Fourplay to perform at Blue Note Jazz Club in December

by Kelsey Higgins

On Tuesday Dec. 10 Fourplay, a contemporary jazz quartet that has been active since the 1990s, will be coming to Blue Note Jazz Club. The group’s engagement will continue through Sunday Dec. 15.

Fourplay, “has enjoyed consistent artistic and commercial success by grafting elements of R&B, pop and a variety of other sounds to their unwavering jazz foundations. In the course of a dozen recordings – six of which have climbed to the top of Billboard’s Contemporary Jazz Album charts – the supergroup has continued to explore the limitless dimensions and permutations of jazz,” according to Blue Note.

The group is comprised of: Bob James on piano & keys, Chuck Loeb on guitar, Nathan East on bass and Harvey Mason on drums.

Singer Jane Monheit spends the weekend at Blue Note

by Kelsey Higgins

Jane Monheit, a Long Island native, will be performing at Blue Note starting tonight and continuing through Sunday Nov. 24.

Blue Note is highly regarded as “one of the world’s most popular jazz clubs” with its historical feel.

In May of this year, Monheit earned a spot as one of “Downbeat” magazine’s  “Editor’s Picks,” and her most recent album “The Heart of the Matter” was released in 2013 and has received a wide range of praise and criticism throughout the jazz community.

She stands by her work though, saying, ““Everything I’m singing now is a reflection of my truest self.”

Tickets and further information about her engagement at Blue Note can be found here.

Further Reading

Monheit spoke with the “New York Times” about her most recent album and performances, and she also appeared on NPR’s “Piano Jazz.”  

Weekend performance schedule for Small’s Jazz Club

The Hot Plate Report’s “Club of the Month” for November is Small’s Jazz Club. Here is what is on the schedule for this weekend:

Thursday

6 p.m. to 9 p.m. – The “Early Bird” Session hosted by The Dwayne Clemons Quintet

9:30 p.m. to 12 a.m. – The Eli Degibri Quartet

12 a.m. to close – “Round Midnight” with The Carlos Abadie Quintet 

Friday

4 p.m. to 7 p.m. – open jam session ($10 for non-musicians)

7:30 p.m. to 10 p.m. – Ralph Lalama & “Bop-Juice”

10:30 p.m. to 1 a.m. – Billy Drummond’s “Freedom of Ideas” 

1 a.m. to close – afterhours with The Jeremy Manasia Trio 

Saturday

4 p.m. to 7 p.m. – open jam session ($10 for non-musicians)

7:30 p.m. to 10 p.m. The Richard Sussman Group 

10:30 p.m. to 1 a.m. – Billy Drummond’s “Freedom of Ideas”

1:30 a.m. to close – afterhours with Stacy Dillard 

Sunday

1 p.m. to 3 p.m. – vocal masterclass with Marion Cowings  ($20 entry – $40 to participate)

4:30 p.m. to 7 p.m. – The Jon Roche Trio 

7:30 p.m. to 9:45 p.m. – Sunday evening duet with Antonio Barbagallo 

10 p.m. to 11:30 p.m. – The Legendary Johnny O’Neal 

12 a.m. to close – “Round Midnight” with The Grant Stewart Quartet 

Tom Harrell brings new album and group to the Vanguard

by Kelsey Higgins

“Praised by Newsweek for his pure melodic genius, Tom Harrell is widely recognized as one of the most creative and uncompromising jazz instrumentalists and composers of our time,” AllAboutJazz.com said.

Time Out has also referred to him as, “one of the greatest trumpeters alive.”

He is a frequent winner in Downbeat and JazzTimes magazines’ Critics and Readers Polls, a Grammy nominee and a Jazz Journalists 2012 Trumpeter of the Year nominee.

Last night he finished his two week engagement at the Village Vanguard, which was named one of the best jazz shows in New York City for the month of October by the Village Voice.

Colors of a Dream

Harrell was last at the Village Vanguard in March of 2013, with the same group that performed with him on Oct. 8 – 13.  The quintet, which the Village Voice called, “one of jazz’s finest working units,” features Harrell on trumpet and flugelhorn, Jaleel Shaw on alto saxophone, Wayne Escoffery on tenor saxophone, Ugonna Okegwo on bass and popular singer/songwriter Esperanza Spalding on bass and vocals.

The group appears on Harrell’s album “Colors of a Dream,” set to release tomorrow via HighNote records.

Trip

During his second week at the Village Vanguard (Oct. 15 – 20), Harrell performed with his exploratory quartet called Trip, which features Ungonna Okegwo on bass, Adam Cruz on drums, and tenor saxophonist Mark Turner, who the Village Voice called, “arguably a legend in the making.”

The band first debuted this month as it premiered a suite Harrell wrote specifically for the group for the Dave Douglas’ Festival of New Trumpet Music.

Further Reading

In a piece published by the New York Times in 1995, writer Mike Zwerin writes of Harrell’s, “clinically diagnosed paranoid [schizophrenia],” and how music has helped him cope.

