The Jazz Voyager
Flying back to the West Coast and landing in that city by the bay to drive across the Golden Gate to Oakland to once again be a part of the audience at Yoshi’s with great expectations for another evening of great music.
This Jazz Voyager has a penchant for that side of our country. It’s a little over an hour from Napa Valley vineyards for those of you who want a little wine tasting excursion and a thirty minute drive to Muir Woods for some solitude to one of my favorite nature stopoffs.
This week I’ll be catching a musician I haven’t seen in a couple of decades and looking forward to seeing what new he has to offer. Grammy and Emmy winning pianist and composer Robert Glasper is taking the spotlight and bringing his new group Dinner Party with Terrace Martin, Kamasi Washington and 9th Wonder.
Yoshi’s is located at 510 Embarcadero West, Oakland, CA 94607. For more information visit yoshis.com.
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The Jazz Voyager
For this Jazz Voyager it’s a relatively short hop in New England terms, an idyllic three and a half hours along the Long Island Sound from the Big Apple to Old Lyme, to be in good company at The Side Door. Not unfamiliar with small town living, as Connecticut used to be this voyager’s stomping ground growing up, this venue has been billed as the only jazz club between Boston and New York City.
Residing in the historic Old Lyme Inn. The club opened in 2013 and is operated by an ambitious, jazz-loving couple in Ken and Chris Kitchings. Already made my reservations for a room and the show, so I’ll be spending the night at the inn.
On stage this week will be a first call drummer, Joe Farnsworth, leading his quintet composed of Sarah Hanahan on alto saxophone, vocalist Georgia Heers, Cameron Campbell playing piano and Peter Washington on bass. I’ve had the pleasure of seeing Joe and Peter on a couple of occasions but not with him leading this configuration. I am also excited to hear Georgia, Sarah and Cameron share their gifts.
The Side Door is located at 85 Lyme Street, 06371. For more information visit thesidedoorjazz.com.
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The Jazz Voyager
Making the roughly hour and half ride up the highway to come across the Verazzano~Narrows Bridge into the Big Apple after departing the City of Brotherly Love on a high note. This Jazz Voyager is heading uptown on the West Side to Columbus Circle for an evening of live jazz at Dizzy’s Club. This venue serves up a seasonal menu of delights for the palate, libations to please, and overlooks Central Park giving patrons the expansive vista views from their 5th floor location.
In residence from Wednesday to Saturday is master musician Herlin Riley and I will be in the company of this talented drummer. Hailing from NOLA, (New Orleans, Louisiana for those who don’t know) not only is he a bandleader in his own right but also holds the position in the Jazz At Lincoln Center Orchestra under the direction of Wynton Marsalis. Joining him on stage are saxophonist Stacy Dillard, pianist Tyler Bullock and bassist Liany Mateo.
Dizzy’s Club is located at Fredrick P. Rose Hall, Broadway at 60th Street, New York, NY 10019. For more information visit https://beta.jazz.org/dizzys.
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Daily Dose Of Jazz…
John Grant Sangster was born November 17, 1928 in the Melbourne suburb of Sandringham, Victoria, Australia. He was an only child that attended primary schools in Sandringham and Vermont, and then Box Hill High School. While at high school he taught himself to play trombone and with a friend, Sid Bridle, formed a band.
In 1946 he started a civil engineering course at Melbourne Technical School. Two years later Sangster performed at the third annual Australian Jazz Convention, held in Melbourne. By the following year he led his own ensemble, John Sangster’s Jazz Six, which included Ken Evans on trombone. He provided trombone for Graeme Bell and his Australian Jazz Band, later took up the cornet and then the drums. They toured several times from 1950 to 1955, and in the late Fifties he began playing the vibraphone.
