What a long strange trip it’s been, but we’ve returned after successfully changing publishing software after a month or more of looking for alternatives to Google’s Blogger, which would would sync up with work we’d previously done.

We’re now using WordPress and we can already see that theJazzPage will be 100% better off for the transition. So we’re back in business and catching up on some past reviews we’ve missed during period while we were away. Got some good music? We want to hear it!

It’s been a crazy month since we last published, but we are almost done with the transition to a new publishing system and will back in a few days to pick up were we left off. Even in the midst of finding the site in a bit of a challenging time, we found some things we could improve upon from the previous version and we find these changes very gratifying. We’ve also managed to hear a lot of great music during our time away and we can’t wait to share it with you. Thank you for your patience during our unplanned hiatus.

Feb. 28, 2010 – For a couple of hours on Sunday afternoon, we got to hang out with some very cool people and hear some very cool music. The occasion was the arrival of the Monterey Jazz Festival All-Stars at the Alys Robinson Stephens Perfoming Arts Center in Birmingham, Alabama.

The feature artists were recent Grammy Award winner, Kurt Elling, MacArthur Genius Grant Winner, violinist Regina Carter, master pianist Kenny Barron, guitar virtuoso Russell Malone, bassist Kiyoshi Kitagawa, and drummer Johnathan Blake. The result of this collaboration of talent and venue was pure aural art.

Opening with a ensemble jam session that included a vocal/scat rendition of Thelonius Monk’s “Rhythm-A-Ning” and “When I Grow Too Old To Dream”, the program was a shifting showcase that gave each artist his–or her–moment to shine. Malone’s segment was the rendering version of the song “Like a Lover” in his trademark fingerworked guitar style. Elling offered a lovely version of his “And We Will Fly” and later, “You Are Too Beautiful”, which he introduced as a song from a Hartman/Coltrane tribute that he recorded, never mentioning that it had won him his first Grammy earlier this month.

Carter’s moment to shine, and shine she did, was on the Billie Holiday classic “Don’t Explain” with Barron accompanying her. In addtion to some tremendous piano solo, Barron’s nicest contribution to the set came in the form of “Theme Number One”, a tune he wrote for opening of small indie film called “Another Harvest Moon”, which he proclaimed in its introduction, “You’ll probably never see”.

Elling who was humble, witty and funny throughout, returned afterwards to remark, “That is a very cool tune for a Sunday afternoon, or Sunday morning, or anytime. I’m just sayin’”. When he added, “It might not be good NASCAR”, there was a roar of laughter from the house. The show closed with a rousing ovation and an encore of “Ok, Alright,You Win (I’m In Love With You)”.

Some critics of the show have been quick to say that the show is problematic, in that it doesn’t take chances, but given that these are shows for an audience that does not attend get to hear jazz artists of this calibur on a regular basis, it gets the job done (though Blake’s drum solos could be a little shorter).

The show proves that there’s something special about seeing a stage full of real music professionals at work that is inspiring and this is a more than solid lineup of players more than fits the bill in that regard.

Feb. 24, 2010 – Join us for our conversations with two outstanding artists, Babatunde Lea and Tineke Postma, in the coming days.

On Thursday, February 25th at 2PM EST, we’ll be talking to master percussionist and drummer Babatunde Lea about his latest recording, a tribute to the great Leon Thomas, titled Umbo Weti.

Due to technical difficulties, we had to reschedule to our chat with saxophonist Tineke Postma to March 2nd at 2PM EST.

You can listen live at the JazzPage’s BlogTalkRadio channel by clicking on the link for the prospective guest on the day of the show.

If you miss them, both shows will be archived for listening at your convenience.

Feb. 23, 2010 - Esperanza Spalding’s appearance on PBS’ Austin City Limits, which was recorded last fall, aired this month on the program.

In case you missed it, you can check it out here (Tip: Expand the video window to fullscreen, if your computer can handle it).

