The Jazz Culture Feature
Crowd at St. Peter's honoring Cecil Walton; below Barry Harris and choir members read program
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Reverend Dale Lind, Mona Heath, Lady Unknown, Sandy Jordan, Juinie Booth Melba Moore, Jim Harrison
Kenny Barron & Jimmy Heath play Duke Ellington's "Gone Too Soon"
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In These Pages
5 Memorial for Carline Ray 5 Photos of Cedar Walton Memorial 1‐
Poem about Cedar by Chip White 7‐8 Dizzy Gillespie Birthday Celebration featuring NY State of the Art Jazz Ensemble November listings 13‐1
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CEDAR WALTON, "THE MAESTRO" MEMORIAL at St. Peter's
A memorial for Cedar Walton took place on Wednesday November 13 at St. Peter's Church with hundreds of his friends, fans and musician afficianados. It was organized by Mark Morganelli at the request of the Walton family. Among those who played were, not in this order, Barry Harris, Jimmy Heath, Kenny Barron, David Hazeltine, David Williams, Chip White read a poem, Ralph Moore, Brian Lynch, Vincent Herring, Buster Williams, Benny Green, Rufus Reid, Michael Weiss, Earl McIntyre, Renee McIntyre, Jimmy Cobb, Albert "Tootie" Heath, George Fludas, and others.
Carline Ray & Catherine Russell
CARLINE RAY MEMORIAL Monday November 18, 2013 at St. Peter's Carline Ray, Bassist and Vocalist on the New York scene for many decades, was memorialized on Monday November 18 at St. Peter's Church by hundreds from the jazz community. Known for her impeccable musicianship, beautiful voice grace and character, Ms. Ray was a Juiliiard graduate as was her father. She is survived by her daughter singer Catherine Russell who recently a produced an acclaimed cd of the two songstresses singing together. The Jazz Culture, V.II:11
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Cedar Always searching, always seeking Then finding and refining Finally some last minute Tweaking his creative style With its unique ambience Grew and grew and grew Spreading among the many wonderful branches Of the Jazz Family Tree A master of reharmonization Taking it around the globe Exactly the way He wanted it to be Mr. Walton travelled “Clockwise” all the way from Dallas to “Bolivia” in New York he burst on to the scene with the Blakey unit of Shorter, Hubbard, Fuller Merritt and Workman A band whose groove Became [Historically Mean] From Slugs to Boomers To Bradley’s and the Banguard
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He planted his pianistic “Firm Roots� even deeper Appearing in the film (Round Midnight) with Dexter He had (Reverence) with Bags And (Conception ) with Bobby Hutch writing and arranging volumes of music then creating The Eastern Rebellion Band with his own personal keyboard touch with a cast including: Clifford Jordan, Sam Jones George Coleman, Bob Berg Vincent Herring, David Williams and of course Billy "Our Man Higgins" Cedar Walton "The Maestro" Playing the Jazz Music everyone's always diggin'
By Alan Chip White chipwhite@chipwhitejazz.com www.chipwhitejazz.com
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New York State of the Art Jazz Ensemble
Mike Longo with his Saxophone section: Alto: Mike Migliori and Lee Greene; Tenor: Frank Perowsky and Todd Anderson; Baritone: Kenny Burger. Back: drummer Mike Campini by L. Hamanaka
Caught the New York State of the Art Jazz Ensemble at the Baha’I Center Happy Birthday Celebration for Dizzy Gillespie. Personnel: Piano; Mike Longo, Bass: Christian Fabian, Drums: Mike Campini. Saxophones: Alto: Mike Migliori and Lee Greene; Tenor: Frank Perowsky and Todd Anderson; Baritone: Kenny Burger. Trumpets: Tim Quinette, Waldron Ricks, Brian Davis, and Greg Ruvolo. Trombones: Sam Burtis, Stafford Hunter, Nick Grinder, and Joe Randazzo. Vocalist: Ira Hawkins. Guest Artists: Jimmy Owens and Annie Ross. Pianist for Ms. Ross: Tardo Hammer. Both Mr. Longo and Mr. Owens had a long history with Dizzy Gillespie. Interestingly, this big band has a very distinguished New York sound, so the New York State of the Art title is very apt. The venue at the Baha’I Center is first class; the 8
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seats in the theatre are upholstered, the lobby is pleasant, the snacks are above average and the hosts are gracious; therefore it attracts many tourists and a nice cross current of jazz lovers from the five boroughs. The first song was Dizzy Gillespie’s “Things to Come.” Charging off with dynamic horn backgrounds like a train, Mr. Waldron Ricks, trumpet, took a facile solo that led to a searing long tone. Mr. Longo’s piano solo was very relaxed, weaving a tapestry of harmonic motion on the song. Mr. Todd Anderson’s solo was screaming with rural lyricism; Mr. Greene’s solo was dynamic and centered around key pivot notes. The drummer played very well, and the song ended on a last long tone and a conducted crescendo. Annie Ross sang a song she wrote but had to hurry off to a gig at the Metropolitan; she was accompanied by the pianist Tardo Hammer. Her lyrics included the words: “In this senseless world, precious things are few, like the warmth you feel from children’s laughter…” delivered in a warm mezzo voice, soulful and well phrased; she sat on the edge of the stage. Ira Hawkins, a bass/ baritone with a lovely sound, did “Somewhere Over the Rainbow,” (Harold Arlen) a “Law and Order” actor. The song, played as a ballad, began with a flock of ethereal flutes and clarinet doing long tones, and later the dreamy and mellow trombones filled in. On the bridge, the flutes and clarinet came back with long tones, with solid chording and a swell of saxes. Sam Burtis played a lovely solo on trombone. The Chords sounded like swinging bells. The arranger achieved an orchestral effect on this harmonically challenging standard with a nice interlocking feel, and ended on a high spirited long tone. What followed was “Frisco” an original by Mr. Longo (about 145=quarter note) with a riveting melody that ought to be a standard that he got Dizzy Gillespie to play a lot when they The Jazz Culture, V.II:11
