Randy Brecker graces the stage of Cafe 290 with the Joe Gransden Big Band

This Monday night at the Café 290 in Sandy Springs, the Joe Gransden Big Band featured a very special guest artist. The six time Grammy award winning Randy Brecker came to play his distinctive trumpet with Joe’s Big Band on this very special evening of song. Randy's sound can be heard on a generation of iconic recordings from Bruce Springsteen, Horace Silver, Parliament Funkadelic, Mark Murphy, the Brecker Brothers and his own recordings as a leader,

Randy Brecker with The Joe Gransden Big Band at Cafe 290

Joe Gransden frontinghis Big BAnd at Cafe 290

The Joe Gransden Big Band is one of the best big band jazz ensembles in the Southeastern United States if not the entire country. This well-oiled machine has been making Johnny Scatena’s Café 290 their home on the third Monday of every month. While the cast of musicians at times rotate out of scheduling necessity, the core group and its leader has remained intact and showered the Atlanta and surrounding area with the glorious sounds of a jazz big band for nearly a decade. Joe Gransden is an indefatigable presence on the local jazz scene and his dedication and sheer will power has been the glue that has kept this group together. Many of the area’s top musicians and musical educators have played their part to make his big band a viable entity. Joe is the perfect front man. His ability to woo a crowd with his Sinatra-esque voice, his charming stage presence and his facile trumpet work has made him a local favorite and an astute spokesman for the music. Some say the hardest working musician in the Atlanta area.

The house was packed and there was a palpable excitement brewing in the air. The audience was surprisingly diverse with many younger listeners in attendance to hear one the most familiar sounds on the trumpet in the last forty years. The sound of Randy Brecker. The musicians were equally pumped at the possibility of sharing the stage with one of their musical heroes and Brecker did not disappoint.

The band started out with their own, Wes Funderburk arrangements, blowing through a stirring version of “Miss Fine” with a soaring trumpet solo by Gordon Vernick. They moved onto a heart thumping rendition of “Cherokee” with precision and polish that had the audience bopping. Superb solos by Sam Skelton on alto, Joe Gransden on trumpet and Mike Walton on tenor just added savory spice to this already simmering stew. Joe crooned on “Pick Yourself Up” from the Sinatra songbook, with a silky alto saxophone solo by the young rising star Akeem Marable and Joe added his own mellow flugelhorn solo.

“My Blue Heaven” was another classic, this one featuring Joe’s hip vocal and a burly tenor solo by John Sandfort. The band brought it down a notch with a Chet Baker ballad “She Was Too Good To Me,” which Joe sang with a tender honesty that shared Baker’s poignant approach. Joe made good on a promise to sing another Sinatra favorite “I’ve Got You Under My Skin” for a female patron in the crowd. The band purred through the powerful arrangement with trombonist and arranger Wes Funderburk offering a raucous solo midway through.

Now that the band and the crowd was sufficiently warmed up, Joe introduced Mr. Brecker. The trumpeter had just arrived shortly before, after his plane was delayed for three hours due to the turbulent weather. Brecker is in town for a week of jazz educational sessions at the invitation of Dr. Gordon Vernick at Georgia State’s Jazz Department. He graciously accepted to fly down, meet and talk with the students in the jazz program; his visit culminating in a performance at the Rialto Theater playing in front of the Georgia State University Jazz Band under the direction of Dr. Vernick this Thursday evening. You can get tickets to what surely will be a memorable event by linking here.

I am a huge fan of Randy Brecker  and his music and had the opportunity to interview him last August for my blog, which can be accessed by linking here. He is an affable soul, a generous spirit and a tremendous talent whose prolific studio work has penetrated the airwaves to the enjoyment of almost everyone.

The band started an obscure arrangement that Randy brought along of the classic “Green Dolphin Street.” The band had to sight read, which they did brilliantly, to great effect. Brecker’s horn was strong, sharp and distinctive as he maneuvered through the changes with an ease and sensitivity that had both the band and the audience marveling. He had marvelous control and could navigate the slurs and high notes without any degradation in his sound. John Sandfort had a steaming tenor solo that had Mr. Brecker nodding his approval appreciatively.

On Wayne Shorter’s “Infant Eyes” Brecker’s trumpet work was wonderfully soulful. The band devoured the Shorter piece like a hungry lion at feeding time. This band elevated their game for Mr. Brecker and it became clear that the admiration was reciprocated. The finale of Mr. Brecker’s first set performance was a blues that featured dueling trumpets of Mr. Brecker, Mr. Vernick and Mr. Gransden. It was like a scene from High Noon, each player respectively showing off their respective prowess. The contrast in style and tone was interesting to observe with each artist having their own distinctive strengths.  

