Following are many of the upcoming jazz concerts and jazz-related events in the Atlanta area. As you'll see, I focus primarily on straight-ahead jazz. Additional events may be found at JazzAtlantaGA.com, AtlantaJazz.Info, or Eventful.com's Atlanta Jazz listings. Also, if you'd like to see some of the best jazz musicians in Atlanta, I'd definitely visit the calendar page at Churchill Grounds' website. If you're looking for a restaurant that also features jazz music, I'd recommend that you check out the itineraries for the following jazz musicians: Joe Gransden, Will Scruggs, Laura Coyle, Nick Rosen, and Trey Wright.
Lionel Loueke master class at Kennesaw State University Friday, March 12, 2010 at 2pm Cost: FREE!
Internationally acclaimed guitarist, Lionel Loueke, will host a free master class in the Bailey Center at Kennesaw State University. More information...
Annie Sellick at Churchill Grounds Friday-Saturday, March 12-13, 2010 at 9:30pm Cost: $10 cover, $10 minimum per set
Lionel Loueke Trio at Kennesaw State University Saturday, March 13, 2010 at 8pm Cost: $30
Internationally acclaimed guitarist, Lionel Loueke, will perform in a trio setting in the Bailey Center at Kennesaw State University. More information...
Jacob Deaton at Iberian Pig Restaurant Monday, March 15, 2010 at 7pm Cost: Varies/restaurant
Joe Gransden Big Band w/ Audrey Shakir at Cafe 290 Monday, March 15, 2010 at 8:30pm Cost: $8
Atlanta jazz trumpeter, Joe Gransden, has assembled 16 of the finest jazz musicians in the southeast to bring you an evening of great Big Band music at Cafe 290. You'll hear arrangements from the songbooks of Sinatra, Tony Bennett, Count Basie, Ray Charles and others along with Joe's originals. Rick's comments: When they say "16 of the finest jazz musicians in the southeast" they aren't kidding... On a recent night, the band included Kevin Bales, Mace Hibbard, Brian Hogans, John Sandfort, Anton Harris, Justin Varnes, Melvin Jones, Lester Walker, Wes Funderburk, just to name a few. Don't miss this fantastic band! On March 15, the band will feature vocalist Audrey Shakir as they perform for a live internet and radio broadcast on WCLK. This event will repeat on the first and third Monday of each month. More information...
Jazz Jam Session w/ Joe Gransden at Twain's Billiards & Tap Tuesday, March 16, 2010, 9pm-midnight Cost: FREE!
Jacob Deaton at Market Restaurant Thursday, March 18, 2010 at 8:30pm Cost: Varies/restaurant
Atlanta jazz guitarist, Jacob Deaton, will perform in a quartet setting at Market restaurant. This event repeats every Thursday night. More information...
Jazz jam session at Studio 281 Thursday, March 18, 2010 at 9pm Cost: FREE!
Studio 281 will host a jazz jam session which is usually led by saxophonist, Eric Fontaine. Doors open at 8pm, music starts at 9pm. This event repeats every Thursday night. More information...
Jazz saxophone summit at Georgia State University Sunday, March 21, 2010 at 3pm Cost: $15, $5 for students
Twelve of Atlanta's best jazz saxophonists will perform at Georgia State University's Kopleff Recital Hall. All ticket proceeds will go towards jazz scholarships. More information...
Wynton Marsalis & The Lincoln Center Jazz Orchestra at Symphony Hall Saturday, March 27, 2010 at 8pm Cost: $30-$90
Wynton Marsalis & The Lincoln Center Jazz Orchestra will perform at Symphony Hall. More information...
Pat Metheny at Ferst Center Thursday, April 8, 2010 at 8pm Cost: $44, $54
Jazz guitarist, Pat Metheny, will perform at Georgia Tech's Ferst Center for the Arts. More information...
Jerry Bergonzi at Rialto Center Friday, April 16, 2010 at 8pm Cost: $35-$51
2010 Atlanta Jazz Festival Saturday-Monday, May 29-31, 2010 Cost: FREE!
Details about the 2010 Atlanta Jazz Festival are starting to come together. The 2010 Atlanta Jazz Festival is going to return to Piedmont Park, and it will once again feature (at least some) big-name touring jazz musicians. The official lineup hasn't been announced yet, but so far I've found the following information while searching online:
I'll update this 2010 Atlanta Jazz Festival schedule as I learn about each new performer. For more information, visit the official Atlanta Jazz Festival website.
I moved to Atlanta in 2001 and began attending local Atlanta jazz concerts a couple of years later, when I became serious about playing the trumpet again. During the years that I’ve followed the Atlanta jazz scene, I can think of no better time to be a jazz fan in Atlanta than right now! The musicians, the concerts, and even the sense of community, have reached a level beyond anything I’ve seen yet. To help spread the word, I thought I’d take a moment to share some of the reasons that I’m so excited about today’s Atlanta jazz scene.
JAZZ ORCHESTRA ATLANTA & JOE GRANSDEN AT CAFE 290
Beginning in May 2009, trumpeter Joe Gransden and the Jazz Orchestra Atlanta big band have been performing on the first Monday of every month at Cafe 290. The first two concerts were so heavily attended that they now perform on the first AND third Monday of each month. You might be wondering why so many people would go to see jazz on a Monday night, and in Sandy Springs no less?! I think the explanation is simple. The big band represents the largest concentration of the best jazz musicians that you’ll see anywhere in Atlanta. Although, the Twain’s jam session comes close! I recently attended my first big band concert at Cafe 290 and was delighted to see so many of my favorite Atlanta jazz musicians, including Kevin Bales, Mace Hibbard, Brian Hogans, John Sandfort, Anton Harris, Justin Varnes, Melvin Jones, Lester Walker, Wes Funderburk, just to name a few. And of course, the real star of the night is Joe Gransden. His ability to charm the audience and keep everyone entertained is second to none. Don’t miss these concerts!
Here’s a tip… call ahead and reserve a table. These concerts are crowded and you probably don’t want to stand in the back of the room all night.
TWAIN’S JAM SESSION
The Tuesday night jazz jam session at Twain’s Billiards and Tap began a little over a year ago and continues to be one of the best jazz events in the Atlanta area. Joe Gransden leads the session, with Tyrone Jackson on piano, Craig Shaw on bass, and Chris Burroughs on drums. With those guys in the house band, you know you’re in for some great jazz even if nobody else shows up to play! But they certainly don’t have any problem getting other musicians to show up. On any given night you’ll see dozens of jazz musicians on the stage. In one set you might see college students playing in public for the first time, then right after that you’ll see a trumpet battle featuring some of the best players in the world (as captured in the video clip to the right). Adding to the success of these jam sessions is a strong sense of community among the audience and musicians. Each week you’ll see many familiar faces, some coming to perform, and some coming just to hang out and catch up with friends. I know some people think there’s too much talking at Twain’s and not enough listening, but I think the talking is important. It’s the bond that keeps people coming back each week.
Additional notes: The music starts around 9pm. Usually the house band will play one or two tunes by themselves and then the jam session begins. Things really pick up around 10 or 10:30pm, so if you’re there to play and you want to guarantee that you’ll make it onto the stage, get there early.
DAVID ELLINGTON ORGAN TRIO AT TWAIN’S
The David Ellington Organ Trio performs at Twain’s Billiards & Tap on the first Wednesday of every month. The band includes Mace Hibbard on saxophone and Chris Burroughs on drums. Often, John Bagnato will join the band on guitar and they’ll occasionally feature special guests as they did recently with vocalists Laura Coyle and Tommy Dean. The band performs mostly original material written by David Ellington and Mace Hibbard, drawing heavily from the soulful sounds of Jimmy McGriff, Jack McDuff, and Eddie Harris. I’ve seen David Ellington’s band perform several times and I’m always amazed at how good they sound together. Mace Hibbard really shines in this group, as he plays some of the funkiest sax solos ever heard in Decatur, GA.
