CLAY ROSS - Late Night Groove Series 4/30 Preview with Interview!

Clay Ross will be performing at the Blue Note on 4/30 for the Late Night Groove Series at 12:30am. We asked him a few questions about his upbringing, his band, and what to expect at the Blue Note. Check out his Star Wars-esque video, read the interview, and come check out this amazing musician on 4/30!



1. What was the music around you growing up in South Carolina?

My dad was really into classic rock, so I grew up listening to The Rolling Stones, Steppenwolf, Hendrix, and Led Zepplin. I would also hear country music, bluegrass and folk but I didn't always like it. I'm actually the only musician in my family, so even though I grew up in South Carolina with this rich heritage of folk music, I wasn't always aware of it. I just always loved music and as I grew out from the suburbs I would absorb whatever music I encountered along the way. Looking back I realize how much this roots music was part of my unconscious experience. It was in our food, in our accents, and in our values. Music was everywhere.

2. What came first, the interest in jazz or Brazilian music, and how did those interests come about?

I discovered jazz for the first time when I moved to Charleston, SC at 17. I heard Quentin Baxter, Kevin Hamilton, and Charlton Singleton playing at a local Coffee Shop and it just changed my life. These guys are incredible musicians and still the hub of the jazz community in Charleston. I spent the next 8 years studying to understand what I saw them doing that day. They became my mentors and we formed a band together playing standards and original modern jazz. This was a significant period of growth for me as a musician.

I brought that inspiration to NYC, where I set out to get involved with the jazz community and continued working on standards while I sought out and played gigs with heavy jazz cats like Chis Cheek, Joel Frahm, Seamus Blake, John Ellis and Bill McHenry. I also hooked up with Spanish Accordionist Victor Prieto, an incredible jazz musician, and he introduced me to authentic latin styles including Brazilian Choro. Once we started to add a couple of these tunes to our repertoire I was hooked. I started to seek out more Brazilian collaborators and was fortunately in the right place at the right time to become guitarist for master percussionist Cyro Baptista. The last 4 years with Cyro marked another significant period of growth and change. Cyro encouraged me to sing more, taught me to be a performer, helped me to explore different possibilities with my guitar, and exposed me to the huge diversity of rhythms found in Brazil.

3. How would you classify the sound of your band?

Like most new music it's difficult to classify, but my two word description is "Brazilian Bluegrass." That is most definitely an oversimplification but it's accurate. We try to balance a sophisticated refinement with a visceral abandon. We're studied, skilled, and accomplished. We're also gritty, danceable, and organic. We play international music but we don't forget where we came from. We've got a rustic quality but we're creating something new in the diverse urban environment of NYC.

4. Can you talk about the guys in your band and what they bring to the table?

Richie Barshay is one of the most in-demand drummers in NYC. He was a member of the Herbie Hancock Quartet for 4 years and has worked with an exhausting list of masters. We actually met while traveling in Brazil and he is very passionate about these rhythms. He brings a solid groove, sensitive touch, and generous spirit. http://www.richiebarshay.com/

Bassist, Skip Ward, won a Grammy this year for his work on Steve Martin's bluegrass album. He's a amazing musician with years of experience playing all types of American Roots Music. www.myspace.com/skipward

I've played with percussionist Ze Mauricio for the past 5 years in "Beat the Donkey." He is one of my favorite musicians. He also boasts a laundry list of musical accomplishments including work with Yo Yo Ma and Trey Anastasio. Ze is one of the most accomplished pandeiro players in NYC and the pandeiro is one of the most dynamic instruments in all of Brazilian percussion. You've just got to see his work! http://www.zemauricio.com/

Itai Kriss was one of the first musicians I met here in NYC, and I still consider him one of the greatest. His flute playing is second to none and he frequently collaborates with the absolute best young jazz musicians in the city. He adds a modern quality to this music and is guaranteed to deliver some of the best solos you'll hear in our show. http://www.itaikriss.com/

For this performance, we'll also be welcoming a newcomer to our scene. 19 year old Duncan Wickel is a native of Asheville, NC and currently studies violin at the Berklee College of Music in Boston. He is quickly gaining recognition for his unique sound and diverse abilities in Irish Traditional, Classical, Jazz, and World Fusion Styles. http://www.myspace.com/duncanwickel

I've also invited some guest artists to sit in on this show. It's going to be a very special night.

