The Quarantined Jazz Voyager

As we approach November 3, VOTING in this very important election is this Quarantined Jazz Voyager’s top priority and I hope it is yours. Having received my absentee ballot, I will be delivering it this coming week. In the meantime, while remaining secluded and social distancing I’m pulling out an 2011 album by Pee Wee Ellis titled Tenoration.

It is a twelve-track jazz and funk double album by that is an all-instrumental album. Its subtitle, From Jazz to Funk and Back reflects Ellis’ affection to both jazz and funk music. On this production, he uses two different rhythm sections. CD1 emphasizes funk, and on CD 2 he’s bringing jazz.

The album was recorded in November 2010 and released the following year in April on the Art Of Groove label. The producer on the session was Joachim Becker.

Track Listing | 73:39 Disc 1
  1. Slanky P (Pee Wee “Alfred” Ellis / Jim Payne) ~ 7:15
  2. Gittin’ A Little Hipper (James Brown /(Pee Wee “Alfred” Ellis / Bud Hobgood) ~ 3:01
  3. Bon Bonn ((Pee Wee “Alfred” Ellis) ~ 7:00
  4. Sticks (Cannonball Adderley) ~ 10:42
  5. Zig Zag (Pee Wee “Alfred” Ellis / Paul Rusky / Jim Schneider) ~ 7:01
  6. At Last (Mack Gordon / Harry Warren) ~ 6:04 #Out Of The Blue (Wright, Terry) ~ 2:15
Disc 2
  1. You’ve Changed (Bill Carey / Carl Fischer) ~ 4:30
  2. Sticks (Cannonball Adderley) ~ 4:11
  3. Parlayin’ (Pee Wee “Alfred” Ellis) ~ 4:30
  4. Sonnymoon For Two (Sonny Rollins) ~ 8:37
  5. Now Go On (Pee Wee “Alfred” Ellis) ~ 6:01
  6. Freedom Jazz Dance (Eddie Harris) ~ 4:47
Personnel 
  • Guitar: Tony Remy (1-6)
  • Keyboards: Dan Moore (1-6)
  • Piano: Gareth Williams (7-12)
  • Bass: Patrick Scales (1-6)
  • Bass: Laurence Cottle (7-12)
  • Drums: Guido May

CALIFORNIA JAZZ FOUNDATION

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The Quarantined Jazz Voyager

We have not yet recognized when or how we will emerge from this pandemic, but as we collectively continue to navigate our way maintaining social distancing it is the perfect time to put on some headphones, earbuds, or just turn up the volume and listen to some big band. So today, this Quarantined Jazz Voyager is not going to the big band standards of yesteryear, nor is he choosing to feature one of the many led by men but is selecting the perfect album released this year by vocalist Lenora Zenzalai Helm & Tribe Jazz Orchestra. It is titled For The Love Of Big Band.

The album was recorded over a two day period in March 26th ~ 27th in front of a live audience and employed 20 musicians, a dozen music and music business professionals, four generations of renowned veteran musicians, as well as emerging and student musicians. It has been released under the Zenzalai Music label.

Track Listing | 76:00
  1. Blues For Mama (N. Simone) ~ 4:42
  2. Bebop (d. Gillespie/D. Brown) ~ 6:22
  3. Chega de Saudade/No More Blues (A. Jobim, J. Cavanaugh, V. de Moraes, J. Hendricks) ~ 6:39
  4. It Could Happen To You (J. Van Huesen, J. Burke) ~ 5:26
  5. Soul Eyes (M. Waldron) ~ 5:24
  6. Everything But You (D. Ellington, H. James) ~ 4:30
  7. I Didn’t Know About You (D. Ellington, B. Russell) ~ 5:50
  8. Sandu (C. Brown, D. Townsend) – 9:00
  9. But Not For Me (G. Gershwin, I. Gershwin) ~ 5:26
  10. A Conversation With God (Dear Lord) (J. Coltrane, L. Helm, M. Myers) ~ 7:25
  11. Mississippi Goddam (N. Simone) ~ 6:06
  12. Stella By Starlight (V. Young, N. Washington) ~ 8:23
Personnel  Tribe Jazz Orchestra
  • Lenora Zenzalai Helm ~ Voice
  • Ernest Turner, Lydia Salett Dudley, Ed Paolantonio ~ Piano
  • Baron Tymas ~ Guitar
  • Ginnae Koon ~ Bass
  • Thoma Taylor, Dorien Dotson,  ~ Drums
  • James “Saxmo” Gates, Sam King, Brian Miller, Matt York, Ariel Kopelove, Shaena Ryan Martin ~ Reeds
  • Lynn Grissett, Al Strong, Zoe Smith, Tyler Perske ~ Trumpets
  • Robert Trowers, Isrea Butler, Tenay Harrell, Reggie Greenlee, Cameron MacManus ~ Trombones
  • Brian Horton ~ Conductor, Composer, Arranger, Saxophone
Tribe Jazz Orchestra Septet
  • Lenora Zenzalai Helm ~ Conductor, Voice
  • Ed Paolantonio ~ Piano
  • Baron Tymas ~ Guitar
  • Timothy Holley ~ Cello
  • Salome Serena Wiley ~ Tenor Saxophone
  • Lance E. Scott, Jr. ~ Acoustic Bass
  • Thoma Taylor ~ Drums
  • NCCU Vocal Jazz Ensemble ~ Guest Artist
Special Guest Instrumentalists
  • Joey Calderazzo ~ Piano
  • Ameen Saleem ~ Acoustic Bass
  • Maurice Myers ~ Special Guest Vocal Soloist | A Conversation With God

