Making the Rounds April 1996

The East Coast Jazz Festival

The Fish Middleton Jazz Scholarship Fund continued to present a viable Jazz event with its fifth annual East Coast Jazz Festival. The four-day event included such mainstays as Buster Williams, Houston Person with Etta Jones, Ronnie Wells, Buck Hill, and Charlie Byrd, as well as newcomers like Kevin Mahagany, the Stanley Cowell Trio featuring Jay Clayton, Al Grey, and Clark Terry. As in previous years, the affair was enlivened (or bogged down, depending on your perspective) by a full educational program of clincs and scholastic recitals from various high school and college ensembles. But at Saturday's jam-packed installment, the educational component fit nicely with rewarding performances by Stanley Cowell's trio and vocalist Ronnie Wells.

Cowell's blistering set was by far the most adventurous offering of the evening. Known for his fluid technique, keen compostional skills, and percussive drive, Cowell swung like a wrathful hurricane and radiated like a supernova. Chaney Thomas's supple and sinewy bass lines provided the perfect anchor and bridge forCowell's excursions and drummer Abadey's rhythmic underpinnings. Their emphatic energy was taken to even greater heights by the otherworldly grace of Jay Clayton's vocals. Clayton's fusion of inventive wordless vocal forays with traditional Jazz singing expanded Cowell's sonic palette tremendously in terms of compositional sturcture, tonal coloring, and emotional depth. Her electronically enhanced howls, stuttering scats, and intense hiccupping effects wove, dovetailed, glided, and exploded through concentric arrangements of "Footprints" and her own daring compostion, "Fortune Cookie," while still offering a refreshingly stately splendor on tamer numbers like "Young and Foolish."

Whereas Clayton's cobalt blue voice offered Jazz vocals at their most ethereal, Ronnie Wells's indigo-hued vocals, by contrast, were Jazz at this earthiest. Complemented by a five-pice band, Ronnie's rhythm-and-blues-tinged vocals were both crowd-leasing and artistically satisfying as she rendered succulent readings of "Mood Indigo" and "every Time We Say Goodbye" (both performed in duets with bassist James King and pianist Ronnie Elliston, respectively). But the true highlight of her set was tenor saxophonist Paul Carr. His big, fiery tone, deliberate solos, and swinging finesse nearly stole the show from Wells. At times it seemed as hif he had to hold back, especially when they traded licks.

Gratifying performances by trumpet legend Clark Terry and Friends and the Donald Dial Septet rounded out Saturday's installment. Continuing the legacy of Jazz through education and entertainment, the Fish Middleton Jazz Scholarship Fund once again provided a wonderful weekend-long master class in the artistry of swing.

by John Murph

A Joyous Noise

Jazz is melodically and harmonically creative and eclectic. and though it is conceived and built on written tunes and arrangements, it unfolds spontaneously with all the instrumental solos being examples of compostion on the fly.

Bulgarian-born pianist Milcho Leviev eloquently demonstrated these and other tenents of the music in his appearance at the Jazz Hall in Santa Barbara, California. Along with Carl Vincent, a young lion of the acoustic bass, and Mel Lee, a tasteful drummer with has been justifiably in demand in Jazz circle for thirty years, Milcho held the crowd enthralled through three sets.

The conservatory-trained Leviev is undeniably a virtuouso, a complete master of his insturment and of the music. The freedom to create and interpret in the moment that this technical mastery gives him is immediately evident. Regardless of how complex his flights of fancy become, he never violates the overall structural integrity of a piece--the rhythm and melody are always somewhere near at hand.

Jazz compostions are often consturcted on the most sophisticated chordal and harmonic concepts, hence the term serious music. However, the essence of Jazz is in the moment of performance. And although Leviev's trio had never played together before and operated without charts, they demonstrated that Jazz is overwhelmingly a music of directness, intelligence, and humor, based on the interplay of musicians who listen to each other intently and somehow know what's coming. To illustrate this point, Leviev told the audience an anecdote about Jelly Roll Morton, the completely unschooled ragtime pianist. The story goes that, when he saw the written arrangements his associates intended to use on a gig, Jelly Roll scornfully commented, "that ain't no music. Heck, it tells you what to do next."

the pianist drew the listeners into his process, explaining for example how, on a tune that Mel Lee hadn't heard, Leviev would establish the melody and Carl Vincent would take the first solo chorus so that the drummer would be up to speed before the ensemble playing began.

the deference to this being the trio's first outing together, the evening's repertoire consisted of more standards than originals. Leviev showed himself to be equally at home withballads, up-tempo tunes, and neoclassical compositions. The room rang with swing, bebop, cool Jazz and bossa nova rhythms.

