In the Jazz World

I've run across numerous jazz-type blogs (notables: Blog Supreme, KMHD Blog, PlasticSax) that run a regular post summarizing the previous week's jazz news and I thought there should be at least one more. So, here goes:

One of the most searingly-hot sax players, and my personal favorite, the late Thomas Chapin, will soon be the subject of a jazz documentary, Night Bird Song: The Thomas Chapin Story.  Filmmaker, Stephanie Castillo, has recently opened a Facebook page detailing her progress, in addition to her blog on the subject. Well, hell, here's a video:

Kansas City-based tenor saxophonist, Matt Otto, recently played a gig with David Valdez at the Blue Monk in Portland, Oregon. Valdez recorded the gig and has posted it (several mp3's, zipped) on his blog. It's been a constant on my music players. The two, along with bassist, also played and recorded a tune/video for KMHD's Bright Moments show.

My darling kids made their debut appearance at the recent Cathedral Park Jazz Fest in Portland, Oregon during a Proto-Human performance. They're doing their thing at the front and center of the stage. Proto-Human's not too shabby, either.

Shows (4/23 - 4/29)

A few shows I'm either attending or sadly missing:


Snuff Jazz with Hermon Mehari
Thursday, April 26 at 10:00pm at Grunauer in Kansas City

Devin Phillips Quartet
Saturday, April 28 at 12:00am at Wilf's in Portland

Han Bennink with Tobias Delius Quartet
April 28th Brugge at de Werf in Brugge, Belgium

Michalangela with Ben Darwish, Devin Phillips, Kevin Deitz
Sunday, April 29 at 6:00pm at Andina in Portland

On Han Bennink

(Han Bennink, HBM Trio, Dixon Place, April 18, 2012, 2012 © Peter Gannushkin)

I recently heard that Han Bennink made an appearance in the US, doing an interview stop on NPR's Fresh Air, in addition to a 5-day marathon radio broadcast on WKCR out of New York in honor of his birthday. Bennink also played a concert on 2/21/2012 in celebration of his April 17th birthday with Richard Teitelbaum (keys), Ray Anderson (t-bone), Uri Caine (drums), Mark Dresser (bass), Mary Oliver (poet), Thomas Heberer (tpt), and Michael Moore (sax/clnt). Hopefully some audio or video will emerge.

I first heard of Bennink in 2002 after I scored a disk by the Clusone Trio titled "I Am an Indian." It also features Michael Moore on alto sax, clarinet, and melodica and Ernst Reijziger on cello. It was my first exposure to the kind of frenetic, left-of-center jazz that I would eventually come to fully embrace and seek out. The following is a cut from the disk titled "Sonoroso."

Inaugural Post

Hi, and welcome to a jazz blog. I live in Portland, Oregon where I currently live, listen, and love. I hope to update at least once a week with reviews of various concerts, albums, and other jazz gems.

Stay tuned.