NEW MUSIC CHALLENGES THE NORM

NEW MUSIC CHALLENGES THE NORM
By Jazz Journalist/Dee Dee McNeil

January 30, 2018

LESLIE PINTCHIK – “YOU EAT MY FOOD, YOU DRINK MY WINE,YOU STEAL MY GIRL!
Pintch Hard Label

Leslie Pintchik, piano; Steve Wilson, alto saxophone; Ron Horton, trumpet/flugelhorn; Shoko Nagai, accordion; Scott Hardy, acoustic & electric bass/acoustic & electric guitar; Michael Sarin, drums; Satoshi Takeisi, percussion.

Ms. Pintchik’s odd title tickles the interest. The first cut is also the CD’s title tune. It’s played at a moderate, funk tempo with horns punctuating the arrangement like pins comfortably sticking into a pin cushion. Leslie Pintchik’s piano talents are obvious from the first several bars of her original music. First, she introduces us to a strong melodic line and then jumps off the bridge without a life jacket, splashing into the improvisational unknown.

The second cut stimulates memories of Ahmad Jamal with Michael Sarin on drums reaching back in time to the unforgettable “Poinciana” percussive brilliance. The tune is “I’m Glad There is You” and as Leslie Pintchik sings this lovely melody on the 88-keys, I cling to every note. She’s passionate. Her rendition of Jerome Kern & Otto Harbach’s haunting “Smoke Gets In Your Eyes” is arranged as a spirited Bossa Nova. Scott Hardy showcases a happy and infectious bass solo on this familiar tune.

Who would believe that this outstanding pianist deserted her doctorate in 17th century English Literature at Columbia University, (and her teaching job) to pursue jazz piano? But I’m glad she did! Not only is this woman talented, she’s got book smarts too. Her seven-minute piano dissertation on “Mortal” is sensuous and Steve Wilson’s alto saxophone plays beautifully, interpreting this song vividly through the sensitive bell of his horn. Ron Horton sings like a brass bird on trumpet. This is really a lovely composition and Pintchik gives her band free-reins to gallop through the changes. From the title of some of her original compositions, I’d say this woman has a fair amount of tongue-in-cheek humor. One example is her title tune and the other is a song she calls, “Your Call Will Be Answered by our Next Available Representative In The Order In Which It Was Received. Please Stay On the Line. Your Call Is Important to us.” Very funny! Most of us have been there, done that. Pintchik has composed six of the eight songs on this recording and every one of them is well-written and well-played. I enjoyed each cut and the addition of accordion on a few of the songs was delightful, with Shoko Nagai’s talents on this instrument adding much to mood and arrangements. This is a masterful, musical artist. I listened to her joyful, and sometimes pensive music, for nearly an hour. Then I played it again. I bet you will too.

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BRAD GARTON & DAVE SOLDER – “THE BRAINWAVE MUSIC PROJECT”
Mulatta Record Label

Dave Solder, musician/neuroscientist; Brad Garton, composer/computer-musician; Dan Trueman, hardanger fiddle; Margaret Lancaster, the solo flute; Terry Pender, the mandolin; William Hooker, trap drums.

When the first Avant Garde musical sounds greeted my inquisitive ears, I immediately thought, this is music you play during meditation. That was such an odd thought for me to have, that I went to the liner notes before the first tune, “Bible School Vacation,” had finished playing. I reviewed the titles of the tunes and they were creative. I read, “Taco Tuesday,” “Harajuku Hiccup,” and “Cerebellum, “just to mention a few. This is New Age music, or is it? I wondered. Their publicist referred to it as jazz, classical and electronic music. Once I read the liner notes, I knew I had to share them, just as Jim Eigo at Jazz Promo Services had written them. They completely describe this music and the fascinating way it was created by a neuroscientist and software.

In 2008, musician/neuroscientist, Dave Solder, approached composer/computer-musician, Brad Garton with an idea. Dave (the neuroscientist) had become aware of fairly inexpensive electroencephalograph or EEG sensors that could measure the electrical output of the brain (ie: brainwaves). Working with these sensors over the past ten years, Brad and Dave developed a set of software tools that could generate music using this brainwave data. As they worked out the system, they have played concerts at Rock festivals, … radio stations, …the New York City Opera, colleges, museums and Cornell University. They even played an hour-long PBS TV special. … They are probably the only avant garde music act to be invited to perform at the National Institutes of Health, where they were ivited by the graduate students.

In shows, typically Dave gives a lecture with slides on the brain’s cortical activity and how it senses and produces rhythm. Brad explains how the waves recorded from the cortex are translated to music. Then, they use their own brainwaves or those of guest musicians to compose in real time, generally with the musicians improvising on their instruments.

An interesting question remains, is this music really ‘composed’? If it is not done intentionally, with the brain always controlling the music making, and in this case, it can create music even when asleep or unconscious. The latest version of these tools were used to produce this CD and the software used will soon be freely available. This uses a process of ‘data sonification’ or the translation of a stream of numbers into musical production and control. The raw data is used to trigger and modify synthetic digital musical instruments.

This concept, I find AMAZING!!!!

The EEG signal is made by the neural activity detected by the sensors, but does not reveal any high-level concepts or ideas that are being ‘thought’ (although the brain activity responds to sensory inputs like the touch of the drumhead and sound and activated movements, then is modulated by mental states).

Dave and Brad decided to exploit this feature by creating a feedback loop of sorts with musicians being invited to play along with themselves, thus generating music with brainwaves resulting from the process of generating that music. For this first complete recording of “The Brainwave Music Project”, four soloists were invited to take part in the sessions. Each plays a solo instrument and the instruments themselves each come laden with a rich musical tradition. The hardanger fiddle, played by Dan Trueman; a solo flute by Margaret Lancaster; Terry Pender on the mandolin and the trap drums played by William Hooker all represent long social and cultural histories. This awareness, as well as the awareness of what and how the musicians are playing, is certainly a part of the brainwave data used to build the synthetic accompaniment for each piece.

