BoMuse News, vol. 20, no. 5

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BoMuse News is a monthly newsletter from BoMuse Music. It presents items of interest related to jazz, and advocacy for music education, as well as news of releases from BoMuse Music and the performing activities of Paul Combs.

Follow @BoMuseMusic on Twitter, and Facebook,  and now at All About Jazz.

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1. The Nash Gig!

2. JJA 2021 Awards

3. California Jazz Foundation

4. Videos

5. Gigs

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1. As reported, The Nash had to reschedule a few of the Nash Under The Stars concerts, mine among them. We, Jude Poorten, Max Beckman, Sam Russo, and I, will now play at The Nash itself, 100 E. Roosevelt St., Phoenix AZ, on Friday June 11. We will be playing two shows, and 7:00 and 9:00 MST (yes Mountain Standard Time). If you are nowhere near Phoenix, you can “attend” via the live stream. The program is built around the relationship between jazz and movie music, both movie music that we have found interesting to play, and movie music composed by jazz musicians. It is exciting to be playing at this first-class venue, and to finally be getting back to a more normal performing environment. Although, it should be noted that the reason for two shows is the need for half capacity seating at The Nash. 

Again, while most of you reading this are at a distance from Phoenix, the shows will be streamed live.

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2. Last month the Jazz Journalist Association announced its Jazz Heroes awards, for local activists who support the music and musicians. This month, or actually a few days after the last issue, they announce the rest of their awards. There are lots of awards, since even though the mainstream media and the industry consider jazz to be marginal, the jazz community is really rather large, and alive. Since the JJA Website is a little tricky to navigate, you can find the awards for Performance and Recordings here, and the Journalism Awards here. 

 The Jazz Journalists Association (JJA) is a 501(c)(3) non-profit corporation that supports the creation and dissemination of accurate, balanced, ethical and informative journalism on all of jazz’s genres and encourages the creative use of media to spur the growth, development and education of the audience for jazz. (Read JJA’s full statement here)

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3. The California Jazz Foundation supports California jazz musicians in need, much like the American Jazz Foundation, except just for musicians in this state. The are having a fund raising Gala on June 6, which includes an online silent auction, to which I have donated a couple of items. Rather than try to explain it all I will quote the CJF:

“In 2006, The California Jazz Foundation was founded to assist California’s jazz musicians in financial and / or medical crisis. To raise funds for this important cause, the Foundation commenced an annual fundraiser – Give the Band a Hand!

Please join us on Sunday, June 6, 2021 at 6:00 PM as we honor Tim Jackson, Artistic Director of the Monterey Jazz Festival, and Artistic Director and Co-Founder of Kuumbwa Jazz in Santa Cruz; and pay tribute to the memory of beloved jazz pianist, composer, and arranger Horace Silver.

Hosted by: LeRoy Downs

Special guests and performers include Billy Childs, John Clayton, Gerald Clayton, Peter Erskine, Russell Ferrante, Lee Ritenour, Darynn Dean, Scott Tixier, and Alonzo Bodden, with more to be announced in the coming weeks.

Our VIRTUAL evening will include several musical tributes, heartfelt accolades, and entertaining presentations as we raise funds to support California musicians in critical financial and / or medical need. This year, more than any other, we must support those who have given us so much joy, often with so little in return.”

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4. Between getting ready for the June 11 gig at The Nash, and then my trip to Spain to cover the Jazzaldia Festival for KSDS and All About Jazz, I still have not been able to finish any editing of videos. However, I have started a new series of videos which I will be posting, probably later this summer, after I get back from Spain. This is projected to be a long term project with interviews with musicians about how they became musicians. In the case of those who are also teachers, I will be asking for their thoughts on the changes since the days when jazz musicians learned most of their craft on the bandstand; those days when there was a lot more live music performance, and most musicians worked four to six nights a week. I have recorded one of these, and hope to do at least a couple more before my trip. Of course, if time and opportunity permit, I would like to do as many as possible while at the festival. I may also be able to put up a couple of segments from the Jazz and the Movies show at the Nash. Anyone who has edited video will understand why  I haven’t been able to get anything new up for a while. One needs not only time, but quality time for the task. If you are new here, my channel is Paul Combs – BoMuse

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5. Gigs

Aside from my gig at The Nash, mentioned above, we are back at the Carlsbad Village Faire, located at Carlsbad Village Dr. and Carlsbad Blvd. (US 101), on Wednesday afternoons from 2:30-4:40. It’s Dene Davidson’s gig, with Dene on bass, Joey Carano, guitar, and me, sax and flute. I’ll be away in Phoenix on 6/9, but Dene and Joey will be there. I’ll be on hand until the two weeks at the end of July when I go to Spain. Dene and I will be at Jazzy Wishbone, 234 S. Coast Highway, Oceanside, CA, Tuesday, June 1, 6-9PM and as a special treat, we will be joined by Bob Weller on drums. Details at the Events page here on my Website. 

In San Diego visit the Calendar section at Jazz88.3 and pick up a copy of the Troubadour. If you are in Boston check the listings at Jazz Boston, visit the Seacoast Jazz Society Website, and now in Brookline, the Post Underground – reopening later this month, and where ever you are go join All About Jazz so you can receive their Jazz Near You notices.

As always, thank you for supporting LIVE MUSIC!

BoMuse News, vol. 20, no. 5

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BoMuse News is a monthly newsletter from BoMuse Music. It presents items of interest related to jazz, and advocacy for music education, as well as news of releases from BoMuse Music and the performing activities of Paul Combs.

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1. Nash Under The Stars gig Rescheduled!

2. JJA Jazz Heroes Awards

3. Trip to Spain

4. Videos

5. Gigs

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1. As reported last month, I was to  be playing at The Nash Under The Stars, in Phoenix, AZ on Friday May 21. For various reasons this performance has been rescheduled to June 11, at The Nash itself, at 100 E. Roosevelt St., in Phoenix. Details have not been posted yet at their Website, and I will have them in the next issue.  My fellow musicians will be Jude Poorten, guitar; Max Beckman, bass; and Sam Russo, drums. I have had the opportunity to play with these fine musicians before, and I am really looking forward to this show. The theme of the program is Jazz In The Movies/The Movies In Jazz. I will be including program notes, so I don’t talk too much, and have as much time for the music as possible. It turns out that this is a timely topic, since Jon Batiste just won the Academy Award for best score for the music he wrote for the film Soul. 

