Downloaded PDF File of the Original First-Edi- Pete Extracted More Music from the Song Form of the Chart That Adds Refreshing Contrast
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
DECEMBER 2016 VOLUME 83 / NUMBER 12 President Kevin Maher Publisher Frank Alkyer Editor Bobby Reed Managing Editor Brian Zimmerman Contributing Editor Ed Enright Creative Director ŽanetaÎuntová Design Assistant Markus Stuckey Circulation Manager Kevin R. Maher Assistant to the Publisher Sue Mahal Bookkeeper Evelyn Oakes Editorial Intern Izzy Yellen ADVERTISING SALES Record Companies & Schools Jennifer Ruban-Gentile 630-941-2030 [email protected] Musical Instruments & East Coast Schools Ritche Deraney 201-445-6260 [email protected] OFFICES 102 N. Haven Road, Elmhurst, IL 60126–2970 630-941-2030 / Fax: 630-941-3210 http://downbeat.com [email protected] CUSTOMER SERVICE 877-904-5299 / [email protected] CONTRIBUTORS Senior Contributors: Michael Bourne, Aaron Cohen, Howard Mandel, John McDonough Atlanta: Jon Ross; Austin: Kevin Whitehead; Boston: Fred Bouchard, Frank- John Hadley; Chicago: John Corbett, Alain Drouot, Michael Jackson, Peter Margasak, Bill Meyer, Mitch Myers, Paul Natkin, Howard Reich; Denver: Norman Provizer; Indiana: Mark Sheldon; Iowa: Will Smith; Los Angeles: Earl Gibson, Todd Jenkins, Kirk Silsbee, Chris Walker, Joe Woodard; Michigan: John Ephland; Minneapolis: Robin James; Nashville: Bob Doerschuk; New Orleans: Erika Goldring, David Kunian, Jennifer Odell; New York: Alan Bergman, Herb Boyd, Bill Douthart, Ira Gitler, Eugene Gologursky, Norm Harris, D.D. Jackson, Jimmy Katz, Jim Macnie, Ken Micallef, Dan Ouellette, Ted Panken, Richard Seidel, Tom Staudter, Jack Vartoogian, Michael Weintrob; North Carolina: Robin Tolleson; Philadelphia: David Adler, Shaun Brady, Eric Fine; San Francisco: Mars Breslow, Forrest Bryant, Clayton Call, Yoshi Kato; Seattle: Paul de Barros; Tampa Bay: Philip Booth; Washington, D.C.: Willard Jenkins, John Murph, Michael Wilderman; Belgium: Jos Knaepen; Canada: Greg Buium, James Hale, Diane Moon; Denmark: Jan Persson; France: Jean Szlamowicz; Germany: Detlev Schilke, Hyou Vielz; Great Britain: Brian Priestley; Japan: Kiyoshi Koyama; Portugal: Antonio Rubio; Romania: Virgil Mihaiu; Russia: Cyril Moshkow; South Africa: Don Albert. Jack Maher, President 1970-2003 John Maher, President 1950-1969 SUBSCRIPTION INFORMATION: Send orders and address changes to: DOWNBEAT, P.O. Box 11688, St. Paul, MN 55111–0688. Inquiries: U.S.A. and Canada (877) 904-5299; Foreign (651) 251-9682. CHANGE OF ADDRESS: Please allow six weeks for your change to become effective. When notifying us of your new address, include current DOWN- BEAT label showing old address. DOWNBEAT (issn 0012-5768) Volume 83, Number 12 is published monthly by Maher Publications, 102 N. Haven, Elmhurst, IL 60126-2970. Copyright 2016 Maher Publica- tions. All rights reserved. Trademark registered U.S. Patent Office. Great Britain regis- tered trademark No. 719.407. Periodicals postage paid at Elmhurst, IL and at additional mailing offices. Subscription rates: $34.95 for one year, $59.95 for two years. Foreign subscriptions rates: $56.95 for one year, $103.95 for two years. Publisher assumes no responsibility for return of unsolicited manuscripts, photos, or artwork. Nothing may be reprinted in whole or in part without written permission from publisher. MAHER PUBLICATIONS: DOWNBEAT magazine, MUSIC INC. maga- zine, UpBeat Daily. POSTMASTER: Send change of address to: DownBeat, P.O. Box 11688, St. Paul, MN 55111–0688. CABLE ADDRESS: DownBeat (on sale November 15, 2016) Magazine Publishers Association. Á 4 DOWNBEAT DECEMBER 2016 DECEMBER 2016 ANDREA CANTER ON THE COVER 26 Maria Schneider Attacking the ‘Data Lords’ BY ALLEN MORRISON 26 The Maria Schneider Orchestra Maria Schneider (right) conducts wins Jazz Album of the Year for her namesake orchestra at the 2015 Detroit Jazz Festival. The Thompson Fields, and the ensemble’s visionary leader takes Cover photo of Maria Schneider shot by Jimmy & Dena Katz in New York City on Sept. 15. home top honors in the Composer and Arranger categories of this year’s Readers Poll. 5-Star Review +++++ FEATURES 34 Phil Woods JOS L. KNAEPEN Hall of Fame, Alto Saxophonist of the Year BY TED PANKEN 66 Charlie Haden 68 Jane Bunnett 70 Corey King 79 Roberto Fonseca Liberation Music & Maqueque 38 Top Jazz Albums Orchestra 40 Top Historical Albums SPECIAL SECTION 42 Kamasi Washington Jazz Artist of the Year BY PHILLIP LUTZ 83 Holiday Gift Guide 46 John Coltrane Historical Album of the Year BY JAMES HALE DEPARTMENTS 50 Jazz at Lincoln Center 8 First Take Macy Gray 104 Transcription Orchestra Oleg Butman David Krakauer Big Band of the Year 10 Chords & Discords Clarinet Solos BY PHILLIP LUTZ 63 Reviews 13 The Beat 106 Toolshed 54 James Carter 100 Master Class 110 Jazz On Campus Baritone Saxophonist of the Year 20 Players BY PETE MCGUINNESS BY JOHN EPHLAND Victor Gould 102 Pro Session 114 Blindfold Test 56 Complete Poll Results