Freiofer's Saratoga Jazz Festival Holds Big Promise

36th Annual Even at Saratoga Performing Arts Center Will Be Sweeeeeeeeeeet.

The jazz festival in Saratoga Springs, NY, every summer is one that fans and musicians have long appreciated. Created by George Wein and more recently under the excellent stewardship of Danny Melnick, it continues to be a gem. The festival grounds, in Spa State Park, are beautiful—pine trees, woods, serenity—are one thing that attracts folks. Fine music is another and this coming edition – June 29 and 30 is already positioned to be sweet as hell.

Among the big names that non-jazzers would know—and like it or not, it's those kinds of borderline acts that bring in the extra bodies to festivals everywhere-- are Buddy Guy and Tony Bennett. Sometimes festivals reach waaaay off the jazz path, to the point of exasperation, to get an act that will appeal to those outside the jazz pocket. Not the case in 2013. Buddy Guy has long been an artist at the pinnacle of the blues idiom. He'll be 77 in July but has lost very little of his fastball. There are few greater blues artists ever. (Some might say none better). Jazz and blues are first cousins, so bring on Buddy!

[Tony Bennett at the Newport Jazz Festival, 2010. © R.J. DeLuke]

Bennett does the jazz festival circuit every couple years. Debate if you will if he is a jazz singer or not (the same as people did with Sinatra). At the very least, this American icon has strong jazz feel and sensibilities and has always toured and recorded with jazz musicians: Bill Evans, Stan Getz, Count Basie and many more. At the Newport Jazz Festival in 2010, Dave Brubeck joined him on stage for a few numbers. A decade older than Mr. Guy, Bennett too sounds strong and vibrant. There is already buzz in the Saratoga Springs area that this music great is coming to town.

But as always is the case, the real guts of the festival lies in the overall quality of the lineup. In many cases, it's even names that jazz fans in attendance aren't very familiar with. SPAC is know for bringing in young talent that has gone on to prominence. But it's more than that. Sometimes a band under one person's name will have amazing sidemen who are superior musicians.

The Cookers, scheduled for Saturday, may not ring a bell for people. It's an outstanding group of veterans, some a little longer in the tooth than others. But superb players. Trumpeters Eddie Henderson and David Weiss are excellent. It's always a pleasure to hear Billy Harper wail on tenor sax. George Cables for way too long has been an under-appreciated master. And what jazz musicians doesn't enjoy playing over the rhythms laid down by the great Billy Hart? Craig Handy is a fiendish sax man as well, and bassist Dwayne Burno holds the bottom for some of the top groups around. This group will cook you into bad health.

McCoy Tyner, of course, is a legend and will be playing blissful music with the assistance of guitar hero John Scofield. A mighty paring. Fans of singers will not want to miss Gregory Porter, maybe the most dynamic jazz singer on the scene today. Powerful. Soulful. Swinging. He always has musicians around him that sizzle. This will be one people will talk about when they leave.

[Ingrid Jensen warms up just before hitting with the Maria Schneider Orchestra at the Newport Jazz Festival, 2010. © R.J. DeLuke]

Trumpeter Ingrid Jensen lights up every and she plays in, the large ensembles like Maria Schneider Orchestra or Darcy James Argue's Secret Society, or her own projects. She leads a group at the intimate gazebo stage that is sure to make a big impression. As should Ben Williams, a young in—demand bass player whose own group sparkles when he gets a chance to bring them out.

[Rudresh Mahanthappa at the North Sea Jazz Festival, Holland, 2012. © R.J. DeLuke]

Rudresh Mahanthappa has been gathering critical praise like a snowball rolling down a hill, and with good reason. He's a fiery player with creativity to match and his cohorts are always in step with his vision. SPAC is fortunate that he'll be playing two sets. Flammable. And then there's steady veteran baritone saxman Gary Smulyan, with rock solid sidemen like guitarist Peter Bernstein, drummer Kenny Washington and Mike LeDonne on keyboards. Pure joy.

No need to run down the full batting order, but it's full of talent, diversity of styles and great potential. Nice to see jazz festivals stick to the spirit of the art form. Anticipation is already growing in the community. That is a damn fine thing.

Lovano at 60

Heralded as one of the greats of his generation (my generation), Lovano keeps moving forward. But knows where he came from.

Joe Lovano plays the shit out of the saxophone, that much is clear. He's paid all his dues, come up though the ranks, including stints with big bands like Woody Herman. But he doesn't just play. He's an artist. The sound comes from inside a big heart, informed, of course, by his study and hard work on the instrument.

