the university of Louisville presents Jazz Fest . . . and More!By Mike Tracy

Like the stock market, live music goes in cycles − good times and not so good. This is especially true of less popular idioms like jazz. It’s no secret that 2008 has been a difficult year for those in the Louisville area seeking to hear live jazz, but U of L’s Jazz Fest continues to be a bright spot. First presented in 1992 as Jazz Week, Jazz Fest has showcased one of the finest collections of jazz artists found anywhere, rivaling presentations in much larger communities. Performers have ranged from NEA Jazz Masters to visiting student ensembles, emerging artists to outstanding international performers, gifted adjudica-tors to U of L’s own talented students. The list of major artists who have appeared is astounding and includes the Dave Brubeck Quartet, the Elvin Jones

Jazz Machine, the McCoy Tyner Trio, the Paquito D’Rivera Ensemble, the Ahmad Jamal Trio, the Vanguard Jazz Orchestra, the Roy Haynes Quartet, Jon Hendricks, and Sammy Figueroa and his Latin Jazz Explosion. Jazz Fest 2009, February 25-28, will continue this tradition as we welcome headliner Lee Konitz, U of L alumnus Jim Walker, Italian pianist Davide Logiri, and others. All performances will be held in the Margaret Comstock Concert Hall at U of L and you can purchase tickets at the door or reserve them in advance by calling 502-852-6907.

Davide Logiri trio and open World Jazz ensembleWednesday, February 25, 8:00 p.m. / $10.00 ($5.00 students)

Jazz Fest’s international component will feature Russian musicians via the Open World program (featured else-where in this newsletter) and Italian pianist Davide Logiri. At the age of seven Davide entered the Conservatorio Giuseppe Verdi in Milan, the leading musical institution in Italy, where he studied the piano and cello. His stud-ies in Milan led to a degree in classical piano, but while a student he became equally interested in jazz. After graduation he continued his jazz studies with artists such as Antonio Faraò, Phil DeGreg, Dan Hearle, and Harold Danko, and Davide has been a regular on the jazz scene ever since.

In 1995 Logiri was named best pianist at the Berklee Clinics in Perugia, which gave him the opportunity to play at Umbria Jazz Winter in Orvieto. He also began collaborating with other jazz musicians in Milan, joined the

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The third volume of the Jazz Icons™ series of live jazz performances on DVD is now out, and it continues the high standards set by the first two. This third installment features two pianists, Bill Evans and Oscar Peterson, three saxophonists, Cannonball Adderley, Sonny Rollins, and Rahsaan Roland Kirk, vocalist/pianist Nina Simone, and Louisville’s own Lionel Hampton. Rollins, Kirk, and Simone also appear on the bonus disc which is available to those who buy the boxed set. Except for portions of the Evans disc, all the presentations are in black and white, and all were recorded in monaural sound. All of the DVDs include 24-page booklets with commentary by noted critics and many photographs of the artists.

The one-line review is: any serious jazz fan should get this series.

With such an array of talent, it is hard to know where to begin, so I will take the luxury of starting with two artists who still seem to receive less respect

than they deserve, namely Rahsaan Roland Kirk and Nina Simone. Kirk was featured on the cover of the June 2008 JazzTimes, in a story entitled “Rahsaan Roland Kirk: The Cult of Kirk.” The very title was misleading and patronizing. Much of the piece was dedicated to defending his reputation against those who thought of him as some sort of trickster or clownish figure. These are points of view that seem antiquated at best, as the focus should have been on Kirk’s unique place in modern jazz. He was blind, he played multiple instruments,

often simultaneously, he was equally at home playing traditional New Orleans jazz and compositions by John Coltrane, yet was frequently denied the esteem accorded his contemporaries. The segments in Kirk’s DVD should go far in rectifying the situation. They were shot in 1963 in Belgium and Holland, and in 1967 in Norway (the bonus disc features a different performance from Belgium ’63).

