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Los Angeles Jazz Scene
JAZZ AROUND TOWN - August 2009
TWO RECENT CONCERTS
The closing of the Jazz Bakery at the end of May has left a major gap in the jazz scene of Los Angeles. While the old
Jazz Bakery building is now both a furniture store and a noodle factory (no lie!), Ruth Price is determined to open up
a new Bakery in September. Currently she has possibilities in Culver City, Beverly Hills and West Los Angeles.
Meanwhile, an excellent fund raising concert took place at the Grammy Museum with all of the artists donating their
performances. Actor Jeff Galun (from Curb Your Enthusiasm) was the emcee and he supplied some funny lines and
good cheer. There were plenty of highlights throughout the evening. Pianist Alan Broadbent, bassist Putter Smith and
drummer Paul Kreibich played a flawless and tasteful version of “How Deep Is The Ocean.” Lyricist Alan Bergman
sang a few of his songs including “Windmills Of Your Mind” and “Nice And Easy.” On a touching version of “What Are
You Doing The Rest Of Your Life,” he was joined by Tierney Sutton and flutist Hubert Laws. Tierney had a miniset
that featured interaction with Laws on “Lullaby Of The Leaves. a duet with Broadbent, and a remarkable double time
version of “East Of The Sun.” Bill Henderson and pianist Mike Melvoin performed a few duets, best of which was “I
Need A Vacation From The Blues.” Hubert Laws and veteran guitarist Kenny Burrell were in excellent form during
their duets on “Lament,” a medium-tempo blues, and a beautiful rendition of “Sophisticated Lady.” Melvoin, Smith and
Kreibich joined Laws and Burrell for a closing “Summertime.” One certainly wishes Ruth Price well in her search to
bring back one of Los Angeles' most important jazz clubs.
On July 8 as part of the Hollywood Bowl's jazz series, Poncho Sanchez, Eddie Palmieri and Sergio Mendes were
featured with their groups. Poncho's octet was in their usual high spirited form, pleasing the audience with
“Canteloupe Island,” “Silver's Serenade,” a Willie Bobo medley, “Psychedelic Blues” and a few other numbers. Eddie
Palmieri's septet featured hot solos from trumpeter Brian Lynch and altoist Donald Harrison plus a stirring rhythm
section. But Sergio Mendes was a bust. His odd group, which included three vocalists, a second keyboardist, and a
funky rhythm section, started out playing the pleasing if lightweight Brazilian pop/jazz that had made Mendes famous
in the 1960s. But the use of a rapper, out-of-place funk lines (his bassist seemed very reluctant to play bossa nova
rhythms), bizarre arrangements (including the strangest version of “The Look Of Love” one will ever hear), and finally
eight scantily-clad dancers made many in the audience scratch their heads. Sergio Mendes needs much better
advice on how to update his music for his set looked like an out-of-control amateur hour that was much more Las
Vegas than Rio.
A NEW ORGANIST ON THE SCENE
Getting an endorsement from Joey DeFrancesco says a lot for the abilities of any organist. Adrienne Hindmarsh is an
outstanding talent. Born and raised in New Zealand, she is an exciting performer who relocated to the United States
last year. She has recorded several CDs, most recently Blue Skies, and often performs with a quartet also featuring
guitarist Josh Hindmarsh and drummer Jim Rupp. Ms. Hindmarsh keeps the legacy of soul jazz/hard bop organists
alive while also offering something new. How many organists play in the tradition of Jimmy Smith while also singing like
a jazz vocalist from the 1950s? For more information about this emerging talent, check out www.adriennehindmarsh.
com.
DVD ROUNDUP
There are so many jazz DVDs being regularly released, and so few being reviewed in general, that I have decided to
use part of this column on an occasional basis to cover some of the more exciting jazz performances that one can see
on their own television.
The first four DVDs are available from Eagle Rock Entertainment (www.eagle-rock.com). The long hoped-for reunion
of Return To Forever was major news in 2008. 32 years after the most famous version of RTF (the electric quartet
with keyboardist Chick Corea, guitarist Al DiMeola, bassist Stanley Clarke and drummer Lenny White) broke up, they
finally got back together. Unlike their only other reunion (in 1983) which emphasized new material, this time they
revisited some of their original classics in addition to having individual features. They demonstrated how much they
have grown since the 1970s, not repeating the past but instead creating new state-of-the-art fusion.
Los Angeles fans who missed their concert at the Gibson Theater should be particularly overjoyed at the release of
Return To Forever Returns - Live At Montreux (Eagle Eye) because it contains more than a complete concert. The
149 minutes starts off with “Hymn Of The Seventh Galaxy” (the opening section will make fusion fans feel nostalgia)
and has such highlights as “Vulcan Voices,” “No Mystery” and “Romantic Warrior.” A favorite is “Song To The
Pharoah Kings” which starts with Chick Corea alternating between drums and vibes sounds on his synth before
having a long heated tradeoff with DiMeola. In addition to the Montreux concert of July 14, 2008, five additional
selections (including “Duel Of The Jester and the Tyrant”) from a Florida performance of July 31 wrap up this lengthy
and historic release which is full of creative fire.
