Archie Shepp & Horace Parlan - Mama Rose I

A particular greatness in the creative work of Archie Shepp goes to his duo recordings which can be found as a highlight on this album. Next to traditionals and standards of Ellington, Monk and Bechet it’s needless to say that Shepps legendary “Mama Rose” is not missing on this double album. Recorded October 24, 1987 at Marquisats, Annecy, France. - Product info

Artist: Archie Shep & Horace Parlan
Album: Mama Rose in Concert CD1
Year: 1987
Label: West Wind (2000)
Runtime: 51:59

Tracks:
1.  Arrival (Horace Parlan) 10:22
2.  Backwater Blues (Bessie Smith) 9:02
3.  Round About Midnight (Thelonious Monk) 11:03
4.  Mama Rose (Archie Shepp) 7:09
5.  How Long Blues (Leroy Carr) 7:18
6.  Steam (Archie Shepp) 7:02

Personnel:
Archie Shepp (Tenor and Soprano Saxophone, Vocals)
Horace Parlan (Piano)

Archie Shepp & Horace Parlan - Mama Rose II

A particular greatness in the creative work of Archie Shepp goes to his duo recordings which can be found as a highlight on this album. Next to traditionals and standards of Ellington, Monk and Bechet it’s needless to say that Shepps legendary “Mama Rose” is not missing on this double album. Recorded October 24, 1987 at Marquisats, Annecy, France. - Product info

Artist: Archie Shep & Horace Parlan
Album: Mama Rose in Concert CD2
Year: 1987
Label: West Wind (2000)
Runtime: 59:33

Tracks:
1.  Make Me a Pallet on the Floor (Sidney Bechet) 9:03
2.  Ruby, My Dear (Thelonious Monk) 12:12
3.  Nobody Knows When You're Down And Out (Traditional) 9:01
4.  Trouble In Mind (Traditional) 7:21
5.  Deep River (Traditional) 11:54
6.  Sophisticated Lady (Duke Ellington) 10:00

Personnel:
Archie Shepp (Tenor and Soprano Saxophone, Vocals)
Horace Parlan (Piano)

Winard Harper on Melody



An excellent demonstration here today of how a good Jazz drummer uses the idea of Melody while playing the drums:



And thanks again to Bret Primack, the Jazz Video Guy, for putting this one together.

Farnsworth on Brushes



I never get tired of watching Joe Farnsworth's slick moves with the brushes:



Also, notice the absence of any toms or extra cymbals in his setup. As a matter of fact, I was listening to Kenny Clarke today on some recording dates done in the early 50s for the Savoy record label when Klook was their house drummer and I was reminded of why it's important to be able to play just a basic collection of drums to get the job done. Apparently, Clarke was so busy doing recording sessions at the time that he would often play with just a minimalist setup to facilitate transporting his drums between recording sessions, running across town. I'm always impressed when I hear him swing so mightily on those recordings and play so creatively, occasionally soloing just on a snare drum and using such a limited setup. Hanks Jones' "The Trio" is a good one (thanks to Jesse Cahill who set me up with that one in 1996!) and "Kenny Clarke Meets The Detroit Jazzmen" is another personal favorite.

I often enjoy the challenge of using a small, one-cymbal setup with no toms when I'm playing club dates (btw - that seems to be a term that nobody in Calgary nor Toronto ever seems to understand. I guess it's a Montreal thing?) Although recently there have been a few local gigs I've played like this to give myself the challenge of getting more out of less. I first heard drummer Leon Parker play like this as well although with no hihat either (!) accompanying the Jacky Terrasson trio in Saskatoon around 1995. His ability to get so many sounds out of so few drums and cymbals was really quite shocking.

By the way, what ever happened to Leon Parker? At another Saskatchewan Jazz Festival date around 1999 I heard Leon play in Saskatoon as a duet with Charlie Hunter and that still resonates as some of the heaviest music I've heard. The groove was very deep. Incidentally Leon was playing a rather large drumset that evening but still no hihat !

Dexter Gordon - There Will Never Be Another You

This recording is from a live date at the Montmartre Jazz Club in Copenhagen in the late Sixties, with an illustrious rhythm section of ex-pats Kenny Drew and Tootie Heath, along with Danish ringer (let’s make that über-ringer/monster) Niels-Henning Ørsted Pedersen on bass. These sessions, from the London-based independent jazz label Black Lion, aren’t as well-known as Dexter’s releases on Blue Note or Prestige — and that’s unfortunate, because these discs feature top-notch, fleet-footed Dexter at his swaggering behind-the-beat best. (“Fleet-footed” AND “behind the beat”? - by Kelly Bucheger, Harderbop.blogspot.com

Fans of Dexter Gordon might well want to add this CD to their collection. Gordon is featured, of course, on his mellow but swinging tenor sax and is is backed by a first-rate rhythm section made up of Kenny Drew on piano, Nils Pederson on bass, and Al Heath on drums. There are five tracks on this CD,all of considerable length. Four are standards and one track (Doxy) was composed by fellow tenor saxophonist Sonny Rollins. Gordon spent a great portion of his musical career in Europe and for for much of it Copenhagen and its club Montmarte was his home base so it is fitting that someone there was wise enough to tape this session for posterity. Unfortunately, the rather meager liner notes do not elaborate on this particular date on July 20, 1967. The notes do, however, provide a rather sketchy overview of Gordon's life and musical career in Europe and in America, information that is probably well understood already by those attracted to Gordon's rich and flowing style of playing. This CD is produced in Portugal on the Jazz Time label and is available at a reasonably low price. The audio quality is generally very good throughout the five pieces. Although on one or two tracks there is some crowd noise and brief applause, these sounds in no way detract from the overall excellent listening experience. For anyone who enjoys interpretations of standards played with some emotion and a few suggestions of 1950s bop influences, this is an album that might well appeal to you. Since purchasing it recently, I have listened to it repeatedly and enjoyed it each time, both for Gordon's masterful tenor sax as well as the solo contributions of the other three musicians in the group, especially Kenny Drew on piano, who accompanies brilliantly on all tracks. Highly recommended for all fans of the great Dexter Gordon. - by karlojazz, Amazon.com 

Artist: Dexter Gordon
Album: There Will Never Be Another You (Live at the Montmarte, Copenhagen)
Year: 1967
Label: Jazz Time (1996)
Runtime: 54:02

Tracks:
1.  Come Rain Or Come Shine (Johnny Mercer/Harold Arlen) 10:59
2.  But Not For Me (George Gershwin/Ira Gershwin) 14:56
3.  Doxy (Sonny Rollins) 7:10
4.  For All We Know (Fred Coots/Sam Lewis) 8:37
5.  There Will Never Be Another You (Harry Warren/Irving Gordon) 12:19

Personnel:
Dexter Gordon (Tenor Saxophone)
Kenny Drew (Piano)
Niels-Henning Oersted-Pedersen (Double Bass)
Al Heath (Drums)

The Monday Morning Paradiddle/Calgary Jazz "Festival" Shows - Part 4



Yesterday I checked out the last of several shows as part of what I have been billing this week as the 2011 "unofficial" Calgary Jazz Festival and took in local pianist Lorna MacLachlan's band at the Ironwood Stage & Grill located in Inglewood on Sunday evening. Lorna is an accomplished pianist and dedicated composer who also spends her time inspiring young minds at Western Canada High School as a passionate music educator.

The band consisted of Lorna on piano and vocals joined by local musicians Keith Smith on guitar, Rich Harding on alto and soprano saxophones, Stefano Valdo on bass and Robin Tufts on drums. The group has been playing a lot lately and I sure appreciated the overall cohesiveness that the group demonstrated on Lorna's original compositions, in particular the tricky lines and forms that dealt with a wealth of odd meter phrases. Most of the music played was from Lorna's recent release "Time 4 Change" as well as some of her previous hit tunes including the through composed "Telegraphy". From personal experience, I can tell you that Lorna writes great music that is very challenging but very melodic with many twists and turns. Everyone did a great job of presenting it in a very musical way and it was great to hear her music presented at such a high level. Overall a great way to finish what has been several days of great Jazz music. Perhaps next year we'll be able to organize these many concerts, print off some posters, sell some tickets and call this a proper Jazz festival !



