December 2012 | No. 128 Your FREE Guide to the NYC Jazz Scene nycjazzrecord.com CHUCHO IN T E VALDÉS A U Havana - New York L S IS GATO • MIGUEL • JOE • FESTINA • EVENT BARBIERI ZENÓN BATAAN LENTE CALENDAR CASSANDRA WILSON GATO BARBIERI 11/29 - 12/2 12/3 & 4 DAVID SANBORN MEDESKI MARTIN & WOOD CHRIS BOTTI 12/5-9 W/ NELS CLINE (12/12), MARC RIBOT (12/13) ANNUAL RESIDENCY & BILL EVANS (12/14) 12/17 - 1/6 12/11-16 LATE NIGHT GROOVE SERIES: SUNDAY BRUNCH SERIES: THE Z THREE 12/1 SOPHISTAFUNK 12/15 NYU: BILLY DRUMMOND 12/2 SONUVO 12/7 RAY ANGRY 12/21 MARK GROSS & BLACKSIDE 12/9 THE FLOWDOWN 12/8 JEF LEE JOHNSON 12/22 AKIKO TSURUGA 12/16 INTERNATIONAL ORANGE 12/14 QUEEN AAMINAH 12/28 MARLENE VERPLANCK 12/23 SONY HOLLAND 12/30 TELECHARGE.COM TERMS, CONDITIONS AND RESTRICTIONS APPLY Much has been made about the term “jazz” throughout this music’s history; some find it to be an inclusive term, encompassing all stripes of styles and players while New York@Night others find it limiting, even demeaning. A topic not often discussed though is the 4 sub-genre “Latin jazz”. It is hard to believe that this term has existed as long as it Interview: Gato Barbieri has, trying ineffectually to cover dozens of cultures under its generic umbrella. For this The New York City Jazz Record’s first Latin issue, we would like to take 6 by Brad Farberman the opportunity to use the term as a starting point for discussion. There is no Artist Feature: Miguel Zenón uniformity between the musics that come out of the various Southern and Central American countries and to imply such is overly simplistic and culturally by Tom Greenland 7 insensitive. Just as “classical music” hardly represents centuries worth of On The Cover: Chucho Valdés composition, Latin jazz should either be broken into its component countries by Russ Musto (would that work?) or just called jazz - in the most expansive sense of the word. 9 To reinforce this notion, you need only leaf through our coverage this month. Encore: Lest We Forget: Cuban piano legend Chucho Valdés (On The Cover, appearing at both Zankel Hall 10 and Stern Auditorium as part of the Voices from Latin America series), famed Joe Bataan Willie Bobo Argentinean saxophonist Gato Barbieri (Interview, at Blue Note celebrating his by Marcia Hillman by Donald Elfman 80th birthday) and Puerto Rican cachorro de león Miguel Zenón (Artist Feature, Megaphone VOXNews leading a group at Jazz Standard) are as different as their native countries. Vocalist by Bobby Sanabria by Katie Bull Joe Bataan (Encore) shows that one not even need be of Spanish extraction to play 11 Latin jazz while the late percussionist Willie Bobo (Lest We Forget) comes not from Label Spotlight: Listen Up!: Central or South America but Harlem. Colombian imprint Festina Lente (Label Spotlight) will upend anyone’s notions of what Equatorial music should sound 12 Rogerio Boccato Festina Lente like and if anyone can wax prolific on the subject of needing to recognize the by Ken Waxman & Magos Herrera uniqueness of “Latin jazz”, it would be our Megaphone writer, percussionist Bobby Sanabria (just ask the Grammy Awards). And we’ve dedicated the beginning In Memoriam: John Tchicai (1936-2012) of our CD Reviews (pages 16-21) to a wide array of disparate “Latin” artists. 14 Próspero Año Nuevo! CD Reviews: Gonzalo Rubalcaba, David Virelles, Bobby Sanabria, 16 Ondatrópica, Poncho Sanchez, Papo Vazquez, Aruán Ortiz and more Laurence Donohue-Greene, Managing Editor Andrey Henkin, Editorial Director On the cover: Chucho Valdés (photo courtesy CAMI MUSIC) 36 Special Feature: Holiday Gift Guide Event Calendar Corrections: In last month’s VOXNews, the poet’s name is Cornelius Eady. In the 38 Dayna Stephens CD review, Aaron Parks does not play Fender Rhodes. In the In Memoriam, John Tchicai passed away on Oct. 8th. 45 Club Directory Submit Letters to the Editor by emailing [email protected] Miscellany: In Memoriam • Birthdays • On This Day US Subscription rates: 12 issues, $30 (International: 12 issues, $40) 47 For subscription assistance, send check, cash or money order to the address below or email [email protected]. The New York City Jazz Record www.nycjazzrecord.com / twitter: @nycjazzrecord Managing Editor: Laurence Donohue-Greene To Contact: Editorial Director & Production Manager: Andrey Henkin The New York City Jazz Record Staff Writers 116 Pinehurst Avenue, Ste. J41 David R. Adler, Clifford Allen, Fred Bouchard, Stuart Broomer, Katie Bull, New York, NY 10033 Tom Conrad, Ken Dryden, Donald Elfman, Sean Fitzell, Graham Flanagan, United States Kurt Gottschalk, Tom Greenland, Alex Henderson, Marcia Hillman, Terrell Holmes, Robert Iannapollo, Francis Lo Kee, Martin Longley, Wilbur MacKenzie, Laurence Donohue-Greene: Marc Medwin, Matthew Miller, Sharon Mizrahi, Russ Musto, Sean O’Connell, Joel Roberts, [email protected] John