He went on to play with Don Burrows in the early 1960s, form his own quartet and experimented with group improvisatory jazz, after becoming interested in the music of Sun Ra and Archie Shepp. By the end of the Sixties his attention turned to rock musicians and he joined the expanded lineup of the Australian progressive rock group Tully, who provided the musical backing for the original Australian production of the rock musical Hair. He performed and recorded with Tully and their successors, Luke’s Walnut, throughout the two years he played in Hair. In 1970 he re-joined the Burrows group for Expo 1970 in Osaka, Japan.
In the 1970s Sangster released a series of popular The Lord of the Rings inspired albums that started with The Hobbit Suite in 1973. He was also the composer of a large number of scores for television shows, documentaries, films, and radio. In 1988, Sangster published his autobiography, Seeing the Rafters.
Trombonist John Sangster, who also plays trumpet, drums, percussion, cornet, vibraphone and is best known as a composer, died in Brisbane, Queensland, Australia on October 26, 1995 at age 66.
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Requisites
Crossings ~ Red Garland, Ron Carter and Philly Joe Jones | By Eddie Carter
It happened like this: after hearing Introducing Carl Perkins, I spent the remainder of the evening listening to several other trio albums while reading when I heard a title I hadn’t played in a while, which inspired this morning’s discussion. Crossings (Galaxy GXY-5106) is a 1978 release bringing together a dream team to record their first trio album. Red Garland is on piano, Ron Carter is on bass, and Philly Joe Jones is on drums. All three were members of the Miles Davis Quintet and have given jazz fans many incredible albums throughout their careers as leaders and sidemen. My copy is the original U.S. Stereo release.
Side One starts with a brief trio introduction, setting the stage for the melody of Solar by Chuck Wayne and Miles Davis. Red leads the way with a statement that sparkles with energy. Ron delivers precisely articulated choruses in the second solo. The pianist and Philly share the finale in an inspired interpretation, leading to the theme’s reprise. Railroad Crossing by Ron Carter is a smooth, easy-flowing tune. The bassist sets the tone with a concise introduction that seamlessly transitions to the trio’s melody. Carter begins with a leisurely opening statement; then, Garland gets into a down-home groove on the following solo ahead of the bassist’s return for the ending theme.
Never Let Me Go is a beautiful Jay Livingston and Ray Evans song. It was featured in the 1956 film noir The Scarlet Hour. Red opens with a short unaccompanied introduction that segues into the trio’s gorgeous theme. The pianist goes first with a delicately sultry performance, then hands the torch to Ron, who delivers a heart-warming presentation before the close. Oleo by Sonny Rollins gets underway with a short workout by Jones, leading to the ensemble’s quick theme. Garland ignites the fire in the first solo, and then Carter keeps the fires burning next. Jones adds more heat in the closer, preceding a captivating conclusion.
George and Ira Gershwin introduced But Not For Me in the 1930 Broadway musical Girl Crazy. The jazz standard starts Side Two with Ron leading the trio through the melody. The bassist masterfully manages the opening statement before making room for Red, who swings in the following reading. Ron returns to converse briefly with Philly ahead of the finish. Cole Porter’s classic Love For Sale begins with a lengthy solo piano introduction before the trio steps on the gas for the lively theme. Garland ignites the first solo with fiery choruses. Carter steps into the spotlight next and slows things down, and Garland returns for a vigorous exchange with Jones into the climax.
Orrin Keepnews produced Crossings, and Bruce Walford recorded and mixed the album at Fantasy Studios. David Turner mastered the album. The record’s sound quality possesses a vibrant soundstage, placing the musicians in your listening room with excellent fidelity. If you’re a fan of these jazz giants and enjoy a good piano trio album, I invite you to check out Crossings by Red Garland, Ron Carter, and Philly Joe Jones. The group’s musicianship shows three masters’ at work, and the six selections complement each other perfectly. The result is an album you can sit back, listen to and enjoy from the first note to the finale!
~ But Not For Me, Love For Sale, Oleo – Source: JazzStandards.com
~ Solar – Source: Wikipedia.org
© 2024 by Edward Thomas Carter
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