BoMuse News, vol. 17 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. Questions and comments should be sent by visiting “Contact” at Paul Combs’ Web-site.

Follow @BoMuseMusic on Twitter, and Facebook.

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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.

If you are in Boston check the listings at Jazz Boston. In San Diego visit the Calendar section at Jazz88.3.

As always, thank you for supporting LIVE MUSIC!
Follow @BoMuseMusic on Twitter, and Facebook
https://www.facebook.com/BoMuseMusic/

BoMuse News, vol. 17, 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. Questions and comments should be sent by visiting “Contact” at Paul Combs’ Web-site.

Follow @BoMuseMusic on Twitter, and Facebook

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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.

If you are in Boston check the listings at Jazz Boston. In San Diego visit the Calendar section at Jazz88.3.

As always, thank you for supporting LIVE MUSIC!

Follow @BoMuseMusic on Twitter, and Facebook

BoMuse News, vol. 16, no. 6

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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 on Twitter, and Facebook.

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1. Holiday Greetings
2. Northern Spirits
3. CD Progress
4. Grammy Jazz Nominees
5. Helen Borgers RIP
6. Gigs

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1. My best wishes to all for this season of generosity and hope. Whether you celebrate Christmas, Chanukah, Kwanza, or just look hopefully to the New Year, may the next few weeks bring you peace and fellowship.

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2. On Saturday, December 9, I will perform at Northern Spirits in San Marcos, CA. Joining me will be pianist John Opferchuch, bassist Antar Martin, and drummer Chris Cancelliere. Northern Spirits is located at 727 West San Marcos Blvd, in San Marcos, CA. They serve delicious food based in traditional Thai cuisine, and have a full bar. There is no cover.

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3. As I reported last month, we have about half of the new CD, The Unknown Dameron, “in the can,” as we used to say back when we recorded on tape. Now, it all gets transported in these tiny thumb drives. While I was in the Bay Area for Thanksgiving I met with Danielle Wertz, who performed with me last spring at the Smithsonian Art Museum in Washington, DC, and my old friend, pianist Ken Cook, to work out logistics for the session we will do in February or March. Once we have our next date for a concert here in San Diego at Dizzy’s, I can make the arrangements for what I hope will be the final recording session. Perhaps we can be ready for a release next fall.

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4. The Grammy Nominees have been announced. While I vote in these awards, I do find the category of “Best Improvised Solo” a bit absurd. Still, it is important that the Academy of the music industry recognizes our idiom. Here are those in the Jazz Categories:

Best Improvised Jazz Solo?(For an instrumental jazz solo performance. Two equal performers on one recording may be eligible as one entry. If the soloist listed appears on a recording billed to another artist, the latter’s name is in parenthesis for identification. Singles or Tracks only.)
• Can’t Remember Why, Sara Caswell, soloist, Track from: Whispers On The Wind (Chuck Owen And The Jazz Surge)
• Dance Of Shiva, Billy Childs, soloist, Track from: Rebirth
• Whisper Not, Fred Hersch, soloist, Track from: Open Book
• Miles Beyond, John McLaughlin, soloist, Track from: Live @ Ronnie Scott’s (John McLaughlin & The 4th Dimension)
• Ilimba, Chris Potter, soloist, Track from: The Dreamer Is The Dream

Best Jazz Vocal Album?(For albums containing at least 51% playing time of new vocal jazz recordings.)
• The Journey, The Baylor Project
• A Social Call, Jazzmeia Horn
• Bad Ass And Blind, Raul Midón
• Porter Plays Porter, Randy Porter Trio With Nancy King
• Dreams And Daggers, Cécile McLorin Salvant

Best Jazz Instrumental Album?(For albums containing at least 51% playing time of new instrumental jazz recordings.)
• Uptown, Downtown, Bill Charlap Trio
• Rebirth, Billy Childs
• Project Freedom, Joey DeFrancesco & The People
• Open Book, Fred Hersch
• The Dreamer Is The Dream, Chris Potter

Best Large Jazz Ensemble Album?(For albums containing at least 51% playing time of new ensemble jazz recordings.)
• MONK’estra Vol. 2, John Beasley
• Jigsaw, Alan Ferber Big Band
• Bringin’ It, Christian McBride Big Band
• Homecoming,Vince Mendoza & WDR Big Band Cologne, Whispers On The Wind, Chuck Owen And The Jazz Surge

