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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. House Concert at Wolfe Garden & La Mesa Library
2. Jazz At Continues
3. CD Progress Report
4. Gigs
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1. I will be giving a concert at the home of Deborah Wolfe, on Saturday, October 20, starting at 7:00 PM. Joining me will be pianist Melonie Grinnell, bassist Mac Leighton, and drummer Richard Sellers. I am excited about playing with these three superb musicians, in this wonderfully intimate setting. Debby hosts these concerts on a fairly regular basis out of her love for music and musicians, and we are most fortunate to have her as a neighbor. The concert I reported about last month, with Roni Ben Hur, Harvey S, Silvia Cuenca – all well-established, New York based players – and their special guest trombonist Matt Hall, was excellent. It will be an honor to play at Debby’s house. If you would like to come to our concert, let me know, and I will pass your email address on to Deborah and she will add you to here invite list. Since this is a private home, I would not publish the address here. [Please note: the Contact page at this site is temporarily out of order, but you can message me via FaceBook or email me paul(at)this website]
The Saturday before this concert, October 13, you can hear Melonie and me in an afternoon recital at the La Mesa Branch Library, 8074 Allison Avenue, La Mesa, CA. We start at 1:00 PM, and the recital is free and open to the public. Melonie is one of my very favorite San Diego pianists, and I am looking forward to this duo performance.
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2. Good News!! The Sunday jazz series I started back in 2002 in Haverhill, MA, will continue. It will now be hosted by The Tap, which is right across the street from the series’ old haunt the Chit Chat Lounge, at 100 Washington St. This venue has the additional advantage of tables and food. The folks at The Tap also brew their own beer, which I remember as being very good, indeed. The series kicks off on Sunday, October 14, at 6:30 PM with the Pocket Big Band. For now news of the Sunday jazz series is still at the Jazz at Chit Chat Facebook page, but a new page will be established soon. Carry on my old friends!
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3. The Unknown Dameron CD will be out on the Summit label in June, if all goes according to present plan. As reported, the tracks are all recorded, and mixed. We are now finishing production, gathering the elements of the package, and laying the groundwork for a full promotion campaign. I would also like to announce that Vanessa Rubin’s Dameron CD, the title of which I believe will be Vanessa Rubin Sings Tadd Dameron, should be out in February or March, and we hope to be as coordinated as possible in our promotion efforts. Please stay tuned.
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4. Gigs
In addition to the recital at the La Mesa Branch Library, and the house Concert at Wolfe Garden, I will be in the band supporting vocalist Erica Marie at the Cuvée Club in La Jolla on Friday, October 12. Last, but not least, the Wednesday afternoon jazz with Dene Davidson’s San Jose Sound, continues at Carlsbad Village Faire, from 2:30 to 4:30-5:00. I love playing there with Dene and guitarist Joey Carano, and watching the little children play around the fountain, and dance to the music. Details are at my events page.
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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. Jazz At Chit Chat Ends
2. Wolfe Garden House Concerts
3. AERO Professional Development
4. JazzWeek Summit/San Jose Jazz Fest
5. Gigs
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1. Back in 2002, after I put the Pocket Big Band together, I wanted to find a place where we could play regularly, develop the band, and build an audience. A friend, Patty McCarron, suggested I get in touch with another friend, Gary Scena of the Chit Chat Lounge in Haverhill, MA. The Chit Chat booked rock bands and singer/songwriters, and I actually had some history with the place going back to the 1970s. The stage was dark on Sundays, and Gary offered me the night. We recorded our Sea Breeze Jazz CD, aptly titled “Live At Chit Chat,” there, with Gary as engineer. In an effort not to ware out our welcome, I started booking other local jazz folks on alternate Sundays, and Jazz At Chit Chat was born. From piano trios to big bands, we presented jazz pretty much every Sunday from that point until just a week or so ago. Jazz at Chit Chat managed to survive two changes of ownership over the years, but with the most recent change of owners, it has come to an end. It was a good run, some 16 years, and I am delighted to say that both the Pocket Big Band and Jazz At Chit Chat survived my departure, thanks to the efforts of John Doherty, Mike Jacobs, and many others of the stalwarts of the Sunday jazz series. Efforts are being made to find a new home for the Pocket Big Band and the Sunday jazz series in the lower Merrimac Valley. I will be watching developments closely, and for now so can you at the Jazz At Chit Chat Facebook page.