Leviev feels strongingly about the freedom of expression and creativity inherent in Jazz. In his native Bulgaria, Jazz was considered by the government to be reactionary, decadent music, and significant restrictions were placed on his playing it. Leviev sees Jazz as a truly democratic music and believes that the performance of each piece should be a lesson in breaking boundaries. From beginning to end, the show was a demonstration of the spirit and beauty of Jazz and of Leviev's personal energy. A member of the audience put it perfectly when he remarked to me as he was leaving, "This has been an experience of pure joy!"

by Stanley Naftaly

Fifth Annual Berkeley Harmonica Blow Out

For the last five years, East Bay harmonica ace Mark Hummel has produced on the best harp showcase events in the San Francisco Bay Are, the Harmonica Blow Out. Held in the funky elegance of Ashkenaz in Berkeley, which offers a warm sound and a wood dance floor, the nearly sold-out event offered a close look at a wide variety of harp styles while never losing the groove.

The show started with Oakland-based Paris Slim (frank Goldwasser), who is usually seen in these parts as a searing blues guitarist. In fact, this was his first harp-only appearance, and he blew effectively and convincingly on the short set of Chicago-influenced and Junior Parker tunes. His singing, as always, was right on target. Godwasser has developed a big tone with good vibrato, which was actually much cleaner than that of the next performer, Dave Wellhausen.

Tone is the trademark of all harp players, and the combination of mike, amp, vibrato (both human and amp-supplied tremolo), and blowing technique really gives you your sound. While a solid player, Wellhausen seemed to overdrive his amp to the point of fuzzy distortion. Some distortion, especially on the low end, is desirable, but in this case the sound was thick, and it was difficult to make out some of the notes. Still, Dave knows how to play, and his work on the more difficult chromatic harp was done very well. He drew from the Billy Boy Arnold book, and he wailed on "Scratch It Back and Hold It" by Junior Wells.

Next. Mark Hummel took over and wailed with his band, the Blues Survivors, which provided backup for all the plyers. With his own cats, Mark could really stretch and find the grooves, picking up the tempo and the crowd. Over the twenty-odd years Hummel has been in the Bay Area, he has steadily improved and always employed top-rated musicians who know how to stay in the pocket. (The lineup currently is Rusty Zinn, guitar; randy Bermudis, bass; and drummer Jim Overton.) At one point Mark used his wireless mike to wander into the crowd and almost out to the street while wailing on "Willie and the Hand Jive," standing on tables and getting up close and personal with several patrons. As true as any swing band, the group covered Count Basie's "One O'Clock Jump" and big-beat tunes for Gatemouth Brown and Mr. Hummel himself. This was really the tightest set of the night, and it gave Rusty a chance to take a few extended solos.

The next act, Johnny Dyer, came up from Mississippi by way of L.A. but seemed lost once he hit the stage. As he slowly found the right groove with the Blues survivors, he loosened up and sang and played a decidedly Chicago/Muddy Waters--type set, including "Got My Mojo Workin'" and "Hoochie-Coochie Man" with Hummel on second harp. Guitarist Steve Freund also joined in the blues party as Rusty took a break.

After another short break, the man I came to see ambled out to the stage. Paul deLay, down from Portland, lived up to his legend in the harp world. I had seen him a few times while living in Oregon, but after I moved here, Paul moved into state prison for a few years, so it was especially good to see him again after all these years. He was better than I remembered, although one really needs to see Paul with his own band to take his full measure. Still, he held forth with a wonderful display of technical ability, great tone, Nick Gravanites--like singing, and a big, swinging feel. But when he started wailing with his chromatic harp, I'm sure all the harp players in the house were locked in to his sound. With Jazz-influenced lines and good breath control, Paul stood out as an original and swinging voice. Those who stayed for this last set were really treated, and this writer (yes, a harp player too) hopes Mr. deLay will visit the Bay Area with his band in the near future.

