Picks of the Week: Feb. 8 – 14

By Don Heckman

Los Angeles

Jennifer York Quartet

- Feb. 9. (Tues.)  The Jennifer York Quartet.  Bassist and TV personality York leads a band that crosses smoothly from contemporary to mainstream jazz.  The evening will be further enlivened by the always impressive singing of special guest Chris Bennett.  Catalina Bar & Grill (323) 466-2210.

- Feb. 9.  (Tues.)  John Pisano Guitar Night.  Barry Zweig, who has played with everyone from Peggy Lee and Don Ellis to Buddy Rich and Natalie Cole,  partners with Pisano in this laid-back, entertaining format.  Vitello’s (818) 769-0905.

- Feb. 10. (Wed.)  Masters of Persian Music.  Kamancheh (spike fiddle) player  Kayhan Kalhor and Hossein Alizadeh, a master of the lute-like tar and setar are joined by classical vocalist Hamid Reza Nourbakhsh in a program of Persian traditional and classical music.   Disney Hall.  (323) 850-2000.   Also Friday, Feb. 12  at the Irvine Barclay Theatre (see below).

Emil Richards

- Feb. 11. (Thurs.)  Emil Richards/Joe Porcaro Quartet.  Vibist/percussionist Richards has played on the soundtracks of nearly 2000 films and TV shows creating such memorable sounds as the the finger snaps on the Addams Family show, the bongos on the original Mission Impossible show and the xylophone on The Simpons.  Here he partners with Porcaro, a veteran of gigs with Gerry Mulligan, Frank Sinatra, Madonna and more.  Backing them, the similarly experienced pianist Mike Lang and bassist Abraham Laboriel.  Charlie O’s.  http://www.charlieos.com (919) 994-3058..

- Feb. 11. (Thurs.)  The Paul Kreibich Quartet with guest vocalist Tony Galla.  A Pre-Valentine’s Day Party.   Drummer Kreibich has been a rhythm section mainstay with Ray Charles, Carmen McRae, Mose Allison and more.  Galla’s lyrical singing harkens back to the days of the great Italian balladeers — a perfect voice for the romance of Valentine’s Day.   The Kreibich Quartet also includes saxophonist Roger Neumann, pianist Marty Harris and bassist Kirk Smith.  The Brasserie Jazz Lounge in the  Crowne Plaza LAX Hotel.  (310) 642-7500.

Ken Peplowski

- Feb. 11 – 14. ( Thurs. – Sun.)  “For the Love of Jazz” Newport Beach Jazz Party. The Southland’s first major jazz event of the year.  Highlights include the Sinatraland Orchestra, Ken Peplowski’s Big Band and the Clayton-Hamilton Jazz Orchestra.  Saturday night Valentine’s Dance, Sunday Valentine’s Day Brunch with Bill Henderson and Byron Stripling. The Heath Brothers Quartet. The long list of participants includes Dave Frishberg, Ken Peplowski, Jackie Ryan, Houston Person, Lewis Nash, Rickey Woodard, Holly Hofmann, Bill Cunliffe, Ron Eschete, Tamir Hendelman and dozens of others.  Newport Beach Jazz Party.  (949) 759-5003.

- Feb. 11 – 14 (Thurs. – Sun.) & Feb 18 – 21 (Thurs. – Sun.)  Steve Tyrell.  Catalina’s has become a virtual second home for the American Songbook stylings of the mellow-voiced Tyrell. Catalina Bar & Grill.   (323) 466-2210.

- Feb. 12. (Fri.)  Dave Pell & Med Flory Quintet.  Veteran saxophonists Pell and Flory revive the compelling sounds of an alto and tenor front line.  The Back Room at Henri’s.  (310) 348-5582.

- Feb. 12.  (Fri.)  Masters of Persian Music.  Kamancheh (spike fiddle) player  Kayhan Kalhor and Hossein Alizadeh, a master of the lute-like tar and setar are joined by classical vocalist Hamid Reza Nourbakhsh in a program of Persian traditional and classical music.  Irvine Barclay Theatre.  (949) 854-4646.

Denise Donatelli

- Feb. 12. (Fri.)  Denise Donatelli. Always a pleasure to hear, Donatelli is at her best when she’s in a superlative musical setting.  As she is here, with pianist Otmaro Ruiz, bassist Hamilton Price and drummer Aaron Serfaty. Spazio.   (818) 728-8400.

- Feb. 12 – 13.  (Fri & Sat.) Adam Rudolph and the Go: Organic Orchestra. Adventurous percussionist/composer Rudolph presents an evening of cutting edge music, performed by a remarkable, 26-piece enssemble of winds, percussion and strings.  Electric Lodge, Venice.   (310) 306-1854.

