Jazz at Lincoln Center’s Dizzy’s Club Coca-Cola
Performance Schedule for August 15-21
August 16-21 – Cedar Walton Quartet
featuring Alto Saxophonist Vincent Herring
AFTER HOURS WITH THE HELEN SUNG TRIO
DL Media Alert: (New York, NY) August 15, 2005 - Dizzy's Club Coca-Cola -- located in The House of Swing, Jazz at Lincoln Center's Frederick P. Rose Hall – presents week two of a special two-week run with legendary pianist Cedar Walton, leading his quartet featuring alto saxophonist Vincent Herring, bassist David Williams and Craig Wuepper on drums. Walton remains one of the most influential musicians active today. His original compositions like “Bolivia,” “Clockwise” and “Firm Roots” are frequently recorded by other musicians, and have become part of the standard jazz repertoire. His playing has received praise from critics, fellow jazz musicians and audiences around the world for many decades. Cedar Walton has emerged as a true master of the music he loves. Vincent Herring has become one of the most in demand musicians on the scene today. In addition to working with Cedar Walton and leading his own band, the alto saxophonist regularly works with Buster Williams, Louis Hayes (in the Cannonball Legacy Band), Kenny Barron, Steve Turre, Eric Reed, Sonny Fortune, Gary Bartz and many others. August 15 – UPSTARTS! student showcase 7:30pm Next Generation Jazz 9:30pm Ali Jackson Trio – Jammin’ with Jackson
August 16-21 7:30pm & 9:30pm w/additional 11:30pm set on Fri-Sat Cedar Walton Quartet featuring Vincent Herring Cedar Walton (piano), Vincent Herring (alto saxophone), David Williams (bass), Craig Wuepper (drums)
For many decades, pianist Cedar Walton has enjoyed an up tempo career, maintaining a non-stop itinerary of performances and recording dates. Walton has accompanied a plethora of jazz greats while also fronting his own successful groups. Born January 17, 1934 in Dallas, Texas, Walton set his sights on a career in music at an early age. An after-hours gig at the Denver Club introduced him to notable musicians like Charlie Parker, Dizzy Gillespie and John Coltrane, who would sit in with Walton's group when they passed through town. From there, Walton ventured to New York and began to work locally with Lou Donaldson, Gigi Gryce, Sonny Rollins and Kenny Dorham before landing his first touring job with the legendary J.J. Johnson. Soon after, the pianist made his recording debut backing trumpeter/composer Kenny Dorham on the Riverside album, Kenny Dorham sings. He also made two records with J.J. Johnson' s group on Columbia Records before joining the Art Farmer/Benny Golson Jazztet, a group he toured and recorded with for two years. Walton's next major musical association was with Art Blakey and the Jazz Messengers. During his three-year tenure with Blakey, Walton stepped forward as a composer, contributing originals like “Mosaic” and “The Promised Land” to the group's recordings for the Blue Note and Riverside labels.
Walton left the Jazz Messengers to lead rhythm sections and trios throughout the New York club and recording studio circuits. His debut recording as a leader came in 1966 with the release of Cedar on Prestige Records. From the late 1960s to early ‘70s, Walton kept steady company with bassist Sam Jones and drummers Louis Hayes and Billy Higgins in multi-purpose trios that occasionally utilized saxophonists Clifford Jordan, George Coleman or Bob Berg for specific tours and albums.
During the ‘80s, Walton embarked on a variety of interesting projects, which have grown into lasting affiliations. In 1981, he formed a trio with Ron Carter and Billy Higgins. Around the same time, Walton became part of the Timeless All-stars, a sextet also featuring Harold Land, Bobby Hutcherson, Curtis Fuller, Buster Williams and Billy Higgins. Walton also ignited rhythm sections behind the likes of Milt Jackson, Frank Morgan, Dexter Gordon and vocalists Ernestine Anderson and Freddy Cole, and held the piano chair of The Trumpet Summit Band.
Walton's efforts have been well documented on record. In addition to a host of dates as a sideman, the pianist has been recording with his own groups at a prolific rate, as evidenced by an assortment of albums on the Timeless, Discovery, Red Baron and Steeple Chase record labels.
