In celebration of Randy Weston‘s 90th birthday, Wednesday, April 6 – which included a joyous surprise birthday party at a restaurant in Brooklyn – and in recognition of April as National Poetry Month, we remember Langston Hughes. Randy and Langston Hughes had a longstanding friendship and professional interaction that actually started in the Berkshires in the late 1950s when they met after one of Marshall Stearns roundtable programs at what became the legendary Music Inn. In commemoration of both Randy’s 90th and Langston Hughes, the quintessential American poet, here’s an excerpt from Randy’s recollections of their relationship, including an excerpt from the liner notes Langston wrote for Randy’s classic album Uhuru Afrika, and a humorous anecdote from Langston’s funeral service, that is taken from African Rhythms, The Autobiography of Randy Weston (Duke University Press; now available in paperback edition) that I had the great honor of serving as Randy’s collaborator.

Enter: Langston Hughes
Over the years since we first met in the Berkshires, the great poet and writer Langston Hughes and I had become friends. Marshall Stearns brought Langston up there to speak at one of his programs, which is how we first became acquainted. Langston eventually wound up participating in our history of jazz presentations a few times as narrator, the same concept that first came from Marshall Stearns. These programs were structured so that we would play different pieces to illustrate the various evolutionary steps in jazz history and Langston would do the reading. We took the music on a trip from Africa to the Caribbean, then the black church, the 1920s and people like Ma Rainey and Bessie Smith, then on to the swing era. I particularly remember once when we performed it at City College with Booker Ervin on tenor sax and Langston.

Years later Langston eventually introduced me to two women who assisted us in the development of our black musicians’ organization, which we called the African American Musicians Society. These women were Ramona Lowe and Adele Glasgow and they worked with Langston, though I think it would be unfair and somewhat belittle them if I were to refer to them as his secretaries. These two sisters, who lived downtown at the time I met them, had a strong desire to move to Harlem, and eventually they opened a place in Harlem called the Marketplace Gallery on 135th Street and 7th Avenue, near where the famous club Small’s used to be. But before moving to Harlem they enabled me to lease their apartment in a building on 13th Street and Third Avenue, which was my first time living in Manhattan. This apartment was pretty impressive, with six huge rooms for only $76 a month rent. In this apartment they had one room loaded with nothing but books. These were two very literate women and through their many contacts they helped us organize the African American Musicians Society, and the Marketplace Gallery became our meeting place.

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Langston Hughes was important to us in many ways, including in the formation of the AAMS. He used to attend some of our meetings as well and was very interested in our cause as musicians. But back to the development of Uhuru Afrika: I went to Langston and asked him to write a freedom poem for the introduction to the suite, which would have four parts. He was as excited as I was by the prospects for this suite, so he eagerly agreed to write the poem. The poem which we later had translated – a point I’ll get to in a minute – became a sort of invocation for “Uhuru Afrika.” It was a key element in the “Uhuru Kwanza” movement of the suite. I also asked Langston to write lyrics for a section I wrote for African women called “African Lady,” which became the eventual second movement of the suite. Langston’s poem set an absolutely wonderful tone for that recording session. Remember, the whole point of “Uhuru Afrika” was to talk about the freedom of a continent; a continent that has been invaded and had its children taken away, the continent of the creation of humanity. And Langston felt that, he knew it deep down in his soul.

“Piano music is as old as the piano which as an instrument,
in variations of its present form, dates back some 250 years.
Millions of fingers have rippled the keys since then.
But not until Randy Weston put the enormous hands of
his 6’7” frame to the piano did exactly what happens in his
playing emerge from that ancient instrument.
When Randy plays, a combination of strength and gentleness,
virility and velvet emerges from the keys in an ebb and flow
of sound seemingly as natural as the waves of the sea.”
— Langston Hughes (from the original liner notes for
Uhuru Afrika)

