Recap: The 2009 Thelonious Monk International Jazz Competition (With Audio)

by Michael Katzif

2009 Thelonious Monk International Jazz Competition winner Ben Williams performs with Dee Dee Bridgewater. (Steve Mundinger)

Sunday night at the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C., many of the most notable figures in jazz looked toward the future and celebrated the storied past. Convening in the immaculate Eisenhower Theater, the Thelonious Monk Institute Of Jazz awarded Ben Williams first prize in the 2009 Thelonious Monk International Jazz Bass Competition.

Each year, the competition highlights a different instrument, and this year's weekend-long event saw 15 bassists perform at the semi-finals, held at the Smithsonian Museum of Natural History on Saturday. Before a panel of distinguished judges -- including Ron Carter, Charlie Haden, Dave Holland, Robert Hurst, Christian McBride and John Patitucci -- the top three musicians then played in Sunday night's finals.

On his two tunes -- "Tricotism" by Oscar Pettiford, and the Juan Tizol classic "Caravan" -- Williams wowed the audience with his nimble fingering, melodic soloing and creative rhythmic approach. Ultimately, his musical prowess earned him the top spot.

By winning first place in the competition, Williams will receive $20,000 toward college-level music scholarships, and a recording contract with Concord Records. Williams is a native Washingtonian who attended D.C.'s Duke Ellington School of the Arts, and later matriculated to Michigan State and Juilliard, where he is finishing his degree. He has since become an in-demand bassist in New York, playing in the bands of Stefon Harris and Marcus Strickland, and on an upcoming Jacky Terrasson record.

Take a listen to Ben Williams' performances from last night:

"Tricotism," featuring Geoffrey Keezer, piano; Carl Allen, drums.

"Caravan," featuring Dee Dee Bridgewater, voice; Geoffrey Keezer, piano; Carl Allen, drums.

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8:51 AM ET | 10-14-2009 | permalink

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Jazz Now: Mike Katzif, NPR Music

by Michael Katzif

At NPR Music, Mike Katzif is something of a Swiss army knife. He writes about plenty of not-jazz for Song Of The Day and a variety of other features. He's also the keeper of all things podcast throughout the entire NPR.org universe. But he comes from a background as a jazz guitarist, and at A Blog Supreme, he gets to write about this music. His Jazz Now list introduces new listeners to "contemporary and personally meaningful records." --Ed.

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People who know me probably know that baseball is my favorite sport. It has a beautiful history and an amazing folklore. Admittedly, it also features deliberate and slow-paced action drawn out over a long summer, and -- let's face it -- a lot of nuance and minutiae that the average person doesn't care about. There's no way I would introduce a friend to baseball with old newspaper boxscore clippings, reruns on ESPN Classic or historical artifacts. As important and fascinating as that stuff can be, the first thing I'd do is say, "Let's go see a game."

The same goes for any type of music, but especially in jazz. Yet anyone who's ever spent time in a jazz history survey knows that most of the time is spent with the classics and little else. By the time you get to anything modern or recognizable, the class is over.

Up until recently (thanks, burgeoning Jazz Internets!), rare were there opportunities to learn about or talk publicly in the ways of today's jazz. For novices newer jazz can be daunting. Listeners need time to attune their ears to the language, and yet we drop them into this foreign territory and say "Good luck." Is it any wonder why some people get turned off?

Instead, why not start with the now and work backward? It's important to look back and know the past, but were I to teach one of those history of jazz lectures, I would introduce great artists creating exciting work that you can go out and experience in person (fine bourbon or craft brew in hand, natch).

In approaching this list of five great jazz albums of the last decade (give or take), I treated it as a way to introduce five contemporary and personally meaningful records. These are packages I would use as an introduction to jazz for those still on the bench -- but looking to play.

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1. Medeski Martin & Wood, Tonic (Blue Note)
You can tell a lot about a musician from a stripped-down, acoustic performance. Such is the case with Medeski Martin and Wood's live classic Tonic, which pares away the Hammond B-3 organ, fuzzed-out Wurlitzer and Hofner bass for a simple piano, bass and drums. MMW earned crossover appeal thanks to their funkier tendencies, but they maintained cred in other circles for their more experimental breakdowns and inventive communication. In this cozy setting, the trio masters tension-and-release playing, slowly building a song only to deconstruct it into blissful cacophony. For fans who were already sold on their more groove-based material, this is a great segue into more off-kilter pianists like Cecil Taylor or Thelonious Monk.

"Seven Deadlies," from Medeski Martin & Wood, Tonic (Blue Note). John Medeski, piano; Chris Wood, bass; Billy Martin, drums. Released 2000.

Purchase: Amazon.com / Amazon MP3 / iTunes

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10:09 AM ET | 09-21-2009 | permalink

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Judging By The Cover: 'United'

by Michael Katzif

Great sessions are occasionally hidden under the weight of Art Blakey's massive catalog. (Robert Parent / Time and Life Pictures/Getty Images)

When it comes to artists like drummer Art Blakey, whose catalog is enormous, it can be easy to overlook a classic. Over his long career, Blakey had so many studio recordings and live albums with his seminal group The Jazz Messengers that it can be difficult to parse which are the the ones worth hearing. In cases like these, a cover song can open the door to a new discovery that might otherwise slip through.

