By Ken Dryden

Immediately after registration at the annual IAJE Conference, the number of scheduled performances, clinics, panel discussions, etc., make you wonder how you can absorb it all. You can't, of course, so you try to plot the best available schedule while allowing time to eat and sleep a little. Media types (at least speaking for myself) tend to start cruising back and forth between the convention center and the hotels looking for old friends and trying to spot musicians, publicists, and editors that we have been emailing without ever meeting in person. I didn't catch much in the way of music on day one, as my body was still on eastern time and it wore down early after a very long day of travel.

"Expanding the Next Generation Jazz Audience" provided good interaction between the guests and the audience, though the panel was a little too large for a one hour session to give everyone a chance to talk. At one point, the audience protested when a panelist tried to compare jazz hack Kenny G to the late Grover Washington, Jr. All About Jazz Publisher Michael Ricci was a participant in the panel, though the panel's size (two people were added at the last minute in case Kenny Burrell couldn't make it--and he did!) make it difficult for many of the participants to share their thoughts very much. Burrell, who is UCLA's Director of Jazz Studies, preached tolerance and flexibility in the teaching of improvised music.

Great musical sets from day two included one by singer Tierney Sutton, who performed selections from both of her earlier Telarc releases as well as an upcoming one. Her acrobatic duet with her drummer on "Just You, Just Me," a delightful "Ding Dong, The Witch is Dead!" (with a deliciously scatted intro), and her moving interpretation of Jimmy Rowles' "The Peacocks" stick in my mind. Pianist Joanne Brackeen can always be counted upon to produce a playful set, and her solo appearance didn't disappoint. Her set included a robust take of "Body and Soul" and a playful original, "Knickerbocker Blues," which incorporated a little boogie-woogie." Although there were evening sets that I should have attended, particularly performances by Billy Childs and Don Braden, I opted to take in James Williams over dinner at the Westin Hotel and enjoyed the bonus of getting hear both Bobby Watson and his lovely wife Pamela as they sat in with the pianist.

Day three's schedule was a nightmare, as there were too many valuable sessions scheduled back to back and simultaneously. Those who didn't read their conference programs were disappointed to learn that "A Conversation with Johnny Mandel" was a research presentation and not a live interview with the popular composer; presenter Dr. Larry Fisher was not attempting to mislead anyone, but many folks read the program's title and no further.

The Shelly Berg-Frank Potenza duo set was outstanding; the pianist is a former IAJE president, while the guitarist was a member of the final edition of the Gene Harris Quartet. Together they made magic during their performance, with Berg's continuous head rolling and slightly overactive foot-tapping providing some visual amusement. High points included Lee Morgan's hard bop classic "Hocus Pocus" and a meticulous performance of Joe Pass' "For Django."

Although I would have loved to have seen both Lynne Arriale and Bill Dobbins, each of whom were slated to start at 5 p.m., I opted for the packed room where veteran journalist Peter Levinson interviewed the legendary Artie Shaw, and it was thoroughly entertaining. Shaw was at his best when in a caustic mood, dismissing Kenny G as "elevator music" (possibly making a jazz fan pray that's not what's playing if the elevator get stuck!), also quoting H. L. Mencken ("No one ever went broke underestimating the taste of the American public") and another gem, though I don't know whose quote it is: "No matter how deep you bury shit, the American public will find it and pay for it." One of Shaw's major pet peeves is automatic applause after every solo, to which he commented that they probably clapped "because the guy finally sat down!" He even poked fun at himself, describing how he auditioned singers for his band: "Sometimes when she was good, I married her." Shaw was still going strong near the end of the scheduled hour long session, which I later heard ran over by about 30 minutes, but I left to catch part of tenor saxophonist Virginia Mayhew's set (leading a quartet that included the bright young trumpeter Ingrid Jensen) before dinner. A strong arrangement of Stanley Cowell's "Effie" and a Latin chart of the standard "All or Nothing at All" made me consider skipping a meal.

