TheJAZZ CULTURE
1The Jazz Culture, VI:51
JIMMY OWENS SEPTET at Fordham University's African
American 1 0th Anniversary
2 The Jazz Culture, VI:51
REVIEWJIMMY OWENS SEPTETby L. Hamanaka
Caught the Jimmy Owens Septet at Fordham University
performing his original, “Bronx Suite” for the10th Anniversary
Concert of the Bronx African American History Project. Mr.
Owens is a Bronx native brought up in the Morrisania
neighborhood, and the historians present recounted a jazz history
of our northern borough. After introductory remarks by Dr. Mark
Maisin and Robert Gumbs, who recounted when he was a member
of a Jazz Honor Society and approached the owner of the “845”
Club to produce a Sunday series of concerts featuring such greats
as Gigi Gryce, Donald Byrd, Betty Carter, Cannonball Adderly,
Art Tatum, in 1956. In 1958 Mr. Gumbs helped produce
“Barbecue & Jazz” a series that started July 15, 1 958, with Curtis
Fuller and Hank Mobley among the guest artists. “We might have
been poor, but creativity – we had it,” said Mr. Gumbs. He also
remembered jazz musicians who lived in the Bronx at the time,
including Slide Hampton, Thelonius Monk, Elmo Hope. Maxine
Gordon, widow ofDexter Gordon, gave a brief historical
overview. Anybody who really knows New York City knows that
the 8 million all live in a fascinating and diverse series of
neighborhoods.
The Septet consisted ofWyclifGordon, Michael Howell, g,
Patience Higgins, TS, Jimmy Owens, Danny Mixon, p, Winard
Harper, d. The Bronx Suite had six sections: 1 . Prelude, 2.
Statement, 3 . Blue, 4. Lypso Bronx, 5. Hold On, “We Be Fixin’ It”
and 6. The Long Hard Road Back.
1 . Prelude. The opening was a pretty melody on flugelhorn and
guitar, followed by a counter melody on trombone and piano.
2. Statement. Drum intro, cruising forward on long tones, in
3The Jazz Culture, VI:51
A Theatrical Evening withJUDE NARITA
JUDE NARITA won the Los Angeles Drama Critics Award ‐Saturday April 20 at 8 p.m., ZEB’s 223 West 28th Street, 2nd Flr.,
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a joyous mood, with sparks from the
drummer and solid support of the
bassist, carrying the strong spirit of the
borough forging ahead, with a
percussive solo by WyclifGordon,
followed by a chordal solo quoting
Cherokee by Mr. Mixon and a
restatement of them by the horns, with
accents on the upbeats of a string of
eighth notes pushing the beat ahead. A
proclamation in a dramatic fashion of the vast vista of the Bronx
stated by horns with a trumpet solo by Mr. Owens like a piercing
cry with a burnished tone and wide vibrato on long tones, later
rejoined by the rest of the band, and pianist providing a high trill.
Then a bass line, pretty punctuated long tones with counterpoint, a
semi martial sound on horns. There was a nice counter melody and
a lush sound, with great support. The trumpet solo was descriptive
and rich in memories of the streets and childhood haunts he grew
up in, with nice triplet figures that then exploded and opened
Review 1‐5We Always Swing 6‐10
How To Make A Jazz Vocal Act11‐16
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4 The Jazz Culture, VI:51
into new melodies. Mr. Higgins solo on tenor saxophone had a
lusty sound, arpeggiating up a spicy rhythmic idea that made two
lindy hoppers jump up and dance in the aisle. His solo was well
supported by the rhythm section. Mr. Howell gave a liquid guitar
solo, pleasing guitar enthusiasts with licks starting from a high
note and descending and then reversing direction from the bottom
up. The septet carried the theme out on a vamp leading to a
diminuendo that Wycliff soloed over, a mellow tone with a strong
center, and then raunchy and assertive, leading to a group long
tone that fluttered poetically and then seemed to spiral
heavenward.
Mr. Owens made the following comments: “I was born in
Morrisania Hospital and grew up on 168th Street near the Prospect
and Intervale Avenue (subway stops). I played skellies and
stickball growing up in the public schools. I went to PS.99 and
Junior High School 40 where they had a music class, then the High
School ofMusic & Art. I’m a real product of the public school
system in New York City. I went to Freddie’s on Boston Road and
Mikey & Sylvie’s…I’d stand outside and listen to lots of great
musicians perform…many of the people I grew up with wound up
in jail…Many are dead. … But music kept many of us very, very
busy.”
