An Evening with Jack DeJohnette and Savion Glover

Savion Glover

Although the bulk of my time these days is spent in Portland either teaching or spending time with my family, I'm getting a few chances to travel and perform this year. A nice handful of those chances is with a project called, "An Evening with Jack DeJohnette and Savion Glover." Jazz musicians are most likely familiar with drumming icon DeJohnette, and hopefully you have at the very least heard of tap dance wizard Savion Glover. Mr. Glover may be best known for his work in "Bring in 'da Noise/Bring in 'da Funk", but he has been working on Broadway since his debut at 12 years of age in "The Tap Dance Kid." Gregory Hines, no slouch of a dancer himself, described Glover as " possibly the greatest tap dancer who has ever lived." Glover style is quite revolutionary, but at the same time pays homage to the past, and incorporates many different styles of music into his dance. If you've never witness the genius of Savion Glover, check out some youtube videos and you'll see what I mean by "revolutionary."

Jack DeJohnette

The first time we did this presentation was actually a few years ago; we did a one-off concert in Albany, NY at The Egg, a well known concert hall. Apparently, Mr. Glover really liked the unique collaboration and asked Mr. DeJohnette if they could take it on the road. We've had spot dates in the U.S. and there are some more upcoming in May and June. The show is in roughly four parts; Glover (and sometimes dance collaborator Marshall Davis) do a free form set, then the Jack DeJohnette Trio(including your truly and bassist Jerome Harris) do a set( fresh off a solo piano tour, DeJohnette has been playing more piano, which gives me an opportunity to play drums and pocket trumpet). Glover and DeJohnette will then do another duo set, and finally, I and Harris join them for a final number.

It's interesting because much of the show is totally improvised. One would assume that this could potentially turn off today's typical audience; however, we've had nothing but great responses at every show. The shows have typically run between two and a half to three hours; it seems as though the crowds are hungry for this type of energy. I've personally never witnessed any dancer with the stamina of Savion Glover; it seems as though his endurance has no limit. Furthermore, improvising with him is like improvising with another musician; he reacts with the same type of intuition and rhythmic interplay as an extremely hip drummer. ( As we discovered in a recent soundcheck, Mr. Glover can actually play the drum set more than excellently; hearing the drums from backstage, I

assumed it was Mr. DeJohnette on the drums until I walked back out to see differently!)

It's inspiring for me to be around people who are the best in the world. DeJohnette and Glover are more than the best; they are completely unique. One of the things that makes them unique is that they both have unlimited passion for creativity. It's a true privilege to witness it and to try to take the inspiration home with me. It's too bad we won't play in Portland, so my students will just have to take my word for it. I'm looking forward to more chances to be a part of this historic one of a kind collaboration  later this year.

Haitian Fight Song

Chris Rock in "Top Five"

I recently wrote about my disappointment in regards to a movie I went to see with my wife; part of my lament was that I don't get to actually go to the movies often. Well, I actually was able to get out again to see "Top Five," a hilarious film starring one of my favorite comedians of all time, Chris Rock. I was a fan of his HBO program in the late 90's, although he hasn't made a ton of great films. I really enjoyed this one, especially one scene with a famous rapper surprising us with some of his "unknown" talent( don't want to spoil it for you). Rock  and supporting actors Rosario Dawson, JB Smoove as well as a host of other surprise comedians really made this one work for me.

Rock is great with observational humor, but he's not afraid to push the political envelope. Rock's character, Andre Allen, is a comedian turned actor who had financial success with a string of "Hammy The Bear" films. Allen, a recovering alcoholic, decides he wants to make "serious films" (perhaps a nod to one of my favorite Woody Allen films, "Stardust Memories") and ends up starring in "Uprize," a movie about the Haitian Slave Revolt of 1791-1804 in which thousands died and Haiti gained independence from France. It's amazing to me how Chris Rock is able to make the idea of this film ( which I'm fairly sure no one, even a Hollywood superstar would have an easy time financing) into something hilarious. It's kind of a complex idea; it's funny because it's such an intense departure from the silly "Hammy The Bear" character; it would be like Tyler Perry doing a movie about Nat Turner.....( actually I would pay to see that!) During a scene where Allen sneaks into a theater to see whether people like his new movie,  I was pleasantly surprised to hear Charles Mingus' "Haitian Fight
Song" as the background music. ( I wonder if Questlove, who is credited with the score, was responsible for that choice?)

 

All levity aside, the Haitian Revolution was no joke; considered the most successful rebellion in history, it culminated in driving out the French and appointing governor-general Jean-Jaques

Haitian Rebellion

Dessalines, who in 1804 ordered the massacre of almost all of the remaining whites on the island. I guess I can't help but wonder why we study the French Revolution, the American Revolution, and the Russian Revolution in school- but not the Haitian Revolution? It seems like this would have been interesting to mention.....

In the fake "Uprize" movie within a movie, the Allen character plays Dutty Boukman ( which I hate to say but it sounds like somebody from the Pootie Tang bits from the Chris Rock Show......never mind, I'll be quiet...) who was a voodoo priest and leader of the Maroon slaves. Haitian voodoo religion originates in Africa and uses mystical dance and music ceremonies where spirit possession is involved. This reminded me of a recent performance I saw while visiting Birmingham, U.K. A young composer named Bobby Avey recently released an album entitled "Authority Melts From Me." This is a large form suite which is inspired by the Haitian Uprising; Avey actually traveled to Haiti and recorded actual voodoo ceremonies, transcribed them, and used the musical and political inspiration to create some incredibly intense music. Pianist Avey and his all star band of Miguel Zenon on alto saxophone, Ben Monder on guitar, Jordan Perlson on drums, and bassist Michael Janisch created a dense musical jungle full of dense chromaticism and brain-bending odd meters; the severity of the music made me see things differently upon completion of the performance. 

I need time to study the Haitian Rebellion. I think it's strange that such a striking and significant event seems to be relatively forgotten. I'm under the impression that the tragedy of modern day Haiti may have a lot to do with the circumstances under which it became a nation. I didn't expect a history lesson this evening, but I'm glad to get to laugh and also learn something.

Hey, what about Tyler Perry as W.E.B. Du Bois? Ok, never mind, I'll shut up.....

Coryell, Bailey, White, Colligan: Four NIghts At Jazz Alley

Larry Coryell

One of the downsides of playing a lot of gigs with my students has been, you guessed it, that I'm no longer the youngest person in the band! In all seriousness, I have been very fortunate to be able to learn jazz, mostly on the bandstand,  from older musicians who had way more experience than I. Indeed, my very first steady gig was at a the Hyatt Regency in Baltimore, MD, with saxophonist Phil Burlin and bassist Larry Kindling; it was supposed to be MY gig, but they were the ones showing me what to do, being at least a decade older. This is part of the jazz tradition in terms of jazz being a folk music, the art form being passed down to future generations by master practitioners. It's wonderful to be part of a great music curriculum and have classes and have a college experience. However, when you are on a stage and Gary Bartz starts playing a song you don't know and expects you to figure it out, that is a very different kind of learning process. In the real world of music, there are no letter grades- only "PASS" and "FAIL."

