Next weekend February 15-18 marks the 4th annual Mid-Atlantic Jazz Festival, produced by DC-area based Texas tenor man and ace educator Paul Carr and his wife Karmen. Back in the late 1980s and through the 90s, the much-loved DC-area vocalist and vocal educator Ronnie Wells launched the East Coast Jazz Festival, a true people’s festival on President’s Day Weekend. Ordinarily we think of jazz festivals as summertime activities, or at least events centered around more temperate weather than mid-winter in the Northeast Corridor. But this event, much like the old former jazz parties staged in places like Colorado, as well as the former Cape May Jazz Festival (now successfully re-launched by Michael Kline as the Exit 0 Jazz Festival – scroll down through The Independent Ear archives for a report on that one), became a successful off-season event. And that’s due primarily to its President’s Day Weekend, with the promise of a Monday holiday for most folks – and especially for the legion of government workers in this region – and the fact that the festival was held on multiple stages in the comfortable confines of the former Doubletree (now Hilton) Hotel in Rockville, MD.

Its about that time again and the 2013 Mid-Atlantic Jazz Festival hits beginning Friday, February 15. For complete information visit the festival on the web at www.midatlanticjazzfestival.org. In addition to the Ronnie Wells Main Stage, there’s a Jazz Club, a Blues Room, and the Billy Taylor Room where free artist interviews, panel discussions, and a JazzTimes magazine Before & After session with the great drummer (and DC native) Billy Hart will be held. Here’s what you can expect from this year’s edition on the Ronnie Wells Main Stage…

Mid-Atlantic Jazz Festival
DISCOVER THE JAZZ IN YOU!
THE MID-ATLANTIC
JAZZ FESTIVAL
2013
February 15-18, 2013 Hilton Hotel in Rockville, MD
Ronnie Wells Main Stage
Friday/Show 1

8:00 p.m. ORRIN EVANS GROUP with TIM WARFIELD


The rich Philly jazz tradition will be represented in its 21st century incarnation as we open this evening’s festivities with the Orrin Evans Trio, with special guest tenor saxophonist Tim Warfield. Born in Trenton, NJ, the multi-faceted pianist Orrin Evans, was raised in Philadelphia where he currently resides. Orrin Evans has consistently displayed unique skills as a bandleader of vastly varied and challenging settings, ranging from his Captain Black Big Band to the edgy quartet known as Tar Baby, and the most basic unit in jazz – the classic piano-bass-drums trio. Additionally, for this very special performance Orrin will be joined by the brawny tenor sax of Tim Warfield, the pride of near-Philly York, PA and a MAJF favorite, following up on his stellar performance at last year’s tenor saxophone summit.

8:30 p.m. GREGORY PORTER with the MID-ATLANTIC JAZZ ORCHESTRA
With his impressive, rich baritone voice, and passionate, folksy approach to lyrics that strike at the heart of the human experience, vocalist Gregory Porter has already made an indelible impression as one of the voices of our time. Porter’s latest recording “Be Good” has garnered high praise, placed high in many 2012 year-end polls, and been nominated for Grammy awards. At the 2012 Monterey Jazz Festival last September, it was startling to see how he totally took over the room, charming an SRO audience into near revival meeting fervor. Above all, Gregory Porter is a very effective storyteller, with an ability to touch hearts that is a unique gift. For this evening’s performance Gregory Porter will be performing with the swinging big band tableaux of the festival’s signature orchestra, the Mid-Atlantic Jazz Orchestra, under the direction of our own Paul Carr. Boasting many of the region’s top-flight players, the MAJO, which made its debut at our 2012 festival working with Carmen Bradford.

10:30 p.m. PAUL CARR and B3 (Bobby Broom, Byron Landham, Pat Bianchi)

Tenor/soprano saxophonist-educator and MAJF artistic director Paul Carr is a perennial MAJF favorite. For this set Carr will smoothly morph from Mid-Atlantic Jazz Orchestra leader to front a celebration of the classic tenor/Hammond B-3 organ partnership that is a cornerstone of this edition of the MAJF. PC will engage the superb trio of Chicago’s ace guitarist Bobby Broom, drummer Byron Landham, who certainly knows the territory from his longtime partnership with Joey DeFrancesco, and the unsung B-3 burner Pat Bianchi. This closer is guaranteed to be a soulfully swinging set in one of jazz music’s most indelible traditions.

