When You Know - Rhonda Hamilton with Dianne Reeves

January 18, 2008. Posted by Joshua Jackson.

Add new comment | Filed under: bassist, dianne reeves, drummer, emotional depth, final touches, goodnight and good luck, grammys, greg hutchinson, guitarist, Interviews, josh jackson, love songs, minnie ripperton, pianist, rhonda, romero lubambo, s singer, sarah vaughan, spiritual connection, temptations just my imagination, veal

"It's what it is in that moment." That's singer Dianne Reeves' definition of jazz.
Dianne Reeves is on her way home to Colorado today. She has just finished the final touches of her new recording, When You Know.
It comes out April 15th - so pick up a copy when you drop off your taxes.
Dianne has won multiple Grammys - for her live recording, In the Moment. For her tribute to Newark's own Sarah Vaughan, The Calling (Dianne's favorite). For her soundtrack to the film Goodnight and Good Luck. And when it comes to matters of love, there are few singers in jazz with the emotional depth of Dianne Reeves. So it is not surprising that the new record is a cycle of love songs. When You Know ends with the title track, a song about Dianne's spiritual connection. It also includes jazz versions of The Temptations' "Just My Imagination" and Minnie Ripperton's "Loving You," innocent love songs that Dianne remembers as a child.
Can't wait until the record comes out? You're in luck. Dianne and her band (pianist Geoff Keezer, guitarist Romero Lubambo, bassist Reginald Veal, and drummer Greg Hutchinson) will debut the music live in concert - when else? - Valentine's Night at The Apollo.

Listen to Rhonda Hamilton's interview with Dianne Reeves.

- Josh Jackson

© 2008 WBGO

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IAJE Evening 1 - Goldberg Variations

January 10, 2008. Posted by Joshua Jackson.

Add new comment | Filed under: aaron goldberg, bassist, cbc, christmas time, customs, drummer, finale, glenn gould studio, goldberg variations, harland, holiday music, holiday song, IAJE 2008, Jazz Alive, joshua, Live Music, mingus, mini clinic, newark, piano player, redman, s goldberg, taurus

Face it. You gotta be bold when you're a piano player, your last name is Goldberg, and you're playing in Toronto. More specifically, if you're Aaron Goldberg, and you're playing across the street from the CBC's Glenn Gould Studio, named after Toronto's famous son who OWNS Bach's Goldberg Variations. But I'm getting off topic.

The Aaron Goldberg Trio, with bassist Rueben Rogers and drummer Eric Harland, played some bold music. After opening with "Taurus" from the Sunnyside trio release, Worlds, Aaron called the quarterback option - his composition, "The Sound of Snow." It's from, of all things, the CD that accompanies the Baby Loves Jazz board book series. Specifically, from Mingus Mouse Christmas Time.

This is my favorite kind of holiday music - the kind where you can't tell it's a holiday song. Hear what I mean:

Aaron Goldberg Trio - The Sound of Snow

Eric Harland left his house at 6am. His flight from New York to Toronto was cancelled. Then he went to Newark. Then his flight was delayed. And delayed. So, He didn't get to Toronto until 6:30pm. The hit was 7pm at the Bassett Theater. Glad he made it thru customs!

Check out Eric's mini-clinic on "Shed," a song dedicated to Joshua "Shedroff" Redman.

Aaron Goldberg Trio - Shed

And the last one was a burner.

Aaron Goldberg Trio - Finale

More on the way. - Josh

© 2008 WBGO

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Ed Thigpen at 77

December 28, 2007. Posted by Joshua Jackson.

Add new comment | Filed under: Birthdays, drummer, drummers, ed thigpen, education conference, educator, happy birthday, herbie hancock, humanitarian award, Jazz Education, kenny burrell, Listening Post, mouthpiece, nola, oscar peterson trio, percussion, retrospect, rhythm, ron carter, trumpeter clark terry, tympani, verve

Drummer Ed Thigpen has lived in Denmark since the early 70s, but we haven't forgotten him stateside. Especially given the recent death of Oscar Peterson. Thigpen recorded more than 50 records as a member of the Oscar Peterson Trio, but not very many as a leader.

In 1966, though, he made a record for Verve called OUT OF THE STORM. Not a lot of music here, and Thigpen doesn't solo much, but it's still worth checking out. At the time, Thigpen had recently left the Oscar Peterson trio. Trumpeter Clark Terry adds some mouthpiece-only solos for an nice effect. Thigpen plays tuned drums that sound like tympani at times. Kenny Burrell, Herbie Hancock, and Ron Carter round out the date. Give it a listen.

The last time I saw Ed Thigpen, he was teaching kids at a percussion clinic in New Orleans. As you can imagine, there were a symphony of drummers in attendance (which, in retrospect, is pretty easy for a rhythm town like NOLA). It was just around the time that he won a Humanitarian Award at the International Association for Jazz Education conference.

That seems fitting. He's a beautiful cat, and a tremendous educator. And for the record, he's a hell of a wire brush player.

Happy Birthday, Ed Thigpen.

© 2007 WBGO

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