By the way, “Live At Chit Chat” is out of print, but I will soon have it available from my Website, which is being rebuilt as I write this.
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2. We had to postpone a house concert in June (v17, n6) and I am happy to say that we have been rescheduled for Saturday, October 20. I will have more about that in the next issue, but I do want to tell you about this wonderful series of concerts at the home of Deborah Wolfe. On Friday September 7, Pianist Jeremy Siskind will perform with a quartet. Siskind, teaches at Fullerton (CA) College, and was winner of the 2012 Nottingham International Piano Competition, and has toured extensively internationally. On Friday September 21 a trio of well-known New York based musicians, guitarist Roni Ben Hur, bassist Harvey S, and drummer Silvia Cuenca, will be Deborah’s guests. Needless to say, I feel honored to be included in this series. Since these concerts take place in a private home, I would publish the location, but if you would like to attend either or both of these concerts, you can contact me and I will put you in touch with Deborah.
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3. As I have reported here before, I sit on two committees of the Arts Education Resource Organization (AERO). One of them, the Professional Development Committee, will present its first workshop of the season, Creative Collaborations With Arts Integration, on Saturday, September 8, 9 AM – Noon, at the La Jolla Playhouse, 2910 La Jolla Village Drive, San Diego. As described by the organizers, “the workshop will be of interest to teaching artists, classroom teachers, administrators, as well as parents. In this interactive workshop, we will explore what Arts Integration is, look at co-teaching models, experience an Arts Integrated lesson, and collaborate with other educators to develop an Arts Integrated lesson plan.” The workshop is free for all AERO Organization Associates, and only $15for non-members. You can see the flyer for the Creative Collaborations With Arts Integration workshop here. On the second page there is as list of AERO Organizations Associates.
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4. I had a delightful and productive time in San Jose. First the JazzWeek Jazz Summit, which was concerned with how we in the jazz community can roll with all the changes that are that are happening in the professional arts world in general, and the jazz world in particular. This was particularly timely for me with the upcoming release of my new CD, and the promotional campaign that I am starting to prepare. As a result, I am reworking my Website, and hope to have this done by October.
The San Jose Jazz Summer Fest was a wonderful as always. Highlights for me included Yissy García’s Bandancha, Doug Beavers’ Titanes Del Trombón: Tribute to Cheo Fleiciano, and serving Sunday as the MC at one of the stages. I got to hear bassist/vocalist Jeff Denson, who played on the San Rafael session for the new CD, perform pieces from his new CD, and I even sat in on a number with one of the bands, Octobop. In short, I heard a lot of great music, caught up with old friends, and made some new ones.
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5. Gigs
I have three big gigs coming up in the next few weeks. First, the Jazz Happy Hour at the Handlery Hotel, with Melonie Grinnell, piano, and Antar Martin bass. If you haven’t discovered this wonderful listening room, you really should. Every Friday, from 5:30 – 7:30 esteemed flutist Holly Hofmann and the hotel present some of the best small group jazz, including performances by visiting dignitaries. On Saturday, September 15, I’ll lead a quartet of Jim Guerin, piano, John Ross, bass, and my old friend Matt Taylor, drums, at Northern Spirits in San Marcos. We start at 7:30 and the Thai food is delicious. On Friday, September 28 I’ll give a concert at Dizzy’s here in San Diego, with Hugo Suarez, piano, Antar Martin, bass, and Matt Taylor, drums. There is no cover at the Handlery or Northern Spirits, where food and drink are available. Dizzy’s is a concert setting and the admission is $20.00 at the door. Details are in the Events page here at my Website.
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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.
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1. JazzWeek Summit
2. Good News from the Musicians Union
3. CD Progress
4. Gigs
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1. It’s August, and that means it’s time for the JazzWeek Summit conference, August 9 & 10. The Summit is a gathering of jazz radio, radio promotion, independent label, and artists for the purpose of focusing on the health specifically of jazz radio, and generally the jazz “eco-system.” I have been attending this almost since its inception, and it has not only benefited me professionally, but has introduced me to a community of exceptional people, many of whom have become friends. The Summit is kind of “family reunion” for many of us.
The JazzWeek Summit is typically scheduled with a jazz festival. In the past we have met just before the Rochester International Jazz Festival, and the Detroit Jazz Festival. This year we are again meeting in connection with the San Jose Jazz Summer Fest. Along with our registration for the conference, we are given passes to the Festival. We are also invited to emcee one or another of the stages, or individual concerts. I like to give something back to the Festival, so I will be the MC for the Sushi Confidential Stage on Sunday, August 12. If you are at the Festival, stop by and say hello.
