Jesse Jones, Jr.

Nuttree Quartet

JUNE2009

Funkabilly Playboys

Eric Comstock & Barbara Fasano

Dr. Michael White

Michael Gerber

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WINNING SPINSJESSE JONES JR. NEVER HAD Achance to meet Cannonball Adderley, but thelegendary alto saxophonist enormously influ-enced the Miami native. In fact, Jones, now65, even coerced his younger brother, Melton,to pick up the trumpet so they could emulateCannon and his younger brother, Nat, one ofthe premier hardbop frontlines of the 1950sand ’60s. So it’s fitting that Jones’ newrecording, the all-original So Then Collection,begins with “Cannon B,” a track that soundsas if it could have been lifted directly fromthe Adderleys’ songbook. It’s also fitting thatthe album features Melton Mustafa, hangingfire on trumpet next to his older brother, ashe has so often over the decades.

A long time coming, The So ThenCollection follows up Jones’ 1996 recordingSoul Serenade. In addition to the opening odeto Cannon, who grew up in Tampa andtaught briefly at Dillard High School in FortLauderdale, Jones penned tunes that expresslove for his wife, Thelma (“Having You Is aBlessing”), his baby bro (“My BrotherMelton”), his youngest son (“Blues forJarin”) and his mother (whom he ironicallyreferred to as “Young Sprout”). The title ofthe album honors his father, who used totease Jones and his siblings when they excit-edly recounted a story by responding with apokerfaced, “So then… ?”

Naturally, Cannon’s impact can be heardthroughout, but it's especially pronounced onthe swinging, muscular opener. The composi-tion utilizes the precise unison lines andchurchy riffage for which the Adderleys wererenowned, and Jones’ silky, bluesy alto owesmuch to Cannon. The piece leaves plenty ofroom for superb solos from Jones, Mustafa andJones’ longtime pianist, Silvano Monasterios.Drummer James Cotman, outstandingthroughout, keeps the excitement boiling.

Paul Shewchuk’s quickstepping bass linesets the mood for “My Brother Melton,” as heand the swift-sticking Cotman open thisstandout track with a bebop pulse. Full ofhumor and feeling, Jones’ inventive solosounds like no one else. The tune concludeswith Jones and Mustafa dynamicallyexchanging ideas, and you almost wish theconversation went on longer. “Blues forJarin” spotlights Jones’ excellent feel for theblues, as he takes a funky, slinky alto strolland sounds like the epitome of cool.

What's better than cool? How about a siz-zling Latin groover? That seems to be theimplication of “It’s Better Than Cool,” whichdefies listeners to keep still. Whether sup-porting or soloing, Monasterios turns up theheat, while Cotman peels some dazzling rollsand Shewchuk keeps things dancing alongthe bottom. Jones burns like acetylene, hissolos building in intensity until he lets loosewith an ecstatic onrush that borrows from theblues-drenched phrasing of Hank Crawfordand the emotional overblowing of PharaohSanders. The leader also displays his masteryof the flute on a few tracks, providing mellowinterludes but remaining soulful and emotive.

Arranged around a push-pull rhythm,“Having You Is a Blessing” provides a show-case for Jones’ engaging vocals. “Nothing isimpossible, when in your soul there’s love,”he sings, before joyously scatting the tune toa close in his signature style. Jones returns tothe vocal mike for the infectious gospel track,“To the Mighty Son” — he strains a bit here,but there's no mistaking the deep feeling.

Faith plays a central role in Jones’ life, ascan be divined from this most-personal

By Bob Weinberg

JESSE JONES, JR.

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recording. The exotic yet lyrical “Tharbis”references the Ethiopian wife of Moses, andJones switches to the soprano sax for a MiddleEastern feel. “Romans 8,” the Scripturalshout-out that has graced the saxophonist’sbusiness cards for years, provides the title fora thoughtful, flute-fueled meditation.

Having just retired from his 23-year daygig as a bailiff at the Miami-DadeCourthouse, and with plans to relocate toTennessee on the horizon, Jones may indeedleave fans wondering “So, then?” If we’relucky, the answer may be: more time torecord albums like this one.