The 1963 performances demonstrate Kirk’s mastery of both bop and post-bop. Selections include originals such as “Moon Song,” standards such as “Yesterdays,” and interpretations of such staples of the jazz canon as “Milestones” and “Bags’ Groove.” Regardless of authorship, Kirk makes each song his own. Sometimes, as on “Lover Man,” his focus is on a single instru-ment (in this case, the flute). On other pieces, he plays two or more horns, sometimes sounding like a small horn section, and at other times playing coun-termelodies with himself. His showstopping classic “Three for the Festival” is captured on all three 1963 performances. Closeups enable the viewer to observe his circular breathing prowess, which allowed him to play seemingly endless choruses when the spirit moved him. The 1967 concert shows an ebul-lient Kirk with Louisville native Ron Burton on piano.

An unusually lengthy Producers’ Note in the Nina Simone booklet offers up much angst over whether she should have been included, as her repertoire, indeed, her self-image, was not strictly “jazz.” As one whose exposure to Simone began some four decades ago, I have no qualms whatsoever, and am appreciative that she is represented by performances from 1965 (Holland) and 1968 (London), plus a brief segment on the bonus disc from Sweden, in 1965. Many of the songs most closely associated with her are found here, such as “Four

Women” and “Mississippi Goddam.” She was a powerful interpreter of the blues, and could break hearts with her ballads, yet the emphasis in the concerts here is clearly on Simone the politically astute musical activist. In many ways, this may be the most moving disc of this series.

Sonny Rollins is, in my opinion, the greatest living jazz saxophonist. He is my first choice as an artist I would take non-jazz friends to see and hear. His

performances on the DVD here, both from Denmark, are from 1965 and 1968, with additional footage from 1959 in Sweden and Holland on the bonus disc. On the 1965 seg-ment, Rollins stretches out on his calypso “St. Thomas,” and continues with a 21-minute medley of “Oleo/Sonnymoon for Two,” which flows into relatively brief versions of “Darn that Dream” and “Three Little Words.” Rollins exudes seemingly effortless mastery throughout, and even when not soloing can be seen to be completely in the moment at all times. The 1968 portion of the disc offers another splen-did version of “St. Thomas.” He displays his keen sense of rhythm even during a cappella segments on “On Green Dolphin Street” and “Four.”

Cannonball Adderley’s entry perhaps best exempli-fies the foundation of this series, to present artists who transcend the label of jazz and are known to non-jazz audiences. The 1963 performances (from Switzerland and Germany) predate his huge success with “Mercy, Mercy, Mercy.” However, another crossover hit is included, his brother Nat Adderley’s composition “Work Song.” Cannonball is in fine form throughout, with Nat on flugelhorn, Yusef Lateef on tenor sax, flute, and oboe, and

Joe Zawinul on piano. Adderley’s own solos swing hard, and he is generous in granting solo space to his bandmates.

By choosing pianists Bill Evans and Oscar Peterson for this volume of the series, the producers have cho-sen artists who were both influential, yet significantly different from one another in both playing style and demeanor. The Evans disc features him in five different trio segments dating from 1964 through 1975, with the second 1970 performance and the 1975 live-in-studio piece presented in color. Known for his introspective playing, many of the songs show Evans hunched

over his piano, seemingly oblivious to the audience. Alto saxophonist Lee Konitz adds a different instrumental voice when he appears as a guest on the 1965 rendition of “My Melancholy Baby.” Evans’ 1975 recital shows him more visibly interacting with his colleagues. Peterson was much more of an extro-vert, and his playing could be lightning fast. His DVD captures him in 1963, 1964, and 1965. While best known for his work in the trio format, he was also a superb accompanist. Thus, the 1965 set, after the opening “Yours Is My Heart Alone,” is a special treat, as Clark Terry joins Peterson.

Native son Lionel Hampton fronts a big band for a 1958 concert in Belgium. While best known for his ground-breaking work on vibes, he was also an excellent drum-mer, and played some piano as well. His musicianship did not prevent him from being a wonderful showman, and this aspect is also captured here. For sheer exuberance, this disc is unmatched by any in the series.

Once again, the jazz public has been well-served by the producers of the Jazz Icons™ series. Within each volume, they have included artists ranging from traditional to modern, and for that alone they deserve credit. While space does not permit full song lists nor personnel credits here, these details may be found at the Web site, www.jazzicons.com.

THIRD SERIES OF JAZZ ICONS™ DVDS© 2008 by Martin Z. Kasdan Jr.

