Inside WSKG

Young Lions

by Scott Hollis

A nice, lengthy post about the "young lions" jazz movement of the '80s is now up over at Do The Math.  Includes a notable interview with Wynton Marsalis.  Informative.

ICP Orchestra

by Scott Hollis

The ICP Orchestra brought their free-wheeling (controlled) anarchy to Rochester's Bop Shop Wednesday night, for a rollicking performance spanning the jazz spectrum from Duke Ellington to avant-garde, all delivered with a sense of adventure and a healthy dose of humor.  The performance began with pianist and founder Misha Mengelberg alone on the "stage" area, seated at the piano.  His tinklings were accompanied by viola and clarinet squeaks that seemed to eminate from above and behind.  Gradually violaist Mary Oliver and clarinetist Michael Moore made their way down a staircase from the second floor of the Village Gate Mall to join Mengelberg in front of the audience, Oliver at one point even seating herself beside Misha on the piano bench.  Then the rest of the 10-piece orchestra took the stage as the music developed into a slinky latin rhythm as an undercurrent for some outstanding solos.  And that was just the beginning.  The Orchestra's two sets included Ellington's "Happy Go Lucky Local", a number that featured cellist Tristan Honsinger conducting the improvisations of various band members with a flurry of hand motions, and Ab Baars taking a memorably jittery tenor solo that sounded like a swarm of bees repeatedly making assaults on my eardrums.  And who else but Han Bennink could drive a band with such verve and inventiveness utilizing nothing more (or less) than a single snare drum (well, that and frequent vocal interjections anyway)? 

The ICP Orchestra, based in Holland, has existed in it's current form since the 1980s but its roots extend back to the late '60s when Mengelberg and Bennink first began playing together.  The current edition features some truly outstanding musicians that can perform distinctive solos seemingly on cue, play loose or tight as the situation demands,and wrap the whole thing up in a remarkably appealing package.  This band is simply put, a whole lotta fun. I picked up their latest release after the show, a live date recorded at Amsterdam's legendary Bimhuis.  I've only had the chance to listen to it once through so far, but my initial impression is that it's good but doesn't come close to capturing the impact that this band can make in person. But then, I don't think anything really could. 

Speaking of 10-piece dutch jazz bands, the Willem Breuker Kollektief is also scheduled to appear at The Bop Shop on October 27.  As I've mentioned before, that's a show that will certainly be worth the drive to Rochester. 

R.I.P. Johnny Griffin

by Scott Hollis

Tenor saxophone great Johnny Griffin has passed away at the age of 80.  NY Times obit can be read here.  I'll be paying tribute on the next "Jazz In Silhouette," so tune in Friday for a few highlights from Griffin's long career.

Detente

by Scott Hollis

According to some, the jazz wars are over.

A Look At Lennie Tristano

by Scott Hollis

Ethan Iverson strikes again, with a multi-part and remarkably detailed analysis of the music and influence of pianist Lennie Tristano over at Do The Math.  I'm not extremely well-versed in Tristano's music, or even that of his acolytes, so this was an eye-opening read for me.  Bravo.

Al Gallodoro on Jazz in Silhouette

by Scott Hollis

Just a quick reminder that "A Private Audience With Al Gallodoro" airs this Friday evening at 9:00 on WSKG (Jazz In Silhouette will get underway an hour later than usual this week), with a rebroadcast Sunday at noon on WSQX 91.5.  Al and pianist JoAnn Chimielowski joined expert engineer Gregory Keeler and me in the studio to perform some tunes and reminisce about his remarkable career.  Tune in to hear Al tell about starting his professional career while in his early teens, his years with Paul Whiteman's band, and even the one thing he won't eat!  And you'll get to hear his alto sax and bass clarinet work on tunes like "It Ain't Necessarily So" and  "Cherokee."  It was a delight to record this program with Al and JoAnn and I'm sure you'll enjoy the results.  Don't miss it!

New AACM Book

by Scott Hollis

Trombonist George Lewis has authored a new history of the Association For The Advancement Of Creative Musicians, the musicians collective founded in Chicago in 1965 and still active today.   Looks interesting! 

R.I.P. Jimmy Giuffre

by Scott Hollis

Clarinetist/saxophonist Jimmy Giuffre, one of the original "Four Brothers" of Woody Herman's band (and composer of the tune of the same name), died last Thursday at the age of 86.  Giuffre performed and recorded a wide variety of distinctive and often adventurous music throughout his long career.  NY Times obit can be read here.

IAJE Files For Bankruptcy

by Scott Hollis

Sad to hear that the International Association For Jazz Education has filed for bankruptcy.  Here's a couple of articles on the matter from All About Jazz and JazzTimes.

Eastern Blok

by Scott Hollis

Eastern Blok (formerly know as The Goran Ivonovic Group) brought their intriguing blend of jazz and Balkan folk music to the Night Eagle Cafe last night for two splendid sets of spirited music.  The band includes Goran Ivonovic on guitar, Matt Ulery on upright bass, Michael Caskey on drums, and Doug rosenberg on sax,flute and clarinet.  The musicianship on display was mightily impressive, as the players negotiated the tricky and frequently odd-metred rhythms with both skill and passion.  The show was sadly underattended, but the 20 or so audience members made up for their small number with an enthusiastic response.  This is a band that deserves a large following and based on their performance last night, I can only assume they'll find it.  At any rate, don't miss them the next time they take the stage in our area. You won't regret it, and you'll probably be kicking yourself for missing them this time around.