JAZZ BLOGS MATTER

Jazz Critic Nate ChinenI read your column "Why JazzTimes Matters" in the September issue. I agree with certain parts of your opinion. JazzTimes is still an important monthly magazine. Other aspects of your opinion bothered me, particularly your statements about how some jazz bloggers commentaries lack depth. You boasted about JazzTimes' pristine reputation. The magazine has high standards, and respected jazz writers such as Nat Hentoff and Gary Giddins are contributors. However, you neglected to point out JazzTimes also has a few blemishes. Last year, in the business section of the New York Times, I read JazzTimes' editors knowing the magazine was bankrupt continued to assign cover stories, columns and album reviews to freelancers, who they never paid. That was unscrupulous, and for awhile I stopped buying the magazine. To the readers who rely on jazz journalists such as you for recommendations JazzTimes is still relevant. However, thanks to a multitude of jazz bloggers, jazz enthusiasts have more than a select group of jazz writers to give them insight on the state of the music and any future development. Most of the jazz bloggers I know are just as knowledgeable about the music as jazz critics who contribute to JazzTimes. Nate, you were hard on jazz bloggers, saying their perspectives and commentaries lack depth. Nate, you acknowledged there are some competent writers, for example, Doug Ramsey and David R. Alder, who are journeymen jazz authorities. Other lesser known jazz bloggers matter. Their perspectives and insights about the music should be trusted and respected. In my book, an individual that owns hundreds of jazz recordings, attends jazz concerts regularly, reads books by jazz writers such as Martin Williams, Whitney Balliett, Valerie Wilmer, Amiri Baraka, Ben Ratliff, Garry Giddins, and Nat Hentoff are qualified to comment on jazz. JazzTimes is still worthwhile, and so are jazz bloggers.

PLENTY TO GO AROUND

Inez, Cory the barber's 10-year-old daughter, answered his cell phone on the third ring. Sheryl Crows new album "100 Miles from Memphis” blared in the background. Crow was doing an impressive rendition of the Jackson 5 classic "I Want You Back". Inez recognized my voice. She always refers to me as Mr. Charles even though I gave her permission to call me by my first name. She refused, explaining her parents forbid her from calling her elders by their first name. Inez is smart. Whenever, we talk I feel like I'm conversing with an adult. Mystics would say Inez has an old soul. Inez asked me to wait while she fetched her dad, who was in the basement doing laundry. Cory told Inez to turn the music down.
"Is everything okay," Cory asked. He seemed surprised.
"Things are fine."
"You've had my number for a year now. This is the first time you used it, so I figured something must be wrong."
"I'm not crazy about talking on the phone," I said. "I've had many lady-friends dump me because I never called them enough."
"I forgot you have an asocial streak," Cory said.
"I picked up this new record by Eric Reed and Cyrus Chestnut called 'Plenty Swing, Plenty Soul'.
"I have that record. I didn’t care for it."
"It's the first good recording Cyrus has made in a long time," I said.
"Back in the day, you loved the ground Cyrus walked on. In your eyes, he wasn't capable of making a bad record," Cory said.
"Everybody has a bad day or two on the job. I'm still a big Cyrus Chestnut fan. What didn't you like about the album?
"Eric and Cyrus styles are too much alike. I thought the session would be more of an old fashion cutting contest".
“You're wrong. Their styles are different. I’m glad there wasn't a lot of horsing around. They kept the session respectable. I could tell one from the other when they soloed. Cyrus is more percussive and soulful than Eric. You can hear it in everything Cyrus plays. Eric, on the other hand, is a straight up swinger. He never stops swinging. I bet he even swings when he’s sleeping. Naming the album 'Plenty Swing, Plenty Soul', I bet was a play on their styles."
"The album would’ve been more interesting if Eric made it with Jason Moran. Eric is a traditionalist and Moran is an experimentalist," Cory said.
"I don't see how that duo would've worked," I said.
"I watched a performance on You tube once called the Drum Workshop. Art Blakey, Elvin Jones, and Sunny Murray shared the bandstand. They were improvising like crazy. They had different styles. The concert was wonderful."
"I saw the video. It took place in Europe. They should've called it the Showboating Workshop because that’s all the drummers were doing”.
"There you go being sarcastic”.
"Most of the time I agree with you, but this time, you're way off base. I think something is going wrong with your ears. How could you not like how Eric and Cyrus played on 'I'll Remember April," and "Two Bass Hit"? When Eric soloed on 'Prayer', I wanted to confess all my sins, and I'm not even Catholic."
"You can talk until you're blue in the face. You won’t change my mind,”" Cory said. He was right. Trying to convince him the album is worthwhile was futile, so I changed the subject. I overheard Inez tell him the drier stopped.
"Not to change the subject," I said. "What are you doing listening to Sheryl Crow"?

