CD & DVD REVIEWS Discussions - Pittsburgh Jazz Network2024-03-28T15:49:31Zhttp://jazzburgher.ning.com/group/cddvdreviews/forum?groupUrl=cddvdreviews&feed=yes&xn_auth=noReview: The Era I Almost Missed - Ron Apreatag:jazzburgher.ning.com,2021-08-04:1992552:Topic:5516392021-08-04T23:15:54.519ZDr. Nelson Harrisonhttp://jazzburgher.ning.com/profile/NelsonHarrison
<blockquote><div dir="ltr"><div class="yiv1001808196"><div><blockquote class="yiv1001808196"><div class="yiv1001808196"><div class="yiv1001808196"><blockquote class="yiv1001808196"><div class="yiv1001808196" dir="ltr"><div class="yiv1001808196"><blockquote class="yiv1001808196"><div class="yiv1001808196" dir="ltr"><div class="yiv1001808196yahoo-style-wrap"><div class="yiv1001808196" dir="ltr"><div class="yiv1001808196"><div class="yiv1001808196"></div>
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<blockquote><div dir="ltr"><div class="yiv1001808196"><div><blockquote class="yiv1001808196"><div class="yiv1001808196"><div class="yiv1001808196"><blockquote class="yiv1001808196"><div dir="ltr" class="yiv1001808196"><div class="yiv1001808196"><blockquote class="yiv1001808196"><div dir="ltr" class="yiv1001808196"><div class="yiv1001808196yahoo-style-wrap"><div dir="ltr" class="yiv1001808196"><div class="yiv1001808196"><div class="yiv1001808196"><b class="yiv1001808196"><span class="yiv1001808196">JAZZ AROUND TOWN<br class="yiv1001808196"/>by Scott Yanow</span></b></div>
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<div class="yiv1001808196"><b class="yiv1001808196"><span class="yiv1001808196">RON APREA’S THE ERA I ALMOST MISSED</span></b></div>
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<p class="yiv1001808196ydpa1f2850aMsoNormal"><span class="yiv1001808196"> <span> </span>Every jazz musician should find time to write their memoirs, for each one has had experiences and stories that would otherwise be lost to history. A saxophonist whose consistent excellence has long been taken for granted, Ron Aprea has had a much more extensive history than one might have expected.</span></p>
<p class="yiv1001808196ydpa1f2850aMsoNormal"><span class="yiv1001808196"> <span> </span>The title of his autobiography, The Era I Almost Missed (self-published and available from<span> </span><a rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" href="http://www.ronaprea.com/" class="yiv1001808196">www.ronaprea.com</a>), refers to the era of regularly working big bands. Born in 1939, Aprea had the opportunity to work with such 1960’s bands as those led by Lionel Hampton (who became a close friend), Woody Herman, Les Elgart (his tales about traveling with Elgart are sometimes quite humorous), Buddy Morrow, and his mentor Frank Foster. He also worked with orchestras assembled for r&b players like King Curtis, accompanied some show biz personalities, and recorded with John Lennon in 1974 on Walls and Bridges, giving one a touching profile of the ex-Beatle.</span></p>
<div class="yiv1001808196"><span class="yiv1001808196"> </span><span class="yiv1001808196">Ron Aprea is probably best known for his collaborations with his wife singer Angela DeNiro including heading his own orchestras but, as The Era I Almost Missed shows, that is only part of the story although a very significant part of the past 40 years. Aprea discusses his childhood, his early musical experiences, his main recordings<span> </span></span><span class="yiv1001808196"> </span><span class="yiv1001808196">and, in addition to Hampton and Foster, talks about such artists as Arnie Lawrence, Lew Tabackin, Pat Rizzo, Les DeMerle, Woody Herman, Phil Woods (he took lessons from him), Jimmy Nottingham, Georgie Auld, his family, and of course Angela DeNiro.</span></div>
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<p class="yiv1001808196ydpa1f2850aMsoNormal"><span class="yiv1001808196"> <span> </span>The Era I Almost Missed was put together in one month during the 2020 Pandemic when Ron Aprea unexpectedly had a lot of free time. The well-written stories balance humor with occasional tragedy, giving one a good idea not only of the saxophonist’s busy life but of the jazz life in general. This continually interesting book is highly recommended and will lead one to searching out Ron Aprea’s rewarding albums.</span></p>
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</blockquote> MomentsLike This - Michele Bensen and the Bob Alberti Triotag:jazzburgher.ning.com,2021-05-18:1992552:Topic:5500032021-05-18T18:23:23.276ZDr. Nelson Harrisonhttp://jazzburgher.ning.com/profile/NelsonHarrison
<p><strong>MOMENTS LIKE THIS – Michele Bensen with the Bob Alberti Trio</strong></p>
<p>Bob Alberti – piano</p>
<p>Lee Burrows – bass</p>
<p>Chris Russell – drums</p>
<p>Ben Tucker – bass (on “Don’t Go to Strangers”)</p>
<p>Rarely does one encounter a studio recording that isn’t processed through multi-tracking with the intent of producing a flawless product through electronic debugging. Listeners may become so accustomed to such products that they may have forgotten how purely beautiful a gem…</p>
<p><strong>MOMENTS LIKE THIS – Michele Bensen with the Bob Alberti Trio</strong></p>
<p>Bob Alberti – piano</p>
<p>Lee Burrows – bass</p>
<p>Chris Russell – drums</p>
<p>Ben Tucker – bass (on “Don’t Go to Strangers”)</p>
<p>Rarely does one encounter a studio recording that isn’t processed through multi-tracking with the intent of producing a flawless product through electronic debugging. Listeners may become so accustomed to such products that they may have forgotten how purely beautiful a gem can be created with live musicians playing together in naturally synchronized musicality, speaking music directly among themselves with complete understanding of every nuance that occurs among them. Finding such a product offers never-ending and even increased pleasure upon repeated listening. It is truly a gift that keeps on giving.</p>
<p><strong><u>Moments Like This</u></strong> are rare treasures that cannot be manufactured but only captured. It is clear from the opening 16 bars of the title song that a musical love affair was occurring among the musicians. By musicians I mean the quartet because Michele (a former trumpet player) leaves no doubt that she is a true musician whose instrument is her voice. Every song is an adventure into a musical sanctuary with Michele as preacher and the trio as her “amen corner.” If you are a sophisticated listener, you will find yourself smiling numerous times during every rendition from the subtle and ingenious interplay of the spontaneous performances. If you are a music lover of good taste only, you will add this to your playlist favorites. If you are a romantic, you will find yourself falling in love again or remembering how it felt to be in love. If your heart has ever been broken, these songs will remind you that it was worth it.</p>
<p>The choice of songs is tailor-made for gourmet audiophiles. The menu of 13 tasty selections by masterful composers and lyricists is so delicious in its own right that it only requires a classy serving staff to present it with love and respect for the storylines, harmonies, rhythms and emotional palette each song was composed to convey. If you have never tasted the fare of a 5-star restaurant, you will surely be licking your chops as you sample each item on this menu.</p>
<p>I could write a full page of accolades about each tune but would rather leave that to you, the listener to discover on your own. I’ll simply say that having listened at least 8 times so far, I discover new delights with every hearing. This CD will stay in my car so I won’t mind traffic congestion ever again.</p>
<p>Instead I will offer some impressions of the musicians. With this long-awaited offering <strong>Michele Bensen</strong> leaves no doubt that she ranks as one of the best vocalists of modern American music. Her voice is at once clear, warm, and sensitive to her accompanists and material, as she caresses each phrase to highlight the intrinsic beauty of the music packaged in her unique, subtly stylistic delivery. Her graceful nuances are perfectly in sync with the entire musical palette provided by her colleagues. Billy Eckstine told me on many occasions that the jazz insiders judge singers by the way they sing <strong>Lush Life. </strong> He related how upset Billy Strayhorn would become when a particular note (C natural) in the second phrase of the main chorus was not acknowledged on several famous recordings by major artists but was very happy when it was respected and sung where he placed it. Michele passed the test with flying colors on her rendering which in itself will gain her much respect among major league vocalists.</p>
<p><strong>Bob Alberti</strong>, has musical magic in his fingers that is impressively evident in his piano introductions and accompaniments that consistently engage in conversation with Michele musically and rhythmically. He is also a harmonic genius who can say volumes with one chord or a melodic motif in a split second. You might detect that he inserts a blues bent into his solos where you would never expect it. I almost fell on the floor when he inserted a phrase from “Stardust” in the last 3 beats of the second bridge of <strong>“Too Late Now.”</strong></p>
<p><strong>Lee Burrows</strong> is a bassist who seems to psychically anticipate Bob’s ever fresh and innovative chord progressions with just the right choice of notes and direction of movement. His presence blends so well with Bob and Bob’s understanding of harmonic roots is so stylistically synchronous with Lee’s that one must listen carefully to realize that at times Michele and Bob are performing in duo format, yet when Lee joins them the transition is barely noticeable. Lee’s bass solos further display his total sense of melody, harmony and swing.</p>
<p><strong>Chris Russell</strong> fully realizes his role as percussionist is such a quartet. He stirs the stew just enough to create almost unobtrusive waves of energy that will make you move your head of pat your foot without any distraction from the other players. When it comes time to swing, Chris has the finesse of a Jo Jones, who laid down the laws of swing for all drummers.</p>