Multi-reedist and composer Mike McGinnis releases two albums

by Kelsey Higgins

Photo by Michael Weintrob

A native of Maine, clarinetist, saxophonist and composer Mike McGinnis moved to New York City in 1997 and has been active in the jazz scene ever since.

On Oct. 8, 2013 McGinnis released two albums, which showcase his wide array of talents; “Ängsudden Song Cycle” released by 482 Music and and “Road*Trip” released by RKM.

He will be appearing on Thursday, Oct. 24 at Barbès with the nine other musicians who appear on “Road*Trip.”

Ängsudden Song Cycle

Photo by Michael Weintrob

The New York City Jazz Record called McGinnis’ new album, “a poetically driven artistic statement… a clarinet-centered, stringbased song cycle, portraying nature through achingly beautiful arrangements.”

The album was inspired by the paintings and poems of McGinnis’ longtime friend, the Filipino American visual artist MuKha, said 482 music.

Road*Trip

David Garland, host of WNYC radio show “Spinning on Air,” introducted McGinnis to the music of Bill Smith, who has studied with Darius Milhaud and worked closely with Dave Brubeck.

“I loved the fact that he was exploring everything within the ’50s jazz language,” McGinnis said, according to RKM Music. “I see him as some one who explores the full potential of whatever it is that he’s doing.”

McGinnis worked with Smith to master his concerto and Smith encouraged him to write his own and the result is McGinnis’ new Roadtrip, said WNYC. “McGinnis navagates the ensemble through a musical landscape full of adventures, surprises, and beautiful vistas.”

Further Reading

Roulette, which is an organization “committed to supporting work by young and emerging artists as well as by established innovators,” sat down with McGinnis to talk about his work, his peers and what music means to him.

Melissa Aldana one of the Voice’s Best Shows for October

by Kelsey Higgins

Melissa Aldana is a 24-year-old tenor saxophonist. Originally from Santiago, Chile, she has been active in New York since 2009.

The Village Voice put her and her quartet of Glenn Zaleski (piano), Pablo Menares (bass) and Francisco Mela (drums), on the top of their Best Jazz Shows in NYC for the month of October. The four performed at Kitano together on Oct. 3.

Photo property of the New York Times.

Making History

On Sept. 16, 2013 Aldana became the first woman to take the top prize in an instrumental contest at the Thelonious Monk International Jazz Competition, and according to Berklee she is only the fifth alumnus to do so.

Photo from NPR

Jazz Times said she, “won the contest with savvy subversions to jazz’s modern mainstream,” and that her victory was, “well deserved and hard earned.”

Second Cycle

Prior to winning the competition, Aldana released two albums on the Inner Circle label, which was founded by saxophonist Greg Osby.

Her first album “Free Fall” is, “a pure mix of jazz improvisation rooted deep in the tradition and compositions that are taking the music in a more modern direction,” Inner Circle Music said.

Her second album, “Second Cycle” is what really grabbed her a portion of the spotlight in the New York jazz scene. In this album, “for extended periods she’s riding intricate bass-and-drum rhythms by herself, ” said the New York Times.

Her next album will debut her Crash Trio, which features members of her quartet Francisco Mela on drums and Pablo Menares on bass. The three performed together at Berklee on Oct. 9, according to NPR.

Further Reading

Aldana appeared at the Jazz Gallery in February of 2013 and Ben Ratliff of the New York Times said her performance, “covered great range of form and sound: controlled and loose, old and new, learned and intuitive. She was patient but showed that she could be extravagant.”

Ravi Coltrane Quartet to play at the Village Vanguard

by Kelsey Higgins

Calling John Coltrane one of the most influential musicians of the 20th Century, the New York Times said, “just about every jazz saxophone player born after 1960 plays in the shadow of John Coltrane.”

Despite bearing the last name of two influential jazz musicians, saxophonist John Coltrane and pianist Alice Coltrane, Ravi Coltrane has emerged from the shadows and  forged his own name in jazz history.

“He’s descended from jazz royalty, and he wears it with pride,” said NPR, “[but he] blows an original and distinctly modern strain of jazz, distilling but never seeking to imitate his family’s adventurous improvising spirits.”

Even though Ravi plays the tenor and soprano saxophone as his father did before him, his unique sound and “analytic and contemplative” approach have set him apart from his father, according to the New Yorker.

His quartet will be performing at the Village Vanguard this week beginning on Tuesday Oct. 1 through Saturday Oct. 6. Tickets can be purchased through the Village Vanguard site here.

Coltrane at the Village Vanguard

John Coltrane was a frequent headliner at the Village Vanguard, which for 70 years has served as the place where, “the ghosts of past jazz giants still play, where the best living jazz talent aspire to record, and where sound waves seem to reverberate in a manner unlike any other club, anywhere.”

Ravi Coltrane, naturally, is also no stranger to the Vanguard stage. He received great reviews from NPR for his performance in November of 2008 and from the New York Times for his performances in September of 2009 and March of 2013.