It can be argued with some validity that one’s overall movement through life is reflected in his or her creative endeavor, and Vincent Herring’s strength and versatility on the saxophone can be viewed from this perspective. Although still young, Herring has already covered a lot of territory, both literally and figuratively. At age 16, he entered California State University at Chico on a music scholarship. A year later, Vincent auditioned for a spot in the United States Military Academy band. He made the move to West Point, which turned out to be a steppingstone to the New York Jazz scene. He first toured Europe and the United States with Lionel Hampton’s big band, and his progress thereafter has been steady. Vincent has worked with Nat Adderley, Art Blakey and The Jazz Messengers, The Horace Silver Quintet, Jack DeJohnette’s Special Edition, Larry Coryell, Cedar Walton, Freddie Hubbard, Dizzy Gillespie, The Mingus Big Band, Nancy Wilson, The Roy Hargrove Big Band, Arthur Taylor, Dr. Billy Taylor, Carla Bley, and Phil Woods Sax Machine.
Vincent has appeared as a special guest soloist with Wynton Marsalis at Lincoln Center and with John Faddis and The Carnegie Hall Big Band. While he was amassing these impressive credentials, Vincent was developing his own voice and style. In addition to the legends he first encountered on record, Vincent has found himself exposed to a diversity of musical influences. He reflects that it is the art of improvisation that ultimately stimulates him. He has developed into a virtuoso with a voice that is uniquely intense and vigorous with the energy and direction. The saxophonist has taken bands to Japan & Europe on several occasions and has appeared in nearly every major jazz festival in the world. He is also involved in jazz education, giving clinics throughout Europe and the USA. Herring has recorded 13 CDs as a leader and over 170 as a sideman. He is a player who has combined dedication, education and talent to forge an extraordinary career.
August 16-20 - After Hours 11pm/12:30am Fri-Sat Helen Sung Trio Helen Sung (piano), Josh Ginsburg (bass), Donald Edwards (drums)
Helen Sung's debut CD, Push, released by Fresh Sound New Talent Records is garnering much attention and praise! Jim Macnie of the Village Voice recently wrote, “On the impressive Push she's got a syncopated trio track that messes with the blues while flashing off in all sorts of directions. The pianist is making a name for herself by offering broad vistas while still accentuating particulars."
With her groups regularly showcased at local jazz venues, as well as touring with other groups across America and internationally, certainly much is in store for the active bandleader who originally hails from Houston, Texas. Of Chinese heritage, Helen attended Houston's High School for the Performing and Visual Arts (HSPVA). Initially she pursued a classical music career (she began her musical studies at age 5 in piano and violin) by earning her Bachelor and Master of Music degrees in classical piano from the University of Texas at Austin. She first heard jazz music during that time.
Her choice to switch to jazz was decided in 1995 when Helen was accepted into the inaugural class of the Thelonious Monk Institute of Jazz Performance at the New England Conservatory of Music. An intense performance program accepting only seven students, the Institute proved to be an unprecedented opportunity to study and perform with some of the greatest masters of jazz music.
Helen presently lives in New York City where she maintains a busy schedule of performing and touring. She has performed or recorded with such jazz masters as Slide Hampton, Steve Turre, Benny Golson, Buster Williams, and legendary composer and saxophonist Wayne Shorter—and with such jazz notables as Steve Wilson, Antonio Hart, and Lonnie Plaxico (she is on Lonnie's Blue Note release Melange). She has also performed with such big bands as the Charles Mingus Big Band, Clark Terry's “Young Titans of Jazz" Big Band, and Diva. Helen was a semifinalist in the 1999 Thelonious Monk Jazz Piano Competition. Most recently, she performs with saxophonist Greg Tardy, drummer T.S. Monk, and trumpet giant Clark Terry.
