Baltimore's Longest Running Jazz
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JULY 2012 Baltimore’s Longest Running Jazz Gig . 1 Tribute to Joe Henderson and Freddie Hubbard . 3 BALTIMORE JAZZ ALLIANCEALLIANCE Bitten By The Jazz Bug: Carl Carrington . 5 Where’s The Jazz? . 5 Jazz Jam and Networking at Eubie Live! . 7 Jazz Jam Sessions Listing . 8 Musing on the Music . 9 WEAA’s CD Pick of the Month . 9 BJA Products and Discounts . 10 Ad Rates and Member Sign-up Form . 11 VOLUME IX ISSUE VII THE BJA NEWSLETTER WWW.BALTIMOREJAZZ.COM Baltimore’s Longest Running Jazz Gig hese days musicians might consider a monthly gig that lasts one year as quite a milestone. Now PAUL WINGO consider this. Guitarist Paul Wingo has played Tin the bar at Bertha’s Restaurant virtually every Tuesday night for the past thirty years! Here’s how it all started. After a long process to get his restaurant’s zoning changed to allow live music, Tony Norris put in a piano and planned to have Billy Colucci play there every Tuesday. Norris spread the word. Colucci, however, had neglected to mention his imminent move to New York. Fortunately, Norris heard Paul Wingo play at a party in Fells Point and liked what he heard. Wingo was available on Tues - days, and the deal was struck. No one remembers the exact date he started, but the year was 1982. Wingo remembers how the music began. “I started with Drew Gress on bass. Tony Norris put us together. After awhile Paul Langosch came in on bass and we added Mike Smith on drums. They’d been playing to - gether for so many years that it was piece of cake playing in front of them. Then we had Chuck Karner on drums, then Phil Cunneff, Mike Sheppard. Now it’s Jeff Reed on bass and Mike Kuhl on drums. It’s just magical what oc - curs there every night, the oneness that occurs. I like to think of it as one guy playing three instruments.” Wingo has high praise for bassist Reed. “Jeff is a genius. He’s an amazing bass player, the heartbeat.” About his cur - rent drummer, he adds, “Mike’s been studying all kinds PHOTO COURTESY OF PAUL WINGO of Eastern rhythms and brings that to the jazz. It knocks my socks off.” “It’s a great room to play,” says Paul. “Joe La Barbera Reed began substituting for Paul Langosch eight or ten (drummer for Woody Herman, Chuck Mangione and years ago, then alternated with Jeff Lopez. He estimates that he has been full-time for the past six years. About Tony Bennett) came in on drums one night and said it’s one of the nicest jazz rooms he’s played . .” (continued on page 2) r1 Baltimore’s Longest Running Jazz Gig (continued from front page) BALTIMORE JAZZ ALLIANCEALLIANCE playing with Paul Wingo, Reed says, “Oh, it’s awesome, man. He’s super laid-back, one of the most open musi - cians. He does do things leaders need to We are a 501(c)(3) do, but you don’t feel any resistance if tax exempt organization the other musicians take it in a different direction.” He adds that Wingo brings he Baltimore Jazz Alliance (BJA) is a mammoth brown folders filled with Tgrass-roots organization of jazz afi - cionados, musicians and venues dedi - charts of tunes. “They’re completely out cated to enhancing and promoting jazz of order, but he somehow knows where in Baltimore and the surrounding areas. everything is. You could call for, say, ‘Is - New members sharing this passion are rael’ (a bop era tune by trumpeter John PHOTO COURTESY OF JEFF REED always welcome as the BJA continues its Carisi) and he’s found it in no time.” efforts to build a stronger and better net - worked jazz scene. Together we can Reed adds that Wingo is pretty good at “They really never tell us what we help this music thrive in the region and handling homeless people who occa - have to do,” says Jeff Reed, “like reward listeners and musicians alike. sionally walk in. “He does it without about the volume or the length of BJA Priorities being condescending. He’s a really • To develop new audiences for jazz sweet guy and that adds to the vibe.” sets. It ends up creating this vibe of Also adding to the vibe are the room • To strengthen communication real freedom. I really feel I can be within the jazz community itself and the employers’ attitudes. “It’s • To improve media relations on a great room to play,” says Wingo. “Joe myself as a musician.” behalf of the jazz community La Barbera (drummer for Woody Her - • To bring greater visibility to the man, Chuck Mangione and Tony Ben - Olney to Baltimore. I went to the Cre - entire array of jazz offerings in the nett) came in