Randy Brecker, Gordon Vernick and Joe Gransden

As Brecker left the stage to an ovation the band continued with Sinatra’s “That’s Life,” and ended the set with a blazing version of Dizzy Gillespie’s “Things to Come.”

The second set featured Joe singing a lusty “Teach Me Tonight” and a beautiful version of “Body & Soul: featuring the sensitive side of Mr. Brecker. The band tackled Monk’s quirky “Well You Needn’t” with a solo by the energized Brecker and a bellowing baritone blow by multi- reed man Don Erdman.  The set ended with a new composition and arrangement by saxophonist Mike Walton “Merging Lanes,” which was inventive, but still unfamiliar in all its intricacies to the band, who was reading it for the first time.  The audience was appreciative of the effort and the evening was a resounding success.

Mr. Brecker is a world-class artist and should be commended for going out of his way to join this spirited band and bring some of his artistry to Atlanta. There is no doubt he thoroughly enjoyed himself and for anyone who was there it was a night to remember.

Check out Randy Brecker at the Rialto this Thursday evening, April 5, 2017  as he plays with  the Georgia State University Jazz Band under the direction o Dr. Gordon Vernick you can get tickets here. Also check out the Joe Gransden Big Band coming to the City Winery in Atlanta with his “Songs of Sinatra” show on Thursday May 18 th you can get tickets here.

The Joe Gransden Big Band on this evening featured Joe Gransden trumpet/voice/leader; Dr. Geof Haden on keys; Neal Starkey on bass, Justin Varnes on drums; Dr. Gordon Vernick, Kevin Lyons, Chip Crotts, Clark trumpets; Mike Walton, ts; Don Erman bari/clarinet; Akeem Marabel, as; Sam Skelton,as; John Sandfort, ts; Wes Fundeburk arranger/trombone; Tom Gibson, trombone; Devin Witt, Trombone. Derrick Jackson trombone. 

A Night of High Art : Atlanta's High Museum "Jazz on Fridays" : The Dave Potter Quintet

  Miguel Alvarado sax, Darren English trpt, Louis Heriveaux Keys, Craig Shaw bass, Dave Potter Drums.

                  

Last Friday night, as part of the “Jazz on Fridays” series at Atlanta’s High Museum, patrons of the museum were treated to some of Atlanta’s finest jazz musicians as they performed standards from the American songbook and some original music.  The featured group was The Dave Potter Quintet with Louis Heriveaux on keyboard, Craig “Shawbox” Shaw on upright bass, Darren English on trumpet, Miguel Alvarado on saxophones, and drummer/ leader Dave Potter.

Potter is an Atlanta based drummer who studied music at Florida State University under the mentorship of the pianist Marcus Roberts. He received his master’s degree from FSU in 2008. Besides sharing the stage with pianist Roberts, trumpeter Marcus Printup and others he has been an integral part of Jason Marsalis’s Vibe Quartet and recorded with the vibraphone artist on several albums including his latest, highly received The Twenty-First Century Trad Band.

On this early evening, there was a line of people anxiously awaiting the opening of the atrium where Potter and company would perform. The atrium area at the High Museum is a soaring, light filled expanse that is surrounded by an exposed stairwell that coils its way to the upper floors of the museum and offers a view of the City. The architectural firm of Richard Mier and Partners consciously designed the High museum with Frank Lloyd Wright’s Guggenheim in mind. The glass exterior wall floods the area with natural light, which in the designer’s plan is a symbol of the enlightenment an institution of art and culture brings to its community and to all who enter the museum’s doors.

The Light Filled Atrium at the High Museum 

There were by some counts upwards of one thousand patrons enjoying the music. Some were seated, some stood, others milled around the atrium enjoying the diverse, cosmopolitan community that is Atlanta in all its splendor, while being thoroughly entertained by these top-notch musicians. For the uninitiated, it was a time of discovery as most of these musicians are all based in Atlanta and can be seen fairly regularly in local venues as well as with nationally touring acts.  Lest anyone fear they have to go to New York or New Orleans to see great jazz, these gentlemen shot an arrow into that balloon of nonsense.

After a brief introduction by WCLK Jazztones DJ Jay Edwards, the group started the set off with a quick paced, hard bop blues composed by the trumpeter Freddie Hubbard. Mr. Potter resplendent in his white suit with dark shirt and light tie leading the way. Mr. English and Mr. Alvarado charging into the melody in synchronous precision. They moved into the Jimmy Van Heusen/Johnny Mercer standard “I Thought About You” followed by another Van Heusen song “Polka Dots and Moonbeams,” where Heriveaux enchanted the crowd with his marvelous keyboard work. If there is one criticism I can levy it is the disappointing lack of a real grand piano in this space. For such a marvelous musician as Mr. Heriveaux not to have a suitable piano here is a crime.



