Will Blog for Food

Freddie Hubbard's 70th Birthday at Anthology

Freddie Hubbard was the preeminent jazz trumpet player of the 60s and 70s. His capabilities on the trumpet and for jazz improvization were boundless. He was a matador of the trumpet; great ideas, great technical facility. But in a demise of Shakespearean proportions, sadly, Freddie Hubbard can no longer play the trumpet. Although fronting an excellent band, Freddie couldn't get a legitimate note out at the Anthology club in San Diego last night. No breath control, no endurance, no improvising capability, terrible intonation. He played worse than a first grader on his first day of taking up the trumpet. It was pathetic. A man of such transcendant powers has lost it all. A total Greek tragedy. Why?

According to Freddie, about 10 years ago, he overdid it - too many gigs, too many high notes, too many endurance contests - and he blew his lip out. Freddie also admits that there were too many drugs or other negative lifestyle choices as well - "partying with the rock crowd". In any event, a few months off the horn and his lip should have recuperated so there's more to it than that. It's as if a portion of his brain is missing - that portion having to do with his at one time prodigious musical ability. My guess is he had a stroke or other brain damage. Charlie Parker, on his worst day, sounded infinitely better. Parker rued the release of his recording of Lover Man, but it was great compared to Freddie last night. Lester Young in his last recordings didn't finish a chorus but what he did play was great compared to this.

From an article in downbeat circa 1995 entitled When Your Chops Are Shot:

Hubbard traces his problem to a series of shows beginning in late 1992, when he flew to Europe on a gig with Slide Hampton's band, alongside fellow trumpeters Roy Hargrove and Jon Faddis. "I started playing high notes with Faddis and got carried away," Hubbard says seriously, sitting at a wooden desk in his office/practice room at home. "High notes aren't my forte. I came back, went to Philly and played with some guys without warming up. That's when my top lip popped. Then I went to New York and played the Blue Note for a week. That's when I should have stopped cold." But Hubbard didn't stop there. Instead, he went back to Europe for a big band date, and soon after realized his lip had become infected. When he returned to Los Angeles, a doctor performed a biopsy, fearing cancer. "I said to myself, 'Man, I'm going to get a day job. This is terrible.'" Hubbard says, adding also that he was drinking too much and partying with "the rock crowd." In addition, he conceded that he missed several gigs due to these problems.

Freddie lived large for a long time, but now he's fallen like an aging warrior. It's bound to happen to all of us sooner or later. But most of us don't attain the heights Freddie attained. So the fall is not as far or as drastic. When he first came to New York as a young man, his only rival on the trumpet was Lee Morgan.

Much has been made of the so-called rivalry between Hubbard and the late Lee Morgan during those heady New York years. But Hubbard sets the record straight.

"Lee was the only young cat that scared me when he played," he says. "he had so much fire and natural feeling. I had more technique, but he had that feeling. People seemed to like him more than they liked me at the beginning. But we'd follow each other around, buy sports cars and chase the same chicks. It was a different period then. Today, it's all business."

Well,  at least, Freddie had the luck not to have wound up like Lee Morgan did - shot dead by a jealous lover.

I loved Freddie's recording with Eric Dolphy: "Outward Bound." It was "free" for its day. When Freddie hit and sustained a high F in the middle of an improvised chorus, I was in awe as a trumpet player. His signature lip trills and repeated, cyclical motifs on Herbie Hancock's "Maiden Voyage" and "Empyrean Isles" had other trumpet players trying to imitate him. I even loved his more commercial records for CTI such as "First Light," my favorite make-out music. So to hear Freddie play last night was only an occasion for regret. Age alone doesn't explain it. Doc Cheatham and others have played tolerably well into their 80s. Barbara Walters interviewed 101 year old trumpet player, "Rosie" Ross who still plays professionally! Oscar Peterson still played OK even after his stroke and until he died although not with his former proficiency. You can see and hear Freddie in better days on YouTube here.

So why is Freddie Hubbard still playing and how does he even get gigs? The answer to the first question is that he needs the money. In an interview, he said that he can't make it financially living off the residuals from the over 300 records and CDs he's made. He gets gigs based mainly on his legendary status as a jazz musician. But he should have hung it up and rested on his laurels long ago. I guess the lesson here is that nothing lasts forever, and you can't take for granted any talent, ability or asset. It can all be taken away. I'm reminded of Shelley's poem, Ozymandias:

I met a traveller from an antique land
Who said: Two vast and trunkless legs of stone
Stand in the desert. Near them on the sand,
Half sunk, a shatter'd visage lies, whose frown
And wrinkled lip and sneer of cold command
Tell that its sculptor well those passions read
Which yet survive, stamp'd on these lifeless things,
The hand that mock'd them and the heart that fed.
And on the pedestal these words appear:
"My name is Ozymandias, king of kings:
Look on my works, ye Mighty, and despair!"
Nothing beside remains: round the decay
Of that colossal wreck, boundless and bare,
The lone and level sands stretch far away.

