Fans of the pianist Frank Kimbrough and people who knew him, loved his music, appreciated his teaching as well as how he instantly made you feel at ease while talking to him (even if it was the first time, read this missive from Maria Schneider.
Photo: Dave Kaufman
With deepest sadness I’m writing you all to say that our beloved friend, pianist, collaborator, Frank Kimbrough, passed away on December 30th. It’s been a shock to so many. Critic Nate Chinen’s obituary described Frank’s mastery perfectly:"a pianist of unerring taste and touch, a composer drawn to flowing ethereality, and an improviser steeped in the art of epiphany.”
Many of you have experienced his transcendent improvised introductions in concert – every intro entirely unique with spellbinding beauty, creativity, assuredness and fearlessness. His art thrived on that vulnerable razor edge of the moment. Frank’s own gorgeous recordings include:Solstice, Play, Rumors, Air,and the astounding box set,Monk’s Dreams(recording every Monk tune). You can purchase those CDs of his and more, and they are all available on Spotify as well.
Frank didn’t own a cellphone. He practiced music walking in the park. He prioritized his life around the things he felt truly important. He had a heart of gold. I would like to be more like Frank.
A revered and devoted teacher at Juilliard, Frank loved his students – I meanLOVEDhis students. So, there’s no better way to keep his legacy alive than through "The Frank Kimbrough Jazz Scholarship" being instated at Juilliard. If you’d wish to make a tax-deductible contribution it can be done in several ways:
1. Online contribution: Go tohttps://giving.juilliard.edu. Select designation ‘Juilliard Scholarship Fund’ and make sure to note in the comments,“Frank Kimbrough Jazz Scholarship.” 2. For credit card contributions by phone, simply call: 917-834-4552. 3. Mail contribution: Checks payable to The Juilliard School (with “Frank Kimbrough Jazz Scholarship” written in the memo line) can be sent to: The Juilliard School Attn: Mary Yeatts, Associate Director of Major Gifts 60 Lincoln Center Plaza New York NY 10023 4. Contributions by bank transfer (securities and wire transfers) Contact: Mary Yeatts, Associate Director of Major Gifts, Development Department: Email:myeatts@juilliard.edu Phone: 917-834-4552 5. For any questions at all, contact Mary Yeatts,myeatts@juilliard.edu. Again, it’s very important to make sure your gift is earmarked to the Frank Kimbrough Jazz Scholarship.
We’ve kept our special video up on the front page ofwww.mariaschneider.comthat we made as we missed this year’s Jazz Standard Thanksgiving week. There’s beautiful footage of Frank in the video. Frank was the first person to tell me about the Jazz Standard when it opened way back when, and it was he who encouraged me to try to book the band there. Covid circumstances have forced the Standard’s closing. As memories from that room abound, so many of them have Frank at the center. Those musical and very cherished moments of camaraderie are golden for me and for the band, and I know for so many of you as well. After the club announced its closing, Frank wrote to me and to the band:“If there's anyone on Earth that can make this joint come back, it's Danny Meyer. Let's be grateful for all the Standard did for us individually and as a band, and hope for the best going forward - never say die, say damn, and keep on keepin' on. I love you all, and hope to see you soon - Best, FK.”
We love you, Frank.
Love and good things to you all in this new year. Keep on keepin’ on.
The Maria Schneider Orchestra premieres some never-before-seen videos from their 2019 Jazz Standard Thanksgiving run along with recording footage from their latest album "Data Lords". For the first time ever, Maria and several members of her Orchestra will reunite for some post-Thanksgiving camaraderie.
TUNE IN: Friday, November 27th at 7:30 p.m. EST via www.mariaschneider.com or on Facebook Streamable at your leisure through Monday, November 30that 12 noon EST.
“We are heart-broken to miss our annual Thanksgiving the Jazz Standard,” says Ms. Schneider. “So this year we are coming to you, with never-before-seen videos and more. Before you tune in, to bring in the smells and tastes of the room, perhaps order out a little barbecue (Blue Smoke is my favorite!), turn the lights down low, light a candle, and let us transport you, first to the Jazz Standard with a videos from our July & Nov. 2019 performances. Marie Le Claire is also editing her fabulous never-seen video (outtakes from our new recording "Data Lords") to bring you inside of our recording session. At the end, you'll see the band reunite on Zoom to talk about music, life, to laugh or cry, and to tell you how much we miss you!”