The New York Times called his March 2013 performance something, “You don’t experience that often in a jazz club.”

Ravi Coltrane returns to the Village Vanguard with his quartet, composed of pianist David Virelles, bassist Dezron Douglas and drummer Johnathan Blake, this week on Tuesday.

Tickets are $25 or $35 on Fridays and Saturdays with a one drink minimum. The Village Vanguard is located on 178 S. Avenue, and doors open at 7:30. Further information can be found here.

His most recent album is “Spirit Fiction,” released in 2011. It is his first album with Blue Note Records.

If you are unable to catch Ravi at the Village Vangaurd

NPR will present a live video webcast and radio broadcast of the Ravi Coltrane Quartet on Wednesday Oct. 2 at 8:30 p.m. Coverage can be found here.

Further Reading

In the article “Growing Up Coltrane,” Ravi talks about his favorite tracks that feature his parents (recordings provided within the article).

Welcome to the Hot Plate

The word “hot” is often used to describe great jazz music. The term “hot plate” refers specifically to a hot recording. The Big Apple Hot Plate Report is a content curation site centering around New York based jazz clubs and musicians. Content will range from weekend event postings, the history of clubs, artist profiles, festival coverage, special event announcements, performance and album reviews and much more. Stay tuned to hear from all the hottest clubs and publications including:

The Village Voice

This online publication, “has been recognized as one of the nation’s premier online sites for journalistic quality and local content.” The magazine has been awarded three Pulitzer prizes, a National Press Foundation Award and the George Polk Award. The Voice was founded in October of 1955 and ever since it has covered all the latest in New York politics and the cultural scene. This is one publication New York natives swear by.

Time Out New York

This is another magazine that many New Yorkers rely on to get their nightlife and entertainment updates. On their website, Time Out identifies themselves as “the obsessive guide to impulsive entertainment.” The online publication provides readers with full access to magazine content including event postings and reviews.

NPR Music

The National Public Radio replaced the National Educational Radio Network in 1970 and has been distributing “award-winning news, information, and music programming to a network of 975 independent stations…. programming reaches 26 million listeners every week. News, interviews, profiles and reviews are all published on this site. NPR also runs The Record and A Blog Supreme: NPR Jazz, which are both blogs centered around the music industry.

Downbeat

Although this is a publication with roots in Chicago, Downbeat has been around and thrived in the jazz scene since the start of it all. Almost no other publication can claim to have done the same. According the website Downbeat published its first issue in July of 1934 and “collected the first important body of pre-1935 jazz history. It became monthly, then semi-monthly, a diary of the swing era as it happened, then tracked the progression of bop, rock, freedom, fusion, and nineties neoclassicism, all from the perspective of the musician.”

JazzTimes

Starting off as Radio Free Jazz, this publication changed its name to JazzTimes in 1980 when the magazine began to expand. It is “widely regarded as the world’s leading jazz publication.” Several contributing writers have received ASCAP and Deems Taylor awards for jazz journalism, and the magazine has also received several Gold and Silver Ozzie Awards. Every month JazzTimes releases a list of CD releases of “what’s worth purchasing–and what isn’t,” among many features and columns. JazzTimes also offers readers a wide range of directories for clubs, education programs, record labels and music festivals.

Jazz Inside

This New York based magazine was founded in 1997 and is available online for free with  many recordings and play along tapes. Jazz Inside includes, “exclusive in-depth interviews, excerpts from books about jazz supply insights into the ever-evolving lives, events, ideas and contributions of jazz music’s most famous luminaries. You’ll also find as many as 100 detailed jazz CD reviews.” Also available are complete transcriptions and analysis of improvisation solos and instructional articles designed to help jazz musicians and enthusiasts of any level better understand the art.

Hot House

This is another duel print and online publication. It was founded in March 1982 and has been providing “music enthusiasts with a handy printed guide to the best in New York jazz clubs, concerts and festivals – with informed commentary on up-and-comers, as well as established talent.”

NY Jazz Report

This site provides links to all of New York’s hottest jazz clubs and restaurants along with links to many recordings and articles in the spot light. There is also a column on the left hand side of the page dedicated to performances for the week, which include artist names and where they will be performing.

The New York City Jazz Record

Founded in 2002, this gazzette has a readership of over 20 thousand, according to the website. Over the past seven years it has been nominated as “Best Jazz Periodical” by Jazz Journalist Association Awards six times. Issues are available for free, their latest can be downloaded here.

Naturally, the New York Times and the New Yorker are also prime sources for cultural events, features, interviews, reviews and news. Among these publications content for this blog will be drawn directly from venue’s websites including: Smalls Jazz Club, Jazz at Lincoln Center, Fat Cat, Blue Note, Birdland and The Village Vanguard.

Stay tuned to hear what’s cookin’ in the Big Apple on the Hot Plate Report, and don’t miss a single beat!