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Contents OCTOBER 2017

features
BIG BAND THEORY:
JIM WIDNER
CELEBRATES THE 30TH
ANNIVERSARY OF HIS
BIG BAND AND SUMMER
JAZZ CAMPS 8
Appreciating the educational
work and legacy of Jim Widner as he celebrates the 30th
anniversary of his big band and summer jazz camps

DONNY MCCASLIN: WORKING

AND SCHEMING 10
Established jazz artist Donny McCaslin

10
discusses everything from the impor-
tance of connecting with fans like his
father did, to working with David Bowie

Part of the self-discovery as a student is

BUSINESS OF MUSIC 101 16 figuring out how you process information,
A quintessential guide for every art-
ist-entrepreneur in the modern jazz what resonates with you, and what’s your
industry best way of learning.

PETER ELDRIDGE: WORKING

WITH THE SPICE OF LIFE 20
Exploring the career, teachings, and
paradoxical gifts of jazz vocalist, pianist,
departments
and composer Peter Eldridge EDITOR’S NOTE ............. 2 HOT WAX ..................... 22

NOTEWORTHY .............. 4 GEARCHECK ............... 24

JAZZ: TAKE TWO 23 WHAT’S ON YOUR CLASSIFIEDS .............. 27
Steve Futterman highlights some of PLAYLIST? .................... 6
the jazz artists who found themselves AD INDEX .................... 27
back in the spotlight after declines in JAZZ FESTIVALS
WORLDWIDE ............... 19 BACKBEAT .................. 28
mainstream popularity
Cover photo by Jimmy King
JAZZed® Volume 12, Number 5, October 2017, is published six times annually by Timeless Communications Corp., 6000 South Eastern Ave., Suite 14-J, Las Vegas, NV 89119, (702) 479-1879, publisher of Musical Merchandise Review, School Band &
Orchestra and Choral Director. Standard Mail Postage Paid at Las Vegas, NV and additional mailing offices. Subscriptions to JAZZed are available through our website, www.jazzedmagazine.com/subscribe. JAZZed is distributed to the music trade by
Hal Leonard Corporation. POSTMASTER: Send all UAA to CFS. NON-POSTAL AND MILITARY FACILITIES: send address corrections to JAZZed, PO Box 16655, North Hollywood, CA 91615-6655. The publishers of this magazine do not accept responsibility
for statements made by their advertisers in business competition. No portion of this issue may be reproduced without the written permission of the publisher. Copyright ©2017 by Timeless Communications Corp., all rights reserved. Printed in USA.

October 2017 • JAZZed 1

editor’sletter CHRISTIAN WISSMULLER
The Fallout of Open Conflict
October 2017

O
n August 19th, Donald and Melania Trump announced that
Volume 12, Number 5
they would not be attending this year’s Kennedy Center
Honors Ceremony, which will celebrate Gloria Estefan, Li-
PRESIDENT Terry Lowe
onel Richie, LL Cool J, Norman Lear, and Carmen Lavallade. tlowe@timelesscom.com
Skipping out on events at which the First Family traditionally
GROUP PUBLISHER Greg Gallardo
appear at has become something of a tradition, itself – earlier this
gregg@timelesscom.com
year Trump (and members of his administration) decided not to
attend the White House Correspondents’ Dinner – but this recent Editorial
decision underscores some very serious “arts related” disconnect EXECUTIVE EDITOR Christian Wissmuller
between this President and cultural institutions. cwissmuller@timelesscom.com

The reason for the Trumps avoiding this year’s Kennedy Center event, scheduled for De- ASSOCIATE EDITOR Victoria Wasylak
cember 3rd, was explained by the following White House statement: “The President and First victoria@timelesscom.com
Lady have decided not to participate in this year’s activities to allow the honorees to cele-
ASSOCIATE EDITOR Mike Lawson
brate without any political distraction. First Lady Melania Trump, along with her husband mlawson@timelesscom.com
President Donald J. Trump, extend their sincerest congratulations and well wishes to all of
this year’s award recipients for their many accomplishments.” Art

Why, you might wonder, would the Trumps’ presence at the Kennedy Center Honors Cer- ART DIRECTOR Garret Petrov
gpetrov@timelesscom.com
emony create “any political distraction” when the attendance of so many prior Commander
in Chiefs seemingly did not? PRODUCTION MANAGER Mike Street
mstreet@timelesscom.com
When the President of the U.S. and the
GRAPHIC DESIGNER Angela Marlett
institutions celebrating and defending arts are amarlett@timelesscom.com

in open conflict, it behooves all of us to pay close Advertising

ACCOUNT MANAGER Matt King
attention and be on alert. mking@timelesscom.com
The answer may have something to do with the explanations given by a couple of this
ACCOUNT MANAGER Dave Jeans
year’s Kennedy Center honorees’ own decisions to not attend the traditional pre-ceremony djeans@timelesscom.com
reception at the White House.
Norman Lear explained that he would skip the reception because Trump, “has chosen to ACCOUNT MANAGER Matt Huber
mh@timelesscom.com
neglect totally the arts and humanities – deliberately defund them – and that doesn’t rest
pleasantly with me.” If you’ve been following the news (or reading JAZZed), you already know GREATER CHINA
what Lear is referring to. Trump’s proposed budget – including cuts to the NEA and NEH – Judy Wang
Worldwide Focus Media
would almost certainly have a devastating effect on smaller music and arts organizations C: 0086-13810325171
throughout the country. E: judy@timelesscom.com
In the past months, within my editorials, I’ve touched more upon politics and how poten-
Business
tial changes to legislation and attitudes within the current administration may effect music
VICE PRESIDENT William Hamilton Vanyo
and the arts than I ever have since we launched JAZZed in October 2006 – and, each time, I’ve
wvanyo@timelesscom.com
felt compelled to make plain that I’m simply keeping track of the events of the day that may
have serious (and, in these cases, negative) impacts on the art world and not proselytizing CIRCULATION MANAGER Naomi Crews
ncrews@timelesscom.com
any one party or ideology.
I’ll do so again, now: Whatever your personal politics, when the President of the U.S. and
the institutions celebrating and defending arts are in open conflict, it behooves all of us to
pay close attention and be on alert.
It is to be hoped that Donald Trump will walk back on his expressed intentions to cut
funding to programs that benefit music and the arts and, also, that artists, themselves, can 6000 South Eastern Ave., #14-J
refrain from words and actions that may increase the current rift. With any luck, the gap Las Vegas, NV 89119
between the presidency and arts advocacy can disappear, or at least diminish. It’ll ultimately 702-479-1879
Fax: 702-554-5340
be bad news for all of us if it does not.

RPMDA
Christian Wissmuller JAZZ EDUCATION NETWORK

cwissmuller@timelesscom.com

2 JAZZed • October 2017

 noteworthy
Yamaha Supplies Pianos for Monterey Jazz
Festival
At the 2017 Monterey Jazz
Festival (MJF), per tradition,
Yamaha supplied pianos and
drum sets for all eight MJF
stages and connected with
jazz’s future stars.
“MJF has always com-
bined great music from the
masters with education –
and that mission has always
been part of Yamaha’s DNA,” said David
Jewell, marketing communications man-
ager, Yamaha Corporation of America. “It
was wonderful to see the greats perform,
but just as inspiring to hear the talented
high school and college students taking
part in MJF’s Next Generation Jazz Festival
program. It was also gratifying to see their
excitement when they visited the Yamaha
Musical Experience Tent, where they got to
sample the same professional quality trum-
pets, saxes, basses, flutes, basses and other
instruments used by our artists.”
One member of Yamaha’s artist family
found the collection of instruments in the
Experience Tent to be a show-saver.
“At one point, Sean Jones stopped by
and told us he’d come to MJF with only his
trumpet – he expected to be playing out-
side – but now needed a flugelhorn for an
indoor performance,” Jewell said. “We were
able to lend him one for the show – and it
sounded amazing. We’re really proud that
TD James Moody Jazz Festival Coming
This November
The sixth annual TD James Moody Jazz
Festival will take place from November 4 to
12 the New Jersy Performing Arts Center.
The Manhattan Transfer will kick off
the festival on November 4, and on No-
vember 5, tabla master Zakir Hussain and
bassist-composer Dave Holland will col-
laborate for Crosscurrents, a special per-
formance that combines the music of India
with American jazz. Other highlights of the
festival include performances from Chris
Botti, John McLaughlin and Jimmy Her-
ring, Grupo Niche, and Willy Chirino.
The festival ends on the 12 with “Ella
and Dizzy: The Centennial Celebration,”
a celebration of Ella Fitzgerald and Dizzy
4 JAZZed • October 2017
our artists use the same off-the-shelf Yama-
ha instruments available to everyone.”
This year, the musical instruments team
also reached out to their friends at Yamaha
Motor Corporation USA for golf carts to
transport artists and equipment through-
out the event.
“For over 40 years, the Monterey Jazz
Festival has enjoyed a strong partnership
with Yamaha, who has provided pianos,
drum sets and, most recently, golf carts for
our major festival,” said MJF’s managing di-
rector Colleen Bailey. “The Yamaha team has
become like an extension of the Monterey
Jazz Festival family. They bend over back-
wards to ensure the success of the festival.”
“We were able to save the festival thou-
sands of dollars, money which will go to-
wards its mission of supporting music ed-
ucation,” Jewell added. “That’s one of the
reasons we’re so proud to work with MJF
– they’re a true non-profit that uses its re-
sources to help kids study and make music.
We’re proud to be part of the family!”
Gillespie’s 100th birthdays that features
Gregory Porter, Lizz Wright, Regina Car-
ter, Valerie Simpson, Randy Brecker, Sean
Jones, and the Christian McBride Big Band.
In addition, The Sarah Vaughan Inter-
national Jazz Vocal Competition will re-
turn on November 12, offering singers the
chance to win the “Sassy Award,” and Dort-
hann’s Place, NJPAC’s popular Sunday jazz
and brunch combo held in NICO Kitchen
+ Bar, also begins its season with jazz bari-
tone Kevin Mahogany on November 12.
Eastman School of
Music Announces
New Master’s Degree
in Music Leadership
The University of Rochester’s
Eastman School of Music has an-
nounced the launch of a new mas-
ter’s degree program designed for
individuals who are musicians but
who also desire to lead traditional
and non-traditional musical arts or-
ganizations.
The Master of Arts in Music Lead-
ership degree is a 14-month pro-
gram to help students develop and
hone both artistic and managerial
skills.
Eastman alumni lead many of
the country’s most prestigious tra-
ditional and non-traditional mu-
sical arts organizations, including
Boston Symphony Orchestra, Atlan-
ta Symphony, JACK Quartet, Alarm
Will Sound, Fifth House Ensemble,
American Modern Ensemble, Ober-
lin Conservatory of Music, and the
Eastman School of Music.
“By providing students with the
opportunities to develop a deep,
personal understanding of the ar-
tistic process, along with high-lev-
el skills in business, governance,
marketing, finances, entrepreneur-
ial thinking, and advancement, we
will nurture articulate and effective
leaders of our arts organizations,
leaving a legacy that will benefit our
entire musical landscape,” stated
Jim Doser, the director of Eastman’s
Institute for Music Leadership.
“Through its Arts Leadership
Program, Eastman has been com-
mitted to producing musical art-
ist-leaders who have been commit-
ted to making a difference in the
world for more than two decades,”
said Jamal Rossi, the Joan and Mar-
tin Messinger Dean of Eastman.
“The MA in Music Leadership will
provide musicians with the oppor-
tunity to delve even deeper into the
issues that will face the music lead-
ers of the future.”
Berklee Announces Partnership with
New York City and Pete Muller
Roger H. Brown, president of Berklee
School of Music, has announced that
the city of New York has teamed up with
Berklee and Berklee trustee Pete Muller in
a public-private-nonprofit partnership to
establish a center for Berklee in New York.
This center will be at the historic Power
Station Studios on West 53rd Street, most
recently known as Avatar Studios. The stu-
dio will now be known as Power Station at
BerkleeNYC.
“Berklee will operate the studio –
where artists like Bruce Springsteen, Paul
Simon, Esperanza Spalding, Herbie Han-
cock, Tony Bennett, Pat Metheny, Lady
Gaga, David Bowie, Madonna, Bob Dylan,
the cast of Hamilton, and many others re-
corded iconic albums – while renovating
and transforming it into a state-of-the-art
recording and video production facility
for the city’s music, theater, television,
and film industries,” Brown stated.
The building’s lower level will also be
converted into a flexible-use practice/
performance venue and will feature a
professional stage and state-of-the-art
sound, lighting, and projection technol-
JEN Appoints Burch
as Managing Director
Sharon Burch has been appoint-
ed as full-time managing director of
the Jazz Education Network, effective
immediately. In this new position,
Burch will oversee the part-time staff
and volunteers and work with Dr. Lou
Fischer, conference coordinator/JEN
co-founder.
“I am so delighted that JEN has
reached a pivotal point to hire our first
full-time employee,” said Fischer. “Sha-
ron’s long history with JEN gives her
the experience and insight needed
to make an immediate contribution.
From the ‘big picture’ to the daily op-
erations, she understands what is re-
quired to ensure long-term growth for
the organization.”
Burch previously served on the JEN
Board of Directors as secretary and
as chairperson of the JEN Education
Committee, and has been actively in-
volved with the organization since its
ogy, as well as a video control room and
a virtual reality/augmented reality studio.
Stephen Webber will lead the center as
executive director of BerkleeNYC.
“This new home for Berklee brings
enormous opportunities to expand our
presence in New York, and create con-
tinuing education, career strategy, and
skills acquisition programs for musicians,
composers, producers, music business
students, and engineers; as well as pro-
grams exploring the intersection of mu-
sic, dance, theater, and technology; artist
incubation; and internships for Berklee
College of Music and Boston Conservatory
at Berklee students,” Brown added. “There
is a lot of work ahead of us to determine
an ideal blend of professional recording,
educational programming, and commu-
nity outreach. In the coming months, the
facility will undergo a two-phase refur-
bishment period, financed by the largest
philanthropic contribution in Berklee’s his-
tory. Stephen will be leading the effort to
transform the technology and the physical
plant, while developing our professional
vision and educational programs.”
first conference
nine years ago.
She has a strong
background as a
music educator, leader, entrepreneur,
presenter, and education consultant.
“I am very honored to assume this
new role at JEN,” said Burch. “It’s a privi-
lege to work with the many volunteers,
members and staff who share a passion
to serve and share the music. Together,
we will continue to expand the JEN net-
work of support and resources for mu-
sicians, educators and directors at all
levels of age and ability, building upon
the vision of the original founders.”
“Sharon is an extremely capable,
enthusiastic, and passionate member
of JEN,” said JEN co-founder Mary Jo Pa-
pich. “Her outstanding organizational
and communication skills will position
JEN for continued growth and further
benefit the jazz arts community.”
Letter to the Editor
Hi Christian,
I am a professor at Grossmont Col-
lege in San Diego where we have a
very vibrant jazz program. I wanted
to thank you for your editor’s letter
this month [“Suckerpunch” August/
September 2017 JAZZed]. It is very in-
formative and could have an effect on
the misguided public about arts fund-
ing. I would like to share your letter on
my Facebook page if that is possible. 
Thanks for the insightful articles
every month.
Sincerely,
Ken Ard
Grossmont College
San Diego, California
MassJazz Guide
Now Available
The Massachusetts Office of Travel &
Tourism (MOTT) has released its 2017-
2018 MassJazz Guide for jazz fans to read
and get the scoop on the year-round jazz
scene of festivals, concerts, night clubs,
jazz brunches, college courses, and radio
programs.
MassJazz Guide is a free, 40-page
guide that includes stories on celebrat-
ed jazz musicians, such as bassist Espe-
ranza Spalding, pianist Yoko Miwa, and
jazz singer and radio executive Amanda
Carr of WICN-FM and the New England
Jazz Hall of Fame in Worcester. The most
recent issue includes articles on Berklee
College of Music’s new partnership with
the Shanghai Conservatory in China, the
upcoming Beantown Jazz Festival, and
other festivals in Massachusetts this fall,
as well as profiles on jazz promoters such
as Fred Taylor, Berkshires Jazz, Woods
Hole Jazz Series, Northampton Jazz Se-
ries, John Coltrane Memorial Concert, and
Mandorla Music.
The 2017-2018 issue features notable
Boston jazz clubs such as Les Zygomates
Wine Bar, Darryl’s Corner Kitchen + Bar,
and Slade’s Bar & Grill, while also listing
jazz brunches throughout the state.
The free MassJazz Guide is available at
visitor kiosks, college campuses, and ven-
ues where live jazz is performed.
Read the digital 2017 MassJazz Guide
online, and find ongoing information on
live jazz in Massachusetts at MassJazz.com.
October 2017 • JAZZed 5
playlist SAMIR ZARIF
WHAT’S ON YOUR PLAYLIST?
BY CHRISTIAN WISSMULLER
Originally from Houston, Texas, tenor and soprano saxo-
phonist Samir Zarif first began catching the attention of many
when he moved to New Orleans, where he performed often
with the likes of Ellis Marsalis, Nicholas Payton, and the Jason
Marsalis Quintet.
A move to NYC in the early aughts saw Zarif attending the
Manhattan School of Music and performing with The Paislies
and, later, The Story. With 2011 came his first album as a leader,
Starting Point, a disc that showcased his talents as a songwriter
and passion for alternative and electronic music genres.
With the release of his newest album, Stereotype Threat,
Zarif unveiled his new artistic identity, FKAjazz (FKA = former-
ly known as), moving jazz forward even further into new and
1. Ornette Coleman – The Shape of Jazz to Come
Even from the title, I fell in love with
this record, from its forward thinking [at-
titude] to the brevity of emotion used
to convey multiple feelings of the times.
There’s something really spiritual about
this record that I’m not sure I understood
when I first listened to it, but definitely felt
right away. “Lonely Woman” and “Peace” bring a feeling of struggle
and angst that just draw you in so deeply. But there’s a sense of
serenity to the album as a whole that gives it a depth and balance
that makes it even more genius. Beautiful history in this album
and one of the discs that set me on the path to broadening my
musical perspective!  from cats like  Woody Shaw,  Milt Jack-
2. Donny Hathaway – Extension of a Man
This is one of the most beautiful al-
bums on the planet! Donny Hathaway is,
in my opinion, the best R&B singer of all
time – a true G.O.A.T. “Someday We’ll All
Be Free” just hits your heart and makes
it rumble. And the cool thing was he
was a great keyboardist, too, which is
illustrated awesomely on “Valdez In The
Country.” I have Jason Marsalis to thank for introducing me to this
album. When I was living in New Orleans for a brief minute, we
would hang out and/or play a lot and he introduced me to some
awesome music. Thank you, thank you!
3. Herbie Hancock – Thrust
By far my favorite Herbie album! The
compositions, the production, and the
performances on this album are master-
ful. Even more so, I love that he named
one of the tracks “Actual Proof.” At this
point everyone knows  Herbie Han-
cock  is Buddhist and I also practice the
6 JAZZed • October 2017
exciting territories, incorporating
elements of hip hop, traditional
jazz, R&B, and other musical forms.
“The phrase ‘Stereotype
Threat’ literally means the fear of
being reduced to a negative ste-
reotype,” Zarif explains. “It was the
perfect title because of my influenc-
es. As I was developing this sound,
my worst fear was being labeled as,
‘The next saxophonist [who] plays
like every other saxophonist.’”
same Buddhism as him. And at one point I got to hang and chant
with the OG, Mike Clark. He told me the whole story of how the
name came about, which I thought was such a beautiful moment
in music. I still can’t play that tune, but at least I understand the
spirit. One day! 
4. A Tribe Called Quest – Midnight Marauders
I absolutely love hip-hop. In my opin-
ion if you call yourself a “jazz musician”
and don’t, it’s like saying you don’t like
your grandkids! Midnight Marauders is a
great example of how “jazz” is the foun-
dation of hip hop music, with samples
son, George Duke, and even The Meters.
Tribe always had such a respect and knowledge about music that
was so deeply defined in the culture that it elevated their music
to mastery.
5. James Brown – The Payback
Earlier this year in February, the
great  Clyde Stubblefield (The Funky
Drummer) ascended the earth. I had
the fortune of performing in the official
tribute concert, which featured an awe-
some bunch including Daru Jones (Jack
White), Marcus Machado (Jamie Lidell), and the legendary Fred
Thomas, one of James Brown’s original bassists. It was an incred-
ible experience and, since then, I’ve been performing with Fred
Thomas and he appears as a guest artist on my album, Stereotype
Threat. It still blows my mind that I get to make music with Fred
Thomas – a legend! “Hit ‘em, Fred!”
6. Mint Condition – From The Mint Factory
I am definitely a product of the ‘90s and a guy like Jeffery Al-
len, the saxophonist/keyboardist in Mint Condition, was definite-
ly one of my heroes. I remember as a kid seeing them perform
on BET back in 10. Wayne Shorter – Footprints Live! coming from the music, but not neces-
the day and There are certain albums that felt like sarily a musical breakthrough – a break-
daydreaming, an important event in my life. When “Foot- through in life itself. Wayne has always
“One day that prints Live!” came out, I remember rush- been at the pinnacle of imagination and
will be me!” Ev- ing to Tower Records (remember those!) creativity. My goal is to create the same
ery time I get to ,getting a copy of this record, and literally exploratory experience in the music that I
do a show with sitting in my car for hours listening to it. I create, as well, but in a way truly my own.
sax ad keys, I think felt like Wayne – and the whole band for He’d want it that way, I’m sure. 
about that moment. And big ups to Stok- that matter – was celebrating the “idea of
ley Williams, one of my favorite produc- being yourself,” enjoying every moment Samir Zarif’s latest release, Stereotype
ers. “U Send Me Swingin’” is the ultimate of life. You can feel a deep breakthrough Threat, dropped on September 14, 2017.
jam!

7. Kurt Rosenwinkel – Heartcore

I’m sorry Kurt, I have to call you out on
this man! I love this album! Please do an-
other collaboration with Q-Tip. I know I’m
not alone in this sentiment, but even if I
were, I’d be sticking to my guns on this.
This album is such an inspiration to me.
And not just because of the songs them-
selves, but also how it was produced, with
Kurt playing multiple instruments and
singing. This is by far one of my favorite
collaborative works and ,almost without
knowing, I believe this inspired me to Makes it Easy
have the courage to finally put in the work
towards being a music producer, myself.

8. Joe Hisashi – ‘Spirited Away’

Soundtrack
Anybody who knows me, knows I love
Japanese animation. And my favorite cre-
ator of the sound of the animation world
is  Joe Hisaishi. The adventure, the inno-
cence, and sometimes heart-rumbling
spirit behind his music is so captivating.
I could literally listen to this soundtrack
and visualize the full movie in my head.
This is a skill I hope to learn someday. 

9. Donald Harrison/Terrance Blanchard

– Black Pearl
When you’ve lived in New Orleans you
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October 2017 • JAZZed 7

anniversary
Big Band Theory
Jim Widner Celebrates the 30th Anniversary of His Big
Band and Summer Jazz Camps BY LESLIE BUTTONOW
J
im Widner’s influence on jazz education is one for the ages.
Or, rather, one for all ages. He’s currently a professor and Di-
rector of Jazz Studies at the University of Missouri-St. Louis,
where he directs the UMSL Jazz Ensemble, but his reach goes far
beyond that. This year, he’s celebrating the 30th anniversary of the
Jim Widner Big Band and his acclaimed summer jazz camps for
middle school, high school and college students.
As a performer, Widner’s resume includes impressive entries as
a former bassist with Stan Kenton, Woody Herman, and the Glenn
Miller Orchestra directed by Buddy DeFranco. Widner has also
performed at the Lionel Hampton and Montreaux Jazz Festivals,
as well as concert dates with Clark Terry, Marilyn Maye, Lou Ma-
rini, Louie Bellson, Randy Brecker, Bill Watrous, and many others.
However, it was his experience teaching at the Stan Kenton camps
in the 1970s that inspired him to leave a mark on the next gener-
ation of jazz musicians. After receiving the blessing of the Ken-
ton estate after Stan’s passing, Widner formed the Jim Widner Big
Band and created his own summer jazz camp from the ground up.
For the past 30 years, both have grown hand-in-hand and inspired
countless jazz students.
In the mid-1980s, Widner assembled a professional big band
– some of whom had been alumni of the Kenton camps – and he
created a summer camp under his own name. “I wanted to create
something to continue Stan’s legacy for the next generation of
players, notes Widner. “After he died, I didn’t think Stan’s concept
of jazz education should die with him.”
The camps quickly caught on, and more personnel who had re-
membered the Kenton camps signed on. Widner says, “While the
band personnel have changed over the years, some of the folks
in today’s version of the band have been with me for almost 20
years.” The camps, which offer a week-long, immersive experience
for students, have grown substantially over the years. In totality,
they’ve appeared on campuses in cities from the Gulf coast to the
West coast, including Drury College (now University) in Spring-
field Missouri – where Widner had previously been involved in a
8 JAZZed • October 2017
Lincoln East student
Ellie Woody practicing bass under
the guidance of Jim Widner
Kenton camp – Sacramento State University, University of South
Alabama - Mobile, Community College of Southern Nevada - Las
Vegas, and their current homes at the University of Missouri - St.
Louis, and University of Nebraska - Omaha. Campers take advan-
tage of sessions that include master classes, theory and improvi-
sation, as well as group listening, rehearsals, concerts by the Jim
Widner Big Band, and a student performance with the band on
the final night.
Beyond personnel and a strong curriculum, what does Widner
credit as a key element of the camp’s success over the years? “I
think it’s the music itself,” he remarks. “There are more jazz pro-
grams in colleges and universities than there have ever been.
It used to be that the school programs were only immersed in
marching bands and concert bands. Jazz has flourished because
the students could relate to it beyond just marches and classical
music –it has broad appeal. When many students go on to college,
they are more enticed to attend a school that has a jazz program.”
Widner’s conviction of the importance of jazz education led
him to also become a founding member of JEN (Jazz Education
Network) nearly ten years ago. His campus, UMSL, hosted the first
annual conference that provides jazz educators with learning and
networking opportunities, and features clinics and concerts. Fit-
tingly, the conference was also the backdrop for one of Widner’s
fondest performance memories with his band, involving a rather
eclectic assembly of talent. He recalls, “One year we were select-
ed to perform as the headliner concert at the JEN conference in
Dallas. I had two special guest performers with the band: Peter
Erskine and Lou Marini – ‘Blue Lou’ from the Blues Brothers band!”
Likewise, 30 years of summer camps brings some fond mem-
ories as well. Widner reminisces, “The fondest memories, aside
from the brotherhood and camaraderie of the people you get to
perform with and work with night after night, come from being
on the receiving end of the excitement of all the young people
attending your concerts. The reaction we get from the campers
is what rewards us to keep doing this. We’re influencing the next
generation of campers – it’s very gratifying.” As for a standout mo-
ment, Widner says, “At the University of Omaha camp, we had one
of the greatest jazz vocalist of all time show up – Marilyn Maye.
She brought charts, rehearsed with our band and performed. It
was unexpected; she was in town and thought it would be fun to
sing with us. And a few years ago, at UMSL, Terrence Blanchard did
an afternoon concert for the camp, sponsored through the Jazz St.
Louis organization. He and his entire band came out for a guest
appearance.”
In addition to performing at the summer camps, the Jim Wid-
ner Big Band has played live on tour and produced six critically
acclaimed albums with the endorsement of fellow jazz artists.
“John Clayton wrote the liner notes for our latest CD And the Beat
Goes on,” shares Widner. “On my very first recording, Clark Terry
and Louie Bellson wrote the liner notes. And Peter Erskine wrote
the liner notes for our Out of This World CD.” The band is still very
active, performing, making special appearances, and conducting
clinics at a variety of universities and other venues including Mis-
souri, Indiana and Nebraska.
Widner’s experience as a professional musician has enabled
him to inspire jazz students he teaches in both a formal univer-
sity setting and a less formal
summer camp setting. As
with any career path, being
an educator has its challeng-
es and uncertainties, but with
that comes great satisfaction
and many rewards. Widner
shares some of those rewards
and the “secret sauce” that has
kept him inspired in each sce-
nario over the years.
“In the formal setting of
the university, you have stu-
dents work under your tute-
lage, for several years, and
you help to develop students
and grow a program, getting
more and better students
along the way. Seeing the
growth of a University jazz
program – that’s an exciting
thing. You also get some very
talented students, and the epitome of being a jazz professor is to
see your students go on to do great things after graduating.” He
adds, “On the informal side, my favorite thing about the camps is
that you keep getting more and more and different young peo-
ple to come because of what the camps are. Sometimes we have
campers who come year after year, but when you get the influx
of new campers, that’s a testament that you’re doing something
right, because word of mouth is still your best endorsement. One
thing that excites me about the camps is when the kids get excit-
ed to see the professionals play; that’s inspiring. Something else
that excites me is seeing a young student improvise for the first
time.” From a practical and educational standpoint, he shares an-
other favorite element, both for him and the campers: “The kids
get to hear a real live professional big band and hear that wall of
sound coming at them. They hear dynamics, phrasing and every-
thing we talk about in the daytime sessions; it makes a lot more
sense to them.”
But Widner’s underlying motivation for his camps comes from
something very personal to him. “Students of this music need
someone they look up to or respect,” he says. “My heroes were
Stan Kenton, Clark Terry, Buddy DeFranco, and others whom I
looked up to, worked with, and learned from; they were my in-
spiration and that of thousands of other artists.” He goes on to
declare, “Other people have to step up to the plate and try to do
what they did to inspire others. That’s what my band and I are try-
ing to do.”
In addition to inspiring students, Widner’s university and camp
programs inspire fellow educators, and those educators, in turn,
inspire others. “Every director of a successful jazz program will
be asked about programming, etc. Very commonly, they’ll in-
vite you to work with their program or they’ll bring their young
students to your concert to hear what a university band sounds
like. Educators talk with each other all the time to compare what
charts they use, what clinics they attended or summer camps they
recommend.” And along with that should be an altruistic spirit
amongst educators, as Widner says, “You need to park your ego at
the door; we should all be digging
and appreciating other bands and
programs and appreciating what
they’re doing.”
So what advice would Widner
give to other musicians and mu-
sic educators who are helping to
bring up the next generation of
jazz musicians? “Educators need
to really take the time, the trouble,
and effort to take their students to
jazz concerts, clinics and camps,
even if they weren’t schooled in
jazz and may be a little intimidated
by jazz,” he recommends. “I think
doing these things shows securi-
ty by the fact that they’re willing
to take their students to hear live
concerts, whether it’s a legendary
Sax students receive a lesson from artist in a performance hall, or
LA pro Kim Richmond
someone at a college band.” As for
personal enrichment, he advises,
“Educators should attend clinics to become more confident about
starting a jazz program or making the one they have even better.
Educators feel like they should know everything in front of the
students, but no one knows everything.” He puts that advice into
action to this day, noting, “I ask for help all the time; I go up to peo-
ple and attend clinics to help my band and myself. I learned what
I didn’t know about talking to a brass section or saxophone sec-
tion, and attended a percussion clinic so that I could then go back
and talk to my band’s sections and look like the smartest person,
all by listening to people who know what they’re talking about.”
Much of Widner’s practical advice and approach can be
summed up by a clever quote he recalled reading or hearing
somewhere a while ago that said, “If you steal ideas from just one
source, that’s considered stealing. But if you steal ideas from a lot
of people, that’s called research!”
October 2017 • JAZZed 9
spotlight
i ng ’
S ch em
g a nd B RY
A N
r k in BY
‘Wo
F
or mainstream music listeners, 51 year-old sax maestro and
bandleader Donny McCaslin is a new name who they have like-
ly heard through his group’s recorded performances with David
Bowie. But to jazz aficionados, the three-time Grammy nominee and
Berklee grad is an established artist who has put out an eclectic array
of recorded music over the last two decades. His career ultimately
spans longer than that.
Being discovered by many new listeners is an enviable position
for a veteran artist and, in McCaslin’s case, it is easy to see how his
reputation has blossomed. His ability to integrate new musical styles
into his milieu and work in different formats has lead him to work
with a variety of artists: vibes player Gary Burton, who gave him his
first big touring gig; Steps Ahead, in which he replaced personal
idol Michael Brecker; the Maria Schneider Jazz Orchestra, which has
been a long-running gig; and rock icon David Bowie, whose final al-
bum Blackstar his group played on.
When I saw McCaslin and his group perform at Le Gesù on June
30 during the Montreal Jazz Festival, they unleashed an impassioned
10 JAZZed • October 2017
performance which embraced the volume level of a
rock band while gliding through a variety of dynamic
levels, from harder bop sections to freeform psyche-
delia. The foursome expanded upon and improvised
various originals and covers (many from his recent
album Beyond Now) and also debuted two new orig-
inal compositions. The quartet – McCaslin, keyboard-
ist Jason Linder, bassist Nate Wood, and drummer
Mark Guiliana – had a seemingly telepathic bond as
they moved fluidly between sonic worlds. After the
show, the towering sax player with the tranquil de-
meanor came out and graciously spent time speak-
ing with around 40 fans who wanted to say hello, buy
CDs, and ask him about his music and playing.
Despite his hectic schedule – one which has in-
cluded numerous North American and European
jazz festivals and concerts in support of Beyond Now
– McCaslin still teaches at the New England Conser-
vatory of Music and the Manhattan School Of Music,
working in private sessions with a handful of stu-
dents a few times per semester. Most of his pupils
are saxophone players but some double up on other
ALL PHOTOS BY JIMMY KING
instruments.
In speaking with JAZZed, McCaslin demonstrated
why his career keeps reaching new heights. He is sim-
ply passionate about music and wants to carve out
new paths of expression for himself and his listeners,
and that still requires devotion and hard work that
he is willing to take on. The journey of learning never
ends.
Young people are processing things faster than
RE
E S MA
N we are. The question is: do you think they are get-
ting overloaded with all the information that’s out
there? I believe that they listen to a wider range of
music than we did growing up because it’s more
accessible, but I wonder if they’re delving into it
as deeply?
It’s hard to make a blanket statement about that. I
think the dynamic that you’re describing is the same
thing that I think about – having Miles Davis’ com-
plete discography on your hard drive, but are you living and breath-
ing, working, and scheming for a summer? My first big gig was
playing with Gary Burton many years ago, and the drummer was
Marty Richards, a great drummer from Boston, and I remember him
telling this story about when he broke his arm one summer. [With]
the arm that wasn’t in the cast he was playing ride cymbal, along
with working and scheming for three months. It just reflects the dy-
namic you’ve described. I don’t know if people are doing that kind of
work, but there is so much temptation now to not go that deep into
things. Ultimately, I think you have to do that deep work to develop
a deep foundation as an artist. It’s something I hope that everybody
gets to, but it’s got to be a challenge now because you have access
to everything. I feel it when I go into iTunes – I listen to something,
then I scroll down [a list]. ‘Oh, what about that?’ What about that?
Before I know it, I feel confused as a listener as opposed to living
with just one or two tracks, which is where I tend to be much better
personally.
As I was listening to some of your ear- imagine. I’ve had so much more stage time tremendous.
lier material, I hear that you were influ- with my own group, and I think that’s made
enced by a lot of bebop as well as some a big difference. Also, prior to the electric I assume you have been playing saxo-
traditional jazz, and it seems like within thing I was going and doing a project, then phone since you were a kid?
the last few years there has been a shift. a different project, then a different project, Since I was 12.
I could actually hear it when you were and this was the first time I kind of stayed
playing on Samo Salomon’s Stretching in one overall zone with a working band So you weren’t born with a reed in your
Out, and also on your last couple of stu- that has a shifting membership but there mouth or anything?
dio albums and Bowie’s Blackstar. I recall still is a consistency and aesthetic and ev- [laughs] My father was encouraging and
that Perpetual Motion was your first al- erybody’s sharing this common language. would say, “Do you want some clarinet les-
bum that wasn’t entirely acoustic. Was This is the first time in my career that I’ve sons? Do you want to piano lessons?” I just
that a turning point for you? had a sustained working situation. It’s been always said no. When I was 12, I started im-
I don’t know. I feel like I have gone
through different stages, and certainly
Perpetual Motion was a departure because
it was the first electric record. [Producer]
David Binney suggested that I do that, and Fr
I think it did set me down this other path.
I think it was also when I started touring
Weill Music Institute ee
and playing with [bassist] Tim Lefebvre,
[drummer] Mark Guiliana, and later when
[keyboardist] Jason Linder joined the
group. There was a certain chemistry there.
There were just a lot of things going on. Bin
brought me different things to listen to that
were more electronica-based, where I had
just scratched the surface with Perpetual
Motion. When we started touring I started INAUGURAL
getting really interested in it, and that sonic
landscape piqued my curiosity. All of a sud- SEASON
den, I felt like I really heard something there
and was exploring and talking to the guys
about what their influences were and what
they listened to. It just sent me on this other
pathway, which I’m still on.
I feel like when I look back on my career
Extraordinary Opportunity
I’ve had moments like that where I was on a
certain trajectory, encountered something,
for America’s Best Young
and then made a total change in direction.
To set one example, early on when I really Jazz Musicians
got involved in playing with and studying
folkloric music of the Americas – primarily
Afro-Cuban music but also playing Argen- In the summer of 2018, gifted young
tinian music and Afro-Peruvian music – part jazz musicians (ages 16–19) from
of that was playing in Danilo Perez’s band across the country come together
for a couple of years. But it also really affect- to study with and learn from
ed the music – I made a couple of records world-class jazz musicians, Sean Jones
Jimmy Katz

like Soar and then In Pursuit that really per- perform at Carnegie Hall, and
sonified my take on that. That was just an tour Europe as NYO Jazz. Trumpet
example where I was on that pathway for player Sean Jones will be the soloist
a while, and then it felt like time for some- and bandleader for the ensemble’s
thing else. The last one you described inaugural season.
turned into electric music, and it’s just con- Application Deadline: February 1, 2018
tinued to evolve for the last few years.
A few things have changed, and one is
that I have had many more opportunities
to play as a leader over the last six years
Apply Today! | carnegiehall.org/NYOJazz | 212-424-2024
and the last two years especially, as you can

October 2017 • JAZZed 11

 spotlight
pulsively with saxophone and just went from there. I was immersed
in hearing a lot of music when I was young. In Northern California, I
was initially into John Philip Sousa and then The Beach Boys and AC/
DC, and then jazz and Chuck Berry, so I was listening to a lot of music
and hearing my father’s band. But I didn’t start until age 12.

Did you play other instruments at all, or did you focus on saxo-
phone?
Saxophone is my main thing, but on this record I play some alto
flute, flute, and clarinet. The woodwind stuff you hear is all me. I play
other instruments in the woodwinds family. I play piano. The term is
arranger’s piano, so it’s not like I’m going to get up on a gig and start
playing piano because I don’t have much facility. But I do the vast
majority of my writing at the piano. I have a little Wurlitzer at home
that I love. At a certain point when I was really into folkloric music I
was taking percussion lessons, but nothing really serious. It’s really
saxophone.

“Ultimately, I think you have to do that deep
work to develop a deep foundation as an
artist. It’s something I hope that everybody
gets to, but it’s got to be a challenge now
When you’re composing, does it come from jamming or do you
have some specific melodic ideas that you bring into the room?
I’m trying to find things that stimulate my unconscious and my
sense of creativity. It could be a Kendrick Lamar thing or Aphex Twin
or Deadmau5. Or it could be Sonny Rollins or Bill Evans. It could be a
lot of different things. I’m trying to find the things that touch upon
that moment. When I sit down and write, I basically write a melody,

because you have access to everything.”

chord changes, and bass line, and then I bring it to the guys in some
sense of completion. Then we start playing it – maybe we adjust the
form, things get modified as we go along – but what I do bring to
the band are essentially complete tunes.
Have you explained to your students how you have grown or-

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You know what, I don’t know how much I talk about myself in
that way. I probably don’t talk much about my overall career scope,
but what I focus on, in terms of sharing stuff about myself, is sharing
my process and things that work for me that I’ve learned from. And
also sharing how I first began to make a living as a musician. I focus
on that because I feel like that’s what they’re about to confront, get-
ting out of school and trying to negotiate being a musician in this
day and age.
Working with David Bowie certainly was life-changing for you
and for your new album, which has a lot of different covers on
it, including two of his songs. It’s definitely very different than
your other albums. You’ve been doing some of those covers in
concert and spoken about working with him. You had one fan
who spoke to you after the show at the Montréal Jazz Fest and
said that after listening to your work with Bowie that he bought
five of his albums. Moving forward, how do you avoid getting
out of the tag of being the Bowie guy and get people to discover
you?
Most of what I’ve heard from people who came to know me
through David, is, “Man, I know you do David and now I’m your fan.”
I’m honored and that’s amazing. I interpret that as these people will
hopefully go with me wherever I go artistically. I don’t know if I feel
any pressure to escape that shadow or the dynamic you described.
I’ll continue to do what I do, which is following my instinct musical-
ly, write new music, and follow where it’s leading. I think everything
else will take care of itself.

12 JAZZed • October 2017

Obviously you had quite an output be-
fore that.
Exactly.
I also recall you spending some time
with a fan after the Montreal show dis-
cussing your saxophone harness.
I do remember that. The one I use is
called Zappatini. I’m happy to share that
kind of information. The harness has made
a big difference for me, and saxophone is
tough on the body. I’m always happy to talk
about that stuff with people.
It makes a big difference when you come
out and talk to people. Obviously, you
sell a lot of CDs too.
Part of it is surely commercial. I know
if I go out there and talk I will sell more
CDs, and that’s an important part of the
business. But it’s not just the CDs for me.
It’s also wanting to connect with fans and
covery as a student is figuring out how you
process information, what resonates with
you, and what’s your best way of learning.
Discipline is the hardest thing to teach
anybody because without discipline you
can’t move forward.
That’s also something I can’t force on
somebody. I can just talk about it and be
real about it. In the end, it’s up to each in-
dividual to get into the practice room and
work.
Temperament-wise, you’re the exact op-
posite of the teacher from “Whiplash.”
I never watched that movie, but I don’t
be ready to be astonished
like berating people. It’s just not who I am.
You’ve got a style of performing that
crosses over many different genres of
music. You can go into the sonic strato-
sphere during a solo but then latch onto
a melodic hook and come back to earth.
The two newer pieces that you debuted
in Montréal were like that. It felt like you
guys were really listening to each other.
That’s all true. There’s a ton of listening,
and there’s a lot of improvising.
Do you think in order to be a successful
musician you need to realize when you
should not play?
NEW
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7

show my gratitude for them coming out
and checking out the music. My father is
a musician, and when I grew up going to
his gigs and hanging out with him he was
always very personable on the breaks.
He would see a lot of regulars who came
to hear him. He was a local musician in
Santa Cruz, but people would come from
San Jose, maybe half an hour or 45 min-
utes away, and he would remember their
names and talk about songs they knew or
shared memories. That’s just the example
that I saw when I was a kid. My father’s a re-
ally beloved person in the community, and
it’s sincere on his part. He’s not just doing it
to be popular or whatever. He’s not a super
extroverted person, but in that context he
would go out and talk to people. That’s the
example I grew up, and it’s what feels right
to me.
Is the way you are teaching different
from the way you were taught?
Yeah. I had different teachers, all of
whom I learned things from, so there are
probably things from all the teachers I
worked with that have been a part of my
presentation. I also feel like it is very much
coming from my life experience working
on music and trying to expand my vocabu-
lary and become a better saxophone player
and musician. A lot of it is filtered through
the lens of how I process information. I try
to honor people’s individuality and say,
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spotlight
I do. You can’t over emphasize how important that is. It’s listen-
ing and being able to respond and converse with your bandmates.
That’s a key element to working as a musician. Bandleaders want to
play with people who are going to make them sound good. [laughs]

I think that is something that is not necessarily taught in

schools. I recently chatted with Shane Theriot, guitarist for Hall
and Oates, and he was saying it is not simply how well you play.
You’ve got to be the person that people want to play with. Have
you ever been in situations that made you uncomfortable or
the chemistry wasn’t there? And how did you navigate that for
yourself?
That’s hard to answer in a way because it’s meant different things
at different stages of my development, different stages of my career
and my maturity as a musician. I’ve been fortunate enough that I
can’t recall a situation like that recently, but I’ve certainly been in
plenty of situations like that in my life. Gary Burton used to talk
about this with the rhythm section. If the band doesn’t feel like it’s “I’ll continue to do what I do, which is
coalescing, then try to play really simply and play things that the following my instinct musically, write new
band can latch onto, which goes against human nature which is to
overcompensate and overplay. It is something I certainly did many music, and follow where it’s leading. I think
times in those situations where I wasn’t feeling comfortable. In a per-
fect world, I would be even more relaxed and try to play in a really everything else will take care of itself.”
clear way that would help bring everyone together.

How has your experience with working with Maria Schneider

helped in your evolution?
I’ve been in her band for 15 years. Wow, that’s a big question. I
think her artistry speaks for itself. She’s a master orchestrator and
great composer, and part of what she does is to create these envi-
ronments for us to improvise in. She’s very much into interaction
and letting the music go where it’s going to go, but she also sets
these very specific environments. It’s been a great opportunity for
me to learn how to improvise within these contexts that are some-
times very set but also can feel very free. But the freedom for me is
in putting the work into having the fundamental parts of the song
or the section I’m improvising on embedded so that I can play more
freely on top of it and interact with the rhythm section through the
challenging parts. Sometimes her music is deceptively challenging.
Also, playing in her ensemble and how every single note she writes
for everybody all has purpose, all has melodic intent, and has a lot
of integrity – just appreciating that and learning from that. She’s just
great.
It sounds like by the time you got to work with David you had
everything lined up. You had the right experience that led you
to being able to work with him in a context where you didn’t
completely know what was going to happen. You just dove in
headfirst.
Thanks. I did dive in headfirst, and it was an amazing experience.
Looking back at your music, I would think a piece like “Flutter”
from your debut album would be a great piece to play your stu-
dents because there is more than one sax part there, and you
play things quietly and quickly. That’s harder to do than just
wailing – being in control and yet not being in control.
It’s definitely a process. I don’t know if I learned that early on. It’s
something I’ve had to work on and still have to think about.
Is there any one aspect of your playing that you would like to
improve?
I would like to improve my ability to improvise harmony more
rapidly – to create harmony with my improvising, create new har-
mony as I’m playing. To feel more adept at that, the way certain pia-
no players or certain guitar players I know are.
Do you think this configuration of your band has allowed you
to grow?
Very much so. Just playing in this context and having to come
up with language that feels right – it’s pushed me on the horn to
come up with different sounds and different ways of approaching
improvising that are less jazzy, of course. It’s forcing me to dig deep-
er and think outside of the box that I was in and come up with new
language. That’s always a great thing to have that opportunity.
Based upon what you’re working on now, what do you think
your next album will sound like?
Probably the way I would describe it is the track “A Small Plot Of
Land,” which is one of David’s songs – that’s a window into what I’m
hearing for the next record.
What have been the biggest life lessons that you’ve learned so
far on your musical odyssey?
I think the importance of always doing your very best when you’re
playing and working, and always bringing everything you have. As a
teenager, I remember reading a John Coltrane book about his life. It
wasn’t that it was stated the way I just described it, but that was the
feeling. In his case, this real obsession and relentless drive to keep
growing. It was legendary how much he would practice, so that’s
something that I feel has always held true for me. My father would
say that if you want to be a jazz musician it’s not like you’re going to

14 JAZZed • October 2017

make a lot of money, but you do something like this because you
really love it. It’s not losing sight of that passion that drew me to mu-
sic in the first place. What is it that makes you sit in a practice room
for all of those hours to figure this out and work on it over and over
again? There’s some sort of passion there and an emotional connec-
tion to music. I try not to lose sight of that because if I do then it does
become this more technical thing that’s not as meaningful. So for
me, that connection to the emotional aspect of it is vital for my life
as a musician. That and the hard work.
The other thing that comes to mind is something that I saw
exemplified in David, which was I felt that he was really present in
the moment when we were working together. He was focused, he
was taking in all the information, he was relaxed, but he was very
present. When he would sing, I didn’t like feel there was any wasted
energy. He was always really engaged in what was happening and
just utterly present. It’s like a spiritual kind of thing. We’ve heard all
our lives how important it is to be present and in the moment be-
cause this is all we have and you don’t know what’s going to come
next. I’ve tried to live that way. Just working with somebody like that
where I felt he was living that [philosophy] was inspiring to me. [It’s
about] not being afraid to let the music be what it is and not worry-
ing about categories or what is this person going to say or what is
that person going to say. It’s really staying true to what your vision is.
This is what I’m hearing, this is what I’m having fun doing. Maybe it’s
progressive jazz, maybe it’s electronica – who knows what it’s called,
but I like it. It’s good, it feels good, and people like it. And that’s all
that matters.

A P P LY T O Y O U N G A R T S . O R G /A P P LY J A Z Z E D
AWA R D S U P T O $ 1 0 , 0 0 0 | M E N T O R S H I P F R O M M A S T E R A R T I S T S | N AT I O N A L R E C O G N I T I O N

October 2017 • JAZZed 15

lessons learned
AUTHOR DISCLAIMER: This article is not intended to encapsulate ev-
ery aspect of our industry.
T
he business of music is all about uncovering quantifiable
solutions to pragmatic problems. It is also about making
more money, at the very least, and about earning a living
at the same time. The simple act of making money is called entre-
preneurship and the presenter of that entrepreneurship can be
likened to a performer’s silent partner. The simple truth is that the
silent partner invests in the entrepreneur, expecting to receive a
financial return on their investment and, if there is no return on
that investment, then there is no invitation to return. It is really
that simple, however the artist-entrepreneur needs to know that
the silent partner maintains a symbiotic relationship with all art-
ists, agents, or managers and that’s what this article is all about.
The good artist-entrepreneurs know this little secret and the bad
ones will always be left to wonder why they never receive any
return telephone calls or messages. The truth is that successful
artists constantly reinvest in themselves by developing new audi-
ences, that audiences are merely customers of entertainment and
true artists communicate by consistently providing their audienc-
es with new creative entertainment. (Can you say Chic Corea?)
I like to think of music as an alternative form of creative com-
munication when we reduce it to its common denominator. As an
entrepreneur, an artist must develop a constructive business plan
that contains elemental forms of one’s own personal investment
– whether that investment is thought, ideas, or currency. The old
adage, “if you fail to plan, you plan to fail” is especially salient in
the musician’s case. A musician is a creative artist in search of an
audience, but musicians cannot exist solely in an ethereal world.
The Ethereal World and the Real World
A lot of weight is given to social media in today’s ethereal
world, but in the end most artists rely upon bricks-and-mortar
venues to ply their trade and grow their audiences. Plying one’s
trade is about attracting an ever-increasing audience that invests
their hard-earned income on quality entertainment and sustain-
ing that level of income over time. FULL DISCLOSURE: If you are al-
ready a successful artist, musician, or entertainer you do not need
me to explain to you the mechanics of your own business plan
because you are already financially thriving. You may need me to
tell you, though, that jazz is truly an egalitarian art form and every
minute of every day there is another creative person just like you
out to unconsciously steal your audience share in a world where
16 JAZZed • October 2017
BUSINESS
of Music 101
BY HARRY SCHNIPPER
there is an ever-decreasing number of venues. That is the plain
but sad truth of today’s jazz entertainment universe.
The first rule of becoming a successful jazz entertainment
entrepreneur is that no two markets are exactly the same. What
works for you in Peoria may not translate to New York, Atlanta,
Chicago, LA, and certainly not Europe or Japan. With the advent
of social media, you must go to where your audience is and know-
ing your audience’s location is your secret to financial success and
that may take some doing. So let’s start with your business plan.
An artist or musician’s business plan should contain a physical and
an electronic promotional package. While it may be easy to attach
oneself to an agent or manager, that may be easier said than done.
Consider yourself the employer of that agent or manager and not
visa versa. You have a product to sell and that product is your mu-
sic. A good agent or manager is interviewing you just as much as
you should be interviewing them. I have worked with countless
agents over as many decades and the keys to their success lie in
identifying talent that both bonds and brands over time.
Agents and Managers
The artist-agent bond is a relationship like any other profes-
sional relationship, but that agent must be as equally entrepre-
neurial as you are an artist. If your goal is to record the best prod-
uct possible, and get that product in to as many hands, hearts, or
minds, then your relationship requires professional networking.
SPOILER ALERT: ALWAYS GET THAT RELATIONSHIP IN WRITING.
Networking may require a myriad of different means and those
means require constructing a quantifiable resumé. In the ethere-
al world, this resumé may include uploads, downloads, “unique”
visits, followers, “friends,” and “hits.” Remember that you are laying
your career foundation and all of the building blocks that come
after will hopefully result in the construction of a lifelong and sat-
isfying career in the art of making music. I shall therefore strongly
recommend hiring a professional website creator and possibly
even a business consultant. While one may readily dispense with
these marketing recommendations, websites have not yet dis-
appeared since the inception of the Internet to my knowledge.
(Remember MySpace?) Consider your website your island in a sea
of musical miasma. Your website should contain durable, consis-
tent, relevant, and sustainable information. You should incorpo-
rate links, sponsors, testimonials, samplings, reviews, and contact
information. Your website should be just another tool in your
entrepreneurial toolbox; it should reflect who you are and it also
your link to the outside world – wherever that world may be. If
you doubt my word then install a ticker and count the number of
visits. (NOTE: Start your ticker at a relatively high number because
psychologically no one wants to be the first tick and no presenter
wants to see a subservient number of ticks.) This will be an es-
pecially valuable piece of information when you are selling your
music to a doubtful buyer.
Stay on Target
Another step in the right direction should be to establish your
targeted demographic audience early on in your career and often
through audience reinforcement. Knowing your targeted demo-
graphic audience will enable you to further profile your product
to the consumer. (NOTE TO SELF: EVERY PRODUCT HAS A PROFILE,
INCLUDING MUSIC.) The best way to develop your profile and your
product is to tour, but touring can be a daunting and overwhelm-
ing process. The solution to this process is to start out with a mini-
tour. Begin at the beginning, which is where you domicile. Your
domicile is where you live and collect your postal mail (at least for
now.) The mini-tour can be a week to a month, depending upon
your geographic proximity to other towns and cities. Start with
a two-hour radius in each direction and identify towns of equal
size and demography. Contact talent buyers and music critics. Re-
member that this contacting is called doing your homework or in
professional parlance, performing your “due diligence.” Research
all of the available venues and reach out to talent buyers directly
via the telephone (TRANSLATION: A telephone is that apparatus
that you hold in your hand that humans used to use to talk to one
another). It is also the instrument that we humans used prior to
texting, e-mails, and instantaneous communications. Never for-
get that every musician is fundamentally in the communications
business and that every successful business is responsible for de-
veloping its own clientele. Repeatedly pushing ”re-send” will not
necessarily deliver the desired outcome and may even alienate
the recipient from further communicating with you. A qualified
and responsible talent buyer reads quantifiably delivered infor-
mation in order to arrive at an informed solution.
The artist or musician and the talent buyer maintain a unique
and symbiotic relationship. The artist wants to earn a living sell-
ing their music and reaching an ever-expanding audience with
the product of their hard work. The talent buyer wants to stay in
business, keep his or her job, and earn a decent living. If you do
not believe that a successful venue is tabulating audience counts,
defining price points, quantifying food and beverage consump-
tion, and merchandise sales, then you should not be in the music
business. The attitude of the presenter is that of a silent partner
and the goal of that presenter is to be profitable and profitability
is predicated upon proprietary practices. The business of music
can be essentially segmented in to three proprietary precepts: (1)
product, (2) audience, and (3) marketing. The biggest misconcep-
tion in the second half of the twentieth century was that you go
to school, you graduate, and then you sit back and wait for the
telephone to ring or for an e-mail to arrive in your inbox. The dirty
little secret in the entertainment industry is that marketing is the
missing link and can make the difference between success and
failure. You can be the greatest musician in the world, but if you
do not take the time to market, network, and cultivate your audi-

The Keys to Jazz Are In Good Hands

OSCAR PETERSON oscarwithlove.com

“...this recording, which easily ranks among the best of the year,
“...a tribute album for the ages…” – All About Jazz overflows with such indelible tracks.” – The Los Angeles Times

To honor her late husband, Kelly Peterson assembled some of the most celebrated jazz artists in the world to perform and
record on the luminary’s prized personal Bösendorfer Imperial piano, then released the recordings as a deluxe collector’s
edition, featuring an extensive commemorative book, and as a standard 3-CD digipak package. Oscar, With Love
showcases Oscar Peterson as a composer and includes the world premiere of several pieces he wrote but
never recorded; the compositions were retrieved from Peterson’s library for the project.

joeydefrancesco.com JOEY DeFRANCESCO

“...Joey has embraced the ‘heart and soul’ aspects of his instrumental “One of the true attractions of the B3, is that
prowess. There is no organist who is regarded by his when it’s in the right hands...No one alive
peers and critics to such a degree.” does it better than Joey DeFrancesco…”
– Audiophile Audition – JazzWeekly.com

BILLY CHILDS billychilds.com

“Child’s piano stylings have a “It’s punctilious and unpredictably

lusciousness that are all his own.” powerful all at once.”
– Huffington Post – All About Jazz

christiansandsjazz.com CHRISTIAN SANDS

“Sands is skilled, soulful and melodic throughout, “...pianist Christian Sands plays with a restrained touch
his energy and spirit altering with each tune.” and a rolling command across the entire keyboard.”
mackavenue.com – Vice Noisey – The New York Times

October 2017 • JAZZed 17

lessons learned
ence then you are essentially an artist without a voice. In the early
1990s there was a popular movie starring Kevin Costner entitled
“Field of Dreams” that I am fond of quoting and its catch phrase
was, “Build it and they will come.” Not only is this catch phrase a
complete fallacy in the jazz music industry, we no longer possess
the infrastructure to transform abject creativity into financial suc-
cess. A half-century ago a performer would cut a record deal, re-
lease a demo, pitch it to radio, make in-store record appearances,
perform on tour, and earn a living. Now, everyone today is trying
to carve out his or her own creative niche in an ever-expanding
ethereal universe. I cannot tell you how many times I have been
in the presence of sidemen and women, attending a master class,
standing in a festival line, and I have struck up a conversation with
a musician and they did not have a copy of their own recording in
their possession.
Musical recordings are your business cards. Not only are re-
cordings your business cards, but also you should be asking oth-
ers for their business cards as a matter of course. The fact of the
matter is that you will never know when you will encounter an
agent, manager, presenter, or talent buyer, but chances are they
will be often quietly attending performances in search of new tal-
ent. Two things that successful agents, managers, presenters, and
talent buyers want to do: (1) be on the cutting edge of identifying
new music and (2) cultivating talent for future performances. The
ability to achieve these two objectives successfully and succes-
sively increases their own qualifications and reputations within an
increasingly competitive industry.
Can an
artist
build an
enterprise ?
Change begins with a question.
What will you ask?
18 JAZZed • October 2017
In Closing
Finally, your reputation is all that you have got in this increas-
ingly competitive industry and you need to show up and follow
up. I have personally worked with all of the jazz legends in this
industry and these two credos are what differentiate the success-
ful musician or artist from the unsuccessful. Your success is simply
doing what it is you say you are going to do when you say you are
going to do it and doing it to the best of your abilities. If you say
that you agree to hold a press conference, perform an on-air inter-
view, participate in a meet-and-greet, or host a clinic to promote
your upcoming performance then you need to take the necessary
steps to insure that you successfully achieve that performance.
This includes providing the talent buyer with a contract and a tech-
nical rider, any management contacts, hospitality requirements, or
guests well in advance of your designated date. Always remember
that you are the master or mistress of your own musical destiny
and that by empowering others you empower yourself.
Good luck and good gigs.
Harry Schnipper is owner and executive di-
rector of Washington D.C.’s famed Blues Alley
and has worked with innumerable jazz per-
formers, agents, and promoters throughout
his career. This year saw the launch of the
first annual Ella Fitzgerald Competition, un-
der Schnipper’s guidance:
www.ellafitzgeraldcompetition.org
College of Performing Arts
at The New School
Arts Management
and Entrepreneurship (MA)
At The New School, we question
conventional management education.
The result is the first-ever program
that prepares active performing artists
for 21st-century entrepreneurship.
Study alongside fellow artists from our
Mannes, Jazz, and Drama schools to fine-
tune your craft while gaining the critical
business skills needed to build a thriving
career in the performing arts industry.
A bachelor’s-master’s dual-degree
option is also available.
Discover more at 
newschool.edu/performing-arts.
Photo by Michael Kirby Smith / Equal Opportunity Institution
jazzfestivalsworldwide
Monterey Jazz Festival Celebrates 60 Years
The 60th Annual
Monterey Jazz Fes-
tival wrapped up
Sunday, September
17 after gathering over 38,500 fans at the Monterey County
Fairgrounds during the weekend of September 15-17. The fes-
tival featured a record-breaking 137 performances and events
of diverse styles of music from around the globe, from tributes
and piano trios; big bands to modern jazz, salsa, tango, blues
and bluegrass, modern classical, and high energy fusion groups,
mixed with historic conversations, films, and exhibits.
The festival began on Friday, September 15 with centennial
celebrations with the Kenny Barron Trio’s Tribute to Dizzy Gilles-
pie. Matthew Whitaker performed three sets on the Courtyard,
while the Blue Note at Sea Tent was an instant hit all weekend,
beginning with an interview with Wayne Shorter and offering a
panel topic on “Women in Jazz” on Sunday.
Herbie Hancock also performed, along with Ray Obiedo,
Along Came Betty, Miles Mosley, Honey & Salt, Alicia Olatuja, Ger-
ald Clayton, the Latin Jazz Collective, Roberta Gambarini, and the
Joel Frahm Quartet, who paid tribute to Stan Getz.
Saturday began with MJF debuts from Monsieur Periné and
Mr. Sipp. Dee Dee Bridgewater gave an inspiring ode to Memphis
and covered Prince’s song “Purple Rain,” while the Clayton-Ham-
ilton Jazz Orchestra debuted their new 40-minute opus, “Stories
of a Groove.”
Other performers included Leslie Odom Jr., Jimmy Heath, Con
Brio, The Suffers, Mr. Sipp, Monsieur Periné, Sammy Miller and the
Congregation, Roy Hargrove, the Joanne Brackeen Trio, Kandace
Springs, Regina Carter, and the Kyle Eastwood Band.
Sunday’s 58 shows began with the 2017 Next Generation Jazz
Orchestra, which featured the country’s finest high school stu-
dent musicians and artists-in-residence, John Clayton, Jeff Hamil-
ton, and Gerald Clayton. Performers that evening included Chris
Thiele, Brad Mehldau, Angélique Kidjo, the Linda May Han Oh
Quintet, the Joe Lovano Classic Quartet, and the Tia Fuller Quin-
tet with Ingrid Jensen. All weekend, the Jazz Theater showed
simulcasts of the arena performances, as well as screenings of
the documentaries “I Called Him Morgan” and “Chick Corea: The
Musician.”
Hep C Hope once again presented the Garden Stage, and
North Coast Brewing Company, celebrating their 12th year as
Official Monterey Jazz Festival Beers, hosted the North Coast
Brewing Jazz Education Stage for the third year in a row. In
support of getting younger children exposed to instruments,
Yamaha hosted the Yamaha Experience Tent all weekend and
the popular Instrument Petting Zoo featured during Sunday’s
Family Day.
The announcement of 2018 Monterey Jazz Festival Arena and
Grounds artists will be made in spring 2018, when tickets for the
61st Annual Monterey Jazz Festival will be available for purchase.
The 61st Annual Monterey Jazz Festival will take place on the
Monterey County Fairgrounds & Event Center, September 21-23,
2018, with more than 500 artists performing on 8 stages for 3
nights and 2 days of the world’s best jazz.
titletitle
Arts for Art Hosts
UnColumbus
Celebration jazzfestivalsworldwide.com
Arts for Art, in partnership with El Taller Latino Americano,
presented the second annual Raza y Resistencia Jazz festival
on October 7-9. The festival, which was called an “UnColumbus
Celebration with music and poetry,” featured a diverse lineup of
artists to represent the diversity of America: “the original peoples,
those brought here unwillingly, and those who have immigrated,
by and for people of all ages and background.” From youth per-
formances to family workshops, the UnColumbus Celebration
was an inclusive, community-focused weekend. The last day of
the festival, October 9, was free for all attendees.
GRandJazzFest Draws Record-Breaking
Crowds
The sixth annual GRandJazzFest presented by DTE Energy
Foundation drew record-setting crowds at Rosa Parks Circle on
August 19 for the festival’s headliner performance from Richard
Elliot. Over 11,000 people attended the free two-day event in
West Michigan on August 19 and 20.
“Richard Elliot knocked it out of the park,” GRandJazzFest
founder Audrey Sundstrom said. “He is known for his high energy
and he did not disappoint. Crowds were dancing at Rosa Parks
Circle and literally into the street.”
Performers in addition to Elliot included Grand Rapids Jazz Or-
chestra with Edye Evans Hyde, Terry Lower/Jazz Expedition Sex-
tet, Ed Stone and the Flowmasters, Tumbao Bravo, Bryan Lubeck,
Blushing Monk, The Isaac Norris Project, organissimo, Four80East,
and Nate Harasim & NILS featuring Brandon Willis.
“GRandJazzFest is truly a hallmark event for the Grand Rapids
community, and this year’s Mayoral proclamation of August 2017
as Jazz Month in Grand Rapids further demonstrates the value
this event brings to the city – from boosting local businesses to
drawing visitors downtown to enjoy world-class jazz music,” said
Faye Nelson, vice president, DTE Energy, and president and board
chair of the DTE Energy Foundation. “The DTE Energy Foundation’s
support ensures this festival continues to enliven the community
and provides people with free access to renowned music, arts and
cultural activities that are integral to a strong quality of life.”
GRandJazzFest Founder Audrey Sundstrom also acknowl-
edged the all-volunteer board of GR and Jazz, the 501(c)3 non-
profit organization that produces GRandJazzFest.
“We could not put on this free community event without our
generous and enthusiastic board, performers, sponsors, support-
ers and volunteers! We are so grateful to them!” Sundstrom said.
The seventh annual GRandJazzFest is planned for Aug. 18 and
19, 2018.
October 2017 • JAZZed 19

voices of today
eter Eldridge’s Disappearing Day (Sunnyside Records,
P
2016) is a difficult record to pin down. It starts with
“Mind To Fly” – an original that subscribes to this
multi-hyphenate’s maxim that a great groove and an open
mind are two of the best tools for creation – and moves
every which way from that point on. There’s a deeply re-
flective glance at past, present, and future in the form of
“Looking Forward To Looking Back”; a guest-packed, Brazil-
ian-glazed production dubbed “Forever Blue”; out-of-left-
field covers sourced from artistic fonts as different as The
Magnetic Fields and Paul McCartney; instances of music
wed to poetry, where each art form influences and alters
the chemistry of the other; and a pair of pieces plucked
from the Great American Songbook, an area all too famil-
iar to a man who literally teaches the topic. It’s an album
that’s unusually polymorphic in nature, as each perfor-
mance takes its own form and shape within a single aural
species, and it’s as perfect an artistic representation of Pe-
ter Eldridge as there is to date. One number might shine
a light on the angelic artistic marriage between the leader
and guest vocalist Becca Stevens, another may feature The
Elm City Girls’ Choir, and a third may trim things down to
BY DAN BILAWSKY
a trio configuration with chief collaborators Ben Wittman
(on drums) and Matt Aronoff (on bass). But all are oddly of
a piece. The sum total is a focused yet wide-ranging work
that serves as the crowning achievement in Eldridge’s small
but rich solo discography.
Depending on whom you ask, some might say that El-
dridge’s vocals or the steady production values act as the
tie that binds this material. Others, including the artist him-
20 JAZZed • October 2017
ALEX FISCHER
Working with
the Spice of Life
“There’s nothing better than
helping somebody find their own
sound, their own idea of what music
means to them, and the method by
which they want to present their
music and self to the world. ”
self, may prefer to put stock in the idea that the aforemen-
tioned trio serves as the through line – or “the glue” – for
this project. None of those ideas ring false after hearing the
music, yet there seems to be something grander hidden
in the design(s): All of these songs, whether taken individ-
ually or viewed as a whole, serve as a direct reflection of
Eldridge’s seemingly paradoxical gift that manifests in his
ability to be both expansive and reductive all at once. He’s
a man possessed of the ability to simultaneously broaden
a view and distill an idea to its very essence. You can see it
in his writing, observe it in simple conversation, and hear
it in his work, both live and on record. Eldridge’s albums
mark him as sage, bard, and human sympathizer, rooted to
all that’s real and thoroughly intrigued by life’s twists and
turns. Everything seems exciting and new when the words,
thoughts, and melodies emerge from his mind and mouth.
Eldridge, 55, is best known for his work with New York
Voices, a group born through its members’ association with
Ithaca College and a powerhouse that continues to tour
the world to spread the gospel of vocal jazz. His fascina-
tion with music, however, started in a very different stylis-
tic realm and completely removed from the microphone.
While his parents exposed him to some of the great jazz
vocalists of yesteryear – Nat King Cole, Peggy Lee, and Jo
Stafford, among others – pop was his listening passion and
singing was the furthest thing from his mind. Eldridge’s old-
er siblings introduced him to what he lovingly references
as his trinity of influence – Steely Dan, Stevie Wonder, and
Joni Mitchell – and the piano was his chief musical outlet
during his formative years. Classical piano, in fact, is what
brought Eldridge to Ithaca in the first place, and his work on the 88s
still plays a large, if somewhat subservient, role in his performing ca-
reer. “I was a piano kid,” Eldridge reflects, “and you couldn’t have paid
me to sing back then.” He fully admits now that the exposed nature
of singing scared him away from the vocal arts in his early days, but
a funny thing started to happen during his college years: Eldridge’s
voice started to gain notice whenever he opened his mouth, leading
many to mistakenly assume he was a vocal major. The rest is history.
That vocal awakening, coupled with Eldridge’s sub rosa songwrit-
ing passion, would eventually help to form and illuminate his reality.
“Music really helped me get a real sense of myself and taught me
to look at life in a different way,” he states. “It helped me to express
things that, perhaps, were just too hard for me to talk about.” Those
experiences and discoveries, no doubt, also shape the compassion-
ate and personalized aspects endemic to his teaching. Eldridge spent
eighteen years on the faculty at the Manhattan School of Music and
he’s currently completing his fourth year working at the Berklee Col-
lege of Music in Boston. He’s managed to help mold many a fine artist
and guide many a soul toward their des-
tiny during the past two decades – Jane
Monheit, Charenee Wade, Nicky Schrire,
Christie Dashiell, Kavita Shah, and Sarah
Mackenzie were all his pupils at one time
or another – and he takes great pride in
his work in the education field. Eldridge
also humbly acknowledges that it took
some time to find his footing in that par-
ticular arena. During our talk he candidly
and frankly explains what he believes are
the two keys to his successes in teaching:
One – a fairly self-deprecating claim – is
the belief that he did everything wrong
when he started, ultimately leading him
toward discoveries on how to fix things;
the other – far more believable in nature
MIKE KELLY
– is built around his solid understanding
of the fear and trepidation connected
to singing. He cites both a fear of failure
and, strangely enough, a fear of success,
noting that each one can potentially plague developing musicians of
any stripe or background.
Eldridge conquered those fears himself, so he’s certainly not afraid
of assisting students in confronting them to find what exists beneath
it all. “There’s nothing better than helping somebody find their own
sound, their own idea of what music means to them, and the meth-
od by which they want to present their music and self to the world,”
he sincerely states. No two situations are the same in his one-on-one
lessons – “some people require technical work, some want help on an
interpretive level, and some seek assistance in the area of songwrit-
ing,” Eldridge notes – and that’s part of what inspires him on a daily
basis in the classroom.
In addition to providing private instruction at Berklee, Eldridge
teaches multiple classes focused on the art of songwriting, runs mas-
ter classes centered on creative development for vocalists, and serves
as a steward for the Great American Songbook. In each one of those
settings he practices what he preaches and preaches what he prac-
tices. One of his class assignments – to set a poem to music – actually
gave life to the captivating take on Robert Bly’s “Driving To Town To
Mail A Letter” that appears on Disappearing Day, songwriting tactics
espoused in detail have birthed much of his own work in the past,
and the values that he addresses in his Great American Songbook
ensemble – “simplicity, space, and respect for the lyric” – inform his
own dips into that well. There aren’t two, three, or four different Peter
Eldridges depending on the circumstance. All are one in mind, atti-
tude, and art.
Globetrotting adventures with New York Voices and work in the
education field remain Eldridge’s two most time-consuming pur-
suits, but his solo work has attracted more and more attention as the
years have passed. For the first decade-plus of his professional life,
this self-admitted “group-oriented guy” largely avoided the spotlight.
It was all for one and one for all. That all changed, to a small extent,
at the dawn of the new millennium. With the encouragement and
patronage of Jean Charles Lignel – a successful businessman who
studied with Eldridge – he took the plunge and released not one, but
two albums. The near-simultaneous emergence of those records – a
collection of “midnight swinging” classics dubbed Stranger In Town
(Rosebud Records, 2000) and an exqui-
sitely shaped original set titled Fool No
More (Rosebud Records, 2000) – signaled
the start of a new stage in Eldridge’s ca-
reer. Decorum (self released, 2005) fol-
lowed, further highlighting his songwrit-
ing skills and emphasizing his wit better
than any other entry in his catalog; Mad
Heaven (Palmetto, 2011) brought out
the inner-Brazilian in Eldridge’s soul; and
New Definition (self released, 2012) un-
derscored the easy rapport and creative
synergy between Eldridge and Aronoff
while introducing their duo, Foolish
Hearts, to jazz fans at large. In each of
those instances, as with the absolutely
flawless Disappearing Day, sophistication
and accessibility perfectly balance each
other out on the artistic scales.
Eldridge organically pulls from a va-
riety of places and musical worlds when
making an album, creating something wholly unique in the process.
Wittman, who’s produced most of his solo dates, sees that as one of
the singer-composer’s greatest strengths. “He’s effortless in his abili-
ty to borrow and incorporate from a wide range of styles: jazz, pop,
Brazilian, classical [and more],” Wittman shares. “He loves all of these
influences and melds them together into beautiful art songs.” At one
point during our lengthy conversation, Eldridge inadvertently touch-
es on that very notion, offhandedly remarking that “variety is the
spice of life.” It’s a proverb that’s most certainly been overused, but
the words seem unusually meaningful given his state of being at the
time: Eldridge sits down to talk as he’s nearing the finish of a whirl-
wind four days in New York that includes a stop at the Jazz Connect
Conference, a rehearsal with Wittman and bassist Stephan Crump, a
brief APAP Showcase at the Midtown Hilton and a show at Rockwood
Music Hall (with that same trio), and meetings to discuss The Kiss – a
musical he wrote with playwright Cheri Coons that digs into the life
of Austrian painter Gustav Klimt. He’s quite simply living proof that
Henry David Thoreau’s belief that “success usually comes to those
who are too busy to be looking for it” hits the nail on the head.
October 2017 • JAZZed 21
 hotwax albumreviews
Virginia Ayers Dawson
Standards Of Love (AyerPlay Music)
Virginia Ayers Dawson – vocals
Robert Turner – piano, keyboards
Kevin O’Neal – bass
Ndugu Chancler – drums (1, 2, 5,
7, 9)
Lyndon Rochelle – drums (3, 4, 6,
8, 10, 11)
Craig T. Cooper – guitars, percussion
(6)
While this
album doesn’t
ask any ques-
tions, love is
most certain-
ly the answer
it provides.
Vocalist Virginia Ayers Dawson brings
passion and positivity to the fore on
this aptly-named program of tried-and-
true classics dealing with emotions
surrounding the sunny side of romance
and all that grows out of love taking
root. It’s a collection of music that glim-
mers with the shine of affection.
Ayers Dawson and her band are all
smiles throughout, striding and glid-
ing along well-trodden paths paved
by Rodgers and Hart, the Gershwin
brothers, Lerner and Loewe, and oth-
er songsmiths and writing teams of
note. Everything this crew delivers is
easy to digest, due in no small part
to the concise nature of the perfor-
mances, production values that add
a gloss to the proceedings, and an
artistic aesthetic that relies on a nex-
us between contemporary jazz and
straight-ahead sounds.
A Brazilian-tinged take on “I Wish
You Love,” the R&B-pop balladry of “Let
The Love Begin,” and a soul-inflected
“Almost Like Being In Love” all epito-
mize the smoother side of the equa-
tion. But they don’t sum up the album.
There’s also swing aplenty on the play-
list, illustrated through a lightly danc-
ing “Where Or When,” an uptempo
“What A Difference A Day Makes,” and
a variety of other familiar numbers
resting between those two poles. In
each and every instance, Ayers Daw-
son presents with poise and polish.
22 JAZZed • October 2017
The lion’s share of the solo space
here goes to pianist Robert Turner,
but he’s not the only game in town.
Kevin O’Neal’s bass makes an impres-
sion on “It’s Love,” guitarist Craig T.
Cooper accentuates the mood at hand
on “Almost Like Being In Love,” and
drummers Ndugu Chancler and Lyn-
don Rochelle, switching off, each hold
down the fort with steady grooves.
This music’s flavor profile does run a
tad predictable at times, but its joy-
ful charms, which carry the day, are
self-evident. Standards Of Love pro-
vides one warm embrace after anoth-
er, living up to its title in sound and
vision. (Dan Bilawsky)
Will Friedwald
The Great Jazz and Pop Vocal
Albums (Pantheon, 2017)
432 pages
If, like me,
you can’t say
you’ve spent
much time
thinking about
such celebrat-
ed popular
singers as Steve
Lawrence and
Eydie Gormé,
Dick Haymes
and Marilyn Maye, or even such esti-
mable vocalists as Mel Torme, Bobby
Troup and Della Reese, don’t worry –
Will Friedwald sure has. The author of
four previous books on the vocal arts
and the name behind more liner notes
for vocal albums from the past four
decades than even he surely remem-
bers, Friedwald adores singers with a
passion that would seem frightening-
ly obsessive if it wasn’t so infectious.
And that’s precisely why The Great
Jazz and Pop Vocal Albums – an exam-
ination of fifty-seven mainstream re-
cordings – is a valuable book.
For Friedwald is the kind of writer
so enamored with and knowledge-
able of his subject, yet so invested
in keeping his erudition balanced by
personal observation and the joy of
communicating his passion (yes, that
word again), that he returns you to
albums you admire with new insight
and, most important, leads you to
other recordings that you have will-
ingly – and, possibly, ignorantly – ig-
nored. In other words, he sends you
back to, say, Dinah Washington Sings
Fats Waller with greater appreciation
for salient details, and then even fos-
ters a nagging curiosity as to what Jo
Stafford Sings Songs of Scotland might
actually sound like.
Friedwald has spent his profes-
sional career thinking long and hard
about American singing, that is, pri-
marily the vocal practitioners who
concentrate on songbook and Broad-
way fare, mainly excluding classic
forms of blues, R&B and rock as well
as – perish the thought – contempo-
rary pop and R&B. Although he finds
room for Cassandra Wilson and the
British vocalists Barbra Jungr among
his pantheon, for Friedwald the im-
mortals generally constitute the usual
suspects: Armstrong, Holiday, Sinatra,
Fitzgerald, Vaughan, Bennett, etc. in
the jazz department, and Judy Gar-
land, Doris Day, Margaret Whiting,
Lena Horne and their ilk in the pop
league. His equal adoration for both
genres is made obvious throughout
his voluble and exacting, yet ever in-
timate, analysis of each album. In do-
ing so he also gives us an overview of
the singer’s career and style as well as
delineating the porous line between
jazz and popular singing.
An informative and warmhearted
mash note to an endearing and en-
during American art form, The Great
Jazz and Pop Vocal Albums may be the
kind of tome you might feel guilty
about discussing with your hardcore
jazz friends, but it belongs proudly
on your bookshelf. At least then you’ll
know what album to reach for (or
more likely, stream) if the conversa-
tion ever turns to such divas and divos
as Jo Stafford, Jimmy Scott, Maxine
Sullivan, Bobby Troup and Kay Starr,
or – anything’s possible – Robert Gou-
let. (Steve Futterman)

JAZZ: Take Two B
y now it’s become almost as
much of a cliché to refute F.
Scott Fitzgerald’s classic dictum,
“There are no second acts in Ameri-
can life,” as it once was to quote it as
dogma. While poor Fitzgerald never
got another shot at the big time after
his precipitous downward slide, it can
often seem as if our cultural scene is
full to bursting with once-celebrated
personalities of all stripes who found
themselves back in the spotlight fol-
lowing fortuitous declines.
Jazz has long had its share of such
personal resurrections. Among the
most famous instances involved two
journeyman New Orleans contem-
poraries of Louis Armstrong – the
trumpeter Bunk Johnson and the
clarinetist George Lewis – who were
snatched from the jaws of obscurity
to become leaders of the traditional
jazz movement that arose in the ’40s
to challenge bebop. Three decades lat-
BY STEVE
er, Art Pepper, the West Coast fixture
FUTTERMAN
acknowledged for his brilliant saxo-
phone work, as well as his notorious drug abuse and stints
in prison, found himself with record contracts and public
acclaim. Around that same time another superb saxophon-
ist, Dexter Gordon, off the American scene for years, re-
turned to our shores to initiate a comeback that ultimately
climaxed with an Oscar nomination for his starring role in
the 1986 film “Round Midnight.” Add to the list Tal Farlow,
Betty Carter, Andrew Hill, Frank Morgan, Art Farmer, Randy
Weston and Sonny Sharrock among others, and you have
an impressive amount of significant jazz figures who had
receded from the limelight to ultimately fight another day.
The late ‘80s and early ‘90s saw unexpected jazz resur-
gences in the forms of two incomparable artists: the saxo-
phonist Joe Henderson and the vocalist and pianist Shirley
Horn. In fact, in terms of popular visibility and commercial
success, there hasn’t been an instance that since compares
to either of their late career revivals. Both Henderson and
Horn owed their luck to a confluence of perfect storm pro-
portions: A new post-Wynton Marsalis wave of interest in
jazz met the means of a major record label, Verve, whose
jazz departments included such visionaries as supervising
producer Richard Seidel.
“Henderson and Horn…proved that given the economic support and
behind-the-scenes direction, a distinguished artist would be able to
kick start his or her career again.
outlier’sblues
Pouring attention and money into Henderson and Horn’s
initial projects was neither a no-brainer nor a guaranteed
success. Henderson was a musician’s musician beloved by
those in the know as one of the great post-bop instrumen-
talists, but that wasn’t exactly money in the bank. Horn, for
her part, was little more than a name to even staunch jazz
fans. Aficionados cherished the fine albums she cut in the
early ‘60s when her chief champion was Miles Davis, but a
coterie doesn’t constitute a rabid audience.
Yet the gamble paid off for Henderson and Horn, both
of whom were in their early fifties. Creative and inspired al-
bums quickly followed the Verve signings, projects that re-
flected focused commitment from the artists as well as the
producers, arrangers, and supporting musicians involved.
It’s difficult to imagine the jazz universe without such stir-
ring and durable recordings as Henderson’s Lush Life: The
Music of Billy Strayhorn, So Near, So Far, Musings For Miles
and Double Rainbow: The Music of Antonio Carlos Jobim and
Horn’s You Won’t Forget Me, Here’s To Life and I Love You, Par-
is. (The saxophonist and the singer can be heard together
on Horn’s 1995 album, The Main Ingredient.)
Until both were cut down by illness early in the new
millennium, Henderson and Horn, working nearly until the
end, proved that given the economic support (including a
healthy advertising budget) and behind-the-scenes direc-
tion, a distinguished artist would be able to kick start his
or her career again. Yet try to imagine that occurring in our
present economi-
cally strapped jazz
environment. For
the moment, unfor-
tunately, F.Scott’s
dire pronounce-
ment may still hold
some water.
”
October 2017 • JAZZed 23
gearcheck
BRASS & WOODWIND ACCESSORIES
New Instruments from Opus Power Grips from Dava
The gold lacquer Compact/ The Power Grips from Dava are the lat-
Mini Tuba in B flat (Model 972LR- est addition to the company’s line of guitar
B flat) from Opus Musical Instru- picks, which feature Dava’s exclusive rubber
ments features a Cupronickel grip. The picks are made from delrin, mak-
tuning pipe, a 304mm (12”) bell, ing them thicker and more heavy-duty. The
a18.9-19.9mm (0.748”-0.787”) picks come it packs of six and retail for $7.50.
bore, and is 635mm (25”) long. www.davapick.com
MSRP: $4,800.
The gold lacquer Marching
Tuba (Model 952LR-M) features Gaffers Tape from American Recorder Technologies
a cupronickel tuning pipe, a This gaffers tape from American Recorder Tech-
482mm (19”) bell, a 17mm (0.67”) nologies offers heavy-duty, 12 mil vinyl-coated cloth
bore, and is 1092 mm (43”) long. tape that has been designed specifically for the en-
MSRP: $1,800. tertainment and music industry, making it ideal for
musicians, DJs, roadies, grips, lighting techs and
www.usaopus.com
audio techs. With the tape’s special natural rubber
adhesive, the tape will not leave a residue once re-
moved, and is also UV resistant and offers protection
from abrasion and sharp edges. The tape is available
in 50-yard, full-sized rolls and 8-yard mini rolls, as well as in seven
different colors: black, white, gray, florescent green, florescent yel-
low, florescent orange and florescent pink. Starting at $7.99.
www.americanrecorder.com
JP333 Rath Trombone
This step-up trombone is a collaboration between John Packer
and the trombone guru Michael Rath that includes a .562 bore,
The Mouthpiece Manager
80:20 brass construction, double adjustable rotors and a JP pro
Rovner has debuted The Mouth-
case. From the original JP231Rath .525 bore straight tenor to
piece Manager, a small stand made to
the JP332ORath .547 F attachment, the quality mixed with the
hold up to 12 clarinet or sax mouth-
John Packer price point has enabled dealers and band directors
pieces of any size. Ideal for any instru-
throughout the US and the rest of the world to get students into a
ment workshop table, the stand is
great horn at a great price point.
hand washable and stackable when
www.jpmusicalinstruments.com not in use. MSRP: $24.95.
www.rovnerproducts.com

