Volume 35 • Issue 01 January 2007 Journale of the rNew Jsersey Jazze Societyy DedicatedJ toa the perforzmance, przomotion and preservation of jazz.

Ed Berger’s Focus on Jazz Photographic Studies from Louis to Wynton By Fradley Garner Jersey Jazz International Editor

NEWARK — “The first performance photos I ever took were of Louis Armstrong in 1956 when I was 17,” recalls Ed Berger, associate director of the Rutgers University Institute of Jazz Studies and dedicated photographer of musicians, who has mounted his first ever exhibit in Dana Library on the Newark campus. “Louis was playing on a revolving stage in a tent not far from where we lived in Princeton, and it was a moving experience in more than one sense.” Berger’s 54 black and white photographs are displayed in a room often used for classes and other events, so visitors can’t go in at times. He suggests calling the library office at 973-353-5222, to check when it’s open to the public. On the creative level, that matter of access — into performing venues — has become a growing problem for photographers, says Berger, who notes that many promoters and club owners “seem to be getting more and more restrictive about picture taking.” If you happen to be in the right place at the right time, he shrugs, “almost any idiot can push the shutter button and get something interesting.” continued on page 12 2007 Pee Wee Russell Memorial Stomp MARCH 4, 2007 LOUIS ARMSTRONG. Music Circus, Lambertville, NJ, July 4, 1966. Photo by Ed Berger. Birchwood Manor, Whippany TICKETS NOW AVAILABLE see page 8 ARTICLES Hopewell Valley Bistro Gypsy Jazz . . 20 The Name Dropper ...... 39 in this issue: Classic Stine ...... 9 CDs: Other Views ...... 22 ADVERTISERS NEW JERSEY JAZZ SOCIETY Salt Creek Grille in Princeton ...... 10 Books: Alive at the Village Vanguard Pres Sez/NJJS Calendar/ From the Crow’s Nest ...... 10 and Lennie Tristano ...... 25 Shanghai Jazz ...... 5 NJJS Bulletin Board ...... 2 – 3 Milt Hinton Jazz Photography Award . . 11 Book: Band Singer (Garry Stevens) . . . 28 Cornerstone ...... 7 The Mail Bag ...... 4 Tony Mottola Tribute at Shanghai Jazz . 11 DVD: Jazz Icons ...... 29 Salt Creek Grille ...... 17 Editor’s Pick/Deadlines/NJJS info . . . . 6 Big Band in the Sky...... 14 NJPAC: Gillespie All-Stars and Trumpets ...... 21 Notes from the Music Committee . . . 8 Dixieland in Israel ...... 16 New Orleans Jazz Orchestra . . . . . 31 eighty eights ...... 23 In the Mainstream ...... 34 REVIEWS EVENTS CTS Images ...... 28 Jazz Trivia ...... 34 Cape May Jazz Festival ...... 18 ’Round Jersey: Bridgewater, Arbors Records ...... 33 Dance Lessons for friends of NJJS . . 35 November Member Meeting: Morris, Ocean County ...... 36 Laura Hull ...... 40 About NJJS/Membership Info ...... 35 Jazz Club Owners ...... 19 Somewhere There’s Music...... 38 Weichert Realtors ...... 40 New JerseyJazzSociety

NJJS Calendar Monday January 8 2007 Bickford/Morris see p 36

Wednesday January 17 2007 Ocean County College see p 37 Prez Sez

Saturday January 20 2007 By Andrea Tyson President, NJJS Bridgewater see ad p 27 & p 36 anuary is an exciting time for the NJJS — New Jersey Jazz Society banner in their club — Saturday January 20 2007 Peabody/Charleston Workshop Jacclimating new board members, arranging please check it out — and if you don’t see it, ask Union see p 35 committee assignments, setting up our special about it! The concert that night was just star- Monday January 29 2007 calendar in this our 35th incorporated year. studded, as some of their friends joined them up Bickford/Morris see p 36 The new board members, along with news of on the bandstand. A good time was had by all! Rio Clemente sat in, then Zan Stewart stepped Wednesday January 31 2007 the December 3rd Annual Meeting, will be Ocean County College see p 37 presented via these pages in future editions. up with his sax, among many others. This is a fine club with ample private parking. Saturday February 3 2007 2006 was a very good year for our membership Bridgewater see ad p 27 & p 36 I roster, with many new and renewing members. Speaking of Zan, we caught his quartet at Trumpets one recent Sunday evening — with Sunday February ? 2007 Thank you all so much. Speaking of members — MONTHLY MEMBER MEETING it’s never the wrong time to give a gift Bob DeVos on guitar, Andy Watson on drums Trumpets/Montclair (details TBA) and Kevin McCarthy on bass. The performance membership — renewal rates are very high included lovely versions of Cole Porter’s “What Wednesday February 7 2007 for those people who receive a gift membership. Ocean County College see p 37 is This Thing Called Love” and Bob Haggart’s So, please remember the NJJS when thinking of “What’s New?” The intimate setting was perfect Monday February 26 2007 gifts for your friends and family for birthdays Bickford/Morris see p 36 and the evening was a bit of a meet and greet as and anniversaries. Sheila Anderson and Awilda Rivera of WBGO Sunday March 4 2007 Pee Wee Russell Memorial Stomp Also, please send me your e-mail address at walked in. Carrie Jackson was on hand as well. see COMING UP p 3 and p 8 [email protected]. We send an e-mail blast every I I think all those in attendance had a fun Monday March 12 2007 now and then with emerging news — we’d like afternoon at our November Member Meeting Bickford/Morris see p 36 to make sure as many members as possible get at Trumpets in Montclair. A special thanks to those updates. Saturday March 17 2007 owners Enrico and Kristine for their continued Bridgewater see ad p 27 & p 36 support and generosity. What a terrific panel Recent Doings Monday March 19 2007 discussion — lots of laughs, too. Our panel Bickford/Morris see p 36 I We had a lovely evening at Cecil’s in October consisted of Mike Canterino, Kristine Massari, celebrating a special anniversary with Pam Purvis Amos Kaune and Ed Polcer. Jazz club owners Wednesday March 21 2007 Ocean County College see p 37 and Bob Ackerman. They provided a meal for didn’t have it easy and they still don’t! That’s why all guests and we were very appreciative of their we need to support them by getting off the couch Monday April 9 2007 Bickford/Morris see p 36 hospitality. Cecil’s should now be sporting a large to go clubbing! Entertainment that evening was continued on page 3 Tuesday April 10 2007 NJJS co-sponsor Mason Gross concert New Brunswick see p 3 NJJS Bulletin Board Saturday/Sunday Special Offer 2005 and the American Library recording with a play list that is out of June 9/10 2007 Association, Katrina Relief Fund. We this world. E-mail NJJS President Jazzfest ”Do You Know What It Means To still have a few in inventory. This is a Drew Univ. Madison see p 8 Andrea Tyson at [email protected] or write Miss New Orleans” is a CD produced very worthy cause — one still in to her at 110 Haywood Avenue, by the New Hampshire Library of need of financial assistance. So Sunday October 7 2007 Piscataway, NJ 08854 and enclose Traditional Jazz (see Joe Lang’s review, please help by purchasing a CD. Cost NJJS 35th Anniversary your check. This CD makes an Dinner Dance (details TBA) July/August 06 Jersey Jazz). All is $18 plus $2 shipping. But if you buy proceeds from sales of the disk a CD at one of our events, the cost excellent gift that also contributes to support Music Cares, Hurricane Relief will be just $18. This is a special a most worthy cause.

2 January 2007 JerseyJazz New JerseyJazzSociety

by Judi Canterino and Mike also, on a I Also on the college scene, NJJS was What’s Goin’ On couple of numbers, with Rio Clemente the co-sponsor of a recent concert at the I Record Bin — We’ve updated our accompanying. Mason Gross School of the Arts’s gorgeous inventory list. If interested, I can e-mail a Nicholas Center in New Brunswick. Ralph We’re not having a Member Meeting in copy to you (it’s in Excel) — let me know: Bowen directed the Rutgers Jazz Ensemble December/January fearing inclement [email protected]. Jack Sinkway is now and Conrad Herwig directed the Scarlet handling our CDs, so he’s the go-to guy! weather, but will resume in February. Knights Jazz Trombones, joining in on I Plans are being finalized as we go to We’ve had good response to the first three a couple of tunes. The evening featured press regarding the Stomp, Jazzfest and our meetings and hope even more members Eddie Palmieri on piano and Renato will attend in the future. fall dinner/dance. Check out Joe Lang’s Thoms and Johnny Rivero on percussion. Music Committee Column on page 8. I NJJS met with the owners of the Salt Dr. Lou Iozzi presented Mr. Palmieri with Creek Grille; we hope you’ll support their an NJJS Lifetime Achievement Award. The Coming Up efforts in opening a new restaurant in evening’s selections emphasized Rutgers’s I Pee Wee Stomp TICKETS AVAILABLE Princeton with jazz several nights a week. Center for Latino Arts and Culture. NOW. We’ve lined up a spectacular event. Selections such as Dizzy Gillespie’s Same place: Birchwood Manor in Check them out at www.saltcreekgrille.com “Manteca” brought the house to its feet! Whippany. Same time: noon, on Sunday, and let them know you read about them in Please come out and enjoy a wonderful March 4. Joe Lang and his Music Jersey Jazz. gem of the Garden State. Many of their Committee put together a program last I On the college scene, NJJS met with concerts are free. Advance Notice: I was year that filled the ballroom and this year Anthony D.J. Branker of Princeton told the April 10 event is going to be very sounds just as good (see page 8). The University’s Department of Music. special — so pencil in the date for future original Stomp propelled NJJS to where it He’s very interested in forging a new information. NJJS will be co-sponsoring is today, and it’s still going strong 35 years later. We’re expecting some really good partnership with our society to get that performance also. dancers (will you be among them? see more people down to their jazz concerts. I I was very fortunate to be able to attend dance lessons below and page 35; singles They put on some wonderful events and a recent concert at the NJPAC. What a are welcome) who’ll be struttin’ their stuff. you’ll be hearing more about them in JJ. terrific space to hear jazz. For a complete Get your tickets early, bring your Princeton doesn’t offer a degree in review of the performances by the friends and family and keep the Jazz Studies as such, but they do have a Dizzy Gillespie All-Star Band and the music going. For more info, visit certificate program and we’ll be updating New Orleans Jazz Orchestra see www.njjs.org or call our you on that information. Sandy Ingham’s article on page 27. Hotline 1-800-303 NJJS. JJ

Jazz Dance Lessons WELCOME: NO PARTNER IS rough head count more of our committees. Among January 20 REQUIRED. Classes rotate partners, for all sorts of reasons. E-mail them: American Jazz Hall of Fame, Save the Date and social dancing means there are [email protected] or call Development/Finance, Education, 201-306-2769. Learn more on page 35. PLANNING IS UNDERWAY for one or plenty of hoofers to go around. We Music, Nominations/Board two Saturday dance workshops. Learn need to know how to reach you as Volunteers Development, Publicity/Marketing, late-breaking details are finalized. If Record Bin, If you are interested in basics of Charleston and Peabody in Like Uncle Sam, we’re always looking preparation for the Pee Wee Stomp. you’re interested, even if you can’t for a few good people. If you’ve got hearing more about this, let’s talk. We’ve lined up some of the metro commit 100% now, we need to know special skills or interests, maybe Contact NJJS President Andrea Tyson area’s finest instructors. SINGLES who you are! We’re also trying to get a you’d enjoy helping out with one or at 732-356-3626 or [email protected].

January 2007 JerseyJazz 3 New JerseyJazzSociety

The Mail Bag

I DID NOT EXPECT TO BE THE WHEN I WAS A KID GROWING UP THANK YOU FOR THE NICE Muhammad Salahuddeen, the COVER SUBJECT for Jersey Jazz IN GREENWICH VILLAGE, NYC OBITUARY OF JIMMY VASS. I am center, father, initiator of Uots, and was knocked out! Thanks to was the place to hear jazz, and we glad to see that Jersey Jazz calls every so often, as does bassist you and Fradley; am personally could afford to live there too. I recognizes this tremendous Tony Oblaney. When Tony called pleased, of course, but most could walk from our apartment to musician — he has kept a low that Jimmy had passed, I just important, it’s good for the The Village Vanguard or the Half profile and deserves to be known could not believe it. Jimmy had Institute. Note, later to Sweet Basil or the to a much wider audience. The been thriving and happy, and we While I have your ear (or rather, Cookery, and end up at Bradley’s. jam sessions at University of the all were shocked that he left so eyes), let me congratulate you on Sometimes I’d end up midtown at Streets happened to be one of the suddenly. I’ll always treasure the Ryan’s or Condon’s (that’s as close what you’ve accomplished with first places I discovered when I memory of playing with him, as I ever got to imagining what Jersey Jazz. It’s never looked better, came to New York in 1994. UotS especially favorites of his such as 52nd Street must have been like). but most importantly, never read struck me as the most non- Coltrane’s “Giant Steps,”“Grand Of course some of the hipper cats better. It’s always been a cut above commercial and welcoming place. Central,”“Central Park West,”“26- way back when had already figured other jazz society publications, but Anyone could go and hang out all 2,” and Mingus’s “Peggy’s Blue out that moving to New Jersey was now it’s become a professional night, listen to the music, without Skylight,” or of hearing him sing the smart thing to do — Thad product, journalistically speaking. having to consume anything. unforgettable renditions of Jones, Sam Jones, Roland Hanna, On the contrary, since the core Strayhorn’s “Lush Life.” Dan Morgenstern the Adderleys…Now it seems that audience and host are Muslim, it Newark, NJ most are forced by economic Ursel Schlicht was a totally alcohol-free and pianist, composer, improviser [Mr. Morgenstern is Director of the pressure to live across or up the respectful place. www.urselschlicht.com Rutgers Institute of Jazz Studies. In river and commute to their gigs in Jimmy Vass would open up the Brooklyn, NY December, Jersey Jazz reported on the NYC clubs. Even the audiences evening with a set of his favorite his being named a 2007 NEA Jazz are migrating to more feasible economic climates, leaving the city tunes, then invite some musicians THE ELLINGTON ESSAY Master. — Editor] (December) is wonderful, and the to its burgeoning transient to sit in with him and the house Duke photo never looked better. It WHILE I DID NOT KNOW TIMME population of tourists. I know band, and then open it up to fits Fradley Garner’s translated ROSENKRANTZ, I do know there have always been some “local everybody. Those days, the place chapter to a tee! I have Timme Fradley Garner and am aware spots” outside of “town” but it was packed and we all signed up to Rosenkrantz’s Swing Photo Album of the work he has put into seems that now there are more play. Jimmy was very dedicated to 1939 in my photo book collection translating and editing venues and they are getting more the music and made it clear that as well as a few of his jazz prints. It Rosenkrantz’s Harlem memoirs. exposure. That’s the up side. unless you could play he was not taking you seriously. It took years was wonderful to see an article I especially like the short profile The jazz societies aren’t new, until I played with him for the first about him (November Jersey Jazz). of Timme that appeared in your either, but while they are slowly I’d venture to say most people do journal (JJ, November). It is an becoming more pro-active, most time! He never knew how much he not know enough about the Jazz inviting overview of the “Jazz that I’ve seen could stand to learn made me practice, though, I used Baron. Nice graphic design and Baron’s” extraordinary career, and a thing or two from NJJS. Your to get home and work on tunes to overall look. In fact, the whole really ought to be positioned at the publication is impressive and its prepare for the next week. December issue looks great! Kudos front of the book. Thank you for global outlook and embrace is Eventually, I — a German woman to you. sharing with your readers the much appreciated. — became the house pianist for a Cynthia Sesso chapter on Duke Ellington in your Swinging along, while and felt that I began to win December issue. I understand that Devra Hall Levy the respect of the core group, www.ctsimages.com the search is on for an American mostly black, male, at least 20 or California [Devra Hall, author of Men, publisher, and wish Fradley and all more years older than me. Some Women, and Girl Singers, is [Ms. Sesso is a jazz photography concerned success in finding an even took interest in my music, my currently working on Seeking archivist and supplied the Duke American house that will take on free improvisation or composing. Harmony: The Life and Music of Ellington photograph used to Once I moved away from the this project. Luther Henderson for Scarecrow illustrate the chapter excerpted from neighborhood to Brooklyn, I only Otto B. Lindhardt Press. Henderson, once known as Timme Rosenkrantz’s memoir that stopped by every once in a while Publisher Emeritus Duke Ellington’s “classical arm,” was appeared last month. — Editor] Copenhagen, Denmark also Lena Horne’s musical director — I couldn’t handle the very late and the man behind the music of hours, and my music was taking many Broadway shows. — Editor] other directions.

Comments? Jersey Jazz welcomes your comments on any article or editorial. Send e-mail to [email protected]. Include your name and geographical location.