Best Latin Jazz Album?(For vocal or instrumental albums containing at least 51% playing time of newly recorded material. The intent of this category is to recognize recordings that represent the blending of jazz with Latin, Iberian-American, Brazilian, and Argentinian tango music.)
• Hybrido – From Rio To Wayne Shorter, Antonio Adolfo
• Oddara, Jane Bunnett & Maqueque
• Outra Coisa – The Music Of Moacir Santos, Anat Cohen & Marcello Gonçalves
• Típico, Miguel Zenón
Jazz Tango, Pablo Ziegler Trio
https://www.grammy.com

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5. Two months ago I shared a plea for help for Helen Borgers, who was facing catastrophic medical expenses. While I only knew of her by reputation, she is mentioned in my book on Tadd Dameron, and I am honored to count her brother Ken among my friends. It is with sorrow that I have to say to you that she did not survive. She is mourned not only by family, friends, and the Southern California jazz community, but by the Long Beach theater community, as well. Here is the obituary from the LA Times.

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6. Gigs

As reported above, I will be at Northern Spirits in San Marcos, CA on Saturday, December 9, and playing as a sideman with Dene Davison on Wednesdays, and Fred Hardy on Thursdays every week this month. I’ll also be in the band for Geri Kepler’s Vocal Showcase on Tuesday, December 5. You can see all the dates and venues here.

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.

If you are in Boston check the listings at Jazz Boston. In San Diego visit the Calendar section at Jazz88.3.

As always, thank you for supporting LIVE MUSIC!

Follow @BoMuseMusic on Twitter, and Facebook

BoMuse News, vol. 16, 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. Questions and comments should be sent by visiting “Contact” at Paul Combs’ Web-site.

Follow @BoMuseMusic on Twitter, and Facebook.

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1. Happy Thanksgiving!
2. The Unknown Dameron CD
3. Casual Gigs
4. AERO Professional Development Sessions
5.New Venue For Me
6. Gigs

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1. This has been a very challenging year for many people around the world. While there are historical issues around our Thanksgiving holiday, it is still a valuable time to take stock of such good fortune as we may have. Personally, my complaints are few and trivial and I consider my good fortune immense, especially in the context of a world full of strife and natural disasters. I hope the same is true for you, given that we probably all have people dear to us who’s lives have been effected by some of the recent catastrophes. Some of those close to me experienced a couple of the recent disasters, and I am most grateful that they came through them in good shape. In a couple of cases there were certainly very close calls. I can only wish the best for all in the future.

The following are some of the things I have to be thankful for.

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2. I am working on my next CD, The Unknown Dameron. It will be a collection of previously unrecorded or very obscure tunes and songs by Tadd Dameron. During my research I found more of Tadd’s music, beyond the eight relatively well-known Dameron compositions, that deserves to be heard, and I hope taken to heart by other musicians. There are already three “in the can” from February’s radio broadcast concert over KSDS/jazz88.org. While two of those from February were recorded by Harlan Leonard’s Kansas City Rockets in 1940, those sides are very hard to come by. On the last Monday of October we – trumpeter Derek Cannon, pianist Melonie Grinnell, bassist Rob Thorsen, drummer Richard Sellers, and I – went into the studio to record three more. All three from the recent session have never been recorded before.

Speaking of things to be thankful for, I am truly grateful for the opportunity to have the company of these four excellent musicians. Also the work of Roy Silverstein and his assistant at Rarefied Recording. My hope is to do two more sessions in the near future and have the project finished by next summer.

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3. As part of becoming a member of the jazz community in San Diego, I am playing regularly as a sideman at a couple of venues, and have the opportunity to jam or sit in at a few others. On Wednesdays I am part of the Dene Davison Trio, playing in the afternoons in the courtyard of Carlsbad Village Faire, just off Carlsbad Village Drive between State Street and the Coast Highway. You can find us there between 2:30 and 4:30. It is a very peaceful place with outdoor cafes, and a decorative pool around which the little children play. On Thursday evenings I am part of bassist Fred Hardy’s quartet at the Cafe Bar Europa, 873Turquoise St. in the Pacific Beach neighborhood of San Diego. We start at 7:30 and usually play until 10:30. There is no cover, the food is excellent, and there are no TVs! I am certainly thankful for that.

While San Diego has no dedicated jazz clubs at this time, we do have several regular jam sessions. Using the standard calendar layout, we start with Sunday, and Tony Ortega’s at Mr. Peabody’s in Encinitas. At 90, or close to it, this notable veteran jazz musician still has a lot to say on his horn, and making music with him is a special experience. On Mondays the versatile guitarist Louis Valenzuela runs a jam session at Rosie O’Grady’s in Normal Heights, where you can hear many of San Diego’s best players. On the fourth Tuesday of the month vocalist Geri Kepler hosts a jam session at Fast Times on Clairmont Dr. in Bay Park. Geri also hosts singer’s showcases there on the first and third Tuesday, also at Bay Park. On Wednesdays, trumpeter Gilbert Castellanos hosts a jam session at Panama 66, next door to the Art Museum in Balboa Park. Finally on the first Thursdays of the month trumpeter Gary Rich hosts a jam session at Bouree Southern Bistro on University Avenue.