From multiple performances at the White House, to being selected by President Obama to perform at his Nobel Peace Prize ceremony in Norway, it’s been quite a year for Ms. Spalding.

It seems hard to believe that it was almost exactly a year ago that we were sitting backstage with her after a performance in Birmingham talking about art.

Feb. 19, 2010 - Jackie Ryan was the first guest in TheJazzPage’s Conversations series on Thursday, February 18th at 2PM EST. The 30-minute interview was broadcasted live on BlogTalkRadio.com

The archive recording of the interview with Ms. Ryan is now available in the Conversations section of our site. Click here to check it out.

Feb 9, 2010 – It’s great when someone truly deserving of recognition wins the reward that goes along with that accolade. So to hear that Kurt Elling finally received his first Best Vocal Jazz Album Grammy for Dedicated To You after nine nominations was extraordinarily great.

We thought that Elling’s Man In The Air would be a sure winner in 2004, and that 2007′s Night Moves, which did not receive a nomination was equally deserving.

There are several other of those nine recordings that could have won as well, but there’s something even more special about his winning for such an extraordinary showcase as Dedicated To You. Likewise, it says volumes about any artist who is consistenly singled out for such great work over more than a decade, but to see him finally realize the prize his work so richly deserves is something special indeed.

Check out TheJazzPage’s October 2009 review of Kurt Elling’s now-Grammy-winning project, Dedicated To You.

The Jazz Page.com started almost a decade ago as a single page newsletter reviewing 4 music releases each month. We went online in February of 2004. Through server challenges and other issues, we lost much of what we have spent the previous years creating. But out of difficulties good can often emerge and we definitely feel that the time away has been of benefit. We return refreshed and ready to make use of the new technologies that emerged in our absence.

The Jazz Page will  publish a new review every week in the Raves section. Sometimes the product reviewed will be current, while at other times we will be profiling a release that we think is noteworthy enough to bring it to your attention, even if it is not of recent vintage.

The Faves section is devoted to the great jazz older and some times more recent vintage that are our favorite jazz recordings of all-time.

We’ll be adding material to Conversations section of the site soon. This part of the site is dedicated to recorded interview with jazz artists. You’ll be able to listen to them on the site or you’ll be able to download these podcasts in MP3 form for listening whenever and however it’s convenient for you. 

The point of this site is touting music we like, not trashing music we don’t like as much, so to paraphrase the tagline of the site, if it’s here, we think it’s worth adding to your collection.

Below are the nominees for Grammy Awards in the Jazz categories, with some commentaries from us in highlights

Best Contemporary Jazz Album
(For albums containing 51% or more playing time of INSTRUMENTAL tracks.)

Urbanus
Stefon Harris & Blackout
[Concord Jazz]
Nice pick. We like it.

Sounding Point
Julian Lage
[Emarcy/Decca]
We hear much good. Have his CD and will review soon.

At World’s Edge
Philippe Saisse
[E1 Music]
Also a good pick

Big Neighborhood
Mike Stern
[Heads Up International]
Never got a chance to hear this one. Though we like Mike.

75
Joe Zawinul & The Zawinul Syndicate
[Heads Up International]
Probably the sentimental favorite in this category

Best Jazz Vocal Album
(For albums containing 51% or more playing time of VOCAL tracks.)

No Regrets
Randy Crawford (& Joe Sample)
[PRA Records]

Dedicated To You: Kurt Elling Sings The Music Of Coltrane And Hartman
Kurt Elling
[Concord Jazz]
This man is so overdue for a Grammy he should have a half dozen by now and yet this would be his first.

So In Love
Roberta Gambarini
[Groovin' High/Emarcy]
Love her voice. A Real Pro.

Tide
Luciana Souza
[Verve]
Love her work as well. Though we didn’t get a chance to review this CD

Desire
Tierney Sutton (Band)
[Telarc Jazz]
Tierney’s always a solid performer.