<p><strong>Ben Tucker</strong>, well-known as a bass players’ bassist, appears only on Track 6, “<strong>Don’t Go to Strangers.”</strong> Here he shows his appreciation and respect for Michele’s artistry as he blends seamlessly and tastefully with Bob’s musical portraiture of this classic and poignant ballad.</p>
<p>Without saying anything further to spoil your adventure through this wonderland of beautifully performed music, I leave it to the listener to enjoy what I can only describe in a few words as “ear candy.”</p>
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<p><strong>Nelson E. Harrison, Ph.D,</strong> composer, lyricist, arranger, veteran trombonist of the Count Basie Orchestra.</p>
<p><strong>Links to the music:</strong><a href="http://www.cdbaby.com/michelebensenbobalberti"><br/> <u>http://michelebensen.wordpress.com</u> <br/> http://www.cdbaby.com/michelebensenbobalberti</a></p>
<p><a href="http://jazzburgher.ning.com/profile/MicheleBensen">http://jazzburgher.ning.com/profile/MicheleBensen</a></p>
<p><a href="http://www.jango.com/music/Michele+Bensen?l=0">http://www.jango.com/music/Michele+Bensen?l=0</a></p>
<p><a href="http://https/www.facebook.com/MicheleBensenJazz?ref=hl">http://https://www.facebook.com/MicheleBensenJazz?ref=hl</a></p>
<p> </p> ERROLL GARNER | “NIGHTCONCERT” | AVAILABLE JULY 13 VIA MACK AVENUE RECORDStag:jazzburgher.ning.com,2018-05-15:1992552:Topic:4302992018-05-15T16:36:06.385ZDr. Nelson Harrisonhttp://jazzburgher.ning.com/profile/NelsonHarrison
<div class="fl-col-group fl-node-5994aa26d22fd"><div class="fl-col fl-node-5994aa26d2636"><div class="fl-col-content fl-node-content"><div class="fl-module fl-module-heading fl-node-5994a8aa46ac4"><div class="fl-module-content fl-node-content"><h1 class="fl-heading"><span class="fl-heading-text"><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/1045071652?profile=original" target="_self"><img class="align-center" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/1045071652?profile=original" width="231"></img></a></span></h1>
<h1 class="fl-heading"><span class="fl-heading-text">ERROLL GARNER |…</span></h1>
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<h1 class="fl-heading"><span class="fl-heading-text">ERROLL GARNER | “NIGHTCONCERT” | AVAILABLE JULY 13 VIA MACK AVENUE RECORDS</span></h1>
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<div class="fl-col-group fl-node-5994a781141e9"><div class="fl-col fl-node-5994a78114552 fl-col-has-cols"><div class="fl-col-content fl-node-content"><div class="fl-col-group fl-node-5994a8e58db0b fl-col-group-nested"><div class="fl-col fl-node-5994a8e58dec4"><div class="fl-col-content fl-node-content"><div class="fl-module fl-module-fl-post-content fl-node-59946d3d3c7be"><div class="fl-module-content fl-node-content"><p class="p1"><span class="s1"><b>Octave Music, in Partnership with Mack Avenue Records,</b></span></p>
<p class="p1"><span class="s1"><b>to Release <i>Erroll Garner: Nightconcert</i> –</b></span></p>
<p class="p1"><span class="s1"><b>Live Recording at Midnight Concert in November of 1964</b></span></p>
<p class="p1"><span class="s1"><b>at The Royal Concertgebouw in Amsterdam</b></span></p>
<p class="p1"><span class="s1"><b>Features Eight Never-Before-Heard Song Interpretations</b></span></p>
<p class="p1"><span class="s1"><b>+ Newly Discovered Original Song</b></span></p>
<p class="p1"><span class="s1"><b>Available July 13 on Mack Avenue Records</b></span></p>
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<tbody><tr><td class="td1" valign="top"><p class="p1"><span class="s1">There are certain musical artists who have transcended genre limitations, crossing over into other areas of audience appeal. But in very rare cases there are artists who cross over in an entirely different way, becoming iconic and beloved figures to the broader spectrum of humanity by their very existence and essence of their being as universal messengers of love and spirit. Legendary pianist and composer <b>Erroll Garner</b> stands tall among those individuals.</span></p>
<p class="p1"><span class="s1">A new addition to his brilliant manifestation of artistry and jubilant expressiveness is always a treat, but when it is at such a majestic peak as in Octave Music/Mack Avenue Records’ spectacular new release, <b><i>Erroll Garner: Nightconcert</i></b>, it is a revelation. <b><i>Nightconcert</i></b>presents Garner at the peak of his genius, recorded at a midnight concert in November 1964 at The Royal Concertgebouw in Amsterdam with an audience of 2000 highly enthusiastic and enraptured people of all ages. Also notable is that this album features eight never-before-heard Garner song interpretations, including a newly discovered original.</span></p>
<p class="p1"><span class="s1">“The collection of recordings in the Garner Estate archives is immense and substantive,” states Mack Avenue Records President <b>Denny Stilwell</b>. “To represent the historical treasure that is<i>Nightconcert</i> is a privilege for Mack Avenue and we are energized by this new collaboration with Octave Music.”</span></p>
<p class="p1"><span class="s1">Beginning with the immortal 1955 album <i>Concert by the Sea</i> – the best-selling jazz album of its era – Garner consistently proved that there is nothing to match that magical essence of transcendent artistry shared in the same air with a totally connected audience. On this night, the pianist’s consummate artistry is further enhanced by his rhythm section of bassist <b>Eddie Calhoun</b> and drummer <b>Kelly Martin</b>, with whom he’d been playing for nearly a decade – proving another unquestionable truth, that jazz is never better expressed than by an ensemble of musicians who have played together long enough to develop that telepathic synergy demanded by the music at its highest level. Accompanying Garner demanded that substance in exponential form.</span></p>
<p class="p1"><span class="s1">As his longtime manager Martha Glaser wrote in the concert program notes, “one of Garner’s outstanding qualities is his unpredictability and spontaneity,” which followed “the individual selections which Mr. Garner will play have not been listed” – and neither of his accompanists were informed either. But there’s no way one could tell, as they match the master at every twist and turn as though it was just the way they rehearsed it. In fact, they never rehearsed. Their performances were pure magic through mutual awareness.</span></p>
<p class="p1"><span class="s1">True to his singularly personal style, each piece begins with Garner’s sumptuous and often impressionistically rubato explorations before exposing the theme of the actual song he’s about to play, further stamping his personal ownership of the piece, no matter how familiar or how many other people may have interpreted it before. Each song is a unique entity, even in comparison to other interpretations that he may have done at another time – a most special talent and a mark of utter originality and immediacy.</span></p>
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<tbody><tr><td class="td1" valign="top"><p class="p1"><span class="s1">The repertoire on this album is pure Garner, heavily drawn from the Great American Songbook with a nice infusion of originals. There are three Cole Porter classics: “Easy to Love<i>,</i>” “Night and Day” and “What Is This Thing Called Love;” and two gems from Rodgers & Hart: “My Funny Valentine” and “Where or When.” The Gershwins are represented by “’S Wonderful;” Irving Berlin by “Cheek to Cheek;” and Harold Arlen by “Over the Rainbow<i>.</i>” A couple of lesser luminaries are included with Einar Aaron Swan’s “When Your Lover Has Gone” and Clay Boland’s “Gypsy in My Soul.” Two great 1940s songs, immortalized by both being the title songs of terrific films and interpreted by scores of heavyweight artists are Bronislaw Kaper’s “On Green Dolphin Street” and David Raksin’s “Laura” – which can now add two more remarkable versions to their storied history.</span></p>
<p class="p1"><span class="s1">Another outstanding title song from a film is one of three Garner originals, the exquisite “Theme from ‘A New Kind of Love’ (All Yours);” along with the jaunty “That Amsterdam Swing” and the touching “No More Shadows.” A brief taste of Ralph Rainger’s “Thanks for the Memory” provides the <i>digestif</i> to close this most delightful repast.</span></p>
<p class="p1"><span class="s1"><b><i>Nightconcert</i></b> is an exhilarating journey through a comprehensive history of jazz piano: smooth stride, rollicking barrelhouse, unfettered swing, loping bop lines, Cecil Taylor-like chord clusters; spiced by potent touches of Debussy/Satie-like impressionistic flair. In other words, pure <b>Erroll Garner</b>: marvelously imaginative, richly lyrical, full of unexpected surprises, and utterly captivating.</span></p>
<p class="p3"><span class="s2">This is the third new Garner release through Octave Music since its relaunch in 2015; the first,<b><i>The Complete Concert By The Sea</i></b>, was named 2016 historical record of the year by the Jazz Journalist Association and nominated for a GRAMMY® Award and an NAACP Image Award. It was produced by the late and deeply missed master jazz pianist <b>Geri Allen</b>, along with four-time GRAMMY® Award-winner, <b>Steve Rosenthal</b>. The second release, <b><i>Ready Take One</i></b>, a collection of previously unreleased studio recordings that was also nominated for an NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Jazz Album, was produced by <b>Allen</b>, <b>Rosenthal</b> and <b>Peter Lockhart</b>. <b><i>Nightconcert</i></b> is produced by <b>Peter Lockhart</b>, <b>Steve Rosenthal</b> and Mack Avenue Records pianist/composer <b>Christian Sands</b> in his new role as Creative Ambassador for the Erroll Garner Jazz Project. The album is available in both CD and double-vinyl and is beautifully packaged with excellent artwork by <b>White Bicycle</b>, on-site photographs by <b>Nico van der Stam</b>/Maria Austria Instituut and The Erroll Garner archive – housed at the University of Pittsburgh – historical artifacts, and informative notes by renowned writers <b>Nate Chinen</b> and <b>Robin D. G. Kelley</b>. </span></p>
