"DownBeat" - September 2011

COVER
Stefon Harris/David Sánchez/Christian Scott: Ninety Miles project - DownBeat takes an in-depth look at the Ninety Miles project, which is documented in the new CD/DVD package of the same name, on the Concord Picante label. Ninety Miles is a collaborative project that brought together the immense talents of vibraphonist Stefon Harris, saxophonist David Sánchez and trumpeter Christian Scott. The album was recorded entirely in Havana, Cuba, with contributions from pianists Rember Duharte and Harold López-Nussa. The players involved may come from different cultures, but they found common ground as musicians. There is a forthcoming film documentary on the project, also titled Ninety Miles.

FEATURES
Bill Frisell - As one of the most intriguing and versatile guitarists working today, Frisell is both a highly acclaimed leader (as evidenced by his Savoy Jazz release Sign of Life) and a sought-after collaborator. He recently has performed with Lee Konitz, Gary Peacock and Joey Baron. DownBeat catches up with a guitar wizard who is a favorite among jazz fans, as well as critics and fellow musicians.

James Farm: Joshua Redman/Aaron Parks/Matt Penman/Eric Harland - Released on Nonesuch, the collaborative album James Farm features four incredible musicians: saxophonist Joshua Redman, pianist Aaron Parks, bassist Matt Penman and drummer Eric Harland. DownBeat examines how this quartet came together to record and tour.

Dick Hyman - Virtuoso pianist Dick Hyman is known for classic interpretations from the jazz canon, ranging from Jelly Roll Morton to Cecil Taylor. The legendary pianist and mentor talks about his long career, and playing everything from traditional swing, to lounge music, to film soundtracks, to early Moog experiments.

Special Section: Keyboard School - Expanded Woodshed and Toolshed coverage with a focus on keyboards.

PLAYERS
Peter Zak (piano)
Mike Jones (piano)
Cindy Scott (vocals)
Tim Daisy (drums)

BLINDFOLD TEST - Orrin Evans, pianist and band leader

THE BEAT
· Béla Fleck gets the original Flecktones back together, and they have recorded a new album, Rocket Science. (label: Entertainment One)
· NY Jazz Initiative releases debut CD.
· Saxophonist Ellery Eskelin goes organ-ic (label: Prime Source)
· Gil Scott-Heron remembered/obituary (labels: XL Recordings in 2010-11, RCA

WOODSHED
· Master Class - pianist Joel Forrester (label: Cuneiform, Koch)
· Pro Session - pianist Champian Fulton (label: Gut String)
· Transcription - "Down the Hatch" from organist Joey DeFrancesco's Organic Vibes CD

TOOLSHED
· Avid/M-Audio Venom synthesizer
· Kawai CA93 digital piano
· Yamaha CP5 digital piano
· Greg Black trombone mouthpiece

GEARBOX
· Korg microPIANO
· Casio WK-7500 keyboard
· T-Rex guitar pedals
· Bosphorus Cymbals/Cymbal Masters Virtually Erskine-Peter Erskine Drum Sample Library (audio samples)
· Apogee Electronics Duet 2 audio interface
· Reunion Blues violin case

REVIEWS - Hot Box
· James Carter, Caribbean Rhapsody (EmArcy)
· Adam Cruz, Milestone (Sunnyside)
· Pat Metheny, What It's All About (Nonesuch)
· Gerald Wilson Orchestra, Legacy (Mack Avenue)

CD Reviews
· Ketil Bjørnstad/Svante Henryson, Night Song (ECM)
· Bassdrumbone, The Other Parade (Clean Feed)
· Larry Gray Trio, Three Equals One (Chicago Sessions)
· Starlicker, Double Demon (Delmark)
· Ed Reed, Born To Be Blue (Blue Shorts [self release])
· Magos Herrera, Mexico Azul (Sunnyside/Sony Music)
· Terri Lyne Carrington, The Mosaic Project (Concord Jazz)
· Alex Hoffman, Dark Lights (Smalls)
· Avery Sharpe, Running Man (JKNM)
· Karrin Allyson, 'Round Midnight (Concord)
· Howard Alden, I Remember Django (Arbors)
· Madeleine Peyroux, Standing On The Rooftop (Decca)
· Sachal Vasandani, Hi-Fly (Mack Avenue)
· Anne Mette Iversen Quartet, Milo Songs (BJU)
· Rob Brown, Unexplained Phenomena (Marge)
· David Weiss & Point of Departure, Snuck Out (Sunnyside)
· Gary Husband, Dirty & Beautiful (Abstract Logix)
· My Silence, It Only Happens At Night (482 Music)
· Erik Friedlander, Bonebridge (Skipstone)
· David S. Ware/Cooper-Moore/William Parker/Muhammad Ali, Planetary Unknown (Aum Fidelity)
· Solomon Burke & De Dijk, Hold On Tight (Verve Forecast)
· Eric Alexander, Don't Follow The Crowd (HighNote)
· Susana Baca, Afrodiaspora (Luaka Bop)
· The Bo-Keys, Got To Get Back (Electraphonic)
· Nicole Mitchell, Awakening (Delmark)
· The Headhunters, Platinum (Owl)

Jazz
· Uri Caine, Twelve Caprices (Winter & Winter)
· Bill Carrothers Trio, A Night At The Village Vanguard (Pirouet)
· Ran Blake, Grey December: Live In Rome (Tompkins Square)
· Matthew Shipp/William Parker, Knives From Heaven (Thirsty Ear)
· Denny Zeitlin/Labyrinth, Live Solo Piano (Sunnyside)

Blues
· Amede Ardoin, Mama, I'll Be Long Gone 1929-1934 (Tompkins Square)
· North Mississippi Hill Country Picnic: Volume 2 (Devil Down)
· Alexis P. Suter Band, Two Sides (Hipbone)
· Henry Gray, Lucky Man (Blind Pig)
· Grayson Capps, Lost Cause Minstrels (Royal Potato Family)
· Dana Gillespie, I Rest My Case (Ace)

Americana releases reviewed in a round-up:
· Various artists, I Love: Tom T. Hall's Songs Of Fox Hollow (Red Beet Records)
· Buddy Miller, The Majestic Silver Strings (New West)
· Emmylou Harris, Hard Bargain (Nonesuch)
· Hayes Carll, KMAG YOYO (& Other American Stories) (Lost Highway)
· Steve Earle, I'll Never Get Out Of This World Alive (New West)
· Fleet Foxes, Helplessness Blues (Sub Pop)
· Lucinda Williams, Blessed (Lost Highway)

Historical
· Stan Getz, Quintets: The Clef & Norgran Studio Albums (Hip-O Select)

Book Review
· Daniel Beaumont, Preachin' The Blues: The Life and Times of Son House (Oxford University Press)