Sunday Session: November 15, 2020

Herbie Hancock

Here's this week's roundup of various music-related items of interest:

* Lakecia Benjamin: The future of jazz is now (Bay State Banner)
* What’s in a Name? (Jazz Times)
* Forgotten protest icon Odetta Holmes lives on in modern Black Americana (ScalawagMagazine.org)
* Live Nation expects that “shows at scale” will return next summer (NME.com)
* Review of Jazzfest Berlin 2020 (London Jazz News)
* Sun Ra's Cosmic Keys (Reverb.com)
* Tomeka Reid Looks For Challenging Situations (DownBeat)
* Sleeping Giants: The Brief Reign and Brilliant Legacy of Herbie Hancock's Mwandishi Band (WBGO)
* Alone Together: A Q&A with Tabla Master Zakir Hussain (SFJAZZ.org)
* Mayfield and Markham Plead Guilty in a Plea Deal (Offbeat)
* 50 Years Later: The Surprising Memphis Roots of “Led Zeppelin III.” (MemphisMagazine.com)
* Israeli researchers create AI capable of writing personalized jazz solos (Jerusalem Post)
* Alfredo Rodríguez Deploys Abundant Technique (DownBeat)
* 'It's the screams of the damned!' The eerie AI world of deepfake music (The Guardian)
* Shabaka Hutchings - The Future of Afrofuturism (SFJAZZ.org)
* For The Rolling Stones’ 60th Anniversary, Keith Richards Says “The Plans Are to Still Actually All Be Alive” (ConsequenceOfSound.net)
* Guitarist Steve Hunter on His Journey From ‘Berlin’ to ‘Billion Dollar Babies’ (Rolling Stone)
* Emerging Opera Singers Now Pay for Online Auditions. Are Companies Watching Them? (MiddleClassArtist.com)
* Joel Ross Doesn’t ‘Do The Obvious Thing’ (DownBeat)
* Meet the guardians of the world’s earliest musical recordings (Los Angeles Times)
* Volcanic drummer and MacArthur ‘genius grant’ winner Tyshawn Sorey premieres new work with Seattle Symphony (Seattle Times)
* Sonny Rollins on Jazz as a Music of Freedom (LitHub.com)
* A Brief Guide to the Shape of “Jazz Rap” Today (Bandcamp.com)
* Bassist Eric Revis Revels In Curiosity, Versatility (DownBeat)
* The Experimental Edge of the “New Weird South” (Bandcamp.com)
* Christian Sands Relies On Adaptability (DownBeat)
* State of Play: the rise of in-game concerts (DJMag.com)
* Ronnie Scott understood that for some people music is the only outlet – so he opened a club (New Statesman)
* Seated gigs, no moshing and 'brutally exhausting' sets: the strange new world of live music (The Guardian)
* How Ticketmaster Plans to Check Your Vaccine Status for Concerts: Exclusive (Billboard)
* Inside Sun Ra’s 1971 trip to Egypt (TheVinylFactory.com)
* Big Breaks - What’s Behind Orpheus Classical? (Atavist.com)
* Andrew White, Prolific Multi-Instrumentalist, Scholar and Washington, D.C. Legend, Dies at 78 (WBGO)
* Electrophone: the Victorian-era gadget that was a precursor to live-streaming (TheConversation.com)

Sunday Session: March 4, 2018

Muhal Richard Abrams

Here's the roundup of various music-related items of interest that have shown up in one of StLJN's various inboxes or feeds over the past week:

* Why the hottest films are now music documentaries (The Guardian)
* Brenda Navarrete Brings A Spiritual Drumbeat To The Female Vanguard Of Cuba (NPR)
* Guitarist Bill Frisell Shares Memories of Working With Rock Greats: Exclusive Interview (UltimateClassicRock.com)
* Where Did 'Jazz,' the Word, Come From? Follow a Trail of Clues, in Deep Dive with Lewis Porter (WBGO)
* Gibson Boss Blames Guitar Stores for Financial Woes (UltimateClassicRock.com)
* Jason Moran Remembers Muhal Richard Abrams (Jazz Times)
* Dave Douglas on Monk and Dizzy (GreenleafMusic.com)
* Antonio Sánchez Performs ‘Birdman’ Score at UCLA (DownBeat)
* The Van Gelder Studio: Peek inside the room where classic jazz happened (NorthJersey.com)
* David Bowie's Last Secret Weapon (Forbes)
* Legendary Songwriter Carl Sigman’s Son on the Loss of his Father’s Archives (American Songwriter)
* At the Guthman Competition, innovative instruments just might predict the future of music (Atlanta)
* What Muhal Meant: The Liberating Credo of Muhal Richard Abrams (Village Voice)
* Charlie Watts: it wouldn't bother me if Rolling Stones split (The Guardian)
* Live Review: Dave Douglas Presents “Dizzy Atmosphere” at JALC (Jazz Times)
* The CD Business Isn’t Dying—It’s Just Evolving (Fast Company)
* Pianists Recall Geri Allen’s Legacy at PDX Festival (DownBeat)
* Terence Blanchard talks back (Offbeat)
* The first black-owned record label in the U.S. wanted to “uplift” black people through music (Timeline.com)
* A Guide to Anthony Braxton’s Robust Jazz Discography on Bandcamp (Bandcamp.com)
* Spotify Was a Terrible Business. Then the Record Labels Stepped In (Bloomberg.com)
* Reid Miles, The Guy Who Designed Blue Note (Jazz in Europe)
* Mapping the places that made Central Avenue swing (Curbed.com)
* Jazz's New British Invasion (Rolling Stone)
* Dave Burrell Remembers Sunny Murray (Jazz Times)
* On “Black Times,” Afrobeat Artist Seun Kuti Extends His Father’s Legacy (Bandcamp.com)
* Chasing The American Dream with Cuban Pianist Alfredo Rodríguez (WBGO)

