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INSIDE
Basic Training: The ‘Void Note’
Outlier’s Blues: Tony Fruscella – Jazz Glory
in Two and a Half Minutes
5
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 Whether you
perform, compose,
conduct, or publish, it’s
vital that your students
see evidence that
you’re living the music,
18 not just teaching it.
–David Schumacher

Contents OCTOBER 2018

features
BASIC TRAINING: THE ‘VOID NOTE’ 10
Some tips regarding void notes – i.e., wrong notes unless you
are aware of how to use them correctly – when improvising

SPOTLIGHT: DEFYING EXPECTATION:

ALEX SKOLNICK’S UNIQUE PATH TO
JAZZ 12
Skolnick discusses his unique evolution
as a player and artist, what attracts him to
jazz, and what he’s learned as both a schol-
ar and teacher across two wildly distinct musical genres

LESSONS LEARNED: BUILDING A LASTING LINEAGE

THROUGH MENTORSHIP 18
Thoughts from former music students on what distin-
guished their program, how it prepared them for “real”
life, and what continues to bring them back for concerts,
rehearsals, and advice

‘LOOSE ‘N’ ALIVE:’ DECADES INTO HIS

12
CAREER AND ONE GRAMMY DOWN,
departments

TED NASH IS JUST WARMING UP 20 Editor’s Note........................................... 2

Nash dishes on his unintentional first live
record in a quarter of a century, his old Noteworthy ............................................. 4
musical mentors, and getting students the What’s on Your Playlist? ......................... 6
tools they need, but can’t always afford
Jazz Festivals Worldwide........................ 8
OUTLIER’S BLUES: TONY FRUSCELLA: Hot Wax ................................................ 22
JAZZ GLORY IN TWO AND A HALF Gearcheck............................................. 24
MINUTES 26
Tony Fruscella is a footnote to a footnote Classifieds ............................................ 27
in the big picture of jazz history, yet he left Ad Index................................................ 27
behind a masterwork that should be treasured as long as
Backbeat............................................... 28
chiseled improvisation is part and parcel of jazz
Cover photo courtesy Alex Skolnick
JAZZed® Volume 13, Number 5, October 2018, is published six times annually by Timeless Communications Corp., 6000 South Eastern Ave., Suite 14-J, Las Vegas, NV 89119, (702) 479-1879, publisher of Musical Merchandise Review, School Band &
Orchestra and Choral Director. Standard Mail Postage Paid at Las Vegas, NV and additional mailing offices. Subscriptions to JAZZed are available through our website, www.jazzedmagazine.com/subscribe. JAZZed is distributed to the music trade by
Hal Leonard Corporation. POSTMASTER: Send all UAA to CFS. NON-POSTAL AND MILITARY FACILITIES: send address corrections to JAZZed, PO Box 16655, North Hollywood, CA 91615-6655. The publishers of this magazine do not accept responsibility
for statements made by their advertisers in business competition. No portion of this issue may be reproduced without the written permission of the publisher. Copyright ©2018 by Timeless Communications Corp., all rights reserved. Printed in USA.
October 2018 • JAZZed 1
editor’sletter CHRISTIAN WISSMULLER

Thrash and Jazz OCTOBER

Volume 13, Number 5

T
his issue’s cover feature explores the fascinating mu-
PRESIDENT Terry Lowe
sical evolution and professional career of guitarist tlowe@timelesscom.com
Alex Skolnick – renowned both as a talented jazz
GROUP PUBLISHER Greg Gallardo
guitarist and bandleader and as a thrash metal pioneer.
gregg@timelesscom.com
No doubt some jazz purists unfamiliar with Skolnick’s jazz trio or his work as
a sideman with any number of bebop and fusion combos and projects will be Editorial
confused when pondering his relevance to JAZZed’s core audience: jazz educa- EXECUTIVE EDITOR Christian Wissmuller
tors and students. While a quick glance at the man’s CV (or a thorough reading cwissmuller@timelesscom.com

of the month’s cover story) will surely clarify the matter, what’s notable to me is ASSOCIATE EDITOR Victoria Wasylak
how this on-the-surface incongruous simultaneous interest of heavy metal and victoria@timelesscom.com
jazz isn’t really atypical at all.
ASSOCIATE EDITOR Mike Lawson
As “evidence” it’s anecdotal, no question, but during my own time studying mlawson@timelesscom.com
at Berklee, I witnessed any number of young guitarists who began their col-
lege-level studies as diehard metalhead shredders evolve to become dyed-in- Art

the-wool jazz fanatics. ART DIRECTOR Garret Petrov

gpetrov@timelesscom.com
I witnessed any number of young guitarists
PRODUCTION MANAGER Mike Street
mstreet@timelesscom.com
who began their college-level studies as
GRAPHIC DESIGNER Angela Marlett
diehard metalhead shredders evolve to amarlett@timelesscom.com

become dyed-in-the-wool jazz fanatics.

Advertising
And it’s not really that surprising. ACCOUNT MANAGER Matt King
To excel in either genre requires a player to dedicate himself or herself mking@timelesscom.com
through countless hours of practice – virtuosity is in high-demand, and being
ACCOUNT MANAGER Dave Jeans
able to lock in with fellow musicians a must. Fusion can absolutely resonate djeans@timelesscom.com
with a metal fan not yet deeply aware of jazz. Prog rock is notable for both com-
plexity and improv. Is the work of Dream Theater, Rush, or Jeff Beck all that far ACCOUNT MANAGER Matt Huber
mh@timelesscom.com
removed from the world of jazz? Gateway drugs, if you will.
What appeals about jazz to some of the more curious and restless metal mu- GREATER CHINA
sicians are the complex nuances within improvisation and modal exploration. Judy Wang
Worldwide Focus Media
“I’d been able to figure out some of the most challenging rock guitar licks, but C: 0086-13810325171
now found myself completely baffled whenever I’d try to learn licks based on E: judy@timelesscom.com
a jazz vocabulary,” Skolnick says of his early forays into jazz. “In order to learn
Business
this electric jazz I’d been so into, I would basically have to start over and devel-
VICE PRESIDENT William Hamilton Vanyo
op a foundation in straight-ahead jazz. So I began learning standards, studying
wvanyo@timelesscom.com
guitarists such as Wes Montgomery, Jim Hall, Tal Farlow, and others, learning
to sight read and follow a chart. It was out of necessity at first, but soon I really CIRCULATION MANAGER Naomi Crews
ncrews@timelesscom.com
grew to enjoy this process and the sound of straight-ahead jazz really grew on
me.”
This all is especially germane for both jazz educators and performers in that
being aware of potential “converts” within another musical tribe only serves to
enhance the pool of possible students or musical partners.
We often discuss not only preserving, but also growing the larger jazz com- 6000 South Eastern Ave., #14-J
munity. It’d be wise to not dismiss those talented musicians who may not have Las Vegas, NV 89119
immediately gravitated to the genre when they first picked up an instrument. 702-479-1879
Fax: 702-554-5340

Christian Wissmuller RPMDA

cwissmuller@timelesscom.com JAZZ EDUCATION NETWORK

2 JAZZed • October 2018

 noteworthy
Rivera Nabs First Emmy Award
Frost School
of Music faculty
member Carlos
Rafael Rivera
won his first
Emmy Award
for his main ti-
tles theme mu-
Carlos Rafael Rivera sic from Netflix
limited series, “Godless.” The awards were
handed out at the Creative Arts Emmy
Awards ceremony at the Microsoft The-
atre in Los Angeles. Rivera is assistant pro-
fessor and director of the Musicianship,
Artistry Development, & Entrepreneur-
ship (MADE) Program at the Frost School
of Music at the University of Miami.
“Creating the music for Godless was an
TIDAL Launches Jazz Club Podcast
Global music streaming and entertain-
ment platform, TIDAL, is collaborating with
the NYC-based not-for profit JazzReach to
launch the exclusive 12-episode Jazz Club
video podcast series. Hosted and produced
by Hans Schuman, JazzReach’s executive
and artistic director, the series features in-
depth conversations and live-performance
segments to introduce viewers to some of
the most creative, visionary jazz artists on
the world stage today and offer a glimpse
into their lives, how they think, what they
value, what fuels their creative process, in-
forms their musical sensibilities and inspires
their relentless pursuit of artistic self-realiza-
tion.
“Jazz and the brilliant artists who make
it so often live on the periphery of the na-
tional consciousness, so we couldn’t be
more thrilled to be working with TIDAL
and to have the great privilege of creating
engaging, informative content for the plat-
form that’s perfectly in line and consistent
with our respective organizational missions
and mutual commitment to getting great
sounding music into the ears, hearts and
souls of as many people as possible,” says
Schuman.
4 JAZZed • October 2018
amazing experience,” said Rivera after his
win. “I am ever so grateful to have been
nominated by my peers at the television
academy – and for the honor of receiving
this award. I still can’t believe it.” Rivera
shared some of his process for scoring
“Godless” by releasing two YouTube vid-
eos, giving audiences a peek at how he
scored the characters and story.
“When it came time to write the main
theme for ‘Godless,’ we tried to find a sing-
able melody, something that we could
carry with us and would help encapsulate
the story. Having the legendary T Bone
Burnett as executive music producer, as
well as mix the main theme, influenced
and inspired my approach to scoring the
story,” Rivera added.
Podcast
guests in-
clude but ar-
en’t limited to:
multi-Grammy
Award win-
ner and Golden Globe nominee, Terence
Blanchard; teenage wunderkind and the
first Indonesian musician to chart on the
Billboard 200, Joey Alexander; and one of
the world’s most acclaimed saxophonists
who’s worked with David Bowie, Donny
McCaslin.
Shot on location at The William NYC and
the Jazz Standard, the podcast’s premiere
episode features Terence Blanchard, who
scored the soundtrack for Spike Lee’s lat-
est buzzed-about film, “BlacKkKlansman.”
In the episode, Blanchard talks about his
early years growing up in New Orleans, his
first musical experiences and opportuni-
ties on the New York scene, touring with
iconic drummer-bandleader, Art Blakey, his
decades-long career as a recording artist
and bandleader and composer, his long-
time creative partnership with film director,
Spike Lee and how he learned how to write
film scores.
Jupiter Rewards
Students at the John
Coltrane Festival
Jupiter Band Instruments,
a member of the KHS America
family of brands, has once again
partnered with the John Coltrane
International Jazz and Blues Festi-
val’s student essay contest. This is
the fifth consecutive year Jupiter
Band Instruments has partnered
with the festival.
The student essay contest is
an important part of the John
Coltrane International Jazz and
Blues Festival as part of a goal to
promote the benefits of music ed-
ucation and the positive influence
music has on study habits of the
youth of today.
Students are asked to submit
an essay explaining their music
aspirations, affinities, and needs.
Winners receive a free Jupiter
band instrument of their choos-
ing. To date, the festival has award-
ed over 65 instruments to aspiring
students at a retail value of over
$100,000.
The new Jupiter instruments
are presented, on stage, to mid-
dle and high school students
who write the winning essays ex-
plaining what jazz music means
in their lives, which instrument
they would like to win, and how a
new instrument would help them
achieve their goals
Rivera Nabs First Emmy Award ‘A.I.M.’ Books Now Sold
Frost School of Music faculty member academy – and for the honor of receiv- Through J.W. Pepper
Carlos Rafael Rivera won his first Emmy ing this award. I still can’t believe it.” Rive-
Award for his main titles theme music from ra shared some of his process for scoring
Netflix limited series, “Godless.” The awards “Godless” by releasing two YouTube vid-
were handed out at the Creative Arts eos, giving audiences a peek at how he
Emmy Awards ceremony at the Microsoft scored the characters and story.
Theatre in Los Angeles. Rivera is assistant “When it came time to write the main
professor and director of the Musicianship, theme for ‘Godless,’ we tried to find a sing-
Artistry Development, & Entrepreneurship able melody, something that we could car-
Solutions for Teachers has announced
(MADE) Program at the Frost School of Mu- ry with us and would help encapsulate the that their assessment book series entitled
sic at the University of Miami. story. Having the legendary T Bone Burnett A.I.M. is now being sold through J.W. Pep-
“Creating the music for Godless was an as executive music producer, as well as mix per. A.I.M. (Achievement in Music) pro-
amazing experience,” said Rivera after his the main theme, influenced and inspired vides a simple and organized approach
win. “I am ever so grateful to have been my approach to scoring the story,” Rivera to assessing band students. Comprised
nominated by my peers at the television added of 210 short assessments for beginner
through advanced high school senior,
band directors will never need to “come
Bell Named Academic Assistant To The Dean Of up with” another test again. This unique
assessment system was tested and hand-
The Professional Performance Division at Berklee built in a band room with real students
and real band directors, each with over 25
years’ experience with grades 4 through
Karen Bell has been named the academic assistant 12.
to the dean of the Professional Performance Division at AIM is quickly becoming an essential
Berklee College of Music. Bell, who previously worked component in band rooms across the
in the Office of Alumni Affairs, will be the primary advi- country, providing a solution to the issue
sor to performance majors, students enrolled in perfor- of vertical alignment across grade levels
mance studies classes, students enrolled in Performance and schools. It also helps band directors
Division institutes (Berklee Global Jazz Institute, Effort- Karen Bell deal with the widespread abilities often
less Mastery Institute, and the newly launched Berklee found in classrooms by allowing students
to move at the pace that they choose. This
Institute of Jazz and Gender Justice), and students enrolled in the division’s specific
means that the best players and slower
music programs (American Roots Music, Berklee Theater Arts Collaborative, and Latin
learners will be challenged equally, so no-
Music Studies). body feels bored or rushed. Additionally,
She will work with dean Ron Savage to implement new curricular initiatives and the etudes are all labeled with the current
college-wide collaborations – such as the Berklee Summer Initiative program – and common anchors for music education.
enhance the student experience in collaboration with the institution’s diversity, Accompanying cloud-based software
inclusion, and student success efforts. With more than three decades of industry is also available to track progress, chair
knowledge as a professional performer and music business owner/consultant, she students, recognize achievement goals,
is the ideal person to determine program development that best supports students and show clear growth statistics for con-
entering the professional world. ferences and teacher evaluations.

