Sea Breeze Jazz
By Ric Bang • Originally published in The Davis Enterprise, 2.7.08Buy CD: Thinking of Gene
The Gene in this release is Gene Krupa, who brought the big band drummers into the musical spotlight during the 1930s ... and who kept them there for decades, leading the way for Buddy Rich, Louie Bellson and others.
Krupa was one of the featured artists with Benny Goodman and (later) Tommy Dorsey. He was both an artist on his instrument, and the first drummer who became a showman. Fans came not only to hear and dance to the great Goodman band, but to see and cheer Krupa, just as they did much later for rock stars.
I'm not sure why people react the way they do when a drummer takes a solo; maybe it's a carry-over from the days when, as infants, we'd all beat on pots and pans. Kids love to make noise; if it's got rhythm, so much the better.
Krupa has been gone for 35 years, but his fame remains legion.
Michael Berkowitz is one of his avid fans. He met Krupa in 1964, after a concert in Indianapolis. That meeting changed Berkowitz's life. Not only did he take up the drums, but he began to accumulate every bit of information issued on Krupa, his sidemen and vocalists, and all their careers. After Krupa's death, Berkowitz increased this activity.
Every arrangement on this album came from Krupa's orchestra "book." The ensemble work is exactly the way the band originally played; even the length of each tune is identical to that recorded on the old 78 rpm records.
That said, the "new" solo work is contemporary ... and this band swings every bit as much Krupa's original groups. Berkowitz is the drummer, of course, and he naturally sounds just like Krupa.
Most of the sidemen are (or were) members of the US Army Blues, one of the country's best armed services ensembles.
Krupa always worked with a top female vocalist; Anita O'Day comes to mind. Annette Sanders fills that role on this album; she's not O'Day, but she does an admirable job of filling her shoes on several tunes the veteran singer made famous, such as "Massachusetts," "Opus One" and "That's What You Think."
This album, originally recorded for XM Radio, brings back some great memories. If you're a Krupa fan, or want to hear what it was like during the big band years, grab this CD.
Riverside Recordings
By Ric Bang • Originally published in The Davis Enterprise, 2.7.08Buy CD: At Town Hall
You can't be a true jazz fan if you don't acknowledge the tremendous contribution that Thelonious Monk made to the genre.
He was born in 1917 in North Carolina, moved to New York two years later, and began playing piano at age 9. He dropped out of high school in his sophomore year (1935) and began to play in the famous jazz clubs that abounded in the city.
In 1941, he was hired by drummer Kenny Clarke, then a fixture at Minton's Playhouse in Harlem. That's where Monk made his mark among the younger musicians of that time, who were busy creating bebop. Monk became fast friends with Bud Powell, the first bop pianist.
His skills weren't only recognized by the young artists. I remember an old film that was shot at Minton's, where Count Basie was seated next to Monk's piano, listening to him play; the look on Basie's face said it all. He had a smile a mile wide. The famous Coleman Hawkins, also a fan, hired Monk in 1944.
Monk made his first recording in 1941, but he didn't start to get the exposure he deserved until '52, when Blue Note signed him. About that time, however, he was arrested for drug possession and lost his cabaret license, which meant he couldn't work legally in New York.
It was a false accusation: Powell was the real culprit, and Monk had "covered" for him. Six years passed before Monk got his license back.
Monk was so advanced that even the recording studios that covered jazz were slow to sign him, and they didn't keep him for long. Blue Note, Vogue and Columbia were among the labels that dropped him before he signed with Riverside. This Town Hall concert was recorded live in 1959 and initially released on LP. Riverside, bless them, has begun to re-master and re-release some of the classic records made through the 1950s and '60s; this is one of them.
The band was legendary: Donald Byrd, Phil Woods and Pepper Adams were among the sidemen. All tunes are Monk originals; when you realize this was done almost 50 years ago, you begin to perceive just how far ahead of everyone he was. Unlike almost all the pianists of that era, Monk was a true two-handed player. He also was among the first to realize the importance of "space and silence."
I've never forgotten one of his quotes, taken from an interview in 1961: "You know, anybody can play a composition and use far-out chords, and make it sound wrong. It's making it sound right that's not easy."
If you've always been a fan, renew your enthusiasm; if he's new to you, listen and become amazed ... along with those of us who've already realized his genius.
Origin Arts
By Ric Bang • Originally published in The Davis Enterprise, 1.3.08
Buy CD: Jazz, Baby!
Now, here's a neat idea: big band jazz arrangements of classic children's tunes, and I do mean kiddy stuff. Think "Itsy Bitsy Spider," "Twinkle Twinkle Little Star," "Hush Little Baby" and more of that ilk.
