Gary gets “official” birthday gift

October 23, 2009. Posted by Brandy Wood.

Add new comment | Filed under: gary walker, jazz, Jazz Alive, newark, wbgo, wbgo blog

Morning Jazz host Gary Walker recently celebrated his 60th birthday, and the jazz community wasn’t the only one to recognize this important milestone. At Gary’s surprise birthday celebration, he received the following proclamation:

The Newark Municipal Council Hereby issues this resolution commending Gary Walker on the auspicious occasion of celebrating his 60th birthday on October 17, 2009 @ The Glenridge Community Center. The governing body joins with all residents of the city of Newark to extend heartfelt congratulations during this wholesome event

Congrats Gary!

© 2009 WBGO

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Great Live Moments - Michel Camilo

April 4, 2008. Posted by Joshua Jackson.

Add new comment | Filed under: april 24, art tatum, bassist, Birthdays, drummer, happy birthday, Iridium, jazz blog, jazz record, latin heat, lincoln, lincoln goines, Listening Post, Live Music, michel camilo, native dominican republic, night in tunisia, pianist, piano trio, tea, trio sound, wbgo, wbgo blog

Happy birthday today to pianist Michel Camilo.
WBGO recorded Michel's trio at Iridium on April 24, 1997.
Michel Camilo, Bassist Lincoln Goines and drummer Cliff Almond had a killer piano trio sound. Listen to "A Night in Tunisia" from the WBGO Archives.

And do you know what inspired Michel Camilo to play jazz? Hearing Art Tatum play "Tea for Two." When Camilo was 14, he heard that jazz record in his native Dominican Republic. Since you cannot see Art Tatum magic on a record, and you can no longer see him play, you'll have to check out this re-performance of "Tea For Two."
-Josh

© 2008 WBGO

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Live Music Notes - Lee Konitz at Jazz Standard

April 3, 2008. Posted by Joshua Jackson.

Add new comment | Filed under: alto sax, bob haggart, bread crumbs, danilo perez, detriment, drums, funk groove, group improvisation, Jazz Alive, jazz blog, jazz repertory, jazz standard, lee konitz trio, matt wilson, melody, nod, Notes, rufus reid, sleep, stella by starlight, thelonious monk, tuesday evening, tuesday night, wbgo blog

I've been going to see more and more music these days, much to the detriment of my need for sleep. Tuesday evening, I decided to check out the Lee Konitz Trio with very special guest, Danilo Perez. The early set, anyway. I know my limitations.

Lee Konitz, at 80, is still making some amazing music. And as much as I get tired of hearing jazz repertory, I never tire of hearing Konitz play standards. Four songs in one set, three of which I recognized. All of which I enjoyed. Konitz has this way of never really playing the melody outright. Instead, he basically smashed the loaf into bread crumbs, and sprinkles them over the course of a 15 minute group improvisation. It takes a while to find it. And by the time you DO find it, you realize that the treasure is not at the end of the trail. It was the crumbs!
Kinda like that whole idea of jazz being more of a how than a what.

Tuesday night, the group (Konitz on alto sax, Danilo on piano, Rufus Reid on bass, and Matt Wilson on drums) played a strange, intermittent funk under "Stella by Starlight," then a less than foolish nod to people time - "I'll remember April." During the last song, I kept wondering if I was hearing a version of Thelonious Monk's "Bemsha Swing..." I wasn't. I was hearing the band play Bob Haggart's "What's New?"
If you want to find the answer to that question - what's new? - follow the bread crumbs to Jazz Standard. This band beats creative loafing any day.
-Josh

© 2008 WBGO

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