jazzandbluesnews

March is going to be in the history books after today.  Can you believe that?  Why are the years going by faster and faster?  It’s just not fair.  When you get older things should slow down, not speed up.  Don’t tell me that the universe doesn’t have a sense of humor or, at the very least, irony.

OK, enough doom and gloom.  There are a bunch of new releases and reissues today and you can check them out below.  Thanks to the website AllAboutJazz.com for this list.

TUESDAY MARCH 31, 2009

NEW RELEASES

Art Farmer - Only The Best Of Art Farmer Quintet (Collectables )
Big Maceo Merriweather - Chicago Piano Vol. 1 (Fabulous )
Big Maceo Merriweather - Chicago Piano Vol. 2 (Fabulous )
Boston Horns - Shiyuba Gumbo (Boston Horns )
Brad Parker-Sparrow - Black Romantic (Emphasis Entertainment Group )
Celtic Cross - Hicksville-Remastered & Remixed (Phantom )
Charles Mingus - Mingus Ah Um (Sony Legacy )
Cheryl Hodge - INDIGO (JazzBoulevard.com Records)
Chris Botti - Live In Boston (Columbia )
Chris Botti - Chris Botti In Boston (Sony )
Clifford Brown - Beginning & The End (Phantom )
Cory Wong Quartet - Even Uneven (Innovative Multimedia/Clay Pas )
Count Basie - Basie Swings Standards (Fantasy )
Count Basie & His Orchestra - Only The Best Of Count Basie & His Orchestra (Collectables )
Diana Krall - From This Moment On (Verve)
Diana Krall - Quiet Nights (Verve )
Diana Krall - Live In Paris (Original Recordings )
Diana Krall - Very Best Of (Phantom Sound & Vision )
Diana Krall - Girl In Other Room (Phantom Sound & Vision )
Diana Krall - When I Look In Your Eyes (Phantom Sound & Vision )
Diana Krall - All For You (Phantom Sound & Vision )
Diana Krall - Only Trust Your Heart (Phantom Sound & Vision )
Diana Krall - Quiet Nights-Digipak (Phantom )
Diana Krall - Very Best Of-Special Edition (Phantom )
Dorsey Brothers - Only The Best Of Dorsey Brothers (Collectables )
Erroll Garner - Broadcast Sessions 1953-57 (Pid )
Fly - Sky & Country (ECM )
Gregg Karukas - GK (Trippin & Rhythm )
Harry James - Only The Best Of Harry James (Collectables )
Iglu & Hartly - And Then Boom (Phantom Sound & Vision )
Jean Beaudet - Seul Au Piano (Phantom )
John Scofield - Piety Street (UMGD/UNIVERSAL )
Jurgen Friedrich / John Hebert / Tony Moreno - Pollock (Pirouet )
Lisa Ekdahl - Give Me That Slow Knowing Smile (Rca Victor Europe )
Louis Armstrong - Louis & The Good Book (Phantom )
Louis Armstrong - La Vie En Rose (Phantom )
Miles Davis - In Europe (Phantom )
Miles Davis - Miles In Berlin (Phantom )
Miles Davis - We Want Miles (Phantom )
Miles Davis - 1958 Miles (Phantom )
Mongo Santamaria - Only The Best Of Mongo Santamaria (Collectables )
Nat “King” Cole - Cole Espanol (Phantom )
Nelson Riddle - Only The Best Of Nelson Riddle (Collectables )
Peggy Lee - Fever (Phantom )
Reamonn - Reamonn (UME Imports )
Sadao Watanabe - Fill Up The Night (Phantom )
Sadao Watanabe - Rendezvous (Phantom )
Sadao Watanabe - Maisha (Phantom )
Sadao Watanabe - Parker’s Mood-Live At Bravas Club ‘8 (Phantom )
Sadao Watanabe - Tokyo Dating (Phantom )
Sadao Watanabe - Good Time For Love (Phantom )
Sadao Watanabe - Birds Of Passage (Phantom )
Sadao Watanabe - Elis (Phantom )
Sadao Watanabe - Selected (Phantom )
Sadao Watanabe - Front Sheet (Phantom )
Sadao Watanabe - Sweet Deal (Phantom )
Sadao Watanabe - Just A Touch-Vocal Collection (Phantom )
Sadao Watanabe - Night With Strings (Phantom )
Sensational Alex Harvey Band - Hot City: 1974 Unreleased Album (MLP )
Steve Habib’s Melting Pot - Habib Goes Beyond The Drum (Tiamet)
Steve Reid - Nova (Deep Jazz) (Universal Sound )
Sunkings - Before We Die (Phantom )
Toquinho - Made In Coracao (Phantom )
Zenzile - Zenzile Featuring Marion Brown (Phantom )