As you listen and enjoy this wonderful addition to the jazz catalog, continue to social distance and stay healthy. During this sabbatical from flying and investigating jazz around the globe, enjoy the listen and know that the world and I will be back.

CALIFORNIA JAZZ FOUNDATION

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Three Wishes

Cedar Walton gave his three wishes to Pannonica and they were: 

  1. “I don’t know how to word this… I’d like to have immediate access to the world, you know? Anywhere I want to go.”
  2. “To have my own band and to be able to swing no matter what. Playing with Art* demands that.”
  3. “I wish jazz was accepted like everything else.”
*Excerpt from Three Wishes: An Intimate Look at Jazz Greats ~ Compiled and Photographed by Pannonica de Koenigswarter

GRIOTS GALLERY

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The Quarantined Jazz Voyager

As the nation navigates the re-opening of the country, I am maintaining my social distancing with only minimal outings to the grocers, this Quarantined Jazz Voyager has chosen the perfect album to listen to in autumn. Pulling from the stacks is the 1996 recording by David Newman titled Under A Woodstock Moon.

The album was recorded on June 15~17, 1996 at the Quad Recording Studios in New York City. It was produced by the saxophonist and released on Herbie Mann’s Kokopelli label. David Newman contributed three compositions ~ 2, 9, & 12.

Track Listing | 59:04
  1. Nature Boy (Eden Ahbez) ~ 4:36
  2. Amandla ~ 5:15
  3. Up Jumped Spring (Freddie Hubbard) ~ 4:24
  4. Spring Can Really Hang You up the Most (Tommy Wolf, Fran Landesman) ~ 5:11
  5. Autumn in New York (Vernon Duke) ~ 4:38
  6. Sky Blues (David Leonhardt) ~ 2:56
  7. Another Kentucky Sunset (Leonhardt) ~ 4:58
  8. Summertime (George Gershwin, DuBose Heyward, Ira Gershwin) ~ 4:56
  9. Sunrise (Leonhardt, Newman) ~ 5:35
  10. A Nightingale Sang in Berkeley Square (Manning Sherwin, Eric Maschwitz) ~ 6:14
  11. Skylark (Hoagy Carmichael, Johnny Mercer) ~ 4:49
  12. Under a Woodstock Moon ~ 5:32
Personnel
  • David Newman ~ tenor saxophone, alto saxophone, flute
  • David Leonhardt ~ piano, arranger
  • Bryan Carrott ~ vibraphone
  • Steve Novosel ~ bass
  • Winard Harper ~ drums
  • Strings ~ Charles Libove, Eugene Moye, Matthew Raimondi, Ronald Carbone
  • String section conducted by Torrie Zito
  • Bob Freedman ~ arranger

As you listen and enjoy this wonderful addition to the jazz catalog, continue to social distance and stay healthy. During this sabbatical from flying and investigating jazz around the globe, enjoy the listen and know that the world and I will be back.

CALIFORNIA JAZZ FOUNDATION

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The Quarantined Jazz Voyager

As we await the opening of the country this Quarantined Jazz Voyager presses on with his listening to great jazz by placing on the turntable the classic Kenny Dorham disc titled Inta Somethin’. This live album by the trumpeter features performances recorded at The Jazz Workshop in San Francisco, California on November 13, 1961. It was released in the first quarter of 1962 on the Pacific Jazz label. Dorham contributed two originals to the set, track #1 and track #6.

Track Listing | 38:31
  1. Una Mas ~ 7:13
  2. It Could Happen to You (Johnny Burke, Jimmy Van Heusen) ~ 6:00
  3. Let’s Face the Music and Dance (Irving Berlin) ~ 6:06
  4. No Two People (Frank Loesser) ~ 6:59
  5. Lover Man (Jimmy Davis, Ram Ramirez, James Sherman) ~ 5:01
  6. San Francisco Beat ~ 7:12
Personnel
  • Kenny Dorham ~ trumpet (except tracks 3 and 5)
  • Jackie McLean ~ alto saxophone (except track 2)
  • Walter Bishop Jr. ~ piano
  • Leroy Vinnegar – bass
  • Art Taylor – drums

As you listen and enjoy this wonderful addition to the jazz catalogue, I emplore you follow your conscience to stay healthy and encourage you to remain vigilant in your social distancing. During this sabbatical from jet setting investigations of jazz around the globe, this voyager’s choices are ever-present. The world will be back and so will I.

CALIFORNIA JAZZ FOUNDATION

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