November 2003 Archives

I'm in love again
This I mean it
In love again
So in love again
What lies between us is discovering
This time it's for real

Wow, how many times have we heard ourselves or our friends say that? My personal joy about doing these flashbacks is that I get to pull out some of my old vinyl and blow the dust off of them. In my early 20's, going to a Patti LaBelle concert was an event. I had a friend who always had to have the best seats for her concerts so we would go to the ticket brokers and pay a little extra for the good seats. From 1983-86, we never missed her when she came to town. I was not one of those people that went running up on stage when she asked for people to come dance with her during "Lady Marmalade" but I did have my trusty Kodak Disc camera with the telephoto lense so I got some good photos. Come on now, I know I was not the only one who brought a camera to a concert trying to get that one good shot. Thank God for time and wisdom. She always had fierce gowns and her hair was a creation of its own. She came to sing you into the heavens and that is exactly what she did. You could never really capture on record the magnitude of her live shows. She loved her audience and she let us know throughout the evening. She also made us feel like we were part of her family as she shared stories about her loved ones. My favorite part of her concerts was when Patti would kick off her shoes roll across the floor on "Isn't It A Shame." Toss in Patti singing "You Are My Friend" and I would just melt. Her background singers, The Sweeties, were sparrows in their own right and kept up with Patti every step of the way which was no easy task. I also got to see Patti in the gospel musical, "Your Arms Too Short To Box With God" and she was spectacular.

As I listen to "I'm in Love Again", "Lover Man", "Love, Need, and Want You" and "If Only You Knew" from her I'm in Love Again album (1983), I am filled with memories of sharing good music with good friends. This was definitely a side A album and I can remember playing it over and over again. Side B was more uptempo and less memorable but side A was for lovers or at least it made you wish you were in love again and again.

I dedicated this flashback to all my friends and family near and far and wish you a happy and safe Thanksgiving. Don't worry, I will post again before turkey day!

The above photo was taken on the beach in Carmel the same weekend as the Monterey Jazz Festival. I try to get to this beach once a year as it is one of my favorite places. Hopefully, I will have more photos as soon as I get them organized.

This post is envolving as I gather more news.

From The Crusade.net, The Ru Report featuring jazz news on Abbey, Shirley, Lizz, Regina, and Wynton and whole lot more.

From JazzTimes.com, Danilo Perez Given Keys to Panama and Irvin Mayfield's in Overdrive

Guitarist Earl Klugh, who was smooth before there was even smooth jazz, will be playing Yoshi's from 1/1-4. A great way to kick off your New Year's resolution to see more live music. :)

Vocalist Kurt Elling will be playing The Green Mill in Chicago for New Year's Eve. The show will be from 9-12:30. NPR's Coast-to-Coast will be broadcasting live from 11-midnight Chicago time. The special guest will be Ed Petersen - the great tenor player. The booths/tables in front are $40 a person to reserve and will go quickly, so if you want a place to sit with an unobstructed view - call today, 773-761-7500. For all you aspiring musicians, there will be a jam session from 1-4am so bring your instruments! General admission tickets will be $20 and only available at the door.

NYTimes.com Article: Regina Carter Keeps in Touch With a 260-Year-Old Friend

NYTimes.com Jazz Review | Regina Carter: The Specter of Paganini Hovering Slyly Over a Performance

We can expect new music from singer/songwriter Brenda Russell in 2004. Read more...

EURWEB.com: Nnenna Freelon Gets Live: But what took her so long?

Anita Baker has an official website now but you probably knew that already.

Broadway's Dreamgirl Subs for Holiday Performances in New Musical Like Jazz

Picture this: You arrive at J&R Music World on Saturday, Nov. 15 a little after 4:00 pm. You browse through the CD titles, make your selections and stand in line to make your purchase. You have this great jazz tune in your head but can't quite figure out where it's coming from. Then you realize, it's not in your head, it is live music!

Trumpeter Jeremy Pelt performs live from J&R Music World, Saturday, November 15 at 4:00 pm and joins Saturday Afternoon Jazz host Monifa Brown. Jeremy will be playing tunes from his most recent CD, Close To My Heart, which is now available on MAXJAZZ Records. Jazz88 broadcasts the "Live from J&R" series on the third Saturday of each month.