[Photo: Joe Lovano at the Newport Jazz Festival, August, 2012. © R.J. DeLuke]

He seems to be everywhere. Leading his fine Us Five group, playing with John Scofield and others, sitting in with all kinds of heavy hitters. Keeping his nonet alive. His sweeping, probing,muscular sound, particularly on tenor sax, is all over. Thankfully.

A conversation with Joe is always intriguing. Affable,insightful,intelligent and at the same time down to earth. Lovano is free with his thoughts; humble; engaging. As his Us Five tour swung through the Albany, NY, area earlier this year, we spoke again and, on this day at least, the saxophonist was pensive about his life, which had reached the age of 60 years. Like the sounds that cascade from the bell of his horn, his words are hearfelt.

Sixty is in the mind, people will say. It's he new 40. The new 30. Whatever. It can be the new fucking 15, who cares? Depends on the person. State of mind, for sure. For this major artist, it's prime years and there is surely much more on his plate and on his path.

"For me, it’s about reflections and projections. Definitely, 60 is kind of a milestone you look to as you’re approaching it. Like 50 is. Like 40 is ... The thing is, you realize more and more how you got to this place. Your travels and your experiences all build on each other to create tomorrow. I feel thankful and blessed to live in the world of music, as I do, and have such a beautiful family experience. In my personal roots. My mom’s family and in my dad’s family.

His mother died in 2012 but Lovano still draws inspiration from her.

"I feel I’m just scratching the surface in a lot of ways," he said. "Everything you do fuels your ideas. I’ve been real fortunate to have played with some of the masters of the music, from the earliest times, for me. Before I even joined the Woody Herman band, the great players that I developed under in Cleveland, with my dad (Tony “Big T” Lovano) and his whole crowd. Then playing with Lonnie Smith and Jack McDuff. Moving to New York. Joining Woody’s band at 23. Standing next to Stan Getz at Carnegie Hall playing “Early Autumn,” with him playing lead.

"That time was a heavy springboard into the future for me. Looking back on it, and the way I was embraced by Woody and his incredible legacy. To know Al Cohn and Zoot Sims and Jimmy Guiffre. Flip Phillips. I played on Flip’s last recording when he was 85, called 'Swing is the Thing.' It came out on Verve. James Carter and I were guests with Flip on that date. That was incredible ... Recently, Dave Brubeck passed. He did a record--he had just turned 75--called 'Old Lions and Young Tigers.' It turned out to be Gerry Mulligan’s last session. Mulligan was on that with George Shearing, Jon Hendricks. Other folks in Dave’s generation. Then myself, Mike Brecker, Joshua Redman, Roy Hargrove, Christian McBride. We were the tigers. (Brubeck) wrote a tune for everybody. He wrote a tune for me called 'The Joe Lovano Tango.'

"Then to play with Hank (Jones). He played on three sessions with me. I toured Europe four times in a quartet, which I led. Hank was around 82 or 83 when we started playing together. I played on his 90th birthday celebration at the Hollywood Bowl. Also in New York, at Birdland. To experience playing with some of the true masters of the music. Paul Motian, who passed last year. Bill Frisell and I joined him in 1981. We were playing with him until the end. He turned to when I started playing with him. He passed at 80."

Lovano isn't blowing smoke. He admires those who made and strengthened the art form, and suffered for it in many cases. Each different artistic step he takes, there are pieces of those people that inspire and inform that stroll.

"Reflecting on those things not only strengthens you for today, but you realize where you’ve been and how that’s influenced you in your music and as a man. I’m feeling all the blessings, that’s for sure."

The Us Five band has been playing for a while now,and like any good group of improvising musicians, they get a better feel for one another. They develop their own language. But they also bring their own influences that can change the direction of the music -- on a given night, at a given moment, or less conspicuous, over the course of time. He's happy with the way the band has developed and enthused that it contains so many musical possibilities.

"It’s like the Thad Jones/Mel Lewis band. When Thad would conduct, night to night he would direct and change the way the rhythm section would play. He’d cut off the drums or bass. Things just happened from knowing each other and people paying attention. It could happen in any ensemble, like the way Miles’ bands always were. There’s certain things that take shape from night to night that are really beautiful and creative. That’s been happening in this group from the beginning. The idea of having double drummers, all of a sudden everyone’s not just playing a role. Everyone has to participate in a more personal way."

[Photo: Joe Lovano and Us Five, Esperanza Spalding on bass, at the Newport Jazz Festival, August, 2009. © R.J. DeLuke]

"Each of us are doing other things," he said. "Esperanza (Spealding, bassist) is emerging as a leader. She’s writing and touring as a leader with different size groups. Mela (drummer Francisco Mela) has different bands he’s putting together and playing with other folks. Otis (drummer Otis Brown III) also. James (Weiderman, pianist) and myself. During this whole time we’ve been together as a band, we’ve all been playing and doing things outside of that situation. When you come back together, you bring your experiences--where you’ve traveled, where you’ve been--into the mix. That’s been happening too. That’s, in a way, why the music keeps growing and developing. People that only play in one situation, the music can get routine. That’s not happening with us because everyone’s into some things."

