JULY 2018 VOLUME 85 / NUMBER 7 President Kevin Maher Publisher Frank Alkyer Editor Bobby Reed Reviews Editor Dave Cantor Contributing Editor Ed Enright Creative Director ŽanetaÎuntová Design Assistant Markus Stuckey Assistant to the Publisher Sue Mahal Bookkeeper Evelyn Hawkins ADVERTISING SALES Record Companies & Schools Jennifer Ruban-Gentile 630-941-2030 [email protected] Musical Instruments & East Coast Schools Ritche Deraney 201-445-6260 [email protected] Classified Sales Kevin R. Maher 630-941-2030 [email protected] OFFICES 102 N. 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Box 11688, St. Paul, MN 55111–0688. CABLE ADDRESS: Down- Beat (on sale June 12, 2018) Magazine Publishers Association. Á 4 DOWNBEAT JULY 2018 JULY 2018 ON THE COVER 30 Terence ©GERRY NAIRN Blanchard 46 ‘We Are All Humans’ BY AARON COHEN Trumpeter Terence Blanchard’s new release is a concert disc that chronicles his dynamic band, The E-Collective. Titled Live, the album documents concerts in three U.S. cities that have been scarred by racial tension and fatal gun violence. We caught up with the Grammy winner to discuss the intersection of jazz and social commentary. Grant Green performs at Oil Can Harry’s in Vancouver, Canada, in September 1975. FEATURES Cover photo of Terence Blanchard shot by Paul Natkin at The Wit Hotel in Chicago on March 28. Info about the hotel is available online at thewithotel.com. 36 Henry Threadgill Doubles Down BY TED PANKEN 5-Star Review +++++ 42 Bobby Sanabria New York Attitude BY BILL MILKOWSKI 46 Grant Green 54 Kenny Barron Quintet 57 Stephanie Richards 63 Edith Lettner’s 64 Enemy ‘Taking it to a Climax’ Freemotion BY J.D. CONSIDINE SPECIAL SECTION DEPARTMENTS 69 Guitar School 78 Pro Session 8 First Take 51 Reviews BY DAVE STRYKER 70 Torrefaction of 10 Chords & Discords 86 Jazz On Campus Guitar Tonewoods 80 Transcription 13 The Beat 90 Blindfold Test BY KEITH BAUMANN Julian Lage Guitar Solo Melissa Aldana 24 Players 76 Master Class 82 Toolshed Jonathan Barber BY BOBBY BROOM Mayu Saeki Josh Lawrence Andreas Varady Melissa Aldana 6 DOWNBEAT JULY 2018 First Take BY BOBBY REED HENRY ADEBONOJO Terence Blanchard Analyzing Artistic Intent JAZZ ISN'T CREATED IN A VACUUM. A WORK OF ART OFTEN IS shaped by sociopolitical forces that have influenced its creator. In some situations, the artist isn’t consciously pondering those forces. In other situations, the artist focuses on them and crafts a work acknowledging those influences. (Abel Meeropol’s protest poem “Strange Fruit” is one particularly important, harrowing example.) Analyzing creative impulses is a topic that can be a thorny one for singer-songwriters to discuss in interviews. Many musicians never want to discuss with journalists the highly personal “intent” involved in com- posing a lyric. All these issues become even more complex when we con- sider them in relation to instrumental composers. The July 2017 issue of DownBeat contains journalist Geoffrey Himes’ excellent feature on saxophonist Bobby Watson, who talked about his album Made In America (Smoke Sessions). The disc pays tribute to African American pioneers whom Watson feels have been underappre- ciated, such as actress Butterfly McQueen and jazz guitarist Grant Green. In the feature, Himes examines this question: “How can an instru- mental composition convey specific information to the listener?” Watson’s composition “The Aviator” salutes military pilot Wendell O. Pruitt, who directly inspired the song. But how does Watson let the read- er know that? In his tune, Watson includes a musical quote from “The U.S. Air Force Song” (aka “Off We Go Into The Wild Blue Yonder”), and on the back of the CD, right beside the song title “The Aviator,” is this phrase: “for Wendell Pruitt.” Trumpeter Terence Blanchard, the subject of this month’s cover story (page 30), has spent a lot of time pondering gun violence, and his new album, Live, partially was inspired by his thoughts on this deeply trou- bling subject. This concert album was recorded with his band, The E-Collective, at shows in cities that have been scarred by gun violence. But the album doesn’t feature sung lyrics or song titles that nod to specific incidents in any type of blatant way. So how do Blanchard’s fans know what the album is “about,” per se? Well, at Blanchard’s concerts, he often talks to the audience about the issues that inspired a certain song. Blanchard incorporates a powerful quote from Thomas Jefferson in the liner notes to Live, and the album’s closing track, “Choices,” features a brief but potent spoken-word performance by Dr. Cornel West. Both ele- ments greatly contribute to our appreciation of the adventurous music. As two letters in this month’s Chords & Discords section illustrate, some readers don’t want to read about political views in DownBeat. However, we want the musicians we profile to express their thoughts on whatever topics are important to them. And we definitely want our read- ers to do the same. All of us, as jazz musicians and fans, should make the effort to listen to one another. Nobody learns anything by exclusive- ly listening to those who share their opinions. Dialogue is healthy. Let us know what you think by sending an email to [email protected]. DB 8 DOWNBEAT JULY 2018 Chords Discords Treatment for TDS I’ve been a reader of DownBeat since 1980 and a subscriber for the past several years. I cannot remember a time when your magazine has been so obsessed with politics. STEVE MUNDINGER One of my favorite, relatively recent exam- ples was in the March 2017 issue’s feature on the Jensen sisters: Ingrid Jensen expresses fear for the safety of her daughter because of Trump’s election. Really? I know that our music’s epicenter, New York, is a liberal/Left- Dee Dee Bridgewater (left), Esperanza Spalding, Herbie Hancock, Chick Corea, President Obama and ist hotbed, but for God’s sake, give it a rest! Kurt Elling celebrate International Jazz Day during an April 29, 2016, concert on the South I decided during the Clinton era that the Lawn of the White House in Washington, D. C. quality of my life and what I would accom- plish would not be determined by who held Obama administration. You should try adopt- political office. As a political conservative ing it, and maybe it would help you recover and a jazz fan (the two are not mutually ex- from TDS (Trump Derangement Syndrome). clusive), this attitude served me well during JOSEPH IRIANA the Clinton years and especially through the SANFORD, MAINE A Touch of Malaise for becoming a composer: He wanted to write From under what rock did you extract Al- music that he could explore as an improviser. len Morrison, the poor wretch who interviewed And Metheny has created a catalog of fantas- Kurt Elling for your June 2018 issue? Morrison’s tic music that goes far beyond just providing a political whining in his article is insufferable: bunch of utilitarian canvases for him to blow “the fate of America in the age of Trump,” “the over. When I hear his ballad “Is This America? nation’s current malaise.” To which “malaise” (Katrina 2005),” I’m emotionally moved long is he referring? The roaring economy, tax re- before we get to Christian McBride’s deeply form, the robust stock market, the tumbling soulful bowed solo.