The Latin Side of Hot House
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179291_HH_March_0 2/21/17 12:47 PM Page 1 The only jazz magazine THE LATIN SIDE in NY in print, online and on apps! OF HOT HOUSE P25 March 2017 www.hothousejazz.com Jazz Gallery Page 10 Smoke Jazz & Supper Club Page 17 Victor Provost Gary Bartz Vinnie Sperrazza Helen Sung Cornelia Street Underground Page 10 Birdland Page 21 Where To Go & Who To See Since 1982 179291_HH_March_0 2/21/17 12:47 PM Page 2 2 179291_HH_March_0 2/21/17 12:47 PM Page 3 3 179291_HH_March_0 2/21/17 12:47 PM Page 4 4 179291_HH_March_0 2/21/17 12:47 PM Page 5 5 179291_HH_March_0 2/21/17 12:47 PM Page 6 6 179291_HH_March_0 2/21/17 2:17 PM Page 7 7 179291_HH_March_0 2/21/17 12:47 PM Page 8 8 179291_HH_March_0 2/21/17 12:47 PM Page 9 9 179291_HH_March_0 2/21/17 3:21 PM Page 10 WINNING SPINS By George Kanzler WO PERCUSSIONISTS WHO DEFY and trades between Bruce and Chris on usual expectations have the featured Vinnie's Rubick's Cube-like "St. Jerome." TCDs in this Winning Spins. One is from a Vinnie also reveals a questing, post-bop drummer who doesn't use his album as a sensibility on his avant-leaning swinger, showcase for his own razzle-dazzle dis- "One Hour," with its Cecil Taylor echoes. plays but employs it as a vehicle for his The witty closer, "Say the Magic Word," is compositions, many of them tending a slippery line for Chris and Bruce that toward the lyrical and slower tempos. The decelerates in tempo as it progresses. other one presents a steel pans player who Bright Eyes, Victor Provost takes that mallet instrument far from its (Paquito/Sunnyside), features the leader Trinidadian and Caribbean roots to place on steel pans, a percussion instrument he it firmly in a modern jazz tradition. brings firmly into the jazz mainstream of Juxtaposition, Vinnie Sperrazza today with his approach, which largely (Posi-Tone), features the veteran drummer eschews reliance on Caribbean rhythms. leading a quartet with longtime rhythm The only out-and-out montuno beat occurs section compatriot Peter Brendler on bass, on "Homenaje," and it doesn't come until plus two musicians who never performed after a long, developing theme from an with him or together before: tenor saxo- ensemble that includes alto saxophonist phonist Chris Speed and pianist Bruce Paquito D'Rivera in his only appearance on Barth. They play a dozen tracks, nine com- the CD. After that long introductory sec- posed by Vinnie plus two from recently tion, pianist Alex Brown breaks into the departed jazz musicians and one standard. 3/2 montuno as Paquito takes off on a rol- The opening number, "Chimes," and the licking solo. title track exemplify Vinnie's warm, lyrical Another track with a Spanish title, Tom approach to the ballad-tempo tunes that Glover's "La Casa Fiesta," is more typical dominate the album. The former mimics of the CD's approach. Featuring a horn the sounds of the descriptive title, courtesy frontline of Etienne Charles, trumpet, and of Vinnie and Bruce, unfolding into a D- Ron Blake, soprano sax, it is a fast, snappy flat blues line from Chris' tenor sax; while bop line, not an Afro-Latin theme at all, the latter finds Chris and Bruce weaving with Victor contributing a sweeping, rac- an hypnotic line in a languorous duet even- ing solo more akin to a bop pianist than a tually joined by discreet bass and brushed Caribbean percussionist. cymbals. Victor's conception often seems closer to Vinnie calls "Somewhere," the Leonard that of a modern jazz pianist or vibes play- Bernstein-Stephen Sondheim West Side er than other steel pan performers. It is Story song, "the most beautiful, meaning- especially pronounced on the title track, ful song of the second half of the 20th cen- his own "Bright Eyes," taken at a light, tury." It is a tribute to the drummer's gen- heartbeat tempo and including solos from uine gift for tunefulness that including it vibist Joe Locke and tenor saxophonist as the only standard on the album doesn't Tedd Baker preceding Victor's own, a fleet, make it the only memorable melody on dis- multi-mallet excursion that sounds of a play. Vinnie's compositions hold their own piece with the previous jazz solos. very well in the tunefulness department, Although about half the tracks include especially the infectious waltz "House on Paulo Stagnaro's Afro-Latin hand percus- Hoxie Road" and the most traditional bal- sion, it is used mostly as peripheral sea- lad, "Hellenized." soning, not to enforce a tropical beat. His homage to Duke Ellington's "In My Drummer Billy Williams Jr. dominates Solitude," reimagined as "Solitary with his tom-toms on the most tropical of Consumer," is distinguished