This was certainly the situation with "United," a Wayne Shorter tune I first found on Medeski Martin & Wood's first album Notes From The Underground, back in high school. I loved the trio's version so much at that time that I was inspired to hunt down the original, which can be found on Art Blakey And The Jazz Messengers' somewhat lesser-known album, Roots And Herbs.

"United," from Art Blakey and the Jazz Messengers, Roots And Herbs. Lee Morgan, trumpet; Wayne Shorter, tenor saxophone, Walter Davis Jr., piano; Jymie Merritt, bass; Art Blakey, drums. New York, N.Y.: Feb. 18, 1961.

Purchase: Amazon.com CD / Amazon MP3 / iTunes

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11:45 AM ET | 08- 3-2009 | permalink

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I Killed Ray Brown: A Remembrance

by Michael Katzif

Ray Brown performing live at Jazz Mecca in Maastricht, Holland on October 27, 1991. Photo Credit: Paul Bergen/Redferns/Getty Images

I killed Ray Brown. This confession may come as a shock to most people, especially since it's not remotely true. But seven years ago, in the summer of 2002, it certainly crossed my mind.

Some back story: seven years ago, my father and I were in Chicago to catch a Cubs game, eat deep dish pizza and all that. One night we looked in the paper to see what kind of music was happening while we were there, and saw that the legendary bassist Ray Brown was opening a five-night run at the old Jazz Showcase.

Being a jazz student at the time, I was well-versed in the music of Ray Brown, from his work with Oscar Peterson and Ella Fitzgerald, to his then-recent Live At Starbucks album, one that is still heavy in my rotation. Brown, quite literally, wrote the book on jazz bass playing, and played with nearly everyone worth playing with in his long, robust career.

We had to see him.

Watch Ray Brown perform with the Oscar Peterson trio at the Newport Jazz Festival:

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11:00 AM ET | 07- 2-2009 | permalink

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More Weird Instruments In Jazz

by Lars Gotrich and Mike Katzif

Today's totally fun Take Five list by Josh features some of the stranger instruments to pop up in jazz -- everything from bagpipes to conch shells. But a quick poll around the office revealed that many of us also have our own favorite odd jazz instruments.

So this time, five (er, six) songs just weren't enough. Here are some of the artists who popped up:

Rudy Smith: steel pan. A transplanted Trinidadian now living all over Europe, Smith approaches his Jamaican instrument like vibraphonist Milt Jackson. His steel pan playing is melodious and light, making me want to simultaneously bob my head and order a margarita. --LG

More instrumental oddities and a Rufus Harley documentary, after the jump.

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3:16 PM ET | 06-29-2009 | permalink

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'Icons Among Us': An Interview With Executive Producer John Comerford

by Michael Katzif

Recently I spent some time watching a new documentary film series on modern jazz titled Icons Among Us: Jazz In The Present Tense. The series -- which aired on The Documentary Channel and is now making the rounds at film festivals -- is an in-depth look at the current state of contemporary jazz and improvised music, and features nearly every jazz artist you can think of.

To get a small taste, watch this introductory clip featuring bassist Avishai Cohen and guitarist Bill Frisell:

Last week, I spoke with co-director Michael Rivoira about the film's origins and themes, which you can read here. In this second part, I talked with the film's executive producer John Comerford about his role in the project and what he hopes people will get out of the series.

How did you become involved in the film project, and what was your role in the series and theatrical release?

John Comerford: I was originally approached by Michael Rivoira and Lars Larson, the two co-directors on the film, to jump on board as the producer back about seven years ago or so. And when they approached me, the first question on my mind as a producer -- I think as any good producer looks at a potential opportunity when you evaluate it -- is: what's the sense of urgency for telling the story?

The reason that jazz really appealed to me was its improvisational quality and the excitement of never doing the same thing the same way. Every night when you see a jazz performance, you may be exposed to something completely new and be at a moment of discovery with the musician. That is really powerful and can be experienced along with the musician as an audience member, because they're not sure what's unfolding either.

The urgency came from the directors' communication and relationships with musicians who were reacting to the historical portrait of jazz that had just been completed by the great documentary filmmaker Ken Burns. And I think that the contacts the directors had were feeling like jazz is primarily about spontaneity and improvisation, so we should pay attention to the moment. And the moment at the turn of the millennium was dictating that we listen to the voices of the living generation of musicians and we elevate them and explore their work and deepen their audiences. And their response to it was, "Hey, what about us?"

