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Brett Favre Isn't The Only Comeback Kid

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The ink was barely dry on last month's report that trumpeter Rob Parton had decided to break up his superlative Chicago-based JazzTech Big Band after more than twenty years at the helm before Parton was back with a brand new ensemble, one whose purpose, he says, "is to mirror that of the European Radio Orchestras where new music is the focus rather than that of the repertory bands that are so popular in the U.S." In making the announcement, Parton writes that the music "will feature the sounds of the electric guitar, electric bass, percussion and musical styles outside of the traditional swing setting, hitting upon funk, hip hop and Latin grooves." Uh-oh.

"In some ways," Parton adds, "[the band] might be very similar to Gordon Goodwin's Big Phat Band intersecting with Maria Schneider's Jazz Orchestra." Instead of playing lead trumpet, as he has in the past, Parton will instead supervise the band from out front, playing trumpet solos and conducting. His replacement, it's good to report, is one of the best in the business, Roger Ingram, who presently leads the Harry Connick, Jr. Orchestra's trumpet section. Other blue-chip sidemen already on board include saxophonists Mark Colby, Ken Partyka and John Wojciechowski, trombonists Tom Garling and Tom Matta, trumpeter Scott Wagstaff, pianist Kevin O'Connell and drummer Bob Rummage. Parton's wife, Kristy, will handle the vocals, as she did with the JazzTech ensemble.

As for writers, Parton mentions Schneider, Jim McNeely, Chuck Owen, Bob Mintzer and Tim Hagans as among those on whose concepts the band will be patterned, with plans to commission Chicago composers to write "new [and] diverse music outside of the traditional big band composer / orchestration template." As was the case with the JazzTech Big Band, the new Rob Parton ensemble is set to perform regularly at FitzGerald's in suburban Berwyn, sharing the stage starting in October with area college bands and in December with high school jazz bands. Parton's group will also perform at Chicago's Jazz Showcase with the hope of recording live within the next year or so.

After two decades, one must concede that Parton is entitled to go in a new direction of his choosing. On the other hand, the JazzTech Big Band was (and may remain) clearly in a class by itself, standing head and shoulders above most other bands, not only in Chicago but anywhere else, here and abroad. Listeners should wish Parton the best in his new venture and hope he never needs to look back someday and wonder why he ever decided to disband the JazzTech Big Band.

Les Paul: Renaissance Man

Les Paul, who was best known as a guitarist and played regularly almost to the end of his life in August, was a musician whose influence extended far beyond performance. Besides inventing one of the most widely used guitars in the industry (the Les Paul model), Paul was a pioneer in multi-track recording, which enables artists to record various instruments at different times, sing harmony with themselves, and balance tracks in the finished recording. Paul also introduced overdubbing, using the technique with his then-wife, Mary Ford, on such gold record songs as "How High the Moon," "Tennessee Waltz" and "Vaya con Dios." Long before transistors or microchips, Paul was tweaking the guitar with electronic effects—warping notes, adding echo and feedback, and twiddling knobs to alter its sound. In 1941, he launched a prototype solid-body electric guitar dubbed The Log, a forerunner of the Les Paul model. In the late 1950s, Paul, who was known as "the Thomas Edison of the music industry," retired from performing to devote more time to his inventions (in 2005, he was inducted into the National Inventors Hall of Fame).

When his friend Bing Crosby gave him a tape recorder in the late 1940s, Paul added an additional playback head, the result of which was a delayed effect that became known as tape echo. This gave recordings a more "live" sound while enabling the user to simulate various playing environments. Paul had an on-and-off relationship with jazz, starting with the Les Paul Trio in the mid-1930s, which took part in Harlem jam sessions with trumpeter Louis Armstrong, pianist Art Tatum, saxophonist Ben Webster, guitarist Charlie Christian and others. Although his later commercial successes led him in another direction, Paul returned to jazz toward the end of his life as improvisation became an integral part of his nightclub performances. Paul earned two Grammy awards in 2005 for the album Les Paul & Friends: American Made, World Played, on which guitarists Peter Frampton, Jeff Beck, Eric Clapton and Richie Sambora appeared as guests. While Les Paul rarely performed with big bands, the recording techniques he introduced are widely used today by groups of all sizes and artists of all persuasions from jazz to rock to heavy metal (well, nothing's perfect). Les Paul died August 13 from complications of pneumonia. He was ninety-four years old.

On the Horizon...

