Earlier today I started tweeting a series of snarky tips for musicians and music industry folks. They were retweeted quite a bit, so I decided to collect them all here. You can follow me on Twitter at @jasondcrane. Enjoy!

• Every time your web site begins playing music automatically, a puppy spontaneously combusts.
• Every time someone is forced to visit myspace to learn more about your music, a baby seal falls into a meat grinder.
• If you’re an active musician whose web site was last updated a few months ago, you’re causing global warming.
• Every time you send out a promo CD with no track titles or musician names, a butterfly flaps its wings and they fall off.
• Every time someone visits your gig calendar and finds it was last updated in 2009, Dick Cheney shoots a guy in the face.
• Every time your bio lists your “forthcoming CD” as one that came out 3 years ago, George W. Bush chops down a redwood.
• Every time you make me type your CD details into my music software because you forgot, Donald Rumsfeld has an orgasm.
• Every time you put a comment form rather than your email address on your web site, an old person loses their health care.
• Every time your bio is a long list of the people you’ve “shared the stage with,” more oil spills into the Gulf of Mexico.
• Musicians: If you have a Twitter account & haven’t tweeted in weeks or months, you don’t have a Twitter account.

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”

Here’s a poem inspired by tonight’s show at Jazz Standard featuring Jeff “Tain” Watts, Robert Hurst and Steve Coleman:

in which we cross east 27th street at high tide

Let me say right off that this isn’t really a review. More of an impression of a very special episode of Sonny Rollins in concert. Also, I didn’t take any notes, so I can remember what I remember and that’s it. Caveat, uh, you. (UPDATE: See the comments section for song titles provided by an audience member with a much better memory.) (UPDATE 2: Peter Hum posted an article that includes the full set list. http://communities.canada.com/ottawacitizen/blogs/jazzblog/archive/2010/09/11/sonny-and-ornette-together-for-the-first-time.aspx)

The Beacon is a gorgeous venue. The sound was excellent and the ornate decorations lent the evening the feel of a big-city gala. I think that atmosphere was also helped by the fact that this was a big-city gala. The place was stuffed with famous jazz and arts folks. I sat between jazz writer Larry Blumenfeld and poet Steve Dalachinsky. Behind me was multi-instrumentalist Jonathan Batiste (of the New Orleans Batistes) and up several rows in front was saxophonist Jimmy Heath. Steve Dalachinsky and I both thought we saw the poet Yusef Komunyakaa, but we weren’t 100% sure. Anyway, the list goes on.

Sonny opened the show with the night’s “core” band: Russell Malone on guitar, Bob Cranshaw on bass, Kobie Watkins on drums (hear him on TJS #132) and Sammy Figueroa on congas. They played two tunes, the second of which was “Global Warming,” one of my favorite of Sonny’s calypso tunes. Then the parade of special guests began.

First up was trumpeter Roy Hargrove, looking modern and dapper in a tight black suit, fedora, white shirt, narrow black tie and big sneakers. Roy opened up with “I Can’t Get Started” on flugelhorn and then he and Sonny played a second tune together (no, I can’t remember which tune) that featured a lot of trading fours. In fact, probably too much trading fours. At one point Roy just started playing the head and they went out. All very good-natured and fun to watch.

The next guest was guitarist Jim Hall, with whom Sonny recorded some of his seminal albums when, as Sonny said in his introduction, “I was a very young boy.” Hall seemed fairly tentative on the guitar, even for someone famous for often understated playing. Sonny started an unaccompanied version of “In A Sentimental Mood” and Hall began to play along, quickly realizing that he and Sonny were nowhere near in tune. So Sonny added a repetitive tuning note to his solo, Hall tuned his guitar, the crowd laughed, and Hall picked up where Sonny left off, finishing with his own unaccompanied take on “In A Sentimental Mood.” There was also a second tune (nope, can’t remember it).

Following Hall’s set, the entire band left the stage, leaving Sonny there alone. He brought out bassist Christian McBride and someone he said “showed up unannounced” – drummer Roy Haynes. Can I just say that Roy Haynes is easily the baddest human being alive? He looked better than anybody in the Beacon – dressed to kill, walking cool, shades, a shiny suit and a great smile to the audience. The trio played a ballad that featured a typically high-energy solo from Roy. Then they went into a medium-tempo blues (a famous one, too, but I still can’t recall what it was). This dragged on a bit too long, and Sonny walked up to the mic while the rhythm section was playing and said, “I’ve been told there’s someone here who wants to say ‘happy birthday’ to me, and he’s got a horn. I wish he would come out right now.” Sonny kept soloing while all three musicians looked offstage, waiting.

Then Ornette Coleman walked out on stage. The place went, if I may use a technical term, batshit crazy. Everybody on their feet, yelling, screaming. Ornette soloed, then he and Sonny traded, which pushed Sonny into a more free place than at any other time during the show. It was wonderful. At that point, the band was Sonny Rollins, Ornette Coleman, Roy Haynes and Christian McBride. More than 240 years living up there on stage.

Everybody but Ornette came out for a rousing version of “St. Thomas” featuring strong solos and interplay between Sonny and Roy Hargrove. The fifth standing ovation and it was over.

I felt very, very lucky to be there.

A poem dedicated to the jazz musician Sun Ra.

to swing you in the arms of the stars

Enjoy!

I wasn’t going to write anything about Hank Jones. Then I saw an article in the New York Times that changed my mind. The article and the resulting poem are at jasoncrane.org.

I saw pianist Matthew Shipp in concert last night (April 1, 2010) in Troy, NY, as part of a series put on by the Sanctuary for Independent Media and the Arts Center of the Capital Region. It was a powerful and relentless show, and it inspired a poem called Gravity, which you can read at jasoncrane.org.

If you want to hear more from Matthew Shipp, he was my guest on The Jazz Session recently.

My latest article for the Island Packet newspaper on Hilton Head Island, SC, is a short profile of Tish Oney and her Peggy Lee Project.

Read the article.

My most recent piece for The Island Packet newspaper on Hilton Head Island, SC, is a short profile of the Hammond organ and organists Jimmy Smith and Scott Giddens.

Read the article.

My latest mini-profile for the Island Packet newspaper on Hilton Head Island, SC, is about pianist Noel Freidline. Here’s the opening:

Noel Freidline was first exposed to jazz in the usual manner: via National Geographic.

Wait a minute, National Geographic?

“My mom was briefly a member of the National Geographic album club back in the late ’70s,” Freidline said. “One of the albums they sent her that she did not actually order was a compilation album of Dixieland jazz. One day, when I was about 11 or 12, I found the album and put it on. I was fascinated. Shortly thereafter a neighbor gave me a Dave Brubeck album called ‘Time Out.’ He was probably the only person in my little hometown of Clearwater, Kan., who even knew who Dave Brubeck was. Now I was hooked.”

Read the rest of the article.

Here’s a short profile of John Pizzarelli I wrote for the Island Packet newspaper on Hilton Head Island, SC:

• John Pizzarelli performs with a song in his heart

• Steve Kuhn’s kitchen
• The lobby of Vijay Iyer’s apartment building
• A trailer behind the stage at the Albany Riverfront Jazz Festival
• James Shipp’s minivan
• …and many more!

Read: The Jazz Session: Oh, The Places You’ll Go!

These lists are always a bit ridiculous to compile, given the near impossibility of rating art and the sheer number of CDs released each year. That said, I compiled the list below for the 2009 Village Voice Jazz Critics Poll.