The Blow Out ended in the traditional jam, where all the players tade four bars in a friendly cutting session. Writer/harp player Winslow Yerxa joined in the fun, and the evening ended after four hours of what the blues is all about.

by Michael Handler
(aka Harmonica Mike)

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The East Coast Jazz Festival
The Fish Middleton Jazz Scholarship Fund continued to present a viable Jazz event with its fifth annual East Coast Jazz Festival. The four-day event included such mainstays as Buster Williams, Houston Person with Etta Jones, Ronnie Wells, Buck Hill, and Charlie Byrd, as well as newcomers like Kevin Mahagany, the Stanley Cowell Trio featuring Jay Clayton, Al Grey, and Clark Terry. As in previous years, the affair was enlivened (or bogged down, depending on your perspective) by a full educational program of clincs and scholastic recitals from various high school and college ensembles. But at Saturday's jam-packed installment, the educational component fit nicely with rewarding performances by Stanley Cowell's trio and vocalist Ronnie Wells.
Cowell's blistering set was by far the most adventurous offering of the evening. Known for his fluid technique, keen compostional skills, and percussive drive, Cowell swung like a wrathful hurricane and radiated like a supernova. Chaney Thomas's supple and sinewy bass lines provided the perfect anchor and bridge forCowell's excursions and drummer Abadey's rhythmic underpinnings. Their emphatic energy was taken to even greater heights by the otherworldly grace of Jay Clayton's vocals. Clayton's fusion of inventive wordless vocal forays with traditional Jazz singing expanded Cowell's sonic palette tremendously in terms of compositional sturcture, tonal coloring, and emotional depth. Her electronically enhanced howls, stuttering scats, and intense hiccupping effects wove, dovetailed, glided, and exploded through concentric arrangements of "Footprints" and her own daring compostion, "Fortune Cookie," while still offering a refreshingly stately splendor on tamer numbers like "Young and Foolish."
Whereas Clayton's cobalt blue voice offered Jazz vocals at their most ethereal, Ronnie Wells's indigo-hued vocals, by contrast, were Jazz at this earthiest. Complemented by a five-pice band, Ronnie's rhythm-and-blues-tinged vocals were both crowd-leasing and artistically satisfying as she rendered succulent readings of "Mood Indigo" and "every Time We Say Goodbye" (both performed in duets with bassist James King and pianist Ronnie Elliston, respectively). But the true highlight of her set was tenor saxophonist Paul Carr. His big, fiery tone, deliberate solos, and swinging finesse nearly stole the show from Wells. At times it seemed as hif he had to hold back, especially when they traded licks.
Gratifying performances by trumpet legend Clark Terry and Friends and the Donald Dial Septet rounded out Saturday's installment. Continuing the legacy of Jazz through education and entertainment, the Fish Middleton Jazz Scholarship Fund once again provided a wonderful weekend-long master class in the artistry of swing.
	by John Murph

A Joyous Noise
Jazz is melodically and harmonically creative and eclectic. and though it is conceived and built on written tunes and arrangements, it unfolds spontaneously with all the instrumental solos being examples of compostion on the fly.
Bulgarian-born pianist Milcho Leviev eloquently demonstrated these and other tenents of the music in his appearance at the Jazz Hall in Santa Barbara, California. Along with Carl Vincent, a young lion of the acoustic bass, and Mel Lee, a tasteful drummer with has been justifiably in demand in Jazz circle for thirty years, Milcho held the crowd enthralled through three sets.
The conservatory-trained Leviev is undeniably a virtuouso, a complete master of his insturment and of the music. The freedom to create and interpret in the moment that this technical mastery gives him is immediately evident. Regardless of how complex his flights of fancy become, he never violates the overall structural integrity of a piece--the rhythm and melody are always somewhere near at hand.
Jazz compostions are often consturcted on the most sophisticated chordal and harmonic concepts, hence the term serious music. However, the essence of Jazz is in the moment of performance. And although Leviev's trio had never played together before and operated without charts, they demonstrated that Jazz is overwhelmingly a music of directness, intelligence, and humor, based on the interplay of musicians who listen to each other intently and somehow know what's coming. To illustrate this point, Leviev told the audience an anecdote about Jelly Roll Morton, the completely unschooled ragtime pianist. The story goes that, when he saw the written arrangements his associates intended to use on a gig, Jelly Roll scornfully commented, "that ain't no music. Heck, it tells you what to do next."
the pianist drew the listeners into his process, explaining for example how, on a tune that Mel Lee hadn't heard, Leviev would establish the melody and Carl Vincent would take the first solo chorus so that the drummer would be up to speed before the ensemble playing began.
the deference to this being the trio's first outing together, the evening's repertoire consisted of more standards than originals. Leviev showed himself to be equally at home withballads, up-tempo tunes, and neoclassical compositions. The room rang with swing, bebop, cool Jazz and bossa nova rhythms.
Leviev feels strongingly about the freedom of expression and creativity inherent in Jazz. In his native Bulgaria, Jazz was considered by the government to be reactionary, decadent music, and significant restrictions were placed on his playing it. Leviev sees Jazz as a truly democratic music and believes that the performance of each piece should be a lesson in breaking boundaries. From beginning to end, the show was a demonstration of the spirit and beauty of Jazz and of Leviev's personal energy. A member of the audience put it perfectly when he remarked to me as he was leaving, "This has been an experience of pure joy!"
	by Stanley Naftaly