- Looking for some good Jazz advice? Well these two guys have a TON of great things to think about and learn from here:
www.jazzadvice.com There is lots of valuable things to learn from those two. I plan on spending some time reading their columns and hopefully learning a thing or two myself...

- Here's a drummer that, after a recent conversation with Kenny Washington, I intend on checking out more of in the days to come:



If you can recommend some albums that feature Charlie Persip and should be aware of, please let me know.

- George Colligan has an excellent interview he recently did with drummer Ralph Peterson over at his blog Jazztruth: http://jazztruth.blogspot.com/2011/06/ralph-peterson-interview.html

- Roy Haynes is and always will be my hero. Check him out here with the "Freedom" Band along with Chick Corea, Kenny Garrett and Christian McBride:



The level of respect these musicians have for Haynes is self evident. Watch how they all line up in awe behind the drums during Roy's drum feature.

Zoot Sims - Zoot Sims and the Gershwin Brothers

Along with his album with Count Basie (Basie and Zoot) during the same period, this is one of Sims' most exciting recordings of his career. Greatly assisted by pianist Oscar Peterson, guitarist Joe Pass, bassist George Mraz, and drummer Grady Tate, he explores ten songs written by George and Ira Gershwin. Somehow the magic was definitely present and, whether it be stomps such as "The Man I Love," "Lady Be Good," and "I Got Rhythm" or warm ballads (including "I've Got a Crush on You" and "Embraceable You"), Zoot Sims is heard at the peak of his powers. A true gem. - by Scott Yanow, AMG

Zoot Sims never made a bad album, but he did make a great number that were merely very good. This one, however, is excellent. Sims, Peterson, and Pass all solo beautifully, and the bass and drum team of Mraz and Tate are behind them every step of the way. The two standout tracks are 'I Got Rhythm', where Sims follows an explosive Peterson solo with full-throated honks and excursions into his beautiful upper register; and 'Embraceable You', when Zoot proves that only Webster, Getz, and Hawkins can challenge him for beauty of tone. That said, there isn't a bad track on this CD, and it will give any Zoot fan -- any jazz fan -- a great deal of pleasure. - by E. Hawkins, Amazon.com

Artist: Zoot Sims
Album: Zoot Sims and the Gershwin Brothers
Year: 1975 (Pablo)
Label: OJC (20-bit remastered, 1990)
Runtime: 49:53

Tracks:
1.  The Man I Love 6:24 
2.  How Long Has This Been Going On 2:14 
3.  Lady Be Good 4:36 
4.  I've Got A Crush On You 2:58 
5.  I Got Rhythm 7:05 
6.  Embraceable You 4:48 
7.  'S Wonderful 4:38 
8.  Someone To Watch Over Me 3:43 
9.  Isn't It A Pity 3:25 
10.  Summertime (George Gershwin/Ira Gershwin/Dubose Heyward) 5:23
11.  They Can't Take That Away From Me 4:32 
All compositions by George and Ira Gershwin, except 10th

Personnel:
Zoot Sims (Tenor Saxophone)
Oscar Peterson (Piano)
Joe Pass (Guitar)
George Mraz (Double Bass)
Grady Tate (Drums)

Calgary Jazz "Festival" Shows - Part 3



Yesterday's Calgary Jazz experience took me to the Ironwood Stage & Grill in Inglewood to catch the Prime Time Big Band with special guest, alto saxophonist P.J. Perry. Under the direction of Dave Jones this band has been playing a regular Saturday afternoon concert series at the Ironwood for eight seasons now. The band includes a number of musicians who are no strangers to Calgary's Jazz community including the likes of saxophonists Pat Belliveau, Rich Harding, trombonist Brian Walley, guitarist Keith Smith, drummer John DeWaal, pianist (and sometimes tubist!) Derek Stoll and trumpeter Al "Oop" Muirhead.

The band opened with Don Menza's classic chart "Groovin' Hard" originally written for the Buddy RIch big band and really set the pace for the afternoon ahead by featuring a dynamite saxophone soli that even had P.J. Perry frantically running out from backstage to cheer on and applaud the band.

P.J. was in fine form throughout and proved once again why he is truly one of Canada's greatest and a real living Canadian Jazz legend. In particular his solos on Rick Wilkin's arrangements of "They Way You Look Tonight" and "Round Midnight" were outstanding. Perry's soloing and mastery of the bebop language is impressive to say the least and his lines and phrasing are always full of surprises and contain a melodic and rhythmic intensity that SWINGS with every note. P.J. also shined with a lyrical interpretation on the ballad "Loverman" and played the Juan Tizol/Duke Ellington feature "Caravan" with such authority and conviction that you'd swear he wrote it himself ! The influence of such alto players such as Charlie Parker, Sonny Stitt and Art Pepper is quite evident in his refined style and I have a great deal of respect for his mastery and devotion to playing on such a high creative (and swinging!) level.

I was disappointed that I missed P.J. a month ago while he was touring with Kevin Dean, Mark Eisenman, Neil Swainson and Andre White so I'm glad that I had the opportunity to hear him play with the big band. From what I understand P.J. is soon to leave on an 18 month tour with the show "Come Fly Away" so be sure to catch this master while you can!

Overall, I felt that everyone in that band rose to the occasion on Saturday afternoon and everyone sounded great. Assembling and presenting a big band on even a semi-regular basis is no easy feat so Dave Jones and his crew are to be congratulated for such dedication and perseverance to keeping the big band flame alive in Calgary.

Calgary Jazz "Festival" Shows - Part 2



Still lots of great Jazz music to be heard in Calgary this week. Last night took me back to the Beatniq Jazz & Social Club to hear Polish drummer Jacek Kochan's group featuring New York/Canadian ex-pat Seamus Blake on tenor saxophone, Dave Restivo on piano and Calgary turned Parisian Chris Jennings at the bass.

The program mostly consisted of original compositions provided by Kochan with exceptional playing from everybody on the bandstand. In particular, I liked Kochan's very loose and organic straight 8th feel via an ever rhythmically changing style of drumming. Restivo and Jennings were great as always and a pleasant reminder as to why these two are constantly in demand as sideman with many the world's greats. Seamus Blake is a powerhouse tenor player and the evenings highlights, for me, were easily his solo on Herbie Hancock's "One Finger Snap" and an extended solo saxophone intro that developed into a beautiful ballad rendition of "Peace" by Horace Silver.

This band is currently touring across Canada hitting the current Jazz festival circuit. As you can see below, pianist Dave Restivo is clearly enjoying his time out West:

Eddi Reader - Simple Soul

Glasgow native Eddi Reader returns for her fourth solo album of ingratiating, smart songs, most of them seeking answers about what we're supposed to make of this big, ol' sweet mess of a world. Acoustic and folk-based, Simple Soul gleans much of its power from its stripped-down production, which allows for the up-close immediacy of Reader's quiet, earnest vocals, which are at times reminiscent of Maria Muldaur ("Wolves") and Edie Brickell ("Adam"). Alternately meditative ("Simple Soul"), reflective ("Lucky Penny"), and restless ("The Wanting Kind"), Reader especially shines on "I Felt a Soul Move Through Me," about the death of her father, one of several songs she co-wrote with Boo Hewerdine. But she's impressive as an interpreter, too, proving unforgettable on "Footsteps Fall," which correctly declares, "The loneliest sound of all / Is the sound of love / Through a stranger's wall." Somehow, she manages to make all this sadness uplifting, as a testament to the resiliency of the soul, and to the power of music. Soothing salve, indeed. -by Alanna Nash

She sings from the soul, very few performers these days have this talent. Eddi stays close to her roots, a special person with a love for pure music. - by James Wood

Artist: Eddi Reader
Album: Simple Soul
Year: 2001
Labe: Rough Trade
Runtime: 44:35

Tracks:
1.  Wolves (Eddi Reader/Boo Hewerdine/Teddy Borowiecki) 4:31
2.  The Wanting Kind (Eddi Reader/Boo Hewerdine) 3:55
3.  Lucky Penny (Eddi Reader/Boo Hewerdine) 3:30
4.  Simple Soul (Eddi Reader/Boo Hewerdine) 4:19
5.  Adam (Roy Dodds/Adam Kirk/Boo Hewerdine/Eddi Reader) 4:34
6.  Footsteps Fall (Boo Hewerdine/Bjergfeldt) 2:46
7.  Blues Run The Game (Jackson C. Frank) 5:04
8.  I Felt A Soul Move Through Me (Roy Dodds/Henderson/Boo Hewerdine/Eddi Reader) 3:52
9.  Prodigal Daughter (Eddi Reader/Boo Hewerdine) 3:41
10.  Eden (Eddi Reader) 5:04
11.  The Girl Who Fell In Love With The Moon (Boo Hewerdine/Eriksen) 3:19