****NEXT WEEK AT DIZZY'S CLUB COCA-COLA****
August 22 UPSTARTS! student showcase 7:30pm Next Generation Jazz 9:30pm Ali Jackson Trio – Jammin’ with Jackson
August 23-28 7:30pm & 9:30pm w/additional 11:30pm set on Fri-Sat Ray Barretto & New World Sextet Ray Barretto (congas), Joe Magnarelli (trumpet and flugelhorn), Myron Walden (alto and soprano saxophones), Robert Rodriguez (piano), Ricky Rodriguez (bass), Ernesto Simpson (drums)
For nearly 40 years, conguero, bandleader and Grammy Award-winner Ray Barretto has been one of the most influential musicians performing jazz with a Latin flair. His hard, compelling bebop style is classic jazz, yet he dresses it up with strong Latin and African rhythms. The first U.S.-born percussionist to integrate the African-based conga drum into jazz, Barretto was one of the early “crossover” artists in the genre and has performed and recorded with Gene Ammons, Lou Donaldson, Sonny Stitt, Wes Montgomery, Kenny Burrell, Tito Puente, Red Garland, Freddie Hubbard, Cal Tjader, Cannonball Adderley, Art Blakey and even Charlie Parker for a short but crucial period.
On his new CD, Time Was, Time Is (in stores September 13), Barretto takes Latin-jazz back to its roots while reflecting on how his past has brought him to where he is musically today. Showcased on more recording sessions than probably any other conguero of his era, Barretto is also an adventurous, challenging bandleader. Barretto is joined on this vibrant recording by Joe Magnarelli, trumpet/flugelhorn; Myron Walden, alto saxophone; Robert Rodriguez, piano; Sean Conly, bass; Vince Cherico, drums; and fellow percussionist Bobby Sanabria. To round out the classic tunes Barretto selected, he features one composition each from Rodriguez, Conly and Magnarelli, who co-wrote “A Caper for Chris” with Barretto. Two originals by Walden are included.
The striking musical fact about Barretto is that he came to Latin music through jazz despite his Puerto Rican heritage. Born in Brooklyn, New York, he grew up in Harlem and the Bronx, entertaining himself by listening to jazz on the radio. Somewhat restless, he joined the army at age seventeen and was sent to Europe, where he first came across the recordings of Chano Pozo and Dizzy Gillespie, the early pioneers of the marriage between be-bop and the rhythms of the Caribbean. The music and his time in the army (as told in his liner notes to Time Was, Time Is) affected him strongly.
After Barretto built up a solid reputation as a top rate studio percussionist he formed his first ensemble, Charanga La Moderna, in 1962, when legendary producer Orrin Keepnews of Riverside Records asked him to form a charanga for a recording. Barretto’s long recording career had begun.
By 1963 Barretto had been awarded a gold record for his huge hit, “El Watusi,” which was influenced by the boogaloo. Known to be experimental, usually with great results, he released the psychedelic Acid, in 1968. Over the next decade, he became a member and eventually the music director of the famed Fania All-Stars, which included trombonist Willie Colon, vocalists Hector Lavoe and Ruben Blades, and pianist Larry Harlow. One of his albums with Blades, Barretto, was nominated for a Grammy. He won a Grammy in 1990 for a recording he made with Celia Cruz.
In 1992 he formed his current ensemble, New World Spirit, which places a heavier emphasis on bebop jazz and has recorded frequently for the Concord label. The group released its third album, Portraits in Jazz and Clave, in early 2000. Barretto’s most recent CDs include Fuerza Gigante: Live In Puerto Rico (2004), and Homage To Art Blakey (2003). During this period, he performed with Eddie Gomez, Joe Lovano and Steve Turre among others. With the success of New World Spirit and his induction into the International Latin Music Hall of Fame in 1999, Barretto continues to refine improvisational jazz with the vitality of Afro-Caribbean rhythms, creating his own distinctive sound in the process.
August 23-27: After Hours at 11pm / 12:30am Fri-Sat Ed Cherry Quartet
Ed Cherry, born October 12, 1954 in New Haven, CT, was the last fulltime guitarist in the band of Dizzy Gillespie. For the last three decades, the New York-based guitarist has performed and recorded with the most acclaimed musicians in jazz and blues, including Gillespie, Henry Threadgill, Kenny Burrell, Ruth Brown, Steve Coleman, Paquito D’Rivera, Freddie Hubbard, Carmen McRae, James Moody, David Murray, Claudio Roditi, Jimmy Smith, Sarah Vaughan, Roy Hargrove, and others. Cherry has also been an exceptional bandleader in his own right.
