A Bit of This and That

Source: See! Hear! by Richard Kamins
September 5, 2009
View read count

The Firehouse 12 Fall 2009 Concert Series opens its 13-week run on Friday September 18 (alas, the first night of Rosh Hashanah) with Brandon Ross & Blazing Beauty for 2 shows (8:30 and 10 p.m.) You can purchase tickets for individual shows or the entire season by going to the venue's website (firehouse12.com).

Speaking of the entire season, the lineup is now complete with the addition of the Darius Jones Trio performing on Friday November 20. The alto saxophonist (pictured left) has just issued his debut CD on AUM Fidelity. Titled “Man'ish Boy (A Raw & Beautiful Thing"), the majority of the music features

Cooper-Moore

piano
b.1946

" data-original-title="" title="">Cooper-Moore (piano, diddley-bo) and Rakalam Bob Moses (drums.) Diddley-bo is a one-stringed instrument that Cooper-Moore plucks or runs a slide up and down the strings, like a bass. Moses has been on the jazz scene for over 4 decades, working with

Gary Burton

vibraphone
b.1943

" data-original-title="" title="">Gary Burton,

Larry Coryell

guitar
1943 - 2017

" data-original-title="" title="">Larry Coryell,

Keith Jarrett

piano
b.1945

" data-original-title="" title="">Keith Jarrett,

Charles Mingus

bass, acoustic
1922 - 1979

" data-original-title="" title="">Charles Mingus,

Rahsaan Roland Kirk

woodwinds
1935 - 1977

" data-original-title="" title="">Rahsaan Roland Kirk and scores of other great musicians as well as years of teaching.

The CD is an impressive song-cycle, with Jones' keening alto leading the way through 7 fascinating pieces. The 8th track, a live piece featuring bassist Adam Lane and drummer Jason Nazary, is grafted on to the last song and is a heavy blues-drenched track that features more impassioned alto sax. To find out more about Darius Jones, go to www.myspace.com/blackdajones.

I heartily recommend you check out

Ethan Iverson

piano
b.1973

" data-original-title="" title="">Ethan Iverson's massive posting celebrating the music of tenor saxophone great

Lester Young

saxophone
1909 - 1959

" data-original-title="" title="">Lester Young (1909 - 1959.) Timed to coincide with Young's 100th birth anniversary, Iverson, best known for his piano work with

The Bad Plus

band / ensemble / orchestra
b.2000

" data-original-title="" title="">The Bad Plus, dissects Young's playing and how it has influenced generations of musicians. There are interviews with saxophonists

Lee Konitz

saxophone, alto
1927 - 2020

" data-original-title="" title="">Lee Konitz,

Jimmy Heath

saxophone, tenor
1926 - 2020

" data-original-title="" title="">Jimmy Heath, and

Benny Golson

saxophone, tenor
1929 - 2024

" data-original-title="" title="">Benny Golson, a slew of sound bites, and transcriptions of solos. Trust me, you'll need to spend a bunch of time with the words and music - however, if you are interested in how music develops and how musicians continually strive to grow and learn, it's worth the journey. Check it out here - thebadplus.typepad.com.

If you're the sort who uses an mp3 device and enjoys in-depth interviews, get thee to Jazz Session @ AAJ and give a listen to Jason Crane and “The Jazz Session.“ Crane interviews musicians and the occasional writer on the subject of creative music, interspersing selected cuts with the talk. He asks good, probing, questions and one can tell he cares passionately about his subject and wants the listener to learn something while being entertained. You can download the podcasts from his website or subscribe on iTunes. It's fun.

Saxophonist