Jazz Notes™ The Journal of the Jazz Journalists AssociationSM

Vol. 18, No. 3 • Autumn 2007

From the Editor 2

President’s Report 3

Letter to the Editor 4 By W. Royal Stokes

A Crisis Getting Worse 5 By Alex Henderson

Why Would I Choose 6 Anything Else? By Mikayla R. Gilbreath

Max Roach 7 By arnold jay smith and Paul Rutherford 8 Jazz the New Internet By Laurence Svirchev 8 By Matt Merewitz Book Reviews 9 By Michele Drayton, Ken Dryden, “ ew media” means different all the music’s constituents. We should all George Kanzler and Jerry D’Souza things to different people. Wiki- be especially concerned with these aspects N pedia defines it as “new forms of Web 2.0, as newspaper and magazine News of Members 9 of human and media communication that subscriptions continue to wane and column have been transformed by technology to inches for jazz in print media shrink at an fulfill the basic social need to interact and alarming rate. New Members 12 transact.” Simply put, the hallmarks of the “old” The entry continues: “New media is also World Wide Web were portals, search en- closely associated with the term ‘Web 2.0,’ gines, bulletin boards, newsgroups and IN THIS ISSUE IN which refers to a second generation of In- email. To jazz people already online in the ternet-based services that emphasize online mid-’90s, sites like jazzcentralstation.com, collaboration and sharing among users.” jazzcorner.com, jazzusa.com, allaboutjazz.com Suffice it to say that weblogs (“blogs”), pod- and birdlives.com became popular destina- COVER ILLUSTRATION: casts, sms (text messaging), rss feeds, social tions and resources, and they remain so. networks and wikis, all prominent features Jazz-related offerings on the Internet come There was also the trusty, though extremely in many forms, including websites, blogs, of Web 2.0, fall under the new media um- controversial, All Music Guide (amg) at video and audio podcasts, PDF publications, brella. mp3 recordings and transcriptions. allmusic.com. Not surprisingly, all the developments of Screenshot by Forrest Dylan Bryant. Web 2.0 have a direct bearing on jazz and continued on page 14 | » Futurama Jazz Notes n this issue of Jazz Notes, Matt I’m of two minds about all this. Will la- Merewitz reports on jazz in the bels become more tightfisted? Or, given the quarterly journal of the I new media age and how artists, the speed and cost-effectiveness of email, Jazz Journalists Association journalists and others are faring. In will they end up sending more music to a related matter, music more people? Speaking as a Editor writers are seeing significant city dweller, I have to wel- David R. Adler developments in the digital come anything that reduces delivery of recorded music. physical clutter. I spend far Associate Editor As the subject line of a recent too much time junking cd James Hale email from ecm Records jewel cases, sorting and fil- put it, “the future is here.” ing and so forth. Recently Art Director It was here already, but the I had five or six of my cd Forrest Dylan Bryant year 2007 will probably be shelves collapse into a huge remembered as a tipping From the pile. Re-alphabetizing letters Photo Editor point. B through E of my library Laurence Svirchev Editor was a nightmare I don’t care What am I getting at? Well, to relive, and it made me see Circulation Manager that flow of promo cds David R. Adler the digital revolution in a Joseph Petrucelli you’ve been receiving in the new light. mail may soon dwindle and Editorial Consultants ultimately disappear. Digital servicing There’s far more to the story than pro- Howard Mandel platforms are popping up, and ecm is mos, of course. An entire business sector W. Royal Stokes not the only label making the switch. is being remade. The Ropeadope, Ayler David Franklin The logic is simple: Rather than spend and Palmetto labels have begun releas- money mailing out discs to critics, labels ing download-only titles. Publishers, can just send a download link via email. too, are jumping aboard: in our previous Editorial Correspondence Writers still get to hear (and keep) the issue, William J. Schafer chronicled the David R. Adler titles that interest them. And cds can transition of The Mississippi Rag from a 2122 Kater Street still be mailed out on request. print magazine to a web-only presence. Jazz Notes itself was hard-hit by the re- Philadelphia, PA 19146-1215 There are drawbacks, of course. Digi- cent postal rate hike, so this topic hits us 215 366-1099 tal files sacrifice sound quality, and the ( ) where we live. (jja members, please keep more you want to enhance fidelity, the [email protected] your dues payments current!) larger the file. Digital storage, for that matter, requires spending money on In the end, as the Buddhists teach us, the Circulation external drives and being vigilant about only thing guaranteed in life is change. Joseph Petrucelli data loss. At this stage, not everyone has Jazz already lags behind other genres 74 Jewel St., 2nd Floor the equipment or the know-how to deal commercially. It won’t hurt to keep pace Brooklyn, NY 11222 with downloading effectively. And need- technologically. less to say, for those who cherish albums (917) 292-4901 < < < as aesthetic objects and view even cds [email protected] as a regrettable compromise, digital is another big step down the ladder. © 2007 Jazz Journalists Association, Inc. All rights reserved. Reproduction of this publication, as a whole or in any part, without prior written permission of the Jazz Journalists Association, Inc. is prohibited. Corrections jazz journalists association, who asked In John McDonough’s “The Story of Bill Savory” (June 2007), the date of Savory’s you, anyway? and jazz awards are service marks or registered service marks of the Jazz death was given as February 1, 2004. It is in fact February 11, 2004. Journalists Association, Inc. jazz notes The June2007 “From the Editor” includes Bud Powell in a list of important jazz musi- is a trademark and service mark of the Jazz cians from Philadelphia. This is incorrect; Powell was born and died in New York. Journalists Association, Inc. All other marks are the property of their respective owners. Jazz Notes regrets the errors.

2 JAZZ NOTES • Vol. 18, No. 3 µ Above: David R. Adler photograph by Noah Kalina. Ja z z Jo u r n a l i s t s Conference Call As s o c i a t i o n nexpected opportunities Globalizing the Personal (“How do promoting the interests of arise because we’ve got this Jazz journalists establish and develop a journalists covering jazz U Journalists Association: George personal aesthetic, and what are the Lewis, director of Columbia University’s social forces that influence that aes- c/o Village Postal Center for Jazz Studies, thetic?”); 151 1st Avenue asked for our consultations New Music, New Aesthet- New York, NY 10003 on the first international ics (“What kinds of aes- [email protected] conference of jazz journal- thetic, economic, meth- ists to be held in the U.S., odological and cultural Bo a r d o f Di r e c t o r s maybe ever. And so on Sat- alignments are musicians urday, September 29, some Howard Mandel and jazz journalists pursu- 30 writers from as far away President & Executive Director ing in the 21st century?”) as China, Japan, Russia and James Hale, Vice President South Africa are joining Journalism and History Forrest Dylan Bryant with colleagues from Eu- President’s (“What is the place of Susan Fox rope, Canada, Mexico and Report journalism in writing the Gary Giddins of course the U.S. to par- history of jazz?”); Reuben Jackson ticipate in six panel discus- Howard Mandel Jazz in the Global Imagi- Fred Jung sions focusing on some big nary (an open discussion issues, with a special interest ranging over the days’ themes, with Me mb e r s h i p Se c r e t a r y in matters of globalization and new tech- confirmed panelists Gary Giddins, nology. All the public is invited, but es- Jerry D’Souza Francis Davis, Greg Tate, Ben Ratliff, pecially jja members — and as I write we 209 Hollyberry Trail Stanley Crouch, Alex Dutilh (France) are trying to organize a Friday night wel- Willowdale, Ontario m2h 2p3 and Alain Derbez (Mexico), among come reception, and/or a Sunday sendoff. Canada others. As this entire affair has come together (416) 497-9785 very quickly, I apologize for notice that’s This may seem like heady stuff, but we [email protected] possibly too late to allow everybody who’s will strive to keep discussions grounded interested to be able to attend. in the realities of professional jazz jour- Tr e a s u r e r nalism and music-making. The entire However, thanks to Columbia, we are Arnold Jay Smith event is still in some planning stages as I able to hope for simultaneous webcasting 436 State Street write, so check jazzhouse.org for further of the conference panels. And thanks to Brooklyn, NY 11217 details (and a jja-announce email will pro- jja webmaster Whit Blauvelt’s Interactiv- (718) 625-2026; fax: (718) 625-2866 vide info on the before-and-after parties). iew software, our jazzhouse.org site can Our event is being held in conjunction [email protected] host a global chat in real time, allowing with Columbia’s annual World Leaders bloggers in attendance at the panel for The Jazz Journalists Association (jja) Forum — with the support of Columbia’s real or via the web to chime in on the is a 501(c)(3) non-profit corporation, Office of the President — and the first topics, which are: promoting the interests of writers, Columbia/Harlem Festival of Global photographers, broadcasters and new The Global and The Local (“How do Jazz, with events September 19–22 held media professionals covering jazz. The jja musicians and journalists engage is- throughout the Harlem community and supports the creation and dissemination sues of ethnicity, gender, race, class of accurate, balanced, ethical and Manhattanville, as well as on the Colum- informative journalism on all of jazz’s and social formation, in their imme- bia campus. diate environments and wider out- genres; the growth, development and The conference, tentatively titled “New education of the jazz audience and the reach?”); Communities of Jazz Imagination: A dissemination of information pertaining Systems of Production, Distribution to jazz to the general public, by Colloquium on Globalization, Journal- providing forums for the discussion of and Consumption in Local Scenes ism and Change,” is a logical outgrowth jazz-related issues and events, fostering (“How do musicians function in di- of the symposia the jja has participated the development of journalistic and verse societies, what is their support, in at Salve Regina College in Newport, presentation skills among new journalists and what is the role of journalists in Rhode Island, at the annual iaje con- and the continuing development of such placing music and the ideas surround- ferences, at festivals from SFJazz to skills in journalists already engaged in ing it before the public?”); Monterey to Beantown, DC, Portland, the field. continued on next page | »

