DelRay Ballroom could be Lincoln music stop Richard …bermanmusicfoundation.org/news1003.pdf · and pal Phil DeGreg on keyboards (admirably filling in for James Will-iams), the totally

By Tom Ineck ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

In this issue of Jazz....Prez Sez.......................................2Chicago Trip................................7Kansas City Trip.........................10Marillac Jazz Benefit...............12Latin Dance Review......................15Liz Jeans & Rite of Danse.........16Interstring Review......................17Lincoln Center Orchestra Review...18Kevin Mahogany/NJO Review...19Valerie Capers Review..............20Tropique Review.....................22Greg Abate Quartet Review.....23Darryl White Sextet Review.....24Don Stiernberg Quartet Review.....25Jazz on Disc.............................26Discorama...........................28Jimmy Knepper Memorial.........30Don Lanphere Memorial........31Letters to the Editor..............31

DelRay Ballroom couldbe Lincoln music stop

DelRay continued on page 6

In Lincoln’s venue-starved en-vironment, it is especially excitingto witness the emergence of theclassy DelRay Ballroom as a pos-sible site for local, regional and evennational music acts.

Located at 817 R St. in the his-toric Haymarket District of down-town Lincoln, the DelRay has of-fered occasional live music for morethan two years, but only recentlywas the former storefront coffeehouse transformed into a swank jazzlounge with full bar service and ap-propriately hip décor, including ab-stract paintings by Lincoln artistBob Hall.

The dreams and aspirations ofthe DelRay owners and managers gowell beyond even these improve-ments.

Further back in the huge formerwarehouse are a dance studio and afull-sized ballroom. A pastry andcatering service add to the eclecticmix. The team of business associ-ates includes Shelley Brackhan,owner and instructor of the DanceDirective studio; Michael Galloway,the operator and manager of thefront area; and Richard Sullivan,

Fall 2003Vol. 8, Number 3sound engineer, deejay and resident

music expert.In a recent interview, Sullivan

and Galloway spoke enthusiasticallyabout the DelRay’s potential as alive music venue.

Best known to Lincolnites as alongtime musician and songwriter,Sullivan speaks with authority andpersonal knowledge of the businessof making (and selling) music to thepublic. From the mid-1970s to themid-‘90s, he was active in localbands that included the South StreetShakers, Pinky Black and theExcessives, The Gears and BlondeWaltz.

Raised on Elvis, Little Richard,Chuck Berry, The Beatles and TheRolling Stones, he describes himselfas “an old rock ‘n’ roller,” but he’salso dabbled in the blues and coun-try music.

Sullivan’s still writing songsfor some future recording, but latelyhe spends much of his time and en-ergy at the DelRay Ballroom anddance studio, where he is sound en-gineer, deejay and music archivist

Richard Sullivan in DelRay

Photo by Tom Ineck

Berman Music Foundation Newsletter

Berman Music Foundation Newsletter January 2003

○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○

Page 2 Berman Music Foundation Jazz

Prez Sez

By Butch Berman ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○

Happy man celebrates marriage, gains family

My dear readers,

Of all the “Prez Sez” letters I’vewritten to you within the last eight-plusyears, this is the first comin’ at ya froma truly happy man. As stated in our lastpublication, yes, I did get married onMay 30 to the most beautiful, wonder-ful woman I’ve ever known. I’m speak-ing, of course, of my lovely, newly wedbride, Grace Gandu.

After being single for more than20 years, we tied the knot at Grace’shouse with as many of our loved ones,family and friends as we could musteron that hot, blustery afternoon. Besidesthe abundance of love between us, thereal main event of the whole affair wasreuniting Grace many members of herfamily from Nigeria. Considering thedifficulty of such a task (we’re talkin’eight brothers and sisters, assortednieces, nephews and cousins) with theworld in such a mess these troubledtimes, we had our doubts. Still, her sis-ters Ruth and Lois, Lois’ young son,Shayet, and brother, Simon, got visasto make their long journey to the UnitedStates. Happy happy joy joy big time,and HEY…I gained an incredible fam-ily, too.

My dear friend and head legal con-sultant from the Cline Williams lawfirm, Dan Stogsdill (a lay minister toboot) married us in a very jazzy cer-emony, with even a jazzier reception tofollow. Jimmy Akpan, who introducedme to Grace, and my legal right-handman and great confidant Tony Rager(also from Cline Williams) weregroomsmen, and two BMF consultantswere on hand—New York City Latinpercussionist Norman Hedman stood upfor me, and San Francisco record storemaven (Jack’s Record Cellar) and old

time best pal Wade Wright did himselfproud as my best man.

Lincoln’s finest jazz duo, JohnCarlini on piano and saxophonist BillWimmer provided the non-recordedmusic, and a beautiful recorded piecesung by Grace’s youngest sister,Kaniyang, was brought from Africa.After the ceremony, everyone attendingmunched hungrily at the great spreadlaid out at Grace’s by our dear mutualfriend, Monica Schwarz. Now onwardto the beautiful Hazel Abel Park, whereour wedding fotogs Roger and NikkiBauman snapped away, creating a mag-nificent collage of photos, ranging fromthe bride and groom getting ready to theceremony itself and the reception. Nikkidid a grand job all day just helping todirect traffic.

The reception itself was a work ofart, a totally jazzy affair at the lovelyFireman’s Hall with a handpicked bandof dear friends, all from KC exceptNorman Hedman. Dig this…AhmadAlaadeen, Gerald Spaits, Russ Long,Stan Kessler, Joe Cartwright, RayDeMarchi and Norman. Swinging,

Butch Berman and Grace Sankey Berman

Photo by Rich Hoover

Simon Sankey and Butch Berman


Page 3Fall 2003○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○

man, swinging! My good buddy, andnumero uno wine guy, Kevin Meier,turned us on to the best caterer we’veever experienced. Many thanks to KimMorock and her husband, whose busi-ness Tastefully Yours simply rocked.Everyone’s girl Friday, Kay Davisfrom Cline Williams coordinated it all,making our wedding a splendid, heart-warming experience for Grace and me,her family and the 350 guests whoshowed up from all over the world andcoast to coast.

We feel very fortunate to havesuch great friends. Help us relive someof these memories with our photo gal-lery included in this issue. Also check

out Nebraska’s former First Lady andcurrent scribe Ruth Thone’s heart-rending story on us in the Neighbor-hood Extra section of the LincolnJournal Star dated Aug. 24. Trulypoignant.

We got married on a Friday, andwe started up with this year’s Jazz inJune series the following Tuesday. Norest for the wicked, but remember jazzwill always follow love. Even thoughTom Ineck has covered the whole fes-tival in this edition of Jazz, please letme ruminate on the proceedings forawhile.

The BMF has been getting moreinvolved with Jazz in June since weshowcased the wunderkind Russianpiano marvel Eldar Djangirov and histrio (bassist Gerald Spaits and drum-mer Todd Strait) three summers ago.We’ve been involved with the present-ing and booking of the various jazzacts and other musical matters eversince.

This year my longtime friend andgroomsman Norman Hedman broughthis fabulous Latin group Tropique toLincoln to kick off the season. Normangave the throng of jazz fanatics a pre-view of his upcoming CD “Because ICan” that the BMF is helping to pro-duce. One of the Hedman tunes, “An-gel of the Night,” was inspired by theromance that Grace and I ignited

Emissary for Ephraim Sambo family of Nigeria, Wade Wright, Butch Berman,Dan Demuth, Tony Rager, Patti Demuth, Norman Hedman and Jimmy Akpan.


Ruth and Lois Sankeywith Grace and Shayet


Continued on page 4

Jazz is published online at:www.bermanmusicfoundation.orgThe office of The Berman Mu-The Berman Mu-The Berman Mu-The Berman Mu-The Berman Mu-s ic Foundat ion s ic Foundat ion s ic Foundat ion s ic Foundat ion s ic Foundat ion is at 719 P St.,Studio G, Lincoln, NE 68508.

Edi tor and Des igner:Edi tor and Des igner:Edi tor and Des igner:Edi tor and Des igner:Edi tor and Des igner:Tom Ineck

Contr ibut ing wr i tersContr ibut ing wr i tersContr ibut ing wr i tersContr ibut ing wr i tersContr ibut ing wr i ters: ButchBerman, Tom Ineck and BillWimmer

Photographers :Photographers :Photographers :Photographers :Photographers : ButchBerman, Grace SankeyBerman, Cory Biggerstaff,Gayle Ebel, Rich Hoover andTom Ineck

For inclusion of any jazz orblues related events, letters tothe editor or suggestedarticles, either mail them tothe office, phone (402) 476-3112, fax (402) 475-3136 or [email protected].

Our website address is:www.bermanmusicfoundation.org

If you want to be added toour mailing list, call (402) 476-3112, fax (402) 475-3136, [email protected].

The Butch BermanThe Butch BermanThe Butch BermanThe Butch BermanThe Butch BermanChar i t ab le Mus i c Founda -Char i t ab le Mus i c Founda -Char i t ab le Mus i c Founda -Char i t ab le Mus i c Founda -Char i t ab le Mus i c Founda -t i ont i ont i ont i ont i on is a non-profit, tax exempt,501(c)(3) private foundationrecognized by the Internal Rev-enue Service and the NebraskaDepartment of Revenue. It wasestablished in the spring of1995 to protect and promoteunique forms of jazz music.

TTTTTrus tee :rus tee :rus tee :rus tee :rus tee : Butch BermanConsu l tants :Consu l tants :Consu l tants :Consu l tants :Consu l tants : Dan Demuth,Norman Hedman, Steve Irwin,Gerald Spaits and WadeWright

○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○


reedmen Gerald Dunn and one of mypersonal faves, Bobby Watson. Theyknocked me out with their exquisitesets for our third concert.

Last, but definitely not least, lo-cal musician and part owner of DietzeMusic House, Ted Eschliman, intro-duced a new act to me. I’m speakingof jazz mandolin virtuoso, ChicagoanDon Stiernberg and his terrific“jazzgrass” foursome. They are su-per pickers and great guys who en-deared themselves to all present. Ted,by the way, was added to the Jazz inJune mix this year as a helpful liaisonbetween me, the musicians and theJazz in June staff.

Head honcho, Martha Florencepassed her torch to the new Mr. Big,Doug Campbell. He seems like a nicechap, and we all wish him well. Themomentum behind this festival thepast few years is mounting, and theplans for 2004 are underway even aswe speak. The BMF is proud to an-nounce that we will be sponsoringEldar Djangirov again to spearheadnext year’s really big show. Eldar is16 now, and his incredible musician-ship keeps rising and rising. He’llbring plenty copies of his new CD,“Handprints,” to sell and autographfor his multitude of fans. Again, manythanks to Martha for her hard work

nearly two years ago while Normanwas in town. Sung on the CD by James“D-Train” Williams, who was unableto appear, Sting’s backup vocalist AdaDyer tore the place up with her rendi-tion. Grace’s sister Ruth Sankey, whooperates an African dance studio forchildren called Space 2000 in Nige-ria, performed a traditional nativedance behind Tropique’s infectiousrhythms. In all, it was a grand nightto behold.

The second week’s performancewas the return of saxophone wizardGreg Abate and his multi-talentedquartet. Greg’s a swell guy, and killerplayer. His band, consisting of myformer Jamey Aebersold piano teacherand pal Phil DeGreg on keyboards(admirably filling in for James Will-

iams), the totally unique and one-of-a-kind cat, bass powerhouse HarvieS and legendary percussion masterBilly Hart, wowed the crowd. My en-joyment of the whole affair was, un-fortunately, slightly marred by thecrass behavior of Mr. Hart, who bul-lied, put down and treated all thosewho tried to assist him like crap. Ipublicly apologize to drum wranglerTom Brogan for Mr. Hart’s crueltytowards him. I still respect his knowl-edge and extraordinary chops and willalways treasure Hart’s recorded work.

The university’s fab trumpeterand educator Darryl White booked hisown band from Denver with KC

Photo by Gayle Ebel

Grace and Butch with Jim Russell of Holdrege, Grace’s surragate father

Photo by Gayle Ebel

Grace, Butch, Tom Taylor and Blade Wiederspan

Photo by Gayle Ebel

Monica Schwarz andRuth Ann Nahorny

Continued from page 3

Page 5Fall 2003○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○

and efforts. I hope she’ll stick aroundas special consultant for years tocome.

Well, with Jazz in June behindus, Grace and I readied ourselves forour traveling Midwestern jazzy hon-eymoon with stops in Chicago, Kan-sas City and Council Bluffs, Iowa, inthat order. With the massive heat waveplaguing our usual hot spots, weshelved our original plan to visit thefamed Canyon Ranch in Tucson,Ariz., and “stay cool” closer to home.

