tion is the enemy of excellence,” where you
banjo piece by Gershwin that appears on your ended up recording Rhapsody with the Virginia try so hard to be perfect that you can’t get to
Rhapsody? Symphony Orchestra. “good.” These days I’m trying to do better at
FLECK: Ryan Banagale, the Gershwin scholar FLECK: Yes, that initial gig became the thing not using self-hate to motivate me. I’m try-
who I had met at my wife’s commencement that forced me to make decisions about the ing to be more like, “Hey, let’s just do better
speech in 1999, came to the opening gala of piece, because I had to have it ready to per- and be really positive.” But it used to be a lot
Rhapsody In Blue on Sept. 9, 2023. That was form for real in front of a sold-out crowd of of self-loathing. So on some level I didn’t think
the first time I played it with the Nashville Nashville’s community. It wasn’t even in a I was that good, and I had to prove it over and
Symphony with their star conductor Giancarlo small town off the beaten track, which is where over and over again. And it actually ended up
Guerrero. The day afterwards, Ryan and I were I usually like to break in new stuff. So it was a giving me a lot of juice, a lot of power to push
chatting about it and he said, “Well, what else lot of pressure, but it worked out. forward.
are you going to put on the record?” And I told Two weeks after that rather exciting debut But I’m in a happy place now. I’m in a love-
him I was thinking of doing some of Gershwin’s of the piece with Nashville Symphony, I was in ly relationship, have lovely kids and life is good.
solo piano pieces. Norfolk recording it the Virginia Symphony So it’s not like I have to stand around being
Then a month or so later he got in touch Orchestra with my good friend Eric Jacobsen dark. But sometimes you some get some gifts
with me and said, “Hey, I found something conducting. Eric had recently worked with my from unexpected quarters. DB

APRIL 2024 DOWNBEAT 27

Photos and Article by Michael Jackson
28 DOWNBEAT APRIL 2024
The occasion needed some fire. To commemorate the 50th anniversary of his Ethnic
Heritage Ensemble, percussionist, cultural torchbearer and bandleader Kahil
El’Zabar sat for a photo shoot in his expansive creative workspace in Chicago’s
Little Village neighborhood. It’s a space he shares with his partner, installation art-
ist Lucy Slivinski, and art served as the perfect kindling for the proceedings.
APRIL 2024 DOWNBEAT 29
 expression. That’s what I want with my music.”
Speaking of Coleman’s legacy, Spirit
Gatherer featured the son of his collaborator
Don Cherry, David Ornette, who passed after a
sold-out 2022 Ethnic Heritage Ensemble tribute
to Cherry in London. “Three hours after stand-
ing ovations at the Barbican, happy he’d done his
thing for his dad, he died,” reflects El’Zabar.
A number of Ensemble personnel have tran-
sitioned, including Joseph Jarman, Kalaparusha
Maurice McIntyre, Malachi Favors, Steve
Colson and “Light” Henry Huff. The latter was
a multi-reedist and naturopath, a Renaissance
man whose cross-genre attitude to all music, like
Association for the Advancement of Creative
Musicians cofounders Phil Cohran and Richard
Abrams, impressed the 20-something El’Zabar.
He was eager to make an impact in Europe
as had earlier AACM explorers in Paris during
Members of the Ethnic Heritage Ensemble at a taping for a recent television appearance, from left, the ’60s. Huff and another Chicago saxophonist/
James Sanders, Kahil El’Zabar, Corey Wilkes, Ishmael Ali and Alex Harding.
clarinetist, Edward Wilkerson, rehearsed with
El’Zabar, kit drummer Ben Montgomery and

T
he inspiration came from Gjon Mili’s set, he attacks the drums like a teenager, never bassist Yosef Ben Israel in Huff’s dingy basement
1949 images of Picasso painting in light holding back. at 42nd and Langley.
in a ceramics studio. After all, El’Zabar’s In February, at Chicago’s The Promontory, But Ben Israel balked at El’Zabar’s transat-
unapologetic stance as a freestanding artist isn’t he inaugurated a marathon of one-nighters lantic odyssey because there were no ostensible
a million miles from Pablo, both blazing icono- with trumpeter Corey Wilkes, a long-term com- gigs booked, and he was still in college — plus,
clastic trails. rade, and baritone saxophonist Alex Harding, toting a contrabass then meant a double plane
In honor of the anniversary, the Ethnic a relative newbie (connected through Ensemble ticket. “Kahil was eternally optimistic,” Ben
Heritage Ensemble has released Open Me–A alumnus Joe Bowie’s band Defunkt) who’s been Israel recalls.
Higher Consciousness Of Sound And Spirit, with the group for seven years. Additionally, on Vietnam vet Montgomery returned to
which serves as El’Zabar’s sixth release for Spirit selected dates the group has been augmented by Chicago for personal reasons soon after the
Muse (chasing up last year’s tribute to Don the inclusion of violinist James Sanders and cel- group arrived in Europe, leaving Wilkerson,
Cherry, Spirit Gatherer). It’s his second release on list Ishmael Ali. Huff and El’Zabar sans crucial rhythm section
the label with the Ensemble, which (embracing At The Promontory gig, rather than coming components. After shacking up in an Italian
shifting personnel and 17 releases) has toured out hot, the Ensemble built slow, the twin horns farmhouse, they eventually bagged a gig in
every February during Black History Month. panned either side of El’Zabar atop cajon, com- Bologna opposite Joe Henderson. “That was
Open Me bespeaks El’Zabar’s candor, a will- menced sotto voce. The chamber elements of defining,” El’Zabar remembers. “We realized
ingness to offer vulnerability or swagger. He’s the this edition generate a meditative vibe. This salu- we could hold our own, that what we were doing
proverbial open book, which has, at times, got- tary aspect undoubtedly contributed to the pop- was valid.” The trio cut a poised, evocative and
ten him into hot water, as exposed in the dubi- ularity of A Time For Healing (2021) a Grammy- burning first disc in Italy called Impressions (Red
ous but candid documentary Be Known (2015) nominated quartet session now in it’s fourth Records), following up with Three Gentlemen
where ill-advised choices in his personal life bit pressing, and is evident on the somewhat doleful From Chikago (Moers Music), another outstand-
back harshly just as he was riding high, curating “Can You Find A Place?” from Open Me with the ing effort.
a successful cross-cultural series at Steppenwolf tolling pendulum of amplified kalimba, ankle Henceforth, El’Zabar, undaunted to this day,
Theatre, teaching an influential interdisciplinary bell rattle, slow lowing of strings, muted trumpet kept the ball rolling with shifting personnel —
course at the University of Illinois and program- and bluesy baritone saxophone. including stalwart members Joseph Bowie and
ming the ambitious African Festival of the Arts The album and live set feature mantra com- Ernest Dawkins — to record for a host of record
in his hometown of Chicago. positions from the breadth of the Ensemble’s labels such as Leo, Silkheart, Open Minds,
But his darkest days are long behind (at his long arc, including El’Zabar’s “Return Of The CIMP, Katalyst and Delmark. In 1993, the
lowest, he spent a month in jail in 2007 on a Lost Tribe,” “Great Black Music” and the peren- group hit major leagues with the Capitol/EMI-
child-support felony), and throughout those tra- nial “Ornette.” connected Chameleon label for Dance With The
vails, barring one pandemic year, he never failed “I wrote that in the early ’90s,” recalls Ancestors. “That only happened once, but when
to find work for the Ethnic Heritage Ensemble. El’Zabar about the latter, in conversation at his we were on that label, we did Charlie Rose, all the
Now 70, El’Zabar vigorously flouts seniority. home office and studio, surrounded by percus- top clubs in NYC and L.A.,” he said. “It was excit-
He carries his tall frame with a confident gait, sion, piano, West African balafon, vibraphones ing but didn’t last.”
ever sartorial (he designed stageware for cohorts and self-made wall art. “I first recorded it with Thanks to his fortuitous association with
Pharoah Sanders, Joseph Jarman, Malachi David Murray and Olu Dara on Jug-A-Lug Thea Ioannou and Mark Gallagher at Spirit
Favors, even Freda Payne and Nina Simone), the [DIW, 1994]. They say Kind Of Blue was the big- Music, he’s experiencing another moment “and
shades a longstanding shield from junkie band- gest jazz record, but Ornette’s The Shape Of Jazz it doesn’t matter whether this one lasts either,
leaders of his youth, who’d otherwise deem him To Come might be the most influential. Ornette because I’m not going to last,” Kahil laughs
unhip for not partaking (his father, Big Cliff found a completely new voice, accepted ridicule wryly. “Things happen in cycles. Right now is
Blackburn, was a cop). And when he plays a trap and judgment, yet pursued dreams of honest great. I was named one of 10 significant emerg-

30 DOWNBEAT APRIL 2024

ing artists at the age of 70! As an elder artist, that Heritage Ensemble testifies, he had the urge, a masterful sense of structure.” He speaks high-
people are saying what I’m doing is relevant, you beyond miscellaneous appendage on commer- ly of the “tenderness, timbre and originality” of
want to feel that.” cial gigs, to become the beating heart of his own Wilkes, Harding’s “rhythmic velocity, jovial spir-
Talking of cycles, Picasso postulated that the aggregations. Epiphany, passion and instinct are it, the light he brings to the group” and the “sen-
first half of life was learning to be an adult, the watchwords for El’Zabar, yet he’s an acute strate- sitivity, flexibility and tonality” of Ishmael Ali’s
second half learning to be a child. Is that a sus- gist who knows how to get house. cello. The latter, at 38, is the baby of the band.
taining principle to avoid ossifying? “The Ethnics are not esoteric with a studied “The thing that struck me with Kahil and the
“Absolutely,” concurs El’Zabar. “Despite my kind of audience connection,” he says. “Within cats,” Ali says, “is the energy and intentionali-
50-year legacy, Open Me suggests I’m still try- our uniquely limited instrumentation, we can ty behind everything. It’s something that drew
ing to be a child, inquisitive, in the moment, get people loud and excited, hold them into a me to free playing/improvised music, but I rare-
open to possibilities. When I first played with feeling of dance, access entertaining aspects of ly experience in jazz generally. Everything is
Corey, Junius (Paul), Justin (Dillard) and Isaiah joy in a performance. We seldom fail in having pointed and high-def with a steady fire behind it,
ready to roar or simmer.”
Sanders, who took a fierce solo during a

‘Within our uniquely limited recent WGN TV broadcast, finds the Ensemble
“intuitive and comfortable. Lots of space and
respect for good fundamentals. The African
grooves relate to a lot of the Afro Cuban music

instrumentation, we can get I play. Many of the clave concepts fit really well.”
El’Zabar refers to his fellow Ensemble road
warriors as “extraordinary human beings,” who
share “an enormous camaraderie.” The feel-good

people loud and excited …’ factor allied to acumen may still arouse the sus-
picion of the cognoscenti, but El’Zabar has pre-
vailed through thick and thin and managed to
establish unity amongst seven offspring from
(Collier), I had to relearn the language of perfor- command of that.” several relationships, as he proudly displays in
mance to be in communication with a young- It might seem that El’Zabar is his own big- a family photograph on his desk. “He’s Got The
er peer group. I predate hip-hop and the house gest fan — he knows he’s been an instiga- Hold World In His Hands” served as an encore
generation, but had to be childlike and con- tor — initiating the pioneering Underground during that show at The Promontory. It may
nect these forms with the early AACM or play- Afterfests during the Chicago Jazz Festival whiff of the temporal, but it’s city-of-big-shoul-
ing with Dizzy or Pharoah to open again and (1978–85); chairing the AACM; co-owning ders savvy from a musician steeped in the lore
enjoy what can be simplified into potent, effec- Rituals Jazz Club in Chicago; hosting count- of Chicago jazz who was hanging with hard-liv-
tive statements.” less loft happenings and conducting experimen- ing tenor titan Gene Ammons as a teenager and
That said, Wilkes and Harding are entirely tal performances in numerous alternative loca- copping legendary shows weekly at the Regal
au fait with jazz history and El’Zabar rev- tions; consulting with the Oakland East Side Theatre (courtesy of his father’s second job as a
els in throwback, notably exhuming Eugene Arts Alliance; and biannually guesting as an art- security guard).
McDaniel’s “Compared To What” leaned noto- ist-in-residence in Bordeaux for the past 20 years Kahil El’Zabar lived next to Emmet Till’s
riety by Les McCann’s 1969 rendition alongside a where he embraces visual art, dance, fashion and bereaved mom growing up and swept snow from
formative El’Zabar mentor in Eddie Harris. his large-scale Infinity Orchestra. Mahalia Jackson’s doorstep — that South Side
El’Zabar’s version on Open Me is a bulbous Despite all this, he’s had to fight for recogni- heritage bestows deep cultural echo and imprint.
kalimba/anklebell stomp; Harding’s bari provid- tion. Against odds, “Hang Tuff” and maintain “The
ing bass lines as well as nodding to Harris’ tenor “When I first proposed the Ethnic Heritage Passion Dance” (two mainstays in the Ethnic
sax vocalizations; Wilkes referencing Benny Ensemble, a couple of labels said, ‘This dude is Heritage Ensemble’s setlist), notwithstanding
Bailey’s inflammable trumpet with emphatic racist, how can jazz be ethnic?’ But I’ve never the pressures of parenting and societal obligato.
shake and growl; the strings subtle-then-slash- been a racist person. If you are from Nigeria, “One thing I’m grateful for,” says El’Zabar, —
ing. Archly, the leader half-mumbles the hyper- Germany, England or China, you have an eth- whose favorite term of endearment is “Daddy-O,”
real-then-phantasmic lyrics with Gil Scott- nic heritage. Blues, jazz, funk, rock ’n’ roll, what- perhaps evoked by “One For Daddy-O” by
Heron-esque intimacy and ghosted grunts ’n’ ever you want to call it; Southern American cre- Cannonball Adderley, who El’Zabar worked for
groans. Any resemblances disavow differences ole food and certain influences in fashion in the back in 1972 — “I didn’t make a bunch of Kahil
in the update. His vocals are El’Zabar’s ace-in- last 150 years, a lot of that came directly from the El’Zabars. My children are all individuals. I didn’t
the-hole, lending him a star power that leaves African American experience.” dominate them. I know it’s real between us.”
other percussionists counting sour grapes. He’s Realizing he still possesses a flair and charis- As for Slivinski, who’s shared her life and
no Bill Withers but demonstrates how he can ma that sets him apart, El’Zabar encourages fans workspace with him for 17 years, he says, “It’s a
split the difference between the partials of upper to get to his shows. “People are amazed at the lev- wonderful improvisation and collaboration of
and lower octaves. els of energy I play with at 70, but if folks want to love.”
El’Zabar habitually prefixes the term “avant see me like this, they better come see me now,” Wilkes has felt the same about his 19-year
garde” with “so-called” since, though a risk-tak- he says. tenure with the Ensemble. “Since the beginning,
er, he’s always been a groover. That’s stood him His debonair presence is grounded by the it felt like an extended family,” he says. “It was
well, as he’s been known to gyrate in fast R&B consistency of his beats and the distillation of his also eye-opening to learn and develop a new con-
circles in the past, working the ’70s chitlin’ cir- concepts; he’s also effusively generous about his cept of playing, after being under the assumption
cuit with Donny Hathaway. He can drop other fellow musicians. James Sanders, he avers, “can there was only one way to approach avant-garde
household names — but early on, as the Ethnic get in there and scrap like Billy Bang, then brings jazz.” DB

APRIL 2024 DOWNBEAT 31

 POLYDOR RECORDS

DOWNBEAT ARCHIVE
R BROS.
/PRESTIGE

LATIFA/WARNE
JIM MARSHALL
John Coltrane Chick Corea Dave Brubeck

DOWNBEAT ARCHIVE
TIMOTHY WHITE/IMPULSE!

DOWNBEAT ARCHIVE
Pat Metheny

JAN PERSSON
Michael Brecker Thelonious Monk Lester Young Count Basie

THE 90 GREATEST
JAZZ ARTISTS OF
ALL TIME! Louis Armstrong

DOWNBEAT ARCHIVE
As a preview to our 90th anniversary year in July, the DownBeat crew set out
on an nearly impossible mission — to create a list of the 90 Greatest Jazz
Artists of All Time. After weeks, more like months, of hand-wringing and
choosing between “favorite children,” the following pages display our list, in
alphabetical order because we couldn’t begin to agree on any sort of rank-
ing. Most are members of the DownBeat Hall of Fame. In parentheses after
those names there will be a C, R or V and a year. The letters let you know
if the critics, readers or veter-
N/MERCURY

HIVE

ans committee voted the art-

DOWNBEAT ARC

ist into the Hall, and when.

