The JAZZ CULTURE
The Bertha Hope Quartet at The Lady Got Chops Festival
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REVIEW The Bertha Hope Quartet
By L. Hamanaka
Caught the Bertha Hope Quartet, with Bertha Hope, piano, Kim Clarke, bass, Lucianna Padmore, drums, and Lakecia Benjamin, alto saxophone at the First Concert of the 11th Annual Lady Got Chops Festival at the First Reformed Church (159-29 90th Avenue, 718-658-6333) in downtown Jamaica, near Family Court and the Municipal Parking lot. Deacon Sabrina Prince led a prayer for the luncheon that accompanied the concert. The first song was “What Is This Thing Called Love?” at a bright swing tempo, about 148=quarter note. Lakecia Benjamin played with a sweet, full tone, bebop informed fluttering sweeps, soloed relating to the melody with good intonation and articulation, playing mostly in her middle register. Bertha Hope followed with some modern arppegiated comments, then going to scalar runs, chording on the upbeats; she gave an emotionally resplendent performance, with short motifs interspersed with chords. Kim Clarke on bass skipped lightly in melodic lines relating to the melody with good inflection with her signature dark baritone tone. The group then traded 4’s. Ms. Padmore was playing brushes and occasionally kicking the bass drum for light accents. Ms. Padmore kept a good swing beat and expressed herself well with her own style on brushes. The performance was marked by the compassionate spirit of the band. Cedar Walton’s “Bolivia” was next at about 138=quarter note with a funky intro, the drums used sticks this time. Ms. Hope played with a bright, compelling, personal stamp on the music and without losing the sound of the melody in her reflections, Ms. Hope’s scalar and chordal perambulations carried the group forward on its mission. The rhythm section gave strong support to Lakecia Benjamin’s progressive lines as she capped off phrases with occasional high notes and florid lines with well placed accents. The rhythm section gave a celebratory air to the soloists; 2
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the bass played a funky line. During her solo, Kim Clarke’s meaningful short motifs caught a groove and the essence of the song. A poem by Bertha Hope was read aloud by Lakecia Review 1‐6 Benjamin How To Do A Jazz over an Concert C. Narita 7‐11 Lucianna Padmore original, Jazz Heritage 12‐18 which had a Sheila Jordan catchy melody and rhythmic motif info@thejazzculture.com by Bertha Hope over changes for http://theJazzCulture.com © 2012 “Sunny.” Cobi Narita & Paul Ash Present in March, Women's Month:
At ZEB’s 223 W. 28 St., 2nd flr. (Bet. 7 & 8) Tickets: 516‐922‐2010
Every Sat: Film 1-3 p.m.; Legendary Black Artists w/Walter Taylor
Open Singers Jam from 3-6 p. w/Frank Owens $10
Friday March 15: LADYS GOT CHOPS 7-11 p.m., The 11th Annual Women’s History Music & Arts Festival, “MUSI-ARTI-COPIA” $20/ Mem Nadhr, V; Bertha Hope, P, Kim Clarke, B, Andrea Brachefield, Ft; Meg Montgomery, T;
Nikita White, V, Sheryl Renee, V, Claudia Hayden, Fl; Lisa Santiago,p
other sponsors: Jazz Fdn, Women in Jazz
;
Friday March 22:
7-11 p.m. Willie Mae Perry with the Frank Owens Trio, Paul West,
Bass, Greg Buford, drums $15
Saturday, March 2:
8 pm. Emiko Mizoguchi & Derek Hood Concert with the Frank Owens Trio, Paul West, Bass, Greg Buford, drums
Friday, March 8:
7-11 p.m., Tribute to Delilah Jackson by Jazz & Tap community,
FREE; Hosted by Rev. Dale Lind at St. Peter’s Church, 54 St. & Lexington
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Reverend Mark Keller and Kim Clarke
“Good Bait,” by Tad Dameron was next, a simple, humble melody full of good will. With some blues inflection –the playful enthusiasm of youth—Ms. Benjamin’s solo focused on pivot notes and then some repeated six note phrases, quoting the melody and responding to it. Bertha Hope’s solo started with a downward run, with lyric lines: she invented short melodic phrases with an old time blues feel in a Call and Response style influenced by Monk, but with more fluid lines; her solo was fluent in the jazz dialogue. Ms. Padmore is a strong assured drummer who set a good foundation and soloed with her own personal style—assertive, with a full sound on the tom toms. The group gave a charming and graceful interpretation of the song. “Invitation” by Clare Fisher was next; the group settled into a Latin groove, in an intriguing arrangement, with Benjamin playing progressive mode. Lakecia Benjamin was comfortable projecting post Coltrane bleating long tones, interspersed with questing 16th note runs, and playing over clave influenced comping. Ms. Hope took over, basing her solo more on short rhythmic motifs that she then expanded into songlike bursts of invention, answering her 4