TOP 10
Artist – Album (Label)

1. Fay Victor – The FreeSong Suite (Greene Avenue)
2. Vijay Iyer – Historicity (ACT)
3. Darius Jones – Man’ish Boy (AUM Fidelity)
4. The Fully Celebrated – Drunk On The Blood Of The Holy Ones (AUM Fidelity)
5. The Respect Sextet – Sirius Respect (Mode)
6. Ted Sirota’s Rebel Souls – Seize The Time (Naim)
7. Digital Primitives – Hum Crackle & Pop (Hopscotch)
8. Terence Blanchard – Choices (Concord)
9. Steve Lehman – Travail, Transformation & Flow (Pi Recordings)
10. Kat Edmonson – Take To The Sky (Convivium)

TOP 3 REISSUES

1. Art Pepper – The Art History Project (Widow’s Taste)
2. Tony Bennett & Bill Evans – The Complete Tony Bennett & Bill Evans Recordings on Fantasy (Concord)
3. — not voting for a 3rd —

BEST VOCAL ALBUM

Fay Victor – The FreeSong Suite (Greene Avenue)

BEST DEBUT CD

Darius Jones – Man’ish Boy (AUM Fidelity)

BEST LATIN JAZZ CD

– not voting —

I interviewed Sonny Rollins tonight for the second time. Before the interview, I asked my wife Jennifer, who’s a casual jazz listener, what one question she’d ask Sonny if she were interviewing him. She said she’d ask him whether jazz is still relevant. So I asked him, and this is what he said:

“I think that the relevance of jazz depends on what you think jazz is. For instance, if you think that jazz is a piano trio playing in a small nightclub — they’re good musicians, maybe have a girl singer — and you come in and there are people smoking and sitting at tables … if that is your conception of jazz then of course jazz is not relevant, because that refers to a time and place. Jazz is something which is much bigger. Jazz has to do with freedom of expression. So is jazz still relevant? Of course, because there are always people trying to express themselves in music. I think of jazz as having the big umbrella, so that a lot of styles of music that have merged over the years all fall under the umbrella of jazz. The act of trying to create something musically and spontaneously is something that is a part of life. It’s like the weather — it’s always there. Jazz as something that fits into a narrow little remembrance, no, that kind of jazz is not relevant. But jazz is as relevant today as the yearning for people to be free. That’s how relevant jazz is.”

Late this past spring, I read On the Shoulders of Giants, a book by Kareem Abdul-Jabbar about the Harlem Renaissance, its music, and the effect of both on Kareem’s development as a person. I already knew about his lifelong love of jazz and his wide-ranging education and passions, and he seemed like the perfect guest for The Jazz Session … if I could book him. Little did I know that the process of not booking him would stretch out from the end of one NBA season to the beginning of the next, leaving me with a bad taste in my mouth and one basketball legend short of a show.

On June 3, 2009, I sent the following message to the various addresses listed on Kareem’s site:

Dear Kareem,

I’d love to have you on my jazz interview show, The Jazz Session. I think it would be a lot of fun for my listeners to hear your point of view on jazz, and also on the relationship between sports and music that you’ve so eloquently written and spoken about over the years. In particular, we could talk about On The Shoulders of Giants and then expand into your thoughts on jazz in general.

Recent guests on The Jazz Session include: Sonny Rollins, Jeff “Tain” Watts, Gary Burton, Hugh Masekela, Kenny Garrett and Chico Hamilton. Upcoming guest include Branford Marsalis, Avery Sharpe, Arturo O’Farrill, Gene Ludwig, E.J. Strickland and Henry Grimes. All of the shows are available to listen to at http://thejazzsession.com and in iTunes.

The Jazz Session’s 60 episodes have been downloaded more than 200,000 times. The Jazz Session recently joined forces with All About Jazz to bring my interviews to an even wider audience.

I hope you’ll agree to come on the show. I think it would be rewarding for both of us.

Sincerely,

Jason Crane

Like any initial contact by email, I felt like I was yelling “Anybody home?” in a dark house, but it was worth a shot. Imagine my surprise when just two days later, on June 5, I received the following:

Hi Jason,

Will be a happy to schedule after the Playoff Season ends.

Deborah Morales | iconomist | Iconomy, LLC  |
Private Office of Kareem Abdul-Jabbar |

Can you believe it? Not even 48 hours after I sent the message, Deborah Morales from Kareem’s office had agreed to schedule an interview. I was thrilled. I posted about the coup on Facebook and on The Jazz Session‘s newsletter, and sent a reply to Ms. Morales:

Hi Deborah,

You mean Kareem’s busy right now?

Just kidding — good luck to all concerned. I’m listening every night, and trying not to think of my defeated Celtics.

Should I contact you, or wait to hear from you?

All the best,

Jason

Kareem, of course, was on staff with the Lakers, who were deep into the playoffs on their way to their eventual victory. It was completely reasonable to be asked to wait until after the playoffs and finals were complete, and I was happy to do it. Here’s the note I included in the following week’s newsletter:

If I had a list of people I never would have expected to get for The Jazz Session, I think Kareem Abdul-Jabbar would have easily made the list. Kareem is a big jazzhead, though, and his most recent book traces the evolution of basketball from jazz to hip hop. So I sent him an email message, never expecting a response. Within 48 hours, though, his office responded and said he’d be happy to come on the show after the NBA finals. So Kareem will be a guest. Cool, huh?

The response to the newsletter and my Facebook post was immediate and very positive. Most folks who aren’t jazz fans don’t know any of the people I normally have on my show, but everybody knows Kareem. I was even stopped on the street by friends and acquaintances who congratulated me on booking him. I think my newsletter wording (“Cool, huh?”) just about sums it up.

On June 15, after the Lakers had won the championship, I sent a follow-up message to Ms. Morales:

Hi Deborah,

Congratulations to the Lakers on #15!

My listeners have been very excited about Kareem’s upcoming appearance on
The Jazz Session. I’ve received a lot of feedback already.

My show features in-depth interviews interspersed with audio clips from
the artists’ CDs. Would you send me a copy of Vols. 1-4 of On The
Shoulders of Giants so that I can pull clips from those CDs? (And so that
I can listen to them in preparation for the interview. I’ve already read
the book.) My mailing address is: XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX.

If you’re interested, I do quite a few giveaways on The Jazz Session,
usually of jazz CDs and DVDs. If there are any items Kareem would be
willing to give away, I’d be thrilled to have them.

As for the timing of the interview, I do the majority of my interviews on
weeknights at 8 p.m. Eastern or later. I can sometimes do them on weekends
if necessary. Here are several open dates when I’m available. If none of
these work for Kareem, would you suggest some alternates? Thanks.

7/22
7/23
7/24
7/30
7/31
8/3
8/4
8/5

Thanks again for your help.

All the best,

Jason Crane

It was at this point that things started to go south. Ms. Morales’ response was quick and deflating:

Hi Jason,

We did not say that Mr. Abdul-Jabbar would appear on your show
we said call us after the Playoffs. I am sorry for the confusion but
he is booked at this time.

Thank you,

Deborah Morales | iconomist | Iconomy, LLC  |

This didn’t seem to match the wording of the initial response, as I noted in my reply:

Hello Deborah,

Your previous message said: “Will be a happy to schedule after the Playoff Season ends.” I think any reasonable person would take that to mean that Mr. Abdul-Jabbar would appear on the show.

Can we make this work? I think he would enjoy, as would the thousands of listeners to The Jazz Session.