DAVID JACKSO

Beyond that, enjoy and let the

debate begin!
Lionel Hampton
DOWNBEAT ARCHIVE

CAROL FRIEDMAN

Dizzy Gillespie Sarah Vaughan

FRANCIS WOLF @ MOSAIC IMAGES

Wynton Marsalis
JACK VARTOOGIAN/JALC

Wayne Shorter

32 DOWNBEAT APRIL 2024

Cecil Taylor
 VERVE DENNIS KEEL/VERVE DOWNBEAT ARCHIVE

Sonny Rollins
Charlie Haden

Ella Fitzgerald
Goodman
Benny

Duke Ellington

Carla Bley
ROGER RESSMEYER/WATT/ECM DOWNBEAT ARCHIVE
URT GOLDBLATT/PRESTIGE DOWNBEAT ARCHIVE

J.J. Johnson
DOWNBEAT ARCHIVE

Mary Lou Williams

Nina Simone
DOWNBEAT ARCHIVE
Sun Ra

Ron Carter
MILESTONE RECORDS

GERALD MURRELL/
MICHELE CLEMENTS/BLUE NOTE ROCKSCHOOL
CAROL FRIEDMAN/ELEKTRA

Frank Sinatra
DOWNBEAT ARCHIVE
Ornette Coleman

Herbie Hancock

Charles Lloyd
DOWNBEAT ARCHIVE

DOWNBEAT ARCHIVE AUSTIN TREVETT

Tony Williams
PARAMOUNT PICTURES
DOWNBEAT ARCHIVE
Billie Holiday
Miles Davis

ATLANTIC RECORDS

Eric Dolphy
St. Louis Blues
Art Blakey

Nat Cole from the film

APRIL 2024 DOWNBEAT 33

JIM MARSHALL/PRESTIGE
Cannonball Adderley (R 1975) Michael Brecker (R 2007) Carter is “the epitome of jazz elegance and
Beyond his catalog of amazing, groovin’ music, “The man is revered by his peers and idolized by rectitude: utterly attentive on the bandstand,
Julian “Cannonball” Adderley was also a talent music students who painstakingly pour over devoted to the collective music going down,”
scout. He championed other artists coming to transcriptions of his incandescent solos,” wrote said writer Howard Mandel in a May 1996 DB
— Blue Mitchell, Wes Montgomery and Nancy Bill Milkowski in a June 1987 DB cover article. feature.
Wilson, to name three. One Great Tune — “Itsbynne Reel” (Don’t Try This At One Great Tune — “Lawra” (Third Plane, Milestone, 1977)
One Great Tune — “Mercy, Mercy, Mercy” (Mercy, Mercy, Home, Impulse!, 1988)
Mercy! Live At “The Club,” Capitol, 1967) Charlie Christian (C 1966)
Clifford Brown (C 1972) He elevated the guitar to equal status with the
Louis Armstrong (R 1952) In his autobiography, Dizzy Gillespie included other instruments of jazz with his forward-lean-
“Pops is the daddy of them all, and without Brown with the likes of Buddy Bolden, King ing melodic and rhythmic concepts. Christian
him, we wouldn’t have anything to follow. I Oliver, Miles Davis and himself in shaping the also never forgot essentials like the blues.
hope he’s around a long time to watch us follow sound of trumpet in jazz. One Great Tune — “Rose Room” (The Genius Of The
in the path he laid for us,” said trumpeter Clark One Great Tune — “Jordu” (Clifford Brown & Max Roach, Electric Guitar, Sony Legacy, 1987)
Terry in honor of Armstrong’s 70th birthday in EmArcy, 1954)
the July 9, 1970, edition of DownBeat. Nat “King” Cole (R 1997)
One Great Tune — “I’ve Gotta Right To Sing The Blues” Ray Brown (R 2003) A voice like butter, often overshadowing his
(I’ve Got The World On A String, Verve, 1960) He was thoughtful, locked-in and always in prodigious skills as a pianist, the “King” broke
command of the time. “I think of my bass just down walls with grace and elegance. In 1956,
Albert Ayler (C 1983) like I do my body,” Brown said in the Jan. 29, he debuted The Nat “King” Cole Show on NBC,
The tenor saxophonist’s wailing tone captured 1976, edition of DB. “I keep it clean, and I take it becoming the first nationally broadcast TV
the zeitgeist of the 1960s avant garde, his sound in for a regular checkup with a fine repairman.” show hosted by an African American.
reaching well beyond jazz to stir the imag- One Great Tune — “That’s All” (Ray Brown & Jimmy One Great Tune — “Walkin’ My Baby Back Home” (Nat
ination of souls seeking art on the road less Rowles: As Good As It Gets, Concord, 1977) King Cole’s 8 Top Pops, Capitol, 1952)
traveled.
One Great Tune — “The Truth Is Marching In” (Live In Dave Brubeck (R 1994) Ornette Coleman (R 1969)
Greenwich Village: The Complete Impulse Recordings, The groundbreaking pianist never strayed far When Free Jazz: A Collective Improvisation By
Impulse!, 1998) from his classic quartet format, which helped The Ornette Coleman Double Quartet came
make him one of the most popular artists in out in 1961, DownBeat had two reviewers write
Count Basie (R 1958) jazz history. about it. One gave it 5 stars, the other gave it 0.
He led the most swinging big band in history One Great Tune — “Blue Rondo à la Turk” (Time Out, A stalwart of the avant garde, Coleman unapol-
with grace, modesty and humility. “It always Columbia, 1959) ogetically challenged the norm.
amazed me how he controlled the band with One Great Tune — “Lonely Woman” (The Shape Of Jazz
his little plinks on the piano,” Wesley told DB Carla Bley (C 2021) To Come, Atlantic, 1959)
in a September 2004 interview. “I felt like I was One of the greatest composers in jazz history,
in the presence of royalty for real.” Bley broke down walls for women. “I feel like John Coltrane (R 1965)
One Great Tune — “Basie’s Bag” (Count Basie Get I should be in a cage with a sign on me that He’s on the Mount Rushmore of jazz. What
Together, Pablo, 1979) says, ‘She wrote the music,’” Bley said during an more needs to be said about the most stirring,
interview for DB’s August 1984 issue. spiritual, seeking saxophonist in jazz history.
Sidney Bechet (C 1968) One Great Tune — “Two Banana” (Carla Bley: The Lost One Great Tune — “A Love Supreme, Pt. 1:
Bechet blazed a path to Chicago, then New Chords Find Paolo Fresu, Watt/ECM, 2007) Acknowledgement” (A Love Supreme, Impulse!, 1965)
York, a route that many followed to fame.
He continued on to Paris, where he became Benny Carter (C 1977) Chick Corea (R 2010)
a hero. “When the unmistakable sound of his A multi-instrumentalist known as much for his The ultimate explorer, Chick Corea will be
soprano sax cut through the closed curtain, arrangements as his saxophone and trumpet remembered for his wide-ranging inter-
there were bursts of cheering and applause,” playing, Carter arranged for the best of the best ests. Beyond his Elekric and Akoustic bands,
said DB reviewer Marian McPartland (yes, — Count Basie, Louie Bellson, Ella Fitzgerald, Mr. Corea’s collaborators included Bobby
that Marian McPartland) of Bechet in review- Sarah Vaughan, Peggy Lee and Carmen McRae McFerrin, Gary Burton, Béla Fleck, Herbie
ing a Paris jazz festival for the July 1, 1949, edi- head up a short list. Hancock, Hiromi and so many more.
tion of DB. One Great Tune — “A Walkin’ Thing” (Jazz Giant, One Great Tune — “Spain” (Return To Forever: Light As A
One Great Tune — “There’ll Be Some Changes” (The Contemporary, 1958) Feather, Polydor, 1973)
Fabulous Sidney Bechet, Blue Note, 1958)
Betty Carter (C 1999) Miles Davis (R 1962)
Art Blakey (R 1981) No vocalist was more distinct than Betty Another member of the Mount Rushmore of
The famed drummer led perhaps the finest hard- Carter. Confident, determined and original, jazz, Miles Davis carved a path no one will ever
bop finishing school in jazz history with his Jazz she filled her bands with future stars includ- be able to follow. The one-of-a-kind trumpet-
Messengers. Its alumni often went on to become ing Cyrus Chestnut, Geri Allen, Benny Green, er understood something that only the very
even more famous than the leader — take, for Stephen Scott and Lewis Nash. best figure out: The art of recording and the
example, Wayne Shorter, Freddie Hubbard, One Great Tune — “30 Years” (The Music Never Stops, art of the live show are two very different dis-
Keith Jarrett, Lee Morgan, Chuck Mangione and Blue Engine, 2019) ciplines. He surrounded himself with the best
Wynton and Branford Marsalis. and demanded something new every day.
One Great Tune — “A Night In Tunisia” (Art Blakey’s Ron Carter (R 2012) One Great Tune — “I Fall In Love Too Easily” (Seven
Jazz Messengers: A Night In Tunisia, Blue Note, 1961) The most-recorded bassist in music history, Mr. Steps To Heaven, Columbia, 1963)

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Eric Dolphy (R 1964) Duke’s 100th anniversary in 1999. credit for it,” she told writer Leonard Feather in
“He was as interested in the complex, sonic sur- One Great Tune — “Take The ‘A’ Train” (Ellington a Nov. 18, 1965, DB interview.
faces of Xenakis, the quaint chaos of Ives, or Uptown, Columbia, 1953) One Great Tune — “Just One Of Those Things” (Ella
the serial intricacies of Babbitt as in the soulful Fitzgerald Sings The Cole Porter Songbook, Verve, 1956)
expressivity of a Coleman Hawkins, the force- Bill Evans (C 1981)
ful ‘messages’ of Charles Mingus, or the experi- One of the most searching, romantic pianists in Stan Getz (R 1986)
ments of ‘the new thing,’” said Gunther Schuler, jazz. He played on the Miles classic Kind Of “Stan Getz’s career may thus be viewed, in no
father of the Third Stream movement, in an Blue, but his solo career and work with George small measure, as that of a pop profit in the
Aug. 27, 1964, DB tribute to Dolphy. Russell, Chet Baker, Charles Mingus and Tony jazz world,” said writer Arnold J. Smith in the
One Great Tune — “Fire Waltz” (At The Five Spot, New Bennett place him in the center of jazz history. Aug. 12, 1977, edition of DB. His search for
Jazz, 1961) One Great Tune — “Peace Piece” (Everybody Digs Bill sound led him to Brazil, famously teaming with
Evans, Riverside, 1959) João Gilberto. “I can never think of it as ‘bossa
Roy Eldridge (C 1971) nova,’” Getz said in that 1977 interview. “That
“Eldridge first burst on the scene in the ’30s and Gil Evans (C 1986) seems like such a silly name for what is basic,
became the most influential trumpet of his A composer, arranger and bandleader of ele- beautiful, introspective music.”
generation,” said writer John McDonough in a gance and grace, Gil Evans is best known for One Great Tune — “Desafinado” (Getz/Gilberto, Verve, 1964)
Dec. 15, 1977, DB interview. Nicknamed “Little his work with Miles Davis, helping the trum-
Jazz,” he advanced trumpet technique pointing peter craft some of his most endearing records: Dizzy Gillespie (R 1960)
the way from the swing era toward bebop. Birth Of The Cool, Miles Ahead, Porgy And Bess Can our Mount Rushmore of jazz have more
One Great Tune — “If I Had You” (Little Jazz, Clef, 1955) and Sketches Of Spain. than four names? Yes, because John Birks
One Great Tune — “Summertime” (Porgy And Bess, “Dizzy” Gillespie has to be on it. The speed,
Duke Ellington (R 1956) Columbia, 1959) swagger, humor and joy Mr. Gillespie brought
“Talk about taking care of business … Duke’s to the trumpet and to jazz is unparalleled.
the cat,” said Count Basie during a Sept. 18, Ella Fitzgerald (R 1979) One Great Tune — “Salt Peanuts” (Groovin’ High, Savoy, 1955)
1958, DB interview where he called Ellington Ella Fitzgerald was the first lady of jazz. As one
the best bandleader of all time. He’s another of the most-beloved voices ever, Ms. Fitzgerald Benny Golson (C 2018)
member of our jazz Mount Rushmore. “Duke was alway respectful of her band members and Perhaps the classiest tenor saxophonist, com-
Ellington’s genius manifested itself in his musi- arrangers, often downplaying her own vast tal- poser and arranger jazz has ever seen, Mr.
cianship, his composition and his leader- ents. “They can make you sound better than Golson has written a slew of jazz standards
ship,” said Wynton Marsalis on the occasion of you really are, yet the arrangers seldom get the — “I Remember Clifford,” “Whisper Not,”

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“Stablemates” and “Killer Joe” to name a few. the color barrier with Benny Goodman, then James Fletcher Henderson,” wrote musician
One Great Tune — “Killer Joe” (Meet The Jazztet, went on to attain a level of stardom few jazz Rex Stewart in the June 3, 1965, issue of DB.
Argo, 1960) musicians have ever seen. “Ragtime, swing, bop, and Third Stream all
One Great Tune — “Flying Home (NBC Broadcast, Jan. stem from the same tree. Fletcher Henderson
Benny Goodman (R 1957) 14, 1940” (Lionel Hampton: The Complete Jazz Heritage was a bridge between the earliest forms and
“The King of Swing” broke the mold. He took an Society Recordings, Amerco, 1993) what later evolved.”
integrated band to the South. When Teddy One Great Tune — “Big John Special” (Tidal Wave, The
Wilson and Lionel Hampton joined, it was the Herbie Hancock (R 2005) Original Decca Recordings, GRP, 1994)
first integrated band to appear in front of a pay- Another alumnus of Miles, Hancock learned
ing audience in America. The 1938 Carnegie Hall his lessons well and took them farther than Andrew Hill (C 2007)
concert in New York broke down more walls. Miles ever dreamed, refusing to be trapped in Critic James Hale wrote of Hill, “His induction
One Great Tune — “Sing Sing Sing” (Brunswick, 1936) any musical idiom. Acoustic, electric, jazz or into the [DownBeat] Hall of Fame acknowledg-
funk, Hancock has followed his muse. es an artist with a distinctive voice, expansive
Dexter Gordon (R 1980) One Great Tune — “Chameleon” (Headhunters, influence and two fertile periods three decades
When Dexter Gordon returned to New York in Columbia, 1973) apart,” in DB’s August 2007 Critics Poll edition.
1976 after spending a large portion of his career One Great Tune — “Sideways” (Passing Ships, Blue
in Europe, it stirred a frenzy, becoming “one Coleman Hawkins (C 1961) Note, 2003)
of the great musical triumphs of recent times,” Sometimes referred to as the father of the tenor
according to Chuck Berg in a Feb. 10, 1977, DB saxophone, Hawkins blazed a pioneering trail. Earl “Fatha” Hines (C 1965)
article. He was the star soloist in Fletcher Henderson’s He swing like no other pianist, and as a band-
One Great Tune — “’Round Midnight” (Homecoming: Dexter big band in the 1920s until a kid named Louis leader, Fatha knew best, with artists like Benny
Gordon Live At The Village Vanguard, Columbia, 1977) Armstrong showed up. In 1939, he released Carter, Dizzy Gillespie, Charlie Parker and
“Body And Soul,” now a staple of the jazz canon. Sarah Vaughan performing in his big bands.
Charlie Haden (C 2013) One Great Tune — “Out Of Nowhere” (Wrapped Tight, One Great Tune — “I Ain’t Got Nobody” (A Monday Date,
Mr. Haden never settled. He could play moody Impulse!, 1965) Riverside, 1961)
noir with his Quartet West, songs of rebellion
with his Liberation Music Orchestra, free-jazz Roy Haynes (C 2004) Milt Hinton (C 2001)
with Ornette Coleman, spiritual duets with Originality and listening never go out of fashion. Known as The Swinging Judge, no one swung
Hank Jones or guest on any pop record. “I say if That’s the key to Roy Haynes’ success as a drum- harder than Milt Hinton. A master of style and
they want to play music at the level of freedom, mer. He played with Lester Young. He played locked-down rhythm, Mr. Hinton got his a big
of beauty, you have to play as if you’re willing with Miles, Charlie Parker, Sarah Vaughan, Stan break with Cab Calloway, who he played with
to risk your life for every note you’re playing,” Getz, Chick Corea and so many more. No mat- for some 14 years.
Haden said in an August 1994 DB cover feature. ter the setting, he played with style. One Great Tune — “New Orleans” (Judge At His Best:
One Great Tune — “Song For Ché” (Liberation Music One Great Tune — “Diverse” (Birds Of A Feather: A The Legendary Chiaroscuro Sessions, 1973-1995,
Orchestra, Impulse!, 1970) Tribute To Charlie Parker, Dreyfus, 2001) Chiaroscuro, 2002)

Lionel Hampton (R 1987) Fletcher Henderson (C 1973) Johnny Hodges (C 1970)

One of the most thoughtful, energetic musi- “Today’s jazz listener is likely to be unaware of What would the Duke Ellington Orchestra
cians to ever grace the stage, Hampton broke the huge debt that current music owes to sound like without the alto saxophone styl-
ings of Johnny Hodges? His vibrato could bring
even the most hardened heart to tears.
One Great Tune — “A Flower Is A Lovesome Thing”
(Everybody Knows Johnny Hodges, Impulse!, 1964)

Billie Holiday (R 1961)

Her one-of-a-kind voice captured the soul and
pain of the human experience in a way that no
other vocalist had before or since.
One Great Tune — “Strange Fruit” (Lady Sings The
Blues, Clef, 1956)

Freddie Hubbard (R 2009)

Trumpeter Dave Douglas called him “the
most imitated [trumpeter] of the last half cen-
tury” in eulogizing Hubbard in DB’s April
2009 edition.
One Great Tune — “Red Clay” (Red Clay, Columbia, 1970)

Milt Jackson (R 1999)

“Milt is both as down-to-earth and bluesy as
one of his nickname, ‘Bags,’ suggests,” wrote
trumpeter Jon Faddis in a November 1999
DB cover interview he did with Mr. Jackson.

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“And he’s as dignified and elegant as a Sunday John Lewis (C 2002)
preacher — as his other nickname, “the Founder and musical director of the Modern
Reverend,” testifies. And he is always about Jazz Quartet, the composer and pianist audi-
bebop.” He was a founding member of the tioned for Dizzy Gillespie’s band with one of his
Modern Jazz Quartet and an innovator on the original songs, one that later became “Two Base
vibraphone. Hit,” now a jazz standard. He was an essential
One Great Tune — “That Old Devil Moon (On Riverside: cog in Miles Davis’ nonet for the classic Birth
Milt Jackson, UMG, 2023) Of The Cool. With the MJQ, he helped provide
a sea change for jazz incorporating improv and
Ahmad Jamal (R 2011) classical elements that made the music high art.
Mr. Jamal crossed over in a way few jazz artists One Great Tune — “Django” (MJQ & Friends—A 40th
ever have. His album But Not For Me: Live At Anniversary Celebration, Warner, 1993)
The Pershing sold a million copies. Jamal played
a sophisticated bop that transformed the jazz Charles Lloyd
trio into a formidable ensemble. The tenor saxophonist and multi-instrumen-
One Great Tune — “Poinciana” (But Not For Me: Live At talist has calmly carved one of the most impres-
The Pershing, Argo, 1958) sive careers in jazz history. His 1966 hit record-
ing Forest Flower sold more than a million
Keith Jarrett (R 2008) records and had Lloyd crossing over to the rock
Another in the long line of Miles Davis alumni, world. What’s amazing has been his contin-
Mr. Jarrett has been a once-in-a-generation ued growth as an artist, producing high-qual-
improviser in any setting — especially his stel- ity music and capturing awards into the 2020s.
lar solo and trio work. One Great Tune — “The Water Is Wide” (The Water Is
One Great Tune — “God Bless The Child” (Standards, Wide, ECM, 2000)
Vol. 1, ECM, 1983)
Wynton Marsalis (R 2017)
J.J. Johnson (R 1995) Mr. Marsalis shaped trumpet and composition
A hero of bebop trombone, Mr. Johnson fought for generations. His work with Jazz At Lincoln
to keep from being pigeonholed into a cor- Center has been extraordinary, marshaling big-
ner of the music world. His playing was pre- money donors to build a New York showplace
cise, always swinging. He also ventured into beyond the wildest dreams of those who came
the realm of Third Stream and classical, always before. As a composer, Blood On The Fields, a
seeking new ways to express himself. treatise on the history of slavery, made him the
One Great Tune — “Stolen Moments” (J.J.!, RCA, 1965) first jazz musician ever to win a Pulitzer Prize.
One Great Tune — “Sloganize, Patronize, Realize,
Elvin Jones (C 1998) Revolutionize (Black Lives Matter)” (The Democracy
The great drummer drove the John Coltrane Suite, Blue Engine, 2021)
Quartet, then went on to thrill audiences with
his own bands, including his Jazz Machine, Christian McBride
which toured and recorded from the 1980s With virtuosity, humor and intelligence,
until his passing in 2004. Christian McBride has become the complete
One Great Tune — “Necessary Evil” (Brother John, package of a modern jazz musician.
Quicksilver, 1982) One Great Tune — “Blues Connotation” (The Q Sessions,
Mack Avenue 2022)
Thad Jones (C 1987)
Elvin’s brother Thad sparkled as a trumpeter, John McLaughlin
but as a composer and bandleader, he explod- The great British guitarist is yet another Miles
ed. Early, he was a featured soloist in the Count Davis alumnus whose far-reaching artistry blurs
Basie Orchestra and contributed mightily as an the line between musical formats. His Mahavishnu
arranger and composer. He formed the famed Orchestra played with stunning precision and soul.
Thad Jones/Mel Lewis Orchestra and later The group Shakti allowed McLaughlin a deep dive
moved to Europe and turned the Danish Radio into Indian classical music.
Big Band into a swing juggernaut. One Great Tune — “Shrini’s Dream” (Shakti, This
One Great Tune — “A Child Is Born” (Consummation, Moment, Abstract Logix, 2023)
Blue Note, 1970)
Pat Metheny (R 2013)
Gene Krupa (R 1972) “When I think of all my favorite musicians, the
He drove the dancers wild from the drum set of thing that they all seem to have in common —
Benny Goodman’s band, and his solo on “Sing in fact, maybe the only identifiable character-
Sing Sing” changed the course of history for istic that they share — is that they are all true
drummers of all genres. individuals,” Mr. Metheny wrote in a February
One Great Tune — “Drum Boogie” (Gene Krupa, Blue 1998 DB cover feature. Those words apply to the
Pie, 1955) master guitarist himself, a restless soul whose

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musical contexts continually change. trumpet solos in the late 1950s and ’60s on his own Oscar Peterson (R 1984)
One Great Tune — “It Starts When We Disappear” records and with artists like Art John Coltrane, Known for his fleet, soulful pianism, Mr.
(Side-Eye NYC (V1.IV), BMG, 2021) Hank Mobley and Wayne Shorter,” wrote David Peterson wowed audiences around the globe as
French in DB’s January 2000 edition. one of the music’s greatest pianists.
Charles Mingus (R 1971) One Great Tune — “The Sidewinder” (The Sidewinder, One Great Tune — “Sushi” (A Time For Love: The
A larger-than-life presence on bass whether lead- Blue Note, 1964) Oscar Peterson Quartet Live In Helsinki, 1987, Mack
ing his groups or composing, Mr. Mingus wowed Avenue, 2021)
with intelligence, social protest and beauty. Jelly Roll Morton (C 1963)
One Great Tune — “Haitian Fight Song” (The Clown, He claimed that he created jazz in 1902 on the Bud Powell (R 1966)
Atlantic, 1957) pages of DownBeat’s September 1938 issue, and “He was the foundation out of which
he just might be right. Mr. Morton was an early, stemmed the whole edifice of modern jazz
Thelonious Monk (R 1963) essential innovator of the art form. piano; every jazz pianist since Bud either
The iconoclastic pianist and composer played One Great Tune — “Black Bottom Stomp” (Birth Of The came through him or is deliberately attempt-
and wrote as uniquely as any artist ever in jazz. Hot: The Classic Chicago “Red Hot Peppers” Sessions, ing to get away from playing like him,” said
He was a presence that the jazz world could not RCA/Bluebird, 1995) Herbie Hancock for the Sept. 22, 1966, edi-
get enough of on and off the bandstand. tion of DB.
One Great Tune — “Crepuscule With Nellie” (Monk’s Gerry Mulligan (R 1993) One Great Tune — “Like Someone I Love” (Blues For
Music, Riverside, 1957) Perhaps the greatest baritone saxophonist of all Bouffémont, Fontana, 1964)
time, Mulligan’s career marks the history of
Wes Montgomery (R 1968) jazz with Claude Thornhill, Miles Davis, Chet Sun Ra (C 1984)
The great guitarist crossed over with his Baker and Stan Kenton. His work as a compos- Claiming “Space is the place,” Sun Ra became an
smooth, unique style on guitar and ability to er produced several classics. unequalled avant-garde entertainment original.
turn pop tunes into jazz-driven gold. One Great Tune — “Walkin’ Shoes” (The Best Of The One Great Tune — “Space Is The Place” (Space Is The
One Great Tune — “Twisted Blues” (So Much Guitar!, Gerry Mulligan Quartet With Chet Baker, Blue Note, 1991) Place, Impulse!, 1973)
Riverside, 1961)
Joe “King” Oliver (C 1976) Django Reinhardt (C 1971)
Jason Moran The mentor of Louis Armstrong, Mr. Oliver The godfather of gypsy jazz and one of the most
Moran makes the list for his insatiable curiosity composed a variety of early jazz hits and pio- creative guitarists to ever improvise.
and grand vision. His hip-hop infused tributes to neered using a trumpet mute. One Great Tune — “Nuages” (The Great Artistry Of
Fats Waller, complete with a giant paper mache One Great Tune — “Dippermouth Blues” (Louis Django Reinhardt, Clef, 1954)
mask of Waller he wears on stage, drive new gen- Armstrong And King Oliver, Milestone, 1974)
erations to the music. His multimedia extravagan- Buddy Rich (R 1974)
zas inspire, employing film, dance, art and words. Charlie Parker (R 1955) Bold, bombastic and blazing, Buddy Rich
One Great Tune — “Blue Blocks” (Ten, Blue Note, 2010) Jazz Mount Rushmore, meet Mr. Charlie attacked the drums and music in a way no
Parker. His virtuosity on saxophone helped drummer had before — or since.
Lee Morgan (R 1991) usher in the bebop era. One Great Tune — “Willowcrest” (The Lost Tapes,
“Morgan was a player of almost unparalleled One Great Tune — “Parker’s Mood” (The Savoy 10-Inch Scabeba/Lobitos Creek Ranch, 2017)
individuality, burning hard-swinging, soulful LP Collection, Craft, 2020)
Max Roach (C 1980)
Max Roach explored the drums and music with a
fire to bring equality to his people. Take, for exam-
ple, We Insist! Max Roach’s Freedom Suite Now.
One Great Tune — “Freedom Day” (We Insist! Max
Roach’s Freedom Suite Now, Candid, 1960)