From Nov. 27th-30th, 35% of all sales of recordings and downloads at www.mariaschneider.com will go to the musicians in the band, and 100% of “Additional Support” given at point of purchase will go to the musicians.
Over the course of her career (which is well into its third decade), composer, arranger, and conductor Maria Schneider has compiled an amazing track record. Nine albums, eight with her Orchestra plus one with soprano Dawn Upshaw, have garnered her six GRAMMY Awards, numerous nominations, and a devoted audience, many willing to give money to support her endeavors. Ms. Schneider was one of the first creators to sign with ArtistShare and has been working with that organization since the release of 2004s "Concert In The Garden".
Cover art: Aaron Horkey
The seeds of her new project with the 18-member Maria Schneider Orchestra, the two-disc "Data Lords", were sown in 2014 when the composer collaborated with David Bowie on his song "Sue (Or In a Season of Crime"––the track appeared on a 2014 compilation and was later re-recorded for Bowie's final album "Blackstar". The first disk, titled "The Digital World", take its edginess not only from the musical experimentation with Bowie but also from Ms. Schneider anger and frustration with the "data farmers", those companies who gather information from users, usually without anyone's permission. For the past decade, the composer has been warning of companies and websites that take your music, use it without your permission, and/ or pay a pittance for that use. Artists, especially those who are not as famous or who make music that appeals to world-wide audiences, get ripped off on a daily basis, their music shared without compensation. Ms. Schneder has appeared before the US Congressional Subcommittee on Intellectual Property speaking on the topics of "digital rights", copyright infringement, and more.
Photo: David Bazemore
The five songs of "The Digital World" have a darkness fed by the frustration Ms. Schneider feels. The growl and roar of Ben Monder's guitar is heard throughout those songs, put to good use on "A World Lost" and "Don't Be Evil". The dark sectional writing, the eerie sounds created by Gary Versace on accordion, and the powerful drumming of Johnathan Blake (his debut with the MSO), the electronics added to the trumpets of Mike Rodriguez and Greg Gisbert, feels new in Ms. Schneider's world. "...Evil", aimed at a failed ad campaign of Google, deconstructs and then reconstructs the melody of "Taps" throughout, giving the music a feeling of dread as well as a political edge. The sounds of Morse code permeates "CQ CQ Is Anybody There", a piece dedicated to the composer's father who was a devoted ham radio operator. The satisfaction that the elder Mr. Schneider got from talking to people around the world does not translate to the music. Underpinned by the bass of Jay Anderson and drummer Blake, the music intimates that the "connections" we make on the Internet are not truly equal to the ones we make "off-line". We may have 500 friends on FaceBook but are no match for sitting down and chatting through the ether with someone a world away. The dissonance of Gisbert's electronically-modified trumpet, the staccato of the Morse code, the rat-a-tat of the percussion, keep the listener on edge while serving up its dire warnings.
Photo: Siimon
Disk two, "Our Natural World", relates to earlier "pastoral" works of the MSO while still breaking new ground. "Sanzenin" is a musical tour of an ancient Buddhist temple (found in Japan) posits Versace and his accordion on front of the ensemble (pay close attention to Anderson's excellent bass playing) as one takes a walk through the gardens. The joyful sounds of "Stone Song" adds a healthy touch of levity to the "serious" music and is, arguably, the most fun piece of music the composer and Orchestra have produced to date––the interaction of Versace's accordion with the soprano sax of Steve Wilson is endearing. "Look Up" is a gentle command that we take refuge in the night skys, in the myriad stars and lights we see. Solos by Frank Kimbrough (piano) and Marshall Gilkes (trombone) stand out as do Blake's drums and the "floating" sounds of the reeds and brass. KImbrough leads the way into "Bluebird" which, after its powerful, soaring, opening melody turns into a spotlight for Wilson's delightful alto sax solo and a superb flight of improvisational fancy from Versace (note the wondrous section writing that serve as the accordionist's dancing partner).
Photo: Kyra Kverno
Two pieces inspired by poet Ted Kooser, "Braided Together" and the album closer "The Sun Waited For Me", are multi-faceted gems. The former begins slowly but, thanks to Blake's impressive drumming, picks up in intensity as Dave Pietro (alto saxophone) creates his powerful statement. The latter, which was previously recorded by Ms. Schneider with Ms. Fleming on "Winter Morning Walks" as "How Important It Must Be" (the final piece in the medley based on Mr. Kooser's poems), featured the soprano voice interacting with the clarinet of Scott Robinson––here, Gilkes's trombone takes the melody while Donny McCaslin (tenor saxophone) is the primary solo voice. The impressive work of the various reeds, brass, and accordion open the door for McCaslin's handsome and wide-ranging solo.
