10) PONCHO SANCHEZ AND HIS LATIN BAND – LIVE IN HOLLYWOOD (Concord Records)
Latin legend Sanchez and his mighty band, smokin’ hot in front of an appreciative audience. This album, along with Sanchez’ lifetime achievement award from the Latin Recording Academy, cap a long and illustrious career. And the music? Percolating polyrhythms (Promenade), sultry sambas, tributes to Clare Fischer (Morning), and Mongo Santamaria (Afro Blue) (both key figures in Poncho’s career), cool solos. If you’re not dancing during this disc, even in your chair, see a doctor.

9) ROBERT GLASPER EXPERIMENT – BLACK RADIO (Blue Note Records)
Pianist Glasper flirted with Neo-Soul and Hip Hop on his previous releases, but with his Experiment band he goes all in. The first track tips off his intent: the studio is a laboratory for developing ideas and motifs that break through barriers and labels. A load of guests, including Erykah Badu and Laiah Hathaway, and enticing covers (David Bowie! Nirvana!) keep things fresh and interesting. A very chill, kicked back session.

JAZZ SOUL SEVEN – IMPRESSIONS OF CURTIS MAYFIELD (BFM Music)
Ironically, one of the best ‘straight ahead’ sessions of the year isn’t an homage to Duke or Monk or Bird, but to soul singer Curtis Mayfield. The Jazz Soul Seven is stacked with ringers: Terri Lynne Carrington on drums, Bob Hurst on bass, Phil Upchurch on guitar, Ernie Watts on sax and Wallace Roney on trumpet. Russ Ferrante holds down the piano chair while Mayfield alum Master Henry Gibson is on percussion. And all of the hits you’d want to hear are present: Freddie’s Dead, Superfly, People Get Ready and much more.

7) WADADA LEO SMITH & LOUIS MOHOLO-MOHOLO – ANCESTORS (TUM)
Trumpeter Leo Smith has one foot in the Delta of his youth, and one in the avant garde of the AACM. He had a busy year, his four disc set, Ten Freedom Summers, is supposedly superlative, but I didn’t hear it (see Bill Murray’s turn on Oscar predictions via his stint anchoring the news on SNL back in the day). This duet with the unique percussionist Louis Moholo-Moholo is better than alright. The first track (Moholo-Moholo/Golden Spirit) is my favorite, shifting from a skitterish entry to a throbbing promenade of somber melody. A long time civil rights advocate, this year that saw a real threat to suppress the vote reminds us of the need for musicians who carry a message as well as a tune.

6) RAVI COLTRANE – SPIRIT FICTION (BLUE NOTE)
Son of jazz legend John Coltrane, Ravi (named after recently departed sitarist Ravi Shankar) mines some of the territory of his ancestry, but rather than taking after his father, Coltrane seems more interested in the free bop of Ornette Coleman, filtered through the aesthetics and methods of mid-60s Miles Davis. That’s a lot of name dropping for music that is actually very much it’s own. Surprisingly organic, given the different line ups of the band and recording sites. This strikes just the right balance between the loosey goosey of free jazz with yet enough structure and melody to keep the listener engaged. Check out the lovely ballads, The Change, My Girl, or Yellow Cat. Joe Lovano produces the recording!

5) BILLY HART – ALL OUR REASONS (ECM)
Billy Hart has had an extensive career, playing with jazz giants Jimmy Smith, Miles Davis (On The Corner & Big Fun), McCoy Tyner and was a part of Herbie Hancock’s Sextet. His penchant for exploration is fully realized in this long standing quartet, rounded out by saxist Mark Turner (Fly), pianist Ethan Iverson (The Bad Plus) and bassist Ben Street. This is state of the art music from some dedicated artists: nocturnal, cerebral, open and flowing. The abstractions tend towards the beautiful.

4) BRAD MEHLDAU TRIO – WHERE DO YOU START (Nonesuch)
Start by acknowledging that this trio has been working together for the better part of a decade, achieving near telepathic chemistry. Start by recognizing that these (mainly) covers were culled from the same sessions that produced the originals recorded for the excellent ODE, also released this year. But I like this one better. Why? Well, let’s start with Holland, Mehldau doing Sufjan Stevens (from his Michigan album!), a cool simmer of a meditation, complete with Larry Grenadier’s dancing bear of a bass line, and Mehldau gently stroking the bittersweet melody. This trio is so well documented and never disappoints. The ballads carry the day, in spite of burners such as Airegin (Sonny Rollins) and Brownie Speaks (Clifford Brown).

3) LINDA OH – INITIAL HERE (Green Leaf Music)
The Australian born Malaysian bassist may get less press than Esperanza Spalding, but her skills on the big acoustic instrument are no less impressive. Highly influenced by Flea of the Red Hot Chili Peppers, Oh is funky and groove oriented yet also has her head in the clouds as a composer and band leader. Meaning, much free playing and an ear for the clever. Bernstein’s “Something’s Coming”, for instance, is given a totally new work up. But her compositions are worthy of covering themselves. Ultimate Persona features the aforementioned groove. Mr. M conjures Mingus without quite mentioning his name. The quartet (Dayna Stephens on sax, Rudy Royston on drums and Fabian Almazon on keyboards) sounds anything but derivative.

2) PAT METHENY – UNITY BAND (Nonesuch)
Metheny has been on a tear in recent years, his idiosyncratic Orchestrion project, followed by a gorgeous rendition of covers for solo guitar (What’s It All About), and now the Unity Band. Much is made of the guitarist working again with a sax player (Chris Potter). But the rhythm section of Antonio Sanchez on drums and wunderkind bassist Ben Williams makes this a true band, the grooves and swing just as enjoyable as what’s layered on top. My favorite track is Come And See, which features Potter’s bass clarinet on the head before a mercurial guitar solo by Metheny, followed by a turgid tenor workout by Potter, one of jazz’ finest players (both for his solo career and his playing in various Dave Holland projects). Ben takes a chorus, melodic and woody, before the band kicks into the head again. Don’t miss this one.

1) AHMAD JAMAL – BLUE MOON (ACM)
In a year given to fabulous piano releases, octogenarian pianist Ahmad Jamal gets my nod for album of the year. He opens his masterpiece, piling one set of chords atop another, a virtual recreation of Autumn Rain complete with new theme. And again with the title track. The rhythms set up by drummer Herlin Riley, at times a funky throb, another a busy contrapuntal crossing of patterns, underscored by the bubbling percussion of Manolo Badrena. Reginald Veal is set more for grooves than for walking the bass. All this creates a playground for Jamal, oft said to be Miles Davis’ favorite pianist. And he is a font of creativity, playing hide and seek with the melody, using technique with such mastery that it disappears. He’s playing. In every sense of the word. Really delightful music.

http://www.amazon.com/Blue-Moon-Ahmad-Jamal/dp/B0065HDMAC/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1356843169&sr=8-1&keywords=ahmad+jamal

11/10/12 brought the opening of the new Broad Art Museum on the campus of MSU. A truly unique building, a work of art itself, a spaceship that has landed on Grand River that announces (loudly) that here is something quite different. You might prepare for a greater appreciation of the museum by reading City Pulse writer Lawrence Cosentino’s voluminous cover. He wrote a novella, 22,000 words, a treasure of details about the process of the creation of the museum.

To put it simply the building, designed by Zaha Hadid, is stunning. Or in the words of Eli Broad, it’s an unreasonable structure. The angles and the lines and the asymmetrical design offers a wildy different perspective at every glance. The building looks as if it’s leaning from one direction, at another it appears to be a ship, carving it’s way free from the campus of MSU.

The art inside is primarily from the Broad collection, though some of the collection from the Kresge is featured as well. An example is Damien Hirst’s The Kingdom of the Father, a trinity of apparent stained glass in the tradition of stained glass found in churches throughout the U.S. and Europe. Upon closer inspection, the design of the ‘windows’ is made up of butterflies. The tacit implication is of transformation, metamorphosis. Particularly since on the opposite side of the gallery is a wood paneled representation of The Crucifixion, circa 1400, by Paolo di Giovanni.

There is a surprising amount of space in the museum, which is carved into a number of galleries, each with it’s own shape and character.

