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Baltimore-Washington JAZZfest
“Keeps JAZZ Alive on Route 175”
2010 Claude Ligon House of JAZZ
June 19, 2010
Historic Oakland
Jazz is about connecting. Wynton Marsalis once said, “Lady D (Billie Holliday) and Pres (Lester Young) connected through their ‘swing.’” The subtle communication between musicians on the bandstand connects their thoughts, their rhythms, their souls. What is it that connects the audience to the music? The obvious answer could be one’s true desire to experience that moment, to be inside that precise note. It is a sublime connection, indeed, one that is felt when audience is ‘one’ with the performance. Less obvious are the efforts put forth by those individuals who continue to make the connection happen. The Baltimore Washington JAZZfest (BWJF) has, for 14 years, made it their responsibility to unite jazz with the community. If not for founders Dr. Claude Ligon’s and Doris Ligon’s deep respect for jazz as the great American art form, jazz would not be alive on Route 175. They are jazz philanthropists at their finest.
A great deal of activity filled Historic Oakland two hours preceding the start of the 14th House of JAZZ. This is typical for an event of this stature: four bands to perform simultaneously in the venue’s rooms-turned- jazz clubs. Each “club” would showcase a facet of jazz that would reflect its diverse repertoire. One could hear guitars tuning, microphones testing, and the occasional sound of a sax blowing arpeggios. The caterer and bartenders worked in sync, preparing to satiate a 200-plus crowd of restless ticket holders. One comes to expect good food and drink at this annual event.
In years past, the House of JAZZ celebrated to sold-out crowds. This year was no exception, as ticket sales were brisk and anticipation level high. BWJF decided on bringing back the faithfuls; artists whose jazz style and charisma consistently connected with the jazz novice, the jazz aficionado, and everyone in-between. Internationally known percussionist Winard Harper and his quintet; Philadelphia blues artist, Steve Guyger; and our regions’ own organist, Greg Hatza and his band, returned for encore performances. |
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New this year was jazz vocalist, Sharon Clark and her trio.
Celebrity status is given to those with authority and expertise, and who share their passion with their fans. Mr. John Tegler is one such individual who is committed to educating and, at the same time, entertaining his audience with his exceptional knowledge of jazz. A jazz drummer, and “stand-up comedian,” Mr. Tegler can be heard Wednesday nights on WEAA FM 88.9 broadcasting what jazz enthusiasts like to hear; big band, straight ahead, standards, and blues with his brilliant commentary. For these reasons, the BWJF was honored to have Mr. Tegler as guest host for the evening’s JAZZfest.
Winard Harper |
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Great artists can become even greater when a purpose in their lives is devoted to mentoring. Ellington enabled many young jazz players, who would not otherwise be heard, to perform in his internationally renowned big band. Jazz drummer, Art Blakey throughout his career, made it his modus operandi to enlist raw, little known talents. His discoveries now include Wynton Marsalis; trumpeter, Terrance Blanchard; and alto saxophone player, Kenny Garrett. Fostering is a win- win situation: Giving an opportunity could mean gaining a virtuoso.
There is this component to Winard Harper’s greatness. As a percussionist, he projects a larger than life assemblage of skills. His anthology includes gigging at a very young age with tenor saxophonists Dexter Gordon and Johnny Griffin, and touring four years with jazz diva, Betty Carter. But as a band leader, it is Harper who now showcases jazz musicians just out of college who have promise. This night’s performance included Jovan Alexander on tenor sax, Bruce Harris on trumpet, Jon Notar on piano, and Eric Wheeler on bass.
