The Jazz Culture
Count Basie Orchestra at Frank Wess's Memorial at St. Peter's Church
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The Frank Wess Memorial Photocoverage
Frank Wess's Daughters Francine and Michelle; Partner Sarah Tsutsumi; Grand daughter in law Dana; two ofhis four great grandchildren;
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In These Pages On Saturday, January 4, 2013, the Frank Wess Memorial 1‐9 Frank Wess Memorial took place at St. Peter's Church, and the production Review of Cafe Society Swing John Watson, England 10‐12 equalled that of any jazz concert, production, club or festival evening Frank Wess Memorial cont.13‐ 15 done in New York or anywhere in the January listings 17‐18 world. Organized by Jimmy Owens and Jerry Dodgion, the evening showed Mr. Wess at his best, and why the nickname "Magic" was so apt. Mr. Wess's career took place during seven decades that spanned much of the Golden Age of jazz. The evening began with a prayer led by Pastor Lind, pastor Emiritus of St. Peter's. That was followed by a video of Mr. Wess performing an exquisite rendition of "Lush Life," a masterpiece and one of the most harmonically complex ballads in jazz, composed by Billy Strayhorne, accompanied by his high school pal Billy Taylor. The beautiful tone quality, the interpretation, the rhythmic poise, great articulation and phrasing were breathtaking.
A master musician, well trained by experts, Mr. Wess had a hip attitude, witty and funny quips belied the dedication and hard work required to reach the master level in jazz or any other serious music. This was the reason he was idolized by many younger jazz musicians.
The crowd at St. Peter's; Right, Joe Wilder and Michael Weiss The Jazz Culture, V.III:1
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George Gee, Rossano Sportiello, Clarence Banks, Ilya Lushtak, Jimmy Heath and Lew Tabackin Kenny Barron, Rufus Reid, Akira Tana, Lew Tabackin/Terrell Stafford, Michael Weiss
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Richard Wyands, Terrell Stafford, Ms. Ueda, Peter Washington, Larry Ridley, Marion Cowings, Mr. & Mrs. Leroy Williams
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Patience Higgins, TK Blue, Antonio Hart, Wynton Marsalis, Scott Robinson, Wynton Marsalis, Howard Johnson, Jerry Dogion w/gentleman, Philip Bingham/Richard Clements, Tadataka Unno,Mr. Ranel, Winard Harper, Ilya Lushtak, Antonio Hart
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The Count Basie Orchestra sets up, showing Butch Miles, d, Ed Cherry, g, Clarence Banks, trombone, Doug Lawrence, tenor saxophone; Bill Crowe and Jimmy Owens, talking and earlier playing, Akira Tana and Bill Crowe, Barry Harris and Lodi Carr.
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Melba Moore, Kiane Zawadi, Clarence Banks, Mr. & Mrs. Leroy Williams, Mrs. Richard Wyands, Kim Clarke, Bobby Lavell, the Count Basie Orchestr.
