Submitted by Al Kanovsky 08/07/14
...shall I go tonight? Wednesday evening provided the dilemma I
fear most. Who and where. Two choices, Ian (little JAZZ) Munoz, just turned 12 and
leading the Jam at The Fish House in Kendall or Danny Burger's Showcase
featuring Jesse Jones Jr. who is !# years old at BJBs in Ft.
Lauderdale?
I love the kid and admire his talent. I love Jr. and he never disappoints. The ugly head of fuel costs played a role in my decision making. I was down to 1/8 of a tank. Ft. Lauderdale would forestall a visit to the Mobil station. note to Jesse: you won by default.
In the end it turned out well. Good
friends and even betterer JAZZ. Friends first. Isabel and brother Jim,
Stan, Babette arrived late, Holly Spillane and Eddy 'El Gato Fresca' Balzola
with their grandson Alex, Donna Blue and Lindsay Blair. There were a couple of
ladies whose names I will mention later 'cause I know you want to know about
the music and not my personal life----life? With Danny (drums) are Brian
Murphy (piano) and Paul Shewchuk (bass). Jesse is in a fun mood and opens
with "Chain Gang". He sings the opening lines through his alto sax.
It is interesting listening and when he continues playing the rest of the
guys catch his happiness and we are off to an evening of good JAZZ and great
listening. The tune ends with everyone trading 8s with Danny and the audience
clappin' and tappin'. They follow with a Coletrane melody whose title I should
know but don't. It doesn' matter. Jesse plays a solo that no one, but he, can.
Jr. turns toward me and announces he is dedicating the next tune to me. I am
truly honored.
The song is "Stars Fell On Alabama". Jesse's solos on
this number contain intricate melodic patterns and Paul delivers a very
romantic bass solo. It is only a little later that Jesse and I realize the
tune dedicated to me was so approriately titled. "Al abama".
On alto Jesse plays an arpeggio suitable for any symphonic musician and then blasts off with "Sister Sadie". There are some members of a dance club called 'Swing Out South Florida' in the audience and the jitterbugs take full advantage of Lindy rhythms. Danny picks up on that 40's groove and pushes the dancers to greater step heights. Everything calms down with Jesse playing flute on the tune "Imagination". I think the flute is the only instrument that can deliver true trills. With Danny backing on brushes it becomes a softer evening. I have yet to listen to Jesse when he doesn't do Horace Silver's "Song For My Father". It's an interesting song and Jesse closes it out with one of his "only Jesse can" scats. They conclude the set with "Black Nile" and the jitterbugs back on the floor. The kids are putting on quite a show. The song ends with Danny and Paul trading 4's that have me leaning forward to hear every note and beat. The 2d set starts with a tune whose title is unknown to me but gets the audience back in 'listening' mode. They follow with a very warm "Harlem Nocturne" and you can hear a pin drop---almost---. "Belle Se Va" is as close as I can get to the next title and is followed by "Soul Serenade" with Jesse doing his inimitable scat lines and the jitterbugs back on the floor.
Brian's solo includes every
style of piano-play from barrel house to honky-tonk to after hours and
straight ahead JAZZ. Brian'2 brains' Murphy is a treat. Bud Powell wrote
"Down With It". The tune is 100%, pure, unadulterated be-bop. I think
Jesse was weaned on tunes like this. Triplets, flatted 5ths, short and then
endless phrases. Do you dig it. A couple gets up and attempts to dance to
the song. No way. Back in the early bop era, solo dancers would attempt to
interpret with dance steps. It was the earliest version of what is known today
as 'break'. Paul closes out the tune with what I can only describe as a 5 star
solo.
From the future to the past. Hoagy Carmichael's "Stardust" is as
romantic as anything can be done musically. The lyric closes with "the
memory of loves refrain". That line never leaves anyone that has ever been
in love. The set ends with Jesse humming through the horn and Danny blowing up
the kit when they do the traditional set closer "Caravan" ohhhh
Danny!
You want to open a set and grab the audience. Play "The
Chicken" in a booty shaking tempo. Brian falls into a full 'funk' mood and
Paul is not far behind. Staying with the moment they do "Hard
Times". During this tune I notice a young lady --- in reality I notice a
pair of legs belonging to a lady, standing a short distance away. As I
scan from ankles to calves to knees to thighs, I arrive at the hemline of a
basic black. I continue north to her face. I thought the legs were
something-----wow, this is a punim (yiddish for face). Later on, being shy as I
am I asked her name. Christine Thomas, a noted ballerina and Steve's (lead
bartender) girl friend. "Into each life some rain must fall".
Never the mind I make a quick recovery in time to ask another lovely young lady
to dance. She is agreeable and I have made another new friend. Her name is
Sheri Lang and she is the President of a company known as Sheri's Organizing
Solutions. I don't remember ever dancing with a President before and I
certainly need help in getting organized. Her card had her # and e-mail.
Organize my closets, dinner dates, doctor's appointments, tool
chest --- "on and on, on and on". The tune we danced to was
"Filthy, McNasty". I swear I was clean and behaved nicely.
The two
ladies had me in such a state I paid no attention to the last
song --- nitey-nite y'all.
Al's Disclaimer:
A short note: The reason I write this is because I love music and words. I do not book acts. I do not promote acts. I do not accept invitations to review artists. I go to venues of my own choice. When and where is not influenced by anything other than who I would like to hear that night or day. If I don't like what I hear, I won't write about it. When I like it I let you all know. I never mention a name without asking permission. "Pardon me, Miss. Would you like to dance?" 
~ ~ ~
Posted by Jazz & Blues Florida
Please visit http://www.jazzbluesflorida.com to see the scene.
Or, just email me at Charlie@JazzBluesFlorida.com to sign up to have
And, if you like what you see here, please HIT THAT FACEBOOK SHARE BUTTON below!
Thanks!
Did you know that as Florida
We have the only monthly publication dedicated to previews of upcoming jazz and blues shows in Florida at www.JazzBluesFlorida.com ?
We have the most comprehensive festival page for Florida jazz & blues at www.JazzBluesFlorida.com/Festivals ?
We have the most complete listing of Florida
We have the most comprehensive and active news blog for Florida
We have the most complete and current listing of Florida
No comments :
Post a Comment