Jazz & Blues Florida January 2023 Issue

RESURG

JANUARY 8

PALLADIUM ST. PETERSBURG

JANUARY 11

PILARS JAZZ CLUB WINTER GARDEN

Chuck Owen and his all-star sextet ReSurgence will ring in the New Year by returning to central Florida to finish recording their first album. Great news for those lucky enough to catch the eclectic ensemble’s debut appearance for the Timucua Arts Foundation and the Tampa Jazz Club in 2019 and have been wanting more! A pair of concerts surrounding the group’s studio time will give the central Florida jazz community the opportunity to get an intimate sneak peek at the latest musical imaginings from this five-time Grammy-nominated composer/arranger.

To top things off, the band will be joined for the first time by Grammy-nominated vocalist Kate McGarry, whose stage presence is unparalleled. Recognized internationally for his unique compositional voice, Owen’s thoughtful, creative, evocative and intensely personal compositions

are steeped in the jazz tradition. But they also draw liberally – and often playfully – from a diverse array of influences that includes American folk/roots music, Latin, funk, contemporary classical and more.

Owen has written for such renowned international ensembles as Germany’s WDR Big Band, the Netherlands Metropole Orkest, and the Aarhus big band (Denmark), to name just a few. An album Owen recorded with the WDR big band, Renderings is slated for a May 2023 release

shortly after he returns from a concert tour/recording project with the same band and NEA Jazz Master Terri Lyne Carrington.

ReSurgence offers Owen the opportunity to explore an even more open, improvisational and playful side, which he and the band have eagerly embraced. For the upcoming yet-to-be-named project, his writing and arranging have shifted further – focusing on integrating McGarry into the fabric of the band’s Americana-driven but broad-based musical quilt. “I’m so incredibly excited about these performances as I get to check off one of my long held ‘bucket list’ projects… writing songs instead of instrumental compositions and working with Kate,” Owen says. “I’ve gone back and written lyrics to a few melodies which I had always envisioned as being more song-like, even though they were initially scored orchestrally. But even more thrilling – and scary, if I’m being honest – I’ve written a couple of new songs conceiving of them simply as melody and lyric – not trying to hide behind a wall of color and orchestration.”

Owen is also excited about his return to performing after an almost 25-year absence – where he focused on composing, arranging and conducting almost exclusively in addition to his role as a prominent jazz educator at the University of South Florida. In addition, he takes up the accordion from time to time to bring out the folk-like nature of some of his works.

With seven critically-acclaimed CDs and three Grammy nominations, McGarry has become recognized as a jazz artist who brings authenticity and vitality to every song regardless of genre. She was named No. 1 Rising Star Female Vocalist in Downbeat’s 2016 Critics Poll and has appeared on the programs All Things Considered, Jazz Set with DeeDee Bridgewater, and Piano Jazz with Marion McPartland among others.

ReSurgence, as the name implies, is culled from Owen’s acclaimed 19-piece Jazz Surge family, whose 2021 release Within Us was cited by Jazziz magazine and several other critics as one the year’s best. The ensemble’s 2017 release Whispers On the Wind was recognized with four Grammy nominations, was named No. 1 Big Band Album in the 39th Annual Jazz Station Awards, and appeared atop many 2017 Top 10 Jazz Releases lists. The incredibly accomplished personnel includes: Owen, violinist Sara Caswell, saxophonist Jack Wilkins, guitarist Corey Christiansen, bassist Mark Neuenschwander and drummer Danny Gottlieb. All have extremely active professional careers outside of ReSurgence, with their own recordings, tours and other projects receiving numerous accolades (Sara Caswell was nominated for a 2018 Grammy for best jazz solo with the Surge).

Almost immediately following their 2019 debut, COVID waylaid plans for touring and recording, but they have a mid-west tour set for later in 2023, and the band is back in Florida and looking forward to sharing Owen’s most recent works, described by Philip Booth of Jazz Times as “a set of compositions that are as personal, eclectic, and ambitious as anything that Owen has penned.” Owen’s professional service includes a terms as a grants panelist/ chair for the Pulitzer Prize in Music, the National Endowment for the Arts and the Grammy Awards, and he is co-founder of the International Society of Jazz Arrangers and Composers. More at chuckowen.com

