DownBeat - Eugenie Jones p.68

mix ever denser. Max Mucha’s bass seizes
the spotlight, spurring free percussive inter-
play that builds into an ominous soundscape
blending electronics and piano. Melody suc-
cumbs to atmosphere as the tune clusters and
vibrates.
Consider “Sandy.” Keyboardist Grzegorz
Tarwid unfurls it, all chiming and pensive,
giving way to burred, subtle Dąbrowski.
Tawid anchors “Sandy” as its texture amass-
es, percussion loping irregularly beneath
the chording of the winds. Saxes and trum-
pet accelerate against the deliberate percus-
sion and Tawid’s regulatory piano. The tune
deconstructs midway only to reassemble, this
time packing attitude in saxophone bleats
Tomasz Dąbrowski protesting thunderous drums. It unwinds
The Individual Beings loud and argumentative, saxes and a muffled
Dąbrowski attempting to block the rhythm
APRIL section. That doesn’t work, and that’s just
fine.
HHHHH On “Troll,” Irek Wojtczak’s alto saxophone
gives Tawid a worthy opponent. Like many
Like his mentor Tomasz Stanko, the Polish tracks, this is about tension — until Dąbrowski
trumpet visionary Tomasz Dąbrowski prefers enters halfway through, a kind of peacemak-
to work without a safety net. The Individual er who, buttressed by Mucha’s bass, gives the
Beings is a fitting homage to the late Stanko on tune focus even as it increases in intensity.
which Dąbrowski plays Stanko’s own trum- Mlynarski’s electric drums pop. Such a fearless
pet. And while Dąbrowski is the star, six other band.
musicians — four Polish, two Scandinavian —Carlo Wolff
— help celebrate this dazzling testament to
individuality. The Individual Beings: JR; Old Habits; In Transit; Sandy; Troll;
Queen Of Mondays; Short Gesture; Spurs Of Luck. (41:49)
Each of these eight Dąbrowski originals Personnel: Tomasz Dąbrowski, trumpet; Knut Finsrud, drums;
creates its own universe. “JR” sets the stage. Fredrik Lundin, saxophone; Jan Emil Mlynarski, electric and acous-
Percussion launches it, then Dąbrowski steps tic drums; Max Mucha, bass; Grzegorz Tarwid, piano, keyboards;
in confidently, followed by saxes all state- Irek Wojtczak, tenor and soprano saxophone, electronics.
ly and bright, coiling and uncoiling, the
Ordering info: tomaszdabrowski.bandcamp.com

Trombone Shorty
Lifted

BLUE NOTE

HHHH

If you’ve never attended a Trombone Shorty
and Orleans Avenue performance, you should
probably fix that. But in the meantime, Lifted
offers a capsule of what that experience entails.
While this is not a live album, there is a real
attempt to embody the electricity of the groups
world-renowned live set.
With Trombone Shorty providing vocals in
equal measure with his consistent, New
Orleans-produced brass sound, this offering
more than reaches its goal of lifting us.
The title track, “Lifted,” is pure hard- Lifted: Come Back; Lie To Me; I’m Standing Here; What It Takes;
charging funk, a song about love’s unrelent- Everybody In The World; Lifted; Forgiveness; Miss Beautiful; Might
ing grip delivered with huge guitars, sneering Not Make It Home; Good Company. (36:28)
horns and a trombone solo for the ages. Personnel: Troy Andrews, trombone, trumpet, vocals; Alvin Ford
Inspired by the memory of his recently Jr., drums; Mike Bass-Bailey, bass guitar; Peter Murano (1, 6), Josh-
departed mother, Lifted is a welcome addition ua Connelly (3, 7, 9), Gary Clark Jr. (3), guitar; Chris Seefried, guitar,
to the growing legacy of one of this music’s Moog bass, bass, Rhodes (4, 5, 7, 8, 10); Brandon Butler, organ,
most exciting acts. Rhodes, synth bass (1, 3, 6, 9); BK Jackson, tenor saxophone; Dan
—Joshua Myers Oestreicher, baritone saxophone; Jenard Andrews, snare drum (5,
8); Tyreek Andrews, bass drum (5, 8); Paul Robertson, sousaphone
(5); Chris Pierce, vocals; Derek Thomas, vocals, Cobi Mike, vocals, (3);
Lady Blackbird, vocals; Raion Ramsey, vocals (4, 5, 7); Lauren Daigle,
vocals (4); Tracci Lee, vocals (5), Stefan Abington, vocals (5).

Ordering info: bluenote.com

JUNE 2022 DOWNBEAT 51

Ches Smith and loopers in tow, that pushes things into a far Whit Dickey Quartet
Interpret It Well more caustic zone than the ethereal and fairly Astral Long Form: Staircase
delicate The Bell. In Space
PYROCLASTIC
There are moments here — the minimalist TAO FORMS
HHH1/2 opener “Trapped,” the dark soundscape
“Morbid” or the brief closer “Deppart,” each HHHH1/2
A firebrand drummer with Tim Berne’s with the leader contributing sparse patterns
Snakeoil, Marc Ribot’s Ceramic Dog, Mary on vibes — where the ensemble takes a gentler Drummer and project maker Whit Dickey has
Halvorson’s trio/quintet/octet, Ben Goldberg’s approach, exploring space and lyricism with been expending significant creative energies as
quintet and the experimental band Xiu Xiu, zen-like restraint. It’s when Smith sits behind a connective agent to world of free improvisa-
drummer-vibraphonist Ches Smith is joined the kit and unleashes, as he does on “Mixed tion, through his TAO Forms label, rising out
once again by his like-minded colleagues Craig Metaphor,” “Interpret It Well” and “I Need of the pandemic-era ashes in May 2020. But
Taborn on piano and Mat Maneri on viola More,” that things get decidedly more intense. his own efforts as a marquee leader and musi-
(they teamed up on Smith’s 2016 ECM debut, cal matchmaker command respect and atten-
The Bell). It’s the addition of special guest gui- The intrepid improvisers find plenty of tion. Astral Long Form: Staircase In Space, the
tarist Bill Frisell, with all of his effects pedals room within the repeating motifs to explore follow-up to last year’s bold and brasher TAO
freely, often with reckless abandon. For Frisell, debut and trio date Expanding Light, is another
George Winston that means lots of reverb-soaked arpeggios, free-ranging force to reckon with, albeit rooted
Solo Piano: Night sped-up and backwards looping and the kind in softer general musical soil.
of distortion-laced fusillades we haven’t heard
DANCING CAT/RCA from him in quite a while (particularly on Led by Dickey, but clearly in benevolent
“Clear Major,” “I Need More” and the mara- leader mode, the free improvisational quartet
H thon title track). Those who have been pining with Rob Brown, Mat Maneri and formidable
for the guitarist’s more ferocious edge, a nasty young bassist Brandon Lopez has cooked up an
Despite the veteran Santa Cruz pianist George quality that harkens back to his Naked City unusually empathetic gem in the realm of the
Winston’s enthusiasm for Fats Waller, Professor days, will savor the skronk factor here. free. Conversational delicacy and an appreci-
Longhair, Hawaiian guitar and Applalachian ation of space give the musical flow a sense of
fiddle tunes, and his often wise choice of mate- —Bill Milkowski narrative-on-the-spot storytelling. Listening is
rial, this solo piano album doesn’t deliver the obviously a high priority, as the players tread
promising interpretations that might have been Interpret It Well: Trapped; Interpret It Well; Mixed Metaphor; the fine line between responding to a musical
expected. Instead, Winston seems bent on sap- Morbid; Clear Major; I Need More; Deppart. (69:29) moment and creating new ones.
ping this selection, whether his originals, or Personnel: Ches Smith, drums, vibes; Craig Taborn, piano; Mat
works by Allen Toussaint, Leonard Cohen Maneri, viola; Bill Frisell, guitar. Beyond the salient matters of nuanced
and a clutch of island folk songs, diluting the Ordering info: chessmith.com; pyroclasticrecords.com dynamics and creating separate identities for
essence of strong styles into a decelerated, over- each of the five discrete pieces, textural balance
ly spacious, near-New Age set of absent-mind- erately calming. Cohen’s “Hallelujah” was is another important key to success here. With
ed diversions. already flogged remorselessly years ago, and the Dickey’s subtle drum work as a flexible, breath-
Hawaiian guitar numbers don’t sound remote- ing foundation, connections and kinships
Winston’s piano sound is unusual, so close- ly Hawaiian. Nor does the Okinawan sanshin develop between Brown’s melody-inclined alto
miked, cranky and reverb-soaked that he player Shoukichi Kina’s “Hana” sound any- sax lines and Maneri’s viola assertions, and
sounds like he’s playing an old upright in a thing close to his own springing, joyful nature. the variations between Lopez’s purposefully
deserted wooden-beamed church. This idio- A trembling reverb hangs over Winston’s pret- ambling pizzicato and overtone-enriched arco
syncratic sound is one of the album’s suc- tified, snail-paced explorations, but his tenden- parts. Bowed sonorities between Lopez and
cesses. Winston removes the distinctive ele- cy towards lyrical blandness sabotages his own Maneri form fleeting bonds, as do the revisit-
ments that originally attracted listeners to fine music repertoire taste. —Martin Longley ed rhythm-section linkage of bass and drums.
the above-mentioned musical styles, reduc-
ing them to dry skeletons. Yes, he leaves spac- Night: Beverly; Freedom For The Stallion; Hallelujah; Making A —Josef Woodard
es, and savors the action of his keys, some- Way; He’s A Runner; Kai Forest; Wahine Hololio; At Midnight; Pua
times prepared by inserting his hand inside Sadinia; Dawn; Hana. (52:34) Astral Long Form–Staircase In Space: Blue Circuit; Space
the piano, but Winston sounds tired rather Personnel: George Winston, piano. Quadrant; The Pendulum Tree; Staircase In Space; Signify. (102:55)
than minimalist, lackluster rather than delib- Ordering info: dancingcatrecords.bandcamp.com Personnel: Whit Dickey, drums; Rob Borwn, alto saxophone; Mat
Maneri, viola; Brandon Lopez, bass.
Ordering info: taoforms.com

52 DOWNBEAT JUNE 2022

Mike Allemana piece that can be thought of as a depiction of Von
Vonology Freeman starting life. It alternates gospel sing-
ing of a warm and inviting melody with con-
EARS&EYES cise yet adventurous solos by tenor saxophon-
ist Geof Bradfield, trombonist Kendall Moore
HHH1/2 and drummer Michael Raynor. “Libra, The
Mediator” is about how Librans like Freeman
Von Freeman (1923–2012) was not only a enjoy having dialogues with others. Allemana’s
skilled tenor saxophonist who had a very dis- guitar is in the lead at first over a groove, preced-
tinctive tone, but for more than a half-cen- ing some wailing alto by Greg Ward and a rather
tury he was an important mentor to a count- wild trumpet solo from Victor Garcia.
less number of up-and-coming jazz artists
in Chicago. One of those was guitarist Mike Of the five pieces, it is easiest to imagine
Allemana, who worked with Freeman during Freeman performing on “Communion And
the tenor titan’s last 15 years. Renewal,” a ballad with 1950s-type harmonies.
The avant-funk of “Libra Channeling” can be
Vonology, Allemana’s five-part suite, which thought of as symbolizing Freeman’s desire to
is influenced by his use of astrological research, work with younger modern players. Bradfield,
sums up Freeman’s life rather than seeking to cellist Tomeka Reid and Allemana (who dis-
duplicate his music or his sound. The guitarist plays his rockish side) are the stars.
utilizes an octet plus two singers, many of whom
consider Freeman to have been a mentor. “The Mentor’s Benediction” wraps up the
suite. Bill Brickey gives a sermon about creat-
The opening “Welcome, Enter” is a spiritual ing beauty out of pain and the importance of
music. During the piece’s second half, an ener-
getic theme emerges and there are some exu-
berant and intense ensembles before Vonology
concludes with a reprise of the opening gos-
pel melody. One imagines that Von Freeman
would have appreciated this heartfelt tribute.
—Scott Yanow

Vonology: Welcome, Enter; Libra, The Mediator; Communion And
Renewal; Libra Channeling; The Mentor’s Benediction. (38:25)
Personnel: Michael Allemana, guitar; Victor Garcia, trumpet,
flugelhorn; Kendall Moore, trombone; Greg Ward, alto saxophone;
Geof Bradfield, tenor saxophone; Tomeka, Reid, cello; Matt Fergu-
son, bass; Michael Raynor, drums; Bill Brickey, Lindsay Weinberg,
Sue Dernel, Gabriela Allemana, Austin Burgett, Alton Smith, Angel
Rodriguez, vocals.
Ordering info: earsandeyesrecords.com

Tigran Hamasyan Redman and Ambrose Akinmusire, all stal-
StandArt warts of the scene, who narrate this feeling,
whose care for these classic tunes manifests
NONESUCH beautifully.
—Joshua Myers
HHHH1/2
StandArt: De-Dah; I Didn’t Know What Time It Was; All The
In his first album of standards, Tigran Things You Are; Big Foot; When A Woman Loves A Man; Softly, As
Hamasyan is doing what this music was meant In A Morning Sunrise; I Should Care; Invasion During An Operetta;
to do: reveal the ways different musicians hear Laura. (47:48)
and respond to our common possession and Personnel: Tigran Hamasyan, piano; Matt Brewer, bass; Justin
inheritance. Perhaps this was an album that Brown, drums; Ambrose Akinmusire, trumpet (7, 8); Mark Turner
had been long-awaited, but there is nothing (3); Joshua Redman (4), saxophones.
rushed or restless about these interpretations.
Ordering info: nonesuch.com
We find Hamasyan playing in registers that
remind us that this music is as vibrant as ever,
that it is as generative as when it was first
brought into the vocabularies of the artists who
made them standards. And so it is refreshing.
And it also easy, not in the sense that it lacks
complexity—the one departure from the stan-
dards, “Invasion During An Operetta,” demon-
strates that.

