INSIDE: Earshot Fall Series Application; Jay Thomas; Jazz Police Earshot J Seattle, August 1989 A Mirror and Focus for the Jazz Community . flj ^ Jazz Passenger Jim Nolet Has Come a Long Way Playing Jazz9s History and Future The sun-bathed crowd that attended the amazing Earshot Festival '89 concert at the Good Shepherd Center last June is still talking about New York's Jazz Passengers, whose Seattle debut was one ofthe great jazz events ofthe year so far. They're also still talking about violinist Jim Nolet, whose zany, no-holds-barred bowing combined the CDs: technical daring of Leroy Jenkins Are They Good For c with the loose-el­ bowed abandon Jazz? I of a country fid­ Notice that record stores no longer dler. seem to carry records? Compact discs I Nolet was have won the battle for shelf space in • si as born in Dallas and most shops. And, within three years, moved to Seattle CDs may well become the principal when he was ten. means of issue for new jazz from He started on major labels like Columbia, Concord, classical violin at RCA, and Warner Brothers. age 8, studying There's no denying that compact here with Chris­ discs are a technological break­ tine Olason ofthe through. They are easier to use and Northwest Cham­ store, and they last longer and sound ber Orchestra. By better than their low-tech predeces­ Jim Nolet the time he was sors. And because of their greater 13, he was play­ capacity, CDs make it possible for ing professionally with his brothers .guitarists Dave and Tom, whom he acknowledges record companies to add extra tracks as major inspirations, in a little rock band called Mirage. or alternate takes to CD releases. The "My brothers played me Omette Coleman and Eric Dolphy," says Nolet. "But I lis­ new format has also given labels such tened to everyone—Parker, Sonny Rollins, Monk, the Clash, David Bromberg, Taj as RCA Bluebird reason to dig back Mahal, Neil Young, Ernest Tubbs, Doc Watson, Merle Haggard. I like country music. into the vaults and re-issue record­ I even played fiddle some, in bluegrass bands in Bellingham." ings that haven't been available for After high school (around 1980-81: Nolet was somewhat vague on dates), he at­ 20 years or more. tended Cornish College, notan altogether successful experiment. Nolet fondly acknowl­ The CD revolution has lots of jazz edges former Cornish instructor Gary Peacock as "one ofthe best teachers you could ever listeners contemplating the plunge have. I wish I had been in a better situation to learn from him." But he now feels his most into CD technology. But there's a dark valuable education has come from outside institutions. "The thing I liked about Cornish side to this revolution that goes be­ most of all was intramural basketball, in which Art Lande was head coach!" yond the typically skimpy liner notes While at Cornish, Nolet gigged around Seattle at such places as Matzoh Momma, that come with CDs, and the cost of the Scarlet Tree and (the now defunct) Ernestine's ("I sucked"), but the Northwest's CDs and CD players, which tend to mellow, Windham Hill-influenced atmosphere didn't satisfy his hankering for more require expensive repairs. exciting avant-garde fare. Seeking wider horizons, Nolet moved to New York, working The problem is that the music in­ as an accountant in the daytime and making his way on the club scene at night. He quickly dustry's changeover to the CD for­ hooked up with soon-to-be-fellow Passenger, Bradley Jones, and guitarist Dave Tranzo. mat is not driven merely by technol­ John Lurie heard their trio and invited Nolet to record on a Lounge Lizards album. When ogy, but also by economics. (When­ Lurie cohorts Roy Nathanson and Curtis Fowlkes decided to start the Passengers, they ever those two forces get together, it called Nolet. usually means bad things for jazz.) "The Passengers have been great for me," says Nolet."I wasn't expecting to get continued on page 4 continued on page 13 1 Got any news or gossip to share with the jazz community? Leave a message on our Earshot answering machine (547-6763), or call Sandy Burlingame at 325-4123. Please note our change of address! It'snow 3429 Fremont emuwL Place, #303, Seattle, WA 98103 ... Despite the fact that less than 25 Applications for the Earshot Jazz Fall Concert Series are due August 15. See the application form on page 6 of this issue ... A new percent of the U.S. population are fellowship for jazz composers has been established by A.T.