A life experience builds upon another. For artists, it's essential to growth. It should be that wayy for everyone. (those results are still not in).

"When this band first started, I was doing stuff with Hank (Jones) that was influencing how I was going to have this band. That was a rich period, 2003, 2004. When I first met Esperanza, she was in some of my ensembles. My recording “Viva Caruso” came out. The recordings with Hank were starting to come out and I was playing a lot with him. Esperanza and all those folks, Mela and everybody I was playing with at that time, which is now about eight years ago already, those things were fueling their direction and approach at that young age."

He pauses, like he does at time before the next explosive statement of a sax solo.

"Everything you do fuels your ideas for stuff that’s gonna happen. That feels really good."

Hell, yeah. Sixty more, Joe.

Wayne's Best in a While

Wayne Shorter's New CD Captures the Essence of His Quartet

Wayne Shorter released this month his first Blue Note Records CD in 40+plus years. That's really not the relevant part. People change record labels all the time. And Blue Note, while a strong label, doesn't bear the indelible stamp it did back in the day under Alfred Lion.

What Counts is the music, of course. It always does.

[PHOTO: Wayne Shorter, North Sea Jazz Festival 2012 © R.J. DeLuke]

This music, captured live during a European tour of the group in 2011, really is a great example how these amazing musicians function on the stage. Improvisations fly around with intensity and ease at the same time. Each member is involved in the conversations. Like most discussions, one voice will step to the forefront while others "listen," but what they say can spark a different reaction. That's encouraged. Hell, it's a mandate. Those series of reactions will vary from performance to performance.

But it doesn't come off as a hodge podge of stuff. There is form. Substance. Style. Brian Blade's drumming is wild, penetrating, yet somehow conversational. John Patitucci on bass is fantastic in his ability to listen to all the other voices and weave his playing in and around. Danilo Perez on piano--always remarkable in any setting--is unpredictable. Percussive. melodic. Serpentine. Almost like a point guard on a great NBA basketball team, keeping things at a high tempo and helping everyone else be at their best.

Then there's "the Wayne" As Miles once called him in an interview. AS in, "You know why I got The Wayne. He's so close to Coltrane."

That was then. In the now, Shorter bears little resemblance other than his willingness to experiment and let it fly. His soprano sax darts in and out of the rhythms created by his cohorts. Gone are the flowing lines that were part Trane and part Prez from the Blue Note days. He plays with bursts of statements that fit in the cracks sometimes; propel the music at others. His mind is always moving. And he brings that out in his longstanding band.

The CD sounds much like the concert at the North Sea Jazz Festival last summer, which was an ass-kicker. (George Rossy was the drummer on that tour, filing in with aplomb). It's even better to see live, because the looks back and forth. The smiles. The non--verbal communication is vivid. But this new CD is a great portrait of that.

There is also an extended piece in collaboration with the renowned Imani Winds which isn't part of the group's normal tour. But it's fine music. Regal and elegant in addition to maintaining it's improvisatory nature. Shorter plans to do more stuff with strings and larger aggregations. Being a composer without peer, that should be stunning.

In the meantime, his quartet continues to perform without a net.

At the Newport Jazz Festival this summer, and in Montreal, Wayne's group will play a concert that is part of his 80th birthday celebration this year. Herbie Hancock will be involved as well. In between those dates in Freihofer's Saratoga Jazz Festival in Saratoga Springs, NY. No announcement yet (coming soon tho), but a logical fit? Let' hope so!

Top Recordings - 2012

A ton of fine music came out in 2012, like most years, making these year-end lists very difficult. A lot we don’t get to hear. So that limits some. For example, I’ve not yet heard the 2012 disks of Jack DeJohnette, Christian Scott or John McLaughlin and the Fourth Dimension. Having seen each of them live in 2012, it’s easy to know their disks must be superb. Their concerts were fabulous. Also, Top 10? Not happening. It’s a smattering. I did whittle some worthy recordings away. And separated out a Vocalist section. Let’s get to it. No particular order:

Jazz Soul Seven, “Impressions of Curtis Mayfield“ (BFM Jazz). thought this might be over-funked, formulaic jazz before I slapped it in the machine. Wrong from the get go. It grooves like hell, but it swings too. All the players are outstanding, creative and improvisational, without too much “look at me.” Terri Lynne Carrington’s grooves are sweet, but by no means simple. And Wallace Roney and Erie Watts blare their horns with jazz pride. Phil Upchurch is tasty as hell, as is Russ Ferrante on piano. Let’s not forget the ever-hip music of Mayfield, a master in his field.

