Kevin Danenberg's blog

I had a composition lesson yesterday with Darcy James Argue, best known for his grammy-nominated Secret Society steampunk-inspired big band. The lesson was my selected Kickstarter reward for donating to Adam Schatz's Search & Restore project. I'm very grateful to DJA for generously sharing his time and knowledge, so I figured I'd post here about the lesson and his music.

Darcy James Argue – photo by Ben AnamanI've been motivated to start writing music again. I'd like to develop an album's worth of new sextet music and record it, but feel that I need to find a fresh approach composition. It's part of a larger creative exploration I began a few years ago. So when I signed in to donate to Search & Restore, this was a serendipitous opportunity that actually made me laugh out loud.Read more

Watching Clark Terry "mumble" is guaranteed to put you in a good mood. This is his trademark variant of scatting which lets his sense of humor shine through:

Clark Terry is 90 now. He's been doing this for a long time:

Some showmanship aboard the S/S Norway. Love how he plays the flugelhorn upside-down and looks at it like he's trying to figure out what's wrong with it. (And he is a true genius on the flugelhorn — please do take a YouTube excursion through his other videos!)

Here's a great interview that explains the back story. He's got the interviewer in stiches:

That great interview was posted by National Visionary Leadership Project who's mission is to "Ensure that the wisdom of our country's extraordinary African American elders is preserved by and passed on to the young people who will lead us tomorrow." They have 1575 videos posted on their YouTube channel. Incredible work!

And finally, an interesting spinoff featuring master jazz vocalists Jon Hendricks and Gege Telesforo:

I'd just like to take a moment to urge every aspiring musician to spend at least some time each week recording themselves, especially if you do not have much experience in the studio. There's something delightfully humbling about process of recording. Laying down tracks makes you realize you're not as good as you think you are. If you don't record frequently, the red recording button can get in your head and trip you up a bit. Think about how relaxed you are when you're just sitting around shedding.  Soon as the tape is rolling, you've got "okay, this is it..." on your mind, and that can really disrupt any creative flow you may have mustered.  This is especially detrimental to the art of jazz improvisation, which thrives in spontaneity — and collapses when you start thinking too much.

You don't need to use fancy recording gear. A simple cassette recorder can psych you out, especially if you're the kind of person who needs a few takes to record a satisfactory voice greeting on your cellphone. The proliferation of affordable home studio equipment, though, puts within reach the ability to record studio-quality material. Use nicest setup you've got, but remember it's the process rather than the equipment that counts.Read more

Not so long ago, Search and Restore began an ambitious fundraiser to raise $75,000 through Kickstarter. The money will be used next year to document the New York City new jazz scene and build a new online home for the community.

Search and Restore is a 501c3 non-profit organization formed by Adam Schatz to build the jazz audience through amazing concerts and online activity. Part of the goal for next year is to film 208 jazz concerts. Four concerts a week – that's a lot of filming and editing and production work! Money raised will help make that possible, as will a lot of work by talented people dedicated to jazz in the city.

I've already participated in one of Adam's documentaries: a raid on Prospect Park by Stefan Zeniuk's outlandish Baritone Army. Adam spent the entire afternoon running all over Park Slope with us capturing footage. For sure he's serious about his commitment to the jazz scene (even weird crap like this!)Read more

The only documentary film about alto saxophonist and jazz educator Jackie McLean is the fine work Jackie McLean on Mars by Ken Levis, filmed in 1976. I would love to see this reissued, but for now you can watch a low-resolution version on Vimeo.

I hadn't seen this film since Jackie showed it in history class in 1990. I watch it now with a completely different perspective, having seen many changes in the world since then. This film is essentially master class by Jackie McLean in that his teaching was as much about politics, racism, the mainstream media, the plague of drugs, and the education of young people as it was about jazz music itself. Here's a time capsule from the mid-seventies, yet the messages are shockingly relevant today. It's deep. You should really watch the whole thing.

Jackie McLean on Mars from Ken Levis on Vimeo.

Golden quote of the film:Read more

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