CDs of Note...

Jacky Terrasson, Push (Concord Jazz)
“Push” is the perfect name for pianist Jacky Terrasson’s Concord debut. He’s a jazz adventurer who pushes his band, and pushes the music, twisting and turning it into new territory in the process. That’s the case with both originals and his treatment of standard material. Standard, that is, until he starts tweaking it. Take the unlikely combination of Michael Jackson’s “Beat It” and the jazz standard “Body and Soul.” Listen close. Rather than build a front-and back medley as many musicians would, Terrasson borrows key melodic snippets from each tune, then mashes them as building blocks for his own odyssey. First a hint of one, a minute into the tune, then a bit later, the other. Then back and forth.

Monk’s “Ruby My Dear” and “’Round Midnight” get rather straight treatments from Terrason in comparison, though they are a bit wild in their own ways. As an American Songbook reference point, he also tackles “You’d Be So Nice to Come Home To.” This session features his current trio-mates, bassist Ben Williams and drummer Jamire Williams, with guest spots for tenor player Jacques Schwarz-Bart, percussionist Cyro Batista, harmonicat Gregoire Maret and guitarist Matthew Stevens. Terrasson, 1993’s Monk Piano Competition winner, is also strong on his own “Morning,” the ballads “My Church” and “Carry Me Away,” and the bubbling “Say Yeah” and “O Café, O Soleil.”

Vince Guaraldi, Peanuts Portraits (Concord Music)
Starting in the mid-1960s most of America has been treated to substantial doses of jazz, usually around various holidays, even if they didn’t know it. And most likely, most didn’t. Vince Guaraldi wrote and recorded the music for the beloved “Peanuts” TV specials. This compilation features music based on the personalities of the show’s range of cartoon characters. There is some wonderful stretching out here, including an alternate take of “Frieda (With the Naturally Curly Hair) – a tune that was written for a 1963 documentary that was never televised but appeared on a 1964 Fantasy soundtrack. They bring back memories, and dig several blues-based tunes written for the hapless Charlie Brown. The compilation includes two of Guaradi’s “Peanuts”-based compositions that George Winston recorded in the 1990s, two decades after Guaraldi’s death. “Peanuts” producer Lee Mendelson fell in love with Guaraldi’s work when he heard his classic “Cast Your Fate to the Wind.” Most of America did the same through the Charles Schulz cartoon-based TV specials. How could you not?

Various artists, Sachal Jazz (Sachal Music)

This project, subtitled Interpretations of Jazz Standards & Bossa Nova, may be the most unusual/exotic recording of jazz classics that you’ll ever hear. Here are Paul Desmond’s “Take Five,” Tom Jobim’s “Desafinado” and “The Girl from Ipanema” (plus a raga alternate take), Erroll Garner’s “Misty,” Dave Grusin’s “Mountain Dance” and two other tunes performed by the Pakistan-based Sachal Studios Orchestra - sitar, tabla, other Indo-Pakistan percussion, Spanish guitars, accordion and a full string section. There’s even a U.K.-added choir, which sounds superfluous and even distracting when it appears. A take on Burt Bacharach’s “This Guy’s In Love With You” is a bit more straightforward.

Two splendid singers honor a legend

Singer, actress, dancer and civil rights activist Lena Horne turns 93 this June 30. She hasn’t performed since the early 1990s and has been out of the public eye for the past 10 years. But she isn’t out of the hearts of singers - or music fans who loved her work.

That was clear Saturday night (April 24) when “Stormy Weather,” a multi-media tribute show about Horne, premiered at Scullers jazz club in Boston. It featured singers Rebecca Parris and Paula West, and pertinent narrative from author James Gavin, whose book, “Stormy Weather: The Life of Lena Horne,” was published in hard cover last year and is just out in soft cover. The premiere was also scheduled in tandem with the launch of a new Verve CD, Lena Horne Sings: The MGM Singles Collection.

Boston-based Parris and San Francisco-based West had never performed together before but worked well in this setting, with the superb support of pianist George Mesterhazy and bassist Peter Kontrimas. The two-instrument accompaniment provided the intimacy that this sort of show required. Musical director Mesterhazy, an excellent accompanist and arranger who spent more than a decade with Parris before joining Shirley Horn in the last phase of her career, now works regularly with West.

The evening touched on the full scope of Horne’s musical career with appropriate – and often poignant - material from various phases, with the singers alternating tunes for the most part. “As Long As I Live” (Parris), “Ill Wind” (West), “Honeysuckle Rose” (Parris), “Why Do I Try?” (West), “It’s Alright With Me” (West), “Come Sunday” (Parris ), “A Lady Must Live” (West), “Yesterday When I Was Young” (Parris), and “Stormy Weather” (West). As an encore, Parris and West teamed up on “That Man of Mine.”

There were several mesmerizing moments, and the audience was spellbound by what it heard throughout the evening. Parris and West have that effect. West was particularly powerful on “Why Do I Try?” and “A Lady Must Live.” These tunes really spoke to Horne’s determination.

“Yesterday When I Was Young” was a tune that Horne featured in her two sold-out Carnegie Hall concerts in 1993, telling the crowd: “I think that song belongs to a lot of us.” This night, it belonged to Parris’s poignant interpretation and Mesterhazy, whose extended solo revealed the breadth, depth and passion of his playing.

Gavin shared a bit of insight here and there - particularly the racial challenges that Horne faced - in housing, in travel, and even in multi-racial marriage. The tunes often mirrored what she was going through as she struggled with and against her persona - an elegant black woman who sang songs people adored, but was treated less kindly out of the spotlight.

The night also had humor, particularly with “Bein’ Green,” the Kermit the Frog-associated tune that Horne chose to sing in an appearance as herself on “Sesame Street” in the 1970s. She identified with its hopeful and uplifting message about being different. Parris has been battling health issues over the past decade, which, thankfully have not diminished her voice or spirit. She drew much laughter when she improvised a bit, throwing in the line “or tall - like I used to be” - without missing a beat.

Horne made two brief appearances via recording - one in song, one in archived interview about her life and times.

From Boston, Parris, West, Gavin, Mesterhazy and Kontrimas headed to Maine’s Camden Opera House for a late Sunday afternoon performance and have two nights scheduled at Blues Alley in Washington D.C. There will be a video element in larger venues.

Many attendees at Scullers lingered long after the show Saturday to urge the singers to take it on the road on a more ambitious scale. We’ll watch with interest to see how that develops. Scullers entertainment director Fred Taylor, a longtime Boston jazz impresario, said this was the first show of this scope in the club’s 20-year history. He was thrilled by the full house - and the reactions to the performance. Consider it a Jazz Week highlight in greater Boston.

Cape May review

My review of last weekend's 33rd edition of the Cape May Jazz Festival, with multiple photos, was posted today on JAZZTIMES.COM. There was much to enjoy on a fine spring weekend.

The musical treats included the mega-talented young blueswoman Shemekia Copeland (pictured), making her third Cape May appearance, and pianist Chuchito Valdés, son of Chucho and grandson of Bebo).

Also strong: saxophonist Tim Warfield's organ quintet tribute to the late Shirley Scott, and Spyro Gyra's first Cape May visit, which drew a full house.

