March/April 2005 • Issue 273

March/April 2005Issue 273Free

30th Anniversary Yearwww.jazz-blues.com

Wynton Marsalis The Heath Brothers

Jack DeJohnetteErnie Krivda

Geri Allen

Howard JohnsonAl Jarreau

March/April 2005 • Issue 273PAGE TWO

Published by Martin WahlCommunications

Editor & Founder Bill Wahl

Layout & Design Bill Wahl

Operations Jim MartinPilar Martin

ContributorsMichael Braxton, Mark Cole,Chris Hovan, Nancy Ann Lee,David McPherson, Tim Murrett,Peanuts, Mark Smith, DuaneVerh and Ron Weinstock.

Address all Correspondence to....Jazz & Blues Report19885 Detroit Road # 320Rocky River, Ohio 44116

Main Office ...... 216.651.0626Editor's Desk ... 440.331.1930

Comments...billwahl@jazz-blues.comWeb .................. www.jazz-blues.com

Copyright © 2005 Martin-Wahl Communications Inc.

No portion of this publication may bereproduced without written permissionfrom the publisher. All rights Reserved.

Jazz Report was founded in Buffalo NewYork in March of 1974 and began in Cleve-land in April of 1978. We are subsidizedsolely through advertisement and ask thatyou support our advertisers.

artin-Wahl

W

c o m m u n i c a t i o n s

a division of

Check out our new, updated webpage. Now you can search for CDReviews by artists, Titles, Record

Labels or JBR Writers. Twelve yearsof reviews are up and we’ll be going

all the way back to 1974!

"Buffalonious"

Original mascot fromthe

Buffalo Jazz Reportdays – mid '70s

Created by Christine Engla Eber

Watch for new t-shirts bearing his image–coming soon!

We all should know by now what toexpect when April rolls around eachyear. The Tri-C JazzFest returns for its26th year with an electrifying mix of thebest in traditional and contemporaryjazz. Nine venues will host 15 diversenational and local acts, ranging from theworld-renowned to the hottest risingstars, from hard-bop to hip-hop and ev-erything in between. Running from April14 - 24, the 2005 JazzFest will heat upCleveland with a dizzying array of leg-endary talents, including WyntonMarsalis, Al Jarreau, Sergio Mendez,Charles Lloyd, Bobby Sanabria and theHeath Brothers, among other luminar-ies.

The Tri-C JazzFest is a year-roundjazz presenting and educational organi-zation that culminates in a two-week jazzfestival every April. Beyond world-classperformances, it is nationally recognizedas a dynamic force for jazz education,reaching more than 20,000 studentsannually through clinics, workshops andin-school performances. Housed on theMetropolitan Campus of CuyahogaCommunity College, JazzFest servesthe region through a variety of free pro-grams on campus and in neighborhoodarts centers, public schools and librar-ies.

Celebrating America’s great musi-cal heritage, the Tri-C JazzFest enter-tains music lovers from all walks of life,preserves the art form of jazz and helpsdevelop the next generation of jazz mu-sicians in Northeast Ohio and beyond.A premier champion of jazz in the re-gion, JazzFest continues its commit-ment to present local and national tal-ents, commission new jazz works andfoster emerging artists. Attendance forthe festival and educational activitiesroutinely tops 40,000.

Unless otherwise noted, Tickets areavailable at www.tickets.com or byphone at 216-241-6000; toll free 1-800-766-6048. For detailed festival informa-tion, visit www.tricjazzfest.com or call216-987-4400.

The 2005 Line-up:Jazz Meets Hip Hop - Part 3,

Beachland Ballroom, April 14; 8:30 p.m.;Tickets $15

Now in its third installment, the ongo-ing series “Jazz Meets Hip Hop” kicks offat the Beachland Ballroom on Thursday,April 14 at 8:30 p.m. Directed again thisyear by drummer/percussionist Bill Ran-som, who has worked with Najee, PatriceRushen and Gerald Levert, the show fea-tures jazz and hip hop artists mixing it uponstage. The psychedelic funky groovesof DJ Logic return, accompanied by thelyrical spoken words of artist SekouSundiata, whose “Jazzoetry” fuses poetryand jazz, along with innovative Clevelandhip hop artist Iyan Anomolie. They’rejoined by Sundiata’s artistic director,keyboardist Marc Cary, who worked withthe late NEA Jazz Master vocalist BettyCarter, among others.

An Evening With Al Jarreau, AllenTheatre, April 15; 8:00 p.m.; Tickets $50/$40/$25

Al Jarreau’s unique vocal style hasmade him one of the most exciting andcritically acclaimed performers of our time,with five Grammy Awards, scores of in-ternational music awards and popular ac-colades worldwide. One of the rare art-ists versatile enough to win Grammys injazz, pop and R&B, he even did a three-month stint on Broadway playing the roleof Teen Angel in the hit musical Grease!In 2001 Jarreau was awarded a star onthe “Hollywood Walk of Fame,” com-memorating his status as one of the great-est singers of his generation. His latestalbum for GRP Records, Accentuate thePositive, reunites him with legendary pro-ducer Tommy LiPuma for the first timesince their magical work together on Glow(1976) and their Grammy-winning live al-bum Look to the Rainbow (1977).

Bobby Caldwell and Down to theBone, Allen Theatre, April 16; 8:00 p.m.;Tickets $40/$25/$15

Tracing a twenty-year history fromacclaimed jazz and soul stylist to sought-

March/April 2005 • Issue 273 PAGE THREE

after Pop and R&B songwriter, BobbyCaldwell is one of the music industry’smost celebrated singer/songwriters. Borninto a show business family in Manhat-tan, Caldwell’s songs and samples havecontributed to over 40 million sales forartists as diverse as Chicago, RobertaFlack, Peter Cetera, Al Jarreau, TupacShakur and Notorious B.I.G. He has beenfeatured on numerous television andmotion picture soundtracks, including arecent rendition of “Luck Be a Lady To-night” for The Cooler, starring AlecBaldwin and William H. Macy. Caldwell’slive performances are electrifying, as hedraws from his vast repertoire of stirringR&B, smooth jazz and big band stan-dards.

Hailed as the kings of U.K. jazz-fu-sion, Down to the Bone’s unique soundstarts with jazz and melds with everythingfrom straight up funk, disco and danceto powerfully driven hip hop beats. Asmuch about the dance floor as the lis-tening room, their latest album forNarada, Cellar Funk, is a hypnotic andaddicting hybrid of fusion jazz withenough salsa, funk and R&B to keep youtapping your feet.

Latin Jazz Night: Bobby Sanabriaand Ascension, Tri-C Metro Auditorium,April 16, 8:00 p.m.; Tickets $25

If you wanted to dance to a mamboin New York in the 50’s, you went to thePalladium Ballroom. Today New Yorkersjust follow percussionist bandleaderBobby Sanabria, hailed as the city’s hard-est working musician. Inspired and en-couraged in his youth by Maestro TitoPuente (also of Puerto Rican heritage),Sanabria has been featured on numer-ous Grammy nominated albums, includ-ing the Mambo Kings soundtrack. He isjoined by his nonet Ascension, whichblends Yoruba folk chants, funk, Cubandance music and bebop with a concertrepertoire that reflects a heavy dose ofprogressive jazz. Bring your dancingshoes for an after-concert party withRoberto Ocasio’s Latin Jazz Project.

Charles Lloyd Quartet, Tri-C MetroAuditorium, April 17; 7:30 p.m.; Tickets$20

With his legendary quartet in the late60’s and early 70’s, saxophonist and flut-ist Charles Lloyd broke barriers for anacoustic jazz group, performing along-side rock bands at the historic Fillmores— both East and West. The quartet in-cluded such major contributors, masters,bandleaders and recording artists as pia-nist Keith Jarrett and drummer JackDeJohnette. The Charles Lloyd Quartetalso ripped an artistic hole in the IronCurtain, being the first American jazzband to record live in the Soviet Union in

the late 60’s (subsequently released byAtlantic Records). Lloyd will be joined bypianist Geri Allen for his first Clevelandperformance in decades.

Geri Allen, East Cleveland PublicLibrary, April 18; 7:30 p.m.; Free

One of many highly lauded jazz pia-nists to emerge from Detroit’s fertilemusic scene, Geri Allen is a graduate ofthe venerable Cass Technical HighSchool, where she studied under trum-peter Marcus Belgrave. Allen respectsthe jazz tradition, but refuses to be boundby it, and her original works journey intoconstantly adventurous areas, alwaysseeking out new musical avenues. TheLife of a Song, Allen’s highly anticipatedTelarc debut, is her first new release insix years and features eight imaginativenew compositions propelled by veteransDave Holland on bass and JackDeJohnette on drums.

