LWayne

Much has been written recently about the evolving sound of Chris Potter. As demonstrated both with the Dave Holland Quintet and his own quartet, and documented on his new release "Underground", there can be no dispute that his level of playing and performance has matured greatly. So it was with great anticipation and delight that I caught the first set of his Chicago homecoming; an opening night at the Jazz Showcase last Thursday night. After a brief 30 minute delay, the Chris Potter Quartet (Chris Potter on Tenor Sax, Craig Taborn on Keyboards, Nate Smith on Drums, and Adam Rogers subbing for Wayne Krantz on Guitar) took the stage to celebrate the recent release of their new CD "Underground" on Sunnyside. The first song was a recent composition by Potter entitled "Boots". This was a great number to open the set with in that it is an up-tempo burner that provided Potter and the rest of the group ample opportunity to stretch out. The next song, a moody elegy by the group Radiohead called "Morning Bell" spotlighted the subdued interaction between Potter on tenor sax and a moody Taborn on rhodes synth. The slow pace of the song was the perfect vehicle for some memorable blowing by Potter that evidenced the richness and depth of his tone on tenor. The third selection was a tune called "Train" where Potter and Nate Smith on drums simply burned through the melody. This energetic song underscored the tight-knit chemistry of the group, but also allowed for Adam Rogers to chime in some tasty licks on electric guitar following along a tight backbeat laid down by Smith. The last two songs of the first set, "Lotus Blossom" and the closing "Big Top" were taken from the just released "Underground". While the sentimental interpretation of the classic ballad by Strayhorn stayed pretty close to the original theme, the Potter composition "Big Top" was a real tour de force. This song simply rocked from beginning to end and was the highlight of the evening. Potter had ample opportunity to illustrate his creativity and chops on some great up-tempo solos on this number, as the group really stretched out as compared to the tamer version on the album. This was truly a great and enjoyable evening from an artist who is really just beginning to hit his stride and must be considered alongside other luminaries on the tenor sax. Warning- miss this group at your own peril! Best concert of the year, so far! LWayne

Last Wednesday while in the Big Apple on business, I decided to treat myself and my colleagues to the early show of the Dave Holland Quintet at Birdland. The DHQ are my favorite working group, so I was eagerly awaiting the performance which marked the first time that I have caught this group live in a year-in-a-half. The five day festival, spanning from Wednesday Jan 18th through Sunday, Jan 22nd spotlighted Dave Holland performing with different lineups which represent his various projects-Big Band (Wed), Quintet (Thurs), Sextet (Fri, Sat) and his Standards Duo-Dave Holland and Steve Nelson-(Sun). While I have seen the excellent Big Band twice before, we were fortunate to catch this longstanding all-star quintet of Chris Potter-Sax, Robin Eubanks-Trombone, Steve Nelson-Vibes, Nate Smith-Drums and Dave Holland on Bass. The set opened with the band performing "Prime Directive" featured on the album of the same name, as well as their live Quintet CD from Birdland. The driving bass and rhythmic counterpoint between Eubanks on trombone and Potter on sax has always made this one of my favorite tunes. After this song, Dave announced that the band would focus this first set on previewing new tunes. He added that the Quintet will have a new studio CD, recorded last December, released later this year on his Dare2 Records label. The next song, "Easy Does It" (or "Easy Did It") was performed as a tribute to New Orleans. This song boasts some beautiful sax work from Chris Potter on soprano sax, showing that he is becoming just as proficient on this axe as he is on tenor sax. The third tune was a newly-penned song from drummer Nate Smith, provisionally titled "Nate's Tune" for now. The song featured a funky back-beat groove laid down by Smith and Holland on bass, which provided the opportune platform for both vibes and horns to trade licks. The fourth song of the set, a new tune titled "Secret Garden", proved to be the highlight of the evening for me. The song began with a beautiful bass intro by Holland that had a distinctive middle-Eastern theme. The tune was somewhat evocative of another DHQ song called "Shifting Sands". Nate Smith embellished his tune with some deft handwork on the drums, foregoing the brushes, and Steve Nelson added to the middle-eastern feel with some provocative tambourine and marimba flourishes. The fifth song of the first set was yet another new tune, this one composed by Chris Potter entitled "Vicissitude". This song was a perfect vehicle for some tremendous soloing by both Robin Eubanks and Potter, who both absolutely shined on this up-tempo burner. It was a great tune to close the set. All told, one of the most memorable evenings from a group at the top of their game. I have heard a lot of music over the last several years, and cannot recall a tighter, more musically entwined group as the Dave Holland Quintet. This evening certainly proved an early contender for gig of the year! LWayne