Mr. Owens later continued, that he was “the only Bronx native
to receive the National Endowment of the Arts jazz master
award… “So the music foundation from Junior High School 40
took me all over the world.” In 1969 Mr. Owens founded the
Collective Black Artists, where he taught a course entitled “The
Business Aspect of the Music Industry.” At the same time he
started working with Lionel Hampton and Slide Hampton. After
that, he worked with Hank Crawford in a nonet travelling through
the south. The nonet had a station wagon and U Haul. He said the
nine musicians were “Freedom Riders” and stayed for a while in
Mobile, Alabama. As most jazz lovers know, the jazz musicians
were the vanguard of the civil rights movement. In 1964, Mr .
The Jazz Culture, VI:51 5
Owens started working with Charles Mingus, and after 1965 “he
learned how to be a freelancer, got married and had two children, a
musician with no steady income.” At that time, he began to write
more music for recordings. “Life was always about the blues,” he
said. With these words as an introduction, the septet went on to
play the “Blue” section of the “Bronx Suite.”
3. Blue- A Bronx Blues, a slow blues in 12/8.Melody was full
of reminiscences in blue, with dynamic accents by the horns. The
sax made a bleating tone from top to bottom, with a few circular
movements, the trumpet in counterpoint. The trombone used a
mute a la New Orleans, down and dirty. Danny Mixon played
percussive blues licks and glisses high in the right hand, then a
series of triplets migrating down chromatically.
4. Lypso Bronx: Another stream of the Black diaspora, with
calypso drums, drums laying down a nice smooth carpet of sound.
The trombone and sax engaged in two measures ofCall and
Response, and then built it up to four measures, ending in a crisp
phrase on the trombone. Then piano did a rhapsodic solo, playing a
solo that resembled the solos of steel drums on the piano. There
was restatement of the theme, and a cheerful sunny 6 note melody
followed by five note ideas.
5. Hold On, “We Be Fixin’ It.” This section refers to an
elevator that used to help old folks climb a hill, replacing about 45
steps. Every time people called, the City would say, “Hold On,
“We Be Fixin’ It.” Starting with a nine note melody to a march
rhythm, the trombone played a raucous solo, the trumpet joined in
counterpoint, an emphatic declamatory sound portrait like the ones
Ellington used to compose, depicting the hardships who are
neglected by red tape. The bass playueer played a mutli note solo,
kind of blue with a pretty full sound. The crowd was clapping on 2
and 4. The counterpoint between the rhythm section and horns was
very effective. The septet sang the words, “Hold On, We Be Fixin’
It.” Cont. p. 24
MISSOURI CONCERTSERIES
The Jazz Culture, VI:516
Kenny Barron, Jimmy Greene, ts Kiyoshi Kitagawa,bass, Jonathan
Blake, drums "A Chunk ofMonk" Missouri Theatre“We Always Swing”® Jazz Series in Columbia, Missouriby Jon Poses
to Jazz CulturePub note: "We Always Swing" is one of the most successful
regional sponsors of jazz programming in the country and it
is humbly hoped that jazz enthusiasts, musicians and
producers, wil l learn from their experiences.
JC: How long have you been doing the series? And where is it
located?
Jon Poses: The “We Always Swing”® Jazz Series is in its 1 8th
season. I founded it on July 1 , 1 995 as an extension ofmy
touring/artist representative business, National Pastimes
Productions. The business’ name reflects an aesthetic that “Jazz”
as well as “Baseball” – referred to as our national pastime – is also
The Jazz Culture, VI:51 7
a national pastime – meaning the United States has TWO national
pastimes (plural) – jazz and baseball. I founded National Pastimes
Productions as a touring and artist representative concern in 1985.
As luck would have it, on July 1 , 1 985, two close friends ofmine
bought a country and western “flavored” bar/restaurant and opened
it as “Murry’s,” deciding to have a jazz (and baseball)
motif/atmosphere. As National Pastimes Productions grew, and
because ofmy friends’ interest in having live jazz at Murry’s, I
“engineered” performances in Columbia, Missouri, as part of the
tours I organized. Columbia, now with a population that exceeds
100,000 people, is a university town located in the center of the
Missouri, sitting equidistant from St. Louis and Kansas City, 1 20
miles from each.