YOUNG GUNS AND NEW MUSICIANS
We’ve seen several new jazz musicians come to Atlanta in the past year, many of them falling into the "Young Guns" category. They’re fresh out of college, filled with talent, and eager to make a name for themselves. Aside from their musical talents, I think the best thing about these new musicians is the enthusiasm they bring to the Atlanta jazz scene. They’re not afraid to experiment with new material, new lineups, and new venues. Their audiences might be small on occasion, but they know it’s all part of their journey as jazz musicians. Guess what? You can be a part of that journey by attending some of their concerts!
New/Interesting Venues:
The Highland Ballroom has seen several jazz concerts lately, by some of the younger players in town. Guitarist Jacob Deaton is a regular performer at Highland Ballroom and I know other musicians like Dan Dilormo and Justin Chesarek have played there as well. I’d encourage every college music student to go and support these guys. With enough support, you could have your own underground jazz scene - literally, since the Ballroom is in the basement! I would have loved to have something like this back when I was a college music student.
Studio 281 has been around for a while, but it’s seen some new interest lately thanks to some of the new players in town. Over the past couple of months at Studio 281, I’ve seen excellent concerts by saxophonist John Sandfort and two of my favorite "Young Guns," bassist Will Goble and drummer David Potter. Will Goble and David Potter just moved here after attending FSU and have brought a variety of guest musicians to their gigs at Studio 281. For example, last week they performed at Studio 281 with Marcus Printup and they’ll bring Jason Marsalis to Studio 281 for two nights in September (they recorded an album with Jason which received 4.5 out of 5 stars from Downbeat!). I’d also like to note that Nick Rosen, a gifted jazz pianist who also moved here from FSU in recent months, will be performing at Studio 281 in July. As you can see, good things are happening at Studio 281.
New Musicians
In addition to the musicians I just mentioned, I also want everyone to know about the ongoing Wednesday night performances by the Justin Chesarek Quintet at Churchill Grounds. Justin Chesarek is a talented young drummer and composer from Pittsburgh, and one of the nicest guys you’ll meet in the Atlanta jazz scene. His band includes another newcomer, accomplished tenor saxophonist, Kurtis Adams. Rounding out the band you’ll also hear Akeem Marable on alto saxophone, Dan Gilormo on guitar, and the one and only Craig Shaw on bass. This is a great band that you shouldn’t miss.
Now you know what’s going on… get out there and support live jazz in Atlanta!
For the past few years I’ve been writing reviews of each Atlanta Jazz Festival. Normally, these are some of the easiest articles for me to write because there’s so much to share. Back in 2007, for example, the three-day 2007 Atlanta Jazz Festival had two stages with more than 30 bands, including performances by Herbie Hancock, Bobby Hutchershon, Charles Tolliver, Vijay Iyer, and The Bad Plus. There were also some interesting panel discussions for me to write about, including one with Bobby Hutcherson and Charles Tolliver. It was also relatively easy for me to write about the 2008 Atlanta Jazz Festival. The smaller venue, the local-only focus, and the concert itself provided plenty of material. Unfortunately, writing about this year's Atlanta Jazz Festival isn't so easy.
2009 ATLANTA JAZZ FESTIVAL REVIEW
If you follow the Atlanta jazz scene, or if you’re a regular reader of this jazz blog, you know that as of 6 months ago the 2009 Atlanta Jazz Festival was canceled due to budgetary shortfalls. As I wrote back then, the Atlanta Jazz Festival wasn’t the only jazz festival facing hard times. It also wasn’t the last. Recently, the New York, Chicago, and Miami jazz festivals have all been canceled.
Remarkably, and to the surprise of most people I know in the Atlanta jazz community, festival organizers managed to secure some last-minute corporate sponsors and the 2009 Atlanta Jazz Festival was resurrected as of a few months ago. I mention the surprise factor among the jazz community because it doesn’t seem like festival organizers involved the local jazz community during the planning of the festival, nor does it appear that the organizers gave the local community any consideration when choosing the lineup. I base this primarily on the many instances where local musicians asked me if I had any information on the festival. They didn’t know anything, it seems, because they weren’t asked to perform. Making matters worse, it appears that they weren't even allowed to request/audition for a slot at the festival since the official festival website strictly forbade direct submission by artists.
And this is where it gets hard for me to write about this year’s Atlanta Jazz Festival...
The 2009 Atlanta Jazz Festival was shortened to two days, leaving eight slots for performers (not including two middle school bands that opened each day). Of the eight slots, only one featured straight ahead jazz (Freddy Cole). The other seven slots were a mix of fusion, rock, soul, funk, instrumental pop, R&B and other forms of music. To be clear, I’m not criticizing the talents of the (mostly) non-jazz bands. Some contained extremely talented musicians. I’m also not suggesting that none of them should have been at the festival. You can certainly add a fusion/funk/R&B band or two to the lineup for variety, but they shouldn't be the primary focus of a "jazz" festival. And that's the problem. This year, the overwhelming majority of performances were NOT representative of jazz music.
The puzzling lineup is doubly frustrating to me when you consider the absence of jazz performances by the local Atlanta jazz community. Joe Gransden’s big band, David Ellingon’s band with Mace Hibbard, Audrey Shakir, and Tyrone Jackson with Melvin Jones and Clarence Johnson are just a few local options that would have made excellent choices. Why weren't they considered for the festival?
I could go on and on about this year's Atlanta Jazz Festival, but I really don't want to be critical of an event like this. After all, the Atlanta Jazz Festival is free, it celebrates jazz (by name at least), and I know a lot of work goes into the production. It’s a great festival and I'm happy to have it here in Atlanta. I just know it could have been better this year.
As you can see below, they did at least have a good turnout in Grant Park, especially considering the unpredictable weather.
UPDATE: MAY 26, 2009
I recently received a comment on this article from another blogger named David J. Boutté. David sent an open letter to the festival organizers that discusses several of the issues I mentioned above. Hopefully, one way or another, festival organizers will get the message and we'll return to a more jazz-oriented festival in the future...
ATLANTA JAZZ FESTIVAL SCHEDULE
For reference purposes, here's the schedule for the 32nd (2009) Atlanta Jazz Festival:
SATURDAY, MAY 23, 2009
3pm - Rialto All Stars (middle school big band)
4pm - Madoca
5:30pm - Dionne Farris
7pm - Russell Gunn & Elektrik Butterfly
8:30pm - Freddy Cole
SUNDAY, MAY 24, 2009
3pm - J.C. Young Middle School Jazz Ensemble
4pm - VINX
5:30pm - Mausiki Scales and the Common Ground Collective
7pm - The Cindy Blackman Quartet (former Lenny Kravitz drummer)
8:30pm - Hiroshima
MARCUS PRINTUP & MULGREW MILLER
Incidentally, there was some truly outstanding jazz this weekend that occurred outside of the Atlanta Jazz Festival. A local Atlanta organization called the Southeastern Organization for Jazz Arts (SOJA) hosted a concert with legendary jazz pianist, Mulgrew Miller, and jazz trumpeter, Marcus Printup. In the photo below you’ll also see Craig Shaw on bass and Kinah Boto on drums. This was some of the best jazz I've heard all year!
This was a great weekend for fans of jazz trumpet here in Atlanta. Friday night, Jon Faddis performed with the Georgia State University big band and Saturday night, Terence Blanchard was here to play with the Morehouse College Jazz Ensemble. I attended both concerts as well as a masterclass hosted by Jon Faddis. Following are some notes from the masterclass and concerts.