Fifth Annual Berkeley Harmonica Blow Out
For the last five years, East Bay harmonica ace Mark Hummel has produced on the best harp showcase events in the San Francisco Bay Are, the Harmonica Blow Out. Held in the funky elegance of Ashkenaz in Berkeley, which offers a warm sound and a wood dance floor, the nearly sold-out event offered a close look at a wide variety of harp styles while never losing the groove.




The show started with Oakland-based Paris Slim (frank Goldwasser), who is usually seen in these parts as a searing blues guitarist. In fact, this was his first harp-only appearance, and he blew effectively and convincingly on the short set of Chicago-influenced and Junior Parker tunes. His singing, as always, was right on target. Godwasser has developed a big tone with good vibrato, which was actually much cleaner than that of the next performer, Dave Wellhausen.








Tone is the trademark of all harp players, and the combination of mike, amp, vibrato (both human and amp-supplied tremolo), and blowing technique really gives you your sound. While a solid player, Wellhausen seemed to overdrive his amp to the point of fuzzy distortion. Some distortion, especially on the low end, is desirable, but in this case the sound was thick, and it was difficult to make out some of the notes. Still, Dave knows how to play, and his work on the more difficult chromatic harp was done very well. He drew from the Billy Boy Arnold book, and he wailed on "Scratch It Back and Hold It" by Junior Wells.
Next. Mark Hummel took over and wailed with his band, the Blues Survivors, which provided backup for all the plyers. With his own cats, Mark could really stretch and find the grooves, picking up the tempo and the crowd. Over the twenty-odd years Hummel has been in the Bay Area, he has steadily improved and always employed top-rated musicians who know how to stay in the pocket. (The lineup currently is Rusty Zinn, guitar; randy Bermudis, bass; and drummer Jim Overton.) At one point Mark used his wireless mike to wander into the crowd and almost out to the street while wailing on "Willie and the Hand Jive," standing on tables and getting up close and personal with several patrons. As true as any swing band, the group covered Count Basie's "One O'Clock Jump" and big-beat tunes for Gatemouth Brown and Mr. Hummel himself. This was really the tightest set of the night, and it gave Rusty a chance to take a few extended solos.
The next act, Johnny Dyer, came up from Mississippi by way of L.A. but seemed lost once he hit the stage. As he slowly found the right groove with the Blues survivors, he loosened up and sang and played a decidedly Chicago/Muddy Waters--type set, including "Got My Mojo Workin'" and "Hoochie-Coochie Man" with Hummel on second harp. Guitarist Steve Freund also joined in the blues party as Rusty took a break.
After another short break, the man I came to see ambled out to the stage. Paul deLay, down from Portland, lived up to his legend in the harp world. I had seen him a few times while living in Oregon, but after I moved here, Paul moved into state prison for a few years, so it was especially good to see him again after all these years. He was better than I remembered, although one really needs to see Paul with his own band to take his full measure. Still, he held forth with a wonderful display of technical ability, great tone, Nick Gravanites--like singing, and a big, swinging feel. But when he started wailing with his chromatic harp, I'm sure all the harp players in the house were locked in to his sound. With Jazz-influenced lines and good breath control, Paul stood out as an original and swinging voice. Those who stayed for this last set were really treated, and this writer (yes, a harp player too) hopes Mr. deLay will visit the Bay Area with his band in the near future.
The Blow Out ended in the traditional jam, where all the players tade four bars in a friendly cutting session. Writer/harp player Winslow Yerxa joined in the fun, and the evening ended after four hours of what the blues is all about.
	by Michael Handler (aka Harmonica Mike)

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