CDs of Note...

Joe Chambers, Horace to Max (Savant)
Drummer Joe Chambers has found a way to tip his hat to a range of classic and contemporary jazz composers, and showcase his under-acknowleged mallet playing on this project. And he brought a splendid team along for the ride: tenor player Eric Alexander, pianist Xavier Davis and bassist Steve Berrios, with pianist Helen Sung, bassist Dwayne Burno and bassist Richie Goode subbing on the Max Roach/Abbey Lincoln tune “Lonesome Lover.” Nicole Guiland adds vocals to that track and Roach’s clever “Mendacity.” My favorites: their takes on “Mendacity,” Horace Silver’s “Ecaroh,” Chambers’ own “Afreeka” and Marcus Miller’s “Portia,” which was one of Miles Davis’s finest late-career recordings. I particularly like Alexander’s interplay with Chambers when the leader takes to the vibes and marimba.

Thomson Kneeland, Mazurka for a Modern Man (Weltschmerz Records)
Bassist Thomson Kneeland has delivered a modern jazz gem, containing purely original material (plus his arrangement of a traditional Polish folksong, “Moja Tesknota”) that is delivered by his 2007 quintet. The band at this session included guitarist Nate Ridley, trumpeter David Smith, alto saxophonist Loren Stillman and late percussionist Take Toriyama. There is an eclectic vibe to this session with spirited playing. Radley, Smith and Stillman are wonderful foils for each other. My favorites: “Hyperion,” ”Libretto” and “Nebuchadnezzar.” Another fine piece, the poignant “Rhapsody” is dedicated to Toriyama, a close musical collaborator who took his own life two weeks after the session.

organissimo, Alive & Kickin’! (Big O Records)
Michigan-based organissimo has been presenting its take on modern soul-jazz for 10 years. Alive & Kickin’! is the trio’s first live CD and was released simultaneously with a 75-minute DVD that has two additional tracks. All CD tracks, except Frank Zappa’s “Blessed Relief,” are collaborative compositions by organist Jim Alfredson, guitarist Joe Gloss and drummer Randy Marsh. My favorites: “Jimmy Smith Goes to Washington” (compete with a Smith-like greasy funk), “Groovadelphia,” “Blessed Relief” and the extended jam “Pumpkin Pie.”

Other worthy listens:

• Wallace Roney, If Only For One Night (HighNote) – Whether or not you dig his technique on uptempo material, the trumpeter knows his way around a ballad. Check out “I Have A Dream” and Let’s Wait A While.”

• Christian Scott, Yesterday You Said Tomorrow (Concord Jazz) – The young trumpeter is out with a blend of hard bop, hip hop and musical commentary on life in the 21st century as he sees it. His take on Radiohead frontman Thom Yorke’s solo debut title track “The Eraser” is a balm for the surrounding Scott edginess.

Helping here, helping there

It’s time to open your wallets, jazz fans, for two great, intertwined causes.

The Jazz Foundation of America is getting ready to present its 9th annual “A Great Night in Harlem” gala concert May 9 at The Apollo Theater to benefit the organization’s amazing Jazz Musicians Emergency Fund. The concert is a principal fundraiser for JEMF, run by jazz angel Wendy Oxenhorn, the JFA’s executive director, who year after year finds innovative ways to help with medical bills, eviction threats, stolen instruments and myriad other challenges faced by principally older jazz and blues musicians.

The gala entertainment includes Roberta Flack, Jimmy Scott and four-dozen others. The hosts include Chevy Chase, Danny Glover, Michael Imperioli and David Johansen. Part of the evening will also celebrate the 100th birthday of Max "The Saxman" Lucas, who played with Louis Armstrong, Billie Holiday, Charlie Parker, Thelonious Monk and Muddy Waters, and, Oxenhorn says, still rides the subway to get to his gigs.

For several years, JEMF’s outreach support has also landed in New Orleans, where music is the heart and soul of the community, and there was much need among musicians post-Katrina. And there still is. Since Katrina, the Jazz Foundation has housed and created work for more than 1,000 musicians and keeps displaced musicians across the U.S. working to this day.

In recent weeks, there has come word that the New Orleans Musicians’ Clinic, effective this August, will see a stopgap federal grant run out, cutting its overall budget by 90 percent. Some 800 area musicians and their families rely on the clinic for the medical gamut – from checkups to major surgery.

The clinic’s work, and its need for a helping hand have not gone unnoticed. In late March, the cast and crew of the new HBO series “Treme” held an auction fundraiser (with music) at Generations Hall to benefit the clinic. As actor Wendell Pierce told the Times-Picayune: “Musicians are the heartbeat of New Orleans. We have to take care of them. We actually don’t do a good job of it sometimes. The Musicians’ Clinic is a lifeline to so many people. You couldn’t do a show like ‘Treme’ here in New Orleans without identifying a group to create a charity partnership with, and we couldn’t pick a better group than the New Orleans Musicians’ Clinic.”

It is nice to see people stepping up to help music’s makers, no matter where they are. And I get the feeling JEMF will be right there in the thick of saving the clinic and its essential work.

CDs of Note...

Lisa Engelken, Caravan (Little Angel)
Lisa Engelken may not have a household name when it comes to jazz singers, but this CD proves that she is most deserving of that stature. The Kansas-born, California-based singer’s sophomore CD is a gem. Key ingredients: an intriguing voice, a great mix of material avoiding the “tired tune” syndrome that dogs so many aspiring singers, and the ability to find material that she can imbue with her own strong jazz touch and feel. My favorites: her takes on “Caravan,” “Afro Blue,” and “Detour Ahead,” as well as a bluesy remake of Billy Idol’s “White Wedding.” Then there’s “From The Earth,” a rendition of Freddie Hubbard’s “Red Clay” that features her own intriguing lyrics. This is a winner, pure and simple. Savor it all.

Gerry Gibbs and The Electric Thrasher Orchestra Play the Music of Miles Davis 1967-1975 (Whaling City Sound)
Yes, the title is a mouthful, but drummer Gerry Gibbs, son of vibes great Terry Gibbs, didn’t bite off more than he could chew. He created what may be one of the year’s most ambitious recording projects to revisit and celebrate Miles Davis’s prolific first electric and rock-influenced phase (with 22 selections from more than a dozen Davis albums, principally from “Sorcerer” through “Bitches Brew” to “On the Corner.” Gibbs assembled a strong and talented group of top West Coast players including trumpeter Brian Swartz and saxophonist Doug Webb (plus acoustic bassist Essiet Okon Essiet). They tip their hats to Davis and carry his music forward in their own way. It is spirited and very well done.

Adriano Santos Quintet, In Session (Kingjazzad Music)
Drummer-percussionist Adriano Santos’s recording is a strong and energetic blend of works by top Brazilian composers that intertwine his homeland’s exotic rhythms with a modern jazz twist. Saxophonist David Binney adds a lot of the edgy flair, while the rhythm section teams Santos with pianist Helio Alves, bassist David Ambrosio and percussionist Dende. My favorites: their takes on “From the Lonely Afternoons” by Milton Nascimento and Fernando Brant, Toninho Horta’s “De Ton Pra Tom,” Airto Moreira’s “Xibaba” and Moacir Santos’s “Amphibious.”

