SmoothJazz May / June 2019
TM
MAGAZINE
37 42 Feature
20 66
20 Holly Cole: Conversation
Concert
Lifestyles 26 Wynton Marsalis: Talks
12 Nicole Henry @ City Winery Atlanta 16 Najee / Blake Aaron
Buddy Bolden Movie Soundtrack
@ Birchmere
32 Dave Koz and Friends at Sea Remembering In Photos Australia 10 Dave Samuels of Spyra Gyra Festival Jazz Notes 42 New Orleans International Heritage & Jazz Festival in Photos 08 Sting to Headline TX Festival & Las Vegas Residency 60 Davie Jazz Festival in Florida Kim Waters, Kayla Waters & Marion Meadows
66 International Jazz Day Host City Melbourne in Photos
Special Thanks for New Orleans Heritage Jazz Festival Photo credits:
Douglas Mason, Joshua Brasted, and Jacqueline Marque.
CD Reviews 81 Rahsaan Patterson- Hero’s & God 86 Holly Cole - Holly CD Releases 79
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SmoothJazz Jazz Smooth Jazz Magazine
May / June 2019 Art Jackson—Publisher/CEO
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Doris Gee- - Research Manager Mann - Graphic Artist Manager
Chicago Dallas New Orleans New Orleans South Africa
Contributing Photographers Larry Williams Cloe Jalipa Mann Ron Hancox Tina Pruitt Cheryl Boone
E-Mail: info@smoothjazzmag.com Web: www.smoothjazzmag.com
Contributing Writers Maria L. Lewis Robin Munro Maxx Myrick Keanna Faircloth Azval Ismail
Los Angeles, CA 9 0034
Atlanta France Los Angeles New York Orlando Virginia Beach
No part of this publication ma y be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means without written consent from the publisher. Copyright @ 2019 by Smooth Jazz Magazine. All Rights Reserved.
Special Thanks for International Jazz Day photo credits: Steve Mundinger/Herbie Hancock Institute of Jazz and Graham Denholm/Getty Images for Hancock Institute of Jazz Let the music take you‌ SmoothJazz Magazine | 05
Julian Vaughan
The week of May 1, 2019 Silver Arrows The Rippertons featuring Russ Freeman
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Happy Go Lucky Paul Hardcastle
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Emerge Kim Scott feat. Jonathan Fritzen
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Moxified Darren Rahn
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The King Is Here Norman Brown
*** #1 ***
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Remembering
DAVE SAMUELS
GRAMMY® winner Dave Samuels has died at 70. He was a gifted vibraphonist known for his work with the crossover jazz fusion group Spyro Gyra. Building on the group's success, in 1993 Samuels founded the acclaimed Latin jazz ensemble, the Caribbean Jazz Project. With the newly founded group, Samuels earned a GRAMMY in the Best Latin Jazz Album category for The Gathering at the 45th GRAMMY Awards® and a Latin GRAMMY in the same category for Afro Bop Alliance at the 9th Latin GRAMMY Awards®. Samuels shared his expertise as a music educator at Berklee College of Music and the New England Conservatory of Music, thus touching the lives of many aspiring and professional musicians alike. His artistry and contributions to our creative community will be missed.
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Concert Photos By: Larry Williams
NICOLE HENRY
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“When you thought the Lies, Betrayal and Deceit could not get any worse…”
Author Robin Munro
“Pure Revenge picks up right after the end of Pure Deception with even more twist and turns.”