Elsewhere in the museum is art by Andy Warhol, a Salvador Dali piece, some haunting portraits by Sam Jury, and quite a number of interesting videos. My favorite is found in the basement and needs 3-D glasses to be fully appreciated: Marco Brambilla’s Evolution (Megaplex). He’s isolated hundreds of images from films into a rotating videoscape to suggest some of mankind’s greatest themes. Chen Quilin’s floating bodies are haunting, and Nguyen Phuong Linh’s Boat made from Vietnamese sea salt is a contrast of sturdy fragility, apparently quite solid, but the docent that lingers at it’s side to prevent any touching (some might be tempted to lick it) reveals how frail it is.

But finally the star of the Broad is the building itself. Inside and out, you are struck by it’s unique beauty. It really needs to be seen, and seen again and again, for those of us lucky enough to live in the neighborhood.

I don’t hear everything (thank God) but of the 43 discs I reviewed in October 11 of them earned at least a 4 star review. Wow. That’s a lot of good music in one month. Hard to eliminate the Pharez Whitted and Houston Person discs, and honorable mentions to Pete Escovedo and the imaginative Jaiman Crunk (a great month for latin and guitarists!); Ed Cherry’s guitar trio came very close to making the final cut, as did Winard Harper’s powerful post bop Jeli Posse. Here’s my final five:

**** Rez Abassi Trio – CONTINUOUS BEAT (Enja)
One finds only slight whiffs of Abassi’s Indo-Pak influences on this disc, which is primarily a straight ahead guitar trio thing. There are some cool covers of tunes by Gary Peacock, Keith Jarrett and Thelonious Monk. Use any of those: #3 (Major Major), #6 (The Cure). My favorite Abassi composition is #4 (Rivalry). The album ends with an acoustic solo version of the Star Spangled Banner, played straight.

**** Diana Krall – GLAD RAG DOLL (Verve)
I’ve heard some call this Krall’s ‘country album’, which is inaccurate. It’s her T-Bone Burnett project (Robert Plant & Allison Krause, Oh Brother Where Art Thou, Greg Allman). Steeped in the the Americana of tin pan alley, this is a change of pace for the laconic Krall. I espescially like #1 (We Just Couldn’t Say Goodbye) #6 (I’m A Little Mixed Up), which is a little bit of a rocker; also #11 (Lonely Avenue).

**** LaVerne Butler – LOVE LOST AND FOUND AGAIN (High Note)
Strong offering by New Orleans vocalist Butler, under the musical direction of Bruce Barth and featuring Houston Person on several tracks. Several could work on air, the best is #8 (Be Anything, But Be Mine). Something from “Cinderella” (#9 – In My Own Little Corner) always catches my attention.

**** Poncho Sanchez & His Latin Jazz Band – LIVE IN HOLLYWOOD (Concord)
A live recording by Sanchez carries with it all the excitement you’d imagine. Pick almost any track, and it’s cool. The long medley (#2) gives us a number of Poncho’s hits; #3 (Mambo Inn/On Green Dolphin Street) is another medley. #4 (Crosscut Saw) is funky, bluesy, but still picante flavored. He even does a Clare Fischer tune #5 & 6 (Morning). #8 (Afro Blue) is great, too, the full force of the horn section in full effect, a cool flute solo followed by a percussion passage. #9 (Son Son Charari) is a salsa climax.

**** Project Trio – WHEN WILL THERE BE NOW
This Brooklyn trio’s second disc isn’t quite as good as it’s first. But still, flute, cello and violin, performing Beethoven and Miles, it’s imaginative and funky. Use #3 (Raga Raja), #5 (TV Theme Show) or #6 (The Stacks).

Why wouldn’t we want to do our best possible work, and use modalities that have the highest success rates?

In the past several years I’ve run a group for attorneys, judges and law students for early recovery. After some time I developed a second group, for people who didn’t identify with the idea of recovery, and I called that group a ‘discovery’ meeting.

This addresses the stages of change modal that we all go through when considering making a change in our behavior.

Looking forward to presenting some of these ideas and many more. I’ve also just learned that Child & Family Services has a new grant for treatment with adjudicated youth and I’ll be doing some training and supervision for them over the next year.

***** Fred Hersch Trio – ALIVE AT THE VANGUARD (Palmetto)
The only reason I have this disc is that I bumped into Hersch eating a bagel at the Starbucks in the Marriott during the Detroit Jazz Festival. In the midst of my flattering him and telling him how much I liked his recording with Nancy King, he asked if I had his latest. When I said no, he took my card and said he’d make sure I got a copy. Turns out it’s great. A unique voice on piano, and the trio works the post Evans field of empathically equal voices sharing these compositions.

**** 1/2 Kurt Elling – 1619 BROADWAY (Concord)
Elling’s tribute to the Brill Building school of tunesmithery. Some of the songs are so reconstructed that it is disconcerting. Take “I Only Have Eyes For You”, if the words were changed, you wouldn’t know what song it was, the melody is so altered. For airplay, try #5 (I’m Satisfied), #9 (Pleasant Valley Sunday), the Monkees tune. Though several of these tracks may find their way on air. What’s usual with Elling recordings is that they grow on you as time goes on.

**** Brad Mehldau Trio – WHERE DO YOU START (Nonesuch)
Well, let’s start with track #2 (Holland), Mehldau doing Sufjan Stevens, a cool, melancholic simmer of a meditation. This trio is so well documented yet never disappoints. #4 (Baby Plays Around) is an Elvis Costello tune taken nice and slow. Just when you think the ballads will win the day Mehldau burns through Sonny Rollins’ Airegin (#5), then smolders through Hey Joe (#6). (Half of these tracks were recorded in 2008.)

**** Donny McCaslin – CASTING FOR GRAVITY (Green Leaf)
I searched this CD out in Detroit after catching the end of McCaslin’s set on the Pyramid stage, then decided to see if I already had it. I didn’t, and I was disappointed. Until this arrived in the mail. This quartet has a lot of funk and drive and rawk. And Donny is on fire. #3 (Losing Track Of Daytime) starts off all neo-soul groove and builds and builds to a tough tumble. #9 & #10 show the electronica influence.

**** Wadada Leo Smith & Louis Moholo-Moholo – ANCESTORS (TUM Records)
Smith is the real deal: he has one foot in the heady avant clouds of the AACM and the other in the roots of his Mississippi Delta upbringing. The opening track (Moholo-Moholo/Golden Spirit) is a little masterpiece, the throbbing beat from drummer Louis (who Smith says has invented a new approach to drums) over which Wadada drizzles his language of smears, blues and blurts. The rest of the album is more free form improvs from drums and trumpet.

**** 1/2 Chick Corea & Gary Burton – HOT HOUSE (Concord)
40 years since Crystal Silence (is that possible? Yes it is, I just looked it up!) Corea and Burton reunite (again) to explore the sonorities of the piano/vibes union. This is all beautiful stuff. Check out the Beatles cover, #2 (Eleanor Rigby), those rippling lines and the seemingly effortless interplay that can be found all through the session. The title track (#5) sets off some sparks as well. There is a Monk cover (Light Blue, #7). #10 (Mozart Goes Dancing) uses arrangements for string quartet (a Corea composition) and is the sole original on the album. The covers take the day.

**** Cheryl Bentyne – LET’S MISBEHAVE (THE COLE PORTER SONGBOOK) (Summit Records)
She of the Manhattan Transfer, #1 track (Love For Sale) is killer, the rest ranges from good to very good, including #6 (Night and Day) and James Moody’s last session #13 (Every Time We Say Goodbye).

**** Bruce Barth – THREE THINGS OF BEAUTY (Savant)
Steve Nelson! Dana Hall! Use title track (#5) or for a ballad try #6 (Night Shadows). Love that piano/vibes sound.

**** Marcus Miller – RENAISSANCE (Concord)
Good and funky, with that slap bass that makes you think of Seinfeld and the 1990s. Not that there’s anything wrong with that. Use #1 (Detroit), #2 (Redemption), #4 (Slippin’ Into Darkness).

Twenty five years ago this month (August 2012 – August 1987) I approached Jacque Miller at 2001 Abbott Road and inquired about office space. That started twenty five years of private practice, moving from working at agencies such as Health Central and Child and Family Services.

Mainly I want to take a moment to express gratitude to a number of people who have inspired me throughout my career.

First, all of the mentors and individuals who encouraged me, either directly or by example. That would include great therapists like my colleagues Jane Roraback and Tish Vincent, Jean Brickman and all the folks at the Grand Ledge Counseling Center, espescially Art and Cindy Myers. My supervisors, Char Berry and Carla Soliz, who helped me learn the trade.