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4. While I am no longer teaching, I still actively support arts education by sitting on the Governance, and the Professional Development Boards of AERO, the Arts Education Resource Organization of Sand Diego County. We have a professional development event coming up at the end of November that should be fun as well as informative. If you or some one you know is an independent arts educator who provides instruction to schools, you should look into AERO membership:

Professional Development Workshop Series
You are invited to a “Practices Potluck” where each person attending brings one idea or practice that is worth sharing to the arts education community at large. For example, an idea could be a way to think about what we do in the arts, or it could be a procedure that has brought a lot of efficiency to your team, or it could be a website resource that you would like everyone to know about- the possibilities are endless. Each person will get roughly 60 seconds to share. And, in the spirit of the holiday season, we have scheduled it to be on “Giving Tuesday” after Thanksgiving – what better way to “give” back to one another than by sharing our own best practices! Please join us.

Who? Any AERO member organization staff and associated staff
Date: “Giving Tuesday”, November 28, 2017?Time: 6:30 PM – 8:30 PM
Location: Outside the Lens, NTC Promenade at Liberty Station, 2750 Historic Decatur Road, Barracks 15 – Studio 103

Also, let’s fully embrace the potluck idea and bring a food item to share. Look for the letter of your last name to know what category of food to bring.
A through I – Sweet Snack? – J through O – Savory Snack? – P through Z – Drinks
RSVP by November 20th by clicking on this link:

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5. In December I will be adding another venue to my local circuit, Northern Spirits in San Marcos, CA. Northern Spirits is one of the few venues in the Greater San Diego area that presents jazz on a regular schedule. Every Friday and Saturday evening they present jazz quartets led by many of the best players in the area. I am grateful to be acknowledged as one of these. I will be there on Saturday, December 9 from 7:30 to 10:30, with pianist John Opferchuck, bassist Antar Martin, and drummer Chris Cancelliere. More on this in the next issue.

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6. I will be away with friends for Thanksgiving, but I’m playing as a sideman with Dene Davison and Fred Hardy most weeks this month . You can see all the dates and venues here at my Events page.

Events

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.

If you are in Boston check the listings at Jazz Boston. In San Diego visit the Calendar section at Jazz88.3.

As always, thank you for supporting LIVE MUSIC!

Follow @BoMuseMusic on Twitter, and Facebook.

BoMuse News, vol. 16, 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. Questions and comments should be sent by visiting “Contact” at Paul Combs’ Web-site.

Follow @BoMuseMusic on Twitter.

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1. Dameron Music At Dizzy’s
2. A Plea For Help For Helen Borgers
3. Dameronia At Athenaeum Library / Jazz Backstory
4. Events

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1. Thank you everyone who came to our concert of generally unknown music by the great Tadd Dameron on September 8 at Dizzy’s here in San Diego. We will give another of these concerts after the New Year, with more of Tadd’s wonderful music. Our next stop is the recording studio, where we will continue working on a CD, tentatively titled The Unknown Dameron. We already have two and possibly three tracks from the February Jazz Live concert. My hope is to have the project finished by next summer.

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2. Long time jazz broadcaster Helen Borgers needs our help. She has been a fixture on the Southern California scene for most of her adult life, and is even mentioned in my book on Tadd. Here situation is explained quite clearly in this article in the Orange County Register. The benefit concert mentioned in the article was successful, but only goes about a quarter of the way to covering her heavy medical expenses. A crowd-funding campaign has been set up on her behalf. It goes without saying that her’s is another case for a more intelligent health care system.

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3. Dameronia – the Life and Music of Tadd Dameron is now available for loan from the Athenaeum Music and Arts Library in La Jolla. As it turns out it may also have been the last hard cover edition of the book available. I have just recently gotten to know and join this wonderful institution, and if you live in or near San Diego, I recommend it highly.

My friend Geri Kepler hipped me to this interesting jazz archive site, the Fillius Jazz Archive at Hamilton College. “Established in 1995, and dedicated in 2013 in honor of Milton F. Fillius, Jr. ’44 and Nelma “Nikki” Nenneau Fillius, the Fillius Jazz Archive holds a collection of videotaped interviews with jazz musicians, arrangers, writers and critics.” The Archive issues a regular blog posting of articles of interest to the Jazz Community, to which one can subscribe.