Webster Named The 22nd Jimmy Lyons Scholar At Berklee

Katie Webster, an 18-year-old
saxophonist from Seattle, has been
named the 22nd recipient of the Jim-
my Lyons Scholarship to Berklee Col-
lege of Music, a four-year, full tuition
award presented in conjunction with
the Monterey Jazz Festival. She is the
Katie Webster very first female recipient of the Ly-
ons Award.
“Katie received Outstanding Soloist at this year’s Next Gener-
ation Jazz Festival, and the choice was an easy one for the judg-
es,” said Paul Contos, director of Education for the Monterey Jazz
Festival. “Her tone and approach to the alto saxophone are both
highly advanced, and show great respect for the legacy of the jazz
tradition. It’s an absolute delight hearing her play, so I was very ex-
cited to learn she’d won the Jimmy Lyons Scholarship. We expect
she’ll do great things at Berklee.”
Recently, Webster was awarded Outstanding Alto Saxophone
by Wynton Marsalis and a panel of judges at Essentially Ellington
2018. At the 2018 Monterey Next Generation Jazz Festival, Web-
ster was named Outstanding Soloist, and also awarded a schol-
arship to the Berklee Five-Week Summer Performance Program.
Other soloist awards include the Reno Jazz Festival (2016) and the
University of Washington Jazz Festival (2018).
“I’ve been very impressed with Katie’s ear, and her facility on
the horn,” said Berklee woodwind instructor Edmar Colón, Web-
ster’s private saxophone instructor and ensemble teacher in the
2018 Berklee Summer Performance Program. “But more than this,
I see that she has an exceptional drive to learn and improve. No-
body becomes great without that, and she has it.”

October 2018 • JAZZed 5

playlist LESLIE PINTCHIK

WHAT’S ON YOUR PLAYLIST?

BY CHRISTIAN WISSMULLER

Leslie Pintchik is one of today’s most musically intelligent, technically

proficient jazz composers and pianists. The New Yorker says she is, “a crafty,
lyrically minded pianist, a compelling composer, and an inventive inter-
preter of standards.” Before embarking on her music career, she worked
as a teaching assistant in English literature at Columbia University, where
she earned a Master of Philosophy degree in 17th-century English litera-
ture. Pintchik first surfaced on the Manhattan scene in a trio with legendary
bassist Red Mitchell at Bradley’s and in the ensuing years, she formed her
own group which performs at venues such as the Blue Note and Jazz At
Kitano in her home city of New York, as well as in other cities throughout
the East Coast.
Pintchik has released six critically acclaimed recordings since her 2004
debut. The most recent, 2018’s  You Eat My Food, You Drink My Wine, You
Steal My Girl!, has prompted much critical acclaim She also brings that depth and thought to her writ-
ing (including the liner notes she penned for albums by Steve Wilson, Lewis Nash, and Bruce Barth,
among others), and her listening, as evidenced by this playlist.

1. Frank Sinatra – Sinatra at the Sands
This is probably the album I’d take on
a desert island with me. It is Frank at his
best with Count Basie and Quincy Jones
conducting. I must have listened to this
on CD, tape, vinyl, and 8-track! But, this is
one of those special recordings that made
me want to be part of a big band. It also taught me how to per-
form and tell stories on the mic. Larry King once told me about the
“Tea Break Monologue.” It’s real! Sinatra used to sit on stage, drink
a cup of tea, and take a break in front of the entire crowd. I’m not
sure if another artist will ever have the opportunity to make a live
album this great.  that pedal intro whenever I can.
I can listen to scat sing. His trumpet playing and singing are at the
top of my list. I learned so many standards from this album.
4. Nat “King” Cole – After Midnight
After Midnight is one of my favorite al-
bums. His piano playing and singing to-
gether are so tasteful. I love the way it’s re-
corded, I love the sound of the piano, and
I love the sound of Nat Cole in this period.
Some of the earlier trio stuff is great, too,
but having to pick one of his albums it has to be this. I still pop it
in all of the time. I love the intro on “Paper Moon” and always steal

2. Mark Murphy – Rah 5. Fred Astaire – Steppin’ Out: Astaire

Mark Murphy is one of the world’s
greatest secrets. This album came out
around 1961 [December of 1961 – Ed.]
and had Bill Evans, Wynton Kelly, Paul
Chambers, Jimmy Cobb, Clark Terry, and
so many other greats on it! The arrange-
ments are by Ernie Wilkins and they are amazing. This record has
everything and Mark Murphy’s phrasing is still groundbreaking if
you listen to it. Here is one of my heroes. I got to meet him and
spend some time with him. Amazing guy! Amazing talent.
3. Chet Baker – Chet Baker Sings
Everyone must have this album. When
I heard Chet Baker for the first time I
wasn’t sure if I was listening to a male or
female voice – so haunting, so interesting.
His style and taste as a vocalist is superb.
No use of vibrato – just tasteful. I love the
piano playing by Russ Freeman, too. Chet is one of the few people
Sings
This album changed my perspective
on how to sing and phrase. I was so into
Frank Sinatra and only heard songs a cer-
tain way for a while, but Fred Astaire had
such class and style. He is so comfortable
in his phrasing and rhythm. Also, on this album is a hidden in-
terview after the last track when Fred talks about his new young
piano player, Oscar Peterson. The rest of the band was Charlie
Shavers, Lester Young, Ray Brown, Barney Kessel, and Alvin Stoller.
It is an incredible collection of standards from the guy who intro-
duced more standards than Sinatra.
6. Bob Dorough – Devil May Care
Bob Dorough is a very underestimated
musician and singer in my opinion. Known
as a great songwriter, Bob Dorough also
sang his ass off. He played piano great, too,
and accompanied himself quite well. I had