Not that you'd start moppets out with this album, but once they've been exposed to simple melodies by mom and/or dad, they'd be ready to graduate to this swinging album. In keeping with a child's attention span, each tune is kept short, and the familiar lyrics are maintained. Only the interpretation has been changed.
The band consists of five saxes; four trumpets; six trombones, including a euphonium and tuba; and a rhythm section made up of piano, bass, drums, guitar, banjo and vibes/xylophone/glockenspiel (!). Vocalists handle the lyrics for each tune.
The arrangements are clever and cute, and they all swing. I suspect adults will listen to this CD just as much as the kids. Aside from exposing the little ones to actual jazz, the album will entertain parents while they chase the children around the house.
It's also a great conversation piece. If jazz radio gives it air time, I wouldn't be surprised if it turned into a big hit for Origin Arts .
Finally, the liner insert is darling ... and the song lyrics are included, in case you've forgotten them.
Sea Breeze Jazz
By Ric Bang • Originally published in The Davis Enterprise, 1.3.08
Buy CD: Tribute
Unless you're from the Midwest, or are an avid big band fan, you've probably never heard of this group.
The Blue Wisp Big Band is what's known as a "territory band," a unit whose members live and work in — or near — a particular city and seldom venture outside that area. Cincinnati, Ohio, is big enough to attract many touring artists and shows; this provides plenty of work for backup musicians.
But until drummer John Von Ohlen came to town in 1980, nobody was playing jazz.
Von Ohlen assembled a few "cats" (his word) and formed this big band, then talked the owners of the Blue Wisp Jazz Club into letting them play every Wednesday night.
The ensemble is a "pure" jazz group: no singers and no show tunes, just musicians swinging, stretching and exploring.
Today, 26 years later, that band still blows the roof off every Wednesday night.
This album is called "Tribute" for several reasons. Marjean Wisby, one of the original club owners who operated the venue for more than 30 years, died in 2006. Additionally, 12 of the band's original 16 members remain active.
When one thinks of jazz, New York and the West Coast get most of the attention — and credit — for the art form. That's misleading; during the original big band era, the Midwest delivered the primary core audience for this music. Almost every city of any size had ballrooms that operated on weekends, and often featured the famous bands that toured the country.
Goodman, Dorsey, Krupa, Hampton, Kenton and many others all played regularly in Midwestern cities.
I lived in Ohio during my college years, and played in several territory groups in the Columbus area; I can vouch for the quality of the local musicians. The excellence of the Blue Wisp Big Band doesn't surprise me at all, nor does its longevity.
Sea Breeze obviously got smart years ago; this is the label's second album featuring these guys.
Half the arrangements were written by jazz greats such as Horace Silver, Joe Henderson, Billy Strayhorn/Duke Ellington and Freddie Hubbard. You'll also hear covers of a few gems ("Sweet Georgia Brown" and "Soon") and originals written by well-known jazz arrangers such as Frank Griffith.
The band is polished, and the solos are excellent; my only complaint is with the quality of the recording, mixing and mastering. (Before reading the liner notes, I'd already decided that the drummer was the ensemble leader ... because the microphones were too close to him!)
Granted, the fact that this album was recorded live explains much of the problem. A better effort with the electronics would have raised my rating by half a star, but — even so — it's a keeper.
IPO Recordings
By Ric Bang • Originally published in The Davis Enterprise, 1.3.08
Buy CD: Homecoming: Live at the Iridium
It has been so long since I've heard a really great clarinetist, that I'd forgotten what one sounds like.
Enter Eddie Daniels.
He has been around for quite awhile, but when I first encountered him, he was playing tenor sax with the Thad Jones/Mel Lewis band. He was "merely" another of the excellent tenor players working at that time (1966-73), and I kind of lost track of him.
Then, in the 1980s, Daniels put his sax in the closet and concentrated on clarinet. And even though he subsequently released a number of albums featuring that instrument, I wasn't aware of any until this "Homecoming" release. Shame on me!
I grew up in the big band era, when "the" clarinetists were Benny Goodman and Artie Shaw. Well, Daniels makes both of them sound like high-school kids. And because this album is pure, straight-ahead jazz — the kind Goodman and Shaw played — you can judge my assessment for yourself.
You have plenty from which to make such a comparison; this double-CD release contains 15 tracks, half a dozen of them jazz standards.