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2. Every year the Jazz Journalists Association (JJA) honors individuals from across the country with the title of Jazz Heroes for their efforts locally in support of Jazz. These folks are rarely known outside of their communities, but are very important to  the maintenance of the art form, and its connection to the communities in which they live. Somebody said “all jazz is local.” and while we all delight in the music made by the established stars of jazz, there would be no established stars without all the local musicians and those who support their work. Twenty-three of these supporters are honored this year, and you can find out more about these fine people by clicking on their photos here.

The Jazz Journalists Association (JJA) is a 501(c)(3) non-profit corporation that supports the creation and dissemination of accurate, balanced, ethical and informative journalism on all of jazz’s genres and encourages the creative use of media to spur the growth, development and education of the audience for jazz. (Read JJA’s full statement here)

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3. Now that I have been fully vaccinated, I can go to Spain for the 56th Jazzaldia Festival in San Sebastian. I was supposed to go last year, but the pandemic prevented that. I will be going as a correspondent to my local jazz radio station, KSDS/jazz88.org, and All About Jazz. <allaboutjazz.com>. My plan is to make daily reports, both audio and written, and I will have more information on that as we get closer to the Festival, July 21-25. Because the world is not out of the woods yet regarding the virus, this years festival will only present Spanish and some other European musicians, but given the level of this festival over its more than half century of existence, I expect the music to be terrific. 

https://jazzaldia.eus/en/

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4. Again this month was too full of things that needed my attention. As anyone who has edited video will agree, it requires time and concentration. That being said the upcomimg events should yield som video for me to post. In the mean time I would like to share this little delight from Deutche Welle, German television, that my friend Bob McKeon shared with me. Bob also created the poster for the Nash gig (big thanks Bob).  Read the description first, then click on the video.

“A piano concert among animals: The pianist Thelonious Herrmann from Cologne came up with this unique idea. He decided to set up his piano in Cologne’s zoo in order to perform amnogst goats, monkeys, and giraffes. Both the pianist and the animals in the zoo miss having and audience. Many zoos have had to close due to the Corona pandemic. With this project, Thelonious wants to raise funds for Cologne Zoo. Usually, this young musician would be busy touring Europe with his piano. He has been to 18 countries with his project called “Stadtgeklimper.” The song for the animals in the zoo was composed by Thelonious himself. The sea lions in particular seem to have taken a liking to it!”

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5. Gigs

Well  The Nash Under The Stars , with Jude Poorten, Max Beckman, and Sam Russo in Phoenix, has been rescheduled, as covered in the first article. Other than that Dene Davidson and I will be in Oceanside, CA on Thursday, May 20, details at the Events Page .

As always, thank you for supporting LIVE MUSIC!

BoMuse News, vol. 20, no. 4

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BoMuse News is a monthly newsletter from BoMuse Music. It presents items of interest related to jazz, and advocacy for music education, as well as news of releases from BoMuse Music and the performing activities of Paul Combs. 

Follow @BoMuseMusic  on Twitter, and Facebook,  and now at All About Jazz.

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1. Jazz Appreciation Month

2. A Gig!

3. Jazz Grammy Winners

4. Videos

5. Gigs

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1. Happy Jazz Appreciation Month! Jazz Appreciation Month (JAM) was initiated by the National Museum of American History, at the Smithsonian Institution, in 2001 “to recognize and celebrate the extraordinary heritage and history of jazz for the entire month of April.” This year the focus is on Women’s Impact and Contributions in Jazz. You can read more about it here. 

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2. It’s not until the end of May, so I will have full details in the next issue, but The Nash is starting to host outdoor concerts, and I have been invited to give one of these concerts. They will begin in April, with a tribute concert to the late Chick Corea, in the garden of the Arizona Jewish Historical Society, at 122 E. Culver street , in Phoenix. If I understand correctly, this is where our performance will take place on Friday, May 21. More on that in the next issue. 

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3. Here, thanks to Russ Davis of  Modern Jazz Radio, are this years Grammy winers in the Jazz and related categories.

Best Improvised Jazz Solo, ALL BLUES, Chick Corea, soloist, Track from: Trilogy 2 (Chick Corea, Christian McBride & Brian Blade)

Best Jazz Vocal Album, SECRETS ARE THE BEST STORIES, Kurt Elling Featuring Danilo Pérez

Best Jazz Instrumental Album, TRILOGY 2, Chick Corea, Christian McBride & Brian Blade

Best Large Jazz Ensemble Album, DATA LORDS, Maria Schneider Orchestra

Best Latin Jazz Album, FOUR QUESTIONS, Arturo O’Farrill & The Afro Latin Jazz Orchestra

Best Instrumental Composition, SPUTNIK, Maria Schneider, composer (Maria Schneider)

Best Arrangement, Instrumental or A Cappella, DONNA LEE, John Beasley, arranger (John Beasley)

Best Arrangement, Instruments and Vocals, HE WON’T HOLD YOU, Jacob Collier, arranger (Jacob Collier Featuring Rapsody)

https://russdavismoja.com

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4. Well things got too busy in March for me to finish my video about what I learned from Lee Konitz, but I have gotten started on it. In the mean time I recommend the Jazz Video Guy on YouTube.  Also, I recently came across channels with videos of Yusef Lateef. Yusef has been a hero of mine since I was a teenager, not only as a musician but as a man. If you, too appreciate his body of work, you will like this.

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5. We are still waiting for the live music scene to wake from its pandemic slumber. Some venues are starting to have solo acts, and there are rumblings about expanding to duos, so there may be some little gigs in the near future. As I reported last month, I will have them up at my Events page, and listed on the KSDS/Jazz88 Speakeasy, as well as All About Jazz’s Jazz Near You mailings. 