An Evening With the CharlieHunter Trio, Museum of ContemporaryArt, April 19; 8:00 p.m.; Tickets $25

Since he set out with his uniqueeight-string guitar, Charlie Hunter has leftfans and critics alike in awe. Using thetwo extra strings to generate bass-linesand organ-like riffs, Hunter has con-founded those who only know the limitsof a conventional guitar. Borrowing fromthe intensity of rock-n-roll, he incorpo-rates funky rhythms with jazz’s improvi-sational aesthetic to create soulful mu-sic entirely his own. A major force in the“jam band” phenomenon and a frequenthip-hop collaborator, Hunter uses a va-riety of grooves as improvisationalspringboards: joyous romps, slow grinds,soft Latin-tinged waves, and bluesyshuffles.

Wynton Marsalis, Allen Theatre,April 20; 8:00 p.m.; Tickets $50/$40/$25

Upon his arrival on the jazz scenein 1980 at the age of 19, critics were al-ready hailing Wynton Marsalis as the“symbol for the new decade” and thestandard-bearer for his generation. Theson of a gifted musician and named af-ter pianist Wynton Kelly, Marsalis re-ceived a full scholarship to Julliard thendid a stretch with Art Blakey’s legendaryJazz Messengers, a veritable wellspringof jazz icons. Eschewing the brashsounds of the jazz-fusion era, Marsaliswas a seminal figure in returning jazz tothe acoustic style of the 50’s and 60’sand became a model for many youngmusicians who followed. The first jazzcomposer to win a Pulitzer Prize (for hismajor oratorio Blood on the Fields),Marsalis is currently the artistic directorof Jazz at Lincoln Center, which lastOctober opened the world’s first concertfacility constructed specifically for jazz.

Howard Johnson – Artist-In-Resi-dence, Karamu House, April 20; 7:30p.m.; Free

After teaching himself to play bari-tone sax at thirteen years old, HowardJohnson sought an even greater chal-lenge and took up the tuba a year later.When he moved to New York in 1963,few at the time aspired to play tuba out-side of the Dixieland band circuit.Johnson persevered, and during the 60’sand 70’s he played with such luminariesas Charles Mingus, Archie Shepp, BuddyRich and, in an unusual pairing, arrangerGil Evans featured a Johnson tuba soloin his 1974 version of Jimi Hendrix’s“Little Wing.” Always eager to blur thelines between mainstream and avant-garde music, Johnson even had a stintas conductor of the Saturday Night Liveband in the late 70’s. Still performingsince it was formed in 1968, his groupGravity features an ensemble of six tu-bas with a rhythm section and proves thetuba is capable of a dizzying range ofexpression.

Jack DeJohnette’s Latin Project,Tri-C Metro Auditorium, April 21; 8:00p.m.; Tickets $20

Regarded as one of the great jazzdrummers, Chicago born JackDeJohnette studied classical piano in hisyouth before playing the drums with hishigh school concert band. Though adeptat both instruments, DeJohnette was per-suaded to stick with the drums by saxo-phonist Eddie Harris, who recognized hisunprecedented talent. In 1968DeJohnette joined Miles Davis’ groupand with them created the seminal album“Bitches Brew,” the standard for all jazz-fusion to follow. Though he has workedwith the legendary Thelonious Monk andJazz Masters Sonny Rollins, HerbieHancock and Abby Lincoln, to name afew, DeJohnette is probably best knownfor his prolific 20-year collaboration withpianist Keith Jarrett and bassist GaryPeacock. His current Latin Project, whichhas only played at a few elite jazz festi-vals, includes Grammy nominee clarinet-ist Don Byron, pianist Edsel Gomez andconga great Giovanni Hidalgo, amongothers.

The Heath Brothers Featuring JebPatton, Tri-C Metro Auditorium, April 22;8:00 p.m.; Tickets $20

Though sometimes overshadowedby eldest brother Percy’s long associa-tion with the groundbreaking ModernJazz Quartet, the Heath brothers havebeen a major force in jazz since theirearly days in Philadelphia in the 40’s and50’s. With over 150 years of combinedexperience the three — eldest brotherNEA Jazz Master Percy on bass, middle

March/April 2005 • Issue 273PAGE FOUR

brother NEA Jazz Master Jimmy on altosaxophone and baby brother Albert“Tootie” Heath on drums — have playedwith just about every major name from thebe-bop era. Originally a violinist, Percyswitched to bass in 1946 and is prized asan ideal accompanist with a warm, ap-pealing tone. Jimmy, besides working withhis own group and big band, is an accom-plished music teacher and recently retiredfrom Queens College, where a chair wasnamed in his honor at the Aaron CopelandSchool of Music. Albert, who made hisdebut on John Coltrane’s first solo record-ing Coltrane, has long been a respectedhard-bop based drummer with an openmind to all styles of jazz.

Ted Nash & Still Evolved, Tri-CMetro Main Stage Theatre, April 23; 2:00p.m.; Free

Talk about a prodigy: whenmultitalented saxophonist and clarinetistTed Nash was 16 he had his first profes-sional gig with Lionel Hampton; by the ageof 17 he had toured Europe and recordedthree albums. Equally adept at clarinet,bass clarinet, tenor and alto saxophone,Nash has been universally praised for hismost recent album Still Evolved, whichreached the #1 position on both the JazzWeek and CMJ radio charts. Currently amember of the Lincoln Center Jazz Or-chestra, his compositions have been re-corded by the American Jazz Orchestraand by orchestras in Europe, including theStockholm Jazz Orchestra and theRotterdam Conservatorium Orchestra.

Slight Return: The Music of JimiHendrix and Gil Evans featuring HowardJohnson, Vernon Reid and The Jazz Unit,Tri-C Metro Auditorium, April 23; 8:00p.m.; Tickets $25

At the time of his death in Septemberof 1970, Jimi Hendrix was slated to workwith Miles Davis and arranger/composerNEA Jazz Master Gil Evans on whatsurely would have resulted in an extraor-dinary album. In 1974 Evans was able torealize at least a measure of the Hendrixspirit on his album Gil Evans’ OrchestraPlays The Music of Jimi Hendrix (withguitarists John Abercrombie and RyoKawasaki and saxophonist DavidSanborn). With a nod to Evans’ fusion ofjazz’s free-ranging leanings and Hendrix’spsychedelic and blues jams, the eveningfeatures renowned guitarist Vernon Reid,an alum of the band Living Color, andmulti-instrumentalist Howard Johnson,who played on the Music of Jimi Hendrixalbum and was a frequent Evans collabo-rator. They will be backed by the Jazz Unit,under the direction of Howie Smith – it’sbigger than a combo, smaller than a bigband, and features most of the heavy hit-ters in local jazz.

Sergio Mendes Brasil 2005, Sever-ance Hall, April 24; 3:00 p.m.; Tickets $50/$42/$37/$30

When Bossa Nova pianist SergioMendes and his group showed up at thedoors of A&M Records in 1966, HerbAlbert was so impressed he immediatelysigned them to a record contract. The re-sult, Sergio Mendes and the Brasil 66 waswildly popular, spawning hits on both thejazz and pop charts. Mendes, a brilliantpianist, arranger and composer, combinesBrazilian bossa nova with traditional jazzand a pop sensibility — he’s equally athome with the music of Cole Porter orLennon & McCartney as he is with Brazil-ian samba legends like Jorge Ben. Someof his recent recordings have ranged fromOceano, comprised solely of Braziliansongs, to Brasileiro, a seamless pasticheof seismic Bahanian tempos, deep funkand hip hop. For tickets visitwww.clevelandorchestra.com or call 216-231-1111, toll free 800-686-1141.

Clinics & Workshops:

NEA Jazz Masters on Tour Distin-guished Artist-In-Residence

PERCY HEATH, Bass

Artist-In-ResidenceHOWARD JOHNSON, Tuba, Sax

CliniciansCLAIRE DALY, Baritone SaxTED NASH, Tenor/Alto SaxMATT WILSON, DrumsTRI-C JAZZ STUDIES FACULTY

February 21, 2005

8:30 a.m. - 3:00 p.m.Annual Vocal Jazz DayHIGH SCHOOL AND COLLEGE VO-

CAL JAZZ PERFORMANCE WORK-SHOPS With Artists-in-Residence, thepopular a capella ensemble M-PACT.

7:30 p.m. M-PACT IN CONCERTWith special guests, The Tri-C

JazzFest High School All-Stars under thedirection of Steve Enos and The Tri-CJazz Studies Combo under the directionof Ernie Krivda. CCC Metro Campus MainStage Theatre - Tickets $15.00 generaladmission at the door

Tuesday, April 19and Wednesday, April 20

10:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m. Jazz Is...TheAnnual Field Trip CCC Metro CampusAuditorium

Award-winning New York musicianHayes Greenfield’s Jazz-A-Ma-Tazz, a hipintroduction to the FUNdamentals of jazz,and “Seedfolks,” John Coltrane’s “A LoveSupreme” woven around a narrativeadapted by Jimmie Woody from award-winning author, Paul Fleischman’s“Seedfolks.”

