Beer & Album Pairings

It seems this blog is becoming more libation friendly. I'll work on a new album write-up soon for this month. I just want to direct attention to a Beer and Album pairing piece I did for Brewpublic.com. The site's host, Angelo De Ieso II, wrote a wonderful forward to my entries. Keep following Brewpublic as there will be more contributions from other beer and music nerds. Below is one sample I did, but please check out Brewpublic for the full read.

Cheers!

Don Cherry, Where is Brooklyn? / Brooklyn Black Chocolate Stout

Where is Brooklyn? Well, Brooklyn Brewery pumps out some of the best brews in the Northeast and their Black Chocolate Stout is fitting for this adventurous album by Don Cherry on Blue Note. Recorded in 1966, we hear a piano-less quartet that’s similar to Ornette Coleman’s classic Quartet earlier in the decade but oh how different it is. Pharoah Sanders’ more haunting, spiritual tone completely contrasts the melodic blues and boogie aesthetic of Coleman’s. It’s a jarring album of collective improvisation and connectivity. With Brooklyn’s Black Chocolate Stout we’re offered a robust, sweet, chocolaty brew. Enjoy it slowly along Cherry’s slurring and vivacious cornet playing. Black Chocolate Stout is thick yet has a smooth texture on the palate much like Ed Blackwell (drums) and Henry Grimes (bass) as they back up the two horn players.

Monday Nights at the Produce Row Cafe

Last night, on an impulse, we stopped at the newly revamped Produce Row Cafe located on SE Oak and 2nd in Portland. Unfortunately I wasn't equipped with my camera, but I can offer shots from the press preview we attended along with our Brewpublic.com colleagues a couple of weeks ago. Now, I knew they used to do live jazz on Monday nights, and I wasn't sure if this was going to continue with the newly dressed up space. After staying for just one set, we know now this must be a more common activity for us. Sipping beer and whiskey pairings, enjoying great food, and tapping to some bop standards is a pretty decent night.

Our barkeep was talkative, alert, on top of everything, and had a great sense of humor. And even though he didn't know much about the brews offered (one feature Produce Row prides itself on), he made up for it with friendly conversations and quick wit. We got the sense that he was new, and for someone starting off, he didn't get overwhelmed or flustered and was able to be a great support for the rest of the serving staff. He's definitely a keeper there and we'll look forward to having him deliver libations to us on future Monday nights. My only major gripe about Produce Row, no imperial pint glasses. Instead they use cheater, English looking imperial-like shaped glasses. With a decent head on a brew, you're lucky to get 14 ounces. Please Produce Row, do the honest thing here.

Their food was amazing. Last night I had a pulled pork sandwich that stacked up with some of the best BBQ places in town. Also, at the press preview in the beginning of June, they offered treats like beet salads, nachos, reuben sandwiches, pork sliders. All made with exceptional quality, unique ingredients, and extremely tasty.

We also enjoyed a pour of the new Pro Row Pale Ale. This collaborative effort was brewed especially for Produce Row by Laurelwood, Walking Man, and Double Mountain. An above average brew that offered clean, floral and citrus hop flavors, with biscuity sweet malts for balance. I hope this gets brewed repetitively, because it's worth the trip to Produce Row alone.

This maybe a sincere replacement for the Blue Monk (SE Belmont), which caved into the dart and billiards crowd and no longer offers live jazz on a regular basis. The house band started off, a piano trio. The highlight was when they played Bemsha Swing with a straight ahead, sort of hip hop drum rhythm. After about 45 minutes and four or five tunes, other players were welcomed to sit in. This allowed for a guitarist to be added and a new drummer with a totally different, a little more free flowing style, where as the other gentleman was very technical and precise.

The crowd at Produce Row was really mixed. Working class folk, hipsters, older couples, youngsters just stopping by for a burger. It was quite the collage of personalities. The best and most important thing though, was that everybody was enjoying the sounds. Stop by Monday nights, imbibe all evening while tunes begin at 9pm.