JON FADDIS MASTERCLASS
Jon Faddis is unquestionably one of the greatest high-note jazz trumpet players of all time. Until the master class, I had never seen him play in person nor was I at all prepared for what I’d hear.
A word of advice: if you ever attend a Jon Faddis masterclass, put some distance between you and the end of his trumpet bell. Trust me, your ears will thank you. I made the mistake of sitting directly in front of him, less than ten feet away. Each time he started playing, I braced myself for the loudest ear-splitting high notes imaginable. It was almost comical, actually. Half the time, he’d pick up his horn and rather than play something high and loud, he’d play something at a nice pleasant volume. Inevitably, just as soon as I’d let my guard down, thinking my ears were safe from punishment, he’d launch into the Faddisphere with his trademark thunderous jet engine of pain torture. Ouch.
A large part of Jon Faddis’ discussion revolved around listening to jazz. Specifically, Jon Faddis believes that aspiring jazz musicians shouldn't restrict their listening to modern-day musicians just because that's the music you enjoy the most. Instead, you should listen to the entire lineage of notable jazz musicians. For example, if you’re a trumpet player and you want to play like Nicholas Payton or Wynton Marsalis, Jon Faddis would insist that you also study Louis Armstrong, Roy Eldridge, Fats Navarro, Dizzy Gillespie, and all of the great trumpet players leading up to Marsalis and Payton. As you study the older jazz musicians, you’ll want to gain a level of familiarity that will enable you to identify their music by sound. And here’s the real kicker: you need to do this for all instruments, not just whatever you happen to play.
You might be asking yourself, “Is it really necessary to study all of the old music?” The short answer: no. Technically speaking, if you want to sound like Wynton Marsalis, Kenny Garrett, or Kurt Rosenwinkel, you could accomplish that goal simply by listening to their recordings. You could even make the argument that since Wynton Marsalis studied musicians like Louis Armstrong and Rex Stuart, you don’t have to. In other words, if Wynton Marsalis studied the older musicians, and you study Wynton Marsalis, they by way of Wynton Marsalis, you’ve also studied the older musicians. It sure was nice of Wynton to save you all that time and effort!
All joking aside, here are several compelling reasons for you to listen to the old masters:
Music affects everyone differently - There is some truth to the notion that you’re automatically influenced by all of the musicians that your favorite musicians listened to. But, what if those same influences would have affected you differently? For example, when Kenny Garrett studied Johnny Hodges, his takeaway might have been the way Hodges bends and slurs from one note into another. When you listen to Hodges, however, it might be Hodges’ use of vibrato that makes the greatest impact on your playing. If you leave all the Hodges listening up to Kenny Garrett, you’ll miss having your own unique reaction to Johnny Hodges’ music.
More inputs = more outputs - If you’re only listening to a handful of musicians, you’re limiting the number of influences you can draw from in your own playing. You’re also increasing the likelihood that you’ll sound like a mere copycat. On the other hand, if you study many different musicians, you'll have that much more material to draw form in your jazz improvisation solos. This will add more variety to your playing and may improve your ability to develop an original sound.
Deeper appreciation for the music - When you’ve studied older musicians, you’ll likely begin to hear connections and references in the playing of modern-day musicians. For example, you might notice a nod to Cootie Williams during one of Wynton Marsalis’ plunger mute solos. These connections are important in that they help tie together the legacy of jazz music. They also show that even the most talented musicians learned from their predecessors, just like you can learn from yours.
Respect and preservation - While you may not have the time or interest to study every notable jazz musician to the degree suggested by Faddis, I think you owe it to yourself and to your musical predecessors to at least have some familiarity with their music. It’s thanks to their contributions that jazz exists today, and by celebrating and learning their music, we can help ensure that the legacy of jazz lives on for future generations.
For more information on listening to jazz music, you might want to read my Listening to Jazz article.
TERENCE BLANCHARD AT MOREHOUSE COLLEGE
Melvin Jones, the director of bands at Morehouse College, consistently brings us some of the most entertaining jazz big band concerts in Atlanta. So, when he told me Terence Blanchard was this year’s featured guest, I knew we were in for a special treat. And it didn’t disappoint one bit. Not only did Terence Blanchard and the Morehouse Jazz Ensemble deliver an incredible performance, but the concert also featured some of my favorite Atlanta jazz musicians, including Clarence Johnson, Louis Heriveaux, Craig Shaw, and Che Marshall.
As I wrote a couple of years ago, I really think they key to Melvin Jones’ success with the Morehouse College Jazz Ensemble is that he picks tunes that are both entertaining to the band and audience. This elevates the performance, making it more enjoyable for everyone. This might seem like a no-brainer, but I continue to see college big band performances where the music selections are overly complex and/or so boring that neither the students nor the audience are engaged. I don’t understand it one bit, but thankfully Melvin Jones doesn’t make that same mistake. Melvin Jones knows how to put on a good show.
In the following clip you’ll hear Terence Blanchard solo over Earth Wind & Fire’s hit, “Can’t Hide Love.” It’s hard to believe only a third of the students in the Morehouse Jazz Ensemble are music majors. Just listen to the trumpet section at the end of the tune...
This "canceled" article was originally written on December 13, 2008, when the 2009 Atlanta Jazz Festival was originally called off. In February of 2009, news began to surface which suggested that the festival might occur after all. Immediately below you'll find my recent status updates about the 2009 Atlanta Jazz Festival and farther down you'll see my original article. Just to be clear, the 2009 Atlanta Jazz Festival is NOT canceled anymore and it will occur at Grant Park during Memorial Day weekend.
UPDATE - 2/7/09: The Jazzlanta blog recently reported that the 2009 Atlanta Jazz Festival might not be canceled after all. There aren't any solid details yet, but as the author states, it is a sign of good things to come. Of special interest is the Save the 32nd Annual Atlanta Jazz Festival press release. You'll notice that in addition to naming Grant Park as the primary venue, the press release also states that "The Atlanta Jazz Festival will feature local and national jazz greats, a Neighborhood Jazz Series, Youth Jazz Band Competition, a Kids Zone, 31 Days of Jazz and many other family friendly events and activities." That sounds a lot like the Atlanta Jazz Festival we've come to know and love! I'll definitely keep an eye out for more info.
UPDATE - 2/21/09: Atlanta's Office of Cultural Affairs website confirms that the 2009 Atlanta Jazz Festival will take place at Grant Park this year.
UPDATE - 3/12/09: Not only is the 2009 Atlanta Jazz Festival definitely going to happen, but today I saw that they took out a full page add in the April 2009 edition of "Jazz Times" magazine. Still no mention of performers yet.
UPDATE - 4/5/09: Today I noticed that the official site for the 2009 Atlanta Jazz Festival has changed the dates to show just "two days of live jazz" at Grant Park (May 23-24) instead of the normal three days for the festival.
Following is the original article that I wrote on December 13, 2008...
Due to a budget shortfall, the Atlanta mayor's office recently announced the cancellation of the 2009 Atlanta Jazz Festival. The announcement came in the form of a bullet point that reads: "Eliminate various arts programming, including Jazz Fest"
The cancellation of the Atlanta Jazz Festival is definitely a disappointment to those of us who care about the Atlanta jazz scene, but I doubt many of us are all that surprised. After all, this year's scaled-back 2008 Atlanta Jazz Festival, which occurred at a much smaller venue than normal and without big-name touring musicians, had already raised concerns about the festival's future. And in this dismal economy, it seems like everything is getting worse before it gets better.
The Atlanta Jazz Festival isn't the only jazz festival facing hard times in 2009. A few months ago, the Portland Jazz Festival faced extinction when its largest sponsor backed out. Luckily for them, another sponsor stepped in and the festival will continue as planned. Unlike the free Atlanta Jazz Festival, the Portland Jazz Festival does charge an admission fee for the various concerts. I'm sure it's a lot easier to resurrect a festival when it has its own revenue stream.