by a lustrous Victor's originals, "Song for Chelle." But tenor sax lead, incisive pizzicato solo from what makes this album so attractively lis- Peter, and strong input from Bruce both tenable is the bright, sparkling jazz vibe, comping and soloing. In fact, with the one infused with Victor's integration of leader playing a crucial but deferential steel pans into the mainstream of jazz role as composer and accompanist-facilita- improvising. tor, the album's most distinctive voices are Chris' keening sax and Bruce's muscular Vinnie Sperrazza leads his quartet at but fluidly melodious piano. Korzo, March 28, and Cornelia Street The drummer's meaty, bravura solo on Underground, March 31. Victor Provost James Williams' "Alter Ego" is a highlight and his band play the music of Bright of the program, as is the tandem soloing Eyes at Jazz Gallery March 9. 10 Bartz cover photo by John Abbott, Provost by Cooper Penn, Sperrazza by Anna Yatskevich. 179291_HH_March_0 2/21/17 12:47 PM Page 11 Sign-up for our E-ALERT at www.hothousejazz.com and be the 1st to know when the latest Hot House is available on line PUBLISHER/MANAGING EDITOR: For advertising requests and Gwen Kelley (formerly Calvier) listing info contact Gwen Kelley [email protected] Toll Free Phone: COPY EDITOR: Yvonne Ervin 888-899-8007/[email protected] [email protected] Hot House Jazz Magazine is published monthly and all PRODUCTION & ART DIRECTOR: copyrights are the property of Gwen Kelley. All rights Karen Pica [email protected] reserved. No material may be reproduced without written CONTRIBUTING WRITERS: permission of the President. No unsolicited manuscripts Ken Dryden, Yvonne Ervin, Ken Franckling, will be returned unless enclosed with a self addressed stamped envelope. Domestic subscriptions areavailable for Seton Hawkins, Eugene Holley Jr., $37 annually (sent first class). For Canada $39 and Stephanie Jones, Nathan Kamal, international $50. George Kanzler, Elzy Kolb, Ralph A. Miriello, PUBLISHER EMERITUS: Dave N Dittmann Michael G. Nastos, Emilie Pons, CO-FOUNDERS: Gene Kalbacher, Cary Tone, Gary Walker, Eric Wendell Lynn Taterka & Jeff Levenson PROOF READER: Robert Abel For press releases and CD revues send a copy to CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHER: Fran Kaufman Gwen Kelley: PO Box 20212 - New York, NY 10025 11 179291_HH_March_0 2/21/17 12:47 PM Page 12 CLUBS & HALLS UPPER MANHATTAN (Above 70th Street) AARON DAVIS HALL: At City College. 138 Convent Av at W133rd St. www.adhat ccny.org. 212-650-6900. Mar 31: 7:30pm $30/20 adm Elio Villafranca. BILL’S PLACE: 148W 133rd St (bet Lenox & 7th Avs). www.billsplaceharlem.com. 212- 281-0777. Fri-Sat: 8&10pm $20 don Bill Saxton Bebop Band. CAVATAPPO: 1712 1st Av (bet 88th & 89th Sts). www.cavatappo.com. 212-987-9260. Sets/adm: Mon 7-10pm free adm Roger Lent Solo; Tues 8-10pm $10; Thurs 9-11pm $10; Sat Brunch 12-3pm free feat Gabrielle Stravelli. Mar 2: Dennis Joseph; 7: Bucky Pizzarelli Trio; 9: Marianne Sollivan; 14: Ken Peplowski; 16: Mike Casey; 21: $5 Jam w/Mike Sailors; 23: Jon-Erik Kellso; 30: “King” Solomon Hicks. The CITY COLLEGE OF NEW YORK: 160 Convent Av at 138th St. www.ccny.cuny.edu. 212-650-7000. Mar 24: 7pm $20/10 adm Akiko Tsuruga Trio. CLEOPATRA’S NEEDLE: 2485 Bway (bet 92nd & 93rd Sts). www.cleopatrasneedleny. com. 212-769-6969. Sets: Early (E), Late (L); Sun E 4-8pm, L 9pm-1am; Mon-Tues E 8- 9pm, L 10pm-1am; Wed-Thurs E 7-11pm, L 11:30pm-2:30am; Fri-Sat E 8pm-12am, L 12:30-3am. Free adm/$10 min. Trios except Mon&Thurs Duets. L Jam. Residencies: Sun E Open mic w/Keith Ingham, L Kelly Green Duet; Mon Jon Weiss; Tues Marc Devine; Wed E Open mic w/Les Kurtz, L Nathan Brown; Thurs L Kazu; Fri: L Ben Zweig; Sat L T. Kash. Mar 2: Ken Simon; 3: Satchamo Mannan Qrt; 4: Michika Fukumori; 9: Joel Fass; 10: Libby Richman; 11: Kayo Hiraki; 16: Dan Furman; 17: Cate Cosco; 18: Allan Rosenthal; 23: Sonelius Smith; 24: Dona Carter; 25: Fuku & Chihiro; 30: Joe Bonacci; 31: Denton Darien. GINNY’S SUPPER CLUB: At Red Rooster. 310 Lenox Av (bet 125th & 126th Sts). www.ginnyssupperclub.com. 212-792-9001. MANHATTAN SCHOOL OF MUSIC: 120 Claremont Av & 122nd St. 212-749-2802. www.msmnyc.edu. Mar 30: 7:30pm Justin DiCioccio w/MSM Jazz Orch. MINTON’S: 206W 118th St (bet St. Nicholas Av & Adam Clayton Powell Blvd). 212-243-2222. www.mintonsharlem.com. Sets: Sun 6:30- 10pm, Wed-Thurs 7-9pm, Fri-Sat 7-10:30pm, Sat + 11pm Jam, Sat-Sun 12-3pm Brunch (B). Mar 3-4: Philip Dizack; 5: Kristina Koller; 10: Emmet Cohen; 17: Josh Lawrence; 18: B Glenn Crytzer Quintette, 7pm Steve Carrington; 19: B Dandy Wellington; 24: Laurin Talese; 25: B Glenn Crytzer Quintette; 26: B Dandy Wellington; 31: King Solomon Hicks.