APRIL 2012 Joe Byrd –A Musician’s Life Well-Lived . 1 The Glenn Angus Quartet Live in Little Italy . 5 BALTIMORE JAZZ ALLIANCEALLIANCE JazzBiz by Tom Reyes . 6 Turn Around Norman CD Review . 7 Jazz Jam Sessions Listing . 8 BJA Products and Discounts . 10 Ad Rates and Member Sign-up Form . 11 VOLUME IX ISSUE IV THE BJA NEWSLETTER WWW.BALTIMOREJAZZ.COM Joe Byrd —A Musician’s Life Well-Lived n Tuesday, March 6th, a driver running a red light ended the Olife of Joe Byrd. The 78-year-old bassist, vocalist, bandleader, producer and presenter had spent nearly half a century in jazz. Baltimore Jazz Alliance mourns his loss and extends our condo - lences to his wife, Elana. Like his three brothers, Joe (whose name was actually Gene) learned guitar from his father Newman, a farmer, store - keeper, guitar and mandolin player, in the Tidewater Virginia town of Chuck - atuck. They played as a family band on local radio. After Army service, Joe at - tended Peabody Conservatory, graduat - ing in 1962 with majors in bass and education. He immediately joined his brother Charlie’s band, just in time to PHOTO BY KEN AVIS record (on rhythm guitar and bass) the album Jazz Samba , which hit #1 on the “Joe had the perfect bass player’s personality . Billboard pop chart, the only jazz album ever to do so. It stayed on the chart for He was a team player, a great observer and listener.” 70 weeks. Over the next 37 years, Joe performed in 125 countries, often for the Coleman Hawkins, Teddy Wilson, Mose Hotel and the L’Enfant Plaza Hotel in State Department, and recorded fre - Allison and Jimmy Witherspoon. Joe D.C. Joe organized and played in nu - quently with Charlie’s trio and The Byrd and Elana Rhodes married in 1977 merous tributes to Charlie, with gui - Great Guitars (usually Charlie, Herb (they had met at his gig with the Charlie tarists including Howard Alden, Gene Ellis and Barney Kessel). The Charlie Byrd Trio at the King of France Tavern). Bertoncini and Steve Abshire. Joe and Byrd Trio was a fixture for over 25 years After Charlie Byrd’s death in 1999, Elana produced two albums released in at the Maryland Inn’s King of France Joe quit touring in order to play closer 2001, one of them an all-blues album Tavern in Annapolis and the Showboat to home and record with his own trio, recorded at home. Even after retiring in in D.C. Aside from his work with Char - which became the house band at the 2008, Joe kept his hand in the music. He lie, Joe backed visiting artists including Annapolis Hilton, Loew’s Annapolis and Elana produced Joe Byrd Jams and r1 (continued on page 2) Joe Byrd —A Musician’s Life Well-Lived (continued from front page) Intimate Jazz at 49 West and jazz con - Charlie’s last recording, Au Courant ). BALTIMORE JAZZ ALLIANCEALLIANCE certs at Loew’s Annapolis, Jazz at the About Joe’s singing, Redd says, “Joe had Madison (D.C.) and Germano’s. He con - a very pleasant, soulful singing voice tinued playing piano at home. Abshire, reminiscent of Mose Allison and Nat who played with Joe’s trio for its entire ‘King’ Cole,” and mentions Joe’s rendi - he Baltimore Jazz Alliance (BJA) is a ten years, quotes Joe as saying, “Yeah, tions of “Saturday Night Fish Fry,” Tgrass-roots organization of jazz afi - I’m just kind of foolin’ with voicings,” “Beer Drinkin’ Woman,” “Georgia” and cionados, musicians, and venues dedi - recalling that his treatment of Cole “Rockin’ Chair.” Both men speak about cated to enhancing and promoting jazz Porter’s “Dream Dancing” was particu - Joe’s love for cooking, puttering around in Baltimore and the surrounding areas. larly beautiful. Abshire also recalls that the house, reading, family and home New members sharing this passion are always welcome as the BJA continues its Joe changed the brand name on his up - life. “He was a very grounded guy in a efforts to build a stronger and better net - right piano from Yamaha to Ya mama. business of characters who are often not worked jazz scene. Together we can Abshire and Chuck Redd, who grounded,” says Redd. help this music thrive in the region and played drums and vibes with Charlie Abshire says that many nice things reward listeners and musicians alike. and Joe since 1980, both talk about Joe’s had been happening in Joe’s life re - BJA Priorities relaxed manner. “Easy-going would be cently. One of these was the arrival of a • To develop new audiences for jazz an understatement,” says Redd. This DVD from guitarist Vince Lewis of their • To strengthen communication manner carried over to his bass playing. 