I invite you to indulge yourself in this odd listening experience of an even odder musical creation.

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JAMISON ROSS – ALL FOR ONE
Concord Records

Jamison Ross, vocals/drums/composer; Rick Lollar, guitars/background vocals/composer; Chris Pattishall, piano; Cory Irvin, Hammond B-3 organ/Fender Rhodes/Wurlitzer/background vocals; Barry Stephenson, bass.

Jamison Ross is an R&B artist who infuses his music with jazz and brings a fresh, new perspective to the forefront of crossover airplay. At times, he reminds me of Jeffrey Osborne. Not in tone or originality, but in his ability to sing pop or rhythm and blues or jazz with the same effectiveness. He offers us sincerity and freshness. His voice is a rainbow of colors that cross the musical genres with ease and beauty. Additionally, he is a competent drummer, composer and bandleader. As a musician/drummer, Ross won the Thelonius Monk Institute of Jazz International Drum Competition and released his premiere disc as a result of that prestigious award in 2015. This CD expands his talent dimensions by adding ‘vocalist’ to his list of credits.

Starting with his first song, “A Mellow Good Time,” composed by Allen Toussaint, the party begins. “Unspoken” is an original composition by Ross & cowriter, Richard Lollar. The lyrics are poignant, about a couple finding distance between them because one is always gone, but their unspoken commitment keeps them strong. The rhythm is unusual and the soulful melody is tinged with blues. Jamison Ross wrote this song for his wife, Adrienne. But I am really struck by his interpretation of Etta Jone’s hit song, “Don’t Go To Strangers”. He interprets this song beautifully and I believe it’s the first time I’ve heard a man tackle this lyric. Pianist, Chris Pattishall gives solid support during his heart-rending arrangement.

The tone and style of this vocalist/musician is uniquely fresh and endearing. His voice is unforgettable and that is an important factor when you are establishing your artistry. Mose Allison’s “Everybody’s Cryin Mercy” is another touch of jazz and once again showcases this artist’s delightful vocal stylings. His original composition, “Safe In The Arms of Love” sings like a prayer. Once again, I’m struck by this vocalist’s style and tone. The Latin rhythm underneath a lilting melody adds interest and features Ross’s percussive mastery. Perhaps this artist best describes his own product in his liner notes.

“All For One is the second chapter to my story as an artist with a deep understanding of American music. I continue to explore the aroma of jazz using elements of gospel, soul and R&B. I utilize the organ as my string orchestra, tugging as much emotion from a composition as possible. Just like a Sunday morning, I use the soul of my voice to shape a message with conviction with the use of traditional R&B. I preach the need for the world’s love to be united.”

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STEVE SLAGLE – “DEDICATION”
Panorama Records

Steve Slagle, alto/soprano saxophones & flute/composer; Lawrence Fields, piano; Scott Colley, bass; Bill Stewart, drums; Roman Diaz, conga/percussion; Dave Stryker, guitar.

Steve Slagle has composed the majority of these songs, dedicating each one of the nine compositions recorded to a special character or thing directly related to his musical journey. For example, the first tune that comes busting out the gate is “Sun Song.” He dedicated it to the great Sonny Rollins. Although Slagle admires the tone and talent of Rollins, he definitely has his own unique sound.

Slagle was once, many years ago, a member of Carla Bley’s band when bassist/composer Steve Swallow nicknamed him “Niner”. That’s what tune number two represents, the nickname given and one he fondly embraces. Both of these tunes Swing hard and bebop across my room, filling it with energy and ebullience.

As a leader, Slagle is in command at all times. But it’s his bandmates who keep the grooves going strong beneath his flurry of notes and improvisational treks. “Major In Come” flies like a sparrow on amphetamines. This title has a double meaning. It’s built on major chords in five different keys and it’s meant to challenge his band to Swing at an incredible and challenging pace. Lawrence Fields on piano does not disappoint, given several bars to showcase his versatile and improvised solo. Bassist, Scott Colley pounds out the time and grooves hard, hammering the rhythm section together by locking time succinctly with drummer Bill Stewart. On Stewart’s solo, you hear the fire and passion in each stroke of his sticks.

“Triste Beleza” that translates to ‘beautiful sadness’ was composed in tribute to the amazing and spirited music that has come out of Brazil. It sounds a wee bit like ‘Speak Low’, but quickly presents a very different melody for the band to embellish. Stryker adds his guitar magic on this song.

All in all, here is a well-produced album of well-played and excellent compositions by Steve Slagle. He has composed seven of the nine tunes and recorded one song written by his special guest, Dave Stryker titled “Corazon” and included the Wayne Shorter composition, “Charcoal Blues.” This is an album full of excitement and East Coast energy. On “Opener”, another one of my favorites, Roman Diaz makes this production shine with his percussive excellence. Slagle adds a flute towards the end of the tune that lifts the production to higher heights. And by the way, I love the artwork created for the inside cover by Ivan Pazlamatchev and titled for Slagle’s first cut, “Sun Song.” Most of these songs are full of heat and power, like the sun itself. This album is burning hot!

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HART, SCONE & ALBIN – “LEADING THE BRITISH INVASION”
Zoho Roots

John Hart, guitar; Adam Scone, Hammond organ; Rudy Albin Petschauer, drums.