REISSUES

Diana Krall - Love Scenes (Verve) - SACD
Diana Krall - Look Of Love (Universal )
Louis Armstrong - Hello Dolly (Mozaic)
Miles Davis - Seven Steps to Heaven (Columbia)
Miles Davis - Porgy & Bess (Sony Bmg )
Miles Davis - Someday My Prince Will Come (Sony ) - SACD
Miles Davis - Man With The Horn (Sbme Special MKTS. )
Miles Davis - Sorcerer (Sbme Special MKTS. )
Nina Simone - My Baby Just Cares For Me (Verve Reco )
Wynton Marsalis - Standard Time (SME)

The thing about jazz is that it is truly an American form of music and has been around for a very long time.  Yes, rock and roll may have taken over, but jazz has always been around.  Throughout the 20th century, jazz has been here and has been through every part of modern American history.  As America grew into the prominent super power that it is today, jazz grew right along with it.

While many people may think that early jazz has no resemblance to what jazz is today that isn’t entirely true.  Without those early days you never would have gotten to where jazz is today.  Without a Jelly Roll Morton and the early Ragtime, Scott Joplin, jazz, there wouldn’t have been a Miles Davis.  Just like without Billy Haley and Comets there would never have been a Kurt Cobain and Nirvana.  Who knows what Cobain would have done instead (maybe knitted those sweaters he liked to wear).

Well, if you are a history buff, as I am, and you are fascinated by the early days of music and jazz in particular, you can visit Red Hot Jazz and learn all about it.  This is a website that is very much a labor of love.  There is no money here and even the design of the site isn’t as fancy as some.  However, it has one of the largest collections of early jazz music that you can listen to absolutely free.  Yes, these are the old records transferred into MP3 format, but it’s a great way to hear what jazz started as all of those years ago.

The site is also a plethora of information about the musicians and bands you are listening to.  You can find out about the history of those musicians, how they recorded what they did and where they ended up.  There are also extensive articles about the early days of jazz.  For example, in those first few days of recorded jazz, the music and bands were often called “jass” instead. 

So, take a trip through time and check out Red Hot Jazz.  If you want to contact them and tell them you found them here, I wouldn’t mind.  History is never something to be afraid of.  Learn a little about the history of jazz and you can appreciate the modern jazz all the more.

Of course, I would love to believe that this was the one and only place you could go to get information about jazz and blues music.  It would sure do a lot to raise the amount of money I get from Today.com, that’s for sure.  The sad truth is, however, that if that were the case your knowledge of jazz and access to information would be sad, indeed.  I am just one man and I can barely scratch the surface of the things going on in the worlds of jazz and blues music.

There is a website called simple Jazz.com and they have a ton of information and articles.  They have a ton of stuff there for you to check out.  The number of interviews and profiles of artists they have there is truly staggering.  However, the one series of articles that I truly find interesting is known as “The Dozens.”  These are a series of articles that discuss a dozen albums centered around a certain topic.  For example, the dozen Herbie Hancock tracks that are truly essential for any jazz fan to know.

The one that struck me is the latest one.  It is entitled “THE DOZENS: WHEN JAZZ CATS MEET ROCKERS” and it discusses the twelve essential albums and tracks where a great from the world of jazz met with a someone in the world of rock and roll.  Some of them you might not even have known about.

