Lazaro Vega

To open Black History Month tonight on Blue Lake Public Radio the music of clarinetist/saxophonist/bandleader Don Byron, especially music from his New Gospel Quintet featuring Grand Rapids native Xavier Davis on piano (see: http://www.donbyron.com/9_links.html). At midnight we take it "Out on Blue Lake" with clarinet music from James Falzone in a variety of settings and Gebhard Ullmann with his Ta Lam 11 playing music of Charles Mingus. Jazz from Blue Lake, were every night is Black History night, 10 p.m. - 3 a.m. streaming live from http://www.bluelake.org/radio.html and heard regionally on WBLV FM 90.3, and in Grand Rapids via WBLU FM 88.9.

In the recent interview with Arno Marsh he talks about playing with Clare in Grand Rapids when they were both young men. Fischer went to South High School in Grand Rapids (same as Gerald Ford), before attending Michigan State University at the same time Fritz and Gretchen Stansell, the founders of Blue Lake Fine Arts Camp and the Blue Lake International Program, were there. Fischer played two concerts in the Blue Lake Jazz Festival, including a duet with Gary Foster, and appeared in Grand Rapids around the same time (during the 1980's). Probably interviewed him three or four times for broadcast. A generous, though critical person. Was glad to see his most recent big band recording nominated for a Grammy this year. The clarinet choir recordings, especially "A Family Affair," will be heard tonight on Blue Lake Public Radio in his honor. Man, the depth of sound he gets from the voicings of those instruments. We'll also hear a version of "I Can't Get Started" where he plays his keyboard: he set it up to get several sounds out of each key. In the 1980's that was pretty new. Muhal was doing that, too, in that time. A sort of chime on top, a piano sound in the middle, and a Rhodes sound in their, too. My ear isn't sophisticated enough to tell you know if that was in thirds or how he set it up, but the effect was mesmerizing or very annoying depending on your state of mind when hearing him. The line was always opening up. Clare was a tough nut. He lifted weights like an olympic athlete.

I've had the chance to hang out with Hod and his wife. His name is pronounced like "odd" with an H in front of it. H-odd. Great guy. Very beautiful interpreter of Tadd Dameron's music, amongst others. Roswell Rudd's "God Had A Girlfriend" is a piece about a club they used to be involved with.

That's right -- a great reunion concept. The concert was at Columbia University. There was a boot of that floating around for awhile.

Beautiful. Good work.

This note was sent to me from Steve Talaga. Begin forwarded message: Warm greetings and happy new year, my media friends! This note brings tidings of great joy! The Gilmore Collection is opening a real, world-class jazz club right here in Grand Rapids! Over the next two to three months, Bite Cafe and Ottawa Tavern will be renovated into something spectacular...a home for jazz in Grand Rapids. BUT...the music starts NOW!!!! To get the buzz started, Ottawa Tavern is featuring live jazz every Friday and Saturday night from 8pm until midnight, NO COVER CHARGE, beginning this weekend (1/6 and 1/7). Of course, without you there is no buzz...which is why I'm begging for some help from my friends (you). I know paid advertising is an important part of this process, too. And that's coming. But for now, please do whatever you can to help us spread the word. I've been given the honor of booking the venue these first few weeks (until renovations are complete). You'll find the current calendar below. I hope you'll agree that this is a venture whose time is long overdue in Grand Rapids. I remember reading a year or two ago that one of the few things missing in Grand Rapids to make it a true "Cool City" is a jazz club. Well...here we go! If there is anything I can do to help you get the word out (interview, etc.), please let me know. And thanks in advance for your help! Jazz at Ottawa Tavern: All acts 8pm - midnight. 1/6 Charlie Hoats, Paul Lesinski, and Andy Szumowski 1/7 The Steve Hilger Jazz Group 1/13 and 1/14 Organissimo 1/20 The Fred Knapp Trio 1/21 The Steve Talaga Trio 1/27 and 1/28 Organissimo 2/3 and 2/4 Edye Evans-Hyde 2/10 and 2/11 The Steve Talaga Trio 2/17 and 2/18 Cooper, Hay, VanLente 2/24 The Steve Hilger Jazz Group 2/25 Organissimo 3/2 and 3/3 Mind's Eye 3/9 and 3/10 Mary Radamacher That's all for now. I'll be back in touch with calendar updates and other news. Thanks! Steve Talaga

"whoever it is playing the plunger trombone." Might be Dennis Wilson....

Cha Bootie is fun. I'd bet "Full Moon" is Jug's "How High the Moon" a la the version he recorded with Woody Herman, though don't have it in front of me to double check right now.