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Concert - Photos Photos By: Cheryl Boone
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GUITAR: Charles “Chuck” Johnson KEYS: Rob Bonner DRUMS: Daniel “DP” Powell
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CD Review Feature By: Maria L. Lewis mooth Jazz Magazine caught up with one of Jazz’s finest, Holly Cole to talk about her new album titled “Holly,” and to find out what inspires her as an artist both on and off the stage. This is her first CD where she does not produce. This time she welcomes Grammy-winning producer Russ Titelman (Steve Winwood, Eric Clapton, James Taylor, etc.) SJM: What was it like growing up in Halifax, Nova Scotia, and did it help shape your love for Jazz? Holly: Growing up in Nova Scotia people really focus on the Arts a lot. I listened to all kinds of Music – not so much Jazz, but a huge variety of Music. It opened my mind to appreciate many kinds of Music. I grew up in a Classical Music family. Everyone in my household played the piano, so I thought that everybody knew how to play piano, because we were all piano players. When I was 15 years old I had 20 bucks, and I hitchhiked to Boston from Nova Scotia. When my parents found out they were mortified! (laughs) My brother was studying Jazz piano and composition at Berkeley College of Music. He snuck me into the dorm, and I instantly became inundated and surrounded by Jazz - my jaw just dropped! When I heard Jazz, this is all the sophistication, the complexity of Classical Music, but it was exciting! I thought Jazz was Classical Music for people that were bad. (laughs) That appeals to me a lot because I was a pretty rebellious teenager. It was the possibility of making a really personal statement that I didn’t always hear in Classical Music. I was mesmerized by the passion of the players, and I too became impassioned and compelled by it. SJM: When did you realize that this was the career path you wanted to take? Holly: I attended Humber College in Toronto, because I wanted to learn more about Music. My family wanted me to study what I was passionate about. I was passionate about Music. After I started my trio, then I realized that this could be my career as well as my passion.” 20| SmoothJazz Magazine Let the music take you…
CD Review Feature SJM: How long have you been performing Holly? Holly: That’s up for grabs! (laughs) It began at birth when I gave forth an alto sound upon delivery. The doctor told my mother that you have given birth to a little alto! (laughs) Even when I wasn’t performing, singing wise, I have always been interested in singing. SJM: You stated that your Musical tastes were shaped by Ella Fitzgerald, Duke Ellington, Sarah Vaughn, and so many others from that period. Tell us more about your listening experiences. Holly: When I heard Jazz at Berkeley, I returned home to Nova Scotia, and just inundated myself in Jazz. I actually began playing alto saxophone. In my family we sang all the time, a lot of other singers in Music school were timid about their sound. In my family we just sang – regardless of how it sounded. That was a hurdle I just didn’t have. I am blessed to have a natural ear as well as Music training , of which I believe both of those things are very important. SJM: What does International Jazz Day mean to you? Holly: Jazz as an art is a great communicator, and Music is really universal. It is a great way of bringing people of different cultures, genders, and languages together. International Jazz Day is growing every year, and I think it’s great! It is International Jazz Day at my house everyday. It’s nice to know that one day of the year is International Jazz Day for everybody. SJM: This is taken from a quote from your biography, where you mentioned that “This is my favorite kind of Jazz – live Jazz.” Is live Jazz what you have a special affinity for? Holly: The reason why I decided to study Jazz was because I wanted to sing live. I make albums so that I can tour, and be able to perform live. I love live concert! I Let the music take you… SmoothJazz Magazine | 21
CD Review Feature wanted to capture the spirit of live Music on record. On the album Holly, we did a lot of first takes, and had a lot of spontaneity. Many of the songs on the record were done with band members I had just met, and it was exciting for that reason.” SJM: The first line in your bio read “Holly Cole Transforms Loss into Love and Inspiration.” Can you elaborate further on how this was achieved with this album? Holly: That is interesting, because I didn’t write that! (laughs) However, it is a very insightful statement. During the making of this record, my mother passed away. I took time off, and took care of my mother. I learned a lot about my mother as a person during that time. It was a great decision! In the tune, You can’t take that away from me, I am talking about what I have, I still have the memories, and that can’t be taken away.”