The band followed with the contemporary sound of Wayne Shorter’s “Night Dreamer.” After a spell I took off my journalist’s hat and just listened to and enjoyed the music, paying less attention to what songs they were playing and more into how well they were being played. The front line of trumpeter Darren English and saxophonist Miguel Alvarado was sensational. They often stated the melody line in crisp unified form before each taking robust and creative solos. The rhythm section, driven by Potter and anchored by Shaw and Heriveaux was superb. The pace of the music was often double time, with the rhythm section driving the two horn soloists to step up their game not to be left behind
.

This was my first exposure to the saxophonist Miguel Alvarado who now hails from Nashville, Tennessee and what a pleasant surprise he was. His tenor had a rich, deep tone reminiscent of sax legend Houston Person, but when the pace was pushed by Potter and company he became an incendiary soloist of the highest order. The young South African, now native Atlanta trumpeter Darren English did an admirable job trading solos with Alvarado. English used mutes effectively to change up the sound of his open bell  trumpet and intensify the exchange with Alvarado. Not enough can be said about the stabilizing influence of “Shawbox” Shaw’s bass who kept an unerring pulse to the often-frantic proceedings and offered some nice solo work of his own invention.

The second set was more exploratory in that it offered some original tunes by Potter’s mentor Marcus Roberts, a Thelonious Monk composition and a rendition of “The Nearness of You” that had Alvarado ‘s tenor sounding very Dexter Gordonish. The group also did a Potter original “The Ratio Man” with Alvarado picking up the soprano saxophone for this one.  “Letting Loose” was an off to the races sprint that had Potter pushing the tempo with Elvin Jones like flourishes.

While I did not stay for the third set, the atrium was still SRO by the end of the second set. It is clear that Atlanta’s sophisticated listeners appreciate a good time and good music and will support highly cultural experiences like “Jazz on Fridays.” My only wish is that the crowd be a little quieter in respect to the musicians. The din was some times distracting. The High Museum, in association with WCLK, should be proud for presenting such a community service that obviously fills a need and at the same time preserves our only truly all American art form.To paraphrase a famous saying from an endearing baseball movie “If you present it , they will come.”

A view from above The Dave Potter Quartet

Charlie Hunter's Trio at Red Light Cafe Atlanta, GA

Carter McClean,  Charlie Hunter and Rob Dixon

Last night, February 8, 2017, the guitar virtuoso Charlie Hunter and his trio brought his own style of blues, jazz, funk, ragtime and just plain fun music to the stage of Atlanta’s Red Light Café.  Located midway between Ansley Park, Midtown and Virginia Highlands, this unassuming, relaxed, crunchy little venue that seats about seventy was filled to capacity for this show.  It was good to see so many young faces in the audience and it was especially good to see a crossover artist of Hunter’s talent being warmly embraced by an Atlanta audience.

Hunter was born in Rhode Island and lived through high school in California where he took lessons from the great guitarist Joe Satriani. He moved to Paris when he was 18 where he is said to have learned the ropes of being a working musician. After returning to the States and performing in several groups as a sideman, he released his debut album the Charlie Hunter Trio in 1993 with Dave Ellis on tenor sax, Jay Lane on drums and Charlie playing a seven-string guitar. Hunter’s seven string guitar technique utilizes the top three strings as a bass guitar and the lower four strings as a standard guitar. He has developed a mind-blowing technique that allows him to play complex bass lines while alternately finger-picking melody and improvised solo lines and strumming rhythmic chording almost simultaneously. The guitarist had for a time experimented with a custom eight string guitar, but he has returned to a custom modified seven string guitar that suits his present multi-faceted style.

Hunter’s Let the Bells Ring On was one of my best of jazz 2015 picks in the Huffington Post and combined Hunter’s blues/funk/Americana approach with the trombone of Curtis Fowlkes and the drums of Bobby Previte. His latest album is amusingly titled Everybody Has a Plan Until They Get Punched in the Mouth was released in 2016.

On this evening, Hunter was joined by the tenor saxophonist Rob Dixon and the drummer Carter
Mc Clean. Dixon has roots from Atlanta and went to Indiana University where he studied with David Baker. His resume included stints with bassist Rufus Reid, guitarist Fareed Haque and as a co-leader in a group with Wes Montgomery organist Melvin Rhyne.  McClean has worked with vibraphonist Roy Ayers, funk master Bernie Worrel-of Parliament Funkadelic fame- and Fred Wesley, a James Brown alumnus.  He also was the pit drummer for the Broadway show The Lion King.

