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Thelonious Monk Institute Students Hit the Road With Christian McBride Nat Hentoff: Make Room for Boston in Jazz History
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contents
J U LY 20 1 2
GUEST EDITORIAL: WHO INVENTED THE SWING DANCE BAND? 12 Noted educator, author, and frequent JAZZed columnist Lee Evans investigates a few lesser-known origins of the classic jazz setup.
LESSONS LEARNED: CREATING A REHEARSAL ARC FOR YOUR JAZZ ENSEMBLE 22
Jazz educator Dr. Todd Kelly lays out a structure designed to give jazz ensembles a path to steady improvement and preparation for big performances.
THE THELONIOUS MONK INSTITUTE GOES PEER-TO-PEER 26
Christian McBride joins a wide-ranging music training program led by traveling student ensembles and intensive rehearsal sessions. JAZZed spoke with the institute’s J.B. Dyas and McBride while they had the program in Philadelphia for a week at the city’s Northeast High School.
FOCUS SESSION: BILL HOLMAN – MASTER OF MUSICAL UNITY 32 Pete McGuinness examines the ingenious unifying devices employed in compositions throughout NEA Jazz Master Bill Holman’s career.
GUEST EDITORIAL – MAKE ROOM FOR BOSTON IN JAZZ HISTORY 36
Legendary jazz writer Nat Hentoff joins JAZZed to remember pivotal moments and players in Boston’s rich jazz past.
™
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™
July 2012
Volume 7, Number 4 GROUP PUBLISHER Sidney L. Davis sdavis@symphonypublishing.com PUBLISHER Richard E. Kessel rkessel@symphonypublishing.com Editorial Staff EDITOR Christian Wissmuller cwissmuller@symphonypublishing.com
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ASSOCIATE EDITOR Eliahu Sussman esussman@symphonypublishing.com ASSOCIATE EDITOR Matt Parish mparish@symphonypublishing.com Contributing Writers Chaim Burstein, Dennis Carver, Kevin Mitchell, Dick Weissman Art Staff PRODUCTION MANAGER Laurie Guptill lguptill@symphonypublishing.com GRAPHIC DESIGNER Andrew P. Ross aross@symphonypublishing.com GRAPHIC DESIGNER Laurie Chesna lchesna@symphonypublishing.com
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departments PUBLISHER’S LETTER 4 NOTEWORTHY 5 MARK SHERMAN: WHAT’S ON YOUR PLAYLIST? 8 JAZZ EDUCATION NETWORK SECTION 14 • PRESIDENT’S LETTER • TOP 10 TIPS FOR EFFECTIVE NETWORKING • TOP REASONS FOR ENGAGING YOUR LOCAL COMMUNITY • 7 IMPROVISATION EXPERIENCES FOR YOUNG CHILDREN • TIPS FOR A SUCCESSFUL SCHOOL JAZZ PROGRAM • NEWS
HOT WAX 40 JAZZ FORUM 40 CROSSWORD 42 GEARCHECK 43 CD SHOWCASE 44
CLINICIANS CORNER 44 CLASSIFIEDS 45 AD INDEX 47 BACKBEAT: PETE COSEY 48
Cover photograph courtesy of Ted Kurland Associates. JAZZed™ is published six times annually by Symphony Publishing, LLC, 21 Highland Circle, Suite 1, Needham, MA 02494, (781) 453-9310. Publisher of Choral Director, School Band and Orchestra, Music Parents America, and Musical Merchandise Review. Subscription rates $30 one year; $60 two years. Rates outside U.S. available upon request. Single issues $5. Resource Guide $15. Standard postage paid at Boston, MA and additional mailing offices. Postmaster: Please send address changes to JAZZed, 21 Highland Circle, Suite 1, Needham, MA 02494. The publishers of this magazine do not accept responsibility for statements made by their advertisers in business competition. No portion of this issue may be reproduced without the written permission of the publisher. © 2012 by Symphony Publishing, LLC. Printed in the U.S.A.
Advertising Staff ADVERTISING MANAGER Iris Fox ifox@symphonypublishing.com CLASSIFIED & Display Steven Hemingway shemingway@symphonypublishing.com Business Staff CIRCULATION MANAGER Melanie A. Prescott mprescott@symphonypublishing.com ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANT Popi Galileos pgalileos@symphonypublishing.com Symphony Publishing, LLC CHAIRMAN Xen Zapis PRESIDENT Lee Zapis lzapis@symphonypublishing.com CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER Rich Bongorno rbongorno@symphonypublishing.com Corporate Headquarters 26202 Detroit Road, Suite 300 Westlake, Ohio 44145 (440) 871-1300 www.symphonypublishing.com Publishing, Sales, & Editorial Office 21 Highland Circle, Suite 1 Needham, MA 02494 (781) 453-9310 FAX (781) 453-9389 1-800-964-5150 www.jazzedmagazine.com
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JAZZed July 2012 3
publisher’s letter
RICK KESSEL
360-Degree Learning
A
s a matter of practicality, most middle- and high from their mentors, but also to work and learn school jazz students typically have exposure to one from their peers. This is the raison d’etre for the or two teachers who guide their progress and pass “Monk Institute’s National Peer-to-Peer program along knowledge of the musical trade. This usu- as it aims to get some of the country’s top kids ally includes the band director and the students’ out on the road,” so they may gain knowledge, private teacher, with perhaps a few other ideas ac- technique, and a sense of ensemble from each quired from the occasional trip to an adjudicated other. The additional, very important benefit of festival. Up to a certain point, this is very ben- having these students performing “on the road” is eficial, as developing the fundamental technique that they visit other schools and have the opportunity to spread the seeds of jazz on an instrument should have a among their peers. It’s not that focused approach and to have duseeing grand masters of jazz pereling opinions by two or more in“Many students may structors may not be helpful. Deoften incorrectly believe form isn’t special to these youngsters, but it is seeing their peers pending upon the temperament that there is only one do something that they might and style of the teacher, however, way to play something not have ever considered in their many students may often incorrectly believe that there is only and their teacher’s way own mind and could provide the impetus to learn more about this one way to play something and is the “best way.” uniquely American music. Plus, it their teacher’s way is the “best has the added benefit of enticing way.” Or, if they want to please their teacher they play a certain way and perhaps these students to become the audiences for jazz of get caught in a routine. As the student progresses, the future. Mentoring is also a critical component of a suchowever, there is a turning point at which he or she needs to begin to get more opinions and expo- cessful jazz education. Conversely, as we know in sure to other directors, teachers, and performers today’s world, that rarely happens due to the time to help expand the student’s musical horizons and constraints of professionals and teachers. Howdevelop their very own, unique style. Our cover ever, there are mentoring programs that are acstory this month featuring J.B. Dyas and the Monk cessible from organizations, including one from Institute provides a look at and institution that is our very own JEN, which has now stepped up to offering a unique path to provide what used to ex- the plate to offer a wealth of knowledge in this ist in the earlier days of jazz and merge it into our recently implemented program. You can find more modern educational system in order to give stu- information about this important program at the JEN website – www.JazzEdNet.org. As Dyas says, dents a greater chance to grow musically. J.B. Dyas points out in this article that it is not “…it’s 360-degree learning” that really provides only important for kids to get exposure to learn the student with a more complete jazz education.
rkessel@symphonypublishing.com
4 JAZZed July 2012
noteworthy
Grammys to Bring Back ‘Best Latin Jazz Album’ Category
A
fter cuts across the board in Latin categories for last year’s Grammy Awards, the organization is set to reinstate the Best Latin Jazz Album award. The move to cut the category sparked protests from Latin musicians, who eventually sued over the action. A Supreme Court judge rejected the claim, but the message was received.
Last year’s changes added the Latin Jazz Album prize to the broader category of “Jazz Instrumental,” in effect forcing the musicians to compete against a more diverse field of artists. The Grammy organization says that, for the upcoming awards, a “Music Educator of the Year” award has also been established in hopes of acknowledging those “who have made a significant and lasting contribution to the field of music education.”
www.grammy.com
Montréal Jazz Festival Announces 2012 Awards
L
iza Minnelli, James Taylor, and Ron Carter were among those honored at the 33rd annual Montréal International Jazz Festival this summer. Minelli recieved the Ella Fitzgerald Award, established to recognize versatility, improvisational originality and quality of repertoire of a singer renowned on the international scene. Taylor received the Montréal Jazz Festival Spirit Award, designed to underline a popular artist’s extraordinary contribution to the musical world. Carter was given the Miles Davis Award, an award meant to honour a great international jazz musician for the entire body of his or her work and for that musician’s influence in regenerating the jazz idiom. For more information, visit www.montrealjazzfest.com.
Bobby Sanabria, Latin musician and lead plaintiff in the lawsuit against the Grammys; Grammys Latin Album
SFJAZZ Appoints Jim Goldberg First SFJazz Photographer Laureate
SFJAZZ, a πleading nonprofit jazz organization on the West Coast, announced the appointment of Jim Goldberg as the first SFJAZZ Photographer Laureate. This announcement comes after SFJAZZ appointed Ishmael Reed the first SFJAZZ Poet Laureate and as the organization nears the completion of the new SFJAZZ Center, the first stand-alone building for jazz in the U.S. Jim Goldberg is a professor of Art at the California College of Arts and Crafts and has been exhibiting for over 30 years and his innovative use of image and text make him a landmark photographer of our times. He has been awarded three National Endowment for the Arts Awards, a 1985 Guggenheim Fellowship in Photography, the 2007 Henri CartierBresson Award and the 2011 Deutsche Börse Photography Prize. For more information about SFJAZZ, visit www.sfjazz.org.
Todd Hido, Robert Mailer Anderson, and Jim Goldberg at the SFJAZZ Gala on May 4
JAZZed July 2012 5
noteworthy American Jazz Museum Gets NEA Art Works Grant
The American Jazz Museum recently announced that the National Endowment for the Arts has named it one of the recipients of the organization’s 2012 Art Works Grant Awards. The American Jazz Museum has received $16,000 to support the 2012 Rhythm & Ribs Jazz and Blues Festival. The Rhythm & Ribs Jazz and Blues Festival is a day-long indoor/outdoor event featuring 15 performances on three stages by local and nationally known jazz and blues artists such as: Christian McBride, Charlie Hunter, Greg Gisbert, and Bobby “Blue” Bland, along with educational programming. Other grant recipients include diverse organizations like the Alexandria Symphony Orchestra, American, the Thelonious Monk Institute of Jazz, the Saint Louis Symphony Orchestra, and JazzReach Performing Art & Education Association. The American Jazz Museum Board of Directors unanimously approved the 2012 Rhythm & Ribs Jazz and Blues Festival be produced on Saturday, October 13th. Ticket pricing, programs and feature artist talent element of the event are now in development. Learn more at www.americanjazzmuseum.org
Herb Alpert to Receive First UCLA Arts Award Jazz legend and philanthropist Herb Alpert received the first UCLA Arts Award in recognition of his accomplishments in music and his contributions to the arts and music at UCLA. The award is the highest honor bestowed by the UCLA School of the Arts and Architecture (UCLA Arts) and was presented at the school’s commencement ceremony in June. As a legendary trumpet player and songwriter, Alpert’s extraordinary musicianship has earned him five #1 hits, eight
Grammy awards, 15 gold albums, and 14 platinum albums; selling more than 72 million records. His name is synonymous with a distinctly relaxed instrument style and an immediately recognizable group sound. “The Lonely Bull,” “A Taste of Honey,” “This Guy’s in Love with You,” and “Rise” are just a few of the memorable songs recorded by Herb Alpert during his more than 50 years in the industry. Alpert also thrived in the music industry. He and his partner, Jerry Moss, founded A&M Records in 1962, which worked with an extraordinarily varied roster of artists including Janet Jackson, Cat Stevens, Supertramp, The Carpenters, Carole King, and The Police. In 2006, Alpert and Moss were inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in recognition of their accomplishments. The same passion UCLA School of the Arts and Architecture Dean Chris Waterman drives Alpert’s work with Herb Alpert on the first anual UCLA Arts Award.
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Greg Scholl Named Executive Director of Jazz at Lincoln Center
Jazz at Lincoln Center (JALC) recently announced that Greg Scholl recently assumed the position of executive director of JALC. Scholl joins JALC as the not-forprofit arts organization begins celebrating its 25th anniversary in the upcoming 201213 programming season. Working with founder and artistic director Wynton Marsalis, Scholl will be responsible for managing the storied American institution, including its landmark venues in the Time Warner Center. Greg Scholl recently served as president, Local Integrated Media at NBC Universal. Prior to NBC, Scholl served as president & CEO of The Orchard, a leading distributor and marketer of independent music and video. To learn more, visit www.jalc.org
as a visual artist, which for 40 years has paralleled his life in music. His colorsaturated, abstract expressionist paintings and bold, fluid 18-foot black totem sculptures have been shown in museums and galleries around the world. Herb Alpert continues to perform with his wife, the Grammy Award-winning singer Lani Hall, and oversees the Vibrato Grill, a restaurant and jazz club in Bel Air. The Herb Alpert Foundation has underwritten funding in the areas of the arts and arts education. The UCLA Arts Award is given to members of the community who have made significant contributions in the field of the arts and play an active role in supporting the arts at UCLA.