“Thanks to your emails and calls, the U.S. Senate and House both voted to increase NEA funding by $2.2 million (1.42%) for 2019.
The spending package approved earlier this week also increases the National Endowment for the Humanities budget. The House and Senate will meet in the coming weeks to settle differences in the legislative language between their bills, and there should be one more round of votes before the bill goes to the President.
Union musicians and other members of the arts community sent emails, made phone calls and had conversations with their elected officials about the importance of federal arts funding. This shows that when musicians join together, we can achieve amazing results.
When musicians join together to fight, we win!
In Unity,
Ray Hair
AFM International President”
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3. We have completed the recording of The Unknown Dameron (working title). Richard Sellers is fine tuning the mixes, and I am working on the liner notes. As soon as the label and I have agreed on the sequence of the tracks, I’ll be able to tell you more, including a likely release date. In the mean time you might want to check out Madd For Tadd, a CD of big band arrangements by Tadd Dameron put together by Kent Englehardt and Steve Enos. The Web site for the label is a little eccentric, but you can preview the tracks and purchase the CD there. Also keep an eye on Vanessa Rubin’s Web site for her soon to be released CD of Dameron songs, with arrangements by Frank Foster, Benny Golson, Jimmy Heath, and Tadd’s close friend Willie “Face” Smith.
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4. Gigs
September is shaping up to be a good month for me in terms of performing. Starting with the Labor Day Weekend. While technically still August, I will be playing the Jazz Happy Hour at the Handlery Hotel, 950 Hotel Cl., San Diego, on Friday the 31st. Joining me will be pianist Melonie Grinnell, and bassist Antar Martin. Antar will be on hand again on Friday September 28, when I play at Dizzy’s. There, Antar and I will be joined by pianist Hugo Suarez, and my old friend drummer Matt Taylor. I will continue to play on Wednesday afternoons at the Carlsbad Village Faire as part of Dene Davidson’s Santa Cruz Sound. Still to be confirmed are a September 15 date at Northern Spirits in San Marcos, and a regular, perhaps by-weekly evening in Carlsbad. For the latest on these please follow my professional page at Facebook, or consult the Events page here at www.paulcombs.com. We will be upgrading the site soon, so the exact place on the site may be different from what it is at the moment.
I have some potentially sad news from back in Massachusetts. Jazz At Chit Chat, the Sunday jazz series I started some 15 years ago in Haverhill, MA, may soon come to an end. If you live in northeastern Massachusetts or southeastern New Hampshire, please go support the musicians in the coming weeks. It might convince the new owners to keep the series going. The Chit Chat lounge is located at 103 Washington St., in Haverhill, MA. You can follow the series on Facebook where the calendar for the next two months is posted.
If you are in Boston check the listings at Jazz Boston. In San Diego visit the Calendar section at Jazz88.3. Note: the listing for the Jazz Happy Hour are on the home page of Jazz88.org, scroll about 2/3 of the way down the page.
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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.
====================== 1. Dameron Celebrated in Phoenix 2. New Dameron CDs Update 3. I extend my Internet Presence 4. Gigs
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1. A group of young musicians took it upon themselves to present an evening of music by Tadd Dameron at The Nash in Phoenix, AZ, on Friday June 29. The bassist Max Beckman, an acquaintance, and now truly a friend, invited me to attend. Phoenix is just close enough for a one day drive, and I really did not want to miss this. One of my concerns in this entire effort to put Dameron in his proper place in the history of American music is reaching younger generations of musicians. The “ring leader” of this project, and featured artist of the evening, was pianist Ellis Green. As I understand it, he was drawn to Tadd’s music on his own. Max knows me through family friends, and knows of my research and book. For me this is a vindication, of both my own work, and the essential esthetic attractiveness of Dameron’s body of work, and it’s place in the development of what we know of as modern jazz. Joining Ellis and Max were drummer Filip Voia-Tipei, and in the second set, trumpeter Alex Price. The band did a fine job of both well known, and lesser known Dameron pieces. All are students or former students of the Herberger Institute for Design and the Arts School of Music at Arizona State University.
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2. First, we have recorded all twelve of the pieces for The Unknown Dameron CD, and are moving on with sequencing, possibly re-recording a track or two, and then mastering. I have also started on the liner notes. It is hard to fix a release date as yet, but I do believe we will have this out sometime in 2019.
