April is Jazz Appreciation Month

It's almost time once again for Jazz Appreciation Month, the annual celebration of jazz music sponsored every April by the Smithsonian Institution.

Now in its 14th year, Jazz Appreciation Month (or JAM) was created "to draw greater public attention to the extraordinary heritage and history of jazz and its importance as an American cultural heritage. In addition, JAM is intended to stimulate the current jazz scene and encourage people of all ages to participate in jazz—to study the music, attend concerts, listen to jazz on radio and recordings, read books about jazz, and support institutional jazz programs."

This year, JAM is celebrating the legacy of composer, arranger and pianist Billy Strayhorn on the occasion of the hundredth anniversary of his birth.

More than just one of Duke Ellington's key musical associates, Strayhorn was in some ways almost an alter ego for Ellington, composing and arranging many important works for the orchestra, including standards such as "Take The A Train," "Chelsea Bridge," and "Lush Life," and also serving as rehearsal pianist, copyist, sounding board and more.You can learn more about the Strayhorn-Ellington collaboration in the Smithsonian's online exhibition here.

At the end of the month, jazz fans worldwide also will celebrate the fourth annual International Jazz Day on Thursday, April 30. Sponsored by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), International Jazz Day is designed to highlight jazz and its diplomatic role of uniting people in all corners of the globe.

Paris, France will be the host city for 2015, but various related events will take place in cities all over the world, including an all-star concert with performances by Herbie Hancock, Marcus Miller, Al Jarreau, Wayne Shorter, Dianne Reeves, Dee Dee Bridgewater, and many more that will be streamed live online around the world. At the end of this post, you can see a short promotional video for International Jazz Day, and, if it's made available to bloggers this year, StLJN will present the live stream of the concert right here on April 30, too.

Meanwhile, if you can't wait to get started, the Smithsonian offers a list of "112 ways to celebrate Jazz Appreciation Month," and once again has produced a poster honoring a famous musician. This year's JAM poster (pictured) features an image of Strayhorn by artist Keith Henry Brown.

The posters were distributed for free to schools, libraries, music and jazz educators, music merchants and manufacturers, radio stations, arts presenters, and U.S. embassies worldwide, and anyone can download a copy in .png format here. You also can see and download commemorative posters from the previous 13 years of JAM here.

Music Education Monday: Aebersold's "Jazz Handbook," plus Latin percussion classes with Dafnis Prieto

This week for "Music Education Monday," we've got a primer for aspiring jazz players that also may be of interest to non-playing fans, plus a master class in Latin percussion techniques:

* Known throughout the jazz world as a leading purveyor of jazz education materials and proprietor of summer jazz camps, saxophonist and educator Jamey Aebersold for years also has given away for free a 56-page tome called simply Jazz Handbook.

While aimed primarily at beginning and intermediate musicians, the collection of exercises, lists, short articles, and more also conceivably may be of interest to more advanced musicians, and even to fans looking for some basic "Jazz 101" type knowledge.

You can download a free copy of the Jazz Handbook in PDF format here.

* In addition to being a busy working musician, Cuban-born percussionist Dafnis Prieto also is a professor at NYU’s Steinhardt School, a frequent clinician at other colleges and universities, and a 2011 winner of a Macarthur Fellowship, aka "the genius grant." (St. Louis jazz fans also may recall Prieto from when his trio played at Jazz at the Bistro back in 2012.)

In the video windows below, you can check out two lessons from Prieto. The first is a playlist of excerpts from a master class he did a few years ago at Loyola University in New Orleans, in which he offers an overview of various Latin percussion styles and how to play them. In the second, Prieto gives a full lesson specifically on "rhythmic independence within Latin drumming" and plays a solo demonstrating some of his concepts.

Miles on Monday: Inside the Bitches Brew sessions, box set reissue news, and more

Today for "Miles on Monday," a compilation of the latest news items involving the legendary trumpeter: 

* AllAboutJazz.com has a lengthy excerpt from the recently published book Listen to This: Miles Davis and Bitches Brew, in which author Victor Svorinich details the day-to-day progress of the tracking sessions for one of the most influential albums of Davis' electric period.

* For the vinyl enthusiasts out there, MilesDavis.com has more details on the Record Store Day exclusive Miles Davis: The Prestige 10-Inch LP Collection, Vol. 2, a facsimile reissue (pictured) box set that includes newly minted copies of Miles Davis All Star Sextet, Miles Davis Quintet, Miles Davis with Sonny Rollins, Miles Davis All Stars Vol. 1, and Miles Davis All Stars Vol. 2. The set goes on sale for Record Store Day on Saturday, April 15.

* Proving that Miles Davis' influence still extends from coast to coast and beyond, Los Angeles NPR affiliate KCRW's program "Tom Schnabel's Rhythm Planet" recently did a special episode about "The DNA of Miles Davis' Sketches of Spain," while New York magazine inevitably included a Davis-related anecdote in their look last week at "New York After Midnight"

Sunday Session: March 29, 2015

Wayne Shorter

For your Sunday reading, some interesting music-related items that have hit StLJN's inbox over the past week:

* Critic's notebook: Bebop hallucination from Wayne Shorter (Detroit Free Press)
* Lithofayne Pridgon: Jimi Hendrix’s original ‘foxy lady’ (The Guardian UK)
* Buena Vista Social Club: the legends look back (The Guardian UK)
* Audio For Virtual Reality Takes Off (Pro Sound News)
* What Makes an Electric Guitar Sound Like an Electric Guitar (The Atlantic)
* Phil Manzanera on Jay Z, Kanye West and the riff that changed his life (The Independent UK)
* The Electronic Composer in the Modern Age (Hyperallergic.com)
* Have We Reached the End of Jazz Itself? (The Nation)
* The five eras of listening - How music went from art form to ambient noise in the last 150 years (and five ways to listen better today) (Medium.com)
* The Sweet Memphis Sound Of 'Beale Street' (WBUR)
* Antonio Sánchez to Release Two New Albums This Spring; Drummer/composer will also tour (Jazz Times)
* Did these guys ruin music as we knew it? (Medium.com)
* Alan Lomax's Massive Archive Goes Online (NPR)
* Astral Sojourn - The untold story of how Van Morrison fled record-industry thugs, hid out in Boston, and wrote one of rock’s greatest albums. (Boston magazine)
* ‘Dylan, Cash and the Nashville Cats,’ an Unlikely Alliance of Rock and Country (New York Times)
* Three Jazz Pianists, A Generation After Apartheid (NPR)
* Photos: Celebration of Strata-East at Barbican Theatre in London (Jazz Times)

StLJN Saturday Video Showcase: Person of interest

Today, let's look at some videos featuring saxophonist and St. Louis native Eric Person, who's coming back home for the first time in five years to perform in a free concert for the Jazz at Holmes series at Washington University this coming Thursday, April 2.

