25th Anniversary Catalina Jazz - LA Weekly

Alex Acuna, Barbara Morrison, Marcus Miller @ Catalina - October 17, 2011

Better than...watching half of Ken Burns' Jazz in one sitting.

Even in the heyday of jazz clubs (a day long since past) a venue was lucky if it stayed afloat for a few years. Last night, Hollywood's Catalina Bar & Grill celebrated two and a half decades as one of Los Angeles' most significant jazz clubs. It's still vibrant and swinging, but most of the attendees and performers were old enough to have been sitting at the bar back in 1986. The room was sold-out for a nearly four hour marathon of music and memories, presented by a crackerjack roster of over two dozen first-call jazzbos.

Jazz clubs, unlike most other genres, are often defined by their owners. Trying to make a living out of presenting jazz is a hands-on career that requires a physical presence few people are willing to commit to. Catalina Popescu, the club's namesake, was as much an honoree last night with every performer on stage extending their gratitude for a quarter century of service to Los Angeles' diminishing jazz community. Originally nestled on a seedy strip of Cahuenga, Catalina moved eight years ago to a cavernous business complex on Sunset Boulevard that even the biggest name has a hard time filling. With over 300 seats it is a rare treat to see the room even a quarter full, let alone standing room only on a Monday night.

The show was MC'd by KKJZ's Bubba Jackson who, along with musical director John Beasley, managed to keep the show moving fairly briskly considering the number of egos waiting for the spotlight.

A rotating rhythm section saw pianists George Kahn and David Benoit tackle a few swinging standards before flutist Hubert Laws engaged in a couple of smokey collaborations with vocalist Tierney Sutton. Fusion mainstays the Yellowjackets followed, making the audience understandably wary of six-stringed basses.

Between raffles and remembrances, the crowd began to squirm and chatter before finally being silenced by the latin contigent - saxophonist Justo Almario, pianist Otmario Ruiz, trumpeter Bobby Rodriguez and percussionist Alex Acuna. They helped to rejuvenate the crowd with a rousing version of the bop standard "A Night in Tunisia" with Rodriguez doing his best to summon the ghost of Dizzy Gillespie.

Shortly afterward, electric bassist Marcus Miller took the stage to presumably test the limits of the club's sound system. His glass rattling pyrotechnics were aided by drummer Ndugu Chanceler, keyboardist Patrice Rushen and guitar shredder Lee Ritenour, who brought the energy to an undeniable peak. The evening closed with a short set by vocalist Barbara Morrison who, despite her recent health setbacks, showed that her inimitable vocal chords and stage presence were still very much intact. After a couple of tunes, her contemplative take on "That's All" wasn't enough for the crowd, as they demanded an encore. She obliged by belting out "Swhttp://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gifeet Home Chicago" with help from another vocal legend - Bill Henderson.

Each performer, a headliner in their own right, came together in a display of camaraderie and respect that testifies to the significance of a venue like Catalina to the Los Angeles jazz community. Here's hoping for another twenty-five years.

Personal Bias: I like the old club better.

Random Notebook Dump: If a performer in a wheelchair demands that you "stand up and dance!" then you stand up and dance.

Catalina's 25th @ LA Weekly

Jazzbos & Presidents - LA Weekly

Duke Ellington and Richard Nixon spend some QT

​
Sonny Rollins is one of the greatest living jazz musicians. Since his first recording session with trombonist J.J. Johnson in 1949, he has relentlessly dedicated himself to discovering the limits of the honking beast. This Thursday he's at UCLA as part of a powerhouse quintet that will likely send shivers down your spine.

That's all well and good, but has he had his picture taken with any presidents? Absolutely! Earlier this year, President Obama awkwardly bestowed the National Medal of Arts upon him. Despite jazz's origins in back alleys and brothels, the genre has worked its way into white houses and other official venues. Thus, we now present you a new feature, albeit one you will never see here again: Pictures Of Jazz Players With Presidents!

​Jimmy Carter, Dizzy Gillespie, drummer Max Roach
No matter how many times Dizzy makes a "Salt Peanuts" joke, you have to laugh.

​Cab Calloway, Ladybird Johnson, Lyndon Johnson, vocalist Pearl Bailey
Lyndon Johnson is relieved to learn that the Hi De Ho Man and Ho Chi Minh are two very different people.

