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.
I'm currently away from Portland and on one of my Jazz Fantasy Camp trips. I performed twice in Canada: once at The Rex in Toronto and once at The Jazz Room in Waterloo-Kitchener, about 90 minutes away from Toronto. Joining me on bass was the great Neil Swainson, and on drums was the powerful Ted Warren. I had a great musical time with them, the audiences were very appreciative, and it was a good warm up for my trip to New York.
I had a trio night scheduled for the Jazz Standard. However, the night before, I went down to the Standard to hear the Mingus Big Band. I used to play with various configurations of the Mingus Band. It seems like another lifetime at this point. I really enjoyed the experience from the side of audience member; the Mingus Band always seemed more like a small group than a big band, in that the emphasis isn't on tight ensemble playing or fancy arrangements but more about the groove, spirit, and the strength of Mingus' compositions as melodies and improvisational vehicles. It's also great to hear Frank Lacy sing! Lacy is one of the more underrated musicians in jazz. In fact, any member of the Mingus Band could lead their own band; the bench is THAT deep.
Frank Lacy
Indeed, I am always ranting about how the level of jazz musicians is higher in New York than anywhere else. I believe this is not going to change anytime soon, even though many of the best musicians have moved out of New York for various reasons. As Benny Golson said, New York is still the Jazz Mecca and even in this period of doom and gloom for live music, there is still more jazz and there are more jazz musicians per capita in New York than anywhere else in the world. I think it's hard for folks who haven't spent much time on the New York scene to understand the depth of ability and understanding and expectation that is the norm in New York. I suppose if we want young musicians to feel good about themselves, we can ignore the New York standard and lower our expectations. I have the memories of 15 years in New York that in some ways drift away as I spend more time in Portland. However, even just a few nights of club hopping- from Small's to Mezzrow to the 55 Bar, even walking by The Garage, or even doing some informal jam sessions- has reminded me of the idea that to be a serious New York jazz musician is to have a DEPTH of ability and understanding of the music. Every town has it's local heroes, but some of those heroes would be just another one of the multitudes in New York.
At the Jazz Standard, I had the pleasure of working with bassist Boris Kozlov and drummer EJ Strickland. Although the turnout was not what I had hoped for, it was a very satisfying musical experience. Kozlov and Strickland are easy to play with because they have good time and a great feel but they also know how to take enough chances to keep the intensity and the interest level high. We had a guest on a few tunes- my former student and new resident of New York, saxophonist Nicole Glover. Although I usually try to persuade my students NOT to move to New York, Glover is one of the tiny minority of students I have had in Portland that I think has a chance on the New York scene. (I was pleased to find that many students from University of Manitoba are now in New York and doing well: Karl Kohut, Luke Sellick, Curtis Nowosad, Niall Bakkestad-Legare.....)
Damian Erksine
The next thing was a performance with electric bassist Damian Erskine's band, which consists of Reinhard Melz on drums and Tom Guarna on guitar. We did a performance and clinic for Aguilar amps. The audience was probably 98% bass players! Although we only played 4 tunes, it was fun to reunite this group, which has played merely twice in Portland at Jimmy Mak's.
My trip is not over; I have two gigs in Connecticut. Tonight, I'll be at Firehouse 12 in New Haven with Boris Kozlov on bass and Matt Wilson on drums. Then I will be playing drums with the great pianist Noah Baerman in Middletown on Saturday.
It's hard to balance performing and teaching and family. There are few places to play nowadays in Portland. I'm determined to try to continue to work in a trip to New York a few times a year in order to keep my inspiration. Despite the outrageous cost of living and the fall of the music business, New York is still the place for jazz of many kinds.
