IfIf youyou cancan’t t getget enoughenough ofof thethe NewNew YorkYork JazzJazz GuideGuide ,, thenthen you’veyou’ve gotgot toto readread this!!!this!!! (See(See PagePage 33)33) FREE JAZZIMPROV.COM APRIL 2006 NEWYORKNEWYORK® JAZZJAZZ GUIDEGUIDE The Ultimate Directory of NY Area Jazz Club, Concert & Event Listings InterviewsInterviews with:with: PatPat MartinoMartino CharnettCharnett MoffettMoffett JeffJeff TainTain WattsWatts WillieWillie MartinezMartinez RamseyRamsey LewisLewis onon TheThe LegendsLegends ofof JazzJazz TVTV ShowShow Swingin’ Cecilwith rooks III B“ask not what jazz can do for you, but what you can you do for jazz” Performance Reviews: Abbey Lincoln Bobby McFerrin Mahavishnu Project Mela, Jim Snidero & Yellowjackets Ira Gitler's Apple Chorus Starry Nights: Jazz at the American Museum of Natural History Plenty of Reviews of Cool CDs cdreviews cdreviews cdreviews cdreviews son, Sam Rivers, and so on. Mr. Hill has main- discover and appreciate more and more about “Chickens,” on the other hand, features clarinet tained his activity as a creative musician, and has this latest Andrew Hill effort. In the same way and banjo in a quirky affair with walking bass also been the subject of numerous reissues dur- that Webern might necessitate multiple listen- and a soulful strut. The 11/8, 10/8 meter of ing the past years. ings for appreciation (at least for me), some “Frogs” keeps things hopping with a fun-loving A new issue on Blue Note brings Mr. Hill listeners might feel the same here. All in all Hill approach that features Macchia’s electric bass together with four other musicians. Eric Dolphy is a highly skilled, experienced and creative clarinet in a surreal adventure. He captures the was an associate of Mr. Hill—and is to me a part pianist and composer, whose explorations are voice of the frog through his deep-throated in- of this music. Greg Tardy’s use of the bass clari- unique and courageous. He is a survivor, and he strument, while the piece drives with the rhyth- net are reminiscent of Eric’s Blue Note release, has been true to himself for a long time—which mic intensity of a few dozen of the creatures Out To Lunch. The music heard on this Blue is a highly admirable quality. leaping into the water as you approach. The Note is very different then those of the 1960’s. majestic 10/8, 12/8 groove found in “Lions” Mr. Hill’s music is very emphatic, and at time comes complete with a big band sound anchored highly subtle with feelings of restrained heat. by Macchia’s tenor saxophone. For 65 minutes, the five musicians work From San Francisco, the woodwind virtu- together, however, it is not as a combo working oso and composer attended the Berklee College to play straight time, or to take choruses on of Music in Boston, graduating in 1980. Since changes. The music is highly structured. Malachi ‘92, he’s remained in Los Angeles, where he is played at a slow tempo, with each musician composes film and television scores. That’s why quite independent of each other. It is a pleasure his jazz scores seem so familiar. Many of the to hear the trumpet of Charles Tolliver, who I so pieces take on the essence of a favorite cartoon happily think of playing “Brilliant Corners” with character or a lovable sitcom fall guy. From the James Spaulding, Cecil McBee, and Billy Hig- wordless vocals and deep, bass, woodwind in- gins, on the New Wave of Jazz on Impulse. Each Frank Macchia struments of “Whales,” to the helter-skelter instrumentalist’s sound is caught with brilliant drama that Macchia exposes on “Rhinos” clarity. “Time Lines,” introduced by Mr. Hebert, through his baritone saxophone’s character, Mo’ is filled with good humor, with its “theme” MO’ ANIMALS —Cacophony Inc. #508 . 1801 Animals offers a superb showcase of jazz im- played throughout in many different contexts-the Lima Street, Burbank, CA 91505 (818) 563- pressions suitable for framing. theme being a series of numerous staccato notes, 1694. Web: www.frankmacchia.com. Humming- played in a semi-rondo form. The bass, and Mr. birds; Monkeys; Pigs; Bats; Frogs; Whales; McPherson on drums work together, and Elephants; Chickens; Rhinos; Lions. domuch more, or depending upon how you PERSONNEL : Frank Macchia, soprano saxo- might characterize it, much less than merely phone, alto saxophone, tenor saxophone, bari- keeping time. tone saxophone, bass saxophone, clarinet, alto A high point for me on “Ry Round,” a high clarinet, electric bass clarinet, contrabass clari- point for me is when bass and drums work to- net, bass ocarina, piccolo, flute, bass flute, con- gether. Greg Tardy serves up beautiful passages trabass flute, synthesizers; Howard Levy, har- on the bass clarinet. Hill seems to search for monica; Valerie King, flute, alto flute, bass flute; something, reminiscent, but not similar to Elmo Wayne Bergeron, Larry Hall, trumpet; Alex Iles, Hope’s way of seeking