Jazzkickers play Solera

Last night, we played three sets at a Christmas party in downtown Minneapolis. Our keyboard player, Tim Wick, had a gig at the Dakota with blues singer Big Walter, but Steve Hegman was a great stand-in. I played my 1990 Fender Stratocaster through my 100 watt Fender Jazzmaster Ultralight amp.

We played a variety of instrumentals from the Real Book and were joined by local singer Dennis Spears in the third set. Dennis came straight from starring in the opening night of "Black Nativity" to join us. He sang "Girl From Ipanema", "Drink Muddy Water", "All Blues", and "Satin Doll", really livening up our show.

Jazzkickers gigs

Many thanks to all who turned out to hear the Jazzkickers play for the 2009 Employee Giving Campaign on Thursday and Friday. We featured a more blues and samba oriented program this year, with songs such as "Chitlins Con Carne", "Blue Bossa", "Bags Groove", "Black Orpheus", "Motorin' Along", "Beach Fatigue", "Meditation" and "Kelly and Tucker".

The Jazzkickers are Gary Berosik (drums), Steve Proper (bass), Peter Jackson (guitar), Tim Wick (keys), and Gregory Bannister (saxes). (Carmin Pluntz was unable to join us on sax this year.) We play mostly jazz standards from the Real Book and some originals, and tend to play just in the last quarter of each year, doing charity gigs and holiday parties.

A Week at the Dakota Jazz Club

Sandy and I started off the week on Monday with Chick Corea, backed by Stanley Clarke (bs) and Lenny White (dr). Great set, featuring "Stella by Starlight", "Senor Mouse", "No Mystery", and a cool arrangement of the famous Rodrigo adagio.

Thursday night, we saw the Tierney Sutton Band in fine form. They did "Devil May Care", "It's Only a Paper Moon", "Cry Me a River", among others. Tierney's voice, style and delivery are just awesome, and the whole band rocks.

We also saw Gretchen Parlato, who did some very cool numbers, including Herbie Hancock's "Butterfly", "I Can't Help It", and some interesting originals. Again, a great band with some very thoughtful arrangements.

Finally, we enjoyed a set by Sachal Vasandani, who also did a mix of standards ("A Small Hotel", "All The Way") and originals ("Royal Eyes"). A young man worth watching; he will go places.

We also ate a lot of good food and drank some fairly strong martinis. Each night we also ran into some friends we hadn't seen for a while, so that made it all just about perfect.

Catch up post for May-July: Karrin Allyson, etc.

This summer has been so busy there has been no time to blog. I've been spending a lot of time in New York, both NYC and outposts such as Buffalo and Rochester.

Best show I saw in all that time was Karrin Allyson at the Dakota on June 24. She sang with a somewhat stripped down band: guitar, bass, and herself on the keyboard (though not all the time). A different, more intimate sound than her previous shows, but equally enjoyable.

I have been working very hard on jazz piano this summer, continuing lessons with Bryan Nichols. Main emphasis is on improvisation over a metronome and breaking out of ruts.

Catch up post for March-April

I have done a terrible job of keeping up to date in recent weeks. At the end of March, Sandy and I went to see Tierney Sutton both nights she was in Minneapolis and the gigs were excellent, although the second night audience seemed to be fairly comatose. We also went to see Snowblind at the Dakota, who played their unique brand of brass oriented modern jazz.

In the first week of April, I spent a weekend at the Old Town School of Folk Music in Chicago, taking four seminars from Gary Lee Joyner on guitar & harmonica, songwriting, music theory and improvisation. It's a great place and I enjoyed getting out of town for a few days. I didn't get to see Steve Earle, though, because the concerts that weekend were both sold out.

Scott Yoo's "Young Americans"

Scott Yoo, Artistic Partner to the Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra, conducted and played in a fabulous concert tonight at the SPCO Center in the Hamm Building. In the first half, Scott played violin in two pieces, Jeffrey Cotton's Sextet for Two Violins, Two Violas and Two Cellos, and Dan Coleman's Sonata in Two Acts for Violin and Piano.

The Cotton Sextet (also called the Sextet for Strings) is a wonderful piece of music, beginning with a rather serpentine Dance movement, continuing on with a very moving (and rather Barberesque) Elegy for the victims of 9/11, and ending with a short Scherzo. Cotton was apparently on the scene after the first plane hit the World Trade Center, and participated in volunteer rescue work. Scott Yoo and Steven Copes did a fabulous job on the violin parts; Scott actually played in the world premiere of this piece in 2002.

Dan Coleman's Sonata is for violin and piano (played by Susan Grace), and takes its inspiration from opera tableaus and song forms (aria, recitative, cavatina, etc). The violin part is both lyrical and muscular, with excursions into 12-tone music, requiring great dynamics and a wide range of tones. The two acts are separated by an Intermezzo for solo piano that can be played as a stand alone piece. Scott played his challenging part just beautifully; again, he played in the world premier of this piece in 1996.