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4. Events

I’m playing as a sideman with a variety of folks this month. You can see all the dates and venues here.

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.

If you are in Boston check the listings at Jazz Boston. In San Diego visit the Calendar section at Jazz88.3.

As always, thank you for supporting LIVE MUSIC!

Follow @BoMuseMusic

PLEASE NOTE: The Friday, Sept 22nd Airmen Of Note jazz band clinic and performance at the Creative Performing Media Arts Middle School, 5050 Conrad Ave., San Diego, CA HAS BEEN MOVERS UP TO 2:00 PM, due to schedule conflicts with other school events. The clinic is free to any and all students from the school band programs, secondary and higher ed., especially those participating in or interested in jazz big band, combo, or jazz vocals.

Don’t forget the Airmen Of Note, concert 7:30 p.m., Saturday, September 23 at Brown Chapel, Point Loma Nazarene University, 3900 Lomaland Drive, San Diego, CA  92106. The concert is free, but you will need tickets which you can get at Online Tickets, or by calling (619) 849-2325, 10 a.m. – 4 p.m. Tues – Fri.

BoMuse News, vol. 16, no. 3

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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 on Twitter.

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1. Playing Tadd’s music at Dizzy’s
2. Airmen of Note in San Diego
3. Jazz Summit 2017
4. San Jose Summer Festival
5. Darmstadt Jazzinstitut and Wayne Shorter Interview
6. Events

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1. We will be playing more of Tadd Dameron’s music at Dizzy’s on Friday, September 8. As in the February KSDS Jazz Live concert, I will joined on the front line by Derek Cannon on trumpet. In the rhythm section I am delighted to have Melonie Grinnell, piano, Rob Thorsen, bass, and Richard Sellers, drums. Claudia Russell from KSDS will be there too, to introduce us. While we will revisit some of the previously unknown, or little-known works tunes we played in February, we will also play a couple of the songs I played last April at the Smithsonian with my Washington, DC friends. Over the next few months we will be recording these to go along with a few of the pieces from the Jazz Live “tapes” for an upcoming CD. More on that as it develops.

Dizzy’s is not a venue, per se, but a concert series presented by Chuck Perrin. Mr. Perrin has been doing this for some time – as San Diego residents know – and given many of the musicians he has presented I am honored to be part of this series. Currently the concerts are presented at the Musician’s Association of San Diego building conveniently located right next to the 5 freeway at 1717 Morena Blvd.

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2. The premier jazz big band of the U. S. Air Force, the Airmen Of Note, is coming to San Diego for a concert and a workshop with students of the San Diego area schools. The concert will take place 7:30 p.m., Saturday, September 23 at Brown Chapel, Point Loma Nazarene University, 3900 Lomaland Drive, San Diego, CA  92106. The concert is free, but you will need tickets which you can get at Online Tickets, or by calling (619) 849-2325, 10 a.m. – 4 p.m. Tues – Fri.

The day before, on Friday, Sept 22nd, 2017 at 4:30 p.m. the Airmen Of Note will present a jazz band clinic and performance at the Creative Performing Media Arts Middle School, 5050 Conrad Ave., San Diego, CA. Like the concert the clinic is free to any and all students from the school band programs, especially those participating in or interested in jazz big band, combo, or jazz vocals.

According to the official invitation, “the format for this clinic will include a full band performance by the Airmen of Note, followed by a discussion of our rehearsal techniques and musical concepts, in addition to a Q&A session with the students, led by our musical director MSgt Ben Patterson. We will also breakout into sectional master classes, where we address musical concerns and common practices as they pertain to each section. These breakouts will include sectionals for trumpets, trombones, saxophones, rhythm section, and vocals. This format allows our members the opportunity to work directly with your students in a smaller musical setting, while also showcasing the power and precision of our organization in a full band performance. We promise our clinics to be an inspiring and motivating educational experience for your students.”

These events are the first stop on the band’s California Tour. You can “like” and follow the Airmen Of Note on Facebook.

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3. August was a delightful month for me, with visits with old friends and family, and

the annual Jazz Week Jazz Summit – business mixed with more good friends. The Jazz Summit is a gathering of jazz radio, radio promotion, independent labels folks, as well as a few of us performers. I have been attending this conference for many years now, learning a lot and establishing several wonderful friendships, as well. This year I was reminded of the need to stay on top of social networking. As a result I created a performance only Facebook page <https://www.facebook.com/BoMuseMusic/>, and created a separate Twitter feed for my personal interests so they will be separate from my @BoMusicMusic feed. Obviously, it is important that political opinion and personal concerns involving family

and friends are separated from promotional information about one’s musical activities. If a particular project is making a political statement, that is one thing, but you do not want announcements of gigs, etc. to get sidetracked by political arguments.