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FRANK WESS MEMORIAL CELEBRATION
by L. Hamanaka
A memorial celebration to honor Frank Wess took place Saturday January 4, on Mr. Wess’s birthday at St. Peter’s Church on 54th Street and Lexington Avenue. Pastor Lind, Pastor Emeritus of the jazz community, led a prayer to open the evening. A video showing Mr. Wess play “Lush Life,” with Billy Taylor, a musician who switched from saxophone to piano after he heard Mr. Wess play. The organizers of the event revealed many of Mr. Wess's achievements, with most songs originals he had composed, and many of his colleagues from different eras of jazz present. Then an ensemble of: Lew Tabackin, Terrell Stafford, Rufus Reid, Akira Tana and Michael Weiss played “Backfire,” a Wess original at about 220=quarter note, a spirited tune on rhythm changes. Mr. Tabackin played his signature warm throaty delivery, a fluid solo with passion, Mr. Stafford played fiery and gleaming notes on a scalar solo that peaked on high notes, Rufus Reid’s full and lovely tone and Akira Tana’s swinging and masterful style sounded really together, and Mr. Weiss’s solo was in the zone. A duet of Joe Temperly on bass clarinet and Kenny Barron playing a haunting ballad, another original by Mr. Wess, characterized by wide intervals that faded into nothingness on a long tone at the end followed. Todd Barkan spoke, giving a series of recollections about his client and friend: “This is all about Magic (Mr. Wess’s nickname) and all the beauty he brought into this world…His family wanted him to play violin or cornet…At ten he got his first saxophone and he said ‘I was set for life.’” Noting that Mr. Wess studied with Henry Grant (a confidante of Duke Ellington) and the sister of James Europe, Mr. Barkan also recalled that…”he memorized all his (Lester Young’s) solos.” A series of lucky events blessed cont. on p. 1 4 The Jazz Culture, V. III:1
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ENGLAND EVENT ‘CAFÉ SOCIETY SWING’ REVIEW By JOHN WATSON
John Watson Photo by: Max Garr
Artists & Band: Cherise AdamsBurnett, China Moses, Alexander Stewart & Harold Sanditen with the Café Society All Stars Venue: Leicester Square Theatre, London, UK Date: Sunday 22nd December 2013
It is a chilly Sunday evening in late December and I am in the heart of London’s West End Theatre district. However, I have not come to Leicester Square Theatre to watch a Christmas show or pantomime. Instead, I have come to see Café Society Swing; a musical revue originally commissioned for the London Jazz Festival based on the book Café Society: The Wrong Place for the Right People by Barney Josephson and Terry Trilling-Josephson. The house-lights go down to reveal a man in 1940’s style suit walking through a stage set that resembles a nightclub bandstand. The man is American Harold Sanditen (playing the part of the late Barney Josephson) and, as he begins his narration, the audience is transported back to New York in the late 1930’s and reminiscences of Barney’s club. Soon, an eight piece band appears on stage led, on piano, by Alex Webb (the show’s creator) and the musicians get into full swing with a song by Alex aptly entitled Café Society. Harold (Barney) explains to audience how his club was 10
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ground-breaking by being the first non-segregated venue in New York then proceeds to tell of the many and varied artists who performed there from Big Joe Turner to Billie Holiday. Each anecdote leads nicely into a musical number performed by singers Cherise Adams-Burnett, China Moses and Alexander Stewart. All three do a great job and throw themselves into the performance. Alexander; sings Roll ‘Em Pete (paying tribute to Big Joe Turner) while China Moses (daughter of Dee Dee Bridgewater) exudes confidence and shows her experience interacting with (and encouraging) the musicians whilst singing What A Little Moonlight Can Do (as a tribute to Billie Holiday). Notice, I don’t say they “play the part of” those singers. This is a musical revue and each singer, whilst acknowledging the original artist, brings a part of themselves to the songs they perform. That said, I was very impressed by Cherise who had to tackle a vast array of songs/singers including Where Or When (as a nod to Lena Horne), Hurry On Down (Nelly Lutcher) and even the folk song Lord Randall. I really felt Cherise