All the best,

Jason

Ms. Morales replied:

Hello Jason,

Mr. Abdul-Jabbar is booked until August, you can check back then.
Please do not announce anything to your listeners until we can find
out if we can definitely confirm an appearance. I cannot confirm
at this time.

Sincerely,

Deborah Morales | iconomist | Iconomy, LLC  |

Although I was annoyed at the change of tone, I was still more than willing to work with Kareem’s people to make the whole thing happen. Here’s my follow-up message:

Can we book something now for after August? My interview schedule is quite flexible, given that my show is not live. I’d be happy to book a September or October interview now, rather than checking in August to find that he’s booked again.

Thank you,

Jason

Once again, it was a waiting game. The NBA off-season moved into the dog days of summer, and I sent this message on August 8:

Hello Deborah,

As requested, I’m contacting you in August to get a date for Kareem to come on The Jazz Session.

As a reminder, I know how much he enjoys discussing African-American history and jazz, and those are precisely the topics I intend to cover in our audio interview. I’ll be drawing on his book, On The Shoulders of Giants.

The Jazz Session is a weekly jazz interview show in partnership with All About Jazz, the world’s most visited jazz Web site. My past guests include: Sonny Rollins, John Abercrombie, Chico Hamilton, Christian McBride, Gary Burton and many others. Upcoming guests include: Terence Blanchard, Steve Kuhn, Marian McPartland, Avery Sharpe and many more. I also feature the music of lesser-known names in the jazz world. The first 69 episodes of the show have been downloaded more than 250,000 times.

I look forward to speaking with Kareem about his impressive and varied career.

Thank you for your time.

All the best,

Jason

This time, things seemed to be looking up. I got this response from Ms. Morales on August 11:

Hello  Jason,

Pls advise if this would be a phoner or if you have a ISBN line for him to call into
or if this is a written interview.

best,

Deborah Morales | iconomist | Iconomy, LLC  |

I let her know that it would be a phone interview, unless Kareem was going to be in the NYC area with enough time to do it in-person. On August 14, Ms. Morales responded:

Hi Jason,

I am sorry but at this time Mr. Abdul-Jabbar’s schedule is just too
jammed with his schedule right now. Keep in touch.

All the best,

Deborah Morales | iconomist | Iconomy, LLC |

Why did she ask me about the format if she was going to say “no”? As you can imagine, I was starting to feel like I was getting the runaround. Still trying to be a professional, though, I responded:

Hello again,

I really feel like he would enjoy this opportunity. Can he not find 20 or
25 minutes to talk on the phone? If he’s never going to do it, I’d rather
you just tell me.

I’m asking because of my respect for him and our shared passion for this
music.

All the best,

Jason

Ms. Morales wrote back the same day:

Hi Jason,

He would love to do it, he just doesn’t have the time right now. I am sorry but all I can do is ask you try again in November

Best,
Deborah

Deborah Morales | iconomist | Iconomy, LLC |

I was frustrated and angry, but I agreed:

Hi Deborah,

Out of respect for Kareem, I’ll try one more time in November. I know he’s
busy, but so are many of the hundreds of people who’ve been on my show
over the years.

All the best,

Jason

On November 2, five months almost to the day from my initial request, I sent another interview request and a series of possible dates to Ms. Morales:

Hello again,

Here are some dates when I could interview Kareem over the next several weeks for The Jazz Session. This would be a 20-minute phone interview, taped for later airing on the show. I can start the interview at 8 p.m. Eastern Time or later.

11/9

11/11
11/13

11/14
11/15

11/20

In December, I’m wide open most evenings at 8 p.m. ET or later.

Thanks. I’m really looking forward to this interview, as are my listeners. Many people have mentioned it to me based on your initial confirmation.

All the best,

Jason

The reply came quickly:

Hi Jason,

I am sorry to disappoint but Mr. Abdul-Jabbars schedule is just to busy right now and he is constantly traveling.
I’m afraid we are unable to confirm a time at this point.

Best,

Deborah Morales | iconomist | Iconomy, LLC  |

I expected it, but I still couldn’t believe it. And I think I let some of that disbelief into my response:

Hi Deborah,

This can’t possibly be true. There is no human being alive who can’t find 20 minutes to talk on the phone. Kareem never watches TV? Reads a book? Looks at the paper? Tweets?

I’m really upset at the level of disrespect you’ve shown me since initially agreeing to the interview. Would you treat a major network or anchor this way?

You may not know who I am, and I may be a tiny player in your world, but I don’t deserve to have been strung along like this. My show, which has now been downloaded nearly 350,000 times, has a very loyal fan base of subscribers. They’ll be very disappointed at the news.

Sincerely hurt,

Jason

Ms. Morales responded within a few minutes:

No disrespect intended Jason he just does not have time in his schedule for ANY INTERVIEWS right now.

Deborah Morales | iconomist | Iconomy, LLC  |

I wrote back:

Hi Deborah,

You know that’s not true, and so do I. Are you honestly trying to tell me that in the 216,000 minutes since you agreed to book him on the show (June 5), he hasn’t had any time to spend 20 with me? I watch sports TV and listen to sports radio quite a bit, and I’ve seen and heard him on other shows.

My guess is he doesn’t even know we’ve been talking, and unlike Sonny Rollins and the other jazz legends who’ve been on my show, there’s no chance for me to communicate directly with him. It’s such a shame.

If you never intended to book him, you never should have agreed. There’s no excuse whatsoever for the way you’ve treated me.

Thanks,

Jason

Ms. Morales just didn’t seem to understand why I might be upset, and she again referred (inaccurately) to her initial email:

Jason I wish you the best with you show but you should know and understand that Mr. Abdul-Jabbar gets many requests daily and I have to make decisions  how time is best spent. I am sorry you are taking this a personal insult as it is not intended. And I have not treated you poorly as all I ever told you is that we would try to fit into his schedule and unfortunately that has not worked out. Lets just move on ….

Deborah Morales | iconomist | Iconomy, LLC  |

I sent a final email before writing this article:

Hi Deborah,

Once again, here’s your initial response to my request:

Deborah Morales wrote:

Hi Jason,

Will be a happy to schedule after the Playoff Season ends.

Deborah Morales | iconomist | Iconomy, LLC  |

Private Office of Kareem Abdul-Jabbar |

That’s not “we’ll try to work it into his schedule.”

I’m going to write an article about my experience and then move on.

All the best,

Jason

The two main emotions I feel are disappointment and anger. Disappointment because I truly wanted to talk with Kareem, who I feel has important things to say about jazz, something about which I’m very passionate. And I’m angry because I’m a professional and I take care and pride in The Jazz Session. I’ve interviewed hundreds of people over the years (in the jazz world and outside of it), and I’ve never been pushed off and strong-armed the way I was in this case.

If Kareem never wanted to do the interview, the initial response should have been a clear “no.” My guess is that it’s more likely that he doesn’t know the request was made. Either way, I expect to be treated with the same dignity and respect with which I treat my guests, and with which I try to treat everyone in my life.

I still dig Kareem and recommend his book, but I’m done begging.

Photo by Ben Johnson, Sr.

I saw organist Gene Ludwig in concert earlier tonight, and wrote these three pieces while watching the show. If you’d like to know more about Gene, listen to my interview with him on The Jazz Session.

Gene Ludwig

1.

Gone deep inside, he slides
effortlessly across the organ keys,
never losing the sense of weightlessness
every earthbound mortal
longs for.
Unlike most, he isn’t held
down by gravity, not forced to
wear the chains of step-by-step,
inch-by-inch. Instead, he
gently leaves the earth, smiling.

2.

