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The state of jazz
Meet 40 more Jersey greats
Sunday, September 28, 2003
By ZAN STEWART
STAR-LEDGER STAFF
Many of the biggest names in jazz make their home -- or regularly
perform -- in New Jersey. Here are some N.J. jazz notables who do not appear
in the Great Day in Jersey photo:
- Kenny Barron -- Barron, a distinctive and melodic pianist, taught
for many years at the Mason Gross School of the Arts in New Brunswick. He
has played with such greats as Dizzy Gillespie and Freddie Hubbard and has
long been a leader. His many albums include "Invitation" (Criss Cross),
"Live at "Bradley's" and "Canta Brasil" (both Sunnyside).
- George Benson -- A longtime resident of Englewood, Benson is a
superb jazz guitarist who has found fame as a pop vocalist. Initially heard
widely with organist Brother Jack McDuff, Benson crossed over with 1976's
"Breezin' " (Warner Bros.). Though he mostly works large venues with his pop
show, he still makes occasional jazz appearances both on record and in
person -- sometimes at intimate Jersey jazz rooms. Benson's jazz CDs include
"New Boss Guitar" (OJC) and "Giblet Gravy" (Verve).
- Ralph Bowen -- A tenor saxophonist and composer, Bowen lives in
Piscataway and heads the jazz program at the Mason Gross School of the Arts
in New Brunswick. He has played with Horace Silver, Renee Rosnes, the group
Out of the Blue and as a leader. His CDs include "Soul Proprietor" (Criss
Cross).
- Donald Byrd -- One of the masters of post-bop trumpet and a noted
educator, Byrd lives in Teaneck. He has played and/or recorded with Horace
Silver, Thelonious Monk and Sonny Rollins, co-led bands with Pepper Adams
and Gigi Gryce, been a leader and founded the Blackbyrds. His albums include
"Byrd's Word" (Savoy), "Byrd in Flight," "A New Perspective" and "Black
Byrd" (all Blue Note).
- Jackie Cain -- A bell-clear singer, Montclair-resident Cain for
half a century teamed with her husband, the late Roy Kral (1921-2002), in
the acclaimed duo Jackie and Roy. They worked with Charlie Ventura in the
late '40s and then headlined their own shows. Their numerous albums include
"Jackie and Roy" (Savoy), "Lovesick" (Verve) and "Concerts By The Sea"
(Catalyst).
- Greg Cohen -- Cohen, a resident of Summit, is one of the most
versatile of modern bassists. Among the artists he has played and/or
recorded with are Ornette Coleman, Tom Waits, Laurie Anderson, the Rolling
Stones, Kenny Davern, Dave Douglas and Elvis Costello. His CDs include "Way
Low" and "Moment to Moment" (both DIW).
- Stanley Cowell -- A noted pianist and composer, Cowell has
performed and/or recorded with Max Roach, the Bobby Hutcherson-Harold Land
quintet, the Heath Brothers and many others, and has been a leader. He is on
the music faculty at the Mason Gross School of the Arts in New Brunswick.
His many albums include "Bright Passion," "Live" and "Hear Me One" (all
SteepleChase).
- Ted Curson -- Long-time Montclair resident Curson is a bold
trumpeter who has performed and/or recorded with Charles Mingus, Eric
Dolphy, Andrew Hill, Cecil Taylor and the Spirit of Life Ensemble. He is a
regular in Jersey jazz rooms and leads a monthly jam session at Trumpets in
Montclair. His albums include "Tears For Dolphy" (Black Lion), "Traveling
On" (Evidence) and "Sugar 'N Spice" (Level Green).
- Al DiMeola -- One of the most dynamic of contemporary guitarists,
Jersey City native DiMeola lives in Old Tappan. First heard with Chick
Corea's Return to Forever, he has long been a leader whose albums include
"Casino" (Columbia), "Tirami Su" (EMI) and "Flesh on Flesh" (Telarc).
- Billy Drummond -- An exciting drummer who lives in West Orange with
his wife, pianist Renee Rosnes, Drummond has performed and/or recorded with
Rosnes, Sonny Rollins, Walt Weiskopf, Steve Kuhn, Carla Bley, Wallace Roney,
the Drummonds and many others. His CDs include "The Gift" and "Dubai" (both
Criss Cross).
