"DownBeat" - September 2010

COVER
Esperanza Spalding -- The gifted young bassist/vocalist/composer continues her upward trajectory with a modern chamber music project that combines the spontaneity and intrigue of improvisation with sophisticated string trio arrangements. The result is a truly contemporary sound that broadens the listener's cultural experience by thoughtfully weaving together elements of jazz, folk, world and classical music.

FEATURES
Danilo Perez -- In addition to recording a new CD and directing his educational program at the Berklee Global Jazz Institute, the globe-trotting pianist has been touring with an all-star collective honoring his early mentor, bebop king Dizzy Gillespie.

Al Di Meola -- A bona fide guitar hero and virtuoso of the highest order, Al Di Meola's creative output to date is staggering, whether it's with his current World Sinfonia band or his groundbreaking musical endeavors from the past.

Artie Shaw -- In honor of the legendary jazz clarinetist's 100th birthday, DownBeat presents an excerpt from the book Three Chords For Beauty's Sake: The Life of Artie Shaw (W.W. Norton), by author Tom Nolan.

Billy Childs -- A feeling of Impressionism pervades the pianist's latest recording project, a collection of classically infused compositions rich in atmospheric timbres and sensations.

SPECIAL SECTION: Indie Life -- Our special section exploring artists and labels bubbling up from the independent music scene will include stories on saxophonist Dan Willis interpreting the works of composer Erik Satie and the Puzzlebox octet in Philadelphia.

PLAYERS
Aaron Goldberg (piano)
Georgia Anne Muldow (voice)
Stanton Moore (drums)
Joel Forrester (piano)

BLINDFOLD TEST -- Steven Bernstein

THE BEAT
· Creative Music Studios digs into archives for new series
· Nikki Yanofsky marketing campaign: yielding results?
· Vinyl Freak
· Caught: Carefusion New York Jazz Festival; Clean Feed Festival in Chicago;
Jacob Fred Jazz Odyssey Reinterprets Beethoven in Oklahoma City.

WOODSHED
· Master Class: Mat Marucci on drum soloing
· Transcription: Clifford Brown's trumpet solo on "Joy Spring"
· Jazz On Campus: First official jazz department established in Turkey at Hacettepe University

REVIEWS - Hot Box
Contact, Five On One (Pirouet)
Odean Pope, Odean's List (In + Out)
Rufus Reid, Out Front (Motema)
Marian Petrescu, Live At The Jazz Standard (Resonance)

CD Reviews
Fred Hersch, Whirl (Palmetto)
Stanton Moore, Groove Alchemy (Telarc)
Mike Reed's People Place & Things, Stories And Negotiations (482 Music)
The Resse Project, Eastern Standard Time (In The Groove)
Kahiba, Global Dialects (Intuition)
Raul De Souza E Convidados, Bossa Eterna (Biscoito Fino)
John McLaughlin & the 4th Dimension DVD, Live @ Belgrade (Abstract Logix)
Rhoda Scott, Beyond The Sea (Doodlin)
Ben Goldberg, Go Home and Tin Hat, Foreign Legion (BAG Production Records)
David Weiss Point of Departure, Snuck In (Sunnyside)
Dan Weiss Trio, Timshel (Sunnyside)
Mark Egan, Truth Be Told (Wavetone)
The Wee Trio, Capitol Diner Vol. 2 Animal Style (Bionic Records)
Randy Ingram, The Road Ahead (BJU)
Ranee Lee, Lives Upstairs (Justin Time)
Myron Walden, To Feel and What We Share (Demi Sound)
Sonny Fortune, Last Night At Sweet Rhythm (Sound Reason)
Andreas Oberg, Six String Evolution (Resonance)
Moutin Reunion Quartet, Soul Dancers (Plus Loin Music)
Azar Lawrence, Mystic Journey (Furthermore)
Willie Jones III, The Next Phase (WJ3)
Mark Feldman/Sylvie Courvoisier, Oblivia (Tzadik)
Flip Philipp/Ed Partyka Dectet, Hair Of The Dog (ATS Records)
Barry Romberg's Random Access, Was Shall Why Because (Romhog Records)

Jazz
Jonathan Butler, So Strong (Rendezvous)
Tom Lagana, Schematic (Harvestime)
Gerald Albright, Pushing The Envelope (Heads Up)
Jeff Lorber, Now Is The Time (Heads Up)
Grover Washington, Jr., Grover Live (G-Man/Lightyear)
Yarone Levy, Blue And Yellow (self-release)

Blues
Diabel Cissokho & Ramon Goose, Mansana Blues (Dixie Frog/harmonia mundi)
John Jackson, Rappahannock Blues (Smithsonian)
Little Joe McLerran, Believe Me I'll Make A Change (Roots Blues Reborn)
Matthew Stubbs, Medford & Main (Blue Bella)
Frank Fairchild (Tompkins Square)
Elvin Bishop, Red Dog Speaks (Delta Groove)
Johnny Winter, Live at Fillmore East (Collector's Choice)

Beyond
Kenny Rankin Reissues, Mind-Dusters, Family, Like A Seed, Sliver Morning, The Kenny Rankin Album (Sly Dog Records, a Mack Avenue imprint)

Historical
Stan Getz, Kenny Barron, People Time: The Complete Recordings

Vinyl
Jimi Hendrix new and reissued LPs (Axis: Bold As Love, Are You Experienced, Electric Ladyland, Valleys Of Neptune, First Rays Of The New Rising Sun) on Sony/Legacy.

Book Review
Alan Govenar, Lightnin' Hopkins: His Life And Blues (Chicago Review Press)