Live Jazz: The John Beasley MONK-estra Upstairs at Vitello’s

By Don Heckman

Studio City, CA.  John Beasley described the 18 piece ensemble he brought to Vitello’s Wednesday night as a MONK’estra.  He also called it “A Big Modern Jazz Band.”

Both labels were right on target for this performance.  First, the great majority of the program was dedicated to the music of Thelonious Monk.  Second, Beasley’s arrangements, combined with superb individual soloing from virtually every musician, resulted in a definitive display of “Big,” “Modern” and “Jazz Band.”

The John Beasley MONK-estra

The Monk pieces – including such classics as “Epistrophy,” “Little Rootie Tootie,” “Skippy” and “Ask Me Now” – were at their best when Beasley conceived big band settings enhancing, expanding and elaborating on the Monk originals. Often he captured Monk’s unique quirkiness, the offbeat accents, punchy dissonances and surprisingly soaring melodies.  And he did so with stunningly atmospheric ensemble textures, powerfully driven by the propulsive rhythm team of bassist Ricky Minor, drummer Ronald Bruner, Jr., and Beasley’s own melodica playing.

Justo Almario, Ricky Minor, John Beasley

The performance occasionally recalled a famous 1959 concert at New York’s Town Hall, in which Monk performed with a tentet, playing arrangements of his music written by Hall Overton.  But the presence of Monk in the ensemble — along with Overton’s occasional arrangements of previously recorded Monk solos for the horns — was very different from the scope of Beasley’s big band charts.

With maximum-sized horn sections – five trumpets, five doubling saxophones and four trombones – Beasley’s arranging moved into expansive, orchestral textures reaching well beyond both the Overton arrangements and familiar big band riffing.  Like Bill Holman, he worked within his own musical dialect.  Even in the pieces based on Monk works, he found intriguing ways to apply his imaginative perspectives to Monk’s music.

The saxophone section players –  Bob Sheppard, Jeff Driskill, Justo Almario, Tom Luer and Bob Carr – were often called to double on clarinets (including a pair of bass clarinets), bringing a lush, fluid sound to many passages.  Adding more timbral contrast, the trombonists –  Francisco Torres, Wendell Kelly, Andy Martin and Steve Hughes – as well as the powerful trumpet team (Bijon Watson, Jamie Hovorka, Ray Monteiro, Brian Swartz and Gabe Johnson) were frequently asked to play with various mutes.

Interestingly, one of the many appealing products of Beasley’s envelope-stretching arrangements was some equally imaginative soloing from players who clearly seemed stimulated by their musical environment.  The net result was some of the most mesmerizing big band music – individually and collectively – of recent memory.

The only reservation about this remarkable evening was the thought that Beasley’s choice of the title “MONK-estra,” along with the decision to focus so strongly on Monk’s music, had too narrowly delineated his obviously extraordinary orchestrating abilities.  The few pieces that were not based on Monk’s works revealed Beasley’s capacity to deliver the broader, more expansive definition of what he also calls his
”Big Modern Jazz Band.”  It will be fascinating to see what he can do if he moves more convincingly in that distinctive, more personally expressive direction.

Photos by Bobby Colomby.

Live Song: Sally Kellerman at Vitello’s

By Don Heckman

Studio City, CA.  Sally Kellerman was at Vitello’s again Wednesday night. So were a lot of the songs she sang in her previous few bookings at the venue.  And it occurred to me that – if Sally was going to repeat the same material — then I might as well also repeat some of my comments about those previous reviews.  For full disclosure, I’ll print those previous comments in italics.

She started her set, appropriately, given the approaching holiday with “My Funny Valentine.”  But the next six tunes – “How Sweet It Is,” “The Look of Love.” “Walk on By,” “Spooky,” “Don’t Let Me Be Lonely Tonight” and “Breaking Up Is Hard To Do” – were done in an identical sequence she’s used in the past — more than once.

Sally Kellerman

            There’s not necessarily anything wrong with that.  At her best – which is almost always the case, Sally’s performances are all utterly mesmerizing.  And this one was no exception, despite the repetitious material.  Hearing (and seeing) Sally wrap up her set with “Don’t You Feel My Leg” is only one of the many pleasures she offers.

            And what became crystal clear – in these repeated numbers, as well as such newer items in the Kellerman catalog as Hall & Oates “Say It Isn’t So” — was the utterly appropriate believability that Sally brought to each of her interpretations. 

