Butch Warren & Freddie Redd Baltimore Jazz Loft

Butch Warren & Freddie Redd
Baltimore Jazz Loft
Brad Linde

"Baltimore Jazz Loft" captured an informal performance complementing a session organized to record unheard compositions from Freddie Redd. This album was the last album released during Freddie Redd's career. Redd was a part of the New York scene in the 50s and 60s. He is most famous for composing the music for the play and film "The Connection" and the Blue Note album of music from that play that included Jackie McLean. While not the most prolific recording artist, he had recorded a number of memorable recordings over the intervening decades. Joining him is bassist Butch Warren who played on many classic Blue Note albums by the likes of Sonny Clark, Herbie Hancock, and Dexter Gordon and was part of Thelonious Monk's Quartet for a couple of years.

On this album, Redd and Warren are joined by Washington DC area saxophonist, composer, and arranger Brad Linde. Linde was responsible for organizing these recordings. Matt Wilson, who had been looking forward to working with Warren, is on drums. This album was recorded in October 2013. Warren died not long after this date that is intended to capture the spirit of the jazz loft activities found in New York in the fifties and sixties, such as displayed in the documentary "The Jazz Loft." Recorded at Baltimore's An Die Musik, it has an appropriate ambiance.

After a short piano prelude, the rhythm section kicks off on Redd's "Nothing But the Blues," which provides an opportunity for Redd and Warren to shine. Redd has a piano style that these ears find reminiscent of Duke Ellington with a touch of Monk, while Warren's playing focuses on the walking quarter-note pulse he provides. Linde on tenor sax joins in for "I Can't Get Started" with a warm style in a Lester Young vein. Warren's "I Remember Monk" is a medium-tempo swinger that alludes to Monk more than is an imitation of Monk's music. Redd's spare playing, particularly in his accompaniment to Linde, evokes Monk. Like Monk, Redd makes use of silence as well as what he plays. His playing is not as angular in his lines as Monk. Linde is as impressive here as elsewhere. Warren's "A Little Chippie" opens with a choice bass solo before Linde melodic playing. Another highpoint is Warren's "Barack Obama," taken with a light Latin groove.

I am not sure if there was a live audience for most of this, but on the closing "There Will Never Be Another You," there is an appreciative one for the trio. This performance opens with Redd playing a chorus of "'Round Midnight" before the band launches into the standard. The sound is generally reasonably good, although Linde's sax sounds at times a bit muffled. The music is very, very good, and thanks to Brad Linde for having this recorded and making it available. It is available at Bandcamp as a digital download and a limited edition cd, https://bradlinde.bandcamp.com/album/baltimore-jazz-loft.

I purchased this as a download. Here is a 2011 performance by Butch Warren and Freddie Redd at Bohemian Caverns in Washington DC.

2013-0418 Frank Basile Celebrates Pepper Adams at Kogod-7736

2013-0418 Frank Basile Celebrates Pepper Adams at Kogod-7736, a photo by NoVARon on Flickr.

Thursday April 18, the monthly Take 5! program at the Smithsonian's Museum of American Art featured baritone saxophonist Frank Basile and his group celebrating the music of the late Pepper Adams.

Frank Basile

Adams, one of the most celebrated baritone players of the sixties until his death in 1986, first came to notice when he co-lead a group with Trumpeter Donald Byrd. He may be best known for his associations with Charles Mingus and the Thad Jones-Mel Louis Village Vanguard Orchestra, but was also a composer of note as well as a great player.

Basile, one of the finest young baritone sax players on the New York scene, has recorded CDs of Adams composition and brought his arrangements of Adams music for a group that included fellow baritone saxophonists Leigh Pilzer and Brad Linde. The rhythm section included pianist Hod O'Brien (who had played with Adams), bassist Tom Baldwin and drummer Tony Marucci.

It was a real pleasure listening to the three saxophonists, each with their own distinctive sound playing Adams' music. Reminder that the Take5! series takes place the third Thursday of the month and starts at 5:00PM, and runs until 7PM (8PM in the late spring and summer).

Frank Basile Celebrates Pepper Adams' Music at Museum of American Art

Baritone saxophonist Frank Basile has established himself as among the most formidable players of the Baritone saxophone on the scene today. Thursday, April 18, he well lead a celebration of the music of the great baritone saxophonist Pepper Adams at the Kogod Courtyard at the Smithsonian Museum of American Art in the Penn Quarter section of Washington DC, just across 7th Street from the Verizon Center and opposite F Street from the Spy Museum. The free program is part of the Museum's monthly Take 5! series on the third Thursday of each month and takes place from 5 PM to 8 PM.

