What To Wear, What To Wear...

With the recent news of my Juno nomination, the question du jour has become, "What on Earth will I wear?"

My immediate thought was that this event presented a great opportunity to don my MacDonald tartan tuxedo jacket.  My wife does not agree.

I've decided to conduct an online poll.  What do you think?

Sordid Sort of Fellow

If you missed the New Directions Ensemble's performance last weekend at Szechuan Tokyo, here is a video clip:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3lVSY2pO8sU

Considering that we had just one short rehearsal, I think it came together quite nicely. Performing to a sold out, full capacity audience always helps! On this track there is some truly stellar soloing from trumpeter Josh Evans, trombonist Sara Jacovino, and bari saxophonist Lauren Sevian.

Enjoy!

Farewell, Knut

I was saddened this week to learn of Knut Haugsoen's passing.  Knut was an inspired and thoughtful jazz pianist & composer who's music and creative spirit strongly influenced me during my formative years in Winnipeg.  On many occasions I went to hear his band, Virkrama perform at the Franco-Manitoban Cultural Center and the Winnipeg Art Gallery.  At Knut's performances you could always count on hearing cohesive, rehearsed sets of clever, highly-original music.  Musicians often commented that you could tell he had a background in architecture because of the interesting formal structures within his pieces.

I believe Knut was the first musician to turn me on to the concept of reharmonizing American Songbook standards.  His rendition of Cole Porter's "Love for Sale" is especially memorable.

Knut's first album, "Hands On", was engineered by Jan Erik Kongshuag, who recorded many albums for ECM records.  After reading the liner notes of this disc I started to "dig around" and learn more about the ECM catalog and its extraordinary depth and importance in the realm of creative, improvised music. One of Knut's frequent local collaborators, bassist Steve Hamilton, was especially helpful to this end.

Whenever I played in Winnipeg, Knut and his wife Mary were often in the audience.  He was always very encouraging and eager to discuss my latest compositional and improvisational approaches.  I truly enjoyed our conversations about music.  Its hard to believe he's gone.

Thanks Knut for your music, creative spirit, friendship and encouragement.  You will be missed.

Top 10 list

The Canadian jazz journalist and radio DJ, Ray Alexander was kind enough to include my CD in his top 10 list of jazz albums for 2010.  Thanks Ray!

Here is the list:

(1) A Time For Love - Arturo Sandoval (Concord)
(2) Rockin' In Rhythm-A Tribute To Duke Ellington - John Pizzarelli (Telarc)
(3) This Could Be The Start Of Something Big - ANdy Farber & HIs Orchestra (Black Warrior)
(4) Last Train To Hauteville - Martin Taylor's Spirit of Django (the guitar label)
(5) For All We Know - Jose James & Jef Neve (Universal Music)
(6) Ages - Lorraine Feather (Jazzed Media)
(7) Do Not Disturb-John Bunch Trio (Arbors Recs.)
(8) Moody 4B - James Moody (IPO Recordings)
(9) Re:Visions - Earl MacDonald's Works For Jazz Orchestra (Death Defying Recs.)
(10) Sing Me A Love Song-Harry Warren's Undiscovered Standards-David Berger Jazz Orch./Freda Payne/Denzal Sinclaire

You can hear Ray's radio show online and via podcast at: http://www.umfm.com/

Fascinatin' Rhythm
CJUM Campus and Community Radio (University of Manitoba)
Sundays, 10 AM - 12 PM

Yule Be Swingin!

An afternoon of seasonal favorites performed by the UConn Jazz ensembles, to put you in the holiday spirit. Saturday, Dec. 4th, 2010 at 3 p.m. in von der Mehden Recital Hall on the UConn Storrs Campus. Admission charges have been waived.  Instead, donations will be accepted for W.A.I.M. (Windham Area Interfaith Ministry)

The UConn Jazz Ensemble performs... "the Blues & the Abstract Truth, take 2"

I am really looking forward to the UConn Jazz Ensemble concert this coming Tuesday evening in the von der Mehden Recital Hall. The charts are truly fantastic! I was thrilled when Bill Cunliffe agreed to send me the music from his acclaimed "the Blues and the Abstract Truth, take 2" CD.  I absolutely love what he did with Oliver Nelson's classic compositions.  Bill's subtle modifications are incredibly tasteful.

I have seen so much progress and development in my students' playing this semester.  We have spent a substantial amount of rehearsal time working on improvisation, and I think it shows.  Each student transcribed, learned and analyzed a minimum of two recorded solos.  We discussed and applied a variety of harmonic, melodic and rhythmic approaches to the solo forms.  At various points we spent time listening to rehearsal recordings of ourselves, and then discussed what worked and what didn't.  I believe all of this hard work has really paid off.

The Jazz Ensemble will also perform in Hartford on Friday, November 19th at 7 p.m. in the Aetna Theater of the Wadsworth Atheneum.  They will be the opening act for The Curtis Brothers, with trumpeter Ray Vega.  For ticket information call the Hartford Jazz Society office at 860-242-6688. Sadly, for bassist Alexandra Eckhardt and trombonist, Jon Shelly, this will be their last performance with the UConn Jazz Ensemble.  Both will be out student teaching next semester before graduating in May.  They have been valuable contributors to the ensemble and will be missed.  I take solace in knowing that they will both be excellent, well-prepared school music teachers who will share their passion for jazz with yet another generation of students.

We will wrap up the current semester by going into the recording studio on November 30th.  We'll be preparing a recording to enter in the Downbeat Student Music Awards competition.  Wish us luck!

The Blues & The Abstract Truth

On Tuesday, November 9th at 8pm, the UConn Jazz Ensemble will perform at von der Mehden Recital Hall. The seven piece ensemble will be performing arrangements by composer, arranger, jazz pianist, and Grammy Award winner Bill Cunliffe, from his album “Blues and the Abstract Truth, take 2.” This album is a creative remake of “Blues and the Abstract Truth,” originally recorded in February 1961 by Oliver Nelson.

Admission is $7 for the public, and free for students and children. von der Mehden Recital Hall is located at 875 Coventry Road in Storrs across from Mirror Lake with plenty of free, well lit parking. For more information please call (860) 486-2969 or visit the website: www.sfa.uconn.edu.