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11:00 AM ET | 06-22-2009 | permalink

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'Icons Among Us': An Interview With Director Michael Rivoira

Jazz Alive And Well In Stunning New Documentary

by Michael Katzif

Last week I spent some quality time hunkered down on my couch watching a new documentary film series on modern jazz titled Icons Among Us: Jazz In The Present Tense. The films, which aired on The Documentary Channel and are currently being prepared for DVD release, are a somewhat free-form look at the current state of contemporary jazz and improvised music.

Unlike many documentaries on the subject, Icons Among Us doesn't spend much time catching up the viewer on the history of jazz. Nor does it seek any definitive answers on some of the heady questions it addresses. Instead, it simply sets out to depict jazz as a living, breathing and ever-evolving musical art form, and above all, expose more people to some of the best jazz artists around today.

And there sure are a lot of musicians included. It seemed like it had nearly every jazz artist you could think of who should be included: Dave Douglas, Ravi Coltrane, Greg Osby, Terence Blanchard, Robert Glasper, John Medeski, The Bad Plus, Jason Moran, Nicholas Payton, Wayne Shorter, Brian Blade, Chris Potter and so many more.

To get a small taste, watch this introductory clip featuring bassist Avishai Cohen and guitarist Bill Frisell:

I recently spoke with Michael Rivoira, one of the co-directors, about some of the themes the film addresses. Stay "tuned" for part two, in which I talk to the executive producer on the project, John Comerford.

How did you begin work on the film and what was your original goal?

Michael Rivoira: I actually started the project myself back in 2001, before I had met Lars (Larson) and John (Comerford) and Peter (J. Vogt). I just really saw a need for a fresh look at jazz; I saw a disconnect happening between the larger music community and society in general into what the perception of jazz was now, and I wanted to do a documentary to get deeper into this generation of jazz musicians.

So I just started doing it on my own, for about half a year, in Seattle -- just locally because there are a lot of great things happening in Seattle. And then [once] I met Lars Larson -- the director of photography and co-director, I feel the project went to a whole new level. He's got a great eye. I'm a first time director and they were able to bring a whole new possibility to the project.

Everybody is really into the music. [We] already knew the music pretty well and that was easy for me. I'm a huge music fan and I love jazz.

One of the primary themes of the film was that there are all these amazing types of jazz out there, and many entry points for people who say they don't like jazz or find it hard to get into.

MR: These days when you [say] "jazz" to people, they say, "Oh, jazz, I don't really get it," or they're saying, "I just don't like it." That was really what we wanted to redefine -- to stop that from happening. That really is the mission, to show there's a whole new movement going on in the music.

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5:48 PM ET | 06-12-2009 | permalink

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Judging By The Cover: Fiona Apple Plays Cy Coleman

by Michael Katzif

Even in her own highly-produced pop music, Apple has had a voice of music from another era -- somewhere between smoky jazz ballads and brooding cabaret tunes. Courtesy of the artist.

Jazz artists reworking modern pop songs is certainly nothing new. It's more or less a tradition -- even an expected practice -- to be inspired by popular songs of the day and craft them into new standards for the repertoire. Could be Coltrane playing "My Favorite Things" (from The Sound Of Music) or Mehldau doing Radiohead covers.

But it's much rarer to find a contemporary rock artist who's able to do justice to an old standard. (I'm sure we can all suggest our own questionable examples of rock artist going "jazz" [ahem] Rod Stewart.)

A couple weeks back, I came across a few music blogs going absolutely bananas over an mp3 making the rounds. The song was of Fiona Apple performing an exquisite rendition of the old standard "Why Try To Change Me Now." It was released as part of an EP sold at a January tribute concert to acclaimed songwriter Cy Coleman called Then Was Then & Now Is Now. YouTube has the audio:

After the jump, comparing Fiona's version with Frank Sinatra's original.

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4:50 PM ET | 06- 5-2009 | permalink

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Judging By The Cover: Brad Mehldau & Matt Chamberlain Go Grunge

by Michael Katzif

Brad Mehldau, in performance at Tokyo's Suntory Hall. Courtesy of the artist.

Anyone familiar with Brad Mehldau knows the pianist is tops when it comes to covering rock songs. Since he first tackled "Exit Music (For a Film)," Mehldau has reworked number of Radiohead songs, including a stunning 20-minute solo rendition of "Paranoid Android" on his Live In Tokyo album that would make even classical pianist Christopher O'Riley feel a bit unworthy. Throughout his catalog, Mehldau has also played tunes by Paul Simon, Oasis, Nick Drake, Sufjan Stevens and even a stunning medley of Jobim's "Wave" and The Beatles' "Mother Nature's Son" on his incredibly underrated, Jon Brion-produced album Largo.

But last Friday, Mehldau took his love of covers to an inspired extreme. As part of SFJazz's spring season, the pianist performed a one-off concert with session drummer extraordinaire Matt Chamberlain in San Francisco. It was their first live performance together as a duo, and they came up with something special. After taking the stage, Mehldau said they would play "the music of Seattle," launching into Nirvana's "Smells Like Teen Spirit."

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2:30 PM ET | 05-22-2009 | permalink

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