From 1985-1995 I concentrated on organizing/managing 10-
then 20- and finally 30-city tours. On most occasions I was able to
have one of the tour performances take place in Columbia – mostly
at Murry’s. However, in the case of bigger, more popular acts I
rented larger venues – from 400 seats to 1 ,700 seats. Murry’s
initially held 100 people; now it holds about 1 30 people.
Among my clients/tours (1985-present) are:
• Guitarist Peter Leitch with Bobby Watson, James Williams,
Ray Drummond, Marvin “Smitty” Smith
• Pianist James Williams (several occasions including the
Contemporary Piano Ensemble with Williams, Harold Mabern,
Mulgrew Miller, Donald Brown, Geoffrey Keezer, Christian
McBride, Tony Reedus)
• Saxophonist Bobby Watson/Bobby Watson & Horizon with
Victor Lewis, Terell Stafford, Edward Simon, Essiet Essiet
• Bassist Ray Drummond/Ray Drummond’s All-Star Excursion
Band with Drummond, Craig Handy, Danilo Perez, David
Sanchez, Billy Hart, Mor Thiam
• Pianist Joanne Brackeen/Joanne Brackeen Quartet with Greg
Osby, Cecil McBee, Tony Reedus
The Jazz Culture, VI:518
• Saxophonist David Murray/David Murray OctetPianist Kenny
Barron/Kenny Barron Trio with Ray Drummond, Ben Riley
• The Leaders – with Lester Bowie, Arthur Blythe, Chico
Freeman, Kirk Lightsey, Cecil McBee, Famadou Don Moye
• Matt Wilson/Matt Wilson’s Arts & Crafts with Wilson, Larry
Goldings, Terell Stafford and Dennis Irwin/Martin Wind
• Conrad Herwig/Conrad Herwig’s Latin Side All-Star Band
with Craig Handy, Mike Rodriguez, Bill O’Connell, Ruben
Rodriguez, Robby Ameen, Pedro Martinez
After a decade of touring I decided to emphasize presenting. I
launched the “We Always Swing”® Jazz Series on July 1 , 1 995. I
continued to work with a coterie of players as their
manager/representative however since then my main emphasis has
been on presenting a concert subscription and education series.
The “We Always Swing”® Jazz Series was founded as a
community-based, all-jazz organization. The Jazz Series,
administered by "We Always Swing," ® Inc., became a 501 (c)(3)
not-for-profit corporation in March 1999; in 2009, while remaining
wholly independent, the Jazz Series became an affiliated with the
University ofMissouri's College ofArts & Science. Support for
Anat Cohen, Bruce Barth, Piano, Vincente Archer, bass,
Royston, drums, The Blue �ote (a different Blue �ote)
The Jazz Culture, VI:51 9
the Jazz Series arrives via ticket revenue, via federal, state and
local grant and contract programs and from a variety of national,
regional and local sources such as area corporations and
businesses. Additional funds are generated through the generous
tax-deductible contributions from individuals.
JC: Who is playing in it this year, and who has in the past?
Jon Poses: Since launching the Jazz Series we have presented
more than 200 concerts and events. The series was created as a
“modern” jazz series – essentially one that stressed post-World
War Two repertoire. While some artists pre-date World War Two
(Dave Brubeck, Von Freeman, Candido among others who have
performed as part of the Jazz Series) chronologically they all play
in a modern, post-modern mode right up until, in the case of
Brubeck and Freeman, died.
The first year of the series, 1 995-1996, offered six concerts –
“Big Band Bird” with Slide Hampton celebrating Parker’s 75th
birthday (what would have been), Ray Brown Trio, Brackeen
Quartet, Contemporary Piano Ensemble, Poncho Sanchez and
Kevin Mahogany with Eric Reed Trio.
The second season, our budget/fiscal year is July 1 -June 30, we
upped the schedule to 7 concerts and started an educational
component. The season has now been extended to more than 20
events annually, including between 10-12 concerts, a summer
series and a plethora of educational and in-school activities.
As to who has played here… well, a great many have. We have
presented something like 35 National Endowment for the Arts Jazz
Masters including Sonny Rollins, Jimmy Heath, Frank Wess,
Sheila Jordan, Phil Woods, McCoy Tyner, Von Freeman, Toshiko
Akiyoshi, Ellis, Branford, Wynton, Jason Marsalis – on different
occasions, etc.