µ Above: Howard Mandel photograph by Lourdes Delgado. Autumn 2007 • JAZZ NOTES 3 » | PRES. REPORT: from previous page Letter to the Editor Chicago, Tanglewood, Detroit, Tri-C (Cleveland), and at the New School jazz program (webcasts of which are currently on Reclaiming the JJA’s Lifetime Achievement Award view at foratv.com — search for “Jazz from Afar” and “Jazz Matters”). I don’t know exactly what will come of it, but it’s To th e e d i t o r : always good to get together with colleagues, and at least we’ll strengthen the collegial network that is the jja’s reason for our of the five past recipients of the jja’s annual Jazz being. Journalism Lifetime Achievement Award have been men in their 50s. Not to disparage the accomplishments of This is vital, because jazz journalism, indeed all arts F these four distinguished writers, but a professional tenure of journalism, is in transformation. I know this myself, as three decades does not constitute a lifetime by any reasonable chief content provider of a new blog, Jazz Beyond Jazz reckoning. One of the four has publicly implied that he harbors (artsjournal.com/jazzbeyondjazz). I won’t deny it — I’ve been doubts that he deserved the award at this juncture. skeptical about the value of blogging, and I am acutely aware Three years ago the awardee, Gene Lees, was in his mid-70s. of the price (rather than the compensation) of maintaining The first five to receive it were Whitney Balliett, Stanley Dance, an interesting, professionally responsible blog. But it’s worth Nat Hentoff, Dan Morgenstern and Ira Gitler. Dance died at a chance, if getting one’s views and talents out to the world the age of 88 and received the award posthumously. All the oth- is both the substance and marketing strategy of freelancing ers were in their 70s when awarded. today. To me, having a blog distributed to the readership of Doug McLennan’s artsjournal.com is a major benefit, but it’s In the vote this year two senior, and most deserving, candidates were passed over, Mike Zwerin and Doug Ramsey, both past also an enormous challenge. So far, so good: the impulse to their mid-70s. Two others with careers that reached back nearly post frequently has loosened up my writing, always a good six decades, the late Phil Elwood and the late Floyd Levin, were thing. But the results of this experiment remain to be seen. never nominated, and now that they are gone they never will So do the effects of another experiment that McLennan is be, although consideration should be given to honoring them in on, the reestablishment of the National Arts Journalism posthumously. Program, this time as a service organization rather than a fel- All but two of those listed above were jja members when nomi- lowship program. As the jja was one of the five organizing nated — the exceptions being Balliett, who joined after receiv- bodies involved in the first National Critics Conference in ing the award, and Lees, still not a member. Nor should the 2005, and, when we had an associative relationship with the latter feel obligated to join, for the award is by no means ex- National Writers Union, was able to set up members to qualify clusively for members of the jja. Frankly, the award up to this for group health insurance rates, so does affiliation of some time has been gender-challenged, since a woman has yet to be sort with the newly revived najp seem like a plausible step. nominated; ethnically limited in the absence of non-whites; and parochial in that no journalist from overseas has turned up in Don’t worry: your leadership won’t just “do” something like the list of candidates. affiliate without more discussion, dear members. Have I told you lately how proud I am of the work you all do, your con- There is a way to rectify this unfortunate circumstance, which, to my knowledge, is uncharacteristic of other comparable award tinued interest in jja membership and activities, your loyalties programs. Why does the jja not simply put the initial nomina- to our group? Thanks, members. It’s been fun to help this or- tion process in the hands of a committee? The process would then ganization develop into what it has become. And its develop- partake of researched and reasoned efforts to determine which ment has supported unquantifiable measures of my personal are the most deserving and, yes, age-appropriate candidates for growth. Now, the jja has elections for board members com- the Lifetime Achievement Award. There are senior writers on ing up later this fall, and that will mean a new set of officers jazz, female and male, in significant number, both within and seated, or old ones retained, come iaje (which is in Toronto in without the jja membership, any one of whose names would January 2008 — are you going? Let me know, we need to plan splendidly grace the annual ballot as candidates for this valued our programs there, too). So, any potential jja leaders read- recognition of outstanding merit and years of service. ing this column? If you’re interested in becoming even more The final selection from the roster of appropriate candidates involved, please let me or another jja board member — Gary could either be left to the committee or voted on by the mem- Giddins, Fred Jung, Susan Fox, James Hale, Reuben Jackson bership. Either way, the award process would no longer have the or Forrest Dylan Bryant — know. trappings of a popularity contest, which it sadly has become.

More news soon, W. Ro y a l St o k e s

Ho w a r d Former Editor, Jazz Notes (1992–2001) < < < < < <

4 JAZZ NOTES • Vol. 18, No. 3 What to do about health insurance for freelancers? A Crisis Getting Worse 8 By Alex Henderson