There but for the grace of God go I.

A Cool Yule Eve Hang in Spragueland/Del Mar

It's become a Christmas Eve tradition: Peter Sprague's annual free concert at 15th Street in Ould Del Mar, a place near and dear to my heart because it was my first impression of California when I came here in 1963. Every year since Peter and his brother Tripp were wee little lads, growing up in this paradise, they set up their music stands, opened their guitar cases and played music for the assembled holiday throngs for nickels, dimes and quarters on the sidewalk in front of the Earth Song book store. Now they have moved to the outdoor amphitheatre near the Inn l'Auberge just  across the way. This concert is a family and friends affair with father Hall Sprague on bongos, little Kate Sprague (Tripp's daughter) and Kylie Sprague (Peter's daughter) singing. The highlight of the afternoon concert was the Benedetti girls, Regina and Julia, whose guitar playing father, Fred, a full time music professor at Grossmont College, is equally at home with jazz or classical. They can be regularly heard at the Aviara resort in Carlsbad.

The band included Gunner Biggs, bass; Tripp Sprague, saxophone and flute; Dylan Savage, drums. Singers Coral Macfarland-Thuett, Allison Tucker and Lisa Hightower lit up the proceedings. A harp and mandolin duo, the Wrong Trousers, added to the festivities. Mark Lessman sat in on saxophone and a blues harmonica playing architect got everyone jumping. There was a lot of samba and Brazilian music which my significant other, Judy, really loves. She is becoming a huge fan of Peter's. This music is really accessible and infectious, a blessed alternative to pop/rock, rap or whatever other stuff is floating over the airwaves these  days. It's a treat to hear singing in languages other than English and the vibes conjured up from Brazilian and other cultures.  One of my favorite singers, Karrin Allyson has an album, "From Paris to Rio," on which she sings in Portuguese and French. It would be good to hear more of the French vibe as in Edith Piaf's "La Vie En Rose" or "Ne Me Quitte Pas." If Coral sang these songs with half as much conviction as she conveys in the Latin tinged numbers, it would be sensational! Harmonica and accordion sometimes add a distinctly different cultural ambiance - an off the beaten track vibe - as on the album "Chez Toots" by Toots Thielemans.

Peter deserves a lot of credit not only for adding greatly to the cultural edification of San Diego County but also for mentoring and encouraging younger (and older) musicians. At his Spragueland production studio, he produces CD albums for a lot of these folks and in general has built up a network of relationships that has extended from family out into the community. This is truly peace on earth, goodwill towards men (and women). If only the larger world would emulate what Peter and the other musicians have accomplished in microcosm, the world would be more representative of the wishes of the dude whose birthday we celebrate this time of year! Peter has added a lot more to the community as a local musician than many more famous musicians that live here but aren't as active and involved except for an occasional concert. Peter is always searching for new sonic avenues and his music is both high quality and eminently approachable. A musician needs to be versatile these days playing in a variety of musical situations and with a variety of different groups. Peter has created a multi-faceted array of sonic situations that should encompass the vast majority of musical palates. On this particular sunny California Christmas Eve, the audience couldn't get enough of the warm vibes emanating from this simpatico group.

When I first arrived in California, it was a rainy, dark September evening. I had driven cross country from Atlanta just having finished eight straight quarters at Georgia Tech. I was on my way to Palo Alto where I was in for three more quarters at Stanford before my first summer break. I was trying to find downtown San Diego; I thought surely a major street like El Cajon Blvd would take me to it, but after driving back and forth, never actually finding San Diego, I pulled over in North Park and slept in my car. The next day I actually looked at a map and turned north from I-8 onto Highway 101.  (There was no I-5, no I-15, no I-805 in those days.) When I got to Del Mar, the sun came out. I pulled over into the gas station on the corner of 15th Street where the flower shop is today, went into the rest room and cleaned up. Then I headed for the coffee shop next door (where Bank of America is now). Before I went in to have breakfast, I looked out over the old tudor Shakepearian inn on the northwest corner of 15th Street (that has been replaced by the Inn l'Auberge) toward the blue Pacific. I took a deep breath of fresh air, felt the sunshine and rejoiced in my first impression of California. Little did I know at the time that I would be living here a few blocks up 15th Street a few years later in a little shack I rented for $40. a month. Today Del Mar is strictly a high rent district but in those days it was still a funky little town.

In addition to his website, petersprague.com, Peter has a website complete with shopping cart, Actual Proof, from which you can access CDs and books as well as download MP3s.