& T. and the smokers, very few establishments that Rockefeller foundation. The program will provide grants for composers who feature entertainment are smoke-free. will work in residence with ensembles or music theater companies. The appli­ My interest in this issue is simple. I cation deadline is October 16. More info from Meet the Composer, 2112 Broad­ have been a professional musician for way, Room 505, NY, NY 10023 ... Paul de Barros has been selected to participate on a about ten years and have suffered greatly National Endowment for the Arts panel to discuss the NEA's jazz program. Paul also has an from the detrimental effects of article appearing in the September issue of Washington magazine. The piece is a preview of secondary smoke. I am determined to be the Roots of Jazz project and includes vintage photographs ... Jim Knapp has received an able to perform in healthful, smoke-free Individual Artist Grant of $2000 from the Seatde Arts Commission... Many thanks to Gaye ofthe New Orleans Restaurant for her generous assistance with Earshot's Summer Festival. environments. Thanks also to Art Chantry for his generosity in designing the festival poster ... Missing The creation of such establishments Link Music, an international cassette mail-order catalog, is now accepting tapes for their 1990 will require the support and patronage of catalog. Deadline for submissions is September 30. For more information, call (206) 633-2258 the non-smoking community. If you are ... Danny Embrey has moved to Kansas City. He will appear August 29 at Zanzibar's in New interested in this project, please contact York with Peggy Stern, who spent the last two weeks of July in the Seattle area after me. performing with Diane Schuur in Cape Cod... Bumbershoot is looking for volunteers. Call 622-5123 ... KBCS, which gave fine live coverage of the Bellevue Jazz Festival, needs a Douglas Miller volunteer for the jazz library, outreach and correspondence. Call 641 -2427... Drummer Mike 2609 Broadway E. Sarin, who now lives in New York, will be gigging around Seattle for the month of August ... Washington State Arts Commission Artist Fellowship Awards applications are due Seattle, WA 98102 August 31,1989. Call 753-3858 or write WSAC, 110 9th & Columbia Bldg., Mail Stop GH- 11, Olympia, Wa. 98504-4111... With assistance from Centrum, Earshot sponsored three scholarship students from Seattle at Bud Shank's Port Townsend Workshop in July ... Non-smokers who like jazz can find Kenny Mandell moves his Creative Music Series to the AFLN Gallery on 16th and Madison refuge in the Trolleyman Pub at the Red this month (see calendar)... Next time you're in AKA Books, ask for the store's list of jazz Hook Ale Brewery in Fremont, which titles. The current list includes more than 30 books, from jazz biographies and histories to features live jazz Monday nights. If you novels ... Good new s for public schools: trumpeter Jon Pugh takes over as music director of know of other non-smoking clubs that Redmond's Evergreen Junior High. He will work closely with John Logan, who has offer jazz, please tell us. —Ed. transferred to Redmond Junior High from the high school. Don Lanphere will offer private lessons at Seattle's Garfield High this fall. Don goes into the studio this month to record a Christmas jazz album... De-Lights Restaurant on South Fawcett in Tacoma has started booking live jazz from noon until 2 p.m. Monday through Friday ... Wayne Horvitz and Robin Holcomb are back from New York, where they put their New York Composers Orchestra through the paces ... Ralph Towner wound up his tour with Gary Burton at the Montreal Jazz Festival... Jay Clayton was profiled on National Public Radio's "Morning Earshot Jazz Edition" in July ... Harmonica and accordian player Murl Allen Sanders has a gig at the Vol. 5 No. 7 Thirteen Coins at Sea-Tac, playing solo Friday and Saturday nights, and with his trio Sunday and Monday nights... Earshotneeds volunteers to distribute newsletters inBellevue,Capitol ©1989 Earshot Jazz Hill, Queen Anne, and other neighborhoods. If interested, please call Brian at 523-6564 Editor: Brian McWUliams Assistant Editor: Charles Smyth Art Director: Seiko Sato Calendar Editor: Bob Mariano, 364-9357 Advertising Mgr: Jeff Ferguson, 328-6199 Staff Writers: Sandra Burlingame, Todd Bill Frisell Returns to Seattle Campbell and Joseph Murphy. Contributors: Herb Levy, Ted Dzielak, Paul For Studio Session de Barros, Ken Wiley, Susan Golden, Gary Bannister, and Roberta Penn. Bill Frisell, whose performance at Coltrane has cleared the way for MCA Mailing: Lola Pedrini records to re-mix and prepare for release Computer assistance: Rich Minor Earshot's summer festival electrified Distribution: Jim Knodle crowds, is returning to Seattle this the studio's master tapes of a live 1965 Earshot Board of Directors: Cherrie Adams, month—to make a recording at John Coltrane session at the Penthouse Gary Bannister, Don Brown, Sandra Ironwood Studios. The session is being club in Seattle.