ethos of inclusivity. Here is a home for in jazz.”* Rose Hall is an ideal space to celebration of the many artists, styles, THE SCENE jazz in the broadest sense, one that celebrate this “permanent diversity.” and movements encompassed in the Jazz at Lincoln Center’s Rose Theater in welcomes everything from ragtime century-long jazz continuum. While Frederick P. Rose Hall. The vibe is open, and dixieland to swing and bebop, the The Jazz at Lincoln Center 2016- the title is borrowed from Fats Waller, light. There isn’t a bad seat in the house. blues and gospel traditions, and the 17 season opened with a program recalling his high-spirited and virtuosic The venue has an excitement and an experiments and innovations of the entitled “Handful of Keys: A Century solo from 1929, this concert was an intimacy you’d expect from a smaller 1960s and beyond. As jazz scholar John of Jazz Piano,” kicking off a year-long “encapsulated history” exploring the room; a jazz club, say, with beautiful Szwed has noted, “In the 1960s, jazz many rich traditions and styles that acoustics, every sound present and established its ‘new,’ which would stay define jazz piano today, featuring the crystalline. Our host Wynton Marsalis new for years. At the same time, bebop *Szwed, John. Jazz 101: A Complete Guide to combined forces of the stellar Jazz at Learning and Loving Jazz. Hachette, 2000, invites and encourages, creating an moved to become the center of jazz, and pp. 4-5. Lincoln Center Orchestra with six 2 3 These guest pianists, along with the Orchestra’s own wonderfully versatile BEHIND THE SCENES Dan Nimmer, covered a wide age span, I arrived at the large rehearsal room from 13-year-old Joey Alexander to at Jazz at Lincoln Center early on a 89-year-old Dick Hyman, with Isaiah J. Wednesday morning after a sleepless Thompson, Helen Sung, Larry Willis, night on a red-eye from San Francisco. and myself filling in the decades—a The welcome I received from Marsalis, truly multi-generational, the Orchestra members, international, and and the staff at JALC aesthetically diverse EACH GUEST SOLOIST couldn’t have been more group. The repertoire REVEALED YET ANOTHER hospitable. We sat with included music by some many supporters of JALC of the 20th century’s FACET OF THE RICH who had been invited to outstanding pianist/ LEGACY OF JAZZ PIANO this special opportunity composers: Oscar to see and hear behind Peterson, James P. Johnson, Bill Evans, the scenes and listened to the other Wynton Kelly, and McCoy Tyner, pianists rehearsing their pieces. The with new arrangements by some of next evening, backstage during the the evening’s performers including performance, listening with and to the Hyman, Sung, and JLCO members other pianists, I felt a palpable sense of Walter Blanding, Ted Nash, and Marcus not only enjoyment and appreciation Printup. Yet no matter what era of jazz for the gifts each had to offer, but it represents, the Orchestra makes inspiration — the possibility of trying whatever they play music of today. something new or different heard in the 4 5 others’ playing. What struck me was the maestro Dick Hyman. Watching and Moving ahead to the 1960s, “Four by and morphing the melody and harmony unique way in which each guest soloist hearing his fingers flying over the keys Five” by McCoy Tyner, inventively as his solo takes a number of twists revealed yet another facet of the rich was both exhilarating and absolutely arranged here by Helen Sung, makes a and turns, finally arriving at two-hand legacy of jazz piano. Each “voice” opened mesmerizing. powerful impact, expanding upon the unison lines and eventually resolving in up new futures for jazz as it conjured one original quartet version with intricate a beautifully lyrical cadenza. of the many different times, places, and Next up, we hear Isaiah J. Thompson contrapuntal lines and polyrhythmic musical communities that forged this on “Lulu’s Back in Town,” popularized interplay. Sung’s It was a tremendous thrill for me to have music. by Fats Waller in 1935. This rendition is playing throughout my piece “The Strawberry” arranged full of invention, as Thompson weaves SUNG PLAYS is equally potent in for the Orchestra so beautifully by Ted harmonies from the second half of the IN THE SPIRIT the spirit of Tyner’s Nash. Staying true to the folk-like spirit THE SOUND 20th century with stride-style left-hand OF TYNER’S dynamic pianism of the tune, he enriched the melody and We start near the beginning with James leaps into one contemporary pianistic and writing. harmony with counterpoint, thickening P. Johnson’s “Jingles,” first recorded in tour de force. At the core of this 19-year- DYNAMIC and thinning the texture to heightened 1927, and presented here in an ebullient old’s playing is sheer joy and good feeling. PIANISM AND This is followed by effect. It was equally exhilarating to arrangement and performance by “Very Early,” a waltz play and interact with these musicians, composed by Bill immersed in the full power of their Evans when he was still a student in 1949. sound, their broad and colorful palette — It’s presented here in a lush arrangement individually and collectively. In my set, it by the JLCO’s Walter Blanding. Joey was also an honor to pay tribute to some Alexander’s pianistic language draws on of the many pianists, including Cecil everything from the blues to complex Taylor, Andrew Hill, and Don Pullen, harmonies. His phrasing is elegant, with whose expansion of the expressive a maturity that belies his young age. capability of the piano had such a big He is endlessly inventive — stretching impact on my own development. 