After “Uhuru Afrika” Langston and I stayed close. In fact when he died in 1967 at a French hospital in New York his secretary called and said “Randy, in Langston’s will he wants you to play his funeral with a trio.” I thought ‘man, Langston is too much!’ They had some kind of religious ceremony someplace else, which I was unable to attend. But the ceremony Langston really wanted and had specified in his will was at a funeral home in Harlem. It was a big funeral home that seated over 200 people with chairs on one side of the place. In the other room was Langston’s body, laid out in a coffin with his arms crossed. The band was Ed Blackwell, Bill Wood and me. They had arranged for us to play in front of the area of the funeral home where the guests sat, surrounded by two big wreaths. Ed Blackwell got very New Orleans, very superstitious about the setting. He said “man, I’m not gonna touch those flowers. It’s weird enough we’re here in the first place.” So we had some guys move the flowers so we could set up the band.

The people filed in and had a processional to view Langston’s body. Lena Horne was there, so were Dr. Ralph Bunche, Arna Bontempts and a whole lot of dignitaries. We set up the band and I went outside for a minute to get a breath of fresh air. Langston’s secretary came out and said “OK Randy, its time to start.” I said “where’s the minister?” He said “there’s no minister, you guys start the service!” I stayed up all night the night Langston died and wrote a piece called “Blues for Langston” because I knew he loved the blues more than anything else in the world. He and Jimmy Rushing, those two guys really made an impact on me about the importance of the blues and what the blues really meant.

Before we played I stood up and said “well folks, I wrote this blues for Langston Hughes since he loved the blues so much, so we’re going to play the blues.” We played one hour of all different kinds of blues and in between selections Arna Bontempts read some of Langston’s poetry. The funniest thing I remember about it was that Lena Horne told me later “ya know, I didn’t know what to do, I didn’t know whether to pat my foot or not…” But the story is that Langston put us all on. Two weeks later I got a phone call from his secretary, who said “Randy, I forgot to tell you, Langston said to be sure the musicians are paid union scale.”
…

Extraordinary how potent cheap music is…
— Noel Coward

No truer words have ever been spoken (and thanks to WBGO deejay Sheila Anderson for that one, taken from her valuable book The Quotable Musician (Allworth Press). If jazz could only speak for itself. Ever wonder what the art form would say for itself in light of current conditions? Jazz writer Ron Scott, a regular contributor to the Amsterdam News and a contributor to our series of dialogues with African American music writers, Ain’t But a Few of Us, recently heard from the voice of jazz and here’s what the elder statesman of American music had to say about this year’s Grammy Awards.

JAZZ SPEAKS ON the GRAMMY AWARDS
By Ron Scott

This year’s 58th Grammy Award song of the year was “Thinking Out Loud” by Ed Sheeran. The song title is apropos for the following thoughts the voice of “jazz” was pondering during this year’s awards ceremony. As jazz was heard to remark afterwards…

The host was the multi-Grammy winner, actor and rapper LL Cool J. No doubt he deserved to host the show, but what about my shine in primetime media? Why don’t I get no hosting gig ever, no on-stage gig (well, maybe a few times), no Grammy presenting gig, and no Grammy presentation in primetime… except for maybe a few crumbs here and there… (Herbie Hancock comes to mind).

Sure the music world folks often say, “Jazz is America’s national treasure.” Right… then when the Grammys come around I’m treated like the girl who only gets a date on the staircase in the projects!

Yeah, I’m America’s original music alright. Similar to my little brother hip hop, who also came out of the ghetto. Everybody laughed at him at first, said he was just a fad. They said he’s too flamboyant, too disrespectful to ladies, uses profanity and does drugs. He’s too gangster… multiple arrests and even convictions. Regardless, he kept rappin’ and here we are years later… millions of record sales, and movie contracts, and I’m still in the shade!

Make note, I’m not hatin’ or complaining’… just sayin’. They gave big props to “Hamilton” for winning “Best Musical Theater Album.” Okay, cool the first major hip hop Broadway production.

