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June Means Jazz as Festivals Flourish

By Jack Bowers
July 12, 2012
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June, as always, is a harbinger of exciting things to come as the jazz festival season springs forth in earnest, causing even the most ardent couch potatoes to bestir themselves and start perusing the calendar to locate interesting events in their neck of the woods. Here in New Mexico, the "outdoor" season comes to life with the annual Jazz, Blues & Salsa Under the Stars series at the Museum of Art and History, which is where Betty and I were on June 2 for a concert by the Albuquerque Jazz Orchestra with guest artist

Matt Catingub

saxophone
b.1961

" data-original-title="" title="">Matt Catingub.

Catingub, whose mom was jazz singer

Mavis Rivers

vocals
1929 - 1992

" data-original-title="" title="">Mavis Rivers, began his career playing in the

Louie Bellson

drums
1924 - 2009

" data-original-title="" title="">Louie Bellson Big Band and since then has enjoyed a successful career as a composer, arranger, pianist, vocalist and saxophonist extraordinaire. He did all of that with the AJO, charming the overflow audience with his outgoing stage presence while showing them every facet of his extensive musical persona. Catingub even brought his own drummer, Steve Moretti, from Los Angeles to sit in for the AJO's Paul Palmer III who took advantage of the day off to get married.

The first half of the evening's performance consisted of music by the New Mexico Jazz Workshop's high school and middle school Honor Bands directed by Christian Pincock (high school) and Sam Nesbitt (middle school). After intermission, the AJO came out roaring with a pair of flag-wavers,

Phil Kelly

composer / conductor
b.1937

" data-original-title="" title="">Phil Kelly's "Sweet Georgia Upside Down" and the Gershwins' "They Can't Take That Away from Me," with muscular solos on the first by trumpeter Bruce Dalby, on the second by pianist Jim Ahrend and music director / alto saxophonist Glenn Kostur. Catingub opened (on alto sax) with yet another swinger, "There Will Never Be Another You," on which Dalby, tenor Lee Taylor and valve trombonist Pincock added sharp solos while Moretti drove the ensemble with alacrity. Catingub then invited everyone to dance (a request that was answered by more than a dozen intrepid couples) to a medley of Swing Era favorites, "Don't Be That Way" and "Stompin' at the Savoy," arranged, as was everything else, by Catingub himself.

Ellington's "It Don't Mean a Thing," scored as a mambo with Catingub at the piano, preceded Catingub's "Salute to

Elvis Costello

vocals
b.1954

" data-original-title="" title="">Elvis Costello," written, he said, as a sarcastic swipe when he was still a young man and before he came to appreciate Costello's first-rate musicianship. Catingub next displayed his vocal prowess on a pair of songs he arranged for

Rosemary Clooney

vocals
1928 - 2002

" data-original-title="" title="">Rosemary Clooney, "You Go to My Head" and her surprise pop hit from the early '50s, "Come On-a My House," before closing the performance with his crafty satire of

Oliver Nelson

saxophone
1932 - 1975

" data-original-title="" title="">Oliver Nelson's "Blues and the Abstract Truth," entitled "Blues and the Abscessed Tooth." Ahrend's crisp piano solo followed a spirited alto duel between Catingub and Kostur. As the concert had to end, that was arguably the best possible way to ring down the curtain.

NYJO News

Trumpeter Mark Armstrong, who came up through the ranks of Great Britain's National Youth Jazz Orchestra, has been appointed NYJO's artistic and music director. Armstrong is a professor at the Royal College of Music and teaches composing and arranging at the Royal Centre for Contemporary Music. He performs regularly with the

Ronnie Scott

saxophone, tenor
1927 - 1996

" data-original-title="" title="">Ronnie Scott Jazz Orchestra and is an alumnus of the

Clark Tracey

drums
b.1961

" data-original-title="" title="">Clark Tracey Quintet. Armstrong's appointment to lead NYJO is for five years.

It Happened in Monterey . . .

The Monterey Jazz Festival has named the young musicians who will comprise the 2012 Next Generation Jazz Orchestra. The twenty-one high school musicians hail from California, Florida, Iowa, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Oregon, Pennsylvania and Washington State. The orchestra will tour Japan from July 23-August 6 and perform with trumpeter (and NGJO alumnus)

Ambrose Akinmusire

trumpet
b.1982

" data-original-title="" title="">Ambrose Akinmusire at the fifty-fifth Monterey Jazz Festival, September 23.