Currently Pelt is a featured performer in the Mingus Big Band, Ralph Peterson Quintet, Lewis E. Nash Ensemble, Cannonball Adderley Legacy Quintet and the Frank Foster Loud Minority Band. You can hear him broadcast live, or listen in person at J&R Music World, located on Park Row, adjacent to City Hall Park in NYC.

The performers for this show includes:

Jeremy Pelt - trumpet/flugelhorn
Vicente Archer - bass
Danny Grissett - piano
Israel Bannerman - drums

Someone to live for
Beg, steal, and die for
Eat humble pie for
Fly to the sun and the moon and the sky for
Someone to dance with
Laugh with and cry for
And that someone is you...

Just the words from "I'm All Smiles" sets the mood for romance but add to that Dianne Reeves passionately singing and scatting this tune and it raises the romance to another level. This is my favorite track from her new Blue Note release, A Little Moonlight, which contains 10 songs drenched in love. Dianne brings warmth, beauty, and grace to each lush note of these classic gems. I first heard the opening track "Loads of Love" on an early Shirley Horn album. "I want my dinner, some smart conversation, and loads of lovely love." Now those are words to live by and Dianne delivers them quite well. Her fervent reading of "I Concentrate on You" has a bossa nova flavor. She is full of wise on "Reflections"as she poignantly reflects on her life and the lessons she has learned along the way. She calls on the "Skylark" to lead her heart to the love it has lost. Her beautiful phrasing tugs at your heart. She brings the tempo up and scats in her playful rendition of the title track, "What A Little Moonlight Can Do" and then simmers down with "Darn That Dream" which features Romero Lubambo on solo acoustic guitar caressing her every note. He also joins her on the sweet "Lullaby of Broadway." She lovingly smolders on the wistful "You Go to My Head" as trumpeter Nicholas Payton adds just the right touches to this romantic melody. She closes out with a promise to return on "We'll Be Together Again" and that is enough to keep us enchanted forever. Carefully crafting their notes and rhythms to accompany to her to perfection are Peter Martin on piano, Reuben Rogers on bass, and Gregory Hutchinson on drums.

Continuing to smile....

I have had the pleasure of seeing Dianne Reeves three times in concert but this night was extra special. The lights were low, the mood was just right, romance was in the air, and the couples were cozy as Dianne looked radiant and crooned majestically throughout the evening. She opened with the "12th of Never" and moved to her scatting tribute to Sarah Vaughan, "I Remember Sarah" which featured some great rhythms from her drummer, Gregory Hutchinson. She scatted note for note with pianist Peter Martin on this wonderful tune. Dianne used a Joan Armatrading song line to describe her new album, A Little Moonlight. "I'm not in love, but I am open to persuasion." She continued to woo us with a lush, warm, passionate rendition of "Skylark." The acoustics were perfect so every note was clear and crisp. She held you on the edge of your seat with every word. I heard the opening bass notes from Reuben Rogers on "I'm All Smiles" and I thought I would either melt or elevate from her playful, magnificent delivery of this song. Dianne shared childhood stories of her singing songs that did not know the meaning of at family gatherings and how the adults would just laugh in enjoyment. Accompanied by a down home, bluesy solo piano, she took us back to the early days with "I've Got Rock In My Bed" where she told us of having the "blues from roof to ground" and a naughty little twist on the end where she sang "I've got Rocks Johnson in my bed" which indicates she may have found a cure for those old blues. She reflected a bit more on childhood with the jazzy, breezy "I Remember Nine" and made us starry-eyed once again as she sang the first couple of verses of "You Go To My Head" acappella. It was definitely a highlight of the evening. "Blue Prelude" opened with Reuben's bass solo and Dianne gave a serious moan on the end of the song. She closed with "Show Me Your Heart" filled with chants and Latin rhythms. As she bid us goodnight, she reminded us to "tell our stories." I felt so good after the concert that I had to sit there for a few minutes, as the crowd cleared, just to soak it all in and reflect on this powerful musical experience. Thank you Dianne!