I've had a busy May in terms of playing. I did a Northwest "tour" with my band Theoretical Planets; we did a cool night at Tula's in Seattle, Washington and then rounded back for an evening at Girasole, a venue in North Portland. Then I headed to Europe for a short tour with guitarist extraordinaire Tom Guarna; we did two nights in Rome at Gregory's, one great concert in Muri, Switzerland, and then a nice gig at A-Trane in Berlin. With little time to rest, I went into the studio with my former student and young saxophone phenom Nicole Glover to record her debut CD as a leader; we had a fun two day session at Kung Fu Bakery. In addition to some trio gigs at Jo Bar, I did a house concert and a night at Wine Up on Williams with another saxophone phenom, Rob Scheps. We had a nice trio with Paul Gabrielson on bass; Scheps had me playing piano, drums, pocket trumpet, and on one tune, drums AND pocket trumpet at the same time. (I didn't shy away from the challenge of playing one handed trumpet, riding with my left hand, and transposing a concert chart on Homecoming by Dave Holland, but if you didn't hear it, I'm cool with that. ) On the house concert, we had a special guest named John Moak, an outstanding trombonist who really knocked me out! I also got to play some drums with a nice trio consisting of piano phenom Dan Gaynor, who is one of Portland's most unsung musicians, and Jon Lakey, a great bassist and musician. We had a nice hit down in Eugene at Roaring Rapids Pizza, one of the best places to play in Oregon. Finally, I got to play on a Master's recital at Michelle's Pianos; Melissa Carroll did a great job with her repertoire selection and her performance of some challenging Lennie Tristano and Lee Konitz tunes. It didn't feel like a recital- it felt like a gig! ( Which is what it;s supposed to feel like!)
But perhaps the stand out of the month so far has been two concerts with Danish vocalist Sinne Eeg. I met Eeg in 2008 in a week-long jazz camp in Denmark. We jammed a bit and hit it off musically. We did a tour of Denmark in 2009, and one other hit at the Rochester Jazz Festival in 2011. But I hadn't seen her in a while. She has been staying in Los Angeles recently, so I thought it would be cool to have her come up to Oregon to do some duo playing. We had a really nice concert here at PSU; I think our jazz vocal students were quite impressed.
Sinne Eeg is in some ways a traditional jazz singer; her roots are in Ella Fitzgerald and Carmen McCrae. However, she has been writing a lot of her own music, which not only reflects a more forward looking harmonic sense but is also reflective of her own life, which is what artistry is supposed to be, in my opinion. Furthermore, Eeg has been developing her sense of the blues, which was evident in her " I'm An Evil Girl" performance. There's a maturity in her approach that I'm more impressed with now that we are collaborating again after a few years of hiatus. We also got in our two favorite Bonnie Raitt tunes, " I Can't Make You Love Me, " and " I Ain't Gonna Let You Break My Heart Again."
The day after the PSU concert, Sinne Eeg and I drove to sunny Eugene where we performed at the Broadway House Concert series. Paul and Peggy Bodin open their home to the public for jazz concerts which mostly feature musicians from Eugene but occasionally have some out-of-towners like me and Eeg. These days, the lack of venues and lack of support force people to take matters into their own hands, and I'm always interested in supporting grass roots efforts to keep the music alive and keep musicians working. We sold out the "house" and judging from the attentiveness of the audience, I think we were a hit. Hopefully it won't be another 4 years before I hit with Sinne Eeg again!
I consider myself very lucky that I still get calls to play with some of the living greats in jazz. I haven't lived in New York full time for give or take 5 years and a half years, but it appears I haven't been totally forgotten. This month I have had the pleasure of working with two amazing alto saxophonists, both of whom are perhaps underrated and definitely at the top of my list of musicians. If you haven't heard of them, you need to go check them out!
First, I played two gigs with the fabulous alto saxophonist and vocalist Bob Mover. I had met Mover a few times in New York but we had never really played together. We performed with a big band at Lower Columbia College in Longview, Washington ( under the direction of yet another great altoist and Portland State faculty David Valdez), but the real magic was a duo concert at Michelle's Piano in Portland later in the week. Mover is definitely old school; in his youth he spent time with masters Phil Woods, Charles Mingus, and Chet Baker. He knows a PILE of tunes; indeed, as much as I harp on my students to learn tunes, I was definitely out of my league. Mover the saxophonist was on fire, at times resembling Charlie Parker on steroids. But Mover the vocalist had a more sensitive side; he performed a beautiful rendition of " Estate" with the original italian lyrics, as well as a heart wrenching take on "Some Other Time." I, Valdez, and everyone in attendance of the concert agreed that Mover, despite some heath issues, never sounded better. ( It's kind of a shame that there wasn't any spot for Bob Mover at the PDX Jazz Festival. It's also a shame that more people weren't at the concert at Michelle's Piano. But I digress….) It was a great learning experience for me and I'm hoping Mover and I can find more opportunities to work together.