The post graduate training I received in Ann Arbor from Charles Fishman, Zona Scheiner, Bennet Wolper and all of the trainees I came to know during my three years sharpening my skills there. The EMDR training I took in Lansing and the advanced training from Francine Shapiro in New York. The week I spent with Monkey Business Consultants at Bill O’Hanlon’s training on giving presentations.

But mainly I want to thank my clients. People who have placed their trust in me during their struggles and transitions. People dealing with loss or trauma or addictions or just plain trouble. I have been blessed to work with you. You inspire me. And yes, I am speaking directly to YOU. Thank you for letting me get to know you and allowing me to help.

I doubt I have another 25 years of work in me (yet, who knows?) but I’m not close to retiring. Here’s to what the future will bring….

A couple of weeks ago I participated in my second triathlon sprint at Hawk Island in Lansing. Last year’s event was such a joy, I had so much fun, I’d lost a bunch of weight and it was a good excuse to get in reasonable shape for the summer.

This year was a little different. I trained for a shorter period of time. Instead of having lost weight, I’d put ten pounds back on (!), and the weather looked like it would be appreciably cooler than last year.

Based on this, for some reason I decided to go out with ‘the wave’ instead of individually, which I’d done last year. I just didn’t want to stand out in the cool air waiting my turn to go into the drink for the quarter mile swim. My strategy was to hang near the end of the pack, and not get bumped, kicked or swum over. Here’s what went wrong:

In the rear of the pack were a small group of guys (around my age) who were struggling. They’d either gone out way too fast and were exhausted by the first turn (about a third of the way through) or weren’t strong swimmers and had overestimated their abilities. As I neared the first pyramid I could hear calls for ‘Help!’ and ‘We need help here!’ I couldn’t see who was in danger, but I saw a life preserver fly past me and a life saver jump from his perch on a paddle boat to offer assistance. Then there was another swimmer holding onto the first pyramid, gasping for breath. And now the next wave of swimmers, the women forty and over, had been let loose behind us.

A few strokes in the deepest part of the waters I became convinced I couldn’t take a deep enough breath. The problem, I decided, was my wet suit shortie. I tried to loosen it around my neck. But that didn’t help. Maybe if I unzipped it, or even if I could just get out of it…. it was here that I realized that I wasn’t thinking rationally. That the anxiety had become contagious, That I was in the grips of it. So, for a bit, I just floated on my back and looked at the sky and remembered my goal was to finish and enjoy the experience, that I was a strong swimmer, that I was making headway, that I’d done this before, etc. etc.

So I finished.

But it reminded me of how powerful anxiety can be, and how it can move us to act irrationally and against our own best interests. The brain becomes convinced, based on some information that may or may not be accurate, that we are in terrible danger. Maybe life and death danger.

Are you plagued by worries? Does the future look bleak? Are you concerned about how others think of you? Are you sometimes knocked off balance out of the blue? Do you have numerous physical symptoms that doctors find a hard time diagnosing? You might have anxiety.

I have a whole treatment regimen for dealing with anxiety in my practice, from a screen to CBT (cognitive behavioral therapy) techniques. Anxiety tends to have specific manifestations. And it is treatable! There are also a good number of books on the subject. I like The Feeling Good Handbook by David Burns, The Anxiety & Phobia Workbook by Edmund Bourne and The Mindful Way Through Anxiety by Susan Orsillo and Lizabeth Roemer. Or give me a call @ 517 336-7721.

As of this May, 2012, I’ve been producing a weekly jazz radio show, called The Vinyl Side of Midnight, at 89.7fm WLNZ from the campus of Lansing Community College, 9-midnight every Sunday night, for 15 solid years. It’s been a blast, and mainly I want to express my gratitude for the folks at LCC for giving me a shot and a platform to do the show, and for the listeners for tuning in. And for the musicians, without whom there would be nothing to celebrate.

The show began in the Student Services building down the street. At that time the station signed off at midnight and I had to play the Star Spangled Banner and shut the station down at the end of my show. After doing that a few time the generic version started to sound just too jarring after a great evening of jazz, so I substituted Marvin Gaye’s version. Eventually the station started to broadcast 24-7.

Highlights of my experience are many:

The musicians
I’ve interviewed so many folks on the air, I almost hesitate to start listing because I’m bound to leave some out. But locally there’s been Sunny Wilkinson (my first), Betty Joplin, Ed Fedewa, Ron Newman, Andrew Speight, Betty Baxter, Jim Alfredson, Mike Daniels, Dennis Therrian, Rodney Whitaker, Diego Rivera, “Uncle G” Randy Gilespie, Etienne Charles, Derrick Gardner, Rick Roe, Kris Johnson, Wess “Warmdaddy” Anderson, “Sister Swing” Lynne Gruenwald, Mike Sailor, John Beshay, Sarah Slonin, Thom Jayne and the Nomads, Ray Kamalay, Elden Kelly, Tia Hannah, Adam Rongo, Lawrence Cosentino, Meegan Holland, Robert Busby and many more. I’ve also interviewed Wynton Marsalis, Kenny Werner, Karrin Allyson, Bill Summers, and bunches of other national artists who have played int he Lansing area. Thanks to all of you, espescially the local folks who have done so much for the show over the years.

The callers and fans
Two favorites: a guy called saying he’d just moved from New York and was dreading living in the midwest. Then he turned on my show and I was doing a 3 hour tribute to Thelonious Monk. He called and said it lifted his spirits and made him think “This might not be so bad…”
A second story, much in line with the first, a cabbie called said on Sunday nights he always made sure he was tuned into my show to give visitors he picked up at the airport a good first impression of Lansing. “You make us sound like a cool city, man, thanks!” he said. I’ve just always known we are a cool city.
There’s Anne Serotkin and Greg Graham, two of the biggest supporters of the show. Greg did a piece on local TV covering the show back at the dawn of the jazzfest to link up the burgeoning jazz scene in Lansing.
And, one of my most amusing encounters, was with Holly Brown: we were both in line at the counter of the Better Health Food Store getting lunch one day when the short order cook (who knew us both) said, “You are both big jazz fans.” I asked Holly if that was true and she turned away from me dismissively, stating, “I listen to Vinyl Side.” Just like that. I couldn’t resist. I went into my promo. It was big fun for us both. Holly started calling into the show regularly, winning tickets to the Creole Gallery.

PLUS

My Top Tracks From The Past 15 years

I recently played NPR’s Top 25 Jazz Songs on a recent program. Great groovy stuff, like Ramsey Lewis’ “The In Crowd” or Cannonball Adderly’s “Mercy, Mercy, Mercy”; historical pieces like Louis Armstrong’s “West End Blues”, Coleman Hawkins’ “Body & Soul” or Billie Holiday’s “Strange Fruit”; iconic compositions like Miles’ “All Blues” or Coltrane’s “A Love Supreme”. The real creme de la creme. But what else do they have in common? They were all recorded decades ago. The most recent song was Weather Report’s “Birdland”.

I had to think, “That’s not right.”

There are so many great artists playing and creating jazz today, what are we missing as DJs and fans and writers about the music? So, in celebrating my 15 years on the air I challenged myself to come up with a program that focused on my Top 25 tracks from the past 15 years. The challenge, it turns out, was limiting the number to 25. The other (self imposed) challenge was to limit myself to one selection per artist. Tough choices were made (which Diana Krall cut? The Look of Love or Peel Me A Grape? The answer is below…) and many outstanding artists and tracks are left behind. But this is the fun of it, no?

Search out these tracks via iTunes or in your local record store. Each one is either a deeply grooving or moving cover, a brilliant composition, or breaking some new ground, going where no jazz has gone before. Some innovate, some motivate, some make you feel a new emotion.