- Feb. 12 – 13. (Fri. & Sat.).  La Traviata.  Teatro Lirico D’Europa perform Verdi’s tragic opera of frustrated love and selfless sacrifice.  In Italian with English supertitles.  Cerritos Center.  (582) 916-8501.

- Feb. 12 – 13. (Fri. & Sat.)  Alex Acuna. The versatile drummer/percussionist celebrates the release of his “Jungle City” CD leading a Weather Report-styled trio (with keyboardist Jan Gunnar Hoff and bassist Per Mathisen).  Vitello’s (818) 769-0905.

- Feb. 13. (Sat.)  Tessa Souter.  English jazz vocalist — by way of New York City — brings her engaging interpretation of standards and jazz classics to a Jazz Bakery Moveable Feast. She’s backed by Jason Ennis, guitar, Hamilton Price, bass, Kevin Kanner, drums.  To read an iRoM review of Souter’s last L.A. appearance, click here. Ivy Substation, Venice.  Jazz Bakery.   (310) 271-9039.

Katja Rieckermann

- Feb. 13. (Sat.)  Katja Rieckermann Quartet.  The German tenor saxophonist has been touring and recording with Rod Stewart for the past several years. Her resume also includes gigs with, among others, Al Green, Carole King, Reba McEntire, Tom Scott and Randy Newman. Vibrato Grill Jazz… etc.   (310) 474-9400.

- Feb. 14. (Sun.)  Gershwin Sings Gershwin.  Alexis Gershwin and the Harry James Tribute Band.  A chance to hear Gershwin songs performed by a singer in the direct lineage.  Alexis is the niece of George and Ira Gershwin.   Cerritos Center.   (582) 916-8501.

San Francisco

- Feb. 9. (Tues.) Maria Volonte.  The sweet-voiced singer/guitarist from Argentina begins with classic tango, expanding it into musical visions of her own.  The Rrazz Room.   (415) 394-1189.

- Feb. 12 – 14. (Fri. – Sun.)  Mavis Staples.  No one finds the heart of gospel in rhythm and blues as impressively as the still mesmerizing veteran of the Staples Singers.   Yoshi’s Oakland.  (510) 238-9200.

New York

Gerald Clayton

- Feb. 9 – 14. (Wed. – Sun.) The Gerald Clayton Trio.  Pianist Clayton, now in his mid-twenties, has been one of the most electrifying young jazz talents since he was still a teen-ager.  And he keeps gettng better.  He performs with Joe Sanders, bass and Justin Brown, drums.  Village Vanguard.  (212) 255-4037.

- Feb. 9 – 14. (Wed. – Sun.)  The David Sanborn Quartet featuring Joey DeFancesco. Call this pairing the perfect combination for finding the heart of the blues in contemporary jazz.   The Blue Note.  (212) 475-8592.

- Feb. 10. (Thurs.)  Steve Kuhn and Ravi Coltrane Duo.  Veteran pianist Kuhn once created magic with John Coltrane.  Now he’s recalling the formula with the elder Coltrane’s gifted saxophone-playing son.   Jazz Standard.   (212) 576-2232.

Hilary Kole

- Feb. 10 – 14. (Thurs. – Sun.)  Hilary Kole.  Kole’s singing reaches well beyond the usual vocal interpretations of standard songs.  In her gifted hands, they are transformed into compelling new musical short stories.  To read an iRoM review of Kole’s recent L.A. appearance click here.   Birdland.  (212) 581-3080.

- Feb. 11 – 14. (Thurs. – Sun.)  Rene Marie.  Marie has been an utterly unique jazz vocalist, insisting upon doing a song her own way, since she first arrived on the scene a decade ago.   Jazz Standard. (212) 576-2232.

Seattle

Feb. 11 – 14 (Thurs. – Sun.)  Mindi Abair.  Contemporary jazz saxophonist Abair has a track record reaching from the Backstreet Boys and Josh Groban to Lee Ritenour and Keb’ Mo’, producing a series of Top 10 hits on the Billboard Contemporary Jazz charts.  As if that wasn’t enough, she also plays the flute, sings and writes songs.  Jazz Alley.   (206) 441-9729.

Washington, D.C.

- Feb. 11 – 14. (Thurs. – Sun.)  Jerry “The Ice Man” Butler.  Butler, the original lead singer in the Impressions, now divides his time between his still-potent, still-cool singing, and his  political activities  as a Cook County [Illinois] Board Commissioner    Blues Alley.   (202) 337-4141.

