Lazaro Vega

Right, Brubeck's major compositions have been purposeful, whether they be the Catholic Mass or the Chief Seattle speech set to music. He dosn't trifle with trends. The "old iron hands" comment is from listeners, just people. His tendancy to thunder out block chords at the climax of his solo is the reference point. Personally I love the man and his music. I heard him imitate Basie during a Grand Rapids Symphony Pops Concert and it was uncanny. Brubeck has a long performance history in Michigan, notably last Spring, just a couple of months ago, at The University of Michigan where they brought in two or three choirs, a symphony, and his quartet to stage a wide ranging retrospective of his career then honored him with a life time achievement award. The University Musical Society.

Thank you Dr. Jive, that's the one I read.... Had a chance to hear Herbie's quartet a few years back with Craig Handy, tenor; Dave Holland, bass; and I think the drummer's name was Gene Jackson, he'd worked in Dave Holland's band previously, and the concert was great. He played "Half Nelson," amongst "Cantalope Island" and his other hits. But I see the point of Howard's observation, and appreciate he said he was in the minority of the concert goers.

Isn't "Footprints" Wayne's tune? Howard Mandel wrote a different article all together about this concert...will have to find it to post here....

Brubeck's imitation of Basie is about the closest you'll come to the original these days, which is strange because he plays spare, light and swinging when doing it, and has earned the unflattering nick-name "old iron hands" when he doesn't.

If Andrew isn't sitting on one chord in the title piece of the new album I don't know what is. He seems to have constructed the entire tune around his piano staying in one harmonic place while he varies the speed and dynamic of the "ostinato." Tolliver takes that furthest along in his improvisation, developed it more comfortably and imaginatively into something. Tardy (italics) plays on it, but isn't as melodically effective as Tolliver. But the "tune" isn't melodic in the traditional sense, and it doesn't set up easily for "blowing." Hill isn't "banging" to my ears, there's more variation to what he's doing then that...I'm not hearing much harmonic movement going on there, and if there's more than this writer implies, it still isn't central to the tune's construction. It would be good for a musician to chime in on that as there's no transcription level opinion here. Hill stays in place while the band swirls around him in a round, picking at whatever meat they find on the musical bone......

They included a good chunk of Cole's appearance from this film in the recent documentary "The World of Nat Cole" or some such title. The dance numbers for the women were insane -- these Alvin Ailey type, super drama, "arty" moves that played to Hollywood and film far more than the blues. I guess Eartha Kit was giving her earthy kit to Nat during the film, and that she fell for him all the way. She implied as much in an interview from that documentary. Handy was to the blues what the early church was to vocal music: a standardizer, putting it in a form that allowed it to be expressed by a group. Otherwise the blues were a free for all in the sense that the emotions of the performer dictated the form. Group music wouldn't really deal with that until Ornette.

Wilbur Ware's son, Bernard, called the radio station and said he was listening. His friend, trombonist Dr. John Hair, hipped him to the program. Wilbur Ware, apparently, lived in Grand Rapids at one time, playing at the Crispus Atticks (sp) in 1939 with show drummer Benny Carew's band, which also included Wardell Gray. So Bernard grew up there. He now lives in Las Vegas but was home for a time. Thankfully Nessa brought over that Johnny Griffin Sextet session for that incredible version of "Woody N You" which we played shortly after Bernard Ware called.

Don't miss Ornette.

There was a big do in Windsor on June 11th for Marcus's birthday. Is he 70? How's he soudning? Love that cat.

How did it go guys?

So you are still into disappointing young women? Oh, unfortunately today's birthday party for Lu is cancelled on account of her stomach flu, so, yeah, pretty much.

Well David, Last night about 1:30 in the morning I got a call from a young woman listener who requested some Freddie Webster. She said after hearing the program he became her favorite musician. We have maybe four pieces with his music on it: three by Frank Socolow with Bud Powell, and the Sarah Vaughn "You're Not the Kind." So I played those, but that's it. She was sad to hear his music is so hard to find, but I sent her off in search of the archive where she's planning on downloading the program. This is exactly the kind of audience affirmation we were looking for by putting your show on at Blue Lake. Lazaro

There's Harry Carney with strings, and Ben Webster with strings, some of which Ellington had a hand in, and some that Strayhorn did.....Night Creature jumps to mind as an orchestra meets the jazz ensemble piece, as well as a version of Harlem.