5. What should fans expect to hear at your Blue Note late night show?

As the group evolves, we are moving towards something less and less idiomatic. The band started with the idea of exploring the similarities between distinct North and South American styles. There are elements of jazz, bluegrass, and blues along side a range of brazilian sounds including samba, forro, and maracatu. But now, especially in our original music, we are starting to see these sounds work together more freely, in a way that, I feel, makes Matuto a unique and interesting band.

APRIL 14 OPENING ACT: Adam Larson – Profile and Giveaway

Kicking off the Blue Note’s Emerging Artist Series, presented by Brother Thelonious of North Coast Brewing Co., is young tenor saxophonist Adam Larson. Orignally from Norman, IL, Larson was recently described by Howard Reich of the Chicago Tribune as “a player for whom the word ‘prodigious’ was coined.” Larson is currently in his sophomore year of college on full scholarship at the Manhattan School of Music in New York City, where he studies privately with teachers George Garzone and John Riley. Focusing on original composition, Larson’s quintet and collective “Beyond the Boundaries”, strive to find a unique sound in hopes of finding its niche in today’s ever-changing music scene. For schedule, info, photos, and more information about Adam Larson, please visit http://www.adamlarsonjazz.com/, or www.myspace.com/adamlarsonproject.

WANT 2 FREE TIX TO SEE ADAM LARSON & BEYOND THE BOUNDARIES OPEN UP FOR KENNY WERNER QUINTET? WINNING TICKETS WILL RECEIVE PASSES TO BOTH THE OPENING ACT & KENNY WERNER’S SHOW. ENTER TO WIN HERE:

1. Email your name and phone number to contests@bluenote.net

2. In the Subject Line, please title your email "BN BLOG CONTEST – ADAM LARSON/KENNY WERNER"

3. Indicate which set you would like to see, 8:00pm or 10:30pm.

THE OPENING ACT WILL GO FROM 6:30pm – 7:30pm before Kenny Werner’s 8:00pm set; and 9:30 – 10:30pm before the 10:30pm set.

BLUE NOTE EMERGING ARTIST SERIES ANNOUNCED - STUDENTS TO OPEN FOR HEADLINERS ON WEDNESDAYS STARTING APRIL 14

BLUE NOTE EMERGING ARTIST SERIES
Presented by Brother Thelonious of North Coast Brewing Company

The Blue Note is proud to announce The Emerging Artist Series presented by Brother Thelonious of North Coast Brewing Company. The series is a unique opportunity for students currently enrolled in colleges and university jazz programs to open for our major performers on Wednesday evenings. The young musicians selected to perform are considered some of jazz’s top rising stars and represent the Blue Note’s commitment to developing the next generation of great jazz musicians. Doug Moody, VP of North Coast Brewing Co. says of the series, “Helping in providing an opportunity for talented young jazz artists to perform at the legendary Blue Note is the perfect way to continue our ever expanding commitment to jazz education.” Opening acts will go from 6:30 – 7:30pm, followed by the headliner’s first set at 8:00pm. The ticket price to the main performance will provide access to both the opening act and the main show.

April 14, 2010: ADAM LARSON – (tenor sax)

6:30 – 7:30pm – opening for Kenny Werner Quintet ($25/15)

“(Adam Larson is) a player for whom the word ‘prodigious’ was coined.” – Howard Reich, Chicago Tribune

April 21, 2010: JAVIER ROSARIO – (guitar)

6:30 – 7:30pm – opening for Michel Camilo ($35/25)

"I believe Javier has a great talent and potential to become one of the key players in the Jazz world". - Michel Camilo

April 28, 2010: KATE DAVIS – (vocals/upright bass)

6:30 – 7:30pm – opening for Madeleine Peyroux ($45/30)