Other memorable moments tomentions included co -producing andplaying piano on Lincoln’s own fabledpunk-rocker Jim Jacobi’s upcomingCD release; fun, exciting gigs at theZoo Bar with my old bandmateCharlie Burton and his Dorothy LynchMob; and starting a house band duowith former band mate from the Road-side Attraction days, RichardSullivan, at the new DelRay Ballroom.More news on all of this in our nextedition of Jazz, in January, as every-thing evolves. To find out more aboutRichard and his partner, dance instruc-tor Shelley Brackhan, see Tom’s story.

I‘ve acquired a couple of newjazz cat buddies within the past fewmonths. Thanks to New York trum-peter and pal John McNeil (see Tom’sCD review) I had a ball with FrankTafuri, whose new jazz label,OmniTone, is based in his hometownof Brooklyn, N.Y. He has a marvel-

ous catalog of players like Mr.McNeil, the pianist/vibe duo of FrankKimbrough and Joe Locke, and saxo-phonist Mike Lee to name a few. (SeeTom’s piece on OmniTone).

Next, KC keyboard expert fromthe Westport Art Ensemble, RogerWilder, turned me on to his lifelongfriend, Rob Scheps. Rod now lives hisPortland, Ore., also has much historywith our fave drummer in Portland,Todd Strait, and is a mean reed artistin his own right. Rod was artist-in-residence with the Lied Center in Ne-braska City, rang me up, and we hada gas, too. Besides putting finishingtouches on his upcoming CD, Robappeared at the Blue Room in KCSept. 17. He will perform here withBMF sponsorship at P.O. Pears onJan. 22. Don’t miss it.

While on the subject of Pears, Ihope you caught KC’s out-of-sight su-pergroup Interstring there Oct. 16. Itconsists of guitar dudes DannyEmbrey and Rod Fleeman (these guysare always ON FIRE!) and long-timekiller rhythm section featuring bass-ist Bob Bowman and drummer ToddStrait. This is the BMF’s first P.O.Pears event to kick off another sea-son working with Dean Haist’s finemusical enterprise, Arts Incorporated,and Pears’ excellent staff.

Like a solo that goes on too long,I’m nearly outta here. Oh yeah, rec-ommended reading for you true jazz

buffs: “Good Vibes” by veteran vibra-phone pro Terry Gibbs with CaryGinell (Studies in Jazz, No. 44). Youcan order this through your favoritebookseller or Scarecrow Press Inc. tollfree at 1-800-462-6420. You’ll laughout loud, cry and swoon through ev-ery chapter and not be able to put thisbook down.

A little bit of late-breaking newshas occurred since I started this let-ter. I got a sweet call from one beau-tiful dame the other day. Jane Jarvis,one of the great, world-class musi-cians (her specialty is piano…ofcourse), has moved back to the BigApple from her home in Cocoa Beach,Fla., for permanent residency. Shesounded great, sez hello to everyoneshe knows here and is keeping verybusy. A former organist for the Mets,she recently was asked back to playat Shea Stadium. I love that woman.

Another female I’m very fond of(and also a grand pianist and educa-tor) is New Yorker (the Bronx) Dr.Valerie Capers and her crackerjackquintet. On Sept. 21, they performedtheir third concert in the last few yearsat Heckman Hall on the Doane Col-lege campus in Crete, Nebraska, about20 miles from Lincoln. (Read BillWimmer’s account of this swingingevening.) They were so good the firsttime I saw ‘em, and they keep gettingbetter each and every time. The BMFhas pledged its efforts to support anartistic endeavor with this talentedlady at the start of 2005. I can’t wait!!

Last, but certainly not least is thereturn of Lincoln’s own saxophonestar, Andrew Vogt, who now lives inDenver and has just put out his firstCD (read Tom’s review). There’s lotsof cool stuff to look forward to, andbest wishes to all.

Have a great holiday season, Godbless you all, and…later,


Doug Campbell, Ted Eschliman, Martha Florence, Tony Rager,Butch Berman and Grace Sankey Berman

○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○


DelRay continued from page 1

for the dance instruction.Galloway, who recently moved

back to the Midwest from Seattle af-ter 22 years in the Pacific North-west, once worked at Lincoln’sfamed Zoo Bar and managedMcGuffey’s, a local pub known forits serious jazz policy, with weeklyjams and occasional appearances byJay McShann and other big-nameartists.

During a five-year period dur-ing the 1980s, Galloway operated a1,400-seat rock club in Portland,Ore., featuring everyone from IggyPop to Miles Davis.

“It was kind of the advent ofMTV and the one-hit wonders, sowe had a lot of those come through,”he recalled. He also operated acouple of clubs in Seattle’s PioneerSquare district.

Galloway was attracted by theDelRay’s location, in Lincoln’s mostcelebrated retail and pedestrian dis-trict and next door to the newHaymarket parking garage.

He has installed a baby grandpiano in the DelRay’s front lounge

and hired Lincoln jazz pianist JohnCarlini to play several nights aweek.

“Eventually, we’ve talkedabout possibly bringing in some na-tionals, and it won’t be just jazz, butjazz is probably one of the wayswe’re leaning,” he said. The ball-room capacity is around 325 seatedand 700 standing, making it largeenough for a successful run at some

big-name artists.Midwest Sound designed the

six-speaker DelRay sound system,with individual volume controls tofit any occasion. The lighting alsois totally adjustable by rheostats.

Initial plans are to have Carliniplay solo from 6-8 p.m. most week-days, with occasional local groupsperforming later in the evening,probably 9-11 p.m.

“It’s great to have Richard hereto know all the musicians,” Gallo-way said. “That learning curve cantake you quite a while when you gointo a new town. I’m countingheavily on Richard to help me findthose gems that you have here inLincoln.”

BMF president and longtimeLincoln rock guitarist and keyboardplayer Butch Berman is among themusicians who Sullivan has tappedto perform in upcoming weeks andmonths, as the DelRay builds its cli-entele and shapes a music policythat can lead to success.

It’s a success that all Lincolnmusic fans should anticipate andsupport with their patronage.

The DelRay Ballrom, 817 R St., promises great things for live music scene.

Photo by Tom Ineck

Lincoln favorite John Carlini plays the new DelRay Ballroom piano in thelounge several nights a week. Owners hope to expand the evening schedule withlocal and regional music artists.

Photo by Tom Ineck

Page 7Fall 2003○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○

CHICAGO, Ill.-I hadn’t flownthe not-so-friendly skies in more thaneight years, and after 9/11 I thoughtto myself, “No way!” I guess I didn’tknow Grace Gandu then.

After marrying my gorgeousbride May 30, I figured I might haveto eat those words. With the South-west undergoing the worst heat waveof the summer, we changed our mindsabout Canyon Ranch and decided tomake that a winter excursion. I didn’twant to disappoint Grace and ruin ourhoneymoon plans by not flying some-where else, so we opted on Chicagoas a perfect choice for lovers (like us),jazz fans (like us), food and wine con-noisseurs (like us) and baseball fans(well, me). So, I dusted off the rustfrom my wings and…up, up andaway!

Usually the ride to and from air-ports is the scariest part of flying, andour cab experiences in Chicago wereno exception. The neatest thing aboutall of the drivers, hotel bellhops andmaids this trip is that most of themwere from Nigeria (Grace’s homecountry), Ethiopia or neighboring ar-eas, so Grace could talk about theirnative homelands and in some casesspeak in her tribal tongue (Hausa).

In the old days I used to love tostay at the Blackstone Hotel on SouthMichigan Drive because Joe Segal

housed his famed Jazz Showcasethere. Well that establishment is nowused as permanent dwelling condos,so due to location we opted for theChicago Hilton right next door. Whenbuilt in 1927, it was either the world’sor the United States’ (I forget which)largest hotel. We’re so used to the likesof KC’s Historic Suites, or the Em-bassy Suites anywhere else, that theHilton’s rather small room could havebeen confining to us. However, sinceit was our honeymoon…you get thepicture.

Cozy’s cool, too, and we had abeautiful lakeside view. The Hilton isran like a city unto itself with all ofour needs handled perfectly and pro-fessionally including speedy and tastyroom service, complete post officeservice, great gym, pool and massagesavailable and the best concierge I’veever dealt with. Donald Crossley is“De Man” of the hour, making mewant to consider staying there againjust to utilize his fab connections and

expertise in getting the most out ofwhat’s happening in the Windy City.He copped us eighth row center tick-ets at a decent price for “The LionKing,” booked the historic Chicago’sFirst Lady Architectural boat tourdown the Chicago River, and got usreservations at one of Chicago’s bestfive-star restaurants, Speggaia’s, in a

Chicago inspires Windy City musingsBy Butch Berman ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○

Travel Story

Continued on page 8

Butch and Grace toast Chicago.

Photo by Cory Biggerstaff

Cory Biggerstaff

Photo by Butch Berman

Butch Berman in Chicago

Photo by Grace Sankey Berm

an

○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○


flash. (Thanks to my dear friendsDaniel and Elizabeth Nelson for tell-ing us about this spectacular eatery.)He also provided us with city mapsand tips to make our trip even moreenjoyable. What a guy!

Other top-flight places to dine areTrader Vic’s at the Palmer HouseHotel, the Cape Cod Room at thebeautiful Drake Hotel, and PeteMiller’s steak house (with great livejazz and an incredible wine list con-sisting of many of the finest Califor-nia cabernet sauvignons of 1997).Pete’s joint is located in Evanston, Ill.,near DePaul University, where ourhost for the evening, former Lincolniteand bassist Cory Biggerstaff now re-sides, gigs and attends classes. He in-troduced me to the excellent piano trioplaying that night. Pianist MikeKocour, bass player Kelly Sill anddrummer Joel Spencer are a terrificgroup and super nice cats to hang andchat with. Maybe I’ll try to bring themin to P.O. Pears sometime down theline.

We also dug the amazing BlueMan Group, performing at the BriarStreet Theatre on North Halsted Streetnear where the old Chess Records stu-dio stood. I can’t say enough aboutthis over-the-top, rockin’ performance

art organization and their stellar show.If you can’t catch them here, they havea road show touring the country rightnow, as well as semi-permanent“homes” in New York City, Bostonand Las Vegas. Don’t miss this ratherunusual super-group!

Another point of interest to rec-ommend is going to Wrigley Field. I’ma die-hard Giants fan, but seeing theCubbies at this real grass ballpark istotally worth it. By the way, San Fran-cisco kicked their butts when we werethere.

Chicago has many world-classmuseums. We took in the breathtak-ing Art Institute of Chicago, marveledat the “Eternal Egypt” at the FieldMuseum and loved every minute ofattending the Shedd Aquarium.

This story is taking on epic pro-portions, so I’d best get back to thejazzy stuff, and you can’t get anyjazzier than dropping in at my favor-ite Chicago haunt, Joe Segal’s JazzShowcase. Now relocated on GrandAvenue between Deerborn and Clark,the Showcase has been a Chicagolandmark for many years. Similar toNew York’s Village Vanguard, theroom carries mucho jazz history, hasexcellent acoustics and has housedevery main-event bebopper in the bizthat you’d ever want to hear and see.

Joe just won Downbeatmagazine’s lifetime achievementaward, and deservingly so. He can bea bit of a crusty character at times,but his heart is in the right place. Thisman truly lives and breaths jazz, andhis club almost serves as a shrine forhis beloved hero, Charlie Parker. Ifyou’ve spent nearly 50 years in thebar business, you might get a littlegrouchy at times, but I really dig thiship old cat. Let me tell you all aboutthe two super-groovy shows we at-tended on our vacation.

First of all, way before our trip,I got on Joe’s web-site to check outthe calendar. I smiled to myself whenI discovered that we’d be most fortu-nate to catch the immortal talents ofdrummer Roy Haynes and bebopclarinetist Buddy DeFranco with theirrespected bands back to back. Wow!

So Grace and I popped in, saidhi to Joe at the door and proceededinside. It seems the air-conditioning


Roy Haynes and Terence Blanchard atJoe Segal’s Showcase in Chicago


Musicians Mike Kocour, Kelly Sill and Joel Spencer


Joe Segal at the Showcase


Page 9Fall 2003○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○

unit that evening was on the blink, buteven when Roy kidded the audienceabout the heat, he and his band sim-ply smoked. Backed most admirablyby piano player Martin Bejarama, (theonly name from his group I’m not sureabout as we forgot to cop a poster onthe way out) bassist John Sullivan, andthe remarkable saxophonist MarcusStrickland. They played their asses offbehind the one-and-only percussionking, Mr. Haynes, who at age 79 could

pass for a man in his 50s. He was,and still is, one of the all-time greatrhythm machines in the business.

The big surprise of the night wasthe addition of genius trumpeterTerence Blanchard. It seems film guruand my current favorite living direc-tor Spike Lee was showing clips fromhis wonderful flicks the next night atthe beautiful Symphony Hall (yup, wewent to that tremendous concert, too)with a 20-piece orchestra led byBlanchard, along with the extraordi-nary vocalists Mavis Staples, GeraldLaVert and newcomer Belai.