We started off the new year in Jazz by catching a much-anticipated performance of the Ahmad Jamal Trio at the Byham Theater in Pittsburgh. There is always a lot of anticipation and excitement surrounding a homecoming performance by this jazz legend, who was last in town in September 2004. The set was a typical diverse selection of songs performed impeccably by Ahmad Jamal, the incomparable Idris Muhammad on drums, and an impressive James Cammack on bass. Jamal seemed to play a wide and diverse array of selections spanning his entire career, with particular emphasis on songs from his most recent album "After Fajr". Jamal's subtle, delicate touch, inventiveness, and ability to play lyrically continue to impress. He also displays a thorough knowledge of the left-hand side of the keyboard and used the lower register to great effect in accompanying himself. In particlar, he demonstrated his ability to command an audience with his swinging interpretations of "Swahililand" and a vocal-less version of "After Fajr" from the new album, along with his famous standard "Poinciana". After the set, Ahmad took time to greet family and friends in the audience which added some touching memories to a wondrous homecoming gig. Here's hoping he comes home more often. LWayne

Vijay Iyer (finally listened to the hype. He is magnificent!) Henry Grimes Alexander Von Schlippenbach Manu Katche

Mulgrew Miller will be coming to Pittsburgh at the end of February for a winter jazz festival. While I have enjoyed his playing live with the Buster Williams Quartet several years ago, I do not presently own any of his recordings. Looking for recommendations where to start & his key recordings. Thanks. Happy Fetivus! LWayne

My trusty Creek 4140 S2 Integrated Amplifier just died after many years of faithful service. I am looking to replace it with a similar unit, but obviously take advantage of the greatly updated technology since my purchase over a decade ago. From my initial research, there appears to be two amplifiers that I have targeted in a reasonable price range that would fit my need: Arcam 65 Plus and Creek A50 i. Unfortunately my local dealers here in Pittsburgh do not stock either model, but would have an easier time getting the Arcam. From my investigation of reviews of both products on-line, the Arcam has received unanimous acclaim for its quality of sound, warm reproduction, and is considered a good value at around $500. The Creek has received some consideration for its more detailed sound and is priced around $800. Apparently Arcam mandates that their product is purchased from the closest dealer, which means that I could not try to source a better value through internet dealers (Acoustic Sounds has it discounted 10%). Conversely, my local dealers do not even stock the Creek and I would have to order it unseen. Any advice from the board would be very welcome and much appreciated. Thanks in advance, LWayne

I would also have to add Bill Frisell "East/West" to my original list as well as all of the Andrew Hill various re-issues (okay so some of them were never officially issued unless you count Mosaic box) to my list. Reissue vs. Vault Issue-you get the drift. LWayne