Sara Caswell, violin

Jack Wilkins, saxophone

Corey Christiansen, guitar

Mark Neuenschwander, bass

Danny Gottlieb, drums

Kate McGarry, vocalist

Chuck Owen, piano/bandleader

Joey Gilmore

Born in Ocala, Florida, 2006 IBC winner Joey Gilmore taught himself guitar at an early age, by watching a local minister/barber playing his own flat-bodied guitar. Gilmore even had a band going long before its members were legally allowed to enter the venues where they played. In the 1960s, Gilmore moved to South Florida, where his popularity led to opportunities accompanying touring blues, R&B and soul musicians. His 1971 debut single “Somebody Done Took My Baby And Gone” / “Do It To Me One More Time” and several EPs led to his self-titled full-length album debut in 1977 (re-released in 2012). He stayed busy touring and appearing at blues, jazz and soul festivals for over a decade before releasing its followup, So Good to be Bad in 1989. Two more albums preceded 2006’s The Ghosts of Mississippi Meet the Gods of Africa, and that year Gilmore and his backing band won Best Band at the International Blues Challenge. In 2008, Gilmore’s song, “Blues All Over You” won a Blewzzy Award, and in 2015 he was honored with a Latin World Talent Lifetime Achievement Award. Gilmore ontinues to perform regularly throughout his native Florida, including this month’s Sunshine Jazz Organization event, and has also shared the stage with James Brown, Etta James, Bobby Bland, and many others. His latest album is Respect the Blues. More at road-dawg.com.

MIAMI

FROM A PHOTO BY CARL LENDER

David Sanborn

Having contracted polio at age three, David Sanborn was introduced to the saxophone as part of his treatment therapy. By age 14, he was able to play with legends such as Albert King and Little Milton. After college, Sanborn joined the Butterfield Blues Band, playing Woodstock with Paul Butterfield. He next toured with Stevie Wonder and recorded for Wonder’s Talking Book album, played with The Rolling Stones, and toured with David Bowie. It’s Sanborn’s solo you hear on Bowie’s “Young Americans.” Simultaneously, Sanborn was touring and recording with Gil Evans. After moving to New York City, Sanborn launched his solo career with his well-received 1975 debut Taking Off. Next came 1979’s Hideaway and its single “Seduction,” featured in the movie American Gigolo. Bassist/composer Marcus Miller joined Sanborn on 1981’s Voyeur, and the cut “All I Need Is You” won Sanborn his first Grammy. In 1983, he released the hit album Backstreet, featuring guest vocalist Luther Vandross. Later albums have included guest artists Kenny Barron, Christian McBride, Bill Frisell and others. Sanborn hosted the television show Night Music from 1988 to 1990, featuring films of jazz legends, as well as banter and jams by an impressive list of musicians including Sonny Rollins, Miles Davis, Joe Sample and Pharoah Sanders. During the 1980s and 1990s, he also hosted the syndicated radio program The Jazz Show with David Sanborn. In 2017, he teamed up with his nephew and brother-in-law to create Sanborn Sessions. To date, Sanborn has released 24 albums, won six Grammys, and continues to be one of the most active musicians of his genre. His most recent CD as a leader is 2015’s Time and The River. More at davidsanborn.com.

POMPANO JAZZ FEST POMPANO BEACH

Mr. Sipp

Castro Coleman playing the guitar at the tender age of six. With more than 125 recording credits to his name, Mr. Sipp is an International Blues Challenge Winner, Gibson Best Guitarist Award Winner, a Jus’ Blues Foundation Bobby Rush Entertainer of the Year, a Blues Music Award winner for Best New Artist Album (2015’s The Mississippi Blues Child), and winner of The Spirit of Little Walter Award. For the 25th Annual Living Blues Awards, he won the Best Blues Album New Recordings award (Contemporary Blues) for Knock a Hole In It. In addition to appearing in the James Brown movie Get on Up, Coleman played the young B.B. King on three episodes of the CMT’s series Sun Records, and appeared in the movie Texas Red performing one of his original songs from his album Sippnotized. Among his numerous Jackson (Mississippi) Music Awards over the last decade are two wins for National Blues Artist of The Year, in 2018 and 2022. Also in 2022, Sipp’s other project, The True Believers, were named Group of the Year at the Mississippi Gospel Music Awards. A passionate and energetic performer in all his roles, Castro is branching out… a little. The Soul Side of Sipp, a series of soul songs, was released as singles over 2021. “I switch around a lot because there’s so much in me,” he explains, “but I hold to my roots – you can count on that!” More at mrsipp.net

Russell Hall

Born in Kingston, Jamaica, Russell Hall began his journey as an actor at the age of three. Performing in Jamaican adaptations of popular musicals to serious prose, everything changed when he migrated to south Florida at age 13 in 2007. He progressed quickly from the electric bass to the double bass through the rigorous programs of The Dillard Center for the Arts and The Juilliard School, where he studied with master bassists Ron Carter and Ben Wolfe. Now he is one of the most sought-after musicians in New York City, performing with the likes of Wayne Shorter, Jon Batiste, Kathleen Battle, Christian McBride and many more. Hall’s work is featured on Joey Alexander’s Grammy-nominated album My Favorite Things, in the score of the Edward Norton film Motherless Brooklyn (the score was nominated for a Golden Globe), and on the Emmy-nominated HBO series Masterclass featuring Wynton Marsalis. Well known for his work with the Emmet Cohen Trio, Hall also leads his own bands, including Bessie and the Rainbowkids, to much critical acclaim. His 2019 debut album, The Feeling Of Romance, is available on all platforms. Recent credits include his