Personnel:
Eddi Reader (Vocals, Acoustic Guitar)
Boo Hewerdine (Acoustic Guitar, Backing Vocals, Glockenspiel, Toy Keyboard, Tanbura, Harmonium)
Roy Dodds (Drums and Percussion) - 1,2,4,5,7-9,11
Teddy Borowiecki (Keyboards, Accordion, Indian Harmonium, Whirly Tube, Tanbura) - 1-3,5-9
Tim Harries (Bass Guitar) - 1,4,5,7,11
Adam Kirk (Dobro, Acoustic and Electric Guitar) - 5,7,10
Johnny Scott (Pedal Steel Guitar, Acoustic Guitar) - 1,5,7
Dawson Salah Miller (Frame Drum, Udu) - 8,9
Simon Edwards (Guitaron Bass) - 8
Dylan Bates (Violin) - 8

Grilled Shellfish With Barbecue Sauce - Video and Recipe - The .

June 24, 2011, 5:58 pm The Minimalist: Grilled Shellfish With `Barbecue` Sauce By MARK BITTMAN

Clams, mussels and oysters offer the lazy summer cook an advantage: theyre enclosed in perfectly sealed pots, Mother Natures very own pressure cooker. With a bit of passion from the grill, shellfish literally steam themselves and then pop open, ready for consumption, with almost no effort required on the break of the griller.

Ive been eating grilled shellfish for days and I occasionally make the unorthodox (for me) step of helping them with a barbeque sauce rather than my old standby of lemon juice and sometimes salt. This sauce, which barely qualifies as a recipe, can be made on the grill while the shellfish cook. Also, it can commonly be pulled together without a travel to the grocery store, since all it contains is half a lodge of butter, a few chopped garlic cloves, some Worcestershire sauce and as much fresh lemon juice as you like. I do it in a small, old cast iron saucepan, perfect for outside use. (Dont use anything with a wooden or plastic handle, obviously, since its going right over the flame.)

To serve, just drizzle a bit of sauce into each case and dig in. The buttery sauce combines with the mollusks natural brine to make a liquid thats pretty heavenly. Not bad for a grilled dish that doesnt even take a spatula.

Print Recipe
Grilled Shellfish With Barbecue Sauce

Yield 4 to 6 servings

Time About 15 minutes

Mark Bittman

Ingredients
  • 30 to 40clams or mussels or 24 oysters, well scrubbed
  • 4 tablespoons(1/2 stick) butter
  • 1tablespoonminced garlic
  • 1/4 teaspoonWorcestershire sauce, or more to taste
  • Freshly squeezed lemon juice to taste.
Method

Calgary Jazz "Festival" Shows - Part 1

Just a few words with regards to a couple of great shows I caught yesterday in Calgary. There is no official Calgary Jazz Festival this year, but I am pretending : )



The Alex Goodman Quintet

I heard this band of fine young musicians on an outdoor free stage set up on the Stephen Avenue Walk downtown. The City of Calgary sponsors free Jazz shows during the noon hour every Thursday.

I've known guitarist Alex Goodman and played with him since my days in Toronto and he is definitely one of the countries promising and up-and-coming young Jazz artists to watch. He is an exceptional technician, a great composer and is quite active in terms of finding opportunities to record, play and tour. He's currently touring the country with his quintet just following another extensive national tour with a group co-led by himself and Calgary turned Torontonian alto saxophonist Brent Mah.

The band consisted of Alex Goodman on guitar, Nick Morgan on alto, Maxwell Roach on drums, Dan Fortin on bass and D'arcy Myronuk on piano. I really appreciated the overall band cohesiveness (no music stands or charts!) and they still played with a sense of purpose and genuine musicality despite performing on a busy street corner in downtown Calgary over lunchtime to a transient crowd. Goodman's compositions are richly melodic and the overall vibe reminded me of the ever so popular Kurt Rosenwinkel with some hints of Brian Blade's Fellowship project. Overall very impressive to hear and see and these musicians certainly have a bright future ahead of them playing the way they do. I'm sure they will turn more than a few heads by the time they reach the Montreal Jazz Festival.

Alex was also nice enough to slide me a copy of his latest album with this group entitled "Bridges". I haven't had an opportunity to listen to this yet, but I look forward to checking it out and was impressed with the apparent number of interpretations of classical music that appears on this CD.



The Francois Bourassa Quartet

Speaking of classically inspired contemporary Jazz music, I popped over to the Beatniq on Thursday evening and heard the first set of Quebec pianist Francois Bourrassa and his quartet with Andre Leroux on tenor saxophone, Guy Boisvert on bass and Phillipe Melanson on drums. The music consisted of a huge exploration of Bourassa's original compositions that featured a large influence of 20th Century classical music and techniques. The first piece, in a particular, a harmonically winding, broken swing number, reminded me a lot of the same angularity that Herbie Nichols exhibited in many of his compositions as well. Andre Leroux exhibited a technical prowess on the saxophone that reminded me of why Leroux is easily one the country's preeminent saxophonists and he should be more well-known outside of Quebec's borders. I was intrigued by the drumming of Phillipe Melanson as he exhibited a physicality and primal approach to the drums that brought Ari Hoenig to mind. His creative approach to breaking up the time and exploring different textures on the drums also reminded me of the looseness and ingenuity of other accomplished Quebec drummers such as Michel Lambert and Pierre Tanguay.

I first heard Francois Bourassa with his trio at the Regina Jazz Society in the University of Regina faculty club around 1993-94. Guy Boisvert was also playing bass at the time and was joined by his brother Yves Boisvert on the drums. This was really the first piano trio I ever heard in person and this particular gig left a deep impression on me. Boisvert's drumming was very reminiscent of Jack DeJohnette and I remember a distinct influence of the Keith Jarrett trio with regards to there approach to playing standards. Being exposed to live music like this at a young age is really important and, speaking from experience, often provides an influence and experience that resonates for years to come.

There is plenty more great Jazz music to check out this week in Calgary. Tonight I'm looking forward to hearing Seamus Blake with Chris Jennings, Dave Restivo and Polish drummer Jacek Kochan.

Stick Control Revisited



Today I'd like to share an exercise/concept with you that Montreal drummer Michel Lambert showed me many years ago.

The book Stick Control by George Lawrence Stone is a must have text for any aspiring drummer. However, despite the multitude of important sticking variations to be found in its pages, there is not much for dynamic variations. And as I've stated before, it's really important for drummers to think dynamically when playing the drums.

Michel's basic concept for his exercise was to add different accent patterns over a given line of Stick Control to come up with interesting variations. This is, as I found out years later, was also the basis for many of the exercises found in Stone's follow up book Accents & Rebounds and Joe Morello's important book, Master Studies as well.

However, using the first page of Stick Control you can figure out probably a million variations and possibilities (and not have to go out and buy yet another book haha)



So basically the exercise is the following:

1) Take any line of Stick Control and play it on the snare drum.

2) Once you have that sticking pattern down come up with a simple, one or two bar accent pattern and play that sticking pattern in conjunction with those accents. Really exaggerate the accents and make them clear.

For example:

LINE 5

RLRR LRLL RLRR LRLL

Here's that same sticking pattern with some different accent variations:



You'll find that the more creative you get with whatever accents you come up with that simple patterns like RRLL or RLRR LRLL won't even feel like the familiar patterns you are used to playing after a while. It's a great way to get your hands playing familiar patterns in unfamiliar ways.

You could probably write out all the different accent variations within a given sticking pattern (and hey why not write another book?) but don't be afraid to come up with your own patterns in the moment and mess around with it. Not everything we play has to be written down, right? Nothing wrong with giving your brain a bit of a drum pattern workout. Really, the possibilities are endless.