Returning from last years's NGJO are saxophonists Jasper Dutz and Conner Anderson (both from CA), bassist Daryl Johns (NJ), trombonist Joonas Lemetyinen (OR), trumpeter Adam O'Farrill (NY) and bass trombonist Chris Palowitch (CA), the band's only three-year member. Former members of the orchestra include pianists

Benny Green

piano
b.1963

" data-original-title="" title="">Benny Green and

Patrice Rushen

keyboards
b.1954

" data-original-title="" title="">Patrice Rushen, bassist

Larry Grenadier

bass, acoustic
b.1966

" data-original-title="" title="">Larry Grenadier, drummer

Chad Wackerman

drums

" data-original-title="" title="">Chad Wackerman, saxophonists

Joshua Redman

saxophone
b.1969

" data-original-title="" title="">Joshua Redman,

Donny McCaslin

saxophone, tenor
b.1966

" data-original-title="" title="">Donny McCaslin,

Eric Marienthal

saxophone
b.1957

" data-original-title="" title="">Eric Marienthal and

Dave Koz

saxophone

" data-original-title="" title="">Dave Koz, trombonist

Andy Martin

trombone
b.1960

" data-original-title="" title="">Andy Martin, trumpeter

Gilbert Castellanos

trumpet

" data-original-title="" title="">Gilbert Castellanos and multi-instrumentalist and big-band leader

Gordon Goodwin

composer / conductor
b.1954

" data-original-title="" title="">Gordon Goodwin, to name a few. The band's director, Paul Contos, succeeds such former directors as

Ladd McIntosh

composer / conductor
b.1941

" data-original-title="" title="">Ladd McIntosh, Don Schamber,

Benny Golson

saxophone, tenor
1929 - 2024

" data-original-title="" title="">Benny Golson and

Bill Berry

trumpet
b.1930

" data-original-title="" title="">Bill Berry.

The Monterey Festival has also announced the winner of the Next Generation Jazz Festival's

Gerald Wilson

composer / conductor
1918 - 2014

" data-original-title="" title="">Gerald Wilson Award for composition, Christopher McCarthy from Roosevelt High School in Seattle, WA. His composition, "Something Small," will be performed September 23 by the Next Generation Jazz Orchestra.

One More Reminder

It's not too late to make plans for "Groovin' Hard," the Los Angeles Jazz Institute's four-day event October 11-14 at the Los Angeles Airport Marriott Hotel. Headliners include the

Buddy Rich

drums
1917 - 1987

" data-original-title="" title="">Buddy Rich Alumni Band featuring

Peter Erskine

drums
b.1954

" data-original-title="" title="">Peter Erskine; the

Don Ellis

trumpet
1934 - 1978

" data-original-title="" title="">Don Ellis Reunion Band; a

Maynard Ferguson

trumpet
1928 - 2006

" data-original-title="" title="">Maynard Ferguson Alumni Tribute, a

Louie Bellson

drums
1924 - 2009

" data-original-title="" title="">Louie Bellson Explosion Reunion,

Thad Jones

trumpet
1923 - 1986

" data-original-title="" title="">Thad Jones /

Mel Lewis

drums
1929 - 1990

" data-original-title="" title="">Mel Lewis Revisited, the

Bill Watrous

trombone
1939 - 2018

" data-original-title="" title="">Bill Watrous Manhattan Wildlife Refuge, the Creative World of

Stan Kenton

piano
1911 - 1979

" data-original-title="" title="">Stan Kenton, and new looks at Chase,

Gerry Mulligan

saxophone, baritone
1927 - 1996

" data-original-title="" title="">Gerry Mulligan's Age of Steam,

Gil Evans

composer / conductor
1912 - 1988

" data-original-title="" title="">Gil Evans' Svengali, and

Patrick Williams

" data-original-title="" title="">Patrick Williams' Threshold and Aurora, in addition to the usual films, panel discussions and special presentations. For information, phone 562-200-5477 or go online to lajazzinstitute.org

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

New and Noteworthy

1. James Morrison, Snappy Too (Morrison Records)

2. Aschaffenburger Big Band, Second Take (Main-Echo)

3. Kirk MacDonald Jazz Orchestra, Deep Shadows (Addo)

4. Jim Manley, Eight (Victoria Company)

5. Ron Carter's Great Big Band, Untitled (Summit)

6. NOVA Jazz Orchestra, Who Sez You Can't Dance to Be-bop? (Self Published)

7. Jim Manley, Eight (Victoria Company)

8. Clare Fischer Big Band, Continuum (Clavo Records)

9. The Frank Griffith Big Band, Holland Park Non-Stop (Hep) 10. Tommy Vig Orchestra, Welcome to Hungary! (Artisjus)

11. Deutsche Oper Berlin Big Band, Premiere (Mons)

12. Ed Partyka Jazz Orchestra, Songs of Love Lost (Mons)

13. Two Bone Big Band, Hornplayers Fifty-Fifty (Mons)

14. Eyal Vilner, Introducing the Eyal Vilner Big Band (Gut String Records)

15. University of Wisconsin—Eau Claire, A Gentleman Named John (Sea Breeze Vista)

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