in this issue - berman music foundation · what they should be playing as a solo-ist. i only give...

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New book tells "The Rest of the Story"

Book-signing continued on page 2

October 2009Vol. 14, Number 4

“The Rest of the Story” by AhmadAlaadeen, offers music instruction andjazz history.

KANSAS CITY, Mo.—AhmadAlaadeen has written a jazz instructionmanual called “The Rest of The Story,”which the Berman Music Foundationhelped to publish. It is a collection ofmusic and lessons the Kansas Citysaxophonist compiled over many years,with fascinating stories about his musiccareer. On Aug. 2, I attended a book-signing event at the Musician MutualInstitute.

It was also a celebration ofAlaadeen’s 75th birthday. A cross sec-tion of the Kansas City arts communitywas in attendance, including StanKessler of the Sons of Brasil andSharon Valleau of Kansas CityBarbeque and All That Jazz, which pro-vides hospitality services for visitorswho want to combine the food and themusic that have made this city famous.

As I walked into the room,Alaadeen was sitting at the back of themusic room with his saxophone sittingon a stand next to him. He was dressedto the nines—black suit, gold tie andhandkerchief and a fedora hat. His ap-pearance was very distinguished andthe whole atmosphere of the room re-minded me an old jazz club.

Alaadeen credits his family forpushing him to write and practice mu-

sic from an early age, but said that hecould not have published this book with-out the persistence of his long-time part-ner and manager, Fanny. His face lit upwhen he spoke of Fanny, whom he re-fers to in his book as “the heartbeatnext to mine.”

He also credits her for saving hislife. He had met Fanny after a gig whenshe asked him if he could introduce herto someone who could teach her howto play the saxophone. He volunteeredto be her teacher and they’ve been to-gether ever since. At that time he wassick and wouldn’t go to the doctor, butFanny insisted that he go. The newswas not good. When he finally got tothe doctor, he found out he had bladdercancer. She helped to nurse him back

By Grace Sankey-Berman ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○

Ahmad Alaadeen and Fanny at book-signing in Kansas City

Photo by G

race Sankey-B

erman

In this issueBMF history documented...................3Lincoln Center Jazz review.................4John Kay & Steppenwolf review.............5Andrea Marcovicci review......................6Wycliffe Gordon review......................7Mulgrew Miller Trio review................8Mark Eisenman Quintet review............9Les Paul memorial.............................10Johnny Smith birthday tribute............11Tomfoolery: Trip to Toronto.............12Jazz on Disc reviews.......................14Jazz Essentials, Part 1..........................17Feedback: Letters to the Editor............19From the Photo Archives....................20

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Berman Music Foundation Jazz

Book-signing continued from page 1

to health.His goal for writing a jazz manual

is to encourage upcoming jazz musi-cians to play from the heart and to bemore creative. Most of them train at“jazz factories” where they learn to playtechnically well but, he asked, “Whereis the beef?” The music usually lacksfeeling, he said. Yet, he remains excitedabout the future of jazz because of themany young musicians—like formerAlaadeen apprentice Logan Richard, asenior at the Paseo Academy of Visualand performing Arts—who are produc-ing great jazz.

His earlier influences includeCharlie “Bird” Parker, John Coltraneand Miles Davis. He first met Bird in1951 at a night club in Kansas City. Hesaid the alto saxophone master was abig guy who could play any song withany band without practice. That nightBird played with Woody Herman andwhen Woody asked Bird about whatsongs they should play he replied,“Whatever you want to play.” And theywent on to play great music.

Alaadeen plays tenor and sopranosaxophones, but alto mastered the flute,clarinet and oboe. He was overjoyedto play with old-timers like EllaFitzgerald, Billy Holiday, Rufus, and Jay

Ahmad Alaadeen’s skill as an edu-cator has been acknowledged by theBerman Music Foundation at least sinceDecember 1998, when the BMFbrought the renowned saxophonist fromhis home in Kansas City to conduct aseries of workshops at the Universityof Nebraska-Lincoln School of Music.

You can read my account of thatappearance in the January 1999 issueof the BMF newsletter. It was part per-sonal jazz history and part demonstra-tion of jazz style, with pianist TomLarson and bassist Rusty White accom-panying Alaadeen, who also proved awitty storyteller.

Noting that “jazz has been el-evated to America’s classical music,”he related his own less dignified intro-duction to the music. He said his par-ents and their generation thought youwould go to hell if you listened to jazz.

“Well, welcome to hell,” Alaadeendeadpanned.

His new book, “The Rest of theStory: Jazz Improvisation and History,”combines instruction for advanced stu-dents and a fascinating view of Kan-sas City jazz in the 1930s, 1940s and

1950s. Like his lectures, it includes per-sonal philosophy and an insider’s glimpseof some of the greats. He modestlyclaims to be a “street musician or onewho learned from the oral tradition bylistening to the musicians on the street,asking questions, going to jam sessions,and experimenting through trial and er-ror,” but he also received formal train-ing at R.T. Coles High School, wherehe studied music four hours a day.

Alaadeen stresses the importanceof an individual sound, a sound that isimpossible to achieve by acquiring aca-demic technique alone. The book of-fers many tips on how to reach thatunique sound, that personal identity.

“I’m a firm believer in the rule ofdiscovery,” he writes. “I never give myserious students a complete outline ofwhat they should be playing as a solo-ist. I only give examples of what I wastaught or other harmonies or chord for-mations that I discovered by extendingmy mind past what was given to me.”

The book ends with a series ofvignettes and historic photographs fea-turing Jay McShann, Miss Brown’s af-ter-hours club, R.T. Coles High School,

Musicians Union Local 627, the OrchidRoom, and Miles Davis.

As fellow Kansas City saxophon-ist and educator Bobby Watson writesin his testimonial blurb: “With this book,Alaadeen has opened the door to thecomplex mind of the jazz musician. Theinformation inside this book is extremelypersonal and informative at the sametime. It is very specific but still leavesroom for the user to discover for them-selves their own paths to self expres-sion using the information provided.”

For more information or to obtaina copy of “The Rest of the Story,” con-tact Fandeen Publishing Company at6610 W. 67th St., Overland Park, KS66202 or visit www.alaadeen.com.

Recommended listening:• “And the Beauty of It All: Bal-

lads,” Alaadeen, ASR Records (2007)• “New Africa Suite,” Alaadeen,

ASR Records (2005)• “Time Through the Ages,”

Ahmad Alaadeen, ASR Records (1997)• “Plays Blues for R.C. and

Josephine, Too” Alaadeen and theDeans of Swing (1995)

McShann in Kansas City. Over theyears he played in Chicago, Houston,New York, Denver and San Antonio.While living in Chicago he became aMuslim, which he credits for changinghis life. He even had a chance to playwith Miles but turned it down becauseof his new-found religion.

A great band consisting of someof Alaadeen’s students and RogerWilder on piano played throughout theevening. Alaadeen sat in with the bandand played two songs from his 2005“New Africa Suite” CD. The band con-tinued to play with various KC musi-cians sitting in while Alaadeenautographed books.

By Tom Ineck ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○

Alaadeen book combines instruction and jazz history

October 2009○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○

The BMF NewsletterThe BMF NewsletterThe BMF NewsletterThe BMF NewsletterThe BMF Newsletter ispublished online at:www.bermanmusicfoundation.orgThe offices and museum of TheTheTheTheTheBerman Music FoundationBerman Music FoundationBerman Music FoundationBerman Music FoundationBerman Music Foundationare in the Skylight Gallery, TheBurkholder Project, 719 P St.,Lincoln, NE 68508.

Editor and Designer:Editor and Designer:Editor and Designer:Editor and Designer:Editor and Designer:Tom Ineck

Contributing writersContributing writersContributing writersContributing writersContributing writers: DanDemuth, Tom Ineck and GraceSankey-Berman

Photographers:Photographers:Photographers:Photographers:Photographers: DanDemuth, Tom Ineck, GraceSankey-Berman, Claus Weidnerand others (Courtesy Photosand File Photos)

For inclusion of any jazz orblues related events, letters tothe editor or suggested articles,mail them to the office, phone(402) 261-5480 or [email protected].

To be added to our mailing list,call (402) 261-5480 [email protected].

The Butch BermanThe Butch BermanThe Butch BermanThe Butch BermanThe Butch BermanCharitable MusicCharitable MusicCharitable MusicCharitable MusicCharitable MusicFoundationFoundationFoundationFoundationFoundation is a non-profit, taxexempt, 501(c)(3) privatefoundation recognized by theInternal Revenue Service andthe Nebraska Department ofRevenue. It was established inthe spring of 1995 to protectand promote unique forms ofAmerican music.

Trustee:Trustee:Trustee:Trustee:Trustee: Tony Rager

Consultants:Consultants:Consultants:Consultants:Consultants: Grace Sankey-Berman, Russ Dantzler, KayDavis, Dan DeMuth, Tom Ineck,Gerald Spaits, Leslie Spaits andWade Wright

Thus wrote Butch Berman in hisfirst contribution to the BMF newslet-ter. He was addressing the need forcommunity support of live music, espe-cially jazz, but he also was expressingthe hope that this publication would makea difference. With the latest develop-ments, we are trying to ensure that hisvision for the BMF remains alive.

