myjazzjourneys.blogspot.com: The Ran Blake Interview

myjazzjourneys.blogspot.com: The Ran Blake Interview: MYJAZZJOURNEYS.BLOGSPOT.COM (MJJ) The MJJ Interview: Third Stream Music - Catching Up with Ran Blake - 50 Years Later (transcrib...

The Ran Blake Interview

MYJAZZJOURNEYS.BLOGSPOT.COM (MJJ)

The MJJ Interview:

Third Stream Music - Catching Up with Ran Blake - 50 Years Later

(transcribed)

Ken Grady

Earlier this year I met iconic pianist, author and educator Ran Blake, whose music I first heard almost 50 years ago.

Professor Blake has been mentoring aspiring musicians at Boston's New England Conservatory (NEC) for over 40 years. He is a practitioner of Gunther Schuller’s Third Stream genre in music. The Third Stream genre has been described as being “…halfway between Jazz and Classical Music”. It can also include influences of song, film noire, literature, and other music. Or, something totally different that enters the mind during the creative process that has an effect on the music.

Ran Blake has 30 albums to his credit. His 2017 release, Town & Country, features French vocalist Domonique Eade. His latest literary work, Primacy of the Ear, was published in (201o).

MJJ: I began by asking Ran Blake to elaborate on his definition of Third Stream music, in which he includes many influences. Among them, Billy Holiday’s voice, John Coltrane on sax, the poetry of Edgar Allen Poe and Film Noire, preferably that of French Filmmaker Claude Ghabrol.

RB: It's always been a blend to me. Like Beethoven would blend Royal music with music of the fields. But, I guess I love people like Hungarian composer Bartok Ives, Mahalia Jackson, Marian Williams and Ray Charles. I love Charlie Parker, but his root is not in me. I love Billie Holiday, and all the great singers.

So, I guess it’s a bigger switch. Does Ray Charles

myjazzjourneys.blogspot.com: Revisions to this Blog Site are Currently Underway...

myjazzjourneys.blogspot.com: Revisions to this Blog Site are Currently Underway...: The myjazzjourneys.blogspot.com site is current being revised to provide more features such as video, streaming Jazz, interviews, and much more.

JazzJourneysWorldwide: Miles Davis Parts the Res Sea - Sort Of Part 2

JazzJourneysWorldwide: Miles Davis Parts the Res Sea - Sort Of Part 2

Los Leones Jovenes del Jazz de Panama (The Young Lions of Jazz of Panama)

Whether you call them phenomes, or progedies, young musicians have always been at the forefront of their art. In Jazz, we call them, the young lions. That’s nothing new. Cats like Coltrane, Miles, Herbie Hancock, and others, were playing with established bands by age 20. And, many of them attracted the attention of legends who became their mentors.

Panama has a very promising crop of young Jazz talent, Aquiles Navarro Jahaziel Arrocha, both 25, are the real deal. But, don’t take my word for it. Ask sax legend Carlos Garnett, who tutors both, and can’t say enough about his young students. 

At the 2007 Panama Jazz Festival Arrocha auditioned for admission to Berklee College of Music, and was accepted. He was also given a

Eric Dolphy, One of Panama’s Gifts to the World of Jazz

                        Eric Dolphy

In this modern era of Jazz Carlos Garnett and Danilo Perez are the most popular names among Jazz aficionados in Panama. But,  Panama’s past boasted a rich Jazz history as well. Sadly, local Jazz heads have said that many of their countrymen are not familiar with that history. Further, while some Panamanians have heard of a some great Jazz artists, they don’t know that many are actually from Panama.

One such example of this is the great, multi-talented reed player, Eric Dolphy. Dolphy’s parents migrated from Panama to the US in the late 1920’s, as did many Panamians. This was just before Eric was born. His music career began at the age of 6.

I've never seen him perform live. But, I’ve found Dolphy's sound to be provocative and sophisticated. I was introduced to cats like Eric Dolphy by John Coltrane’s’ music. Releases like Ole, and Spirtual, captured me with Dolphy’s stellar work flute, alto sax and bass clarinet.

By the time I entered the world of Jazz radio I was fully aware of who Dolphy was. He was a regular in my playlist. My love of his work lead me to others like, Archie Shepp, and Anthony Braxton. Both of  whom I have seen in live performance. With that in mind , the details of Dolphy's sudden death in 1964 intrigued me.