Opening with Amy Winehouse’s popular hit song, “Rehab” this guitar trio paints the tune in bright, happy colors. They’ve speeded the song tempo up, but I think Miss Winehouse would have approved. John Hart, on guitar, is upfront and personal on his instrument, improvising at a steady speed and setting the bar high for Adam Scone on his Hammond B3 Organ. Rudy Albin Petschauer keeps his fellow musicians grounded with solid drum rhythm. Petschauer was a former member of organist Jack McDuff’s group and McDuff was one of my favorite organists back-in-the-day. Adam Scone is said to build his sound from the bottom up on his organ. That means his bass footwork locks in with the drums and represents what it takes to be a real organ player. You can tell, because you don’t miss a bass player on this recording. Then comes John Hart, an adventurous guitar player who is gifted in both rhythm guitar, blues and improvisational solo work. His electronic sound adds spice to this recording and plays nicely off of Scones organ sounds. Hart, like Petschauer, also was a Jack McDuff bandmate. On “Look of Love” the trio’s sound settles into a Bossa Nova groove and Hart proves that he can cover all styles. Now his guitar is more acoustic, nylon string-sounding, and his approach is sweet and tender, even when he double-times his improvisational solo. On this tune, he showcases his inventiveness. I hardly recognized Sade’s “Smooth Operator” tune. They’ve arranged it as a shuffle and it really swings hard. You’ll also enjoy a couple of Adele’s songs on this recording and Pop Star, Joss Stone’s “Don’t Start Lyin’ To Me Now’ is incorporated into their line-up. For this reviewer, some of the fuzzy guitar parts and the rock influenced arrangements interrupt the pure jazz concept of a Jimmy Smith or McDuff band, but that’s a matter of listener taste. It was especially annoying on Adele’s “Rolling In the Deep.” But the trio redeemed themselves on “Blues for the U.K., composed by John Hart.

Perhaps Adam Scone explained the groups concept the best in their liner notes.

“All great organ groups take popular songs and use them as vehicles to churn out organ style hits. … We focus on the modern music of the UK, but follow in the footsteps of the masters.”<

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LITTLE LADY WITH A BIG, BEAUTIFUL VOICE

By Dee Dee McNeil/Jazz Journalist

January 25, 2018

There are many descriptions of the voice that pours out of this 5’ 3” little lady. For me, her voice is sweet as honey and spicy as cayenne. It soothes you, while caressing the lyrics with tender, emotional touches. But it can bite deep and inspire you to move and dance. Andrea Miller is unique in both style and presentation. She doesn’t sound like anyone in particular, except herself, and that’s a good thing. Ms. Miller has developed her own sound, which is the sign of a great artist. I recently had the opportunity to interview Andrea about her life, her music and her history. While young in the business, she has garnered a string of very impressive accomplishments.

Andrea Miller: “I was born and raised in Salem, Oregon and my parents still live there in the house where I grew up. It’s probably a population of 160,000-plus people. It has a real small- town feel.

“I come from a very musical family, especially on my dad’s side of the family. Both of his parents were music teachers. His dad (George Miller) taught band and his mom, my grandma, (Vona Miller) was a choir teacher. My dad majored in music and he taught high school band at Prineville High school in Oregon for probably the first five years of my life. My brother and I were both little kids and dad was only making about $6 an hour. My mom was a stay-at-home wife and wasn’t working. I remember we ate our cereal breakfast with orange juice, because we couldn’t afford milk. He (dad) got offered a job to move from Prineville to Salem to be an Equitable Life Insurance salesman. Dad took the job and worked his way up to management and stayed with them for the next thirty-five years. But he never stopped playing music. He was a clarinet player and a saxophone player. The clarinet was his main instrument. He played first chair clarinet in the Salem Concert Band and he did that for years.

“My brother is also a musician. He’s a wonderful piano player. He makes his living doing that, teaching music at two different schools in Oregon. He lives there with his wife. He currently has 57 students. Most of them are little kids.”

I asked Andrea what kind of music she listened to as a youth in Oregon.

“On the weekends we had chores and we’d clean the house and vacuum; do the work we were assigned to do. My dad would blast the record player and he would play Benny Goodman, Erroll Garner’s “Concert by the Sea” album and “Rhapsody in Blue.” I heard those albums being played pretty much every weekend. So, I grew up listening to jazz. My dad also made sure he exposed me, at a very early age, to Stevie Wonder and Quincy Jones. Yes, I got a lot of really good musical tastes from my dad. He tells this story about when I was maybe five-years-old and it was Christmas time. I was sitting on the couch in the family room with him and I was singing “Rudolph the Red-nosed Reindeer”, perfectly in tune and with vibrato. The story goes, he turned to my mom and says, ‘honey – I think we have a singer on our hands.’

“Mom said, ‘Oh all kids sing.’ But my dad recognized my talent that early.

“When I was twelve, I got cast in the Children’s Theater and I was singing in my grade school choir. At twelve-years-old, I got cast as Annie in a big production that was in a neighboring town. I starred in that musical and it ran for two weeks. In the audience, one night, was my future voice teacher. OMG – she’s an angel and she’s still around. Her name is Dr. Myra Brand. She came up to me after the show and offered to be my mentor. She said, if this is something you’d like to do, I’d like to help cultivate your voice and teach you how to sing properly and breathe correctly. I teach opera. My mom asked me, do you want to do it? I said yep. So, every Saturday morning, around eleven-o-clock, we’d drive over to Dr. Brand’s house and I would get my one-hour lesson. I studied opera from age twelve to seventeen with Dr. Myra Brand. I learned how to sing properly, how to breathe. She was just a wonderful teacher, a beautiful spirit and a kind person. She taught me a lot about music but also about being a good person.

“But with opera, it’s all about hitting the mark and there’s not room for a lot of improvisation. I later became really interested in pursuing jazz.”

However, it took time for Andrea Miller to become a jazz vocalist. In the 90’s, she graduated her Oregon high school, winning a grant and a scholarship to attend USC. She had to audition, as well as having a good GPA score. It’s noteworthy that Andrea is not only talented, she’s smart too! For the next four years, she applied those ‘smarts’ as part of the Bachelor of Fine Arts Program in Theater at the prestigious University of Southern California. Her scholarship only lasted two years, but Andrea is resourceful. She knew how to pinch pennies. It took her fifteen years to pay her college debt off, but she told me proudly, I finally did it.

Andrea Miller: “I always wanted to pursue the arts. I quickly realized, within about a year after graduating from college, that it wasn’t acting that was in my heart and soul. My passion was singing. I said to myself, you know what? I’m going to be a singer. I’m going to drop the head shots and the audition calls to pursue my music.