Perhaps he’s the local mortician,
skin made alabaster through
affinity with those he serves;
or an accountant, toiling away
until life’s energy winds down
like the gold watch they’ll give him;
he could be any one of a hundred
buttoned-up Rotarians in grey flannel suits,
friends with the mayor or with
the chief of police.
Then he sits down at the organ, and
joy springs from those ivory fingers.
He strips off the grey shell,
revealing the light at his core.
That light is the only thing
that reaches us faster
than his sound.

3.

Grabbing two handfuls of
electricity, he
naturally believes that life is beautiful, that
everyone has ready access to this
level of presence, this certain
understanding of the melody.
Doubtless, they all
would trade places
if they could, exchanging
Gene’s grace for their own.

That’s the question I tackle in my latest “Jazz Don’t Hurt” column over at Popdose.com. Enjoy!

My new piece for the online pop culture journal Popdose.com is a review of the terrifyingly beautiful new CD from saxophonist Darius Jones. It’s called Man’ish Boy, and it comes out on October 13 on the AUM Fidelity label.

• Popdose.com: The Blazing Fire Of A Man’ish Boy

Here’s a video of Darius Jones with Cooper-Moore on diddley-bow, Michael Hardin on keyboard and Cleve Pozar on drums. Cooper-Moore is on Jones’ new CD.

My latest article for All About Jazz is a review of the Respect Sextet’s CD release party at Le Poisson Rouge in NYC.

My latest article for All About Jazz is a transcription of my interview with vocalist Jo Lawry.

• Read the article.
• Listen to the interview.

My latest article for the Island Packet newspaper on Hilton Head Island is a biographical sketch of Japanese jazz pianist Hiromi.

My newest article for All About Jazz is a transcript of my interview with saxophonist David Sanborn.

• Read the article.
• Listen to the show.

My latest article for The Island Packet newspaper on Hilton Head Island, SC, is about singer Rebecca Kilgore and pianist John Sheridan. Read the article.

My latest article for The Island Packet newspaper is a short biographical sketch of Bucky Pizzarelli. The posted piece is significantly shortened, but you’ll get the idea.

• Bucky Pizzarelli: Jazz Guitar Hero

My latest article for The Island Packet newspaper on Hilton Head Island, SC, is about pianist Mark Shane:

If you play pool, do it like Minnesota Fats. If you say, “Hey, hey, hey,” do it like Fat Albert. And if you play stride piano, you’d best do it like Fats Waller.

Fans of the stride piano — and of Waller’s infectious music — are in for a rare treat when pianist Mark Shane comes to the Jazz Corner on Hilton Head Island to pay tribute to Waller.

Read the rest of the article.

I’m very happy to have two interviews included in the All About Jazz list of the Top 20 Interviews of 2008. My interviews with pianists Satoko Fujii and Aaron Parks are included in the list. Thanks, AAJ!

In addition to reading the interviews at the All About Jazz site, you can also listen to the episodes of The Jazz Session that feature Fujii and Parks:

• The Jazz Session #47: Satoko Fujii
• The Jazz Session #38: Aaron Parks

My latest article for the Island Packet newspaper on Hilton Head Island, SC, is a biographical sketch of Mose Allison. Here’s the intro:

I can’t believe the things I’m seeing
I wonder ‘bout some things I’ve heard
Everybody’s crying mercy
When they don’t know the meaning of the word
A bad enough situation
It’s sure enough getting worse
Everybody’s crying justice
Just as long as it’s business first

By JASON CRANE • Special to the Guide

One could easily think those lyrics come from someone like Bright Eyes or Chuck D, but they were written in 1968 by one Mose Allison, the “Sage of Tippo, Miss.”, who performs at the island’s Jazz Corner this weekend.

Over the years that song, “Everybody’s Cryin’ Mercy,” has been covered by everyone from Bonnie Raitt to Elvis Costello, and 40 years later it still stands as a testament to the prescience, courage and conviction of one of the most original songwriters of the 20th century. Allison songs have been covered by an eclectic group that includes Van Morrison, The Who, The Clash and The Yardbirds.

You can read the rest here.

A transcript of my recent interview with saxophonist Donny McCaslin (Show #39) is now available at All About Jazz.

• Read the article.

My latest article for All About Jazz is an interview with saxophonist and composer John Ellis:

Saxophonist John Ellis is a hybrid of New Orleans funk, New York modernity, Presbyterian sanctification and good ol’ performing skills. He blends all those things together on his new record, Dance Like There’s No Tomorrow (Hyena, 2008), which features saxophone, sousaphone, organ and drums.

Ellis celebrated the release of his new album with a two-night stand at the Jazz Standard in New York on May 13 and 14, 2008, participating in the following interview on May 14 just before taking the stage for the first set, where he spoke about getting the band together, the sousaphone, and music past, present and future.

• Visit All About Jazz to read the interview, and watch this space for the next episode of The Jazz Session with John Ellis, featuring music from his new album.

My latest article for All About Jazz is an interview with percussionist and educator Bobby Sanabria:

Bobby Sanabria is a living museum of Afro-Cuban music. Sanabria is a percussionist, drummer and educator who is at the forefront of Afro-Cuban music—particularly the frontier where it intersects with jazz. In 2007, Sanabria released Big Band Urban Folktales (Jazzheads, 2007), an album he says takes the music “beyond the 21st century.” Jason Crane, AAJ contributor and host of The Jazz Session, sat down with Sanabria in May 2007 to talk about the history of Afro-Cuban music, Sanabria’s own career, and “The Ugliest Man In America.”

• Read the entire article.

My latest article for All About Jazz is an interview with Russian-born, Jersey-raised pianist Misha Piatigorsky:

Russian-born pianist Misha Piatigorsky fled from behind the Cold-War-era Iron Curtain with his family to make a new life in a small New Jersey town. He started out as a classical pianist before discovering jazz. Since that discovery, he’s moved from bebop to Brazilian to groove music, melding them all seamlessly on his record, Uncommon Circumstance (Misha Music, 2007). Jason Crane, AAJ contributor and host of The Jazz Session, spoke with Piatigorsky in April 2007.

• Misha Piatigorsky: Invent Your Own Bicycle

Here’s my latest article for The Island Packet:

Freddy Cole keeps jazz in the family
By JASON CRANE
Special to the Guide
Published Friday, February 1, 2008

Yes, singer Freddy Cole is Nat’s brother and Natalie’s uncle, and no, that’s nowhere near the end of the story.In fact, the New York Times has called Cole “the most maturely expressive male jazz singer of his generation, if not the best alive.”

There’s no question that Cole is a pianist and singer with impressive chops: He’s got a warm baritone voice that melts over his words and makes them go down easy, and he’s got a swinging piano style that can drive a fast number or lope along lightly on the ballads. Island audiences can check out his style at a series of performances over the weekend at the Jazz Corner.

Freddy Cole was born in 1931, the last of five children in the Cole family. “I started playing piano at five or six,” said Cole. “Music was all around me.”

He had three older brothers. Eddie Cole was in a band called the Solid Swingers that gave brother Nat his first shot at recording. Ike Cole also played piano and sang, after starting out on the bass drum in a military band. And Nat — well, Nat “King” Cole, of course, became one of the most influential and admired pianists and singers of the 20th century.

With all those musicians at home, it’s no surprise that casa Cole was filled with famous names of the swing and big-band era — names like Duke Ellington and Count Basie, and another famous singer and bandleader, Billy Eckstine.

Cole said Eckstine “was a fantastic entertainer. I learned so much from just watching and being around him.”