Zanzibar

- Feb. 11 – 16.  (Thurs. – Tues.)  Sauti Za Busara Zanzibar.   An international festival celebrating East African music.  The long list of artists includes performers from South Africa, Senegal, Tanzania, Ethiopia, Egypt, Suriname, Uganda, Zanzibar and beyond.  Admission is free to all East African residents before 5 p.m. Tel: 255 24 223 2423.  Sauti Za Busara Zanzibar.

Live Jazz: The Jacob Fred Jazz Odyssey at The Mint

By Devon Wendell

The Jacob Fred Jazz Odyssey took stage at The Mint on Saturday night with a keen sense of eclectic influences ranging from Thelonious Monk and Rashaan Roland Kirk to The Beatles and Sonic Youth.

The Tulsa Oklahoma natives (Brian Haas: electric piano and band leader, Josh Raymer: drums, Chris Combs: lap steel guitar, and Matt Hayes on upright bass) began their set with “The Sensation Of Seeing Light,” a loose, up-tempo progression that immediately established Combs as the most interesting instrumentalist.  Using a lap-steel guitar in a modern fusion jazz quartet with a row of guitar effects, the sound he produced was closer to an electric violin than an orthodox, country-inspired steel player. Combs wove in and out of the piece with a delightfully ethereal sound and minimalist phrasing.

But, unfortunately, the group was marred by sound problems from the very start. Hass’s Fender Rhodes electric keyboard was overwhelmingly loud, drowning out the bass completely and making it difficult to hear Combs. Raymer also seemed to be fighting to be heard in the mix and “The Sensation of Seeing Light” eventually fell apart, with all eyes on the sound man.

“Iman” (from the group’s current CD, One Day In Brooklyn) was much more cohesive with its latter-day, Sun Ra Arkestra feel. Though Haas’s keyboard was still too loud, Raymer’s drumming got its first and only chance to shine with character and a hip-hop-, soul-inspired percussion sound.

Introducing “Drethoven,” Haas explained to the audience, “This next number is dedicated to our two favorite composers, Beethoven and Doctor Dre.”   The composition easily summed up the band’s diverse set of influences, adventure, and wit.  Haas’ keyboard fused a sinister and muddy minor key West Coast hip-hop melody with percussive classical chords. He also played the melodica in unison to Combs haunting steel guitar work, creating some effective call and response, which was eventually abandoned as the group drifted into some clichéd, self-indulgent jamming.

The evening’s highlight was “Trampoline Phoenix” — a psychedelic nursery rhyme with the sensation of Thelonious Monk arm wrestling The Meters.  Haas and company were more subdued, allowing for more musical interplay and thematic purpose.  But the band began to lose its way toward the end of the set and both “Hanbee’s Rainbow” and “The Return” were redundant, as the band jammed themselves past musical coherency, sounding lost and sloppy.

Closing the program with Louis Armstrong’s “The Song of the Vipers,” Hass dedicated it to all of the “ganja smokers in the audience.”  This rendition, however,  gave the impression that a little less pot smoke and lot more focus would have helped hold the tune together.  Combs again was the shinning star, quoting “Satchmo’s” trumpet lines on his lap-steel, passing them through a volume pedal to mimic a muted trumpet.

It was obvious at The Mint that The Jacob Fred Jazz Odyssey had some adventurous ideas as musicians and composers.  But more often they lapsed too freely into a jam band realm, robbing their brief set of consistency, discipline, and focus.

Quotation of the Week: Rabindranath Tagore

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“The world speaks to me in colors, my soul answers in music.”

Rabindranath Tagore

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To see more Quotations of the Week click Here.

Live Jazz: The Laurence Hobgood Trio at Cafe Metropole

By Michael Katz

Laurence Hobgood provided a perfect antidote to a rainy weekend at Café Metropole Friday evening, displaying his panoply of talents as musician, composer and arranger over two sets of intriguing and engaging music. Hobgood is best known as pianist and arranger for Kurt Elling; his presence in LA over the past two weekends was centered around the Grammy awards. Elling’s Dedicated To You won for Best Jazz Vocal, and Hobgood was nominated for his superb arrangements on that album. Ably abetted by two outstanding young musicians, bassist Hamilton Price and drummer Kevin Kanner, Hobgood presented a program almost entirely of his own compositions.

“When The Heart Dances,” the title song from his most recent CD, started as an elegy, reminiscent briefly of Bill Evans, though Hobgood’s playing isn’t clearly derivitive of anyone. He weaves rich chordal structures into his pieces, dashing off   archipeggios and then folding them back into the lyrical structure. Hamilton Price had a crisp bass solo in the opening number, and Kevin Kanner established himself as the   composition picked up pace.

