Ahmad Jamal

“There is good and bad in every area of expertise,” so says Ahmad Jamal, one of our American treasures. He is an extraordinary piano player whose recordings have been enjoyed the world over for over fifty years.

Born in 1930 as Frederick Russell Jones, he converted to Islam in the early fifties, changing his name. His choice of style is distinctive. When you listen to plenty of jazz, you begin to recognize various artists’ styles as you would the voices of singers. Jamal has a style that invokes a mood that is identifiable as him alone.

I have written before about the website “All About Jazz”. Recently, I have found they have long form podcasts available. These usually consist of clips of radio broadcast interviews with various artists. Chris Comer, a host on WAIF in Cincinnati, did such an interview last fall before Jamal visited the city for a concert.

When Comer asked him his thoughts on the current state of music, and specifically the hip-hop sound, Jamal replied, “There is good and bad in hip-hop. There is good and bad in rap. There is good and bad in opera. There is good and bad in every genre, and in so-called jazz. The European body of classical, there is good and bad. Some of it is very boring and some of it is very stimulating.”

The interview is worth listening to, not only to hear the thoughts and ideas of a man who is older in number of years, but very young of heart, but to hear his thoughts on life. Jamal is clear that “ranking” is poor for the soul. As a country, we spend too much time considering which song, movie, etc. is the best. We need to adopt an attitude that art is what it is. Some will enjoy it. Others will not.

I enjoyed Ahmad Jamal when I played his records on the radio. His music is universally today. If you have the time, check out the interview and search your local music store. You will not be disappointed.

Thank you for reading. We will talk again soon.

In Memory of Paul Denault

Growing up in the seventies and eighties, I had some strange tastes in music. I started out listening to the Temptations and Don McLean, but eventually gravitated from listening to WLS-AM in Chicago to WGN-AM.

WGN was not the all-talk station it is today, but it did its fair amount of talk. Wally Phillips, Roy Leonard and Bob Collins were entertaining, with occasional music. All my heroes of that time are either retired or have passed away.

We have lost another of my heroes in the personage of Paul Denault, known on radio as Paul Rogers. Many people reading this will not know the name, but some may remember the voice. For years, Paul was heard nationally saying things like “You’re in good hands…with Allstate,” and “G. Heileman Brewing Company, LaCrosse, Wisconsin.”

Denault had a voice I envied. I spent ten years in radio and was frequently complimented on my voice. Still, my voice was never of the timbre and quality of a Denault. For me, it was the old saw that it wasn’t “the size, but what you do with it.” Denault had both the size and the knowledge to forge a wonderful career as a voice artist.

Late at night, I would go to sleep listening to “Great Music from Chicago” on WGN. It was a program of easy listening music. There would be jazz in the form of Oscar Peterson and Count Basie, with singers Perry Como and Barbara Streisand in the mix.

I remember when he had a friendly, long running feud with announcer Bob Collins, whose musical tastes ran more toward Loudon Wainwright III’s “Dead Skunk”. You could tell Denault didn’t take himself too seriously. He was not a pompous windbag who only appreciated a finer form of entertainment. He was a working man, honing his craft and working well with others.

I have missed listening to Denault for years now. He left WGN when they banned music back in the late eighties or early nineties for an all-talk format. I understand he worked at another Chicago station for awhile after leaving WGN, but they did not reach us this far south.

I never achieved my goal of growing up to be Paul Rogers. I tried during my time at a small market station that played a similar format. The sad truth is that the retirement of Denault marked the end of a certain era that people like Garrison Keillor wink at when doing “Prairie Home Companion”. It was an era where you let the music be important and you simply served as a conduit for presenting “great music” to the listener.

My sympathies to the family of Denault. He brought many treasures to my life and to the lives of many others. He will forever be remembered.

DJS: Paul Keller and Jesse Palter

Today is Super Bowl Sunday. Bears fans and Colts fans, and football fans in general, will be gathering in their favorite places all day long to prepare for the beating the Bears will provide to the Colts.

At least, that is what I expect will happen when the dust clears. Bears by ten.

Of course, I am not a great student of football. For me, football is a mild pastime. I prefer baseball or listening to jazz. For me, the Super Bowl winners of jazz are the people behind “Detroit JazzStage”.