Victor Bailey

So when I get a surprise call to join three elder masters on stage at Jazz Alley for four nights, I get not only the thrill of feeling like the young'un on the bandstand, but I also get the thrill of learning through doing. In some ways, playing jazz has infinite variables. You cannot say, "OK, I have learned 60 tunes from the Real Book and transcribed a lot of solos and learned all of my scales and modes and I practiced with a metronome so I'm ready." Every grouping of musicians is going to present different challenges; every combination of bassist and drummer is a different feel than another. It's almost like saying your metronome is going to be different every day you turn it on.

Lenny White

It's especially challenging walking into a situation where you have three legends who have been playing together for decades, and your presence, even if promising, is possibly superfluous. Nevertheless, my first night with jazz fusion legends Lenny White, Victor Bailey and Larry Coryell was extremely positive.( I think it should count towards a Doctorate of Musical Arts. Can I get college credit for this?) We played a mixture of originals by Bailey, White, and Coryell( I had to sightread a tune call Spaces Revisited, which was fun-good thing I went to Peabody Conservatory!). We ended the set with a great arrangement of Led Zepplin's "Black Dog." Hopefully I can continue to learn and imrpove as the weekend continues.

These men aren't just practitioners of the art- they ARE the art!
We have three more nights: two sets Friday and Saturday and one set Sunday. Come down if you are in or near Seattle.....

First Annual Montavilla Jazz Festival

Ryan Meagher, one of the organizers of the Montavilla Jazz Festival

I wanted to just say a quick word about a new jazz festival in Portland: The Montavilla Jazz Festival, which enjoyed it's inaugural run this past weekend. Montavilla is a neighborhood in Southeast Portland which is very near the North side of Mt. Tabor( close to where I live, actually). It's not at hip as the Mt. Tabor/ Hawthorne area, but it is an up and coming neighborhood( maybe the fact that it's less hip than Hawthorne makes it more hip? Maybe especially because I, a non-hipster, thinks it's not as hip, that would make it ironically way more hip? Oy....)The festival was a two day celebration of Portland's finest jazz musicians. I performed with two groups, my own Theoretical Planets featuring Joe Manis and Nicole Glover on Tenor saxophones, and Jon Lakey on bass( I play drums in the group). I stayed on drums with the next group, pianist Kerry Politzer's quintet featuring again Lakey, Glover, and trumpeter Thomas Barber. I got to hear a bit of the PJCE Core Sextet, which featured guest artist and  my Portland State University colleague pianist Darrell Grant on some fiery odd meter solos( after hearing him tear up the piano, I was glad I was a drummer for the day!)

Organizers Fritz Hirsch, Ryan Meagher , Aaron Heyman, and  Neil Mattson did an incredible job. The venue was packed with enthusiastic and attentive listeners, and everything was very smooth and well thought out. I was pleasantly surprised that for a grass roots effort and especially a first go around, there was a check in desk, badges, a green room, and a stage manager! I hope that this is the start of something great and I hope the Montavilla Jazz Festival will be around for a long time in Portland.

Portland Prime: Pianist Tony Pacini

This past Saturday night, my wife and I went out to hear some music. We didn't have definite plans, but after having a nice dinner, but we wanted to hear something good. We ended up at Portland Prime, which is right in the middle of downtown Portland. Since we had already eaten, we decided we would split a dessert and have (non- alcoholic) drinks. Our bill came to about 15 dollars without tip; we split a Berry Cobbler, I had a ginger ale and Kerry had hot tea. However, the music we heard for essentially free was amazing and an incredible bargain; The Mel Brown Trio featuring pianist Tony Pacini and bassist Ed Bennett is truly a Portland gem.

Most Portland jazz fans know who Mel Brown is; he plays at Jimmy Mak's three times a week with

Tony Pacini and Mel Brown

various bands. He's a wonderful drummer and has the history of playing with some of the great Motown acts. The driving force behind this trio is Mr. Pacini, who is impressively steeped in the old school jazz piano tradition and puts his own refreshing stamp on everything he plays. One thing that was really refreshing was to hear some different repertoire; not only did Pacini call some more obscure jazz tunes, like Duke Ellington's "Love You Madly," but he played a Monty Alexander tune and a Michel Petrucciani tune. ( Some people like to hear tunes they know. I also like to hear tunes I don't know; why play the same tunes all the time? There are so many- if you get bogged down in the same tunes all the time, you'll never learn any!) Pacini has fluid chops and a dynamic touch; it reminded me of Amhad Jamal and Oscar Peterson with perhaps some George Shearing and Milt Buckner and Errol Garner thrown in for good measure. He's truly a virtuoso. It really inspired me and my wife(also a pianist); I spent some extra time practicing this weekend thanks to Pacini's dazzling performance.

This trio of Brown, Bennett, and Pacini has been playing every week for 18 years. They really have some stuff worked out! Jazz happens on the bandstand and this is a perfect example of when it's happening. I urge jazz lovers and especially students of jazz to take advantage of Portland Prime on Saturday nights; I felt like I got a lesson for 15 dollars that should have cost hundreds. Go hear the music!

New York Then And Now

I just got back to Portland from my trip to New York. It was sweet but definitely short. My Wednesday night engagement at The Jazz Standard with bassist Linda Oh and jazz drumming icon Jack DeJohnette was sold out for two shows. This is something to be pleased about for three reasons. The first is that sold out is always good; I've played in New York and elsewhere for undersold houses( read as more people in the band than in the audience) and it's depressing. The second is that is was raining cats and dogs all night; it was so bad that on the ride home, the streets were so flooded in places that I thought we would be swept out to sea! Thanks to those who braved the weather. The third reason is that there were tons of other great gigs going on that night in New York. Jason Moran and Eric Harland were at the Blue Note, Steve Kuhn with Eddie Gomez and Joey Baron were at Birdland, Marcus Strickland was at the Zinc Bar, French Hornist Mark Taylor was at Cornelia St.....anyway, you get the idea. I keep telling people in Portland that when you consider the magnitude of the PDX Jazz Festival, consider that New York has that many things going on every single night of the year.

I had a few extra days to hang, so in addition to visiting with old friends, I did get to hear some music; I caught a set of saxophonist Samir Zarif at the Bar Next Door in Greenwich Village. Zarif performed some intriguing original music with an all star trio of Henry Cole on drums and Fima

Joe Martin

Ephron on electric bass. Later, I walked over to Small's to catch bassist Joe Martin's quartet with Kevin Hays on piano, Steve Wilson on alto saxophone, and Jeff Ballard on drums. New York is amazing in that you can find the best players in the world playing in these tiny venues. I'm finding the longer I am not a New York resident, the more I appreciate my short trips to the city and the live music that I get to hear. It's also cool to bump into friends and great musicians who are also out hanging; I saw Dave Kikosi, Peter Zak, Xavier Davis, and Jerome Sabbagh just hanging out at Small's, and then I bumped into Jaleel Shaw just walking to the F train! I miss the energy of the city; I feel like perhaps my last years in New York I took it somewhat for granted.