Other worthy listens:

• The Britton Brothers, Uncertain Living (Record Craft)


• Nnenna Freelon, Homefree (Concord Jazz)


• Fabian Zone Trio, Keys in Ascension (Consolidated Artists Productions)

April showers us with jazz appreciation

Just as we emerge from the winter doldrums, there’s a lot of jazz appreciation going on throughout April.

In 2001, The Smithsonian launched Jazz Appreciation Month, which has grown to include celebrations in all 50 states and 40 countries that the music as a living treasure. It is designed to spotlight the music and, one would hope, extend the depth of that appreciation to casual listeners, and introduce it to fresh ears that have been tuned elsewhere. It is a movement that has a lot of variations and offshoots.

Last June while meeting here in Rhode Island, the U.S Conference of Mayors proclaimed April 9 as Jazz Day. Jazz at Lincoln Center is using that day for its inaugural A Taste of Jazz event in Manhattan, which will feature music and food at the Time Warner Center to celebrate the cuisine of some of the country's greatest jazz cities, including New Orleans. The musical set and discussion that night will feature a septet led by saxophonist Walter Blanding.

Oh, but there is much more here and there. As they say in the TV genre, check local listings.

From April 23 to May 2, the nonprofit JazzBoston is celebrating Jazz Week with 230 events at more than 80 venues to celebrate the special role the Boston jazz scene plays as incubator and stage for a lot of creative musicians. Only in greater Boston, it seems, can a “week” have 10 days. But that 10-day period, Made in Boston, Played in Boston, will include a lot of great programming, including rare films, jazz dance, and children’s events. Here is the schedule.

But wait, there’s more

SIRIUS XM Radio is paying tribute to the rich history of jazz with a lot of Jazz Appreciation Month programming. Its Real Jazz channel, SIRIUS channel 72 and XM channel 70, kicked off the month on April 1 with bassist Christian McBride hosting a three-hour JAM preview, and to introduce the debut of his SIRIUS XM show, The Lowdown: Conversations with Christian, which premiered yesterday and will air every Saturday at 1 p.m. ET on Real Jazz.

Also on April 9 - Jazz Appreciation Day - on Sirius, Jazz at Lincoln Center Artistic Director Wynton Marsalis will unveil the 2010-2011 season of Jazz at Lincoln Center at 3 p.m. ET on RealJazz, and Nancy Sinatra will present a special edition of Nancy For Frank, showcasing the jazz side of American Songbook legend and her father, Frank Sinatra, on April 9 at 3 p.m. ET on Siriusly Sinatra, SIRIUS channel 75 and XM channel 73. There is much more to discover on the Sirius channels. (For more information, visit http://www.sirius.com/ or http://www.xmradio.com/.)

Jazz Day, Jazz Week, Jazz Appreciation Month. (The latter may have the only acronym I can tolerate.) All of this is admirable. It also begs the question - How much of this is just preaching to the choir? Some of us would argue that in our in our hearts, in our psyches, in our ears, and in the venues to which we go... every day is jazz day. And that’s just the listeners. It certainly is true for the musicians, at least as a goal.

If the April spotlight in some way brings more serious listeners to the music - and more opportunities for musicians to play jazz - these initiatives are doing what their creators and supporters are seeking.

The best jazz night in town

Anyone with a solid interest in the music who is within an hour of Providence RI ought to make a visit to a neighboorhood knotty-pine bar in East Providence any Monday night – and be rewarded with what is consistently the best jazz night of the week. And anyone planning a weekend visit to southern New England ought to stretch the trip to include a Monday night - and experience Bovi’s Tavern.

For 41 years, Bovi’s has hosted big band jazz as its Monday fare. The John Allmark Orchestra draws from an exceptionally strong and talented cadre of players from Rhode Island, Massachusetts and sometimes Connecticut, depending on who’s available to play on a normally slow weeknight for beer money.

Trumpeter Allmark, stylistically tied to the Freddie Hubbbard lineage, has a thick book of big band charts that add a hard-bop edge to swing. And he is a formidable brass arranger in his own right. Any Monday, the material can vary from tunes by John Coltrane, Dizzy Gillespie, Hubbard, Oliver Nelson, Clifford Brown Thad Jones and many more, including more than a few Buddy Rich Band charts. Even when a song is revisited, you noticed that Allmark has tweaked the arrangement since the last time you heard the band do it.

The Allmark band’s mainstays when they’re in town and available, include tenor aces Dino Govoni and Bill Vint, alto saxophonists Mark Zaleski and/or Bob Bowlby, electric bassist Bill Miele, pianist Eugene Maslov and drummer Vinny Pagano.

This week, on a nasty rainy night when even waterfowl didn’t want to be out traveling, the JAO still drew two-thirds of a house. As the downbeat hit for the band’s theme song, George Gershwin’s “Soon,” the 16-piece outfit was barely outnumbered by audience. But that soon changed. Soggy latecomers made their way in, forking over the $6 cover. At that price, or some would argue any price, the gig is a musical bargain.

Those who braved the weather were rewarded towards the end of the 90-minute first set with stunning version of Trane’s “Central Park West” and a friendly alto sax battle between Zaleski and Mark Pinto on Buddy Greco’s “The Rotten Kid,” a Buddy Rich band staple.

Allmark formed his band 17 years ago and worked at a variety of clubs - some less than memorable - before succeeding the Duke Belaire Orchestra at Bovi’s 11 years ago. “I think we’ve got the gig now,” he said with a chuckle. “The band keeps changing and sounding better. As soon as we start playing, it’s all good. I’m still finding new players - and great players.”

Can’t get there on a Monday anytime soon? Opt for the next-best thing. At least 20 of the band’s performances can be savored on youtube.

Spring has arrived – and so have the lineups

Jazz festival regulars at Newport and its longtime progeny, in upstate New York can start figuring out their challenging dance between multiple stages.


George Wein’s team today released the full CareFusion Newport Jazz Festival schedule for the August 6 to 8 weekend in the Rhode Island resort city. It’s a wide-ranging musical agenda – from mainstream jazz to Latin, traditional swing, instrumental pop, the avant-garde and a jazzy take on hip-hop. The lineup is peppered with a lot of up-and-comers. See the link for a full schedule, but I will note some groupings of interest.

By the way, ticket sales start on Friday, March 26 – and there is a great discount for something new – advance walkup sales at the Newport Convention and Visitors Bureau downtown before April 9 ($50 per day instead of the usual $69).

George Wein... >
So here’s my take on the Newport schedule:

English piano jazz poster Jamie Cullum is the Friday night headliner at Newport Casino, with teenage alto sax phenom/vocalist Grace Kelly opening. Cullum is also back at Fort Adams on Saturday afternoon. Let’s hope he avoids the 2008 Chris Botti faux pas – when the trumpeter played the exact same set in both venues, right down to the stage patter. And let’s hope Botti brings some new music and conversation for his Sunday appearance rather than rehash 2008.