As tempting as it might be to complain about the loss of the Atlanta Jazz Festival, and as compelled as I feel to argue for the importance of jazz music and the arts in general, I know people have more pressing issues on their minds right now. With unemployment rates higher than they've been in 15 years, and our mightiest enterprises struggling to survive, I'm sure most people see this cancellation as a tiny drop in a sea of bad news. I just hope that as the economy recovers, Atlanta will renew its support of the arts and revive the Atlanta Jazz Festival.
I think the most troublesome part of the Atlanta Jazz Festival's cancellation is the fact that we don't know what's in store for the future. Will there be an Atlanta Jazz Festival in 2010, or is it canceled indefinitely? And if the festival does return, will it return to its former glory at Piedmont Park or will it be another scaled-back festival like we had in 2008? At this point, all we can do is speculate and hope for the best.
HOW WILL THIS AFFECT THE LOCAL ATLANTA JAZZ SCENE?
Ideally, events like the Atlanta Jazz Festival would raise awareness about the local Atlanta jazz scene, and the tens of thousands of people who attend the jazz festival would begin to attend more local jazz concerts. Unfortunately, that doesn't happen.
The jazz festival and other big-name concerts are primarily patronized by "special occasion" jazz fans. You can count on these people to attend two or three big-name jazz events each year, but they aren't interested enough in jazz and/or the local Atlanta jazz scene to attend the concerts featuring local musicians. I guess this is both good and bad. While it's a shame that there isn't more of a correlation between the attendance at big-name concerts and local Atlanta concerts, it's good to know that the local Atlanta jazz scene will continue to chug along with or without the jazz festival.
If you happen to be one of those big-name audience patrons and you stumbled upon this article while looking for information about the 2009 Atlanta Jazz Festival, I encourage you to check out some of the local Atlanta jazz musicians. Local musicians such as Mace Hibbard, Joe Gransden, Tyrone Jackson, Kevin Bales, Gary MotleyClarence Johnson, David Ellington, and Melvin Jones (to name a few) are every bit as good as most of those big-name touring acts and you can see them perform throughout the year at venues like Churchill Grounds and Twain's.
Wherever you live, support live jazz!
ADDITIONAL READING
Atlanta journalist, Jon Ross, interviewed some of the participants from the 2008 Atlanta Jazz Festival for their reaction to the cancellation. You can read about it here, at his Jazzlanta blog.
As I wrote in my review of the 2007 Atlanta Jazz Festival, last year's Atlanta Jazz Festival was fantastic. The 2007 festival featured some of today's great young musicians such as Vijay Iyer and The Bad Plus and living legends like Charles Tolliver, Bobby Hutcherson, and Herbie Hancock. Ever since the 2007 Atlanta Jazz Festival ended, I've been anxiously awaiting news about the 2008 festival. Who would headline this year? Would there be any great trumpet players? I even started searching the Web a little earlier than normal, as I scoured jazz musician websites hoping to see "Atlanta Jazz Festival" in their schedules. I just knew the 2008 Atlanta Jazz Festival would be one to remember! Turns out I was right…
THE GEORGIA DROUGHT TAKES ITS TOLL
Earlier this year, Piedmont Park officials announced the cancellation of all large festivals due to the Georgia drought. Apparently the ground was so dry that large crowds would have killed all the grass. While this may have been a prudent decision for Piedmont Park, it left Atlanta's largest festivals, including the Atlanta Jazz Festival, scrambling to find a venue. You can imagine how disappointed I was to hear this news. Even worse, when the news first broke, I heard rumors that there might not even be a jazz festival at all this year.
NEW FESTIVAL LOCATION
After a month or so of an uncertain future, it was announced that the 2008 Atlanta Jazz Festival would take place as scheduled, but at a new location: Woodruff Park. While it was great to hear that the Atlanta Jazz Festival found a new home, the new location brought some unfortunate compromises. For starters, Woodruff Park is much smaller than Piedmont Park. Located on just a couple of blocks in downtown Atlanta, Woodruff Park occupies just 3.3 acres of land and has a maximum capacity of less than 50,000 people. Frankly, I don't see how it can hold more than 20,000 people comfortably. By comparison, Piedmont Park is 190 acres and the main concert area can accommodate over 100,000 people. The following image should give you an idea of the different venue sizes:
Due to Woodruff Park's smaller size, the jazz festival couldn't accommodate the types of crowds that you'd expect with big-name acts like Herbie Hancock. Thus the next major compromise would be the decision to feature only Atlanta-based musicians at this year's Atlanta Jazz Festival. That's right, one of the largest metropolitan areas of the southeast was going to have a jazz festival without a single national touring artist. Heck, even Jacksonville had marquee artists like Terrance Blanchard, Casandra Wilson, and Pancho Sanchez at their jazz festival this year (not to pick on Jacksonville, but it only has a metro population of 1.3 million compared to Atlanta's 5.2 million).
Don't get me wrong, I think it's great that Atlanta's jazz musicians had the opportunity to showcase their music and reach a larger audience at this year's jazz festival, especially since they haven't had much of a main-stage presence in the recent festivals. But I think the Atlanta Jazz Festival works best when both local and touring musicians are featured. To me, the absence of big-name touring acts at the jazz festival gives the impression that Atlanta doesn't take jazz seriously. I know this wasn't the intention, but I'm stating this primarily because I'd hate for the city to think a scaled-back jazz festival is sufficient in years to come. While I'm at it, I'd also like to suggest that future Atlanta jazz festivals should feature local Atlanta jazz musicians on the main stage and in a good time slot (between big-name acts). Since main-stage timeslots are in short supply, perhaps there could be an "Atlanta Jazz Showcase" event where several Atlanta musicians/groups share a set. While it's great that Atlanta jazz musicians have had the second stage in recent years at Piedmont Park, they really deserve a premium billing on the main stage. But I digress…
THE MUSIC THIS YEAR
As mentioned, this year's Atlanta Jazz Festival featured only Atlanta jazz musicians. Actually, they did manage to get smooth jazz artist, Mike Phillips, to play on the final night. I don't follow smooth jazz but I believe he's pretty well known in that world. The rest of the lineup included all six winners of our local Future Of Jazz Competition. Only two of these six acts were straight-ahead jazz. The rest were primarily smooth/contemporary jazz musicians. And depending upon how you classify things, only 3 or 4 of the remaining 9 timeslots at this years jazz festival featured straight-ahead jazz musicians. Consequently, to me it really felt like this was a smooth jazz festival with a little straight-ahead thrown in for good measure. And since I'm not a fan of smooth jazz, I wasn't digging a lot of it (here's the full schedule). I did catch one of the smooth jazz performances, though, and the audience certainly seemed to enjoy themselves. In fact, based on their enthusiastic reaction, I'd say Atlanta could definitely support a separate smooth jazz festival. It would be nice, though, if the real "Atlanta Jazz Festival" was mostly straight-ahead.
Following are some pictures and notes from three of my favorite performances at this year's jazz festival:
KEMBA COFIELD
Kemba Cofield was the winner of this year's Future of Jazz Competition for the "Straight-Ahead Vocals" category. She's also one my favorite Atlanta Jazz Vocalists. Kemba always brings a lot of energy to her performances and she has a natural rapport with her audiences. She's one of those people who you really want to succeed as a musician and she definitely did succeed in singing a great set at this year's jazz festival.
GEORGIA STATE UNIVERSITY JAZZTET
The Georgia State University Jazztet included various members of Georgia State University's jazz faculty, including Gordon Vernick on trumpet, Mace Hibbard on saxophone, Kevin Bales on piano, Dave Frackenpohl on guitar, Robert Dickson on bass, and Justin Varnes on drums. I've heard all of these guys play and in various groups over the years so it was a real treat to hear them all on the stage at once.