Hobgood transitioned into his only borrowed tune of the set, a brooding, off-minor interpretation of the fifties’ hit song, “Que Sera, Sera.” Hobgood’s soulful playing fit snugly into the surroundings of Café Metropole’s spare brick backdrop, with comic book and cartoon art on the walls suggesting a touch of whimsy.

Hobgood followed with two more originals, “The Princess and the Gentle Giant,” a piece from the ‘80s, and “Sanctuary” from the new CD. It’s worth noting that composition on the jazz spectrum can run anywhere from a single infectious line surrounded by a combo’s solo flights to the complex orchestrations of an Ellington or Mingus. Hobgood’s music, taking full advantage of the trio format, is richly complex, launching his listeners on a journey, keeping them rapt as he moves from dark, percussive beginnings, sliding into bright side canyons like a rafter searching for a line through tumultuous rapids. “Sanctuary” was done as a solo piece on the new album, but as Hobgood noted, working  with the trio gave him the opportunity to explore the piece in a fresh way.

The second set, all original compositions except “Esperanza” by Vince Mendoza, featured mostly tunes from a less recent CD, Crazy World. The opening number, “Window Man,” began quietly, ballad-like, simmering into a more percussive tone and  proceeding into dynamic interplay with bassist Price. “Prayer For The Enemy” was a waltz that segued into a bluesy tone.

Bassist Price and drummer Kanner were sparkling throughout. Having had only one previous set to work out these lengthy, layered compositions with Hobgood, they were remarkably efficient and creative in their own soloing. Price, particularly as the second set continued,  exhibited a tone and dexterity that recalled Eddie Gomez, excelled in the playful “Smuggler,” named for a mountain bike trail in Aspen.  Kanner contributed his own bright rhythms, with creative use of brushes in the sets’ quieter moments.

With the continuing success of Kurt Elling, Laurence Hobgood will clearly have plenty of challenging work in front of him. But audiences should leap at the chance to hear him leading a trio in these richly engaging compositions. He’ll continue tonight at Café Metropole with special guest Ernie Watts.

World Music CD: Lawson Rollins “Espirito”

Lawson Rollins

Espirito (Infinita)

By Devon Wendell

Guitarist Lawson Rollins’ music has been spanning the globe and exploring many diverse musical traditions, tones, and textures for more than a decade.  (His remarkable, fast fingered “Fire Cadenza” has already received over 2 ½ million YouTube views.)

On this latest album, Rollins continues to apply his prodigious technique to a far-reaching collection of material.  Espirito reaches beyond the familiar areas of Latin jazz with some adventurous compositions and stirring solos. On “Ramba del Sol” there are daring improvisational exchanges between Lawson, bassist Randy Tico, percussionist Dave Bryant, and violinist Charlie Bisharat. The horns (Jeff Elliot, trumpet and Justin Claveria, tenor sax) are most impressive on “Havana Heat,” featuring Elliot’s subtle yet sleek and funky horn arrangements.  Rollins’s attack on this number dives right into the soul of the blues with fast minor pentatonic trills and slow string bends.

On “Blue Mountain Bolero,” Rollins infuses his masterful Segovia-like acoustic guitar runs with rock-inspired wah-wah leads by one of the album’s producers, Shahin Shahida.  Equally impressive: Joseph Ehtesham-zedeh’s spaghetti Western slide guitar, eerie keyboard work by the album’s other producer, Dominic Camardella, and the frenetic violin playing of Bisharat.

The ambient vocals delivered by Flora Purin and Diana Booker sound as if they were pushed too far back in the mix on “Moonlight Samba,” “Return To Rio,” and the title track, in a manner that distracts from the outstanding instrumental performances. The only similar number to pull it off effectively is the African inspired Cape Town Sky, in which guitarist Shahida adds colorful vocal flourishes that stay tastefully in context with the song’s theme.

Rollins and company take the listener on a continuous geographical tour of Cuba, Africa, and even the South of France on Cafe La Martinique. The sultry tango swing and brilliant interplay between Richard Hardy on clarinet and flute, Bisharat’s violin, and the psychedelic minor key electric guitar shadings by Shahida make this a standout track.

Rollins’s sense of dynamics and harmony are at the forefront of each track and mixed so that it feels as though all the other band members are dancing around his swift arpeggios, sweet motifs, and layered harmonies.  While some tracks are more successful than others, the album is pieced together with purpose and love of music from all corners of the globe.