When I first moved to New York, I didn't go to public jam sessions as much as the private sessions at people's apartments. The first two apartments I lived in were big enough to have rooms for music, so we would have a lot of "sessions" there. I remembered doing sessions with people who are superstars now: Bill Stewart, Mark Turner, Chris Potter, Donny McCaslin, Brian Blade, and tons of musicians who aren't household names but are incredible nonetheless. On this trip, I was glad to be included in a session with bassist Jim Whitney, drummer Rob Garcia, saxophonist Kenny Brooks, and vocalist Debbie Deane. Sometimes it's more fun to organize an informal session than go through the arduous task of booking a gig; oftentimes it's more worthwhile, and more stimulating. Music is music, and in this case, we played some hip Kenny Wheeler tunes and standards. It made me very nostalgic for the late 1990's when I was doing this sort of thing all the time.

Walking around Manhattan and Brooklyn, I got even more nostalgic. It's been almost 20 years since I moved to the Big Apple, and the city has transformed itself in some ways good and in others not. It's arguable safer, however, it's also impossibly expensive. When I look at people renting a tiny one bedroom in the East Village for 3000 a month, and probably the same for Park Slope, Brooklyn, I wonder how my students would be able to afford even a security deposit for a place if they decided to take the plunge. It seems as though New York is even more of a playground for the ultra-rich than ever before. Is it viable for jazz musicians to pursue their dreams here? Regardless, folks are doing it by hook or by crook. New York and the jazz scene is still there, and probably will be for a long time. I appreciate the comfort of my home in Portland, but I hope to continue to keep figuring out ways to get back to the Apple just to stay inspired.

Chehalis, Persia, Philadelphia, Ballard

Persian Jazz Collective

I just arrived back in Portland after an extended weekend run up to Seattle. I combined an invitation to perform at the Ballard Jazz Festival with a Portland State University Jazz Program recruiting trip. I've been looking for opportunities to bring our Persian Jazz Collective(members are Nicole Glover on tenor saxophone, Jon Lakey on bass, Monica Rabii on santur and violin, and percussionists Mario Sandoval and Trina Shagafi) out to perform my "Persian Jazz Suite" and give folks a chance to see this group before Monica Rabii moves to Denmark! Plus, we are trying to raise awareness of our program beyond Oregon and hopefully in the years to come we will become more of a destination for out of state students. We began our journey in Chehalis, Washington at WF West High School. Band director Adam Campagna put us in a nice little theater to perform for his music students. It was a good warm up gig for our group; although we had not had a chance to rehearse before the tour, I asked the musicians to have their music memorized. (Of course, then I realize that I would have to find time to practice the music in order to memorize it myself and set a good example...)

Our next two performances were the next day in Edmonds, a suburb a bit north of Seattle. We hit at Mountlake Terrace High School at 7:20 am( there was actually a class before us at 6:20! Wow!). Although we were all a bit drowsy, we had a good show and an attentive audience. Band Director Darin Faul mentioned that violinist Mark O'Conner attended Mountlake Terrace, so there is clearly some good history there. After a stop at the local IHOP( no carbs for me, I had an omelette), we then went over to Edmonds-Woodway; Director Jake Bergevin heartily welcomed us into a lovely theater for our third run of our show.

Later that evening, we headed into the Ballard section of Seattle to Egan's Ballard Jam House for our

final performance with the Persian Group. It's a small venue, but festival directors Matt Jorgensen and John Bishop really got the word out about the festival. It was nice to play for a packed house, and I'm assuming that no one there had ever heard any "Persian Jazz" before! I'm confident that it was also a great performing experience for my students. After another short break, we did two sets of "regular jazz" with Nicole Glover, Jon Lakey, and drummer Matt Jorgensen. After such a long day, it was time to sleep, but instead, I went down to hear Chad McCullough's band with an all Chicago line up of Geoff Bradfield on tenor, Clark Sommers on bass, and Dana Hall on drums. I ended up buying Hall's latest release( on the Origin label) "Into The Light;" It was nice to have something awesome to listen to on my drive back to the hotel in Edmonds.

Chano Dominguez

Sonny Fortune

The last night of the festival was a momentous occasion; alto great Sonny Fortune and Flamenco jazz piano legend Chano Dominguez on a double bill. I had met Dominguez in Spain many years ago and he's a really great guy and a wonderful musician; his unique piano style is as if Bill Evans was from Andalucia( the southern region of Spain where flamenco has it's origins). Joining Dominguez on the concert was Marino Albero, who began her segment of the set with a haunting solo on hammer dulcimer; after that, she played vibraphone with Dominguez with incredible sympatico. I was truly inspired after hearing them play, and it gave me energy to play with Sonny Fortune. I certainly needed it, because even at age 74, Fortune was not messing around! I noticed that most of the real Philly musicians that I've been fortunate to play with have a certain intensity about how they approach the bandstand. It's a very no-nonsense way to play, and you have to be ready to lay it down. I was happy to have bassist Jeff Johnson and drummer John Bishop in the rhythm section; they both have a lot of musical wisdom as well as supportive drive. It turned out to be a great combination. I felt like I got a little taste of East Coast jazz for a change. Overall, it was a great mini tour and I look forward to next year's Ballard festival.

I Shot A Man In Reno Just To Watch Him Play A Bb Blues

This year was my second time as an adjudicator at the Reno Jazz Festival. Running for over 50 years, this festival is one of the biggest student jazz competitions in the U.S. Over 300 groups from middle school, high school, and college compete and are coached by jazz educators and professionals. This year, like last year, was a great experience for me; I got to hear many high school and college musicians and give them my perspective on how to improve. I also got to see some old friends as well and meet some new ones; I also got to play a bit with some musicians I had never played with before. One of my alternate goals of being a part of a festival like this is recruiting; I tried to make sure that the prospective jazz students I met were aware that Portland State University is an option for them for Bachelor's or Master's. There are so many options for studying jazz, however, I think a lot of folks are curious about Portland as a city and whether it has a jazz scene and opportunity to study. ( I keep hearing that half a million people will move to Portland in the next 5 years. I guess we shall see.)

I got to hear some good music also; I heard a concert which began with The Collective, which is

Peter Epstein, who Directs the Jazz Program at UNR

actually the faculty ensemble of the University of Nevada in Reno( which is where the festival is held). Trumpet phenomenon Avishai Cohen joined them and blew the roof off the concert hall; it's amazing to hear Cohen's fluid lines, beautiful sound, and endless ideas. I also got to hear jazz super group Kneebody in a huge auditorium( it felt more like a rock concert than a jazz performance). Kneebody is a very special group; they've been together for over a decade, and it shows in how in sync they are as a band.

After listening to student bands for two days straight, it was fun to actually participate. I played as a sideman for two concerts; one was with UNR graduate Brian Landrus, who is a talented baritone saxophonist and composer. The second concert was with Clay Jenkins, a really great trumpeter who has played with many of the greats and now teaches at Eastman School of Music. Both concerts featured drummer Mark Ferber, who is one of my all time favorite musicians with whom to collaborate. Ferber and I just seem to really communicate well musically. I hope I can play with him more in the future. Another highlight of the festival is the Friday Late Night Adjudicator Jam Session. It's held in a bar in the middle of the Circus Circus Casino, which is not optimal; however, despite the less than desirable acoustics, it's still a lot of fun, and all of the educators and musicians come out to play a bit.