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own questions, and then adding rhythmic riffs—a very mature soloist. Her melodic ideas resolved to a chordal section playing off the rhythms of the song, one of the best pianists on the scene. The pianist, sax and bass then repeated a four note phrase while Ms. Padmore played her best solo. Then they ended the song in a diminuendo. Ms. Hope’s Quartet makes a strong humanistic presentation. Reverend Mark Keller said the First Reformed Church also has a summer concert series beginning in July. He agreed that Queens needed more jazz outlets and was enthusiastic about the cultural and humanistic (the Church serves free meals to the poor) contributions of The First Reformed Church. Ms. Prince read a bio of Bertha Hope, commenting that she had worked with Dizzy Gillespie, Frank Foster, cited a few of her cd’s including “Search for Hope” on Steeplechase. Then Kim Clarke presented a “Mentor Award” to Ms. Hope for her work on the last ten Lady Got Chops Festivals. The matinee concert was a classy start to the 11th Annual Lady Got Chops Festival in New York, spotlighting the talents of female musicians during The Jazz Culture, VI:45
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Women’s Month. The festival is produced by bassist Kim Clarke, with some assistance from the Jazz Foundation, Women in Jazz and Cobi Narita, and varied venue- based programming.
Ms. Bertha Hope (right) with a parishioner at First Reformed Church ofJamaica
Deacon Sabrina Prince introducing the program to parishioners while behind her, Lucianno Padmore sets up her drums Ladies ofthe First Reformed Church ofJamaica collect donations. Many children were present. The Church also has programs for the homeless and hungry every week.
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HOW TO-DO A JAZZ CONCERT by Cobi arita
Pub. Note: Cobi Narita’s genius for organization and people skills have benefited the jazz community for almost two generations: her compassion, hard work, attention to detail, persistence and ‘can do’ attitude, humility and love of people could serve as a role model for the entire service industries upon which the American economy is now primarily based. Along with her soul-mate, Paul Ash, she has served unstintingly for the Cobi arita at one ofher concerts proliferation of jazz music in New York, the jazz capital of the world. Here she gives advice and tips on how You can plan, create, and see a concert through, large or small, that you can use for your next project. First of all, I think that you have to figure out where you want it, when you want it and why you want it; you find a place, it’s too expensive, then find another until you find the right place. By then, you’ve already organized your program. To organize a program, think of a theme and invite everyone to work around the theme, then make sure there is no duplication in what will be presented. Decide what you want on the program, get your program together: the people you want, the order you want to present it in. On the free concert for September 11 -- we called ours “Never Again”-- that was our theme. Over 100 people signed up. We The Jazz Culture, VI:46
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didn’t want two similar singers following each other, so we separated them with dancers and soloists. The soloists all played with the rhythm section: Frank Owens, Paul West and Greg Bufford. The concert was at Zeb’s (Saul Rubin’s place, and now my new space; at 223 W 28 Street, NYC); nearly 100 people packed the place. It was a Celebration, like “America is Strong,” so they all did strong songs. Zeb’s has a wonderful ambience. It reminds me of Cobi’s Place. JC: You had to learn about acoustics. CN: I took lessons from Richard Applegate, the best sound engineer in New York. He since moved to Texas. He gave me four lessons, so I can get a pretty nice balance: how to work the fazers—the bass, the mid and the treble, but we usually a professional sound engineer. If you want one, you can also hire a professional videographer and photographer. JC: I remember Rick Applegate. CN: 1978. Damrosch Park was one of my first “Women in Jazz” festivals. They didn’t charge me rent. I only paid for the outside equipment, about $3000. About PR: In the old days we made our flyers using press-type. It’s so quick and easy nowadays. A mailing list is all you need. You send out immediately. Before that I was emailing it out to my own list, 50 names in a 8
Paul Ash, Cobi arita and Emiko at Billy Harper concert
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group, 5 groups at a time, and you wait 3 hours and send out the next batch. Now I use Constant Contact—so quick and easy— and advertise in publications. When I was doing my own Cobi arita, Paul Ash & Family when Cobi newsletter or fliers I received award was mailing out 3000 from Japanese American Association to 4000 every month. That’s postage plus envelopes, printing and folding. I usually made color flyers. Paul, my husband, put the stamps and labels on. And 8-10 friends would come and stuff and seal the envelopes. Then we had to take them to the post office. It took so long. Nowdays I love using Constant Contact. And don’t forget, your artists should be emailing the concert flyer to their mailing lists. They should list their event on social media sites, like Facebook, and they should drop their flyers at all the music locations they can think of. For two years I put out Cobi’s Music News, a 32 page magazine monthly. Some of the articles were donated by friends, and I wrote the editorials and about who we had at Cobi’s Place. I’d put pictures and articles about what was coming up. Sokie Lee, a wonderful graphic artist, would put the whole thing together for me. JC: Do you think you’ve developed a lot of artists through your org? CN: Yes, since 1976 I gave them opportunities to perform. But they really worked hard on their own, and some of them are quite famous today. The Jazz Culture, VI:46