Anyway, Terence was in town,hanging at the club, and set in to playa few pieces with the band the secondset. The frontline work between himand Marcus was truly superb. By theway, the relocated Showcase is stun-ning with perfect sightlines, decentlighting and a great sound system. If Iremember correctly, the cover chargeis only $20 or $25 a person nightlywith a no-minimum-drink clause.

Joe also has a decent dinner planwith a fairly new Italian restaurantchain based, I think, in Chicago calledMaggiano’s. We loved the food andservice and it’s just across the streetfrom Joe’s. For $70 a couple, you get

reservations at the club and dinner fortwo, excluding alcohol. What a deal!

So, that’s what we did for theDeFranco show when we returned acouple of nights later. We were joinedat the Showcase that night by my newfriend, jazz mandolinist DonStiernberg, and his wife for anothergrand evening of jazz, and Buddydidn’t let us down.

I’ve been a huge BuddyDeFranco fan since I found my firstLP by him (an early ‘50s MGM). Atfirst, listening to his stellar bebopphrasing, I thought to myself it’s likehearing Charlie Parker, but on the ole“licorice stick” instead of the sax.Nevertheless, Buddy, now at 80, wasone of the nicest and charming menI’ve ever met for the first time. He toohad a top notch band that night.

A true Chicago legend, pianostylist Larry Novack was in top formmanning the keys behind Buddy. I re-member seeing him play at Mr. Kelly’swhen I was only 10, and like most ofthese older gentlemen, his chops onlyseem to get better with age.

Veteran players John Kohout onbass and Robert Shy on drums per-formed flawlessly, and Buddy is justbrilliant. I also got to meet his lovelywife, Joyce, who said they’d love toplay in Lincoln sometime in the nearfuture. That possibility got my wheelsturning.

Also need to mention that if youwant to buy a coffee table-sized his-tory of jazz, crammed with a vast ar-ray of rare photos, run, don’t walk toyour book store of choice, and order“A Life in the Golden Age of Jazz: ABiography of Buddy DeFranco” byFabrice Zammarchi and Sylvie Masfrom Parkside Publications Inc. Youcan reach them at (206) 839-1191.This book is a work of art, and shouldbe in every true jazz fan’s collection.

That wraps up our whirlwindjazzy honeymoon in one of my mostendearing places to visit, Chicago.

Buddy DeFranco at the Showcase.


Don Stiernberg and his wife, Eileen, at Joe Segal’s Showcase


○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○


KANSAS CITY, Mo.-Still reel-ing with the feeling of our wonderfultime in the “windy city,” Grace and Iwere eagerly looking forward to ourpost-honeyswoon excursion to ourtrue “home away from home,” Kan-sas City, Mo. True to form, this tripwas no exception. As a matter of fact,it might have made it to our top threefaves.

It certainly wasn’t because of theweather (in the 100s every day) or thefact that my lovely bride and I love tobe together wherever we are. No, thistime it was all about love, goodfriends, great food, and of course, ex-cellent music. This time, however itwasn’t only jazz that propelled ussouthward on I-29 but some godlygospel, and soulful r&b. Well, heregoes.

Since the sad decline of our oldfavorite haunt—The Savoy Hotel(hey, the Grille next door is still tops,especially if you get KC’s coolest old-time male waiter, Bob, but that’s an-other story—our new abode, thanksto Karrin Allyson’s recommendation,is the Historic Suites at Sixth andCentral. It’s only one block off theHighway 169 (formally Broadway)exit, and within walking distance ofthe Phoenix Bar and Grill, the Majes-tic Steakhouse and the Folly Theater,as well as a 10-minute drive to eitherCrown Center, Westport, the Plaza orthe famed 18th and Vine section.Thanks to their new guy on the go,Rico, they have now added van ser-vice to all guests for just whatever youcan tip. No searching for how to getthere or parking. One of their drivers,Nelson Thomas, used to play sax withSun Ra, so it’s jazz, jazz, jazz 24/7.

You get a beautiful two-bedroom

suite with living room and kitchen witheverything you need for comfort (TVs,phones, iron), free hot breakfasts,workout room with sauna and whirl-pool and a outdoor pool with off-streetparking. All this is $149 a night, withdiscounts available. Tell Rico theBebopman sent you, and he’ll takecare of business! Call (816) 842-6544or go to www.historicsuites.com.Enuff of this travelogue and onwardto music.

The total triple threat weekendstarted with dinner at the Fairmontwith Joe Cartwright for dessert. Joe,a good friend and marvelous pianisthas been the main cat at the Fairmont’sOak Room for quite awhile. Thismonth he was showcasing differentplayers each week on Thursday nightfree of charge. This date was a mustfor Grace and me as Joe hosted theone and only alto saxophonist BobbyWatson along with Bob Bowman sub-bing on bass, as my BMF consultantand pal Gerald Spaits and his wife,

Leslie, were on a much-needed vaca-tion in France. As always, Joe’s drum-mer Ray DeMarchi kicked butt.

Note to all that it took us twotrips to figure out to ask for dinner inthe lounge so we could get a good seatfor the players. After sitting behind apillar across from a couple of cigar-smoking yuppies for the first set, we’llget it right the next time. Bobbysounded gorgeous with the boysknocking my socks off on every tuneespecially with his rendition ofStrayhorn’s “Chelsea Bridge.” Bobbylooked healthy and happy and seemedto be more at-home back in his oldstomping grounds than the Big Applethese days with his teaching at UMKCand steady gigging. I’ve literallycaught his stuff from coast to coastfor over eight years and have neverheard an off night.

We also sat with my old friendfrom the Rich Hill days at Larry’sShowcase, bassist and vocalist BrianHicks, who was going to play with my

Travel Story

By Butch Berman ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○

Reflections of a continuing honeymoon

Ahmad Alaadeen and Fanny Dunfee


Page 11Fall 2003○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○

dear friend, Ahmad Alaadeen at TheBlue Room on Saturday. To top it off,I officially met KC Star jazz scribeJoe Clopus for the first time. What anevening, and we’re just getting started.

We kicked back most of the dayFriday, looking forward to a home-cooked meal of fried chicken preparedby none other than Alaadeen, veteranKC saxophonist and one of the dear-est, hep-cat gentleman I’ve ever met.He and his out-of-sight manager,Fanny Dunfee, welcomed us into theirwarm and inviting home in OverlandPark, Kan., for a perfect experienceof great food, chatter, music and thepure joy of two diverse couples wholove each other and their spouses andhave a ball together. The night endedmuch too soon, as our anticipation forour last segment of this continuingsaga awaited us.

I’ve adored the stirring soulstylings of Al Green since the early‘70s, but never was able to see himlive. When I discovered he was goingto be playing the Uptown in downtownKC, I acted fast, checking the ‘Netdaily for when tickets went on sale andbeing on top of it. My homework andpersistence paid off big time as Isnared front-row center seats for thisvery special event. Mr. Green, alldecked out in a three-piece white suit,

did not disappoint us. His vocal prow-ess totally intact, he smoked, and hisback-up band, singers and dancerswere simply killer.

He walked the front isle, stop-ping to greet each member of theblessed first row with a handshake ora hug, and presented my lady Gracewith a beautiful red rose which she’llcherish for life, I’m sure. The open-ing act, Forgive, an incredible 17-piece vocal choir with their own mu-sicians behind them, sang like angels,but Al stole the show.

The 3,000-plus crowd gave thehall an almost revival atmosphere asthe Reverend did more than 10 songs,including most of his major hits, somegospel and a little blues. After a rous-ing “Love and Happiness,” we all ex-pected an encore, but it seemed thatAl Green had left the building. Nev-ertheless, little ole Jewish me got agood taste of Jesus that night, and itfelt good. Still, there were moregroovy moments ahead waiting for usat the Blue Room on 18th and Vine.

The hotel doesn’t run its van onweekends, but Rico had us covered.A genuinely suave older black dudenamed Lloyd, former cop for 15 yearsand now operating a taxi service be-sides being a Pentecostal minister,took the best care of us. We ate an-

other fab meal at one of our firstchoice KC eateries called Zin on 1900Main. My old pal bassist BobBowman’s darling wife, Sondra,waited on us with expertise. Next, itwas the Uptown, and finally the BlueRoom. Lloyd kept us enchanted withmany stories of his family and KChistory in general. Between Rico,Nelson and Lloyd wheeling us around,the rides were just as entertaining asour destinations.

Arriving at the Blue Room waslike old home week, as we sat withAlaadeen’s manager, Fanny, hischarming son (also named AhmadAlaadeen) and our old comrades SteveIrwin and his better half, Jo Boehr,from the famed KC International JazzFestival. We were greeted so warmly,and then things really got hot whenAlaadeen took the stage with his stel-lar band consisting of Jason Goudeauon trombone, Brian Hicks at the bass,Donovan Baily pounding the skins likea jazzy Buddy Miles, and newcomer(to us) Chris Clark, who just wowedus with his amazing piano virtuosity.

Still the main event belonged toAlaadeen, as he led his group withstyle and grace and displayed his bril-liant chops to the throng of followerswith every selection. He debuted hisnew “African Suite,” that jazz-drenched night inspired by Grace andmy relationship, and dedicated it toher. Hopefully, this splendid piece ofwork will be recorded soon for theworld to hear and appreciate. Hisheartfelt rendition of “What A Won-derful World” seemed so appropriateduring these troubled times, andmoved everyone in the room to a bet-ter space. He ended the evening call-ing up a new young piano playernamed Harold O’Neal to sit in. HisTyneresque performance fit the grooveperfectly. My dear friend and BMFfotog, Rich Hoover, was filming theentire show for a possible future docu-mentary. More on that later.

Butch and Ahmad Alaadeen are ready to cook during a visit in Kansas City.

Photo by Grace Sankey Berm

an

○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○


KANSAS CITY, Mo.—Sep-tember 28 marked a rare occasional,a milestone in the long and storiedhistory of Kansas City jazz. Nearly30 of KC’s finest musicians gath-ered to perform a daylong benefitat The Piano Room, a small club at8410 Wornall Road in the city’sWaldo district.

The players donated their tal-ents for the cause, to help raise aneeded $21,000 to replace obsoletetextbooks for Marillac Center’stherapeutic day school. “Books,Ballads and Bebop” was expertlyorganized by Steve Irwin, Marillac’scommunity relations director andthe former co-director of the late,lamented Kansas City InternationalJazz Festival.

Also playing important roles atthe benefit were Irwin’s jazz fest co-directors, the witty emcee JohnJessup and the effervescent JoBoehr, Irwin’s wife.

Festivities began modestly at 2p.m. with vocalist Julie Turner andTurner’s son, Brian Ruskin, on gui-tar. As the day progressed, musi-cians wandered in to take the stage,

reaching a crescendo of formidablejazz expertise by the early eveningand continuing until the final jamhad played out at 10 p.m.

For this avid fan of KansasCity jazz, Ruskin was the first ofseveral surprises throughout theday. I suspect that many listenershad similar feelings of good fortune,as an embarrassment of riches re-vealed the talents of musicians notoften heard together.

Ruskin is an outstanding gui-tarist, in both jazz and blues styles,and a sensitive accompanist to hismom on such tunes as “Out of No-where,” “Alone Together” and thesamba “How Insensitive,” whichwas an excellent vehicle forTurner’s throaty vibrato.

Pianist Russ Long joined theduo for “All the Things You Are,”and drummer Tommy Ruskin(Brian’s dad and Julie’s husband)later added the shaded rhythmicpulse to “One Note Samba.” Longregaled the crowd with his hilarioustake on “My Old Kentucky Home.”

Mike White, another pleasant sur-prise, added his soulful tenor saxo-phone to a fast blues shuffle. Turnercapped the performance with “ILove Being Here with You.”

Even before he took the stageto perform, traditional jazz pianist-singer Bram Wijnands was enthusi-astically documenting the historicevent on his video camera.

His duo set with Scamps drum-mer Rusty Tucker was a joy, pittingthe young Dutch marvel with one ofthe elder statesmen of Kansas Cityjazz. It was a hoot to hear Wijnandsdeliver a Dutch-inflected “She’s myding dong baby and she knows howto ring my bell,” then join Tucker

Marillac benefit is KC jazz milestoneConcert Review

By Tom Ineck ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○


Brian Ruskin and Steve Irwin, Marillac community relations director

Rusty Tucker



Bram Wijnands at the piano

Page 13Fall 2003○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○

for some raunchy, blues tinged scatsinging.

