2 great concerts this Friday night (October 16) in the Elm City, one at Yale, the other at Firehouse 12.
“Saxophone Summit“, the final program in the Ellington Fellowship at Yale's Fall 2009, features Jimmy Heath, Frank Wess (pictured), Antonio Hart,Todd Bashore, Frank Basile, and Scott Robinson, 6 fine reed players ranging in age from 87 to 31 with all sorts of experiences. They'll open the evening at 7:30 p.m. on the stage of Morse Recital Hall inside Sprague Hall, 470 College Street, by discussing the evolution of the saxophone in jazz and the different shapes and ranges of the saxophones to be used in the performance. Then, the sextet will add the rhythm section of drummer Albert “Tootie" Heath (Jimmy's younger brother), bassist David Wong and pianist Michael Weiss and perform a varied program of standards and originals.
What a lineup of players! Tenor saxophonists Heath (83) and Wess (87, who doubles on flute) have both been performing since the heyday of Charlie “Yardbird" Parker (the early 1950s) with the latter having performed in World War II as part of the US Army Band. Hart (41) is a fine alto player who first came to prominence playing in trumpeter Roy Hargrove's Band and has mastered the work of Julian “Cannonball" Adderley. Bashore (baritone sax) and Basile (alto sax, flute), both in the 30s, are veterans of many different big bands with the former working in the Duke Ellington Orchestra and the Mingus Big Band while the latter has worked with the Jimmy Heath Big Band, the Vanguard Orchestra and the Dizzy Gillespie All-Star Big Band. Robinson (50) plays tenor, baritone, and contra-bass saxophones, clarinet and trumpet and has worked with composer/bandleader Maria Scheider, the New York City Opera and Anthony Braxton.
Tickets to the event are available by going to http://music.yale.edu/concerts/ or calling 203-432-4158.
Firehouse 12, 45 Crown Street, continues its exciting Fall 2009 Concert Series with vocalist Gretchen Parlato & Trio for 2 shows, 8:30 and 10 p.m. Parlato, a native of Los Angeles, is a graduate of UCLA and went on to be the first vocalist to attend the Thelonious Monk Institute of Jazz Performance in Los Angeles. While there, she studied with Wesleyan graduate Tierney Sutton, Herbie Hancock and Wayne Shorter. In 2005, she won the Monk Vocal Competition and went on to record her self-released debut CD with the help of fellow Monk Institute graduate, guitarist Lionel Loueke.
Her music is an exciting and seductive blend of Brazilian songs, modern jazz standards, pop material and original songs. Her band includes Kendrick Scott (drums), Michael Olatuja (bass) and Fabian Almazan (piano) and each brings a different strength to the band. Parlato's voice blends the soft mystery of Astrud Gilberto with the rhythmic excitement of Bobby McFerrin but sounds like neither person. Scott and Almazan are now members of trumpeter Terrence Blanchard's band - both know how to swing and are adventurous soloists and accompanists. For ticket information, go to firehouse12.com or call 203-785-0468.
CD of the Week:
4 A - James Moody (IPO Recordings) - Tenor saxophonist Moody, 83 years young when this disc was recorded, has had a long successful career playing jazz. He's displays a sweet tone, perhaps not as robust as it was 30 years ago but he's a smart improvisor. Like many older players (such Messrs. Heath and Wess from the Yale Saxophone Summit concert mentioned above), Moody does not waste a note and creates melodic journeys whenever he solos. On this fine recording (so named for the the first of 2 days recording, 4 for quartet, “A" for day 1), he is joined by the splendid pianist Kenny Barron and the solid rhythm section of Todd Coolman (bass) and Lewis Nash (drums.) The quartet plays a generous program of pop standards ("Secret Love“ and “Stella By Starlight“, to name but 2) and several jazz standards, like Thelonious Monk's “'Round Midnight“, Benny Golson's “Stablemates“ and Barron's “Voyage." Everyone plays at the top of his game and none of the material seems forced or trite. Moody sounds as if he's having the time of his life, relaxed yet digging deeply into these songs, most of which he's (probably) played for decades. Of course, Kenny Barron is “spot on" throughout.
If you like “mainstream jazz" that will make you smile as you play it over and over again, “4 A“ is for you. For more information, go to iporecordings.com.