- Kenny Garrett -- Glen Ridge resident Garrett is a high-energy alto
and soprano saxophonist who has played and/or recorded with Miles Davis, the
Mercer Ellington Orchestra, Pharoah Sanders and Out of the Blue. A longtime
leader, his albums include "Pursuance: The Music of John Coltrane,"
"Songbook," "Happy People," and "Standard of Language" (all Warner Bros.).
- Slide Hampton -- A resident of East Orange, Hampton is one of the
premier trombonists and arrangers in modern jazz. He has played and/or
recorded with Maynard Ferguson, Dizzy Gillespie, the Dizzy Gillespie Alumni
All-Stars and the Carnegie Hall Jazz Band, as well as his own World of
Trombones. His work appears on his "Sister Salvation" (Atlantic) and "Spirit
of the Horn" (MCG Jazz) albums, and on the Alumni All-Stars' "Dizzy's
World," among many others.
- Billy Hart -- A versatile, inventive drummer, Hart lives in
Montclair. He has played and/or recorded with many of the best, including
Jimmy Smith, Stan Getz, Herbie Hancock, Miles Davis, McCoy Tyner and Kenny
Barron. His albums include "Amethyst" and "Oceans of Time" (both Arabesque).
- Andrew Hill -- Pianist and composer Hill, who lives in Jersey City,
is an artist who can meld the past modes of jazz with its current streams.
He has played and/or recorded with Roland Kirk (before he was known as
Rahsaan Roland Kirk), Joe Henderson, Hank Mobley, Sam Rivers and Greg Osby,
but his main influence has been as a leader. His numerous albums include
"Point of Departure" (Blue Note), "Invitation" (SteepleChase), "Dusk" and "A
Beautiful Day" (both Palmetto).
- Tim Horner -- Horner is a keen-minded, powerful drummer who lives
in Teaneck. Among the artists he has performed and/or recorded with are Dave
Stryker, the Stryker/Slagle Band, the Maria Schneider Jazz Orchestra,
Roseanna Vitro, and Mark Murphy.
- Carrie Jackson -- A lifelong resident of Newark, Jackson is a
rich-voiced blues, ballads and standards singer who knows how to put a song
across. She is a regular at rooms throughout Jersey. Her CDs include "The
Nearness of You" and "If I Had My Way" (C-Jay Records).
- Keith Jarrett -- A longtime resident of Northwestern New Jersey,
Jarrett is one of the premier pianists in jazz. He played and recorded with
Charles Lloyd, Art Blakey and Miles Davis before becoming a headliner known
first for his diverse ensembles and for his solo concerts. For the last 20
years, he has led a remarkable trio with bassist Gary Peacock and drummer
Jack DeJohnette. Jarrett's albums include "Belonging," "My Song," "Vienna
Concert," "Standards, Vol. 1," "Bye, Bye Blackbird," "The Melody at Night,
With You" and "up with it" (all ECM).
- Grover Kemble -- A Morris Plains-based guitarist, singer and
composer, Kemble appears regularly in Jersey jazz rooms. He has played and
recorded with John Pizzarelli, and performs on his "Live at Birdland"
(Telarc) CD. He also led the popular jump/swing band Za Zu Zaz, which was
active in '70s and '80s in Jersey clubs, as well as top venues such as Wolf
Trap in Washington, D.C., and the Newport Jazz Festival in Saratoga.
- Dave Kikoski -- An invigorating pianist and composer, Kikoski lives
in Jersey City. He has played and/or recorded with Roy Haynes, Randy
Brecker, Bob Berg, the Mingus Big Band and Billy Hart. His albums include
"Maze," "Surf's Up," "Inner Trust" (Criss Cross), and "The Five" (DIW).
- Oliver Lake -- Lake, a longtime resident of Montclair, is a
formidable alto saxophonist and composer of the jazz avant-garde. A founding
member of the World Saxophone Quartet, he leads various ensembles, including
a quartet and big band. His CDs include "Movement, Turns & Switches" and
"Cloth" (both Passin' Thru), "Kinda' Up" (Justin Time) and "Dedicated to
Dolphy" (Black Saint).
