Kansas City Jazz Ambassador Magazine back/past issues. Steve Allen, interview with Bob Brookmeyer.

Before going to any of these festivals/conventions, it helps to know who will be attending or performing so you can make plans to catch as many as you are physically able to. It's really quite a challenge as there is so much going on at the same time slot; one can't possibly go to all of them. The first clinic was “Why Jazz Education Matters in School” and that's where I ran into Dave Adams, a man I've known for about 50 years from my Albuquerque days. With him was Richie Cole, who was scheduled to play the Educators' Jazz Jam on Friday night with Jeff Harshbarger on bass. I told them both that they should be up there talking about this important subject matter. Dave has been intimately involved with The Young Razzcals Jazz Project, first in Albuquerque , then in West Virginia , where he and his lovely wife Vicki (an airline pilot) reside.

The clinic “Music and Lyrics” fascinated me because of the subject matter and the people involved. They were: Giacomo Gates (a singer was just here for a gig and a concert); Tierney Sutton (a vocalist who also has performed in KC and is definitely one of the most original interpreters of the American Songbook); Esperenza Spalding (bassist and vocalist who I'm not familiar with but will definitely find out); and the one originally scheduled, our very own Kevin Mahogany who was not able to attend, so in his place, the innovative godfather of improvisation and scat singing, Jon Hendricks. Because of working with so many vocalists around KC and being married to one (Sherry) I was especially interested in how they interpret the lyrics and how they compose their works of art. This clinic ended with someone asking about the legalities of writing lyrics to jazz tunes or solos and being denied by the composers' estates. Tierney had an example where she wanted to record a Bill Evans tune (my ears perked up) and she was literally competing with someone down to the day before the recording date. She won approval from the Evans estate and Bill's widow, Nenette. I had to know the title of the tune she was referring to so I raised my hand and anxiously asked. Her reply was “We Will Meet Again”. But I had an even more important question to ask of Jon Hendricks, “How did you get the inspiration to write and compose ‘Gimme That Wine'” (a song I've enjoyed doing of late and also backing bassist Bryan Hicks). He said that had a great story behind it…most of these clinics were taped and to find out the true story from the horse's mouth…give me a buzz.

“Walking Bass Lines” with Mike Downes was musically interesting to me because of the fact that everyone playing improvised music; be it horns, guitars, pianos, vocals and drummers all listen to the foundation laid down by the bassist, for the tempo, chord progressions, etc. I found out after talking to Jim Mair that he and Mike went through high school together.

I saw pianist Kenny Werner for the first time at IAJE in New Orleans , (where Mel Lewis took his final bow), and I've been taken in both musically and emotionally by him since. He is truly a guru, both in music and life in general. If you haven't already done so, check out his book, Effortless Mastery . Nick is reading it now.

The NEA Jazz Master Awards Concert was the biggest event of all. Everyone was there. The honorees were Candido Camero, innovator of the congas in Latin jazz; Quincy Jones, an icon of several generations of music and a storyteller; the late great pianist composer Andrew Hill; Tom McIntosh, composer, trombonist, educator and arranger, most noted for the Gordon Parks films, The Learning Tree and Shaft ; Gunther Schuller, the renaissance man of music in both classical and jazz traditions and proponent of the Third Stream; and Joe Wilder, trumpeter, a nice gentleman I've known of since he recorded a jazz portrait of Peter Gunn tunes by Henry Mancini. There was also a special tribute to the great Canadian pianist, Dr. Oscar Peterson, by his student Oliver Jones and a heartfelt thank-you from his widow and daughter.

I was able to get a good seat by being there early and sat by a gentleman who on noticing my nametag “ Kansas City ” asked if I knew a Ray DeMarchi. To my amazement Russell Owens tells me he was Ray's high school teacher in Buffalo , NY where Ray had won a scholarship to Berklee by playing and soloing on Chick Corea's “ Spain ”, and on the marimbas! What a small world! Kurt Elling sang a beautifully with the Smithsonian Jazz Masterworks Orchestra. On the finale, Quincy Jones' arrangement of “Walkin” swung with Candido and Joe Wilder sitting in.

While visiting the Exhibit Hall, I stumbled on to The United States Army Band booth, and inquired about the military life of a musician, and Liesl M. Whitaker talked about the auditions, basic training, rehearsals, concerts etc. My curiosity grew and I had to ask if by any chance she knew Ron Gutierrez, the vocalist who came to Kansas City after he left the army. Both Liesl and Anthonio L. Orta shouted, “Ron, mi compadre”.

The IAJE Community College All-Star program was directed by Susie Jones, instructor of music and Mount Hood Community College in Oregon . The selections were: “Cottontail” by Ellington, “Miss Missouri” by Benny Carter, “Recordame” by Joe Henderson, “My Foolish Heart” and “Tricotism” by Oscar Pettiford, which featured bassist Ben Wolfe who gigged with Harry Connick Jr. on TV, radio and concerts, then went on to the Wynton Marsalis septet and Diana Krall with whom he's been touring and recording, including the Grammy award winning CD “When I Look In Your Eyes”. The concert closed with “Basso Ernesto” by Bob Washut. Nick Rowland soloed on 5 of the 6 pieces played and he did them all beautifully. Jim Mair and KCKCC ought to be proud.

IAJE 2008 was tremendously well organized and should be greatly applauded. So on to IAJE 2009 in Seattle , Washington .
See you there.

Kansas City At The 2008 IAJE In Toronto