BASSIST RON CARTER IS 2016 DETROIT JAZZ FESTIVAL'S ARTIST-IN-RESIDENCE

Bassist Ron Carter

Legendary jazz bassist Ron Carter will be the Artist-in-Residence at the 2016 Detroit Jazz Festival. The festival is North America’s largest free jazz festival and takes place in downtown Detroit during the Labor Day wekend. Nearing four decades, the DJF has showcased the musical gifts of many internationally accomplished jazz musicians. For the past decade, the Artist-in-Residence chair has gained prominence.

The Artist-in-Residence participates in jazz outreach educational programming, and is a central attraction during the festival, presenting hotly anticipated projects tailored specifically for the festival. Regina Carter, Christian McBride, Mulgrew Miller, Joshua Redman, Jeff “Tain”Watts, Danilo Perez, John Clayton, and Pat Metheny are some of the globally respected jazz musicians who have served as DJF’s Artist-in-Residence.

Carter,78, a native Detroiter, and a graduate of Cass Technical High School, is arguably the most legendary musician to be appointed. Known as the most recorded jazz musician on earth, Carter has reportedly performed on a whopping two thousand recordings. In his storied career,

Carterhas blessed bands with his priceless musical acumen led by famed jazz musicians such as Miles Davis, Eric Dolphy, Lee Morgan, Freddie Hubbard, and Andrew Hill. As a bandleader, Carter has fertilized the planet with a bunch of remarkable albums such as “Where,” “All Blues,” ”Piccolo,” “The Bass and I,” “So What,” and“Dear Miles”.  

Last year, he buoyed up the spirit of his fan base with one of his more ambitious projects to date “My Personal Songbook Ron Carter and The WDR Big Band” Carter summed up his philosophy as a bassist in a quote on his website Roncarter.net:

“I think that the bassist is the quarterback in any group, and he must find a sound that he is willing to be responsible for”. The music Carter has in store for the Detroit Jazz Festival will be announced in April during the DJF’s annual press conference.

GEORGE 'SAX' BENSON TEAMED WITH PIANIST GLENN TUCKER FOR SPLENDID DUO RECORDING 'DREAMERS'

When saxophonist George ”Sax” Benson and pianist Glenn Tucker met to record their new album at Solid Sound Studio in Ann Arbor, MI., Tucker pitched recording standard compositions and one of his originals. Benson conversely showed up with a bunch of his originals some written way back in the 50’s and 60’s. After rehearsing a few of Benson’s originals, they shelved the standards Tucker had chosen and went to work on Benson’s music. “Dreamers,” a splendid duo date with 11 of Benson’s never before recorded compositions, is the result of that old lion meets young lion recording session. “Dreamers” has bop, ballads, and blues. Benson is 87, and on gems such as “Fuschia Moods,” “Love Is A Sometime Thing,” and “Blues in D,” he proves his chops are still in mint condition.  The blues cuts on "Dreamers" are its cornerstones. In Detroit’s jazz world, Benson is a revered and legendary figure. His work history dates back to the fabled Flame Show Bar. And during one leg of his six-decade-plus career, he was a go-to session musician for Motown Records. Stylistically, Benson is a bop driven swinger, a meticulous improviser, and he's intimately hip to every nook and facet of the blues.Those aspects of his musicianship are all over “Dreamers” like fingerprints at a crime scene. What the album shows more than anything is Benson is a gifted composer. Over the decades, praise has been heaped on his blowing. At this golden leg of Benson’s career, he’s found a kindred spirit in Tucker, 25, who on this date shows another part of his game that of a selfless accompanist. Tucker is a sought after commodity who plays as if he draws inspiration from his jazz ancestors. On “Dreamers,” Tucker and Benson are equal partners. However, Tucker gives Benson the lion share of the spotlight.

NEW ALBUMS BY DRUMMER HERLIN RILEY & VOCALIST NICOLAS BEARDE ARE MUST HAVES

“New Direction,” out recently on Mack Avenue Records, is a testament that jazz drummer Herlin Riley is a quintessential craftsman, a truth Riley proved during tenures with Jazz at Lincoln Center, and with pianist Ahmad Jamal. “New Direction” is Riley’s debut for Mack Avenue. The ten songs on the album Riley wrote. Trumpeter Bruce Harris, bassist Russell Hall, pianist Emmet Cohen, percussionist Pedrito Martinez, and saxophonist Godwin Louis are the young, highbrow swingers Riley hired to elevate his work. Guitarist Mark Whitfield guest starred on the title cut, and Whitfield was brilliant. If Riley committed one sin creating this terrific outing, it was not hustling up the resources to have Whitfield perform on each cut. “The Big Banana,” “Shake Off The Dust,” “Hiccup Smooth,” and “Tootie Ma” are sure to be crowd favorites.