6 JAZZed • October 2018

the pleasure to meet and befriend Sam Most, who worked with
Bob Dorough. I learned a lot from Sam about Bob’s arranging ideas
and the way he presented a song.
7. Count Basie & Joe Williams – Count
Basie Swings, Joe Williams Sings
Maybe because I was a bartender at a
jazz club? I know Joe Williams was, too.
Of all the great singers, Joe might be the
best. He could phrase, swing, and had and
incredible voice. There is just something
about his tone. I guess I just love Count Basie, too. There are a lot
of big bands, but Basie had a thing like no other. He really knew
how to make a record with a swinging singer.  As I am compiling this list, I am wearing
8. Jamie Cullum – Twentysomething
I must have had this album in the ro-
tation from when it came out until now.
I love Jamie Cullum – maybe more than
any current artist today. He really has
great ideas, arrangements, and original
songs on this album. Really smart, really
fun, really sexy stuff… I saw him perform live at the Hollywood
Bowl with Christian McBride and they were terrific. As far as male
vocalists go, no one can touch this guy. I don’t care who has sold
more records!
CHRISTIAN SANDS / FACING DRAGONS
Facing Dragons is Christian Sands’ return to the
recording studio with an indestructible band and
an unwavering allegiance to the groove.
christiansandsjazz.com mackavenue.com
9. Michael Jackson – Off The Wall
I still listen to Michael Jackson. Motown
was the gateway into jazz for me. This will
easily explain my last two choices [for this
list]. I had the Jackson 5’s greatest hits
and every release that Michael Jackson
ever put out, but Off The Wall is still my
favorite. This is when the music still was simple, but so groovy.
A friend and mentor of mine, Johnny Mandel, did the string ar-
rangements for Quincy Jones. “Rock With You” might just be a per-
fect track. 
10. Stevie Wonder – Songs in the Key of Life
my Songs In The Key Of Life t-shirt I got a
few years back. I saw Stevie Wonder per-
form this album live in Philadelphia. It was
one of the thrills of my life. I grew up with
this playing in my house and it is basically the
Damiani theme music in our family. My uncle, Alan “Bucky,” had it
playing as he passed from cancer in 2008. I’m not sure if any song-
writer will ever achieve what Stevie Wonder did with this album.
Dave Damiani’s latest releases, Blending the Standard and Come
Fly With Me (To L.A.) [feat. Peter Erskine] were released in March of
2018. www.davedamiani.com
CÉCILE McLORIN SALVANT / THE WINDOW
Touched at every moment by Cécile McLorin Salvant’s
brilliance, The Window is a dazzling new release from an artist
who is surely, to quote Duke Ellington, “beyond category.”
cecilemclorinsalvant.com
October 2018 • JAZZed 7
jazzfestivalsworldwide
Tucson Jazz Festival Adds Poncho Sanchez To
Lineup
The lineup for the 5th annual Tucson Jazz Festival, sched-
uled for January 11 to 21, 2019, now features Poncho Sanchez,
who will be headlining the free Downtown Jazz Fiesta on
Monday, January 21.
As the finale, the Downtown Jazz Fiesta will transform
downtown Tucson into a concert destination with 30 bands
performing in five venues including two outdoor stages on
Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. In addition
to live performances, the Downtown Jazz Fiesta will include
beer gardens, food trucks featuring a variety of cuisines, art
demonstrations, interactive experiences, and the unique and
eclectic bars and restaurants of downtown.
“This year, with the addition of Poncho Sanchez, we expect
the Downtown Jazz Fiesta to continue to grow and we are
anticipating more than 15,000 attendees,” said Yvonne Ervin,
founding executive director and current artistic director.
The 11-day Tucson Jazz Festival will also feature perfor-
mances by Joey Alexander plus the Tucson Jazz Institute
Ellington Band with special guest Terell Stafford, Bobby Mc-
Ferrin, Asleep at the Wheel, Trombone Shorty, Pink Martini
and the Tucson Symphony Orchestra, Special EXF with spe-
cial guests Regina Carter and Eric Marienthal, Tucson Swings
Brightly: The Music of Nelson Riddle featuring Ann Hampton
Callaway, and an all-women double bill with the Magos Herre-
ra Quartet and Jane Bunnett and Maqueque.
Jazz and Joy Festival Celebrates 28 Years in
Germany
Jazz and Joy recently celebrated its 28th anniversary in Au-
gust 2018. The festival featured five unique stages and both
local and international jazz performances for 20,000 fans.
“Overall, we welcomed 20,000 music fans in perfect weath-
er in Worms, so we are very happy with the 28th edition of the
festival,” said mayor Michael Kissel. “A peaceful festival without
any special occurrences also reported medical services and
security forces.”
Petra Graen, alderman of the City of Worms and chairwom-
an of the Shareholders’ Committee of the Culture and Events,
added, “In view of the many events already held by the orga-
nizers, it is impressive that the Jazz & Joy was another high-
light. All participants have shown full commitment.”
8 JAZZed • October 2018
Sascha Kaiser, manag-
ing director of the organiz-
er (the KVG), is convinced
jazzfestivalsworldwide.com
that the festival has once again made many Worms and visi-
tors from the surrounding metropolitan areas happy, and add-
ed: “Of course, this is only possible thanks to the support our
five stage godfathers and the partners of the festival. Through
their commitment, we were able to offer visitors the usual
high-quality program. “
Two strong women made for a thrilling festival kick-off on
Friday evening on the two biggest stages of the festival: At 8
p.m. Sarah Connor hit the 3,000 visitors in the market square
for elation with the hits of her successful album Muttersprache,
which reached its peak as the soul singer English-speaking
catchy tunes like “From Sarah With Love” or “Let`s Get Back To
Bed” from their debut album Green Eyed Soul were presented.
One and a half hours later, the concert by Candy Dulfer started
on a bulging Weckerlingplatz. The internationally renowned
Dutchwoman wanted to oblige the artistic director David
Maier for a long time for the festival and was therefore all the
more pleased to welcome the world-class saxophonist on the
opening evening in Worms.
However, it was not only the stages on Markt- und Wecker-
linplatz that offered the program, as visitors could enjoy con-
certs on the other three stages as well. The Mainz band Good
Morning Yesterday presented indie, folk and pop with free en-
try on the RENOLIT stage. If guests visited the two stages in
the shadow of the Worms Cathedral, they could visit Soul-On
feat. ELIJAH around the Wormser lead singer Steven Neuhaus
and on the place of the partnership the young jazz trio Seng
/ Kühn / Jentzen.
For the first time, an industry gathering of the Rhineland-Pa-
latinate jazz scene took place during the festival. At the Worms
cultural center, 35 participants – including musicians and or-
ganizers – met on the festival’s day with the goal of strength-
ening the scene for the future and building up synergies.
The Cuban zest for life brought Son del Nene on Saturday
evening to Worms on the fully-occupied Schlossplatz. In the
alternation of soft melancholy and exuberant passion, singer
El Nene has authentically and rousingly embodied the Son
Cubano - the traditional music style of Cuba. In the afternoon,
Willy Sahel abducted his audience to his homeland in south-
ern central Chad. On Sunday, the ERA stage was all about blues
with performances by the German Blues Award winners, the
Jimmy Reiter Band, as well as Paul Lamb & The King Snakes,
one of the world’s top international top acts from England.
An El Dorado for jazz enthusiasts was once again the place
of the partnership. On Saturday, for example, they were able
to look forward to the French fusion guitarist and exception-
al talent Tom Ibarra with his band. In the evening, visitors to
the performance of Bugge Wesseltoft & Christian Prommer
enjoyed a very special sound experience beyond the acous-
tically conventional. Also in Worms, the free improvisations
of the German-Norwegian duo have been bribed by intuitive
music and experimental sound design. With Franco Ambro-
setti. “Grandseigneur of the Swiss Hardbop,” the jazz program
on the WZ stage found its way to a suc-
cessful conclusion on Sunday evening.
The Fible, Les Fils de Teuhpu, Indian
Whisperers or Brothers of Santa Clause
are just a few of the artists who made
the audience dance in front of the freely
accessible RENOLIT stage at the hostel.
“The mood was relaxed on and off
the stage on and off stage, so that
not only the artists but also their re-
sponsible agencies in Worms felt com-
fortable,” said Katharina Kaiser, who
worked on the festival’s management.
“The processes ran smoothly. Thanks to
the attentive team behind the stages,
for example, an incorrectly positioned
concert grand piano could be quickly
transported to the right location with-
out disrupting the program,” added her
coworker Markus Reis.
Twin Cities Jazz Festival
Announces First Fall Jazz
Festival
The Twin Cities Jazz Festival has
announced that the first annual Fall
Jazz Festival will take place on Sunday,
October 14 at Crooners Lounge and
Supper Club. The fest will feature two
stages, one in the lounge and the other
in the Dunsmore Room.
New Orleans vocalist Nayo Jones
and Butch Miles are scheduled to play,
as well as with local favorite and several
youth performances. All proceeds will
support the Twin Cities Jazz Festival.
TD James Moody Jazz
Festival to be Held November
7 to 15
For the fourth year, the TD James
Moody Jazz Festival, one of the larg-
est gatherings of jazz fans on the East
Coast, will showcase an all-star lineup
of the country’s best musicians, with
many more artists to be announced.
Held from November 7 to 15, the fes-
tival is the site of one of three Frank
Sinatra centennial concerts planned
this season: The Real Sinatra Song-
book, with a cast of singers recognized
for their virtuosity on Broadway and
beyond, on November. 9. The second
installment of a new series, One on
One with Christian McBride, brings
Bruce Hornsby to the stage on Novem-
ber 12 for music and talk. Renowned
jazz-makers Judy Carmichael, Dianne
Reeves, Sharon Jones and the Dap-
Kings, Bill Charlap, the T.S. Monk Sextet,
and Dorado Schmitt & Django Festival
Allstars are all on board. Festival-goers
can expect the return of the always
in-demand, Sunday brunch concerts at
Dorthaan’s Place in NICO Kitchen + Bar,
as well as performances by five of the
crème-de-la-crème of female singers
during the Sarah Vaughan Internation-
al Jazz Vocal Competition on the festi-
val’s final day. And another centennial,
this one in honor of Billie Holiday, is
cause for celebration at Day of Swing,
an afternoon packed with free family
activities, on November 14.
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Monterey Jazz Festival
Hosts Gabriel Royal and Pete
Turner
Both Gabriel Royal and Pete Turner
performed at the 2018 Monterey Jazz
Festival this past September.
Singer-songwriter Gabriel Royal be-
gan busking on New York City subways
with a dollar in in pocket and a cello
under his arm and has since emerged
as one of the unique musicians on
the contemporary scene. With influ-
ences such as Stevie Wonder and Burt
Bachrach, Gabriel has been featured at
many other major jazz festivals in 2018.
In addition, all weekend long in the
Pacific Jazz Café, the festival exhibited
The Color of Jazz, showing the album
covers and photographs of Pete Turn-
er, the trailblazing pioneer of color
photography. Working with producer
Creed Taylor in the 1960s, Pete’s photo-
graphs were adapted on the high-gloss
gatefold record sleeve designs for the
CTI jazz label, which created a revolu-
tion in how music was seen and heard,
ultimately shaping how advertising
and packaging would look for the next
25 years. Full of vibrant color and surre-
al imagery, The Color of Jazz will exhibit
some of Pete’s most iconic creations for
CTI, along with the records themselves.
– InternatIonal trombone Journal
– the new York tImes
“Fedchock’s band commands your
attention and holds it.” – Downbeat
JOhNFEDChOCk.COM
October 2018 • JAZZed 9
 basictraining IMPROVISATION

T
The ‘Void Note’
he Mixolydian Mode (scale) starts on the 5th de- After you have checked that out, let’s move on and talk
gree of a major scale (i.e G Mixolydian has no about the #4 – also known as the #11. You can land on this
sharps or flats, as G is the 5th degree of the C note and it will add an element of harmonic sophistication
major scale. The chord this scale would produce is a to your solo. Here are a couple of songs that demonstrate
dominant 7th chord; thus the scale is G A B C D E F – this concept: on the second bar of the composition, “Take
and the chord is G B D F. the A Train,” the melody uses the 9th and then the #11. On the
With regard to improvisation, I have heard teach- 10th and the 12th bars of the bridge of “Girl From Ipanema,”
ers say that when you play “Autumn Leaves” (because the #11 is the target note in both of these measures.
most of the chords are diatonic) just play any note in
the key of the song, while others say that when you In a career spanning 50 years,
play the blues, just play the blues scale. When people New England–based band-
follow this method they will invariably land on the 4 of leader, sax player, and jazz
the dominant chord. This note is a void note (a wrong educator Miles Donahue has
note unless you are aware of how to use it correctly). performed and recorded 14
The point is: when you improvise, you make the sound albums, many of which are
of the chord and you use the scale to that end. available on iTunes. His site,
Below are four examples of solos that illustrate www.jazzworkbook.com,
how to play the 4 and use it to make the sound of the offers an effective course for
chord: Cannonball Adderly from the song “All Blues;” new players to learn jazz im-
Hank Mobley from the song “Phrancing;” Dexter provisation and for seasoned
Gordon from the song “Tenor Madness;” and McCoy players to learn fresh ap-
Tyner’s solo from “Blues for Gwen.” proaches to soloing.

NEW MUSIC
FROM CONCORD JAZZ
The legendary Count Basie Orchestra celebrates their 80th anniversary as the premiere
big band in jazz with a collection of classic material and a twist on a few modern hits
(Adele, Leonard Cohen, Stevie Wonder, and others). Special guests include:
Stevie Wonder, Carmen Bradford, Kurt Elling, Take 6, Jamie Davis, Jon Faddis,
Wycliffe Gordon, Joey DeFrancesco, Eric Reed, Rickey Woodard, and Gregg Field

