Clash of the College Bands Tourney – Week 5 (Quarterfinals): University of Miami Concert Jazz Band vs. University of Northern Iowa Jazz Band 1

Congratulations to the week 4 winner, University of North Texas Two O’ Clock Lab Band, who beat the Michigan State with 72% of the vote.

Now we head into the quarterfinals, and I expect some close matchups. Week 5 begins now, with the quarterfinal match up between the University of Miami Concert Jazz Band versus the University of Northern Iowa Jazz Band I.

To see the bracket, click here.

Each week, two college or university big bands will “face off”. You, as the reader, will listen to a song from each band, and then vote for the one you like the best. After the week is over, one team will move on to the next round, and we will feature two new bands. The last band standing is the Clash of the College Bands winner.

Below are the next two school bands.

Click on the link for each school below. Audio will begin in a new page. After you have listened to each band, vote on the one you like the best.

University of Miami Concert Jazz Band – Nasty Blues (audio made available by YouTube post)

University of Northern Iowa Jazz Band I – samples of Passages, Adam’s Apple, What is this Thing Called Love?, and Nardis

Clash of the College Bands Tourney – Week 4: Michigan State University Jazz Ensemble I vs. University of North Texas Two O’ Clock Lab Band

Clash of the College Bands Tourney – Week 3: University of North Florida Jazz Ensemble vs. BYU Synthesis Big Band

Clash of the College Bands Tourney – Week 2: Willamette University Jazz Collective vs. University of Northern Colorado Jazz Lab Band 1

Clash of the College Bands Tourney Begins Now! Week 1: University of Miami Concert Jazz Band vs. Princeton University Big Band

Clash of the College Bands

Pat Metheny’s Robot Army

Guitarist Pat Metheny’s new CD Orchestrion is a modern take on an old attempt at futuristic musical mechanics. Originated in the late 18th century, utilizing music rolls or pinned cylinders, the complex machinery would tap on drums, “blow” wind through pipes or other wind instruments, “play” piano keys and “pluck” strings. Indeed, these were some of the most complex machines in the world more than two centuries ago.

Pat Metheny has taken these concepts and developed a new form of orchestrion, still using acoustic instruments and complex machinery, but with the ability to trigger the “band” from his own guitar. Frankly, I’m not that familiar with this concept, so maybe you should just check out this video of Pat putting the album together. Comments encouraged!

Groove Notes: The New Orleans Conclusion

When I do get out of town, I want to make it count. It has been over a week since I returned from my first trip to New Orleans, and I wanted my emotions from the trip to die down a little bit before I finished my review of it, maybe to just be able to write with a clearer head.

The experiences, be it jazz related or not from this trip, are still extremely vivid. So ahead of time, forgive me if this entry seems personal, and shares a variety of personal thoughts in addition to just “jazzy” ones.

One thing I wanted to make sure I saw while I was there was the Musicians’ Village. This is a community conceived by Branford Marsalis and Harry Connick Jr., to provide adequate housing for artists and musicians of the city who were displaced by Hurricane Katrina.

Once the cab driver stopped telling me that it would be much “safer” for him to take me on a tour to see all of Brad Pitt’s houses rather than drop me off in the middle of what he called a “rough” neighborhood, he started pointing out remnants of Katrina devastation as we headed through town. It has been 4 1/2 years since Katrina hit, and while his voice began to crack when talking about what people went through, this was just a preview of how the people of this city are not over what happened here.

It ended up being too early in the morning for me to catch any musicians out and about in the Village (as it should be…what decent working New Orleans musician is up and about at 9:30 in the morning?). However the opportunity to see this community built for and by the people who have helped make New Orleans what it is was incredibly inspiring.

While not something that people always think of when New Orleans is mentioned, I also paid a visit to the National World War II Museum on Magazine Street. I am certainly a museum fan, but the museum offered a truly emotional experience. I don’t doubt that my traveling partner, nor myself will ever be able to get the images of the brave soldiers who stormed the beaches from our memory. Definitely a moment that choked us both up.

The Louis Armstrong Park was closed for repairs. Still, the park seemed inviting enough for the two of us. There are certain things you have to see, so you see them.

The park hosts the Mahalia Jackson Performance Center, Congo Square, and the old studios of the legendary radio station WWOZ.

I came to realize, as I was literally stuck in a gate leaving the park, that I had eaten way to well on this trip. My traveling partner may very well have wet herself while dying of laughter while I squeezed myself out, and it was at that moment that I dedicated myself to the gym upon my return for 2 1/2 hours, every single day.