Jontavious Willis

Every generation or so, a young bluesman bursts onto the scene and sends a jolt through the blues community. Jontavious Willis has that effect on people. Hailing from Greenville, Georgia, Willis grew up singing gospel music. At the age of 14, he came across a video of Muddy Waters playing “Hoochie Coochie Man” and was instantly hooked on the blues. He got his much-needed break from living legend Taj Mahal, who says of Willis, “That’s my Wonderboy, the Wunderkind. Jontavious is a great new voice of the 21st century in the acoustic blues.” In 2015, Mahal asked Willis to play on stage with him, an appearance that quickly led Willis to bigger stages and broader opportunities, including an opening slot at select shows along the TajMo tour, featuring his musical mentors Taj Mahal and Keb’ Mo’. Willis’s voice and style of playing reach to the very roots of country blues. A newspaper once called him a “70-yearold bluesman in a 20-year-old body.” Willis’ debut album, 2016’s Blue Metamorphosis garnered rave reviews and received the Best Self-Produced CD Award at the 2018 International Blues Challenge. On 2019’s Grammy-nominated Spectacular Class, Willis’ self-penned lyrics and dynamic vocals are complimented by his standout fingerpicking, flat-picking and slide prowess. Taj Mahal is credited as Executive Producer and Keb’ Mo’ as Producer on this collection of Delta, Piedmont, Texas and gospel blues. Blues legend Paul Oscher claimed, “Willis is the first blues musician I’ve seen in over 30 years that I would pay to see.” More at jontaviouswillis.com

Kebbi Williams

Grammy-winning tenor saxophonist Kebbi Williams is one of contemporary music’s whirlwind improvisers. The imaginative multi-instrumentalist/ composer/ producer/arranger/teacher resists categorization. His playing and compositions create a sound that uniquely weaves avant-garde jazz, hip-hop, Afro-beat, gospel, electronica, classical and fiery rock with passion and edge. At the age of 22, the Atlanta native with both an undergraduate degree and Master’s in Jazz Studies from prestigious Howard University won the Jazz Instrumental Soloist Category (college division) award from Downbeat Magazine. Williams’ professional career has already found him in the studio and touring with the likes of OutKast, Cee-lo Green, John Legend, Kirk Whalum and the iconic Betty Carter. In addition to fronting his own Atlanta band, The Wolf Pack, Williams is an original member – and presently touring for the ninth year with –the Tedeschi Trucks Band (with whom he won the Grammy in 2012 in the Blues Album category.) Williams’ multi-instrumentalist father Earl taught Kebbi and his brother Milan (an original member of The Commodores) music. In 2010, Williams founded the non-profit organization Music In The Park (MITP) Atlanta. Their mission: enlighten, educate, and galvanize young performers while inspiring vibrancy in the community through music and the performing arts. MITP Atlanta has supported 6,000+ students, engaged 500+ professional musicians, and presented live music to 80,000+ people since its inception. More at musicintheparkatl.org.

Apostoli Floyd

Noriko Apostoli Giorgio Floyd grew up listening to all genres of music. Mixed with Greek, Black American, and being a world traveler by age six, his range of cultural understanding engulfed him in all forms of art and expression. As a kid, during his car rides to and from school, he always listened to traditional Greek music, along with blues, rock, R&B, jazz, funk, hip-hop, and rap. He wrote his first song at age three. Before he dove into the art of song-building, Floyd’s first passion was performing in musicals and plays. He learned the art of performance and harnessed his stage presence while playing many lead roles, including Jojo in Seussical. Meanwhile he also took piano, vocal and guitar lessons. As an eighth-grade student, Floyd wrote his first pop song, “Trouble Trouble.” His first single, 2018’s “Cupid’s Dealer,”was produced by five time Grammy winner producer George Noriega, and recorded in Noriega’s famous Cutting Cane studio. In 2019, Floyd meshed alternative country, rock and soul into the ballad “Stained Boots.” Early in 2022, he released two singles – “Super Nova” and “The Dude Abides“ leading to the release of his debut full-length CD Beach Blues and the lead single “Love Tsunami.”