Jazz CD: Pat Metheny’s “Orchestrion”

Pat Metheny

Orchestrion (Nonesuch)

By Don Heckman

If we know anything about Pat Metheny, we know that he is an ever-questing musical adventurer.  Yes, he’s also a superb guitarist, a master of his instrument, seemingly becoming more virtuosic with every recording, every performance.  But what’s most fascinating about him is his desire to explore new musical horizons.  A lot of players want to stretch the envelope of a particular genre.  Metheny’s goal seems to be the limitless expansion of his own musical imagination.

Orchestrion is his latest – and, in some respects, most remarkable effort in that direction.  Metheny’s Orchestrion, in the most rudimentary description, is a startlingly contemporary one-man band, – a 21^st century, computer-, solenoid- and pneumatic-driven set of instruments, controlled via software and live triggering.  The instruments, all played in one manner or another by Metheny, include pianos, marimbas, orchestra bells, basses, guitarbots, percussion, cymbals, drums and more.

Metheny’s interest in the concept traces back to his  youthful fascination with his grandfather’s player piano.  The idea of mechanically controlling an acoustic instrument first emerged in the late 19^th century.  Initially applied to the piano, it involved the foot-pumped use of piano rolls which controlled the movement of the keys.  It was later applied to a wide range of instruments – percussion, mallet instruments, even violins and other stringed instruments.  Assembled in groups, they were called orchestrions – one of the primary inspirations for this recording.

Metheny is quick to explain, in his liner notes, that whether they’re “developed and performed acoustically or otherwise, with a ten-dollar instrument or sophisticated computer system, good notes are good notes.”  And that, of course, is the primary way to hear, and to evaluate, the five compositions he has written for his Orchestrion.

The opening, 15+ minute selection, “Orchestrion,” is a kind of display piece – like a concerto for orchestra – presenting the full breadth and range of the collective of sounds at Metheny’s command.  His interspersed solos are – as always, state-of-the-art examples of definitive contemporary jazz guitar.  “Entry Point” is darker, filled with moody, atmospheric sounds and lyrical fragments of melody.  “Expansion” digs into a near-funk groove, filled with life, except for the moments when it verges a bit too close to a contemporary smooth jazz feeling.  “Soul Search” starts as a laid-back ballad, building into a stirring set of double-time choruses from Metheny’s guitar.  And “Spirit of the Air” is structured over an infectious rhythmic ostinato that morphs, halfway through the piece, into a bass and guitar exchange that gradually returns to the original ostinato.

It’s all Metheny, and most listeners – uniformed of the way it was made – would view it as one of his better recordings.

But others might detect an occasional lack of the sort of spontaneity and emotional layering that have always made his work so fascinating.  And that would seem to be the price that is paid in the computerized programming that is an essential element in Metheny’s control of this wide array of acoustic instruments.  It’s possible, probably likely, that his compositions include passages in which he can trigger openings in the programming to allow playing that is not locked into the click that unifies all the instruments.

This listener, however, is looking forward to what he hopes will be the next step in the evolution of Metheny’s Orchestrion.  And that will be the inclusion of aspects of artificial intelligence in the software that allow and stimulate interactive responses from the instruments themselves – responses that reflect something like the sort of unpredictable spontaneity that takes place between live players.  It may sound science fictiony, but it’s doable.  And no one could do it with more respect for the inherent creativity of the process than Pat Metheny.

Picks of the Week: Feb. 2 – 7

By Don Heckman

Los Angeles

Anthony Wilson

- Feb. 2. (Tues.)  John Pisano Guitar Night.  With Anthony Wilson.  Guitar Nights are always good.   This should be one of the best.  Guitarist, composer and bandleader Wilson is a stunningly versatile talent.   Vitello’s (818) 769-0905.

- Feb. 4. (Thurs.) Beyond the Pale.  Skirball.  The Canadian band doesn’t hesitate to wrap klezmer around everything from bluegrass and jazz to reggae and funk.  (310) 440-4500.

Estaire Godinez

- Feb. 4. (Thurs.)  Estaire Godinez.  Percussionist/singer Godinez brings passionate intensity to eveerything she sings and plays.   She celebrates the release of her new CD.  Vibrato Grill Jazz… etc.   (310) 474-9400.

- Feb. 5. (Fri.)  Yamaha Piano All Star Review.  A versatile line up of pianists pay tribute to the Yamaha brand with music reaching from romantic classical to straight ahead jazz.  Performers include Anna Grinberg, Danny Holt, Milen Kirov, David Roitstein, David Rosenboom, Juris Vikovs, and Liam Viney.  REDCAT.  (213) 237-2800.

- Feb. 5. (Fri.)  Sony Holland.  Vocalist Holland’s intimate sound and dramatic phrasing find a perfect blend with the Theo Saunders Quartet.  Steamers.  (714) 871-8800.