“When I first started singing it was definitely more pop music. I was writing my own songs and collaborating with writers. I was kind of doing the singer/songwriter, coffee house scene. I had my little demo of original songs. Next, I really got into R&B and I was doing a lot of session work. After a while, I got bored. I reminded myself of my days singing opera and the really challenging singing that I used to do. I just kind of got tired of “Ooo baby baby” type songs. That was in the late 90’s and early 2000’s. At that time, I loved Mary J. Blige, Lauren Hill and Erykah Badu. I think Erykah Badu was the closest thing to what I was trying to do. I just got a little frustrated and I kind of plateaued.

“It was Drama-Logue magazine that brought about a change. I had a subscription to it. I was really bored one night and I looked at the back of the magazine at a little blurb advertising ‘Open Mic’ night at The Money Tree.” (a local Los Angeles County restaurant and bar). “Everything changed in 2001 when I walked into The Money Tree. That was my changing moment. That night I met Eddie Olivieri on piano, drummer, Frank Wilson and bassist, Clarence Robinson.

“When I was fourteen, my mom and dad got me the 3-tape cassette package of Linda Ronstadt with the Nelson Riddle Orchestra. There were maybe 30 songs that she sang. I learned all of them. I listened to those tapes over and over. I still have those cassettes. So, from learning those standard jazz songs, I knew (the Thelonius Monk composition), ‘Round Midnight. When I walked into The Money Tree, I signed my name on the sign-up sheet and when they called me to the bandstand, they asked me what song I was going to sing. I said, ‘Round Midnight. They said, are you sure? I said yes. After that, I started going in there every Tuesday.

“I was practicing and recording my songs at home with these pre-recorded back-up tapes. I was sharing my practice tapes with Frank Wilson (the drummer) and he kind of took me under his wing. He taught me how to ‘trade fours’ and how to sing a line and how people come back in after the musician’s solo. He just guided me. He suggested songs I should learn and the little practice tapes I was giving him, he passed on to a guy named Stephen Boyd, who’s a producer and a pianist. So, Stephen offered to invest and musically produce an album called ‘Perfect Day.’ They played three cuts of it on KJZZ. (KJAZZ is the local Los Angeles 24-hour jazz station).
“One thing led to another and I got my first chance to record a jazz album. We had the late bassist, Bob Maize, on that session. We did that record in 2003 or 2004. Next, I had to figure out how to quit my day job. I was a secretary full time. So, I ended up getting a roommate and sleeping on my living room floor and giving the roommate my bedroom. Consequently, I was able to save up, over a nine-month period, four-thousand dollars. Then I quit my job as a secretary and started doing three nights a week in Korea Town for forty-dollars a show.” (laughter).

“But I knew I had to start somewhere. Everything has kind of been growing from that moment when I walked into the Money Tree and knew I wanted to be a jazz singer. There’s never any ending point to artistry. You just keep growing. That’s why I love it so much.”

Andrea Miller’s love for music and jazz has opened many doors for her. She shared an amazing experience with me about working with the famous songwriting team of Alan and Marilyn Bergman and singing an Ennio Morricone composition.

Ennio Morricone is a famous Italian composer, orchestrator, trumpet player and an iconic conductor. He is heralded as one of the most experimental, influential and versatile composers of our time. From 1946 to present, he’s composed over 500 scores for both cinema and television. Mr. Morricone also composes classical works. His music has been part of the soundtracks of over 70 award-winning films. In 2006, Ennio Morricone was working on a tribute album featuring many of his favorite compositions written for film. He had one song that needed lyrics, so he asked Alan and Marilyn Bergman if they would write lyrics for his song. It was titled, “I Knew I Loved You.”

At one point, (as a ‘day job’), Andrea Miller was assisting a concert promoter who was booking celebrity artists all over the world. One of his artists was popular singer, Celine Dion. That promoter travelled to China during a promotional tour with Celine Dion. It just so happened that Ennio Morricone wanted Celine Dion to sing his song for which Alan and Marilyn Bergman had just penned the lyrics. They needed a demo of that song and Andrea’s employer said he knew the perfect person. The next thing the talented, young singer knew, her phone rang and Alan and Marilyn Bergman were on the other end of the line.

The Bergman’s came to Stephen Boyd’s studio in California’s Valley area of Los Angeles county. There, they met Andrea Miller for the first time. That beginning demo session led to her meeting the great arranger/producer, David Foster, who contributed to finishing the project. Finally, it was ready for Celine Dion to hear. The result was that Celine recorded Mr. Morricone’s beautiful song, using Andrea’s vocal demo as a melodic guide.

The icing on the cake was when Ms. Miller’s boss got her tickets to Celine Dion’s Las Vegas show. Full of excitement about a trip to Las Vegas, seeing the show and meeting Celine Dion in-person, Andrea never expected she would also meet the great producer/arranger, Quincy Jones. You never know who you’ll meet in the entertainment business. But everything doesn’t always fall into perfect place.

For example, one of her first recording experiences was a job called “Betsy Bunny”.

Andrea Miller: “I think it was one of the first sessions I did and I didn’t have a lot of experience. I was only paid $100 and they wanted me to sing some lines from the Bunny Hop. You know, put your right foot in, put your right foot out, put your right foot in and you shake it all about …,” she sang and we laughed out loud.

Andrea was told the session was for a key chain line of bunny’s, but later she discovered that her voice became the vocals inside a stuffed bunny that was marketed widely in America.

Another studio experience she remembers with joy was the “Look to the Sky” session. It happened in 2016. Producer/artist, Eric Wyatt, was a fan of her voice and invited her to perform with him at the Brooklyn Academy of Music after she told him she would be visiting New York. He was recording a new album and asked her if she would perform “My Favorite Things” with him. Of course, she said yes!

Another unusual session was for the Samsung company. She’s recorded three different ‘ring tones’ for that phone corporation. This session proceeded in an unusual way. The Korean producers produced it via Skype. Andrea remembers they demanded of her, “More energy! More energy!” while she was singing the hook, “If you’re gonna make your move, just do it.” She laughed telling me it was the first time she had been produced long-distance, from another country, via Skype.