Sunday Session: February 11, 2018

Cécile McLorin Salvant

Here's the roundup of various music-related items of interest that have shown up in one of StLJN's various inboxes or feeds over the past week:

* Cécile McLorin Salvant: The Ghost Writer (Jazz Times)
* In Memoriam: Hugh Masekela (DownBeat)
* Sirius XM Radio Has 32.7 Million Subscribers — Less Than Half That of Spotify (DigitalMusicNews.com)
* Here’s the Entire Facebook Contract for Music Publishers & Songwriters (DigitalMusicNews.com)
* LISTEN: Dennis Edwards recalls the angry studio session behind 'Papa Was a Rollin' Stone' (Detroit Free Press)
* California brewery must face lawsuit by son of jazz great Thelonious Monk (Reuters.com)
* Monk’s son wins right to sue over ‘Brother Thelonious’ ale (San Francisco Chronicle)
* Ndugu Chancler, Drummer On Michael Jackson's "Billie Jean," Dead At 65 (OkayPlayer.com)
* La Monte Young - The Well-Tuned Piano 81 X 25 6:17:50 - 11:18:59 PM NYC (Pitchfork.com)
* India sings the blues (The Hindu)
* How the Super Bowl halftime show gets set up in just six minutes (TheVerge.com)
* Photos: “A Musical Tribute to Dr. Muhal Richard Abrams” (Jazz Times)
* Frank Zappa Hologram to Play With Former Mothers on 'Bizarre World' Tour (Rolling Stone)
* Meditating On The Healing Power Of Alice Coltrane's 'Journey In Satchidananda' (NPR)
* Snarky Puppy Evokes 1960s at Carnegie Hall Concert (DownBeat)
* Geri Allen’s Spirit Fills Winter Jazzfest During All-Star Tribute (DownBeat)
* In Conversation: Quincy Jones (Vulture.com)
* Blue Note at Sea a Showcase for Abundant Talent (DownBeat)
* David Crosby: Crosby, Coltrane & Miles (Jazz Times)
* 'Body and Soul' doc explores links between jazz and Jews (Chicago Tribune)
* A Look Back at Hipgnosis, Pioneers of the Avant-Garde Record Cover (Vice.com)
* A Conversation With Ken Vandermark (WFIU)
* Johnny O’Neal: Pianist, Singer, Storyteller (Jazz Times)
* Q&A with Alfredo Rodríguez: Global References (DownBeat)
* Electronic pioneer Ryuichi Sakamoto: 'My great regret is not reconnecting with Bowie' (The Guardian)
* How Black Panther Composer Ludwig Göransson Found the Sound of Wakanda (Pitchfork.com)
* The Night Latin Jazz Was Born (OZY.com)
* Terry Gibbs: Tales of a True Bebopper (Jazz Times)
* Wesla Whitfield’s Long Musical Adventure Comes to an End (KQED)

Jazz this week: Alfredo Rodriguez & Pedrito Martinez, Tim Rushlow, and more

This week's calendar of live jazz and creative music in St. Louis features a couple of noteworthy duo performances, a country singer turned big-band crooner, a new location for one of Grand Center's jazz spots, and more.

Let's go to the highlights...

Wednesday, February 1
Pianist Alfredo Rodriguez and percussionist/vocalist Pedrito Martinez will perform for the first of four nights at Jazz at the Bistro.