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worked together. It was done in 6/8 with a Latin feel. Mr. Jimmy Owens’s solo was expressive sculpting lines with curves and angular modernism; the bass, piano and drums provided strong accompaniment, playing 4/4 against 6/8. The melody had a freedom song feel. A tenor solo by Mike Migliori was dynamic with lots of blue notes and nice mix of rhythmic ideas backed by propulsive big band support. There was re-entry of Mr. Owens on flugelhorn playing in a sweet tone, doing triplets with good punctuation and brief cursive licks with a blues feel, some fourths in a pattern, with long tones. The ensemble feeling was like a river of sound with the flugelhorn pealing on top. Going out there was some funky syncopated licks. The feeling of the 60’s was also present; society was changing, fluid and changeable and progressive was in the air, like it or not; the song captures the momentum of the era. Arranged by Dick Cohn. The band then played “Exotica” a piece that Jimmy Owens played at Dizzy’s funeral. The song has gone through various incarnations, variously as “Tribute to Bobby Kennedy,” “Tribute to Martin Luther King, Jr.” Mel Danzig wrote lyrics to this song. The introduction was played by flutes, clarinet, and the bass had a written line. There was entry by flugelhorn in counterpoint with the clarinet, laying a fat tone like a blanket of compassion over the rest of the ensemble. After the Ballad section, The B section goes up to about 120=quarter note with a Latin feel. A beautiful solo melody was played over a bossa nova rhythm section, sort of a personification of humanity. There were some five note licks with the accent on the fifth note of the group. The aural personality of the band was sharp, clear, moving and sophisticated, and of course groovy. The whole band played a six note figure repeatedly with segue to long tones over which the flugelhorn solo ceases. Then the flugelhorn played a cadenza that led to a tutti ensemble ending. Jimmy Owens announced that Cindy Kaplan, a philanthropist, put together a 100 trumpet tribute to Dizzy in 1993. 10
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The next piece was “Emanon, or No Name” spelled backwards at about 160=quarter note. It is a swinging blues starting with rhythm, the trumpet comes out of nowhere, and there was a Call and response sound to the solos. A virtuoso trumpet section ripped up and down the registers together. The sound was full bodied with circular weaving with good accents and a wailing sound, nice interplay and a crisp ending. In 2008, James Moody hired Mike Longo to do some arrangements. One was “Con Alma” and there is a dramatic bass line, and the entry of the saxophones doing counterpoint; a very happy arrangement; spicy and full of soul. Sections take turns stating the first and second motifs, with syncopated accents and the trumpet played a floating solo over the horn section. Then there are more lively swells in the arrangement, an excited rise and moving tribute to Mr. Gillespie’s gifts as a composer. Starting in the lower register, Mr. Owens outlined new motifs using 4th and 5ths descending in bright and vivid colors. The band had a bright orchestral tapestry capturing Dizzy’s spirit aflame in the music. The theme was restated and expanded with different colors and played over and against the band. There was a rhythmic exciting crescendo of the horn sections with a vibrant trumpet solo on top. This piece highlighted Mr. Longo’s singular gifts as an arranger of note. “Blue and Boogie” at about 200=quarter note gave everyone in the band a chance to solo, with “dizzying” diversity. “Dizzy Thoughts” was next an original ballad by Jimmy Owens. There was a full swell of the orchestra a full tone with a poignant melody, open voicing with large intervals. Long tones by the band followed in a conversational style. The piano solo used varying harmonic modes-- whole tone interlude, chromatic section, totally integrated like a tone poem, indicating largeness of spirit. The Jazz Culture, V. II:10
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The audience was then treated to “Manteca” at about 120=quarter note, a powerful compelling song, Latin, full of jumping where the band cooked “Burn baby burn” is a phrase that comes to mind—with a dialogue between Jimmy Owens and Waldren Ricks, punctuated by rhythmic licks of great power from the band, that spread a blanket of rich colors while playing polyrhythmic figures that kept everybody jumping. Burtis played a colorful collection of licks on trombone. Mr. Longo broke to a blues interlude with a church feeling, a beautiful blues, pensive and accepting of the ending, with two long tones played by the orchestra.