Jesse Jones Jr. will perform withDale Powers 7-11pm June 24 at TheHard Rock Hotel and Casino inHollywood. Call 954-327-7501 or visitJessejonesjr.com. A CD release partywill take place in July.

WINNING SPINS

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MICHAEL GERBERUPSTAIRS AT THE VAN DYKE/JUNE 15Pianist Michael Gerber has been one of SouthFlorida’s brightest jazz stars for decades, sharingstages with everyone from Dizzy Gillespie and ArtBlakey to Ira Sullivan and Jaco Pastorius. Born blindand with only one ear, Gerber displayed enormousmusical gifts from an early age, and was lured fromhis native St. Louis, Missouri, to the University ofMiami by the promise of studying with Vince Maggio.The pianist blends melodic and harmonic ideas span-ning the history of jazz with the spiked chordal stylesof Thelonious Monk and Bud Powell, resulting in ablend of classical music, avant-garde and everythingin-between. Former Miles Davis saxophonist David

Liebman knowswhy. “Being blindfrom birth, Mikehas honed his ears,technique and gen-eral instincts to avery high level,” hesaid after recordingthe 1999 duo CDSouls & Masterswith Gerber. “I par-ticularly love histouch…. To play insuch an exposed set-ting as a duo with-out visual cues isastounding.” BM

S P O T L I G H TERIC COMSTOCK & BARBARA FASANOTHE ROYAL ROOM AT THE COLONY HOTELJUNE 19-20, 26-27Meshing the theatrical nature of cabaret with theimprovisational elements of jazz is a tall order,although singing pianist Eric Comstock and vocalistBarbara Fasano do so with ease. The touring husband-and-wife duo have won over fans of both genres intheir hometown of Manhattan, where discerningGothamites certainly know a thing or two aboutsophisticated musical pursuits. Comstock’s latest CD,No One Knows, features trombonist Wycliffe Gordonand drummer Matt Wilson accompanying him on jazzstandards like “Old Devil Moon” and “Don’t GetAround Much Anymore.” Fasano’s sultry voice

resulted in three2007 awards fromthe ManhattanA s s o c i a t i o n o fCabarets and Clubs:Outstanding FemaleVocalist, Best VocalDuo (with Comstock)and Record of theYear for “Written inthe Stars.” BM

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Log on to www.bostonsonthebeach.comfor our complete lineup, menus, photos and more!Located on the waterfront in Delray Beach, Boston’s is the ideal place

for casual dining, live music and sports viewing in our first-floor restaurant, The Beach. Or enjoy great cuisine and cocktails

upstairs at our fine dining restaurant, The UpperDeck. And be sure to check out our Back Bay Tiki Bar for a tropical cocktail

while listening to some of the area’s finest musicians on our outdoor stage. Boston’s… something for everyone!

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FUNKABILLY PLAYBOYSBOSTON’S ON THE BEACH/JUNE 27If the Funkabilly Playboys walked into a nightclub,one could be forgiven for thinking Jehovah’sWitnesses or Mormon missionaries frequented theplace. Despite their short hair, glasses, ties andshort-sleeved white shirts, nothing could be furtherfrom the truth. Formed in 1998, the Playboys have beenone of South Florida’s premier party bands ever since,led by vocalist/bassist Chuck Farthing and guitarist/vocalist Mike Vullo (who pulls an impressive double assinging drummer for West Palm Beach trio TheDillengers). True to their Funkabilly name, the quintetmixes The Meters’ “Cissy Strut” and Herbie Hancock’s“Chameleon” with Elvis-approved rockabilly, whileadding the occasional classic rock tune on a dare.(Check out the live YouTube video of their unforget-table rendition of Black Sabbath’s “War Pigs”). BM

S P O T L I G H TDR. MICHAEL WHITEVAN DYKE CAFE, MIAMI/JUNE 25MUSEUM OF CONTEMPORARY ART, MIAMIJUNE 26As you might expect from a clarinetist who was bornand raised in New Orleans, Dr. Michael White wasgreatly influenced by Crescent City giants such asJohnny Dodds, George Lewis and Barney Bigard. Thegood doctor’s sound is a timeless blend of Creole,Dixieland and blues styles, but he also adds subtle,modern touches to the tradition, as heard on his 2005recording Dancing in the Sky alongside current-dayhometown heroes Nicholas Payton and Jason Marsalis.He’s also contributed to Big Easy-rebuilding tributealbums since Hurricane Katrina, the 2005 storm that

also made him a victim by destroyinghis collection of price-less jazz records,sheet music, artifactsand collectibles.And his title isn’tmerely honorary —the clarinetist is an educator and jazzhistorian and holdsan endowed chair inthe humanities atXavier University inNew Orleans. BM