​Vibraphonist Lionel Hampton and George W. Bush
Bush goes in for the forehead kiss.

​Ronald Reagan and Ray Charles
Reagan introduces his newest Secretary of Transportation.

​Sonny Rollins and Barack Obama
Obama ponders how gray his hair will be in a year.


​Bill Clinton and bassist Ron Carter
After countless impassioned requests, bassist Ron Carter finally lets Clinton do his Stan Getz impression.

Jazz and Presidents @ LA Weekly

Gerald Wilson - NYC Jazz Record

Gerald Wilson - Legacy

In regards to jazz textbooks, Gerald Wilson used to tell
his students, “If I’m not in it, it’s not worth buying.”
That may be boastful but it is also entirely true. Since
the late ‘30s Gerald Wilson has played, written,
arranged and conducted with some of the most
important large ensembles in jazz, from Jimmie
Lunceford to Dizzy Gillespie to Ray Charles but he has
kept some of his best material for his own orchestra.

At 92 years old Wilson is a living legend who
practically defines the sound of West Coast big band.
He could easily rest on those accolades. Instead Wilson
has released Legacy, his fifth album of original material
since turning 80. The title is an apt one but Dynasty
might be even better considering the performance and
composing contributions from Wilson’s son Anthony
and grandson Eric Otis. Armed with some of the best
session musicians from both coasts (drummer Lewis
Nash, bassist Peter Washington, saxophonist Antonio
Hart), Wilson presents a set of lush compositions that
manages to address everyone from Claude Debussy
(“Variations On Clair De Lune”) to Michael Jordan
(“Cubs, Bears, Bulls and White Sox” from his 15 minute
suite dedicated to Chicago). The album opens with
Wilson’s tribute to Stravinsky by way of Ian Fleming,
injecting a brassy swing into a “Firebird” theme to
pleasant effect. Anthony Wilson’s contribution,
“Virgo”, features meditative small combo interplay
with nice unison lines between pianist Renee Rosnes
and Anthony’s guitar while Otis’ “September Sky” fits
in with the rest of the family, sensuously gliding
through a series of descending phrases.

The second half of the album “Yes Chicago Is...” is
a set of short movements that gives the horn players a
little room to shine before returning to Wilson’s dense
cloud of brass and swing. Wilson’s graceful homage to
the Windy City is a concise display of his great writing
and bandleading talents, with punctual brass and
imaginative progressions immaculately executed by an
allstar orchestra. It is always a pleasure to hear Gerald
Wilson at work. His passion seeps from every note and
this new album only further solidifies his status.

Gerald Wilson @ NYC Jazz Record

Eugene Marlow - NYC Jazz Record

Eugene Marlow Heritage Ensemble - A Fresh Take

Although this is the third release by Eugene Marlow’s
Heritage Ensemble, all but one of the nine tunes here
appeared on their debut release five years ago. The
difference on this new album is that pianist Marlow
has equipped himself with the twin attack of drummer
Bobby Sanabria and percussionist Cristian Rivera,
resulting in a cross-cultural collaboration that spins
and grooves briskly throughout.

The “heritage” in question is that of the Israelites.
All of the songs performed by Marlow’s ensemble are
Hebraic melodies - a source that works primarily
because the arrangements simply highlight the band’s
camaraderie. The album introduces itself with a
popping Latin pulse that immediately showcases the
strong interplay between the drummers. Like later
track “Bilbililos”, saxophonist Michael Hashim draws
Middle Eastern-tinged riffs from his shrill soprano,
flickering throughout his range before making way for
a drum solo. “Heine Ma Tov” has a light boogaloo feel
while Marlow’s wandering introduction to “V’Taher
Lebeinu/Yis Ma Chu” evokes a little “My Heart
Belongs to Daddy” before the entire band churns
through a straightahead blast that quietly returns to its
subtle beginnings.

“Adon Olam”, the lone new addition to the
repertoire, features Marlow’s piano in unison with
vocalist Rachel Kara Perez. Singing in Hebrew, Perez’
voice drifts and sighs for most of the song but it never
really builds much and the extended jam ends with a
crash of the cymbals. The album closes with “Avinu
Malkeinu” - a percussive stampede as energetic as the
opener. Hashim wails over an unending barrage of
percussion that pushes everyone else to a frenetic pace
with great support from Marlow.