With the year quickly coming to an end, wanted to solicit some discussion on favorite jazz experiences in following categories: New Releases Artist Title Label 1 Paul Motian, Bill Frisell, Joe Lovano "I Have The Room Above Her" ECM 2 Dave Holland Big Band "Overtime" Dare 2 3 Kurt Rosenwinkel "Deep Song" Verve 4 Kenny Wheeler "What Now?" CamJazz 5 Gerald Wilson Orchestra "In My Time" Mack Avenue Reissues Artist Title Label 1 Thelonious Monk Quartet with John Coltrane "Live at Carnegie Hall" Blue Note 2 Andrew Hill "Blue Note Select" Mosiac 3 Dizzy Gillespie and Charlie Parker "Town Hall, New York City" Uptown 4 Bill Evans Trio "The Complete Village Vanguard Recordings" Riverside 5 Dave Liebman and Richie Bierach "Mosiac Select" Mosaic Live Shows 1. Randy Weston & T.K. Blue @ An Die Musik, Baltimore on 12/10 2. Andrew Hill (solo piano) @ An Die Musik, Baltimore on 01/15 3. Kenny Barron & Turtle Island String Quartet @ Tri-C, Cleveland on 11/4 4. Tomasz Stanko Quartet @ HotHouse, Chicago on 03/16 5. Terrence Blanchard Sextet @ Manchester Craftsman's Guild, Pittsburgh on 10/15 Overall pretty good year for Jazz! LWayne

I was fortunate enough to attend a LOT of concerts this past year. Faves were as follows (no real order except top five): 1. Randy Weston & T.K. Blue @ An Die Musik, Baltimore on 12/10 2. Andrew Hill (solo piano) @ An Die Musik, Baltimore on 01/15 3. Kenny Barron & Turtle Island String Quartet @ Tri-C, Cleveland on 11/4 4. Tomasz Stanko Quartet @ HotHouse, Chicago on 03/16 5. Terrence Blanchard Sextet @ Manchester Craftsman's Guild, Pittsburgh on 10/15 6. Dave Holland Big Band @ Lafayette College, Easton on 03/09 7. Paul Motian/Joe Lovano/Bill Frisell @ Village Vanguard, NY on 09/13 8. Bobby Hutcherson Quartet @ Jazz Showcase, Chicago on 05/24 9. Gerald Wilson & Roger Humphries Big Band @ Byham Theater, Pittsburgh 10/8 10. Kurt Rosenwinkel Quartet @ Underground, Pittsburgh on 03/24 ..what to do next year for an encore? LWayne

With the year quickly coming to an end, I had the privilege of seeing Randy Weston and T.K. Blue (aka Talib Kibwe) perform as a duo last Saturday, December 10th, at An Die Musik in Baltimore. Since I do travel frequently, and have the opportunity to regularly visit many different jazz clubs, IMHO there may not be a more intriguing and inviting club than An Die Musik. This small, intimate, venue is located above a CD store on North Charles in Baltimore and accommodates maybe 100 to 120 people in resplendent comfort. There is truly not a bad seat to be found in the venue. What makes the club even more attractive to me is the diverse range of acts booked by Bernard Lyons who does an excellent job of booking a wide array of jazz talent for this venue. An Die Musik is certainly a great treasure and I would highly recommend the program and club to anyone who is passionate about their music. Randy Weston and T.K. Blue certainly demonstrated their understanding for each others music, having played together for over 25 years. After a spirited romp through the opening "Hi Fly", the two musicians glided through a relaxed version of "St. Thomas", made famous by Sonny Rollins, as well as several of Weston's compositions such as "Mystery of Love" and "In Memory Of". Weston later remarked to the audience that the two musicians did not announce their set list in advance from the stage because they weren't sure what they were going to play until the last minute. Certainly the hallmark of two veteran musicians who are very comfortable with their catalogue. Listening to Randy Weston play the piano is a rare treat as he seemingly surrounds the keyboard. Owing to his size and tremendous wingspan, he can accompany himself on the bass keys while he plays a melody on the right-hand side of the keyboard. For such a large man, he has an incredibly delicate touch and has a stabbing quality of playing; highly reminiscent of Thelonious Monk. Last January we saw Andrew Hill at this same venue, which made it all the more appropriate to catch Randy Weston and T.K. Blue as our last concert, to close out an outstanding year of live music. LWayne