Jimmy Owens, Featured soloist
HAPPY BIRTHDAY!! November Babies Many More with Love
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The Jazz Culture Newsletter
Private 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 60 countries in the past year. Brian McMillen is a contributing Photographer, and Connie MacNamee and Arnold J. Smith are sometimes contributing writers."
Countries: US, UK, Albania, Argentina, Australia, Austria, Belgium, Bangladesh, Brazil, Burma, Bulgaria, Canada, China, Chile, Colombia, Czech Republic, Denmark, Ecuador, Egypt, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Holland, Hong Kong, Hungary, India, 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, Vietnam 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
November Listings Ray Blue, Tenor saxophonist‐November 9‐Induction into Jazz Blues Hall of Fame, Peekskill, NYl Kenney Gates, pianist. Philadelphia, Tues., Sun. some Sats.‐ High Note Cafe on Tasker & 13th, 5‐9 p.m. George Gee Orchestra at Swing 46, (346 W. 46 Street bet. 8th/9th Ave.) Tuesdays; sm. Sat. 9:30‐free dance lesson beforehand. Loston Harris November 12, Birdland, also Tues‐Sat. 9:30 p.m. Bemelman's Bar Mad. Ave & 76 St Lafayette Harris‐Nov 15 Jazz 966,966 Fulton St. in Brooklyn $20 donation
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November Listings Cont. Nov. 19 Little Branch 10:30, 22 7th Ave South Nov. 21 at 10:30‐ 1am, The Garage 99 7th Ave South, with Trio Nov. 24 at 9:00 p.m, The Garage, 99 7th Ave South Bertha Hope: Memorial to Carline Ray Nov. 18 Kim Clarke‐Germany Tour 11‐16, Memorial to Carline Ray Nov. 18, Club A on Nov. 29 & 30. Mike Longo‐ Every Tuesday at the Baha's Center, 53 East 11th Street Jim Malloy, Swing 46, 9:30 p.m. Every Thursday Ron McClure: Solo piano at McDonald's at 160 Broadway in Manhattan from 12‐4 PM on Tuesdays & Saturdays. Kuni Mikami: Japan Tour John Mosca & Michael Weiss: Vanguard Orchestra Every Monday night at the Village Vanguard Valery Ponomarev: Big Band at Zinc, Nov. 6, 9:30 p.m. Bill Saxton: Bill's Place every Friday, 148 West 133 Street, 9 p.m. Ranked #25 among 305 attractions in NYC November 17: Bill's Place Tribute to Billie Holiday and Re‐Naming 133 Street as Swing Street‐3 p.m.‐free admission Rick Stone‐ Saturday, Nov. 9 2pm Tribute to Diz, Satch and Big Nick at Langston Hughes Library, 100‐01 Northern Blvd., Corona, NY http://www.queenslibrary.org/langston‐hughes Thursday, Nov. 2121 6‐10pm Rick Stone Trio at the Garage Restuarant. 99 7th Avenue South Nov. 30, 7:15‐8:45 Seagrams Building Evans Thompson Ensemble Nov. 30 Sugar Bar, 72 Street bet. B'way and West End two sets starting at 8:00 p.m. ENGLAND: John Watson Trio at the Palm Court, Langham Hotel, London, 1c Portland, Regent St. 207‐636‐1000 Fri‐Sat JOE LEADER/JOHN WATSON QUARTET Live At The Haven On Wednesday 27th November 2013! 020 8445 7419 or email: jazz@haven‐bistro.co.uk 8:45 p.m.
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