The most recent holidays provided a couple nuggets of joy from Detroit. First, DJS has developed a new program concept they call “DJS Jazz Spotlight”. The initial outing brings attention to twenty-one year old Jesse Palter and her new song “Lovesick”.

“Lovesick” is a song she co-wrote and is included in her CD “Beginning to See the Light”. During the podcast, Palter freely talks about the song and CD and the inspiration behind her work. For someone so young, she has a mix of intelligence and youth that is very appealing.

The song “Lovesick” has crossover appeal. It is very much a jazz song, but I believe it would appeal to R&B and rock audiences as well. She attributes Stevie Wonder’s music as inspiration and it is truly felt in Mike Jellick’s keyboards. She may say, “I don’t need a remedy, just steal the thoughts of you from me,” but the feelings of joy and love she feels are clear. The scat she provides leaves me remembering Minnie Riperton, which contrary to some opinions, is not a bad thing.

The song may be “Lovesick”, but the feeling is a happy one. I hope we will hear more from this young talent. To hear the podcast, click the “Detroit JazzStage” link to the left. The program is shorter than a regular JazzStage offering, clocking at just under ten minutes. It is a perfect length for those of us with short commutes. Palter’s CD can be found at http://cdbaby.com/cd/palter.

The DJS crew then followed this up with a forty minute podcast featuring a live performance by the Paul Keller Ensemble. I have listened to this one more than any other DJS podcast they have produced to date. Keller’s song “NTK” is a big reason why. This is a joyful romp which is great morning listening to get your day started right.

Keller, a University of Michigan professor, removes crass commercialism and embraces what good jazz truly is. He understands the history of jazz and is not afraid to attempt to bring what he has learned to original compositions. Hopefully, one of Michigan’s best kept secrets is ready to be exposed.

“Detroit JazzStage” continues to live up to my previous statements that it is the most professional and enjoyable podcast being produced to date. If you haven’t taken the time yet, to coin a phrase: “What are you waiting for?” Click on the link provided and download the “Paul Keller Ensemble recorded at Live at the Max”, and “DJS Jazz Spotlight featuring vocalist Jesse Palter”. You will not be disappointed.

All About Jazz

If you read this blog much at all, you already know that I enjoy jazz. I have written plenty about "Detroit JazzStage" (which has a new podcast available; take a listen when you get a chance) and other favorites. This summer I found a website that is in a truly elite class.

www.allaboutjazz.com is about jazz. Mostly it is about contemporary jazz. If you prefer Benny Goodman, Glenn Miller or even Miles Davis and Dizzy Gillespie, you won't find a lot here. What you will find are the people and places that are making jazz alive today.

When you visit the webisite look over on the right hand side for the "Daily Download". Here you can sample cuts from cd's that are available from some of the brightest artists performing today. They aren't always hot, never-before-heard artists, but you will hear seasoned pros such as Dr. John and Randy Brecker.

What I especially like about the "Daily Download" is that it has such a variety of sounds. I don't choose to download more than one or two per week, but it really gives you a taste of who is performing and what to be watching for in the future.

There are notices of upcoming performances throughout the U.S. There are jazz videos (rock music doesn't hold a monopoly on music videos), music reviews and more.

Sure, it is pretty commercial, but if you give it a chance, and you really love jazz, you can find a lot here you won't find elsewhere.

Odds and Ends: LCS, JazzStage and other Podcasts

*** I was out of town Wednesday night, so I watched the finale of “Last Comic Standing” Friday night. I was pleasantly pleased.

First, Anthony Clark was more nervous than he has been, mispronouncing names and words. I may not be able to do a better job, but I bet others could. My vote for next year goes to the very funny John Heffron or the previously mentioned Kathy Griffin. Both could add a lot of spin to the show.

Josh Blue may not have been the “funniest” comic, but he is fun to watch. I hope he has a long successfully career. Ty Barnett had a very funny set Wednesday and I have high hopes for this young Chicago comic. Overall, this year’s program rivaled year two. Let’s hope for an even more improved year five!

