2019 Holiday Gift Guide Pages 32-33 the LATIN SIDEOF HOT HOUSE JOCELYN MEDINA P31
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206296_HH_Dec_0 11/22/19 2:18 PM Page 1 2019 Holiday Gift Guide pages 32-33 THE LATIN SIDE OF HOT HOUSE JOCELYN MEDINA P31 December 2019 www.hothousejazz.com Side Door, Smoke Jazz & Supper Club, Mezzrow Jazz Standard Page 17 Page 21 Johnny O’Neal Carmen Lundy Champian Fulton Acute Inflections Blue Note, Birdland Page 10 Rockwood Music Hall Page 10 Where To Go & Who To See Since 1982 206296_HH_Dec_0 11/22/19 10:39 AM Page 2 2 206296_HH_Dec_0 11/22/19 10:39 AM Page 3 3 206296_HH_Dec_0 11/22/19 10:39 AM Page 4 4 206296_HH_Dec_0 11/22/19 10:39 AM Page 5 5 206296_HH_Dec_0 11/22/19 2:17 PM Page 6 6 206296_HH_Dec_0 11/22/19 10:39 AM Page 7 7 206296_HH_Dec_0 11/21/19 12:32 PM Page 8 8 206296_HH_Dec_0 11/22/19 10:39 AM Page 9 9 206296_HH_Dec_0 11/22/19 10:39 AM Page 10 WINNING SPINS By George Kanzler HE DUO FORMAT IN JAZZ HAS berant foray into stride piano, contrasting been aptly described as a musical tra- with all her other more mainstream mod- pezeT act without a net. Without a group to ern piano excursions. She also brings a fill in or cover up flaws, two musicians are quirky resonance to softer but emotionally utterly exposed. Most recorded duos have convincing renditions of "I Thought About been instrumental, often a piano or guitar You" and "I'd Give a Dollar for a Dime." with another instrument, which may be Cory's alto sax is a challenging and empa- anything from a bass or horn to another thetic foil throughout. piano or guitar. This month we listened to a On the self-released Electric pair of duo albums, each featuring a vocal- Psychology, Acute Inflections' acoustic ist. One singer also plays the piano; the bassist Sadiki Pierre and vocalist Elasea other is paired with just an acoustic dou- Douglas present a duo turn that is as ble-bassist, in the most minimal fashion. about as spare and basic as it can get. Champian Fulton & Cory Weeds' Sadiki rarely uses the bow, playing almost Dream A Little… (Cellar Live), was record- exclusively pizzicato, also creating percus- ed at a house party in Vancouver, B.C. sive sounds by slapping or hitting the There was little or no planning as to tunes wooden frame of his bass. On a couple of or approach for the largely spontaneous numbers, Elasea chants or intones notes concert by pianist-singer Champian and wordlessly, but she mostly sings lyrics. Her alto saxophonist Cory. Six of the ten tracks vocal style is rooted in R&B and folk as contain vocals; the remaining four are par- much as jazz, but her range can be quite adigms of duo jazz playing. Champian's chameleon-like. "Lullaby for Art" is anything but: It's actu- For instance, when she sings Dolly ally an up-tempo romp with scintillating Parton's "I Will Always Love You," she nat- solo turns by each. The Doris Day pop hit, urally glides into the bravura melismas of "Once I Had a Secret Love," is taken at Whitney Houston's version; Elasea's "At heartbeat tempo; Cory carries the melody Last" invokes Etta James' classic soul ver- and solos first, interpolating quotes from sion. But it is the choice of repertoire, and "Nature Boy," another pop hit of the same the provocative way they put it together, era. During her solo, Champian picks up that make Acute Inflections memorable. on the Nat King Cole reference, mining a The Cure's "Lovesong," which precedes "I Cole-like modern piano groove. The swing Will Always Love You," repeats the title era "Tangerine" finds piano in the lead, line of Parton's song as a chorus. "New and features a spirited round of four-bar York, New York," done as a pared-down trades. Buddy Johnson's blues ballad shuffle, is followed by "(I Can't Get No) "Save Your Love for Me," features a bluesy Satisfaction," and the Spinners' hit "I'll Be alto sax solo, piano choruses ranging Around" precedes Childish Gambino's through keys and registers, and piano tags "Redbone," with the referential lyric, "If that quote Count Basie's famous three- you want it, you can have it." Sometimes chord coda. the juxtapositions seem contrived, and the Champian's vocals reveal an evolving, duo's originals don't have staying power; idiosyncratic singing style: unpredictable, but some tracks are indelible, and a long, surprising and incredibly elastic. She can slow, gorgeous "Bésame Mucho" is a reve- be coy in the manner of Blossom Dearie's lation of a song that's usually dismissed as little-girl warbling one minute, and sexily a lame cliché. un-demure the next, as on "Darn That Dream," where sighs signal mood changes Champian Fulton's Quartet plays from dreamy to sensual. The words of Fox & Falcon, South Orange, Dec. 6; "Pennies from Heaven" billow in her open- brunch at the Blue Note, Dec. 8; ing chorus, but she toys with them, sub- Birdland, Dec. 26, and Shanghai Jazz merging the notes of under to the lowest in Madison, Dec. 27. Acute Inflections range, in the out chorus. The track also is plays Rockwood Music Hall, Dec. 26. memorable for Champian's solo, an exu- 10 Fulton cover photo by D Rimbault, O’ Neal by Roberto Cifarelli. 