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JC: Do you think jazz is getting mass media. CN: I think the media is doing better. There are so many outlets, Jazz Times, Hot House, NYC Jazz Records, and magazines. However, major newspapers gave up many of the jazz columns they had. John Wilson wrote for the NY Times. What a wonderful man. He supported and wrote about everything I did! A most important thing is what you send out to your press. Try to make personal contacts at every major newspaper—they give you their direct email—then usually they have to take your release to their editor. So you have to send it in plenty of time, say 6 weeks or more. Scan pictures, whatever size they ask for, give them your contact email. I do a lot of things with lesser names, and when I do, the press doesn’t pick it up. So I suggest that all my artists ask a good friend with a name to be a special guest, so that when you organize your own concert you can use their name in the press and on your printed program. Your Press Release: Put your email address or telephone for the press to call you back above the line “FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE.” Start with a one liner that gets their attention. The first paragraph should be Who, What, Where, When, What Time, Cost of Admission, and Reservation number. Then continue in the second paragraph with a brief description of the artists who are on the concert, i.e., George Coleman, tenor titan. Day of the Concert: Tune the piano two hours ahead. Have a sound check. Put up signs. Saint Peter’s Church is one of my favorite site. Have your Reservations list in alphabetical order, last name first. Limit comps. You can have a Guest Book people can sign 10
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and leave messages—for example, on birthdays. At the end of the performance, have everybody’s checks ready in envelopes. Tickets: Today people use ticket agency, like Brown Paper tickets. I grew up liking to organize things. I’ve done this all my life. I might try to do too much sometimes, but I loved doing it.
Some ofCobi's concerts
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JAZZ HERITAGE
SHEILA JORDAN
to L. Hamanaka
Photo by: Ed Cohen
Heritage and Women’s Month.
Pub. Note: Sheila Jordan, arguably the Queen of jazz singing in the world, with an international following, a unique sound, style, and feeling, a great interpreter of standards, one of the few singers who can use the chromatic scale with artistic taste, bridging several genres in jazz, was at home and gave this interview for Jazz
JC: I saw a photo of you online, sitting next to Barry Harris as teenagers or young adults—you’re both so serious. Sheila Jordan: The photo was taken in New York City in the early 50’s at a jazz club on 52nd street. I had moved here and a lot of times when the Detroit musicians whom I was close to came into town, I would put them up at my loft... The guy next to Barry in the photo is Doug Watkins, a great bass player, who died quite young in an automobile accident. JC: Given your varied roots, the Pennsylvania coal mines, the urban industrialization of Detroit, and the native American heritage, do you think they all influenced your style? SJ: Absolutely, no doubt about it. I’ve been singing since I was three. Not jazz, but you know the songs of the day, which were 12
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great songs…Like Cole Porter, George Gershwin, they were on the “Hit Parade” and I would hear these songs when I was a little kid. We didn’t always have electricity, because if the bill wasn’t paid the lights were cut off. I didn’t know what I wanted to do till I heard Charlie Parker. [Before then] I was a big Fred Astaire freak. I loved his singing and dancing; he made movies with Ginger Rogers. I used to walk two miles to see a Fred Astaire movie. He sang a lot of wonderful songs. Between the radio, “Hit Parade”, and going to Freddie movies -- that was my learning. JC: You moved to Detroit when you were 14. SJ: I lived a poverty stricken life with my grandparents in a coal mining town in Pennsylvania. I moved to Detroit when I was 14 and that’s where I heard jazz for the first time. It was very difficult for a young white girl to go out and hear jazz music. There was a lot of discrimination at the time. The cops were against interracial mixing. I took chances. I didn’t care, the music was more important to me than anything. I heard Bird’s “Now’s the Time” playing on a jukebox across the street from my high school, and after hearing Bird I decided to dedicate my life to the music. I never gave up. When I was 18, I moved into a young women’s residence. I worked in an office and finished high school. I’ve been on my own since my late teens, but it wasn’t easy because of the racial discrimination in Detroit. They were very much against whites mixing with Afro- Americans. The police were always stopping me when I was with my Afro-American friends. They would ask me my age, where I was going, where I lived, all that bs. As upsetting as it was, they were not going to tell me who I could hang out with. So I’m here today doing the music. I won out. The Jazz Culture, VI:46
