Holiday Jazz Blog (November/December) - Closing out 2018 by Jim Woodford

November brought another Bob Ross after work jazz performance at the Dayton Art Institute, this time by The Central State Jazz Ensemble under the direction of Hal Melia. The ensemble consisted of a vocalist, a clarinet player (rare these days), an alto sax, a tenor sax, two trombones, a guitar, drummer and piano player with guest bass player Vinnie Marshall. Hal Melia provided some alto sax and flute as well. This was a chance for a combo that had been practicing for a while to finally get out in front of a crowd and see what they could do. If their parents were in the audience they all could be proud. The vocalist was featured and there was a trombone and piano player that seemed to stand out. The clarinet player was a treat as well. All played very well together.

Up next in the “live jazz in the Dayton area” category was The Sinclair Jazz Ensemble under the direction of Bill Burns. Bill always has an accomplished guest artist and this time around it was a vocalist who sang with the renowned Cleveland Jazz Orchestra for 17 years, Barbara Knight. An Alan Baylock arrangement of Duke Ellington’s Take the A Train was noticeably unique and even caught the ear of an arriving Centerville jazz band director. Director Burns pointed out that the band was committed to featuring Ohio musicians. Vocalist Knight brought her own arrangements, many by trombonists, and these arrangements challenged the band to step up. Knight told the audience later that her arrangements are challenging, and she was not sure what to expect from the Sinclair Jazz Band but she was impressed with how well they met the challenge. As much as one might have enjoyed the first set, the second set seemed to be even more exciting. The last two songs were particularly challenging to the sax section but they stepped right into the breach and blew everybody away! Kudos in particular to Adam Uhlenhake for his solos on Juan Tizol’s Caravan.

What a jazz jam there was at the 11-25-18 Sunday night Jazz Central jazz jam. Kenny Baccus on B3, Jeff Slinker on guitar, Craig Saunders on drums, King Koeller on sax, Jason Swann on tentor sax, Byron Locket on soprano and tenor saxes, Bryan Gannon on trombone, Rodderick Wilson on trumpet, a young gun from West Chester plus Keith Moore on trumpet – in town for the Holidays from California. There was lots of talent, lots of harmonizing and lots of good music – it is nights like these that make you glad you there when it happened! Out of this jazz instrumental firmament on this jazz jam night some of the brightest stars were Jason Swann (ts), King Koeller (ts), Bryan Gannon (tb) and Keith Moore (t) with Rodderick Wilson providing those meteoric high note punctuations. Whew!

On a Day that doesn’t get all that much attention these days, Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day, I caught Mike Sharfe (b), Rusty Burge (vibes) and special guests Steve Allee on electric piano and Steve Houghton on drums. The combo warmed up with I Hear a Rhapsody and the crowd was most appreciative. Next tune was a Steve Allee composition about his brother entitled, Brother to Brother. Summer Night, from the Sharfe/Burge CD Transitions left the crowd clambering for more. Rusty Burge complied with one of his originals entitled After 5:00 (when musicians start work). Another Burge composition was called out by Steve Allee, Waltz for Tomorrow and the band really lit things up. The first set ended with another Allee tune, What About Me? Always good music at the Washington Platform – thank you Mike Sharfe!

Following many missed opportunities to see the UD Faculty Jazztet, I managed to finally catch a gathering of said musicians. Unfortunately, I missed the first hour – reportedly all faculty – but caught the second hour where the students got to show their stuff. The UD Faculty included Jim Leslie (d), Dr. Willie Morris (ts), Chris Berg (b), Jim Smith (g) and Phil Burkhead (p). What a great jazz lab!!! As expected, the UD jazz faculty was outstanding but the students took full advantage of the opportunity – a piano player and a bass player displayed particular musical maturity.

I hustled from the UD faculty gathering to meet my wife and daughter at the Phone Booth Lounge to catch the DJO Christmas Show. Heard some Stan Kenton Christmas tunes as expected – trumpet player John Harner used to play with Kenton – and various other seasonal tunes. The place was packed and the band did not disappoint! My daughter had been looking forward to this for quite some time and was particularly pleased. Of particular note on this evening of Christmas songs was Jeff Black on piano and Dan Nicora on tenor sax. And alto saxophonist Jeff Spurlock played the most beautiful solo of the evening on Silent Night. Just what the doctor [daughter ?] ordered.

Some say bad news travels fast but good news can travel fast too. Some good news I received recently was that there was a new Jazz Big Band in town and they would be playing in a church – that’s right, I said a church – over in Kettering a week from Tuesday – so from hearing about it to actually hearing the band was pretty fast. Ken Taylor (I know him primarily from playing in the Sinclair Jazz Band under the direction of Bill Burns – though his resume is lengthy, Doctor Ken Taylor I am told) directs the band. What I heard was largely a Christmas show and the price of entry was a canned good for their ongoing food drive. They played a rousing version of Hark the Herald Angels Sing arranged into Yo Hark! Those Angels Swing! And swing they did. The band also reached back into the traditional jazz archives to present Royale Garden Blues with one of the best saxophone players in the whole area, maybe in the entire state of Ohio, but he played clarinet! That musician was none other than Grant “King” Koeller. [you can also hear Grant most Sunday nights at the Jazz Central Jazz jams] For those not familiar with Royale Garden Blues, both Bix Beiderbecke and Louis Armstrong recorded the song in the 1920s and Branford Marsalis put that tune on an album by the same name in 1986. The band even tackled the Stan Kenton arrangement for I’ve Never Been in Love Before and featured the trombone section. Then they blew the walls out with a “Horn in Face” version of Sweet Georgia Brown from the Basie Band book. The unexpected event of the evening was the surprise special guest Linda Landis, now of Columbus Jazz Orchestra fame. She did a thought provoking interpretation of “It Ain’t Easy Being Green” from Sesame Street. Some members of the audience were particularly vocal about their connection with this song. The Central Jazz Big Band will hold forth every third Tuesday at 1200 Forrer Blvd in Kettering/Dayton starting at 7:30.

Local regular jazz happenings

The Jazz Central Jazz Jam - Sunday night at 8:00 p.m. (until around 11:30) and Ismail Muhammad is bringing in occasional jazz combos on other nights [most recently Mike Fageros, jazz guitarist from Houston Texas].

Jim Smith, jazz guitar player/teacher/master and Vinnie Marshal on bass are at the Tipp City restaurant called the Coldwater Café. Friday and Saturday night from 7:00-9:30Other venues for which you need to be aware:

Dave Greer and the Classic Jazz Stompers at Jimmy’s Ladder 11 on the first Tuesday of the month

Jazz at Spinoza’s out by the mall at Fairfield Commons – check out the web site for times

Washington Platform in cincy, jazz combos on Friday and Saturday nights.

The Blue Wisp Big Band has switched from the Urban Artifact in cincy to Café Vivace, still every Wednesday night

The Dayton Jazz Orchestra at The Phone Booth Lounge (formerly Dog’s Breath Tavern) in Kettering every third Sunday of the Month beginning at 7:00 p.m.

Every Thursday night at the Minton Club there is music and on 3^rd Thursdays you can hear the Generations Big Band.

Wednesdays at Noon you can hear Eric Grieffenhagen & Greg Dearth at the Wine Emporium.