AVAILABLE NOW
thecountbasieorchestra.com
concord.com

10 JAZZed • October 2018

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October 2018 • JAZZed 11

spotlight
Alex Skolnick’s Unique Path to Jazz
BY CHRISTIAN WISSMULLER
T
o many, Alex Skolnick is the deft-fin-
gered, melodic leader of the criti-
cally acclaimed NYC-based trio that
bears his name. For many others, he’s the
virtuoso lead guitarist for Bay Area thrash
metal pioneers, Testament.
JAZZed recently sat down with Skol-
nick to discuss his unique evolution as
a player and artist, what attracts him to
jazz, and lessons learned as both a schol-
ar and teacher across two wildly distinct
musical genres.
Before we talk about the unorthodox
arc of your professional career, let’s
start at the beginning: when did you
first get into music? What bands, play-
ers, and styles first spoke to you?
I discovered The Beatles as a very
12 JAZZed • October 2018
ALL PHOTOS COURTESY ALEX SKOLNICK
young child. Even though some tunes
were quite sophisticated, others were
easy for a kid to tune into, such as “Yellow
Submarine.” Also “Hey Jude” and “Let It
Be.” To this day, I’m a big Beatles fan. Also,
when I was around eight or nine years old,
I got drawn to ‘50’s rock, which had been
having a resurgence with films like “Amer-
ican Graffiti” and the  “Sha Na Na” televi-
sion show as well as “Happy Days,” which,
in early episodes, began with Bill Haley’s
“Rock Around The Clock.” There was also
a film called “American Hot Wax” that
starred some great ‘50s rock artists play-
ing themselves, including Jerry Lee Lewis,
Screamin’ Jay Hawkins, and the one who
just completely knocked me out: Chuck
Berry. That was the first time I’d been ex-
cited watching someone play guitar.  he came back, he was in shock how far
Following that, what was the catalyst
for you to pick up your first instrument?
My first instrument was the piano. I
liked a lot of theme songs I’d heard on pi-
ano on TV and in movies, especially Scott
Joplin, who’d been having a resurgence
thanks to the Hollywood film, “The Sting.”
I was very young, maybe seven or eight
years old. Unfortunately, it didn’t feel like
it was going well and I quit after just a few
lessons. I suppose I just wasn’t ready and,
to be fair, I hadn’t practiced hard enough.
At the same time, I’d been quite put off
by my piano teacher’s negative reaction.
I think if she’d shown a little patience and
given me some incentive, it might have
helped, but I was too discouraged to
forge on. At the same time, those Scott
Joplin rags were quite advanced and I
didn’t have the discipline required, nor
see a path towards learning them. 
A few years later, I was getting the bug
to learn music again. My older brother
played bass by that time and was play-
ing in some local bands. I also discovered
KISS, who, at age 10, seemed like a band
of comic book  superheroes with guitars.
That was a tipping point. So between The
Beatles, KISS, and Chuck Berry, and the
fact that they were all guitar-driven – al-
though The Beatles had some great piano
parts and Chuck Berry had terrific piano
accompaniment – as well as watching my
brother play local gigs, that was a tipping
that made me ready to give guitar a shot.
This time, I was determined not to screw
it up. 
Once you started playing guitar, who
were some of your early teachers?
Once I took up guitar, I was very for-
tunate to have a great teacher, whom I’m
convinced helped me stick with it. His
name was Gary Lapow – a true Berkeley
individual who wrote and performed folk
songs at anti-nuclear protests. Later, he
developed a successful career as a chil-
dren’s artist. Gary was very good at com-
municating with kids and was also pa-
tient, which was what I needed at 10 years
old. He’d actually had to be away the week
of after my first lesson, so I had a full two
weeks to practice. My piano lessons had
ended after I’d had two weeks to practice
and the teacher told me it “Sounds like
sh_t.” This time, I worked extra hard, mas-
tered all the chords he’d shown me. When
along I was and [was] incredibly encour-
aging. I studied with him until around age
12, when I was intrigued by the electric
licks of players such as Jimmy Page, Jimi
Hendrix, and Angus Young. Gary had
been fantastic for learning the basics, but
he agreed it was time for me to move to
electric guitar to learn to solo, which was
out of his area of expertise. By being so
understanding and encouraging, he also
set a great example of being a pro and not
taking things personally. So I bounced
around between two hotshot players on
the local music scene who were consid-
ered some of the best up-and-coming
players. One was an Eddie Van Halen fa-
natic and the other was a big fan of Al Di-
Meola. Each of them inspired to be a more
technical player. Yet, as great as they both
were, even at my young age, I’d sensed
limitations as far as what they could teach
me, particularly in terms of theory, com-
position, and diversity. I also knew each of
them had studied with the same teacher,
who was a bit of a mysterious figure. All
I knew about him were three things: He
was very serious – so much that some dis-
become Testament. I didn’t necessarily die Van Halen as a player, as well as the late
set out to join a thrash band. It seemed Randy Rhoads and as Yngwie Malmsteen
the most exciting lead guitar playing was who was then the new virtuoso in the
coming from glam bands. While I liked hard rock guitar scene. So I was original-
the guitar playing in all those bands, the ly hoping for a hard rock group with one
music had a silly, hedonistic quality I didn’t guitar that wasn’t overly image-focused.
quite relate to. Also, I just couldn’t see my- At the same time, the local scene that
self [doing] the hair-spray and tight, color- was happening seemed to be building,
ful clothes of the glam bands, which was featuring many bands that blended hard
more of a Southern California thing. I pre- rock and metal with punk energy. Metalli-
ferred the solo music of Ozzy Osbourne ca and Anthrax were nationally known by
and Dio, which was then new and had a then and the guitar stars seemed to be the
dark intensity. I’d been most excited by Ed- riff guys, like James Hetfield and Scott Ian,
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Italian-American.
Fortunately, I chose not to listen to
the naysayers – mostly local, “best on the
block” players who’d been made aware of
WILLIE BRADLEY SAM HANKINS
their weaknesses in the lessons. This gen- NORTH CAROLINA’S 1st PICK FOR CHICAGO
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would develop more in that period than
my entire time playing up to then. His
name – which many, of course, know by
now: Joe Satriani.  ROB ZINN WAYNE COBHAM
#1 RATED JAZZ NYC TOP RATED
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Wow. Well, can’t ask for a better “shred-
der”-style teacher. Let’s talk a little
about the early years with Testament.
How did you end up joining the band?
I’d been hoping to put a band togeth-
er while in high school and tried a few
times. However, it was really difficult to
find young players on a similar level. It
wasn’t like today when you can search
YouTube and find young musicians (many
of whom sound further along than I was
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October 2018 • JAZZed 13

spotlight
more so than the soloists – with all due respect. So when the call
came to try out for Legacy/Testament, it seemed like a great op-
portunity to try to put some of that VH/Rhoads/Malmsteen lead
guitar virtuosity into a thrash band – not that I was on any of their
levels, but for a 16 year-old, people seemed to think I was quite far
along for my age and this was a chance to develop. I asked Satriani
– also a big influence at the time – about it and he felt it would be
a great opportunity, whether it lasted a month or many years. He
was right. All of a sudden, I’d gone from mostly playing alone in
my room to rehearsing at least once a week with this established
band and, now and then, performing with them on stage in front
of an audience at one of the same rock clubs I’d been frequenting
as a young fan – and since I was underage, often sneaking in by
carrying amplifiers.  since I was a “client” of the studio, most free, a few for a dollar each.
This all sounds like straight out of a Hollywood “and
this is how he became a heavy metal icon” story, but
how and when did you become passionately interested in
jazz? It doesn’t seem part of the narrative at all, so far.
I think the seeds may have been planted by my early love of
Scott Joplin and, later, The Blues Brothers soundtrack, which wasn’t
jazz, but had horn arrangements, piano, and Matt Murphy on gui-
tar, whom we  lost  this year, and had a jazzy sound. So I always
appreciated jazz and would listen occasionally, but just didn’t
feel it on a strong enough level to take a deep dive into it. That all
changed when I was around 18 and in the middle of recording
Testament’s second album. One night I was flipping channels in
the hotel and saw a concert on television by Miles Davis. It was
one of his ‘80s electric bands and it knocked me out. I’m not sure
who was in the band, but would guess it was might have been
John Scofield, Mike Stern or Robben Ford on guitar, with Darryl
Jones or Marcus Miller on bass, and probably Adam Holzman on
keys – who is someone I’d later study with at the New School and
go on to perform with in the jazz/rock project, Jane Getter Pre-
monition. The music didn’t strike me as “jazz,” per se, as there was
funk bass, Latin percussion, the most sophisticated blues progres-
sions I’d ever heard, and screaming guitar that wasn’t metal but
had an energy that wasn’t too far off. Through Miles, I discovered
so many other musicians: Chick Corea, Herbie Hancock, Keith Jar-
rett, Wayne Shorter – which, of course, led to Weather Report. I’d
been able to figure out some of the most challenging rock guitar
licks, but now found myself completely baffled whenever I’d try to
learn licks based on a jazz vocabulary.
14 JAZZed • October 2018
Then, as if by fate, I was in Fantasy Studios, which I just heard,
sadly, is about to close, recording Testament’s third album. Down
the hall, I heard the greatest saxophone playing I’d ever heard –
the first piece of music that affected me like hearing Van Halen’s
“Eruption” solo for the first time. I asked the engineers who on
earth that was in there, and they explained that the soloist wasn’t
actually in the room – it was the late, great John Coltrane playing
from the grave. As it turned out, Fantasy Records had just pur-
chased the catalogue of the then defunct label, IMPULSE! Many
out of print albums were then being remastered for CD for the
first time, including Coltrane’s Live at Birdland, which I overheard
and it sounded like he was right there in the room. The studio staff
were kind enough to set me up with all the promo CDs I wanted,
I got hundreds of classic jazz albums on CD, including
some that would greatly influence me. 
So between those incidents and having great
venues like Yoshi’s and Kimball’s East nearby, where
I’d hear artists including McCoy Tyner, Michael Brecker,
Herbie Hancock, and so many others, I was inspired to
shift gears and focus most of my practice on jazz gui-
tar and other improvisation, such as world music, which
was inspired by Chick Corea’s Spanish influences and es-
pecially the acoustic projects of John McLaughlin and Al
DiMeola. Whenever I wasn’t touring, I’d seek out various
Studying music can be very humbling
and those who go places are the ones who
are honest with themselves.
Bay Area jazz educators, including Mark Levine – who wrote The
Jazz Piano Book and The Jazz Theory Book – guitarist Steve Er-
quiaga, studio keyboardist Frank Martin, and others. They’d all
made clear that in order to learn this electric jazz I’d been so into,
I would basically have to start over and develop a foundation in
straight-ahead jazz. So I began learning standards, studying gui-
tarists such as Wes Montgomery, Jim Hall, Tal Farlow, and others,
learning to sight read and follow a chart. It was out of necessity
at first, but soon I really grew to enjoy this process and the sound
of straight-ahead jazz really grew on me. As incentive, I bought
myself a beautiful vintage ’76 Gibson L5 hollow-body – blonde,
just like the one Wes is playing on the cover of Live at the Tsubo
(in my hometown of Berkeley, before I was born), with a promise
to myself that I would use it to develop professional-level jazz
guitar skills, or it would go back to the store. I still have that L5 –
one of my most prized possessions.
Testament reached the top of the thrash-metal heap, so to
speak, and then you… left and moved to New York to study at
The New School. What prompted that decision?
At first, I just needed a good excuse to move to New York! By
my mid-twenties I’d become disillusioned with the San Francisco
Bay Area. It was becoming less a place for artists and more for tech
entrepreneurs and software developers. Yes, it’s a beautiful region
with nice climate and many perks, but I felt stuck being constantly
surrounded by the same scenery and people I’d grown up around.
Meanwhile, I’d been making occasional and recording, although most had a dis- sure everyone was grasping the material
trips to New York to visit family and friends cography as well. One favorite example before moving on, careful not to lose the
and found that, more and more, I really was Bill Kirchner, who taught jazz histo- room, which can happen with heady the-
liked the city, and being on the East Coast ry and arranging. His specialty was the oretical concepts. For individual lessons,
in general. There was an intense energy I big bands of Fletcher Henderson, Thad my favorite was Vic Juris. Vic is also pretty
hadn’t felt in California and it fueled my Jones, and Mel Lewis, but he could ap- well known as a performer and recording
creative spark and drive. I went to many preciate Return to Forever and Weather artist, especially among jazz guitarists.
jazz clubs, which were all over the Village, Report on an equal level and describe Incidentally, both Vic and Gerard had
meeting top-level players. Somehow, I them with equal authority. Also Gerard been Charlie Banacos’ students and con-
found it much easier to meet and hang D’Angelo – a great pianist who taught tinued to study with him – it was quite
with other musicians in New York. I found theory and ear training classes. He was inspirational to see my teachers continu-
many much more welcoming and less very aware of the level of each students’ ing to learn and show that the learning
judgmental about my metal background. interest and interactions, always making process never ends.
It really was the complete opposite im-
pression of what I’d heard. I can’t recom-
mend enough the process of uprooting
oneself and changing surroundings to a
new city – not that it has to be New York,
but anywhere that inspires and takes you
out of your comfort zone. 
One friend I made, a guitarist named
Nat Janoff, told me about Charlie Bana-
cos, this great educator in Boston who’d
taught Mike Stern and many others via
correspondence. I’d end up studying with
him for ten years, until he passed away in Makes it Easy
2009, and the first year I was still in Cali-
fornia. Studies with Charlie helped fueled
my desire to be in an environment where
I was surrounded by musicians and could
get honest feedback, advice, and ques-
tions answered. The New School seemed
like the perfect place for that. I also ap-
preciated The New School’s non-musical
departments and studied creative writing
and philosophy as well. So, attending The
New School meant moving to New York,
furthering my jazz skills, and getting an
education – pleasing my Ivy League-edu-
cated folks in the process. It was a win/win
all the way around. 

