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August 2007 Issue No. 150 13 Years Serving the Jazz Community 15TH ANNUAL ERIE ART MUSEUM JAZZERIE BLUES & JAZZ FESTIVAL MEMBERSHIP Saturday, August 4 and Sunday, August 5 -Its Time to Renew!!! Frontier Park - Noon til 10 p.m each day August is the month to renew your SCHEDULE Headliner for JazzErie membership, which will expire this day of jazz (8:00 on Sept. 1, 2007. You can return the Saturday, August 4 – Blues day – 10:00 PM) is the membership form on the back of this Rashied Ali Quintet. Newsletter, along with your check, to 12:00 noon – Family performance, the address shown. Or you can get a featuring the Erie African Dance Ali’s bio membership at the JazzErie booth at the Troupe Sylla Kundla describes him as Erie Art Museum Blues & Jazz Festival “A progenitor and this month. (If you renewed or joined 2:00 PM – Familiar Spirit Band leading exponent last month, ignore this notice.) of multidirectional 4:00 PM – Geoff Achison rhythms.polytonal You subscription to News Notes will percussion.” With a resume that includes continue through October, and possibly 6:00 PM – Lil’ Ed and the Blues creative excursions with such musical November, but will end then. You will Imperials free spirits as Don Cherry, Pharoah not be eligible for concert admission discounts after Sept. 1. 8:00 PM – Junior Brown Sanders, Paul Bley, Archie Shepp and Albert Ayler, who’s going to argue? Oh This is you annual opportunity Sunday, August 5 – Jazz day yes, and most especially there was an to refresh your support of Erie’s jazz extended stint with John Coltrane, joining community. Benefits include: 12:00 noon – Gem City Jazz Band Elvin Jones in a number of seminal -Co-sponsorship of many jazz concerts and recordings. 2:00 PM – Cats A Bear events during the year -Reduced rates on many JazzErie 4:00 PM – Babik concerts 6:00 PM – Stew Cutler Trio -A monthly newsletter with news of upcoming events and concerts, plus in- 8:00 PM - Rashied Ali Quintet depth commentary This year’s concert on the lawn -Support of local jazz education in at Frontier Park marks the Erie Art schools and community Museum’s 15th year of procuring great -A monthly Jazz Discussion Group, international and regional talent for the an evening of fine recorded music and enjoyment of Erie’s blues and jazz fans. Rashied Ali stimulating conversation Featured this year, along with Saturday’s Critic Chris Kelsey describes -The knowledge that you are sizzling blues by Junior Brown, Lil’ Ed Ali’s contribution: “From the time he supporting the life and health of this vital and the Blues Imperials and others will joined Coltrane in late 1965 until the music in Erie. be a full day of jazz performances on saxophonist’s death in July, 1967, Ali Sunday. JOIN NOW. Continued on pg. 2 .... For More Information: www.jazzerie.com helped enable Trane’s final, most radical At 6:00, the Festival brings you the break with convention. The drummer’s Stew Cutler Trio. Guitarist/composer/ JAZZ ERIE skittering, high-energy playing fractured arranger and cross-genre musician Stew JazzErie is a com- the pulse into tiny shards, which he Cutler hails from NYC. He left for the munity of music lovers and reassembled, mosaic-like, into something open road at age 19, for a gig with blues musicians and, a member- quite different. Ali staked out new areas legend ZZ Hill, and has since moved ship organization dedicated of rhythmic independence and sound across a broad musical landscape, to sharing with children, exploration.” including stops with new music pioneers adults and one an-other Bobby Previte and Eliot Sharp, bass an awareness and love of Ali grew up in Philadelphia, studied master Harvey Brooks, and many others. music, particularly jazz. JazzErie brings with Philly Joe Jones, and is a big Cutler has recorded with David Sanborn, toget-her people who want to listen to jazz, admirer of Art Blakey, but has carved his Marty Erlich, Lester Bowie, Bill Frisell learn about it, play it and just live it. own creative niche in jazz percussion. and others. His trio recordings feature After Coltrane’s death he toured Europe sidemen bassist Booker King and Check out our website at for awhile, then returned to NYC, playing drummer Garry Bruer. www.jazzerie.com for complete with cutting edge leaders of the era information on current and – Jackie McLean, Alice Coltrane, Gary JAZZERIE BOARD upcoming events. Bartz, Dewey Redman and others. He opened his own loft-jazz club, Ali’s Alley, MEETING SUMMARY in 1973. He also started a recording July 10, 2007 2007-2008 Board of Directors enterprise long before this became a The Board welcomes new members trend. President..................... Dr. Carl Hultman Allen Zurcher, John Kytic, Brian Vice President ........................ Ed Goebel Ali’s current Quintet, with whom Sheridan and reelected members Joe Treasurer ..............................Liz Scarpelli he has made two CD’s: “Judgment Day, Curlett and Mary Watson. Vol. 1” and “Judgment Day, Vol. 2” (CD Directors Baby), may sound more conventional, President Carl Hultman announced Joe Curlett Brian Sheridan but listen close. “It might sound like a number of TV interviews publicizing Robb Hoff Charles Lute that on the surface,” Ali advises, “but the Jazz Walk this week. Al Lubiejewski Al Lubiejewski Julie Masterson underneath you’ll hear a lot of stuff that is working with Erie Times staff on a John Marzalek Scott Meier says I’m really an avant-garde player.” Spotlight article. Arrangements for the Sheldon Peterson Allen Zurcher The group, together now for four years, Jazz Walk are nearly complete. John Mary Watson Dick Thompson includes trumpeter Jumaane Smith, tenor Kytic reported on membership drive John Kytic saxophonist Lawrence Clark, pianist plans, including a special mailing. He Past Presidents Greg Murphy and bassist Joris Teepe has met with former membership chair David F. Van Amburg 1994-1995 * * * * * * * * Nancy Eichelsdorfer. Liz Scarpelli gave (Founding President) a favorable financial report. She will The day will begin with a family prepare a budget next month when Jazz Atty. Al Lubiejewski 1995-1997 concert by the Gem City Jazz Band, Walk receipts are known. Ed Goebel is Virginia M. Pelkowski 1997-1999 followed at 2:00 by that local repository seeking volunteers for the JazzErie Booth of jazz expertise, Cats A Bear, R. Patrick Rodgers 1999-2002 at the Erie Art Museum Blues & Jazz Steve Eidell 2002-2003 comprised of guitarist/keyboardist Frank Singer, drummer Joe Dorris, bassist Tony Festival on August 4 & 5. Tom McLaren 2003-2005 Stefanelli, saxophonist Phil Popotnik and percussionist Tito Ronzitti. New business: A local group is JAZZERIE NOTES is published monthly discussing youth jazz events/workshops. by JazzErie which is a subsidiary organiza- John Kytic will serve as JazzErie’s tion of the Erie Art Museum, a nonprofit organization. representative to this group. Possible additional grant funding for special JazzErie Notes events was discussed. Editor - Dick Thompson published by CORRECTION PIP Printing West 2825 West 26th St. • Erie, PA 16506 Two important names were Babik inadvertently omitted from last Deadline is the 15th of each month. month’s list of JazzErie volunteers: At 4:00, you will hear Babik (bah- Send articles to: Bob Protzman, a jazz journalist who ‘beek), from Buffalo, a “gypsy swing” [email protected] quartet, direct musical descendents of brings his broad knowledge of jazz and or Box 8833, Erie, PA 16505 Django Reinhardt’s Hot Club bands of invaluable contacts to JazzErie, and Dr. the 1930’s. This acoustic group features Ken Gamble, a saxophonist and part of Stuart Fuchs on lead guitar, Geoff Perry our Gannon contingent. Both serve on on violin, Josh Assad on rhythm guitar JazzErie’s Performance Committee. and Kevin O’Brien on upright bass. Page 2 Erie Jazz Notes HISTORICAL designed to encourage discussion and Now for something completely offer insight into the history of jazz, its different. Don Schwab introduces us PERSPECTIVES important figures, and most importantly, to the Music Educators’ Award winners the music which many of us have for best collegiate vocalist and jazz dedicated our lives to exploring and ensemble: Kristin Grassi with the enjoying. Kutztown U. big band. Kristin professes a desire for the Broadway stage but sings Next month I will examine the ‘Big with an intimacy and phrasing to put over Questions’. What is Jazz? What musical a jazz performance. Her accompanists characteristics define jazz? Why may one are splendid. They could share the stage piece of music be considered jazz, and with anyone. The album is “Dance You another not? Monster” and we listened to “A Time For If you have comments or questions Love.” Do you need a copy? Contact about this series of articles you may Kutztown University of Pennsylvania. email me at [email protected]. or The 1970’s was an interesting time Dr. Allen Zurcher mail your comments to JazzErie, PO Box 8833, Erie, PA 16505-0833. for improvised music as jazz musicians It is with a great deal of excitement fused their sensibilities with the music Thanks for reading. and enthusiasm that Jazz Erie introduces of Africa, India, American Folk, French a new column in the monthly newsletter. JAZZERIE Impressionism and Rock. The swing This segment will examine jazz from rhythm of Benny Moten and Kenny Clark a historical standpoint by looking at DISCUSSION GROUP was abandoned for the straight, even specific styles, such as swing, be-bop June 21, 2007 eighth note rhythm of the aforementioned and traditional jazz (Dixieland), and genres. A small fraction of those to discuss their origins and influences. Each embrace this musical stew were Larry discussion will include a brief description Coryell, Paul Winter, Ralph Towner, of the style, its major contributors and Keith Jarrett, Eberhard Weber, Kenny musical examples pertaining to that Wheeler and Miles Davis.