One last reminder that the L.A. Jazz Institute's four-day big-band event, "Artistry in Rhythm: A Stan Kenton Alumni Reunion," will be held October 8-11 at the Sheraton LAX Four Points Hotel. Besides a number of concerts dedicated to Kenton and his music, there will be performances saluting the Lighthouse All-Stars (playing arrangements by Bob Cooper), Maynard Ferguson's Birdland Dream Band (directed by Don Menza), the music of Frank Rosolino featuring Andy Martin, the Art of Pepper (music of Art Pepper), the Shorty Rogers Big Band (directed by Bobby Shew), and special presentations honoring Bud Shank, John Park, Anita O'Day and others. Not to mention the usual films, panel discussions and poolside concerts by area college ensembles. For information, phone 562-985-7065 or go online to www.lajazzinstitute.org

"A Tribute to the Count" is the theme of the 32nd annual Cape May (NJ) Jazz Festival to be held November 6-8. The present incarnation of the Count Basie Orchestra will headline the event, with other performances by vocalist Barbara King, organist Radam Schwartz's quintet, saxophonist Ravi Coltrane, guitarist Teddy Royal, trumpeter Dominick Farinacci and others. For information, phone 609-884-7277, or go to www.capemayjazz.org

Out and About

The dog days of summer...

Frankly, there's not a lot happening here in August, at least as far a jazz is concerned. Couple that with Betty's sinusitis, which kept her from attending a conference in D.C., and we've been relatively housebound this month. I did start August with a concert at the Albuquerque Museum featuring the Santa Fe Great Big Jazz Band, which I'd never heard before. Alas, the band was big but a few steps removed from great, struggling through a ragged opening set that opened with Glenn Miller's "In the Mood" and included Johnny Mandel's "Emily," Thad Jones' "Big Dipper," the Maynard Ferguson flag-waver "Fox Hunt" (slowed to a crawl), Neal Hefti's "Cute" and "Splanky," Thelonious Monk's "'Round Midnight," Gordon Goodwin's "Sing, Sang, Sung" and one vocal, on the standard "I Only Have Eyes for You." I was taking notes, as usual, and scribbled on my pad, "The good news is, they're doing the best they can...The bad news is, they're doing the best they can." In its defense, the band is comprised mainly of part-timers who have day jobs and play with the band for fun and relaxation. Seen from that perspective they're not that bad, even though one might have expected more cohesion after fifteen years together. In any event, one set was enough for these ears. My friend Wes Pfarner, who stayed to the end, reported that the two remaining sets were on a par with the first.

Later in August, Betty and I were to fly to Arizona for the 9th annual Prescott Jazz Summit. As this is being written before the trip, there's nothing to report. The Summit won't ever be quite the same without one of its mainstays, the late Bob Florence, and we were recently saddened by news of the passing of another regular, Faye Tompach, who with husband Norm shared space (and laughter) with Betty and me at the Pleasant Street B&B. As none of us was able to attend last year, we were looking forward to a reunion of sorts, having last seen Norm and Faye at Ken Poston's "A Swingin' Affair" last May in Los Angeles. Faye at least lived long enough to hear one of Florence's last compositions, "Fluffy," written in her honor and included on the Limited Edition's newest (and last) CD, Legendary. Farewell, Faye; we wish we had known you better.

And that's it for now. Until next time, keep swingin..'.!




New and Noteworthy

1. Bob Florence Limited Edition, Legendary (MAMA)
2. Paul Ferguson Jazz Orchestra, Live at the Bop Stop (Azica)
3. SWR Big Band / Sammy Nestico, Fun Time (Hanssler Classic)
4. Dave Siebels, With Gordon Goodwin's Big Phat Band (PBGL)
5. Jason Hainsworth, Kaleidoscope (DW Jazz)
6. Vaughn Wiester, Herb-al Remedy (BRC)
7. Dizzy Gillespie All-Star Big Band, I'm BeBoppin' Too (HighNote)
8. The London Horn Sound, Give It One (Cala Records)
9. DePaul University Jazz Ensemble, Next Season (DePaul Jazz)
10. Portland Jazz Orchestra, Good Morning, Geek (PJO)
11. Dave Rivello Ensemble, Facing the Mirror (Allora Records)
12. Howard University Jazz Ensemble, HUJE 2008 (HUJE Jazz)
13. Jentsch Group Large, Cycles (Fleur de Son)
14. European Jazz Orchestra, Swinging Europe 2008 (Music Mecca)
15. Mt. Hood Jazz Band and Combos, Doin' the Best Deeds (Sea Breeze Vista)

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