U.K. £3.50 U.K. ctober 2010 2010 ctober downbeat.com o DownBeat Ray ChaRles // tim BeRne // John Clayton // Josh BeRman // wheRe To StuDy Jazz 2011 oCtoBer 2010 OCTOBER 2010 Volume 77 – Number 10 President Kevin Maher Publisher Frank Alkyer Editor Ed Enright Associate Editor Aaron Cohen Art Director Ara Tirado Production Associate Andy Williams Bookkeeper Margaret Stevens Circulation Manager Kelly Grosser AdVertisiNg Sales Record Companies & Schools Jennifer Ruban-Gentile 630-941-2030 [email protected] Musical Instruments & East Coast Schools Ritche Deraney 201-445-6260 [email protected] Classified Advertising Sales Sue Mahal 630-941-2030 [email protected] offices 102 N. 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ChAngE of Address: Please allow six weeks for your change to become effective. When notifying us of your new address, include current DOWNBEAT label showing old address. DOWNBEAT (issn 0012-5768) Volume 77, Number 10 is published monthly by Maher Publications, 102 N. Haven, Elmhurst, IL 60126-3379. Copyright 2010 Maher Publica- tions. All rights reserved. Trademark registered U.S. Patent Office. Great Britain regis- tered trademark No. 719.407. Periodicals postage paid at Elmhurst, IL and at additional mailing offices. Subscription rates: $34.95 for one year, $59.95 for two years. Foreign subscriptions rates: $56.95 for one year, $103.95 for two years. Publisher assumes no responsibility for return of unsolicited manuscripts, photos, or art- work. Nothing may be reprinted in whole or in part without written permission from publisher. MAHER PUBLICATIONS: DOWNBEAT magazine, MUSIC INC. magazine, UpBeat Daily. PoStmaster: Send change of address to: DownBeat, P.O. Box 11688, St. Paul, MN 55111–0688. CABLE ADDRESS: DownBeat (on sale September 21, 2010) Magazine Publishers Association. Á 4 DOWNBEAT OCTOBER 2010 OctOBER 2010 ON The COveR 26 Ray Charles Ray’s Kind Of Jazz By Aaron COhen As this autumn marks 40 the 80th anniversary of Ray Charles’ birth, new reissues and events celebrate his brilliant legacy. Is now the time to reclaim him for jazz? Josh Berman Michael Jackson Cover photography by Jim Marshall from DownBeat archives FeatuReS 32 Tim Berne Predisposition For Change By Ted Panken 48 Liam Sillery 51 geri Allen 53 Sinatra & Jobim 63 Stanley Clarke 36 John Clayton ‘Jazz Saved My Life’ By Ted Panken DepartmeNTS 40 Josh Berman Old & New Dreams 8 First take 20 Caught 45 Reviews By MiChael Jackson 10 Chords & 22 Players 144 Toolshed Discords Michael “Spike” Wilner 148 Master Class 65 SpeciAl Section 13 The Beat Where to Study Matt Bauder 150 Transcription Jazz 2011 19 European Gregory Porter 154 Blindfold test student Music Guide Scene Pete Robbins Anat Cohen 6 DOWNBEAT OCTOBER 2010 first take | By AARon CohEn Ray Charles: genius plus soul equals jazz courtesy of the ray charles foundation the ray of courtesy Ray’s Mingled World ome of the thinking behind this month’s r&b so incredible. cover story on Ray Charles began in March Today’s r&b could use more of the instrumen- 2009, when I attended a weekend seminar tal virtuosity and inventive spirit of jazz improvi- Sdevoted to Brother Ray at the Center For Black sation that Charles and his colleagues held close. Music Research at Columbia College Chicago. It There are notable exceptions, though: Janelle was a privilege to be in the audience and listen Monáe’s The ArchAndroid is relentlessly creative to a mixture of scholars (musicologist Guhtrie and sheer fun to listen to, and Erykah Badu re- Ramsey), writers (David Ritz), musicians (trum- mains every bit her own woman. Any recording peter Marcus Belgrave, drummer John Bryant), that drummer Ahmir “Questlove” Thompson Charles’ business partners (Tony Gumina, owner plays on will at least have some jazz ideas filtered of Ray Charles Marketing Group) and Mable in its beats. And maybe, just maybe, D’Angelo John, who sang with him. Of course, I learned a will stage a comeback (OK, I know that one’s a lot about the man and his