Ronnie Wells Main Stage
Saturday/Show 2

12:00 p.m. Clarinet Showcase: TODD MARCUS QUARTET with special guest DON BYRON


Our Saturday matinee kicks off at noon with a very special focus on one of the earliest instruments of jazz expression, the clarinet. The Clarinet Showcase, will feature Baltimore’s own emerging bass clarinetist Todd Marcus and his Quartet, with special guest clarinet wizard Don Byron. Inspired by the great Eric Dolphy’s transcendent work on the instrument, Todd Marcus shifted his focus from clarinet to bass clarinet as a college student. For this set Todd, who also leads his own orchestra and has become one of the most sought-after and expressive players in the Baltimore/DC area, will face the challenge of special guest clarinetist Don Byron. Byron has long been one of Marcus’ primary inspirations.

1:30 p.m. Vocal Summit: SHARON CLARK, LYNETTE WASHINGTON, CARMEN BRADFORD



Three uniquely different but equally tradition-informed women promise to deliver the goods, in what should be a Vocal Summit filled with fireworks and vocal nuances. Last MAJF audiences were enthralled by the heat and honeyed pipes of Carmen Bradford, and DC’s own Sharon Clark (pron. Sha-Ron). Carmen, who was introduced to the world by the great Count Basie, and Sharon, who has been slaying DC , New York, and audiences around the globe, in addition to winning vocal competitions from the Savannah Music Festival to the Billie Holiday prize, will be joined this time by Lynette Washington. Winner of the Jazzmobile jazz vocal competition, Lynette has graced varied bandstands ranging from Clifford Jordan to Lenny Kravitz. Get there early, this will be the kind of passion play that will move your feet and touch your heart.

3:00 p.m. AKIKO TSURUGA QUARTET

In keeping with this year’s MAJF showcase of many facets of the jazz organ tradition, we welcome young Akiko Tsuruga, whose Quartet will close out our Saturday matinee. Mentored by the Hammond B-3 eminence and Saturday night artist Dr. Lonnie Smith, Ms. Tsuruga is a native of Osaka, Japan and a graduate of Osaka College of Music. For the past few years Akiko has been based in New York, making quite an impression on all who experience her artistry. Akiko Tsuruga represents yet another iteration of jazz as a true global music. In this case the black jazz tradition embodied by the Hammond B-3 organ, comes packaged in the dynamic garb of a young artist from halfway across the globe. Akiko will be joined by two veteran players who worked together in B-3 legend Bro. Jack McDuff’s Heatin’ System unit. Tenor saxophonist Jerry Weldon, a native New Yorker, and Syracuse native trumpeter Joe Magnarelli come died-in-the-wool where B-3 bandsmanship is concerned. Additionally these two veteran hornmen have shared bandstands as members of Harry Connick, Jr.’s big band and their own New York Hard Bop Quintet. Find out for yourself just how deep in the B-3 shed Akiko Tsuruga and her quintet members are as we cap off our matinee with a young artist you will not want to miss.

Ronnie Wells Main Stage
Saturday/Show 3

7:00 p.m. LARRY WILLIS QUARTET

If your taste in jazz piano runs towards equal parts the swinging and the elegant side, leavened with a keen compositional eye, look no further than Larry Willis. A graduate of New York City’s famed LaGuardia high school of the performing arts, Larry Willis actually made his stage debut as a singer in an Aaron Copland opera. As a pianist he is blessed with an impeccable harmonic pallet and an ability to both lead a band and contribute mightily to whatever setting he finds himself in; Larry Willis is an extremely versatile artist. He has been comfortably at home amidst the challenge of a range of classic artists, including Jackie McLean, Lee Morgan and Woody Shaw, as well as his stint in Blood, Sweat and Tears. As a bandleader Larry Willis’ fine sense of composition becomes the focal point, to your guaranteed delight in this evening’s opening set. Joining Larry will be Steve Davis, Trombone; Joe Ford, Sax; Billy Williams , Drums; and Steve Novosel, Bass.

