A spirited finale to jazz club's fifth season

Al Hixon

The South County Jazz Club wrapped up its fifth season on Thursday, March 31, with a splendid concert by the latest edition of drummer Al Hixon's "Underheard Herd."

That's a fitting name for his band, which generally includes a player or two who have been under-exposed in the area, or who are so good, you never tire of hearing them.

The matinee event at the Venice Art Center teamed Hixon with ex-Ellington bassist John Lamb, pianist Dick Reynolds (longtime house pianist at Mr. Kelly's in Chicago), tenor saxophonist Jim Wellen and St. Petersburg-based trumpeter James Suggs, who moved to Florida a couple of years ago after an eight-year residency in Argentina.

James Suggs

It was Suggs' first Venice Art Center appearance since last June, when he headlined a Louis Armstrong tribute evening. He is a young man with an old soul. He digs deep into the jazz repertoire to revisit material - and imbues it with great finesse and bright, clean melodic lines. The concert paired him with Wellen, a terrific swing-style tenor player whose sound is reminiscent of a couple of relative youngsters - Scott Hamilton and Harry Allen.

Jim Wellen, John Lamb

Suggs' shining moments included the band's takes on "The Very Thought of You," Lil Hardin Armstrong's 1922 classic "Struttin' With Some Barbecue," "St. James Infirmary" and an encore tease - the high-energy introduction to "West End Blues," another Satchmo-related gem.
 
Reynolds treated the crowd to a solo rendition of an original ballad, "Reflections," that was both pensive and lovely.

Dick Reynolds, Jim Wellen, James Suggs, John Lamb, AL Hixon

 

Reaching out to casual jazz listeners

Guitarist and singer Tony Boffa has an easy-going way of drawing listeners to jazz, whether they realize it - or not.

Tony Boffa

While he was working in the Portland, Maine area as a music educator for many years, he also had his own in-demand band that played weddings and jazz gigs dating to the mid-1970s. Since retiring to southwest Florida in 2014, Boffa, 65, has been playing jazz exclusively, but drawing on his immense repertoire to build a musical bridge for casual listeners.

He's the Saturday night headliner at JD's Bistro in Port Charlotte FL, an upscale gourmet restaurant that features jazz six nights a week. It has an atmosphere rivaling the finest New York City supper clubs. He also performs on Fridays at the Roadhouse Cafe in Fort Myers.

You'll hear a few jazz chestnuts or standards from the Great American Songbook - rarely repeated from week to week or even month to month. Scattered among them, and just as prevalent, are songs drawn from the pop, rock and blues repertoires.

Mac Chrupcala, Tony Boffa

Examples? A couple of Saturdays ago, Boffa included the Harry Belafonte hit "Jamaica Farewell," Delbert McClinton's "Got To Get It Worked On" and two classic TV theme songs: one from "I Love Lucy" and "Those Were The Days" from "All in the Family."

Listeners are familiar with the original versions, but have never heard them in this context - arranged as jazz instrumentals and featuring extended, improvised solos. Even the members of his backing trio have never played a lot of these gems in a jazz context before. 

That concept keeps the band fresh and lively in the same way that Boffa has made jazz more accessible and interesting for a wide range of listeners. He delivers his music with an engaging but not overbearing vocal style, and excellent mainstream guitar chops. And the band stretches out mightily.

Bravo.

Jazz pianist shows what he's made of

Pianist Cyrus Chestnut shared an keen understanding of jazz improvisation at a South County Jazz Club concert in Sarasota FL on Saturday, March 19: He called it "composition at a rapid pace with no erasers."

Cyrus Chestnut

Then for the next 90 minutes or so, he gave a dazzling display of the art form in a solo piano concert at the Glenridge Performing Arts Center. Chestnut crafted a series of extended improvisational gems built on or stretching five instrumental jazz classics, one classical piece, several songs from the Great American Songbook and a couple of gospel tunes. 

Whether he is playing actual gospel music or merely adding his own gospel feel to a variety of jazz standards, the genre is embedded in Chestnut's musical psyche. He began playing the piano at age 3, was performing in his family's church in Baltimore at 7 and by 9 was promoted to church pianist. 

Chestnut, now 53, has worked in a wide variety of bands over the past three decades and led his own trio. But he said he gets a particular thrill from performing without any accompaniment: "You really find out what you're made of when you strip it all away and do it yourself."