Who were the instructors at The New

School who impacted you most?
Make playing easy and focused with Portnoy.
I had several great ensemble teachers Created specifically for the intermediate to professional clarinetist,
– including Cecil McBee, Charles Tolliver, Portnoy mouthpieces are designed to be free blowing while
Billy Harper, and Joanne Brackeen – all of
whom had decades of experience and se- producing a focused, unsurpassed tone.
rious resumes. They gave honest, but en-
Make it easy. Make it focused.
couraging, feedback. All of them seemed
Make it Portnoy.
appreciative of my interest in this music
and not at all discouraging that I hadn’t
exactly come from a “jazz purist” back-
ground. Charles even had a son who lis-
tened to hard rock and knew who I was!
www.jjbabbitt.com
Some of my favorite class teachers were
better-known in jazz education circles Mouthpieces for all clarinets and saxophones

than in the world of live performance

October 2018 • JAZZed 15

spotlight
A good lesson, for sure. After graduating and forming the suc- times and have been misquoted to sound as though I don’t like
cessful Alex Skolnick Trio, you eventually rejoined Testament. to play metal anymore, which is far from the truth – if you see
What was behind that move? me at a metal concert, I’m playing my heart out, which can’t be
By 2005, I’d had spent over a half a decade focusing almost faked. Yet, I have so much more to say with different dynamics.
exclusively on jazz guitar. I’d been pleasantly surprised by the re- For example, I love it when in an improvised piece the volume
action to AST and, after a few albums, felt comfortable branch- level gets so quiet you can hear a pin drop – different tones, dif-
ing out and bringing back my rock playing while continuing my ferent modes, various instruments and pedals as well as working
improvisational focus. I’d also developed a career as “guitarist with serious musicians from non-rock based genres. Don’t get me
for hire,” from local jazz gigs to touring with various artists, from wrong: metal is a hugely important and meaningful genre with
backing singers (Debbie Freidman, the late Jewish folk artist and room for instrumental virtuosity that has enabled me to become
Ishtar an Israeli world/pop singer) to playing with symphonic rock the musician I am. At the same time, as an artist and a passionate
projects (Jekyll & Hyde: The Concert, Trans-Siberian Orchestra). So listener who is multidimensional, it can be limiting.
when Testament called with the idea of doing a few shows for old
Absolutely makes sense. Can you talk about your own expe-
times’ sake, I said, “Why not?” As much as diving into jazz improv
riences as an educator? What formats do you prefer: one-on-
had shocked onlookers, it felt like returning to the metal fold on
one, master classes, traditional classroom?
some level would do the same and liked this idea. I suppose defy-
ing expectation had become part of my modus operandi. I’d say my work as an educator really started in my early 20s,
when both Guitar World and Guitar for the Practicing
Musician magazines offered me instruction columns
in the ‘90s. Being thrown into teaching by magazine
to a national audience was great on-the-job train-
ing. I’ve always been one of those musicians who re-
ally likes teaching as well as performing. I could have
been happy being primarily a full-time educator and
even anticipated that in my future when I finished my
degree at The New School and was entertaining prepar-
ing for graduate school and focusing on education and
literature. I also figured
I’d give it my best shot
I’ve seen students that seem to have as an artist and, within
an extensive vocabulary, but are unable a few years, I was a full
time touring and record-
to use it because they haven’t focused
enough on the basics.

Now you balance your work with Testament, AST, and a

number of other projects and collaborations. How do
you keep it all straight when you’re that busy?
It takes a lot of focus, energy, and organization with
plenty of checking of calendars. I usually have a good idea
of my open windows, six months to a year ahead of time,
in terms of Testament’s schedule, and I’ll start with book-
ing other projects around that, starting with AST, since
that’s my main baby. Then I squeeze in other instru-
mental projects where I’m a “for hire” guitarist, such as
bassist Stu Hamm, guitarist/vocalist Jane Getter, and
others. I keep hearing about how the music business
is in turmoil and how artists are wrestling with the
“gig economy” et cetera, but I’ve never been busier, so I feel very ing musician on my own terms. Meanwhile, I’ve been fortunate to
fortunate. I also think it’s important to turn down work that isn’t a have some great opportunities as an educator. For example, the
good representation of you, if you can afford to. most recent Warwick Bass Camp, in which I got to work with some
As far as what formats I find most artistically and personally of my musical heroes – the only non-bass playing instructors were
satisfying, no question it is improvisational, instrumental music. myself and Dennis Chambers. Dennis and I backed the ensembles
My listening mostly consists of the ECM Records catalogue (old of Alphonso Johnson and Tetsuo Sakurai, as well as playing for
and new), classical piano, jazz, and jazz rock/records that I often other instructors in the live jam, including Steve Bailey, Felix Pas-
buy on vinyl, often out of print, and the music I practice to and torious, Ralph Armstrong, and others. In 2016, I also taught at the
get inspired by comes from those sources. I get in trouble some- G4 Experience, alongside my old teacher Joe Satriani, Eric John-

16 JAZZed • October 2018

son, Mike Keneally, and Steve Vai – very
humbling company to be among. I think I
most prefer the classroom format, simply
because you get to know the class and
the individual students and there is more
time to give one-on-one attention. But I
also enjoy giving master classes.
Do you teach both jazz and metal?
I do, yes. It really depends on the stu-
dent. With some, I’ve gotten into territory I
encountered at The New School and from
Charlie Banacos, such as triad extensions,
chord alterations, chromatic approaches,
II-V-I patterns, comping techniques, ap-
proaching a standard, and such. Others,
the more metal leaning students, want
to know more strictly guitar-based tech-
nique such as hammer-ons, legato, sweep
arpeggios, or riff writing. One thing I’ve
found in common is that in both cases,
timing, rhythm, and feel cannot be em-
phasized enough. In both genres, I’ve
seen students that seem to have an ex-
tensive vocabulary, but are unable to use
it because they haven’t focused enough
on the basics. There are students that try
to play beyond their abilities and it is up
to the teacher to let them know, hope-
fully in a way that gets through to them.
One thing both genres have is roots in
the blues and I use the blues as a link be-
tween them and as a common building
block in either direction. 
they recognize that really strange chord
in measure five, it begins to make sense.  from his class, then wrote out “EXPRES-
What I find least enjoyable is occasion-
ally having to have a “come to Jesus” talk
with a student who hasn’t yet realized
that he or she has been attempting to
play far beyond their abilities. Many are
trying to “blow” in jazz or “shred” in metal,
but they’re not making music and need
to return to the basics. I’ve had to let jazz
students know they need to study the
most basic solos of Charlie Christian and
Django Rheinhardt before taking on Pat
Metheny playing over Coltrane’s “Giant
Steps.” Studying music can be very hum-
bling and those who go places are the
ones who are honest with themselves.  that Hal was like J.K. Simmons’ character
Any words of advice for your fellow
players and educators out there?
Based on my answer above, I’d encour-
age all students and educators to use
familiar music as a device for learning.
You should also never lose sight of the
music that first inspired you. I remember
Kenny Werner telling a group of students
that if you were inspired by The Mon-
kees more than, say, Duke Ellington, you
shouldn’t stop listening to those Mon-
kees records. Also, a great piece advice
comes from a New School teacher I had,
Richie Beirach, who barged into class one
day, announced that he had something
for us to remember if we take one thing
SION IS EVERYTHING!” in giant letters on
the blackboard, then said it out loud and
bashed an atonal cluster on the piano.
That’s a good one. And one the most im-
portant thing I learned came from pianist
Hal Galper, who was very forceful about
rhythm and timing. He’d go around the
class one-by-one and you’d have you play
while a bassist and drummer accompa-
nied. If were the slightest bit out of time,
he’d stop you, make you put down your
instrument and sometimes humiliate you
in front of the class. To be honest, I’m not
a fan of that type of teaching style – not
in “Whiplash,” but he was certainly closer
to that than any of the other teachers I
had. So while I’d urge educators to con-
sider a more nurturing approach, on the
other hand, Hal got us all to increase our
listening of the other instruments. He
also triggered the process of editing out
ideas that don’t lock into time. This was
incredibly useful and applies to any kind
of music. I’ve tried to pass on this wisdom
in a more nurturing manner. So while I’d
had some misgivings about that type of
intense, forceful teaching, I had to admit
that what he’d instilled about rhythm was
among the most valuable learning expe-
riences I’d ever had. 