Blueback Quartet, and performed at the Cotton Time Jazz Festiva at Arco Della Pace. In 1999 Davide organized a concert in Milan to celebrate the centennial of Duke Ellington, an event that gave him the opportunity to perform with, among others, the American jazz pianist Don Friedman, perhaps best known for his work with the Clark Terry Quintet.

In 2004 Logiri began collaborating with the English saxophonist Andrew Fawcett and in February 2006 Andrew and Davide released a CD entitled The Chase. They, along with bassist Gianluca Alberti, traveled throughout the UK to showcase the recording and their performance at the Black Cat in Northampton was rated by The Guardian newspaper as one of three “gigs of the week.” Davide also leads his own trio featuring Gianluca Alberti on double bass and Alessio Pacifico on drums. They are currently working on a Miles Davis tribute.

Lee Konitz Friday, February 27, 8:00 p.m./ $15.00 ($5.00 students)

Lee Konitz has been on the cutting edge of improvisation for more than six decades and is sometimes regarded as the preeminent cool jazz saxophonist, having performed and recorded with Claude Thornhill, Lennie Tristano (both considered important cool jazz musi-cians), and Miles Davis. He has also been noted as one of the few jazz saxophon-ists of the late forties and fifties who was not imitative of Charlie Parker.

In his youth, Konitz studied clarinet, then alto saxophone, with various teach-ers in Chicago. It was during the early forties that he met noted pianist Lennie Tristano, with whom he recorded the

1949 releases Intuition and Digression, the first recordings of freely improvised music. Konitz went on to work with Miles Davis’s nonet in live performances and on recordings, the most notable of which was the famous Birth of the Cool album. He also played with Gerry Mulligan and Chet Baker’s influential band, and worked from 1952-53 in Stan Kenton’s big band.

The next several decades found Konitz in equally good company. In the sixties he performed with Paul Bley, Martial Solal, Charlie Haden, and Brad Mehldau and, in the mid-seventies, joined with Warne Marsh, fellow sideman from the early Tristano sessions, to tour Europe and record. He then founded his own nonet with whom he performed regularly during the eighties. Konitz has recorded dozens of albums as a band leader and has also recorded or performed in collaboration with many others, including Dave Brubeck, Ornette Coleman, Charles Mingus, and Elvin Jones. His influence is seen in West Coast alto saxophonists Art Pepper, Bud Shank, and Paul Desmond. Currently, Konitz is traveling and performing more than ever.

Jim WalkerSaturday, February 28, 8:00 p.m. / $15.00 ($5.00 students)Flutist and University of Louisville School of Music alumnus Jim Walker will perform with U of L Jazz Ensemble I and the U of L Orchestra (appearing for the first time at Jazz Fest). Jim, known for a diverse career that has included per-forming with the Los Angeles Philharmonic, leading his jazz fusion ensemble

Free Flight, and recording with Miles Davis, is a virtuoso flutist who truly ignites an audience. From jazz to pop to classical, television to film to concert hall, Jim Walker has never met a crowd that didn’t love his powerful “stand and deliver” performances.

In 1969 Jim was named Associate Principal Flute in the Pittsburgh Symphony and went on to win the Principal Flute position in the Los

Angeles Philharmonic. After seven successful seasons with the Philharmonic, Jim moved into the world of jazz. He began by listening in clubs and gaining confidence in the practice room, then organized Free Flight, a jazz quartet of flute, piano, bass, and drums that specialized in jazz-classical fusion. Free Flight made multiple appearances on The Tonight Show and The Today Show and recorded the very successful album Slice of Life. By the time Jean-Pierre Rampal named “Jimmy” his favorite jazz flute player in the nineties, Jim was already a superstar.

Jim has also been successful in the Los Angeles studio scene and as a music educator. His playing can be heard on hundreds of recordings, and his list of collaborators includes everyone from John Williams and Paul McCartney to Leonard Bernstein, James Galway, and the Los Angeles Guitar Quartet. As Senior Lecturer at USC’s Thornton School of Music and Instructor of Flute at the Colburn Conservatory of Music, Jim devotes many hours each week to steering the careers of young flutists.