nailed each one and, with great stage expressions and looks reminiscent of a young Whitney Houston, she is certainly a name to watch out for in the future. We also learn about other important historical facts relevant to the period (and the club) such as the witch-hunt for communists portrayed perfectly in a close harmony vocal number featuring all three singers entitled Red Scare (again written by Alex Webb). Particular praise goes to Miles Danso on acoustic bass who really held the rhythm and kept up the energy of the number whilst accompanying the vocalists on his own towards the end of the song. All the musicians did a fine job producing good solos when required. Frank Griffith (on tenor sax and clarinet) showed his experience and personality with witty quotations from classical pieces (and even Christmas carols) during his solos. Frank also wrote a couple of the arrangements of which I particularly enjoyed Where Or When (great harmonies). Nathaniel Facey (on alto sax) 11 The Jazz Culture, V. III:1
certainly pleased the audience with some inventive solos. However, I did feel his solos were often in an extremely modern jazz idiom which didn’t fit musically with the historical period of the revue. In contrast, Sue Richardson (on trumpet) really embraced the era; not only in her soloing style and tone but even in her body language. Out of all the Miles Danso, b musicians, she seemed the most aware of the importance of the visual effect of the show to the audience (not just the music itself). There were also good performances from Jo Caleb (guitar), Nathaniel Cross (trombone) and Shane Forbes (drums). A problem which caused the digital baby grand piano to stop working after the second number of the show meant that there had to be an early interval while they replaced the instrument. Frustrating though it must have been for piano-player Alex, the hiccup only served to put the audience more behind the performers and nobody seemed to mind the official Interval being missed out due to the delay. In conclusion, I enjoyed the show and learned a lot of facts about the era in an entertaining way. I thought the choice of songs certainly managed to encapsulate the vast variety of artists who performed at Café Society and singers Alexander, Cherise and China rose to the challenge of giving the audience an impression of each of those artists. Alex Webb’s original songs sounded authentic to the period and helped the overall programme to gel. I can see potential for the show to be performed with a bigger band and more singers (allowing for each singer to just play one character) and maybe even a movie or TV special. However, there is certain charm in its present form and the theatre audience gets the feeling of being in a jazz club. If that encourages theatre-goers to visit some jazz clubs, that can’t be bad thing! 12
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BARRY HARRIS JAZZ WORKSHOP FIVE DAYS MASTERCLASS FOR ALL MUSICIANS AND SINGERS From Monday 17 to Friday 21 March 2014 Felt music club & school – via degli Ausoni 84 – Rome, Italy
Barry Harris is one of the world’s most respected jazz piano players and teachers, considered by many to be the foremost interpreter of the music of Bud Powell, Tadd Dameron and Thelonious Monk. For more than half a century, Harris has played with the giants of jazz including Dizzy Gillespie, Miles Davis, Dexter Gordon, Cannonball Adderley and Coleman Hawkins, travelling the world over as an ambassador of jazz (www.barryharris.com) Schedule:
Piano and Guitars 11:00 – 13:00 Singers 14:30 – 16:30 Horns & General workshop 16:30 – 18:30 On Friday 21 classes last one hour and an half 160 €qQCostCc‐Cc15015015011 for the week/40€
Fees: for daily seminar Accomodation: b & b or private apts, from 15 € per night BARRY HARRIS TRIO FELT CLUB – CONCERT FRIDAY 21 MARCH 9:30 PM Luca Pisani,b;Oreste Soldano, d Admission: 15 €
MONDAY TO THURSDAY JAM SESSION EVERY NIGHT Info: ass. cult. roma jazz workshop anna pantuso +39-339 3383139 annapantuso@hotmail.com luciano fabris +39-328 6748724 lucianofabris@hotmail.com
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Cont. from page 9 Mr. Wess with meeting the right people at the right time. He was a veteran who joined the military band. When he got out, Billy Eckstine offered him the chance for greater exposure and he took it. Then Mr. Wess became a member of Count Basie’s New Testament band.
