Jazz Message Received

So this happened last Friday...

PDX Jazz's 2013 Portland Jazz Festival brought our modest city a collective of Jazz Messenger alumni.  With musical direction by Javon Jackson, The Jazz Message: Celebrating Art Blakey performed swinging hard bop classics from the historical repertoire that Art Blakey blessed Jazz fans with since the mid-twentieth century. We gazed, clapped, tapped our toes, and danced in our seats to the chops of Javon Jackson (ts), Eddie Henderson (tr), Bobby Watson (as), George Cables (p), Buster Williams (b), Lewis Nash (d), and long time veteran Curtis Fuller (tb).

These are tunes that allowed me fall in love with Jazz, and these guys f***in nailed it!  Their soloing was spot in, timing was impeccable, and the ensemble parts were powerful.  Art Blakey, wherever he might be, would be delighted to know that this music lives on.  Set list highlights were Fuller's "À la Mode," Benny Golson compositions "Along Came Betty" & "Blues March,"  Wayne Shorter's "One by One," Bobby Timmons' "Moanin," and an encore performance of Dizzy Gillespie's bebop classic "A Night in Tunisia."  Like any great Jazz musician, these guys pulled from the past while still making it their own.  This was particularly evident in "Moanin" where we heard licks and phrasing appropriated from the original recording.  Still, their decisions during those moments in time were unique to that evening.

Lewis Nash was powerful on the drums and had no problem filling the big shoes of Art Blakey.  His backing licks at the end of measures and phrases complemented each soloist with ease, and his solo right before kicking it into "Blues March" left me wanting more.  Needless to say, he crushed it on stage.  Another soloist highlight for me was Bobby Watson.  His range extended to every nook and cranny of that alto sax.  He shined on fast tempoed, swinging tunes as well as his soulful playing on a ballad number.

This is the music that made me fall in love with Jazz.  The album Moanin' is one of most important pieces of mid-twentieth century music (not just Jazz), it laid that groundwork for hard bop in the 1960s, and is probably one of the most recognized Blue Note releases. The fact that I was able to witness 3/6s, or one half, of the music from Moanin' by musicians who have graduated from Art Blakey's Hard Bop Academy was a special occurrence for me.  A memory that won't be forgotten. 

The Jazz Message

"If nobody has anything to say about the departed, I'd like to say a few words about Jazz!" - Art Blakey*

The 2013 Portland Jazz Festival is in full swing with the closing headliners this weekend.  If you've been following PDX Jazz on Facebook then you've seen the excellent coverage of events.  Each show having significant turnouts. Tickets still remain for tomorrow night's The Jazz Message; Tribute to Art Blakey featuring Musical Director Javon Jackson (ts), Bobby Watson (as), Curtis Fuller (tb), Eddie Henderson (tr), George Cables (p), Buster Williams (b), Lewis Nash (d).  Which can be purchased here.

Immediately I wanted to jump on this show.  Art Blakey and his Jazz Messengers we're the third tier that really had me taking Jazz seriously.  First it was Mingus, then Monk, and third was the Messengers.  In fact, the very first book on Jazz I read cover to cover was Hard Bop Academy: The Sidemen of Art Blakey And The Jazz Messengers by Alan Goldsher.  This book is a journey that profiles the greats that went in and out of The Jazz Messengers.  Containing stories and anecdotes that brought enlightenment to many of their recordings or performances through nearly a half century on the scene.
That's what I have going on tomorrow night and if you haven't gotten out to any Portland Jazz Festival events then this is the one for you.  Following the Jazz Message I'll be continuing my Jazz journey with a nightcap at The Blue Monk to catch Battle Hymns and Gardens.

______________________
*Quoted from Visions of Jazz by Gary Giddens.  p. 368, c. 40, Art Blakey (Jazz Messenger).  Which further sited the quote from Jazz Anecdotes by Bill Crow. 

Jazz Messengers With Thelonious Monk

Forgive my negligence to the blog (a sentence I feel I type far too often here). March was sort of a dud month for me. I've been transitioning into a new job this late winter and have been wedding planning as well. Just exhausting much of my time. Oddly enough, part of me new job is getting paid to blog.

______________

I was inspired by Ethan Iverson to have spend some time with Thelonious Monk's and the Jazz Messengers' 1957 Atlantic recording, simply titled, Jazz Messengers With Thelonious Monk. A recording that I spent, rightfully so, spinning far too much in my earlier Jazz listening days.

Monk's timing here along with the dissonance in his phrasing pairs so nicely with Blakey's heavy rhythms. And unlike earlier when Blakey had recording with Monk before, he shows his power and leadership. But honestly, the album is a true standout when it comes to Johnny Griffin. He shines as a soloist, playing what I think is some of his best soloing here.