All of the tracks are tinged by a modal sensibility
that barely dances with the realm of world music.
Marlow’s use of Hebraic melodies is an interesting
idea. It isn’t necessary to know the reference material
to enjoy the album. It may help but most importantly
the album transcends the cultural specificity of the
songs and just sounds like a well-oiled jazz band
working through a set of original arrangements.

Eugene Marlow @ NYC Jazz Record

We Want Miles - NYC Jazz Record

We Want Miles - Vincent Bessieres and Franck Bergerot

Few would argue that Miles Davis was the most
influential jazz artist of the second half of the 20th
century. His style, both onstage and off, was the
template for countless artists who followed him
whether they plugged in their instruments or
widened their ties. He was at the forefront of each
major change in the genre every time he picked up
his horn. We Want Miles, the book accompanying the
Davis retrospective hosted by Montreal’s Museum
of Fine Arts last year, is an amazing package of
remembrance that includes an unparalleled
collection of photographs and stories that succinctly
sums up the trumpeter’s wild career from the
suburbs of St. Louis to the high-rises of Manhattan.

The intimate photos, of which there are hundreds,
follow Davis from over-sized three-button suits in
the back corner of Eddie Randle’s Rhumboogie
Orchestra to standing outside of his bright yellow,
street-parked Ferrari and employing Andy Warhol
to carry the five-foot train attached to his jacket.
Buried in the images are small details that attest to
the intimacy of these rarely seen images, whether it
is a bottle of Ballantines resting on a studio piano or
a sheet of newspaper separating Davis’ sequined
pants from a grassy British parking lot.

Amid the imagery is a biography gracefully
composed by French journalist Franck Bergerot with
amusing testimonies from Ira Gitler about provoking
Davis into working harder during an early recording
date and Dave Liebman remembering his days
onstage with ‘70s-era Davis, who communicated
almost entirely through sonic hypnosis with his
youthful bandmates. The narrative covers all his
periods from bop to electric and is unbiased about
the importance of each adventurous twist.

20 years to the month after Davis’ passing his
influence has only become stronger. In this one
beautifully designed book, the Montreal Museum of
Fine Arts provides ample evidence for this
lionization. From the biography to the photos to the
color-driven layout, everything is beautifully
presented. This is a great coffee table book for
anyone interested in the image and ego Davis’ music
worked so hard to support.

We Want Miles @ NYC Jazz Record

Dave King Trucking Company - NYC Jazz Record

Dave King Trucking Company - Good Old Light

Anybody familiar with Dave King’s day job as the
drummer for The Bad Plus knows that he doesn’t so
much play the drums as pummel them. For his first
album under the Dave King Trucking Company
moniker, one of nine bands he works with, King brings
his full spirit but in a quintet that grasps a range of
influences including everything from turtle-necked
chamber music to atmospheric Brit pop.

The album opens with King on a prepared piano,
reedy vibrations popping up from his meditative
exploration. The four-minute track provides an
ominous start to an otherwise vibrant record. The full
band comes in on the second track, “You Can’t Say
‘Poem in Concrete’”, with King providing a heavy
backbeat to guitarist Erik Fratzke’s rigid barre chords
before saxophonist Chris Speed unleashes his fiery
honk over a shifting montuno. The first inklings of
straightahead swing arrive midway through the album
courtesy of the only track King did not write - Fratzke’s
“Night Tram”. The track lurches into an eventual
blowing opportunity that highlights both King and
bassist Adam Linz’ inherent rhythmic compatibility.
The ten-minute long “Hawks over Traffic” finds the
band embracing their inner Mahavishnu Orchestra,
Fratzke as sharp and punchy as John McLaughlin,
until they begin unraveling the same unison riff for
nearly four minutes with aggressively spacious
repetition. The final track, “The Road Leads Home”,
returns to King’s taste for minimalist variations. His
instrumentation, which includes two tenor saxes and
two stringed instruments, allows him to phase riffs in
and out with subtle dissonance. Midway through the
song the band makes a right turn with churning funk
from Fratzke and the bell of King’s cymbal hedging
close to all out rock ‘n’ roll before abruptly stopping.