My fortune has continued into Spring Break with a tour of the midwest with alto and soprano master Steve Wilson. Mr. Wilson is one of the preeminent saxophonists in jazz, having worked with everyone from George Duke to Chick Corea. I've known Wilson for over two decades; we worked extensively with bassist Buster Williams for years. This quartet features bassist Ugonna Okegwo and the incredible Bill Stewart on drums. It's a high energy group that can swing hard but also journey to esoteric stratospheres. So far, we've played
Kalamazoo, Cleveland( my former employer, vocalist Vaness Rubin, surprised us by sitting in on Sunday night at NIghttown), and a clinic at Community High School in Ann Arbor, Michigan( we are doing an educational residency here). Our next stops are The Green Mill in Chicago, and Columbia, Missouri. Wilson, Okegwo, and Stewart are at the top of their game. I know I'm technically on stage with them, but I feel more like I have the best seat on the house. It's very inspirational. Maybe we'll see you in Chicago, or Columbia, MO?
I was sorry to hear of the sudden passing of trumpet great Lew Soloff. I was fortunate to share the bandstand with him a number of times; with his band, Lonnie Plaxico's band, and the Mingus Band. Soloff was always very friendly and garrulous; he always seemed to have a joke or a story to tell. He knew I played trumpet so he would always talk trumpet; " What do you think of this mouthpiece with this horn?" " I didn't really get a good warm-up today..." Soloff was well known as one of the best lead players, as well as a great soloist; he was an important part of the classic band Blood, Sweat, and Tears. ( Actually, come to think of it, his solo on " Spinning Wheel was one of the first solos I tried to transcribe...although it was way beyond my range.....)
I remember a great story Soloff told me during a break from rehearsing with the Mingus Band. Soloff had chipped his tooth, and decided to go to the dentist, but Lew being Lew, he brought his trumpet to the dentist. He wanted to see if the chipped tooth had an effect on his playing. " I picked up the horn and played up to a triple D, full voice…" Soloff explained. " But I decided that I didn't really need that kind of range, so I let the dentist fix the tooth." Soloff was one of the greats and he will be missed. RIP , Mr. Soloff.
It's a few weeks to go until Spring Break, and I can feel the home stretch. I am enjoying my teaching; many of my students are really impressing me with their improvements. I'm hoping to make improvements of my own as well. I'm determined to find time each day to practice a least a little so I can hopefully make similar strides as my students have made. I also have a number of gigs coming up, for which I would like to sound somewhat prepared. I'll get to that in a minute.
Because I've been so busy I have not been able to blog about my gigs as I have in years past, but I wanted to make brief mention of them, lest ye think I've been put out to Jazz Edumacator Pasture! During the fall I did a number of things. I booked my own tour of Europe and went to Iceland, Denmark, Sweden, and Austria. I recorded another organ trio project with tenor saxophonist Joe Manis. I was invited to perform for 4 nights at Jazz Alley in Seattle with fusion legends Lenny White, Victor Bailey, and Larry Coryell. I played a bunch of gigs with Chris Brown's Quartet and his crazy arrangements of 80's pop tunes. We did a number of Portland State recruiting performances and visits all over the state. I went to Novasibirsk, Siberia( Russia) for the
Novosibirsk has some big statues!
first time with Lenny White's band ( quite a long trip for ONE HOUR OF MUSIC!). I brought in two New York special guests for masterclasses and performances: alto saxophonist Jim Snidero and flautist and composer Jamie Baum. I played a bunch of gigs in Eugene; Roaring Rapids Pizza, The Jazz Station, Broadway House Concerts- the audiences were wonderful. I took a trip east to hit the newest spot in New York- Mezzrow, run by Spike Wilner who also runs Small's across the street. Then I headed down to Baltimore to play trio with Warren Wolf and Tom Baldwin at Jazzway 6004( one of my favorite places to play on the east coast!) Beating the Thanksgiving traffic back to Newark, I then flew even more east to Birmingham, U.K. to do a week long residency at the Birmingham Conservatoire. ( It's always a pleasure to teach and play here- the students are at a super high level and even 6 hours straight of combo coaching leaves me energized!) Portland wise, not only did I bring two of my groups( Theoretical Planets, the group in which I play drums, but also my quartet with Tom Guarna, Damian Erskine and Reinhard Melz, which has a new recording under Erskine's name which will be out soon.)into Jimmy Mak's after a very long hiatus, I started playing at Wine Up on Williams, which is a great help to a scene which is hurting for jazz venues at the moment. Lastly, one of my pieces entitled "Existence" was premiered by the Portland State New Music Ensemble under the direction of Ken Selden. ( I got to play some pocket trumpet on it...)