weeks on Sherrie Maricle &

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lessonslearned
Building a Lasting Lineage Through
MENTORSHIP BY DAVID SCHUMACHER
While it’s imperative not
to break a student’s spirit,
learning is optimized when
they have an accurate sense
of reality and perspective.
M
ore than two decades after graduation, I still try to grab a
drink with my middle and high school jazz band director
Dick Rabideau when I’m back home in Plattsburgh, New
York. I was privileged to have many great music teachers, but Dick
was the first to expose me to the music that would shape the rest of
my life. Even as a young student, there was something unique not
only about how we played jazz, but how we learned it. As my own
students return to share their experiences, sit in on rehearsals, or ask
for guidance, a subconscious thought became reality for me: it’s all
about the relationships.
More than the first-place finishes and outstanding musicianship
awards, the gold medals, or the spots in District and All-State ensem-
bles my students earned, it was going to be the student-teacher and
peer relationships that truly held lasting meaning and significance.
They would sustain my own sanity and longevity in this field, but
would also provide the paramount formative influence on my stu-
dents. At Pentucket Regional High School in West Newbury, Massa-
chusetts, where I direct the jazz program, these relationships have
been key to perpetuate a cycle of mentorship: a method of learning
long admired in the jazz tradition, but sometimes overlooked in the
hyper-academic settings into which jazz education has been assim-
ilated.
Under the premise of strong mentorship, I asked a mix of former
students to articulate their thoughts on what distinguished our pro-
gram, how it prepared them for “real” life, and what continues to
bring them back for concerts, rehearsals, and advice. I was struck
and humbled by the consistency of their impressions. Many of their
thoughts served as confirmation of the approaches I trusted to be
effective, and had learned as a student myself.
Speaking the Truth
“Y’all sound like s&$#. You need to practice!” Those were the first
words I, and my fellow classmates at Michigan State University, heard
from jazz master Branford Marsalis after hearing us perform on the
first day of his residency back in the mid ‘90s. You can imagine our in-
dignation, but as isolated university students we simply had no per-
spective. Turns out he didn’t really mean it. He thought we were on
the right track – though he didn’t confess that to us until a few years
later – but the tone was set. There would be no room for attitude,
pride, or entitlement in his eyes. Feedback would be instant, direct,
and brutally honest. Praise would be earned and deserved. It’s these
18 JAZZed • October 2018
principles that changed the way I learned as a student, and that con-
tinue to resonate in my teaching philosophy today.
While it’s imperative not to break a student’s spirit, learning is op-
timized when they have an accurate sense of reality and perspective.
Students aren’t necessarily used to hearing the truth – which can of-
ten be diluted within our politically correct society – but their poten-
tial for growth will improve dramatically once an open and honest
dialogue has been established.
The main reason I bring my students to events like the Berklee
HSJF is so they can hear what other students their age have accom-
plished. It’s the same reason I play them the recording of an eighteen
year-old Lee Morgan soloing on Dizzy Gillespie at Newport. The expo-
sure opens their eyes to new possibilities, and leaves them inspired
and hungry to return to the woodshed. I have each student write
a reflection detailing the perspective they gained from such experi-
ences, and then update their personal goals accordingly.
I believe in training students to not only openly accept constructive
criticism, but to actively seek it out. They come to crave and depend
upon it. When praise is given, it needs to be meaningful, not gratu-
itous. This will instill a direct and honest correlation between effort
and achievement. Aspiring singer/songwriter Adam Mendonca (‘06)
writes that it’s this specific and direct critique that keeps him in touch.
Reflecting on his high school festival experiences he says, “I remem-
ber… asking the adjudicators for feedback after we would perform
and I would always get the same phrase thrown back at me: ‘Keep do-
ing what you’re doing’… it often left me confused and empty.”
Creating Independent Learners
Student ownership of the learning process is key. Bard College
pianist Cooper Slack (‘15) admits, “I wasn’t provided with the option
to coast through the program and stay on the periphery of the stage
as I probably would have liked at the time… I would have to invest
myself on a level that took more than attendance alone. This was the
first time in my academic life that I felt like I was being pushed by the
intrinsic value of a subject.”
A solid foundation in jazz theory, style, history, and ear training is
non-negotiable. However, it’s imperative that we preserve the tradi-
tional ways of learning jazz through listening, emulation, and expe-
riences. Teachers need to dissolve the notion that we are dispensers
of information, and instill our position as facilitators of independent
learning. I rely heavily on a Socratic approach in my teaching. If stu-
dents know they can get an answer from us, that’s where they will
turn. It’s quick and easy, but it’s lazy. Mendonca articulates this point
well: “What made Schumacher and his program so effective was that
he would lead us to water, but it was up to us to do the work and
drink up the material. That often used to drive me crazy because I just
wanted to know the answer to a question right way, and he would
only give me clues in the right direction. The older I get, I realize how
beneficial that is – not only as a student of the music, but a student of
life. That is where the real learning takes place.”
Students should be provided opportunities to exercise their inde-
pendence as an integral part of their experience in the program. For
instance, my Jazz Combo students are largely responsible for orga-
nizing their own gigs, building set lists, and arranging our songs. I
play no active role in their performances beyond a basic introduction.
They are expected to announce tunes, discuss historical context, and
otherwise engage the audience. In the classroom, independence
is exercised through the transcription of chord progressions, melo-
dies, and grooves for our tunes. As they know, no sheet music will
be allowed on the bandstand. NEC grad and NYC-based trumpeter/
composer Bobby Spellman (‘06) echoes, “There are no shortcuts to
artistic achievement.”
A Sense of Community
Among my most valued experiences in college was the sense of
community we felt as students of jazz. Spontaneous jam sessions,
one-upping each other with amazing moments in our favorite re-
cordings, and passionate debates over where this music should
go next cemented life-long friendships. One of my earliest goals
in teaching was to establish a similar culture of collective curiosity
and exploration among my students. Turns out the students who
responded to me for this article were unanimous in naming com-
munity and relationships paramount to not only the success of the
program, but the nourishment they gained from it.
Aspiring journalist Ryan McNamara (‘10) proclaims, “The program
created such a strong community that my fellow musicians became
my best friends, regardless of age, defying typical high school alle-
giance to one’s grade-mates. A trumpet player four years older and
a guitar player three years younger were among my best friends.”
Several students echoed that sentiment including Bard College sax-
ophonist Alden Slack (‘14) who remarked, “Schumacher is the only
instructor I’ve had whose homework assignment might be, ‘Hang out
with your bandmates.’ The result: more productive and welcoming
rehearsals and continued group-learning outside of school. He has
faith in camaraderie.”
Michigan State University bassist Duncan Tarr (‘12) agrees:
“Schumacher had a special gift for… building relationships within
the jazz program that made it feel more like a family than an extracur-
ricular… Relationships based upon mutual respect and mentorship,
rather than more hierarchical teacher-student relationships.” Once
that respect is established, your students will find a sense of owner-
ship over their studies. Alden Slack declares, “Schumacher’s mentor-
ship proves that it’s better to be loved than to be feared. The only
fear I ever felt around (him) during a lesson or a rehearsal was that
he would know when I hadn’t practiced enough – not because I’d be
scolded but just because he’d know. I think that’s the only incentive
you need from a teacher you really admire.”
Building that respect includes maintaining your own professional
presence. Whether you perform, compose, conduct, or publish, it’s
vital that your students see evidence that you’re living the music, not
just teaching it. Sharing those experiences cements your authority
on the subject and serves to draw in your students. Spellman says,
“Schumacher’s work as a composer is of the highest caliber and his
multi-faceted life as a composer, educator, and civilized family man
has always been an inspiration.”
Stonehill College English major and pianist Joe D’Amore (’12) adds,
“Since Mr. Schumacher talked to us like fellow musicians instead of
inferior pupils, we naturally took after him and treated each other
like he treated us: we commented on each other’s playing, criticized
each other, suggested something different, and hipped each other
to new music all the time. The democratic nature of the program was
such that my bandmates were sometimes as helpful teachers as Mr.
Schumacher, himself. Instead of just one mentor, I had half a dozen,
and I myself was a mentor to some of them. Sharing and communion
was absolutely central to our experience.”
This all leads to more inspired performances. Drummer Eddie
Gaudet (‘13) says without this collective approach, “I would have nev-
er learned a crucial part of the language of music: communication.
I learned, under his direction, how to make magic happen during a
performance, simply by being aware of my fellow players and their
nuances.” Those moments of magic are where the real music hap-
pens. The intangible state of mind where you are completely present
in the moment and creativity is at its peak, is the pinnacle of this art
form. I practice meditation and mindfulness with my students before
our performances to facilitate these moments of oneness with the
music. Using jazz as a vehicle to teach such life skills and philosophies
is part of a holistic approach to education. My students know those
moments are fleeting, but those who have experienced them feel
part of a special club. And they now strive to find such connections
in other aspects of their lives.
Giving Back
Bobby Spellman notes, “The fundamental value in Schumacher’s
approach to education lies in the fact that he treats every young mu-
sician not only as a student of the jazz tradition, but as an active par-
ticipant in that tradition.” Spellman raises this important distinction
on behalf of the alumni who understand that they are now responsi-
ble to help move this music forward. He continues, “Now that I find
myself living the life of a professional musician, I feel it is my duty to
return from time to time to help inspire the most experienced stu-
dents.” But this concept of mentorship isn’t just to benefit the best
players in the program or to be shouldered by those who became
professional musicians. Mentorship needs to be promoted through-
out the process at every level. Spellman concludes, “It was always
understood that the more experienced players in the school were to
serve as inspirational mentors to the up-and-coming musicians.”
D’Amore says, “Giving back wisdom and encouragement is not
something I consciously think about, but rather something that
flows organically from the give-and-take nature of the program… I
now know how to collaborate and communicate with other artists,
helping them grow while learning from them to help myself grow.”
Tarr adds, “Not only did Schumacher teach me how to play and how
to hang, but he also taught me how to teach. It is a Pentucket jazz
alumni tradition to return to ‘sit-in’ on rehearsals… to help the next
generation of high school jazz musicians.”
And so the cycle is complete. I am a better teacher because of
these students and what they bring back from their experiences,
both in and out of music. It could be a new approach to a concept I
hadn’t considered, or inspiration to push through a difficult year. We
are all colleagues now, learning from each other. It is this lasting lin-
eage that will continue to bring me pride and satisfaction long after
these alumni are grabbing drinks with their own former students.
David Schumacher is an active composer, bandleader, and educator.
His music has been commissioned and performed by artists, bands, and
schools across the country including at the Kennedy Center and Jordan
Hall. David is director of Jazz for Pentucket Regional High School, and
he holds a MM in Jazz Studies from New England Conservatory. www.
DavidSchumacher.com
October 2018 • JAZZed 19
Q&A
Decades Into his Career and
One Grammy Down, Ted
Nash is Just Warming Up
BY VICTORIA WASYLAK
T
ed Nash might be one of the few people who was actually
born ready to conquer the world musically. It would be
hard not to be so poised for the spotlight when your uncle
and namesake has already drawn a fair amount of attention –
and an incredible legacy – to the family.
Now decades into his own career and after nabbing a shiny ol’
Grammy, Nash still isn’t afraid of living up to any expectations. If
anything, he’s expanding his own reputation with philanthropic
work, traveling as far as Brazil for music education. According to
Nash, his next project is going to “change the world,” but more
accurately, the saxophonist already has.
Read on to learn about his unintentional first live record in a
quarter of a century, his old musical mentors, and getting stu-
dents the tools they need, but can’t always afford.
You just released your first live recording in over 25 years,
Live At Dizzy’s Club Coca-Cola. After so much time, what
made you decide it was time to record another?
In the past several years most of my recordings have featured
larger concepts, like Portrait in Seven Shades, Chakra and Presi-
dential Suite. These projects have provided a great opportunity
to express my musical thoughts and feelings through larger en-
sembles. The focus was more on using the composition and ar-
20 JAZZed • October 2018
rangement to represent very specific ideas and themes, and less
on improvisation. All of these were recorded in the studio, and
were well-planned. When we played Dizzy’s last year, it was very
loose and alive. The playing was very spontaneous. This album
is the result of a night of stretching out with some of my favorite
musicians. The focus was more on the improvisation and inter-
action rather than the composing and arranging. This is such an
important part of what I love to do, and I am so happy to be able
to share this side of myself with people. 
How do you prepare for recording a live album and how is it
different than planning for a studio album?
With this recording, it was only decided later to be released.
Going into the gig I had not planned to put this out – I had not
even thought about the fact that it would be documented. For-
tunately, because of the live-stream and radio broadcast, the
evening was captured. It was a bit later, after listening back, that
I decided to release the album. Some of the greatest moments
happen when there are no microphones around, but I was lucky
that we recorded one of the evenings of this three-day gig. Matt,
Rufus, Warren, and Gary all played so great!
Likewise, how did you select that album to be what follows
your Grammy-award winning album, Presidential Suite?
Does winning a Grammy for an album put any more pres-
sure on you when it comes time to make the next one?
I don’t feel any pressure. I appreciate so much that Presiden-
tial Suite was recognized, but I don’t feel like the next record
has to “surpass” the last. Anyway, that feels sort of subjective.
I definitely don’t compose or play for awards. That would be a
mistake. Actually, I measure my success in terms of how cre-
ative I can be, not how much money or notoriety I receive for
it. The things I get excited about are deeply personal: the way
something is expressed by a certain use of harmony, or how a
counter-line might intersect the main thematic material. These
are small details, but they are what make me happy. If I am try-
ing to second-guess what people want or find important, I may
never put anything out, or worse – put out something that isn’t
honest. I go more with my intuition, and my gut told me to put
out this live recording. And it feels good to share this side of my-
self with people. However, my next project is going to change
the world…
You’re currently on staff at Juilliard, BMI Jazz Composers
Workshop, and Jazz at Lincoln Center, and you’ve been
teaching for over 30 years. When working with students,
what do you see as the element of scholarshiop modern stu-
dents need the most help with?
There are so many layers to teaching, and I love all of them.
In the beginning we help young players develop tools, like
technique, harmony, and sound – and help them find inspira-
tion. Later, we help them use those tools to express something
that is personal and meaningful – and help them continue to
be inspired. For us to advance the art form and be relevant we
need to first understand what came before us. Ten years ago,
there was ten years less music that had been created. Obviously,
it’s impossible to listen to everything, but the more we do, the
deeper our own music can become. A lot of students ask, “How
can I develop my style, find my sound?” You don’t set out to de-
velop a style, it comes naturally out of the honest work you do.  feel it’s a worthwhile investment. I do understand the reluctance
Also, it’s important that when someone transcribes and plays
solos by the greats – like Coltrane or Sonny Rollins, for exam-
ple – it’s important to not only transcribe the notes, but also the
spirituality behind what they are playing. Often, students will
only copy the notes, but not the spiritual environment that is
behind them. That’s why I encourage people to put on record-
ings of their favorite players and transcribe the environment
they have created. If they play fast, play fast. If they growl, growl.
If they leave space, leave space. If they play a tritone substitu-
tion, play a tritone substitution. This will train your instinct, as
well as your knowledge and technique. It seems that helping
students develop their instincts is a bit overlooked. Maybe be-
cause it’s not as clear and technical, and it seems many teachers
focus more on technical aspects of music.  will fall apart in a short amount of time, be out of tune or have
Do you have a mentor who helped you significantly when
you were younger who you model your teaching after?
I had a teacher while I was in high school, Charlie Shoemake,
who exposed me to the basic language by having me memo-
rize solos by the masters, like Bird, Sonny Rollins, Miles, Hank
Mobley, et cetera. I also learned basic harmony – chords and
scales. His teaching was very clear and methodical. This was an
important first step in being able to play. It gave me a strong
base on which to add my own language later. Bob Brookmeyer
and Manny Albam were the teachers at the BMI Jazz Composers
Workshop when I took the class in the early ‘90s. This opened
me up tremendously in terms of my writing and playing, as well.
Brookmeyer was also the musical director of the Mel Lewis Jazz
Orchestra when I first joined in 1982 and just being around him,
experiencing his seriousness and dedication, and playing his
new music was very inspiring. Bob also touched many other
people who were in the band at the time, like Kenny Werner, Jim
McNeely and Ed Neumeister, who have all gone on to be great
composers. 
“I don’t feel any pressure. I appreciate so
much that Presidential Suite was recognized,
but I don’t feel like the next record has to
‘surpass’ the last.”
You’ve also worked to help students who might not have the
proper tools to learn, such as horns and mouthpieces. Do
you see money as a stumbling block for many of your stu-
dents? Do you have any plans to carry out similar initiatives
in the future?
Having good equipment is really important. Many young
players can’t afford top professional horns, or their parents don’t
of a parent spending $6,000 on an alto saxophone, not knowing
if the child will go on to be a professional musician. Also, what
often happens is that students will go from middle school to
high school and have to leave behind the horns that were sup-
plied to them by the school, which is why I started Project Pro
Student Horn. I don’t want to see the hopes of these young mu-
sicians thwarted by unfortunate circumstance. I search for and
find vintage instruments that are of professional quality and fix
them up and sell them at one-tenth the cost of the big-name
instruments. I mean, these are great horns – I use one myself. I
have helped dozens of young musicians get professional saxo-
phones into their hands. This is much better than the alternative
for the same price, which is something often so badly made it
an inferior sound. I can’t tell you how much this project means
to me. I do not make any money doing this. For more informa-
tion, visit http://tednash.com/outros/about-v2/
On a recent trip to Brazil, working with the EMESP program
in Sao Paulo, I learned that the schools there purchase instru-
ments the students play while in the program, but they have to
buy their own mouthpieces (a sanitation rule). Maybe $75-$100
doesn’t seem like a lot of money, but to these kids – many whose
families struggle to get food on the table – that is too much to
spend. It was easy to see the need for better mouthpieces, so I
set up a donation drive. I started with Beechler, whose mouth-
pieces I play, and they donated 30. Many musicians sent me
stuff from their own collections. I was able to give this program
several thousand dollars’ worth of mouthpieces and ligatures. I
have to thank so many very generous people for this. They made
a big difference in these students’ lives. 
October 2018 • JAZZed 21
 hotwax albumreviews
Satoko Fujii/Joe
Fonda/Gianni Mimmo
Triad (Long Song)
Satoko Fujii – piano
Joe Fonda – acoustic bass, flute
Gianni Mimmo – soprano
saxophone
For that big
Six-0 birthday,
people cele-
brate in differ-
ent ways. Some
have quiet
dinners with
friends, others have rowdy blow-outs.
For Japan-born USA-based pianist Sa-
toko Fujii, she’s released new music, and
as is her wont she’s released platters of
her in different contexts, from unaccom-
panied to big band. Fujii seems fond of
duos, trios, and quartets and generally
pushing the envelope when it comes to
collaborators. While she’s performed (live
and studio) with bassist Joe Fonda (Nu
Band, Anthony Braxton), Italian soprano
saxophonist/composer Gianni Mimmo
was a “new commodity” to both – they
heard his music and thought it’d be swell
if they could play together…and since all
were in Italy last year, they did.
As a pianist, Fujii can be unto a force
of nature, a torrent of swirling notes and
spiky clusters. For the uninitiated she can
evoke powerful key-crackers Cecil Taylor
and Don Pullen; Fujii also embodies the
oblique lyricism and delicate touch of
Myra Melford (with whom she’s duet-
ted) and Matthew Shipp. While no one
is liable to mistake her for Errol Garner,
Fujii’s output features sublimely lyrical
and emotionally directly playing. Fonda
has a big, wide sound, not unlike that
of the late Charlie Haden. Mimmo’s so-
prano sax has a profoundly deep sound,
closer to the oblique tartness of Steve
Lacy than the lithe, Coltrane-descended
bittersweetness of, say, Wayne Short-
er. All together they weave tapestries
wherein the concepts of “composition”
and “spontaneous improvisation” are
blurred, all use extended techniques
to draw more-than-usual sounds out if
their instruments. The opener “Available
Gravity” finds Fonda on melancholy flute,
22 JAZZed • October 2018
Fonda coaxing what sounds like electric
guitar feedback (albeit judiciously) and
Fujii plucking on the inside the piano
for some rather things-go-bump-in-the-
night resonances. “Available Partner”
has Fujii’s notes ringing in the air, Fon-
da bowing, and Mimmo plumbing the
depths of melancholy before the trio get
turbulent – the playing is free but there’s
drive, forward motion, the suggestion of
rhythm – plenty of exploration but it’s
done as a group (as opposed to three in-
dividuals playing simultaneously but not
together), with empathy, a touch of (raw)
elegance, and an eerie sense of calm.
This is not really for novices to free
playing, but for devotees and/or fans of
the principles: heartily recommended.
(Mark Keresman)
Kurt Elling
The Questions (Okeh)
Kurt Elling – voice
Stu Mindeman – piano, Hammond
B3 organ
John McLean – acoustic and
electric guitars
Joey Calderazzo – piano (tracks 4,
6, 9)
Clark Sommers – bass
Branford Marsalis – saxophones
Marquis Hill – trumpet, fluegelhorn
Jeff “Tain” Watts – drums
Religion or
jazz: that’s the
career choice,
in a way, that
Kurt Elling made
when he de-
cided on a jazz
singing career, leaving a Chicago divinity
school just one credit shy of graduation.
Not that he’s become a heathen. In fact,
it could be said that that although he did
turn down serving the church, he sings
with the fervor of a good preacher.
His decision likely didn’t surprise any-
one who had heard him perform regular-
ly during his school years at the fabled
Windy City Green Mill jazz club. Jazz has
welcomed him, as it should, from his
early ‘90s start. Blue Note, the most pres-
tigious and oldest (1939) major label re-
leased his first album in 1995. This is his
13th.
Elling is a unique, unendingly cre-
ative artist, far from just another singer
– or even a typical jazz singer. He has an
incredible, almost other-worldly, voice
that seems to cover the scale from low-
bass to tenor. Dynamically, he moves
from a near-whisper to a full-throated,
near-shout. Phrasing? There isn’t, nor
has there been, anyone quite like him.
Although there were many before him,
going as far back as Louis Armstrong, us-
ing scat and/or vocalese improvisational
techniques, Elling uses them in an origi-
nal manner. He combines a narrative or
spoken word, story-telling style with a
more conventional smooth, flowing, me-
lodic approach – all this sometimes on
the same song.
He perhaps is just a little too different
for some listeners… and critics. Though
every one of his albums has been nom-
inated for a Grammy, he has won only
one. The Jazz Journalist Association (JJA),
however, has named him best male vo-
calist 14 consecutive years.
Elling and his uniformly superb musi-
cians offer nine numbers – a well thought-
out mix of mostly familiar pop, rock, the-
atrical, and modern jazz tunes, including
several written and/or arranged by Elling
and band. This is a strongly collaborative
recording with all musicians involved in
one or more functions beyond accompa-
nying – composing, arranging, adapting,
and of course, soloing.
The nine-song repertoire begins and
ends with musical giants. The opener is a
highly emotional take on Bob Dylan’s “A
Hard Rain’s A-Gonna Fall,” and the closer
an impassioned but unfortunately – and
obviously intentionally – just a bit off the
melody interpretation of famed song-
writers Johnny Mercer and Hoagy Car-
michael’s lovely “Skylark.” Elling’s impro-
vised version still sustains the sweetness
of the original. Other noted composers/
songwriters heard from are an eclectic
group: Peter Gabriel (“Washing of the
Water”), Paul Simon (“American Tune”),
Leonard Bernstein, Adolph Green, Betty
Comden (“Lonely Town”), Oscar Ham-
merstein, and Richard Rodgers (“I Have
Dreamed”).
Not to overlook the musicians, Bran-
ford is mastering the soprano, “Tain”
Watts is his highly regarded high-ener-
gy self, and the ear-opener is Calderaz-
zo. Not heard from in a while, his three
extended solos are everything anyone
could ask for. (Bob Protzman)