Yet it is music that gives one a sense of ease,
a fluidity that settles one’s soul. Hamasyan’s
engagement with the tradition is backed by
bassist Matt Brewer and drummer Justin
Brown, and special guests Mark Turner, Joshua

JUNE 2022 DOWNBEAT 53

European Beat / BY PETER MARGASAK

Few Sparks of Surprise
German composer and reedist Steffen Schorn
took the helm of the Zurich Jazz Orchestra Benji Kaplan
— which formed in 1995 — in 2014, serving as Something Here Inside
the big band’s musical director for six years.
Although he stepped aside from that role in WISECAT
2019, his association has continued, and To
My Beloved Ones (Mons; 40:13 HH) is the HHHH
last of three albums consisting of compo-
sitions he wrote for the group, which num- Øyvind Brække, with whom he took some Intricate acoustic guitar fingerpicking, execut-
ber more than 100 pieces. ZJO executes his lessons in 1993, he decided to hire a band to ed with feeling, is admirable from every aspect
well-crafted writing with unerring precision, record his compositions. The superb ensem- of musical craft and goes down easy as listen-
timbral warmth and harmonic depth, but ble includes guitarist Jacob Young, drummer ing. Benji Kaplan’s sixth album, returning to
in the end the expertise trumps creativity, a Andreas Wildhagen and bassist Adrian Myhr, the nylon-string solo format of his 2011 debut,
quality that mars most of the recordings fea- and they inject plenty of craftsmanship into is no exception: eight songs re-imagined, deftly
tured in this column. European jazz has come Lindstad’s pretty post-bop tunes, but the al- plucked, recorded so closely his fingers on the
a long way, but as in the United States, there’s bum never really transcends its vanity project frets become part of the sound and you’re right
a class of jazz professionals that treat a fiery status, especially when the composer joins in there.
art form as a tame discipline. There are gor- on several tracks to croon with wobbly roman- The intimacy emphasizes immediacy in
geous arrangements on display, with Schorn tic pathos. performances that might otherwise seem pre-
extracting layers of breath-driven luminosity, planned — as if such complexly spun cre-
particularly on the title track, but ultimately Ordering info: losenrecords.no ations are only marvelous if they’re not fig-
the music lacks the spark of surprise. ured out in advance. Kaplan doesn’t use beats
Belgian pianists Amaury Faye and Igor or jazz rhythms for underpinnings, though he
Ordering info: monsrecords.de Gehenot join forces for a series of duets on clearly could. Kaplan has been mostly associ-
ated with Brazilian-influenced projects, but he
The Danish drummer and percussionist Magic Ball (Hypnote; 46:21 HH1/2), braid- obviously knows this repertoire of standards
Stefan Pasborg sets out more ambitious inside-out, allowing him to give even the over-
goals on his album Ritual Dances (Sun- ing influences as disparate as chamber jazz, ly familiar melodies fresh depths via unusual
contemporary classical, samba and rock. arrangements, imaginative counterpoint and
nyside; 69:02 HH1/2), creating a set of There’s an impressive clarity and concision complex internal voicings. Saudadé shadows
to the performances, especially on more his sensitive renditions of a selection weight-
style-stretching pieces based on two Igor Stra- straightahead jazz material like Gehenot’s ed towards romance (is that a trope of COVID-
vinsky ballets: The Rite of Spring and The Fire- spry title composition, but too often I found 19 recordings?), but everything’s complicat-
bird. In his liner note essay, Pasborg reflects myself surprised that the musicians didn’t ed. It’s all in the lineage of the modern classical
on how he was impacted by experiencing the embrace more counterpoint and harmony style, established by Andres Segovia, adopted
former work as a child in 1978, explaining that considering the instrumentation. On “Eterni- and advanced by such virtuosi as Leo Brouwer
both the music of Stravinsky and dance have té” one of the pianists adds wan percussive and the Assad Brothers. Like them, and the
been steady aesthetic influences through touches to what’s otherwise a solo. Some of late steel-string Americana master John Fahey,
decades working as a jazz musician. Unfor- the material is cloying in its quasi-romantic Kaplan takes time with his renditions, the
tunately, most of the music — performed mawkishness, such as on “Egberto,” Faye’s better for their details and implications. The
by either the UMO Helsinki Jazz Orchestra jaunty salute to Brazilian guitarist Egberto Gis- expressivity of his interpretations resonates in
or the Danish large ensemble Blood Sweat monti. The album’s treacly quality reaches its the notes and phrases he lets ring. Regardless
Drum+Bass — feels heavy-handed, cleaving apex on a wholly unnecessary reading of the of the degree of improvisation involved, this
to a rhythmic thrust that crushes the sort of Police hit “Message In A Bottle.” music is flows, skillfully, thoughtfully and
magisterial dynamics of his source material. freshly realized.
There are improvisations here and there with Ordering info: hypnoterecords.com —Howard Mandel
superb guest soloists like trumpeter Goran
Kajfes and saxophonists Anders Banke and The Louis Matute Large Ensemble, led by Something Here Inside: The Song Is You; With A Song In My
Fredrik Lundin, but the music is built around the titular German-Honduran guitarist, ex- Heart; If Ever I Would Leave You; Smoke Gets In Your Eyes; So In
the high-octane, insistently dense band ar- plores a wide range of global styles on Our Love; Anything Goes; But Not For Me; Easy To Love.
rangements, melding contemporary jazz Folklore (Neuklang; HH), with a particular Personnel: Benji Kaplan, guitar.
orchestrations with fusionoid flurries that in- focus on traditional styles from South Ameri-
clude lots of needling synthesizer parts and ca. The performances are spirited and adroit, Ordering info: benjikaplan.com
overwrought electric guitar. but heard cumulatively they convey a sche-
matic quality, as is the leader and composer
Ordering info: sunnysiderecords.com envisioned the music as a global hodge-
podge. Matute’s broad aesthetic erases stylis-
European professionalism is a glaring tic hierarchies. DB
quality on Kismet (Losen; 32:20 HH) by
the Tobias Lindstad Collective. The leader Ordering info: bauerstudios.de
spent several years in school studying music
in the early 1990s as a budding jazz trombon-
ist, but early on he changed paths, opting for
a career in psychology while retaining his pas-
sion for music. Over the years he continued to
write pieces in his free time, but after catching
a performance by a sextet led by trombonist

54 DOWNBEAT JUNE 2022

Club d’Elf prime composer, although this set addition-
You Never Know ally includes several traditional folk tunes, as
well as old chestnuts from Miles Davis and
FACE PELT Frank Zappa. Rivard, Fribgane and drummer
Dean Johnston are the core trio, playing on all
HHH1/2 10 tracks, but the album’s second half switch-
es to a lineup that features John Medeski (mul-
Boston’s Club d’Elf is heading for its 25th anni- tiple keyboards) and Dave Fiuczynski (fret-
versary, founded by bass man and compos- ted and fretless guitars). Club d’Elf have an
er Mike Rivard. The band’s most distinc- endlessly transforming collective sound, but
tive element is the Moroccan gnaoua music Rivard always selects artists who he knows will
input, from Rivard himself, and from Brahim be compatible with the overall groove. Multiple
Fribgane, who plays oud, plus a sackload of elements share the space, evolving in the weave.
North African percussion.
Strings are sensitively bent, whether by
Rivard has studied gnaoua extensively, and Fuze or by lap steeler Kevin Barry. Around
sometimes plays the sintir, a resonant string eight minutes is the favored tune-length, facil-
instrument from that tradition. He’s also the itating building grooves and a procession of
solos. Mister Rourke manipulates turntables
on six cuts, often via vinyl selections that fea-
ture vocals. The slower numbers adopt a haz-
ily swirling U.S. country style, complete-
ly contrasting with the faster funk striders.
—Martin Longley

You Never Know: Boney Oscar Stomp; Zeed Al Maal; Now Open
Your Eyes; Golden Hour; In A Silent Way/It’s About That Time; Dark
Fish; Dervish Dance; Lalla Aisha In Jhaptal; Allah Ya Moulana; King
Kong. (75 mins).
Personnel: Mike Rivard, basses, sintir, tamboura; Brahim
Fribgane, oud, percussion; Dean Johnston, drums; Duke Levine,
guitars, mandocello; Kevin Barry, lap steel; Paul Schultheis, John
Medeski (keyboards); David Fiuczynski, guitars; Mister Rourke,
turntables; Amit Kavthekar, tabla; Andrew Fogliano, saxophones,
flute; Phil Grenadier, trumpet; Gaukur Davidsson, harmonica (3).
Ordering info: clubdelf.bandcamp.com

Bugge Wesseltoft dropped around to play on a couple of tunes,
Be Am although it’s really one piece, split into two
tracks. Wesseltoft adds kalimba thumb-pia-
JAZZLAND no to “life,” one of the album’s most evocative
works, which also features piano, birdsong and
HHH softly crunched small percussion.

The Norwegian keyboardist Bugge Wesseltoft Other strong tunes arrive in the shape of
has lately been most visible as a member of the “messenger” and “green,” as Wesseltoft dwells
Rymden trio. He’s recorded this solo album in deeply on both miniatures. —Martin Longley
his own studio, Buggesroom, and released it on
his long-running Jazzland label, which is now Be Am: Resonate; Tide; State; Emerging; Roads; Messenger;
celebrating its 25th anniversary. Green; Be Am; Life; Gonna Be OK; Deeper; Sunbeams Through
Leaves Softly Rustling. (38:20)
Be Am exudes a shining aura of solitary Personnel: Bugge Wesseltoft, piano, Fender Rhodes, kalimba,
meditation, as Wesseltoft moves between electronics; Håkon Kornstad, tenor saxophone (4, 5).
acoustic piano and a toned-down Fender Ordering info: jazzlandrec.com
Rhodes. When he adds electronic effects, they
are subtly whispering. Wesseltoft’s more pow-
erfully noisy keyboards are left locked up. Even
with Rhodes and sonic trimmings, the central
aura remains acoustic in nature. These are short
reveries, mostly with simple one-word titles,
slow anthems, quietly navigated.

Wesseltoft is softly lyrical, emotional in
content, sometimes sharing the hymnal con-
cerns of fellow Norwegian pianist Tord
Gustavsen. He’s not so much soloing as method-
ically discovering the heart of his melodies,
savoring them without too much diversion.
Perhaps we can hear the sound of Wesseltoft’s
chair? Or was that the exposed innards of his
veteran Rhodes, creaking?

Tenor saxophonist Håkon Kornstad

JUNE 2022 DOWNBEAT 55

Quentin Angus Nevertheless, this is a talented group releas- Joris Teepe &
The State Of Things ing peppy music with lift and loft. Michael Don Braden
Mayo is a lovely vocalist with a pure tone that Chemistry
OUTSIDE IN MUSIC seems to strive for a pop sound through jazz
conventions, which fits distinctly for this proj- CREATIVE PERSPECTIVE
HHH1/2 ect. This music is affable, and these players have
chops, but the direction of the tone Angus is HHH1/2
Guitarist Quentin Angus’ fourth album wears expressing in his arrangements feels so much
its gushing heart so freely on its sleeve in its like a wet blanket that means well, particularly With either Louis Hayes or Jeff “Tain” Watts on
song choices, but perhaps this is to be expect- in meaning to be a warm blanket. It’s not hard drums, you’d expect nothing less than a confi-
ed for Angus’ first release with his new position to forget one is listening to it, it’s that pleasant. dent, swinging album from veteran tenor sax-
of father and professor on his mind. Still, to go ophonist Don Braden and his fellow chemist,
for the saccharine sweet standards, one can play Album centerpiece “Enigma,” one of the bassist Joris Teepe.
“Pure Imagination,” “Somewhere Over The few largely instrumental songs on the album Five tunes are cover versions radically dif-
Rainbow” or “What A Wonderful World,” but (with Mayo scatting throughout), truly grabs ferent from the originals. Braden wrote the
it’s asking a lot to play all three. attention because the composition finally facil- questing, powerful “Steps” and “Morning,”
itates them letting loose, and Nate Smith defi- a pensive, thorough duo with Teepe. Credit
Kind Folk nitely does on the drums; Can Olgun does as Teepe for “The Optimist,” a tune that starts
Head Towards The Center well, though he had been all along in the fits cloudily and ends happily, largely thanks to the
and starts allowed alongside bassist Desmond immersive pulsations of Watts.
FRESH SOUND NEW TALENT White. The second Braden-Teepe album without a
chordal instrument, Chemistry represents what
HHHH All these folks sound great, Angus includ- Braden calls a “more open style of jazz improvi-
ed. “Enigma” makes one wonder why the rest of sation.” Flexibility and suppleness are the aims
The second Kind Folk album was planned care- the album doesn’t sound more like this. What here; how successful the group is in meeting
fully, and recorded in a hurry, but the music has could they do with better material? those goals comes clear particularly in Herbie
an almost zen-like calm. The group formed and Hancock’s demanding “One Finger Snap,” an
released its debut, Why Not, in 2018, but then —Anthony Dean-Harris exciting exchange between a demonic Hayes
trumpeter John Raymond moved to Indiana, and a determined Braden.
and drummer Colin Stranahan headed to The State Of Things: Broken Bones; Pure Imagination; The The album starts strongly with Kenny
Denver to ride out the pandemic. The group State Of Things; Enigma; Somewhere Over The Rainbow; New York Kirkland’s “Steepian Faith,” Hayes churn-
members stayed connected online, and finally Muster; What A Wonderful World; New Beginnings. (47:53) ing and shimmering behind Braden as he digs
reconvened in June 2021: two days of rehearsal Personnel: Quentin Angus, guitar; Can Olgun, piano; Desmond in, ever more gnarly and absorbing. Everyone
in bassist Noam Weisenberg’s Brooklyn apart- White, bass; Nate Smith, drums; Michael Mayo, vocals. solos economically, maintaining the tension.
ment, followed by a day in the studio. Head Ordering info: outsideinmusic.bandcamp.com “Morning” is a sweet midpoint for this surging
Towards The Center contains five original com- recording. It features Braden at his most per-
positions — “Power Fall” and “Sweet Spot” church ceremony in winter. LoRe is an ideal sonal, and his twine with Teepe draws the lis-
by Raymond, “Around, Forever” by alto saxo- counterpart, calm and slightly distanced, but tener in as its beauty soars.
phonist Alex LoRe, “Mantrois” by Weisenberg, leaping excitedly into bebop when the tempo Hayes’ rolling drums, Teepe’s taut bass and
and the title piece by Stranahan and LoRe — picks up, as on “Mr. Hope.” Weisenberg’s bass Braden’s edgy tenor toughen up Horace Silver’s
along with two short, fully improvised piec- is the music’s unstoppable heart, particularly smoothly melodic “Song For My Father,”
es (“Where Am I” and “Distant Signal”) and on “Around, Forever,” and Stranahan — also and Braden soars on flute on “Unit 7,” a blues
arrangements of guitarist Kurt Rosenwinkel’s part of Raymond’s bass-less trio, Real Feels — by bassist Sam Jones that was a staple of
“Mr. Hope” and singer-songwriter Elliott keeps time by not seeming too concerned with Cannonball Adderley’s band. “Unit 7” is a fit-
Smith’s “Between The Bars.” it, hanging ornaments on the music with preci- tingly earthy conclusion.
sion and a gentle touch. —Philip Freeman —Carlo Wolff
Raymond is originally from Minnesota,
and there’s a fundamental niceness and sense Head Towards The Center: Where Am I; Power Fall; Mantrois; Chemistry: Steepian Faith; One Finger Snap; Steps; Song For My
of welcoming to his style. He solos like he’s tell- Around, Forever; Mr. Hope; Between The Bars; Distant Signal; Father; Morning; The Optimist; Dizzy’s Business; Unit 7. (48:31)
ing you a story at a party, and his flugelhorn Sweet Spot; Head Towards The Center. (44:22) Personnel: Don Braden, tenor saxophone, flute; Louis Hayes,
sound has the gentle embrace of a Midwestern Personnel: John Raymond, trumpet/flugelhorn; Alex LoRe, alto drums (1–3, 6); Joris Teepe, bass; Jeff “Tain” Watts, drums (4, 7, 8).
saxophone; Noam Weisenberg, bass; Colin Stranahan, drums.
Ordering info: freshsoundrecords.com Ordering info: joristeepe.bandcamp.com