Jordan Gregory Colligan
Although January 4th brought Jordan Gregory Colligan into my life, I still made time to release my Theoretical Planets recording on the Origin Label ( Risky Notion is the title) and it's available on Itunes. I also got to do two nights with the great trumpeter Randy Brecker in Bend, Oregon. I did some really nice gigs in Maryland; one was a CD release at Peabody Conservatory in Baltimore( my alma mater) with Alex Norris, Gary Thomas and Rudy Royston( I played Hammond B3), the other was a gig at Blues Alley in DC with clarinetist Todd Marcus( featuring Warren Wolf on drums and Kris Funn on bass, who really blew me away!) I also did a really nice concert at the Mennonite Church in Southeast Portland with the great tenor saxophonist Rob Scheps and Paul Gabrielson on bass.
I did want to mention first off that this coming weekend Sunday, February 22nd from 7-9), I have a gig at Corkscrew(1665 SE Bybee Ave 503.239.WINE)
in Sellwood; I'm performing as a singer songwriter. Bassist Jon Lakey will be joining me. I haven't been doing this live so much lately, although I actually have an entire album of songs in the can ready to be released. I performed all the instrumental tracks and vocal tracks and recorded it all myself. ( I need help from Adam Brock on mixing and Dana White on mastering.) Come by if you want a taste of the material!
A couple of things to which I'm really looking forward. First, my band Theoretical Planets will be at Wine Up on Williams(3037 N. Williams Ave) on March 6th at 8pm. Come by and buy a CD!
The same band will be at Christo's (1108 Broadway St Ne Salem, OR) on March 12th ( I think we start at 7). My spring break will be spent touring the midwest with the great alto and soprano saxophonist Steve Wilson; the band will feature Ugonna Okegwo on bass and Bill Stewart on drums. It should be quite amazing!
April will be busy as well. I have solo piano engagement at The Jazz Station ( 124 W. Broadway, Eugene, OR) starting at 8. This is going to act as part of a warm up for a solo piano tour that I am doing in June on the east coast. April 11th with be my CD release for "Risky Notion" and it will feature not only Theoretical Planets( Joe Manis, Nicole Glover, Jon Lakey) but also my trio with Chris Brown and Chris Higgins. This will be at Michelle's Piano's ( 600 Se Stark St, Portland, OR) and I guarantee it will be awesome.
That's all for now. I promise next blog time to have more jazz nerd stuff like patterns or CD reviews.....
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.....
I've been traveling to the continent of Europe to perform jazz since 1993. Back then, the excitement of new countries and new experiences vastly outweighed the discomfort of air travel and the harsh realities of jet lag. Over twenty years later, the thrill of sitting in a tiny seat for hours and having very irregular sleep patterns has obviously diminished. Still, it's great to be able to travel to places where jazz is really appreciated and to see old and new friends. As much as I enjoy teaching and having a steady job, I am determined to keep a foothold in Europe or wherever else I can perform my music on a semi-regular basis.
I just returned from the first European tour that I totally set up by myself. I've toured Europe countless times as a sideman, and I've done a few tours as a leader with the help of promoters. However, it's very difficult to book your own tour; there are so many logistics, and even on a very short tour like this one, I found it challenging to keep track of everything. Although I wished more gigs had come through, more gigs can also mean more opportunities for something to go wrong! Be that as it may, it was a little over a week long and I would view it as a success, and hopefully the start of some momentum to help to do more next time.
My tour went to four countries. My first stop was in Iceland. This was the only place on the tour
Harpa in Reykjavik
where I had never been before. Reykjavik is a beautiful, serene city; the weather was a bit rainy and gray, but I was able to do some running along the coast and through the town. I did a workshop in FÍH (Tónlistarskóli Félag Íslenskra hljómlistarmanna/Music School of the Federation of Icelandic Musicians) which was well attended; I got to play with some young students and it was a very positive experience. I also gave a trio concert at Harpa, a gorgeous arts center in downtown Reykjavik. The event was sponsored by Múlinn Jazzklúbbur (Mulinn Jazz Society). Scott Mclemore, a great drummer and friend from the Brooklyn days, has been living in Iceland with his wife Sunna Gunnlaugs( Sunna is a great pianist) for almost 10 years. I'm thankful that he hooked up the clinic and the concert. We had a great trio vibe, rounded out by Toggi Jónsson, a wonderful bassist from Reykjavik,
which made for a great concert. I wish I could say that I got a chance
to sample some typical Icelandic food; actually, we ended up eating the
amazing cooking of Sunna Gunnlaugs almost the entire time I was there.
Gunnlaugs is a great cook; she is really focused on healthy meals.