Events

As always, thank you for supporting LIVE MUSIC!

BoMuse News, vol. 20, no. 3

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Follow @BoMuseMusic on Twitter, and Facebook, and now at All About Jazz.

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1. Videos & Streamed Concerts
2. Podcasts from CA Jazz Foundation
3. Arts Empower: Student Spotlight
4. Music In R Schools
5. Gigs

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1. My hands are still too full with other stuff to get back to making videos. However, I hope to turn one out by next month’s issue on what I learned from the late Lee Konitz. I hope that by announcing this it will force me to get it done! (-:). Meanwhile I have inquiries out regarding the Pocket Big Band video I would like to share. I just need to make sure that I have the composer’s family’s permission.

While we wait until we can go to the concerts Chuck Perrin puts on under the name of Dizzy’s here in San Diego, Chuck has shared another video of a past concert from his archive. This one features Bill Caballero’s Bi-National Mambo Orchestra, a very big band with some of the area’s finest musicians.

While we are still cooped up, I hope you are enjoying the many streamed performances that are available. If I may, I would like to give a plug for the venues that will honor the bookings we had to postpone:
The Nash, in Phoenix, AZ
The Merc, in Temecula, CA
Bird & Beckett, in San Francisco, CA

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2. The California Jazz Foundation has made me aware of their podcasts, Sonic Tonic, hosted by guitarist Greg Porée. The most recent is an interview with drummer Clayton Cameron. As described:

“This veteran Los Angeles based drummer, percussionist, producer, composer, educator, writer and historian has been a true pioneer in shaping the advancement of rhythm in music, especially in the genre of Jazz.  The interview follows his journey to becoming a master at his craft playing with such luminaries as James Brown, Christian McBride, Sammy Davis Jr. and Tony Bennett to name but a few.”

The podcast runs a little over 40 minutes. These are new to me and podcasts, in general, are something I have yet to really explore, but this is an excellent interview, well worth checking out.. There are others in this series.

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3. If you are anyone you know is engaged with teaching art to young people, you won’t want to miss this on-line gathering I was alerted to by Pauline Crooks, the Visual and Performing Arts Coordinator for the San Diego County Office of Education.

“Living and working through a pandemic isn’t getting any easier, that’s why it’s so important to prioritize your needs so you can support others. Having a community of educators who understand what you’re going through can help too – that’s what the Arts Empower San Diego Mega Rally Encore: Student Spotlight is all about. For an hour on March 11, we’ll come together to lift each other up in a time that’s been pretty challenging and isolating. I look forward to seeing you there”

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4. I just received this appeal for donations to help young musicians as they return to playing in their school ensembles.

“Dear Friends,

With the number of COVID cases finally decreasing, increased focus has turned to reopening schools around the region.   For students musicians, excitement is growing as they anticipate returning to their bands, orchestras and ensembles.  But playing a musical instrument – especially wind instruments – requires special protective equipment in order to protect the students and teachers from the spread of the virus.

Music in R Schools Foundation reached out to music teachers around Southern California a few weeks ago to find out how we could help them safely restart their programs and the answer was overwhelmingly a need for support to purchase PPE like specialized bell covers for wind instruments.  The cost to provide this equipment is about $25/student.  Altogether, requests from these schools totaled nearly $20,000.  Music In R Schools has allocated $6,000 from existing funds but our hope is to raise at least $10,000 more in the next few weeks to be able to provide assistance to every school who has requested our help.

We are turning to you because you have previously shown a commitment to music education.  Will you help us meet this goal and ensure that eager young musicians can return to their band and orchestra programs with the equipment they need to stay safe and healthy?

If you’re able to make a gift, thank you!  Any amount will make a real difference for these schools as they struggle to reopen.  We’re excited to announce that Bertrand’s Music has offered to match gifts from this campaign up to $1,000 through March 31, 2021.

Please make your gift today so that we can help these schools as soon as possible at www.musicinrschools.org

Gratefully,
Music in R Schools Board of Directors”

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5. Gigs
Having received my COVID-19 vaccine shots, it may be possible for me to get out and play some music before the month is out. We are still sorting things out, but I will post the gigs on my EVENTS page, and at All About Jazz. Please stay tuned.

As always, thank you for supporting LIVE MUSIC, however and whenever you can.

BoMuse News, vol. 20, no. 2

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BoMuse News is a monthly newsletter from BoMuse Music. It presents items of interest related to jazz, and advocacy for music education, as well as news of releases from BoMuse Music and the performing activities of Paul Combs.

Follow @BoMuseMusic  on Twitter, and Facebook , and now at All About Jazz.

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1. KSDS Live again
2. Other Good Jazz Radio News
3. Jazzinstitut Darmstadt
4. Gigs

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1. Our local jazz radio station KSDS/jazz88.org is starting to have live hosts back on air. Chad Fox has done a great job programing the host-less broadcasts these past months, and continues to do so for the hours that still do not have their hosts back. However, it is so comforting to hear those familiar friendly voices in real time.

An informal survey of jazz radio programmers showed a wide variety of solutions to the challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic. They ranged from stations that were able to allow live broadcasting, like KCSM where station personnel only were able to enter the studios, to at least one where the presenter had to use Spotify to get his program out. In the case of KSDS, my understanding is San Diego City College was not allowing radios staff, except technicians, to enter the building.

If you listen to Jazz88 and haven’t done so already, please support them. If you listen to other stations support them too.

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2. This just in from station WBGO in Newark, NJ, via the Jazz Programers Listing:

“The Doris Duke Charitable Foundation has long been a vital supporter of jazz, most visibly through its annual Artist Awards. Today the foundation — which also goes by its initials, DDCF — announced the Jazz Media Lab, which will distribute more than $1 million in funds to a cohort of nonprofit jazz radio stations across the country.”

“Each of those stations — KMHD (Oregon Public Broadcasting) in Gresham, Ore., KNKX (Pacific Public Media) in Tacoma, Wash., KUVO (Rocky Mountain Public Media) in Denver, Colo., WBGO (Newark Public Radio) in Newark, N.J., and WRTI (Temple University) in Philadelphia, Pa. — will receive general operating support grants of $225,000 over three years.”