something—with that Bruce Fowler, trombone; Ken Kugler, bass trom- Pat Martino feeling that one is on the verge of discovery. bone; Grant Geissman, guitar, banjo; Billy “Kim’lev” is a hypnotic piece. Smooth has the Childs, piano, synth accordion; Dave Carpenter, most extended example of the bass and drums bass; Vinnie Colaiuta, drums; Tracy London, REMEMBER: A TRIBUTE TO WES playing time. The piano’s melody is picked up voice. MONTGOMERY — Blue Note Records, by trumpet and clarinet. “Ry Round 2” offers www.bluenote.com. Four on Six, Groove Yard, beautiful ensemble work, featuring trumpet, By Jim Santella Full House, Heart Strings, Twisted Blues, Road saxophone, and piano. The closing piano solo is Song, West coast Blues, S.K.J, If I Should Lose introspective. Repeated listenings enabled me to Highly original, Frank Macchia’s ensem- You, Unit Seven bles deliver straight-ahead jazz with a few un- PERSONNEL: Pat Martino (guitar); David usual twists. When was the last time you sat Kikoski (piano); John Patitucci (bass); Scott down and listened to a bass ocarina, a contrabass Alan Robinson (drums); Daniel Sadownick flute, or an electric bass clarinet? Fortunately, (percussion) the leader blends his large array of woodwind instruments into the fold, allowing his original By Dan Adler compositions to flow with mainstream sounds that seem quite familiar. In fact, many of the In 1972, Pat Martino dedicated the album selections have the sounds found in popular “The Visit” to the memory of Wes Montgomery television themes, but without aping. Excuse the whom he cited as one of the most profound in- pun. Complex time signatures and exotic me- fluences on his playing. The album was later lodic themes allow the composer to heighten reissued as “Footprints”, and included an in- interest while embellishing with a relaxed atti- credible version of the famous Wes Montgomery tude. original “Road Song”. Now, over 30 years later, Macchia has considered both instrumental Pat Martino has released an entire album of Wes textures and musical themes in portraying his Montgomery originals and standard tunes that animal subjects. “Pigs” features the B/Bb contra- Wes put his mark on. Available online: www.MercyMonet.com bass clarinet in a slow swinger that rambles For this project, Martino chose an all-star around the room with a laid-back spirit. rhythm section with the great Dave Kikoski on ® 54 April 2006 Jazz Improv Magazine’s New York Jazz Guide & Directory www.jazzimprov.com To Advertise CALL: 212-889-0853 Piano, long-time Chick Corea bassist John Pati- yond simply recreating it. Pat Martino’s playing tucci, Scott Alan Robinson who is Joey on this album is better and more exciting than DeFrancesco’s drummer of choice, and Daniel ever in an evolutionary kind of way. All the Sadownick on percussion who adds a latin di- elements of his style that we have enjoyed for mension that Wes had also experimented with on the past 40 years are present in large doses, yet his famous albums with George Shearing, Milt he manages to take them to a new level that con- Jackson and others. stantly surprises, amazes and delights. Dave The album opens with the Montgomery Kikoski’s fantastic piano comping and solos on original “Four on Six” which is based on the this album are an added bonus and should help harmonic form of Gershwin’s “Summertime”. define him as one of the most exciting piano Martino takes a high-energy solo that is unmis- players on the scene today. takably in his own style, making it clear that this is a tribute album, not an attempt to emulate Montgomery’s style in any way. Kikoski kicks into gear with a high-energy solo of his own which quickly shifts from the Wynton Kelly sound we associate with many of Wes Mont- gomery’s recording to a more modern vein while always remaining tasteful and exciting. Some powerful fours are traded to close the tune in typical Martino fashion. “Groove Yard” is another Martino tour-de- force on a slow minor groove, somewhat remi- niscent of his famous “Alone Together” solo Bob Mintzer from the earlier Wes tribute album. However, there are many new elements in Martino’s play- ing today that were not present in those days OLD SCHOOL: NEW LESSONS— making the performance more exciting and sur- Manchester Craftsman GuildMCJ1020 . Web: prising. www.mcgjazz.org. Not Quite Yet; Mofongo; My “Full House” is particularly interesting, as One And Only Love; Runferyerlife; Mosaic; Martino manages to stay away from any refer- Resolution; March Majestic; Black Sand; Go ences to the original version and serves up a Go. thoroughly contemporary solo in his own unique PERSONNEL: Bob Mintzer, tenor and flute; style as Kikoski shifts more to Tyner-style pedal Peter Yellin, alto and flute; Lawrence Feldman, points and modal chords, which he develops alto and flute; Bob Malach, tenor and clarinet; even further in his own solo which follows.