Good Old Light is an interesting album from a very
busy man that leans as much on rock as it does on jazz.
King’s talents as a composer and arranger are engaging,
with his painstaking use of space and bombast
scattered everywhere. Worthwhile listening, if you are
ready for it.

Dave King Trucking Company @ NYC Jazz Record

Brenda Holloway - LA Weekly

Brenda Holloway Interview - LA Weekly​

Will Sunset Junction happen this weekend? It very well may, and if it does we highly recommend checking out Brenda Holloway, who plays the Hoover Stage on Saturday, August 27th at 6:30.

While still a teenager Holloway, a Watts native, began a promising career as a Motown singer. But despite hits like "Every Little Bit Hurts" and "When I'm Gone," she got lost in the Hitsville USA shuffle and retired from recording at age 25. On Saturday, Holloway will join fellow Motowners Kim Weston and the original Vandellas for a set of classic songs and Diana Ross jokes. Ms. Holloway reminisced with us by phone recently while enjoying an early breakfast.

How did you become a Motown artist?
Hal Davis and Mack Gordon got me an interview with Berry [Gordy] at a disc jockey convention. I was only 16, and singing Mary Wells' "My Guy" from nine in the morning until four o'clock in the afternoon. Eventually I told Hal, "I want to get signed to Motown. That's why we're here right? I've been in the heels for over eight hours." Shortly afterwards a little, short man came in. He said "I'm Berry Gordy, and I like what I see and I like what I hear."

Was the Motown system very competitive?
My problem wasn't with the other girls. It was with me. The ones that were making the money were getting pushed by the label. With me, they were trying to find out, "Is she jazz, gospel? What is she?" Even when I wrote "You've Made Me So Very Happy," Berry wanted to do it one way, I heard it another. So Blood, Sweat & Tears picked it up and did as I would've liked and it's still selling.

Did you tour a lot then?
My one big tour was with the Beatles. 40 days and 40 nights of excitement! Jackie Deshannon was responsible for getting me that tour. I wasn't in awe of them because they were so nice. With the Beatles, they just made you feel like you were a part of them. We used to have pillow fights on the plane. John would come to everybody to ask what they would want to eat. They were crazy wonderful people.

You're first Motown hit "Every Little Bit Hurts" was covered by everyone from The Clash to Aretha Franklin. Why do you think every version sounds just like yours?
The only person that didn't do it justice was a young lady named Alicia Keys. She wouldn't listen to the original. She didn't take time to discuss it. She could have done it a lot better if she had listened to the old school. You have to ask "what's the feel of it?" She never really captured it. You have to know the artist to sing them. I've studied Mary Wells. I've been in her presence. You know what I'm saying? That's the difference. When I sing her songs I can feel her.

You famously retired before the age of 25. Would you recommend it?
I never would recommend for anyone to retire before 25. Try to see the whole picture. Sit down and find out where you are going. Everything isn't going to flow. When people get a hold of you they won't let you go. Work with the moment. Don't just look at the hit value. I recommend retiring at 55. Try every door and facet. Find out where you are going to fit. People like Jimi and Janis were dying. I got afraid of entertainment. I was trying to figure a way to get out. So I retired, but I wouldn't recommend it.

Brenda Holloway @ LA Weekly

Jerry Leiber Remembered - LA Weekly

Jerry Leiber "Hound Dog" songwriter dead at 78 - LA Weekly

For I know just as well as I'm standing here talking to you,
when that final moment comes and I'm breathing my last breath,
I'll be saying to myself,
Is that all there is? Is that all there is?
If that's all there is my friends, then let's keep dancing
Let's break out the booze and have a ball
-"Is That All There Is?"

Lyricist Jerry Leiber passed away earlier today. Alongside his writing partner Mike Stoller, they wrote some of the most enduring hits of the '50s and '60s, including "Jailhouse Rock," "Love Potion #9," "Yakety Yak," and "Stand By Me." He was 78 years old.

Leiber met Stoller in the early '50s when he was a senior at Fairfax high school. Within two years of meeting they had their first hit with Little Willie Littlefield's mid-tempo take on "Kansas City." The song was eventually recorded by over 300 artists ranging from Little Richard to the Beatles to Muddy Waters. They followed that success with "Hound Dog," which sold well for Big Mama Thornton and sold even better for Elvis three years later. "'Hound Dog' took like twelve minutes," Leiber told Rolling Stone magazine. "That's not a complicated piece of work. But the rhyme scheme was difficult. Also the metric structure of the music was not easy. 'Kansas City' was maybe eight minutes, if that. Writing the early blues was spontaneous. You can hear the energy in the work."

