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JULY-AUGUST 2011
THE THIN RED LINE:
My good friend Jean Jacques Quesada from
You can’t watch a movie like this or others on the subject: “To Hell and Back” about Audie Murphy which I remember as kid; “Saving Private Ryan” or “Platoon” or for me the greatest movie ever “Apocalypse Now” without reflecting on the subject of war. There is plenty of anti-war literature available so there is no need to go into the obvious which is the wasting of young lives at the behest of guys sitting behind a desk. Surely, there have been so-called “righteous” wars like World War II and other conflicts in history that were matters of defense. But when you think about other reasons for the slaughter like religion, nationalism, and pure greed conjured up by some guys in suits in a remote room somewhere using these pretexts, it amazes me that thousands of young people agree to be in harm’s way. Even more mind boggling to me is the idea that someone would shoot their own countrymen as we are witnessing in
MAY-JUNE 2011
THE POWER OF SYMBOLS:
Sitting in Europe watching on TV the Royal Wedding followed a few days later by Pope John Paul II beatification ceremony in Rome made an impression on me about something that I have always been fascinated with which is the power of symbols to mankind. No matter how cynical one might be about humanity, the fact that large numbers of people (now more than ever because of the media reach) flock to happenings like these is a testament to the overwhelming human need to be positive and lift the spirit, to have sign posts that stand outside of one’s personal life and can be shared by all. Needless to say, the British know how to throw a party, this aptitude being one of their major contributions to culture for centuries, while the Catholic Church doesn’t too badly either in that regard. It’s a cliché but so true that the differences between peoples are dwarfed by what is in common-the need for spiritual meaning, the joy of love and devotion and as we see so clearly in Japan and the tornado ridden southern states of America, how generous people can be towards each other
MARCH-APRIL 2011
NEA FUNDING CUTS:
I would imagine that people who read my newsletter are well aware of what is happening with the proposed funding cut for the NEA, which of course affects the Jazz Master’s Program, but more importantly, public radio and television. So the following is exactly what the cliché “preaching to the chorus” means, but these things need to be reiterated on the off chance that someone who is not aware of the situation can make their voice known in objection.
Considering that I was recently granted a cash award and the honor of Jazz Master by the NEA, one would expect that I would be in a positive frame of mind towards the
But there is more to this discussion than the music. From a philosophical standpoint, what is the role of government vis a vis the populace? These observations are not mine…I can’t tell you where I first saw the following points made. And obviously if we look at what is presently happening in the
An elected government in a democracy has four responsibilities towards maintaining the well being of the people: defense, education, health and culture.
Defense…There’s no doubt that the
Education…Now that my daughter is officially part of the “higher education” system, a privilege for which I pay nearly $50,000 a year, it is clear to me and I’m sure anyone else in the same position that this whole education thing has truly gotten out of hand and appears to have no ceiling, in the financial sense at least. Let’s just look at the economics: fifteen to eighteen hours of class a week and more work to do out of the classroom along with housing and supposedly board, (although a lot of food is on her dime) for a total of thirty weeks. For the sake of argument let’s say that this is truly cost effective, all towards the intended result of a graduate being able to make a living in a satisfying, decent paying job that contributes to the world and all that good stuff. We all know that with the economic situation the way it is in
Health…You would have to be from another planet to not realize what is going in this area. I don’t pretend to know the intricacies of Obama’s health plan but it does appear to me that keeping young adults longer on their parent’s policy while making sure that everyone is somehow covered cannot be bad. Again, my situation….I pay about $20,000 a year before one day of sickness, just in case a catastrophic situation arises. Once again, I can afford it so far and only have three people to worry about, but what about all the uninsured? And some jokers want to repeal these provisions? Once again it is the haves and have-nots scenario looming larger and larger as time goes by with health care being so out of reach for most people.
Culture…Finally what appears to be the most expendable of the “my government to fulfill wish list” raises its head. OK, they don’t want to fund the elites, the snobby effete people who dig jazz, public radio and public TV, etc. So why not mandate that funding must be used in downtown
The response to all these points is always on a financial level: “There’s no money left” and all that. It is hard to believe that with such a big corporation as the
JAN-FEB 2011
RECORDING LIVE AND IN THE STUDIO-TWO SIDES OF THE SAME COIN:
It certainly does appear that I have a record coming out every day in the past few months. The reality is that in a lot of cases the artist doesn’t have control of release dates, especially with older recordings, or the luxury of being exclusive with one label so inevitably releases can pile on top of each other. As well, in light of the economic state of the jazz record business, many artists have to accept live recordings as representative of their work. It’s true that even in the studio situation if the money is tight and time restricted because of that, the recording process is not that much different from live outside of the presence of an audience. I have done many records in six hours or less which essentially is a kind of live recording allowing no time for use of the studio situation to one’s advantage. But for the sake of this discussion let’s omit economics and assume that you have approximately two hours per tune, meaning for a standard CD length around two eight hour studio days. (This doesn’t include mixing and mastering which adds on at least another day.)
There is an inherent contradiction when recording jazz in the studio. The obvious fact that people can hear the music anywhere, anytime in the world forever certainly puts something special on any recording. The paradox is that we are capturing a moment(s) of musical time and magnifying it way beyond that time scale. Ideally, jazz, in fact any improvisational art, is predicated on being in absolute present time with no past or future impeding the flow of spontaneity or the artist’s ability to respond to what is happening in the moment around them. We cognize musical “spontaneity” as an ideal, as something special. However, spontaneous doesn’t mean that completely new and fresh material is necessarily being discovered, though that exists as a goal for most jazz players. The reality is that we are playing what we have discovered before, whether it be through the practicing process, or by accident, or a combination of events. It is the interpretative aspects of the music in the moment which is the first time event identified as spontaneous. Even in the case of the pre-be-boppers who often would play a set solo with exactly the same notes from performance to performance (like the classical artist), matters of interpretation (meaning phrasing, nuance, etc.) were different every time. To use a metaphor, magnifying a snapshot into a poster can be daunting and in the case of jazz, at least theoretically, paradoxical to its very ethos. On the other hand, why shouldn’t one moment be as representative of an individual’s playing as another, assuming the artist is skilled enough to be consistent (a skill gained by experience in the studio).