I asked her what tips she could offer hopeful singers who want to break into studio session work.

Andrea Miller: “Well, I suppose you probably want to have a demo of some sort that you can show or share with perspective clients. I used to travel around with my demo’s and my bio package. I kind of got my session work word of mouth. Someone gave me references. But I would say, in order to keep the job, if you get that kind of opportunity, if your session starts at 1pm, get there at 12:45 and be completely warmed up by one. Bring a bottle of water. Be familiar with the song and be prepared. Be prompt. Be flexible and have a good attitude. Be willing to take direction. When you’re hired to sing something, that person has a special vision of what they want to hear. Be open to taking their direction.”

This writer might add that most studio session singers can read music. The ones who make the most money and get the most calls are those who can read charts. Remember that Ms. Miller has a degree in music and theater.

Other outstanding experiences Andrea Miller has had include her performance with the Salt Lake City Orchestra.

“That was very rewarding,” she told me. “When you sing with specific orchestrated charts, you experience a different kind of nervousness. Unlike working with a trio or quartet, there’s little room for improvisational freedom. That means there’s no room for screwing up!”

Her other great achievement was becoming the opening act for the late, great Al Jarreau in 2016. His manager and his band were so supportive of her talent that they immediately signed her up to become Al’s opening act for an upcoming international tour planned for 2018. Al Jarreau himself spoke about his initial introduction to the little lady with the big, beautiful voice.

“As my countdown to the stage got smaller and smaller, I started to hear some marvelous music coming from the stage, floating through my dressing room window. Our opening act was a brilliant, young singer named Andrea Miller. The whole band was impressed with her song selection, with her bandmates, arrangements and her jazz sensibilities. I enjoyed listening to the little bit I got to hear and the band enjoyed their even closer look,” Al recalled their initial meeting.

Andrea, along with all of us in the jazz world and beyond, became stunned when the great singer/songwriter, Al Jarreau, passed away on February 12, 2017.

This year is starting out fresh and flush with possibilities. Andrea Miller has an engagement in Miami, Florida where she is one of the top finalists in the Conquer Entertainment Talent Contest on February 2, 2018. On the seventeeth of February, she will headline with her jazz group at the Newport Beach Jazz Party in California. On May 25th she’ll be a featured LACMA entertainer and in late Spring, she’ll be recording in Chicago, Illinois for the second time with Michael Cunningham.

Wherever you see her name on the marquee, I invite you to treat yourself to an evening of amazing vocal jazz.

JAZZ NEWS & VIEWS

By Dee Dee McNeil / jazz journalist

January 6, 2018

QUINCY JONES LAUNCHES A PREMIERE STREAMING-VIDEO SERVICE FOR JAZZ

Legendary music mogul, Quincy Jones, was very busy last year making sure that America’s proud legacy of jazz continues to flourish. He has founded QWEST TV, a journey into jazz and beyond. Jones, a prolific arranger/producer/composer, launched this Netflix of jazz on December 15, 2017. It’s the world’s first subscription video-on-demand (SVOD), a platform entirely dedicated to jazz and jazz-inspired music forms. Jones has collaborated with French jazz impresario and television producer, Reza Ackbaraly. Surprisingly, interest in the project started on Kickstarter with a crowdfunding campaign in the fall of 2017 and this platform raised $170,000 dollars. The subscription video-streaming service will feature over 100 concerts, documentaries, and interviews of artists including Aretha Franklin, B.B.King, Bobby McFerrin, Robert Glasper, Jacob Collier, Sun Ra, Al Jarreau, George Benson, Kamasi Washington, Erykah Badu, Chick Corea, Gregory Porter and the list goes on and on. Subscriptions are available for a standard cost or at a higher premium. Prices begin around $7.50 per month and the good news is that all subscriptions are ad-free. Interested? You can subscribe at http://www.qwest.tv. Every program will be accompanied by liner notes written by journalists and jazz experts. The launch of this celebrated accomplishment was celebrated in Paris where a list of iconic artists performed a special tribute to Quincy Jones. This concert was livestreamed through Qwest.tv and is available for Video on Demand playback. Soon to be eighty-five years young on March 14th of this year, Quincy Jones explained why he has established this jazz streaming service.

“I have witnessed, first-hand, the power of jazz and all of its off-spring from the blues and R&B to pop, rock and hip-hop, to tear down walls and bring the world together. I believe that a hundred years from now, when people look back at the 20th century, they will view Bird, Miles and Dizzy as our Mozarts, Bachs, Chopins and Tchaikovskys. It’s my hope that Qwest TV will serve to carry forth and build on the great legacy that is jazz for many generations to come.”

Another notable grand-opening that Quincy recently made was in Dubai, a city of great wealth and growth in the United Arab Emeritus. He opened a jazz room in November of 2016 that became quite popular in 2017and features live jazz acts for its cigar bar patrons to enjoy while puffing and drinking. Located in the luxurious Palazzo Versace, a hotel that overlooks a manmade lake, you will discover Q’s Bar and Lounge with a backdrop of straight ahead jazz and a bar menu that includes his famous eight-hour BBQ ribs, chicken wings and a few signature cocktails like the Fresh Prince (of Bel-Air) made with vodka, Chambord and butterscotch liquor. There’s also the ‘Thriller’ cocktail. The bar seats approximately 100 people maximum and is low lit with a blue light theme and a small stage. Probably the most important aspect of this venue is that it’s the first lounge to ever carry the name of the great Quincy Jones, using his familiar nickname of “Q”. Open Monday through Friday, 6pm to 2am with the music starting at 8:30pm nightly. Reservations are suggested. Call 04-556-8888 or See http://www.palazzoversace.ae

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DR. KAREEM ABDUL-JABBAR DELIVERS KEYNOTE ADDRESS AT FIRST ANNUAL JAZZ CONGRESS

