As the music called jazz continues to progress in varied directions, as it should, we realize that the monotonous cliché “Jazz is dead” is just a worthless phrase without justification. There are too many aspiring musicians committed to joining this historical jazz community that dates back to Charles Bolden, Louis Armstrong, Ella Fitzgerald, John Coltrane, and Mary Lou Williams. At this point, the list is boundless.
The young men/students (16–23 years old) who are carrying on this jazz tradition in their own voices include the sextet JOHJASz, an acronym for Junior One Hundred Jazz All-Stars (under the auspices of One Hundred Black Men, Inc. NYC). They are equipped with a strong repertoire of jazz and R&B, as well as original compositions. The vocalist Jaylen Gray is a real show-stopper; whether on Stevie Wonder’s “Overjoyed” or Dr. Lonnie Smith’s “I Need Your Love,” he’s all in, as his cohorts play multi shades of swing: pianist Javier Jbara, trumpeter Sebastian Mesadieu, alto saxophonist Samien Mesadieu, bassist Daniel Basilio Fernandez, and drummer Canaan Crayton.
JOHJASz will kick off their Harlem debut on May 17 at Room 623, the cozy little speakeasy jazz club hidden in the shadow of Brunch Harlem restaurant (271 West 119th Street), with two shows: 7 p.m. and 8:30 p.m.
For tickets, visit room623.com.
The alto saxophonist/flautist Sonny Fortune left a legacy as one of the all-time great alto players. His alto could sound like a ferocious wind on a stormy wintry night, like on his original “It’s A Bird,” flying high in the spirited bebop riffs of Charlie Parker. Switching moods, he takes his flute and dives into a tune like “Invitation,” one of the most traveled jazz compositions. Under his fire power, it becomes a Fortune treasure, hip, flowing like a windy autumn day with leaps and bounds of lyrical melodies drifting through the air like rustic colored leaves. Watching Fortune perform was like watching Muhammed Ali in the ring or viewing a canvas by Jean-Michel Basquiat.
In January 2010, Fortune released “Last Night At Sweet Rhythm.” Unfortunately for many jazz lovers, the title also signified the end of this revered Greenwich Village jazz club, originally named Sweet Basil back in the ’80s. Fortune chose this final opportunity to record eight original compositions at one of his favorite performance venues. It was at this venue, Sweet Rhythm, under the ownership of James Browne (veteran of jazz radio), where Browne and I witnessed one of the most enthralling performances in jazz: the dynamic duo of Fortune and drummer Rashied Ali. It was the coldest night of the year—below 1 degree—but inside, it was blazing hot with the ferociousness of Fortune and Ali.
On May 19, Sunday Serenade/VTY Jazz Arts will celebrate Fortune’s birthday (May 19, 1939), at the Zinc Bar (82 W. 3rd Street). The tribute quartet will feature Fortune’s alumni pianist George Cables, bassist Santi Debriano, and drummer Steve Johns, along with alto saxophonist Mike DiRubbo. Time: 3 p.m.–5:45 p.m.
For reservations, call 917-882-9539.
Going to see the Sun Ra Arkestra perform was a celebratory, spectacular event, like being up front at the African American Day parade or experiencing the second line in New Orleans. The Arkestra were dressed up in their fashionable bright, galactic space garments, much hipper than anything Captain Kirk or Spock wore on the “Star Trek” television series. They played in a realm where time and space were relative, where the shouts and hollas of the sanctified church marched with Duke Ellington’s “Slippery Horn” and “Take the A Train,” and Fletcher Henderrson’s arrangement of Jelly Roll Morton’s “King Porter Jump.”
At times reminiscent of the big band era, Sun Ra had more than 30 musicians on stage. It was a space odyssey excursion of songs, chants, percussion pieces, and anthems.
On May 22 and 23 at Dizzy’s jazz club (10 Columbus Circle), Sullivan Fortner’s Galactic Friends will celebrate Sun Ra’s 110th birthday (born 1914). The Earth-born, New Orleans, Grammy-winning pianist/keyboardist Fortner has summoned his outer-limit–minded friends to probe into Sun Ra’s inventive and risk-taking music, from swing to blues to fusion far beyond the Milky Way galaxy.
Fortner and his fellow voyagers, including Sun Ra Arkestra veteran’s trombonist Craig Harris and bassist Alex Blake, along with trombonist Frank Lacy, saxophonist Scott Robinson, trumpeter Maurice “Mobetta” Brown, and drummer Marcus Gilmore, will embrace the eclectic music of the spirit that marked Sun Ra’s stratospheric presence in the infinite world of Afro-Futurism.
For reservations, visit jazz.org.
Saxophonist and composer David Murray is one of those musicians whose live performances require immediate attendance without thought. His goal is to explore new musical territory; with each performance, he keeps audiences on the edge of tomorrow while listening in the moment. He also plays an outrageous bass clarinet. He and his quartet will perform at the Village Vanguard (178 7th Avenue South) from May 21–26.
His able musicians, who have yet to reach their zenith, will include pianist Marta Sanchez, bassist Luke Stewart, and drummer Russell Carter.
Murray is one of the influential voices on the music spectrum as an innovator and a founding member of the World Saxophone Quartet with Olive Lake, Hamiet Bluiett, and Julius Hemphill. His diverse, style-defining, straight-ahead-into-avant-gardism demands attention. For tickets, visit www.villagevanguard.com.