Benny Golson is one of the last great tenor saxophone players of his generation. To say he has been around would be an understatement of sizable proportions. He also likes to talk…a lot…about the good old days of Jazz.
Benny is eighty-nine years old, but still plays a horn very well. He comes from the Be Bop school. A legend in his own time, Golson has played with the best of that generation and still is one of the best. Jazz barely exists today like it did in the golden era. Musicians study the art form, but I am not sure they live it as they once did. Being a musician requires a bit of sacrifice to say the least, which was especially true in the early days of Jazz. You played music because that’s what you did.

Golson introduced each number at Jazz Showcase with a somewhat extensive monologue. Nobody seemed bothered by this. In fact, it was quite charming. Each story topped the previous with an absolute sense of sweetness in their general theme. I personally enjoyed his talking as much as his playing. This well-versed man with his amazing vocabulary is living proof of the intelligence that dwells in the musical mind.

But what about the music? The music lived up to the legend. Having an amazing band assured victory in his pursuits. The Benny Golson Quartet was comprised of seasoned veterans. They even did a number without Golson and held their own as a fantastic trio.

Mike Kocour really stood out on Thelonius Monk’s “Epistrophy”. He was on piano and owned that song as far as I am concerned. Monk’s music is eclectic to say the least and Kocour did it justice. Larry Gray played upright bass and delivered some amazingly musical solos. Drummer George Fludas is one solid player who shined like a diamond on “Blues March,” a Golson composition.

Golson touching introduction of “I Remember Clifford” brought me to tears. Clifford Brown was killed in a car accident at the age of twenty-five. This song is Benny’s tribute to a fallen friend and a highly talented trumpet player. The Jazz community was very close knit back in those days. This was essentially an extended family that went beyond the musicians to the fans as well. Actually, that seems to exist, just in much smaller numbers than before.

We all need to do our part in supporting live music and I am not talking about stadium shows either. Without knocking any form of music, I'll just say that going to see music played in a small club like Jazz Showcase is witnessing a creative process in action. There are no video screens or rehearsed dance numbers. All you get is music at its genesis or at a continually evolving level of communication. The other thing you get is to witness are the human expressions of emotion. Joy, sadness and every other possible state of mind are shared with the audience. Cherish these moment while they are still available.

I remember first hearing Joanne Shaw Taylor somewhere around three years ago. A guitar player, her sound falls in the vein of Stevie Ray Vaughan. And though Taylor played a solid set at City Winery this past weekend in support of her latest release “Wild,” I don’t know if I’ll be in line for a second helping.

The first issue I had in this particular performance was in her vocals. Unquestionably, Taylor’s voice comes with a decent tone, but honestly, I couldn’t understand a word she sang. There was no articulation to her singing whatsoever. Despite the fact that she was perfectly on pitch, she could have been singing anything. As a concert goer who is not very familiar with her music and had never seen her perform live before, I had no idea what the songs were about. Her songs sounded original overall and there was a cover by The Hoax thrown into the set, but it would have been difficult to differentiate one from the other if not familiar with the latter.

My second issue was in the material itself. There was nothing to remember at all. Nothing. Nada. Maybe I am being a bit harsh? I’m not. There were literally no songs to speak of to take home afterwards. The set was filled with riffs that seemed like ideas that could have gone somewhere with a little more effort – but instead they just lie dormant. Maybe hire a writer?

Not being able to understand the lyrics certainly played part in this.

Furthermore, her guitar playing left much to be desired. Like I said, she can play the guitar, but having said that, she has yet to develop a style. He songs were mostly comprised of the most basic of Stevie Ray Vaughan licks. I also found her tone painful at times, like an icepick through the forehead. I know it is tough to find your own voice on your instrument today. It takes time. I feel she will find it, but it just isn’t there yet.

Lastly, her rhythm section was solid, but dynamically boring and just did enough to get the job done.

As critical as I am of her performance, the crowd didn’t seem to find much fault in her set and appeared to enjoy what she had to offer. I think with some better material, Taylor might have a chance to survive in the music industry. But without better songs, she will soon fall out of the game quickly. There is always plenty of work for dependable live music acts and I just don’t see her developing a much larger following without one or two memorable songs in the set.

