One thing is certain, Pat Metheny continually reinvents himself through the music he performs either solo, pneumatically assisted with the vast electronics of Orchestrion or with his next jazz ensemble. I love the journey his creativity enables in my psyche.
Pat Metheny is actively working a new jazz quartet called the Unity Band. The band consists of Chris Potter on saxophone (saw him play live with Herbie Hancock), who exudes an excellent phrasing and presence. The Unity Band features one of my favorite accent drummers, Antonio Sanchez who I have seen live twice with Pat Metheny. Antonio is a phenomenal drummer who draws me further in with his percussive stylings. Ben Williams on bass is the new musician to my ears. I am eager to hear his interplay and contributions with the Unity Band.
They have a new recording Unity Band available on June 12th from Nonesuch Records. The only way that you can hear the Unity Band right now is to pre-order the Unity Band CD. You will receive an instant download of the opening track, “New Year” and an autographed print from the album art which is suitable for framing.
Jazz breaks down barriers and creates opportunities for mutual understanding and tolerance;
Jazz is a vector of freedom of expression;
Jazz is a symbol of unity and peace;
Jazz reduces tensions between individuals, groups, and communities;
Jazz fosters gender equality;
Jazz reinforces the role youth play for social change;
Jazz encourages artistic innovation, improvisation, new forms of expression, and inclusion of traditional music forms into new ones;
Jazz stimulates intercultural dialogue and empowers young people from marginalized societies.
International Jazz Day itself will begin with a sunrise concert from Congo Square in New Orleans and end with a sunset concert at the United Nations General Assembly Hall in New York. Both concerts will be streamed live, the sunrise concert at 8am EDT, the sunset at 7:30pm EDT. Herbie Hancock is scheduled to appear at both and once again he will be joined by a galaxy of jazz stars from around the world—names like Terence Blanchard, Ellis Marsalis and Dianne Reeves in New Orleans, Candido, Robert Cray, Tony Bennett and Chaka Khan in New York. Robert De Niro, Michael Douglas, Morgan Freeman and Quincy Jones are scheduled as co-hosts at the sunset concert.
One of my 2012 New Year’s resolutions is to include more jazz in my life. In pursuit of more jazz the first two concerts of 2012 were jazz events. We saw Tim Berne‘s quartet at the Rubin Museum in the Chelsea district in New York City and the Lionel Loueke Trio at Wesleyan University (for free) in February.
I am hemming and hawing about catching Vijay Iyer at Birdland and Wayne Escoffery at the Smoke Jazz & Supper Club in NYC in April. We have decided to pass on the Newport Jazz Festival 2012 due to the cost of a hotel stay being out of our price range.
A jazz festival I want to attend instead is the Litchfield Jazz Festival in Goshen, Connecticut. I received e-mail notification that tickets are now on sale for the 17th Annual Litchfield Jazz Festival to be held August 10-12. We’ve been spending more time in Litchfield County the past few years as patrons of Infinity Hall. The Litchfield County environs offer a picturesque setting with a rolling pastures set against the Connecticut hills.
Saturday August 11th looks like the best day of events. I am very interested in seeing the Ambrose Akinmusire Quintet play.
My favorite “hang” yesterday at the Pop Conference was Jazz Alley which I covered in yesterday’s blog post. I learned actively from several of the presenters about the jazz artist, Wayne Escoffery. I quickly discovered there is mutual consensus building about his next jazz recording, The Only Son of One, on Sunnyside Records.I picked up on the vibe that all the jazz cognoscenti were in agreement about the impact the Wayne Escoffery Quintet is going to have when this recording is released next month. I figured I would plug myself in early and begin to discover more about the structured sounds and textures of this competent quintet.
It’s just too cool that we live so close to the jazz scene in New York City. I am contemplating attending the Wayne Escoffery Quintet CD release event on Saturday, April 21st at the Smoke Jazz & Supper Club if it’s not too late to do so and the Mrs. agrees
Esperanza Spalding at The Nobel Peace Prize Concert 2009 (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
Esperanza Spalding has a new recording, Radio Music Society. She performed the selection, “Radio Song” on the David Letterman show this past week with her ensemble. I was taken with the music and her artistry. I’ve included the segment from The Late Show with David Letterman.
I have been reading with relish about superlative pianist/composer/bandleader Vijay Iyer, his trio and their latest recording, Accelerando. A definitive piece written byNate Chinen captures the essence of Vijay Iyer’s art. I urge you to read the Nate Chinen article, “A Pianist’s Escalating Insurgency” which appeared this past Wednesday in the New York Times. It is insightful, vigorous and enthusiastic in educating the reader about the significance of Vijay Iyer’s role in jazz today and going forward.
I hear Vijay Iyer’s music as controlled excellence unfolding before the listener’s ear then increasing in a multidimensional awareness as it spirals my soul upward and outward.
A YouTube electronic press kit for Accelerando underscores the exuberance of the Vijay Iyer Trio. It has a reflective interview with Vijay Iyer along with the trio performing music segments.
If the engagement hasn’t sold out yet I think we’ll go see the Vijay Iyer Trio Live at Birdland in New York City next month.
I just witnessed with a deep sense of pride and humility, the world première of our dear friend, trumpeter extraordinaire Bill Ortiz’s new video, “Winter In America“.
Please take a few minutes to watch why we must show more compassion towards our fellow-man. We must all help to defeat the winter of our discontent.
Bill,
Your new music video speaks for justice. Your trumpet is the voice that draws our attention to the winter of our discontent that is all around us in this nation. Poverty is the cause we must all help to end.
The vocals by Tony Lindsay and The Grouch accentuate the message that “Winter In America” is the plight of the human condition in our society we must eradicate.
I feel that Gil Scott-Heron is smiling down at how you extend his music to show the message of how we must all collectively help to defeat “Winter In America”.