Here is my summary of how his time was spent just days

The Berlin Wall, and All That Jazz

In 1964, in the middle of the cold war, Dr. Martin Luther King was invited to speak at the '64 Berlin Jazz Festival. Her is an excerpt from his speech:

"...and now, Jazz is exported to the world. For in a particular struggle of the Negro in America, there is something akin to the universal struggle of modern man. Everybody has the Blues. Everybody longs for meaning. Everybody needs to clap hands and be happy, Everybody longs for faith. 

In music, especially this broad category called Jazz, there is a stepping stone towards all these."

In December of 1986 I made a trip to West Berlin, in W. Germany. Just the name, Berlin, created cloak & dagger images in my head. Too many spy novels and movies. On the morning I left, I arrived at Heathrow Airport, just outside London, and even the Lufthansa Airlines ticket counter staff looked suspicious. Or, at least I thought they did. 

I was going to Berlin to visit a friend. He met me at the airport, and showed me the town. Berlin is a very cosmopolitan city, but all the trappings of the cold war were still in place in 1986. Berlin was a divided city, east and west. The Berlin Wall was still standing. West Berlin, itself, was still divided into American, British, and French sectors, just as it was at the end WWII.

After seeing the sightseeing, and dinner, I wanted to hear some live Jazz.

Germans have an unabashed love for American Jazz, even though Hitler's propaganda machine took several measures to prevent

Passion & Commitment: The Danilo Perez Interview

Looking at his track record, you realize how natural it must have been for Danilo Perez  to have developed an early passion for music. As a child, Danilo's musician father would have friends over to play and sing, and some of them would ask Danilo to play what he had learned.

From that beginning, the Fulbright Scholar has spent his life committed to learning and teaching music. 

He is an internationally acclaimed concert pianist, composer & conductor. He is the force behind the Panama Jazz Festival, the Danilo Perez Foundation, the new Danilo's Jazz club in Panama City,  Artistic Director for the Berklee Global jazz institute , Unesco Artist for Peace and he has just released a new CD, titled, Panama 500. In my recent interview with Danilo Perez, I asked him about his passion for music.

KG - You have made it your mission to use music to unite Panama with the rest of the world. Is that a fair statement?

DP - Yes, I would say so. I think the greatest lessons about these

Reminicing About A Memorable New York Hot Spot

If you had a chance to go there you might have rubbed shoulders with the likes of James Baldwin, Amiri Baraka, or Toni Mossison. All hip. That's the type of crowd you'd expect at Mikell's, a hot spot that was  located on the corner of 97th & Columbus. 

Mikell's opened in 1969, and closed in 1991. It's owner was Mike Mikell, who died in 2005. It's gone now, but in the seventies and eighties Mikell's was a happen' place for some of New York's best session and studio musicians who would drop in to jam.  Art Blakey would rehearse and record there with the Jazz Messengers. Other frequent notables included Milt Jackson, Ray Brown, and Cedar Walton.

I remember being there on one occaission when Hugh Masekela
almost blew the roof off the room. It was SRO, and I don't think sitting was even an option as the room was pulsating on a night that I remember like it was last night.

But, sadly, Mikell's is gone. Gone the way of other New York Jazz venues, such as Slugs, Port of Call East, and The Lennox Lounge.

Great memories, though.

The Late David "Fathead" Newman, Flora Purim, Sachal Vasandani and, It was All Free

Annual spring and summer festivals celebrating the performing and visual arts are so plentiful that it's impossible to see them all. But, if you are in or near Raleigh, NC, in May of the year, you've got to check out Artsplosure. 

Conceived in 1978, Artsplosure's goal was to create an "explosion" of art activity, and "expose" large numbers of people to all types of art. The event lasts several days, and is totally free.

In my years in Raleigh I saw the late tenor sax giant, David "Fathead" Newman, Brazilian super vocalist Flora Purim, and vocalist, Sachal Vasandani. All free, at Artsplosure. I had never seen any of these

What is the Periodic Table of Jazz?

If you haven't seen this, you should.

The Periodic Table of Jazz is a creation from Seattle based Jazz trombonist and educator, David Marriott, Jr.

There's not a lot I can say about this table, I just think it's very cool. If you click on the table it will enlarge and you'll see the names and time periods he has chosen. You'll also note that there are some names are obvious by their absence. Well, I'll let you read the words of it's creator, which you can do by going to, theperiodictableofjazz.com

Once at the site you can also order a poster of the table to hang on your wall, or give as a gift.

Click on the table.

Larger Than Life: Bobby Timmons at the Piano

One night in the late sixties I was walking down Avenue C in the East Village. It was late, and I was looking for a new place to grab a meal, and listen to some Jazz.

As I walked, I found a spot called, Rafikki. Not sure of the spelling now. I was only there once, and, I think it's gone now. But, it looked like a nice place, and the sign outside read, " live Jazz". Well, I had found a little piece of paradise.