The group had a telepathic connection as they ran through two sets of head-bopping music. They started the first set with Charlie’s “These People” from his album Let the Bells Ring On, with Dixon’s tenor taking up the part played on the album by Fowlkes bellowing trombone. Dixon had a deep, smoothly burnished tone that at times reminded me of Stanley Turrentine. Hunter for his part just amazed the audience with his dexterity and unfailing musicianship. He laid down some bass lines that for bass players would be impressive enough, but then he added a filigree of finger picked melodies on top of it all.  His technique is a descendant of the pioneering work of the great guitarist Joe Pass, an obvious influence, who would also play both bass and melody coincidentally. But whereas Pass limited his accompaniment to walking bass lines -admittedly on a six-string guitar- and impressive chordal comp work, Hunter has extended the complexity of his bass lines and incorporated a delicate finger picking approach unlike Pass’ pick and finger driven style. Hunter also incorporates some rhythmic strumming that has a flamenco feel to it and occasionally uses a delicate touch to produce harmonic overtones similar to virtuoso Lenny Breau.

Charlie Hunter

On this evening, the trio stuck to a mostly blues or blues/funk format that was expertly executed and grabbed the crowd with its accessibility, authenticity and emotional appeal. Hunter’s facility on his guitar at extracting the rawness emblematic of the old blues masters was palpable and audience approved. The trio ventured into the fusion-esque “Pho-Kus-On-Ho-Hokus” from the Let the Bells Ring On album and interplay between Dixon and Hunter was tight and crisp. Hunter and company often brought the song to an extreme tempest only to break abruptly into a calm oasis of sensitivity. A version of Terrence Trent D’Arby’ s funky “Wishing Well” was a crowd pleaser with McClean using a steel plate, xylophone-like apparatus on top of his tom to create an interesting effect. Hunter, who has a penchant for using period Americana pieces, then played a solo version of a classic Ink Spots 1941 tune “I Don’t Want to Set the World on Fire.” His sensitivity with this loping waltz was a high-light as he mouthed a few verses to his own sensitive accompaniment.

After a brief intermission, the band returned for a second set which started out featuring Dixon on a fiery saxophone solo, this time sounding a little like Lenny Pickett. Another nasty blues followed before Hunter went away from his blues-centric playbook and spontaneously started to play a Caribbean riff that had the band grooving in a mode reminiscent of Sonny Rollins “St.  Thomas.” The set was climaxed by a funky version of Hall and Oates “I Can’t Go for That” which had the whole audience grooving to the catchy song and which Hunter made into his own vehicle of expression.

For those who attended this show there was no lack of excitement and it was good to see the Red Light Café able to successfully bring in this kind of top quality entertainment into a neighborhood Atlanta area haunt. Let's hope this is the strat of a trend.

Here is the Charlie Hunter Trio from a live performance in NYC on December 30, 2016 with Carter McClean on drums and Curtis Fowlkes on trombone.

Joe Gransden's Big Band Lights Up Atlanta's Cafe 290 as Gransden receives Jazz Journalist Association's Jazz Heroes Award

For the last seven years the Atlanta based trumpeter& vocalist Joe Gransden has brought his style of big band music to the crowded stage of owner John Scatena’s jazz club, Café 290 in Sandy Springs, Georgia. It has become one of those venerated rituals that those in the know can’t get enough of; a full seventeen-piece big band hearkening back to the days of Artie Shaw, Maynard Ferguson, Count Basie and Duke Ellington playing great music.

Joe Gransden leading his big band at Cafe 290

There is nothing quite like the sound of a well-tuned big band, a sound created by multiple musicians that play with a beautiful precision through musical passages, like a school of fish moving instinctively in unison through the ocean.  A big band offers a unified sound that comes from the deft arrangement of so many instruments all playing in precision concert. The band that Joe has assembled is a testament to his vision and fortitude; a commitment he and his musicians have made to persevere with this project over the last seven years. One is reminded of the revered Thad Jones-Mel Lewis Orchestra, which eventually morphed into the  Village Vanguard Orchestra. That band  has played that famous jazz haunt weekly since it first started back in 1972! Through Joe and his fellow musicians, these bi-monthly performances at Café 290 have become a source of pride for the Atlanta jazz community, offering an exciting and reliably entertaining evening of music for all who love the big band genre.

The musicians are some of the best from the southeastern United States and many have nationwide credentials. They are led by Joe Gransden on trumpet and vocals, with most of the arrangements by lead trombonist Wes Funderburk. The other musicians include Mace Hibbard on lead alto saxophone, Brian Hogans on alto sax, John Sandfort on tenor sax, Mike Walton on tenor sax, Don Erdman on baritone saxophone and clarinet, Chip Crotts lead trumpet, Rob Opitz trumpet, Clark Hunt trumpet, Melvin Jones trumpet, Tom Gibson trombone, Kevin Hyde trombone, Sam LoBue Bass trombone, Geoff Haydon on electric piano, Neal Starkey on bass and Justin Chaserek on drums. Together these guys make swinging, beautiful music.