The result was musical risk taking at its finest. Most every tune he selected was reworked with teasing introductions and extensions, as well as clever chordal and melodic twists - all of that delivered with contrasting thunder and delicacy.

His take on "Polkadots and Moonbeams" included a dalliance with the distinctive melody from "Think!," better known as the theme music to TV's "Jeopardy!" game show. "Jeopardy!" creator Merv Griffin originally wrote it as a lullaby for his son.

Other gems included Chestnut's interpretations of "The Old Rugged Cross,"  a blues and gospel-drenched version of vibes player Milt Jackson's "Bag's Groove," Charlie Parker's bebop standard "Yardbird Suite" and pianist Ray Bryant's "Tonk," which the composer named after a card game he used to play.

The finest moment was Chestnut's teasing, twisting take on the jazz classic "Body and Soul." As he dug deep into various aspects of the tune, he barely hinted at the melody until the end. It became a puzzle to keep the audience guessing - until the pianist dropped in the final few pieces. Even Chestnut was amazed by what the process revealed. "I just played 'Body and Soul' like I've never played it before in my life," he said. 

Chestnut's performance earned him a standing ovation. But he had little time to savor it, flying well before dawn to perform Sunday at the 2016 Puerto Rico Heineken Jazz Festival. 

Harry Allen - Part B

It was most fitting that the South County Jazz Club featured tenor saxophonist Harry Allen on Tuesday, March 15 at a free concert to thank members for their support over the past five years. Allen was the first big-name jazz artist presented in the club's inaugural season when he appeared with guitarist Nate Najar.

Allen, Kilgore

This latest event, held at the Unitarian Universalist Church in Venice, featured Allen with his New York-based band (pianist Bill Cunliffe, bassist Joel Forbes and drummer Kevin Kanner), plus singer Rebecca Kilgore as special guest. It was the final night of a five-concert Florida tour that included stops in Avon Park, Vero Beach, St. Petersburg and Port Charlotte.

Saxophonist's "A Team" delivers a night filled with musical gems

A touring jazz saxophonist's lot often means solitary travel to a distant city or country- and working with a local or regional rhythm section with whom they may or may not be familiar.

Harry Allen, Rebecca Kilgore

The fine swing tenor Harry Allen had none of that uncertainty for his March 14 appearance in the Charlotte County Jazz Society's concert series. Allen brought his own New York-based band to Port Charlotte as part of a five-concert Florida tour. His ace rhythm section included the superb pianist Bill Cunliffe, bassist Joel Forbes and drummer Kevin Kanner. He also shared the spotlight with a special guest, Portland, Oregon-based singer Rebecca Kilgore.

A jazz trombonist who thrives in her two worlds

Louise Wilson

Pianist Mac Chrupcala's quartet concert on Thursday, March 10, in the South County Jazz Club's matinee series at the Venice Art Center introduced most in the room to a new face on the Southwest Florida jazz scene.

Trombonist Louise Wilson is spending the winter and a good chunk of the spring on the Gulf Coast. This snowbird is making the most of her playing opportunities until she and her husband head back to Colorado in May.

Newport's jazz beat keeps rolling on....

George Wein

Producer George Wein and his team make a big splash in January when they announce the lineup for the Newport Jazz Festival, long considered the granddaddy of outdoor music festivals. But it was only a tease in some ways. Read on.

The 2016 edition, scheduled July 29-31, has a vast array of talent, including Chick Corea's all-star trio, singers Gregory Porter, Tierney Sutton (festival debut), Jose James and Angelique Kidjo; saxophonists Charles Lloyd, Donny McCaslin and Kamasi Washington (debut); pianists Toshiko Akiyoshi, Kenny Barron, Sullivan Fortner (debut), Robert Glasper and Rossano Sportiello (debut); the bands The Bad Plus, Galactic (debut), Kneebody, Darcy James Argue's Secret Society, the John Scofield/Joe Lovano Quintet, and the Chris Potter-Dave Holland-Lionel Loueke-Eric Harland Supergroup; among many others. 

CDs of Note - Short Takes

Taking a look at new CD releases by Greg Abate & Phil Woods, Acme Jazz Garage, Lisa Hilton, the Thad Jones/Mel Lewis Orchestra and Matt Kane…

Digging deep into the roots of jazz

Skip Conkling

No matter your style preference, it is good once in a while for all jazz listeners to go back to the source material - the roots, if you will. Drummer Skip Conkling's band, Skip's Dixie Mix, provided the itinerary on Thursday, February 25, and had toes a-tapping at a South County Jazz Club matinee concert at the Venice Art Center.