  

Sally Kellerman

          Yes, she’s an experienced actress as well as a singer, but it wasn’t just theatrical skills that she brought to her songs, as she moved with consummate ease across a stunning gamut of musical emotions.  Some were hilarious – as when she wound up singing one of the songs while reclining on the floor.  Others had the bold and brassy touch of a blues singer.  Still others had the intimacy of expressive whispers in one’s ear.

            In addition to the older blues-oriented tunes, Sally’s set was enriched by songs from the ‘60s and ‘70s, done in her own fashion.  And one couldn’t help but speculate that a recording devoted to material from the period could help bring Sally’s inimitable talents to an audience that still thinks of her as Hot Lips. Even though she is much more.  At her best, and in a crowded female vocal field, she is one of the rare true originals.

Those previous four paragraphs, describing her past performances, are completely applicable to Wednesday night’s appearance.  All of which underscores the extent of her abilities.  The songs may have been sung before, but what she brought to them was the expressive authenticity of a true musical story-teller.  Now its time for Sally to find more stories to tell.

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Photos by Faith Frenz.  

Picks of the Week: Jan. 15 – 20

By Don Heckman

Los Angeles

Eloise Laws

- Jan. 16. (Wed.)  Eloise Laws.  A member of the musically prominent Laws family (Hubert, Ronnie and Debra among others) Eloise Laws makes a rare live performance in the Southland.  Her warm and expressive vocals are backed by members of the Laws family and their talented friends.  Catalina Bar & Grill.   (323) 466-2210.

- Jan. 16. (Wed.) Windy Karigianes.  It’s a busy month for international jazz singers to make appearances in L.A.  Denmark’s superb vocal artist Sinne Eeg was here last week, Australia’s Chris McNulty is at Vitello’s tomorrow.  And today there’s Karigianes, whose background is Greek, Portuguese and Italian, bringing a musically diverse perspective to her mellow, evocative singing.  Vibrato Grill Jazz…etc.   (310) 474-9400.

- Jan 16. (Wed.)  John Beasley Residence II.  Pianist Beasley’s second event in his January residence features his trio – with bassist Carlitos del Puerto and drummer Gary Novak, plus guests — playing a program of Brazilian Music.  The Blue Whale.    (213) 620-0908.

- Jan. 17 & 18. (Thurs. & Fri.)  Chris McNulty.  Australian jazz singer McNulty celebrates the release of her latest CD, The Song That Sings You Here.  With guitarist Paul Bollenback and bassist Trey Henry.  Vitello’s.    (818) 769-0905.

Diane Schuur

- Jan. 17 – 19. (Thurs. – Sun.)  Diane Schuur.  Veteran jazz vocalist Schuur – called “Deedles” by friends and fans alike – continues to sing with the appealing, Sarah Vaughan influences that she has transformed into her own unique style. Catalina Bar & Grill.   (323) 466-2210.

- Jan. 18 – 19. (Fri. & Sat.)  Joey DeFrancesco Trio.  The master of contemporary jazz organ always has something new to bring to his classic organ trio performances.  He’ll perform with the Banda Brothers, Steve Cotter and Steve Wilkerson.  Steamer’s.  (714) 871-8800.

- Jan. 19. (Sat.)  Freddy Cole.  There’s an immediately recognizable trace of the Cole sound in Freddy’s vocals and piano work.  And he’s retained the musical memories while exploring new musical horizons. The  Kirk Douglas Theatre.  A Jazz Bakery Movable Feast.    (310) 271-9039.

- Jan. 20. (Sun.)   Bill Frisell and Vinicius Cantuaria.   A pair of very different guitarists with styles reaching from American folk to Brazilian rhythms perform selections from their 2012 album, Lagrimas Mexicanas.  Skirball Center.     (310) 440-4500.

John Daversa

- Jan. 20. (Sun.)  The John Daversa Contemporary Big Band.  Trumpeter/composer Daversa, a true musicall adventurer – as a soloist and as a writer/composer – showcases some of his especially ground-breaking writing for his stellar big band.  Baked Potato.    (818) 980-1615.

San Francisco

- Jan. 19 & 20. (Sat. & Sun.) Jane Monheit. She’s always had a gorgeous voice, but Monheit – now in her ‘30s – also brings a compelling musicality to everything she sings.  Click HERE to read a recent iRoM review of a Monheit performance in Los Angeles. Yoshi’s Oakland.    (510) 238-9200.