“Small Talk” another Wess original, featuring Noriko Ueda, bass, Michael Weiss, Frank Wess at Birdland Steve Turre, Terrell Stafford, Scott Robinson on baritone and bass flute, Ted Nash on tenor, Greg Gilbert on trumpet and Winard Harper on drums was next, a groovy tune at about 132=quarter note. A charming song in the swing dance style, Ms. Ueda was strong on bass and Mr. Harper subtle and steady. Then Mr. Robinson, with a beautiful tone, and playing on a bass flute given to him by Mr. Wess, played “Listen to the Dawn,” a Kenny Burrell ballad. “Tryin’ to Make My Blues Turn Green,” a blues about 168=quarter note, was next, with Peter Washington on bass, the same horn section as above, and Dennis Mackrel on drums. Mr. Washington played groovy lines, over Mr. Mackrel’s tenor/baritone sounding drum tessitura, Mr. Turre’s solo was reminiscent of the cool school, ending on a passionate high note, with Mr. Stafford playing fiery lines, a soulful swinging rendition. On “Menage a Bleu,” a bluesy tune with an urban feel, the band was led by Ilya Lushtak, a guitarist whom Mr. Mackrel (as MC) noted, thought that Frank Wess was not getting enough records out in 2003, and produced cd’s called “Frank and Hank” with Hank Jones on piano. Tal Ronen was on bass, Winard Harper drums, giving strong support to the soloists, Tadataka Unno was on piano, and Antonio Hart on alto saxophone. Mr. Unno played flighty lines, quick scalar runs ending on an upbeat, Mr. Lushtak 14
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doubled triplet figures and had a strong baritone sound on guitar, and Mr. Hart did a bluesy and soulful solo on alto. “Placitude” followed, a beautiful ballad by Mr. Wess played on flugelhorn by Jimmy Owens, one of the organizers of the memorial-celebration. A modern ballad with challenging intervals, a sort of “looking down from the mountain” with the sound of inner peace, given by Mr. Owens’ beautiful sound on the flugelhorn, who showed that Mr. Wess could write in modern idioms and played a solo with wide intervals and in post bop modalities. Michael Weiss, on piano, created an appropriate setting to the piece. “The Joy of Sax,” actually “Cottontail” by Duke Ellington, was next, in a group led by Jerry Dodgion, a saxophone player who worked for many years with Mr. Wess, and who was coproducer of the evening. Doug Lawrence, from the Count Basie band, played a good solo on tenor, displaying inventiveness and excellent technique throughout all registers, and Dan Block was also on tenor, Steve Wilson was on alto, with Jay Branford on baritone. Mr. Dodgion thanked Mr. Wess, who was “a very caring person” for his encouragement, criticism, and wit. He said he first met Mr. Wess in Las Vegas where he was playing in the Red Norvo Quartet in 1958. The group had great timing and swung. Mr. Dodgion used space and rhythmic variety in his solo. Richard Wyands, on piano, displayed humor, warmth and unpredictable flurries of notes spanning many octaves, like the antics of a rabbit. Another legend, Jimmy Heath on tenor, played “Easy Living” a duo with Kenny Barron on piano, by Leo Robin and Ralph Rainger. Mr. Heath, who has his own brand of magic, played a gentle, soulful, flowing and flowery ode ending on an accented note, a warm and lustrous solo. Mr. Barron played tenderly, voicing chords to support understated lines that were graceful, quiet and appropriate. The Jazz Culture, V. III:1
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Wynton Marsalis appeared, ushered on by one of Mr. Wess’s daughters, and played “Embraceable You” in a whispery tone that became fuller in the second chorus, inserting chromatic falls and opening up his tone as he reached for some high notes. Mr. Barron played through the changes between choruses, with witty comments and his left hand doing some stride. Dr. Larry Ridley then made some remarks, recalled instances with his old friend talking about mouthpieces, and Mr. Wess’s famous message machine witticisms. He offered Cecilia Foster’s regrets, due to illness, that she could not be present. Frank Foster recorded a lot with Mr. Wess. Mr. Mackrel introduced