The obvious benefits of studio recording is what painters, writers and sculptors artistically enjoy as a given….the opportunity to refine, correct and change one’s art towards the artist’s vision. It is in the studio where we can actually realize a piece representing the kind of diligence and care an artist should and can give to his work and to the audience. The other reality is that you cannot hide under the harsh lights of the studio where everything is heard to the smallest detail. The studio is a great leveler of talent…everything is scrutinized. However, in our era with technology so advanced, it is possible to seamlessly alter everything about the music to such a high degree that there is the inherent danger of over correction…. a problem of too many possibilities. In other words, if I have the capability of making something “perfect,” how can I resist using it? The sad truth in our era is that a listener cannot be sure that what they are hearing is what was actually played because there are so many ways to alter the past. Of course this is ultimately an individual artist’s decision but a very important one, especially for an art form that prizes spontaneity. Let me remain positive and just say that editing in our time affords the artist a chance to make a truly grand presentation, to present a concept, to mull over details… all of which hopefully contribute to a higher level of enjoyment from the listener as well as encouraging the artist to evolve further.
Though it is less likely that a performer uses extensive editing on a live recording compared to the studio, you can never be sure. Putting that reality aside, recording live is as close as you can get to hearing the essence of jazz….spontaneous-in the moment playing which for my aesthetic is the absolute highest musical goal. What I am looking for when I hear myself is a solo that is technically beyond reproach; ideas that are musically sound and coherent; interaction with the other musicians at the highest level; and an emotional depth that the listener can feel. That is a tall order which is realistically beyond most of us, but represents the highest goal of jazz improvisation for me. Recording live can be a nerve wracking experience because you cannot go back and change or fix things without affecting the very premise of what a live recording is supposed to be.
In summary the challenges of both kinds of recording are many and for the jazz artist it is mandatory to live in both worlds. As I said earlier, because of the current state of affairs in jazz recording, much of what is being released are live recrodings, a reality we as musicians have to live with. But we must persevere in attempting to find ways of recording under the white lights of the studio, using the tools afforded us in that environment to elevate our art.
One thing is sure…for myself and my peers it was the live recordings of Miles, Coltrane, Bill Evans, etc., that were passed around, many of which recorded in the ‘60s, as tenth generation reel to reel copies, evolving into cassettes and finally CDs that had the most effect on our musical development. The Coltrane “One Up, One Down” track live from the Half Note in NYC was a treasure as were various live Miles Davis concerts. “Live at the Plugged Nickel” was like gold (first released in
So what does this come down to? As an artist we have to deal with what is given us in our time. But for the serious listener the only way to really know how someone plays is to hear them live a few nights in succession without the benefits of hindsight (editing. Then you can truly judge themusic. Studio recordings are another, parallel reality to be taken in account on its own merits
NOV-DEC 2010
A STEADY BAND-WHY SO IMPORTANT?:
This fall has seen my regular working quartet hitting pretty hard in the
I formed the Dave Liebman Group after Quest (Richie Beirach, Ron McClure, Billy Hart) which took up most of the 1980s. The original formulation was alongside Tony and Vic, Jamey Haddad on drums/percussion and Phil Markowitz on piano/ keyboards. My initial concept was to play more programmatic, written music than previously with Quest. I also wanted to delve more into odd meters and rhythm in general, in light of the emphasis during the Quest period where the material focused so much on the harmonic language that Richie and I developed over the decades. In 1997, the piano departed and a few years later Haddad left for Paul Simon’s gig, so Marko came aboard. With the absence of the keyboard, Vic Juris had to seriously step up to the plate, which he has more than accomplished. In fact I have never heard a musician grow more than Vic did in these decades. He is serious, hard working and full of talent. And as a human being, Vic is the nicest person to be around as well.
With the departure of Markowitz I directed the music towards a freer harmonic and more open rhythmic concept. Repertoire-wise this meant a lot of time/no changes formats, rubato and occasional odd meter. But the primary emphasis was definitely towards the conversation taking place between the guitar and myself, rather than purely soloistic. Now in 2010, we have been moving into a more color oriented stage, meaning increased use of sound and ambiance. Tony is now playing exclusively electric bass; I am only playing soprano (harkening back to the long hiatus I took from the tenor between 1980 and 1995) and Vic is all over the place sonically speaking. The three of us are using a variety of pedals and effects with Marko employing hand percussion instruments along with the drums. One could say that an emphasis on atmosphere is where we are at present.
Considering the material itself over the years, I think it is quite clear to anyone who has followed my development (and I would venture to say the following is more or less true of most artists), that what you play near the beginning of your career forms the foundation for everything after that. Of course it is juggled around and transformed, but the basic sound that one hears at the commencement of creative work seems to more or less form the basis of an artist’s entire oeuvre. Although from my generation onwards (growing up musically in the ‘60s and career-wise in the ‘70s), the jazz repertoire became much more eclectic than previously using a wider variety of idioms and styles rather than the customary blues, rhythm and standard tunes, the fact remains that you are what you are musically. One could say that even in the case of Miles Davis who on the surface traversed many styles over forty years, common stylistic aspects remained throughout his life. There is a certain “essence” that usually appears in its raw form at the beginning, probably without much cognizance or sophistication, but very real nonetheless. The challenge for a long artistic life is how to refine that essence and transform it over the years so it remains fresh and vital. In more than a few ways the music I have played with the present Dave Liebman Group over the past twenty years is quite similar to the material on my first recording as a leader on ECM titled “Lookout Farm” (1973).
The most obvious reason for maintaining the same personnel is that time spent together both on and off the bandstand builds trust and confidence. Musically this means that whatever one plays, you know it is real and not a false or selfish gesture. You accept what your mates play as the best they can do at the time and move on from there. In other less permanent situations, a moment of doubt may surface as to why someone played something. Did it happen because of musical reasons or personal ego or other extraneous factors? Granted that great musicians can come together on a one night or short term basis and create some interesting music. But when a band has a history it’s apparent, certainly to the listener without them necessarily being consciously aware of it. They feel something beyond the ordinary happening. There is one more important reason for keeping steady personnel. In retrospect it was through observing Miles Davis as a leader that I learned the following.
The main task when leading a band is to recognize in your sidemen what they do best. One must of course first realize what you personally do best musically. I would imagine by the time one is a bandleader they would know that about themselves. You can’t expect others to latch on to something if you don’t have it well formed at least in your own head, if not on paper. This “knowing oneself” is a purely objective exercise …there is no “would’ve,” “could’ve” or “should’ve” …no conditional tense please!! Just objective observation. Then, because jazz is the most democratic of all music, you have to find partners who can and want to enhance what you hear.