8:30 p.m. WOMEN IN JAZZ



For many years women have absolutely dominated the ranks of jazz vocalists. And in recent times, doubtless owed at least in part to the inspiration of such pioneering women jazz practitioners as Mary Lou Williams, Hazel Scott, Melba Liston, and Marian McPartland, a whole new generation of women jazz instrumentalists has begun making their marks on the scene. For this Women in Jazz celebration, vocalist Sharon Clark will be joined by pianist Helen Sung, bassist Amy Shook, and drummer Allison Miller, and alto saxophonist Sharrill Cassity; each of whom is a recording artist and a bandleader in their own right, each of whom have graced auspicious bandstands – from the masters to their peers – and each of whom has been prominently featured on the Kennedy Center’s famed Mary Lou Williams Jazz Festival, the annual celebration of the indelible role of women in jazz.

10:00 p.m. DR. LONNIE SMITH

Inheriting the mantle of such great ancestors of the jazz organ tradition as Milt Buckner, Jimmy Smith, Jack McDuff, Jimmy McGriff, and Richard “Groove” Holmes, Dr. Lonnie Smith reigns as today’s king of the Hammond B-3 organ in jazz. With his distinctive white beard, head swathed in an ever-present turban, Dr. Lonnie Smith is most assuredly the leading PhD organ exponent in jazz. From the time he came on the scene alongside George Benson in the mid-1960s, through his stints with Mr. Alligator Boogaloo Lou Donaldson, and his gutsy exploration of the music of Jimi Hendrix, Dr. Lonnie Smith has become one of the most distinct stylists in jazz. A multiple jazz poll winner, Dr. Lonnie Smith has for the last several seasons piloted a trio whose sheer musical range transcends the tight trio format.

Ronnie Wells Main Stage
Sunday/Show 4

1:00 p.m. BRUCE WILLIAMS ORGAN BAND featuring PAT BIANCHI

Alto saxophonist Bruce Williams embodies the spirit of Alto Madness. A proud native of Washington, DC, Bruce made his MAJF debut two years ago on our first saxophone summit. Since then he has continued to make fine recordings for the Savant label. Additionally Bruce has enhanced the bandstands of such masters as Little Jimmy Scott, Frank Foster, and Curtis Fuller, as well as peer Roy Hargrove, and the far-ranging World Saxophone Quartet, as well as drummer Ben Riley’s Monk Legacy Septet. For this performance Bruce Williams’ band will represent our 2013 jazz organ focus by including the Hammond B-3 stylings of Pat Bianchi.

2:30 p.m. MICHAEL O’NEILL featuring vocalist KENNY WASHINGTON

Tenor saxophonist Michael O’Neill is a San Diego, CA native who studied with the late, great tenor man Joe Henderson. A composer who has written for orchestra, he has also written for film and currently leads several bands on the San Francisco Bay Area scene, where he migrated after a stint in the Air Force. O’Neill has played with such notables as drummer Idris Muhammad, vibraphonist Joe Locke, pianist Michael Wolff and vocalists Giacomo Gates and Jackie Ryan. In that vocal light it stands to reason he also has a musical partnership with one of the emerging male jazz vocalists, Kenny Washington. A New Orleans native, Washington followed a 9-year stint in the Navy band, by relocating to the San Francisco Bay Area. There he also began releasing much-acclaimed recordings under his own name, as well as working with Michael O’Neill.

4:00 p.m. THE COOKERS

When you look up all-star jazz bands, no band today better embodies that spirit of exceptional bandleaders coming together under one banner than The Cookers. This band features George Cables on the piano, Billy Harper and Craig Handy on saxophones, Cecil McBee on bass, trumpeters Eddie Henderson and David Weiss, and Washington, DC native son Billy Hart on drums. What they all add up to is a powerful ensemble that will more than embody their bold name, The Cookers. The vast experiences of these men would take up this entire book. Each is a bandleader and composer in their own right, and each brings a distinctive voice on his instrument that represents a broad swath of the modern jazz tradition. That they’ve come together under one banner is impressive, and represents an exceptional level of humility in service to the whole; and that whole will guarantee nothing short of a certain Mid-Atlantic Jazz Festival 2013 highlight.
Ronnie Wells Main Stage