Harper’s sound is well defined by Ruben Brown’s, “Floats Like a Butterfly,” a straight ahead, up-tempo minor blues. The melody is reminiscent of Coltrane’s, “Blue Train,” and the band’s horns drive hard pushing the melody forward for two choruses. Alexander on tenor solos first showing nice harmonic range. But it’s Harris’ solo that sizzles. The trumpet is punchy on the high notes yet is delicate where it needs to be. |
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Harris’ bursts of intensity gives this tune its potency. The rhythm section is not subtle. Notar uses broad modal chords on the piano to sustain the tune’s dissonance, while bass and drums add rhythmic excitement. Oh, now we get it, Winard: this tune may float like a butterfly but it really “stings like a bee!”
Harper transformed “Willy Wonka’s Chocolate Factory” kid’s movie theme song, “Pure Imagination,” into a swinging jazz masterpiece. One is reminded of Coltrane’s extraordinary makeover of Rodgers and Hammerstein’s, “My Favorite Things,” which is now considered the preeminent jazz standard. Melodies that are highly sentimental like “Pure Imagination,” can often be a curse. But Harper’s arrangement is loaded with jazz hipness that works. For the horns and piano, it becomes an artistic challenge to create solos outside of the box. Alexander’s solo, for instance, added a series of interesting modulations to the tune’s straight forward chord progressions. Notar’s improvisation was lush, showcasing the tune’s frivolity and playfulness. It was a Harper-esque moment.
Gary Giddons, jazz critic, says of women jazz singers, “(they) use the contours of their voices to stress girlishness to sensuality to fierce independence and barely contained anger. “ One could say Sharon Clark embodies vocal contours like our greats; Sarah Vaughn, Carmen McRae, or Shirley Horne. As we lament the slow disappearance of the jazz vocalist, we are happy to say, there prevails Sharón Clark.
Clark’s voice is the gold standard. A contralto, Clark trampolines notes from octave to octave with tight control and fluidity. The timbre quality of her voice adjusts to the lyric’s emotions. It is sometimes thick like fudge; sometimes silky like creamy butter. Clark is so good, even the politest of listeners were gasping for more. The Clark trio this evening included Janelle Gill on keyboards, Tommy Cecil on acoustic bass, and favorite sideman, Lenny Robinson, on drums.
Cole Porter’s, “You’d Be So Nice to Come Home To,” is an up-tempo swing made popular by Dinah Shore. Clark opens, snapping her fingers and singing the first chorus with Cecil walking the bass. He takes a solo that sets the rhythmic tone for scatting. Clark scats for a few choruses with punctuated inflections and |
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luxurious vibrato at the end of each phrase. She is phenomenally able to contrast adjacent notes without sounding pitchy. Such musicality is inspiring. “Wows” continually bellowed from the audience.
On ballad, “Tenderly,” one is reminded of the unforgettable Sarah Vaughn. Her ability to draw out each word in this spare but heart-felt melody is truly beyond belief. It would be a challenge for any vocalist to even meet Vaughn half way. But Clark’s big sonorous tone and endless vibrato delivers a moving and poignant interpretation. Robinson uses the brushes to pat out the ballad’s tempo which is dramatically slow. To pull back on the tempo and still keep-the-beats-even is hard work, however; Robinson’s experience as a first-call drummer makes this task sound effortless.
“Sunday in New York,” from the movie of the same title, is a medium tempo swing. This tune resembles the popular tunes from the 60’s-like “Girl Talk,” or “Call Me.” Clark is playful with the catchy melody. It is Gill’s ‘comping’ that takes this movie theme song to another level. Her sophisticated ‘voicings’ on the keyboards are not the trite, predictable harmonies that could easily derail this pop composition. Gill’s cleverly nuanced playing delighted the audience to such an extent that someone shouted out, “Wow! Who Are You!?!!”
Steve Guyger |
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In America the blues can be traced back to the Mississippi Delta where John Lee Hooker once called it “knocking at the backdoor” music. Its close-to-the-bone lyrics would describe life’s every day drama in rural America, often depicting the uneven relationships between worker and “boss man” or the unrequited love between two people.