Best Improvised Jazz Solo
(For an instrumental jazz solo performance. Two equal performers on one recording may be eligible as one entry. If the soloist listed appears on a recording billed to another artist, the latter’s name is in parenthesis for identification. Singles or Tracks only.)


Dancin’ 4 Chicken
Terence Blanchard, soloist
Track from: Watts (Jeff “Tain” Watts)
[Dark Key Music]

All Of You
Gerald Clayton, soloist
Track from: Two-Shade
[ArtistShare]

Ms. Garvey, Ms. Garvey
Roy Hargrove, soloist
Track from: Emergence
[Groovin' High/Emarcy]

On Green Dolphin Street
Martial Solal, soloist
Track from: Live At The Village Vanguard
[CamJazz]

Villa Palmeras
Miguel Zenn, soloist
Track from: Esta Plena
[Marsalis Music]

Best Jazz Instrumental Album, Individual or Group
(For albums containing 51% or more playing time of INSTRUMENTAL tracks.)

Quartet Live
Gary Burton, Pat Metheny, Steve Swallow & Antonio Sanchez
[Concord Jazz]
I hear this one all the time. Great quartet

Brother To Brother
Clayton Brothers
[ArtistShare]


Five Peace Band — Live
Chick Corea & John McLaughlin Five Peace Band
[Concord Records]


Remembrance
John Patitucci Trio
[Concord Jazz]

The Bright Mississippi
Allen Toussaint
[Nonesuch]
Probably should win the award.

Best Large Jazz Ensemble Album
(For large jazz ensembles, including big band sounds. Albums must contain 51% or more INSTRUMENTAL tracks.)


Legendary
Bob Florence Limited Edition
[MAMA Records]
Bob is extremely prolific

Eternal Interlude
John Hollenbeck Large Ensemble
[Sunnyside]


Fun Time
Sammy Nestico And The SWR Big Band
[Hnssler Classic]

Book One
New Orleans Jazz Orchestra
[World Village]


Lab 2009
University Of North Texas One O’Clock Lab Band
[North Texas Jazz]


Best Latin Jazz Album
(Vocal or Instrumental.)

Things I Wanted To Do
Chembo Corniel
[Chemboro Records]

urea
Geoffrey Keezer
[ArtistShare]

Brazilliance X 4
Claudio Roditi
[Resonance Records]
Very likely winner
Juntos Para Siempre
Bebo Valdes And Chucho Valdes
[Sony Music/Calle 54]

Esta Plena
Miguel Zenon
[Marsalis Music]

Solid recording. Well deserved.
Best Instrumental Composition
(A Composer’s Award for an original composition (not an adaptation) first released during the Eligibility Year. Singles or Tracks only.)


Borat In Syracuse
Paquito D’Rivera, composer (Paquito D’Rivera Quintet)
Track from: Jazz-Clazz
[Timba Records]

Counting To Infinity
Tim Davies, composer (Tim Davies Big Band)
Track from: Dialmentia
[Origin Records]


Fluffy
Bob Florence, composer (Bob Florence Limited Edition)
Track from: Legendary
[MAMA Records]

Ice-Nine
Steve Wiest, composer (University Of North Texas One O’Clock Lab Band)
Track from: Lab 2009
[North Texas Jazz]

These guys are always worth a listen.
Married Life (From Up)
Michael Giacchino, composer (Michael Giacchino)
Track from: Up Soundtrack
[Walt Disney Records]

Best Instrumental Arrangement
(An Arranger’s Award. (Artist names appear in parentheses.) Singles or Tracks only.)


Emmanuel
Jeremy Lubbock, arranger (Chris Botti & Lucia Micarelli)
Track from: In Boston
[Columbia]

Hope
Vince Mendoza, arranger (Jim Beard With Vince Mendoza & The Metropole Orchestra)
Track from: Revolutions
[Sunny Side Records]
Vince Mendoza is a good pick here.