Having been exposed to live Jazz from the age of eight by my mother in 1955, I was impressed even then with the music. But, my interest waned as one might expect from a child. It was only years
later that my interest and love of this music began to evolve. Sometime in the early sixties, when I was fifteen, my oldest brother, Dan, brought home some albums, Ramsey Lewis, among them. I'd heard of Ramsey,

The Cedar Walton Trio at the Village Vanguard, and, Suddenly in Walked Roy

In the late sixties, when I was hanging out around Jazz clubs in lower Manhattan, I couldn't afford to go to the storied, and costly, Village Vanguard. Enjoying a live show at this Jazz shrine had been a life long dream. I finally get there a few years ago.

I went with my wife in 2008. The cover was still a bit pricey, but I was no longer a broke college student. Once we were comfortably shoe-horned into our seats, the great Cedar Walton, and his trio, began the set. Trumpeter, Roy Hargrove, was also on the bill. Hargrove and

1968: The Jazz Journey Takes a Detour

The Jazz Journey has taken several artistic detours over the course of it's fifty plus years. In March 1968 I saw Jimi Hendrix perform live at the Memorial Auditorium in Columbus, Ohio. While Jazz has always been the main focus of my musical journey, you couldn't help but notice other genres of the period. 

Like many others, I was intrigued by what Hendrix was doing, and later, discovered that Miles Davis himself was discussing a collaboration with the guitarist just before Hendrix died.

Also, many of the hip Jazz clubs in the fifties and sixties were in the East Village in lower Manhattan. It was a paradise if you were into Bebop, Improv/Avant Garde. Of course, the West Village was home to

Next Stop for the Jazz Journey: The Central Brooklyn Jazz Consortium Festival

Jazz: A Music of the Spirit 

The Thirteenth Annual Central Brooklyn Jazz  Festival(CBJC) will kickoff on March 30, thru April 30, 2013. Since 1999 the consortium has worked to recognize the works of  African American artists that have a "social conscious", and seek to improve relations among people and institutions in their community. The annual festival is a showcase for their efforts, for Jazz, and the arts.

This year's festival will feature Lou Donaldson, Dee Alexander, Houston Person, Winard Harper, Arturo O' Farrill, Pucho and His Latin Soul Brothers, and many other international and local artists. Also, tributes will be made to honor many other artists, among them, Gloria Lynne, Gil Scott-Heron, Kenny Dorham, and Cecil Payne.

The Consortium will also give awards in the following categories: Jazz Impact Award, honoring the Jazz member credited with making the most significant contribution to the community; CBJC Hall of Fame Awards, which has inducted such notables as, Mary Lou Williams, Art Blakey, and Carmen McRae, among others; and the the Jazz Shrine Award, selecting a Jazz venue that has made a significant contribution to the community.

This event is held annually. But, I hope to see some of you this time around.

For more info write to, info@cbjcjazz.org or call (718) 773-2252.

Geoffrey Smith's Jazz From the U.K.

Geoffrey Smith is many things, musician, freelance writer, lecturer, and host of Geoffrey Smith's Jazz. The program is heard on the BBC each week where he shares his passion for Jazz by exploring the great artists of the genre from his unique viewpoint. I just recently found the show while surfing the web. I was impressed.

Geoffrey was born in Michigan in 1943, and was raised in an environment of classical, contemporary, and Jazz music. He became a percussionist, playing in diverse groups from Dixieland to Avant-Garde. He went to Britain in 1973 to complete work on a doctorate degree, and decided to stay. 

He spent more than twenty years hosting, Jazz Records Request. In his new gig, Geoffrey Smith's Jazz, he explores the history of Jazz across a wide spectrum, or as he himself puts it, 'I always try to convey the energy and spontaneity that's so vital to Jazz, the sense of discovery I knew in my days as a drummer with groups ranging from Dixieland to big bands to a very free New York quartet'.

To check out the program, and all the Jazz on BBC Radio3, hit the link below.


http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b01h5z0s/episodes/guide

Space is the Place for My Jazz Journeys

Sometime during the late 60's I was turned on to a cut from an ESP compilation album that definitely caught my  attention. It was from bandleader, Jazz musician, and philosopher Sun Ra, someone I had never heard of.  When I heard his stuff, though, I'm like, "...who is this cat"? I remember thinking, "...wow, you either get this cat, or you don't". Well, I got it. That's what you get from Sun Ra who, with at least a thousand songs to his credit,  from 1934 to 1993, he has been called the twentieth centuries' most prolific Jazz composer.