Indeed the MCG has become an oasis of great music in what has become a desert for jazz performances here in Pittsburgh over the last decade. With the decline of the club scene and Mellon Bank Jazz opting to fund singular performances versus a festival (still controlled by Festival Productions & George Wein, however) the MCG is about the only consistent game in town. Only wish is that the MCG would focus more on promoting progressive jazz and spotlighting upcoming jazz artists that traditionally reverting to the better-drawing jazz legends. While they have progress in this area, there forum of presenting four (or is it five) shows from Thursday through Sunday certainly limits the types of acts that they can bring in. While this has proven to be a successful format that has encouraged bigger names to come to Pittsburgh for a four or five show guarantee from a longer run, we certainly miss out on one-off shows from some of the more contemporary groups that might be passing by Pittsburgh and have one night open on their schedule. I appreciate that this type of entertainment is better supported by clubs, which can use a cover charge and bar bill to offset risks, but I am hoping that the MCG will become more active in this area as well. Particularly with the contacts that Marty & Jay Ashby have; there is a lot of jazz that could be brought to town. Anyways, I am a big supporter and attend almost all of their shows when I am not traveling (not Spyro Gyra this weekend however since I am opting to travel to Baltimore and see Randy Weston instead). Ciao. LWayne

After a long flight into Orlando from Iowa, I was a little tired and re-thinking whether I should go see Sam Rivers at Will's Pub last Wednesday, Nov 16th. Boy, am I glad that I went! Will's is your typical neighborhood bar with a lot of local atmosphere. Hardly the venue where you would expect a jazz legend to perform. With a cover of only $8, I was maybe expecting Sam to play a quick solo set. Instead, he brought his entire 16 piece RivBea Orchestra. Five saxes, four trumpets, three trombones, a tuba, electric bass, drummer and Sam, himself. Sam described the set as a practice gig in preparation for taking the band on the road. Indeed, the band played many variations on the same theme; often starting and stopping mid-song at the behest of Mr. Rivers' direction. Sam joked with the audience about the informality of the sessions offering that the cover would be much higher if were an actual performance in New York. No one asked for a refund. Great night and a chance to see a legend lead his own band. LWayne

I will be in Orlando on business next Wednesday night. This date just happens to coincide with the scheduled weekly appearance throughout November of Sam Rivers & his Big Band at a Will's Pub in downtown Orlando. Admision is a ridiculously low $ 8 for a set. Is this too good to be true? Has anyone been to Will's Pub and can send a report? Thanks, LWayne http://www.willspub.com/

On Friday, November 4th my wife and I traveled a couple of hours west to attend a concert at the Cuyahoga Community College in Cleveland, Ohio. The Turtle Island String Quartet with Kenny Barron were making only there second ever appearance together, having rehearsed together earlier in the week in preparation for this show. This unique pairing of jazz piano and a string quartet was being presented as part of the expansion of the Tri-C Jazz Fest which is now starting to expand their shows beyond just their annual April shows. Everything was first class-from the people working the show to the stage presentation. Tri-C should certainly be proud of a first-rate evening. The show began with the Turtle Island String Quartet (David Balakrishnan-Violin, Evan Price-Violin, Mads Tolling-Viola, and Mark Summer-Cello) performing a song by Paquito D’Rivera before segueing into a beautiful version of the John Coltrane ballad “Naima”. Kenny Barron joined them for a spirited arrangement of “Caravan”. The pairing of strings and piano really made this song come alive in a way that I had never heard before. They closed the first set with their take on the Miles Davis classis “Milestones”. The second set opened with Kenny Barron playing solo for a couple of songs. He glided through one of his own compositions (didn’t catch the name) before treating the audience to an excellent treatment of the Thelonious Monk classic “Well, You Needn’t” While I have heard many pianists tackle the Monk repertoire, I can honestly say that Kenny Barron might be the best interpreter that I have ever had the pleasure of hearing. He has incredible touch and vitality with the piano that makes the instrument come alive. The Turtle Island String Quartet rejoined Barron and they played some self-penned songs. The “Fusion” suite jointly written and arranged by the members of the TISQ was particularly enjoyable. Appropriately, the highlight of the evening was the encore. The group together performed a wonderful version of the Oliver Nelson classic “Stolen Moments” with the cellist utilizing a pedal to modulate his instrument and effectively provide a strolling bass accompaniment. While I am not typically a fan of strings, the combination of the Turtle Island String Quartet with Kenny Barron, an indisputable jazz master, proved very compelling. Another great evening! LWayne

Allow me to suggest one more title: "Griot Liberte" by Buster Williams on High Note. Engineered by Rudy Van Gelder, this SACD Hybrid has great sound. It is my favorite high fidelity recording LWayne

Between the new Gerald Wilson CD "In My Time" and the earlier Dave Holland Big Band CD "Overtime", this has been quite a year for big bands! IMHO, both CDs are among the top five in new releases this year. LWayne

Set seems very similiar to what they played in Pittsburgh. You are correct in praising Gerald Wilson's energy level-it was both contagious and inspirational. Thanks for the footnote... LWayne

Last night my wife and I caught the first set by the Terence Blanchard Sextet at the Manchester Craftsmen’s Guild in Pittsburgh. For those of you not familiar with the venue, it is a theater located at the Bidwell Training Center; a school for the arts. The MCG runs a concert season where it books its acts for five performances- Thursday through Sunday, with two concerts on Saturday night. While they try to present a diverse blend of jazz acts, many of their offerings are stilted towards the higher-drawing jazz legends. That is why last night was the most anticipated event of the season IMHO. The Terence Blanchard Sextet, besides the leader on trumpet, boasts an array of talented young jazz musicians. The group, which was the same lineup that recorded “Flow”, was: Brice Winston-Tenor Sax, Lionel Loueke-Guitar, Aaron Parks-Piano, Derrick Hodge-Bass, and Kendrick Scott-Drums. Overall, the concert featured the cohesive playing of the group-without spotlighting a lot of solo performances-which was a refreshing change from the head/chorus/head soloing of many shows. The group opened the set with the Latin tune “Nocturne” by Ivan Lins. Next up was an extended version of “Fred Brown” taken from the soundtrack composed by Terence Blanchard to a documentary film of the trend-setting New York artist. This song provided the opportunity for both horns-Blanchard and Winston to stretch out a bit. The third song was a rendition of the Miles Davis classic “I Thought About You” To me, the highlight of the concert was Terence Blanchard playing a solo rendition of “Amazing Grace” at the end of “I Thought About You” The house was literally silent as he rendered an emotional reading of this powerful tune. Certainly made you reflect on the recent travesty in his hometown of New Orleans. The group closed the set with a selection written and composed by the young pianist from Seattle, Aaron Parks, entitled “Harvesting Dance”. Surprisingly, this was the only selection from the recently released “Flow” on Blue Note. The group interplay on this selection was astounding-Lionel Loueke provided some ethereal vocals on top of the tape loop running through the selection to great effect. This was a tremendous group effort! LWayne

What a week! While in Chicago last night on business, I was fortunate to catch the opening night of a week-long engagement at the Jazz Showcase by the McCoy Tyner Trio. Besides the legend on piano, the group consisted of an amazingly talented Charnett Moffett on bass (love it when he bows that bass), and Eric Gravatt on drums. From the opening "Trane-like" and throughout the set, McCoy was resolutely transcendent. While I have seen him several times before, he never ceases to both confound and amaze me at the same time. Like his self-proclaimed "brother" John Coltrane, his concerts seem to transfix the audience with an almost religious rapture as you could hear a pin drop when he is playing. McCoy played more unaccompanied standards than what I have heard in the past, but this set was none less enjoyable. Another great concert by a great man! Anybody else catch the set? What was the set list? Anybody else going later tonight-I might try to drop in again. LWayne