56 DOWNBEAT JUNE 2022

JUNE 2022 DOWNBEAT 57

Vocals / BY SUZANNE LORGE

Incentive & Revelation
Standards, blues, theater, rock, R&B — jazz
singers find musical incentive everywhere DAN LENORE
that groove and verse intersect. Six new re-
leases show how this incentive, in a skilled Giacomo Gates Jacob Garchik
vocalist’s hands, leads to artistic revelation. Assembly
Wonderfully eclectic singer Kristina
Since her 2011 win at the Montreux vocal Koller unearths a new side of Cole Porter on YESTEREVE
jazz competition, Italian singer Chiara Izzi
has led two label-sponsored releases, both Get Out Of Town (HHH1/2), her third self-re- HHHH
showcases for her dexterous vocals and sleek
arrangements. Her third such release, Live leased record. You won’t necessarily recognize The title of Jacob Garchik’s latest recording
In Bremen (Dot Time; HHH), is riskier: just the album’s most familiar tunes right away, so binds two separate, but essential, concerns.
seven tunes recorded in a simple piano-voice fresh is her understanding of these classics. How does one resolve the matter of getting
session four years ago. Immediate and un- But in Koller’s unexpected melodic choices musicians together to play socially based music
filtered, Izzi’s performances lie all the more and smoky, soulful delivery you’ll hear what in the middle of a pandemic? And how does one
exposed for the open setting, as on a breath- is essential to Porter: the barely concealed put this stuff together? Assembly addresses both
ily improvised “Poinciana,” in Spanish, or the pain of “What Is This Thing Called Love,” the problems with remarkable success. February
bittersweet “Samba In Preludio,” in Italian. romantic detachment of “It’s Alright With Me,” 2021 in New York was not the best time and
She sings just once in English, on “Pavane For and the inherent longing of “In The Still Of The place to bring together a live band with a couple
Peaceful Times,” her own lyrics superimposed Night.” horns. So, the trombonist convened his ensem-
on composer Gabriel Fauré’s famous flute ble at EastSide Sound, a Manhattan recording
melody. “Don’t let the dark shut out the light,” Ordering info: kristinakoller.net establishment with six isolation rooms. In that
she advises, as the tremolo in her voice shifts pre-vaccinated time, it afforded the quintet the
to resolve. Like Koller, Canadian neo-soul singer chance to get together and play with a substan-
and two-time Juno Award nominee Tanika tially reduced risk of infecting each other. The
Ordering info: dottimerecords.com Charles occupies the common ground be- setting also enabled him to get separate record-
tween R&B and jazz. The 11 co-written tracks ings of each musician playing simultaneous-
Giacomo Gates, a standout among tra- on her newest record, Papillon de Nuit: The ly with their four counterparts, which he took
ditional scatters, rhapsodizes the romantic Night Butterfly (Record Kicks; HHHH), away to cut, paste and reorganize into new
other on You (Savant; HHHH), a collection not only put her enormous vocal talent on full arrangements. The resulting music’s imme-
of 18 tightly packed standards and his 10th display but show how easily she finesses both diacy belies its protracted production. While
solo release. As is his wont, Gates handily di- retro idioms and contemporary issues. In her the title “Bricolage” augurs a cobbled-together
verts with funny lyric deviations (“It Had To Be vocal lines she’ll often reference traditional result, Sam Newsome delivers a probing, cohe-
You”), clever interpolations (“Exactly Like You”) funk or soul singers. sive solo over bass and trombone loops. But you
and sultry flirtation (“I Want To Talk About don’t have to care about the recording meth-
You”). Underneath this light-heartedness, Ordering info: recordkicks.com odology to be touched by the music’s emotion-
however, Gates advances a cool musicianship, al core. “Homage” may have been construct-
with his innate feel for back-phrasing (“I Didn’t Grammy-nominated U.K. vocalist James ed from several overlaid performances, but it’s
Know About You”), effortless melodicism Hunter, too, commands a retro R&B sound the music’s grand, bluesy cry, not the clever-
(“You’ve Changed”) and consummate soloing on his originals, albeit one that is closer to ness with which its parts were combined, that
(“I’ve Got News For You”). Not surprisingly, his rock-blues than Koller’s modern syncretism commands attention. And while the pieced-to-
deep-textured voice is perfectly suited for the or Charles’ flawless soul. The 12 tunes with gether ensemble sequences that open and close
blues (“You Never Miss The Water ’Till The Well his regular quintet on With Love (Daptone; “Fanfare” dazzle with their intricacy, a listen-
Runs Dry”), even as a smile informs his growl. er is just as likely to be lured back for another
HHH1/2) captivate with mid-century pop con- listen to the intimate warmth of the exchanges
Ordering info: jazzdepot.com between Sacks and Garchik during the compo-
ventions like coordinated horn riffs (“Heart- sition’s languorous midsection. —Bill Meyer
An experienced theater professional, break”), harmonizing vocal backgrounds
Kristen Lee Sergeant brings a strong sense (“He’s Your Could Have Been”) and tremoring Assembly: Coolage; Pastiche; Bricolage; Homage; Fanfare; Idee
of story to her vocal jazz performances. Al- electric organ (“This Is Where We Came In”). Fixe; Fantasia; Impromptu; Reverie. (44.08)
ready an adept arranger — listen to Inside/Out It’s the grainy voice belting out a seemingly Personnel: Jacob Garchik, trombone; Sam Newsome, soprano
and Smolder, her first two self-releases — Ser- limitless profusion of infectious, blues-de- saxophone; Jacob Sacks, piano; Thomas Morgan, bass; Dan Weiss,
geant steps fully into her own as a songwriter rived melodies, though, that firmly establish- drums.
on Falling (Tiger Turn; HHH), her newest es Hunter as one of the foremost European Ordering info: jacobgarchik.bandcamp.com
offering. The album’s eight contemporary jazz rhythm and soul artists. Just when you think
originals and two masterful remakes set forth he’s said everything there is to say about love,
the concept behind the title: how we manage loss, and moving on, he comes back with an-
the dips, plunges, and surrenders of everyday other idea. It’s impossible not to listen. DB
life. The music provides the visceral context for
Sergeant’s smart lyrics, where the blues evoke Ordering info: daptonerecords.com
both the torment of bad romance (“Honey”);
a fluid, recurring melody the resignation of
being stuck (“Sisyphus”); and gorgeous legit
vocals the yearning of past love (“Autumn
Nocturne”).

Ordering info: kristenleesergeant.com

58 DOWNBEAT JUNE 2022

JUNE 2022 DOWNBEAT 59

Woodshed MASTER CLASS
BY KENNY WERNER

COURTESY OF ARTIST

Kenny “Krishna” Werner

The Perfect Instrument
The following master class is an excerpt from Kenny Werner’s new book, focused, productive, compassionate, peace-
Becoming the Instrument: Lessons on Self-Mastery from Music to Life (Sweet ful and more of service — when we think
Lo Press). Brimming with insights and anecdotes from his 40 years of study- there is a Doer!
ing, performing and teaching music, Becoming The Instrument follows the
world-class pianist’s landmark 1996 book Effortless Mastery: Liberating “Where there is hatred, let me sow love.”
the Master Musician Within, which revolutionized how musicians approach This action takes work. Sometimes we have
their craft. A followup article and interview with Werner, artistic direc- to initiate the willingness, “act as if,” “fake it
tor of Berklee’s Effortless Mastery Institute, will appear in DownBeat later till we make it.” But if I become the instru-
this year. Meanwhile, we turn to Chapter 3, “The Perfect Instrument,” ment of another power, then that conversion
which begins with the invocation of a popular Christian prayer. may be automatic.

“Lord, make me an instrument of Doer is, or even if the Doer exists, the fact I have had the benefit of experiencing
your peace . . . ” The St. Francis is, from a philosophical, psychological, reli- the difference between being the doer or the
Prayer points the way to the ulti- gious, spiritual or even scientific perspec- channel of the Doer quite clearly by being
mate purpose of a human being, not being tive, we become more effective, more alive, a musician. The groove works best when it
the doer but the instrument of the Doer. more grateful, less fearful, more intuitive, works alone. My desire to direct it is the only
Wherever one comes down on who the creative, improvisational, funnier, more thing that can get in the way. Or, as I like to
say, perfection already exists, it’s people who
mess it up!

60 DOWNBEAT JUNE 2022

Creating the Perfect Instrument by how much their body falls short of that than defining it, they will simply and hap-
The Perfect Instrument requires the phys- goal. In what ways does one have to seek out pily yield to it. They may allow it to possess
what to another comes naturally? The per- them entirely, knowing not where it comes
ical, emotional, neurological, psychological, fect instrument is one that embodies preci- from but having ample evidence that it sure
and spiritual components in a human being sion without management or conscious con- does sound and feel good, whoever is doing it.
to be in alignment. All those elements are trol. That makes improvising, or creating and Or it feels so good to just let the music do its
compromised by the world of thoughts, some- adjusting on the fly, possible. It also differen- thing using the player’s skills and tools. It’s
thing I cover here and in later chapters of the tiates the classical musician’s performance such a relief when, after performing, some-
book as well. from very good or even excellent to virtuo- one comes up to me and says, “You sucked!” I
sic. This explains the many levels of golf, ten- can then say calmly, “Wasn’t me. Don’t blame
In this understanding we accept the idea nis, etc. If one adds the spiritual dimension me! Talk to Him.” (Pointing upward!)
that we are not the players who play the of gratitude, one achieves adjectives such as
instrument. We are the instruments who miraculous, revelatory or inspiring. Instead of playing, become the vessel
play the instrument. To do that we have to through which music is played. My spiritual
reprogram the mind to stay out of the way The body as the programmable instru- pursuit has given names to some of these ten-
so we can “receive.” We must train the body ment should open a whole new level of coach- dencies. For me, the source is known as The
to execute without conscious thought. We ing rather than teaching. It only takes one Self. That’s just for me. To be fully connect-
will investigate all the ways the mind inter- lesson to teach something. Coaching a stu- ed on the instrument, whether that instru-
feres with one’s true potential. First and fore- dent until they own it takes as long as it takes. ment is the piano, the violin, the paint brush
most, it’s the body that plays the instru- Who’s Playing? or the golf club, I imagine The Self is express-
ment. Without self-judgment and other ruses ing Itself. By reminding ourselves of the real
of the ego, the body can learn the most effi- If the musician is the instrument, who’s purpose of all action, we can settle into the
cient ways for a particular body to play a par- playing? That implies that he is the one to be inner chops that allow the body to find its
ticular instrument. So, what does the mind played or played through. For that to take natural alignment and become the instru-
do? In its proper place, it enjoys the music, place, the perfect instrument (musician) is ment that plays the instrument. The energy
it beholds music, it becomes grateful for the not just a perfect motion machine, but also that courses through me and escapes into the
music. That takes lots of deprogramming a perfect thinking machine. If his body has piano is The Shakti, which I understand to be
and reprogramming. One wants to cultivate been programmed to perform, the mind may the Goddess energy that is the personifica-
a profound acceptance and love of whatever be empty of intent, preferring the sensation tion of all creativity, among other things. It
one plays. Full disclosure; musicians can also of receiving the performance, dancing with guides the music in my mind and following it
use this gift to manipulate others. Music his- intuition or responding with split-second is a decision I made a long time before I ever
tory reveals that even a son-of-a-bitch can be reactions. If one has achieved the awareness knew the word.
the voice of God! Letting the body play and of being played, then the question is, who’s
the mind enjoy opens a channel. After all, if playing? Ah! Now, that is the journey of a life- The Space
criticizing and browbeating ourselves made time! Some may be absolutely sure of who is What separates the instrument from the
us play better, we’d all be virtuosos. If you playing from the outset via their religion or
accept what wants to come out, what comes spiritual belief. Or they may embark on a life- instrument? The mind.
begins to flow. time journey of discovering just who or what The simplest idea of Effortless Mastery is
that is. They can also decide that The Force
Leaving the mind (desire) out of the equa- will be forever beyond description. Rather that we can live in or act from the conscious
tion, one can program the body to be the mind, or from what I call The Space.
physical instrument, the one that plays.
Programming the body to play is more sport Since I wrote Effortless Mastery, people
than art. Hitting a baseball requires a quiet have often asked me what that means. In the
body. Less moving parts. Programming proceeding years of teaching and lecturing I
the body requires repetition and patience. have hit upon the clearest definition, one that
Getting the conscious mind out of the way I didn’t articulate in my first book. Effortless
then becomes essential. Impatience, after all, Mastery means the perfect and precise com-
is a tendency of the mind. In allowing the mitment of a complex action without thought
body to adapt, we sharpen our tools, our bod- or effort. In this sense, those of us bless-
ies. We tune our instrument. ed with normal motor functions are already
effortless masters. We walk, talk, use eating
The psychological component of the per- utensils, write, read and perform all sorts of
fect instrument is a mind empty of desire. amazingly complex actions that no other spe-
The spiritual flavoring might be a mind full cies is capable of.
of gratitude. This keeps one in balance while
muscle memory is established in the body. Imagine if your execution of playing an
When technique is muscle memory you don’t instrument, wielding a golf club or any phys-
have to manage technique. The body performs ical act of sport, art or whatever were as nat-
automatically. So, you can see the different ural and precise as walking or using a fork?
components that make up the instrument — Shoveling snow, which I just did, is a complex
you! It also clarifies the subtle differences in action that can be done from muscle memo-
the level of performance. The level of one per- ry. But there’s a psychological aspect to it as
son’s playing or another’s could be seen as well. One can shovel snow from the mind,
what one does with concentration, the other i.e., with impatience and resentment. “Shit,
does automatically. Assessing one’s level of this snow is wetter than last night’s snow.
technical mastery can then be quantified It’s much heavier. Look how much I have left
to do,” etc. Or they can do it from a sense of

