Buster Williams Buster Williams
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HASAAN IBN ALI’S LOST ALBUM • ANNUAL SUMMER JAZZ PROGRAMS GUIDE APRIL 2021 The Low-End Griot BUSTERBUSTER WILLIAMSWILLIAMS Is Now on Film MORGAN GUERIN Instrumental Polymath EDDIE HENDERSON His Brightest Moments THEO BLECKMANN Meets THE WESTERLIES BASS SPECIAL RON CARTER JOHN CLAYTON SANTI DEBRIANO JORGE ROEDER jazztimes.com BRIAN BROMBERG CONTENTS APRIL 2021 ♦ VOLUME 51 ♦ NUMBER 3 In every issue Features 3 JT Notes 4 Opening Chorus Hasaan Ibn Ali’s second album sees BUSTER WILLIAMS release at last, 55 years after it was 18 He’s been a first-call bassist for decades, an indispensable support player, recorded; Jorge Roeder, bassist of but his time to take center stage is finally here courtesy of Adam Kahan’s choice; Brian Bromberg is blessed insightful new documentary Bass to Infinity. Ted Panken discusses the with the curse of diversity; and fare- film and the career it traces with Kahan, George Colligan, Kenny Barron, wells to Bobby Few, Mario Suraci, Christian McBride, Lenny White, and Williams himself. Howard Johnson, Sammy Nestico, Junior Mance, and Jonas Gwangwa MORGAN GUERIN 10 Chronology CHARLES LLOYD & THE MARVELS DR. LONNIE SMITH JOE CHAMBERS 24 The three albums that Morgan Guerin has released so far as a leader Ethan Iverson on Ron Carter TONE POEM BREATHE SAMBA DE MARACATU are all called parts of a “saga,” and adding to their epic nature is the 12 Before & After Sax master covers of Ornette Coleman, Leonard B3 organ legend live at Jazz Standard with a septet A stalwart of progressive mid-60s Blue Note classics, fact that he plays nearly every instrument on them. Geoffrey Himes John Clayton with Ken Peplowski Cohen & more with The Marvels featuring Bill for his 75th birthday celebration, bookended by the great drummer, percussionist, vibraphonist & talks to an in-demand 22-year-old who’s as ambitious as he is versatile. Frisell, Greg Leisz, Reuben Rogers & Eric Harland. 2 unique studio collaborations with Iggy Pop. composer returns with his 2nd album as a leader. 16 Overdue Ovation EDDIE HENDERSON: BRIGHT MOMENTS Santi Debriano 30 From his early days with Herbie Hancock’s Mwandishi crew to his most re- 52 Audio Files cent dates for Smoke Sessions, trumpeter Eddie Henderson has appeared on Brent Butterworth on how to more than 150 records. In our latest installment of Bright Moments, he guides improve your room sound Michael J. West through selected highlights of his formidable catalog. 54 Chops Teaching adults to play jazz 56 Gearhead A virtual NAMM R+R=NOW IMMANUEL WILKINS JOEL ROSS R+R=NOW LIVE OMEGA WHO ARE YOU? Robert Glasper, Terrace Martin, Christian Scott A vinyl release of the alto saxophonist’s acclaimed Vibraphonist’s sophomore album features Good Vibes aTunde Adjuah, Derrick Hodge, Taylor McFerrin & debut produced by Jason Moran which was named with Immanuel Wilkins, Jeremy Corren, Kanoa Justin Tyson captured live at the Blue Note Club. the #1 Jazz Album of 2020 by The New York Times. Mendenhall, Jeremy Dutton & Brandee Younger. 58 Reviews THEO BLECKMANN & THE WESTERLIES Archie Shepp & Jason Moran, the 36 JLCO Septet's Democracy! Suite, The eclectic German-born singer/songwriter and the similarly genre-averse Dr. Lonnie Smith, Jon Batiste, Kari VARIOUS ARTISTS TONE POET AUDIOPHILE BLUE NOTE CLASSIC American brass quartet met up five years ago, and they describe their sub- Kirkland, Emmet Cohen, and more VINYL REISSUE SERIES sequent creative process as “five minds working together as one.” On their BLUE NOTE RE:IMAGINED VINYL REISSUE SERIES 64 Coda UK rising stars like Shabaka Hutchings, Nubya All-analog 180g vinyl produced by Joe Harley, mastered New series of all-analog 180g vinyl reissues first joint album,This Land, those five minds are thinking about the troubled state of the U.S.—and how to address it in beauty. By A.D. Amorosi Walking with Walter Page Garcia & Jorja Smith rework Blue Note classics by by Kevin Gray from original masters, pressed at RTI, & kicks off with timeless Blue Note classics mastered by Wayne Shorter, Herbie Hancock & more. packaged in deluxe gatefold tip-on jackets. Kevin Gray from original masters & pressed at Optimal. ANNUAL GUIDE TO SUMMER JAZZ PROGRAMS Cover image by Alan Nahigian 41 Table of Contents image by John Labbé GET OFFICIAL BLUE NOTE MERCHANDISE AND EXCLUSIVE RELEASES AT twitter.com/bluenoterecords BlueNote.com facebook.com/bluenote STORE.BLUENOTE.COM instagram - @bluenoterecords © Blue Note Records JAZZTIMES.COM 1 CapitolMusicBlueNote_fp_JTM2104.indd 1 2/3/21 2:59 PM Dynamic vocalist THEO BLECKMANN and bold brass ensemble THE WESTERLIES make This Land is beautiful (protest) music together By A.D. Amorosi