Listings

A last minute update here in Chicago:

Pianist Aaron Parks was scheduled to play the Morse Theatre this Friday, February 20th.

Due to the economic situation at the theater, they have been canceling shows and axed Aaron's gig at the last minute, leaving him high and dry with plane tickets and a band in Chicago with no gig.

Some quick work has allowed the gig to be rescheduled to occur at Elastic instead. Please come out and support the show, the band is going to be working for a cut of the door instead of a solid guarantee they originally had at the Morse.

Aaron Parks Trio
Elastic
2830 N. Milwaukee, 2nd Fl.
$15 suggested donation

Help spread the word!

In Search of the Lost Riddim: Jamaican Jazz Fusion

A Concert and Conversation
Curated by Herbie Miller

With Cedric Brooks (saxophones), Ernest Ranglin (guitar), Wayne Batchelor (bass), Desmond Jones (drums), Cecil "Sonny" Bradshaw (trumpet and piano), Orville Hammond (piano), Larry McDonald (congas), and Douglas Ewart (reeds and percussion)

This once-in-a-lifetime evening highlights the ongoing relationship between Jamaican and American culture in a performance featuring the leading innovators of Jamaican jazz. The evening begins with a discussion between the musicians and producer and cultural historian Herbie Miller.

Thursday, February 26, 2009
Conversation: 6:00 pm
Concert: 7:30 pm
Harlem Stage at Aaron Davis Hall/The City College of New York
West 135th Street at Convent Avenue, New York City
Tickets: $15
For tickets: www.harlemstage.org, or call the Harlem Stage box office at 212-281-9240, ext. 19/20

Co-Presented by Columbia/Harlem Jazz Project and Harlem Stage

The Third Annual Umbrella Music Festival here in Chicago kicks of tomorrow, presenting a broad program of improvised musicians from Europe and the United States. Speaking only in terms of my own taste and interest, this year's lineup is the strongest to date. I'm looking forward to hearing a lot of musicians I've heard of but never seen live, and a lot of musicians that I admire and can't get enough of.

The festivities kick off tomorrow at the Chicago Cultural Center and run through Sunday.

For a complete schedule, check the Umbrella Music website or download the PDF program book.

Big ups to the Umbrella organizers and all involved for putting this together and bringing this music to Chicago.

I can only hope that the opening night will be celebratory in more ways than one. Vote early and vote often!

For the third straight year, Lisbon, Portugal based label Clean Feed will present a festival of artists that exist in their label's ever growing constellation. Anyone who is familiar with the economics of running a record label, let alone a jazz record label, should applaud and support the efforts of Clean Feed.

A browse through their catalog will reveal thoughtfully picked releases, an eye for the up and coming mingled amongst veteran efforts of established musicians.

Running from September 19th through 24th at the Living Theatre in Manhattan, each night offers a double bill featuring the cream of the Clean Feed crop. Sunday the 21st features a cooperative bill presented with the Festival of New Trumpet Music, which is currently in full swing. As an aside, any festival that has the clarity of historical understanding to give an award to Ishmael Wadada Leo Smith deserves our support and respect.

As you can already see, truly an embarassment of musical riches right now in New York.

Check out the full schedule here and go support the label and musicians involved.

More thoughts and news from the front shortly.

Cryptogramophone, the venerable west coast based label is turning 10 and is celebrating in style. As well they should — 10 years in independent niche jazz label land is equal to at least 40 years in any other business, utilizing math akin to calculating dog years.

First, they've released a 2 CD/1DVD retrospective, Assemblage 1998-2008, with the CDs covering their considerable catalog and the DVD adding some priceless footage of some of their artists. While the CDs do an excellent job of picking some notable points of their catalog, the DVD provides some previously unseen footage of Nels Cline's Andrew Hill project rehearsing and performing, and of Bennie Maupin playing with his Polish band.

The Cline footage includes over an hour of interviews, footage of the recording session, and a live performance of the band. Bennie Maupin is presented live in Poland playing music with his band to an appreciative audience.

To put the icing on the proverbial cake, Cryptogramophone is taking over the Jazz Standard starting Wednesday, April 23rd and continuing through Sunday the 27th. So all New Yorkers should stop by, catch a few sets, eat some cake, and bring some presents, because 10 years in the jazz record business is worth celebrating.

Wednesday April 23:
7:30 PM- The Jeff Gauthier Goatette
Jeff Gauthier - vln, Nels Cline - gtr, David Witham - pno, Joel Hamilton - bs, Alex Cline - drms
9:30 PM- Nels Cline & Alex Cline Duo
Nels Cline - guitars, Alex Cline - drums, percussion

Thursday April 24:
7:30 & 9:30 PM – The Nels Cline Singers
Nels Cline - guitars, Devin Hoff - bass, Scott Amendola - drums, effects

Friday April 25:
7:30 PM – Scott Amendola Band
Jenny Scheinman - vln, Nels Cline - gtr, Scott Amendola - drms, effects, Special Guest - gtr, bs
9:30 PM & 11:30 PM– The Nels Cline Singers
Nels Cline - guitars, Devin Hoff - bass, Scott Amendola - drums, effects

Saturday April 26
7:30 PM– Myra Melford/Ben Goldberg Quartet
Ben Goldberg - clarinets, Myra Melford - pno, Stomu Takeishi - bs, Scott Amendola - drms
9:30 & 11:30 PM – The Bennie Maupin Ensemble
Bennie Maupin - woodwinds, Michal Tokaj - pno, Darek Oles - bs, Munyungo Jackson - perc, Michael Stephans - drms, Hania Rybka - vcl

Sunday April 27
7:30 & 9:30 PM – The Bennie Maupin Ensemble
Bennie Maupin - woodwinds, Michal Tokaj - pno, Darek Oles - bs, Munyungo Jackson - perc, Michael Stephans - drms, Hania Rybka - vcl