This past Monday evening was my maiden voyage to Café 290 to catch this Atlanta phenomenon first hand. We arrived early and got to see the band warm-up. The amazing thing about big bands these days is that they do not get a chance to practice together on a regular basis. With the economics of the music business being what it is, there is little money for the rental of a practice space let alone being able to compensate the musicians fairly for their time. So the warm-up session before the set was the perfect time to do a sound check, work out possible song selections for the evening and tweak sectional requirements and solo spots based on their pre-worked out book.Despite these handicaps, these guys are all professional, can sight read quickly and are accomplished session players, so when the band hit the stage for the opening song, Oliver Nelson’s “Miss Fine,” they were up to speed in no time, running as smoothly as a Swiss movement, and featuring an especially combustible trumpet solo by Melvin Jones.

The affable Gransden made his entrance after the first tune and introduced the sultry “Speak Low,” playing the melody on his trumpet in front of the big band. The band purred behind on the spirited Eugene Throne arrangement, with Gransden taking the high register lead solo on trumpet and John Sandfort taking a spirited tenor solo on this old Sinatra standby.  

The audience was transfixed with the powerful swing of this well-oiled machine as they dialed it down a bit into the slower tempo Sinatra/Count Basie arrangement of” More.”  Joe’s voice has a silky smoothness to it and his stage manner is loose and confident. In many ways he takes his vocal style from the great crooners that fronted the big bands of yesteryear like Sinatra and Tormé.

With the crowd primed for music that could be sung to, Gransden took to another Sinatra tune singing “Get Me to The Church on Time” as the band roared behind him. A quick scan of the crowd and you could see several patrons mimicking the words.

The next song, newly arranged by alto saxophonist Brain Hogans, was the Jimmy Van Heusen standard “Polka Dots and Moonbeams,” and was Frank Sinatra’s first hit he recorded with the Tommy Dorsey Orchestra. The lush arrangement swelled languorously as it featured Gransden’s trumpet at the lead. Joe’s playing was reminiscent of trumpeter Chet Baker’s 1959 version in both style and lyrical beauty.

Gransden is always the consummate showman and after miscalling his next chart he related how nice it would be to lose the bulky book of arrangements that he carries around. He told of how the band would soon be able to read their charts on individual I-pads with foot actuated page turning capabilities, a vast improvement.  After a short technical disruption due to microphone difficulties, the band roared into Wes Funderburk’s arrangement of “Chicago Blues”, the perfect vehicle for soloist to blow on. And blow they did with Joe singing the opening lyrics and a soon to follow rousing tenor solo by Mike Walton, a bellowing trombone solo by Kevin Hyde and a solo spot featuring the unified saxophone section before Joe returned to the refrain.

Gransden introduced a song from trumpeter Maynard Ferguson titled “Fox Hunt,” which featured a two trumpet duel between he and Melvin Jones. The two trumpets stating the line as the big band pulsed behind them. True to the Ferguson style, the trumpet licks from Jones were stratospheric. When Gransden took his solo his playing was equally as fiery. The two alternated on the high register of their horns running off lines of notes at break neck speed, eventually ending this jazz duel in flurry of high energy with piercing punctuation.

The band lowered the intensity of the proceedings by introducing a slow ballad “The Nearness of You,”  on an arrangement by Atlanta’s own Jim Basile. Gransden’s voice rendering the song with great tenderness, before he picked up his trumpet and showed what a great balladeer he can be. His tone is warm and honeyed and he often phrases with Baker-like sensitivity.  Another moving tenor solo by John Sandfort capped off this beauty.

Joe Gransden receiving JJA Jazz Heroes Award from Scott Fugate and Ralph A. Miriello

At this point in the show, members of the Jazz JournalistAssociation, Scott Fugate, aka the Jazz Evangelist, and myself had the honor to present Joe with one of this year’s JJA Jazz Heroes award. The award is given to individuals who, in the opinion of the board and members of the JJA, best represent advocacy for the proliferation and appreciation of jazz music in their respective local areas. Joe Gransden was chosen to receive this award for his tireless efforts to promote, educate and foster jazz throughout the Atlanta area. The self-deprecating Gransden accepted the award and the audience warmly applauded him for this well-deserved honor.

The band continued the performance with an impromptu saxophone duel by alto saxophonists Brian Hogans and Mace Hibbard; each man taking the other to new heights of improvisational adventures, as the rhythm section of Haydon, Starkey and Chesarek kept the groove.

