DB0509_001_COVER.qxd 3/18/09 12:06 PM Page 1 DOWNBEAT DIANA KRALL WAYNE SHORTER 10 CLASSIC SAXOPHONIST INTERVIEWS SUMMER FESTIVAL GUIDE INTERVIEWS SUMMER FESTIVAL CLASSIC SHORTER 10 SAXOPHONIST DIANA KRALL WAYNE DownBeat.com $4.99 05 MAY 2009 0 09281 01493 5 MAY 2009 U.K. £3.50 DB0509_002-005_MAST.qxd 3/18/09 12:10 PM Page 2 DB0509_002-005_MAST.qxd 3/18/09 12:10 PM Page 3 DB0509_002-005_MAST.qxd 3/18/09 1:57 PM Page 4 May 2009 VOLUME 76 – NUMBER 5 President Kevin Maher Publisher Frank Alkyer Editor Jason Koransky Associate Editor Aaron Cohen Art Director Ara Tirado Production Associate Andy Williams Bookkeeper Margaret Stevens Circulation Manager Kelly Grosser 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 Advertising Sales Sue Mahal 630-941-2030 [email protected] OFFICES 102 N. Haven Road Elmhurst, IL 60126–2970 630-941-2030 Fax: 630-941-3210 www.downbeat.com [email protected] CUSTOMER SERVICE 800-554-7470 [email protected] CONTRIBUTORS Senior Contributors: Michael Bourne, John McDonough, Howard Mandel Austin: Michael Point; Boston: Fred Bouchard, Frank-John Hadley; Chicago: John Corbett, Alain Drouot, Michael Jackson, Peter Margasak, Bill Meyer, Mitch Myers, Paul Natkin, Howard Reich; Denver: Norman Provizer; Indiana: Mark Sheldon; Iowa: Will Smith; Los Angeles: Earl Gibson, Todd Jenkins, Kirk Silsbee, Chris Walker, Joe Woodard; Michigan: John Ephland; Minneapolis: Robin James; Nashville: Robert Doerschuk; New Orleans: Erika Goldring, David Kunian; New York: Alan Bergman, Herb Boyd, Bill Douthart, Ira Gitler, Eugene Gologursky, Norm Harris, D.D. Jackson, Jimmy Katz, Jim Macnie, Ken Micallef, Jennifer Odell, Dan Ouellette, Ted Panken, Richard Seidel, Tom Staudter, Jack Vartoogian, Michael Weintrob, Kevin Whitehead; North Carolina: Robin Tolleson; Philadelphia: David Adler, Shaun Brady, Eric Fine; San Francisco: Mars Breslow, Forrest Bryant, Clayton Call, Yoshi Kato; Seattle: Paul de Barros; Tampa Bay: Philip Booth; Washington, D.C.: Willard Jenkins, John Murph, Bill Shoemaker, Michael Wilderman; Belgium: Jos Knaepen; Canada: Greg Buium, James Hale, Diane Moon; Denmark: Jan Persson; France: Jean Szlamowicz; Germany: Detlev Schilke, Hyou Vielz; Great Britain: Brian Priestley; Israel: Barry Davis; Japan: Kiyoshi Koyama; Netherlands: Jaap Lüdeke; Portugal: Antonio Rubio; Romania: Virgil Mihaiu; Russia: Cyril Moshkow; South Africa: Don Albert. Jack Maher, President 1970-2003 John Maher, President 1950-1969 SUBSCRIPTION INFORMATION: Send orders and address changes to: DOWNBEAT, P.O. Box 906, Elmhurst, IL 60126–0906. Inquiries: U.S.A. and Canada (800) 554-7470; Foreign (630) 941-2030. CHANGE OF ADDRESS: Please allow six weeks for your change to become effective. When notifying us of your new address, include current DOWNBEAT label showing old address. DOWNBEAT (ISSN 0012-5768) Volume 76, Number 5 is published monthly by Maher Publications, 102 N. Haven, Elmhurst, IL 60126-3379. Copyright 2009 Maher Publications. All rights reserved. Trademark registered U.S. Patent Office. Great Britain registered trademark No. 719.407. Periodicals postage paid at Elmhurst, IL and at additional mailing offices. Subscription rates: $34.95 for one year, $59.95 for two years. Foreign subscriptions rates: $56.95 for one year, $103.95 for two years. Publisher assumes no responsibility for return of unsolicited manuscripts, photos, or artwork. Nothing may be reprinted in whole or in part without written permission from publisher. Microfilm of all issues of DOWNBEAT are available from University Microfilm, 300 N. Zeeb Rd., Ann Arbor, MI 48106. MAHER PUBLICATIONS: DOWNBEAT magazine, MUSIC INC. magazine, UpBeat Daily. POSTMASTER: SEND CHANGE OF ADDRESS TO: DOWNBEAT, P.O. BOX 906, Elmhurst, IL 60126–0906. CABLE ADDRESS: DOWNBEAT (on sale April 21, 2009) MAGAZINE PUBLISHERS ASSOCIATIONÁ DB0509_002-005_MAST.qxd 3/18/09 12:11 PM Page 5 DB0509_006-007_INSIDE.qxd 3/18/09 1:59 PM Page 6 DB Inside Departments 38 8 First Take 10 Chords & Discords 13 The Beat 19 The Question 20 Vinyl Freak 22 Caught 24 Players Eric Alexander Helio Alves JOS KNAEPEN John Bigham Chie Imaizumi 30 Diana Krall Denman Maroney Depths Of Her Heart | By Dan Ouellette 73 Reviews Diana Krall may say, “I still want to be a good jazz pianist.” But her playing and singing convey the sound of an artist who has ascended to a new level of confi- 142 Jazz on Campus dence, as heard on the slow seduction on her new album, Quiet Nights. The coupling of the joys of marriage and children with the heartbreak of losing her 146 Blindfold Test mother to cancer has helped Krall find a more mature musical sound. Vijay Iyer Features 34 Wayne Shorter 44 Charlie Parker, 58 Master Pursuing Danger Lester Young, Classes: By Dan Ouellette