Photography by John Labbé Their Land ate in the afternoon on an for a moment. To something stronger. that I remembered. “For me, the idea of unusually warm January day, Besides, there’s nothing wrong with its lines, and of floating—that curved the House of Representa- preaching to the choir. The choir needs aesthetic—has found its way into a tives—stirred to fast action by the attack support too, strength to continue.” sound that uses soft edges. Everything onL the United States Capitol the week “So,” I interjected, pulling a title from blends and melts together with me. prior—voted to impeach then-President one of This Land’s more incendiary It’s a never-ending arc, a never-ending Donald J. Trump for the second time in tracks, “it’s fair to say that you cover- propulsion, which has found its way into his term. Mere days before his four-year ing Woody Guthrie’s ‘Tear the Fascists my music.” tenure was ending, with Joe Biden soon Down’ has never seemed more relevant Rowlands hasn’t done much ice to ascend to the presidency, Trump was than it does today.” dancing. But the trumpeter and flugel- cited for incitement and insurrection. The three of us laughed; that is, hornist has spent time in wedding cover “The more impeachment, the better,” despite the fact that neither Trump’s ensembles, led the brass section of the Theo Bleckmann said that same day, actions nor those of the House—nor, in- orchestra for LoftOpera productions, stifling something between a laugh and deed, those of the five-person team that and played in indie-rock bands such as a sigh of disgust. Born in Dortmund, made This Land—are all that funny. Fleet Foxes and Cape Francis. She joined Germany 54 years ago, the Impressionist Then again, if you’re not laughing, the Westerlies in 2016, just as the rest nu-jazz vocalist, interpreter, and com- you’re crying. of the group were first making Bleck- poser has lived in America since 1989, mann’s acquaintance. At that point, the and knows U.S. politics and policy as quartet had made two acclaimed albums From a Scream to a Whisper confidently as he does the genre jumbles Before we get to This Land—which in a third-stream vein with original of his own music. sets Bleckmann’s rubber-band vocals trumpeter Zubin Hensler; they have “Words count,” he added with a huff. against the mixed-grain experimen- since made one more, 2020’s Wherein “It is a message that needs to be sent, talism of Rowland, fellow trumpeter Lies the Good, along with various other this impeachment. You can’t hold public Riley Mulherkar, and trombonists Andy collaborative efforts. office and incite violence. There are -con Clausen and Willem de Koch over gentle “Be it Brecht or an opera session, sequences. A week left? So what?” protest music penned by Joni Mitchell, or playing with pedals and effects, or As Bleckmann revved himself up, Bertolt Brecht, Phil Kline, and mem- background parts in an indie band with trumpeter Chloe Rowlands hummed in bers of the team—it’s crucial to know more ethereal textural elements, or full- approval. She and her bandmates in the how they got to this state-of-the-union fledged improvisation and soloing—all Seattle-born, NYC-based brass quartet address together. the styles I’ve pursued all of my life have the Westerlies have collaborated, most Mentored by Sheila Jordan; renowned found my way into everything I do now,” democratically, with Bleckmann on a for scintillatingly offbeat arrangements Rowlands said. “That’s how the Wester- quiet but storming new protest album, of compositions by Charles Ives, Kurt lies operate to begin with. With us there This Land. Weill, and Kate Bush (the Ives tunes got is an amalgamation of a string quartet’s “Crazy it took this long,” Bleckmann him a Grammy nomination for Best accuracy and the creative exploration of continued. “It is good to know that an Classical Crossover Album in 2009); a free-jazz outfit.” attempted insurrection is what it took and frequently teamed with an eclec- Bleckmann doesn’t dare to try to to get him out. I mean, what the fuck? tic odd lot of jazzbos including John find a reason or rhyme to his aesthetic. What, then, can we do beyond looking Hollenbeck, Anthony Braxton, John “If I knew or could put it into words, I at ourselves? That was the point of this Zorn, Dave Douglas, and Meredith think I’d be a better writer, but there is record: What can we do with the means Monk, Bleckmann made his true start a stripped-down aesthetic that I’m very that we have? Maybe we’ll preach to the as a champion skater before coming into interested in, where I try not to take over choir, and maybe it’s not enough. But his own as an elastic phraser, arranger, or use any jazz mannerisms or bring maybe it is.