2005 July 13

Perversity

July 13, 2005 by Doug Ramsey

The intellectually tireless arranger, composer, saxophonist, leader and writer Bill Kirchner called to my attention an important essay by Martha Bayles. Under the same artsjournal.com umbrella as Rifftides, Ms. Bayles is the proprietor of Serious Popcorn, a web log devoted to film. Her March 31, 2005 piece titled “The Perverse in the Popular” touches on matters of interest to anyone concerned about the size of the audience for serious art and about the quality of music, movies, television, and … [Read more...]

The Crimson Canary

July 13, 2005 by Doug Ramsey

Speaking of the cinema, Charlie Shoemake, lightning vibraharpist and late-night TV movie browser, sent a message after he read yesterday's posting about the name of our adventure in blogging. Concerning the "Hollywood Stampede' session, tell your readers if (truly out of left field) they should stumble sometime in the wee hours of the morning across a 1945 "B" movie entitled The Crimson Canary (Noah Beery Jr.) to grab onto it because they'll see Coleman Hawkins, Howard McGhee, Oscar Pettiford, … [Read more...]

Mike Vax on Recent Listening: Kenton Alums, Coltrane, Mraz, Among Others
Thanks so much for this, Doug. We are one of the few bands left that actually gets on the bus and does one-nighters anymore. It...
Posted Jan 24, 2015
Marc Edelman on Weekend This & That: DeFranco, Gibbs, Peck, Ziskind
George was a friend of mine. I think he contacted me sometime in 1996 or 1997 when he happened to hear David Hazeltine's debut CD...
Posted Jan 24, 2015
Jeff Sultanof on Ward Swingle, 1927-2015
Ward Swingle certainly raised the bar for group singing. He was a veteran of the close-harmony groups of the forties, and he and some family...
Posted Jan 23, 2015
Jim Brown on Ward Swingle, 1927-2015
My good friend and colleague, the late Helmuth Kolbe, was Columbia's lead recording engineer in Europe during the 50s, 60s, and 70s, including lots of...
Posted Jan 22, 2015
David on Ward Swingle, 1927-2015
The early Swingle Bach renditions used a rhythm section, as seen here, but a 1994 release called “Bach Hits Back” was entirely a cappella with...
Posted Jan 22, 2015

Monday Recommendation: Art Tatum

Art Tatum, God Is In The House (High Note)

The title comes from what Fats Waller said when he saw Art Tatum walk into a club where Waller was playing. Dan Morgenstern tells the story in his notes for this essential collection, “…he stopped the music and announced: ‘Ladies and gentlemen, I play the piano, but God is in the house tonight.’” Tatum was Waller’s primary inspiration. The master had no hesitation about paying obeisance to the student. Using a disc recorder, Jerry Newman captured the incredible pianist in Harlem clubs in 1940 and ‘41. The music on this album is not a recent discovery. Don Schlitten released it as an LP on his Onyx label in 1973. The High Note CD has been available since 1998. I’m recommending it now it out of concern that some of you may have deprived yourselves of these indispensible snapshots of Tatum’s genius.

Monday Recommendation: Jimmy Greene

Jimmy Greene, Beautiful Life (Mack Avenue)

The album opens with saxophonist Jimmy Greene’s 6-year-old daughter Ana angelically singing “Come Thou Almighty King” at a 2011 family Christmas celebration. A year later Ana was one of the 26 pupils and teachers murdered in the assault on Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Connecticut. In his notes, Mr. Greene stresses that the album is in memory not of how she died, but of “how she lived, lovingly, faithfully and joyfully.” Joining him in the tribute to Ana are pianists Renee Rosnes, Kenny Barron and Cyrus Chestnut; guitarist Pat Metheny; vocalists Kurt Elling, Latanya Farrell and Javier Colon; bassist Christian McBride; drummer Lewis Nash; strings of the Hartford Symphony Orchestra; voice actress Anika Noni Rose; and a children’s choir of Ana’s classmates from the period when the Greenes lived in Winnipeg, Canada. This memorial is indescribably moving and, yes, joyful.

Monday Recommendation: Nat Hentoff

The Pleasures Of Being Out Of Step: Notes On The Life Of Nat Hentoff (First Run Features)

In his 89 years, Nat Hentoff has melded defense of the freedoms guaranteed by the First Amendment of the US Constitution with his love of jazz. His writings on those passions have made him a powerful voice in music journalism and in the turbulent arena populated by those who debate what the American founders intended in the Bill of Rights. This David L. Lewis film presents Hentoff reflecting—often wryly—on his life as a reporter, columnist, critic, writer of books and record producer. It has musicians, politicians, civil libertarians, family, friends and colleagues reflecting on Hentoff and his importance. Lewis integrates music by Ellington, Mingus, Parker and Coltrane, among others. Along the way we meet Lenny Bruce, Bob Dylan, William F. Buckley, Jr., Amiri Baraka, and others whose lives have intersected with Hentoff’s. (DVD release January 6.)

Monday Recommendation: Edward Simon

Edward Simon, Venezuelan Suite (Sunnyside)

Few jazz albums have been devoted to the music of Venezuela. Victor Feldman’s superb The Venezuelan Joropo (1967) was an exception. Latin musicians were impressed with the authenticity that Feldman achieved using Los Angeles colleagues to interpret traditional Venezuelan music. When it comes to authenticity, however, Edward Simon has an advantage. He is a native of Venezuela who has established himself in the US as a versatile pianist, composer and arranger. Venezuelan Suite has four parts named for cities or regions in the country. Each section uses typical rhythms or song forms. “Caracas,” for instance, is a meringue, “Barinas” a joropo, the dance rhythm that also inspired Feldman. The instrumentation incorporates flute, harp and percussion, all essential to Venezuelan music. Simon, tenor saxophonist Mark Turner, flutist Marcos Granados, bass clarinetist John Ellis and drummer Adam Cruz are among the stars of this delightful album.

Monday Recommendation: Holly Hofmann

Holly Hofmann, Low Life (Capri)

Holly Hofmann made her reputation concentrating on the C flute, an instrument whose flexibility and three-octave range are suited to her customary orientation toward the bop tradition. Here, she sets it aside in favor of its relative the alto flute. Pitched in G, the alto is capable of bewitching resonance and dynamic presence at the low end of its range. Ms. Hofmann takes full advantage of those qualities in a collection that tends toward romanticism tinged with a bluesy, minor sensibility. Her collaborators are pianist Mike Wofford, bassist John Clayton, guitarist Anthony Wilson and drummer Jeff Hamilton. Wilson’s composition “Jack of Hearts” and Clayton’s “Touch The Fog” are highlights. Ms. Hofmann’s deceptively simple-sounding “Lumière de la Vie,” in four time signatures; and Pat Metheny’s modern classic “Farmer’s Trust” linger in the mind. This album casts a spell.

Monday Recommendation: Alan Broadbent

Alan Broadbent, Just One Of Those Things (Edition Longplay)

This week’s recommendation is included in the December 15, 2014, roundup titled Recent Listening, Vinyly…. To see it, please go here.

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