WHAT: Live taping of The Jazz Session
with vocalist Kyoko Kitamura and trombonist Jen Baker
WHEN: Sunday, July 10 at 7 p.m.
WHERE: Downtown Music Gallery, 13 Monroe St., New York, NY 10002
COST: Free

ABOUT THE EVENT:
Join Jason Crane for a live taping of The Jazz Session featuring vocalist Kyoko Kitamura and trombonist Jen Baker. If you’ve seen them perform together, you know how amazing they are. If you haven’t, you won’t want to miss it. The show is free and will be preceded at 6 p.m. by flutist Yukari with drummer Carlo Costa.

ABOUT THE PERFORMERS:
Kyoko Kitamura is a vocal improviser and composer residing in Brooklyn. She does weird things with her voice and is often a side-person for various amazing musicians. Her own songs have mildly disturbing content which may stem from her experience as a one-time war-reporter.

Trombonist Jen Baker has performed internationally in ensembles spanning from orchestra to free jazz. Awarded a Meet the Composer grant, she commissioned and performed new solo works on the east and west coasts. Baker’s solo multiphonic project, Lyrical Vibrations, has been performed around the country and can also be heard on her solo album, Blue Dreams.

ABOUT THE JAZZ SESSION:
The Jazz Session is an in-depth, online jazz interview show hosted by Jason Crane. The 280+ episodes have been downloaded more than 1.2 million times and are available for free at http://thejazzsession.com. The show is member-supported and needs to recruit 100 members by the 300th episode on August 11. Memberships start as low as $10/month. More information is available at http://thejazzsession.com/join.

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The Jazz Session #287: Nadav Remez [ 45:32 ] Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Guitarist Nadav Remez’s debut CD is So Far (Brooklyn Jazz Underground Records, 2011). In this interview, Remez talks about his musical upbringing in Israel; his willingness to let his music be beautiful; and the way he approached the recording session with a view to allowing openness and individual expression. Learn more at nadavremez.com.

Tracks used in this episode: So Far; Pinchas; The Last Exile; Susu.

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I went with Canadian singer Renée Yoxon tonight to see pianist Helen Sung‘s Electric Company with guitarist Tom Guarna, bassist Dezron Douglas and drummer Rudy Royston. Here are my photos and tweets from the show.

From Helen Sung's Electric Company at 55 Bar – June 28, 2011

“Helen Sung playing Wayne Shorter’s ‘When You Dream’ at 55 Bar.”

From Helen Sung's Electric Company at 55 Bar – June 28, 2011

“Helen Sung knows how to play a Fender Rhodes.”

From Helen Sung's Electric Company at 55 Bar – June 28, 2011

“Rudy Royston is blowing up the joint with Helen Sung at 55 Bar.”

From Helen Sung's Electric Company at 55 Bar – June 28, 2011

“Helen Sung just played a lovely version of ‘Bitter’ by Meshell Ndegeocello.”

From Helen Sung's Electric Company at 55 Bar – June 28, 2011

“This version of ‘Love For Sale’ is a little too fusiony for me, though.”
“@reneeyoxon just referred to this type of fusion as ‘man jazz.’ Let’s get that trending, OK? #manjazz”

From Helen Sung's Electric Company at 55 Bar – June 28, 2011

“Rudy Royston is really stealing the show.”

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It’s over. Four days of solid music with many outstanding performances. Last night, the Undead Jazz Fest was in Williamsburg, Brooklyn, which gave me a lovely excuse to ride from my home in Sunset Park to Williamsburg via the NYC Greenway’s Brooklyn Waterfront section.

I saw a lot of great music last night. And for the three nights before that. One thing I found myself thinking (and then tweeting) was this: “Jazzers: Smile. Talk to the audience. Acknowledge applause after songs. You don’t have to ham it up. Just let us know you know we’re there.”

I didn’t make it through the whole night last night. I discovered partway through that I was jazzed out. Here’s what I captured in photos and tweets.