Last Saturday I had the rare privilege (and I don't use that word lightly in this context) to catch the 87 year-old jazz legend conduct & lead the Roger Humphries Big Band through an intoxicating two and a half hour concert at the Byham Theater. Rather than take a ceremonial role, Gerald was very energetic in putting the band through their paces. He spent a lot of time talking both to the audience to explain the history behind his compositions (mainly taken from his last two Mack Avenue CDs-"New York, New Sound", and the new "In My Time") and advising the younger members of the RHBB how they can learn everything that they need to know about soloing by playing in one key". Personal highlight was the treatment given to his "Diminished Triangle" suite from the new album and the memorable song "Blues for Yna Yna" written for his daughter's cat. After the concert, my wife and I got to speak with Gerald Wilson for a few moments and his captivating smile never left his face. He graciously signed an autograph. Truly a remarkable man. Not often when I walk away from a concert knowing that I will have fond memories of a performance and a virtuoso that will last a lifetime. This was one such occasion. Bravo! LWayne

I had the rare treat of pulling a "double" a couple of weeks back when in New York on business. The first night of my trip, I went to the Village Vanguard and caught an excellent set by Motian/Lovano/Frisell Trio. (see seperate review) The next night, due to a late cancellation of a business commitment, I was free again to catch a show at Birdland. That night also happened to be what was billed as the first night of the reunion tour of the band Quest. While I was not so familiar with the band's output during their heyday in the 1980's, I was nonetheless intrigued by the music that I heard from the group on the recently released Dave Liebman/ Richie Beirach Mosaic Select. I was very fortunate to have made such a good (if uninformed) choice as the set proved to be very diverse. The group consisted of the original lineup of Dave Liebman (soprano, tenor sax), Richie Beirach (piano), Ron McClure (bass) and Billy Hart (drums). At times their music was very dense, with a wide array of clustered rhythms, ans other times they played very sparse, acoustic, numbers. Mostly they performed songs from their own repertoire; with Dave Liebman announcing some new tumes that were being tried out on the first night of their reunion in preparation for an upcoing European tour. I would be interested in a set list being posted if anyone else caught the show. Two nights of great jazz in the Big Apple! Doesen't get better than this. LWayne

I know of several live CDs; "On Broadway", Volumes 1,2 and 3 reissued on Winter & Winter Isn't "Trioism" live as well? ..obviously looking forward to "Live at Village Vanguard" (kind of a souvenir). LWayne

Last week while in town for business, I was fortunate to be able to catch this legendary trio at the Village Vanguard. While this was the second week that the group was in residency at the Vanguard, I was still somewhat surprised at how crowded the venue was for the first show on Tuesday, September 13th. Good thing that we arrived early to beat the crowd as we were rewarded with a small table about six feet from the stage. The trio immediately launched into a wonderful version of a classic Monk tune “Crepuscule with Nellie” which I have always enjoyed. The live rendering of this song was even more vibrant than the familiar version on the “Monk in Motian” CD. The melding of Joe Lovano’s rich tone on tenor along with the exacting brushwork and judicious use of the cymbals by Paul Motian along with the atmospheric fills of Bill Frisell on guitar have to be heard live to appreciate. From there the evening just got better. While I was so caught up in the events of the evening that I did not take note of all the songs played, I was nonetheless impressed by the inclusion of several selections from the new Paul Motian CD “I Have The Room Above Her”. I believe the titles were “Osmosis” and “Dance”. The hour long set of familiar standards, Monk tunes, and new songs all worked very well together. Didn’t anybody else get a set list for this show? This was about as close as you can get to a perfect night of jazz IMHO. Listening to a trio at the top of their game in a legendary club with lots of charisma. Doesen’t get better than this. LWayne

I caught the first set of their Tuesday show. Great set by a great group! As previously mentioned, the set had a lot of Monk tunes-starting with a breath-taking rendition of "Crepuscule With Nellie" from their "Monk in Motian" CD. Also did play some of their tunes from their new CD "I Have the Room Above Her". -the songs "Osmosis" and the title track. Really fortunate to be able to catch this live event. LWayne

Anyone have news on status of Gregory Davis, Jr. He plays trumpet for the Dirty Dozen Brass Band when his teaching schedule at Loyola allows. He also books the Jazz Tent at JazzFest and is a good friend. Haven't been able to contact him. LWayne