Back to Iverson's recent blog post, he defended Monk as a performer. Now bare in mind that I witnessed Lou Donaldson knock Monk down when Donaldson spoke at the 2009 Portland Jazz Festival. Anyway, Ethan Iverson just saw Martial Solal speak at the Village Vanguard before a gig in which Solal dismissed Monk as a performing pianist:

Solal said he was impressed that Monk wore a hat onstage, but obviously Monk wasn’t a serious pianist. A composer, sure, but not someone who could make it in the Conservatoire.
Solal is not the only virtuoso who has dismissed Monk. Oscar Peterson and Lennie Tristano did as well. Still, I was deeply offended that Solal chose this time and place, the last gig of the Monk series, to air this opinion. When will Thelonious Sphere Monk get the respect he deserves?

I enjoyed this part of Iverson's rebuttal:

Monk's material is always derived from the purest of jazz traditions, but his displaced accents and stark voicings are sometimes thought of as connected to European modernism. Indeed, Monk is a father figure to the avant-garde. But Monk’s own music is not pointillist, Webern-esque, or even particularly abstract. It is hardcore jazz with roots in the blues and Kansas City swing. Getting abstract with Monk can work -- the George Russell/Eric Dolphy "'Round Midnight" comes to mind -- but to do so takes serious consideration.

Monk’s surrealism has been interpreted as clowning around or startling. “Oh, look! I just clanged a minor second! Isn’t that funny!” The Tom Lord discography lists songs called, “Monkin’ Around,” “Monkin’ Business,” “Monk-ing Around,” and “Monking Business.” To the composers of these works I say: Fuck you. Monk nevermonkeyed around or did any monkey business. Sure, some of his renditions of standards like “Remember” or “Just A Gigolo” are among the greatest examples of jazz surrealism ever recorded. But they are still serious. And his clanging minor seconds come straight from boogie-woogie and Harlem stride, not the circus.

Naturally I side with Ethan Iverson here. My ears have always been drawn not only to Monk's compositions but also the way he played them. His timing, phrasing, dissonance, chords, rhythmic backing, you name it. I also particularly enjoyed when Iverson mentioned Steve Lacy's Evidence as one of the greatest Monk interpretations out there. Where, I enjoy his Reflections LP more, I do agree that no one can/could really interpret Monk tunes quite like the great Steve Lacy could.

1957 Recorded / 1958 Released - Atlantic.

Art Blakey - Drums; Thelonious Monk - Piano; Johnny Griffin - Tenor Sax; Bill Hardman - Trumpet; Spanky Debrest - Bass.

Music Millennium Picks

I had a handful of picks at a record store I used to work at.  I made cards that had brief written reasons to why these albums stood out to me.  As you can see, I have a thing for Blue Note.

'Genius of Modern Music' - Thelonious Monk

These lower produced tracks are my favorite recordings by T. Monk.  They're worth it just for the simplified versions of the Bebop wizard's compositions that I think enhance Monk's soling and improvising.  

1947, Vol. 1 / 1951, Vol. 2 - Blue Note.

  

'In 'N Out' - Joe Henderson

This pressing has five originals by Henderson that feature amazing chord structures that are brilliantly backed by McCoy Tyner, Richard Davis, and Elvin Jones.  Former Messenger Kenny Dorham also rips with sweet trumpet solos.

1964 - Blue Note.

'Lee-Way' - Lee Morgan

This practically Jazz Messenger line-up is pureley exciting for the fun, unique solos of Art Blakey.  It's rare to hear solos like that come from Blakey since he uses the Messengers to showcase the talents of his sidemen.  

1960 - Blue Note.

'At the Half Note Cafe' - Donald Byrd

When I think of cooking, I instantly think of this live recording.  Byrd and Pearson are a dangerous duo when it comes to compositions...  And cuts like "My Girl Shirl" and "Child's Play" really represent the groups ability.

1960 - Blue Note.

'At Basin Street' - Clifford Brown & Mac Roach

This record features awesome cuts by the powerhouse quintet that hosts Sonny Rollins, Richie Powell, and George Morrow... You'll hear wonderful horn licks and tremendous rhythm sections backed by Brown and Roach.

1956 - EmArcy / Verve.

'A Night In Tunisia' - Art Blakey and the Jazz Messengers

Proabably one of the most prolific recordings of the Gillespie tune.  This album has a line-up that, what many think, is the best Messengers' roster... The disc is well worth it for Lee Morgan's, "Kozo's Waltz."

1960 - Blue Note.