Some examples:

1.  The Rolling Stones and Sonny Rollins on the song “Waiting on a Friend.”  While this has never been my favorite Stones tune, I didn’t even know Sonny Rollins was on the track until I read this article.  It makes me appreciate it a bit more.

2.  Billy Joel and Phil Woods on “Just the Way you Are” which explains that sax part on that track and why I always liked it.

3.  Steely Dan and Wayne Shorter on “Aja.”  This seems like a natural.  Steely Dan was always more jazz than rock and roll anyway. 

4.  Cameo and Miles Davis on “In the Night.”  Now, Cameo may be little more than a footnote in the annals of music history, but Miles must have thought enough of them (or him) to have appeared on this track. 

5.  Huey Lewis and the News and Stan Getz on “Small World Pt. 2.”  I hardly know what to say about this one.  It was just so odd that I had to mention it.

So, there are 7 more tracks on the list that you should really check out.  Some of them seem to make sense and others, like the Cameo one above, will probably just make you scratch your head.  It’s always interesting when two styles of music mix, that’s for sure.

I am a big supporter of, well, just about anything I can support.  Feel free to insert your bra jokes here, if you must.  However, I am talking more about fundraising and things of that nature.  So, for me, the pick show of the week was the one below at Andy’s Bar. 

Thanks to radio station WDCB for the information below.

International Healthcare Benefit 

Well, another weekend is here.  In Chicago they are predicting rain all weekend.  I can think of a few places to dry off or take shelter and the best of those have jazz or blues music you can listen to.  I love how one of the places below is actually a sushi place.  You never know where jazz is going to pop up.

Thanks to WDCB and their website for providing this information:

JAZZ

Richie Pardo Quartet
Friday, March 27; 5 pm
Andy’s, Chicago 

Tito Carrillo
Friday, March 27; 9:30 pm to 1:30 am
Andy’s, Chicago 

Nouveau Quartette Gypsy Swing
Friday, March 27; 8:00 pm-10:30 pm
Heartland Cafe, Chicago 

Paul Abella Trio at The Store
Friday, March 27; 9 p.m. - midnight
The Store, Chicago 

Joel Paterson Trio
Friday, March 27; 9 pm to 1 am
Pete Miller’s - Evanston, Evanston 

Kimberly Gordon
Friday, March 27; 6:30 pm
Katerina’s, Chicago 

George McRae Trio
Friday, March 27; 5:30 to 7:30
Pops for Champagne, Chicago 

Ava Logan Quartet
Friday, March 27; 9 pm
Pops for Champagne, Chicago 

Arlene Bardelle & Tommy Muellner
Friday, March 27; 7:30 to 10 pm
Ai Sushi Restaurant and Lounge, Chicago 

Ancestral Resurrection Ensemble
Friday, March 27; 9:30 pm
Velvet Lounge, Chicago 

Alfonso Ponticelli & Swing Gitan
Friday, March 27; 8 to midnight
Philander’s, Oak Park 

Green Mill Quartet Jam Session
Friday, March 27; 1:30 to 4 am
Green Mill, Chicago 

Richie Pardo Quartet
Saturday, March 28; 5 pm
Andy’s, Chicago 

After Hours Jazz Party
Saturday, March 28; Midnight to 4
Green Mill, Chicago 

Tito Carrillo
Saturday, March 28; 9:30 pm to 1:30 am
Andy’s, Chicago 

Bobby Lewis R&B Band
Saturday, March 28; 9 pm to 1 am
Pete Miller’s - Evanston, Evanston 

Spider Saloff
Saturday, March 28; 6:30 pm
Katerina’s, Chicago 

Ava Logan Quartet
Saturday, March 28; 9 pm
Pops for Champagne, Chicago 

3.5.7. Ensemble
Saturday, March 28; 9:30 pm
Velvet Lounge, Chicago 

Tim Green
Saturday, March 28; 8 to midnight
Philander’s, Oak Park 

Asleep at the Wheel
Saturday, March 28;
two shows: 7 and 10 p.m.
Old Town School of Folk Music, Chicago 

The Laury Shelley Quartet
Saturday, March 28; 8:00pm to 12:30am
Pete Miller’s - Schaumburg, Schaumburg 