Sunday/Show 5

7:00 p.m. BOBBY WATSON QUARTET

Alto saxophonist-educator Bobby Watson made his MAJF debut performance a couple of seasons ago as part of our alto saxophone summit. He returned last year working alongside one of the vocalists who played the MAJF Club space. Our Sunday evening show will be opened by Watson’s first MAJF appearance as a bandleader. Bobby Watson certainly comes by his band leadership skills honestly, having come up under the crucible of one of jazz music’s historic proving grounds, Art Blakey’s Jazz Messengers. Since then Bobby has led his own award-winning Horizon band, and gone on to direct the jazz program at the University of Missouri-Kansas City, which last year released Watson’ succulent tribute to Kansas City barbecue. For this show opener Bobby Watson will be at the helm of a quartet guaranteed to swing hard and deliver the fire.

8:30 p.m. STEPHANIE JORDAN – A Tribute to Lena Horne

Jazz music is certainly a family tradition within many New Orleans families; look no further than the Marsalis clan and the Jordan family for evidence of that salient fact. The Jordan family includes dad Edward “Kidd” Jordan, the Crescent City’s fierce tenor saxophonist and educator, plus sons Kent and Marlon, on flute and trumpet respectively. But what makes the Jordan family of musicians so distinct is that it crosses gender lines and also includes classical violist Rachel, and the luscious tones of vocalist Stephanie Jordan. For this particular set Stephanie, who comes out of the sumptuous tradition of Nancy Wilson, will pay homage to another scion of the American songbook tradition, the historic chanteuse Lena Horne. Known as much for her multi-faceted career as an entertainer, Lena Horne left a strong spirit in the vocal world as well, and Stephanie Jordan will embody that aspect of Ms. Horne’s legacy.

10:00 p.m. JOEY DEFRANCESCO

The Mid-Atlantic Jazz Festival will cap off our 2013 focus on the distinguished tradition of the Hammond B-3 organ with perhaps the most noted current exponent of that sound, Philadelphia’s own Joey DeFrancesco. Steeped in the soul side of the jazz coin, Joey DeFrancesco comes by his depth of skill starting with the influence of his grandfather, a jazz saxophonist, and his dad, organist Papa John DeFrancesco. Since displaying his skills at interpreting the work of the great Jimmy Smith as a youth, Joey has gone on to work with a who’s who in the jazz organ arena, as well as a significant stint in one of Miles Davis’ last bands. A longtime recording artist under the HighNote banner, Joey DeFrancesco has established a robust discography and is always in search of the soulful essence of jazz expression.

THE MID-ATLANTIC JAZZ FESTIVAL 2013
STANDING UP FOR REAL JAZZ
P.O Box 6744 Silver Spring, MD 20916
1-888-909-6330
inquiry@midatlanticjazzfestival.org
www.midatlanticjazzfestival.org

There are certain musicians who are a breed apart; such is the case with the Cubano pianist Omar Sosa. Born in Camaguey, Cuba’s largest inland city, Omar Sosa is a true world citizen. When he left Camaguey, he spent significant time in the Esmeraldas region of Ecuador, immersing himself in Afro-Ecuadorian culture, which musically-speaking is in part based on the woody tones of the marimba, an instrument Omar had studied in conservatory in Havana. Later on he spent a rich period living in the San Francisco Bay Area, interacting with such like-minded griots as John Santos and numerous other musicians around the SF/Oakland area. Currently living in Barcelona with his wife and children, Omar continues to record prolifically in a seemingly unlimited stylistic universe. A few days ago Omar’s tireless touring cycle landed at Blues Alley in DC to further explore one of his more recent recorded collaborations, with Italian trumpet-flugelhorn man Paolo Fresu. Their recording “Alma” on Omar and his equally tireless manager Scott Price’s OTA label, is on several tracks a trio effort in the good company of Brazilian cellist Jaques Morelebaum.

“Alma” is the recorded evidence of this superb partnership between Omar Sosa & Paolo Fresu

When Omar eased down the Blues Alley stairs on his way to the piano he bore a lit candle cupped in his outstretched hands, swathed in a red robe, wrapped in his customary white scarf and hat. Suzan and I were joined by NEA program director Michael Orlove and his lovely wife Rebecca, and upon spotting Omar wending his way to the keyboard we nodded in unison “Omar is a mystic!” That’s the effect he brings, that of a sufi, a man who brings not only prodigious skill to his instruments (in this case piano, keyboard and sampler), but also a profound sense of peace and tranquility – even when he is at his most vigorous points of musical expression. Omar Sosa is always prepared to drop some science on his audience.