“Saxophone Summit“, the final program in the Ellington Fellowship at Yale's Fall 2009, features Jimmy Heath, Frank Wess (pictured), Antonio Hart,Todd Bashore, Frank Basile, and Scott Robinson, 6 fine reed players ranging in age from 87 to 31 with all sorts of experiences. They'll open the evening at 7:30 p.m. on the stage of Morse Recital Hall inside Sprague Hall, 470 College Street, by discussing the evolution of the saxophone in jazz and the different shapes and ranges of the saxophones to be used in the performance. Then, the sextet will add the rhythm section of drummer Albert “Tootie" Heath (Jimmy's younger brother), bassist David Wong and pianist Michael Weiss and perform a varied program of standards and originals.
What a lineup of players! Tenor saxophonists Heath (83) and Wess (87, who doubles on flute) have both been performing since the heyday of Charlie “Yardbird" Parker (the early 1950s) with the latter having performed in World War II as part of the US Army Band. Hart (41) is a fine alto player who first came to prominence playing in trumpeter Roy Hargrove's Band and has mastered the work of Julian “Cannonball" Adderley. Bashore (baritone sax) and Basile (alto sax, flute), both in the 30s, are veterans of many different big bands with the former working in the Duke Ellington Orchestra and the Mingus Big Band while the latter has worked with the Jimmy Heath Big Band, the Vanguard Orchestra and the Dizzy Gillespie All-Star Big Band. Robinson (50) plays tenor, baritone, and contra-bass saxophones, clarinet and trumpet and has worked with composer/bandleader Maria Scheider, the New York City Opera and Anthony Braxton.
Tickets to the event are available by going to http://music.yale.edu/concerts/ or calling 203-432-4158.
Firehouse 12, 45 Crown Street, continues its exciting Fall 2009 Concert Series with vocalist Gretchen Parlato & Trio for 2 shows, 8:30 and 10 p.m. Parlato, a native of Los Angeles, is a graduate of UCLA and went on to be the first vocalist to attend the Thelonious Monk Institute of Jazz Performance in Los Angeles. While there, she studied with Wesleyan graduate Tierney Sutton, Herbie Hancock and Wayne Shorter. In 2005, she won the Monk Vocal Competition and went on to record her self-released debut CD with the help of fellow Monk Institute graduate, guitarist Lionel Loueke.
Her music is an exciting and seductive blend of Brazilian songs, modern jazz standards, pop material and original songs. Her band includes Kendrick Scott (drums), Michael Olatuja (bass) and Fabian Almazan (piano) and each brings a different strength to the band. Parlato's voice blends the soft mystery of Astrud Gilberto with the rhythmic excitement of Bobby McFerrin but sounds like neither person. Scott and Almazan are now members of trumpeter Terrence Blanchard's band - both know how to swing and are adventurous soloists and accompanists. For ticket information, go to firehouse12.com or call 203-785-0468.
CD of the Week:
4 A - James Moody (IPO Recordings) - Tenor saxophonist Moody, 83 years young when this disc was recorded, has had a long successful career playing jazz. He's displays a sweet tone, perhaps not as robust as it was 30 years ago but he's a smart improvisor. Like many older players (such Messrs. Heath and Wess from the Yale Saxophone Summit concert mentioned above), Moody does not waste a note and creates melodic journeys whenever he solos. On this fine recording (so named for the the first of 2 days recording, 4 for quartet, “A" for day 1), he is joined by the splendid pianist Kenny Barron and the solid rhythm section of Todd Coolman (bass) and Lewis Nash (drums.) The quartet plays a generous program of pop standards ("Secret Love“ and “Stella By Starlight“, to name but 2) and several jazz standards, like Thelonious Monk's “'Round Midnight“, Benny Golson's “Stablemates“ and Barron's “Voyage." Everyone plays at the top of his game and none of the material seems forced or trite. Moody sounds as if he's having the time of his life, relaxed yet digging deeply into these songs, most of which he's (probably) played for decades. Of course, Kenny Barron is “spot on" throughout.
If you like “mainstream jazz" that will make you smile as you play it over and over again, “4 A“ is for you. For more information, go to iporecordings.com.