Dave Liebman

- Feb. 5. (Fri.)  Dave Liebman.  A too-rare Los Angeles appearance by the versatile, veteran saxophonist Liebman, enhanced by the all-star Southland quartet of  Bob Sheppard, bass, John Beasley, piano, Darek Oles, bass and Joe LaBarbera, drums.  Upstairs at Vitellos.  (818) 769-0905.

- Feb. 5. (Fri.)  Laurence Hobgood Trio. Pianist Hobgood has had a lot of visibility as Kurt Elling’s musical associate, but he’s a gifted artist in his own right.  Don’t miss this rare opportunity to hear him in action.  Café Metropol. (310)  613-1537

- Feb. 5. (Fri.)  Jon Mayer Quartet. Pianist Mayer is a bop master, but he crosses comfortably into other mainstream jazz areas as well.  He’s backed by the vertain team of Ernie Watts, tenor saxophone, Chris Conner, bass, Roy McCurdy, drums.  Spazio.   (818) 728-8400.

- Feb. 5 & 6.  (Fri. & Sat.)  Strunz & Farah.  The guitar duo, with roots in Costa Rica and Iran have been stretching the limits of flamenco jazz and fusion since world music was just becoming a genre on its own. Catalina Bar & Grill (323) 466-2210

- Feb. 5 & 6. (Fri. & Sat.)   Sambaguru.  When the super-heated Katia Moraes and her accomplices in Sambaguru hit the stage, the Brazilian rhythmic pyrotechnics never stop.Friday at Culver Club Raddison.  Sat. at Spazio. .   Sambaguru.

- Feb. 6. (Sat.)  Jacob Fred Jazz Odyssey. They’ve gone through several incarnations since their founding in 1994, but JFJO continue to blur the boundaries between jazz, rock, funk and avant-garde.  The Mint.   (323) 954-9400

- Feb. 6. (Sat.) Lanny Morgan.  Another bebopper on the loose, alto saxophonist Morgan is also a lyrical ballad player.  He performs with the John Heard Trio.  Charlie O’s.  (818) 994-3058.

Repast

- Feb. 6. (Sat.)  Repast.   The Baroque instrumental trio — Amelia Roosevelt (baroque violin), John Mark Rozendaal (baroque violoncello and viola da gamba), and Avi Stein (harpsichord) — are joined by baroque violinist Claire Jolivet and soprano Nell Snaidas for an evening of music from Amsterdam.  Th performance complements the Getty’s current exhibit of drawings by Rembrandt and his students.   The Getty.   (310) 440-7300.

- Feb. 6 – 19.  (Sat. – Fri.)  Bob Barry Jazz Photography Exhibit.  Barry’s extensive jazz performance photos are on display as part of the two week Celebration of Jazz at the  Brand Library of Music and Art.   (818) 548-2051

- Feb. 7. (Sun.)  Mike Lang. The ever-versatile, always-swinging pianist appears with the solid backing of bassist Abraham Laboriel, Sr. and drummer Walter Rodriguez.  Catalina Bar & Grill (323) 466-2210.

San Francisco

Paula West

- Feb. 2 – 28.  Paula West.  One of the Bay area’s many fine jazz vocalists, West still hasn’t received the recognition her extraordinary talent deserves.  She sings with the George Mesterhazy Quartet.  The Rrazz Room.   (415) 394-1189.

- Feb. 4. (Thurs.)  John Handy. Educator and long-time cutting-edge alto saxophonist brings his admirable skills to a rare one-nighter. Yoshi’s San Francisco.   (415) 655-5600.

- Feb. 4 – 7. (Thurs. – Sun)  Charisma!: The Music of Lee Morgan.  Selections from the catalog of the great jazz trumpeter are performed by the sterline ensemble of  Benny Maupin, Bill Harper, Eddie Henderson, David Weiss, Geri Allen, Dwayne Burno, Billy Hart.  Yoshi’s Oakland.  (510) 238-9200.

- Feb. 6. (Sat.)  Dionne Warwick.  The iconic hit-maker of the ’60s and ’70s still knows how to bring a song to life — even if it wasn’t written by Burt Bacharach and Hal David.Castro Theatre. (415) 392-4500.

New York

- Feb. 2 & 3.  (Tues. & Wed.)  Dorado Schmitt‘ continues his cross-country celebration of the Django Reinhardt centennial.  This time with special guest Curtis Stigers.  Iridium.   (212) 582-0161.

Gretchen Parlato

- Feb. 2 & 3. (Tues. & Wed.)  Afinidad — the adventurous ensemble formed by Edward Simon and David Binney moves into even more colorful musical territory with special guests Gretchen Parlato, Ben Monder, Rogerio Boccato.  Jazz Standard. (212) 576-2232.

