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EDDIE SHAW BRANFORD MARSALIS WE FOUR PAT MEHENY MARCH 2011 RORY BLOCK RORY BLOCK DAVINA & THE VAGABONDS SFJAZZ COLLECTIVE EDDIE SHAW HENRY GRAY BRANFORD MARSALIS WE FOUR GIACOMO GATES GIACOMO GATES SHARON JONES & THE DAP-KINGS PAT METHENY SPIDER JOHN KOERNER SPIDER JOHN KOERNER

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Page 1: MARCH 2011 - TrustedPartnercache.trustedpartner.com/docs/library/000316/JBF1103.pdf · MARCH 2011 RORRORY BLOCKY BLOCK DAVINA & THE VAGABONDS SFJAZZ COLLECTIVE EDDIE SHAW HENRY GRAY

EDDIE SHAW

BRANFORD MARSALIS WE FOUR

PAT MEHENY

MARCH2011

RORY BLOCKRORY BLOCK

DAVINA & THE VAGABONDS

SFJAZZ COLLECTIVE

EDDIE SHAW

HENRY GRAY

BRANFORD MARSALIS WE FOUR

GIACOMO GATESGIACOMO GATES

SHARON JONES & THE DAP-KINGS

PAT METHENY

SPIDER JOHN KOERNERSPIDER JOHN KOERNER

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WINNING SPINSRORY BLOCK WAS JUST 15 YEARS OLDwhen she first encountered Mississippi FredMcDowell. Fleeing from a bitterly unhappyhomelife in Greenwich Village, she took offon a cross-country jaunt with boyfriendStefan Grossman, a young blues guitaristand scholar himself. The couple ended up inBerkeley, Calif., where they went to hearMcDowell perform at the Jabberwocky Café.The legendary bluesman touched Blockdeeply. And somewhat inappropriately, as well.

As she recounts in her riveting autobiogra-phy When a Woman Gets the Blues, Block waswashing dishes at a friend’s house whenMcDowell, 45 years her senior, approached herfrom behind and grabbed her breast. She wasstartled but not offended, as the older mansmiled shyly and walked away. “I took this as acompliment,” she writes. “He was letting meknow he thought I was sexy, and to me at thetime, it was confirmation of my newfound wom-anhood.” She also points out that McDowell’sbehavior was in keeping with the time andplace in which he lived—the Deep South inthe first half of the 20th century—and thathe shouldn’t be judged by today’s standards.

Block sings of the indelible experience onthe autobiographical “Mississippi Man,”from her new Stony Plain recording Shake’Em on Down: A Tribute to Mississippi FredMcDowell, which also details some advice theblues great imparted to his young charge.“Put a jack knife on the string, make it snapand make it ring/Edginess and half-steps arethe secret when you sing/Stomping both yourfeet, drive it down the line/If you can’t singlike Charley [Patton]/Better put that guitardown/Leave your jack knife in the kitchen, ifyou can’t get that sound/Cause you knowthat you can’t fake it, you better call upon thename of Mr. Mac-Dowell.”

Block does just that over the course of adozen tunes, most written by or associatedwith the Tennessee-born Mississippi Fred.Having recorded tribute albums to RobertJohnson and Son House in recent years, Blockwisely eschews imitation. Instead, she callsup the deep feelings and sonic resonances ofMcDowell’s slide playing and vocals. Herblend of influences comes together brilliantlyon tracks such as “Worried Mind,” which

seems to fuse House’s chopping syncopationwith Johnson’s bent-string pyrotechnics andMcDowell’s ringing slide. As throughout,Block multitracks acoustic and electric guitarparts, and is otherwise unaccompanied.

But she hardly lacks for firepower. Block’srendition of Sonny Boy Williamson’s “GoodMorning Little School Girl” is particularlypotent when she plays a heartfelt intro to thesalacious tune, which is usually performedwith a leer and a wink. Still, Block generatesthe same heat as her male predecessors whenshe genderswaps the song and proffers aninvitation that would have any schoolboydropping his books in a hurry.

That same sexual energy drives her read of“Kokomo Blues.” Maintaining an an insistentrhythm, she makes the strings quiver with hermetal slide. Somewhere between a moan and apurr, Block’s vocals drip with desire, just rightfor the lyric that substitutes the name of aMississippi town for a more familiar verb:“Kokomo me, baby/Kokomo me twice/Kokomoyour mama like you did the other night.”

On the title track, Block embroiders herhard acoustic strum with electric slide guitar,and growls the lubricious lyrics. It’s no deal-breaker, but her sweet, multitracked harmonyvocals break the lowdown dirty mood. Theyare, however, quite welcome on the stunning“Woke Up This Morning,” a powerful spiritual.

by Bob Weinberg

RORY BLOCK

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Hewing closest to McDowell’s signature tonalities, “What’sthe Matter Now” is among the album’s most affecting tracks.Vocally and instrumentally, Block summons the hurt and angerof a betrayed lover, echoing lines like “Where were you whenthe rooster crowed for day?” with spare, reverberating guitarlines that conjure the bleakness of a dark and sleepless nightalone. Still, she manages a bitter laugh while she contem-plates blowing away the no-good lout with pistol or shotgun.

Block’s sharp songwriting is showcased on a couple oftunes that truly evoke McDowell’s world. On the opening“Steady Freddy,” she tells the bluesman’s tale from his perspective.She’s more than up to the challenge and can surely relate to parts of his story.“The Breadline,” which strings together several of McDowell’s signature licks, revisits thehardships and inequities of the Depression and their parallels in today’s economic downturn.

Shake ’Em on Down is indispensable for Block’s loyal listeners, or anyone interested in acanny update of country blues. The album will be available on March 29. Block’s autobiographycan be downloaded at Roryblock.com.

Rory Block will perform with Roy Book Binder, Paul Geremia and Jimmy “Duck”Holmes at 8PM March 5 at the Palladium Theater at St. Petersburg College. Call752-822-3590 or visit Spcollege.edu/palladium.

WINNING SPINS

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SHARON JONES AND THE DAP-KINGSVINYL MUSIC HALL, PENSACOLA/MAR 17PONTE VEDRA CONCERT HALL/MAR 18THE RITZ YBOR, TAMPA/MAR 19THE FILLMORE, MIAMI BEACH/MAR 20Don’t call Sharon Jones and the Dap-Kings retro- or neo-or throwback-soul. Certainly, the Brooklyn-born nine-piece harks back to the golden era of Stax, Motownand The Sounds of Philadelphia. But their craft is sogenuine and masterful that listeners might think theywere hearing a classic soul band from back in the dayrather than a postmodern echo. Several tracks from thegroup’s outstanding 2010 recording I Learned the HardWay could have been smash radio hits 45 years ago. Big,horn-fueled arrangements, warm production, expert

backing vocals and, ofcourse, Jones’ mightylead vocals provide thesame thrills soul-music fans find in thegrooves of treasured45s. And as brilliantas their albums are,the band’s live showsare guaranteed toraise a sweat, as Jonesgrabs the mike anddrives the band like asouped-up, vintageMG. (See listings foradditional Floridadates.) BW

S P O T L I G H TEDDIE SHAW AND THE WOLF GANGBRADFORDVILLE BLUES, TALLAHASSEE/MAR 11BONITA BLUES FESTIVAL, RIVERSIDE PARK,BONITA SPRINGS/MAR 12Henry Gray is not the only Howlin’ Wolf alumnus tovisit the Sunshine State this month (see page 14), asmighty saxman Eddie Shaw blows into Florida withhis band. A teenage phenom with Ike Turner’s band,Shaw was soon snapped up by Muddy Waters. A fewyears later, Shaw was tapped by Wolf, with whoseband he remained until Wolf’s death in 1976. Boastinga huge, gritty tenor sound, Shaw also performed andrecorded with Freddy King, Otis Rush, Magic Sam andBuddy Guy. He released some singles back in the day,but truly hit his stride in the 1980s and ’90s with a

string of albums. Stillplaying and singingpowerfully—he wonraves for fronting theHowlin’ Wolf tributeband that headlinedthe 2010 ChicagoBlues Fest—Shawcontinues to tour withhis Wolf Gang, whichfeatures his son, gui-tar star Vaan Shaw.Once again, the saxgreat has been nomi-nated for a BluesMusic Award for besthorn player. BW

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SPIDER JOHN KOERNER LUNA STAR CAFE, NORTH MIAMI/MAR 6GLORIA HOLLOWAY’S HOUSE CONCERTSERIES, TAMPA/MAR 10THE BIG EASY, HOLLYWOOD/MAR 19Blues, Rags and Hollers was the title of Koerner, Rayand Glover’s seminal 1963 recording, and Spider JohnKoerner’s mastery of those idioms has only deepenedover the decades. With his 12-string guitar ringing likea juke-joint piano, his foot stomping the floor like abass drum and his voice containing the raw potency ofcorn liquor, Spider John could have performed at thelumber mills, turpentine camps and gambling dens ofan America long gone. On Live at the 400 Bar, his 2009recording with harmonica master Tony “Little Sun”

Glover, the 72-year-oldfolk-blues icon show-cases his profoundunderstanding of andaffection for greatAmerican song. Heinjects deep feeling andfun into favorites suchas “Careless Love,”“Stewball,” “EzekielSaw the Wheel” andhis standard sign-off,“Goodnight Irene.”For his Hollywoodconcert, he’ll be joinedby fellow folk-bluesvet Joel Zoss. BW

S P O T L I G H TDAVINA AND THE VAGABONDSBRADFORDVILLE BLUES, TALLAHASSEE/MAR 25MCWELLS, ORLANDO/MAR 26ALLIANCE FOR THE ARTS, FORT MYERS/MAR 27BOSTON’S, DELRAY/MAR 29Davina Sowers grew up listening to classic jazz and bluesrecords played on her stepdad’s vintage Victrola. And,judging by the music she makes with the Minneapolis-based Vagabonds, the stylus sank deep. With a smoky,sultry voice that recalls Billie Holiday and earlier bluesand jazz singers, Sowers interprets classics such as“Knock Me a Kiss” and the ballad “The Clock,” as wellas originals that sound as if they could’ve been found ondusty old 78s. One such number, “St. Michael Vs. theDevil,” brought her to the finals of the 2009 Inter-

national SongwritingCompetition. A classi-cally trained pianistwith a great feel forold-timey blues andjazz, Sowers receivesexpert accompanimentfrom trombonist DarrenSterud, trumpeter DanielEikmeier, drummerConnor McRae, and herhusband, string bassistMichael Carvale. Anew recording, BlackCloud, is due thisspring. BW

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Log on to www.bostonsonthebeach.comfor our complete lineup, menus, photos and more!Located on the waterfront in Delray Beach, Boston’s is the ideal place

for casual dining, live music and sports viewing in our first-floor restaurant, The Beach. Or enjoy great cuisine and cocktails

upstairs at our fine dining restaurant, The UpperDeck. And be sure to check out our Back Bay Tiki Bar for a tropical cocktail

while listening to some of the area’s finest musicians on our outdoor stage. Boston’s… something for everyone!

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WE FOUR: CELEBRATING JOHN COLTRANE MINIACI PERFORMING ARTS CENTER,DAVIE/MAR 12There are countless tribute shows to deceased jazzlegends, and many of those honor tenor titan JohnColtrane. But unlike most, the South Florida JAZZpresentation We Four: Celebrating John Coltranefeatures a musician who actually played with Tranebefore his death in 1967. Drummer Jimmy Cobb, stillplaying great at age 82, was a bandmate of Coltrane’sin the late 1950s when both worked with trumpeterMiles Davis—including on the seminal 1959 albumKind of Blue. Tenor saxophonist Javon Jackson (pic-tured here) recorded and toured with Elvin Jones, thelate drummer who played on Coltrane’s equally his-

toric 1965 release ALove Supreme. PianistMulgrew Miller is 25years younger thanCobb, and bassistPeter Washington andJackson (who worksin multiple Cobb-ledbands) 10 yearsyounger than that. Yetall are steeped in theTrane tradition, andwill follow thesupreme musicianshipof their ageless drum-mer. BM