Yeah, I know it’s all about the paper. Little bro hip hop is making millions, getting all that media attention. While little ole’ jazz, by comparison is just making short money and that doesn’t warrant the Grammy stage during primetime.

But dude, you know I was swinging in the first Black Broadway production Shuffle Along, way back in 1921, and that was written by the jazz musician songwriters Noble Sissle and Eubie Blake. Their songs from the play “I’m Just Wild About Harry and “Love Will Find A Way” are now a part of the Great American Songbook.”

In 1912 when the jazz bandleader, composer and arranger James Reese Europe formed the Clef Club Orchestra and became the first jazz orchestra to perform at Carnegie Hall, that was me in the house swinging along. Bam! That was 21 years before Benny Goodman’s debut at Carnegie Hall, you dig.

I was there during World War I with Lt. Europe, leading the 369th Infantry Regiment (the Harlem Hellfighters) in France, when they gave those swinging jazz concerts for the British, French and American troops.

Yo, when those cats came home and marched through Harlem, stepping proud, playing some mean tune… that was me, daddio. Just thinking out loud, no complainin, no hatin’ just sayin’.

During those horrendous terrorist days of lynchings, I witnessed that strange fruit hanging from the sycamore tree.

Being in “Alabama” with Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. was no joke, just ask John Coltrane, he wrote the tune. When Nina Simone sang “Mississippi Goddam” and “Old Jim Crow” I was all up in the mix jamming in the trenches.

We were bebopping with Dizzy Gillespie swinging low in his sweet Cadillac as folks jammed to Lou Donaldson’s “Alligator Boogaloo,” long before you got gangsta and spit hip hop.

Hell, baby we started it all coming from Africa; the drum persisted, call and response resisted, the preacher was sweatin’, and Negro hymns from the gospel choir praised the lawd.

While down the block the devil was dancin to the blues, ragtime and jazz. Yeah it all came through me; doo wop, R&B, soul, funk, and rap via Jocko Henderson, Jack the Rapper and Frankie Crocker “the chief rocker.”

Yes, I am America’s treasure sure sounds good, but all of my family is enjoying primetime, and I’m still being treated like a booty call. What is wrong with this scenario?
Hey no complainin’, no hatin’, just saying.

Did you see Kendrick Lamar layin’ down that rap? He’s a hardcore kid, and that big youngster on the saxophone… damn! Those dancers in their African gear… and the drums!, now that was a statement, a musical journey.

That young 12- year old pianist Joey Alexander held down the jazz front with his dazzling performance of Thelonious Monk’s composition, “I Mean You,” and at least Ruth Brown’s posthumous Lifetime Achievement Award was heart-warming. After all she crossed over from jazz to blues and R&B.

Anything else related to Grammy jazz winners was relegated to online views. Here are a few of the winners; Cecile McLarin Salvant Best Jazz Vocal Album, For One to Love, ”Christian McBride “Best Improvised Jazz Solo,” Eliane Elias “Best Latin Jazz Album “Made in Brazil,” and the Afro Latin Jazz Suite featuring Rudresh Mahanthappa under the category “Instrumental Composition.”

Those special tributes to Maurice White, B.B. King and that spectacular Lady Gaga performance for David Bowie were cool, but what happened to the Natalie Cole tribute? Like her father Nat King Cole, her voice is unforgettable and she deserved a tribute.

After all it was Miles Davis who explained the “Seven Steps to Heaven.” Granted, afterwards he was “On the Corner,” drinking “Bitches Brew,” and got involved with those “Water Babies,” but should that disqualify jazz from having some Grammy prime time status?

No, it shouldn’t. “no complainin’, no hatin’, I’m just saying!,” said an indignant jazz.