JAZZed July 2012 6
IT TAKES A
TEACHER LEGEND. TO MAKE A
©2012 Avedis Zildjian Company
zildjian.com
What’s on Your Playlist? Vibraphonist Mark Sherman has performed globally for the last 10 years as a leader, with eight tours to Europe and throughout Russia, China, Korea, the Philippines, Australia, the United States, and Canada. A winner in DownBeat Magazine’s Critics and Readers Poll from 2007- 2011, Sherman brings a deeply rooted post-bop approach to a program of originals and standards that convincingly carry on the art form with a potent level of invigorating musicianship. His music is relentlessly energetic, hard charging, and brimming with incredible improvisations from his refined skills and deep commitment to the music. Mark has conducted master classes in over 15 different countries with the sponsorship of Yamaha Corporation and The Pro Mark Corporation. He is currently on the faculty of The Juilliard School, New Jersey City University, and The New York Jazz Workshop. Recently selected as a Jazz Ambassador for the United States State Department and Jazz At Lincoln Center, Sherman toured Russia and Asia for over 30 master classes and performances. In addition, he is on over 160 CD recordings as a sideman and has recorded 10 as a leader. Mark Sherman’s latest CD, The L.A. Sessions, is earning wide acclaim as one of the top CDs of 2012.
1. “It’s So Easy To Remember” - John Coltrane Coltrane was the ultimate example of innovation, emotion, incredible sound, technique, and spirituality in music. He changed the way we think about jazz harmony to this day. This cut is an incredible example of creating the perception that less is more as Coltrane negotiates this beautiful melody with flourishes of embellishment. His deep roots, incredible facility, and language make it sound as if it is just a walk in the park as the music should be. So relaxed. It is a true statement on this tune that will last forever. The band plays only once through the entire form of the song. McCoy plays behind Coltrane as if playing for a great singer as the sax lays out that melody. Elvin’s floor tom-tom (like timpani) roll before the final chord is enough to give anyone chills. If this cut can’t motivate you, something is wrong. If I wake up and listen to this cut, the motivation lasts all day, and then some! 2. Wise One - Bobby Hutcherson As of late I have been listening to Bobby a lot. This CD was made a few years back, and is one of Bobby’s more recent releases (2009). I enjoy the feeling of the CD. He plays some Coltrane tunes his way. As a vibraphonist myself I have been
admiring Bobby’s playing for years. He has his own harmonic approach on the vibes which carries into the post bop sound of today. Also the sound he gets on the instrument is unmistakably identifiable. Something about the way he strikes the bars, and his musicality doing it. Whenever I hear a Bobby Hutcherson cut on the radio, I know who it is immediately. There is really a true art to developing that sort of identity. 3. “Quasimodo”- Charlie Parker Deep down inside somewhere I am just a bebop nut. This line is so beautiful and romantic. It is truly one of my favorites, and I recently recorded a version myself. Bird and Dizzy in their time did the same as Coltrane in altering the way that jazz musicians thought about the harmony. The bebop scale and some of the harmonic turns you hear in Bird language were very fresh for the period. A common practice of Bird was to take wellknown standards and write an original melody on the changes and form. He took this one from the song “Embraceable You” by George and Ira Gershwin, but you would never know it when listening. He did the same with countless tunes like “How High The Moon” (Ornithology), “Cherokee” (KoKo), “Indiana” (Donna Lee) and many more. Great jazz foundation material.
Mark Sherman’s album, The L.A. Sessions (Miles High Records), was released on February 21, 2012. www.markshermanmusic.com.
8 JAZZed July 2012
4. “Have You Met Miss Jones” - McCoy Tyner Of all the pianists I grew up listening to, McCoy is certainly on the top of the list. The stuff he developed harmonically with Coltrane is so incredible. The use of all the different modes and pentatonic scales these guys injected into their language created a modern approach to jazz harmony that is of course what many are still emulating to this day. This cut was recorded in 1963 and reveals an early period in McCoy’s life. His language is so modern for the time. Up-tempo, with Henry Grimes on bass and Roy Haynes on brushes throughout. A burner! 5. “Moment’s Notice” (Blue Trane on Blue Note) - John Coltrane Everything on this classic Blue Note recording is gold. Early Coltrane is my favorite period in his career, and discography. There is no beating this recording with a cast of characters who all are legends in the music. Lee Morgan, Curtis Fuller, Kenny Drew, Paul Chambers, and Philly Joe Jones. Each one of these musicians set the standard for the music in their generation and beyond. I’ve been deep inside this recording for years, but lately I have focused on “Moment’s Notice.” Since this definitive recording of the piece, there have been many versions by other artists, and I myself play it my way when performing live, but I continue to refer to this original version as the best for myself and students to draw from. Kenny Drew is so rooted in the blues and swings like crazy. Nothing like the sound and feel of Paul Chambers, and Philly Joe Jones really was an all-time great drummer that all drummers today need to draw from if they want to sound like the roots and tradition of the music. Recently I had a conversation with Billy Hart about Philly Joe Jones. He told me that even Elvin Jones, when asked “What’s happening, Elvin?” would reply by saying, “Man I’m just trying to sound like that Philly Joe cat.” I think Philly Joe was and still is the rudimental king of jazz drumming. 6. “Rainbow” (Pianists On The Sunnyside) - Jeff Tain Watts/ Kenny Kirkland Kenny Kirkland was one of the most definitive pianists of my generation. He had the complete package, as his fluid approach to the music has always been complete with emotion, incredible rhythm and motive development. You hear all the great piano masters in his playing, as he was able to emulate all the greats and turn it into his own sound. He had a very recognizable approach as he had the consummate feel for the music. The cut “Rainbow” from this Sunnyside release is one of my favorite cuts as it sounds like every pianist I have ever admired all rolled up in one personality. It just so happens that I have an emotional attachment to anything Kenny played, as I grew up playing drums with him in our formative years. Everything he played made
those around him feel good. He had an amazing command of the music at a young age. We all miss Kenny. Gone too soon! 7. “The Song Is You” (Dreams and Stories) - Rodney Jones This is simply a classic CD all the way. For me Rodney Jones is absolutely one of the top guitarists on the planet. At 20 years old he was playing with Dizzy Gillespie, so foundation and roots have never been a question. He is deeply rooted in blues, bebop, and post bop improvisation. Heavily influenced by Wes Montgomery, Kenny Burrell, and George Benson, he carries the torch of the music in a big way. I have had the privilege of being a close friend and colleague of Rodney’s for 40 years, and his fluid musicianship never ceases to amaze me. This recording was brought out of the archives years ago, and released by High Note records. All the cuts are magical, but here I have chosen “The Song Is You.” It swings so hard from the jump, and the solos on this one are worth transcribing for any student or pro. The guitar and piano solo have valuable lined material for anyone’s development. Marc Johnson, and Jeff “Tain” Watts play beautifully on the entire CD recorded maybe twenty years ago. 8. “Giving Thanks” (Devoted To You) - Joel Weiskopf Joel Weiskopf is a pianist and composer who deserves great recognition. He has a tremendous command of the poetic language of jazz, as well great chops and emotion in his writing and playing. He has, I believe, three recordings on the Criss Cross label. This one is amazing as John Patitucci, and Eric Harland join Joel in the ultimate piano trio setting. John Patitucci plays the opening melody of “Giving Thanks” perfectly in tune, with great clarity, and then melts into the polyrhythmic mastery of the Eric Harland for the rest of the cut. Eric Harland is a beautiful mix of the old school and new school. He plays over the bar line with a passion, but can swing straight up when needed. He plays the music with the mix of all the heroes we have grown up with, and has become one of the leaders on his instrument today. This is one of the most beautiful compositions that ever touched me. This tune made me cry (happy crying) on a flight returning home to my family from a long European tour one year. For some reason it triggered a deeper contemplation of my own life, family, and contributions. It is the culmination of everything that I have worked for in the music. It has all the elements of the music. 9. “Oleo” (A World Of Piano) - Phineas Newborn Jr. There have been so many incredible pianists in the music like Oscar Peterson, Red Garland, Wynton Kelly, Bill Evans,
JAZZed July 2012 9
Herbie Hancock, Chic Corea, McCoy Tyner and the list goes on and on, but I have to say Phineas Newborn Jr. has got to be the true unsung hero of jazz piano. This guy had chops beyond belief. His real stamp on the music was his ability to solo in octaves with
his hands two or three octaves apart on the piano. I had never heard anything like this in my life until I heard Phineas. The octave thing lends such power to the soloing. I think Phineas had everything one tries to have in there playing. He had great command
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of the harmony, mixed with beyond belief technique and execution. Technically I think you could only compare him to Art Tatum, and Oscar Peterson. The sheer speed of his chops mixed with his amazing note choices make everything he played just incredible. This cut “Oleo” is really fast and displays exactly what I am talking about. I can only imagine how much he must have practiced to get his playing to this level. What a commitment. Just amazing! 10. “The Nearness Of You” - Michael Brecker with James Taylor This one really moves me. As one of the sax giants in music, Michael Brecker was certainly on the top of the game for the longest time. The combination of his awesome technique and sound made him one of the most identifiable saxophonists ever. This cut is not exactly a jazz cut, like the others I mention, but the total picture displayed in this cut has all the elements of musical mastery in it, without lots of changes and blowing. It is a truly emotional work with a gorgeous arrangement. The simplicity that it is performed with is what makes it fantastic. The easy way James Taylor lays out the beautiful lyric on the song, and the singing emotional sax solo (at the modulation) reveals why Michael was the most in in-demand sax player of the last twenty or more years. He could play the right stuff on anything he approached, and play any style with flawless precision. Michael was the ultimate sideman and a great leader. We all miss him being around.
guest editorial
Who Invented the Swing Dance Band? BY LEE EVANS
O
ne of several topic options for a term paper that I offer to my jazz history class at NYC’s Pace University is the opportunity to review James Lincoln Collier’s fascinating book, Jazz: The American Theme Song (Oxford University Press, 1993). His take on several issues dealing with jazz history, being at variance with several textbooks I have read on this subject, is iconoclastic, interesting and provocative.
For example, various jazz texts state or imply that Fletcher Henderson and his chief arranger Don Redmond created the swing-band with its formula of: 1) dividing the band into sections; 2) utilizing call and response among the sections; 3) having the sections or entire ensemble play with syncopated jazz phrasing; 4) providing opportunities for brief jazz solos within the written arrangement; Collier maintains that there is little evidence to support such an assumption, and that large bands playing arranged jazz had existed several years prior to Henderson’s band. (See page 171 of Collier’s book.) Let’s now examine his information. FERDE GROFE
Leaf through the index of many jazz texts, and you will discover that the names Ferde Grofe and Art Hickman do not appear at all. Grofe, a classically trained composer and pianist, whose Grand Canyon
12 JAZZed July 2012
Suite is part of the standard classical orchestral repertoire, played piano in small dance bands around 1910-1915 in cabarets and dance halls in the San Francisco area. He was reportedly comfortable in both the classical and jazz idioms, and apparently felt that he could enhance the dance band experience by applying various techniques of classical orchestration to jazz, including grouping instruments in sections that played melodic lines in harmony, adding counter melodies, and providing occasional opportunities for solos, among other orchestral devices. And so he began writing arrangements for several dance bands in which he also played. ART HICKMAN
Drummer Art Hickman, the composer of the jazz standard, “Rose Room” (named after a ballroom in a hotel in which he played), assembled a small band in 1913 and hired Grofe as pianist/arranger. According to Collier, one innovation of the Hickman band was the hiring in 1918 of two saxo-
“THERE IS CLEARLY NO EXCUSE FOR THESE SWING-BAND PIONEERS TO BE OVERLOOKED BY JAZZ HISTORY TEXTBOOKS.”
guest editorial phonists, Bert Ralton and Clyde Doerr, who had been playing the vaudeville circuit as a novelty saxophone team. Grofe soon recognized that saxophones could be utilized as a dance band section, so he began incorporating them into his written arrangements. (And as everyone knows, the saxophone has since become the quintessential sound of jazz.) The Hickman band became extremely successful in San Francisco, and in 1919 was booked into New York City’s Biltmore Hotel, where the band was received with great enthusiasm. Collier quotes Abel Green, a dance band correspondent for the New York Clipper, as saying that “Hickman, with his New York exposure, was the start of the new dance band. Joe Laurie, in his memoir of vaudeville, said ‘the guy who started all the dance bands was Hickman.’ The writer Charles Edward Smith, said ‘Contrary to the widespread misconception, inspiration in swing bands was inspired not by jazz, but by popular dance bands, such as that of Art Hickman.’” PAUL WHITEMAN
The Hickman band’s success generated considerable public interest in large dance bands. Consequently, another individual working in the San Francisco area, and who decided to form his own band, was the classically trained Paul Whiteman. Whiteman hired Grofe to be his band’s pianist/ arranger and, playing Grofe’s arrangements, his band catapulted to even greater acclaim than the Hickman ensemble. In 1920 the Whiteman band, playing in New York City, recorded for Victor Records and sold records in the millions. By 1923, it had become the most famous band in the world, specializing in what has been referred to as “symphonic jazz.” FLETCHER HENDERSON
According to James Lincoln Collier, large bands such as those of Jean
Goldkette, Casa Loma, and Ben Pollack fashioned their musical style after the Paul Whiteman band. Fletcher Henderson’s principal contribution, Collier maintains, was to transform dance band music from the so-called symphonic approach to a hotter musical style, by employing, towards that end, the outstanding jazz cornet/trumpet soloist Louis Armstrong. Subsequently, Duke Ellington hired trumpeter Bubber Miley and clarinetist/soprano saxophonist Sidney Bechet, and Paul Whiteman hired cornetist Bix Beiderbecke and saxophonist Frank Trumbauer to generate hot jazz sounds in their bands.
THAT’S MY SOUND!