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CD Review Feature SJM: Tell us about your collaboration with your special guest trombonist and vocalist Wycliffe Gordon. How did that come about? Holly: It was my producer Russ Titelman’s idea - which was very risky since we had never sang together before. Our voices were so different, and our approaches were so different, but it worked out spectacularly! The tune we did together called, “I Was Doing Alright,” we did with just one take! We then ended up doing another tune for the album called, “I Could Write A Book.” The chemistry and personalities between us was just perfect! SJM: Along with Wycliffe , Holly is also joined by an all-star cast including ,pianist/ organist Larry Goldings, bassist Ben Street, guitarist Ed Cherry, drummer Justin Faulkner and saxophonist Scott Robinson. SJM: Are there any upcoming projects for you Holly? Holly: In July, we are making a live record at the Montreal Jazz Festival! The festival is celebrating its 30th Anniversary. It will be a reunion with my original trio, and I am so looking forward to it! We are recording 4 nights at an intimate venue in a cabaret type setting. So that’s my next upcoming event! Let the music take you… SmoothJazz Magazine | 23
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Lifestyle - Movie By: Maxx Myrick and Keanna Faircloth
Wynton: Marsalis trumpeter, the artistic director of the Lincoln Jazz Center and so much more took time out of his busy day to talk about the soundtrack for the new movie “Bolden” that he scored. Maxx: I was looking at the credits. Are you singing on the CD? Wynton: I didn't sing a real piece. I just was singing on that song called “All the whores go crazy about the way I ride.” I was just saying stuff like “the way I ride” its like Street Houses and stuff like we did when I was growing up. Keanna: It sounds amazing, so it is coming out May 3rd? Wynton: Yes ma’am, and it is not for kids. Keanna: So tell us all about it? Wynton: It's about the father of jazz music Buddy Bolden the film tracks his music development in New Orleans, talks about his arrival and dealing with social issues in the United States of America after the Depression and a period before the Robert Charles riots where the Creoles and the Afro-Americans were forced together. It talks about 26| SmoothJazz Magazine
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Lifestyle - Movie him losing his mind, as he was committed to an insane asylum in 1897 – 1907 till he died and talks about his brilliance in inventing jazz and the things that he put together to create the sound and the concept that we still practice today. Maxx: How did you get involved with this film? Wynton: The film-maker Dan Pritzker called me. It was just an idea then, as he told me about the type of film that he wanted to make, he said it would be mythical not a bio pic, its just a vision of Bolden and his place in the Pantheon of the American Arts and how it deals with America and the different dynamics we have and the harmony and struggles and challenges that we still face as Bolden give us insights about ourselves. And I agreed with his vision and decided to work with him. He is very direct when he speaks in the things that he wants and it was a pleasure to work with him. Keanna: I assume that the mythical approach was because a lot was not known about him, right? Wynton: We don't have recordings of him, but there was a great book that came out on him by a guy named Donald Marquis called “In Search of Buddy Bolden the First Man of Jazz” and he came up with some factual information. What you have to understand about recordings is that these recordings allow you to hear how someone sounded; it does not help you imitate them. Because we have some recordings of King Oliver's Creole Jazz Band playing in 1923, and I am telling you no one can sound like that you can sit down with a Let the music take you… SmoothJazz Magazine | 27
Lifestyle - Movie group of musicians with the transcription of every note they played and you won’t get the feeling and the type of accent they played with is almost impossible to learn. Maxx: Being from the Crescent City, I know the music means a lot to you, so tell us a little bit about the music that's on the soundtrack? Wynton: It’s a combination of some of the songs that Bolden played and Louis Armstrong played. The movie starts with an image of Buddy Bolden in the insane asylum. He can hear Louis Armstrong on a radio show set in the 1930s. He hears pops (Louis Armstrong) so it goes back and forth and then there are some surreal elements of the movie. It's a relationship between Holden and Armstrong music put together in a certain diversity with the material, you know, everything comes out of integration like a person is born into integration of two people and the more diversity you have in your gene pool probably is healthier with your kids and that's why pass noble families struggle so much as they were into marrying within, Bolden took the sophistication of March's light Opera Arias and Ragtime and he matched it with, the charm of popular music popular songs things like “Home Sweet Home,” every American would have known at that time, then he took the feeling and the depth of Sanctified Church, Country Blues, and kind of low down dirty songs that you would cover people ears, Bolden put all of that together. He could take you from the Saturday night's low drag to the Sunday morning meeting with five notes. Keanna: Talk a little bit about the cast of the movie; you got Garry Carr playing Bolden himself. You got Yaya DaCosta who plays his wife. How was it for you, were you involve much on the set as the movie was actually being made or were you just on the studio side? 28| SmoothJazz Magazine