More on this from The Current and WRTI. Let’s hope there will be grants coming to some of the other Jazz Radio stations across the country.

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3. I mentioned this a while back, maybe two years ago, but you may have missed it or decided not to explore it at the time. The Jazzinstitut in Darmstadt, Germany, is a terrific resource, not only for researchers, but for any one with a love of Jazz. They publish a newsletter via email, with digest of news items regarding our art form from a variety of sources. There is a form for subscribing at the bottom of their Website. In the latest issue there were several links to article about two recently released movies in which Jazz plays a prominent role, Black Bottom and Soul, as well as many other articles of interest. If you a looking for interesting news in this time of reduced activity, and disturbing developments, I recommend it highly.

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4. Gigs

Well I am still house bound, except for trips to the market, and other occasional necessary errands. I’m plugging away at various projects, practicing, or at least warming up, daily. I can report that at least two of the six important gigs that had to be canceled are still on, whenever we can gather indoors again. One of the others will be easy to reschedule and communications are still in progress on the other two. I hope to see you out and about eventually.

Ware a mask, keep a safe distance, get your shot when you can, and as always, thank you for supporting LIVE MUSIC! if only virtually for now.

Follow @BoMuseMusic  on Twitter, and Facebook , and now at All About Jazz.

BoMuse News, vol. 20, no. 1 EXTRA

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BoMuse News is a monthly newsletter from BoMuse Music. It presents items of interest related to jazz, and advocacy for music education, as well as news of releases from BoMuse Music and the performing activities of Paul Combs. Questions and comments should be sent by visiting “Contact” at Paul Combs’ Web-site.

Follow @BoMuseMusic <https://twitter.com/BoMuseMusic> on Twitter, and Facebook <https://www.facebook.com/BoMuseMusic/>, and now at All About Jazz. <https://musicians.allaboutjazz.com/paulcombs>

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1. Grammys Postponed
2. Passings
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1. This just in from The Recording Academy (NARAS):

“After thoughtful conversations with health experts, our host and artists scheduled to appear, we are rescheduling the 63rd Annual GRAMMY Awards to be broadcast Sunday, March 14, 2021. The deteriorating COVID situation in Los Angeles, with hospital services being overwhelmed, ICUs having reached capacity, and new guidance from state and local governments have all led us to conclude that postponing our show was the right thing to do. Nothing is more important than the health and safety of those in our music community and the hundreds of people who work tirelessly on producing the show.”

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2. In addition to the elders on this list, whom we would not be surprised to mourn, there are too many who have left us too soon, mostly due to COVID-19. As George Klein of RadioFreeAmsterdam said in sharing this list he compiled, there are no doubt others of the jazz community, and the music community in general, who are missing; musicians who were valued members of their local communities. Of course, in noting these lives well lived, our hearts go out to everyone mourning all those who passed in this pandemic last year, and are dying daily as I write this.

Thanks again to George Klein for assembling this list.