All available issues of the BMFnewsletter—65, at last count—arenow online in PDF format. For the firsttime since the foundation was formedin the spring of 1995, website visitorscan peruse its entire documented his-tory. Artist interviews, features on re-cording sessions, concert and CD re-views, travel stories, original photo-graphs and commentary of every sortare included, creating a panoramic viewof a whole era of jazz and other Ameri-can roots music, not only in Lincoln andOmaha, but in Kansas City, Mo., To-peka, Kan., Chicago, San Francisco,New York City and beyond.

Originally, the newsletter was pub-lished in a hard-copy edition only, andthen mailed to hundreds of jazz fansnationwide. As it grew in size—oftenexceeding 20 pages—the cost of print-ing and postage became prohibitive, soin January 2003 it became an online-only publication. Since then every issuehas been archived on the BMF website,but earlier issues remained rare andunavailable to the general reader.

Since its ragged but righteous,four-page debut in October 1995, thenewsletter has gone through manychanges. It quickly grew to eight, 10and 12 pages monthly, primarily as a

listing of upcoming local performances,brief CD reviews and editorial columns.The design became more attractive,going from two columns to three andadding more original photos, eventuallyin full color. Most recently, we adopteda new BMF logo for the newsletter, de-signed by a longtime friend of the foun-dation, Lincoln graphic artist ReynoldPeterson. A more generic symbol, itaffirms the BMF mission to protect andpromote all forms of American music.It soon will be adapted to the website.

My association with the BermanMusic Foundation began with thenewsletter’s July 1996 edition, forwhich I wrote a couple of CD reviews,an overview of that summer’s Jazz inJune concert series and a review of arecent performance by the DaveStryker Quintet in Omaha. From theperspective of more than 13 years later,it was an inauspicious beginning to avery important part of my life. It is verysatisfying that—finally—readers,friends and fans of the Berman MusicFoundation have the complete BMFopus at their fingertips. Read on!

BMF history documented online

○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○By Tom Ineck

“No negative thinking can be allowed, if our jazz garden is going tocontinue to bloom. If everyone is aware of how cool this really can be, itwill be a gasser.”

-- Butch Berman, BMF newsletter, November 1995

BMF newsletters from October 1995(left) and July 2009

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LINCOLN, Neb.—No othername on today’s jazz scene has theproven ability to fill nearly all of the 2,200seats at the Lied Center for Perform-ing Arts except Wynton Marsalis. Hehas done it before and he did it againOct. 7, fronting the formidable Jazz atLincoln Center Orchestra.

As the debut performance of theLied Center’s 20th anniversary season,it couldn’t have been a more auspiciousoccasion. The 15-piece big band hasbeen the resident jazz orchestra at Lin-coln Center since 1988, and under theleadership of the famed New Orleans-bred trumpeter it has established aworldwide reputation for excellence incomposing, arranging and instrumentalproficiency.

No prima donna, Marsalis leadsthe band from a seat in the back row,just another player in a star-studdedtrumpet section. He modestly played theleadership role simply by introducing thetunes and offering brief comments andproper credit for his many talented ar-rangers and soloists.

As an introductory nod to the Mid-western setting, the band kicked offwith a swinging version of the familiarchildren’s song “Old McDonald Had aFarm.” Saxophonist Ted Nash’s ar-rangement included simulated barnyardcried from the horns, a tenor sax soloby Walter Blanding and a growling,slurred trumpet statement by Marsalis,who deftly employed a derby mute forvocal effect. Remaining in the nursery,the band followed with a creepyMarsalis arrangement of “Itsy BitsySpider.” It could have been sub-titled“The Arachnid Blues,” with its crawl-ing pace, its colorful use of two flutesand clarinet and a plunger-muted trom-

bone solo.Marsalis finally tapped the stan-

dard jazz repertoire with WayneShorter’s “Free for All,” which hadoutstanding solos by Victor Goines ontenor sax, Elliott Mason on tromboneand Marcus Printup on trumpet. LouDonaldson’s “Blues Walk” was a trib-ute to the uniquely American music stylethat Marsalis referred to as “our na-tional anthem.” Indeed, the arrangementby alto saxophonist Sherman Irby wasrife with the blues, as he and pianist DanNimmer exchanged classic call-and-response phrases.

The orchestra opened the secondhalf of the concert with a piece Marsaliswrote for the Vitoria Jazz Festival inSpain. Rhythmic hand claps conveyeda flamenco feel, leading to a Marsalistrumpet solo, a swaggering baritone saxstatement by veteran Joe Temperleyand a trombone solo by VincentGardner. A pair of Thelonious Monktunes began with a Gardner arrange-ment of “Light Blue,” imaginatively fea-turing piccolos and clarinet and Nimmerfaithfully rendering the melody beforecontributing an original piano solo.Trombonist Chris Crenshaw arranged“Epistrophy” to feature Ted Nash onalto sax, Carlos Enriquez on bass andRyan Kisor on trumpet.

Kisor, 36, a native of Sioux City,

Iowa, is no stranger to Nebraska jazzfans who first witnessed his astound-ing skills as a teenaged guest soloist withthe Nebraska Jazz Orchestra. Confirm-ing what we have known about Kisorfor many years, Marsalis described himas “a freak of nature” on his horn, ca-pable of playing difficult lip exercisesthat no one else can perform. Consid-ering the source, that’s quite a compli-ment. Marsalis also thanked Kisor’sparents, who were in the audience.

From Duke Ellington’s late-period“New Orleans Suite,” Marsalis intro-duced “Portrait of Mahalia Jackson”with a slow, bluesy trumpet obbligato,muting the horn with a plunger. Thetrombones “shouted” in gospel fashion,and Irby turned in a soulful flute solo inkeeping with the African-Americanspiritual. It must be noted that drum-mer Ali Jackson contributed to everyperformance with a wide array of per-cussion skills, while remaining tastefuland unobtrusive.

A standing ovation brought a sex-tet of players back to the stage for abrief set combining a mid-tempo bluestune and a bebop blazer. Marsalis ledthe charge, with saxophone, trombone,piano, bass and drums in hot pursuit, anice contrast to the earlier orchestraljazz.

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Concert Review

Marsalis name draws full house at Lied

Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra with Wynton Marsalis (middle, with trumpet)

Courtesy P

hoto

October 2009○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○

LINCOLN, Neb.—The LaborDay appearance by John Kay andSteppenwolf at the Nebraska StateFair was almost as good as that magiccarpet ride we first took more than40 years ago.

These hardened road warriorshave shortened their tour schedule andeven spoken of retirement in recentyears, so it was a rare privilege to onceagain witness the full power andprowess of The Wolf, their youthful,65-year-old leader stalking the stagelike the band’s lupine namesake,growling the familiar lyrics in his trade-mark baritone. John Kay remains oneof the most vital proponents of themusic genre now known as Ameri-cana, a blend of blues, roots rock, folkand country influences.

Ironically, Kay (born JoachimFritz Krauledat in Tilsit, East Prussia)was first introduced to American rootsmusic via U.S. Armed Forces radioafter the family moved to East Ger-many. When he was 14, they relo-cated to Toronto, where he formedthe band Sparrow. After a brief stayin New York City, the band finallylanded in Los Angeles, changed theirname to Steppenwolf—after thenovel by Hermann Hesse—and re-leased their first record in 1968. Thesingle “Sookie Sookie” was the soul-ful cover of a song by Don Covay andSteve Cropper, but it was the follow-up hit, “Born to be Wild,” that put theband on the map.

In 2009, Kay and his veteranbandmates still kick off their concertswith “Sookie Sookie.” From there,they sampled the best from the entireSteppenwolf songbook. “Rock Me”and “Rock and Roll Rebels” captured

the band’s tradition of original good-time tunes. They paid homage to theblues with “Hoochie Coochie Man”and “Hey Lawdy Mama” and evendipped into country with the HankSnow classic “I’m Movin’ On,” whichKay first recorded for his 1972 solorelease “Forgotten Songs and UnsungHeroes.” It is his deep-seated respectfor the history of American music thatmakes Kay one of the great interpret-ers of song, as well as a formidablecomposer.

His most lasting contribution asa songwriter may be “Monster,” anine-minute suite that encapsulatesthe history of America—the good, thebad and the ugly. As Kay said in hisstage introduction, the song continuesto resonate 40 years after its releaseas the title track of Steppenwolf’s

most overtly political album.

“And though the past has its shareof injustice,Kind was the spirit in many a way,But its protectors and friends havebeen sleeping,Now it's a monster and will notobey.”

Or as Kay reminded his audi-ence, “The Constitution does not say‘We the corporations’ or ‘We the lob-byists.’ It says ‘We the people.’”

The set list also included fineperformances of Hoyt Axton’s anti-drug song “Snowblind Friend,” “WhoNeeds Ya,” “Ride With Me” and“Screaming Night Hog,” dedicated tothe band’s many biker friends. Sav-ing the best for last, they concludedwith “Magic Carpet Ride,” “Born tobe Wild,” and an encore rendition of“The Pusher,” also written by Axton.