Joanne has a lot of potential but needs more seasoning. Simply put, she needs more experience and some help in the writing department. If she can build on the little momentum she already has, she may have a chance of getting to the next level. Having said that, there are a million players out there capable of doing exactly what she is currently doing on stage. It will be interesting to see how she grows as an artist. Joanne Shaw Taylor is still very young and she has plenty of time to blossom into a serious artist. It just isn’t quite there yet. Give her some time.

Joanne Shaw Taylor setlist:

Mud, Honey
Outlaw Angel
Wrecking Ball
Tried, Tested & True
Jump That Train
Diamonds in the Dirt
Time Has Come
Bones (The Hoax cover)
No Reason to Stay
Tied & Bound
Kiss the Ground Goodbye
Going Home

Cuban Jazz was the flavor at McAninch Arts Center (The MAC) this past weekend, but the band’s labeled genre might just be a bit misleading. In fact, I would describe the Cubanismo’s sound of as that more akin to Big Band first and foremost. Though high energy dance music with infectious grooves, it is heavily sprinkled with a touch of Havana and Latin Beats. Lively and catchy from beginning to end, let’s just say if audience members aren’t clapping or tapping their toes, someone in the medical profession needs to check them for a pulse.

Cubanismo founder and trumpeter, Jesus Alemany, led the ensemble through two sets of some very spicy music. Let me take a mental head count of musicians - four horns, three percussionists, three singers, bass, guitar, keys and Alemany complete the band’s line-up. That adds up to thirteen if I did the math correctly. Ricky Ricardo would have felt right at home with this combo.

They key word with music like this is rhythm. I mentioned in my review of Gipsy Kings last summer how that was a lesson in rhythm. This was a follow up to the learning I received that day. The reason why I don’t really consider this Jazz is due to the ability to dance to what was presented. I know Jazz has many sub categories. What this band really represents is the dance clubs of Pre-Castro Cuba - straight from the 1940’s – music with a serious spice to it. There also seemed to be far less emphasis on improvisation in this band’s set as opposed to the likes of Gipsy Kings. I think a good portion of the show may have been changed in slight ways from time to time, but unquestioned were its tight arrangements.

The band’s three singers took charge of their songs with serious support from the rest of the players. I wish my Spanish was better as far as understanding the lyrical content but that didn’t matter all that much, as music is the universal language. Cubanismo is all about getting their fans to move. Recently, a friend mentioned to me how there should be more room for dancing when going to see a band play. A larger dance area would have certainly helped the situation, especially when the band gave a mambo lesson on the final number. Cubanismo showed the moves while on stage and their fans followed. This was yet another reason I say it is not really Jazz per se. Nobody (particularly other musicians) was sitting around admiring the technical sophistication of the players. That being said, I am not at all saying the band members were not amazing. We just weren’t pelted with one self-indulgent solo after another in typical jazz fashion. It was truly an ensemble performance.

To give readers a brief history of the band, Alemañy was a child prodigy in Cuba before joining Sierra Maestra when he was just 16. After more than a decade of playing with that group, he moved to London to pursue his own career. There he met a fellow Cuban, pianist Alfredo Rodriguez, and the two musicians organized a jam session in Paris in 1994. It was there that record producer and head of Hannibal Records Joe Boyd heard the group play and suggested the pair organize another descarga (or improvised jazz session) in Cuba with all-star musicians from all over the country and record it. The recording was such a success that the group formed a band and toured extensively.

The band played selected tunes from their hit albums “Melembe”, “Reencarnación” and “Greetings from Havana” along with many other up-tempo, cha-cha-driven favorites.

The music of Cubanismo is straight from an era of Cuba long since gone. The tradition does live on through the music of this particular band that has received critical acclaim. Supporting this music is what keeps it alive and I hope to see more of that. Jesus Alemany should be proud of what he has assembled. If you get a chance to see them live, I am sure you will not walk away disappointed. In fact, you will not walk at all…you will dance.

www.cubanismo.org

Buffalo Theatre Ensemble presented a two act play at the McIninch Art Center in Glen Ellyn titled Time Stands Still this past weekend and I was fortunate enough to see the opening night performance. The entire play is set in a Brooklyn loft apartment that really serves well in creating a New York feel. The cast is power packed though small as four actors take on the roles of two couples in this story that mostly centers around the pair living in the loft though the other couple is still strongly placed in the story line.