(Everyone is welcome to attend, butreservations are suggested)

Wednesday, April 20

9 a.m. - 2:30 p.m.Come on down to the CCC Metro

Campus to listen to and cheer on the bestschool jazz bands!

Middle School Performance Work-shops

2:30 p.m.Open rehearsal with Ted Nash, Matt

Wilson and Tri-C JazzFest High SchoolAll-Stars.

CCC Metro Campus Main Stage The-atre

Thursday, April 21 and Friday, April 22

8:30 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.High School Performance WorkshopsCCC Metro Campus Main Stage The-

atreJazz Giants SeriesTri-C JazzFest’s critically acclaimed

artist educators will present clinicsCCC Metro Campus Studio Theatre

10 (unless otherwise noted)

9:30 a.m.Ted Nash, Saxophone, Composer

and Matt Wilson, Percussion“Improvising: How to Use Idea Devel-

opment to Build Creative and PersonalSolos.”

11:00 a.m.Artist-In-ResidenceHoward Johnson, Tuba“The Tuba In Jazz”

12:00 p.m.“Meet Percy Heath”The great Percy Heath will talk about

his role in 20th century jazz and give abrief performance.

CCC Metro Campus Main Stage The-atre

1:00 p.m.Claire Daly, Bari Sax“Getting a Good Sound, Developing

Your Own Voice”

Thursday, April 21 (only)2:00 p.m.Jackie Warren“How To Build a Latin Jazz Ensemble”

and Jam Session

Friday, April 22 (only)2:00 p.m.Vernon Reid, GuitarGuitar ClinicOther clinics with DJ Logic and Bill

Ransom, Bobby Sanabria, Charlie Hunter,Ted Nash and Matt Wilson to be an-nounced.

For more information and updates,visit www.tricjazzfest.com or call the Tri-C JazzFest office at 216-987-4400.

March/April 2005 • Issue 273 PAGE FIVE

Robert Lockwood JrPainting by Carol Landy

Robert Lockwood, Jr.Celebrates 90th Birthday

at the Rock HallThis year Robert Lockwood, Jr. will

be celebrating his 90th birthday and thebig event will take place at The Rockand Roll Hall of Fame and Museum onThursday, March 31 at 7 p.m. in theMuseum’s 4th Floor Theater.

The event will be hosted by notedblues historian Jim O’Neal and will fea-ture discussion, an acoustic perfor-mance and a question and answer ses-sion.

Tickets to this event are $5 and aresale now through Ticketmaster and atthe Museum box office. Museum mem-bers can attend this event for free butmust RSVP to 216-515-8427.

Robert Lockwood, Jr., born March27, 1915 in Turkey Scratch, Arkansasis among the most innovative and in-fluential of American musical masters.The only man to have been directlytaught guitar by legendary blues geniusRobert Johnson (his sometime stepfa-ther), he acquired one of the first elec-tric pick-ups in 1939.

Subsequently, in 1941 he becamethe first to play electric blues guitar onthe radio with the daily King BiscuitTime. This show became a cultural phe-nomenon and heavily influenced manyguitarists, from Muddy Waters (whocovered Lockwood songs in his firstsessions) to B.B. King, whomLockwood taught and worked with fora year.

In the 1950’s he was first call ses-sion guitarist in Chicago, playing liveand in the studio with many artists in-cluding Waters, Roosevelt Sykes and

harp wizards Sonny Boy Williamsonand Little Walter.

Lockwood has recorded in everydecade f rom his 1941 debut toGrammy-nominated full band and solo12-string works 60 years later. His mostrecent releases are solo live showsfrom 2004 and 2005 gigs recorded dur-ing his regular Wednesday-night per-formance with the 8-piece “All-Stars”band at Fat Fish Blue in Cleveland,where he has lived since 1960.

His recognitions include multipleW.C. Handy Awards, a Cleveland streetbaring his name, a National HeritageFellowship, and honorary doctoratesfrom Case Western Reserve andCleveland State Universities. Similarly,his career spans the juke joints withJohnson in the thirties to a Lincoln Cen-ter appearance in 2005, from the 78RPM records of the forties to the MP3’sof the new century.

He remains a brilliant and uniqueplayer, combining jazz chording andrhythms with Delta directness andsmoothly sinuous soloing.

J im O’Neal co-founded Liv ingBlues in Chicago in 1970 and has beenwith the magazine ever since, first asco-editor/publisher and then in hispresent advisory role as founding edi-tor, factchecker and columnist.

He was also a founder of RoosterBlues Records and the newStackhouse record label, and workedon the committees that launched theChicago Blues Festival, the King Bis-cuit Blues Festival, the Sunflower RiverBlues Festival and the W.C. HandyBlues Awards. A compilation of earlyLiving Blues interviews entitled “TheVoice of the Blues,” edited by O’Nealand co-founder Amy van Singel, wonthe ASCAP Deems Taylor Special Rec-ognition Award for music journalism in2003.

O’Neal has followed the blues trailfrom Mobile to Chicago to Mississippito Kansas City, where he now works asa freelance writer-consultant and mailorder record dealer.

The Rock and Roll Hall of Fameand Museum exists to educate its visi-tors, fans and scholars from around theworld about the history and significanceof rock and roll music. The Museumcarries out this mission through its ef-forts to collect, preserve, exhibit and in-terpret this art form.

The Museum is open seven days aweek from 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. OnWednesdays the Museum is open until9 p.m. Museum admission is $20 foradults, $14 for seniors (60+), $11 forchildren (9-12) and children under 8and Museum members are free.

12387 Cedar Road Cleveland Hts.

Reservations: 216-795-0550

SUN MAR 20 7 PM $15SEAN JONES QUINTETDynamic young Trumpeter returnsto Cleve. with his East Coast group.

THURS MAR 24 8 PM $10CHIP STEPHENS TRIOAzica recording artist and pianistextraordinaire. First Cleveland appearance in 5 years.

SUN MAR 13 7 PM $25CHUCHITO VALDESDirect from Cuba. Hot and sizzling pianist is back!

MON MAR 21 7 PM $25BATTLEFIELD BANDCeltic music from Scotland.

SUN-MON MAR 6-7 7 & 9PM $30

DAVE FRISHBERGVocalist, Pianist and Composerextraordinaire.

WED MAR 23 7 PM $20AVASHAI COHENBassist from CHICK COREA leadsmodern trio. SAM BARSH-piano,RALPH GUILIANA-drums.

APR 13 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .PIERRE BENSUSAN

MON-TUE MAR 14-15 7 & 9 PM $30TOOTS THIELEMANS& KENNY WERNERHarmonica virtuoso and keyboardmaster back at Nighttown.

FRIDAY MAR 18 9 PM $20RACHEL ZPianist and Trio return playingnew standards.

THURS MAR 31 8 PM $10JOHN ELLIS QUARTETHyena rec. artist and Saxophonist fromCHARLIE HUNTER’S group. CD Release.

TUE-WED APR 5-6 7 & 9 PM $30JOHN PIZZARELLITelarc recording artist. With RAYKENNEDY & MARTIN PIZZARELLI.

SUN APR 3 7 PM $10REBEKAH WOLKSTEINViolinist & CIM grad student leadsswingin’ quartet. 1/2 price w/student ID.

TUE APR 12 7 & 9 PM $30VONDA SHEPARDVocalist from “Ally McBeal”.

March/April 2005 • Issue 273PAGE SIX

Medeski, Martin & Wood will be ap-pearing at the House of Blues on Fri-day, April 8. Photo: Danny Clinch, © Blue NoteRecords

Serving Delicious FoodLunch & Dinner

Thursday, March 10LITTLE BRIAN TERRY AND

THE ZYDECO TRAVELERS $10A trailblazer in the spirit of Clifton Chenier

and Buckwheat Zydeco

Friday, March 18BILL PERRY $8

Bill Perry ranks among the best of a newgeneration of blues performers.

Saturday, March 19DOUG DEMING AND THE

JEWELTONES FEATURING GREG“FINGERS” TAYLOR $10

In demand as a backing band for a ‘who’s-who’ of today’s top blues performers

Wednesday, March 23MICHAEL BURKS $10/$12

Alligator Recording ArtistHard-hitting blues, outrageous tone, blazing,

explosive solo skills, part rock-part soul.

Friday, March 25ROOMFUL OF BLUES $15

Alligator Recording ArtistsThe best in jumpin’ and swingin’ blues

for more than 35 years

Saturday, March 26 HADDEN SAYERS $5

Scorching guitar and bluesy, rockin’ takeno-prisoners songwriting.

Saturday, April 2:CARLOS JONES & THE P.L.U.S. BAND

Saturday, April 9PERPETUAL GROOVE & THE

BRIDGE - $8Bluegrass, funk, kazz, rock and electronicaover a solid foundation of folk and blues

Monday, April 11OPENING DAY FOR THE INDIANS!