206296_HH_Dec_0 11/22/19 10:39 AM Page 11 Sign-up for our E-ALERT at www.hothousejazz.com and be the 1st to know when the latest Hot House is available on line PUBLISHER/MANAGING EDITOR: For advertising requests and listing Gwen Kelley (formerly Calvier) information contact Gwen Kelley [email protected] 203-434-4646/[email protected] CONTRIBUTING EDITOR: Elzy Kolb Hot House Jazz Magazine is published monthly and all [email protected] copyrights are the property of Gwen Kelley. All rights PRODUCTION & ART DIRECTOR: reserved. No material may be reproduced without written Karen Pica [email protected] permission of the President. Domestic subscriptions CONTRIBUTING WRITERS: areavailable for $37 annually (sent first class). For Canada Ken Dryden, Ken Franckling, $39 and international $50. Raul da Gama, Seton Hawkins, PUBLISHER EMERITUS: Dave N Dittmann Eugene Holley Jr., Stephanie Jones, CO-FOUNDERS: Gene Kalbacher, George Kanzler, Elzy Kolb, Lynn Taterka & Jeff Levenson Michael G. Nastos, Don Jay Smith, COPY EDITOR: Yvonne Ervin 2012-2019 Addie Vogt, Eric Wendell For press releases and CD revues send a copy to CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHER: Fran Kaufman Gwen Kelley: PO Box 20212 - New York, NY 10025 11 206296_HH_Dec_0 11/22/19 10:39 AM Page 12 CLUBS & HALLS UPPER MANHATTAN (Above 70th Street) 449 LA: 449 Lenox Av (bet 132nd & 133rd Sts). 212-234-3298. Sun: 4-7pm Patio Jazz; Thurs: 1-3:30pm Jazz & Dessert; Fri-Sat: 8:30pm. AMERICAN LEGION POST: 248W 132nd St (bet 7th & 8th Avs). 212-283-9701. Sun, atler- native Wed & Thurs: 6:30-10:30pm Jam. ANNEX: Hargrave House. 111W 71st St (bet Columbus & Amsterdam Avs). 212-580-0888. Fri: 7:30-10:30pm $10 adm Open Mic w/Frank Owens. BILL’S PLACE: 148W 133rd St (bet Lenox & 7th Avs). www.billsplaceharlem.com. 212-281- 0777. Fri-Sat: 8&10pm $20 don Bill Saxton Bebop Band. CAFÉ CARLYLE: At Carlyle Hotel. 35E 76th St at Madison. www.thecarlyle.com. 212-744- 1600. Sets: 8:45pm, Sat + 10:45pm. Mon: except 12/23&30 Woody Allen & Eddy Davis New Orleans Jazz Band. CLEOPATRA’S NEEDLE: 2485 Bway (bet 92nd & 93rd Sts). www.cleopatrasneedleny. com. 212-769-6969. Sets: Early (E), Late (L); Sun E 4-8pm, L 9pm-1am; Mon-Tues E 8- 9pm, L 10pm-1am; Wed-Thurs E 7-11pm, L 11:30pm-2:30am; Fri-Sat E 8pm-12am, L 12:30-3am. Free adm/$10 min. Trios except Mon&Thurs Duets unless otherwise noted. L Jam. Residencies: Sun E Open mic w/Keith Ingham, L Benno Marmur; Mon Mark Hagan; Tues Marc Devine; Wed E Open mic w/Les Kurtz, L Nathan Brown; Thurs L Nathan Brown; Fri L Robbie Lee; Sat L T. Kash. Dec 5: Noriko Kamo; 6: Libby Richman; 7: Dan Furman; 12: Joel Forrester; 13: Jesse Crawford; 14: Satchmo Mannan Band; 19: Equilibrium Gp; 20: Masami Ishikawa; 21: Walter Williams; 26: Gill Schwartz; 27: Miho Sosaki; 28: Denton Darien. GIN FIZZ: 308 Malcolm X Blvd at 125th St. 2nd Fl. www.ginfizzharlem.com. 347-329-0167. GINNY’S SUPPER CLUB: At Red Rooster. 310 Lenox Av (bet 125th & 126th Sts). www.ginnys supperclub.com. 212-792-9001. Sets unless otherwise noted: 8pm. Dec 6: Joe Farnsworth Trio feat Elew; 20: C. Anthony Bryant; 24: Rakiem Walker Project; 26: 7&9pm Pedrito Martinez; 27-28: Charenée Wade. GREATER CALVARY BAPTIST CHURCH: 55W 124th St (bet Malcolm X Blvd & 5th Av). 212-348-6132. www.harlemjazzboxx.com. Tues 12pm $15 adm & Fri 7pm $20: Harlem Jazz series. Dec 3: Tony Lewis Trio; 6: Tulivu Cumberbatch; 13: Jonathan Finlayson Qrt; 20: T.K. Blue. HARLEM STAGE: At Aaron Davis Hall. 150 Convent Av at W135th St. 212-281-9240. www.harlemstage.org. Dec 5: 7:30-10pm The Baylor Project; 19: 7:30-10:30pm Brianna Thomas & Fa-La-La-La Funk! LENOX SAPHIRE: 341 Lenox Av at 127th St. www.lenoxsaphireharlem.com. 212-866- 9700. Thurs: 8-11pm Keyed Up series w/Phil Young Oct. MET: 1000 5th Av at 82nd St. 212-535-7710. www.metmuseum.org. Dec 14: 7pm $75 adm Ute Lemper. MILLER THEATRE: At Columbia University. 2960 12 206296_HH_Dec_0 11/22/19 2:20 PM Page 13 Bway at 116th St.