After the band did a second-line birthday tribute, New Orleans’s style, to a member in the audience whose birthday some people were celebrating at the club that night, Gransden and company went into a tribute to Glenn Campbell, the Jimmy Webb song “Wichita Lineman” featuring a bass trombone solo by Sam LoBue and some nice interplay between Gransden’s trumpet and Hibbard’s alto. This was followed by a rousing version of the shout-out Glenn Miller Band ‘s “Pennsylvania 6 Five Thousand” complete with Joe’s hand-muted trumpet solo. The set ended with a Dizzy Gillespie burner, the furious “Things to Come” where Joe’s fluttering trumpet solo took flight in true Gillespie-like fashion, pianist Haydon gave a remarkable solo on his electric piano and Mike Walton screamed on his tenor.

Coming from the New York area only a little over a year ago, I was mistakenly concerned that the jazz scene in the South might be somewhat lacking. While New York is still the epicenter of jazz, musicians like Joe Gransden and the artists in his big band, as well as jazz club owner’s like café 290’s John Scatena, make it clear that jazz is alive and well in the Atlanta area.  

This band should not be missed by anyone who loves big band music. You can catch them every 1^st and 3^rd Monday night at Café 290. The band is making a special trip to appear at the Blue Note Jazz Club in New York on Monday July 11, 2016. They have three  album titled It’s a Beautiful Thing, Song’s of Sinatra & Friends and I’ll Be Coming Home for Christmas  that can be purchased on I Tunes here.

Jazz Phenom Morgan Guerin Debuts "The Saga" at The Velvet Note

This past Tuesday evening there was an invitation only event held at the Velvet Note jazz club in Alpharetta. The occasion was the preview and first public listening of a new recording by a young multi-instrumentalist phenom, Morgan Guerin.

Morgan Guerin

Guerin explained to the crowd of interested cognoscenti that he had spent a majority of his youth living and absorbing the music scene in New Orleans, where his father Roland Guerin is an active professional bass player. A few years ago Morgan  found himself uprooted by the divorce of his parents. He was relocated to live with his mother, attorney Brianna Williams, to a new home in Atlanta. The traumatic experience became the source of much anxiety for the young Guerin, but like all artists he turned this trauma into the germ of inspiration. The experience was filled with apprehension and doubt. In New Orleans Guerin was surrounded by jazz luminaries that he came to know personally through his father’s professional and social associations. The Marsalis family, saxophonist Donald Harrison and trumpeter Christian Scott were all friends of the family and the young Guerin saw his father play with guitarist Mark Whitfield and pianists Marcus Roberts and Allen Toussaint among others.This rich cultural experience was the nurturing environment that encouraged Guerin to pursue his ultimate career choice to be a musician. It was a bit of a culture shock for the young man to come to Atlanta and see that jazz wasn’t the main focus of the music scene here. A variety of musical genres that seem to flourish in this city. hip hop, neo soul, techno dance and R and B were all part of the music scene and Guerin started to question whether there was a place for the music he loved, jazz, in Atlanta. He even found himself questioning the pursuit of his music, at times even considering a more traditional career path. Fortunately his love of the music prevailed and where there is such abundant talent, there is always an audience. It didn’t take long for the young man to find his way into the hearts and minds of the jazz community in Atlanta.  

He continued advancing his musical education by attending prestigious jazz camps like the Vail Jazz Workshop, the summer jazz programs at the prestigious Berklee School of Music in Boston and summer programs at the New School in New Orleans and he told me he plans to continue his studies after he graduates from high school this year at the  New School of Jazz and Contemporary Music in NYC.. He was selected to be part of the Grammy Band that was featured week long at the 58^th annual Grammy Awards presentations this past February. All the while the deeply introspective Guerin was composing and shedding, using all the beauty and angst that was part of his life and transforming it into complex compositions that he felt were representative of what he had experienced from his earliest memories to his current state of mind. The result is his debut album The Saga, a long, detailed, series of stories which we were there to hear for the first time that evening,

Morgan Guerin

To appreciate the talent that this young artist has, one has to recognize the magnitude of the accomplishment that this album represents. Guerin is a multi-instrumentalist. On The Saga he plays the drums, percussion, the piano and Fender Rhodes, both alto and tenor saxophones, the Electronic Wind Instrument (EWI), Moog bass, organ, flute and Vocoder. If that weren’t enough he also wrote all the songs and arranged and recorded them in his own home studio!  And let’s not forget the young man is just seventeen! The closest comparison to such a multi-talented young musician is the British phenom Jacob Collier who is now nineteen and studies jazz piano at the Royal Academy. The main difference between these two, is that while they both play multiple instruments and are adept at electronics, Collier also sings and harmonizes with himself on multiple levels. However Guerin writes and arranges his own music while Collier mostly re-arranges popular songs by other people.

As Morgan states in the liner notes all the songs are “… the result of hard work and meditation.” Hard work and extraordinary dedication has certainly paid off for Guerin as his compositions range from the opening hip-hop inspired “Parallel” with its electronic, funk driven vibe and featuring the rap vocal of Dashill Smith to the more cosmic “Blueprint” with Guerin’s probing saxophone and EWI work and a spoken poem by Allana Hudson at the coda.