“My concept of the guitar is derived from the blues," he says. “I always enjoyed blues players like Muddy Waters, Albert King and B.B. King, who I saw when I was 16 years old. That stayed with me throughout my evolution as a player. I also enjoyed the jazz players who had that blues-based thing in their playing- I loved Charlie Parker, Wes Montgomery, Grant Green. I enjoyed the look to the future too, with other guitarists like Jimi Hendrix, Sonny Sharrock, John McLaughlin --forward thinking players. So I try to mix the two approaches and keep the blues and the church in my playing as much as possible."
After moving to New York Cherry, played with Dizzy Gillespie, from 1978 to 1992. Cherry accompanied Gillespie on a State Department tour of West Africa in 1987. Cherry was an integral part of the trumpeter’s quartet, big band and The United Nation Orchestra, which recorded the Grammy Award-winning Live at Royal Festival Hall (Enja). “I learned so much from being in Dizzy's band," Cherry cheerfully recalls- “I learned how he dealt with fans, friends, band members and how he dealt with the audience. It was like the University of DG - Dizzy Gillespie," In 1993, after Gillespie’s passing, Cherry released his first recording as a leader, First Take (Groovin' High).
In 1995, Cherry released his second project as a solo artist, entitled A Second Look (Groovin' High). From 1997 to 1998, Cherry worked in Roy Hargrove's “Crisol" Latin jazz band, which performed in Havana, Cuba. In 2001, Cherry toured Europe for the first time with his own group. He also released his latest CD, The Spirit Speaks on the Canadian label, Justin Time. Inspired by organist Jimmy Smith, whom he worked with, and by the sound of the organ trio, The Spirit Speaks features alto saxophonist Joe Ford, drummer Nasheet Waits and organist Dr. Lonnie Smith, who Cherry gigged with in the late '70s.
You never know who’s going to show up at Dizzy’s Club Coca-Cola.
Coming Up At Dizzy’s Club Coca-Cola:
August 30-September 4: Wess “Warmdaddy” Anderson Quartet Wess “Warmdaddy” Anderson (alto sax), Marc Carey (piano), Kengo Nakamura (bass), Joe Blax (drums)
September 6 – October 2: The first-ever Diet Coke Women in Jazz Festival at Dizzy’s Club Coca-Cola, a celebration of the great contributions women performers have made to jazz music.
September 6 – 11: Angela Bofill!
High-resolution, downloadable photos available at: http://www.jalc.org/dccc/c_calendar.asp
About Jazz at Lincoln Center’s Dizzy's Club Coca-Cola Dizzy’s Club Coca-Cola, one of the three main performance venues located in Jazz at Lincoln Center’s new home at Frederick P. Rose Hall, is an intimate 140-seat jazz club, set against a glittering backdrop with spectacular views of Central Park that provides a hip environment for performance, education and other special events. The club also includes fine dinner, dessert and late night menus by New York culinary creators Great Performances and Spoonbread Inc. Jazz at Lincoln Center is a not-for-profit arts organization dedicated to jazz and advances a unique vision for the continued development of the art of jazz by producing a year-round schedule of performance, education, and broadcast events for audiences of all ages.
Jazz at Lincoln Center is a not-for-profit arts organization dedicated to jazz. With the world-renowned Lincoln Center Jazz Orchestra, the Afro-Latin Jazz Orchestra, and a comprehensive array of guest artists, Jazz at Lincoln Center advances a unique vision for the continued development of the art of jazz by producing a year-round schedule of performance, education, and broadcast events for audiences of all ages. These productions include concerts, national and international tours, residencies, weekly national radio and television programs, recordings, publications, an annual high school jazz band competition and festival, a band director academy, a jazz appreciation curriculum for children, advanced training through the Juilliard Institute for Jazz Studies, music publishing, children’s concerts, lectures, adult education courses, film programs, and student and educator workshops. Under the leadership of Artistic Director Wynton Marsalis, President & CEO Derek E. Gordon, Executive Director Katherine E. Brown, Chairman of the Board Lisa Schiff and Jazz at Lincoln Center Board and staff, Jazz at Lincoln Center will produce hundreds of events during its 2004-05 season. This is the inaugural season in Jazz at Lincoln Center’s new home - Frederick P. Rose Hall - the first-ever performance, education, and broadcast facility devoted to jazz.