- Feb. 2 – 6. (Tues. – Sat.)  Oregon, the trail-breaking jazz/world music ensemble is still making superb music — forty years after its founding.  With Ralph Towner, guitar, keyboards and trumpet, Paul McCandless, woodwinds, Glen Moore, bass and Mark Walker, drums.  Birdland.  (212) 581-3080.

- Feb. 2 – 7. (Tues. – Sun.)  Jimmy Heath Big Band.  Veteran saxophonist/educator Heath has been leading big bands of one sort or another for most of his long, productive musical life.  And, at 84, he’s still at it.  The Blue Note.   (212) 475-8592.

- Feb. 3. (Wed.)  Mary Foster Conklin.  Somewhere between cabaret and jazz, Mary Foster has found an utterly believable musical home.  She’s always worth hearing, and never more so than at  Café Vivaldi.  (212) 691-7538.

- Feb. 4 – 6. (Thurs. – Sat.)  David Sanchez Group.  Puero Rican tenor saxophonist Sanchez has been honing and shaping his unique musical voice since he arrived on the scene.  And it just keeps getting better.   Jazz Standard. http://www.jazzstandard.com/red/index.html (212) 576-2232.

Here, There & Everywhere: The Jazz Winners at the 52nd Annual Grammy Awards

By Don Heckman

The jazz Grammys have been awarded and – Surprise! – there are no surprises.  Which, given the nominations, is not particularly surprising.

Even so, that’s not to question the worthiness of winners such as the Joe Zawinul album 75, (recorded a couple of months before the composer/keyboardist’s death) – despite its peculiar presence in the “Best Contemporary Jazz Album” category.  Kurt Elling’s award in the “Best Jazz Vocal Album” was richly deserved; it was his ninth nomination and first win.  So, too, for the Bebo and Chucho Valdes award for “Best Latin Jazz Album.” The father and son Cuban piano stars have been instrumental in bringing first rate Cuban jazz to wide audiences.  And as an addendum in other categories, it was good to see pianist Bill Cunliffe receive a “Best Instrumental Arrangement Award” for West Side Story Medley (Resonance), and Claus Ogerman win the “Best Instrumental Arrangement Accompanying Vocalists” for Diana Krall’s Quiet Nights (Verve).

It was, on the other hand, unfortunate to see younger talent – Julian Lage, Gerald Clayton, Miguel Zenon – overlooked.  But they’ll have plenty of opportunities in the future.

The real problems lay, as they have for the past few years, in the nominations and the definitions for the categories.  Too often – the “Best Jazz Vocal Album” category was a good example – fine recordings from lesser known talent were ignored in favor of familiar faces.  Other categories – “Best Contemporary Album,” “Best Latin Jazz Album,” ”Best Large Jazz Ensemble Album” – are catch-alls, pitting dissimilar nominees against each other, reflecting the Recording Academy’s seemingly diminishing knowledge and interest in jazz.  And the “Best Improvised Solo” category continues to be an absurd grouping.  One wonders what definitions a voting member uses to compare, say, an improvised solo by Martial Solal to a solo by Terence Blanchard.

Getting back to the “Surprise” (or lack of same) factor, it wasn’t surprising that the jazz awards were given in the afternoon, relegated to the non-televised segment of the Awards.  But it was startling to see the Grammys handed out by pop singer/songwriter Colbie Cailiat and Fleetwood Mac’s Mick Fleetwood.  It wasn’t clear what, exactly, their connection with jazz might have been.  Maybe the Academy knows something I don’t.

Here are the nominations and the winners:

Best Contemporary Jazz Album

WINNER: Joe Zawinul & The Zawinul Syndicate 75 (Heads Up International)

Stefon Harris & Blackout Urbanus (Concord Jazz)

Julian Lage Sounding Point (Emarcy/Decca)

Philippe Saisse At World’s Edge (E1 Music)

Mike Stern Big Neighborhood (Heads Up International)

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Best Jazz Vocal Album

WINNER: Kurt Elling Dedicated To You: Kurt Elling Sings The Music Of Coltrane and Hartman (Concord)

Randy Crawford No Regrets (PRA Records)

Roberta Gambarini So In Love (Groovin’ High/Emarcy)

Luciana Souza Tide (Verve)

Tierney Sutton Desire (Telarc Jazz)

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Best Improvised Jazz Solo

WINNER: Terence Blanchard “Dancin’ 4 Chicken” from Jeff ‘Tain” Watts CD, Watts (Dark Key Music)

Gerald Clayton “All Of You” (ArtistShare)