“Tabula Rasa” is, by Guerin’s own admission, an aggressive, pleading cry for clarity as he was trying to reconcile leaving his beloved New Orleans and finding his way in his adopted city of Atlanta.  The song rises to what I perceive is a joyful, albeit energized ascension to acceptance. The music skillfully integrates electronic sounds and effects with more traditional instrumentation and Guerin has been able to get fellow students to seamlessly participate in the creative process while never actually being present in the same location. Patrick Arthur’s electric and acoustic guitar work and Brandon Boone on electric and upright bass are the two fellow musician whose work is heard throughout the album. Jules Rodriguez on organ and Paul “Papabear” Johnson on bass are heard on “Parallel.” On the beautiful “Sharynwood Drive,” a reference to his home in New Orleans, there is a bittersweet opening to the composition that features an achingly touching cello solo by Grace Sommer. Ultimately the music has a nostalgic tone, a place that Guerin identifies to this day as a happy place filled with good memories. Curtis Olawumi on flugelhorn, Daniel Wytanis on trombone and a touching electric bass solo by his father Roland Guerin lead the music to a place where it elevates to a joyous declaration played by Guerin on tenor.

Guerin’s memories of  another New Orleans location of importance to his development, is also represented joyfully by the uplifting, “Madeira”, a reference to the street name of his grandmother's home, where he had childhood memories of music filling the air. His tenor playing bursts with excited enthusiasm as the repeating rhythm he creates sweeps you up in an ever ascending swirl of elation.

The two-part suite “With a Peace of Mind” part 1 and 2 Guerin plays the melody on piano synchronously with Risa Pearl’s lilting voice and at times with Arthur’s electric guitar. The effect is quite tranquil and Guerin’s drums are ever present, accenting the breaks and coloring the lines in between.

The title song “Saga” is a floating composition where Gurein uses the Vocoder. He said it was inspired by some of Herbie Hancock’s work on the album Sunlight.  The song has elements of Lonnie Liston Smith’s celestially inspired work with the EWI and vocoder leading the way over the swelling synthesized melodies. Guerin’s tenor solo is fluid and sensuous as it climbs to ever higher peaks and the composition escalates to a cosmic end.

When speaking to Guerin at the club, he was totally engaging. it was interesting to hear some of this young man’s eclectic influences, like ethereal guitarist Pat Metheny, saxophonists, like the taciturn Mark Turner, the iconoclastic Jerry Bergonzi and the audacious Michael Brecker. He is also influenced by the young lions- upcoming saxophonists who now dominate the modern scene- like Seamus Blake, Donny McCaslin and Ben Wendel. I suspect with continued work and diligence, in the not too distant future, Morgan Guerin will join the ranks of these young lions of jazz.  He is certainly someone to keep your eye on and an artist who deserves our encouragement and support.

You can listen to the album and purchase by clicking here.

The Sal Gentile Trio's Sunday Jazz brunch at Bistro Niko in Buckhead

Local Atlanta Guitarist Sal Gentile

We are always in search of a good jazz brunch, that rare combination of great breakfast food that goes beyond scrambling a couple of eggs, a slightly decadent atmosphere that makes it seem like you’re celebrating a special occasion, impeccably attentive service and last but not least great music. Last Sunday we made our way to Bistro Niko in the heart of Buckhead to catch a glimpse of some local jazz talent and have what we were hoping would be a great brunch.

We arrived at the restaurant for a two o’clock sitting and the last set of guitarist Sal Gentile’s trio. Gentile is a former New Yorker who came to Atlanta in 1985 after spending over ten years in New Orleans. Gentile teaches and has been performing for years. Some of his guitar influences are Wes Montgomery, Grant Green and Joe Pass. Gentile’s music has spanned the spectrum of pop, rock, blues and jazz over the years. On this particular Sunday he shared the stage with upright bassist Kevin Smith and featured trumpeter Joe Gransden. These musicians are all local stalwarts of the Atlanta jazz scene and it is a pleasure to be able to enjoy a pleasant meal while being entertained by such accomplished artists.  

Joe Gransden, Sal Gentile and Kevin Smith at Bistro Nikos

The final set included a number of Great American Songbook standards including the Victor Young/ Ed Heyman composition “When I Fall in Love,” a medley of Ray Charles’ ”Georgia on My Mind” and Billy Joel’s “New York State of Mind” and by special request, one of my favorites the Coots/Gillespie classic  “You Go to My Head.” The trio also did a bebop favorite Charlie Parker’s “Ornithology” and a song from local trumpeter legend Kenny Dorham’s repertoire “Blue Bossa.” The trio features animated vocals by Mr. Gentile on the aforementioned “Georgia on My Mind” and “New York State of Mind” and on a specialty song I couldn’t quite place.  Mr. Gransden’s trumpet was mellifluous but sparse in this subdued trio setting and he instead crooned on some of the standards with great aplomb. Mr. Grandsen is a well know artist who also heads a big seventeen piece orchestra that plays around town. Mr. Smith is an established first call bassist in the area.The overall effect was quite enjoyable and we came away with both first rate entertainment and a tasty brunch.