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<tbody><tr><td class="td1" valign="top"><p class="p4"><span class="s1"><b> Erroll Garner ·</b> <b><i>Nightconcert</i></b></span></p>
<p class="p5"><span class="s2"><b>Mack Avenue Records ·</b> Release Date: <b>July 13, 2018</b></span></p>
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</div> LINER NOTES - T.C.B. II - The Tony Campbell Bandtag:jazzburgher.ning.com,2017-09-25:1992552:Topic:4151012017-09-25T05:40:29.628ZDr. Nelson Harrisonhttp://jazzburgher.ning.com/profile/NelsonHarrison
<p align="center"><b>T.C.B. II</b></p>
<p align="center">Tony Campbell – Leader, alto and soprano sax</p>
<p align="center">Lou Stellute – tenor sax ****</p>
<p align="center">Delano “Volcano” Choy – trumpet ***</p>
<p align="center">Sonny Barbato – acoustic and electric piano</p>
<p align="center">Mark Strickland – guitar *</p>
<p align="center">Dwayne Dolphin – acoustic bass</p>
<p align="center">Paul Thompson – acoustic and electric bass **</p>
<p align="center">Greg Humphries -…</p>
<p align="center"><b>T.C.B. II</b></p>
<p align="center">Tony Campbell – Leader, alto and soprano sax</p>
<p align="center">Lou Stellute – tenor sax ****</p>
<p align="center">Delano “Volcano” Choy – trumpet ***</p>
<p align="center">Sonny Barbato – acoustic and electric piano</p>
<p align="center">Mark Strickland – guitar *</p>
<p align="center">Dwayne Dolphin – acoustic bass</p>
<p align="center">Paul Thompson – acoustic and electric bass **</p>
<p align="center">Greg Humphries - drums</p>
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<p>If you like blues, you’ll love this CD. If you like straight ahead jazz, you’ll love this CD. In fact, if you like smooth jazz, funkadelic, R & B, ballads, avant-garde, hard bop or odd meter, you’ll love this CD. Why? Not just because it is all there and then some, but <b><i><u>’Cause Mama Said</u>!****</i></b> The opening track is dedicated by the musicians to their mothers. We may not know specifically what Mama said to each of her own, but from the sound of this offering, it is likely she said, “Don’t be jiving!” Campbell borrowed the changes on the opening track from Bobby Timmons’ “<i>Moanin’</i>” but I suspect that Mama didn’t allow no moanin’ ‘round here. The quintet consists of Tony Campbell on alto sax, Lou Stellute on tenor sax, Sonny Barbato on piano, Dwayne Dolphin on bass and Greg Humphries on drums. These musicians are seasoned veterans experienced in many genres of presentation. Their deep blues roots afford the listener the pleasure of repeated listening, since no one gets tired of the blues. The interplay between them extends right out of the studio and into your presence as you hear them converse about various musical subjects. There is no overdubbing here… no sampling... nothing synthetic... just “pyo nat’chel” cats blowing from the soul of their experience. Art Blakey was fond of saying, <i>“This music comes from the Creator, through the artist, to the people directly. There is nothing you can do that is higher than that.”</i> He would have been proud of these disciples.</p>
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<p>Next in quartet format they emerge as hard core boppers with Paul Thompson replacing Dolphin on bass to shine along with drummer Humphries on a blazing rendition of Thelonius Monk and (fellow Pittsburgher) Kenny Clarke’s <b><i><u>Epistrophy</u>**</i></b> with a 7/4 twist. Here Campbell establishes his place in the alto saxophone lineage as a unique voice, energetically and melodically, his cursor running along the inside edge of Eric Dolphy. Barbato is ever vigilant as he confidently dances between the raindrops and lightning around him with delicate sophistication.</p>
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<p>Mark Strickland’s guitar groove immediately puts you in a dancing mood on <b><i><u>TC’s Groove</u>*-**</i></b> as the menu changes to a quintet gathered around a soul food table while Mama “passes the peas,” a nod of respect to one of Campbell’s influential friends, Maceo Parker. Thompson lines up for his helping followed quickly by Humphries who brings the fatback. Campbell offers grace to the Godfather before Barbato digs into a scrumptious mound of mash potatoes and gravy with ever greasy fingers. Don’t even try to sit still on this one. It’s too funky. You can dance off the calories anyway.</p>
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<p>How about some romance for dessert? The versatility of the previous quintet permits an easy transition into a sophisticated tryst enhanced by fine wine, soft lights and Thelonius Monk. The muse must be ready as she suggestively says, “<b><i><u>Ask Me Now</u>!”*-**</i></b> Campbell’s response is a clear indication that he knows his way around his horn and Monk’s changes with poetic fluidity. You ladies can take your pick here as Barbato’s smooth talk melts your mind, Strickland’s guitar tickles your fancy and Thompson’s bass solo warms your oven. Need no more be said.</p>
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<p>Alas! Trane may be smiling from beyond the veil at this tribute to his influential sojourn among us. <b><i><u>Lastrane</u></i></b> ***-****is a masterful Campbell original based on an unusual A-A-B-A structure in 4/4 time that can be conceived either as 28-20-12-28 in beats or 7-5-3-7 in bars. Here is where avant-garde meets hard bop superimposed on a basic 16-bar minor blues that is obscured by the thematic pedal tone vamp until they first modulate into the straight ahead mode on Campbell’s solo. Tony restates the theme to complete his statement passing the baton to Barbato who stays with the 16-bar blues pattern for two choruses while the bass and drums subtly revert to the thematic vamp rhythm. On the third chorus Sonny keeps swinging while the bass and drums join him. Then he ends with the thematic motif to set up the out chorus for Campbell. You may notice that the trumpet and tenor sax only peep their heads in on the bridge of the opening and final chorus… another subtle nuance that lets you know they were listening the entire time. The pedal vamp tags out the track as you hear the rhythm caboose follow Campbell toward the horizon. Alas!</p>
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<p>Ready for some R & B? Here comes Strickland’s guitar setting up a stop-time pedal vamp that launches another Campbell original, <b><i><u>Mr. C</u></i></b>.* Although it’s a 12-bar blues reminiscent of the Treniers, Campbell seasons it with a descending chromatic chord pattern on the last four bars that sets it apart from the down-home harmony one might expect. To make it even more intriguing for the listener he uses an 8-bar pedal vamp interlude for his solo take-off before diving into the 12-bar straight away. This composition again demonstrates Campbell’s ingenuity in mixing the simple with the complex and making it feel so natural. Dolphin, Barbato and Humphries play the supporting cast for Strickland and Campbell on this danceable track.</p>
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<p>You needn’t switch your CD changer to get a taste of smooth jazz. This Campbell original, <b><i><u>Rain at the Game</u></i></b>,*-** has it right here. Thompson returns with his electric bass as the T.C.B. II guitar quintet configuration features Campbell lyrically on soprano sax and Barbato playing raindrops on electric piano. The melody is one that will sing in your mind throughout your daily activities long after the CD is over. The mark of a skilled composer is evident in a melody that can lodge itself surreptitiously in your memory until you find yourself humming it unconsciously. This track has the same magical attraction as <i>The Theme from Taxi</i> by Bob James and could perhaps itself become a TV theme song someday. An avid sports fan, Campbell portrays a lazy summer afternoon at a baseball park with scattered showers coming and going just often enough to cool off the field.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Delano “Volcano” Choy contributes the next composition/arrangement that recalls the hard bop tradition of the 1960s. This track features Campbell on alto, Choy on trumpet, Stellute on tenor and Barbato on piano respectively. It is a hard blowing straight ahead piece with a driving rhythm section featuring Dolphin on bass again. This is a sextet sans guitar with a well-constructed and harmonized horn-ensemble head and tail. Choy is Hawaiian and this is a hot one, hence its title, <b><i><u>Cinder Cone.</u></i></b> ***-****</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Another Campbell original, <b><i><u>Lou Sweeter’s Theme</u></i></b> ***-**** is a tip of the hat to a colorful character known to the musicians. Its bluesy melody is so basically vernacular that it will have you shaking your head from the first two bars. It may seem simple musically but it takes an experienced attitude to phrase this one right. The soloists take turns stating a personal story while the others nod their heads with understanding beginning with Choy, then Stellute, Campbell and Dolphin respectively, each making his point in two choruses. Barbato comps amen choruses through its entirety. T.C.B. II most definitely cops the right attitude throughout this one. There are certain adages in the jazz tradition that express this kind of phrasing. Saxophonist Bill Easley once said to me, “The notes have never been the problem. It’s the space between the notes that kick most people’s a_s!” I was tempted to lyricize this one in the appropriate vernacular but instead, I’ll just give a hint. <i>“Play the alto… Tony Campbell!”</i> This one got so good that the engineer couldn’t let it fade without bringing it back up for more… maybe appropriately because the story is never really over is it?</p>
<p> </p>