7 and respect of his ensemble-mates are This project was truly an uplifting palpable as he draws on multiple styles experience, owing to the warmth, In Oscar Peterson’s uplifting piece from and traditions in his wide-ranging and generosity of spirit, the genuine love the Civil Rights era, “Hymn to Freedom,” hard-swinging solo. and enthusiasm, and the always riveting the ensemble is pared down to a trio of solos of these artists, as well as the piano, bass, and drums with Isaiah J. attentive and appreciative audience and Thompson holding forth eloquently in THE MEMBERS OF THIS ENSEMBLE all of the dedicated and talented people this gospel-imbued performance. HAVE A SPECIAL ABILITY TO SHINE, who work for Jazz at Lincoln Center. INDIVIDUALLY AND COLLECTIVELY. You’ll find something of that experience We circle back to the swing era of 1931 captured and shared on this recording. with Benny Carter’s classic arrangement Let me close with a few words on the These performances dazzle us with the of “All of Me,” where it’s all about the extraordinary Jazz at Lincoln Center diverse contributions of old and young, kinetic conversation between orchestra Orchestra. The members of this men and women, transcending race and and soloist, Hyman deftly weaving lush ensemble have a special ability to shine, nation, promising a great future for this two-hand harmonies with percussive individually and collectively, to flow music in the 21st century and beyond. single-note lines in turns punctuated or organically between the many different elaborated on by the ensemble. approaches to rhythm, harmony, melody, –MYRA MELFORD and texture that the history of this music BERKELEY, CA And finally, to bring it home, we have embodies. As Marsalis himself has said, “Temperance” by Wynton Kelly, “We are free to utilize all that we know… arranged by Marcus Printup. There is all of it exists at one time.” What an a sense of family coming back together incredibly rich time it is, when all of this when Dan Nimmer steps in to play the is at the fingertips of some of the greatest final number with the Orchestra. The joy jazz musicians of our generation. 8 9 executive producer 1. JINGLES 3:46 4. VERY EARLY 8:06 7. ALL OF ME 7:23 WYNTON MARSALIS soloist soloists soloists front of house engineer DICK HYMAN piano JOEY ALEXANDER piano DICK HYMAN piano DAVID ROBINSON Universal Music Corporation (ASCAP) tenor saxophone trombone recording engineers Composed by James P. Johnson WALTER BLANDING CHRIS CRENSHAW Folkways Music Publishers (BMI) Marlong Music Corp / Round Hill Songs / ROB MACOMBER AND JAMES P. NICHOLS Arranged by Dick Hyman Composed by Bill Evans Sony / ATV (ASCAP) post producer and mixing engineer Arranged by Walter Blanding Composed by Gerald Marks & Seymour Simons TODD WHITELOCK Arranged by Benny Carter mastered by 2. 12:04 LULU’S BACK IN TOWN MARK WILDER at Battery Studios, NYC 2017 soloists 5. THE STRAWBERRY 9:17 piano soloists art direction and design label head and a&r ISAIAH J. THOMPSON 8. 5:50 alto saxophone piano TEMPERANCE BRIAN WELESKO GABRIELLE ARMAND SHERMAN IRBY MYRA MELFORD soloist ( ) photography product & marketing manager Warner Bros ASCAP trumpet WYNTON MARSALIS piano Composed by Al Dubin & Harry Warren Sun on the Sound Publishing (BMI) DAN NIMMER FRANK STEWART JAKE COHEN Arranged by Vincent Gardner Conrad Music (BMI) Composed by Myra Melford liner notes product manager Arranged by Ted Nash Composed by Wynton Kelly Arranged by Marcus Printup MYRA MELFORD VALERIE FLORVILLE label manager 3. 8:41 Joey Alexander appears courtesy AARON BISMAN FOUR BY FIVE of Motema Music. soloists 6. HYMN TO FREEDOM 5:50 VICTOR GOINES tenor saxophone soloist JAZZ AT LINCOLN CENTER gratefully acknowledges supporters of Blue Engine Records, including: HELEN SUNG piano ISAIAH J. THOMPSON piano ( ) Diana and Joe DiMenna, Dan Pritzker, Leonard drums Sony/ATV BMI ALI JACKSON Composed by Oscar Peterson Aisha Music (BMI) Composed by McCoy Tyner Arranged by Helen Sung 11 reeds 2016–2017 CONCERT SEASON SHERMAN IRBY alto saxophone, flute, clarinet TED NASH alto & soprano saxophones, flute, clarinet VICTOR GOINES tenor and soprano saxophones, clarinet WALTER BLANDING tenor saxophone, clarinet PAUL NEDZELA baritone saxophone, bass clarinet trumpets trombones RYAN KISOR* VINCENT GARDNER KENNY RAMPTON CHRIS CRENSHAW MARCUS PRINTUP ELLIOT MASON WYNTON MARSALIS special guests GREG GISBERT substitute for Ryan Kisor JOEY ALEXANDER piano rhythm section DICK HYMAN piano DAN NIMMER piano MYRA MELFORD piano CARLOS HENRIQUEZ bass HELEN SUNG piano JAZZ AT LINCOLN ALI JACKSON drums ISAIAH J.