4 January 2007 JerseyJazz Restaurant and bar 24 Main St. (Rt. 124), Madison, NJ 07940 973.822.2899 • [email protected]

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Z A G AT 2 0 0 5 / 0 6 : wed 1/10: KEN PEPLOWSKI ” I f y o u a r e l o o k i n g f o r thur 1/11: MORRIS NANTON t o p - f l i g h t l i v e j a z z Highliwghetds 1, /e1n7:d oDEf RDEKe cSeMmITbHer, & January 2007: l o o k n o f u r t h e r t h a n LIVE JsuAn 1Z/21Z: TFRIIBVUTEE T ON TIOGNYH MOTTTSOL A t h i s M a d i s o n FEATURING GENE BERTONCINI r e s t a u r a n t - c u m - c l u b , a WEwEedK 1 /2&4: BUCKY PIZZARELLI w h e r e t h e r e ’s n o c o v e r fri & sat a n d y o u ’ r e a l w a y s 1/26 & 27: WYCLIFFE GORDON t r e a t e d l i k e a f a v o r i t e c u s t o m e r . ” Wednesday and Thursday: 7:00 PM – 9:30 PM Friday and Saturday two seatings: 6:30 PM & 8:45 PM Sunday: 6:00 PM – 9:00 PM ” I t ’s a t r u e n i g h t o u t o n t h e t o w n . ” for latest schedules and updates, please visit www.shanghaijazz.com T h a n k y o u D o w n B e a t Please note: We take reservations by telephone only 973.822.2899 and not by e-mail. M a g a z i n e f o r n a m i n g S H A N G H A I J A Z Z o n e o f t h e T O P 1 0 0 J A Z Z January 2007 5 C L UJeBrSs eIyNJ aTzHzE W O R L D ! ! ! SHANGHAI JAZZ New JerseyJazzSociety

The Editor’s Pick JerseyJazz The Journal By Tony Mottola Jersey Jazz Editor of the New Jersey Jazz Society Volume 35 • Issue 1

Jersey Jazz (ISSN 000-004) is published Join the Club eleven times per year for members of ymphonies have their halls and rock stars have their arenas, but jazz The New Jersey Jazz Society, PO Box 410, Brookside, NJ 07926. Membership fee is $35/year. Slives in the clubs. Right there you know there’s something different Periodical postage paid at Morristown, NJ 07960. about the jazz experience and about the relationship between jazz artists and their audience. After all, Postmaster: send address changes to PO Box 410, Brookside, NJ 07926-0410. when was the last time you got to chat with Yo Yo Ma or have a beer with Mick Jagger? Probably not lately. Well, those kinds of interactions between performers and the listeners take place in jazz clubs all All contents ©2007 New Jersey Jazz Society. the time. Tony Mottola Editor 27 Upper Mountain Ave. The “Jazz Club” is easy to join. Most places you just walk in, pony up a modest sum for some food and Montclair, NJ 07042 973-509-9437 drink, and you’re in. The only thing exclusive about this club is that it’s exclusively for people who dig E-mail: [email protected] the music. Linda Lobdell Art Director/Associate Editor 352 Highland Ave. Running a jazz club, however, isn’t so easy. Owning a jazz establishment is more of a calling than a Newark, NJ 07104 business and comes with a whole passel of vexing challenges. That was made abundantly clear at a 201-306-2769 E-mail: [email protected] recent NJJS-sponsored panel on running jazz clubs that included four owners of some famed former and current New York and New Jersey clubs (see page 29). Other insights into the world of the jazz Fradley Garner International Editor E-mail: [email protected] club in this issue can be found in Joe Lang’s review of a memoir by Village Vanguard owner Lorraine Gordon (see page 21). John Maimone Entertainment Contributor 908-753-6722 E-mail: [email protected] If you haven’t yet joined the club, or your membership’s lapsed, why not do yourself and the music some good and get out for a night of live jazz? It’s Fred McIntosh Entertainment Contributor 201-784-2182 how the music’s meant to be heard and there are several fine clubs E-mail: [email protected] advertised in this issue that would be happy to sign you up. NEW JERSEY JAZZ SOCIETY Tell them Jersey Jazz recommended you. JJ OFFICERS 2007 Andrea Tyson President 110 Haywood Ave. Piscataway, NJ 08854 CORRECTIONS 732-356-3626 Kate Casano Treasurer Getting Bobby 732-905-9063 Hackett Right Caryl Anne McBride Membership Chairperson 973-366-8818 In our December report on the Al Parmet Recording Secretary NJJS October member meeting at 908-522-1163 Trumpets we mistakenly referred Jack Stine President Emeritus to Bobby Hackett as Buddy 908-658-3515 Hackett. We apologize for the Joe Lang Past President 973-635-2761 error and try to make amends by sharing this vintage photo of DIRECTORS Len Carlson, Carolyn Clemente, Joanne Day, Hackett with Jack Teagarden at a Laura Hull, Mike Katz, Claudette Lanneaux, Jump Records recording session Sheilia Lenga, Bruce Lundvall, Vincent Mazzola, Fred McIntosh, Stan Myers, Frank Nissel, in Los Angeles in 1950. — Editor Jack Sinkway, Marcia Steinberg, Elliott Tyson, Paul White, Jackie Wetcher, Tony Mottola (Ex-officio) Jack Teagarden/Bobby Hackett. © Cecil Charles CTSIMAGES.COM ADVISORS Jeff Atterton, Amos Kaune, Bob Porter

Advertising Rates Quarter page: $50; Half page $75; Full page $100. 10% discount on repeat ads. Website: www.njjs.org To place an ad, please send a check made payable to NJJS E-mail: [email protected] to Kate Casano, 274 Jackson Pines Rd, Jackson, NJ 08527; please indicate size and issue. Contact [email protected] or 201-306-2769 for technical information. Hotline: 1-800-303-NJJS • (1-800-303-6557)

NJJS Deadlines The deadline for submission of material for upcoming issues is as follows: To join the NJJS, send a $35 check payable to “NJJS” to: February issue: December 26, 2006 • March issue: January 26, 2006 NJJS Membership, PO Box 410, Brookside, NJ 07926-0410. NOTE: EARLY SUBMISSIONS ARE GREATLY APPRECIATED.

Comments? Jersey Jazz welcomes your comments on any article or editorial. Send e-mail to [email protected]. Include your name and geographical location.

6 January 2007 JerseyJazz The CORNERSTONE 25 New Street, Metuchen, NJ The best in live jazz in Central New Jersey.

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January 2007 JerseyJazz 7 New JerseyJazzSociety

Notes from the Music Committee

By Joe Lang NJJS Music Committee Chair

lot has been happening since I wrote at FDU. The concert hall in the Dorothy Drew University, and Ellwood R. “Woody” Amy last column. Young Center for the Arts opened in Kerkeslager, the mayor of Madison, who February 2005, and is a state-of-the-art both became strong advocates of the move I All of the bands are now set for the facility. It has approximately the same to Drew. We look forward to their Pee Wee Russell Memorial Stomp on capacity as the auditorium in Dreyfuss Hall enthusiastic support in promoting Jazzfest March 4, 2007 at the Birchwood Manor in at FDU, but is acoustically superior. The 2007. Getting both Drew University and Whippany. On board are Vince Giordano’s small venue at Drew, also located within the Borough of Madison actively involved Nighthawks, the Smith Street Society Jazz the Arts Center, is a rehearsal theatre in Jazzfest should greatly benefit the event. Band, Kevin Dorn’s Traditional Jazz known as the Black Box. It has acoustics Collective and Dick Voigt’s Big Apple Jazz Our primary goals in making this move are that are superior to the Aerobics Room at Band. We expect that this year’s event will to provide attendees with the best possible FDU and has about the same seating match the appeal of the 2006 edition, and event, and to generate increased capacity, but in permanent bleacher style that we’ll have another large crowd. There attendance by offering superior facilities seats that provide better sight lines than the will be a limit on available space this year, and greater visibility. fold up chairs used at FDU. The outdoor so make sure to order your tickets early. tent will be set up along the wall behind the I Next year is the 35th Anniversary of Prices will be as follows: Arts Center that runs along Route 124. This NJJS and we’ll celebrate that milestone with Member Advance Price ...... $25.00 site will be highly visible from Route 124, a Dinner/Dance scheduled for Sunday, Non-Member Advance Price...... $30.00 the main road connecting the Chatham/ October 7, 2007. Full details about place, Price at Door for All...... $35.00 Madison/Morristown area, and this time, entertainment and ticket pricing will For tickets, please send your check payable visibility should create added interest in be available soon. Mark your calendars for to “NJJS” together with a stamped self- Jazzfest. There is ample space for setting up this special occasion, as seating will be addressed envelope to: Kate Casano, picnic blankets, and many trees to provide limited, and we encourage you to act 274 Jackson Pines Road, Jackson, NJ 08527. shade. The CD sales will be transacted in quickly when details are announced. the atrium of the I At last, we’ve Arts Center, I As a final note I must mention that finalized the venue making for a more Anita O’Day, one of the greatest jazz arrangements for comfortable and singers of all, died on Thanksgiving Day. the sanofi-aventis accessible sales At her peak, she had few peers. She was an Jazzfest 2007. The environment. The innate swinger who adapted her vocal event will be held on Music Committee limitations to create a style that was Saturday June 9 and has met several unique. When you heard a few notes from Sunday June 10 at times to plan the her, the identity of the singer was Drew University in program, and we hope to have the unmistakable. I got to see her in clubs and Madison, New Jersey. Drew is located about performers booked in time to give you in concerts, and seeing her was usually an a mile down the road from Fairleigh the lineup by this time next month. Keep adventure. She was mercurial, always saying Dickinson University, where Jazzfest has checking the website, as we will try to keep whatever she thought, regardless of the had its home for the last several years. it up-to-date with Jazzfest information. effect that it might have on the object of Several factors led to the decision to move her comments. Several times I heard her the event. We’ve always been open to I About a year and a half ago, NJJS speak to musicians in a manner that made suggestions for relocating Jazzfest if a joined the Madison Arts and Cultural you expect them to pack up and leave the change of venue made sense. We were Alliance (www.madisonartsnj.org), with gig. Most of them knew what to expect, approached by Drew to consider making our publicist, Don Smith, acting as our however, and would just carry on, with such a change. Upon examining the liaison. As a result of our involvement perhaps a shrug of the shoulders, a wince facilities available at Drew we concluded with MACA, Don became acquainted or a frown. Anita was Anita, and if you that they had certain advantages over those with Robert Weisbuch, the President of continued on page 35

8 January 2007 JerseyJazz JerseyArticlesJazz

Classic Stine

By Jack Stine The (Peck) Kelley NJJS President Emeritus tapes, released on the Commodore label, are

For the past two issues I’ve been writing little music. the last recordings I have written of about my unexpected involvement with two A local radio ever to be produced the connection figures who have rightfully been assigned the station gave we at NJJS had status of jazz legends: John Hammond and him the use by Milt Gabler and I made with John Peck Kelley. I mentioned how Hammond of a studio Hammond and had been the recipient of NJJS’s first non- and everyone believe they make a naturally this was musician award at an early Pee Wee Russell adjourned there unique final statement my first stop in Memorial Stomp. Peck Kelley, of course, was to hear the great placing the tapes. the fabled jazz pianist whose fame depended man play again. about his belief in These were the solely on first-hand accounts by those who Word went out, days when you heard him in person in Texas. He lived and and soon the classic American jazz. could get into played there almost his whole life, would studio began to an office building never record and, like the man with a better fill with admirers in New York and friends, some carrying a big mousetrap, let the world of piano jazz lovers of them bringing instruments for a jam paper bag of stuff without having to go beat a path to his door in Houston. session. Not surprisingly, the first of the past sensor wands and detectors, and I I wrote also about a phone call from Texas tapes consisted of a lot of uproarious made my way easily to John’s office in the I received in the late 1970s. It was from a greetings and tentative piano runs and CBS building. I told John about the tapes friend of Peck Kelley’s named Dick Shannon. sounds of tuning up. Lots of fun, but very and how Peck Kelley had agreed to their He claimed to have tapes of several hours of little music. A prudent sound engineer, release. He was electrified, told me that he Kelley’s playing and asked if I would help however, taped the entire afternoon, had once gotten Peck into a recording him find a record producer to get them on beyond the ken of anyone there. It could studio after a long tussle, only to have him the market. I told him to count me out, that only get better, and it did. back out without even playing a few I knew all about Kelley’s aversion to being My own impression of Kelley’s playing? A chords. “I was sick,” John said, “but he was recorded and my own aversion to well- somewhat conditional disappointment. certainly great and deserved to be heard. meaning people making illicit tapes at our Jack Teagarden, the only musician who had But how can I get to hear these tapes of NJJS concerts. Shannon assured me that played with Peck Kelley that I had ever yours?” I pointed to the brown bag on the these tapes were squeaky clean, that Kelley talked to, told of a big, two-fisted talent floor. “You mean you’ve brought them? himself had agreed to have them released. that bordered on stride and strong rhythm They’re in the bag?” At this point I became interested. I told patterns. My ears heard little of this on the I handed the bag over and he was like a Shannon to send me the tapes and I’d see tapes. Even given his age — Peck would kid at Christmas. He asked if he could what I could do. have been in his 60s then — and the fact play one and I told him that was why I aturally, the first thing I did when that he’d been retired and hadn’t played for had brought them. Behind his chair he NShannon’s tapes arrived was to play some five years, plus his crippling physical had a reel-to-reel setup and soon we were them for myself. There were five or six condition, I had expected to hear some- both listening to Peck Kelley playing. tapes of varying length that amounted to a thing like the bravura of a Hines or a Hammond was ecstatic and made a phone total of a little more than two hours worth Waller, but here there was none of that. call. “Bob? You’ll never guess what I’m of music. Shannon had told me the Instead, it was clear, to me at least, that listening to. Listen…” he held the phone circumstances under which they were Kelley had moved beyond all of this into in front of a speaker. “Peck Kelley. PECK made, how Peck, almost totally blind the realm of locked chords and chromati- KELLEY tapes! I’ve got them here in the and suffering from advanced stages of cism — at which he was unquestionably office.” John turned to me. “Bob Altschuler Parkinson’s Disease, was having an wonderful. My initial disappointment was wants to hear them. Can you leave them unusually good day back in 1959 and not of form, but of content. But I had a job with us for a couple of days? He’s tied up allowed that he thought he’d like to play a to do, and I set to work. right now.” continued on page 10

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CLASSIC STINE continued from page 9 Salt Creek Grille:

I recalled Shannon’s remarks when he Princeton’s New Jazz Restaurant first called me, that Jim Cullum, Sr. had ollowing close on the heels of the said I was the only northerner he’d trust Fopening of eighty eights in Rahway, Central to the with the tapes, but I quickly felt that John the new Salt Creek Grille in Princeton Hammond was at least as trustworthy as I, makes for a bit of a trend of new upscale Salt Creek Grille so I said I’d be happy to leave the tapes eateries building their appeal around the with him. “Only promise me you won’t presentation of live jazz. copy them.” I said, and he assured me he ambience will be wouldn’t. I left, thinking it had been a Located on Rt. 1 South in Princeton pretty good morning’s work. Forrestal Village, the 11,000 square foot five nights of live casual restaurant — which is an established It was about a week later that John called culinary success in Rumson, NJ since 1998 jazz entertainment. me to say that he and Altschuler had given — will employ approximately 150 people. a listen to the tapes and reluctantly had come to the conclusion that they didn’t fit The Salt Creek Grille’s concept is a tribute to some of America’s greatest cultural contributions with American grille cuisine using unique authentic Mesquite wood-fired in with their present production plans. He grille and Arts and Crafts architecture. Central to the Salt Creek Grille ambience will be didn’t say as much, but I think his reaction five nights of live jazz entertainment. Partners Tim McCune, Steve Bidgood and Hugh to the tapes was the same as mine, that Preece, all jazz enthusiasts, have devoted valuable dining area to a performance stage they didn’t square with the expectation with a baby grand piano. Kelley’s reputation as a forceful, big sounding player had let us all look for. The Salt Creek Grille is a classic American grille with an open theater-style kitchen that Disappointed as I was, it was gratifying will seat 275 guests in the dining room and the bar/lounge. A one-of-a-kind patio off the to have my own initial reaction supported bar has Salt Creek Grille’s trademark outdoor fire pit. Patio dining is available around a by people like Altschuler, then president massive fireplace that opens both indoors and out. Banquet rooms for private dining, of CBS, and John Hammond. business and social functions will accommodate groups up to 150 guests. Salt Creek Grille will be open for lunch and dinner and Sunday brunch. The next stop in peddling the Kelley Tapes was easy. I phoned Milt Gabler, told him “Our Princeton location is a landmark, free-standing design for us. Being able to build the whole story, and offered them to him. our first Salt Creek Grille from the ground-up is a tremendous opportunity for us to He immediately accepted them, picked up refine our traditional American Arts and Crafts design. Our three outdoor fireplaces the tapes from me, and set about editing and covered patios will be defining and something really unique,” said McCune. JJ and cleaning them up for production. Milt made a couple of trips to Houston to assure clearances and get contracts signed. There was only one hitch. At just about the point when the records were to be pressed From the Crow’s Nest under the great old Commodore label, By Bill Crow Kelley made one of his famous balks, t a jazz festival, George Masso and Jake Henna were playing didn’t think he wanted them released after A with a vibraphonist who played very well, but who left no all, but after Milt made one last frantic spaces in his solos at all. After listening to one of his whirlwind flight to Houston, Peck relented and all solos, Jake leaned over to George and said,“He’s really got that went forward to production. circular breathing down!” The Kelley tapes, released on the I On New Year’s Eve 1994, a band led by Frank Amoss was playing for singer Roberta Commodore label, are the last recordings Linn at the Riverside Hotel in Laughlin, Nevada. Just before midnight, Frank started a roll ever to be produced by Milt Gabler and I on his tom-tom, and Roberta, on the microphone, started counting: “One, two, three, believe they make a unique final statement four…” Frank says if they hadn’t stopped her, she’d still be counting. JJ about his belief in classic American jazz. Bill Crow is a freelance musician and writer. His articles and reviews have appeared in Down Beat, Not long after the LPs hit the market, both The Jazz Review, and Gene Lee’s Jazzletter. His books include Jazz Anecdotes and Jazz Anecdotes: Peck and Milt died, but, oh, what they Second Time Around. The preceding story is excerpted, wih permission, from Bill’s column, managed to do while they were here. JJ The Band Room in Allegro, the monthly newsletter of A.F. of M. Local 802.