In Paolo Fresu’s warm, rounded brass tones it’s clear that Omar has found yet another fellow traveler with whom to richly dialogue. They unfurled an entrancing series of winding arabesques and dances. On a day when Barack Obama unveiled his latest immigration reform plans to an eager audience in Nevada, I couldn’t help but reflect on the irony of this packed, often hushed, deeply appreciative Blues Alley audience experiencing this wonderful partnership between a Cuban pianist with tentacles across the globe, and his Italian brass partner. Their linkage is the soul of diverse simpatico. After the set we caught up with Omar, who excitedly encouraged us to join him – as we had several years ago – for another journey to the peerless Gnawa Festival in Essaouira, Morocco in June; doubtless Omar’s connection with the Gnawa will be a certain highlight of that amazing event.

An artist of seemingly unlimited ideas, Omar’s newest project is “Eggun”, a brilliant homage to the spirit of Miles Davis‘ landmark “Kind of Blue”

Here’s Omar Sosa and Paulo Fresu in performance… http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HzBShhNUtqs&feature=youtu.be

Greetings Band Directors,

As you may know, in January 2012 the Jazz Education Network launched a Mentor Program unique to the jazz field. This program, which is designed to provide one-on-one consultation between an experienced professional and a jazz student in the student’s desired field of pursuit, was developed as a means of giving students expert advice beyond the classroom from those who have years of practical experience in the field.

JEN has assembled a brilliant team of experienced professionals who have made themselves available for consultations in the areas of performance, education, music publishing, studio tech, composition, journalism, music production, conference production, and concert/festivals presenting. Our consultants have made themselves available to act as advisers, sounding boards, and Mentors for applicable students interested in those areas of professional pursuit. Our JEN Mentors are available to work in concert with your students and your program to assist those students who have shown an aptitude and interest in professional music industry development.

The JEN Mentor Program has an open-ended application process which is available at the JEN website – www.jazzednet.org – by going to our Advancing Education icon on the site. We ask that you encourage your students who have shown a proclivity towards serious professional pursuit in the music industry to apply to this free program; their experience working with a JEN Mentor will prove quite successful in providing them with practical advice from first class professionals in the music industry. High School jazz educators are also encouraged to visit our site for our unique, discreet high school component. Thank you for your consideration and student referrals to the JEN Mentor Program.

Peace,
Willard Jenkins
JEN Mentor Program
This email was sent to: muzikmuse@comcast.net

What a whirlwind month of January! It started literally right after 2013 dawned, with a January 2 crack-of-dawn flight to Atlanta for the Jazz Education Network Conference (full disclosure: I serve on the JEN board). Among that conference’s highlights was the great bassist and conference honoree (along with NEA Jazz Master Dave Liebman) Rufus Reid conducting an Atlanta big band through their successful channeling of Reid’s “Quiet Pride,” a commissioned work in homage to the late visionary artist-activist Elizabeth Catlett (whose son, drummer Francisco Mora Catlett‘s “Afro Horn MX” release coincidentally made our list of top 2012 releases – scroll down). As successful conferences will, this one produced more than its share of rewarding panel discussions, masterclasses, clinics and research presentations – including daily sessions on different vibrant topics produced by the Jazz Audience Initiative. Among the sessions I enjoyed were Chicago saxman Geoff Bradfield‘s revealing discussion of the overlooked legacy of NEA Jazz Master Melba Liston; an aforementioned session (scroll down) with Matt Wilson, and John Clayton-Bob Mintzer-Don Braden-Javon Jackson (again, scroll down) as the Four Wise Tenors on subjects related to career development; and a simple listening session with saxophonist Jeff Coffin that had a full house vibing anew and group-analyzing such saxophone classics as Coleman Hawkins‘ peerless rendition of “Body & Soul” and by contrast Lester Young in the evergreen tenor department. Onstage at JEN, catching up with the kinetic violinist Christian Howes in performance and conversation; Howes, no longer the excitable boy, now a very mature artist, was a treat; as was the Berklee Global Jazz Institute, and Larry Rosen’s Jazz Roots keynote address. Just generally the positive buzz throughout the JEN Conference was palpable; clearly the jazz community had missed these annual networking gatherings since the demise of IAJE. Like its predecessor organization once did successfully, for the time being the JEN Conference will rotate annual host sites around the country; the succeeding four January conferences will be in Dallas, San Diego, Louisville, and New Orleans.