on drums one night and ative Music Studio in Woodstock, New Baltimore region said it’s one of the nicest jazz rooms he’s York, in 1976. Karl Berger was the cre - • To provide greater access to performance opportunities for played. It feels at home to me.” Norris ative energy behind it. Berger said that Baltimore-area jazz musicians has always given Wingo full autonomy. if it wasn’t for the musicians of New “It’s his gig,” says Norris. “They really York City coming out and playing every Visit www.baltimorejazz.com never tell us what we have to do,” Reed night, that place would just be rubble. for information about our adds, “like about the volume or the It’s our job to cool off the city, to bring accomplishments and future goals. length of sets. It ends up creating this that energy. My mission is to create love, vibe of real freedom. I really feel I can be peace and oneness. The music is a pow - Baltimore Jazz Alliance myself as a musician. Andy, Norris’s erful force to create that, filtered through 847 North Howard Street Baltimore, Maryland 21201 son, says, “I want you to come in and do us musicians. People look for a place to your thing.” It’s rare. They just want rejuvenate. I know it rejuvenates me.” Please direct your good music.” The Paul Wingo Trio plays every Tues - questions and comments to: [email protected] Asked why he has stuck with jazz for day from 9 p.m. to 1 a.m. Jeff Reed’s trio so long, Norris, who plays and teaches plays at Bertha’s every Thursday, 9:30 classical guitar, makes the reason sound p.m. to 1 a.m. On every first Wednesday BJA STEERING COMMITTEE simple. “That’s what I grew up listening of the month, Big Bertha’s Rhythm Alice Downs to. I just like it and like to promote that Kings, one of the area’s few Dixieland Barry Glassman, Founder kind of music. My son also grew up bands, performs from 9 p.m. to midnight. Leslie Imes with it.” He proudly drops the names of Trumpeter Alan Houser’s quintet com - Bob Jacobson, Vice President well-known jazz musicians who have mands the bandstand there every first John Lee played at Bertha’s—Al Cohn, Joe Cohn, Sunday of the month, 1:00 to 5:00 p.m. Todd Marcus Ron Diehl, Butch Warren. Bertha’s is located at 734 S. Broadway Marianne Matheny-Katz I asked Wingo if, after thirty years, he (corner of Lancaster St.), in Fells Point, Camay Calloway Murphy ever gets tired of the gig. “Tired? Never. Baltimore, 21231; phone: 410-327-5795. Mark Osteen, President Every now and then I ask myself what www.berthas.com/home.html I’m doing driving all the way from – Bob Jacobson Page 2 / July 2012 Baltimore Jazz Alliance Tribute to Joe Henderson and Freddie Hubbard n Sunday, June 10th, The Eubie notes of a familiar tune were played. JAVON JACKSON Blake National Jazz Institute The band kicked off the first set with O and Cultural Center was the a vivacious rendition of Henderson’s site of a tribute concert organized by jazz composition, “Home Stretch,” from his presenter Mike Binsky. Trumpeter Fred - 1963 debut album Page One . Fingers die Hubbard and tenor saxophonist Joe flew in a blur on the instruments as the Henderson, two giants of jazz from the musicians played at a blistering tempo, 1950s through the 1980s, were celebrated while maintaining a piercing melodic by a quintet headed by Javon Jackson on clarity. tenor, and including Baltimore native Things cooled down a bit on the sec - Tommy Williams on trumpet, Larry Willis ond number, “Serenity,” recorded on on piano, Steve Novosel on bass, and Henderson’s 1964 album In ‘N Out. Jack - Billy Williams on drums. son and Tommy Williams again played In his introduction to the players, the head together almost as one voice, Binsky explained that he had chosen except for the occasional touch of color - them because of their associations with ful dissonance. Hubbard and Henderson, who often An intriguing drum solo by Billy played together. The audience seemed Williams opened the third tune, “Blue to be composed of long-time jazz afi - Bossa,” also recorded on Page One . cionados who were quite familiar with Across the room, heads were bobbing the work of those two jazz greats and and toes were tapping to the infectious PHOTOS ON THIS PAGE BY JUDY WEBBER who often responded with audible beat of this Kenny Dorham classic. recognition and pleasure as the first few A moody, reflective sax solo intro - duced the plaintive melody of Thelo - nious Monk’s “’Round Midnight,” a tune Henderson recorded on three of his al - The second set opened with Freddie Hubbard’s bums.