Second, the excellent veteran vocalist Vanessa Rubin is soon to release her Dameron project. This one features songs by Tadd, backed by an octet, with arrangements by Frank Foster, Benny Golson, Jimmy Heath, and the late Willie “Face” Smith. She is in the final stages of creating the package, and I will, of course, let you know when it is available. I was a source for this project, which started with a concert at the Kennedy Center, a few years ago. I have been looking forward to this release for some time.
Third, an all Dameron CD by a big band of musician/educators from the Cleveland area (well maybe Ohio and environs wold be more accurate) that was organized by Keith Englehardt and Steve Enos. Titled The Magic Continues, it is available from Tightenup Records.
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3. While trying to track down a long lost musician friend, I was reacquainted with the Web-site All About Jazz. I had written a few articles for All About Jazz back in the nineties. As I devoted more and more time to writing my book on Tadd Dameron I lost my connection with this interesting site. There is just so much that demands the attention of an artist who is trying to manage a career by his or her self. As I signed up for a new account, up popped some things that had been in my profile from before, and the editor, Marc Ricci, welcomed me back. I can now be found on All About Jazz, and I reposted that article I wrote for BoMuse News on the demise of Ryles, in Cambridge MA. There is a nice video about this as well. I will be writing some more about the scene here in San Diego, as I have the chance. I am also re-establishing my musician page at All About Jazz. This along with a new page at Reverb Nation, and catching up with changes at CD Baby are a work in progress. I hope to have more to say on all this in the next issue. If you should visit me at Reverb Nation, you will find a track to listen to. It’s proper title is “Frank Fuller’s Waltz,” and was recorded on my CD Moon & Sand.
If you are in Boston check the listings at Jazz Boston. In San Diego visit the Calendar section at Jazz88.3. If you don’t already, follow me @BoMuseMusic on Twitter, and Facebook
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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.
====================== 1. House Concert 2. JJA Awards 3. Arts Education Resource Organization – AERO 4. Gigs
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1. On Friday, June 15, I will have the great pleasure of playing a house concert with pianist Melonie Grinnell, bassist Antar Martin, and drummer Richard Sellers. The concert starts at 6:30 pm at the home of Debbie Wolfe. Debbie, who also sings, graciously opens her home on a monthly basis to give jazz concerts by local musicians. It is a warm and intimate space for playing music, and I am really delighted to be invited to give this concert, especially with these musicians. Most recently Debbie herself performed for the benefit of the Young Lions Jazz Academy. The concert, which was a big success, raised money for a scholarship to the Young Lions specifically for young female musicians. You can find directions in Events on my web-site, or contact Debbie directly at <FascinatorArt@aol.com>
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2. A couple of issues ago I announced the Jazz Heroes Awards from the Jazz Journalists Association. June is the month for the JJA awards for artists and fellow journalists. Benny Golson has been awarded the Lifetime Achievement Award, and there are many other folks honored. You can see the entire list here.
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3. I have written before about the Arts Education Resource Organization (AERO), and I would like to spread the word again here. At a recent meeting, we were talking abut the lack of public awareness of AERO and what it does. Specifically AERO facilitates the access of schools in San Diego County to arts education programs from outside of the school’s resources. These range from those offered by large organizations, such as the San Diego museums, to individual artist/educators. Since the economic crises of the last 25+ years, arts education in California public schools has been under duress, to say the least. AERO exists to offer some relief for this situation, and beyond that, should we be able to restore proper “in house” arts education in all of our schools, to offer enrichment of those programs that do exist.
It is important that the general public become aware of AERO’s existence and efforts, since the support of parent organizations and individual parents is key to encouraging schools to take advantage of the programs offered by AERO members. Unfortunately, not many outside of the arts education community know about AERO. Even within the arts community at large, people are unaware of this organization.
One of AERO’s strengths actually ends up being part of this awareness problem. AERO is a completely volunteer organization, and because of the logistical help it receives from the County Department of Education, funding is not an issue for its existence. Therefore, it is never having to appeal for financial support. It is because of appeals that most people become aware of non-profits engaged in good works.