To quote Sun Ra, "...if you find earth boring, just the same old same thing, c'mon sign up with Outer Space Ways, Incorporated". That line from his 1967 release, "We Travel the Space Ways". After having been introduced to Jazz at age eight, I was in my early twenties when I first heard this artist. I am a lifelong fan.

I caught up to Sun Ra's Solar Arkestra twice. Once in Seattle in the early 90's before his death, and in 2008 in Durham, NC, I saw the Arkestra under the direction of  the incomparable Marshall Allen. Last I heard the Arkestra had played to enthusiastic throngs at the 2011 Melbourne Jazz Festival, continuing to keep Sun Ra's legacy alive.

I continue to be in awe of Sun Ra as I hear more of his work more than forty years on.

For more info go to, www.elrarecords.com

The Best Jazz Club I've Never Been to

I grew up listening to Jazz in Cleveland, Ohio. I remember seeing several clubs in town, like The Jazz Temple, when I was too young to get in. As I got older, I left for college, and eventually moved out of town. But before I left, one club, the Nighttown opened in Cleveland Heights, near the campus of Case, Western Reserve University. Having made very few trips home in the last three decades, I have never found the opportunity check out this venue. My loss.

The Nighttown is a first class spot. Vogue Magazine had this to say about it, "The late night Cleveland crowds head to The Nighttown, a dimly lite Jazz bar, where everyone from Wynton Marsalis to The Count Basie Orchestra, has graced the stage. Also, for the ninth straight year, The Nighttown has been named one of the best Jazz clubs in the world by Downbeat Magazine.

So, this post is a plug for the best Jazz club in my home town, and I have recommended it before. That recommendation was to my brother a couple of years ago when I read somewhere that Jazz pianist, Amina Figorova, from Azerbaijan, would be performing at The Nighttown, for free. I was a fan of hers since my days as host of the Evening Jazz program at 90.7fm wncu in Durham, NC. I told my brother that if I were in Cleveland I go to see her even if it wasn't free. He and and my sister-in-law went and enjoyed it immensely.

If you plan to be in Cleveland during the holidays, check out The Nighttown. You might just see world percussionist Jamey Haddad, or sultry song stylist Vanessa Rubin, both are scheduled to be on the bill this month, and both are highly recommended

For more news on the Nighttown go to, http://home.ezezine.com/640_2/640_2-2012.12.23.14.45.archive.html  

Freddie Hubbard, Live at the East Town

I had been following the work of the great trumpeter, Freddie Hubbard, since the sixties. But, hadn't seen him live before his 70's date at the East Town Hotel in East Cleveland, Ohio. My college room-mate's father owned the East Town, and I was offered a free pass. As a broke, Jazz loving college student I jumped at the opportunity.

Of course, Freddie achieved popularity in 1970's through his association with CTI Records, particularly with his release of Red Clay. But, it was during the bebop, hard bop and post bop periods of Jazz that he was first recognized for his contribution to new perspectives in modern Jazz, playing with 'Trane, Ornette Coleman, and other greats.

But, this was the 70's and Miles Davis was setting the tone, not only in music, but also in appearance with a vast array of clothing styles. This was Miles's Bitches Brew, On The Corner period. Many young lions had worked with Miles, and later joined Freddie as Miles had moved on.

Hubbard won a Grammy in 1972 for his First Light release.

So, it was only at this point in time, early 70's, that I was able to see him. It was vintage stuff that night from Freddie, but I was very surprised to see him on stage dressed in a sparkling, bright silver jumpsuit, with matching platform-heeled boots, and "spaced out" sunglasses. I'll never forget that sight. Freddie had clearly taken a page from Miles's wardrobe inventory.

 RIP: Freddie Hubbard

Jazzin' it up in Seattle

While living in Seattle in early 90's, I found a city with an impressive Jazz history, and great live performances from some of best Jazz has to offer. The most popular club I found was Dimitriou's Jazz Alley, conveniently located in the Belltown section of downtown, and is still there. The Jazz Alley has been jammin' for more than 30 years, and is the third longest running dinner and music spot in America.

Dimitriou's Jazz Alley has an international reputation, and first class artists who would gig there on their west coast swing. I've seen Archie Shepp, Marian McPartland, Pharoah Sanders, and Seattle resident, vocalist Ernestine Anderson among others. The club itself is also the home of the Pacific Jazz Institute.  It has two levels and can seat about 400. Wherever I am, I've always tried to connect with the artists between sets, and the setting at the Jazz alley allows one to do that in the hallway leading to the restrooms. I've stood in that hallway and had conversations