Person, who's now 51, grew up in North County and began playing local jazz gigs while still attending Normandy High School. After graduation, he moved to NYC in 1982, and over the next decade refined his skills on alto sax, soprano sax and flute while performing and recording with bands led by the drummers Chico Hamilton and Ronald Shannon Jackson.

In the 1990s, he worked with bassist Dave Holland and with the World Saxophone Quartet, and also began leading his own recording dates, releasing three albums on the Soul Note label.

More recently, Person founded the Distinction Records imprint to distribute his subsequent recordings, and has continued to release albums and lead various ensembles including eponymous trios and quartets, the jazz quartet Meta-Four, the more fusion-oriented Metamorphosis, and a big band, documented on his most recent album, 2012's Thoughts on God.

For his gig here next week, Person will work in a trio with St. Louis bassist Bob Deboo and drummer Demarius Hicks, and so today, we begin with some video clips showing him playing in a similarly configured band, the cooperative Triokinesis, which also features bassist Joseph Lepore and drummer Shinnosuke "Shin" Takahashi.

The first clip up above shows them playing Person's composition "Distant Rainbows" in a performance in May 2011 at Small's in NYC. After the jump, you can see three more songs from the same gig: Rahsaan Roland Kirk's "Black Diamond" plus Person's tunes "Prophecy" and "Old Hat Feathers."

Those videos are followed by a clip of Person and Meta-Four playing "The Multitudes" in December 2010 during a gig at the Jacque Pelzer Jazz Club in Liege, Belgium. Along with Person, that's Free Desmyter on piano, Nicolas Thys on bass, Marek Patrman on drums, and Chris Joris on percussion.

In the next two clips, both recorded in 2009, you can hear Person work out on a couple of standards, the Billy Strayhorn ballad "Chelsea Bridge" and Oliver Nelson's "Stolen Moments."

Last but not least, there's a track from Person's big band gig last May at Dizzy's Club Coca Cola in NYC's Lincoln Center. The original composition is called "And Then There Was Light," and features solos from Person on alto plus pianist Adam Klipple, tenor saxophonist Jason Marshall and trombonist Dion Tucker.

You can see StLJN's past coverage of Eric Person here, and see the rest of today's videos after the jump...

So What: Local News, Notes & Links

Here's the latest wrap-up of assorted links and short news items of local interest:

* An early-week set at NYC's Village Vanguard from Trio 3, featuring former St. Louisan Oliver Lake on saxophone, Reggie Workman on bass, and Andrew Cyrille on drums, got a favorable review from the New York Times' Nate Chinen.

Trio 3 continues there, as noted by some of the Vanguard's characteristically idiosyncratic signage (pictured), through tomorrow night.

* The Sheldon has posted on Facebook a photo album from last Saturday's performance by the Dizzy Gillespie Afro Cuban Experience.

* And while we're talking photo albums, you can see some shots from the Funky Butt Brass Band's gig Wednesday at the World Chess Hall of Fame here.

* Sarah Ulrich of Sarah Jane and the Blue Notes and her residence, the Deco Fortress, are featured in an article in the April issue of Alive! magazine titled "Offbeat Abodes."

* "Josephine and I," a new one-woman show about the legendary entertainer and St. Louis native Josephine Baker now playing at Joe's Pub in NYC, is one of several current theatrical productions reviewed by The New Yorker's Hilton Als.

* Singer/actor Meghan Kirk's show last week for the Gaslight Cabaret Festival was reviewed by Chuck Lavazzi of KDHX.

* Drummer Marcus Baylor has booked two NYC dates for The Baylor Project in May, with gigs set for Friday, May 8 at the Apollo Music Cafe (part of the famed Apollo Theater) and Monday, May 18 at the Blue Note.

* The PledgeMusic campaign for David Sanborn's new album Time and the River is almost over, but you can still get a signed CD, autographed lead sheet, or another pledge premium if you contribute before the official release date on Tuesday, April 7. For more info, visit http://www.pledgemusic.com/projects/davidsanborn/exclusives.

* Jazz radio update: On this Saturday's episode of Radio Arts Foundation-St. Louis' “Somethin’ Else,” host Calvin Wilson “Somethin’ Else” celebrates 100 episodes with new music from Diana Krall, Bobby McFerrin, Bill Frisell, and more.

Then on "The Jazz Collective", host Jason Church will play tracks from Nathan Woodward, The JT Project, Ken Navarro, Rick Braun, Rock Candy Funk Party, Al Jarreau, Jesse Cook, Chuck Mangione, Rodney Franklin, Manhattan Transfer, George Benson, Common Time, and more.

"Somethin' Else" can be heard at 8:00 p.m. Saturdays, followed by "The Jazz Collective" at 9:00 p.m. on 107.3 FM, 96.3 HD-2, and online at http://www.rafstl.org/listen.

Jazz this week: Matthew Shipp & Michael Bisio, Shades of Jade, T. Oliver Reid, Koplant No, Essentially Ellington Festival, and more

It's another busy weekend of live jazz and creative music in St. Louis, with a number of noteworthy shows from both touring and local performers, including a new variation on the usual booking formulas from Jazz St. Louis, as Jazz at the Bistro will for the first time in recent memory feature three different acts on three consecutive weekend nights.

Let's go to the highlights...

Wednesday March 25
The Funky Butt Brass Band performs in concert for the monthly music series at the World Chess Hall of Fame; singer Erin Bode emerges for a rare gig at Nathalie's; and the new music duo Patchwork will deliver a program of contemporary compositions at 560 Music Center.

Thursday March 26
If you're a Francophile or Francophone, you're doubly in luck this evening, as The Poor People of Paris play a free concert for the Jazz at Holmes series at Washington University, while Gypsy jazz group Franglais returns to Evangeline's.

Elsewhere around town, singer Joe Mancuso and guitarist Dave Black will duet at Thurman Grill, and the Tavern of Fine Arts will present their monthly "Experimental Arts Open Improv Night" with live improvised music.

Friday March 27
Singer and actor T. Oliver Reid (pictured, top left) will draw on jazz classics from the 1930s and 40s for the first of two performances of his Gaslight Cabaret Festival show "Drop Me Off In Harlem" at the Gaslight Theater.