Photo: Whit Lane
One cannot just take in all that "Data Lords" contains in one sitting or use the albums as background music. In conversation with Maria Schneider, one can feel the excitement she must enjoy when bringing new music to her ensemble, a group that still contains a number of musicians (eight) who appeared on her 1994 debut "Evanessence". The job of the attentive listener is to hear the music with fresh ears each time you listen. The Maria Schneider Orchestra, like the Duke Ellington Orchestra, like the best works of Gil Evans, Bob Brookmeyer, and Thad Jones/ Mel Lewis, has a sound all its own. The music comes alive in the creative minds of the musicians, never sounds stale or clichéd, while Ms. Schneider works so hard with the engineers and the mastering person to make this music sound so deep and full. If you're not one of those many, many, people who gave money to bring this music to life through ArtistShare, I have no need to convince you that "Data Lords" is splendid. If you've never heard the MSO, it's time to get these sounds into your life!
Maria Schneider (composer, conductor) Steve Wilson (alto and soprano saxophones, clarinet, flute and alto flute) Dave Pietro (alto saxophone, clarinet, flute, alto flute, and piccolo) Rich Perry (tenor saxophone) Donny McCaslin (tenor saxophone, flute) Scott Robinson (Bb, bass, and contra-bass clarinet, baritone saxophone, and muson) Tony Kadleck (trumpet, flugelhorn) Greg Gisbert (trumpet, flugelhorn) Nadje Noordhuis (trumpet, flugelhorn) Mike Rodriguez (trumpet, flugelhorn) Ryan Keberle (trombone) Keith O'Quinn (trombone) Marshall Gilkes (trombone) George Flynn (bass trombone) Gary Versace (accordion) Ben Monder (guitar) Frank Kimbrough (piano) Jay Anderson (bass) Johnathan Blake (drums, percussion)
The 19th Annual International Festival of Arts & Ideas starts this weekend and runs through June 25th (no shows on both Mondays). As usual, the programs are a mix of music, art, theater, dance, discussions, movies, interviews and more, much of it free and open to the public. - go to www.artidea.org/calendar to check out all the events).
Among the ticketed events are the three-night run (556/14-16) of choreographer Kyle Abraham and his company, Abraham.In.Motion. The troupe will share the stage with pianist Kris Bowers, drummer Otis Brown III, bassist Chris Smith, and the impressive vocalist Charenee Wade who will perform music composed by Robert Glasper. Composer Julia Wolfe, the SITI Company and the Bang-on-Can All-Stars present "Steel Hammer" Thursday 6/16 through Saturday 6/18 - the music, theater, and dance piece tells the story of the legendary John Henry, "the steel-drivin' man." And, on Wednesday June 15, the Maria Schneider Orchestra will play at 8 p.m. in the Morse Recital in Sprague Hall, on the corner of College & Wall Streets in the Elm City.
NYTimes.com
Ms. Schneider (pictured above) has had quite a year. She arranged and recorded a piece with the late David Bowie that won the GRAMMY for Best Arrangement earlier this year. She also carried home the award this for Best Jazz Large Ensemble Recording, honoring her brilliant ArtistShare album, "The Thompson Fields." Last month, Ms. Schneider won five different categories in the Jazz Journalists Association Jazz Awards. Currently, the MSO is the midst of a 5-night run at Birdland in New York City. For the New Haven concert, she and the Orchestra will be premiering a new piece that was co-commisioned by the Arts & Idea Festival's Fund for the Future. The program will also features songs from "The Thompson Fields" and you can be assured she'll dig into her impressive catalog of compositions that has built over the past two+ decades. A good number of the 17 musicians in the MSO have been there since the early 1990s when she began a 5-year residency at Visiones in Greenwich Village. Like Duke Ellington as well as her mentors Bob Brookmeyer and Gil Evans, Ms. Schneider writes for the various members of the orchestra. Amazingly, there are still tickets available - go to www.artidea.org/mariaschneider and reserve yours now.