***Rodney and Jim have a new “Detroit JazzStage” podcast available and it is another winner.

The spotlight this month is on the amazing Tumbao Bravo. Jim and Rodney visit with band leaders Alberto Nacif and Paul Vornhagen. Both men have spent years in the Detroit area and the performances showcased here are exceptional.

As great as the music is, the interviews truly make the program. I always come away with a new perspective. This month, listen for the discussion of the description “Latin” music.

Trumpeter Mark Byerly, an important member of the JazzStage team, dedicated to the fine piano musician Hilton Ruiz. Visit the JazzStage website and click the link to learn more about this exceptional musician who left us way too soon this past June.

***I am looking forward to sharing some new podcasts with you. Each week I am scouting for new, original podcasts of any variety.

Although I have already shared my interest in television rebroadcasts of political programs (Face The Nation, C-SPAN’s Q&A, etc.), and radio rebroadcasts (KCRW's LeShow, BookWorm, etc.), in my view, what really makes a good podcast is something original.

My enjoyment of music has encouraged me to scout around music programs, but many are either disk jockey shows, or individuals spouting opinions (Like me with my blog. How ironic!). Whether you are talking about a movie, television show, political speech, song or podcast, the measure of any such a production is what it leaves with you when it is finished.

Sometimes you are left with a motive to pursue an agenda. Sometimes you are left remembering something good from your past. Other times you are simply left with a smile.

Any way you slice it, a successful program leaves you thinking. I have found a few programs that do just that and am looking forward to share some of those in the near future.

If you have a favorite podcast, please leave a comment or email me at the link to the left.

Phil Lasley and Detroit JazzStage

With the invention of the I-Pod and other MP3 devices, you can listen to music virtually anytime and anywhere. Music, even more than sports, has thrived through the ages. From Saint Ambrose (339) to J.S. Bach (1685), Haydn (1732) to Liszt (1811), Ellington (1899), Kenny Rogers (1938) and Ludacris (1977), music has been a popular pastime for literally everyone.

Styles change, but people love music. My favorite people are ones who appreciate many styles of music. I have written before about having a respect for country music although I do not go searching through those bins at Borders. Those who love to listen to Garth Brooks may not include Spyro Gyra or George Benson in their collections.

Phil Lasley has been playing the saxophone for years. When he was unable to earn money playing jazz in New York, he found work playing rhythm and blues, including playing with perfomers like Otis Redding and Jerry Butler.

Finally, he left New York and returned to his hometown Detroit and returned to playing jazz. Today, he admits that he is influenced by all types of music and plays a style of jazz often described as “Avant Garde”.

Detroit JazzStage, one of the best music podcasts available (look for the link to the left), presents the fascinating sounds and stories of Phil Lasley. To hear him talk about the music and the road that wound its way around to this moment is incredible. The music itself is sensational.

When interviewer Jim Gallert asks where he finds his inspiration, Laskey quietly pauses to say, “Sometimes you can wake up with a melody in your head and you can write something really nice in about ten or fifteen minutes. Then other times you’ll get bits and pieces which drives you nuts. You can never get it in its entirety or in its completion. It might take a month before you can finish it…or even longer.”

Thank goodness Lasley allows inspiration to take him where it leads. Music such as “Jasi” and Nkenge’s Blues” have such beauty. These two songs feature New York pianist John Hicks and my favorite living bassist (not yet succeeding Ray Brown, but coming close) Rodney Whitaker. JazzStage adds these to a more recent effort titled “The Lincoln Street Music Company”. This compilation takes jazz in many pleasing directions. “Dorian”, written by drummer Danny Spencer, is especially worth listening to more than once.

Detroit JazzStage packages us these songs and more in a pleasant hour long program. Visit the website and download this most recent offering. While you are there (here’s a quick unpaid commercial message), click on the icon promoting the Detroit International JazzFest 2006 coming up Labor Day weekend. Offering fantastic jazz performers such as Taj Mahal, Buckwheat Zydeco, Ahmad Jamal, Diane Schuur and Rodney Whitaker, the lineup for the holiday weekend is “killer”.

I am most excited to hear that Sergio Mendes and the Brazil 2006 will be there on Sunday. If you haven’t heard any of the Sergio Mendes bands, you are in for a treat. If you remember the Brazil ’66 and ’77 and other bands through the years, you know to expect a joyous spectacle.