Huntertones BY ROBERTA PIKET John Abercrombie 6 DOWNBEAT DECEMBER 2016 First Take BY BOBBY REED TED WILLIAMS, FROM JAZZ: THE ICONIC IMAGES OF TED WILLIAMS (ACC EDITIONS) Johnny Frigo (left) Lurlean Hunter and Johnny Griffin in Chicago Seasons Change IN THE DOG DAYS OF SUMMER, WHEN THE THERMOMETER climbs to 95 degrees and I’m sitting in a baseball stadium, watching a pitcher throw a 95 m.p.h. fastball, occasionally I start thinking about snowfall and the holiday season. That’s because I’m already ponder- ing which items should be included in DownBeat’s annual Holiday Gift Guide. (Santa works on his list year-round, and so do we.) This year’s edition of the Holiday Gift Guide, which begins on page 83, is bigger than ever. The guide is stuffed with a wide array of gift ideas for musicians and music lovers, including instruments, holiday albums, CD box sets, DVDs, coffee-table books and more. We’re particularly excited to showcase the book Jazz: The Iconic Images of Ted Williams, published by ACC Editions. Williams (1925– 2009) was a frequent contributor to DownBeat, and this hefty, 352-page tome includes many images he shot for the magazine, such as the photo above. Anyone who has visited Chicago in December knows that the intersection of Michigan Avenue and Chicago Avenue is always bustling during the holiday season, as crowds flock to stores, religious services and tourist attractions. In Williams’ photo, musicians Johnny Frigo, Lurlean Hunter and Johnny Griffin are decked out in their winter clothing, seemingly obliv- ious to the traffic whizzing nearby. Earmuffs are always a nice touch for a saxophonist. In addition to the Holiday Gift Guide, this issue of DownBeat includes the results of our 81st Annual Readers Poll. We’re thrilled to welcome alto saxophonist Phil Woods into the DownBeat Hall of Fame, but it’s a bittersweet moment: We wish that Mr. Woods were still with us so that he could enjoy this well-deserved accolade. Maria Schneider topped three categories in the Readers Poll: Composer, Arranger and Jazz Album of the Year, for the Maria Schneider Orchestra’s exquisite disc The Thompson Fields. In our cover story, Schneider eloquently discusses artists’ rights in the digital age. Anyone who cares about equity for artists should read what Schneider has to say. We want to hear other musicians’ and fans’ opinions on this extreme- ly important topic. Please send your emails to [email protected]. Thanks for interacting with us, and please keep on reading. DB 8 DOWNBEAT DECEMBER 2016 Chords Discords In Praise of Film Scores I’m writing in regard to John McDonough’s comments on the album Real Enemies by Dar- cy James Argue’s Secret Society (The Hot Box, BEN ANAMAN November). Something doesn’t compute: Mr. McDonough gives the album only 3½ stars, yet compares it to “music for Hitchcock, Fran- kenheimer, Spielberg.” I remember the history of DownBeat crit- ics’ “put-downs” in which a soundtrack com- parison is considered to be the worst insult that can be made—despite the fact that film scores are one of the great musical genres of the past century. Those comments are akin to a classical music critic dismissing Daphnis et Chloé as “just a ballet score.” By the way, comparing a new release to scores by Bernstein, Goldsmith and Williams would be the highest praise one could make; any release worthy of it would automatically merit a 5-star rating. TOM HUDAK Darcy James Argue PORTLAND, OREGON Jazz Studies in California One of the Greats We were delighted to receive such great This letter is about the great vibraphonist coverage from DownBeat regarding our excit- Bobby Hutcherson (“The ‘Always Striving’ Bob- ing new RJAM program at the San Francisco by Hutcherson: 1941–2016,” November). Conservatory of Music (“New Horizons in Bay In March 1996, Hutcherson had just fin- Area,” October). We apologize for any offense ished playing two superb sets at the Regattabar taken in reference to the offerings of other jazz in Cambridge, Massachusetts. As the crowd dis- programs in the Northern California region. persed, I asked him if he needed any help haul- There are many fine four-year programs in the ing out his equipment. “Sure,” he said. It’s been area, including at the University of the Pacif- two decades since that night, but I remember ic, American River College, CSU-East Bay and a man that was as kind and empathetic as one Sacramento, SF State, San Jose State, Sonoma could hope to meet. State, Stanford and others. When I asked Mr. Hutcherson about his We encourage students to look at the friendship with Eric Dolphy, he told me about many wonderful programs in Northern Cal- Dolphy’s many phone calls to him: “Sometimes ifornia and elsewhere as they consider their he’d be playing his sax or his flute—and some- college choices. times I’d just hear the birds outside Eric’s win- dow,” I recall him saying. SIMON ROWE SAN FRANCISCO CONSERVATORY OF MUSIC The world has lost not only a supreme musi- cian, but a truly wonderful man.