The Jazz Voyager

Heading upstate New York a day early to catch the early summer of nature on the upper Hudson River and ultimately sit in a little place called the Jazz Forum Arts for an evening of great music. Established in 1985, the club has consistently been bringing talent at the top of their game to Westchester County and they have been instrumental in elevating the community’s appreciation for this unique American art form.

This week they welcome the Bill Charlap Trio for a two-day residency with bassist Peter Washington and drummer Kenny Washington taking the stage with the pianist. It’s a jazz super-group that has dazzled audiences for years and they haven’t lost their touch with an interplay and near-telepathic communication ranking among the best. Not only have they received a Grammy Award but also multiple nominations.

The venue is located at 1 Dixon Lane, Tarrytown, New York 10591. For more information you are invited to visit https://notoriousjazz.com/event/bill-charlap-trio-4.

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BILL CHARLAP TRIO

The Bill Charlap Trio – with bassist Peter Washington and drummer Kenny Washington – is a jazz super-group with three brilliant, accomplished talents. Their dazzling interplay and near-telepathic communication ranks among the best ever, resulting in a Grammy Award and multiple nominations, five-star album reviews and raves from audiences everywhere. The New Yorker called their latest album Street of Dreams “a zesty program of superbly played standards.” There may be no better jazz trio in the world.

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Daily Dose Of Jazz…

John William Stevens was born on June 10, 1940 in Brentford, Middlesex, England, the son of a tap dancer. He listened to jazz as a child but was more interested in drawing and painting, through which he expressed himself throughout his life. He studied at the Ealing Art College and then started work in a design studio, but left at 19 to join the Royal Air Force. It was here that he studied the drums at its School of Music in Uxbridge, England and where he met Trevor Watts and Paul Rutherford, two musicians who became close collaborators.

In the mid-1960s, Stevens began to play in London jazz groups with Tubby Hayes and Ronnie Scott, and in 1965 he led a quartet. He moved away from mainstream jazz when he heard free jazz from the U.S. by musicians like Ornette Coleman and Albert Ayler. By 1966, he formed the Spontaneous Music Ensemble (SME) with Watts and Rutherford. The band moved into the Little Theatre Club at Garrick Yard, St Martin’s Lane, London, England. In 1967, they released their debut album, Challenge, however, his interest turned to quiet music, non-Western music and improvisation.

Stevens would go on to play with free improvisors Derek Bailey, Peter Kowald, Julie Tippetts and Robert Calvert, until the mid-1970s when the SME settled down to regulars Stevens, Nigel Coombes on violin, and Roger Smith on guitar. During the same period he consistently played with guitarist and songwriter John Martyn as part of a trio that included bassist Danny Thompson, recording Martyn’s 1976 Live at Leeds.

The Eighties saw John becoming an educator involved with Community Music, an organisation through which he took his form of music making to youth clubs, mental health institutions, the Lewisham Academy of Music, and other unusual places. Notes taken during these sessions were later turned into a book for the Open University called Search and Reflect.

Drummer John Stevens died at the age of 54 from a heart attack on September 13, 1994.

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Requisites

The Griffith Park Collection ~ Stanley Clarke, Chick Corea, Joe Henderson, Freddie Hubbard, Lenny White | By Eddie Carter

This morning’s record from the library unveils a unique jazz collaboration. The Griffith Park Collection (Elektra Musician E1-60025) is the second of two studio albums recorded over four days with an all-star ensemble: Freddie Hubbard on flugelhorn (tracks: A3, B3) and trumpet (A1, A2, B1), Joe Henderson on tenor sax (A1 to A3, B1, B3), Chick Corea on piano, Stanley Clarke on upright bass, and Lenny White on drums. Their first record was Echoes of An Era, an album of jazz standards with Chaka Khan. This was a rare reunion for Corea, Clarke, and White, who had not played together since they were members of Return to Forever. My copy is the 1982 U.S. Stereo release.

The opener is L’s Bop by Lenny White. The quintet’s lively theme takes off at a brisk pace, leading to Joe’s swinging opening solo. Freddie maintains the vigorous intensity in the second reading; then Chick skillfully navigates the third statement into a short exchange with Lenny until the theme’s reprise and fade out. The pace slows down slightly for Why Wait by Stanley Clarke, a medium-tempo blues that opens with the ensemble’s theme. Joe gets this grooving affair going in the first solo. Freddie answers him with an exceptional performance; then Chick provides the exclamation point preceding the group’s return for the closing chorus and exit.

October Ballade by Chick Corea begins with the pianist’s soothing introduction ahead of Freddie’s tender melody. Joe has the first solo and builds each chorus gently with deep emotion until Chick takes over for a brief, lovely interpretation. The quintet wraps up things with a poignantly touching reprise and finale. Side Two gets underway with Happy Times by Freddie Hubbard, a cheerful tune that the group takes to heart in the theme. Joe greets the opening statement joyfully, and then Freddie comes in for a bright and bubbly solo. Chick adds to the festive atmosphere in the second interpretation. Lenny delivers a finale that is quite enjoyable before the close.

Remember, by Steve Swallow is a beautiful waltz that opens with the trio’s thoughtfully polite introduction and theme. Chick carefully cultivates the lead solo with delicate notes. Stanley’s reply is an affectionately warm interpretation as Lenny’s drums softly compliment him until the ensemble’s theme restatement. Guernica by Lenny White is a musical portrait of Pablo Picasso’s Spanish Civil War painting. It is a haunting song and the album’s most adventurous tune with a melancholy theme. Joe begins the opening solo with an airy, nostalgic tone. Freddie emerges next with a breathtaking reading; then Chick delivers an enthusiastic statement preceding the group’s return for the climax.

Lenny White produced The Griffith Park Collection and Bernie Kirsh was the recording engineer. The album’s sound quality is good, with a softer soundstage in the highs, midrange, and bass. At just under forty minutes, it is a hidden gem that flows with a beat and does not disappoint. If you are in the mood for an excellent album with remarkable chemistry and exceptional performances. In that case, I invite you to check out The Griffith Park Collection by Stanley Clarke, Chick Corea, Joe Henderson, Freddie Hubbard, and Lenny White on your next record shopping trip. It is a wonderful album that I highly recommend for your library, and I am sure it will reward your purchase for years to come!

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Daily Dose Of Jazz…

Karl Sterling was born in Ithaca, New York on June 5, 1961. Growing up in a musical household, it was a natural thing for him to take to music and drums. Both parents attended the Ithaca College School of Music with his father, a drummer, composer/arranger, and band leader, his mother, a vocalist and pianist.

His interest turned to medicine and he became a nuerorehabilitation specialist, educator, and advocate for people with Parkinson’s disease. So in 2018 Karl founded the Parkinson’s Global Project nonprofit corporation dedicated to funding research and supporting associations around the world.

Using his musical talents to raise awareness of the disease, in 2019, Sterling recorded Dream, a project in which Jimmy Haslip, Jeff Richman, Peter Erskine, Scott Kinsey, and other musicians donated their time and talent.

He has since traveled, researching with and educating neurologists, physical therapists, fitness trainers, people with Parkinson’s, and caregivers all over the world.

Drummer Karl Sterling has spent the majority of his life in the Syracuse, New York area and continues to perform, compose and educate.

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