We have presented World Saxophone Quartet and Sun Ra;
1 0 The Jazz Culture, VI:51
David Murray’s Octet. We have presented octogenarians and 20
somethings – Grace Kelly and Champian Fulton are two examples
this season (2012/2013) . We’ve presented large ensembles: Maria
Schneider Orchestra, Mingus Big Band, Vanguard Jazz Orchestra,
etc. We present artists in a solo, duo and trio settings along with
quartet and quintet configurations.
As for this season – please visit our website –
wealwaysswing.org. Each artist/group that performs has their own
“page” on the site; at the top of the Home Page people can click to
on any of the thumbnails and they will be taken to that
artist’s/group’s page. This season we started with Billy Childs
Quartet and we’ll end with Gerald Clayton’s Trio; in between we
presented Kenny Barron as part of “A Chunk ofMonk,” a NEA
Jazz Masters Live! project that we conceived of centered on
Thelonious Monk along with Terell Stafford Quintet, Jane Bunnett
with Hilario Duran and Candido, Marcus Roberts Trio, The Bad
Plus, Joe Locke-Geoffrey Keezer Group and Monterey Jazz
Festival On Tour: 55th Anniversary Celebration.
Stefon Harris & Blackout, at Murry's
11The Jazz Culture, VI:51
JC: I notice it’s non-profit. Why did you choose that route?
Jon Poses: There is, sadly, at least I haven’t figured it out, yet, no
way to run a major jazz project in this day and age without either a
serious endowment in place that one can draw from or as a non-
profit organization, which allows presenters to seek outside
funding from agencies, corporations in the form of sponsorships
and individual tax-deductible contributions. Our current budget
fluctuates between $260,000 and $295,000 – depending on which
artists we present in a given season and how many tickets they can
generate. However, even ifwe sold every possible ticket – and our
tickets run from $15 (for students in some instances) to $37 for the
public (best seats available in other instances) – we would only
generate approximately 40% of the budget on the 12 concerts we
present in any given Fiscal Year.
JC: Who is on your board?
Jon Poses: Right now we have 1 1 board members serving three-
year terms that can be renewed for up to three periods. They are
mostly long-time supporters, season ticket holders, educators and
University representatives along with physicians, social workers,
etc. They are community members.
JC: Do you have a newsletter?
Jon Poses: We don’t have a print newsletter per se, but we do
have a Facebook page and a Twitter account. More than that, we
produce substantial concert programs that are handed out at the
shows and for the last three years have been posted on our website
in their entirety with links for all the advertisers, etc. The programs
resemble the classic “Playbill” formats – 5.5” x 8.5”; glossy, color,
etc. Each issue – about five per season – covers two to three
concerts – so we move ads around, change content, etc. They are
more like magazines than your basis arts group concert program.
Also, about five years ago we launched our “E-Note,” a weekly
electronic newsletter that tells people what’s upcoming; we also
mix in a “Video Clip of the Week” selected randomly – sometime
with a tie-in to a specific upcoming concert, other times they
1 2 The Jazz Culture, VI:51
showcase great on-the-bandstand scenes. We have approximately
2,200 subscribers.
JC: How many members do you have?
Jon Poses: We’re not really a membership organization. We have
a snail mail list of 4,200 households; we have an email list of
2,300 people. We just started – only a few months ago – a student
and public membership opportunity. It stemmed as an outgrowth
of our newly created “Lending Library,” which consists of 7,000
CDs/LPs. – mostly my personal collection. With basic
memberships (students = $25/yr.; public $50 per yr.) people can
check out two CDs a week; they receive certain discounts; students
get a free T-shirt and there are some other perks. The membership
levels serve two purposes: try and get younger people involved; try
to help ease/create cash-flow.
JC: What do you think of the future of jazz?
Jon Poses: The short answer is it’s in fine shape. Overall we, as
the jazz culture, need to sharpen our marketing and promotional
Bobby Watson with Peter Washington on bass, and Terrell Stafford,
trumpet
1 3The Jazz Culture, VI:51
tools. We need to figure out how to get and then stay younger –
but not at the expense of “watering down” the music. That’s
different from simply commercializing the music as a way to draw
more people in and make more money by “simplifying stuff” I
don’t buy that argument. It’s never worked – and what’s worse is
that it leaves with shoddy, simplistic and mundane music that
requires us to periodically dig ourselves out of some kind of
watered-down muck. The key to the future of jazz remains the
same: genuine exposure to the art form through traditional means:
easy to access sights and sounds – whether it be the radio or via
Pandora; be it on television or youtube. It’s about exposure – in
and out of the classroom so people hear it. The Grammys® are a
perfect example; how much jazz is heard/showcased on the
Grammys®, a premier showcase for American music. Virtually
none. Why are we surprised that few people have heard of some of
our greatest artists? It really makes perfect sense that’s the case.
