JAM: October/November 2006 Issue: Folly Jazz News

by Doug Tatum

The first concert of the 2006–2007 Folly Jazz Series will feature the guitar/piano duo of Jim Hall and Geoffrey Keezer on Saturday, October 7 at 8 p.m.

A bout Jim Hall, The New Yorker stated, “ Jim Hall is the reigning master of the jazz guitar. This poetic player says more with fewer notes than any living improviser.”

If there was a jazz trivia game in which the question was to name the greatest jazz piano/guitar duo recordings of all time, in my opinion the answer would have to be the two extraordinary sessions done by Bill Evans and Jim Hall. The first of these was Undercurrent , r ecorded in 1962 for United Artists, followed up by Intermodulation, recorded for Verve in 1966.

Forty years later, Jim Hall has teamed up with the exciting young pianist, Geoffrey Keezer, to explore new possibilities in the duo format. The present collaboration is anything but a nostalgic nod to the legendary earlier recordings, however. As with any great jazz, the music is fresh and open to adventurous new possibilities, as evidenced on the CD Free Association, which was recorded by Hall and Keezer last year. In a review of the CD for All About Jazz , John Kelman wrote, “When two musicians come together for the first time, they rarely know how things will turn out, but in terms of sheer intuitive interplay, Free Association may well be Hall's best piano duo to date.” Well, OK, maybe there is more than one right answer to my proposed jazz trivia question! To learn more about these great artists, check out their Web sites: www.jimhallmusic.com and www.geoffreykeezer.com .

For the second concert of the season, veteran singer Ernestine Anderson will appear with her band on Saturday, November 4.

Born in Houston , Texas , in 1928, Ernestine grew up listening to the blues. As a child, she joined her father and grandmother singing gospel. In 1952, she went on tour with Lionel Hampton's orchestra. In 1955, she recorded a few tracks with alto saxophonist GiGi Gryce, which brought her to the attention of the larger jazz world. She was named “Best New Vocal Star” in the Down Beat Critics Poll in 1959. During slower times in the 1960s, along with many others, Ernestine moved to Europe to pursue her career. After a few years in London , she returned home and went into semi-retirement, performing only occasionally in local clubs. Upon the urging of bassist Ray Brown, she resumed her career and signed with Concord Records in 1976, recording nearly twenty albums for that label. She continues to tour around the world to great critical acclaim. Quincy Jones stated, “Ernestine's voice sounds like honey at dusk.” The Folly Jazz Series is honored to bring Ernestine Anderson back to Kansas City after an absence of many years.

I invite you to come early for the pre-concert “JazzTalk” discussions with the artists that begin at 7 p.m. Discounted season subscriptions start as low as $72.50; single tickets are $15–$30. Members of the Jazz Ambassadors receive special discounts. For more information, call the Folly Theater, 816-474-4444, or visit our Web site: www.follytheater.com .

Doug Tatum is the Executive Director of the Folly Theater






	Search our site:		by Doug Tatum The first concert of the 2006–2007 Folly Jazz Series will feature the guitar/piano duo of Jim Hall and Geoffrey Keezer on Saturday, October 7 at 8 p.m. A bout Jim Hall, The New Yorker stated, “ Jim Hall is the reigning master of the jazz guitar. This poetic player says more with fewer notes than any living improviser.” If there was a jazz trivia game in which the question was to name the greatest jazz piano/guitar duo recordings of all time, in my opinion the answer would have to be the two extraordinary sessions done by Bill Evans and Jim Hall. The first of these was Undercurrent , r ecorded in 1962 for United Artists, followed up by Intermodulation, recorded for Verve in 1966. Forty years later, Jim Hall has teamed up with the exciting young pianist, Geoffrey Keezer, to explore new possibilities in the duo format. The present collaboration is anything but a nostalgic nod to the legendary earlier recordings, however. As with any great jazz, the music is fresh and open to adventurous new possibilities, as evidenced on the CD Free Association, which was recorded by Hall and Keezer last year. In a review of the CD for All About Jazz , John Kelman wrote, “When two musicians come together for the first time, they rarely know how things will turn out, but in terms of sheer intuitive interplay, Free Association may well be Hall's best piano duo to date.” Well, OK, maybe there is more than one right answer to my proposed jazz trivia question! To learn more about these great artists, check out their Web sites: www.jimhallmusic.com and www.geoffreykeezer.com . For the second concert of the season, veteran singer Ernestine Anderson will appear with her band on Saturday, November 4. Born in Houston , Texas , in 1928, Ernestine grew up listening to the blues. As a child, she joined her father and grandmother singing gospel. In 1952, she went on tour with Lionel Hampton's orchestra. In 1955, she recorded a few tracks with alto saxophonist GiGi Gryce, which brought her to the attention of the larger jazz world. She was named “Best New Vocal Star” in the Down Beat Critics Poll in 1959. During slower times in the 1960s, along with many others, Ernestine moved to Europe to pursue her career. After a few years in London , she returned home and went into semi-retirement, performing only occasionally in local clubs. Upon the urging of bassist Ray Brown, she resumed her career and signed with Concord Records in 1976, recording nearly twenty albums for that label. She continues to tour around the world to great critical acclaim. Quincy Jones stated, “Ernestine's voice sounds like honey at dusk.” The Folly Jazz Series is honored to bring Ernestine Anderson back to Kansas City after an absence of many years. I invite you to come early for the pre-concert “JazzTalk” discussions with the artists that begin at 7 p.m. Discounted season subscriptions start as low as $72.50; single tickets are $15–$30. Members of the Jazz Ambassadors receive special discounts. For more information, call the Folly Theater, 816-474-4444, or visit our Web site: www.follytheater.com . Doug Tatum is the Executive Director of the Folly Theater RETURN TO OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2006 MAIN INDEX © Kansas City Jazz Ambassadors 1996-2006. All rights reserved.