No question saxophonist Kamasi Washington is the current “it” man in jazz. Its not often that an unabashed jazz musician like the L.A. based tenor man garners the level of mainstream prints Washington has enjoyed. Certainly we recognize that the measure of ink and digital notice Kamasi has accrued since the release of his aptly-titled, 3-CD debut opus “The Epic” (Brainfeeder), has as much, likely more, to do with his key contributions to hip hop man of the year Kendrick Lamar‘s much-lauded, multiple Grammy winning album “To Pimp a Butterfly” as it does with any sense that “The Epic” is somehow a ground-breaking record; though in some ways it is! After all, when was the last time an artist debuted with that much music on such an expansive canvas: double drums, robust horn section, strings, and voices? I can’t recall a debut of similar depth & breadth.

Just when we thought that perhaps Kamasi Washington had climbed the print media summit with last month’s expansive take-out in the Sunday New York Times Magazine no less, along comes a new piece in Esquire Magazine’s digital realm. See for yourself here: http://www.esquire.com/entertainment/music/news/a42650/kamasi-washington-the-epic-jazz/

Its not surprising that Kamasi Washington has proven to be quite the phenomenon in the social media realm as well. Last week when notice of the Esquire piece hit Facebook, I read with interest the many responses from various posters. And isn’t it marvelous that in this age of instant communications gratification, we no longer need wait for our erstwhile Letter to the Editor in response to some piece or other to be published in next day/week/month/quarter’s issue. Nowadays we can express our approval or displeasure instantly; though hitting SEND too hastily can be a deadly sin. So it was with interest that I scrolled through the various responses to the Kamasi piece, significantly including a cautionary ‘here we go again’ from Revive Music producer Meghan Stabile; as in here they go again, anointing another savior of jazz – as if the music required periodic “saving,” or at least that was my cursory interpretation of Meghan’s quite reasonable admonishments.

Although Ms. Stabile is certainly not in that camp, there were more than a few haters in those response posts; a sense in some corners that here’s another example of an unworthy musician being prematurely anointed by the mainstream press as Mr. Jazz of the day, savior of our great art form. How dare they!

Having been around for a minute, this observer has witnessed more than a few such anointments from the mainstream. Consider the overheated press notices that arrived in the early ’80s in response to a bespectacled, impeccably dressed, deeply opinionated, erudite young trumpet player named Wynton Marsalis (including a Time Magazine cover no less!); then emerging from the cooking school cauldron of Art Blakey‘s Jazz Messengers. In Wynton’s case there was an equally talented, even more deeply opinionated older brother Branford Marsalis operating as Messengers sidekick and essential member of the youngster’s first band; a deep-rooted jazz family tree stemming from his father, and his father’s teachings, which yielded still more promising young “saviors of jazz.” Throw in the romantic New Orleans as birthplace-of-jazz background and the mainstream press had more than enough hooks to attract reader interest in a mere jazz musician. And then suddenly there was a legion, an entire generation of academy buffed, shirt & tie sporting “neo-boppers” that inspired a contagious moniker; and viola! the Young Lions generation dominated the jazz prints and began crossing over into the mainstream.

Let’s backtrack a few years and we find a gritty, harder core coterie of adventurers garnering more than the usual press for their restless explorations; attention that had almost as much to do with then-neglected/now gilded New York real estate as their musical contributions. Remember the Loft Jazz scene? A growing generation of urban artists-as-homesteaders, lacking mainline jazz venue gigs, determined to plot their own course, either in their personal living spaces (ala Studio Rivbea) or other rustic Lower Manhattan dens that had somehow escaped the gentrification greed of the city’s real estate speculators. Thus the press’ momentary fascination with a generation of forward motion jazz explorers, stoked by feverish reports in the Village Voice.