The album showcases 11 personal and powerful tracks fusing R&B, deep funk, modern pop and jazz, powered by the soul of the blues. Floyd and Alfonso Velasco will be representing The South Florida Blues Society as the winning duo at the South Florida Blues Challenge January 24-28 in Memphis, TN. More at apostoli floyd.com

JANUARY 24-28 REPRESENTING FLORIDA AT THE INTERNATIONAL BLUES CHALLENGE MEMPHIS, TN

Shelly Berg

Steinway piano artist and five-time Grammynominated arranger, orchestrator, and producer Shelly Berg has earned three Grammy nominations in the Best Arrangement Accompanying Vocal(s) category with jazz singer-lyricist Lorraine Feather and international superstar Gloria Estefan. His fourth nomination was as co-producer of Gloria Estefan: The Standards His fifth was as co-arranger of “I Loves You Porgy/There’s a Boat That’s Leavin’ Soon for New York” from the album Rendezvous (2018) featuring jazz singers Clint Holmes and Dee Dee Bridgewater with The Count Basie Orchestra. He hosts the monthly radio show Generation Next on Real Jazz Sirius XM, and serves as music director of The Jazz Cruise and artistic advisor for the Jazz Roots series at Miami’s Adrienne Arsht Center. His latest album, Gershwin Reimagined: An American in London, features the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra. An award-winning educator with more than 40 years of leadership in higher education, Dr. Berg is the Dean of the Phillip and Patricia Frost School of Music at the University of Miami, a position he has held since June 2007. He was previously the McCoy/Sample Professor of Jazz Studies at the Thornton School of Music at the University of Southern California and a past president of the International Association for Jazz Education (IAJE). In 2003 he was honored as Educator of the Year by the Los Angeles Jazz Society and in 2002 received the IAJE Lawrence Berk Leadership Award. This Gold Coast Jazz Society trio performance, titled “The Best of Broadway,” features drummer Dafnis Prietro and bass player Carlo De Rosa. More at shellyberg.com

FROM A PHOTO BY DANIEL AZOULAY

Doug Woolverton

Cultivating his soulful and energetic trumpet sound for audiences around the world, Doug Woolverton realized his love for music, and the trumpet in particular, at an early age. Playing in ensembles, improvising all the way through highschool and continuing through college, Woolverton received a Bachelor of Arts for Trumpet performance at Northern State University, SD. After graduation, Woolverton worked diligently, and soon landed the Roomful of Blues gig, where in his first month he had one week to learn 156 songs before leaving with the band for Portugal. He has since become one of the most in-demand, versatile trumpeters of his generation, continuing to record and perform with some of the biggest names in music, with a busy schedule consisting of more than 200 shows nationally and internationally each year. Woolverton has performed/recorded with Duke Robillard, Delbert McClinton, Aretha Franklin, James Cotton, J. Geils, Vanessa Collier and many more. He is currently touring with Victor Wainwright and the Train since 2016, Beginnings (Chicago tribute band) since 2015, the Shari Puorto Band (on bass guitar) since 2018, and his own Doug Woolverton band. He is also asked to play each year as part of the Bender Brass at the Big Blues Bender in Las Vegas. Woolverton was featured in a recent episode of the PBS series Postcards, which focuses on the arts, history and cultural heritage of Minnesota. More at dougwoolverton.com

Squirrel Nut Zippers

Formed in 1993 in Chapel Hill, NC, the Squirrel Nut Zippers play a unique fusion of Delta blues, gypsy jazz, 1930s-era swing, klezmer, and other styles. Influenced by Cab Calloway, Django Reinhardt, Fats Waller… and Tom Waits, the band is credited for contributing to the 1990s swing revival. The Zippers’ 1995 debut The Inevitable received NPR airplay, but its followup, 1996’s Hot, was certified platinum, based on the strength of their calypso-flavored breakthrough single “Hell.” The band toured with Neil Young in support of the album, which was followed by Perennial Favorites, Christmas Caravan and Bedlam Ballroom. They performed at the 1996 Summer Olympics in Atlanta, at President Clinton’s second inaugural ball, on late-night TV and on Prairie Home Companion. There were sporadic tours and recordings over the next couple of decades, including the 2009 live album Lost at Sea, but renewed interest at the 20th Anniversary of Hot incited co-founder James Mathus to form a revival band, focusing on New Orleans-area musicians. They began touring in mid-2016, and released Beasts of Burgundy in 2018 via their own label Southern Broadcasting, followed by two Christmas singles. The ten tracks on 2020’s Lost Songs Of Doc Souchon are a mix of newly-penned Zippers songs with a handful of tunes from days gone by. The album was “in spired by all of the mysterious charac ters from the history of New Orleans jazz music,” says Mathus.“It speaks to the hidden roots of where our aesthetic, interests and philosophy comes from. It pulls on the hidden thread.” More at snzippers.com.

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