Rounding out the Jazz Fest schedule will be adjudicator/performers trombon-ist Tim Coffman, saxophonist Jim Carroll, pianist Sean Parsons, and Louisville native Terry O’Mahoney on drums. Jazz Fest will also feature visiting ensembles from throughout the region and U of L’s own faculty and student ensembles. Please visit www.louisville.edu/music/jazz/ or call 502-852-6907 for more information. I hope your jazz spirits will be lifted by attending one or more of these events.

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More Jazz at the u!Watch for these other jazz events at the University of Louisville.

pat La barbera − Bird Recital HallSaturday, January 17, 8:00 p.m. / $10.00 ($5.00 students)Pat, best known for his work with Elvin Jones and Buddy Rich, will perform with the Faculty Jazz Ensemble. His performance will be part of the annual saxophone weekend, an event celebrating all saxophone styles: jazz, classi-cal, and contemporary.

the u.s. army blues − Comstock Concert HallMonday, February 9 at 8:00 p.m. / FreeComprised of alumni from prestigious music schools and veterans of the professional music scene, this is an ensemble of some of the finest jazz musicians in the nation. This concert will feature the finest in big band standards as well as newer arrangements written just for the ensemble.

Latin Fest with vibest Dave samuels and Jazz ensemble i − Comstock Concert HallFriday, April 3, at 8:00 p.m. / $15.00 ($5.00 students)Dave Samuels, best known for his work with the Caribbean Jazz Project, will be performing compositions and arrangements from his new CD Afro Bop Alliance.

One doesn’t often hear the word calling used to describe what inspires people to pursue careers in music. Yet it’s certainly appropri-ate. Music is hard work that pays little and widespread notoriety is reserved for only a very few. The only reason to make music your life’s work is to want it so badly that you simply can’t do otherwise − to feel as if you are undeniably summoned. A lot of musicians feel called in just this way, and Ansyn Banks is one of them.

But he wasn’t thinking such lofty thoughts when, without prior music lessons, he joined the school band in fifth grade. Despite urgings from his mother to pick up the saxophone, Ansyn decided on a shiny silver trumpet. What more could a fifth-grade boy want? It didn’t take long for Ansyn to catch on and start outplaying most of his classmates. As his playing improved in middle school, he slowly started to identify himself with the trumpet. Ansyn began listen-ing to Wynton Marsalis, Miles Davis, and other great players, and still remembers the first time he listened to Miles Davis’s Kind of Blue. He started with side B and it resonated so strongly that he listened to it several times in a row. He also remembers transcribing “Milestones,” the title track from the classic Miles Davis album of the same name, before he even really knew what transcription was.

His first exposure to “real” jazz musicians came in high school. In his hometown of Columbus, Ohio, there were a couple of regu-lar jam sessions that he rarely missed. Gene Walker, jazz saxophonist and former professor at Ohio State University, hosted a brunch jam session called “Jazz and Eggs” every Saturday from 10-2. The first time Ansyn showed up to play, he knew just a couple of tunes. When others called tunes he didn’t know he did the best he could, but frequently that meant just listening. He recalls Gene and crew “playing the tar” out of All the Things You Are and being told by Gene, in no uncertain terms, that he MUST learn that tune. So he went home, studied with recordings & Aebersold play-a-longs, and went back the next week having learned it. That cycle repeated itself numerous times, and eventually he gathered a solid repertoire and a good education in jam session etiquette. It was extremely valuable experience, but it wasn’t enough by itself. He still needed to develop skill in what he calls left-sided playing, meaning the more technical and controlled aspects of music.

His shortcomings in that area were brought home to him somewhat painfully when Wynton Marsalis and his band came to town. Ansyn was sixteen and cut school to go to Wynton’s clinic at Ohio State. After the clinic he met Wynton and his band, and after talk-ing with them (and begging an autograph for his mother), he chauffeured the band to their hotel in his bright yellow Chrysler LeBaron. Big stuff for a sixteen-year-old. That evening, the group was scheduled to perform one of Wynton’s choreographed dance works and Ansyn arrived as the group was doing their sound check in the orchestra pit. Wynton was

away, so Ansyn sat down in his chair (shy-ness clearly not being a problem) to play the sound check with them and − stunk. Not that anyone there was unkind enough to say so. Instead, Wessel “Warm Daddy” Anderson, the great sax player who joined the Marsalis group at age twenty and is now on the faculty at Juilliard, lived up to his nickname by giving Ansyn a lesson. Ansyn still remembers that day as one of his most thrilling and humbling. But humbled or not, there was no turning back. Playing music was where he wanted to be.

