The Brain Drain is Back

I just re-activated this blog based on new rules and protocols by Blogger. The biggest change is that blogs now need to be hosted on Blogger, therefore it now has this blogspot URL. I am not sure how I will use this. I see I haven't posted to here since 2009. My last post is a good one! It's from an interview I had done with Jazz bassist Dave Holland. I would like to use this blog, as I had in the past to post not only jazz music articles, but those of a wider range of interests. We will see what happens.

Dave Holland Interview

On September 6, 2009, I had the opportunity to sit down with the great bass player and composer Dave Holland before his performance at the Tanglewood Jazz Festival. Dave's career took off after being invited by Miles Davis to come to the US from his native England. During that tenure, Dave worked on Miles' landmark recordings In A Silent Way and Bitches Brew. From there Dave went on to collaborate with such greats as Theloneous Monk, Chick Corea, Anthony Braxton, Sam Rivers and many more. As a leader, Dave Holland has produced and written music for over 20 CD's with a variety of ensembles and big bands.

Click this link to listen to the full interview, mixed with some clips of Dave Holland's music.



A 6 minute video segment of this interview is below. (please listen to the full audio version w/music)

Newport Jazz Festival 2009 review

Note: Since migrating this blog to Blogger, this photo gallery has gone off line. I will try to relocate these photos and update these links. Until I get to those tasks, the photos here and perhaps elsewhere will not be available.

The Newport Jazz Festival founded by George Wein, 55 years ago holds a legendary place in the history of Jazz. This years festival was important for bringing such a diverse array of artists from old legends, to modern straight ahead hard-boppers, to bright young artists stretching the boundries of the jazz art form. The show is held at Fort Adams Park right on the New England shoreline. Its fairgrounds have three stages; the main Fort Stage, and two smaller stages, the Water Side and the Harbour Side. For two days, each stage hosts five performances. Do the math and you will see that there are 30 different act being performed over two days. To see as many acts as possible, you find yourself running from stage to stage often catching only part of a performance.

- Click here to view my entire photo gallery (you can upload your pics into this gallery too).

- Click here for NPR's coverage including recorded performances.

Saturday, Day 1
Got to Fort Adams Park at about 10:15 AM Saturday morning. Picked up our tickets and media passes for both days from the press booth. Scouted out a decent spot to the right of the stage near the jumbotron screen. Put down our blanket, lawn chairs and stuff and walked around the park to the Water Side stage hosted for the day by Marsalis Music.

The North Carolina Central Jazz Combo was there kicking off the first performance of the day at 11AM. This was a quartet with Joey Calderazzo on piano along with NCCU students on bass and drums and conga. It was a smokin' hard bop set, with Joey C pushing the kids to another level. During the standard Speak Low, Branford Marsalis hops on stage and blows a great solo on tenor sax. They break into a New Orleans style rhythm, and we decide jump to the Harbor Stage to catch a bit of Vijay Iyer's set.


Vijay Iyer is known for his avant-garde compositions, but as we get to the stage I recognize the tune. Can't exactly put my finger on it, but when it ends Vijay introduces it as Big Brother by Stevie Wonder. He then introduces the next song as Somewhere from West Side Story. He does a very interesting, very edgy rendition, but I really dig the two songs he has played. Gotta run though, cause I want to see the great Cedar Walton on the big stage.

Cedar Walton is one of those legends on piano and a wonderful composer. With him is tenor giant Lou Tabakin, trombonist great Curtis Fuller and one of my favorite drummers, Joe Farnsworth. All are great soloists, but for me the performance is pretty flat and never takes off. So I am off to the Water Side tent to see what is going down there.

Claudia Acuna turns out to be the greatest surprise for me on Saturday. She is great, and her band rocks. Wonderful South American rhythms infuse her sound. Jason Lindner on piano and a tremendous guitarist whose name I don't know. Branford pops back on stage with his soprano sax for a solo on a beautiful ballad. We stay for almost all of her set, but I want to see at least some of Christian McBride over at the Harbor stage.