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JC: I remember the song you wrote when your house burned down. SJ: [That was]“Sheila’s Blues.” I talk about how I feel, then I tell my story and about hearing Bird and you know the whole thing. Sometimes in the beginning I just improvise. So probably at that time I sang about my house burning down…the first couple of choruses I improvise, instead of talking about it.
Sheila Jordan at a recent concert Photo by: Brian McMillen
I’m very fortunate to have been given this music and keep it alive. I don’t want to be thought of as a diva, I’m not a star. I’ve won some beautiful awards, the latest being the NEA Jazz Masters Award (2012). These are beautiful gifts and I don’t take them lightly. I’m just out here doing the music, it’s my dedication. I’m 84, that’s 70 years of keeping jazz music alive and I’ll do it till I die. JC: I noticed that you do “Confirmation” slower than Bird but you use Skeeter Spight’s lyrics so you are singing love lyrics. SJ: “Confirmation?” These lyrics were written years ago by Skeeter Spight and Leroy Mitchell, two guys that I used to sing with in Detroit. They wrote the version of “Confirmation” that I recorded and sing. JC: How do you plan a solo? 14
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SJ: It’s all feeling. I don’t plan solos. I’m not saying I don’t repeat phrases, but if I do I’m not aware of it. The phrases I sing come from what I am hearing and feeling. When I find a tune I like, I learn the original melody, the lyrics, and the chord changes. One of the joys of improvising is your feeling and what’s going on around you. I listen intently to what the rhythm section is playing. If you keep the original melody in your head, you’ll never get lost. That’s why you should learn the original melody, don’t force improvisation. Let it happen. That’s my opinion. You can listen to other singers for inspiration, but don’t sing the song the way they do. Do your own thing. JC: You recorded “You Are My Sunshine.” SJ: I recorded “You are my Sunshine” in 1962. It was an arrangement George Russell recorded for the out of work coal miners from the mining town I grew up in. This is covered in my book, “Jazz Child,” which is coming out (hopefully) in the fall of 2013. JC: Do you think because popular music is like always aiming promoting the middle, because the middle can always be replaced, but if someone is a great artist, they are hard to replace? And they’re always thinking numbers, how many will sell. SJ: The blues started with poor Afro-American people that came from Africa, they were slaves because of their skin color. How did they get through this agony of life? By singing the blues as they picked cotton for their masters. They sang out of a need to express themselves because life was a bitch. That’s the only way they could deal with it. Why some Americans cannot hear this music is beyond me. Jazz musicians are seldom hired on talk shows, to play and talk about their music. Talk show hosts don’t give them a chance. Even at the Grammys. They never have any part of that program dedicated to jazz music. Usually they just The Jazz Culture, VI:46
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show it on the credits at the end of the show. One time Miles Davis and Bobby McFerrin got Grammys. That sure was a surprise. They used to have jazz at the Grammys but now they only have rock, pop, rap, and country performers. Jazz is the stepchild of American music. JC: Is jazz looked up to in other countries? SJ: Yes, much more than in the U.S. Where do I work? In Europe. I’m going to Italy in another week, then in April, Japan, and then Germany in the fall. JC: So you have fans over there. SJ: Yes, I know the jazz community in the U.S. loves and respects jazz music, but jazz musicians in general, are not always accepted in the U.S. All we want to do is keep the music alive and get it out there. JC: Do you think without exposing jazz to a wider audience it will die? SJ: Jazz will never die. You’ll always have people out there like myself who are trying to keep it alive. Teaching it to the younger generation. JC: Why did you like working with the bass? How is a duo format challenging? I presently have a bass and voice duo with Cameron Brown. We rehearse a lot because we love what we’re doing. I started the bass and voice duo in the early 50’s… If I heard a bass player who was compatible with what I wanted to do I would approach him. A lot of singers are starting to do bass and voice duos. JC: What have you learned from being an educator? 16
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I learned how to teach from teaching. I don’t have a college degree. I teach what I know and how I approach jazz music. A lot of teachers are on power trips and they break students’ spirits. I do it with love. Every time they sing I give them feedback on how they can improve. I don’t scream at them but I will let them know where they can improve. Sheila Jordan in bass duo Photo: Brian McMillen
JC: You have upcoming tours in Italy, Europe, Japan and the U.S. Now that you have become an international star, do you enjoy traveling?