Nicolas Bearde is a jazz vocalist. He lives in the Bay Area. Back in the day, he was a standout member of Bobby McFerrin’s Voicestra ensemble. Bearde's voice seems custom built for love songs. Relaxed phrasing is his chief allure. Some of the songs on his new album “Invitation,” produced by Nat Adderley Jr. and with special guest saxophonist Vincent Herring, are not love songs per se, but by the time Bearde has finished working them, you’ll be convinced they are pure love songs. One of the best cuts on the album is Bearde's rendering of “Lush Life”. His version is so good it would’ve made Billy Strayhorn emotional. There are familiar standards on “Invitation” like “Nature Boy,” “I Want to Talk About You” and “Save Your Love for Me”. Bearde’s sweet-ass voice melts over them. 

UNDERWHELMING PERFORMANCE OF POP CLASSICS BY JAZZ AT LINCOLN CENTER ORCHESTRA AT ANNUAL UMS CONCERT

Wynton Marsalis

The Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra put on its annual jazz concert for the University Musical Society Wednesday evening at Hill Auditorium. Instead of performing the music of iconic jazz musicians and composers such as Duke Ellington, Billy Strayhorn, Louis Armstrong, and Count Basie, the JLCO played pop oldies-but-goodies from the 60's, 70's, and 80's. 

The two-hour concert was billed as Jazz in the Key of Life, and trombonist Vincent Gardner was the concert’s music director. Gardner picked the nine pop songs the orchestra played, and various members of the orchestra wrote arrangements.

Presenting pop music was a stretch for the JLCO whose comfort zone is largely swing, bop, and post-bop. It was thoughtful for the orchestra to offer its Michigan fan base something different.

Suffice it to say, pop isn’t what the JLCO does best. Gardner prefaced each song by giving the audience bits of its origins. The trombonist never said why the JLCO decided to explore pop music.

The orchestra opened with the Crusaders “Street Life,” followed by a number from the rock group Creams’ songbook. Then the orchestra tackled Stevie Wonders classic “All in Love is Fair”.

The orchestra’s take on those songs was underwhelming. The JLCO is one of the top jazz orchestras of all time, and this annual concert has always been a treat for jazz fans wanting to experience two-hours of red-blooded American swing.

There’re some cool solos by bassist Carlos Henriquez and drummer Ali Jackson on Donny Hathaway’s “Sugar Lee”. The orchestra’s leader, trumpeter Wynton Marsalis, nearly blew the musicians in the trombone section out their chairs soloing on Paul McCartney’s “Eleanor Rigby”.

The orchestra seemed most comfortable with the Jackson’s “Blame it on the Boogie,” which Gardner arranged and played tuba on, and the audience was most pleased with. I’ve attended JLCO’s annual UMS concert for a decade. The Jazz in the Key of Life concert was the first time the orchestra seemed out of their league.  

JD ALLEN, CHARLIE HADEN LIBERATION MUSIC ORCHESTRA & BRIAN BLADE AMONG TOP 10 JAZZ CONCERTS OF 2015

Tenor saxophonist JD Allen

JD Allen Trio (Detroit Groove Society House Concert Series)

Tenor saxophonist and native Detroiter JD Allen closed the Detroit Groove Society concert series with two unforgettable sets of music. The concert took place in the series founder’s, Andrew Rothman’s, living room, and was produced by veteran jazz concert promoter Skip Norris, who could throw a memorable jazz concert in his sleep. Presently, Allen has ten albums on the market, and for the concert Allen, bassist Gregg August, and drummer Jonathan Barber – the concert’s MVP – burned through material from Allen’s albums “Grace,” “Victory!,” “Shine,” and “Graffiti”. The concert happened nearly a month ago, and I still wake up some nights in a cold sweat thinking about it.

Women In Jazz History Month (Kerry Town Concert House)

This concert was a celebration of Women In Jazz History Month; a poignant acknowledgement of women contributions to jazz. Pianist Ellen Rowe and bassist Marion Hayden co-led the female jazz ensemble that shifted Kerry Town Concert House off its foundation. The group delved into every happening branch of jazz such as bop, swing, modal jazz, and some blues for good measure. I left the concert wanting to organize a drive demanding this ensemble be featured at one of Detroit’s popular jazz venues regularly, and Women In Jazz Month be celebrated all year.