Detroit is a great town for jazz the other fifty-one weekends of the year. On Labor Day, however, Detroit will be offering “Music On All Cylinders”. Check it out!

(Sorry, my old radio commercial writing habits sometimes leak out. Still, it sounds like the weekend is going to be "the bomb"!)

Odds & Ends: JazzStage, LCS and more

There are some random thoughts I would like to share with you…

Detroit JazzStage has a new podcast available! Tuesday this week they unleashed an hour-long broadcast with veteran sax player Phil Lasley! I will be listening this weekend and offer a full report next week.

If you have not visited the Detroit JazzStage website yet, you really must. In addition to a discussion about each show there are some valuable links. Check out the website for the upcoming Detroit International Jazz Festival coming up Labor Day weekend. Also, they have a link for the “Jazz Podcast Network”. This includes links to jazz music podcasts from Seattle, Portland and Orange County, California. I cannot wait to carve some time into my schedule to check them all out.

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Recently, I wrote about the NBC program “Last Comic Standing” (hereafter referred to as “LCS”). I both praised the show’s producers for offering viewers a chance to vote for eliminated comics online, and complained that I did not understand the purpose or goal of the voting.

After further investigation, the website states that two of the eliminated comics will battle head-to-head during the finale. So, while we are watching twelve (now ten) comics fight for the title of Last Comic over the course of the next few weeks, those who visit the LCS website will be accessing and voting for their favorites among those comics no longer participating.

It will be interesting to see if they allow back in comics dropped from the show, such as Stella and April Macy. I doubt it, but we will see. Either way, the public will vote to have two eliminated comics come back on the final show to compete against each other (not the comics on the program each week). It is a great idea and I hope the finale has a great turnout!

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At the ABC News website, under the heading “Technology and Science”, there is a discussion on network neutrality titled “Network Neutrality 101”. The article is pretty neutral on the subject so if you are unfamiliar with the subject, take a quick glance. It does not take long to read. This post is probably longer. Check the website, http://abcnews.go.com/Technology/story?id=2108558&page=1.

If you are familiar with network neutrality and understand how damaging it can be to the freedoms of web surfers, contact the senators in your area. There is a link to the left. Let them know how you feel. Your opinion does count!

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The Cubs lost again last night. Rookie Carlos Marmol looks like he has promise, but this does not look like the Cubs year. If Wood and Prior can come back, Zambrano and Marshall can continue to pitch well and someone like Marmol or Hill can step up, with the improved bullpen headed by Dempster, Eyre and Howry, the Cubs have an excellent chance in 2007. If Hendry can avoid blowing up the team after the disastrous season so far, we can use this year to build the confidence of our young players and score big next year.

Wow. It is still June and I am already saying “Wait until next year”. That is so sad.

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Ozzie Guillen, White Sox manager, has been told to take sensitivity training. Guillen has played and managed for the White Sox for years. Did the tirade on writer Jay Mariotti just take the team by surprise?

There is a fine line between “cute and unique” and “destructive and damaging”. Perhaps Guillen has needed this for a long time.

Final thought on Guillen: Guillen was quoted as using a three-letter word commonly used to describe a male homosexual. After his tirade he stated he did not realize that it was a reference to homosexuality. Considering Guillen’s heritage, I believe this statement. In the British colonies, the word is used to refer to cigarettes. George Carlin, who grew up in New York, has said that, during his growing up, the term meant a “sissy”, but not a homosexual male. It is entirely believable to me that Guillen meant to degrade and foul the name of Jay Mariotti, but not necessarily call him a homosexual male.

Perhaps, upon reflection, this is little consolation.

Marian McPartland's Piano Jazz

Working in radio was an amazing experience for me. I was exposed to different types of music and different artists I never would have listened to otherwise.

The format of our station was called “Middle of the Road”. That meant “inoffensive” music. We played classics hits like Andy Williams’ “Moon River” along side recent (at the time) hits like the Captain and Tennille’s “Love Will Keep Us Together”.

We played artists like Count Basie, Lou Rawls, Johnny Mathis, Willie Nelson and the Magic Organ. I still am not a fan of country music, but I have learned to appreciate the music. I can watch movies like “Walk The Line” and “O Brother Where Out Thou” and really enjoy the music they offer.