The Museum's website describes this program:

"Relax and Take 5! with free, live jazz in the Kogod Courtyard. Frank Basile celebrates the music of Pepper Adams, the exceptional baritone saxophonist and composer who played with Charles Mingus, Donald Byrd, and Thad Jones. Basile and fellow baritones Leigh Pilzer and Brad Linde perform original arrangements, accompanied by Hod O’Brien (piano), Tom Baldwin (bass), and Tony Martucci (drums)."

I have become aware of Frank Basile from a Kickstarter project supporting his most recent recording Modern Inventions. One of the premiums I received for my participation was one of several recordings he has performed of the compositions of Pepper Adams and it was a terrific introduction to Basile's music. I am looking forward to the triple baritone attack at the Kogod Courtyard.

Frank Basile's website is: http://www.frankbasilemusic.com.

Brad Linde's Holiday Jazz

Brad Linde led a fascinating evening of holiday music on Thursday December 20, 2012 at the Kogod Courtyard in the Smithsonian's Museum of American Art. Saxophonist Linde's Quartet with fellow saxophonist Sarah Hughes was augmented by a brass ensemble for a terrific evening of holiday music. It was as if the Birth of the Cool Band interpreted Jingle Bells, and other favorites. Here is an excerpt from their performance of Sarah Hughes's arrangement of "Chorale of the Bells."

Smithsonian Holiday Jazz with Brad Linde & Sarah Hughes

Brad Linde and Sarah Hughes on Saxophone at the 2010 DC Jazz Festival's Jazz at the Phillips Collection.
Photo © Ron Weinstock

If you are in The Washington DC area tonight, Thursday December 20, you might want to check out the Holiday Program the Smithsonian's Museum of American Art is presenting in the Kogod Courtyard starting at 5:00 PM and continuing until the Museum closes at 7:00PM. It will be some cool yuletime jazz with The Brad Linde Quartet and a Brass Ensemble. The program is described as "Brad Linde and Sarah Hughes present an evening of holiday music arranged for their jazz quartet and brass ensemble. Listen to your favorite Christmas classics as you've never heard them in the Brad Linde Quartet's unique post-cool, free-bop style." In addition to the music, one can participate in a free drawing workshop during the Take 5! performances. Build your own sketchbook from recycled materials to take home. Workshops are in conjunction with the exhibition Abstract Drawings.

It marks the return of the monthly series of free jazz concerts at the Kogod Courtyard. Upcoming programs in the Take 5! series include saxophonist Elijah Jamal Balbed: Tribute to Wayne Shorter on Thursday, January 24  which is in tribute to Wayne Shorter's 80th birthday year. Elijah Jamal Balbed, will showcase Shorter's early works. On Thursday, February 21, Take 5! will showcase Trumpeter Mike Davis performing the music of the legendary Kenny Dorham, one of the mist significant trumepters of the bebop and hardbop period (1945-1965). 

For more information on these performances and the Take 5! series visit the Smithsonian’s website. Note that while the webpage has the performances running until 8:00PM, these performances will end by 7:00PM.

Donvonte McCoy Celebrated Lee Morgan

Donvonté McCoy Sextet with Fred Foss on alto sax, Donvonte McCoy on trumpet, Elijah Jamal Balbed on tenor saxophone, Hope ? piano, Blake Meissner ? on bass and Steve Williams on drums.

Thursday evening September 20, 2012 , I had the pleasure of seeing a tribute to the legendary trumpet player and composer Lee Morgan at the Kogod Courtyard of the Smithsonian's Museum of American Art that featured trumpeter Donvonté McCoy Sextet. The presentation was part of the Museum's monthly Take 5 series. It has been 40 years since the tragic shooting of Morgan and the program of lesser known compositions by Morgan was a special program for fans of Morgan as well as aficionados of hard bop.

Donvonté McCoy

There was quite a turnout for this program including a niece and nephew of Morgan. I did not fully get the name of the pianist (I believe his first name was Hope) and I believe the name of the bassist was Blake Meissner (I was not taking notes during the program). On alto sax was Washington legend Fred Foss and on tenor saxophone was Elijah Jamal Balbed who is establishing himself as among the DC area's finest players. Another legend, Steve Williams was on drums. For the second set, trombonist Lincoln Ross, and then Brad Line on Baritone replaced Balbed.