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Lifestyle - Movie Wynton: I was just on the studio side. I think Garry did a fantastic job with his fingering. So did Reno Wilson who played Louis Armstrong. Keanna: Did you coach them? Wynton: No I didn’t, I was actually shocked when I saw how well they did the fingers, they got almost everything exactly, right, it’s kind of funny to see, there are a lot of notes in the movie. Another thing that I liked in the movie is that Dan Pritzker is a musician, so he is not afraid of the music, the music and the places are very seldom put in the right position, the feeling is always just let's figure out how to get the music to play. It's covered up with plots and not let it speak. Where in this movie the music is like another character in the movie. Keanna: So are you planning on doing any red carpets? Wynton: No, nobody wants to see me; I am in the studio with my horn and with the music. Maxx: The music is on Blue Engine Label, so tell us about the label and some of the other things that it is doing? Wynton: It’s a non-profit label but it's not really a record company like a traditional record company and we are making material available up to this point. We've been selling CDs and using more of the traditional model. What we're going to do now is fulfill our function as a non-profit and make a lot of our music available to the public. We have so many recordings in the can and archived that we were waiting for the right time to release them. We are going to release this music and really want to get it out to the Community and asking them to come around it and support these releases. With our nonprofit companies, we exist because we are for social profit and all the citizens who feel that our work is worthy to support us and with contributing by donating, and Let the music take you… SmoothJazz Magazine | 29
Lifestyle - Movie with those donations and their participation because it's not always just money. We have been able to penetrate the culture even more for a more positive change. So in the next 5 years, we're going to be releasing 100 albums. Not just CDs but will electronic releases, there is a lot of material, but its not going to be a dump, where we are just dumping our archives, we will be editing and mixing every record and we are taking maximum care with everything and these are the first two of the hundreds that we will put out. The first is on Betty Carter “The Music Never Stops�. She was such a champion of jazz at Lincoln Center; she was such a genius, as you know. Her record is out now, I suggest that people go and check it out, and if people like the recordings of what they are doing, I suggest just go to jazz.org and activate the thing that says, I want to support Jazz at Lincoln Center; in a diversity of ways, cash is only one of those ways. Keanna: I guess you don't have time for the red carpet; you have a hundred releases coming out. Wynton: I am telling you, I am dedicated in a way that I cannot describe, its like the culmination of everything that I like to do, and playing music for our institutions and its is very important to let our music speak because it's going to be clear with the range and diversity of creativity and the quality of it that we will put it out with. Maxx: Absolutely, man. Appreciate you taking the time to speak with us, and for those who are listening, be sure to go to Jazz.org and get more information about these wonderful records about what's happening with jazz at Lincoln Center, Wynton Marsalis, and what's happening at the house of swing and what's happening in the swing seat. Special Thanks for Wynton: Thank You. 30| SmoothJazz Magazine
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New Orleans
CD Review Lifestyle - Cruise Photos By: Ron Hancox
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CD Reviews Review
New Album: 03/01/19 In The Key Of The Universe Let the music take you… SmoothJazz Magazine | 41
Festival - Photos
Photos: Douglas Mason, Joshua Brasted, Jacqueline Marque
Aaron Neville, Chaka Kahn, Diana Ross, Trombone Shorty & Orleans Avenue, Buddy Guy, Gladys Knight, Rita Coolidge, Mavis Staples, Tin Men, Crescent by Choice, Andrew J Forest , Geno Delafose & French Rockin Boogie, The Pfister Sisters, Eric Lindell, Kyle Roussel, George Wein, Jonathan Butler, New Birth Brass Band, Shirley Ceasar, The Kinfolk Brass Band, Pit Bull, Jupiter & Okwess of the Democratic of Republic, Dave Matthews Band, The Bahamas Junkanoos, Big Freedia, Earth, Wind & Fire, Judith Owen, Big Chief Juan & Jockimo’s Groove, Hot 8 Brass Band, Tank and The Bangas, George French & the New Orleans Storyville, Chris Owens, Maze featuring Frankie Beverly, The Radiators, Paulin Brothers, Terrance Simien & The Zydeco Experience, George Porter Jr., Second Line Parade, Regina Carter, and Irma Thomas Queen of New Orleans. 42| SmoothJazz Magazine Let the music take you‌
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Festival - Photos “The song will tell me to leave it alone or not, so my job and task , which is a large one, is to live in this world, and obey what it says. “
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Festival - Photos Festivals
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CD Review Festival - Photos Photos By: Tina Pruitt
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Concert -- Photos Festival Photos
2019 International Jazz Day
Global Concert 66| SmoothJazz Magazine
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Lifestyle - Awards
