The Jazz Culture Feature
THE DAVID PEARL TRIO by L. Hamanaka Caught the David Pearl Trio and singer Isadora Hicks, with Rodney Harrison, drums and Paul Beaudry, bass at Sophie’s, a lady who has several cabaret spots around town, this one at 301 West 53rd Street, between 8-9 Avenues. The first song heard was a bossa nova at about 120=quarter note, which Ms. Hicks sang in Portuguese in a lyric soprano in tune, while the trio provided strong support. The song had a lilting quality of beaches and breezes that suited the singer. Mr. Pearl’s solo started with four notes of repeating seconds, cascading down into a scalar run and then he The Jazz Culture, V.III:32 1
invented counter melodies to the theme. The drummer was strong, and Ms. Hick’s voice played well against the bass player, who focused his lines in the lower register, creating a nice contrast. The drummer traded 8’s with the pianist and singer. The audience was clearly charmed by the song. The next song was by Michel Petruccian, “Looking Up,” a fluid song that Mr. Pearl played alone for the first chorus, like notes cascading from a mountain, the song’s melody has an open quality with some blue notes. The “B” section is romantic and turbulent contrast played with arpeggiated chords, like a spirit rising above earthly concerns. The effect was a fusion tune with some folk and pop elements. The song would suit someone from an environment close to nature, not an urban feel. In the second chorus, the drums and bass joined Mr. Pearl breaking into a bossa feel about 120=quarter note. The melody has a middle American feel which seems determined to find a positive answer to whatever pains erupt in life’s path. Mr. pearl used the piano orchestrally to build a driving three chord rhythm that rose in a crescendo. The group then moved to a lyric vein to restate the melody and ended with feather light cymbals and a repeated bass line that doubled the time with the piano. The bass and drums were sensitive to and matched the dynamic levels of the pianist. “Brown Skinned Girl” was the next song, based on a Jamaican folk tune, a feature for Paul Beaudry, the bass player. It was a simple repeated lick in octaves with light brushes by Mr. Harrison. Mr. Beaudry played in a sweet tone in his middle register reminiscent of Jamaican music. It is a very catchy melody played with perfect articulation and rhythm by bass and drums, a lovely theme ending on a repeated lick over a vamp with a punctuated note to end the piece. “It’s a Raggy Waltz” by Dave Brubeck was next, a charming waltz at about 106=quarter note, Mr. Pearl’s somewhat funky solo was played in a Horace Silver-like perambulation, full of 8th note 2
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triplets that were well syncopated, chording and delicately inserted 16th note triplets with accents anticipating the downbeat, finding simple accents that made an impact.. The bass player has a good melodic sense and added some twangs, climbing the scale and descending in triplets, playing through all his registers with a good bluesy feel.
In these pages David Pearl Trio at Sophie's 1‐4 July Listings 5‐6 John Watson Ad Kuni Mikami Ad Roma Jazz Workshop Ad Barry Harris NY Workshop 11‐ 12
“Funkallero” by Bill Evans— (about 160=quarter note) Mr. Pearl played the melody in a groovy way, with accents that make the song jump out at you, coming alive like a wild garden of spring colors. Mr. Pearl has a nice playful sense of humor that infuses his style, but his phrasing does not quite have the precise bop articulation as he sometimes approaches the scalar lines, accentuating each note at a rapid pace. Mr. Pearl sometimes doubled into 16th note runs and got a bit edgy in his solo,
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Rodney Harrison on drums and Isadora Hicks, vocalist at Sophie's
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cont. p. 8 The Jazz Culture, V.III:32
The Jazz Culture Newsletter 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 79 countries. Brian McMillen is a contributing Photographer. Connie MacNamee and Arnold J. Smith are contributing writers." Countries: US, UK, Albania, Argentina, Armenia, Australia, Austria, Bahrain, Barbados, Belarus, Belgium, Bangladesh, Belize, Brazil, Burma, Bulgaria, Canada, China, Chile, Colombia, Croatia, Czech Republic, Denmark, Ecuador, Egypt, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Gibraltar, Greece, Holland, Hong Kong, Hungary, India, Indonesia, Iran, Iraq, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Japan, Kazakhstan, Kenya, Latvia, Lebanon, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malaysia, Mauritius, Mexico, Moldova, Montenegro, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Pakistan, Peru, Philippines, Poland, Portugal, Puerto Rico, Romania, Russian Federation, Saudi Arabia, Serbia, Seychelles, Singapore, South Africa, South Korea, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Thailand, Turkey, Ukraine, Uzbekistan, Venezuela, Vietnam