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The 2007 Shanghai Jazz to Milt Hinton Award Present Tribute for Excellence in to Tony Mottola Jazz Photography hanghai Jazz owners David and By Floyd Levin SMartha Niu have announced plans to present a musical tribute he Milt Hinton Award Committee and the International to the late guitarist Tony Mottola TAssociation for Jazz Education have selected the highly on Sunday, January 21. Scheduled to acclaimed London-based photographer David Redfern as the perform at press time were Bucky seventh recipient of The Milt Hinton Award for Excellence in Jazz Pizzarelli, Gene Bertoncini and Derek Smith, with other Photography. It will be presented during award ceremonies at the artists expected to be added to the lineup, Niu said. annual IAJE meeting in New York City, January 11, 2007. Mottola, a lifelong New Jersey resident, began his extraordinary The prestigious international award honors a photographer or an musical career in the 1930s as an 18-year-old guitarist with the organization for creating and promoting jazz photography as a George Hall Band in a rhythm section that included pianist viable form of art and/or jazz history. Johnny Guarnieri and drummer Nick Fatool. He capped off a life in music 50 years later as Frank Sinatra’s guitarist for six years, The 2007 award is the second being co-sponsored with the IAJE. touring with the legendary singer in the early 1980s. It was created by the Jazz Photographers Association and named after and features an image of its initial awardee in 1993, the great In between Tony was a mainstay of the New York music scene, musician and photographer, Milt Hinton. Since then, subsequent working on thousands of recording sessions and dozens of radio recipients have been William Claxton, Ray Avery, Herman and television programs. He also recorded 50 albums as a leader Leonard, Bill Gottlieb, and K. Abe. for Command and Project 3 Records and other major labels. David Redfern began filming the jazz scene in the early 1960s Mainly self-taught, Mottola was renowned for a distinctive singing when the British Trad era was in full steam. His first published melodic tone and a rich and original harmonic technique that photos of Kenny Ball, Chris Barber, and George Melly were remain an influence for guitarists today. followed by classic shots of the Beatles, the Rolling Stones, and “When I put out my first CD one of the first checks I got in the Dusty Springfield. Redfern was active nightly at various London mail was from Tony,” recalls guitarist Frank Vignola. “I said to clubs photographing jazz greats from Ella Fitzgerald to Miles Davis. myself, ‘I can’t take a check from Tony Mottola!’ I sent the CD and By 1970, he was firmly established as one of the major jazz and returned the check with a note: ‘I should send you a check for all music photographers in the business and became Frank Sinatra’s the licks I stole off your records when I was learning to play.’” official tour photographer. In celebration of his 25th anniversary For updates on the event keep an eye on Shanghai Jazz’s behind the lens, Redfern held a solo exhibit at the West End Gallery, website at www.shanghaijazz.com. JJ and a few years later mounted an exhibition in Cuba during a major jazz festival. Other exhibitions of his photographic skills include London’s SoHo Jazz Festival and at the Vienna Jazz Festival. The United States Postal Service honored David Redfern in 1995 by featuring his photos of Louis Armstrong, Thelonious Monk, and Coleman Hawkins in a set of stamps commemorating jazz personalities. At 70, Redfern is still traveling the world, camera in hand, photographing jazz activity at clubs, festivals, trade shows and conferences. His work is on permanent exhibit at the recently opened Redfern’s Music Picture Gallery, 3 Bramley Road, London W 10 6SZ, U.K. For additional information about the Milt Hinton Award for Excellence in Jazz Photography, contact the IAJE/JPA Milt Hinton Award Committee at [email protected]. JJ Floyd Levin is an occasional contributor to Jersey Jazz. DUET — Tony Mottola accompanying Frank Sinatra at Carnegie Hall, 1983.

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ED BERGER Clockwise from left: BENNY GOODMAN, Rehearsal, NYC, continued from page 1 1985 GRACHAN MONCUR III, Newark, 2001 But that’s not the way this scholar, who ANAT COHEN, Rubin Museum, NYC, loves recording both the images and 2006 sounds of jazz so much that he started his RUBY BRAFF, Recording Session, own record label, Evening Star, likes to Nola Studios, NYC, 2002 work. “I’ve been fortunate in getting to know many musicians who have allowed me to tag along and shoot at rehearsals, backstage and at recording sessions,” he told Jersey Jazz. “I also try to share my photos with the performers, so they don’t feel they’re just being used. If they want to post anything…on their websites, or use it for publicity, that’s fine with me.” Berger was steered to jazz by his father, Morroe Berger, a Princeton University sociology professor and author who arranged for the jazz giant Benny Carter to become a visiting professor at the school and forged a lifelong friendship between the two families. Father and son collaborated on the most comprehensive biography ever published of a jazz musician: Benny Carter: A Life in Music (2 vol. set, 2nd ed., 2002, Scarecrow Press, 1360 pages). Above everyone else, says Ed Berger, “I’m grateful to Benny Carter, who allowed me to share 35 years of his life, both personally and professionally, and opened a lot of doors for me.” He has known some of the other musicians portrayed in the exhibit for almost as long. The Chicago trumpeter and guitarist Randy Sandke and Berger became friends when the two were freshmen at Indiana University in 1966. Another close friend for many years is the trumpet and flugelhorn player Joe Wilder.

A Certain Intimacy “There’s a certain intimacy one sees in Berger’s black-and-white recording studio shot of…Joe Wilder,” wrote Mitchell Seidel in The Star-Ledger. “Wilder is seen in profile at the right side of the shot, with a score set up on a music stand at the left, All photos © Ed Berger illuminated by a single lamp. While the light easily shows the music and Wilder’s face and horn, it falls off abruptly,

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surrounding him in darkness and creating the impression of a man alone with his art.” Putting together his show, Berger said it dawned on him that “the images I prefer are those of musicians when they’re not actually playing — either just sitting and thinking or in some social setting.” Right now he is in “a transitional stage,” doing both digital and film photography. While he prefers the qualities of film and old-fashioned, standup darkroom printing, digital is so easy and convenient, and magazines like JazzTimes want all their images by e-mail. So Berger may reach for his digital camera. But, he confides, “I have no plans to sell my Leicas!” JJ [WBGO, Newark’s Public Radio station, has expressed interest in moving the show to their gallery after it closes at Rutgers on January 19. Clubs and organizations are welcome to contact [email protected]. — Editor]

Clockwise, from above right: WARREN VACHÉ, JR., Sweet Basil, NYC, 1999 SCOTT ROBINSON, Highlights In Jazz, Pace University, 2003 WYCLIFFE GORDON, Recording Session, Nola Studios, NYC, 2003 JOE WILDER, At home, NYC, 1998 BENNY CARTER, Stein on Vine Music Store, Los Angeles, 1999 CHRISTIAN McBRIDE, Jazz Museum in Harlem, 2005

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NOVEMBER IS WHEN I WRITE Big Band in the Sky the obits for January, and half the By Fradley Garner Jersey Jazz International Editor month went by with no visible recruits for the Big Band Beyond. No news reached this screen, anyway. Then that superb blues and jazz singer Ruth Brown joined the angels — followed six days later by another vocalist every reader over I Ruth Brown, 78, rhythm & blues and jazz Dozens of her singles reached the Top 10 in 50 has heard, and many a younger singer, actress, Portsmouth, VA, Jan. 12, 1928 the 1950s. She drove a Cadillac and had affairs fan, too. Yes, Anita O’Day. I was – Las Vegas, NV, Nov. 17, 2006. Ruth Brown, with musicians. She raised her children on filling this space with their career the best-selling black woman performer of the Long Island and worked as a teacher’s aide stories when more obits pinged in. early 1950s, of whom it was said that R&B and a maid, singing club dates in the New also stood for her name, died at 78 of York area and recording an album in 1968 Somebody could write a thoughtful complications of a heart attack and stroke with the Thad Jones-Mel Lewis Big Band. essay comparing the lives of Ms. following surgery. Her career spanned six Though Atlantic Records was called “The Brown and Ms. O’Day. Both came decades and embraced radio, television, the House that Ruth Built,” Brown reached a out of poverty with the talent and Broadway and Off-Broadway stage and film. point where she could not afford a house “pipes” (Sinatra’s word) and gutsy One of her movie roles was as the disc jockey telephone. Redd Foxx stepped in, inviting her drive to scale the heights and Motormouth Maybelle in Hairspray. She won to Los Angeles to play Mahalia Jackson in tumble down but come back up a Tony Award for her stage role in Black and Selma, a civil rights musical. That launched a again. Take Ruth Brown. “She was Blue. Writing in The New York Times, Jon comeback that never stopped. She won a part OKOM for some” (that snotty in- Pareles said “She could sound as if she were in the sitcom Hello, Larry and returned to group acronym for Our Kind of hurting, or joyfully lusty, or both at once. New York and other roles. She was Music), “a hell of a gal as well as Her voice was forthright, feisty and ready instrumental in forcing record labels to pay a fine singer,” wrote the veteran for anything.” Born Ruth Weston, the oldest back royalties to hit-record artists. Brown’s Philadelphia clarinetist Steve of seven children, she debuted at age 4 when recording career was renewed with Black and Barbone, who sent the Times obit her father lifted her onto the piano at the Blue. A 1989 album, Blues on Broadway, to his Dixieland e-mail list. “A Emmanuel African Methodist Episcopal garnered a Grammy for best female jazz strong willed survivor who swung Church in Portsmouth. Picking cotton performance. She hosted Public Radio shows, like crazy, yet never learned to summer times on her grandmother’s Carolina and her autobiography, Miss Rhythm read music.” farm “made me the strong woman I am,” she (Dutton), written with Andrew Yule, won an said in 1995. At 17, she ran away from home award for music journalism. She toured and I don’t know if O’Day read music, to work with Jimmy Brown, a trumpeter, recorded and was about to go to Alabama to but each vocalist had her own taking his name as her stage name. The make a movie when she fell ill. Brown never “grits and gravy” sound, instantly marriage was not legal (he was already learned to read music. “I knew I could sing it,” pegged. One was black, the other married), but she kept the name. Lucky the Times quoted her. “I woke up one white, and both began singing in Millinder hired her for his big band in Detroit morning and I could sing.” church. Both ran away from home in late 1946, and fired her in Washington, DC. I Anita O’Day, 87, jazz singer, Chicago, IL, too early, survived on the streets Ever resourceful, she got a job singing at Dec. 18, 1919 – Los Angeles, CA, Nov. 23, and carved careers that lasted Crystal Caverns, where the Voice of America 2006. Anita O’Day was a tough-living, gritty- 60 years. Both made stacks of disc jockey, Willis Conover, heard her and voiced singer flung to fame in the Swing era hit records and had their passed the word to Atlantic Records. But her with the 1941 hit record, “Let Me Off autobiographies published. Both legs were so badly smashed in an auto were in movies. Ruth Brown’s accident on the way to New York that she Uptown,” co-featuring trumpeter Roy Eldridge talent, I think, went deeper and stood on crutches to record her first session with Gene Krupa and His Orchestra. It was spread wider, embracing many for Atlantic in 1949. “So Long,” a blues-tinged flouting social mores then to record a duet straight film and stage acting roles, ballad, hit the charts. Pushed to do faster- between a white vocalist and a black musician: radio hosting, working for causes. tempo tunes, she did a take of “Teardrops (Spoken) She won her battle for fellow artists From My Eyes” and her voice cracked into a ANITA: Hey Joe! who had been cheated out of squeal. The producer called it “a tear.” Brown’s ROY: What d’ya mean Joe? My name’s Roy! record royalties, forcing the labels “Teardrops” hit first place on the R&B chart, ANITA: Well come here Roy and get groovy. to ante up millions. and she made her voice crack on other hits. You bin uptown?

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Anita O’Day. Courtesy of Jim Eigo, Jazz Promo Services

ROY: No I ain’t bin uptown but I’ve bin with her performance as if there was around. never any problem.” Anita O’Day leaves ANITA: You mean to say you ain’t bin no immediate survivors. [See Joe Lang’s uptown? remembrance on page 8. — Ed.] ROY: No I ain’t bin uptown, what’s uptown? I Sonny Cohn, 81, trumpeter, Chicago, IL, Mar. 14, 1925 – Chicago, IL, Nov. 7, The record included Eldridge’s 2006. A quiet and supportive sideman poignant, “Anita, oh Anita! Say, I feel who never became famous, though he somethin’!” followed by a riveting was well-known to musicians and fans, trumpet solo. Down Beat magazine George Thomas (Sonny) Cohn played crowned her “New Star of the Year” and first trumpet in the Count Basie she recorded a string of hits with the Orchestra from 1960 until well after the Krupa band, including “Alreet,”“Kick It” leader died in 1980, doubling as road and “Bolero at the Savoy.” O’Day pursued her roller-coaster career manager from 1974. His often muted sound is best heard on with a vengeance for well over 60 years — longer than any other Basie’s recordings of “April in Paris” and “Li’l Darling.” Inspired by top vocalist in jazz. She died at 87 on Thanksgiving Day in a Roy Eldridge and Charlie Shavers, young Cohn started at age 9 on convalescent center. The cause was cardiac arrest after a bout of a horn owned by his father, a postal worker. As a teenager, he pneumonia and a longer slide into Alzheimer’s disease. “She was played in his sister’s trio, Frances and Her Rhythm Kings. “You the last of the instantly recognisable jazz divas from a group that kind of suspected he was going to be great one day,” his 83-year- included Ella Fitzgerald, Billie Holiday, Sarah Vaughan and old sister recalled. Basie heard Cohn after he had worked off and Carmen McRae,” critic Steve Voce wrote in The Independent of on in Red Saunder’s sextet from 1945 to 1960, and hired him. London. O’Day left Krupa to work with Stan Kenton in Sonny Cohn toured the world with Basie, backing music icons 1944–1945, recording the million-selling And Her Tears Flowed such as Ella Fitzgerald and Frank Sinatra. Like Wine. She began singing in church as a pre-teenager in Kansas City. At 14, she left home and hitchhiked to Muskegon, MI I Bobby Byrne, 87, trombonist, Columbus, OH, Oct. 10, 1918 – to enter a Walkathon, a round-the-clock endurance contest. She Irvine, CA, Nov. 25, 2006. Robert (Bobby) Byrne was a master spent two years on the long-distance circuit, once walking 97 trombonist whose 40-year career in the limelight started with his straight days, while making pocket money singing, dancing and big band’s breakthrough in 1941, at Frank Dailey’s Meadowbrook selling pictures of herself and partner. Then a truant officer forced in Cedar Grove, NJ. He died in his sleep at a hospice in Irvine, CA, her to return home to Chicago and go back to school. At night she a victim of advanced Alzheimer’s and a stroke. Byrne worked with started singing in Chicago’s north side taverns. Her 1981 many leaders of the day, including the Dorsey brothers, Benny autobiography, High Times, Hard Times, “described a life that Goodman, Gene Krupa, Ray McKinley, Bobby Hackett, Freddy included back-room abortions, a nervous breakdown, two failed Slack, Peanuts Hucko, Bob Eberly, Bing Crosby and the Andrews marriages, jail time for drug possession and more than a decade- Sisters. As a child, he went through a range of instruments before long addiction to heroin that nearly killed her with an overdose in his father, a music teacher, handed him a trombone. He was a 1966,” wrote Voce. The Los Angeles Times said “She kicked her prodigy. At 16, he started with the Dorsey Brothers band and, after heroin habit cold turkey, although she turned to alcohol.” As she the brothers split, played solo trombone with Jimmy Dorsey until went on singing into her eighties, O’Day’s behavior became 1939. He arranged “Danny Boy” as the theme song for his own increasingly erratic. Jersey Jazz reviewer Joe Lang tells of seeing her band, which he led from 1939–1942, hiring Don Redman as perform at Gulliver’s, a club in Lincoln Park, NJ. She took the arranger for a year. Frank Dailey booked the band before its run at stage to start her second set, “nodded to her piano player, and he the Glen Island Casino in New Rochelle, NY. After he left the army proceeded to play an arpeggio. She immediately turned around in 1946, the trombonist led a short-lived big band, then freelanced and said rather sternly, ‘Can’t you play a better arpeggio than in New York, fronting a Dixieland combo on the Steve Allen Show that?’ He just shrugged, played another arpeggio, and she went on in 1953–54, later followed by an 11-year run on the Perry Como continued on page 16

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BIG BAND IN THE SKY continued from page 15 Way Down Yonder in Israel