Gershwin’s Greatest Hits with The Elaine Dame Trio
Sunday, March 29; 2:00-3:30 pm
Skokie Theater, Skokie 

Dan’l Chaz Jazz Trio
Sunday, March 29; 2:00pm-4:00pm
Dunn Bros Coffee, North Aurora, IL 

Connie Marshall & Johnny Gabor
Sunday, March 29; 5 to 9 pm
Chambers, Niles 

Kimberly Gordon Organ Trio
Sunday, March 29; 11 pm to 2 am
Green Mill, Chicago 

CheckerJazz Series
Sunday, March 29; 7:30 to 11:30 pm
Checkerboard Lounge, Chicago 

Joe Policastro & Dan Effland
Sunday, March 29; 8 to 11
Pops for Champagne, Chicago 

Andy’s Jam Session
Sunday, March 29; 9 pm
Andy’s, Chicago 

International Healthcare Benefit
Sunday, March 29; 4 to 8 pm
Andy’s, Chicago 

Jazz Jam
Sunday, March 29; 9:30 pm
Velvet Lounge, Chicago 
BLUES

Pistol Pete Blues Band
March 27, 2009
Bill’s Blues Bar, Evanston

 Keith Scott Trio
March 27, 2009
Pete Miller’s - Schaumburg, Schaumburg

I have been raving about the Velvet Lounge on this blog and others for a long time.  That’s because I still think it’s about the best place you can see a live jazz show of all of the places in Chicago.  Yes, I talk about other places and there are other places that have ben around longer and maybe have more history and then there are the ones that e-mail me things, but the Velvet Lounge just has that certain something.

I still say it’s because it’s run by a jazz musician.  Fred Anderson is a jazz legend in his own right and just like Buddy Guy is a blues legend running his own place, Fred just brings an added feeling of class and authenticity to the place.  Plus, there is the atmosphere itself.  The place is inimate, dark and cozy.  At one point it probably would have been filled with smoke.  The stage takes up one end of the place.  It’s what you would imagine of when you think of jazz clubs.

So, I looked around and found a couple of clips on YouTube that were taken in the Velvet Lounge.  This is musician Jarrard Anthony performing at the Velvet Lounge with his band.  Enjoy!

Part One

Part Two

Part Three

I have spoken about the Velvet Lounge here many times before.  I think it’s one of the greatest jazz clubs you are ever likely to find.  It is exactly what you imagine a jazz club should look and feel like.  So, for my pick jazz show of the week, I thought I would recommend a show there tonight that is part of their “Masters Series.” 

Thanks to radio station WDCB for the information below:

Masters Series 

Well, it’s Tuesday and it’s time for new releases and reissues for the jazz lovers in your life.  Spring is finally here and the weather is warm, but wet, here in Chicago.  You have to love Spring in the Midwest.  If you don’t, you will go insane.

Thanks to AllAboutJazz.com for providing the information below.  I couldn’t do this site without them.