His septet rolled through an extensive series of Dixieland tunes, but Conkling also made space for a riveting boogie-woogie spotlight for pianist Bill Buchman. The Sarasota-area band included Conkling, Buchman, Bill Carmichael on clarinet and soprano sax, Marv Luckett on trombone, Joe Miller on trumpet and cornet, Mike Evans on banjo and vocals, and John Dewitt on bass.

Looking Ahead: Southwest Florida jazz preview

Here is a rundown of noteworthy jazz events, principally in the Sarasota to Naples territory, from now through mid-May.

Diego Figueiredo

• March 6-12 – Jazz Club of Sarasota‘s 36^th annual Sarasota Jazz Festival. This year's major concerts feature the Naples Jazz Orchestra with trumpeter Byron Stripling; guitarist Diego Figueiredo and clarinetist Ken Peplowski; trombonist Wycliffe Gordon; and a Dick Hyman-led all-star band that includes guitarists Howard Alden and Russell Malone. These 7:30 p.m. concerts are at the Riverview High School Performing Arts Center in Sarasota.
• Wednesday, March 9 – Flutist Hubert Laws joins the Naples Philharmonic Jazz Orchestra for the sextet’s  monthly All That Jazz concert. Daniels Pavilion, 6 and 8:30 p.m. Across the courtyard, trumpeter Chris Botti guests with the Naples Philharmonic Orchestra at Hayes Hall, 8 p.m.
• Sunday, March 13 – Singer Tony Bennett in concert. Hayes Hall, Artis Naples, 8 p.m.
• Monday, March 14 – Saxophonist Harry Allen’s quintet featuring singer Rebecca Kilgore. Charlotte County Jazz Society‘s Artists Series. Cultural Center of Charlotte County, Port Charlotte. 7 p.m.
• Tuesday, March 15 14 – Saxophonist Harry Allen’s quintet featuring singer Rebecca Kilgore. South County Jazz Club concert at Unitarian Church, 1971 Pinebrook Road, Venice.

  

  Cyrus Chestnut

• Saturday, March 19 – Pianist Cyrus Chestnut makes his first South County Jazz Club appearance. Glenridge Performing Arts Center, Sarasota, 7.p.m.
• Tuesday, April 5 – Trumpeter Chris Botti. Van Wezel Performing Arts Center, Sarasota, 8 p.m.
• Monday, April 11 – The Dave Morgan quartet and the Bob Zottola quartet are featured in this Charlotte County Jazz Society Artists Series 2015-16season finale. Cultural Center of Charlotte County. 7 p.m.
• Wednesday, April 27 – Cornetist Warren Vaché joins the Naples Philharmonic Jazz Orchestra for the sextet’s monthly All That Jazz concert. Daniels Pavilion, 6 and 8:30 p.m.
• Wednesday, May 11 – The Naples Philharmonic Jazz Orchestra (actually a sextet) pays tribute to late pianist and composer Horace Silver at its monthly All That Jazz concert. Daniels Pavilion, 6 and 8:30 p.m.

Several local restaurants (including J.D.’s in Port Charlotte, The Orange House in Punta Gorda, Fandango in Sarasota and The Roadhouse in Ft. Myers, offer jazz steadily. A variety of matinee concerts sponsored all season by the Jazz Club of Sarasota and the South County Jazz Club also keep things swinging for jazz lovers.

Celebrating the rhythmic essence and varieties of tropical jazz

Since departing the New York jazz scene more than 25 years ago, guitarist Steve Uscher has immersed himself in what he calls tropical jazz - the varied but often-sultry music originating in Argentina, Brazil and Cuba, as well as a few other Caribbean locales. After his Big Apple days working on Broadway shows, in jazz clubs and backing vocal headliners, he moved to the U.S. Virgin Islands and spent five years playing jazz, calypso and reggae on the resort hotel circuit. 

Steve Uscher

For the past 20 years or so, he's been based in Naples, FL, where he and singer-percussionist Winnie Purple perform as a duo three to five nights a week at the Ritz Carlton's Lobby Bar. A few times a year, when schedule and opportunities permit, Uscher assembles his full-blown Tropical Jazz Group. He brought its latest version to the Charlotte County Jazz Society's concert series on February 8 in his first CCJS appearance since 2008.