End Note
Assuming that Collier’s information in this matter is accurate, one must acknowledge that Grofe and Hickman were pivotal to the origination of the swing dance-band structural concept. Consequently there is clearly no excuse for these swingband pioneers to be overlooked by jazz history textbooks. Omitting these seminal figures constitutes historical inaccuracy; therefore I call on future editions of existing jazz texts to address this subject by giving credit where credit is due.
Lee Evans, Ed.D., is professor of music at NYC’s Pace University. In addition to his extensive catalogue of Hal Leonard books, his four fairly recent solo-piano books for The FJH Music Company include Color Me Jazz, Books 1 and 2 (late beginner/early intermediate levels); Ole! Original Latin-American Dance Music (intermediate level); and Fiesta! Original Latin-American Piano Solos (Upper intermediate level). Dr. Evans is also coauthor, along with four other writers including Dr. James Lyke, of Keyboard Fundamentals, 6th Edition (Stipes Publishing), a formerly two, but now one-volume beginning piano method for adult beginners of junior high school age and older.
GREG OSBY
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MADE IN THE USA
JAZZed July 2012 13
Our network is growing A MESSAGE FROM NEW JEN PRESIDENT ANDREW SURMANI Dear JEN members and JAZZed Readers, It’s hard to believe we just completed our 4th year of JEN! It seems like only yesterday that 35 of us huddled together at the Best Western Chicago O’Hare to dream up a new jazz education organization. Mary Jo Papich and Dr. Lou Fischer had an idea for something new and fresh and called several of their close friends and colleagues to join them at this exciting nascent event. Today we have more than 1,300 members in 20 countries, all 50 USA states and 7 Canadian provinces. Like all other young organizations we have had our share of growing pains, but I am happy to report that we’ve come a long way! In addition to dedicating the past four years to building our non-profit infrastructure, here is a short summary of what we have accomplished so far: 1. Hosted three Annual Conferences (with an upcoming fourth) reaching more than 6,000 combined attendees 2. Local outreach to schools in conference cities, reaching more than 7,000 students 3. More than $22,000 in scholarship money awarded to deserving students and recognition for outstanding jazz educators 4. A mentoring program launched 5. An online resource for K-8 jazz launched 6. Composition contest launched, with 12 students honored, through the JEN Composition Showcase 7. Thousands of dollars-worth of instruments and print music donated to programs in need, through the JENerosity project 8. The advancement of scholarly research and music technology And best of all, we’ve operated in the black for four straight years, which is better than most countries during this same period of economic uncertainty. The reason for this can be traced back to the thousands of volunteer hours generously dedicated by our co-founders and numerous board members, committee members, and conference volunteers, to make sure we operated in a fiscally responsible way. As a JEN member, you have access to our financial statements and procedures online. How many other organizations offer this kind of transparency? In closing, I would like to especially thank Dr. Lou Fischer for his exceptional two years of service as our outgoing president of JEN. There is no one who puts in more time than Lou does to make sure our organization is strong and has a solid foundation for future growth. Dr. Fischer will remain on our board and Executive Committee as the Past President, and will also continue to serve as our Volunteer Conference Coordinator. Your board is working hard to plan an exciting future for JEN and is developing a strategic plan to move us forward for many years to come. We hope to see you in Atlanta January 2-5, 2013! Come meet and join the many other JEN members in helping us to build the jazz arts community by advancing education, promoting performance, and developing new audiences. Warm Regards,
Andrew Surmani Founding Board Member & President asurmani@alfred. com
JEN Board of Directors (2012-13): Rubén Alvarez, Paul Bangser, Bob Breithaupt, Caleb Chapman, John Clayton (Vice President), José Diaz, Dr. Lou Fischer (Past President), Dr. Darla Hanley, Dr. Monika Herzig (Secretary), Judy Humenick,Willard Jenkins, Rick Kessel (Treasurer), Mary Jo Papich (Past President), Bob Sinicrope (President-Elect), Andrew Surmani (President). Office Manager: Larry Green; Webmaster: Gene Perla; Marketing & Communications Coordinator: Marina Terteryan; Web Hosting: AudioWorks Group, Ltd. /JazzCorner.com
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Member Articles In fulfilling our mission statement, JEN strongly encourages the sharing of information and resources among members. We are proud to present a new article series that features the knowledge, advice, and expertise of our leaders and members. All JEN members are welcome to submit their own articles for inclusion in future issues. Please email Marina Terteryan at musicatthemarina@gmail.com for details.
Top 10 Tips for Effective Networking By Andrew Surmani, President, JEN Senior Vice President, School & Church Publishing, Alfred Music Publishing We are the Jazz Education Network, which means we are focused on jazz and education and we also understand the importance of networking, both to further our own careers and to help the organization achieve its purpose. So how do we effectively network? What are the DOs and DON’Ts for the proper way to network? Here are my 10 tips for becoming a better networker. 1. Help others, solve problems and volunteer. Many people mistakenly think it is more important for others to help and solve problems for them, but that is a strategy that will fail in the long run. Networking is all about helping each other out. If you are the person who only wants things for yourself, others will run and hide when you approach them. “You need a good sax player? Sure, I can recommend Frank. ”I have a business owner friend named Steve and whatever I need, he will always respond with “I know a guy… ”But Steve is also trying to build his own business so I can’t just take all his suggestions without giving something in return. I try to send as many new clients and business to him as I can. Also, you don’t have to always be paid for your services. Sometimes, the best volunteer work turns into a future gig. Be a giver and connector. 2. Listen with your full attention. You have one mouth and two ears. This means that you need to listen twice as hard as you speak. If you listen carefully to what others are saying, before responding or trying to help them solve their problems, you’ll then truly understand what their needs are and be able to contribute effectively.
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Start off by offering a compliment instead of asking for a favor. People love talking about themselves more than anything. Understand other people’s needs first before telling them about yours. Show interest in them and compliment them the very first time you talk to them. You will instantly get them to open up and not feel like your only interest is in getting something from them. Follow through quickly and efficiently on referrals you are given. If someone gives you a referral or recommendation, it usually means that they are trying to solve a problem for another friend or colleague. If you drop the ball and don’t follow up quickly with that person, their friend will think that they dropped the ball and you will make them look bad. Say thank you and keep in touch. I have talked to many philanthropic donor friends and the thing that drives them the craziest is the lack of follow through and a sincere thank you. Ironically, that is the easiest thing to do! You just have to do it. I know of organizations that have left thousands of dollars on the table because they failed to follow up with a donor, say thank you, keep in touch, reach out in the donor’s time of need, etc. Don’t be that person. Follow through and say thank you frequently! Become a powerful resource. People are going to want to network with you if you can also be a great resource for them in return. For example, they may call you every time they need a particular musician for a gig. In the process, these people will also become powerful resources for you, so be sure
to define exactly what your networking needs are. 7. It’s not about knowing a lot of people, just the right ones (quality vs. quantity). The goal is not to have the highest number of Facebook friends, Twitter followers, or Outlook contacts. The goal is to have the most important ones. The important ones are those that matter to you most in terms of friendship and business connections. 8. Broaden your network outside of your industry. You absolutely never know where your next gig is going to come from. Everybody has friends and someone outside of your industry might even have a connection to someone in your industry that you have been unable to connect with. Make friends everywhere and treat EVERYONE with respect. It’s a small world and if you are mean to someone, the word will get out about you. As we say in LA, the waiter that is serving your meal might be the next Hollywood star. 9. Nurture your existing network. Don’t ever take your friends and business connections for granted. You need to stay in touch regularly with everyone, wish them a happy birthday, ask them about their kids, send them a get well card, and be there when they need you. 10. Be genuine and sincere. It is very easy to know when someone is full of it. And, as stated before, word gets around quickly due to the speed of the internet and social media. If you are a REAL person and genuinely care about others, you will never be lacking in friends and business contacts.
Now get out there and start networking!
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Member Articles Top Reasons for Engaging Your Local Community By Dr. Monika Herzig Secretary, JEN Arts Administration Faculty, Indiana University
Locations usually associated with jazz as an art form are: the birthplace of jazz, New Orleans; the thriving jazz scene of New York City; the avant-garde explorations of Chicago; or the financially-rewarding studio scene of Los Angeles. Aspiring jazz musicians located elsewhere therefore often assume that the beginning of their successful career will coincide with the relocation to one of the centers above. Preparation in honing essential skills early on though will determine the level of success in such competitive environments. Any community has educational and networking resources and opportunities to develop entrepreneurial skills and a thriving jazz scene. Engaging our local communities will help us strengthen the jazz arts, and provide opportunities to fulfill JEN’s key missions. I have spent a decade leading a comMonika Herzig performs at the Bechstein Center in Tuebingen, Germany. munity jazz organiphoto by Andreas Hermonies zation called “Jazz from Bloomington,” and recently explored the rich jazz history of Indiana as part of my work on the publication “David Baker – A Legacy in Music. ” As a result, my list of reasons for the importance of community engagement as a jazz artist and supporter keeps growing.
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Every community has a unique jazz history and local heroes. For example, Indiana Avenue was the breeding ground for jazz greats Wes Montgomery, David Baker, Freddie Hubbard, J. J. Johnson, Larry Ridley, and many more. Seek out such local heritage to create pride and awareness. NEA research studies document that involvement in the arts at an early age is a significant factor for later support and volunteerism. Consequently, educational outreach efforts will strengthen future engagement and support of the arts. Performance opportunities are shrinking with many jazz venues closing and scaling back. Community organizations help provide alternative performance venues and audience support. Recent research findings by the Jazz Audience Initiative indicate that people are willing to explore new styles of music under the condition that they receive a specific invitation by a friend or an expert. In addition, results confirm that local programming influences music preferences. Hence, a local jazz organization can be a significant factor in shaping tastes and programming in a community. And of course, a local jazz organization can become an affiliate member of the Jazz Education Network (JEN) and all members can upgrade to JEN memberships for $10 and participate in the global community.
Yes, it takes a village to raise a jazz musician and the circles expand from the practice room to the local community into the global community.
Member Articles 7 Improvisation Experiences for Young Children By Dr. Darla S. Hanley Board Member, JEN Dean, Professional Education Division, Berklee College School of Music One of the new components of JEN is our focus on jazz for K-8 musicians. Our intent is to offer sessions at each conference designed to show how to engage young children with jazz music. We have already started putting K-8 educational materials and information on the JEN website. My expertise as a music teacher and music education professor leads me to offer the following activities to try with young children that teach them the fundamentals of improvisation.
5. Improvisation Needs Vocabulary List music vocabulary words (dynamics, tempi, rhythm instrument names, etc. ) on small cards and place in an empty saxophone case (or fishbowl). Ask children to draw a card each week to add to their class vocabulary. Have them write the words and definition in a journal or on a worksheet. Design an activity for children to improvise incorporating their new word and/or it’s meaning each week.
1. Replace the Phrase Ask children to create scat syllables to replace a phrase in a familiar song. Example: Have them sing Joshua Fit the Battle of Jericho in a swing style and ask individual children to replace the “and the walls came tumbling down” phrase with scat. Ask children to sing Joshua on neutral syllables such as “doo” “bah” and “doot” instead of using lyrics and invite them to add their scat phrases.
6. Riff off Children’s Books, Poems, and Chants Identify children’s books, poems, and/or chants that feature jazz sounds, jazz artists, etc. Ask children to use their voices to explore different ways to read and/ or sing the text. Have them create their own phrase or use words in the text to accompany the book (Example: Read A Tisket, A Tasket [2003, Ella Fitzgerald, Ora Eitan, illustrator] and guide children to speak “tisket a-tisket, a-tisket, a-tisket” while you perform a swing pattern with brushes on a hi-hat. Read Before John Was a Suggested book for this curriculum: Jazz Giant [2008, Carole Boston This Jazz Man, by Karen Ehrhardt. Weatherford, Sean Qualls, illustrator] and ask children to speak the repeated text improvising with their voices by exploring vocal ranges, tone colors, and dynamics. Have them improvise bongo accompaniments as you read (or sing) This Jazz Man [2006, Karen Ehrhardt, R.G. Roth, illustrator).Ask children to read Jazz Baby [2006, Carole Boston Weatherford, Laura Freeman, illustrator] and then write their own verses using music vocabulary.)
2. Call-and-Response Conversations Ask children to create cell phones using cardboard, Styrofoam, tin cans, or other arts and crafts materials. Have them form partners and “talk” to each other using scat syllables. Ask the child who is responding to listen to the sounds his/her partner is making and incorporate some of the same sounds (or similar) sounds in the response. Repeat asking children to converse over a blues progression. 3. Diamond Follow the Leader Ask children to create 4-beat rhythm patterns with body percussion, instruments, found sounds, movement, etc. for others to imitate along with a track such as Rockit (Herbie Hancock) or My Baby Just Cares for Me (Nina Simone). Have them form groups of 4 and ask them to stand in a “diamond” formation. Identify the first leader and have him/her create patterns until you call “switch” where everyone turns to the right and a new leader begins. 4. Make a Chain Provide a 4-beat rhythm pattern as the prompt for this improvisation. Distribute a variety of rhythm instruments and ask children to form a circle. Invite them to perform this 4-beat rhythm pattern on their instrument. Establish a steady pulse on a hand drum. Ask individual children (one at a time around the circle) to create their own 4-beat pattern to add to the chain starting from the top each time so all patterns repeat in preparation for the next/new one.