A Jazzy Week in San Diego

Three jazz events in one week! I'm getting the holidays off to a good start. First there was Jazz in the Park, the monthly event at the San Diego Museum of Art. This group featured Joe LaBarbera on drums, Bill Cunliffe on piano, Tom Warrington, bass and Larry Koonse, guitar. These guys actually are willing to frequently drive down here from LA to perform at the Museum. Joe LaBarbera is practically the house drummer, and a great drummer at that. It's hard to believe that he played with the late, great Bill Evans. His performance exemplified taste and class to the extreme. Bill Cunliffe is one of my favorite pianists. Again taste and class. I'm starting to really dig Tom Warrington's bass playing. He had one solo that blew me away. Larry Koonse, although a good guitarist, didn't leave me with any memorable impresssions. They delved into the Christmas music bag to some extent without pandering to the genre. These monthly concerts are suitable for us old fogeys since they start at 5:30 PM and are over by 7:30. No need to pub crawl to the wee small hours to hear good jazz! It pays to be a San Diegan and live downtown or you'd never be able to get there by 5:30. But at $18.00 a shot (more for non-members) it ain't cheap either. This week took its toll on the old exchequer!

Thursday night I headed down to Anthology, a newly opened jazz (partly) club in Little Italy that represents state of the art technology and 21st century chic. Ahmad Jamal was there, a man that I'd never seen live before and one of the old guard still holding forth in his  seventies. I can go peacefully now since I've heard Ahmad Jamal play Poinciana live! Now I'm telling you Anthology ain't cheap either. Be prepared to part with some bucks when you go there. I sat at the bar and drank Coors Lights at $5.00 a pop. Jeez, I could have gotten a whole case at Costco for what two beers cost  me. But the ambiance is superb. There are HDTV screens everywhere, and the camera man is part of the show. What a priceless experience to see close-ups of Ahmad's hands as they ripple up and down the keyboard. Did I say that a hamburger was $19.00? Ouch!! OK, OK it was a Koby burger. Oh, and the cover was $30.00 just to get in. It was well worth it though. I attended the 7:30 PM show and was home by 9 o'clock. Again perfect for old fogeys pretending to be young, hip and urban.

I could not resist going down to Anthology again Sunday night with my significant other, Judy. The draw was No Cover Charge for the 5:30 PM show featuring the Moutin brothers with Rick Margitza on tenor sax. So we decided to splurge on dinner in lieu of the cover charge. And a great dinner it was. We were attended to very attentively by a myriad of black clad waiters, waitreses, hostesses and maitre d's. Ah, the good life. La dolce vita. But it didn't come cheap! We wined and dined with all the young, hip, urban professionals and the mega gazillionaires fresh off their yachts docked in San Diego Harbor marinas, having parked the van a block away on India street in the commercial parking (yellow) zone. What!! It's perfectly legal after 6 o'clock and we had 20 minutes there as a commercial vehicle anyway. We mingled with the Mercedes and Porsche driving crowd whose master bedroom closets, filled with clothes and dozens of pairs of shoes, are as big as our little studio apartment in downtown San Diego. But then we only had a five minute commute and it took them 30-45 minutes to drive home on vehicle clogged freeways. Ah, the good life!  Little did they know we had arrived in a van with ladders on top. Ohhhh!

But let's talk about the Moutin brothers - Francois on bass and Louis on drums. They are identical twins from France and seemed to have that telepathic empathy and interconnectedness that only twins do. Ahhh! La musique, toute la musique! These guys are really good. Intensity to the max. Pierre de Bethmann is on piano. They're all fantastic musicians. And their ensemble sounds really churned with that big bass swirling on the bottom. They played a long set as we ate dinner, and then packed up their instruments to make way for the next event. It  was all over and we were home by 7:30, another great night out for old fogeys! I figured I had spent about $200. in one week on live jazz in San Diego, but it was worth it. Since we don't go to Panda Express and Coco's any more on a regular basis, we can save up our money and spend it on more high class entertainment once in a while.

Concert Reviews: Chris Botti with the San Diego Symphony Summer Pops and Winard Harper Sextet at San Diego City College KSDS Jazz Live

Saturday, August 11, trumpeter Chris Botti performed at Embarcadero Marina Park with the San Diego Symphony under the stars in their Summer Pops series, and Tuesday, August 14, the Winard Harper Sextet performed at the Saville Theatre at San Diego City College as part  of their Jazz Live series simultaneously broadcast over KSDS FM.  These performances represented totally different approaches to and perspectives on the concept of jazz. On the one hand, Chris Botti, who is an excellent trumpeter, mainly played a role of contributing solo trumpet to an overall lush and romantic atmosphere conjured up by the symphony arrangements.  Winard Harper represented the African-American jazz tradition started by Louis Armstrong and Duke Ellington and continued with Charlie Parker and Dizzy Gillespie. His group reminded me of the late Art Blakey and the many versions of the Jazz Messengers. Winard is central to the evolution of the tradition of jazz as exemplified by these people: burning creative energy, furious self-expression, respect for the tradition but each interpreting it from his own perspective and as a more or less new arrival on the scene.