- Jimmy McGriff -- A resident of Voorhees, McGriff is a hard-driving
jazz and blues-based organist who has played many Newark rooms over the
years. Mostly a leader, though he did play briefly with Buddy Rich's big
band, McGriff has recorded more than 50 albums, among them "I've Got a
Woman" (Collectables), "A Tribute to Count Basie" and "Cherry" (Solid
State), "Blues Groove" (Telarc), "Skywalk," "McGriff's House Party" and
"McGriff Avenue" (all Milestone).
- Marian McPartland -- The queen of modern jazz piano, the amazingly
vital McPartland (born in 1918) lives in Port Washington, N.Y. She did some
of her first recordings for the Newark-based Savoy label, available on the
compilation "Timeless" (Savoy), and is a regular at Jersey jazz venues,
particularly Shanghai Jazz in Madison. McPartland's syndicated radio series,
"Piano Jazz," where she has interviewed and played with such greats as Dave
Brubeck and Oscar Peterson, kicks off its 25th season on WBGO-FM (88.3) on
Thursday at 7 p.m. Her numerous albums include "Plays the Music of Alec
Wilder" (Jazz Alliance), "Silent Pool" and "Live at Shanghai Jazz" (Concord
Jazz) and "All My Life" (Savoy Jazz).
- James Moody -- Moody, the remarkable San Diego, Calif.-based
saxophonist, flutist and vocalist, was raised in Newark, and did a good deal
of early playing there. In a very fruitful career, he has played and/or
recorded with Miles Davis, Dizzy Gillespie and Art Blakey, among others. He
is best known as a leader and as the creator of "Moody's Mood for Love," an
alto sax solo based on the song "I'm in the Mood For Love" that has become
his signature piece. Moody's numerous recordings include "Greatest Hits,"
"Don't Look Away Now" and "The Blues and Other Colors" (Prestige), "Sweet
and Lovely" (Novus) and "Young at Heart" and "Moody Plays Mancini" (Warner
Bros.) A new album, with strings, will be released soon on the revitalized
Savoy Jazz label.
- Joe Morello -- Drummer Morello, born in 1928 and a longtime
resident of Irvington, is best known for his membership in what's now called
Dave Brubeck's Classic Quartet, with alto saxophonist Paul Desmond and
bassist Eugene Wright. Morello played on Brubeck's big hit, "Take Five," and
delivered a drum solo that people still talk about. Morello has also played
and/or recorded with Stan Kenton, Johnny Smith, Phil Woods and Marian
McPartland (with whom he still appears in Jersey jazz rooms), and leads a
trio. His albums include "Going Places" and "Morello Standard Time" (both
DMP).
- Les Paul -- Guitarist and inventor Paul, born in 1915, has lived in
Mahwah since the 1960s. He invented the solid-body electric guitar and
pioneered multi-track recording, as on a late '40s pop hit with his former
wife, singer Mary Ford, "How High the Moon." His jazz credentials include
appearing on the debut Jazz At The Philharmonic concert in 1944 (released on
Verve as "J.A.T.P.: First Concert"), on Al DiMeola's "Splendido Hotel"
(Columbia) and Pat Martino's "All Sides Now" (Blue Note). Paul appears every
Monday at the Iridium Jazz Club in New York.
- Houston Person -- Deep-toned, blues-rich tenor saxophonist Person,
who lives in Newark, has performed and/or recorded with Johnny Hammond,
Cedar Walton and Charles Earland, among many others. He is best known for
his teaming with singer Etta Jones, a partnership that ran for more than 20
years and yielded such albums as "All the Way" and "Easy Living" (High
Note). Person's albums include "Blue Odyssey" and "Sweet Buns & Barbecue"
(Prestige), "Blue Velvet" and "Social Call" (High Note).