Eventually that Loft Jazz scene (often posed as if that was some style of music or other, when historic examination reveals musicians operating from a variety of expressions) provided some measure of impetus to an unprecedented raft of Columbia Records signings of uncompromising artists, including an alto saxophonist straight out of the L.A. camp of Horace Tapscott (whose influence continues ironically through Kamasi Washington and his West Coast Get Down crew), charismatically known as Black Arthur Blythe. Another ex-Messenger, trumpeter Woody Shaw, rode that CBS Records wave, expressing arguably the most original trumpet approach since Don Cherry arrived in New York in ’59. Further examples of Bruce Lundvall’s high talent scouting acumen came with the resurrection of the recording career of yet another true original on his instrument, Bobby Hutcherson, providing his mastery its most stable platform since pre-Lundvall Blue Note Records had unaccountably given him the axe. Elsewhere, the prolific tenor saxophonist David Murray was expanding his rich discography on the heels of the Loft wave.

But in reality, as much as the atmosphere engendered by the press reaction to the whole Loft Jazz scene and the steady climb out of jazz music’s 1970s stasis, the underlying force behind those hopeful CBS signings was – God bless him – the enormous fiscal success of Michael Jackson‘s recordings, which gave Lundvall unprecedented access to sign such uncompromising artists pretty much as veritable loss leaders. ‘The coffers are full, so let’s give old Bruce over there in the Jazz Corner what he wants,’ and Lundvall took full advantage, much to the benefit of the jazz music of those times. In this case Michael Jackson lifted the jazz boats. Others have aptly chronicled how that entire roster of jazz mastery was summarily dumped by CBS once the bean counters took full measure of what all that great artistry meant at the cash register.

So the mainstream attention Kamasi Washington is enjoying is far from without modern precedence. And the haters should look beyond their noses and bald assertions of ‘who’s this guy Kamasi Washington think he is… savior of jazz… hogwash, I/we’ve been laboring in the trenches for all these years and how’s this unproven guy gonna come in and steal all the attention I/we so richly deserve?’ Let’s take this for what it is, ride the waves of this small measure of mainstream attention to the art form, and view it exactly for what it is – a very pleasant, essential, but alas temporary, lifting of the jazz boats. You go Kamasi!

While we’re on the subject, perhaps a deeper examination of Kamasi Washington’s whole West Coast Get Down crew is in order, looking beyond the tenor man’s obvious artistry. In some quarters there’s been a kind of ‘how dare he’ attitude towards Washington having the perceived ‘audacity’ to release a 3-CD debut recording. A closer examination of Kamasi Washington’s background (look no further than the NYT Sunday magazine piece; thus far the definitive examination of his rise) reveals the kind of collective effort that has assisted more than a few non-compromisers (AACM anyone?) to make exceptional music of their own choosing, sans market reality restrictions. Kamasi and his crew pooled their resources, holed up in a recording studio for an extended period, and laid down mountains of original tracks; the first result is “The Epic,” with a promise of more coming, both from he and his cohorts. Proving once again that the collective approach can work both musically and in terms of identity, leading to the kind of increased attention the lonely, isolated artiste can only dream of. This is not the only current example of productive collectivity in today’s jazz firmament. Let’s focus purely on New York for a moment and consider Revive Music and its coterie of youngish musicians with stylistic feet in multiple genres, striving mightily to refresh the jazz audience; then there’s the collective of women who’ve worked with the stylish, commanding saxophonist Tia Fuller, notably the bassist Mimi Jones and her Hot Tone Records platform for several worthy women players; uptown there’s the scene pianist-keyboardist Marc Cary is building as he revives shades of the Loft Scene with his weekly series of presentations; cross the East River and we find the Brooklyn Jazz Underground. I’d say its high time more musicians need to take cues and invest collectively.

Full disclosure: Kamasi Washington, the Igmar Thomas-led Revive Big Band, drummer E.J. Strickland‘s Transient Beings, and saxman Fred Foss‘ Jackie McLean Tribute band will play the DC Jazz Festival June 19

Producer LeRoy Downs interviewing Terence Blanchard for the premier edition of “The Jazz Creative” on the Aspire network

Over the last few years a fixture at Dizzy’s Den on the grounds of the Monterey Jazz Festival, has been the hip, aware, and informative voice of venue MC LeRoy Downs. The Cali-based jazz broadcaster has developed a promising 21st century jazz television format that recently launched on Magic Johnson’s Aspire network. Having worked intimately with the most recent jazz-on-television hopeful to emanate from an African-American network myself, BET Jazz, news of LeRoy’s project is quite hopeful, so we sought him out for a few questions. But first, exactly who is LeRoy Downs?