Daniels' quintet consists of him on both clarinet and tenor sax, Joe Locke on vibes, Tom Ranier on piano, Dave Finch on bass and Joe La Barbera on drums. These guys swing like crazy, and the fact that the album was recorded live at New York's Iridium just makes it better
Daniels thought highly of the Modern Jazz Quartet, and three of these tracks illustrate that fact. You'll hear two versions of that group's famous "Django," written by MJQ pianist John Lewis: one an extended, 14-minute cut that's just marvelous; and a 7-minute bonus track. They're accompanied by "Déjà vu MJQ," written by Roger Kellaway.
Daniels wrote three of the other tunes; the rest include Ellington, Cole Porter and Rogers & Hart melodies.
I can't give more than five stars, but this is the best album I heard in 2007. Even the liner notes and CD design are superior.
Heads Up International
By Ric Bang • Originally published in The Davis Enterprise, 1.3.08
Buy CD: The Toys of Men
Clarke is another iconic bassist who has played with many of the jazz giants. He entered the New York scene shortly after graduating from the Philadelphia Academy of Music in 1971, and immediately found work with the likes of Art Blake, Horace Silver, Dexter Gordon, Gil Evans and a young Chick Corea.
Clarke and Corea formed the electric jazz/fusion group, Return To Forever, one of the most famous groups of that era. By age 25, Clarke was recognized as the prime pioneer of the jazz fusion movement. He doubled on both the electric and acoustic instruments; he also invented and played two "new" instruments, the piccolo and tenor basses.
Clarke is a multi-Grammy Award winner, has been the model for aspiring young bassists for decades, and has recorded countless albums during his career.
All of which makes this the hardest review that I've written in a long time. Quite simply, "The Toys of Men" is the poorest release I've ever heard from Clarke. Granted, his musicianship is excellent, as is that of all the artists supporting him in this endeavor. Sadly, the content is wanting.
All the tunes were written and arranged by Clarke or other members of the group, and not one of them swings at any tempo. This obviously was intended to be a serious concept album — a musical anti-war expression — but the result is more ostentatious than moving.
I've noticed this tendency in other great jazz artists: As they leave the zenith of their careers and move onward, they abandon the roots of the artistry and styles that made them famous, and decide it's time to "really get serious." This seldom works to their advantage.
Once upon a time, Clarke was a joy to see and hear; he was exciting and moving. This album is neither. I don't want somebody preaching at me when I listen to music; I want to be awed and amazed by the genius at work.
This album didn't do it.
ACT Music
By Ric Bang • Originally published in The Davis Enterprise, 1.3.08
Buy CD: The Unforgettable NHOP Trio Live
NHOP is the nickname for Niels-Henning Orsted Pedersen, affectionately known as "the Danish bassist with the never-ending name." He was born in 1946 and died, far too young, from a heart attack in 2005.
He began studying piano while a child but, at age 13 — when he was tall enough — he switched to bass. He was a natural; by age 15 he was playing in Copenhagen nightclubs, accompanying both local musicians and famous U.S. jazz artists who toured through European countries.
One such individual was Count Basie, who offered Orsted Pedersen a job with his band. The young bassist, still only 17, turned Basie down so that he could finish his schooling!
Orsted Pedersen became a fixture with the Oscar Peterson Trio in 1973, an association that continued until 1987. Ray Brown, who had been Peterson's bassist for years, once commented that "Niels was the only other bassist who could keep up with Oscar."
Orsted Pedersen was in constant demand; during his career he was the chosen bassist on more than 400 albums. You name the artists or groups, and he played with them.
During the early days of jazz, the bass was the plodding marker of the beat and chord changes. Orsted Pedersen wasn't the first artist to include counter-melodic lines, and to make the bass a front-line instrument, but he advanced technique to almost unbelievable levels. He played bass like a "vertical guitar," using all four fingers on his right hand to pluck the strings.
This technique resulted in an agility and speed that were awesome; he could play frenetic tempos, and do so for sustained periods. In addition, he provided a big, rich sound; his intonation was impeccable, and his imaginative solo work was breathtaking. Because the complexity, speed and content of his passages made it difficult for the listener to follow, he used an amplifier.
This album features excerpts from two concerts: the first recorded in Denmark in 1999, the second in Germany in '05. Guitarist Ulf Wakenius and drummer Jonas Johansen were key members of Orsted Pedersen's trio for both events. The tracks range from Bach, NHOP originals, jazz ballads ("The Song is You," "A Nightingale Sang In Barkley Square"), bop (Charlie Parker's "My Little Suede Shoes") and a gorgeous pair of Scandinavian folk songs.
The performances are beyond exceptional.
I haven't been able to remove this CD from my player since I received it ... a definite must-buy!