MACE HIBBARD
Mace Hibbard won this year's Future of Jazz Competition's "Straight-Ahead Instrumental" category (here's a photo of Mace receiving his award). Mace Hibbard is a fantastic musician and I've seen him play many times around town. If you haven't seen him play yet, you're really missing out. Mace Hibbard is definitely on my short list of must-see Atlanta jazz musicians.
FESTIVAL ATTENDANCE
Even with the smaller venue and lack of national touring acts the 2008 Atlanta Jazz Festival still managed a pretty good turnout, at least for the size of the venue. While there were still several empty pockets around 4pm on Sunday and Monday (the two days I was at the festival), most of those areas were filled in by 6pm. That's fairly consistent with the Piedmont Park venue as well. At both locations it seems like a lot of people wait for the sun to die down a bit before heading out to the festival. Of course, Piedmont Park's "full" is around 100,000 people while the "full" crowd I saw at Woodruff Park was estimated at only 10,000 people or so. But at least Woodruff Park appeared well attended. The following picture shows the Woodruff Park audience on Sunday around 6pm.
LOOKING AHEAD TO NEXT YEAR'S JAZZ FESTIVAL
As of now, it's uncertain when (or if) large festivals will return to Piedmont Park. If the Atlanta Jazz Festival is forced to find another location next year, I certainly hope they don't return to Woodruff Park. I can't really think of a delicate way to say this, so I'll just tell it like it is: Woodruff Park is not a good location for the Atlanta Jazz Festival. I know it was one of the original locations many years ago, but the festival has come a long way since then and they've had much better venues.
The first problem with Woodruff Park is that it isn't very park-like. The best viewing area at this year's festival was on Auburn Avenue, in the middle of a street (traffic was blocked off). Directly behind the street was a plaza covered in granite tile. Both the street and plaza area got VERY hot under the direct sun and the hard surfaces were totally uninviting compared to the grassy field of Piedmont Park, or any real park for that matter. There actually is a grassy section in Woodruff Park, but the way the stage was setup (and the way people were sitting and standing) you could barely see or hear the musicians from the grass so it may as well have not existed. I'm sure some people didn't mind sitting in the road or on the plaza, but I really missed Piedmont Park.
The other major problem with Woodruff Park was the high concentration of vagrants, panhandlers, and other street characters. There is certainly some of this in Piedmont Park, but they usually don't make their way into the festival audience and definitely not in such a heavy concentration. At Woodruff Park, I witnessed several instances where people were forced to move because they were being harassed in one way or another. My wife and I were forced to move at one point because some guy sat down near us and kept yelling unintelligible stuff about the Bee Gees and Michael Jackson. Then he started arguing with another street person who pulled up in a wheel chair (an hour later the wheel chair guy got up and danced… a jazz miracle!). Frankly, I feel a little silly complaining about all the street people at Woodruff Park. After all, Woodruff Park is one of their normal hangouts. If anything, the jazz festival audience was intruding on their turf. Let's do them all a favor and not bother them again next year!
If Piedmont Park isn't available next year, there are definitely better venues than Woodruff Park. The old home of the jazz festival, Grant Park, seems like a great alternative. I'd also suggest Candler Park. At 55 acres, Candler Park is much bigger than Woodruff Park and it just so happens to be within walking distance of my house :-)
SPECIAL THANKS TO FESTIVAL ORGANIZERS
While this year's Atlanta Jazz Festival certainly wasn't ideal by any stretch, I do give a lot of credit to the festival organizers for making the best of an unfortunate situation. I know the change in venue wasn't their idea and I'm sure they would have wanted to book some big-name touring acts. But, things happen and, as they say, the show must go on. Given the circumstances, I'd say the event went really well. Kudos to the Atlanta Jazz Festival coordinators for pulling it all together!
ATLANTA JAZZ FESTIVAL SCHEDULE
For reference purposes, here's the schedule for the 31st (2008) Atlanta Jazz Festival:
May 24, 2008 - 2pm - Youth band competition, 3rd place
May 24, 2008 - 3pm - Future of Jazz Winner: Genetic Drift (Fusion)
May 24, 2008 - 4pm - Future of Jazz Winner: Heather Johnson (Contemporary Vocals)
May 24, 2008 - 5pm - Rua 6
May 24, 2008 - 6:30pm - Bernard Linnette, featuring vocalist Charito
May 24, 2008 - 8pm - Serenata Band
May 25, 2008 - 2pm - Youth band competition, 2nd place
May 25, 2008 - 3pm - Future of Jazz Winner: Bradford (Nu Jazz)
May 25, 2008 - 4pm - Future of Jazz Winner: Kemba Cofield (Straight-ahead Vocals) w/ Melvin Jones on trumpet
May 25, 2008 - 5pm - Gordon Vernick and the GSU Jazztet
May 25, 2008 - 6:30pm - Joe Jennings and Howard Nicholson's Lifeforce
May 25, 2008 - 8pm - The Ojeda Penn Experience
May 26, 2008 - 2pm - Youth band competition, 1st place
May 26, 2008 - 3pm - Future of Jazz Winner: Zon 3 (Contemporary Instrumental)
May 26, 2008 - 4pm - Future of Jazz Winner: Mace Hibbard (Straight-ahead Instrumental)
Note: The following introduction to this Atlanta jazz concert videos page was originally written on December 12, 2007.
For the past few months, I've been kicking around the idea of adding an Atlanta concert journal to this jazz blog. In the journal I'd list each Atlanta jazz concert that I attend, the musicians' names, and some notes about the performance. My goal for the journal was to provide a resource where people could go to get an idea of type type of music they'll hear when they attend an Atlanta jazz concert. For instance, if somebody is unfamiliar with Mace Hibbard and they'd like to know what type of music he plays at Churchill Grounds, they could come to the Atlanta jazz concert journal page of my jazz blog and see that the previous week he played a set of fantastic straight-ahead jazz with some of Atlanta's best jazz musicians. For some people, that extra bit of information might be just what they need to make the decision to attend an event.
While I liked the idea of a Atlanta concert journal, I wasn't entirely convinced that I'd be able to adequately describe each event. And then it occurred to me... I shouldn't just write about the concerts, I should record video clips and share them online. Finally, a decent excuse to buy myself one of those cool ultra-compact cameras!
Below you'll find various Atlanta jazz video clips that I shot with my a Canon PowerShot SD850 or Panasonic Lumix ZS3 (the new HD videos). You can check this page of my jazz blog for new jazz video clips or you can subscribe to my videos on YouTube.
JANUARY 9, 2010 Churchill Grounds - 660 Peachtree Street, Atlanta, GA 30308
The following clip includes piano and saxophone solos from the John Sandfort Quartet's performance of "Twins," an original composition that John wrote for his children. In addition to John Sandfort on saxophone, you'll hear Louis Heriveaux on piano, Craig Shaw on bass, and Justin Varnes on drums.
JANUARY 2, 2010 Churchill Grounds - 660 Peachtree Street, Atlanta, GA 30308
Bassist, Will Goble, led a concert with North Carolina-based saxophonist, Chad Eby, and David Potter on drums. Kevin Bales was in the audience and eating dinner when Will Goble called him up to the stage to perform "Time After Time." Not bad for a spur of the moment performance, eh?
NOVEMBER 20, 2009 Churchill Grounds - 660 Peachtree Street, Atlanta, GA 30308
The Chris Burroughs Collective performed at Churchill Grounds tonight. The band included Russell Gunn and Dashill Smith on trumpet, Kenny Banks on piano, Craig Shaw on bass, and Chris Burroughs on drums. In this clip you'll hear the band perform "Au Privave," with trumpet and piano solos and some trading between Russell Gunn and Chris Burroughs at the end.