Show. He recorded as a sideman and a leader for Enoch Light’s By Steve Barbone Grand Award Records, then worked as a studio musician in many groups, including those of Cannonball Adderley, Pearl Bailey, How a last minute pick-up Dixieland band traveled to the Charlie Barnet and Lionel Hampton. Byrne turned from Middle East and stole the show at a modern jazz festival. performance to the business world about 1970, when the EILAT, ISRAEL — Paul Grant (Barbone Street trumpet player) Command label made him A&R director. He retired in the late and I traveled to Eilat Israel last summer to perform with the 1980s. He can be heard on CD with the Dorsey brothers, Louis “Ambassadors Of New Orleans” at The Red Sea Jazz Festival. Armstrong and others. Here’s what happened there. I IN BRIEF: Jerry Sacco, a washboard player and club manager The Preservation Hall Jazz Band had been contracted to perform from Connecticut who lived in Sacramento, CA, died November at the Red Sea Jazz Festival, a modern jazz festival, as a 11 after a two-year struggle with a brain tumor, his friend and representative group from New Orleans. All the other bands fellow-washboarder Mike Johnson reported from Parker, CO. booked were modern jazz groups like Gonzalo Rubalcaba, a Sacco managed the Denver club Your Father’s Mustache from Cuban pianist; The Mingus Dynasty, a European based band; a about 1969 –1972 and played with the STJS Street Band in Russian group; a South African group and some Israeli bands. Sacramento street parades. Twenty acts in all. At the last moment, PHJB cancelled, perhaps I AT PRESSTIME: Don Butterfield, 83, a renowned tuba player, because of the Hezbollah/Israeli clash. composer and teacher from Clifton, NJ, died Nov. 27, 2006 in So Tom Wiggins, a Bay Area Californian was asked by the Cedar Grove. A full obituary will appear in February. JJ panicking festival producers to supply a “New Orleans Jazz Band.” Tom has a New Orleans marching group, but not all are Dixieland players. He needed a trumpet and a clarinet to round out his unit and called me. I immediately suggested Paul, rushed to get my Ella Fitzgerald will passport and off we went, Paul and I along with five musicians be immortalized from the West Coast. The West Coast guys rehearsed the numbers near the end of Paul and I suggested and I was asked to handle the microphone January as the chores. I delegated musical direction to Paul and we were set. 30th honoree in the Postal EILAT: The trip across was arduous. Flew from Philly to JFK, met Service’s Black the other guys there, then into the El Al Terminal. Surprise of Heritage series. surprises, as we anticipated a real hassle with all our gear, an El Al Fitzgerald (1917- rep met us (the airline sponsored the band), rushed us ahead of 1996) was widely about 400 people and cleared us through security in record time. known as “The When we got to Tel Aviv, the same thing happened. An El Al First Lady of special rep met us, cleared our passports and arranged a private Song.” Her passageway to the waiting area for our flight to Eilat, which is extraordinary right across from Aqaba Jordan on the Red Sea. About 350 miles vocal range away from the Lebanon border fighting. Arrived on Sunday night. and flexibility, Slept till noon Monday. combined with her gift for pitch, THE FESTIVAL PERFORMANCES: We were booked for two rhythmic sense one-hour-and-15-minute sets, one on Monday night and one on and flawless Wednesday. Our sound check provided an opportunity to play diction, made her together for the first time and it was wonderful. We meshed well one of America’s and I practiced my Hebrew phrases, which I would use to bond most distinctive with the audience. singers of jazz As we waited for performance time, we were stunned to learn that and popular © 2006 USPS. All Rights Reserved. this was the largest venue, seating 3000 on the docks at the port tunes. The Ella Fitzgerald stamp image is a portrait based with the stage facing the Red Sea and an old ferryboat tied up on a photograph taken around 1956 that captures the joy there. And, that it was SOLD-OUT at an average of $35 a person, and excitement that Fitzgerald brought to music. SRO on both nights. That’s a gate of $210,000 to hear Dixieland, continued on page 32

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Cape May Plays The late drummer James Black’s composition “Magnolia Triangle” was the Host to Big Easy highlight, thanks to drummer Herlin Riley’s compelling intro and tenor player Jazz Royalty Victor Goines’s riveting variations on the serpentine melody. By Sandy Ingham Later on Friday night, Stephanie Jordan, ermaine Bazzle is one of the best jazz Kidd’s daughter, who was a surprise hit at Gsingers you’ll probably never hear… the Higher Ground Katrina Relief concert unless you get lucky in New Orleans. But a at Lincoln Center a year ago, reprised the couple of thousand visitors to the Cape Shirley Horn anthem of hope, “Here’s to May Jazz Festival November 10–12 had the Life,” in a small group setting. She closed pleasure, as two dozen Crescent City with a blues medley that started out with musicians were invited for “New Orleans “Stormy Monday,” whose old lyrics eerily Comes to Cape May.” foretold the horrors of the hurricane: “They call it stormy Monday, but Tuesday’s There were two main stage concerts at just as bad. Wednesday’s worse, and Convention Hall with all-star bands, plus Thursday’s oh so sad.” several small-group sets at various clubs Trumpeter Maurice Brown was a Katrina around the resort town. Germaine Bazzle. Photos by Richard J. Skelly. evacuee who landed on his feet in New Bazzle, a music teacher at a girls’ prep York. His quintet has three new faces, but school, regards performing as a hobby, but (Stephanie Jordan) they didn’t miss a beat playing selections her senior status at school — she’s 74 — from his “Hip to Bop” debut CD plus a few entitles her to travel more now. She’s closed with a blues new tunes. Brown is bound to show up on blessed with a rich, flexible voice, a medley that started some jazz authority’s “bright new stars” list fondness for great old songs and the Betty someday soon. Carter-like skill to take a melody apart and out with Stormy reassemble it in her own unique way. Many of the guest artists took part in a Monday, whose old press conference to discuss the continuing She especially wowed listeners with her lyrics eerily foretold struggle to rebuild their homes, their trumpet mimicry. Then, toward the end of careers, and their city. The message was a joyous ride aboard “Surrey With the the horrors of the clear: the American people have been Fringe On Top,” she simulated a horse exceedingly generous, but the government prancing off over the hill, clacking her hurricane: “They call hasn’t lived up to its promise to make New tongue on the roof of her mouth while it stormy Monday, but Orleans whole and safe. It’s up to those humming the melody to fade-out. who love jazz to keep helping…and to Tenor player Kidd Jordan, clarinetist Alvin Tuesday’s just as bad. push our representatives to “make levees, Batiste and trumpeter Clyde Kerr, Jr. were not war.” Several of the panelists cited the the old hands fronting the all-star band Wednesday’s worse, Jazz Foundation of America for having accompanying Bazzle. On their own, they and Thursday’s oh helped 1,000 or more musicians…an effort covered a lot of musical ground, from a that continues. traditional marching band opener to an so sad.” avant garde free-for-all. Some other festival highlights A whole different cast took the stage on • Kevin Mahogany’s balladry as he opening night and also offered a wide promotes his latest CD, a tribute to Johnny range of New Orleans jazz. Traditionalist Hartman. Mahogany’s velvet voice has Michael White on clarinet traded licks with never sounded as lush. young lions Christian Scott (trumpet), • Singer Jeannie Bryson’s set covered blues, Corey Henry (trombone) and Jonathan ballads, a bossa nova and a charming duet Batiste (piano). Topsy Chapman was the with husband Coleman Mellett on “It’s So vocalist for “Butter and Egg Man.” Nice to Have a Man Around the House.” continued on page 35

George Kanzler and Jeannie Bryson.

18 January 2007 JerseyJazz JerseyReviewsJazz

NJJS November Member Meeting Jazz Club Owners Forum

By Tony Mottola Jersey Jazz Editor

the lights and they talked. Lenny was convinced to come to the Half Note and sit in. “I don’t dig the piano,” Tristano declared. “But I just bought it,” Canterino protested. “I don’t dig it,” Tristano repeated. Luckily a renegotiation with the piano dealer soon brought the club a better instrument. Canterino next went looking for bassist Charlie Mingus, despite being warned, “What do you wanna find him for? He’s nuts.” Ignoring the warning Canterino hooked up with the volatile bassist/composer who proceeded to make a celebrated 13-week stand at the club. Then Mingus told Canterino, “We gotta do poetry and jazz.” So off went the Half Note owner to the clockwise, from top — Village’s Cock ’n Bull coffee house. The Panel: Kristine Massari, “I walked in and said ‘I need some poets’ and the whole place co-owner of Trumpets; Amos Kaune, former owner of stood up,” Canterino recalled. He indulged Mingus “until Gulliver’s; Mike Canterino, former Max Gordon heard about it and started doing it at the Village owner of the Half Note; Ed Polcer, Vanguard and I threw the poets out.” former co-owner of Condon’s. Cornetist Ed Polcer took a methodical approach when he set out below: Judi Canterino, wife of to open Condon’s in 1975. “We were always committed to the Mike, entertained after the panel discussion, accompanied by (Eddie) Condon style of music so we had a focus. We walked Rio Clemente on piano. Manhattan from the 30s to the 70s to find a location. Fifty-fourth Photos by Tony Mottola. Street was within five blocks of 40 hotels and Jimmy Ryan’s was on the same block so we said let’s try to recreate a 52nd Street on pparently one thing about running a jazz club hasn’t 54th Street.” changed over the past 50 years: it ain’t easy. A From the beginning the club was musician friendly, with drinks A would-be club operator had best be ready to handle fickle at half price ($1.25!) for musicians. “If we didn’t know you, you audiences, sometimes mercurial musicians and the frequent just had to show your union card.” Condon’s also ran tabs for financial challenges to staying afloat. It takes a love of the music musicians. “That was dangerous,” Polcer said, “we had $10,000 to persevere and succeed in what’s a tough business and it was on our tab when we closed in 1985.” clear that the owners on stage at Trumpets at the NJJS November Member Meeting all came to the business with But the policy was a plus. Ruby Braff, Bobby Hackett and Buck an abundance of love for jazz music and its players. Clayton were seated at the bar on opening night (“that was pressure,” Polcer recalled) and whenever Count Basie was in town When Mike Canterino decided to take over a Greenwich Village at least half the band would stop by. Musicians loved the place. bar called “The Zombie” in 1957 he walked through the place Polcer could basically book the club and tend bar at the same time. and saw a book on an old beat-up upright piano. The book was titled How to Read Music. Canterino flipped it open randomly, Ten years later, after a great run, the club closed with a celebrity saw the definition of a half-note, and thus a legendary club audience that included Benny Goodman. “I closed the gates and name was born. looked at the sun come up with no regrets,” Polcer In the beginning Canterino stumbled around in the said. “It was time to move on.” dark — literally. The fledgling club owner sought out Amos Kaune, who opened the beloved Gulliver’s in pianist Lenny Tristano. Tristano, who was blind, lived West Paterson in the 1970s and later moved the club to with his brother, also blind. Lincoln Park, is a modest and soft-spoken man. He’s “With two blind guys in the house there were no also a pioneer who gave jazz audiences a place to hear lights on,” Canterino recounted. The Tristano top-notch players at a time when there were precious brothers relented to their sighted guest, turned on few opportunities to catch live jazz in the state. continued on page 32

January 2007 JerseyJazz 19 JerseyReviewsJazz

An Evening of Swinging Gypsy Jazz

By Tony Mottola Jersey Jazz Editor

he Hopewell Valley TBistro is a rustic country restaurant that presents live jazz every Saturday in its “Starlight Room.” The room has an old-world elegance with its floral wallpaper, sconce lighting, elaborate drapes and the large brass chandelier that hangs above the stage. And the Hungarian accents on the restaurant menu lent a European air to the November 11 perform- ance billed as “An Evening of Swinging Gypsy Jazz” by event planners Darla and Rich Tarpinian. This band of gypsies featured Aaron Weinstein (violin), Frank Vignola (guitar) and Gary Mazzaroppi (bass), and THE “SWINGING GYPSIES” Gary Mazzaroppi, Aaron Weinstein and Frank Vignola in The Starlight Room. Photo by Tony Mottola. they more than lived up to the billing in a sizzling 16-song set that single note lines with blue licks and playing a rubato verse on “Someone to paid tribute to jazz violinist Stephane trading fours with Mazzaroppi. Weinstein Watch Over Me.” Grappelli and gypsy guitar virtuoso then introduced the band and announced, “Now for the country music portion of Django Reinhardt. “I’ll be your concertmaster for the evening the program,” Weinstein said, adding, “as and we’re going to play all kinds of songs in music from other countries,” and If you haven’t yet heard Aaron Weinstein in the hopes you’ll like one.” the group launched into “Tico, Tico.” you can be forgiven. He’s only a few years Weinstein then switched to amplified away from having his group, The Stephane “You can’t go wrong with Duke,” our mandolin for “Paper Moon.” He strings the Grappelli Tribute Trio, voted the nation’s concertmaster assured us and the trio mandolin with four strings rather than the best high school instrumental jazz group eased into a bluesy version of “Do Nothing usual eight and the sound is reminiscent of by Down Beat Magazine and currently Till You Hear from Me.” Then off to a the four-string tenor guitar. His duet here attends Berklee College of Music in lightning quick “Indiana” with Vignola and with Vignola had the sound of a Dick Boston. The Wall Street Journal, no less, Weinstein trading breakneck choruses on McDonough/Carl Kress two-guitar presented a glowing Nat Hentoff review of the way to a rousing finish. Vignola plays number. Sticking with the mandolin the Mr. Weinstein’s debut CD under the title: with a slight amplification to his Benedetto trio played “Somebody Loves Me,” first in “The Rebirth of the Hot Jazz Violin.” From guitar but has a woody, natural sound. A swing, then in double tempo — a tempo what was heard at the Hopewell show, it guitarist of prodigious technique, he’s one that kept getting ever faster as Vignola and appears the future of jazz fiddling is very of the most authentic of the many disciples Weinstein upped the ante as they traded of the great Reinhardt. bright in the hands of this young phenom. dueling choruses. When Vignola passed the The trio opened with a spirited romp Weinstein uses more amplification on his now frenetic tune off to Mazzaroppi, the through Cole Porter’s “Cheek to Cheek” instrument, but he still can put one in veteran bassist cut the tempo back to that featured Vignola mixing chord and mind of the great Joe Venuti, as he did swing. “I’m not crazy,” he declared. continued on page 34

20 January 2007 JerseyJazz Trumpets Jazz Club & Restaurant 6 Depot Square Montclair, New Jersey 07042

December 2006 Ted Curson’s Jam Session Melvin Davis THURSDAY 1/11 SATURDAY 12/30 Anne Ducros Quartet New Year’s Celebration Vocalist from Paris Kristine Massari Quartet “one of the most beautiful Live jazz and 5fine – 8 PM; nodining music charge; jazz voices today”Tuesday through Sunday. dinner specials SATURDAY 1/13 Enrico Granafei/ Ted Curson Quintet The Aubrey Anne 9 PM – 2 AM Quartet SUNDAY 12/31 with special guest Grover Kemble on guitar SUNDAY 1/14 January 2007 No music charge Tuesdays in January Enrico Granafei Quartet (chromatic harmonica/guitar) The Dalton Gang SATURDAY 1/20 12 piece Contemporary Latin Band FRIDAY 1/5 Roy Meriwether Trio Rio Clemente Trio SUNDAY 1/21 SATURDAY 1/6

Riccardo del Frá Betty Liste Singers’ Jam French bassist THURSDAY 1/25 FRIDAY 1/9

Trumpets’ New Artists series Diane Mosers’ Michaele Composers’ Big Band contemporary vocals; no music charge 10th Anniversary WEDNESDAY 1/10 WEDNESDAY 1/31

Visit www.trumpetsjazz.com for our complete schedule.

Tel (973)744-2600 • Fax (973)744-7735 • www.trumpetsjazz.com « Trumpets is closed on Monday evenings except for special events. » « Sunday & Weekday sets 7:30-11:30 PM « Friday & Saturday sets 8:30 PM, 10:30 PM & MIDNIGHT unless otherwise noted. » « Italian/Continental cuisine, full service restaurant and bar open to 1:00 AM Friday & Saturday; to 12 MIDNIGHT weekdays. » « Kitchen open to 12 MIDNIGHT Friday & Saturday; to 11:00 PM weekdays »