From Undead Jazz Fest – Day 4 – June 26, 2011

“Nice bike ride from Sunset Park to #undeadjazz in W’Burg, where Bizingas is making it happen”

From Undead Jazz Fest – Day 4 – June 26, 2011

“Kirk Knuffke wailing his ass off with Bizingas”

From Undead Jazz Fest – Day 4 – June 26, 2011

“Ches Smith and his ‘stache laying down some Levon Helm swamp funk on Brian Drye’s tune ‘Puffer’”

From Undead Jazz Fest – Day 4 – June 26, 2011

“Marika Hues is grooving to a packed and happy house at Cubano Social. And yes, that’s Peter Lorre.”

From Undead Jazz Fest – Day 4 – June 26, 2011

“Marika Hughes playing sparkling version of ‘No Dancing’ by Don Pullen/George Adams band”
“Marika Hughes playing a love song for Gil Scott-Heron (her biggest influence) and New York City.”

From Undead Jazz Fest – Day 4 – June 26, 2011

“The stage at Cameo. We’re either about to see Jon Irabagon … or Yes in 1973.”

From Undead Jazz Fest – Day 4 – June 26, 2011

“Jon Irabagon and Mike Pride at #undeadjazz”
“This club (Cameo) is lit like one of Peter Gabriel’s nightmares.”

From Undead Jazz Fest – Day 4 – June 26, 2011

“Classic Claudia: Moran, Gress, Hollenbeck, Speed, Reichman”
“The Claudia Quintet has a very interesting timbral blend. It’s sometimes challenging to know who’s playing which notes.”

From Undead Jazz Fest – Day 4 – June 26, 2011

“The Claudia Quintet is a very serious-looking band.”

From Undead Jazz Fest – Day 4 – June 26, 2011

“Hollenbeck is a mountain of intricate sound. That metaphor doesn’t really work, but you get the idea.”
“Hollenbeck really is a monster drummer.”
“Ok, this ‘Be Happy’ tune must be ironically titled. Kick-ass tune, but nothing about it says ‘happy.’”

From Undead Jazz Fest – Day 4 – June 26, 2011

“Just chatted with Oliver Lake. Now checking out Bobby Previte’s band with Darius Jones.”

From Undead Jazz Fest – Day 4 – June 26, 2011

“I was thinking about going home — feeling a bit jazzed out — but Previtte just pulled me back in.”

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The Jazz Session #286: Matana Roberts [ 57:11 ] Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Matana Roberts has released two albums recently: Live In London (Central Control, 2011) and Coin Coin Chapter One: Gens De Couleurs Libre (Constellation, 2011). In this interview, Roberts talks about her Chicago roots and the mentorship of Fred Anderson; how she combined her musical practice with her passion for genealogy; and why working on your sound means being willing to take the slow road. Learn more at matanaroberts.com.

Tracks used in this episode: (from Coin Coin Chapter One: Gens De Couleur Libres) Rise; Pov Piti; Song For Eulalie; Kersaia; Libation for Mr. Brown – Bid Em In; (from Live In London) My Sister; Exchange.

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I got home from Day 2 at about 2 a.m. on June 25, and at 9 p.m. the same day I was back for more music, still in Brooklyn, but this time even closer to my house. I like this trend and would recommend that all future jazz festivals occur in Sunset Park.

Here’s my recap of the evening in photos and tweets. (You can follow my live tweets from the festival — and on other days, too — at http://twitter.com/jasondcrane and http://twitter.com/jazzsesh. This is a selection of the photos I took. The full album is here. And by the way, if you’re enjoying these recaps, The Jazz Session could use your help.

From Undead Jazz Fest – Day 3 – June 25, 2011

“Sylvie Courvoisier and Mark Feldman: post-apocalyptic chamber music.”

From Undead Jazz Fest – Day 3 – June 25, 2011

“Matt Wilson’s drums, pre-magic”

From Undead Jazz Fest – Day 3 – June 25, 2011

“@mattwilsonjazz delivers his promised ‘erotic press rolls’”

From Undead Jazz Fest – Day 3 – June 25, 2011

“Skate park love with @mattwilsonjazz”

From Undead Jazz Fest – Day 3 – June 25, 2011

“Devotion”

From Undead Jazz Fest – Day 3 – June 25, 2011

“Matt Wilson is easily one of the deepest, most soulful musicians I’ve ever heard.”

