JOE GRANSDEN BIG BAND

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KEYON HARROLD

Jazz St. Louis Creative Advisor and Ferguson native Keyon Harrold returns home to present his brand new commission to close our ’23/24 Season! This season grand finale will see the illustrious musician debut Jazz St. Louis’ much-anticipated, first-ever solo-commissioned work, written to reflect Keyon’s experiences during his  momentous three-year appointment with Jazz St. Louis. Do not miss Harrold take the stage to share with the world a new work that promises to be unique and thoughtful.

Harrold grew up one of sixteen children in a family that prioritized music and community across generations. His grandfather was a police officer who retired to found a drum and bugle corps for local youth, both of his parents were pastors, and nearly all of his siblings sing and perform music to this day. At eighteen, the McCluer High School alum left Ferguson for New York City to enroll in The New School. In New York, he landed his first major gig with Common, an audition he secured on the recommendation of his New School classmate Robert Glasper, and an experience which he says broadened his musical horizons beyond jazz to include funk, Afrobeat, R&B, and hip hop. Harrold was soon performing with stars like Snoop Dogg, Jay Z, Beyonce, Mac Miller, Rihanna, Eminem, Maxwell, Anthony Hamilton, and Chaka Khan.

Harrold has been key in advancing community engagement and broadening our organization’s audience of ardent jazz appreciators. Whether Jazz St. Louis patrons are harmonizing to a soothing rendition of the Bee Gees tune “How Deep Is Your Love” live with PJ Morton, or soaring with inspiration from a Whitaker Jazz Speaks exploration of how hip hop radiated from an iconic disco sample, many indelible memories are being made during Harrold’s extraordinary tenure. This boundary-expanding partnership and commissioned work is all made possible with gracious support from the Mellon Foundation.

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THE HEAVY HITTERS

Mike LeDonne piano | Eric Alexander tenor saxophone | Vincent Herring alto saxophone | Sean Jones trumpet | Alexander Claffy bass | Kenny Washington drums

The Heavy Hitters is the eponymous album from a brand-new sextet featuring some of the most established players in the jazz game. The group is led by Mike LeDonne, New York-based bop pianist best known for his sideman work with Milt Jackson and Benny Golson. His partner in crime, Eric Alexander (himself a first-rate soloist working with Harold Mabern amongst others) was his quartet-mate on a well-received series of releases on the Venus label in the mid-2000’s. The two friends came together for this, their first sextet release as leaders, featuring a set composed entirely of originals.

The music is built to tickle your mind, hit you in the heart and get your head swaying back and forth. The Heavy Hitters have been swinging hard their whole lives! It’s a true “Jazz” sound, recorded by some of the greatest jazz musicians of their generation.

“Together, these two ‘Heavy Hitters’ offer us a smokin’ hot production featuring five other heavy-hitters and a product plush with crème de la crème of both musicianship and original compositions.” – Dee Dee McNeil, Musical Memoirs

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CHIEF ADJUAH

Chief Xian aTunde Adjuah (formerly Christian Scott) is a two-time Edison Award-winning, six-time Grammy Award-nominated, Doris Duke Award in the Arts awardee. He is a sonic architect, trumpeter, multi-instrumentalist, composer, producer, designer of innovative technologies and musical instruments (including The Stretch Music app, Adjuah Trumpet, Siren, Sirenette, Chief Adjuah’s Bow and Chief Adjuah’s N’Goni). He is also the founder and CEO of the Stretch Music App and Recording Company. Adjuah is Chieftain and Oba of the Xodokan Nation as well as the current Grand Griot of New Orleans. He is the grandson of Louisiana luminary and legend, the late Big Chief Donald Harrison Sr., Guardians Institute founder and Grand Griot, Herreast Harrison. And is the nephew of Jazz innovator and NEA Jazz Master saxophonist-composer, Big Chief Donald Harrison Jr. Adjuah (and his twin brother Kiel) joined his grandfather’s Guardians of the Flame banner in 1989 at the age 5.

Since 2001, Adjuah has released thirteen critically acclaimed studio recordings, four live albums, and one greatest hits collection. He is widely recognized as the progenitor of the “Stretch Music,” style. A 21st-century approach that asserts genre blindness and an ethnomusicological approach to limitless fusion that heralded NPR to hail him as “Ushering in a new era of Jazz” and JazzTimes Magazine to mark him as “Jazz’s young style God.” and “the architect of a commercially viable fusion”. He has collaborated with a number of notable artists, including Prince, Thom Yorke, McCoy Tyner, Marcus Miller, Flea, Eddie Palmieri, Robert Glasper, rappers Mos Def (Yasin Bey), Talib Kweli, as well as heralded poet and musician Saul Williams. Adjuah scores music for his identical twin brother’s, writer/director and visual artist Kiel Adrian Scott, filmic works. Scott is a Directors Guild of America Award recipient whose works have been honored with The Peabody Award and an NAACP Image Award.

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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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