December 2008 Issue 311 jazz &blues report now in our 34th year www.jazz-blues.com 6th Annual PANAMA JAZZ FESTIVAL 2008 Holiday Gift Guide Part 2 Published by Martin Wahl Communications Editor & Founder Bill Wahl Layout & Design Bill Wahl Operations Jim Martin Pilar Martin Contributors Michael Braxton, Mark Cole, Kelly Ferjutz, Nancy Ann Lee, Peanuts, Matt Simpson, Wanda Simpson, Mark Smith, Dave Sunde, Duane Verh, Emily Wahl and Ron Weinstock. 6th Annual Panama Jazz Festival Check out our constantly updated website. Now you can search for CD Set for January 12-17, 2009 Reviews by artists, titles, record labels, keyword or JBR Writers. 15 Wayne Shorter and Chucho Valdes head lineup years of reviews are up and we’ll be going all the way back to 1974. PANAMA CITY, PANAMA – American jazz saxophonist Wayne Shorter’s acclaimed quartet with Danilo Perez, John Patitucci, and Brian Blade, and Comments...billwahl@ jazz-blues.com Web .................. www.jazz-blues.com the legendary Cuban pianist Chucho Valdes are among the headliners at the 6th annual Panama Jazz Festival, which will take place in Panama Copyright © 2008 Martin-Wahl Communications Inc. City January 12 through 17, 2009. No portion of this publication may be The Boston-based Panamanian pianist Danilo Perez, who founded reproduced without written permission from the publisher. All rights Reserved. the festival in 2003 and whose Danilo Perez Foundation coordinates its educational component, anticipates more than 16,000 attendees. Founded in Buffalo New York in March of “The Panama Jazz Festival has been a magical journey to a dream 1974; began in Cleveland edition in April we’ve had for years in Panama,” says Perez. “We, as a country, see the of 1978. Now this global e-zine edition is posted online monthly entire world pass through the Panama Canal every day, and we are hon- at www.jazz-blues.com a W division of ored to be the bridge of the Americas. But today, we are proud to say that artin-Wahl every year — for the past six years — the Panama Jazz Festival has been c o m m u n i c a t i o n s the national event where the world does not pass by, but makes a stop in our wonderful land. The world’s best jazz artists, as well as students and volunteers from all over the globe, unite in Panama with one goal in mind: CD Reviews to celebrate the world’s diversity through jazz.” Begin on page 9 The 2009 festival will be dedicated to the late bassist, composer, and Holiday Gift Guide, Part 2 arranger Clarence Martin Sr., whose contributions to Panamanian jazz date from the 1940s and have influenced several generations of musi- Begins on page 14 cians from many genres such as jazz, classical, and Caribbean music. The festival will open with a gala concert at the Teatro Nacional by a flamenco jazz group from Spain, sponsored by the Spanish Embassy. Other "Buffalonious" artists scheduled to perform at the festival are the Puerto Rican saxo- phonist Marco Pignataro and his quintet, featuring Eddie Gomez and Billy Our original mascot Drummond; American singer Luba Mason, whose quintet includes flute from the very early master Hubert Laws, bassist Jimmy Haslip, and vocalist Ruben Blades Buffalo Jazz Report (Mason’s husband, and Panama’s Minister of Culture); and the young days – mid '70s. Panamanian saxophonist Jahaziel Arrocha, who won a Berklee College He is older now, of Music scholarship at the 4th annual Panama Jazz Festival and cur- but global & rently attends Berklee as a Presidential Scholar. still very cool! For more information, visit www.panamajazzfestival.com. PAGE TWO December 2008 • Issue 311 the performers and their native landscape – an envi- All-new Delta Blues ronment essential to their livelihoods and inseparable Documentary Premiers in from their art. “We aimed to capture the essence of the Delta’s Clarksdale, Mississippi blues survivors and show why the blues simply had to come from a place like Mississippi,” explained Konkel. CLARKSDALE, Mississippi – A hotly anticipated new The film is being released on DVD this fall along with a film celebrating the raw, raucous spirit of Mississippi’s companion CD soundtrack. surviving blues scene had its worldwide premiere on M For Mississippi is now available on DVD and its October 11 at the Delta Cinema in downtown Clarksdale, soundtrack on CD. Orders are being accepted through Miss. The film, M for Mississippi: A Road Trip through the film’s official Web site at www.mformississippi.com. the Birthplace of the Blues follows blues producers – The DVD’s bonus features include deleted/extended Roger Stolle of Cat Head Delta Blues & Folk Art and scenes, closed captioning, behind the scenes footage Jeff Konkel of Broke & Hungry Records – on a weeklong and more. Primary sponsors for the film include the journey across Mississippi visiting a dozen of the state’s Roots & Blues Association of Parma, Italy most fascinating blues figures in rustic environments (www.rootsandblues.org) and LiveBluesWorld ranging from juke joints to cotton fields. “We planned (www.livebluesworld.com). this road-trip movie for two years,” said Stolle. “We The film premiere is sponsored by Delta Music Ex- avoided big concert stages and rock-star narrators in perience (www.deltamusicexperience.com). favor of intimate houseparties and rockin’ Delta juke joints. The results speak for themselves.” The premiere screening of the 94-minute was both preceded and fol- Alaska Airlines & Horizon Air lowed by live music from artists featured in the film. Portland Jazz Festival Presents Blues guitarist Bill Abel and 81-year-old harmonica player “Cadillac” John Nolden performed a brief set at Somethin’ Else: Blue Note the Delta Cinema at 6 p.m., prior to the film’s inaugural showing. After the screening, the action heads down Records @ 70 the street to the world-famous Ground Zero Blues Club Celebrating the 70th Anniversary of where the line up will include such renowned bluesmen as T-Model Ford and Robert “Bilbo” Walker. Wesley Blue Note Records February 13-22 “Junebug” Jefferson was scheduled, but was unable to PORTLAND Oregon – Alaska Airlines & Horizon Air perform as he was in a hospital awaiting surgery. The pre- Portland Jazz Festival presented by The Oregonian miere was held as tens of thousands of blues lovers A&E will present Somethin’ Else: Blue Note Records converged on the Delta for the Arkansas Blues & Heri- @70, celebrating the 70th Anniversary of Blue Note tage Festival (www.bluesandheritagefest.com) held in Records, as the primary thread through the 2009 Port- nearby Helena, Ark. “The former ‘King Biscuit’ is one of land Jazz Festival, February 13-22. the region’s biggest festivals,” Konkel said. “And there All festival ticketed concerts feature current Blue are always plenty of related events going on that week Note headliners and Blue Note heritage artists who have which makes it all the more special. It’s a perfect time passed through Blue Note at some point in their leg- to visit the Delta.” endary careers. The thematic package of events will M for Mississippi, which was filmed early this spring, include performances, plus jazz conversations with Blue is a co-production of Broke & Hungry Records, Cat Note officials and artists, panel discussions with jazz Head Delta Blues & Folk Art and Mudpuppy Record- writers, journalists & thinkers, and archival Blue Note ings. The motion picture follows Konkel and Stolle as film screenings. In addition, Portland Jazz Festival will they travel the dusty highways and byways of Missis- also feature free showcase performances around town sippi, calling on such seminal blues figures as James with regional jazz artists, midnight jam sessions, and “T-Model” Ford, Robert “Wolfman” Belfour, Terry “Har- approximately 50 jazz education & outreach events. monica” Bean, Wesley “Junebug” Jefferson, Jimmy Current Blue Note artists, trumpeter Terence “Duck” Holmes, Pat Thomas, L.C. Ulmer, Robert “Bilbo” Blanchard, sax man Joe Lovano, vocalists Cassandra Walker and more. Joining Stolle and Konkel on the jour- Wilson, Dianne Reeves, and Patricia Barber, and Cu- ney were filmmaker Damien Blaylock and co-producer ban pianist Gonzalo Rubalcaba will headline the 10- Kari Jones of Mudpuppy Recordings. Recording engi- day event, which will also feature Blue Note Heritage neer Bill Abel followed in his weathered Volvo station artists McCoy Tyner, Bobby Hutcherson, Lou wagon packed with recording equipment. Over the next Donaldson, and Pat Martino. week, the tiny caravan traversed the state of Missis- The 6th annual series of jazz events begins with a sippi visiting some of the state’s most original blues rare performance of Grammy & Oscar Award-winning figures while the camera rolled. The resulting film shines Terence Blanchard performing his A Tale of God’s Will a long-overdue spotlight on these men, their music and (A Requiem for Katrina) with jazz quintet and full or- the land from which the blues sprang. More than just a chestra, written as a film score for Spike Lee’s When collection of concert performances, M for Mississippi The Levees Broke. The dozen selections emotionally collects the sounds, the images and the feel of both recall the days after Hurricane Katrina in lower New December 2008 • Issue 311 PAGE THREE Orleans. The beautiful melodies mourn the useless loss 11:30 am, PCPA Brunish Hall) will each be followed by of life while a tension builds over and through the mu- panel discussions featuring leading jazz journalists and sic, and will be played by an orchestra of prominent writers, musicians, and other Blue Note representatives. Portland musicians conducted by Paul Mazzio. Cuban Over 100 other separate events-all free and open piano master Gonzalo Rubalcaba and quintet will open to the public—will be added to the final festival sched- this first night performance, Friday, February 13, 7:30 ule.