Christian McBride & Inside Straight – Brother Mister; INSIDE STRAIGHT (Mack Avenue Records)
Cyrus Chestnut – Soul Food; SOUL FOOD (Atlantic)

Bill Frisell – 1968; UNSPEAKABLE (Nonesuch)
John Scofield (w/Medeski, Martin & Wood) – A Go Go; A GO GO (Verve)

Esperanza Spalding – Ponta De Areia; ESPERANZA SPALDING (Heads Up)
Dave Holland Big Band – What Goes Around; WHAT GOES AROUND (ECM)

Dave Douglas – Blue Heaven; SOUL ON SOUL (RCA Victor)
Wayne Shorter Quartet – Masquelero: FOOTPRINTS LIVE! (Columbia)
James Carter – Layin’ In The Cut; LAYIN’ IN THE CUT (Atlantic)

Maria Schneider – The ‘Pretty’ Road; SKY BLUE (Artist Share)

Chris Potter 10 – Closer To The Sun; SONG FOR ANYONE (Sunnyside)
Kurt Elling – I Like The Sunrise; NIGHTMOVES (Concord)

St. Germain – Sure Thing; TOURIST (Blue Note)
Christian Scott – Angola, LA & The 13th Amendment; YESTERDAY YOU SAID TOMORROW (Concord)
Brad Mehldau – Paranoid Android; LARGO (Warner Brothers)

Vijay Iyer – Revolutions; REIMAGINING (Savoy Jazz)
Rudresh Mahanthappa – Ganesha; KINSMEN (Pi Recordings)

Pat Metheny – Betcha By Golly Wow; WHAT’S IT ALL ABOUT (Nonesuch)
Joe Lovano – Joyous Encounter; JOYOUS ENCOUNTER (Blue Note)

Diana Krall – The Look of Love; THE LOOK OF LOVE (Verve)
Herbie Hancock (w/Tina Turner) – Edith & The Kingpin; RIVER (Verve)
Robert Glasper – Smells Like Teen Spirit; BLACK RADIO (Blue Note)

Bobby Broom – Witchita Lineman; SONG AND DANCE (Origin Records)
Karrin Allyson – Footprints; FOOTPRINTS (Concord)

Wynton Marsalis Septet – The Majesty of The Blues; LIVE AT THE VILLAGE VANGUARD (Columbia)

Since some have asked, here is a list of 10 of my favorite things from our recent trip to Paris:

1)Our first walk through Montmarte my wife, Cathie Blumer started taking pictures of doors. “I’ve fallen in love with doors,” she said. It wasn’t until we returned that the metaphoric meaning of this statement hit me. We were walking through a door, of history and place and culture. I have hopes to post some of these photos here in the future.

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2) A couple of days into our trip we were going to go on a boat trip on the Seine at dusk. We exited the metro to see the sun setting, with a view of the Eiffel Tower right next to it. Add Jupiter and Venus and it took our breath away. We had marvelous views along the waterfront as the night stole the day away from us.

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3) The cafes were numerous and marvelous. When I was first in Paris in 1993 there were no chains. Now there are many: Starbucks, McDonald’s, Burger King, Subways abound. But there are still many little cafes with tables that creep out into the sidewalk. Perfect for relaxed coffee drinking and people watching.

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4) My dad was in Paris in WWII. I have a picture of him on a bookshelf in my living room, dressed in his uniform with the Eiffel Tower in the background. I dreamed of my dad again and again in Paris. Hemingway was his literary hero. One morning I awoke at 5 a.m. and felt urged to take a walk in St. Germain and the Latin Quarter, where I found where Hemingway had written Big Two Hearted River

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Hemingway drank with the likes of F. Scott Fitzgerald, James Joyce, Ezra Pound here, as did Jean Paul Sartre and Henry Miller.

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The home of Gertrude Stein.

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Where Pablo Picasso painted Guernica.

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Where Ben Franklin worked out details with the British to end the war of the American Revolution.

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I liked the walk a lot, and I think dad loved it.

5) Cathie and I walked the cemetery at Pere Lachaise. She bought flowers for Oscar Wilde and Proust. I played The End at Jim Morrison’s grave. The only overcast day of our trip, which was perfect for this occasion. The cawing of ravens helped, too.

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6) Speaking of creepy, the tour of the catacombs in Paris was actually worth the 2 1/2 hour wait it took to enter.

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7) Of course the museums. The Louvre was bustling. I was really moved by the Cezannes at the Musee D’orsey as well as the Kandinskys in the Pompidou.
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The people on the streets of Paris. So chic and hip.

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9) The miracle of modern travel: the ability to be on the other side of the globe in a matter of hours. The chance to catch up with old friend Cathy Lundey at Bert’s.

10) The camaraderie between Blumer, Holland & Stratton. We laughed ourselves to tears several times. What fun and what good memories!

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10) SUSANA BACA – AFRODIASPORA (Luaka Bop)
Peruvian vocalist Susana Baca cooks with fire on this strong recording. She stirs in a little N’Awlins flavor at one point, but the main ingredients are South American. Her ability to work a groove is reminiscent of some of the great soul singers of the 1960s.

9) WADADA LEO SMITH’s ORGANIC – HEART’S REFLECTIONS (Cuneiform Records)
The ghost of Miles hovers over this double disc set by trumpeter Smith, espescially on the badass back beat opener (dedicated to Don Cherry). Between the blues and the funk there is some old fashioned AACM style avant garde.

ROBERTA PIKET – SIDES, COLORS (Thirteenth Note Records)
Brooklyn pianist and composer Piket has one of the freshest releases of the year. At turns pretty (Laurie) and complex (check out the deconstructed gospel dedication to Sam Rivers, My Friends and Neighbors), Roberta is a force to be reckoned with and one to watch.

7) KEITH JARRETT – RIO (ECM)
Jarrett has built a career not just on his superlative trio recordings, but on his solo improv recitals as well. The newest, recorded in Rio (naturally) is maybe his best. Hard to believe that this fountain of ideas is conceived in the moment, so coherent and certain is Jarrett’s playing. Whereas in some of his earliest solo offerings there are extended and roiling sequences, here the pieces are compact and dense. Jarrett has astounding facilities as a pianist, and this may be his best work yet.

6) KARRIN ALLYSON – ‘ROUND MIDNIGHT (Concord Records)
Karrin has recorded a string of wonderful albums over the past decade or so, but this one stands alone. Like Frank Sinatra’s “Only The Lonely” or Joni Mithcell’s “Blue”, this recording relentlessly builds a mood for those with a need for expression of the ennui of love lost and longing. A heartbreaker of an album, from a heartbreaking singer.

5) BOB BELDEN – MILES ESPANOL (E One)
Like a previous project (Miles From India), Belden collects a small army of musicians (this time of the Hispanic persuasion) to interpret the Gil Evans / Miles Davis collaboration, Sketches of Spain. The double disc allows the conception to expand even further, utilizing some alum from Davis’ groups to romp cross cultures. And such delightful colors, utilizing exotic percussions, strings (Oud! Harp!) and even bagpipes. Not to be missed.

4) ETIENNE CHARLES – KAISO (Culture Shock)
Trinidad trumpeter Etienne Charles combines straight ahead with calypso to create a new and diverse dish. Sure, Blue Mitchell or Sonny Rollins have shown an influence from the isles, but Etienne goes the full monty here, including guest shots from Lord Superior, Ralph MacDonald and Monty Alexander. Another very young talent to watch.

3) SONNY ROLLINS – ROAD SHOWS VOL. II (Doxy Records)
This is a birthday party and a victory lap for octogenarian and living legend Sonny Rollins. Buoyed by a great band (Christian McBride, Roy Haynes and Russell Malone) Rollins is joined at turns by old friends Jim Hall and Bob Cranshaw, with a special guest appearance by Ornette Coleman. This document is a cherry that tops a stellar career.

2) JOE LOVANO US FIVE – BIRD SONGS (Blue Note)
Imagine Donna Lee as a ballad, or Dewey Square as a percussive rhumba, and you get the notion behind Lovano’s set of Charlie Parker music. Yet another entry in the book of Lovano, who is a perennial in the ‘best of’ lists at year’s end. One of the great sax players of our time, but also has the imagination to consistently find new ways to arrange and display the music of jazz.

1) LAURA KAHLE – CIRCULAR (Dark Key Music)
Laura has been known to refer to this album as ‘my little project’ (see Facebook), such is her modesty. This year may have been devoted to raising twin girls of she and husband Jeff “Tain” Watts, but the creation of this music is also more than noteworthy. This one seemed to get by most critics, but to my ears it’s the best thing I’ve heard in 2011. Why? First of all, the blend of Kahle’s pocket trumpet set against the uber powerful drumming of her husband creates a dynamic that reminds me of Miles and Tony Williams, or Don Cherry and Ed Blackwell. Her ideas are pithy, his funk is furious. This is music not to be missed. Claudia Acuna’s singular contribution is a rose in the forest. Beautiful.