[Wallace Roney at the North Sea Jazz Festival, 2912. © R.J. DeLuke]

John Daversa, “Artful Joy” (BFM Jazz). Daversa has a real knack for writing, arranging and getting a band to play their asses off. Easier said than done. His tunes are a marvel of modern hip, slightly genre-bending, and just plain exuberant. He travels a lot of musical ground without losing interest. And the playing is hot shit. (see previous blog).

Marshall Gilkes, “Sound Stories” (Alternate Side Records). Another album where the leader shines with the pen, as well as his instrument, trombone. Gilkes is a monster on the ‘bone and is matched on the front line by Donny McCaslin, who’s a bitch on this record. The rhythm section makes each twist and turn easily. Great melodies too. The many compositional colors here really shed the light on Gilkes as a cat who is a superlative musician. This is hot shit.

[Marshall Gilkes at the Newport Jazz festival, 2012. © R.J. DeLuke]

Branford Marsalis, “Four MFs Playin’ Tunes” (Marsalis Music). Band that’s been cookin’ for a long time. Different textures, different feels. All directed through Marsalis’ vision and his powerful horn. Calderazzo remains one of the unsung excellent pianists. The record can groove you and scorch you. It‘s soft side is delectable.

Jonathan Blake, “The Eleventh Hour” (Sunnyside Records). A great debut by this young drummer who enlightens the music of many a hot bands on the scene today. For his first album, he brings in strong players like Ben Street on bass and pianists Robert Glasper and Kevin Hays. Saxes are Jaleel Shaw and Mark Turner. But they are there to serve Blake’s vision, which is sharp. Real engaging stuff, driven by outstanding drum work, of course.

Adam Cruz, “Milestone” (Sunnyside). Another debut from a drummer, this disk shows the veteran Cruz holding court to carry out his own compositions. The music is outstanding start to end, carried out by BYC cats that Cruz has played with and known for a while--Chris Potter, Steve Cardenas, Ed Simon, Steve Wilson, Ben Street and Miguel Zenon. They’re all on their game, and Cruz propels them with his intricate percussive statements. Cruz should get more opportunities to be a front man, as this disk shows.

Luis Perdomo , “Universal Mind” (RKM Music). Perdomo is a monstrous pianist and this trio date is remarkable. It was also the fruition of his dream to one day play with Jack DeJohnette, who is killin’ throughout the recording. As is Perdomo. The music is written by Perdomo to allow the group to take off, without worrying too much about arrangements, and they do. Exceptional.

[Luis Perdomo at Freihofer's Saratoga Jazz Festival, 2010. © R.J. DeLuke]

David Gilmore, “Numerology; Live at the Jazz Standard” (Evolutionary Music). This music kicks ass. The music is enthralling, exotic, played by a group of real heavyweights who bring Gillmore’s amazing music to brilliant life. Everyone is in top form (Christian McBride, Miguel Zenon, Tain Watts, Mino Cinelu among them) Claudia Acuna adds occasional ethereal vocals. Luis Perdomo (see above) is absolutely fiendish on the piano. Gilmore’s guitar, surprisingly, doesn’t really take center stage but wails with delight. It’s a group effort, but Gilmore’s the cat behind it all.

Michael Pedicin, “Live @ The Loft” (Jazz Hutt) Granted I fell in love with his ballads album last year, which caused my ears to turn toward this disk. But it holds up just as fine. Pedicin comes through the tradition of the greats, Dexter, Sonny, et. al, with a beautiful warm tone and great creativity. This time a it’s a live disk with a varied program and his band is up to the task. Pedicin is a joy.

Ehud Asherie, with Harry Allen, Upper West Side (Posi-Tone). This is all about Harry Allen. His sumptuous sound, way with classic melodies, his harmonic interweaving, his creativity. Warmth. Like Pedicin, a joy as he strolls thru great songs.

[Harry Allen, Newport Jazz Festival, 2010. © R.J. DeLuke]

Philip Dizack, “End of an Era” (Truth Revolution Records) Great craftsmanship in the writing of the mostly original compositions, augmented beautifully by string sections. Some of the fine New York cats add a lot, including Kendrick Scott’s drums, Aaron Parks piano. Dizack’s trumpet dances delightfully throughout.

Duduka Da Fonseca, “Samba Jazz - Jazz Samba” (Anzic). This band plays this kind of music so beautifully. Pianist Helio Alves and Da Fonseca are long time colleagues and it shows. Anat Cohen, always wonderful, digs into the material with fire. Strong from start to end. Great spirit.