With Miles, it seemed that he could hear what he wanted out of you even if the so-called “audition” was musically totally unrelated to what his music was at the time. He heard Dave Holland with a singer playing standards; he heard Al Foster playing bebop with Walter Bishop at a club called the Cellar on 96th Street in New York; he heard me playing with Steve Grossman in a double quartet free jazz gig at the Scene on 46th Street in Manhattan. What all of us ended up playing with Miles had nothing to do with any of these musical settings. If you think about a lot of Miles’ sidemen, the way they played during their tenure with Miles was never heard again in their future music.
Once you find these right partners, the leader has to create the circumstances for this combination to blossom and realize the sound in his head. This means several things: keeping the music challenging and exciting in order to pique the interest of your sidemen; finding opportunities to play in order to satisfy the necessity of making a living; and creating a workable social environment since there is hopefully a lot of time spent together touring and recording…if the group is successful which is the obvious objective. When everything is synching up, the music has a chance to go beyond the mundane. This takes a lot of work, good timing and a bit of luck…all factors that go into any successful business undertaking.
Like any long term relationship (marriage being a good metaphor), there are emotional and relational ups and downs which naturally occur. There is also the “boredom” factor, meaning knowing too well how someone reacts to a given musical situation, which can potentially take away from what true improvisers look for on a daily basis, playing something new and fresh, not by rote. True jazz musicians are very sensitive to mechanical playing. We are supposed to be in the moment without a past or future, in the now. Too much predictability can bring the level of the musical discourse down. We try to achieve a balance between the expected and the surprise gesture. Accepting the inevitability of at least some repetitious playing when you are with the same musicians for awhile is important. Ultimately with the right people, the group moves beyond, concentrating rather on the positive which is something played that is fresh music. With patience, time will take care of these matters. When that happens there is a feeling of accomplishment, of having passed through something together which strengthens the band and the music. It goes without saying that finding the right people to fit into this scenario is no mean feat!!
For me, it was the power of their steady groups that artists like Coltrane, Miles, Monk, Blakey and others from that era had going which most affected me most as a listener. I urge musicians to do their best to sustain long term relationships. The rewards are worth it. To my guys, I say thanks for the loyalty and trust you have given me. Two very accurate reviews about our
SEPT-OCT 2010
TRANE AND PREZ:
As I mentioned in the last Intervals, Lee Konitz was talking to me about Lester Young, giving me one of his solos to play through. This seems like an appropriate time to discuss Prez and Trane. Coincidentally I just came into possession of one of the only interviews of Prez a few months before he passed. As well I recently read the biography of Stan Getz, which by the way is riveting. The
Jazz history has made it dogma that the two main approaches to the saxophone in early jazz and by extension, not withstanding the colossal influence of Armstrong, to the early years of improvisation in general (up to Bird at least) are represented by the Lester Young and Coleman Hawkins approaches. Hawk with his big sound, fast arpeggio and quite often on top of the beat, as compared to Prez, behind the time, across the bar pure melodicist who by the way seems to have sort of invented jazz ling. I think that after Bird, it really didn’t matter much except historically, but if you were coming up in the ‘50s like Trane and Sonny you still had to deal with Prez and Hawk since they were still quite active and you couldn’t help but hear them live on at least a few occasions if you were into the music at all. When you think of Trane with his technique and runs up and down the horn, you initially think Hawk stylistically speaking. On the other hand that light sound which Prez had, a kind of altoish approach to the tenor (Frankie Trumbauer C melody sax influence?), does seem to have influenced Trane, who started on alto. It’s really the pre-Miles Trane that you hear when he was with Dizzy’s and Johnny Hodges’ bands in the early ‘50s where you can hear besides the obvious Dexter influence, something akin to Prez in approach. Of course Trane did publicly acknowledge that Prez was an influence along with Stitt and of course Bird.
Interesting from the Getz book about Trane and Stan’s relationship: I have referred to this in an earlier Intervals concerning the scenario when I was just starting in the early ‘60s, vis a vis the supposed “competition” between Stan and John, who both had more or less contemporaneous hits with in Stan’s case “Desafinado” and “Ipanema” while Trane had “Favorite Things.” I was just starting to read Downbeat and the vibe was who is the REAL jazz guy, with as I remember it some undertones of race. But when you see the You Tube clip with Trane and Stan in
JULY-AUGUST 2010
THE END OF FAST TEMPOS?:
From Ronan Guilfoyle’s blog, he laments that the younger generation has seemed to give up on playing fast tempos. Very interesting as Ronan’s insights always are:
“I think it’s a shame to see this tradition die out in jazz for several reasons, the main one being that a whole part of the tempo range is being ignored and forgotten. For my money I get very tired of the narrow tempo range within which musicians often operate these days - tune after tune at nearly the same tempo or pretty close. And I think it’s a mistake to think that just changing the atmosphere or feel of pieces are by themselves a guarantor of variety in the listener’s ear. Of course musicians are often guilty of thinking that regular audience members hear the kind of detail they, (the musicians) do - believing that the audience will be wowed by a 7/4 meter, or a reharmonization of a standard chord progression. Audiences rarely recognise these kinds of subtleties, but one thing they do notice are tempos – slow-fast-medium – these are things that are real to non-musicians, in the same way that loud and quiet are, and musicians need to be aware of what creates the most impact on an audience when setting out to create the architecture of a piece of music or of a set.
Another reason to play fast tempos is because it feels different! There’s a feeling you get when playing a really fast piece – a sense of onrushing excitement, like driving a fast car – that you can’t get from any other tempo. It’s very demanding, (perhaps another reason many people shy away from it), and to negotiate a piece at a very fast tempo you need to be almost thinking in slow motion while physically playing very fast – you need to perceive the space between the beats despite the fact that they are flying past. You need to be very physically and mentally relaxed to play fast and you need to combine that with stamina. (Lack of stamina may be another reason for the lack of prevalence of fast tempos too – in earlier times with the plethora of gigs that musicians played it was easier to build up your physical stamina than it is in the current scene with its shorter tours and more sporadic gigs). Playing fast is often derided as being shallow and mere display – and of course it can be. But it can also be very creative and at its best can create a sense of exhilaration that you can’t get playing at any other tempo.
As an experiment, take any 10 albums you’ve bought that have been recorded in the past 10 years, and see how many genuinely fast tunes there are on it – allowing 280 BPM as being the very lower limit of what can be considered ‘fast’. If you manage to find more than 5 pieces on those ten albums then you’re definitely listening to different music than I am – and if you do find those pieces, please let me know.
http://ronanguil.blogspot.com/2010/06/death-of-fast-tempo.html
MY COMMENT:
Yeah-fast--sure it takes virtuosity and all that but I must say most cats (including myself) do not play their highest quality ideas at a fast tempo-only a few in history have been great at it-Clifford, Sonny, Wayne, Herbie, Chick (in the old days) and others mostly from the real jazz generations of the ’40 through ‘60s. My concern is SLOW--where every note counts and for once you finally hear the passion (or lack of it) from the individual, every nuance, every gesture-no volume and no virtuosity to cover your ass. Naked lunch brothers!! Oh....and maybe a melody that is unquestionably lyrical...just once or twice would be nice. (Now I sound like Lee Konitz!!)