JUNE 2022 DOWNBEAT 61

being the instrument, The Space. One of the anything. Mistakes are only relevant to the thought. One is physical. Without the mind’s
most endearing qualities of being an instru- conscious mind. desire to become good at something the body
ment is staying in the moment, which hap- is free to take whatever time it needs to really
pens naturally from The Space. Maintaining When I give workshops, I describe this adapt to the act. The other is removing men-
an inner connection, one shovel full of snow state and ask, “Has anyone ever had a gig tal patterns and blocks that stand in the way
at a time. I once had this experience while where you were almost watching yourself of what wants to happen.
vacuuming the rug in my loft in NYC. I start- play?” Most people say they have. Then I ask,
ed focusing very deeply on each little square “Weren’t you playing really great, the way For example, when I shovel my driveway
inch of the rug, getting down into the fibers you’ve been hoping to?” Again, most respond with the desire to be done with it, I might
in ways I never had before. Eventually I took in the affirmative. “You played so great and hurt my back by moving too much snow at
off the attachment that allowed me to vacu- inspired on that gig that you still know where too fast a pace. I’m ignoring the messages my
um standing and got on my knees and started you were and who you were playing with, body is giving me as to how it wants to use
scrubbing every little inch of rug. Every once right?” Lots of heads nodding in agreement. the shovel, whereas my mind just wants to
in a while, I looked back on my work and Then I ask, “How was the next gig?” Some get it over with. From The Space, or tuning
downturned faces on that one. The next gig into my body free of my thoughts, my body
will use every physical law to its advantage,
We are not the players who play the gravity, leverage, etc. But also, by commit-
instrument. We are the instruments ting a physical act from The Space, one finds
who play the instrument. To do that that it extends the body’s ability, much as how
we have to reprogram the mind exercise increases one’s capacity for exercise.
to stay out of the way so we can Ironically, it is the one whose mind is uncon-
“receive.” cerned with how long it will take or where he
is in the process that will allow that process
was shocked to see the clear definition of how is always horrible. I explain why. “You’ve all to go forward. Slow and steady wins the race!
much territory I had covered, one minute spot had this experience, but it always visits you
at a time. I was literally more patient with each when you’re not expecting it. Most cruelly, it Once motor skills or muscle memory are
square than I normally would be skimming never happens when you want to show it to established, the act is automatic and we per-
the entire carpet much more quickly. Because someone else!” I think I spoke of this in my form on a very high level. The results may
of this detailed work, I was amazed to discov- first book, but everyone can relate to throw- vary but the programming of the body does
er the true color of the carpet! It was a much ing darts. Once in a while, you have a pre- its job. To allow the body the opportunity to
darker and richer green than I was aware of. monition a split second before you throw learn its most effective way of performing, a
It was a watershed moment. Unfortunately, it the dart that it’s going to hit the bullseye. whole new way of practicing music must be
was over 40 years ago and I was on psychedel- Everything feels just right and you indeed established. Actually, it is a very old way of
ic drugs at the time. It’s taken me this long to hit it. Where does the next dart go? You try practicing. A long time ago, students stud-
realize that if I keep the mind an empty vessel to repeat the exact relaxation and flow you ied with masters, not people with master’s
(no expectations) there is no driveway to shov- had from the previous dart but the desire to degrees. It harkens back to an age when we
el. There is only the next shovel full. Also, if I hit another bullseye makes the toss too pre- valued the quality of mastery over a quanti-
imagine the mind to be empty (of desire) then cious and the dart heads towards the bullseye ty of skills pursued.
the act of shoveling is not me, but my high- but ends up hitting the bottom of the wall.
er power, however I define that. I become the Becoming the instrument means program- Creating precision from an effortless place
instrument! ming the perfect motion while programming is what the music world calls virtuosity. When
the mind to be free of desire to hit the bulls- we hear a virtuoso, we are aware of how great
As an improvisor, I watch my hands and eye. That requires cultivating the great spiri- they play but we’re not aware of how natural
imagine they are someone else’s hands. I may tual attribute of detachment. it is for that person to be virtuosic. It must be
say to myself, “Oh yeah, this feels great,” but easy or it wouldn’t happen all the time.
after a while I’m not really involved. Or I The different components I referred to
may stare into space or into the lights from before can all be practiced separately. They Mastery doesn’t refer to an act done well
the stage with no consciousness of my hands are separate issues but at many points inter- occasionally or only if one gets enough sleep.
and it truly feels like someone else is playing. dependent. For example, as stated before, The skill or ownership doesn’t diminish if one
I’m just listening and enjoying what is com- one could not even cultivate the right level of has a cold or is a bit foggy that day. It doesn’t
ing out. As I receive this sound, everything practice without some degree of self-control, refer to something well done two out of five
develops perfectly, organically and authen- actually, self-mind-control. One’s practice times. It doesn’t even mean doing something
tically. Many musicians seek to be original, can lead to having the bullseye experience or well five out of five times. Effortless Mastery
more ego than service. One cannot affect the ultimate gig experience more reliably. means the instrument plays itself. The vir-
originality, but the true hope and the doable tuoso doesn’t play the piece. The piece plays
task is to become authentic. Authenticity is There are two very important benefits to itself while the musician watches, appreciates
what happens when you’re not trying to do creating the perfect instrument. Both ben- or dazzles.
efits require a withdrawal from conscious
One can train squarely towards that tra-
jectory but one has to believe they have the
capacity, or at least not be attached to whether
or not they have the capacity. Why not go for
it? DB

COPYRIGHT © 2021 BY KENNY WERNER ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. PUB-
LISHED BY SWEET LO PRESS. FIRST EDITION JANUARY 2022.

Visit Kenny Werner online at kennywerner.com. Becoming the
Instrument is available for online purchase via amazon (https://
amzn.to/3Fc2fIk) in print and PDF versions.

62 DOWNBEAT JUNE 2022

JUNE 2022 DOWNBEAT 63

Woodshed PRO SESSION
BY KATHERINE McVICKER

There is an incredible amount of time,
energy and money involved in launch-
ing any new artist. It may be difficult for an
unknown artist to secure an agent, a manag-
er or a record deal. In today’s music indus-
try, it’s possible for an artist to pursue a music
career without a label or a team. The explo-
sion of social media platforms, streaming
services, YouTube and the sheer amount of
information on the internet makes it possi-
ble for an artist to release and promote music
independently with the click of a button. The
do-it-yourself model of today is incredibly
valuable to those who must start their per-
forming careers on their own.

Anyone Can Book a Gig is for any artist
ready to start developing their profession-
al career. The course explains how to assem-
ble promotional and marketing materials,
do research, make strategic plans to execute
career goals, book concerts and tours and pro-
mote your shows. In short, we teach you how
to set up your business. The topics covered in
Anyone Can Book a Gig are presented in easy-
to-follow steps to give the artist a foundation
of knowledge so he/she can book themselves.

Katherine McVicker Getting Started & Setting Up
The first step is an assessment guide to
Anyone Can Book a Gig
Music Works International was better understanding of the business of live help you evaluate where you are in your pro-
founded with the view that devel- performance. fessional career. It’s imperative to take inven-
oping careers through live per- tory of your experiences and achievements,
formance is a team effort requiring col- In this article, we explore the topics of the even if your experience has been limited to
laboration with all the stakeholders in the course: Getting Started, Setting Up Your a recital at school or studies with a renowned
concert industry. Especially important is Business, Research and Development, teacher. When you know where you’ve been
to build partnerships between performers Negotiation, Contracts and Riders, and and what you’ve achieved, you can build on
and presenters. MWI has used this cooper- Marketing and Promotion. Each section that and plan where you want to go next in
ative approach to help create strategic plans builds on the information from the previous your career. It’s also important to know how
for artists with sound business principles to section and provides practical information to describe your music. If you can’t describe
ensure both the artist and the promoter can about the concert business. Though MWI pri- your own music, how will you know how to
succeed. The company’s flagship, six-part marily represents jazz, Americana and world market and promote it? All of these elements
course, titled Anyone Can Book a Gig, was music artists, the concepts in this course can — educational and professional background,
written to support artists who are looking to apply to booking any genre of music. This achievements, descriptions of your influenc-
begin or to expand their music careers with a course will also be helpful to someone who es and of your music — are pulled togeth-
wants to be a manager or a booking agent. er into an artist biography. This is your first
chance to tell audiences of your accomplish-
ments, skills and what makes you unique as
an artist. The consumer is curious, they want
to know who you are and why you do what
you do: the influences, motivations and pas-
sion behind your projects. Every musician
needs a biography in a series of formats. Both
a long and short version should be on hand,
as well as any project specific summaries for
special projects or collaborations.

There are several other tools you need to
set up your business in addition to a biogra-
phy: photos, recordings, video links, and elec-
tronic press kit, press reviews, quote sheets, a

64 DOWNBEAT JUNE 2022

technical and contract rider, current and should always get the final ticket count after ter in your negotiations. In this sec-
active social media pages, a website and any show) and any comments about the venue tion of Anyone Can Book a Gig, we
any resume-worthy achievements relat- for future reference. You may include a note give you sample letters of solicitation
ed to music (workshops, masterclasses, about how many CDs you sold or any media as well as advice on how to approach
past collaborations or projects). We go events you did to support the show. Agents promoters. We define dozens of terms
into great detail about these materials, and managers use tour histories to know you will encounter in your negotia-
which we call assets. You may not have where and when an artist has played, to cre- tions. When you take the time to do
all of these items when you start out, but ate a strategy for future shows, improvements your research, make a plan and learn
knowing what you need will help you in fee and increases in ticket prices. Many art- the industry terms, you will be better
stay focused on compiling your press kit. ists don’t keep their tour books or keep infor- equipped and more confident in your
mation about their shows. This is a missed discussions with promoters.
Your promotional materials should opportunity to keep information that will Negotiation
showcase your brand and establish your help you expand your bookings. As you build
portfolio. What interest or age group your tour history, you will have the informa- Section 4 is about negotiation. All
are you trying to attract? What visu- tion at your fingertips when you are speak- of us negotiate with each other in our
al and audio materials best represent ing to a promoter about your previous ticket daily lives. Bartering and making
the sound of your music? Do you have prices and how many tickets you sold on past agreements goes back to the start of
any quotes or reviews about your music? shows. Next, we add a new tab to your tour civilization. In my opinion, the best
Studio recordings are best. Get profes- history and make your venue targets. deals are when both sides benefit. I
sional video recorded — not live video represent the artist, so my role is to
from someone’s cell phone. Put your best Research into venues and events is the protect them and advocate for the best terms.
materials forward so they show you are pro- wish list of where you want to play. Look for That said, if a deal is too risky for the promot-
fessional and your production is high quali- venues where bands similar to yours play. er because we have demanded too high a fee,
ty. If you take the care to make great materi- Your Excel sheet columns will look simi- over promised on the size of the audience who
als, you will also have them for others to help lar to the tour history. Make sure to record will buy tickets, or made the financial out-
publicize your shows. Anyone Can Book a the details of the venue: capacity, usual tick- come too uncertain for the promoter, they
Gig guides you through how to create assets, et prices, who has played there recently, how may request a reduction in the fee or worse,
organize and present them. When you have many shows per night, contact for booking. cancel the show if the tickets don’t sell. This
all your assets organized into a folder, your Besides clubs, you will want to gather infor- benefits neither the artist or the promoter.
materials are always ready at a moment’s mation about festivals and other kinds of gigs: Negotiating financial deals in any busi-
notice to send to a promoter, to the media, local series, clubs or city events that have con- ness is based on speculation. When you grasp
to a graphic designer or anyone who is inter- certs. Generally, it’s a good idea to start locally the concept of financial risk, you will be bet-
ested in your music. And do take the care then expand regionally. I like to make a list of ter able to work effectively with a promoter
to make sure all your links work before you the major cities and major events in a region because you will be discussing the financial
send them out. With these professional assets — say, New England — and look for the best outcomes of a concert based on facts like tick-
and a clear message about your music, you possibilities for the artist I’m working with. et price, capacity, show costs, profit and loss;
will have the tools to book gigs, expand your in short, a business deal. When you create an
fan base and make money. This is also the point where you should agreement for a performance, you are enter-
Research & Development understand the terms used to describe the ing a temporary business partnership with a
concert industry and the kinds of deals you promoter where they want to make sure they
The next step in setting up your business is can make for performances. Every indus- don’t lose money, you want to be paid fair-
something all companies do. It’s worth doing try has a lexicon. When you speak with the ly and both of you benefit from a well sold
some research to see what other artists, who same terms as the promoter, you will commu- show. Negotiation takes maturity, knowledge,
are at or beyond your level, are presenting on nicate more clearly and demonstrate that you diplomacy and practice. You will get better
their websites. Do they have a live video that understand the business of live performance. the more you do it. There are ways to reduce
captures the energy of their show? Do their We define dozens of terms you will encoun- risk. This has the added benefit of helping
photos and biography clearly indicate the kind you build solid relationships with promoters
of music they play? What do their concert because it’s based on partnership with both
postings look like? The internet is an endless sides having a stake in the outcome.
source of inspiration and ideas you can use There are lots of different kinds of deals
to promote yourself. Not only do you need to you can make. Common deals include a flat
research how your competition is presenting guarantee, a fee plus a percentage share of the
themselves, you need to research where they profits after expenses, a guarantee versus a
are playing. The next activity is to create a tour percentage of the profits or a door deal with a
history and list of performance targets. high percentage where your fee is based sole-
ly on ticket sales. Each option has a different
If you have ever played a show, you have at risk factor. Shows dependent on ticket reve-
least one entry for your tour history (a com- nue are called hard ticket shows. Hard ticket
pilation of all your performances). A tour shows are where a fan buys a ticket to see your
history is best organized in an Excel-type concert. In other words, you are the reason
spreadsheet that captures the following infor- for the ticket sale. These shows are more risky
mation: date of show, name of venue, city, because the finances are dependent on ticket
state and country (if you have played out- revenue. Festival events are usually soft tick-
side of the U.S.), ticket prices, the guarantee
or fee earned, the number of tickets sold (you