Jazz performer profile: ansyn banksBy Michele Blum

Ansyn Banks

The Jamey Aebersold Jazz Studies Program has some very exciting news to share with you. The Kentucky State Legislature has partially restored funding for Bucks for Brains initiatives at U of L. Consequently, the university is offering a one-time, final opportunity for local jazz fans to have their gifts and pledges to the Visiting Jazz Artist Endowed Chair matched dollar for dollar up to a total of $500,000!

This endowment will be invested, allowing it to grow and be used in perpetuity to bring leading jazz performers and educators to our community. This program will be an invaluable resource not only for students, but for all lovers of jazz and supporters of the Louisville arts community. Every dollar counts, so no gift is too small. Pledges can be paid in installments spread over three to five years, but the entire amount will be matched if pledged by January 31. For additional information please contact Tedi Vaughn or Mike Tracy at 502-852-6907 and/or visit http://www.jazz.louisville.edu. To use the title of a Charlie Parker blues, “Now’s the Time,” for the matching campaign ends at the end of January 2009 and will not be available ever again. Don’t miss this opportunity to support jazz, jazz education, and our current and future students. We all benefit.

visiting Jazz artist endowment

Photograph by Tom Fougerousse, courtesy of University of Louisville.

When he wasn’t busy at jam sessions or playing chauffeur and sound check sit-in for the stars, he was studying the music of Ellington, Gillespie, and other jazz giants in the Columbus Youth Jazz Ensemble, directed by Todd Stoll. It was through Stoll that Ansyn met Dr. Larry Griffin, trumpet profes-sor and director of bands at Ohio Wesleyan University. Stoll, a student of Griffin’s, saw Ansyn’s potential and contacted Dr. Griffin to recommended Ansyn as a student. At the time Ansyn wasn’t much interested, prefer-ring to study at the University of “anywhere but Ohio.” Nonetheless, he agreed to take an audition and it was a turning point for him. He received a scholarship, enrolled in the music education program, and for the first time started to gain strong technical skills. At OWU, Ansyn studied with classical teachers who showed him that whatever the musical style, “good trumpet playing is good trumpet playing.” He participated in every ensemble the school had to offer, jazz or classical, and the exposure to other musical styles was invigorating, but Ansyn was certain that jazz was where he belonged. Ansyn was well acquainted with the teaching materials of David Baker: they provided the answers he was looking for in his quest to become a serious improviser. So after earning his bach-elor’s in music education, he decided to study where he could learn to balance the intuitive aspects of his playing with the analytical skills necessary for improvisation.

For balancing those things, there are few places better than the Jazz Studies Department at Indiana University. There Ansyn got the edu-cation he’d hoped for, and something else he wasn’t counting on. The African American Arts Institute at Indiana University sponsored a program called the IU Soul Revue that special-ized in R&B from 1949 to the present, including Motown, soul, and funk. Ansyn got involved and was soon playing with R&B greats like The Four Tops, The Mighty Dells, and The Temptations. He became the Soul Revue horn coach and developed a love for R&B that’s still very much a part of him. In September of this year, he had the honor of performing with the Queen of Soul herself, Aretha Franklin.

After earning his master’s in jazz studies, Ansyn freelanced throughout the Midwest and began his career in education, first at Columbus’s World Harvest Prepartory School and then at The Wellington School, also in Columbus. He enjoyed those experiences, but teaching at the collegiate level was his goal, so after a couple of years he returned to IU to pursue his doctorate. While completing

his coursework, he played regularly in the Indianapolis area, and it was during a gig with the Steve Allee Big Band at the Jazz Kitchen that Ansyn learned about his current position at U of L. Pat Harbison, professor of jazz stud-ies at Indiana University and U of L alumnus, was in the horn section that night and men-tioned the position to Ansyn. After speaking with John La Barbera and Mike Tracy, Ansyn felt like the job was a good fit, and in the fall of 2006 he joined the U of L faculty.