New York

- Jan. 15. (Tues.)  Tammy Faye Starlight IS Nico in the show Chelsea Madchen, singing legendary Velvet Underground songs in a Warhol-tinged setting.  Special guest: Steve Earle.  The Cutting Room.  k  (212) (877) 987-6487.

Ken Peplowski

- Jan. 15 – 20.  (Tues. – Sun.)  Benny Goodman Reinvented: 75^th Anniversary Carnegie Hall Concert.  Clarinetist Ken Peplowski assembles a 10 piece all-star ensemble to revisit Goodman’s memorable Swing Era performance in January, 1938. The Blue Note.  (212) 475-8592.

- Jan. 16. (Wed.) Ornette Coleman’s Free Jazz Revisited.  Anther live, musical re-imagining performance.  This time the subject is one of the classic recordings of the ‘60s free-jazz era.  Players include  Jaleel Shaw, Joe Lovano, saxophones; Jeremy Pelt, Tim Hagans, trumpets, Ben Allison, Lonnie Plaxico, basses, Billy Drummond, Matt Wilson, drums.  Jazz Standard.    (212) 576-2561.

London

- Jan. 16 – 19. (Wed. – Sat.) Deodato.  Brazilian pianist/composer/arranger has produced and/or arranged hundreds of albums for everyone from Bjork to k.d. lang.  Here’s a rare opportunity to hear him up close in his own personal musical environment.  Ronnie Scott’s.    +44 (0)20 7439 0747.

Berlin

Steve Kuhn

- Jan. 14 & 15. (Mon. & Tues.)  Steve Kuhn Trio.  With a resume that reaches back to John Coltrane and the avant-garde ‘60s, Kuhn – at 74 – has thoroughly established himself as one of the contemporary jazz scene’s most original piano voices.  His trio includes Buster Williams and Joey Baron.  A-Trane.   030/313 25 50.

Panama

- Jan. 14 – 19.  Panama Jazz Festival.  The 10^th Annual Panama Jazz Festival once again assembles a stellar line up of performers in a warm and welcoming Central American setting.  The artist roster includes Herbie Hancock, the Wayne Shorter Quartet, Ruben Blades, Susana Baca, Bill Frisell, John Patitucci, Brian Blade and Danilo Perez.  The Panama Jazz Festival.    (507) 317-1466.

Live Jazz: Sinne Eeg Upstairs at Vitello’s

By Don Heckman

Studio City, CA.  One of the great pleasures of writing about music arises on those rare occasions when a relatively unknown artist makes an unheralded, but irresistibly appealing first appearance.

As happened Friday night in the performance of Danish singer Sinne Eeg (pronounced ‘Seen-uh Eeg) at Vitello’s upstairs jazz room.  Although Eeg is a highly regarded jazz artist in Europe, she is little known in the U.S., and the Vitello’s gig was one of her initial performances in this country.

Sinne Eeg with Roger Neumann, Larry Koonse, Darek Oles and Peter Erskine

In a two set program encompassing standards as well as her own originals, she sang with the enthusiastic support of saxophonist Roger Neumann, guitarist Larry Koonse, bassist Darek Oles and drummer Peter Erskine.  The lyrics, as well as her between song comments, were delivered in flawless English.  Sinne’s choice of material embraced a range of songs demanding rich interpretive skills, lyrically, musically and dramatically.  And she delivered, on all counts.

Sinne Eeg

There were far too many high points to mention them all.  But some should be noted.  In the first set, she quickly displayed her extraordinary improvisational scatting in a delightful romp through “It Might As Well Be Spring” and a briskly rhythmic “What A Little Moonlight Can Do.”  Her balladry was equally appealing on “Detour Ahead” and her own tune, “Last Ride.”

The second set was even more impressive, featuring another pair of beautifully crafted originals – the lovely “My Treasure,” sung with Oles’ sensitive bass accompaniment, and the equally memorable “Love Is A Time of Year.” She also offered her exquisite renderings of six more standards, reaching from a bossa nova version of  “Secret Love” and a jaunty take on “Better Than Anything” to an intimate reading of  “What Are You Doing the Rest of Your Life?” (Too bad the Bergmans weren’t in the audience; they would have loved Sinne’s interpretation.)

As she sang one mesmerizing tune after another, I couldn’t help but wonder why this remarkable jazz artist has had such minimal visibility outside of Europe.  She has released six albums in the past ten years – the latest being The Beauty of Sadness in which she performs with a full orchestra.  And both her recorded and her live performances merit the full attention of jazz fans (and jazz journalists) around the world.