LeRoy Downs is a person deeply entrenched in the music and driven by passion! Currently he is a jazz broadcaster in Los Angeles on several stations including KJazz 88.1 FM, KPFK 90.7 FM, KCRW 89.9 FM. He has also broadcasted on KXLU 88.9 FM and 94.7 FM & 1410 AM KRML in Carmel located in the Monterey area. He has been the host of the Monterey Jazz Festival for 15 years as well as The Jazz Cruise, The Playboy Jazz Cruise, KPFK’s Hero Awards Tribute to Billy Higgins, The Angel City Jazz Festival, Terranea Resorts Jazz Through the Generations, The Thelonious Monk Institute of Jazz West Coast competitions, Producer of The World Stage 25th Anniversary Concert, Curator for Jazz for the Holidays series with Arts Brooksfield, Jazz Curator of the Steven James Buchanan Jazz Collection at the Mayme Clayton Jazz Library and Museum, owner and journalist for the website TheJazzcat.net, producer of the made for television pilot “Hangin’ with the Jazzcats” and The Brand New Show on airing on the Aspire TV Network called “The Jazz Creative”

Independent Ear: How and why did you make the leap from radio to this new television show?

Well, not a leap but more like an addition! I have always believed for many years that jazz needs more that one sensibility for your average layman to pay attention to the music. Those of us who get it, have it in our blood! For the others, I thought that if we could enter their homes through the common platform of television they could listen, learn and experience the human behind the music. Once that human became their friend, so would the music!

Talk about the overall design of the show. When viewers tune in what exactly will they experience?

“The Jazz Creative” is a conversation and performance platform. We will have the opportunity to speak with the contemporaries of our time in different relaxed environments, listen to their interesting life in the music and see some live performance. On our Premier segment of “The Jazz Creative”, viewers will have the opportunity to hear from Grammy Winning/ Nominated Jazz Artists Terence Blanchard, Christian McBride and Jason Moran as well as live performance by DVRK Funk trumpeter Theo Croker and the Planetary Prince, Cameron Graves.

Terence will talk about scoring some of the 46 films that he has scored as well as how real life and life in the music “Breathe” together. Jason Moran speaks about his experience scoring “Selma” and show how life and inspirational thought spark language through music. Christian McBride talks about growing up in Philly, his influence of Gamble and Huff and how “Grease” is a major ingredient in his sound! Theo Croker shows how the “New Millennials” get down and let’s everyone know that, “It’s Gonna Be Alright” and “West Coast Get Down” pianist Cameron Graves, “the Planetary Prince” offers some new dimensions in sound!

Downs with pianist-composer Jason Moran from the premier edition of “The Jazz Creative”

How will “The Jazz Creative” differ from past efforts at jazz television?

Well, when you say the word “Jazz”, people immediately go to whatever the first reference is in their minds. There is usually not any common ground until there is further conversation or clarification of what exactly is being talked about. We just want to offer some fresh perspectives in the present tense. Let folks know how well the music is “LIVING”, where they can see, hear and feel what is happening right now in the music.

Having been a host, producer, and writer at the former BET Jazz for over 10 years, and witnessing that once-promising entity dissolve slowly down the drain of corporate disinterest and neglect, what gives you confidence that this is a new day and you have a new jazz/television concept, and that Aspire is a welcoming host for The Jazz Creative?