Furthermore, play the accents on the drums with the right hand on the floor tom and the left hand on the high tom with all the unaccented notes staying on the snare drum. This is a great way to learn new and interesting ways to get around the drums.

Add some kind of a stock foot pattern to play between the hihat and bass drum and you're in business.

Roy Ayers - Stoned Soul Picnic

Stoned Soul Picnic dates from the earlier part of Roy Ayers' career as a leader, before he delved heavily into R&B and funk fusions and instead concentrated more on soul-jazz grooves. Ayers leads a septet including such big names as pianist Herbie Hancock, altoist Gary Bartz, bassist Ron Carter, and flutist Hubert Laws. The Laura Nyro-penned title track foreshadows Ayers' later forays beyond the boundaries of pure jazz, and the group keeps the groove percolating nicely throughout, making Stoned Soul Picnic one of Ayers' better jazz-oriented outings. - by Steve Huey, AMG

Stoned Soul Picnic is vibraphonist Roy Ayers' third and probably best solo album, made in 1968 while he was still a part of Herbie Mann's group. Ayers stands clearly in the shadow of Bobby Hutcherson on this primarily modally-oriented date, sounding nothing like the groove-meister he would become known as later in the 1970s. Producer Mann, always an underrated talent scout, assembles an especially exceptional septet for Ayers here with Gary Bartz on alto sax, arranger Charles Tolliver on trumpet/flugelhorn, Hubert Laws on flute, Herbie Hancock on piano (and probably uncredited organ on the title cut), Ron Carter or Miroslav Vitous on bass and Grady Tate on drums.The program is a typical late 1960s menu, heavy on such Top 40 pop covers as the dated "Stoned Soul Picnic," "For Once In My Life" and "What The People Say." What sets these and the interesting, if unsuccessful, cover of Jobim's "Wave" apart are Tolliver's rather ingenious arrangements. Tolliver seems to tear apart the constraints of these duds (although "Picnic" is beyond hope) by dramatically slowing down the melodies, providing Ayers the time and space to set the mood (Tolliver correctly recognizes Ayers's strengths with ballads) and punctuating with nicely considered horn statements in between. It is the two modal originals here — Ayers lovely "A Rose For Cindy" and Tolliver's waltz, "Lil's Paradise" — that make this disc worth hearing. Ayers plays some of his finest-ever work on these pieces. You're sure to hear something new and different in these pieces every time. Hancock completists will also be especially pleased with the pianist's performance here (and on "What The People Say" too). Except for the nods toward late 1960s pop-jazz conventions, Stoned Soul Picnic is a marvelous disc well worth investigating. With so much of Ayers's West Coast work of the 1960s (especially with Jack Wilson) lost in limbo, this disc serves as a cogent reminder of the strength of the vibraphonist's chops. And groove lovers might be happily surprised hearing what Ayers was up to before the groove. - by Douglas Payne, allaboutjzz.com

Artist: Roy Ayers
Album: Stoned Soul Picnic
Year: 1968
Label: Atlantic (Remastered, 2005)
Runtime: 38:40

Tracks:
1.  A Rose For Cindy (Roy Ayers) 9:01
2.  Stoned Soul Picnic (Laura Nyro) 2:53
3.  Wave (Antonio Carlos Jobim) 8:02
4.  For Once In My Life (Ronald Miller/Orlando Murden) 3:55
5.  Lil's Paradise (Charles Tolliver) 6:37
6.  What The People Say (Edwin Birdsong) 8:10

Personnel:
Roy Ayers (Vibes)
Herbie Hancock (Piano)
Grady Tate (Drums)
Gary Bartz (Alto Saxophone) - 1,2
Charles Tolliver (Trumpet and Flugelhorn) - 1,2
Hubert Laws (Flute) - 1,2
Ron Carter (Double Bass) - 1,2
Miroslav Vitous (Double Bass) - 3-6

Downfall



A real gem here. Here's the MAN himself, rudimental snare drum legend Frank Arsenault performing the snare drumming standard "The Downfall of Paris":



And here it is so you can play along:

Willy Deville - Free Articles Directory - ProArticlesDaily


DeVille recorded Miracle in London with Mark Knopfler, the Dire Straits guitarist, serving as his sideman and producer. He stated, "It was Mark (Knopfler) wife Lourdes who arrived up with the assumed (to document Miracle). She explained to him that you actually don't talk like Willy and he isn't going to play guitar like you, but you really like his things so why don't you do an album jointly?

"Storybook Love", a call from Miracle and the theme song of the film The Princess Bride, was nominated for an Academy Award in 1987 DeVille carried out the call at that year's Academy Awards telecast.Knopfler heard ("Storybook Love") and asked if I knew about this picture he was executing. It was a Rob Reiner movie about a princess and a prince. The strain was near the identical topic make a note as the film, so we submitted it to Reiner and he wanted it. About six or 7 months later on, I was fifty % asleep when the cellphone rang. It was the Academy of Arts and Sciences with the total spiel. I hung up on them! They named again and Lisa (his wife or husband) answered the telephone. She came in to advise me that I was nominated for "Storybook Really like." It is quite wild. It really is not the Grammys it really is the Academy Awards, which is several for a musician. Prior to I knew it, I was carrying out on the awards present with Little Richard. "I had the sense that I was heading again all over again home. It was very unusual. I repose in the French Quarter, two streets away from Bourbon Street at even time, when I go to bed, I pay attention to the boogie that arrives from the streets, and in the other morning, when I rouse up, I see the blues."In 1990, DeVille produced Victory Mixture, a tribute album of conventional New Orleans soul and R&ampB which he recorded with some of the songs' distinctive composers. The album was recorded without having obtaining the use of overdubbing or audio editing with the end of capturing the heart of the distinctive recordings.I acquired all the real guys to fall second again in, like Earl King, Dr. John and Eddie Bo. Allen Toussaint played feature piano. I brought in the rhythm section of The Meters on a bit of of cuts. We get in contact with it the 'little' report. It is amusing, mainly since I was only trying to get them dollars, the writers of the songs, 'cause they all obtained ripped off in the fifties and 1960s. They ended up all fascinated, and Dr. John (who had played on DeVille's 1978 album Return to Magenta and who DeVille realized from his connection with Doc Pomus) convinced them that they wouldn't get ripped off by this northern white boy. That is when I crossed far more than to staying a regional suitable here in New Orleans. We have been all happy with it. It is truly recorded the way it was originally attained back again then. It is reside with no overdubs anywhere, no digital, no editing. We played the call a number of periods and hardly picked the very very best take, the one that was the most organic. It's on Fnac/Orleans Information. I'm really proud of that a person certain.Victory Mixture was recorded for a modest impartial label, Orleans Info, which certified it to Sky Ranch (Fnac New songs) in France. "It offered over one hundred,000 units in Europe extremely quicklyur 1st gold disc," explained Carlo Ditta, founder of Orleans Documents and the manufacturer of Victory Combination.In the summer of 1992, DeVille toured Europe with Dr John, Johnny Adams, Zachary Richard, and The Wild Magnolias as part of his "New Orleans Revue" tour. "The journey, buses, and planes and the accommodations had to be roughly of the worst I've actually skilled. but the reveals on their own have been exceptional. At the end of only about each and every exhibit we'd throw Mardi Gras rows out to the audience, you know strands of purple and gold beads, and they'd by no signifies observed anything at all like it and they wanted it."

Mark Hoppus parla della sua vita privata e dei blink-18! nel volo .