<p>How many ways can one play Gershwin’s <b><i><u>Summertime</u></i></b>? Apparently there is one more way and T.C.B. II in alto sax quartet formation found it. Opening with a New Orleans street beat, the rhythm section modulates the beat through a palate of rhythms on each chorus mixing and matching rock ballad, straight ahead and street beat while Campbell struts his stuff through it all. These men listen to each other and hear every note that is played enabling them to react accordingly at all times. They each speak the language with authority. This is a live recording with you as the audience. Hearing it will prove beyond doubt that the Tony Campbell Band II takes care of business too. Mama knows best.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Nelson E. Harrison, Ph. D.</p>
<p>Composer, lyricist, author, trombonist veteran of the Count Basie Orchestra</p> ORiGINAL PRESS RELEASE - The Tony Campbell Band (TCB II) CDtag:jazzburgher.ning.com,2017-09-25:1992552:Topic:4150962017-09-25T05:35:23.904ZDr. Nelson Harrisonhttp://jazzburgher.ning.com/profile/NelsonHarrison
<p align="left">Press Release… original</p>
<p> </p>
<p>TCB II – The Tony Campbell Band</p>
<p align="left"> </p>
<p align="left">Tony Campbell – alto sax</p>
<p align="left">Sonny Barbato – piano</p>
<p align="left">Delano “Volcano” Choy – trumpet</p>
<p align="left">Lou Stellute – tenor sax</p>
<p align="left">Greg Humphries – drums</p>
<p align="left">Mark Strickland – guitar (Ask Me Now, T.C.’s Groove, Rain at the Game)</p>
<p align="left">Dwayne Dolphin – bass (‘Cause Mama Said, Lastrane,…</p>
<p align="left">Press Release… original</p>
<p> </p>
<p>TCB II – The Tony Campbell Band</p>
<p align="left"> </p>
<p align="left">Tony Campbell – alto sax</p>
<p align="left">Sonny Barbato – piano</p>
<p align="left">Delano “Volcano” Choy – trumpet</p>
<p align="left">Lou Stellute – tenor sax</p>
<p align="left">Greg Humphries – drums</p>
<p align="left">Mark Strickland – guitar (Ask Me Now, T.C.’s Groove, Rain at the Game)</p>
<p align="left">Dwayne Dolphin – bass (‘Cause Mama Said, Lastrane, Mr. C., Cinder Cone, Lou Sweeter tune</p>
<p> </p>
<p align="left">From the opening riff of <strong>Lastrane</strong> my foot was patting and I knew I was in for a bluesy, swinging, modern edition of hard bop presented confidently and tastily by a consortium of veteran new-bloods under the leadership of an immensely gifted leader, composer, arranger – alto saxophonist, Tony Campbell. The musicians hover around the forty-ish age bracket except for bassist, Paul Thompson, almost a generation younger but notably experienced as the bassist in the final incarnation of Stanley Turrentine’s group, and Lou Stellute, who stretches experientially almost 20 years in the senior direction. Their collective experience in the language and tradition of jazz as spoken by the natives is evident enough to speak for itself through each individual’s personal style. You can hear the listening history in their playing that enables them to hear each other with understanding and rapport that affords the CD the feeling of a session at a venerated jazz club minus the applause and audience interaction with the players. You can add that yourself. The ideas are fresh, inventive, sophisticated and funky and they tell a story with each tune throughout the ensembles and solos. It is refreshing to hear a new recording that knows how to convey the deeper levels of blues-based interpretation and writing without sounding contrived. These cats can blow and they enjoy what they are saying to each other.</p>
<p align="left"> </p>
<p align="left"><strong>Lastrane</strong> is a basic 16-bar blues motif in C minor with an unusual 12 – 16 – 8 – 12 – 12 – 16 – beat structure (or if you prefer a 7-5-3-7 bar structure) to the opening theme underpinned by a contrapuntal C pedal riff that provides its Coltranesque flavor and allows Greg Humphries to tip his hat to Elvin Jones on the ending vamp. Campbell solos first, demonstrating his ability to play inside and outside with equal inventiveness and facility. Though he has a proclivity for 16<sup>th</sup> notes, they are always tasteful and swinging and he does not fumble but hears every note he plays. Barbado follows with a blithe and bluesy solo, full of colors, nimble single-note runs and plenty of space for his message to breathe as it dances into your ears. Intriguingly the trumpet and tenor are heard only on the bridge-like 3 bars of the opening and closing theme. Campbell dedicates this composition to his late friend, pianist Kenny Kirkland.</p>
<p align="left"> </p>
<p align="left"><strong>‘Cause Mama Said</strong> is a showcase for bassist Dwayne Dolphin with the three horns providing background shouts behind his funky pizzicato melody. Campbell again takes off on a bluesy solo that is well-punctuated with all the aspects of a well-told story that makes its entire point in one chorus, a tribute to his experience and maturity as a player. Stellute follows with his own story that is also quite a fascinating storyline told in one chorus proving that he has definitely had encounters with the blues in real life. Barbado expounds quite a tale on this one and I am sure you will find his story interesting. Dolphin takes over, laying frantically for a spell before cooling down to his gut and restarting the theme. Whatever they are talking about here must be a downright, dirty shame. The chord changes, borrowed from Bobby Timmons’ hit Moanin’, underscore the feelings they conveyed so musically.</p>
<p align="left"> </p>
<p align="left">They wax a bit mellow with the ballad, <strong>Ask Me Now</strong>, a Thelonius Monk chestnut. This track introduces guitarist Mark Strickland on the CD to augment the rhythm section of Barbado, Thompson and Humphries. Campbell takes flight on this one from the very beginning demonstrating his ability to float like a butterfly through a matrix of intricate harmonies without tripping or overlooking the beauty in Monk’s writing. Guitarist Strickland provides a soothing accompaniment for Barbado’s thoughtful piano solo before taking over at the bridge with his own lilting solo. Thompson shares a turn at the wheel of Monk’s vehicle with a nimble pizzicato solo before turning it back over to Campbell at the bridge for the drive home.</p>
<p align="left"> </p>
<p align="left">As bluesy as they play, they demonstrate their true boplicity on Thelonius Monk and Kenny Clarke’s <strong>Epistrophy</strong> with a bright and clever 7/4 time interpretation. This is a quartet again with alto, piano, drums and Thompson on bass. Campbell, who in my opinion often plays on the inside edge of Eric Dolphy, flies and dances all over this one with harmonic and rhythmic expertise. He definitely commands his instrument and makes it do his bidding with reverent obedience as they morph into 4/4 time and back to 7/4 again. Barbado is equally light on his feet with a relaxed yet intense statement setting the stage for the ever-ebullient Humphries to present a short but explosive solo in 7/4 time. Returning to 7/4 for the out-chorus like a well-oiled machine, they keep the flow going right up to the sudden stop at cliff’s edge.</p>
<p align="left"> </p>
<p align="left"><strong>T.C.’s Groove</strong> seems to be saying, “Someone <i>Pass the Peas</i> please!” Is this a hard bop group or a down-home funk-dance band? Mark Strickland seems to have subpoenaed the group to testify whether or not they “got the funk.” From the sound of this track they are all guilty as charged. As a matter of fact, they might be James Brown refugees in hiding. Whatever groove they are wearing, they certainly wear it in the proper style. You can smell the greens and fried chicken on this cut. If your mouth waters for more, try licking your fingers or else just play it again. Campbell demonstrates his versatility in a tip of his hat to his friend, Maceo Parker.</p>
<p align="left"> </p>
<p align="left">Campbell, an avid sports fan, breaks out his soprano sax for this smooth jazz original, <strong>Rain at the Game</strong>. To keep busy working as a musician, one must be able to master a variety of styles. The shift in instrumental timbres to electric bass and electric piano and the head-shaking sophistication of the groove they achieve ranks with the best fare ever put out by Grover Washington, Jr., David Sanborn, etc. The composition uses pretty chord changes and memorable melodic hooks that will cause you to replay this one in your mind in pensive moments without the benefit of the CD itself.</p>
<p align="left"> </p>
<p align="left"><strong>Mr. C.</strong> is an energetic 12-bar blues riff with a stop-time theme for the first 8 bars resolving into a slick, hard bop downward chromatic pattern for the last 4 bars. There seems to be no end to the variety of ways to play the blues and the Tony Campbell Band most definitely shows they can take care of business on both sides of the railroad tracks. Mark Strickland shines on this one with a solo that glides from deep blues roots to the inner-city slicks. Campbell, always in command, takes over and rides this one home after a blizzard of a solo on his alto. He definitely has his own voice and knows his way around the instrument with an ease that lets him make his point concisely whenever he is in the spotlight. His ability to say mush in a chorus or two speaks well of his big band experience as a lead altoist. Too many new generation players want to be soloists without learning to play ensemble, ignoring the fact that the greatest soloists of the tradition were also the greatest section players.</p>
<p align="left"> </p>
<p align="left">All three horns join together on Choy’s <strong>Cinder Cone</strong>, a pure hard bop excursion that exhibits refreshing originality of composition and mastery of the more modal genre of the hard bop tradition complete with glowing ensemble motifs. The musicians are as comfortable here as anywhere and continue to play without cliche’ ridden licks as too often occurs in recent recordings by school-generated newcomers. These players have considerable front-line experience playing for sophisticated live audiences and it shows throughout the recording.</p>
<p align="left"> </p>