FREE SHOW featuring Norman Nardini

Thursday, April 14 NICO WAYNE TOUSSAINT - $5

Young French harp player based in Pau, inthe south of France - playing since his

teens, but and cut two albums in the US.

Friday, April 15 SHEMEKIA COPELAND - $15

Alligator Recording ArtistRed hot vocalist needs no introduction!

Weekend Shows 9:30; Weekdays 8:30

216-902-4663812 Huron Rd E.. • Cleveland

Call For Additional Dates

BY Mark Smith

Award time blues... The beginning of theNew Year is always marked with awardshonoring the achievements of the last year.While the big kahuna of blues awards, theW.C. Handy’s Æ doesn’t take place until May,there are plenty of other awards honoringblues artists that are already on the books.The big commercial awards are, of course,the Grammy’sÆ which took place on Feb-ruary 13th. While the late, great Ray Charleswas the night’s big winner with eight awardsfor his disc, Genius Love Company, therewere some important awards that didn’t havehis name on them. Taking home the statutefor best contemporary blues disc was keb’mo’ for his disc, Keep It Simple. Taking homethe statute for best traditional blues disc wasEtta James for her Blues to the Bone Re-lease. In other Grammy related blues news,pianist Pinetop Perkins was given a life timeachievement award by the Recording Acad-emy which sponsors the awards. In otheraward news, the New Orleans Best of theBeat Awards were handed out in January.While many categories of music were hon-ored, here are a few of interest to blues fans:Best Blues Band- Clarence “Gatemouth”Brown; Best Blues Album- Clarence“Gatemouth” Brown: Timeless; Emerging

Blues artist - Washboard Chaz Blues Trio:Gospel- Zion Harmonizers; Zydeco- BestBand- Rockin’ Dopsie, Jr.; Zydeco- BestAlbum Rockin’ Dopsie, Jr.; I Got My MojoWorking; Roots Rock- Best Band- thesubdudes; Roots Rock- Album - thesubdudes: Miracle Mule; Female Vocalist-Irma Thomas; Guitar Player-SonnyLandreth; Piano/keyboards-Jon Cleary;Harmonica/harp- Rockin’ Jake; LifetimeAchievement As a Performer- Clarence“Gatemouth” Brown.... Back with the gatorblues.... Alligator Records has announcedthat blues guitarist Tinsley Ellis has re-joinedthe label after a side trip to the Capricornand Telarc labels. The renewed relationshipwill kick off with Ellis recording two nights oflive performances (March 25th and 26th) atChord On Blues in St. Charles, IL, a suburbof Chicago. Scheduled for release in earlysummer, 2005, this will be Ellis’ first livealbum.....New Release blues.... Here’s thenext batch of discs by artists who hope theyend up on the next batch of award shows:Downchild Blues Band- Come On In; KellyJoe Phelps- Tap the Red Cane Whirlwind;Joey DeFrancesco and Jimmy Smith-Legacy; Rory Block- From the Dust; AnnRabson- In a Family Way; Solomon Burke-Make Due with What You Got; James“Jimbo” Mathus- Knockdown South; BillWyman and the Rhythm Kings- Just for aThrill; Duke Robillard and Ronnie Earl- TheDuke Meet the Earl; Memphis Slim- BlueMemphis; Memphis Slim- South Side Re-union; Jay Geils- Jay Geils Plays Jazz; Devilin the Woodpile- In Your Lonesome Town;Mitch Kashmar featuring Jr. Watson-Mitch Kashmar; The Hollywood BluesFlames- Soul Sanctuary; Hubert Sumlin-About Them Shoes; Li’l Ronnie and theGrand Dukes- do what cha do; David Max-well- Max Attack; Sonny Landreth- GrantStreet; Rosco Gordon- No Dark inAmerica..... That’s it for this month. See ya!

NEXT ISSUE2005 Legendary Rhythm

& Blues CruiseReviewed

Curious?

www.bluescruise.com

March/April 2005 • Issue 273 PAGE SEVEN

March/April 2005 • Issue 273PAGE EIGHT

Jimmy Smith photo by Francis Wolff,courtesy of Mosaic Images

RememberingJimmy Smith

Reflections and Memoriesfrom Blue Note RecordsBlue Note Records is saddened to

announce the passing of Jimmy Smith,the man who single-handedly rein-vented the Hammond B3 organ for jazzand created the model sound of the or-gan trio (organ-guitar-drums) in the mid-1950s. Smith died February 8 of natu-ral causes at his home in Scottsdale, AZ.He was 79 years old.

Born in Norristown, PA on Decem-ber 8, 1925, Smith at first took up thepiano, learning from his parents at anearly age. He turned his attention to heorgan in 1951, formed his first trio in1953, and began working around Phila-delphia, PA, until his reputation spilledover the city’s limits leading him to makehis debut appearance in New York Cityin 1956.

Years afterwards, Blue Note co-founder Francis Wolff recalled the nighthe and his partner, Alfred Lion, first en-countered Smith:

“I first heard Jimmy at Small’s Para-dise in January of 1956. It was his firstgig in New York. He was a stunningsight. A man in convulsions, face con-torted, crouched over in apparent agony,his fingers flying, his foot dancing overthe pedals. The air was filled with wavesof sound I had never heard before. Thenoise was shattering. A few people sataround, puzzled, but impressed.

“He came off the stand, smiling, thesweat dripping all over him. ‘So what doyou think?’ ‘Yeah!’ I said. That’s all Icould say. Alfred Lion had already madeup his mind. When he heard a goodthing-that was enough.”

Just a few weeks later, on February18, 1956, Smith hauled his organ out toengineer Rudy Van Gelder’s studio in

Hackensack, NJ, to record what wouldbe the first of 28 sessions as a leaderfor Blue Note between 1956-63, a se-ries of recordings that put forth “a newsound” and launched a soul jazz crazethat would raise Smith to a level of popu-larity uncommon for jazz musicians.

Smith’s classic Blue Note record-ings include Home Cookin’, The Ser-mon, Midnight Special , PrayerMeetin’, and Back at the ChickenShack. Throughout the remainder of the60s and the beginning of the 70s, Smithcemented his reputation with a fine runof successful recordings for Verve, in-cluding Organ Grinder Swing, Got MyMojo Workin’, and Root Down.

In 1986, after Blue Note was reacti-vated, current President Bruce Lundvalland producer Michael Cuscuna broughtSmith back to the label, reuniting himwith a familiar cast that included oldlabelmates saxophonist StanleyTurrentine and guitarist Kenny Burrell,as well as Van Gelder at the controls,for the recording of Go For Whacha’Know.

Smith’s final sessions for Blue Notecame in the 1990s, when the label’sJapanese company recorded him in atrio that included Burrell. The trio burnedthrough a set of classic Blue Note tunes,the resulting records were entitled TheMaster and The Master II.

R.I.P. James Oscar Smith.

B.B. King will be appearing at the Pal-ace Theatre on a bill with Bobby ‘BlueBland’ for the annual Easter Evening con-cert on Sunday , March 27 at 7 PM.

WWWWWe only bring you thee only bring you thee only bring you thee only bring you thee only bring you theCream of the Crop!Cream of the Crop!Cream of the Crop!Cream of the Crop!Cream of the Crop!

ROOMFUL OF BLUESStanding Room Only

ALLIGATORHow many times have you been dis-

appointed when a blues band shows up toa gig as a three piece when all of its discsfeature horns and keyboards on nearly ev-ery track? Roomful of Blues fans neverexperience a let down since the band in-cludes as members the two saxophones,trumpet, keyboards, guitar, bass, drumsand harmonica heard on its discs. Whatyou hear on disc is what you get live and,in this case, fans should be salivating inanticipation of the band’s next appearance.Simply put, the band has rarely soundedbetter.

Starting things off with the fast paced,horn laden She Put A Spell On Me, the bandworks its way through 14 cuts that allowthe band to flex its instrumental muscles ina variety of settings. I Can’t Stand You NoMore has a slinky, guitar driven mambogroove that is unlike anything the band hasrecorded before. Boomerang is a rockin,’dance floor filling number for the rock androll dancers while Just Keep Rockin’ , JonaLee, Flip Flap Jack and Up Jumped theDevil will give the swing dancers a workout. While the band has proved over andover that it is the gold standard for upbeatnumbers it makes a strong case here forits ability to play the kind of slow, emo-tional blues that are Bobby “Blue” Bland’sstock in trade. On Sufferin’ With The Blueslead vocalist Mark DuFresne conveys adeep, desperate pain that conjures up im-ages of someone ending the night alone

March/April 2005 • Issue 273 PAGE NINE

crying in bad scotch wondering if it is worth it to make it to tomor-row. The band’s instrumental prowess is showcased on StraightJaquette which features the dueling saxophones of Mark Earleyand Rich Latille and allows trumpeter Bob Enos to take a coupleof flights into the stratosphere. A pleasant curve ball is throwninto the mix on the easy loping groove of Nobody Knows whichfeatures guitarist Chris Vachon serving up croaking vocals remi-niscent of Tom Waits. As with past discs, the band features cov-ers by jump blues kings like Roy Brown but this time extends intosoul blues penned by Little Milton and Lowell Fulson and a num-ber of self-penned tunes (Vachon logs in with four while Latille,Earley, DuFresne and keyboard ace Travis Colby contribute oneeach) that fit seamlessly with those of the masters that they havecovered.