Maria Schneider will also be part of a panel discussion on Tuesday at 5:30 p.m. in Whitney Humanities Center, 53 Wall Street, the night before the concert. Titled " Taking Ownership: Music and Intellectual Property in the Digital Age", legal scholar and Professor of Law at Northeastern University Jessica Silbey will moderate a conversation with Nancy Baym, Principal Researcher for Microsoft Research New England, Jean Cook, Co-director of the Artist Revenue Streams project, and Ms Schneider, about alternative models that benefit consumers and artists alike. The event is free and open to the public. The composer testified before the US Congress Sub-committee on Intellectual Property in 2014 and has been interviewed numerous times on television; she's also a member of a new advocacy group, www.musicanswers.org.
Perceptions Photography
Earlier on Wednesday - 12:00 noon, to be exact - there will be a free concert on the New Haven Green featuring Stanley Maxwell (yes, that's the quartet pictured left and no, there's no one in the group with that name). The quartet - Andy Chatfield (drums), Mark Crino (bass), Eric DellaVeccia (alto saxophone), and Evan Green (acoustic and electric keyboards) - is celebrating 15 years together this year, not easy for a CT-based group playing exclusively original material. Their music is great fun, a joyful mix of jazz, funk, and rock. Stanley Maxwell plays on the First Niagara Stage and it's a fine way to spend the lunch hour. To find out more about the band, go to www.stanleymaxwell.com. Remember - Arts & Ideas is engaging fun, often challenging audiences with provocative topics. There are events for kids throughout the Festival, especially on the three Saturdays. So, hie thee to www.artidea.org to check it all out.
Despite the snow and ice that attacked Connecticut this week, the concert scene is bursting out like the daffodils. Where to go, what to see, and how adventurous do I want be are the questions one should be asking because the variety listed below is impressive for our fair state.
jazzstl.org
Our list of goodies begins Thursday April 7 when The Side Door Jazz Club presents Dr. Lonnie Smith and his Trio in concert. The good Dr. just released his new album, "Evolution", his return to Blue Note Records after 4 decades. The funky album features his regular guitarist Jonathan Kreisberg plus drummers Jonathan Blake and Joe Dyson sharing the drum duties and a slew of guests including John Ellis (tenor saxophone, bass clarinet, flute), Joe Lovano (tenor saxophone, mezzo soprano saxophone), Robert Glasper (piano), Maurice Brown (trumpet), and Keyon Harrold (trumpet). Smith, a native of Buffalo, NY, spent his youth listening to B-3 masters such as Bill Doggett and Jimmy Smith. His first break came when guitarist George Benson hired him and the band moved to New York City. When he first signed to Blue Note, he also went to work with saxophonist Lou Donaldson. Over the past 30 years as "organ jazz" went in and out of style, Dr. Lonnie Smith played gigs all over the world, recorded for numerous labels (including stints with Kudu, Criss Cross, and Palmetto), and always made audiences feel the groove.
Joining him in Old Lyme will be Kreisberg and drummer Allison Miller. Doors open at 7 p.m. with the first notes at 8 p.m. Call 860-434-0886 for reservations.
Australian-born pianist Matt Baker bring his trio of Darrian Douglas (drums) and bassist Jim Cammack (a mainstay in the Ahmad Jamal since the 1980s) to The Side Door Friday night and they will swing the room with abandon (see the video below). Baker has been in the US since the beginning of the decade and has steadily gained critical notice. His new CD, produced by the very busy Matt Pierson, comes out later this spring. To find out more, go to www.mattbaker.com.au.
The first set begins at 8:30 p.m. Take a closer look and give a closer listen here:
On Saturday, The Side Door welcomes trumpeter and educator Eddie Allen and his excellent Quintet. Allen is a favorite in these parts (the photo on the left comes from the Monday Night Jazz in Bushnell Park) due to his unerring sense of swing and delight in melody. Joining him for the Old Lyme gig will be the youthful Mercedes Beckman (saxophones), Seth Lewis (bass), Jerome Jennings (drums) and the great James Weidman (piano).
They will begin the evening of music at 8:30 p.m. For more information, go to thesidedoorjazz.com.
dmitry mandel photoO
On Friday, Firehouse 12 in New Haven continues its Spring 2016 Concerts Series with OGJB, a new quartet that features Oliver Lake (saxophones), Graham Haynes (cornet), Joe Fonda (bass) and Barry Altschul (drums). Both Mr. Lake and Mr. Altschul are 73 years old but are both playing at the high level they have maintained for the better part of 5 decades. Joe Fonda is everywhere lately, touring with Katie Bull and Michael Musillami while supporting Archie Shepp in his recent NEA Jazz Masters performance. Graham Haynes, the "baby" of the group at 55, has had quite a busy career in the US and overseas combining jazz and electronics, poetry and voice, into fascinating performances and recordings. The band has yet to release an album but just having these 4 musicians in the same room should be quite enjoyable.