If you are a jazz performer, I recommend attending the Jazz Summit, at least once in a while. The panel sessions are very informative, and the hang is priceless. (More on the Awards)

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4. The Jazz Summit is always scheduled next to a major jazz festival, and this year, as

in the past three, we met just before the San Jose Jazz Summer Festival. The city of San Jose and the Festival have been terrific hosts. The city welcomes us, and helps with some logistical support, if I understand correctly, and the San Jose Jazz gives us complimentary admission to most of the concerts. This year I decided to give something back and volunteered to to be MC at one of the stages. I was very fortunate to be assigned to Cafe Stritch, one of my very favorite jazz clubs anywhere. Among the musicians I introduced were my friends and neighbors, the Danny Green Trio – Danny Green, piano; Justin Grinnell, bass; and Julien Cantelm, drums.

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5. As I said in previous issues, I have decided to let others bring you the notices of the deaths of members of the jazz community at large. I often seem to miss someone, and other sources do a better job. One of them is the Jazzinstitut Darmstadt. We often have to leave it to folks in other countries to honor one of our most significant contributions to world culture. I believe if you send the Jazzinstitut an email, at jazz@jazzinstitut.de, they will add you to their mailing list.

Instead I will use this space for congratulations and/or interesting interviews I have stumbled upon. Here is one with Wayne Shorter who always has something stimulating to say.

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6. Events

Wed., Sept. 6, 1:00 pm – 3:00 pm Dene Davidson Trio, Carlsbad Village Faire,
300 Carlsbad Village Dr., Carlsbad, California

Thur., Sept. 7, 7:30 pm – 10:30 pm, Fred Hardy Quartet, Cafe Bar Europa,
873 Turquoise St. San Diego, California

Fri., Sept.,/08, 8:00 pm – 9:45 pm Paul Combs 5tet Plays Tadd Dameron
Dizzy’s, 1717 Morena Blvd., San Diego, California

Wed., Sept.13, 1:00 pm – 3:00 pm Dene Davidson Trio, Carlsbad Village Faire,
300 Carlsbad Village Dr., Carlsbad, California

Thur., Sept., 14,7:30 pm – 10:30 pm, Fred Hardy Quartet, Cafe Bar Europa,
873 Turquoise St. San Diego, California

Wed., Sept.,/20, 1:00 pm – 3:00 pm Dene Davidson Trio, Carlsbad Village Faire, 300 Carlsbad Village Dr., Carlsbad California

Thur., Sept., 21, 7:30 pm – 10:30 pm, Fred Hardy Quartet, Cafe Bar Europa,
873 Turquoise St. San Diego, California

Wed., Sept.,/27,1:00 pm – 3:00 pm Dene Davidson Trio, Carlsbad Village Faire,
300 Carlsbad Village Dr., Carlsbad California

Thur., Sept., 28, 7:30 pm – 10:30 pm, Fred Hardy Quartet, Cafe Bar Europa,
873 Turquoise St. San Diego, California

If you are in Boston check the listings at Jazz Boston. In San Diego visit the Calendar section at Jazz88.3.
*
As always, thank you for supporting LIVE MUSIC!

Follow @BoMuseMusic

BoMuse News, vol. 16, no. 2

======================
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 on Twitter.

======================
1. Upcoming Gigs, Handlery Hotel, Dizzy’s
2. Washington DC Adventure
3. Jazz Summt
4. Jazz At Chit Chat
5. Tadd Dameron Radio Show
6. Joe Field and reflections on Geri Allen
7. Events

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1. Thank you everyone who came out to hear us at the Jazz Happy Hour at the Handlery Hotel last Friday, July 28. If you missed it, or are too far away, I was joined by bassist extraordinaire Rob Thorsen, and the very fine young pianist Hugo Suarez. We had a ball! The Jazz Happy Hour takes place every Friday from 5:30-7:30. If you have not discovered the Jazz Happy Hour, you are missing out on a really remarkable series. As a listener, I never concern myself with who will be playing there as I am never disappointed. Needless to say, I feel truly honored to be playing a Jazz Happy Hour at the Handlery. The hotel is located at 950 Hotel Circle North, San Diego. There is no cover, the parking is free, and the drinks and appetizers are offered at happy hour prices.