- Bucky Pizzarelli -- A native of Paterson who lives in Saddle River,
Pizzarelli, born in 1926, is a vibrant, swing-based guitarist who has played
and/or recorded with scores of notables, among them Benny Goodman, Stephane
Grappelli, Gene Ammons, Zoot Sims, Kenny Davern, Lionel Hampton, Gerry
Mulligan and his son, guitarist and singer John Pizzarelli. A staple at
Jersey jazz venues, Pizzarelli has recorded many albums, including "April
Kisses," "Manhattan Swing" (Arbors) and "Swing Live" (Chesky).
- John Pizzarelli -- Guitarist-singer Pizzarelli, son of Bucky
Pizzarelli, is a Paterson native who lives in Manhattan with his wife and
occasional song-writing partner, singer Jessica Molaskey. He leads a trio
with his brother Martin on bass and pianist Ray Kennedy, with which his
father occasionally guests. Pizzarelli's albums include "Our Love is Here to
Stay," "P.S. Mr. Cole" (RCA), "Let There Be Love" and "Live at Birdland"
(Telarc).
- Wallace Roney -- Roney, who lives with his wife, pianist Geri
Allen, in Montclair, is an expressive, energized trumpeter who has played
and/or recorded with many of the masters. Among these are Miles Davis
("Miles & Quincy Live at Montreux"), the Tribute to Miles Davis Band with
Herbie Hancock and Wayne Shorter, Chick Corea ("Remembering Bud Powell") and
Art Blakey ("Feeling Good"). He leads a quintet that usually features his
wife and his brother, saxophonist Antoine Roney. His albums include "The
Wallace Roney Quintet," "Village" (Warner Bros.) and "No Room For Argument"
(Concord Jazz).
- Jimmy Scott -- Formerly known as "Little" Jimmy Scott, the deeply
emotive singer, who has a high-pitched voice and favors the slowest of
tempos, scored his first big hit, "Everybody's Somebody's Fool," for
Newark's Savoy Records in the '50s. Born in 1925, he lived in New Jersey
from the 1960s through the '90s. Scott has had an intermittent career which
was revitalized in the early '90s via such dynamic recordings as "All the
Way" (Sire), "Heaven" (Warner Bros.) and "Mood Indigo" (Milestone).
- Wayne Shorter -- Born and raised in Newark, tenor and soprano
saxophonist, composer and arranger Shorter has been a leading light on the
modern jazz scene for more than 40 years. He performed and recorded with Art
Blakey's Jazz Messengers ("Mosaic," "Free For All," "The Big Beat"),
establishing himself with such compositions as "Children of the Night" and
"Lester Left Town." In 1963, he joined Miles Davis' famed quintet with
Herbie Hancock, Ron Carter and Tony Williams, recording such acclaimed
albums as "E.S.P." and "Miles Smiles" (Columbia). During this period Shorter
recorded "Speak No Evil," "Night Dreamer" and others for Blue Note. Later,
he formed the primal jazz/fusion band Weather Report with Joe Zawinul,
recording the albums "Mysterious Traveller," "Heavy Weather," "8:30," and
others. In recent years, Shorter has made such orchestral albums as "High
Life" and "Alegria" (Verve) and has toured with a freewheeling quartet
documented on "Footprints: Live" (also Verve).
- Jack Six -- A Point Pleasant resident, bassist Six has played
and/or recorded with Herbie Mann, Gerry Mulligan, Benny Goodman, Illinois
Jacquet and others, but he's best known for his long tenure with Dave
Brubeck's quartet. With the latter, Six, who is often heard on the Jersey
jazz menu, appeared on such recordings as "Dave Brubeck Trio & Gerry
Mulligan," "Last Set at Newport" (Columbia), "Quiet as the Moon" (Music
Masters) and "Nightshift: Live From the Blue Note" (Telarc).
- Bobby Tucker -- Pianist and arranger Tucker, a native of Morristown
who resides there, has been the accompanist to such magnetic singers as
Billie Holiday, Billy Eckstine, Frank Sinatra and Johnny Hartman. He also
worked with such ace instrumentalists as Joe Wilder and Paul Quinichette. He
appears on Holiday's "Greatest Hits" (MCA), Eckstine's "Everything I Have is
Yours" (Metro/Verve), Sinatra's "Greatest Hits: 1940-47" (Charly) and
Hartman's "Collection: 1947-1972" (Hip-O).