MAY-JUNE 2010
IT’S THE MELODY STUPID!!:
Thank God that you are never too old to learn something new-well maybe not new but at least in a fresh light. In the beginning of May I am recording with my long time associate and present Quest partner, pianist Richie Beirach and Lee Konitz. First of all, this is a dream come true since Lee is one of my all time heroes. His long interview/book with Andy Hamilton is fantastic and lead me to propose a recording. He is an artist beyond reproach, absolutely concentrated on what he believes in without compromise. If the record “Motion” with Elvin Jones weas his only contribution (recorded in the early ‘60s-decades ago) he would be a giant, let alone his work with Tristano and Warne Marsh earlier. In my opinion, Lee has existed below the radar as compared to others of his generation.
In his book and teaching, it is melody which gets the main attention. Through lessons with Tristano and his own personal aesthetic, Lee is adamant about placing melody at the top of the pyramid for jazz improvisation. With that in mind Richie and I decided to co-write a tune together in dedication to Lee for the recording. (Incredibly though we have been altering each other’s work for years, we never have truly collaborated from the start on a tune.) Trying to be faithful to Lee’s aesthetic I wrote completely from the soprano saxophone, purposely focusing on a truly “melodic” statement to give Richie for his harmonization. As has been said for centuries, writing a good melody is the hardest of all compositional challenges. How to decide between one note or another, its placement and duration in the rhythmic scheme, the form of the statement, etc., are the kinds of questions which are impossible to consider while in the heat of improvisational battle, but when slowed down become quite a challenge to consider. Over the course of a few weeks I found myself constantly editing and re-writing to get it acceptable and ready to hand to Richie. What a job!! Try just writing a melody-no bass line-no harmony-just pure melody-not so easy.
MARCH-APRIL 2010
WUNDERKINDS ABOUND WITH NO PLACE TO GO?:
Some of my readers may have already seen the You Tube clip with me and a 13 year old Israeli pianist, Gadi Lehav playing “Autumn Leaves” in a club on my recent trip to Tel Aviv. Sure enough, I received a clip of another pre-teen genius from somewhere in
To hear Ben: http://www.planetbret.com/friday.mp3
To see Gadi and Lieb: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zvA4ztA7nzs
((You may have to paste in browser)
Without any scientific proof, one thing is for sure. With You Tube and instant access to recordings, teaching aids and history, every generation from now on will have all the tools at hand. Quick access to information at a young age makes for a potent situation, which for example in the case of the Columbine massacre when those kids learned how to gather a small arsenal through the internet was not too good. On the positive side, if the desire is there and a kid wants to see for example Coltrane, hear a recording, study a transcription, read an analysis of his music, etc., with a click it’s done. Then there is my generation which became the first great “explainers” of how to play jazz down to the molecular level (not withstanding early jazz education pioneers like Jerry Coker, David Baker and Jamey Aebersold to name a few). Certainly it is heartening as my neighbor Phil Woods famously said to me about jazz education: “It’s better for a kid to have a horn in his hand than a weapon.” (After all, this IS gun happy
First of all, as a result of the internet let’s acknowledge the basic reality concerning the demise of the traditional business model that guys like me grew up on meaning record deals, promotion, touring, etc. In other words the detrimental effect the web has had on the entertainment/media business in general which translates to the virtual end of books, movies, TV, newspapers, even pornography (because it is free on the web) and who knows what else. When you begin this discussion the usual platitudes are heard stating that change has happened before like for example the industrial revolution (on a grand scale) or TV when it first appeared, blah, blah, blah; all meant to imply that somehow things work out because it always has. In the music biz, the optimistic outlook is that the internet means more access for people to obtain your art without the middlemen (record companies, PR people, etc.) in the way so you can make a perfect CD in one’s basement, put it up on Facebook or Twitter or whatever and voila, you are known and get gigs where you sell your product. Everything is beautiful. This scenario doesn’t take one major thing into consideration which is that how and why will Mr. and Mrs. So and So come to your site for your art if they have no idea of who you are. We are back to the perpetual bottom line in a free commerce society which is promotion, meaning in this case let’s say a banner across the Google site or something like that. Now we are talking about major bucks. But of course we do not know the future and maybe everything will work out.....
What I am more interested in relation to the wunderkind phenom is much more basic. What will these kids play in ten or twenty years? This eternal question that has been on the minds of interested thinkers over centuries is usually answered by stating that music evolves over time and has done so for hundreds of years, implying that the variations are endless and things do change. But on the other hand as far as jazz goes, this is not like finding a cure for cancer or disease which in general is open ended, or going to the moon, then to Pluto and so on. Are there just so many ways to skin a cat when it comes to improvising in a particular style. Has Indian classical music changed over its 5000 year history?? Should we think or accept that jazz is finite? What more can be done besides the obvious and eternal aspect of stylization meaning that someone like Gadi or Ben will probably find their own sound and identifiable way of playing the existing language on their respective instruments-not a small feat but it begs the question of the future of the music..
No answers—just questions!!
JAN-FEB 2010
THE JAZZ AUDIENCE:
In a past newsletter I spoke a little about this subject, but here is a more complete discussion on the topic:
In the past year I have done extensive traveling outside of my usual European (and on occasion American) circuit, most notably to South Africa and Korea and have some definite impressions about the audiences attending jazz concerts these days.