Early next month, I will be playing with my Dameron Project Quintet at Dizzy’s. Dizzy’s is a long running concert series presented by Chuck Perrin, currently at the Musicians Association Hall, 1717 Morena Boulevard, San Diego. As at the Jazz Live concert in February I will have the pleasure of being joined by trumpeter Derek Cannon. The rhythm section is Kamau Kenyatta, piano, Rob Thorsen, bass, and Richard Sellers, drums.

http://dizzysjazz.com/

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2. In April I had the pleasure of performing at the Art Museums of the Smithsonian Institution with a band of very fine local Washington D.C. musicians: vocalist Danielle Wertz, guitarist Steve Herberman, bassist Eliot Seppa, and drummer Ele Rubenstein. I also gave a talk on Tadd Dameron and his music at the University of the District of Columbia. It part of the Jazz Forum series hosted by the Felix E. Grant Jazz Archives. As I mentioned in the last newsletter, my host there was Judith Korey, who directs the Archive. As I mentioned last month, Judith was acknowledge by the Jazz Journalists Association for her advocacy of jazz music, jazz musicians, and the history of the music. I was also interviewed by broadcaster Randy Hassan for the University’s video archives.

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3. In a couple of weeks it will be time for the Jazz Summit, organized by Jazz Week. This annual gathering of jazz radio, record production and promotion folks, as well as a few of us artists has been a highlight of my summer for several years. Not only has it been important for me professionally, but it has brought me wonderful friends. If I have any regret it is that I only get to see most of these folks once a year. One of the things that makes this such a fine community to be part of is the fact that no one gets involved with jazz (or classical, or folk, or any other idiom scorned by the industry as marginal) without having a deep love for this music, and a commitment to it socially and spiritually.

As always, the conference is scheduled in connection with a festival. This year, as in the last four, we get to go to the San Jose Summer Festival as well.

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4. For those of you readers in the Eastern New England area, I encourage you to “like” and follow Jazz At Chit Chat on Facebook. Even if you do not use Facebook, I believe you can go there to see who will be playing on the next Sunday. I started Jazz At Chit Chat fifteen years ago, and I am so delighted to see that it is still going. Some of the best musicians in the Northeast of Massachusetts, and Southeast of New Hampshire play there, and of course, the Pocket Big Band plays there a couple ofttimes a month.

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5. Broadcaster David Brent Johnson of Indiana Public Media sent me a link to a special he did on the music of Tadd Dameron and the blog post that goes with it. It is about an hour long and I’m sharing it with you here. Thank you David for a job well done.

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6. As I mentioned above, one has to have deep love for jazz to get involved with it professionally. This s true not only of performers, but of those who’s work supports the performers. We lost Joe Fields this last month, and while you may not know who he was, you cannot have listened to jazz in the last five decades without having heard his work. Joe created a series of important jazz record labels, and operated them with integrity. Two of them, High Note and Savant continue to release excellent recordings under the leadership of Joe’s son Barney. While I cannot say I got to know him well, Joe was one of those good folks I met over the years at the Jazz Summit, and I can attest to his warmth and dignity as a person. He will be sorely missed, but his good work will live on. You can read a couple of remembrances of Joe here, and below.

http://blogs.kcrw.com/music/2017/07/remembering-joe-fields/

Jazz is a relatively small community, but not so small that there are not very significant people like Joe Fields or, regrettably, Geri Allen, who we lost last month, who are not universally known by those who consider themselves jazz fans, or even musicians. I suppose some of this comes from how much jazz has grown as an idiom, with several clearly identifiable sub-genres. Thinking about this brings to mind the long standing tension may of us musicians have with the very word “jazz.” Duke Ellington preferred to avoid the word. John Coltrane felt that his late work may well have not been categorizable as jazz. I myself cannot give a solid definition, but there is a tradition of music making which informs those of us who play this music, and perhaps a sense of connection to that tradition is the best I can offer. Of course, listeners and players both, will have an individual take just what that connection is.

Still, there can be little question that Geri Allen was a jazz musician, and one of the very finest of her generation. While she had a very successful career, many who consider themselves to be jazz fans, and even jazz musicians did not know who she was. This seems to be a result of the tension between a notion of jazz being something very specific stylistically, and the jazz tradition that encourages exploration and experimentation. This is further complicated by the proliferation of recordings and the people making them.

I suppose the situation of any of us not being able to keep up with all that is going on in the world of jazz, small as it is, will only persist with population growth, and the increase in global communication. The population of the United States has more than doubled since I was in grade school, some sixty years ago. The number of artists of all kinds has at least doubled, as well. All this creative activity is a good thing, but it makes it very difficult to keep up with. All I can do is urge everyone, myself as well, to keep our senses open, and always be ready for surprises.