Sinne is one of the rare jazz vocalists who fully deserve the label of “musicians’ musician.  Why?  Because everything she sings issues from a treasure trove of interpretive story telling and multi-layered musicality.  In this performance, her scatting reached far beyond the white-note be-bopping characteristic of many – maybe even most – jazz singers.  Sinne, who played alto saxophone as a youth – scatted with the adventurous harmonic subtlety and rhythmic drive of a world class horn player.  And she did so while remaining in full contextual contact with the inner meaning of a song.

The name – Sinne Eeg – maybe hard to remember, at first.  But anyone who listens to her album, The Beauty of Sadness, as well as her similarly appealing Don’t Be Blue, or hears her in live performance will have no difficulty recalling either the name or the unforgettable music of this remarkable artist.  If there’s any justice in the world, Grammy nominations will be beckoning to Sinne in 2013 and beyond.

Performance photos by Faith Frenz.

Live Jazz: Denny Seiwell, John Chiodini and Joe Bagg at Vitello’s

By Don Heckman

Drummer Denny Seiwell, who made a rare appearance at Vitello’s Friday night, has a resume reaching from Zoot Sims and Al Cohn to Joe Cocker, the Who, Art Garfunkel, James Brown and many other jazz and rock luminaries.  But his most significant musical association may have been the time he spent as a founding member of Paul McCartney’s Wings.

The trio he brought to Vitello’s – with guitarist John Chiodini and organist Joe Bagg – had little to do with rock.  But recollections of his days with McCartney dominated the first part of the trio’s opening set via instrumental jazz versions of such familiar Sir Paul tunes as “Comin’ Up” and “Dear Friend.”  Some worked well, others had the feeling of a shotgun marriage.

Denny Seiwell Trio

Seiwell’s muscular drumming added an appropriate rock-orientation to the McCartney works.  The balance of the set – which included pieces ranging from originals by Bagg and Russell Malone to Antonio Carlos Jobim’s “Favela” – demanded (and received) a more appealing, straight-ahead jazz approach.  At their best, the results had the intimate, musically interactive qualities of a trio of players completely at creative ease with each other.

With Seiwell seated in the center, functioning as the trio’s propulsive rhythmic engine,   Chiodini and Bagg provided most of the set’s improvisational adventuring.

John Chiodini

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Chiodini is one of the Southland’s first call guitarists, and the diversity of his playing made it clear why he is in such demand.  Moving comfortably from the McCartney pop/rock tunes to the samba rhythms of “Favela” and the crisp swing of the jazz oriented numbers, he was always imaginative in his solos and solidly supportive in his rhythm section work.

Joe Bagg

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Bagg’s contributions were equally valuable.  The Hammond B-3 can dominate bands larger than the Seiwell trio.  But in Bagg’s articulate expressiveness the instrument came alive, bringing surprisingly large orchestral textures to the trio environment.  Crisp and hard driving in some of the groove-oriented pieces, he balanced his probing solos and rich back-up textures with provocative exchanges with Chiodini’s guitar lines.

Add it all up – Seiwell’s rhythmic leadership combined with the prime ensemble  work and solo improvising of Chiodini and Bagg – and the result was an intriguing evening of first rate jazz occasionally spiced with some rock-oriented musical flavors.

Photos by Faith Frenz. 

Picks of the Week: Jan. 2 – 6

By the iRoM Staff

It’s a light schedule of activities as the Christmas and New Year celebrations wind down.  But there’s still a lot of fine music to hear. 

Los Angeles

Louie Cruz Beltran

- Jan. 3. (Thurs.)  Louie Cruz Beltran.  Louie Cruz is one of the Southland’s busiest musicians.  And with good cause.  This time he balances his charismatic drumming with a vocal survey of everything from pop tunes to Latin specials.  Vibrato Grill Jazz…etc.   (310) 474-9400.

- Jan. 3. (Thurs.) Rayford Griffin and “Reflections of Brownie.” Drummer Griffin, the nephew of Clifford Brown celebrates the memorable music of his great, trumpet-playing uncle.   Vitello’s.   (818) 769-0905.

Shoshana Bush

- Jan. 3. (Thurs.)  Shoshana Bush.  At a time when female jazz singers are arriving almost daily, here’s one whose warm voice and convincing style deserve up-close attention.  Catalina Bar & Grill.   (323) 466-2210.