Sonny Rollins (R 1973)

The Saxophone Colossus, one of the most
inventive minds to ever play jazz. His compo-
sitions are standards. His live shows demon-
strated an endless river of improvisatory glory.
One Great Tune — “The Bridge” (The Bridge, Sony,
1962)

Artie Shaw (C 1996)

Perhaps the finest musician to ever play the
clarinet, Shaw was a swing-era star with few, if
any, rivals.
One Great Tune — “Begin The Beguine” (The Essential
Artie Shaw, Columbia, 2005)

Woody Shaw (R 1989)

“Now there’s a great trumpet player,” said
Miles Davis in a January 1983 DB feature on

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Mr. Shaw. “He can play different from all of One Great Tune — “Night And Day” (The Tatum Group
them.” Masterpieces, Volume Eight, Fantasy, 1956)
One Great Tune — “Blackstone Legacy” (Blackstone
Legacy, Contemporary, 1971 Cecil Taylor (C 1975)
Cecil Taylor forged his own road-less-traveled
Wayne Shorter (C 2003) in avant garde circles. Pianist, poet and perfor-
One of this music’s bravest explorers. Yet anoth- mance artist, he challenged the norms.
er Miles alumnus, Shorter went on to become One Great Tune — “Elell” (Garden First Set, Hat Hut, 2015)
one of this music’s greatest composers.
One Great Tune — “Footprints” (Adam’s Apple, Blue McCoy Tyner (R 2004)
Note, 1966) The pianism of McCoy Tyner shimmers with
organic, volcanic energy that made magic in
Horace Silver (R 1996) the classic John Coltrane Quartet.
He wrote songs of swinging elegance full hon- One Great Tune — “Walk Spirit, Talk Spirit” (Quartet,
est, folksy beauty just like the man himself. Half Note, 2007)
“Song For My Father,” “The Preacher” and
“Doodlin’” scratch the surface. Sarah Vaughan (R 1985)
One Great Tune — “Song For My Father” (Song For My “Hers is a perfect instrument, attached to a
Father, Blue Note, 1965. musician of superb instincts, capable of
expressing profound human experience, with
Nina Simone (C 2019) a wholly original voice,” Gunther Schuller was
With rich contralto vocals that oozed triumph quoted as saying of Sarah Vaughan in the May
over tears and jaw-dropping piano virtuosity, 1982 edition of DB.
Ms. Simone drew audiences into her world. One Great Tune — “Lullaby Of Birdland” (Sarah
One Great Tune — “Mood Indigo” (Little Girl Blue, Vaughan, Verve, 1954)
Bethlehem, 1959)
Fats Waller (C 1968)
Frank Sinatra (R 1998) Artist and entertainer Fats Waller played piano
Mr. Sinatra made a name with the swing bands and sang with larger-than-life exuberance.
and became one of the biggest stars in enter- One Great Tune — “The Joint Is Jumpin’” (A Handful Of
tainment. He did it with style and swagger, Keys, Buddha, 1999)
drawing generations of fans to his music.
One Great Tune — “Fly Me To The Moon” (Sinatra At The Chick Webb (V 2010)
Sands, Reprise, 1966) Perhaps best known for his orchestra’s 1935 hit
“A Tisket, A Tasket,” sung by a young Ella
Bessie Smith (C 1967) Fitzgerald, Webb was a big band leader and
The growling vocals of The Empress of the drummer of the first order.
Blues fit perfectly with her sassy presence. She One Great Tune — “Sugar Foot Stomp” (The King Of The
made more than 150 records for Columbia in Drums: Chick Webb And His Savoy Ballroom Orchestra,
the 1920s and ’30s. Ancha, 1968)
One Great Tune — “Gimme A Pigfoot And A Bottle Of
Beer” (The Final Chapter: The Complete Recordings Vol. Mary Lou Williams (C 1990)
5, Columbia, 1996) No one can deny the talents of Mary Lou
Williams at the piano. In 1990, she was the
Jimmy Smith (R 2006) first female instrumentalist inducted into the
No one swung the Hammond B-3 as hard as DownBeat Hall of Fame.
Jimmy Smith, an instrument he helped popu- One Great Tune — “What’s Your Story Morning Glory”
larize in jazz. (My Mama Pinned A Rose On Me, Pablo, 1977)
One Great Tune — “The Sermon” (The Sermon, Blue
Note, 1959) Tony Williams (C 1997)
A child prodigy who joined Miles Davis’ sec-
Billy Strayhorn (R 1967) ond great quartet at the age of 17, Mr. Williams,
It’s difficult to discuss Duke Ellington without according to Davis, was the center of the group’s
thinking of Billy Strayhorn, who wrote “Take sound. After Miles, he became a pioneer of the
The ‘A’ Train,” “A Flower Is A Lovesome fusion movement with his group Lifetime.
Thing” and “Lush Life,” to name three classics. One Great Tune — “Fred” (Believe It, Sony, 1975)
One Great Tune — “Lush Life” (John Coltrane And
Johnny Hartman, Impulse!, 1963) Lester Young (R 1959)
An alumnus of the Basie Band, Prez had a sound
Art Tatum (C 1964) recognizable from the first note. He accompanied
With some of the fleetest fingers ever to touch a Billie Holiday. He recorded with Nat “King” Cole.
piano, the stylings of Art Tatum could turn the One Great Tune — “Lester Leaps In” (In Washington
simplest of tunes into a mind-blowing affair. D.C. 1956, Vol. 2, Fantasy, 1980) DB

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40 DOWNBEAT APRIL 2024
 Masterpiece ★★★★★ Excellent ★★★★ Good ★★★ Fair ★★ Poor ★

D. DARR
Charles Lloyd debuts a new quartet on The Sky Will Still Be There Tomorrow.

Charles Lloyd Lloyd switches to alto flute to tip his hat to this marks the first time Blade has been docu-
Booker Little on the hypnotic “Booker’s mented with Lloyd in a studio setting. And just
The Sky Will Still Be Garden,” where his languid passages snake as the leader has established profound rapports
There Tomorrow around Moran’s jagged piano countermelody, with the bassist and pianist, his accord with
BLUE NOTE Blade’s abstract rhythmic drive and Grenadier’s Blade is just as keen.
★★★★½ haunting bass ostinato, which discreetly dis- Lloyd has produced some his best work
solves and reforms as the collective dialogue since signing with the Blue Note label a
About two-thirds into “Monk’s Dance,”
intensifies. Then, there’s his soul-stirring hom- decade ago. The glorious The Sky Will Be There
Charles Lloyd’s quizzical lines on tenor sax-
age to Billie Holiday with the phantasmagori- Tomorrow exemplifies his pursuit of late-
ophone begin building more momentum,
cal “The Ghost Of Lady Day,” on which Lloyd’s career brilliance. —John Murph
especially as drummer Brian Blade and bass-
deliberate tenor saxophone melody evokes the
ist Larry Grenadier push the tempo. Lloyd’s
solemn majesty Holiday infused in “Strange
melodic improvisational lines coil like spin- The Sky Will Be There Tomorrow: Defiant: Tender Warrior;
Fruit.” The Lonely One; Monk’s Dance; The Water Is Rising; Late
ning tops across the rhythm section’s ebullient Bloom; Booker’s Garden; Ghost Of Lady Day; The Skill Will
propulsion and Jason Moran’s equally whim- Those three compositions alone afford Be There Tomorrow; Beyond Darkness; Sky Valley; Spirit Of
The Forest; Balm In Gilead; Lift Every Voice And Sing; When
sical piano accompaniment. If you close your Lloyd’s momentous double-album The Sky The Sun Comes Up, Darkness Is Gone; Cape To Cairo; Defiant
Reprise: Homeward Dove. (90:46)
eyes while the song progresses, you can easily Will Be There Tomorrow with a seal of great-
Personnel: Charles Lloyd, tenor saxophone, alto saxophone, alto
image Thelonious Monk engaging in one of his ness; the album also introduces a splendid flute, bass flute; Jason Moran, piano; Larry Grenadier, bass; Brian
famous spiraling dances as his band whips out new quartet. Both Moran and Grenadier have Blade, drums, percussion.

a rambunctious groove. recorded with Lloyd on previous albums, but Ordering info: bluenote.com

APRIL 2024 DOWNBEAT 41

 Iyer’s languorous phrases, before picking up in
pace and finding Sorey rumbling on the floor
tom as Iyer frees up his left hand. As the album
continues, this intensity simmers. The dex-
trous “Arch,” in honor of the late Archbishop
Desmond Tutu, sees Oh in the spotlight, pluck-
ing muscular lines on her double bass, while
“Maelstrom,” dedicated to victims of the pan-
demic, spotlights Iyer’s flair for sprightly, poly-
rhythmic phrasing, battling against the groove
as much as flowing with it.
These original works are angular and full of
soulful swing, yet it is in the trio’s reinterpre-
tations that they soar. Iyer masterfully trans-
poses Roscoe Mitchell’s cacophony of horns
on “Nonaah” into the ferocious speed of his
Vijay Iyer Trio two hands, while Stevie Wonder’s “Overjoyed” Francisco Mela
Compassion explodes into a majestic, deeply swung, sev- & Zoh Amba
ECM en-minute odyssey kept afloat by Sorey’s Causa y Efecto, Vol. 2
★★★★½ melodic work on the toms. 577
Compassion expresses its titular emotion ★★★
In 2021, when pianist Vijay Iyer released
through the deep feeling these three musicians
Uneasy, his first album with drummer Tyshawn Untethered two-party improvisation has
have for each other. Their confident improvisa-
Sorey and bassist Linda May Han Oh, the trio’s become increasingly rare, making this free-
tion breaks new ground while always maintain-
bond was immediate and enduring. Now wheeling outing by drummer Francisco Mela
ing a tenderness for the joy of music itself.
returning with Compassion, Iyer’s trio is just as and reed player Zoh Amba compelling for its
—Ammar Kalia
musically magnificent. The album’s 12 tracks relative novelty. Even so, it’s not without its
Compassion: Compassion; Arch; Overjoyed; Maelstrom; Prelude:
are a perfect blend of luscious melody, thump- Orison; Tempest; Panegyric; Nonaah; Where I Am; Ghostrumental; shortcomings.
ing rhythms and complexity. It Goes; Free Spirits/Drummer’s Song. (65:29)
The 24-year-old Amba grew up enthralled
Personnel: Vijay Iyer, piano; Linda May Han Oh, bass; Tyshawn
Opener “Compassion” sets the tone, gently Sorey, drums. by the likes of Albert Ayler and David S. Ware,
lulling the listener as Sorey works brushes over Ordering info: ecmrecords.com unabashed by an open-ended approach that
has all but vanished. In Mela, whose early work
included stints with Joe Lovano and McCoy
Tyner, Amba has a partner with the scope and
Gregory Tardy technique to mix it up in any format — free or
In His Timing otherwise.
WJ3 Of course, the bar for this approach is high:
★★★½ Coltrane/Ali, Parker/Lytton, Braxton/Roach
high. Mela and Amba appear unfazed, div-
Gregory Tardy has been a steady mainstream ing into the take-no-prisoners squall of “Causa
voice for more than 30 years, principally on y Efecto,” which pairs the top end of Amba’s
tenor but with occasional digressions to clari- tenor with Mela’s tom-forward drumming. It’s
net — which he plays on this handsome record- a bold programming move, and a setup for the
ing with violinist Regina Carter, pianist Taber sonic switcheroo that hurls the listener into the
Gable, bassist Matthew Parrish and drummer relative calm of “Mundos Diver,” which com-
Alvester Garnett. There is a chamberish, draw- bines much lighter percussion with Amba’s
ing-room quality to his music that keeps the flute in playful call and response.
temperature and passion at a moderate flame. The flute returns for the opening section of
The program is in no great hurry and offers “MEZO,” a discursive, 16-minute dialogue that
him space to spin willowy and lissome arpeg- moves smoothly from introspection to fury
gios that flatter the repertoire with a genteel and Their other duets are more collaborations
and back. “Experiencias” and “El Cisne Bla”
airy elegance. than conversations. “Tree Of Life” is a love-
stand apart for their heavier reliance on Mela’s
Tardy’s gentility contrasts with Carter’s ly piece with supportive give-and-take. “Cloud
rhythms, and both illustrate the supportive
somewhat bolder heft on six of the 10 tracks, Dance” is a serene ensemble spotlighting bass-
nature of the pairing while providing a stur-
although in a couple of close encounters they go ist Parrish. The leader’s own “Crazy Love,” “The
dy, compelling framework for the saxophonist’s
at one another with a mutually muscular equi- Last Shall Be the First” and “Never Been In
aggressive solos.
librium. Their back-and-forth climaxing on Love Before” are solo Tardy at his most courtly.
Not everything works — even at just 45
“Will The Circle Be Unbroken” puts them eye- Jazz with a proud sense of its propriety.
minutes, this album could use some editing
ball to eyeball and brings out the fight in each. —John McDonough
— but it seethes with promise. —James Hale
As they toss fours and eights on Johnny Hodges’ In His Timing: Will The Circle Be Unbroken; I’ve Never Been In
delightful “Squatty Roo,” their point-counter- Love Before; The Roman Road; In His Timing; Squatty Roo; The Tree
Of Life; Cloud Dance; The Sign Of Jonah; The Last Shall Be The First; Causa y Efecto, Vol. 2: Causa y Efecto; Mundos Diver; Experien-
point ricochets with the kind of quick sleight- Crazy Love. (51:04) cias; MEZO; El Cisne Bla. (45:51)
Personnel: Gregory Tardy, clarinet; Regina Carter (1, 3–7), violin; Personnel: Zoh Amba, flute, tenor saxophone; Francisco Mela,
of-hand and savvy surprise normally reserved Taber Gable, piano; Matthew Parrish, bass; Alvester Garnett, drums. drums, vocals.
for the home stretch of a jam session. Ordering info: wj3records.com Ordering info: 577records.bandcamp.com

42 DOWNBEAT APRIL 2024

The

John
Critics John Murph Ammar Kalia McDonough James Hale

Charles Lloyd ★★★★½ ★★★★ ★★★★½ ★★★

The Sky Will Still Be There Tomorrow

Vijay Iyer Trio ★★★★ ★★★★½ ★★★★½ ★★★★

Compassion

Gregory Tardy ★★★★ ★★★½ ★★★½ ★★★½

In His Timing

Francisco Mela & Zoh Amba ★★★ ★★★★ ★★ ★★★

Causa y Efecto, Vol. 2

Critics’ Comments

Charles Lloyd, The Sky Will Still Be There Tomorrow

85-year-old Lloyd has been experiencing a late-career renaissance in recent years. On The Sky
Will Still Be There Tomorrow, the quartet with Jason Moran, Brian Blade and Larry Grenadie locks
in seamlessly, artfully framing Lloyd’s whisper-soft tone. —Ammar Kalia
A labored and morose reverie that craves animation. Lloyd’s feathery sound crawls in pondering
strides and shadowy tremolos. Even crowded little clusters of energy sound sedated. “Monk’s
Dance” and the title tune provide welcome charm and playfulness. —John McDonough
A late-career gem. Lloyd and Jason Moran have long exhibited a superb connection, and
combustible rhythm mates Larry Grenadier and Brian Blade are also ideal companions for this
wide-ranging exploration of beauty. —James Hale

Vijay Iyer Trio, Compassion

This exquisite album quietly ups the ante on 21st-century modern jazz piano trio excursions.
—John Murph
Iyer offers balance, taste and a tidy sense of order to these new and less familiar pieces, giving
them an approachable deportment. Even an AACM hornet’s nest like Roscoe Mitchell’s “No-
naah” is shaped to fit this superior trio’s ensemble cohesion and rigor. —John McDonough
Is there anything as musically satisfying as a well-balanced, improvising trio? Busy, yet relaxed,
and interlocking beautifully, Iyer’s band offers a tremendously active recording that contains
more than any listener could absorb in a single play. —James Hale

Gregory Tardy, In His Timing

With a focus on the leader’s acumen on clarinet, the album radiates gleeful yet graceful aplomb.
—John Murph
An emotive collection of compositions that pay homage to formative bandmates like Tom Har-
rell, as well as to his late mother. Tardy’s tone is soft and soulful, perfect for the tender lament of
“Crazy Love,” although somewhat more whimsical on the violin pairings. —Ammar Kalia
Taut playing on some exuberantly melodic material. Tardy’s return to clarinet and his choice of
violinist Carter give this a somewhat retro feel: part Stéphane Grappelli, part Sidney Bechet.
—James Hale

Francisco Mela & Zoh Amba, Causa y Efecto, Vol. 2

The emotional immediacy of these drum and tenor saxophone and/or flute free-jazz excursions
far outweigh their memorability. —John Murph
A powerhouse of freeform improvisation. Tracks like “Causa y Efecto” act as a rallying cry for
energetic action, while Mela’s vocalisations on “Mundos Diversos” and “El Cisne Blanco” weave
seamlessly between the cracks of a groove that often feels on the verge of breaking apart.
—Ammar Kalia
A leap of faith into the avant-abyss of “spirituality,” where the gods give great license but grant
no guarantees of grace. Drums and horn converse, but find little sustainable narrative. After 60
years, freedom has become a formula without a Rosetta Stone. —John McDonough

APRIL 2024 DOWNBEAT 43

 struction. It’s a common trope for many of
these songs: Even when playing what could
be considered a more conventional composi-
tion, like “Supreme Sweetness,” Philipp Eden
plays with an ear both to the future of the
genre and to the past. Bassist Raphael Walser
seems to always find the right times to keep
that hypnotism going and when to break the
trance for a different sort of spell.
“Tea High” is a steady build of brilliance,
climbing forever to sweet release, seeming-
ly collapsing at the summit it reaches at the
end. The cover of Radiohead’s “All I Need” is
the perfect deconstruction of the tune’s mel-
ody and time, seemingly leaving Eden to lay
out its phrases hither and yon, Jonas Ruther’s
divr boiling over on the drum kit by tune’s end Jun Iida
Is This Water feeling almost like what Dave King would do Evergreen
WE JAZZ on an early The Bad Plus album. ORIGIN ARTS
★★★★½ For an album of tunes that largely finds ★★★½
its pleasures in tacking along in one direc-
Playing music involving looping always has a tion while finding different ways to go in the Trumpeter Jun Iida, who makes his recording
hypnotic quality, so rote that to say that other, Is This Water is one of the most delight- debut on Evergreen, grew up in St. Louis and
you’ve heard something like this before is ful sideways turns 2024 has to offer. Pittsburgh, spent time in Los Angeles, and
almost hilariously on the nose. To loop and —Anthony Dean-Harris during the past three years has lived in Seattle.
do something so distinctly different with Before relocating to New York, he recorded
the format, like surfing over a whirlpool, is a Evergreen to pay tribute to his period on the
marvel to behold. It’s absurd how good Swiss Is This Water: As Of Now; Upeksha; Supreme Sweetness; 42; VHS West Coast.
Tomorrow; Tea High; All I Need; Echo’s Answer; A Glass Is No Glass
trio divr is at playing this music. Is A Glass. (40:45). Iida has a mellow tone and a relaxed style.
Personnel: Philipp Eden, piano; Raphael Walser, bass; Jonas
“Upeksha” seems to wash over the ear, Ruther, drums. While his playing is somewhat laid back and
hiding the sucker punch of the trio’s con- Ordering info: mixeduprecords.com unexciting, this is a solid start and his future
development should be worth watching. His
wide interests in music and versatility are on
display during a release that features an excel-
Chris Rottmayer lent sextet with keyboardist Josh Nelson,
Being guitarist Masami Kuroki, bassist Jonathan
SHIFTING PARADIGM Richards, drummer Xavier Lecouturier and, as
a bonus, singer Aubrey Johnson on a few num-
★★★½ bers. Nelson often takes solo honors, guitarist
A prolific composer and diligent scholar of the Kuroki has a passionate style and Johnson is
jazz canon, Chris Rottmayer explores modal outstanding whenever she appears. The vocal-
jazz and polytonal motifs on Being, his fourth ist, who has a beautiful tone, mostly sings word-
album. This record pays homage to the legacy lessly in ensembles and hits some dazzling high
of pianist Mulgrew Miller and his time with the notes but she also performs in Japanese on two
Woody Shaw Quintet. numbers.
Miller and Shaw’s influence is palpable Iida contributes six of the 10 selections,
throughout the record, in big and small ways. including the infectious “Gooey Butter Cake,”
Many of Rottmayer’s compositions are in direct the warm ballad “Song For Luke” and a
conversation with the modal concepts, polyton- thoughtful “My Anguish In Solidarity” inspired
al motifs and harmonic planing techniques that than 20 years. “Rue des Lombards” is an ode by George Floyd. Two numbers, the children’s
characterized Miller and Shaw’s works. “On to Paris’ jazz clubs, featuring a frenetic melody melody “Akatombo” and a jazz version of the
The Street Where Woody Lives” leans on the by Johnson and Rottmayer and an effervescent J-Pop song “Shiki No Uta,” have Iida paying
chord progression of Shaw’s “Green St. Caper.” drum solo that evokes a lively cabaret vibe. tribute to two aspects of his Japanese heritage.
Here, Rottmayer’s lines are joyous and unre- Being is a lovingly meticulous study in Also included is a warm and melodic duet with
lenting, reminiscent of Miller’s dynamic mel- modal jazz. Rottmayer and his quartet mas- Nelson on “Love Theme From Spartacus” and
odies and vigorous playing. “Song Of Modes” terfully capture Miller’s lyrical flair and Shaw’s the boppish Sonny Rollins-Elmo Hope song
pays homage to Shaw’s “Song Of Songs” with remarkable tonality while also bringing a dis- “Bellarosa.” —Scott Yanow
modal motifs and wide intervals played by tinct perspective and fluidity to the record.
trumpeter Russ Johnson. “Ballerina Dance” is a —Ivana Ng Evergreen: Gooey Butter Cake; Akatombo; Evergreen; Shiki No
foil to Shaw’s “Katerina Ballerina,” featuring an Uta; Bellarosa; Forgotten Memories; Love Theme From Spartacus;
Being: On The Street Where Woody Lives; Re-United; Pigalle; My Anguish In Solidarity; Song For Luke; Holding On To Autumn.
ethereal piano melody and an understated yet Châtelet; Autumn Evening; Song Of Modes; Ballerina Dance; La (58:51)
Seizième; Pont Neuf; Rue des Lombards. (76:16)
muscular rhythm played by bassist Rufus Reid. Personnel: Chris Rottmayer, piano; Russ Johnson, trumpet,
Personnel: Jun Iida, trumpet; Aubrey Johnson, vocals; Masami
Kuroki, guitar; Josh Nelson, piano, electric piano; Jonathan Rich-
Sprinkled throughout are meditations on flugelhorn; Rufus Reid, bass; Matt Endres, drums. ards, bass; Xavier Lecouturier, drums.
Shaw’s life in Paris, where he lived for more Ordering info: shiftingparadigmrecords.com Ordering info: originarts.com