Andrea Brachfeld, “Lady of the Island” (Zoho). This woman can bop and groove and plays the hell out of the various flutes. Great tone and harmonic-melodic sensibilities. She’s less percussive than some flautists, which probably makes her a more complete, natural player. Bill O’Connell on piano is outstanding and there are guest spots by Wallace Roney and Wycliffe Gordon. Mostly cover material. There’s a beautiful Latin feel to Herbie’s “Eye of the Hurricane.” She also tackles Freddie Hubbard and Duke.

Brubeck Brothers, “Lifetimes” (Blue Forest Records). Maybe the best recording of this outstanding, longstanding, and somehow underrated band. It jumped on my list when I first heard it in June. Crisply executed by four superior musicians. It’s a record with a definite nod to Dave. It might be held in a different light now, due to the recent passing of the icon, but it stands as a great testament. The tunes associated with the Great Father Who Made Them All have really outstanding arrangements and bring a bright new slant to the material. There is other material there too, equally strong. The playing is excellent. (By the by, Dave heard it all and loved what the cats did with his stuff).

[Brubeck Brothers, Freihofer's Saratoga Jazz Festival, 2008. © R.J. DeLuke]

Erena Terakubo with Legends, “New York Attitude” (King Records) It’s the American debit of a young Japanese alto saxophonist who plays with flare, technique and feeling. When it swings, it’s like mad, and in between it’s first-rate stuff. It definitely helps that Kenny Barron and Ron Carter play their asses off in the band. But it’s a real fine album, and Terakubo is very strong, whether fast or slow. She holds court admirably. There’s sure to more from her.

Riccardo Fassi, “Sitting in a Song” (Alice Recordings) A varied collection of compositions by pianist Fassi with first-rate New York cats; trumpeter Alex Sipiagin, sax men Gary Smulyan and Dave Binney, drummer Antonio Sanchez, bassist Essiet Essiet and trombonist Andy Hunter. Glides along terrifically, fast or slow. Solos are hot. Great feel to this disk.

Vocal:

Denise Donatelli, “Soul Shadows,” (Savant Records) She has hooked up with excellent pianist Geoffrey Keezer before. Great musical pair. Geoffrey provides just the right landscapes--intricate, intelligent, but something the bones can feel. And Denise steps in with class and style and makes it a full painting. Great selection of seldom heard tunes, save “Too Late Now,” which is also a treat because it’s an exquisite duet between Donatelli’s rich voice and Keezer’s luscious piano sound. Grammy should go here, but she’s least known of those nominated.

Gregory Porter, “Be Good” (Motema). A most dynamic vocalist out there. A stellar recording, writing and performing. He’s an extraordinary live performer. This studio disk is similar. Passion, timing, phrasing, on-the-spot twists and turns. Rich sound. Headed for stardom. A lot of young new thing” singers will flare out while Porter will still be standing. The title song will be in his “classic” category when he’s got 15-20 years under his belt. It might be one that he won’t be able to leave out of a set even when he’s 70.

[Gregory Porter, North Sea Jazz fest at Curacao, 2012. © R.J. DeLuke]

Akula Allrich, “Live! Uniquely Standard” (Self produced) I listen to a lot of singers. Many are pedestrian. This was a great surprise. A soulful singer that has jazz I her bones. Great emotion and uplifting. A fine array of covers, with tunes like “Don’t Let Me be Misunderstood.” Also Miriam Makeba and Billy Strayhorn. The blues drips from “Black Coffee.” Nina Simone’s “Sinnerman” grabs you. This a helluva disk. More, please. (Does the world know yet that Kris Funn is a stone cold motherfucker on bass? Ask Christian Scott).

Michael Occhipinti & Shine On, “The Universe of John Lennon” (True North Records). This may be a love or hate thing for Lennon fans, who don’t like to see works altered too much. Occhipinti brings these important, poignant Lennon works out front in fine fashion, with gorgeous arrangements with greater rhythm richness, good jazz horns, and fine instrumentation all around. Lennon couldn’t sing worth a shit, and that certain raggedness was part of the allure. Like Dylan, the importance lay in the lyrics and simplicity of structure, not in being pristine. Nothing ragged here. Rather, there is a true beauty brought to each tune. But it fits fine, because it’s good music to begin with. And it’s good to hear these songs again, especially “Working Class Hero.”