From what I and others of my generation are observing it appears that the audience we see is definitely “graying” as the average age is rising. As hard proof, a recent survey conducted in the
The apparent analysis appears to be that where jazz is relatively new, it personifies hipness and sophistication meaning young people are drawn to it not necessarily because they know who “Trane” or “Monk” is or have jazz recordings, but because it is the thing to do. There is nothing new about this. A similar phenomenon was evident in the ‘40s and ‘50s in
From an artistic/aesthetic standpoint what effect do these different audiences have on the presentation of the music? Is it a good thing that at least somewhere young people are coming and should this segment of the population be specifically addressed marketing-wise as is happening for so many other kinds of commerce more and more through the internet? As we all can see, the world if anything has become one large market place, economic downturn not withstanding. There are still a lot of folks with leisure time and discretionary money in the West and more people in that situation at least in some of the developing world as we observe in
Here is where the discussion gets complicated. We are back to the perennial discussion of who are we playing for and the raison d’etre of why we play this music. The stock answer is to communicate. But the truth is that for decades although so-called “contemporary” or “modern” jazz has changed styles several times, one theme in common is the sense that the music has gone beyond the audience’s ability to comprehend it. From an historical standpoint this began in earnest in the 60’s with the first wave of so-called “free jazz” though its antecedents go back ten or more years earlier. I recall lengthy discussions with Chick Corea while on tour with him in the late ‘70s concerning his contention that the value of art should be measured by its ability to communicate. My problem was and is communicate what to whom? After all, a strip tease communicates something of enjoyment and value, at least for a select audience in the right environment!
I have no conclusive answers for this dilemma which as an educator/performing artist I am obligated to share with students and colleagues. And although there are at present and have been countless attempts at educating young people in the K-12 grade levels these years, it doesn’t seem to have had much of an effect as far as the popularity of jazz is concerned. For young artists this subject of who comprises the audience is crucial to their future both artistically and economically. This is a conflict that has been going on for centuries and those of us who have dedicated our lives to becoming proficient communicators of a specific language vis a vis an established art form are on the front line. The crux of the matter is how far does an artist go towards striking a balance between personal honesty and a principled aesthetic code, while at the same time satisfying and building an audience which after all pays for one’s services?
I always put forth the following quandary to my graduating students: Will playing for 20 people in a basement be personally satisfying in the sense of personal satisfaction or does it have to be a small hall seating a few hundred people? Or 5000in the audience and so on? Speculative as this may be, the question remains that each individual artist has to find a personal comfort level that will keep them inspired to go on. Once you make this decision (which we all do either purposely or inadvertently over time), you have in fact to a large degree determined quite a bit about the music you will present. You can’t expect 5000 people to be equally receptive and open towards the same musical intricacy and detail that a small, select, esoteric-minded audience would. To my mind casting aside idealistic goals for a moment, this is just a matter of numbers and common sense. That’s why the programs for these festivals mentioned above usually includes an eclectic mix with some music that MAY be construed as jazz, but for sure you will hear a preponderance of singer-type and commercial jazz acts. (This doesn’t discount that off the main stage you might hear some adventurous local groups.)
This graying/ younger audience discussion does have an effect on how the leader might choose the repertoire in these two different situations. The younger audiences will probably not know who the artists are except for a few experts who are most likely musicians themselves. With the “grayer” public you can be pretty confident they know who is performing and are in a sense paying a return visit to see an old acquaintance(s). Therefore, in the former situation there is an element of having to “win” the audience over that becomes part of the challenge for the performer. Without conceding the artistic imperative one has to consider how to accommodate this kind of public, whereas the “grayer” folks will probably accept more or less anything one plays since they are already fans. For myself, I find this is very true in
As I said, there are no final answers to these questions but the discussion should be on the table and noted. As educators, our main responsibility is to be honest and clear about what the options are. The problem of communicating art is a perennial question no matter what period of history under discussion. Every individual artist has to find a way to deal with this in relation to their context in present time, not based on past assumptions.
SEPT-OCT 2009
THE STATE OF
A recent NEA survey (http://www.jazz.com/jazz-blog/2009/7/7/ugly-news-on-the-jazz-audience) has caused a lot of discussion in the press with articles in the NY Times, Wall Street Journal, etc. The main point is something I have discussed here before –the “graying” of the audience. Like the classical scene we play for a few people and they are not getting younger. As you would expect, the retort was that there’s a lot going on in Brooklyn, etc., (off the beaten path so to say) and that the Web (twitter, facebook, etc) will eventually come to the rescue replacing the old model of record company/artist promotion and so on-you get the point. Yes, there is activity on the web with the young cats doing their thing and of course jazz education at $40-50,000 a year tuition (at least in the States) seems to keep going somehow. The young musicians of course use all sorts of contemporary devices and sounds to get their point across musically which is de rigor for any younger generation. But as Justin DiCiocchio, who heads the department at the Manhattan School of Music pointed out after he attended a series of classical concerts at Tanglewood (famous summer series), the musicians (composers in this case)are basically playing for a public made up of peers/other musicians, something I can definitely relate to in jazz. I am not talking about student type clubs or summer festivals which are obviously slanted to a particular audience. As well, much of the music has moved past the audience’s ability to comprehend it, not just as a blip on the screen like with late Trane and the avant garde of the ‘60s (which arguably lead us to the land of fusion and its offshoots as a way to get the folks back in the seats-world music taking that role now it appears.) We have to remember that the advent of be-bop was also met with derision for its “difficulties” in winning the audience which was at the time used to the big band and Dixieland era. In the case of bebop there were social reasons why it eventually prevailed (beatniks, counter culture eventually leading to the 60s, etc.), something that is not happening now in any shape or form. If anything recent history demonstrates complacency at its zenith.
Yes, we have a problem, compounded by the turning out of thousands of over qualified students year in and year out, though my contention is that they are receiving the best overall MUSICAL education they could in this day and age when they study jazz. (Read the article below by Ronan Guilfoyle on jazz education concerning this and other relevant points.) I have no solution or answers. History has a way of changing things faster than humans can keep up with. Examples abound in art-Mozart’s music got a little out of fashion and so on. Of course, I as a performer am grateful when the audience attends and enjoys the music for which I and the band get paid. But to be honest, I really am not thinking about their reaction. I am more involved with how good I can be on the saxophone amidst the musical discussion taking place in the moment with my musical compatriots. Was I or this music supposed to ever really reach a lot of people? Sure, I need to make a living but maybe the only way is to keep the music separate from that ever present reality----I don’t know? I am lucky so far and feel blessed, but for the future it just may be true that we have seen the light and it is dimming. As noted, history has its own inevitable flow and things change to say the least. Interesting to see in ten years what will happen.
MARCH-APRIL 2009
PANEL DISCUSSION: JEWS, BLACKS AND JAZZ:
Along with Don Byron, author Jeff Melnick,
On the Importance of Jazz
Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., Opening Address to the 1964
“God has wrought many things out of oppression. He has endowed his creatures with the capacity to create—and from this capacity has flowed the sweet songs of sorrow and joy that have allowed man to cope with his environment and many different situations. Jazz speaks for life. The Blues tell the story of life's difficulties, and if you think for a moment, you will realize that they take the hardest realities of life and put them into music, only to come out with some new hope or sense of triumph. This is triumphant music. Modern jazz has continued in this tradition, singing the songs of a more complicated urban existence. When life itself offers no order and meaning, the musician creates an order and meaning from the sounds of the earth which flow through his instrument.
