Michael Weiss

Playing "Salt Peanuts" and Barry's "Around the Corner" four hands.

As others have said aptly, Lorraine was a force of nature – just the kind of fortitude needed to successfully run the most famous jazz club in the world and to maintain its integrity throughout the years. Lorraine's love of jazz preceded her introduction to Max Gordon so this story is no accident. She had "big ears" and really listened. Lorraine's spirit will now hover around the club together with all the musical icons who performed there. And believe me when I tell you, when you're on that stage you feel their presence. On a personal note I'll always be grateful to Lorraine for booking me into the Vanguard as a leader beginning in 2006: Despite having played annually as a sideman at the Vanguard for 20 years by that point, trying to negotiate a gig as a leader seemed like a lost cause. Yet one night, when playing there with Joe WIlder, she called me over in her typically stern voice. "I want to talk to you!" I thought she was going to ream me out about something, but to my surprise she asked me to bring in a band of my own. So after the shock wore off, now I'm thinking I can either bring in a band and play what I'm known for and what I think she'll like - OR - I can bring in a band and do what I really want to do, which is my own composition-heavy music with tinges of "fusion". I figure I may never get another chance – I'd rather go down swinging and not have any regrets, so I opt for the latter. Opening night, immediately after the first set, again - "Come here! I want to talk to you!" Oh shit, I'm going to be read the riot act now. I'm expecting the worst. Lorraine says, "That was fantastic! The way you played da-da-da-da and the percussionist (Daniel Sadownick) picked up on it, and how it went from one thing to another... that was great." I couldn't believe it. This is more typical: A few years later, I'm standing at the bar, minding my own business, when Lorraine walks by and steps solidly on my foot. She immediately barks at me, "What's your foot doing there!"

Back in the midwest this week: Thursday, June 21 & Friday, June 22 @ Winter's Jazz Club, Chicago, 7:30p & 9:30p Saturday, June 23 @ Blu, Milwaukee, 8:00p - 12:00a

Parisians: I'll have a quartet at Sunset/Sunside next Saturday, April 7. Hope to see you.

No that's incorrect. It's 7:00 to 8:30. I play for an hour followed by a reception.

For Washington area members: I'll be giving a solo concert at the Arts Club of Washington on Monday, March 5 at 7:00p. More info here: https://artsclubofwashington.org/events/details/?event_id=2839503 https://www.facebook.com/events/2044185815857052/

Thanks guys. We had a great time this weekend at Mezzrow. A few remarks about the previous posts: Have to say it's a little daunting to realize I'm now the same age (more or less) as Horace and Griff were in those photos. The postcard to Chuck: Any (ANY) promotion of CrissCross records in those days didn't happen unless it was generated by the artist. IIRC Mastertakes was a distributor of CC so I wanted to keep Chuck in the loop about radio. I had to buy copies from the CC to send to all radio and print media. My aunt, an art director, helped me design that postcard. Don't think for a minute CC had anything to do with it. That photo of me and Barry (credit: John Abbot) comes from a concert we played of Monk music at Flushing Town Hall in 1994, with John Ore, Leroy Williams, Kiane Zawadi, Charles Davis and IIRC Virgil Jones.

Great player.

There's a 1956 Ping date under Andrew Hill's name with Von Freeman, Pat Patrick, Malachi Favors and Wilbur Campbell personifies Chicago Southside jazz of the mid 1950s as well as any recording I've heard. There may not be much if any of Hill playing, but damn if these tunes don't hit a serious groove. Von's inimitable sound is worth the price of admission alone.

Szymanowski's piano music from 1915 onwards (op. 29) is incredible. You wouldn't think it was the same composer of his earlier works.

Playing tonight and tomorrow at Smalls. I'll have Grant Stewart, Paul Gill and Pete Van Nostrand. Live stream from smallslive.com if you can't make it in person. Sets at 10:30p and 12:00a.

might be a good idea not to assume what I (or Sonny Clark for that matter) have or haven't listened to.

NOT!

Imagine if John Gilmore became Trane's second tenor.