Not really, but I’m so dedicated to the music, after I get there, I’m fine. I work with different musicians in the U.S. and Europe. Most of my gigs are through musicians. They set up tours for me in Europe and the U.S. JC: Do you plan recording project? SJ: I hate to record. I don’t mind live recordings. Once I get into the music, I’m okay. Going into recording studios is not my favorite way to record. I know I have to record to keep the music alive. If I’m pressured enough I’ll do it. But I have to really be pressured. I’m supposed to do a duo recording with Steve Kuhn in the near future; I just need more time to rehearse. JC: Do you usually rehearse a lot? SJ: When I did this concert Saturday it was in a little town in upstate New York. It was at the father of the bass player’s (Gregg August’s) house. A wonderful young Italian piano player, Alberto The Jazz Culture, VI:46
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Pibiri, came up to my house and we rehearsed for a couple of hours. My charts are easy to read because they’re clearly written so the musicians don’t have to struggle with the tunes. All the introductions and endings are on the charts and in the middle part we are free to do what we feel and hear. I’m not going to give a musician half a page with a bunch of chord changes on it. Respect what you do and make sure you have good lead sheets so the instrumentalists don’t have to struggle with the songs. Jazz music has always and continues to save my life. What a
gift! "
Follow Sheila Jordan: www.sheilajordanjazz.com
Sheila Jordan organizing her music on the road Photo: Brian McMillen
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West Park Finance Sta, POB 20023, 700 Columbus Avenue, NYC 1 0025, 646-31 2-7773 18
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ROMA JAZZ WORKSHOP Featuring Barry Harris, March 11-15
Contact: lucianofabris@hotmail.com 33933831 39 annapantuso@hotmail.com 3396748724
Barry Harris Workshops Every Tuesday at 6, Pianists, 8, Vocalists, 10:30, Improvisation at 250 West 65 Street, between Amsterdam and 11th Avenues all welcome. See Barry Harris.com
To All Mothers, Grandmothers, Sisters, Aunts, Nieces, Daughters and Baby Girls The Jazz Culture Newsletter Salutes You All throughout Women's Month-March Job Opening: Advertising Director; 50% commission basis; info@thejazzculture.com
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March Subscriber Gig Listings:
1: Ray Gallon at Small’s
6,13: Our Father Who Art Blakey Orchestra ‐Valery Ponomarev, Zinc Bar, 8‐10, 11:30 7: Joe Magnarelli Quartet at Makeda, New Brunswick, NJ, 7:30‐ 10 8: Rick Stone Trio‐The Bar Next Door, 129 MacDougal St, 7:30pm‐12:30am 14: Carol Leven/Rick Stone/Barry Kornhauser at Moda, 234 W27th, 6‐9 15: Bertha Hope & Kim Clarke in Lady Got Chops at Zeb's, 223 W. 28 St. 7‐11 16: Lionelle Hamanaka at Isabella Nursing Home 3‐4 16: Sandy Sasso & Rick Stone at the 55 Bar, NYC, 6‐9 19: Lionelle Hamanaka at Hibiscus Restaurant in Morristown, 6‐9 21: Rick Stone Trio at the Garage Restaurant, 99 Seventh Ave. South, 7‐11
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