Got back from Atlanta on a Monday night, leaving a one day turnaround before taking Amtrak up to NYC for a day at the nascent – and seemingly on a nice success track towards annual presentation – the industry-based Jazz Connect Conference (this year with over 1K registrants) at the Hilton. Presented in conjunction with the major annual Association for Performing Arts Presenters (APAP) conference at the same hotel, on the first of the two Jazz Connect days I had the great pleasure of moderating a lively panel discussion on the need for jazz artist mentoring efforts. The panel was coincidentally a drum-heavy assemblage of clear-eyed thinkers and musicians, including trapsmen Carl Allen, Matt Wilson, and wiseman Michael Carvin, plus saxman Greg Osby and New School jazz program director Martin Mueller. Carvin dropped plenty of mother-wit science and all agreed that the generations of musicians now arriving from the academy – as opposed to the “streets” – could use some measure of mentoring from experienced musicians to skillfully navigate the speed bumps of a successful jazz career; speed bumps that no amount of mastering pedagogy can surmount.

Tenor men Javon Jackson (left) and Branford Marsalis hamming it up at the NEA Jazz Masters 2013 event

Amtrak back up to NYC on Sunday, the following Monday evening was high times at the NEA Jazz Masters awards event at Jazz at Lincoln Center. Presented the last few years in grand style at JALC’s classy Rose Hall (more on that venue later), budget constraints and more modest programming shifted the NEAJM event down the hallway to JALC’s club space Dizzy’s. From the moment of the 5:30pm annual group photo shoot of the assembled Masters in an adjacent room, this NEAJM event felt more intimate; an impression which was confirmed by more than one Master post-event. Randy Weston declared himself particularly pleased by the closeness and camaraderie the Masters enjoyed in the smaller confines of Dizzy’s. Consequently the mood was more about fun than honorific reverence, and this time the music was provided entirely by the Masters themselves; with a house rhythm section of NEAJMs Kenny Barron, Ron Carter and Jimmy Cobb.

The humorous highlight of the program was Lou Donaldson‘s acceptance speech, prefaced with an (as Jon Hendricks once remarked) “I’m only serious…” kidding aside of “What took you so long” for him to gain entry into jazz’s highest honor. Donaldson proceeded to break up the house with tales of his potent senior cocktails of Viagra, Levitra and assorted other supposedly life-renewing drugs. Musical highlights included Jimmy Heath‘s lovely turn on “Sweet Lorraine,” ironically part of the tribute to the frequently salty proprietress of the Village Vanguard, Lorraine Gordon, the 2013 NEAJM Advocate recipient who was unable to join the proceedings; the stellar trio of Randy Weston, Ron Carter, and Jimmy Cobb breathed great life into three or four shades of Weston’s classic “Hi Fly,” played in homage to those NEAJMs who inevitably left the planet in 2012, and Paquito D’Rivera teamed up with Dave Liebman for a burning benediction.

NEA Jazz Masters Paquito D’Rivera and Candido enjoyed the hang

Later that week, on Friday it was Amtrak back up to NYC to moderate a Saturday morning panel discussion at the request of the great bassist-educator Reggie Workman. Friday night afforded another A-train trip to the 59th Street station and Jazz at Lincoln Center. Fact is, at least until we get a look at what Randall Kline has cooked up with the new multi-million dollar SF Jazz home base in San Francisco (which just launched this week), JALC’s facility is top of the food chain where jazz-dedicated performance facilities are concerned. JALC’s venues prove once and for all that jazz music is as adaptable to its environment as any music on the planet.