JUNE 2022 DOWNBEAT 65

et shows where fans are paying to experience be sold to cover expenses. Based on a reason- invoices and standard contracts in Anyone
an event and your band is not entirely respon- able calculation of income (how many tick- Can Book a Gig.
sible for bringing in the paying audience. You ets you think you can sell) less the costs, you
will often be on a multi-act bill, so it’s impos- will both know the level of risk for your show: Marketing & Promotion
sible to know which band brought the audi- how much money the promoter is willing to The final step in booking a show is
ence. In these situations, you will usually get risk versus how many tickets you think you described in the last section of the course.
a flat guaranteed fee. This means you get paid can sell. Often, developing bands are offered Section 6 gives you lots of ideas on how to
the agreed-upon amount regardless of ticket door deals, which gives you performance guarantee a successful show or tour with
sales. When you are developing your fan base, opportunities but also requires you to part- great marketing and promotion samples
the soft ticket event can introduce you to new ner with the promoter on a strong promotion and strategies. We give you tips on how to be
fans who might not know you otherwise. You campaign because your income is entirely your own publicist, build a database of local
are part of an event. After you perform at a dependent on ticket sales. media contacts, create press releases and plan
festival, it’s important to return to that same a marketing campaign. We give some infor-
When your negotiation is finished and mation on streaming services and on build-

Every industry has a lexicon. When ing your fan base. This is another area where
you can work in partnership with a promoter.
you speak with the same terms as The promoter should tell you what they have
the promoter, you will communicate planned to promote the show (their market-
more clearly and demonstrate that ing plan) and you can add in your efforts, too.
you understand the business of live Promotion and Marketing are courses unto
performance. themselves and there are many profession-
als who specialize in these areas. The infor-
mation we offer will get you started in think-
ing about effective ways to grow your profile,
your brand and your fan base.
Once you have your self assessment, your
tool box of marketing assets together, you’ve
done your research and created your plan,
city (or market) a few months later and play at you have a deal in place, you should finalize you will be ready to solicit your project,
a club to attract those new fans to see just your everything in writing. An email confirmation negotiate deals, create and understand con-
show. This builds your fan base. with all the details is essential. Details should tracts and riders, and execute successful pro-
include the billing of the band (how you want motion and marketing plans to ensure suc-
The biggest factor that will impact your to be advertised), the date, time and place of cessful outcome of your shows and tours.
artist fee are the show costs. These include the event, how many sets and what length, Remember, it took you many years to become
backline (the instruments and gear you ticket prices, additional amenities the pro- a great musician. We have only scratched the
need to play your show), marketing expens- moter is offering such as dinner or backline surface with this summary of Anyone Can
es, venue staff costs, costs for promotion and and the schedule for deposit and balance pay- Book a Gig. The course has dozens of work-
ticket costs. Your show has to sell enough ments. Request that the promoter responds sheets, samples, examples and more than 200
tickets to pay the costs of putting the show with agreement to your confirmation. pages of text to help you get your career —
on. You should have a technical rider to give Contracts & Riders your business — started.
to the promoter so they can see the produc- Ultimately, it is up to you to direct your
tion costs for your band. The rider can simply Once you have your agreed upon terms, performance career. So much of any enter-
include stage plot, a list of backline needed the next step is to put all the details into a con- tainment career is based on luck, but with
and an input list. Venues have different costs. tract that both you and the promoter will sign. knowledge and experience, you can make
Club costs are cheaper than theater costs. Most professional bands will also attach a rider your own luck. Though it takes time and con-
A club usually sells food and drinks, which that details essential information that won’t fit sistent effort, you will be a better advocate for
adds to the bottom line profit and can off- on your contract face — such things as policy your interests if you take the time to learn
set the cost for talent. Think about those two on photography, comp tickets that are needed, the business. There is no one better qualified,
drink minimums on top of ticket costs when hospitality like catering, hotel rooms or local better informed and better equipped to take
you go to a club in New York. A club may ground transportation, and technical needs the lead than you yourself.
also have in-house backline: a piano (digital such as backline, sound and lights, stage and DB
or acoustic), a drum kit, amps. Theaters, on lighting plot.
the other hand, may be unionized or have to As an industry expert and founder of the talent agency Music
rent backline and sound systems. They have A rider should also state the policy of force Works International (musicworksinternational.com), Katherine
larger staffs and higher rents. These costs majeure events — those things like natu- McVicker has developed international careers for a wide
will also affect the ticket prices needed to ral disasters, sickness, civil unrest or other range of world music, Americana and jazz artists for three
cover costs. This is why artists usually start unforeseen circumstances that could cause decades. Over the last seven years, McVicker has expanded
by playing clubs until they can sell enough one of the contracted parties to cancel the the focus of MWI from a traditional booking agency to offer
tickets at a higher price to cover the greater show. These are standard clauses in any per- marketing services to artists and has created arts networks in
costs to play a theater. If you agree to a deal formance contract. Lastly, you may also issue Africa (Cultural Connections Africa, CCA) and in Latin America
that includes a percentage of the profit after invoices for the deposit and balance payments (Cultural Connections Latin America, CCLA). These non-profit
expenses, the promoter should tell you the that state payment in cash or have your bank- networks foster professional development, education, cultural
costs or, better yet, give you a show budget ing information and dates when the money exchange and economic development through culture.
so you understand how many tickets have to should be paid. We have examples of riders, McVicker also works as a consultant and as a guest lecturer
on the live music industry at colleges and festivals across the
globe. Recent accomplishments include the creation of Anyone
Can Book a Gig, a six-part practical course designed to prepare
aspiring artists for a career in the live touring industry. For more
information, visit the website anyonecanbookagig.com.

66 DOWNBEAT JUNE 2022

Toolshed GEAR BOX 1
2
1. You Rang?
3
Orange Amplification’s Guitar Butler is a
complete guitar rig in a pedal. Like its sibling, 6
The Bass Butler, this dual-channel guitar pre is
intuitive to use and is ideal for gigging, playing JUNE 2022 DOWNBEAT 67
at home, recording, touring, and for use with a
P.A. system or DAW. Designed to give guitarists
a comprehensive service to their signal chain,
The Guitar Butler can be used either as a
standalone or as part of a rig.

More info: orangeamps.com

2. Pitch-Shift Possibilities

The MXR Poly Blue Octave offers a full palette
of pitch-shifting possibilities with four separate
octave divisions — one down, two down, one
up and two up. Players can control the level
of each in the mix as well as decide whether
to run them with the contemporary clarity of
polyphonic mode or the raw vintage grit of
monophonic mode.

More info: jimdunlop.com

3. Hit the Books

Sher Music has published The Jazz Saxophone
Book, by New York saxophonist Tim Armacost.
His approach is geared to helping saxophonists
learn how to play beautiful, flowing lines based
on a practical approach, not just dry theory.
Working through The Jazz Saxophone Book
can be compared to taking a series of music
lessons from a intelligent and joyful teacher.
The 261-page book comes with access to more
than 30 videos of Armacost demonstrating
various exercises in the book. It’s available in
printed and PDF versions.

More info: shermusic.com

4. Space Carbon Snare

Drum Workshop has extended its range of
custom Collector’s series snare drums with
the Ultralight Edge snare. The 5.5- by 14-inch
super-lightweight snare utilizes a carbon
weave cylinder fitted precisely over machined
aluminum Edge rings, creating a high-tech
hybrid that delivers brightness, articulation,
volume, sensitivity and unique tonality.

More info: dwdrums.com

5. Powerful, Versatile, Portable

JBL’s EON700 series of P.A. loudspeakers and
subwoofer with Bluetooth bring power and
versatility to portable PAs for both live sound
and installed applications. With four models
available — the 10-inch EON710, the 12-inch
EON712 and the 15-inch EON715 powered P.A.
speakers and the 18-inch EON718S subwoofer
— EON700 systems cover the needs of today’s
working musicians and sound engineers.

More info: jblpro.com

6. Muscle Shoals Sound

IK Multimedia has released Fame Studio Reverb
for T-RackS, which achieves the vibe of Fame
Studios and the Muscle Shoals sound in any
studio. It offers a total of nine spaces, with two
live rooms, five iso booths, an EMT plate reverb
and Fame’s newly restored echo chamber, plus
modern and vintage modes for each, giving
users a full suite of reverb effects.

More info: ikmultimedia.com

INDIE LIFE

STEVE KORN 

“My approach is more from a business acumen and creative standpoint,
also a point of personal growth,” Eugenie Jones said of her music.

EUGENIE JONES’ CREATIVE STRATEGY

Booking record dates in Seattle, Chicago, Dallas and New York demands a brand of grit, and
high-level organizational skills. But tenacity and project management was elemental to Eugenie
Jones’ creative output long before she conceived Players, her new release on her own label,
Open Mic Records.

In 2010, the Seattle-based marketing of solace I said, ‘I wonder if I can carry on Beat conversation, which has been edited
and communications professional and that part of her.’”  for clarity and space.
philanthropic activist launched her career
in music. “I’m a creative by nature,” Jones Three albums later, Jones has honored Speaking of master artists, please share
said. “My approach is more from a busi- Lee’s legacy and expanded her own artistic how you connected with Reggie Work-
ness acumen and creative standpoint, also vision, recording with Marquis Hill, Lonnie man, who serves as a major collaborator
a point of personal growth. Once the seed Plaxico, Bobby Sanabria, Bernard Purdie on Players. 
is planted, I start figuring out how to make and Quincy Davis — a mere handful of the
it happen.”  32 instrumentalists who appear on Players. I was at Jazz Congress in 2018 when I intro-
“One morning, it just came to me: I’ll record duced myself. When I realized who he was, I
Regions away from her native West Virgin- in each region of the U.S. with a different gulped. I’m talking to Reggie Workman! But
ia, the singer and songwriter received what set of master artists,” she said. “You’d think he was very congenial. I shared this concept
she considers divine inspiration following there’d be some tremendous difference with him, and he encouraged me. The more
the death of her mother, choir soprano Tom- among these places, but you find a likeness I’ve gotten to know Reggie, the more simpa-
mie Lee. “I realized I missed hearing her sing — a shared dedication to craft.” tico I’ve realized we are. We’re both up all
around the house. In trying to reach a place hours of the night working. He’s driven and
And craft was at the focus of her Down-