After more than three decades in the business, Roomful ofBlues continues to deliver the goods both live and on disc.

Mark SmithRoomful of Blues will be appearing live in downton Clevelandat Wilbert’s on Friday, March 25.

WYNTON MARSALISUnforgivable Blackness

BLUE NOTETrumpeter-composer Wynton Marsalis wrote or re-arranged

the score for the Ken Burns film, Unforgivable Blackness: TheRise And Fall of Jack Johnson, a PBS documentary about the lifeof first African-American boxer to win the coveted HeavyweightChampionship of the World title.

Performed by an all-star team, Marsalis’ 21-tune score fitsinto the period of Johnson’s life documented in the film. Marsalis

has created a journey through swinging 1900s ragtime themesand period ballads which he has frequently explored, especiallywith small group bands. The tunes, ranging from slightly over oneminute to slightly over five minutes and performed in varied mu-sician configurations, are perfectly executed by Marsalis andmusicians Victor Goines or Dr. Michael White (clarinet), WycliffeGordon (trombone), Wessell Anderson (alto sax), Douglas Wamble(guitar/banjo), Reginald Veal (upright bass), Herlin Riley (drums),and others.

While he’s in peak form playing trumpet, Marsalis hasn’t writ-ten just to feature himself. The catchy opening tune, “What HaveYou Done?,” features guitar and bass with horn & reed chorus inthe background. “The Johnson 2-Step” is a bouncy number ledoff by pianist Eric Lewis stating the melody before he’s joined byMarsalis, Anderson, Veal and Riley. So short it leaves you wantingmore, the lush piano solo on the pretty ballad, “I’ll Sing My Song,”is poignantly delivered by Lewis. “The Last Bell” begins with pi-ano-led dirge, before the horns, bass and drums develop it into abluesy New Orleans funeral march. In addition to his originals,Marsalis includes (and flawlessly performs) a drawling remake ofthe classic “Careless Love.” Also enticing are the cadent versionof Jelly Roll Morton’s “New Orleans Bump” and the languid takeof the Morton classic “Buddy Bolden’s Blues,” which features finenote-bending solos from all.

Fans of the bluesy New Orleans style jazz should find this anexceptionally ear-appealing, toe-tapping soundtrack album thatstands on its own and invites repeated play for all its intricacies,sublime musicianship and splendid solos. To further enjoy themusic in its intended context, you may also want to view or ownthe DVD about Johnson’s life. Nancy Ann Lee

March/April 2005 • Issue 273PAGE TEN

APPEARING MARCH 25 AT WILBERT’S

DETROIT JR.Blues On The Internet

DELMARKThe pianist in Howling Wolf’s Band for the last seven or

so years of Wolf’s life, Emery ‘Detroit Jr.’ Williams has per-haps not received the public visibility one would expect, butdespite being among the blues’ wittiest lyricists, a solid blueskeyboard player and a singer that conveys warmth and/orirony, hopefully his new Delmark cd Blues on the Internetwill break him to a larger audience.

It opens with him reprising his most famous composition“Call My Job” and includes 12 other originals, including theamusing “Money Crazy” (that ’s what his woman is here, aslong as its his money), and covers of an obscure Lowell Fulsonnumber, “Rockin ’After Midnight” and Junior Wells ’ “Messin’With the Kid.”

He is backed by a studio band with the ever reliable BobStroger on bass and Kenny Smith (son of Willie ‘Big Eyes’Smith) on drums with Lurrie Bell or Maurice John Vaughanhandling most of the lead guitar, and some punchy sax andtrumpet on most selections which include some plaintive pleasfor a better everyday life “Less Violence, Make

Love,” to more traditional blues themes like “Love NoOne But You.”

This is wonderfully played and performed with wit andsoul. Ron Weinstock

WESMONTGOMERY

Smokin’ AtThe Half Note

VERVEMASTER EDITIONSmokin’ has always

been one of my absolutefavorite Wes Montgomeryalbums. Wes had alreadyrecorded some of hiscommercial albums with

strings, orchestras and whatever before this live recording wasmade in mid-1965 at New York’s famed Half Note jazz club.There is no doubt that the master guitarist who would heavilyinfluence thousands to come was eager to stretch out on arecording that would give his fans an example of what he wasoffering in a club setting - and he was backed by the formi-dable rhythm section of Wynton Kelly/piano, Paul Chambers/bass and Jimmy Cobb/drums. That’s right...look out!

This reissue is part of Verve’s Master Edition series, offer-ing expanded packaging, improved sound and, in many cases,bonus tracks. Oddly enough, regardless of the album title only2 of the 5 tracks on the original album were recorded live.The other 3 were done at Rudy Van Gelder’s studio. But thisrelease combines the original album with all but one trackfrom the Willow Weep For Me album - and those were allrecorded live at the Half Note. Two of those songs are a redhot version of Coltrane’s “Impressions” and a 9-minute ver-sion of “Willow Weep For Me.” But on the original releases ofthe Willow album, four songs were overdubbed in a studiowith brass and reeds. Here they all appear just as they wererecorded - the straight quartet, live with no overdubs.

If you want an album by Wes Montgomery towards theend of his career where he is truly smokin’ - this one is a no-brainer. There are many highlights here on versons of “Unit7,” “No Blues,” “Four On Six” and much more. I do have anLP import somewhere of a live concert in Paris around thesame time that all his fans should own too, but I have notlocated it on CD yet.

Even if you already have a previous CD release ofSmokin’At The Half Note - and/or Willow Weep For Me, you’llwant to pick this up anyway to have all 11 of these trackstogether with no overdubs anywhere. Just make sure you getthis expanded edition - the only one with 11 tracks on it. Highlyrecommended. Bill Wahl

JIMBO MATHUSKnockdown South

KNOCKDOWN SOUTH RECORDSKnockdown South is one of the more potent products to

emerge from the neo-primitive blues-and-roots universe ofmodern-day Mississippi. Paralleling the throwback attitudefound on the Fat Possum label, guitarist/vocalist Mathus meldsrural blues with r&b and country strains distinctly early-to-mid Rolling Stones-like in character. A suitably dusky, trance-like atmosphere pervades tracks such as “Crazy ‘Bout You”and “Hypmotized” (no typo there). Mathus proves himself tobe a capable conjure-man and Knockdown South will talkone into repeated listening. Duane Verh

March/April 2005 • Issue 273 PAGE ELEVEN

FRI 3 .......KG BLUESSAT 4.......COLIN DUSSAULT'S BLUES PROJECTFRI 11 .....RHYTHM SYNDICATESAT 12.....THE DEACONSFRI 18 .....BECKY BOYD & REAL LIFESAT 19.....TRAVIS HADDIX BANDFRI 25 .....MIKE LENZ BANDSAT 26.....COLIN DUSSAULT'S BLUES PROJECT

FRI 1 .......FORTESAT 2 .......COLIN DUSSAULT'S BLUES PROJECTFRI 8 .......SWAMP BOOGIE BANDSAT 9 .......WALLACE COLEMANFRI 15 .....ROBERTO OCASIO'S.............. LATIN JAZZ PROJECT

SAT 16.....ACES & EIGHTSFRI 22 .....ARMSTRONG BEARCATSAT 23.....TRAVIS HADDIX BANDFRI 29 .....HOT RODSAT 30.....COLIN DUSSAULT'S BLUES PROJECT

March

April

30676 Detroit Road Westlake (440) 892-2266 www.TheSavannah.com

It’s More Than Just a ClubServing Fine Food & Great Music, with no cover daily till closing

WEDNESDAYS

MONDAYS EDDIE & THE EDSELS

APRIL2 PANORAMA

FRANKIE STARR, ROB “C”, TONY KOUSSA JR. & GREG HURD

9 STROKES BROTHERS

16 SLIM GOODIE23 NOBODY’S

30 TOM BOGUS BAND

MARCH6 WYNG IT

13 MOJO WHITEY

20 MY THREE SONS27 TIME WRAP

TUESDAYS APRIL1 BLUE LUNCH8 MADISON CRAWL

15 ROBERT OCASIO’S LATIN JAZZ PROJECT

22 BLUES DEVILLE29 ERNIE KRIVDA & THE FAT TUESDAY BIG BAND

MARCH5 BLUE LUNCH12 MADISON CRAW

19 DUKES OF WAIL

26 ERNIE KRIVDA & THE FAT TUESDAY BIG BAND

THURSDAYS THE SAVANNAH JAM WITH BAD BOYS OF BLUESSPECIAL EVENTS

SUNDAY MARCH 20TH ROBERT LOCKWOOD JR’S 90TH BIRTHDAY PARTY W/THE ALL STARS & MR. DOWNCHILD

THURSDAY MARCH 17TH ST. PATRICKS DAY STARTS EARLY WITH MCCARTHY & MORRISON 5PM

CHARLIE HADEN WITHGONAZLO RUBALCABA

Land of the SunVERVE

Performing with the same group whoappears on bassist Charlie Haden’sGrammy Award winning 2001 album, Noc-turne, it’s not surprising that his newest al-bum, Land of the Sun, was also honoredat the 47th annual Grammy Awards for BestLatin Jazz album.