The multitalented Michael Wilkhas anchored the essential keyboardrole since 1981, as well as providingharmony vocals and bass lines andeven maintaining the band’s website.Drummer Ron Hurst has been withthe band since 1984 and guitaristDanny Johnson joined in 1996. WithKay adding rhythm guitar, slide guitarand harmonica to the mix, these guyshave developed a high level of musi-cal compatibility and obvious cama-raderie.

For the complete Steppenwolfstory, narrated by Kay, see the 2008DVD “A Rock ‘n’ Roll Odyssey.”Using archival footage and interviewswith past and current band members,it chronicles the 40-year journey ofone of the great American rock bands.

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Concert Review

Steppenwolf continues to rock and rebel

Courtesy P

hotos

John Kay

John Kay and Steppenwolf

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BROWNVILLE, Neb.—By os-mosis, the classic compositions of TinPan Alley are firmly ingrained in theAmerican psyche. Even if we don’tknow their origins, the melodies andwords of the Great American Songbookare everywhere—in film, in televisionand in the very roots of our shared popculture.

It is important for us to knowwhere they came from and acknowl-edge the composers and singers of theGolden Age of popular song, roughly1920 to 1950. Through the years, caba-ret singers have served as genial instruc-tors and exemplars of the song form,faithfully carrying on the tradition,chiefly in big city night clubs, dinner the-aters and concert halls.

Occasionally, they make an ap-pearance at the Brownville Concert Hallin rural Nebraska, a former church inits 19th year presenting a series of world-class performers, including some of thegreat cabaret singers. Most recently,Andrea Marcovicci and pianist ShellyMarkham came to town for three per-formances celebrating songs associatedwith Fred Astaire. We were there forthe two-hour, Sept. 13 matinee.

In the grand tradition of cabaret,Marcovicci’s act is an audience-pleas-ing mix of vocal talent, flamboyant cos-tumes, music history, personalstorytelling, humor and good-naturedflirtation. For “Andrea Sings Astaire,”she began by taking a framed portraitof the renowned singer-dancer from thegrand piano and relating her long-timecrush on the man and his music. Shenoted with pride that Astaire had per-sonally autographed the portrait.

Still caressing the photo,Marcovicci launched into “Night and

Day” and “Something’s Gotta Give.”In rapid order, she delivered classic ren-ditions of “A Foggy Day,” “Isn’t This aLovely Day (To Be Caught in theRain),” and the gorgeous “This Heartof Mine.” From the musical “FunnyFace,” she performed a syncopated“Let’s Kiss and Make Up.”

A devoted musicologist with a raresense of humor, Marcovicci told of thepopularity of dance numbers as theywere written and choreographed for the

movies, from “The Carioca” to “TheContinental” to the nadir of the genre,Irving Berlin’s “The Piccolino.”

She also included lesser-knowntunes, like “A Needle in a Haystack,”“I’ve Got My Eyes on You,” and “IUsed to Be.” No tribute to Astairewould be complete without Gershwin.She obliged with takes on “He Lovesand She Loves,” “S’Wonderful,” and“They Can’t Take That Away FromMe.” She sang the last one while seatedon the piano and followed it with a stir-ring rendition of “One for My Baby(and One More for the Road).”

The second half of the show wasdevoted to the art of the dance.Marcovicci sported a black tuxedo,white dress shirt and black tie and car-rying a top hat. It made her look evensexier than she did in the earlier, morerevealing costume. She brilliantly es-sayed the terpsichorean muse with thestandards “Steppin’ Out,” “Let’s Facethe Music and Dance,” “Dancing in theDark,” “Cheek to Cheek,” “ChangePartners” and the more obscure“You’re So Near and Yet So Far.”

Markham, who until now had per-formed discreetly as piano accompa-nist, sang harmony on “Since I KissedMy Baby Goodbye.” Marcovicci lav-ished praise on Markham for his ex-tensive work as her music director andrecord producer. They closed with “YouWere Never Lovelier” and “The WayYou Look Tonight.”

In a well-paced show, Marcoviccialternated between song and story, in-cluding a discussion of the relative mer-its of Astaire’s dance partners, from hissister, Adele, to Ginger Rogers, EleanorPowell, Rita Hayworth, AudreyHepburn and others. She also noted that

Concert Review

Cabaret chanteuse Marcovicci toasts AstaireBy Tom Ineck ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○

Photos by Tom

Ineck

Marcovicci travels with a framed,autographed portrait of Fred Astaire.

Marcovicci sits atop a grand piano fordramatic effect.

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Concert Review

Trombonist Gordon swings the jazz traditionBy Tom Ineck ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○

Astaire and Rogers were a perfectvocal match, implying that their Mid-western roots—Astaire in Omaha andRogers in Missouri—had made them

compatible by nature.As a singer, Marcovicci combines

the best of the cabaret style, a full-throated voice with lots of technique,

dramatic effect and a deep respect forlyrical content. After “Andrea SingsAstaire,” her audience left feeling bothentertained and informed.

BROWNVILLE,Neb.—Wycliffe Gordon’sbluesy, tradition-ladentrombone sound has beenubiquitous since he firstcame on the scene as animportant element in theWynton Marsalis Septetof 1989. He established hisreputation in that historicgroup, as well as the Lin-coln Center Jazz Orches-tra, and since 1996 he hasrecorded nearly 20 CDsunder his own name.

Gordon is a well-traveled roadwarrior. In addition to several appear-ances with the Marsalis combo and bigband, I have seen him in performancewith fellow trombonist Ron Westray inKansas City, Mo., and as a guest solo-ist at two Topeka jazz festivals (in 2002and 2004). Most recently, Gordonbrought his road show to the BrownvilleConcert Hall for a July 12 matinee,along with KC-based accompanists T.J.Martin on piano, Bob Bowman on bassand the young Ryan Lee on drums.

Though somewhat unfamiliar withhis bandmates, Gordon’s thorough pro-fessionalism and charming stage pres-ence helped them rise to the occasion.It also helps that much of his repertoireis drenched in the swing tradition and iswell known to most jazz musicians.

The familiar opener, “It Don’tMean a Thing (If It Ain’t Got ThatSwing)” set a casual mood and set theaudience at ease. He utilized the plungermute for a bluesy introduction, vocaliz-

ing on the horn and even singing a fewlines in the raspy, soulful manner ofLouis Armstrong. Martin, Bowman andLee got enough solo time to establishtheir own credentials.

A mid-tempo “I’ll RememberApril” proved a goldmine for an adven-turous piano solo and some expertdrumming, as Gordon’s lyrical trombonesoared to the upper ranges. TheloniousMonk’s “Rhythm-a-ning” began withsome fancy triple-tonguing trombone,lead to an aptly angular piano solo andfinished with a Gordon solo that shiftedto double time and stop-time while build-ing in intensity.

“Amazing Grace” seemed espe-cially appropriate for a Sunday concert,and it received the deluxe treatment,including a growling plunger solo, a greatbowed bass solo, stately piano chord-ing and a final horn solo that “testified”with shouts and moans. As a tribute tothe Kansas City jazz tradition, the bandfinished the first set with “Moten

Swing,” taken at that famil-iar Basie jump blues tempo.Again, Gordon used theplunger to create soulfulwah-wahs and growls thenjoined with Bowman as hewalked the bass.

The second half be-gan with a mid-tempo “JustFriends,” with Martin es-saying a breezy, Garner-likeflow during his solo. Gor-don sang “On the SunnySide of the Street” with the

irrepressible joy it deserves. Martinstated the theme of Dave Brubeck’s“In Your Own Sweet Way” on the pi-ano before turning it over to Gordon andBowman for their own solo statementsand finishing with his own variations.

Gordon’s ballad “Savannah Song”was a complex composition beginningwith a brief piano intro, the trombonestating the melody along with somelovely Arco bass, and then another pi-ano solo before Gordon’s trombonebrought it to a close on a high note. Leeshowed his sensitivity on brushes dur-ing a moving rendition of “Body andSoul,” with Gordon stating the familiarmelody and the piano taking the bridge.

Finishing in grand style, Gordongave “Hello Dolly” and “It’s a Won-derful World” the Armstrong treatment,singing, scat-singing and blowing thehorn with everything he had. It was arousing finale to a memorable perfor-mance. In its 19th season, the BrownvilleConcert Hall series is still bringingworld-class music to rural America.

T.J. Martin, piano; Wycliffe Gordon, trombone, Bob Bowman,bass and Ryan Lee, drums, at Brownville Concert Hall

Photo by Tom

Ineck

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CHICAGO—The venerableCongress Plaza Hotel on MichiganAvenue by Grant Park is definitely onthis city’s hectic, well-beaten path. Butjust a few blocks off the beaten path, at806 S. Plymouth Court, is one of theworld’s most famous jazz clubs.