So I am asking you to go to the AERO website, and find out more. If you are on Facebook, look up <aero san diego> to see some of the things members are doing. The way the page is set up I don’t think you can “friend” it, but members post about their activities. If you have children, look into ways your schools arts programs can be helped. If you have grandchildren, share this information with your grown children. If you have no children, share this with your neighbors
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4. This month I continue to be part of the Dene Davidson Trio on Wednesdays at the Village Faire in Carlsbad, except for June 6, when I will be in the studio working on the Unknown Dameron CD. On June 7 I’ll celebrate my birthday as the guest artist with the Fred Hardy Quartet at Cafe Europa. Of course, there is my own quartet in Debbie Wolfe’s house concert mentioned above in the first item. Finally, I will be in the band backing Dorothy Darling’s tribute to Ella Fitzgerald at Fast Times on June 12. Times and locations are listed at Events at my Website.
If you are in Boston check the listings at Jazz Boston. In San Diego visit the Calendar section at Jazz88.3. If you are in any of the other major markets, you likely have a jazz radio station, which I hope you support, and they should have listings as well. And if you don’t already, follow me @BoMuseMusic.
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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.
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1. Quintet at Dizzy’s – CD Update
2. Debby Wolff’s House Concerts
3. NEA Jazz Masters & JJA Nominees Announced
4. Higher Education Offerings
5. Jazz Streams Archive and More
6. Gigs
at Dizzy’s. Aside from being an opportunity to play the music of Tadd Dameron, this concert was in preparation for the final recording session for my Unknown Dameron CD, due for release next year. I just got the first mixes from the February session and the CD is shaping up nicely. Stay tuned, and be sure to keep track of the fine concerts at Dizzy’s.
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2. Next month, June 15, I’ll be playing at a house concert chez Debby Wolfe, and I’ll have more on that next month. Right now I would like you to know about a benefit concert at Debby’s to support the big band of the San Diego Performing and Creative Arts School. The band is so get gets invited tot go to festivals like Essentially Ellington, in New York, and others around California. Naturally, it costs money for the travel expenses, and San Diego Unified is strapped for cash, as we all know. If you would like to attend contact Debby Wolfe <FascinatorArt@aol.com>.
Also, “the Jazz Journalists Association has announced the nominees for the 2018 JJA Jazz Awards, which celebrate excellence in music and music journalism in thirty-nine awards categories. JJA Professional Journalist members are voting now for 2018 Jazz Awards winners, who will be announced online at JJAJazzAwards on May 7; most will receive their engraved statuettes publicly at their summer performances across the U.S. A Jazz Awards party has been scheduled for June 12, 2018, to be held at Arnold Hall of the Theresa Lang Community and Student Center, space generously provided by the School of Jazz at The New School NYC. Mark your calendar now– details coming soon.”
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4. I have just revised my offerings to higher education. These are all based on what I learned from writing my book on Tadd Dameron Dameronia – The Life and Music of Tadd Dameron. You can find a general out line of my proposals here, and the complete proposal in .pdf form here. With the CD moving ahead, and its planned release next year, I am hoping to have the opportunity to share what I have learned with the upcoming generation of jazz musicians, as well as a general public.
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5. My thanks go out to Jesse Chuy Varela of KCSM, for making me, and I expect others, aware of the Jazz Streams web-site. This is a treasure trove of historic broadcasts and podcasts or interest to jazz fans, and researchers. The information Jesse shared was focused on an archive of interviews from the late-lamented Bay Area jazz radio station KJAZ. These interviews are with a wide range of important musicians, and interesting programs from same notable jazz programmers. And there is more. I am looking forward to exploring this site myself.
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6 Gigs
If this gets to you on or before Tuesday May 1, I will be in the band for Geri Kepler’s Singers Showcase. I am also continuing with the Dene Davidson Trio on Wednesday afternoons at Carlsbad Village Faire, and I’ll be in Fred Hardy’s Quartet at Cafe Europa on May 10. Details can be found at Events on my Web-site.
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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.
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1. New Venue: La Mesa Wine Works
2. Return to Dizzy’s/CD Update
3. Cambridge Likely To Loose Ryles
5. Gigs
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1. La Mesa Wine Works is a tasting room here in La Mesa, CA that has jazz every Sunday afternoon. I’ll be playing there on Sunday March 18, 1:30 – 4:30, in a duo with pianist Adam Wolff. Adam and I had discussed the possibility of duo performances after we met at one of Tony Ortega’s jam sessions up in Encinitas. The Sunday jazz series seemed to me to be a perfect setting, and fortunately Cindy Rutledge who operates the the tasting room agreed. While I would not consider myself a connoisseur, I do like good wine, and tasting some of the offerings at La Mesa Wine Works has introduced me to the unique flavors of Southern California wine, which I had not encountered before. I now have my favorites, and you may find a few that you like, too. Sometimes there is a food truck outside, but folks are invited to bring a little “picnic” to go along with the wine.