he figures are alarming. In Shield, I pay way too much and I only (bre); at other times, he concentrated on March 2007, the United States have it for emergencies. Overall, it’s a freelancing. When the music industry T Census Bureau estimated that crummy system.” trade magazine h i ts laid him off in 2002 44.8 million Americans lacked any type after nearly 10 years, he was given a nasty The Los Angeles-based Steve Ivory, who of health insurance. The figure Michael reminder of what American freelancers has written books on Tina Turner and st Moore gives in his film “Sicko” is50 mil- Prince and has been covering r&b since are paying for health insurance in the 21 lion. This is not counting all of the Amer- the 1970s, is equally familiar with the century. “After the downsizing at h i ts ,” icans who are underinsured — meaning challenges that freelancers face when it recalls Jackson, “I was placed on an 18- that there are gaps in their health cover- comes to health care. “In various stages month cobra plan, which I could han- age that could leave them vulnerable to of my career,” Ivory asserts, “I have sat dle. But once that expired, the proverbial financial devastation in the event of a talking with some of the biggest names shit hit the fan, to the tune of $541 per major illness. month.” The problem is ongoing for the self- And it got worse. “My insurance pre- employed and for freelancers, who are The self-employed miums rose to $635 a month, not to paying ever-rising health care premi- mention closer to $700 per month for ums — assuming they are insured at are paying ever- my wife,” Jackson explains. “Thus, our all. Music critics with full-time staff increasing health care monthly insurance payments far outdis- positions at newspapers, magazines or tanced our home mortgage. Can you say websites are the minority; even some of premiums, if they are second job? While I love the freedom that the busiest, most widely published mu- freelancing offers, there was no way to do sic journalists in the U.S. are full-time insured at all. it full-time when the music industry was freelancers, which means that their op- and is crumbling and jobs were not being tions include buying their own health created. Staffers at magazines have com- in pop music — say, Michael Jackson or insurance (either individually or through plained to me of having four times their Prince — thinking, ‘Wow, I’m sitting group plans offered by the Freelancers previous workload and being required to here in this limo with no health insur- Union, mediabistro.com and others); do- pay a substantial portion of insurance ance.’ That insurance is not affordable ing without it and taking their chances; premiums, or else be let go and pay for it to the poor and those living from check or getting health coverage through a all. Talk about a rock and a hard place. to check I find absolutely despicable in a spouse’s employer. And while freelanc- country that refers to itself as a ‘super- “Last year,” Jackson continues, “I got an ers dominate rock/pop journalism, non- power.’” Internet job as a sports programming freelancers are almost nonexistent in jazz analyst. The company pays half my insur- journalism; there are hardly any full-time Ivory, 51, has Blue Cross, but he recalls ance costs, which I can handle now; the staff positions for writers who cover noth- an earlier time in his career: “I often re- pay is decent. But I shudder to think of ing but jazz. lied on Los Angeles’s free clinic system for checkups. What I’ve found in comparing losing the job and having to handle the For a time, the jja was able to offer its clinic treatment to having insurance is premiums, companies battling you every members a health package through the that, on average, I was treated much more step of the way.” National Writers Union. But eventually compassionately at the free clinic.” All agree that the U.S. health care system the nwu program was discontinued, and is seriously dysfunctional. But what is the our organization has not found another Although Moore has spoken out about solution? In “Sicko,” Moore calls for so- way to affiliate. the ever-rising number of Americans who lack health insurance, much of “Sicko” cialized medicine and looks at the health In June and July, Jazz Notes contacted actually deals with the problems of Amer- care systems in France, Britain and Can- a variety of music journalists to discuss icans who have insurance. And for music ada. Jazz Notes spoke to three music-ori- their view of the American health care journalists who are insured, an ongoing ented people who used to live in the U.S. system. All were as critical of it as Moore, challenge is remaining insured. but have relocated to Europe: jazz pianist who has denounced hmos as “a system John Serry (a native New Yorker who now that kills thousands of innocent Ameri- Gary Jackson, another veteran music crit- lives in Valencia, Spain), singer/songwrit- cans every year.” Veteran jazz critic Scott ic, knows that all too well. Jackson has er Nancy Falkow (who made a name for Yanow, who has written nine books, was held staff positions at well-known publi- succinct and blunt, saying, “I have Blue cations, including Black Radio Exclusive continued on page 15 | »

Autumn 2007 • JAZZ NOTES 5 An autobiographical note from the JJA’s youngest member. Why Would I Choose Anything Else? 8 By Mikayla R. Gilbreath

s much as I would love to say mostly I’d been writing fictional stories. ment. And when he later viewed a video that jazz has been my passion It was the realization that a good jour- of me playing my sax, I was positively ter- A for 20-plus years, I’ve got to be nalist could change minds, maybe even rified. After watching me play the Rod- honest. I’m 14 years old and I’ve only change the world, that sparked my inter- gers & Hart standard “Blue Room,” he known about jazz for three years. Even est in becoming a journalist rather than applauded and responded with “Bravo! so, it has quickly become a passion and a a novelist. Very nice! She’s got talent … she’s got tal- life I choose to live. ent.” I had been given the great honor of

th playing for the master, and I’d emerged I decided in the 7 grade to join my unscathed, with newfound confidence. school’s jazz band. Within a few months, It seems only logical I had switched from clarinet to alto Later, as my evening with Sonny drew saxophone and discovered that I really to combine my two to a close, we posed for photos and said enjoyed playing music. Every Friday we greatest passions — our goodbyes. Then, just as he turned to would listen to classic jazz such as Miles leave, I felt compelled to tell him one last Davis’s “So What” or Charlie Parker’s jazz and journalism. thing. I called out to him, “Mr. Rollins.” “Koko.” Our assignment was to identify He turned toward me and I said: “When the style and era of the song. On one of I started playing the sax, I just wanted to those Fridays, I heard “Blue 7” by Sonny play music. But after I heard your mu- sic, I wanted to play jazz.” His incred- Rollins. At that moment I realized that What really cemented my interest in ible brown eyes widened and he replied, jazz had a special place in my heart. Out- journalism, however, was meeting Walter “That is the most amazing compliment.” side of class, I started listening to the jazz Cronkite and then listening to him speak We hugged, and then this extraordinary giants, as well as some newer players. when I attended the groundbreaking of evening came to an end. From that mo- Soon the jazz songs on my iPod outnum- the Walter Cronkite School of Journal- ment on, I’ve felt truly inspired to play bered the more contemporary ones. And ism at Arizona State University. It was jazz to the best of my abilities. the other students in my jazz band lov- truly an amazing and unforgettable ex- ingly nicknamed me “jazz nerd” (which, perience to listen to “the most trusted To me it seems only logical to combine by the way, I took as a compliment). man in America,” as he used to be called. my two greatest passions and, hopefully, After high school, I hope to attend the Meanwhile, an earlier passion continued make a career out of it. People often spend Cronkite School to further my education a lifetime doing a job they can barely tol- to occupy my time. When I wasn’t prac- in journalism. erate. My aim is to become a jazz jour- ticing my sax, I was writing down every- nalist, so I’ll have a job that allows me thing that occurred to me. A mood of any Even meeting Cronkite was surpassed to focus upon the two things I love the intensity, big or small, would prompt a by my once-in-a-lifetime encounter with most — jazz and journalism. page or two of my thoughts. Writing had Sonny Rollins. When I first met him I always been a big interest of mine, but was paralyzed by both fear and excite- < < <

And the Winner Is... E

The 2007 JJA Jazz Awards drew some 100 movers and shakers of the national jazz scene to the Jazz Standard in New York on June 28. Anat Cohen (left) was a dual winner, taking home Up & Coming Musician of the year and Clarinetist of the Year. Charles Tolliver (right) won Large Ensemble of the Year honors for his work leading the Charles Tolliver Big Band. Photographs by Jim Eigo.