68 DOWNBEAT JUNE 2022

I’m driven. Moreover, Reggie is a facilitator where you’re just sitting there having a drink of African Americans got their start, musi-
— connecting people, acting as a mentor.  and you don’t want anybody to bother you. cally — Quincy Jones, Ray Charles, Ernestine
And I never sing standards that don’t reso- Anderson. The Black and Tan Club was a
Being driven has its challenges. What’s your nate with me. Like Billy Strayhorn’s “Multi- place where they could go, and be accepted.
method for prioritizing creative pursuits?  colored Blue” — it was genius of him to use That’s what that line is, “No matter how dark
colors of flowers to articulate emotion.  your skin, you can step into this light.” There
I try to have that connection back to the were red lines, places they couldn’t perform
community. I enveloped that into my music Another standard you include is “I Got because of racism. I wrote this song to ac-
by starting my nonprofit Music for a Cause. Rhythm,” which opens on this swinging knowledge that legacy, and also to figure
When I present an event, which hires artists solo gesture from Quincy.  out how to get through my feelings of what
at a worthwhile fee, we identify a charity in happened to George Floyd, and the racism
the community where people can make do- I said, “Quincy, I just want you to get a that we still encounter. There are red lines.
nations. One year, I did the Jackson Street rhythm going. Then I’ll come in, and when Every day you walk outside in brown skin,
Jazz Walk and the admission was a canned I’m ready for the whole band, I’ll say, ‘Right you experience it. Alex became the perfect
food donation for Seattle food bank North- there.’” That’s what we did.   counterpart to this sage Black woman put-
west Harvest. Because of my background ting her arm around a young musician and
in donor development, I was able to solicit Would you share your inspiration for saying, “Hang in there. Keep playing. Keep
businesses for donations to actually present “The Gift of Life” which you co-wrote?  going.” It was cathartic for me.
the Jazz Walk and pay the performers. There
wasn’t a need for a cover fee.  What’s so important about that song is  
that we’re collaborating with the Kidney There’s an unusual way songwriting in-
Your songs share very detailed stories. Are Foundation so it can be given [as a gift] forms your approach to existing material.
you composing at the piano, with a guitar, when someone makes a donation. My friend,
into your phone?  piano player Peter Adams, is waiting for a I make sure it’s what I want to say, and
kidney right now. He asked me, “Would you how I want to say it. I wanted to do “You Can
Songwriting is intuitive for me. I have flash- be interested in writing this song with me?” Have Him” but, to make [the lyrics] more di-
backs of hearing my mom humming, and He’d started it, but his feel was almost like gestible for the modern woman, I added that
I would ask her, “What’s that song?” She’d a funeral dirge, and I thought it should be line, “A woman truly loved will do anything
say, “Oh just something I made up.” When more celebratory. So, we worked together, for her man.” Then it becomes reciprocal. In
I start writing, I’m singing into the recorder; and that’s how that came to be.  Strayhorn’s tune, I added more of the verse
melody and lyrics are coming simultaneous- so I could offer different levels of expression.
ly. For “There Are Thorns,” I wanted to write a Alex Dugdale delivers a strong statement In “Blue Skies,” those lyrics “as far as the eye
song that encouraged people to pull through on “Ey Brother.” It feels as though you wrote can see” — that was all me. It’s not part of
difficult experiences. For “Sittin’ At The Bar,” that song, in part, for your fellow artists.  the original song. I Eugenie-ize it so it has
I wanted to create a picture of a smoky bar more meaning for me. —Stephanie Jones 
Central Seattle has a legacy where a lot

JUNE 2022 DOWNBEAT 69

INDIE LIFE

AARON REGAN didn’t stop her musical flow. She released
three albums with what she jokingly called
her “pandemic trio,” and was at the begin-
ning of her composing season when Down-
Beat caught up with her.

Your composing season coincides with
spring, which is a real time of renewal.
How does that work for you?

It’s probably my favorite season because I
have a passionate relationship with my pia-
no. I don’t sit there and say, “OK, my record
label needs 10 new songs.” I just start play-
ing around on the piano. And before I know
it, I have what I call embryos, little starts
to new pieces of music. Right now I have a
bunch of embryos, and I’m curious: What will
the next album be?

“I always let the music lead me, and it’s led me to a really rich life,” Hilton said. Life is beautiful could almost have been
titled “life is a beach,” because your pi-
LISA HILTON’S ano takes flight like a gentle breeze over
‘BEAUTIFUL’ INDIE the rhythmic lapping waves of the bass
and drums on tracks like “Stepping Into
Pianist and composer Lisa Hilton is living an indie life where life is Paradise” and “Santa Monica Samba.”
beautiful. Since 2001, with her debut album Seduction, distributed And “Unforgotten Moments: Half Forgot-
on her own label (Ruby Slippers Productions), Hilton has been liv- ten Dreams” is very ephemeral, like the
ing as an artist who manages her own career — all of it. last couple years have been.

I like to swing all kinds of ways, and those
simple Latin swings are like a good mood at
sunset in a beautiful environment. “Unfor-
gotten Moments” is absolutely about the
time that we’re in. We will never, ever forget
this moment, which has been quite fertile for
me as a composer. There’s also a part of us
that remembers who we were 2019, and that
life is a half-forgotten dream. We need to
look for, and curate, the beautiful moments,
to help see us through the difficult times
we’re seeing now.

Over the past two decades, the jazz pianist first time I went to New York, I played with Like the invasion of Ukraine. That’s been
and composer has self-produced two dozen Christian McBride, Lewis Nash, Steve Wilson so horrific it’s almost impossible to turn
albums, most with her longstanding trio that and Jeremy Pelt, That was a big deal.” So away from what’s happening there. How
includes drummer Rudy Royston and bass- was playing at Carnegie Hall, where she per- do you feel about life is beautiful coming
ist Luques Curtis. Make that two dozen and formed six times in various configurations out during the biggest crisis we’ve had in
one. Her latest release, life is beautiful, is her before the pandemic. many years?
25th, a recording milestone that took her by
surprise. As a bandleader, Hilton has worked with There are a lot of amazing people in
an impressive roster of musicians, from Mc- Ukraine right now. The Ukrainians them-
“I never planned to make a 25th CD,” Hil- Bride to drummer Antonio Sánchez, trum- selves, and the people putting their lives at
ton said, speaking from her Southern Cali- peter Sean Jones and saxophonist J.D. Allen, risk to help them.
fornia home not far from the coast. “I never among many others. She’s also written doz-
planned to be a music publisher, and I defi- ens of compositions influenced by ascend- And as musicians, I think the best thing
nitely never planned to be a producer.” In- ed jazz masters (Monk, Ellington and Miles) we can do is to lift people’s spirits and help
deed, she never even planned to be a musi- early blues greats (Jelly Roll Morton, Robert them find relief through nature, art and cre-
cian. Hilton studied art and design in college Johnson and Muddy Waters) and the tonal ativity. The music that is coming through me
before rediscovering her dexterous fingers modalities of impressionists (Debussy and is intended to help others.
and childhood passion for the piano, which Seurat).
quickly became her lodestar. And life is beautiful is very healing. It’s
Like the natural world that inspires her,
“I always let the music lead me, and it’s led Hilton’s career follows its own seasons. While also amazing what you’ve accomplished
me to a really rich life,” Hilton noted. “The COVID-19 sabotaged her touring season, it
as an independent artist.

Once upon a time I was thought that the

only way to have a music career was to be

with a record label and an agent. But it’s not

the only way, and it’s been really rich so far.

And I’ve got, I don’t know, maybe 50 more

albums to go, right?  —Cree McCree

70 DOWNBEAT JUNE 2022

JUNE 2022 DOWNBEAT 71

INDIE LIFE

DAN BALILTY Elsewhere on the recording, Degibri deliv-
ers a 5/4 version of the jazz standard “Like
“Just like my parents who raised me to be who I am today, all my musical influences live inside me, Someone In Love” that reflects his recent
in my bloodstream forever, as if they were my musical moms and dads,” Eli Degibri said. classical training. As he explained, “In the
four years prior to the pandemic, I took clas-
ELI DEGIBRI OFFERS sical piano lessons and counterpoint with
AN ODE TO HIS PARENTS Professor Menachem Wiesenberg, who is an
incredible musician, teacher and encyclo-
Israeli-born saxophonist Eli Degibri first began turning heads state- pedia of music of any kind. This period with
side after winning the 1999 Thelonious Monk International Jazz him opened my eyes, ears and soul, and ex-
Saxophone Competition. panded the way I hear and write music.”

First to come calling was Herbie Hancock, releasing Twelve in 2014, followed by Cliff On soprano, Degribri conjures a stirring,
who recruited the Jaffa native for his sextet, Hangin’ in 2016 and 2018’s Soul Station: A meditative vibe on “Noa” and something
where Degibri remained for the next two and Tribute To Hank Mobley. more celebratory on “The Wedding,” both
a half years while playing music from the pi- dedicated to his fiancé. He officially pro-
anist’s Grammy-winning album Gershwin’s Now, he has released what is easily his most posed to Noa on stage while performing
World. After moving to New York in 2002, personal recording to date: Henri And Rachel. these songs at the Red Sea Jazz Festival in
the big-toned tenor saxophonist joined Eilat, Israel, with his father in the audience,
drummer Al Foster’s working quartet and re- Recorded on March 9, 2020, days before just four months before his passing.
mained a fixture of the group through 2011, the onset of the pandemic, Henri And Rachel
appearing on 2008’s Love, Peace And Jazz! serves as a paean to parents. His father, Hen- A profoundly moving work, Henri And Ra-
Live At The Village Vanguard. ri Degibri, a native of Bulgaria, died in the fall chel is Degibri’s musical love letter to his par-
of 2020. And his mother, Rachel, a native of ents, whom he called “the main keys in my
Along the way, Degibri released two al- Iran, battles Parkinson’s and dementia. life,” citing their incredibly supportive na-
bums as a leader on the Fresh Sound New ture from the time he announced his inten-
Talent label (2004’s In The Beginning and Accompanied by pianist Tom Oren, bass- tions to become a musician. “My father was
2006’s Emotionally Available) and two more ist Alon Near and drummer Eviatar Sliavnik, not a jazz fan, but he was definitely my num-
on Anzic Records (2008’s Live At Louis 649 the Tel Aviv-based saxophonist plays with a ber one fan,” he said. “He could recognize
and 2010’s acclaimed Israeli Song featuring muscular authority on the title track, swings my saxophone tone and compositions from
Foster, Ron Carter and Brad Mehldau). Af- with Getzian grace on the delicate 5/4 “Don a mile away. Many times when I had difficul-
ter returning to his homeland in 2011, Deg- Quixote” and testifies on the gospel-tinged ties naming a new composition, I would play
ibri opened his own label, Degibri Records, “Preaching To The Choir,” a potent number it to him and ask him for a name. He would
that reveals his strong affinity for the Afri- nail it every single time. My mother loved
can-American church sermon experience. music of any kind but mainly classical music.
She even had a fantasy that I would become
a classical pianist one day. The amount of
love and support that I received from both
my parents is rare. I wish this kind of uncon-
ditional love for every kid on this planet.”

Those deep feelings are evident on the
uplifting, hymn-like title track, which incor-
porates a choir of wordless vocals that carry
the buoyant melody before tenor saxophone
and bass repeat the catchy refrain in unison.
When Degibri launches into his powerful so-
los on this tune, it speaks of his primary tenor
saxophone influences: Stan Getz, John Col-
trane and Sonny Rollins. “They all find a way
to come out at the right time and ‘accompa-
ny’ me with their presence,” he explained.
“Just like my parents who raised me to be
who I am today, all my musical influences
live inside me, in my bloodstream forever, as
if they were my musical moms and dads.”

The saxophonist added that starting his
own label was an inevitable step in his de-
velopment. “The face of the industry has
changed tremendously, allowing many in-
dividual artists to take control of their own
hands. As I grew older, I sought independence
in my artistic and business decisions. I was
also thinking about the options and possibil-
ities of helping other young musicians with
their dream of releasing their first albums.”

Those lofty goals are now coming to frui-
tion for Degibri and his label.

—Bill Milkowski

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JUNE 2022 DOWNBEAT 73

74 DOWNBEAT JUNE 2022

45th ANNUAL

THE BEST!
This year’s SMA winners
slogged through tough
times and kept swinging
for excellence.

Derris Lee from the UniJvUeNrsEi2t0y2o2fDFOloWrNidBaEAwTas7h5onored
with an Outstanding Performance as a soloist.

STUDENT MUSIC AWARDS
COMPLETE RESULTS

Elie Samouhi wins junior high soloist honors. Varun Das receives outstanding performance honors.

Adam Zilberman earns an Esteban Castro wins the Summer Camargo receives Mikailo Kasha wins the
Outstanding Soloist honor. Undergrad Soloist division. Outstanding Soloist honors. Graduate Soloist division.

JAZZ SOLOIST Shea Welsh Jasper Zimmerman School of the Arts
Los Angeles, California Piano Christopher De Leon
Junior High School Winner West Palm Beach, Florida
High School Winners Hastings High School
Diogo Feldman Eric Day High School Honors Winner
Trumpet & Flugelhorn Benjamin Collins- Hastings-on-Hudson, New York
Siegel Henry Acker
Easterbrook Discovery School Piano Ryota Sato Guitar
Nils Johnson Guitar
San Jose, California Newark Academy Duxbury High School
Julius Tolentino Adrian Wilcox High School Duxbury, Massachusetts
Junior High School Livingston, New Jersey Philip Aduan Frank Vignola
Outstanding Performance Santa Clara, California Warwick, New York
Nathan McCann
Annemarie Faul Baritone Saxophone Performing Arts High School Winner High School Honors
Bass Outstanding Performance
Valley Christian High School William Schwartzman
Eckstein Middle School Dr. Michael Jones Piano Jack Lieberman
Moc Escobedo San Jose, California Alto Saxophone
Seattle, Washington Los Angeles County
High School High School for the Arts Colburn Community School
Junior High School Outstanding Performances Alex Hahn Lee Secard
Honors Winner Los Angeles, California Los Angeles, California
Adam Zilberman
Elie Samouhi Baritone Saxophone Performing Arts High School Community College Winner
Guitar Outstanding Performance
Westlake High School Joshua Wong
The Shea Welsh Brian Peter Ari Pereira Piano
Institute of Jazz Thousand Oaks, Guitar
California Los Angeles City College
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SJZ All-Stars U19 win Asynchronous Combo honors in the high school division.