Chick Corea, Kenny Garrett, Christian McBride and Roy Haynes headline Saturday as the Freedom Band. The main stage opens with Jazz Mafia's Brass Bows & Beats - a 45-piece Hip Hop Symphony. Ahmad Jamal and the Maria Schneider Orchestra complete the main stage on day one. There is lots to savor on the two supplemental stages, including the trio Fly, Darcy James Argue’s Secret Society big band with special guest Bob Brookmeyer, and saxophonist J.D. Allen’s trio. Wein also performs Saturday with his Newport All-Stars.

Now here’s something cool for Sunday. Herbie Hancock closes out the afternoon with his band. Earlier in the afternoon on the Harbor Stage, Conrad Herwig’s band presents the “Latin Side of Herbie.” The day also includes a return appearance by Ken Vandermark, whose trio tore up the Harbor Stage two years ago, as well as Jason Moran, Matt Wilson and Ben Allison and their always-interesting bands. As I noted earlier, check out the lineup for much more to appeal to a wide variety of tastes.

Looking west
Also this week, producer Danny Melnick released the lineup for the 33rd annual Freihofer’s Saratoga Jazz Festival, which is scheduled June 26 and 27 at the scenic Saratoga NY Performing Arts Center. Headliners include Gladys Knight, singer Al Jarreau & The George Duke Trio, Taj Mahal, Al Di Meola, Ramsey Lewis, Ahmad Jamal, and Juan De Marcos & the Afro Cuban All Stars. Full details and the lineup are at here.


Bettye Lavette at Saratoga, 2009... >
Wein created the festival at SPAC in 1978, seven years after rowdies sent the Newport Jazz Festival packing – and he found a 10-year exclusive home in Manhattan. It was a move that kick-started Wein’s career as a global jazz impresario. (Wein returned to Newport in 1981.)


Saratoga’s atmosphere has made it an annual must-do for loyalists who arrive year after year with their coolers, blankets, tents, umbrellas, friends and families. Melnick has been its artistic director and producer since 1999 - for most of that time as a member of Wein’s team.

Like Newport this year, Freihofer’s Jazz Festival has a nice mix of established and rising talent. The latter includes the bands of J.D. Allen, singer Alyssa Graham, trumpeter Mario Abney and bassist Linda Oh. While Grace Kelly shows off her talent at Newport as one of the Berklee College of Music’s prominent undergrads, at Saratoga, the showcase falls to 20-year-old saxophonist Hailey Niswanger (pronounced “NICE–wonger”), another Berklee student getting significant attention.

Two dandy weekends. I can’t wait.

CDs of Note...

Jean-Michel Pilc, True Story (Dreyfus)
This is at least the sixth recording by Paris native Pilc released since 2000. It showcases his longstanding strengths as a painter at the piano. He’s a modernist for sure, one whose musical colors are pastoral and romantic at times, yet impressionistic bordering on cubism as he drops in some thundering block chords in service to his view of the inspirations. There is a keen empathy with bandmates Boris Kozlov on bass and Billy Hart on drums. Their reinvigoration of two pop standards - “My Heart Belongs to Daddy” and “Try to Remember” - and Franz Schubert’s “Relic” are stunning. Favorites: “PBH Factor,” “Kingston, NY” (an affinity partially rooted perhaps in the fact that I was born there), and disc’s five-part title track “True Story” (which concludes the project as Scenes 1 through 5). The latter at various points touches on all of the aforementioned painterly qualities - and more.

Sophie Berkal-Sarbit, Young & Foolish (7 Arts/E1 Music Canada)
Winnipeg native Sophie Berkal-Sarbit, now based in Toronto, is a singer with a level of development and experience far deeper than her 19 years on the planet. It boils down to her range of emotion, sense of time and ability to make songs new and old her very own. This, her second CD, is a fine exploration of the many facets of love. The material ranges from reinterpretations of Kansas Joe McCoy’s early jazz and blues hit “Why Don’t You Do Right?” and 1954’s “I’m Gonna Live Till I Die” (done by singers from Frank Sinatra to Queen Latifah) to Sting’s movie soundtrack ballad “Until” to Raul Midón’s catchy “Pick Somebody Up.” Throw in Latin-tinged take on “Love for Sale” and a very personal update of Bill Withers’ classic “Grandma’s Hands.” Producer/keyboardist Bill King adds some nifty B-3 work to “Letter From Home” (Junior Mance and Eddie Jefferson) and to the Midón tune, which also has sizzling acoustic and electric guitar backing from Rob Piltch. There’s much more to savor. Check it out.

Samuel Torres, Yaoundé (Blue Conga)
This disc by Colombian-born percussionist Samuel Torres is the most stunning Latin CD to emerge so far in 2010. He composed all of the genre-blending material, part of which was developed after a trip to Cameroon with bassist Richard Bona. Top flight musicians aboard include saxophonist Joel Frahm, trumpeter Miquel Rodriguez, bassist John Benitez. The full ensemble pieces dominate, though there are a couple of short, intimate solo gems by conguero Torres. My favorites are the title track; the tango-like “Macondo,” featuring clarinetist Anat Cohen; and “Lincoln Tunnel” and “Camino del Barrio,” both of which sizzle with the added percussion of timbalero Ralph Irizarry.

England swings – JALC style…

Just as New York City’s attention will be focused on a bubbling array of jazz choices in late June with return of a George Wein-produced jazz festival in the Big Apple (the CareFusion Jazz Festival, running June 17 to 26), the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra has teamed up for an interesting out-of-town residency. Out-of-country, off-continent even. Across the pond.

JALC, with artistic director/trumpeter Wynton Marsalis and special guests, is off to the U.K. for a residency at London’s Barbican Centre, home of the London Symphony. In fact it is jazz jewel in the arts center’s first International Residency Series.

A series of three main JALC concerts (June 17, 18 and 20) will be augmented by a creative learning program, in local schools and at the Guildhall School of Music & Drama with workshops, master classes and professional development, as well as performances in several East London partner venues. They also include a swing dance evening at Stoke Newington Town Hall, jam sessions at the Vortex in Dalston, and a special family concert at Hackney Empire.

The three main Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra concerts will tell the story the story of the American jazz orchestra, celebrating 80 years of great big band music, from Jelly Roll Morton to the present day, curated by Marsalis. There’s also a June 19 “Big Band Britannia: Inspirations and Collaborations” at Barbican Hall that will celebrate eight decades of British big band music through a specially assembled big band led by trumpeter Guy Barker. It will include a tribute to mighty British big band jazz figure, the late Sir John Dankworth. The next afternoon, Marsalis and the JALC will present an English version of their popular Jazz for Young People matinee concerts, and an “Essentially Ellington UK” workshop for youth big bands.

During the week, there will also be a Midsummer Night's Swing series at several venues plus nightly after-hours jam sessions blending British and JALC jazz talent at East London jazz venues including the Vortex Jazz Club, the Hackney Empire Review Bar and others.

Schedule details may be found at www.barbican.org.uk.

