Daily Dose Of Jazz…
Jon Larsen was born on January 7, 1959 in Bærum, Norway and when he was in his early teens he learned rock and soul songs on an acoustic steel-string guitar. Through friends, he learned about blues, jazz, flamenco, and classical guitar. After he heard Tears by Django Reinhardt on the radio, he decided that this is how he wanted his guitar to sound. At seventeen he formed a string trio and had his first professional job.
The 1970s Jon worked mainly as a painter until 1980 when he started the Hot Club de Norvege with guitarists Per Frydenlund and bassist Svein Aarbostad. They had a hit record when they performed with pop singer Lillebjørn Nilsen. He has worked with Chet Baker, Philip Catherine, Stéphane Grappelli, Warne Marsh, Biréli Lagrène, Babik Reinhardt and Jimmy Rosenberg. He has produced more than 450 jazz records for the label he founded, Hot Club Records.
He has led a group of musicians who played with Zappa and started the label Zonic Entertainment to record musicians who played with him .including Arthur Barrow, Jimmy Carl Black, Bruce Fowler, Bunk Gardner, Tommy Mars, and Don Preston.
A documentary Symphonic Django was released in 2008 about Larsen and guitar virtuoso Jimmy Rosenberg titled Jon & Jimmy, and appeared in the documentary film Fireball: Visitors from Darker Worlds In 2012.
Gypsy jazz guitarist, record producer, painter, and amateur scientific researcher Jon Larsen, who founded the group Hot Club de Norvège and received the Buddy Award for his lifelong contribution to jazz, continues to perform, record and produce.
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OSCAR PEÑAS
Catalan- North american guitarist Oscar Peñas uses his unique skills to arrange, produce, and perform innovative compositions crossing jazz and classical genres, using non-traditional instrumentation in either style, outlining his arrangements and unique sound. Peñas was born in Barcelona, living in the states since 2005. His family loved traditional, folk, and flamenco music. His maternal grandfather was a trumpet player who occasionally played with Xavier Cugat’s orchestra in town.
Peñas’ first studies were devoted to classical music; he later developed a fascination with jazz and dedicated his career to the American genre. His decision led to this moment in his musical career, a road that crosses cultures and creative ideas, the primary genre melded by different grooves.
Peñas has expanded his focus to incorporate diverse rhythms and styles, creating extraordinary musical experiences that enrich lives and empower individuals through collaboration, innovation, and a passion for artistic excellence. His intuition and ear drive him to an amalgam of melodies that aim for the unexpected and merge multiple music styles that do not cohere into a single signature style.
As a performer, Peñas has released six albums as bandleader, composer, and performer; four albums in the USA under his own label Musikoz, and two in Barcelona, published by Fresh Sound New Talents. His collaborations with great American Jazz Master include; Grammy winners Esperanza Spalding, Gil Goldstein, Paquito D’Rivera, legendary bassist Ron Carter, Mike Stern, and pedal steel guitar Greg Leisz.
Cover: $38.56~$51.00
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BILL BANFIELD
Jazz guitarist Bill Banfield’s father just turned 100 years old. At a recent celebration, family and friends gathered virtually and in person to celebrate his life and ask his advice. Bill had been learning his father’s lessons for years, but a recent phone conversation led his dad to give him the title for his new Mesa/Bluemoon Recordings album. As Bill tells it, he was speaking with his dad when he suddenly realized that he had something else that he needed to do. His father said, “Bill, I will talk to you, but you must TAKE TIME TO LISTEN.” The words hit Bill like a thunderbolt, as his album was designed as encouragement to concentrate on the stories found deep in his music.
Born and raised in Detroit, Banfield attended the prestigious arts magnet school, Cass Tech. He was mentored by two of the city’s finest jazz guitarists, Kenny Burrell and Earl Klugh. He also learned from the examples of masters George Benson, John Scofield, Emily Remler, Pat Martino, and Jack Wilkins. Banfield calls his approach “solo-voiced guitar,” reflecting his belief that imagination and emotion are essential ingredients in all great music, and that his playing comes directly from his heart. Banfield dedicates Take Time To Listen to Burrell and Klugh “to lift up these jazz guitar icons who greatly inspired and coached me as an early teen as I aspired to be like my heroes.”
Cover: $20.00
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The Jazz Voyager
The Jazz Voyager will be landing in the Big Apple tonight heading to Broadway to help kick off the New Year at Dizzy’s by celebrating with drummer Jeff “Tain” Watts on his 65th birthday. The club sits high above Columbus Circle with a backdrop of Central Park and the Manhattan vistas. It’s a view to remember.
This multi-Grammy winner and Guggenheim fellow leads an all-star band for a high-energy, four-night run, featuring saxophonist Ravi Coltrane, pianist James Francies, James Genus on the double bass, and guitarist Paul Bollenback. Tain’s distinct blend of swing, innovation, and soul, honed through collaborations with legends like Wynton Marsalis and McCoy Tyner, is sure to set the stage afire and raise the roof.
Tickets range from $25.00~$60.00 and some performances Sold Out , so check availability before you go.
Dizzy’s is located at 10 Columbus Circle, New York City, NY 10019. For more information visit https://jazz.org/dizzys.