Freddy Cole had a shot at football stardom, but a hand injury took him out of NFL contention and into the nightclubs of Chicago, where as a teenager he played piano and sang.

But unlike many club singers who hone their craft in piano bars and juke joints, Freddy Cole seasoned his style with stints at two of the great American institutions of music: first at Juilliard in New York City starting in 1951, and then at Boston’s New England Conservatory, where Cole earned his Master’s.

He spent some time on the road with bandleader Earl Bostic, then settled back in New York to work the clubs and expand his repertoire. He also spent time in the studios, recording music for television and writing radio jingles.

Cole’s recording career spans more than 50 years. He made his first record in 1952, and he’s continued to turn out albums ever since. His most recent recording is 2007′s “Music Maestro Please” with pianist Bill Charlap’s trio. Other standouts from the Cole discography include “A Circle of Love” (1996), “This Is The Life” (2000) and “I’m Not My Brother, I’m Me” (2004).

• Ingrid Jensen — Viking Spirit
• Steve Swallow — The Poetry of Music

You can read the entire list at AAJ’s site.

Here’s my latest article for The Guide, the entertainment magazine put out by The Island Packet newspaper on Hilton Head Island, South Carolina. This piece is credited on the Web site to “Joshua Klein.” I promise, I wrote it.

Cookie Coogan: Straight Outta Maine
BY JASON CRANE
Published Friday, November 9, 2007

When most people hear the word “jazz,” they associate it with particular geographic areas, such as New York City, Chicago, New Orleans and, um, Maine?

“I was introduced to jazz as a junior high school student in rural Maine,” said pianist and vocalist Cookie Coogan.Many of the school music teachers in the area were and are also fine jazz musicians. I started out playing piano and vibes in the school stage band and went on to study at Maine Jazz Camp during the summers.”

Singing has been a part of Coogan’s life for as long as she can remember. “I have always been a singer,” Coogan said. “My mother is an excellent amateur singer and I began singing with her and my sister in church and the community at a very young age. I think I took my first solo at a Grange meeting when I was 4!”

As for piano playing — that came later, although she began working on her jazz piano skills before she tried her hand at jazz singing. She was tough on herself as a pianist and would sometimes cry during her lessons if she couldn’t play something the right way. Her teacher suggested she sing something.

“I kind of knew ‘Misty,’ so I sang that for him. He taught me about putting the song in my own key and had me sing it again. It must have been decent, because at the end he looked at me and said, ‘Honey, you’re a singer. You’ve got soul.’ That was probably the moment I became a serious singer. I stopped taking piano lessons and took up voice lessons instead!”

Coogan had a chance to sing for bebop pioneer and jazz master Dizzy Gillespie — an experience she remembers fondly. It happened when she met Dizzy backstage at a concert when she was 14 years old.

“I sang, ‘I Get a Kick out of You’ for him, but instead of leaving the space for the band, I just went from one phrase to the next, to save time. [Dizzy] complimented my voice, joked around about taking me on the road and stuff, then he said, ‘You know, you got a lot going on. You could really do this, but I’m gonna give you some advice. Now, when you sing the words, even if the band isn’t there, you still gotta leave the space for them and hear the band in your head.’ That advice stays with me and works to this day.”

Coogan will be performing at the Jazz Corner with the Bob Alberti trio. “Rhythm is very important to me, and while I’m sure to sing a couple of slow and easy ballads and a bossa nova or two, my favorite thing to do is to swing like crazy!”

My latest article for All About Jazz is an in-depth interview with drummer Jeff “Tain” Watts:

If you’ve listened to any jazz at all in the past couple decades, you’ve probably heard drummer Jeff “Tain” Watts. His discography is long and impressive, including appearances on many Grammy-winning and critically acclaimed recordings by various men named Marsalis. He’s also led several of his own dates, including the new album Folk’s Songs (Dark Key Music, 2007) with his band The Ebonix.

All About Jazz contributor Jason Crane talked with Watts about his roots, his musical relationships, and the burgeoning career of vocalist Juan Tainish.

• Read the rest of the article at All About Jazz.
  

  

  ]]> http://thejazzsession.com/2007/10/15/article-jeff-tain-watts-jazz-for-the-modern-age/feed/ 0 http://thejazzsession.com/2007/10/05/article-dirty-dozen-brass-band-is-fighting-for-a-city/ http://thejazzsession.com/2007/10/05/article-dirty-dozen-brass-band-is-fighting-for-a-city/#comments Fri, 05 Oct 2007 18:19:12 +0000 Jason Crane http://thejazzsession.com/2007/10/05/article-dirty-dozen-brass-band-is-fighting-for-a-city/ Here’s my latest for The Guide on Hilton Head Island:

  Dirty Dozen Brass Band is fighting for a city
  By JASON CRANE
  Special to the Guide
  Published Friday, October 5, 2007

  It’s been two long years since a combination of natural force and human weakness shoved New Orleans’ head under the water and held it there, two long years since the city that gave birth to jazz found its horns — both musical and automotive — silenced by a rush of water through levees and dams that the government said were safe. Two long years.

  So what’s going on?

  Trumpeter and flugelhornist Efrem Towns, an original member of New Orleans’ own Dirty Dozen Brass Band, says Hurricane Katrina “exposed a lot of issues and social irregularities that shouldn’t be tolerated in the society we live in, but appear in our own backyards. New Orleans will prevail, but as far as the social stuff, it’s what’s been going on. It takes a catastrophe like Katrina to expose the whole thing.”

  As it turns out, even something like Katrina isn’t enough to keep a good city down, and the city’s most prolific brass band, which performs in Savannah tonight, is back with a new album that’s helping to bring some much-needed musical and financial relief to the Crescent City.

  That album is “What’s Going On,” released last year on the first anniversary of Katrina. It’s a musical reworking of the Marvin Gaye classic and a tribute to the city that couldn’t be sunk, all full of swampy backbeats and the thick brass sound that has made the Dirty Dozen one of the city’s quintessential musical outfits. A portion of the proceeds from the record goes to Tipitina’s Foundation (tipitinasfoundation.org), a nonprofit working to restore New Orleans’ musical culture.

  Moreover, to make the point that the city’s influence extends far beyond its borders, the Dirty Dozen are joined on the record by a roster of stellar guests, including Public Enemy founder Chuck D, soul singer Bettye LaVette, G. Love, Guru from the seminal hip-hop outfit Gang Starr, and New Orleans’ own Ivan Neville.

  Dirty Dozen co-founder and trumpeter Gregory Davis is clear about the album’s — and the band’s — message these days. “It just made sense in light of all that happened with the storm,” he said. “But even beyond that, to ask ‘What’s going on?’ in the world makes sense. What happened with 9/11, what happened with the tsunami, what happened with the earthquakes over in Iraq and Afghanistan, what’s happening with the so-called war. What’s really going on?”

  The Dirty Dozen Brass Band has spent three decades forging powerful music from the elements of New Orleans jazz, R&B, hip-hop, funk and pop. They’ve been to more than 65 countries on five continents, but New Orleans will always be home, despite what they’ve lost.

  “I’m not talking about clothes and shoes and material things, but family albums,” said co-founder and baritone sax player Roger Lewis.

  “I have a 7-year-old daughter. I had pictures of myself as a child, but I can’t share them with her because they were destroyed. All she’s really going to know is her dad as a 64-year-old man.”