Jake Leckie Vittorio Stropoli
Los Angeles, California Piano

Community College Manhattan School of Music
Outstanding Performances Marc Cary
New York, New York
Adam White
Guitar Graduate College Winner

MiraCosta College Mikailo Kasha
Steve Torok Upright Bass
Oceanside, California
University of Miami,
Jaylen Ward Frost School of Music
Drums Chuck Bergeron
Coral Cables, Florida
Kansas City Kansas Community College
Jim Mair Graduate College Outstanding Performance
Kansas City, Kansas
Duncan McElman
Undergraduate College Winner Baritone Saxophone

Esteban Castro California State University, Sacramento
Piano Steve Roach
Sacramento, California
The Juilliard School
Ted Rosenthal SMALL JAZZ COMBO
New York, New York
High School Winner
Undergraduate College
Outstanding Performances Jazz Combo I

Derris Lee William H. Hall High School
Drums James Antonucci
West Hartford, Connecticut
University of Florida
José Valentino-Ruiz High School Outstanding
Gainesville, Florida Performance

Summer Camargo Valley Christian
Trumpet Combo I

The Juilliard School Valley Christian High School
Joe Magnarelli Dr. Michael Jones
New York, New York San Jose, California

Tal Kalman Performing Arts
Tenor Saxophone High School Winner

University of the Pacific ChiArts Jazz Combo
Patrick Langham
Stockton, California The Chicago
High School for the Arts
Varun Das Anthony Bruno
Drums Chicago, Illinois

Manhattan School of Music
John Riley
New York, New York

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Valley Christian Combo I receives Outstanding Performance honors. Performing Arts High School Kris Tiner
The New Soil Ensemble shines with an Outstanding Performance. Outstanding Performance Bakersfield, California

LACHSA Blue Note Undergraduate
Combo College Winner

Los Angeles County Sergio de Miguel Trio
High School for the Arts
Alex Hahn Berklee College of Music
Los Angeles, California Nando Michelin
Boston, Massachusetts
High School Honors
Ensemble Winner Undergraduate College
Outstanding Performance
Advanced High School
Jazz Workshop l Fred Fox Jazz Ensemble

California Jazz Conservatory University of Arizona
Michael Zilber Brice Winston
Berkeley, California Tucson, Arizona

High School Honors Ensemble Undergraduate College
Outstanding Performances Outstanding Soloists

Advanced High School Joey Curreri,
Workshop ll Trumpet

The Jazzschool Joey Curreri Quintet
Colin Hogan University of Miami,
Berkeley, California Frost School of Music
Brian Lynch
New Soil Ensemble Coral Gables, Florida

Young Lions Jazz Conservatory Raphael Silverman,
Gilbert Castellanos Guitar
San Diego, California
Raphael Silverman Trio
Community College Winner Columbia University
Bobby Broom
BC Jazz Combo A Chicago, Illinois

Bakersfield College

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Community college jazz solo winner Junior high school jazz solo honors winner Elie Samouhi Graduate college jazz solo
Joshua Wong winner Mikailo Kasha

DB AWARD WINNERS — THE SOLOISTS

AMONG THIS YEAR’S WINNING SOLOISTS, McCann plays baritone saxophone — winning those concepts to his own work.”
there are a pair of atypical instruments — at in a category typically featuring tenor and alto After scoring some fellow students’ films,
least as far as this category goes — as well as players. He switched over from alto in junior
plenty of ambition, extra-musical expression high, according to Michael Jones, his band di- Wong has gone on to work as a professional
and a curiosity to explore. rector then and now. film scorer’s assistant. “Josh also has a lot of
drive,” Leckie said. “He’s quiet — a humble
It’s rare that a Student Music Award win- “Nathan has the technique and charisma guy, really. But he’s a hustler.” The variety of
ner will already have a hearty IMDB (Internet in his playing and the history and knowledge cues that Wong has scored, ranging from elec-
Movie Database) page. Guitarist Elie Samouhi, of the baritone saxophone in his improvisa- tronic dance pop to a jazz trio plus orchestra,
who was recognized in the junior high school tions,” Jones said. “And now it really seems like has given him a broader palate from which
category, can already be seen in Disney’s Bi- it’s an extension of his voice. he can solo, Leckie said. “His work in class has
zaardvark and Netflix’s Team Kaylie. But he’s been informed by all this other work he’s do-
a serious music student, too, as guitarist-ed- “He lit it up from an early age, just in terms ing. And I know he’s still spending a lot of time
ucator Shea Welsh of The Shea Institute of of not being shy of using air,” Jones added. practicing, too.”
Jazz in Los Angeles can attest. (Samouhi is “And he wasn’t satisfied playing glorified tuba
also featured in a guitar performance video parts. He wanted to take to the next level, so Another gifted soloist and musical go-get-
on YouTube that had over 1 million views as of he always treated it like a soloist instrument. ter is Graduate College winner Mikailo Kasha
mid-April.) He took on the instrument and understood of University of Miami’s Frost School of Music.
the role the bari would play in our band at the “He’s the definition of entrepreneurial spirit,”
“Elie came to me four years ago as a pret- time, and why that was important. said Chuck Bergeron, the head of the Jazz Bass
ty accomplished young rock player already,” Studio at Frost. “He basically just functions
Welsh said. “And I think he just saw this as “He can play some piano, he can play some very comfortably with the producer’s hat on.
another challenge. And then he really started guitar. And he’s writing tunes,” Jones contin- He sees what needs to be done, and he will
to enjoy jazz and the improvisational side of ued. “He’s very comfortable in front of people write or arrange the music for any given num-
playing. He’s also gotten into Miles Davis and and very comfortable extending himself.” ber of instruments or musicians. And he also
has recently taken up the trumpet” — à la fel- has good recording skills.”
low multi-instrumentalist and one-time Davis Self-extension has been part of pianist
associate Joey DeFrancesco. Joshua Wong’s makeup, too. Kasha and Bergeron are both contrabass-
ists and bass guitarists, and the latter isn’t
“He’s always been fearless as an improvis- “Joshua already sounded really beautiful afraid to admit that he’s pleased that a bass-
er and is willing to take chances, and he never when I first heard him play piano,” said Jake ist won a Student Music Award in the Soloist
had a lot of filters,” Welsh observed. “I think Leckie of Community College winner Wong. category. “It makes me really happy,” he con-
that was from his early success as an actor.” “But where I’ve noticed development has fessed. “Part of Mikailo’s success might actu-
been as a composer. Of course, composing ally be the fact that he doesn’t approach it in
As for Samouhi’s submission, “Donna Lee,” is just really improvising slowed way down. I the normal orthodox manner. So, he doesn’t
“I just really helped him with arpeggios and think his playing is benefiting from his com- see himself restricted to an accompanist role.”
deciding what key centers we were in. And posing, and his composing is benefiting from
he took all that by himself and worked out his his playing.” Nor does he restrict himself to typical in-
own solo. To me, it was amazing because he strumentations.
actually played his solo with Charlie Parker’s Wong studies with Leckie at Los Angeles
language, as an eighth grader. I just helped City College and has taken advantage of L.A.’s “He builds and plays drum kits,” Bergeron
him push the tempo up on the head. He does status as an entertainment industry town. “The shared. The band for Kasha’s senior recital, in
really have good ears as far as playing back courses that I’ve taught have been opportuni- turn, featured him on bass plus two keyboard-
what he hears.” ties for him in either original creative music, ists and two drummers. “Mikailo’s just creating
like creating beats and those kinds of produc- a ton of content for his website. He’s the one
A senior at Valley Christian High School tions, or writing for film,” Leckie explained. guy I will never have to worry about making a
in Northern California’s Silicon Valley, Nathan “He’s a quick study who has great ears. He can living in the music industry.” —Yoshi Kato
pick things up quickly and then apply some of

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KCKCC’s Luck20 takes Outstanding Performance honors in Blues/Pop/Rock Group. Graduate College Winners Peter Bernstein
New York, New York
Vittorio Stropoli’s solo earns him Ari Pereira takes Outstanding Retrospective Quintet
Outstanding Performance recognition. Performance honors. Tim Watson, Guitar
Manhattan School of Music
Ingrid Jensen The Frost Septet
New York, New York University of Miami,
Frost School of Music
WMU Advanced Jazz Chuck Bergeron
Ensemble Coral Gables, Florida

Western Michigan University ASYNCHRONOUS SMALL JAZZ COMB
Andrew Rathbun
Kalamazoo, Michigan Junior High School Winner

Graduate College Jazz Explorers
Outstanding Performance
Harvard-Westlake
Mikailo Kasha Trio Middle School
Starr Schaftel Wayne
University of Miami, Frost Los Angeles, California
School of Music
Chuck Bergeron High School
Coral Gables, Florida Honors Winner

Graduate College Former SJZ
Outstanding Soloists High School All-Stars
U19s
Jason Arkins,
Alto Saxophone San Jose Jazz
Mason Razavi
The Frost Septet San Jose, California
University of Miami,
Frost School of Music Community College Winner
Chuck Bergeron
Coral Gables, Florida BC Jazz Virtual
Combo
Robert Papacica, Guitar
Bakersfield College
Robert Papacica Trio
New York University

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Kris Tiner KUJazz Ensemble I receives Outstanding Performance recognition in the Graduate Large Ensemble division.
Bakersfield, California

Undergraduate College
Outstanding Performance

Michael Neufeld Quintet

University of Southern California
Michael Stever
Los Angeles, California

Graduate College
Outstanding Performance

Emiliano Lasansky
Group

Herbie Hancock Institute
at UCLA
Daniel Seeff
Los Angeles, California

LARGE JAZZ ENSEMBLE Moc Escobedo Preston Pierce Marc Townley
Seattle, Washington Plano, Texas Byron Center, Michigan
Junior High School Winner
High School Winners High School Performing Arts
Jazz Ensemble Outstanding Performances High School Winners
Hall High School
Farmington Junior High School Concert Jazz AM Jazz Jazz Ensemble I
Heath Wolf Ensemble Ensemble
Farmington, Utah Douglas Anderson
William H. Hall High School Rio Americano High School School of the Arts
Junior High School James Antonucci Josh Murray Don Zentz
Outstanding Performance West Hartford, Connecticut Sacramento, California Jacksonville, Florida

Jazz Band B Plano West Byron Center LACHSA Big Band
Jazz Orchestra Jazz Orchestra
Eckstein Middle School Los Angeles County
Plano West Senior High School Byron Center High School

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Charles Richard
Riverside, California

Undergraduate College Winner

Blair Big Band

Vanderbilt University
Ryan Middagh
Nashville, Tennessee

Riverside City College Jazz Ensemble earns an Outstanding Performance as a Community College Large Ensemble. Undergraduate College
Outstanding Performances
High School for the Arts All-Stars Big Band Mike Galisatus
Alex Hahn Stanford, California Fredonia Jazz Flextet
Los Angeles, California SFJAZZ
Paul Contos Community College Winner The State University at Fredonia
Performing Arts High School San Francisco, California Nick Weiser
Outstanding Performance Oceanside Jazz Orchestra Fredonia, New York
High School Honors
Jazz Band OutstandingPerformances MiraCosta College Jazz Band l
Steve Torok
Las Vegas Academy of the Arts Jazzschool Studio Band Oceanside, California Central Washington University
Patrick Bowen Brian Lawrence
Las Vegas, Nevada California Jazz Conservatory Community College Ellensburg, Washington
Dave Eshelman Outstanding Performance
High School Honors Winner Berkeley, California Graduate College Winner
Jazz Ensemble
SFJAZZ High School Miles Ahead Big Band Jazz Lab Band I
Riverside City College
Stanford Jazz Workshop University of Northern Colorado
Dana Landry
Greeley, Colorado

Graduate College
Outstanding Performance

KU Jazz Ensemble I

University of Kansas
Dan Gailey
Lawrence, Kansas

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Ava Preston, wins Blues/Pop/Rock Soloist honors. ASYNCHRONOUS LARGE High School Winner
JAZZ ENSEMBLE
Elijah Thiessen gets an Oustanding Chelsea Chiu, wins Vocal Soloist Tessa Korver
Performane as a Vocal Soloist. honors in the Performing Arts Undergraduate College Winner
High School category. Roosevelt High School
Jazz Band l Jean-Marie Kent
Seattle, Washington
Central Washington University
Chris Bruya Performing Arts
Ellensburg, Washington High School Winner

Graduate College Winner Chelsea Chiu

Jazz Big Band Los Angeles County
High School for the Arts
Washington State University Suzi Stern
Greg Yasinitsky Los Angeles, California
Pullman, Washington
High School Honors Winner
Graduate College
Outstanding Performance Jesse Iroanyah

Jazz Asynchronous School for Music Vocations Vocal
Ensemble I Jazz Camp (Creston, Iowa)
Jeremy Fox and Tobi Crawford
University of Nevada, Las Vegas Creston, Iowa
Dave Loeb and Nathan Tanouye
Las Vegas, Nevada High School Honors
Outstanding Performance
VOCAL JAZZ SOLOIST
Ava Preston
Junior High
School Winner Solon High School
Dominick Farinacci
Finley Ross Cleveland, Ohio

Eckstein Middle School Community College Winners
Moc Escobedo
Seattle, Washington Aviana Gedler

Southwestern
Community College
School for Music Vocations

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The NYU Pop/Rock Ensemble wins Asynchronous Blues Pop Rock Group. Jeremy Fox Frost School of Music
Creston, Iowa Kate Reid
Camila Cortina Bello, receives Aviana Gedler wins Community Coral Gables, Florida
Outstanding Composition recognition College Vocal Soloist honors. Hannah Goodwin
for her tune “Bop & Hop.” Undergraduate College
Southwestern Outstanding Performances
Community College
School for Music Vocations Dominique Bianco
Jeremy Fox
Creston, Iowa George Mason University
Darden Purcell
Community College Fairfax, Virginia
Outstanding Performances
Emma Hedrick
Christian Anderson
University of Miami,
Kansas City Kansas Frost School of Music
Community College Kate Reid
Justin Binek Coral Gables, Florida
Kansas City, Kansas
Will Ryan III
Elijah Thiessen
University of Miami,
Southwestern Frost School of Music
Community College Kate Reid
School for Music Vocations Coral Gables, Florida
Jeremy Fox
Creston, Iowa Graduate College Winners

Undergraduate Gracie Jay
College Winners
North Carolina Central
Faith Quashie University
Lenora Helm Hammonds
Western Michigan University Durham, North Carolina
Gregory Jasperse
Kalamazoo, Michigan Kira Goidel

June Cavlan University of North Texas
Rosana Eckert
University of Miami, Denton, Texas

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High school honors winner SFJAZZ High High school winners Plano West
School All-Stars Big Band Jazz Orchestra

Undergraduate college Community college winner Oceanside Jazz Orchestra Junior high school winner Farmington
winner Blair Big Band Junior High Jazz Ensemble