January 2007 JerseyJazz 21 JerseyReviewsJazz

Ellington tune ”I Didn’t Know About You.” Drawing resides, keeps busy playing in several groups, and Other from arrangements by masters like Bill Holman, staying involved in jazz education. It was the Views Billy Strayhorn, Fletcher Henderson, Jimmy move to London, and the desire to get his name Munday, Ernie Wilkins and Med Flory, as well as around, that inspired him to undertake the initial By Joe Lang charts from band members Vaughn Wiester, phase of this project. We can now all benefit from NJJS Music Garney Hicks and Don Turoso, the 13-song his unique approach to marketing his talent. Committee Chair program shows the FTBB off to great advantage. (www.JazzedMedia.com) They are tight, with primary solo space taken by I One of the surprises that we presented at have a nice selection of non-NJJS inventory the exciting tenor of Krivda. It always amazes me last June’s sanofi-aventis Jazzfest was guitarist CDs to review for you this month. that there are great sounding big bands like this I STEPHANE WREMBEL’S trio. When their first in most major cities, and yet we rarely hear a I It is always nice to kick this column off with set started, the crowd was not huge, but word positive word about the current state of big mention of a kicking good big band. Prior to quickly started to spread, and by the second bands. At least the folks in Northeast Ohio have a hearing Fast Track (Jazzed Media–1023) by set, the room was full. The excitement that resource for palatable big band sounds. JACK CORTNER AND THE NEW YORK BIG they generated on that occasion is captured on (www.americatone.com) BAND, I was unaware of Cortner despite the fact Barbes-Brooklyn (no label or catalog number). that he had been around New York City since the I Organist PAT BIANCHI recently released an The 11 selections are all penned by Wrembel, mid-60s composing and arranging for musical interesting album titled East Coast Roots except for Mongo Santamaria’s “Afro Blue” and theatre, television and commercial jingles. One of (Jazzed Media–1022). Most organ trio albums Dizzy Gillespie’s “Night in Tunisia.” The trio of Cortner’s oldest professional acquaintances, and that I’ve heard have a lot of intense and busy Wrembel, bassist Jared Engel and percussionist also a long time friend, is trumpeter Marvin organ work, and often have a funk/gospel feel to David Langlois is augmented for the recording Stamm. When Cortner decided to record some of them. Bianchi plays much sparer lines, often by Oliver Manchon on violin, Julien Augier on his arrangements with a big band comprised of allowing guitarist Mark Whitfield to hold the drums and Eric Rodgers on guitar. Wrembel is first call players from the Apple, he also made the spotlight with Bianchi lightly comping behind. simply one of the most amazing young guitarists decision to use Stamm as his featured soloist. Drummer Byron Landham is also tuned into the to come along in recent years. His group The album was recorded during the month of understatement that marks this recording. Of the combines the feel of the Quintet of the Hot Club April in 2004, 2005 and 2006, a month when the eight tracks, two were recorded in a Denver club, of France with various elements of world music to present a unique and exciting blend that musicians that he wanted in his band were with the remaining six done in a studio. Except has universal appeal. These young men are generally in town. In addition to Stamm, he found for “Nobody Else But Me,” the selections are jazz developing an audience of younger listeners solo space for Dave Tofani on alto and tenor sax, tunes by the likes of Bobby Hutcherson, John who are learning about the magic of jazz. This Jim Pugh on trombone, Bill Mays on piano and Coltrane, Jimmy Heath and Bill Evans. Bianchi recording will help greatly to spread the word. John Riley on drums. This album starts off strongly achieves something here that I am not used to (www.stephanewrembel.com) with a Stamm original, “Who’s at Talkin’,” and hearing, subtlety on the organ. It is different, and never lets up through the last note of “Lover it is effective. (www.JazzedMedia.com) I NATE NAJAR is a terrific young guitarist from Man.” Of the other nine tracks, there are five Florida who has developed a symbiotic musical I How would you like to hear a recording with originals by Cortner plus “Softly, As in a Morning relationship with the Washington DC-based only a six-man sax section plus a rhythm section? Sunrise,” “Secret Love,” “On the Trail” and vibraphonist/drummer Chuck Redd. Their most If so, get a copy of JEFF DARROHN’S T-Bird ’60 “Limehouse Blues.” Stamm, an underrated giant recent project is I’m All Smiles (Blue Line (Jazzed Media–01020). Give it a listen before on trumpet, justifies every second of solo time Music – 1006). On this session, Najar is joined you read the liner notes or look at the credits. afforded to him. Riley really kicks the band from by Redd on drums, Steve Boisen Then read on, and you will the most important seat in a big band. While it on bass and Duduka da Fonseca discover that all of the sax parts, took Cortner three years to lay down this album, on percussion for 10 selections save one baritone part on one the results should guarantee enough of a clamor “I’m All Smiles,” “What Are You song, have been played and for more from this band to garner him the Doing the Rest of Your Life?,” overdubbed by Darrohn. The point backing to record a follow up real soon. “Spring Can Really Hang You Up of all this warning is that you will (www.JazzedMedia.com) the Most,” “House of the Rising be amazed that all of the sax Sun,” “I Cover the Waterfront,” I Body & Soul (Americatone Records– playing is the work of one man. two Jobim tunes “Samba Do Aviao” 20156) is the third album by THE FAT TUESDAY What started out as an effort to and “Inutil Passagiem” and three BIG BAND, a Cleveland-based group led by tenor create a demo showing off Darrohn’s versatility, Najar originals. One of the originals is titled saxophionist Ernie Krivda. On this album they evolved into a marketable album. All of the 10 “Remembering Charlie Byrd,” a tribute to Najar’s introduce vocalist Erin Kufel, who nicely selections were written and arranged by Darrohn, major influence, and a player with whom Redd complements this hard-hitting band. She neatly and they are all solid tunes. A Philadelphia native, frequently worked. Given this heritage, this album captures the spirit of the too rarely heard he moved to London in 2004, where he now continued on page 24

22 January 2007 JerseyJazz January 2007 JerseyJazz 23 JerseyReviewsJazz

OTHER VIEWS continued from page 22 delivers just what you would expect, subtle is a word that is often used debut album, The Moment swing, exquisite taste and an avoidance of flashy excessively, but it surely applies After (Fallen Apple Records– excesses. (www.natenajar.com) to this exemplary program. 837101207423) is simple, straightforward and engaging. I Ever since Charlie Byrd and Stan Getz brought I Finding albums of Christmas Buried in the middle of a group of the sounds of Bossa Nova to these shores, music that sound fresh is not an standards is a surprisingly winning Brazilian jazz has remained a steady favorite easy task. Snowriding (RiDGe version of “Old Cape Cod,” a song that would among a significant sector of American jazz fans. ToNe Music–6244) is the second holiday normally seem a bit overwhelmed by the likes of One of the primary advocates for this music offering from Pittsburgh pianist RICK “Like Someone in Love,” “Be Careful, It’s My today is harmonica/vibraphone player HENDRIK GALLAGHER, and, like his first, is just what the Heart,” “Keepin’ Out of Mischief Now,” “The One MEURKENS, German-born, but of Dutch doctor ordered for those who want a Christmas I Love Belongs to Somebody Else,” and “Wrap heritage, who now resides in New Jersey. His album that has a jazz flavor, but still respects the Your Troubles in Dreams.” Goldhaber, who has latest recorded foray into the Brazilian idiom is source material. The album opens with one of my been performing frequently in New York City, New York Samba Jazz Quintet (Zoho– favorite secular Christmas selections, “Silver is accompanied by Jon Davis on piano, Paul 200701). For a December 2005 gig at Cecil’s Jazz Bells.” Others in this vein are the title tune by Gabrielson on bass, and Kyle Strive or Will Terrill Club in West Orange, New Jersey, Meurkens Gallagher, Paul McCartney’s “Wonderful on drums. This is an encouraging first recording. added Jed Levy on tenor sax and flute to his Christmas,” and Frank Loesser’s “What Are You Doing New Year’s Eve?” The carols include “O (www.marcusgoldhaber.com) regular quartet players, pianist Helio Alves, bassist Little Town of Bethlehem,” “The First Noel,” “Carol Gustavo Amarante and drummer Adriano Santos. I A Lot of Livin’ to Do (Pacific Coast Jazz – of the Bells,” “I Saw Three Ships,” “Joy to the The nine tracks on this album include four 121215) also marks the recording debut of World,” “Here We Come A-Wassailing,” “Caroling, Meurkens originals, four tunes by the Brazilian vocalist JONATHAN PORETZ. Poretz is an old Caroling” and “It Came Upon a Midnight Clear.” composers Joao Donato, Djavan and Antonio school swinger. He is well abetted in his swinging Bassist Paul Thompson and drummer Thomas Carlos Jobim, and the Duke/Gershwin standard, “I by Noel Jewkes on several horns, Lee Bloom on Wendt accompany Gallagher, with percussionist Can’t Get Started.” This dynamic group explores piano, Pierre Josephs or Jeff Neighbor on bass, George Jones also present on six tracks. They three Brazilian idioms on this disc, Bossa Nova, and Harold Jones or Vince Lateano on drums. have created an album that will bring an uplifting Samba and Choro. The varying rhythms make for There are 11 tracks with songs like “A Lot of Livin’ spirit to any Christmas season gathering. refreshing listening. Of course, given the high (www.rickgallagher.com) to Do,” “Then I’ll be Tired of You,” “Come Rain or level of musicianship present in these players, Come Shine,” “I’ll Remember April,” “It Never the results are an album that grabs you right from I It doesn’t take very long listening to Music Is Entered My Mind,” “On the Street Where You the start and never lets your attention wane. the Magic (Sapphire–7612) to realize that Live” and “Just One of Those Things.” The tracks (www.zohomusic.com) KELLEY JOHNSON is the real thing. This is a that most caught my ear were “My Time of young lady who can sing! She does the hippest I Day/I’ve Never Been in Love Before,” “This Time Thad Jones was a composer who created “Tea for Two” this side of the recently departed the Dream’s on Me,” “I See Your Face Before Me,” music that was both challenging and accessible. Anita O’Day, and includes the rarely heard verse. and “How Insensitive,” with some fine flute One More: The Summary — Music of Thad For some reason, “Moon and Sand,” a haunting support from Jewkes. Poretz owes a lot to his Jones, Vol. 2 (IPO–1011) brings back an all-star song penned by Alec Wilder, Morty Palitz and stated influences, “Frank, Tony, Mel and Bobby,” group to explore nine tunes written by Jones plus William Engvick, has had a renewed popularity in but he seems to have found the key to absorbing a Jerome Richardson composition, “Groove recent years, and Johnson’s version on this disc, their lessons without resorting to slavish Merchant,” that Jones arranged for the big band done with a Bossa Nova flavoring, makes others imitation. I believe that Poretz is, as Harry that he co-led with Mel Lewis. The players are that I have heard fade from memory. Among the Connick has already done, finding his own BENNY GOLSON and JAMES MOODY on tenor musicians who back her are pianists Geoff Keezer individual approach to material that has been sax, FRANK WESS on tenor sax and flute, and John Hansen, trumpeter Brian Lynch and alto EDDIE DANIELS on tenor sax and clarinet, saxophonist Steve Wilson. This is Johnson’s done many, many times before. Good songs bear JIMMY OWENS on trumpet and flugelhorn, second album, and you can be certain that it will repeating, and it is nice to have a new singer who JOHN MOSCA on trombone, HANK JONES on not be her last. (www.kelleyjohnson.com) can find some individual nuances to add to this piano, RICHARD DAVIS on bass and KENNY repertoire. (www.jonathanporetz.com) I don’t get many albums to review by male WASHINGTON on drums. It would be impossible, Remember that these albums are not available vocalists that really catch my ear, but this time given the space available, to analyze each through NJJS.You should be able to obtain most out, I have two to recommend. selection and list the solos on this disc. Suffice to of them at any major record store. They are say that Jones was a superior creator of jazz I Vocalist MARCUS GOLDHABER reminds me also available on-line from the websites shown tunes, and these gentlemen play them with of Chet Baker, but with more warmth and a nicer after each review, or from a variety of other immense improvisational imagination. Excitement feeling for the lyrics that he sings. His 12-tune on-line sources. JJ

24 January 2007 JerseyJazz JerseyReviewsJazz

Book Reviews do so. She now assumed the role of wife and mother, eventually of two daughters, By Joe Lang NJJS Music Committee Chair as Max continued to watch over the Vanguard and the Blue Angel, an uptown Alive at the Village Vanguard: nightclub that he co-owned with My Life In and Out of Jazz Time Herbert Jacoby. By Lorraine Gordon as told to Barry Singer • Hal Leonard, Milwaukee • 288 pages, Illus, 2006, $27.95 In the early 1960s, Lorraine Gordon became involved in pacifist political orraine Gordon is a Jersey Girl who of my jazz heroes, and Gordon’s descrip- activities. She also had to face the financial Ldeveloped an early love for jazz, sought tion of her reaction to his music is one that difficulties that were arising with a dying out the bohemian life in New York City, reflects mine: nightclub business, the Blue Angel. Money was needed in the Gordon household, so married two men who were important To me, he seemed firstly to be a blues she went to work, initially for a fashion participants on the jazz scene, became pianist and a stride pianist, a jazz tradi- involved in radical politics, and finally tionalist, really, but with this grand, designer, and then for a fine print dealer. assumed the role as owner of one of the almost regal perversity. Monk’s note Max continued to run the Village Vanguard, most revered jazz clubs of all time, the choices seemed slightly off, yet he made but as the years passed, his health began to Village Vanguard. Alive at the Village each note the right choice in the end deteriorate, and Lorraine Gordon found Vanguard is a frank and engaging account through his wild sense of harmony, his herself becoming more and more involved fractured sense of rhythm, and his unique of Gordon’s life to date. in helping Max at his club. Max passed away sense of compositional structure — all of She arrived on the scene on October 15, which were completely his own, impec- in 1989, and it was time for Lorraine to get 1922 in Newark, New Jersey. In her teens, cable and outrageous simultaneously.… into the jazz club business full time. Her she got hooked on jazz. She and her Thelonious Monk I understood. Always. love for and knowledge of jazz, combined brother Phillip would go around Newark, Monk was a revelation. From our very with the time that she spent helping Max at knocking on doors, and asking those who first encounter, he was right in my groove. the club, stood her in good stead to take on the mantle of ownership of the Village answered if they had any jazz records that Eventually Gordon grew restless in her Vanguard. At a time when most jazz clubs they would like to sell. They paid 25 cents relationship with Lion, and ended it. apiece for them, and acquired a respectable have difficulty making ends meet, the collection. They listened to Ralph Berton The next phase of Gordon’s life started Vanguard, under her guidance, continues to spinning jazz discs on the radio. Through a with a chance meeting that she had with carry on successfully in this difficult climate. Village Vanguard founder and owner Max chance meeting, her brother introduced Lorraine Gordon has had an interesting Gordon, in a bakery on Fire Island. She her to Berton, who became her first lover. life, and has conveyed the essence of it in was still married to Lion, and was anxious this highly readable memoir. She tells her One night Berton took her to Jimmy to get Monk booked into story chronologically, devoting an Ryan’s, a jazz club on the the Vanguard. She occasional chapter to musicians who were legendary 52nd succeeded in convincing particularly special to her, like Monk and Street, and he Gordon to hire Monk for trumpeter Jabbo Smith. Her love for jazz is introduced Gordon a week, with rather never far from the surface, except when she to Blue Note Records dismal results. founder Alfred Lion. gets on a political tangent or discusses This led to a rela- She finally left Lion, and business activities that were unrelated to tionship that resulted took off for Mexico, jazz. As these are essential parts of her life, in a seven-year where she spent time as their inclusion is logical, even though they marriage, during a model for artists in the may be of little interest to a reader like me, which Gordon town of San Miguel de who is primarily focused on the elements became actively Allende. Her relation- of her story relating to jazz. ship with Max Gordon involved in the record Blue Note Records and the Village was maintained by mail company. She began Vanguard are two institutions that enjoy until she decided upon meeting many musi- an important place in jazz history. Alive at returning to New York cians, most memorably the Village Vanguard gives us an insider’s City to divorce Alfred. Thelonious Monk. On view of parts of their stories. It makes for She married Max as a personal note, I must fascinating reading. admit that Monk is one soon as it was legal to continued on page 26

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LANG BOOK REVIEWS continued from page 25 Other aspects of the Tristano legacy that Ind finds underappreciated are his Jazz Visions: Lennie Tristano and His Legacy innovations in the way jazz was played and recorded. By Peter Ind • Equinox, London • 214 pages, Illus., $29.95 During a May 1949 recording session for Capitol Records, Tristano laid down azz Visions is a remarkable book about a As many blind people will tell you, sighted J remarkable musician. Pianist Lennie people often treat the blind as though they two tracks, “Intuition” and “Digression,” Tristano was a true jazz visionary, mentor are also deaf and dumb. that were the first recorded free-form improvisations, predating the first Ornette to many great players like Lee Konitz, Ind’s attention to details like this help to Warne Marsh and Sal Mosca. In this Coleman free-form recordings by ten create a portrait of Tristano that goes years. While Tristano’s sides were historic, volume, Peter Ind, himself a jazz bassist beneath the surface, helping the reader to who studied and played with Tristano in the label refused to release them, believing understand the many factors that made them to be of no commercial value. It the 1950s, includes some biographical Tristano so unique. background on Tristano, but this book is was not until a New York jazz disc jockey mainly about Ind’s belief that Tristano Starting in the mid-1940s, Lennie Tristano known as Symphony Sid obtained a copy deserves greater recognition for his place in was recognized as an important jazz of those sides, and played them constantly improviser. Tristano believed that jazz history. To support this position, Ind on his radio show, that the demand for improvisation was the essence of jazz. Early touches upon many aspects of jazz, the copies of these recordings caused Capitol in his professional career, he studied the techniques, history, players, politics, to relent and release them. To this day, improvisations of Art Tatum, mastered sociology and economics of this music, as writings about free-form improvisation many of Tatum’s solos, and was content to well as placing these facets within a make relatively little reference to the use his replicating of the Tatum recordings broader historical and sociological context. Tristano sides, often leaving the impression as the basis for his performances. It was that Coleman was the progenitor of this The book is divided into three sections. through a fan who came to listen to genre of jazz. The initial seven chapters are of a general Tristano nightly that Tristano gained an His use of multi-tracking for some of nature, setting the players and music important insight. This acquaintance the selections on his first Atlantic album, covered in the historic and sociologic “insisted to Lennie that he (Lennie) had Tristano, was innovative, but dismissed context of the New York City jazz scene not yet found himself in his music.” This by many critics as trickery. When multi- from the mid-1940s through the 1950s. led him to eventually realize “that playing tracking was used on future jazz Chapters eight through ten deal with the Art Tatum’s music, though very skillful recordings, most notably the Bill Evans technical aspects of jazz improvisation. and entertaining, was not the same as album Conversations with Myself, these The final four chapters explore more fully developing his own skills in improvisation.” the Tristano legacy, and why the recogni- recordings were greeted with enthusiasm Tristano did develop into one of the tion of his particular genius has dimmed. by most critics. supreme improvisers in jazz. In addition, The last of these chapters provides a Given Tristano’s standing as a player and he had a desire to transfer his newly summary of the message that Ind has educator, Ind explores the factors that acquired skills to others. He developed conveyed in the preceding chapters. an approach to teaching jazz that was have led to Tristano’s relative obscurity, Lennie Tristano was born in Chicago on innovative and effective. He made his instead of his being widely remembered March 19, 1919. He was “poorly sighted” students play scales, not just as exercises, and revered as one of the most significant from birth, with his subsequent blindness but as real music. He required his students participants in the development of jazz. a result of a childhood bout with measles. to learn and master all musical keys. He He attributes part of this lack of Mention of Tristano’s lack of sight gave encouraged his students to learn not only recognition to Tristano’s personality, and rise to some observations by Ind that are the melody of a song, but the underlying gradual withdrawal from remaining active exemplary of the kind of insights that are harmonic changes to the tunes. He had his as a working musician. He also cites the present throughout the book. students study great jazz solos, and learn to unfair categorization of Tristano’s music as sing them before attempting to play them cool and unemotional, and mostly played One remarkable thing about Lennie was and appreciated by only white musicians. that he always looked at you when speak- on their chosen instruments. Once the students understood and mastered these One’s reaction to the early part of this ing to you. Though it was obvious that his statement is in the ears of the listener, but eyes were sightless, you always felt the phases of his system, only then did the latter portion is disputed by the facts, contact of his looking at you, as though, Tristano feel that they were equipped with despite his sightlessness, a powerful energy the tools necessary to develop their as musicians like Charlie Parker, Charles nevertheless made contact with you. improvisational skills. continued on page 31