DEFENDING KENNY G

My jazz friends will tease me because I really like your new album "Heart and Soul". At heart, my buddies are jazz purists. I used to be one, but my musical taste has grown. I'm more open to smooth jazz and other forms of contemporary music. Frankly, Kenny, my jazz friends despise smooth jazz, and they accuse you of being a phony.Have you ever professed to be a jazz musician? If so, I want to read the articles and listen to the interviews where you made that claim.

I bet you could play be bop, hard bop and free jazz if you wanted, but you chose to play the kind of music a broad audience can enjoy. You've sold millions of albums. That should count for something. On "Heart and Soul," you play melodic instrumental music. In my book, that's okay, and you do it better than any other smooth jazz player. Your collaboration with the R&B carooners Robin Thicke and Kenny "Babyface" Edmonds are the best tracks.

Kenny, your laid-back style blends perfectly with Thicke's falsetto. "Letters from Home" and "One Breath" are enticing slow jams. You never deviate from your mellow and uncomplicated style. My jazz purist pals will never understand that.

THE PERFECT PAIR

Cory the barber telephone number flashed on the display screen of my cell phone. My wife was out running her Saturday errands. I had the house to myself, and I had a few hours of alone time, so I ordered "Brooklyn's Finest on HBO on Demand. I was reluctant to answer my cell phone. Cory the barber is talkative, especially when the subject at hand is music. I decided to answer the call anyway because it may have been an emergency, but I was almost certain he was to talk about some great album he recently purchased.
"Did I get you at a bad time," Cory asked.
"I was just about to watch 'Brooklyn's Finest'," I said. I turned down the volume on the television in the family room so I could hear him.
"I thought you saw that already."
"I want to watch it again," I said.
"I was at Borders last night and I bought this sweet ass album 'Silence' by Mal Waldron and David Murray. You need to get it if you don't already have it."
"Is there a photo of a boy on the cover with a red bow tie and a rose attached to the lapel of his suit jacket"?
"Yeah that's the one. The duets are sweet I didn't know that David could play ballads so tenderly. I listened to the album on my laptop, and the speakers cried when he soloed on ‘All to Soon’ and ‘Soul Eyes’".
"Dave is a virtuoso. I’m not surprised that your laptop speakers were weeping.” "
"I always associated him and Mal with the avant-garde," Cory said.
"Mal was a virtuoso, too. He could do it all. Even when he performed with free jazz cats like Eric Dolphy and Jackie McLean, Mal was un-rambunctious," I said.
“Is that a real word”?
“Yes. I just made it up.”
“You like making up your own words”?
“That’s my way of improvising. If jazz musicians can make up new notes, tones, and sounds, I can make up my own words.”
“Whatever, man. Anyway, normally, I hate the sound of the bass clarinet. It’s an ugly looking instrument. It looks like an over sized smoking pipe, but I really liked listening to Dave play it on "Free for C.T.' and 'Soul Eye's".
"I dug the way David improvised throughout. Some jazz critics past and present contend Sonny Rollins and John Coltrane are the greatest jazz improvisers. In my book, David is just as good," I said.
I heard my wife Honda Civic pull up.
"I don't know about that.We can debate about that some other time," Cory said.
"What did you dislike about the album’?
"The title cut 'Silence' was an eyesore".
“‘Silence’ and 'Hurray for Herbie' showed what a virtuoso improviser David is, and what a gifted accompanist Mal was," I said. I heard my wife pull up to the garage. I asked Cory to hold on. I peeked through the blinds. The wife popped the trunk, which was stuffed with bags from Targets and Kroger.
"Cory, my wife just pulled up. I want to give her a hand with the grocery bags."
"Cool."
"I'll call you back later."
"Okay, peace."

TIM WARFIELD NEVER MADE A BAD ALBUM

"Tim Warfield has never put out a bad album," Cory the barber proclaimed. Cory set in the empty barber chair next to KB's workstation. KB owns 100% barbershop. Cory struck up a conversation about saxophonist Tim Warfield's latest album "A Sentimental Journey" after we teased KB about his outfit. He's stylish, so we nicknamed him the "dapper barber". KB cuts hair in expensive clothes. Today he wore a pair of classic Gucci Loafers. We ribbed KB when he pointed out how sharply Tim Warfield was dressed on the album cover.
"For once I agree with you," I told Cory as KB turned on the hair clippers, and trimmed down my hair. "Tim is definitely consistent.
"He's underrated in my book."
"He reminds me of some of the greats like Tina Brooks, and Ike Quebec," I said as KB turned the barber chair facing the mirror on the wall.
"Where's Tim from"?
"I thought you're a fan."
"I am, but I don't know everything about him."
"I true fan would know what time Tim brushes his teeth in the morning and where he gets his suits dry cleaned."
"You're getting carried away."
KB stepped in. He joked arguing is prohibited. Then he changed the blade on the clippers, and resumed cutting my hair.
"Tim was born in Philly..."
"Coltrane's hometown".
"That's right.
"I wonder if Trane influenced Tim"
"Organist Shirley Scott took him under her wing."
"The organ player is one of the things I like about Sentimental Journey.," Cory said.
"Pat Bianchi isn't a heavy-handed organist. He never gets in Tim's way.” That comes across on Crazy Rhythm,"
KB turned me away from the wall mirror,
Cory said: “This album is good from top to bottom, especially My Man and the title cut In Sentimental Mood".
"Tim has a light touch on the soprano sax, and he knows how to work a ballad.
"Has Tim ever played in Detroit"?
"A decade ago, he played with Christian McBride at the Blues, Roots, Honks, and Moans concert in Ann Arbor.
"Do you have a favorite tune on the album"?
“I like each equally. I could listen to this album everyday," I said.
Cory's customer walked into the barbershop. He cut the conversation, stuffed "A Sentimental Journey" cd case into the pocket of his black smock, and greeted his customer. KB handed me a mirror to inspect my haircut. Then he said: "Cory is gonna be on his deathbed talking about music."