Larry Engstrom, Director of the Reno Jazz Festival

I really do enjoy working with the small groups. I think I am better at working with them then last year. It's always a bit rushed, but I have improved my bedside manner and getting to the heart of the matter. As Larry Engstrom, the Director of the UNR School Of The Arts and the Director of the Festival likes to say, rather insist, at the welcome meeting, "Be Postive!" Truthfully, none of these kids, some of whom drive for half a day to get to Reno, want to perform their hearts out only to be ripped apart. Constructive criticism is the name of the game. I got the impression that it was a positive experience for most of the kids I worked with. That is not to say that I sugar coat anything. (Like I say to my students at PSU, "If I'm not telling you something, you aren't getting your money's worth!")

Congratulations to Dr. Engstrom and Peter Epstein for another great festival. Maybe I'll see you next year!

PDX Jazz Festival

The PDX Jazz Festival is well underway. I've been performing a lot in the past week; our area recital at PSU on Tuesday with the Persian Jazz Collective and the Colligan Men's Tribute to Dr. Martin Luther King, my new steady gig at Jo Bar and Rotisserie with Jon Lakey on Bass and Chris Brown on drums, a sold out show with my group Theoretical Planets at Camellia Lounge, my Quintet at Ivories, and finally the Newmark Theater with Buster Williams featuring Cindy Blackman, Bennie Maupin and Julian Priester. I also did a cool Jazz Conversation with Buster Williams on Saturday afternoon. It's great to play music, but the PDX Jazz  Festival this year is bigger than ever, and there is a lot happening that I won't get to see. However, I was able to check out the Jazz Conversation with Darrell Grant and piano legend Amhad Jamal. I also went down to the Hotel Monaco and checked out the Club Room performance of Nicole Glover, Jon Lakey, and 14 year old drummer Jordan Goldblatt. Not only did I find this young trio to be playing music on a high level, I was impressed with the venue, and wondered why Portland jazz musicians don't try to do jazz events in this location more frequently.

Last night, I was able to get backstage and listen to the Spring Quartet, which featured drummer Jack

Leo Genovese. I think he is a keyboard player.....

DeJohnette, bassist Esperanza Spalding, pianist Leo Genovese, and  tenor saxophonist Joe Lovano. Although everyone in the group played impressively, I was most impressed with Genovese, who not only played the acoustic piano with fluid and prodigious technique and rhythm, but also did some cool detuned upright piano explorations using the array of various keyboards which surrounded him on the stage. He also plays a decent soprano saxophone ( another surprise was that Spalding, known as a bassist and vocalist, midway through the show pulled out an alto saxophone and played along with Lovano and Genovese!)

For more information on upcoming PDX Jazz festival events, please check out the Portland Jazz Festival website.

8 Reasons Why You Should Have Been At The Orrin Evans Concert

Pianist Orrin Evans

I heard a fantastic concert last night at Jimmy Mak's in Portland; Pianist Orrin Evans brought the house down with his amazing trio which featured bassist Eric Revis and drummer Donald Edwards.  Although for a Monday night in Portland, the turnout was good, but I think it should have been better. Here's the 8 reasons I think you should have been there:

1. Orrin Evans is one of the best jazz pianists out there, he's from the Philadelphia tradition, and he played his butt off last night. I've always liked the way he thinks about music. He had a well thought out and varied program, from a beautifully swinging version of "I Want To Be Happy" to some rather free music, to a hip tune based on Cherokee, to a Bill McHenry tune? Wow, that was unexpected. (Actually I recorded one of McHenry's tunes years ago. He's a somewhat obscure saxophonist on the New York scene.)Evans also surprised everyone with a vocal tune; I think he should keep singing.

2. The rhythm section: Eric Revis is a highly in demand and experienced sideman; I've heard him with Betty Carter and Branford Marsalis. He pulls hard and has a solid foundation, but can stretch when necessary. I've known Donald Edwards for many years; we've recorded and toured together in my group, his group, and many other groups as well. He's one of the best drummers in jazz; at times, I was more focused on him than anything else( although I actually just tend to focus on the drums more than anything. Probably why I should have been a drummer....).

3. The overall sound of the trio was really balanced and the conversation amongst the musicians was a marvel to watch and hear. Evans and company sound like a band. We don't have many groups in Portland playing creative music on this level. I think this would have been an education for some of my PSU students.

4. You missed a great Jazz Conversation where Darrell Grant interviewed Evans. Mr. Evans talked about being from Philly(although he actually spent his early years in Trenton, New Jersey) and all the masters like Shirley Scott, Bootsie Barnes, and Trudy Pitts that he was able to learn from. It's cool to hear the backstory. I'm determined to interview Evans for jazztruth.

5. You missed Orrin inviting ME to sit in and trade choruses on a rousing rendition of Mulgrew Miller's blues tune entitled "The 11th Hour." Evans called me to the bandstand. I had my trumpet, but what ended up happening was he played a chorus, got up from the piano, then I got on the piano and played a chorus. I never really did that before, and it was a thrill. It's also good cardio work! We did that for about 20 repetitions. After that, I stayed on the piano and Evans invited Jeff Baker to sit in on a ballad version of "It Could Happen To You." Evans has a lot of class.

6. Monday night is actually the best night to go hear music, because the Pearl isn't filled with yuppies who are partying for the weekend. You'll find parking quicker and it will be less traffic getting there.

7. There's is nothing on TV. Don't say, "Well, "Breaking Bad", blah blah......NO! There is nothing on TV. You can get "Breaking Bad" off of netflix at your own convenience anyway. TV is dead. 500 channels and nothing is on. Please!

8. There's really nothing like a live concert to gain eternal inspiration. I love listening to recordings and watching concerts on youtube. Sure, that's way more economical, and easier to study than one concert. However, when you are really in the moment with a great band, it can really leave an impression that will last forever. I fondly remember many of the concerts I've been to over the years; not necessarily EXACTLY what music was played, but the energy and the sound. Live concerts are vital to the survival of jazz. If you are a PSU student, you need to get out and hear and support the music. I know times are tight, but hey, maybe spend less on beer and weed that week and you'll be ok.

Evans has 20 recordings out as a leader on various labels. The latest is " ...It Was Beauty" on the Criss Cross label, and it features the same trio.
 You can also check out his previous recordings at his website.

Tour Diary: Ballard Jazz Festival

Seattle, just like I pictured it....Space Needles.....and everything....

I just got back from a long weekend in Seattle. No, I don't live in Seattle, I live in the other famous Pacific Northwestern city(and no, not Vancouver, either). A mere 3 hours by car without traffic, and merely 8 hours with traffic.......Seattle is a city with a lot of natural beauty and culture. Yes, it rains a lot, and it rained A LOT during this trip. However, I'm used to it, having lived in Portland for a year and a half. ( I think the rainy-ness is worse in Seattle. Honestly, the weather in this part of the world is really mild compared to the east coast.)We actually stayed in West Seattle, which from downtown Seattle is about a 15 minute drive without traffic.......2 hours WITH traffic.....I love the little bungalows in West Seattle, and the views are breathtaking. We rented a really lovely 2 bedroom house; my wife and son wanted to come up for the weekend, so we made a little vacation out of it.

