HOLLYWOOD BOWL HAS IT’S SUMMER JAZZ SCHEDULE OUT! DEE DEE BRIDGEWATER, LEE RITENOUR, PATTI AUSTIN AND HERBIE HANCOCK ARE JUST A FEW OF THE ARTISTS COMING THIS SUMMER-CHECK OUT THE DETAILS IN THE “HEADS UP” SECTION ON THE LEFT

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RED MEAT FOR HARD BOP FANS!!!

If your idea of jazz is the sound of Blue Note albums by Art Blakey and Horace Silver, this release by trumpeter Paul Ayick is a hint of heaven. He leads a quintet that has the classic small group hard bop sound,  yet is as fresh as the air after a rain. He’s got the swagger like Lee Morgan, and his tenor player “Phil” Ramonov sounds like he could fill a room. Tunes like “War Dance” and “Indecision” are as crisp and sharp as an Armani suit, and the rhythm team is as air tight as as the Trammell-Whitaker infield. The solos are lyrical, dynamic and never meander. This is the type of disc that will get you excited about jazz again. My review of it is posted here in the site; check it out. Look for the disc “For G.A.”  at www.paulayickvintagebrass.com

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Match the pictures on the right with the upcoming shows in the “Heads Up” section…

MONEY HONEY!

Yes, April has the month known as Tax Day. April 15th reminds us that it’s time to “render unto Caesar that which is Caesars.” What makes it all apropos is that April is also the month celebrating the Jewish Passover, when God allowed His children to leave slavery in Egypt to cross the Red Sea into the promised land. The connection between the two is that the Jews in Egypt considered themselves slaves because they were taxed 20%. MAY GOD MAKE ME A SLAVE THAT IS TAXED THAT MUCH!!

So, this month is dedicated to the issue of money. Yes, we all need money. Do you really want the barter system? If you were a musician, what do you do? Play 12 bars for a coke, a whole song for a dinner, and a suite for a pair of shoes? No, money is practical because it is divisible, transportable, universally accepted and able to be stored. The balance is to make money our servant, and not our master. The Bible says that it is not money that is the root of all evil, but the love of it (1 Timothy 6:10).

Songs have been written about it since time began. Every musician has been motivated by it, to either pay an old bill, buy something for a loved one, or pay the rent. In fact, back in the Depression, musicians would get together in someone’s apartment and jam in order to bring people together to listen to music and then pass the hat around to pay the rent for a friend. These “Rent Parties” were the workshops for the likes of Duke Ellington, Willie “The Lion” Smith and Meade Lux Lewis.

My sax teacher, Vince Trombetta, used to tell me that when you buy that concert ticket, you’re not just paying for the 1 1/2 show, but for the multiple hours that those artists have been practicing. We need to value the talents of musician, and be willing to pay for it. We need to pay for it, as well as sponsor the artists, as government subsidized musicians then have to please the state. Don’t have a problem with that? Ask Prokofiev and Shostakovich, who were neutered once the government strangled their creativity.

Also, as long as we’re talking about money, NEVER criticize an artist for being commercially successful. What’s wrong with making a buck? Artists ranging from Nat King Cole and Wes Montgomery to George Benson  have been ripped for “selling out” for the almighty dollar. Gimme a break. OK, you can attack Kenny G (or “K Gorelick” as we call him here) but not because of his money or hair style; it’s because he’s the background for having my wisdom teeth extracted. Remember that the success of artist like Norah Jones and Diana Krall makes labels like Blue Note and Verve able to have enough money to subsidize the meager sells of Joe Lovano and Ambrose Akinmusire. Back in the Swing Era, Big Bands included vocalists in order to attract enough fans to pay the bills for the instrumentals. As Artie Shaw would say about his songs, “4 bars are for the agents, 4 bars are for the lawyers, 4 bars are for the fans, and 4 bars are for the band.” If you don’t make money, no one is going to be able to hear you.

The Bible also says “The Lord loves a joyful giver.” So, be glad you can go out and pay an artist. Where else can you show up an hour before a concert and still be able to get a front row seat? That’s the beauty of places like The Blue Whale, Vitellos, and gigs sponsored by the Jazz Bakery. Keep paying for the privilege!

Please contact us-here are some recent emails…

Dear Jazz Weekly:

Found your blog from a review of George Kahns’s music.  The writing

Bob Effros performed w/Armstrong, Cugat,Biderbecke, Goodman and many Big

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George-

Great article on Johnny Rivers I had no idea of his blues/rock history and that he started at the Whisky a Go Go.

Give Johnny my regards and thanks for his musical vision. “I always take my wallet on stage, but usually there isn’t anything in it.”

I bet he get a kick out of the Blue Project.

http://theblueproject.bandcamp.com

Love your Jazz Weekly man… great stuff and I love your writting style it swings.

Best,

Danny

Greetings to all..wow..I am so thrilled to read such a wonderful review of my latest CD A Warm Embrace. I am truly appreciative that my music inspires you to write such positive comments. I feel that you are truly speaking from your heart and soul. I applaud you and I thank you from my heart and soul! God Bless–T.K.Blue