The San Diego Symphony did an opening set without Chris Botti consisting of arrangements of Cole Porter compositions. They might as well have skipped the opening set. People were there to see Chris Botti, not listen to a bunch of lame arrangements and insipid interpretations which didn't do justice to Cole Porter, my favorite American songbook composer. Calling Nelson Riddle... When Chris came on, he played a couple of tunes to establish his credentials as a trumpeter of considerable technique with a beautiful, mellow sound before he started chatting with the audience. Once he did start chatting, he told us practically his whole life story which was actually pretty interesting. There was the bit where he got a call to play with Frank Sinatra and Frank told him, "Nice solo, kid." This led to visions of hanging with the Chairman which, after some openers, came to no avail when Frank's manager told him, "Don't ever bother Mr. Sinatra again."

Winard opened with Duke Ellington's "In a Sentimental Mood." Harper is one of the best jazz drummers playing today for my money. Incidentally, the concert was free for KSDS members of which I am one, but if I had to pay I would. Winard has my respect not only for being a great drummer but also for being a bandleader, not an easy feat in today's market. Inspired by Billy Higgins and Lee Morgan, they ripped into a tune that sounded so contemporary I was sure Winard had written it himself. It turned out to be a Charlie Parker tune. Since Parker died in 1955, it had to have been written over 50 years ago, yet so vital was the inspiration that, as so much of Charlie Parker's music is, it was timeless. Unfortunately, I didn't get the name of the tune, and I thought I had heard all of Parker's oeuvre, as I'm a Parker aficionado, but I guess not. Pianist Sean Higgins, the token white guy of the group, contributed a number of impassioned solos as did the effervescent and uncontainable Harper. African pecussionist, Alioune Faye, elevated the role of rhythym to an even higher level.

Chris Botti had an excellent small band with him that played within the context of the larger Symphony.  Chris had played with Sting and he seems to have adopted his hairdo. He even looks something like him, and appearance seemed to be a well thought out component of the entire presentation. Botti recounted how impressed he was with Miles Davis' mellow, romantic tone and he set out to emulate him rather than the more frantic beboppers. He played a number from Davis' "Kind of Blue" album, Flamenco Sketches. Chris' emphasis was on tonal beauty and creating a lush atmosphere rather than creative improvisation, and, therefore, I wouldn't place Botti, although a formidable trumpet player, in the mainstream of the jazz tradition. I wouldn't call him a smooth jazzer either because from a larger musical perspective, this was beautiful music. He didn't mention Chet Baker, but I see him as also having been influenced by him since Chet emphasized the romantic ballads and always had a chick hanging on him on his album covers. Botti has obviously traded fire and complexity for accessibility and, I'm sure, there are many people out there who are grateful for his CDs as a high class make out accompaniment.

Winard had the traditional trumpet/tenor saxophone front line played by Josh Evans and Stacy Dillars, respectively. Not yet fully fledged, these young men, nevertheless, contributed their spirit and energy to the proceedings. Bobby Timmons' "Moanin" turned out to be an amenable vehicle for the front line. The star, however, was Winard who alternately drove and sheparded the band and then unleashed meticulous, paroxysms of creative, rhythmic energy while still remaining true to the tradition. Not a pounder or a basher, Winard's solos were complex and full of finesse without being overly loud or obtrusive. He seems to combine the energy of Elvin Jones, the tastefullness of Billy Higgins and the band driving chops of Art Blakey. His career path has him committed to the jazz tradition composed of three parts improvisation, two parts technique and four parts creative self-expression.

Chris Botti's career path consists of one part hip appearance, one part presentation, two parts trumpet technique, one part personality and one part good taste in selecting beautiful arrangements. His introducer noted that he was a Columbia recording artist. Columbia has a reputation for only selecting artists they think can make money for the label. At any time they will only bet on one or two jazz trumpet players. They bet on Miles Davis, and he came through for them. Right now it seems to be Wynton Marsalis and Chris Botti. To say that Botti is making and probably will make a lot of money while Harper struggles to keep a band together would be stating the obvious. Accessibility, romanticism and Columbia promotion will always trump purity of art form and creative improvisation, unfortunately. Some would say the jazz tradition as exemplified by Winard Harper is passe, but, au contraire, the forms of traditional jazz, the music of Parker, Ellington, Mingus, Monk et al will be played 200 years from now just as Mozart's music is played today, and it will be as fresh then as the abilities and inventiveness of future musicians can make it. But let us hope also that the likes of Chris Botti, Dianna Krall and other accessible but authentic musicians will take over from Kenny G and the smooth, jacuzzi jazz crowd. If folks want accessible as opposed to artistic then at least let them have authentic rather than kitsch.

Miles Davis, John Coltrane: So What!