Performance Schedule for August 15-21
August 16-21 – Cedar Walton Quartet
featuring Alto Saxophonist Vincent Herring
AFTER HOURS WITH THE HELEN SUNG TRIO
DL Media Alert: (New York, NY) August 15, 2005 - Dizzy's Club Coca-Cola -- located in The House of Swing, Jazz at Lincoln Center's Frederick P. Rose Hall – presents week two of a special two-week run with legendary pianist Cedar Walton, leading his quartet featuring alto saxophonist Vincent Herring, bassist David Williams and Craig Wuepper on drums. Walton remains one of the most influential musicians active today. His original compositions like “Bolivia,” “Clockwise” and “Firm Roots” are frequently recorded by other musicians, and have become part of the standard jazz repertoire. His playing has received praise from critics, fellow jazz musicians and audiences around the world for many decades. Cedar Walton has emerged as a true master of the music he loves. Vincent Herring has become one of the most in demand musicians on the scene today. In addition to working with Cedar Walton and leading his own band, the alto saxophonist regularly works with Buster Williams, Louis Hayes (in the Cannonball Legacy Band), Kenny Barron, Steve Turre, Eric Reed, Sonny Fortune, Gary Bartz and many others. August 15 – UPSTARTS! student showcase 7:30pm Next Generation Jazz 9:30pm Ali Jackson Trio – Jammin’ with Jackson
August 16-21 7:30pm & 9:30pm w/additional 11:30pm set on Fri-Sat Cedar Walton Quartet featuring Vincent Herring Cedar Walton (piano), Vincent Herring (alto saxophone), David Williams (bass), Craig Wuepper (drums)
For many decades, pianist Cedar Walton has enjoyed an up tempo career, maintaining a non-stop itinerary of performances and recording dates. Walton has accompanied a plethora of jazz greats while also fronting his own successful groups. Born January 17, 1934 in Dallas, Texas, Walton set his sights on a career in music at an early age. An after-hours gig at the Denver Club introduced him to notable musicians like Charlie Parker, Dizzy Gillespie and John Coltrane, who would sit in with Walton's group when they passed through town. From there, Walton ventured to New York and began to work locally with Lou Donaldson, Gigi Gryce, Sonny Rollins and Kenny Dorham before landing his first touring job with the legendary J.J. Johnson. Soon after, the pianist made his recording debut backing trumpeter/composer Kenny Dorham on the Riverside album, Kenny Dorham sings. He also made two records with J.J. Johnson' s group on Columbia Records before joining the Art Farmer/Benny Golson Jazztet, a group he toured and recorded with for two years. Walton's next major musical association was with Art Blakey and the Jazz Messengers. During his three-year tenure with Blakey, Walton stepped forward as a composer, contributing originals like “Mosaic” and “The Promised Land” to the group's recordings for the Blue Note and Riverside labels.
Walton left the Jazz Messengers to lead rhythm sections and trios throughout the New York club and recording studio circuits. His debut recording as a leader came in 1966 with the release of Cedar on Prestige Records. From the late 1960s to early ‘70s, Walton kept steady company with bassist Sam Jones and drummers Louis Hayes and Billy Higgins in multi-purpose trios that occasionally utilized saxophonists Clifford Jordan, George Coleman or Bob Berg for specific tours and albums.
During the ‘80s, Walton embarked on a variety of interesting projects, which have grown into lasting affiliations. In 1981, he formed a trio with Ron Carter and Billy Higgins. Around the same time, Walton became part of the Timeless All-stars, a sextet also featuring Harold Land, Bobby Hutcherson, Curtis Fuller, Buster Williams and Billy Higgins. Walton also ignited rhythm sections behind the likes of Milt Jackson, Frank Morgan, Dexter Gordon and vocalists Ernestine Anderson and Freddy Cole, and held the piano chair of The Trumpet Summit Band.
Walton's efforts have been well documented on record. In addition to a host of dates as a sideman, the pianist has been recording with his own groups at a prolific rate, as evidenced by an assortment of albums on the Timeless, Discovery, Red Baron and Steeple Chase record labels.