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Requisites
Wes Montgomery in Paris: The Definitive ORTF Recording ~ Wes Montgomery | By Eddie Carter
Up next from the library is a live date by Wes Montgomery from 1965, previously available only on various labels and several bootleg copies. It finally received its first official release in 2017. Wes Montgomery in Paris: The Definitive ORTF Recording (Resonance Records HLP-9032) is a two-record set recorded during the guitarist’s only trip to the city during his European tour in conjunction with Ina France. This trip was a significant moment in Montgomery’s career, allowing him to showcase his talent to new audiences and reunite with Johnny Griffin (tracks: C1, C2, D1) on tenor sax. Harold Mabern on piano, Arthur Harper on bass, and Jimmy Lovelace on drums complete the ensemble. My copy is number 1085 of the 2017 U.S. Limited Edition Record Store Day Mono Audiophile album.
The quartet begins the set with Wes Montgomery’s Four-on-Six. They lay an impressive blueprint in a lively melody, and Wes gets down to business in a dazzling opening statement. Harold meets the challenge with an aggressive interpretation preceding the group’s return to the reprise and close. Impressions by John Coltrane takes the foursome into the stratosphere during the speedy melody. Wes launches into an extended opening statement that races rapidly before Harold takes over for a furiously swinging interpretation, while Arthur and Jimmy keep it moving into the theme’s restatement and climax.
The tempo comes down for The Girl Next Door, a pretty ballad by Hugh Martin and Ralph Blane. Wes’s unaccompanied introduction is as warm as a soft summer breeze, leading to the quartet’s lovely theme. The rhythm section lays a lush accompaniment for the guitarist’s sultry solo showcase, which will touch your heart into an enchanting ending. Here’s That Rainy Day by Jimmy Van Heusen and Johhny Burke begins the second side with a Latin-tinged introduction to the ensemble’s opening chorus. Wes takes the lead and gives an exciting solo to get the listener’s toes up and dancing. Harold continues the infectious enthusiasm in the second reading before the closing chorus.
Jingles by Wes Montgomery opens with the quartet’s spirited introduction and melody. The guitarist heads out of the gate at full speed. Harold comes right behind him to give an energetic interpretation. Wes and Jimmy get together to share a lively conversation next, and then Jimmy gets the last word before the theme returns. To Wane, Harold Mabern’s tribute to Wayne Shorter comes to life with the pianist’s lively introduction; then, the quartet sets a swinging groove on the melody. Wes is up first and works his magic on the opening statement. Harold completes the solos with a real burner, preceding the reprise and climax.
The foursome becomes a quintet with the addition of Johnny Griffin to start side three. Full House by Wes Montgomery begins with the ensemble easing the melody’s throttle. Wes kicks off the solos with bluesy lines of good-hearted swing; then, Johnny showcases his energy next in a joyous performance before the theme returns amid a thunderous ovation. ‘Round Midnight by Thelonious Monk, Bernie Hanighen and Cootie Williams begins with Harold’s tender introduction segueing into Wes’s haunting melody. Johnny begins the opening interpretation gracefully; Wes follows with a solo as enjoyable as the warmth from the fireplace before the quintet softly carries the song out.
Blue ‘N Boogie by Dizzy Gillespie and Frank Paparelli begins side four with the quintet’s brisk theme, and then Wes catapults into the first spicy performance. The highlight is when Johnny takes over for an extended solo, with an unaccompanied run into the quintet’s finale. The guitarist’s theme, West Coast Blues, follows, allowing the leader to introduce his bandmates to the crowd. The quartet returns for the set’s finale, Twisted Blues by Wes Montgomery, which the group begins slowly. Wes picks up the beat and swings effortlessly in the opening solo. Harold makes a stylish impression next, and then Arthur gets to solo last, creating an absolute jewel preceding Wes’s return for the finish.
André Francis produced the original recording, Zev Feldman produced this audiophile release, and Office de Radiodiffusion-Télévision Française (ORTF) made the original recording. George Klabin and Frank Gala restored the sound, and Bernie Grundman mastered the album. The album’s sound quality is impeccable, with an excellent soundstage that will transport the listener to the Théâtre des Champs-Élysées audience as if the performance is taking place right in front of them. The records are pressed on 180-gram vinyl and are silent until the music starts. Also included in this two-record set is an eight-page booklet with rare photos by Jean-Pierre Lenoir, essays and interviews and six collector postcards.
The 2017 audiophile album was a limited edition of three thousand, but it is one of the best releases that will reward your detective work in finding a copy. Wes Montgomery in Paris: The Definitive ORTF Recording is, in my opinion, Wes’s best live album, capturing the essence of his unique style and virtuosity. This is the most authoritative and comprehensive recording of Montgomery’s performance from the French radio and television broadcaster. It’s an outstanding record with a superb supporting cast that I’m proud to have in my jazz library. If you’re also a Wes Montgomery fan or enjoy jazz guitar, it should be seriously considered for a spot in yours!
~ Here’s That Rainy Day, ‘Round Midnight – Source: JazzStandards.com
© 2024 by Edward Thomas Carter
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