Mark Hoppus ha pubblicato sul suo account su Tumblr, mentre era in viaggio da New York a Los Angeles, un resoconto dei fatti che sono successi e che stanno per succedere. Spiega i motivi per cui andr ad abitare per un po' a Londra e parla del nuovo album dei blink-182, del prossimo singolo e del tour.
late night flight from jfk to lax.in the preceding two years we taped a lot of large segments for hoppus on music.

eady eye (former members of oasis), awolnation, simple plan, the brothers carney from spider man turn off the dark, cults, and a panel discussion on tour riders.we also shot two commercials for the show.question: why is my go-to television voice always just me yelling into the camera?

tomorrow morning early the movers come to my house to take up everything i`m taking in the movement to london.a few of you make asked why london and how am i going to be capable to continue working with blink-182 and the tv show.the solution to the back division is: i will never sleep.i`ll be traveling back and off to new york to record the show, and flight out to wherever blink-182 has concerts, press, video shoots, etc.or if tom needs a hug.or if travis needs a spouse for mixed martial arts tournaments.a lot of you may not recognise that, while i may APPEAR soft, infirm, and a bit out of shape, i`m actually the summit of virility, strength, and masculinity.ready to GO at the fall of a hat.yeah, i`m sort of a bad ass.but i don`t wish to be showy about it.as for why move to london, there`s no one real answer.i only need to break out the uk for a bit.i`ve lived in and loved southern california for most of my life, and need to try a change.i wish to know what it`s Very similar to be the european experience.by totally immersing myself into a strange culture.jump in feet-first.i wish to go to YOUR starbucks, to break YOUR ed hardy t-shirts, and to ride rides at YOUR disneyland paris.i wish to give my head to a completely new world.i wish to be jasmine, and the uk and greater european continent to be alladin, and the eurorail will be our magic carpet and we`ll fly high above the landscape opening up beneath us. "a completely new world (don`t you dare close your eyes."got a bit off travk there, sorry.the uk rules, and from there we can break out places in europe and scandinavia, etc.also, i like tea.and crumpets.but i gotta be honest, the sportsman of cricket completely defies me.any game that takes years to decide is beyond my content for caring.it takes all the forbearance and finding i have to see a 90 minute football match that ends in a 0-0 draw, and not launch something frank and weighty into one of the 60" flatscreen tvs that flow on every bulwark of my sprawling mansion.interesting side note: aside from clothes, the sum of "stuff" i`m bringing with me overseas and on tour, the NECESSITIES of my very existence, objects with which i would be wholly unable to function, all fit into two small boxes.and a pro-tools rig and some guitar cases.

tomorrow morning after the movers leave, we have interviews.mostly near the tour.but inevitably and expectedly also around the album.what does it sound like?how many songs?what direction did you get as a band?why does mark look like he`s slowly metamorphosing into jane lynch from glee?all valid and crucial questions, to be sure.but also questions for which we don`t make all the answers yet.we`re still in the midst of it.as i sit on this plane somewhere over pennsylvania, travis is in los angeles tracking drums, and tom is in san diego tracking guitars and vocals.i`ll be running on the songs again tomorrow after the interviews, and on and on until the album is due at the end of july.what DOES it sound like?i can`t say you.personally, i am at the point where i can`t really see it for what it is anymore.objectivity left a long time ago.i CAN say that some of the best songs for the book have been scripted in the preceding month.songs with energy and angst, and hooks and great melodies.the original absence of there songs is the cause why we had to offset the UK/European dates.and also why, even as GIANT a bum-out as it was and continues to be, it was the proper thing to do.the album is often the best for having the spare time, and we make the UK and Europe to thank for it.so thank you, and apologies again.

our single is due to be delivered to the judge in two weeks.as of now, i guess we possess four strong contenders for "first single."this is one the most exciting and stressful times of any recording process.the office where you commit.no more "we`ll put this in and see how it works." we are all forced to build the decisions that will ultimately solidify whatever this new album will become, and will invariably be.good or bad, right or wrong, the die is most to be cast.the deadline is approaching.july 31st will be here sooner then any of us realize, and a few weeks after that it will be on the shelves (or on the websites where you can buy and have it in a cloud) and finally everyone can learn it, decide for themselves, and we can all stop talking about when the show will be released or what it sounds like.we can start talking about what we conceive of the last master.at that point, the album will be what it is and get on its own life.all of our ideas and go and songs will be like little birds, leaving the nest for the start time.some will soar to amazing heights, some may come dead and clamber to conduct flight, and some may grow bright yellowish and grotesquely large and go on a street with a green monster who lives in a trash can.i suppose i`m going to wish our new little record.i promise you do, too.

also tomorrow we`re meeting a product designer to discourse the upcoming US tour.starting to form out what the spell will seem like.what it will look like when the curtain drops.what lights, what effects, what projections, or not.is there a theme?will there be an enormous animated skeleton named eddie that looms over the audience, or a giant inflatable pig, and what about pete wentz`s hair?these questions will necessarily lead into the word of the set number for this tour, which new songs will be added, which songs will stay, will any be cut?and tour rehearsals.and trade for the tour.and ad mats for the tour.and crew.and hotels.and buses.and semi trucks.load-in times.soundchecks.meet and greets.radio station visits.late night truck stops where you buy a brown leather vest with turquoise inset stones and tassels because you mean it`s peculiar and you`re still buzzed from the show. (by the way, the half-life on the comedy value of said wardrobe absurdity is just 3 minutes from when you pass out of the truck stop door).tour life.

in summary (are you still reading this?!damn, maybe try and get out a little), tonight isjune 22.in the following six weeks we get to: 1) finish recording the album, 2) choose a single, 3) mix the album, 4) master the album, 5) design the tour production, 6) figure out the art for the record (damn, i`d forgotten about that until right now), 7) decide upon a setlist, 8) learn to play the songs we just recorded in a live setting, 9) start general rehearsals for the tour, 10) shoot a picture for the single, 11) do national, international, local, and long-lead press for the record and tour. additionally, for me i am attached to 12) two weeks of tape for hoppus on music, 13) flying to london to obtain a point to live, 14) moving everything out of my house, into storage or shipped to the tour, or to london, 15) packing for tour. 16) unburdening myself from 2 vehicles, 17) living out of a hotel for a month, 18) learning to dancing the watusi, 19) convincing myself that the double-down sandwich is actually a tangible thing, and not a dare that person is acting on us.oh yeah, and we as a ring need a good week of total production rehearsals. and merch designs.wow.

so that`s the following six weeks.i`ll speak for myself when i say i`m crazy, stressed, high-strung, unable to sleep, anxious, nervous, and loving every hour of it.i know what we get to do.honestly.and the sole reason we get the chance to do it is the back from all of you.so, thanks again.i promise you know our new record.i desire to see you out on the turn this summer, and if we drop you there, maybe i`ll run into you over in merry old england, where we can throw anotha shrimp on the barbie, mate!oh. wait.dammit.

- Mark Hoppus Tumblr

Mark Cavendish set on wearing Tour de France . - Ethiopian Review

A switch to the points system for mid-stage sprints may assist the Manx sprinter win the green jersey for the start time

Mark Cavendish talks like he rides, in unstoppable bursts. Sometimes, however, he can be still more eloquent when saying nothing at all. On Wednesday, as he looked forward to the part of the Tour de France in 9 days' time, three such periods of silence enveloped the gathering.

The first, which was non-negotiable, came as a hindrance to any appearance of involvement in the theory that he will be joining Team Sky next season, at the end of his compact with HTC-Slipstream.

Since the rules of professional cycling forbid the teams from announcing their signings for the next season until August, that came as no surprise. But the rumours are persistent and persuasive, and such an event would delight British fansparticularly those aware that only petty misunderstandings stood in the way of him joining the team when it was launched last year.

The second silence, lasting 17 seconds, ensued when the 26-year-old Manx sprinter was asked if the peloton would be touched by the front at the Tour's Grand Depart a week on Saturday of Alberto Contador, the defending champion, who tested positive for clenbuterol during last year's race, was cleared by his national federation, and now awaits the resolution of the international governing body's appeal against the verdict, which will not be proclaimed until later the Tour.

"Whether he's innocent or guilty," Cavendish said, "I'd have liked a clear-cut decision by now on what really happened. That's probably the matter that frustrates me, that there's something still rocking on and release to cause controversy in the play that should have been dealt with."

A third silence, only slightly shorter, came as he weighed his reply to a doubt about the event on him and his fellow riders of the end of Wouter Weylandt after a ram in the Giro d'Italia last month and the head injuries suffered by Juan Mauricio Soler in last week's Tour de Suisse. Both were races in which Cavendish took part.

"I think you get to put it to one side," he said. "It's not nice, but it's the job we're paying to do. There's a lot of force on everybody now and there are a lot of risks being interpreted in the peloton. Some people get pressure from their [team] directors and it makes for a different way of racing. But that's cyclingyou've just got to conform to it. If you can have hold and stay at the front, you're going to be out of trouble anyway."