As the story is described, Sarah, a photo journalist, is recovering in the Brooklyn apartment she shares with her foreign correspondent boyfriend James after being injured by a roadside bomb while covering the Iraq war. When they receive a visit from their photo editor friend Richard and his young new girlfriend Mandy, it forces Sarah and James to re-examine their relationship, and address the ethics of journalism in a world torn by conflict and suffering.

Times Stand Still is powerful and comes with acting is of very high caliber, each actor as impressive as the next. I never actually felt like I was watching actors, which in itself is testament to the players’ convincing performances. This play provides four very believable characters, and all decidedly different. It is also thought-provoking a play that prompts some very interesting conversations going on during the intermission. Written by Donald Margulies with Connie Canaday Howard serving as the production and artistic director, Time Stands Still is well-produced in every way. College of DuPage alumni Chris Kriz handles the play’s original music as sound composer and designer while Michael W. Moon does a fantastic job with scenic design, and Claire Chrzan with lighting design.

The central character, if you could say there was one, was Sarah Goodwin, played by Lisa Dawn, who has done work with BTE before. I found her character the most controversial in many ways. Having said that, the audience may have disagreed. In talking to, and overhearing, audience members afterward it appeared many had differences of opinions, the play encouraging some good conversation – always the mark of a good script.

Amanda Raudabaugh, played by Mandy Bloom, is also a provocative character. She is the new wife of Richard Ehrlich, played by another BTE veteran, Kurt Naebig. Brad Lawrence played James Dodd, who was the other half of the couple with Goodwin.

I don’t think two people could walk away with the same description of what they took from this play. Personal and moral values are questioned by the characters in the cast, as well as the audience. There are also some light-hearted moments, though the subject matter was anything but light. The story really makes you think and really puts into question your own thinking. How would you handle yourself if you were put in the position of the central character?

If you are looking for something light and funny, check out another play. If you do enjoy pondering over real issues, get yourself a ticket. Actually, go see it for yourself. Not everyone is going to walk away with the same perspective of this engaging story. The talented Buffalo Theater Ensemble does yet another a great job with this one. Time Stands Still show will be at The MAC on the grounds of the College of DuPage until March 4th and comes highly recommend. It just might make you think.

For more info on this play visit http://www.atthemac.org/.

NRBQ is a fun band. “New Rhythm and Blues Quartet”. I find the name slightly misleading. When I think of R&B, I think of something completely different. This is more like old Rock and Roll with a little Vaudeville. They do have a bit of a cult following. I don’t think they ever had anything resembling a hit record but they do have a loyal fan base that keeps them existing as a working band stretching back to 1966.

Founding member Terry Adams keeps the torch burning as the last original cast member. The rest of the current band is just amazing. These guys are musical AND fun!!!!! It is possible. Their songs…well...I didn’t actually know one of them. I can see the reason why this band stays working. They are a live band. The songs themselves are good but unless you are one of the people that were walking around the club with NRBQ T Shirts, you would never know them at all.

This is show biz as they say. Hit records or not, these guys are fun band. They come out in pastel suits and goofy hats. A touch of that era of putting on a show. Some songs are tongue in cheek. That’s entertainment. These guys are also pretty solid musicians. They pulled their show at Fitzgerald’s in Berwyn off without a hitch.

Playing guitar and singing was Scott Ligon. I really thought he had a great voice. His harmonies with bassist Casey McDonough were straight of the book. Both of them did lead vocal duty along with Adams. Drummer John Perrin rounds out the band. There have been a lot of members through the years. Joey Spampinato and Al Anderson are legendary. Regardless of the lineup, the band lives on.