OGJB plays 2 sets - 8:30 and 10 p.m. (separate admission to each) - and you can find out more by going to firehouse12.com or calling 203-785-0468.
Composer and arranger Maria Schneider, recently honored with 2 GRAMMYs at this year's ceremony, brings her 19-member Orchestra to the Jorgensen Center for the Performing Arts on the campus of the University of Connecticut this Friday evening at 8 p.m. As of this moment, there are tickets still available (I will check after this is posted and keep you up-to-date.) Honestly and arguably, there is no finer large ensemble in the world than the MSO. The writing is brilliant, arrangements are stunning, and the musicianship superb. For ticket information, go to jorgensen.uconn.eduor call 860-486-6707.
Pianist, composer, and educator Laszlo Gardony returns to The Buttonwood Tree in Middletown on Saturday (4/09) to perform a duo concert with his long-time associate, bassist John Lockwood. Both are impressive improvisors as well as being students of the Great American songbook and the history of Jazz. The Buttonwood P.R. says the duo will be playing originals but, no matter whose songs they play, the music will be well worth listening to.
When one attempts to describe saxophonist Jeff Lederer, the words "exuberant", "dynamic", "elemental", and "fun-loving" come to mind. In concert with the Matt Wilson Quartet and the Honey Ear Trio, he can be and often is ebullient, a Puck-ish character whose approach to the tenor sax knows no limits. In his own groups, Lederer's music blends blues, swing, hymns, gospel, and so much more. He has an affinity for the music and sound of saxophonist Albert Ayler (1936-1970) and has recorded a number of his works as well as dedicating several of his original pieces to the fiery musician.
Lederer's latest recorded adventure (and ensemble), titled "Brooklyn Blowhards" (Little (i) Music), blends his love for Ayler's music (5 of the 14 tracks are Ayler tunes) and sea shanteys - an unlikely match, you say, but ,when played by the octet of Petr Cancura (tenor saxophone), Kirk Knuffke (cornet, slide trumpet), Brian Drye (trombone), Art Bailey (accordion) and the percussion trio of Allison Miller, Stephen LaRosa, and Mr. Wilson (trap drums, ship's bell, chum bucket, chain), this music is so alive. Joining the ensemble on 5 tracks is vocalist Mary LaRose (Lederer's wife) and, on 3 tracks, guitarist Gary Lucas. There are moments when the music sounds like an unhinged Salvation Army Band (before and after the Cancura/Lederer duo on "Black Ball Line" and all throughout "Haul Away Joe") and cuts where the ensemble swaggers or romps with such panache (Ayler's "Heavenly Home" and his classic "Bells"). Check out Matt Wilson's "Dancing Waters", a truly lovely ballad with Ms. LaRose's wordless vocals and Lucas's sparkling dobro, underpinned by the swirling reeds and brass, building to an amazing climax on the power of the drummers, beginning and ending with a short chorale that sounds like a prayer. Lederer's "The Language of Resistance" is a stunning work for the octet, a spotlight for the leader's soprano sax and Bailey's fine accordion work.
Inspired playing abounds throughout the program. Solos by Knuffke and Drye enliven the traditional "Haul on the Bowline" while the spiky slide work of Lucas shines on "Shenandoah." Ms. LaRose leads the way on the raucous take of Ayler's "Island Harvest" capturing the humor of the original version without imitating lyricist and vocalist Mary Parks. The multi-tracked voices on "Shallow Brown" blends sweetly with the dobro, the accordion swells, the martial drumming, and the sway of the horns.
"Brooklyn Blowhards" is serious fun, music that reaches back to music of early America while illustrating how Albert Ayler tapped into traditional musics, making it sound new and "free.' Jeff Lederer, who arranged the entire project, was inspired by the brilliant work of artist Matt Kish, who created "Moby Dick in Pictures - One Drawing for Every Page". Play this loud, let the music ring through the house while raising your glass to the ingenuity and vision of this splendid musician and his mighty band.