CDs of Note…

Peppe Merolla, Stick With Me (PJ Productions)
This is Peppe Merolla’s debut as a jazz leader - and it is quite fine. The Italian-born singer, actor and drummer focuses on his time-keeping side on this project and he has some star-quality help from the hard-bop world. His bandmates are John Farnsworth on tenor sax, Mike LeDonne on piano, Jim Rotondi on trumpet, Lee Smith on bass and Steve Turre on trombone and conch shells. Merolla is a painter at the drum kit, coloring and shading behind the soloists while also keeping a super-charged beat when needed. The band displays its tight nature right from the get-go on Merolla’s own “Naples,” a salute to his home city. It features interesting solo and ensemble interplay between Turre (on shells and ‘bone), Rotondi and Farnsworth (who provided five of the nine tunes). Other favorites: their takes on the Willie Nelson classic “Crazy” and Farnsworth’s “Mozzin.” Given the similar energy and cohesiveness on the latter tune, I’d love to hear this group tackle Mongo Santamaria’s “Afro-Blue” someday. Stick this CD in your changer – and it is likely to camp out a while. Quite a while. Each listen reveals more interesting facets to its gems.

Champian Fulton, The Breeze and I (Gut String Records)
This is the third CD from pianist and singer Champian Fulton’s Manhattan-based trio, which includes bassist Neal Miner and drummer Fukushi Tainaka. It’s a lovely blend of her rather sweet vocals (on two-thirds of the tracks) and strong and versatile piano chops. There are five instrumentals here amid these swinging standards. She is particularly strong on the title track, Harold Land’s “”Land’s End,” an uptempo take on Cole Porter’s “Easy to Love” and a bluesy version of “I Can’t Face the Music.” The band is solid - a benefit of working together regularly - and the CD is a fine showcase for Tainaka’s brush work. The leader’s treatment on “I’m Confessin” shows just why the lady is a Champ.

Ehud Asherie, Modern Life (Posi-Tone)
New York-based pianist Ehud Asherie has a sprightly, dancing style on the keyboard at times that is reminiscent at times of a longtime favorite swing practitioner, John Bunch. Asherie is in great company on this mainstream swing project, which features tenor saxophonist Harry Allen. Bassist Joel Forbes and drummer Chuck Riggs, two of Allen’s frequent collaborators, complete the rhythm section. Everything here is well done as they mine Swing Street, Blues Alley and a few chapters from The Great American Songbook. My favorites: Asherie’s originals “Blues for George” and “One for V,” as well as their takes on the Hank Jones tune “Vignette” and Tadd Dameron’s “Casbah.” While Allen is at his high-energy best on the blues piece and George Gershwin’s “Soon,” his exquisite way with a ballad is also a delight on Billy Strayhorn’s “A Flower is a Lovesome Thing.” Asherie and Allen work well together - with empathy, high spirits and the sheer will to swing. This is a March 16 release.

Picking up where Dizzy left off

In the final five years of his career, trumpeter/bandleader Dizzy Gillespie celebrated and blended the pan-global influences that found a way into his music - and curiosity – throughout his career. He did so principally with his United Nation Orchestra.

Pianist Danilo Perez (pictured), who joined Gillespie’s pan-American in 1989, has picked up the torch. Later this month, Perez will begin touring six North American cities with his own new project, called “Things to Come: 21st Century Dizzy.” The global mix of musicians (by birth or heritage), in addition to Perez, includes saxophonists David Sanchez and Rudresh Mahanthappa, Amir ElSaffar on trumpet and voice, Jamey Haddad on percussion, Ben Street or John Patitucci on bass, and Adam Cruz on drums.

"The purpose of the music I'm doing right now is to really find common tones in the world; how we, through music, actually come together and become one in this day of acknowledging differences. I am acknowledging the common tones in the world and that oneness feeling. All those layers you see in this, how we as human beings, as individuals come together and create communities.”

That sounds like Gillespie talking. But it is Perez – paying forward the influences absorbed from the days when he was the newest - and youngest - member of Dizzy’s global group in the late 1980s and early 1990s (prior to Dizzy’s 1993 passing).

This project is a natural for performer and educator Perez, because it is an extension of his other projects:
- Artistic Director of the Berklee College of Music's newly formed Global Jazz Institute.
- Artistic Director of the Kimmel Center's "Jazz Up Close" series.
- Artistic Director and founder of the annual Panama Jazz Festival.
- Long-standing member of Wayne Shorter’s quartet.

Perez says Things To Come: 21st Century Dizzy” will showcases music that simultaneously addresses the culture of Panama, the culture of Latin music as interpreted by jazz musicians, and classic jazz repertoire together with his compositions and new arrangements of classic Gillespie tunes).

Check them out, starting March 19 at Philadelphia’s Kimmel Center or over the following eight weeks in Toronto, New York, Ann Arbor, Minneapolis and Chicago. The full schedule is at Perez’s Web site.

Perez recently signed with Mack Avenue Records. Hopefully “21st Century Dizzy” will be his first release.

CDs of Note

The Trio, “Live” @ Charlie O’s (Fuzzy Music)
Put three solid veterans together in a live setting, without rehearsal but filled with decades of experience and mutual jazz empathy, and you get the drift of this fine recording. Bassist Chuck Berghofer, pianist Terry Trotter and drummer Peter Erskine decided to document that empathy and musicality at one of their monthly gigs at Charlie O’s, a jazz club/bar and grill in the Valley Glen section of Los Angeles. Charlie O’s is a not-so-hidden treasure where cats go to hang -and hear other cats play. Everything on this CD is wonderful, primarily because of the thoughtful, usually extended approaches they take with the music. My favorites: Trotter’s exploration of “Put Your Little Right Foot Out” (which Miles Davis recorded as “Fran-Dance”), a reworking of Vince Guaraldi’s “Charlie’s Blues” (in this instance a nod to late bassist and club founder Charlie Ottaviano), and a crystalline, elegiac version of J.J. Johnson’s ballad “Lament.”

Jeremy Pelt, Men of Honor (HighNote)
Trumpeter Jeremy Pelt’s is the leader on this new recording project but there is a true ensemble feel to this post-bop quintet project. Each of the players contributing original material in addition to his splendid soloing. Pelt’s longstanding bandmates are tenor saxophonist J.D. Allen, bassist Dwayne Burno, drummer Gerald Cleaver and pianist Danny Grissett. Favorite tracks: Allen’s composition “Brooklyn Bound,” Cleaver’s “From a Life of the Same Name” and Pelt’s “Us/Them.” Men of Honor is Pelt’s seventh recording as a leader. He’s worked hard at maintaining a true acoustic band – and the effort has paid off admirably.

Dave Holland Octet, Pathways (Dare 2)
This project marks a happy medium between bassist Dave Holland’s longstanding quintet and his occasional big band. Some would say the octet is a perfect size for Holland’s sound palette: robust at times, intimate when the leader desires - and always steaming full-speed ahead with interesting and innovative music. The octet’s recorded debut, captured live at Birdland in Manhattan last year, teams Holland with longstanding collaborators: Antonio Hart on alto sax and flute, Chris Potter on tenor and soprano sax, Gary Smulyan on baritone sax, Alex Sipiagin on trumpet and flugelhorn, Robin Eubanks on trombone, Steve Nelson on vibes and marimba, and Nate Smith on drums. My favorites: Holland’s “Ebb and Flow” and Potter’s composition “Sea of Mamara.” This is a March 23, 2010 release.