44 DOWNBEAT APRIL 2024

 Snidero treats these standards. Take, for exam-
ple, the album-opening title track; even the
head finds him dropping only occasional refer-
ences to J. Fred Coots’ original melody. What
we get instead is a clear idea of the chord chang-
es and the possibilities hidden within them.
With bassist Peter Washington leaving the basic
pulse to drummer Joe Farnsworth, the bass line
offers counterpoint to Snidero’s playful extrap-
olations, as Washington’s substitutions spur the
saxophonist on to ever giddier heights. Still,
even the final chorus — performed a cappel-
la — maintains discipline; no matter how far
Snidero pushes a line, it’s still easy to hear the
harmony beneath the form.
Washington and Farnsworth have played
Jim Snidero and recorded with Snidero for years now, so Reverso
For All We Know it’s no surprise that the three are so simpatico. Shooting Star–Étoile Filante
SAVANT But it’s Washington who is the album’s secret ALTERNATE SIDE
★★★★½ sauce, delivering brilliant intros for “Naima” ★★★½
and “You Go To My Head,” and laying down
For alto saxophonist Jim Snidero, cutting an such a funky bottom that “Parker’s Mood” siz- Reverso puts forth a refreshingly unique and
album with just bass and drums isn’t a case of zles despite the fact that Snidero doesn’t play a sonically effective trio instrumentation of
“less is more” so much as “less takes more.” single blues lick until the last chorus. piano, trombone and cello (Frank Woeste, Ryan
That is, instead of using it as an opportuni- —J.D. Considine Keberle and Vincent Courtois, respectively),
ty to break free from the shackles of regu- the latter of which can swing in both percus-
lar changes, Snidero seems to take the lack sive and legato directions. Echoes of a chamber
For All We Know: For All We Know; Naima; Love For Sale;
of chordal instruments as a challenge, con- Blackberry Winter; Parker’s Mood; Willow Weep For Me; My Funny
jazz sensibility are clearly present, partly due to
structing his solos so ingeniously that even Valentine; You Go To My Head. (53:27) the inherent textural weave of this instrumen-
Personnel: Jim Snidero, alto saxophone; Peter Washington, bass;
without chords the harmony is always clear. Joe Farnsworth, drums. tal blend. Some of the material would hew clos-
There’s nothing nostalgic about the way Ordering info: jazzdepot.com er to a standard jazz setting, were it presented in
a standard piano trio format.
In the case of this Reverso album, as with
Andrew Richards previous projects, the classical music connec-
The August Session tion is virtually umbilical. The stated objec-
INDEPENDENT RELEASE tive here is to pay tribute to French composer
★★★★ deserving-greater-recognition Lili Boulanger
(1893–1918). In keeping with her particular
The August Session was cut live, in one five-hour impressionistic touch as a composer, it is most-
gathering, at Big Orange Sheep Studio in ly a lyrical and accessible musical that princi-
Brooklyn. It’s an intimate recording, balancing pal composer Woeste lays out for the group,
Richards’ tenor vocals with the discreet piano but with variation and improvisatory detours
work of Moshe Elmakias. Stacy Dillard joins in along the way. After the soothing sweetness
on five numbers, adding his saxophone to the of the opening “La Muse,” for instance, they
mix to compliment Elmakias’ fluid melodic turn towards the thornier terrain of the clever-
improvisations. ly named “Obstination” — driven by a terrace
Richards pens melodies that draw on the repeating riff we might call an obstinato.
best aspects of jazz, folk and pop music. Airs of melancholic tenderness work into
“Andalusian Love” opens the record, with the album’s middle passage, a nod toward
Elmakias playing subtle, Baroque-like fills What You Want” are arranged as ballads, with Boulanger’s own dark-ish expressive side, as
while Richards sings softly, describing the “son Richards adding subtle scats to the end of the heard on Keberle’s “Nocturne” and Woeste’s
of the Moor and the girl of the Jew” dancing in lines of the Stones’ tune. “Arthur McBride,” a “Requiem.” Turning another stylistic corner,
the Spanish moonlight. Richards slips into his traditional Irish antiwar song, is sung simply, the trio lends an easy, loping swagger to “Lili’s
lower register to whisper the lyrics on “Ocean with Elmakias providing right hand trills here Blues,” which segues the finale of Courtois’
In Between.” Elmakias plays the melody on the and there. The set closes with “There’s Only “Dernier Moteur,” translating to “Last Engine”
bass keys, as Richards expresses the heartache Now,” a poignant co-write with Elmakias, that and infused with a gently motoric rhythm and
he feels for a bygone love. reminds us that every minute of this life is pre- a bittersweet ambience. In Reverso, “chamber
Dillard and Elmakias lay down a laid-back cious. —j. poet jazz” has a notable power trio, in evolutionary
samba rhythm for “My Little Suede Shoes,” motion. —Josef Woodard
a Charlie Parker tune with new lyrics by The August Session: Andalusian Love; You Can’t Always Get
Richards. He invites a partner to join him in What You Want; The Riddle; My Little Suede Shoes; Ocean In Be- Shooting Star–Étoile Filante: La Muse; Obstination; Resil-
tween; Why Can’t I Fall In Love; Blue Black Ribbon; Divine; Eleanor ience; Nocturne; Ma Jolie; En Avant; Requiem; Shine; Lili’s Blues;
a dance across New York’s landscape, slipping Rigby; Arthur McBride; Old Country; There’s Only Now. (52:56) Dernier Moteur. (47:26)
Personnel: Andrew Richards, vocals; Moshe Elmakias, piano; Personnel: Frank Woeste, piano; Ryan Keberle, trombone, voice;
into a Louis Armstrong growl for two verses. Stacy Dillard, tenor and soprano saxophone. Vincent Courtois, cello.
“Eleanor Rigby” and “You Can’t Always Get Ordering info: andrewrichardsmusic.com Ordering info: alternatesiderecords.weebly.com

APRIL 2024 DOWNBEAT 45

 Historical / BY EUGENE HOLLEY
JEAN-PIERRE LELOIR

Les McCann, 1967

2 Pianists: Theme and Variation

Les McCann (1935–2023), the hit-mak- loxi”) are driven by McCann’s boppish block tually regained his chops and left the United
ing, foot-stomping, down-home swinger, chords and Bud Powell-like single-note States in 1965 to live in Europe, where he re-
and Mal Waldron (1925–2002), the dark- lines. McCann was an early supporter of the ceived more recognition for his artistry.
toned, sonic seducer, are but two examples Jamaican pianist Monty Alexander, and he This 1973 recording, The Reminiscent
of how diverse the jazz piano continuum blazes through Alexander’s uptempo “The Suite (BBE Music; 42:21 ★★★), available
was in the 1960s and ’70s. Grabber” with Oscar Peterson-esque ease. for the first time outside of Japan, finds Wal-
Born in Kentucky, McCann’s jet-pro- McCann’s own compositions include the dron with Japanese trumpeter Terumasa
pelled pianism was fueled by gospel and bluesy ballad “Could Be” and his signature Hino and his quintet featuring his brother
navigated by the blues on a soul-jazz flight dance tune, “The Shampoo.” Motohiko Hino on bass, saxophonist Takeo
plan already charted by Ramsey Lewis. Mc- Recorded one year later and 3,000 miles Uematsu and trumpeter Isao Suzuki. The
Cann operated from Los Angeles, and re- away (at The Village Vanguard in New York entire recording features two extended
corded a number of mostly trio LPs before on July 16, 1967) with bassist Leroy Vinneg- compositions: Clocking in at 23:41, the Wal-
he released his mega-hit live album Swiss ar and drummer Frank Severino, McCann dron-penned title track comprises three sec-
Movement with the Chicago saxophon- plays more American standards including tions: “Dig It Deep Down Baby,” “Echoes” and
ist Eddie Harris in 1969, which yielded the Cole Porter’s “Love For Sale” and “I Am in “Once More With Feeling.” The composition
Eugene McDaniels-penned smash single Love,” his own compositions” (including moves through a series of dark avant-garde
“Compared To What,” complete with Mc- the head-bobbing “I Can Dig It”), the medi- stylings, improvisationally ebbing and flow-
Cann’s raw and righteous vocals echoing um-tempo “Blues 5” and his cool covers of ing like an active musical volcano. Hino’s tur-
the urbane outrage of Nina Simone’s “Mis- the pop tunes “Sunny,” with its Coltrane-ish bulent trumpet tones are the perfect foil to
sissippi Goddam” and foreshadowing Mar- intro and outro, and the Latin-tinged “Goin’ Waldron’s hypnotizing harmonies and spare
vin Gaye’s game-changing classic What’s Out Of My Head.” With Swiss Movement re- improvisations, which are actually designed
Going On? leased two years later, and his fusion foray to push and inspire the other members of
The 21 previously unreleased radio Invitation To Openness released in 1972, this the ensemble.
broadcasts on the compelling, three-CD collection — which received McCann’s bless- The other long-form work, “The Black For-
compendium Never A Dull Moment: Live ings before his death last December — is an est,” composed by the trumpeter, clocks in at
From Coast To Coast 1966–1967 (Res- excellent extension of his swinging legacy. 18:38 and is more of an Afro-Eurasian eclipse
onance; 136:53 ★★★★) are a swinging Ordering info: resonancerecords.org of jazz and indigenous Japanese woodwinds,
precursor to Swiss Movement, and they The life and music of Malcolm Earl “Mal” horns and percussion, displaying a hybrid of
captured the larger-than-life pianist in his Waldron was different from McCann’s. Born McCoy Tyner’s works from the early ’70s and
earthy, improvisational element. Save for in New York City to parents of West Indian Toshiko Akiyoshi’s big band East-meets-West
“(Back Home Again In) Indiana,” a bonus heritage, Waldron, a devotee of Thelonious arrangements. Again, it is Waldron’s whirling
track recorded in 1963, the rest of the Seat- Monk, was a sideman for Charles Mingus, dervish of oblique ostinatos, misterioso me-
tle tracks were recorded at that city’s Pent- John Coltrane, Eric Dolphy and Billie Holiday lodic fragments and use of space that illumi-
house club on Jan. 27, Feb. 3 and Feb. 10, in the ’50s. Two of his early ballad composi- nate the composition — which is also lyrically
1966, with bassist Stanley Gilbert and drum- tions, “Soul Eyes” and “Left Alone,” became laced by Hino’s bravura Freddie Hubtones.
mer Tony Bazley. Jazz standards like Dizzy minor jazz standards. In 1963, Waldron suf- Ordering info: bbemusic.com
Gillespie’s “Blue ‘N Boogie” and “A Night In fered a drug overdose that rendered him Two pianists, two approaches, from one
Tunisia” (with a glancing reference to “Bi- without the ability to play music. He even- complex and unfinished art form. DB

46 DOWNBEAT APRIL 2024

 Opener “Chasing The Melody” is a psychedel-
ic, fast-paced journey with Patricia Brennan ham-
mering on vibes while drummer Chad Taylor
builds up to a hard crescendo. Braufman comes
in midway with ebullient blowing on the horn.
“Brooklyn” is more cheerful in nature, with
hints of Afro-Caribbean music. Like his free-
jazz predecessors Coltrane, Cherry and Coleman,
Braufman finds spirituality in every note.
The album’s closer, “Liberation,” finds tenor
saxophonist James Brandon Lewis in a reli-
gious state of improvisatory glory. The rhythm
section does the bulk of the heavy lifting as the
horns swing below the surface, rarely coming
up for air. Coltrane’s spirit must have hovered
over the room, blessing this tune.
Alan Braufman All six songs on Infinite Love Infinite Tears Ernesto Cervini’s
Infinite Love Infinite Tears are brilliantly conceived. Braufman’s style of Turboprop
VALLEY OF SEARCH composing is unique in itself. Rarely does he A Canadian Songbook
★★★★ compose at the piano or consult his horn when TPR
writing; he sings tunes to himself, and whatever ★★★½
Four years have passed since alto saxophonist
sticks after a few days ends up in his songbook.
and flutist Alan Braufman released his soni- The engaging clarity of Ernesto Cervini’s arrange-
When the compositions are executed with his
cally charged comeback album, The Fire Still ments of works by Canadian pop/rockers The
bandmates, the results are utter beauty in the
Burns. Before that, more than 45 years had Barenaked Ladies and Our Lady Peace, Juno
form of intense fragments of joy and thunder.
lapsed since his debut album, Valley Of Search; Award-winning saxophonist Allison Au and
—Veronica Johnson
after its reissue in 2018, Braufman made a seri- ukulele player James Hill — as well as trombon-
Infinite Love Infinite Tears: Chasing A Melody; Infinite Love
ous resurgence. His new release, Infinite Love Infinite Tears; Spirits; Edge Of Time; Brooklyn; Liberation. (41:63) ist William Carn and drummer Cervini himself
Infinite Tears, highlights him commanding Personnel: Alan Braufman, tenor saxophone, flute; Patricia Bren-
— confers an elegant little-big-band sound to the
nan, vibes; James Brandon Lewis, tenor saxophone; Chad Taylor,
attention once again through slick improvisa- drums; Ken Filiano, bass; Michael Wimberly percussion. sextet Turboprop’s fourth album.
tion and harmonically pleasing phrases. Ordering info: alanbraufman.bandcamp.com The two-saxes-and-trombone front line
have all the power necessary to dominate but
mostly hold it in check, modulated so that Dan
Lawrence Fields Loomis’ bass is a highlight while the horns offer
To The Surface subtle backgrounds on both the ’bone-and-ten-
RHYTHM ‘N’ FLOW or-burry “When I Fall” and the easy swingin’,
★★★★ closely harmonized “Stuck Inside.” Similarly,
on “If, Then,” Adrean Farrugia’s piano offsets
Pianist, composer and St. Louis native Tara Davidson’s upper-register line at first by
Lawrence Fields honed an ageless, lyrical qual- itself, continuing after discreet horn punctua-
ity while playing in ensembles led by Chief tions to unfold a flowing solo over Cervini’s pro-
Xian aTunde Adjuah, Terri Lyne Carrington, pulsion, which eventually claims the spotlight.
Branford Marsalis, Dave Douglas and Joe “Clumsy” makes use of the ensemble’s con-
Lovano, among others. On his debut album, trolled polyphony; Davidson’s yearning alto,
he leads a sinewy trio that consists of Fields when it comes on, twirls most gracefully over
on piano, Yasushi Nakamura on bass and the subdued rhythm section; soloist and pia-
Corey Fonville on drums. Fields is clearly dig- no-bass-drums becoming more pronounced
ging this fresh collective, so much so that the as the piece proceeds. Dynamic development
hip standout track “Yasorey” is named for his is also key to Carn’s “Inertia.” On “Skeletons”
bandmates. the horns add flesh to a deliberately bare-
Fields’ introductory solo in “Moving On” perhaps shouldn’t be surprising that for his
bones theme that opens into dreamy tutti ruba-
brings to mind a harpist’s arpeggios, a tran- debut, Fields made the somewhat orthodox
to, followed by horn breaks unencumbered of
quil prelude before the song explodes into a choice to only include one standard: Jule Styne
restraints or particular conventions.
spirited bop. Overall, his playing on To The and Sammy Cahn’s “I Fall In Love Too Easily.”
There’s no nationalistic sonic stamp flag-
Surface reveals many such surprises; but some The balance of tunes are self-penned and,
ging this as a Canadian songbook, unless mod-
of the most revelatory moments of the record- reading the tea leaves left behind, suggest an
esty, confidence and accomplishment should
ing happen when he locks in with the effer- expectant future for the rising star.
be considered natural aspects of the northern
vescent heartbeat of Fonville on tracks such —Ayana Contreras
country. Regardless of its home, Turboprop’s
as “Parachute” and the infinitely hummable got jazz. —Howard Mandel
title track. According to the artist, the song
To The Surface: Parachute; New Blues; Moving On; L.B.F.; To A Canadian Songbook: Skeletons; When I Fall; If, Then; Stuck
“To The Surface” represents “bringing to the The Surface; Yasorey; Vision; I Fall In Love Too Easily; Sketches; The Inside; Clumsy; Aureole; The Inertia Of Complacency. (43:46)
surface of ideas, sounds and compositions that Lookout. (58:53) Personnel: Ernesto Cervini, drums; Tara Davidson, alto saxo-
Personnel: Lawrence Fields, piano; Yasushi Nakamura, bass; phone; Joel Frahm, tenor saxophone; William Carn, trombone;
have been building up for years.” Corey Fonville, drums. Adrean Farrugia, piano; Dan Loomis, bass.
Bearing in mind that creative buildup, it Ordering info: rhythmnflowrecords.com Ordering info: tprrecords.ca