NOVEMBER 14, 2009 Churchill Grounds - 660 Peachtree Street, Atlanta, GA 30308
Atlanta jazz saxophonist, Mace Hibbard, brought his quintet to Churchill Grounds tonight, where they performed several of Mace's original tunes. In this clip you'll hear "Rude On Purpose" which in a round about sort of way, was named after yours truly. The next time he decides to name a tune after me, I'm going to suggest "Super Cool and Awesome." The band includes Melvin Jones on trumpet, Kevin Bales on piano, Marc Miller on bass, and Justin Varnes on drums.
JULY 29, 2009 Churchill Grounds - 660 Peachtree Street, Atlanta, GA 30308
Atlanta jazz drummer, Justin Chesarek, was back at Churchill Grounds for his weekly Wednesday night gig. Since their usual saxophonist was out of town, Mace Hibbard was kind enough to sit in with the band. The band also included Nick Rosen on piano, Jacob Deaton on guitar, and Craig Shaw on bass.
Thirty-One's You'll hear guitar, piano, saxophone, and drum solos in this performance of Justin Chesarek's original composition, "Thirty-One's."
Dodd's Dissension This tune, another original by Justin Chesarek, was my favorite tune of the night. I especially like the way it builds to Mace Hibbard's solo at the end. Enjoy!
JULY 15, 2009 Churchill Grounds - 660 Peachtree Street, Atlanta, GA 30308
New Swing Atlanta jazz drummer, Justin Chesarek, performs with his quintet every Wednesday at Churchill Grounds. On this night, the band included Akeem Marable on saxophone, Jacob Deaton on guitar, Nick Rosen on piano, and Craig Shaw on bass. In this clip you'll hear the band perform "New Swing," an original composition written by Justin Chesarek. Unfortunately, the clip ends during the guitar solo due to YouTube time limits.
JUNE 18, 2009 Studio 281 - 281 Peters Street, Atlanta, GA 30313
Au Privave Marcus Printup joined bassist Will Goble's trio as they played to a capacity crowd at Studio 281. The band also included Austin Johnson on piano, and David Potter on drums. It was great to see such a large turnout for this event, and it got even better when Marcus Printup engaged the audience for some call and response, as you'll hear in the end of this recording. If you listen closely, you might even be able to hear several members of the audience as they sing along to the melody of "Au Privave" at the end. That was especially cool, because the band didn't even play the head to "Au Privave" when the tune began; they played "Now's The Time" (although you won't hear that part in this clip). This audience knows their jazz!
MAY 16, 2009 Studio 281 - 281 Peters Street, Atlanta, GA 30313
Mack The Knife Atlanta jazz bassist, Will Goble, brought a talented group of young musicians together for this concert at Studio 281. The band included Miguel Alvarado on saxophone, Austin Johnson on piano, and David Potter on drums. They played a nice assortment of tunes including a couple by Ornette Coleman, some originals, and a few standards. In the following video you'll hear one of the standards as the band performs "Mack The Knife."
MARCH 28, 2009 Churchill Grounds - 660 Peachtree Street, Atlanta, GA 30308
Hallowed Ground Atlanta jazz saxophonist, Mace Hibbard, brought a quintet to Churchill Grounds. The band included Melvin Jones on trumpet, Louis Heriveaux on piano, Marc Miller on bass, and Marlon Patton on drums. The band played several original tunes, including this clip of "Hallowed Ground" by Mace Hibbard.
FEBRUARY 20, 2009 Churchill Grounds - 660 Peachtree Street, Atlanta, GA 30308
Dig Atlanta jazz trumpet player and educator, Melvin Jones, brought a quintet to Churchill Grounds. The band included John Sandfort on saxophone, Tyrone Jackson on piano, Craig Shaw on bass, and Justin Chesarek on drums. It was a wonderful night of jazz as you'll hear in the following rendition of "Dig".
FEBRUARY 18, 2009 Churchill Grounds - 660 Peachtree Street, Atlanta, GA 30308
Rhythm-A-Ning A graduate student at Georgia State University, drummer Justin Chesarek has been playing every Wednesday night at Churchill Grounds for the past couple of months. For a young guy, he really seems to have his act together, both musically and professionally. I expect to hear a lot more from him as time goes on. In this clip you'll hear Justin Chesarek's quartet on the tune "Rhythm-A-Ning". The band includes Kurtis Adams on saxophone, Dan Gilormo on guitar, and Craig Shaw on bass.
FEBRUARY 8, 2009 SOJA House concert
Close Your Eyes Atlanta jazz vocalist, Laura Coyle, was the featured artist for a recent SOJA Jazz in the Home concert. Joining Laura was a fantastic group of musicians, including Marcus Printup on trumpet, Louis Heriveaux on piano, Craig Shaw on bass, and Kinah Boto on drums. In thisclip you'll hear them perform "Close Your Eyes".
JANUARY 17, 2009 Churchill Grounds - 660 Peachtree Street, Atlanta, GA 30308
Caravan Anyone familiar with the Atlanta jazz scene knows that Kevin Bales is one of the best piano players in town. I've seen him play several times around town, but for a variety of reasons, I was never able to get a video clip... until now! This clip is from a performance of "Caravan" with Joe Gransden on trumpet, Craig Shaw on bass, and Clay Hulet on drums. The clip begins with Joe playing the head and then Kevin takes a solo.
NOVEMBER 8, 2008 Churchill Grounds - 660 Peachtree Street, Atlanta, GA 30308
Remembrances of Things Past Atlanta jazz saxophonist, Mace Hibbard, brought a great quintet to Churchill Grounds tonight. The band included, Melvin Jones on trumpet, Louis Heriveaux on piano, Marc Miller on bass, and Justin Varnes on drums. They played a mix of originals and standards, including this original tune by Mace Hibbard. Here's "Remembrances of Things Past".
Listen Here David Ellington brought his trio to Twain's tonight for what will hopefully be the first of many Wednesday night Twain's performances. The band featured David Ellington on organ, John Bagnato on guitar, and Chris Burroughs on drums. They played a great mix of jazz/soul/funk tunes in the style of late 60's and early 70's-era Jack McDuff, Eddie Harris, and Jimmy Smith. Speaking of Eddie Harris, in the following clip you'll hear the band play Eddie's composition "Listen Here".
SEPTEMBER 19, 2008 Churchill Grounds - 660 Peachtree Street, Atlanta, GA 30308
Close Your Eyes Atlanta jazz vocalist, Laura Coyle, performed at Churchill Grounds to celebrate the release of her debut CD. In the following clip, Laura Coyle sings "Close Your Eyes" with Mace Hibbard on saxophone, Louis Heriveaux on piano, Craig Shaw on bass, and Kinah Boto on drums.
Birdlike Several of my favorite jazz musicians dropped by to attend the Twain's jazz jam session including Mace Hibbard, Kemba Cofield, Laura Coyle, Justin Varnes, Russell Gunn, and Marcus Printup. As you'll see in this clip, Russell Gunn, Joe Gransden and Marcus Printup took the stage for an awesome rendition of Freddie Hubbard's "Birdlike".
AUGUST 22, 2008 Churchill Grounds - 660 Peachtree Street, Atlanta, GA 30308
I Just Found Out About Love Atlanta jazz vocalist, Kemba Cofield, was joined by the well known saxophonist and educator, Victor Goines, on this great night at Churchill Grounds. The backing band included Tyrone Jackson on piano, Brandy Brewer on bass, and Kinah Boto on drums. In this clip, the band performs "I Just Found Out About Love".