Leiber and Stoller quickly grew to become the most successful writing duo in R&B, breaking open the market to white teenagers eager for new 45s. "We lived a black lifestyle as young guys. We had black girlfriends for years," recounted Leiber. "In the general sense, it was extreme. But not in the environment that we moved in. They were amused by us, two white kids doing the blues. They thought it was goofy, a lot of fun." That fun also turned into bundles of royalty checks.

In the mid-'50s, they sold their newly-formed label Spark to Atlantic Records and became hired hands for numerous Atlantic acts like the Drifters, producing "There Goes My Baby" and co-writing "On Broadway" alongside Brill Building songsters Barry Mann and Cynthia Weil. "Jerry would write in a much more abstract way, kind of throwing out lines. I was always very linear," recalled Cynthia Weil to Taxi.com. " I had to be a good girl and finish verse one before I would allow myself to have the pleasure of verse two. But Jerry said, 'Just loosen up, woman, and let's just write the song. We'll throw out lines that we think are good, and then we'll see where they go and if we can use any of them.' That's the way we kind of approached it. Then it all came together."

Their success continued through the '60s starting with productions for Ben E. King ("Spanish Harlem" and "Stand By Me") and closing with the cabaret-inflected "Is That All There Is?" - a top ten hit for Peggy Lee. The duo's last major hit was as producers of "Stuck in the Middle With You" - the rambling Dylan-esque song performed by Stealers Wheels and immortalized by Quentin Tarantino.

The music industry, from the executives to the consumers, was forever changed because of the contributions of Jerry Leiber. His clever lyrics and straight-forward rhymes were accessible to hundreds of artists and millions of listeners. He broadened the listening base for R&B and helped the lead the charge for countless musical trends for over twenty years, helping to shape the sound of rock and roll. His unparalleled legacy will be revisited for untold generations to come. He will be missed.

Jerry Leiber @ LA Weekly

Terence Blanchard - LA Weekly

Jazz Trumpeter Terence Blanchard's Five Favorite Film Soundtracks - LA Weekly

Trumpet player and New Orleans native Terence Blanchard is a very busy man, but when he isn't blasting his fiery, post-bop horn on a recording date or scoring the latest Hollywood drama, he always makes time for the stage. From August 19th through the 21st, Blanchard will bring his band to Hollywood's Catalina Bar & Grill for a display of chops and experience only a veteran can provide.

In the early '80s, at the age of 20, Blanchard joined Art Blakey's Jazz Messengers and has been working tirelessly ever since as a performer, educator (over 10 years as head of the Thelonious Monk Institute of Jazz) and, for the last 20 years, film composer. Starting with the soundtrack for Jungle Fever, Blanchard has become Spike Lee's John Williams, composing every score since, as well as composing for over 20 other films (Barbershop,Original Sin, Cadillac Records). We reached Blanchard by phone while he was reclining on his front porch to discuss his 5 favorite soundtracks of the last 25 years.

5. James Horner
Glory (1989)
"That particular score just emotionally captured something very unique. It created a sense of drama that was very heroic. It was a period piece. James Horner's use of choir along with orchestra sometimes that stuff can go a little over the top but that wasn't the case with that score. Very tastefully done."

4. Thomas Newman
Shawshank Redemption (1994)
"One of the things that amazed me about that soundtrack was that Thomas Newman had such a unique ability to create interesting sonic palettes. It's become a staple of the film industry. He is probably the most temped composer in L.A. It's pretty brilliant if you think about it. The harmonic motions he uses can basically be used in anything. I don't mean this to be disrespectful but it might sound like it: his scores create motion without going anywhere. It's so universal and so uniquely beautiful that it really caught my intention. Definitely one of my all-time favorites."

3. Cliff Martinez
Traffic (2000)
"I love that thing. It's mostly synth-based but the approach that he took to action I thought was off the chain. The natural tendency is to go in a totally different direction. I thought his choice was very brilliant. I love that score."