S P O T L I G H TSFJAZZ COLLECTIVE: THE MUSIC OF STEVIE WONDERUF PHILLIPS CENTER, GAINESVILLE/MAR 19Based on pure talent alone, any SFJAZZ Collectiveconcert is worth the price of admission. (SF stands for“San Francisco,” not “South Florida.”) The band’sstellar lineup comprises saxophonists Miguel Zenonand Mark Turner, trumpeter Avishai Cohen, trom-bonist Robin Eubanks, pianist Edward Simon, vibra-phonist Stefon Harris, bassist Matt Penman anddrummer Eric Harland. But the octet, launched bythe California nonprofit SFJAZZ in 2004, brings extraintrigue through its United Nations-worthy makeup—members hail from the U.S., Puerto Rico, Israel,Venezuela and New Zealand—and its choice of material. Each year, SFJAZZ commissions new com-positions by group members, which are interspersedwith classics by the composers honored by theirthemed tours. Past tours have celebrated Ornette

Coleman, JohnC o l t r a n e ,T h e l o n i o u sMonk, HerbieHancock andWayne Shorter.For 2011, thecollective tacklesthe memorablemelodies of iconicvocalist and key-boardist StevieWonder. BM

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BRANFORD MARSALISJAZZ IN THE GARDENS, SUN LIFE STADIUM, MIAMI GARDENS/MAR 20Trumpeter Wynton Marsalis’ rigid adherence to jazztradition may earn him headlines, but older brotherBranford Marsalis is the family’s creative kingpin.Hailing from a New Orleans musical dynasty, the sax-ophonist has traversed styles from bop and pop toclassical and hip-hop. In addition to his mastery oftenor and soprano saxes, Branford also recorded onthe alto horn for the first time in 20 years on 2009’sMetamorphosen (Marsalis Music). The latest releaseby his quartet—pianist Joey Calderazzo, bassist EricRevis and drummer Jeff “Tain” Watts—the albumtopped many critics polls and showcased strong writing

from each player. Inthe band’s currentincarnation, JustinFaulkner takes overfor Watts. Branford hasfollowed his father,pianist Ellis Marsalis,into the jazz educationfield through hisMarsalis Jams resi-dencies, and helped torebuild New Orleansafter Katrina by co-conceiving Habitat forHumanity’s Musicians’Village with HarryConnick Jr. BM

S P O T L I G H TPAT METHENY TRIOMINIACI PERFORMING ARTS CENTER,DAVIE/MARCH 21Electric guitarist Pat Metheny’s current trio, withdrummer Antonio Sanchez and bassist Ben Williams, isthe latest of his countless endeavors during a 40-yearcareer of performing, teaching and recording. With morethan 20 million records sold and 17 Grammy Awards,Metheny has achieved extraordinary success in jazz, agenre where some acoustic-minded listeners, critics andmusicians still shun fusion, the subgenre with whichhe’s most closely associated. Expect some material fromQuartet Live!, Metheny’s 2009 CD with his mentorand vibraphonist Gary Burton, bassist Steve Swallowand Sanchez; some from Metheny’s far-reaching 2010

solo disc Orchestrion,and perhaps a taste ofTrio 99-00, the 2000release by his trio withbassist Larry Grenadierand drummer BillStewart. Metheny’sphrasing owes as muchto horn influences MilesDavis, John Coltraneand Clifford Brown asto Wes Montgomery,and his use of effectsand guitar synthesizeroften creates tones thatsound more like a hornthan a guitar. BM