Charlie Haden Liberation Music Orchestra (The 2015 Detroit Jazz Festival)

CHLMO was a set I wanted to hear more than any other at the 2015 Detroit Jazz Festival. The orchestra’s performance was shocking, but I wasn’t disappointed. I was braced for the music the orchestra presented to be on the militant side and way angrier. Pianist and composer Carla Bley captained the ship and wrote the arrangements. The music the orchestra played was meaningful, and the soloing was passionate. I never dreamt I’d be in tears after the set ended. 

Regina Carter and Kenny Barron Duo (Paradise Jazz Series)

The violinist and pianist made a Grammy-nominated album in 1991 titled “Freefall”. For this duo concert, Carter and Barron revisited the music from that album. The show was flawless. Carter and Barron displayed their virtuosity on every composition. Midway through the first set, I lost count of the ovations Carter and Barron received.

Marcus Belgrave (Home Going Celebration)

The universe lost one of its most revered jazz musicians, jazz educators, mentor's, and beacon's of excellence when jazz trumpeter Marcus Belgrave died on May 24th. Belgrave’s funeral was an event, a nearly three-hour jazz festival befitting an extraordinary musician and human being. There’re breathtaking performances by many of the jazz musicians Belgrave influenced both, directly and indirectly, Robert Hurst, James Carter, Karriem Riggins, and Geri Allen had inspired moments. The music was so moving and inspired. I felt Belgrave was going to wake up and start blowing.

Brian Blade

Chucho Valdes (Michigan Theatre)

This concert by the reigning king of Afro-Cuban jazz was billed as a reunion of Irakere, a universally renowned ensemble Valdes co-founded forty years ago. The two-hour concert was a showcase for the rising young guns of Afro-Cuban jazz known as the Afro-Cuban Messengers. Apparently, Valdes drew considerable inspiration from Art Blakey’s Jazz Messengers. Valdes called many staples from Irakere’s repertoire, but the soloing by the young guns stuck to my ribs. The concert was a big block party. On the drive home, I wondered how many people would have to take a day off from work to recuperate from the show.

Brian Blade & The Fellowship Band (2015 Detroit Jazz Festival)

Jazz drummer Brian Blade for nearly two decades has been the heart of the Wayne Shorter Quartet, reputed as the tightest jazz band around. Blade is an animated and a quick-witted drummer who’s a joy to experience. For his Saturday afternoon set at the Detroit Jazz Festival Blade’s Fellowship Band pretty much played a more intensely hip version of the heady variety of swing unique to Shorter’s quartet. It took Blade a few tunes to get worked up. Surprisingly, the jazz fest security didn’t provide hart hats and safety goggles to be worn during Blade’s set. At one stretch, Blade was drumming so powerfully, I was sure his drum kit was going to blow up at any moment.

Michigan State University Jazz Orchestra, featuring Jimmy Cobb (Carr Center)

Honestly, I attended this concert to hear legendary jazz drummer Jimmy Cobb one of the remaining hard bop drummers who played on many landmark jazz albums most notably Miles Davis’s “Kind of Blue”. I doubted if the MSU Jazz Orchestra could hang with the veteran drummer. Two tunes into the concert the Bebop Spartans assuaged my doubt. The Spartans brought down the house, playing with such confidence it appeared Cobb had to prove he was worthy of sharing the stage with them. Cobb only played three tunes, and he was amazing on each, but the Spartans are who I bragged about when my friends wanted details about the concert.

Kenn Cox Tribute Concert (Carr Center)

In 2008, the jazz pianist Kenn Cox died of lung Cancer. The jazz hemisphere lost one of the most elegant bebop pianists. In his native Detroit Cox was regarded as a jazz intellectual, mentor, cultural warrior, and who people wanting the lowdown on anything concerning jazz flocked to. It’s a crying shame it took seven years to organize a tribute to Cox. The master of ceremony was one of Cox’s protégés jazz bassist Rodney Whitaker, and the two-plus hour tribute was befitting a jazz musician of Cox’s renown. Special guests were trumpeter Rayse Biggs, saxophonist Vincent Bowens, vocalists Shahida Nurullah, and Rockelle Fortin. The set list was a mix of Cox’s original compositions and staples he loved performing at his live concerts. The best part of the tribute was Whitaker’s Q& A with Cox’s wife, Barbara, about her life with the pianist.