6 JAZZ NOTES • Vol. 18, No. 3 Remembering an architect of bebop and beyond. Max Roach, 1924-2007 8 By arnold jay smith

ax Roach and I first bonded almost compelled to record new music by Brilliant Corners.) He experimented with during a 1978 Scandinavian under-recorded artists, including them- a pedal contraption underneath a floor M tour. It was a surprise to me selves as leaders. Mingus told me tearful- tom so he could bend notes. His solo that he joined in conversations about ly in his last interview, “they burned my pieces on hi-hat, or foot cymbal as he jazz history with his sidemen — Cecil tapes, man.” Max said that was just about called it, are legendary. Max was particu- Bridgewater, Billy Harper and Calvin the truth. Max confirmed that the sur- larly moving when he recited poetry by Hill — and local journalists. I was thrilled viving, now legendary Massey Hall con- Langston Hughes and others before and to be a fly on the wall. The following year cert was a bit of an ego trip for Mingus. during original compositions. Note his I was asked to cadge together a course at “Six Bits Blues.” the New School. Gil Evans and Lionel On August 24, as the faithful queued Hampton were among the guests, as was Thanks for making around Riverside Church in New York, Max. Things fell apart from the get-go: the wax, Max. Max’s memorial service began with the Gil was called to Europe for gigs and ’78 trio, with Reggie Workman in for Lionel was a no-show, so I called Max, Calvin Hill. Other soloists included who agreed to push up his date and start “He didn’t like the way he was recorded Randy Weston, Dr. Billy Taylor, Jimmy the series in Hamp’s place. He calmed so he went into the studio with the tapes Heath, Cassandra Wilson, Gary Bartz down this neophyte instructor, saying he and overdubbed his solos.” If you listen and gospel singer Elvira Green. Maya would take over if need be. The course, closely on some subsequent pressings you Angelou related how Max encouraged Jazz Insights, lasted 26 years, and Roach can hear the two bass tracks. her by telling her she was very smart, “but called me “professor” each and every time not smarter than he.” Amiri Baraka, who we spoke. Max’s solos are lessons and not only for once tried opening for Max with a crib drummers. He tuned his trap set so that Max made an encore appearance for the sheet, was abruptly told, “We work with- course’s 25th anniversary and held us just it sang. These solos can be as clearly de- out music, so will you.” Bill Cosby spoke as spellbound, being even more candid lineated as any from the front line. He of how, as an aspiring young drummer, about his relationships with Dizzy, Min- claimed to have taken bebop licks from he could copy Vernel Fournier’s “Poinci- gus and Abbey Lincoln. He misted over Kenny Clarke, the inventor of “bomb- ana” beat and Art Blakey’s press roll on when a student asked him about Clifford. dropping,” and move on from there. “Moanin” after seeing each of them at “I should never have let her do it,” he said Some examples can be found on the Philly’s Showboat Lounge; but after he of the inexperienced driver, I think Richie Massey Hall recording, with Dizzy on saw Max Roach, he just went home. “Max Powell’s wife. “I drove right by the scene “For Musicians Only” and with Stan Roach is the reason I’m a comedian,” Cos of the accident on the Pennsylvania Turn- Getz, particularly on an impossibly fast remarked. pike on my way to the next gig. I didn’t “It Don’t Mean a Thing If It Ain’t Got From one professor to another: Thanks know it was them until I got there.” That Swing.” for making the wax, Max, so we can have it to teach others. Of the ill-fated Debut Records partner- He was a pioneer in the use of concert tim- ship with Mingus, he noted that they felt pani (hear “Bemsha Swing” on Monk’s < < <

Jazz Matters on Video

The following JJA Jazz Matterssm panel discussions are now available for free online viewing at fora.tv: The Hip-Hop, Black Rock, Jazz Beyond Jazz Continuum with Robert Glasper, Meghan Stabile of Revive Da Live and Greg Tate, Howard Mandel moderating http://fora.tv/fora/showthread.php?t=1057

Jazz in China, France, Russia with Eugene Marlow (writing a book on his jazz travels in China), Emmanuel Morlet from the French Embassy, Cyril Moshkow (www.jazzru.com) and Howard Mandel moderating http://fora.tv/fora/showthread.php?t=779

Autumn 2007 • JAZZ NOTES 7 Honoring a trombonist and music visionary. Fare Thee Well, Paul Rutherford 8 Text & Photo by Laurence Svirchev

aul Rutherford, the British improvising trombonist, the improvising field to create multiphonics by using his voice died on August 6, 2007. He was kind and gen- as well as other blowing devices. tle, fond of sitting in a pub and sipping P He was perhaps best known for his sardoni- beer for long hours, discussing music, poli- cally titled recording The Gentle Harm of the tics, human frailty, anything that affected Bourgeoisie (1974). Derek Bailey, writing the well-being of humanity, especially in The Wire in 1987, neatly summed up that of its artists. He held an abiding and praised Paul’s approach to music: belief that the practice of improvi- “This is still the best record of solo sation made its prac-titioners and free improvising you are likely to listeners challenge the existing find. Maybe, it’s the only one. It’s orders of society. all done by imagination plus the Rutherford was among the first standard musical abilities; but generation of musicians to ex- imagination is the engine, and tend the jazz tradition into the he keeps it unencumbered by realm of free improvisation. In forward planning or system- the early 1970s, he formed and atic devices. He entertains a named the groups Iskra 1903 little strategy, I think, but not (with guitarist Derek Bailey too much. It’s a combination and bassist Barry Guy, later of the easy, the difficult and the with violinist Philipp Wachs- impossible and it usually hap- mann replacing Bailey), Iskra pens very quickly.” 1904 (with saxophonist Evan Rutherford also played in the Parker), and his improvising big Globe Unity Orchestra, the Lon- band Iskra 1912. Iskra (“Spark”) don Jazz Composer’s Orchestra and was the name of a revolutionary the Mike Westbrook Orchestra, in anti-czarist newspaper published by which he often soloed with the rest of Russian exiles between 1900 and 1905. the orchestra hushed. He also performed The number 19 in the name referred to with the Dedication Orchestra, and in a 20th-century new music, and the last two trio with Anthony Braxton and Evan Parker. In digits signified the number of 2005, he toured and recorded musicians in each group. with tenor saxophonist Ken Paul Rutherford truly revolu- For more information on Paul Rutherford’s work, consult: Vandermark, drummer Dy- tionized the trombone as an lan van der Schyff and bass- instrument. He was known FMP Free Music Production: www.fmp-online.de ist Torsten Müller in a group as a soloist in the real sense of Spool Music: www.spoolmusic.com called Hoxha. the word, playing stand-alone < < < trombone. The research is not Intakt Records: www.intaktrec.ch definitive, but he may have Emanem: www.emanemdisc.com Visit Laurence Svirchev online been the first trombonist in at misterioso.org

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8 JAZZ NOTES • Vol. 18, No. 3 News of Members Book Reviews E Lee Morgan: His Life, Music and Culture By Tom Perchard David R. Adler had two cover stories published in the Magazine section of The Philadelphia Inquirer: the first Equinox Publishing, London, 2006; on the Electro-Music Festival ’07, the second on pianist 270 pp.; $29.95 hardcover Orrin Evans. David has also reviewed shows by Bobby 8 Review by Michele Drayton Zankel, Kate McGarry, David Torn and many others for the Inquirer. He writes jazz and pop previews each week ne word comes to mind for Philadelphia Weekly. His feature on Biréli Lagrène ap- on reading the final page of peared in the August/September issue of Global Rhythm. Tom Perchard’s first book, a David also wrote liner notes for Wallace Roney’s Jazz O biography of Lee Morgan: courage. (HighNote) and Carolyn Leonhart and Wayne Escoff- ery’s If Dreams Come True (Nagel-Heyer). His review of Perchard’s commendable work under- Amitav Ghosh’s Incendiary Circumstances: A Chronicle of scores the courage it took for musicians the Turmoil of Our Times (Houghton Mifflin), a collec- like Morgan to dare to step out and claim tion of essays, appears in the Autumn 2007 edition of the their place in the world. Certainly, it takes British online journal Democratiya (democratiya.com). courage to live at all, to be human. But how many scratch below the surface to glimpse their authentic Edward Blanco, former co-host of the “Straight, No selves, their genuine power? How do they fare, should a few Chaser” hour at wdna 88.9 fm (seriousjazz.org) in Mi- obstacles come their way? ami, is now hosting the new “Jazz Café” program, on the It would be easy to lump Morgan into the category of another air every Sunday morning from 7 to 9 a.m. est. The show leading light snuffed out by his excesses. But that understates features straightahead, big band and vocal jazz, with the the complexity of being an ambitious and accomplished black last hour devoted to new, recent and overlooked releases. male musician in the 1950s and 1960s. Perchard’s reporting and Ed is also a regular contributor of cd and concert reviews analysis prompt a certain empathy for Morgan’s highs and lows, for ejazznews.com, allaboutjazz.com and jazzreview.com. even when his behavior, as recounted by colleagues, deeply dis- appoints. Forrest Dylan Bryant has written an examination Perchard, a London-based university lecturer and journalist, of recent racial bias controversies in the San Francisco grounds us properly by linking Morgan’s beginning to a famil- Bay Area for Down Beat. A profile of trumpeter Sean iar pattern in 20th-century black American life. Morgan was the Jones — Forrest’s first full-length feature for a national youngest of four children born to native southerners who joined magazine — will appear in the October issue of Jazz the great migration of blacks to the north for better jobs and op- Times. And for the third year running, Forrest will write portunity. He lived in a neighborhood that, though situated in a real-time account of the Monterey Jazz Festival for heavily industrialized Philadelphia, offered slim economic pros- allaboutjazz.com. pects. As the neighborhood became blacker, the author notes, it became poorer. Laurence Donohue-Greene, Managing Editor of All About Jazz–New York (AAJ-NY), accepted the But Morgan was a musical prodigy. One of only a handful of sixth consecutive Best Website victory at the recent Jazz blacks among hundreds of students, he distinguished himself Awards on behalf of allaboutjazz.com publisher Michael in music at Mastbaum Area Vocational-Technical School. The Ricci. In recent months Laurence and Editorial Director kid remembered as a “thumb-sucking crybaby” was elevated to Andrey Henkin have coordinated cover stories on Nancy teenage leader of a tribe of his peers by virtue of being sharp, assured and single-minded. Perchard sniffed out a yearbook Wilson and Cachao for AAJ-NY, which celebrated its in which Morgan had inscribed his goal to be a jazz trumpet fifth anniversary this May. He has also kept busy with player. liner notes for Marshall Allen and Lou Grassi’s Live at the Guelph Festival (Cadence Jazz) and the Earth Jazz Agents’ Morgan was cocky, said his friends and colleagues, and that Rhythms of the Sea, produced by the famed marine life trait makes for amusing moments in the book. His big mouth artist Wyland for his new Wyland Records label. The once earned him a public pouncing by Sonny Stitt. Perhaps recording features Vincent Herring, Steve Turre, Jeremy though, even in his youthful brashness, Morgan knew this as- Pelt and more, and is slated for release in late 2007. pect of character was demanded, as defense mechanism if noth-