7. Pentatonic Expressions Remove bars from Orff instruments (xylophones) or use step bells to isolate only the notes in a pentatonic scale. Ask children to engage in call-and-response, fill-in-the-blank, or free improvisation within a specified pulse using this scale. Guide children to write a class pentatonic composition with “holes” to provide space for improvisation. Invite individual children to take solos in the “holes. ”
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Member Articles Tips for a Successful School Jazz Program By Bob Sinicrope President-Elect, JEN Music Educator, Milton Academy No matter how strong your jazz program is there is always room for growth. Teaching and learning is a never-ending process. The ideas below have greatly enhanced my program and some of them might be beneficial to yours. Perform as much as possible – There are many skills that students can only acquire through performing. Playing for others requires a different mindset and often accelerates the learning process. Have students perform for nursing homes, youth clubs, for other classes, at shopping malls etc. You can’t replace performance experience. It Don’t Mean a Thing If It Ain’t Got That Swing – Groove is one of the most important musical qualities to the listener. Strive to make the music feel good.
Bob Sinicrope teaches jazz students at Milton Academy. Photo courtesy of Bob Sinicrope
To do this help students feel the underlying rhythmic feel of the style. Having them tap out steady stream eighth note triplets (swing), eighth notes (latin or rock) or sixteenth note (funk) when not playing will deepen their connection to the groove. This will help students “play the rests” and keep the music buoyant. Have students sing their parts to help them internalize the music.
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Be an equal opportunity teacher – Teach all of your students as “diamonds in the rough”. Some of the least talented and least experienced students have the most satisfying experiences. Give as many students as possible a chance to participate. If you can, create a “B” band, a “C” band and a “D” band. Have fun – Don’t lose sight of music making being fun. Encourage and inspire rather than bully and discourage. Vary your rehearsal routines by practicing in different spaces. Follow your bliss – This expression was often used by legendary jazz educator John LaPorta. Be true to yourself. Do what you love and love what you do. Think from your heart and love from your head. Recruit pro musicians – Invite local musicians or more accomplished players to play with and work with your groups. This could inspire your students and offer them ideas and approaches for how one could speak the jazz language. Present concerts that have a theme - When appropriate, have a theme for your concert. You might play a tribute to Duke Ellington or Miles Davis. Have a swing music concert. How about music having to do with a specific time period such as the 1950s or a geographic region such as New Orleans? Having a theme provides a focus and is more fun and educational for the students and audience. Play recordings for your students The reason we are attracted to jazz is because of the music by its masters. Let your students learn from them directly. iTunes and other downloadable mp3 websites make this process much easier. Leave campus - Take a tour if possible, visit other schools, play for civic events. Even a short performance away from school offers different learning opportunities. Having an exchange concert with a nearby school is fun and gets students to want to do their best.
Get parents and school administrators involved – Parents want to invest in their child’s development and can be a terrific resource. Get administrators to be on your team. Generate publicity for your program. Know your audience - Plan performances with your audience in mind. Do your best to have your student’s performance well received. Feature students - Feature individuals or small groups of students. Spread the wealth by giving as many students as possible opportunities to be spotlighted. Sometimes asking a student with less skill to be featured motivates that student to go above and beyond. Use your performances to outreach and connect - Have social time with your audience. Perform for audiences that might not otherwise hear your style of music. Play benefit concerts for worthy causes. Have your students jam with other students. Have home stays when you travel to better connect with your audience. Go for mastery - Better to do a few things well than overwhelm students with too many concepts. Build confidence. Love is in the details. Keep learning - There is always more to learn. Being a student helps us be better teachers. Inspire your students by your example of commitment and willingness to risk. Have students help other students – Students learning from other students is a win – win opportunity. Often they listen more to their peers than their teachers. A student teaching other students or leading a sectional rehearsal helps the teaching student think about what they are doing and helps them take greater ownership of the ensemble.
NEWS Bob Sinicrope – President-Elect Photo courtesy of Frances Scanlon.
Bob Sinicrope is a consummate educator and accomplished bassist. For forty years, Bob has taught indiverse settings, having founded the award-winning Milton Academy Jazz Program, which he continues to direct. He has also taught at Jamey Aebersold’s Summer Jazz Workshops since 1981, presented workshops at conferences and schools on six continents and has served as a JEN Board member since 2009. Bob is the inaugural recipient of the John LaPorta Jazz Educator of the Year Award (2007), Downbeat magazine’s Jazz Education Achievement Award (2010) and the National Youth Development Council Service Award (2010). He has toured in South Africa eight times with Milton Academy students, performing nationally, delivering over $100,000 worth of donated materials to African music programs in need, and serving as an educationalconsultant. Dr. Monika Herzig – Secretary Photo courtesy of Dr. Monika Herzig.
Dr. Monika Herzig holds a Doctorate in Music Education from Indiana University, where she is now a faculty member in Arts Administration. Her teaching and research focuses on the Music Industry, Community Arts Organizations, and Creative Thinking Techniques. As a touring jazz artist, she has performed at many prestigious jazz clubs and festivals around the world. Her music has received much critical praise, including a Down Beat Award and five Individual Artist Grants by the Indiana Arts Commission. Recent publications include the CD/DVD combo “Come With Me” on Owl Studios and the book “David Baker - A Legacy in Music” on IU Press. Judy Humenick – Board Member Photo courtesy of Judy Humenick.
Judy Humenickis is the founder, President and CEO of JazzWorks Canada, an Ottawa based jazz education organization that promotes the development of jazz performance through educational activities and performances involving adult amateur, talented youth, and professional musicians. Over the past 25 years Judy has been very involved in the Canadian jazz scene, working with the Ottawa International Jazz Festival as a Coordinator of Volunteers, Board Member and President of the Board. In 2011 she launched a company, Judith Humenick Productions, specializing in artist management and consulting. Judy has been an active member of JEN for the past two years, as a Canadian representative on the JEN Membership Committee. Robert Breithaupt – Board Member Photo courtesy of Robert Breithaupt.
Robert Breithaupt is a veteran of over 40 years in the music business, as a performer, educator, author, arts administrator, consultant and musical contractor. He led the Jazz Arts Group of Columbus (JAG) as Executive Director for 11 years, and has also served as the drummer of the Columbus Jazz Orchestra since 1980. Breithaupt is a Professor of Music and Department Chair of Performance at Capital University and a past-president of the Percussive Arts Society. Endorsed by the industry’s top drum manufacturers, he was a co-founder of Columbus Pro Percussion, Inc. He is the recipient of numerous honors and awards, and a fellow in the Jefferson Academy for Leadership and Governance, participated in the Stanford Graduate School of Business’ Executive Program for Nonprofit Leaders in the Arts.
Painting courtesy of Sharon B. Maguire
The Ella Fitzgerald Charitable Foundation, JEN Institution Member, has announced their sponsorship of the New Voices Stage during the 2013 JEN conference. As an ongoing supporter of the organization, the Foundation has previously sponsored stages at past conferences, exhibited, and presented clinics about the legacy of the great Ella Fitzgerald.
American Airlines Offers Discounted Airfare for JEN Conference American Airlines is offering a 5% discount for attendees of the 2013 JEN conference in Atlanta, GA. All members and attendees are eligible. The discount will apply to the lowest applicable published air fare and is valid for all cabins. View additional details by visiting JazzEdNet.org and clicking on Conference Central. To redeem the offer, visit AA.com and enter promotion code 32D2BE upon checkout.
JEN Photographers JEN would like to recognize Chuck Gee and Lena Adasheva for the amazing contribution of their photography talents at the recent annual conference. They beautifully captured the heart and soul of our community and conferences. Their work was featured in the JEN section of both the March and May issues of JAZZed. Lena Adasheva is a Russian born photographer, based in New York City. Recipient of the Jazz Journalists Association Award - Best Photo of the Year 2010; winner of Inside Jazz Competition 2011 at the ChernihivPhotoFest. Her photographs are featured on a number of Jazz CD covers and Jazz publications. lenaadasheva.com Chuck Gee is best known for his work as music engraver and music editor for the last 20 years for Sher Music Co., but is now gaining recognition as a jazz photographer. Having a base in San Francisco allows him access to some of the the best venues in the Bay Area; Yoshi’s, Bach D & D, Stanford Jazz Festival and Monterey Jazz Festival to name a few.
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Photo taken by Chuck Gee.
JEN welcomes several new and familiar faces to its leadership.
Photo taken by Lena Adasheva.
New Officers and Board Members
The Ella Fitzgerald Charitable Foundation Sponsors the New Voices Stage
NEWS JEN to Participate in Sarah Vaughn Vocal Jazz Competition Introducing the Inaugural
The Search for the World’s Next Great Female Jazz Singer Newark, NJ – (June 25, 2012) On a Wednesday night in 1942, Newark teenager Sarah Vaughan went to the Apollo Theater to compete in an amateur singing contest. It was the chance to win $10 and a weeklong engagement performing on the Apollo stage. Instead, Vaughan’s win launched a career that would transform America’s original art form and an icon who elevated the craft of jazz vocal music and garnered the respect and adoration of millions. It’s time for history to repeat itself. As part of the inaugural James Moody Democracy of Jazz Festival, the New Jersey Performing Arts Center (NJPAC), JAZZ ROOTS™ and WBGO Jazz 88. 3 FM are pleased to announce the first Sarah Vaughan International Jazz Vocal Competition, a search for the world’s next great female jazz vocalist. The contest will be produced by award winning producer Larry Rosen and powered by Indaba Music™, with the top five finalists being flown to NJPAC in Newark to perform in a special concert on Sunday, October 21, 2012 at 3 p. m. in NJPAC’s Victoria Theater. The Jazz Education Network, a U. S. -based organization dedicated to building the jazz arts community worldwide, will help to choose competition finalists. Judges for the final round at NJPAC will include legendary jazz vocalists Dee Dee Bridgewater and Jon Hendricks, WBGO announcer Michael Bourne, producer Rosen, and jazz singer and educator Melissa Walker. “It is all kind of full circle,” said Paris Vaughan Courtnall, Vaughan’s daughter. “If not for a competition, I am not sure where my Mom’s career would have started in the first place…I think it’s wonderful that a young person can be sitting in their bedroom now, enter a contest, and have a dream to be a Sarah or Whitney or Cissy, all greats that came from Newark, New Jersey. ”
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NJPAC President and CEO John Schreiber, who presented Vaughan at dozens of domestic and international jazz festivals through the years, said: “Sarah Vaughan was nothing less than a game changer for jazz vocalists. What better place than Newark, N. J., Sarah Vaughan’s hometown, to find the next game changer? We are proud to be hosting and presenting this competition that will give up-andcoming talents a world-class showcase. We will bring the best singers in the world to the Victoria Theater in October for one swinging afternoon of competition, and set at least one on the course to a Sarahcaliber career. ” “I’m honored to be working with NJPAC, JAZZ ROOTS, Indaba Music, JEN, and WBGO on presenting the debut of the Sarah Vaughan International Jazz Vocal Competition,” said competition producer Larry Rosen. “Sarah is so important to the history of jazz vocalists, she defined the genre by incorporating her church roots, her incredible vocal instrument, and her ability to swing. It’s in Sassy’s honor that we seek to give unique opportunities to young jazz singers from around the planet who will continue to bring this great American jazz tradition to a new generation of audiences. ” “The Jazz Education Network is excited to collaborate with Larry Rosen, JAZZ ROOTS and NJPAC in the launching of the new Sarah Vaughan International Jazz Vocal Competition in identifying today’s top jazz vocalists’” said JEN co-founder/president Dr. Lou Fischer. “JEN will share the news in the 20 countries where we have members as well as the U. S. A. Together we will promote performance, advance education and develop new audiences for jazz! We look forward to this new initiative and the potential to enhance the future of vocal jazz on a global front.” The competition is part of The James Moody Democracy of Jazz Festival, a cel-
ebration of jazz and the musical legacy of longtime Newarker and beloved jazz saxophonist and composer James Moody. Presented by NJPAC and WBGO JazzRadio 88.3 FM, the Moody Festival will run from Oct. 16th-21st at NJPAC and in other venues around the region. The Sarah Vaughan International Jazz Vocal Competition is presented as part of NJPAC’s JAZZ ROOTS series with producer Larry Rosen. To Enter: The Competition is open to solo female vocalists of all nationalities who are not signed to a major record label. Applicants must provide three audio samples of their performances – a ballad, a medium tempo standard or blues piece and an up tempo standard that includes a scat/improvisational chorus. One of the three selections must be a cover of a song recorded by Sarah Vaughan. One grand prize winner wins a $5,000 prize and will open for the February 2013 JAZZ ROOTS concert in NJPAC’s Prudential Hall. The first runner-up will win $1,500 and a second runner-up will receive $500. Contestants will be judged on vocal quality, musicality, technique, performance, individuality, artistic interpretation and ability to swing. The goal of the competition is not to find the singer who sounds most like Sarah Vaughan, but rather to discover vocalists who embody Vaughan with intelligent, thought-provoking and inspiring performances that reflect their own understanding of the work. “Our whole family is very excited about the Vocal Competition,” said Courtnall, Vaughan’s daughter. “It’s amazing that Newark keeps embracing Sarah over and over again. She obviously had such a love for New Jersey and Newark in particular. She would be just thrilled. ” The complete rules and instructions can be found online at sarahvaughancompetition.com.
