Oct15a by Lionelle Hamanaka

The Jazz Culture Feature

BARRY HARRIS & SHEILA JORDAN at ALL NIGHT SOUL

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Barry Harris and Sheila Jordan went to the same high school-70 years ago in Detroit, part ofthe great group ofmusicians there, including Kenny Burrell, Frank Foster, the Jones brothers, Tommy Flanagan, Frank Gant, YusefLateef, Skeeter Spight and many others.

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Barry Harris solo, above, volunteers, the crowd, Reverend Amandus Derr with staff of St. Peter's planning committee for the Jazz Ministry benefitAll Night Soul, Dr. Harris greeting a friend The Jazz Culture, V.II:5

Barry Harris, left, Sheila Jordan with daughter Tracy Jordan; Sheila Jordan paying rapt attention to Barry Harris's performance

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Left, Howard Johnson's Tuba Ensemble, with Earl McIntyre, Joseph Daley, Nedia Jhnson, Velvet Brown, Ben Strapp, Melissa Slocum, Carlton Holmes; right, two bass players, Cameron Brown (who played with Sheila Jordan, duo and trio) and Ray Drummond, talking bass

Philip Bingham, one ofBarry Harris's students, and Yoko, below

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Sheila & Tracy Jordan

below, the crowd waits for the performance

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ALL NIGHT SOUL 2013 HONORING SHEILA JORDAN AND BARRY HARRIS by L. Hamanaka

Caught Barry Harris with his Trio, Leroy Williams, drums, and Ray Drummond, bass, and also his Jazz Ensemble (Choir), Sheila Jordan with Cameron Brown, bass, and her Trio, Billy Drummond, drums, and Alan Broadbent, piano, as well as in a duo with Steve Kuhn, pianist on October 13, 2013, at All Night Soul at St. Peter’s Church ( a jazz event several generations old). All Night Soul is a benefit for St. Peter’s jazz ministry, that historically has done concerts (Vespers) and also aided individual jazz musicians in need. Started by the great Reverend Gensel, Duke Ellington’s “Shepherd of the Night Flock,” in the late 1960’s. There was a crowd of several hundred in the Sanctuary. Pastor Lind was there as well as Pastor Derr, and many volunteers from the church. The menu was pulled pork, chicken, several salads, potato and cole slaw, buns, a myriad of cakes and desserts. Howard Johnson’s Tube Ensemble played first, making a gleaming picture onstage, with Melissa Slocum on bass, a very good blues singer in Nedia Johnson. Mr. Johnson said, “If this is the first time you’ve heard of us it’s not our fault. We’ve been here since 1971.” Then Sheila Jordan and Cameron Brown, who’ve played together for decades and hence, have the same time, did a number of tunes, “Good Morning Heartache, “Ain’t Misbehavin’,” “Honeysuckle Rose,” “Confirmation,” and “Autumn in New York.” Ms. Jordan then did a duo with Steve Kuhn on his Zoo song. She introduced him by saying he writes “weird crazy tunes,” and later let him sing it alone, saying that “sometimes the best person to sing a song is the composer.” However the song was 8 The Jazz Culture, V. II:10

very odd, musical and pleasing. Ms. Jordan is a transformative ballad singer; one believes she is not a singer after all but a horn player, sometimes using the chromatic scale, layering the blues scale over “Autumn in New York,” and improvising freely. Her sound is unique, sort of like an alto saxophone with some woodwind mixed in, very beautiful and moving. She obviously loves the musicians she works with. She was escorted to the church by her daughter Tracy, a beautiful blond with an earthy laugh and smile very similar to her mother’s. Tracy is her daughter by pianist Duke Jordan, whom Ms. Jordan married early in life. The MC noted that both Ms. Jordan and Dr. Harris had received National Endowment of the Arts Jazz Master awards. Barry Harris had brought along his choir, or Jazz Ensemble, about 25-30 singers performing his vocal arrangements (kind of filigree bebop movements, sort of mystical). He played solo first, a song written for the late Pastor Gensel, “Holy Man,” and sung by his choir. Then he played a waltz he wrote for Duke Ellington, which in its charm and grace, had an ambience reminiscent of the famous composer. Dr. Harris then introduced Ray Drummond on bass and Leroy Williams on drums. Barry Harris said, “When Monk left..” and then played the religious songs and turned to Bud Powell’s “Oblivion.” It is a source of dispute whether “Oblivion” is prettier as a ballad or up tempo. Their version was at 175=quarter note, at first staying close to the melody and then expanding to scalar runs and running the changes on a higher level of inventiveness. The trio sounded crisp and vibrant, breaking at the same time on the downbeat and Ray Drummond and Leroy Williams playing with intensity and focus. Dr. Harris then played “Ruby My Dear,” being one of the foremost interpreters of Monk, playing chords like waves of water running up and down the keyboard. “I’ll Keep Loving You,” followed, poetic yet dramatic conception. “Like This,” with the choir singing…”Don’t criticize yourself,” (instead)”realign yourself…”at a groovy tempo, playing succinct variations of the melody on the piano. Dr. Harris got up and gave the piano bench to The Jazz Culture, V. II:10 9