- Steve Turre -- A versatile, inventive trombonist, shell player and
composer, Turre lives in Montclair with wife, the cellist Akua Dixon. He has
played and/or recorded with Rahsaan Roland Kirk, Art Blakey, Woody Shaw,
Dizzy Gillespie's United Nation Orchestra, Slide Hampton's World of
Trombones and McCoy Tyner's big band, among others. Turre leads a quartet, a
string sextet and the Shell Choir, with brass players doubling on shells.
His recordings include "Sanctified Shells" (Antilles), "Rhythm Within,"
"Lotus Flower" (Verve) and "One4J: Paying Homage to J.J. Johnson" (Telarc).
- Rudy Van Gelder -- Van Gelder, a lifelong Jersey-ite who lives in
Englewood Cliffs, is among the preeminent jazz engineers. First in his
studio in his living room in Hackensack, then at specially built environs in
Englewood Cliffs, he captured on tape the sound of jazz as it is heard from
the bandstand. Among the timeless recordings made under his aegis are John
Coltrane's "Blue Train" (Blue Note) and "A Love Supreme" (Impulse!), Sonny
Rollins' "Saxophone Colossus" (Prestige), Miles Davis' "Workin'" and
"Steamin' " (Prestige), Andrew Hill's "Point of Departure" (Blue Note),
Freddie Hubbard's "Red Clay" (CTI) and Hank Mobley's "Soul Station" (Blue
Note).
- David Ware -- A powerhouse tenor saxophonist of the jazz
avant-garde, Ware is a native of Plainfield who lives in Scotch Plains. Ware
has performed and recorded with Cecil Taylor ("Dark Unto Themselves") and
Andrew Cyrille ("Special People") and leads a quartet with pianist Mathew
Shipp. His recordings include "Surrendered" (Columbia), "Oblations and
Blessings" (Silkheart), "Freedom Suite" (AUM) and "Threads" (Thirsty Ear).
- Walt Weiskopf -- An accomplished tenor saxophonist, clarinetist,
composer and arranger, Weiskopf lives in Elmwood Park. He has performed
and/or recorded with Buddy Rich, Toshiko Akiyoshi ("Carnegie Hall Concert"),
and Renee Rosnes ("Life on Earth"), among others, and leads a quartet,
sextet and nonet. Active in education, he has taught at New Jersey City
University and now teaches at the Eastman School of Music. He has written
several books on jazz methods, including "Around the Horn" (Jamey
Aebersold). His recordings include "Song for My Mother," "Siren" and "Man of
Many Colors" (Criss Cross).
- Mark Whitfield -- Solid guitarist Whitfield, a Jersey City
inhabitant, has played and/or recorded with Jimmy Smith ('Damn'), Cedar
Walton ("Roots'), Brother Jack McDuff, Javon Jackson ('Easy Does It'),
Nicholas Payton ("From This Moment'), D'Angelo, Mary J. Blige and many
others. His albums include "Mark Whitfield" (Warner Bros.), "True Blue"
(Verve) and "Raw" (Transparent).
- Reggie Workman -- This bass dynamo, active in post-bop and
avant-garde circles, lives in Montclair. He has performed and/or recorded
with many giants, among them Art Blakey ("Free For All," "Caravan" and
"Ugetsu'), John Coltrane ("Ole Coltrane," "Impressions" and "Live at the
Village Vanguard'), Freddie Hubbard ("Here to Stay," "The Body and the
Soul'), Lee Morgan ("Search for the New Land") and Wayne Shorter ("Night
Dreamer" and "Adam's Apple'). He is a co-leader of Trio 3, with Oliver Lake
and Andrew Cyrille. Workman's albums include "Summit Conference," "Cerebral
Caverns" (Postcards) and "Altered Spaces" (Leo).
- Eliot Zigmund -- A scintillating drummer, Zigmund lives in Teaneck.
He has appeared and/or recorded with Bill Evans ("Paris Concert" and "I Will
Say Goodbye'), Michel Petrucciani ("Live at the Village Vanguard,"
"Pianism"), Jim Hall, Allen Farnham and many others. He leads a quartet that
includes saxophonist Mike Lee that is soon releasing its debut album.