From Undead Jazz Fest – Day 3 – June 25, 2011

“Darius Jones bringing the cosmic soul to Littlefield”

From Undead Jazz Fest – Day 3 – June 25, 2011

“Darius Jones Trio now sounding like the vanguard of the armies of Mordor”
“Adam Lane is a badass.”

From Undead Jazz Fest – Day 3 – June 25, 2011

“This is like the soundtrack to Shaft Vs. Cthulu”

From Undead Jazz Fest – Day 3 – June 25, 2011

“Darius just dedicated this tune to ‘Billy.’ Holiday? Hart? Drummond? Bragg? (I’m kinda hoping for the last one.)”

From Undead Jazz Fest – Day 3 – June 25, 2011

“Elliot Sharp performing … or leading a meditation retreat.”

From Undead Jazz Fest – Day 3 – June 25, 2011

“Dean Bowman giving a solo gospel clinic in a darkened skate park. A sentence I never thought I’d type.”

From Undead Jazz Fest – Day 3 – June 25, 2011

“Dean Bowman now whistling more than one pitch at a time. Throat whistling?”

From Undead Jazz Fest – Day 3 – June 25, 2011

“30 seconds in and I already love this bouncing, joyful performance by Anthony Coleman”

From Undead Jazz Fest – Day 3 – June 25, 2011

“Satoshi Takeshi looks like he’s playing his drums in zero gravity”

From Undead Jazz Fest – Day 3 – June 25, 2011

“If Monk had written tunes while falling down a spiral staircase, they’d sound like Anthony Coleman’s music. Really digging it.”

From Undead Jazz Fest – Day 3 – June 25, 2011

“Electro-acoustic happy trance music from Mountains. Nice. Way too loud.”

From Undead Jazz Fest – Day 3 – June 25, 2011

“David S Ware starting with a declamatory sopranino call. Darius Jones listens from a few feet away.”

From Undead Jazz Fest – Day 3 – June 25, 2011

“The #UndeadJazz Fest: For Anyone Who’s Ever Wanted To See David S Ware Play Solo In A Skate Park By Candlelight.”

From Undead Jazz Fest – Day 3 – June 25, 2011

“You got your jazz in my dub! You got your dub in my jazz! Jamie Saft at Littlefield”

From Undead Jazz Fest – Day 3 – June 25, 2011

“RT @darylshawn Wasn’t expecting to see Larry Grenadier tonight (w/Jamie Saft and his beard) #undeadjazz / Me either. He sounds great.”
“On second thought, it’s not that surprising to see Larry Grenadier playing dub music. After all, he lives in Kingston.”

From Undead Jazz Fest – Day 3 – June 25, 2011

“Never heard – or heard of – drummer Craig Santiago. He’s the bomb. Dub drumming ain’t easy, but he makes it sound that way.”

From Undead Jazz Fest – Day 3 – June 25, 2011

“Jeff Lederer now joining Jamie Saft’s New Zion Trio. Saft: ‘It’s in E-flat.’ Lederer: ‘Let’s do it.’”

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This post is dated June 25, which is accurate because the show didn’t start until after midnight. But it was worth the wait. The format was a round robin. Dean Bowman sang solo, then was joined by Charlie Burnham. Then Dean left and Erik Friendlander played with Charlie. Then Charlie left … you get the idea. Here is one photo from each combination, in the order in which they appeared.

From Undead Jazz Fest – Day 2 – June 25, 2011

Invocation: Dean Bowman, solo

From Undead Jazz Fest – Day 2 – June 25, 2011

Charlie Burnham and Dean Bowman

From Undead Jazz Fest – Day 2 – June 25, 2011

Erik Friedlander and Charlie Burnham

From Undead Jazz Fest – Day 2 – June 25, 2011

Erik Friedlander and Elliot Sharp

From Undead Jazz Fest – Day 2 – June 25, 2011

Chris Lightcap and Elliot Sharp

From Undead Jazz Fest – Day 2 – June 25, 2011

Chris Lightcap and Brian Chase

From Undead Jazz Fest – Day 2 – June 25, 2011

Brian Chase and Darius Jones

From Undead Jazz Fest – Day 2 – June 25, 2011

Darius Jones and Jamie Saft

From Undead Jazz Fest – Day 2 – June 25, 2011

Kirk Knuffke and Jamie Saft (I couldn’t fit them both in the shot because of where I was sitting.)