"Sending you "forget me nots"
To help you to remember
Baby please forget me not
I want you to remember"

I am sure you were starting to wonder what happened to Flashback Friday's. Me too! I actually had a hard time selecting a Patrice "Baby Fingers" Rushen because there are so many great ones including Patrice, Posh, Pizzazz, Now, Watch Out!, and Signature. I chose the first Patrice that I owned, Straight from the Heart. It was one of the early purchases in my burgeoning record collection back in 1982. It got a lot of play in my household and I even think my Dad liked it or got used to hearing it. "Forget Me Nots" was, of course, the summer jam heating up the streets and dance floors and is still being sampled today. It had an infectious hook like "Haven't You Heard" from a few years before. My personal jam was the instrumental "Number One" which had a soulful funk groove. "Remind Me" and "Where There is Love" were quiet storm favorites. "Break Out" featured lyrics and background vocals from Brenda Russell and "If Only" featured lyrics from Syreeta Wright. "(She Will) Take You Down to Love" had a Brazilian flavor with sounds of the rain forest and featured Patrice on guitar and Paulihno Da Costa on percussion. "All We Need" and "I Was Tired of Being Alone" were soulful and funky with catchy hooks as well. It was a solid album continuing her fine tradition of music which we had come to know and love. In addition to her outstanding vocals and songwriting, Patrice played piano, electric piano, synthesizers, clavinet, percussion, and guitar on the album. There were also a wonderful cast of musicians and vocalists contributing to this musical melting pot including Charles Mims, Jr., Paul Jackson, Jr., "Ready" Freddie Washington, Roy Galloway, and Lynn Davis (the powerhouse vocalist featured on "This All I Really Now" on the Posh album).

I had the pleasure of seeing Patrice in concert last year in a jazz setting with Buster Williams on bass and Lenny White on drums. Part of me wanted to hear some of her old soulful jams but I was mesmerized by her piano playing. Her touch and her control were amazing. I will have to check for new recordings from Patrice. I really think we need a Patrice Rushen box set. In the meantime, enjoy your music and have a great weekend!

Have you had a chance to catch much of the SFJAZZ Festival? This is the last few days of what has been an outstanding and eclectic festival. I have seen McCoy Tyner, Mavis Staples, and Cecil Taylor. This week I will be seeing the Hammond B-3 Summit featuring Jimmy Smith and Joey DeFrancesco at Bimbo's 365 on Thursday, Marian McPartland at the Herbst Theatre on Friday, and Nancy Wilson and Ramsey Lewis at Masonic Auditorium on Saturday. I will be putting together a review of this year's festival adventures in the next couple of weeks as soon as I think up a good title. :)

Vocalist Carmen Lundy with special guest violinist Regina Carter will be at Yoshi's on 11/11.

Over the past few months, I have been having an ongoing discussion with a fellow blogger about the amount of personal information I put in my weblog. I feel that the my music and concert reviews are my personal thoughts. I would not want to cloud this with stuff like I went to the eye doctor on Monday and I am being evaluated later this month for contact lenses (really, I am.) If I were going to share this type of information with the world, I would do so on a separate blog. My fellow blogger feels the world needs to experience my sparkling personality online. I feel like if you want all that, call me at home or come see me in person and I will share my sparkling self with you. I realize this is kind of selfish because I definitely enjoy reading about everyone else's lives and I do share my personal viewpoints on various topics on their blogs. It's all about the music here and when things settle down a bit, I would like to start writing some entries on personal points of interests like the resurgence of the Hammond B-3 organ, Fender Rhodes, and electric piano in jazz which I think is quite fascinating. I hope I am not rambling too much here but I would like to ask the following question:

As bloggers, what and who determines if we are sharing enough or not enough information with the world? I know my girlfriend, A.J., will stop by and give her thoughts and wisdom.

By the way, I saw egg nog at the grocery store today so soon, and very soon, it will be time for this cake.

Over the weekend, I attended a writer's retreat and had the great good fortune of presenting a workshop entitled Bringing Your Voice to Life/Personal Publishing. In the workshop, I provided information on writing reviews and blogging.

• What is your inspiration/motivation for writing reviews?
• What do you want to convey in your writing/reviews?
• Write the review that you would want to read.
• Write what you know.
• Read other’s reviews to get ideas for developing your own style but not to plagiarize.
• Be honest and accurate in telling your story.
• Research additional information on your subject – Google, Google, and Google again!
• Don’t be afraid to walk away from your writing in order to get fresh ideas.
• Don’t be afraid to invoke your voice but avoid I, Me, Me, I.
• Using a few or many words to convey your message. What are the differences?
• Always, always do spell and grammar checks. Use proper punctuation.
• Meeting your deadlines – whether self-imposed or by publications.
• Publish your work in several publications but don’t overkill.