- Jan. 4 – 6. (Fri. – Sun.)  The Los Angeles Philharmonic plays Tchaikovksy.  Christoph Eschenbach conducts Tchaikovsky’s Symphony No. 4.  as well as the U.S. premiere of Tan Dun’s The Tears of Nature, co-commissioned by the Los Angeles Philharmonic.  Disney Hall.    (323) 850-2000.

Bobby Caldwell

- Jan. 4 – 6. (Fri. – Sun.)  Bobby Caldwell.  Seventies and eighties hit maker Caldwell (“What You Won’t Do For Love,” among others) continues to be an always-engaging performer.  Expect to hear more of his hits, as well. Catalina Bar & Grill.   (323) 466-2210.

- Jan. 5. (Sat.)  Jeff Babko Group.  Keyboardist Babko’s busy career reaches from James Taylor to the Jimmy Kimmel show.  But he’s most fascinating to hear when he’s working on his own music, this time with bassist Tim Lefevbre and drummer Gene Coye.  Blue Whale.    (213) 620-0908.

New York

- Jan. 2 – 5. (Wed. – Sat.)  Frank Wess Quintet.  91^st Birthday Celebration.  NEA Jazz Master Wess, a tenor saxophonist and pioneering jazz flutist, celebrates his 91^st in his usual briskly swinging fashion.  Birdland.    (212) 581-3080.

Chris Botti

- Jan. 2 – 6. (Wed. – Sun.)  Chris Botti.  Trumpeter Botti, whose musical energies seem to have no limits, wraps up his three week – two performances a day — marathon run at the The blue Note.    (212) 475-8592.

- Jan. 2 – 6. (Wed. – Sun.)  John Abercrombie Quartet.  Always in search of new jazz adventures, guitarist Abercrombie teams up with the inventive playing of Seamus Blake, tenor saxophone, Gary Versace, organ and Adam Nussbaum, drums.  The Jazz Standard.   (212) 447-7733.

Tokyo

Charles Lloyd

- Jan. 3 – 6. (Thurs. – Sun.)  Charles Lloyd New Quartet.  Iconic tenor saxophonist/flutist Lloyd has found a compelling musical environment in his association with pianist Jason Moran, bassist Reuben Rogers and drummer Eric Harland.  Blue Note Tokyo.    03-5485-0088.

Shoshana Bush photo by Annette Lanzarotta and Talia Londoner.

Live Jazz: Sue Raney at Vitello’s

By Don Heckman

Studio City, CA.  Sue Raney was at it again last night at Vitello’s, offering a pre-New Year’s Eve seminar in jazz singing.  And, yes, I know the word “seminar” has an academic inference that doesn’t really capture the full quality of her performance.  But there was no denying the effectiveness of Raney’s demonstrations of how to bring a far-ranging variety of songs fully to life.

Singing with the prime accompaniment of pianist Tom Ranier’s trio, with bassist Trey Henry and drummer Ray Brinker, she offered a program overflowing with classic songbook items, seasoned with a few rarely heard songs.  Over the course of her twenty or so selections, she chose songs rich with emotions, both romantic and otherwise, that favored her stylistic blend of expressive feelings and lyrical phrasing.

Sue Raney

There were many musical highpoints, beginning with the Ranier trio playing a briskly swinging “If I Were A Bell,” before Raney embarked on her evening’s fascinating musical journey.  Along the way, she spent time with one classic after another: “Here’s To Life,” “Some Other Time,” “I’ll Be Seeing You” and “They Can’t Take That Away From Me” (both done in unexpectedly rhythmic renderings), “It Could Happen To You” and, appropriately, “What Are You Doing New Year’s Eve?”

Add to that the less often heard but no less appealing “Emily,” “Aren’t You Glad You’re You,” “Time Was” and “Don’t Look Back.”

Occasionally, Raney combined pairs of songs with similar subjects into medleys.  The pairing worked well with “Once Upon A Summertime” and “The Summer Knows,” in part because of Michel Legrand’s atmospheric melodies.   Another pairing – “When the World Was Young” and “Young and Foolish” – was a less successful blend of songs with very different lyrical and musical orientations.

There were more, but regardless of what Raney sang, it resonated with the qualities that have made her a classy performer since her first album When Your Lover Has Gone (produced by Nelson Riddle) was released in 1958: a warm, richly-timbred voice soaring freely over a good three or four octaves; articulate phrasing; communicative, lyrical story-telling; and a brisk sense of swing.