This is the playlist for this week’s Vinyl Side of Midnight, which can be heard on 89.7 FM WLNZ in the Greater Lansing area, or you can tune in internationally on the web on http://www.lcc.edu/radio/ – hosted by Mike Stratton, Sunday nights, 9- midnight, Eastern Standard Time.
Feel free to forward this to friends.
If you’ve received this and would like to be removed from the list simply contact me at dreamtrane@gmail.com

Preview: Detroit Jazz Festival 2011

The Detroit Jazz Festival will be celebrated on Hart Plaza and a few blocks of Woodward Avenue in downtown Detroit on Labor Day Weekend, September 2-5, 2011.

Art has always been a reflection of culture. And jazz has been the story of different peoples interacting and adapting to one another. Primarily reflecting the experience of African Americans, jazz has been called a gumbo, a veritable goulash of various elements.
This year the Detroit Jazz Festival has gathered a group of international artists who will exhibit a tapestry of the world’s take on jazz. New flavors will enter the goulash.
Famous for a series of thematically organized weekends, Terri Pontremoli conceptualized that for this year, “We Bring You The World.” So your tour for this experience might be organized by genre or by geography. Go listen to old favorites, or make a point to try something completely new. You can’t lose.
Friday, September 2nd, opens in the evening with the Soul Rebels Brass Band, out of New Orleans, second lining and testifying their way down the streets of Detroit. This year’s Artist in Residence is drummer fantastic Jeff “Tain” Watts, famous for his work in the Branford Marsalis Quartet. “Tain” will lead an original aggregation of musicians that he’s titled Drum Club: vibist Joe Locke, the experimental percussionist Susie Ibarra, a pair of cuban drummers (Horacio “El Negro” Hernandez & Pedro Martinez), the legendary Nigerian drummer who powered Fela Kuti’s sound (Tony Allen) and bassist Robert Hurst.
The evening will top off with Sing The Truth: three vocalists who will pay homage to the legacies of Mariam Makeba, Abbey Lincoln and Odetta. The singers, Angelique Kidjo, the West African Grammy winner, Dianne Reeves (another Grammy winner), and Lizz Wright. Backed by the international crew of Geri Allen, Terri Lyne Carrinton, James Genus, Munyungo Jackson and Romero Lubambo, expect a magical night that will explore new flavors.

Saturday, September 3rd, gives us an amazing lineup gracing seven stages that dot Hart Plaza and down Woodward Street in downtown Detroit. All stages are within easy walking distance of each other, and it’s entirely possible to catch more than one or two acts that are playing opposite of each other. And it’s a good thing, because there are some very tough choices.
Here’s what I’m planning to do on Saturday: start the day by being part of the live audience at the Jazz Planet Stage at 10 a.m. (Even if you can’t attend the Detroit Jazz Festival in person, you can follow the happenings, hear interviews with the artists, and even catch some of the performances by checking out Jazz Planet on line.) Then I’ll head over to the Waterfront Stage to catch the hot trumpeter, Derrick Gardner & The Jazz Prophets. His performance is opposite the University of Michigan Jazz Ensemble with guests Robert Hurst and Geri Allen at the Ampitheatre Stage, the Russ Miller Quartet at the Pyramid Stage, and Jeff “Tain” Watts giving a talk on the role of the drum at the Jazz Talk Tent.
Vibist Warren Wolf (of Christian McBride’s Inside Straight band) has a new release on Mack Avenue records, and he follows Derrick on the same Waterfront Stage. I’ll want to hear some of that set, beginning at 1:30 p.m., but then I’ve just got to slide over to the Pyramid Stage for my current favorite Brazilian vocalist, Luciana Souza, performing in duet with guitarist Romero Lubambo.
I may stick around to catch the first part of the Soul Rebels Brass Band, but I’d be a fool to miss the veteran trombonist Curtis Fuller, who played in a classic lineup of Art Blakey’s Jazz Messengers that had featured Wayne Shorter and Freddie Hubbard. Fuller will also feature tenor man Eric Alexander and drummer Carl Allen in a good sextet.
By now it’s late afternoon. The dilemmas become harder to reconcile: where to be in the early evening? Going to listen to trumpeter Sean Jones’ Quintet at the Ampitheatre? Or the harmonica/piano duo of Toots Thielemans and Kenny Werner on the Waterfront? How about some Latin spice by visiting the Pyramid again for Dayramir & Habana enTRANCE? Or take a break from the music, go to the Jazz Talk Tent, to meet Jason Moran and Dave Holland? Maybe I’ll try to do it all?
If you have a taste for funky organ jazz, park yourself in the Pyramid Stage for the night to hear Gerard Gibbs & (the return of) ORGANized Crime, followed by the Tony Monaco Trio. On the other hand, I’m going to be challenged by bouncing between Sun Ra Arkestra at the Ampitheatre, Downbeat Critic’s Award winner for jazz artist of the year, Jason Moran & the Bandwagon, performing at the Waterfront Stage, and then listening to the very dynamic Dave Holland Octet, again at the Ampitheatre. It will break my heart to miss the funk soul sounds of Mandrill on the Main stage up Woodward, but sacrifices must be made.
In fact, you could have a very fulfilling day sitting yourself down at that Main stage, hearing Detroit’s Kimmie Horne, the Japanese jazz of Vertical Engine, the Motown crooner Chuck Jackson, followed by the Deacon Jones Blues Revue, finishing with Mandrill. That’s the thing about this festival. Four or five different people could each have a great festival and never cross paths. The veritable embarrassment of riches.
Saturday night ends with fireworks on Hart Plaza at 11 p.m., as though the musical fireworks during the day weren’t enough.

I’m missing the usual sanctified gospel choir on Sunday morning. However, there is a great lineup of some superb big bands on the Ampitheatre stage, each one featuring a special guest: Wayne State Big Band with guest Joe Lovano, the US Airforce Airmen of Note with Joe Locke, MSU’s Jazz Orchestra with Jeff “Tain” Watts, a J.C. Heard Tribute led by Walt Szymanski and the EMU Jazz Ensemble with Christian McBride. Great to see so many youngsters get a chance on the big stage. However, linger here too long and you’ll miss Regina Carter & Reverse Thread, her sweet violin playing music from her most recent African homage on the Waterfront stage; or Anat Cohen, the hot clarinetist from Tel-Aviv, playing at the Pyramid. There’s great Latin jazz up Woodward at the Main stage, first Los Gatos (who just burned down the stage at the recent Lansing Oldtown Jazz Festival), then Sammy Figueroa & the Latin Jazz Explosion. It’s just not fair. Just in case you aren’t already exhausted, you can head over to the Jazz Talk tent, meet Joe Lovano at 4:15, and get yourself over to Jazz Planet for a chance to witness “Tain’s” Downbeat Blindfold Test. But you really need to get back to the Ampitheatre, where you can hear Jeff “Tain” Watts 4 play the sun down, followed by Joe Lovano’s Us Five on that same stage. And, see if you can slip over to the Pyramid to catch at least some of Vijay Iyer trio. This is my hardest choice of the weekend: on the one hand you have Lovano, a terrific sax player, with a tone out of the tradition of Coleman Hawkins or Ben Webster. His band, Us 5, features duo drummers and bassist Esperanza Spalding, and it’s a fountain of invention. On the other hand, Vijay (the son of Indian immigrants) is a master of deconstruction on the piano. He’s got a unique and firmly original approach that he uses on not only his own compositions, but also interprets everyone from Thelonious Monk to John Lennon.
Have I mentioned that you should have a schedule? You can download one on line at detroitjazzfest.com. It will show you what you’re missing. Which, again, is the biggest frustration of the festival. You have to clone yourself to see everything. On the other hand, if you’re not digging whatever concert you are attending, there’s more music right around the corner.
Now, on to Monday. Oh, here’s the gospel choirs! Larry Callahan SOG & Second Ebenezer Majestic Voices at noon on the Main stage. Catch a few minutes of memories with the owner of the VIllage Vanguard (Maxine Gordon, speaking with Tad Herschorn) at the Jazz Talk Tent before you find your way back to the Ampitheatre stage to hear Gary Burton’s New Quartet. You can either go back to the Jazz Talk Tent to listen to Norman Granz or reserve your seat at the Ampitheatre to hear the Northern Illinois University Jazz Orchestra with special guest Paquito D’Rivera. Because after that, hip hop poet and movie star Common with have a special performance with Detroit drummer Karriem Riggins. Common was a recent invitee to the White House, and raised some controversy by haters who misinterpreted his message. I’m told that we might expect some special guests during this set.
The festival will end at the Ampitheatre, where an all star Detroit Jazz Festival Orchestra will play the music of Christian McBride. Last time I interviewed Terri Pontremoli, Creative Director of the festival, she related she’d just gotten off the phone with Christian. She relat that he loves the Detroit Jazz Festival and wants to find a way to be there every year. I feel the same way.
Check out my interview with Terri Pontremoli on Sunday night, August 21st, on The Vinyl Side of Midnight. Following that interview I’ll be playing highlights from the 2010 Detroit Jazz Festival. The next week, August 28th, I’ll devote the evening to featuring artists that will be playing the festival this year.