Networking the Jazz Arts Community …
… Local to Global! Attend our
4th AnnuAl ConferenCe
JAn 2–5, 2013 AtlAntA, gA direCtors z Submit your group to the
Jenerations Jazz Festival. Deadline: September 30, 2012
students z Apply to one of our many educational, composition, and design scholarships. Deadline: September 30, 2012
volunteers z Apply online now
(first-come, first-served). Deadline: December 15, 2012
Become a member and register for the conference today at JazzEdNet.org
lessons learned
REHEARSAL
Creating a Rehearsal Arc for Your Jazz Ensemble BY DR. TODD KELLY
A
common lament among all directors is that we don’t have enough time to prepare for an upcoming performance. While time is limited for all of us, there is no denying the fact that some directors are able to coax beautiful music performances from their groups, while others struggle through ragged concerts that are frustrating for the students, director, and audience. The key to creating successful performances is planning and foresight that extends beyond just one day’s rehearsal or even one week’s. The rehearsal arc is an overall structure to your practices from the first rehearsal until the concert. Learning to create an arc in six stages will lead to complete control of your rehearsals, keep you calm during the preparation process, and produce practices that are relaxed but focused, with students who are happy to be creating music with you. Stage One – Choosing music Perhaps the most difficult task is choosing the right material. The music that we select for our groups is their textbook; it represents what we hope to teach during a period of time. Your selections should therefore represent a variety of styles and eras of jazz and push the ability of the students while still allowing for a successful performance. Spend a lot of time of listening and planning during the summer, but you are likely to find that some of the charts do not fit the group as well as you had hoped. If so, file them for another time and look for
more suitable literature. Hand out more charts than you intend to use and determine during the reading sessions the charts that best fit your band. Plan all of your concerts for the year during the summer, but be willing to make adjustments to your planned programs based on a number of factors, including programming considerations and strengths or weaknesses in the band. Often I will find a chart during the school year that really excites me and will program it on my next concert. The point is to have a plan in place,
“THE POINT IS TO HAVE A PLAN IN PLACE, BUT DON’T BE AFRAID TO BE FLEXIBLE.”
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lessons learned but don’t be afraid to be flexible. The number of weeks available for concert preparation varies, but for the purpose of this discussion, I am assuming a sixweek rehearsal block, with the goal of performing six to eight charts.
middle school teaching and clinics, I have found that this is one of the most overlooked parts of preparation.
Stage Two – Sightreading (1 week)
In stage two the goal is to present the students with all of the information that they will need to play the chart correctly. This includes:
The ability to sightread is one of the most important skills that a budding musician needs to develop. Therefore, devote as much time as you can to reading charts, even if you don’t plan to program them on your next concert. Before reading, discuss the following with the band: • Style, including style changes that happen within the chart • Tempo, including tempo changes. Take faster charts down a few notches from the written tempo when reading. • Repeats, including D.S. or D.C al coda • Point out difficult sections, and perhaps sing them before the reading • Overall structure of the chart. Point out the form to the students – blues, song form, etc. • Solo sections – Abbreviate these during the reading sessions. Play sections marked as “open” twice, and skip other repeats. Once the band has started reading, don’t stop unless it is absolutely necessary. If you need to pull the band back together, shout out a rehearsal marking and keep going. The music doesn’t stop in the professional world, so it shouldn’t stop in your rehearsals. After the reading session, make recordings available to the students. Listening is an essential part of their preparation. It is through listening that they learn feel, inflection, and style – the parts of the music that cannot be taught by the director in any other way. They will gain an understanding of style, and hearing a professional recording will motivate them to sound better. In my years of high school and
Stage Three – Presentation of information and first rehearsal stage (2 weeks)
• Articulation Make sure that section leaders are articulating correctly and the section is following suit. Jazz articulations are never marked properly in a big band chart, and it is your job to decide on correct articulation and share it with the students. As part of your preparation, make a copy of the Alto 1, Trumpet 1, and Trombone 1 parts and mark the articulations on those copies. Share the copies with the section leaders who in turn share them with the section. This process saves a great deal of time during rehearsals. • Releases When is the note released, and how? Is the release tonguestopped, rung, or tapered? • Alternate fingerings and slide positions Suggest anything that will make passages easier to play.
• Breathing All breaths in the chart should be marked and played consistently • Dynamics Many groups tend to play what I refer to as “mezzo-whatever” – they don’t make enough of an attempt to truly play contrasts. I use Basie’s “Moten Swing” as an example of dramatic dynamics. Remind them that dynamics are an important part of musical expression and enhance communication with the audience. Emphasize to the students that playing dynamics is a decision, and is not based on talent. Everyone can play dynamics. • “Rewriting” sections of the chart I rarely perform a chart with my group that has not been altered in some way. This can include dropping instruments out, extending solo sections, cutting sections, changing the end of the chart, or a myriad of other decisions. Stress to the students that the written chart is merely an outline, and solicit their ideas for putting their personal stamp on the music. • Guitar and piano voicings Make sure that the guitar and piano aren’t conflicting with each other. It is important that they
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lessons learned are playing the same extensions on chords and not stepping on each other rhythmically. Hold a sectional with just those two instruments and teach them how to stay out of each other’s way. • Correct drum groove and drum set color changes throughout the chart In most cases, the drum patterns will be sketchy and will require some knowledge on the part of the director in order to achieve the right groove. The recordings are a great help. • Choosing soloists In middle school and high school groups, I strongly advocate letting as many kids as possible take solos. Whether they sound good or bad, the students need the experience of improvising in front of an audience. I take a different approach with my college band. The students understand that they have to earn the right to play a solo, and there is work that is required, which I will explain in the next section. Most musical decisions are made by the director during rehearsal preparation. Bring a detailed list to rehearsal and spend time talking through everything first. The students must have pencils and mark everything discussed in the music. Emphasize that they make small, light markings that will be helpful but not distracting. As a rule, the students should know that once something is discussed, they are expected to know it. Guided listening sessions in class are important at this point as a way of drawing attention to important stylistic considerations such as vibrato, inflection, dynamics, and sound quality. Consider bringing listening guides for each piece to the rehearsal. Fielding questions from the students and accepting their input is important at this time, 24 JAZZed July 2012
because it creates a sense of ownership. Some of the best ideas in my rehearsals come from the students. Once we have made the markings, rehearse one section of the music at a time. A suggested procedure: • Repeat each section several times – play, sing, and then play again. • If the section is too fast to be mastered at the full tempo, slow it down to a tempo that can be played correctly. Rehearsing slowly minimize the amount of mistakes that the band makes during the early stages. • Isolate the rhythm by having the students speak the passage without pitches. Once the rhythm settles in, the pitches will follow. • Play at a softer dynamic level than marked. Soft playing increases the clarity of the music and allows the students to hear the interaction of parts. Because this stage is time consuming, I suggest rehearsing just one chart during a fifty-minute rehearsal, beginning each rehearsal with a short review of the previous day’s chart.
Stage Four – fine tuning (2 weeks) By the end of stage three, the students know how to play the charts correctly and have a firm sense of them as a whole. The goal of stage four is to turn the refine the technique and create consistency. Emphasize an expectation of practicing technical passages outside of rehearsal. Refuse to spend rehearsal time on technique that can be practiced at home. Of course, some students may still have technical questions at this point, so assist them in any way that you can. I occasionally run into questions that I cannot answer – in that case, I consult with an expert on that instrument. Once your students understand their responsibility to prepare outside of rehearsal, a great deal of time is saved. Sectionals are expected during this stage. If your section leaders are
strong and experienced, they can run their own sectionals. However, always hand a sheet to them that lists the specific goals for the sectional. For sections with more inexperienced leaders, the director should run the sectional. It is advisable to be at all rhythm sectionals because the members of the rhythm section often have a limited knowledge of the other instruments. If your time outside of rehearsal is limited, hold sectionals during your rehearsal time. Your organization and planning is crucial to the success of this stage. Come to rehearsal with a specific list of spots to work and strategies for solving issues. You will be working with specific sections, so have the rest of the band sing their parts softly while you are working. After working through the spots, play a complete run-through of the chart and record it. This is a good time to give the students a sense of continuity and teach them pacing. Between rehearsals, listen to the recordings to identify further areas of concern that will be addressed at the next rehearsal. Require soloists to create a practice sheet, which is a notation of chord tones (root through ninth) and scales. Less experienced soloists can meet with you outside of rehearsal for help with this process. In order to demonstrate control of the chord changes, they should able to play the following, memorized: • • • • •
Chord roots in whole notes Root-3 in half notes 1-3-5-7 in eighth notes 3-5-7-9 in eighth notes Scales in eighth notes
Make practice tracks of the chord changes available to the students. Many publishers now supply these tracks, and Band-in-a-Box and iReal B are excellent programs that should be on your school computer.
lessons learned Stage Five – complete play-through of all music (1 week) At the end of stage four, the band should be playing the music at a fairly high level. At that point, the most beneficial use of time is running through the music as many times as possible. There is a difference between knowing a piece of music and truly internalizing it, and a week devoted to playing through the music in its entirety will help the students to bridge this gap. Invariably, there will still be a few spots to work out, and you can touch on those spots at the beginning of each rehearsal. For the most part, though, this stage is about creating a sense of continuity. This stage is often neglected, and we all know the feeling of scrambling for notes and rhythms the week before a concert. It is not a comfortable situation that can create a lot of anxiety for the students and director. If you find yourself in this dilemma, answer these questions: ■ Did I plan well enough? Be honest
with yourself about your preparation and use of the rehearsal time. If you come in with a sketchy plan or without a plan, your results will suffer. However, if you come to every rehearsal with a written plan that has clear goals, you will maximize your results. An additional benefit is the message that it sends to the students. “I’m prepared. Are you?” ■ Did I choose material that could not be realistically prepared in the given amount of time? Or, was the music too easy, and the students became bored? Making an honest assessment of your choice of literature will help you to make better decisions in the future. ■ What am I doing to motivate the students? Consider your role as an advocate for the music. Your own enthusiasm, or lack thereof, will rub off on your students. The greatest motivator for the students is the music itself, so promoting
listening is an important part of your teaching. Above all, avoid blaming the students for poorly prepared performances. If you feel that they didn’t practice their parts enough, consider your role. Do you require outside practice and hold them accountable? Do you make the process of learning music enjoyable so that the students want to practice? I am a firm believer that the director should take full responsibility for the success or failure of the performances. Blaming students is a dead-end road that inevitably leads to cynicism and undermines their trust in you.
Stage Six – The performance By the time of the performance, the students have played completely through the music several times. There are several advantages to this. First, they have gained the strength and sense of pacing that it takes to make it through the music comfortably, a consideration particularly important for brass players. Secondly, they have a strong sense of the music as a whole, have learned to make the music flow naturally from one section to the next, and have also learned the overall shape of the piece. Finally, the performance will have greater confidence and musical energy because they are no longer struggling with notes, rhythms, and technique. Their enjoyment of the music increases exponentially, and they learn a love of performing that will stay with them throughout their musical lives. As they perform more successful concerts, they will acquire a reputation for excellence among audiences, administrators, and most importantly, themselves. Once this consistently high standard has been attained, your job becomes much easier as new students in your program quickly come into line with the expectations of the older students. Consider this rehearsal arc as you prepare for your next performance. Think of the rehearsal arc as a blueprint for your success. Make adjustments to it based on
your own unique situation. Tell your students about the arc – it will help them to understand your expectations. Once they know that you are serious about the planning of your rehearsal time, they will treat it with respect. Students thrive in a structured, calm and friendly environment. It is your job to create that environment and establish a pattern of success in your program. Spend the time planning your arc, and both you and your students will experience a higher level of success.
Dr. Todd Kelly is an associate professor of Music at Bradley University in Peoria, Ill. He directs the Bradley Jazz Ensembles, teaches studio trumpet, and is the advisor for the Music Business program. Dr. Kelly is an active jazz musician and is the musical director of the Central Illinois Jazz Orchestra and the Todd Kelly Quintet. He is a frequent clinician for high school and middle school jazz bands.
BobbyMcFerrin Circlesongs
August 24–31, 2012
OMEGA Join 10-time Grammy Award winner Bobby McFerrin for a series of workshops in Circlesongs, a technique he invented to harness the energy, individuality, diversity, and community spirit of group vocal improvisation. 2-day, 3-day, and 7-day sessions are available to singers of all levels, from beginners to professionals. online at eOmega.org/bobby/ifcm or call 800.944.1001
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Turning Brilliant Corners
The Thelonious Monk Institute’s Groundbreaking Peer-to-Peer Program Integrates Musicians of All Levels In many ways, the scope of jazz education today is like a dream come true for the fractured ancestors of today’s scene. There are experts in every conceivable style at most serious students’ fingertips, jazz workshops and camps throughout the country, and programs across the world ready for new students every year. But one thing that organizers at the the Thelonious Monk Institute of Jazz want to make sure isn’t lost on this generation of students is the idea of learning from your peers. In the tradition of Thelonious Monk and Wayne Shorter and all the old-school jazz musicians who came up through clubs and touring bands, the Monk Institute’s National Peer-to-Peer Jazz Education Program aims to get some of the country’s top kids out on the road. In the program, they perform, they teach, they interact with world class mentors like Christian McBride and Gerald Clayton, and – perhaps most importantly – they learn from each other.
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This year marks the seventh year of the program, which sponsors eleven jazz programs at high schools across the country and brings different regional mentors in to each program on a monthly basis, with each mentor coming into the programs weekly. National guest stars visit each program for year-end concerts at each school, while the top two groups (along with another “All-Star” group selected from all schools) go on an additional “Informance” tour. These “Informance” tours find the students getting deeper than ever into the culture of jazz – serving not only as dedicated students but also as ambassadors of the music to students their own age. The program takes the bands on the road to a host city, where they visit underserved urban and rural schools to perform and to offer jazz clinics, information sessions, and combo class workshops. This year, the students of Los Angeles County High School for the Arts visited neighborhoods in Boston, while the band from the New World School of the Arts in Miami visited Santa Fe and Albuquerque. Meanwhile, the students also work with a different jazz superstar all week long leading up to a performance in a working jazz club (in Minneapolis, it’s the Dakota; in Denver, it’s Dazzle).