July Listings Robert Anderson‐ Saturdays, Univ of the Streets 10:30 Clarence Banks‐ Swing 46 w/ Felix and the Cats, 346 W. 46 St. Ray Blue: Germany tour Bertha Hope: pianist/quintet every Thurs, Fri & Sat at Mintons Restaurant,116th&St Nicholas Av. Reservations strongly recommended. 212‐243‐2222 Richard Clements: Pianist, 11th Street Bar most Mondays, 8 Luciano Fabris‐Rome George Gee Orchestra at Swing 46, every Tues, most Fridays 9:30 Lafayette Harris: July 3‐ Solo piano at Antique Garage, 41 Mercer St./ Grand Ave.7‐10pm no cover, great food! July 9 ‐Jazzmobile, Grants Tomb at 122 St & Riverside Drive w/Houston Person‐free: 7 p.m. July 10‐The Great Hall at The Metropolitan Opera NYC‐Private party July 14‐Antique Garage, 41 Mercer St..Grand Ave. 7‐10 July 19‐ Sankofa Aban, 107 Macon St. Brooklyn NY $30 cove
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show/dinner Loston Harris: Bemelmans Bar at The Carlyle; Tues ‐ Thur 9:30pm ‐ 12:30am, Fri‐Sat 9:30pm‐1:00am The Carlyle, 35 East 76th St., New York, NY 10021 (76th St. & Madison Ave.) 212‐744‐1600 Mike Longo: Tuesdays Gillespie Auditorium in the NYC Baha'i Center at 53 East 11th Street 8:00 and 9:30 Joe Magnarelli: July 6, Sun. leads Small’s late session John Mosca & Michael Weiss, Vanguard Orchestra every Monday at the Village Vanguard 8 p.m. David Pearl‐ Mondays at the Thalia, 95 St. bet. B'way & West End 8 p.m.; David Pearl Trio, Thurs. July 24, 7 p.m, Fri. July 25 at 9:30 p.m. Sophie's 318 West 53rd Street, Tix: 15/20 with Code DPT63 Valery Pomoronov‐ Zinc Bar on the first Wednesday in July, 9:30 p.m. Bill Saxton: Every Friday and Saturday Bill’s Place 133 Street
Rick Stone: Tour in Cleveland,
Evans Thompson, pianist, concert on August 2, Original, Rumba, Jazz, and Bebop,All Stars Project / Castillo Theater 453 W.42 St.10‐11th Ave ‐Aug. 2‐ 1 PM Free Murray Wall, bassist, 11th Street Bar most Mondays, 8 p.m. Leroy Williams, drums: Minton's Sun & Tues 2‐6 W. 118 St.
THE JOHN WATSON TRIO LEEE JOHN & JOHN WATSON ON BBC LONDON 94.9
Tony Blackburn Special - Friday 25th July 2014 from 7.00 to 10.00pm On Monday night, John played keyboard with Leee John at a Secret Gig for the BBC to celebrate Tony Blackburn's 50 years of broadcasting. A recording of the evening will form part of a Tony Blackburn Special broadcast across all BBC local radio stations this Friday and you can listen at: http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p022qmkw NEW IMAGINATION & HAPPY VIDEOS UPLOADED. You can now watch videos of John performing keyboard/vocal with Leee John & Imagination on 5th July: Flashback - Leee John & Imagination @ Chilfest and also piano/vocal with his quintet at a recent event in Austria: Happy - John Watson vs. Pharrell Williams. John's videos at: www.youtube.com/johnpianoman
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KUNI MIKAMI, Pianist is also an acclaimed, talented Videographer Special Introductory Sale: Five Minute Edited (with music) Video Resume for Performers $300 Contact Kuni @: 123mime@gmail.com
Artist must provide: • Good quality HD video on computer file • Good recorded audio sound • A photo of yourself • Text you want to see on the video
Luciano Fabris in Rome, David Pearl at Thalia, Mike Longo Trio at the Bahai Center on Tues. July 15, July 6, Leroy Williams at Minton's, The Jazz Culture, V.III:32
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cont. from p. 4 which suited the piece. His interpretation sounded almost classical in technical attitude, as opposed to the way he played the theme, with a full fat tone, sometimes articulating each note too individually which makes the line more vertical and less horizontal, not leaning forward. This is a slight imperfection that he will undoubtedly overcome, and it might be due to the piano action. Some pianos have a very stiff action. The bass player swings and used some octave drops with scalar lead ins to key notes. The drummer plays consistent time well and has a circular sense of the beat with a powerful controlled sound; he plays in synch with the pianist as he restated the lovely theme.
Ms. Hicks sang “It Was Just One ofThose Things,” by Cole Porter at about 250=quarter note in a relaxed fashion using her lower register. On the second chorus she used some altered rhythms and a few departures from the melody, and changed her phrasing a bit. Mr. Pearl did a scalar solo at an exciting tempo. The arrangement slowed to end at about 120=quarter note, a great tune for jazz singing, settling into an easy swing. Ms. Hicks has an unusual quality to her mid-lower register, though she chooses to sing in her mid-upper register most of the time and a somewhat “sparrow” like ambience. It would help her if she could subdivide the beat a bit more, studying rhythms and triplets and things like that-that would give her confidence in her phrasing and precision in her articulation. She is a charming singer and attractive performer.
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Links: Lionelleh.com, lostpuppyblues.com The Jazz Culture, V.III:32
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Bassist Paul Beaudry plays "Brown Skinned Girl"
HAPPY BIRTHDAY Connie MacNamee, Singer Phoenix Rivera, Composer/Drummer M. Ferghu, pianist We Love you!
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The Singers in Barry Harris's New York workshop listen to what Dr. Harris has to say, below
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On their day off, Rossano Sportiello and Lafayette Harris check out what Barry Harris has to say
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