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7. Events

If you are in Boston check the listings at Jazz Boston, and follow Jazz at Chit Chat on Facebook. In San Diego visit the Calendar section at Jazz88.3.

Wed., August 2, 5:30 – 8:30 pm, Dene Davidson/Paul Combs Duo, Cafe Mazen, Carlsbad Village Faire, 300 Carlsbad Dr., Carlsbad, CA

Thu. August 17, 7:30 – 10:30 pm, Fred Hardy Quartet, Cafe Bar Europa, 873 Turquoise St., San Diego, CA

Wed. August 23, 11:30 am – 1:30 pm, Dene Davidson Trio, Carlsbad Village Faire, 300 Carlsbad Dr., Carlabad CA

Thu. August 24, 7:30 – 10:30 pm Fred Hardy Quartet, Cafe Bar Europa, 873 Turquoise St., San Diego, CA

Thu. August 31, 7:30 – 10:30 pm Fred Hardy Quartet, Cafe Bar Europa, 873 Turquoise St., San Diego, CA

Wed. September 6, 11:30 am – 1:30 pm, Dene Davidson Trio, Carlsbad Village Faire, 300 Carlsbad Dr., Carlabad CA

*Thu. September 7, 7:30 – 10:30 pm Fred Hardy Quartet, Cafe Bar Europa, 873 Turquoise St., San Diego, CA

* Fri. September 8, 8:00 – 9:45 pm, Paul Combs 5tet Plays Tadd Dameron, Dizzy’s, 1717 Morena Blvd. San Diego CA

As always, thank you for supporting LIVE MUSIC!

Follow @BoMuseMusic

BoMuse News, vol. 16, no.1

======================
BoMuse News is a monthly newsletter from BoMuse Music. It presents items of interest related to jazz, and advocacy for music education and arts education in general, 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 on Twitter.

======================
1. Handlery Hotel Happy Hour
2. Tadd Dameron’s Birthday Concert
3. Changes in BoMuse News
4. Arts Education Update
6. Congratulations
7. Geri Allen, Rest In Peace
8. Gigs & Events

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1. One of the many joys of living in San Diego is the weekly Jazz Happy Hour at the Handlery Hotel, in Mission Valley. Started two years ago by the highly respected flutist Holly Hofmann, the series has become enormously popular, so popular that it can be difficult to get a seat sometimes. Holly has made a space for local players, and occasional visiting dignitaries. There is no cover, and the refreshments are available at happy hour prices, and the music is always first class. On Friday July 28, I will have the pleasure, and honor, and playing there with pianist Hugo Suarez, and the brilliant bassist Rob Thorsen. Happy hour goes from 5:30 to 7:30 and the Handlery is located at 950 Hotel Circle North, San Diego, CA 92108.

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2. On Tuesday, February 21, we celebrated Tadd Dameron’s 100th birthday with a concert of his music, much of it little-known, at San Diego City College’s Saville Theater, and broadcast/webcast by our 24/7 jazz radio station KSDS, as part of their Jazz Live series. For this concert I was fortunate to be joined by trumpeter Derek Cannon, and, thanks to KSDS General Manager Ken Poston, a rhythm section led by pianist Bill Cunliffe, with Alexander Frank on bass, and Charles Rugierro drums. The concert was very well received and a few of the performances may eventually be on a CD that I hope to produce in the coming months. (Read more.)

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3. As you will no doubt have noticed, the publication of BoMuse News has become rather erratic in the last couple of years. My move to San Diego was a big one, and I am still adjusting to my new environment. It is also time to consider trying to make some improvements. Due to circumstances beyond my control, the distribution program I used to use is lost. The newsletter will now be going out via Mail Chimp which should allow for easier incorporation of images and video. As with recent issues, it is also posted on my Web-site, where I have been experimenting with using the blog capabilities of my Web-site to streamline the email component. An announcement, with a link to the blog goes out via my Twitter and Facebook accounts. If you were on the old system and found this issue via one or the other of those means, please contact me so I can add you to the Mail Chimp list. I have found that the social network accounts are not consistently reliable, and it is easy to miss postings.

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4. Sadly, SoCal Jazz Society has had to “close up shop.” We just could not raise enough money to be able to continue operation. Still, SoCal Jazz Society was able to bring education about jazz – the music itself and its place in American culture – to many class rooms in the San Diego area. The last closing concert, given at Golden Hill Elementary was a joyous occasion, with several classes getting on stage to perform with a quartet of some of San Diego’s best musicians: Louis Valenzuela, guitar, Ed Kornhauser, keyboard, Mac Leighton, bass, and Matt Smith, drums. Congratulations go to John Brooks for the excellent work he did with his students. While it is unfortunate that SoCal Jazz Society was not able to continue, all who were involved in this noble experiment in jazz education can be proud of all that was accomplished. (Read more.)