You’d be hard-pressed to find a more immersive experience for any student. JAZZed had the pleasure of talking with both the Monk Institute’s JB Dyas, a bassist and jazz instructor for thirty years who serves as the organization’s vice president of Education and Curriculum Development, and the incomparable Christian McBride. McBride and Dyas were on hand with the Institute’s All-Star band in Philadelphia, as they worked through their week’s experience on the way toward the final performance at Chris’s Jazz Café and a special recording date with Don Sickler at the prestigious Van Gelder Studio in New Jersey. JAZZed: The Monk peer-to-peer programs seem like one of the most exciting jazz education programs going right now. You just get them right in on the action. JB Dyas: They do jump right into the fire. That’s exactly right. I’m a product of the formal jazz education movement – I have a Ph.D. from Indiana and David Baker is my mentor. But since the movement took hold in the ‘70s and ‘80s to the point that every major university has a bona fide jazz program, we’ve not produced a Charlie Parker type of guru. There’s been no Louis Armstrong or Miles or Ornette Coleman. We’ve produced a lot of great
Monk Institute VP for Education and Curriculum Development Dr. J.B. Dyas
players, but the way that those cats like Monk learned how to play and people like Wayne Shorter and Lee Morgan did was they went on the road with Art Blakey, for instance. Well, Art Blakey isn’t on the road anymore. So we’re doing the same thing that Art Blakey was doing. We have a great player like Christian McBride with all these incredible young players, but rather than playing in clubs, we’re playing in schools. They have to learn all of Christian’s music ahead of time, and then they have to learn all this music that Don Sickler is doing for the recording date. He sends them the CDs and they have to learn it off the records just like at a professional gig. So they get that education. JAZZed: The effect must be intense on the students.
McBride with the Monk Institute’s National septet and students from Northeast High School in Philadelphia.
JB Dyas: Christian is saying the difference between Monday and the following weekend is night and day. In college, at the Monk Institute College Program, even, at the end of the semester, you do see some growth. At the end of the year, you go, “Yeah, I think he’s growing, he’s
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getting better.” Here, it’s unbelievable the difference in just a week. JAZZed: Can you give us a run-down of how this program works from the ground up? JB Dyas: We sponsor jazz programs in eleven performing arts high schools in the country. At these schools, I visit the schools a couple times or more a year, visiting the teachers and working with students as well. I mentor the teachers in how to better teach jazz. We also bring in guest artists once a week – resident guest artists. In Dallas, you get a [University of North] Texas guy, there are great guys in Chicago, in New York you get Peter Bernstein, and Steve Turre. They come in and work with the group once a week a month, then we bring in another artist once a week for a month. They do four sessions in a month with a combo, so the schools get eight or nine artists a year where they learn some of the artist’s music and whatever else the artist wants to teach. So they’re getting nine different perspectives rather than just that of their band director. One guy might be a modern guy, one might be a traditional guy, one might be a bebop guy. Then at the end of the year, we bring in a national artist to do their final concert. We’ve had people like Slide Hampton and Antonio Hart and Bobby Watson. Lee Konitz, Benny Golson, Jimmy Heath. It’s usually a two or three-day residency where they work with the band and then play the final concert. For the “Informance” tours, we take the best two groups out on these week-long peer-to-peer jazz tours. Whoever has the top two combos will go, along with an “All-Star” group, who is this year playing with Christian McBride. JAZZed: How are these bands’ visits to the various schools set up? JB Dyas: We’re doing three things at each school we visit. We perform an assembly program for as much of the student body as possible. We always go to a performing arts school, where they’ll do a real peer-to-peer session, and then we’ll go to the most underserved schools and that could be inner city or very rural where many kids haven’t heard jazz before, much less know what it’s about. Then the visiting students – 16 and 17 year olds – go into a workshop with the guest artist for the host school’s jazz band where they sit side-by-side with their like instrument counterparts. The alto player sits next to their lead alto player. The rhythm section people switch on and off, so they’re really learning from each other much like Thelonius Monk did years ago. That’s the philosophy. Thelonious Monk said that you learn how to play jazz two ways – you study with a master of the music, and you play with your peers. So that’s what we’re doing on this tour. The master here is Christian McBride and then you have the students meeting their peers. Then the third is a vocal workshop run by a great vocalist named Lisa Henry and she’s a former Monk Competition winner. She does a great job.
“The way that those cats like Monk learned how to play and people like Wayne Shorter and Lee Morgan did was they went on the road with Art Blakey, for instance. Well Art Blakey isn’t on the road anymore.”
JAZZed: What is it that makes this program really work? JB Dyas: It’s because of two reasons. One is the age that they’re at. They’re like sponges and so eager to learn and so talented. And then, they in turn don’t get this opportunity for free. They’re teaching their peers around the country about jazz. Now, if I go into a classroom and say, “Hey, there’s more to music than rock’n’roll and hip-hop. You guys need to check out jazz!” they’re not going to hear me. But if it’s these kids who look like them and dress like them and talk like them – they can go out there and do a burning sax solo and a question-and-answer period afterward, and they can teach them all about it. They’re teaching about how jazz represents teamwork and unity with ethnic diversity, and the vital importance of listening to one another. Just the other day, the piano player said to the audience, after they asked him how much he practices, he said “I practice all the time. What you have to do is find a passion for something while you’re young, while you’re our age. It doesn’t have to be music. It could be business or law or anything. But whatever it is, you’ve got to find a passion for JAZZed July 2012 29
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something now and believe in yourself and be persistent. Work at it.” It was so great. He said, “The former generation hasn’t left us in the best circumstances, so it’s up to us. Maybe someone in this room will invent a car that runs on air.” The crowd erupted in applause. The vibe was so great. We go in these places and it’s like, “I ain’t gonna learn. You ain’t gonna make me learn.” These kids shuffle in
voicings or doesn’t know how to tell the bass player how to walk reading chord symbols. A lot of times they’re reading these big band charts where it’s almost concert band with a swing beat. Maybe it’s just saying, “Enough of these rock and roll barre chords – try these chords.” And after that, just by learning some new voicings and some comping patterns, he sounds so much better and authentic. Guitar
Thelonious Monk said that you learn how to play jazz two ways – you study with a master of the music, and you play with your peers. and slouch down. But halfway through the thing, they’re sitting on the edge of their seat and asking all these intelligent quesitons and it’s amazing to see the transformation in the audience. JAZZed: What kind of difference does a visit from these groups make musically for the host schools involved? JB Dyas: The big thing about this is that it’s 360-degree learning. The students are learning from these jazz masters, from their peers and faculty members, and they’re going in there and teaching these kids more about their jazz playing than some of their teachers have all semester. Maybe their teacher doesn’t know jazz piano
is one of those things where if you haven’t studied it, there are tons of voicings you don’t know. We understand that most of these students we teach are not going to be professional musicians, of course, but these students in the All-Stars, they’re all going to be pros. I’m positive of it. They’re all going to go to the top schools like Juilliard and Manhattan and the New School. But the people they’re teaching aren’t going to be pros necessarily, but the more experience they have with jazz, the more likely they are to be jazz connoisseurs and buy these kids’ records and go to jazz clubs and jazz festivals and support and enjoy the music for the rest of their lives.
The Institute’s septet bassist Alex Warshawsky with a drummer from Northeast High School.
JAZZed: What kind of traveling have these students from the Monk Institute gotten to do? JB Dyas: Some of the high schools that have done this are the Gallery 37 Center for the Arts in Chicago. We took them to Salt Lake City. We took the New Orleans Center for the Creative Arts to Miami. The Los Angeles County High School for the Arts have maybe gone every year – they’re one of the best. They’ve gone to Anchorage, Seattle, and Denver. The Booker T. Washington High School in Dallas
The Monk Institute Performing Arts High School Jazz Septet, Northeast High School Big Band, with Christian McBride (center), Dr. J.B. Dyas (second from right), and Northeast High School Director of Bands Bill Wenglicki (far right).
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Gettin’ to It: Christian McBride on the Peer-to-Peer Program JAZZed: How special is it getting to see students interacting with each other in this program? Christian McBride: In the end, it’s not unusual. That’s how people from every endeavor learn. There are definitely mentors, but the bulk of their time is spent learning from each other. JAZZed: It seems mixing that interaction with the presence of a seasoned pro like yourself is the core of this program. CM: That’s really what it’s all about. Having someone from the outside that’s been doing it longer than they have to give them examples or words of wisdom. It could be something that you do or say that you may not think is very significant but they’ll take it and run with it. So you never know how you’re inspiring people. JAZZed: Is there an example of anything like that? CM: I don’t know yet. I won’t know for a couple years! One of these young men will come up to me and say, “Remember when you said such-and-such?” I’ll say, “No.” “Well that really helped me a lot!” You’ve always got to be careful with what you do and say, because they’re listening. JAZZed: It seems like just in terms of leading by example, you have a great background in working with so many different kinds of musicians. CM: I’m starting to realize that when you work with lots of different musicians, younger and older, the goal is just to be the best musician you can possibly be and to be the best team player you can be. You don’t necessarily have to always learn that from an elder mentor. You can learn that from a peer. It doesn’t always have to be a world-renowned legend like Herbie Hancock or Wayne Shorter to come in and tell you what you need to do. Being around these younger musicians, I hear them talk about other musicians. They don’t necessarily talk about what that person told them verbally – they watch what they do. I think that’s how most of us learn. JAZZed: Was it that way when you were coming up? CM: Absolutely. Someone might ask me, “What did you learn from Freddie Hubbard?” That’s too hard a question to answer. It’s not like I sat in a classroom with Freddie and he said, “Lesson A, Lesson B.” Some of these things might not hit you in the heat of the moment playing with someone else. It might hit you later and you go, “Oh, right!” It’s really just the musician’s job to soak up as much information as humanly possible. JAZZed: What do you pick up in these situations? CM: I think the lesson for us, as visiting clinicians, is to understand that just because they’re students, it doesn’t mean I can’t learn something from them either. I think most musicians will live by that rule also. Just because I’ve been on more records than they have, it doesn’t mean they can’t show me something. So my antenna’s always up.
– we took his group to Los Angeles and once to Omaha, Nebraska with Gerald Clayton just last year. JAZZed: On this current trip with your All-Star group, the students are having a bonus perk of a professional recording session. How did that come about? JB Dyas: We’re going to Van Gelder studio, where so many of those classic Blue Note recordings were made. You know, Herbie and Wayne and Horace Silver and Lee Morgan and Hank Mobley – all those great Blue Note recordings were made at Van Gelder studio in Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey. So we’re going there and Don Sickler is producing the session. He produced Christian’s first two CDs. He does things with the Institute and he’s friends with Van Gelder, so he said, “Hey I can get you into the studio.” He loves working with young players. In fact he always organizes the rehearsals for the Monk Competition semi-finalists and finalists at the Kennedy Center. JAZZed: Will there be plans to release the recordings? JB Dyas: That’s up to Don. We’ll see – Don says we’ll have to see how it sounds. If it sounds great, yes. It’s no vanity project – it’s pretty serious. JAZZed: Everything is treated like a pretty professional situation. JB Dyas: Right. We’ll record all day Saturday and half a day Sunday, then everyone flies back to their respective homes that night out of LaGuardia. A piano student of ours named Antonio Madruga left Miami in the morning and his flight didn’t get into Philadelphia until 10:30 at night. So Christian was getting in around the same time and when they met up, he told Christian, “It took me over 15 hours to get here from Miami.” Christian told him, “Hey man, you’ve got your first road stripe.” What a great thing. So other than feeling so bummed out and bewildered, it made him feel really good about it.
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focus session
EXAMINING ‘QUICK STEP’
Bill Holman – Master Of Musical Unity BY PETE MCGUINNESS
N
EA Jazz Master Bill Holman is one of jazz music’s most brilliant artists – a composer/arranger who can be incredibly clever, humorous, and surprising, while always bringing a sense of logic and structure to his work. A great sense for truly swinging melody is also present in every note and figure he writes. But perhaps equally important is his mastery of creating a feeling of unity in a piece, accomplished so musically that the listener may not always be directly aware it is happening. Looking at or listening to a Holman score is like being on a treasure hunt, trying to find all the various ways that make every moment of his wonderful writing sensible and hang together. One of the first Bill Holman big band recordings I ever heard was his Great Big Band LP from 1960 (CapARRANGER itol), one of Bill’s most charming offerings. His original “Quick Step” off of that record is a classic example of all that makes Bill Holman a master of unity while keeping the listener surprised – aCOMPOSER truly difficult feat for any arranger, and one which Holman seems to do effortlessly. If possible, listen to the recording of this great arrangement to enhance what you will read in this article. What follows is by no means a complete analysis, but will try to hit on some key points that show Bill Holman’s great ability to create and maintain a feeling of unity during the course of jazz big band composition. “Quick Step” is structured in seven 24-bar choruses, starting with an eight-bar introduction and ending with four bars of concluding material. The intro (see Intro Score Reduction example) starts with the brass playing strong, fully voiced figures at the very beginning which includes a rhythmic motif (motif “X”) to be used frequently later in the chart as a counter figure.