"Charles Ives Take Me Home" is a play written by Jessica Dickey and first performed off-Broadway in 2013. There are only 3 characters. Professional violinist John Starr, his daughter, a college basketball coach, Laura Starr and the narrator and sometimes character, the composer Charles Ives (pictured).In the play, Ives has come to the Julliard School in New York City to act as a substitute in a Composition class taught by William Schumann. The father is always arguing with his daughter about her choice of sports for a career yet it turns out that Ives is a big sports fan. At one point early in the play, the teacher tells his class that "All music is founded on repetition" and goes on to compare it to how baseball is organized. Later on in the speech, he emphasizes "Music IS repetition. Just like memory. In fact, without memory there would be no music. Think about it.....As we listen to a piece of music we remember (playwright's emphasis)the tones we have just heard. And we connect them to the tones we are hearing. This is memory. That's why listening to music, if the music compels you to really listen - feels like coming Home." (copyright 2013, published by Samuel French)
"The Thompson Fields" (ArtistShare) is the 8th recording by composer/arranger Maria Schneider and her first with the Maria Schneider Orchestra since 2007's "Sky Blue." The disk contain 8 tracks - ArtistShare participants also receive 2 downloads - and , with those extra tracks, there is over 90 minutes of new music. Ms. Schneider, who studied with Bob Brookmeyer (whose influence is evident - to me - on several tracks) and "understudied" (served as a copyist) with Gil Evans, is, arguably, the finest composer of this time. And, I would argue, she does not really "write" jazz. Yes, the MSO features 5 reeds, 4 trumpets, 4 trombones, piano, electric guitar, acoustic bass and drums plus the "permanent" addition of accordion. Yes, the pieces contain solos, and there are rhythms from Brazil, several tracks have blues progressions while others display "swing" and you can hear "free" sections as well as Americana.
allaboutbirds.org
These songs tell "stories", convey message without words and, more often than not, the story relates back to Ms. Schneider formative years in Windom, Minnesota. Like James Joyce, who wrote lovingly about Dublin, Ireland, in "Ulysses" while living in Switzerland and France, the composer's memories of home are burned into her being (she has lived in New York City since the late 1980s). Her love of birds, of family and friends, all have find their way into her music (and have since her 2nd recording, 1996's "Coming About"). Like before, several of the pieces are "remembrances", even elegies. "A Potter's Song", the dedication to long-time Orchestra member Laurie Frink (1951-2013), features the accordion of Gary Versace and relates to the late trumpeter's other passion, creating pottery. "Lembrança" became a dedication to Brazilian clarinetist and saxophonist Paulo Moura (1932-2010) who passed at the time Ms. Schneider finished the composition. The rhythms blend tango and samba (drummer Clarence Penn and guest percussionist Rogerio Boccato are a splendid team) while bassist Jay Anderson, guitarist Lage Lund (who replaced original guitarist Ben Monder) and pianist Frank Kimbrough (who came aboard before that second recording) make sure the bottom is solid. There is a wonderful dream-like section in the middle of the piece that includes a melodic bass solo and it's a treat hearing the percussionists welling up beneath the melodies of the different sections.
Lund's folk-influenced guitar lines lead in the title track, with accordion for the only backing until the the piano and bass come in. Kimbrough introduces the melody line which then moves off into the reeds and brass and then the pianist returns for the solo. His phrases sound like the wind blowing through the hay, especially with the horns moving below. When the brass and reeds step out, the music has a Copland-esque feel, clouds floating above the farms and streams. As the sections drop away, Lund's guitar solo moves out front over the simple yet highly effective bass and drums plus the mesmerizing piano chords.
Just listen. Notice how the brass and reeds take flight as they play melodies and counterpoint. Listen for the brilliant solos. The alto saxophone of Steve Wilson is powerful, forceful yet with moments of grace on "Nimbus" (he plays for over 6 minutes). Rich Perry's soulful tenor saxophone dances atop the Orchestra on "Home", caressing the notes like a father with a small child. The interactions of trombonist Marshall Gilkes and trumpeter Greg Gisbert on "The Monarch and the Milkweed" tell quite the story while Donny McCaslin (tenor saxophone) and Scott Robinson (baritone sax) expand upon the themes of "Arbiters of Evolution" (one hears a touch of Burt Bacharach in the chords and waltz tempo) - check out Clarence Penn's fiery drumming under the tenor solo). Robinson's lovely alto clarinet is featured on the opening "Walking By Flashlight", a piece that first appeared on "Winter Morning Walks", Ms. Schneider's 2011 recording with soprano Dawn Upshaw. The trilling clarinet lines, the piano and accordion walking alongside as the sections swirl and fade away, is so very attractive, so very comforting.