This will be Cavendish's fifth Tour de France. His 15 stage wins constitute a book for a British rider, and thither will be six opportunities for him to gain the number next month in stages likely to end with a sprint finish, plus the team time run on the 2nd day. The first sprint is probably to close the opening day, a 191km ride through the Vende ending with a long but shallow climb. It is not the most obvious setting for the raw speed with which Cavendish usually annihilates his rivals, but there are suggestions that he fancies his chances.

"I've won on harder," he said, "but I've been dropped on easier, so we don't know. We'll give everything we can to win but for sure we're not favourites on that stage."

Success would grant him the Tour leader's yellow jersey for the start time, a curiosity for a sprinter since the evacuation of time bonuses. "I've drawn the leader's jersey in the Giro d'Italia and I've worn it on the Vuelta a Espaa, and I'd care to do it on the Tour de France, but I'd be exactly as glad to see it on the shoulders of one of my team-mates."

If he does not get the run with a win, there is ever the next day's 23kmtime trial in Les Essarts. "I've done five Grand Tour team time trials and in 3 of them I've been in the winning team. The former two were the ones where I didn't take hold of the team. It's almost acquiring the best out of a nine-man unit. You don't get to take for it, as tenacious as everybody knows what they get to do. You've seen Cool Runnings, where they're in the bathroom? It's like that. So I'm going to get everyone in the bath."

His principal ambitions are to win more stages and to be wearing the points leader's green jersey in Paris, a goal denied him by Thor Hushovd in 2009, thanks to a questionable time penalty after their duel at the culture in Besanon, and by a canny performance from Alessandro Petacchi last year. A transfer to the organization of points awarded for mid-stage sprints may aid him this time.

It is a busy year. On Saturday he races in the British national championships at Stamfordham, near Newcastle. The Circuit is followed by the Olympic test case in Surrey, by the Vuelta a Espaa, in which he won the points leader's jersey last year, and by the world championships, his early major point of the year, over a favourably flat course in Copenhagen in September.

When he was young, he remembered, he ever told himself: "I wish to be world champion and I wish to win stages of the Tour de France." Now he adds: "Normally when I say I wish to do something, I do it."

There have been but four wins to see this season, including two stages of the Giro, but he claims to be more than happy with his work going into the Tour. And before this month his exploits earned him an MBE, sweet compensation for having cruelly missed out on the avalanche of gongs in the Beijing velodrome. "The biggest thing about it to me," he said, "wasn't so often the award as the fact that I got it without being an Olympic medallist." Yesterday he was glad to explicate the British honours system to a puzzled Norwegian journalist, in considerable detail. "You can call me Sir Cav," he said.

  • Mark Cavendish
  • Tour de France 2011
  • Tour de France
  • Cycling
Richard Williams

guardian.co.ukGuardian News & Media Limited 2011 | Use of this subject is open to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds

Saving Abel Announces USO Tour Dates

SAVING ABEL ANNOUNCES USO TOUR TO Guantanamo BAY, CUBA

Southern rockers Saving Abel and the USO are proud to denote a spark to Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, June 23-26 to see and do for members of our Armed Forces and their families. Over the past several months the five has toured extensively across the U.S. as easily as touched land in Kuwait and Iraq as component of a USO tour.

he set also visited and performed a USO show in the middle of the Pacific Ocean aboard the USS Carl Vinson as the vessel returned from Haiti and a three-month deployment at sea. Most recently, the band played a free concert for the soldiery at Fort Carson as part of their Miss America tour.This call will print the bands third USO tour.

The circle continues to perform selfless acts by aiding those in need. Lead singer Jared Weeks recently spent the day performing at THE Sound at Children`s Healthcare of Atlanta, on June 9th. Jared recorded a section with THE Voice and spent time visiting with and playing for ill children. Provided by the Ryan Seacrest Foundation, the mix/media station in pediatric hospitals aims to contribute positively to the remedial process for children and their families during their stay. The foremost center is situated in the vestibule of Childrens at Egleston and is also joined to Childrens at Hughes Spalding and Childrens at Scottish Rite. Previous guests include Kelli Pickler and Big Time Rush.

Saving Abels latest album, MISS AMERICA is the follow up to their gold-certified self-titled debut. Their latest single Miss America is presently in the top 20 at both Rock and Active Rock. Of their six charted songs, it is their best debut at the format. Watch as they salute American troops overseas in their new Miss America music video here:

With performances at Rock on the Range, and Rocklahoma already this class the set will be touring through the US the remainder of the summer, dates below:

SAVING ABEL TOUR DATES:
June 29Milwaukee, WISummerfest
July 2Indianapolis, INVictory Field Rock N Roll BBQ
July 3Great Lakes, ILGreat Lakes Naval Station
July 7Calgary, ABCalgary Stampede
July 8Sawyer, NDRock on the Ridge
July 9North Lawrence, OHClays Park Amphitheater
July 14Peoria, ILHeart of Illinois Fair
July 15St. Joseph, MIVenetian Festival
July 22Pottsville, PAGoodfellas
July 23Uncasville, CTMohegan Sun
July 24Poughkeepsie, NYThe Chance
July 28Kansas City, MOWorth Harley Davidson
July 29Columbia, OHMidway Expo
July 30Madison, WIWillow IslandBandcamp
August 6Bay City, MIVeterans Memorial Park
August 12Sturgis, SDBuffalo Chip Campground
August 13Avon, OHRoverfest 2011All Pro Freight Stadium
August 18Escanaba, MIUP State Fair
August 19Fostoria, OHThe New Nest
August 20Ironton, OHIronton Bike Rally
August 23WinstonSalem, NC
August 27Owensville, OHSwinefest Cincinnati
August 28Syracuse, NYNew York State Fair Grandstand
September 1Marshfield, WICentral Wisconsin State Fair
September 4Montpelier, INMontpelier Jamboree


Buddy Rich Drum Clinic



Not the greatest footage but still some wise words from Buddy Rich (with a little bit of wit thrown in for good measure!):





THE Night OF THE MATINEE: The Queen of Pain: SPACE CAMP

When did we stop dreaming about outer space?

As this movie played out, I was mesmerized by the heaps of kids of all ages who were wildly excited to be at Space Camp. Every character - no matter how cool or uncool they are alleged to be - acts as though getting to go to Space Camp is cognate to taking the lottery. As they occur together they all take really small in common, but they all share a trust to go farther into the final frontier than humanity has gone.


And oddly, that thread which stitches them all together is what dates this movie the most.

Fifty years ago, our vision was clearly focused on the skies. The question wasn't whether or not a man would get to the moon, but which man would get there first.and which human it would be. Once we got there, we began dreaming of how much further we could go, specifically wondering how long it would have to bring a commission on Mars. Interestingly, while all of this was happening in actual life, books and films were being created that suggested that by the year 2001 we would be capable to send manned missions to Jupiter.

And yet here we are:

2011.
No Mars, no Jupiter.
Less and less boys and girls who dream of passing into space.

It saddens me to mean that kids like Kevin Donaldson (Tate Donovan) or Kathryn Fairly (Lea Thompson) could have grown into the form of adults that see NASA as a scourge of taxpayers' dollars, or that their children could be hard pressed to make a single crew member on the final space mission. After all, we're talking about astronauts here - people who were formerly spoken almost with the same kind of fear as rock stars. At one time it was the charge of a life to stir an astronaut's hand; now it'd probably be met with a "Hey, cool".

Perhaps that's what makes this film feel "So 80's". Not Kelly Preston's perm, nor the fact that teenagers once had Mark Knopfler and Eric Clapton blaring from their car stereos. It's the way it reminds me of a mindset before Challenger killed astronauts on the way up, and Discovery killed more on the way down. It's a film that was made at the end of an era where much of kids dreamed of exploring the universe, instead of the gifted few who render great aptitude for mathematics and science. A big portion of me has to see that as a bit of a bummer.as though an entire generation of kids just gave up.

Hopefully as more time passes I'll be proved wrong. Hopefully we are now only in a lull, rather than at the end of a long slow fade out from trying to drive the limits of what's possible.

If that's to be the event though, I sincerely hope the men and women who hold that possible aren't subjected to this movie. It's terrible, and unbefitting of their love for the galaxy.

...Oh and by the way, this film was terrible.