Malmo, Sweden
Next, I flew to Copenhagen, then took a 30 minute train ride to Malmo, Sweden for a clinic at the Malmo Academy of Music. This was my third visit to the Academy, and it's a great atmosphere; the students are curious and have a positive attitude. This event was coordinated by Hakan Rydin, who is the jazz piano professor at the Academy. It's great to work with students who are serious about the music. I played a few of my originals in trio with the students, then we worked with a vocalist for a while. I was amazed at how 4 hours just seemed to fly by! The next day I headed back to Copenhagen for a gig at the Jazzhus Montmartre. This is the famous Montmartre where expats like Dexter Gordon performed often. My trio was two of the top Danish jazz musicians; Morten Ramsbol on bass and Morten Lund on drums. After a quick soundcheck/rehearsal, we did two magical sets of original music and
Jazzhus Montmartre
standards for a decent and appreciative crowd. ( It's worth noting that for both the Copenhagen gig and the Vienna gig that I had at least one person waiting for an autograph. I tell my students that I'm famous but they don't believe me!) The night was marked by two more things; one, the piano at the Montmartre was an incredible Steinway-perfectly in tune and action like "butter." Two, the great pianist Eric Reed, who was in Copenhagen working with the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, came by to hear the music. It's always nice to have some of the "cats" in the audience.
Porgy and Bess, Vienna
My final stop was in Vienna; I feel lucky that I had a chance to play at Porgy and Bess, which is one of the best jazz clubs in Europe. We had a great crowd, and the energy of the trio with Ramsbol and Lund was even more intense than in Copenhagen. It was surprising that the sympatico was so good considering we had never really played trio before ( although we worked as a trio accompanying vocalist Sinne Eeg a few years back). I'm hoping to do some more with this trio next year. Now, back to Portland and my work at Portland State University. Since I'm teaching more now, touring Europe feels different than it did back when I was touring 6 months out of the year; it feels almost like a "jazz vacation." Hopefully next time it will be a little longer.......
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.
There's nothing about driving from Portland to Eugene that inspires one to play jazz, unless signs that say "Carl's Jr. Next Exit," or "Do You Know Jesus?" inspire you to play jazz. However, I had a wonderful time playing trio last night at The Jazz Station in downtown Eugene, Oregon. It was a pretty full house and the audience was sympathetic, educated, and attentive. My musicians, Chris Higgins on bass and Jason Palmer on drums( they are from Eugene but have gone on to other cities..)
were stellar without a doubt. One of the highlights of the evening was our special surprise guests, Tony Glausi on trumpet and Josh Hettwer on tenor saxophone. It's nice to know that there are some young people interested in jazz and keeping the music alive.
I mentioned to the audience that I was treating the gig as a warm up for my Wednesday gig, which is going to be nothing short of awesome; I'm flying to New York early Tuesday morning to perform with another trio: Linda Oh on bass and Jack DeJohnette on drums. It's rare to see DeJohnette at a small club like the Jazz Standard(116 E 27th St, New York, NY 10016,(212) 576-2232), so it's worth it to come down and see the show. We'll be playing songs from my 24th CD, entitled "The Endless Mysteries, " as well as possible a few cuts from my forthcoming CD entitled "Ask Me Tomorrow" (which Linda Oh as well as drummer Ted Poor appears on), as well as maybe a few other surprises. That's this Wednesday, April 30th, at the Jazz Standard; sets are 7:30 and 9:30 and tickets are $25. I would call to reserve a spot if I were you.
Before that, I will be honored to perform with one of the greatest jazz pianists alive, Mr. Geoffrey Keezer. We are really lucky to get Keezer to be part of our performance series at Portland State University. This Monday, April 28th, Keezer will perform at 7pm in Lincoln Hall 47 with two of our top students, Nicole Glover on tenor saxophone and Jon Lakey on bass( I will be playing drums. Keezer asked me, just so you know, it wasn't my idea....). We'll be playing some of his remarkable original music, as well as some standards. Furthermore, on Tuesday, the 29th, Mr. Keezer will give a masterclass in 47 from 5 pm to 7pm. If you are a pianists, you NEED to check this out; the first time I heard Keezer at Bradley's in 1992, it keep me practicing for many
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.
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!
Our tour is over and the Jack DeJohnette Quartet featuring Don Byron is taking a hiatus(with the exception of one gig in Albany on December 28th.). I've been playing with DeJohnette off and on since 2009, and I've been playing off and on with Don Byron since 2001! Even so, it's still fresh and I learn something from playing with them every night. I've also learned a lot hanging with our bassist and vocalist Jerome Harris. He's a walking encyclopedia! You could ask him about anything from visual art to amino acids and he'll have the answer, not to mention all of the music he knows.