<p align="left">It has been written by many and said by many more that a large percentage of the post-modern boppers do not speak the vernacular of the language as was common in the 1960s. <strong>Lou Sweeter’s Tune</strong>, on the contrary, will take you back through the time tunnel to that glorious era where audiences lined up for blocks outside the Crawford Grill in Pittsburgh and the Vanguard in NYC to hear the latest sermon by the groups who played regularly in those venues. The secret is that back in the day recording bands were the same bands that were touring the Chittlin’ Circuit, perfecting their repertoire before entering the studio, enabling them to bring the same excitement into the studio from the bandstand the night before. TCB II achieves this same result because the musicians represented here have played together regularly in clubs for years with each other, grown up musically together or been co-mentored by the same masters in the field. You hear all three horns stretch out on this tune leaving no doubt in your mind that the TCB II – Tony Campbell Band ‘Takes care of bidness” and deserves much R-E-S-P-E-C-T.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Nelson E. Harrison, Ph. D.</p>
<p>Composer, lyricist, author, trombonist veteran of the Count Basie Orchestra</p> BOOTLEG BYRNE - ELI BYRNEtag:jazzburgher.ning.com,2017-09-25:1992552:Topic:4150942017-09-25T05:14:52.512ZDr. Nelson Harrisonhttp://jazzburgher.ning.com/profile/NelsonHarrison
<p align="center"><u>BOOTLEG BYRNE</u></p>
<p align="center"><u> </u></p>
<p>Chris Byrne – saxes, Adrienne Byrne – flute, Jeremy Bacon – piano (all tracks); Robert “Bunny” Cox – drums, Tom Jordan – bass, Elaine Richardson – vocals (tracks 1-7); Duane Eubanks – trumpet, Ronnie Burrage – drums & Mike Boone – bass (tracks 8-9).</p>
<p> </p>
<p>I don’t know how you may feel about bootleg recordings but I have a special affinity for them since they are always “live.” There are shortcomings of…</p>
<p align="center"><u>BOOTLEG BYRNE</u></p>
<p align="center"><u> </u></p>
<p>Chris Byrne – saxes, Adrienne Byrne – flute, Jeremy Bacon – piano (all tracks); Robert “Bunny” Cox – drums, Tom Jordan – bass, Elaine Richardson – vocals (tracks 1-7); Duane Eubanks – trumpet, Ronnie Burrage – drums & Mike Boone – bass (tracks 8-9).</p>
<p> </p>
<p>I don’t know how you may feel about bootleg recordings but I have a special affinity for them since they are always “live.” There are shortcomings of course like the inability to mix separate instruments or fix “bloopers” in the editing suite but over all one gets an energy and performer-audience interaction that more than outweighs those limitations. This is one of those recordings selected from two separate live concerts. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>At first I thought I was listening to some vintage 70s jazz from the period when Pharoah Sanders et al were expressing the higher human values in their music. The titles of the tunes and the lyrics further led me in that direction. What struck me was the originality of every composition, simplistic beauty of melody over fresh chord progressions played with comfortable and clear communication among the musicians as if they were very used to speaking the same dialect. Every track is an adventure that takes you on a journey to someplace you might remember or have never experienced.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>The musicianship is of superior quality on every instrument and the solos are very original unburdened by the well-worn clichés so often heard from the college-bred jazz musicians who learn the notes but haven’t lived the life. These musicians play like they have lived it and paid some relevant dues in the company their predecessor generation. In other words, I hear mentorship and experience over intellect and technique. The technique is definitely there, but it is used to serve the message of the artist not just as a dazzling device to impress the listener.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>I felt in the audience response that there was a genuine appreciation of the above not just a polite response. In other words, I perceived there was a connection with the audience that I wager had a positive effect on the performances.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>The selection and order of tunes is one of the few ways a live recording can be improved upon and this one is well-paced with variety of mood, tempo, rhythms, voice, ensemble and dynamics. The weakest element for me was the balance in sound among the instruments on certain tracks that wouldn’t have occurred in a studio where one could control the mix and the players would have adequate monitoring of sound.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>One of my favorite listening exercises is the “blindfold method” where no information is given about the recording on the first listen. My blindfold score on this one would have been almost zero except that I knew it was Dr. Chris Byrne on saxophones and his daughter Aeb on flute. My experience of the music, however, makes me want to hear more from every player and to seek out other examples of their work. I had never heard of Miles Davis the first time I heard him on the radio in 1947 but I have never been able to get enough of him since. This recording is living proof that the popularity charts may not always be the richest repository of great jazz music. It may behoove us to follow the intended suggestion of this rendering and find some more “Bootlegs.” Then call me and I’ll have a nip with you.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Track 1: I Wanna Ride First Class</p>
<p>Track 2: Keely’sWaltz</p>
<p>Track 3: Orange Moon</p>
<p>Track 4: Something Underneath</p>
<p>Track 5: The Messenger</p>
<p>Track 6: Grace</p>
<p>Track 7: Westonian Pandemonium</p>
<p>===========================</p>
<p>Track 8: Minor Incident in the Intersection</p>
<p>Track 9: Prime Time</p>
<p> </p>
<p><i>---Dr. Nelson Harrison - psychologist, composer, arranger, lyricist, author, playwright, veteran trombonist with the Count Basie Orchestra (1978-81).</i></p> MOMENTS LIKE THIS – Michele Bensen with the Bob Alberti Triotag:jazzburgher.ning.com,2017-09-25:1992552:Topic:4150912017-09-25T05:06:35.548ZDr. Nelson Harrisonhttp://jazzburgher.ning.com/profile/NelsonHarrison
<p align="center"><b>MOMENTS LIKE THIS – Michele Bensen with the Bob Alberti Trio</b></p>
<p>Bob Alberti – piano</p>
<p>Lee Burrows – bass</p>
<p>Chris Russell – drums</p>
<p>Ben Tucker – bass (on “Don’t Go to Strangers”)</p>
<p>Rarely does one encounter a studio recording that isn’t processed through multi-tracking with the intent of producing a flawless product through electronic debugging. Listeners may become so accustomed to such products that they may have forgotten how purely beautiful…</p>
<p align="center"><b>MOMENTS LIKE THIS – Michele Bensen with the Bob Alberti Trio</b></p>
<p>Bob Alberti – piano</p>
<p>Lee Burrows – bass</p>
<p>Chris Russell – drums</p>
<p>Ben Tucker – bass (on “Don’t Go to Strangers”)</p>
<p>Rarely does one encounter a studio recording that isn’t processed through multi-tracking with the intent of producing a flawless product through electronic debugging. Listeners may become so accustomed to such products that they may have forgotten how purely beautiful a gem can be created with live musicians playing together in naturally synchronized musicality, speaking music directly among themselves with complete understanding of every nuance that occurs among them. Finding such a product offers never-ending and even increased pleasure upon repeated listening. It is truly a gift that keeps on giving.</p>
<p><b><u>Moments Like This</u></b> are rare treasures that cannot be manufactured but only captured. It is clear from the opening 16 bars of the title song that a musical love affair was occurring among the musicians. By musicians I mean the quartet because Michele (a former trumpet player) leaves no doubt that she is a true musician whose instrument is her voice. Every song is an adventure into a musical sanctuary with Michele as preacher and the trio as her “amen corner.” If you are a sophisticated listener, you will find yourself smiling numerous times during every rendition from the subtle and ingenious interplay of the spontaneous performances. If you are a music lover of good taste only, you will add this to your playlist favorites. If you are a romantic, you will find yourself falling in love again or remembering how it felt to be in love. If your heart has ever been broken, these songs will remind you that it was worth it.</p>
<p>The choice of songs is tailor-made for gourmet audiophiles. The menu of 13 tasty selections by masterful composers and lyricists is so delicious in its own right that it only requires a classy serving staff to present it with love and respect for the storylines, harmonies, rhythms and emotional palette each song was composed to convey. If you have never tasted the fare of a 5-star restaurant, you will surely be licking your chops as you sample each item on this menu.</p>
<p>I could write a full page of accolades about each tune but would rather leave that to you, the listener to discover on your own. I’ll simply say that having listened at least 8 times so far, I discover new delights with every hearing. This CD will stay in my car so I won’t mind traffic congestion ever again.</p>
<p>Instead I will offer some impressions of the musicians. With this long-awaited offering <b>Michele Bensen</b> leaves no doubt that she ranks as one of the best vocalists of modern American music. Her voice is at once clear, warm, and sensitive to her accompanists and material, as she caresses each phrase to highlight the intrinsic beauty of the music packaged in her unique, subtly stylistic delivery. Her graceful nuances are perfectly in sync with the entire musical palette provided by her colleagues. Billy Eckstine told me on many occasions that the jazz insiders judge singers by the way they sing <b>Lush Life. </b> He related how upset Billy Strayhorn would become when a particular note (C natural) in the second phrase of the main chorus was not acknowledged on several famous recordings by major artists but was very happy when it was respected and sung where he placed it. Michele passed the test with flying colors on her rendering which in itself will gain her much respect among major league vocalists.</p>