(Mike Stratton is the author of the novel Everybody Dreams. As a jazz DJ he hosts The Vinyl Side of Midnight on 89.7FM WLNZ. He’ll report on the Detroit Jazz Fest for MLive with Meegan Holland and photographer Cathie Blumer.)

This note will relate some of the trainings I’ve been doing (and going to!) as well as health and other stuff. Let’s get started!

MOTIVATIONAL INTERVIEWING

WiseWoman has once again hired me to do a round of trainings in Motivational Interviewing. This is a style of conversation that avoids arguments or confrontations in favor of developing a collaborative stance with your client. It’s essentially respectful.
I’ve done several trainings for WiseWoman around the state in the past, and also did a two day training for the staff at Devos Children’s Hospital in Grand Rapids. I have two more dates in Grand Rapids and Gaylord, Michigan to round out the summer.

IT’S A HIT!

I consented to have examples of these conversations taped by WiseWoman over a year ago. I looked at the first one we made, which describes the interviewing technique “Developing Discrepancy”, only to find that it had thousands of hits! In fact, as I write this on July 1, 2011 there are 16,295 hits on this site.

You can see it yourself here:

OTHER TRAININGS

I attended some superb trainings this Spring, including a two day training by Josh Smith on Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT), a ‘working with eating disorders’ by Tish Vincent, treatment of sexual addictions by Randy Flood and a workshop on Jungian dream interpretation by Howard Tyas.

HEALTH

This past winter my doctor looked at the results of my blood test and told me my sugars were getting too high. He showed me how the elevation of my sugar readings perfectly traced the gradual incline in my weight. I was well above my BMI (Body Mass Index) weight, which topped out at 185# for my height. He suggested I change my diet and increase my exercise. He told me I was heading toward a diagnosis of diabetes unless I could turn things around through life style changes.

Now I’ve exercised regularly over the past thirty years, so it was distressing to hear I needed to up the ante. But I couldn’t deny that, very gradually, I had added 40 pounds of unwanted ME, mainly around my middle.

First step was diet. I had an appointment with a dietician, and we analyzed my diet. I’ve attended Weight Watchers in the past, so it’s not like I don’t know what I’m supposed to do. Out with fast food and sandwiches, sugar cookies, ice cream and pizza. In with steel cut oats, salads, lean proteins and fruit.

Then a friend asked me, “Do you think you could swim for 20 minutes, bike for 20 minutes, and run for 20 minutes?” He was trying to entice me into entering the IRONMAC event at the Michigan Athletic Club. I thought I could. So the next day I tried it, but cut the amount in half. I swam for 10 minutes, biked for 10, and ran for 8 before I was pooped. Not as in shape as I thought. So I slowly worked my way up to it and then entered the competition, and finished!

By now, I was hooked. I looked up a website, Beginner’s Triathlete, and designed a training regimen that would get me ready for Hawk Island Tri-Sprint in the spring. The training was diligent but varied. I worked out 7 days a week: one long run, one short run, one long swim, one short swim, one long bike, one short swim. Plus yoga on the off day. The variation in the routine kept me from wearing down, like I’d experienced when I was way into running.

The event itself was actually fun. I just stayed at my own pace, didn’t let ego get the better of me (I can’t believe THAT person just passed me!) and enjoyed the whole process. I’ll do it again.

All this, plus I lost 30 pounds so far. 10 more to go (the hardest 10). In the meantime, I’ve eaten pizza a couple of times, a Five Guys cheeseburger, some pasta, a few wonderful steaks. But now I use them as treats to eat rarely instead of staples in my diet. And I feel great. I’ve had to buy new clothes as I’ve dropped a pant size. No more extra large shirts. I have more energy and get more done. And I’m happier.

The links between exercise, diet and good mental health and wellness are indisputable, and being added to on a regular basis. So, my friend, I ask you: Do you think you could swim for 5 minutes, bike for 5 minutes, run for 5 minutes?

(In alphabetical order, each selection is followed by a link for further investigation)

Scott Colley – EMPIRE (Cam Jazz)
Bassist Scott Colley draws on the inspiration of his family’s history in Empire, Kansas, a little ‘community’ that featured at least a post office, before the railroad came through and skipped the town, thus dooming the village. The cover of the disc ‘Empire’ shows members of the Colley family circa 1875. What would they have thought of this music?
We’ll never know. Because even though it evokes space, hopes, a wistful and plaintive sound, the music is also thoroughly modern. Colley, who has served as Herbie Hancock’s bassist in recent years (amongst various other projects and employers) gathers together a superb grouping of musicians for this work. Bill Frisell’s spooky guitar evokes so much color. Brian Blades (whose presence on any recording is enough to recommend it’s immediate investigation) plays percussion with such subtlety. Craig Taborn’s piano is also understated. In the face of this, Ralph Alessi’s trumpet is a brave figure on the horizon, much like those isolated characters on the prairie.
‘Sophia’ is maybe the pick of the litter. A gorgeous ballad in waltz time, Colley plays the melody first on bass, a dancing bear crooning a lullaby. When Frisell takes over after Colley’s solo it’s one of those moments that is pure transcendence. And check out Blade’s drumming, supporting with exquisite clarity.
Other tracks are a little more abstract and there is much here to like for those who enjoy open improv. Like all of the albums I’ve selected this year, this is a recording that is about something. A coherent statement, more than a blowing session.

http://www.amazon.com/Empire-Scott-Colley/dp/B003VC8TWU

Galactic – YA-KA-MAY (Anti- Music)
The party record of the year. Like any good gumbo, this New Orlean’s stew has varied and fiery ingredients. What ingredients? Jazz, blues, funk, hip hop, rap. A roux of flat out ecstatic sound. Galactic is a quintet of Ben Ellman (harps and horns), Robert Mercurio (bass), Stanton Moore (drums and percussion), Jeff Raines (guitar) and Rick Vogel (keyboards). However, they are joined by a plethora of N’Awlins talent: The Rebirth Brass Band, Trombone Shorty, Irma Thomas, Cheeky Blakk, Big Chief Bo Dollis, Allen Toussaint, and more.
This is big noise. Crank the sound in your car on a hot drive music. It’s a snapshot of the state of music from a group that is catholic in it’s approach, and by catholic I don’t mean the religion, but the adjective: all embracing and liberal, diffuse and global. There is going to be something here for everyone, the riotous (and sometimes obscene) raps, the deep groove of Irma Thomas’ feature (‘Heart of Steel’), Allen Toussaint’s thoroughly modern rhythm & blues. The hot blowing on ‘Cineramascope’. Trust me, you will want this in your collection. The most fun music of the year.