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2. My Quintet that has been celebrating the music of Tadd Dameron will return to Dizzy’s
Tadd at 23, Courtesy of DownBeat
on Saturday April 7, at 8:00 PM. I will be on the East coast the two weeks before, so I wanted to make sure to get this in in this issue, since the next may be a little late. Joining me for this will be Derek Cannon, trumpet, Kamau Kenyatta, piano, Rob Thorsen, bass, and Richard Sellers, drums. I am delighted to have the support of these esteemed musicians, and we will be playing some more of the rare Dameron compositions I have collected. These are wonderful tunes, and we hope to make them less rare. As reported in last months issue, there are light refreshments at Dizzy’s, provided by the parents of the jazz big band at San Diego’s School of Creative and Performing Arts (SCPA), with all the proceeds going to support the trips the band makes to perform at various festivals, and other events. Copies of my book Dameronia – the Life and Music of Tadd Dameron, will be available at the concert.
After I post this I’ll be off to the Bay Area for the third of the four recording sessions for The Unknown Dameron CD. It has been my good fortune that Danielle Wertz, who performed with me at the Smithsonian last April, has moved to the East Bay. We will be recording three of the Dameron rarities we presented in D.C., along with my old friend and band mate from many years ago in Boston, pianist Ken Cook. Ken has lived in Northern California for several years now, and has established himself as an in-demand pianist and educator. The final session will be with the San Diego Quintet, after we play Dizzy’s, and I hope to be wrapping the project up over the summer.
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3. I Just received some unhappy news from a friend in the Boston Area. After 40 years of operation Ryles Jazz Club will be sold, and unless it is bought by someone who cares about Jazz it will cease operation. Given the astronomical price of real estate in Cambridge, where the club is located, it is unlikely that an investor is going to come along who will take a chance on a jazz oriented venue at whatever price the place will get.
Ryles was started by Jack Riley, a prince of a man, and a true friend of musicians. Before Ryles he had club called Jack’s, in another part of town, that featured mostly what we now call Americana music. Many folks who played there went on to considerable success, among them Bonnie Raitt and Jackson Browne. After he sold Jack’s he decided to go to an all jazz format at the once-Italian restaurant he purchased in Cambridge’s Inman Square. He was a champion of the local musicians, and while you had to have your business act together in dealing with him, he was never one to take advantage of the struggling artist.
Finally, as he got into his 80s, Jack was ready to retire, and the Mitchell family, who own the S&S Deli in Inman Sq., made Jack a good offer. To those of us locals it appeared that the Mitchells were more interested in gobbling up real estate in the Square, than in carrying on with Jack’s vision. Not only did they buy Ryles, but they purchased the building next door to their deli, home of another bar and music venue. They used the space occupied by the bar to expand their restaurant, rented out the rest of the retail space, and moved their offices into the upper floors.
Upon taking over Ryles the hiring policy changed. Where Jack would pay a reasonable fee for the musicians in return for a good performance, and professional conduct, the new regime involved getting a percentage of the door. Further the responsibility for promotion was now put on the shoulders of the performers. We have seen this trend since the late 80s, and for various reasons this was the business model the new owners decided to follow. In addition, acts now had to go through a booking agent/musician who clearly had a conflict of interest (not to say all those who ware both hats do). He was unpleasant to deal with, and pretty much universally disliked by the musician community.
Often attendance at Ryles was disappointing after the Mitchells took over. I blame the lack of proper promotion on the part of the venue for this. While all of us performers try to use our networks to get the word out, promotion is not our main skill. Preparing and performing music is, and it takes a lot of time and energy, something all too many venue operators do not seem to grasp, or respect. For instance, highly esteemed trumpeter, arranger, and Berklee Professor Greg Hopkins put together a big band for a show a Ryles. The band included some of the finest players in town, at least one of them a former Jazz Messenger, but the room was only one-third full. With proper promotion, it could well have been sold out, or close to it. Proper promotion is something that is not only the responsibility of the venue, but in their economic interest. As they say “go figure.”