I performed for 4 straight nights at the Ballard Jazz Festival. Ballard is a little neighborhood about 10

to 15 minutes from downtown. It's kind of a hip and happening spot for young people to congregate, with bars, coffee shops and restaurants. There are also some nice residential neighborhoods. The festival is the brainchild of the proprietors of Origin Records: drummers Matt Jorgensen and John Bishop. Both are great musicians in their own right, and their multi-talents include running a successful record label and a jazz festival. I really dig the fact that some musicians were able to create and control their own events and include other deserving musicians in the process. I can't even imagine how much work it took to put this festival on. The trick is that not only do Jorgensen and Bishop organize and promote the festival, they also play in it as well. I'm extremely impressed with their ingenuity, and they have been successful for 11 years. Here's hoping for many more.

Matt Jorgensen

I'm honored that they asked me to do 4 nights of gigs. The first three nights were at a venue called Conor Byrne( it's pretty much an Irish Bar..). Night one featured the theme of "Brotherhood Of The Drum"; I played organ with the Matt Jorgensen Trio featuring guitarist Tom Guarna. Although the set was a mere 45 minutes or so, it was very highly concentrated music; both Guarna and Jorgensen were on fire from note one. I felt like my reaction time was a little slow, but I tried to keep up the best I could.

The second night, we added bassist Paul Gabrielson and turned the same group into the Tom Guarna Quartet. I was relieved to not have to worry about the bass lines. This was my first time playing with Gabrielson, and he is quite a strong player. He and Jorgensen had a nice lock, and once again Guarna was shredding like gangbusters. Both nights had an attentive, enthusiastic crowd. The Ballard Jazz Festival is well promoted and seems to be a popular event. I believe that there are jazz fans everywhere and it's really just a question of getting them all to come out at the right time.

Night Three was basically the same group as night one except we called it the George Colligan Trio. So we did mostly my tunes and a few standards. I don't get to play organ that often(well, it wasn't

Tom Guarna

even a real organ, but it's a Nord Electro;close enough for jazz....), so I feel rusty sometimes. Holding down the bass line is quite a different feeling from just comping chords. I try to cover my technical shortcomings as an organs by playing with the best rhythm I can and trying to keep a certain amount of intensity in the music. The crowds were enthusiastic, but they ebbed and flowed, due to the fact that this night was what they call the Ballard Jazz Walk, where there are many different bands playing at once; listeners go in and out of venues up and down the block like trick-or-treaters on Halloween. I only went across the street to see the Portland crew of Jeff Baker on Vocals, Darrell Grant on piano, Dylan Sundstrom on bass, Jason Palmer on drums, and David Valdez on alto sax. They were really throwing down, considering they were backing a singer(come on, Jeff, I'm kidding around!)

The last night was held at the Nordic Heritage Museum. Two bands would perform; first was trumpeter Lew Soloff, back by Milo Peterson on guitar, Essiet Essiet on bass, and Sylvia Cuenca on drums. I got to hear just the tail end of the performance; they played a mellow version of Jimi Hendrix's "Little Wing", and ended with a rousing rendition of "Caravan", on which Soloff showed off his impressive virtuosity. I was really looking forward to being reunited musically with one of my first bosses in New York, alto and soprano saxophone master Gary Bartz. (This set again featured Jorgensen on drums and Phil Sparks on bass.)I worked with Bartz back in the mid 90's, and the time I spent in his bad was a real learning experience. Bartz's music is truly connected with the legends, and it's amazing to bask in his energy and wisdom. Bartz has wisdom in his choice of notes but also his choice of words; during our soundcheck, Bartz remarked that "people think it takes a lifetime to play this music. It actually takes MANY lifetimes!" (This is something that we need to relate to our students, who are under the impression that it takes 4 years of college to learn jazz.)

the Great Gary Bartz

I don't know if was the nostalgia for New York in the 90's, or whether it was just the pure joy of listening to one of the most unique alto saxophonists alive, but I was smiling pretty much the entire concert. Gary isn't slowing down as he's getting older; he's playing better than ever. Bartz knows how to swing and how to play modal music, but sometimes it's almost like he's playing rubato over the swing. It's so lyrical; not too many younger saxophonists know how to play like this. Bartz is also a master at quoting other melodies as part of his solo; however, he does it in such a way that it is never corny or contrived, it always feels natural, so natural that you might not even realize that it's a quote. During our version of "Star Eyes, " I believe he quoted maybe 3 or 4 other melodies in rapid succession as he improvised.

I always remembered that Bartz liked to find tunes which were kind of off the beaten path; on this night, we ended up doing a duo version of a Sidney Bechet tune called "Si Tu Vois Ma Mere", which was used by Woody Allen for his recent film, "Midnight in Paris". I always loved comping behind Bartz, whether it be a rubato ballad or a furious swing tune. This gig really brought me back. It's always great to play music with great players, and this gig was really something special. I left Seattle with a really positive, optimistic feeling about music. Congratulations to Matt Jorgensen and John Bishop and everybody at Origin for another great Ballard Jazz Festival.

George Cables Solo Piano at PDX Jazz Festival

The Great George Cables

It's Jazz Festival Time here in Portland, Oregon. This is a very exciting week. There is a lot going on, and it's probably impossible to hear it all. Fortunately, my excuse is that I'm performing quite a bit. Unfortunately, I will miss a lot of great music. The PDX Jazz Festival, like most good jazz festivals, has a wide variety of jazz artists, local and international. Thanks to festival director Don Lucoff, there are huge headliners as well as student ensembles as well as Portland mainstays, all presented for your listening pleasure.

Tonight, I got the opportunity to introduce, interview, and listen to one of the true piano jazz greats: George Cables. When we talk about jazz piano, we of course speak of Herbie Hancock, McCoy Tyner, Chick Corea, and Keith Jarrett. But if you are just getting into this music, and you dig a little deeper deeper, you find names like Kenny Barron, James Williams, Harold Mabern, John Hicks, Onaje Allen Gumbs, Albert Dailey, Ronnie Matthews, Larry Willis, and many others. George Cables is one of those jazz pianists who played with all of the greats and is still, even in his late 60's, still on my Talent Deserving Wider Recognition list! He has had all the dream sideman gigs, and has a lengthy discography as a leader as well. He's a true New York pianist. (He's from Brooklyn as well. Isn't everyone from Brooklyn?) He's also an extremely friendly guy, and was nicely forthcoming in our "jazz conversation" before the concert at Classic Pianos officially began.( I tried to record the interview but my computer crapped out. I asked him about playing with Joe Henderson on "Live At The Lighthouse", among other

things.....)