Not bad for a singer who turned 72 in June.  But Raney is still in prime creative form, with many songs and much music still to go.  Don’t miss her next appearance.

Photo by Faith Frenz.

 To read an iRoM review of a previous Sue Raney performance click HERE.

Live Jazz: Jane Monheit at Catalina Bar & Grill

By Don Heckman

Jane Monheit is at Catalina Bar & Grill this week, following up on last year’s stellar performance at the venue.  Once again, she’ll be there for the rest of the week, through New Year’s Eve on Monday night.  And her opening night appearance on Wednesday was a superb display of the warm, engaging style that has become more and more expressive over the 12 years since the release of her first album, Never Never Land.

When I reviewed that initial recording in the Los Angeles Times, I wrote “OK, the name isn’t familiar, but here’s a flat-out guarantee that it will be within the year.”  As it has in fact become, and with good cause.  And now, at 35, Monheit brings a mature creative perspective to the rich musicality that has always been an essential characteristic of her vocal art.

Jane Monheit

Backed by the warm, embracing support of her regular band — Michael Kanan, piano, Neal Miner, bass, and her husband, Rick Montalbano, drums – she opened her six night run at Catalina’s with a program overflowing with a range of songs best suited for her interpretive magic.

She began with the Gershwin’s “Soon,” before swinging into Cole Porter’s “In the Still of the Night.”  The latter tune was transformed into a showcase for Monheit’s improvisational imagination, especially during the passages in which she sang wordless melodic paraphrases.

Other fascinating versions of familiar material followed: “Born to Be Blue,”  “What Are You Doing New Year’s Eve” (appropriate, given the date), “Tea For Two,” “Taking A Chance On Love,” “Nobody Else But Me” and “Cheek To Cheek.”

Among the offbeat choices in her program – a jaunty version of “Little Man You”ve Had A Busy Day” and “I Won’t Dance” (missing only the presence of Michael Buble from their duet version), and a surprisingly dark interpretation of the Bergman’s “What Are You Doing the Rest of Your Life?”  And, as she did a year ago, a richly felt “Over the Rainbow,” done – like her other songs – with the intimacy of a born musical story-teller.

As I mentioned earlier, Monheit continues at Catalina’s through Monday night and New Year’s Eve.  That adds up to four more opportunities to hear this gifted artist in action.  And great singers should be heard at every opportunity.  Add Jane Monheit to that stellar list and enjoy the New Year’s revelry in her delightful company.

Photo by Faith Frenz.

A Christmas Jazz Tale

A Christmas Jazz Tale

by Don Heckman

‘Twas the night before Christmas and the gig was running late;
No sugar plums, no candy canes, just another overtime club date,
Holidays are work days in a jazz musician’s life,
A chance to make some extra bucks to take home to the wife.

Chanukah’s over, Kwaanza starts tomorrow,
The Ramadan fast just ended,  and I’ll forget the others to my sorrow.
If you want to make a living in the music world these days,
You’d better learn to celebrate in many different ways.

The clock slowly turned toward the midnight hour,
As we played a jazzed up version of the “Waltz of the Flowers.”
We labored on, “White Christmas,” “Frosty” and “Silent Night”;
And I wondered if we’d still be jamming “My Favorite Things” at first light.

But we finally got lucky, as the leader kicked off the last medley.
The singer mauled “The Christmas Song,” a version Mel would have found deadly,
We did the “Jingle Bell Mambo” and the “Drummer Boy Bossa Nova,”
And wrapped it all up, with a rock “Hallelujah” coda.

I packed my horn, gave the guys my best wishes and headed into the night.
The streets were dark and quiet, the stores closed up tight.
Not that it would have mattered, since the gig barely paid the rent,
And whatever I could afford for presents had already been spent.

I walked through the falling snow, filled with memories of Christmas past,
Of marching bands and Christmas parades, of lighted trees and times too good to last.
And I wondered if my kids, when adulthood beckons,
Would remember their holidays with the same sweet affection.

My footsteps led me home to a house warm and cozy,
Where my wife and my children lay innocently dozing.
So I sat for a while in the late night still,
Watching the snow fall gently on the hill.

When I suddenly heard a familiar sound in the distance,
A rhythm section swinging with hard driving persistence.
But this one was strange, something I’d never heard before,
A brisk and spirited clatter I can only describe as hoof beats galore.