Also on Friday, Southern Illinois University Edwardsville hosts the Essentially Ellington Regional Festival at Dunham Hall on campus, with performances from participating high school bands, the SIUE Concert Jazz Band and visiting clinicians including saxophonist Ron Carter, former Count Basie Orchestra drummer Dennis Mackrel, trumpeter Derrick Gardner; tuba player Bob Stewart; and bassist Jeff Campbell, plus various members of the SIUE jazz faculty.

Elsewhere around town, singer Denise Thimes will play a one-nighter at Jazz at the Bistro; singer Feyza Eren and pianist Curt Landes return to The Wine Press; and the Ambassadors of Swing play for dancers at Casa Loma Ballroom.

And if all that's not enough, saxophonists Tim Cunningham and Willie Akins will be making a rare joint appearance at Troy's Jazz Gallery; Sarah Jane and the Blue Notes will perform at Venice Cafe; and percussionist Herman Semidey and Orquesta Son Montuno will offer up a variety of Latin sounds at Club Viva.

Saturday, March 28
Pianist Matthew Shipp and bassist Michael Bisio (pictured, center left) will play a concert sponsored by New Music Circle at The Stage at KDHX. 

Shipp, who last performed here in 2011, is widely thought to be one of the most important improvising pianists of his generation, and Bisio is the bassist in his long-running trio. Their music as a duo, while obviously related to the sounds they make with drummer Whit Dickey, seems both more intimate but also potentially more raucous, as the absence of percussion forces a recalibration of relationships and a reallocation of sonic space. For more about Shipp, and video samples of his playing, check out this video post from last week.

Also on Saturday, Koplant No, who mix jazz-fusion, contemporary composition, and electronic music with a grab-bag of other influences, will present their first-ever performance at Jazz at the Bistro; and trumpeter Jim Manley, singer Charlie B. and pianist Arthur Toney will team up to play at the house concert venue KindaBlue.

Sunday March 29
The ever-evolving menu of Sunday jazz brunches has another new entry, as Mokabe's in the South Grand neighborhood now is featuring live music weekly from bassist David Certain and CertainBeat World Bop.

Sunday evening, the young Kansas City based band Shades of Jade, offering a neo-soul/hip-hop-influenced take on contemporary jazz and featuring former St. Louisan and Jazz St. Louis All-Star Joshua Williams (pictured), will make their debut at Jazz at the Bistro.

Monday, March 30
Animal Children will celebrate the release of their first (apparently self-titled?) CD at Foam Coffee And Beer, with The 442s opening the show.

Also on Monday, Dean Christopher returns with his "Rat Pack & More" show to One 19 Tapas & Wine Bar; "Blind" Willie Dineen and the Broadway Collective will play their monthly date at BB's Jazz, Blues & Soups; and Webster University's student jazz combos will show off what they've learned this semester in a performance at the Community Music School on the Webster campus. 

For more jazz-related events in and around St. Louis, please visit the St. Louis Jazz Notes Calendar, which can be found on the left sidebar of the site or by clicking here. You also can keep up with all the latest news by following St. Louis Jazz Notes on Twitter at http://twitter.com/StLJazzNotes or clicking the "Like" icon on the StLJN Facebook page.

(If you have calendar items, band schedule information, news tips, links, or anything else you think may be of interest to StLJN's readers, please email the information to stljazznotes (at) yahoo (dot) com. If you have photos, MP3s or other digital files, please send links, not attachments.)

Music Education Monday: Electronic music production tips, plus a keyboard workshop with Richard Tee

This week for "Music Education Monday," we've got some new info on electronic music production techniques, and a classic video workshop with a top session keyboardist:

* Ableton, makers of the popular Ableton Live software used for electronic music production, has put online a good-sized chunk of the new book Making Music: Creative Strategies for Electronic Music Producers, which purports to offer "a collection of solutions to common roadblocks in the creative process, with a specific emphasis on solving musical problems, making progress, and (most importantly) finishing what you start."

The book's website includes includes eight full chapters of the 25 included in the print edition, covering topics such as active listening, presets as starting points, and "procrastination and timeboxing." If you have even a passing interest in the techniques being discussed, it's worth a look.

* In the video window below, you can watch Contemporary Piano With Richard Tee, a video workshop released in 1984 featuring the late gospel-influenced keyboardist who was a first-call NYC session man from the late 1960s until his death in 1993.

A co-founder of the influential instrumental group Stuff, Richard Tee was well known in the jazz world for his work with Hank Crawford, George Benson and Grover Washington Jr., and also did tours and recording sessions with many other famous jazz, R&B, rock and pop musicians and singers. The video features Tee discussing topics including practice techniques, chord substitutions, left-hand technique, how to back a vocalist, and how to play in studio sessions.

Miles on Monday: Memorial statue sculptor to speak at Lewis and Clark CC, and more

This week for "Miles on Monday," we have some recent news items involving the legendary trumpeter:

* Preston Jackson, the sculptor creating the statue for the Miles Davis Memorial Project that will be placed in downtown Alton, IL later this year, will give a presentation for Lewis and Clark Community College’s Visiting Artist Lecture Series at noon this Wednesday, March 25.

Jackson’s talk will give an overview of his work, both sculptures and paintings, and will include photos of the Miles Davis statue in progress. Admission to the event, which will take place at the Hatheway Cultural Center Gallery on the Lewis and Clark campus, is free and open to the public.

* The 1991 Australian drama Dingo, which included Davis' only starring role in a feature film, was the subject of a critical rewatch from The Guardian (UK) critic Luke Buckmaster. The film features Davis as a thinly disguised version of himself named Billy Cross, who serves as a musical idol and touchstone to the story's protagonist, an aspiring jazz trumpeter played by Colin Friels (pictured, with Davis). "It is a deeply rewarding work to revisit. The characters are strong, the dramas feel rich and organic and the music is fantastic," writes Buckmaster.

* Trumpeter Terence Blanchard will be the featured soloist in "Miles Davis / Gil Evans: Still Ahead," a program featuring original Evans arrangements from the albums Porgy and Bess, Sketches of Spain and Miles Ahead  to be presented by the Los Angeles Philharmonic next Thursday, April 2 in LA.  

* Via the online 'zine Big O, you can download a recording of an unreleased live set of Davis' sextet performing in November 1970 at the Electric Factory in Philadelphia. Described as a "very good soundboard" of the show, it was recorded seven months after the release of Bitches Brew by a band featuring Davis with Jack DeJohnette on drums, Michael Henderson on electric bass, Keith Jarrett on electric piano and organ, Gary Bartz on alto and soprano sax, and Airto Moreira on percussion.