Well, we live in a new day! Music in general is a struggle but, is a viable part of everyone’s life. This concept of “free and instant gratification” is not in the best interest of the artists and musicians who dedicate their lives to creating music and content for all to enjoy. There is not much in terms of original music on television. If you hear it, chances are you are hearing something popular that you have been hearing for most of your life and it has become a routine sound wave. We think that there are people out there who want more than they are generally offered: something new, something original, something different. Knowledge is king and although you don’t get a chance to learn too many new things when you flip through hundreds of channels of reality tv, it is our hope that music, presented in an appealing environment, from artists who speak the truth through their sound will captivate and encourage people to be delighted and seek more through the sounds of JAZZ!

Give us a sense of the first couple of episodes of The Jazz Creative.

Hopefully I have given you a great sense of our first episode. We have lots in the can. Interviews with Russell Malone, Tierney Sutton, Ashley Khan, David Gilmore, Luis Perdomo, Peter Erskine, Joe Sanders, Ben Williams and a few others. We would like to do something really special for our next show which airs on Friday March 25, 2016. We are connecting with some of the folks who have another brand new film coming out in April and if we can swing it, I think “The Jazz Creative” will be miles ahead of its time!

Joe Lovano is a true renaissance man of jazz, one of the music’s most diverse and most restless explorers, never content with one format over another, never prone to repeating ensembles for more than a tour, two at most. Scanning his robust discography one finds symphonic encounters, little big band explorations, sundry trios, quartets and quintets; duos (notably with Hank Jones), the borders of contemporary chamber music, celebrations of two signature Italian tenors: Enrico Caruso and Frank Sinatra; bebop reflections, including a notably bristling romance with the music of Charlie Parker, two-drummer bands, and various encounters with younger musicians, just for starters. Its been a pleasure observing his constantly evolving arc, from the time we were both growing up on the East side of Cleveland and encounters at the old Smiling Dog Saloon.

On one memorable occasion while sitting at the Dog’s bar awaiting the night’s hit, Joe strolled in and the featured bandleader Elvin Jones (with whom Joe would later tour and record), seated on a nearby stool in his inimitable growl the great drummer inquired about the whereabouts of the man everyone in the music referred to as Big T, Joe’s tenor playing dad Tony Lovano, clear evidence of the elder Lovano’s jazz world stature. Befitting his name, Big T had a robust sound and was often featured in B-3 combos around town.

Joe working with men like Elvin Jones, an early stint in the Mel Lewis Orchestra at the Vanguard upon shifting from Cleveland to New York, his more recent ongoing dialogues in several band incarnations with Lewis Nash, and more recently the two-drummer band with Francisco Mela and Otis Brown lll, clearly mark Joe Lovano as a tenor man deeply invested in the rhythmic universe; a fact further substantiated by Lovano being a closet drummer himself.

Last weekend at the KC Jazz Club Lovano further substantiated his rhythm man bonafides, landing on the Kennedy Center’s penthouse, or Terrace, level for two superb nights with his Village Rhythm Band. Clearly this is not only another chapter in Joe’s fascination with the hues of the rhythmic universe, its also his most African-centric viewpoint to date. At its core the band boasts two African expats, Nigerian bassist Michael Olatuja and Senegalese percussionist Abdou Mboup. Keys to the mix also are trap drummer Otis Brown lll, a refugee from Lovano’s two-drummer exploration of Bird, and the thoughtful, inventive guitarist Liberty Ellman. Two special guests, trumpeter Tim Hagans – a longtime Lovano intimate – and Joe’s vocalist-wife Judi Silvano, further broadened both the rhythm (particularly via Silvano’s wordless explorations) and melodic parameters of this unique Village Rhythms Band. The program ranged from heated originals all the way to that classic beauty spot, the Ellington lovely “Single Petal of a Rose.” A particularly arresting interlude came when Mboup plied his kora, the distinctively African stringed instrument with string board attached to a resonating gourd, guitarist Ellman gazing on in deep concentration. One certainly hopes the Village Rhythm Band will be chronicled on record, given the broad base of Joe Lovano’s ever-expanding Blue Note Records discography.

Here’s a taste of Joe Lovano’s Village Rhythm Band: