OK, what is jazz? For some, it is a simple life pleasure. For others, it can be life altering. For the BWJF, jazz means breathing life into tradition. Jazz continues to illustrate its resilience in the face of passing fads of the competing musical genres. The 2008 House of JAZZ brought life to Historic Oakland. This year’s performances highlighted the blues, straight ahead, standards, be-bop, and some good ole’ R&B. The lineup included organist Greg Hatza, saxophonist Carlos Johnson, vocalist Gail Baer, vibraphonist Mark Sherman, blues singer Steve Guyger, and special guest trumpeter Russell Gunn.

Greg Hatza is the quintessential band leader. Always tested by either an over-eager audience or high-strung sidemen can be a liability; Hatza never seems to be phased. During the warm-up, he cajoles with the guys in the band. They all seem to be long-time friends. But it is the decision of the leader to determine the group’s collective sound. For Hatza, the tenor sax and guitar are the instruments of choice that must sync with his Hammond B3 organ. His band members are Brian Kooken on guitar, Paul Carr on tenor, and Vance James on drums—The Greg Hatza ORGANization.Those who know Hatza’s performances know to expect hard-hitting, driving music. Hatza opened with “The Cat,” a tribute to the late Jimmy Smith who, along with arranger Lalo Schifrin, made this tune a Billboard chartbuster in the 60’s. It’s fast and funky, reminiscent of the 60’s “go-go” style. The Hammond B3 and tenor sax screams the melody’s rhythmic pulses, where, on the original recording, took a full horn section plus tuba to orchestrate. Hatza’s very-hot solo reinforces to the audience that the B3 is back and going nowhere. “John Brown’s Body” is a tune Hatza recorded when he was 19. You are not mistaken to hear patriotic phrases in the song, which started out as a Civil War folk hymn. Hatza’s rendition is punchy with a lot of swing. Tenor man Carr, and guitarist Kooken, establish a tight, funky exchange on their solos as Hatza pedals the base line keeping things steady. Drummer James’ relationship with Hatza is a successful marriage; they both have a keen sense of each other’s rhythmic responsibilities. James adds flash—entertainment value that is essential to a band’s success.

Gail Baer is a vocalist of many styles. Her experience with folk, blues, and jazz has shaped a voice that is deep with emotion. This range allows her the flexibility to explore music from different angles which is helpful in today’s commercial marketplace. But Baer was in true jazz form at this performance. “Constant Rain,” a bossa nova made popular by Sergio Mendez and Brazil 66, has a melancholy feel that Baer was able to express through a ‘sweetness’ in her tone. Kept simple, her phrasing allowed the lushness of the lyrics to come alive. Scott Castonguay, on guitar, was central to the overall harmony of the song’s structure, as the original was composed for guitar and vocal. His ‘comping’ was a nice compliment to Baer’s voice. Bassist, Alan Biller, and drummer, Lawrence “Bubbles” Dean, were equally challenged to maintain the distinct and complex,yet relaxed rhythmic pattern which the bossa nova is known for.

“My One and Only Love”—one can remember the Johnny Hartman, John Coltrane version that has become iconic in our jazz annuls. Baer’s vocal range envelops the chorus with tenderness. Subtle contrasts in her pitch add a hardness and softness to the interpretation. Vestiges of her folk style surface from time to time, making for an even more distinctive flavor. Castonguay complimented Baer’s vocals with some nice harmonic riffs.

Carlos Johnson, alto saxophonist, returned for a second performance at the House of JAZZ. His debut at the 2007 event left an indelible impression that warranted another invitation. Johnson came prepared to throw it down one more time. His arsenal included drummer, Earl Ivy, and keyboardist, Jackie Hairston.

Deciding the band’s playlist involves a great deal of ‘picking and choosing.’ It’s not as easy as it may seem. Should the tunes be familiar or obscure, crowd-pleasers or risky endeavors? For Johnson, his jazz repertoire is key to his appeal: it has just the right balance of the classics and the contemporary, with the added polish of his star-power. His range includes bop, jazz standards, and pop standards.

Horace Silver’s, “Song For My Father,” is a 60’s jazz hit that combines bossa nova rhythm with hard-bop elements, a fusion that lends to the tune’s ‘hip,’ laid-back tempo. Johnson sets a pace easy for his rhythm section to sustain as he cruises through the tune. His alto articulates masterfully each of the repetitive turns in the first eight bars of the chorus mimicking what trumpeter Carmell Jones and tenor Joe Henderson displayed on the original recording.

On “Preacher,” also by Horace Silver, but this time recorded with Art Blakey and the Jazz Messengers, Johnson takes the bluesy gospel-inspired melody and serves up a hallelujah of choruses. Ivy provides the trio a solid backbeat which acts like an engine moving the tune along, occasionally revving it up on his solos. Hairston, his keyboard tuned to the Hammond B3 sound, takes advantage of the R&B feel, as if he were having a ‘Ray Charles’ moment. Hairston nuances the lush harmonic seventh chords; a dominant feature in this tune.

Mark Sherman works hard at his music. A vibraphonist must continue to reinvent himself in order to convince the audience of the enormous and brilliant capacity his instrument has. Horn players have the luxury of instant approval. The vibes, in its relative obscurity, must be assertive. We can think of Milt Jackson and Lionel Hampton as traditionalists and as ones who have set the tradition; and, more recently, Bobby Hutcherson and Gary Burton as innovators and as ones who have augmented its style. Sherman resides in a universe of his own. As a composer, he hears abstract colorations that are notated into tight packages. As an interpreter, he pushes a standard or blues to include fresh takes that can blow you away. This evening, Sherman was accompanied by Joe Magnarelli on trumpet and flugelhorn, Bob Butta on keyboards, Amy Shook on bass, Nassir Abadey on drums, and special guest, Russell Gunn, on trumpet.

The vibraphone is a percussive instrument, as mallets strike the aluminum bars to produce the sound. The bars are arranged like keys on a piano. Sherman uses four mallets, two in each hand, a technique that requires remarkable dexterity. Four mallets maximize the use of chord structures which promotes complex harmonies resulting in its full rich sound.

“Skylark,” Hoagy Carmichael’s classic ballad, may not be the most recognizable of standards but possesses a melody that is sweet and lush with chords. Sherman’s arrangement skillfully opens and closes the tune with a bossa nova rhythm but swings the middle. He lays down the melody for trumpet player, Magnarelli, who appears on several of Sherman’s recordings, to take a solo. With a clear, crisp tone, not unlike Freddie Hubbard’s 1962 version with Art Blakey, Magnarelli carves out nice clean patterns staying close to the tune’s near-perfect melody. Gunn’s solo is accentuated by his use of space: notes are phrased artfully to build harmonic tension over the choruses. Gunn’s recordings are not for the faint of heart. He is known for his cutting-edge approach to jazz, fusing, say, Monk with ‘krunk.’ His formula for improvisation seems to avoid triteness, a sometimes trap for standard repertoire solos. He instead favors the strange.

“Explorations” is an original tune that reflects Sherman’s more innovative impulses. Built on triplets, this jazz waltz has momentum. Sherman and Magnarelli articulate the tricky passages in the chorus adding depth to the tone. Piano, bass, and drums push the rhythmic ‘three’ feel hard under Sherman’s extended solo. Never cooling his heels, Sherman drives his solo brilliantly with a mix of modal and atonal harmonies. His voicings remind us of a Mike Manieri and Steps Ahead groove. The bridge breathes a little relaxation into this tense piece adding melodic contrast.

Abaday, first call drummer in the region, and leader of his band, Supernova, is in the pocket on every one of his solos in the trades. He sets the bar for all drummers by approaching each solo opportunity with a poetic sensibility. Whether it’s quick flashes on the ride cymbals or settling into a groove, the message is always delivered. Abaday is one of few drummers who can surpass every challenge. Keyboard player Butta and stand-up bassist Shook continually show their chops by providing the essential rhythms to tunes they may have never heard. A quick glance at the lead sheet for chord structures and patterns is often all the time the rhythm section has to supplant and perform these complex compositions. Kudos to the rhythm section!

On his third straight year performing for the House of JAZZ, Steve Guyger, blues harmonica player, has only himself to beat. But it’s like the Olympics—how do you beat the ‘gold?’ Guyger resides in Philadelphia. Outside of bookings at the local clubs in Philly, Guyger takes his harmonica on the road, bringing his brand of blues to people who would not typically have a chance for a ‘Guyger’ experience. It is reminiscent of the journey of blues minstrels that originated in the Mississippi Delta and migrated north to Chicago. It was ordinary people playing for ordinary people. What evolved were life stories pulsating through raw lyricism.

Guyger doesn’t pretend that his brand of blues is cerebral, targeted for intellectual snobs. His blowing is all about the naked truth behind the gut-wrenching character of the blues. With the harmonica, he bends and “wah wahs” the melody with an incredible range of intonation. Add his vocals, and the storytelling is complete. Guyger counts on his fellow band members to caravan along with him, keeping the mood close and tight. They are Mike Lampe on bass, Kenny Robinson on drums, and Rich Macpherson on lead guitar.

“Ode to Billy Joe,” Bobbie Gentry’s sixties hit talks about Billy Joe MacAllister jumping off the Tallahatchie Bridge. Guyger takes this folksy tune and adds timbre quality to the melody with his harmonica and vocals, bringing to life the song’s drama. Bassist Lampe keeps it simple with rhythmic harmony as drummer Robinson maintains an even shuffle.

The Temptations, “My Girl,” may seem like a departure from the hard-core Guyger blues we are used to. The Motown sound, however, is not far from the blues. Soul and or soulfulness are the main ingredients that drive both idioms. This was a great vehicle for Guyger to draw the fans in, as many were on their feet swaying and doing some version of the doo-wop.

What is the Guyger experience? It is retro-vintage; a fusion of deep-rooted blues with post-modern energy. Cool, man.

What mystifies most of us about jazz is its improvisational quality; the art of surprise, the magic moments, that result in fresh, often mind-blowing solos. We can go in to a jazz performance with great anticipation NOT knowing what to expect. This unknown creates tension and excitement for the jazz artist who knows a discovery is on the horizon.

We hope to see you next year Saturday June 13 at the 2009 Claude Ligon House of JAZZ!