Catching up With: Anne Drummond

Catching Up With: Anne Drummond What has become of Anne Drummond, Then Barron brought Anne onto his In another new project during the the flautist, trombonist, and pianist who more straightahead quintet with vibra- past year, Drummond scored the film impressed mightily during her time at phonist Stefon Harris, drummer Kim Revolving Door. It has no dialogue, and 1999 Garfield High School before head- Thompson, and ace Japanese bassist its “dim but serious message” called for ing off to Manhattan School of Music? Kiyoshi Kitagawa, who has worked with “music with great tension, and dramatic She’s found great success out East. Kenny Garrett, among others. That band contrasts, she says. “We’ll see how it’s While in high school here, Anne won received by audiences once released in several competition and festival awards, the festivals, as I gave it some pretty bold and was one of the pillars of Clarence themes.” Acox’s outstanding program. Recently, Anne has also been touring She is now a regular member of re- with Stefon Harris as he presents his nowned pianist Kenny Barron’s bands, suite, “Portrait of the Promised,” with playing flute. And she has made her mark band members Tim Warfield, Jeremy in other settings, too. Pelt, Mark Gross, Xavier Davis, Terrion But to start at the beginning of her New Gully, and Derick Hodge. They will York career: In 2000, early in her degree record the music, soon. at Manhattan School of Music, the per- Anne also recorded on Harris’s African sonable and unassuming Drummond was Anne Drummond has gone on to great things. Photo by Terentella (Blue Note), which will appear taking piano lessons with Barron when, Daniel Sheehan. in October. And she earlier appeared on one day, she happened to wander into his his ambitious Grand Unification Theory, practice room with her flute case. Barron, toured extensively, until earlier this year. released on Blue Note early this year. It who had not been aware that Drummond Barron still travels with the band, from found a mixed reception, but again critics played flute (in fact, she also excelled at time to time. “The gigs are always unfor- singled out Drummond for praise. trombone, while at Garfield, but gave gettable,” says Drummond. This summer she’ll don a producer’s up that instrument to make more room Among her collaborations with Barron, hat, working with the flutist Mark for the others), asked to hear her play it. she appeared on his album Canta Brasil Weinstein. On witnessing her flute prowess, he asked (Sunny Side, 2002). She played at leading You can find Drummond on many her, on the spot, if she’d like to join Canta jazz spots in New York such as the Blue albums, as a sidewoman, in addition to Brasil, the Latin jazz combo he was form- Note and Sweet Rhythm, and toured Harris’s African Terentella. She was on ing with the topflight Trio da Paz. Europe. She also expanded Barron’s trio What’s Going On – The Music of Marvin Not bad, for a college student. with Ben Riley and Ray Drummond Gaye (Telarc), by Jason Miles, who has In the band, Barron and Drummond – vaunted company, indeed. won Grammies as a producer for Luther were joined by Romero Lubambo on gui- Meanwhile, Anne has also been working Vandross, Sting, Herb Albert, and Miles tar, Nilson Matta on bass, and Duduka da on her own composition and recording. Davis. His Gaye cover record won a Fonseca on drums. They won high praise She will go into the studio in the fall to favorable review from a maintream pub- for their merger of jazz and Brazilian fla- record her debut album, on the Obliq- lication, People magazine, which is a rare vors, and Drummond was singled out for sound label, and it will be, she says, “like feat for an instrumental record. adding appealing coloring on flute. nothing I’ve written before. You could say She also played on Avishai Cohen’s At A couple of years ago, Drummond I’ve taken a foray into the classical realm, Home (Razdazrecords); Nielson Matta’s said of the band: “It plays all originals; including strings, with special guests to be Walking with my Bass (Blue Toucan) with I love the music; the Brazilians are just announced. Fortunately, I found a group Jeff “Tain” Watts, Kenny Barron, Claudio phenomenal musicians; and we’ve been of players that I love, and just weeks ago Roditi, and Vic Juris; and Seattle native traveling so much that it feels like they’re we rehearsed for the first time.” Mark Bordenet’s forthcoming Picture my family out here. The communication The rehearsal took place in Kenny Bar- This. is great. The music has just been taken to ron’s living room adjoining his kitchen, Finally, in The Flute inJazz , Peter West- a new level, since the album. It’s more un- while he and his wife cooked dinner. brook devotes a chapter to Drummond. predictable and spontaneous. We move “I was happy with it,” Drummond says, She shares experiences, frustrations, together. It’s fun to grow with them.” “and when we were finished Kenny and I stage/mic setup tips, and so forth. She traveled with Canta Brasil to agreed it was the most honest and reveal- The progress report on Anne Drum- Europe and Brazil, and she and Barron ing music I’ve yet written. The group goes mond is, then, positive indeed, as befits have performed various gigs with Trio into the studio to record in the fall, and so large and deserving a talent. de Paz. I can’t wait.” – Peter Monaghan 8 • Earshot Jazz • July 2006.

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