•Neil Peart 1/7 Drummer, songwriter for Canadian rock band Rush; 67
•Claudio Roditi 1/17 Brazilian trumpeter at home in modern mainstream jazz; 73
•Jimmy Heath 1/19 Major saxophonist in modern jazz & in Heath Brothers; 93
•Robert Parker 1/20 New Orleans singer, saxophonist , who wrote “Barefootin’”; 89
•Lucien Barbarin 1/30 New Orleans trombonist with distinctive growl;’ 63
•Lyle Mays 2/10 Keyboardist best known for work with Pat Metheny; 66
•Joseph Shabalala 2/11 Founder of Ladysmith Black Mambazo; 78
•Jon Christensen 2/18 Norwegian drummer often on ECM Records; 76
•Bill Smith 2/29 Clarinetist in classical & jazz who played often with Brubeck; 93
•McCoy Tyner 3/6 More than Coltrane’s pianist; 81
•Marcelo Peralta 3/10 Argentine saxophonist – of Covid; 59
•Oliver Stokes Jr (Go DJ Black n Mild) 3/19 New Orleans Bounce artist/radio dj, of Covid; 44
•Kenny Rogers 3/20 Country & pop music star; 81
•Ronald Lewis 3/20 New Orleans historian of black masking & parades, of Covid; 68
•Ray Mantilla 3/21 Versatile latin/jazz percussionist; 85
•Eric Weisberg 3/22 Progressive bluegrass banjoist known for Dueling Banjos; 80
•Mike Longo 3/22 Pianist, longtime musical director for Dizzy – of Covid; 83
•Manu Dibango 3/24 Afro-jazz saxophonist based in Paris – of Covid; 86
•Freddy Rodriguez Sr 3/25 Denver-based saxophone legend -of covid; 89
•Rev Joseph Lowry 3/27 Essential civil rights activist; 98
•Bill Withers 3/30 Soulful singer & songweiter; 81
•Wallace Roney 3/31 Renowned trumpeter inspired by Miles, of Covid; 59
•Adam Schlesinger 4/1 Pop-rock songwriter, of Covid; 52
•Ellis Marsalis 4/1 Pianist, patriarch of Marsalis musical family, of Covid; 85
•Bucky Pizzarelli 4/1 Guitarist who spanned history of jazz guitar, of Covid; 94
•Hal Wilner 4/6 Producer for Sat Night Live, other projects, of Covid; 64
•Onaje Allan Gumbs 4/6 Versatile pianist in bop & smooth styles; 70
•John Prine 4/7 Renowned folk-country singer-songwriter, of Covid; 73
•Eddie Davis 4/7 Trad jazz banjoist often associated with Woody Allen, of Covid; 79
•Peter Ecklund 4/8 Cornetist in various pop rock & trad jazz bands; 74
•Andy Gonzalez 4/9 Bassist in innovative NY Latin bands; 69
•Jymie Merritt 4/10 Strong hard bop bassist with Art Blakey , Lee Morgan, many others; 93
•Jose Torres 4/12 Owner of Joe’s Place in Bronx, for salsa music, of Covid; 73
•Rio Kawasaki 4/13 Guitarist & guitar synth innovator; 73
•Lee Konitz 4/15 Renowned alto sax master of intense cool improv – of Covid; 92
•Henry Grimes 4/15 Free jazz bassist who returned to activity after years of absence, of Covid; 84
•Giuseppi Logan 4/17 Saxophonist active in 60’s free jazz, of Covid; 84
•Bootsie Barnes 4/22 Hard bop tenor sax, based in Philly, of Covid; 82
•Big Al Carson 4/26 New Orleans blues singer & versatile musician; 66
•Danny Leake 4/27 Renowned studio & concert audio engineer; 69
•Tony Allen 4/30 Nigerian drummer who developed Afro Beat; 79
•Richie Cole 5/2 Mainstream alto sax master; 72
•Jesse Hawthorn 5/2 WWOZ host known as Midnight Creeper & Brother Jesse, of Covid; 71
•Frederick Tillis 5/3 Saxophonist and composer who combined African-American & European elements, also a long-time faculty member at UMass Amherst; 90
•Alfred “Uganda” Roberts 5/5 New Orleans percussionist w/Prof Longhair, many others; 77
•Little Richard 5/9 Richard Penniman, architect of rock & roll; 87
•Betty Wright 510 R&B, soul icon; 66
•Randy Falcon 5/23 Renowned Cajun accordion maker; 69
•Jimmy Cobb 5/24 Kind of Blue drummer for Miles, many others; 91
•Lennie Niehaus 5/28 W Coast alto sax, composer, arranger w/Kenton; music for films; 90
•Gloria Denard 5/30 Vocalist, founder of jazz education school in E. Harlem; 93
•Robert Northern aka Brother Ah 5/31 French hornist in orchestra, exploring jazz, classical, spiritual music; 86
•Art Hoyle 6/4 Versatile Chicago-based trumpeter; 90
•Bonnie Pointer 6/8 a founding member of gospel & r&b group The Pointer Sisters; 69
•Keith Tippett 6/14British keyboardist in King Crimson, various jazz & rock; 72
•Vera Lynn 6/18 British singer who inspired WWII troops; 103
•Blaine Kern Sr. 6/25 Mr Mardi Gras. Float builder for many Mardi Gras crews; 93
•Edward Anderson 6/25 New Orleans trumpeter, record label owner & educator; 54
•Tami Lynn 6/26 Soul & gospel singer from New Orleans; 77
•Freddy Cole 6/27 Pianist & vocalist , member of Cole family including Nat & Ike; 88
•Johnny Mandel 6/29 Composer, arranger of jazz, music for film; 94
•Cleveland Eaton 7/5 Bassist with Ramsey Lewis, Count Basie, others; 80
•Ennio Norricone 7/6 Composer of distinctive music for films, including westerns; 91
•Charlie Daniels 7/6 Country-rock bandleader, star; 83
•Eddie Gale 7/10 Trumpeter, jazz educator, activist; 78
•Gilbert Matthews 7/20 S. African drummer also active in Europe & US; 77
•Annie Ross 7/21 Vocalist, actress, NEA Jazz Master; 89
•Helen Jones Woods 7/25 Trombonist w/ Int’l Sweethearts of Rhythm, of Covid; 96
•Peter Green 7/25 Guitarist & co-founder of Fleetwood Mac; 73
•Salome Bey 8/8 Soulful jazz, blues, gospel singer, sister of Andy Bey; 86
•Joe Segal 8/10 Longtime owner of Jazz Showcase in Chicago, NEA Jazz Master; 94
•Trini Lopez 8/11 Pop-Latin singer , guitarist, of Covid; 83
•Steve Grossman 8/13 Versatile fusion & post-bop saxophonist; 69
•Hal “Cornbread” Singer 8/18 Jazz, r&b saxophonist. Last survivor of 1921 Tulsa race massacre; 100
•Bryan Lee 8/20 Blind blues guitarist & singer, longtime fixture in New Orleans; 77
•Charlie Persip 8/23 Drummer, bandleader, educator; 91
•Justin Townes Earle 8/23 Country-Americana singer, songwriter, 38
•Ronnie Kole 8/27 Popular pianist based in New Orleans; 89
•Willis Prudhomme 8/31 Durable Louisiana zydeco accordionist; 88
•Sylvester Francis 9/1 Keeper of NOLA Black culture in Backstreet Cultural Museum; 73
•Gary Peacock 9/4 Innovative, forward looking bassist with many greats; 85
•Bruce Williamson 9/6 Singer with Temptations, of Covid; 49
•Frederick “Toots” Hibbert 9/11 Reggae pioneer with The Maytals, possibly of Covid; 77
•Reggie Johnson 9/11 Durable bassist with many mainstream & avant players; 79
•Stanley Crouch 9/16 Combative critic of jazz, black culture; 74
•Jack Simpson 9/19 Radio host of Jazz on the Beach since 1967; 96
•Ira Sullivan 9/21 Versatile multi-instrumentalist bop master; 89
•Juliette Greco 9/23 Actress & singer of Chanson Francaise; 93,
•Helen Reddy 9/29 Singer of 70’s feminist hit I Am Woman; 78
•Eddie Van Halen 10/6 Rock guitar legend; 65
•Johnny Nash 10/6 Pop singer, also helped introduce reggae in US; 80
•Mohammad Reza Shajarian 10/9 Iranian master singer of traditional Persian music; 80
•Joe Rico 10/10 Influential jazz broadcaster in Buffalo NY, 96
•John Gibson 10/11 Minimalist saxophonist w/Phillip Glass; 80
•Harold Betters 10/11 Versatile trombonist based in Pittsburgh; 92
•Viola Smith 10/21 Swing era drummer, leader of all-girl Coquettes; 107
•Candido Camero 11/7 Percussionist at center of Afro-Cuban jazz; 99
•Ian Finkel 11/16 ‘World’s Greatest Xylophonist’ from borscht belt to philharmonic – of Covid; 72
•Layton Thibodeaux 12/2 Cajun musician, law enforcement officer & radio host, St. Landry Parish LA – of Covid; 66
•Charley Pride 12/12 Country music trailblazer – of Covid; 86
•“Blue” Gene Tyranny (Robert Sheff) 12/12 Pianist, composer who explored intersections of rock, jazz, classical; 75
•Nadi Quamr (Spaulding Givens) 12/13 Pianist & Afromusicologist; 103
•Gypsy Lou Webb 12/13 French Quarter bohemian & publisher of beat generation authors; 104
•Jeff Clayton 12/16 Saxophonist, teacher, co-leader of Clayton Bros Quintet, Clayton-Hamilton Orch; 65
•Stanley Cowell 12/17 Pianist, composer, educator, creative collaborator; 79
•Debbie Duncan 12/18 Singer from Detroit, based in Minneapolis; 69
•Rebecca Luker 12/23 Broadway musical star -of ALS & Covid; 59
•Tony Rice 12/26 Flat-pick guitarist, bluegrass innovator; 69
•Armando Manzanero 12/28 Mexican singer & composer of romantic songs -of Covid; 85
•Alto Reed 12/29 Detroit saxophonist with Bob Seger; 72
•Frank Kimbrough 12/30 Creative pianist active in new music & mainstay of Maria Schneider Orch; 64
•Claude Jean Harry Bolling, pianist, composer and bandleader, born 10 April 1930; died 29 December 2020.