Life on the road is very different from life at home; living out of a suitcase, constantly in unfamiliar surroundings, a lot of "hurry up and wait" time, eating out of boredom, or eating because you aren't sure when the next meal will be, are some of the pitfalls of the road. It's been amazing to play for the great, enthusiastic audiences of Europe. It's amazing to feel that energy of the musicians on the bandstand and the communication with the crowd. However, it's hard when I can't be near my closest friends and loved ones, and I can't hug my son goodnight. So as great of an experience as this tour was, I'm ready for home.
I'm also read to see how my students have progressed in my absence. My colleagues at PSU have been graciously covering for me, so I'm hoping that everything will be on track. I'm particularly interested to see the progress in my Advanced Improvisation class. I was seeing some gains before I left; if all is going according to plan, they should have made some major improvements by now. Well, if not, I'll be bringing my trusty numchucks to class: let the beatings BEGIN! Oh, I'm just messing around. There will be no beatings.....this term......
In case you are wondering what the music sounded like on this tour, you are welcome to check out some of these youtube links. Portland, see you tomorrow!
Actually, I'm already in Sarajevo. I'm writing this from the Hotel Europe which is smack in the center of the Old Town district of the legendary capital of Bosnia and Herzegovina. I'm in the middle of a tour with iconic drummer Jack DeJohnette. Don Byron is on clarinet and tenor saxophone. Jerome Harris is on electric bass and vocals. I'm playing piano, keyboards, and pocket trumpet. It's been a fairly smooth tour. The time difference between The West Coast and Europe is 9 hours, which has taking be some getting used to. At first, it seemed as though I was in a pattern of sleeping every other night. When I first arrived, I slept maybe 4 hours in the afternoon, and then 9 that night. The following night, I couldn't sleep a wink! I'm hopefully coming out of that soon. Unfortunately, we are at the midpoint of the tour, so I'll be adjusted properly probably by the time I'm ready to fly back to
The Band
the States.
It's not a new thing for me to travel to exotic lands and play music. However, since I've been teaching at PSU, it's much less common, which makes me appreciate it much more. Playing big concerts at jazz festivals is a very different experience from being a full time professor, for better or for worse. It's really amazing to play with musicians on the highest level for extremely enthusiastic fans. It's very different to be treated like a special guest in a different country or city. It is almost never like that for any musician who plays on a local scene. People just get used to you. If I lived in Sarajevo and played every week, people would be bored of me after several months! ( or maybe after a few hours....ha ha) But tonight, we play in a big concert hall and get treated like Kings. I'll take it when I can get it.
Going on tour with a jazz group, especially a group filled with wise and creative minds, is different from bands of other genres in that the music develops over the course of a tour. In fact, it might take several tours for the music to develop. It's amazing to be part of this process. Sometimes I lament the fact that, although we can try, jazz education has a hard time duplicating this process. Showing up for an assigned ensemble once a week is nothing like hitting in front of an audience every night with heavy cats. I want to at least bring the spirit of that to the classroom, but it's difficult.
I was thinking about this developmental process during and after our concert in Bologna the other night. I had a very stimulating conversation with Jerome Harris about the importance of idiomatic singing and how it relates to the blues and American music. Harris compared it to visual art, drawing an analogy between the abstract painters and more realistic painters. ( The name Chuck Close came up, who I had heard of but was not that familiar with. I have been researching him a bit thanks to Harris' mention) It made me think about how jazz is so beautiful because whatever skills and impressive technique you have under your fingers, it's really about the communication and what you are trying to express. I tried to really focus on listening and emotion during the concert; I think it might have been the best gig I've played with this band so far. Sometimes, it's more about philosophy and concepts than any single note or chord. That's what makes music an art form.
Hopefully tonight's gig will be even better. I think it's interesting to play in places that are off the beaten path. Bosnia is a place that has gone through unimaginable hardship. I'm willing to bet that many in the audience have lost loved ones in the recent wars. I'm willing to bet that they will appreciate the music on a different level. These kinds of places have a different level of soulfulness that only comes from the perspective of suffering. I suppose that's what the blues is about at it's core. Below are a few pictures from the tour. I'll keep you posted.
:format(jpeg):mode_rgb()/discogs-images/A-238626-1328259868.jpeg.jpg)
.jpg)
