"Down Beat" - November 2009

COVER
Drummer Roundtable: Jeff "Tain" Watts, Lewis Nash & Matt Wilson - Three of New York City's hottest players gather at a top Manhattan drum shop for a lively conversation on the state of the art of jazz drumming. Watts, Nash and Wilson sound off on everything from maintaining their marketability as sidemen to writing original compositions, leading bands from behind the kit and passing the swing torch down through the generations.

FEATURES
Freddy Cole - Suave, elegant, formidable and articulate, the prestigious singer-pianist has moved into the front ranks of America's homegrown art form. Never short on repertoire or creativity, Cole's career as a consummate entertainer continues to ascend, with a style and musical sophistication all his own.

Michael Moore - The expatriate alto saxophonist, clarinetist and bass clarinetist currently occupies a peculiar insider/outsider position on the fertile Amsterdam jazz scene. A versatile collaborator who's never afraid to dive into new settings, Moore has the rare talent of being able to find his own voice in virtually anybody else's music.

John Patitucci - In addition to his formidable sideman work supporting some of the biggest names in jazz, the electric and acoustic bassist has established himself as a bandleader with a sound and vision all his own.

Art Blakey Classic Interview - DownBeat continues its 75th Anniversary celebration with a Classic Interview from their archives featuring one of the greatest jazz drummers and talent mentors of all time.

DOWNBEAT U: Drum School - Throughout this issue ... the many musician and student readers can learn to play like the pros with extended master classes, hot playing trends, practice tips, transcriptions, Gear Box, Toolshed reviews and more!

PLAYERS
E.J. Strickland (drums)
Sunny Jain (drums/percussion)
Aram Shelton (saxophone/clarinet)
Pedro Giraudo (bass)

BLINDFOLD TEST - Gerry Hemingway

THE BEAT
* Julian Barratt, jazz guitarist, turned comedian makes British TV comedy hit.
* Studio wiz guitarist Wayne Krantz makes first recording in 15 years.
* Bill Bruford releases his autobiography.
* Bassist John Lee starts Jazz Legacy Productions
* Vinyl Freak, The Question
* Caught: Copenhagen Jazz Festival; Umbria Jazz Festival, J.D. Allen at Village Vanguard

WOODSHED
Jazz on Campus: Rodney Whitaker brings new programs to Michigan State.
Transcription: Albert Mangelsdorff's trombone/vocal solo on "Morbidia" from the album Purity (Mood, 1990)
Master Class: Drummer Mat Marucci
Legal Session: Bernard Purdie Shuffle & The Price of Fame

REVIEWS
Hot Box
Roy Hargrove Big Band, Emergence (Groovin' High/Emarcy)
Grant Stewart, Plays The Music Of Ellington & Strayhorn (Sharp Nine)
Rez Abbasi, Things To Come (Sunnyside)
Eldar, Virtue (Sony Masterworks)

Reviews
Miles Osland/Raleigh Dailey, Evidence (Sea Breeze)
Nicole Mitchell Black Earth Strings, Renegades (Delmark)
Stefon Harris & Blackout, Urbanus (Concord)
Mike Stern, Big Neighborhood (Heads Up)
Bill Frisell, Disfarmer (Nonesuch)
Evan Parker Electro-Acoustic Ensemble, The Moment's Energy (ECM)
Marcus Strickland Trio, Idiosyncrasies (SMK)
Aaron Koppel Quartet, Falling Together (Chicago Sessions)
Edward Simon, Poesia (CAM Jazz)
John Surman, Brewster's Rooster (ECM)
Joris Teepe Big Band, We Take No Prisoners (Challenge Records)
Gerald Clayton, Two Shade (Artist Share)
Charles Evans, The King of All Instruments (Hot Cup)
Grant Geissman, Cool Man Cool (Futurism Records)
Bob Florence Limited Edition, Legendary (Mama Records)
Resonance Big Band, Plays the Legacy of Oscar Peterson (Resonance)
Crimson Jazz Trio, King Crimson Songbook Volume 2 (Inner Knot)
Rob Ickes: Road Song (Reso-Revolution)
Fred Hersch, Plays Jobim (Sunnyside)
In the Countrym, Whiteout (Rune Grammofon)
Steve Lehman Octet, Travail, Transformation & Flow (Pi)
Tiempo Libre, Bach In Havana (Sony Masterworks)
Diego Barber, Calima (Sunnyside)
Danny Kalb, I'm Gonna Live The Life I Sing About (Sojourn Records)
The Latin Giants of Jazz, ¡Ven Baila Conmigo! (Gigante Records)
La Excellencia, Mi Tumbao Social (SilVaz Publishing)
Pedro Giraudo Jazz Orchestra, El Viaje (PGM)
Aki Takase/Alexander von Schlippenbach, Iron Wedding: Piano Duets (Intakt)
Justin Vasquez, Triptych (justinvasquez.com)
Nate Wooley/Fred Lonberg-Holm/Jason Roebke, Throw Down Your Hammer And Sing (Porter Records).
Howard Levy, Alone And Together (Balkan Samba Records)

Jazz
Tony Martucci, Long Street Charm (Sound Judgement)
Rashied Ali Quintet, Live In Europe (Survival Records)
Carl Allen & Rodney Whitaker, Work To Do (Mack Avenue)
Alvin Queen, Mighty Long Way (Justin Time)
Louis Hayes, The Time Keeper (18th & Vine)

Blues
Fiona Boyes, Blues Woman (Yellow Dog)
California Honeydrops, Soul Tub! (TubTone)
Candye Kane, Superhero (Delta Groove)
Christine Santelli, Any Better Time (VizzTone)
Ana Popovic, Blind For Love (Eclecto/Delta Groove)
Joanne Shaw Taylor, White Sugar (Ruf)

Beyond
Cornelius Cardew, A Life Unfinished (Copula)
QUaX Ensemble, Treatise (Mode)
AMM, Keith Rowe (ErstLive)
AMM, Trinity (Matchless)

DVD/Historical
Complete Louis Armstrong Decca Sessions (Mosaic)

Book
Robin D.G. Kelley, Thelonious Monk: The Life and Times of An American Original (Free Press)