Ondas means "waves" in Spanish. Was talking to someone the other day, a radio head, who says the gamble didn't work because Stern's FM listenership, which numbered in the millions, did not follow him over to satellite radio...the percentage that followed him is shockingly low...cha-ching, bye to the bling... I've notice, too, XM has a variety of jazz formats, one of which is supposed to push it some, but what I've heard is mostly "freebop" or music that ducks between inside and outside, no outright aesthetically driven experimentation or embrace of the grand tradition of black experimentalism in American music since 1923.

Nice. I forgot about that Getz/Dailey version of Spring Can....

The band will be interviewed on WEMU in Ypsilanti today at 12:30 p.m. They play tonight at The Firefly Club in Ann Arbor. This version of the Frank 'N' Joe Show is rockin' -- all original music, electric guitars, electric bass, percussion based off the djembe. Lyrically delving into the politics of compromise. Had a GREAT time with the band last night. LV

Congratulations. It's been a long retail road.

Ornette has made strong statements about music and sexuality, and he comes down on the side that sex is a disruptive force in the music's purity of expression. Whether he suceeds in this is debateable, but that is one of his intentions.

On the subject, Geri's appearance with Ornette Coleman, whose music is intentionally androgenous (sp), should complicate the issue.

Interesting comment about Lil Hardin, who was a more "schooled" musician than Louis at that stage of the game. Though the ensembles are cool, and the layout of the Hot Fives and Hot Sevens is clear, it's the improvised music that keeps my attention, the solos. Is this review under discussion about Geri's last Telarc album with DeJohnette? That disc, and the recent Charles Lloyd CD, do float between "inside" and "outside" playing effortlessly. But that is anything but "chick" music. It's more challenging than, say, the way Maria Schneider moves between inside and outside.

Friday, June 16th at 10 p.m. Jazz From Blue Lake presents guitarist extraordinaire Frank Vignola with drummer Joe Ascione in “The Frank and Joe Show” (see www.franknjoe.com ) live from our studios at Blue Lake Fine Arts Camp. With two acoustic guitars and two djembes (see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Djembe) this version of the Frank and Joe Show promises great swing. Vignola is heard every Monday night at the Iridium in New York as a member of Les Paul’s band. Thanks to Family Budget Service of Grand Rapids and The Weathervane Inn of Montague for underwriting this performance. The Frank and Joe Show will be heard live in Grand Rapids on Thursday, June 15th at Schuler Books and Music 28th Street Store at 7 p.m. (see http://www.schulerbooks.com/).

Guy walks into a music store. Clerk says, "May I help you." Guy looks past him, casts his eyes around the material on the peg board behind the counter, looks in the case, turns around and looks over the room, then turns back and says, "I'll take one realistic inflatible Ginger Lynn doll, two large tubes of K-y and as many volumes you have of Big Legs magazine." The clerk, half laughing but mostly nervous, says,"Ah, this is a music store fella, we have nothing like that here." Guy says, "Yeah, I know, but I was too embarrassed to ask for a set of banjo strings."

Me too. In fact I'm ripping the seque from Berger's "Moneybusiness" to Eldar's "Straight No Chaser" and riffing on it with some Monk material, Amiri Baraka reciting poetry to Monk melodies with Malachi Thompson's Freebop Band, and Fred Hersch playing "Round Midnight" live in Grand Rapids during a program this Sunday night.....stealing from the best...taking Wayne Shorter's advice.....

The Art Ensemble will never go away! A timeless band.

"Same and other, or, paraphrasing Lampedusa, change everything not that nothing changes (and maybe the reverse, too-up to a dizziness of sets of mirrors). Or : always closer (to the theme sometimes) to go further, or so far (from every premeditated melody) to come near one another in the triangle field..." Diagram that clausal beast, read it back in the voice of Jean Arthur, and you've got a play -- "Stutters of Ignoratioelenchi and Inexperience"; or "Ghostly Tail Chasing: The Sacroiliac Dance."