2005 performance with guitarist within the jazz community “Joe had the perfect bass player’s per - Mundell Lowe at the Grove Park Inn in • To improve media relations on sonality,” Redd adds. “He was a team Asheville, N.C. Fortunately, eleven of behalf of the jazz community player, a great observer and listener. the pieces they performed there are now • To bring greater visibility to the entire array of jazz offerings in the Even as a leader he didn’t play many on YouTube. Baltimore region solos. He was very confident letting oth - Reflecting shortly before his retire - • To provide greater access to ers shine.” Redd also praises Joe’s ment, Joe Byrd said, “I’m the luckiest performance opportunities for “beautiful bow playing, where his guy alive. I’ve had a wonderful 40-year Baltimore-area jazz musicians Peabody training came into play,” and career and have made a living playing cites Joe’s bowing of the melody on the music I love best!” Now that’s a life Visit www.baltimorejazz.com for information about our Jobim’s “How Insensitive” and on truly well-lived. accomplishments and future goals. Rodgers and Hart’s “My Romance” (on – Bob Jacobson Baltimore Jazz Alliance 847 North Howard Street Baltimore, Maryland 21201 Please direct your questions and comments to: [email protected] BJA STEERING COMMITTEE Alice Downs Barry Glassman, Founder Leslie Imes Bob Jacobson, Vice President Todd Marcus Marianne Matheny-Katz Camay Calloway Murphy Mark Osteen, President PHOTO BY ARTHUR HOFFMAN From left: Ray Gaskins, Greg Hatza, John Lamkin II, Blake Meister, Sam King and Robert Shahid at Caton Castle on March 17th. Page 2 / April 2012 Baltimore Jazz Alliance The Glenn Angus Quartet Live in Little Italy s I headed down to Germano’s Trattoria for the cabaret night featuring the Glenn Angus Quartet my Amood was dismal. That dark mood was soon wafted away by the warm atmosphere of Germano’s upstairs cabaret room and by a serving of Bongo Bongo, Germano’s famous dessert of homemade pastry, vanilla cream and chocolate sauce. Ahh. On this evening The Glenn Angus Quartet consisted of Glenn Angus on amplified violin, George Spicka on piano, Roland Dorsey on bass and David Queen on drums. This was the lineup’s second live performance. I mention amplified violin even though all of the jazz vi - olinists I can think of (and there are not that many) amplify their instruments in some way. How they do it makes a dif - ference in the sound. Angus uses a strap of pickups across the wooden body of his violin, providing a richer tone than if the pickups were attached to the bridge or tailpiece. PHOTO COURTESY OF GLENN ANGUS The acoustics at Germano’s Cabaret Room are excellent, and I had no trouble hearing the smallest detail of the quar - Angus riffed and comped pizzicato style tet’s sound. to Spicka’s liquid piano. The group warmed with Billy Strayhorn’s “Take the ‘A’ Train,” and then the jazz standard “Beautiful Love.” The at - movie. The first set concluded with a sparkling “España” tentive audience became rapt with “Dans La Vie,” a rarely and the classic “Autumn Leaves.” recorded tune that shares some melodic similarities to the For the second set, the band came back hot, hot, hot, with more famous “Tangerine.” “Dans La Vie” was recorded at a smoking version of Miles Davis’s “All Blues.” They now least once in the ’50s by Stephane Grappelli. It’s a lovely bal - sounded as though they had been playing together all their lad and was played wonderfully by Angus and company lives. Next was a well-fired “Red Clay,” in which without Grappelli’s sugary style. Angus riffed and comped pizzicato style to Spicka’s Ready now, with ticket taken, it was all aboard a roller liquid piano. Ready for some “Black Coffee?” The group coaster ride with John Coltrane's “Impressions.” Angus pro - played it just the way I like it, dark with iridescent vided the initial excitement with some extended techniques colors floating on top, followed by Mark Osteen’s “Black that made my ear for the avant-garde happy, then turned in Olive,” a slippery melody with interesting complexity. some “Scheherazade” riffs that pleased my other ear. Then we heard a dervishly sparky “Take Five.” To dervish Spicka kept things just touching the rails with a thoroughly or not to dervish, that is the question, spinning in 5 over 4 cerebral solo that took us to the crest of the hill . dimensions. And the evening ended with a sumptuous and down we went with Dorsey’s bass and Queen’s snap “Killer Joe.” turns and twists on the drums and all together again to the The Glenn Angus Quartet was an exciting jazz experi - end of the ride.