Tucker turned in a pair ofwarm vocals on “All of You” and“What a Wonderful World,” but itwas Wijnands’ Fats Waller-inspiredplaying and singing on Waller’s“Honeysuckle Rose” that was mostimpressive. His rollicking, wide-open keyboard attack had feet tap-ping and fingers snapping. The duo

also dedicated a sensitive version of“Sentimental Journey” to clubowner Dean Weiss, who generouslycontributed the day’s profits toMarillac.

Pianist Paul Smith fronted amarvelous quartet also featuringguitarist Danny Embrey, bassistBob Bowman and drummer JohnDoubleday. Tunes included anuptempo “Yesterdays,” “O Pato(The Duck),” and a reprise of “Allthe Things You Are.”

Embrey was loath to leaveearly, but he was due to board aflight the next morning to join singerKarrin Allyson for a European tourthat included stops in Rome andParis.

The momentum continued tobuild with the arrival of pianist JoeCartwright, bassist Gerald Spaitsand drummer Ray DeMarchi, a verycompatible trio of veterans. Neversatisfied with conventional interpre-tations, Cartwright and companychose a samba by trumpeter ClaudioRoditi and the underappreciatedstandard “Whisper Not,” beforeputting a definitive blues tinge to thetimeless ballad “September Song,”building to the astonishing piano

crescendo and the soulful climax forwhich Cartwright has becomeknown.

Kansas City legend Pete Eyereplaced Cartwright at the piano fora stunning rendition of PaulDesmond’s “Take Five.” Eye’s af-finity for Dave Brubeck was imme-diately evident in his classical con-structions and syncopated phrases.

Backed by Cartwright, Spaitsand DeMarchi, Ahmad Alaadeen de-livered one of the highlights of theday was a set that included a spir-ited romp through Juan Tizol’s“Caravan,” featuring Alaadeen onsoprano sax.

Trumpeter Stan Kessler, altosaxophonist Kim Park and drummerDoug Auwarter joined the fray withCartwright and Spaits on a specialrequest from Irwin, the lively“Lester Leaps In.” The classic bopchanges received a round of exem-plary solos by Kessler, Park andCartwright, each one building inintensity and innovation and endingwith Park mimicking Lester Young’sfamous sideways stance and Kesslervalving the trumpet upside down!

Joe Zawinul’s funky anthem,“Mercy, Mercy Me,” was taken ata slow and soulful tempo, punctu-ated by moving solos by Park andKessler. Park closed the set with“Centerpiece,” taking the vocalchores and delivering a bluesy altosolo, segueing into stop time and anexhilarating double-time finale.



Paul Smith, Bob Bowman, Danny Embrey and John Doubleday

Mike White


Ray DeMarchi

Continued on page 14

○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○


In the wake of this electrifyingperformance, Jessup took the micro-phone to remind us again that thiswas “a singular day in Kansas Cityjazz.” No one could argue with thatassessment.

As the evening began to winddown, pianist and singer Mike Ningtook the stage with bassist TimBrewer and drummer Mike Shanksfor yet another version of “All theThings You Are,” followed by “Ev-erything Happens to Me.” SherryJones capably vocalized on theuptempo “Ornithology/How Highthe Moon,” on which Ning’s solocleverly referred to “Surrey with

The Fringe on Top.”Young aspiring drummer Timo-

thy Ning made it a family affairwhen he joined dad Mike and momSherry for a rhythmic run throughthe Herbie Hancock favorite “Wa-termelon Man.”

It was a hipster’s holiday whenDavid Basse joined vocals with pia-nist Greg Richter and bassist BrianHicks for Bobby Timmons’“Moanin’” and another rendition of

“Centerpiece,” which also featuredPark on alto sax.

The distinguished and gentlepresence of pianist and singerLuqman Hamza brought the pro-ceedings to a close. The local leg-end caressed the keys as he gave newlife to the lyrics of “Falling Lovewith Love,” “My One and OnlyLove” and, best of all, “I Will Un-derstand.” It was a display of graceand class that could serve as a les-son to all jazz musicians.

The day’s events stand as a re-markable example of artistic cama-raderie and might serve as a modelfor Marillac’s vision statement: “Tosee at-risk children and families be-come contributing members in theircommunities by modeling a caring,nurturing and learning environmentand by providing innovative, profes-sional treatment and support.”

“Books, Ballads and Bebop”certainly created a caring, nurtur-ing and learning environment for thehundreds of jazz fans who turnedout to support a very worthy cause.

To learn more about MarillacCenter and how you can help thecause, call Steve Irwin at (816) 508-3311 or write to Marillac at 2826Main St., Kansas City, Mo. 64108.


Gerald Spaits


Stan Kessler valves his instrument upside down as Kim Park blows a bebop lineon “Lester Leaps In.”


Joe Cartwright and Ahmad Alaadeen


Page 15Fall 2003○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○

KANSAS CITY, Mo.-Latindance, by its nature, is a colorful, sen-sual and exhilarating expression ofemotions. At its best, it is poetry inmotion and a panoramic parade oflife’s joys and sorrows.

Latin dance was at its best Sept.27 at the Kansas City Music Hall for“Sierra Latina: A Latin Evening ofDance.” The performance was pre-sented by Rite of Danse, a local non-profit arts organization whose goal isto create and present dance produc-tions that utilize multiple art forms andhonor cultural differences.

Artistic Director Liz Jeans ofRite of Danse organized the event,bringing together various groups toperform dance and music fromMexico, Brazil, Argentina, Spain andthe United States. Cultural differenceswere most obvious as the medley ofcostumed dancers, in turn, took thestage to the music of salsa, samba,flamenco, folkloric dance, tango,Latin jazz dance and modern dance.

Fiesta Mexicana took the leadwith “Nayarit,” a traditional folkloricpresentation with choreography by thegroup’s director, Rose Marie Mendez.The flair of colorful skirts and theflash of machetes in a sort of “sworddance” combined to create a stunningopener.

“Hoy Es Adios,” by the Signa-ture Dance Company with choreog-raphy by Loren Whittaker, was a typi-cally sensual display with lacy scarvesserving as enticing props.

“Sevillanas to Bulerias” was amultimedia flamenco tour de force byOle Music and Dance of Spain, cho-reographed by Tamara McIntosh, ar-tistic director of Ole. The colorful mu-sic of guitarist Raul Gomez accom-

panied dancers, some in stark black-and-white costumes and others inbright dresses. Castanets and double-time flamenco clapping added to theexcitement.

Jeans and her partner, MichellePowers, choreographed and dancedthe interpretative “NuestraContribucion Con Carina,” with apassionate and impressionistic flair.With legs that seem to go on forever,Jeans seems to project her body inseveral directions simultaneously, re-acting instantly and dramatically tounseen rhythmic impulses.

The American influence on Latindance was most apparent in the “LatinBallroom Suite,” performed by a pass-ing array of male-and-female partners,from Louis Barr and RebeccaRodriguez doing “Paso Doble” toFrank Gillitzer and Mallee Morris il-lustrating the “Cha Cha” to RafaelLabrado and Anya Berdichevskayawith “Rhumba.”

Barr returned with Laura Cantufor “Tango,” followed by Labrado andBerdichevskaya with “Samba,”Gillitzer and Morris with “Rhumba”and, finally, three couples dancing a

jive version of “Fever.”“Neo Tango” was a bravura dis-

play of modern dance by theWylliams/Henry Danse Theatre Com-pany. Inspired by the music of Argen-tine tango composer Astor Piazzollaand choreographed by Dee Anna Hiettand Dwight Rhoden, it was a breath-takingly acrobatic performance.

The Latin Rhythm Dance Com-pany, with choreography by DenisseElise and Josue Hernandez, danced“Where’s the Salsa?” a dazzling ex-hibition of style and technique. Light-ing designer Jim Primm created theappropriate dramatic and atmosphericsettings for each performance, andstage manager Beth Byrd overcamethe daunting logistical challenges ofsegueing from one dance group toanother.

The evening’s irresistible capperwas a public dance across town at thebeautifully restored, Spanish-styleMadrid Theatre, where we amateurhoofers were allowed to share the floorwith the professionals, to the spiritedmusic of jazz trumpeter Stan Kesslerand the Sons of Brasil.

“Sierra Latina: A Latin Eveningof Dance” was billed as a tribute toJose Gonzalez, founder of the annualHispanic Fiesta at the Barney AllisPlaza, started in 1985, and creator of“Sierra Latina.” Gonzalez recentlydied, but his huge influence on Kan-sas City dance and the city’s Hispanicculture remains obvious.

“Sierra Latina” also is a tributeto Jeans’ dedication and organizingskills. She gathered together some ofthe best Latin dance ensembles avail-able, and the sheer volume and degreeof talent was remarkable, even for acity of Kansas City’s size. Bravo!

“Sierra Latina” is Latin dance at its bestBy Tom Ineck ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○

Dance Review

Dancers in a “Sierra Latina” program

Photo Courtesy of Liz Jeans

○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○


KANSAS CITY, MO.-LizJeans is a mover and a shaker—onthe dance floor, in her communityand around the world.

Her Kansas City-based, non-profit Rite of Danse organization—through the magic of dance—at-tempts to break down the barriersthat separate people of different eth-nic groups, while celebrating theirdiverse cultural heritage. Produc-tions have combined fashion anddance at an exhibit of photographsby Herb Rits, blended social danc-ing and staged choreography to theLatin jazz sounds of Sons of Brasiland performed poetry and dance fora “Victory over Violence” festival.

Rite of Danse also is the um-brella organization for SignatureDance Company, a youth jazz dancecompany for dancers ages 12 to 21.

Very early in life, Jeans was in-spired by Latin culture, and it left alasting impression on her dancestyles, her choreography and herwhole philosophy of life.

“I was always drawn to that,and no one else in my family was. Itwas probably from the time I was12 or 13. It was just part of me,”she said in a recent phone interview.“I enjoy being outside of my culture.I have no Latin blood. I’m as Cau-casian as it gets. I’m a white girlwho appreciates other cultures a lot.I feel our limitations and our fearof expressing passion, that I findmuch more a part of Latin culture.”

Her Latin love affair extendswell beyond the confines of thedance floor.

“I appreciate the passion andrhythms that you hear in Latin mu-sic and all Latin art. I like Latin

movies. I like Latin literature. I likeLatin music, and I like Latin dance.”

Latin dance, she found, helpsto express emotions that are usuallykept hidden in the more reserved tra-ditions of northern Europe. It alsohonors life’s mysteries without try-ing to reduce everything to a scien-tific equation.

“We have every emotion, andwe have things we can’t explain,”she said. “We have things that aren’tconcrete, and you’ve got to learnhow to integrate all of that.”

Raised in St. Louis and Kan-sas City, Jeans has a master’s de-gree in dance from the Universityof Oregon. In Eugene, she developeda community center for the perform-ing arts program and co-directedPowers & Jeans Dance Ensemble.

After a debut in Los Angeles,she began an international dancesojourn in Baghdad, during the Iran/

Iraq war. She moved to Paris, whereshe danced at the historic MoulinRouge. Based in Paris, she dancedwith Soho productions in Tokyo andat the Friedreichstadt Palast in EastBerlin before the fall of the Wall.

In 1988, Jeans returned to Kan-sas City and taught dance in theKCMO Visual and Performing ArtsSchool for seven years. She remainsa freelance choreographer, teacherand performer as the founder andartistic director of Rite of Danse.

Jeans’ colleagues in Rite ofDanse are out-of-town consultantMichelle Powers and LorenWhittaker.

Powers and Jeans have a longhistory of working together. Theymet as colleagues, directing separatecommunity dance programs, andlater formed and directed Powers &Jeans Dance Ensemble. Their ad-ventures took the Eugene, Ore.,-based company to Los Angeles andBaghdad. Years later, they ran aspa in Cabo San Lucas,Mexico, under Powers’ direction.

Powers recently moved back toOregon after living in California forthe last 10 years. Despite the dis-tance, Powers and Jeans still con-sult and support each other onprojects such as “Sierra Latina.”

Loren Whittaker is director ofSignature Dance Company, spon-sored by Rite of Danse. Her chore-ography and support was a majorpart of “Sierra Latina.” Now anadjunct professor of jazz dance inthe UMKC dance department, shehas been a lead dancer in Las Ve-gas, Nev., and assisted with chore-ography and direction of two TVprograms in Rome.

Artist ProfileLiz Jeans is mover and shaker in KC danceBy Tom Ineck ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○

Michelle Powers and Liz Jeans

Photo Courtesy of Liz Jeans

Page 17Fall 2003○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○

As jazz combos come and go, feware allowed the longevity to form a co-hesive group dynamic. One of the rareexceptions is the Kansas City-basedquartet Interstring, whose compatibil-ity and chemistry is increasingly evidentas they approach nearly a decade to-gether.