26 January 2007 JerseyJazz January 2007 JerseyJazz 27 JerseyReviewsJazz

Book Review

By John R. Tumpak Band Singer — An Autobiography Garry Stevens with Stephen Frattalone • Bookstand Publishing (2006) • $15, includes shipping and handling • paperback only • e-mail [email protected], or log onto Ebookstand at http://www.ebookstand.com/books.grp/ST2002.html

arry Stevens was an This book is worth examining for several historical considera- Gimportant contributor tions. First, it documents the complete life of a major Big Band to the glory days of the Big Era personality with humor and interesting personal experiences. Band Era. From early 1941 Second, it contains close to 30 pages of rare pictures that cover the to late 1942 he had a series subject’s years in the music business. Third, it gives an incisive of smash hit records with the Charlie Spivak Orchestra. One of insight into both the Era itself and American popular culture. As those hits, “My Devotion,” became an Era classic. As a member of an added feature, Stevens’s discography with Spivak and Beneke the Special Services during World War II Stevens sang and played are included. It’s a good read for big band enthusiasts. JJ trumpet with an Army Air Corps big band up and down the West John R. Tumpak is an occasional contributor to Jersey Jazz. Coast entertaining troops all the way from the Pacific Northwest to the Stage Door Canteen in Hollywood. Immediately after the war he scored another classic singing “Anniversary Song” with Tex Beneke and the Glenn Miller Orchestra. Born in Los Angeles on October 21, 1916, Stevens is still actively appearing with big bands CTSIMAGES |The Face of Jazz throughout Northern California and refers to himself as the oldest LICENSING • RESEARCH • APPRAISALS band singer in the business. In his autobiography Band Singer, written with Jazz Connections internet magazine publisher Stephen Frattalone, Stevens does a masterful and entertaining job of chronicling his life’s history start- ing with his days as a spirited youth during the 1920s growing up in Los Angeles in the shadow of the University of Southern California. He tells how by chance in elementary school he started his music career playing a Conn 22-B trumpet and progressed through the 1930s Los Angeles jazz scene and on across the country with several big bands to radio station WTOP in Washington, DC where he launched his career as a vocalist. His time with Charlie Spivak, the

Special Services, and Tex Beneke are told in absorbing detail. M O C . S

I have always been interested in learning about how the lives of E G A

big band luminaries unfolded after the Era ended soon after M I S

World War II came to a close. Stevens and Fratallone do not T C / y r disappoint in this regard. They interestingly describe Stevens’s e v A

y

move to Albany, NY, where he became a local radio and television a R

personality during the 1950s and then segued into a highly © successful business career in real estate before he and his wife Photo Archives include vintage Jazz, Pop, Blues, R&B, Rock, Country/Western, Judy moved from Upstate New York to Benecia, CA, in 1999. Radio Personalities, Big Bands, Vocalists, Hollywood and more. The closing chapter provides an update on Stevens’s on-the-go • PHOTOGRAPH RESEARCH • LICENSING FOR COMMERCIAL USE retirement that includes gigs with local big bands, appearances at • FINE ART LIMITED EDITION PRINTS • GALLERY EXHIBITIONS the annual Glenn Miller Festival in Clarinda, IA, mentoring the • RECORD & PHOTOGRAPH APPRAISALS Benecia High School Jazz Band, enjoying his sailboat Band Singer, WWW.CTSIMAGES.COM e-mail: [email protected] and keeping on top of his golf game.

28 January 2007 JerseyJazz JerseyReviewsJazz

and “Ko-Ko-Mo.” When she got to dancing very obviously delighted to be standing out DVD Review around, the crowds loved it. It’s great to in front, and getting a chance to wail with By Joe Lang NJJS Music Committee Chair have a representative documentation of this band. Things start out rather mellow the kind of performance Armstrong gave with the beautiful Gillespie composition during the years when many critics had “Con Alma.” This is followed by “The Jazz Icons — Part One dismissed him as more interested in Brother K,”“Now Hear My Meanin’,” playing to the crowds than in playing jazz. “Manteca,”“Let Me Outta Here,” and the eelin’ In The Years Productions has There are many moments here where concert concludes with a frantic “Things Rreleased the first nine of what Armstrong demonstrates that he was Are Here,” featuring a frenetic exchange promises to be a continuing series of still a creative and vibrant jazz musician. between Gillespie and Goykovich. No concert DVDs featuring great jazz artists. matter what the setting, Gillespie’s playing I DIZZY GILLESPIE was another great The series is named Jazz Icons, with the trumpet player who knew how to please a is satisfying, and often inspired. initial release containing discs featuring crowd without compromising his creative I Quincy Jones: Live in ’60 (Jazz Icons – Louis Armstrong, Count Basie, Quincy genius. Dizzy Gillespie: Live in ’58 & ’70 DVWW-JIQJ) is taken from two European Jones, Buddy Rich, Dizzy Gillespie, Art (Jazz Icons – DVWW-JIDG) presents Gillespie concerts, one in Belgium and one in Blakey, Thelonious Monk, Chet Baker and in both small group and big band settings. Switzerland. The story of how Quincy Ella Fitzgerald. I’ll cover the first five of The earlier set was recorded in Belgium in Jones happened to have a big band in these in this review. 1958 with a group comprised of Gillespie Europe in 1960 is fascinating, but too I Louis Armstrong: Live in ’59 (Jazz Icons – on trumpet and Sonny Stitt on alto and complicated to relate here. It is related in DVWW-JILA) presents LOUIS ARMSTRONG tenor saxes, backed by an all-star rhythm detail in the booklet accompanying the AND HIS ALL-STARS in a May 1959 concert section of Lou Levy on piano, Ray Brown CD. Suffice to say that Jones put together in Belgium. It was only a month later that on bass and Gus Johnson on drums. They an all-star band that deserved a longer life. Armstrong suffered a heart attack in Italy play five tunes, an understated “Blues After The personnel in Belgium was Porter that forced him to cancel the balance of his Dark,” a very hip “On the Sunny Side of Kilbert, Phil Woods, Budd Johnson, Jerome European tour. I remember seeing him at the Street,” a solo showcase for Stitt’s alto Richardson and Sahib Shihab on reeds; Carnegie Hall not long after he returned to on “Loverman,” a Gillespie solo on Benny Bailey, Leonard Johnson, Floyd performing, and he was a different man “Cocktails for Two,” and a burning “Blues Sandifer and Clark Terry on trumpets; than the one who gave the robust Walk” to conclude the small group session. Jimmy Cleveland, Quentin Jackson, Melba performance captured on this DVD. When The vocal by Gillespie, aided by Stitt, on Liston and Ake Persson on trombones; I saw him, he had not yet regained the lip “Sunny Side” demonstrates what a fine jazz Julius Watkins on French horn; Les Spann and stamina that characterized his work singer Gillespie was when he chose to on guitar and flute; Patti Brown on piano; prior to his illness, although he still had a exercise that talent. The 1970 concert finds Buddy Catlett on bass and Joe Harris on robust sense of humor and charisma to Gillespie in the company of the sensational drums. The lineup in Switzerland was the spare. It is a real pleasure to see Armstrong Kenny Clarke/Francy Boland Big Band, an same except that Budd Johnson was gone and his cohorts romp through a 13-song aggregation comprised of some of the best and Roger Guerin replaced Terry on program during which Armstrong is the players from the United States and Europe. trumpet. Whatever the cast of characters, ebullient presence set in so many of our One cannot help but be impressed by a this was one hell of a band. The ensemble minds. This version of the All-Stars lineup that includes Benny Bailey, Art playing was extremely tight, and the band included Trummy Young on trombone, Farmer, Dusko Goykovich and Idrees was stocked with great soloists. Both Peanuts Hucko on clarinet, Billy Kyle on Sulieman on trumpets; concerts started with piano, Mort Herbert on bass, Danny Nat Peck, Ake Persson “Birth of a Band” and Barcelona on drums and Velma Middleton and Erik Van Lier on closed with “Big Red.” on vocals. The program includes many trombones; Billy Mitchell, In between the Belgian Armstrong favorites like “When It’s Sleepy Ronnie Scott, Tony Coe, audience got to hear Time Down South,”“Basin Street Blues,” Derek Humble and Sahib “Moanin’,”“Lester Leaps “Tiger Rag,”“When the Saints Go Shihab in the reed In,”“The Gypsy,” Tickle Marching In” and “La Vie En Rose.” A section; and a rhythm Toe” and “Everybody’s special highlight is his duet with Young on section of Boland on Blues,” while the Swiss “Now You Has Jazz,” a number that he piano, Jimmy Woode on attendees were treated to performed with Bing Crosby in the film bass, and the dual drums “I Remember Clifford,” “High Society.” Middleton was a terrific of Clarke and Kenny “Walkin,”“Parisian singer and a real crowd pleaser as she Claire. These cats can Thoroughfare,”“The demonstrates here with “St. Louis Blues” swing, and Gillespie is Midnight Sun Will Never continued on page 30

January 2007 JerseyJazz 29 JerseyReviewsJazz

DVD REVIEW continued from page 29

Set,”“Everybody’s Blues,” extended solo on “Channel One best — swing. The riffs are “Stockholm Sweetnin’,”“My Suite,” you sit in awe, even if you flying, the soloists are always to Reverie” and “Ghana.” There are have seen him before playing on the point, Green is laying down lots of memorable moments this piece or “West Side Story an unflagging rhythm and Basie here, including Terry’s Suite” of any of several other is selectively playing just the flugelhorn solo on “Moanin’,” charts featuring Rich. You say to right notes to let you know that Woods incredible take on “The yourself that what he is doing is he is in control. The vocalist at Gypsy,” the Al Cohn arrange- not possible, especially by this point was Irene Reed, and ment of “Tickle Toe,” Benny someone who has had a history she was, and still is, a fine jazz Bailey’s evocative playing on “I of heart problems. When he vocalist. Her contributions are Remember Clifford,” and Woods concludes this number, and “I Got Rhythm,” which she again on “The Midnight Sun bounces off of his stool to accept certainly does, “Backwater Will Never Set.” This band did the accolades from the audience, Blues” and “Alexander’s Ragtime not last long, but while it did, it you can sense the exhilaration Band.” The balance of the was quite special. that he is feeling at that program has only one Basie I Intensity is the word that moment. As the band goes out standby, “Corner Pocket.” The stayed in my mind as I watched with “Big Swing Face,” there is other tunes are “You Are Too no doubt that the players have Buddy Rich Live in ’78 (Jazz Icons Beautiful,” featuring the tenor had a terrific experience, and so – DVWW-JIBR). The version of of Eric Dixon; a Sonny Cohn Rich’s band that he named has the audience. Now, anyone feature on “Stella By Starlight;” wise enough to grab this DVD “Killer Force” had about a two- “Back to the Apple;”“I Needs to can get a taste of what it was like year life that had concluded not Be Be’ed With,” with a lot of that evening in Holland. long before this 1978 concert at Basie on piano and some wry the North Sea Jazz festival in I There is one big band that has commentary by Jackson on Holland. The roaring spirit and given me more pure pleasure trombone; and an all-stops-out many of the players from “Killer than any other, and that is the “Old Man River,” the number Force” were still present when COUNT BASIE ORCHESTRA. I saw where Payne gets to really cut the band took the stage at the them more than any other band, loose on his drum kit. If you NSJF. Steve Marcus was still the and for good reason — they, missed seeing the Basie band featured soloist on tenor and along with Zoot Sims, defined when it was at its peak, grab this soprano saxes, as he would be for me what swinging means. DVD, and you will probably end right through the last perform- Count Basie: Live in ’62 (Jazz up jealous of those of us who ance by a Rich band. On this Icons – DVWW-JICOB) documents were there so many times to dig occasion the Buddy Rich Big an April 24, 1962 concert in these oh so swingin’ cats. For Band was definitely up, and the Sweden by a Basie band that those who got to see them, you crowd was right with them for a included Marshall Royal, Frank will want this disc to reinforce program comprised of “Ya Gotta Wess, Eric Dixon, Frank Foster your memories. Try,”“Little Train,”“Best Coast,” and Charlie Fowlkes on reeds; Al “Grand Concourse,”“’Round Aarons, Sonny Cohn, Thad Jones Having so much wonderful Midnight,”“Birdland,”“Channel and Snooky Young on trumpet; music available for hearing and One Suite” and “Big Swing Face.” Henry Coker, Quentin Jackson viewing is a gift for all jazz In any band that he was part of, and Benny Powel on trombones; lovers. Each selection has an Rich was always the center of Freddie Green on guitar; Eddie informative booklet included, attention. You just cannot take Jones on bass; Sonny Payne on with informative liner notes and your eyes off him when he is on drums; and, of course, Basie on some incredible images. Check screen, even when one of his piano. From the first notes of out the Jazz Icons website at players, usually Marcus, is taking “Easin’ It” to the obligatory www.jazzicons.com for addi- a spectacular solo. When you get closer “One O’Clock Jump,” the tional details about the series, to the point where Rich takes an Basie band does what it does and to order the DVDs. JJ

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A “Heavyweight Bout” at NJPAC The Dizzy Gillespie by Sandy Ingham Mayfield unveiled his latest work, Rising Peace,” dedicated to his father, who All-Star Big Band… Tide, a suite that grew out of Katrina and drowned in Katrina’s aftermath. that was commissioned by NJPAC and NEWARK — Back in the day, this battle of Prudential Insurance. The gauntlet was thrown, and the Gillespie the bands at the New Jersey Performing tribute band was up to the challenge, Arts Center in Newark would have been Though the subject is somber, and the opening with a quintessential bebop tune, chanting that introduced each of the three declared a TKO before the first note Tadd Dameron’s “Hot House,” and reeling movements — “Hold That Water,”“Better sounded. off Bop 40 hits for the next two hours. Get to Higher Ground” and “High Water” In this corner, the heavyweight champions, — were full of foreboding — the music Everyone shone in the solo spotlight, the Dizzy Gillespie All-Star Big Band, rushed ahead, carrying the audience along especially trumpeter Roy Hargrove on the boasting legendary names — Moody, on a surging stream of sound. Brass nostalgic “I Remember Clifford;” altoist Heath, D’Rivera, Slide Hampton — sections shouted and saxophones moaned Antonio Hart, tenor man James Moody playing beloved classics by Dizzy, Monk, in familiar call-and-response patterns, and the band’s singer, Roberta Gambarini. Golson et al. while fire-breathing soloists soared above. She and Moody hooked up in a scat duet And the challengers, an assortment of “It’s a Creole Thing — You Just Don’t on “Moody’s Moods,” a bluesy ballad, and younger cats from New Orleans, playing Understand” was another brilliant piece, all five trumpeters came out front and brand new music. featuring the passionate clarinet work of traded licks on the grand finale, “Blue But the New Orleans Jazz Orchestra had Evan Christopher. The work is a synopsis and Boogie.” some secret weapons for this November 25 of New Orleans music, evolving from a darkly liquid noirish blues to a tango to a What great sound NJPAC offers! Every concert. Members were raised or schooled note came across crystal clear. Mayfield in America’s most musical city. And their Dixieland ensemble sound to some called it “the best concert hall in leader, Irvin Mayfield Jr., is a dynamic rollicking R & B piano licks — then back America.” He gets no argument here. JJ trumpet soloist, a captivating figure on to Christopher’s unaccompanied coda. stage, and most of all, an extraordinarily Mayfield closed the first set playing the Sandy Ingham is Jersey Jazz’s gifted composer and arranger. gospel-inspired “May His Soul Rest In roving reporter. …meets the New Orleans Jazz Orchestra.