Honorable… (some of these could interchange with the above. Tough choices):

Medeski, Martin & Wood, “Free Magic” (Indirecto Records)

Anat Cohen, “Claroscuro” (Anzic)

Joe Locke/Geoffrey Keezer Group, “Signing” (Motema)

Mort Weiss, “I’ll Be Seeing You” (SMS Jazz)

Jeff Coffin & the Mu’Tet, “Into the Air” (Ear Up Records)

Native Soul, “One Mind” (American Showplace Music)

Sean Wayland, “Click Track Jazz: Slave to the Machine” (Seed Music Records)

Amanda Ruzza, “This Is What Happened” (Pimienta Records)

Adrian Cunningham, “Walkabout” (New Market Music)

Chad Wackerman, “Dreams Nightmares and Improvisations” (self produced)

Bill Cantrall & Axiom, “Live at Kitano” (Upswing) And kudos to some fine cats in my neck o’ the woods (upstate NY)who put out some fine disks (Scroll down for more specifics in previous blog)

Mike Benedict and Bopitude, “Five in One” (Planet Arts)

Brian Patneaude, “All Around Us” (WEPA Records)

Keith Pray, “Confluence” (Artist Recording Collective)

Golfing With Branford

Saxophonist Marsalis Expounds on the State of Jazz While Walking the Links

It’s not often one gets to chat seriously about music with a top-flight musician who is making his comments in between shots on the golf course. Unusual to say the least. Such was the case recently with Branford Marsalis.

Wait. Marsalis? One of the hard-liners from the 1980s? You’re fucking with me.

Nope. The conversation took place via telephone as Marsalis, wearing an earphone, strode Treyburn Country Club in Durham, NC, where he lives. I offered to postpone. He handled it all in stride.

“We’re breaking the mold. You can (write), ‘Wait a minute. He hit his ball 20 yards to the left, and then cursed.’ And go on from there.”

[Photo: Branford and Joey Calderazzo at Newport Jazz Fest, 2009. © R.J. DeLuke]

The conversation covered many bases, disrupted on occasion by the swing of his own club, or by ball-busting comments to the rest of the foursome, which included the pianist of the Branford Marsalis Quartet, Joey Calderazzo. It was the basis for a story at the All About Jazz website. Marsalis, now 52, has mellowed, even by his own admission. Things in the music business that he can’t control roll off his back. Even if they still irk him. That said, he’s as forthright as ever on topics that come up and his knife is still sharp when he looks at the world of jazz and what he sees as its blemishes. His take is different and merits some attention.

As a youngster, he was one of the Young Lions. He and his brother Wynton, tried to play it all. They flexed their chops and burned ahead. Young exuberance. It’s different now. There’s a mellowness. Not in his playing. His playing over the years is more of a distillation. Putting that aggression through a filter and finding the better stuff on the other side. He still forges ahead as one of the finer saxophonists of his generation. But he tries not to get too much ahead of the audience, he says. He claims too many people in jazz music are doing that nowadays.

There‘s a lot of cussing going on. Part of golf. Good natured stuff. “I curse before I swing. I do more cursing than swinging,” I reveal about my own golf game. “No,” he tries to correct, “It’s swing. Then curse. It’s not curse, then swing. It’s swing, then curse.” I never did have that down pat.

His 2012 CD, Four MFs Playin’ Tunes (Marsalis Music) is as advertised, the band, spurred on by relatively new drummer Justin Faulkner (“Tain” Watts had been with Branford forever), weaves and bobs. They burn and play beautiful ballads. The leader says the group tries to kill it each night. Might not quite grab it each time. But they’re reaching. And they’re mindful that the stuff doesn’t rocket past the audience.

“I’m not disavowing the complexity. The shit we play is complex. Listen to the record. But at the end of the day, when you hear people talking about why jazz is not popular, they have a million reasons. Radio, they’re playing pop music. They blame all this bullshit. People who listen to music listen to really simple things. The song has to have a good beat and the song has to have a melody they can relate to. When you listen to modern jazz, they have neither. They have guys who don’t know how to play swing, who are playing ostinato grooves that aren’t funky at all. So they lose the groove part. Then the melodies aren’t singable.”

“At the end of the day, yeah, there’s all this complex shit that needs to go on. Much like the thing that supposedly got me in trouble for saying about Cecil Taylor -- It ain’t the audience’s job to grasp that. That’s our job. We’re supposed to learn all that shit … you learn all this shit, then you communicate it to people in a way they can understand it.”

His swing and strike of the ball is audible. “Uh-oh. Uh-oh.“ Ball’s in the air. “Cut please. Cut for me. No? … Fuck.” Part of the game. “OK,” he resigns himself as he heads toward the frustrating little white orb which wasn‘t quite where it was supposed to go.