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GIACOMO GATESBLUE JEAN BLUES, FT. LAUDERDALE/MAR 23VAN DYKE CAFE, MIAMI/MAR 24HEIDI’S JAZZ CLUB, COCOA BEACH/MAR 25-26RINELLI’S YELLOW TAIL RESTAURANT/MAR 27There’s an endearingly workmanlike quality to thecraft and mannerisms of singer Giacomo Gates, andfor good reason. Before starting his musical career in1990 at age 40, the Connecticut-born vocalist drovecattle transporters, school buses and 18-wheelers and wasa construction worker on the Trans-Alaska pipeline.Yet his creativity needed a different conduit. He foundit in vocalese, the process of setting original lyrics toexisting compositions that was pioneered by artistssuch as Eddie Jefferson and Jon Hendricks. Gates

attaches his creative,often-witty wordplayto everything fromstandards like “ComesLove” to the TheloniousMonk bop classic“Let’s Call This.” Thesinger’s 2008 record-ing, Luminosity, alsofeatures his originalmaterial and a bluesyversion of JimiHendrix’s “Up Fromthe Skies.” On hisnext album, Gates willinterpret the songs ofGil Scott-Heron. BM

S P O T L I G H THENRY GRAY AND THE CATSCOLONY THEATRE, MIAMI BEACH/MARCH 11As the pianist in Howlin’ Wolf’s band for a dozenyears, Henry Gray is rightly considered Chicago bluesroyalty. But the rollicking sounds of his nativeLouisiana exert a powerful tug on his heart andhands. At the age of 85, Gray continues to thrill audi-ences, singing and playing with unquestionableauthority. Moving to the Windy City in 1946, Grayreceived a boost from piano legend Big MaceoMerriweather and soon became a fixture on thebustling blues scene. In addition to joining Wolf’sband in 1956, Gray cut classic sides with JimmyRogers, Jimmy Reed, Billy Boy Arnold and JuniorWells. But his fierce piano work on Wolf LPs such

as Moanin’ in theMoonlight and TheRockin’ Chair Albumhas earned himimmortality. Gray,who moved back to hishome state decadesago, performs annuallyat the New OrleansJazz and Heritage Fest.He’ll make a rareSouth Florida appear-ance with his bandthis month, thanks toMary Luft’s TigertailProductions. BW

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For Press Releases, CD Reviews,Advertising Info or Listings, contactour Main Office at 561.313.7432 or

P.O. Box 2614, Palm Beach, FL 33480PUBLISHER: Charlie Boyer

[email protected] EDITOR: Bob Weinberg

[email protected] DIRECTOR: Hope Jason

[email protected] WRITER: Bill MeredithPHOTO CREDITS: Eddie Shaw Spotlight by Dom Forcella, Rory Block Cover andWinning Spn by Sergio Kurhajec, SharonJones Spotlight by Steven Dewall

Jazz Blues Florida is published monthly. All copyrights are theproperty of Charlie Boyer. All rights reserved. No material maybe reproduced without written permission of the Publisher. Nounsolicited manuscripts will be returned unless sent with a self-addressed stamped envelope.

GET THE WORD OUT!All the most awesome cats know that when you wantto spread the word, jazzbluesflorida.comis the place to do it. What are you waiting for?

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BIG B ILL MORGANF IELD /ORANGE DOOR 8B IG EASY 13BLUESFEST /FR ITZ + FRANZ B IERHAUS 15BONITA BLUES FEST IVAL 7BOSTON ’S ON THE BEACH 9BRADFORDVILLE BLUES CLUB 10BRICK C ITY BLUES FEST IVAL 6BUCKINGHAM BLUES BAR 14CHEF JOHNS 5DRUMMERS ONLY 12EARL’S H IDEAWAY 8FT. P IERCE JAZZ & BLUES SOC IETY 14GIACOMO GATES 16GOLD COAST JAZZ SOC IETY 13GUANABANA’S 4HENRY GRAY/T IGERTA IL 6JAMS OF PALM BEACH 4JAMS L IV ING ROOM JAZZ SER IES 10JAZZ FOUNDAT ION 16JAZZ IN THE GARDENS 11PAT METHENY TR IO /SOUTH FLORIDA JAZZ 3SHARON JONES + DAP-K INGS/L IVENAT ION 12SUNDAY JAZZ JAM/BLUE JEAN BLUES 13NICK TR ILL + THRILLSEEKERS 4V ICTOR WAINWRIGHT + WILD ROOTS /NCFBS 4

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