Sunday Session: March 22, 2015

Roy Haynes

For your Sunday reading, some interesting music-related items that have hit StLJN's inbox over the past week:

* We Speak African: Arturo O'Farrill on U.S./Cuba Exchange - Why diplomatic relations will change everything (Jazz Times)
* Five Decades, Six Galaxies, and Counting: The AACM at 50 (Walker Art)
* The Inside Story of How Vegas Changed Elvis Presley: Drugs, Debauchery & Superstitions (Billboard)
* Albert 'Tootie' Heath, Drummer Extraordinaire, Turns The Tables (NPR)
* Wynton Marsalis cancels Venezuela shows (USA Today)
* Dan Aykroyd, John Belushi's Widow Launch Blues Brothers Label (Rolling Stone)
* Could monitor engineers soon be a thing of the past? (Audio Media International)
* Behind The SFJAZZ Collective's Original Approach To Joe Henderson (NPR)
* Flashes of Quincy - The Quincy Jones Interview (Vice.com)
* Record Store Day: Indie labels say majors have ruined the big event (Independent UK)
* Chicago Jazz Festival To Celebrate AACM, Strayhorn, Lady Day with Special Concerts (DownBeat)
* Field Notes: Charles Lloyd at the Village Vanguard - A cause for celebration as the iconic venue turns 80 (Jazz Times)
* Haynes Celebrates 90th with Star-Studded Residency at New York’s Blue Note (DownBeat)
* Streaming Revenue Is Catching Up to Digital Download Revenue (Digital Music News)
* The Unlikely Story of “A Change Is Gonna Come” (The New Yorker)

StLJN Saturday Video Showcase: The provocative piano of Matthew Shipp

This week, let's take a look at some videos featuring pianist Matthew Shipp, who's coming to St. Louis for a duo concert with bassist Michael Bisio that will be presented by New Music Circle next Saturday, March 28 at The Stage at KDHX.

Shipp, who played here most recently in 2011 at 560 Music Center, emerged in the 1990s as one of the most provocative pianists of his generation, capable of both pointillist, jagged-sounding improvisations and lush, classically influenced romanticism.

He first received wide attention as a member of saxophonist David S. Ware's long-running quartet, and since has gone on to record dozens of albums as a soloist and bandleader in his own right, as well as in collaborative projects with musicians including saxophonists Darius Jones and Ivo Perelman and multi-instrumentalist Joe Morris.

Shipp also has gained a reputation for unusual candor, giving interviews and penning essays that express skepticism and challenge conventional views about subjects ranging from the relevance of the jazz tradition to the current state of the music business.

However, as entertaining and occasionally controversial as those critical and cultural musings may be, for an improvising musician like Shipp, the important stuff is what happens in the moment, on the bandstand. And so, here are a half-dozen videos offering glimpses of some of what he's been up to since his last visit to St. Louis.

First up, you can see Shipp's trio, with Bisio and drummer Whit Dickey, playing the title track from their 2014 album Root of Things in March 2014 at the Sanctuary for Independent Media in Troy, NY.

After the jump, there's a full solo set by Shipp, recorded as part of the 2014 Chicago Jazz Festival's "PianoForte Sessions."

That's followed by excerpts from a couple more trio shows, for Vision Festival 19 in June 2014 at Roulette in Brooklyn, and in June 2013 at Constellation in Chicago.

The fifth video is another complete set, featuring Shipp and saxophonist Evan Parker in June 2013 at La Dynamo in Toulouse, France, followed by yet another excerpt from a trio gig, in November 2012 in Budapest.

For more about Matthew Shipp, check out these recent interviews with the UK newspaper the Guardian and the websites Jazz Right Now, Flowers In A Gun, and Wondering Sound.

You can see the rest of today's videos after the jump...

So What: Local News, Notes & Links

Here's the latest wrap-up of assorted links and short news items of local interest:

* St. Louis native Lawrence Fields (pictured) can be heard playing piano on the upcoming release Live at Monterey Jazz Festival by SoundPrints, the Wayne Shorter-inspired band led by saxophonist Joe Lovano and trumpeter Dave Douglas. The album goes on sale everywhere Tuesday, April 7.

* Jazz St. Louis has posted on Facebook a photo album from Kneebody's opening night this week at Jazz at the Bistro. The group performs there through Saturday, with two sets per night plus a FREE lunchtime set open to the general public at 12:00 p.m. today (Friday, March 21).

* Did the late pianist Johnnie Johnson get a fair shake from the courts fifteen years ago when he sued rock 'n roll legend Chuck Berry claiming joint authorship of some of Berry's most famous songs? In an article published this week in St. Louis magazine, Byron Kerman talked to attorney Tim McFarlin, who after all these years has a new take on the case's implications.

* In a related development, McFarlin will give a "Business Edge" presentation for St. Louis Volunteer Lawyers and Accountants for the Arts on Monday, March 30 titled "The Case of Johnnie Johnson v. Chuck Berry and What Artists Should Do Before They Collaborate."

* Now that City of Music, Nine Network's special about the history of St. Louis music, has had its broadcast premiere, you can watch both parts of the program online at Nine's website. The special, which was filmed last October at the Sheldon and features performances from Alarm Will Sound, Denise Thimes, Peter Martin, Billy Peek, Illphonics, Carolbeth True and more, also will get a repeat broadcast airing at 7:00 p.m. this coming Tuesday, March 25.

* The 2015 St. Louis Cabaret Conference has added two-time Tony-winning composer Jason Robert Brown as a guest faculty member and festival performer. Deadline for performers wishing to attend this year's conference to submit their audition materials is Monday, April 13.

* Last week's funeral services for singer and nightclub owner Gene Lynn were covered by local Fox affiliate KTVI (Channel 2)

* A post this week on the Riverfront Times' music blog spotlights New Music Circle's sliding scale ticket prices for "struggling artists."

* Drummer and St. Charles native Dave Weckl will be one of the instructors at a "Drum Fantasy Camp" to be held this summer from August 7 - 11 in Chicago at Vic's Drum Shop/Music Garage.

* Saxophonist Oliver Lake will reunite with bassist Reggie Workman and drummer Andrew Cyrille as Trio 3 for a week-long gig starting this coming Tuesday, March 24 at NYC's Village Vanguard.