The evening concert in the main hall started with a brief set by the IAJE & NFAA Clifford Brown/Stan Getz Fellowship Award Winners. Every man in the sextet excelled on his instrument, and it wasn't surprising to learn that pianist Gerald Clayton was the son of the talented bassist and arranger John Clayton, Jr. Next were the IAJE/BET Jazz-Sisters in Jazz Collegiate Quintet. Their set consisted of two originals written by members of the group; the opener, "Dear Wayne," was an intriguing post-bop chart, but and the second number ("The Forest Dwellers") meandered a bit and failed to hold my attention.

At this point, the tireless Dave Brubeck (at 81 years young) led his quartet through an hour long set, beginning with one of his signature compositions "In Your Own Sweet Way." A very dissonant introduction by the leader provided a disguised route into "Someday My Prince Will Come," to which alto saxophonist Bobby Militello added a blistering solo. A sensational take of Brubeck's "Travelin' Blues" brought down the house. One of his new compositions, "The Crossing" (which he is currently arranging for the Turtle Island String Quartet), was followed by a warm ballad tribute to his wife Iola, "All My Love," and the inevitable "Take Five."

At this point I skipped the NEA Awards to be able to see the entire set featuring vibraphone master Gary Burton and pianist Makoto Ozone, who have developed a kind of musical E.S.P. while working together over an 18 year period that frequently produces major fireworks. Highlights of their set included a tango-like "Afro Blue" that opened the show with a flourish, a dazzling take of the bop favorite "Move," and stunning performances from an upcoming CD of jazz treatments of classical works, wrapping with a memorable interpretation of Gershwin's Piano Concerto in F (3rd Movement).

Day 4

A memorable part of the final day was attending a private luncheon aboard the Queen Mary held by newly created Brubeck Institute at the University of the Pacific (alma mater of Dave & Iola Brubeck), which serves as an exciting new jazz incubator for young musicians just out of high school. Among the guests I had a chance to talk with were incoming IAJE president Dr. David Baker; Dr. Herb Wong--the veteran jazz journalist, broadcaster, educator and former label owner (Black-Hawk and Palo Alto); several of the principals with the university and the institute, including its very knowledgeable director, J. B. Dyas; without forgetting the bubbly hostess Tommie Pardue, who put the event together. You'll read more about the Brubeck Institute in a separate article. Unfortunately, the afternoon interview with Brubeck by KLON's Chuck Niles was pretty much a disaster; more on that later on in the article.

Thank you, Long Beach

Long Beach was a great place to hold IAJE. Great weather, easy to get around, and the excellent facilities in the Long Beach Convention Center and the various participating hotels made my stay a memorable one. The sound was terrific during the live sets, particularly in the convention center's Center Stage Theater. And it was rare to have the problem IAJE has had in other locales in recent years: sound bleeding between two adjacent rooms simultaneously hosting events. The various staff I encountered in the hotels, the convention center and in restaurants within the city were all friendly and very helpful. A special thanks to everyone whom I encountered who left me with such feelings about my first visit to California's fourth largest city.

Cell Phone Disease

You would think that people who invest enough money and time to attend a valuable conference such as IAJE could remember to turn off their cell phones prior to the start of a performance (whether by a student band or a legendary musician) without prompting from the emcee prior to the beginning of the set. No such luck--phones were chirping constantly, particularly during Tierney Sutton's excellent set (she told me later she wasn't distracted by them), but almost all of us in the audience probably felt otherwise. I know most of the reasons that the perpetrators might give: I had to be available for a pending business deal; I have a loved one in the hospital; my daughter is about to give birth, etc. However, phones are made that vibrate and don't disturb others; also, if such a call is so important, why not avoid attending live sets or panel discussions instead of ruining everyone else's afternoon or evening with your discourtesy. Don't even get me started ranting about the bozos who actually answered their phones while still in the room, and often didn't leave as they carried on conversations. I didn't witness any case of this, but heard that it happened from several reliable sources.