The situation was even worse when there were performers from out of the area, especially those, who because of their stature, could easily be promoted by the venue. Of course, the venue operators need to have some idea of their stature, and I never got the impression that the Mitchells actually had much interest in jazz, or the musicians who play it. The almost consistently low attendance at Ryles would not argue well for the new owners, whoever they might be, continuing with a jazz policy. That is if they are interested in continuing to operate a bar/restaurant/music venue. Having lived in the neighborhood for many years, I would not be surprised if the building will be sold to a developer, who will tare it down, and build a taller one with condos on the upper floors and retail on the street level. The Ryles building is only two stories tall, and current zoning would allow for four.
I hope I am wrong about this, and that someone who cares about jazz – or at least live music in general – someone with the experience in presenting live music, purchases Ryles. However, with the lack of support for live music venues, and the economics of real estate in Cambridge, it does not seem likely. We will have to see what happens.
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5. Gigs
As I reported I’ll be playing at the La Mesa Wine Works on Sunday March 18, and I will be playing with singer Ruby Barnard at Bouree on Sunday March 11. My Regular Wednesday and Thursday gigs continue, even while I am away to play a few in Massachusetts. Click here to get the details.
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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.
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1. Refreshments at Dizzy’s
2. San Diego Sessions
3. University of Michigan Press Blogs
4. Passings – Jacob “Coco” Shumann
7. Gigs
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1. As those of you living in the San Diego area know Chuck Perrin has moved the Dizzy’s concerts to the Musicians’ Union hall at 1717 Morena Blvd., which has a nice little serving area for refreshments. A group of parents and students of the San Diego School of Creative and Performing Arts (SCPA) are now selling light refreshments at the Dizzy’s performances to raise money for the school’s top level jazz big band’s trips. For instance in 2016, they were one of only 15 school bands that were accepted to take part in the Essentially Ellington program organized by Jazz At Lincoln Center. They also attend other festivals and jazz education events, and you can read more about the program here. Next time you go to Dizzy’s be sure to have a little treat and help to support this very worthy cause.
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2. My son is an aficionado of podcasts, and suggested to me that I look into listening to them. As it turns out my friends, pianist Ed Kornhauser, and saxophonist/engineer Ian Tordella have been producing one for awhile here in San Diego called, appropriately, San Diego Sessions. I have only just started to listening to these, but I find them a fascinating window on the local jazz scene. The podcast series was started only recently, but they are up to 21 episodes, at the time of this writing. While I have gotten to know many of the interviewees, and have performed with some of them, it is nice to find out more about my new neighbors. I listen via the podcast application on my iPad which has a resident podcast player, which also exists on my iPhone. For listening on your computer Ian and Ed suggest you use Stitcher.
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3. University of Michigan Press, the publisher of my book Dameronia – the Life and Music of Tadd Dameron, has a Facebook page. We U. Mich. Press authors are invited and encouraged to make postings there to follow up on our books, and share ideas. For instance I just read a posting that comforted me no end. Someone had posted about her personal library, how she had many books there she had yet to read, and her strategy for catching up with her collection. It was a relief to find that I am not the only one with this problem (-;). The only problem with using Facebook for blog postings is that it is difficult to search the collection. Now that I understand this, I have also placed my postings in the Articles section of my Website. There are two so far, and I will be writing another soon. The posts are AUTHOR PAUL COMBS WISHES TADD DAMERON HAPPY BIRTHDAY, and DAMERONIA – Post Publication Research and News.
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4. I used to run an obituary column here in BoMuse News, but stopped a while back, mostly because of the amount of time it took to prepare it, and because most of the information was reported in other media, at least concerning well known people. However, in reading the news via the BBC, one of my go to sources for news, I read of the passing of guitarist Coco Shumann, a musician I was unaware of. His story is a remarkable one, and testament to the strength of the human spirit and the power of music – specifically jazz – to sustain that spirit.
One of my sources for information on the passings of Jazz Community members, and other jazz news is the mailings from the Jazzinstitut Darmstadt. You can subscribe by sending a request to them at <jazz@jazzinstitut.de > We grateful to the Jazzinstitut for this service.
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5. Gigs
I continue playing with Dene Davidson on Wednesday afternoons in Carlsbad, and Fred Hardy on Thursday evenings in Pacific Beach and you can see the times and locations in Events, as well as anything else that comes up. Next month I will be adding a new venue, and playing a few gigs in Massachusetts. In April the Quintet will return to Dizzy’s for more gems from the pen of Tadd Dameron.
I am pleased to say that the weekly jazz performances I initiated at the Chit Chat Lounge in Haverhill, MA continue to this day. You can find out who is playing by following their Facebook page.