“When you listen to a jazz radio station, it’s a style of music where all the shit sounds the same. Which is kind of like the pop music is, ironically. Except (in jazz) the solos might be more complex … They have that same formulated nature. I am not interested in participating in shit like that. I’m just not. Guys do a song. They have a bass vamp they start the song with. Eight bars of vamp, then the melody comes in. The trumpet player plays, the saxophone player plays, the piano player plays. The bass player will probably play. The drummer takes a solo then the head comes out. Then when the song is over, the song ends twice.

“Even with Blakey’s band they would just go, [he hums an ending … da-da DET, dah dah dah, dah-da deh-da] and the song ends. Now they do [repeats: da-da DET, dah dah dah, dah-da deh-da, then he hums a faster tempo--a mish mash where the line is blurred and tails off in a different direction]. Then they hit a chord--Bang. So the song has two endings. It’s just little things. You already played a long-ass solo. Do you really need to solo some more at the end of the song? The structure of the song and the function of the song and the purpose of the song is just pushed aside for this ideology of: Listen to how great I sound. I don’t buy it.”

He’s honest. But not upset. Hell, he’s enjoying his day on the links.

“It used to bother me. Joey and I often talk and complain about shit we hear. We complain about it, but talking about them is not going to make us better. If their goal is to get better, then they’ll hear the shit we’re talking about. If they don’t hear it, OK. They hear it or they don’t.”

“I’m doing a fucking interview,” he says to the group … “It’s a 5. I double clicked, otherwise it wouldn’t have been. I’m going to leave y’all to it. I’m going to go over here so Joey doesn’t have an excuse to piss and moan,” he busts, laughing.

“After 11 years of playing with Branford, I’m still nervous to play with him,” Calderazzo said to me about a year ago. I’m comfortable, but … and I had the same thing with Mike (Brecker). Mike kept you on the top of your game … He played every performance like it was going to be his last. Branford’s attitude is not that. It’s a funny thing. My take on it is: no matter where it is, it’s just another performance. The two of them are polar opposites, but it works for each one of them. It very interesting. I’ve learned from both of them. Branford is very nonchalant” Also, said the pianist, “Branford is undoubtedly my best friend.”

Says Marsalis between golf shots, “Somebody asked me about European jazz and I used to have this long explanation. It was such a dishonest conversation and I don’t speak the language. But then I find out (European) writers were writing that when it was brought up, I began to get agitated and angry. Which isn’t true. Sometimes when I talk I get agitated, but it’s as I get excited. So now, I just say, ‘That shit’s great.’ As long as I don’t sound like that, they are awesome. That‘s how I feel about a lot of this shit. If people think it’s great--there’s no evidence of record sales or ticket sales that the shit is great--but if that’s what they think is great, more power to them.

“I’m hittin’ ‘em OK. I’m playing bogey golf so far. I had two good shots, one bad shot and two putts.”

“I just did a gig, a small gig, in Atlanta, for a golf tournament. The guy’s a friend of mine and good golfer. Said he wanted me to play a tune. I said, ‘I don’t play by myself.’ He said he would get a bunch of local guys. So I meet this guy. At the beginning of it, Mac Davis played. He wrote songs for Elvis. He wrote ‘In the Ghetto’ and all this stuff. So Mac’s playing and the people are screaming and hollering. So already I get it. The audience is not a jazz audience. I’m keenly aware of that. In my thinking, this should inform the decision about the song you play.

“So it’s our turn to play, and this guy plays ‘Well You Needn’t’ as fast as a motherfucker. It takes the audience about 45 seconds to start talking (among themselves). How can you be that unaware of the surroundings? We should have played ‘Cheek to Cheek’ and they would have liked it. And all of Thelonious Monk’s songs, the slower they are the better they sound. … That’s what I mean when I say there’s a disengaged understanding of the showbiz elements of music.

“I want to play jazz. I have an informed opinion on it now. I’m not 22 anymore. I have a sense of what works and what doesn’t work. There’s slight adjustments you can make and you can fuck around and accidentally have a 50-year career. Or you can choose not to do that.”

Dig or not, there’s a commitment there. A design. His band is always busy. Road tested. Ready to wail. Agree or disagree--Fine either way. Marsalis is one to stand up and be counted. The chips will fall where they may, and for he and the quartet, they’ve fallen in the right spot.

My only advice? Head down. Follow through … Cuss away.

Farewell Dave Brubeck

Iconic Pianist/Composer Is American Legend, Icon, Music Master, Worldwide Legend

Dave Brubeck would have been 92 today. Instead, the world mourns the loss of his passing yesterday at the age of 91. A master of music, particularly that which we call jazz. He knew and composed much more music than that. He did so much in his storied career that the lengthy obits in major newspapers and the tributes that will come through jazz websites and periodicals can do little more than scratch the surface.