Ansyn’s position at the University entails teaching private students, directing jazz com-bos, teaching courses, and leading the jazz repertory ensembles. He’s also the director of the Jazz in Schools program. Jazz in Schools sends graduate student ensembles to middle and high schools with the intent of introduc-ing public-school students to jazz through live performance. Presentations include group and individual performance, discussion, a question and answer period, and the collaborative cre-ation of a musical piece. This invaluable pro-

gram affords a rare opportunity for students of all ages and backgrounds to experience an art form that, sadly, they might not otherwise be exposed to.

Last month, Ansyn finished his orals for the DMA in brass pedagogy. His next major project will be writing a trumpet exercise book that fuses fundamental trumpet tech-nique with jazz playing, something he wishes had been available to him years ago. In the meantime, he looks forward to continuing his one-on-one work with hungry students. But it’s not only students who stand to gain from Ansyn’s love of music. He has much to offer an audience as well, and Louisville jazz fans shouldn’t miss the opportunity to hear him play. He frequently performs as a sideman around town and has worked with Jerry Tolson and The Market Street Stompers among others. Also, watch for jazz faculty performances on the music department Web site at http://louisville.edu/music and go hear him whenever you can. You’ll be glad you did.

keeping louisville weird, jazz style© 2008 Martin Z. Kasdan Jr.

The past year saw the release of several jazz albums by local artists. Before going any fur-ther, if the following summary leaves anyone out inadvertently, please accept my apology. Contact the Louisville Jazz Society and we’ll get you in next time. In alphabetical order, here is an overview of the 2008 releases. If you can’t find them locally, the artists’ Web sites are included.

Jacob Duncan: Live at the Nachbar (Bass Lion BLM004). Drummer Jason Tiemann and bassist John Goldsby join Liberation Prophecy leader and saxophonist Duncan for an inventive trio outing. As I said in my September 2008 Louisville Music News column, the trio’s overall sound and concept bring to mind the great Sonny Rollins trio recordings, as well as the more avant-garde Ornette Coleman trio works. (The url is long; just go to www.myspace.com and type in Duncan’s name).

The Mind of Love: Jennifer Lauletta Sings the Songs of k.d. lang. Jennifer Lauletta reimagines the work of k.d. lang on this spare and gentle, yet emotional outing, accompanied primarily by pianist Steve Crews. (www.jenniferlauletta.com.)

Paradigm: Melodies for Uncertain Robots (Ropeadope label). Paradigm is a younger band which is reaching national attention in both jazz and jamband circles. This CD mixes funk, ambient electronica, and more to great effect. (www.paradigmgroove.com)

The Harry Pickens Trio: The Shadow of Your Smile. Pianist Pickens often refers in concert to “the mojo zone,” as a metaphor for an intimate, romantic musical space. Drummer Jason Tiemann and bassist Chris Fitzgerald help Pickens reach that space consistently on this beautiful album. (www.harrypickens.com)

Squeeze-bot (Self-titled). Leader Todd Hildreth’s accordion is joined by tuba, banjo, and drums on this loveably quirky disc, encompassing music as diverse as Thelonious Monk and Culture Club. (www.myspace.com/squeezebot)

Michael Tracy and Harry Pickens: Conversations (SeaBreeze Jazz SBJ-3088). Having written the liner notes, I could be considered biased, but saxophonist Tracy and pianist Pickens have created a sensitive and engaging set of duets. (www.michaeltracy.com)

As we look forward to receiving another group of Russian jazz students as part of the Open World Program, it seems appropriate to look back on our involvement with the program and highlight its success. The Open World Program, a project administered by the U.S. Library of Congress, seeks to build mutual understanding between the United States and Russia by establishing lasting relationships with the next generation of Russian leaders and citizens. Since hosting our initial jazz ensemble in October 2004, we’ve enjoyed many meaningful connections with our new Russian friends. Although we come from much different backgrounds, we share something very important: a love of jazz and a desire to share that love with others.