The Jazz Showcase has been op-erated by Joe Segal since he startedbooking music for Roosevelt Univer-sity in 1947. That’s right. Segal, 83, hasbeen at the helm for 62 years, bringingthe best jazz available to Chicago, mov-ing from one venue to another as ne-cessity dictated but never abandoninghis mission to present live, world-classjazz. I was last at the Showcase in 1988,when the club was housed off the lobbyof the Blackstone Hotel. It was theplace to be after performances of the1988 Chicago Jazz Festival wrappedup and musicians sought a more infor-mal club setting.

Much has changed since then, butnot that special vibe at Joe Segal’s JazzShowcase, as my wife and I discov-ered when we walked from the Con-gress Plaza Hotel to the club July 19for a 4 p.m. Sunday matinee perfor-mance by the Mulgrew Miller Trio.Despite the daylight hour, the 170-seatclub maintained that soft-lighted ambi-ence conducive to live jazz, and thewalls displayed dozens of old photos andother memorabilia.

The jazz matinee is a relativelynew phenomenon across the country,with clubs attempting to augment theiraging audiences by encouraging folksto introduce their children and grand-children to this priceless American artform. At the Showcase, there are spe-cial matinee discounts for students,musicians, seniors and members of the

Jazz Institute of Chicago. Children ages12 and under are admitted free. Theearly Sunday show also allows jazz fansto get home by a reasonable hour.

On the day we were there, thepolicy appeared to work pretty well, withsome obvious grandparents and grand-children in attendance and quite a fewothers, as well. Of course, a perfor-mance by pianist Mulgrew Miller is rea-son enough to make the effort.

Miller was accompanied by youngbassist Ivan Taylor and the amazingdrummer Karriem Riggins, a formermember of the Ray Brown Trio whohas also performed or recorded withBetty Carter, Diana Krall, OscarPeterson, Bobby Hutcherson, RonCarter, Cedar Walton and others.

Miller himself has 15 recordingsof his own since his debut as a leader in1985, plus dozens of others as asideman with Art Blakey, Donald Byrd,Betty Carter, Freddie Hubbard, JohnnyGriffin, Benny Golson, James Moody,Dianne Reeves and Woody Shaw. Oneof his most memorable associations waswith the great Tony Williams Quintetof the mid-1980s, which I saw at the

1987 Russian River Jazz Festival.So, it was with much anticipation

that I awaited the performance of thispiano master, perhaps as close to Os-car Peterson’s heir apparent as we’relikely to hear. He began with a lyrical,mid-tempo rendition of “A SleepingBee,” and proceeded to acceleratemightily on “You and the Night and theMusic,” with Riggins effortlessly driv-ing the tempo. Miller’s “Carousel” wasa Latin tune featuring a bass interludeand slyly quoting a children’s ditty.

Miller launched into “What AreYou Doing the Rest of Your Life” in agorgeous ballad style before movinguptempo. Riggins, on brushes, proveda master at any speed. The drummerlocked into a solid, soulful pocket on abluesy, mid-tempo “What a Differencea Day Makes.” Duke Jordan’s classicbopper “Jordu” was taken at a blazingtempo, allowing Miller to illustrate hismastery over the entire keyboard.

A gentle, soft-spoken man, Millerthanked the audience for coming outon a Sunday to listen, suggesting thatjazz was an alternate form of worship“if you didn’t go to church.” Amen.

Concert Review

Jazz Showcase maintains 62-year reputationBy Tom Ineck ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○

Photo by Tom

Ineck

Mulgrew Miller Trio at Joe Segal’s Jazz Showcase in Chicago.

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TORONTO—Travelplans to a city I’ve never vis-ited always involve research-ing available music venues. Pre-paring a trip to Ontario’s capi-tal city, I found there are fewjazz clubs in this metropolis of2½ million people (5½ millionin the greater Toronto area).

In fact, only one clubstood out from the rest. TheRex Jazz & Blues Bar, adjacent to TheRex Hotel at 194 Queen Street West,is a night spot favored by local jazz buffsfor 20 years. One loyal patron told meit is the last great jazz club in Toronto,which used to boast several world-classvenues. The Rex hangs on, making themost of a prime downtown location anda policy of heavy jazz and blues book-ing. For the month of July, the club listed72 shows on its calendar! Most are lo-cal artists who vary greatly in quality.

During my three-day stay in thecity, the schedule included a group ofjazz veterans that caught my attention.The Mark Eisenman Quintet featuredPat LaBarbera on saxophones, a NewYork native and older brother of drum-mer Joe LaBarbera and arranger/trum-peter John LaBarbera. He toured andrecorded with Buddy Rich, Elvin Jonesand others. Since moving to Canada in1974, he has recorded with RobMcConnell, Kevin Mahogany, RaneeLee, and Gap Mangione. He also has

half a dozen recordings of his own.I decided that any band that in-

cluded the reed virtuoso was worthchecking out, and I was not mistaken.The rest of the quintet consisted ofleader and prolific composer MarkEisenman at the piano, trumpeter JohnMacLeod, bassist Steve Wallace anddrummer John Sumner. In format, itwas a typical bebop quintet, but its front-line soloists were atypically imaginativeand accomplished. LaBarbera andMacLeod ran unison lines with ease,then alternately soared on their respec-tive horns in extended, frequently ex-citing solo passages.

After a brisk, 20-minute walk frommy room at The Bond Place Hotel, Ipaid the cover charge for the 9:45 p.m.show and slipped into the last remain-ing seat—just inches from the bandstandand directly in front of LaBarbera andMacLeod! My vantage point had mealternately peering over their musicstands in an attempt to see the musi-

cians and flinching in fear of fly-ing spittle from their horns. Whilethe sound was grand from thatproximity, I later moved to thebar for a better view.

I arrived as the band wascounting off the first tune, ColePorter’s “Everything I Love.”Eisenman introduced one of hiscleverly titled compositions,“Fathom,” as a tune based on

the changes for “How Deep Is theOcean.” The beautiful “Ballad forBenny” is a tribute to saxophonistBenny Golson. The hard-bopping “Ap-parition” is the title track from thepianist’s 2006 release on Cornerstone.

A rather unusual but effectivechoice was Dave Frishberg’s “SaratogaHunch,” sans lyrics. LaBarbera wasfeatured on soprano sax on the waltz“My Mind,” based on the classic “OnGreen Dolphin Street.” Eisenman’s“Bird’s Assurance” is another cleverlytitled tune, obviously inspired by CharlieParker’s “Confirmation.”

Despite its cramped quarters andsomewhat down-in-the-heels condition,The Rex Jazz & Blues Bar has a com-fortable, well-worn ambiance and awell-deserved reputation, drawing anenthusiastic Thursday night crowd ofjazz lovers. Many of them gathered af-terwards to chat with the musicians andenjoy one more for the road.

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Concert Review

Toronto’s live jazz scene depends on The Rex

On a somewhat bizarre, and dis-cordant, note, Segal then took the stageto briefly thank the audience for theirpatronage, and proceeded to haranguethem about what he sees as the demiseof jazz. Alluding to the recent death ofMichael Jackson, he blamed the Kingof Pop and Elvis Presley for “destroy-

ing music.” As we left the club, he wasstill arguing his point with a Jackson fanat the bar. Perhaps it is his crankinessthat has kept the curmudgeonly octo-genarian going all these years.

Butch Berman shared his impres-sions of Joe Segal and the Jazz Show-case in the October 2003 BMF news-

letter. He and Grace had just returnedfrom their honeymoon trip to Chicago,where they had spent two evenings atthe club (with drummer Roy Haynesone night and clarinetist BuddyDeFranco the next). He was under-standably enthused.

Photo by Tom

Ineck

The Mark Eisenman Quintet at The Rex in Toronto

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PUEBLO, Colo.—It’s a verysmall farm community in east centralNebraska during that idyllic time be-tween the end of WWII and the Ko-rean conflict. My only access to hear-ing music is coming from some old 78sand radio. Available radio music fareincludes some Polish and Czech ethnicstations in the region, with a handful fromLincoln and Omaha offering occasionalprograms on the popular hits of the dayand, perhaps, hillbilly and western.

The closest thing to jazz would befinding a network feed of MartinBlock's “Make Believe Ballroom.”Songs dominating the various "hit pa-rades" bore such innocuous titles (withlyrics to match) as “Cruising Down theRiver,” “Bibbidi-Bobbidi-Boo,” and“Dear Hearts and Gentle People.”These "hit parades" were loosely com-piled stats from requests to disc jock-eys, band leaders and from plays onjuke boxes. In Omaha, Todd Storz ofthe brewery family would not initiatethe nation’s first "top 40" radio formaton KOWH until 1955.

On radio in 1948, a definitivesound separate from all others couldoccasionally be heard, and the popcharts confirmed that the listening pub-lic was taking notice. Lester Polfuss,better known as Les Paul, had chartedwith “Lover” and “Brazil.” We didn'thear much the next year but by 1950he had teamed up with Colleen Sum-mers, aka Mary Ford, and the hitsstarted coming. A pioneer in multiple-track recordings, Les' fantastic guitarruns and Mary's dubbed harmonizingliterally created a sound like no other.Mary was no slouch on guitar, either.