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NUTTREE QUARTET: “There’s no leader once the music starts…”by Bill Meredith

As a sideman with jazz greats from James Moodyto John Scofield, veteran drummer AdamNussbaum, 53, always provides just the right colorsand textures. His highly attuned sensibilities areonce again in evidence on a pair of recordings withhis Nuttree Quartet. Taking its moniker from thetranslation of the drummer’s name from German,the group also features guitarist and longtime ECMrecording artist John Abercrombie — and a roster ofrotating players that includes: saxophonists JerryBergonzi, Dave Liebman and Bill Evans; organistGary Versace and bassist Jay Anderson.

You may just need a scorecard to keep track.Nussbaum, Abercrombie, Bergonzi and Versace con-vened in 2007 to record the ensemble’s 2008 debut,Standards, released on the European-based Kind ofBlue label. Anderson engineered the initial, bass-freeeffort, but replaces Versace for the group’s forthcomingKind of Blue followup, Something Sentimental (onwhich Liebman takes over sax duties from Bergonzi).Former Miles Davis sideman Bill Evans takes Liebman’sspot for the June 13 South Florida show by the quartet,which will also feature Versace on the Hammond B3.

The group’s most visible member, Abercrombiehas employed Nussbaum in his various projects fordecades. When the drummer was approached byKind of Blue about putting together a band for arecording, he returned the favor. And even thoughNuttree was named for the drummer, Nussbaum staystrue to selfless form in not seeing himself as a leader.

“I organized it, but there’s no leader once themusic starts,” he says from his home in HighlandMills, New York (about an hour’s drive north ofManhattan). “I’ve played with Abercrombie’s andLiebman’s groups for years, but I basically just madethe phone calls for this one. I like to record with peo-ple I have a camaraderie with, a sense of trust, and Iwas pleased that they were able to do it. Bill [Evans]is an old friend, too. I played on his first solo record,right around the time he got the gig with Miles.”

Like Standards, Something Sentimental featuresfamiliar jazz chestnuts. Yet there’s a deeper meaningbehind the quartet’s new release.

“When my mother, Muriel Nussbaum, was passingaway from cancer in April of 2007, she gave me strictinstructions to have a party with live music after-ward,” Nussbaum says. ”She didn’t want a funeral,or a service of any kind. I’d been friends withLiebman, Abercrombie and Anderson for years, andthey all said we should play together for the occasion,so we did. We’d never played in that combinationbefore, but it was really nice. We decided to eventu-ally record Something Sentimental, and dedicate it tothe people we’d loved who had passed on.”

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no leader once the music starts…” Meredith

Featuring his mother’s favorite tunes, likeCole Porter’s “It’s Alright With Me” and theKern/Hammerstein gem “All the Things YouAre,” Something Sentimental is even moretraditional than Standards, which includedmore modern pieces by Wayne Shorter andJohn Coltrane.

Much of the more-traditional orientationcomes from organist Versace’s being replacedby acoustic bassist Anderson, who untilrecently spent more than a decade in pianistLynne Arriale’s trio. With Abercrombie andVersace on the June 13 show, plus the ener-getic sax playing of Evans, Nussbaum saysthe audience should expect an unpredictable performance.

“We’ll mix some things up,” he says. “We’llplay some standards, sure, but we’ll do someof John’s originals, and an original or two ofBill’s. When you’re doing a live gig, you don’tnecessarily want to play the same thingsyou’ve done on a record. On stage, we neverreally know what’s going to happen with the

music, and that’s OK. There are structuresthat we’ll follow, but within that, we impro-vise and anything can happen. It’s nice tohave situations where you have a green light,and enjoyable to play with people you cancommunicate with and use that other force.

South Florida JAZZ presents TheNuttree Quartet 8PM June 13 at theMiniaci Performing Arts Center at NOVASoutheastern University.