The Oliver Lake Organ Quartet (2015 Jazz Festival)

I was familiar with alto saxophonist Oliver Lake’s reputation for having one foot in the avant-garde and the other one rooted in straight-ahead acoustic jazz, and I loved his playing as a key figure of the World Saxophone Quartet, but I never experienced Lake live. Man, did he put on a show. A blind person could see Lake designed this group around organist Jared Gold, who had his organ speaking in tongue, but the person who put some special sauce on the concert was trumpeter Freddie Hendrix, who solo after solo blew holes in the moon.

10 OUTSTANDING JAZZ ALBUMS OF 2015

Jose James

Yesterday I Had The Blues The Music of Billie Holiday (Blue Note Records)

Billie Holiday would have turned 100 April 17^th. In celebration of her centennial tributes concerts were thrown around the country, and some tribute albums were released. The one that I couldn’t stop playing was “Yesterday I Had The Blues” by vocalist Jose James, whose voice one day will be a national treasure. James performed such Holiday favorites as “Good Morning Hard Ache,” “Fine and Mellow,” and “God Bless The Child” so convincingly dare I speculate Holiday’s spirit was in the studio during the making of the album holding James’s hand on every song.

Perez, Patitucci, Blade

Children of The Light (Mack Avenue Records)

For almost two decades, pianist Danilo Perez, bassist John Patitucci, and drummer Brian Blade have backed the great saxophonist Wayne Shorter. The relationship has spawned four breathtaking albums, and this band is seen universally as one of the tightest breathing. “Children Of The Light” is the first time Perez, Patitucci, and Blade have recorded as a trio. The album of nine originals and one Shorter composition is largely a gesture of appreciation to Shorter for all he’s meant to his guys musically. The playing on this album is top notch, but that isn’t surprising. One can only picture the big smile Shorter must’ve had on his face after listening to “Children of The Light.”

Glenn Tucker

Determination (Detroit Music Factory)

I was smitten by pianist Glenn Tucker’s playing after experiencing the first two tracks on this debut. Tucker is among a contingent of millennial jazz musicians making their presence respected on Detroit’s jazz scene. Tucker pulled off this debut in part by hiring several of Detroit’s elite swingers and some of Detroit’s rising stars. Tucker wrote all the music on “Determination”. The compositions he performed solo caused the most OMG reactions.

Abbey Lincoln

Sophisticated Abbey Live at The Keystone Corner (High Note Records)

This live date Abbey Lincoln made back in 1980. Lincoln was of excellent voice. She was backed by her longstanding rhythm sections James Leary, Doug Sides and Phil Wright. Lincoln had a rare gift the ability to seduce the hell out of a song. For “Sophisticated Abbey,” she applied that gift on some of her originals such as “Painted Lady,” and “People In Me”. The material I dreamt about after listening to the album was the medleys she sang that included “Sophisticated Ladies,” “The Nearest of You,” and “For All We Know”.

Heads of State

Search for Peace (Smoke Sessions Records)

Gary Bartz, Larry Willis, Buster Williams, and Al Foster are the members of the newly formed all-star jazz band known as the Heads of State. “Search For Peace” is the band’s mission statement.  What this album offers to the world is some familiar compositions performed by four of the greatest minds in jazz. “Search For Peace” is the kind of album you can listen to daily for the next decade and never grow tired of.

Rudresh Mahanthappa

Bird Calls (Act Music)

This album is alto saxophonist Rudresh Mahanthappa’s open love letter to bebop icon Charlie Parker. “Bird Calls” isn’t a garden variety tribute album. Mahanthappa elected not to perform Parker’s greatest hits. Instead, Mahanthappa borrowed elements of Parker’s compositions say the melody from “Donna Lee” and the progressions from “Relaxin’ At The Camarillo” and incorporated those elements into his new original compositions. Then Mahanthappa gave his band Adam O’Farrill, Matt Mitchell, Francois Moutin, and Rudy Royston the leeway to stretch out on each composition.

Terell Stafford

BrotherLee Love Celebration Lee Morgan (Capri Records Ltd.)

“Hocus Pocus,” “Mr. Kenyatta,” “Candy,” “Petty Larceny,” and “Speedball” are five of trumpeter Lee Morgan’s hits that trumpeter Terell Stafford stripped down to their wood surface and applied new coatings of paint. Stafford a card carrying Lee Morgan disciple pulled off a flawless tribute album, and his blowing is so inspired I wondered if Morgan’s spirit blessed Stafford’s trumpeter minutes before he recorded “BrotherLee Love.”