Then a new sound, one both familiar yet odd,
Called out through the snowflakes, like a leader commanding a squad.
“On Trane! On Dizzy! On Monk! On Duke!
On Sonny! On Bird! On Miles! On Klook!”

The next thing I heard was just as amazing,
A set of riffs, hard-swinging and blazing,
Played on an instrument that was new to me,
The sting of a trumpet, the silk of a sax, the tone of a bone, all blended with glee.

I ran to the window to see what was coming,
And was met with a sight incredibly stunning,
What looked like a bright red ’57 Chevy,
Pulled through the sky by eight reindeer in a bevy.

They landed in my yard and the driver leaped out;
Grabbing a pack from the back he quickly turned about.
I blinked my eyes at this strange apparition,
His cheeks like Dizzy, his smile like Pops, as natty as Miles, a man on a mission.

“Call me Father Jazz,” he said as he came through the door, “musicians are my specialty.
I’ll even make a stop tonight with a little something for Kenny G.”
Then, opening his pack, he lightly danced to our tree,
Placing presents beneath it, ever so gently.

“There’s a drum set for Alex,” he said, “that kid has great time.
And a guitar for Allegra, ’cause the songs she writes are so fine.
And the books and the wristwatch you wanted for your wife,
That you couldn’t afford, living a jazz musician’s life.”

This is way too weird, I thought, it must be a dream;
Something like this is too good to be what it seems.
“Oh, it’s the real deal,” said Father Jazz, with a riff-like snap of his fingers.
“You’re on my list of serious jazz swingers.”

Moving to the doorway he turned back for a final review:
“And if you’re wondering why no box has been left for you,
It’s because your present has already been given.
You know what it is? It’s the spirit that makes your imagination so driven.”

“Musicians like you know that the gift of music is the gift of love.
It’s a gift that can only have come from above.
And those non-jazz Beatles had it right, for all our sakes,
When they said, ‘The love you take is equal to the love you make’.”

He bounded lightly through the snow to his flying red Chevy,
Blew a celestial riff on his amazing horn — so heavy!
And urged his team forward with a rallying command,
“On Dizzy! On Bird! On Miles! On Trane!”

As his eager steeds rose into the winter sky,
Father Jazz called out one last stirring cry.
Looking down with a radiant smile and a farewell wave:
“Stay cool, Bro’ and keep the music playing.”

Live Jazz: the Bob Sheppard/Otmaro Ruiz Quartet at Vitello’s

By Don Heckman

Studio City, CA.  On any given night in Los Angeles, world class jazz can be found in venues stretching from Orange County to Ventura County, with many stops in between.  And Saturday night was no exception, when the prime quartet of saxophonist Bob Sheppard and pianist Otmaro Ruiz (with bassist John Belzaguy and drummer Jimmy Branly) performed a stirring program at Vitello’s in Studio City.

The selections were varied – Horace Silver’s “Barbara” and Bernie Miller’s “Bernie’s Tune” among them, in addition to originals from both Sheppard and Ruiz.

But the highlights of the evening virtually all traced to the jam session-like improvising, allowing each of the players to stretch out in completely spontaneous fashion.  Sheppard was, as always, articulate, expressive and imaginative, on both tenor and soprano saxophones.  Ruiz’s eclectic style added Latin touches to his solos, occasionally tossing in a rousing montuno in contrast to his authentically boppish single note lines.

Otmaro Ruiz, John Belzaguy, Bob Sheppard, Jimmy Branley

Give credit, as well, to the rhythm team of Belzaguy and Branley, the engine that kept the band in high gear for most of the set.

What was missing, however, was very little reference to the music promised in the advertising for the evening: “Celebrate the Season! – Latin Night – Feliz Navidad.”  Despite the generally high quality of the playing, there was little in the program specifically oriented to the holiday.  And, with the presence of Venezuelans Ruiz and Belzaguy and Cuban Branly, one might have hoped for something more in the way of Latin jazz excitement.

Also missing was the unannounced but rumored sitting-in presence of some of L.A.’s fine jazz singers.  Several were in the audience, but failed to take the stage.

That said, it was nonetheless an evening of the sort of world class jazz I mentioned above.  And, heard in action, regardless of their selection of material, the Sheppard/Belzaguy quartet’s playing was a potent reminder of the sort of jazz that’s available almost every night in the Southland.