Splendid and diverse offerings and venues with Care

Impresario George Wein hasn’t lost his touch. In fact, a year off from producing a full blown jazz festival in the Big Apple, seems to have enhanced that touch.

Wein’s New Festival Productions, LLC organization and his new corporate benefactor, CareFusion, have rolled out the details for the CareFusion Jazz Festival, which runs June 17 to 26 throughout New York City.

“Throughout” is the significant word here. The festival has expanded its venues – perhaps a blessing that came from the regrouping that followed Festival Network LLC’s financial demise in late 2008/early 2009.

As a result, Wein came out of semi-retirement, got back into the jazz production business – and in the process found a new Newport and New York sponsor – the medical technology company CareFusion. For full festival details, check out http://www.nycjazzfestival.com/.

Here’s what stands out most in the 10-day schedule:


Many of the venues for the festival’s 45 concerts are all over the city. Manhattan, Harlem, the Bronx, Brooklyn and Queens (including the Louis Armstrong House) - and also a tad north in Westchester County. There's also a diverse stylistic array of multigenerational talent. And Wein is also partnering in a new way on festival programming at many of the year-round jazz clubs. He’s booking the talent and paying the bands, letting the clubs keep the door proceeds. Now how’s that for synergy?


The highlight of a slimmed-down Carnegie Hall series figures to be the June 24 Herbie Hancock, “Seven Decades: The Birthday Celebration” the pianist with Terence Blanchard, Bill Cosby, Joe Lovano, Wayne Shorter and others. There’s a free outdoor concert June 23 at Central Park’s SummerStage featuring the McCoy Tyner Quartet featuring Ravi Coltrane, Esperanza Spalding and Francisco Mela plus the Stanley Clarke Band featuring firecracker pianist Hiromi (pictured).


Tickets for Carnegie Hall and Town Hall concerts go on sale March 22.

Welcome back, George. New York certainly will be abuzz and vibrant, just as Newport was last August.

CDs of Note…

Lionel Loueke, Mwaliko (Blue Note)
Singer-guitarist Lionel Loueke’s newest project is an exotic and interesting blend of jazz and the native music of West Africa, produced with a rotation of guest artists from both overlapping genres. They include, on two tracks apiece, fellow Benin native Angelique Kidjo (on “Ami O” and “Vi Ma Yon”), bassist-singer Richard Bona (a Cameroon native) on “Wishes” and Hide Life,” and bassist-singer Esperanza Spalding on the enchanting “Twins” and “Flying.” Interspersed with the duo pieces, three trio tracks combine the talents of Loueke with bassist Massimo Biolcati and drummer Ferenc Nemeth. My favorites are the interplay of Bona and Loueke on the closing track, “Hide Life” and Loueke’s intimate guitar and drums (Marcus Gilmore) reworking of Wayne Shorter’s “Nefertiti.” As the tune moves along, Loueke boils it down gradually to its melodic essence - eventually settling on the impact of three key notes. The CD title, Mwaliko, means “invitation” in Swahili. It is most fitting for thus essentially duo project with talented good friends.

Carl Fischer & Organic Groove Ensemble, Adverse Times (Fischmusic)
Don’t pigeonhole this CD. Just enjoy it. Carl Fischer’s CD is likely to find a comfortable home on mainstream jazz and instrumental pop charts because of the leader’s pedigree. He toured early in his career with Maynard Ferguson and leads his own Organic Groove Ensemble from his Long Island NY home base when not touring with Billy Joel or subbing in Broadway pit bands. Fischer’s sound is strong and sure - without the constant high-octane, ear-cleansing notes of a Ferguson performance. He can hit it once in a while for impact, particularly on the title track. Other great treats here are the work of guitarist Jay Azzolina and the Hammond B3 work of Ron Oswanski. While the CD contains mostly Fischer originals, the covers here include Marcus Miller’s “Tutu” composition recorded by Miles Davis, and extended versions of Billy Joel’s “Downeaster Alexa” and “Elegy for the Fishermen.”

Various Artists, Putumayo Presents Rhythm & Blues (Putumayo World Music)
Since 1993, Putumayo World Music has been specializing in compilation discs featuring music from specific countries, regions or styles. Its newest in the series, Rhythm & Blues, is terrific because it blends classic tunes and artists with some of the contemporary singers and players touching on the R&B genre. Examples: Lavelle White’s version of “I’ve Never Found a Man to Love,” James Hunter’s original “’Til Your Fool Comes Home,” Sam Moore, Keb’ Mo’ and Angie Stone’s rollicking remake of “Wang Dang Doodle,” Catherine Russell’s take on Sam Cooke’s “Put Me Down Easy” and Irma Thomas’s collaboration with pianist Henry Butler on John Fogerty’s “River is Waiting.” There are a dozen such gems.

Reminders of the future of jazz

For those naysayers and/or moldy figs who say, perhaps tongue-in-cheek, that jazz is dead, don’t buy it. The music isn’t even on life support, given the attention and interest it receives from music educators and their serious students at college, high school and lower levels.

Jazz at Lincoln Center’s Essentially Ellington” competition each May draws perhaps the most fanfare. But it certainly holds no monopoly.

Consider last weekend’s Charles Mingus High School Competition at the Manhattan School of Music, where schools from New England dominated the winner’s circle.

Among Mingus’s compositions performed were “Goodbye Pork Pie Hat,” “Fables of Faubus,” “Better Get Hit in Your Soul,” “Jelly Roll” and “Ecclusiastics.”

Competition co-founder Sue Mingus, the bassist’s widow and musical champion, said: “For years, Mingus’s music was thought to be too difficult to perform, and today, the spirit and vitality that was heard by all of the young musicians playing Mingus’s music was really thrilling.”

The winning ensembles included:

• Best Big Band – Regular High School: The Rivers Big Band, The Rivers School; Weston, Massachusetts (Philippe Crettienne, director).
• Best Big Band – Specialized School: Academy Big Band, Greater Hartford Academy of the Arts; Hartford, Connecticut (Douglas Maher, director).
• Mingus Spirit Award: Rio Americano Combo, Rio Americano High School, Sacramento, California. (Maxwell Kiesner, director).
• Best Combo – Regular High School: Foxborough High School Jazz Quintet, Foxborough, Massachusetts (Stephen C. Massey, director).
• Best Combo – Specialized High School: Manasia Improv Ensemble, Manhattan School of Music Precollege (Jeremy Manasia, director).
  

Congratulations to these winners, as well as the winners of best arranger, and outstanding and section categories from this nationwide competition.

Berklee Festival is right around the corner
It is also good to note that in less than a month – March 13 – Boston’s Berklee College of Music will host its 42nd annual High School Jazz Festival, with 200 bands and 3,000 musicians expected to compete for $175,000 in partial scholarships to Berklee’s Five-Week Summer Performance Program.

The Hynes Convention Center event will also feature free clinics by trombonist and producer Delfeayo Marsalis, drummer Peter Erskine and trumpeter Eric Miyashiro, as well as performances by the Crescent Super Band, an internationally touring all-star high school ensemble from Utah, Berklee's Concert Jazz Orchestra, Global Jazz Institute, City Music, Salsa, and P-Funk ensembles. New this year is Band Slam, a non-competing category for students who play non-jazz styles, ranging from hip-hop to bluegrass.