From Undead Jazz Fest – Day 2 – June 25, 2011

Kirk Knuffke and Chris Speed

From Undead Jazz Fest – Day 2 – June 25, 2011

Jim Black and Chris Speed

From Undead Jazz Fest – Day 2 – June 25, 2011

Jim Black and Dave King

From Undead Jazz Fest – Day 2 – June 25, 2011

Dave King and Marco Cappelli

From Undead Jazz Fest – Day 2 – June 25, 2011

Chris Dingman and Marco Capelli

From Undead Jazz Fest – Day 2 – June 25, 2011

Chris Dingman and Eivind Opsvik

From Undead Jazz Fest – Day 2 – June 25, 2011

Eivind Opsvik solo — The End!

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The Jazz Session #285: Ike Sturm [ 42:26 ] Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Bassist Ike Sturm has composed an ambitious piece for his album Jazzmass. In this interview, Sturm talks about learning the craft of large-ensemble writing (with a bit of family help); the role his faith plays in his music; and the idea of writing programmatic music that stands on its own. Learn more at ikesturm.com.

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Here are a selection of my tweets and photos from the first night of the Undead Jazz Festival in NYC.

From Undead Jazz Fest – Day 1 – June 23, 2011

“The Mado Ensemble would make most fusion bands poop their pants.”

From Undead Jazz Fest – Day 1 – June 23, 2011

“Explosive, surpsrising, delightful playing from trumpeter Natsuki Tamura.”

From Undead Jazz Fest – Day 1 – June 23, 2011

“Amir ElSaffar dancing between the pitches at Sullivan Hall.”

From Undead Jazz Fest – Day 1 – June 23, 2011

“Sullivan Hall is packed … with zombies, from the look of this photo. Guess that’s why they call it #undeadjazz”

From Undead Jazz Fest – Day 1 – June 23, 2011

“Ingrid Laubrock. Long unaccompanied sax exploration. Sweet weeping Jesus, she’s good.”

From Undead Jazz Fest – Day 1 – June 23, 2011

“Ingrid Laubrock blowing thru mouthpiece & neck of sax into plastic cup of water, making bubble sounds.”

From Undead Jazz Fest – Day 1 – June 23, 2011

“Paradoxical Frog just couldn’t be better. Fave jazz group these days? Maybe…”

From Undead Jazz Fest – Day 1 – June 23, 2011

“RT @adlermusic Orrin Evans just blew some minds – here comes Nasheet …”

From Undead Jazz Fest – Day 1 – June 23, 2011

“@dingmanvibes is for real. My first time seeing him. Great touch and creative harmonic conception.”

From Undead Jazz Fest – Day 1 – June 23, 2011

“Palm tree over @geraldclayton’s piano at Sullivan Hall looks like Rick’s Place. #iamold #casablanca”

From Undead Jazz Fest – Day 1 – June 23, 2011

“Tonight the part of Rick Wakeman will be played by John Escreet”

From Undead Jazz Fest – Day 1 – June 23, 2011

From Undead Jazz Fest – Day 1 – June 23, 2011

“This Escreet band is hitting me right in the prog gland. Nice.”

From Undead Jazz Fest – Day 1 – June 23, 2011

“Andrew D’Angelo big band taking it to the woodshed at Sullivan Hall”
“60% of the people here are recording this. If there’s an assassination, we’ll have a lot of Zapruder films.”
“Ben Monder, folks. Right next to ‘bad motherfucker’ in the dictionary.”
“Love watching teens and twentysomethings bobbing their heads to big band music.”
“Reid Anderson is funky as he wantsta be with Andrew D’Angelo.”
“Dan Weiss + Ben Monder + Reid Anderson = rhythmgasm”

From Undead Jazz Fest – Day 1 – June 23, 2011

“Josh Sinton, seconds ago. He’s now running through Sullivan Hall soloing.”

