"DownBeat" - March 2009

COVER
‘My Favorite Blue Note Albums’ -- As the label celebrates its 70th anniversary (and 25th since Bruce Lundvall resurrected it), DownBeat asked more than 25 jazz musicians a simple question: What is your favorite Blue Note album? The answers offer a musician’s perspective on the amazing recorded history of the venerable jazz label.


FEATURES
Bebo & Chucho Valdés -- These concerts could not have happened in the United States, as Chucho cannot get a visa to perform in this country. So Ned Sublette went to the Barcelona Jazz Festival, and caught up with the father and son piano masters as they performed a series of special duo concerts, which captured the spirit and history of Cuban music, jazz, classical and beyond.

Virginia Mayhew -- Several years ago, the saxophonist encountered a serious health scare when she was diagnosed with breast cancer. But today, she’s playing with amazing vigor and creativity, as shown on her two recent albums on her own label, Thank You Uncle Edward and A Simple Thank You.

SPECIAL SECTION: 2009 DownBeat Summer Camp Guide
Our annual resource to help jazz students (and adults) decide where to hone up on their playing chops this coming summer.

SPECIAL SECTION: Indie Life
• Amina Figarova: European artist trying to break into U.S. market.
• Best strategies for using such networking sites as Facebook, MySpace and LinkedIn.
• Longevity tips from older indie labels such as Delmark, Storyville and Arbors.
• Indie Spotlight Ad Section

PLAYERS
Dee Alexander (voice)
John Escreet (piano)
Stephen Gauci (saxophone)
Stryker-Slagle Band (guitar/saxophone)

BLINDFOLD TEST -- Geoffrey Keezer

THE BEAT
• Tough Economy and Jazz Presenters
• Bassist Avishai Cohen
• Johnny Mercer Centennial
• Vinyl Freak, The Question; Backstage With .. Cedar Walton
• Caught: Wayne Shorter & Imani Winds @ Disney Hall; Ponta Delgada Festival; Bill Charlap does Leonard Bernstein @ Carnegie Hall

WOODSHED
Jazz on Campus: Andreas Oberg’s online guitar school
Master Class: Rudresh Mahanthappa
Transcription: Dizzy Gillespie and Max Roach’s Duet on “Bastille Day”

REVIEWS
Hot Box
The Bad Plus +1, For All I Care (Heads Up)
Steven Bernstein’s Millennial Territory Orchestra, We Are MTO (MOWO!)
Ravi Coltrane, Blending Times (Savoy)
The Peggy Lee Band, New Code (Drip Audio)

Reviews
Roditi/Ignatzek/Rassinfosse, Beyond Question (Nagel Heyer)
Jim Hall/Bill Frisell, Hemispheres (ArtistShare)
Charlie Hunter, Baboon Strength (Reapandsow)
Tim Collins, Fade (Ropeadope)
Tony Malaby Cello Trio, Warblepeck (Songlines)
Joe Zawinul & The Zawinul Syndicate, 75 (Heads Up)
Ruthie Foster, The Truth According To Ruthie Foster (Blue Corn)
Louis Moholo-Moholo Duets With Marilyn Crispell, Subanye (Intakt)
Sheila Jordan, Winter Sunshine (Justin Time)
Benny Powell, Nextep (Origin)
Shemekia Copeland, Never Going Back (Telarc)
Wayne Wallace Latin Jazz Quintet, Infinity (Patois)
John Santos Quintet, Perpectiva Fragmentada (Machete)
Keller’s 10, Keller’s 10 (Unit)
Jeff Beck, Performing This Week ... Live At Ronnie Scott’s (Eagle Records)
Michael Wolff Trio, Joe’s Strut (Wrong)
Matthew Shipp Trio, Harmonic Disorder (Thirsty Ear)
David S. Ware, Shakti (AUM Fidelity)
George Gruntz Concert Jazz Band, Why Not? (TCB)
Roberto Occhipinti, Yemaya (Alma)
Quinsin Nachoff Horizons Ensemble, Featuring John Taylor & Ernst Reijseger (Musictronic)
Tony Monaco, Live At The Orbit Room (Chicken Coup)
François Carrier, Michel Lambert, Jean-Jacques Avenel, Within (Leo)
Eli Degibri Trio, Live At Louis 649 (Anzic)
Sherrie Maricle & The DIVA Jazz Orchestra, Live From Jazz at Lincoln Center’s Dizzy’s Club Coca-Cola (DIVA Jazz Orchestra)
The Budapest Jazz Orchestra Meets Kálmán Oláh, Images (Hungaroton)

Jazz
Laïka, Misery (Blujazz)
Jane Monheit, The Lovers, The Dreamers And Me (Concord)
Deborah Latz, Lifeline (June Moon)
Nikki Yanofsky, Ella ... Of Thee I Swing (A440)
Barbara King, Perfect Timing (CCC Music Group)
Erin Bode, The Little Garden (Native Language)

Blues
Deb Coleman/Candye Kane/Dani Wilde, Blues Caravan (Ruf)
Rory Block, Blues Walkin’ Like A Man (Stony Plain)
Annie Raines & Paul Rishell, A Night In Woodstock (Mojo Rodeo)
Gina Sicilia, Hey Sugar (VizzTone)
EG Kight, It’s Hot In Here (M.C.)
Tina & Ike Turner, Sing The Blues (Acrobat)

Beyond
Luiz Bonfa: O Violao E O Samba (EMI)
Quarteto Novo: Quarteto Novo (EMI)
Walter Wanderley: Samba No Esquema De Walter Wanderley (EMI)
Elizeth Cardoso e Cyro Monteiro: A Bossa Eterna De Elizeth E Cyro (EMI)
Donato e seu Conjunto: Cha Dancante (EMI)
Eumir Deodato: Ideias (EMI)

Historical
Miles Davis All-Stars Featuring John Coltrane, Broadcast Sessions 1958–59 (Acrobat)
Rosemary Clooney, On The Air (Acrobat)
Carmen McRae, Live At The Flamingo Jazz Club (Acrobat)
Dave Brubeck Quartet Featuring Paul Desmond, On The Radio: Live 1956–57 (Acrobat)
Frank Sinatra, On The Radio: Lucky Strike “Lite-Up Time” Shows (Acrobat)
Sarah Vaughan & Woody Herman, On The Radio (Acrobat)

Book
Derek Ansell, Workout: The Music of Hank Mobley (Northway)