Best Vocalist & Outstanding Bass Solo winner – Downbeat Magainze Student Awards, 2009

May 5, 2010: JULIAN POLLACK – (piano)

6:30 – 7:30pm – opening for Chick Corea Trio ($65/40)

“A wonderful new player on the jazz scene.” – Marian McPartland, NPR Piano Jazz

May 12, 2010: PASCAL LE BOEUF – (piano)

6:30 – 7:30pm – opening for Chick Corea Trio ($65/40)

1^st Place – International Songwriting Competition, 2009

ENTER TO WIN: 2 FREE TICKETS TO JON BATISTE TOMORROW!

The Blue Note is offering FREE TICKET PAIRS to Jon Batiste TOMORROW NIGHT March 16 NOW for the 10:30PM SHOW ONLY. To win tickets, follow the instructions below:

TO ENTER:

1. Email your name and phone number to contests@bluenote.net
2. In the Subject Line, please title your email "BN BLOG CONTEST - JON BATISTE"

Remember - this giveaway is for tomorrow, so tell your friends and act fast!

Cassadra Wilson - The Pop Side

Cassandra Wilson has one of the most distinct sounds in vocal jazz, and yet her taste is as versatile as any vocalist in the music's history. Her most recent release on Blue Note Records, Closer To You: The Pop Side, shows how Ms. Wilson and her band can effortlessly transform songs and blend genres, and that's just the tip of the iceberg. Check out this live rendition of Neil Young's "Harvest Moon" - it's live, which is Ms. Wilson at her best - and she'll be singing live for just three nights at the Blue Note this week from March 9 - 11.

WYNTON MARSALIS writes a poem about the New Orleans Saints - Pre-Game

The Spirit of New Orleans - by Wynton Marsalis

Down on the Bayou where the mighty Mississippi kisses Lake Pontchartrain and spills into the Gulf of Mexico. There sits that jewel of the Southland. What the French lost to the British who gave it to the Spanish who lost it back to the French who sold it to America for..... Well, some folks say Jefferson conned Napoleon in a card game and won it for some jambalaya and a chicory coffee.

New Orleans, N'Awlins, the Crescent City, the Big Easy, the northern capitol of the Caribbean, Groove City. Man, they have things down there you wouldn't believe. A mythic place of Mardi-Gras and mumbo, voodoo and the moss-covered alligator-spiked pathways of back-country swamp drained and sprinkled with gris-gris dust to house a wild, unruly population. A city with they own cuisine, they own architecture, they own music..streets with names like Dorgenois and Tchoupitoulas.

People in crazy costumes parading talkin 'bout "throw me somethin' mistah", dressed like Indians chanting 'bout, "Madi, Madi-Cudifiyo", sittin in the young twilight on the 'poach' of they camelback shotgun house eatin po' boys bout to 'make' groceries for the crawfish 'burl' they gon' have on 'Sadday'. They sing through horns down there you know. Yeah Padnah! Something called Jazz, started by a cornet man named Bolden. They say Bolden could play so loud the sun was scared to set. Some folks say the air is so thick down here you, can eat it with a spoon.

Drummers drag rhythms in dirgey solemnity down neighborhood streets as horns moan, mock and moo. Man, hot notes echo against the sky with such weight as to be objects. Objects of sorrow so passionately played that the dead begin to cry. Then that trumpet calls and everyone falls in behind the band for a second line parade and those musicians get to hollerin and shoutin and folks get to struttin and steppin and the living let go of the dead and sorrow soon becomes laughter. In New Orleans, we bury our dead above ground.

They always walk amongst us.... but that music. It always ends happy. So when a strong rain brings angry winds howlin' down the Mississippi or up from the Gulf, those misty winds carry the dreams of ghosts, yes, but not just the goblins of Marie Laveau the voodoo queen, or the tortured spirits of the legendary lascivious lovelies of Storyville sporting houses, or even the undead demons of corrupt politicians who have steeled our idealism over three colorful centuries. They also brings the spirits of Saints, of those who have lived here in quiet dignity and sanctified religiosity, of those who have raised kids in the shadow of the St. Louis Cathedral and Sundayed in Jackson Square or of the River Walk lovers holding hands... of many who have fallen in love here, proposed here, honeymooned here. Not just the howling ghouls of the frat-boy drunks on Bourbon street, but they also bring the angels of all who have romanced in and with this beautiful land on the Delta.