Cables gets a wonderful variety of tone color out of the piano. He began with a fast and flowing version of "My Foolish Heart." I enjoyed the fact that Cables, much like Art Tatum and Bill Evans, can stretch his timing in a very tasteful way. At times, it was rather Chopin-esque, and other times, it was solidly grooving. Cables played a number of great jazz standards, including Freddie Hubbard's "Up Jumped Spring" and Theolonious Monk's "Round Midnight", but he also featured some of his most beautiful compositions; a song for his mother entitled "EVC", and a song for his "best friend" Helen Wray (who sadly passed away in 2010) called "Helen's Song" were highlights. Cables, by request, played one of his hit tunes called "Think On Me", which he described as "a tune which I rarely play in a solo setting." Cables uses a lot of bass lines in his writing, and has a very fluid technique, but never overplays or tries to overcompensate for the "space" of solo piano.

Another welcome surprise was a quite high energy version of "Smoke Gets In Your Eyes." I'm noticing that many older players will take tunes that are considered ballads or slow tunes and make them into "burners." Indeed, "Smoke Gets in Your Eyes" is not an easy tune as a ballad, let alone as an uptempo tune! Cables continued on with an off-the-beaten-path McCoy Tyner ballad entitled "You Taught My Heart To Sing." He played it in the key of Bb and modulated to Db on the last A section, which I had never heard anyone do before.

Finally, Cables stood up to receive a standing ovation. As an encore, he played one of the most compelling tunes of the evening: an original entitled "Lullabye." George Cables has all of the hip New York edge and experience combined with a sensitive soul. I left Classic Pianos with musical joy and inspiration still ringing in my ears.

http://georgecables.com/

December in New York

No hookers, no crack dealers. Unfortuntely, it's 4:30, so all of these

 cabs are "OFF DUTY"...

New York City has changed a lot in the past two decades. It's believed to be safer (although it's still New York in the sense that ANYTHING could happen ANYWHERE. So , sure, ride the subway at 1AM. But don't be a fool, and please TRY not to look like a tourist…), it's a LOT more expensive, and Times Square is not full of hookers and crack dealers. It is still the jazz capital of the world in that there are more jazz clubs than any other city in the world and there are more jazz musicians concentrate within the tri-state area than anywhere else in the universe. It's way harder to make a living as a jazz musician now than it was when I moved to New York in 1995. Still, the energy of the city and the level of great music you can experience on a daily basis makes me miss New York. Wow, I can't believe I just said I MISS New York. I spent ten or so years trying to figure a way to get OUT of New York! Well, it's nice to head back east every now and then.( I don't know why I just said BACK east. What does that mean? For me, the east is the FRONT……)

I began my trip in Portland. My flight from PDX to Newark was at 5:50 AM, and I got home from

my gig at the Camillia Lounge with David Valdez at 12:30, so I decided that sleep was pointless. I flew to Newark, took New Jersey Transit to New York Penn Station, and then took the F train to Park Slope, Brooklyn, where I had booked a "bed and breakfast" for one night. (Actually, it was a room in someone's apartment; people all over the world are making their houses or apartments into a sort of "hotel alternative". If you are interested, check out airbnb.com. If you can be flexible in terms of accommodations, you can save a lot of money.) My lodging happened to be a few doors away from an apartment I rented in the late 90's. Park Slope has really changed a lot. Apparently, in the 80's it was a very dangerous neighborhood; now, it's mostly yuppies and millionaires.

I went for a nice run around Prospect Park. I'm still determined to keep up with my diet and exercise. Sometimes, after not sleeping and traveling all day, my first inclination is to collapse in a heap on the bed and watch TV or even just pass out. Instead, I hope that exercise will energize me to get through the rest of day. Most of this trip, I was able to either run or weight train enough to feel good.

Todd Marcus

The next morning, I took the subway back to midtown and hopped on the Bolt Bus to Washington
D.C. I was due for an engagement at Bohemian Caverns, one of my favorite east coast clubs. I was playing with clarinetist and bass clarinetist Todd Marcus. This was a CD release(Marcus' latest is called "Inheritance", on the Hipnotic label), and a reunion of the same band which recorded on the CD; this band included Eric Wheeler on bass and Warren Wolf on drums. I was ecstatic to get a taste of the musical fire of east coast musicians. (I was also able to get a live interview with Warren Wolf, who is an extremely talented multi-instrumentalist. Hopefully I can get that posted on jazztruth very soon.)

I didn't get much sleep that night; I was determined to get to a gym before my next trip, so I got up at 5:50 AM to lift some weights. I got back on the Bolt Bus at Union Station, and made it back to New York City. After having a bite with a former student from Winnipeg who was visiting New York, I

Larry, Jack, and me

went to Port Authority Bus Terminal to catch a bus to upstate New York; I had scheduled a recording with drummer Jack DeJohnette and bassist Larry Grenadier. The next day we recorded in Castkill, N.Y., at NRS Recording,  the studio of engineer and bassist Scott Petito. It's hard for some people to imagine doing a whole CD of original music in one session with no rehearsal. Well, when you work with professionals, it's possible. The music really came alive; DeJohnette and Grenadier had an instant hook up and everything sort of "played itself." With a little mixing, editing, and mastering, it will be a great album. Hopefully, it will be out some time next year.

The next day I headed back to the City. I had a few days to hang out with some old friends and drink in some of the New York electricity. I also had planned to teach some private lessons in Manhattan. Since now I'm the Jazz Area Coordinator at Portland State University, I'm mostly working with ensembles, teaching lecture classes, or doing administrating. I kind of miss working one-on-one with eager students. I was glad to have the opportunity to get a chance to do that on this trip.

Warren Wolf

The only music I got to hear on this trip was the Christian McBride "Inside Straight" band at the Village Vanguard. This is a real powerhouse unit; McBride on bass, Carl Allen on drums, Steve Wilson on alto saxophone, Peter Martin on piano, and Warren Wolf, this time on vibraphone (which I believe he considers to be his main instrument). Although everyone in this group is an undisputed virtuoso, I was most blown away by Wolf; his solos, while full of playful spontaneity, were so technically impressive that they almost sounded like etudes that a mortal mallet player would have to spend years practicing.

My last event was a gig with my band at a new space called the Shapeshifter Lab; this is a new space

ShapeShifter Lab

 in Brooklyn run by master electric bassist Matthew Garrison. It's a huge room, and it is also an art gallery. I was booked to perform with my "New Songs" project which features Debbie Deane on vocals, Lonnie Plaxico on bass, and Donald Edwards on drums. I think the holiday plus bitter cold affected our turnout; however, the music was slamming and overtime I work this project, I have an increasing belief in it's potential. (I just have to come up with a good band name. If you have any suggestions, I'm all ears.)I think Shapeshifter Lab is going to have a great futures an alternative venue for many different types of bands and presentations. I'm hoping to have a return booking next year at some point.

Ted Nash at Ivories

Ted Nash

I made it down to Ivories on Monday night to hear the great Ted Nash and his quartet at Ivories in Northwest Portland. Nash and I were adjunct colleagues at the Juilliard school years ago, although we only had spoken once after a faculty meeting. Nash is known as a virtuoso saxophonist, and has played with many of the greats. He plays all the saxophones equally well, and knows the jazz tradition from then until now. He has spent many years with Wynton Marsalis and the Jazz At Lincoln Center Orchestra. I was excited to hear his music live in Portland.