I've been going to the Twain's jazz jam session just about every week since it began a few months ago. I'm continually amazed at the number of talented musicians who show up night after night to play and hang out. Tonight was a special treat for me, when around 11:00pm I noticed Marcus Printup walking in with his trumpet case. I've been a big fan of his for several years but I've only seen him play live twice. Not only did I get to see and hear Marcus Printup play tonight, but I also had the pleasure of talking to him for 15 minutes or so. He was very talkative and even seemed genuinely interested in answering my dorky trumpet-related questions! Marcus Printup told me he'll be spending more time in the Atlanta area so catch him if you can.
Eye of the Hurricane In this clip, you'll hear Joe Gransden and Marcus Printup soloing over "Eye of the Hurricane." The entire clip was 22 minutes long so I had to edit out a bit in order to make it under the YouTube 10-minute maximum. And now, nine minutes of jazz trumpet greatness...
JULY 25, 2008 Churchill Grounds - 660 Peachtree Street, Atlanta, GA 30308
Melvin Jones brought a fantastic quintet to Churchill Grounds tonight. The band included Melvin Jones on trumpet, Clarence Johnson on saxophone, Brian Hogans on piano, Craig Shaw on bass, and Che Marshall on drums. And if that wasn't enough, after a couple of tunes Victor Goines (of Lincoln Center Jazz Orchestra fame) arrived and joined the band on stage! As you'll hear in the clips below, it was an incredible night for jazz in Atlanta.
Yes or No In this clip, Victor Goines, Melvin Jones, and Clarence Johnson take solos on the Wayne Shorter classic, "Yes Or No".
Cherokee Victor Goines and Clarence Johnson lead the band on "Cherokee". Victor Goines was actually one of Clarence Johnson's first saxophone teachers, dating back to when Clarence was in high school. Knowing that, it was especially cool to see and hear them playing to together.
In A Sentimental Mood Tonight was yet another great night of music at Twain's. There were a lot of musicians there to jam, including Clarence Johnson, Melvin Jones, Brian Hogans, Kemba Cofield, Janet Metzger, and Bernard Linnette. This clip features Kemba Cofield and Melvin Jones on "In A Sentimental Mood".
Once again, the jazz jam session at Twain's was the place to be tonight! Lots of great Atlanta jazz musicians showed up to jam, including Clarence Johnson, Mace Hibbard, Wes Funderburk, Che Marshall, Laura Coyle, Ede Wright, Kemba Cofield, and Janet Metzger. There were also plenty of amateur musicians who made their way up to the bandstand. This is hands down the best jazz jam session in Atlanta right now. Be sure to check it out soon!
Caravan In this clip, Wes Funderburk and Clarence Johnson perform "Caravan".
What Is This Thing Called Love In this clip, Clarence Johnson performs "What Is This Thing Called Love".
JUNE 7, 2008 Churchill Grounds - 660 Peachtree Street, Atlanta, GA 30308
You're Everything Laura Coyle had her Churchill Grounds debut this weekend, performing three nights in a row! Her band included, Louis Heriveaux on piano, Craig Shaw on bass, and Chris Burroughs on drums. In this clip, you'll hear Laura Coyle's rendition of "You're Everything" from Return To Forever's "Light as a Feather" album.
Twain's was definitely the hot spot tonight. Shortly before the second set began, a slew of Atlanta's finest jazz musicians arrived, including Melvin Jones, Russell Gunn, Che Marshall, and Anton Harris. If that wasn't enough, Brian Hogans and Lee Hogans are back in town and they were at Twain's too. What a great night for jazz in Atlanta!
Well You Needn't In this clip, Lee Hogans (trumpet) and Brian Hogans (piano) solo over "Well You Needn't".
Birdlike (1 of 2) This clip features solos by Melvin Jones, Brian Hogans (saxophone), and Lee Hogans over the tune "Birdlike".
Birdlike (1 of 2) Last, but definitely not least, we've got Russell Gunn's solo on "Birdlike" which came directly after Lee's solo in the previous clip (YouTube limits videos to 10 minutes so I had to break it up).
MAY 20, 2008 Graveyard Tavern - 1245 Glenwood Avenue, Atlanta, Ga 30316
Tonight, Atlanta jazz organist, David Ellington, was joined by Clarence Johnson on saxophone, John Bagnato on guitar, and Darren Stanley on drums. The band was fantastic, and it was great to hear John Bagnato for the first time. Like David and Clarence, John Bagnato is also from New Orleans -- he's also a terrific musician. I'll definitely try to catch John in the future.
Cherokee In this clip, you'll hear Clarence Johnson and Darren Stanley take solos on Cherokee. This is a great example of Clarence's ability to play pretty much anything he wants at any moment in time and have it sound absolutely incredible. Damn!
MAY 10, 2008 Churchill Grounds - 660 Peachtree Street, Atlanta, GA 30308
Cherokee Atlanta jazz trumpeter, Joe Gransden, led a great performance at Churchill grounds tonight. The band included Sam Skelton on saxophone, Tyrone Jackson on piano, Craig Shaw on bass, and Clay Hulet on drums. In this clip, Joe Gransden and Sam Skelton perform "Cherokee" as a duet.
The First Time Joe Gransden leads the band on one of his original compositions, "The First Time".
Eye Of The Hurricane There was another great turnout of musicians at the Twain's jazz jam session tonight. In this clip, Atlanta jazz trumpet player, Joe Gransden, leads the house band on "Eye Of The Hurricane". You'll also hear Tyrone Jackson on piano, Craig Shaw on bass, and Chris Burroughs on drums.
Every Tuesday night, Joe Gransden leads a jazz jam session at Twain's Billiards and Tap in Decatur. If you haven't already, you should definitely check out the Tuesday night jam sessions at Twain's. I've been to two of them so far and both nights the turnout was great and so was the music!
Black Orpheus Atlanta jazz vocalist, Laura Coyle, sings "Black Orpheus" with Joe Gransden on trumpet, Ede Wright on guitar, Craig Shaw on bass, and Chris Burroughs on drums.
APRIL 12, 2008 Churchill Grounds - 660 Peachtree Street, Atlanta, GA 30308
Bye Bye Blackbird David Ellington leads a trio performance of "Bye Bye Blackbird". You'll hear solos by Clarence Johnson on saxophone, David Ellington on organ, and Chris Burroughs on drums.
APRIL 1, 2008 Graveyard Tavern - 1245 Glenwood Avenue, Atlanta, Ga 30316
I first heard David Ellington play during the 2008 Future of Jazz Competition in February. David sounded great that night so I was happy to learn that he's playing at the Graveyard Tavern. According the the schedule of events on David's website, he routinely invites a variety of musicians to sit in with the band. On this night, one of my favorite Atlanta jazz musicians, Mace Hibbard (saxophone), was there along with Chris Burroughs on drums. As you'll hear in the clips below, the music was fantastic!
David Ellington Trio - Have You Met Miss Jones In this clip, you'll hear organ and saxophone solos as the band plays "Have You Met Miss Jones".
David Ellington Trio - Anthropology This clip features solos by all of the musicians on "Anthropology".
Atlanta jazz drummer, Bernard Linnette, leads a jam session at Star Jazz and Blues Lounge every Monday night. They had another great turnout of musicians tonight, including Russell Gunn, Melvin Jones, Danny Harper, Julie Dexter, Charlie Robinson, and several talented young musicians. The following clips are just a sampling. As the night went on the music got better and better but with everyone moving to and from the stage it was hard to get a good video clip. If you haven't been to Star Jazz and Blues Lounge yet, I encourage you to check them out on a Monday night.
Bernard Linnette Jam Session - Stablemates In this clip you'll hear Russell Gunn on trumpet, Louis Heriveaux on piano, Craig Shaw on bass, Bernard Linnette on drums, and Ramadan Mu Min on conga.