It can be argued with some validity that one’s overall movement through life is reflected in his or her creative endeavor, and Vincent Herring’s strength and versatility on the saxophone can be viewed from this perspective. Although still young, Herring has already covered a lot of territory, both literally and figuratively. At age 16, he entered California State University at Chico on a music scholarship. A year later, Vincent auditioned for a spot in the United States Military Academy band. He made the move to West Point, which turned out to be a steppingstone to the New York Jazz scene. He first toured Europe and the United States with Lionel Hampton’s big band, and his progress thereafter has been steady. Vincent has worked with Nat Adderley, Art Blakey and The Jazz Messengers, The Horace Silver Quintet, Jack DeJohnette’s Special Edition, Larry Coryell, Cedar Walton, Freddie Hubbard, Dizzy Gillespie, The Mingus Big Band, Nancy Wilson, The Roy Hargrove Big Band, Arthur Taylor, Dr. Billy Taylor, Carla Bley, and Phil Woods Sax Machine.
Vincent has appeared as a special guest soloist with Wynton Marsalis at Lincoln Center and with John Faddis and The Carnegie Hall Big Band. While he was amassing these impressive credentials, Vincent was developing his own voice and style. In addition to the legends he first encountered on record, Vincent has found himself exposed to a diversity of musical influences. He reflects that it is the art of improvisation that ultimately stimulates him. He has developed into a virtuoso with a voice that is uniquely intense and vigorous with the energy and direction. The saxophonist has taken bands to Japan & Europe on several occasions and has appeared in nearly every major jazz festival in the world. He is also involved in jazz education, giving clinics throughout Europe and the USA. Herring has recorded 13 CDs as a leader and over 170 as a sideman. He is a player who has combined dedication, education and talent to forge an extraordinary career.
August 16-20 - After Hours 11pm/12:30am Fri-Sat Helen Sung Trio Helen Sung (piano), Josh Ginsburg (bass), Donald Edwards (drums)
Helen Sung's debut CD, Push, released by Fresh Sound New Talent Records is garnering much attention and praise! Jim Macnie of the Village Voice recently wrote, “On the impressive Push she's got a syncopated trio track that messes with the blues while flashing off in all sorts of directions. The pianist is making a name for herself by offering broad vistas while still accentuating particulars."
With her groups regularly showcased at local jazz venues, as well as touring with other groups across America and internationally, certainly much is in store for the active bandleader who originally hails from Houston, Texas. Of Chinese heritage, Helen attended Houston's High School for the Performing and Visual Arts (HSPVA). Initially she pursued a classical music career (she began her musical studies at age 5 in piano and violin) by earning her Bachelor and Master of Music degrees in classical piano from the University of Texas at Austin. She first heard jazz music during that time.
Her choice to switch to jazz was decided in 1995 when Helen was accepted into the inaugural class of the Thelonious Monk Institute of Jazz Performance at the New England Conservatory of Music. An intense performance program accepting only seven students, the Institute proved to be an unprecedented opportunity to study and perform with some of the greatest masters of jazz music.
Helen presently lives in New York City where she maintains a busy schedule of performing and touring. She has performed or recorded with such jazz masters as Slide Hampton, Steve Turre, Benny Golson, Buster Williams, and legendary composer and saxophonist Wayne Shorter—and with such jazz notables as Steve Wilson, Antonio Hart, and Lonnie Plaxico (she is on Lonnie's Blue Note release Melange). She has also performed with such big bands as the Charles Mingus Big Band, Clark Terry's “Young Titans of Jazz" Big Band, and Diva. Helen was a semifinalist in the 1999 Thelonious Monk Jazz Piano Competition. Most recently, she performs with saxophonist Greg Tardy, drummer T.S. Monk, and trumpet giant Clark Terry.