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As always, thank you for supporting LIVE MUSIC, and the recorded and streamed performances we rely on in these challenging times.

BoMuse News, vol. 20, no. 1

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BoMuse News is a monthly newsletter from BoMuse Music. It presents items of interest related to jazz, and advocacy for music education, as well as news of releases from BoMuse Music and the performing activities of Paul Combs.

Follow @BoMuseMusic  on Twitter, and Facebook, and now at All About Jazz.

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1. Twenty Years!
2. Grammy Reflections
3. Jazz Education Network Conference
4. Videos
5. Passings
6. Gigs

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1. As I start the Twentieth volume of this newsletter, I want to thank all of you who have continued to subscribe. Especially those who’s addresses I recently recovered, and who chose to resubscribe. Shortly after I moved out here to San Diego, the program used for sending out the BoMuse News went belly up, and I could not find my back-up list. Recently, with some time on my hands I found the list, and reached out to those on it. Welcome back my friends. While we wait for venues to reopen, I will try to give you something worth knowing about in the coming months.

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2. Ah December! Time for Chanukah, Christmas, Kwanzaa, New Year’s Eve, and the second round of voting for the Grammys. As I have said before, I have mixed feelings about the awards handed out by the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences (NARAS). A few of my friends have been nominated, and even awarded over the years, and I celebrate these honors, for sure. On the other hand, I find it an absurd exercise – especially the best jazz solo category. I vote because I have just enough studio credits to do so, and was encouraged to as a way to keep “the industry” aware of us in the jazz community. The song, album, and artist of the year, etc. usually do not interest me. It seems that nothing in these categories ever really grabs me. Although just sampling a bit here and there this year made me think that I should at least try… maybe next year. The biggest problem for me is the same thing I have with arts contests of any kind: what should be the criteria? Choosing the music to vote for is a bit like throwing darts at a wall. Everything is of high quality, but unique. I did notice that with all the social unrest this past year, many of the jazz artists were trying to address big issues. It took me back to the late 60s and 70s, and reminds me (as if I needed any reminding) of just how much more progress needs to be made in the struggle for civil rights.

The Awards will be announced on January 31. If you care to see the lists of the nominees go here.

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3. This is also the season for the annual Jazz Education Network (JEN) Conference. It will be on-line this year. The down side, for me at least, is missing the face-to-face interaction with colleagues. The up-side, especially if you have never had reason enough to attend, is that it doesn’t cost very much to join and register, and there are many fine performances that will be streamed. Here is the schedule. I think the whole thing comes to less than $200 for membership and registration, which is a pretty good deal for four days of concerts and informative sessions. Even if you are not a musician and/or educator, the fees support a very worthy cause.

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4. I am still hung up waiting for needed responses regarding copyrights before I can post the Pocket Big Band video. In the meantime I have been enjoying performances by Brazilian singers, some in connection with a Tom Jobim project I am contemplating.

Also THIS JUST IN from Chuck Perrin of Dizzy’s Jazz San Diego: a video form his old location made in 2005 featuring the Gary LeFebvre Big Band, which included, among others, Gilbert Castellano, Gerald Clayton, and Rob Thorsen. The resumption of concerts organized by Chuck at the Musicians’ Union Hall is something we all have to look forward to.
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5. I used to run an obituary column in this newsletter, but as time went on I felt I could not do justice to the people whose lives I was try to celebrate. George Klein, one of the members of the Jazz Programers Listing, has compiled a list of notable jazz musicians, and even a few from other genres. In the interest of honoring these people, and by extension all of this who have suffered this last year, I will be sending an “extra” with his list. It is too long to include here.

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6. Gigs

Recently my friend Dene Davidson made something of a breakthrough in an on-going effort to find new venues for jazz in the north of our county, if only as background music. Earlier in December I played on a couple of these, and it felt so good to get out and play for people. Unfortunately, we are experiencing a crisis in the limited number of ICU beds in our hospitals, so I have ended up deciding to continue to lay low for now. I hope the place we played in Oceanside will survive the crisis, and I can announce a gig or two there in the future.

Be well, stay safe and,

As always, thank you for supporting LIVE MUSIC! – if only in your dreams for the time being.

Follow @BoMuseMusic  on Twitter, and Facebook, and now at All About Jazz.

BoMuse News, vol. 19, no. 12

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BoMuse News is a monthly newsletter from BoMuse Music. It presents items of interest related to jazz, and advocacy for music education, as well as news of releases from BoMuse Music and the performing activities of Paul Combs.

Follow @BoMuseMusic, and Facebook, and now at All About Jazz.