For anyone looking for a great jazz brunch check out Bistro Niko on Peachtree in the Buckhead section of Atlanta. The food was good, the service great and the music top notch. Mr. Gentile is there every Sunday from 11am through 3pm and he often features other local artists like Mr. Gansden, Mr. Smith in a  trio setting. It's a can't miss destination. 

Tony Hightower’s Re-release of “The New Standard" at 800 East Studios, Atlanta, GA

Tony Hightower "The New Standard"

Tucked away adjacent to the Freedom Parkway in the  Old Fourth Ward in Downtown Atlanta  is a recording studio that occasionally doubles as an intimate performance space. It is called 800 East Studios and on Wednesday night it was the scene of a performance by Atlanta’s own Tony Hightower.

Mr. Hightower is a vocalist whose sound is an amalgam of Marvin Gaye, Smokey Robinson and Nat King Cole. It was a coming out of sort, billed as re-release of his latest album “The New Standard.”   He was backed by pianist Kenny Banks,Jr., bassist Kevin Smith and drummer Henry Coneway III, collectively known as the  HC3 trio. 

The evening, scheduled  to start at 8pm didn’t kick off till closer to 9.  I was fortunate enough to get a front row seat and had the pleasure of sitting next Mr. Hightower’s Grandmother Martha, who was an absolute delight and an unequivocal fan of her grandson, as is to be expected. Talking with her, I found out that Tony started out playing the drums, but always had a penchant for singing a tune.  There is no doubt Mr. Hightower has music in his DNA. His mother, Teresa Hightower, is a well know vocalist on the Atlanta music scene. A working musician herself, she had a standing gig at the Ritz Carlton in Buckhead for an amazing  nineteen years, among her other musical credentials. Tony found a mentor in the brother of his musical idol, Nat King Cole. Freddie Cole, the brother of the great crooner/pianist  and a fine singer in his own right has been a guiding light , encouraging Hightower to pursue his career in jazz .

The evening started with the HC3 trio playing a fine rendition of “Dolphin Dance.” Mr. Banks demonstrated some elegance on the Yamaha grand, Mr. Smith produced large, plump notes from his upright bass and. Mr. Coneway kept the music swinging.

Mr. Hightower came into the room wearing stylish sunglasses, in a gold lame smoking jacket, with brushed velvet loafers, an upturned pork pie hat and a large diamond stud in his right earlobe.  In the current vernacular he was “fresh.”Part of Mr. Hightower’s mantra is to try to bring back the style and grace of the former performers like Sinatra and Cole, and so his dress and demeanor all play to that theme.

Kevin Smith & Tony Hightower photo by Ralph A. Miriello

The opening song was one of Mr. Hightower’s originals, “All Belong to You.” He sang this with an almost uncanny resemblance to Nat Cole’s voice. Mr. Hightower delivered the silky lyrics to perfection and you felt like you were temporarily  transported back to a night club in the nineteen-fifties.. The evening featured standards like “Kiss Me Baby,” “Gee Baby a’int I Good to You,” and a Cole-like version of “Nature Boy.” The most poignant song of the evening was Mr. Hightower’s “ Plain Jane,” a song that laments about  having a career  that never quite makes it to the front row.  The lyrics ache with the emotional angst of being teased with success only to have it suddenly removed. 

Perhaps the most jazz-like song of the performance was a deft handling of Thelonious Monk’s “I Mean You.” You could see this was a vehicle for the band to stretch out a bit from the confines of the repertoire and Banks, Smith and Coneway had fun with this one. The song t also allowed Mr. Hightower’s to use his voice as the instrument it is.  There is no denying the R and B in him, ala Smokey/Marvin, and he has great control of the falsetto aspects of his voice, but judicious use of this facility would be highly recommended if he wants true jazz cred.  I particularly found his Carpenter inspired version of the Bacharach song “:Close to You” painfully dragged out.. I was never a fan of this syrupy concoction and I am one that believes this song would be better left unearthed from the crypt from where it came.

Mr. Hightower has style and his voice is quite beguiling when he settles it in the middle register and his talent should not to be underestimated. He is on a quest to bring sophistication and savoir-fare back to the music and on many levels he is accomplishing just that; bridging the gap between soulful R and;B and Jazz in a way that few people are doing today successfully. My hat is off to him and I anxiously wait to hear where he takes it from here.