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CD Review
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New CD Releases 2019
Mavis Staples “We Get By” 05/24/19 BUY
Stryker Eight Track III 05/17/19 BUY
Theo Croker “Star People Nation” 05/17/19 BUY
Joel Ross “Kingmaker” 05/03/19 BUY
Seth MacFarlane “Once In a The O’Jays “The Last Word” 04/19/19 BUY While” 04/26/19 BUY
Norah Jones “Begin Again” 04/12/19 BUY
Elan Trotman “Dear Marvin” 04/02/19 BUY
Aubrey Logan “Where The Sunshine Is Expensive” 03/22/19 BUY
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CD Reviews Review By: Robin Munro
It was a pleasure to review the Rahsaan Patterson’s 7th album, “Heroes & Gods” which is scheduled for release May 17th. Known for his R&B, soul, and funk, this album is a mixture of all of the above. “Catch Me When I Fall”, his first track, had me tapping my feet and bobbing my head to the melodic upbeat tempo and of course Rahsaan’s soft and silky lyrics of love. He sings about love being pure poetry and listening to it; it was. Songs about love and the emotions felt were exhibited in “Wonderful Star”. His backup singers opened up this track with smooth soft melodies, while the instrumentals and percussion added to the slower pace and soft rhythm from his opening track. One of my favorites was “Silly Love Fool”, which brought soul and funk that he is known for. Also, my other favorite was his own rendition of Luther Vandross, “Don’t You Know That.” Rahsaan made it fresh, soft, and sexy. His track, “Rock n Roll”, kept it steamy and hot. His single that was released from this album, “Sent From Heaven”, was a great choice. This track showcased his vocals and his range. He sings about heaven being glorious, and this track was just that. Let the music take you… SmoothJazz Magazine | 81
CD Reviews Review Tracks “Wide Awake”, and “Soldier” 1. Catch Me When I Fall were different from some of the 2. Wonderful Star tracks he performed on this album 3. Silly Love Fool from the standpoint of more techno 4. Rock And Roll and rock than soul. “Sweet Memo- 5. Break It Down ries”, track 11, had him reminiscing 6. Don't You Know That about love lost. The title of the album, “Heroes & Gods”, 7. Sent From Heaven is the title of the final track. Crooning in his lower regis- 8. Wide Awake ter, he combined techno, funk, and soul. I could defi9. Soldier nitely see this track in a sci-fi movie. 10. Oxford Blues Overall, I enjoyed listening and you will as well. I think it 11. Sweet Memories makes for a nice appetizer before a great dinner and its 12. I Try 13. Heroes & Gods feel good sound is quite intoxicating.
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CD Reviews Review By: Avzal Ismail
The repertoire from the Great American Songbook, be it from Tin Pan Alley, Broadway or the Silver Screen is indeed a gift given to the world. Music that has enchanted and enthralled people through the decades and as fresh and beautiful now as when it was first written. As a professional musician I, my go to composers are people such as Cole Porter, Duke Ellington, Harold Arlen, Johnny Mercer, Richard Rogers and it is great to know that their music continues to be performed across the globe. In the hands of the right artists, this timeless music will always take on a new life and one such artist is Canadian vocalist Holly Cole who stretches boundaries and creates all new interpretations of some great classics. With a star personnel lineup in addition to her long time trio comprising of pianist Aaron Davis, bassist David Piltch and drummer Davide DiRnzo, the music stretches and comes to life in new and intriguing ways. Throw in an array of master musicians such as Larry Goldings, Wycliffe Gordon, Ed Cherry and others and bring in Grammy winning producer Russ Titelman and you have a sure-fire winner of an album. Let the music take you‌ SmoothJazz Magazine | 85
CD Reviews Review Reminiscent of vocalists such as Anita O’ Day, Julie London and Billie Holliday, Holly Cole weaves in and out with ease and finesse throughout the album with the support of some magnificent musicians. Holly during the recording of this album underwent a life changing personal event with the loss of her mother. Heeding her mom’s advice though, she reached higher for something new and this album is the end result. As with her other pursuits which includes restoring a beautiful new workspace and studying NLP, Holly wanted to create something intriguing and aesthetically pleasing while still maintaining stylistic integrity and faithfulness to the music itself which she succeeds in doing amply. With beautiful trombone, Hammond and vocal contributions this album shines with class and verve. In her own words “This perfect combination of musicians, producer and music enables me to explore and make a very personal statement with each and every song” and she certainly succeeds in doing that. There are no musical pyro techniques, just straight forward musical class here. Recorded in Toronto and New York, this album reflects musicianship of the highest order, from the opening “I’m beginning to see the Light” to classics such as “Teach me Tonight” “It could happen to you” and “I could write a book (as a pretty duet with Wycliffe on vocals).” This album covers a lot of great musical ground with some magnificent performances all around. With winter coming in, in the Southern Hemisphere this is the kind of album you put on while relaxing with a cognac and a warm fire. Sultry and classy. I’m glad I gave this one a listen. I’m certainly going to keep it on repeat for a while. 86| SmoothJazz Magazine
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