Jazz, though it encompasses many different and evolving styles, is too confining a word to describe the music of Maria Schneider Orchestra. So is classical and "popular". When you give this recording to a loved one or a friend, let him or her decide what to call it. As Ms.Schneider has done so vividly over the past 2 decades, her writing on "The Thompson Fields" harnesses the power of memory, the power of wonder, of curiosity and, if you are willing to drop your defenses, to walk down these musical roads, you may hear echoes of your home, of your life.
For the record, the orchestra consists of the following musicians:
Steve Wilson (alto and soprano saxophones, clarinet, flute and alto flute) Dave Pietro (alto and soprano saxophones, clarinet, flute, alto flute, bass flute and piccolo) Rich Perry (tenor saxophone) Donny McCaslin (tenor saxophone, clarinet, flute) Scott Robinson (baritone, bass clarinet, alto clarinet, and clarinet) Tony Kadleck (trumpet, flugelhorn) Greg Gisbert (trumpet, flugelhorn) Augie Haas ((trumpet, flugelhorn) Mike Rodriguez (trumpet, flugelhorn) Ryan Keberle (trombone) Keith O'Quinn (trombone) Marshall Gilkes (trombone) George Flynn (bass trombone) Gary Versace (accordion) Lage Lund (guitar) Frank Kimbrough (piano) Jay Anderson (bass) Clarence Penn (drums) Rogerio Boccato (percussion on "Lembrança")
Several years ago, I read that soprano Dawn Upshaw has commissioned composer/band leader Maria Schneider to write new pieces for her. The 2 suites, "Winter Morning Walks" and "Carlos Drummond de Andrade Stories", are written for voice and chamber orchestra with the first work also featuring bassist Jay Anderson, pianist Frank Kimbrough and Scott Robinson (alto clarinet, bass clarinet.) The works were debuted in 2008 and, in 2011, Ms. Schneider launched an ArtistShare campaign to commit the pieces to record.
For those who participated in the campaign, the recording, also titled "Winter Morning Walks", arrived this week. If you are familiar with the music Ms Schneider creates for her orchestra, this is quite a different experience. Not just because this music for voice or that the majority of the musicians come from either the Australian Chamber Orchestra or the Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra; no, the 14 tracks are fairly compact (only 2 clock in at over 6 minutes and there are 2 under 2 minutes.) The title suite features 9 poems from Ted Kooser (born 1939 in Ames, Iowa, he now lives in Nebraska) written in 1998-99 as the poet was recovering from cancer surgery and the subsequent radiation treatments. The poems Ms.Schneider selected do not deal with illness or recovery but with living and love. The 4 poems that make up the second suite come from the Brazilian poet Carlos Drummond de Andrade (1902-87) - there is also a "Prologue" on which Ms. Upshaw supplies the wordless vocal. The vocalist, whose career has been put on hold twice in the last 7 years as she, too, recovered from cancer surgery, is in wonderful voice throughout.
This is a not a review but I felt the need to write about the recording in the aftermath of having to cancel classes today as our state was hit with 12 inches of snow. I found the time to sit and absorb the music and then, as I surfed the web later in the day, came across an October 2012 interview (audio and video) from Minnesota Public Radio. Taped as Ms. Schneider was in Minnesota recording the "...de Andrade Stories", the (nearly) 60 minutes she spends with interviewer Daniel Gilliam is filled with talk of birds, composing, her influences, the new music for the recording, ArtistShare and much more. It's quite delightful - see and hear the conversation by going to ht.ly/ix1RP. To find out more about Maria Schneider and her wonderful and wonder-filled music, go to www.mariaschneider.com.
Here are 2 poems, one each from Ted Kooser and Carlos Drummond de Andrade:
Spring, the Sky Rippled with Geese
Spring, the sky rippled with geese, but the green comes on slowly, timed to the ticking of downspouts.
The pond, still numb from months of ice, reflects just one enthusiast this morning, a budding maple whose every twig is strung with beads of carved cinnabar, bittersweet red.
