The only jazz magazine in NY in print, online DIGITAL-ONLY and on apps! ISSUE May 2020 www.hothousejazz.com Alternative Jazz Venues For Jazz Page 6 The Jazz Gallery Page 7 Gail Boyd Rio Sakairi Christian McBride & Melissa Walker Jazz House Kids Hang @ Home Page 4 Where To Go & Who To See Since 1982 RESILIENT, UNIFIED AND RESOURCEFUL NOTE FROM THE PUBLISHER IRST OF ALL, I HOPE YOU AND upbeat these past eight weeks. Today, we Fyour family are safe and stay healthy. still don't have any clear idea when the Unfortunately, many have lost loved ones ban will be lifted, and how the social dis- and our thoughts are with them in this dif- tancing will impact the lives of the musi- ficult time. cians on the road, the setting in jazz clubs On March 17, I sent to all of our readers and their audience. But there is one thing the following email: that the past weeks have made brightly We are currently dealing with a totally obvious: Our jazz community is resilient, unknown situation, operating without a unified and resourceful, as demonstrated roadmap and have to be resilient, flexible by all the musicians who switched plat- and supportive of each other. forms and are presenting concerts online As you probably know by now, the clubs via Facebook, Zoom and other outlets, and venues of the tri-state area were closed which are viewed and followed by the hun- Monday evening per government order and dreds. all gigs have been canceled until further Times have changed, and so do we: notice. This could last two months, maybe - This May issue of Hot House Jazz more, as nobody really knows what the magazine is digital-only. future holds. - Although we usually write articles Therefore, it's with a heavy heart that I about artists who have upcoming events, have to share with you that Hot House jazz this month and until the ban on live per- magazine will not be printed for the first formance is lifted, we will bring to you time. I had been committed to going ahead interviews with jazz professionals who with the April issue, in spite of the loss in inspire us, make the best of this unusual advertising revenue, to support and pro- situation and keep the music going. mote our beloved musicians. However, - Our biweekly "Internet Jazz Rendez- since the clubs and other locations that are vous Calendar" email blasts update you on our distribution outlets are closed, there is all the opportunities to hear beautiful no way for the magazine to actually be music in the comfort of your home. delivered to our readers. - Our daily "Internet Birthday I am at a loss for words to express my Celebration" email blasts share previously sadness. We are monitoring the evolving published articles on living artists who are situation closely and I will announce any celebrating their birthdays; they also sign of light at the end of the tunnel. inform, unfortunately, on the passing of Many artists will be doing live stream- jazz artists. Now more than ever, we need ing events with a virtual tip jar. We will do to keep our beloved musicians in mind, cel- our best to update you as we learn about ebrate and support them. them. In these difficult times, we can still In these unchartered times of the help them by buying their CDs and music. COVID-19 pandemic, Hot House Jazz mag- It is more than likely that the situation azine is hoping to provide some support will get worse before it gets better, but we and joy to the jazz community. As we have are all in this together and we will all come been doing since 1982, we are committed to out of this stronger and more united than sharing with you the latest in jazz enter- ever before. Again, I hope you all remain tainment. safe and healthy. So many of you replied with heart- Stay upbeat, be safe. warming messages that have kept us Gwen Kelley, Publisher 2 3 ALONE TOGETHER By Elzy Kolb ASSIST CHRISTIAN MCBRIDE Band vocalist Melissa Walker live in the present and imagine the future. Creativity, imagination and the ability to improvise are key ingredients for thriv- ing in the jazz world. In this time of social beyond the essential workers, artists are distancing, shuttered venues and bans on among the most important when it comes public gatherings, these qualities are prov- to saving people," says Melissa, musing on ing more important than ever, even before the healing power of music. a single note has been played. Instead of "Part of the beauty of playing is feeling imagining ways of using instrumentation, that energy coming back from the people," time signatures or keys to give a unique Christian points