Jazzdude wrote: Does anyone where to go on the internet for more challenging jazz music? Or satellite? Wednesday at midnight until 1 a.m. Thursday morning eastern time, "Out On Blue Lake," http://www.bluelake.org/radio . Many nights after 12 a.m. we'll edge into something, depending on who's our featured artist for the night. The program runs M=F from 10 p.m. - 3 a.m. ALOC is a regular. Yeah!

http://www.firmoo.com/anthony-braxton-eyeglasses.html

HBJ -- did you catch some of the Bach " Goldberg Variations/Variations"? Put that at the front of the program in hopes of grabbing a few classical listeners who pooh pooh improvisation. Crazy that Tepfer has a degree in astro physics, too.

Tonight on Jazz From Blue Lake pianist Dan Tepfer, who was born in the 1980's and has a long standing musical duo with saxophonist Lee Konitz. Though on only 6 or 7 recordings to date, Tepfer continues to garner attention for boundary crossing, as we'll hear from the top at 10 p.m. with his Goldberg Variations/Variations, a series of performances of Bach's Goldberg Variations and then his improvisations on them. Hope you'll join us, 10 p.m. to 3 a.m. from http://www.bluelake.org/radio. Here's an interesting article on some younger names in BAM: http://thephoenix.com/boston/music/116438-brad-mehldau-fred-hersch-dan-tepfer-jason-palme/

The defect was about a 30 second gap, just silence, in I Fall In Love Too Easily.

Trumpeter Avishai Cohen (Anat Cohen's brother, not Chick Corea's bassist) is heard tonight on Jazz From Blue Lake, 10 p.m. - 3 a.m. eastern time. His trumpet/bass/drums group Triveni is featured, as are the 3 Cohens, The Jason Lindner Big Band, and The San Francisco Jazz Collective playing the music of Horace Silver. We'll take it Out On Blue Lake at midnight with Max Roach's "It's Christmas Time Again," as well as Billy Bang, Joe Fonda and Barry Altschul as the FAB Trio and The Dave Rempis Percussion Quartet. Adventuresome sounds tonight from http://www.bluelake.org/radio

Does this include the "My Autobiography in Jazz" sessions?

That piece "Art Pepper" with the Innovations in Modern Music Orchestra is one of the great moments in Pepper's recorded output. Tailoring such a huge ensemble around one voice, as he did with several key soloists using that band, turned up some unforgettable show pieces. His early bands, especially, mid-1940's to the mid-50's had some great musicians in them, jazzers, and the tug between the concert stage and the dance band imperative that's going on in the music, either between the soloists and the band or the arrangers and Kenton's vision, made for some interesting "tension and release."

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AvxPc5MPEuQ&feature=share&noredirect=1

Also worth checking out is Lionel Hampton's Till Tom Special on RCA and the Hines Orchestra's Call Me Happy also from '40. (Moms -- I have no idea on the piano loop).

Budd Johnson is featured tonight on Jazz From Blue Lake in celebration of his 101st birthday. Wish we had all the material discussed in this thread!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yj1uSK5DKnw

I've been enjoying this recording. This looks like the first record Patric Rushen's made since Mike Clark put her back in a straight ahead context, and whatever she did in the past, on this she's solid; with Helen Sung and Geri she helps lay down a solid foundation on this album, and both Tineke Postma and Ingrid Jensen wail over it. A scattershot affair programatically, but for pulling out pieces individually this has been a kick (Michelle, Mosaic Triad and Insomiac). Esperanza's "Crayola" is one of her original love songs, which have their own vibe to them, only on this one she gets away with saying "shit" as in "I'm not going to put with your sh---" in a relationship song. Still need to read the article in the link above.

ince first hearing Roswell Rudd (Roswell Rudd)'s former student, trombonist Steve Swell, live from our Blue Lake studios in 2004 with Gebhard Ullmann, Hilliard Green and Barry Altschul, I've been hooked on his penetrating musicality, his range, flexibility and sonic presence as a brass player, and his compositional approach to the improvising ensemble. Tonight on Jazz From Blue Lake we'll hear Swell with Ullman, Rudd, his own Slamming the Infinite band, and, at midnight "Out on Blue Lake," with Adam Rudolph's Go: Organic Orchestra from their new release, Can You Imagine the Sound of a Dream? Creative improvised music all night, 10 p.m. - 3 a.m. via www.bluelake.org/radio http://www.metarecords.com/Can_You_Imagine.html

A listener wrote saying they're heading to Amsterdam this weekend and was wondering if there are any clubs or concerts they should check out. Any help?

Roy Eldridge and Coleman Hawkins at the Opera House.