music. But I also came long shot). away from the seminar with one question about The flipside to all of this is that it seems like his legacy that may be unanswerable: Charles jazz musicians themselves are as eager as ever to and his contemporaries proved that amazing and collaborate across any perceived boundaries. That hugely influential r&b music often draws from belief is expressed in DownBeat publisher Frank jazz. So why do so few of their descendants in- Alkyer’s roundtable discussion, “Experiments & clude jazz ideas, or jazz musicians, in their music Experience: Coming To Terms With Jazz Artistry nowadays? In The New Millennium,” beginning on page 98, As the story on Charles shows, there’s no part of our Where To Study Jazz 2011 education question that jazz was a big part of everything he supplement. During the discussion, Stefon Harris did. But that was also true throughout soul music talks about his love for Stevie Wonder while DJ that emerged during the decade after he became Trentino mentions moving from hip-hop to jazz. a star. Aretha Franklin’s piano lines not only de- And college music programs have been stepping rived from gospel, but also growing up with Art stones for musicians who used the schools’ re- Tatum visiting her family home. Roberta Flack’s sources to create their own unique hybrid music. breakthrough First Take album from 1969 fea- Like Donny Hathaway, who studied at Howard tured Les McCann, John Pizzarelli and Ron Cart- University and covered Charles’ “I Believe To er. While Franklin and Flack were on Charles’ My Soul” on his 1970 album Everything Is Ev- early Atlantic label, jazz-r&b interactions were erything. With the hundreds of brilliant young stu- certainly not restricted to one record company dents enrolled in top music programs in universi- back then. After Belgrave left Charles in the early ties worldwide today, there are more than enough ’60s, he began doing session work for Motown. reasons to hope that Charles’ innovative spirit will Jazz clearly contributed to what made this era of surge again. DB 8 DOWNBEAT OCTOBER 2010 chords & discords Thanks From A Eric Bibb Blues Winner Receiving the DownBeat 58th Annual Critics Poll award is a great honor, and I look forward to sharing more music with all of you at the magazine and your readers. eRIC BIBB veIkkOLA, FINLAND Temperley Is Past ‘Rising’ eith Perry In your recent Critics Poll (August) k Joe Temperley received 14 votes in disappointed at the 3 1/2-star rating the Rising Star category for baritone of such a great effort (“Reviews,” saxophone. Joe turns 81 on Sept. August). I then proceeded to read 20 and has an established reputa- the review to see what critic Philip tion over many decades, which Booth didn’t like. To my surprise all surely puts him beyond being a he had was praise for this collabo- rising star. Also I would like to sub- ration and the artist. I have listened mit two names that your Veterans to this CD and it clearly should had Committee could consider next been given a 4-star or higher rating. year for the Hall of Fame: Eddie IvAN Smart Lang and Henry “Red” Allen. Baltimore, MD. BOB SCurry LAke WeNDOuRee, AuSTRALIA Hank Jones’ Diligence When I was a kid, Benny Good- Missing Miller man’s band came to town, Mitch Miller, who died on July 31, and during the break, I had some will be popularly remembered for conversation with the pianist, Hank his “sing along” music. But as a Jones. When I asked him how he music executive for Columbia Re- liked being on the road, he com- cords, he will also be remembered mented that he missed being able for helping to launch the careers of to practice eight hours a day. I’m Rosemary Clooney, Johnny Mathis, fortunate to have “known” him for Tony Bennett and Frankie Laine to the past 60 years. name but a few. A little-known fact Gary DOuDNA is he helped Peggy King, urging her BAILeYS hARBOR, WIS. to do a TV commercial for Hunt’s Tomato Sauce, and the rest, as they No Offense Intended! say, is history.