Unfortunately just catch one and one half tunes from Christian McBride trio, with great pianist George Colligan and one of the great all time drummers Billy Hart. They finish up with a blues jam. Christian is front and center with a booming bass sound, and Billy is just all over the traps.


We hurry back to the main stage in time to catch a couple of numbers that end Esperanza Spaulding's set. This girl can play bass. She has a unique vocalizing style as well. Wish we caught more of that.

It's 2:15 and we decide to just stay put for the next couple of sets. We have a chance to eat lunch (nice Thai food booth). I also have time to go back stage with my media pass and meet some of my jazz heroes. It was a thrill for me, for sure.


clockwise: with Joe Lovano, Claudia Acuna, Hiromi, Joshua Redman and Christian McBride

Joshua Redman takes the stage at 3:15 and just tears it up. Maybe the best performance of the show in my opinion. He has a group called the Double Trio meaning Joshua on sax with two drummers and two bass players. Standouts for me are Brian Blade on drums and Omer Avital on bass. They play with all five as a quintet, different combinations of single trios, they solo one at a time, and "solo" with two basses or two drums. Those double drum solos are incredible.


We stay put at the main stage, for Branford Marsalis Quartet which means we missed a few acts going on at the other stages, but there is just too much going on simultaneously. Branford starts his set with Return of the Chitney Man and just blows the cover off it. High intensity with virtuosity in Branford and Joey Calderazzo's playing. The set continued with that incredible energy. He then took it down a couple of notches with his heart melting ballad Eternal. He had the crowd of thousands hanging on every note.

To end Saturday's lineup, there were three shows that we really wanted to see, all playing at the same time. Miguel Zenon Quartet started at 4:45. Incredible latin fused jazz with some unbelievable playing. We had to tear ourselves away after two songs, because I really wanted to see Hiromi.

Hiromi is a japanese pianist with incredible chops and playing with her fusion band SonicBloom. The band was bangin'. A high energy group with a great guitarist whose name I didn't get. They started with a version of Softly as a Morning Sunrise done like you've never heard it, rockin out, Hiromi displaying incredible chops, jumping from acoustic to electric and both at the same time. She also played solo, I Got Rhythm. Words can't describe the great chops, great interpretation and super fast runs she played on piano. It drew an emotional five minute ovation from the packed tent that was really touching. She is an incredible player. We stayed almost to the end of that set with a rousing electric version of Caravan, but I wanted to see the final controversial act that ended day one on the main stage.


Mos Def & Watermelon Syndicate is a 12 piece band with Mos rappin', 4 string players, brass, reeds, piano, vocals and percussion. For me, it was a disappointment. I just don't think it was in the same league with the virtuosity and artistic performances that we had heard throughout the day. That is my opinion, I am sure that some would disagree. However, people were leaving in droves (could be to beat the traffic).

That ended Day One.

Sunday, Day 2
We started out at the Harbor Stage with Rudresh Mahanthappa's Indo-Pak Trio. A mid-eastern influenced band led by extraordinary alto sax player Rudresh, guitarist Rez Abbasi and Tabla player Dan Weiss. It was a great performance with a heavy dose of mid-eastern influences. Rez's guitar playing, both electric and acoustic is an interesting blend of east and west. The percussion combinations of tablas and western traps also was a unique sound. Rudresh's playing is off the charts great. His album Apti with this trio is one I have been playing often.



We ran back to the main stage to catch Joe Lovano's UsFive group. They are a jazz quartet plus a second drummer. These cats just cooked to the max. I had the pleasure of meeting Joe Lovano in the media area and he laid me on to his new CD with this group that I will be playing in the coming weeks on the show. Esperanza Spalding is on bass, and with the two drums, the group plays with a highly rhythmic sound. The modal compositions, and long sax solos are reminders of Trane's influence on Joe Lovano's playing. For his last number, he brought out a double soprano sax. From where I was sitting, it appeared to be two instruments fused together with one mouthpiece. Joe played two separate harmonic lines simultaneously as if playing two saxes ala Rahsaan Roland Kirk.