(Ted Kooser, from "Winter Morning Walks: 100 Postcards to Jim Harrison", Carnegie Mellon University Press, 2001)
Quadrille
John loved Teresa who loved Raymond who loved Mary who loved Jack who loved Lily who didn’t love anybody. John went to the United States, Teresa to a convent, Raymond died in an accident, Mary became an old maid, Jack committed suicide and Lily married J. Pinto Fernandez who didn’t figure into the story. (Carlos Drummond de Andrade, translated by Mark Strand, from "Looking For Poetry: Poems by Carlos Drummond de Andrade and Rafael Alberti and Songs from the Quechua" Knopf Publishing, 2002
Firehouse 12, 45 Crown Street in New Haven, continues its impressive Spring 2011 Concert series with an appearance this Friday (5/06) by the Tom Rainey Trio. Rainey, a drummer who has worked with Tim Berne, Jane Ira Bloom, John Abercrombie, Kenny Werner, Joe Lovano and a host of other great jazz people, had never fronted a group before forming this ensemble with saxophonist Ingrid Laubock and guitarist Mary Halvorson. The trio walks a fine thin line between composition and improvisation, guided by Rainey's unerring sense of flow. Laubrock, a native of Germany, has worked with many notable European and Brazilian musicians as well as dance companies. Halvorson, a graduate of Wesleyan, has made quite an impact on the creative music scene in the past few years, both as a leader and for her work with Anthony Braxton, Taylor Ho Bynum and Jessica Pavone (among others.)
At times, the Trio really pours it on and there are also moments where they are whisper-soft. Since improvisation is such a strong component of their work, one is never quite sure where their interactions might lead. For ticket information, call 860-785-0468 or go to www.firehouse12.com.
Thanks to educator/composer/guitarist Jamie Begian, I had the joyous opportunity to hear Darcy James Argue's Secret Society in concert on the final night of the Western Connecticut State University's Jazz Weekend. The 18-member ensemble did not disappoint; in fact, it was great to hear this band live so you could really feel the power of its sound (drummer Jon Wikan and bassist Matt Clohesy make for a mighty powerful rhythm section) and the intricacies of Argue's compositions and arrangements. No need to go into the details of the show - Chuck Obuchowski does a fine job in his review for the Hartford Courant (read it here) - but I highly recommend you see this aggregation live. Argue is a gregarious emcee (and political commentator) and the band ever so exciting. To find out more about them and download many of the group's live dates, go to secretsociety.typepad.com.
This week, Jason Crane interviews composer/arranger Maria Schneider for "The Jazz Session" podcast and it's a real treat. It is really more of a conversation, with laughter, silliness, and serious discussion about Schneider's new-found love of writing music for vocalists (in this specific case, the Suite Schneider composed for soprano Dawn Upshaw.)
If you go to www.wqxr.org, you can read about the upcoming concert (May 13) in New York City featuring the work (titled"Carlos Drummond de Andrade: Stories for Soprano and Orchestra") and even check out the program notes. But, first go listen to Ms. Schneider and Mr. Crane discuss the music - it's a treat. Go to http://thejazzsession.com/2011/05/02/the-jazz-session-262-maria-schneider/.
The new CD by pianist-composer Kenny Werner is titled "Balloons" (HalfNote Records), a live recording featuring him in the estimable company of Randy Brecker (trumpet), David Sanchez (tenor saxophone), John Pattitucci (bass) and Antonio Sanchez (drums). One might look at the track listing (4 cuts, all over 11 minutes long, with the title track lasting nearly 18 minutes) and assume this is just a "blowing session." While there are many fine solos over the course of the program, one might notice the path the musicians take to them. These are all fine compositions, with full melodies and harmonies, fired by a rhythm section that provides the front line with great dynamic and sonic variations. The program opens with "Sada", a ballad with a melancholy melody line that hints at both Brazilian and classical inspiration. Werner's long solo unfolds gracefully, setting the tone for the handsome tenor sax solo which is more of a journey, a powerful affirmation of life. Werner winds his melodic way alone through the first 4+ minutes of the title track, a contemplative sojourn with traces of the blues interspersed throughout. The rest of the quintet enters to read the long and well-defined melody before dropping back for a short but richly melodic bass solo. Brecker gets the next solo and he rides the waves created by Antonio Sanchez's strong percussion work. David Sanchez (no relation) starts quietly before moving out into a powerful solo. The final track, "Class Dismissed", comes from a lesson that Werner taught in his composition class at New York University. Nothing academic about the playing, especially Antonio Sanchez's poly-rhythmic solo that roars out of the speakers.
"Balloons" might conjure up a certain image - I think of playfulness, of temporary joy, bright colors, birthday parties and the possibility of loss as a stray balloon slips out of a child's hand. In some ways, seeing and hearing music live in concert or a club is like that stray balloon. The events, the sounds, the solos, slip from the mind as soon as the show ends but the memories can last for a long time. Kenny Werner's music on "Balloons" is comforting, challenging, exciting and worth spending the time to explore. To find out more, go to www.kennywerner.com.
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