Art Hirahara
Sunward Bound (Posi-Tone)
Art Hirahara – piano
Linda May Han Oh – bass
Rudy Royston – drums
Donny McCaslin – tenor
saxophone (tracks 2, 4-6)
If the act of
ascension seems
to be painted
into this album’s
theme, it’s with
good reason. Pi-
anist Art Hiraha-
ra has long been
on a steady climb toward the light, using
reflection and experience as the driving
forces toward self-actualization, and he
seems to come closer to reaching it with
every outing. This, his fourth date on the
Posi-Tone imprint, is his strongest yet.
“Ruse For Blues Shoes,” an opener that
tests the plasticity of the blues and the
elasticity of Hirahara’s musical relation-
ship with bassist Linda May Han Oh and
drummer Rudy Royston, makes an imme-
diate impression, as does the Donny Mc-
Caslin-enhanced “Brooklyn Express” train
that comes on its heels. Both numbers
speak to an extroverted ideal, holding lit-
tle back in their unfolding, but there’s an
introspective quality at play here, too. A
moving performance of Japanese lulla-
by “Akatombo” makes that crystal clear.
Having worked with the same personnel
on Central Line (Posi-Tone, 2017), Hirahara
knows exactly what everybody is capable
of. That knowledge, wisely, is put to good
use at every turn. In shifting gazes skyward
on the uplifting title track, loosening the
shackles of harmony on “Unbound,” and
visiting a state of repose on “Suspended,”
Hirahara makes sure that the talents in his
presence stand in clear view as they en-
hance the music and support his visions.
While Hirahara reaches outside his own
oeuvre, claiming the aforementioned cra-
dle song, painting a strong-minded an-
ti-war movement across the Hibari Miso-
ra-associated “Ringo Oiwake,” and briefly
exploring labelmate David Ake’s “Inverted
Fountain,” the central role of his own pen
shouldn’t be discounted when examining
this album’s success. Through the eight
originals that appear, he shrewdly ex-
presses a pointed knowingness and the
albumreviews
fate of the free-minded. No matter how
you slice it, this is elevated Art. (Dan Bi-
lawsky)
Miho Hazama/
Metropole Orkest Big
Band
The Monk: Live at Bimhuis
(Sunnyside)
Miho Hazama – conductor &
arranger
Marc Scholten, Paul van der Feen,
Leo Janssen, Sjoerd Dijkhuizen,
Max Boree – reeds
Ray Bruinsma, Martjin de Laat,
Nico Schepers, Ric Moi – trumpets
Jan Oosting, Louk Boudesteijn,
Jan Bastani, Martin van den Berg
– trombones
Hans Vroomans – piano
Peter Tiehuis – guitar
Aram Kersbergen - bass
Marcel Serierse – drums
Like Duke
Ellington and
select few oth-
ers, Tokyo-born,
NYC-based pi-
anist/arranger/
etc. Miho Haz-
ama utilizes the orchestra as a palette –
her own outfit, of course, and here, the
Metropole Orkest Big Band. Hazama has a
go at the catalog of Thelonious Monk. The
Metropole Orkest Big Band, managed and
subsidized by Netherlands Public Broad-
casting is a hybrid organization of sorts,
equally at home with film scores, jazz,
and assorted tributaries of pop. Through
the past few decades, the MOBB has per-
formed with Ella Fitzgerald, Ivan Lins, New
York Voices, Elvis Costello, and Steve Vai.
Arranging Monk’s decidedly quirky,
wonderfully sly music for a big band
might at first seem a daunting prospect,
but it’s one Hazama handles with brassy
aplomb. Superficially, her approach is
in the tradition of the Woody Herman
and Thad Jones/Mel Lewis Orchestras
– grand-sounding, bold, and swinging
mightily, but as listening proceeds Ha-
zama proves adept at the classy moder-
nity of Gil Evans and the twisty/twisted
subtleties and humorous asides of Carla
Bley. The opener “Thelonious” is a brisk
welcome-to-the-party swinger with
some surging, crackling trumpet and sax-
hotwax
ophone solos (alas, soloists are not iden-
tified on the CD jacket) and a droll, ani-
mated Dixieland/New Orleans-flavored
passages. “Ruby My Dear” is a tender bal-
lad with some Duke Ellington-like unison
playing from the horns and a suave, but-
tery trombone solo.
“Hackensack” finds Monk’s melody be-
ing enriched with some Hollywood melo-
dramatic cool (hints of the soundtrack to
the film The Man With the Golden Arm)
and the burly, joyous, danceable swing
of Count Basie. The quintessential Monk
ballad – heck, perhaps the quintessen-
tial jazz ballad – “’Round Midnight” is es-
sayed tenderly… the schmaltz is factor
increased, which is not really a bad thing
– this version makes it sound as if it dates
from the Tin Pan Alley era before bebop
(or even before the Swing era), accenting
the lovestruck/late-night reverie at the
heart of the song. The intro to “Epistro-
phy” is imbued with some playful men-
ace, evoking soundtrack music to a 1950s
horror or B-list suspense movie. The gui-
tar and piano buoy the soloists with some
choppy, turbulent textures and then the
band comes roaring in like Basie or May-
nard Ferguson. The closer “Crepuscule
with Nellie” is chilled-out balladry featur-
ing the MOBB’s pianist Hans Vroomans
with some impishly lyrical soloing (in an
un-Monk-like fashion, at that – more akin
to Hank Jones or Herbie Hancock).
All in all, The Monk is a creatively invig-
orating set. (Mark Keresman)
CHECK OUT GET
THE LATEST
ISSUE! THE
APP!
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October 2018 • JAZZed 23
gearcheck
PRINT & DIGITAL
New Releases from Sher Music
Jazz Scores and Analysis, Vol.1 by Richard
Lawn features full annotated scores, analysis,
lead sheet reduction, interviews, and much
more. It is ideal for large ensemble jazz com-
positions by Vince Mendoza, Bob Mintzer,
Jim McNeely, John Hollenbeck, Darcy James
Argue, and John Fedchock. $45 list price.
Decoding Afro-Cuban Jazz: The Music of
Chucho Valdes and Irakere by Chucho Val-
des and Rebeca Mauleon is described by
Sher as, “the most authoritative guide to
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two masters of the genre, it includes scores
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sitions. $34 list.
www.shermusic.com
Fingerstyle Jazz Guitar Solos from Hal Leonard
Sean McGowan’s expertly arranged book
Fingerstyle Jazz Guitar Solos includes stan-
dard notation and tab for solo guitar for a
dozen songs. McGowan also includes per-
formance notes for each song in the collec-
tion, giving players unique insight into how
to effectively master each arrangement.
In addition to the songs, the book in-
cludes access to audio examples online,
which are available for download and
streaming using a code found in the book. Unique to this book,
the demonstration tracks included are full versions of each solo
performed by McGowan himself. The audio files include PLAY-
BACK+, a multi-functional audio player that allows you to slow
down audio without changing pitch, set loop points, change keys,
and pan left or right. Price: $19.99.
www.halleonard.com
ACCESSORIES
New Strings from Martin Guitars
Martin Authentic Acoustic strings are
engineered with the performer in mind and
they will always stand up to rigorous prac-
tice and performance schedules. Available
in 80/20 Bronze and 92/8 Phosphor Bronze.
Martin has added a soft silk wrap to the
ball ends of our Authentic Acoustic strings
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Martin’s next generation Lifespan 2.0 strings are engineered
using a new, patented technology only available from Martin, de-
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80/20 Bronze and 92/8 Phosphor Bronze.
www.martinguitar.com
24 JAZZed • October 2018
ACCESSORIES
New Yellow Submarine-Themed D’Addario Accessories
D’Addario Accessories’ Yellow Submarine
anniversary collection comes in a collectible tin
with four straps and one pick pack with three
different gauges. The straps come in four de-
signs printed on polyester. The designs are in-
spired by the appearance of each Beatle in the
movie. The straps come in a commemorative
tin that features art, characters, and imagery
from the movie. The picks come in five de-
signs inspired by art from the film printed in
4-color on celluloid picks. They are available
in three gauges: light, medium, and heavy.
The straps are retailed at $60 MSRP, and the
picks are retailed at $11 MSRP.
www.daddario.com
KORG’s New Accessories
Tthe Rimpitch C2 from
KORG is an evolution of
KORG’s innovative acoustic
guitar tuner, now in an even
more compact package. The
Rimpitch C2 has been de-
signed specifically for the
acoustic guitar, fitting perfectly in the instrument’s sound hole.
This unique construction allows for high visibility and limited dis-
traction as it’s placed within the player’s natural field of vision. In
addition, the Rimpitch C2 comes equipped with a highly visible
LED display, making the player’s tuning experience easier and
more convenient than ever.
Also new is the MA-2, an elec-
tronic metronome further im-
proved on from its predecessor,
the MA-1. The MA-2 performs all
key functions of a standard met-
ronome, this time with a larger
display and enhanced volume for
easier detection. It provides user-friendly features including “tim-
er mode,” a helpful tool for prolonged practicing, and “sound out
mode,” which provides various tones for tuning. With up to 400
hours of continuous use, the MA-2 is a necessity for all musicians.
www.korg.com
Tone Vise Locking Nut from Floyd Rose
The new Tone Vise keyless lock-
ing nut assembly offers a design
that uses three spring-loaded vise
grips that surround the nut clamp-
ing screw, allowing you to tighten
and unlock your Floyd Rose-style
locking nut without the need for
an Allen wrench. The retrofitting Tone Vise locking nut is made
of hardened steel with steel clamps, making for a more durable
and reliable alternative to the many licensed versions on the mar-
ket. The Tone Vise locking nut kit includes the nut base, clamping
blocks, springs, keyless vices, and 2 mm hex wrench for one-time
installation.
www.floydrose.com
 BRASS & WOODWIND FRETTED
New Guitars from Ernie Ball
Phaeton Trumpet’s Las Vegas Model
The Bongo 6HH Guitar boasts a dual humbucking
The Las Vegas model, designed
basswood body, finished in a custom medium
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bore .460 at valve cluster to .470
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The Albert Lee HH offers a dual hum-
trumpet comes standard in Brush Brass, Amado type water keys,
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headstock and an ebony fingerboard
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hand fitted white binding.
Ernie Ball’s Cutlass SSS has a light-
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efficient player experience. These trumpets are also customizable
based on the needs of the player. The bell is detachable and is
Breedlove’s New Guitars and Ukuleles
available in both yellow brass or titanium copper. These trumpets
Based on the ever-popular Pursuit Con-
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tina E from Breedlove sounds warm and
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beautiful with a solid red cedar top and ma-
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E.K Blessing’s New Trumpet
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E.K. Blessing’s new BTR-1460M
This guitar is ideal for the player looking
trumpet features a new Matte
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ments of this price point. The
ing experience. Featuring the popular LR
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tures a 460” ML bore, 5” Bell Diameter, Rose Brass Lead Pipe, Yellow
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www.blessingbrass.com

