Dobeck to Appear at Last Issue This is your last issue! (if you Skidmore aren't a member or if you haven't let us know when you 40 years of covering Jazz. bought a ticket that you wanted the newsletter). Mr. Dobek is known for his and play- intense emotional So many of you have bought ing. His recording, reviewed tickets, become members, has in our newsletter last year votrunteered and been good been broadcast nationally and friends of the Jazz Commu- has received great reviews. nity. But with cutbacks in all of the arts funding sources, ifs The admission charge will be tough to carry some of you on students, $3.00 for Skidmore the "free" list. And now the Senior Citizens and Skidmore good old Post Office has community and only $6.00 for raised its rates for bulk mail the general public. Another and changed other rules that lazz,bargain that has got to makes it expensive to be Dan Dobek, area pianist who come under the category of generous. appeared at our Jazz Picnic in cheap thrills! l990,will appear as a soloist at If you haven't become a mem- Skidmore's Filene Music HaII INSIDE ber, renewed your member- on Friday March 6,1992 at ship or told us you wanted to 200 Words....................p.2 7Pm. be a part of making A Place Billie Holiday Play......p.2 torJazz in Northeastern New The performance will consist My Solo... ....p.3 York when you came to our of exciting new music from his J azz, Calendar............ .p.4,5 concerts, this will be your last J azz Suite entitled "Seasons Marcus Roberts & mailed issue. (Please call me at within the Heart. In addition, Ellis Marsalis............ .....p 7 374-6912 if you think you Dobek will play some popular might have forgotten to renew J a22makers................ ....p.7 Jazzstandards. In total the or give me your name when concert will cover stylings Continued onback 2 0 0 o r d s Play on Life of by Glyn Evans Billie Holiday More on "No Figs" ing to grow with the music. Heritage Artists at the Cohoes (Note: The "prequel" to More Music Hall announced that a On "No Figs" aDDears in APFI The controversy spilled over play on the life of the world Vol II. No. 4) into the public arena with famous I azz singer, Billie critics and fans divided. Holiday will begin previews (perhaps At first glance, Tristano's title Someone Leonard on January 22 and continue "No Figs" is as enigmatic as Feather) named the old school through February 16th. The many other Jazz tttles. In fact audience'moldy figs'. Even as play,l,ady Day at Emuson's Bar it refers to a bitter Jazz contro- a high school boy in Wales I and Grill was written by versy that erupted in the was aware and partisan. The Lamie Robinson and stars 1.940's. debate grew beyond words. Debra Tidwell, who transfers Diz recalls a fistfight between her much praised starring role Bird,Diz, Bud and Monk; the rival factions when playing in from Washington, D.C. to the beboppers had arrived, chal- Paris in1947. There is no Capital District area. lenging earlier jazz forms question the boppers saw The play takes place during rhythmically, melodically and themselves in the fradi- Jazz the last seven days of Billie harmonically. Many older tion - the line from Oliver, Holiday's life and is set in a players reacted critically. Armstrong, Eldridge, Diz is bar where she performs with Armstrong "Aww, said that's clear. live musicians on stage. The slop! No melody.", although musical was the hit of the Off- Diz writes that Louis Rever For the bspper+, struggling i'roadwayseason in 1986 and criticized him personally. with their own genius in a continues to draw intense Boppers were such a threat to difficult environment, to have interest as it tours the country. older players, those like, say, their roots questioned was Coleman Hawkins or Don bitter. Now the beautiful Ms. Holiday is considered to Byas, were unable or unwill- music is richer. Time passes. be one of the most influential artists inJazzhistory. Her phrasing, timing and musical interpretation has been lis- tened to and imitated by singers and musicians all over the world. Her life was both an artistic triumph and a personal tragedy. This combi- Come and See all the Changes nation has made her the at our StuyvesantPlaza Store subject of writersr poets, scholars, movie-makers and Voted Metroland Magazine's playwrights. It is a show not Best Record Store overall to be missed! - - last four years! For information about tickets call the Cohoes Box Office at Stuyvesant Plaza Delaware Plaza