XO 1602S-LTR Lightweight BH Trumpet from KHS America

The XO 1602S-LTR light- D’Addario Accessories Maintenance Kits
weight BHtrumpet features D’Addario Accessories has de-
a .460” medium-large bore buted tool kits available for guitar
size, a nickel-silver mouth- and bass maintenance and a gen-
piece receiver, a reverse rose eral care & cleaning kit. D’Addario
brass leadpipe, and yellow brass valve casings, balusters, and tun- Tool Kits are the convenient way to
ing slides. The 1602S-LTR is a lightweight instrument that projects keep your instrument maintenance
a full, rich sound with low resistance that gives players another gear in one portable location. Each
voice to express themselves in any musical setting. case contains individual component compartments, pockets for
www.khs-america.com extra strings (not included), and magnet to hold screws, nuts,
washers, and other hardware pieces.
www.daddario.com
The Las Vegas Model from Phaeton Trumpet
The PHT-LV 1200 Las
Vegas model trumpet from ReedGeek’s G4 ‘Black Diamond’
Phaeton Trumpet features ReedGeek’s newest universal wood-
an exclusive ‘conical bore’ wind reed tools and saxophone sound
.460 at valve cluster to .470 stabilizers is the G4 “Black Diamond,”
beyond main tuning slide, and was designed by trumpet artist a tool for reed adjustment & mainte-
David Perrico. The trumpet also offers large heavy finger rings, ad- nance on both natural and synthetic
vance taper lead pipe, monel pistons, and a heavy brass receiver, reeds, designed to help all woodwind
and comes with a custom designer case. easily players achieve better reed per-
www.phaetontrumpet.com formance. www.reedgeek.com

24 JAZZed • October 2017


ACCESSORIES
Brass and Woodwind Care Kits from
On-Stage
These Brass and Woodwind Care Kits
contain everything students and profession-
als need for care and maintenance of their
instrument. The BSK5600 and OBK5600, for
bassoon and oboe respectively, come com-
plete with key oil, duster brush, cork grease,
cotton or hanky swabs and finish-specific
polishing cloths. The BCK5600, for bass clar-
inet, features cork grease, key oil, polishing
cloth, genuine chamois clarinet neck swab
and rainbow body swab, while the FHK5600,
for French horn, includes rotor oil, lacquer
cloth, synthetic five-foot snake, mouthpiece
brush, tuning slide grease, duster brush, and
replacement rotor strings.
www.on-stage.com
Fret Butter Fretboard Cleaner
Fret Butter is
solution for stringed
instrument finger-
boards that hy-
drates the wood and
removes grime and
oxidation from frets
in one simple appli-
cation. The result is a clean hydrated finger-
board with shiny frets and a satin smooth
finish protecting against sweat, acids, metal
corrosion, and string abrasion. The Fret But-
ter cloth is an applicator and is used to apply
the Fret Butter to the fingerboard and frets.
www.apintl.com
Touchtones from Sfarzo
Touchtones from
Sfarzo are cryogen-
ically tempered
strings that have
been manufactured
using a high-quality
core wire and strong
wrap wire, making them perfectly wound
strings. The core wire of the strings is cryo-
genically frozen below -320 degrees Fahren-
heit before being slowly brought back up to
room temperature, which changes the mo-
lecular structure of the string and eliminates
most of the impurities. The result is a metal al-
loy wire that’s made for durability. Price: $18.
www.sfarzo.us
gearcheck
PRINT & DIGITAL
New Publications from Meredith Music
String Instruments: Purchasing, Maintenance, Trou-
bleshooting and More by Sandy Goldie informs read-
ers on important subjects and skillsets that every
musician needs to know. Different topics covered in
the book include purchasing instruments, instrument
accessories, maintenance, troubleshooting, sizing, set-
up, and storing instruments.
Practicing with Purpose contains 50 easy-to-use
techniques scientifically proven and field-tested to
improve musical skills. It includes practice plans for
every level with examples from the world’s greatest
performers. It’s an indispensable resource to immedi-
ately increase musical proficiency.
www.meredithmusic.com
Stan Getz – Omnibook from Hal Leonard
The latest installment from Hal Leonard Omnibooks offers
musicians the chance to play the recordings of saxophonist
Stan Getz. This volume includes 54 Getz songs transcribed for
all B-flat instruments, as well as helpful chord symbols, met-
ronome markings, record information, and a biography of
Getz. Songs include: “All the Things You Are,”“Autumn Leaves,”
“Billie’s Bounce (Bill’s Bounce),” “Blue Skies,” “Come Rain or
Come Shine,” “Con Alma,” “Desafinado,” “Funkallero,” “Garota
de Ipanema,” “I Remember You,” “Night and Day,” “A Night in
Tunisia,”“One Note Samba (Samba De Uma Nota So),”“Pennies
from Heaven,”“Quiet Nights of Quiet Stars (Corcovado),”“Stella
by Starlight,” “The Way You Look Tonight,” “Where or When,”
“Yardbird Suite” and other tunes.
www.halleonard.com
JOhN FEDChOCk
AvAilAble for ConCerts, CliniCs, Commissions
“Fedchock’s playing is simply phenomenal.”
– InternatIonal trombone Journal
“...dazzling trombone virtuosity.”
– the new York tImes
“Fedchock’s band commands your
attention and holds it.” – Downbeat
SOLOIST & BANDLEADER JOhNFEDChOCk.COM
• John Fedchock New York Big Band
• John Fedchock NY Sextet
• John Fedchock Quartet
CLINICIAN
• Clinics, Masterclasses
& Residencies
• XO Brass Trombone Artist
COMPOSER & ARRANGER
• Two-Time Grammy Nominee
• Published by Jazzzlines Publications,
Walrus Music & Kendor Music
JfnYbb@Aol.Com | (718) 626-0434 | 2270 46th st. AstoriA, nY 11105
October 2017 • JAZZed 25
gearcheck
DRUMS & PERCUSSION CASES & STANDS

Matthew Strauss Signature Sticks from Promark by D’Addario

Promark by D’Addario has released two signature sets of drumsticks by Matthew
Strauss. The Matthew Strauss General Concert Stick features a long, arrow-shaped tip for
enhanced surface contact with the drumhead and a full-bodied tone. The 3” taper and
persimmon construction give this drumstick a nimble feel with ample rebound. Price: $27.
The Matthew Strauss Staccato Concert Stick features a small, injection-molded ny- Black Belt Cases from TKL
lon disc tip that creates a bright tone and rhythmic clarity from the drum. Both the TKL Cases has developed new models
short front and rear tapers give a forward-balanced feel that propels the momentum of its lightweight, strong and affordable
of the stick. Price: $29.99. www.daddario.com Black Belt line of soft cases for “parlor” (¾
and ½) student-size guitars and ukuleles.
Naughty Saucer from Dream Cymbals These cases are affordably priced and fea-
The Naughty Saucer is the newest addition to Dream ture TKL exclusives like a rugged T-Cord
Cymbals’ Re-FX Series. The 14” effect cymbal features a 5 3/4” 600 exterior, Cushion-Soft lining, Cellulair
hole in the center to provide two unique playing surfaces on protective padding, Providence Forge zip-
any drum or cymbal it’s placed on. When used on a drum, pers, and a comfort-Grip Series I handle.
the Naughty Saucer simulates the effect of a digital/electron- Available models include #4675 Traditional
ically manipulated drum sound. When placed on a cymbal, it ¾-size guitar case, #4650 Traditional ½-size
provides the drummer with an instant industrial stack effect. guitar case, #4649-S Traditional Soprano
www.dreamcymbals.com Uke case, #4649-C Traditional Concert Uke
case, #4649-T Traditional Tenor Uke case,
New Snare Drum from Majestic Percussion and #4649-B Traditional Baritone Uke case.
The Prophonic 14x5 Brass Shell Snare Drum from In addition to these parlor guitar and ukule-
Majestic Percussion is crafted entirely from 1mm brass, le models, the Black Belt series offers cases
giving it a thin shell with a double beaded design for for all types of acoustic and electric guitars,
strength and a traditional look. Other features include bass guitars, resonator guitars, lap steel
the Majestic Prophonic Multi-Link throw off system, guitars, banjos and mandolins, plus many
die cast hoops, a unique combination of 4 different ca- string, wind and percussion instruments.
ble types, Remo Fiberskyn Diplomat batter head, and Prices start at $39.95.
a Diplomat Hazy Resonant snare side head. www.tkl.com
www.majesticpercussion.com

The Hug Tuba Stand

“ONE OF THE GREATEST MUSICIANS I’VE COME UPON.” - MILES DAVIS from Tuba Essentials

BILL EVANS
“The Hug” tuba stand
from Tuba Essentials is
a stand that can hold
full size, 3/4 size tubas,

SAXOPHONIST/COMPOSER euphoniums, and bari-

tones. Made with steel
AVAILABLE FOR CLINICS AND CONCERTS tubing, the stand is ad-
justable to fit the player
“AN AWESOME TEACHER. BILL HAS
while sitting or standing,
A REAL GIFT AT KNOWING HOW and promotes good pos-
TO CONNECT WITH STUDENTS.” ture while decreasing
- NOE MARMALEJO accidents. Because the
(U OF H -MOORES SCHOOL OF MUSIC)
stand helps players to
My goal is to inspire and develop talent with positive overcome any physical challenges, it is ide-
input, energy and humor!! I have established a al for elementary and middle school bands.
proven method of teaching jazz and improvisation. Price: $297.
www.tubaessentials.com
BRIEF BIO:
• Recorded 25 solo CD’s and received 2 Grammy nominations
• A festival headliner for the past 30 years leading his own bands
• 2 videos for Truefire “The Language of Improvisation“
• Masterclasses in Improvisation, Small Group and Big Band
• Charts available from my live CD “ Vans Joint“
recorded with the renown WDR Big Band

www.BillEvansSax.com BillEvansBand@gmail.com
26 JAZZed • October 2017
 Classifieds
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GEORGE’S
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1 Visit
georgespath.com
(800) 876-8771 (607) 865-8088
2 Watch our videos and see in action with students
fax (607) 865-8010 joesaxwoodwinds@yahoo.com 3 Try it FREE for a month

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October 2017 • JAZZed 27
Backbeat
John Abercrombie 1944-2017
L
yrical jazz guitarist John Abercrombie passed away on August titled The First Quartet.
22 in Cortlandt Manor, New York after “a long illness,” accord- Abercrombie’s work
ing to ECM Records. He was 72 and is survived by his wife of 31 to come would be pro-
years, the former Lisa Abrams. The couple had been living in Putnam lific, working as a leader,
County, New York. co-leader and sideman
Abercrombie was born on December 16, 1944 in Port Chester, on numerous of ECM
New York, but grew up in Greenwich, Connecticut. The musician was projects. Over the span
an only child, the son of Scottish immigrants John and Elizabeth Ab- of his career, Abercrom-
ercrombie. bie performed on more
He had started to learn how to play the guitar by age 14 and per- than fifty ECM sessions,
formed with rock bands as a teenager. A few years later, he attended contributing to and leading recordings with Charles Lloyd, Kenny
Berklee College of Music in Boston and went on to work as a session Wheeler, Jan Garbarek, Collin Walcott, Jack DeJohnette, Enrico Rava,
player in New York after graduating. Barre Phillips, Dave Liebman, and many more.
His first solo album, Timeless, came to be in the early 1970s after Most recently, Abercrombie recorded with a quartet that consist-
Manfred Eicher invited him to record for ECM Records. He followed ed of Marc Copland on piano, Drew Gress on double bass, and Joey
the album up with Gateway and Gateway 2, both records with Jack Baron on drums. The group released two albums together: 39 Steps,
DeJohnette and bassist Dave Holland. which came out in 2013, and Up and Coming, which debuted this
His next career move was to form his first quartet with pianist past January.
Richie Beirach, bassist George Mraz, and drummer Peter Donald. To- His studio work, performances in trios and quartets, and improvi-
gether, they recorded and released three albums - Arcade, Abercrom- sational work have set him apart, and will continue to set him apart
bie Quartet, and M – which were re-released in 2015 as a 3-CD set as an outstanding musician in jazz history for years to come.

coming next issue t

Don’t miss the November/December 20

17 issue of
STEWART COPELA

n
highlighted by an in-depth conversatio
d.
with legendary drummer Stewart Copelan
ND

28 JAZZed • October 2017

Maesta
& Holly Hofmann

Two Amazing Voices

in Modern Jazz.

Holly Hofmann has spent her

career bringing the flute to the
front-line spotlight in jazz.
Classically trained and one of the
world’s premiere jazz flutists and
promoters, Holly has earned respect
from Birdland to the Horton Grand
Hotel, from The Village Vanguard,
and around the globe.
Holly and Maesta, two classic
performers who know how to swing!