Slings And Arrows
Vince Mendoza, arranger (Chuck Owen & The Jazz Surge)
Track from: The Comet’s Tail: Performing The Compositions Of Michael Brecker
[MAMA Records]
And here.
Up With End Credits (From Up)
Michael Giacchino, arranger (Michael Giacchino)
Track from: Up Soundtrack
[Walt Disney Records]


West Side Story Medley
Bill Cunliffe, arranger (Resonance Big Band)
Track from: Resonance Big Band Plays Tribute To Oscar Peterson
[Resonance Records]




Best Instrumental Arrangement Accompanying Vocalist(s)
(An Arranger’s Award. (Artist names appear in parentheses.) Singles or Tracks only.)
Tough category to pick. Every nominee in this group produced incredible music.

A Change Is Gonna Come
David Foster & Jerry Hey, arrangers (Seal)
Track from: Soul
[143/Warner Bros.]
It’s David Foster. Tough to bet against.

Dedicated To You
Laurence Hobgood, arranger (Kurt Elling)
Track from: Dedicated To You: Kurt Elling Sings The Music Of Coltrane And Hartman
[Concord Jazz]
Hobgood is so unrecognized. We hope he gets the award here for a great record.

In The Still Of The Night
Thomas Zink, arranger (Anne Walsh)
Track from: Pretty World
[AtoZink Music]




My One And Only Thrill
Vince Mendoza, arranger (Melody Gardot)
Track from: My One And Only Thrill
[Verve]
Mendoza’s arrangements on this record made it top notch


Quiet Nights
Claus Ogerman, arranger (Diana Krall)
Track from: Quiet Nights
[Verve]
It’s Claus Ogerman. Can you bet against him?

On Friday, October 23, 2009, I had the great pleasure of seeing Lizz Wright perform live at Alys Stephen Center in Birmingham, Alabama. Wright walked on to the stage in bare feet and a hypnotically, radiant red dress to a tremendous ovation. She told the audience of approximately 200 people, ”It’s really good to be here in Birmingham. I really mean it. I’m not a person that just says that. It is really good to be here.” She spoke of spending a nice afternoon walking around in the Five Points area.

With that, the music struck up, Ms. Wright removed her earrings and what followed was 2 hours of pure artistry and sonic amazement, with the acoustics of the theater and Wright’s voice in total agreement.

The setlist for the evening covered a broad swath of the singer’s three albums, plus a soulful version of  the classic “C.C. Rider”. Wright’s performance of “I Idolize You” was as seductive as the dress she wore. There was a noticeable roar of approval when the band launched into the title track of her first album recording, Salt . In fact, there was quite a bit of interaction between singer and audience throughout the show. For her version of Sweet Honey In The Rock’s “Hey Mann”, Wright picked up a guitar from the stand to play, when a female audience member yelled out in delight, to which the singer playfully quipped, “Don’t get your hopes up!”

Wright’s band included David Cook on piano and organ, Robin Macatangay on guitars, Nicholas D’Amato on bass, and Brannen Temple on drums. Macatangay solos was tremendous throughout, while Cook could often be seen shaking his head in as much admiration and amazement at Wright’s performance as the audience.

After the show, a huge ovation and the perfectly-chosen Led Zeppelin tune, “Thank You”, as an encore, many in the audience who gathered in the lobby seemed stunned by what they had just witnessed. A gentleman standing in line to buy Wright’s CDs commented on the show saying, “I feel like I underpaid”, while one woman whose first introduction to Wright’s music was that night wondered aloud, “Why haven’t heard of her before? She’s incredible!” The evening would get even more so, as words came that Wright would be coming to the lobby to meet members of the audience and sign autographs. 

Wright and her band were as gracious in meeting the audience and there is humble regality to the singer that can not be ignored. It can honestly be said that Wright’s noted feeling of appreciation for being in Birmingham on one rainy night in late October was more than mutual.