The two Cuban natives will be joining forces as a duo for the first time at their gigs here and then next week at NYC's Jazz Standard, likely drawing from both their respective personal songbooks and perhaps touching on traditional Cuban music as well. For more about Rodriguez and Martinez (pictured) and some video samples of recent performances, check out this post from last Saturday.

Thursday, February 2
Trumpeter Randy Holmes and pianist Carolbeth True will perform as a duo in a free concert for the Jazz at Holmes series at Washington University.

Elsewhere around town, pianist Adam Maness starts a new weekly Thursday night gig with his trio at Thurman's in Shaw; and pianist Ptah Williams and guitarist Eric Slaughter will help inaugurate the new incarnation of The Dark Room, which this week moves into the Grandel Theatre from its previous spot on Grand. 

Friday, February 3 
Singer Tim Rushlow (pictured, bottom left), best known for his work in country and contemporary Christian music, is mixing up his genres a bit these days, touring with a big band and presenting what's being billed as "a 1960s-style Las Vegas supper club experience" at the Sheldon Concert Hall.

Saturday, February 4 
Trumpeter Jim Manley will play for brunch at Evangeline's, singer Danita Mumphard will perform in concert at the Jacoby Arts Center, and Miss Jubilee will play for dancers at the Casa Loma Ballroom.

Sunday, February 5
The Friends of Scott Joplin present their monthly "Ragtime Rendezvous" at the Scott Joplin House State Historic Site's Rosebud Cafe.

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.)

StLJN Saturday Video Showcase: Alfredo Rodriguez and Pedrito Martinez

This week, StLJN's video spotlight shines on pianist Alfredo Rodriguez and percussionist and singer Pedrito Martinez, who are coming to St. Louis for a series of duo performances starting Wednesday, February 1 through Saturday, February 4 at Jazz at the Bistro.

Both Martinez, 43, and Rodriguez, who's 31, are originally from Cuba, and came to the United States to pursue their musical careers in 1998 and 2009, respectively.

Martinez settled in New York City, and was part of the group Yerba Buena before forming his own band in 2005. Thanks in part to a decade-long residency at the Manhattan club Guantanamera, he connected with the jazz and Latin music scenes in NYC sufficiently to have appeared on more than 50 albums as a sideman, including work with pop and rock stars like Paul Simon, Bruce Springsteen, and Sting.

His first album as a leader was released in 2013, earning a Grammy nomination and ending up on a number of critics' lists of best albums of the year. Martinez' most recent recording is Habana Dreams, which came out last summer, featured guest appearances from Marsalis, Ruben Blades, Angelique Kidjo, Isaac Delgado, Roman Diaz, and again received generally high marks from critics.

Rodriguez first earned international attention as one of a dozen pianists from around the world showcased at the 2006 Montreux Jazz Festival. That appearance brought him to the attention of producer Quincy Jones, who became a mentor and producer to Rodriguez when the pianist finally came to the US three years later. Since moving here, he has released three albums on Mack Avenue Records, the most recent of which, Tocororo, came out last year.

While Martinez and Rodriguez have recorded together on the pianist's second album, both usually are occupied leading their own bands, so the only online video of them playing together as a duo is a very brief snippet released last week by Rodriguez to promote their upcoming dates here in St. Louis and the following week at NYC's Jazz Standard. You can see that clip up above.

In lieu of additional duo videos, after the jump you can see both men leading their own bands in some relatively recent live gigs. First up is Rodriguez playing "The Invasion Parade," a piece that he recorded originally with Martinez and Esperanza Spalding, and which is performed here with bassist Peter Slavov and drummer Henry Cole in January 2015 at SubCulture in New York City.

Below that, there's a clip of Rodriguez performing last April at Visioninmusica 2016 in Terni, Italy, in which he, bassist Ranier Elizarde and drummer Michael Olivera play the title song from Tocororo and their arrangement of the Cuban standard "Guantanamera." That's followed by the same trio performing "Yemayá" at the 2016 Montreux Jazz Festival

The next clip features Pedrito Martinez and his group playing the traditional song "Compa Gellatano" at the 2016 Percussive Arts Society International Convention (PASIC) held in November in Indianapolis. Along with the Martinez on percussion and lead vocal, the band includes his former student Jhair Sala on percussion and vocals, pianist Edgar Pantoja-Aleman, and bassist Yunior Terry.

That's followed by a couple of performances from 2016, a recording of "La Habana" done in April at Subrosa in New York City, and "Recuerdos," which is from a show promoting the release of Martinez' most recent album in June at the McKittrick Hotel in NYC.

For more about Alfredo Rodriguez, check out the interview he did with NPR in 2012 about his first album and his connection with Quincy Jones, and this 2016 interview with AXS.com. For more about Pedrito Martinez, take a look at his interviews from last year with Billboard and the New York Times.

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