Yes, the 'haints become more famous but the Saints endure. Where were you when 85,000 people gathered in the last open seated stadium in professional football to witness John Gilliam run our very first kickoff 94 yards for a touchdown? When Tom Dempsey kicked that 63 yard field goal with half-a-right foot? When Tom Fears, Hank Stram, and Jim Mora prowled the sidelines? Were you there when Howard Stevens, Danny Abromowicz, Rickey Jackson, and Archie Manning donned the black and gold? Ahhh..those New Orleans Saints! Confined to a purgatory of their own making looking for the fast track to hell. Maybe a brand new dome would appease the gods of football---a Superdome.

Fathers bounced kids on their knees while explaining how we would certainly blow our 30 point halftime lead by game's end.....and the Saints did not disappoint. Where you there when the Dome Patrol brought us to the upper chambers of purgatory in search of playoffs, playoffs..playoffs? Yes, 'haints become famous but Saints endure. Just ask Deuce. If 4 years is a long time: (your high school years, your college days, the length of the Civil War..WWII)...then 43 yrs is an eternity. You ever wait for something so long that waiting for it becomes the something? You ever see grown folks put bags over their heads in public, covering up to hide from themselves like an old alcoholic who won't admit? We can't help it. We're with our Saints even when we 'aint. New Orleans people are stubborn and hate to leave home.

Down here, people like to brag about how they handle tragedy. Epochal hurricanes like Betsy and Camille are discussed as if they're people. "Betsy was bad but Camille, 'Lawd Have Mercy', the water was up here to my neck." Nobody brags on Katrina. She swept through here like death on a high horse. Those flood waters seemed to run all the demons, goblins, AND saints away forever. There goes old Jean Lafitte the pirate relocated to Houston, there goes old Jelly Roll Morton off somewhere in Memphis with that diamond still sparklin in his front tooth.

But quick to return is the unbending will and irrepressible spirit, sin-dipped in Tabasco sauce and spiced with file' in possession of an unshakable, unbreakable soul that Louis Armstrong first announced to the entire world through a red hot trumpet, that Danny Barker broadcasted on a burnished banjo, and Sidney Bechet shouted and screamed through a scorching horn said to be a soprano saxophone. And here comes that chastened Noah's arc of a dome rising from ignominy to become again a beacon of community. And, oh yes, they are still down here marching in those funny-named streets blowing history AND the present moment through singing horns. And people still dance with abandon, exuberance, and unbridled human feeling because that music tells 'em "what has been may be what is, but what will be cannot possibly be known."

We live the moment. Laissez les bon temps rouler! --Let the Good Times Roll. I think I hear that trumpet calling the children of the Who Dat Nation home--not Gabriel's or the horns that blew down the walls of Jericho--that jazz trumpet conjuring up the spirit world with a Congo Square drum cadence. Ghosts, goblins, and 'haints aggravate. Saints congregate. I hear them now bringing that 43yr second line to a glorious crescendo. "Who Dat Say What Dat When Us Do Dat?" Its like waiting 43yrs to hear somebody saya 'I Love You' back. And they do. Let the tale be told bout how the black and gold won the Super Bowl.

And those jazzmen still play sad songs but they always end happy.....they always do.

Wynton

JAZZ AT THE GRAMMYS - 2010

Though the jazz category did not make the main telecast, fans were able to check out pre-show action on the web. This year's winners included a number of musicians who perform regularly at the Blue Note like Kurt Elling, Terence Blanchard and Chick Corea, who will be at the Blue Note as a special guest of Roy Haynes on his 85th Birthday (March 19 - 20) and for two weeks in May in a leading role with trio members Eddie Gomez and Paul Motian in Further Explorations of Bill Evans (May 4-9 and May 11 - 16). Congrats to all the 2010 winners!