That group dynamic was in fullplay during an Oct. 16 performance atP.O. Pears in downtown Lincoln, fundedby the Berman Music Foundation. Itwas their sixth and final gig in a briefseries of Midwestern appearances, oc-casioned by the return visit of essentialdrummer Todd Strait from his home inOregon.

The other essentials in this fear-some foursome are guitarists DannyEmbrey and Rod Fleeman and bassistBob Bowman. Over the past decade,they have created and maintained a to-tally unique sound, whether playing asa quartet or in support of singer KarrinAllyson, who appeared frequently withthem during her formative years in KC.

It didn’t take long for the band tostart cooking at its recent Lincoln show.Taking the first solo in the opener “YouStepped Out of a Dream,” Embrey leftthe starting gate running with a dazzlingdisplay of fretwork. Bowman followedwith an authoritative and imaginativesolo before handing it off to the fleet-fingered Fleeman. Strait employed thefull range of his extensive percussionvocabulary, including a brief press roll.

Embrey’s composition “Samba88” is always a joy to hear, but seemedespecially inspired and inspiring on thisevening. It had the open, breezy reso-nance of a Pat Metheny tune, withStrait’s polyrhythmic mastery of thedrums establishing an irresistible grooveover which Fleeman, Bowman and

Embrey soloed with increasing inten-sity. Strait’s hand-drumming interludegave the piece the appropriate Latintinge.

Even “One Finger Snap,” thedauntingly up-tempo Herbie Hancockcomposition, seemed to flow with easein Interstring’s polished rendition. Theguitars made the opening statement inunison, and Strait followed with anotherastounding drum solo and continued topush the beat during alternate solos byEmbrey and Fleeman.

Jimmy Rowles’ lovely ballad “ThePeacocks” seemed to gradually emanatefrom the musicians with impressionis-tic flourishes as they constructed thetune from Fleeman’s initial statement ofthe haunting melody. Embrey enteredwith a solo combining single-string runsand unusual chords. Finally, Bowmanand Strait—on brushes—completed thegroup rapport. Bowman’s subsequentbass solo was especially impressive.

Ending the set was the bassist’sown good-time tune, “The HebgenHappy Hour,” inspired by a lakefrontbar in the wilds of Montana. With ele-

ments of funk, blues and country twang,anchored by Strait’s brush-strokedbackbeat, it conjured an appropriatelylaid-back ambiance.

The popular Jean “Toots”Thielemans samba “Bluesette” washighlighted by an adventuresomeFleeman solo. Bowman announced thedebut performance of a tune called“Notes and Chords,” featuring solos byEmbrey, Fleeman and the bassist. “Wil-low Weep for Me” was given an un-conventional, funky treatment that in-cluded some imaginative Fleeman varia-tions and a brilliant guitar exchange.

Bowman’s pen also yielded thenight’s final piece. Named for the fam-ily pet, the tune’s Spanish title is trans-lated “Dog of the Devil.” The openingbass solo was ominous, setting up intri-cate, weaving guitar lines and a mar-velous Latin rumble of a drum solo.

Despite the small audience turn-out, Interstring performed at the high-est level of art, never failing to deliveron its many years of promise and hardwork.

Concert Review

By Tom Ineck ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○

Interstring defines jazz group dynamic

Interstring (clockwise fromupper left) are BobBowman, Todd Strait,Danny Embrey and RodFleeman.

Photos by Beverly Rehkop

○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○


In the jazz world, only a handfulof artists have the drawing power tofill the 2,200-seat Lied Center for Per-forming Arts with an enthusiastic andmultigenerational audience.

Wynton Marsalis, fronting theLincoln Center Jazz Orchestra, didjust that on the evening of Oct. 14,and the 15-piece ensemble did not dis-appoint.

In its 10-year tradition of keep-ing alive some of the important worksof jazz history, as well as performingand recording its own compositions,the Lincoln Center band began withthe Charles Mingus bopper called“Dizzy Moods.” It has a typically in-tricate, polyrhythmic construction,with shifting tempos reinforced by themasterful drumming of Herlin Riley.

Turning to John Coltrane, theorchestra played the “Resolution” sec-tion of the suite “A Love Supreme.”After a beautifully organic bass state-ment by Carlos Henriquez, WessAnderson delivered an alto sax solothat aspired to profound musical ex-pression in the same way thatColtrane’s version aspired to spiritualexpression. Pianist Eric Lewis fol-lowed with a powerful solo reminis-cent of McCoy Tyner, with left-handedblock chords and blazing right-handruns.

They returned to the Mingussongbook for “Los Mariachis (StreetMusicians),” a showcase for trumpet-ers Seneca Black and Ryan Kisor, whodelivered an astounding solo. Kisor,at 30, has come a long way since histeenage years as guest soloist with theNebraska Jazz Orchestra.

Ending the first half of the two-hour program was Thelonious Monk’s“Four In One,” arranged for the or-

chestra by Chuck Israels. Marsalismade a bravura opening trumpet state-ment with the rhythm section only.Suddenly, the rest of the bandlaunched into a rousing New Orleansstreet-parade version of “HappyBirthday.”

Their leader’s 42nd birthday isOct. 18, but this was the final stop onthe current tour, so they paid their re-spects a few days early. Marsalisgood-naturedly responded by soloingin grand style.

For the second half, eight mem-bers of the ensemble took the stage

Concert Review

By Tom Ineck ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○

Marsalis proves drawing power and talent

for a piece constructed around a lilt-ing phrase repeated in a circular mo-tion and featuring brilliant solo state-ments by Marsalis, Victor Goines ontenor sax, Walter Blanding Jr. on tenorsax and Lewis on piano.

The full orchestra played a piecefrom “Victoria Suite,” commissionedby a festival in the Basque region ofSpain. Trombonists Ron Westray,Andre Hayward and Vincent Gardnereach took solos, but it was Riley’sconstant rhythmic underpinning thatmost impressed.

George Gershwin’s “Rhapsodyin Blue,” as arranged by BillyStrayhorn for the Duke Ellington Or-chestra, was perhaps the evening’shighlight. As just six minutes, it wasless than half the length of Gershwin’soriginal, but it packed a wallop fromthe opening passage by Joe Temperleyon baritone sax to Kisor’s plunger-muted melody line. Near the end,Goines on clarinet played the famousslurred run that usually opens theGershwiin classic.

“Big 12” was an original com-position with elements of both theblues and flamenco structure.

File Photo

Wynton Marsalis

On the townJazz clubs around the U.S.Sambuca Jazz Cafe1320 15th St.Denver, Colorado

The Green Mill Jazz Club3030 West Diversity ParkwayChicago, Illinois

Jardine’s4536 Main St.Kansas City, Missouri

Murry’s3107 Green Meadows WayColumbia, Missouri

Dakota Bar & Grill1021 East Bandana Blvd.St. Paul, Minnesota

Caravan of Dreams312 HoustonFort Worth, Texas

Page 19Fall 2003○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○

“Standards, Scat and Soul” wasthe theme of the program, and theNebraska Jazz Orchestra with specialguest vocalist Kevin Mahogany, pro-vided plenty of each Oct. 1 at the LiedCenter for Performing Arts.

A Kansas City, Mo., native witha sonorous, full-bodied tone in the tra-dition of Joe Williams and BillyEckstine, Mahogany wraps his deep-throated voice around a lyric withwarmth and blues-drenched emotion.

He was in his element, workinghis way through a set of charts hebrought along for the occasion.

Performing for an audience of350, the NJO showed its quick-studyskills with capable accompanimentand on-the-spot solos.

Before Mahogany took the stage,the band shifted into high gear forToshiko Akiyoshi’s fast blues shuffle“Tuning Up,” a favorite warm-uppiece that puts the brass through thepaces.

At a similar up-tempo, Ma-hogany began his set with “There WillNever Be Another You,” launchinginto a heated scat interlude after thefirst verse. In the same spirit, DarrenPettit contributed a fiery tenor saxsolo.

Best known for its associationwith Frank Sinatra, the ballad “Onefor My Baby” received a sensitivereading by Mahogany in a FrankMantooth arrangement that also fea-tured muted trumpet statements byBrad Obbink and a baritone sax soloby Scott Vicroy.

With just the rhythm section,Mahogany turned his attention to theEllington songbook, with a mid-temporendition of “Don’t Get Around MuchAnymore” and a rollicking “Take the

A Train.” On the former, he displayedhis vocal pyrotechnics over a several-octave range, and the latter featuredmore amazing scat-singing and somepercussive trades between the singerand drummer Greg Ahl.

The orchestra closed the first halfof the program with “Lester JumpsOut,” a swinging variation on LesterYoung’s classic “Lester Leaps In.”

Dizzy Gillespie’s “Tanga” got

the second half off to a rousing start,and guitarist Peter Bouffard’s imagi-native arrangement of “Danny Boy”received another fine reading by theorchestra.

Mahogany paid homage to JoeWilliams with “In the Evening,” abluesy swinger highlighted by thesinger’s swooping upward flight fromthe bottom to the top range without afault. “Fools Rush In,” a nod to BillyEckstine, got a Latin treatment.

Once again fronting the rhythmsection, Mahogany deftly motoredthrough an uptempo version of “Route66,” followed by the ballad “When IFall in Love,” and the Miles Davisburner “Four.”

After the full orchestra returnedto the stage, Mahogany’s lyrics wereput to the music of Paul Hoffman forthe lovely, Latin-tinged “Three LittleWords.”

Finally, Mahogany and companybarreled through Charlie Parker’s“Yardbird Suite,” with Ed Love tak-ing Bird’s role on alto saxophone.

Mahogany fronts Nebraska Jazz OrchestraBy Tom Ineck ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○

Concert Review


Kevin Mahogany at recent recordingsession in Kansas City

File Photo

The Nebraska Jazz Orchestra

○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○


CRETE, Neb.-Valerie Capersperformed with her jazz quartet Sept.21 at Doane College’s Heckman Au-ditorium. Capers, who’s played atDoane before, was capping off a shortresidency and workshops with stu-dents with a concert for a very enthu-siastic crowd.

Her quartet included Alan Giv-ens on tenor sax; John Robinson, bass;Earl Williams, drums; and MarkMarino, guitar. This veteran group,sans Marino, has been together foryears and it showed from the firstnote. While Capers is a really fine pia-nist, she spends much time promotingand featuring her excellent compan-ions.

Opening with “Take the ‘A’Train,” Givens led off, quoting “Ex-actly Like You” and displaying a greatsound and wealth of ideas. GuitaristMarino followed with a Wes Mont-gomery-inspired, octave-buildingflight of his own. The leader showedher command of the jazz piano lexi-con by incorporating bop, boogiewoogie and much in between, all an-chored by her tasteful chords from avery solid left hand. The bassist anddrummer Williams each made theirown statements as the song wasbrought to a rousing end.

Horace Silver’s “Sister Sadie”was taken at a slower, funkier tempothan the original. Givens soloed first,followed by bluesy Marino, Capersand Robinson. The song ended withan interesting arrangement that show-cased Givens at the finale.

The trio of Capers, Robinson andWilliams then played “EverythingMust Change.” Although I was a littlehesitant at the announcement of thisreally overworked number, it took on

a whole new life with Caper’s greatversion. Moving from a Bill Evansfeel on the theme, she took it into anup-tempo modal section interlude af-ter the bridge that was really refresh-ing.

Paying tribute to Ellington mostof the evening, “Caravan” was up

next, with drummer Williams takingthe spotlight. He started on high hatand then snare, using space and dy-namics to great effect, without losingthe feel of the tune. Building up to agreat climax, he worked the solo andthe student-heavy crowd into a frenzy.

Next up was seldom heard

By Bill Wimmer ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○

Concert ReviewCapers and companions keep tradition alive


ValerieCapers and quartet perform at Heckman Auditorium at Doane College.


Earl “Boom Boom” Williams

Page 21Fall 2003○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○

Ellington’s “Circle of Fourths,” whichfeatured a whirling Givens on tenorand culminated with a nicecadenza. Givens, who received astanding ovation, is a real entertainerwho seems to have a bit of SammyDavis Jr. to him.

Guitarist Marino was given thehonors on “Prelude to A Kiss,” andhe made the most of it with a finger-picking intro and melody. Switchingback to a pick for his solo and goingback to a beautiful chordal ending anda pretty ending and cadenza, Marinois a welcome addition to this group.

More Ellingtonia commencedwith a medley of “C-Jam Blues,”“Cottontail” and “It Don’t Mean aThing.” “Cottontail” featured a two-beat stride piano section, taking offup-tempo at the bridge. “It Don’tMean a Thing” ended the first set withgreat statements from Marino andGivens.

The second set started with Ca-pers, seated on a stool out front, sing-ing an up-tempo “From This MomentOn.” She then sang Strayhorn’s mel-ancholy “Lush Life,” followed by“Nature Boy,” two ballads that pickedup slightly during a rich Given’s soloon the latter.