It may not be what you’d expect froma “Latin Jazz” album, but Haden seeks tobroaden our exposure, claiming that theLatin music people in the United States aremost exposed to is uptempo, instead of thebeautiful Latin American ballads you’ll hearon this album.

In his inimitable warmly expressivestyle, Haden and colleagues deliver an ar-ray of 10 elegant Mexican ballads (manyof them by composer Jose SabreMarroquin). Performing with Haden in vari-ous musician settings are GonzaloRubalcaba (piano), Ignacio Berroa (drums,percussion), with Joe Lovano (tenor sax),Miguel Zenon (alto sax), Michael Rodriguez(trumpet, flugelhorn), Oriente Lopez (flute),and Larry Koonse or Lionel Loueke (gui-tar).

The seeds of this album began in 2003after Haden performed in Austin, Texas withthe musicians from his album, Nocturne.Patricia Mendes, daughter of Marroquin,

thanked Haden for recording her father’ssong, “Nocturnal,” and presented him witha folder of her father’s compositions. Go-ing through the songs after his return home,Haden was struck by the beauty of eachtune and contacted Rubalcaba to write ar-rangements. Eight of Marroquin’s tunesappear on this album and, featuring an as-sortment of tempos, they’re all appealing.

Also featured are Agustin Lara’s famil-iar gem, “Solomente Una Vez (You Belongto My Heart),” a lush favorite performed intrio setting by Haden, Rubalcaba, andBerroa and Armando Manzanero’s “EstaTarde Vi Llover (Yesterday I Heard the Rain).

These pretty ballads, rendered withfaithful musicianship that doesn’t tampermuch with the original melody, have last-ing qualities that invite repeated play.

Nancy Ann Lee

CARLOS DEL JUNCOBlues Mongrel

NORTHERNBLUES MUSICToronto harpist Carlos del Junco might

have been underestimating the scope of thiswork by tagging it Blues Mongrel. Insteadof two breeds mixing here, del Junco has amulti-headed monster of styles all wrap upin the 12 cuts, which means BLUES HY-DRA might have been a better title option.

Famed for the harp technique of“overblowing,” del Junco uses all twelvekeys on a harp verses just playing in two orthree of them. Assisted by guitarist Kevin

Breit, best known for his work with NorahJones, del Junco and the string bender teamup on “Skaroon,” an instrumental that putsthe emphasis on mental, with help fromdrummer Jorn Juul Andersen. From themovie of the same name comes “Our ManFlint” as “Let’s Mambo” is pretty much self-expiatory.

“Nine Below Zero” is about as downhome as you can get without the chitlins,while “No Particular Place” has, for lack of abetter handle, a shuffle jazz feel to it. Al-though jazz threads through a lot of BluesMongrel, my favorite is the swing piece “RunMe Down,” which could be voted on as agood theme song for me by a pack of myex-girl friends.

A fan of Paul Butterfield and Lee Oskarin his youth, del Junco has set out on hisown path of playing the harmonica that will,no doubt, inspire the future harp players ofthe world.

Not all that mangy to begin with, BluesMongrel is now waiting to be adopted byyou at your local record and disc store.

Peanuts

RUSSELL GUNNEthnomusicology Vol. 4

JUSTIN TIMETrumpeter Russell Gunn is all fired up

on this recording captured live at ChurchillGrounds in Atlanta, Georgia on March 26—27, 2004.

Playing electric trumpet and flugelhorn,

March/April 2005 • Issue 273PAGE TWELVE

Gunn pushes the form. Leading Nick Rolfe (piano, Fender Rhodes,keyboards), Carlos Henderson (electric bass), Carl Burnett (elec-tric Guitar), Kahlil Kwame Bell (percussion), Rocky Bryant (drums)and D.J. Neil Armstrong (turntables) through six tunes (threeoriginals), Gunn explores an array of moods to enthrall his appre-ciative live audience. His originals include the funky and raw elec-tric blues “More Sybil’s Blues,” the time- and mood-shifting“Lynne’s Joint,” which features Gunn’s heavily manipulated elec-tric trumpet solos, and “Shiva The Destroyer,” a rousing finalethat urgently pushes the envelope.

Gunn’s playing on electric trumpet may seem a bit over-manipulated to some fans who prefer the usual crisp, clean soundsof the trumpet. However, the boisterous energy and imaginationdisplayed by Gunn and colleagues, especially on the jazz-rockcloser, should please a wider audience. Nancy Ann Lee

WaterburyCoach Housein Lakewood

Wednesday Nights 6-10 PM

TOMMY CASTROSoul Shaker

BLIND PIGThere’s a good dose of Springsteen and Seger to go along

with the r&b on Tommy Castro’s new offering. The first sev-eral tracks are about the songs, not the axe, and showcaseCastro’s radio-friendly voice and penmanship. Strong cutssuch as “Just Like Me” and “What You Gonna Do Now?”scream crossover and could make noise on pop radio.

About midway through, Castro’s guitar breaks throughas he settles into a more customary groove. Reedman KeithCrossan gets virtually equal lead time, contributing ClarenceClemmons-like counterpoint on the pop fare. Castro bowsout completely on the disc’s sole instrumental, a flute fea-ture. Low on “blowing” though it is, on its own terms, SoulShaker is a solid effort. Duane Verh

LADYSMITH BLACK MAMBAZONo Boundaries

HEADS UP AFRICAThe latest release in Heads Up Records Africa Series comes

from the now legendary Zulu singing group Ladysmith BlackMambazo. The a cappella unit came into the international lime-light through their collaboration with Paul Simon on his Gracelandalbum in ’86. The next year Ladysmith’s first U.S. album wonthem a Grammy for Best Traditional Folk Album. Since then theyhave been heard with many other artists, as well in as moviesoundtracks, Broadway musicals and radio and TV ads.

This new album pairs Ladysmith Black Mambazo with the

strings of the English Chamber Orchestra offering a diverse andquite unique musical journey. You’ll get a version of “Homeless,”a classic from Graceland, mixed with other Ladysmith Mambazoclassics written by Mambazo leader Joseph Shabalala and/or IsacRoux along with pieces by Bach, Schubert and Mozart. Then, tobalance everything off, there is a version of “Amazing Grace.” Sowhat we have here is classicalized African music meets AfricanizedClassical done with “Amazing Grace.”

LBM certainly did a lot to promote world music worldwidewith their appearance on Graceland, and have since continued toamaze with their own albums released here in the U.S. Their per-formance in the 2003 Nelson Mandela concert benefit for HIV/AIDS in South Africa available on both DVD and CD - 46664 TheEvent- was outstanding. And so it this new CD. They obviouslyknow no boundaries.

Recommended for all you musically diverse people out there.Play it loud! Bill Wahl

CORKY SIEGEL’S TRAVELINGCHAMBER BLUES SHOW

ALLIGATORThe first disc by Corky Siegel’s blues-meets-chamber music

lineup and his earlier collaboration with composer/conductor SeijiOzawa that inspired this project could reasonably be seen purelyas interesting stand-alone experiments. Ten years later, this sec-ond release makes the case for the compelling hybrid’s stayingpower.

The mix is more than just blues licks transferred to violin andcello or Siegel’s solid blues harp work backed by somber stringensembles. The “show” makes for some compelling atmospher-ics, sometimes transcending both “schools”. “Five Planets In Har-monica Convergence” evokes a distinctly Eastern scene, rein-forced by tabla player Frank Donaldson. The dark urban tale“Train” is another standout. Not an everyday set perhaps, but onelikely to earn regular rotation in the eclectic listener’s schedule.

Duane Verh

JACKIE WARRENNear You

JACKIE WARREN INDUSTRIESCleveland-based pianist Jackie Warren is spotlighted in an

intimate solo piano set of nine standards and one original, anattractive mix of standards by Miles Davis, Jimmy Van Heusen,Thelonious Monk and others.

The romantic fare showcases Warren’s warmhearted, emo-tional expressions and a distinctive style that draws as much fromher Classical training at Oberlin Conservatory of Music as it doesfrom her studies there with jazz instructors Wendall Logan, NealCreque and Kenny Davis.