"Quick Step" Intro Score Reduction Med. - Fast Swing Brass
&b ?b 32 JAZZed July 2012
4 4 4 4
b
A min7 ( 5)
> œ^ œ . œJ b œ œ Œ whole step f >œ saxes b œ .. Œ Ó ‰ f "X"
(1st four bars)
b
^ b >œ . œ b Xœ œ C 7+9b œ b œ œ œ^ œ œ b œ œ Œ ‰J Œ Œ ‰J J F etc... ww b b œ>œ .. ww Ó ‰ F
D 7+9
G min7 ( 5)
focus session Also seen is the prominence of the interval of the whole step, seen in both the range of each brass two-bar figure and in the two-part sax voicing below. The intro continues for four more bars (not shown), featuring various whole-step voicings in different grouping in the ensemble. After this, we are greeted with the first presentation of the melody (see Melody/Variations Segments examples), scored for unison trombones with saxes playing counter figures. It is a fairly straightforward yet catchy 24-bar melody set in three eightbar phrases structured in an A A’ B form. Harmonically, the A section is based more or less on G mixolydian,
“LOOKING AT OR LISTENING TO A HOLMAN SCORE IS LIKE BEING ON A TREASURE HUNT.” while A’ is a melodic and harmonic sequence down a whole step (now set over F mixolydian). This obvious key shift of a whole step between the first two sections itself ties into the importance of the whole step in general as a unifying element. We also see two other things coming to life as hinted at in the intro – the three pick-up notes in trombone melody cover a range of a whole step. The counter line in the saxes below are as well three notes within a range of a whole step, but also are structured with the same rhythm as motif “X” from the intro. The final B section of the song’s form is structured with moving harmony (basically in a diatonic turn-around cycle) with a stronger and more active swing feel and busier melodic activity. The en-
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tire 24-bar chorus is repeated with slightly different ending material and a short drum break to lead into the third 24-bar chorus (and first variation). Holman smartly gives us two full listenings of this melody chorus, allowing us to clearly remember it as he presents all of the many variations to follow. Now the fun really begins. Many arrangers, after having clearly established a strong introduction and mel-
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ody, would then normally move on to completely new material, often unrelated to any elements of either the introduction or main melody. Holman in this piece brings back elements of the original melody and/or counter figures over and over again at the start of each new chorus – sometimes in an obvious manner, sometimes cleverly hidden in the background. Variation #1 gives us his first revisiting of the melody chorus. It is
a nine-bar phrase at the top of the third chorus of the chart, acting as send-off into a piano solo. The original version of this phrase was presented mainly with the light texture of unison trombones and sax section counter figures. To counter that, Bill gives the melodic material to the entire horn section in tutti voicings, using two of the melody’s original first three notes (D and E), but presenting them later in the phrase (waiting until beat 3), starting with the E (rather than the D), and scoring all of this with a new rhythmic motif. Despite all of these alterations, one still feels a connection to the original first motif of the melody. In bars C and D of this variation notice how he very subtly reminds us of the basic rhythm and pitch range of the original sax counter figure at this spot in the form. Another very clever thing about this 9-bar phrase which only dawned on me later is how each two-bar ensemble figure enters one eighth-note earlier each time, until the final note of the phrase (bar I), breaking the pattern by entering on beat 2. This last hit also helps with the form by making the second eight-bar phrase of the song’s form (A’) sound more distinct. Variation #2 shows one of the things I love best about Holman – his ability to bring back the melodic material in backgrounds and counter lines. See how he starts this chorus with three pick-ups in unison trombone (like the original melody, but also using motiv “X” rhythmically displaced), but here the pitches are taken from the original sax counter figure. Unison saxes also appear in this phrase, answering the trombones with their original rhythmic figure (motiv “X”), but now with descending intervals and in a range above the trombones. Notice in both trombones’ and saxes’ motivs the melodic range of the whole step. Also notice how Hol-
focus session man subtly highlights the tritone sound by exposing the F# (#11 of C7) as the first note of the phrase in bar C of this variation. The listener might not even be aware of the relationship between this background material and that of the intro and/ ore opening chorus, as Holman has cleverly juggled so many of the melodic elements. Variation #3 presents the melody as yet another send-off, this time into Holman’s own tenor sax solo. The melody here is stated in the trumpets in octaves over harmonized saxes and trombones. He has an extra pick-up note – an A on beat 2 of the pick up bar, and continues into bars B and C exactly like the original. But notice in bar D the melody suddenly leaps up to a high A on the and-of one, one octave higher that that first extra pick-up and enclosing the entire nine-bar phrase. The saxes and trombones at the start are voiced featuring a sax lead line moving back and forth by a tritone (between C# and G). The tritone again appears in the lead sax in bars C and D, but in a different rhythmic structure and voicing, carefully avoiding overly obvious repetition. Variation #4 brings us to the arrangement’s exciting “Shout Chorus.” Now the melody appears in the sax section, strongly-voiced in octaves. The brass play fully-voiced counter figures above making use of the motif “X” rhythm in bars A and E, but adding an extra note on 4-and. As we look on into the remainder of this 8-bar example, notice how the melody in the saxes is much more active and embellished. The brass make use of a surprising new rhythmic grouping in bar C into D, which also highlights the tritone interval of the F# (#11) over the root of C. All of this helps to create a feeling of excitement as we continue on into the remainder of this chorus. Holman ends the Shout with tag-like tutti figures
against two-bar drum breaks, a recapitulation of the intro and first original melody chorus (no repeat of the melody chorus here), and some final humorous sounding ensemble stabs voiced in whole steps and separated by a tritone (B over A whole step in one group, F over Eb in another), giving us one final display of some of the unifying elements to this wonderful arrangement. In a recent phone conversation I had with Bill Holman, we talked about this piece. Bill is one of the most humble and straightforward people I’ve had the pleasure of speaking with. When I asked him about his thoughts on this chart, Bill simply responded by claiming “I got lucky with this one.” But he did acknowledge one thing he remembered about his thinking regarding this work – he said he was particularly happy about how the form of this chart worked out. I have tried to illuminate at least some of the reasons why Bill should indeed be happy. His work is a joy to listen to and to study. Whether writing for Stan Kenton, Gerry Mulligan, Woody Herman, Louis Bellson, Terry Gibbs, Count Basie, or the various bands of his own he has lead throughout the years, his charts have always been among my favorites and are one of the main reasons I personally chose to pursue the art of big band composing/arranging. Thanks Bill! I know I’m not alone in my gratitude.
Pete McGuinness is the professor of Jazz Arranging at William Paterson University in Wayne, N.J. and is a Grammy-nominated and NEA grant-winning big band composer-arranger. He has written music for numerous ensembles including The Dave Liebman Big Band, The Lionel Hampton Orchetra, Bill Mobley’s Smoke Big Band and The Westchester Jazz Orchestra. Pete leads his one New York City-based big band The Pete McGuinness Jazz Orchestra. His big band scores and compositions are available through Kendor Music publishing.
JAZZed July 2012 35
guest editorial
BOSTON
Make Room for Boston in Jazz History BY NAT HENTOFF
F
or many years, I’ve been pining for a history of jazz in the city where, at 12 – electrified by Artie Shaw’s “Nightmare” – this life force became my life vocation in learning and writing about its regenerating surprises. At last, Richard Vacca has brought back to life The Boston Jazz Chronicles: Faces, Places, and Nightlife 1937-1962 (Troy Street Publishing, Belmont, Mass. Also available on Amazon).
I’m in the book, having been immersed in the continually expanding Boston jazz scene from the late 1930s to 1953, when I left to become New York editor of DownBeat on the basis of jazz reporting from Boston I’d done for it and other publications. So thorough is Vacca’s research that I kept learning, for example, “there were black musicians playing jazz (in Boston) in the 1910s, the same decade in which they formed their own local in the American Federation Musicians – as also happened for years in other cities.
36 JAZZed July 2012
By the time I was part of the scene with my own jazz radio program on WMEX plus radio remotes from clubs, the audiences in some of these clubs were segregated. But, as Vacca demonstrates, their growing number, and ballrooms booking big jazz bands, led to more gigs for local players and frequent appearances by such visitors as Duke Ellington, Artie Shaw, Charlee Barnet, Sidney Bechet. Both on and off of WMEX, getting to know many of the musicians, my first mentor on writing about jazz was Duke Ellington. “Do not,” he said sternly, “categorize musicians. Open
guest editorial yourself to the music of each one and some, like Louis Armstrong and Charlie Parker, will stay with you.” “And don’t,” Duke added, “get limited by such terms as ‘old time Dixieland’ or ‘cutting edge boppers.’” And learning about Duke, at a ballroom where the band was playing, I heard a song entirely new to this chronicler of his music. At a break, I whispered to Harry Carney, “What was that?” “I don’t know,” said the amiable baritone saxophonist. “He just wrote it.” An enlivening and sometimes enraging part of the Boston jazz scene was George Frazier who, at The Boston Herald, was the first regular jazz columnist on a big-
The Savoy was one of the most racially integrated clubs in the city or probably New England, leading cops to enter the men’s room when not occupied – I sneakily saw this – and pocket the soaps and other amenities and later charge manager Steve Connolly with hygienic violations. Somehow Steve, always resourcefully in charge, disposed of the charges. Another club where Boston jazz also took fruitful root was the Ken Club. Before I was old enough to be legally admitted, I lied about my age and one night was exhilarated by a combo fronted by Wild Bill Davison and Sidney Bechet. Hot jazz beyond the ther-
lifelong value to me. This has not been the first such jazz-born wisdom. I was covering Ben Webster’s gig there. After he had left Duke Ellington to lead a group, Ben found that some club owners around the country wouldn’t pay the extra money for his rhythm section. He had to find local swingers. Sitting next to Ben at the bar in Wally’s one night, it had been all too evident that not even the mighty Ben could get these local cats to move into his groove. Suddenly Ben turned toward me and said: “Listen, kid, when the rhythm section ain’t making it, go for yourself!” That has leapt to my mind in arguments with editors and wives. Also a prominent figure and influence in Boston was “The Jazz Priest,” Father Norman O’Connor. Vacca, of course, gets us to know him well. He was the first priest I really got to know, one of our primary interests being so mutual. Vacca notes: “O’Connor was into everything that had to do with jazz… He found a place for jazz music in church services.” In 1954, the first Newport Jazz Festival, produced by George Wein (who has had a notable multi-dimensional impact on Boston and international jazz), “O’Connor was emcee at Newport and every festival thereafter for the time he was in Boston.” Also, in a role that may have been unique in any other city’s jazz history, Father O’Connor “discretely helped in solving the problems [of musicians’] everyday lives, arranging for medical care, family counseling, financial assistance, or housing. Nobody will ever know how many members of is flock helped this way.” Whatever their religion or non-religion, many in Boston’s jazz family were blessed. Among my most vivid Boston jazz memories are those of the local musicians as violinist Ray Perry. I had heard and marveled at Stuff Smith, but when seeking serenity, there was, as Vacca writes, Perry, “wordlessly singing the melody of a song as he bowed it on the violin, singing an octave below his playing.”
“JAZZBOSTON SHOULD BE STUDIED AS A MODEL FOR JAZZ COMMUNITIES IN OTHER CITIES WHO WANT TO EXPAND A DURABLE IMPACT ON ALL AGES.” city daily newspaper. He also had a radio program on a network-affiliated station on which he tested those listeners who had already concluded that certain musicians were hip and others were square. As far as I knew, this was unique to Boston. He’d play a recording without immediately giving the musicians’ names, often stunning listeners suddenly moved by someone they’d dismissed as square. If I were teaching Jazz History, I’d try that challenge. On the club scene, the one I almost lived in when I wasn’t working was the Savoy Café at the edge of the black section of town. Frazier wrote: “Boston jazz grew up at the Savoy.” Hyperbolic, but the club band led by Sabby Lewis was the most consistently astounding one in town and the Sunday jam sessions often had memorable surprises. At one, New Orleans clarinetist Edmund Hall was leading the combo and a kid, looking to be in his early teens, asked to sit in on the drums. Hall welcomed him and the youngster lifted the band and audience into swinging delight. His name, I found, was Roy Haynes and he went to a high school near where I lived.
mometer! Vacca sums up the singular value of the Ken Club to jazz history: “In its ten years of operation, the Ken was the downtown home for small-group swing and Dixieland, and it was important to Boston jazz because it created playing opportunities for local musicians, from high schoolers on up. “Teenagers played with jazz masters. You don’t find a lot of that anymore.” And there was Wally’s Paradise, still in operation, opened in 1947 by a black businessman, Joseph Walcott, who had operated a taxi service. One of his frequent fares was legendary Boston politician, James Michael Curley, whom I’d interviewed as a staffer at WMEX. Again, Richard Vacca gets to the core of the breakthrough by the first black jazz club owner in Boston when, fortunately, the mayor was James Michael Curley: “In 1946, a black businessman did not have the clout or the capital to obtain the necessary permits and licenses to operate a nightclub. And Curley was always on the lookout for votes, including the black voters to be welcomed at Wally’s” It was at Wally’s that I got advice from a jazz musician that has been of
JAZZed July 2012 37
guest editorial Years later, I was still telling jazz players around the country about Boston’s stirring story-telling, trumpet-playing Joe Gordon and the always intriguingly inventive pianist Jaki Byard who, as I am quoted in this book, was “a pervasive influence on nearly every young Boston musician who was interested in discovering new jazz routes.” Years later, in New York, when I ran the
Candid jazz label, it was with great pride and pleasure that this Bostonian recorded Jaki Byard. And also Cecil Taylor, from whom I first began to learn more of how to listen when we attended a Boston Symphony Orchestra concert together. Another beyond-category Boston jazz force was cornetist Ruby Braff, whom I’ve known since boyhood.