DB AWARD WINNERS — LARGE ENSEMBLE

THE WINNING MUSIC SCHOOLS IN THE music students — and junior high kids as well “When I first started at MiraCosta, the
Large Jazz Ensemble category share a com- — before they got to Plano West,” Pierce ex- school didn’t even have a jazz ensemble,” re-
mon denominator: They all place a strong plained. “And with the Hancock partnership, called Torok. “The musical emphasis was on
focus on creating a musical environment built we were able to create all-star middle school choral music and especially music technology,
on continuity and community. and high school groups. It really gave the kids since the school had a great recording studio. I
the tools they needed to grow as musicians.” formed a small jazz band that rehearsed in the
Heath Wolf has been the director of bands afternoon, started plugging away and devel-
at Farmington Junior High in Farmington, Paul Contos, director of the SFJAZZ High oped it into the Oceanside Jazz Orchestra. At
Utah, since 1999. During his tenure, he has School All-Stars Band in San Francisco, doesn’t the same time, we increased our commercial
led the Junior High Jazz Ensemble to wins in have to confront the issue of connecting with jazz emphasis, as well as [built] our focus on
the Large Jazz Ensemble category in three of students before they are part of the All-Stars recording technology classes.”
the last four years. The ensemble has also per- Band, or working to attract potential mu-
formed at the Midwest Clinic and the Lionel sic students. The SFJAZZ program is free of Ryan Middagh, chair of the Department of
Hampton Jazz Festival in recent years. In ad- charge, and the annual August audition pro- Jazz and Global Music at Vanderbilt Universi-
dition, the school’s Concert Band and Percus- cess attracts hundreds of students from the ty’s Blair School of Music in Nashville, joined
sion Ensembles have also achieved state and extended Bay area to compete for the 20–25 that faculty in 2014, replacing Billy Adair after
national recognition. slots in the band. his death. Under Middagh’s leadership, a new
jazz curriculum was created, and professional
“We focus on building a culture of trying Designed as a pre-professional program, musicians such as saxophonist Jeff Coffin and
to play the best you can — and to have fun do- the All-Star Band — as well as a SFJAZZ All- bassist Roger Spencer were added to the facul-
ing it. I don’t preach competition,” Wolf said. Star combo — rehearses once a week during ty. In 2017, the Blair Big Band won the Under-
“However, it does make me happy that they the school year at SFJAZZ, playing winter and graduate College Large Jazz Ensemble award
want to play and compete. I just want them to spring concerts there, recording a professional and received an Outstanding Performance
love music, appreciate it and keep playing as studio album and embarking on a yearly tour. award last year.
long as they can.”
“It’s definitely a competitive program,” “At Blair, it’s all about progress year to
Preston Pierce, associate band director at Contos said. “Once a student goes through year,” Middagh said. “There are a ton of in-
Plano West Senior High School in Plano, Texas, the audition process and becomes a member credible musicians in Nashville in all areas —
has also built a strong music program. Plano of the band, they aren’t assured a spot the including jazz. By bringing them in as faculty
West students won 11 Student Music Awards following year. They have to go through the members, and leveraging other Nashville mu-
combined in 2020 and 2021. The Plano West audition again and be accepted to continue. sicians for clinics and workshops, we can really
Jazz Orchestra has also been a finalist in sever- Despite the intense competition, the students work to make students well-rounded musi-
al Essentially Ellington Competitions over the grow together musically and support each cians and expose them to professional best
last few years and was selected to play at the other throughout the year.” practices.”
JEN Conference in 2018 and 2022.
Steve Torok, chair of the music depart- According to Middagh, another unique as-
Since the Plano High School system is split ment at MiraCosta College in Oceanside, Cal- pect of the Blair Big Band and other combos is
into 9th and 10th grade students at a feeder ifornia, has built a strong community college that they are open to all students at Vanderbilt
school, with 11th and 12th grade students then program after joining the teaching faculty — not just music majors.
moving on the Plano West, Pierce is only able in 2008. Since DownBeat began awarding
to teach music students for two years. He de- Community College Student Music Awards in We get students playing in the big band
cided to start a summer music camp to help 2015, MiraCosta has won a total of 15 awards in and combos who are in the engineering school
build continuity in the music program and also various categories — including vocal jazz, out- and from science studies,” Middagh added.
developed a partnership with the Herbie Han- standing jazz soloist, and a 2017 Large Jazz En- “That speaks to the [role] that music can play
cock Institute. semble award for the Oceanside Jazz Orches- in a well-rounded educational experience. It
tra, which won again this year. In addition, the creates a great synthesis between what they’re
“With the help of jazz drummer Stockton music program has won several engineered majoring in and their passion for music.”
Helbing, I started a summer combo camp to recording awards.
connect with the freshmen and sophomore —Terry Perkins

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Hannah Goodwin wins Community College Vocal Soloist honors.

Graduate College
Outstanding Performances

Bailey Hinkley Grogan

University of Miami,
Frost School of Music
Kate Reid
Coral Gables, Florida

Katie Oberholtzer

University of Miami,
Frost School of Music
Kate Reid
Coral Gables, Florida

SMALL VOCAL JAZZ GROUP

Community College Winner

Jazz-ology

Contra Costa College
Dr. Stephanie Austin
San Pablo, California
Outstanding Soloist: Jesse Chao
on “Ain’t No Sunshine”

Community College
Outstanding Performance

Vocal Jazz Ensemble

American River College
Art LaPierre
Sacramento, California

Undergraduate College Winner

The Frost Vocal Quintet

University of Miami,
Frost School of Music
Kate Reid
Coral Gables, Florida

Graduate College
Outstanding Performances

Frost Jazz Vocal l

University of Miami,
Frost School of Music

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Kate Reid Undergraduate College Winner Coral Gables, Florida
Coral Gables, Florida Outstanding Soloist:
Advanced Vocal Jazz Ensemble Jameson Falconer on “The Kicker”
West Mulberry Trio
Berklee College of Music Jazz & Tonic
University of North Texas Ned Rosenblatt
Lynn Seaton Boston, Massachusetts California State University, Long Beach,
Denton, Texas Outstanding Soloist: Gabrielle Dodaro on Bob Cole Conservatory of Music
Outstanding Soloist: Rachel Azbell “Never Give All the Heart” Jonathan Arenas
Long Beach, California
ASYNCHRONOUS SMALL Undergraduate College Outstanding Soloist:
VOCAL JAZZ GROUP Outstanding Performances Alyssa Curielon “New Day”

Graduate College Outstanding Performance Frost Jazz Vocal ll Undergraduate College Outstanding Soloists

Vocal Jazz Ensemble University of Miami, Mady Frei
Frost School of Music
North Carolina Central University Kate Reid Soloist on “The World Keeps You Waiting”
Dr. Lenora Helm Hammonds
Durham, North Carolina
Outstanding Soloists: Grace Jessop and
Lillian Park on “Naima”

LARGE VOCAL JAZZ ENSEMBLE

High School Winner

Voltage

Liberty High School
Robert Williams
North Liberty, Iowa
Outstanding Soloists: Deucalion Martin and
Tyson Baker on “Come Back to Me”

High School Outstanding Performance

Vocalese

Valley High School
Heather Nail
West Des Moines, Iowa
Outstanding Soloist: Lanie Anthan on “Tight
and Agua de Beber”

High School Honors Ensemble
Outstanding Performance

Iowa All-State Jazz Choir

Various Iowa High Schools
Guest Conductor: John Stafford II
Kansas City Kansas Community College
Kansas City, Kansas

Community College Winner

Singcopation

Mt. San Antonio College
Bruce Rogers
Walnut, California
Outstanding Soloist: Estelle Ocegueda
on “World on our Shoulders”

Community College Outstanding Performance

The Standard Vocal
Jazz Ensemble

Kansas City Kansas Community College
John Stafford II
Kansas City, Kansas

Community College Outstanding Soloist

Eva Luna Smith

Soloist on “Hurry on Down”
The Lyrical Workers
Long Beach City College
Andrea Calderwood
Long Beach, California

JUNE 2022 DOWNBEAT 97

ADVERTISEMENT

Daiki Nakajima wins Original Composition honors.

Cal Poly Vocal Jazz Ensemble
California Polytechnic State University
Arthur White
San Luis Obispo, California

Matthew Ahn

Scat soloist on “Boplicity”
Point of Departure Vocal Jazz
Berklee College of Music
Michael Johnson
Boston, Massachusetts

Graduate College Winners

Frost Extensions

University of Miami,
Frost School of Music
Kate Reid
Coral Gables, Florida
Outstanding Soloist: Daniel Fiamengo on “Round Midnight”

Pacific Standard Time

California State University, Long Beach,
Bob Cole Conservatory of Music
Christine Helferich Guter
Long Beach, California
Outstanding Scat Soloist: Joe Buzzelli on “So in Love”

Graduate College Outstanding Performance

UNT Jazz Singers

University of North Texas
Jennifer Barnes
Denton, Texas
Outstanding Scat Soloist: Tyler Thomas on “Too Close for Comfort”

Graduate College Outstanding Soloist

Vi Dang

Soloist on “A Few More Miles”
Vocal Lab
University of Northern Colorado
Marion Powers
Greeley, Colorado

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ASYNCHRONOUS LARGE VOCAL Outstanding Soloist: High School Honors Winner University of Massachusetts,
JAZZ ENSEMBLE Natalie Gonzalez on “The Times Amherst
They Are A Changin’” Ava Preston Jeffrey Holmes
Community College Outstanding Duo Scat Soloists: Amherst, Massachusetts
Outstanding Performance Anna Crumley & Joe Buzzelli on Vocalist
“Where I Belong” Solon High School Nick Marziani
The Standard Vocal Jazz Dominick Farinacci
Ensemble Graduate College Cleveland, Ohio Alto Saxophone
Outstanding Performance Manhattan School of Music
Kansas City Kansas Community Community College Winner Donny McCaslin
College Vocal Lab New York, New York
John Stafford II Jessie Glennon
Kansas City, Kansas University of Northern Colorado Undergraduate College
Outstanding Soloist: Marion Powers Electric Guitar Outstanding Performances
Maddie Huwe on “Magnolia” Greeley, Colorado Kansas City Kansas Community
Outstanding Soloists: College Alison Banchero
Undergraduate College Jillian Shiveley and Hannah Justin Binek
Outstanding Performance Rodriguez on “Art’s Groove” Kansas City, Kansas Vocalist
Central Washington University
Cal Poly Vocal Jazz BLUES/POP/ROCK SOLOIST Community College Mark Samples
Ensemble Outstanding Performances Ellensburg, Washington
Junior High School Winner
California Polytechnic State Calvin Haverkamp Delacey Lora
University Griffin Kelleher
Arthur White Electric Guitar Vocalist
San Luis Obispo, California Guitar Kansas City Kansas Community Kutztown University of
Derby Academy College Pennsylvania
Graduate College Winner Brian Martin Justin Binek Kevin Kjos
Hingham, Massachusetts Kansas City, Kansas Kutztown, Pennsylvania
Pacific Standard Time
High School Winner Jaylen Ward Hannah Rodriguez
California State University,
Long Beach, Owen Underwood Drums Vocalist, Guitar, Piano and Bass
Bob Cole Conservatory of Music Kansas City Kansas Community University of Northern Colorado
Christine Helferich Guter Guitar College Marion Powers
Long Beach, California Plano West High School Justin Binek Greeley, Colorado
Outstanding Soloist: Preston Pierce Kansas City, Kansas
Dakota Noxon on “Reflections Plano, Texas Graduate College Winner
of Dizzy” Undergraduate College Winners
Denin Slage-Koch
Coleman Hovey
Guitar
Keyboard and Synthesizer University of Northern Colorado

JUNE 2022 DOWNBEAT 99

The KCKCC Blue Devil Funk Band, winners of the Brian Martin Performing Arts High School
Community College Blues/Pop/Rock Group division. Hingham, Massachusetts Outstanding Performance

Steve Kovalcheck Junior High School ChiArts Jazz Combo
Greeley, Colorado Honors Winner
The Chicago High School for the Arts
Graduate College Radio Motion Anthony Bruno
Outstanding Performances Chicago, Illinois
Caleb Chapman’s Soundhouse
Gabriel Bertolini Evan Wharton High School Honors
Salt Lake City, Utah Ensemble Winners
Tenor Saxophone
Western Michigan University High School Winner Lo-Fi Riot
Andrew Rathbun
Kalamazoo, Michigan American Music Ensemble Caleb Chapman’s Soundhouse
Evan Wharton
Geddy Warner St. George’s Independent School Salt Lake City, Utah
Tom Link and Nathan Dumser
Vocalist Memphis, Tennessee Crescent Super Band
New York University Steinhardt
Justin John Moniz Performing Arts High Caleb Chapman’s Soundhouse
New York, New York School Winner Caleb Chapman
Salt Lake City, Utah
BLUES/POP/ROCK GROUP Combo Prime
High School Honors Ensemble
Junior High School Winner Las Vegas Academy of the Arts Outstanding Performances
Patrick Bowen
Derby Academy Organ Trio Las Vegas, Nevada Deep Pocket

Derby Academy Caleb Chapman’s Soundhouse
Evan Wharton
Salt Lake City, Utah

Max Headroom

Caleb Chapman’s Soundhouse
Evan Wharton
Salt Lake City, Utah

Community College Winner

Blue Devil Funk Band

Kansas City Kansas Community College
Justin Binek
Kansas City, Kansas

Community College
Outstanding Performances

KCKCC Luck20

Kansas City Kansas Community College
Jim Mair
Kansas City, Kansas

Samuel Anderson Band

Kansas City Kansas Community College
Justin Binek
Kansas City, Kansas

Undergraduate College Winner

Blues and Rock Ensemble I

Kutztown University of Pennsylvania
Kevin Kjos
Kutztown, Pennsylvania

Undergraduate College
Outstanding Performances

Alison Banchero Band

Central Washington University
Mark Samples
Ellensburg, Washington

The American Music Ensemble

University of Miami,
Frost School of Music
Daniel Strange
Coral Gables, Florida

Graduate College Winner

UNC Funk Lab

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