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Autumn 2007 • JAZZ NOTES 9 » | MORGAN: from previous page » | MEMBERS: from previous page ing else, to propel him in a society that crammed black men in a box. The book’s vignettes about heralded musicians freezing Rusty Hassan recently interviewed Bobby Hutcher- up before performances are telling in this regard. How much of son and Larry Willis on his “Jazz & More,” wpfw-fm in their external condition affected the internal? Washington, dc. He also gave a jazz history workshop Morgan was plucked by Dizzy Gillespie to be a featured solo- for the young musicians participating in the Blues Alley ist in his big band after graduating from high school in 1956. Summer Jazz Camp. Though inexperienced, he revealed a musical quality that stood out: “a sense of personality that transmitted far beyond his own Geoffrey Himes won a first-place New Orleans Press technical range.” An early review evoked the journalistic flour- Club Award in July for his cover story on jazz singer John ish of a Second Coming, an element of the jazz mystique born Boutté in Offbeat magazine. Geoffrey also wrote liner of the day that Perchard explores. notes for recent albums by gospel singer Marie Knight (Let Us Get Together: A Tribute to Reverend Gary Davis, on With his youth, Morgan became a quick commodity, a fast suc- M.C. Records) and country singer Marty Stuart (Compa- cess and a ripe target. dres, on Universal South Records). Black musicians confronted a raft of obstacles as they strove for recognition of their art. Perchard relates a story about a Patrick Hinely has had six of his photos included in hall manager canceling a Gillespie performance out of fear, re- Horizons Touched: The Music ofe c m , edited by Steve Lake ally, for what the band might transmit to white audiences. He and Paul Griffiths, published this year by Grantauk ( ). also discusses how record labels routinely compelled musicians He’s also done recent features for Coda on Globe Unity to sign over publishing rights. Benny Golson and Gigi Gryce Orchestra and Sheila Jordan. The Jazz Calendiary 2008, formed their own company. But going against the grain could published by jazzprezzo in cooperation with Nieswand exact a price: Gryce left the music scene after receiving threats. Verlag (Germany), features 56 of Patrick’s photographs and marks the first publication in book form of a volume Then there are accounts of the drugs, passing from musician devoted exclusively to his work. to musician, employer to artist. Perchard includes comments from musicians attempting to counter the relentless association Theodore “Ted” Hudson presented a program on of jazz musicians and dope, a familiar dash by black folks to “Duke and Strays in Lesser Heard Ways” at the June salvage skeins of virtue that survives to this day. He suggests meeting of the Duke Ellington Society in Washington, those musicians could have made a more powerful point with dc. At an April celebration of Duke’s birthday and a re- a few more facts at hand, such as the heroin trade’s 1940s roots dedication of the plaque on the house where he last lived and occasional nourishment by the U.S. government. The im- before moving to New York in 1922, Ted spoke on the pact on black men, in particular, was devastating, and Perchard Ellington and related collections at the Archives Center includes figures to show it. in the Smithsonian’s National Museum of American His- These were the realities of the day that can’t be swept away by tory. A behind-the-scenes volunteer at this repository, all the colorful personalities, all the pretty notes. Besides all Ted is participating in the processing of the Milt Gabler that the music scene encompassed, there was the real burden and W. Royal Stokes Collections. of being black in a society where a misinterpreted gesture, à la Emmett Till, could get you killed. Reuben Jackson reviewed The Mahavishnu Project’s Return To The Emerald Beyond on the “Metro Connection” Perchard’s book makes one wonder how all those currents could program at wamu-fm (the Washington, dc npr affiliate). affect an average person, much less someone with a creative He also reviewed Ashley Kahn’s The House That Trane mind like Morgan. One of Morgan’s more revealing comments Built for “The Coffeehouse,” a public accesstv show seen is: “The black man has always been drug, he’s just been too in the Washington area. In May Reuben also presented a scared to say anything.” Perhaps, Morgan was hinting at his colloquium titled “Wes Montgomery’s A Day In The Life own closeted fear, too. Reconsidered,” at the Smithsonian Institution’s National By the late 1970s, Morgan was loudly demanding greater ex- Museum of American History. posure for jazz and more employment of blacks in radio and television, taking on an unofficial spokesman’s role for the Jazz Todd S. Jenkins is currently writing Music of the and People’s Movement. No matter the immediate outcome, Jazz Age, a volume in Greenwood Press’s ongoing series the group’s effort was not in vain, Perchard insists: “American History through Music,” to be published in fall 2008. The book focuses on American music from the The ‘civil rights movement’ has in time come to stand for a close of World War I to the 1929 stock market crash and canon of famous marches, speeches and shootings, but its real the impact of these events on society. Also pending from power lay in the sum total of actions, recorded or not, that Todd is Equinox: The Music of John Coltrane, a layman lis- were taken mid-century by black Americans attempting to protect and promote their own interests.