It is no wonder that so much of the search for identity among American Negroes was championed by Jazz musicians. Long before the modern essayists and scholars wrote of racial identity as a problem for a multiracial world, musicians were returning to their roots to affirm that which was stirring within their souls.Much of the power of our Freedom Movement in the United States has come from this music. It has strengthened us with its sweet rhythms when courage began to fail. It has calmed us with its rich harmonies when spirits were down.
And now, Jazz is exported to the world. For in the particular struggle of the Negro in
JAN-FEB 2009
THE ART OF FILM SCORING:
Next to cartoons which demands new music (usually very fast tempos) every ten seconds or so, writing film scores is truly a high art. I recently watched a movie from the 50’s called “I’ll Cry Tomorrow” which incidentally is the story of a singer who I had no knowledge of, Lillian Roth, her rise and fall from alcoholism, etc. But it was the score by one of the best known film writers Alex North that was incredible. Musicians like North, Bernard Herrmann, Elmer Bernstein, etc., were obviously well educated in both 20th century music and jazz, clearly evidenced in their harmonic choices. Of course the use of real orchestras makes a difference and as we all know that is a thing of the past for the most part. In the North score I heard a flute choir, acoustic guitar and flute duo, French horns with muted trombone and so on--rich, varied and truly high crafted orchestrations. It was real art-to match the visual with the aural and enhance the story line; what a great challenge that does still exist to some degree thankfully in our time with Zimmer, Morricone, Isham and others.
In a similar vein talking to one of my students about the “old days” of recording just ten years ago before the computer where although we did cut and splice tape, musicians had to self correct mistakes of timing, intonation and assorted other tasks mostly on their own. I have to think that without the reliance on machines, one’s musicianship was well tested, consequently leading to general and continual self improvement. Of course the young musicians these days are better trained and maybe they wouldn’t have to correct as much, but there is something scary about the need to develop and improve musical skills when with the click of a button, matters of intonation, placement of beat and more can be corrected and made PERFECT. So…the way of the world….
LESSONS FROM HUB TONES
I received two lessons inadvertently from Hub for which he would be surprised. On a recording session under Jimmy Cobb's leadership in the early 80's, I arranged one of my tunes for three horns: Freddie on flugel, Pee Wee Ellis on tenor and myself on soprano wiht a great rhtyhm section icluding Larry Willis and Walter Booker. Of course I was quite nervous about the tune, the arrangement, Freddie Hubbard, my shadow, etc-you get the point!! We did a take and of course there is that silence which occurs after the ringing of the cymbals subsides-who will talk first? The arranger, the leader or the "heavy" (Hub) in the room because turthfully everyone was in awe of Hub in and out of the band that day. Finally, in what seemed a lifetimge Hub says let's listen and of course I get the middle seat in the booth since it is my tune. Now, not that the tune was very hard, but there were some tricky things you had to stay alert about in the bridge (tune is "Picadilly Lilly"). Hub fluffed a note or two and of course though I was aware of it during the take, I was not about to say anything. To my mind at that point in my development as a jazz musician, guys like Freddie Hubbard ALWAYS got it perfect. After a few seconds, Hub yells from the back: "Liebman-that wasn't right-was it?" I answer the obvious and he says something like "I guess we have to do it again." Of course, by the third take he owned the tune!! Though it was never released, I learned an important and what might appear simplistic truth thanks to Hubtones which is that the best are that way BECAUSE they want to get it right. To what extent it is a matter of ego and/or artistic determination, the point is don't let anything go by that can be improved, no matter who you are.
About ten years later in the early 90's, Hub was a guest with the local college band where I live in
Thanks for the lessons Hubtones!
JULY-AUGUST 2009
RHYTHM IS THE THING:
I went to a recital of vocalists which my daughter
THE GREYING AUDIENCE: There is a disturbing trend in jazz audiences that appears to me to be increasing, which is the average age of the audience. This is true both in Europe and the States and of course does not take into account playing at colleges, etc., where the younger demographic is a given. It is mainly at festivals that I increasing see an older audience. When you look at the films of concerts in the 60’s for example, at least European, you definitely see younger people. As in most things, education is the key.
ANNIVERSARY OF COLTRANE PASSING-JULY 17 1967:
It was forty years ago that I landed in Stockholm, Sweden and calling pianist Lars Werner whose number was given to me by bassist Cameron Brown. After the usual salutations Lars asked: ”Do you know that John Coltrane died today?” I immediately broke into tears while Lars urged me to quickly take the train to his home..
I was at the right place at the right time in the 1960s being able to see Trane many times in
Anyone who knows me, either personally or through the music over these decades realized how important Coltrane was to my life, way beyond the music itself. When I think of the most important influences that have molded me outside of direct family, it is Trane, number one. Through his music, I saw the power of sound and human creation, that there is something else besides what we materially see or hear in front of us. What underscores these thoughts is that over the four decades, the power of Trane’s music has just grown more and more, obviously in some ways as a result of the constant releases of “new” material, but more than that. Eventually, by hook or crook as I became a better musician over these years, my appreciation of the skills and depth of what Coltrane gave the world keeps increasing. This reality has strengthened my convictions about the power of art to raise the human condition. As well, when you have such a model in one’s mind and ear on a daily level, it puts everything else clearly in proportion, in the real world as well as musically. I am a lucky guy!!
THANK YOU JOHN AND CONTINUE TO REST IN PEACE.
JULY-AUGUST 2007
CELEBRATING FORTY YEARS IN EUROPE:
Little did I know that after finishing my junior year in college in 1967 when my parents gave me $1000 cash and a book called “Europe on Five Dollars A Day” that I would be going there countless times since. It was truly an adventure with tenor in hand, landing in
As anyone familiar with my schedule is aware of, I go to
WYNTON MARSALIS ON THE CASE: I have never had any direct contact with Marsalis but of course like anyone in the business have observed him for decades, being at times exasperated with some of his remarks, but admittedly also agreeing more than not with some of his points. Not withstanding some negative side affects that have resulted from Wynton’s utterances, I still have a lot of respect for HIS respect of jazz and the fact that he tirelessly serves as a great role model for young people everywhere, African Americans particularly with his educational activities. I came across an article that appeared in US Today earlier this year titled “Hot Corporations Know How to Swing.” In a question and answer format Wynton makes some great points about jazz, how a group resembles a finely tuned business and more. Some excerpts:
“When you listen to great jazz musicians, you hear the respect they have for each other’s abilities. During a performance most of the musician’s time is spent listening to others and making adjustment, improvising based on what someone else does.”