* The latest remastered vinyl reissue of Miles Davis' Kind of Blue gets an "extended analysis" from AllAboutJazz.com's Nenad Georgievski.

* Jazz radio update: On this Saturday's episode of Radio Arts Foundation-St. Louis' “Somethin’ Else,” host Calvin Wilson will be spinning contemporary pop tunes given jazz interpretations by musicians including Joshua Redman, Brad Mehldau, and Jason Moran. "Somethin' Else" can be heard at 8:00 p.m. Saturdays on 107.3 FM, 96.3 HD-2, and online at http://www.rafstl.org/listen.

SIUE, St. Louis Jazz Club to present Essentially Ellington Regional Festival on Friday, March 27

The jazz studies program at Southern Illinois University-Edwardsville and the St. Louis Jazz Club are teaming up to present the Essentially Ellington Regional Festival on Friday, March 27 at Dunham Hall on the SIUE campus.

Funded by a grant from the Jazz Club and co-produced by NYC's Jazz at Lincoln Center, the festival includes a full day of performances and workshops involving high school jazz ensembles from around the St. Louis metro area, culminating in a public concert at 7:30 p.m. featuring the participating bands, clinicians, and the SIUE Concert Jazz Band.

The visiting clinicians for the event will include saxophonist Ron Carter (pictured), former director of jazz studies at NIU, as well as former Count Basie Orchestra drummer Dennis Mackrel, trumpeter Derrick Gardner; tuba player Bob Stewart; and bassist Jeff Campbell. Participating musicians from the SIUE jazz faculty will include guitarist and jazz studies director Rick Haydon, trombonist Brett Stamps, saxophonist Jason Swagler, trumpeter Garrett Schmidt, pianist Adaron "Pops" Jackson, and drummer Miles Vandiver.

Tickets for the concert are $12 for general admission, $9 for seniors and under 18, and free to SIUE students with valid student ID.

Jazz this week: Greater St. Louis Jazz Festival, Dizzy Gillespie Afro-Cuban Experience, Kneebody, Jazz Edge Big Band, and more

It's looking like the busiest weekend so far this year for live jazz and creative music in St. Louis, with a number of touring bands and musicians passing through town in the next few days, as well as some particularly noteworthy shows from local players.

Let's go to the highlights...

Wednesday, March 18
The eclectic quintet Kneebody makes their St. Louis debut, opening a four-night engagement continuing through Saturday at Jazz at the Bistro. Although their instrumentation (trumpet, sax and rhythm section) may seen familiar, Kneebody pulls in a lot of influences from beyond the jazz tradition, ranging from punk rock to contemporary classical. You can see and hear the results for yourself in this video showcase post from last Saturday.   

Also tonight, Cabaret Project St. Louis presents their monthly "Open Mic Night" at the Tavern of Fine Arts

Thursday, March 19
Pianist Carolbeth True and Two Times True will play a free concert for the Jazz at Holmes series at Washington University.

Friday, March 20
The 2015 Greater St. Louis Jazz Festival opens with a concert featuring a ad hoc group fronted by saxophonist "Blue" Lou Marini, trombonist Steve Wiest, and trumpeter Clay Jenkins at the Touhill Performing Arts Center. The UMSL Jazz Ensemble will open the show. 

Also on Friday, singer Joe Mancuso and guitarist Dave Black will duet at Chaser's Lounge in the Chase Park Plaza Hotel; and the Sentimental Journey Dance Band performs at Casa Loma Ballroom.

Saturday, March 21
The Dizzy Gillespie Afro-Cuban Experience will perform at the Sheldon Concert Hall.

Led by Dizzy Gillespie’s long-term bassist John Lee, the group pays tribute to Gillespie’s pioneering efforts to fuse jazz and Latin music in the 1940s and 50s, with a repertoire featuring the trumpeter's compositions as well as contemporary Latin jazz that draws on the tradition he helped establish.

Back at the Touhill, the Greater St. Louis Jazz Festival continues with the Clayton-Hamilton Jazz Orchestra.

Led by bassist John Clayton, his brother, saxophonist Jeff Clayton, and drummer Jeff Hamilton, and often featuring St. Louis native Keith Fiddmont in the saxophone section, the Los Angeles-based big band is a hard-swinging outfit with original charts that puts contemporary touches on the mainstream tradition, not unlike a West Coast version of the Vanguard Jazz Orchestra.

Also on Saturday, singer/actress Anna Blair will perform music composed by a famous former St. Louisan in her show "Inside Story - The Songs of Fran Landesman" for the Gaslight Cabaret Festival; Sarah Jane and the Blue Notes will be swinging at the Backstreet Jazz and Blues Club at Westport; guitarist Brian Vaccaro's trio adds singer Feyza Eren as special guest for a gig at The Wolf; and drummer Montez Coleman and Friends play at the Kranzberg Arts Center.

Sunday, March 22
The Jazz Edge Big Band will present a "Salute to St. Louis Women in Jazz" at the Touhill Performing Arts Center.

Inspired by Women's History Month, the concert will feature the 17-piece band and guest performers including singers Marsha Evans and Denise Thimes, trumpeter/singer Dawn Weber, pianist Carolbeth True, and saxophonist Hope Walker playing "jazz standards and also a few soon to be standards."

Monday, March 23
Guitarist and St. Louis native Daryl Darden, who's been based on the West Coast in recent years, will be back home for a performance at BB's Jazz, Blues & Soups; and pianist Matt Villinger will play while artist Vesna Delevska paints at Tavern of Fine Arts.

Tuesday, March 24
Keyboardist Jim Hegarty doubles down on his Off Topic trio to launch STL, The Free Jazz Septet with a debut performance at the Tavern of Fine Arts. In addition to Hegarty, the septet includes Off Topic members Paul Steinbeck on bass and Gary Sykes on drums, plus "Baba" Mike Nelson (trumpet, shells, poetry), Jay Dubz (alto sax, percussion, vocals), John Tamm-Buckle (electronics), and Michael Castro (poetry).

For more jazz-related events in and around St. Louis, please visit the St. Louis Jazz Notes Calendar, which can be found on the left sidebar of the site or by clicking here. You also can keep up with all the latest news by following St. Louis Jazz Notes on Twitter at http://twitter.com/StLJazzNotes or clicking the "Like" icon on the StLJN Facebook page.

(If you have calendar items, band schedule information, news tips, links, or anything else you think may be of interest to StLJN's readers, please email the information to stljazznotes (at) yahoo (dot) com. If you have photos, MP3s or other digital files, please send links, not attachments.)