10 JAZZ NOTES • Vol. 18, No. 3 Perchard’s book leaves many unanswered questions, as any tener’s guide to all of the recordings Coltrane made dur- biography would. But it opens a wide window into aspects of ing his career. Structured in the same vein as Todd’s 2006 Morgan’s world and how those elements may have shaped him. book, I Know What I Know: The Music of Charles Mingus, Understanding that is wealth in itself. Equinox will be published by Praeger in the fall of 2008. < < < In addition, some of Todd’s photography will appear in the upcoming Jazzed Media documentary “Bud Shank: Against the Tide,” set for release in February 2008. Lennie Tristano: His Life in Music George Kanzler, along with musicians Rufus Reid By Eunmi Shim and Roseanna Vitro, will be honored with lifetime University of Michigan Press, Ann Arbor, m i , 2007; achievement by the New Jersey Jazz Society at its 35th 316 pp.; $32.50 hardcover anniversary event. The njjs Jazz Leadership Awards, a dinner-dance, will be held on September 30 at The Pines 8 Review by Ken Dryden in Edison, New Jersey. ennie Tristano was a complex Rozanne Levine’s latest projects are recordings. She figure, one who hasn’t always got- has joined Brazilian pianist Saulo Ferreira’s label, sos Free ten a fair shake from jazz journal- Jazz (sosfreejazz.com). Her first project for sos is a sextet L ists and musicians. Though this is not the recording titled Scutum, on which she is featured with first book about his career (former Trista- saxophonist Blaise Siwula, pianist Ferreira, trumpeter no bassist Peter Ind’s Jazz Visions: Lennie Stuart King, bassist Paul Legrand and drummer John Tristano and His Legacy was published in Hayman. Another sos project with Siwula is planned. For 2005), musicologist Eunmi Shim has done her own label, Acoustics, Rozanne is working on a duo a splendid job exploring the blind pianist’s album that documents her ongoing project, RoMarkable, life work. She details his groundbreaking with saxophonist and composer Mark Whitecage. recordings of group improvisation, which eschewed pre-planned harmony, rhythm or form in 1949, long before the emergence Howard Mandel, jja president, has launched an Arts of Ornette Coleman and Cecil Taylor. Shim also discusses Journal blog called Jazz Beyond Jazz (artsjournal.com/ Tristano’s unique jazz school, which departed from traditional jazzbeyondjazz). methods of music instruction. Tristano had instrumentalists sing lines in order to develop as improvisers. He required that Eugene Marlow, author and composer, released the they learn to play in every key and utilize his novel method cd Wonderful Discovery (meii Enterprises) in June. It fea- of fingering, which enabled them to play black keys with the tures virtuoso pianist Arturo O’Farrill among 15 other thumbs, while they also tackled his innovative approaches to musicians. In addition, Gene’s extended big band piece harmony and rhythm. “El Ache de Sanabria” appears on Bobby Sanabria’s recent album Big Band Urban Folktales (Jazzheads). He and San- Shim goes to great lengths to interview a number of Tristano’s abria co-arranged the piece. Gene also continues work on musical colleagues (including Lee Konitz, Ted Brown and Paul a book about jazz in China. In early August he gave a talk Motian, to name a few) and quite a number of his later students. on this research at the Given Institute in Aspen, Colo- She also investigates artists who may have been under his influ- rado, during the one-day Aspen Composers Conference. ence, whether or not they have publicly acknowledged Tristano as a trailblazer who made a difference. Virgil Mihaiu was appointed director of the Roma- Tristano’s actions often worked against him. Never learning to nian Cultural Institute in Lisbon last autumn. He has use a cane or guide dog, he relied on the help of others to get been living and working in Portugal’s capital, but has around in public, which may have contributed to his seclusion also maintained his Jazz Aesthetics course at the Music in his later years. Even though his dominating personality ap- Academy in Cluj, Romania. Virgil’s new book, Jazz Con- pealed to female students, he was abrupt in personal relation- nections in Romania, is soon to be released (in English) by ships and refused to undergo psychotherapy to help him in Bucharest’s icr publishing house. dealing with the women in his life (claiming it would damage his ability to improvise). Neither of his marriages lasted long, Mark Miller’s eighth book, High Hat, Trumpet and and he felt isolated from his children. Rhythm: The Life and Music of Valaida Snow, a biography Early in his career, Tristano attracted attention in music polls of the singer, trumpeter and dancer who traveled the world both as a pianist and arranger, but his abrasive personality, during the 1920s and 1930s, is scheduled for publication not to mention his erratic recording and performing schedule, this fall by The Mercury Press (themercurypress.com). reduced his visibility to the jazz audience. He also felt short- continued on next page | » continued on next page | »

Autumn 2007 • JAZZ NOTES 11 » | TRISTANO: from previous page » | MEMBERS: from previous page changed for his innovations, especially for his groundbreaking recordings of free jazz. Tristano was outspoken about any jazz Mark is now working on a biographical study of Lonnie performance that sounded commercial to his ears, and he was Johnson based on the last years of the legendary blues very dismissive about most jazz records he heard, yet his own singer and guitarist’s life, 1965 to 1970, in Toronto. music was so “out” for many jazz fans that his infrequent club dates usually ended prematurely. Hank Shteamer is blogging about jazz and many One extensive section of this book contains detailed transcrip- other topics on his free-form site, Dark Forces Swing tions of Tristano’s recordings, followed by a thorough discog- Blind Punches, which will now include unedited inter- raphy of his commercially issued performances on lp, cd and view transcripts with musicians such as vibraphonist Walt video. Eunmi Shim has done a commendable job of presenting Dickerson. Visit darkforcesswing.blogspot.com. a balanced look at a difficult individual. Joan Stiles, pianist/composer, released her second cd, < < < Hurly-Burly (Oo-Bla-Dee Records). It features an all-star sextet with Jeremy Pelt, Steve Wilson, Joel Frahm, Peter Washington and Lewis Nash, playing originals and new Frank Sinatra: arrangements of pieces by pianist/composers including The Man, The Music, The Legend Duke Ellington, Thelonious Monk and Mary Lou Wil- liams. The liner notes are by Doug Ramsey. For details, Jeanne Fuchs and Ruth Prigozy, eds. visit joanstilesmusic.com. University of Rochester Press, Rochester, n y , 2007; 165 pp.; $39.95 hardcover John R . Tumpa k’s a r ticle “Fra n k C omstock : L es Brow n’s Man of Renown” appeared in the May 2007 edition of 8 Review by George Kanzler Joslin’s Jazz Journal. Comstock played trombone and ar- ranged for the Les Brown, Benny Carter and Sunny Dun- rowing out of a 1998 pop ham big bands. He also scored for the Hi-Lo’s, Margaret culture conference of the same Whiting, several Jack Webb Mark vii television produc- G name at Hofstra University, this tions and all of Doris Day’s Warner Brothers films. book collects essays from papers delivered there. Fifteen essays in all are divided into two parts: “Sinatra and His Music” and New Members “Sinatra and Popular Culture.” The writ- ing follows a wide variety of styles, from Richard Bogle rigorous close analysis to rapturous purply writes for Down Beat and lives in Van- prose. The approaches range from histori- couver, Washington. cal and comprehensive to interpretive and fanciful. By the time Craig Cortello writes for Where Y’at magazine and you’ve finished reading it all, you realize what a wide swath lives in Metairie, Louisiana. Sinatra cut across the cultural landscape. Debra Kinzler is a journalist who lives in New York. David Finck’s opening essay, “The Musical Skills of Frank Si- natra,” sets the adulatory tone of the book: “Frank Sinatra was Mike West, a contributor to Jazz Times, lives in Wash- perhaps the first vocalist of the twentieth century to develop ington, dc. the ability to communicate American popular songs to listeners < < < in their most complete form — the music and lyrics presented simultaneously — without ever sacrificing the importance of one for the other. He integrated and balanced swing, tone color, phrasing, diction, and intonation in a way that created unequaled performances.” Finck develops that premise through close analysis of Sinatra’s development as a singer, from crooner to swinger, discovering the key to the latter style in Sinatra’s realization that “swing- ing is more dependent upon where the singer stops notes than where the notes are started.” He illustrates with a close reading of Sinatra’s 1961 recording of “A Foggy Day,” and comments on the singer’s legendary phrasing. Samuel L. Chell goes into more detail in “Frank Sinatra’s Artistry and the Question of Phras-