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1. Projects
2. Jazz News Sources
3. Arts For Learning Holiday Cards
4. Gigs

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1. While there are few performing opportunities (see Gigs for one glimmer), I am working on various projects. As reported before, one is developing video and audio tech skills, and that is crawling forward steadily, but slowly. I still have to work out the performing

rights issues around the recently discovered video of the Pocket Big Band; I have to be patient since the ball is now in BMI’s court. There is also a recently recovered live recording of the Pocket Big Band that I would like to make available on a very limited release. Then there is a long blog posting of Dameron research that has cropped up after the publication of the book. That too is moving slowly but steadily. Back to the tech front, I hope to try streaming a duo performance from my living room by the end of the year. Needless to say, I am thankful to be in a position to work on these things.

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2. I like to share sources for jazz news from time to time, and since I was introduced to some in the course of the reviews of Unknown Dameron, I went hunting on the internet and found this site called RoJaRo, which listed several from around the world. Sadly, some are discontinued, but you might find looking at this interesting, even though it is not complete. Fortunately the ones that reviewed my CD are still active:

Jazzdagama
Culturejazz
Jazz Weekly
L.A. Jazz Scene
New York City Jazz Record
Sea Of Tranquility

Although not exactly a magazine there is also Marc Meyer’s Jazz Wax.

There is more out there, and it is comfort to know that so many enterprising individuals are engaged in writing about the jazz world.

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3. Recently I received and email from Arts For Learning San Diego, announcing the upcoming sale of some special Holiday Cards, which will go on sale on December 1. Arts For Learning (A4LSD) is one of the larger organizations I was introduced to in my time on committees of the Art Education Resource Organization (AERO). The sale of the cards go to support the work of A4LSD in support of arts education in San Diego County Schools. You can find out more next week at the Arts For Learning Web-site.

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4. Gigs

I actually have a gig for the next three Sundays. I’ll be covering for my friend Keith Bishop in a band that plays for Evensong at St. Michael’s By The Sea Episcopal Church, 2775 Carlsbad Blvd., in Carlsbad. The band is led by another friend, bassist Dene Davidson. The service is held outside in the court yard behind the church from 4:00 to 5:30. It will be so nice to get out and make some music for people who are actually there, and in a safe environment.

As always, thank you for supporting LIVE MUSIC (as well as its temporary substitutes)!

Follow @BoMuseMusic, and Facebook, and now at All About Jazz.

BoMuse News, vol. 19, no. 11

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BoMuse News is a monthly newsletter from BoMuse Music. It presents items of interest related to jazz, and advocacy for music education, as well as news of releases from BoMuse Music and the performing activities of Paul Combs.

Follow @BoMuseMusic  on Twitter, and Facebook, and now at All About Jazz.

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1. Challenges
2. Plans
3.Thanksgiving
4.Videos
5. Gigs

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1. Well, it looks like it will be next summer before we can perform for live audiences. I am continuing to try to work something out with one of the venues where I play with some regularity to start a streaming series. Unfortunately, the owners have their hands full with more urgent matters, with which I am sympathetic, so I just have to wait my turn. Meanwhile, the role of technology in various forms has become increasingly important in the lives of performing artists. The COVID crisis has accelerated this, for sure, but the trend was already underway. From the digital download eclipsing CDs, to the streaming of performances, there is no getting away from the need for technological competency for something approaching survival for us musicians. Even for someone like me, with a modest background in audio engineering, this extra work load is not particularly welcome, but it has to be accepted.

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2. Since my Summit CD, Unknown Dameron, has turned out to be one of those “critically acclaimed, but commercially unsuccessful” recordings (and I take some comfort in being in good company in this regard), I am exploring strategies for future releases that will be less expensive to produce, but will still keep me in the game. Right now I have three, perhaps more, projects in mind, and we will see how successful I will be in getting them completed. As Duke Ellington said of quitting music, “Retire to what?” Right now I am working on a some promotional projects for casual work as a way to get better at producing my own recordings and videos. I don’t want to jinx anything, so I’ll save the details until I have something to show for my efforts.

Unknown Dameron: Rare and Never Recorded Works of Tadd Dameron – Paul Combs

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3. November is Thanksgiving month. In spite of the artistic challenges, I have so much to be thankful for. The love of family and friends, good health, a good home, and the gift of music. This summer my family grew by one when my son married his long time friend and roommate. So far, all of my close friends have stayed healthy and secure, as have I. Finally, although our nation will continue to struggle with strong, and in my opinion unnecessary political divisions, we are anticipating a reduction of vituperative speech, at least from the highest office in our republic. I wish you all a Happy Thanksgiving!

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4. I am still sorting out some publishing details, so I cannot post the nice video of the Pocket Big Band just yet. I have just finished recording video and sound for the first of a small series of demos for casual work. This may also yield a “COVID Concert” of five tunes. In these I am playing with backing tracks. I must admit I have an aversion to this sort of ‘karaoke’ performance, but whether I like it or not, it has become generally accepted. I have even done one so far, when offered less money than I thought appropriate for a duo. The tracks feature real musicians playing real instruments. Synthesizer tracks are a bridge too far for me! I will be interested to see the response, if any, when I post the concert version.

In the meantime, may I recommend the videos posted by the Jazz Video Guy, Bret Primack, as well as any of the other available videos of excellent musicians. I have been enjoying the ones featuring the late Johnny Griffin lately, and the ever smiling Gene Harris, as well. And don’t forget to look up the folks who are still with us, especially the many young players and singers who are establishing themselves – you can find some here at ElectricLouieLand – and of course all those marvelous mid-career musicians we are blessed to have among us.

There is one more video that I would like to suggest. It features Daniel Jackson, a very important San Diego musician who passed before I got here, but whose influence is still felt throughout the San Diego Jazz Community. Jackson is joined by other influential San Diego musicians, trumpeter Gilbert Castellanos, bassist Marshall Hawkins, and percussionists Charlie Chavez and Gene Perry. Readers in San Diego will know these superb musicians, but others from out of town may not. The video was posted by Chuck Perrin who supports all of us local jazz musicians to finding places for us to perform under the banner of Dizzy’s. Chuck’s efforts are another thing to be thankful for.