NEW RELEASES

Very Best Of Prestige (Fantasy )
Very Best Of Prestige (Fantasy )
The Very Best Of Prestige (Prestige 60th Anniversary) (Fantasy )
Very Best Of Prestige (Prestige 60th Anniversary) (Fantasy )
The Very Best Of Prestige (Prestige 60th Anniversary) (Fantasy )
The Very Best Of Prestige (Prestige 60th Anniversary) (Fantasy )
The Very Best Of Prestige (Prestige 60th Anniversary) (Fantasy )
Dinner Jazz (Jazz FM/Groove )
400% Dynamite (Soul Jazz )
The Very Best Of Prestige (Prestige 60th Anniversary) (Fantasy )
16 Frames - Where It Ends (Verve Forecast )
Basso Gianni Quartet - Jazz Al Centro Pirelli (Phantom )
Ben Wendel - Simple Song (Sunny Side )
Blue Note - Trip Tease Vol. 2 (Phantom )
Blue Note Best Of - Blue Note Best Of (Phantom )
Cafe Zen - Cafe Zen (Phantom )
Charles Tolliver - Emperor March: Live At The Blue Note (Half Note )
Cherry / Khan - Music / Sangam (Heavenly Sweetn )
Chet Baker - Baker Memory (Living Era )
Chuck Loeb - Between 2 Worlds (Heads Up )
David Huntsinger - Once Upon A Time (Spring Hill Music )
Diego Barber - Calima (Sunny Side )
Don Cherry - Music/Sangam (Heavenly Sweetness Records/Lit )
Eddy Howard - My Best To You (Phantom Sound & Vision )
Esperanza Spalding - Junjo (Ayva Music )
Fats Waller - 1940-1942: The Complete Recorded Works Vol. 6 (JSP )
Fats Waller - Fats Waller-1940-1942: The Complete Recorded Works Vol.6 (JSP )
Five Corners Quintet - Hot Corner (Ricky-Tick )
Gabriel Amargant - First Station (New Talent Spain )
George Benson - Erotic Moods (Traffic Ent. )
Greg Wall’s Later Prophets - Kook Project (Tzadik )
Greg Wall’s Later Prophets - Ha’Orot (Tzadik )
Guy Klucevsek - Dancing On The Volcano (Tzadik )
Guy Kulcevsek - Dancing On The Volcano (Tzadik )
Henri Rene - Compulsion To Swing In Rhythm (Phantom Sound & Vision )
Henry Flynt - I Don’t Wanna (Locust )
Hilario Duran - New Danzon (Alma Music )
Hodes - Last Reunion (United States Of Dist. (Uk) )
Hodes - The Last Reunion (United States Of Dist. (Uk) )
Humphrey Big Band With Jimmy Lyttelton - Humphrey Lyttelton Big Band With Jimmy R (United States Of Dist. (Uk) )
Humphrey Big Band With Jimmy Lyttelton - The Humphrey Lyttleton Big Band With Jimmy Rushing (United States Of Dist. (Uk) )
Humphrey Lyttelton - Humphrey Lyttleton Big Band With Jimmy Rushing (United States Of Distribution LTD. )
Humphrey Lyttelton - The Humphrey Lyttleton Big Band With Jimmy Rushing: BBC Jazz Club, Autumn 1958 (United States Of Distribution LTD. )
Humphrey Lyttelton & His Band - Humphrey Lyttleton Big Band With Jimmy Rushing: BBC Jazz Club, Autumn 1958 (United States Of Distribution LTD. )
Jared Gold - Solids & Stripes (Positone Records )
Jazz On Town - Jazz On Town (Immortal ) - DVD-Video
Jeremy Manasia - After Dark (Posi-Tone Records)
Jessica Pavone - Thin Air (Thirsty Ear Recordings )
Jesus Santandreu - Sound Colors (Phantom Sound & Vision )
Jimmy Giuffre Trio - Swamp People (Phantom Sound & Vision )
Jimmy Giuffre Trio - The Swamp People (Giant Steps )
Joao Communion Lencastre - B Sides (New Talent Spain )
Joe Sample - No Regrets (PRA )
John Coltrane - Ascension: Editions I & II (Verve )
John Coltrane - John Coltrane Quartet Plays (Verve )
John Coltrane - Kulu Se Mama (Verve )
John Coltrane - Meditations (Verve )
John Coltrane - New Thing At Newport (Verve )
John Coltrane - Ascension (Verve )
John Coltrane - The John Coltrane Quartet Plays (Verve )
John Coltrane - A New Thing At Newport (Verve )
John Escreet - Consequences (Positone Records )
Julian Lage - Sounding Point (Emarcy )
Kahn - Music/Sangam (Heavenly Sweetness Records )
Kahn - Music / Sangam (Heavenly Sweetn )
Khan - Music/Sangam (Heavenly Sweetness Records )
Khan - Music / Sangam (Heavenly Sweetn )
Kid Ory - Portrait Of The Greatest Slidesman Ever (United States Of Dist. (Uk) )
Kid Ory & Creole Jazz Band With Mutt Ca - Papa Mutt Carey-A Portrait Of A New Or (United States Of Dist. (Uk) )
Kid Ory & Creole Jazz Band With Mutt Ca - Portrait of the Greatest Slidesman Ever Born (United States Of Dist. (Uk) )
L’ Tanya Mari’ - A Teardrop Of Sun (Falconeye Records)
Le Cave Jazz (Compiled By Paolo Scotti) - Le Cave Jazz (Compiled By Paolo Scotti) (Phantom )
Lisa Ekdahl - Give Me That Slow Knowing Smile (Rca Victor Europe )
Michael El Malam - First Step (New Talent Spain )
Michael Occhipinti - Sicilian Jazz Project (Pid )
Michel Legrand - Archi-Cordes: Di-Gue-Ding-Ding Danse (Phantom )
Michel Petrucciani - Michel Petrucciani And Niels-Henning Orsted Pedersen (Dreyfus Jazz )
Michel Petrucciani - Niels-Henning Orsted Pedersen (Dreyfus Jazz )
Michel Petrucciani & Nhop - Michel Petrucciani & Niels-Henning (Dreyfus )
Michel Petrucciani & Nhop - Michel Petrucciani and Niels-Henning Orsted Pedersen (Dreyfus )
Nicola Arigliano - Made In Italy (Phantom )
Omar Sosa - Across The Divide: A Tale Of Rhythm & Ancestry (Half Note )
Parnell - Singin’ The Blues (United States Of Dist. (Uk) )
Randy Crawford - No Regrets (PRA )
Rusty Draper - No Help Wanted & Very Best Of (Jasmine Music )
Sample - No Regrets (Pra )
Sean Jones - Search Within (Mack Avenue )
Sean Jones - The Search Within (Mack Avenue)
Steve Davis - Outlook (Positone Records )
Sunny & Her Joy Boys - Introducing Sunny & Her Boys (Stony Plain )
Sunny & Her Joy Boys - Introducing Sunny & Her Joy Boys (Stony Plain )
Vignola Collective - Gypsy Grass (Dare / Taseis )
Wynton Marsalis - He And She (Blue Note )