Marcus Miller to perform June 16-18 at Jazz at the Bistro

Bassist, multi-instrumentalist and producer Marcus Miller is coming to St. Louis to perform Tuesday, June 16 through Thursday, June 18 at Jazz at the Bistro.

Miller (pictured) will be touring in support of his latest album Afrodeezia, which is his first release in a new deal with the Blue Note label. He appeared in St. Louis most recently in September 2012 at the Bistro.

Miller will play two sets per evening, at 7:30 p.m. and 9:30 p.m. Tickets for the shows are priced at $45, $15 for students, and will go on sale to Jazz at the Bistro subscribers starting Wednesday, March 25, and to the general public starting at 10:00 a.m. Wednesday, April 1.

Music Education Monday: Arranging 101

Jazz may be known as an improvisational art form, but any time more than a couple of jazz musicians get together, there may be some sort of arranging involved, too.

So, for this week's "Music Education Monday," we've got links to free online materials that will provide you autodidacts out there with some information on how to write arrangements for a jazz ensemble.

For starters, check out the "Basics of Horn Arranging" from HornArrangements.com, which is oriented mostly toward writing for smaller and mid-sized groups; the short presentation "Arranging for the Jazz Combo," put together a few years back by former St. Louisan Kris Berg for a state band directors' group in Texas; and "Arranging for Big Band 1-2-3,"  a tutorial by trumpeter and educator Michael Mossman that has a helpful checklist of questions to consider before starting to write an arrangement.

You also may want to bookmark the site JazzArrangingClass.com, which apparently was created as a supplement to an online course, but contains a lot of material that can be perused without signing up for anything.

Along similar lines, the "Jazz Arranging Tutorial" once used at the University of Northern Colorado may have been designed originally to work with audio material from a specific CD, but also functions as a handy one-page reference for some basic concepts and terms, as well as info like instrument ranges.

When you're ready for a deeper dive, head over to "Jazz Arranging Online," which breaks down a book by bassist and jazz educator Chuck Israels into a series of online lessons presented as forum posts. The format may be a little awkward, but there's lots of good info there and Israels, who's best known for his work with pianist Bill Evans and for directing the National Jazz Ensemble, certainly has the profile and necessary experience to be a credible instructor.

Lastly, another in-depth resource available online for free is the ebook version of "Arranging by Examples: The Practical Guide to Jazz and Pop Orchestra Arranging," a 220-page PDF written (in English) by the Dutch composer and arranger Frans Absil. While it's a free version of what presumably is a more comprehensive print book, there's plenty of useful info there for aspiring arrangers.

Of course, it's a big internet out there, so this list is by no means comprehensive. Do you know of other useful online resources or tutorials for aspiring arrangers? If so, please share in the comments.

Miles on Monday: The Miles Davis Story, Herbie Hancock reminisces, and more

This week for "Miles on Monday," some recent news items about the iconic trumpeter:

* Concord Music Group will release their second volume of Miles Davis reissues from the Prestige catalog, titled Miles Davis—The Prestige 10-Inch LP Collection, Vol. 2, in a limited edition exclusively for Record Store Day on Saturday, April 18.

* If you've never checked out the 2001 BBC documentary The Miles Davis Story, you should know that it's probably the best, most accessible telling of Davis' life story and definitely worth a look. Though it is available on DVD (pictured), now you also can see it for free online (albeit with subtitles in Russian, and possibly for a limited time only) here.

* Pianist Herbie Hancock reminisced a bit about his time playing with Davis (and the time he almost worked with Jimi Hendrix) in a video interview with OkayPlayer here.

* Davis' appearance on the 1980s TV cop drama Miami Vice was the subject of a post last week on the website Dangerous Minds.

Sunday Session: March 15, 2015

Jason Moran

For your Sunday reading, some interesting music-related items that have hit StLJN's inbox over the past week:

* 'I have never been a success, never had a hit movie': Frank Sinatra Jr on living in the shadow of Ol' Blue Eyes (Daily Mail UK)
* It’s Music Because I Can Hear It: 1960s Experimental Music Festivals (New Music Box)
* Biting Breaks: Sampling and Ownership (New Music Box)
* How Music Hijacks Our Perception of Time (Nautilus)
* Jazz Has Become The Least Popular Genre In The U.S. (The JazzLine)
* Independent music labels project promising industry future (Los Angeles Times)
* Lew Soloff, Trumpeter for Blood, Sweat and Tears, Dies at 71 (New York Times)
* The "Harvard Sentences" Secretly Shaped the Development of Audio Tech (Gizmodo)
* Wilson Adds New Complexity to Holiday’s Music (DownBeat)
* ‘Blurred Lines’ Infringed on Marvin Gaye Copyright, Jury Rules (New York Times)
* "Blurred Lines" verdict a blow to creative expression (Los Angeles Times)
* Butman, Moscow Jazz Orchestra Impress at Russia’s Triumph of Jazz Festival (DownBeat)
* Jason Moran discusses the legacy and lore of the Village Vanguard (Time Out New York)
* Partch Advocates’ Sensibility Makes Sense Of Bizarre (Classical Voice America)
* Anton Fig: Behind the Band Stand (AllAboutJazz.com)
* How Verve Records Got Gutted (The Daily Beast)
* How a Star Trumpeter Makes Money Even When Jazz Can't (Bloomberg Business)

StLJN Saturday Video Showcase: Six from Kneebody

This week, our video showcase features some clips from Kneebody, who will be making their St. Louis debut this coming Wednesday, March 18 through Saturday, March 21 at Jazz at the Bistro.

Formed in 2001, Kneebody includes four former students at the Eastman School of Music - trumpeter Shane Endsley, saxophonist Ben Wendel, bassist Kaveh Rastegar and keyboard player Adam Benjamin - plus drummer Nate Wood, who met Benjamin when the keyboardist transferred to CalArts. After graduating from Eastman, the other members moved to Los Angeles and the five of them began working together soon after, writing original material and developing their own specific sound as a unit.

Though all five also have maintained solo careers, they've been making music as Kneebody ever since, with a catalog of recordings that includes five studio albums, the most recent of which is 2013's The Line, plus three live albums and a studio record of Charles Ives songs with singer Theo Bleckman. Nate Chinen of the New York Times called them "a resolutely un-pindownable band" that "uses a common jazz instrumentation to make a somewhat less common amalgam of urban-signifying genres, from electro-pop to punk-rock to hip-hop."