Bernard Linnette Jam Session - Black Orpheus Melvin Jones and Danny Harper lead the band on "Black Orpheus." Danny really surprised me with that high "F" at the end of the tune. No matter how much I practice, I'll probably never be able to play one of them in my solos... and definitely not at the END of a tune. Wow!
This year's Future of Jazz Competition takes place at Star Jazz & Blues Lounge. Last night I attended the straight-ahead jazz competition featuring Leeland Davis, Ryan Whitehead, and Mace Hibbard. Of the three, the only person that I hadn't heard before was 19 year-old Ryan Whitehead on saxophone. I don't know what Chris Potter sounded like at 19, but my guess is that Ryan isn't too far away from that. Ryan and his band, featuring Dave Ellington or organ, were excellent! Aside from the terrific music, it was great to see so many people at the concert. The place was packed. While that's certainly good for the venue and the Atlanta jazz scene, it wasn't so great for recording video clips. I would have liked to get clips from each of the musicians but I only have two recordings from Mace Hibbard's set.
Mace Hibbard - When We Last Met Mace Hibbard plays "When We Last Met," an original composition from Mace's album by the same name. You'll also hear Bryan Leitch on guitar, Louis Heriveaux on piano, Mike Beshara on bass, and Justin Varnes on drums.
Mace Hibbard - About Time Mace Hibbard performs another original composition, "About Time," in the above clip. Mace would go on to win the event securing a performance at this year's Atlanta Jazz Festival.
Bernard Linnette Jam Session - Milestones Atlanta jazz drummer, Bernard Linnette, led the first Monday night jazz jam session at Star Jazz and Blues Lounge. On this night, about a dozen of Atlanta's jazz musicians showed up to play. The track features solos by Russell Gunn on trumpet, Dennis Springer on saxophone, and Lester Walker on trumpet.
JANUARY 24, 2008 Churchill Grounds - 660 Peachtree Street, Atlanta, GA 30308
I saw the Atlanta Jazz choir concert earlier this night and was in the mood to hear some more jazz afterwards. Thankfully, Russell Gunn and his band were playing at Churchill Grounds. In the clips below, you'll hear Russell Gunn on trumpet, Darryl Reeves on saxophone, Takana Miyamoto on piano, Craig Shaw on bass, and Chris Burroughs on drums.
Russell Gunn - Walkin' I love the confident opening of Russell Gunn's trumpet solo in this video clip.
Darryl Reeves - Walkin' Following Russel Gunn on "Walkin'" Darryl Reeves takes a solo in this clip. As you may notice, Takana isn't comping behind Darryl's solo. Waiting for the perfect moment, she waits until the end of the clip to come in and pushes the energy to another level.
Takana Miyamoto - Minority Takana Miyamoto plays a piano solo over the jazz standard, "Minority".
JANUARY 23, 2008 Blind Willie's - 828 North Highland Avenue, Atlanta, GA 30306
Scott Glazer's Mojo Dojo - Yardbird Suite Scott Glazer's Mojo Dojo jazz band performed at Blind Willie's in the Virginia Highland area of Atlanta. On this night, the band featured Scott Glazer on bass, Gordon Vernick on trumpet, Mace Hibbard on Saxophone, Louis Heriveaux on piano, and Yonrico Scott on drums.
JANUARY 3, 2008 Churchill Grounds - 660 Peachtree Street, Atlanta, GA 30308
Atlanta jazz drummer, Bernard Linnette, filled in for Russell Gunn's band on this Thursday night. With Bernard, you'll hear Kemba Cofield on vocals, Kebbi Williams on saxophone, Leeland Davis on piano, and Craig Shaw on bass.
Kemba Cofield - Caravan Kemba Cofield sings "Caravan", with solos by Kebbi Williams and Leeland Davis.
Kebbi Williams - Rhythm Changes Kebbi Williams leads the band on rhythm changes. Going into the tune they play the head to "Oleo" and coming out they play "Rhythm-a-ning". I've heard Kebbi play 3 or 4 times now and every time I thoroughly enjoy the energy he brings to the stage.
DECEMBER 27, 2007 Studio 281 - 281 Peters Street, Atlanta, GA 30313
Roy Meriwether Trio - Jonah Studio 281, located in the Castleberry Hill area of downtown Atlanta, often features musicians from other cities. In this clip you'll hear NYC-based jazz pianist Roy Meriwether and his trio perform "Jonah".
DECEMBER 15, 2007 Churchill Grounds - 660 Peachtree Street, Atlanta, GA 30308
Atlanta jazz drummer, Justin Varnes, assembled a fantastic group of musicians for a tribute to the music of Cannonball Adderley. In the clips below you'll hear Melvin Jones on trumpet, Mace Hibbard on saxophone, Gary Motley on piano, Brian Hall on bass, and Justin Varnes on drums.
Justin Varnes Quintet - Limehouse Blues In this video you'll hear solos by Mace Hibbard, Melvin Jones, and Gary Motley as they perform "Limehouse Blues". A popular version of "Limehouse Blues" was recorded on the album "Cannonball and Coltrane."
Justin Varnes Quintet - Tribute To The Adderley's This video features an original tune, "Tribute To The Adderley's," written by Melvin Jones. Melvin told me that he was inspired to write this tune after listening to several Cannonball recordings a few days ago. The tune sounded great and the guys played terrific solos!
DECEMBER 12, 2007 Club 29 - 2272 Lawrenceville Hwy Decatur, GA 30033
Kemba Cofield - Route 66 Kemba Cofield sings a great bluesy version of "(Get Your Kicks On) Route 66" with Bernard Linnette's Interactive jazz band. Taking solos, you'll hear Derek White on trombone, Lester Walker on Trumpet, and Dennis Springer on saxophone.
London Arrington - My Funny Valentine This video features London Arrington on vocals, performing "My Funny Valentine" with Bernard Linnette's Interactive jazz band. Lester Walker takes a solo on trumpet, followed by Louis Heriveaux on piano.
DECEMBER 8, 2007 Churchill Grounds - 660 Peachtree Street, Atlanta, GA 30308
Clarence Johnson III is a professor at Morehouse College. This was only my second time seeing him in concert (the first time was at the 2007 Morehouse Jazz Festival) and I'm already looking forward to his next gig. This guy is phenomenal! As an unexpected surprise, I also got to hear two of my favorite Atlanta jazz musicians: Che Marshall on drums and Ramon Pooser on bass. Rounding out the rhythm section was Val Parker on piano. I hadn't seen Val play before, but he was an excellent addition to the band.
Clarence Johnson - Night In Tunisia In this video, Clarence Johnson and the band play an exciting rendition of "Night In Tunisia".
Clarence Johnson - Round Midnight (1 of 2) "Round Midnight" was the second tune played during the first set. The drummer, Che Marshall, was delayed due to an earlier gig with the Atlanta jazz chorus. In this first clip (of two) you'll hear an introduction and solo by Clarence Johnson.
Clarence Johnson - Round Midnight (2 of 2) In this second "Round Midnight" clip, we've got solos by Val Parker on piano and Ramon Pooser on bass. During Ramon's solo, Che Marshall arrives (you can see him putting his cymbals on their stands). Che comes in at the end of Ramon's solo and really kicks things into high gear. A great finish to a great tune!
DECEMBER 5, 2007 Club 29 - 2272 Lawrenceville Hwy Decatur, GA 30033
Bernard Linnette Interactive - Someday My Prince Will Come Bernard Linnette's Interactive jazz group plays "Someday My Prince Will Come." On order of appearance, you'll hear solos by Dennis Springer (saxophone), Lester Walker (trumpet), and Craig Shaw (bass).
Julie Dexter - Softly As In A Morning Sunrise In this brief clip, you'll hear Atlanta jazz vocalist, Julie Dexter, sing "Softly As In A Morning Sunrise" with Bernard Linnette's Interactive jazz group.
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