The second half featured the world premier of Patrick Zimmerli's Chamber Symphony for 14 Instruments, a piece inspired by both jazz and 12-tone music, with Scott Yoo conducting. Steve Copes and Dale Barltrop played violins and Susan Grace returned on piano. There was much to admire about this symphony, including some interesting jazz arrangements, but I found it clever more than anything else. Based on a single hearing, it seemed to lack the emotional appeal of the Cotton work and the energy of the Coleman work. But it's a piece I will want to hear again, once a recording is available, and I'd also like to hear some of his other recordings.

Ginger Commodore; Paul Renz

On Saturday night, Sandy and I went to see the Ginger Commodore Quintet at the Dakota Jazz Club. This was a high energy show, with Ginger in great vocal form, with Mark Weisberg on six-string bass, Clay Blaske on piano, Kathy Jensen on sax, and Bobby Commodore on drums. What I love about this band is the way they know how to build a song, taking familiar standards to a whole new level. Ginger has this fabulous ability to connect with the audience, and generate real excitement, even among Minnesotans! Kathy Jensen's playing is just awesome, very aggressive, but always well-balanced. Emma Weisberg and Debbie Duncan also wowed the audience with guest appearances.

On Sunday night, we went to Brit's Pub to see the Paul Renz Quintet, with Paul on guitar and special guest Anders Bostrom on soprano, alto and baritone flutes, Nathan Fryett on drums, Brian Ziemniak on keys, and Eric Graham on fretless bass guitar. This was a good gig in a great upstairs space, the Clubhouse Room by the rooftop bowling green. Paul's playing is always inventive and risk-taking, and the flute sounds are always intriguing. Very competent backing and soloing from the rest of the band on a strong collection of original compositions. I studied guitar and bass with Paul for several years, playing alongside him in student ensembles out of the West Bank School of Music, so I have great respect for him as a player and a teacher.

Weekend concerts, Friday 13th and Saturday pm

Friday night, Sandy and I went to the Ordway to hear the Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra. Scott Yoo conducted a great programme of Ravel, Lutoslawski, Mozart and Couperin, beginning with Ravel's Le Tombeau de Couperin, inspired by the composer's experiences in WW1. I have always been a huge fan of Ravel, and this is one of his most captivating works. Scott Yoo and the SPCO caught all the delicate harmonies as well as the stateliness of the Couperin influence.

On Saturday afternoon, the faculty of the MacPhail Center for Music gave a short concert in the Antonello Hall. Highlights for me were the Miniatures for Flute Oboe and Piano by William Grant Still (Julie Johnson, flute), Carrie Vecchione (oboe) and Jason Alfred (piano), For Takako by Sarah Miller with Sarah Miller (piano) and Takako Seimiya Senn (trumpet), and three movements from Souvenirs by Samuel Barber, with Susano Pinto and E. Pinar Basgoze on pianos.

Quick catch up on concerts

I got to two concerts in recent weeks, despite a heavy travel schedule: McCoy Tyner at the Blue Note in NYC and Claudia Schmidt at the Dakota in Minneapolis. Tyner's set was a strong performance in a quintet setting that kicked off with "Moment's Notice" and kept up a fast and furious pace. He looked and sounded much better than the last time I saw him about 5 years ago; he is still a monstrous piano player and, of course, a jazz legend. It was a special pleasure to see him at a legendary venue.

The Michegan-based singer Claudia Schmidt also performed in a quintet setting, with Bryan Nichols on piano and Dean McGraw on guitar. I really liked her songs, her stage presence, and her tendency to read poetry on stage. Her eclectic mix of jazz, blues and folk was very engaging. The only number that didn't quite work for me was "Skylark"; I've heard Tierney Sutton and Shelly Berg ace this complex song too recently. But overall a pleasant evening in a fabulous venue, our own Dakota Jazz Club.

Pierre-Laurent Aimard in Saint Paul

Sandy and I attended not one but two Pierre-Laurent Aimard concerts this weekend, his final appearances as an Artistic Partner of the Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra, and had the pleasure of speaking with him after each show.

One was at a private party in the SPCO Center. Pierre-Laurent played solo piano for an hour, beginning with 4 pieces from The Art of Fugue by J.S. Bach. These were followed by Debussy's Suite Bergamasque, which contains the famous Clair de Lune, then Chopin's Berceuse (Lullaby), with its compelling ostinato and chromaticism. The recital ended with two magnificent performances of Ravel: Noctuelles and La Vallee des Cloches, the one frantically conjuring up the erratic flight of moths, while the other reminds me of one of those sunken plains in the south of France, where nothing impedes the sound of village bells. Pieere-Laurent introduced each piece, giving the audience unique insights into the artistry of these compositions.