NRBQ’s set is diverse, including something for everyone, including many fan favorites including:

Keep This Love Goin'
Not Tonight, Hon
Little Floater
Dr. Howard, Dr. Fine, Dr. Howard
Don't Worry Baby
Boozoo, That's Who!
It's Not Too Late
Advice for Teenagers
It'll Be Alright
Daddy's Gonna Tell You No Lie
Wild Weekend
Ain't It All Right
Wacky Tobacky
RC Cola and a Moon Pie
Green Lights
Everybody's Out of Town
Get on the Right Track, Baby
Everyone Says I Love You
Chicken Hearted
Ridin' in My Car
I Want You Bad
Sleepless Nights
Honey Hush
Magnet
Dummy
Talk to Me
The Music Goes Round and Round
Get Rhythm
Me and the Boys
Do You Feel It?
Howard Johnson's Got His Ho-Jo Working

Now available on CD and Digital, NRBQ's new EP Happy Talk contains two originals and the Q’s spontaneous take on Roy Orbison’s “Only the Lonely,” along with the band’s years-in-the-making arrangement of Rogers & Hammerstein’s South Pacific tune “Happy Talk,” which serves as the EP’s title track.

NRBQ is the kind of a band tough to capture on a recording. This a club band. I am not sure they would ever do well in arenas. You don’t want to see Terry Adams make those faces on a forty-foot monitor…with that hat on……it just might be more than you can handle with a straight face…but seriously…NRBQ is a band worth seeing. Don’t watch the videos, go see the band.

Roomful of Blues is celebrating fifty years this year. That’s a long time playing together. Not all the members go back that far, but the history of the band does.

Opening for Roomful of Blues at City Winery Chicago was Corey Dennison and his band. I think fans of Freddie King would dig this cat. I don’t see Dennison as a King imitator, but I did see some similarities in his appearance and the guitar he played. Dennison has a four-piece band - two guitars, bass and drums. The band pulls off some fun choreographed stage moves and display a ton of energy. Corey even did the Buddy Guy trick of walking through the crowd while playing. The difference being that Dennison started singing without a microphone in the middle of the club. Still, you could hear his strong voice without a problem. Sometimes Blues singing is almost like a holler, just shouting more or less. You can really feel it.

Dennison proved to be a decent Chicago Blues guitar player. He plays without a pick like a lot of the older players, using a lot of thumb. It seems primitive but it’s a great sound.

Roomful of Blues is a bigger band - three horns, keys, guitar, bass, drums and vocals and the crowd was responsive. Together, they present a powerful sound. The horns give more melodic information to chew on. Everything about the band was musically excellent. Well-seasoned players are such a treat to watch. The energy of the band was good but did not match Dennison and crew.

I have heard a lot of Blues music in Chicago. Having said that, I am dying to hear something new. I know a lot is tradition. The twelve-bar form does have limitations. I don’t really hear songs anymore. It’s all the same song. You can speed it up, slow it down…change keys…it’s still the same song. The Blues bands of yesterday had more going on. The missing ingredient is the dancing.

Once upon a time, bands were there so people could dance. Even Classical Music was based on the dances of the day. Dancing has been replaced by sitting. Blues bands of yesteryear would never have held a gig doing whole sets of twelve bar. Tough to dance to a shuffle beat.

Roomful of Blues started towards the end of the sixties Blues movement. Then it stopped moving. The Psychedlic era killed it and I don’t see it being much more than a novelty now. Stevie Ray Vaughan brought it back thirty years ago and that was really Rock disguised as Blues. In no way am I saying that I am down on The Blues. It is still a valid form of music but it needs to grow. This genre of music spawned Rock and Jazz and a lot of other styles. And I think there is more that can come from it in the future. But that will not come from repeating the past.

I have been waiting to see Delbert McClinton for a while. It just never happened for me…timing, etc. Finally, it happened. I even took my Mom who is as big a fan as I am.

Warming up for Delbert was Amy Black, a singer/songwriter from Nashville. Black sang only accompanied by piano, which blended perfectly with her very strong voice that comes with powerful with awesome intonation. However, I didn’t feel that strongly for her songs. They were well written but just not overly catchy. In fact, I walked away with no memory of them at all, but only that of an amazing voice. I would like to see her with her full band instead of the simple piano/voice arrangements. Maybe that’s what was missing.

Then, after a brief intermission following Black’s set… Delbert McClinton walks onto the stage. I can’t even comprehend how many times he has done this. “Take Me to the River” was the opener. Del’s version is way more swampy feeling than Talking Heads - not even the same song. Del’s hand-picked musicians formed a tremendous band. No name brand guys. No one under fifty or sixty-years-old. I don’t even remember a band introduction. It was all about the music.