How does IAJE remedy this regrettable problem? First of all, make the announcement prior to any performance, panel discussion, workshop, etc., to please turn off (or switch to vibrate) all cell phones and beepers. Secondly , consider instituting a fine of $50 or forfeiture of one's conference badge for failing to turn off said phones and beepers when they go off at inappropriate times. The money could be used for student scholarships. A second offense during the same conference should result in expulsion from all further events--period. Dr. David Baker (incoming IAJE president) seemed amused with this solution when I proposed it to him; he also expressed his disgust with the cacophony of cell phones throughout the conference.

Another related problem: why aren't doors labeled so those who want to enter come in through a back door instead of one to the side of the stage? Sutton's set was constantly interrupted by the front door opening, with a burst of reflecting light blinding those of us who made an effort to get there early to get a good seat up front. A simple sign could read "Please Use Rear Door after the Start of The Session (or Set)."

Conference Scheduling

A minor mystery about IAJE is the scheduling of live performances. Who coordinates them and why do so many artists seem to be crowded into Friday between 3 p.m. and the end of the evening? Why can't there be more sets by touring artists on Wednesday and Thursday, going up against the first day's radio symposium and even the keynote speech? After all, the Gary Burton-Makoto Ozone duo set was scheduled to start around the time of the presentation of the NEA awards, so one couldn't possibly see both events. A particular scheduling headache were the simultaneous sets by two different pianists, Lynne Arriale and Bill Dobbins (both of whom are first rate), at the same time as Peter Levinson's interview with the legendary Artie Shaw. While I almost automatically opt for live music over talk at IAJE (I'm able to see live jazz by a quality touring act in my home city 3-4 times a year--if I'm lucky!), this was an obvious exception, and it was a hoot! I realize that touring musicians aren't likely to perform much earlier than 2 p.m., and many of us are skipping a lot of the gab sessions to spend time visiting with old friends, making some new ones and trying to track down others we've phoned and emailed but never seen in person. Schedules like Friday during the 2002 IAJE makes one consider a bringing backpack with food & drink so as to miss as little music as possible.

The Awkward Interview

What was the problem with Chuck Niles of KLON? His inept interview of Dave Brubeck was exasperating; he began with long-winded questions that practically answered themselves, interrupted his guest in mid-answer on numerous occasions, and more than once pompously butted into the middle of his guest's comments with the needless interjection "I knew (whoever Brubeck was discussing at the moment) very well...." It is hard to imagine that this radio veteran of many decades conducts interviews in such a manner each time out. Was he intimidated by having a live audience, did he not get a good night's sleep, or did he forget his list of questions? Having interviewed Dave Brubeck on several occasions, I've found that the pianist not only opens up about his career very easily, but he's also very interested in talking about his choral works and has a lot of funny stories to share as well. Peter Levinson, who interviewed Artie Shaw, barely had to speak to get his guest going. He didn't interrupt his legendary guest, but sat back and enjoyed the show like the rest of the audience. Maybe Mr. Niles should give Mr. Levinson a call for a few pointers.

Scheduling of Rooms

One of the biggest problems during conferences such as IAJE is having competing events next door to each other and bleeding into the next room. Fortunately, that didn't seem to happen very much during the live sets I attended (or else the Long Beach Convention Center had excellent soundproofing! The one time it was a problem was when a noisy reception was held in the Hyatt Regency adjacent to Peter Levinson's well attended conversation with Artie Shaw. While those of us in the back of the room could hear most of Shaw's words, the constant din from the doors behind us proved to be an irritating distraction and occasionally drowned out some of Shaw's words.

Fortunately, the many rewarding memories of IAJE 2002 surpass the few annoyances. Now if I can only get in gear and book one of the conference hotels right away for IAJE 2003 in Toronto (IAJE already has the conference hotels posted!) so I won't be stuck lugging my daily accumulation of CDs and other stuff all day long. Hope to see you at IAJE 2003!