The lamp was lit at JALC that Friday evening as all three venues – Rose Hall, the Allen Room (with its dramatic stage backdrop bay window view of Central Park), and Dizzy’s – were in high activity mode, each with some measure of the cool 50s advancement on the bop aesthetic. Rose hall featured the Music of Gerry Mulligan and John Lewis. The Lewis portion of the program began promisingly when the young & restless, old soul New Orleans pianist Jonathan Batiste strolled out in a slim suit and high top sneakers as the evening’s featured pianist. This proved to be a prescient artistic choice to navigate Lewis’ music from the piano seat, though on the surface one might not associate such an excitable cat as Batiste with the uber-dignified countenance that was John Lewis and his classic-leaning essays of the blues. But from the moment Batiste laid into Lewis’ standard “Django,” the wisdom of seating him at the piano for this program was evident. And what a marvelous acoustic environment Rose Hall is for jazz! Once Batiste concluded his opener, out strolled an estimable small ensemble consisting of Wynton Marsalis, trombonist Chris Crenshaw, alto saxophonist Ted Nash, drummer Ali Jackson, and bassist Carlos Henriquez to play Lewis’ “Delaunay’s Dilemma” with gusto. Zeroing in on Henriquez’ robust bass tones the mind drifted to what must have been one of the acoustic engineering team’s focus in the design of this hall – proper reproduction of the ever-tricky acoustic bass.

Next on the program was a Victor Goines-featured rendition of Lewis’ memorable line “Two Degrees East, Three Degrees West”; this one proved once and for all that the clarinet is Victor’s most distinctive horn; he consistently brings a full measure of his New Orleans tradition to that often tricky straight horn. The remainder of the Lewis portion of the program was delivered in high style by the venue’s signature ensemble, the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra. Throughout the program Marsalis played truly remarkable trumpet. Its been a minute since I’ve heard Wynton sounding as engaged by his horn as he was that night; juggling so many hats and responsibilities with JALC’s operation, the Artistic Director just sounded more dedicated to great trumpet, and the good house was duly rewarded. The second half of the program was the music of Gerry Mulligan, but a quick decision was made during intermission to head over to Dizzy’s because by that time the last (9:30) set was about to begin.

It was a John Lewis kind of night as Dizzy’s featured an elegant ensemble fully up to the task of small group interpretations of the John Lewis legacy. Led by the high class young pianist from Columbus, OH, Aaron Diehl, the quartet was rounded out by drummer Rodney Green, bassist David Wong, and the prodigiously talented Baltimore vibraphonist Warren Wolf, who is also quite the facile multi-instrumentalist. Shades of MJQ you say? For certain that was the prevailing mood, but these young musicians breathed their own contemporary life into that rich legacy and John Lewis’ most potent exponent. And what a fine contrast Diehl’s approach proved to be following his contemporary Jonathan Batiste’s successful efforts at Rose Hall. Diehl, who also proved to be an informative host, introduced a string quartet which provided further elegance to the closing two pieces of their set. Great Monday/Friday bookends that week at JALC!

Reggie Workman invited me to moderate a panel on the subject of “Improvised Music: The Business and Art” that next Saturday morning as part of the Chamber Music America Conference. I’d be remiss if I didn’t also mention that my CMA conference experience actually began with a (pre-JALC trip) cocktail hour showcase performance that Friday at 5:30 with a performance by one of the CMA jazz composition grant-funded artists, saxophonist Patrick Cornelius, whose supple alto was joined by bassist Peter Slavov, pianist Taylor Eigsti, and the potent, resourceful drummer Kendrick Scott. Our panelists that next Saturday morning included Workman, pianist Marilyn Crispell, tabla master Tapan Modak, and poet-dancer-choreographer-arts presenter Patricia Nicholson Parker (read more about her efforts right after this piece). In addition to some lively conversation on developing business paradigms for various streams of creative music (in this case streams of the jazz-related aesthetic), a recording of Workman’s piece “Cerebral Caverns” welcomed panel attendees into our discussion and Modak brought peace and purpose with a warm invocation on tabla. Following our discussion, Reggie Workman and Marilyn Crispell improvised a lovely bass-piano duet that brought heaps of additional meaning to our subject matter.

What a great couple of weeks of arts conferences, jazz and arts community camaraderie, good conversation, serious networking, and wonderful music this proved to be to kick off the New Year! Hopefully we’re off to a good start in 2013.