Time to run to the Harbor Side Stage to catch the Brian Blade Fellowship. I think this was my favorite set of Sundays show. Brian's complex compositions and arrangement with so many changes were backed by Blade's explosive drumming. Brian is always soloing, though there was not a drum solo in his arrangements. He is so expressive and animated that you can't keep your eyes off of him. His sense of time is perfect yet he is not afraid to change things up by doing the unexpected. I think this man is the best drummer of our time.

Got back to the main stage in time to see the end of Michel Camilo's set. This pianist plays blazingly fast lines with a trio that was on fire. For his last number he invited Joe Lovano to join the trio for a jam which continued the heat. The drummer was a standout in this group as well. Man, we have seen a lot of great drum work at the festival and more was to come with the next act.

We had our lunch, spent some time backstage meeting some of the artists and taking pictures, and it was time for the Roy Haynes Fountain of Youth Band. We were happily surprised to learn Roy had a special guest, Ron Carter for his set. Man, Roy Haynes and Ron Carter on stage together. These are two legends in jazz that have played with greatest cats in jazz history (Miles, Trane, Sarah, Ella, Bird and more). With Roy clocking in at 84 years old you'd think he would have slowed down, especially with an instrument as physical as the drums. Roy could play up with any of these cats on the main or small stages. He played like a 30 yr old. Roy IS the fountain of youth. Inspiring! Ron Carter (72) laid it down on bass as well with the full deep sound that he is known for. Jaleel Shaw on alto sax was killin' it too. A very hard driving hard-bop set. Truly a cooking performance by these masters.


top George Wein, bottom Ron Carter with Roy Haynes

Time to run over to the Harbor stage to see multi-reed player James Carter with his organ trio. This had to be the most soulful set of the fest. James had the whole audience toe tappin' and head bobbing to his R&B infused set. He alternated between tenor, baritone and soprano with his tight Hammond B-3 organ trio in the tradition of Jimmy Smith. James coaxed some very different sounds from his horn with some honking and percussive sounds.


Back to the main stage to catch a few minutes of another legend in Dave Brubeck. He did a high spirited set of his own classics and standards. Another octogenarian that played like someone half his age. Wish I could have seen more, but I wanted to catch The Bad Plus as our final act and beat the traffic out of the park. That means we will miss Tony Bennett, headliner of the evening, but had to make some choices here.

A very young crowd showed up for The Bad Plus, a trio of talented musicians with a unique style of deconstructing progressive rock tunes and changing them into amalgamations of jazz, classical and noise. While best know for their covers of Nirvana, Pink Floyd and others, they also play some very inventive originals. They were also joined by singer Wendy Lewis for most of the set. They did songs from their latest album and surprised us with a strange version of Bobby Vinton's Blue Velvet. They had me shaking my head in amazement as I left the fairgrounds for the last time this year. A nice way to finish off Newport Jazz Festival 55.

Jon Stewart spanks Jim Cramer

Quote Jon Stewart, "I know you are trying to make finance entertaining... but it's not a fucking game."

After you watch the interview segments below, I suggest that you check out this YouTube. You will never watch Cramer the same again.

First Some Background

The Daily Show With Jon StewartM - Th 11p / 10c

In Cramer We Trust

Daily Show Full Episodes
Important Things w/ Demetri Martin

Political Humor
Jim Cramer

Now they face off -

The Daily Show With Jon StewartM - Th 11p / 10c

Jim Cramer Unedited Interview Pt. 2

Daily Show Full Episodes
Important Things w/ Demetri Martin

Political Humor
Jim Cramer

The Daily Show With Jon StewartM - Th 11p / 10c

Jim Cramer Unedited Interview Pt. 3

Daily Show Full Episodes
Important Things w/ Demetri Martin

Political Humor
Jim Cramer

Vintage and Modern, Inc.

A cool site with some very eclectic and hip stuff. This would be cool hanging in my office. It's gotta be cool because my son David has a lot to do with this enterprise.

Incredible Gigapan

Gigapan image from the north press platform during President Obama's inaugural address at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, DC on January 20, 2009. It's made up of 220 images and the final image size is 59,783 X 24,658 pixels or 1,474 megapixels.