A great rendition of So What by Miles Davis. Solos by Davis and John Coltrane. See it here:

Concert Review: Peter Sprague at Dizzy's featuring Leonard Patton

Last night Peter Sprague, guitar, performed at Dizzy's Club in San Diego in a group featuring the vocals of Leonard Patton in a Tribute to Stevie Wonder. A biographical note about Leonard Patton taken off Peter Sprague's website can be found here. All the music was Stevie Wonder's, and Peter did all the arrangements, a herculean task. Stevie is a pop music phenomenon having churned out hit after hit such as "Boogie on Reggae Woman," "I Was Made to Love Her," "Living for the City," "You Are the Sunshine of my Life," "I Wish," "Sir Duke," and my favorite, "Isn't She Lovely" in honor of Stevie's baby daughter.  More importantly, Stevie's music is loved by jazz aficionados as his music has a meaning and depth not always found in pop music. It's music that will last the test of time, for sure.

The key to this night's performances were the arrangements by Peter Sprague. Whether it was a written out, improvised line played in unison by saxophone and guitar or an interjected, snake charmerish, promordial theme from John Coltrane's "Resolution,"  this was excellent music with great arrangements and popular appeal, as evidenced by the enthusiastic reception by young people from Bishop's School who were much in attendance, and it flowed effortlessly from these top-notch performers. Leonard's voice carried much of the vocal chores, and he was in fine form more than doing justice to Stevie's fine compositions. The back-up singers, Rebecca Jade and Eric Lige added a harmonic depth and visual appeal that gave this music an immediacy and direct human connection. Tripp Sprague honked, screamed and wailed on tenor saxophone and, when called for, executed ensemble parts with precision. Pianist Josh Nelson soloed well while bassist Bob Magnusson and drummer Dave Anderson immersed themselves in solid ensemble work.

I've never heard Peter sound better on guitar. His solo work was full-bodied and powerful. I could clearly hear every note, and every note certainly deserved to be heard. Peter had his amp up where it belonged, and, as the leader, kept the group grounded. The duet with just Leonard's voice and Peter's guitar was exquisite!

Peter is the epitome of versatility. Last week he was playing for Bob Magnusson's CD release party. Last night he did a Stevie Wonder tribute gig. But Peter is not only a great guitar player. As mentioned earlier, he did all the arrangements and this is a prodigious amount of work.

Not only that, but Peter is ubiquitous in his collaborations with different kinds of musicians in every configuration from solo guitar to symphony, playing every kind of music from Bach to Be-bop. Tonight rock and roll ala Stevie Wonder was on the menu. His very ubiquitousness though is made possible by Peter's behind the scenes arranging and producing efforts in order to bring these various projects to fruition. Each one is special and, therefore, each gig is special and unique. Too many jazz musicians approach a gig as a blowing session with a standard format. Play the head, improvised choruses all around, trade 8s with the drummer, play the head again and out. Not Peter! So you know you're always in for a treat because Peter has done his homework!

He has a little help though from his musical assistant: Finale. Peter was an early adapter of the Macintosh computer and music software that makes his prodigious output of different projects and arrangements possible. The tools that today's musicians have at their disposal also include Sibelius. I'm sure  that the various parts the musicians read from were produced with a little help from Finale or Sibelius. Melody and harmony can be played into the computer on guitar and the software can do the grunt work of the arrangement which then can be tweaked and finally multiple parts can be printed out with the push of a button. Peter also makes good use of the internet, having put together an excellent website, and uses email newsletters to inform his fans of upcoming concerts. So you see folks there's a lot more to it then simply learning to play an instrument well. Peter covers all the bases, and that's why his versatility leads to his ubiquitousness.

Note to Peter: Get your music played on Cox Cable channel 930, the jazz channel. Why? This is really the channel for Talent Deserving of Wider Recognition. I have heard some great musicians on there who I had never heard of before, and can instantly tell who they are because the information is displayed on screen as well as biographical backgrounds. I can then go to the computer and Google or Amazon them and put the album on my wish list. I've discovered some excellent musicians this way.

With FM radio, unfortunately, too many times after hearing a great piece of music, it's impossible to identify who performed it especially if the DJ doesn't come on and tell you or if an airplane happens to fly over when the DJ mentions the name. With digital media you have the artist's name available for the full length of the song. This applys to XM and Sirius satellite-based radio  as well. You only have to look down at your car radio to get the artist's name. This has done more to make lesser known artists known to wider audiences than any other recent development. In the old days record companies promoted artists. In the digital age, with jazz being such a small percentage of the overall market, each artist is responsible for his or her own promotion as you know, and the digital media like jazz-only TV channels and satellite radio are a help in this respect.

Concert Review: Bob Magnusson

There was a CD release party for Bob Magnusson last night as part of the Jazz in the Park Series. Liquid Lines is the name of the CD, and the group including Bob on bass, Randy Porter on piano, Peter Sprague, guitar, Tripp Sprague, reeds and Duncan Moore, drums, performed several numbers from the CD which was on sale in the lobby and a couple of standards. One of the stalwarts of the San Diego jazz scene, Bob has played with all the greats in jazz and pop including Buddy Rich, Sarah Vaughan, Art Pepper, Art Farmer, Benny Golson, Linda Ronstadt and Madonna!