“…jazz music always stood as a fortress of integrity. The musician’s skills were so hard earned that they did not easily sell out. Once the musicians decided to be less—for notoriety, publicity or money—our art began to face challenges:dearth of leadership reducing human labor to a line item on a budget and so on.”
“In jazz, hierarchy is determined by your ability to play, not your position in the band. It is rooted in the elevation and enrichment of people. The reason that jazz is the most flexible art form on the planet is because it believes in the good taste of individuals…in the human power to create wonderful things….”
“Swing is …a world view.. a belief in the power of a collective ability to absorb mediocre and poor decisions. When a group of people working together trust that all are concerned for the common good, then they continue to be in sync no matter what happens. That is swing—it’s the feeling that our way is more important than my way.”
1965-THE YEAR OF THE SAXOPHONE AND END OF COMMON LANGUAGE:
I recently came into possession of live recordings from London’s Ronnie Scott’s club (the same one mentioned above) with Sonny Rollins playing with a local rhythm section in 1965. (I think they are commercially available). This is some of the greatest saxophone playing I have ever heard, on standards, creative beyond belief with a command of the horn and rhythm that is over the top. It lead me to thinking that during the year 1965 (or around that year), so many great live recordings of important saxophonists and bands have come to the fore and exerted an incredible contemporary influence. There is of course Trane at the Half Note, the Miles Davis Plugged Nickel recordings, some of Wayne Shorter's very influential Blue Note recordings, Ornette Coleman at the Golden Circle and Miles’ “Four and More” which really put the rhythm section of Hancock, Carter and Williams on the map. I think a case could be made that the era of jazz having a common language (harmony, time signatures, repertoire, etc) was fast approaching its zenith with so many musicians having spent years playing steadily on a night to night basis. Shortly after the direction of the music would change irrevocably.
APRIL 2007
INSHALLAH-MY TRIP TO
When I was young, there was a common belief that travel broadened one’s horizons and to be a well rounded and cultured adult, you must range far and wide-something to that extent. In fact my parents gave me $1000 and a book called ”Europe On Five Dollars A Day” with a round trip ticket in and out of London when I was 20 years old to foster that conviction. (By the way I dutifully went through Europe with some playing in between visiting museums and staying at youth hostels, but more of that in a future newsletter celebrating forty years of travel.) I stand firmly behind that advice and in fact will go a bit further and state that not only should one travel but that every so often, it is important to experience a “third world country” meaning one off the beaten path. The reason is simple: one cannot appreciate how things are in other, less fortunate parts of the world by television and other media. One must feel a place to come back with a vivid impression and something of value, all towards putting perspective into what is going on in the world and what great fortune and luck we have being born into privilege as we know it.
A few years ago I went to
I was living in the Bay Area in 1976-77 and one day went to a so-called psychic center where you would be told about your past, present and future-sort of an upgraded palm or tarot card reading. One thing stood out when I asked if they see anything with music in my past lives. They saw me in a circle of people, dancing, wearing white robes, surrounded by blazing sun and heat in a desert setting. I have always felt that somewhere in my DNA and past lives, there was a time in the desert playing a straight “horn” of some sort. Going to the desert has naturally been on my mind for decades.
In the late 90s I began thinking about it with my very good friend from France, Jean Jacques Quesada and finally decided to do it sometime as a gift to myself for my 60th year. There was of course
This trip was definitely one of the great experiences of my life, right up there with going to
Observations: Black people in charge with no paranoia for a change; everyone dressed the same with no obvious distinction of classes (except government of course); family culture front and center ties the people together even in poverty conditions; bottom line is that this is a completely different world which was a privilege to experience; in the desert there are no rules, only what works for survival; the way people improvise to live shows that anything is possible; the desert is THE most elemental of habitats-clothing isn’t even necessary; the obvious truth is that life is a lot of luck, meaning where and when you arrive on the planet. Check out Dimi on video:
http://www.tv5.org/TV5Site/musique/mondomix.php?id_artiste=573
http://dimi_mint_abba.mondomix.com/fr/video1717.htm
http://dimi_mint_abba.mondomix.com/fr/video1875.htm
FRANCE-THE
There are certain aspects of French culture that are absolutely happening. (I don’t have to enumerate other less favorable traits!!) One is the fact that every day and anywhere you go, the first thing you do is shake hands with everyone, or a two/three cheek kiss. Though this might seem a bit formal, it does help to clear the air at the beginning of an encounter as well as establishing a level playing field for all those present, no matter what their relationship might be or become. As I mentioned above, even in Mauritania, a former French colony, before asking for your passport, the gendarme shake hands and say “bonjour.” In general, the French are among the most polite people I have encountered with constant “pardon moi” (excuse me) even when it is hardly necessary. Leaving restaurants is always accompanied by a good night and thank you. These are some redeeming qualities from the old world which do make a difference.