Speaking of iconic men who continue to support and perpetuate jazz, retired NBA legend, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar will host the first annual Jazz Congress conference, co-produced by Jazz at Lincoln Center and JazzTimes magazine on January 11 and 12, 2018. The goal of this organization is to bring together artists, media and industry leaders from the global jazz community in a space where they can exchange ideas and resources. It sounds like the re-emergence of a concept called the International Association of Jazz Educators (IAJE) that was quite successful for several years before going bankrupt in 2008. Similar to that now defunct program, the Jazz Congress will present a number of workshops, panelists, moderators and speakers including artists like Terence Blanchard, Aaron Goldberg, Ingrid Jensen, Kenny Barron, Wynton Marsalis and more. Drummer, Terri Lyne Carrington will be presented the Bruce Lundvall Visionary Award, an annual award that recognizes individuals that demonstrate extraordinary leadership and vision in expanding the audience for jazz and a person who has made a real difference for artists, for the music and for the jazz audience. For a complete schedule and more information see http://www.jazzcongress.org

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NEW YEAR, NEW MUSIC

NEW YEAR – NEW MUSIC
By Jazz Journalist, Dee Dee McNeil

January 4, 2018

At the end of last year, 2017, I received two gigantic boxes of music from the University of North Texas. Not only did the two packages contain an assortment of excellent musicianship, some focusing on the complete recordings of all compositions and arrangements by GRAMMY nominated composer, Neil Slater, but the CD box Sets also included a 168-page book featuring hundreds of photos and notes by band members, colleagues and friends that are meant to honor the legacy of Neil Slater. Additionally, it showcased the expert musicianship of young university players who make up the Two O’Clock, Three O’Clock and One O’ Clock Lab Bands. Here is my review of the Two O’Clock Lab Band under the direction of JAY SAUNDERS. I also reviewed vibraphonist, STEVE HOBBS, who has recorded thirteen tunes in tribute to BOBBY HUTCHERSON. ANGELO DIVINO has the crooning style of cabaret singers who love Sinatra, while international artists, MADELEINE AND SALOMON, surprise me with their duo interpretation of culturally rich songs. On their new album, they sing the praise of women and celebrate cultural diversity, choosing to interpret American music from their French perspective. Finally, ALAN and STACEY SCHULMAN (who call themselves, “AS IS”) have recorded an album that is sparsely produced, but showcases the beauty and clarity of great musicianship and vocals.

NICE! JAY SAUNDERS’ BEST OF THE TWO
Division of Jazz Studies – College of Music – University of North Texas

TWO O’CLOCK LAB BAND MEMBERS LISTED BELOW, IN ALPHABETICAL ORDER, Some appear on various sessions, included in this compilation, and extracted from the band’s previous recorded releases.

Rhythm Sections: Lupe Barrera (perc. & drums), Horace Bray (guitar), Nolan Byrd (drums), Anthony Corsaro (perc.), Emily Davis (vocals), Addison Frei (piano), Davian Garcia (piano), Sean Giddings (piano & organ), Jake Greenburg (bass), Young Heo (bass), Matt Hornbeck (guitar), Matt Hurley (perc), Brad Young Chan Kang (guitar), Scott Kruser (guitar), Sean Jacobi (bass), Sean Jones (drums), Melissa McMillan and Tatiana Mayfield (vocals), Evan Oxenhandler (guitar), Sergio Pamies (piano), Danmiel Parr (bass), Marion Powers (vocals), Duran Ritz (drums), Nick Rothouse (perc.),Greg Sadler (drums), Kaela Sinclair & Ashleigh Smith (vocals), Jacob Smith (bass), Roberto Verastegui (piano), Seth Weaver (vocals), Jacob Wise (guitar), Jessica Young (h), Matt Young (drums).
Saxophones: Ben Bohorquez, Ramsey Castaneda,Ted Davis, Devin Eddieman, Seth Ely, Alex Fraile, Steve Friel, Brian Girley, Alex Hahn, Ian Henderson, Adam Hutcheson, Spenser Liszt, Brett McDonald, Dustin Mollick, Matt Morey, Justin Pierce, Kelsey Pickford, Chris Reardon, Chris Reza, Sarah Roberts, Adam Robertson, J.R. Rocha, Niels Rosendahl, Julian Sutherland, Nick Salvucci, Drew Zaremba.
Trumpets: Micah Bell, Jake Boldman, Andy Cresop, Dan Cron, Thomas Davis, Dan Foster, Andrew Golden, Preston Haining, John Hallman, Ally Hany, Ransom Miller, Tyler Mire, Jonathan Mones, Harrell Petersen, Dave Richards, Mike Shields, Tim Schieinat, Kevin Swaim, Chad Willis, Justin Woodward, Li Xiaochuan, Drew Zaremba.
Trombones: Eric Andress, Sean Casey, Matt Corrigan, Kenny Davis, Alex Dubrov, Jon Gauer, Julie Gray, Craig Flentge, Nathan Harvey, Kevin Hicks, Adam Jensen, Carl Lundgren, Jake Macary, Dan Marion, Phillip Menchaca, Sean Nelson, Freddy Ouellette, Kennedy Powers, Chris Sharpe, Austin Short, Zach Steele, Hirochi Wada, Seth Weaver, Nick Wiodarczyk.

The first CD I popped into my player this year was “Nice! – Jay Saunders’ Best of the Two. It features eighteen tracks recorded by the Two O’Clock Lab Band under the direction of trumpeter, Jay Saunders. Saunders is a veteran of the Stan Kenton Orchestra. He’s a well-respected musician on the Dallas, TX Scene for decades and has been teaching lead trumpet and jazz history at the University from 2000 to 2016, as well as directing the One, Two and Three O’Clock Lab Bands. For this recording, Saunders has pulled the best of the best of his students, compiling several works from various earlier released CDs to configure this release. His students play like a well-oiled Mercedes motor, smooth and perfectly coordinated, they run in uninterrupted synchronization. I was especially struck by John Clayton’s arrangement of “I Won’t Dance.” It features the very talented Sean Jacobi on bass. The back-up, session players of this Two O’Clock Lab Band are amazingly artful and professional. I am blown away by their big-band sound that supports various soloists on different tunes. These youthful players give hope that jazz will continue to influence and elevate Earth’s population with its joy and improvisational flavors for years to come.