2011 Calgary "Sort of Temporary" Jazz Festival Update



Well, unfortunately due to last year's debacle and last-minute cancellation of the Calgary Jazz Festival we still don't have a local Jazz festival a year later. However, there is a group of concerned local Jazz citizens who are taking a cautious approach to reorganizing things so hopefully we will have a viable festival up and running in Calgary in a year or so. Here's a recent article to that effect: www.ffwdweekly.com/article/music/music-previews/jazz-celebration-takes-steps-to-fill-jazz-festivals-void-7648/

Fortunately there are still a number of great concerts going on this week so local Calgary Jazz fans can get their fix and still enjoy great music all week. Officially Calgary is still Jazz festival-less but a number of people have stepped up to the plate to presenting a number of great Jazz concerts this week.

-The Jazz Is Society is presenting the Marc Atkinson Trio on Friday night and trumpeter Gary Guthman on Saturday with a group of fine local Calgary artists (check out my friend John DeWaal on drums). Both shows run at Central United Church. For more info click here: www.jazzis.org

-The Beatniq is also presenting four nights that feature groups that are currently touring the Canadian Jazz festival circuit this month. Wednesday features drummer Kevin Brow and his band. Quebec pianist Francois Bourassa is featured with his quartert (including powerhouse tenor saxphonist Andre Leroux) on Thursday evening. On Friday Polish drummer Jacek Kohan brings an all-star group featuring Dave Restivo, Chris Jennings and Seamus Blake (don't miss this one!) and then Calgary turned New Yorker alto saxophonist Curtis MacDonald brings his touring crew to finish things off on Saturday night. All in all there is lots of great music to be heard this week so make sure to get out and support these live acts this week. For more info click here: www.beatniq.com

-Canadian alto saxophonist and Jazz legend PJ Perry is also appearing with the Prime Time Big Band under the direction of Dave Jones this Saturday afternoon at the Ironwood Stage & Grill (2pm) and pianist/composer Lorna MacLachlan appears with her own group on the same stage on Sunday evening to promote her latest CD "Time 4 Change" (8pm).

So if you are a Jazz fan in Calgary there is more than enough good music to check out this week!



"Swingin' in Carstairs, Alberta with Terra Hazelton"

I had the pleasure of hearing Toronto vocalist Terra Hazelton and guitarist Nathan Hiltz twice in the past week. First at Calgary's Loose Moose Theatre and last night in Carstairs, Alberta at the Cafe Radio, a fine establishment recently opened by the Valleau brothers Jason and Sheldon of PolyJesters fame. Terra and Nathan are currently touring across Alberta and British Columbia. Make sure to catch their touring act whenever you can. This is some of the best live music I've heard in awhile. For their tour schedule click here: www.terrahazelton.com

Terra is an incredible vocalist and really sings great, evoking very soulful, bluesy and authentic renditions of classic standards and old school swing and blues numbers. She is the real deal and it's always refreshing to hear a singer with a great voice and such an affinity for the material she is singing. Terra used to perform extensively with Jeff Healey's Jazz Wizards and brings a wealth of knowledge and real depth to the material she performs. Her version of Duke Ellington's "In My Solitude" really made my day. She's also a fine actor and you can see her work in the soon-to-be classic film Fubar II. Just give'er!!!

Guitarist Nathan Hiltz is a force and truly one of Canada's top young Jazz guitarists. His technical and stylistic mastery of his instrument is impressive and you can tell that he's really done his homework. It's always a pleasure to hear him play. He has a deep knowledge of the Jazz tradition, knows a ton of tunes and swings his ass off. Nathan's also a visionary and has been experimenting with his pedals and original compositions with the Griffiths-Hiltz Trio with his cohorts Johnny Griffiths and Sly Juhas. This band came through Calgary earlier this year and was definitely a highlight for me.

Terra and Nathan were nice enough to invite me on stage to sit in on a few numbers with my snare drum and brushes joining Jason Valleau on bass and his brother Sheldon on ukulele. Fun times indeed. All in all there is great Jazz music happening in these parts these days. Check it out!

Grant Green - Alive!

Alive! is the hardest funk LP Grant Green recorded during the later phase of his career, capturing a storming gig at Newark's Cliché Lounge. The sweaty club atmosphere adds something to the music that's difficult to pin down, yet unmistakably present -- a certain organic quality that isn't as noticeable on Green's studio albums of the time. Moreover, Green sounds more like the captain of his ship, with greater assurance in his musical direction and more strut on the R&B material. Drummer Idris Muhammad is a monster in this live setting, and he helps push Green (plus the rest of the band, which includes organist Ronnie Foster) even farther with his kinetic, continually evolving funk rhythms. That's especially true on the swaggering Kool & the Gang cover "Let the Music Take Your Mind," but Don Covay's "Sookie, Sookie" grooves almost as powerfully. What's most surprising about the set, though, is that Green finds ways to work in bits of the modal style he had been pursuing in the mid-'60s on slower pieces like the Earl Neal Creque ballad "Time to Remember" and "Down Here on the Ground," which was later sampled by jazz-rap pioneers A Tribe Called Quest. Green's continued interest in modal jazz is reinforced on the CD reissue, which contains a spacy, grooving cover of Herbie Hancock's classic "Maiden Voyage" as a bonus track (the other two are contemporary R&B covers "Hey, Western Union Man" and "It's Your Thing"). Still, this is the most convincing and consistent Green had been as a funkster and, while nearly all of his albums from the early '70s feature at least some worthwhile material for acid jazz and beat-sampling junkies, Alive! is probably the best place to start. - by Steve Huey, AMG

Artist: Grant Green
Album: Alive!
Year: 1970
Label: Blue Note (1993)
Runtime: 37:56

Tracks:
1.  Let The Music Take Your Mind (Kool & the Gang/Gene Redd) 8:42
2.  Time to Remember (Earl Neal Creque) 11:19
3.  Sookie, Sookie (Don Covay/Steve Cropper) 11:10
4.  Down Here on the Ground (Gale Garnett/Lalo Schifrin) 6:44

Personnel:
Grant Green (Guitar)
Claude Bartee (Tenor Saxophone)
William Bivens (Vibraphone)
Ronnie Foster (Organ)
Idris Muhammad (Drums)
Joseph Armstrong (Conga)
Earl Neal Creque (Organ) - 2,4

Hutch with Warren Wolf



Two of my favorite musicians featured today - Greg Hutchinson on drums with Baltimore's Warren Wolf on vibraphone (who also happens to be a fine drummer in his own right! Thanks to Greg Duncan who pointed that out to me):



I first became aware of Warren's fine vibraphone playing through his work with Christian McBride's current working band "Inside Straight". Check out Christian's album "Kind of Brown" for a display of his great playing (and some great drumming from Carl Allen as well). They are doing the festival circuit this summer across Canada but unfortunately I'm going to miss them seeing as Calgary still doesn't have a Jazz festival that features international touring groups...

Bobby Hutcherson - Farewell Keystone

Recorded a year before San Francisco's legendary club Keystone Korner (which was open for 11 years) closed, this live set features tenor-saxophonist Harold Land with vibraphonist Bobby Hutcherson (who co-led a group with him in the 1970's) and trumpeter Oscar Brashear (who has often teamed up with Land during the past 15 years). With pianist Cedar Walton, bassist Buster Williams and drummer Billy Higgins completing the sextet, it is not surprising that the music is hard bop-oriented and of consistent high quality. Originally out on Theresa, the Evidence CD reissue adds a lengthy version of Harold Land's "Mapenzi" to the original five-song program, all of which are originals by the musicians. Recommended. - by Scott Yanow, AMG

Artist: Bobby Hutcherson
Album: Farewell Keystone (live)
Year: 1982
Label: Theresa (1988)
Runtime: 52:23

Tracks:
1.  Crescent Moon (Billy Higgins) 7:14
2.  Short Stuff (Harold Land) 6:50
3.  Prism (Buster Williams) 6:59
4.  Starting Over (Bobby Hutcherson) 10:55
5.  Rubber Man (Cedar Walton) 6:55
6.  Mapenzi (Harold Land) 13:30
 
Personnel:
Bobby Hutcherson (Vibraphone)
Oscar Brashear (Trumpet and Flugelhorn)
Harold Land (Tenor Saxophone)
Cedar Walton (Piano)
Buster Williams (Double Bass)
Billy Higgins (Drums)

Bill Stewart Plays Cymbals



Bill Stewart never ceases to impress! Here he is with Zildjian R&D chief Paul Francis demonstrating some really nice cymbals courtesy of the folks at the Memphis Drum Shop and mycymbal.com:

Walking the Dog SDWnet - Business Consulting Blog

Walking the Dog

I love walking my dogstwo crazy Jack Russell terriers - and they love going for each and every walk. Once on the street, theyre intent on sniffing everything, to the show that it seems the point of the pass is not to pass but to see all the marvellous things on the street. And whether youve two or four legs, discovering all of lifes wonders is this weeks point.