  

  ]]> http://thejazzsession.com/2007/10/05/article-dirty-dozen-brass-band-is-fighting-for-a-city/feed/ 0 http://thejazzsession.com/2007/10/01/article-wayne-escoffery-past-and-future/ http://thejazzsession.com/2007/10/01/article-wayne-escoffery-past-and-future/#comments Mon, 01 Oct 2007 11:11:02 +0000 Jason Crane http://thejazzsession.com/2007/10/01/article-wayne-escoffery-past-and-future/

  

  My latest article for All About Jazz is an interview with saxophonist Wayne Escoffery:

  Saxophonist Wayne Escoffery has plotted a smart course to success in jazz, one based on strong educational foundations and constant exposure to the best musicians in the business. From his early days with the Jazzmobile and Artists Collective to his time at The Hartt School and the Thelonious Monk Institute, Escoffery used every opportunity to grow as an improviser, composer and bandleader. His new album is Veneration (Savant, 2007). All About Jazz contributor Jason Crane talked with Escoffery about Jackie McLean, jazz education, and improbable meetings on Valentine’s Day.

  • Read the rest of the article at All About Jazz.
    

    

    ]]> http://thejazzsession.com/2007/10/01/article-wayne-escoffery-past-and-future/feed/ 0 http://thejazzsession.com/2007/09/24/article-ingrid-jensen-viking-spirit/ http://thejazzsession.com/2007/09/24/article-ingrid-jensen-viking-spirit/#comments Tue, 25 Sep 2007 03:10:59 +0000 Jason Crane http://thejazzsession.com/2007/09/24/article-ingrid-jensen-viking-spirit/

    

    My latest article for All About Jazz is an extended interview with trumpeter Ingrid Jensen.

    For years, trumpeter Ingrid Jensen wanted to bring together her friend, pianist Maggi Olin, and her sister, saxophonist Christine Jensen, for an album celebrating their shared Nordic ancestry. That album is Flurry (ArtistShare, 2007), by their band Nordic Connect. It’s another deep and moving recording from the Juno-Award-winning Jensen. All About Jazz contributor Jason Crane talked with Jensen about the Viking feeling, the long road to her present success, and whether or not Phil Woods, Bob Brookmeyer and Bobby Shew are crazy.

    • Read my interview with Ingrid Jensen.

    

    ]]> http://thejazzsession.com/2007/09/24/article-ingrid-jensen-viking-spirit/feed/ 0 http://thejazzsession.com/2007/09/14/articles-savannah-jazz-festival-coverage/ http://thejazzsession.com/2007/09/14/articles-savannah-jazz-festival-coverage/#comments Fri, 14 Sep 2007 21:08:45 +0000 Jason Crane http://thejazzsession.com/2007/09/14/articles-savannah-jazz-festival-coverage/

    I wrote the Savannah Jazz Festival coverage for The Guide, the weekly entertainment magazine on Hilton Head Island. Here’s are the links, along with the full text of all three stories:

    • John Lee Hooker Jr. keeps name alive
    • Savannah bassist Tucker is living jazz history
    • Savannah Jazz Festival schedule of events

    Full articles follow…
    

    John Lee Hooker Jr. keeps name alive
    By JASON CRANE
    Special to the Guide
    Published Thursday, September 13, 2007

    His name is the musical equivalent of JFK Jr., and he’s chosen a career in the same field as his father: the blues.

    So has it been a blessing or a curse for John Lee Hooker Jr., to walk through life with his famous name?

    “I have been blessed by God to carry such a great name and legacy,” said Hooker, who’ll be in Savannah on Sept. 27 for this year’s Savannah Jazz Festival. “My career has been blessed as well, but I had better be authentic and real carrying the Hooker name, or I’d have to duck the eggs and tomatoes.”

    He hasn’t been ducking much food these days. His first album, “Blues With A Vengeance,” was nominated for a Grammy in 2005 in the Traditional Blues category. That same year, he won the W.C. Handy Award for Best New Artist Debut.

    “Like Lou Rawls sang, ‘It was a very good year,’ ” Hooker said. “We also won Comeback Artist of the Year, as well as Best Traditional Blues” at the California Music Awards.

    It wasn’t a guaranteed path to glory for John Lee Hooker Jr. He got off to a strong start, performing with his dad in his early teens and recording his first album alongside his father at 18 years old.

    “It was awesome!” he said of seeing crowds react to his father. “Watching all those people yell and girls scream, I almost thought they were doing it because of me. At least I pretended they were. It was great to see how he could command attention. He, in his performances, was hypnotic.”

    FINDING HIS STRENGTH

    But the musician’s life came with more than applause and bus rides. According to Hooker’s biography, “drugs, alcohol, divorce, incarceration, and death” kept him off stages and in trouble for more than two decades. So how did he get back on track?

    “Well, when you don’t have any strength, then you ask the giver of strength to give you some. So I asked God and he provided,” Hooker said. Now his career is humming along again. Hooker has shared the stage with a juke-joint-full of classic blues artists, including A-listers such as B.B. King, Johnny and Edgar Winter, Lucky Peterson, Bo Diddley, Charlie Musselwhite, Koko Taylor, Johnny Johnson and Elvin Bishop. “People are starving for good blues,” Hooker said. “No barriers are in front of the stages. The blues, it’s like a souvenir, an autograph from a big-shot celebrity. It is, as it were, invaluable to hear this blues coming from the other side of the world.”

    Hooker’s second album, “Cold As Ice,” is receiving the same sunny reviews as his first record. He said he wants the disc “to reach every ethnicity, color, creed, (age), sexuality — all people of all walks of life. Everybody’s got something in this album.”

    Hooker’s set kicks of at 9:30 p.m. in Forsyth Park during the Savannah Jazz Festival. For those who plan to attend, he has this warning: “Expect lots of fun, dancing, hand-clapping and singing along,” said Hooker. “But I must ask that you warn the people to not get too close to the stage. It is highly possible that if they do, they will get burnt by some of the hot grease that will be descending from the platform. Unless they are wearing grease-repellant pantyhose or jeans, I would advise that they stand their distance. The people are about to ‘cook with the hook.’”

    * * *

    Savannah bassist Tucker is living jazz history
    By JASON CRANE
    Special to the Guide
    Published Thursday, September 13, 2007

    There’s a giant living in Savannah.

    No, not the kind with a magical harp and a doubloon-laying goose — a musical giant. He plays the bass, and his name is Ben Tucker.

    Check out the liner notes of classic albums by saxophonist Art Pepper, guitarists Kenny Burrell and Grant Green or pianists Sir Roland Hanna, Joe Zawinul and Teddy Edwards, and you’ll find the bass chair filled by Savannah’s Tucker. His tales from the stage and studio read like a jazz history book.

    Tucker on Pepper: “I met Art Pepper in L.A. after playing in and around various jam sessions. After he heard me play, he wanted me to be part of his quartet. He became my mentor, whether he knew it or not. It was purely improvisational, and it worked. And that’s what jazz is all about.”

    On Grant Green: “Grant Green is one of the most underrated guitarists. He couldn’t read music, but when he heard it, it was in his mind, heart, body and soul. The music he created was like pure mountain air that regenerated the soul of man. I recall when Grant Green first hit New York that we ended up in the studio and recorded for days and days and days. He was the talk of New York City at that time. One of the greatest recordings of Grant Green is the Dave Bailey album ‘Two Feet in the Gutter.’ It was greatly underrated.”

    Tucker, who’ll perform Sept. 26 as part of the Savannah Jazz Festival, has lived in Savannah ever since leaving New York City in the 1970s. He said he came to “start a new career in radio when I bought radio station WSOK. I bought the station with (jazz pianist and educator Dr.) Billy Taylor and Doug Pugh. We felt very strongly that African-Americans were not receiving the best in programming, including music, news (and) talk radio on topics of health, education, and political issues.”