Although there is not one bad performance on this 2-CD Set, my other favorite tunes plucked from excellence are “Sax Alley”, played at a break-neck speed and featuring the stellar horns of Dustin Mollick and J.R. Rocha on tenor saxophones and “Top Fuel – Pete vs. the Trav-ski,” written by ex-Dallas composer and arranger Phil Kelly. I also enjoyed the Duran Ritz drum solo on “Worth the Wait” (a Peter Erskine composition), along with Sean Giddings on piano, Li Xiaochuan on trumpet and Phillip Menchaca on Trombone. This is the opening tune on Side One and sets the tone for what is to follow. Lastly, “Portuguese Soul,” written by organist Jimmy Smith and arranged by Thad Jones shows Sean Giddings’ smooth and soulful transition from piano to organ, along with Greg Sadler’s mesmerizing drum talents. This song closes out Side One of the two discs. On Disc Two, I loved the Drew Zaremba arrangement of “Sink, Sank, Swunk” which shows the electric/Herbie Hancock-like production by the band members featuring Zoremba on a smokin’ soprano saxophone, and soloists, Seth Weaver on trombone, John Hallman on trumpet and Jake Greenburg on bass. “Detour Ahead” features a sweet vocal by Emily Davis and the Booker T. Jones composition, “Green Onions,” closes out the double set CD with a spirited arrangement by Drew Zaremba. Zaremba is also featured on Alto Sax with Ally Hany on trumpet solo and Chris Reardon on Tenor solo. The background is full of party noises and the music just makes you want to get up and dance. Sounds like a jazzy New Year’s Eve celebration to me. Makes me want to shout out, “HAPPY NEW YEAR!”

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STEVE HOBBS – TRIBUTE TO BOBBY
Challenge Recording Int

Steve Hobbs, marimba/vibes/composer; Adam Kolker, tenor/soprano saxophones; Bill O’Connell, piano; Peter Washington, bass; John Riley, drums; Carol Ingretsen, Maurice Myers & Marvin Thorne, vocals.

Adam Kolker struts his saxophone skills on the first tune titled, “The Craving Phenomenon,” (a Steve Hobbs composition). Beneath him, Washington’s bass and Riley’s drums egg him on energetically. This is one of ten original compositions Hobbs has written for this CD. With a total of thirteen songs, Hobbs offers us a tribute to the late/great Bobby Hutcherson. After Kolker and bandmates set up the premiere song grove and melody, Hobbs slides in to serenade us with his percussive vibraphone mastery. He explained the song in his liner notes:

“…Since it swings so hard … I decided to open with ‘The Craving Phenomenon.’ I love Adam Kolker’s tenor solo on this … He uses lots of bop ideas countered with more modern pentatonic ideas. More important, he is locking in with John (Riley) like crazy! …My solo on marimba has lots of sequential, pentatonic, chromatic stuff and blues runs. John and Peter are locking so hard that I felt safe in playing both in the middle and also in front of the beat at times for that good ‘diesel’ feeling. I felt my solo was also of an original nature sounding more like Chick or Woody Shaw, than my fellow mallet comrades. I really don’t strive to sound like anyone but me and hope you agree that I have my own sound. …I love the dynamic shifts we pulled off here. … really challenging metric modulations and rhythms featuring John Riley on drums. These rhythmic hits played during the drum solo are very hard to play and the way John Plays over them is amazing.”

This is the group’s third recording since 2007. Their sound is tight and these master musicians interact with each other sweet and tasty, like jam and butter. Pianist Bill O’Connell soars on the composition titled, “Into the Storm” and throughout this recording. Hobbs has no compunction about giving free rein to his musicians, unselfishly sharing his spotlight platform. Peter Washington was once a bassist with Bobby Hutcherson’s ensemble and brings a note of nostalgic authenticity to this project. The arrangement on “Besame Mucho” is held tightly in place by Washington’s walking bass line and John Riley’s flashy, but pendulum steady drumming. Steve Hobbs soars on top of the swinging band, taking charge with his mallets and creativity. The ‘fade’ on this tune is very exciting, as they play with time differential and improvisational techniques. “New Creation” is another one of my favorite tunes on this recording. The musicians grab a rich, straight-ahead groove by the body and each member of the ensemble brings their best to match the talent and excitement of their bandleader. This is jazz; free, spontaneous and well played. I was not as impressed with the vocals used on a couple of the tunes. Those songs just didn’t seem to fit the landscape of this ‘Straight Ahead’ album concept. However, as you can see below, when Steve Hobbs swings, he’s right on point.

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ANGELO DIVINO – “LOVE A TO Z”
Independent Label

Angelo Divino, vocals; Rich Eames, piano/synthesizer/keyboard; Adrian Rose, bass; Michael Rosen, drums/harmonica; Doug Webb, saxophone; Jonathan Dane, trumpet/cornet/flugelhorn.

Angelo Divino is a cabaret singer with a smooth style and persuasive tone of delivery. He offers ten original songs on this album that were composed by Z. Overall and does an excellent job of delivering the lyrics, as though he’s sharing stories of his life with us.

In New York, Divino performed as lead vocalist with the Rainbow Room Orchestra at Rockefeller Center and with the Duke Ellington Legacy Band at Birdland. He also sang bari-tenor parts with the vocal quartet, “Afterglow.” This artist starred in a musical play about the life of Duke Ellington called “Lucky So and So” and Divino also wrote and performed “Let Me Be Frank”. On this recording, he sings the many facets of love, covering emotions from A to Z. Favorite cuts are, “Strangers Again,” “If I Love You, Goodbye” where Divino stretches his range into the high tenor register, and “I Remember” that tells a story of recalling one’s hometown and is spiced up by Michael Rosen’s harmonica.