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5. Congratulation to the 2017 NEA Jazz Masters: Dee Dee Bridgewater, Ira Gitler, Dave Holland, Dick Hyman, and Dr. Lonnie Smith. We are hoping that cooler heads will prevail in the Congress, and that we will be able to announce the 2018 NEA Jazz Masters next year.

Congratulations to all of those honored by the Jazz Journalists Association. First there are the Jazz Heroes. The JJA describes this award as one given to “advocates, altruists, activists, aiders and abettors of jazz who have had significant impact in their local communities. The ‘Jazz Hero’ awards, made annually on the basis of nominations from community members, are presented by their local fans and friends in conjunction with the JJA’s annual Jazz Awards honoring significant achievements in jazz music and journalism.”

There are 25 people in all who received this honor this year. I have had the pleasure of knowing three of them: Fran Morris Rosman, of the Ella Fitzgerald Foundation; San Diego’s own Gilbert Castellanos; and Judith Korey, who was my host at University of the District of Columbia. I will have more to say about her next month.

Second there are the JJA Jazz Awards. There are too many categories to list here, but needless to say all the awardees, and the nominees for that matter, are folks richly deserving of recognition.

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6. I used to list obituaries in this space, but I think I will forego this going forward. I always seem to miss somebody more than worthy of acknowledgement, and this information usually makes its way to people generally. That being said, I want to express my sorrow at the passing a few days ago of the great pianist and educator Geri Allen. Her death came as quite a shock to many, because she was only 60, and her illness was not generally known. The range of reactions to her life and work, as well as the lack of what we might call universal recognition of her, have been on my mind, and I will try to get my thoughts on all this “down on paper,” as it were, in the next issue.

Here is her obituary from WBGO, and the one from the New York Times

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7. Gigs & Events

If you are in Boston check the listings at Jazz Boston. In San Diego visit the Calendar section at Jazz88.3. And if you don’t already, follow me on Twitter @BoMuseMusic

* Thu. July 6, 13, 20, & 27, 7:30-10:30 PM, Fred Hardy Quartet, Café Bar Europa, 873 Turquoise St., San Diego, CA (this has been a weekly gig, check Events at PaulCombs.com for confirmation)

* Wed. July 12, & 26, 11:30 AM-1:30 PM, Dene Davidson Trio, Carlsbad Village Faire,
300 Carlsbad Village Dr, Carlsbad, CA (this is planed to be a bi-weekly gig, Starting June 28, check Events at PaulCombs.com for confirmation)

* Fri. July 28, 5:30-7:30 PM, Paul Combs Trio, Handlery Hotel San Diego
950 Hotel Circle North, San Diego, CA

As always, thank you for supporting LIVE MUSIC!

Follow @BoMuseMusic

After the concert, I asked Derek if he would like to continue with this project. He agreed and we put together a San Diego rhythm section of drummer Richard Sellers, bassist Rob Thorsen, and pianist Kamau Kenyatta. Since Kamau is often very busy and out of town, Rob suggested the young pianist Hugo Suarez as his potential sub. We will be playing Dizzy’s, the concert series organized by Chuck Perrin, on Friday, September 8, and there will be more about that in the next issue. The plan is to use some of the tracks from February’s concert, and more recorded by this all San Diego band to present a CD of lesser-known and totally unknown music by Tadd Dameron sometime next year. As you may know already, I have collected as much of Dameron’s music as I could find, and there is so much here that deserves to be heard.

In line with this effort, there are plans for concerts of Tadd’s music here in San Diego, up in the Santa Barbara area, and in Washington DC. Earlier this year Tadd’s music was the focus of concerts at the New England Conservatory, and in his birthplace, Cleveland, OH. Saxophonist, music professor, and band leader Kent Engelhardt has been doing a lot to perform Tadd’s music, and Michael Kramer of the U.S. Army Blues jazz orchestra is planning the concert in in Washington DC. Up in Santa Barbara saxophonist and educator Les Rose is working up what he hopes will be a series of concerts featuring quintet, nonet, and big band performances, some including a singer. Here in San Diego the Gaslamp Quarter Jazz Orchestra is considering an all Dameron Concert this fall. I may have some Dameron performances in the San Francisco Bay area, but it is a little early to say more than that.

I have been helping these folks gather the music, and I am happy to say that more of his work is available commercially now thanks to Don Sickler and Second Floor Music, and the DuBoff brothers and eJazzlines.