CASES & STANDS

New Cases from Sequenz The MP-TB1 is a sturdy, multi-purpose
The CC-Volca and CC-Nano cas- backpack for the traveling musician.
es from Sequenz provide a soft- With three main compartments in total,
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als, providing durability while remaining light-weight and portable. www.sequenzmusicgear.com

October 2018• JAZZed 25

outlier’sblues
Jazz Glory in Two and a Half Minutes
BY STEVE FUTTERMAN
T
ony Fruscella is a footnote to a footnote in the big pic-
ture of jazz history. A lyrically-minded, even-tempered
trumpeter who dipped in cooler waters alongside
Miles Davis, Fruscella mainly collaborated with other fellow
white, Lester Young-obsessed players of the era, including
Stan Getz, with whom he made some of the very few offi-
cial recordings released during his short lifetime. Plagued
by substance abuse, Fruscella died at age 42 in 1969, over a
decade since the release of the only album credited to his
leadership. If his name rings a bell today, it’s mainly to afi-
cionados steeped in the fabled lore of bebop. Yet Fruscella
left behind a masterwork that should be treasured as long
as chiseled improvisation is part and parcel of jazz. That it
contains little more than two and a half minutes of his horn
work is a key element of its magic.
Fruscella left behind a master-
work that should be treasured as
long as chiseled improvisation is
part and parcel of jazz.
“I’ll Be Seeing You” is the opening track of what is now
available as Tony Fruscella, a 1955 session that found the
trumpeter in the company of the saxophonist Allen Eager
– yet another acolyte of Lester Young – who, like Fruscella,
was deeply influenced by the cool demeanor and melodic
clarity of the iconic Basie band soloist. “I’ll Be Seeing You”
follows the chord progression of the 1938 Sammy Fain com-
position, yet Fruscella never once touches on the original
melody, replacing the beauty of Fain’s work with his own.
Much like the 1939 recording of “Body and Soul,” in which
Coleman Hawkins quickly disregards the written melody in
26 JAZZed • October 2018
favor of his own ingenious variations, and Charlie Parker’s
1947 Bird of Paradise, which finds the alto titan and Miles
Davis spinning newly minted melodies over the harmonies
of Jerome Kern’s “All the Things You Are,” “I’ll Be Seeing You”
becomes a glorious showcase for an improviser at the top of
his game reveling in fecund invention.
The performance is a distinctly low-keyed triumph.
though. Eschewing outward bravado, Fruscella (who, with
pianist Bill Triglia, is the only horn soloist) is all about under-
statement and economy. Remaining resolutely in the mid-
dle range, alternating comfortably between melodic eighth
note passages and double time bursts, Frusella stays cool,
calm and collected throughout his two brief solos (a fleet-
ing piano solo divides the improvisations). And what gor-
geous melodies he weaves! Each phrase seems pre-com-
posed, brimming with structure and balance (search out
the bassist and Fruscella associate Red Mitchell’s brilliant
vocalese version of Fruscella’s opus, where he sings his own
lyrics over the original 1955 performance, his words high-
lighting the melodic shapeliness of the trumpeter’s classic
lines). If, faced with the questions of a novice jazz listener, I
had to give an example of a thoroughly recomposed, per-
fectly stated improvisation over the form of a preexisting
song, I’d turn to this flawlessly cut gem.
There’s not all that much of Fruscella’s other handiwork.
Search around and treasure can be unearthed–there’s a
1948 “Out of Nowhere” which, in Fruscella’s strict deviation
from the melody, seems an early model for the masterpiece
seven years later – still, I have yet to find anything with quite
the singing lucidity of “I’ll Be Seeing You.” Nonetheless, the
sliver of jazz immortality this obscure trumpeter holds fast
to is enough. Never failing to delight and edify, “I’ll Be See-
ing You” leaves you grateful that for Fruscella, in those few
precious minutes, the stars indeed aligned.
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October 2018 • JAZZed 27
 Backbeat
Hamiet Bluiett 1940-2018
A
merican jazz saxophonist, clarinetist, and composer Hamiet
Bluiett passed away on October 4, 2018 in St. Louis, Missouri
at the age of 78. He is survived by two sons, Pierre and Dennis,
two daughters, Ayana and Bridgett, a sister, Karen Ratliff, and eight
grandchildren.
Bluiett was born on September 16, 1940 in St. Louis, Missou-
ri, legally named Hamiet Ashford Bluiett, Jr. From a young age, he
learned how to play a variety of instruments, including the piano,
trumpet, and clarinet, but by the age of 10, he had became inter-
ested in the saxophone.
However, he went on to play the clarinet for barrelhouse dances
in Brooklyn, Illinois, and later joined the Navy band in 1961. Musical
sparks flew in Boston when Bluiett heard Harry Carney, the baritone
player for the Duke Ellington band, further inspiring him to pursue
the saxophone as a soloist.
As a young adult, he attended Southern Illinois University Car-
bondale, where he began to specifically play the baritone saxophone
(but did not graduate), and also served in the Navy. After he left the
service, Bluiett resided in the St. Louis, area, where he co-founded
the Black Artists’ Group (BAG) of St. Louis and led the BAG band in
1968 and 1969.
coming next issue
issue of
Don’miss the November/December 2018
featuring a comprehensive profile of
distinguished jazz fusion guitarist
Al Di Meola.
28 JAZZed • October 2018
Following his time in Missouri,
Bluiett relocated to New York City
1969, where he performed with
the Charles Mingus Quintet and
Sam Rivers’ large ensemble.
Come 1976, he took on per-
haps his most prominent and
well-known role as a co-founder of the World Saxophone Quartet, an
ensemble comprised of exclusively saxophones. Other co-founders
included Julius Hemphill, Oliver Lake, and David Murray. He also per-
formed with the quartet the Bluiett Baritone Nation and the Clarinet
Family during his 50-plus year career.
Bluiett moved a few times in the 2000s, first back to Illinois in 2002,
and then returning to New York City in 2012. While he performed
at the New Haven Jazz Festival in 2009, and later with the “Hamiet
Bluiett and the Improvisational Youth Orchestra” of New Haven, Con-
necticut, he had to stop playing the saxophone in 2016. Together,
he recorded nearly 50 albums as a bandleader and also worked with
Babatunde Olatunji, Abdullah Ibrahim, Stevie Wonder, and Marvin
Gaye, among many others, during his lifetime. His influence on the
jazz and saxophone communities will not be forgotten.
t
AL DI MEOLA
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