Highlights include Warren’s lush reading of LeonardBernstein’s “Some Other Time” and her elegant interpretations offavorites such as “My One and Only Love” and “I Thought AboutYou.” Warren admits a special penchant for Latin-jazz, which shedemonstrates skillfully on Luis Bonfa’s “Black Orpheus,” the Cu-ban traditional tune “Tengo Mi Flores” and Antonio Carlos Jobim’s“If You Never Come To Me.” Her languid ballad original, “LiquidMoon,” shows big promise for Warren as composer.

No matter if she’s performing live or in the studio, whetherplaying a ballad, an uptempo swinger or Latin jazz, Warren holdsher audience in the palm of her hand with her passion and artistry.

Nancy Ann Lee

March/April 2005 • Issue 273 PAGE THIRTEEN

B.B.KINGBobby “Blue” Bland

Palace Theatre

March 27Sunday, 7 PM

$42.50, $38.50 & $10.00

Tickets: Box office, 216-241-6000 or 800-766-6048, and online at playhousesquare.com

MELISSA MARTINAND THE MIGHTY RHYTHM KINGS

On The MarkBIG BEAT

Melissa Martin is the living incarnation of the term band singer.She fronts the band while remaining part of it. The band nameaside, the dusky-voiced Martin comes off as one more contribut-ing member of this solid Philadelphia-based jump/blues outfit muchlike the big band “girl singers” of yore. And this is a compliment.The result is a lively, entertaining set that strongly suggests thatthe Kings (and Queen) are a hot act “live”.

The fare on On The Mark is perennial blues and jump mate-rial and the ensemble work is rock-solid throughout. Piano manPaul Matecki is a standout. Fans of the genre should make a pointof catching this crew if they hit the road and should be happy withwhat they hear on disc. If you can’t find this at a store, go towww.mightyrhythmkings.com. Duane Verh

STEFANO DI BATTISTAParker’s MoodEMI/BLUE NOTE

Although born in Rome, Italy (1969), saxophonist Stefano DiBattista has been associated more with Paris, where he was aregular performer at The Sunset in the mid-1990s and where hemet plenty of world-class jazz musicians. He later polished hischops as sideman to Michel Petrucciani and Elvin Jones.

On his third Blue Note album, Di Battista pays homage toCharlie Parker, exhibiting a warm, exhilarating style as he workshis way through 10 standards. Performing mostly on alto sax,he’s ably accompanied by pianist Kenny Barron, (his regular)bassist Rosario Bonaccorso and drummer Herlin Riley, with fre-quent collaborator Flavio Bolto (trumpet) on four tracks. The tal-ented musicians, recorded in Milano, Italy in May 2004, renderaccessible, often swinging, readings of “Embraceable You,” “SaltPeanuts,” “Night In Tunisia,” and other warhorse standards, in-cluding “Confirmation,” “Donna Lee,” “Hot House,” and the titletune. Although he stresses his fervent bebop chops, Di Battistaproves to be equally adept on ballads, as heard on his sultry,Latinate reading of “Laura.” And he never strays too far from theblues.

While Di Battista doesn’t really investigate new turf, he’s animpressive saxman who displays expert phrasing, pleasant tones,and abundant expressiveness. With his solid sideteam, he pas-sionately serves up engaging versions of familiar tunes that couldleave you wanting more. Nancy Ann Lee

ROY CARRIERLiving Legend

RIGHT ON RHYTHM/SEVERNFat Tuesday was a couple weeks back, but for some people

the party never stops.Case in point would be accordion man Roy Carrier, thanks to

his latest release, Living Legend. It is also an apropos title, sinceCarrier already had famed relatives in the music business fromthe backwoods of Louisiana, via fiddle expert Joseph Be BeCarriere and another family member you may have heard of,Clifton Chenier.

While Living Legend is a zydeco dance party without DickClark, Carrier expands the style’s boundaries a little, thanks todrummer Steve “Skeeter” Charlot giving a 20 plus second rap

during the bridge of “I Got Something For You Baby.” I’ve got ahunch we won’t hear NWA cover “Iko Iko” in the near future,thank God.

The dancers get a break during the slower “I Come From TheCountry” and “Do the LaLa Dance,” the latter being the forerun-ner style that Cajun and zydeco sprang from. “You Told Me ThatYou Loved Me” has a blues base with Carrier’s accordion takingthe place of the harmonica during the solo.

The last of the first generation zydeco players from five de-cades ago, Roy Carrier will get you out on the dance floor to learnwhat the phrase “bon ton roulet” means. And it doesn’t mean “Isurrender” in French, if that was your first guess, although youwill easily yield to Living Legend’s musical charms. Peanuts

CHRIS THOMAS KINGWhy My Guitar Weeps & Moans

21ST CENTURY BLUESNow that he’s known for his appearance in the celebrated

biopic Ray, Chris Thomas King’s amalgam of blues, r&b, hip-hop, rock and soul will likely garner major-label attention. In themeantime, he’s added to his catalog with a set that’s a virtualsmorgasbord of African American pop and roots. Influences fromPrince to Hendrix to Curtis Mayfield to Norman Whitfield-eraMotown and beyond replace one another on King’s engaging songlist.

The Prince touch comes both in the attitude of the lead-offtrack “Starr” and in the slowed-up cover of Prince’s own “Kiss”

March/April 2005 • Issue 273PAGE FOURTEEN

that follows. A hip-hop/70’s urban weaveis next- “Legend”. Straight-ahead bluesshows up in “Wicked”. King is one of thestronger young African American voicesout to reclaim their roots music. Hopefullyhis new found fame will expand his audi-ence. Duane Verh

TheTheTheTheThe

WinchesterWinchesterWinchesterWinchesterWinchesterTavern & Music Hall

Saturday, March 5th,Saturday, March 5th,Saturday, March 5th,Saturday, March 5th,Saturday, March 5th,

The JiMiller Band, Grasshopper Pie��The JiMiller Band, Grasshopper Pie��The JiMiller Band, Grasshopper Pie��The JiMiller Band, Grasshopper Pie��The JiMiller Band, Grasshopper Pie��Tremendous jam band. Formoly of Oroboros.$8.00 at the door - 9:00pm�

Friday, March 11th,Friday, March 11th,Friday, March 11th,Friday, March 11th,Friday, March 11th,

Larry Burnett From Firefall��Larry Burnett From Firefall��Larry Burnett From Firefall��Larry Burnett From Firefall��Larry Burnett From Firefall��Founding member of Firefall performing a solo acousticshow.�Tickets $10.00 - 8:30pm.

Wednesday, March 16th, 2005Wednesday, March 16th, 2005Wednesday, March 16th, 2005Wednesday, March 16th, 2005Wednesday, March 16th, 2005

Wishbone AshWishbone AshWishbone AshWishbone AshWishbone AshReturn appearance tothe Winchester! (because they lovethe place). Tickets $20.00 - 8:30pm.

Friday, March 18th,Friday, March 18th,Friday, March 18th,Friday, March 18th,Friday, March 18th,

A TRIBUTE TO RAY CHARLES by Ron Shy...A TRIBUTE TO RAY CHARLES by Ron Shy...A TRIBUTE TO RAY CHARLES by Ron Shy...A TRIBUTE TO RAY CHARLES by Ron Shy...A TRIBUTE TO RAY CHARLES by Ron Shy...Ron Shy and his three piece band will perform an entireconcert of Ray Charles material that is so on the moneythat you'll think Ray is sitting right in front of you!Tickets are $8.00 - 10pm.

Wednesday, April 6th,Wednesday, April 6th,Wednesday, April 6th,Wednesday, April 6th,Wednesday, April 6th,

Wanda Jackson & the Lustre Kings���Wanda Jackson & the Lustre Kings���Wanda Jackson & the Lustre Kings���Wanda Jackson & the Lustre Kings���Wanda Jackson & the Lustre Kings���Nominated to be inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall ofFame! Tickets $18.00.

Wednesday, April 13th,Wednesday, April 13th,Wednesday, April 13th,Wednesday, April 13th,Wednesday, April 13th,

Big Bill MorganfieldBig Bill MorganfieldBig Bill MorganfieldBig Bill MorganfieldBig Bill MorganfieldMuddy Waters son, Morganfield is a terrific bluesmanTickets $12.50 - 8:30pm.��

Saturday, April 16th,Saturday, April 16th,Saturday, April 16th,Saturday, April 16th,Saturday, April 16th,

The Melvin Sparks BandThe Melvin Sparks BandThe Melvin Sparks BandThe Melvin Sparks BandThe Melvin Sparks BandMelvin Sparks has been and is one of the most soughtafter session guitar players on the planet.�Tickets are $10.00 - 8:30pm

Thursday, April 28th,Thursday, April 28th,Thursday, April 28th,Thursday, April 28th,Thursday, April 28th,

Richie Havens��Richie Havens��Richie Havens��Richie Havens��Richie Havens��Yes, Richie Havens what more needs to be saidTickets are $30.00 - 8:30pm.