APRIL 2024 DOWNBEAT 47

 Beyond / BY MARTIN LONGLEY

Assorted Colors and Flavors

Dion diMucci has lately been getting into

ALLISON MICHAEL ORENSTEIN

collaborative duo albums, with the new Girl
Friends (KTBA; 52:25 ★★★½) being a suc-
cessor to the mostly male Blues With Friends
(2020) and Stomping Ground (2021). De-
spite this duos state, Dion (84 years old) re-
mains the governing, dominant personality,
his band palette and production balance
being similar from track to track.
Most of these self-penned songs lie
around four minutes, with Dion carving Ron Horton
this timing down to a fine art. The starry A Prayer For Andrew
roster sparkles with Susan Tedeschi, Shem-
NEWVELLE
ekia Copeland, Sue Foley, Rory Block and
Joanne Shaw Taylor. Blues is prime, but ★★★★
there’s a smattering of country, with Car- Trumpeter Ron Horton celebrates mentor and
Dion DiMucci
lene Carter joining for “An American Hero,” friend Andrew Hill with the kind of imagina-
a sentimental ballad that might be calling can Swim and Fishing With John (his first tion that made the late pianist’s work so delight-
for an under-70 candidate. Fiddler Randi series) albums. It’s effectively the perfect
fully provocative. Consonant yet expressive,
Fishenfeld also impresses on another coun- career summation, post-Lizards, when Lurie
trified song. Throughout, there are smudg- became centred around soundtrack com-
spectral yet sturdy, the Hill gems and Horton
es of soul, gospel and rock ’n’ roll, with or- position. Beautiful! originals constituting this heartfelt homage
gan, strings and horns sometimes added. Ordering info: royalpotatofamily.com seem like members of a family. When the gift-
Tedeschi just plays guitar, but most of the It’s only a short amble from the banjo ed trumpeter’s “Home” follows up the late pia-
numbers involve verse-line vocal exchang- to the lute. Dutchman Jozef van Wissem, nist’s “Venture Inward” on this beautifully
es, with some blues clichés given a humor- another Jarmusch collaborator, is also recorded session, the latter track’s up-front sen-
ous or ironic twist, amid the cautious viril- highly active as a solo performer, where timent wisely balances its predecessor’s spiky
ity. Words are chosen carefully for playful his lute takes on an acoustic quality, soft- bop demeanor.
friction. Copeland wins out with the great- ly augmented by string and percussion
There should be nothing shocking about
est sassy rapport. Foley’s spot involves backdrops. Despite its Christian references,
the leader’s wisdom when it comes to blending
blues, country and gentle zydeco, with an The Night Dwells In The Day (Incunab-
easygoing groove, then Taylor signs off ulum; 36:42 ★★½) sounds like it’s calling historic jewels and modern artistry. Horton’s
with some tough blues-rockin’. from the pagan folk realms. Wissem sings track record as part of the Herbie Nichols
Ordering info: ktbarecords.com on some tracks, Hilary Woods guesting on Project, as well as his string of discs as a boss
The Lounge Lizards brought fame to “The Call Of The Deathbird.” Most of the (do check 2006’s Everything In A Dream), set
alto saxophonist John Lurie in 1982, but pieces are instrumental, with soft electronic the stage for this thoughtful spin on Hill’s oeu-
in later years he’s moved in soundtrack footfall: unobtrusive string shadings and a vre. Betting on sympatico, he makes a gaggle
circles, working with Jim Jarmusch and faint bass figure or two. There are virtually of players acquit themselves like a crack work-
composing for his own television serials. no instances of solo flashiness, but rather a ing band. The program’s 13 pieces boast a snug
Beset by serious health problems, Lurie has dedication to linear development, shaping
interplay that brings an enviable warmth to
surprised himself by releasing Painting a cumulative atmosphere of thoughtful-
With John (Royal Potato Family; 108:56
the table.
ness.
★★★★½), a mammoth set that adds fresh Ordering info: jozefvanwissem.bandcamp.com A Prayer For Andrew is far from a blowing
recordings from the eponymous series to a Avalanche Kaito is a Brussels trio session; arrangements, melodies and mood
retrospective mass of imaginative vignettes bringing together Burkinese singer and plant deeper flags. But saxophonists Marty
from earlier days. Lurie says, “This may be multi-instrumentalist Kaito Winse, Belgian Ehrlich (how about that “ML” opening?) and
the last thing I do. I want it to be beautiful.” guitarist Nico Gitto and French drummer/ John O’Gallagher (the fleet salvos of “Scrum”)
Ranging from what sound like solo cuts producer Benjamin Chaval. Their second fuel their attacks with lyricism, and the pianist
with guitar, banjo, harmonica and close-up album is Talitakum (Glitterbeat; 42:11 Frank Kimbrough had a strong grip on Hill’s
catspaw-rough voice to the classic Lizards ★★★★), refining this confrontation be- sideways stride, as his “Tough Love” romp
number “The First And Royal Queen” (used tween exposed folk vocals and searing
reveals. Always an apostle of clarity, Horton
in each episode’s end credits), the palette electro-punk. Winse plays capering wood-
here is mesmerising, including marimba,
sets the pace by delivering a handful of excep-
en flute, plus talking drum, sometimes
horns and percussion from old buddies like acoustically naked and at others sliced up tional solos that veer left to amplify the honor-
Steven Bernstein, Michael Blake and Calvin and sampled into loops. Some tracks ex- ee’s progressive aesthetic: surely a key aspect of
Weston. Most of the 56 pieces only make it pose his native West African style, others this touching valentine. —Jim Macnie
to one or two minutes, weaving the effect tip all elements into a molten pot. Its in- A Prayer For Andrew: A Prayer For Andrew; Erato; Venture
of a majestic sonic collage, with Lurie’s gui- spired production often warps the drums Inward; Home; Dusk; Scrum; Andrew-ology; ML; Hill Country; 15-8;
Tough Love; Punch; Belleza #1. (73:15)
tar steeped in West African tonality, wry and guitar electronically, with dancing in Personnel: Ron Horton, trumpet, flugelhorn; Marty Ehrlich, alto
humor lurking throughout. There are also the frontal lobes. DB saxophone, bass clarinet (1, 5, 8, 10, 11, 13); John O’Gallagher, alto
saxophone (2–4, 6, 7, 9, 12); Marc Mommaas, tenor saxophone;
tunes taken from the Marvin Pontiac, Afri- Ordering info: avalanchekaito.bandcamp.com Frank Kimbrough, piano; Dean Johnson, bass; Tim Horner, drums.
Ordering info: newvelle-records.com

48 DOWNBEAT APRIL 2024

Matthieu Bordenave Maddren opens “Distance” with an extended
The Blue Land solo which essentially threads the whole piece,
ECM the most abstract performance on the album,
★★★ generating a dash of intensity largely absent
elsewhere. But within the quartet’s hazy evo-
Arve Henriksen & cations is an impressive interplay that dissects
Harman Fraanje post-bop in slow motion.
Touch Of Time Norwegian trumpeter Arve Henriksen
ECM and Dutch pianist Harmen Fraanje first met
★★★ at a 50th anniversary celebration for ECM
in Utrecht in 2019, and the spark they ini-
These two inter-European projects both char-
tially felt onstage led to this set of rhapsodic
acterize and extend the aesthetic impact ECM
ruminations, Touch Of Time. They carve out
Records has maintained across the continent
a beautifully specific space: hushed, patient
for more than five decades, where atmospher-
and slow. Motion isn’t really marked by
ic introspection has usually trumped rhythmic
rhythm as much as the arcs and swells inside
forcefulness. Two 1961 sessions by American
the narrative improvisations. Fraanje wrote
saxophonist Jimmy Giuffre with pianist Paul
three of the album’s 10 pieces; the melanchol-
Bley and bassist Steve Swallow, later reissued
ic tone of his “Redream” opens up a fecund
by ECM, have long been touchstones for label
path for Henriksen, whose endlessly mallea-
founder Manfred Eicher, and, indeed, French
ble, breathy tone sands away the instrument’s
saxophonist Matthieu Bordenave mirrored that
brassy edge. Towards the end of the piece the
trio’s instrumentation on his 2020 label debut
trumpeter adds some wildcard electronics,
(even if his own take was more drifty). Those
bringing a third, edgier voice into the equa-
same musicians — Swiss bassist Patrice Moret
tion, which injects a different strain of tension
and German pianist Florian Weber — are
while enhancing the duo’s ardor for the way
joined on the saxophonist’s follow-up album by
overtones and effects can extend and reshape
British drummer James Maddren, a close col-
sounds produced in their wake.
laborator of pianist Kit Downes. The addition
The spontaneous excursions don’t sound
of a percussionist doesn’t alter the sound too
markedly different from the composed ones.
much. Maddren does possess a winning sense
They’re both exceptionally melodic in their
of groove, but it’s only deployed here and there
sensibilities, but sometimes the dominant
on The Blue Land.
vibe errs on the side of fragility and prettiness.
On the title track, a delicately clanging tone
There’s part of me that desires more heat from
poem, with Moret’s needling arco and Weber’s
both of these albums, but there’s no denying
sustained left-hand stutters, Maddren produc-
the refined communication and heightened
es finely detailed metallic pings and muted tom
listening at play, essential qualities of the ECM
rumbles. In fact, the hardest-hit sounds are pre-
worldview. —Peter Margasak
pared hammer thumps from the pianist, with
the leader skittering lightly across the evoc- The Blue Land: La Porte Entrouverte; The Blue Land; Compas-
ative soundscape. Bordenave soon arrives at sion; Cyrus; Refraction; Distance; Three Four; Timbre; Three Peaks.
(44:08)
one of his clearest inspirations, tackling John Personnel: Matthieu Bordenave, tenor and soprano saxophones;
Coltrane’s “Compassion” with an attack that Florian Weber, piano; Patrice Moret, double bass; James Maddren,
drums.
slows down time, the leader’s languid impro-
Touch Of Time: Melancholia; The Beauty Of Sundays; Redream;
visations parsing Trane’s phrases on a granu- The Dark Light; Mirror Images; Touch Of Time; Winter Haze; Red
lar level. He evokes the sound of Jan Garbarek, And Black; Passing On The Past. (38:16)
Personnel: Arve Henriksen, trumpet, electronics; Harmen Fraanje,
another ECM icon, when he picks up the sopra- piano.
no for the weightless meditation “Cyrus.” Ordering info: ecmrecords.com

APRIL 2024 DOWNBEAT 49

 addition to reeds and percussion. But this per-
formance, from the Zürcher Gallery on Dec. 16,
2021, features only Rudolph and Sorey and is an
entirely acoustic affair.
The recording is divided into two sections
because of the storage limitations of vinyl, but
when heard digitally it’s clearly a seamless
45-minute performance. The first half is very
much in the lineage of classic Afrocentric/spir-
itual jazz, with plenty of hand drumming and
a few small toots of a bicycle horn, perhaps to
honor the Art Ensemble of Chicago. If you were
told it was a lost 1971 recording from Brooklyn’s
The East, you could believe it.
In the second half, things get even more
ritualistic, with flute and shakers and small
Adam Rudolph/ gong strikes. But then, at the 26- or 27-min- Sunny Five
Tyshawn Sorey ute mark, Sorey begins to take a for-real drum Candid
Archaisms I solo full of sharp snare rolls, and with Rudolph INTAKT
DEFKAZ/META/YEROS7 FK018 chasing him on wood blocks it starts to sound ★★★★
★★★★ like a late-at-night-in-the-jungle passage from
a mid-’70s Miles Davis concert. In its final Of this you can be sure: alto saxophonist Tim
Adam Rudolph and Tyshawn Sorey have been minutes, their interaction becomes explosive, Berne is not easing up. This session, which was
performing as a duo since 2018. They have almost martial. recorded at Firehouse 12 one month shy of his
occasionally brought in a third party, too: in This would have been something to wit- 68th birthday, amplifies some of the most chal-
September 2021, 10 weeks before the perfor- ness. —Phil Freeman lenging aspects of Berne’s music. It takes the
mance documented on this LP, they appeared dense, electronically saturated sound of the
at the Jazz Gallery joined by saxophonist Dave ensembles Snakeoil and Son Of Goldfinger,
Archaisms I: Archaism A; Archaism B. (45:32)
Liebman. That show was released as New Now Personnel: Adam Rudolph, hand drum set (kongos, djembe, tar- but peels back the reverberant sheen of their
ija), thumb piano, slit drum, temple blocks, overtone flute, shakers,
on Rudolph’s own Meta label, the music fea- percussion; Tyshawn Sorey, drum set, percussion.
production. And it leans into his longstanding
turing piano and live electronic processing in Ordering info: defkaz.com propensity for loquacity.
To accomplish the task of presenting Berne
at his heaviest, he has assembled a small cast of
familiar faces. Everyone save Devin Hoff has
Tony and Jessica Jones worked with him for decades. The name of
Hearing Into The Future this combo is undoubtedly sardonic, given the
REVA storminess of its music. The guitarists’ con-
★★★½ trasting relationships to their effects setups
prove complementary; they go together like
Hearing Into The Future finds Jessica and Tony thunder and lightning. When the rhythm sec-
Jones looking a lot into the past, and nowhere tion locks into a brutish stomp, windows will
is the hearing and looking more bountiful rattle.
than Tony’s turns on “Loose Talk” and Jessica’s But this music is also mercurial. The
romp on “Bird’s Word.” Tony evokes Sonny lengthy playing times of the tracks allows
Rollins or the musical dialogue between Eric them to contain drastic changes of volume
Dolphy and Charles Mingus. Yes, the talk is and style.
loose, but it’s also laced with dollops of profun- “Scratch,” which at 19:02 is the album’s
dity and Tony knows his way around his horn second-longest track, begins with the leader’s
like an old neighborhood. Jessica teases us with horn emoting before a backdrop of bubbling
just one track on her horn, but there are plen- electronics and coarse textures, which gives
a figurative take on “Duet Ballad,” and once
tiful Bird riffs, and you wonder how Eddie way when the leader steps back to a stormy,
more the songful tonality of Tony’s tenor is tan-
Jefferson would handle her lyrical phrases with thrashing maelstrom of rock-ish chords and
talizing as it weaves in and around Jessica’s col-
his vocalese. unstable rhythms. Berne returns to lead a
orfully rendered chords and modulations.
Tony emits a similar agility and nimbleness laborious trudge out of the chaos, which flat-
Throughout the album, there’s a lovable
on “Oliver’s Leftovers”; whoever Oliver is, he tens out into a baleful plateau of small sonic
sense of familiarity (40 years of it), a comfort-
should cherish what the Joneses have dished gestures.
able intimacy as they anticipate each other and
out. They are an awesome twosome and there Next time you need a soundtrack for a tour
step together into the futuristic mode without
must be a recording with them both on saxo- of an active volcano, put this in your head-
losing touch with where they have been.
phones — or should be. phones. —Bill Meyer
—Herb Boyd
Most tracks consist of exchanges between
Hearing Into The Future: Oliver’s Leftovers; Duet Ballad; Loose
them, with Jessica’s fingers dropping luscious Talk Part 2; Waynopolis (via Horaceville); Manhattan; Bird’s Word; I Candid: Piper; Scratch; Craw; Floored. (71:57)
licks on the keyboard and Tony laying out Thought About You. (32:05) Personnel: Tim Berne, alto saxophone; Marc Ducret, Vendramini
Personnel: Tony Jones, tenor saxophone; Jessica Jones, tenor guitar, table guitar; Devin Hoff, electric bass; Ches Smith, drums,
odes on his tenor; they blend wonderfully on “I saxophone and piano. electronics; David Torn, electric guitar, live multi-looping.
Thought About You.” Theirs is both a literal and Ordering info: revainc.org Ordering info: timberneintakt.bandcamp.com

50 DOWNBEAT APRIL 2024

 core piano trio builds around an intriguing
piano motif at the start: a mischievous hook
with a raised sixth, ending on a minor third.
Here and throughout the song, the melo-
dy drips with distortion and overlapping lay-
ers most audible on the decays of notes at the
ends of phrases. “Nimbus” ups the electronic
ante as the keys deliver an outright crystalline
timbre: an interesting choice given the track’s
title. Amusingly, it’s the pattering on the kit
that gives the music its breeze-like qualities:
light, consistent and conitnuous as a cloud
moving across the sky. “Is This Thing Even
On?” nods to the prog-rock lovers. Its angular
qualities, thick tones and quick tempo prompt
thoughts of a high-stakes car chase, teasing
Bill Anschell what’s to come. Mina Cho’s Grace
Improbable Solutions “Abandoned” provides a respite with more Beat Quartet
ORIGIN organic-leaning tonality in its melody, before Beat Mirage
★★★★ KJ Sawka’s drumming propels the band for- INTERNATIONAL GUGAK JAZZ INSTITUTE
ward with captivating agility and Anschell ★★★★
There’s an irony to how the music on Bill unleashes the final “Outburst” of his musical
Anschell’s Improbable Solutions comes togeth- vision with a flourish of synth sounds and a Boston-based pianist-composer Mina Cho
er. The album demonstrates patience and care- surge of rock-powered adrenaline. understands that, in the arts, originality stems
ful rumination more than instant gratifica- —Kira Grunenberg from a clear understanding and assimilation of
tion. Moreover, knowing that these nine pieces first principles. That’s evident from the signify-
Improbable Solutions: Ambulator; Nimbus; Gentle Persuasion;
were selected from more than 20 emphasizes Naked Truth; Is This Thing Even On?; Hidden Nobility; The Follow- ing title of Cho’s fifth album. A theology major
ing Week; Abandoned; Outburst (feat. KJ Sawka). (50:43)
how Improbable Solutions is about taking one’s Personnel: Bill Anschell, piano, electronics; Chris Symer, acoustic in college before she left Seoul, her hometown,
time, and it’s in that spirit that the record is best bass, electric bass (5, 9); Jose Martinez, drums; Brian Monroney, for a Berklee scholarship in the early ’00s, Cho
guitar (1, 3, 4, 6, 9); Jeff Busch, percussion (2, 4, 8); KJ Sawka, drums
enjoyed. (9). has evolved a personal “Korean jazz” hybrid
“Ambulator” makes this point well. The Ordering info: billanschell.com from her painstaking investigations of Korea’s
various traditional idioms, which, on differ-
ent projects, she’s cross-pollinated with well-re-
Lynne Arriale searched folk forms from Venezuela, Brazil,
Being Human Cuba, Greece, Turkey, West Africa, contempo-
CHALLENGE rary gospel and swing, synthesizing these influ-
★★★★ ences in organic, unpredictable ways.
On the surface, the songs on Beat Mirage
Pianist and composer Lynne Arriale’s latest are simple, each imbued with its own hybrid-
album is an offering of original compositions ized dance and melodic line, to which Cho
with her trio featuring Israeli bassist Alon Near applies an informed harmonic sensibility and
and Polish drummer Lukasz Zyta. The com- a penchant for metric modulation, impecca-
poser offers a suite of 10 pieces dedicated to cli- bly rendered by the Seoul-based drum tan-
mate activist Greta Thunberg, poet Amanda dem. Yeonglin Kim selects and tunes the drum
Gorman, Nobel Laureate Malala Yousafzai and components and curates the cymbals of his
other inspiring figures that show what it means drumkit to complement the various tonalities
to be human. Insoo Kim extracts from the traditional janggu
Two versions of “Love” reveal Arriale’s drum, the kkwaenggwari and jing gongs, and
melodic sensibilities. The first is played by the the barrel-shaped sori-buk. Surefooted bassist
trio; it’s a tender, childlike ballad, almost a pro- which sounds vaguely South African. Max Ridley contributes several cogent extend-
cessional. The second is played solo by Arriale Arriale has been described as a poet on ed passages (check his arco solo on “Prints Of
on her Yamaha Clavinova, a digital piano that the piano, and while most of the suite is tonal, Imperfection” and his elegant pizzicato dia-
can sound like an a cappella choir. It is also there are moments on “Curiosity” where the log with the leader on the son-like “If There’s A
tender, but in addition, it’s nearly a textbook trio seems the most free, untethered by struc- Stage For Me In Heaven”) and plays his parts
example of voice leading, with small intervals ture and form. impeccably, but Cho is the main solo voice,
and slow chordal movement. It is both beauti- “I wrote this suite in response to the division imparting the array of attacks, orchestral tech-
ful and mysterious. and turmoil in our world,” says Arriale. I wish nique, affinity for stylistic code-jumping and
“Faith” is soulful and spiritual. “Soul” has world leaders would take the time to listen. soulful brio her pieces require. —Ted Panken
Arriale engaging in a call and response with —Larry Appelbaum
herself. There are occasional right-hand Beat Mirage: Nacht Song; A Bit Of Grace; Beat Mirage; G-Street
Dance; Prints Of Imperfection; Parallel Destiny (Unmyung II); If
reminders of Jarrett and Corea, but it’s all Being Human: Passion; Courage; Love; Faith; Curiosity; Soul; There’s A Stage For Me In Heaven. (42:42)
Arriale. Near plays an earthy, nimble solo on Persistence; Heart; Gratitude; Joy; Love (Reprise). (40:26) Personnel: Mina Cho, piano; Insoo Kim, Korean traditional
Personnel: Lynne Ariale, piano; Yamaho Clavinova (11); Alon Near, percussion (janggu, kkwaenggwari, jing, sori-buk); Yeonglin Kim,
“Joy,” and Zyta brings the heat on an energetic bass; Lukasz Zyta, drums. drums; Max Ridley, bass.
“Passion” and the bright, catchy calypso “Joy,” Ordering info: lynnearriale.com Ordering info: igji.org

APRIL 2024 DOWNBEAT 51

 Big Bands / BY GARY FUKUSHIMA
COURTESY FRANK CARLBERG

The Frank Carlberg Large Ensemble at work.