[Photos are all mine, taken at the Newport Jazz festival in recent years. © R.J. DeLuke]

I won't even attempt to survey his career. His Washington Post obit is here.

He and Miles Davis are the two most recognizable figures to the general public in jazz history. Despite the woeful stature of jazz in America, around the glove it's hard to find anyone who doesn't know those two, even if they know nothing about their mighty musical deeds.

By all standards, Dave Brubeck was a great man. His musical accomplishments are incredibly vast. he was also, by all accounts, a gentleman, generous of spirit. He was a family man. It shows in his children, who are the same. I have never met Dave. I know Dan and Chris. They are tremendous musicians and great guys. The apples falling near the tree.

The last time I saw Dave perform was in 2011 with a band called Triple Play that includes Chris Brubeck. One wouldn't expect a 90-year-old man to come running out on stage, and he didn't. It was a slow, gingerly approach. But the man still played some important piano and he beamed like a child on Christmas. Not all the dexterity was there on the keyboards. But he played the RIGHT stuff and knew how to deliver meaningful music. It might have been his last public performance

The world has lost a fine spirit and a tremendous musician who made a vast, deep imprint on world culture, not just American culture. Buy the albums, go to YouTube. Experience Dave Brubeck. The music is intricate, intelligent, varied...and joyful.

Glad I got to see him going back to the '70s, playing with Two Generations of Brubeck, a band that included sons Darius, Dan and Chris. Glad I saw the Dave Brubeck Quartet many times through the decades. Glad I saw him over the last few years play at Newport with Tony Bennett and Wynton Marsalis. Glad we had a Dave Brubeck.

Consolences to all the Brubecks --Wife Iola; sons Dan, Chris, Darius and Matt; daughter Cathy; and numerous grandchildren and great-grandchildren, among others.

John Daversa is Putting Out Great Music

Trumpeter/Composer Arranger Scores Again

I knew virtually nothing about John Daversa last year when I heard his Progressive Big Band’s album Junk Wagon (BFM Jazz). I had to listen again … and again and again … not to find something good but to re-enforce that my first feeling was right. All this great music coming from a west coast cat whom I was ignorant of. It constantly moved in great directions.

Hip, modern, moving…fucking fun. Rock elements, but never dumbed down. Hip hop used in great fashion. It jumped to my “Best of 2011” list.

Along comes Artful Joy (BFM Jazz) this year, done with a smaller group but, as the superb drummer Peter Erskine says in his album liner notes, having a huge sound. It comes with the same celestial energy, remarkable compositions and take-no-prisoners execution.

Rock elements are present, but the music is invigorating and fresh with plenty of jazz and improv. There are slick grooves with arrangements that make the groove sparkle as well as move the feet. Forget waiting until December: This one is on the 2012 list, no problem. Again, it’s an album that can be listened to over and over. That shit isn’t all that easy today. I’ve been digging this one for weeks.

The music is alive, with vibrant rhythms from Jerry Watts on bass and Gene Coye on drums, along with subtle and effective work by Zane Carney that helps add texture it all. It jumps in hot right from the get-go with some burning trumpet from Daversa on the brief “Seven Grand.” He’s a fine player as well as arranger/bandleader.

The playing of Robby Marshall on tenor sax combines the best qualities of the tenor heritage. Great sound, phrasing. He’s soulful and smooth as silk with a great tone and excellent taste in the stories he tells from soft to cookin’. He's a great voice for this music and one of the major components of the overall feel of this record. He is sweet as hell throughout this disk.

“No Frets No Worries” is a stately ballad led by Daversa’s crisp, strong trumpet voice in combo with Marshall’s horn. The song has a big funky sound, but far from simple. Great solos. “Some Happy S’#t” seamlessly moves from serene to hot and exhilarating.

Going through each song serves no purpose. It’s universally outstanding. But I personally dig “Flirty Girl,” which is a slow vamp -- about as slow as you’ll hear a band play. Gearing down the tempo is not that easy. But bass and drums lock in with funky beats that are verrry hip. Simplified for great effect. Sprinkle in great Electric Valve Instrument (EVI) solo work by Daversa, soulful trumpet, tricky sprinkles of decorative keyboard work, slurpy tenor sax, and it’s a stone cold kick-ass, fun tune. It reminds me of how musicians nowadays use the Miles vehicle “Jean Pierre,” based on a simple riff, and play scorching stuff on top, putting the simplicity to such good use. (Herbie, Marcus Miller, Wayne, Wallace Roney, Robben Ford and others have all done this).

Daversa, who’s been leading his big band for more than 15 years and teaching out on the west coast, is from a musical family and it has served him well. As a player, leader and composer/arranger, this cat is killer.