And indeed, Kneebody's music represents something of a departure from the usual for Jazz at the Bistro, one that might not appeal to the older and/or more traditionally minded portion of their subscription audience. The hope is, one presumes, that there will be compensatory gains in attendance and enthusiasm among younger and more adventurous listeners who might not turn out in large numbers for, say, John Pizzarelli or Freddy Cole.

Time will tell how that plays out. But in the meantime, you can watch, listen and form your own impressions of Kneebody from today's selection of music videos, starting up above with "Uprising," recorded earlier this year at Berklee College of Music's high school jazz festival at the Hynes Convention Center in Boston.

After the jump, you'll see two clips from 2014: "Trite," recorded at a venue called Musig-im-Ochsen in the Hotel Ochsen in Muri, Switzerland, which features some interesting rattly cymbal stuff from Nate Wood; and "Drum Battle," recorded at Kulturzentrum Schlachthof in Bremen, Germany, which, as the name suggests, also features Wood.

Next up are "Lowell" and "Work Hard Play Hard Towel Hard," both recorded in 2013 at the Blue Whale in Los Angeles, and last but not least, a live version of "Dr. Bouchef, Penguin Dentist" from the band's 2007 album Low Electrical Worker.

For more about Kneebody, check out this interview that bassist Kaveh Rastegar did in 2013 with Westword and this review from London Jazz News of their UK debut last November, plus their 2011 video interview with The JazzLine.

You can see the rest of today's videos after the jump...

So What: Local News, Notes & Links

Here's the latest wrap-up of assorted links and short news items of local interest:

* Jazz St. Louis has scheduled auditions for their 2015-16 JazzU program for June 1 through June 4 at the JSL HQ on Washington Ave.

High school musicians who are interested in trying out will find an application form and audition information on the the JSL website.

* Fact magazine published a feature story highlighting "20 essential records from the 1970s underground," and the list includes three albums with a St. Louis connection: Julius Hemphill's Dogon A.D., Luther Thomas Human Arts Ensemble's Funky Donkey Vol. 1, and the Black Artists Group's In Paris, Aries 1973.

* Saxophonist David Sanborn has set Tuesday, April 7 as the release date for his new album Time and the River. If you didn't buy a copy of the recording (pictured) through Sanborn's crowdfunding campaign, you can pre-order it now via Amazon and iTunes.

* Saxophonist Greg Osby answered 10 questions from the music website Textura.

* The recently opened vinyl shop Rich's Record Emporium in Collinsville was the subject of a feature story in the Belleville News-Democrat.

* And speaking of record stores, the list of special and limited edition releases for Record Store Day 2015, which falls on Saturday, April 18, was announced this week. (Though most of the special releases are various flavors of rock and pop music, there are some items of interest to jazz listeners, too.)

* Neal Richardson's show last week for the Gaslight Cabaret Festival was reviewed by Chuck Lavazzi of KDHX.

* Jazz radio update: This Saturday on Radio Arts Foundation-St. Louis, Calvin Wilson's “Somethin’ Else” program will delve into music recorded for the Columbia label during the 1980s by trumpeter Woody Shaw and saxophonist Arthur Blythe.

"Somethin' Else" can be heard at 8:00 p.m. Saturdays on 107.3 FM, 96.3 HD-2, and online at http://www.rafstl.org/listen.

Jazz this week: Carmen Bradford, New York Voices, Ramsey Lewis, and more

This week's lineup of jazz and creative music in and around St. Louis includes a couple of shows by touring jazz vocalists that require a bit of a trek from the city, but should be worth the trip, plus the usual variety of musical styles closer to home. Let's go to the highlights...

Thursday March 12
Tonight, Jefferson College presents their "Spring Jazz Showcase," featuring special guest vocalist Carmen Bradford (pictured, upper left), a veteran of the Count Basie Orchestra, and pianist Ken Kehner with the Jefferson College big band and jazz combos.

Bradford, the daughter of trumpeter Bobby Bradford and singer Melba Joyce, toured with the Basie band for nine years and performed with them on two Grammy winning albums before launching her solo career in 1992. Since then, she's performed and/or recorded with the DIVA Jazz Orchestra, Shelly Berg Big Band, John Clayton and the Clayton Hamilton Orchestra, George Benson, Wynton Marsalis and the Lincoln Center Jazz Orchestra, the National Symphony, Rochester Philharmonic, and many more.

Also tonight, longtime local favorite actress/singer Linda Kennedy will make her cabaret debut for the Gaslight Cabaret Festival, presenting her show "Melody/Movement" at the Gaslight Theater; and singer Joe Mancuso and guitarist Dave Black will play at Bar Louie in Chesterfield.

Friday, March 13
If you don't have tickets yet to see Ramsey Lewis' one-nighter at Jazz at the Bistro, you're out of luck, as the show has been sold out for some time. (However, you still can catch Lewis' performance on big-screen video in the Bistro's adjacent first-floor lounge, which has no cover charge.)

Elsewhere around town, singer Wendy L. Gordon and pianist Carolbeth True have added saxophonist Kendrick Smith as a guest for their duo gig at the Tavern of Fine Arts; singer and actor Ben Nordstrom will present the first of two performances of his show "Living The Moment" at the Gaslight Theater; Sarah Jane and the Blue Notes play hot jazz and jump blues at Nathalie's; and trumpeter Keith Moyer and his trio return to Thurman Grill.

Saturday, March 14
The annual Mineral Area College Jazz Festival features a headlining performance from vocal group New York Voices (pictured, lower left) with the Mineral Area College Jazz Ensemble and Kicks Band.

Formed in 1988, New York Voices are a quartet in the tradition of Lambert, Hendricks and Ross, Singers Unlimited, and the Manhattan Transfer. They've released seven studio albums mixing jazz with pop, R&B, Brazilian and classical influences, as well as a 2013 live recording with the WDR Big Band. They're also known for their work in jazz education, and here, in addition to working with the members of the MAC bands, they'll also be presenting a public master class at noon.

Also on Saturday, singer Dean Christopher presents his "Rat Pack and More" show at the Wildey Theatre in Edwardsville; and trumpeter Jim Manley and guitarist Randy Bahr will duet at Thurman Grill.

Sunday, March 15
The St. Louis Jazz Club presents traditional New Orleans-style jazz and swing from the St. Louis Stompers in a matinee performance at the DoubleTree Hilton Hotel at Westport; and that evening, electronic musician Adult Fur will be joined by members of Alarm Will Sound for a performance of contemporary compositions and experimental music at Off Broadway

Monday, March 16
Webster University's jazz faculty presents the annual Shepard and Davis Scholarships Concert, themed this year as "Birth of the Cool Revisited," at Winifred Moore Auditorium on campus.

