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SEPTEMBER 2021 DOWNBEAT 1 SEPTEMBER 2021 VOLUME 88 / NUMBER 9 President Kevin Maher Editor & Publisher Frank Alkyer Contributing Editor Ed Enright Contributing Editor Daniel Margolis Creative Director Žaneta Čuntová Assistant to the Publisher Sue Mahal Bookkeeper Evelyn Hawkins ADVERTISING SALES Record Companies & Schools Jennifer Ruban-Gentile Vice President of Sales 630-359-9345 [email protected] Musical Instruments & East Coast Schools Ritche Deraney Vice President of Sales 201-445-6260 [email protected] Advertising Sales Associate Grace Blackford 630-359-9358 [email protected] OFFICES 102 N. Haven Road, Elmhurst, IL 60126–2970 630-941-2030 / Fax: 630-941-3210 http://downbeat.com [email protected] CUSTOMER SERVICE 877-904-5299 / [email protected] CONTRIBUTORS Senior Contributors: Michael Bourne, Aaron Cohen, Howard Mandel, John McDonough Atlanta: Jon Ross; Boston: Fred Bouchard, Frank-John Hadley; Chicago: Alain Drouot, Michael Jackson, Jeff Johnson, Peter Margasak, Bill Meyer, Paul Natkin, Howard Reich; Indiana: Mark Sheldon; Los Angeles: Earl Gibson, Sean J. O’Connell, Chris Walker, Josef Woodard, Scott Yanow; Michigan: John Ephland; Minneapolis: Andrea Canter; Nashville: Bob Doerschuk; New Orleans: Erika Goldring, Jennifer Odell; New York: Herb Boyd, Bill Douthart, Philip Freeman, Stephanie Jones, Matthew Kassel, Jimmy Katz, Suzanne Lorge, Phillip Lutz, Jim Macnie, Ken Micallef, Bill Milkowski, Allen Morrison, Dan Ouellette, Ted Panken, Tom Staudter, Jack Vartoogian; Philadelphia: Shaun Brady; Portland: Robert Ham; San Francisco: Yoshi Kato, Denise Sullivan; Seattle: Paul de Barros; Washington, D.C.: Willard Jenkins, John Murph, Michael Wilderman; Canada: J.D. Considine, James Hale; France: Jean Szlamowicz; Germany: Hyou Vielz; Great Britain: Andrew Jones; Portugal: José Duarte; Romania: Virgil Mihaiu; Russia: Cyril Moshkow. Jack Maher, President 1970-2003 John Maher, President 1950-1969 SUBSCRIPTION INFORMATION: Send orders and address changes to: DOWNBEAT, P.O. Box 11688, St. Paul, MN 55111–0688. Inquiries: U.S.A. and Canada (877) 904-5299; Foreign (651) 251-9682. CHANGE OF ADDRESS: Please allow six weeks for your change to become effective. When notifying us of your new address, include current DOWN- BEAT label showing old address. DOWNBEAT (issn 0012-5768) Volume 88, Number 9 is published monthly by Maher Publications, 102 N. Haven, Elmhurst, IL 60126-2970. Copyright 2021 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 artwork. Nothing may be reprinted in whole or in part without written permission from publisher. MAHER PUBLICATIONS: DOWNBEAT magazine, MUSIC INC. maga- zine, UpBeat Daily. POSTMASTER: Send change of address to: DownBeat, P.O. Box 11688, St. Paul, MN 55111–0688. CABLE ADDRESS: DownBeat (on sale Aug. 24, 2021) Magazine Publishers Association. Á 4 DOWNBEAT SEPTEMBER 2021 SEPTEMBER 2021 ON THE COVER 22 Ledisi RON T. YOUNG Sings Nina BY AYANA CONTRERAS Ledisi’s connection to the High Priestess of Soul dates back to her youth. Growing up, she said her mother would wake her up to the sound of Simone’s “Mississippi Goddam.” And in her darkest moments, Ledisi has turned, time and again, to Simone’s music. “She became a mood for me … and she just kept interrupting my life.” FEATURES 22 Soul modernist Ledisi taps into the spirit 28 Orrin Evans of the late Nina Simone for her new recording. Go For It! Cover photo by Ron T. Young BY PHILLIP LUTZ 36 Alligator Records 5-Star Review Alligator @ 50 HHHHH BY FRANK-JOHN HADLEY 44 Indie Life 44 Judy Wexler Goes Back to the Garden 46 Delmark Records: Modern Day 50 Roy Brooks 52 Wollny/Parisien/ 55 Cochemea 58 Arturo O’Farrill Afro Scrappy in Chicago Lefebvre/Lillinger Latin Jazz Orchestra KEYBOARD SCHOOL DEPARTMENTS 62 Master Class 66 Toolshed 8 First Take 18 SideBar, New Orleans Rhythmic Interdependence BY JASON YEAGER 67 Gear Box 20 Anna Webber 10 Chords & Discords 21 In Memoriam: Don Gold 64 Transcription 21 Riffs Hiromi Uehara’s 13 The Beat Keyboard Solo on 13 Benito Gonzalez 49 Reviews ‘What Will Be, Will Be’ 14 Hank Roberts 69 Jazz On Campus BY JIMI DURSO Roland Juno-60 Software Synthesizer 16 Aaron Myers 70 Blindfold Test 17 Jaubi George Colligan 6 DOWNBEAT SEPTEMBER 2021 First Take BY FRANK ALKYER MARC NORBERG Blues Royalty: The late Koko Taylor, undisputed queen of the blues, shares a laugh with Bruce Iglauer, founder of Alligator Records. In a Chicago State of Mind THIS ISSUE OF DOWNBEAT HAS A FEW Mines, B.L.U.E.s and so many