Marilyn Crispell & Reggie Workman weaving magic at the Chamber Music America conference

Patricia Nicholson Parker resembles the wise university professor, pleasant of disposition but iron-willed when it comes to ensuring students do the right thing in her classroom. It would appear that blend of wisdom and tough-mindedness has served her well in developing Arts for Art, the not-for-profit she started in 1995 principally to present the renowned Vision Festival. That annual gathering and collection of some of the freer thinkers identified with jazz and improvised music expressions has become such a strong haven of successful collaborations and vibrant performances that Ms. Parker has produced several spin-offs, including the Vision Collaboration Festival (for dance & music collaborations), and the weekly series known as Evolving Music.

In a 21st century kind of way, Arts for Art’s grassroots, DIY approach harkens back to earlier musician’s collectives, and particularly to the early 70s when such restless explorers as Sam Rivers, Rashied Ali and other Lower Manhattan-based artists grew the loft scene. A multiple recipient of the Jazz Journalists Association “Producer of the Year” award, as an artist Ms. Parker is a dancer-choreographer and poet. At last week’s Chamber Music America conference panel I moderated (see preceding piece), as pianist Marilyn Crispell and bassist Reggie Workman spun out a lovely, medium tempo piece I caught a glimpse of a restless Patricia Parker doing what comes naturally – dancing in her seat to the music. Oh yeah, coincidentally she’s also the spouse of bassist-composer and Vision Festival fixture William Parker. I’ve been curious about the whole development and mission of Arts for Art, so some questions for Patricia Nicholson Parker were clearly in order.

What came first, the Vision Festival or your overall operation known as Arts for Art Inc.?
The Vision Festival came first – It came out of the Improvisors Collective that I began in 1993 and ran through June 1995. In ’93 there was nothing happening – nowhere to play improvised or edgy music – the Knit was mostly booking John Zorn‘s scene and the indie music scene while the more improvised and high energy school was under-represented. So I began the Improvisors Collective to bring people back together and support each other. After 2 years of the collective, the energy was not building. In 1996 I organized the first Vision Festival. The idea was to make visible the high energy music that had been inspired by Ayler, Cecil Taylor, Ornette, etc. and that had hither to been overlooked. We saw these initiatives as part of the continuum of the movement of self-determination, as I was working closely with other artists. The festival takes the musicians/artists’ point of view in the way that the business is conducted – the artist comes first. To ensure ‘visibility and embrace some kind of diversity we included artists from other genres and at different points in their careers. We booked people who were well known and others who were coming up and some who were new or emerging. The Festival embraced the idea of bringing arts together and including ideas of social justice. We applied for non profit status in 1996 as it became clear that we would continue and make the festival an annual event.

How has the Vision Festival grown through the years, to the point where it is arguably one of the signature creative music events in this country?
When we began it was about making the NY high energy music available to a larger audience. We were a niche festival. Now we seem to be the only game in town and this has put new responsibilities upon us. There is a young group of musicians emerging with a different aesthetic whom we are including . But we still fight for the original aesthetic because we think that it is a very important part of the story which is still being left out of music education/history – However, we will also need to include more and more aesthetics and a greater diversity of artists.

As a year-round arts presenter what have been some of your biggest challenges?
Arts for Art has always responded to the needs of its community, so we have tried to present concerts year round and have education programs that teach the under-served about non western music and improvisation. However since we don’t have our own venue yet, it is a struggle to raise sufficient funds for all of our programming, It is particularly difficult without our own venue to present the music and art in the way and with the frequency that is needed. Also without our own venue it is difficult to build the loyalty necessary to optimize audience development. Thus we have just launched a new project. We are building consensus and raising support for The Under_LIne, a new venue that we wish to build on the lower east side in a city owned building. If seems like the right idea and this is about time.

How do you balance your career as a dancer/choreographer with your work as a presenter?
I struggle always with this, all the time. But one way that I deal with it is based on the understanding that I am one being and everything that I do is dance, is movement, is art, is prayer.

What are some of the highs & lows of having two creative artists, both with a wealth of ideas, living under the same roof?
We have very different personalities but we believe basically in the same things and then we keep loving each other and respecting ourselves and our art.