Participating in our first Open World group was a talented drummer, Alexandra “Sasha” Mogilevich. Sasha came from Yaroslavl, having developed her love of jazz and her skills as a performer at the Yaroslavl Jazz Center. During her stay, she often spoke of the Center’s director, Igor Gavrilov, and his tireless work to promote jazz and jazz education. Upon returning home Sasha told Igor of our similar interests, and in less than four months Igor and I were able to share our love of jazz firsthand when he invited me to perform at the Yaroslavl Jazz Festival and work with his students and others. I was also able to meet with jazz and music educators during my stay.

Igor is one ofthe most dedicated and committed individuals I've ever met. His love of life, desire to help others, and passion for jazz are infectious. One of his dreams was to establish a jazz resource room at the Center with books, recordings, and other print and electronic materials. He also desperately wanted to publicize the Center so that others could use it and help it grow. When I got back I started working to spread the word among those who could help Igor make his dream a reality. I sent notes to various jazz publications − an effort that finally bore fruit in January of 2007 when Downbeat ran an article on Igor and the Jazz Center − and contacted my mentor Jamey Aebersold, who gladly provided many boxes of resources for Igor and his students.

I needed to deliver the materials Jamey donated and I wanted my students to see and experience another culture as our Russians visitors had, so I next began organizing a trip from Louisville to Russia. After much planning, a graduate quintet and I visited Yaroslavl, Moscow, and St. Petersburg (along with Tallinn, Estonia, and Helsinki, Finland) in March of 2006. Our group was able to connect with Russian friends in each of the cities, playing together and strengthening our ties. It was a glorious time for everyone and I was able to hand deliver boxes from Jamey. Later that year, in the summer of 2006, a quartet from our School of Music visited Perm, Louisville’s Sister City, to perform at their Youth Cultural Festival. Our group invited their Open World counterparts to perform with them and they gladly agreed. The Open World musicians then found performing opportunities in Moscow and St. Petersburg for the collective ensemble. The venture was a great success and you can find an accounting and photos of their experience at http://louisville.edu/music/jazz/permsummer2006.

During recent years, a number of Open World alumni and friends have returned to Louisville to participate in the Jamey Aebersold Summer Jazz Workshops. While they all receive scholarships toward tuition from Mr. Aebersold, they take responsibility for the vast majority of the costs, a demonstration of their commitment to jazz. They have also returned each February to participate in the annual Jazz Fest, and February 2009 will be no exception. Please continue to watch http://louisville.edu/music/jazz for more details about performances from these fine young musicians. We look forward to receiving these guests, making music with them, and adding to our ever-growing group of Russian friends.

open World, open Mindsby Mike Tracy

The Louisville Jazz Society Newsletter is produced

quarterly by the Newsletter Committee:

Managing Editor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Michele Blum

Associate Editor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Patty Bailey

Advertising. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . position open

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www.louisvillejazz.org

Anatoliy Kirnichnyy performs with the 2007 Open World Ensemble.

Photo by Mike Tracy.

The Louisville Federation of Musicians

(502) 451-7509 musunion@bellsouth.net1436 Bardstown Rd, Louisville, KY 40204

www.louisvillemusicians.org…featuring Louisville’s finest jazz musicians.

We’re the Professionals!Visit our website for our Band and Ensemble List.

The Louisville Federation ofMusicians

(502) 451-7509 musunion@bellsouth.net1436 Bardstown Rd, Louisville, KY 40204

www.louisvillemusicians.org…featuring Louisville’s finest jazz musicians.

We’re the Professionals!

Visit our website for our Band and Ensemble List.

“Fall” sure is the right word for the season this year. The leaves are down, whole trees crashed through power lines and roofs during Ike’s whirlwind visit, and the stock market’s taken a plunge. It’s no wonder everybody’s had a touch of the blues.

But Walter Melrose’s great lyric, set to rollicking music by King Oliver in 1927, always perks me up:

When I feel all in, down and out, You will hear me shout:

Oh, hello, Central, give me Dr. Jazz, He’s got just what I need,

I’ll say he has.

We don’t have switchboard operators anymore – but we have our share of jazz “doctors” around town who can help you forget your worries. There’s nothing like a night out with friends, listening and watching as creative musicians bring jazz to life.

From the traditional early jazz of New Orleans to cutting edge jazz that blends in contemporary rhythms from around the world, our jazz scene here in the Louisville area is alive and well. Our area musicians are ready to entertain you, amaze you with their technical skills – and change your mood.