12 JAZZ NOTES • Vol. 18, No. 3 µ Above: Crash, Bang, Boom – (from left) Bonnie Soon, Hari Pal, Bill Wallace, Han Bennink and Fana Soro. Photograph by Laurence Svirchev. ing,” where he examines six different recordings of “Night and Suite’” shows how Tharp and Mikhail Baryshnikov “underline Day,” concluding that Sinatra “is like a screen actor, less con- many of the nuances of Sinatra’s brilliant phrasing and treatment cerned with adapting himself to the role in the song as making of melody and lyrics.” However, the concluding, catalogue-ish the song expressive of his own image” — an image that changed essay by Patric M. Verrone, “Sinatra Satire: Fifty Years of Punch over the years in the various approaches to this one song. Lines,” makes me wonder why the subject of Sinatra imitators, Sinatra as singer, actor and even dancer is a recurrent theme in and the prevalence of them in lounges across the country, wasn’t other essays as well. Besides offering a fascinating comparison of also the subject of an essay. For as unique as Sinatra is proven to Alfred Hitchcock’s camera technique and Sinatra’s microphone be in this book, he sure had a lot of clones. technique, Roger Gilbert’s “Singing in the Moment: Sinatra and the Culture of the Fifties” also calls Sinatra “a method < < < singer...an action vocalist...and a confessional crooner.… No one listening to Sinatra’s ballads can doubt that he is singing about his life; the emotional honesty in his voice is its own over- I Know What I Know: whelming evidence.” Walter Raubicheck’s “From Sam Spade to The Music of Charles Mingus Tony Rome: Bogart’s Influence on Sinatra’s Film Career” yields By Todd S. Jenkins this insight: “He was a natural actor, both in his singing and in films.… He interpreted lyrics by temporarily becoming the Praeger Publishers, Westport, c t , 2006; 216 pp.; character who was experiencing those feelings, not simply by fit- $49.95 hardcover ting notes to words. One always senses that Sinatra is thinking about the meaning of the lyrics as he sings them.” And Jeanne 8 Review by Jerry D’Souza Fuchs, in “Frank Sinatra: Dancer,” demonstrates how his movie dancing roles in the late 1940s made him realize that “the body harles Mingus fascinates. He is important, musicality is crucial, and self-confidence becomes did while he was alive and he does imperative.” C now. In this book, Todd Jenkins guides the reader through the large body of Some of the best essays offer detailed and specific insights into Mingus’s work, astutely analyzing the mu- Sinatra’s musical artistry and methods. Using specific examples, sic, with well-considered critiques thrown Arnold Jay Smith’s “Jazzin’ Sinatra: Three ‘Understated’ Arrang- in for good measure. His description is de- ers — George Siravo, Johnny Mandel and Quincy Jones” details tailed and serves the reader well, going as how the three “gave listeners the impression that Sinatra was far as to pinpoint the exact time at which a taking the band with him. Utilizing musical understatement, change in the performance occurs. rather than being pushed from underneath, Sinatra was having them along for a joyous ride.” Philip Furia’s “Sinatra in (Lyrical) Mingus’s early training was in classical music. He played the Drag” examines how Sinatra took songs originally written for trombone, piano and cello. He was pushed away from this mu- women to sing on Broadway and in movies — often editing or sic in part by his music teacher, who said that blacks had no part altering lyrics and, more importantly, emotional tone. While in classical music. It was a friend, Britt Woodman, who talked these songs “supplied him with literate wit, urbane elegance and Mingus’s father into giving his son a bass. tender vulnerability, he rendered them with a sensuous, vernac- Jenkins takes the reader through Mingus’s formative years as a ular, emotional power that they often lacked in their original jazz musician. Barney Bigard, Art Tatum and Duke Ellington stage performances.” And if you can get over the sometimes had an influence on him. These currents were to surface in his overwrought metaphors (“Once the moment passes, it cannot be compositions, with Ellington having a particular impact. sniffed nor savored like Napoleon brandy. It dies aborning like the May fly that hatches, mates, and dies within the compass of Mingus launched his recording career in the early ’4 0 s. Jenkins a scant few fugitive hours.”), Joseph Fioravanti’s “Hanging on begins his survey from the very early material that cropped up a String of Dreams: Delirium and Discontent in Sinatra’s Love on Charles “Baron” Mingus: West Coast, 1945-49 (Uptown). Jen- Songs” is filled with perceptive insights on recordings of “Last kins calls this set “terrific,” as it shows Mingus’s early evolution. Night When We Were Young,” “I’ve Got You Under My Skin” However, Sue Mingus, in a broadside against pirated and boot- leg recordings in her “Note” to the book, says the cd was issued and “Guess I’ll Hang My Tears Out to Dry.” Fioravanti smartly without authorization from the estate or record labels. This, of concludes: “For all his excesses and controversies, in Sinatra, the course, does not invalidate Jenkins’s opinion. (Sue Mingus’s jokester and the mournful loser fertilize and feed off each other. lawsuit against Uptown was unsuccessful.) The yin and yang of existence frequently pull Sinatra the artist in opposite directions. For this, his fans are eternally grateful Other bootleg and pirated recordings find a place in Jenkins’s and richly rewarded.” narrative as well. Is this warranted? Should space be given to dubious releases if it means giving the reader a complete pic- Some other essays are problematic — Sinatra and rock & roll, ture? Obviously Jenkins thinks so. and the Beats, and Elvis Presley, an appreciation of Dick Haymes — while Lisa Jo Sagolla’s “Dancing to Sinatra: The Partnership of Music and Movement in Twyla Tharp’s ‘Sinatra continued on page 16 | »

Autumn 2007 • JAZZ NOTES 13 » | INTERNET: from page 1

amg gathered a veritable bible of facts Some prominent blogs include trum- plan (blog.stereophile.com/fredkaplan), and metadata all in one place: informa- peter Dave Douglas’s Greenleaf Music Willard Jenkins (openskyjazz.com/ tion on new and old releases, general his- blog (greenleafmusic.com), composer/ blog/) and jja President Howard Man- tory and so forth. The problem was that big band leader Darcy James Argue’s Se- del (artsjournal.com/jazzbeyondjazz). In amg presented its opinions as the final cret Society (secretsociety.typepad.com), Mandel’s view, with the loss of many for- Boston-based saxophonist Pat Donaher’s word, without room for comments from mer publishing outlets, it all boils down the general public or even experts. Major Visionsong (visionsong.blogspot.com), to keeping one’s name fresh in mind and websites like amg were not publishing cornetist Taylor Ho Bynum’s Spider having a place to write about all the mu- letters to the editor. Monkey Stories (taylorhobynum.com/ sic one sees and hears. “Blogging is adver- amg and similar websites relied on a very tisement, pure and simple,” he says. small staff of writers who, of course, had their own biases and opinions. There was “Web 2.0” has a direct Mandel adds that he is somewhat wary no mechanism in place to comment on bearing on jazz and of blogging, since he is used to being amg’s reviews, biographies and essays paid for his writing. However, he adds, so that other users could view critical all its constituents. “The new world is here. I’m not going to responses and take them into account. be getting more assignments from new Those inclined to argue with amg’s take applications/wordpress/) and saxophon- clients unless I’m blogging. And with had to do so on bulletin boards and in ist Matana Roberts’s Shadows of a People artsjournal.com sending out news of my newsgroups or by email, among friends. (shadowsofapeople.blogspot.com). posts every [morning], they direct traffic Today, with the advent of social net- to me via their own site. I thought I’d works, rss and various bookmarking/ But some of the best and most-read mu- take a chance.” sharing technologies, not only can brows- sic blogs are maintained by veteran jazz ers share content more readily (through journalists and authors such as Doug Finally, social networks, a topic worthy platforms such as Digg, del.icio.us, red- Ramsey (artsjournal.com/rifftides) and of a separate article, might just be the dit and Newsvine); they can comment Peter Margasak (blogs.chicagoreader.com/ most important part of Web 2.0. These on the content itself, often on the same post-no-bills), classical and jazz critic virtual communities, such as MySpace, page. This is possible thanks to built-in Steve Smith (nightafternight.blogs.com) Facebook and Friendster, allow us to con- comment systems that allow for a more and general culture critic Terry Teachout nect with like-minded people who may (terryteachout.com). democratic conversation in the world of be divided by oceans and continents, or news and media. Fans of the music are blogging as well. by social barriers including class, age and Comment features on blogs, newspaper One outstanding example is be-jazz ethnicity. (be-jazz.blogspot.com), run by a Belgian and magazine sites have moderation op- Unless you know what you’re looking jazz fan, Mwanji Ezana, whose initial tions; users can opt to turn comments for, these sites can be overwhelming. But off if they choose to save themselves the intention was to write about Belgian music-centric social networks and mu- hassle of screening comments for inap- jazz musicians. His blog has become an sic discovery services such as mog.com, propriateness or irrelevance. Some major international spot for anyone seeking in- jazz bloggers, such as Ethan Iverson of formation on the jazz blogosphere, thus last.fm, MyStrands, iLike and Pandora The Bad Plus (thebadplus.typepad.com) helping close the gap between the Ameri- hold what might be the most substan- have disabled comments out of personal can and European scenes. Ezana periodi- tial — and as yet largely untapped — po- choice and to prevent free-for-alls. cally points out new jazz-related blogs via tential of Web 2.0. For jazz professionals his series “jazz and blogs.” In addition, of every stripe, exploring these kinds of Many other musicians have turned to be-jazz has the best jazz “blogroll” on the opportunities has never been more vital. blogging and formed an online commu- Internet (a blogroll is simply a list, usu- nity of sorts. Topics make the rounds from ally on the right-hand side of a blog, of < < < one blog to another through automatic links to other blogs and sites). notification systems like rss. Bloggers Matt Merewitz is a freelance new media can compare notes on their challenging In recent months, four well-regarded consultant based in Philadelphia. He con- circumstances and create a soapbox for jazz journalists have joined the sults for d l Media and independent clients. music rarely covered in the mainstream blogging fold: Larry Blumenfeld He blogs at jazzclinic.blogspot.com and can media. (artsjournal.com/listengood), Fred Ka- be reached at [email protected].