With their respective back-grounds of country corn to jazz for Les,and Mary's western-tinged pop, theyachieved a unique sound. Most recordswould feature a Les instrumental on oneside with Les backing a Mary vocal onthe other. At times, both sides weregetting significant airplay and they weremasters at having one hit on the wayup as the one preceding had maxed out.As an example, “Mockin' Bird Hill”entered Billboard's charts at No. 9 the

week of March 17, 1951, reaching No.1 five weeks later and remaining in thetop 10 through the week of July 21.Meanwhile, “How High the Moon” wasin the top 10 from May 12 through July21. By the first week of October theywere back with “The World Is Waitingfor the Sunrise.”

And so it went, throughout theearly 1950s—“Josephine,” “Whisper-ing,” “Tiger Rag,” “Carioca,” “Just OneMore Chance,” “Meet Mr. Callaghan,”“Bye Bye Blues,” “Sitting On Top OfThe World,” “I Really Don't Want toKnow,” “I'm A Fool To Care” and per-haps the most memorable of all, “Vayacon Dios.” Actual recording dates arenot known as they recorded virtuallyeverything at home.

Generational tastes and buyinghabits change, as did my listening pref-erences. Came the rock and roll jug-gernaut of the mid 1950s and the duo'spopularity waned. In a rather cruel twistof fate, Les' pioneering guitar workwould later be hailed as a major influ-ence ushering in rock and roll which in

Colorado Correspondent

Growing up with guitarist Les Paul (kind of)By Dan DeMuth ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○

Clockwise from left are “Galloping Guitars,” by Les Paul and His Trio, “Jazz MeBlues,” by Les Paul and “How High the Moon,” by Les Paul and Mary Ford.

The sheet music for “Mockin’ BirdHill,” by Les Paul and Mary Ford

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COLORADO SPRINGS,Colo.—Local jazz fans in the ColoradoSprings area were treated to a greattwofer on June 27, through the effortsof members of the Pikes Peak Jazz &Swing Society. A guitar quartet, if youwill, paid tribute to and led the 87th birth-day celebration for the legendary JohnnySmith, a gentleman who has calledColorado Springs home for many years.

Headlining this quartet was GeneBertoncini, a long-time friend of Johnny'swhose bio is as impressive as anyone’sactively performing today. Gene wasaugmented very ably by three otherguitarists, the well-known Dale Bruning,who makes his home in the Longmont,Colo., area; Alan Joseph, who teachesand performs in the Colorado Springsand Denver areas; and WayneWilkinson, also a local performer withimpeccable credentials.

Getting the call on drums and basswere Richard Clark and Marc Neihof,two sterling musicians culled from theincredible pool of jazz musicians in thisarea, a real honor indeed. And whileJohnny doesn’t pick up the guitar any-more, his spirit was definitely in the airthroughout the evening.

The SRO crowd at Giuseppe’swas comprised not only of listening fans,but many musician fans as well, with

some of both groups having brought al-bums to get autographed and perhapsa photo op withJohnny, whograciously filledall requests.And while theperformancesfeatured someof Johnny's hits,each guitaristwas allowed toshowcase a bitof their own tal-ents, along with some occasional ban-ter recalling their friendship and learn-ing experiences with Johnny.

Respect was the word of theevening. A comfortable jam sessionfeeling prevailed with each of the gui-tarists calling out tunes and the othersjoining in after the lead-off (controlled

improvisation?). Our table was in prox-imity to the guest of honor, and I wasable to note the look of quiet satisfac-tion as he heard his music and the trib-utes throughout the night.

In the relatively short time I'velived in this area I have been fortunateto meet and call many of the local jazzprofessionals my friends. Five yearsago, Johnny granted me an interview(which appears in the BMF Winter2004 online newsletter), at which timehe autographed my 78 rpm on the

Royal Roostlabel of his firstsolo hit “Moon-light in Ver-mont.” A copyof that labelgraced thetables at his cel-ebration. In ad-dition, some ofhis LPs frommy collection

were a part of the front desk display. Ifelt extremely honored.

In the interim between compilingmy notes and the publication of thispiece, we lost Les Paul. In retrospect,it is intensely gratifying to have beenpresent at a function honoring a livingguitar legend.

turn ushered them out to the pasture ofhas-beens. They were not alonethere—names such as Johnnie Ray,Ella Mae Morse and Guy Mitchell cometo mind. Ultimately the rigors of touringand attempting to please the fickle tastesof the listening public took its toll on theirpersonal life. They divorced in 1964 andMary died in 1977 at the too-young ageof 53.

For me, it wasn't until later years

in searching out jazz that I ran acrosssome of Les' earlier works, which in-cluded backing such diverse artists asblues singer Georgia White in the 1930s(over 80 years ago!), Bing Crosby, DickHaymes, and performing with numer-ous jazz masters, particularly on NormanGranz' JATP recordings. A serious col-lector might want to find the four sidesissued on the Montgomery Ward labelfrom 1936 on 78 rpm under the name

of "Rhubarb Red," which are Les’ firstsolo records. (If you've got 'em, let’stalk!) My last vinyl purchase was the"Chester (Atkins) & Lester" LP issuedin 1976. Though I lost track of themover the years, Les (and Mary) werecertainly a large part of my listening andlearning experience.

Les kept performing up until theend, which came on Aug. 13, at the ageof 94.

Colorado Correspondent

Jazz twofer celebrates guitarist’s 87 yearsBy Dan DeMuth ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○

Johnny Smith and his birthday cake

Photos by C

laus Weidner

Smith (left) with guitarists Gene Bertonciniand Dale Bruning

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ON THE ROAD—By the timeMary Jane and I left Lincoln, Neb.,for a two-week road trip in July, ourlong-term plans to visit friends in ru-ral Pennsylvania had morphed to in-clude stops in Chicago, Niagara Fallsand Toronto, with a return jog throughCleveland to see the Rock and RollHall of Fame and Museum.

Jazz club experiences in Chicagoand Toronto are chronicled elsewherein this newsletter, but travel is neverALL about jazz, is it? Here are just afew none-jazz highlights.

We had just two nights in Chi-cago, with full-day drives before andafter, so our visit there was limited toa few good meals, a walk to thedowntown shopping district, a visit tothe Art Institute and a pleasant stayat the Congress Plaza Hotel onMichigan Avenue, which is a shortstroll from Grant Park and the lake.

Knowing that we would cover alot of unfamiliar territory, we had pur-chased a GPS system in an attemptto avoid getting lost, failing to ac-knowledge that some of the most in-teresting and memorable experienceshappen while trying to figure outwhere the heck you are and how youwill get to where you want to go. Afterthe sweet, female-voiced GPS (whichwe dubbed Candy Kane) sent us ona wild-goose chase across Michiganand through Canada to get to NiagaraFalls, N.Y., we learned to take ev-erything she said with a healthy doseof skepticism. Interstate 90 alongLake Erie would have gotten us toour destination with less grief, in lesstime, but we wouldn’t have seen asmuch of the Canadian countryside.

Niagara Falls is everything it’scracked up to be in the guide books

and brochures. Despite its touristtrappings, the roaring cataract stillinspires awe at first sight. The U.S.side of the falls is less developed andmore pristine, saved from most of thecommercial glitz by the fact that it wasnamed a state park in 1885, making itAmerica’s oldest. From the HanoverHouse bed and breakfast, it was afive-minute walk to the Niagara Riverand another 10 minutes downstreamto the falls itself. Like most first-timevisitors, we purchased the all-in-oneadmission, which covers the Maid ofthe Mist boat ride, the Cave of theWinds walk under the falls, the Dis-

covery Center and other attractions.Still, it was the primordial power ofnature as we stared transfixed aboveAmerican Falls and Bridal Veil Fallsthat continued to amaze.

Crossing the border—again—we made our way to Toronto forthree nights at the centrally locatedBond Place Hotel, where we simplyparked our car and relied on the ex-cellent mass-transit system and ourlegs to get us around the city. On arainy day, we were able to catch thesubway near the hotel and ride up-town to the door of the Royal OntarioMuseum (ROM), where a special

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Tomfoolery

Trip includes Chicago, Toronto, Falls, friendsP

hotos by Tom Ineck

Niagara Falls at twilight from the observation deck

Hanover House B&B in Niagara Falls Niagara Falls at night

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exhibition of the Dead SeaScrolls had just opened.

During our stay inToronto, we enjoyed severalexcellent meals, includingdinner at the Baton Rougerestaurant and two break-fast stops at Eggspectation,both near the hotel. One af-ternoon we road the eleva-tor to the observation deckof the 1,800-foot CN Tower(even for the world's tallestbuilding, a rip-off at $24each), then dined at a quaintEast Indian bistro nearby before head-ing to The Second City for a hilariousperformance of the new recession-inspired comedy “O% Down, 100%Screwed.”