Large Ensembles for Grand Visions

What defines a big band in 2024? Perhaps the Ordering info: sofamusic.bandcamp.com sunny and melodic, his themes fully developed
answer lies not in the size of the band but in the Veteran trumpeter Jim Rotondi appears into complete pieces. There is, of course, plenty
scope of the bandleader’s vision. This is evident to be in the camp of not fixing what ain’t broke, of great ’bone writing here, and that section
merely from the naming of Maine-based guitar- though that aphorism might allow for add- responds beautifully. But the whole jazz or-
ist/composer Richard Nelson and saxophonist ing to what works. Finesse (Cellar; 1:16:46 chestra is at its best blending and balancing
Tim O’Dell’s Makrokosmos Orchestra: their ★★★½ ) reflects Rotondi’s three decades of over a harvest bounty of chorale-like passages
designs seem more grandiose than what is ex- experience in straightahead big bands, finally that can either float or swing, finding an elusive
pected from a 15-piece ensemble. Their debut, getting a large-group vehicle of his own to test balance between relaxed, controlled profes-
Dissolve (Adhyâropa; 39:19 ★★★½ ), ex- drive for the first time. Rotondi’s compositions sionalism and emotive urgency. One would
tends toward a higher plane of compositional are deftly arranged by Jakob Helling for the be hard-pressed to find a more gorgeous jazz
achievement, elevating jazz to the lofty realm Austrian-based Notes and Tones Orchestra, a band playing such perfectly written charts.
of modern classical music. In large part, it suc- traditional big band supplemented by strings Ordering info: marshallgilkes.bandcamp.com
ceeds (intonation issues aside), especially the ti- and additional winds, assisted by the trumpet- Gorgeous perfection would seem to fac-
tle track, a kaleidoscope of contrapuntal themes er’s New York friends, saxophonist Dick Oatts, tor not in pianist/composer Frank Carlberg’s
that weave in and out of the brass and wood- trombonist Steve Davis and pianist Danny ugly-beauty vision about what a big band
wind sections, shifting in and out of time and Grissett. Those soloists (especially Rotondi) re- could achieve. His 2017 foray into exploring the
spatial sensibilities in a mysterious narrative, its ally shine, supported by the delicious variance music of Thelonious Monk produced the re-
peaking followed by a scattering into the ether. of color and texture of Helling’s arrangements markable effort Monk Dreams, Hallucinations
Ordering info: richardnelsonmusic.com and ensemble. The only thing missing from And Nightmares (Red Piano), which captured
Kim Myhr, from Stavenger, Norway, is this fine album is that it feels rather top-heavy. the raw, unpredictable genius of the bebop
also a guitarist/composer and also leads a The low brass is there, but aside from a groovy master in big band form. Seven years later,
15-piece ensemble trending towards contem- trombone feature aptly titled “For Curtis,” their the long-anticipated follow-up has arrived in
porary sounds. Yet Myhr’s Kitchen Orches- presence overall is somewhat lacking due to Elegy For Thelonious (Sunnyside; 59:39
tra seems to operate in another room of the the blend and balance decisions by either con- ★★★★½ ), and there is no sign of a sophomore
cosmos than Nelson’s, concocting a dish of ductor or engineer. slump. As on the first album, Carlberg isn’t ar-
futuristic minimalism. The orchestration on Ordering info: jimrotondi.com ranging Monk’s tunes as much as he is re-imag-
Hereafter (SOFA; 47:21 ★★★) bears little No such thing can be said of the next al- ining them, expanding those familiar strains
resemblance to a conventional big band, with bum from trombonist Marshall Gilkes, who into mutations that ultimately overwhelm the
two drummers, two bassists, vibraphone, spent four years of his notable career with the original host. The tone is set from the outset
organs and synthesizer, laptop, vocals, a cas- formidable, Cologne-based WDR Big Band. with a literal mashup of Monk’s “Skippy” with
sette recorder, and then some horns as well. LifeSongs (Alternate Side; 1:28:16 ★★★★) its standard of origin, “Tea For Two,” which
Expansive, ambient spaces contrast with is Gilkes’ third album with his former band, and Monk had reharmonized into near-oblivion for
dense, jagged sections of modern groove and it is certainly charmed. The ensemble is collec- his own version of the tune. In a similar fashion,
guitar. It’s all compelling, but the omnipresent tively virtuosic and meticulously balanced, with Carlberg is allowing the spirit of Monk to move
electronics are often too present in the mix, synchronized power across all sections when past what was done to what is possible. The re-
brutalizing some of the intricacies. But Myhr pushed, as it is with the writing here. Gilkes’ sults are bold and bawdy, big enough for this
can be commended for his innovative instru- pure silken tone is mirrored in these immacu- big band to do justice to a true giant of jazz. DB
mentation, illuminating new possibilities. late orchestrations, his original compositions Ordering info: sunnysiderecords.com

52 DOWNBEAT APRIL 2024

 ALYSSE-GAFKJEN

Gili Lopes Julian Lage

Algures
INDEPENDENT RELEASE Julian Lage sounds like a jam between John Fahey and Louis
Speak To Me Sclavis at John Cage’s house, then it’s on to “spy
★★★★ music” territory on the title track. Shifting gears
BLUE NOTE
Brazilian bassist Gili Lopes has delivered a once again, “Two And One” finds the guitar-
sparkling debut. Comprising six originals
★★★★½ ist on acoustic guitar in medium-tempo-swing-
and two arrangements of classics from Wayne Julian Lage is a singularly gifted, genre-defying blues mode alongside resolute bassist Jorge
Shorter and Milton Nascimiento, Algures guitarist whose instincts often transcend his Roeder and flexible drummer Dave King, whose
shows that more unites diasporic musical tra- instrument. On the eclectic Speak To Me, Lage’s Elvinesque pulse on “Tiburon” spurs Lage. “76”
ditions than simply a desire to build a tem- skills are always in service of the song. Whether is a rollicking boogie number with avant flour-
porary bridge across cultural difference. In he’s patiently caressing each sparsely picked steel ishes (courtesy of Kris Davis’ piano), and the
these tunes, there is a sensibility that brings string acoustic note on the plaintive “Hymnal,” restful “Nothing Happens Here” closes Speak To
the music toward the fount of each component summoning up a longing mood on “Serenade” Me on a cozy note. Lage is indeed all over the
tradition and then exceeds it. The substance or stinging with solidbody electric intensity on place here, and he wears each tune like a snug-fit-
of that excess if fully realized across several the raunch ’n’ blues number “Northern Shuffle,” ting new suit of clothes. —Bill Milkowski
tracks where the Lopes-led ensemble “gathers the chameleonic guitarist is capable of plugging Speak To Me: Hymnal; Northern Shuffle; Omission; Serenade;
together” — as Dizzy Gillespie once put it — into just the right spirit for each tune. Myself Around You; South Mountain; Speak To Me; Two And One;
Vanishing Points; Tiburon; As It Were; 76; Nothing Happens Here.
all the musical “information” required to pro- His virtuosity comes to the fore on the unac- (60:55)
companied “Myself Around You,” a stunning Personnel: Julian Lage, acoustic and electric guitars; Jorge
duce new beauty in and of this moment. Roeder, double bass, electric bass (3, 6), vibraphone (1); Dave King,
On “Famara,” about midway through the showcase of his command, while he plays it sim- drums; Patrick Warren, synth strings (1, 6, 9, 10), organ (2, 7, 8, 12,
13); Kris Davis, piano (2, 6, 9, 12, 13); Levon Henry, tenor saxophone
proceedings, we find possibly the best evidence ple like a strumming troubadour on the upbeat (2, 7, 12), alto saxophone (13), clarinet (6), alto clarinet (9).
of this approach. The track moves across and “Omission.” The adventurous “South Mountain” Ordering info: bluenote.com
beyond the aesthetic of the jazz ballad by add-
ing the rhythmic inflection of Afro-Brazilian
samba via percussionist Rogerio Boccato.
And if that were not enough, there is also a
nod to the sounds of North Africa. The reason
this works is perhaps because in Lopes’ com-
positions there is no desire to overwhelm. He
has acquired the resolve of many bassists to
let the music live and breathe — to let groove
work on us.
The project’s cohesiveness emanates from
the chemistry of long-time collaborators
Vinicius Gomes on guitar and pianist Helio
Alves and the prodigious playing of veterans
on the scene including saxophonist John Ellis
and Ari Hoenig who takes over the drummer’s
chair. Lopes, who now resides in New York
City, has more than arrived with Algures.
—Joshua Myers

Algures: Antalya; De Longe; Infant Eyes; Yalla; The Fortress;

Famara; Outubro; Barrinha. (62:05)
Personnel: Gili Lopes, bass; Vinicius Gomes, guitar; Helio Alves,
piano; Rogerio Boccato, percussion (1, 5, 6, 8); John Ellis, saxophone;
Ari Hoenig, drums.
Ordering info: gililopes.bandcamp.com

APRIL 2024 DOWNBEAT 53

54 DOWNBEAT APRIL 2024
INDIE LIFE

bum Kind Of Blue (Columbia).

STEPHANIE MATTHEWS @ A TRIBE FOR JAZZ

Winning the Monk Competition awarded

Irabagon a one-record deal with Concord,
that resulted in the well-crafted but con-
ventional The Observer (2009). Yet he had
already released two significantly different
albums under his own name, including Jon
Irabagon’s Outright! (Innova 2008), featur-
ing a forward-leaning quintet with trum-
peter Russ Johnson and pianist Kris Davis. It
became an album concept perpetuated by
Irabagon in later iterations, with Recharge
The Blade completing (for now) the trilogy he
had envisioned.
“Several things happen throughout all
three of the Outright! trilogy records,” Iraba-
gon explains. “They’re all me on a different
instrument [for each album], paying homage
in a way compositionally to all the giants that
I love on those three individual instruments
[alto, tenor, soprano].” For Recharge, Steve
Lacy, Roscoe Mitchell, John Coltrane, Wayne
Shorter and even Sidney Bechet loom in the
backdrop of Irabagon’s writing and playing.
Another carry-over is to have a “shredding
guitar solo” on one of the pieces, done elo-
Irabagon has simultaneously released two albums on his own label,
quently by Ben Monder on “Quorum Call.”
Irabbagast Records, with Recharge The Blade and Survivalism. Irabagon reveals another tidbit: “Each of
the albums has a tune that’s dedicated to

JON IRABAGON’S a villain I love that I’m just fascinated by.”

The latest antagonist came from the Marvel
television series Jessica Jones, a show he got

ABSURDIST TENDENCIES hooked on during the COVID lockdown. “Man,

Kilgrave, he was super cool to me because he
could control people’s minds to get them to
do whatever [he wanted],” he gushes. His “Kil-
grave” is completely improvised, save for the
If ever were an artist earned the label “enigma,” it would be saxo- piano part, which is through-composed and
entirely written out, casting pianist Matt Mi-
phonist Jon Irabagon, whose hyper-genre career has warped chell as the master mind-controller.
repeatedly between the narrow straightahead paths and wide- In addition to Jessica Jones, Irabagon
binged The Sopranos and read novels during
open free spaces of the larger jazz universe. the lockdown. “I don’t think I was depressed,”
he offers unconvincingly. “It’s just at some
How else to describe one who travels to of these records is the worst … . I like that for point, reading Cormac McCarthy, watching a
South Dakota to improvise on wildlife mating some reason. That makes me feel my music is mob series, and with all the COVID stuff going
calls in abandoned munitions bunkers, and alive because the same person can love and on, I realized humans are the best at destroy-
who devotes an entire album to horrific tech- hate me at the same time.” ing themselves.”
niques humans have developed throughout Irabagon, rather engaging and jovial for He started becoming obsessed with the no-
history to maim and murder each other? an enigma, is a second-generation Filipi- tion. “Maybe, I was depressed because I did a
Irabagon’s enigmatic antics continue with no-American from Chicago who spent nearly ton of research on that stuff … . I kept trying
two simultaneous releases on his own label, two decades in New York before relocating to talk to my wife, like, did you know that they
Irabbagast Records, with Recharge The Blade, back to his hometown. “I moved there about used to drag bodies underneath ships? She
an intense-yet-spirited, mostly quintet album a week before September 11th happened, and was like, we need to watch some comedy.”
with the leader on soprano saxophone, assist- I left during the pandemic — my New York Nevertheless, Irabagon channeled his morbid
ed by trombonist Ray Anderson, pianist Matt stay was sandwiched by disasters,” he says fascination into the music, themes and titles
Mitchell, bassist Chris Lightcap and drummer over video from Chicago. While in New York, for Recharge The Blade.
Dan Weiss; and Survivalism, a mostly free Irabagon exploded into public conscious- Irabagon was finally able to get some
improv album for solo soprillo, the smallest ness as the winner of the 2008 Thelonious fresh air when they relocated for a time
and highest-pitched of the saxophone fam- Monk International Jazz Saxophone Compe- during the pandemic to South Dakota, to
ily. Irabagon’s penchant for introducing two tition (besting Walter Smith III and Tim Green get away from New York, closer to his wife’s
albums at a time of drastically differing music among others), and again with the Moppa family. He spent many hours in the woods,
hasn’t enamored him with critics. He recounts Elliott-led group Mostly Other People Do the practicing saxophone [and recording it]. At
an experience from a previous dual release: Killing, which gained notoriety in 2014 for re- some point, he ventured away from the for-
“The reviewer said one of these records is one leasing Blue (Hot Cup), a note-for-note group est to the town of Igloo, where more than
of the best that came out this year and one transcription of Miles Davis’ iconic 1959 al- 800 abandoned bunkers are located, origi-

APRIL 2024 DOWNBEAT 55

 nally built by the U.S. Government to house
munitions. The lands are now used for cattle
grazing, but many are or will be repurposed
into luxury survival bunkers, catering to
those who have literally bought into Iraba-
gon’s dark vision of humanity.
But the upside is that those bunkers have
amazing reverb. Irabagon realized that the
sound was ideal for his next solo project for
soprillo saxophone, a tiny instrument about
the size of a travel mug, one octave higher
than a soprano. Two years later, Irabagon
returned to the bunkers, armed only with his
soprillo and a bunch of wild-game calls used
for hunting.
The resultant album, Survivalist, is an exer-
cise in novelty and — possibly for the listener
— courageous endurance. Irabagon exper-
imented with placing his game calls before,
beneath and between the parts of his tiny
saxophone. One no longer needs to imagine
what the dying screams of a young, semi-
large mammal being butchered alive might
sound like. The killing sounds are gorgeously
captured by the recording, enhanced by the
bunker’s luscious reverb. “The reverb acted as
a duet partner,” he remembers. “It definitely
affected how I played. It definitely changed
all the plans I was making and prepping for
the record.”
One change was to include two standards:
Thelonious Monk’s “Reflections” and Charles
Mingus’ “Duke Ellington’s Sound Of Love.”
Their presence serves to highlight Irabagon’s
struggle to achieve technical and timbral con-
trol from a difficult instrument, to ultimately
produce what sounds like beauty, if only — as
Monk might posit — ugly beauty.
Irabagon readily admits to an irreverent,
if not absurdist, attitude toward life and its
symbolic counterpart, art. “I’ve always been
a prankster and a jokester,” he says. “I love
being serious enough that you can have fun
with something because you invested so
much seriousness into it, and I love the hu-
mor aspect of the music that Charlie Parker
and Sonny Rollins brought to the table de-
cades ago.” Irabagon’s own absurd humor
marches briskly during the last track of Re-
charge, “Welcome Parade,” a tribute to the
undisputed best (selling) soprano saxophon-
ist, Kenneth Gorelick, beginning as a faithful
facsimile before devolving into a howling wall
of sound from more than 100 musicians who
sent Irabagon audio for the track.
“Life means you’re [getting] pretty dark
pretty fast, and pretty depressing really fast,
and so absurdism is something where you
can laugh, you can see what a crazy situation
we’re in here,” he offers. “I think being able to
face that and admit what’s happening is defi-
nitely a part of where I come from musically
and personally.
“Being able to play music and being able to
feel free enough to express my musical angle
and my philosophies through the music — it’s
been a life saver.”
Along with a bit of gallows humor.
—Gary Fukushima

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APRIL 2024 DOWNBEAT 57
INDIE LIFE

the album was a long time in coming. He

COURTESY MYLES WRIGHT

first developed the concept for Gamer 22

years ago in response to an observation: Each
time he listened to the music from the video
games he’d played as a teenager, memories
would come flooding back.
He took to arranging these indelible so-
norities in 2017 and launched Gamer in
January as a tribute to those early gaming
compositions.
“It’s just great music,” he said.
On this, Wright speaks from a position of
authority. Not only did he study jazz com-
position and arranging at Western Austra-
lian Academy of Performing Arts (graduat-
ing a few years ahead of bassist Linda May
Han Oh), but he completed a master’s de-
gree in studio jazz writing at the University
of Miami’s Frost School. Later, during stints
in Los Angeles and New York, he turned out
two luscious big band albums: The LA EP and
The Manhattan EP, respectively. And back in
his native Australia, he continues to com-
pose scores across genres for film, theater
and television.
The 16 tracks on Gamer build deftly on this
extensive experience — to a slightly different
purpose. Where Wright’s previous work firm-
ly established his bona fides as a composer,
the new album shows off his skills as an ar-
ranger. In this regard, the task at hand — to
revamp the looped earworms of 1990s com-
puter games into contemporary art music —
brought with it specific challenges.
The first was the nature of the original vid-
eo soundtracks, written by innovative com-
posers of differing musical backgrounds at a
time when video scoring was still an emerg-
ing art form. Among these were Tim Follin,
“I try to strike just the right balance of paying tribute to the original and also injecting new life into the music,” the exceptionally creative programmer who
says composer/arranger Myles Wright about his new album of music inspired by classic video game tunes. created the Plok! soundtracks, and Koji Kon-
do, who first started writing for Super Mario

MYLES WRIGHT’S
in 1985 and has remained the primary com-
poser for the franchise ever since.
“Some of the music featured on Gamer
was easy to adapt,” Wright said. “For exam-
ple, some of the Plok! tracks — they already

GAMING MUSIC sound quite jazzy in their original form. Other

soundtracks required a lot more work to bring
into the jazz idiom. ‘Super Castlevania IV: End-
ing Theme’ is essentially an orchestral adagio
work, which had to be transformed into a jazz
ballad. “Prince Of Persia” wasn’t straightfor-
Australian composer/arranger Myles Wright chose the repertoire ward, either, having more of a Middle Eastern
flavor in its original format.”
for his latest self-produced release, Gamer, with particular care. He In adapting the randomly brilliant efforts
was adapting classic gaming soundtracks for jazz orchestra and of these early gaming composers, Wright’s
formal training in orchestration proved es-
these tunes, though utterly captivating, didn’t always translate sential. Especially, he explained, his under-
easily into the modern jazz vernacular. standing of the strengths and weaknesses of
each instrument and how they might support
the melodic action.
But “having written big band arrange- what won’t,” the Perth musician wrote in an Thus, cheery flutes introduce the casual
ments on and off for the last 20 years or so, email correspondence with DownBeat. bounce of “Plok! Going Underground,” while
I have developed a reasonable intuition as to By Wright’s own admission, his creative a full-throttle horn section lends dynamic
what will work for a large jazz ensemble and process tends to be “slow and steady,” and heft to “Plok! Going Home.” Simple piano

58 DOWNBEAT APRIL 2024

voicings frame a lone trumpet on “Castleva-
nia-IV-Ending,” the most contemplative
track on the recording. And animated per-
cussion — including Persian instruments —
push the relentless motion of the four Prince
of Persia selections.
Equally important, Wright’s first-hand ex-
perience of the technological advancements
in gaming music gave him insight into not
only the limitations under which the early
video composers worked, but how he might
adapt their music for a modern audience.
For instance, Kondo wrote the Mario Broth-
ers “Overworld” theme — one of the most
iconic in the gaming world — as a simple
melody for single-channel audio, long before
sampling, CD-ROMs and streaming allowed
for greater complexity in video game music.
To contemporize a theme like this, Wright
might play with the form, add a countermel-
ody, reharmonize the chordal structure, or
alter the groove.
One hears how ingeniously Wright em-
ploys such devices on his reworking of Kon-
do’s jangly tune. First, he initiates the familiar
melody at the top, dulcet in the reeds section,
before introducing his own motivic ideas,
fleshed out with rambunctious horns and a
banjo tethered to the rhythm. He then esca-
lates into full swing mode, modulating into vi-
brant improvisations, exciting band sections,
and a triumphant outro. The tune stands on
its own as a statement for big band — just as
Wright had envisioned.
“I try to strike just the right balance of pay-
ing tribute to the original and also injecting
new life into the music,” he said.
Long-standing video gamers will be
pleased to note that the “Overworld” theme
is just one of four Super Mario tracks on the
album release — and that these album tracks
are just some of the adaptations that Wright
has on offer.
In fact, he pulled these cuts from a larger
piece, an entire suite of cleverly arranged
music from Super Mario that appears as a sin-
gle entity only on Wright’s YouTube channel.
There are other nostalgia-filled finds there,
too, among the material that didn’t make it
onto the album — such as his arrangements
of themes from The Legend of Zelda and Gra-
dius III, games that were developed, like Ma-
rio, in the mid-1980s.
Of note, too, among Wright’s live videos
is the performance of his contemporary jazz
piece “Pair Up: Duo for Marimba and Trom-
bone,” from 2010.
Now that Gamer has wrapped, Wright
says, he’ll return to composing, this time us-
ing “Pair Up” as the seed for a classical/jazz
chamber ensemble featuring trombone and
percussion.
The duo composition was “surprisingly well
received, so I figure it’s high time I write more
for this combination of instruments,” he said.
“And writing for two or three instruments can
be just as challenging as a larger ensemble,
but in a different way. So I know I’ll continue
to grow as a writer.”
—Suzanne Lorge

APRIL 2024 DOWNBEAT 59

 Woodshed MASTER CLASS
BY RICK MARGITZA

This is a very effective way to work on basic

COURTESY OF CARL STRØMER

material, and the examples given here illus-
trate how to implement this technique while
working on diatonic thirds. [See Example 1.]
As you can see, 1A has the thirds going up as
you ascend the scale, and 1B has the thirds
going up as you descend. 2A has the thirds
going down as you ascend, and then 2B has
them going down as you descend. 3A through
4B follow the same scheme except the thirds
are now alternating directions.
The next step is to substitute diatonic
fourths for thirds and then fifths, sixths, sev-
enths, etc. This should be done, of course, in
all keys. The next step is to do the same thing:
thirds through sevenths in all directional
combinations but working through melod-
ic minor keys. So, diatonic thirds in C major
might not be a challenge, but sixths in Ab
melodic minor might take a little more time.
You can then pick any other type of scale and
work it through this matrix. The goal here is
to have a rock-solid foundation and control of
these basic elements in all keys.