This group has been playing together for so long in various configurations that it's more like a band of brothers than a group of musicians, and the Spragues and Bob share an avocation for surfing that ties them together even more. The CD, Liquid Lines, is inspired by surfing from Del Mar to Point Loma and points beyond. In general the musicianship was excellent with the empathy and interplay almost telepathic. This is how jazz should be played: with a group of friends and among friends. Bob's extensive family including, wife, mother, 3 daughters and 7 grandchildren were in attendance.

An Aside: Judy and I were late getting to the concert as usual since I have to pick up Judy in La Mesa at 5 PM when she gets off work, and drive to Balboa Park. (That's her on the right.) We munched down our Subway sandwich on I-8, parked and were walking toward the San Diego Museum of Art. Judy expressed regret that we would be late again. I said, "Not to worry. No self-respecting jazz musician ever starts a concert earlier than 10 minutes late so we've got plenty of time." Luckily, I'm on Holly Hofmann's reservation list or we wouldn't have gotten in. It was a sold out crowd. The ushers told us, much to Judy's chagrin, that we would never find two seats together so we worked on finding Judy a seat. That accomplished, I headed further down front when a woman stood up front and center and motioned she had two seats available. I waved to Judy, and we ended up having two seats together, the best seats in the house, thanks to, as it turned out, Bob's wife! I got to see Bob's Grandchildren as one after another they squirmed around on Grandma's lap, and what cute kids they are too! What a fortunate man to have such a beautiful family and to have spent his life in such a beautiful locale and earned his living doing something that's so rewarding and such fun! All this and surfing too. Heaven couldn't be much better.

Back to the Concert: They started out with "Afternoon at First Point," a tune I really liked. Randy Porter, on piano, is a total virtuoso with an excellent jazz feel and full of surprises. There is only one thing though. Randy, lose the white shirt! It seemed like the glare off an iceberg, and at times had me reaching for UV protection!  It made me appreciate more the darker, muted and understated threads the others were wearing! "Aqua Reflections" set a pensive mood, another excellent tune!

Most of the tunes were written by Bob, but they "covered" "I Cover the Waterfront." I felt the medium up groove was a little too fast. This is really a singer's tune, and, as sung by Billie Holliday, is a love song with a yearning, wistful quality. I didn't feel the arrangement captured the essence of the tune. Part of the homework of a jazz musician is listening to the legacy from the past and building on that. It seemed like this tune came right out of the Fake Book. They all played good, however.

"Reef Dance" went over well. Another surfing inspired tune. Brother Tripp was "out front" as the only hornman on the gig, and did a great job on tenor sax, flute and especially his harmonica solo on the last tune of the night. In general the sound system was adjusted well except I thought that Peter Sprague's guitar could have been brought up more. Peter's solo spots were great, but I couldn't hear him all that well in the ensemble work. The ensemble work, however, was the highlight of the evening. Intricate, crisp and clear - this was music of the highest calibre. I can't say enough about Duncan Moore's drumming. He's always there interacting but unobtrusively so. He has Big Ears! The sound of his drum kit, the micing of the drums and the guy playing them - all I can do is to agree with Cal Worthington - you can't beat that! His cymbal work behind Bob's bass, a tick tick rather than a ting ting, was perfectly suited and articulated.

Bob shared the spotlight on his special evening with Oscar Castro-Neves who performed Antonio Carlos Jobim's tune, "The Waters of March." Here is a tune that at first sight seems like just a jumble of words with not much of a melody, but the effect is hypnotic. This tune just grows on you. Oscar did a great solo turn.

After the break, they did more tunes from the CD. They maintained the high quality both of composition and performance of the first half. One quibble is that I found the tune, "The Search, the Discovery," a little long on search and a little short on discovery. The highlight of the second set, no doubt, was Key Largo sung by Coral MacFarland Thuet. Peter Sprague did an excellent solo intro, and Coral, as is her wont, captured the spirit and essence of the tune. In my opinion she is in the top rank of jazz singers because, like Billie Holliday and Frank Sinatra, she doesn't need 10 grace notes to embellish every note of the melody. Instead, she feels the tune, what the composer had in mind, adds her life experience to it, and communicates that effortlessly to the audience.

The last tune of the evening, "Newbreak," paid homage to another surfing spot off Sunset Cliffs, and featured the aforementioned wonderful harmonica work of Brother Tripp.