Grammy Winners 2010: Jazz

= winner

Field 10 -- Jazz

Category 44

Best Contemporary Jazz Album
(For albums containing 51% or more playing time of INSTRUMENTAL tracks.)

• Urbanus
  Stefon Harris & Blackout
  [Concord Jazz]
• Sounding Point
  Julian Lage
  [Emarcy/Decca]
  
• At World's Edge
  Philippe Saisse
  [E1 Music]
  
• Big Neighborhood
  Mike Stern
  [Heads Up International]
• 75
  Joe Zawinul & The Zawinul Syndicate
  [Heads Up International]
  

Category 45

Best Jazz Vocal Album
(For albums containing 51% or more playing time of VOCAL tracks.)

• No Regrets
  Randy Crawford (& Joe Sample)
  [PRA Records]
  
• Dedicated To You: Kurt Elling Sings The Music Of Coltrane And Hartman
  Kurt Elling
  [Concord Jazz]
• So In Love
  Roberta Gambarini
  [Groovin' High/Emarcy]
  

• Tide
  Luciana Souza
  [Verve]
  
• Desire
  Tierney Sutton (Band)
  [Telarc Jazz]
  

Category 46

Best Improvised Jazz Solo
(For an instrumental jazz solo performance. Two equal performers on one recording may be eligible as one entry. If the soloist listed appears on a recording billed to another artist, the latter's name is in parenthesis for identification. Singles or Tracks only.)

• Dancin' 4 Chicken
  Terence Blanchard, soloist
  Track from: Watts (Jeff “Tain" Watts)
  [Dark Key Music]
  
• All Of You
  Gerald Clayton, soloist
  Track from: Two-Shade
  [ArtistShare]
  
• Ms. Garvey, Ms. Garvey
  Roy Hargrove, soloist
  Track from: Emergence
  [Groovin' High/Emarcy]
  

• On Green Dolphin Street
  Martial Solal, soloist
  Track from: Live At The Village Vanguard
  [CamJazz]
  
• Villa Palmeras
  Miguel Zenon, soloist
  Track from: Esta Plena
  [Marsalis Music]
  

Category 47

Best Jazz Instrumental Album, Individual or Group
(For albums containing 51% or more playing time of INSTRUMENTAL tracks.)

• Quartet Live
  Gary Burton, Pat Metheny, Steve Swallow & Antonio Sanchez
  [Concord Jazz]
  
• Brother To Brother
  Clayton Brothers
  [ArtistShare]
  
• Five Peace Band -- Live
  Chick Corea & John McLaughlin Five Peace Band
  [Concord Records]
  
• Remembrance
  John Patitucci Trio
  [Concord Jazz]
  
• The Bright Mississippi
  Allen Toussaint
  [Nonesuch]
  

Category 48

Best Large Jazz Ensemble Album
(For large jazz ensembles, including big band sounds. Albums must contain 51% or more INSTRUMENTAL tracks.)

• Legendary
  Bob Florence Limited Edition
  [MAMA Records]
  
• Eternal Interlude
  John Hollenbeck Large Ensemble
  [Sunnyside]
  
• Fun Time
  Sammy Nestico And The SWR Big Band
  [Hnssler Classic]
  
• Book One
  New Orleans Jazz Orchestra
  [World Village]
  
• Lab 2009
  University Of North Texas One O'Clock Lab Band
  [North Texas Jazz]

Category 49

Best Latin Jazz Album

(Vocal or Instrumental.)

• Things I Wanted To Do
  Chembo Corniel
  [Chemboro Records]
  
• urea
  Geoffrey Keezer
  [ArtistShare]
  
• Brazilliance X 4
  Claudio Roditi
  [Resonance Records]
  
• Juntos Para Siempre
  Bebo Valdes And Chucho Valdes
  [Sony Music/Calle 54]
  
• Esta Plena
  Miguel Zenon
  [Marsalis Music]

Category 84

Best Instrumental Composition
(A Composer's Award for an original composition (not an adaptation) first released during the Eligibility Year. Singles or Tracks only.)