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Photo Credits: All photos by Matthew DiTullo

Fred Anderson, 1929 - 2010

They say they come in threes. Well, let's hope I don't have to do a third post though. I like Fred Anderson a lot. I must confess, I don't own many of his recordings, but thanks to the beauty of the internet I've been able to sample his sounds through radio streams. His tone is beautiful. It's warm, it fills the air with positive notions of bop, the avant-garde, and even an east meets west vibe at times.



Writing obituaries is not my stronghold. I like to pay my respect and feel it's best for the professional, expert historians to express tribute.

Fred was never less than totally involved in what he was doing, which was forcing air through a bent tube to shake the earth we walked on and the culture we breathed. ~ Howard Mandel

First Annual Albert Ayler Festival

New Yorkers have it made! With the addition of the Vision Festival going on now, the lucky bastards are also able to attend the First Annual Albert Ayler Festival in celebration of his 74th birthday anniversary. The likes of Giuseppi Logan, Charles Gayle, the Flow Trio, and notable others will be performing. The happening will take place July 10 at the Riverwalk Commons, Roosevelt Island, New York and AMAZINGLY, IT'S ALL FREE!!!

In celebration of the life and music of legendary free-jazz tenor-saxophonist Albert Ayler, ESP-Disk’ and Issue Project Room, in conjunction with Roosevelt L!ve have curated a day-long free concert, Saturday July 10th from 2-10pm, in honor of the groundbreaking musician’s 74th birthday. With performances by some of the most prolific artists dedicated to pushing the boundaries in the avant-jazz world the same way Ayler did over 40 years ago, this festival will feature sets from The New Atlantis Sextet with Marshall Allen, William Hooker, Charles Gayle, Gunter Hampel, Giuseppi Logan, and more all taking place at RiverWalk Commons on picturesque Roosevelt Island: NYC’s Best Kept Secret.

The outdoor festival will also feature a record fair with a variety of new and used vinyl vendors hosted by ESP-Disk’s own in-house retail operation, ESP Records. Great live music, a great selection of vinyl & CDs, great food from the local Roosevelt Island restaurants and a view of Manhattan that can’t be beat. What more could a music lover want on a summer day?
www.albertaylerfestival.com
www.esprecordstore.com

Bill Dixon, 1925 - 2010

I saw sad news on the Bill Dixon Facebook page of his passing. The legendary Jazz empire has lost another great. TRULY, TRULY A GREAT.

From the Bill Dixon Facebook page:

Dear friends,

Bill passed away early this morning at his home. He died peacefully in his sleep with loved ones close by.

The rapidity with which the news of Bill's death has traveled, even before any official announcement, is a testament to how many lives Bill and his work have touched. Take comfort in knowing that he went out in the same manner that he lived his life - working on/thinking about his current work, the recording of our orchestra concert at FIMAV, and planning the materials that will soon accompany the release to market.

Bill spent every waking moment of his life thinking about and creating things of beauty and sharing openly what he knew and loved, through his art and his teaching, with everyone that he came into contact with and everyone anywhere who was paying attention.

We will be sharing stories and images and will bring news regarding his memorial service in the coming days.

-Stephen Haynes

Hi-Fi

Caught this from the Facebook update feed of KMHD [the local Portland Jazz radio station]. It's incredible! Blue Note album covers, even the earlier or later ones outside the Reid Miles regime, are just gorgeous. Absolutely the best typography and graphic design out there. And even though jazz albums have always had a knack for being modern and hip, Blue Note went farther out then just adding text over a Surrealist or Expressionistic painting. For that reason, Blue Note record sleeve designs still influence and effect musicians, listeners, designers, and artists all over the world.

I know nothing about the creators of this video. Or what it's advertising. It's just great to take in the effort and skill, and the appreciation of beautiful design.

Hi-Fi from bante on Vimeo.

music video for the upcoming concert season @ Bellavista Social Pub.
Director: Bante
DOP: L.Semplici
Hero: Moussa Kaba
producer: frisca
dog: ultimo
Produced by Filmatindustriali

"Love Cry" - Albert Ayler

I love this record. It's significant in a number of ways. Here, we observe Don and Albert recording together for the last time. Shortly afterward, Don Ayler was fired from the group. According to a review by Al Campbell, this was under the insistence of the Impulse label. However, the documentary film, My Name Is Albert Ayler, portrayed an awkward relationship brewing between Don, Albert, and Mary Maria Parks; Ayler's girlfriend at the time and up until his death.