Mr. Wess’s daughters Michell and Francine and thanked them for sharing their father with the jazz world, and also Sarah Tsutsumi, Mr. Wess’s partner for the last decades of his life. The Count Basie Orchestra, that Mr. Wess worked with for over ten years, appeared as a surprise treat to most of the audience. On saxophones: Doug Lawurence, Cleve Guiton, Marshall McDonald, Jay Brandford and Doug Miller. Trumpets: Bruce Harris, James Zollar, Tanya Darby, Bill Dowling. Trombones: Clarence Banks, Alan Walker, Don Tucker and Mark Williams. Piano: Monty Alexander; Ed Cherry, guitar, Marcus MacLaurine, bass and Butch Miles, drums Scotty Barnhardt, the new Conductor appeared. He gave a full throated and strong solo on trumpet. They played “Half Moon Street,” “Segue in C,” and “Shiny Stockings,” the Frank Foster standard. A band of flaming joy and precision, with full toned power that preserves the great tradition of swing. The thousand guests and musicians mingled later in the Living Room of St. Peters. There were many luminaries of the jazz world in attendance, including Joe Wilder, Mr. Wess’s cohort from the swing era. 16 The Jazz Culture, V. III:1
The Jazz Culture Newsletter
Wishes the Jazz World Community a Happy, Healthy Prosperous 2014! Jazz Tours in NYC are available; also music teachers in various countries for students & jazz lovers. email: info@thejazzculture.com. Ads are available in The Jazz Culture Newsletter. The Jazz Culture Newsletter has been read in 63 countries in the past year. Brian McMillen is a contributing Photographer. Connie MacNamee and Arnold J. Smith are contributing writers." Countries: US, UK, Albania, Argentina, Australia, Austria, Belgium, Bangladesh, Belize, Brazil, Burma, Bulgaria, Canada, China, Chile, Colombia, Czech Republic, Denmark, Ecuador, Egypt, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Holland, Hong Kong, Hungary, India, Indonesia, Iraq, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Japan, Kazakhstan, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malaysia, Mexico, Moldova, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Philippines, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Russian Federation, Serbia, Seychelles, Singapore, South Africa, South Korea, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey, Ukraine, Uzbekistan, Venezuela,
Lionelle Hamanaka's single, "Lost Puppy Blues" is available on CD BABY for kids, with Richard Wyands, Ron McClure and Leroy Williams. see: lostpuppyblues.com
January Listings Clarence Banks, Trombone‐ Swing 46 most Thursdays with Felix and the Cats, 346 W. 46 St.
Kim Clarke, Jan. 6 International Women in Jazz, St. Peter's, 54th & Lexington 8 p.m. Richard Clements‐ Pianist, 11th Street Bar most Mondays, 8 p.m. Kenney Gates, pianist. Philadelphia, Tues., Sun. some Sats.‐ High Note Cafe on Tasker & 13th, 5‐9 p.m. Bertha Hope ‐ Minton's on 206 W. 118 Street George Gee Orchestra at Swing 46, every Tues, most Fridays 9:30
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Lafayette Harris: Thanks
to all Jazz Culture Subscribers who contributed to Mr. Harris's campaign
Loston Harris: Bemelmans Bar at The Carlyle; Tues ‐ Thur 9:30pm ‐ 12:30am, Fri‐Sat 9:30pm‐1:00am Bemelmans Bar Residency 12th year at The Carlyle, 35 East 76th St., New York, NY 10021 (76th St. & Madison Ave.) 212‐744‐1600 Jim Malloy with Felix & the Cats at Swing 46 every Thursday in January‐check with club
Mark McGowan Jan 15 at St. Peter's Church, 1 p.m. John Mosca & Michael Weiss, Vanguard Orchestra every Monday at the Village Vanguard 8 p.m. Bill Saxton; Every Friday and Saturday Bill’s Place 1 33 Street Valery Ponomarev‐ January 1 Zinc Bar 82 West 3rd Street Murray Wall, bassist, 11th Street Bar most Mondays, 8 p.m. Leroy Williams, drums: Minton's Sun & Tues 2‐6 W. 118 St. ENGLAND: John Watson Trio at the Palm Court, Langham Hotel, London, 1c Portland, Regent St. 207‐636‐1000 Fri‐Sat
Some of the subscribers of The Jazz Culture Newsletter performing in January, 2014: Jimmy Cobb, Kenny Gates, Richard Wyands, Mark McGowan, Patience Higgins, Michael Weiss
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