Hittin' the Jazz clubs again

Friday night Feb 6, 2009; another night of hitting the jazz clubs in NYC

7:30 Jazz Standard - Cindy Blackman Explorations: Cindy Blackman dr, Zaccai Curtis p, Marc Carey k, Antoine Roney s, Rashaad Carter b.
10:30 Smalls Jazz Club - Seamus Blake Qnt - Seamus Blake s, Dave Kikoski p, Lage Lund g, Matt Clohesy b, Bill Stewart d.

Obama Freedom Suite

 

This is my tribute to the Inauguration of President Barack Obama. I have edited excerpts of Obama's historic inaugural speech with Sonny Rollins' landmark recording "Freedom Suite". Recorded in 1958 this was Rollins' musical protest of the state of race relations during the height of our segregation era. It also represents a new freedom in jazz composition and improvisation. Saxophone Collosus' sailing Tenor playing, Oscar Pettiford's solid bass statements, and Max Roach's inventive drum stylings, combine to musically express the struggles of those times.

Fifty years later, we have elected an African American to the highest office in the land, in what is possibly the beginning of the final chapter in the history of the civil rights movement in America. I have juxtaposed Rollins' expression of anger and despair of racial inequality in 1958, with Obama's message of hope and unity as a tribute to the truly historic election and inauguration of our new President.

Listen or download this musical Inauguration Day tribute by clicking the link below:

The Obama Freedom Suite

The "Nu" future of marketing Jazz music

This new record "label" is a reflection of this digital age, a response to the state of the music industry, and the way music will be distributed in the future. From the Nu Jazz Entertainment website...

All releases will be distributed solely via digital downloads, with no products sold through the traditional music retail outlets. This will allow for the music to go directly into the hands of the consumers in an almost instantaneous method...The future of Jazz is here - Nu Jazz Records is a record label for a "Nu era". Unencumbered by the political constraints of the traditional record companies Nu Jazz Records is able to put the emphasis where it belongs - on the music. ...Unencumbered by the need to do media advertising buys, retail store marketing programs, or to generally pursue the other marketing activities; Nu Jazz invests the money for these expenditures in the two areas where it is most important: 1) By providing royalties to the artist in fiscal percentages which standard record companies would refuse to; and 2) By investing in the development and acquisition of new works of music...From time immemorial the musicians who have labored long and hard to develop their own musical voice have been bitterly neglected and mis-used by the conventional modern day slavery of the recording business.

It has grown apparent that the major record labels have abandoned any new jazz music and completely de-valued this incredible American art form. Nu Jazz Entertainment is attempting to fairly compensate these important Artists, and to market jazz music using new media and technology in this new world order. While I regret seeing the demise of 'physical' media, particularly the art of record covers and liner notes that was such an integral part of the record album experience, I do embrace the immediacy and convenience of digital music. The ability to take my entire music collection in my pocket is a powerful thing and has transformed the music industry in a very positive way. Despite the loss of CD revenues and the ranting of the RIAA, I think that the digital music revolution has brought music back to forefront of peoples consciousness. (I do wonder if it makes us all vulnerable to losing our entire collection from a crashed hard drive or lost iPod... back up your music, folks)

As to the music, I am particularly aware of tenor sax player, Jimmy Greene because he is a product of the local Jazz scene in my hometown of Hartford Connecticut, as is bassist Luques Curtis. Though they have moved on to successful jazz careers, and have collaborated with many great jazz artists in New York city, they often come back to town to play in local venues. I was able to see from this video clip below that this album was recorded at New Haven's (CT) Firehouse 12. This is a recording studio by day, and on several Friday evenings throughout the year, they set up 50 or 60 folding chairs and it becomes a great venue for live jazz performances. The album is entitled The Overcomer's Suite, from Jimmy Greene, and is available from eMusic for a pittance, or wherever digital downloads are sold (and dig the sweet drumming in this clip by Kendrick Scott).

Barak on Meet The Press

Just got done listening to Barak Obama on Meet the Press. This guy is going to be a great president of historic proportions. How nice it is to listen to such an intelligent, focused, articulate man as our president. After the last eight years it is such a refreshing change. He has such a populist message, something we haven't heard in literally decades from the highest office in the land. He even mentioned bringing Jazz music and Poetry into the Whitehouse to promote the arts and culture. God, I love this man.