The last couple nights I was there I had the opportunity to see Charmaine Neville one night and trumpeter Terence Blanchard the next, both at Snug Harbor. These are two musicians deeply rooted in the New Orleans community. Again, with Charmaine Neville, evidence of the lingering effects of Katrina are still vivid in her mind, as she spent a great deal of time thanking those who recently visited for their help in still ongoing repair efforts.

If you watched the Spike Lee film When the Levees Broke, you may recall seeing Terence Blanchard walking his mother through her house following the hurricane. Since then, Blanchard has completely dedicated himself to the rebuilding of New Orleans, and on that night I got to see him continue to be one of the most prolific storytellers via his trumpet.

New Orleans was a lot of things for me. It was great jazz and haunted hotel rooms. It was Beignets and Cafe Au Lait. It was a muffaletta sandwich on the Mississippi River, and late night karaoke. It was Snug Harbor, the Spotted Cat Music Club, Pat O’ Brien’s, Preservation Hall, Blues Alley, and DBA. It was the Frenchmen Street All-Stars, Terence Blanchard, The Hot Club of New Orleans, Charmaine Neville, and the everyday brass band that just went playing down the street like it was an everyday walk. It was a overtime field goal followed by a city-wide celebration. It was head-butting over which street is the right street to go down, and of course, me being wrong about it. It was jambalaya and Po-Boy sandwiches.

It was Sidney Bechet, Pete Fountain, Louis Armstrong, Jelly Roll Morton, the Marsalis Family, Irma Thomas, Fats Domino, Professor Longhair, and Mahalia Jackson. It was the ghosts of Congo Square.

But mostly for me, it was seeing a city that has rebuilt after major fires, and continues to rebuild after a massive hurricane. It was seeing people who 4 1/2 years ago lost their home celebrating in the streets. It was seeing that the people of this city will never allow it to be destroyed.

Go Saints! Who Dat!

Groove Notes, Live From New Orleans Day 2 (Music and Football)

Groove Notes, Live From New Orleans, Day 1

1,000 Jazz Albums You Should Hear Before You Die (421-440)

Here is another 20 to add to the list.

Remember that there is no ranking system here, and if you don’t see your favorite jazz album yet, it doesn’t mean it won’t show up.

Every week I will offer up twenty more, in no particular order and with no ranking system or common theme (other than jazz of course).

Hopefully these lists will inspire you to seek some of these albums out that perhaps you haven’t heard before, or revisit an old favorite. And as always, we want your thoughts on any or all of these albums. Either way, let’s get started with this week, and in no particular order, albums 421 through 440.

421. The Cats – Tommy Flanagan with John Coltrane and Kenny Burrell (New Jazz/OJC, 1957)

422. The Quintessential Billie Holiday, Vol. 2 (1936, compilation) – Billie Holiday (Columbia, 1987)

423. Money Jungle – Duke Ellington (Blue Note, 1962)

424. Stan Getz with Cal Tjader – Stan Getz (Fantasy/OJC, 1958)

425. It’s All in the Game – Eric Alexander (Highnote, 2006)

426. Iron Man – Eric Dolphy (Westwind, 1963)

427. Fat Albert Rotunda – Herbie Hancock (WEA, 1968)

428. Barefoot Boy – Larry Coryell (One Way, 1971)

429. Eye of the Beholder – Chick Corea (GRP Records, 1988)

430. Of Kindred Souls – Roy Hargrove (Novus, 1993)

431. The Paris Concert, Edition One – Bill Evans (Blue Note, 1979)

432. Red Earth – Dee Dee Bridgewater (Emarcy/URGD, 2007)

433. Lester Leaps In - Count Basie (Epic, 1936-40 recording dates, 1955 release date)

434. Stormy Monday – Lou Rawls (Blue Note, 1962)

435. Soul Sauce: Memories of Cal Tjader – Poncho Sanchez (Concord, 1995)

436. On Fire – Michel Camilo (Epic, 1989)

437. Serenade to a Soul Sister – Horace Silver (Blue Note, 1968)

438. Screamin’ the Blues – Oliver Nelson (Original Jazz Classics, 1960)

439. Wynton Marsalis – Wynton Marsalis (Columbia, 1981)

440. Kind of Brown – Christian McBride (Mack Avenue, 2009)

1,000 Jazz Albums You Should Hear Before You Die (401-420)

Clark Terry Honored at the Grammy Awards

Is there a jazz musician alive today that deserves the Lifetime Achievement award more than Clark Terry? I’m happy to see that he was recognized for that award this year at the Grammy Awards, along with Bobby Darin, Michael Jackson, David “Honeyboy” Edwards, Loretta Lynn and Andre Previn. Clark was quoted as saying at the ceremony “I’m going to keep doing it until I get it right”. Congrats to one of my trumpet heroes, and the man that still possesses the happiest sound in jazz.