<p><b>Bob Alberti</b>, has musical magic in his fingers that is impressively evident in his piano introductions and accompaniments that consistently engage in conversation with Michele musically and rhythmically. He is also a harmonic genius who can say volumes with one chord or a melodic motif in a split second. You might detect that he inserts a blues bent into his solos where you would never expect it. I almost fell on the floor when he inserted a phrase from “Stardust” in the last 3 beats of the second bridge of <b>“Too Late Now.”</b></p>
<p><b>Lee Burrows</b> is a bassist who seems to psychically anticipate Bob’s ever fresh and innovative chord progressions with just the right choice of notes and direction of movement. His presence blends so well with Bob and Bob’s understanding of harmonic roots is so stylistically synchronous with Lee’s that one must listen carefully to realize that at times Michele and Bob are performing in duo format, yet when Lee joins them the transition is barely noticeable. Lee’s bass solos further display his total sense of melody, harmony and swing.</p>
<p><b>Chris Russell</b> fully realizes his role as percussionist is such a quartet. He stirs the stew just enough to create almost unobtrusive waves of energy that will make you move your head of pat your foot without any distraction from the other players. When it comes time to swing, Chris has the finesse of a Jo Jones, who laid down the laws of swing for all drummers.</p>
<p><b>Ben Tucker</b>, well-known as a bass players’ bassist, appears only on Track 6, “<b>Don’t Go to Strangers.”</b> Here he shows his appreciation and respect for Michele’s artistry as he blends seamlessly and tastefully with Bob’s musical portraiture of this classic and poignant ballad.</p>
<p>Without saying anything further to spoil your adventure through this wonderland of beautifully performed music, I leave it to the listener to enjoy what I can only describe in a few words as “ear candy.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p><b>Nelson E. Harrison, Ph.D,</b> composer, lyricist, arranger, veteran trombonist of the Count Basie Orchestra.</p>
<p><b>Links to the music:</b><a href="http://www.cdbaby.com/michelebensenbobalberti"><br/> <u>http://michelebensen.wordpress.com</u> <br/> http://www.cdbaby.com/michelebensenbobalberti</a></p>
<p><a href="http://jazzburgher.ning.com/profile/MicheleBensen">http://jazzburgher.ning.com/profile/MicheleBensen</a></p>
<p><a href="http://www.jango.com/music/Michele+Bensen?l=0" target="_blank">http://www.jango.com/music/Michele+Bensen?l=0</a></p>
<p><a href="http://https/www.facebook.com/MicheleBensenJazz?ref=hl">http://https://www.facebook.com/MicheleBensenJazz?ref=hl</a></p> ACS Trio - Geri Allen, Terri Lyne Carrington & Easeranza Spaldingtag:jazzburgher.ning.com,2017-07-02:1992552:Topic:4102112017-07-02T18:46:49.040ZDr. Nelson Harrisonhttp://jazzburgher.ning.com/profile/NelsonHarrison
<h3 class="post-title"><a href="http://www.londonjazznews.com/2013/11/review-acs-geri-allen-terri-lyne.html">Review: ACS (Geri Allen, Terri Lyne Carrington, Esperanza Spalding) at the Barbican (LJF)…</a></h3>
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<h3 class="post-title"><a href="http://www.londonjazznews.com/2013/11/review-acs-geri-allen-terri-lyne.html">Review: ACS (Geri Allen, Terri Lyne Carrington, Esperanza Spalding) at the Barbican (LJF)</a></h3>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Geri Allen, Terri Lyne Carrington, Esperanza Spalding<br/>Barbican November 2013. Photo credit : Roger Thomas</td>
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<br/> <b>ACS (Geri Allen, Terri Lyne Carrington, Esperanza Spalding)</b><br/> <b>(Barbican Centre, Sun. 17th Nov. 2013. EFG London Jazz Festival. Review by Alison Bentley)</b><br/> <br/> <span id="fullpost"><b>ACS</b> sounds like an understated title for such an illustrious trio. Three strong, gifted women from different generations: pianist <b>Geri Allen</b>, drummer <b>Terri Lyne Carrington</b> and Grammy-winning bassist/singer <b>Esperanza Spalding</b> (still in her 20s). Their biographies read like a who's who of jazz luminaries, past and present. This gig included their arrangements of some of Wayne Shorter’s tunes to celebrate his 80th year. The trio were nearing the end of a long Autumn tour, and played together so freely and intuitively, that there was a sense of listening to them all at the same time- as if they were one instrument.<br/> <br/> Carrington opened the set (an unnamed Eric Dolphy tune) with delicate bar chimes, but a huge restless energy soon burst out, as if the drums were playing her. There was constant creativity and contrast, in the spirit of Tony Williams (they both had the same drum teacher and worked with Shorter). The trio were all listening intently to each other. Allen (rather low in the mix at first) played some mischievous runs of notes, and Carrington responded with detailed drum rolls. At first there was no obvious tonality, but some dissonant notes over the rumbling bass, and drums like a controlled explosion. Piano and drums duetted, and neither seemed to be leading. Spalding had an elastic double bass tone and a wealth of musical of ideas- then settled into just one grooving note, resting on the rim shots. Allen studied classically, but never seemed Romantic in style- her Debussy-esque phrases were played with a Monkish determination.<br/> <br/> Nat King Cole's <i>Beautiful Friendship</i> hinted at a more familiar chord sequence. Spalding soloed as if she was singing the lines- as if the bass were a front line instrument, but also very rhythmically. Many bassists look as though they're fighting their instrument, but Spalding’s left hand crept along the neck of the bass with delicacy and strength, as if she was coaxing the sound out. She's a very inclusive performer- as if she was saying to the audience, 'I've found these amazing notes in the instrument- what do you think?' Or as she told one interviewer, 'The bass and I just resonate.'<br/> <br/> They took it in turns to pin down the pulse. Allen's fragmented piano phrases were like shafts of sunlight, unexpected and angular, like her work with Steve Coleman. The melodies were just starting points. Bluesy, swinging piano (Allen also studied with Kenny Barron) gave way to hints of funk, as sinuous bowed bass and piano lines slid across the bass drum's arrythmic heartbeat. As the major piano chords floated above the mercurial bass, flickering drums and tingling percussion, something indefinably special seemed to be happening.<br/> <br/> Shorter's <i>Virgo</i> and <i>Nefertiti</i> began with Spalding whistling the tune over Allen's elegant Bill Evans-like triads, and the swing emerged like a mirage from Carrington's Brian Blade-like drumming. Every note in Allen's solo was voiced with richly-clustered notes, with a dark intensity, introspective, every note meant, communicating with her instrument. Piano and bass swapped thorny atonal phrases like throwing a ball. Spalding’s almost rocky bass grooves reminded us of her soul/R&B side, and Carrington's funky whispers of drum 'n' bass recalled her M-BASE days.<br/> <br/> 'I'm not worthy,' was Allen's self-deprecating introduction to her tune <i>Unconditional Love</i>, sung wordlessly by Spalding in her delicate, perfectly-pitched voice, a little like Round Midnight-era Bobby McFerrin. She sang the way she played the bass: wide intervals, complex, but natural- as if she was finding the thread to lead her through the chords, without ornamentation for its own sake. When Allen layered repeated rhythmic chords behind the long, winsome vocal lines, they could almost have been early Azimuth. The audience loved it.<br/> <br/> Shorter’s <i>Infant Eyes</i> concluded the set. Carrington mostly played with sticks throughout the evening but here used thundering mallets and rods in her charismatic solo, a little like Elvin Jones. Her Afro-Cuban rimshots sounded like timbales. Allen leapt headlong into the theme, arpeggios flying, like Grieg’s piano concerto. She sounded as if she was wrestling to find the right piano notes, never settling for less than the right one- a relentlessly honest pianist.<br/> <br/> Allen's spoken of her desire for the audience to share in their 'spirit of adventure' as they improvise together, and that's how it felt- three extraordinary musicians fearlessly exploring where their music would take them.</span></div>
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<p><span class="post-timestamp">On <a class="timestamp-link" href="http://www.londonjazznews.com/2013/11/review-acs-geri-allen-terri-lyne.html" rel="bookmark" title="permanent link"><abbr class="published" title="2013-11-20T09:45:00Z">Wednesday, November 20, 2013</abbr></a></span></p> Alice Coltrane’s Devotional Musictag:jazzburgher.ning.com,2017-04-22:1992552:Topic:4060882017-04-22T03:39:04.144ZDr. Nelson Harrisonhttp://jazzburgher.ning.com/profile/NelsonHarrison
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<h1 class="title">Alice Coltrane’s Devotional Music</h1>
<h2 class="dek">A new album collects her compositions, blending synthesizers, organ, and…</h2>
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<a class="issue-publish-date-link" href="http://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2017/04/24" title="Published in 2017-04-24">April 24, 2017 Issue</a></div>
<h1 class="title">Alice Coltrane’s Devotional Music</h1>
<h2 class="dek">A new album collects her compositions, blending synthesizers, organ, and Sanskrit chanting, from the years she ran an ashram in Los Angeles.</h2>
<div class="byline-and-date"><h3 class="contributors">By <span><a href="http://www.newyorker.com/contributors/hua-hsu" title="Hua Hsu" rel="author"><span>Hua Hua</span></a></span></h3>