After three hectic days in thecity, it was nice to head south acrossthe border—again—this time boundfor Kane, Pa., a borough of about4,000 people with charming Victorianhomes, one of which is owned by ourfriends Greg and Suzy. Much timewas spent simply relaxing over eats,drinks and conversation, but one ofthe highlights of our weekend visitwas a day trip to see the remains ofthe historic Kinzua Bridge, which atthe time of its construction in 1882was the tallest and longest railwaybridge in the world. In 2003, a tor-nado collapsed much of the span asit was being restored. We narrowlymissed a stop at the Zippo/Case Mu-seum, a 15,000-square-foot building

housing rare Zippo lighters and Caseknives. Maybe next time.

Saying farewell to Greg andSuzy and their gracious hospitality, webegan our westward return home, butnot without a side trip to Cleveland.

Arriving mid-afternoon, wegot a room about a mile fromthe Rock and Roll Hall ofFame and Museum. Aftera brisk walk, I had just 2½hours to spend at the mu-seum before closing time.It was even more enter-taining and educationalthan I had anticipated, con-taining hundreds of historicinstruments, outrageousstage costumes, rare pho-tographs and other defini-tive rock ‘n’ roll memora-

bilia. It’s an experience that shouldbe shared with a fellow rock fan,and I couldn’t help thinking howmuch fun it would have been withButch Berman along. He nevermade it to the museum, but I knowhe would have loved it.

There is no better way to re-connect with America—andCanada—and experience the rarejoy of travel than a long road tripwith no deadlines and only a roughitinerary. Our reinvigorating sojournencompassed 11 nights and 12 days,with overnight stays in six cities anda round-trip journey of 2,600 miles.But such bare statistics don’t fullyreflect the value of the open road. Iheartily recommend it.

The Second City cast of “0% Down, 100% Screwed”

Tom and Mary Jane at the remains ofthe Kinzua Bridge in Pennsylvania

Photo by G

reg Page

A scary view through the glass floor ofthe 1,800-foot CN Tower in Toronto

Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum in Cleveland

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Jazz on DiscScofield embraces Crescent City gospel soundBy Tom Ineck ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○

At least since he hired New Or-leans drummer Johnny Vidacovich forhis 1989 recording “Flat Out,” guitar-ist John Scofield has frequently dis-played a penchant for the sounds andrhythms of the Crescent City. Thatinclination arrives full-blown from thefirst notes of his latest release, “PietyStreet.”

This time, the New Orleans Cityvibe is informed by the traditions ofgospel music, but you don’t have tobe a born-again Christian to enjoy thesoulful nature of this enterprise. Re-corded at Piety Street Studios in theBig Easy, it veritably reeks of thatcity’s long musical tradition, steepedas it is in elements of the blues, jazz,soul, country and the island rhythmsof the Caribbean.

Like 2005’s “That’s What I Say:John Scofield Plays the Music of RayCharles,” the guitarist has chosen toaugment his distinctive fretwork withguest musicians and singers befittingthe occasion. Most notable is the sig-nificant presence of Jon Cleary onvocals, piano and organ. Cleary’srough-hewn voice perfectly conveysthe yearning and redemptive spirit of“That’s Enough,” “Motherless Child,”

“Just a Little While to Stay Here” and“Walk With Me.”

Also making important contribu-tions to the overall sound are GeorgePorter Jr. on bass, Ricky Fataar ondrums, John Boutte on vocals andShannon Powell on tambourine anddrums. For full gospel-choir effect,everyone joins in backing vocals andhand-clapping as The Hard Regula-tors.

Most of the 13 tracks are drawnfrom the annals of the gospel tradi-tion, but Scofield adds to that tradi-tion with his compositions “It’s a BigArmy” and “But I Like the Message.”The former is a rousing gospel marchwith guitar and piano playing the rolesof call-and-response preacher andcongregation. “Message” is a soulfulinstrumental strut.

Among the familiar classics ofthe genre are “His Eye is On the Spar-row,” Thomas Dorsey’s songs “TheOld Ship of Zion” and “Never TurnBack,” Rev. James Cleveland’s“Something’s Got a Hold on Me” andthe traditional “I’ll Fly Away.” Oneof the most moving interpretations isScofield’s version of “The Angel ofDeath,” a country classic by HankWilliams. At nearly seven minutes, itis the emotional centerpiece of theproject, with an absolutely hair-rais-ing vocal by Cleary.

At any tempo, Scofield digs intothese numbers with a passion. Utiliz-ing the wah-wah and his usual bag ofsonic tricks, he wrenches every mor-sel of the blues from them, squeezingoff notes and bending strings as ifvocalizing the lyrics—and lyrical im-provisations—with his guitar.

JOHN SCOFIELDPiety StreetEmArcy Records

In its hip shorthand, “4A” speaksvolumes, and the artist identified simplyas Moody needs no introduction. It isthe first release of a stellar JamesMoody quartet captured in two record-ing sessions on consecutive days.

Moody, age 83 at the time of thisJuly 2008 recording, is in top form, hisphenomenal breath control, keen har-monic sense, melodic invention and slywit intact. And, he is ably accompaniedby pianist Kenny Barron, bassist ToddCoolman and drummer Lewis Nash.

Nash unexpectedly kicks off “Se-cret Love” at a medium march tempothat indicates much fun will be had byall. Moody’s own solo statements brimwith humor, tossing off quotes from “Onthe Trail” and “Bebop” while keepingthe mood relaxed. Barron and Coolmancontribute brief by sterling solos beforeNash returns with military precision.

Barron’s classic “Voyage,” a fa-vorite of Stan Getz, Phil Woods andother reed men, inspires the best fromall. The tune’s odd chord changes in-vite harmonic experimentation. “RoundMidnight” gets yet another reverentballad reading, with everyone fully en-gaged in its overt romanticism. Therhythm section swings uptempo with

MOODY4AIPO Recordings

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Jazz on Disc continued on page 16

assurance on “Without a Song,” allow-ing Moody to stretch his bop chops.

Another familiar favorite, “StellaBy Starlight,” gets a sprightly Latintreatment. “East of the Sun” is a gor-geous duet between Moody and Barron,perhaps the highlight of the set. It re-minds this listener of “People Time,” acollection of live, profoundly beautifulduets between Barron and Getz shortlybefore the saxophonist’s death in 1991.

Moody pays his respects to an-other saxophonist with “Stablemates,”a Benny Golson standard takenuptempo. The quartet offers its fare-well in waltz time with “Bye Bye Black-bird,” on which Moody turns up the heatin a blazing romp, both Barron andCoolman deliver brilliant solos andMoody returns for a coda.

Needless to say, we await “4B”with much anticipation.

Pianist Fred Simon’s keyboardstyle has been unfairly labeled “fusion”or “new age,” with all of the negativeconnotations those narrow confinesimply. His lyrical touch and keen me-lodic sense transcend the merely medi-tative, and his original tunes haunt thememory without ever seeming trite.

Simon’s latest release, “Since For-ever” has been haunting me for sev-eral weeks now. I find myself return-ing to it day after day, always discover-ing some subtle rhythmic change orsome exquisite harmonic phrase that Ihad missed the last time. Conversely,

his tunes often sound timeless on firsthearing. That is a true composer’s natu-ral gift and a listener’s delight.

Over a period of 30 years, Simon’smusical associations have ranged fromguitarists Larry Coryell, Ralph Townerand Fareed Haque to violinist JerryGoodman, bassists Steve Rodby andMichael Manring and reed virtuoso PaulMcCandless. For his latest, he againtaps some of his longtime cohorts, cre-ating a seamlessly cohesive quartet thatalso features McCandless, Rodby anddrummer Mark Walker.

“Since Forever” has an elegiacquality. In fact, three of the 12 tracksare memorials. Yet, the recording es-chews cheap, maudlin sentimentality fora more profound, sadness-tinged cel-ebration of life. The title track, a gor-geous anthem for folksinger and socialactivist Pete Seeger, is a well-earnedtribute to a living American hero.

Simon and McCandless work sowell in unison, it’s hard to tell them apartsometimes. On “No War Nowhere,”with McCandless on soprano sax, theysimultaneously play the joyous melody,and then go their separate ways for solostatements. Rodby and Walker are per-fectly in synch with the tune’s shiftingtime signature.

Simon pays homage to his late sis-ter with “Even in the Evening,” on whichMcCandless weaves intricate oboelines against dark piano chords, sus-tained by a bass ostinato and flashingcymbals. “I Know You Know” is a tan-talizing jazz waltz with an irresistiblemelody that sends McCandless soar-ing on soprano.

The sole non-original tune is “In aSilent Way,” included as a memorial toits composer, Joe Zawinul. It is a hardto imagine a more touching tribute.“More Often Than Not” is a memorialto friend Patti McKenny, a Chicagoplaywright who died of a heart ailmentin June 2008, at age 57. “Simple Psalm”is a new version of a tune first heard ona Windham Hill recording many yearsago. Walker and Rodby are allowed

some very free playing as Simon andMcCandless, on oboe, adhere to thesimple folk melody.

“Same Difference” is a piano-oboe duet with yet another memorable,haunting melody. Rodby is featured on“Ways of Seeing,” exploring the bass’harmonic range from top to bottom incounterpoint to the piano and sopranosax. “What’s the Magic Word?” is adelightfully uptempo ramble. Simon in-fuses a Middle Eastern sound on “Songof the Sea,” with McCandless addingto the mood on the duduk and oboe.