****NEXT WEEK AT DIZZY'S CLUB COCA-COLA****
August 22 UPSTARTS! student showcase 7:30pm Next Generation Jazz 9:30pm Ali Jackson Trio – Jammin’ with Jackson
August 23-28 7:30pm & 9:30pm w/additional 11:30pm set on Fri-Sat Ray Barretto & New World Sextet Ray Barretto (congas), Joe Magnarelli (trumpet and flugelhorn), Myron Walden (alto and soprano saxophones), Robert Rodriguez (piano), Ricky Rodriguez (bass), Ernesto Simpson (drums)
For nearly 40 years, conguero, bandleader and Grammy Award-winner Ray Barretto has been one of the most influential musicians performing jazz with a Latin flair. His hard, compelling bebop style is classic jazz, yet he dresses it up with strong Latin and African rhythms. The first U.S.-born percussionist to integrate the African-based conga drum into jazz, Barretto was one of the early “crossover” artists in the genre and has performed and recorded with Gene Ammons, Lou Donaldson, Sonny Stitt, Wes Montgomery, Kenny Burrell, Tito Puente, Red Garland, Freddie Hubbard, Cal Tjader, Cannonball Adderley, Art Blakey and even Charlie Parker for a short but crucial period.
On his new CD, Time Was, Time Is (in stores September 13), Barretto takes Latin-jazz back to its roots while reflecting on how his past has brought him to where he is musically today. Showcased on more recording sessions than probably any other conguero of his era, Barretto is also an adventurous, challenging bandleader. Barretto is joined on this vibrant recording by Joe Magnarelli, trumpet/flugelhorn; Myron Walden, alto saxophone; Robert Rodriguez, piano; Sean Conly, bass; Vince Cherico, drums; and fellow percussionist Bobby Sanabria. To round out the classic tunes Barretto selected, he features one composition each from Rodriguez, Conly and Magnarelli, who co-wrote “A Caper for Chris” with Barretto. Two originals by Walden are included.
The striking musical fact about Barretto is that he came to Latin music through jazz despite his Puerto Rican heritage. Born in Brooklyn, New York, he grew up in Harlem and the Bronx, entertaining himself by listening to jazz on the radio. Somewhat restless, he joined the army at age seventeen and was sent to Europe, where he first came across the recordings of Chano Pozo and Dizzy Gillespie, the early pioneers of the marriage between be-bop and the rhythms of the Caribbean. The music and his time in the army (as told in his liner notes to Time Was, Time Is) affected him strongly.
After Barretto built up a solid reputation as a top rate studio percussionist he formed his first ensemble, Charanga La Moderna, in 1962, when legendary producer Orrin Keepnews of Riverside Records asked him to form a charanga for a recording. Barretto’s long recording career had begun.
By 1963 Barretto had been awarded a gold record for his huge hit, “El Watusi,” which was influenced by the boogaloo. Known to be experimental, usually with great results, he released the psychedelic Acid, in 1968. Over the next decade, he became a member and eventually the music director of the famed Fania All-Stars, which included trombonist Willie Colon, vocalists Hector Lavoe and Ruben Blades, and pianist Larry Harlow. One of his albums with Blades, Barretto, was nominated for a Grammy. He won a Grammy in 1990 for a recording he made with Celia Cruz.
In 1992 he formed his current ensemble, New World Spirit, which places a heavier emphasis on bebop jazz and has recorded frequently for the Concord label. The group released its third album, Portraits in Jazz and Clave, in early 2000. Barretto’s most recent CDs include Fuerza Gigante: Live In Puerto Rico (2004), and Homage To Art Blakey (2003). During this period, he performed with Eddie Gomez, Joe Lovano and Steve Turre among others. With the success of New World Spirit and his induction into the International Latin Music Hall of Fame in 1999, Barretto continues to refine improvisational jazz with the vitality of Afro-Caribbean rhythms, creating his own distinctive sound in the process.
August 23-27: After Hours at 11pm / 12:30am Fri-Sat Ed Cherry Quartet
Ed Cherry, born October 12, 1954 in New Haven, CT, was the last fulltime guitarist in the band of Dizzy Gillespie. For the last three decades, the New York-based guitarist has performed and recorded with the most acclaimed musicians in jazz and blues, including Gillespie, Henry Threadgill, Kenny Burrell, Ruth Brown, Steve Coleman, Paquito D’Rivera, Freddie Hubbard, Carmen McRae, James Moody, David Murray, Claudio Roditi, Jimmy Smith, Sarah Vaughan, Roy Hargrove, and others. Cherry has also been an exceptional bandleader in his own right.