TABLE OF CONTENTS OF INTERVALS-to read go to tab tiltled INTERVALS (present -2007) -all past itineraries at the end of each newsletter
JULY-AUGUST 2011: THIN RED LINE(MOVIE)/GUINGA AND IASJ MEETING IN SAO PAULO/DUO WITH VIC JURIS/LINEAGE (GROUP)/JAZZ AND POETRY WITH STEVE DALCHINSKY/BRAIN AND JAZZ/AMORTALS/ROY HAYNES AT 85/LEE KONITZ RECUPERATING
MAY-JUNE 2011: POWEROF SYMBOLS/AFRICA BRASS GIG/RECOMMENDED: LAST WORDS (GEORGE CARLIN AUTO BIO)/WEATHER REPORT/11 YEAR OLD PLAYING BEIRD/MEL LEWIS HISTORY OF DRUMS/TSUNALI IN JAPAN PHOTOS
MAR-APRIL 2011: NEA FUNDING CUTS/MASTERS OF JAZZ CEREMONY
JAN-FEB 2011: RECORDING LIVE AND IN THE STUDIO-TWO SIDES OF THE SAME COIN/LIEB PLAYS TRANNE BLUES/PASSINGS: BILLY TAYLOR, JAMES MOODY/RECOMMENDED:TRANE LIVE IN EUROPE
NOV-DEC 2010: A STEADY BAND, WHY SO IMPORTNAT/RECOMMENDED: PEACE ON EARTH FROM 20TH ANNIVERSARY MEETING OF IASJ IN DEN HAAG/KENNY WERNER RECORDING FOR HIS DAUGHTER
SEPTEMBER-OCTOBER 2010: TRANE AND PREZ/IASJ 20TH ANNIVERSARY MEETING/BOB RUSCH COMMENTS ON THE ART FORM(FROM CADENCE MAG)/NEW RELEASES: QUEST REISSUE –“SEARCHING FOR THE NEW SOUND OF BEBOP”/AS ALWAYS (DL BIG BAND)/PASSINGS (CLASSICAL QUARTET)/RECOMMENDED:YOU TUBE CLIPS:EARL BOSTIC/PAUL GONSALVES(DIMINUENDO IN BLUE)/TRANE AT ANTIBES/PASSINGS: ABBEY LINCOLN
JULY-AUGUST 2010: NEA MASTERS OF JAZZ 2011 AWARD/THE END OF FAST TEMPOS (RONAN GUILFOYLE)/DAUGHTER LYDIA'S GRADUATION FROM HIGH SCHOOL/LIEB ELEMENTARY SCHOOL REUNION/RECORDING WITH LEE KONITZ AND RICHIE BEIRACH(KNOWINGLEE)/GERMAN JAZZ CRITICS AWARD FOR "TURNAROUND"/LIEB ON YOU TUBE/THE FADING WORLD OF JAZZ CRITICISM/ NEW RELEASES: CONTACT/RECOMMENDED:"POPS" BY tERRY tEACHOUT(LOUIS ARMSTRONG BIO)/TRAVEL ADVICE-CHECK THE HOTEL ROOM/WOLFRAM ALPHA SITE/PASSINGS: HANK JONES/EDGAR BATEMAN
MAY-JUNE 2010: IT'S THE MELODY STUPID/MORE ON THE RECORD BUSINESS/NEW RELEASES: RELEVANCE WITH EVAN PARKER/RECOMMENDED:BUT BEAUTIFUL BY GEOFF DYER/PASSINGS: GENE LEES
MARCH-APRIL 2010: WUNDERKINDS ABOUND WITH
JAN-FEB 2010: THE JAZZ AUDIENCE/PASSINGS:CHARLIE BINACOS, LUDMILA UHLELHLA/NEW RELEASES:DL GROUP LIVE AT
NOV-DEC 2009: MILES AND ME ARTICLE/NEW RELEASE:BOX SET OF PORGY AND BESS, MILES AHEAD, SKETCHES OF
SEPT-OCT 2009: THE STATE OF THE MUSIC/PASSINGS:RASHIED ALI/PREZ AT 100/WEST SIDE STORY/JAMEY AEBERSOLD AT 70/TED KENNEDY-MICHAEL JACKSON-WOODSTOCK/IN DEFENSE OFJAZZ EDUCATION BY RONAN GUILFOYLE/GUNTHER SCHULLER IN CONVERSATION
JULY-AUG 2009: BIG BAND WITH JIM MCNEELY AND RICHIE BEIRACH/PASSINGS:JARMO SAVOLINEN, CHARLIE MARIANO
MAY-JUNE 2009: ENSEMBLE INTERCONTEMPORAIN/ DIMI AND THE BLUE MEN(
MARCH-APRIL 2009: JEWS, BLACKS AND JAZZ/ DR.M.L.KING ON THE IMPORTANCE OF JAZZ/THE ARTISTIC PROCESS/PASSINGS: GERRY NIEWOOD, DAVID NEWMAN
JAN-FEB 2009: THE ART OF FILM SCORING/NEW RELEASES: DL TRANSCRIPTIONS, FURTHER CONVERSATIONS (DL GROUP), FROM STUDENT TO ARTIST (MP3)/PASSINGS:FREDDIE HUBBARD
NOV-DEC 2008: AMADEUS AND TRANE HOMAGES/ RESPECT:THE SENIOR ASPECT/ SPECIAL GUYS: TONY MARINO, JIM BLACK
SEPT-OCT 2008: BLAST FROM THE PAST-FORTY YEARS AGO:THE PUBLIC BEGINNING OF MY JAZZ VOYAGE/ THE ELDERS/ PASSINGS:HIRAM BULLOCK, JOE BECK, JOHNNY
JULY-AUG 2008: SAXOPHONE
MAY-JUNE 2008: DEMISE OF IAJE/ JAZZ MUSICIAN’S BRAIN SCAN/ ON ELVIN/PASSINGS: DENNIS IRWIN, JIMMY GIUFFRE
MARCH-APRIL 2008: THE AMERICAN SONG BOOK-WEILL AND WILDER/ PLAYING WITH EVAN PARKER/PASSINGS: TEO MACERO
JAN-FEB 2008: IT’S ALL ABOUT MELODY (ON LEE KONITZ)/PASSINGS: STOCKHAUSEN
NOV-DEC 2007: MILES AND GIL TRYPTYCH-LESSONS ABOUND/ NEW RELEASES:
OCT-2007: MY 60th YEAR/ THE AMERCAN HIGH SCHOOL/PASSINGS:JOE ZAWINUL
SEPT 2007: PASSINGS: CELEBRATING ANNIVERSARY OF TRANE’S PASSING, MAX ROACH, STEVE BAGBY
JULY-AUGUST 2007: FORTY YEARS TOURING EUROPE/ WYNTON MARSALIS ON THE CASE/ THE YEAR OF THE SAXOPHONE (1965) AND END OF COMMON LANGUAGE/BADAL
MAY-JUNE 2007: McCOY AND MIKE NOCK/ NEW RELEASE: WATERS ASHORE/ PASSINGS: ANDREW HILL, TONY SCOTT/MEMORIALS FOR DON ALIAS, ALICE COLTRANE
APRIL-2007: INSHALLAH-MY TRIP TO
FEB-MARCH 2007: GATHERING OF SPIRITS-MIKE BRECKER MEMORIAL/ TOM RAINEY. THE WAY IT WAS-THE AMERICAN SONG TRADITION/ MORE NAILS IN THE COFFIN
JAN 15 2007: PASSINGS:ALICE COLTRANE AND MIKE BRECKER
JAN 2007: COLTRANE PANEL/ PLAYING DUO/ NEW RELEASES: SAXOPHONE BASICS-A DAILY PRACTICE GUIDE, HOW TO APPROACH STANDARDS CHROMATICALLY, LIEBMAN ANTHOLOGY/ THE DL GROUP AT FIFTEEN YEARS/ MY MOST INFLUENTIAL TRACKS/PASSINGS:JAMES BROWN, ART MURPHY, WALTER BOOKER
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