"Down Beat" - April 2008

Cover Story
Pat Metheny Trio -- The road sure has been good to guitarist Metheny, bassist Christian McBride and drummer Antonio Sanchez, as the trio has blazed across the country (and around the world) playing to large, enthusiastic audiences. The group has an unbelievable rapport, and its new album, Day Trip, shows that it plays trio jazz at as high a level as any group on the planet.

FEATURES
Cecil Taylor -- What makes the DownBeat Hall of Fame pianist’s music so mesmerizing and mysterious? An excerpt from Howard Mandel’s recently released book, Jazz Beyond Jazz, explores Taylor’s percussive approach to the piano, and how he has helped to revolutionize the music.

Ben Allison -- It was time to truly focus his time and efforts on his own projects. The result is a fascinating album, Little Things Run The World, which offers a mature, exciting sound. One of DownBeat’s perennial “Rising Star” artists is making the next step.

Nicole Mitchell -- As DownBeat’s perennial “Rising Star” flutist, few artists are as motivated as Mitchell. She has been an organizer and creative spark in the Chicago improvised music scene for years while leading and working in numerous groups. One of her most heralded projects, the Black Earth Ensemble, recently released a live disc—just one component of this multidimensional artist

SPECIAL SECTION: Musicians Gear Guide -- We walked the aisles at Winter NAMM 2008 to check out all of the new gear being released. Here, we spotlight the most exciting products from the show that are essential for any working musician.

BLINDFOLD TEST -- Joey DeFrancesco

PLAYERS
Loren Stillman (saxophone)
Steve Lehman (saxophone)
Little Arthur Duncan (harmonica/vocals)
Michael Vlatkovich (trombone)

THE BEAT
• Riffs—Jazz News From Around The Globe
• Largest jazz record collection in U.S. goes to Oberlin
• Frank Morgan tribute
• Rahsaan Roland Kirk Celebration Gala in NYC
• North Carolina Jazz Loft Project: New Insights On Monk
• Things To Come, Living Jazz, European Scene
• Backstage With ... Curtis Fuller
• Caught: New York Winter Jazz Fest at the Knitting Factory, Monterey Jazz All-Star Tour Begins, Piano Marathon at Merkin

WOODSHED
• Jazz on Campus: Jazz Institute of Chicago’s Jazz Links Program
• Transcription: Woody Shaw’s trumpet solo on “The Moontrane”
• Master Class: Saxophonist Greg Abate

REVIEWS
Hot Box
Karrin Allyson, Imagina: Songs Of Brasil (Concord)
Lionel Loueke, Karibu (Blue Note)
Enrico Rava/Stefano Bollani, The Third Man (ECM)
Bill Dixon with Exploding Star Orchestra (Thrill Jockey)

Reviews
Adam Rudolph’s Moving Pictures, Dream Garden (Justin Time)
Tony Malaby/William Parker/Nasheet Waits, Tamarindo (Clean Feed)
Charlie Haden, The Private Collection (Naim)
Mike Moreno, Between The Lines (World Culture)
Martin Tétreault/Kid Koala, Phon-O-Victo (Victo)
Géraldine Laurent, Time Out Trio (Dreyfus)
Brooke Sofferman, Fine Whines (Summit)
Matt Geraghty Project, Passport (Matt Geraghty)
Inhabitants, The Furniture Moves Underneath (Drip)
Tony Wilson 6tet, Pearls Before Swine (Drip)
Maynard Ferguson, The Lost Tapes (Sleepy Night)
Jon Gordon, Within Worlds (ArtistShare)
Kenny Werner/Roseanna Vitro, The Delirium Blues Project (Half Note)
Nic Bartsch’s Ronin, Holon (ECM)
Luifi Bonafede/Pietro Tonolo, Peace (ObliqSound)
Chucho Valdés, Teatro Colón (Mutis)
Frank Kimbrough, Air (Palmetto)
Tom Scott, Cannon Re-Loaded (Concord)
Keefe Jackson’s Project Project, Just Like This (Delmark)
Sabertooth, Dr. Midnight—Live At The Green Mill (Delmark)
Caribbean Jazz Project, Afro Bob Alliance (Heads Up)
Delta Saxophone Quartet, Dedicated To You ... But You Weren’t Listening (MoonJune)
Dennis Rollins’ Badbone & Co., Big Night Out! (Raestar)
Drew Gress, The Irrational Numbers (Premonition)
Evan Christopher, Delta Bound (Arbors)
David Buchbinder, Odessa/Havana (Tzadik)

Jazz
Benny Golson: The Whisper Not Tour (Arkadia)
Arturo Sandoval Live (BamBoo)
Mahavishnu Orchestra, Live At Montreaux (Eagle Eye)
Benny Carter, Symphony In Riffs (Rhapsody)

Blues
Root Doctor: Change Our Ways (Big O)
Luther Allison: Underground (Ruf)
Roomful of Blues: Raisin’ A Ruckus (Alligator)
Big Shanty: Ride With The Wind (King Mojo)
Popa Chubby: Deliveries (Blind Pig)

Beyond
Brazilian albums

Historical
Nat King Cole Reissues (Collector’s Choice/EMI Special Markets)

Book
Guido Van Rijn’s Kennedy’s Blues (Mississippi) and Fabian Holt’s Genre In Popular Music (University of Chicago)