At nearly 64 minutes, “Since For-ever” is a generous offering fromunderappreciated composer and pianistFred Simon.

FRED SIMONSince ForeverNaim Jazz

A classical string quartet playingthe music of Dave Brubeck? Sure, whynot? It’s no stranger than the KronosQuartet paying tribute to the music ofBill Evans and Thelonious Monk onclassic recordings that iconoclastic four-some made more than 30 years ago. Infact, given Brubeck’s own classical in-fluences and proclivities, it makes per-fect sense.

Quartet San Francisco’s approachis adventurous, while remaining true tothe original tunefulness and wit ofBrubeck’s familiar melodies. It is im-mediately apparent that violinists Jer-emy Cohen and Alisa Rose, violist KeithLawrence and cellist Michelle Djokic

QUARTET SAN FRANCISCOQSF Plays BrubeckViolinJazz Recordings

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Jazz on CD continued from page 15

bring the requisite technique and senseof humor to the project, injecting flightsof fancy throughout the opener, the lilt-ing “Three to Get Ready.”

“Strange Meadowlark,” the long-est track at nearly eight minutes, yearnswith the somber beauty and romanti-cism of its title, but the QSF shows itswillingness to improvise with pizzicatopassages, unconventional counterpointand imaginative harmonies. A sawingrhythmic groove kicks off “The GoldenHorn” and eventually shifts it into jazzyoverdrive. In a delightful arrangementby Brubeck’s son, Matt, the quartetteases with Ellington quotes—”Don’tGet Around Much Anymore,” “I’ve GotIt Bad (And That Ain’t Good”)—be-fore launching into “The Duke.”

Of course, no Brubeck tributewould be complete without a renditionof “Take Five,” which was actuallywritten by alto saxophonist PaulDesmond during his halcyon days withthe quartet. While the others keep therhythmic riff pulsing, a violin soars highabove before returning the theme to thecellist. A brisk waltz tempo enters morethan a minute into “Kathy’s Waltz,”keeping the listener on his proverbialtoes in three-quarter anticipation.

The centerpiece is the virtuosic“Blue Rondo a La Turk,” with its driv-ing tempo, interweaving lines, alternat-ing themes and soulful solo improvisa-tions as the QSF morphs into a bluesband. The more obscure “Bluette” is agorgeous ensemble piece of delicatebeauty and grace. Another highlight isthe brief foray into hillbilly jazz with“Unsquare Dance.” Ragtime also getsits due with a spirited reading of theBrubeck classic “It’s a Raggy Waltz.”

“Forty Days” is a workout for theensemble, with beautiful harmonies anda haunting melody line. The CD endsoddly with a lovely take on the Christ-mas chestnut “What Child Is This?”

Brubeck himself gives this projecthis stamp of approval. “I got a kick out

of hearing these talented musicians in-terpret my music in such an inventiveway,” he writes inside the CD jacket.“It’s an honor for a composer to havehis music re-visited by a group such asQuartet San Francisco.” We concur.

As Karrin Allyson paid homage toColtrane’s classic “Ballads” release of1962, Kurt Elling turns his attention tothe timeless “John Coltrane and JohnnyHartman” LP of the following year. Tothe rhythm section of pianist LaurenceHobgood, bassist Clark Sommers anddrummer Ulysses Owens, he addstenor saxophone great Ernie Watts anda string quartet and performs it for alive audience at Lincoln Center in NewYork. The result is magical.

Commissioned by the 2006 Chi-cago Jazz Festival for the commemo-ration of Coltrane’s 80th birthday, Elling’stribute is a brilliantly paced program thatpays its respects to the iconic record-ing while adding something of its own.

The original recording lasted only31 minutes in six tracks, so Elling andarranger-pianist Hobgood added sev-eral other standards often associatedwith Coltrane, most notably the open-ing “All or Nothing at All,” on whichWatts demonstrates his own sound,never attempting to mimic the master.

Elling’s penchant for dramatic spo-ken interludes is well served as he setsthe scene of the March 1963 Coltrane-

Hartman session with “A Poetic JazzMemory,” a historical narrative—withlush string accompaniment—that in-creases our anticipation. It documentsthe fact that although the two princi-pals had met only the week before, theircombined masterpiece would be com-pleted in just three hours, with no chartsand no rehearsal. Most tunes were re-corded in one take.

The story introduces a medley thatbegins with a rambunctious rendition ofthe song “Dedicated to You,” featuringan outstanding piano solo by Hobgood.Pizzicato strings embellish the tune withbright percussive flashes. Watts returnsfor a lush instrumental version of“What’s New,” another addition to theoriginal program and a perfect segueinto Billy Strayhorn’s mournful “LushLife.” Elling and Hobgood state theopening verse before the rest of theband enters. The singer is especiallyimpressive as he soars into a beauti-fully controlled falsetto. The medleyends with Watts creating a nocturnalmood on “Autumn Serenade.”

“Say it (Over and Over Again)”is another great vehicle for Watts’ con-trolled power and improvisational skillsas he caresses the ballad with an ex-tended solo, setting the stage for Elling’sown vocal magic. The rhythm sectionproclaims “They Say It’s Wonderful”with swaggering confidence, andHobgood delivers another stunning solo.

A second medley begins with “MyOne and Only Love,” as Elling’s voicepairs off with the string quartet in a call-and-response dialogue. It segues nicelyinto a smoothly swaying “Nancy withthe Laughing Face.” Elling and com-pany finish with one of the most memo-rable songs from the Coltrane-Hartmanrecording, “You Are Too Beautiful.”

By nature, Elling’s voice is pitchedhigher than Hartman’s smoky bass-baritone, but he is capable of slidingeasily through several octaves. It maynot have seemed a likely project, but itretrospect it works beautifully. Elling hasscored another triumph.

KURT ELLINGDedicated To You: Kurt EllingSings the Music of Coltraneand HartmanConcord Jazz

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Jazz Essentials continued on page 18

Jazz Essentials

Banner year in jazz history is celebratedBy Tom Ineck ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○

I have been asked many times over the years to suggest a list of essential recordings for listeners who want toassemble a basic jazz collection but don’t know where to begin. Such an enterprise is subjective by nature, but thereare probably 50 or 100 recordings that nearly everyone acknowledges as classics of the genre.

Beginning with this edition of the BMF newsletter, my goal is to recommend at least five classic jazz recordingsin each issue. In my opinion, these belong in any jazz library worthy of the name, which is not to say that everyone willfind them equally compelling. Whenever possible, my comments are based on the best edition of the CD in question.

For the debut of this column, the five selections virtually chose themselves. Like the year 1939 in film history,1959 was a banner year in jazz history, especially on the Columbia label. As a result, the label’s Legacy imprint hasproduced lavish, re-mastered multi-disc packages celebrating the 50th anniversary of some landmark releases.

The first three CDs below fall into this category—”Kind of Blue,” by Miles Davis, “Mingus Ah Um,” by CharlesMingus, and “Time Out,” by the Dave Brubeck Quartet. The other two are equally historic releases of that same year,John Coltrane’s “Giant Steps” and Art Pepper’s “Modern Jazz Classics.” It was a very good year, indeed.

MILES DAVISKind of Blue(50th Anniversary Edition)Columbia Legacy Records

The recording that introduced theworld to jazz improvisations based onsimple “modal” chord changes, “Kindof Blue” is as much about moods asmodes. Ranging from slow to mid-tempo and built on mesmerizing, re-peated phrases voiced by trumpeterMiles Davis with typical nonchalance,it still is a relaxing antidote to the fre-netic pace and rapid chord changes ofearly bop. Davis’ gifted collaboratorson these historic sessions included saxo-phonists John Coltrane and CannonballAdderley, pianists Bill Evans and WyntonKelly (on “Freddie Freeloader” only),bassist Paul Chambers and drummer

CHARLES MINGUSMingus Ah Um(50th Anniversary Edition)Columbia Legacy Records

Recorded in the same 30th StreetStudio where “Kind of Blue” was“waxed” just a few months earlier,these four productive sessions of Mayand November 1959 resulted in twoclassics, “Mingus Ah Um” and the fol-low-up, “Mingus Dynasty,” plus fourtracks that were first released on a 1979LP called “Nostalgia in Times Square”and three tracks that were later releasedon the Mosaic label. At more than 150minutes, it is a staggering output ofmusic from THE iconoclastic jazz gi-ant at the height of his powers as com-

Jimmy Cobb.The first of two discs in this anni-

versary set contains all of the originalrecordings from sessions in March andApril 1959, plus an alternate take of“Flamenco Sketches” and several briefstudio sequences. Among these time-less tunes are “So What,” “Blue inGreen” and “All Blues,” whichstretches beyond 11 minutes.

For listeners already familiar withthese classic recordings, the second discis the real revelation. It contains fivetracks recorded in the studio nearly ayear earlier in preparation for the finalsessions, including the standards “OnGreen Dolphin Street,” “Stella by Star-light,” and “Love for Sale,” and twoversions of Davis’ “Fran-Dance.” Fi-nally, the Legacy edition adds a 17-minute performance of “So What,” re-corded live in Holland in April 1960 witha quintet minus Adderley.