LANG BOOK REVIEWS continued from page 26 Mingus and Max Roach embraced active, occasionally as a player, and Tristano’s music. regularly as a teacher. It would have Overall, Ind makes a convincing case for a benefited the book and its readers for reappraisal of Tristano’s rightful place in Ind to have contacted some of those jazz history. He is a fine writer, a good who maintained an active relationship raconteur, and a tough-minded advocate. with Tristano, to better fill out these His personal involvement with Tristano later years. It might have opened up affords him an insider’s perspective that more understanding of precisely why bolsters his position. The main weakness Tristano has faded from the to the book is Ind’s lack of much first hand consciousness of most jazz enthusiasts. knowledge of the years of Tristano’s life Jazz Visions is on balance an important that occurred after Ind permanently left book, one that will hopefully rekindle New York City in 1963. Tristano died on an interest in and inspire greater November 18, 1978. During the years after recognition of Lennie Tristano, a Ind left New York, Tristano remained true jazz master. JJ

January 2007 JerseyJazz 31 JerseyReviewsJazz

ISRAEL continued from page 16 JAZZ CLUB OWNERS at a Modern Jazz Festival. So we didn’t feel When Paul and I stopped for a beer in the continued from page 19 the least bit guilty about what we were shopping mall, girls came over said “New costing them as a band. Orleans” and insisted on taking cell phone Amos is kind of a philosophical guy. “I had We entered the venue from a side door and pictures of us. We drew crowds of young a nice run. I missed it when I sold Lincoln marched around the back to the main people there, and they promised to come Park. I miss the problems, they’re part of aisle, and up to the stage playing “Closer see us Wednesday night. the business, they’re why we like to do Walk.” First dirge and then double time. Well, they did, and they brought their puzzles. Problems are not the worst thing The audience went nuts, came out of their friends. Another SRO set with all these in life. The worst thing in life is not doing seats, patted us on the back as we passed, young people who formed a mosh pit in anything.” took all sorts of pictures and even formed the 20-foot space between the raised a small second line behind us. bandstand and the first row. At least 300 At Gulliver’s Amos did plenty, and for many years, brought famed players to his We got on stage, finished the number and kids, dancing, swaying, cheering for solos, McBride Avenue bar. For example Zoot then I thanked the crowd in Hebrew: cheering for songs, screaming. I spotted Sims, whom he once asked: “How can you “Todah Rabah.”“NO, NO,” they shouted some of the girls we met downtown. They get so drunk and play so great?” back in English, “thank you.” So I said, were dancing in the mosh pit and I said; “I “Everyone asks why we came here, aren’t see you.” They laughed and replied, “We “Easy,” replied Zoot. “Practice drunk.” we afraid? I told them and now tell you know you see us.” It was over all too soon. that we are here because, Anachnu Of course, the sometimes unreliable jazz We tried to exit back stage and were Ohhavim Et Chem, (which means in artist can be challenge for the club owner. stunned to see hundreds of people there Hebrew ‘We Love You’).” Well, 3000 people Anita O’Day once told Mike Canterino: “I who wanted to talk, get a picture, get an came up out of their chairs with a roar and gotta go around the corner, I’ll be back in autograph, get a hug and a kiss, etc. After it was just a precursor of how the set went. ten minutes.” Four years later O’Day called about 40 minutes they started to thin out Most of the audience was young, 17 to 35, in from Bangkok. and not at all knowledgeable about and a fan about 50 came over. She was very Dixieland. Yet they went crazy over us. pretty and shyly asked, “Do you have time Times and musicians have changed a bit They danced, clapped, cheered and for an older fan?” Oh my. We talked about and Ms. Massari talked about some of the interacted with my stage patter. jazz for about 30 minutes and then I had present-day challenges for owners. to get the bus back to the hotel because we The jam sessions were even more fun. We “Things are different today with more were leaving in an hour for Tel Aviv and brought girls on stage who sang songs with competition. July is dead because of so then home. “Too bad,” she said, “that we us. One aspiring singer even knew “Sweet many free concerts. But musicians really didn’t meet Monday.” Felt like Bogart in Georgia Brown.” We jammed with the work with us. ‘Let’s see what we can do,’ Casablanca. Cuban pianist, the Russian bass player, an they say. They want to keep things going. Israeli guitarist and a French saxophonist The trip back was harder because of When Emily (Wingert) opened Trumpets and had a ball. We blew the place apart headwinds. We missed our JFK-Philly there were 20 restaurants in Montclair, getting huge crowd response where the flight and took the limo back. Total door- now there are more than 100 and you modern groups got only polite applause. to-door about 30 hours. But along the way have to rethink things.” We asked the kids to come see us on in both Ben Gurion airport, and on the Wednesday night. Some came up to us Kristine’s husband, Trumpets co-owner plane to JFK, we were recognized by people later and asked if we would bring them on and musician Enrico Granafei who was on as “New Orleans.” Kind of made it stage at our second festival set. the road performing, wrote in an e-mail bearable. That was the closest thing to read at the panel: “Jazz becomes more and That second set was the most exciting set I experiencing what Mick Jagger experiences more like a mission, and we all have to ever played, anywhere, anytime. On at a performance and I have to tell you that contribute to keep the music alive.” He’s Monday, Tom, Paul and I did a TV it was wonderful. Even got a thank you interview and a radio station interview got a point. Your old LPs, your CDs, note from the producers, which read in that was played Monday, Tuesday and your iPods are all well and good, but part: “Thank you for an absolutely Wednesday. So when we went downtown the real jazz happens when you’re amazing performance.” to see the sights, people recognized us. sitting right there in front of the They pointed at us, shouted “New Clarinetist Steve Barbone leads the players and the music gets played Orleans,” giving us a thumbs-up sign. Philadelphia-based jazz band Barbone Street. just for you and just that night. JJ

32 January 2007 JerseyJazz January 2007 JerseyJazz 33 New JerseyJazzSociety

In The Mainstream SWINGING GYPSY JAZZ

By Mainstream Mac NJJS Entertainment Contributor continued from page 20

irst, let me state that there is a legitimate question as to The set moved on through “Limehouse Blues” (with a tasty and Fwhether or not I should be writing about this at all! Once swinging solo by Mazzaroppi), “I’ll See You in My Dreams,” and before, I was criticized by a colleague for praising the contents of “Just One of Those Things.” One of the evening’s emotional a CD which he considered to have been pirated. He had a point. highlights was the trio’s version of Reinhardt’s famed composition Why should the improper use of an artist’s product be brought to “Nuages,” featuring Vignola’s most Django-esque playing of the evening. The group went on to “Just You, Just Me,” as a swinging your attention? Why should it be praised? On the other hand, ensemble and finished off with “Sweet Sue.” The final number should great music from long ago remain unheard? Should the started at gentle pace with Weinstein playing coy little whisper living among those performers gain from having their work squeaks on his violin and then offering a playfully plucked chorus reviewed? I have decided to go ahead with comments about some before the group sprinted into double time and raced to fiery recent releases from the Spanish label Fresh Sound Records. finish. All in all, the performance was a spirited and original How about this for a band: Mulligan, Brookmeyer, Zoot, the re-imagining of a special jazz genre in a cozy and intimate room. legendary Jon Eardley, Red Mitchell, Larry Bunker! Yes, the Gerry The Jazz in the Starlight Room experience is worth the drive. Mulligan Sextet. Three CDs from the mid-50s. They do many of The series is the brainchild of local musicians Darla and Rich the famous pianoless quartet tunes plus standards (FSR 417). Tarpinian who put together a plan called the “Bistro Blueprint” in 2001 and began a partnership with Bistro owners Susie and The Nash Brothers (Ted and Dick) got together for some Paul Molner to present jazz on Saturday nights. It was a blueprint beautiful small group jazz on two occasions in 1954 and 1956. for success. At first the Bistro provided a place for the Tarpinian’s One of the sessions has Jimmy Rowles on piano — Juntos. band — the Darla Rich Quintet — and other local jazz players (FSR 2229) to perform. But the Tarpinians soon began presenting periodic Don’t miss The Swingin’ Nat Pierce Band on Kansas City special events. Special indeed, as they’ve brought the likes of Memories (FSR 2232). If you liked Basie, you will love this. Some Harry Allen, Joe Cohn, Bucky Pizzarelli, Jerry Bruno, John Bunch, of the players: Dick Collins, Urbie Green, Kamuca, Jack Nimitz, Joe Cocuzzo, Jeannie Bryson and the late Tony DiNicola to Freddie Green, Jo Jones, Ruby Braff, Hal McCusick, Phil Woods, Hopewell.It’s a tribute to the growing reputation of Jazz in the Starlight Room that Aaron Weinstein reached out to the plus Nat on piano. Tarpinians to do an event there when planning his most The Seldon Powell nonet and sextet are featured on FSR 422 with recent eastern tour. JJ many great players including Pete Mondello, Jimmy Cleveland, and Roland Hanna. One of my favorites — Jimmy Raney is on FSR 423 Jimmy Raney Quintet Complete Recordings 1954-1956 with Phil Woods, Bill Jazz Trivia Crow and other stars. By O. Howie Ponder II An early Shorty Rogers Giants band does arrangements by Shorty Questions and Andre Previn on In Collaboration (FSR 2227). Among the 1. Your friend tells you about a new CD release of Buddy Bolden Giants were Milt Bernhart, Bud Shank, Bob Cooper, Jimmy recordings. What’s your response? Giuffre, and Shelly Manne. The second half of the record features 2. Hall of Fame clarinetist Buddy DeFranco referred to it as “The greatest singer Betty Bennett. clarinet solo of all time.” What was it? Lucky Thompson Meets Oscar Pettiford (FSR 424) is mostly 3. By what professional names do we know the following artists? originals by Thompson, and he was a talented composer. Jimmy a. Salvatore Massaro Cleveland and Hank Jones are on some tunes. John Towner b. Joseph Kenneth Norville, Jr. c. Robert Zukowski Williams cut some jazz sides before going on to a career in movie d. John Henry Muenzenberger music. They are excellent. Check out Jazz Beginnings (FSR 2228). Two CDs with several different groups. Featured are Herb Geller, 4. Do you remember the two jazz pianists that appeared on conservative columnist William F. Buckley’s TV program “Firing Line” on January 4, 1981? Buddy Collette, Bob Enevoldsen, Frank Capp, Don Fagerquist. 5. This young New Jersey pianist, born in 1904, had his heart set on All in all, very important music from a time when much great becoming a drummer until he encountered Long Branch’s Sonny Greer. jazz was being created. Get it and listen! JJ Who was he? answers on page 39

34 January 2007 JerseyJazz New JerseyJazzSociety

No dance experience is necessary. You do not need a regular dance partner to do Learn to Dance social dancing. Leaders learn to lead, followers learn to follow, About NJJS with NJJS we rotate partners during every The New Jersey Jazz Society is dedicated to the performance, promotion and lesson, and we all dance with preservation of jazz. Founded in 1972, the Society is run by a board of JJS has booked Midori Asakura and directors who meet monthly to conduct the business of staging our music Chad Fasca to share their enthralling everybody. It’s a wonderful, festivals, awarding scholarships to deserving New Jersey college jazz studies N exhilarating arrangement. brand of jazz dance instruction with students, conducting the Generations of Jazz programs in local school What are we waiting for? systems, and inducting pioneers and legends of jazz into the American Jazz NJJS members and friends. Please save Hall of Fame, among other things. The membership is comprised of jazz Saturday, January 20 from 11 AM – 4 PM for this special opportunity. We begin devotees from all parts of the state, the country and the world. The New Jersey at 11 with two hours of Peabody basics, followed by a lunch break (bring Jazz Society is a qualified organization of the New Jersey Cultural Trust. your own or we’ll provide info about local eateries), then two hours of Visit www.njjs.org, e-mail [email protected], or call the HOTLINE 1-800-303-NJJS for more information on any of our PROGRAMS AND SERVICES: Charleston basics. We’ll have knock-out vintage dance footage to inspire you I Generations of Jazz (our Jazz in the Schools Program) throughout the day. Peabody and Charleston can be combined easily on the I Jazzfest (two-day summer jazz festival) dance floor. Visit http://fasca.net/performances/video/ to see how Chad and I Pee Wee Russell Memorial Stomp I e-mail updates Midori do just that, wowing crowds at national competitions (don’t be ’Round Jersey (Regional Jazz Concert Series): I Bridgewater intimidated — they’ve been doing this a long time). We’re securing a space, I Ocean County College I Bickford Theatre/Morris probably in Union, NJ. Details to come. We need a head count, so please, I Student scholarships I American Jazz Hall of Fame even if you are tentative, e-mail [email protected] without delay to express interest. Fees will be $20 per class OR all four hours of class for only $60. Advance registration is encouraged. We may hold a second Member Benefits workshop on February 17, when we’ll build on Peabody and Charleston skills What do you get for your $35 dues? or learn Balboa basics. All of these dance styles are authentic, stunningly hip, I Jersey Jazz Magazine — a monthly magazine considered one of the best and a great way to enjoy the Pee Wee Stomp on March 7. Let’s dance! jazz society publications in the country, packed with feature articles, photos, jazz calendars, upcoming events and news about the NJ Jazz Society. I NEW! FREE Monthly Member Meetings — See “Pres Sez” for updates. MUSIC COMMITTEE NOTES continued from page 8 I Musical Events — NJJS sponsors and co-produces a number of jazz events each year, ranging from intimate concerts to large dance parties and picnics. played with her, you had better be prepared for almost anything. Members receive discounts on ticket prices for the Pee Wee Russell Memorial Stomp and Jazzfest. Plus there’s a free concert at the Annual She was infamous for personal habits that would have taken their Meeting and occasionally other free concerts. toll on most people far sooner than they did with Anita. Sure, she I The Record Bin — a collection of CDs, not generally found in music stores, should have retired a long time ago, but, like so many performers, available at reduced prices at most NJJS concerts and events and through mail order. she kept plugging along, even though the results in recent years were sadly inadequate. Join NJJS I choose to remember the Anita who made a remarkable series MEMBERSHIP LEVELS of albums for Norman Granz in the 1950s and early 1960s, Member benefits are subject to update. performances that are captured in their entirety in an out-of-print I Family $35 box from Mosaic Records. Some of the individual albums are still I Student $20 I Give-a-Gift $55: Jersey Jazz magazine, free concert at NJJS Annual Meeting available from Verve. If you do not have any of this material, I in December, and event ticket discounts (where possble) for 2 adults, plus suggest that you correct this void in your collection immediately. children under 18 years of age. Singles may purchase two tickets at JJ member prices. Student membership requires school ID. The Give-a-Gift R.I.P Anita! membership costs the regular $35 for you, plus $20 for a gift membership. I Friend of NJJS ($150/family) Receive vouchers for 2 CDs of your choice from the NJJS record store. continued from page 18 I Silver Patron ($250/family) CAPE MAY JAZZ FESTIVAL Receive an additional year membership plus vouchers for • Edgardo Cintron’s Azuca Band turned up the heat for a full 2 CDs of your choice. afternoon of big band Latin jazz. I Gold Patron ($500/family) Receive 2 additional years membership plus vouchers for • A memorial service for pianist Brian Trainor, a festival stalwart 4 CDs of your choice. I Platinum Patron ($1000/family) since the early 1990s who died at 56 this July, included videotaped Receive 4 additional years membership plus vouchers for clips of his past performances, eulogies by friends and fellow 8 CDs of your choice. musicians, and a reunion of the Festival All-Star band he put Contact Membership Chair Caryl Anne McBride together a few years ago. Afterward, a band led a parade of at 973-366-8818 or [email protected] for more second-liners out of Convention Hall; they sashayed on down information and to join. Or visit www.njjs.org for Beach Drive for the afternoon festivities. It was just another a membership application and more information. instance of New Orleans coming to Cape May. JJ

January 2007 JerseyJazz 35 JerseyEventsJazz ’Round

Jersey BENNYs have brought out many people with only a casual interest in jazz, Bridgewater Jazz such that an overflow has seen fans turned away at the door. Tickets cannot Somerset County Vocational be cross-honored. The matinee tends to have more last minute seats. and Technical High School Bridgewater, NJ While ordering BENNY tickets, use the opportunity to secure your seats for Call: 908-725-6640 PIANO GREATS on February 3. The featured players are Derek Smith and Rio Clemente, good friends and keyboard marvels who don’t play together left to right: as a rule. Perhaps some four-handed duets will see them not only on the Dan Levinson, Joe Midiri and same stage, but at the same piano! This is followed on March 17 by the Dan Block BIGGEST BIX BIRTHDAY BASH, another annual feature, this time involving perform for the the 11-piece Dreamland Orchestra playing those challenging hot dance THREE BENNY pieces. Only a handful of bands across the country (the Nighthawks come to OPERA in mind) even attempt those difficult charts. These guys did an outstanding job Bridgewater January 20… with related material at the Bickford last summer.

Morris Jazz The Bickford Theater at the Morris Museum Morristown, NJ …and Toms River Call: 973-971-3706 January 17. raditional jazz is considerably more popular in other parts of the country, he challenge of running a Benny Goodman Tparticularly along the West Coast. Not only are the festival crowds larger Ttribute each year (in the case of Jazz in (numbering in the thousands rather than hundreds), but the repertoire is Bridgewater, at the anniversary of the landmark more extensive. Most West Coast revival pieces are rarely played here Carnegie Hall concert) is not to find new because the arrangements are difficult at best…but fun to hear. Also the age material to feature. Benny took care of that, and range of musicians is greater because they nurture their young players left us a huge legacy of both jazz and swing through improvisational jazz camps and playing opportunities alongside top titles from which to choose. The material will last a lifetime and most of it is resident and touring pros. The result is a raft of bands and players you may well worth preserving. The problem is how to present it in a new and never have heard about. West Coast festivals are treats worth savoring. different way, so that people who attended previous editions want to return On very rare occasions these players find to see what’s happening this year. themselves in the East, and we can catch Rising to the challenge, Jazz in Bridgewater has reached into its own past a glimpse of what the fuss is about. and drafted three previous leaders to assemble the program for 2007. With Monday, January 8 provides just such an the whimsical title THREE BENNY OPERA, they’re having Dan Levinson, opportunity, as a phenomenal trumpeter Joe Midiri and Dan Block not only solo on Goodman favorites, but to do from Vancouver visits. Bria Skönberg is a three part harmonies of the clarinet parts that Levinson has arranged. This product of several youth bands, jazz will be the most unusual Goodman tribute ever and hopefully the most camps, scholarships and such, and now satisfying for fans. leads two bands herself, as well as regularly playing in all-star groups with Each artist has done at least one BENNY previously that was a sellout, or top names. Over the course of a year, she nearly so. Dan Block led what was probably the world’s only Benny Goodman appears at more than 20 festivals in tribute done with an Albert system clarinet, his preferred instrument. Joe North America (and even Europe), and her Midiri brought a septet for the matinee, followed by a sellout Big Band evening show, enticing many people to attend both. Dan Levinson led the hot horn is heard on at least 10 CDs. Bria Skönberg will appear in Stan Rubin Orchestra in a faithful recreation of the entire Carnegie Hall The influence of Louis Armstrong is program. These guys, individually and collectively, really know the Goodman Morristown January 8. obvious in her trumpet work, not the Photo supplied by the artist. material. And the rest of the band is first rate too. See the ad nearby. commercial Louis of his middle years but The THREE BENNY OPERA on Saturday evening, January 20 will have both a the searing Satchmo of the Hot Fives and Sevens period, not surprising matinee and an evening show. The afternoon edition is aimed at those who since she’s also still in her 20s. Her repertoire runs from the familiar Eddie are uncomfortable with night driving, and will provide an alternative if the Condon recordings through those tough Turk Murphy pieces, plus pop tunes evening show, as might be expected, sells out all the available seats. of the classic period, novelties and more.