For more information, visit: http://www.berklee.edu/events/hsjazzfest

CDs of Note…

Sheryl Bailey, A New Promise (MCG Jazz)
New York-based guitarist Sheryl Bailey teamed with the Three Rivers Jazz Orchestra in her native Pittsburgh for this session, which was developed as a tribute to late guitarist Emily Remler, who Bailey feels paved the way for her and other female guitarists. My favorites: her versions of three Remler-written tunes - the Wes Montgomery tribute ”East to Wes,” and the Samba-tinged “Mocha Spice” and “Carenia” - plus Bailey’s own “Miekaniemi” and rather elegiac title track “A New Promise.” This CD has a lot going for it on multiple levels. The big band and soloist support is terrific.

Rose Colella Trio, Small Hours (Lola Bard)
Chicago-based singer Rose Colella tackles an array of American Songbook chestnuts on this debut CD, released in mid-2009. She’s a veteran of quite of a few of the Windy City’s jazz clubs and bistros, and has a pleasant, enjoyable voice. My favorite tunes of the 11 tracks are “After You’ve Gone” and Blossom Dearie’s “Blossom’s Blues.” This project with guitarist Dan Effland and bassist Joe Policastro is a splendid showcase for Effland’s inventive playing and solo artistry. Colella comes by her love of song quite honestly. Her grandmother, and label namesake, Lola Bard was a 1930s singer who recorded with Bobby Hackett and The Original Dixieland Jazz Band.

Big Crazy Energy New York Band, Inspirations (Rosa)
Norwegian-born, New York-based trombonist Jens Wendelboe picked the perfect name for his robust band. It is big, it is based in the Big Apple and it has a crazy sort of energy as it works its way through a blend of originals by the leader, three jazz standards (compliments of Joe Henderson, Scott Lafaro and Billy Cobham) and Lennon and McCartney’s “A Day in the Life.” There’s also a beautiful extended rendition (featuring a fiery solo by trumpeter Vinnie Cutro) of the traditional “Dear Old Stockholm”, which many jazz players have used as a wonderful improvisation vehicle through the years. My favorite: the band’s thorough exploration of the aforementioned Beatles classic. Wendelboe is a great leader and player. He’s also a Blood, Sweat and Tears instrumentalist and musical director for disco diva Donna Summer. This is a February 16 release.

Geaux Saints, with a trumpeter’s fanfare

Once in a while, jazz and popular culture conveniently cross paths. And how fitting that it was on the sporting world’s biggest stage last weekend with the NFL’s Super Bowl XLIV festivities.

CBS’s pre-game broadcast leading up to the New Orleans Saints' gritty, stunning - and most welcome - win over the Colts included Wynton Marsalis’s music-and-spoken word tribute to The Big Easy, and the Saints organization's perseverence through 43 years of suffering before this season.

He did a masterful job of putting the spirit of his beloved city in perspective. And today… it was live-streamed out to the jazz world and other Marsalis followers after an online conversation with the trumpeter/bandleader/Jazz at Lincoln Center Artistic Director on Ustream.

“Down on the Bayou where the mighty Mississippi kisses Lake Pontchartrain and spills into the Gulf of Mexico. There sits that jewel of the Southland. What the French lost to the British who gave it to the Spanish who lost it back to the French who sold it to America for…. Well, some folks say Jefferson conned Napoleon in a card game and won it for some jambalaya and a chicory coffee….” Read more about the ‘haints and the Saints’

here on Wynton's Web site.

Yes, the musical sage captured it perfectly… a unique city in America, a city of struggles, a team of struggles - and pride and perseverance.

Sunday’s improbable victory signaled more - and shined a spotlight back on a city that, with a new mayor-elect ready to take office, that does and will continue to persevere - and someday flourish again post-Katrina. Its spirit is undeniable and unstoppable.

The music hasn’t lost a beat… as it provides the essential rhythm. So how fitting that Mardi Gras began nine days early this year. How uplifting for New Orleans, its team, its residents and its longtime admirers and visitors.

CDs of Note…

Whitney James, The Nature of Love (Damselfly Productions)
Singer Whitney James’s debut CD is a dandy. The singer, who divides her non-touring time between Florida and New York City, has a very good handle on the essential jazz vocal qualities that elude so many aspirants - phrasing, timing, and a shading / shaping / twisting emphasis on the lyrics in ways that better serve the material. And she knows how to become part of the band, not use it as ornamentation, or vice-versa. She’s got wonderful teammates here - with Ingrid Jensen on trumpet and flugelhorn, Joshua Wolff on piano, Matt Clohesy on bass and Jon Wikan on drums, to explore songs that all tough on aspects of love. Jensen’s playing is masterful, whether she is soloing or comping behind James. The clear highlight is their work on the Benny Golson classic “Whisper Not.” I also love Jensen’s poignant horn work on Jimmy Rowles’ “The Peacocks.” She and James make a great team - and James’s project is richer for her creative support.

Jamie Cullum, The Pursuit (Verve)
Not strictly jazz, too sophisticated for pure pop, and enough energy and showmanship to power a small city. That about sums up the talented Brit Jamie Cullum. You’ve got to love his charm and enthusiasm - and way with a song - regardless of whether you enjoy his in-concert piano gymnastics. His latest recording, The Pursuit, is his first in four years - and it is quite interesting. It’s a blend of standards and originals - and a few pop/rock covers. I particularly like the opener, a Frank Wess-arranged version of “Just One of Those Things” (recorded in live performance with the Count Basie Orchestra) and his version of Rhianna’s 2007 hit single “Don’t Stop the Music.” The latter song’s incessant energy could be a Cullum anthem. He also takes on current economic events with his own “Wheels” (key refrain: The wheels are falling off the world”). This a March 2 U.S. release, though it has been out since November in the U.K.

John Stein, Raising the Roof (Whaling City Sound)
Boston-based guitarist John Stein is a mainstreamer whose music always swings hard in service to the melody. This time out, he’s working with Koichi Sato keyboards, John Lockwood bass and Brazil’s Zé Eduardo Nazario on drums. It is a fine, empathetic band tackling Stein’s new arrangements on seven jazz standards, plus two very nice originals: “Elvin!” and “Wild Woods.” The re-arrangements are interesting. For example, they accelerate the tempo on Horace Silver’s classic “Nica’s Dream” without diminishing the tune’s beauty. Conversely, he takes a laid-back approach to Thad Jones’s “A Child is Born.” Stein is an inventive veteran player deserving far-greater recognition. If you’re not yet familiar, do give him a listen. He’s creative and his music is solid, harmonically and melodically inventive - and pleasant.

Grammy/jazz reprise

For those of you lacking the courage or patience to endure the glitz and non-music that dominate the Grammy Awards, here is a rundown of Sunday night’s winners in the jazz-related categories. Congrats to every one of the fine nominees as well.

How sad that jazz doesn’t get a significant place on the Grammy stage anymore. It was great , however, to see Clark Terry present for his Lifetime Achievement Award acknowledgement. The Recording Academy comp’ed him a room - but how unfortunate that Clark had to pony up the airfare from the East Coast for himself, his wife and his nurse who accompanies whenever he travels now.