Intervallic Families
Next, let’s take a look at the second part of
the chapter that deals with the Intervallic
Families (see Example 2):
The Intervallic Families concept is based
on the division of the octave, not unlike a lot
of the material in the book Thesaurus of Scales
and Melodic Patterns by Nicolas Slonimsky.
Rick Margitza’s new book from Sher Music features cover artwork by Silvia Kleyff.
Each division of the octave yields a specif-

Standing on the ic intervallic family. In the following exam-

ples you can see the first division divides the
octave into 12 parts and gives us the chromatic

Shoulders of Giants family. The second one division is one of whole

steps, which gives us the whole-tone family.
Note that in order to include all 12 tones, there

I
n my recently published book 365 Days Of 1983. It is referred to throughout this book as are two groups of whole tones, or two whole-
Practice (Sher Music), I use the phrase “the routine” and a thorough understanding tone families.
“Standing on the Shoulders of Giants” as of how it works will greatly enhance not only The next two groups are minor thirds–the
the title for the acknowledgements page. I’ve your experience of the material presented here, diminished family and major thirds–the aug-
also decided to use is at the title for this article, but will enrich and inform your own musical mented family. Note that when we say dimin-
which will reference techniques and concepts explorations. There are two main components ished and augmented family, we are not talking
covered in the book and present new material of this method. The first being the Practice about diminished or augmented scales, but
as well. I will show how to build on traditional Sequence which deals with directional com- just the groups of minor or major thirds and
bebop language and gradually transform it into binations and second, the Intervallic Families, the sounds they represent.
a more contemporary sound. In my book, the which is based on the division of the octave. The next group of intervals is fourths. This
first chapter is dedicated to a practice method The Practice Sequence is designed to make group obviously doesn’t divide the octave but
I developed as a result of my time spent study- sure that you work through whatever you are is the next type of interval. I call this the cyclic
ing with saxophonist Gary Campbell. Here is practicing in all directional combinations. On group. The last two groups are tritones and
an excerpt from the beginning of that chapter: the first page of examples in this chapter, you fifths. After that every other type of interval is
are given the basic layout. The four directions related to one of the previous groups through
Practice Sequence are 1) up, 2) down, 3) up-down and 4) down-up. inversion: minor sixths = major thirds, major
This method of practice is something I And the two global directions are A: Ascending sixths = minor thirds, minor sevenths = whole
learned from the great Gary Campbell when I and B: Descending. When we combine these steps and major sevenths = half steps.
studied with him at the University of Miami in elements, we end up with 1A through 4B. These groups/families should be memo-

60 DOWNBEAT APRIL 2024

rized, as visualization while practicing is an
Example 1
important component of this type of work.
Another indispensable aspect of this method
is having the ability to hear what these groups
sounds like. Think of developing a catalog of
these sounds in your mind’s ear. The next step
is where things become more interesting and
challenging. We will see how to combine the
directional combinations with the intervallic
families.

Levels of Complexity
The book goes into much more detail
regarding both concepts, but for the purpos-
es of this article, this basic outline is all that is
needed. 365 Days of Practice offers an idea to
work on for each day of the year. Many of them
were developed using this practice method.
They range from very basic to very complex.
What I want to illustrate here is a concept that
I call “levels of complexity”:
• Level 1: Controlling major and melodic
minor scales without the use of chromatic
passing tones (Day #24 in 365 Days of Practice). Example 2
• Level 2: Developing the ability to use
chromatic passing tones and enclosures (Days
#25–27).
• Level 3: Altering the colors of each of the
chords., e.g., ionian to lydian or lydian aug-
mented, mixolydian to altered, etc. (Days #15,
#18, #36 and several others).
• Level 4: Superimposing extended, poly-
tonal harmonies. (There are numerous exam-
ples throughout the book.) In Example 3 on
page 62, I’ve chosen to use the first 16 bars of
“Cherokee” to illustrate these concepts.

Chromatic Embellishment
Chromatic embellishment is a general term
that I use that includes the use of the descend-
ing bebop scale (half step between the root and
dominant seventh) and all the various ver-
sions of the ascending and descending major
bebop scales. Check out the many videos on
this subject that are based on the teachings of
master Barry Harris. Under this general head-
ing, I also include the use of upper and lower
approach notes (half steps above or below the
target chord tone) and enclosures: the use of
both upper and lower approaches. Trumpeter
Clifford Brown was a master of this technique.
I’ve found that most younger, less experi-
enced players tend to avoid or shy away from
these “avoid” notes. As a result, their lines tend
to sometimes sound awkward because the
guide tones end up falling on weak parts of the
measure. Besides the color that these passing/
approach tones add, one of their main func-
tions is to place the target notes on the strong
beats of the measure.
That being said, I feel that it is extremely
important to be able to master the technique of
not using these chromatic notes, i.e., to impro-

APRIL 2024 DOWNBEAT 61

 vise using nothing but the appropriate major
Example 3
or melodic minor scales. This is step 1, the goal
here being to develop the ability to hear and
feel the “right notes in the right places.”
Once you are able to confidently hear and
play melodies without the use of these “avoid”
notes, you’re ready for step 2, which involves
using the chromatic passing tones and enclo-
sures. They become natural extensions of your
melodic conception, thus adding color and
interest to your lines. As mentioned above,
step 3 in this process deals with altering the
qualities of each chord. And, finally, step 4 uses
extended harmonic techniques.
With all of these concepts in mind, I pres-
ent my full etude on “Cherokee” (see Example
3), which brings all of these concepts togeth-
er for practice and study purposes. In Line 1,
notice that I used nothing but the notes in the
corresponding major or melodic minor (lyd-
ian dominant chords) scales. Line 2 is based
on the melodies and melodic shapes of Line
1, but with added chromatic embellishments.
Line 3 shows how to change the quality of spe-
cific chords. Line 4 uses extended, polytonal
and superimposed harmony. This is where the
concept of the Intervallic Families comes into
play — in this example, mainly major third
relationships.
In these examples, the objective was to
illustrate the concepts mentioned above. They
are mostly eighth-note based; rhythmic variety
is purposefully ignored.
Note that in Line 1 and Line 2, at no time
am I thinking of any harmonic tensions or
extensions — only scales (Line 1) and then
chromatic embellishments (Line 2). Once these
two techniques are absorbed and become sec-
ond nature, the next level of complexity (Line
3) comes into play. After all these levels are
mastered, we get to the point where we start
hearing and using extended and superimposed
harmonies (Line 4).
Of course, the trajectory of study does not
have to be completely linear and there are
many shades between the four levels of com-
plexity. One could explore Level 4 while still
working on Level 2. In fact, I still spend time
working on Level 1, as it informs what I use
when I’m superposing extended harmonies
… because at the end of the day, the basis of
all these levels is still melody. DB

Rick Margitza, a Detroit-born musician trained in classical

and jazz saxophone, has played with renowned artists like
McCoy Tyner and Miles Davis. He has released 10 albums,
composed orchestral works and is part of the group Gypsy
Tenors. Residing in Paris since 2003, Margitza is also involved
in jazz education, conducting master classes worldwide.
His recent recorded works include Cheap Thrills (Summit)
featuring the South Florida Jazz Orchestra and Sacred Hearts
(Le Coq). Margitza’s new book 365 Days of Practice (Sher
Music) is a guide on how to deepen your practice routine and
enlarge your melodic palette. The exercises cover a spectrum
of musical ideas that range from basic bebop language to its
transformation into contemporary jazz. Purchase 365 Days of
Practice online at shermusic.com.

62 DOWNBEAT APRIL 2024

APRIL 2024 DOWNBEAT 63
 Woodshed SOLO
BY JIMI DURSO
FRANK SCHEMMANN

David Murray, center, with his Brave New World trio mates,
bassist Brad Jones, right, and percussionist Hamid Drake.

David Murray’s Tenor Sax Solo on ‘Metouka Sheli’

H
aving been such an important part of points where I decided to instead present it in is using the absence of a chordal instrument to
the development of jazz from the the manner that I felt would be easiest to read. his advantage when playing these sort of licks.
1970s through now, transcribing one It is presented in concert key but one octave He steps up these ideas in bar 7, where we
solo by saxophonist/composer David Murray transposed. hear two fifths: first, down from E to A, and
doesn’t do justice to his body of work or its One thing about this improvisation that I then up from A to E. The A natural isn’t part of
effect on the shape of jazz — but that’s what find find particularly intriguing is Murray’s the E7 chord, and doesn’t resolve to the third,
we’re going to do anyway. Murray recently put intervalic approach, especially in regard and Murray doesn’t seem to care. (He ends
out an album by his Brave New World trio, to fourths and fifths (which are inversions this bar with an ascending fourth to move us
Seriana Promethea (Intakt), and it includes of each other), which he uses in some very to the next harmony.)
the ballad “Metouka Sheli,” on which Murray provocative ways and which break up the sca- Next, check out the end of bar 9 and begin-
demonstrates his abilities with non-functional lar approach that is more often employed, both ning of bar 10. On the Fm7, there’s the Ab to
chord changes at a slow tempo over only a bass here by Murray and in soloing in general. D natural (a sharp fourth) and then dropping
line (and drums). We first hear theses intervals in the second down over an octave to play C up to G, anoth-
Slow tempi such as this lend themselves to and third measures from C up to G followed er fifth that obscures the harmony (fifth to
a rhythmic freedom, where notes can be by Bb descending to Eb. The fifth is considered ninth). But notice how the descending ninth
placed at varying spots from behind, to ahead the most consonant interval after the octave, from D to C is transposed down a fifth to G
of, the beat. Murray uses this freedom won- but in both of these instances Murray doesn’t to F. This use of intervals is a very different
derfully, but due to that the written rhythms place them on the root and fifth of the chord. approach from the scales and chord tones one
are really only approximations of his playing. The C and G are played on a Db, so we get often favored in jazz and jazz education.
I strongly suggest listening to the track and if major seventh up to sharp four. For the Bb to Which is shown in the very next bar, the
possible playing along to learn how to shade Eb they are seventh and third of the Bmaj7 (one up-a-fifth/down-a-step idea starting on the E
rhythm in this way. Also, the manner in which of the spelling issues I mentioned), which is a (the major seventh) but from the A at the end
the chords move led to some spelling issues. bit more consonant, but coming from the Db it of this idea he recapitulates it. To me this is
Rather than use “correct” spellings, there are obscures the sound of the Bmaj7 a bit. Murray particularly brilliant because he doesn’t wait

64 DOWNBEAT APRIL 2024

until the lick is finished and then play it a fourth up. Instead the final and 27. In fact, at this stage fourths and fifths have just become part of
note of the first iteration is the beginning of the second. Also, the way the sound of this improvisation, and Murray is freely inserting them
these tones relate to the Fmaj7: 7–#4–3–7–6. It fits, but doesn’t create a whether singly (the one descending fifth from Bb to Eb at the begin-
strong sense of the harmony. ning of 29), grouped and/or stacked (bar 32 has that fantastic descent
Toward the end of bar 16 we hear some stacked intervals. Right from the high Bb to the low Ab and then back up again), or even small-
after the descending fourth of F to C he puts another fourth on top of er groupings (in the middle of measure 30 there is an Ab–Eb–Bb group
that: Bb–F–C. Since it’s a Db7, the C natural is not part of the chord, but followed by a simple Eb triad). Very often these grouping aren’t used
again, Murray can get away with it as the seventh isn’t occurring in the to define the changes but to create sounds that seem “inside” yet are
bass line. For him the intervalic approach is more important in this also sort of “out.” DB
instance than defining the changes. (One could make the argument
that I should have written “Dbmaj7” as the chord since the C makes it Jimi Durso is a guitarist and bassist based in the New York area. He recently released an album
of Indian classical music played on the string bass, titled Border Of Hiranyaloka. Find out more
sound like that, but I feel I’d rather have the original changes, or at least at jimidurso.bandcamp.com.
what I think they are, evident so we can see what the improviser was
working from and when and how they deviate from it.)
We hear some more fourths and fifths spuriously throughout bars
17 and 18, but in measure 19 he steps it up. This seems to be what
he’s been leading to: descending fourths a whole step apart followed
by ascending fourths and fifths. This entire bar is composed almost
entirely of pairs of fourths and fifths, some with little relation to the
underlying chord. This is sort of recapped in bar 23, only here it is only
descending fourths and they move down in an almost scalar fashion.
However, Murray is drawing them all from the C phrygian scale, so
they do relate to the chord.
The next bar opens up exploring more of this, but we have another
stacked interval lick, from a high Db down through Ab and Eb to Bb.
These kind of quartal ideas were the rage in jazz for a bit, but Murray
incorporates them along with scalar and arpeggios in a way that doesn’t
call attention to them, but also adds a contrasting flavor. I also want to
point out that Murray has been increasing his use of these intervals,
and so developing his solo and leading our ears to them, rather than
just hitting us with a bunch of stacked fourths and fifths straight out
of the box (which might also have been cool. Try out both approaches
when you’re playing).
Measure 24 also commences with a string of descending fourths,
even stacking them going down from the Bb, and the beginnings of 25

APRIL 2024 DOWNBEAT 65

 Toolshed

JodyJazz DV HR Tenor Saxophone Mouthpiece

Hard Rubber ‘DV’ Design Achieves Cutting Power, Projection & Authoritative Tone
J odyJazz has introduced the DV HR Tenor mouthpiece, adding to its
popular DV HR Alto model launched early last year. The DV HR
models are the first hard rubber mouthpieces to feature the
company’s patented DV design. The new DV HR Tenor is
tenor. The highly recommended DV HR Alto comes in size 5 (.072), 6
(.078), 7 (.083) and 8 (.090) tip openings.
The proportions of JodyJazz’s DV series mouthpieces, original-
ly available in metal, are derived from the Golden Mean
available in size 6 (.090), 7 (.101), 7* (.108), 8* (.116) and 9* Proportions found in nature. Today, they remain one of the
(.125) tip openings. most sought-after mouthpieces among jazz and commercial
The DV HR Tenor uses the patented DV secondary players. Now that those special proportions are available in a
window — located below the primary window on the flat hard rubber mouthpiece, saxophonists who prefer the shape,
undersurface where the table meets the reed — to add size and feel of ebonite over metal have the ability to tap
mid and low harmonics, resulting in a more authoritative into the power and sizzle of the DV design.
tone than your typical tenor saxophone mouthpiece pro- The DV HR series models are the first JodyJazz hard
vides. The long, straight, somewhat high baffle gives the rubber mouthpieces to feature a bite plate that’s actual-
mouthpiece fantastic projection and cutting power along ly embedded into the beak of the mouthpiece. The plate
with strong altissimo response. features the company’s iconic “Phi” symbol logo in
Play-testing the DV HR Tenor was an energizing gold, a characteristic of the classic DV series. The new
experience right from the start. I went with the 7* ver- bite plate not only looks cool; it’s also highly function-
sion and a medium-hard reed, aiming for a combi- al, as it provides a cushioned grip to steady your chops
nation of power and control. With its near-effortless — not to hard, not too soft, but just right. JodyJazz
response and free-blowing nature, shimmering highs recommends using a mouthpiece cushion on top of
and booming lows, I was able to achieve a formidable the bite plate for added comfort and protection.
roar. The versatile mouthpiece not only wailed when The DV HR Tenor features a stylized, 24-karat
called upon, it was highly cooperative when it came gold-plated brass ring on the shank of the mouth-
to subtle changes in dynamics and subtone playing. I piece. The distinctive profile of the ring was also creat-
found I could easily cover a full sonic spectrum of the ed using the golden mean proportions. The ring adds
tenor, from ringing brightness to subdued dark tones. more mass on the shank of the mouthpiece, which
I also found playing the DV HR Tenor to be a lib- results in more stability, more body in the sound
erating experience. With so much positive feedback and increased harmonics. Likewise, the meticulous-
coming from the piece, I found myself in a state of ly finished facing curve of the DV HR Tenor incor-
inspired creativity, with ideas coming to me one right porates golden mean proportions to provide ease
after the other. I was inspired to push my playing into of playing while allowing for unrestricted musical
the ecstatic zone, where the DV HR really livened up, expression. As on the original JodyJazz DV metal
leaving me energized and ready for more — instead mouthpieces, the optimized facing fosters tonal flex-
of becoming exhausted by the tremendous effort such ibility and a substantial amount of thrust.
playing requires when using other tenor mouthpieces. The DV HR Tenor mouthpiece comes with a deluxe
Like most saxophonists, I seek a mouthpiece that lets mouthpiece pouch but does not include a ligature and
me play a with enough volume and highs to be heard but cap. If you already have a hard rubber tenor mouth-
leaves me plenty of room to play expressively, even sweet- piece, your current ligature should fit the DV HR. I also
ly. The DV HR Tenor fit that bill perfectly. On a recent pair recommend trying one of JodyJazz Power Ring ligatures
of big band gigs, I had no problem whatsoever toning down the (in particular, the HRT1 Gold and HRT1S Silver models, as
brightness in order to blend with the rest of the section and take part in well as the Hand-Hammered HRT1HHG Gold and HRT1HHRG Rose
a group sound reminiscent of the swing era. When playing the Tenor Gold models). The Power Ring features a concave inner design that
II book, I couldn’t help but notice how full and well-rounded my mid- reduces the touch points on the reed, maximizing reed vibration. It has
dle-register notes and bell tones sounded. no moving or added parts, increasing the efficiency of vibration and
“The DV HR Tenor is a fun and exciting mouthpiece from the rendering it incredibly easy to manage. The increased mass and great-
moment you play it,” said Jody Espina, founder and owner of JodyJazz er wall thickness of the Power Ring ligatures, together with their more
Inc. “You will be able to scream, cry and soothe with this versatile contoured shape, increases the amount of harmonics present, allow-
mouthpiece. It’s made to be your ‘one mouthpiece.’ Play one note, and ing for the fullest possible saxophone sound containing high, mid and
we think you will be instantly convinced.” low frequencies.
You can cover a lot of stylistic ground with the DV HR Tenor. With Like all JodyJazz mouthpieces, the tip rail, side rails, baffle and table
its crisp attack and invigorating resonance, it’s suitable for playing of the DV HR Tenor are all finished by hand. At a price of $495, the DV
straightahead jazz, smooth jazz, Latin, funk, rock or fusion. If you HR Tenor represents a fantastic deal for serious tenor players who need
emulate contemporary players like Michael Brecker, Gerald Albright, a flexible mouthpiece that responds instantly, establishes a rock-solid
Maceo Parker, David Sanborn, Jeff Coffin, Eric Marienthal and Kirk presence and brings a highly refined shine to their sound. —Ed Enright
Whalum, you can’t go wrong with a DV HR mouthpiece for alto or jodyjazz.com

66 DOWNBEAT APRIL 2024

 Toolshed GEAR BOX

1. New Colors, More Comfort

KHS America has introduced four new
finishes for its newly upgraded Jupiter 1100
Performance Series Alto Saxophone. The four
limited-edition finishes include Gilded Onyx,
Burnished Amber, Natural Brass and Twilight
Smoke. They provide exciting alternatives to the
existing finish options of gold lacquered brass,
all silver-plated and silver-plated with gold
lacquer keys. In addition to the new finishes, the
upgraded Jupiter 1100 Performance Series Alto
Saxophone includes an updated ergonomic
key structure, highlighted by optimized
placement of levers, side keys and adjustable
palm keys. The reimagined setup offers players
heightened flexibility and technical facility,
while reducing stress and hand fatigue. All 1100
Series saxophones come standard with the 1
Sona-Pure neck, which imbues the instruments
with tonal warmth and clarity.
More info: jupitermusic.com/international

2. Pro Flute Options Revealed

Victory Musical Instruments has introduced
the Revelation Series of professional. Available
in four different open-hole models, each
flute in this series boasts exceptional features
designed for the discerning musician: White
Copper Body/Sterling Silver Headjoint with
Offset G and Split-E Mechanism (VTFL-RSSP-O);
White Copper Body/Sterling Silver Headjoint
with In-line Keys (VTFL-RSSP-I); Handmade
Sterling Silver with Offset G, Split-E Mechanism
2
and Rolled Tone Holes (VTFL-RSSS-O); and
Handmade Sterling Silver with In-line Keys and 3
Rolled Tone Holes (VTFL-RSSS-I). All models
feature a B foot, french pointed keys, double
bladder pads and custom engraving, all in an
exquisite Locust Wood case.
More info: victorymusical.com

3. Straightahead Alto Piece

The Lakshmi Alto mouthpiece by Theo Wanne
follows in the footsteps of its predecessor
for tenor saxophone with its response and
playability, all while maintaining a thick, rich
core sound. The mouthpiece is suited for
straightahead jazz, and particularly big band
alto. The Lakshmi Alto comes in both hard
rubber and metal options.
More info: theowanne.com

4. Road House
The P. Mauriat Touring Case combines hard-
shell protection and aesthetic appeal. Features
include a zippered external lumbar pouch, a
water-resistant Midnight Blue exterior shell
deluxe backpack straps with reflective logo and 5
push-button latches. It is currently available for
alto and tenor saxophone.
More info: pmauriatmusic.com

5. Clarinet Practice Mute

Buffet Crampon’s ClariMate, a digital clarinet
mute, works on any B-flat or A clarinet and is
inserted between the mouthpiece and tuning
barrel. It features a stand-alone mode for
silent practicing and syncs up to the ClariMate
app, available on most desktop and mobile
platforms, providing MIDI capabilities.
4
More info: clarimate.us

APRIL 2024 DOWNBEAT 67

REBECCA EHRET
REBECCA EHRET

Gordon Goodwin’s Big Phat Band brought its brand of orchestrated jazz, chops-busting charts
and L.A.-style sizzle to a NAMM Show celebration for Dansr Inc., the U.S. Vandoren distributor.

BEST OF THE
2024 NAMM SHOW
REPORTING BY ED ENRIGHT AND KATIE KAILUS
The NAMM Show is a feast of the was held Jan. 25–28 on the campus utors and artists who browsed the
ears and eyes for anyone with a busi- of the Anaheim Convention Center in exhibit areas, gave product demon-
ness interest in musical merchandise Southern California. True to form, the strations and took part in after-hours
of any kind. This year’s edition of the sprawling show and its many musi- concerts and jams. In the following
global music industry’s annual show- cal hangs drew an enthusiastic cast pages, DownBeat presents the best
case for new instruments and gear of retailers, manufacturers, distrib- of The 2024 NAMM Show.