In addition to rare photographs andinformative liner notes by jazz criticFrancis Davis, the package contains adigital booklet with an essay, transcrip-tions of the session dialog and specialcommentary.

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poser, arranger, bassist and bandleader.The shifting lineup of the band in-

cluded Booker Ervin, John Handy, ShafiHadi, Benny Golson and JeromeRichardson on reeds, Jimmy Knepperon trombone, Richard Williams and DonEllis on trumpets, Horace Parlan andRoland Hanna on piano, Teddy Charleson vibes and stalwart drummer DannieRichmond. Among the immortal tunesthey documented are “Better Git It InYour Soul,” “Goodbye Pork Pie Hat,”“Fables of Faubus,” “Self-Portrait inThree Colors,” “Open Letter to Duke,”“Bird Calls,” “Pussy Cat Dues” and“Jelly Roll.” As though to warn—orentice—the listener, the two-disc pack-age contains the descriptive disclaimer,“There are shouts and howls on tracksrooted in earthy blues and gospel.”

This 50th anniversary edition alsooffers detailed notes by producerMichael Cuscuna, rare photographs,and a digital booklet that includes origi-nal album notes, previously unpublishedColumbia memos and assorted corre-spondences.

The jazz hit of 1959 was “TimeOut,” which contains not only thememorable “Blue Rondo a la Turk,” thelovely “Strange Meadow Lark” and thewhimsical waltz “Three to Get Ready,”but the first million-selling jazz instru-mental on the Billboard Hot 100, PaulDesmond’s “Take Five.” With its so-

DAVE BRUBECK QUARTETTime Out(50th Anniversary Edition)Columbia Legacy Records

phisticated, quirky, yet light-hearted ap-proach, the collection of original tunesput the Dave Brubeck Quartet—pia-nist Brubeck, alto saxophonist Desmond,bassist Eugene Wright and drummerJoe Morello—on the map.

The original 38-minute LP se-quencing remains intact on the first ofthree discs here. Disc two containsnearly an hour of music recorded livein Newport, R.I., in 1961, 1962 and1963. In addition to extended versionsof “Blue Rondo” and “Take Five,” itincludes the quartet’s unique takes onthe standards “St. Louis Blues,” “Pen-nies From Heaven” and “You Go to MyHead,” plus Brubeck originals “WaltzLimp,” “Since Love Had Its Way,” and“Koto Song.” Like the other 50th anni-versary Legacy editions, there are lotsof rare photos and new liner notes, herewritten by jazz historian Ted Gioia.

A bonus disc is a DVD featuringan interview with Brubeck on the mak-ing of “Time Out,” an animated photogallery and an interactive, multi-cam-era-angle piano lesson. But don’t ex-pect to play like Dave Brubeck. Hisunique style has yet to be matched!

Shortly after working with MilesDavis on “Kind of Blue,” John Coltraneentered Atlantic Studios to create hisown masterpiece. Primary sessions forColtrane’s landmark “Giant Steps” re-cording were in May and December1959, and the LP was released in Janu-ary 1960. The mind-boggling title trackhas become a rhythmic conundrum for

many musicians who have tried tomatch its effusive spirit and odd meter.The date also produced such classicColtrane originals as “Cousin Mary,”“Countdown,” “Spiral,” “Syeeda’sSong Flute,” the haunting love song“Naima” and “Mr. P.C.,” a tribute tobassist Paul Chambers.

The core group consisted of tenorsaxophonist Coltrane, pianist TommyFlanagan, bassist Chambers and drum-mer Art Taylor, with pianist WyntonKelly and drummer Jimmy Cobb sittingin on “Naima.” The alternate takes of“Giant Steps” and “Naima” that areincluded in the deluxe edition were re-corded in April 1959 with pianist CedarWalton, Chambers and drummer LexHumphries.

With “Giant Steps,” his first set ofall-original material, Coltrane took a gi-ant leap forward and distinguished him-self as a formidable composer, arrangerand bandleader. Jazz fans already knewhe could play the horn.

The 1990 pressing contains re-mastered tracks and five alternate takes,but is an otherwise modest package thatrecycles the original liner notes by jazzcritic Nat Hentoff.

JOHN COLTRANEGiant StepsAtlantic Records

Not the household name thatMiles, Mingus, Brubeck and Coltranehave become, alto saxophonist Art Pep-per is, nonetheless, a major figure in jazzhistory, and “Modern Jazz Classics” isone of his finest hours. To some extent,it picks up where Miles Davis’ “Birthof the Cool,” let off a decade earlier,

ART PEPPER + ELEVENModern Jazz ClassicsContemporary/OJC Records

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FeedbackReaders respond to latest news and website

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employing a large, brassy ensemble andcomplex arrangements in a bold refine-ment of an earlier, more informal bopstyle. It even begins with the same tunethat kicked off the 1950 Davis classic,Denzil Best’s infectious “Move.”

Recorded in March and May1959, “Modern Jazz Classics” features12 tracks, including wonderful reinter-pretations of such modern jazz standardsas Dizzy Gillespie’s “Groovin’ High” and“Shaw ’Nuff,” Horace Silver’s “Opusde Funk,” Thelonious Monk’s “’Round

Midnight,” Jimmy Giuffre’s “FourBrothers,” Gerry Mulligan’s “Walkin’Shoes,” Lieber and Stoller’s “Bernie’sTune,” Sonny Rollins’ “Airegin,” andCharlie Parker’s “Anthropology” and“Donna.”

In addition to Pepper’s own in-spired playing, the recording’s classicstatus can be attributed to the superbMarty Paich arrangements, whichevoke great performances from a WestCoast band of thorough professionals,even though they are virtually devoid

of “star power.” Among them are trum-peters Pete Candoli, Jack Sheldon, andAl Porcino, trombonist Dick Nash,saxophonists Bob Enevoldsen, HerbGeller, Bud Shank, Charlie Kennedy, BillPerkins, Richie Kamuca and Med Flory,pianist Russ Freeman, bassist JoeMondragon and drummer Mel Lewis.

A Japanese re-mastered pressingwas released in 1998 and contains threealternate takes and the original linernotes, again by Hentoff.

Hey Tom,

I just got your latest BMFnewsletter notice and had a chanceto take a look. It’s really great tosee that you and the others are notonly keeping Butch’s dream alive,but continue to grow it. The newspace looks very cool. I look for-ward to checking it out next time Imake it out that way.

Anyway, I just wanted to com-mend you on your dedication to themusic and the project. Thanks forkeeping me in the loop on what’shappening back home. Be sure togive me a shout whenever you comethis way.

Jeff NewellDirector, New-Trad Productions

Brooklyn, N.Y.

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Hi, BMF Friends,

How is one of my favoritegangs doing? This newsletter wasa breath of fresh air for me – thankyou! It’s well-written and I’m so

happy to see the new BMF digs (notto mention a home for the pingpong table, Blue Note 7 andMadeleine Peyroux review). Butchwould be very proud to see all thatyou have accomplished.

Dawn K. DeBlazeSt. Louis, Mo.

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Kassie Riordan and I werelucky enough to be Grace’s guestsfor a tour of the new office\museum.What a lovely space it is, secondfloor of the Burkholder. Besides thehistory held there, the design of therooms, colors, and furnishings area joy to behold.

We four, Kassie, Butch andGrace, and myself, went to lunchon occasion.

Thanks to all who put togetherthis musical treasure.

Ruth ThoneLincoln, Neb.

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Keep on keepin’ on for Butch!

Paul Mehling, leaderHot Club of San Francisco

Oakland, Calif.

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Hi There !

Thanks for the cool newslet-ter. We appreciate it. Would you beable to put the KIOS web addresson your website? We have ourplaylists and other jazz related linkson our site and we publish our ownmonthly newsletter that folks cansign up for. It’s all at www.kios.org.

Thanks!

Mike JacobsMusic Director, KIOS

Omaha, Neb.

Editor’s Note: We have added a newsection to our Jazz Links pagecalled “Jazz on the Radio,” withlinks to Nebraska stations KIOS,KZUM and NET.

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The Berman Music Foundation is a non-profit, tax-exempt,501(c)(3) private foundation, and your tax-deductible donationwill help offset the costs of this newsletter and its programs.

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Make check payable to Berman Music Foundation at:Berman Music FoundationSkylight GalleryThe Burkholder Project719 P StreetLincoln, NE 68508

Thanks for supporting jazz!

Skylight GalleryThe Burkholder Project719 P StreetLincoln, NE 68508

Butch Berman and the Berman Music Foundation began alongtime relationship with Kansas City legend AhmadAlaadeen in 1998, when the BMF brought the saxophonistand educator to the University of Nebraska-Lincoln for aseries of workshops on jazz history and improvisation.Alaadeen also played on the BMF-sponsored NormanHedman recording “Taken By Surprise” and performed atJazz in June in Lincoln and at the Topeka Jazz Festival,with financial support from the Foundation.

From the Archives

BMF and Alaadeen enjoya longtime friendship

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