Mary Halvorson Quintet – SATURN SINGS (Firehouse 12)
Any jazz fanatic is always looking for music that pushes the boundaries, that says something no one has said before, or at least in a way it’s never been said before.
Here is another singular voice, proof that jazz is continuing to evolve and that improvised music is not dead. No one plays guitar like Halvorson, who is a mad scientist of melody and angularity and skronk. Her lines are plunked with a physicality that indicates a human being is actually playing a physical instrument here, and the notes she plays are unlike Bill Frisell or John Scofield or Pat Metheny or any of the other primary influences in this day and age. Cross Eric Dolphy with Frank Zappa, and send her to school with Anthony Braxton (that part is true) and you have Mary Halvorson.
Halvorson has recorded with her trio before, but this is a quintet, adding two horns (Jonathan Finlayson on trumpet and Jon Irabagon on alto sax) for a new approach.
‘Sequential Tears In It (No. 20)’ is a good example of her playing. Halvorson takes a solo at the outset that seems searching, and there is a sense of exploration (does she even know what’s coming next?) in her improvisation. The music builds and an unexpected slurring of the notes, sequences blurred, plinks and new sounds are teased from the strings and amp. But Mary never quite leaves the planet. In part because of her steady and inventive rhythm section (John Herbert on bass and Ches Smith on drums).
‘Sea Seizure (No. 19)’ is punk jazz, more than a name or attitude but great noisy driving rock, while ‘Crack In The Sky (No 11)’ is a relatively straight ahead horn driven thematically tuneful composition. ‘Crescent White Sings (No 13)’ is a winner. By the way, all of these numerical references (my guess) comes from the Braxton association by way of Heraclitus. Can one really step in the same river twice?
Monty Python famously stated, “And now for something completely different.” If you’re in the mood, give Mary Halvorson a turn.

http://www.allaboutjazz.com/php/article.php?id=37354

Conrad Herwig – THE LATIN SIDE OF HERBIE HANCOCK (Half Note)
Conrad Herwig has been engaging the compositions of various jazz icons (Miles Davis, Wayne Shorter, John Coltrane) and giving them reinterpretations via the Cuban mambo approach. His background is as an alum of the renowned North Texas University’s One O’Clock Jazz Lab Band. His discography covers numerous large ensembles, from Toshiko Akioshi in the ‘80s through Mingus Big Band, Joe Henderson, Joe Lovano and tons of session work. A busy cat indeed. Trombonist Herwig has found a happy recipe here though. Along with pianist Bill O’Connell he arranges eight Herbie tunes for a spicy entertainment.
The octet sounds larger than it is and the live recording from the Blue Note adds to the sense of spontaneous fun this music is meant to occupy. And what a band! Eddie Palmieri sits in on piano on nearly half the tracks, and Randy Brecker guests on nearly all of them. Craig Handy on all manner of reeds, from sax to flute and even bass clarinet takes some heated solos and adds great textures to ensemble passages. And the rhythm section is muy caliente (Ruben Rodriguez on bass, Robby Ameen on drums and Pedro Martinez on percussion).
My favorite track is ‘Butterfly’, a tune from Herbie’s funk opus “THRUST”. There are several pauses in the melody that give over perfectly to a Latinization. Percolating percussion under the drizzle of Herbie’s lines makes for a wonderful combination. Handy’s bass clarinet solo echoes memories of Bennie Maupin in the Headhunters.
Here’s to hoping that Conrad Herwig has a few more of these releases in mind. My Spanish Monk, anyone?

http://www.amazon.com/Latin-Side-Herbie-Hancock/dp/B003TGW6PO

Dave Holland Octet – PATHWAYS (Dare 2 Records)
Recorded live at Birdland, Holland adds to a series of hot recordings of the morphing band he’s lead over the past decade or so. Whether it’s a quintet or big band, the band is usually a high powered and muscular affair, yet with a light touch which is largely provided by vibes player Steve Nelson, who takes the place of the traditional pianist. Pathways, the title and first track on the album, is a perfect example of this. Opening with a bustling baritone solo by Gary Smulyan (who provides fat blats through whole gig) the band accompanies and states the theme under and over the soloists.
I had the good fortune to see this configuration live in Ann Arbor, just after this music was recorded. This is a band of dualities: orchestrated yet with a heavy emphasis on improv, lithe and heavy, swinging yet a big emphasis on grooves (Holland’s lines would sound just as good in a rock setting). And a leader that feels comfortable in spreading the wealth, whether it be composers adding their bit, or the very democratic lean towards solo time.
And what soloists! Chris Potter (tenor and soprano), Smulyan (bari) and Antonio Hart (alto) are the featured reed players, while Robin Eubanks (trombone) and Alex Sipiagin (trumpet and flugelhorn) represent the brass. Holland always features a hot drummer, for years Billy Kilson, and now Nate Smith. I’ve already mentioned Steve Nelson’s pivotal role in the band’s arrangements via vibes and marimbas, the sense of hearing the bare bones of the music in a translucent manner prevails (check out Potter’s Sea of Marmara, for instance). Soloists often begin melodically over a simmering rhythm section, then build to a crescendo with assistance of riffs and counter riffs from the horns. Altogether a very workable equation.

http://www.amazon.com/Pathways-Dave-Holland-Octet/dp/B0033XUHJU

Brad Mehldau – HIGHWAY RIDER (Nonesuch Records)
Mehldau pairs with wunder producer Jon Brion for a second time, this time to create a double disc of a soundtrack to his imagination. The cover is a tip off, a drive in theater at dusk, the screen blank and awaiting our projections. Plus, Brion, creator of soundtracks (The Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind being primary) is another clue that this isn’t going to be just another great jazz blowing session.
Carefully and lushly orchestrated (in spots) the music highlights Mehldau’s writing as strongly as it does his playing. Since recording a series of fairly ripped (as in muscular) trio sets over his career, the composer is just as powerful as his chops. Don’t Be Sad is an excellent example, a bitter sweet melody, achingly played by Joshua Redman on tenor sax, the arrangement features touches of orchestra, accordian and bassoon to accent and color the screen.
There are moments of sheer aching beauty, such as Now You Must Climb Alone, a piece that features the orchestra without piano, just Mehldau’s writing. Or the wonderful tension between the orchestra’s ascending strings and the trio, with Redman climbing over the tumult, on We’ll Cross The River Together.
The album is careful and constructed and may be, if one had to choose, one of those very best of Mehldau’s superb canon. His trio is featured as well, the stalwart Larry Grenadier on bass and percussionists Jeff Ballard and/or Matt Chamberlain. I tend to favor the tracks that feature Redman, who plays with a new level of maturity, both restrained and with a different tone than I’ve heard in the past: the kind of tone you hear in the real masters of the music, like Billie’s voice or Miles’ horn. A kind of humanity that connects immediately.

James Moody – 4A (IPO Recordings)
WIth James Moody’s passing this past month we lose one of the last of the boppers. Who is left? Roy Haynes, Sonny Rollins, both still playing amazing and vital music. But, like WWII vets, we are witnessing the end of an era as each of these national treasures leave the stage. Moody left it burning.
Armed with an armful of jazz chestnuts and a cracker jack rhythm team (Kenny Barron on piano, Lewis Nash on drums and Todd Coolman on bass), Moody attacks each tune with aplomb. His deep tone and elegant phrasing brings to mind Dexter Gordon every now and then, high praise indeed.
So many of these tunes are such old friends: ‘Round Midnight’, ‘Stella By Starlight’, ‘Bye Bye Blackbird’; here they are played so superbly by a master who has devoted his life to playing this music.

Danilo Perez – PROVIDENCIA (Mack Avenue Records)
Bassist Rodney Whitaker once noted that Mack Avenue Records producer Al Pryor’s approach to a recording session is to encourage the artist to find a way to express their influences and passion. Hence Providencia finds pianist and composer Danilo Perez expressing Panamanian flavors while also addressing the meaning of the title, which he relates means ‘to be prepared for the future’ or ‘to be prepared for the unknown’.
‘Daniela’s Chronicles’, the first track, is mainly a trio thing, augmented by steel drums during the statement of the sweet melodic theme. Add altoist Rudresh Mahanthappa to the next tune, ‘Galactic Panama’; on ‘Bridge of Life’ Perez adds several horns to the palette, and the music sounds more like modern classical than it does jazz. Which says something: jazz continues to draw in influences from various cultures and styles. Perez, with chops to spare and fresh from his amazing tenure with the improv heavy Wayne Shorter Quartet, draws from some deep waters for this music.

http://www.amazon.com/Providencia-Danilo-Perez/dp/B003VOP732

Christian Scott – YESTERDAY YOU SAID TOMORROW (Concord Records)
The opening sounds more like a rock album, with electric guitar strums and drums roiling and tumbling along, nearly chaotic, and then Scott’s muted trumpet, a soft line, more drum freak out and then Scott without mute, full throated trumpet, a shout, as Jamire WIlliams (drummer) slowly deescalates his efforts. ‘K.K.P.D.’ is based on Scott’s interactions with police in the city, and traces that tension while exposing the tender hopes of some new way out of the historic hatred.
And this is the first cut.
Christian Scott has crafted an album that evokes Miles without imitation. Leading a quintet (Williams on drums, Matthew Stevens on guitar (he also serves as musical director), Milton Fletcher on piano and Kris Funn on bass) Scott explores a jazz rock blend that is pretty much unlike any other I’ve ever heard. Not that it’s all thrum and thrash. ‘Isadora’ is a hesitant, aching ballad, for instance. And there is much about this music that is tender, though often contrasted with electric guitar. Rock fans might dig this!
This is music that was carefully conceptualized, that blends rock and hip hop and jazz and various other influences. It’s also overtly political with titles like ‘The Roe Effect’ or ‘Angola L.A. & The 13th Amendment’.
I’m often asked, ‘What does jazz have to do to draw in a younger audience?’ I think that Christian Scott might have an answer here.