Read the complete transcript here, or watch video clips here.

Jazz night out

Monthy trip down to NYC. Dinner with Dave followed by set at Smalls Jazz Club. Great club. Literally a whole in the wall. Caught Mark Soskin Quartet featuring Joel Frahm (also Jay Anderson bass, Matt Wilson drums). Claire captured this video of a smokin' Joel Frahm performance.

Another Jazzy NYC weekend

Another night of Jazz and dinner with David Friday night.

At Jazz Standard: Charles McPherson/Tom Harrell Quintet - Charles McPherson AS, Tom Harrell Trp, Ray Drummond Bs, Chuck McPherson Dr, Don't know on Piano (supposed to be Aaron Goldberg).

Sunday night, right here in Hartford at the HJS Dinner at Black Eyed Sally's; Nat Reeves Quintet. Nat on Bass,Tony Reedus, drums, Anthony Wonsey, piano, Jovan Alexandre, saxophone, and Josh Bruneau on trumpet.

Hartford International Jazz Festival 2008

Click here for the complete gallery of pics and videos for the events I attended.

Friday October 10
7:30pm - Spris
Jazz City
Jonathan Chatfield - piano
Jovan Alexander - tenor sax
Stephen King Porter - bass 
Jason Williams - drums


10PM - The Society Room (formerly Jack Blacks)
Badal Roy Quartet and Special Guests:
Badal Roy - Tablas
Kenny Wessel - Guitar
Steve Gorn - Bamboo Flute
Daniel Moreno - Percussion
Special Guests:
Dave Liebman - Sax
Michael Henderson - Bass


Saturday October 11
11:00 PM - Fengs
Mario Pavone Sextet
Mike Di Rubbo - Alto and Soprano Sax
Lauren Sevian - Baritone Sax
Kris Allen - Alto Sax
Michael Musillami - Guitar
Mario Pavone - Bass
Curtis Torian - Drums



Sunday October 12
7:30PM - City Steam
Wallace Roney Quintet
Wallace Roney – Trumpet
Antoine Roney – Saxophones & Bass Clarinet
Rashaan Carter – Bass
Aruan Ortiz – Keyboards
Kush Abadey – Drums

Live jazz at 55 bar

Monday night Sep 30, on a whim, hopped a train NYC. Met up with son Dave and headed down to the Village to catch one of those great Mike Stern appearances at 55 Bar. How about $15 cover (which includes 2 drinks), and you get to see a world class giant of jazz/fusion guitar, Mike Stern (along with Kim Thompson (d), Tom Kennedy (b)). We were sitting so close to the action, I had to occasionally duck to get out of the way of his guitar. I shot a video and posted it on YT.



also, a few days before Sep 25 caught Conference Call at Willimantic’s beautiful Capitol Theater.. Conference Call is: Gebhard Ullmann (bass clarinet, bass flute, tenor and soprano saxophones); George Schuller (drums); Joe Fonda (bass); and Michael Jefry Stevens (piano).

Bamboozled Bailout

Isn't anyone else skeptical about how this bailout is being jammed down our throats? Has anyone taken the time to analyze the effectiveness of $700 billion dollars of taxpayer money for corporate welfare? It seems to me that the market had already begun to stabilize last week without a bailout. As of this morning though, overnight markets and early trading has resulted in another tumble of the DJIA, despite agreements on a bailout bill. Perhaps the notion that just giving this windfall Xmass gift to the investment banks, will not induce any change in there irresponsible reckless risk-taking, and we are just throwing good money after bad. Isn't it ironic that free-market capitalism is hailed as the engine of economic prosperity, but when it all turns south, those same capitalists right away ask for the government to step in and bail them out with Federal dollars (a socialist move).

And how about the silly notion that taxpayers will actually make money on this deal. The assumption that the treasury siphoning off these risky, sub-prime, poorly secured mortgages will be good investments is ridiculous. If there was money to be made on these lousy mortgages, these investment firms would not be asking us to unload them at taxpayer expense!