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<div id="content"><div class="articleBody" id="articleBody"><a class="image" title="View larger" href="http://www.newyorker.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/170424_r29830-1194x1200-1492028469.jpg"><img src="http://www.newyorker.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/170424_r29830-320x322-1492028351.jpg" class="vertical attachment-medium img-expandable portrait lazyload loaded" alt="In the early eighties, Coltrane bought forty-eight acres and built an ashram."/></a> <span class="caption-text">In the early eighties, Coltrane bought forty-eight acres and built an ashram.</span> <span class="credit" title="Chuck Stewart Photography, LLC">Chuck Stewart Photography, LLC</span>
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<p class="descender">Near the end of his life, John Coltrane decided to buy a harp. The visionary saxophonist and bandleader hoped that having one in his home studio would help him rethink his approach to harmony and texture. The harp he ordered took months to build and wasn’t delivered until after his death, of liver cancer, in July, 1967. It sat in the house in Dix Hills, Long Island, where he and his wife, Alice, were bringing up their young children. If the windows were open, Alice later recalled, a strong breeze would make the strings hum, as though some invisible force were strumming them.</p>
<p>Alice and John met in the early sixties in New York City, when she was gigging and he was already a star. She was born in Detroit in 1937, and, like many contemporaries, received her most formative musical education through the church. She studied the piano, mastering the classical repertoire as well as bebop, and she began touring and recording in her early twenties. She played with John’s ensembles, but by the time of his death she had largely stepped back from music.</p>
<p>Those who knew Alice and John described them as kind, gentle introverts who understood each other on an instinctive level. Though they had both grown up in strict Christian households, in the sixties they began immersing themselves in other faiths. They weren’t the only ones seeking new forms of transcendence in the pages of the Quran, the Bhagavad Gita, and books about Zen Buddhism. In 1966, the cover of <em>Time</em> famously asked, “Is God Dead?” The seekers thought that maybe people had been taught to look in the wrong place. For black artists, especially, pursuing other systems of belief became a way of rethinking one’s relationship with America.</p>
<p>John’s death set Alice adrift. She wouldn’t eat or sleep; she suffered from hallucinations. Though many people around her worried about whether her emaciated frame was the result of devotional fasting or severe depression, she later described this period as transformational, thanks largely to an encounter with the Swami Satchidananda, an Indian religious leader who toured America in the late sixties and appeared at Woodstock, where he opened the festival. In Alice’s mind, Hindu traditions could accommodate the kind of universalist ethos that she and John had imagined at the end of his life. The Swami’s teachings appealed to Alice’s sense that the Holy Spirit was everywhere, that we were merely the flesh-and-blood manifestations of an infinite life force.</p>
<p>Alice taught herself how to play the harp, which can sound wondrous and mystical even in amateur hands. Her style was impressionistic, effervescent. Her notes sparkled and then dissolved in the air around her. What better way to express one’s relationship to the larger world? In 1968, Alice began releasing albums as a bandleader. During this time, especially in the experimental circles that had grown around her husband, opportunities for women to lead their own ensembles were rare. The music she made was initially criticized as derivative of John’s. In the case of his posthumous album “Infinity” (1972), purists attacked Alice’s decision to dub her own string arrangements over some of his previously unreleased works.</p>
<p>Alice’s music was solemn and heavy, filled with stormy passages that felt like nervous attempts at purification—a struggling kind of transcendence. Like much of the more forward-thinking jazz of this era, it was music that felt in a hurry to get somewhere. Every now and then, though, a glistening sweep of harp would cut through the dirge, sounding the possibility of glory in the wreckage. John’s death was a theme, but so was a desire to surrender her ego, and to offer herself to something greater. In the ten years that followed, she released about a dozen albums on Impulse! and Warner Bros., many of them masterpieces that imagine a meeting point between jazz and psychedelic rock, gospel traditions and Indian devotional music. And then, after the release of “Transfiguration,” in 1978, she seemed to disappear.</p>
<p class="descender">In the sleeve notes for “A Monastic Trio” (1968), Alice’s first album as a bandleader, the poet and critic Amiri Baraka called her “one earth bound projection of John’s spirit.” She had no problem with being defined in terms of her husband’s legacy, for some of the most radical music he made was an attempt to translate their private world for the masses. It was the “earth bound” part that she resisted.</p>
<p>On Alice’s album covers, she often wore a look of dreamy preoccupation, and their titles—“World Galaxy,” “Universal Consciousness”—easily aligned her with many of her outer-space-obsessed peers. For artists like Sun Ra or Herbie Hancock, outer-space futurism offered a potent metaphor—a way of illustrating a sense of alienation, and a dream of shuttling someplace where black people might be free. But Alice was looking elsewhere.</p>
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<p>In 1972, Alice and her children moved to San Francisco, where she devoted herself to Vedic practice. She established the Vedantic Center in her home, and, a few years later, moved it, along with her family, to Woodland Hills, a neighborhood of Los Angeles. She took the name Turiyasangitananda—Sanskrit for “the bliss of God’s highest song”—and attracted a diverse congregation of worshippers. (Among her youngest acolytes was her great-nephew Steven Ellison, who now draws on her sense of scale and ambition in his brilliant work as the electronic producer Flying Lotus.) She came to believe that bliss was close at hand—it was inside you. The universe wasn’t a range of options and futures that were light-years away; it was an idea you couldn’t quite grasp, and in the struggle to try to imagine infinity’s sprawl all you could do was just try and align yourself with it. In the early eighties, after the death of her son John, Jr., she bought forty-eight acres in nearby Agoura Hills and built an ashram.</p>
<p>“World Spirituality Classics 1: The Ecstatic Music of Alice Coltrane Turiyasangitananda” will be released on Luaka Bop next month, a little more than ten years after her death. It is the first collection to highlight the music she made during this time. Her children had encouraged her to visit a local music shop to see all the fancy things that the new modular synthesizers could do. While initially reluctant, she became fascinated with the way that these keyboards allowed her to bend or stretch notes at will. She began making her own devotional music, overlaying surging, swelling ambient soundscapes with Sanskrit chants. Residents at the ashram recall Alice waking them up before dawn, so that they could listen to her newest compositions. Many of them, including her children, had never heard her sing.</p>
<p>“Ecstatic Music” draws from four cassettes that Alice released between 1982 and 1995 on a tiny local label devoted to Vedic teachings. The music is astounding. “Om Rama” feels as if you’ve walked into the middle of a daylong ritual—it’s all handclaps, tambourines, and blissful chants chasing after the occasional erratic whoosh of a synthesizer. It stays at a frenzied peak for a few minutes, until a wailing, ascending note sweeps everything away, slowing the song to a stately procession. Through the haze comes Alice’s creaky church organ, which sounds as if it had been transplanted from a gospel record.</p>
<p>On “Rama Rama,” a sitar’s thrum is matched with gentle waves of synthesizer, the kind of juxtaposition between old and new that gives much of this music an uncanny feel. For Alice, synthesizers and organs were simply a new way of humming along with the universe, as she had previously tried to do playing the harp. “Journey to Satchidananda” revisits the melody from one of her masterpieces, “Journey in Satchidananda,” released in 1970. Here the original’s insistent rhythm is unravelled, slowed down to a swirl of chants and tranquil synthesizer tones.</p>
<p class="descender">Record collecting offers a strange approach to historical thinking: yesterday’s undervalued commodities often become tomorrow’s fetish objects. No genre, style, or level of professionalism is beyond redemption. Still, the renewal of interest in New Age music is surprising. Some of the most exciting labels today, such as New York’s <small>RVNG</small> Intl. and Los Angeles’s Leaving Records, mix avant-garde dance music with reissues of old meditation or relaxation music. The pianist and zitherist Laraaji, who, following his “discovery” by the producer Brian Eno, released some twenty albums in the eighties, is arguably more popular than ever. (He is also still selling tickets to his famed “laughter meditation” sessions.)</p>
<p>Perhaps it’s because we live at a time when notions of wellness and personal care are mainstream that the idea of ambient music with a purpose holds a special appeal. And a lot of people listen to music as an alternative to organized worship; for years, in the Bay Area, there has been a church devoted to John Coltrane. For some, “Ecstatic Music” will be perfect for zoning out, couched as it is in a religiosity that is welcoming, nonjudgmental. But one of the reasons that albums like this have remained obscure is that they were recorded with a specific pursuit in mind: they were for the ashram, devotional songs for fellow-worshippers.</p>