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MADELEINE & SALOMON – “A WOMAN’S JOURNEY”
Tzigart/Promiseland

Clotilde, vocals/flute; Alexandre Saada, piano/Rhodes/Clavinette/background vocals.

As soon as I heard the first familiar strains of Nina Simone’s song, “Image,” I was captivated by this artist’s voice, singing a’cappella and sounding emotionally connected to those striking lyrics and that haunting melody. This song celebrates the beauty of womanhood and that is the crux of this musical production. Clotilde, singing along with her musical partner, Alexandre Saada on piano, bring fresh perspective to some popular American music. On cut #2, “Swallow Song,” backup vocals are added by Saada. These two artists have assumed the group name of ‘Madeleine & Salomon’ and they perform, as a duo, tackling seventeen songs that celebrate ‘A Woman’s Journey’. The lyrics are packaged in the CD and each song is lyrically prolific and explores the female journey. This duo has chosen songs written by American composers that touch on the spirit of womanhood, it’s trials and tributes; it’s joys and endless challenges interpreting songs like Billie Holiday’s “Strange Fruit” and the Marvin Gaye,/Al Cleveland/ Renaldo Benson’s composition, “Save the Children”. I was moved and impassioned with their arrangement of Janis Ian’s “At Seventeen.”

Clotide is a French performer who sings and plays flute. She is also a composer and journalist. Alexandre Saada began playing piano at age four and studied classical piano for ten years. At fifteen, he was beginning to explore jazz, pop and French popular and folk songs. He’s already recorded fifteen albums including seven as a leader, from solo albums to big band recordings. Saada has toured worldwide with artists such as Malia, Martha and the Vandellas, Les Albert and more. He is also a composer and arranger. Together, these two super talented individuals have created a most unusual and entertaining album of musical tribute to women. Clotide explores a rainbow of colors and vocal textures that can both surprise the listener and enhance the songs she sings. She paints the words with alto richness one moment and then, with childlike innocence, in a second soprano voice, she tackles the Minnie Ripperton classic song by Charles Stepney and Richard Rudolph entitled, “Les Fleurs.” I am so impressed! Everything is arranged and sung in a jazzy way, even when she chooses songs like “Mercedes Benz” by Janis Joplin or interprets the Black Panther member/songwriter/poet, Elaine Brown’s “The End of Silence”. Listen below.

Like jazz itself, ‘Madeleine & Salomon’ know no boundaries and explore the outer limits of imagination, improvisation and cultural revolution. This is a musical experience that embraces change and pushes the cage walls further apart, exploring freedom with grandiose conviction.

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AS IS – featuring ALAN & STACEY SCHULMAN – “HERE’S TO LIFE”
Independent label

Stacey Schulman, vocals; Alan Schulman, guitar; Macus Baylor, drums; Rashaan Carter, Matt Geraghty & Kevin Powe, Jr., bass; Gregoire Maret, harmonica; David Binney, saxophone; Alejandro Lucini, percussion; Christie Dashiell, James McKinney & Carl ‘Kokayi’ Walker; Dr. Chelsea Green, Kendall Isidore & Dianna Said, violins; Dawn Johnson, viola’ Elise Cuffy, cello.

Stacey Schulman has a unique tone to her voice and her husband is the perfect accompanist on guitar, supporting her with familiarity and technical talent. They have chosen a dozen songs that explore their combined creativity. This production incorporates various players at different times, beginning with a Kenny Rankin/Estelle Levitt composition titled, “In The Name of Love” where they simply use a guitar trio. Stacey Schulman opens the tune with scat, before interpret-ing the lyrics. Marcus Baylor keeps the bright, uptempo arrangement under his control with brushes that briskly whip-up the tempo and inspire the trio with a tight groove. It’s the perfect touch beneath Stacey’s soprano vocals and a nice way to begin this album. The classic Dizzy Gillespie tune, “A Night in Tunisia” blends background voices into the production as a welcome addition. Their rich harmonics beautifully cushion Stacey Schulman’s performance. Her enunciation is superb and you won’t miss a single word in her songs. Cut number three (“La Belle Dame Sans Regrets”) is sung in French and composed by Sting and Dominic Miller and produced with a Latin flair. The percussive coloring of Alejandro Lucini and Alan Schulman on guitar add frosting to this sweet musical cake. Nothing more is needed. On the fade they add background vocals beneath Stacey’s scat singing.

The sparseness of this production is effective and makes Schulman’s voice twinkle and shine like a Northern star. On the popular Gershwin composition, “It Ain’t Necessarily So,” they feature Gregoire Maret on harmonica, playing a’ cappella before he’s joined by Alan’s tasty guitar licks and Stacey singing. This tune develops into a medley that incopororates Burt Bacharach’s “Look of Love” and Carol King’s “It’s Too Late”. As you can see, by this example, they have picked a wide assortment of tunes that range from jazz to pop. Stacey Schulman’s voice adapts perfectly, always putting emotion and sincerity into each well-produced number. Alan Schulman’s dexterity and rhythm guitar become the trampoline where his wife’s vocals can dance and play. Barry Manilow and Johnny Mercer wrote “When October Goes” and it is an emotional ballad. Stacey Schulmnan’s vocals are enhanced with a small string ensemble arranged by James McKinney. Once again, the production is sparse, but lovely.

Stacey Schulman is a native New Yorker, a studio session singer for decades and has been singing professionally since the age of nine. Alan is a Midwesterner, born in Cincinnati, Ohio. He sharpened his bebop chops in Chicago and has appeared with such artists as Anita Baker, Wynton Marsalis, Herbie Hancock and Michael Feinstein. Alan Schulman holds an M.A. in Jazz Arranging & Composition from Howard University, where he studied with both the late, great drummer Grady Tate and legendary pianist, Geri Allen.

Here is a musical experience that’s enjoyable and beautiful in a simplistic way. It allows all the musicians involved to be heard and yet they never interfere with the vocalist’s presentation. The engineer, Scott Jacoby, is to be congratulated for his delightful mixology and producer, James McKinney brings the best out of all participating musicians. This recording will be available February 16, 2018.

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