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5. Gigs

While I am advised to lay low until we get the “all clear,” there maybe some safe outdoor venues where you can enjoy some live music, depending on where you live, and some venues are managing to live stream responsibly produced shows.

And don’t forget to support your favorite Jazz Radio stations and Internet presenters.

Hang in there, ware your mask, and we will hope to be out playing again by next summer.

As always, thank you for supporting LIVE MUSIC (as well as its temporary substitutes)!

Follow @BoMuseMusic  on Twitter, and Facebook, and now at All About Jazz.

BoMuse News, vol. 19, no. 9

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BoMuse News is a monthly newsletter from BoMuse Music. It presents items of interest related to jazz, and advocacy for music education, as well as news of releases from BoMuse Music and the performing activities of Paul Combs.

Follow @BoMuseMusic  on Twitter, and Facebook,  and now at All About Jazz.

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1. Experiment in Streaming
2. This Month’s Videos
3. Arts Education During COVID19
4. Some Thoughts in a Troubled Time
5. Gigs ?

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1. In the next few weeks, I hope to start some streaming experiments. I’ll save the specifics for the date when I actually have something to announce. There are still some pieces that have to fall into place that are out of my hands. In the meantime, may I recommend some of the sources for musical comfort in these troubled times. In no particular order:

Dizzy’s here in San Diego is posting a few videos of past concerts. You can sign up for announcements, or go to YouTube to see a Wes Montgomery tribute concert .

I was just alerted, via Facebook, to lovely arrangements of hymns and spirituals for saxophone quartet by the estimable saxophonist and arranger Lance Bryant. You can hear them at his YouTube channel along with some other video creations of his.

The brilliant pianist Jeremy Siskind, with whom I had the pleasure of performing at a Wolfe Gardens house concert, is performing this Thursday, Sept. 4, at 7:00 PDT, with vocalist Christine Gutter. It will be available on the YouTube channel of the Del Mar Foundation.

Many jazz festivals have had to cancel this year due to the virus. However, The Detroit Jazz Festival will be live streamed. It will take place, as in previous years, on the Labor Day Weekend.

The excellent San Diego guitarist Louis Valenzuela has been quite busy streaming on line. Check out his YouTube channel for online shows.

Sherry Williams of the Merc in Temecula is supporting a variety of San Diego musicians’ concerts online. I don’t see announcements on the Merc’s Web-site, but if you would like to get emails from Sherry, get back to me and I will pass your address on to her. I do not feel comfortable just putting her address out there.

As I reported last month, the venues I was scheduled to perform at are either streaming performances, or posting video of past concerts. I have placed that information again under “Gigs?”.

There is a lot more out there, as musicians and their allies put their creative energy to work.

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2. On my own YouTube channel I just posted the final two videos from the Dameron Project Quintet concert from February of 2013. In Part 11, I read from the final chapter of my book on Tadd, and make the case for his importance. This was an introduction to Part 12, the last tune on the concert, “A Blue Time,” which Dameron wrote for Blue Mitchell’s Riverside lp Smooth As The Wind. I must apologize for my stumbling in reading my own words, but I do stand by what I say there. The Quintet featured saxophonist Jim Cameron, pianist Don Hemwall, bassist Herman Hampton, and drummer Stanley Swann.

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3. While I am no longer active in arts education, outside of my work with the African American Jazz Caucus, I continue to have an interest in this area, as you would expect. I am concerned about arts education for elementary and secondary students as so much is up in the air. I was distressed to find no mention of the crisis at the Arts Education Resource Organization (AERO) San Diego Website, and worse still, a rather blank place holder at the Arts For Learning Website. With the museums unable to open, and their educational programs apparently on hold, I was happy to receive an email from Outside The Lens, one of the member organizations of AERO, which announces their ongoing efforts in the face of the current challenges. You can see their online offerings for young photographers here. The Young Lions Jazz Conservatory did run its Summer program online, but I have not heard about their plans for the fall. I will keep you posted on any arts education news that comes my way.

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4. I try to keep the newsletter focused on the topics outlined in the little statement at the top of the page. This does not mean that I keep my head in the sand, hence my opening comments two months ago, after the murder of George Floyd. Sadly, there have been more outrageous incidents. The items written here are my modest effort to try to put something positive out in the world. As Tadd Dameron said, “There is enough ugliness in the world, I’m interested in beauty.” He spoke these words in the wake of the horrific WWII, and the ironies of an America fighting for freedom, while Jim Crow still reigned in several states.

I am a musician who draws inspiration from many sources, but focuses in an art form forged by Black musicians rising from slavery. I cannot remain silent in a time of the presence of such blatant racism as we are experiencing today. Back in the sixties we had the Congress Of Racial Equality, of which I was a youth member. As I recall it, one of its founders, James Farmer gave us a simple motto: “Give a damn!” Please, pay attention, vote, protest, write your officials, and above all give a damn, and try to inspire others to do the same.

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5. Gigs
While I have no engagements scheduled in the near future, there are folks finding public spaces where live music can take place safely. One that was brought to my attention is a regular performance in Bird Park, a corner of Balboa Park at the intersection of 28th and Thorne, in San Diego. Organized by Claudia Gomez, and Jeremy Eikam, They have been playing there on Saturdays from 5:30 to 7:30, although they might switch to Friday, so click on their names for the latest info. There is plenty of space for social distancing, and various musicians come and sit in in the second hour, including yours truly, on occasion.

As reported last month, we will definitely be giving our concert at Bird & Beckett Books, in San Francisco, once the virus is off of us. With that being confirmed I can talk with The Back Room, in Berkeley about keeping in touch regarding scheduling. Last time I talked with the folks at The Nash, in Phoenix, and Sherry Williams at The Merc, in Temecula, the were similar indications. In the meantime, please visit these venues on-line, and support them by enjoying their live streams, and archived shows, and giving a donation as you can. Sherry has a regular email blast with information on The Merc’s presentations. I do not see a place at the Web-site for one to subscribe, but if you contact me I will forward your email address to her, so you can receive her mailings.

As always, thank you for supporting LIVE MUSIC! (and the venues that stay committed to it)