Trouble is, most of the meter were so fixated on getting from spot A to point B that we dont stay to sniff all the interesting stuff thats all about us.

  • Because were much too busy to stop, too busy tolisten, too busy to find the things that could and should meansomething, too busy to learn, too busy to actually care.
  • Because we remember that theres something moreimportant someplace farther on and weve got to get there before we missit, all the while lacking the things that are already here.

But think about what do you do with what you find: do you genuinely stop and work and admire it, do you see all you can about it, do you deal it with others, do you see whether and how to improve it, do you value and sustain it OR do you just pass by with nothing more than a cursory glance? Truth is, we recognize the answers to these questions and we know whats the proper thing to do: its called Walking the Talk (which I oftentimes think about when Walking the Dog).

Go ahead: consider all the resolutions and promises youve made and the hopes and expectations that others make of and from you and the dreams that you all have; make the near of these by knowing what youve found and what you should do with these and how they might affect others. Its being honest to what you love and thats what Walking the Mouth is. It leads to being what you love you should be or doing what you know you should do even when nobodys around or looking. Its about integrity. And at the end of the day or the end of your life, thats all youll have. No reason to have your eye off that egg and negatively impact thatever. Absolutely no reason.

This past week I buried a good friend and noted his lifethe latter helped sooth the former. I also addressed a grouping of HR colleagues and got them to gag and read about the things they do and ask for granted - the laughter helped them to refocus on and re-commit to their work. In apiece of these very different venues the Walk was relieved by centering on how to best Walk the Talk. These two events were microcosms of the broader lives we go and it was safe to be reminded of the larger pictures that always surround us.

So whether youre walking the dogs or simply walk around by yourself, make sure youre Walking the Talk now and every day. Easier said than done, I love but no reason not to maintain on trying. And any little bit you do now is better than none and thats the truth. So the place this week is to take a lifetime of unity and todays quote and content is all around that:

Conscience is a man`s compass. -Vincent van Gogh

Vincent Willem van Gogh (1853 1890) was a Dutch post-impressionist painter whose influence had a far-reaching influence on twentieth century art for its bright colours and emotional impact. His sadness and depression mixed with an incredible gift and produced some of the most memorable Impressionist Art.

Do you get a range? Growing up we had a compass in school that was exploited to pull a complete circle. Then there was the pocket compass that came in the Cracker Jacks box that we used to find true North. These gadgets symbolized the better way to get our way and its not surprising they part a list and mind with what we use internally to determine right from wrong. These paths are most often clearly marked but sometimes theyre not followed. So, whats to point us from veering off a way you love is right? Its your conscience - that voice inside your mind thats constantly telling you to create the adjustments you live are needed. Do you hear to that voice? Do you observe the readings on the moral compass thats guided by your conscience? If youre the kind who responds to the faulty signals or fails to mention the obvious external signs or ignores the warning feelings in the pit of your stomachstop what youre doing, pay attention to these signs and react to your more real internal compass today. And let your conscience be your guide.

Stay well!

Sonny Stitt - Featuring Howard McGhee

This Jazz Life CD combines together five selections from a quintet session featuring altoist Sonny Stitt, trumpeter Howard McGhee, pianist Walter Bishop, bassist Tommy Potter and drummer Kenny Clarke (three boppish blues and a Stitt feature on "Lover Man") with another five selections from a different Stitt-McGhee quintet featuring Junior Mance on piano, George Tucker on bass and Jimmy Cobb on drums. - Product info

Artist: Sonny Stitt
Album: Featuring Howard McGhee
Year: 1961, 1967
Label: Jazz Life
Runtime: 54:47

Tracks:
1.  Night Work (Howard McGhee) 7:26
2.  Matter Horns (J. Eigel/Jungfrau) 10:43
3.  Shades of Blue (Howard McGhee) 5:05
4.  Don't Blame Me (Dorothy Fields/Jimmy McHugh) 4:06
5.  Lover Man (Jimmy Davis/Jimmy Sherman/Roger Ramirez) 5:15
6.  Hello (Howard McGhee) 6:50
7.  The Sharp Edge (Howard McGhee) 5:56
8.  Cool (Howard McGhee) 2:55
9.  The Day After (Tom McIntosh) 2:06
10.  Topside (Howard McGhee) 4:21

Personnel:
Sonny Stitt (Alto Saxophone)
Howard McGhee (Trumpet)
Walter Bishop, Jr. (Piano) - 1,2,4-6
Tommy Potter (Double Bass) - 1,2,4-6
Kenny Clarke (Drums) - 1,2,4-6
Junior Mance (Piano) - 3,7-10
George Tucker (Double Bass) - 3,7-10
Jimmy Cobb (Drums) - 3,7-10

Herbie Hancock - Secrets

 

Having long since established his funk credentials, Herbie Hancock continues the direction of Head Hunters and its U.S. successors here, welding himself to the groove on electric keyboards while Bennie Maupin again shines sardonic beams of light on a variety of reeds. In "Doin' It," the most successful track, Hancock makes a more overt bid for the dancefloor, for the tune is basically one long irresistible groove with a very commercial-sounding bridge. Again Hancock chooses to recompose one of his standards; "Cantelope [sic] Island" is almost unrecognizable converted into a sauntering, swaggering thing. A streamlining process has set in -- the drumming has been simplified, some of the old high-voltage drive has been muted -- yet there are still enough enjoyable, intelligently musical things happening here to hold a Hancock admirer's attention. - by Richard S. Ginell, AMG

Another big seller, exactly in the same mold as Man-Child but not nearly as good. There are lots of guitar/bass vamps ("Swamp Rat") and mellow stylings ("People Music"), but it's all obvious and uncatchy ("Doin' It," with some simplistic vocals). The remake of "Canteloupe Island" exemplifies the project: a classic jazz composition diluted into a mediocre, repetitive funk tune. And for all the synth tracks, there's almost nothing novel or interesting going on, just lots of whooshing and bleating... The rhythm section sets the table, but there's nothing to eat. Hancock does switch to piano long enough to deliver a brilliant solo on Bennie Maupin's otherwise lackluster "Sansho Shima." The band is largely unchanged, but Ray Parker Jr. is on guitar and James Levi's on drums. - from warr.org

Artist: Herbie Hancock
Album: Secrets
Year: 1976
Label: Columbia/Sony (1988)
Runtime: 48:01

Tracks:
1.  Doin' It (Herbie Hancock/Ray Parker, Jr./Melvin Ragin) 8:03
2.  People Music (Herbie Hancock/Ray Parker, Jr./Melvin Ragin) 7:10
3.  Cantelope Island (Herbie Hancock) 7:06
4.  Spider (Herbie Hancock/Melvin Ragin/Paul Jackson) 7:20
5.  Gentle Thoughts (Herbie Hancock/Melvin Ragin) 7:04
6.  Swamp Rat (Herbie Hancock/Melvin Ragin/Paul Jackson) 6:25
7.  Sonsho Shima (Bennie Maupin) 4:49

Personnel:
Herbie Hancock (Keyborads)
Bennie Maupin (Soprano and Tenor Saxophone, Saxello, Lyricon and Bass Clarinet)
Wah Wah Watson (Guitar, Synthesizer, Bass Guitar and Vocals)
Ray Parker (Guitar, Backing Vocals)
James Levi (Drums)
Paul Jackson (Bass)
Kenneth Nash (Percussion)
James Gadson (Drums and Backing Vocals) - 1
Art Baldacci (Backing Vocals) - 1
Fred Dobbs (Backing Vocals) - 1
Don Kerr (Backing Vocals) - 1
Chris Mancini (Backing Vocals) - 1