<p>I first encountered this music on a blog specializing in obscure “celestial” music. (I love anything that dares to try to describe the wholeness of the universe, and I’m a sucker for harps.) When I listened to “Rama Katha,” which is included on the vinyl version of this album, I was startled by its quiet and its patience. It was so intimate and honest that I almost felt that I shouldn’t be listening. I couldn’t tell if its ambient drones were the result of the poor digitization of a hissing cassette or part of the music itself. Alice was backed only by her keyboard, which flickered and whirred from a comfortable distance. Her voice—never the instrument she was famous for—resounded with untroubled confidence. This wasn’t music that was pushing its makers and listeners to a higher plane. Alice was already there. <span class="dingbat">♦</span></p>
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<div class="author-masthead has-bio"><div class="contributor-info"><p>Hua Hsu is a contributing writer for newyorker.com and <em>The New Yorker</em>. He is the author of <a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/0674967909/?tag=thneyo0f-20">“A Floating Chinaman: Fantasy and Failure Across the Pacific.”</a></p>
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<p><em>This article appears in other versions of the April 24, 2017, issue, with the headline “Praise Songs.”</em></p>
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<p></p> A New Architecture for Jazztag:jazzburgher.ning.com,2013-10-06:1992552:Topic:3112632013-10-06T02:08:04.081ZDr. Nelson Harrisonhttp://jazzburgher.ning.com/profile/NelsonHarrison
<p>The Ahmad Jamal Trio's 1958 album "But Not For Me" may have confounded critics, but it changed the direction of the jazz-piano trio, influencing such great names as Peterson, Evans and Davis. The recording remains one of jazz's most elegant recordings.</p>
<p>By<br></br> MARC MYERS</p>
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<p>Fifty-five years ago this week, an album by a jazz trio entered Billboard's best-sellers chart and within weeks jumped over Elvis Presley's "King Creole" and Mitch Miller's "Sing Along With Mitch" to…</p>
<p>The Ahmad Jamal Trio's 1958 album "But Not For Me" may have confounded critics, but it changed the direction of the jazz-piano trio, influencing such great names as Peterson, Evans and Davis. The recording remains one of jazz's most elegant recordings.</p>
<p>By<br/> MARC MYERS</p>
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<p>Fifty-five years ago this week, an album by a jazz trio entered Billboard's best-sellers chart and within weeks jumped over Elvis Presley's "King Creole" and Mitch Miller's "Sing Along With Mitch" to occupy the No. 3 slot. The album—the Ahmad Jamal Trio's "But Not For Me," recorded live at Chicago's Pershing Lounge—would appear on the chart for 107 weeks, confounding jazz critics and influencing the direction of the jazz-piano trio. Today, it remains one of jazz's most elegant recordings.</p>
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<p>Recorded on Jan. 16, 1958, and released that spring, "But Not for Me" deeply affected how jazz pianists voiced standards and interacted musically with their bass players and drummers. By August, the album had sold nearly 48,000 copies—a staggering accomplishment since any album's sale of just 20,000 copies in its first few months back then was considered significant. Equally impressive was that the album was on Argo—a niche label based in Chicago. By contrast, one of jazz's most successful albums—the Dave Brubeck Quartet's "Time Out"—wouldn't be released until the following year and was greatly helped by Columbia's powerful mail-order record club and marketing machine. By the end of 1958, "But Not for Me" was the top-selling jazz album in stores.</p>
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<p>The rapid rise of Mr. Jamal's album and its staying power owed much to the trio's relaxed sound, its long-term stay at the Pershing and a media gambit by Argo executives. When early word of the album's strong sales trickled out, the label invited Billboard to review its books. Billboard took a look and published a buzz-building trade article in August 1958 that caught the eye of radio and retailers and led to the release of singles from the album—including "Poinciana," which became the trio's signature song.</p>
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<p>Mr. Jamal's distinctive style—melodies played on the piano's upper-most notes combined with elegant and brief midkeyboard chord clusters—had been revered by jazz musicians since his first recordings in 1951. Miles Davis so admired Mr. Jamal's lyrical, space-rich approach on "Surrey With the Fringe on Top," "A Gal in Calico," "Billy Boy" and other early recordings by the pianist that he recorded them virtually the same way. The trio's conversational approach also left a lasting impression on many pianists, including Oscar Peterson, Red Garland, Bill Evans, Phineas Newborn Jr. and Herbie Hancock.</p>
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<p>Yet jazz critics gave "But Not for Me" and Mr. Jamal a rough ride. Martin Williams in Down Beat magazine called the album "cocktail piano" music, while Ralph J. Gleason wrote in the San Francisco Chronicle that Mr. Jamal was "an effete Erroll Garner" who left "too many spaces for the other members to fill." The New Yorker's Whitney Balliett said Mr. Jamal's style gave "the impression achieved by spasmodically stopping and unstopping the ears in a noisy room." Rather than embrace Mr. Jamal's minimalist sophistication, critics simply concluded he had sold out.</p>
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<p>Listening to the album today (it can be found on Mosaic's "The Complete Ahmad Jamal Trio Argo Sessions: 1956-62"), it's hard to grasp why so many jazz critics missed the point. The album features Mr. Jamal, bassist Israel Crosby and drummer Vernel Fournier performing eight swinging interpretations of well-known songs. Critics who had gushed about Ella Fitzgerald's Songbook series and many jazz-pop albums produced by Norman Granz were curiously hard on Mr. Jamal.</p>
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<p>For their part, many critics by 1958 had come to expect jazz pianists to serve up growling, robust attacks—like the gospel-funk of Horace Silver, the fiery flash of Mr. Peterson and the daring of Thelonious Monk. By contrast, Mr. Jamal was gentle and spirited, playing with songs like a cat on its back having fun with a ball of string. But while the album is a study in subtlety, Mr. Jamal used plenty of percussive surprise and an elastic range.</p>
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<p>"The orchestral sense I had developed growing up in Pittsburgh never left me," said the 83-year-old Mr. Jamal in a recent phone interview shortly after releasing "Saturday Morning," his latest CD. "My extensive use of the keyboard's high end just happened. I liked the melodic nature it lent compositions. By lingering there, I also could leave plenty of room for Vernel and Israel."</p>
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<p>Mr. Jamal's orchestral approach to his trio arrangements—worked out in advance of performances and recordings—allowed the listener to hear the piano melody way up top, Mr. Fournier's whiskerlike brush strokes in the middle range and the thump of Mr. Crosby's bass down below. Mr. Jamal was keenly aware of how space could pull listeners close while familiar melodies and high notes won hearts.</p>
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<p>Fans can thank a glass of wine for the recording. In 1956, Mr. Jamal was playing during intermissions at the Embers in New York when a drunk with a request accidentally spilled his drink all over him. "That was it," Mr. Jamal said. "I got up, Israel and I got our coats, and we drove to Chicago in my Buick station wagon. My guitarist, Ray Crawford, didn't want to come, so he stayed behind."</p>
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<p>Once in Chicago, Mr. Jamal went to the Pershing Lounge and proposed playing there as its artist in residence. "I had a name by then and they liked the idea. I hired Vernel to join Israel and me, and we played five sets a night, six nights a week, for over a year. Everyone in the music business dropped by to hear us—and many heard ideas that they used for their own trios and albums."</p>
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<p>In late 1957, when Argo's owner, Leonard Chess, began talking about recording the trio, Mr. Jamal insisted they do it live at the Pershing. "The room was about intimacy and drama, and we were comfortable there. We were more than ready after playing together for so long. We recorded 43 songs that night in front of a live audience. I listened back for a week and chose eight tracks for the album. There was no splicing. What you hear is what we played."</p>
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<p>But fear of artistic theft had forced Mr. Jamal to take precautions. "Leading up to the recording, we stopped playing 'Poinciana' to keep my arrangement a secret. I thought another pianist might come in, hear it and steal what I was doing. I knew we had something special. I had a gut feeling."</p>
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<p>Mr. Jamal was more than right. When "But Not for Me" was released in 1958, it had enormous crossover appeal—creating a new architecture for the jazz trio and how standards were interpreted. Unfortunately, many jazz critics didn't know what to make of it. The album had become too successful.</p>
<p><cite class="tagline">—Mr. Myers writes daily about music at JazzWax.com and is the author of "Why Jazz Happened" (University of California Press).</cite></p>
<p class="articleVersion">A version of this article appeared September 28, 2013, on page C13 in the U.S. edition of The Wall Street Journal, with the headline: A New Architecture for Jazz.</p>
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