For more jazz-related events in and around St. Louis, please visit the St. Louis Jazz Notes Calendar, which can be found on the left sidebar of the site or by clicking here. You also can keep up with all the latest news by following St. Louis Jazz Notes on Twitter at http://twitter.com/StLJazzNotes or clicking the "Like" icon on the StLJN Facebook page.

(If you have calendar items, band schedule information, news tips, links, or anything else you think may be of interest to StLJN's readers, please email the information to stljazznotes (at) yahoo (dot) com. If you have photos, MP3s or other digital files, please send links, not attachments.)

RAF-STL to begin live broadcast series Thursday, April 23 with Denise Thimes

Radio Arts Foundation-St. Louis will inaugurate a new series of live broadcasts with a concert performance by singer Denise Thimes (pictured) on Thursday, April 23 at the Centene Auditorium, 7700 Forsyth (at Hanley) in Clayton.

Tickets for the concert and broadcast are $50 per person, and include a wine and cheese reception after the performance.

The doors will open at 6:00 p.m., with the concert starting at 6:30 p.m. and reception at 7:30 p.m. For more information, call RAF-STL's Debbie Robb at 314-881-3523 or send email to drobb at rafstl dot org.

The Sheldon offering $25 tickets for Dizzy Gillespie Afro-Cuban Experience

The Sheldon Concert Hall and Metrotix are offering a substantial discount on tickets for the performance by the Dizzy Gillespie Afro-Cuban Experience next Saturday, March 21 at The Sheldon.

Led by Gillespie's former bassist John Lee and featuring percussionist Machito, Jr., the namesake and son of Gillespie's famed collaborator, the six-piece group (pictured) performs a variety of material associated with the legendary trumpeter who helped invent bebop and pioneered the combination of jazz and Latin rhythms.

With the discount, tickets for the show, regularly priced at $45 for orchestra seats or $40 for the balcony, can be purchased for just $25 each.

To take advantage of the offer, use the promotional code DIZZY25 when ordering your tickets online at www.metrotix.com/promotions, by phone at 314-534-1111, or in person at any Metrotix outlet or at the Fox Theater box office, 531 N. Grand Blvd.

Music Education Monday: Saxophone master classes with Greg Osby

For this week's "Music Education Monday," we've got some ideas and information for saxophonists in both video and audio form, courtesy of St. Louis native Greg Osby.

Osby (pictured), now 54 years old, attended Howard University and Berklee. Moving to NYC, in the early years of his career he performed and/or recorded with many jazz greats active in the 1980s, including Jack DeJohnette, Jim Hall, Dizzy Gillespie, Herbie Hancock, and many more.

Osby also worked closely with fellow alto saxophonist Steve Coleman and other colleagues developing the concepts for what came to be known as M-BASE (which probably deserves a "Music Education Monday" post of its own one day).

More recently, after recording 13 albums as a leader for Blue Note, Osby formed his own label, Inner Circle Music, to release his recordings as well as music from others. Through the label and live performances, he also has emerged as a significant mentor to younger musicians, having already provided early professional experience in his bands for current stars such as pianist Jason Moran and drummers Eric Harland and Nasheet Waits.

Osby often does master classes in conjunction with his gigs, and after the jump, you can see an embedded video of one he recently did in Moscow, Russia. It's a long session, nearly two hours and 45 minutes, and though it's extended quite a bit by the need to translate from English to Russian, there's still a lot of material there.

After that, there's an audio-only recording of another master class he did in October of last year at Cornish College of the Arts in Seattle. (Note that the embedded SoundCloud player used to deliver the audio occasionally can be a bit glitchy; if you don't see it when you click through, try reloading the page.)

As lagniappe, there are a couple of short videos Osby recorded as part of his endorsement deal with saxophone maker P. Mauriat. In the first, he talks about intonation and the difference in sound and approach between jazz and classical saxophone; in the second, he demonstrates a special limited edition signature model alto made for him by the company.

Reflecting his interest in sharing musical information, Osby's website has a "Resources" section that includes sheet music and MIDI files for a number of his original compositions. He also shares some interesting thoughts about music in a couple of interviews, done in 1995 and 2008, with journalist Ted Panken, which are archived together on Panken's website.

You'll find the video and audio material after the jump...

Miles on Monday: Conceiving Birth of the Cool

It was 65 years ago today, on March 9, 1950, that Miles Davis completed the sessions for what would eventually become the album Birth of the Cool.

That day, Davis went into WMGM Studios in New York City with a band including J. J. Johnson (trombone), Gunther Schuller (French horn), John Barber (tuba), Lee Konitz (alto sax), Gerry Mulligan (baritone sax), Al McKibbon (bass), and Max Roach (drums) and laid down tracks for "Moon Dreams," "Deception" and "Rocker."

Though recognized now as a significant and influential achievement, the music Davis recorded that day, and in two prior sessions, took a while to reach the public.

The idea for Birth of the Cool began in 1948 at a series of rehearsals and jam sessions involving Davis and arranger/composer Gil Evans. Seeking alternatives to the standard small-combo instrumentation, head-solos-head format, and occasionally jarring harmonies and frantic tempos of bebop, Evans, Mulligan and composer John Carisi came up with a series of arrangements that were almost entirely composed throughout, played at relaxed tempos with relatively short improvised solos, and that drew on the wider range of instrumental colors available from a nine-piece group.

The first session took place in January 1949, and Davis and company returned to the studio for another session in April of that year. Tracks from both sessions were released as singles, but it wasn't until 1954 - nearly four years after the final sessions had been completed - that eight of the tracks were compiled on a 10" record called Classics in Jazz.

The now-famous name Birth of the Cool wasn't used until 1957, when 11 of the 12 songs recorded at the sessions were released for the first time on LP. (Given that the West Coast "cool jazz" sound, with Mulligan as one of its most prominent exponents, was peaking in popularity then, the naming of the album seems in retrospect to have been a canny bit of cash-in marketing by Capitol Records.)

And it wasn't until 1971 that a reissue finally incorporated the twelfth and final track from the sessions, a version of "Darn That Dream" featuring vocalist Kenny Hagood. Subsequent reissues on CD and in digital formats have followed the 12-track format of the 1971 LP.

You can read more about Birth of the Cool in this article published a few years ago on Jazz.com, and hear the album in its entirety by clicking on the embedded window below.