more. Alligator Chicago-centric slants. It wasn’t planned. It just Records has been here to capture it all. happened. After some 350 releases, we’re thrilled to If you’ve ever wondered why Chicago is so wish Iglauer and the label happy birthday with important to this magazine and the music we a tribute, beginning on page 36, to just a few of cover, there are many reasons. the classic albums Alligator has delivered. First, this is where DownBeat is headquar- There are certainly many more. Shoot me tered. The magazine came into existance short- your favorites at [email protected]. ly before Benny Goodman exploded as a star I’ve got a few top of mind, like The Holmes in the mid-1930s. He was a local hero. We were Brothers’ State Of Grace from 2007, loaded the local magazine with access to him. We both with great songs and make-you-cry harmo- took off. The rest is history. nies, especially when they turn Cheap Trick’s Chicago was also one of the first places to “I Want You To Want Me” from a stadium import jazz and jazz musicians who made their rock pop hit into a quiet blues prayer. And then way north along the Mississippi River from there’s Lucky Peterson’s Lucky Strike from 1989, New Orleans. Remember, during prohibition, a coming-out party for the amazing multi- the bootleggers and illegal saloons of Chicago instrumentalist and vocalist whom we lost in brought some in of the greatest talent from this 2020 at the age of 55. fledgling music called jazz into a fast-growing OK, one more (and we could go all day): town with a thirst for booze and good music, Eddie “The Chief” Clearwater’sWest Side Strut especially Joseph “King” Oliver and his protegé from 2008. That’s the height of house rockin’. Louis Armstrong. We also have a great Indie Life article on The same is true for the blues. page 46 featuring Julia A. Miller, the new owner Chess Records, based in the city, served as a of Delmark Records, another Chicago institu- staple for the blues from the early ’50s to the late tion. Miller represents the future of jazz and ’60s, recording the legends like Muddy Waters, blues recording in this town, and, as the inter- a young Buddy Guy, the great Howlin’ Wolf, view reveals, she seems able and ready. We wish Etta James and so many more. her all the success in the world to carry on the And 50 years ago, a young music fanatic great legacy of that label. named Bruce Iglauer started his own blues leg- And finally, on page 60, we wish Doug acy when Alligator Records released the debut Beach a happy retirement from Elmhurst LP of Hound Dog Taylor and the Blues Rockers. University in Chicago’s western suburbs. Beach The talent has been here. The clubs have is an undersung hero of jazz education who has been here — from the old Checkerboard schooled and mentored some of the Midwest’s Lounge and Wise Fools Pub to today’s Buddy most promising young musicians over the past Guy’s Legends, Rosa’s Lounge, The Kingston 40-plus years. Thank you, Doug! DB 8 DOWNBEAT SEPTEMBER 2021 Chords Discords Missing Mark! We subscribe to the paper issue monthly and were glad to see the special section “We Love Vinyl.” Sadly, Frank Alkyer and Daniel Margolis dropped the ball and missed the new reissue from the stellar jazz label MPS — the holy grail of jazz vocal LPs, a newly reissued edition of Mark Murphy’s Midnight Mood, a superb record at his peak. On the website Upcoming Vinyl, this great record from MPS is shown with many others in your article. I have been it was omitted. Listen to “Sconsolato!” You’ll watching DownBeat — looking for a call out agree “We Love Vinyl” has a serious omission. to share awareness of this masterpiece. Sadly PAUL PHILLIPS VIA FACEBOOK 70 Years Strong Editor’s Note: Ken, we have copies! We’ll Hi, DownBeat! Glad to see you are still in reach out and get them to you. For the rest business. I first started reading it more than of the research world, we are always happy 70 years ago. Your magazine gave me the to hear from you and help out as much as information that I needed back then in or- humanly possible. We look forward to a der to stay and grow with my love of jazz. I day when ever issue of DownBeat is digi- moved in ’53 to New Orleans and, as a result, tized for research — and posterity. I find myself embracing trad and big band for the most part. If I can tap my foot and hum along with it, I’m satisfied. I’ve stayed Corrections & Clarifications true to jazz since being introduced to it by In the past two issues of DownBeat, we have your magazine.