Kenny Werner – NO BEGINNING, NO END (Half Note)
This disc has already received much critical appraise. Werner has won a Guggenheim Fellowship Award for the composition. The music, and the poem that serves as the libretto for this piece, are a tribute to his daughter Katheryn, who died in a car accident a few years ago.
This is transcendent music, written for woodwinds, voices and strings, and featuring Kenny’s good friends, Joe Lovano (saxophone) and Judi Silvano (vocals). It sounds more like modern classical music than it does jazz, though Lovano’s contribution is profound.
The process of creating and recording this music is described in a series of videos you can view on YouTube.

It’s advisable to do this before purchasing the album, because this is not light listening. But it’s a healing document and anyone familiar with loss, grief and spirit may find this helpful. Kenny is a practitioner of meditation, and the title of the album reflects his attitude and philosophy regarding these themes of mortality.
Years ago a colleague of mine had a young adult daughter who died in a car accident. The funeral service was achingly sad and somehow uplifting as well. Several people got up to tell stories about the young woman, each part deeply appreciated by the community that had gathered. And then a cellist stepped forward and played a Bach Sonata. And it just said, in music, something no one else could express.
That’s what this music does. Beautiful writing, beautiful playing. A magnificent achievement.

I’m participating in a panel discussion today at my alma mater, M.S.U., to discuss working as a therapist. I’ve been able to make a good living doing meaningful work and have managed to put together a life that has included things I’m passionate about.

One of the questions on the prep sheet for the speakers is “What is a typical day like for you?” I realized, it really depends on the day. From Monday – Thursday I see clients. From 4-7 clients a day, sometimes in the a.m. but most often in the afternoons and evenings. My caseload includes teens and couples but mainly adults. Some issues we address are depression, trauma, anxiety, relationships, substance abuse, creative blocks and personal development. I usually end up seeing between 17-25 people a week. Why that number? If I see more than that, I end up burned out. If I see fewer than that, I can’t make a living. So, that number has evolved from my personal experience as optimal.

On Fridays I write. I’m writing my second novel, a mystery. I’m calling it a post 9-11 mystery set in Greenwich Village. I don’t want to say too much about it, but there is a political and cultural sub-text and a story line that is very compelling. And frightening. I really intend it to scare the hell out of you.

On Sunday nights I host my radio show: The Vinyl Side of Midnight. I’ve done this since 1997, believe it or not. Three of my favorite hours of the week, as I spin records and CDs, 95% jazz and 5% whatever. I also interview both national and local jazz personalities every few weeks.

So, how can YOU develop your own practice? Here’s my top 5 pieces of advice:

1 – Develop a specialty. I started in family therapy. Hardly anyone was doing family therapy in Lansing in the 1980s. Now tons of people include it as part of their practice. Since then I’ve developed a number of other specialties, including EMDR and MET/CBT, stuff that is uniquely specialized that you can’t get from most providers. Specialize.

2 – To get what you haven’t got, you’ll have to do something you’ve never done. Get good training. Get supervised. Find the national and local experts and allow yourself to be mentored. Make this a life long habit. Some day, and you’ll be surprised at how quickly it occurs, you’ll be the local expert.

3 – Network. Give away the stuff you know to organizations. Free seminars. Meet other professionals for lunch. Give away your business cards. Make a web site. Join organizations that might have an overlap in your area of expertise. Blow your own horn. Find kindred spirits and create your own support groups of friends.

4 – Volunteer. You’ll meet people from all walks of life and it will broaden your experience and they’ll also learn about you. And you’ll make new friends.

5 – Keep your passions alive. I love to write. I love music. I love to travel. I’ve found ways to do all three in this career. This can be tough work. Keeping your passions alive will keep you fresh and vital. In the same spirit, take impeccable care of yourself. Feed your interests. Feed your spirit and your soul. Take care of your body. Start a practice of regular exercise.

Hopefully this has been helpful. You’ll find your own way, and maybe some day you’ll be able to share with someone else what’s worked for you. Best of luck!

For ongoing updates from the festival from myself, Meegan Holland and photos by C. Blumer, check out m-Live throughout the weekend.

I was in my teens and loved to listen to Beatles, CSN&Y, The Who, Santana, all the bands who played at Woodstock. When I saw a triple LP documenting the Isle of Wight festival, with a whole side of new live Jimi Hendrix, I had to have it.

The album ended with a long track by someone named Miles Davis, titled “Call It Anything”. I started to listen but couldn’t make any sense of the music. I felt ripped off. What the hell was this?

A buddy of mine in high school (Renaldo Migaldi) said, “I knew you were hooked because you’d come to school day after day complaining about Miles Davis.”

I started to read about him. Ralph Gleason published a complimentary review of “On The Corner” with Santana’s “Caravanserai” and I respected his writing and his taste. Clearly there was something here I wasn’t getting. That summer I went several times to the library (what a geek, I know) and checked out jazz records and old editions of Downbeat magazine, trying to get a handle on this music.

Finally, freshman year of college, I checked out a Smithsonian collection of classic jazz that contained a track from Miles Davis’ “Kind of Blue”. I’m pretty sure it was “So What”. It clicked. I got it. I fell in love.

I’m still in love today. I love each of Miles Davis’ periods, from his apprenticeship with Charlie Parker to his Birth of the Cool sessions; both of his great quintets from the 1950s & ’60s. The electric Miles, and even the last batch of recordings he made before his death. He was the Picasso of music in the last century.

When I went through a divorce a decade ago, part of my dealing with it was to put together a talk on Miles Davis, which I gave at the Creativity & Madness conference in Maui later that year. He has been a touchstone for my life story. My love of his music goes beyond my intellectual capacity to express. My year isn’t complete without working my way through listening to all of my Miles music, which is a mountain of listening. I just listened to Dark Magus yesterday.

And yes, today I can make sense of “Call It Anything”.

I haven’t written here in a bit; a busy spring which included getting married to Cathie Blumer (see photos of the wedding on my facebook page if interested) at the Creole Gallery in May. Work has been intensely busy and prepping for the Peninsula Writer’s summer retreat/conference in June, which I’ll be co-coordinating with Kimm X. Jayne. We’re having poet Mary Ann Samyn as our speaker this year, a native Michigander who now teaches at West Virginia University and the winner of the Emily Dickinson Prize from the Poetry Society of America. Cool.

Here are some random (really) thoughts that have been on my mind this season:

- Seeing a wave of clients who are now bona fide marijuana customers; some of these folks identify themselves as being in recovery, yet smoke pot on a daily basis. Will marijuana be to alcohol what methadone is to heroin? A less dangerous addiction? I’m not seeing much written about this (yet) but I’m betting other therapists are seeing the same thing I’m seeing in my practice. I have split feelings about this and am likely to explore this topic at more depth here in future. Maybe the very near future.

- Summer is here lining up for the festivals I love to attend: Old Town Jazz Festival; the East Lansing Summer Solstice Jazz Festival has upped the ante by including Joe Lovano in their line up! And of course the Detroit Jazz Festival, which looks amazing, again. My daughter is getting married a half a day away from Detroit, so I’m going to have to miss a good chunk of this year’s festival. But you can’t do everything and family trumps everything.

- Politics. The news about the BP oil spill, the emergence of the Tea Party and the story line of the Obama administration continues to be riveting for me and I can’t go a day without catching up on what is happening. I’m an unapologetic liberal, and I believe that change, progress and evolution are essential if we are to survive, not as a democracy even, but as a species. The corporations, which hit their high water mark under the rein of Haliburton/Cheney/Bush will not go gently into that good night.

- Mysteries. Finishing the first draft of my Murphy mystery and gaining a whole new appreciation for the craft of creating suspense, tension and release. Watching Hitchcock, reading Cormac McCarthy, and devouring lots of material along these lines. I haven’t been sleeping as well as I’d like. Is there a connection? Which brings me to….

- Spirituality. My sister Linda has inadvertently started me on a course of meditation. I’m starting small, attempting ten minutes a day of focus on my breath. Usually I get a few moments of complete stillness here, but it’s a beginning.