Kevin Danenberg's blog

Last week, while browsing at the Lincoln Triangle Barnes & Noble, I noticed that Bill Frisell was scheduled for an appearance on Monday, August 30th. While in town for his annual two-week Village Vanguard gig with Paul Motian and Joe Lovano, Frisell is promoting his new Beautiful Dreamers CD. I couldn't pass up an opportunity to see Bill Frisell for free!

Events at Lincoln Triangle are held in a large, glass-walled room on the third floor. When I arrived a half hour before the 5pm appearance, the first two rows were already occupied by eager fans, but most of the space was empty. Frisell's guitar sat quietly upon a chair on a slightly raised stage, plugged into an amp and a few effects pedals. During the next few minutes, the room filled quickly to capacity. I had arrived just in time to get a prime seat. By the time Frisell took the stage, there was standing room only. He expressed pleasant surprise over the turnout, and was warmly appreciative.Read more

Seventeen years have passed since I first heard Wayne Escoffery play saxophone in the halls of the Hartt School in West Hartford, CT. Wayne and fellow freshman Jimmy Greene were quickly dubbed the "Twin Towers" in Hartt's jazz program headed by the legendary Jackie McLean. The nickname wasn't merely an obvious reference to their physical stature, but a nod to their seeming inseparability as they dedicated themselves to jazz mastery, propelling themselves forward like cycling teammates drafting in a Grand Tour.

Since the Hartt years, Wayne has followed his own course with unwavering resolution. Through college and beyond, he led a weekly jam session for six years at Rudy's in New Haven, CT, with the finest local musicians. These were intense, serious sessions, each a master class in and of itself. I distinctly recall one Rudy's session including prodigal drummer Jim Oblon that particularly showcased Wayne's steep trajectory. The lesson that night was clear. There's no better way to improve at jazz than sheer dedication and immersion.Read more

When listening to my own music collection, I tend to put something on that I like and then listen to it repeatedly all day.  This immersion is a nice to really absorb every bit of an album, but it's not a good way to discover new music!

Last night, I tuned to WBGO via online streaming to hear some jazz I hadn't heard before.  It's really nice having a professional DJ serving up fresh material for you.

I heard one track that really blew my mind.  Listening on the radio is kind of like Downbeat Magazine's famous "Blindfold Test" column.  It's fun to try to figure out who you're listening to.  In this case, I was stumped.  It turned out to be Joanne Brackeen performing "Picasso" on her out-of-print CD Power Talk with Ira Coleman and Tony Reedus.  Well, I just ordered it.  Suffice it to say I'm a Joanne Brackeen fan now.

I'm listening right now to one of my favorite tracks in my entire collection. I'm serious! I absolutely love this track. It's Warne Marsh's version of "God Bless the Child" from The Unissued 1975 Copenhagen Studio Recordings.

I first learned of Warne Marsh back in 1996 from saxophonist Mark Turner. I ran into Mark, oddly enough, in the laundromat in my old neighborhood in Brooklyn. When speaking of musical influences, Mark adamantly recommended that I check out Warne Marsh. I did.

For some reason, I am more drawn to Marsh's solo efforts than his groundbreaking work with altoist Lee Konitz. I love that stuff, too. My mind or ear or whatever probably just doesn't wrap around it the same way. (It took me years before Charle Mingus really clicked for me, as shocking as that may seem by how down-to-earth and accessible Mingus is...) But jazz is huge, and each person is naturally going to be drawn to certain albums or artists first, and eventually make their rounds digging deeper into the rest of the anthology. The The Unissued 1975 Copenhagen Studio Recordings is one album for me that immediately resonated.Read more

Name one jazz master who died penniless and obscure. By virtue of the latter qualifier, this challenge is best fielded by jazz musicians and fans. Unfortunately, the list is a long one. The first musician who comes to my mind is the late Hank Mobley, whose greatness is belied by the lack of recognition he received during his lifetime. Nowadays, no self-respecting student of tenor would overlook Mobley's body of work. His relaxed mastery of the bebop language, his prolific composition, his recorded legacy as a leader and a sideman (including Soul Station, which is on many fans' "desert island" list), are collectively a hoard of wealth to jazz culture. Hank died penniless in 1986 at the age of 55.

Throughout history, jazz greats and lesser known working jazz musicians have struggled with a similar plight. Earning a living performing jazz music (which, although adored by many, has rarely seen commercial success) is incredibly difficult, perhaps impossible to all but a lucky few or those resourceful enough to cross over into more lucrative arts.

A resolution passed by Congress in 1987 declared jazz a national treasure. I've excerpted some key points below, but do read the full text, as it rather succint and eloquent in its entirety:Read more

I just stumbled across an excellent article by Desiree Quinones-Terrence entitled New York Jazz Clubs Balancing for Art and Tourism. This is a very clear overview of the challenges faced by New York jazz clubs, and the article touches on some of my favorite venues present and past.

The author makes the case that in order to survive high rent and low turnout, jazz clubs have had to either cater to tourist audiences or go out of business. Indirectly, she suggests the integral nature of jazz clubs to New York City culture, and how economic challenges have diminished the vitality of the scene for local musicians and audiences. It's a reality we jazz musicians face, and it's interesting to take a glance at the economic realities from the club owners' perspective.Read more

My friend Eila Kaarresalo-Kasari, a reknown Finnish jazz journalist, invited me to "The Happening 2010" at Saint Peter's Church, presented by Reggie Workman's Sculptured Sounds last Friday January 8th.  Eila and her husband Heikki visit New York City for several months every winter to experience modern jazz from its source.  Friday's concert, with the legendary bassist Reggie Workman officiating, was a terrific way to kick off the year.

Some breathtaking examples of Richard Conde's jazz photography was on display in beautiful 13"x19" archival prints.  He was also in the house documenting the event.  As a photographer myself, I was particularly impressed by his talent for not only rendering the performer in exquisite detail, but capturing the essence of the music and the moment.  Check out his work.  It just doesn't stop!

The warmup act was vocalist Francina Connors with Ethan Mann (guitar), Leopoldo Fleming (percussion), and Reggie Workman (bass).  Fleming's sparse percussion of various hand drums, triangles, and chimes left Connors' beautiful voice wonderfully exposed in the reverberant sanctuary of Saint Peter's.  Workman and Mann accompanied with tasteful reservation for what was a perfect beginning.Read more

Hello, 2010!  I have a feeling you're going to be a very good year.  I need to do more as a jazz musician this year.  The last several years have kept me busy outside of music, which has been good in a lot of ways, but there's no reason to lose touch with music.  So I've come up with a list of things I can do to keep jazz in my life and balanced with everything else I'm trying to accomplish.Read more

We're ready to start blogging with a small group of contributors to get Jazz Commons running smoothly!  I'm very excited to create a place where jazz musicians can write about the music they love and share their experiences as an artist.  My vision for Jazz Commons is to provide a gathering where performers and fans interact in a way that benefits the jazz community.  The blog will focus primarily on life in the New York jazz scene, drawing mainly from a select group of contemporary performers who love to write and share their knowledge.  Later, we'll open a Jazz Commons forum that will let a wide audience participate in a variety of discussions.Read more