Sharpe, Elliott Simon, Jeff Stockton, Andrew Vélez, Ken Waxman Andrey Henkin: [email protected] Contributing Writers General Inquiries: [email protected] Duck Baker, Brad Farberman, George Kanzler, Suzanne Lorge, Bobby Sanabria Advertising: [email protected] Contributing Photographers Editorial: [email protected] Jim Anness, Scott Friedlander, Alan Nahigian, Jack Vartoogian Calendar: [email protected] All rights reserved. Reproduction without permission strictly prohibited. All material copyrights property of the authors. THE NEW YORK CITY JAZZ RECORD | December 2012 3 NEW YORK @ NIGHT Trumpeter Jeremy Pelt’s quintet, arguably one of the It may well have been the well-known complexities of strongest working bands in jazz, has held together Anthony Braxton’s music that led vocalists Kyoko at KITANO long enough to record four albums: November, Men of Kitamura and Anne Rhodes to decide to turn a recital JAZZMusic • Restaurant • Bar Honor, The Talented Mr. Pelt and this year’s Soul. There of his music at Downtown Music Gallery (Nov. 11th) “ONE OF THE BEST JAZZ CLUBS IN NYC” ... NYC JAZZ RECORD LIVE JAZZ EVERY were new faces onstage, however, when Pelt arrived into a workshop. It’s something that some listeners WEDNESDAY - SATURDAY for a special birthday engagement at Smoke (Nov. may wish was a regular part of Braxton concerts (and $10 WED./THUR + $15 Minimum/Set. 11th). Pianist Danny Grissett and bassist Dwayne some, no doubt, are glad is not). The pair discussed $25 FRI./SAT. + $15 Minimum/Set Burno remained in place, bringing characteristic depth aspects of Braxton’s gestural language for conducting 2 SETS 8:00 PM & 10:00 PM and poise to Pelt’s original material. On tenor sax, in and structuring music before leading the room - JAZZ BRUNCH EVERY SUNDAY JD Allen’s stead, was the inspired Roxy Coss, whose abetted by accordionist Adam Catlock, saxophonist TONY MIDDLETON TRIO slow-burning and methodical approach paired well Ras Moshe and bassist Carl Testa - and if it didn’t result 11 AM - 2 PM • GREAT BUFFET - $35 with Pelt’s more incendiary solos. Jonathan Barber, in a concert experience, it still grasped something of OPEN JAM SESSION MONDAY NIGHTS occupying Gerald Cleaver’s spot on drums, swung the jazz revolutionary’s creative process. It seemed, 8:00 PM - 11:30 PM • HOSTED BY IRIS ORNIG without inhibition and did much to enhance the however, that even explaining what was being SOLO PIANO EVERY TUESDAY IN DECEMBER • 8:00 PM - 11:00 PM DEC. 4 - HELEN SUNG GROUP • DEC. 11 & 18 - BILLY TEST music’s wide dynamic range. Having begun the second explained wasn’t an easy task. “We’re not going to DEC. 25 - CHRISTMAS DAY • NO MUSIC set with the intricate “Dreamcatcher”, Pelt transitioned explain Anthony Braxton’s music but we’re going to SAT. DECEMBER 1 MARK SHERMAN QUARTET immediately to Myron Walden’s slow and dreamlike explain something about what it’s like to be in a MARK SHERMAN, FRANK KIMBROUGH “Pulse”, which elicited bluesy, carefully placed phrases Braxton ensemble,” Kitamura said while Rhodes RAY DRUMMOND, GREG HUTCHINSON from the leader at maximum volume - as if he were offered that while performing Braxton’s music “you’re $25 COVER + $15 MINIMUM WED. DECEMBER 5 shouting to the streets just outside. On “Second Love”, overwhelmed with information, but you’re just in it.” LAINIE COOKE QUARTET the most straightforwardly lyrical piece, Pelt was They explained Braxton building with such names as LAINIE COOKE, TEDD FIRTH subdued yet just as pointedly expressive. He put “uneven, unbalanced attacks” that could be cued mid- MARTIN WIND, RALPH PETERSON $10 COVER + $15 MINIMUM Barber in the spotlight after a full rotation of solos on performance and the iconography which connotes that THURS. DECEMBER 6 the animated “Milo Hayward” and closed with “What’s a staff can be in either treble or bass clef or that a note BOB MAMET TRIO Wrong Is Right”, a forceful midtempo blues with no can be either a half step flat or sharp. If the end question BOB MAMET, RICH SYRACUSE JEFF “SIEGE” SIEGEL chordal backing (Grissett soloed with only his right was whether or not a Braxton ensemble can be created $10 COVER + $15 MINIMUM hand). The pacing of the set was superb - Pelt knew in under an hour, the answer was “no”. But the FRI. & SAT. DECEMBER 7 & 8 exactly what he wanted and his band was right there to assemblage still managed moments of the layered and TIM HORNER QUARTET TIM HORNER, JOE LOCKE do it. - David R. Adler translucent Braxtonian beauty. - Kurt Gottschalk JIM RIDL, DEAN JOHNSON $25 COVER + $15.00 MINIMUM WED. DECEMBER 12 MAGOS HERRERA QUARTET MAGOS HERRERA, HELIO ALVES MIKE MORENO, ALEX KAUTZ $10 COVER + $15 MINIMUM THURS. DECEMBER 13 s o RUSS NOLAN QUINTET t o CD RELEASE EVENT “TELL ME” h RUSS NOLAN, ZACH BROCK P ART HIRAHARA, MICHAEL O’BRIEN, BRIAN FISHLER w o $10.00 COVER + $15.00 MINIMUM R t n P FRI.