Moved? New email address? New affiliation? Please be sure to notify the JJA’s membership secretary, Jerry D’Souza, at [email protected]

14 JAZZ NOTES • Vol. 18, No. 3 » | INSURANCE: from page 5 herself in Philadelphia and is now based without restrictions — even if it’s the lat- and most out-of-pocket costs, 95 percent in Dublin, Ireland) and French rock pro- est technology available, which normally, of taxpayers will save money under Just ducer/label owner Philippe Mogane (who only very rich American people can re- Health Care.” spent many years in Los Angeles before ceive.” Mogane adds that the freelancers Senator John Edwards (d-nc), one of moving back to Paris). who struggle bitterly in the U.S. have easy the Democratic presidential hopefuls, access to first-rate health care in France. Serry stressed that any American free- has also called for universal health care “Someone who earns the equivalent of lancers who are considering a move to under $800 a month in France receives and for wealthier Americans to pay for it Europe need to do their homework and top-of-the-line care and the royal treat- via taxes. Some proponents of universal find out how long it would take before ment.” health care have said that realistically, they would qualify for government- taxing the wealthy alone cannot finance run health coverage. Falkow had both In the U.S., the monthly Rock & Rap coverage for all Americans, and that the positive and negative things to say about Confidential newsletter, edited by veteran middle class will also have to shoulder health care in Ireland, where, according rock critic Dave Marsh, has been consist- some of the burden. to Wikipedia, “health care is typically ently vocal about this issue. One plan delivered in a mix of private and public they’ve endorsed is Just Health Care, Gary Jackson predicts that eventually, systems with most infrastructure being in first proposed in the early 2000s by the the U.S. will have nationalized health private hands.” Falkow, who has private Labor Party (an American political party care on some level, but wonders how health insurance, recalls giving birth in that was founded in 1996, not to be con- much it would cost a country this size to a Dublin hospital in 2006: “The care it- fused with Britain’s Labour Party). Un- adopt a system comparable to Canada or self was great. The doctors and midwives der this plan, according to jhc’s website France. The American health care crisis, were great, but the hospital itself was over (justhealthcare.org), all Americans would he emphasizes, is complicated — and if 100 years old, and looked and felt like be covered for life thanks to “a public freelancers are liberated from astronomi- it. There was no air conditioning, it was insurance fund (with the federal gov- cal health care premiums, they may end crowded and it could have been cleaner.” ernment as the insurer)” and “a private up facing higher taxes. “I don’t have an- delivery system” in which doctors, hos- swers, except for the government to dab- But Falkow found health care much more pitals and clinics would “remain private.” ble in socialized medicine a la Canada,” affordable in Ireland. “For anyone who But how would jhc’s comprehensive and Jackson says, adding, “I believe it will walks into an emergency room in Dub- costly plan be funded? jhc calls for in- happen, but then, taxes will diminish any lin, it’s €150 versus the U.S.’s ridiculously come tax hikes, but only for the most af- benefits. It’s a catch-22 that we will not high prices.” fluent Americans. The plan specifies a five be able to overcome.” Mogane, after comparing the conditions percent tax increase at around $183,000 < < < in his former home of Los Angeles to the and a 10 percent increase on “the richest type of treatment found in Paris, says one percent, those with average incomes [Editor’s Note: For additional information without hesitation that French health of $763,200 (not counting stocks, bonds, on health care options available to freelanc- care is “far superior on all grounds, as property).” jhc argues that “by eliminat- ers, visit mediabistro.com/insurance and you can have access to all medical care ing premiums, co-payments, deductibles freelancersunion.org/insurance-home.] Gleason Remembered at Monterey

eginning in 1995, Dan Ouellette (20-year veteran While the 50th anniversary of the mjf has garnered signifi- at Down Beat and jazz columnist for Billboard) cant attention, this jja panel will be among the first to draw B has organized over a dozen jja-sponsored panel attention to Gleason, whose contributions to Monterey were discussions at the Monterey Jazz Festival. but a part of a long, distinguished career. From 1950 to his death in 1975, Gleason was one of America’s major voices This year is themjf ’s 50th anniversary. To mark the occasion, for jazz and other popular music in emergence. In addition Dan will moderate a panel called “Ralph J. Gleason: Perspec- to his long stint with the San Francisco Chronicle, he was a tives on an mjf Co-Founder.” Panelists will include Toby founding editor of Rolling Stone and a pioneering producer Gleason, Ralph’s son; mjf historian and jja member Bill of music programs on television. He also wrote memorable Minor; Orrin Keepnews (honored with a 2007 jja A-Team liner notes for many important albums, including Miles Da- Award); noted jja members Paul de Barros and Ashley Kahn; vis’s Bitches Brew. and Darlene Chan of Festival Productions, who launched her career at mjf, working under cofounders Gleason and The panel will be held on Sunday, September23 at 12:30 p.m. Jimmy Lyons. in the festival’s Nightclub venue.

Autumn 2007 • JAZZ NOTES 15 » | MINGUS: from page 13

Jenkins continues to map Mingus’s musi- sort of academic formality that is hardly Orchestra, along with their musical ad- cal odyssey, from his roots in California present, and the only thing close to po- ventures and misadventures. Mingus’s into New York. He describes how Mingus etry is the narrative on ‘Scenes in the influence entered the veins of other overdubbed a second bass on “Percussion City.’” But Mingus also had a playful wit, musicians who sought to pay tribute. Discussion” from Mingus at the Bohe- and it came in other song titles. Jenkins One of the oddest was Hal Willner’s mia. This, he says, was “less controversial finds a couple of them unwieldy, but who Weird Nightmare: Meditations on Min- trickery” than the fiddling Mingus did can argue with something like “If Charlie gus (Sony). Willner used classical singer on Jazz at Massey Hall. But Mingus was Parker Were a Gunslinger, There’d Be a Diamanda Galas and rapper Chuck D, not the only one to do this. Jenkins tells Whole Lot of Dead Copycats.” Jenkins incorporated the didgeridoo, samples us what the liner notes do not: Charlie is thankful that it was reduced to “Gun- and cartoon sound effects. And that was Mariano overdubbed his alto saxophone slinging Bird” for public consumption. only part of the pastiche. There was also solos on The Black Saint and the Sinner Don’t Be Afraid . . . The Music of Charles Jenkins focuses on Mingus’s triumphs Lady. Mingus (Palmetto) by the Lincoln Center and disasters, the ebb and flow in his Jazz Orchestra, which Jenkins calls “a de- Jenkins moves on to the Atlantic years music, but he also takes time to show the pressing, unworthy excuse for a tribute.” and the breakthrough albums that in- gentle, human side. The bassist composed Jenkins also explores “Epitaph” and the cluded Pithecanthropus Erectus. Jenkins music for those who left a lasting impres- story of its dusting from the shelves and vividly captures the turmoil of the music sion on him, like “So Long, Eric” for Eric subsequent recording. The monumental that Mingus made, the direction he was Dolphy and “Farewell, Farwell” for artist work was recently performed again, with now taking, and the musicians that made Farwell Taylor, who introduced Mingus Gunther Schuller at the helm and two up his band, including Jackie McLean to Hinduism. new movements included. and a reluctant J. R. Monterose. The book is rich in other Mingus lore. Jenkins’s knowledge and lucid writing Mingus was fond of posturing. One of his Jenkins segments the events neatly, sav- style make this book a thorough and en- more grandiose album titles was A Mod- ing the last for the “Coda.” He acknowl- tertaining treat. ern Jazz Symposium of Music and Poetry. edges the presence of Mingus Dynasty, As Jenkins points out, the title “implies a the Mingus Big Band and the Mingus < < <

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