Ron Horton

Nash had a great team of collaborators to share the bandstand: Ron Horton is a very unique and tragically under-rated trumpeter, whom I have had the pleasure of working with on a number of occasions. Horton plays the instrument effortlessly from low range to high, and has a gorgeous, rich, centered tone. His ideas can seem traditional, but then he can surprise you in the next phrase. Drummer Ulysses Owens, whom I have also had the fortune to work with in the past, is highly in demand as a sideman. Owens currently plays with several groups led by bassist Christian McBride. He's the epitome of tasteful drumming. He played on the quiet side, which balanced with the chord-less quartet very well. (By chord-less, I mean no piano or guitar.....or vibes, I guess if you want to get technical...)

Ulysses Owens

Bassist Paul Sikivie was a real surprise to me, because he was actually one of my students at Julliard; he was in my piano class. He didn't impress me as a pianist(most of my students didn't, at least not in Piano for Non-Pianists, since it isn't their main instrument...), but he really wowed me as a bassist; he plays really in tune, and has a great swinging drive, and takes musical solos. Obviously, he has a lot of responsibility in this group with the absence of a "chordal" instrument. I was happy to see that he is having some career success.

Paul Sikivie

Nash and company were playing some music from a suite which Nash referred to as "Portrait in Seven Shades". The pieces were dedicated to various painters, like Dali, or Monet, for example. This was apparently a scaled-down version of these pieces, since the original commissioned work was for the JLCO, which is a full big band. I'll have to go back and check out the original work, because I could imagine a huge difference in the textures of each piece with a vastly different instrumentation. Regardless, Nash's solos stood out to me as scarily perfect; an improviser who makes no mistakes, and has impressive ideas and also the maturity to know when to quit. His alto playing was focused and smooth, always in tune, and never overbearing.

Nash, Horton, Sikivie, and Owens basically gave a clinic on their respective instruments. I was somewhat disappointed that there were not more people in the audience. I suppose it's hard anywhere to get people to come out on a Monday night. The show was more pricey than most of the shows at Ivories, but shows like these are worth it, especially to students, in that you are getting to hear the masters live. And if you really pay attention, it's almost as good as, or even better, than getting a lesson, and for a fraction of what a lesson costs! Plus, you are helping to keep the music and the venues alive. I hope that at some point, Nash and his men will be able to return to Portland and we'll be able to get more folks to come out and see what they missed the first time......

http://www.tednash.com/
http://www.ronhorton.net/
http://usojazzy.com/
http://www.paulsikivie.com/

Hal Galper at Ivories Part 2

Hal Galper

I made the second set of Hal Galper's trio at Ivories on Sunday(I was on baby duty before that. Liam wanted to "go to a Chuggington Store", so jazz was not on his agenda for that day...). From the first note, I felt the New York vibe in the music (although the bassist and drummer were from Seattle...go figure.) The first tune was a 4/4 uptempo(very fast) version of "Alice In Wonderland". I couldn't help thinking that this fast yet floaty approach was similar to Brad Mehldau's approach to playing standards. Unfortunately, Galper is not as young and pretty as Mehldau, so he's not showered with constant accolades, but what else is new....

It was interesting to watch Galper; like many trained pianists, he didn't need to look at his hands often. Instead, he kept visual contact with the bassist and drummer. Galper has a strong touch, but can be sensitive when needed. He seemed to have endlessly inventive lines, and rhythmically, it was very "loose", yet the trio always seemed to come back around. Bassist Jeff Johnson, whom I've had the pleasure of playing with a number of times, followed Galper well, and was able to roll with the musical punches, always smiling. Drummer John Bishop's playing reminded me of New York drummer Jeff Hirschfield, or maybe even a more free Joe Chambers; the ride cymbal was very focused, insistent, but always tasteful, and the drums never overpowered the music. An interesting version of the ballad "I Guess I'll Hang My Tears Out To Dry" was somewhat challenging to follow, because as the trio played the set, the time seemed to get looser and looser by the minute(but in a good way). It was a nice contrast to some of the more aggressive numbers, like a free blowing tune called "Get Up And Go". The set culminated with another barn burner surprise; the great Mario Lanza would have been shocked to hear Galper's light speed version of "Be My Love."

Galper is a great example of why musicians who have "paid dues" are more interesting to listen to than the not-yet-seasoned; they KNOW a million hip tunes, they KNOW what to do on the bandstand, they KNOW how to pace a set, and they KNOW how to play changes and not be predictable, because they have years of experience doing it. They have WISDOM. They are comfortable on the bandstand. It's as easy for them to play great jazz as it is for us to drink a glass of water. I lamented that more folks weren't there to learn from this master, but what else is new.......

John Cage's Sonatas and Interludes for Prepared Piano-Performed by Adam Tendler

Acupuncture for the piano

I was walking down the hall to teach a class at PSU when my colleague Darrell Grant ran up to me. "Come check THIS out!" I guessed that my ensemble could wait, and I followed Grant down the hall to another practice room. Inside the room were a bunch of folks were standing around a prepared piano. For those of you who didn't know, prepared piano refers to a piano which has stuff jammed in the strings to make it sound much different from what we expect to hear from a piano. It might sound like a marimba on one note, or it might sound like a drum, or it might sound like a ghost, depending on the treatment. There were a bunch of screws, bolts, and pieces of rubber wedged in the wires( No Rottweilers, though, jerky...). Grant dared me to play it; I plunked down a few notes. It kind of sounded like a Space Kalimba(Wasn't that an Earth Wind and Fire song?) "There's a free performance tonight at 8 of the John Cage "Sonatas and Interludes" in this room." I decided I would be there, since I live only 3 minutes walking distance from Lincoln Hall, and also because it was free. Seriously, I was in the mood for something unconventional. (I say unconventional with the full awareness that Cage wrote this piece in 1948.)

Adam Tendler

Just before 8pm, the small practice room was full of people who were also in the mood for something unconventional. Wynn Kiyama, the Professor of Musicology at PSU, introduced the soloist, a young man named Adam Tendler. Tendler has made a name for himself specializing in "new music", and toured the 50 states giving free concerts in places where new music might not customarily be heard. Tendler advised that the piece was "around 70 minutes" and added that there would be a Q&A afterwards. Tendler sat down and launched into the piece, which he had memorized.

Maybe Scarlatti would have tried prepared harpsichord?

For music that one might quickly leap to label as intellectual, I got a lot of emotional impressions as I listened. Obviously, the piece is all notated, but much of it had a playful, improvisatory feel to it. The program notes mentioned that Cage's piece had the structures harkening back to the music of Domenico Scarlatti, but it's hard to hear that, since the piece doesn't really seem to value harmonic progressions like what you might hear in piano music from say 1700 to 1930 and beyond. There is a lot of spookiness in the sonorities achieved by the preparation, which is interestingly offset by the unprepared notes. There is a lot of repetition, and some of the movements were very dancelike, and had a funkiness which was accentuated by Tendler's rhythmic performance. Tendler seemed to throw himself physically into the piece, and squeezed a lot of expressivity from Cage's printed notes.