Papo Valentin

Besides Uscher and Purple, the band included trumpeter Dan Miller, the inventive percussionist Edwin "Papo" Valentin,  bassist Daniel Navarro and drummer Darrell Nutt. While Uscher and Purple have a fine rapport from working together so frequently, the added instrumental firepower revealed a sextet bubbling with energy and invention. 

Uscher's wide-ranging techniques and mastery of the acoustic guitar always are something to savor. Over two long sets, the music ranged between exotic and romantic, sultry and cool, whether they were playing Latin American material or adding a Latin tinge to familiar jazz tunes and popular songbook material. It was a night peppered with exotic rhythms, including bolero, bossa nova, cha cha, mambo and tango, as well as the samba-like afoxe propelling Dori Caymmi's "Obsession."

Winnie Purple

Uscher and Purple performed two tunes each set as a duo. They included Baden Powell's "Berimbao," the exquisite Dizzy Gillespie ballad "Con Alma," a Latin take on Henry Mancini's "Moon River" and an exotic tango, "Kiss of Fire."


Other gems included a Latinized version of Blue Mitchell's "Fungi Mama," two bossas - Ivan Lins' "Velas Icadas" and Antonio Carlos Jobim's "The Girl from Ipanema," Clare Fischer's "Morning," and a fine pairing of Joaquin Rodrigo's "Concierto de Aranjuez" (the hallmark piece from Miles Davis' Sketches of Spain project) with Chick Corea's "Spain." Other treats: a cha cha version of Herbie Hancock's "Cantaloupe Island" and the high-energy closer, "Mambo Yoyo."

Dan Miller

Purple added many percussion touches all night and was equally charming whether singing in English, Portuguese or Spanish. Miller, a Harry Connick Jr. and Maynard Ferguson alumnus, added his soulful trumpet sound and some stunning extended high notes as needed. He was featured on "Cherokee" and the ballad "My One and Only Love," which the band performed as a bolero. 

Navarro, Uscher, Purple

 Navarro may have felt like he was under a microscope, sharing the stage with two of his music teachers (Uscher and Miller) - and his mother (Purple). Navarro and Uscher were locked into a deep groove all, and the bassist also blended well  with the three percussion players. The percussionists complemented each other, adding both energy and subtle accents to the Tropical Jazz Group sound.

Valentin, Nutt, Navarro, Uscher, Purple, Miller

Jazz versatility with a bit of a brogue

Paul Duffy

Paul Duffy has had a charmed life as a musician and entrepreneur. He played jazz in his native Ireland, but had to learn to play Irish music when he came to the U.S. in the 1980s. His career also included six years of touring with The Commitments rock band. Until it closed five years ago, he owned the Irish Rover pub, a music mecca in Sarasota. He continues to play music on the southwest Florida's Irish pub circuit.

Duffy has considerable jazz chops, as a singer and multi-instrumentalist. And those chops were in fine form Thursday, February 4, at a South County Jazz Club matinee concert at the Venice Art Center.

Matt Bokulic

Primarily playing a bebop style ontenor sax, Duffy also treated the audience to his trumpet and flute work on select tunes, backed by a mighty fine rhythm section: Matt Bokulic on piano, Joe Porter on bass and David Pruyn on drums. They also backed Duffy in his previous SCJC appearance in October 2013.

Joe Porter

Thursday's highlights included the band's skillful romp through "Autumn Leaves,"  Wayne Shorter's jazz classic "Footprints," and a version of Herbie Hancock's "Cantaloupe Island," on which Duffy traded the melody back and forth seamlessly between sax and trumpet.

He and the band also offered an update of Van Morrison's "Moondance," with Duffy featured on flute, vocals and a bit of scatting, and a blues take  on "Teach Me Tonight." With a romantic holiday just around the corner, they finished the show with "My Funny Valentine" - but played it as a high-energy samba.

David Pruyn

Duffy got his start as a musician in a family circus band in Ireland where, among other things, while he walked a tightrope while playing the sax. Jazz still provides him an interesting tightrope, with the rhythm section acting as the net. He never fell off the rope, but they were in synch with him all afternoon.

Bokulic, Porter, Duffy, Pruyn