Saturday, May 7th,. 8:30pm.Saturday, May 7th,. 8:30pm.Saturday, May 7th,. 8:30pm.Saturday, May 7th,. 8:30pm.Saturday, May 7th,. 8:30pm.

Al Stewart�Al Stewart�Al Stewart�Al Stewart�Al Stewart�“Year of the Cat” is back.....Show Starts at 8:30pm.

12112 MADISON AVELAKEWOOD, OH

216-226-5681

Tuesdays:Tuesdays:Tuesdays:Tuesdays:Tuesdays: The Winchester features Karaok Thursdays: Thursdays: Thursdays: Thursdays: Thursdays: Musicians Jam Night, hosted by Jeff PowersEveryEveryEveryEveryEvery

BEN WEBSTERFor Lovers

VERVEVerve continues its For Lovers series

with this compilation recording featuring thelate tenor saxophone master Ben Webster.I’d be hard pressed to think of a sax playerwho would be better in this vein than BigBen. His big, airy tenor sound just ema-nated romance and sexual energy, and itstill does today - some 40 years after thelatest of these 11 recordings made between1954 and 1964 for Verve and Impulse.

The compilation finds Ben in a num-ber of settings - trios, quartets, quintets andone with strings. He is heard with manyother jazz greats, including Oscar Peterson,Ray Brown, Hank Jones, Richard Davis,Herb Ellis, Jimmy Rowles, Teddy Wilsonand Gerry Mulligan. Regardless of familiarversions from other musicians, some ofthese songs seem tailor-made for Ben’s se-ductive tenor sound, like “Someone ToWatch Over Me,” “My Funny Valentine,”Time After Time,” and “Stardust.”

Whether you are familiar with BenWebster or not, this set of lovely standards

showcases one of the greatest ballad mas-ters of all time. And the sound is simplywonderful. A fine addition to any jazz col-lection as well as a perfect introduction toBen Webster. Bill Wahl

GUY DAVISLegacy

RED HOUSELegacy is the latest release by the tal-

ented Guy Davis, and while opening with arap duo which is an interesting experiment,but a bit pedantic, it is followed by a vari-ety of selections in which Davis demon-strates his skills on guitar, banjo, mando-lin, and harmonica as well as vocals.

It’s nice to hear the small string bandfeel he lends John Hurt’s “Payday” alongwith Henry Thomas’ “Run Mama Run,” asong that predates the blues, and the re-flective rendition of Walter Davis’ “ComeBack Baby” (erroneously credited to Light-ning Hopkins). The rendition of the tradi-tional “Rolling in My Sweet Baby’s Arms,”a staple of the bluegrass repertoire, is per-formed as a Piedmont blues and may bethe album’s highpoint. Davis’ original blues-ballad “I Just Can’t Help Loving You” is fol-lowed by a jug-band flavored reworking ofSleepy John Estes’ “Drop Down Mama”with T-Bone Wolk’s accordion providing abit of the performance’s bounce, and“Things About Comin’ My Way,” a nicevariation of “Sitting on Top of the World,”

with Wolk adding some nice mandolin fillsin the accompaniment. The rest of the al-bum includes more originals including abanjo breakdown, “Red Goose,” an adap-tation of the traditional “Hikin’ Jerry,” anda reworking of “See See Rider” into a blueswaltz with Wolk again on accordion.

Admittedly Davis is not this writer’sfavorite vocalist (a matter of taste), but heis an outstanding musician, songwriter anda performer who with the accompanyingmusicians here has produced a fresh col-lection of performances which includestrong new songs and fresh rearrangementsof familiar blues. Recommended.

Ron Weinstock

LOS HOMBRESCALIENTES: IRVIN

MAYFIELD, BILL SUMMERSVol. 5, Carnival

BASIN STREET RECORDSOn their first release (street date March

15) in two years, New Orleans-based IrvinMayfield (trumpet) and Bill Summers(drums, percussion) mix it up with a slewof musicians to hammer home a 77-minutecombination of African, European andAmerican musical traditions.

Nineteen exciting tracks by theGrammy nominated, Billboard MusicAward winning band serve up the scorch-ing Afro-Cuban numbers and feature spe-cial guests such as Kermit Ruffins, the Re-

March/April 2005 • Issue 273 PAGE FIFTEEN

birth Brass Band, Troy “Trombone Shorty” Andrews andothers. Authentic and often brassy, the fare features impres-sive instrumental solos, hot horn sections, Afro-Cuban chant-ing and singing, ass-shaking rhythms and much more thatshould satisfy Latin-jazz fans.

There’s never a dull moment. The leaders wrote (or co-wrote with others) many of the tunes and embrace an arrayof sounds. Also, superb performing talents, Mayfield andSummers frequently relinquish the spotlight to feature themany fine soloists. “James Booker” is a dramatic, funkynumber that spotlights the piano genius Ronald Markhamand the ticking sticks of Summers. Ruffins and Rebirth BrassBand drive the raucous, cacophonous “The Mardi Gras Sec-ond Line.” One of the hottest numbers is “Mardi Gras Bayou,”with its brassy front line and catchy, thundering bass-drumbeats (from Derrick Moss) that should test your sub-woofer.

The abundant talent performing on this disc delivers anexhilarating session that makes worthwhile the band’s two-year recording hiatus. It’s a hard-to-beat listening treat thatbegs for party time! Nancy Ann Lee

LOWELL FULSON1946 to 1953 Classic Cuts Remastered

JSP BOXED SETThis 4 cd box by JSP is one of several box sets of record-

ings that are in the public domain overseas. JSP has boxes ofsuch pre-war artists as Memphis Minnie, Blind Blake, BlindWillie McTell, Charlie Patton and Blind Lemon Jefferson andpost World War II artists like Big Joe Turner and Charles Brown.

The Oklahoma born Fulson, who had traveled with andaccompanied Texas Alexander, bridged Texas country blueswith the West Coast jump blues of the forties and fifties. Hereyou can hear his “River Blues” that goes back to TexasAlexander and others as well as his hit recordings like “EveryDay I Have the Blues” (he had a bit hit with this MemphisSlim number), “Blue Shadows” and “Sinner’s Prayer,” whichwould also be a hit for Ray Charles who toured and led Fulson’sbig band on one tour. Fulson would later give B.B.King his“Three O’ Clock Blues,” and it was B.B.’s first major hit.

Fulson would later have other hits like “Reconsider Baby”and “Tramp,” but this box collects his pioneering early sidesand lets us observe his maturation as a blues artist.

Ron Weinstock

VARIOUS ARTISTSNational Downhome Blues Festival, Vol 2

SOUTHLAND RECORDSHeld in October, 1984 in Atlanta, the National Downhome

Blues Festival was a one-time gathering of what Festival pro-ducer George Mitchell aptly called the “greatest collection oftraditional blues talent ever assembled in one place.”

This album makes available on cd the third and fourth vi-nyl albums that were issued from this event. Performers in-clude the late John Jackson, Robert Lockwood Jr, EddieKirkland, Piano Red, Doctor Ross, Booker T. Laury, Henry &Vernell Townsend, Larry Johnson, Albert Macon & Robert Tho-mas, and Hezekiah & the Houserockers.

There are some stunning performances including three bril-liant samples of the late John Jackson, Robert Lockwood Jrdoing “Big Legged Woman,” Snooky Pryor & Homesick James(reviving Pryor’s “Boogie Twist”), Doctor Ross’ ebullient “Chi-cago Breakdown,” Vernell Townsend backed by husband Henryon “Tears Come Rolling Down” and Larry Johnson’s sprightlyperformed “The Wrong Woman,” plus a gospel number adaptedfrom his mentor Rev. Gary Davis, “Can ’t You Hear the AngelsSinging.” There is some barrelhouse piano from Piano Red on“Right String, But the Wrong

Yo Yo” and Booker T. Laury whose “Woman I Love Lives inMemphis, Tennessee,” evokes the influence of the legendaryRoosevelt Sykes. The album closes with a raucous downhomeblues by Hezekiah & the Houserockers with PeeWee Whittaker’strombone lead.

While a number of these performers have passed, one notesthat Robert Lockwood, Eddie Kirkland, Snooky Pryor, HenryTownsend, Homesick James, Henry Townsend and HezekiahEarly are still performing and are still vital artists.

Volume One has performances by Cephas &Wiggins, Jun-ior Kimbrough, and Sunnyland Slim, among others. Southlandis one of the labels associated with George H. Buck in NewOrleans.

Borders Books may have this and others stores may beable to order it. I would try www.jazzology.com if you havetrouble obtaining this. It is well worth picking up.

Ron Weinstock

2,500 CD & DVD ReviewsAt Your Fingertips!

www.jazz-blues.com

March/April 2005 • Issue 273