“My concept of the guitar is derived from the blues," he says. “I always enjoyed blues players like Muddy Waters, Albert King and B.B. King, who I saw when I was 16 years old. That stayed with me throughout my evolution as a player. I also enjoyed the jazz players who had that blues-based thing in their playing- I loved Charlie Parker, Wes Montgomery, Grant Green. I enjoyed the look to the future too, with other guitarists like Jimi Hendrix, Sonny Sharrock, John McLaughlin --forward thinking players. So I try to mix the two approaches and keep the blues and the church in my playing as much as possible."
After moving to New York Cherry, played with Dizzy Gillespie, from 1978 to 1992. Cherry accompanied Gillespie on a State Department tour of West Africa in 1987. Cherry was an integral part of the trumpeter’s quartet, big band and The United Nation Orchestra, which recorded the Grammy Award-winning Live at Royal Festival Hall (Enja). “I learned so much from being in Dizzy's band," Cherry cheerfully recalls- “I learned how he dealt with fans, friends, band members and how he dealt with the audience. It was like the University of DG - Dizzy Gillespie," In 1993, after Gillespie’s passing, Cherry released his first recording as a leader, First Take (Groovin' High).
In 1995, Cherry released his second project as a solo artist, entitled A Second Look (Groovin' High). From 1997 to 1998, Cherry worked in Roy Hargrove's “Crisol" Latin jazz band, which performed in Havana, Cuba. In 2001, Cherry toured Europe for the first time with his own group. He also released his latest CD, The Spirit Speaks on the Canadian label, Justin Time. Inspired by organist Jimmy Smith, whom he worked with, and by the sound of the organ trio, The Spirit Speaks features alto saxophonist Joe Ford, drummer Nasheet Waits and organist Dr. Lonnie Smith, who Cherry gigged with in the late '70s.
You never know who’s going to show up at Dizzy’s Club Coca-Cola.
Coming Up At Dizzy’s Club Coca-Cola:
August 30-September 4: Wess “Warmdaddy” Anderson Quartet Wess “Warmdaddy” Anderson (alto sax), Marc Carey (piano), Kengo Nakamura (bass), Joe Blax (drums)
September 6 – October 2: The first-ever Diet Coke Women in Jazz Festival at Dizzy’s Club Coca-Cola, a celebration of the great contributions women performers have made to jazz music.
September 6 – 11: Angela Bofill!
High-resolution, downloadable photos available at: http://www.jalc.org/dccc/c_calendar.asp
About Jazz at Lincoln Center’s Dizzy's Club Coca-Cola Dizzy’s Club Coca-Cola, one of the three main performance venues located in Jazz at Lincoln Center’s new home at Frederick P. Rose Hall, is an intimate 140-seat jazz club, set against a glittering backdrop with spectacular views of Central Park that provides a hip environment for performance, education and other special events. The club also includes fine dinner, dessert and late night menus by New York culinary creators Great Performances and Spoonbread Inc. Jazz at Lincoln Center is a not-for-profit arts organization dedicated to jazz and advances a unique vision for the continued development of the art of jazz by producing a year-round schedule of performance, education, and broadcast events for audiences of all ages.
Jazz at Lincoln Center is a not-for-profit arts organization dedicated to jazz. With the world-renowned Lincoln Center Jazz Orchestra, the Afro-Latin Jazz Orchestra, and a comprehensive array of guest artists, Jazz at Lincoln Center advances a unique vision for the continued development of the art of jazz by producing a year-round schedule of performance, education, and broadcast events for audiences of all ages. These productions include concerts, national and international tours, residencies, weekly national radio and television programs, recordings, publications, an annual high school jazz band competition and festival, a band director academy, a jazz appreciation curriculum for children, advanced training through the Juilliard Institute for Jazz Studies, music publishing, children’s concerts, lectures, adult education courses, film programs, and student and educator workshops. Under the leadership of Artistic Director Wynton Marsalis, President & CEO Derek E. Gordon, Executive Director Katherine E. Brown, Chairman of the Board Lisa Schiff and Jazz at Lincoln Center Board and staff, Jazz at Lincoln Center will produce hundreds of events during its 2004-05 season. This is the inaugural season in Jazz at Lincoln Center’s new home - Frederick P. Rose Hall - the first-ever performance, education, and broadcast facility devoted to jazz.
For more information contact All About Jazz.