I tip my hat to Ari Berger and domoarifoto for their wonderful visual abilities used in this video.
Peace, from the music of our heart,
Ed & Rosemary Jennings
One of my favorite artistic initiatives is the collaborative organization known as artistShare. It allows music fans to contribute to the development of an artist’s musical composition and production. I love this option as a patron of the arts. I have supported five previous projects on artistShare. I believe strongly in what Maria Schneider and artistShare are achieving for the arts.
Maria Schneider is embarking on a new Spring 2012 artistShare commission project. Her new orchestral work will have its world première at the Newport Jazz Festival on August 5, 2012.
My wife and I are planning to attend the Newport Jazz Festival for the first time in 2012. It is karma that we will be able to witness the Maria Schneider Orchestra performing live at that event.
Thank you for the opportunity to help you in your new project Maria.
Yesterday was just one of the coolest, laid back days in my recent universe. Rosemary and I headed down to the West Village section of New York City to celebrate my sixtieth birthday. We first stopped off at Tabouli Grill in the Bulls Head section of Stamford. Rosemary has raved about this eatery so we had a quick-lunch which featured a Mango Smoothie and roasted veggie pita. It was delish.
We then proceeded on to the Jazz Record Center at 236 West 26th Street in Chelsea. I have yearned to shop at this store for years. I had just read an interesting article in Jazz Times magazine about jazz retail which gave me more specifics about this jazz mecca. It was well worth the journey as I immersed myself in one of the most extensive inventories of jazz merchandise I had ever browsed before. I made a solemn vow to return at another time to look and buy more extensively. The amount of books, vinyl and t-shirts to look at were amazing to say the least. I purchased three CDS, Sonny Rollins, Saxophone Colussus, Charles Mingus, The Black Saint and The Sinner Lady, and Art Blakey’s Jazz Messengers, A Night in Tunisia.
We then checked into our hotel, the SoHo Grand Hotel on West Broadway. Catching our breath for a second we soon headed off to the West Village for dinner and a late evening jazz concert at The Blue Note.
We parked near our son’s apartment which saved us a parking fee. Matthew joined us as we walked to One If By Land, Two If By Sea. It is a contemporary restaurant that used to be the carriage house of Aaron Burr. The food is over priced but very delectable. We had a few laughs and it was nice to dine as a family in our son’s backyard.
My son gave me a great gift for my sixtieth birthday, The SMiLE Sessions Box Set by The Beach Boys, the long-lost now, happily resurrected music collection has finally seen the light of day in late 2011.
Trust me this going to get a serious listen on the Bose sound system the next few days
Music is God’s Voice – Brian Wilson
Rosemary and I bid Matt goodnight. We headed around the corner to 131 West 3rd Street to The Blue Note to catch Chris Botti and friends at the 10:30 p.m. show. We waited online outside the prestigious jazz venue. It was our first time attending a jazz concert at The Blue Note. It was cold and we were online for an hour before they let us inside. We were given really good center section seats directly across from the bandstand where Chris Botti would be stationed.
They squeeze you in tightly at the long tables but the chairs were more comfortable than they appeared. Chris Botti and his band took the stage at 11:00 pm and played an eclectic 90 minute set. This was our first Chris Botti concert. We liked his horn playing and his stage camaraderie a lot.
I have just become familiar with the music and mastery of Chris Botti. He is a very apt horn player, bandleader and composer. He cuts a great figure as a celebrity and he is a fashionable guy.
This is his seventh annual extended appearance at The Blue Note. He calls this jazz club his residency, deservedly so. Chris exudes a strong electric magnetism which increased my respect for his musicianship. He plays the horn in a very skilful way that is never intimidating, captivating your senses. He serenades on the trumpet as you find yourself being happily carried along.
The Blue Note jazz club creates an immediacy that allows you to interact with this popular jazz artist and his fellow musicians. Chris Botti was joined by Geoffrey Keezer on keyboards. I first discovered Geoffrey Keezer on Artist Share where I downloaded Aurea. He proved to be phenomenal live, proficient with his touch on the keys.
Carlitos del Puerto from Cuba played standup and electric bass. He articulated the instrument well. I enjoyed how he accented notes and chord progressions. He was fun to watch. Leonardo Amudeo was the lead and rhythm guitarist from Uruguay. He proved to be powerfully deceptive as the evening progressed. I was taken with his guitar playing, which I found confident and explorative.
The core musician who blew me away the most was Billy Kilson. He had such a way of popping the drums in his kit that I was never bored with any selection he played. He brings an excitement to the drums as Chris Botti pointed out. When Billy Kilson hit his stride I was bopping along enthusiastically and Chris Botti took delight in my enthusiasm for his drummer.
There were two special guests that added a rich dimension to the evening’s music. Caroline Campbell was a spirited and authoritative violinist. She had a very commanding style with the violin which you eagerly followed.
The other guest was Lisa Fischer who is a very strong r&b (and much more) songstress. Her demeanor puts you immediately at ease as she ranged from torch song to opera to popular song. I could see readily why Mick Jagger values her as a backup singer for the Rolling Stones. Chris Botti mentioned that Lisa Fischer has been singing with him these past 18 months and the benefits of that partnership were quite clear last night.
I love that Chris Botti made himself available after the show to sign his new CD. I had him sign his Chris Botti in Boston work. I thanked him for making my 60th birthday very special. He smiled as he looked up from signing and said, “Happy Birthday”. It was a cool way to end a marvelous evening.
One of my 2012 New Year’s resolutions is to include more jazz in my life. In pursuit of more jazz the first two concerts of 2012 were jazz events. We saw 
I have been reading with relish about superlative pianist/composer/bandleader 
One of my favorite artistic initiatives is the collaborative organization known as 