What about the music, you ask? McClinton’s music is self described as Blues but there is much more to it than that. It more like the intersection of Blues Road, Country Avenue and Old Rock and Roll Boulevard. If you think of music like cooking I guess it all kinda comes from the same kitchen, but his unique formula really makes the flavors that stand out. You have the basic recipe but when you start adding spices and such…things get extra tasty.

In a way, I feel here is a guy that should be headlining stadiums. But when I see him work a club, my thoughts change. An intimate venue like such is the perfect environment for Delbert. He is basically a breathtaking club act with great songs. Sometimes we put too much emphasis on the bands playing the hockey stadiums and forget the guys in the clubs exist. The lesson here - go see more musicians like this where you can see the expressions on their face and the watch each note played with finesse and passion rather than viewing a giant monitor.

Let’s get back to the songs. “When Rita Leaves” was played early in the set and another crowd favorite “Ain’t I Got a Right to be Wrong?” was included in the first five, six songs. He has SO many great songs. Two of Delbert’s songs that always stood out were songs at least partially penned by a guy named Jerry Lyn Williams – the same guy that wrote a chunk of Clapton’s later hits. “Giving It Up for Your Love” is a classic that was on the set list. The other is a beautiful song called “Sending Me Angels”.

Music like McClinton’s is good for your cardio-vascular system. It even gets the older people dancing…did I mention that? Well, I just turned fifty and took my seventy-one-year-old mother…and there were people older than her dancing. Some of you youngsters should get out and watch a band like this. You might not be able to keep up…unless somebody breaks a hip.

Delbert McClinton may not be a household name, but he should be. A singer-songwriter, harmonica player, pianist and guitarist, we are talking about a gifted musician who has been active in the music scene since 1962 and is showing no signs of slowing down some fifty-five years later. It is even rumored McClinton taught John Lennon how to play harmonica. The Texas native is a multi-Grammy Award winning singer, earning one for his 2006 release Cost of Living, an album where each track is infused with McClinton’s unique vision and is as impressive as the next. In a career that has been nothing short of remarkable, McClinton has recorded with several big-named artists including Bonnie Raitt and Tanya Tucker with whom he landed his highest-charting single “Tell Me About It” in 1992.

McClinton’s music is exceptional in the fact that it bridges the gaps between Blues, Rock and Country. At nearly seventy-seven-years-old, he still plays his music with the energy of a much younger man and entertains with the best of them. Inducted into the Texas Heritage Songwriters Hall of Fame in March 2011, I highly recommend music fans who have not yet seen this talented artist to do so – and you can next week. Currently on tour for his latest effort Prick of the Litter, Delbert McClinton will be performing at City Winery Chicago on Wednesday August 9th. The wine and music will be flowing that night for sure.

Barry Harris is not exactly a household name unless you are a Jazz musician. He is a gifted piano player who goes back far enough to have played with Charlie Parker. However, I think his personal greatest achievements are actually as an educator. Barry Harris is the authority from which to learn Jazz.

I was able to attend the Straight Ahead Jazz Camp at Jazz Institute of Chicago located within Columbia College. They day I attended, I sat through four different classes. Three featured Mr. Harris.

The first session of the day was appropriately called “The Truth About Jazz”. Barry lays down the law concerning music profoundly citing, “Jazz is the continuation of Classical.” I say Jazz is just The Blues with an education - the education coming from Classical music. Harris spoke of how much of the rules of music are not taught correctly. I agree with that. He even joked around a bit saying, “I shouldn’t teach students, only teachers.” Most music teachers I have met in my years as a growing musician could certainly learn a thing or two from Barry Harris.

“The Truth About Jazz” was followed with story time between Harris and Joe Segal, the owner of Jazz Showcase. The two musicians, aged eighty-eight and ninety-one years old, offered captivating accounts from there many years in the industry, as well as some really strong opinions about Jazz. One would be fortunate to learn from a great such as Harris and Segal. It’s also fascinating from a historical standpoint when you realize that these gentlemen are some of the last links to the era. With only a handful left in Chicago, I was amazed to hear about how many Jazz clubs there were at one time. Hearing the two Jazz great talk was not only eye-opening, it could easily make one long to have lived and participated in the days when Jazz was still so fresh and widespread.