The other was at the Ordway Theater, where the program was Beethoven's first two Piano Concertos, and George Benjamin's At First Light. Pierre-Laurent conducted the Beethoven from the piano, and conducted the Benjamin in between, a piece for 14 players, in which Skip James played piano and celeste.

Dave Liebman at Birdland Jazz Club

Last night, a colleague and I went to the Birdland Jazz Club on West 44th Street, not far from Broadway. This is a really nice space with a good bar, good if not great food, and an OK wine list. The band was Dave Liebman (saxophones), Randy Brecker (trumpet), Marc Copland (piano), Drew Gress (bass), and Billy Hart (drums). They opened with the howard Dietz song "You and the Night and the Music", then a Brecker original, "Moontide", then a Leibman original, "All About Bird". Dave Liebman is a very accomplished player, though I found his solos a bit "notey", as my old music teacher used to say. But he has enormous fluidity and a fiery attack that wins you over in the end. There were moments of magical interplay between him and Brecker, especially on "All About Bird", which seemed to quote every Charlie Parker tune you have ever heard.

But the greatest fascination for me was watching and listening to Marc Copland, a very accomplished pianist with a distinctive style that I found quite captivating. His solos seemed to combine knottiness with lyricism in a quite effortless way, playing lushly extended chords with a sparsity and precision that was more like Ravel or Messiaen than Evans or Jarrett. The contrapunctual playing on "All About Bird" sounded like a bebop Bach invention, and his altered chord voicings on the fabulous version of "Sidewinder" that closed the set gave the song a new lease of life for me. The rest of the rhythm section certainly carried their water, with Drew Gress on bass never flagging and providing some very nice chromatic work on "Moontide", while Billy Hart's percussion was always innovative, and he played some nicely judged solos.

Beethoven and Goebbels at the Ordway Theater

Last night, Sandy and I got to hear three different orchestras at an event that is part of the SPCO's 50th International Anniversary Chamber Music Festival.

The evening opened with Pierre-Laurent Aimard playing the Emperor (Beethoven's Piano Concerto No. 5) with the Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra. I am not a huge Beethoven fan, but I do like this rather unusual piece, with the very grandiose intro and the rather wonky rhythm in the Rondo. Pierre-Laurent's playing was excellent, as always, and received a standing ovation.

This was followed by Heiner Goebbels' "Songs of Wars I Have Seen", played by a double orchestra: the London Sinfonietta and the Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment. This 26-movement opus blends three different elements: readings from Gertrude Stein, some period instrument playing from the Elizabethan and Baroque periods, plus some more modern music, with jazz and Asiatic influences. Hard to describe and has to be experienced, but really a very accessible and exciting work.

New Year and other musical events

Sandy and I saw in the New Year at the Dakota Jazz Club, as usual. There was a double bill of Moore by Four, followed by the Steeles. Great vocals, great food, and plenty to drink.

Last night, we went to Julie Johnson's CD release concert and party at the MacPhail School of Music in Minneapolis. This was an awesome event, with many guest musicians, mostly featuring tracks from her new album, Arrest. Memorable arrangements included "Lunfardo" (Piazzolla), Assobio a jato (Villa-Lobos), and "Where Did You Sleep Last Night?" (Leadbelly), and Julie also played an original composition "The Removed" and a flute improvisation. The Antonelli Hall was full, and the crowd was enthusiastic. Additional players included Brian Roessler on bass, and Drew Druckrey on guitar.

I am continuing my studies in jazz piano at MacPhail this year. I am not playing much guitar; the winter is not being very kind to my hands. Hopefully, by the spring, I will have the strength and the time to return to stringed instruments.

10,000 hours

According to Malcolm Gladwell's new book, "Outliers", it takes an investment of about 10,000 hours to become truly expert in a domain, like a sport or a musical instrument. Research that suggests the key to developing expertise is thousands of hours of practice in which challenges are systematically tackled (see e.g., Ross, July 24, 2006, Sci Am). I find the arguments and examples pretty compelling, and I certainly feel that there is evidence for this hypothesis in my own life. The only specific skills I have invested 10,000 hours in are LISP programming and rock guitar, and I think that I have reached expert levels in both of those pursuits. The evidence is that have made a good living as an AI professional for the last 30 years, and I almost never play in a guitar store without someone asking me if I give lessons. (I don't code any more, but I still play guitar every day I'm at home.)

On the downside, this means my piano playing has 9,000 hours to go, and my bass playing has about 7,500 hours to go. I turn 60 years old today, so I don't expect to be truly proficient on these instruments for another 10 years, although if I retire at 65 I may be able to hurry things along. Meanwhile, my jazz guitar playing is only at about 5,000 hours, and my classical guitar playing languishes at about 2,500 hours. I get some transfer among these instruments and styles, but not enough to make up for lack of practice on the specifics. Meanwhile, my hands are not what they were, so I feel like I'm in a race against time. But I find learning and playing music so rewarding that I have never given a second thought to whether or not it is worthwhile. For some reason, just listening has never been enough for me, so I hope to continue studying for a good while yet.