Fred Foss

Steve Williams

The music was excellent. I had heard much about McCoy, and was not disappointed by the warmth and bite in his playing and the whole band was excellent. I do not remember all of the compositions they played by did include "The Sixth Sense" "Top Cat" and "Rigor Mortis." In addition to meeting a niece and nephew of Morgan, I spoke with Earle Gullins, President of the Lee Morgan Jazz Fan Club of DC, Maryland and Virginia who is writing a biography of Morgan. Also, WPFW programmer and historian Rusty Hassan was among the many enjoying the music.

Lee Morgan's nephew; Earle Gullins; unidentified (holding Lee Morgan's flugelhorn) and Rusty Hassan.

These monthly programs continue on the third Thursday of each month (although they are skipping November and December). October 18, saxophonist Brian Settles will lead a program devoted to the music of  Dewey Redman while on January 17, 2013, the Elijah Jamal Balbed Quintet +1 will help celebrate the 80th Birthday year of Wayne Shorter with a program focusing on his Shorter's compositions from his time with Vee-Jay Records (before he signed with Blue Note). The shows start at 5;00PM and run until 7:00PM when the Museum closes. There is food and drink available at the Museum.

Elijah Jamal Balbed

Freddie Redd and Butch Warren Live Tomorrow

Blue Note Legends Freddie Redd and Butch Warren 

at the Museum of American Art

Persons living and/or working in the DC Area should be aware the Smithsonian's American Art Museum, 8th & F Streets, NW in the Gallery Place area of Washington near the Verizon Center is presenting a performance, tomorrow evening, that will feature a couple of legends who are associated with Blue Note Records, pianist  Freddie Redd and bassist Butch Warren.  The free performance takes place at the Museum's Kogod Courtyard and will start at around 5:00PM.

Pianist and composer Redd recorded for Blue Note in the early 1960s, including the music he contributed the the play, The Connection, which later was one of his Blue Note albums that was reissued on the Mosaic label.  DC native Warren was part of a rhythm section with the late pianist Sonny Clark and late drummer Billy Higgins and played on countless Blue Note sessions in the early 1960s including sessions by Clark, Donald Byrd, Grant Green, Jackie Mclean and Dexter Gordon. Warren also played on Herbie Hancock’s Takin’ Off album and plays bass on the original recording of Watermelon Man. He also spent about a year playing with Thelonious Monk. Warren had the first two albums under his own name in the past few years and was subject of a feature in JazzTimes. 

The band will also include two of DC’s most accomplished saxophonists, Brian Settles and Brad Linde. It will be an exceptional evening of jazz and its free.

Here is a clip of the Freddie Redd & Butch Warren at Bohemian Gardens

Here is Thelonious Monk in Japan with Butch Warren on bass doing Evidence.

DC Jazz Festival Picks for June 9

This is the ninth post I am making to highlight some of the shows associated with this year’s DC Jazz Festival. I am specifically not highlighting the DC JazzLoft Fest (the Loft Mega-Fest is today) since I have posted on this already. I will may also pick a few other shows around the DC Virginia area that should not be overlooked. I am posting this a day ahead of the date of performances, and being a bit less verbose.  For more information visit http://www.dcjazzfest.org/content.cfm/schedule_and_major_events.

Warre Wolf at 2012 Mid-Atlantic Jazz Festival

The terrific vibraphonist Warren Wolf leads his Quartet at Faith Presbyterian Church (5PM show) as part of the East River Jazz Festival.

Gallery O on H Street (1354 H Street, NE Washington) has a day and evening of music starting with a student ensemble at 5:30. Saxophonist and composer Brad Linde Quintet is on at 6:40PM; Lennard Jack & Fusion are on at 7:50PM and the Afro-Bop Alliance is on at 9:15PM.

The Hamilton has trumpeter Etienne Charles & Kaiso and pianist Monty Alexander & The Harlem-Kingston Express.

Bohemian Gardens hosts saxophonist Marcus Strickland once more.

Vocalist Dee Stone is at the Black Fox Lounge.

For blues fans, The Tinner Hill Blues Festival takes place in Falls Church.

Here is a video of Brad Linde Ensemble with guest Lee Konitz (who is not scheduled to appear at the DC Jazz Festival).