In addition to our great musicians, Louisville is also fortunate to have individuals and venues who support jazz. Matt Grossman of Vintage Piano Works supplied the piano for Steve Allee’s set during the Jazz at Big Rock event in October. We are pleased to welcome Matt and his fine company as our newest business partner. And we are also pleased to welcome another jazz venue, the Nachbar in Germantown, as a business partner. Next time you're there to listen to jazz, be sure to introduce yourself as a member of the Louisville Jazz Society.

If you’re already thinking about how to stretch your dollar during the holiday season, plus wondering what to get for all those folks with winter birthdays to celebrate, here are some creative ideas: • aCDfromoneofourlocaljazzmusicians

(autographed for an extra special touch)• agiftmembershipintheLouisvilleJazzSociety• agiftcertificatetoalocaljazzvenue

(see the list elsewhere in this newsletter)• aLouisvilleJazzSocietyT-shirt

(e-mail me at president@louisvillejazz.org for available sizes and prices)

Be sure to watch your e-mail inbox for info about the guest jazz artists who’ll be arriving in Louisville during the next several months. If you’re not receiving our Jazz Insider bulletins, please send your e-mail address to our computer expert at wake@louisvillejazz.org.

We’re making plans for our annual general membership meeting to be held in March. This event is always a great opportunity to meet other jazz fans, listen to some fine music, and meet the members who volunteer their time and talents to serve on our board of directors. If you’d like to help us by joining a committee or the board, please send an e-mail to Patty Bailey at vicepresident@louisvillejazz.org.

Now, here’s my prescription for a happy and healthier winter: Listen to recorded jazz before, during, or after meals every day, followed by live jazz in the evening at least once a week!

Enjoy!

all that’s Jazz: News and Notes from the President

© 2008 Nancy S. Grant

Jazz venuesAs always, we suggest that you call the venues to confirm appearances.

■ Artemisia620 E. Market Street 583-4177

■ Bearno’s by-the-Bridge131 West Main St. 584-7437

■ Clifton’s Pizza Company 2230 Frankfort Avenue 893-3730

■ The Comedy Caravan 1250 Bardstown Rd. (Mid-city mall) 459-0022

■ Jack Fry’s Restaurant1007 Bardstown Road 452-9244

■ Galt House Hotel & SuitesFourth Avenue at the River 589-5200

■ The Nachbar969 Charles Street 637-4377

■ Nios at 917917 Baxter Avenue 456-7080

■ Seelbach Jazz Bar4th & Muhammad Ali 585-3200, ext. 205

■ Volare Ristorante2300 Frankfort Avenue 894-4446

■ Varanese2106 Frankfort Avenue 899-9904

Louisville Jazz Society

P.O. Box 5082 Louisville, Kentucky 40255

LouisviLLe Jazz society MeMbership registrationYES, I’d like to join the Louisville Jazz SocietyPlease check the appropriate dues level and complete the info below.

PRSRT STDU.S. POSTAGE

PAIDLOUISVILLE, KYPERMIT NO.1498

Adult Jazz Enthusiast*Senior Jazz Enthusiast (65 and up)*Student Jazz Enthusiast #Solo Jazz MusicianJazz EnsembleJazz Educator

$35 per year$20 per year$5 per year$50 per year$50 per year$50 per year

General Business Partner $150 per yearJazz Venue / Jazz Presenter $150 per yearOther Community Organizer $150 per year

TOTAL ENCLOSED $__________________

*add additional family members in these two categories for $10 each per year#Students, please list your school & grade level here __________________

Name ______________________________________________________________________________________________________

Mailing address for Newsletter __________________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________

Email address for Jazz Insider news service __________________________________________________________________________

Yes, I’d like to know more about volunteer opportunities and/or social events.

Day phone __________________________________________ and/or evening phone ______________________________________

Please be assured we do NOT sell or rent our mailing lists or other contact information to others.

Mail this form with your check to LOUISVILLE JAZZ SOCIETY, P. O. BOX 5082, LOUISVILLE, KY 40255

(Street Address or P. O. Box)

(Please include area code) (Please include area code)

(City) (State) (Zip)