Peace on Earth, World Voices concert

Last night, Sandy and I attended the POE concert by choral group World Voices at the Central Lutheran Church in Minneapolis. This annual event partners a first-class choir with other local ensembles, mostly drawn from local schools. This year featured the Ascension School Choir, the FAIR School Choir, the Minnesota Boychoir, Partners in Priase, Con Brio Choir, and the Robbinsdale All-District Elementary Choir.

Karle Erickson, artistic director of World Voices, led the evening's music from the podium, which included participation from the audience. The programme featured the very best Christmas music from around the world, including "Joy to the World", "Gloria", "Kling, Glockchen", "Hatikva", "Betelehemu", "Cantico di Frate Sole" and "This is my Father's World". The evening ended with all the choirs and the audience singing together on "He's Got the Whole World in His Hands".

I'm proud to be on the Board of Directors of World Voices, and I think of this event as being the highlight of our year. Great credit is due to our artistic partners in this event, including the Saint Anthony Sacred Dancers, the University of Minnesota Steel Drum Ensemble, and various accompanists on organ, brass and percussion. The children did a fabulous job and their presence made the evening both a musical success and a cause for hope that peace on earth might one day become a reality.

Piano lessons

My left hand still feels bad, but I am now studying jazz piano with Bryan Nichols at the MacPhail Center for Music. This is less stressful on my operated-on finger than guitar or bass, though more stressful otherwise, because my piano playing needs much more work. Luckily, Bryan is an awesome teacher, and we are digging into some great standards from the Real Book.

Ravel, Delage, Bach & Schneider concert

Scott Yoo conducted the Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra in a varied program on Friday night, the highlights of which were Four Hindu Poems by Delage and Carlos Drummond de Andrade Stories by Minnesota composer Maria Schneider (conducted by the composer), both featuring soprano Dawn Upshaw. The Delage songs were delicate and luminous, while the Stories were darkly humorous. Other pieces performed were Ravel's Pavane Pour Une Infante Défunte, Bach's Ricercare (orchestrated by Webern), and Beethoven's Ghost Trio.

Jazzkickers concerts in Eagan

The Jazzkickers gave their annual Employee Giving Campaign concerts at the West Publishing facility in Eagan, MN this week. We played two one-hour sets, including four original compositions ("Snowy Samba" and "Kelly and Tucker" by Tim Wick, and "Beach Fatigue" and "Phrygian Around" by myself). Other songs were "Sea Journey", "Bags Groove", "How High the Moon", "Blue Bossa", "Summer Samba", "Moanin'", "Chitlins Con Carne", and "Autumn Leaves".

The Jazzkickers are: Carmin Pluntz (tenor sax), Gregory Bannister (tenor & suprano saxes, clarinet), Peter Jackson (elec gtr), Gary Berosik (dr), Steve Proper (bs gtr) and Tim Wick (keys). I played a Gibson Les Paul Robot guitar through a custom-built Savage Rohr amp. Many thanks to all who stopped by to listen, and you can find photos here. The Employee Giving Campaign raised over $1.3M in contributions prior to the company match, which is a record.

Shawn Colvin concert

On Wednesday night, Sandy and I saw Shawn Colvin at the Dakota Jazz Club, a very intimate venue. She played without a back up band, and did a good job of covering a wide range of songs from her 15 years or so of releasing albums. Her attractive voice and signature guitar style were in good shape, despite the fact that she looked tired and seemed to be coming down with a cold. Among the numbers she sang were "Fill Me Up", "Shotgun Down The Avalanche", "Cinnamon Road", "Polaroids", "Tuff Kid", "These Four Walls" and "Sunny Came Home". Her consistent song-writing and fresh approach to the studio, working with the likes of Larry Klein and John Leventhal, has earned her a well-deserved place in the pantheon of great popular musicians.

Vienna Mozart Orchestra

Last week in Vienna, I attended a concert of the Wiener Mozart Orchester in the Golden Hall of the Musikverein. This is a chamber ensemble of about 30 musicians who play selections from Mozart works while wearing period costume. Siegfried Andraschek was conducting, and the soloists were Isabell Bringmann (soprano), Sebastian Holocek (baritone), and Ines Miklin (violin).

Highlights included arias from Don Giovanni, the Marriage of Figaro, and the Magic Flute, where the singing was really outstanding. Other crowd-pleasers were Eine Kleine Nachmusik and Rondo alla Turca, as well as movements from Symphonies No. 25 and 40. The acoustics of the Musikverein are just awesome, and the audience were very informal and relaxed: a mix of locals and tourists.