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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.
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1.Visit from Lenore Raphael
2. Visit to Phoenix-The Nash
3. Visit to the Nash-Driftwood Quintet
4. Unknown Dameron CD Progress
5. Gigs
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1. Last year the SoCal Jazz Society and I had the opportunity to host pianist Lenore Raphael in a master class as part of her West Coast tour. Lenore and I knew of each other as “lurkers” on the Jazz Programmers Listing news-group. Upon meeting we struck up a true friendship, and even though the SoCal JS has had to close up shop, I was able to introduce her to Holly Hofmann who hosts the Jazz Happy Hour at the Handlery Hotel. Lenore is on another West Coast tour, and this Friday, January 5, she will be playing the Jazz Happy Hour in the company of bassist Rob Thorsen, and drummer Duncan Moore. With three musicians of this caliber it should be a terrific concert. If you are in San Diego, I hope you can make it. 5:30 to 7:30 in the 950 Lounge of the Handlery Hotel, 950 Hotel Circle North, San Diego, CA (Mission Valley).
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2. In December and old friend from Massachusetts comes to Phoenix, AZ and is able to invite me to visit him at the home of one of his sisters. This has given me a chance to become acquainted with The Nash, a non-profit jazz venue and educational center named for the superb drummer Louis Nash, who is a native of Phoenix. On this trip I had the opportunity to enjoy two concerts, and take part in a jam session. The concert was a tribute to Mongo Santamaria, and the players, Paul Brewer-saxophone/flute, Ioannis Goudelis-piano, Bob Lashier-bass, Dom Moio-drums, Joe Garcia-percussion, were excellent. A reminder that, as some wise person said, “all jazz is local.” While there are stars who emerge, and iconic musicians who we honor, the music grows from community, and there are excellent players in communities all over the country and beyond. I also heard some fine players at the jam session, and enjoyed playing with the excellent host trio of Jeff Libman-guitar/bandleader, Vincent Thiefain-bass, Sam Russo-drums.
We also visited the fascinating Musical Instrument Museum, which I’ll write about in the next issue.
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3. It was really wonderful to listen to some of the impressive young musicians active in the Phoenix area. On the Sunday afternoon before Christmas there was a concert at The Nash featuring a relatively new type of chamber music ensemble, a wind quintet. Back when I was working on my masters in performance at U. Mass. Lowell, I played in a wind quartet of oboe, clarinet, alto sax, and bassoon. At the time I was able to find fourteen pieces for this particular instrumentation, so we know that it is an established ensemble configuration. I have to say this because there are other configurations of wind quartets. My understanding that a quintet has been established by adding a bass clarinet to the ensemble, and this grouping dates back some thirty-five years.
The ensemble playing that afternoon was the Driftwood Quintet, excellent players who appeared all to be in their twenties. Their first set consisted of pieces written by or in reference to African-American composers, including a reorchestration of the first movement of William Grant Still’s First Symphony. For the second set they were joined by piano, bass, and drums for their own reorhestration of the Ellington/Strayhorn version of Tchaikovsky’s Nutcracker Suite. It was an absolute delight. It lifted my heart, not only for the beauty and vitality of the performance, but to hear these young players doing something fresh and exciting, while honoring an established work. I think these will be some folks to look for in the future.
The Driftwood Quintet is Olivia Erwin, oboe; Melissa Malork, clarinet; Dan Meadows, saxes; Ben Paley bassoon; and Dominique Holley, bass clarinet. For the Nutcracker Suite they were joined by David Paonessa, piano; Max Beckman, bass, and Matt McClintock, drums.
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4. We are half way through recording the Unknown Dameron CD. Richard Sellers, who is not only a master drummer, but an excellent mix engineer, just sent me the mixed tracks from our October 30, recording session. Ahead will be a session in the San Francisco area with my friends Danielle Wertz, and Ken Cook, and one more with the quintet I have assemble here in San Diego. I am busy writing the arrangements for those, and working hard to stay on schedule with the goal or a release in the fall.
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5. Gigs
I continue playing with Dene Davidson on Wednesday afternoons in Carlsbad, and Fred Hardy on Thursday evenings in Pacific Beach and you can see the times and locations here, as well as anything else that comes up.
I am pleased to say that the weekly jazz performances I initiated at the Chit Chat Lounge in Haverhill, MA continue to this day. You can find out who is playing by following their Facebook page.