The blues is the literal expression of emotions. One might, today, consider the lyrics a form of “venting.” Many believe the blues has the power to heal. For the musician—the gut-wrenching performances can be liberating. For the listener—the lyrics are so real they can be reassuring, as if to say “you’re not alone out there.” This commiseration explains why blues audiences are often ‘exorcized’ at these performances. Steve Guyger gets his audience so riled up; he has to shout
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above his adoring fans just to hear himself sing. Like a snake charmer, Guyger and his Crew never fail to spellbind their audiences.
The blues is characterized as music organized on simple chord progressions, which are often seen as loose and uncomplicated. This framework serves to support lyrics that are central to this musical genre. Thus, it becomes incumbent upon the singer to reflect honesty and genuineness, often missing in pop music. For Guyger, every word or note is nuanced so charismatically as not to sound trite or conventional. And, his every body movement, including foot stomping and knee slapping, adds mega-watts of energy to each tune.
Guyger on vocals and harmonica, sidemen—on Gary Phillips bass, Kenny Robinson on drums, and “Filthy Rich” Macpherson (winner of the blues name contest – other contenders are Howling Wolf, Muddy Waters, and Homesick James) on guitar are a welcomed sight for BWJF followers. Guyger’s fans know that they can “get down” and be themselves in his company.
Greg Hatza (The Greg Hatza ORGANization)
 Hammond B3 organist, Greg Hatza’s number one endorsement is his band. A vigorous and formidable foursome, each is capable of taking the lead on any tune in the Hatza repertoire. The diverse combination of sounds—HammondB3 organ, tenor saxophone, Gibson guitar, and acoustic drums - is harmonically thick and juicy. In the 50’s, one of the most influential Hammond organist, Jimmy Smith, assembled trios. Either the guitar or the saxophone complimented the rhythm section (the organ foot pedals serve as the bass). But here, Hatza has both guitar and sax and takes full advantage of his arsenal: Peter Fraize on tenor, Brian Kooken on Gibson, and Vance James on drums.
Whether the mood is jazz or R&B, Hatza as leader supplies ample artistic spin to deliver a fresh groove. For instance, Hatza will take an up-tempo 12-bar blues, attacking the tune’s head (melody), by playing it in unison with Fraize. It becomes a display of skill, contrasting the distinctive tone of organ and tenor. Their sparring adds incredible strength to the performance. On his solo Fraize is curious. He plays as if feverishly searching for bigger and brighter harmonies, and finds it resoundingly in his solo’s climax. His sound is soulful, lyrical, charged
with a complexity that can match any great jazz tenor.
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Close your eyes; you are guaranteed to hear Michael Brecker. Kooken on the Gibson Hollow-Body: one can hear shades of jazz guitarist Kenny Burrell who often performed in organ duos and trios. On his solo, Kooken intuitively synchronizes his ideas with Hatza’s lush and sustained chord patterns.
Marvin Gaye’s poignant, “Mercy Mercy Me,” is punctuated by its solid backbeat, where the emphasis is on the two and four. This rhythm is essential and drummer Vance hammers hard on the rim shots to establish this groove. Hatza articulates the haunting melody with unrelenting tension. The audience is moved to remember the resilient power of this R&B classic.
Jazz guitarist Jerry Gordon is a Columbia treasure. His bashful demeanor is eclipsed by his overwhelming talent. His style is clearly that of Wes Montgomery or George Benson, but give Jerry a closer listen and you will hear an elegance that can only be developed over many decades of honing. Jerry played solo guitar on the portico of Historic Oakland while guests arrived. It was a classy start to a superb evening of jazz.
There was an indescribable amount of camaraderie enjoyed by both performers and fans this evening. At the House of JAZZ, there is always a symbiotic relationship between music and people: One exists because of the other. Looking forward to “connecting” again next year!
Pamela Hayashi
Jazz Reviewer
Baltimore-Washington JAZZfest
A supporting entity of the African Art Museum of Maryland
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