out. "I'm ready to start twist to a standard, musicians now must playing for people again in person." But he adapt their skills to navigate an increas- acknowledges that may not happen in the ingly complex world, protect their health, near future. Chris speculates that with the and find new ways to earn a living in the current social distancing guidelines, the era of COVID-19. tight quarters of some of New York's ven- "We're going to have to think of a model erable jazz clubs could likely accommodate different from the current one, and it's a duo on the bandstand, performing for an going to be a challenge," says vocalist audience of 20. "Getting together will Melissa Walker, the president and founder never go away, but we won't go back to the of the arts education and performance way it was for a very long time. We all want organization Jazz House Kids. to live to be Roy Haynes' age," he says, Since the shelter-in-place order went referring to the 95-year-old drummer. into effect in mid-March, she and her hus- The bassist is right in thinking that band, bassist Christian McBride, have crowded clubs and large-scale festivals are been looking for ways to safely share their likely to be off the table for a while. On music. They found one right outside their May 4, Governor Andrew Cuomo of New door. "We wondered what it would be like York described a four-phase process to to go out on the front porch and play for gradually reopen businesses in the state, our neighbors," Melissa explains. "They with arts, education and recreation slotted came out of their houses, and people pulled into the final phase. Such activities draw up in cars to stop and listen." In a video crowds, and contribute to the spread of the shared on Facebook, the twosome perform virus. "Just in Time," to applause, shouts of Neither Christian nor Melissa think thanks and car horns honking their things will ever go back exactly the way approval. they were at the start of 2020. "It will be They are reaching a far broader audi- interesting, we don't know what will stay ence—tens of thousands of listeners in and what will go," says the bassist, a self- more than 30 countries—with Hang @ described optimist. "Ultimately, good Home Listening Parties held every things come from a bad situation. You Friday night at 8. The concert series, need resistance to get something new to accessible via Zoom or Facebook, benefits happen." Jazz House Kids through a Venmo virtual Melissa notes, "It's interesting to look tip jar. Also available online are a around the world and see how things are lunchtime concert series every Tuesday at being handled. There was a drive-up festi- noon, featuring live performances, often by val in Europe, where people stayed in their Jazz House Kids' teachers, and master cars for the show, like the old drive-in classes every Wednesday at 6 p.m. Jazz movies. We could do that here!" She House Kids currently offers more than a acknowledges that a commitment to mak- dozen online classes weekly. ing music available online will coexist with Christian sees an online presence as a the return of live shows. "Our Hang @ Home necessity for musicians, now and into the last week reached 31 countries, including future. "Which platform you pick makes a Croatia, Taiwan, Peru. Why would we ever big difference. It's important to study the want to put that back in the box? Future demographics, as TikToc, Instagram, developments will continue to be of a glob- Facebook and all the others cater to differ- al nature-things we can experiment with ent age groups. Where you choose to dis- and globally experience together." play your work matters." On June 5, Jazz House Kids sponsors The singer and bassist both note how an online emergency relief concert to bene- important live music is to people both on fit the jazz community. On the program and off the stage. "Beyond the front line, continued on page 10 4 LOU CAPUTO & COMPANY LOU CAPUTO & THE NOT SO BIG BAND Trumpets - John Eckert & Kerry Mac Killop Trombone - Sam Burtis Tuba - Dale Turk, Alto/Flute - Geoff Burke Tenor sax - Virginia Mayhew, Piano - Don Stein Guitar -Tom De Pietra, Bass - Yas Takada Drums - Mike Campeni, Percussion - Leopoldo Fleming Vocal - Susan Diedrichson ".... pulsing organism of a band. Their charts are sophisticated complex and boy can they blow"... Don Mc Neil " Tried and true Swingers, they can take you around the block with stops in between. All of which are played to perfection"... Chris Spector 5 Clayton-Hamilton Jazz Orchestra, and Things to Come: bassist Michael Olatuja.