It’s the proverbial tree falling in the forest and no one’s around to
hear it drop. Until that changes, until jazz gets into people’s ears in
more than a background setting, then it’s going to remain an
enigma and intimidating to most people rather than offering folks
the true joyful noise that it is.
JC: Are you a musician?
Jon Poses: As a child I studied classical piano – and I never
practiced. As an adolescent I was a rock-‘n’-roll guitarist wanna-
be – and I didn’t practice. I studied music history/theory in college
so I understand a lot of the concepts but the only thing I play is the
telephone.
JC: How did you come to be devoted to the art form?
Jon Poses: This is a very long story. Briefly, I’ve always loved
music – as long as I can remember. My folks always liked
listening to music – mostly the Big Band dudes: Artie Shaw,
Benny Goodman and I’ ll throw in Duke Ellington; they also had a
very good “folk” record collection and we listened to and actually
saw people such as Josh White, Pete Seeger and Burl Ives, etc. I
1 4 The Jazz Culture, VI:51
grew up in New
York City; by the
time I hit in high
school I was in the
right place at the
right time – and so
I lived at places
such as the
Fillmore East. I
caught the tail end
of the Greenwich
Village folk scene.
In 1973 I dropped
out of college and
went to the Bay
Area. I was already
a Dead Head and
living in that
epicenter made
such groups as
Jefferson Airplane/Starship, Van Morrison, Country Joe,
Commander Cody, Boz Scaggs, et. al. readily available when they
weren’t on tour. They all lived there having moved from San
Francisco up north to Marin County. I spent a year in the Bay Area
and then returned to school in Boston – also a great market for
music.
In 1976, after graduating college, I went to Europe for the first
time. During my seven months there I made conscious effort to get
to the Montreux Jazz Festival. That year I saw Stan Getz, Herbie
Hancock, Miles Davis, Sun Ra, Cecil Taylor, etc. Jazz was the
logical extension for me; I had heard literally every note that Jerry
Garcia could play and it was time to move on and quench a new
thirst. So I did. Fortunately, I’ve never run out of jazz streams and
tributaries to drink from; on occasion I’m lucky enough to
discover a new jazz river – at least for me and even a jazz ocean
CD cover for "Home: Live in Columbia,
Missouri" with Bruce Barth and Steve Wilson
House Concert fundraiser
1 5
HOW TO-DO A JAZZ VOCAL ACT
The Jazz Culture, VI:51
that’s filled with music.
I love democracy and conversation – and there is no form of
expression that exemplifies such qualities along with sharing,
listening, learning, taking risk, enjoying the satisfaction of doing
so than jazz – so, in my case, it was easy to devote myself to the
art form.
* * *
by L. Hamanaka
A singer who wants to do an Act
has to ask him/herself certain
questions first.
1 . Is it a special occasion?
Christmas, a birthday, a Tribute to
a Famous Artist or Composer?
2. Does it fall into the general category, ie. , a singer wants to do
his or her Act.
3 . How long is the time slot? Half an hour, forty-five minutes, an
hour, two shows, three sets?
4. Will it be a family intergenerational gathering with minors
present? Where do you want to perform your Act?
The reason one asks these questions is obviously, it will help
you choose appropriate songs. Next ask yourself, what kind of
singer are you and what is your repertoire? If you have a year or
two to plan, you can learn new material. You may find yourself
doing research to find rare songs or special material that is funny,
etc. During the process, you may find certain songs highlight your
special talents. There are many kinds of songs: blues, ballads,
Singer Jo Marchese
1 6 The Jazz Culture, VI:51
medium swing, bebop, cool jazz,
progressive, are just a few
examples.
Whatever your forte is, you
might try to choose a theme to
center your choices around. Most
songs are love songs, so to say you
want to have “love” as your theme
is too general. You might pick
“Hollywood” or Film songs, “Cole
Porter Songs,” “Jazz Composers from the Second Half of the
Twentieth Century,” or some other theme that focuses your
choices.
After choosing a theme, we have to consider tempos. There has
to be a variety: Latin, ballad, patter songs, blues, all provide
different rhythmic patterns and tempos to stimulate and interest the
listener. Few audiences will sit through an evening of all ballads.