Rick Diamond / WireImage.com

Clash of the College Bands Tourney – Week 4: Michigan State University Jazz Ensemble I vs. University of North Texas Two O’ Clock Lab Band

Congratulations to the week 3 winner, BYU, who beat the University of North Florida with 72% of the vote.

Week 4 begins now, with the first round match up between the Michigan State University Jazz Ensemble I versus North Texas Two O’ Clock Lab Band.

To see the bracket, click here.

Each week, two college or university big bands will “face off”. You, as the reader, will listen to a song from each band, and then vote for the one you like the best. After the week is over, one team will move on to the next round, and we will feature two new bands. The last band standing is the Clash of the College Bands winner.

Below are the next two school bands.

Click on the link for each school below. Audio will begin in a new page. After you have listened to each band, vote on the one you like the best.

Michigan State University Jazz Ensemble I – Eye of the Hurricane (courtesy of MSU School of Music website)

North Texas Two O’ Clock Lab Band – Top Fuel (courtesy of CD Too Two by UNT Two O’ Clock Lab Band)

Clash of the College Bands Tourney – Week 3: University of North Florida Jazz Ensemble vs. BYU Synthesis Big Band

Clash of the College Bands Tourney – Week 2: Willamette University Jazz Collective vs. University of Northern Colorado Jazz Lab Band 1

Clash of the College Bands Tourney Begins Now! Week 1: University of Miami Concert Jazz Band vs. Princeton University Big Band

Clash of the College Bands

And the Jazz Grammys go to….

Here are your Grammy winners in the main jazz categories, as announced Sunday, January 31st:

Best Contemporary Jazz Album: Joe Zawinul & the Zawinul Syndicate – 75

Best Jazz Vocal Album: Kurt Elling – Dedicated to You: Kurt Elling Sings the Music of Coltrane and Hartman

Best Improvised Jazz Solo: Terence Blanchard “Dancin’ 4 Chicken” from CD Watts (Jeff “Tain” Watts)

Best Jazz Instrumental Album: Chick Corea/John McLaughlin Five Peace Band – Five Peace Band – Live

Best Large Jazz Ensemble Album: New Orleans Jazz Orchestra (led by Irvin Mayfield) – Book One

Best Latin Jazz Album: Bebo Valdes/Chucho Valdes – Juntos Para Siempre

OTHER WINNERS:

Best Instrumental Arrangement: Bill Cunliffe – Resonance Big Band Plays Tribute to Oscar Peterson

Best Instrumental Arrangement Accompanying Vocals: Claus Ogerman – Diana Krall – Quiet Nights

Best Album Notes: Dan Morgenstern – The Complete Louis Armstrong Decca Sessions (1935-1946)

Best Traditional Pop Vocal Album: Michael Buble – Michael Buble Meets Madison Square Garden

A few surprises here? I sure expected Allen Toussaint to win Instrumental Album, and underestimated Kurt Elling’s latest as well. Let us know what you think!

Groove Notes, Live From New Orleans Day 2 (Music and Football)

So yesterday, to say the very least, was a big day in New Orleans. The New Orleans Saints football team was playing against the Minnesota Vikings in a game that could send the Saints to their first Super Bowl in the teams 43 year existence. As I mentioned yesterday, New Orleans is a city that takes advantage of any reason to celebrate or have a party, and yesterday was far from an exception.

The game was in the evening here, but the anticipation of it was going strong all day long. As we walked down Bourbon Street, there was not a step you could take without hearing music in some form. The street was blocked off to traffic by mid-morning, and crowds were already out. I was perhaps the most out-of-place person on Bourbon Street, being the only one in town not wearing a Saints jersey or t-shirt.

One of the assumptions that I had going in to this trip was that, sure, there would be good music, but I didn’t realize that genuinely good music would be everywhere. I assumed that the great music would be limited to the Preservation Hall and House of Blues-like establishments, but even the “amateurs” are groups I would be happy to see in any top-tier jazz club.