This recording session also represents the transition period in which Ayler began a more commercial aesthetic, which was also urged by the label. By no means, did his music ever seem totally commercial, or poppy for that matter, but to an Albert Ayler purest, it's a difference between black and white, night and day, sweet and salty -- you get the point.

For Albert Ayler virgins, it's a great entry point into his music. Sort of a step outside of his normal (or abnormal) ventures. Focusing on the melody of the compositions rather than the intense, volcanic eruptions that spew from his collective improvisations. There's still that feeling of free exploration and in the moment decision making. Really though, we hear how powerful, and beautiful these melodies are. The version of Ghosts really exemplifies this, and is one of my favorite Albert Ayler tracks in my iTunes. Alan Silva and Milford Graves back nicely, offering waves of percussion for Don and Albert to float on, and still maintaining a sophisticated, yet primal marching tone.

The harpsichord performed by Call Cobbs Jr. is hit or miss. I don't mind it myself, but I can understand why others may be put off by it. The harpsichord gives an added texture, but perhaps a piano or an organ would be best suited here. If the harpsichord isn't your bag, no worries, it's only heard on four of the tracks.
1967 - Impulse.
Albert Ayler - vocals, alto & tenor saxophones; Donald Ayler - trumpet; Call Cobbs - harpsichord; Alan Silva - bass; Milford Graves - drums.

"Judgment!" - Andrew Hill

Whenever Andrew Hill's hands touched the piano, pure gold was created. His compositions and arrangements hit right on the money -- illustrating modernity, intellect, and strong emotions. Probably the forefather of the semi-avant garde/post bop academy, Hill weaves harmonies and chromatic scales to offer us Judgment!. The beauty with Hill, is that his playing and songwriting fits so perfectly in so many forms. Whether it's with the vast polyrhythms and dynamical drumming of Elvin Jones, or the melodic, modulated, & cymbal accentuated drumming of Tony Williams. Whether it has a strong horn ensemble, or a smaller group like in Judgment!, which is backed by Richard Davis, Elvin Jones, and Bobby Hutcherson.

Judgment! exhibits textured, extended and thoughtful solos that really mess with the ideas of harmony and melody. A lot of colors show through with this group. Especially in Yokada Yokada, a whimsical take on a blues using the chromatic scale to form the melody while also offering tidbits of modern aspects. For example, instead of playing the Five-to-Four-to-One turnaround ending the verse, Elvin Jones fills in with a quick solo before the group enters in on the One chord to finish the break. This reminds me of Sol LeWitt's Incomplete Cube Series. Where the artist removes sides of the objects, playing on the notion of how viewers can perceive a shape while parts are lacking. And like in Yokada Yokada, the listener still perceives that bluesy lick to finish the bar even though it's absent.

1964 - Blue Note.

Andrew Hill - Piano; Richard Davis - Bass; Bobby Hutcherson - Vibes; Elvin Jones - Drums.

Beer & Jazz

Besides being a huge jazz geek, I am a (dare I say even bigger) beer geek. Sometimes it can be a struggle -- at least for my wallet -- to divide my attention between the two. But often times I can successfully combine these passions. I wrote a guest post for Brewpublic.com. A great Portland/Northwest beer blog, beer news, and event update website. I have contributed to the site here and there in the past and I am great friends with Angelo and Margaret, who are the geniuses behind the site. It's a great pleasure to be part of the Brewpublic crew.

Check out my featured post, Beer & Jazz.

One Down One Up

On my commute the other day, I was listening to the Impulse release, One Down, One Up: Live At The Half Note. On disc two, host, Alan Grant, described the John Coltrane Quartet as, "one of the finest jazz groups around; today or any other day."

45 years later, how true and relevant is that?