Articles by Jim Nelson

Fil Lorenz Soul-tet

by Jim Nelson
June 12, 2004

I spotted the Fil Lorenz Soul-tet at Bruno's supper club in the Mission District, and then caught them a couple weeks later at the newly opened Purple Onion on Columbus Avenue. The group sounds fresh while still honest to the roots of jazz and funk.

The frontmen are Fil Lorenz on baritone and tenor saxophone and Joel Ryan on trumpet. They complement each other perfectly. Lorenz's attack and energy makes for a muscular sound, never showy or boring. Ryan prefers ...

Anita O'Day & Cal Tjader: Time for 2

by Jim Nelson
May 9, 2004

Norman Granz's inspired pairing of Anita O'Day with Cal Tjader pays big dividends on 1962's Time for 2. The singer's megawatt personality perfectly complements the vibraphonist's tweedy, polite style. If Tjader's highly pureed blend of cool bop and Latin jazz impeded O'Day, it does not show. Her saucy phrasings and subtly ironic wit gently layer over his thoughtful vibes work.

The Latin isn't overdone here; Time for 2 is only lightly seasoned with congas and mambo rhythms, perhaps Tjader's nod ...

Soul Sauce at Jazz at Pearl's

by Jim Nelson
April 4, 2004

The hype of the rebirth and transformation of Jazz at Pearl's in San Francisco has simmered to a cool but the place remains a vibrant jazz venue drawing in powerhouse performers. On March 26, 2004 it welcomed back Soul Sauce, a Latin jazz ensemble that's been gathering steam since 1998. I witnessed the first two of three sets that night and left with a groove in my step. This is the way Latin jazz was meant to be played.

As ...

Mo'Fone: Surf's Up

by Jim Nelson
April 2, 2004

Picking over my review of my first encounter with Mo'Fone way back in 2002, I come across this bone-grating comparison: “I mistook one piece as a cover of 'Pick Up the Pieces' without all that Average White Band aftertaste." I'm compelled to apologize to Mo'Fone for this mistake because, in hindsight, I see it's so patronizing. Last year's release of Surf's Up proves this jazz trio is a powerhouse to be reckoned with. These ten tracks are fresh and relevant ...

Jazz 101: A Complete Guide to Learning and Loving Jazz

by Jim Nelson
March 8, 2004

Jazz 101 : A Complete Guide to Learning and Loving Jazz John. F. Szwed Hyperion ISBN: 0786884967

This August, a roundtable discussion at the San Jose Jazz Festival attacked a vexing problem: How to reach beyond the converted and increase jazz's audience. Writers, reviewers, and a local DJ all weighed in with opinion. Although at times the discussion grew heated, motivations were always focused: What can be done to earn the ear of the ...

The NPR Curious Listener's Guide to Jazz

by Jim Nelson
March 8, 2004

The NPR Curious Listener's Guide to Jazz Loren Schoenberg Grand Central Press ISBN 0-399-52794-X National Public Radio evokes a bounty of strong emotions in the United States. Some loathe the idea of publicly funded media while others champion NPR as the last bastion of sensational-free news and culture. One thing is clear: NPR has been a radio safe haven for jazz lovers. Unless you live in a major metropolitan market (and even ...

Lost Chords: White Musicians and Their Contribution to Jazz, 1915-1945

by Jim Nelson
March 4, 2004

Lost Chords Richard M. Sudhalter Oxford Univ Press ISBN: 019514838X 2001 Richard Sudhalter, it might be said, has white jazz on the brain. Over the years, he's amassed a fantastic amount of knowledge and understanding of the white jazzmen who performed prior to World War II. He combined this research with his personal skills as a jazz trumpeter to author Lost Chords: White Musicians and Their Contribution to Jazz, 1915-1945. The ...

Nicky the Jazz Cat

by Jim Nelson
March 3, 2004

Nicky the Jazz Cat Carol Friedman Dominick Books ISBN: 0972609202 2003

I admire Carol Friedman, author and photographer of Nicky the Jazz Cat. Writing a children's book about jazz is not an obvious project. Kids have a multitude of entertainment options--from Game Boys to Harry Potter to The Wiggles--and few of these options possess the kind of subtlety and wit jazz offers. Worse, older kids associate jazz with the hammy music of ...

Mo'Fone Delivers

by Jim Nelson
March 2, 2004

The first Friday night of every month, The San Jose Museum of Modern Art hosts live music. The audience is a strange brew: young hipsters, brie-and-Chard museumgoers, dating retirees, and everyone in between. Even a few jazz fans show up. If they came at the beginning of May for Mo'Fone, they left more than impressed.

Mo'Fone is jazz's answer to rock's power trio. Jeremy Steinkoler leads on the traps, delivering a steady onslaught of jazz and funk rhythms. He never ...

Jelly's Blues: The Life, Music, and Redemption of Jelly Roll Morton

by Jim Nelson
October 20, 2003

Jelly's Blues: The Life, Music, and Redemption of Jelly Roll Morton Howard Reich and William Gaines DaCapo Press ISBN: 0306812096 2003

Howard Reich and William Gaines make an eye-opening understatement in their preface to Jelly's Blues. Speaking about a treasure trove of long-lost correspondence hoarded by jazz collector William Russell, they note that If a Gulf Coast hurricane had blown into the French Quarter before Russell's death, the documents that reveal ...