The combination of Caper’s rela-

tively small voice, the slower temposand the lack of her fine piano playingmade this a really slow part of theevening after such an energetic firstset. I think three numbers from some-one of her vocal ability is a bit self-indulgent.

She settled back in the pianochair for a breakneck ride on “Oh,What a Beautiful Morning.” This onewas so fast that Marino, achopsmeister, still turned the timearound playing himself into a corneron his second chorus.

Bassist Robinson was featuredon “Mood Indigo,” and he wasted notime displaying his complete masteryof the instrument. Bowing, picking,slapping, playing chords and doublestops to great advantage-not just fortechnical effect. This guy is solid asa rock.

Finishing with “I Got Rhythm,”Givens quoted Blue Mitchell’s“Funghi Mama” and it was goodnaturedly picked up by the rest of theband. It wasn’t the first time they’dplayed it this way, but the group re-sponded to each other so naturally thatit could have been. A quote from the“Flintstones” theme brought down thehouse again, and only my fatigue keptme from sticking around for the en-core.

Valerie Capers presents a world-class jazz group that achieves its goalof keeping the tradition alive. Not hav-ing seen the group before I was veryimpressed by all members and by thenice crowd at Doane. The addition ofMarino has added a lot to an alreadyfine group, and it’s not every day thatButch Berman gets blown away by ajazz guitarist. This was a very enjoy-able show and I would recommendseeing this group if you get a chance.


Valerie Capers sings.


Reviewer Bill Wimmer, Grace and Butch at Valerie Capers concert

○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○


Since the mid-1990s, the Ja-maica-born composer, bandleader andpercussionist Norman Hedman hasbeen captivating audiences with thewarmth and insistent rhythms of histropical jazz juggernaut, Tropique.

This summer, the New YorkCity-based ensemble again venturedout to America’s heartland for a Jazzin June performance sponsored by theBerman Music Foundation. The June3 show was the first in this year’s se-ries of outdoor concerts at the SheldonArt Gallery’s sculpture garden on theUniversity of Nebraska-Lincoln’s citycampus. It drew an estimated 2,200people on an unseasonably coolevening.

Tropique’s sound remains con-sistent, despite the departure of acouple of its longtime members, a trib-ute to Hedman’s vision and leadership.

From the BMF-funded 2000 re-lease “Taken By Surprise” came theconcert opener, the irresistible “Pa’Bailar,” with strong solos by SamFurnace on alto sax and Craig Riverson piccolo. Hedman led the percus-

sion tour de force on congas, andmusic director Willie Martinez pouredon the heat with an exciting workouton timbales.

“Rudy’s Mambo” was a show-piece for new vibes sensation AlexeiTsyganov, brother of longtimeTropique pianist Misha Tsyganov.The young vibraphonist contributed

a lightning display of melodic impro-visation. “It’s Just Not the Same” be-gan with a repeated piano vamp, lead-ing to a combined alto sax and flutelead line and a stunning flute solo byRivers. With strong support by bass-ist Ron Monroe, pianist Tsyganov dugdeeply into the theme for some exem-plary keyboard variations.

From the 1996 CD “HealingHands,” the ballad “Forever” provedits timeless quality. Again, it utilizeda doubled melody line of alto sax and

Concert ReviewTropique launches 2003 Jazz in June seriesBy Tom Ineck ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○

Norman Hedman’s Tropique arrives with BMF consultant Wade Wright (right).



Singer Ada Dyer

Norman Hedman leads the band on congas.


Page 23Fall 2003○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○

Saxophonist Greg Abate bringsa sharp edge to his hard-bop style,with biting upper-range flights thatstretch the limits of improvisation. Forhis complex compositions and intenseperformances, he requires a group oflike-minded players, capable of listen-ing closely and performing at the up-per reaches of technique.

Such was the trio of musicianswho accompanied Abate for a June10 Jazz in June appearance in Lin-coln—versatile pianist Phil DeGreg,bassist Harvie S and drummer BillyHart. Several thousand listenersturned out to hear the fireworks.

Hart set the tone with a drum in-troduction to Abate’s burner “Evolu-tion,” the title track from his most re-cent CD. Abate’s alto, soaring into thestratosphere during his solo, wasbrought to earth by DeGreg’s lyricalkeyboard work and an inventive basssolo. Hart returned with explosivestatements from his drum kit.

DeGreg kicked off the next tune,“K.T. Blues,” with a powerful rubato.Abate and Hart traded licks, with Hart

establishing his trademark with un-conventional phrasing and percussiveaccents.

The tempo slowed for the ever-green “I Can’t Get Started,” mostmemorable for DeGreg’s flowing andimaginative piano lines. “Kerry’sBossa” led off with a bass cadenzaand ended with a series of exhilarat-

ing double-time alto sax runs byAbate. Ratcheting up the intensityeven higher, the quartet launched into“Bebop.” Abate set the fierce pace onalto as Hart added sizzling cymbalsand crackling rim shots. DeGreg’spropulsive piano solo segued into afinal series of drum breaks.

From the book of standards camea mid-tempo version of “Joy Spring.”After a lilting alto sax lead statement,DeGreg and Harvie S took energeticsolos, as if to illustrate the title’s irre-pressible mood. Abate dedicated theromantic ballad “The Nearness ofYou” to newlyweds Butch and GraceBerman.

Abate shifted into waltz tempofor his composition “Angelic,” a trib-ute to his daughter, Jessica. In his sen-sitive piano solo, DeGreg deftly in-terpolated a quote from “Softly, As ina Morning Sunrise.” Closing the per-formance in fine fashion was the veryfast “The Little Men,” dedicated toAbate’s sons, Gregory and Anthony.Again, the alto sax and the piano tookthe spotlight and the accolades.

flute, providing the basis for solos byboth Tsyganov brothers. Special guestvocalist Ada Dyer joined the group for“Closer.” Renowned for her work withpop artist Sting and in the musical“The Wiz,” Dyer brings a hugevoice—with soul and gospel influ-ences—to the stage, a nice contrast toTropique’s lighter approach.

Dipping again into his lengthysongbook, Hedman pulled out“Shades of Magenta” from his 1999BMF-funded CD “One Step Closer.”After a remarkable piano solo, Riv-ers sounded especially inspired on aflute solo and cadenza before turningit over to Furnace on alto sax.

Among the new material thatHedman unveiled was a piece of hisinspired by a “food frenzy,” a festivegathering of gourmands. Entitled“Feeling My Way,” it exemplified thegroup sound that defines Tropique andsets them apart from the often self-indulgent ramblings of other Latinjazz groups.

“Flight of the Spirit,” also from“One Step Closer,” featured bassistMonroe on the African kalimba, or“thumb piano,” and introducing Ni-gerian dancer Ruth Sankey, sister ofGrace Sankey Berman, ButchBerman’s new wife. With the newly-weds in the audience, it was a lovely

tribute by a very talented member ofthe Sankey family. Congas, timbalesand vibes added to the percussive na-ture of the tune and the dance.

But the tribute to Butch andGrace had only begun. Dyer returnedto sing the beautiful “Angel of theNight,” written by Hedman in honorof the Berman nuptials. Hedman an-nounced that it will be included on hisnext CD, to be called “Because ICan.”

Tropique brought things to aclose with “Hed-Theme,” the band’sinfectious theme song from “One StepCloser,” with an especially fiery dis-play of timbales pyrotechnics.

Concert ReviewAbate quartet puts the edge on hard bopBy Tom Ineck ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○


Greg Abate

○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○


The June 17 appearance of theDarryl White Sextet for a performanceat Jazz in June had been long antici-pated for the inclusion of some veryspecial guests.

Professor of trumpet at the Uni-versity of Nebraska-Lincoln, Whitebrings a considerable reputation to thetable with his distinguished Denver-based group of sidemen. But add Kan-sas City sax masters Bobby Watsonand Gerald Dunn, and you knowyou’re in for a treat.

White’s long-time associates in-cluded Denver pianist (and Nebraskanative) Jeff Jenkins, bassist KennyWalker and drummer Matt Houston.Those who have been listening toWhite’s CDs and performances overthe last few years are familiar withtheir talents, but Watson and Dunnchanged that equation.

With a respectful nod to his de-ceased father, White began with a solotrumpet introduction of “The Tree HasFallen,” segueing into “A Cord ofThree Strands.” Watson demonstratedhis unerring, powerful phrasing in analto sax solo utilizing a circularbreathing technique to create a long,intense passage. White’s own solo wasfollowed by a very progressive key-board excursion by Jenkins.

John McNeil’s composition“Abercrombie” featured White onflugelhorn in a restful, meditativemood. Sensitive to that mood, Watsonfollowed with a moving alto solo andJenkins delivered a searching pianoforay. Gerald Dunn’s brawny tenorsolo contrasted nicely with Watson’slighter, lyrical touch.

The title track from White’s lat-est CD, “In the Fullness of Time,” hadthe ensemble stating the melody, lead-ing to solo statements by White on

trumpet, Watson on alto, Jenkins onpiano (who came up with some inge-nious variations) and Dunn on tenor.Wayne Shorter’s “United” had Whiteback on flugelhorn, Dunn deliveringanother big-toned solo and the threehorns combining on a climactic coda.

Watson was placed directly in theperformance spotlight for a stunningrendition of “Easy Living,” backedonly by the rhythm section. After tak-ing the first solo, Watson was visiblyimpressed by Jenkins piano solo, re-turning for an alto cadenza thatreached inspired heights of creativity.

The sextet returned to earth andsome very earthy sounds with EddieHarris’ funky “Cold Duck Time.” Itssimple riffing structure and good-timefeel makes it a perennial crowd-pleaser.

White’s composition “Nanpet(The Called of God)” is a platformfor legato phrasing by the ensembleand another notable piano solo. Thefunk returned with the Mingus clas-sic “Nostalgia in Times Square.”White, on flugelhorn, joined withWatson and Dunn for a series of three-

way trades.From his debut CD “Ancient

Memories” came the title track, whichhas the timeless sound of a future stan-dard. As is his wont, White ended witha powerful performance of “When theSaints Go Marching In.”

Concert ReviewDarryl White Sextet features special guestsBy Tom Ineck ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○


Darryl White Sextet (from left) is Jeff Jenkins, Bobby Watson, Kenny Walker,Darryl White, Gerald Dunn and Matt Houston.


Bobby Watson

Page 25Fall 2003○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○

Backed by a superb jazz trio forhis June 24 Jazz in June performancein Lincoln, mandolinist extraordinaireDon Stiernberg proved once and forall that his instrument is not just de-signed for bluegrass music.

Of course, that was never indoubt after hearing his CD “AboutTime,” reviewed in the last issue ofJazz. But the message came acrossloud and clear in live performance.Never straying too far from the stan-dard jazz repertoire, the DonStiernberg Quartet was as comfortablewith the changes as any conventionalbebop combo fronted by a saxophon-ist or trumpeter.

“Where or When” got things offto a flying start at a fleet tempo, withsparkling solos by Stiernberg on man-dolin and Kirk Morrison on guitar.The Windy City-based group eveninterpolated a quote from “Chicago”in the coda just to remind the audi-ence where they are from.

“It Might as Well Be Spring,”taken at a medium tempo with a Latintinge, took Stiernberg and Morrisonthrough the paces, and they displayedmarvelous dexterity. Bassist Jim Coxand drummer Kevin Connelly main-tained a bedrock rhythm for the Bra-zilian ballad “Estate (Summer).”

They drove the band on “TakeMe Out to the Ballgame,” describedby Stiernberg as a “blues” number,

especially for Chicago Cubs fans.Stiernberg deftly traded fours withCox, proving that rapid, single-noteruns on an instrument ordinarily usedfor percussive chording are no prob-lem for someone who knows his wayaround the mandolin this well.

Hoagy Carmichael’s “New Or-leans,” with vocal by Stiernberg, gota reading as languid, lazy and lusciousas the city for which it is named. Theband returned to the Latin tinge for avery sprightly version of “Brazil,”complete with mandolin and guitarsolos and imaginative drum breaks.The standards kept coming with amid-tempo “Let’s Get Lost” and aballad take on “Polka Dots and Moon-beams.”

The unlikely “Theme fromMannix” actually made a perfect ve-hicle for mandolin and guitar impro-visation. Even the hip-hop beat imagi-natively applied to the obscure DjangoReinhardt tune “Sweet Atmosphere(Doux Ambiance)” failed to do irrepa-rable harm, and the band’s version ofHarold Arlen’s “My Shining Hour”was flawless.

A serious musician, Stiernberg is

not without a sense of humor, listingsome of his favorite foods while sing-ing “I Don’t Want Love,” as thoughgorging one’s appetite could distractthe mind from more romantic endeav-ors. On the other hand, “BeautifulLove” was interpreted as pure ro-mance.