Does anyone actually trust Treasury secretary Paulson (ex CEO of Morgan Stanley), or the top management of these investment firms not to repeat the reckless, greedy excesses of the past? What indications are there that they have changed their ways? Their proposal was to fork over $700 billion dollars without any oversight or condition. Any thought of limiting executive pay, or US equity in these firms would 'discourage' participation in this bailout. If that ain't a recipe for letting the foxes guard the hen-house. That is simply the height of arrogance and entitlement, that we should blindly trust these goons that brought us into this mess to also lift us back to prosperity.

How about using half of that $700 billion dollars to directly help Main Street. Can you imagine how $350 billion dollars to create alternative energy related jobs in the US would help our economy and work towards relieving our dependence on foreign oil? What if that money were used to provide government issued small-buisness loans, healthcare subsidies, auto-industy assistance to retool for hybrid car production. Wouldn't that be a shot in the arm for our economy and solve many pressing issues that directly affect Main Street?

I have not heard anything in this bailout bill that contains significant reform to prevent the excesses of the past from continuing in the future. Instead, we are providing more corporate welfare to the greedy irresponsible investment firms that have failed our economy while lining their own pockets with billions.

Live music

Lots of live music lately. I want to start journaling these as to not forget them... in my old age.

Wed, Sep 10
Chris Potter (ts) w/Adam Rogers g, Craig Taborn ep, Nate Smith d - CP Underground. No bass. Regatta bar Boston

Fri Sep 19
Insight featuring Zaccai (p) and Luques (b) Curtis. Also Jovan Alexander ts. at Htfd Polish home.

Sun Sep 21
Dave Holland (b) Sextet with Antonio Hart as, Robin Eubanks tb, Eric Harland d, Alex Sipiagin tp, Steve Nelson vb

Banished from Google

A couple of weeks ago, I noticed that traffic to my Jazz Podcast website had dramatically dropped. I was puzzled as to why this was happening as I hadn't really changed anything on the website. About a week ago, I Googled the page and noticed that no matter what search phrases I used, I could not get a hit to my Podcast home page. It seemed I had been banished from Google. Of course, I freaked out. Over the course of a couple years I had implemented many techniques to improve my organic search rankings. I had improved my positions month after month till I came up second place when 'Jazz Podcast' is searched (only behind jazzpodcast.net). My podcast had become one of the most popular Jazz shows on the web. Page hits, podcast subscriptions, downloads and AdWord revenues were on the rise. All of this started to come crashing down in just a couple of weeks.

To try to find some resolution to the problem, I ended right back at Google and found Webmaster Tools. This site has a plethora of great information on how Google views your site, what phrases are returning the highest rankings and tips on improving your positioning.

While it gave me no clue as to why I had disappeared from Google, Webmaster Tools has a 'Reconsideration Form' that can be used to get Google to re-evaluate your site and place it back in the rankings. It took just a couple of days, and sure enough, my site reappeared... right back in second place where it belongs. A huge sigh of relief! I'm posting this info because it might be of help to others that find themselves in this situation.

When it comes to web traffic to your website, Google can giveth and can taketh away!!!

It ain't always jazz

It was a blast to help out hosting a live broadcast of Desiree Bassett playing on the Fiat Flux, a Saturday morning show on WHUS. While engineering on the mixing board for part of the show, I also shot the little video clip below. This 15 year old girl is a killer rock guitarist, with a real appreciation for the best of the Classic Rockers (Hendrix, Dicky Betts, Satriani). She has good folks and a great teacher, and has surrounded herself with some of the best local area musicians as seen here with David Stoltz (b), and Rob Gottfried (d).



I also worked on my YouTube Channel. Check out my videos and favorites here.

Newport Jazz Festival 2008

Just returned from a few days in Newport. The vacation was highlighted by the JVC Newport Jazz Festival, my first time at the renowned jazz event. I was most struck by the wide breadth of musical styles that jazz has transitioned to. The traditional quartet or quintet setting, playing bebop based compositions was present but very much in the minority. The music that was predominant was heavily influenced by African, Caribbean and Latin rhythms (as in Lionel Loueke, Esperanza Spalding, Sonny Rollins) or progressive hard rock electronics (Herbie Hancock, Chris Potter, Marco Benevento).  Yet it was all progressive, often hard driving and swinging jazz. As long as these artists are not selling themselves out for commercial popular appeal, the variety it brings to jazz music is very refreshing. At least the Sunday line-up that we attended did not have that smooth-jazz influence that has been pervading the genre as of late. Even Herbie's popular selections from River and Possibilities CD's were played in a creative and thoughtful way that you would expect from this master. 