REISSUES

Al Jolson - Let Me Sing And I’m Happy (Dynamic Music )
Grant Green - Easy (Essential Media Group )
Henry Flynt - Raga Electric (Locust)
Jean-Luc Ponty - Electric Connection/King Kong (Gott)

The great thing about a big city like Chicago is that you can go almost anywhere and find great music.  You don’t have to stick with downtown or anything like that.  You can go to the suburbs and still find jazz and blues music.  There is a place in suburban Evanston called Bill’s Blues Bar, for example, that is a must-see.  They have one of the longest-running blues jams in the city.  From radio station WDCB’s website, here are the details.

Blues Jam 

When you think of jazz there are probably certain instruments you think about.  I normally think of trumpets because that was the first love I had of jazz.  You may also think of Charlie Parker and his saxophone or maybe Coltrane and his.  You might think of Earl “Fatha” Hines or Thelonius Monk sitting behind the piano.  Some of you you with a bit more knowledge might think of Charles Mingus standing behind his bass.  What many of you probably don’t think about is the trombone.

That’s too bad too, because there are a few famous jazz trombonists too.  When you think about the musical instruments the trombone isn’t exactly sexy, you must admit.  There is something sort of sensual in the curves of the sax.  There is just something cool about the way Miles Davis leaned back while still keeping his head down to play the trumpet.  The piano is always sexy in its way.  But when you think of the trombone, it is kind of big and a little clumsy and when you play it the slide makes the thing get longer so no one can really stand in front of it.

However, one of my favorite jazz musicians is J.J. Johnson and he is probably the finest jazz trombonist that I am aware of.  If you don’t know him, try expanding your horizons a bit and checking him out.  The best of the jazz trombonists can make the thing sound as deft and sexy as ‘Trane and his saxophone.  Johnson definitely falls into that category.

So, I thought I would take a moment and celebrate those of you who played or have played or currently play the trombone.  You don’t get enough credit in my book and enjoy some J.J. Johnson from YouTube.