As we were leaving, Judy said to me, "I usually don't like originals, but these were all so good." I'm sure the audience, as evidenced by their enthusiastic response, agreed. I think it was typical of Bob Magnusson that he didn't hog the spotlight, featured other artists like Oscar Castro-Neves and Coral Thuet, honored his Mom and other family members and even introduced some of his surfing buddies and webmaster! But the music more than spoke for itself. This group deserves wider than local recognition, and we are indeed fortunate to have Bob as a superlative member of the San Diego jazz scene. Long may his flag continue to wave! Happy surfing!

Concert Review: Highlights in Jazz

Highlights in Jazz, New York City's oldest running concert series held a jam session April 6, 2006 in the Tribeca Performing Arts Center. Jack Kleinsinger is the producer of these events. The line-up for this evening was David "Fathead" Newman and Ernie Watts, tenor saxes; Lew Soloff, trumpet; Steve Turre, trombone; Mulgrew Miller, piano; Ray Drummond, bass; and Jimmy Cobb, drums.

I attended with my friends, Renee and Helen, and sat in the front  row as usual when I attend with these ladies! The group started off with Dizzy Gillespie's "A Night in Tunesia." Many a good lick was blown by all. Ernie Watts was the only LA based musician there and his performance was most impressive tossing off complex figures with ease. I would have liked to hear more from Fathead, but his sound was softer and quieter, and as usual in these types of formats, the more extroverted players took over.

Ernie Watts and Lew Soloff did a couple of numbers in a quintet format. I remember Lew from his high note solo on the Blood, Sweat and Tears recording of "Spinning Wheel." I admire his facility with the horn, and he gives it his all, but idea wise, there are a lot of New York based cats that can outdo him such as Brian Lynch, Ryan Kisor and Roy Hargrove. Roy loves jam sessions so he should be a natural for one of Jack's "Highlights."

Steve Turre had a featured spin. Of course he brought out his conch shells and gave them a work-out. Helen didn't care too much for Steve's conch shell playing. I guess she thought it was too much of a gimic which, for all intents and purposes, it is. Steve is a consistent poll winner and a consummate showman, but personally I prefer the trombone work of John Fedchock whose New York Big Band has made some excellent recordings. Steve also has his own big band consisting of all conch shell players called Sanctified Shells.

A young trombonist, Roland..., was presented with a $1000. prize by Jack and performed a nice plungered and muted version of "My Romance." He was also a student of Steve's. The most impressive performance of the evening for me was a duet by Mulgrew Miller and Ray Drummond, "Sweet and Lovely." They had outstanding empathy. In fact Ray's eyes were glued on Mulgrew for the entire tune. I don't think he blinked once! Along with Jimmy Cobb, this rhythm section was outstanding the entire evening!

The night ended as it had begun with another tune by Dizzy Gillespie, "Manteca." I had to admire Lew's playing on this one. Anyone who can play Dizzy's part on "Manteca", ...well...my hat's off to him! All in all another successful outing by Jack Kleinsinger and the longest running jazz series in New York City.

After saying good-bye to Helen and Renee, I used my fun pass for the last time and took the C train back to Port Authority Bus Terminal where I caught the bus for the North Bergen Park Ride lot and picked up my rental car. Luckily I had my XM Roady with me so I could listen to jazz all the way home!

Concert Review: Nnenna Freelon

Nnenna Freelon performed a long set with no intermission at Skidmore College in Saratoga Springs, New York, Friday, April 7, 2006. The concert  was free and open to the public which began assembling more than an hour prior to concert time. Needless to  say, it was standing room only. This was a good gig for Freelon who was at the college on a McCormack Residency which has hosted jazz musician Joshua Redman and poet Robert Pinsky among others. This concert was the culmination of Nnenna's residency.

Freelon is a six-time Grammy Award nominee in two jazz vocal categories. Beautiful to look at, this mother of three has a very dramatic flair in addition to her vocal talents. Her onstage movements and facial expressions amounted at times to acting and dancing skills. She started off in a Frank Sinatra bag with "All or Nothing at All." Her back-up group was superb with percussionist Beverly Botsford rising to the level of co-front liner at times.  Normally averse to percussionists, I was totally captivated by Botsford's performance. From her score of instruments she always chose just the right one for just the right accent dancing among them like an antediluvian elf.

Nnenna spent much of her time honoring the memory of Billie Holliday, conjuring up her spirit and life with a running commentary. She performed Billie's compositions "God Bless the Child" as well as the number after which Billie had to leave the stage, "Strange Fruit." Freelon recorded "Blueprint of a Lady" on Concord Records in 2005 so Lady Day's legacy is a major focus of her work.

Some of her approach was reminiscent of Cassandra Wilson as she deconstructed melody, harmony and rhythm and then reconstructed these elements into a unique blend. Only the lyrics stayed the same. Drummer Kinah Boto laid down reggae, hip-hop and funk beats, but hardly any swinging 4/4. Pianist McCune and bassist Batchelor had some good solos along the way. About the only song sung straight was the spiritual, "There is a Balm in Gilead" done with just voice and piano.