Nearing the end of the well-re-ceived performance, Stiernberg turnedto Ellington for “Happy Reunion” and“Perdido” before returning toReinhardt’s songbook for the bopper“Belleville.”

Concert Review

By Tom Ineck ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○

Don Stiernberg delivers mandolin swingPhoto by Rich H

oover

Don Stiernberg


Kirk Morrison and Jim Cox


Don Stiernberg Quartet

○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○


JOHN McNEILThis Way OutOmniTone Records

John McNeil, a trumpet stylistwith an edgy, modern approach to thehorn, has met with some resistancefrom the arbiters of jazz fashion. It isfashionable to favor improvisers whoadhere to certain prescribed ways ofcomposing a tune, playing a line orconstructing a solo. Meanwhile, jazzoriginals like McNeil follow their ownmuse.

For his debut on OmniTone,McNeil chose to work with two rela-tively unknown Spanish musicians,tenor saxophonist Gorka Benitez andbassist Giulia Valle. In conjunctionwith a series of quartet dates arrangedby drummer Joe Smith, they recordedin Barcelona in June 2002. The result

By Tom Ineck ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○

With its slogan, “All the tones, all the shapes, all the time…,” the Brooklyn, New York-based OmniTone Recordstakes well-deserved pride in producing advanced and adventurous music, like that exemplified by trumpeter JohnMcNeil, pianist Frank Kimbrough, saxophonist Steve Slagle, trumpeter Ron Horton and guitarist Joe Morris.

Such music has suffered from a dearth of American labels willing to provide a forum for its creativity. Since itsinception in 1999, OmniTone has been a beacon for such artistry, despite some financial risk in a tough commercialmarket. Its first release was Kimbrough’s collaboration with vibraphonist Joe Locke called “Saturn’s Child.”

The key to OmniTone’s success is Frank Tafuri, who not only serves as executive producer, but also writes linernotes, conducts interviews with the artists and shoots artists’ photos.

One of Tafuri’s innovations is the OmniTone First Edition Club. For dues of just $5 (you get a $5 credit towardyour first purchase), you get an e-mail newsletter telling you about upcoming releases and giving you a chance to buythem a month or two before official release.

For more on the multitude of artists and recordings in the growing OmniTone catalog, visit the label’s website atwww.omnitone.com.

is a vibrant, adventurous and totallycaptivating glimpse into McNeil’s cre-ative mind.

Infectious Spanish rhythms leapout of nearly every track, especiallythe opener “Mi Tio (My Uncle)” andthe gentle tango-influenced “A laOrilla.” African polyrhythm is the in-spiration for “My Taxi,” while “LastMinute” is a bebop puzzler with aninsistent, walking bass line. The re-petitive 5/4 meter of “Know YourLimits,” stated explicitly by Valle onbass, creates an hypnotic feel. McNeilhimself describes the brief “WestCoast Memories” as “Chet (Baker)and Gerry (Mulligan) on acid.”

“What Comes After,” however,may be the best of the bunch, with itsspooky, funereal tone. Valle bows thebass in harmony with Benitez on sax,and then McNeil enters with the som-ber, but beautiful melody. Smith taste-fully accompanies the piece on cym-bals and occasional tom-tom punctua-tions. A masterpiece.

Benitez, in his explorative, keen-ing sound, is a perfect foil forMcNeil’s odd meters, understatedmelodies and skillful use of silence,while Valle and Smith hold it all to-

OmniTone takes a chance on jazz artistryJazz on Disc

Technically speaking, bassist Ja-son Hollar fronts this session, but saxo-phonist Andrew Vogt makes such anawesome entrance with his debut re-cording that his significance in theproject cannot be overstated.

Vogt, who spent several years im-pressing Lincoln jazz fans with his earlyability as an improviser, plays alto, tenorand baritone saxophones and clarinet

JASON HOLLAR JAZZQUARTETFeaturing Eric Gunnison, MarkRaynes & Andrew VogtCadillac Jazz

gether with impeccable taste and tim-ing. The saxophonist also contributedthree tunes, the disjointed, impression-istic “Picasso View,” the lovely “Be-cause of You,” and “Flor de Viento.”

Page 27Fall 2003○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○

in a tour de force display. He also pennedfour of the 10 tunes. Hollar composedfive tunes and arranged the lovely “HowOdd of Love,” with a melody writtenby his mother, Evelyn Hollar, in 1940.

Besides Vogt’s formidable playing,it is the quartet’s soulful rapport thatsets this recording above so many oth-ers. It is playing with a heart and notjust a serious set of chops. That becomesapparent from the opener, “BeamRocks,” Hollar’s funky variation onEddie Harris’ “Cold Duck Time.” Pia-nist Eric Gunnison and bassist Hollarcreate a churchy groove with drummerMark Raynes keeping the infectiousrhythm while Vogt wails over it.

Hollar’s “Blues for Abner” placesthe bassist in a prominent spotlight, butVogt and Gunnison also contribute well-developed solos. “Apmonia” is a some-what melancholy Vogt compositionbursting with energetic and imaginativesax statements. Never too far from theroots, the quartet turns to Hollar’s “Mo’Money Blues” for a swinging workout.

“Daeyada” is a clever Vogt tunewith a bouncy melody stated by thecomposer on clarinet. It then settles intoa bluesy shuffle groove perfect forVogt’s endless variations. Gunnison alsodelivers an inspired solo on the changes.More subtle, but still bluesy, is “A LittlePick Me Up,” Hollar’s mid-temporomp.

Switching to baritone sax, com-poser Vogt returns with “Viola’s GroovyFruit Stand,” a whimsical tune set to araggedy reggae beat. Hollar’s waltz,“Like We Used To,” is the hands-downwinner for most beautiful ballad on thisset. Vogt and Gunnison play it prettystraight in their solos, never straying toofar from the lilting melody.

But Vogt returns with a vengeanceon his quirky tune “Heavy Gravy,” withsolid support from the rhythm section.His audacious performance throughoutthis recording begs the question, “Howsoon will Andrew Vogt have a record-ing as leader of his own group?” It’sonly a matter of time.

Cincinnati-based pianist PhilDeGreg was a pleasant surprise at thissummer’s Jazz in June series, sittingin for James Williams in the GregAbate Quartet. This 1998 recordingfurther strengthens the conviction thatPhil DeGreg is a major player deserv-ing wider recognition.

DeGreg is an associate profes-sor of jazz studies at the Universityof Cincinnati College Conservatory ofMusic, and his prodigious knowledgeof jazz piano history serves him well.

His arrangement of Bud Powell’sdaunting “Bouncin’ with Bud” puts aclever twist on the bebop classic. EvenIrving Berlin’s “How Deep is theOcean” is transformed into a jazz ve-hicle of even more depth with helpfrom tenor saxophonist Tim Ries, whoplays on five of the 11 tracks.

Also lending able and sensitivesupport are bassist Drew Gress, whoworks extensively with pianist FredHersch; and drummer Steve Davis,like DeGreg an instructor at the JameyAebersold Summer Jazz Workshops.

At least five tunes can be con-sidered familiar standards, includingCharlie Chaplin’s ballad “Smile,”Randy Weston’s “Hi-Fly,” and JohnnyMandel’s “Close Enough for Love.”

But it is the unfamiliar title trackthat appeals most to this listener andconfirms DeGreg as a serious com-poser. “The Green Gate” has all theelements of a jazz classic—a lovelymelody, challenging changes and aforward motion that propels it and thelistener to a very satisfying place.

PHIL DeGREGThe Green GateJ Seven Records

It’s no accident that the JohnCarlini Quartet has the same poten-tial to wow an audience that the DonStiernberg Quartet exhibited beforeseveral thousand people at a Jazz inJune concert this summer.

This good-time jazz has the samelively bounce, the same level of talentand same sense of humor as theStiernberg foursome. Oh, and it alsohas Don Stiernberg on mandolin. Inaddition to guitarist-leader Carlini andmandolinist Stiernberg, there are bass-ist Brian Glassman and drummerSteve Holloway. Expanding the quar-tet in a prominent way—and empha-sizing its bluegrass leanings—is spe-cial guest Pat Cloud on banjo.

Sometimes this recording has thefeel of a progressive collaborationbetween popular mandolinist DavidGrisman and eclectic banjo pickerBela Fleck. Carlini himself describesthe opener, “Kook Kitsch,” as “blue-grass bebop.” With a title inspired bya classic exchange between SherlockHolmes and Dr. Watson, “The Game’sAfoot!” has the feel of a chase scenethrough the streets of London in ablack-and-white movie.

The timeless folk dirge “PoorWayfaring Stranger” is a beautifultribute to Carlini’s late brother, Peter,who also was a musician. In fact, theentire recording is lovingly dedicatedto him and serves as a monument tohis memory and the music.

It is likely that the Carlini quar-tet will appear at the 2004 Jazz in Juneseries, so plan to attend.

THE JOHN CARLINI QUARTETThe Game’s Afoot!FGM Records

○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○


Success in today’s music biz isno sure thing. Talent, of course, is re-quired but we all know it seems to takea whole lot of luck, good karma anddecent connections to really “breakout” and “make it.”

Anyway, since this is a reviewof a duo let me remind you of sometwosomes who did “hit it big.” Let’ssee, Abbott and Costello, Burns andAllen, Astaire and Rogers, Mantle andMaris and maybe someday…DeGregand Keller.

One thing in common amongduos in comedy, dancing, sports ormusic is a shared passion for theirgifts, and the ability to communicatebetween each other, and their audi-ences. The minute you hear the firstfew notes of Miles’ “No Blues,” thefirst track on “Two of a Mind,” youget the picture. This deep, wondrous2003 release on Strugglebaby Recordsis a success story just waiting to bediscovered.

I first “discovered” Phil DeGregwhen I was a budding student atJamey Aebersold’s jazz camp nearChicago around 1996 or ‘97. Phil, arespected member of that fine faculty,was one of my instructors. We hit itoff, and he’s performed twice for mehere within the past few years with

saxophonist Greg Abate.Phil, a master educator and

player, can play any song in any keyat any tempo on the spot. Try that oneat home, jazz fans. His use of space,richness of tone and lovely romanticlyricism caught my attention andtouched my heart, not unlike the lateBill Evans, but with a definitive styleof his own that makes him a first-callsessionman.

I’d neither heard nor met bassistPaul Keller before receiving this CD,but his credentials in the liner notesand his astute technique entwiningwith Phil’s outstanding keyboardingrevels in a swirl of magical music thatdelights the ears. These cats at timesblaze along with thunderous aplomb,making you feel there is a drummerpresent. On ballads, the delicate in-terplay between them will hush theroom and make you sigh with delight.

Phil’s only composition, “82Hundred Brill,” named for the addresswhere this all was recorded live, is agas, and the dozen other well-chosenstandards come from a wide array ofcomposers who would have all dugthese gentlemen’s clever and elaboraterenditions of their masterpieces.

Produced ever so well by StanHertzman and David Hall, this CDcan be ordered through Hal BernardEnterprises Inc. at 2612 Erie Ave.,Cincinnati, OH 45208, or by phoneat (513) 871-1500.

Like the Lerner & Loewe tunecovered on track four, I, too, havegrown accustomed to this extremelydecent recording, and you will, too.Add “Two of a Mind” to your jazzcollection, and you can thank theBebopman later.

Musicians seem to enjoy wear-ing a variety of hats. I, approach-ing 55, recently laid down some key-board work on a punk rock project,strum lead semi-regularly in arockin’ country swing unit, and juststarted doing some “lounge” workas part of a duo. Ya know, I’m ac-tually having the time of my life.

Now, I bet if you asked WillieMartinez, another man of manymindsets, he’d feed you the sameanswer. Willie, one of the craftiesttimbale players in the Latin jazzworld, also holds down the right-hand man/musical director spot forTropique, Norman Hedman’s amaz-ing NYC-based band.

We first met when the BermanMusic Foundation was coveringTropique at the Wichita Jazz Festi-val around 1997 or so. After the gig,most members from all the acts in-volved in the WJF would convergein the hotel’s lobby. They just hap-pened to have a nifty baby grand pi-ano sitting there, so we all took turnsplaying and singing old ‘50s doo-wop tunes. Let me tell you, whenWillie opened his mouth to sing anangel flew out.

“What a lovely voice,” Ithought, and told him so. It was only

DeGreg and Keller like Mantle and MarisDiscorama

○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○By Butch Berman

Phil DeGreg w/ Paul KellerTwo of a Mind

The Willie Martinez TrioI Remember You

Page 29Fall 2003○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○

slightly a secret that he had the vo-cal chops to equal his timbalework… and could swing, bebop orshuffle with the best of ‘em on trapsas well.

It only makes sense that nearlyeight years later, this dreamy,bouncy, jivey and totally groovynew CD, “I Remember You,” comesout featuring his golden throat andoutta-sight drumming.