Roy Hargrove “Ms. Garvey, Ms. Garvey” (Groovin’ High/Emarcy)

Martial Solal “On Green Dolphin Street” (CamJazz)

Miguel Zenon “Villa Palmeras” (Marsalis Music)

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Best Jazz Instrumental Album, Individual Or Group

WINNER: Chick Corea & John McLaughlin Five Peace Band Five Peace Band – Live (Concord Records)

Gary Burton, Pat Metheny, Steve Swallow & Antonio Sanchez Quartet Live (Concord Jazz)

Clayton Brothers Brother To Brother (ArtistShare)

John Patitucci Trio Remembrance (Concord Jazz)

Allen Toussaint The Bright Mississippi (Nonesuch)

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Best Large Jazz Ensemble Album

WINNER: New Orleans Jazz Orchestra Book One (World Village

Bob Florence Limited Edition Legendary (MAMA Records)

John Hollenbeck Large Ensemble Eternal Interlude (Sunnyside)

Sammy Nestico And The SWR Big Band Fun Time (Hanssler Classic)

University Of North Texas One O’Clock Lab Band Lab 2009 (North Texas Jazz)

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Best Latin Jazz Album (Vocal or Instrumental)

WINNER: Bebo Valdés And Chucho Valdés Juntos Para Siempre (Sony Music/Calle 54)

Chembo Corniel Things I Wanted To Do (Chemboro Records)

Geoffrey Keezer Aurea (ArtistShare)

Claudio Roditi Brazilliance X 4 (Resonance Records)

Miguel Zenón Esta Plena (Marsalis Music)

Classical CD: Michael Maniaci “Mozart Arias For Male Soprano”

Michael Maniaci

Mozart Arias For Male Soprano (Telarc)

By Don Heckman

The words “male soprano” may sound like a contradiction in terms, an oxymoron.  And it largely has been so for the past century and more.  Nonetheless, a substantial catalog of music was composed for male sopranos, mostly in the 17^th and 18^th centuries.  And historical references to their work reach as far back as the fifth century and as recently as the mid-19^th century.

The overwhelming majority of those male sopranos were eunuchs, castrated before puberty to retain the range of a prepubescent voice with the lung and breath power of an adult male.  Only a few recordings of an actual castrato remain – from a scratchy cylinder recording by Alessandro Moreschi made in 1904 (reportedly well past his prime).  But the quality and the challenges of the music composed for these remarkable artists – especially during the late 17^th and early 18^th centuries – clearly indicate the length and breadth of their extraordinary abilities.

Over the years, a very few male sopranos grew to maturity with similar capabilities as the result of endocrinological conditions.  Other high male vocalizing is present in countertenors and in falsetto singing.  But none of those conditions are the source of male soprano Michael Maniaci’s voice.  In the liner notes to this CD he explains that “While my vocal cords lengthened and thickened somewhat, they didn’t do so to the extent that most men experience. My voice comfortably goes to a soprano high C, and I’m most comfortable in the two octave register from high C to middle C.”

“Comfortable” is an understatement to describe Maniaci’s performance in this collection of Mozart arias, accompanied by the Boston Baroque, directed by Martin Pearlman.  The first notes of the recitative and aria Ah qual gelido orror…il padre adorato from Idomeneo instantly make it clear that we are hearing a remarkable soprano voice – clear, airy, moving freely into the top notes, yet delivered with a stunning degree of strength and power.   Here, as elsewhere in the program, Maniaci affirms that he is not simply an unusual musical phenomenon, he is also a gripping interpretive artist.

The lovely aria Ah se a morir mi chiama from Lucio Silla reveals yet another quality – a soaring lyricism rendered with subtle dynamic control and utterly fluid ornamentation.   And the Allegro, Alleluja from the motet Exsultate, Jubilate provides the opportunity for coda displaying Maniaci’s brilliant, high wire vocal articulation.

But for this listener, the aria Parto, ma tu ben mio from La Clemenza Di Tito is the highlight of the album, largely because Mozart composed such a gorgeous duet for soprano voice and clarinet (written for his close friend Anton Stadler).  Mancini brings it to life, winding supplely in and around the flowing clarinet lines performed superbly here – by Nina Stern or Diane Heffner (unfortunately the liner notes are not specific).

We’ll never actually know, of course, exactly what the castrati of the 17^th and 18^th centuries sounded like.  But, in Michael Maniaci’s voice, we hear qualities that surely come close to revealing the aural secrets of one of music history’s most fascinating and mysterious eras.

Quotation of the Week: Judy Garland

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“Always be a first-rate version of yourself, instead of a second-rate version of somebody else.”

Judy Garland

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To read more Quotations of  the Week click Here.