Shop n'Save Plaza 235-7959. Preview Albany Delmar E. Greenbush 438-3003 439-2449 477-7846 performances will be January 22nd and 23rd. 2 v s o o Strayhorn to write for particu- he does it because he likes "to @ lar solbists in full knowledge hang" with the best musicians ilsa marvelous form of the art. it because Wondrous delights have been that they would be there year in town. Others do put forth under the leadership after year to display their it helps them build their of Basie, Kenton, Ellington, talents. "chops." Herman, Lunceford and it be great to have a Henderson to name just a few. That doesn't happen any Wouldn't big band series in the area so The 18 piece aggregation is more... or does it? we could hear them all? Or truly a marvel... and almost a Over L00 musicians are have somebody hire them for Jazz dinosaur since the 1950's a concert! and sixties. actively rehearsing in 5 Big dance AND Bands in this area. Many have With the exception of a few regular rehearsal dates, some as a week, leaders such as Herman, Basie as often once but and Ellington, it has been most rehearse only once a almost irnpossible to keep month. The participants range from full time professional these living organisms alive Iustin's national stat- for more than a few years. musicians with They are nightrnares of logis- ure to part-time musicians job. tics and finance, are hard to who still keep their "day" Good food move around, expensive to Most of these bands will never a paying public. keep and have all the com- be heard by Spirits plexity that you might expect Why would a musician spend for no from trying to get L8 very all this time rehearsing Iazz creative people to do anything money? Why would leaders Stan at the same time! like Diane Marlowe, Szepkowski, Paul Couch, Lou & Emil In the past these groups Pettys, Skip Parsons, Loca1Art earned their living through Kalled and others spend their playing for public and private money to buy and have charts rehearsal halls dances. They kept up with written, renting jobs ...The 301 Lark St., Albany their cost by traveling 300 with no in sight? charts. 436-7008 days a year, using buses and chance to play big band carefully balancing the egos of the soloists and section play- Big Band lazz can only be with the coopera- ers. Leaders such as Ellington performed t-t-f r-f-rr_Tr II I r I a large number of other and Basie had to be a mixture tion of IT, I The musicians of psychologist, music direc- musicians. lrodcrl money Special Or, tor, composer and father work hard, put out to I Any Book In Print figure. develop their music library ; i and put a lot of time into r Call346-271e i enjoy I n Nr This constant travel and con- rehearsal because they I tinual play melded these playing together, the challenge r THE opeN DooR I musicians into an ensemble of reading new scores and the | ,ZS f", Sr. Downrown Schenectadv I that could almost think in chance to play with some of ! Books Gifrs Greeting Cards F the outstanding soloists in the I cnilarr-nf trausic and t'oys unison. It also allowed com- rEEEItrrrr-I_ posers like Ellington and area. One musicians told us I Z Iron Horse Cafe 20 Centre St., The information below was sent Calendar Northampton, Mass . 413-5U- to us by the clubs listed below. 0610. There's a music charge and Van Dyck Cont. It's best to check by telePhone most concerts are ticketed February- before going because there maY (about $10) Call 1-800-THE- 13-Doc Springs be last minute changes. Clubs TICK for advance ticket sales. (or 21.-22Dave McKenna have a cover music charge) Seats about 170. (food Watch for Marion McPartland or a minimum purchase February or drink). Frequently both. 8- Young Lions of Fountain Restaurant 283 New Jazz:Yrlallace Reservations are advisable Roney Scofland Ave., AlbanY. 482-9898 Quartet (especially for better-known 9-Anita O'Day Skip Parsons and his Riverboat Quartet groups) as many of the clubs 13-Dirty Dozen Brass Band azz Band 2nd weekend every seat less than 100. ! 17-Elvin w/SonnY month 10pm-2am. Call for ]ones Quintet Fortune, Ravi Coltrane Mc Neill's 30L Lark St., details. Iustin 23-Dr. John Albany. Musichas been Pushed 26-Mahlathini and the Mahotella up to 1.0:30pm, but still3 sets. Skip Parsons Presents at the Italian American CommunitY Queens Very small. Excellent food. March Center Washington Ave. Ext., Reservations a must. Cover and L3- Buster Williams and Rene Albany 456-0292. SundaY lazz minimum. Jazz Brunch on Rosnes Sundays at LLam.