Christian McBride Trio

Christian McBride Trio Live at the Village Vanguard (Mack Avenue Records)

Jazz bassist Christian McBride had a simple formula for this Grammy-nominated album select nine compositions with simple melodies and allowed pianist Christian Sands and drummer Ulysses Owens to pour their chops over the compositions. As a bandleader, McBride has his hands in a lot of pots. He runs his Grammy-winning big band and the ensemble Inside Straight, and he made albums with each group for Mack Avenue. This trio outing, however, is his best work to date for the company. Listening to this album, I couldn’t help wondering if McBride designed the trio around Christian Sands’ chops.  Sands swings 24/7 and listening to him go-for-broke solo on “The Lady In My Life” gave my soul goosebumps.

Jacky Terrasson

Take This (Impulse!)

Ultra-conservative jazz devotees might want to put pianist Jacky Terrasson before a firing squad because of how he reworked Bud Powell’s gem “Un Poco Loco,” and Paul Desmond’s timeless hit “Take Five”. Conversely, those jazz lovers who approached the music with an open mind and who want an inspired listening experience will praise Terrasson from being a habitual risk-taker. Terrasson does some of everything on “Take This” such as singing, beatboxing, and playing the shit out the piano.

Vincent Herring

Night and Day (Smoke Sessions Records)

Alto saxophonist Vincent Herring is no stranger to red-blooded American blowing sessions. The past decade Herring has been in some memorable ones with his running buddy tenor saxophonist Eric Alexander. “Night and Day” qualify as a blowing sessions, but this time, around Herring is on the frontline with Jeremy Pelt, a trumpeter dropped from the heavens into the jazz world and has been a blessing to every band he’s played in. Pelt didn’t perform on every cut on “Night and Day”, but when Herring needed Pelt’s services he blew his ass off. Check out “The Adventures of Hyun Joo Lee” and “Smoking Paul’s Stash”.

A BEFITTING TRIBUTE TO JAZZ PIANIST & CULTURAL WARRIOR KENN COX

Kenn Cox

Inside the Knight Suite at the Carr Center Sunday evening, a long overdue tribute to the late jazz pianist Kenn Cox was held. Over four decades Cox, who died in 2008 of lung cancer, was respected around the universe as a top tier jazz pianist, composer, educator, deep thinker, and entrepreneur. Cox’s  musical accomplishments are too vast to list in a blog post. Around Detroit, he led some heavy jazz bands such as the Contemporary Jazz Quintet, the Guerilla Jam Band, and Kenn Cox and Drum.

The 90-minute tribute concert was well organized and hosted by one of Cox's protégés bassist Rodney Whitaker. Whitaker and Cox's relationship date back to the early 80’s, and during the first set, Whitaker prefaced each composition the ensemble performed with stories about his relationship with Cox.

For the first set Whitaker’s ensemble saxophonists Diego Rivera and Vincent Bowen, drummer Sean Dobbins, pianist Corey Kendrick and vocalist Rockelle Fortin performed compositions that were fixtures in Cox’s repertoire such as “Alone Together,” “You Go To My Head,” “Lamar” and “Cherokee”.  The first set was a hip dress rehearsal of sorts for the second, which featured Cox’s originals. Before the set began, Whitaker conducted a Q&A with Cox wife, Barbara.

She talked some about their marriage, revealing Cox was drawn to her early on because she was into Sun Ra, Thelonious Monk, and Archie Shepp. She also talked about the times they took one night trips to Chicago to hear Miles Davis and Jackie McLean. The Q& A closed with her reading excerpts from Cox’s journal. Then Whitaker's ensemble nearly burned up the bandstand with Cox’s original “Mandela’s Muse,” followed by “Cultural Warrior,”  “Love Dance,” "Buhanina,”  and “Beyond A Dream.”.  

Trumpeter Rayse Biggs and vocalist Shahida Nurullah were special guests. If Cox were in attendance, chances are he would’ve favorite how wonderfully Nurullah sang “Love Dance” and how angelically Rockelle Fortin sang “You Go To My Head”. 

There were many OMG moments during both sets. The tribute was befitting a jazz musician of Cox’s influence and genius. Honestly, it’s impossible to single out a standout solo or showstopper because each musician – including the four students from the Michigan State University Jazz Orchestra – showed up with their A-plus game.