Here are the winners:

Best Jazz Instrumental Album, Individual or Group

Five Peace Band - Live

Chick Corea & John McLaughlin Five Peace Band (Concord Jazz)

Best Contemporary Jazz Album
75
Joe Zawinul & The Zawinul Syndicate (Heads Up International)

Best Jazz Vocal Album

Dedicated To You: Kurt Elling Sings the Music of Coltrane and Hartman

Kurt Elling (Concord Jazz)

Best Large Jazz Ensemble Album

Book One

New Orleans Jazz Orchestra (World Village)

Best Latin Jazz Album -Vocal or Instrumental
Juntos Para Siempre

Bebo Valdés and Chucho Valdés (Sony Music/Calle 54)

Best Improvised Jazz Solo
Dancin' 4 Chicken

Terence Blanchard

Track from Watts (Jeff "Tain" Watts) (Dark Key Music)

Best Instrumental Arrangement

West Side Story Medley

Bill Cunliffe, arranger (Resonance Big Band)

Track from Resonance Big Band Plays Tribute To Oscar Peterson (Resonance Records)

Best Instrumental Arrangement Accompanying Vocalist(s)

Quiet Nights

Claus Ogerman, arranger, track from Diana Krall’s Quiet Nights (Verve)

Best Pop Instrumental Album
Potato Hole

Booker T. Jones (Anti)

Best Pop Instrumental Performance

Throw Down Your Heart

Béla Fleck

Track from Throw Down Your Heart: Tales From The Acoustic Planet, Vol. 3 - Africa Sessions (Rounder)

Best Contemporary World Music Album Vocal or Instrumental
Throw Down Your Heart: Tales From The Acoustic Planet, Vol. 3 - Africa Sessions

Béla Fleck (Rounder)

Best Traditional Pop Vocal Album
Michael Bublé Meets Madison Square Garden

Michael Bublé (143/Reprise)

Best Rock Instrumental Performance

A Day In The Life

Jeff Beck,track from Performing This Week...Live At Ronnie Scott's (Eagle Records)

Best Album Notes
The Complete Louis Armstrong Decca Sessions (1935-1946)

Dan Morgenstern, album notes writer Mosaic Records)

Best Historical Album
The Complete Chess Masters (1950-1967)

Andy McKaie, compilation producer; Erick Labson, mastering engineer. Hip-O Select/Geffen Records)

Best Classical Crossover Album

Yo-Yo Ma & Friends: Songs Of Joy And Peace

Yo-Yo Ma wiith Odair Assad, Sergio Assad, Chris Botti, Dave Brubeck, Matt Brubeck, John Clayton, Paquito d'Rivera, Renée Fleming, Diana Krall, Alison Krauss, Natalie McMaster, Edgar Meyer, Cristina Pato, Joshua Redman, Jake Shimabukuro, Silk Road Ensemble, James Taylor, Chris Thile, Wu Tong, Alon Yavnai & Amelia Zirin-Brown. (Sony Classical)

Note: I threw in Jeff Beck for two reasons, even though he won in an instrumental rock category. 1) He recorded his CD at Ronnie Scott’s. 2) He had a super jazz-related performance on the telecast with a Les Paul tribute performance – playing “How High the Moon” – on a Les Paul model guitar, of course.

One thing that doesn’t really make sense to me
You’ll note the category for Best Latin Jazz Album - Vocal or Instrumental.
Latin Jazz is also a part of the now-10-years-old Latin Grammy Awards. Why the duplication? And if it is so necessary, why don’t we have separate nights for Bluegrass Grammys, Blues Grammys, Classical Grammys, Folk Grammys, Jazz Grammys, Movie Soundtrack Grammys and Grab-Your-Crotch & Rhyme Grammys, etc.?

I’m curious why one genre gets its own separate night but NOTeach of the others. Then again, we are talking about a mainstream entertainment awards event.

I think I just answered my own question.

Parris takes the music south

No matter that there was another Arctic blast of winter in New England, singer Rebecca Parris packed in a full house at Chan's in Woonsocket RI Saturday evening with a heated set that had us feeling like we were in Rio.

The Boston-based singer, always a huge draw at Chan's, was joined by saxophonist Dan Moretti, pianist Tim Ray, bassist Dave Zinno and drummer Steve Langone for a heart-warming and solid evening.

They took a blend of American Songboook and jazz standards - and performed them with a variety of Brazilian rhythms. Parris was in her element, a master of working the beat with her uncanny phrasing and sense of time.

The first set explored "Speak Low," "Darn That Dream," "I Fall in Love Too Easily," "You Don't Know What Love Is" and quite appropriately Tom Jobim's classic "Dindi" - with a Parris storytelling twist - and "Chega de Saudade" (No More Blues).

Parris has taken a hit with health issues over the last few years, but it hasn't affected her singing. Hallelujah.

CDs of Note…

Roberto Magris & The Europlane Orchestra, Current Views (Soul Note)
Italian pianist Roberto Magris keeps rolling out great recordings that should afford him much more recognition in the United States as well as abroad. And this is no exception. Current Views features Magris with his Europlane Orchestra, a small big band whose size varies from sextet to septet to octet as the robust sound requires. The gems here include “The Storyteller” (an extended piece that features a guest appearance by guitarist Philip Catherine), his uptempo”React!,” the high-energy, Latin-tinged “Hombres,” “Steady Mood” and “For Naima,” which Magris wrote for his daughter. The mood-setting writing and the musicianship here are very fine indeed.

Omar Sosa & NDR Bigband, Ceremony (Otá)
Every Omar Sosa performance swings deeply and is imbued with mystical/spiritual elements that are ingrained in his being and his music. Ceremony explores 10 of the pianist’s original compositions – pieces in which the music is also in service to the Orishas, the Yoruban gods of his native Cuba who are his guideposts and sometimes his inspiration. Sosa, in his brief notes, refers to music as “the voice of my soul.” Germany’s excellent NDR Bigband tapped into the expressive elements at work here, adding even more depth to Sosa’s pieces, with arrangements by cellist Jaques Morelenbaum. My favorites: “Yemaya En Egua Larga” (on which Sosa plays piano and marimba), “Cha Con Marimba” (with a fiery trombone solo by Dan Gottschall), the Thelonious-inspired “Monkurú” and one of his new works, “Salida Con Elegba.” This is a February 9, 2010 release.

RG Royal Sound Orchestra, Impact (RG Records)
Here’s a genre-bending, genre blending salute to a dozen of the most enduring pop melodies of the past 50 years or so – from “As Time Goes By” to “My Way” and “Hotel California.” The treatment is most unusual, in which it takes the jazz and Afro-Cuban big band format, and adds a strong dollop of flamenco. The Miami-based orchestra, assembled by Recaredo Gutiérrez, is enhanced by the strong soloing of tenor saxophonist Ed Calle and trumpeter Adalberto Lara (“Trompetica”). “Macarena” was included as an enduring pop melody – perhaps inescapable is a better term. It’s treatment might have been interesting if they had resisted the temptation to add vocals. This is a February 10, 2010 release.