You might look at a dvd of an evening with Tony Bennett or
another leading singer to see how he paces his program. The very
fact that you want to do an Act means you are committed to being
a professional, and you are thinking about the audience and the
effect you are making on them.
Then there is what you will say to the audience to introduce
each song, segue between songs, and end your show. This material
should be written down until it becomes memorized.
Along with that, there is the whole question of interpreting each
song in terms of how your life relates to it, or the subtext,
phrasing, tone quality, dynamics.
At some point, after you have chosen a group of songs and
tried them out, gotten feedback from fellow artists and the songs
seem to fit together, you can set up a practicing schedule for run
throughs every day. If you can play piano or guitar, you can
Jim Malloy
1 7The Jazz Culture, VI:51
accompany yourself. Otherwise you may
have to pay an accompanist to lay down
the songs in order for you on a tape, with
intros and endings. Then tape your
rehearsals of these songs on a different
machine. Listen to the playback and see
what has improved and how you can make
the songs better. Also, time yourself.
Every professional situation has a time
frame. Perhaps Club A offers a vocalist a
one hour time slot from beginning to end.
So you would aim for that. Perhaps you
would wind up throwing out a weak song
or a song that is not essential to the story
line of your theme. You should try to go through at least half the
songs you will perform each day. Listen to your tape, then sings
them again with modifications and listen again. Check your
tempos with a metronome before you start and after you finish so
you can see if you have slowed down or sped up the tempo.
Over time polish and augment your interpretation of the lyric.
Remember, before you expect your audience to be moved by a
song, you must be moved yourself. Do a run through before a
friend, or sing some of the songs at an open mike.
Try to give yourself at least two or three months to work on a
group of songs. A year would be more realistic. Also, write
legible charts in your key that indicate the form you want a
musician to follow. If you are singing with more than one person,
have a copy of the chart for each musician in the same order.
Learn the song as the composer wrote it before you try to make
any changes, and try to make any changes at least equal to or as
interesting as the composer’s choices. Many singers do not make
any change in notes; they may change the phrasing, but it is
important to learn the chords or harmony of a song so that you will
not sing a melody note that does not fit in with the harmony.
Anthony Maxwell
1 8
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The Jazz Culture, VI:51
This process is a joyous experience. Each vocalist has their
own personality and can bring new things to the same material.
Take the time to invite as many people as possible to your
performance. Every artist needs to build their own following. Keep
track of everyone who you know that likes music or likes you well
enough to come out and hear you. When you finish your Act and
have presented it to the public, it should help you build your
following and you should be a better musician.
BILLIE HOLIDAY BIRTHDAY TRIBUTE atTHE RUM HOUSE
Dealva & Franke Robinson
Clockwise, Lisi Paluski, Carol Randazzo & Sybil Evans
cont.
p. 21
1 9The Jazz Culture, VI:51
Gig Listings ofThe Jazz Culture Subscribers:
Please support theseartists and bring your friends.
April 1-2: Ray Blue,Hamilton College, Utica, NY
April 2: Michael Weiss Trio, University ofChicago,
Chicago, IL
April 3: Valery Ponomarev, "Our Father Who Art Blakey"
Zinc's 9-1
April 4: Michael Weiss Trio, Logan Center, Chicago, IL
Tribute to Johnny Griffin
April 6: Ray Blue, Jazz Ed Workshop, Embark Studio,
Peekskill, NY;
also, duo at the Division Grill, Peekskill, NY
April 6: Michael Weiss Trio, Western Illinois University,
Macomb, IL
April 6, Jimmy Owens debut of an Original Composition by
Mr. Owens, "The Bronx Suite", performed by all star septet
The Fordham Univ Campus 441 E. Fordham road 8 p.m., 718
-817-4339 admission FREE
Also performing are subscribers Patience Higgins and Danny
Mixon; Bronx African American History Project 10th
Anniversary
April 7: Annual Billie Holiday Tribute at The Rum House,
228 West 47 Street, bet 8-Broadway 2-6 p.m. No Cover or
Minimum
Singers: Katie Collins, Sarah Rose Grillo, Jim Malloy,Anthony
Maxwell, Franke Robinson, Lionelle Hamanaka, Maggie Malone,
Karen Maynard, Maki Mototsu, Mary Rocco, Ron Saltus, Richard
Williams, Megumi Watada, Kumiko Yamakado, Joe and Phyllis
The Jazz Culture, VI:5120
Gimpel, Phil Levy, Jo Marchese, Sonya Perkins, Connie
McNamee, Michael Morgan. Trio features Kuni Mikami, Chuck
McPherson and Jon Roche
April 11 : Lionelle Hamanaka, Richard Wyands, Bertha Hope,
Ron McClure, Chuck McPherson, Gene Ghee Goddard Riverside
Community Center 7-8 p.m. Free 593 Columbus Avenue, all
Lakisha Williams for tickets at 212-799-9400 ext.206
April 12: Ray Blue, Davenport, Iowa High School Anti-
Bullying Tour; also, evening at the Lighthouse Restaurant, 7:00
April 16: Ray Blue, Garage, NY 7-1 1
April 19: Ray Blue St. Peters Jazz Vespers w/Harlem Jazz&
Blues Band
April 21 : Ray Blue, Jazz Vespers Peekskill Presbyterian
April 26: Lionelle Hamanaka at Tomi Jazz, 9-1 a.m. 239 E.