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38 JAZZed July 2012
The Boston jazz scene has been the foundation of my postgraduate jazz education as it also was for global jazz personality, George Wein, who discovered in Boston how to become, as Vacca genuflects, “pianist, club owner, artists’ manager, concert promoter, newspaper columnist, disc jockey, talent scout, television producer, university instructor, festival organizer, and record company executive.” I remember the fledgling George as the sometime house pianist and vocalist at the Savoy Café, often singing to the delight of young women there from Radcliffe and Simmons colleges, “Oh looky there, ain’t she pretty!” During my time in Boston, there were startup organizations trying to attract more listeners to jazz, but getting no interest, let alone encouragement from public officials or city cultural institutions. But in recent years, I doubt that any city in the country has had a more far-reaching organization than JazzBoston, headed by Pauline Bilsky, with, as I wrote when with Jazz Times, “a wide variety of collaboratively planned, independently produced performances and educational events in all kinds of venues throughout the city of Boston.” Its annual JazzBoston weeks is heralded, as usual, by a proclamation from Boston Mayor Thomas Menino. JazzBoston should be studied as a model for jazz communities in other cities who want to expand a durable impact on all ages. Most fittingly, among this year’s JazzBoston week events has been the “Launch of The Boston Jazz Chronicles: Faces, Places, and Nightlife, 1937-1962,” by Richard Vacca.
Nat Hentoff is one of the foremost authorities on jazz culture and history. He joined Down Beat magazine as a columnist in 1952 and served as that publication’s associate editor from 1953-57. Hentoff was a columnist and staff writer with The Village Voice for 51 years, from 1957 until 2008, and has written for The Wall Street Journal, Jazz Times, The Atlantic, and The New Yorker, among many other outlets.
HotWax
New & Notable Music Releases All dates are subject to change
Recent
Quantic Soul Orchestra – Pushin
On (Tru Thoughts)
Brazilian Trio – Constelacao
Daniel Schlappi – Essentials (Cavi-
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Music)
August 21
Bill Anschell, Brent Jensen, and Chris Symer – Blueprints (Origin) JoJo Effect – Not with Me (Chin Erin Boheme – What a Life (Heads Up)
Chin)
Kruglov/lapin/Yudanov – Impulse (Leo)
Bajka – In Wonderland (Chin Chin) Russel Garcia and His Orchestra – Play the Music of Johnny Green
Nils Landgren – The Moon The Stars and You (Act Music and Vision)
AHA! Quintet – Freespace (Jazz
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Peter Appleyard – Sophisticated
August 28
Compass)
Ladies (Linus)
Toxvaerd/Anderskov – Phone Book (ILK)
July 31
Lionel Loueke – Heritage (Blue
Note)
Sandra Marlowe – True Blue (Lo-
vedog!)
Julian Vaughn – On Your Feet (Trippin ‘N’ Rhythm)
August 14 Hot Club of Detroit – Junction (Mack Avenue)
Machine Head 4tet – Fuori Dal Chorus (Masaboba Edizioni)
Laurent Gavard – Africa (LGO) Duo Scorpion – Scorpion Tales
(American Modern)
Mobtown Modern Big Band – Re-
Rite of Spring (Innova)
John Abercrombie Quartet – With-
in a Song (ECM)
Holly Cole – Night (PID)
August 7
Geoff Eales – Red Letter Days (Nimbus)
Raynald Colom – Rise (Harmonia
Bugge & Henning – Last Spring
(ACT)
Mundi)
Carol Robbins – Moraga (Jazzcats) Natalie Cressman – Unfolding (Cressman)
David Basse – Uptown (Café Pacific) Hannah Burgé – Green River Ses-
sions (Burgé)
Fourth Page – Ticks and Moans
(Forwind)
If you have information on an upcoming album or music DVD release which you’d like to have included in the next issue of JAZZed, please e-mail associate editor Matt Parish at: mparish@symphonypublishing.com
JAZZed July 2012 39
jazzforum
www.aajc.us
The 2012 Let FREEDOM Ring: from Justice to Jazz Awards By: Dr. Larry Ridley, AAJC Executive Director On Friday, June 29, 2012, the African American Jazz Caucus presented “Let FREEDOM Ring: from Justice to Jazz Awards” ceremony at the Indiana Landmarks Center in Indianapolis, Indiana. Despite difficult weather conditions (extreme heat and a thunderstorm which knocked out power in parts of the city just hours before the event), a small but determined crowd of approximately 150 persons gathered at the Indiana Landmarks Center to join the African American Jazz Caucus’ celebration of freedom and to honor this years award recipients. Excitement filled the air as the evening began with a solo piano performance by Rev. Marvin Chandler, a 2011 recipient of the Jazz Masters Award. AAJC president, Bill Myers then welcomed the audience and provided opening remarks. Dr. James Tucker, the publisher of the African American Voice from Colorado Springs and member of the National Association of Juneteenth Jazz Presenters, offered his insight on the significance of Juneteenth. Dr. Larry Ridley, AAJC executive director, reported on the organization’s activities over the past year, including our “Bottom line: A good time was had by all!” participation in the 2012 JEN Conference last January in Louisville. He then shared the news of the Donald Meade Jazz Griot Award, introduced by Nenna Freelon, Marvin Sparks and several others, as a new initiative of the African American Jazz Caucus that was launched at the 2012 JEN Conference in Louisville. After the preliminaries, the award ceremony began by honoring each of the three distinguished musicians selected to receive the 2012 Jazz Masters Award.
Walker, Aretha Franklin, Brian Lynch, Kenny Washington, and Joshua Redman, to name a few. The Jazz Organ Fellowship, in Oakland, California, lead by President & Founder Pete Fallico offered a special video message of congratulations to Melvin from none other than jazz organ greats, Dr. Lonnie Smith & Chester Thompson. This was a special thrill for Melvin, which made him jump out of his seat with delight! Check it out!
The third recipient of the 2012 Jazz Masters Award was presented to jazz bassist and bandleader, Frank V. Smith.
The first recipient of the 2012 Jazz Masters Award was jazz drummer, Benny Barth. Benny Barth was an original member of the Mastersounds along with Buddy & Monk Montgomery. He has performed with many music acts over the years, most notably Duke Ellington, Joe Pass, John Hendricks, Barbra Streisand, Kenny Burrell, Billy Eckstein, Peggy Lee and with Vince Guaraldi on the famous “Linus & Lucy” tune. Unable to attend the event, his lifelong friend and 2011 Jazz Master Award recipient, Dr. Willis Kirk delivered his eloquent acceptance speech and received the award on Benny’s behalf. The next recipient of the 2012 Jazz Masters Award was renowned jazz organist Melvin Rhyne. Melvin Rhyne was an original member of the legendary Wes Montgomery Trio. Over the years, he played with Rahsaan Roland Kirk, Herb Ellis, B.B. King, T-Bone
40 JAZZed July 2012
Frank V. Smith has worked for many years and performed with the likes of Dizzy Gillespie, Zoot Sims, the Fifth Dimension, Teddy Wilson, and Michel LeGrande. Frank’s acceptance speech gave thanks to his mentors, Dr. David Baker and Jamey Aebersold (both 2011 Jazz Masters Award recipients) and many others who have inspired him along the way including legendary bassist and AAJC executive director, Dr. Larry Ridley. Frank took the opportunity to share his understanding of the connection of freedom and jazz.
jazzforum Another highlight of the evening was a special video message to Frank entitled, “Who is Frank Smith?,” in which several musicians from his hometown of Indianapolis recognized him in a most humorous way. You must see this! In an effort to further explore the relevance, significance and impact of jazz in a broader context on American culture and even more so, humanity, the African American Jazz Caucus introduced the Spirit of Freedom Awards (for the first time). By seeking new ways for us to view jazz and challenging the status quo’s limited dialogue of jazz as merely a music genre to that of recognizing its power as a social movement, the Spirit of Freedom Award allows us to extend our relevance beyond music/musicians to the larger community - enabling us to recognize those other peacemakers who share in the belief, and mission of working to advance the concept of freedom for all. The first presentation of the Spirit of Freedom Awards went to the following distinguished individuals: • Gilbert Holmes for Leadership (decorated U.S Army Officer and former Executive Director of the American Civil Liberties Union of Indiana).
in Indianapolis on November 9, 2012 during his promotional tour of his soon to be released book, co-written by Sharon Leslie Morgan, entitled Gather at the Table. Mr. DeWolf’s comments can be seen at:
Indiana Broadcast Pioneers Association and Mr. Jimmy “Mack” MacDowell. The evening entertainment, under the direction of bassist Thomas Brinkley, was provided by Allen Burke on keyboards, Al Shikaly on woodwinds, Brian Yarde (from Barbados) on drums, and featured the vocal talents of Ms. Sedalia Marie. After the event, many continued the celebration at the Chatterbox Jazz Club, an Indianapolis hot-spot, into the wee hours. Bottom line: A good time was had by all!
• Mari Evans for Literature (renowned African American author, poet, composer and educator) The Awards Ceremony concluded with a special video tribute dedicated to the late Indianapolis broadcast legend and jazz advocate, Chuck Workman. The video was provided courtesy of the
The African American Jazz Caucus extends its heartfelt thanks to this year’s sponsors, the Indiana Landmarks Center, and a special thanks to this year’s honorees. We look forward to the upcoming year! Please take a moment and visit our video channel on vimeo for more information and event highlights at: https://vimeo.com/channels/aajc
Northern Illinois University
A Legacy of Jazz Artistry Mr. Holmes acceptance speech can be seen on vimeo at:
Greg Beyer, Latin Jazz
Fareed Haque, guitar
Ron Carter, director of jazz studies
Rich Moore, saxophone
Robert Chappell, piano & theory
Willie Pickens, piano
Art Davis, trumpet
Kelly Sill, bass
Tom Garling, trombone
Rodrigo Villanueva, drumset
Lynn Slater Coordinator of Admissions, 815-753-1546, lslater@niu.edu
Graduate Assistantships Available • Thomas Norman DeWolf for Social Justice (public speaker, author of Inheriting the Trade and activist). Thomas DeWolf will also be hosted by the African American Jazz Caucus
JAZZed July 2012 41
crossword 1
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1 Paul Taylor tune (3 words) 7 Keith Jarrett album 9 Blue 10 Lennon collaborator 11 Buddy Guy music 12 Snack 13 One ___ Million by Larry Graham, Jr. 15 Latin dance 18 Musical notations 19 Practice before a gig 22 Katy Perry song 23 ’80s band, with Adam 24 Paul Chambers, for one 28 Credit (abbr.) 29 Swing, for one 30 Duo 31 All-time great guitarist 33 Common word for a backing group 34 Compass direction 36 Rhythm in poetry 37 First name of the jazz singer on Closer to You:The Pop Side
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40 Nils number (2 words) 41 Developed 42 “Under your ___” Bob Dylan 43 Great tenor saxophonist, Joe
Down 1 Jackiem Joyner hit 2 “Still in Love with You” singer 3 Eric ____’s “Heaven In Your eyes” 4 ____/Nocturnes trio 5 The sound portion of a film 6 Big brass 7 Title of a Collin Valon album 8 “Midnight at the ____, put your camel to bed” Maria Muldaur song 14 Non-serial ____ 16 Quality of communication 17 “Let it __”: Beatles advice 19 Musical notation indicating a silence 20 Musical ability 21 Changes 24 Peter _____’s Live at Smalls 25 Sonny Fortune’s instrument
26 “Poison ___”, Coasters’ song 27 The “Big T’ 28 Creator of The Complete 1961 Village Vanguard Recordings 31 Creator of the Time of the Sun album 32 Essence of life? 35 “Man __ Fire” movie 36 Jazz drummer, Bob ____ 37 Bebopper 38 Over 39 You’re Under Arrest creator
For the solution to this issue's crossword, visit:
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JazzEd Readers, I'm currently conducting research on the history of jazz radio, with a particular focus on some of the legendary voices of the medium. I'm seeking airchecks of historically important jazz radio programmers and deejays. If you have, or know where I might track down, such airchecks (program recordings) in any format please contact me at afrhy2649@gmail.com. Peace, Willard Jenkins www.openskyjazz.com Home of The Independent Ear Sent via BlackBerry
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Backbeat
Guitarist Pete Cosey (1943 – 2012)
Longtime blues and jazz guitarist Pete Cosey recently passed away from surgery complications in Chicago near his home in Evanston, Ill. Cosey, a native of that city, was perhaps best known for performing with the groundbreaking Miles Davis Band between 1973 and 1975, including recording work on Davis’s albums Get Up with It, Dark magus, Agharta, and Pangaea. Cosey was known for his gritty guitar tone, spiced up with a bit of distortion and flange effects which earned him comparisons to Jimi Hendrix and which served as an inspiration to later guitarists like Vernon Reid. He later performed on Herbie Hancock’s Future Shock album as well as replacing Bill Frissell in the Power Tools trio (which included Melvin Gibbs and Ronald Shannon Jackson). Cosey began playing guitar when he moved to Phoenix with his mother, though he had been formerly trained on the violin before that. He began his career as a session musician with Chess Records, serving to support musicians like Etta James, Howlin’ Wolf, Muddy Waters, and Chuck Berry. He performed with early versions of Earth, Wind & Fire as well. When asked about his time with Miles Davis’s uncompromising projects in the early ‘70s, Cosey told author George Cole, “I just thought we were playing music, like in any other sessions. I would give a thousand percent and try and improve all the time. That’s the way you make music grow and keep it alive and Miles understood that, which was why he was constantly changing the band, textures here in different songs; changing up movements, so I don’t know if you could call that uncompromising; it was like works of art in progress.”
48 JAZZed July 2012
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Jazz Education Network 4th Annual Conference Networking the jazz arts community... local to global!
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