Coleman Hawkins, George John Coltrane & Eric Garzone & 38 Eric Alexander, Dolphy, Stan Getz, Claire Daly 76 Van Morrison Ron Blake, Seamus Sonny Stitt, Gerry Blake, Frank Mulligan, Albert Ayler, 62 Transcription Catalano, Donny Roland Kirk and McCaslin and Cannonball Adderley 64 Toolshed Marcus Strickland 10 Classic DownBeat Finding A Voice Saxophonist By Ted Panken Interviews 68 Southside Johnny & LaBamba 93 SPECIAL SECTION DIY Big Band 2009 International 90 Julian Lage By Frank Alkyer Summer Festival Guide 6 DOWNBEAT May 2009 Cover photography by Robert Maxwell DB0509_006-007_INSIDE.qxd 3/18/09 12:12 PM Page 7 DB0509_008-009_FT.qxd 3/18/09 3:39 PM Page 8 First Take By Jason Koransky From Generation To Generation The juxtaposition of the story “Finding A Voice” with the 10 classic DownBeat archive saxophonist interviews in this issue shows the shared struggles that jazz saxophonists from across jazz history have faced. In the former story (Page 38), Ted Panken talked to six younger saxophon- ists—Eric Alexander, Ron Blake, Seamus Blake, Frank Catalano, Donny McCaslin and Marcus Strickland—about the challenges they face developing their own saxophone sound as they build their music in the shadows of the saxophone titans. Finding a personal sound is the goal for any artist, and to do so in the wake of so much innovative music pre- sents a considerable task. “[T]he challenge is what we do to make it our own,” Ron Blake said in the piece. “Where is your sound?” This is a question that each genera- tion of saxophonists has had to deal with Stan Getz: predicting as they forged their own unique musical new tenor sax sounds paths. JAN PERSSON Take this quote from the 1956 Lester Young the saxophone best in his 1957 talk with John interview reprinted in this issue: “I was rooming Tynan: “Apparently there’s nowhere new to go. at [Fletcher] Henderson’s house, and Leora All the avenues appear to have been explored. Henderson would wake me early in the morning Of course, there will always be the one guy and play [Coleman] Hawkins’ records for me so that’s going to burst through the blockade. I I could play like he did. I wanted to play my don’t know who he is, but he’ll come along one own way, but I just listened. I didn’t want to hurt of these days and there’ll be something really her feelings.” new in tenor sax playing again.” Pres appreciated and loved Coleman Getz hit upon a truism of this music. People Hawkins, but he had to develop his own sound. may talk about jazz being “dead.” DownBeat In his classic interview from 1962, Hawkins ran stories in the 1930s that lamented about this. reflected at what Charlie Parker and Dizzy They seemed to have rung the death bells a bit Gillespie did at the beginning of the bebop era, too soon. Jazz will always evolve. It’s a music and how they needed to find their own sound: driven by creativity, by an incessant drive to “When I came back [to New York] the first play something new. So while the issues artists time (July 1939), I was disappointed with what have to confront within the music often stay the had happened in the music. Charlie Parker and same, the music will flow in new streams from Dizzy were getting started, but they needed generation to generation. help. What they were doing was ‘far out’ to a Or, as is the case with someone like Wayne lot of people, but it was just music to me. Joe Shorter, who has been playing jazz for well Guy was playing their way when he started more than 50 years, the music will evolve with me in 1939.” through a lifetime. Dan Ouellette talked to the Sonny Stitt had the honor—and burden—of saxophone legend in this issue (Page 34) about being compared to Parker. He addressed this in some of his current projects and the challenges his 1959 interview with David Bittan: “Nobody he confronts to play and compose new music at has Bird’s fluency of mind, imagination, techni- 75 years old. cal ability—or his great big heart and soul. I hate “It’s more than mastering your instrument,” to be compared to him. He was the incompara- Shorter said. “It’s the process of mastering your ble. He had a different kind of mind. Sonny own life so that you’ll be playing your life story. Rollins plays as much like Bird as anybody, and You celebrate the incomprehensible phenome- he plays tenor. I may have a few of Bird’s non of life and give it a present: originality.” clichés, but I can only be myself.” And few have presented as original music Stan Getz may have discussed innovation in over the course of their life as Shorter. DB DB0509_008-009_FT.qxd 3/18/09 12:12 PM Page 9 DB0509_010-011_CHORDS.qxd 3/18/09 2:16 PM Page 10 Chords & Discords Where’s Mobley? Great article on artists’ favorite Blue Note recordings.