Willie’s got his own thinggoin’, but you can’t help hearingshades of Mel Torme, Billy Eckstineand Johnny Hartman channeledthrough his vocalizing. As far as hisdrumming ability goes, Mr.Martinez can DRIVE any group tothe brink of madness, whether it ison Latin claves or straight-aheadjazz.

He’s backed by Tropique’skeyboardist, Misha Tsyganov, aRussian-born musical genius just onthe cutting edge of being recognizedeternally for his lush piano prow-ess. Bassist Donald “Spider” Nicksrounds out this super trio, lockingit in the pocket at every turn, thusproviding the perfect rhythm sectionto showcase Willie’s beautiful voice.

Also featured is trumpet,flugelhorn and cornet player SteveGluzband, who shines on my favetrack, “Cheek to Cheek,” thealbum’s opener, as well as others.

Arrangements throughout areuniquely significant, depending onthe varying styles presented withinthis most enjoyable 39 minutes ofsoulful and ever-so-swinging jazz.Willie’s production work is on themark as well as the sublime soundcreated by Joseph Salerno at MimicStudio in Brooklyn.

You can check out all the ac-tion at www.williemartinez.com orobtain copies of “I Remember You”by calling (917) 314-3480.

Spread the word. It’s WillieMartinez time!

During my hey-daze withCharlie Burton and Rock Therapy,we were all very aware of ourcompetition. Even though ourcombo was at times labeled as amember of the “punk generation,”we really weren’t. Jim Jacobi’sCrap Detectors, however, defi-nitely were! Our bands never ac-tually rivaled each other, and themain ingredient shared was weboth rocked our asses off.

Now, nearly 25 years later, Istill gig occasionally with Charlie(with his country swing-tingedrock ‘n’ roll group The DorothyLynch Mob) and Mr. Jacobi, too,still rocks on—and hard. This ismost apparent with his newest re-lease, “I’m Datin’ Satan!” Four-teen self-penned, true-life tales oflove found, love lost, hate found,hate resolved and delivered withJim’s undeniable stamp of sav-agery, tongue-in-cheek humor andamazing energy for this 52-year-old punk rock master who’s vocaland guitar work simmer and burnwith the best of ‘em.

I must admit that when I firstencountered Jimbo in the old days,he scared the hell out of me. Now,both of us are a bit older andmaybe just a bit mellower, and wehave gotten to know and respecteach other with a more mature at-titude. As a matter of fact, I’mgoing to play some piano on his

next CD, along with Charlie Bur-ton , Dave Robel and BradKreiger, all mutual friends fromour pas t . The Berman MusicFoundation is even helping to pro-duce this upcoming work of art,and it will be on our FoundationBlues label. Anyway, back to “Sa-tan.”

Under Phil Shoemaker’s deftengineering and production workin his Shithook Studios, Jim’s cur-rent exorcism of his brilliant, butslightly twisted demeanor is a truework of art, and the trio kicks to-tal butt. Drummer Dave Robel, asalways, makes more of the rightkind of noise with less of a drumkit than anyone; bassist CraigKingery is always on the moneyand in his prime; and Jacobi withhis searing axe work just tears meup. There’s no doubt his nine-yearstint in Seattle didn’t hurt him abit. With Phil’s keen ear behindhim, I was amazed at what an ac-complished, gun-slinging guitarplayer Jim has evolved into.

Of course, his pained, tor-tured, manic delivery is still in-tact with megatons of passion, andthe lyrics—pure fuckin’ Jacobi.Nuff said. Get it, dig it or hatei t…”I’m Dat in’ Satan” i s debomb.

Special Assignment

Jim Jacobi &the Jojakimbi BandI’m Datin’ Satan!

Butch Berman, Jim Jacobi and PhilShoemaker relax in the studio during arecording session for Jacobi’s nextrelease, “Get Out!” The CD will bereviewed in the next issue of Jazz.


○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○


I first became acquainted with jazztrombone legend Jimmy Knepper quiteby accident. I think you’ll get a kick outof the story. I know Jimmy would havedug it.

In the early days of the BMF in1995, with since-departed (not dead, justsplit) ex-partner, Susan Berlowitz, whoactually started this jazz rag, we broughtsome great players to Lincoln. The ZooBar was an early venue until formerowner Larry Boehmer and I also partedways. Our first projects to try to indoc-trinate ourselves into the art commu-nity were presenting these mini-jazzconcerts at anyplace that would haveus. We also hosted events at the now-defunct Huey’s, the 7th Street Loft andEbenezer’s.

Susan and I had just returned froma trip to NYC where we for the firsttime caught our old friend Claude “Fid-dler” Williams backed by an all-starband for his 85th birthday at the also-no-more Metropolis. We thought howLincoln had only heard Claude beingbacked by our local cats, and how coolit would be to let the folks hear thisamazing musician with a real top-notchgroup behind him.

We had recently befriended theleader of the famed Duke’s Men, trom-bonist Art Barron, who promised to puttogether a similar bunch of players tomake the trip, and he’d help keep thingsin order. Taken from the guys we hadheard was bass player Earl May (still adear friend to this day) as well as drum-mer Jackie Williams. We couldn’t ob-tain pianist Junior Mance, but werethrilled to get the wonderful Jaki Byardinstead. We also had just become ac-quainted with newcomer, singer KendraShank, who we thought would be theperfect extra to augment this killerbunch to back the “Fiddler.”

Well, to make an already long storya bit shorter, just days before the show,Barron pulled out for a better-payingjob. He said we should get used to thiskind of situation, but in nearly nine yearsonly one other jerk has pulled that song-and-dance on us. Nevertheless, he saidhe’d found a replacement for us—whoelse but Jimmy Knepper.

So, on my way to the airport I’mthinking to myself, “How cool is this tohave the two remaining living gentle-men from the Mingus dynasty hangingout at my pad?” Only problem was, Inever had seen a picture of Mr. Knepper,whom I was just about to greet. So whilescanning the people filing off the plane,looking for an older black dude carry-ing a trombone case, here comes thisrather disheveled, funky-lookin’ oldwhite guy wearing a beat up old cap.Yup, that’s Jimmy, but looks are usu-ally deceiving. As soon as we met, I feltan immediate connection with this bril-liant, totally lovable man.

Even then, you could see he wasin the early stages of the Parkinson’sdisease that later took his life. His slow,stumbling gate made me wonder if hecould still cut it, but he played his assoff all weekend. He fell once getting onthe Zoo’s high stage, and I caught himtwice as he nearly fell backward juststanding around. Still, however, he andJaki (who was murdered a few yearslater in his NYC home, unsolved to thisday) had a ball sharing tales of the olddays with me, Susan, and the multitudesof fans who came over to our house thatweekend to pay homage to these greatpeople. I still get a kick out of howJimmy couldn’t get over the fact that heand I had both been sent to militaryschools.

The boys and Kendra soundedgreat, playing three sets over that swing-ing weekend. The videos of their prac-tice session at my house, as well as thegig, will remain prized possessions inmy vast collection of jazz artifacts.

As soon as everyone went home, Istarted a search of as many Knepperalbums and CDs that I could find. Iwasn’t the least bit surprised to discoverhow everything he recorded was sim-ply fantastic. I once proclaimed on myold KZUM show “Reboppin’”“Knepper is Jazz, Knepper is Jazz,Knepper is Jazz,” and to this day I stillfeel he exemplifies the true essence ofjazz. By the way, he of course used hisold cap for a plunger, and I will cherishhis memories forever.

Jazz scribe Whitney Balliett calledJimmy “the first original trombonist inthe modern idiom since J.J. Johnson.”Amen to that, and may his soul rest inpeace forever.

I’ll never forget my old pal JimmerKnepper. Recommended listening—everything he ever recorded.

MemorialTrombonist Jimmy Knepper dies at age 75By Butch Berman ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○


Jimmy Knepper at the Zoo Bar in 1995

Page 31Fall 2003○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○

I lost a friend today, a friend Inever met face to face, but a true friendindeed. Don Lanphere, revered bebopsaxophonist, master educator, devotedhusband to his beloved Midge, anddevout Christian, died Oct. 10.

He was living at the GroupHealth Eastside Hospital in Redmond,Wash., near his home in Kirkland.

We met on the phone, introducedby Seattle jazz record store owner andnoted deejay and music historian BudYoung. It was my first trip to Seattle,on an early BMF biz trip when I wan-dered into this totally cool old recordshop in downtown Seattle—Bud’sJazz Records. I was greeted warmlyby Bud himself, and we shared ourstories about our passion for jazz orgreat music in general.

There was some incredible saxwork coming through his store speak-ers. I asked who it was, and he said

Don Lanphere. The next thing I knew,Bud picked up his phone, dialed, chat-ted for a minute and handed me thereceiver. Yup, it was Don. That’s howit all started.

As time went on, Don and Italked many times over the phone. Itwasn’t long—between his generosityand my constant record hunting—thatI acquired most of his beautiful, in-spired recorded work, which I’ll trea-sure for a lifetime.

Don kindly consented to be myguest on my old radio show, “Re-Boppin’,” on KZUM CommunityRadio in Lincoln. It turned out to beone of my most rewarding and favor-ite interviews. His candid recall of hislife could be made into a movie—soreal, at times tragic, but with a mosthappy ending. After years of not onlyplaying with the likes of CharlieParker, but living the lifestyle as well,

Don was reborn into Christianity.With his rejuvenation, his musicalgenius and opportunities soared.

The “old” Don’s past efforts,making records and gigging with mostof the great ones—Fats Navarro, MaxRoach, Woody Herman and ArtieShaw, to name a few—will stand thetest of time. His more recent music,often working with the Origin Recordshouse band New Stories, is tremen-dous and mostly still in print. Someof the earlier works on Hep Recordsare hard to track down, but worth it.

I would have loved to have seenDon play in person, and met and hungwith this dear, talented man. I feel for-tunate to have known him as I did.Don is survived by his wife of morethan 50 years, Midge. Rest in peace,my old friend. You were one of thevery best in your field and will alwaysbe remembered fondly.

A wedding dance

Hey Butch, thanks so very much forincluding Alaadeen (and me) in yourwedding celebration. It was trulywonderful, and I danced withAlaadeen for the first time in public(16 years). He’s always performing.I like the foundation’s site. We gotthe card in the mail about it. Peace.

Fanny DunfeeOverland Park, Kan.

Tribute to Santy Runyon

Hey Butch,

I met you when the Flippers played

Lincoln and some of us stopped byyour house. I enjoy your publicationand, for Santy’s sake, want you and/or your associates to know that theyburied Santy Runyon today (April8, 2003) in Lafayette — the day ofhis 96th birthday jam, but the partywent on. This site will give you alittle info about him (http://www.runyonproducts.com/santy.html). What it doesn’t say iswhat a fine gentleman he was andloss he will be.

Gary Claxton

Carns fan appreciates coverage

Thanks for your article on Jean and

MemorialSaxophonist Don Lanphere dies Oct. 10By Butch Berman ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○

Doug Carns (Jazz Spring/Summer2002). I have spent some niceevenings listening to “Infant Eyes”and “Blue & Green.” I’m so happyto hear that Doug Carns resides inSavannah, being an old Georgia boymyself. My roommate and I firstheard them somewhere around 1972or ‘73. I have been in love with themever since. Jean Carns sings on aninspirational music group called JeffMajors. I currently reside in Raleighbut if I’m in Savannah I willdefinitely try to catch up with DougCarns.

C. HandRaleigh, N.C.

Letters to the editor

○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○


Non Profit Org.U.S. Postage

PAIDPermit No. 1359

Lincoln, NE

How can you help the foundation?The Berman Music Foundation is a non-profit, tax exempt,501(c)(3) private foundation, and your tax deductible donationis needed to help offset the costs of this newsletter and itsprograms.____$ 10 ____$ 25 ____$ 50____$100 ____$250 ____OtherName____________________________________Address__________________________________City_____________________________________State_______________Zip___________________Phone___________________________________Fax _____________________________________E-mail____________________________________

Make check payable to Berman Music Foundation at:Berman Music Foundation719 P St., Studio GLincoln, NE 68508

Thanks for supporting jazz!

Berman Music FoundationButch Berman Charitable Music Foundation719 P St. Studio GLincoln, NE 68508Return Service Requested

Visitors brows BMF museum Photo by Rich Hoover

Members of the Don Stiernberg Quartet are among recentvisitors to the Berman Music Foundation museum.

Butch Berman and Richard Sullivan work up tunes for theirDelRay Ballroom gig as the Lounge Hounds.

The Lounge Hounds Photo by Rich Hoover

Documents

DelRay Ballroom could be Lincoln music stop Richard …bermanmusicfoundation.org/news1003.pdf · and pal Phil DeGreg on keyboards (admirably filling in for James Will-iams), the totally