In 1996, Wayne Shorter performed at Montreux, leading a quintet also featuring keyboardist James Beard, guitarist
David Gilmore, electric bassist Alphonso Johnson (a major alumnus of Weather Report who is outstanding
throughout) and drummer Rodney Holmes. Most of the selections on Live At Montreux are from Shorter's solo records
of the previous decade, most notably High Life. These five performances (four of which are lengthy) top the studio
versions with Shorter heard throughout in passionate and explorative form on tenor and soprano. As a bonus,
Shorter is featured on two numbers (including “Footprints”) from the 1991 Montreux Festival with a quartet including
Herbie Hancock, Stanley Clarke and drummer Omar Hakim, and on “Pinocchio” and a medley of “Pee Wee” and a
driving “One Bass Hit” from 1992 with a Miles Davis tribute band also including Hancock, Ron Carter, Tony Williams
and trumpeter Wallace Roney. One wishes that the latter concert was available in full. The bonus material nearly
doubles the amount of music on this worthy 105 minute DVD.
Miles Davis' That's What Happened was filmed in Germany in 1987. While there have been several DVDs released of
Davis and his band in later years, I do not recall this particular concert being available. Heading an octet that also
includes altoist Kenny Garrett, guitarist Foley and a large rhythm section, Davis plays his usual repertoire of the time
including “New Blues,” “Tutu,” “Portia” and his versions of a pair of pop tunes: “Human Nature” and “Time After Time.”
The 61-year old trumpeter is in excellent form, Garrett adds fire to the set and this 98-minute DVD is rounded off by a
short film on which Davis talks about his drawings, and a half-hour interview in which Davis mostly discusses his then-
current band and projects. Most interesting is when he asked about fans and critics who felt that he should have
continued playing his older music. He answers by talking about how his record company did not want him to use John
Coltrane in his band in the mid-1950s and how, when you are a creative musician, “you have to be a bit selfish” to
continue growing.
On June 3, 1989, Charles Mingus' Epitaph received its debut performance at Alice Tully Hall. The longest work of
music in jazz history, the 18 movements total over two hours in playing time and 500 pages of music paper. Scattered
about during Mingus' lifetime (just a few excerpts were performed at his 1962 Town Hall concert), the nearly
impossible work was reconstructed by Gunther Schuller and others, and miraculously performed by a 30-piece all-
star orchestra. The Eagle Rock DVD Charles Mingus: Epitaph is beautifully filmed (the camerawork is superb) with
Schuller happily conducting the remarkable band. Among the musicians are six trombonists (Britt Woodman, Urbie
Green and Eddie Bert among them), seven saxophonists including John Handy, Jerome Richardson, Bobby Watson,
and Phil Bodner, contrabass clarinet, Michael Rabinowitz on bassoon (his solo on “Wolverine Blues” is memorable),
Don Butterfield on tuba, both Roland Hanna and John Hicks on pianos, guitarist John Abercrombie, vibraphonist Karl
Berger, drummer Victor Lewis, two bassists, percussion and an unbeatable trumpet section comprised of Randy
Brecker, Wynton Marsalis, Lew Soloff, Jack Walrath, Joe Wilder and Snooky Young.
The music, particularly during the first half of this marathon work, is dense, very dissonant and ensemble-oriented.
Things lighten up a bit during the second half when such individual pieces as “O.P,” “Peggy's Blue Skylight” and
especially “Better Get It In Your Soul” give musicians opportunities to solo. It is intriguing seeing the players rarely
taking their eyes off of their music during much of the two hours. It is a safe bet that no one memorized their part!
This forbidding work is best appreciated by watching this DVD for it is heartwarming to see such masterful musicians
doing their best to do justice to Charles Mingus' crowning achievement.
In the early 1980s, veteran pianist-arranger Phil Moore hosted 46 half-hour episodes of a television series called Ad
Lib. Several of the programs have thus far been reissued by Arkadia (www.arkadiadvd.com) with two shows on a DVD
including dates featuring Freddie Hubbard and Dorothy Donegan. Hubbard's One Of A Kind is particularly rewarding.
The trumpeter is well showcased although there is also solo space for keyboardist Billy Childs (who takes several
particularly inventive solos), bassist Larry Klein, drummer Steve Houghton and percussionist Buck Clark. Highlights
include “Byrdlike,” “First Light” and “One Of Another Kind.” It is a thrill to hear Freddie Hubbard back in his prime
again.
Dorothy Donegan, normally a very extroverted and flashy virtuoso, sounds very restrained on the first of two
programs included on Pandemonium, taking a few thoughtful solos and sharing the spotlight with singer Spanky
Wilson (who is best on “Summertime”). The second program, which has trombonist Buster Cooper in superior form on
“Sometimes I'm Happy” and “Memories Of You,” includes some exciting Donegan playing on “The Lady Is A Tramp”
and the closing “Take The 'A' Train.” One looks forward to Arkadia reissuing many more of these valuable programs.