When calling in advance for tickets — strongly advised, noting the early cut- For this visit she’s surrounded by top professionals, as usual. Trombonist off on discounted pricing — be sure to specify matinee or evening show. Past Jim Fryer is organizing things. You may have caught him sitting in with

36 January 2007 JerseyJazz JerseyEventsJazz

Jeff Barnhart last visit. He’s a bandmate of Jeff’s, involved with Herb Gardner leads THE GREAT GROUNDHOG DAY JAM band, the Titan Hot Seven, ubiquitous at West Coast and European pictured above. festivals, as well as touring with a highly regarded British band. He’s now the regular trombonist with the Nighthawks too. Benny Goodman tribute within a day of the actual Carnegie Hall On various reeds will be Noel Kaletsky, who tours with the anniversary. Ambitious, because it will feature not one but three Rent Party Revellers, the Bix Memorial band and some worthy top clarinetists, soloing and playing in harmony many of the New England groups. Local favorite James Chirillo (usually favorite tunes in the Goodman repertoire. Those coming out on heard with Kenny Davern’s quartets) will play guitar. Either of Wednesday, January 17 will hear Dan Levinson, Joe Midiri and them is alone worth the admission. One or two others may Dan Block as the clarinet trio, backed by a stellar supporting be added by the time you read this. cast.

Then on Monday, January 29 is the 2007 edition of THE GREAT Noted pianist John Sheridan (late of the Jim Cullum band) is GROUNDHOG DAY JAM, an evening of music and merriment that has coming up from Texas for the occasion, with vibes wizard Paul Midiri driving become an annual tradition. Trombonist (and pianist) Herb Gardner up from Delaware too. Bassist Brian Nalepka and drummer Kevin Dorn organizes the “Underground All-Stars” with the idea of providing hot jazz travel south from the NYC area. A solid band with exceptional credentials for with a fun element, spontaneous enough to bring fans back again and again. Swing Era material.

His roster is once again impressive: Randy Reinhart (cornet, trombone), The good music continues two weeks later for south Jersey audiences as Dan Levinson (selected reeds), Bruce McNichols (banjo, guitar), THE GREAT GROUNDHOG DAY JAM heads their way for the first time. Joe Hanchrow (tuba, bass), Robbie Scott (drums) and Herb’s daughter Having developed a cult-like following in Morristown, the same band will Abbie Gardner doing occasional vocals. Most of these you know as leaders emerge again in Toms River on Wednesday evening, January 31. Same band, of other groups, but in this context they play like musicians jamming after but different material is promised, so some ardent fans may wish to take in hours for their own enjoyment…except you’re invited to stay and listen. both shows.

February 26, 1917 is historic in the annals of jazz, because on that date the The accent is on having fun, and the musicians play unscripted jazz peppered Original Dixieland Jass Band recorded the first ever jazz 78s. Exactly 90 years with casual humor as if entertaining themselves. Trombonist (and pianist) later, the Roof Garden Jass Band will pay tribute to the ODJB and other Herb Gardner leads the aggregation, which includes many who are often “fabulous fives” that paved the way for this music to sweep the country. leaders themselves. Dan Levinson will bring his clarinet back, but also a Dan Tobias follows on March 12 with a tribute to cornetist Jimmy saxophone or two. Randy Reinhart plays cornet and perhaps an occasional McPartland on his centennial. Stride King Neville Dickie visits on March 19, trombone solo. The Rhythm section has Bruce McNichols (leader of the and Jeff Barnhart salutes Scott Joplin on April 9. Smith Street band) playing banjo and guitar, Joe Hanchrow alternating Lots happening at the Wyeth Jazz Showcase, with these weeknight shows between tuba and string bass, and Robbie Scott (New Deal Orchestra leader) run as one 90-minute set starting at 8:00 PM. Tickets are just $13 in advance behind the drum set. Abbie Gardner adds a special treat with her vocals. (but $15 at the door), with more favorable transaction fees now in place to MidWeek Jazz seats are priced at only $13 in advance and $15 at the door. encourage advance purchases and keep the lines short. If you don’t know It might be wise to order tickets to additional events and secure the best the way, call the box office and ask for their “jazz map.” seats. Bassist Jay Leonhart follows on Wednesday, February 7, perhaps the only string bassist in jazz who does a one man show. He gave audiences here Jazz For Shore a sample when he played with Bucky Pizzarelli early in the series. Fans return The Fine Arts Center at Ocean County College again and again, loving his amusing original songs, anecdotes and “ripped Toms River, NJ from the headlines” observations that make every appearance different. Call: 732-255-0500 Another BIX BLAST is scheduled for March 21, this time larger than last year hen Benny Goodman scheduled his now-famous Carnegie Hall concert, because the 11-piece Dreamland Orchestra is booked. They play the charts that in itself was groundbreaking, because jazz was generally played that Bix Beiderbecke struggled with (complex as they are) when he toured W JJ for dancing, not sitting and listening. Carnegie catered to the tuxedo set with Jean Goldkette. Not to be missed. rather than the bobbysoxers who frequented the dances, so it was an Photos by Bruce Gast except as noted. entirely new audience for jazz and swing, and a tough one at that. But the huge room sold out, on a snowy Sunday ’Round evening no less. Jazz was legitimized and history was made. Jersey OCC will host a “southern edition” of the ’Round Jersey concerts are produced THREE BENNY OPERA, an ambitious by Bruce M. Gast in conjunction with the New Jersey Jazz Society.

January 2007 JerseyJazz 37 JerseyEventsJazz You can find jazz all over the state Somewhere There’s Music in venues large and small. Here are just some of them.

Asbury Park STONY HILL INN Mahwah SUSHI LOUNGE CABARET ON COOKMAN 231 Polifly Rd. BERRIE CENTER/RAMAPO COLLEGE 12 Schuyler Place 201-342-4085 505 Ramapo Valley Road 973-539-1135 EL LOBO NEGRO ART GALLERY www.stonyhillinn.com 201-684-7844 519 Bangs Ave. Friday and Saturday evenings www.ramapo.edu/berriecenter Mountainside 732-775-3300 ARIRANG Friday $8 Cover Hawthorne Maplewood 1230 Route 22W Alcohol free ALEXUS STEAKHOUSE TAVERN BURGDORF CULTURAL CENTER 908-518-9733 80 Wagaraw Road, 07506 10 Durand St. Wednesday 7:30 PM Bernardsville 973-427-9200 973-378-2133 BERNARD’S INN 7:00 –10:00 PM www.artsmaplewood.org Newark 27 Mine Brook Road No cover NEWARK MUSEUM 908-766-0002 AlexusSteakhouse.com Metuchen 49 Washington St. www.bernardsinn.com Bucky Pizzarelli & Frank Vignola CORNERSTONE 973-596-6550 on rotating schedule Tuesdays & Monday – Saturday 6:30 PM New & Pearl Streets www.newarkmuseum.org Piano Bar every other Thursday 732-549-5306 Summer Thursday afternoons Wednesdays & Fridays 7:30 PM PORT CITY JAVA Highland Park NJPAC 55 Mine Brook Road PJ’S COFFEE Montclair 1 Center St. www.fridaynightjazzjam.com 315 Raritan Avenue CHURCH STREET CAFÉ 888-466-5722 12 Church St. 4th Friday 7:00 PM 732-828-2323 www.njpac.org Sunday 1:00 PM Open Jam FIRST CONGREGATIONAL CHURCH Bloomfield THE PRIORY 40 South Fullerton Ave. 233 West Market St. WESTMINSTER ARTS CENTER/ Hillsborough 973-744-6560 973-242-8012 BLOOMFIELD COLLEGE DAY’S INN 118 Route 206 South Friday 7:00 PM 467 Franklin St. PALAZZO RESTAURANT 908-685-9000 No cover 973-748-9000 x343 11 South Fullerton Ave. Thursday 7:00 PM Open Jam 973-746-6778 SAVOY GRILL Brooklawn Friday/Saturday 7:00 PM 60 Park Place BROOKLAWN AMERICAN LEGION HALL Hoboken Joe Licari/Larry Weiss MAXWELL’S 973-286-1700 Browning Road & Railroad Ave. www.thesavoy 1039 Washington St. RICHIE CECERE’S grillnewark.com Clifton 201-798-0406 2 Erie Street Every other Monday 9:00 PM ST. PETERS EPISCOPAL CHURCH 973-746-7811 Swingadelic New Brunswick 380 Clifton Ave. DELTA’S 973-546-3406 TRUMPETS SHADES 6 Depot Square 19 Dennis St. Saturdays 7:30 PM 720 Monroe St. 973-744-2600 732-249-1551 shadesofhoboken.com www.trumpetsjazz.com Deal STATE THEATRE 888-374-2337 Tuesday/Thursday/Sunday 7:30 PM AXELROD PAC 15 Livingston Ave. Friday/Saturday 8:30 PM Jewish Community Center Hopewell 732-246-7469 732-531-9100 x 142 HOPEWELL VALLEY BISTRO & INN www.statetheatrenj.org www.arthurtopilow.com Morris Plains 15 East Broad St. AMBROSIA RESTAURANT & BAR 609-466-9889 650 Speedwell Ave. Newton Edgewater www.hopewellvalleybistro.com BULA LA DOLCE VITA 973-898-1111 Friday/Saturday 7:00 PM www.ambrosianj.com 134 Spring St. 270 Old River Rd. Minimum $15 Rio Clemente Wednesday 7:00 PM 973-579-7338 201-840-9000 www.bularestaurant.com Lawrenceville Fridays 8:00 PM Englewood Morristown FEDORA CAFÉ THE BICKFORD THEATRE BERGEN PAC 2633 Lawrenceville Road AT THE MORRIS MUSEUM North Arlington 30 N. Van Brunt St. 609-895-0844 5 Normandy Heights Road UVA 201-227-1030 Some Wednesdays 6:00 PM 602 Ridge Road www.bergenpac.org 973-971-3706 No cover/BYOB www.morrismuseum.org Friday 7:00 PM Adam Brenner Garwood Little Falls Some Mondays 8:00 PM CROSSROADS BARCA VELHA RESTAURANT/BAR North Branch 78 North Ave. THE COMMUNITY THEATRE 440 Main St., 07424 100 South St. NEW ORLEANS FAMILY 908-232-5666 973-890-5056 RESTAURANT www.xxroads.com 973-539-8008 www.barcavelha.com 1285 State Highway 28 Jam Session Tuesday 8:30 PM Fridays 7:30 PM Bossa Brazil COPELAND RESTAURANT/WESTIN 908-725-0011 No cover Glen Rock GOVERNOR MORRIS HOTEL 7:00 PM 2 Whippany Road GLEN ROCK INN Madison 222 Rock Road 973-539-7300 Nutley SHANGHAI JAZZ www.copelandrestaurant.com HERB’S PLACE AT THE PARK PUB 201-445-2362 24 Main St. Sunday Seafood Jazz Brunch 785 Bloomfield Avenue www.glenrockinn.com 973-822-2899 Laura Hull Trio 11:00 AM Thursday 7:00 PM www.shanghaijazz.com 973-235-0696 8:30–11:30 PM Wednesday/Thursday 7:00 PM THE SIDEBAR AT THE FAMISHED FROG Hackensack Friday/Saturday 6:30 PM SOLARI’S 18 Washington St. Oakland Sunday 6:00 PM 973-540-9601 61 River St. No cover HANSIL’S BAR AND GRILL 201-487-1969 www.famishedfrog.com/thesidebar 7 Ramapo Valley Rd. 1st Tuesday 8:00 PM 201-337-5649 ST. PETER’S EPISCOPAL CHURCH Mickey Gravine Big Band No cover 70 Maple Avenue 973-455-0708

Listings are alphabetical by town. All entries are subject to change; please call each venue to confirm schedule of music.

38 January 2007 JerseyJazz JerseyEventsJazz

Tell them you saw it in Jersey Jazz!

RUGA’S Sayreville Wayne Westfield 4 Barbara Lane SHOT IN THE DARK WILLIAM PATERSON UNIVERSITY NORTHSIDE TRATTORIA 201-337-0813 SPORTS BAR & GRILL 300 Pompton Road 16 Prospect St. Tuesday thru Saturday 7:00 PM 404 Washington Road 973-720-2371 908-232-7320 732-254-9710 www.wpunj.edu www.northsidetrattoria.com Pine Brook Thursday 7:30 PM Sunday 4:00 PM Sunday, Tuesday, Thursdays evenings MILAN John Bianculli 13 Hook Mountain Road West Caldwell ACQUAVIVA 973-808-3321 Seabright COLORS RESTAURANT 115 Elm St. www.milanrestaurant.com THE QUAY & LOUNGE 908-301-0700 Fridays 6:30 PM Stein Brothers 280 Ocean Ave 1090 Bloomfield Ave. www.acquaviva-dellefonti.com 732-741-7755 973-244-4443 Fridays 7:00 PM Plainfield Tuesday nights Jazz Lobsters big band CAFÉ VIVACE West Orange Woodbridge 1370 South Avenue Somerville CECIL’S JJ BITTING BREWING CO. 908-753-4500 VERVE RESTAURANT 364 Valley Road 33 Main Street www.cafevivace.com 18 East Main St. 973-736-4800 732-634-2929 Saturdays 7:30 PM 908-707-8605 www.njbrewpubs.com FRANKLIN TAVERN www.vervestyle.com Fridays 9:30 PM 97-99 Franklin Ave. Princeton Occasional Thursdays 6:00 PM 973-325-9899 MCCARTER THEATRE Fridays/Saturdays 8:30 PM Wood Ridge 91 University Place No cover MARTINI GRILL 609-258-2787 South Orange 187 Hackensack St. DANCING GOAT CAFÉ 201-209-3000 MEDITERRA 21 South Orange St Wednesday through Saturday 29 Hulfish St. 973-275-9000 609-252-9680 www.thedancinggoat.com www.terramomo.com 8:00 PM SALT CREEK GRILLE SOUTH ORANGE PERFORMING We are in the process of updating entries; there will be changes in 1 Rockingham Row, Forrestal Village ARTS CENTER 609-419-4200 One SOPAC Way upcoming issues. Please contact [email protected] if you know of www.saltcreekgrille.com 973-235-1114 other venues that ought to be here. We want to include any locale Rahway Summit that offers jazz on a regular, ongoing basis. Also please advise us of ARTS GUILD OF RAHWAY SUMMIT UNITARIAN CHURCH 1670 Irving St. 4 Waldron Ave. any errors you’re aware of in these listings. 732-381-7511 Sunday www.rahwayartsguild.org 8:00 PM Teaneck LOUNGE ZEN EIGHTY EIGHTS 254 DeGraw Ave. The Name Dropper 1467 Main Street 201-692-8585 732-499-7100 www.lounge-zen.com We have an important new place for jazz music in New Jersey with the eightyeightsmusicvenue.com No cover www.88bistrojazz.com Salt Creek Grille opening in Princeton. The new jazz restaurant is in Thursdays – Sundays 6:30 PM PUFFIN CULTURAL FORUM 20 East Oakdene Ave. Forrestal Village just off Route 1. Salt Creek has a room for jazz that will Raritan 201-836-8923 accommodate 80. The plan is to feature different musicians from the MUGS PUB AND RESTAURANT 73 West Somerset Street Tom’s River Princeton University Jazz Department on one night each week in addition 908-725-6691 OCEAN COUNTY COLLEGE FINE ARTS CENTER to headliners on other nights. The number is 609-419-4200. Fridays 7:00 PM College Drive Red Bank 732-255-0550 The Darla Rich Quartet will appear at Fedora in Lawrenceville on January 3 COUNT BASIE THEATRE www.ocean.edu/campus/fine_arts_center at 7:00. The address is 2633 Lawrenceville Road. BYOB. Darla Rich is at the 99 Monmouth St. Some Wednesdays 732-842-9000 Hopewell Valley Bistro & Inn on January 13 and 27. NJJS honoree Eddie Trenton ”JAZZ IN THE PARK” JOE’S MILL HILL SALOON Palmieri is at the South Orange Performing Arts Center on January 25. Riverside Park Market & Broad Streets 732-530-2782 609-394-7222 Occasionally Ridgewood WINBERIE’S AMERICAN BISTRO Union JAZZ TRIVIA ANSWERS questions on page 34 30 Oak Street VAN GOGH’S EAR CAFÉ 201-444-3700 1017 Stuyvesant Ave. 1. There are no known recordings of Buddy Bolden. www.selectrestaurants.com 908-810-1844 Thursdays Piano Jazz/Pop www.vangoghsearcafe.com 2. DeFranco believed that Artie Shaw’s clarinet solo on his band’s recording Fridays/Saturdays Jazz/Pop duos Sundays 8:00 PM $3 cover of “Star Dust” was the greatest clarinet solo of all time. Rumson 3. a. Eddie Lang, b. Red Norvo, c. Bob Zurke, d. Johnny Mince SALT CREEK GRILLE Watchung WATCHUNG ARTS CENTER 4 Bingham Avenue 4. Billy Taylor and Dick Wellstood. 732-933-9272 18 Stirling Road www.saltcreekgrille.com 908-753-0190 5. Count Basie. (I’d have given it away if I’d said “Red Bank pianist”.) www.watchungarts.org

January 2007 JerseyJazz 39 JerseyJazz Time Value Material PERIODICALS PO Box 410 Deliver Promptly Postage PAID at Brookside, NJ 07926-0410 Morristown, NJ 07960 Send all address changes to the address above

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