The one quintet that was rooted in the post-modern bop setting was an incredible young group of British musicians, Empirical. They are a quintet of excellent jazz cats that stretched the hard-bop form with complex compositions and free-form solos that could go into space and take it right back home with a funky or swinging beat. Empirical is definitely a group to watch on the jazz scene.

Chris Potter was all over the place playing in about 6 or 7 different combos between Saturday and Sunday. We watched an incredible performance with his own band Underground. His sax playing is heavily influenced by Trane and Brecker, yet in an electric setting with Rhodes piano, a screaming electric guitar, and heavy rock and funk based rhythms (Nate Smith, incredible on drums). This was progressive jazz, not fusion. It was fresh and unique and really, really cooked.

Herbie played a wide range of styles from his classic compositions of the 60's, Headhunters fusion of the 70's, and his incredible arrangements of popular tunes and Joni Mitchell songs from his grammy winning albums. He played with an incredible lineup of Chris Potter (sax), Dave Holland (bass), Lionel Loueke (guitar), Vinny Colaiuta (drums). One of the highlights of his set was during the playing of River. Herbie played a solo that was so beautiful, quiet and compelling, that even in this outdoor setting with thousands present and all the distractions of boats and vendors, the crowd drew absolutely silent, hanging on every gorgeous note that Herbie was playing on the piano. It was breathtaking.

Sonny Rollins closed out the festival late Sunday afternoon. Sonny is a legend and it was a thrill to see him. At 78 years old, this cat can still play with the best of them. Sonny's group consisted of tenor sax, trombone, electric guitar, conga, bass, drums. I don't think he plays with the caliber of musicians he had in the past, and the compositions he performed were not like the classic swinging bop tunes that he did in the peak of his career. The music was heavily African and rhythmically based. The tunes and solos were long, often repetitive ostinatos that went on and on. However, when Sonny took center stage to take his solos, he always brought the music to life, and blew that sax like he was in his twenties. 

It was a great day, and one that I hope to repeat many times in the years to come. My photo gallery of the Newport Jazz Fest is here. (note: if you have additional pictures of the 2008 Newport Jazz Festival, I invite you to upload your photos to the gallery.)

Jazz the way it should be

The best way to experience jazz music has to be live in a New York City jazz club. It just doesn't get any better. Live, up-close and personal. The Jazz Standard is just one of those places. Get there an hour or so early, and it is easy to grab a table a few short feet from the stage. Sunday evening, June 29 we experienced the George Coleman Quintet with special guest Eric Alexander. These are two killer tenor sax players. Coleman (71 yrs), one of the all-time masters of the tenor, who has played with the greatest jazz artists of all-time, including being a member of the Miles Davis Quintet (with the dubious distinction of being replaced by Wayne Shorter), Jimmy Smith, Dizzy, Lee Morgan, Max Roach, and more. Eric Alexander is one of the great young talents and powerful players on jazz scene today.

Their contrasting styles made for an incredible evening of jazz music. Eric Alexander is a superb technician with amazing chops. He has a powerful, lush sounding horn with which he played perfect solos throughout the evening. George Coleman had a more fluid yet raw playing style, but his ideas stretched the compositions to new directions, taking his solos to places you didn't expect him to go.  I won't soon forget the great piano playing of Harold Mabern, another grand master of his instrument that has graced the jazz scene for 40 years or more. His playing was simply amazing, and he has played with both these gentleman for each of their entire careers.

I even snuck-in a short video clip, though the manager came over and warned me to stop using the camera. Here it is, I hope it gives you a little feel for what the evening was like.

George Coleman ts, Eric Alexander ts, Harold Mabern p, John Webber b, George Coleman Jr. d.