2. Harry Gregson-Williams
Man on Fire (2004)
"Man on Fire is one of those scores where every time I listen to it I hear something new. I'd hate to be a molecule on Harry's brain. That score dips and dives, ducks and turns. How did he even think of that stuff? It makes sense musically on its own but he was very brave in how he would introduce very drastically opposed ideas. In a way the score defines the film."

1. Harry Gregson-Williams
Narnia: The Lion, the With & the Wardrobe (2005)
"Awesome. Awesome. Harry is so versatile. The thing I love about Narnia is that it proves the range of a composer that some people don't get. If you go from Man on Fire to Narniayou see a wide range. We all get typecast for certain kinds of scores. Although we only get offered certain things all composers would like to branch out."

Terence Blanchard @ LA Weekly

Larry Graham - LA Weekly

Top Five Most Embarassing Early-'80s Soul Sell-Outs - LA Weekly

This Sunday at the Hollywood Bowl you'll be able to catch Larry Graham, wedged between performances by sand-swept Spyro Gyra and saxophone loverboy Dave Koz. But, Graham is a pioneering funk bassist, so why the heck is he a part of the Bowl's Smooth Summer Jazz concert?

Here's the story, in brief: As the original bassist for Sly & the Family Stone -- and the leader of Graham Central Station -- Graham invented an entirely new style of playing. He calls it "thumpin' and pluckin,'" everyone else calls it "slapping," but no matter: it's a percussive technique that defined funk bass for much of the '60s and '70s. Without him there would be no Bootsy Collins, no Flea, no Les Claypool and no Seinfeld theme song.

Unfortunately, during the '80s, Graham became one of many middle-aged music veterans to make some decidedly-unfunky career choices, which led him to Sunday's (now quite appropriate) appearance before the Kenny G-appreciative chardonnay crowd. And so, in remembrance of Graham's transformation from funk master to smooth crooner, we present the top five soul artists who embarrassed themselves trying to cash in.

5. Larry Graham - "One in a Million You"
From: 1980's One in a Million You

Just three years after releasing Graham Central Station's exhilirating album Now Do U Wanta Dance, Graham made his solo debut with a slow, sappy ballad that focused more on his baritone voice and synthesizer collection than on his bass skills. It was also his only #1 chart hit. He spent the rest of the decade trying to match that success, before returning to the funk with Prince's New Power Generation in the '90s.

4. Isley Brothers - "Belly Dancer, Parts I & II"
From: 1980's Go All The Way

Twenty years after "Shout," the Isley brothers seemed to be uncomfortably lusty. Forty-year-old Ronald Isley's breathy moan -- punctuated by his brothers' constant refrain of "dance for me" -- crawls for a creepy six minutes over a chunky guitar and slapped bassline. Michael Jackson's success was clearly having an effect on everyone. It should also be noted that, for some ridiculous reason, every track on the album is labeled "Parts I & II."

3. Billy Preston & Syreeta - "Love"
From: 1981's Billy and Syreeta

Less than ten years after becoming the "Fifth Beatle," keyboard prodigy Billy Preston was already making a last ditch effort on the R&B charts, with help from Stevie Wonder's ex-wife Syreeta. Together they recorded an album of treacly duets that sounded like every bad Disney ballad of the last thirty years. "Love" manages to change key every thirty seconds, taking one cheap gimmick and making an entire song out of it.


2. James Brown - "That's Sweet Music"
From: 1980's People

Sure, Brown is ripping off Arthur Conley's "Sweet Soul Music." But this pseudo-disco track's greater crime is that it features Brown attempting to scat Louis Armstrong-style. There's a reason it was the first and last time he ever tried this. The vapid background vocals and generically-produced instrumental track are a far cry from "Sex Machine." Somehow, he manages to name drop Sinatra, Nat King Cole and new wave rock, to nobody's advantage.

1. Aretha Franklin - "What a Fool Believes"
From: 1980's Aretha

Aretha's take on Michael McDonald and Kenny Loggins' aesthetic starts off promisingly enough, with multiple keyboards vibrating below her legato introduction. Unfortunately, after the first twenty seconds the track becomes a note-for-note cover of the Doobie Brothers' original, only with less personality and facial hair. The Queen of Soul covering the kings of yacht rock just feels wrong. Five years later Franklin would release another album entitled Aretha, which features a grinding duet with none other than Larry Graham.

Larry Graham @ LA Weekly