53 Street in basement 646-497-1 254
ENGLANDEvery Friday & Saturday: John Watson atthe Palm Court, Langham 1c PortlandPlace, London, no cover or minimum 44-
207-965-01 95
GERMANYApril 24-30: Ray Blue Germany tour including: Bandenscher Hof
in Berlin,(24-27); Evalgelische Paulus-Kirschengemeinde (28);
back to Badenscher Hof (30).
JAPANApril 11: Nobuo Watanabe, The Swing +1 at Una Mas, 8-1 1 pm
Tokyo Y2500
April 13: Nobuo Watanabe with Kai Ichikawa Quintet, 7:30-1 :00
Y2000, Tokyo
April 13: Nobuo Watanabe, Kin No Subo, Core Place Yoga,
Tokyo
April 29: Nobuo Watanabe, at Tokyo Club Hongo, with Jazz
Quintet, 7:30-1 1 :00 Tokyo Y2000
MORE OF BILLIE HOLIDAY BIRTHDAYTRIBUTE at THE RUM HOUSEby L. Hamanaka
The great genius Billie Holiday was celebrated at a Birthday
Fete presented at The Rum House at 228 West 47th Street on April
7, 2013, the day of her Birthday. Ms. Holiday was called "an
improvising genius" by John Hammond, who discovered her when
she was singing at 17 in Harlem. A great beauty and inspiration
and innovator, Ms. Holiday sang from the depths of her life, heart
and soul. Singers and musicians from Long Island, Connecticut,
the five boros and New Jersey gathered to sing her repertoire at the
gourmet tavern The Rum House, in the heart of the Broadway
Theatre district.
Michael
Morgan,
Max
Anthony, Jo
Marchese &
Sonya
Perkins
The Jazz Culture, VI:51 21
Clockwise, Karen Maynard, Carol Sue Gershman, Jim Malloy,
Maki Matotsu, pianist Kuni Mikami, Phyllis Gimpel
The Jazz Culture, VI:5122
Clockwise, Chuck McPherson,
Megumi Watada, Connie
Mac�amee, Maggie Malone, Joe
Gimpel and Katie Collins
The Jazz Culture, VI:51 23
Bassist Jon Roche, Singer Kumiko Yamakado
6. The Long Hard Road Back.
Began with a trumpet solo, a
ballad expression aspiration in 12/8 with church echoes like a
hymn in chorus. The sax solo expressed determination and
passion, from the top of his horn to the bottom. It was a militant
determined theme, and in fierce stop time, the trombone played a
bluesy solo with perfect articulation and feeling. Then the rhythm
section gave a dynamic crescendo, with the horns entering one by
one, trumpet, trombone and sax, expressing the uphill heartache of
the borough of the Bronx. Then a drum solo double time with
piano and guitar casting a happier light on the piece, ending with a
short four note phrase.
Dr.Naisin called the concert “memorializing the history of the
Bronx” and indeed the performance and composition succeeded in
expressing the history, spirit and struggles of an often overlooked
borough, and the people who live there, especially the African
American diaspora and cultural modes. The audience gave a
standing ovation and performers seemed aware ofwhat they had
done; luckily there was a videographer to capture it for posterity.
Cont. from p. 5
Job Opening: Advertising Director for The Jazz Culture
�ewsletter.Commission basis, 50%. Please email resume to:
The Jazz Culture, VI:5124
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