68 DOWNBEAT APRIL 2024

 BEST OF THE 2024 NAMM SHOW

NESTING DRUM KIT

The Tamburo Mia is a nesting drum set that blends
portability with versatility and sound quality. Designed
for drummers on the move, the Mia offers a unique
nesting capability that allows each shell of the drum
set to fit seamlessly and simultaneously within the
bass drum, transforming it into an easily transportable
package. Each drum shell is constructed from high-
quality materials, producing rich, full-bodied tones with
superior projection and resonance. (proelnorthamerica.com)

BOLD NEW LOOK

Yamaha has added a stunning
new amber lacquer finish to the
alto and tenor saxophones in the
company’s Custom Z line. The
new YAS-82ZIIA and YTS 82ZIIA
exude a touch of vintage charm,
while their fine hand engraving
creates a striking contrast
against the underlying brass
color. Custom Z saxophones
offer the ultimate combination of
expressiveness, response and
control while staying true to
their free-spirited origins.
Since the Custom
Z was developed
in 2003, the
technology,
craftsmanship
and specifications
of the series have
continued to improve
to fulfill the needs
of the highest level
musicians. (usa.yamaha.com)
RESONANT HORN, COMPLEX SOUND
Blessing’s Artist B-flat BTR1660 Professional Trumpets feature an American-
made, one-piece, hand-hammered bell and a two-piece valve casing with nickel
balusters. The result is a resonant instrument with a broad range of tonal
colors. The sound is complex, with the ability to drive the tone in many different
directions. It is available in silver plate and raw brass finishes. (blessingbrass.com)

HIGH-DENSITY EBONITE
Vandoren has introduced Black
Diamond HD Ebonite Clarinet
Mouthpieces made from a
high-density ebonite whose
physical properties optimize
the playing experience.
The BD4 HD, BD5 HD and
BD6 HD offer excellent
projection, full-bodied sound,
GO FOR THE GOLD precise articulation and
JodyJazz has made its Hand-Hammered HH Tenor Saxophone mouthpiece a
greater control. (dansr.com)
standard offering in the line, available in regular gold plate. The new HH Tenor
mouthpieces are available in size 6*, 7* and 8* tip openings. A matching
Hand-Hammered JodyJazz Power Ring ligature in regular gold is available
separately. Launched in 2022 as part of a 300-piece limited run, the original
JodyJazz HH Tenor model, in rose gold finish, quickly sold out. (jodyjazz.com)

APRIL 2024 DOWNBEAT 69

BEST OF THE 2024 NAMM SHOW

WARM SOUND, VERSATILE FLUGEL REFINED CONSOLE DIGITALS

Schilke Music products has introduced the 1042 FLB, the Casio unveiled a trio of premium-level Celviano digital console pianos
newest addition to the brand’s line of prorfessional flugelhorns. that feature a new style and rosewood finish, detailed Hamburg
The instrument features a one-piece, hand-hammered yellow grand piano tone, a redesigned speaker system and a visual
brass bell that provides superior intonation and response. information bar. The three new models — the AP-750, AP-550 and
The warm sound and consistency throughout the range of the AP-S450 — incorporate the Smart Hybrid hammer Action Keyboard
flugelhorn make it a versatile option for brass band players, Cevliano Edition, a subtle yet significant refinement over the action
chamber music performers and jazz musicians. (schilkemusic.com) found in Casio’s most recent Privia models. (casiomusicgear.com)

PREAMPED VOCAL MIC

Designed for recording vocalists,
the Shure SM7dB XLR dynamic
microphone delivers the
company’s classic SM7B sound
with the addition of a Shure-
designed built-in preamp with
technology licensed by Cloud.
The integrated preamp simplifies
audio workflows by removing the
need for inline amplification and
provides a supplementary
+18 or +28 decibels of
clean gain. (shure.com)

SUPERSTAR REISSUE
In honor of Tama’s 50th anniversary, the company announced
a limited-edition reissue of its original Superstar drum kit,
first introduced in 1976. The Superstar kit is known for its
powerful sound and versatile performance capabilities. The
all-birch shells deliver a warm, rich and commanding tone
and feature chrome hardware true to the vintage style. It
comes in a variety of finishes, including super maple, cherry
white, aqua marine and super mahogany. (tama.com)

SLEEK DESIGN, ENHANCED RESONANCE

Toca Percussion’s Custom Deluxe Matte Finish Congas and Bongos,
available in matte gray and matte blue, draw inspiration from the sleek
esthetics of sports cars and rugged pickup trucks. The congas, with their
Asian Oak shells and Afro-Cuban shell shape, deliver enhanced
volume and resonance, ensuring a powerful and rich sound.
Durable chrome hardware provides longevity as well as a
touch of elegance, while the EasyPlay hoop design and six lugs
contribute to playability and tuning stability. (tocapercussion.com)

70 DOWNBEAT APRIL 2024

 BEST OF THE 2024 NAMM SHOW

SMALL CHAMBER EVOLUTION

The Brahma Soprano from Theo
Wanne marks an evolution
of the traditional small-
chamber soprano saxophone
mouthpiece. Brahma
takes the fundamental
features of those types of
mouthpieces and updates
them with new design
technologies. The Brahma SYNTH EXPANSION
has a Small-Stadium- Yamaha’s latest Montage M synthesizer lineup features a new AN-X Analog Engine and improved
Chamber that provides AWM2 Engine that, combined with the FM-X Engine, give a total of 400 notes of polyphony.
tremendous projection, and Musicians can achieve optimal workflow integration through the Montage M’s USB MIDI and
a flat sidewall that “twists” audio interface, Expanded Softsynth Plug-in and faster, easier navigation. (usa.yahama.com)
into the chamber. These
features allow the Brahma
to do it all, from ballads
to jazz to rock ’n’ roll, with
a large, dark, vintage-like
core sound. (theowanne.com)

MULTI-SCALE ADJUSTMENT
Ibanez has unveiled three
new BTB bass models
BIG BAND DRUMS featuring light, multi-scale
In “Jazz Big Band for the Modern Drummer” (Hal construction and designed
Leonard), author Ulysses Owens Jr. explains how to to be more appealing to
authentically support a jazz big band from behind bassists who are used
the kit with authority, confidence and finesse. The to playing single-scale
book includes 15 recreated drum charts that instruments. The main
Owens —a Grammy-winning drummer, producer difference between these
and educator — has used on his own albums, as and the original BTB
well as audio tracks where he demonstrates the multi-scale basses is a
grooves and patterns being taught. (halleonard.com) less dramatic difference
between the scale of
the lowest and highest
strings. The five-string
models have a 34-inch
scale on the high G
and 35-inch scale on
the low B. (ibanez.com)

COMPACT SHOTGUN
DPA Microphones’ 2017 Shotgun
microphone captures authentic
sound with high directivity, clarity and
consistency. It excels in challenging
live-performance scenarios like outdoor
concerts, festivals and theatrical presentations.
The compact microphone measures 184
millimeters in length. (dpamicrophones.com)

SMALL RECORDER, BIG IDEAS

Billed as a “little recorder for big ideas,” the Zoom R4 takes the company’s MultiTrak series in a
new direction. The compact, four-track recorder features 32-bit float recording technology and
a dedicated bounce track that lets musicians record up to four tracks at a time, then bounce
them down to a single dedicated track. This allows users to add endless layers to any recording
and lets them undo their last bounce if further mixing or recording is needed. The Zoom R4 is
equipped with onboard effects, along with a high-quality built-in microphone. zoomcorp.com

APRIL 2024 DOWNBEAT 71

 For Rates: call (630) 941-2030. All ads are prepaid, no agency commission. Check, money order, and all major

DB Music Shop credit cards are accepted. Deadline: Ad copy and full payment must arrive 2 months prior to DB cover date.
Send your advertisement by MAIL: DownBeat Classifieds, 188 W. Industrial Drive, Ste. 310, Elmhurst, Illinois, 60126,
EMAIL: dank@downbeat.com.

ALBUMS & VIDEOS LESSONS INSTRUMENTS & ACCESSORIES

JAMEY AEBERSOLD JAZZ www.statesidemusic.com

World famous play-a-longs, books, WHOLESALE/RETAIL IMPORT JAZZ SPECIALIST
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DB Buyers Guide
Afar Music ............................................4 Emma Wilson ...................................... 57 Mike Herriott ......................................49
afarmusic.com emmawilson.net mikeherriott.com
April Records ...................................... 59 Eva Novoa ........................................... 57 MVD Entertainment
aprilrecords.com evanovoa.com Group .............................................38, 53
Bari Woodwinds .................................. 35 FIMAV – Festival International de mvdshop.com
bariwoodwind.com Musique Actuelle Victoriaville ...........40 Oliver Crosby ...................................... 56
Blessing ...............................................15 fimav.qc.ca/en radiojuicy.bandcamp.com/album/locana
blessingbrass.com Fordham University ..............................8 Origin Records .................................... 19
Blue Note Records ................................ 5 fordham.edu origin-records.com
bluenote.com Gili Lopes ............................................59 P. Mauriat ........................................... 75
Brubeck Editions................................. 53 instagram.com/giliard_leitzke_lopes pmauriatmusic.com
brubeckeditions.com ITI Music .............................................59 Rovner MC LLC .................................... 10
Cannonball Music ................................. 7 itimusic.live rovnerproducts.com
cannonballmusic.com Jazzfest Bonn ..................................... 39 SteepleChase
Casio .................................................... 11 jazzfest-bonn.de Productions ........................................ 10
casiomusicgear.com JEN – Jazz Educaiton Network ........... 63 steeplechase.dk
Changes Music ................................... 57 jazzednet.org Susanne Alt ........................................ 56
tomasjanzon.com J Kimo Williams .................................. 25 susannealt.com
Chicago Symphony Center ..................12 omik.com TPR Records ........................................ 43
cso.org/jazz JodyJazz ............................................. 76 TPRrecords.ca
Criss Cross Jazz ................................... 57 jodyjazz.com Tri-C Jazz Festival ............................... 27
crisscrossjazz.com The Kennedy Center ........................... 36 tri-cjazzfest.com
Doug Munro ....................................... 57 kennedy-center.org Truth Revolution Records ................... 56
dougmunro.com Légère ..................................................17 truthrevolutionrecords.com
DownBeat ...........................................54 legere.com Vandoren .............................................. 3
downbeat.com Lionel Hampton dansr.com
Earthwise Productions ........................ 56 Jazz Festival ........................................ 37 XO Brass................................................9
markweiss86.com uidaho.edu/jazzfest xobrass.com
Eddie Gale Collective .......................... 57 Lynne Arriale ................................................. 8 Yamaha ................................................ 2
denniskyne.bandcamp.com lynnearriale.com usa.yamaha.com

72 DOWNBEAT APRIL 2024

 Jazz On Campus
At the core of Prouty’s new book is the
COURTESY U OF MISSISSIPPI PRESS

impact of public pedagogy in any form of jazz

education. “Every interaction that a jazz per-
son has with somebody is an exercise in public
pedagogy by trying to get people into jazz,” he
states. Prouty cites Stan Kenton and Maynard
Ferguson as key figures in public pedagogy
from the 1950s on, and their influence on for-
mal jazz education and the public’s concept of
jazz. Kenton’s support of Leon Breeden’s North
Texas State college program and Ferguson’s
charismatic, physical playing style, arrange-
ments of movie themes from Rocky and Star
Wars films and frequent concert appearances
at high schools and colleges connected strong-
ly with young white male jazz students. And
those same students — like Kenton’s frequently
all-white bands — went on to college programs
that were predominately white as well.
“Leon Breeden and Kenton’s support really
“I’ve always been interested in the concept of
how people come to know and learn about this helped make the North Texas program,”
music,” says author Ken Prouty in regard to his
new book on jazz education in all of its forms. explains Prouty. “It bears the imprint of Kenton,
who absolutely had an incalculable impact on

Exploring Jazz Education jazz education. We’re still benefiting from it,
but we’re also still grappling with the issues of
racial and gender equity in jazz education.”

and Public Pedagogy

WHAT’S THE COMMON FACTOR FOR Knowing Jazz: Community, Pedagogy, and
Prouty brings his own personal experience
to bear on these topics. He was a member of the
famed One O’Clock Lab Band at North Texas
these seemingly disparate jazz topics? The hos- Canon in the Information Age, was published State (now the University of North Texas, where
tile reaction jazz critics and musicians had to in 2012. “I’ve been teaching since 2007, and one he received a master’s in music). In high school
director Damien Chazelle’s depiction of jazz of the things that’s struck me is the idea that in Maine, he opened a concert for Ferguson as
in his films Whiplash and La La Land. The jazz education programs are distinct from the a member of his school’s jazz band and was an
immense impact of bandleader Stan Kenton on so-called real world of jazz. Making a sharp dis- enthusiastic member of the Maynard fan club.
jazz education. The star power and influence tinction between them misses a deeper connec- “I like to talk about my own experiences in
of Maynard Ferguson’s performance style on a tion between the two. Formal jazz education is my writing because it’s shaped who I am,” says
generation of white male high school brass play- part of the history of jazz and its development. Prouty. “I think at times there’s a reluctance
ers. Case studies on the impact that trombone But everybody who engages with this music is among researchers to embrace these things.”
instruction publications from the early 1900s part of its history, has an investment in it and a Prouty emphasizes that public pedagogy
had on the definition of jazz. The impact of Jazz role in educating others about jazz. You can be efforts are not always positive, especially when
at Lincoln Center on jazz education through a a musician, a musicologist, a writer, a student, a they come in response to perceived negative
focus on Duke Ellington’s oeuvre and its annu- radio host, a fan.” views about the way jazz is portrayed in the
al Essentially Ellington competition. In the first chapter, Prouty examines early media. Case in point: the critically acclaimed
Ken Prouty, associate professor of musicol- jazz trombone method books from 1919 to the 2014 film Whiplash, which depicts the relation-
ogy and jazz studies at the Michigan State mid-1920s written by musicians such as Henry ship between an aspiring student drummer at
University College of Music, offers some Fillmore and Miff Mole that provided musi- the fictional Shaffer Conservatory in New York
answers to these topics in the wide-ranging and cal guidance in early jazz forms — and helped and his demanding, abusive teacher. Many jazz
fascinating book Learning Jazz: Jazz Education, solidify the definition of jazz styles for aspiring critics took exception to its portrayal of the
History and Public Pedagogy, published by musicians attracted to the music. Prouty then dark side of jazz education.
University Press of Mississippi. addresses “lost voices” in jazz with a look at Paul Despite the problematic issues that face jazz
In a recent interview with DownBeat, Eduard Miller, who wrote for DownBeat and education in the academic realm and through
Prouty discussed how these seemingly dispa- other jazz publications in the 1930s but faded public pedagogy, Prouty concluded the inter-
rate topics all relate to learning jazz — which from view by the 1950s. He also contrasts the view on an optimistic note. “We’ll bring peo-
includes both formal jazz education and pub- lack of coverage of female big bands, and exam- ple to this music by showing them the common
lic pedagogy — and all forms of jazz education ines the intense critical focus on legends such as humanities that exist between certain forms
that occur beyond the classroom. Armstrong, Ellington, Parker and others that at and identifying spaces where jazz and other
“I’ve always been interested in the concept times seems to place them at a level of genius styles share something in common,” he says.
of how people come to know and learn about that deflects criticism while the world of every- “The boundaries of jazz are porous and have
this music,” explains Prouty, whose first book, day jazz musicians remains largely unexplored. always been that way.” —Terry Perkins

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 FEDERICO MUTTI
Blindfold Test BY ASHLEY KAHN

Samara Joy
S amara Joy’s first DownBeat Blindfold Test took place on the stage of
the Sala Bossi recital room in Bologna, Italy, with a towering 200-year-
old pipe organ behind her. The event was hosted by the Conservatorio
Giovanni Battista Martini and attended by some 30 students, faculty and
members of the public. Of the countries Joy has visited since her meteor-
ic arrival, Italy holds a special charm. “Every time I come here, I feel so
at home,” the star vocalist said. “Like my friend Pasquale [Grasso] says,
‘The Italians, even when they speak, it sounds like music.’” Later that
same November day, Joy performed a well-received, sold-out concert as
part of the Bologna Jazz Festival. “Oh, man, her voice is so warm, so comforting,” Samara Joy said of Lizz Wright.

Carmen McRae best to keep up with the facts and for now keep it about the music. My
“No More Blues (Chega de Saudade)” (At the Great American Music Hall, Blue Note, message is about finding solace.
1976) McRae, vocals; Marshall Otwell, piano; Ed Bennett, bass; Joey Baron, drums.
I’ve absorbed Carmen’s voice for the past couple of years and as soon as I José James
hear it, I know that it’s her. I know this is a later recording, I hear matu- “Little Bird” (Jazzanova: Of All The Things, Verve, 2008) James, vocals; Kalle Kalima,
rity and growth in her voice. There was a spoken element in addition to acoustic guitar; Dragan Radosavievich, Volodymyr Korobov, violins; Rouven Schirmer,
Sojung Lee, cellos; Paul Kleber, bass; Stefan Leisering, piano, drum programming.
her relaxed feel. I took a class with Ralph Lalama in my sophomore year
No way would you play Andy Bey two times. But I think that’s José James.
[at SUNY Purchase] and “Chega de Saudade” was one of the tunes that
I can hear Andy’s influence. When I hear José, I definitely hear soul
we came in contact with, and that one stayed with me after. It’s a difficult
inflections, which is a part of jazz as well. For me, jazz singing is a balance
song melody-wise, and I love Dizzy Gillespie’s arrangement of it, as well.
of technique and creativity and understanding the sound of the genre,
Don’t be surprised if you hear it this evening.
understanding our heroes like Duke Ellington and Dizzy Gillespie. You
can build up on that foundation and carve out your own sound.
Johnny O’Neal
“Tight” (O’Neal Is Back, Abeat Records, 2016) O’Neal, vocals, piano; Luke Sellick, bass;
Charles Goold, drums. Roberta Gambarini
That is a song written by Miss Betty Carter and, at first, the name Kevin “Estate” (So In Love, Groovin’ High, 2009) Gambarini, vocals; Gerald Clayton, piano;
Chuck Berghofer, bass; Jake Hanna, drums.
Mahogany popped into my head; then I was like, maybe it’s Andy Bey.
I love the way the piano was accompanying the singer here, and I think
But I’m pretty sure the vocalist is also the pianist. I think it’s Johnny
that’s Roberta Gambarini. Her voice is very recognizable. I love hearing
O’Neal. I love him. The way he sings, it’s very playful, kind of spoken —
her sing certain words in Portuguese, French, Italian. [Sings an Italian
similar to Carmen. I noticed that the comping, as well, is great, very con-
lyric.] I learned an Italian song — “Un Anno d’Amore.” Is [my pronun-
nected. I came to this song myself through another professor of mine,
ciation] OK?
Kenny Washington, who played on this song on an album called The
Audience With Betty Carter. Alice Coltrane
“Jagadishwar” (Turiya Sings, Impulse, 2021) Coltrane, vocals, organ.
Andy & the Bey Sisters That was a curveball. I don’t even know what language that is. I will say
“Everybody Loves My Baby” (’Round Midnight, Prestige, 1965) Geraldine and Salome
Bey, vocals; Andy Bey, piano, vocals; Kenny Burrell, guitar; Milt Hinton, bass; Osie John- I love the mix because the vocalist is in the center and the organ, or
son, drums. whatever that instrument is, is surrounding and not overwhelming the
I have Kenny to thank for introducing me to this record, too. I love that voice. There was a chord a couple bars in that definitely sounds remi-
album. This is Andy Bey and the Bey Sisters, and I absolutely love the niscent of the Black church. She does have a very deep voice. She’s using
blend they have because when you’re singing in a choir. It takes a long music out of the Black church in a different way. It puts you in a medi-
time to develop an intuitive reaction, but with family it just sounds tative state.
effortless. You know, in two weeks I’m going to tour with my family to
sing gospel. I’m really excited because I grew up listening to them sing Lizz Wright
“Stars Fell On Alabama” (Grace, Concord, 2017) Wright, vocals; Chris Bruce, Marvin
together and now I’m getting the opportunity to share something that’s Sewell, guitars; Kenny Banks, keyboards; David Piltch, bass; Jay Bellerose, drums.
been in our family for years. I’m familiar with the Ella and Louis Armstrong version, and this treat-
ment is definitely more a folk, country vibe — and it makes sense:
Cécile McLorin Salvant Alabama, country, folk. No acrobatics going on. It’s very deep and to the
“America The Beautiful” (TikTok video of performance before U.S. Open Women’s Fi-
nal, 2023) Salvant, vocals; Sullivan Fortner, piano. point, and so I’m going to go with Lizz Wright. Oh, man, her voice is so
I’m going to guess Cécile McLorin Salvant and Sullivan Fortner. I haven’t warm, so comforting. I remember one of my professors at Purchase say-
seen the video of this, but I knew that she was going to do that [chang- ing I reminded him of her. We haven’t met. But we’ve definitely trailed
ing the lyric to “America The Beautiful”]. I feel like her voice captures her each other here and in the States. DB
message. It’s full, it’s all-encompassing. She’s not afraid to use her range.
When I was growing up, I wasn’t aware of politics. We didn’t talk about The “Blindfold Test” is a listening test that challenges the featured artist to discuss and identify
the music and musicians who performed on selected recordings. The artist is then asked to rate
it much in my house. But now it’s really hard to turn away. I’m trying my each tune using a 5-star system. No information is given to the artist prior to the test.

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