As I walked in to the famous Pat O’ Brien’s bar for lunch (which consisted of free chili dogs and potato chips…that’s right, free), even the dueling pianists were impressive. Most times a dueling piano bar you get cheesy guys pounding out classic rock while modifying the lyrics in some perverse fashion for a laugh. Here, you had two smokey voiced laidies from Mississippi singing everything from jazz to Billy Joel to church music.

Street musicians might often suggest an untalented panhandler. As I settled into my seat at the Chartres House Cafe for a plate of crawfish cakes minutes before the football game was to start, a brass band came passing right by my table, led by a trumpeter who performed a solo I would have recorded, pressed, and packaged if I had the opportunity.

During the game, a man who introduced himself as an advertising executive named Bo told me that a world-famous jazz musician was to be performing in a tiny room free of charge on the fourth floor of the Wyndham Hotel. I was happy with what I was seeing on the street.

The Saints won that evening, and 4 1/2 years after Katrina, the city finally had a victory, and their team was going to the Superbowl. They celebrated accordingly. Bourbon Street was packed with people cheering, with music from every balcony, and no more than two seconds went by without someone shouting “WHO DAT?”, the Saints adopted motto.

Groove Notes, Live From New Orleans, Day 1

Our weekly “1,000″ and “Clash” posts will be taking a weeklong hiatus, but for good reason.

This week I will be posting live from New Orleans. It is my first visit here, and there is so much to soak up and talk about, especially musically.

I will start by saying that I am making a pact with myself to only post entries while eating beignets and drinking cafe au lait from Cafe Du Monde. Of the 30 or so emails I received ahead of time from listeners and readers about what I should do while in New Orleans, Cafe Du Monde was on almost every single list. Delicious.

For jazz fans, you know you are home when you get off the airplane in New Orleans and are almost immediately greeted by a giant statue of Louis Armstrong, and the few shops and restaurants in the airport almost all have the word “Jazz” in their name.

While day one was only a half-day, and half of that was taken up by a nap, I wasn’t going to waste my first night. New Orleans is a city that will take advantage of any reason to celebrate, and with the Saints playing for the NFC Championship today, the crowds were out at night. There is music of all forms everywhere, but my first night I decided to head to Frenchman Street.

One restaurant had live reggae, and across the street was live blues at a small bar. A dixieland band was playing on the street for donations, but I wasn’t stopping until I made it to Snug Harbor, self described as New Orleans premier jazz club. I had a fried chicken sandwich, a Hurricane, and enjoyed a wonderful night of tribute to Django Reinhardt.

The social scene at these jazz clubs, restaurants, and bars is completely different than what I have previously been familiar with. It is a party, not just a show. I made reservations for Tuesday night, when Terrance Blanchard is going to be playing. After Snug Harbor, I went across the street to a place called the Spotted Cat music club, where a band called the Frenchman Street All-Stars were playing. This was high energy, high intensity jazz, the way I always imagined jazz being played in a small New Orleans club. Crowded, a little greasy, but standing room only, loud, and with a quintet that tore the roof off of the place. People cheered for solos like solos are supposed to be cheered for.

This was Day 1. As previously mentioned, I plan on seeing Terrence Blanchard on Tuesday, as well as a visit to the Musician’s Villiage, among many other music related activities. I’ll keep ya posted.

Clash of the College Bands Tourney – Week 3: University of North Florida Jazz Ensemble vs. BYU Synthesis Big Band

Congratulations to the week 2 winner, University Northern Colorado, who beat Willamette University with 64% of the vote.

Week 3 begins now, with the first round match up between the University of North Florida Jazz Ensemble versus the BYU Synthesis Big Band.

To see the bracket, click here.

Each week, two college or university big bands will “face off”. You, as the reader, will listen to a song from each band, and then vote for the one you like the best. After the week is over, one team will move on to the next round, and we will feature two new bands. The last band standing is the Clash of the College Bands winner.

Below are the next two school bands.

Click on the link for each school below. Audio will begin in a new page. After you have listened to each band, vote on the one you like the best.

University of North Florida Jazz Ensemble – Zach

BYU Synthesis Big Band – Begin the Beguine

Clash of the College Bands Tourney – Week 2: Willamette University Jazz Collective vs. University of Northern Colorado Jazz Lab Band 1

Clash of the College Bands Tourney Begins Now! Week 1: University of Miami Concert Jazz Band vs. Princeton University Big Band

Clash of the College Bands