After the highly stimulating two-man panel had ended, I sat in on a Jazz Improvisation class. That was interesting. It is always nice to be reminded that there still are people out there studying music. It’s so easy to let machines make music these days. I’m sure Mr. Harris would agree with me when I say art and music classes are very important. It is beneficial to learn things in school other than the basics. Fact is, kids who learn music do better in their other subjects. I am very appreciative that there are centers like the Jazz Institute of Chicago out there for people to hone their musical ability and where creativity is encouraged.

The last class I attended was a jam session hosted by Mr. Harris. I had hoped Mr. Harris would be playing but such was not the case. Rather, it was a mix of students and attendees performing with Mr. Harris directing traffic. It was a thrill to see the renowned keeper of the flame of bebop pianism leading such fine musicianship!

I would like to thank the people there running the workshop. It was an awesome experience that got better and better as the day progressed. Jazz Institute of Chicago is a wonderful environment for all musicians alike. Some of the students were “scary” good if you understand what I mean. It kind of blows my mind seeing young people who like Jazz. It’s unlikely the genre of music fell into their lap. No. These are people that had to look for it, which somehow adds a greater appreciation for its students. And the fact that Barry Harris is still teaching helps keep the form alive. Hopefully, some of these talented young people will continue and master the practice so that years from now they become the next teachers.

Barry Harris was recognized as a Jazz Master by the National Endowment for the Arts in 1989.

For more information on the Jazz Institute of Chicago or to see their upcoming list of events, visit www.jazzinchicago.org. You can also learn more about Barry Harris at www.barryharris.com.

Buddy Guy is real. In a music business where people often portray an image onstage - a persona - Buddy Guy is real. When you go see him play, that’s what you get and nobody walks away not knowing a little something about the man.

Before Guy’s set at Ravinia Festival, we were treated to the music of Booker T. Jones. Some of you might say, “who’s he?” Booker T. and The MG’s were the house band at Stax Records. They were on many songs that you remember, but they were not the faces on the record. Most people do recognize their hit “Green Onions”, but if you asked who it was…

His was a nice short, but effective, set. I had hopes of Buddy coming out and playing a song with Jones but that might have actually taken the focus away from Booker’s music in a way. It was really nice to hear the Hammond Organ being played by the actual person you heard play those melodies. Booker even played guitar and sang…but…that organ, that sound… It’s almost become a lost instrument today. I say almost because you do still see them but we could be witnessing the tail end of the instrument’s impact. I’d love to see bands today bring back the organ.

On the other hand, Buddy Guy was born to play the guitar - to quote his own song. I think that is true. However, he does not play the way your guitar teacher will tell you to play. What does that mean? It means he just plays the guitar. He doesn’t study it. He doesn’t analyze it. He plays the guitar. Guy’s playing has been a huge influence on Rock’s elite but many just don’t get it unless they see the man play live. You cannot capture Buddy Guy on a recording. It’s just not the same. His performances should not be repeated. They should not be recorded. They should be experienced. You need to be there when he walks out into the crowd, and this could not have been truer than at Ravinia the other night.

I don’t want to go off on a tangent here, but go see more live music. Before music turns into a complete corporate clown show, go see more live music. Live music has so many benefits. Musicians pay their bills nowadays largely in part by playing live. Free downloads killed CD sales. We need to support these artists. Maybe the decay of integrity can be slowed down or even repaired if we did this. Go see more live music.

Artists too are to blame. They need to be real. That’s why the music of some people lasts forever. Formulas are for scientists, not musicians. Just be yourself and make some music. Be like Buddy Guy. I do not mean imitation. Just be real.

Guy’s set was amazing. You will never see the same show twice. He starts one song and may finish it or he may jump to anther song. The band needs to be on their toes. I am sure they rehearse most of that but I am sure a huge part of rehearsal is learning how to follow Buddy’s lead. The Blues as a musical form has always involved a lot of improvisation. You actually get to hear music at its point of creation. You can’t rehearse that part of the process, the creation. To witness this is a gift to you from the artist. This leads me back to the reasons to go see live music. It’s like gift exchange. They give you the music. You go see them so they can pay their bills. It’s good for the economy. Go see more live music.