John Cage preparing the piano

There's a lot of cool sounds and phrases in the music, but there's also a lot of space, which is really important for the sort of haunted house-scary sounding parts. The piano was pretty soft overall, but Tendler performed with a very wide dynamic range. There were jarring thuds followed by tones which might be from a Satanic music box. Cage was trying to achieve the effect of a percussion ensemble, so there is a lot which I perceived as driven by rhythm, although there were lyrical moments as well. I never was bored, although towards the end, I was on the edge of thinking that a piece this long borders on the self indulgent. And then it was over; there was no climactic moment, it just sort of disintegrates, which Tendler later remarked "makes him hold back laughter".....

Cage was apparently inspired by the Hindu concept of rasa, which believes in eight states of human emotion: heroic, erotic, wondrous, mirthful, sorrowful, fearful, angry, and odious. (I think this is where they got the idea for the Seven Dwarves, but Disney took out odious because the Odious Dwarf didn't test well with audiences...). But what's interesting about this concept is that all of these states lead to tranquility. If you listen to the Sonatas and Interludes with this vague program in mind, it make the piece perhaps more meaningful, yet also adds to the unconventional nature of the flow of the piece, in that it kind of drifts off into a zen state of nothingness, rather than the clash bang of say a Stravinsky or Beethoven.

I downloaded a version of Aleck Karis playing this piece. (I'm a fan of Karis' recording of Stravinsky's piano music.) Also, you can download a  FREE version of Tendler playing it in Hawaii. If you are in the mood for something unconventional, you might be surprised at how much fun it is to listen to this great piece by John Cage.

Also, here's a clip of Boris Berman playing some of it....

Forever Young: Charles McPherson and Roy Haynes at the PDX Jazz Festival

Portland is certainly not the jazz capital of the world. However, it has a thriving scene, and for a city of it's size and location, it has a more than respectable jazz audience. This is most evident during the PDX Jazz Festival, which is annually held in mid-February. Festival director Don Lucoff has brought in a lot of great headliners, like Bill Frisell, Dee Dee Bridgwater, and Branford Marsalis. Furthermore, the partner events which feature a multitude of local talents is almost overwhelming; on any given night, there are Portland jazz musicians playing all over the city. Indeed, I was busy since last weekend playing events which were listed as part of the festival; late night jam sessions at Ivories(the last one is tonight at 11:45), a duo with Belinda Underwood at the Heathmann Hotel, a quartet with saxophonist Devin Phillips at Jimmy Mak's, a trio gig at Ivories featuring upstart tenor saxophonist Nicole Glover, and another trio gig at the Blue Monk featuring bassist Tom Wakeling and drummer Alan Jones. It's been a busy week, and I've been trying to shake some seemingly never ending nasal congestion as well, so I haven't been going to as many of the events as I would have liked. Still, the festival ends Sunday, and there's still a lot happening.

Charles McPherson

I was fortunate to get to play with one of the headliners and also attend a concert featuring another headliner. First, I brought a student ensemble into Jimmy Mak's to play with the legendary alto saxophonist Charles McPherson. (I hadn't played with McPherson since I worked with a 4 alto project featuring Phil Woods, Gary Bartz, Jesse Davis, and McPherson back in 1996.) The ensemble I chose is called The Colligan Men, and features Brandon Braun on drums, Hu Hao on bass, Ben Graves on guitar, Grant Sayler on guitar, Scott Ferguson on trombone, David Kim on piano, Marc Hutchinson on tenor saxophone, and I play trumpet in the group.  I talked to McPherson before the show and he was very friendly. I couldn't help but be impressed with how sharp, healthy and vibrant he seems for a 73 year old. (McPherson has lived in San Diego for many years;maybe it's the nice weather...)The Colligan Men plowed through a few standards, and then McPherson joined us on a striking rendition of "Body and Soul". I'm very proud of our student group, but it's always a lesson when younger players share the bandstand with the older masters. The vibe changed as soon as McPherson played the first few lyrical notes. He really schooled our rhythm section on how to play a ballad. And on our rendition of Charlie Parker's "Billie's Bounce", McPherson basically destroyed the blues with endless bebop lines and fiery execution.

Pianist Randy Porter

The next set featured McPherson as a leader, with a rhythm section of Randy Porter on piano, Tom Wakeling on bass, and Alan Jones on drums. Porter has been playing with McPherson for years, so they had a great connection. They began with a rousing rendition of "Lester Leaps In" where McPherson and crew schooled all of us on playing blazing up tempos. A beautiful version of "Embraceable You" featured McPherson soloing masterfully with an almost Coltrane-like "sheets of sound" approach, which left the audience flabbergasted. McPherson show no sign of slowing down.

The Great Roy Haynes

Last night, I went to the Newmark Theater to see Roy Haynes and the Fountain of Youth Band. Roy Haynes is another senior citizen who has more energy than most of my students! Haynes is celebrated because of his long career and unique, sensitive drumming style, which fits with seemingly any situation; Haynes has played with literally everyone in jazz, and that's EVERYONE from Charlie Parker and Billie Holliday  to Pat Metheny and Chick Corea. Sometimes, Haynes will tour with an all star band, but his regular band features some young players who have been with him for years; alto saxophonist Jaleel Shaw has been with Haynes for 6 years, while pianist Martin Bejerano and bassist John Sullivan have been with Haynes for a few years longer. These are all great players, but even so, the star of this band is clearly Roy Haynes.

The amount of energy Haynes has is almost insane; Haynes strolled out onto the stage with a swagger that you might expect from James Brown in his prime. And it seems as though everything Haynes does has a rhythm to it;even the microphone, which he used to joke with the audience, he beat on his chest and it was almost as compelling as his drum solos."That's my HEART", Haynes quipped. Clearly, Haynes is enjoying his golden years. The concert began with an extremely short version of Monk's "Green Chimneys", but then they launched into a full length version of "Trinkle Tinkle"; they added some special rhythmic jabs which made the solos challenging. Then they played a sweet version of "My Romance". I marveled at how Haynes' drumming might seem unimpressive to those who are impressed by flashy technique and pyrotechnics. Haynes was impressing me with how little he played; everything was driving the music and the feel was the most important thing. Everything he played, particularly during his two lengthy drum solos of the evening, were technically within the abilities of most drummers, even my students. However, it's not what he played on the drums, but HOW and WHEN were what makes Roy Haynes special.

Jaleel Shaw

Altoist Shaw and pianist Bejerano wowed the audience with their skill and energy. Bassist Sullivan had a nice little feature with a solo rendition of Billy Strayhorn's "Isfahan". This was curiously sandwiched in between two occurrences of what I'm guessing might be the band's theme song, Pat Metheny's "James", a piece written for James Taylor. They ended up playing the tune for a third time later in the almost 2 hour set; Haynes seemed happier every time they played the joyful, uplifting melody. I think this is Haynes' secret; his elixir of eternal life is music. Hopefully he'll be around for many years to come.

I was thinking, as I left the concert, that I've found a good response to the question: "What is jazz?"

The answer? "Roy Haynes. Roy Haynes IS JAZZ."

(above is "James" from "Te Vou!")