She sang the ultimate My-Man-Done-Me-Wrong song, "Don't Explain," sounding much like Nancy Wilson who specialized in that genre with songs such as "Guess Who I Saw Today." Nancy is known for her precise diction and extended sibilants, and Nnenna followed in her footsteps in that regard.

After the finale, "All of Me," the very appreciative audience brought her back for an encore featuring Botsford wailing on congas. From smoky joints to prestigious colleges, jazz has come a long way. Not intimidated at all by the "hallowed halls," Nnenna dispelled whatever vestiges of staidness might have remained at Skidmore. It was nice of the Dean to open the concert to the public, and I felt it was well worth the drive in the rain up the New York Thruway from New Paltz where I started and ended the day.

Review of Peter Sprague Concert at Athenaeum Studio 2-26-06

Last night guitarist Peter Sprague performed at the Athenaeum Studio in a two guitar format featuring Howard Alden on 7 string guitar. On bass and drums, respectively, were staunch allies Bob Magnusson and Jim Plank. The set started with the Harold Arlen tune, "My Shining Hour" from the movie "The Sky's the Limit." In my opinion tune selection is half the battle, and Peter did a magnificent job in selecting the tunes that were played this evening. You can't beat The Great American Songbook especially when augmented with Duke Ellington and Charlie Parker, and the selection of tunes this night was wonderful and covered all the bases. For this alone the concert was first rate, top notch, 5 stars. But then the playing was pretty spectacular too!

Howard Alden was sitting in for Mundell Lowe, the great guitarist, who couldn't make it on account of illness. Mundell was one of the Mississppi contingent of be-boppers who along with Mose Allison ("I'm sitting down here on Parchmon Farm") migrated to New York City and absorbed the lessons of Charlie Parker and Dizzy Gillespie in the aftermath of WW II. Mundell was musical director of the Monterey Jazz Festival for many years, a fact that the concert notes failed to mention. He was one of the first to have an integrated group, a fact worthy of note for a southern musician. As a friend of Mundell's, I wish him a speedy recovery.

What a joy it was to be introduced to the music of Howard Alden! The two guitarists were a contrast, but complemented each other well. Howard has a more traditional, focused jazz oriented sound than does Peter maybe as a result of moving to New York City as a young man, while Peter embodies and encapsulates the southern California, Del Mar surf's up sound with hints of Eastern mysticism, incense and candles. His sound is spacier and less hard edge. He's not totally in LaLa land, however, as he can dig in if he wants to. So it was a contrast between the Big Apple sound and the Del Mar surf sound. Both are equally valid. Peter loves the Spanish sounds -  the sambas, flamencos and bossa novas and that was reflected in the 3 Antonio Carlos Jobim tunes - Desafinado, Wave and Felicidad. Another remarkable composer and wise tune selections.

Howard has studied with 7 string guitarist George Van Eps, and his solo turn demonstrated how the low A string can give the guitar a fuller lower register. Both guitarists were relaxed and enjoying themselves and each other's playing. Some of the other great tunes and composers featured were "You'd Be So Nice To Come Home To," by Cole Porter, "Prelude to a Kiss," by Duke Ellington, "It Could Happen to You," by Jimmy Van Heusen, "You Don't Know What Love Is," by Don Raye and "It's You or No One," by Jules Styne. The latter two aren't as well known as the others, but what wonderful music! Bassist Bob Magnusson played the melody arco on "You Don't Know..." His playing is simply superb. One of the few bassists that can carry the melody, and also play Charlie Parker inspired solos, the group interaction among the three string players was the highlight of the evening. The group was at it's best when the bass was an equal partner with the guitars which tended to be more the case as the evening progressed.

Drummer Jim Plank, unfortunately, played a more Connie Kaye-ish role as strict timekeeper. He's been a fixture on the jazz and symphony scene for many years. Although he had some good solo spots, he was not fully integrated into the group sound. The essence of unobtrusiveness, I think Jim needs to be more aggressive and use the sticks more. Somehow the brushes didn't get the job done. He could have been more interactive without overpowering the room. And although I'm no expert on drum kits, the sound of his set-up didn't really turn me on. If I closed my eyes and just listened to the drums, it sounded like a businessman's bounce. Maybe that's what playing with the symphony too long does to you. I don't know.

It made my evening when they played Charlie Parker's "Bloomdido," with a remarkable introduction. In general, great interplay between the guitarists throughout. They had a great groove on "You'd Be So Nice..." and a great sound on "You Don't Know...," the high points of the concert for me. All in all one of the best nights out for music in a long time. I can't stress enough how much I appreciated the tune selection. Great artists know this is half the battle. Mercifully, there were no originals, not that Peter isn't a good composer which he is, but when you are dealing with the likes of Ellington, Jobim, Cole Porter, Harold Arlen, Charlie Parker and Jimmy Van Heusen, it's pretty hard to come up with a topper!