A POWERHOUSE

Saxophonist Ken VendermarkListening to your Powerhouse Sound quartet last night at Alvin's Bar in Detroit, I kept thinking about a scene in the new Thelonious Monk biography. Monk hired drummer Frankie Dunlop. Dunlop was a loud drummer at the time. He had a tough time playing some of Monk's tricky tunes. Monk liked to switch tempos without warning. Monk chastised the drummer, explaining Dunlop needed to be more flexible, and  learn to swing at various tempos. I wondered how a musician could swing on a slow tempo number. Ken, last night I understood what Monk was talking about listening to Powerhouse Sound. The quartet played intricate music with many tempos changes. During both set, I was awed at how you the band swung on every level. It was creative how you stitched together four or five compositions, making it appear the band played one long composition. I never witness a drummer who played recklessly and beautifully as John Herndon did. He wailed on the drums like a maniac, throwing his cymbals around like a Frisbee. Midway through the first selection, his t-shirt was drench. He was playing that hard. Highlights of the both sets were the collective improvisation even when guitarists Nate McBride and Jeff Parker produced those eerie sound effects. The only criticism I have is you should have written more parts for yourself. When it was your turn to shine, your powerful soloing could have shattered the windshields of the cars parked outside Alvin's Bar. Powerhouse Sound is a fitting name for a powerful band.

THE BALLADEER

Seated cross-legged in a club chair at Border's Books and Music reading the new Thelonious Monk biography, I felt a tap on my right shoulder. I turned around. Cory the barber stood behind me holding his daughter's, Inez, hand. Inez held two Wimpy Kid novels. I was surprised to see Cory in Gross Pointe. He lives and works in Redford. He explained Inez's mom lives near the bookstore. He took Inez to dinner. They stopped at the bookstore because Inez wanted the last two novels in the Wimpy Kid series. Cory flopped down in the chair next to me. Inez gave her dad the novels, and she asked for money to buy a smoothie. Cory pulled a crumbled ten dollar bill from the pocket of his cargo shorts. He told Inez to get him a triple chocolate chip cookie. Before she left, he reminded her to bring back all his change.
"You have a great life. All you do is read books and listen to music all day. I want your life."
"I keep my life simple," I said.
"Have you heard any good albums lately," Cory asked.
“On the drive over here, I listened to the new album by Marcus Printup."
"I heard a lot of good stuff about that album "Ballads all Night".
"Marcus is a solid trumpet player.
I've heard him on a bunch of records as a sideman. He played on one of pianist Cyrus Chestnut’s best albums "Soul Food".
"Was that the album with Lewis Nash, Stefon Harris, Christian McBride...?”
"James Carter, and Wycliffe Gordon."
"That was a great album. Cyrus hired the top cats from his generation."
"What did you like about "Ballads all Nights"? The concept sounds dated," Cory said.
"It’s the kind of album that most good jazz trumpet players make at some point in their career. Marcus is a romantic.
"Like Miles."
"That is a knee-jerk comparison. Marcus tone and phrasing is a lot softer like trumpeter Johnnie Coles."
"Is that the cat who used to play with Mingus"?
"Yeah. After listening to Marcus play, ballads my heart was melted in my lap. I kept replaying 'Miles Away,' "Memory Box' and 'Nearness of You'. Marcus composed most of the songs on the album.
"Will the album make your top ten favorite jazz albums of 2010," Cory wanted to know.
"Probably not, but it's a good album. I recommend you buy it," I said.
Inez returned with her smoothie and her dad's triple chocolate chip cookie. Cory and I embraced. He had to leave. Inez’s mom was expecting her home by 9:00pm. Cory the barber paid for the two Wimpy Kid novels, and I resumed reading the chapter in the Thelonious Monk biography where Monk's manager suspected the folks at River Side Records cheated the pianist.