    Tucker soon moved from radio entrepreneur to club owner. “The club was called Hard-Hearted Hannah’s and it was started by my wife, Gloria, and I in City Market,” said Tucker. “It became the top jazz club in the Southeast, so much so that a couple of movies were shot there, one with Wayne Shorter playing tenor saxophone.”

    Tucker’s third club location was Hannah’s East. He says there are advantages to having your own place.

    “The advantage of being a jazz musician was that we were able to put together a club with great ambience, atmosphere and acoustics,” Tucker said. “The staff was musically in tune to creative music being performed When Clint Eastwood filmed ‘Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil’ in Savannah, Hannah’s hosted a party for him. He was mesmerized by the music, the ambience and the quality of the club.”

    * * *

    Savannah Jazz Festival schedule of events
    By JASON CRANE
    Special to the Guide
    Published Thursday, September 13, 2007

    Lately it seems like every town with more than one stoplight has a jazz festival. They vary in length, number of venues, cost and, sadly, jazz content. Yet Savannah can hold its head high, because the 2007 Savannah Jazz Festival has plenty of jazz by some of the music’s greatest living practitioners. Oh, and it’s all free.

    Sept. 26: Jazz Goes South

    The festival kicks off at a new venue — Armstrong Atlantic State University — and the newest generation of jazz musicians: the Savannah Arts Academy Skyelite Jazz Band, which takes the stage at 7 p.m. Following the Skyelite crew at 8:15 p.m. is One Leg Up, a quintet that brings back the “gypsy jazz” sound popularized by guitarist Django Reinhardt and violinist Stephane Grappelli in the 1920s, ’30s and ’40s. Savannah resident’s bass master, Ben Tucker, has played with everyone from Art Pepper to Grant Green to Bob Dorough (the creator of Schoolhouse Rock). Tucker brings a strong band, featuring vocalist Lynn Roberts, to round out a swinging evening at 9:30 p.m.

    Sept. 27: Blues Under The Stars

    On Thursday, the music moves to Forsyth Park, where it remains for the rest of the festival. The festival gets its blues on, too, starting with Savannah’s Eric Culberson and his fiery guitar at 7 p.m.

    At 8:15 p.m., the spotlight shifts to South Carolina, as Columbia-based Elliott and the Untouchables show why they’ve opened for Van Morrison. His father’s name is synonymous with the blues, but John Lee Hooker Jr., is his own man. See how strong DNA turns out to be when Hooker “cooks with the hook” at 9:30 p.m.

    Sept. 28: Smooth And Saxy

    Don’t let the night’s theme fool you: “Smooth and Saxy” may sound like a ringtone, but there’s more than enough of the real thing to keep purists happy, and enough accessible melody to bring in new fans, too. It’s hard to know what to say about a band that’s opened for both the Beach Boys and Public Enemy, but Between 9 & 7 will let their music do the talking in Forsyth Park at 7 p.m.

    The soprano saxophone gets a bad rap because of one Mr. Gorelick, but it’s important to remember that John Coltrane and Steve Lacy played it, too. Soprano saxophonist Dee Lucas is making a name for himself outside his native Atlanta, having performed with everyone from Hugh Masekela to five-time Grammy-nominated singer Nneena Freelon. His set starts at 8:15 p.m.

    At 9:30 p.m., one of jazz’s longest-lasting ensembles comes to Savannah. Yellowjackets (no “the,” please) features saxophonist Bob Mintzer, bassist Jimmy Haslip, pianist Russell Ferrante and drummer Marcus Baylor — each a respected player in his own right. For this performance, they’ll add saxophonist Eric Marienthal, best known for his years with Chick Corea.

    Sept. 29: Beautiful City, Beautiful Music

    On Saturday, Forsyth Park is the place to be for fans of hard-swinging, smart, in-the-pocket, root-to-the-fruit jazz.

    To start with, there are piano players and there are piano players. In the latter category of musicians who’ve brought new life and intelligence to the instrument is Kenny Barron, who plays at 7 p.m. Any chance to see Barron is a chance worth taking, but this is a must-see gig, as it pairs him with drummer Ben Riley, longtime musical companion of Thelonious Monk. Barron and Riley go way back, having played in the ’70s and ’80s with bassist Ron Carter.

    Are there any John Coltrane fans in the house? Stick around after the Barron/Riley show, because drummer Rashied Ali brings the noise to the park at 8:15 p.m. This is a rare opportunity to see Ali, who seldom performs outside New York City. Ali replaced Elvin Jones as Coltrane’s drummer during the latter stages of the saxophonist’s career, appearing on Coltrane’s final recordings, “Olatunji Concert” and “Interstellar Space.”

    At 9:30 p.m., one of today’s top saxophonists takes the stage: Vincent Herring will join the Savannah Jazz Orchestra, a 16-piece band co-led by Randall Reese and Teddy Adams.

    Also, each night during the festival, head over to Kokopelli’s at 107 W. Broughton St. for the After Festival Jam Session. You never know who might show up. The jam session starts at 11 p.m. each night.

    

    ]]> http://thejazzsession.com/2007/09/14/articles-savannah-jazz-festival-coverage/feed/ 0 http://thejazzsession.com/2007/08/28/article-audrey-shakir/ http://thejazzsession.com/2007/08/28/article-audrey-shakir/#comments Wed, 29 Aug 2007 01:01:48 +0000 Jason Crane http://thejazzsession.com/2007/08/28/article-audrey-shakir/

    Here’s my latest piece for The Guide, the weekly entertainment magazine on Hilton Head Island, SC. This version is slightly longer than the piece that ran, which was the victim of space considerations.

    For vocalist Shakir, jazz music is in the blood
    By JASON CRANE
    Special to the Guide

    When Atlanta’s Audrey Shakir sings at The Jazz Corner on August 24-25, she’ll be bringing more than one generation of musical DNA to the stage with her.

    “I grew up in a musical family,” Shakir said. “My mother was Ruby Patton, a very well respected musician in the Cleveland, Ohio area, with some national standing as a church musician. I was the oldest of five children, and a regular part of our upbringing was to learn to play the piano. So I really can’t remember not being able to read music. I did the usual — sang in and played for church and school choirs. And in our house, we grew up listening to everything. My folks really loved the big bands and swing music, so we heard a lot of that.”

    Shakir said that television played a part in her musical education, too, in the days when jazz and swing artists made regular appearances on the small screen.

    “There were variety shows where one could see Ella Fitzgerald and the Count Basie Band,” said Shakir. “I remember seeing [Ella] sing with Duke Ellington on television, and with Joe Pass once. The Nat King Cole Show was just swinging.”

    Early in her career, Shakir honed her musical chops singing then-current music by Chaka Khan and Stevie Wonder. It wasn’t long, though, before she made the move to jazz.

    “Pop music was easy to start with,” said Shakir, “because it’s all given, you know what I mean? But the regular comment I tended to get was something like ‘That’s nice, but it isn’t quite right.’ It seems to me that when performing pop music, one really needs to be like a record player. Everyone knows how it goes, so you just reproduce what everyone knows. So it was more or less put on me that I was trying to be a jazz musician, because everything I did was kind of my way anyway.”

    Like many aspiring jazz musicians, Shakir moved to New York City to try her hand on the world’s biggest stage. For nearly a decade, she sang in New York clubs and went to nightly “classes” with the great names of jazz.