During my time on the air I really grew to appreciate jazz. From Dave Grusin and George Benson to Duke Ellington and Stan Getz, the rhythms and beat of jazz music really picks up my spirits. Unfortunately, I live in an area in Illinois that doesn’t have a jazz station within reach of my radio. I can drive twenty miles in nearly any direction and I’ll catch one, but I live in a dead spot.

I’ve mentioned before the fantastic podcast Detroit JazzStage. You can still catch last month’s podcast featuring pianist Rick Roe. Listen carefully to “Hop On Pop” and “Salt River Blues”, both of which include collaborations with bassist Rodney Whitaker. All the music that can be heard on the podcast is fantastic but these selections are standouts.

What I really want to share with you today is the wonderful Marian McPartland. I first heard her music working on radio. I used to play from an album titled “Portrait of Marian McPartland” and a song titled “Spring Can Really Hang You Up The Most”.

Born in 1918, she’s been doing a radio program for NPR called “Piano Jazz” for over twenty-five years. Her program I can find on the University of Illinois’ fine radio station WILL, but its schedule and mine often conflict. Therefore, I have to satisfy myself with the podcasts available called “Piano Jazz Shorts”. They last anywhere from ten to twenty minutes and don’t do justice to the entire one hour program, but as close as they can.

In the coming weeks, you can hear her talk and play the piano with artists like Arturo Sandoval, Elvis Costello and Alicia Keyes. Not only that, they have scheduled a program she did with Clint Eastwood during the 1990s. I remember listening to much of that program when I used have a two hour drive to work each day. I was lucky enough to catch the program on the way home.

This was recorded not long after the movie “Bridges of Madison County” was released. This movie included many jazz selections and the apparently mismatched couple enjoy a fascinating discussion about music.

To the left, you’ll spot a link to “Piano Jazz”. I urge you to search for a station in your area, or at the least, subscribe to the shorter podcast. Either way, you won’t be disappointed.

JazzStage

"All a musician can do is to get closer to the sources of nature, and so feel that he is in communion with the natural laws." -- John Coltrane

"I don't care too much about music. What I like is sounds." -- Dizzy Gillespie

"Don't play what's there, play what's not there." -- Miles Davis

"The true musician is to bring light into people's hearts." -- Bobby McFerrin

Jazz speaks to the whole person. The heart, mind, spirit, senses and soul are all touched by the sound of jazz. Those who publicly state they dislike jazz do not even realize that much of what they listen to is either jazz or jazz influenced.

There are several jazz websites I intend to contribute to my podcast list, but I want to start with Detroit JazzStage for several reasons.

For one thing, it is my favorite jazz podcast. For another, like my blog, it is fairly new. It was started late last year by Dean and Rodney (who keep their last names carefully in the background). Earlier this year, they enlisted Jim Gallert to assist with the interviewing of these great artists.

What I especially appreciate is that they aren't pigeonholed with one specific style of jazz. With Phil Ogilvie's Rhythm Kings, they explored the more traditional jazz sound. With Jazzhead, we heard an interesting style sometimes referred to as "acid jazz".

Most recently, I was knocked out by pianist Buddy Budson who exhibited one of my favorite styles of jazz and also showed us during Gallert's provocative interview that he is a very thoughtful performer and writer.

Personally, I grew to love jazz when I was in the radio business. I was an announcer (I dislike the term "D.J.") who played plenty of Basie, Duke and Goodman as well as Grover Washington, Jr., Ramsey Lewis, Dave Grusin and Spyro Gyra.

I have found through the years that you can appreciate the stylings of the masters without being beholden to them. I love Miles Davis and John Coltrane, but I really enjoy hearing stories about their growth.

Some of the people you will hear on Detroit JazzStage may be newcomers, but you will also hear people who have been playing in national obscurity for years and years. Each one has a fascinating story to tell.

The podcasts are available about once each month. Each one is roughly ninety minutes to two hours in length. Occasionally, they offer a thirty minute or so treat mid-month to whet your appetite for what's to come.

The podcast is getting great press lately, so if you have any sort of interest in jazz, check out the website and download Detroit JazzStage.