Richard Clemens, who has a great deal of performing experience for “We Are One,” a feature for the choir. Mr. Clemens played a warm, creative solo. Then Dr. Harris featured Yoko, another of his pianists, on “To Duke with Love,” as she glided up and down the keyboard in thirds, the choir hummed their parts. Then Dr. Harris concluded his set with a vocal version of a solo on “Embraceable You,” the beautiful standard by George Gershwin, treated the audience to a little scatting, before giving it over to Philip Bingham, urging him to “get it.” The MC asked Sheila Jordan and Barry Harris if they would like to do a tune together, since they went to the same high school seventy years ago. Ms. Jordan and Dr. Harris assented, and chose a blues in F. Sheila Jordan made up a few verses of the blues in a great mix of upper and lower register with the power of the blues, telling the story of how she and Dr. Harris almost got killed together in a club in Detroit. She had bought a little record by Bird, and Dr. Harris protested that he did not have the money to buy the record, he was too poor. Then Sheila Jordan said she cleaned a lady’s floor (gigantic, according to her) and got 20 cents for the job, and with that 20 cents bought Bird’s record. She went on to sing that the cops in those days in Detroit did not like seeing white and black people mix in social settings, and she was always getting in trouble. Barry Harris said, “Yes, and they used to give you a little slap, too.” One night, when Barry Harris was playing in a club, Sheila Jordan went to sit in with him, only to be stopped by the cops, who started giving her trouble. Luckily, a streetcar came a long at the last minute, and Dr. Harris and Ms. Jordan jumped on the streetcar just in time to escape the police. So Sheila Jordan and Barry Harris have known eachother for seventy years, and started out in the same high school, playing with different bands. “And there was Lulu Belle, too,” said Dr. Harris, referring to Betty Carter. “You all knew her as Betty Carter but in those days her name was Lulu Belle.” “She was Jeanie at the time,” he said, pointing to Ms. Jordan. Ms. Jordan laughed at The Jazz Culture, V. II:10 10

the memory. Then she and he sang a song together, a bebop blues, “Oh Henry,” that started, “Yes you told me that you loved me. I didn’t believe you, you beautiful thing. “ The audience was overcome with joy and the two pros stopped while they were ahead, acknowledging that they missed Reverend Gensel. “I loved John Gensel,” Sheila Jordan said. “He gave me a gig when nobody else would.”

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HAPPY BIRTHDAY!

October Babies Tyler Mitchell, bass,

Cecil Bridgewater, trumpet, Jack Di Monte, vocalist, Rick McClaine, vocalist, Michael Sergio, vocalist Larry Ham, Pianist 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 57 countries in the past year.

Lionelle Hamanaka, Publisher

Out of Town Jazz Culture Newsletter Subscribers Charles McPherson from California will be at the Jazz Standard on October 18 Dado Moroni will be at the Kitano on October 26

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October Listings Ray Blue October 1‐Jazz Ed Workshop in Peekskill October 4‐ Showman's 375 West 125 Street 9:30, 11:30, 1:30 am. October 5‐ Beanrunner Cafe, Peekskill NY, 8, 11 p.m. October 18‐Division Street Grill, 7‐10 p.m. October 19‐Cleopatra's Needle‐93 & Broadway, NYC 10 pm October20‐22‐Midwest Tour October 24‐ Jazz Ed Workshop, Peekskill, NY October 26‐CC Pro Am with Mike Longo Big Band at Paramount in Peekskill October 29‐Garage, 7th Avenue South near Christopher Sheridan Square, 6‐10 Kenney Gates, pianist. Philadelphia, every Tuesday, Sunday and some Saturdays at the 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. Lionelle Hamanaka‐ October 10, Japanese American United Church, 6:00 p.m. 25th Street & 7 Ave. Steps on the Church (Methodist) Loston Harris October 22, the Carlyle, 9:30 p.m. Mad. Ave & 76 St Bertha Hope/Kim Clarke‐October 28, Local 802 322 W. 48 St., 6‐9:15 p.m. Mike Longo‐ October 22, hosts Dizzy Gillespie's Birthday Party at the Baha'i Center, 53 East 11th Street 8 p.m. Joe Magnarelli‐ October 14, JALC Jazz at Lincoln Center

October 1 3, Memorial Hall, Joe Magnarelli Quintet Protestant Community Church 1 00 Stokes Road, Medford Lakes, NJ 609-654-4220 Jim Malloy, Swing 46, 9:30 p.m. October 3, 10, 17, 24, 31. Ron McClure: Solo piano at McDonald's at 160 Broadway in

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Manhattan from 12‐4 PM on Tuesdays & Saturdays.(October 1,5,8, 12, 15, 19, 22, 26, 28) I play the "American Songbook," originals and rom other contemporary composers. October 10, JAUC, Steps on the Church, 255 7th Avenue, 6:00 p.m. Kuni Mikami: October 10, Japanese American United Church, 6:00 p.m. 25th Street & 7 Ave. Steps on the Church (Methodist) John Mosca & Michael Weiss: Vanguard Orchestra Every Monday night at the Village Vanguard Bill Saxton: Bill's Place every Friday, 148 West 133 Street, 9 p.m. Ranked #25 among 305 attractions in NYC Rick Stone Trio October 17 6‐10pm, The Garage, 99 7th Avenue South Rev. Kaz Takahashi: October 10‐Steps on the Church, Japanese American United Church, 255 7th Avenue, 6 p.m. Richie VitaleOctober 12 –Richie Vitalie at Measure at the Pamgham Place Hotel, 8‐11 pm October 19 –Richie Vitalie Quintet at Measure at the Pamgham Place Hotel, 8‐11 pm ENGLAND: John Watson Trio at the Palm Court, the Langham Hotel, London, 1c Portland, Regent Street 207‐636‐1000 every weekend 1) IMAGINATION UK Tour October 2013 featuring John Watson on keyboards/vocal! 2) Dave Koz & Friends at Sea John Watson on smooth jazz cruise! – video available 3) Hayman’s Gin Palace at the Langham 11th Oct‐ 30th Nov featuring the John Watson Trio! ‐ Thursday, Friday & Saturday nights

John Watson

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