From Undead Jazz Fest – Day 1 – June 23, 2011

“Josh Sinton & Andrew D’Angelo Live at Budokan”

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The Jazz Session #284: Peter Eldridge [ 57:44 ] Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Mad Heaven (Palmetto, 2011) is the new album by pianist and vocalist Peter Eldridge. In this interview, Eldridge talks about making a thematic album; the influence of his parents and siblings on his musical taste and career choice; and the many projects he’s working on, including a film score, a musical and a duo project with bassist Matt Aronoff. Learn more at petereldridge.com.

Tracks used in this episode: Charmer; Voce e Eu; Buffet Philosophy; Mad Heaven; No Tomorrow; Pra Machucar Meu Coracao; The Very Thought Of You.

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The Jazz Session #283: Taylor Haskins [ 51:53 ] Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Trumpeter Taylor Haskins’ most recent CD is Recombination (Nineteen-Eight Records, 2011), a companion piece to American Dream (Sunnyside, 2010). In this interview, Haskins talks about the complex vision of American that led to both records; why his website features a quote from Krishnamurti on the homepage; and how his work in the world of commercial music influences his approach to song form and his sonic palette. Learn more at www.taylorhaskins.com.

Tracks used in this episode: (from Recombination) Morning Chorale; Here Is The Big Sky; Upward Mobility; (from American Dream) Theme From Dead Man; Black Boxes; Pyramids; (from Recombination) Forgotten Memory of Something True.

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The Jazz Session #282: Lukas Ligeti [ 1:00:35 ] Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Drummer Lukas Ligeti’s most recent recording is Pattern Time (Innova Records, 2011). In this interview, Ligeti talks about his travels in Africa and how they’ve influenced his writing, particularly his approach to rhythm; how he crosses musical and cultural boundaries; and a fascinating analysis of swing. Learn more at www.lukasligeti.com.

Tracks used in this episode: Without Prior Warning; On Patterned Time; Timelessnesses; From The Ground Up; Tunnels Alight.

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The Jazz Session #281: Ben Gallina [ 51:45 ] Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Sundial Lotus (Innova, 2010) is the debut album by bassist Ben Gallina’s band Salo. In this interview, Gallina talks about composing the music for this record; how the band grew organically beyond his initial conception; and how science fiction and the works of David Foster Wallace have inspired his music. Learn more at www.bengallina.com.

Tracks used in this episode: The Sky Is An Eye; Worm Emperor; Metamorphistopheles; Obitron Revoluto; Trans-Galactic Sleep Chamber.

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The Jazz Session #280: Craig Handy [ 1:06:55 ] Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Saxophonist Craig Handy is a member of The Cookers, whose latest CD is Cast The First Stone (Plus Loin, 2011). In this interview, Handy talks about playing with Dee Dee Bridgewater, Roy Haynes and other jazz luminaries; about his youthful experiences learning the craft of section playing and how to perform in service to the music; and about how he’s matured as a player over his decades on the professional scene. Learn more at www.craighandy.com.

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The Jazz Session #279: 2011 Saratoga Jazz Fest Preview [ 49:13 ] Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

The 2011 Freihofer’s Saratoga Jazz Festival takes place Saturday and Sunday, June 25 and 26, in Saratoga Springs, NY. In this interview, festival producer and artistic director Danny Melnick takes us on a tour through the festival’s two days of music. Melnick also tells stories from his years producing festivals with Newport Jazz Festival founder George Wein. Learn more at www.spac.org/jazzfest/.

Tracks used in this episode: We’ve Only Just Begun (Ben Allison, from Action-Refraction); All Of Time (David Binney, from Graylen Epicenter); Good Morning Heartache (Dee Dee Bridgewater, from Eleanora Fagan (1915-1959): To Billie With Love From Dee Dee); Blue Boy (George Wein, from George Wein’s Newport All-Stars); Third Occasion (David Binney; from Third Occasion) Jackie-ing (Ben Allison, from Action-Refraction).

Several of the musicians appearing at the festival have been on The Jazz Session. Click on a link below to listen to an interview.

• Ben Allison
• David Binney
• Steve Cardenas (playing at the festival with Ben Allison)
• Lionel Loueke
• Rudresh Mahanthappa (playing at the festival with Jack DeJohnette)
• Luis Perdomo (playing at the festival with Rebecca Coupe Franks
• E.J. Strickland (playing at the festival with Marcus Strickland)


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