    “New York was a great big school of music for me,” said Shakir. “I remember one jam session at the Star Cafe on 23rd Street, I think it was, and I was sitting at the piano. [Trumpeter] Tommy Turrentine was there, [pianist] Albert Daley, and someone called for ‘Sweet Georgia Brown.’ I said I didn’t know it and moved away from the piano. Tommy made me sit there and we went over that tune until I could play it — badly. Everyone just stood around until the lesson was over. I found a great deal of encouragement in New York.”

    Shakir often performed and studied with bebop piano master Barry Harris, who is famous not only for his playing, but for his weekly teaching sessions that are frequented by newer musicians and veterans alike.

    “I still call him to see how he is, to hear his voice,” she said. “He has a way of teaching — maybe coaching is a better term. He doesn’t crank out jazz musicians; he doesn’t show you how to be a jazz musician. He has a way of helping you discover what you want to do, how you want to express yourself. He’s one of the most thoughtful persons I have met in my life.”

    Shakir will be singing with pianist Justin Varnes and his trio when she performs at The Jazz Corner.

    “Expect to hear people trying to match the high level of proficiency that has been set by the earlier practitioners,” she said. “We work individually to develop ourselves as musicians, and we are working together to develop strong group concepts.”

    

    ]]> http://thejazzsession.com/2007/08/28/article-audrey-shakir/feed/ 0 http://thejazzsession.com/2007/08/19/article-terry-blaine/ http://thejazzsession.com/2007/08/19/article-terry-blaine/#comments Mon, 20 Aug 2007 02:12:34 +0000 Jason Crane http://thejazzsession.com/2007/08/19/article-terry-blaine/ Here’s my latest piece for The Guide, the weekly entertainment magazine on Hilton Head Island, SC:

    

    • Terry Blaine: It don’t mean a thing if it ain’t got that swing

    

    ]]> http://thejazzsession.com/2007/08/19/article-terry-blaine/feed/ 0 http://thejazzsession.com/2007/07/30/article-rick-parker-finding-his-own-space/ http://thejazzsession.com/2007/07/30/article-rick-parker-finding-his-own-space/#comments Mon, 30 Jul 2007 12:34:57 +0000 Jason Crane http://thejazzsession.com/2007/07/30/article-rick-parker-finding-his-own-space/

    

    The transcript of my interview with Rick Parker is now available at All About Jazz.

    • READ
    • LISTEN
      

      

      ]]> http://thejazzsession.com/2007/07/30/article-rick-parker-finding-his-own-space/feed/ 0 http://thejazzsession.com/2007/07/16/article-lisa-roti-bringing-chicago-jazz-to-the-world/ http://thejazzsession.com/2007/07/16/article-lisa-roti-bringing-chicago-jazz-to-the-world/#comments Mon, 16 Jul 2007 17:53:35 +0000 Jason Crane http://thejazzsession.com/2007/07/16/article-lisa-roti-bringing-chicago-jazz-to-the-world/

      Here’s my latest piece for The Guide, the weekly entertainment magazine on Hilton Head Island, SC:

      • Lisa Roti bringing Chicago jazz to the world

      

      ]]> http://thejazzsession.com/2007/07/16/article-lisa-roti-bringing-chicago-jazz-to-the-world/feed/ 0 http://thejazzsession.com/2007/06/12/article-christine-jensen-looking-left/ http://thejazzsession.com/2007/06/12/article-christine-jensen-looking-left/#comments Tue, 12 Jun 2007 13:35:11 +0000 Jason Crane http://thejazzsession.com/2007/06/12/article-christine-jensen-looking-left/ My most recent interview for All About Jazz is with saxophonist and composer Christine Jensen:
      • Read the article

      

      ]]> http://thejazzsession.com/2007/06/12/article-christine-jensen-looking-left/feed/ 0 http://thejazzsession.com/2007/06/11/article-luis-perdomo-venezuelan-connection/ http://thejazzsession.com/2007/06/11/article-luis-perdomo-venezuelan-connection/#comments Mon, 11 Jun 2007 12:17:52 +0000 Jason Crane http://thejazzsession.com/2007/06/11/article-luis-perdomo-venezuelan-connection/ My latest article for All About Jazz is an interview with Venezuelan pianist Luis Perdomo.
      • Read the article

      

      ]]> http://thejazzsession.com/2007/06/11/article-luis-perdomo-venezuelan-connection/feed/ 0 http://thejazzsession.com/2007/06/08/article-marlene-ver-planck-chicago-tribune/ http://thejazzsession.com/2007/06/08/article-marlene-ver-planck-chicago-tribune/#comments Fri, 08 Jun 2007 14:43:16 +0000 Jason Crane http://thejazzsession.com/2007/06/08/article-marlene-ver-planck-chicago-tribune/

      My article on Marlene Ver Planck was picked up by The Chicago Tribune:

      • Read the article

      

      ]]> http://thejazzsession.com/2007/06/08/article-marlene-ver-planck-chicago-tribune/feed/ 1 http://thejazzsession.com/2007/06/06/article-edward-simon-la-musica-bilingue-bilingual-music/ http://thejazzsession.com/2007/06/06/article-edward-simon-la-musica-bilingue-bilingual-music/#comments Thu, 07 Jun 2007 02:08:59 +0000 Jason Crane http://thejazzsession.com/2007/06/06/article-edward-simon-la-musica-bilingue-bilingual-music/ And here’s my even-more-latest interview at All About Jazz:
      • Edward Simon: La Música Bilingüe (Bilingual Music)

      

      ]]> http://thejazzsession.com/2007/06/06/article-edward-simon-la-musica-bilingue-bilingual-music/feed/ 0 http://thejazzsession.com/2007/06/06/article-grant-stewart-from-smalls-to-the-big-time-aaj/ http://thejazzsession.com/2007/06/06/article-grant-stewart-from-smalls-to-the-big-time-aaj/#comments Thu, 07 Jun 2007 02:07:09 +0000 Jason Crane http://thejazzsession.com/2007/06/06/article-grant-stewart-from-smalls-to-the-big-time-aaj/ Check out my latest interview at All About Jazz:
      • Grant Stewart: From Smalls To The Big Time

      

      ]]> http://thejazzsession.com/2007/06/06/article-grant-stewart-from-smalls-to-the-big-time-aaj/feed/ 0 http://thejazzsession.com/2007/05/18/article-marlene-ver-planck/ http://thejazzsession.com/2007/05/18/article-marlene-ver-planck/#comments Fri, 18 May 2007 14:21:56 +0000 Jason Crane http://thejazzsession.com/2007/05/18/article-marlene-ver-planck/

      My latest article for The Guide on Hilton Head Island is about singer Marlene Ver Planck, who performs there this weekend. Enjoy!

      • Read the article

      

      ]]> http://thejazzsession.com/2007/05/18/article-marlene-ver-planck/feed/ 0 http://thejazzsession.com/2007/03/15/article-joe-vella-podcasting-trane/ http://thejazzsession.com/2007/03/15/article-joe-vella-podcasting-trane/#comments Thu, 15 Mar 2007 05:31:49 +0000 Jason Crane http://thejazzsession.com/2007/03/15/article-joe-vella-podcasting-trane/

      Here’s my All About Jazz interview with fellow podcaster Joe Vella. Joe’s newest project is the Traneumentary, a multi-part podcast documentary on John Coltrane.

      • Read the article

      

      ]]> http://thejazzsession.com/2007/03/15/article-joe-vella-podcasting-trane/feed/ 0