• Borat In Syracuse
  Paquito D'Rivera, composer (Paquito D'Rivera Quintet)
  Track from: Jazz-Clazz
  [Timba Records]
  
• Counting To Infinity
  Tim Davies, composer (Tim Davies Big Band)
  Track from: Dialmentia
  [Origin Records]
  
• Fluffy
  Bob Florence, composer (Bob Florence Limited Edition)
  Track from: Legendary
  [MAMA Records]
  
• Ice-Nine
  Steve Wiest, composer (University Of North Texas One O'Clock Lab Band)
  Track from: Lab 2009
  [North Texas Jazz]
  
• Married Life (From Up)
  Michael Giacchino, composer (Michael Giacchino)
  Track from: Up Soundtrack
  [Walt Disney Records]

Category 85

Best Instrumental Arrangement
(An Arranger's Award. (Artist names appear in parentheses.) Singles or Tracks only.)

• Emmanuel
  Jeremy Lubbock, arranger (Chris Botti & Lucia Micarelli)
  Track from: In Boston
  [Columbia]
  
• Hope
  Vince Mendoza, arranger (Jim Beard With Vince Mendoza & The Metropole Orchestra)
  Track from: Revolutions
  [Sunny Side Records]
  

• Slings And Arrows
  Vince Mendoza, arranger (Chuck Owen & The Jazz Surge)
  Track from: The Comet's Tail: Performing The Compositions Of Michael Brecker
  [MAMA Records]
  
• Up With End Credits (From Up)
  Michael Giacchino, arranger (Michael Giacchino)
  Track from: Up Soundtrack
  [Walt Disney Records]
  
• West Side Story Medley
  Bill Cunliffe, arranger (Resonance Big Band)
  Track from: Resonance Big Band Plays Tribute To Oscar Peterson
  [Resonance Records]
  

Category 86

Best Instrumental Arrangement Accompanying Vocalist(s)
(An Arranger's Award. (Artist names appear in parentheses.) Singles or Tracks only.)

• A Change Is Gonna Come
  David Foster & Jerry Hey, arrangers (Seal)
  Track from: Soul
  [143/Warner Bros.]
  
• Dedicated To You
  Laurence Hobgood, arranger (Kurt Elling)
  Track from: Dedicated To You: Kurt Elling Sings The Music Of Coltrane And Hartman
  [Concord Jazz]
  
• In The Still Of The Night
  Thomas Zink, arranger (Anne Walsh)
  Track from: Pretty World
  [AtoZink Music]
  
• My One And Only Thrill
  Vince Mendoza, arranger (Melody Gardot)
  Track from: My One And Only Thrill
  [Verve]
  
• Quiet Nights
  Claus Ogerman, arranger (Diana Krall)
  Track from: Quiet Nights
  [Verve]

Field 23 Album Notes

Category 89

Best Album Notes

• The Complete Louis Armstrong Decca Sessions (1935-1946)
  Dan Morgenstern, album notes writer (Louis Armstrong)
  [Mosaic Records]
  
• Dance-O-Mania: Harry Yerkes And The Dawn Of The Jazz Age, 19191923
  Mark Berresford, album notes writer (The Happy Six)
  [Rivermont Records]
  
• Gonzo: The Life And Work Of Dr. Hunter S. Thompson Music From The Film
  Douglas Brinkley & Johnny Depp, album notes writers (Various Artists)
  [Legacy Recordings]
  
• My Dusty Road
  Ed Cray & Bill Nowlin, album notes writers (Woody Guthrie)
  [Rounder]
  
• Origins Of The Red Hot Mama, 19101922
  Lloyd Ecker & Susan Ecker, album notes writers (Sophie Tucker)
  [Archeophone Records]
  

Category 109

Best Long Form Music Video
(For video album packages consisting of more than one song or track. Award to the Artist and to the Video Director/Producer of at least 51% of the total playing time.)

• In Boston
  Chris Botti
  Jim Gable, video director; Bobby Colomby, video producer
  [Columbia]
  
• Johnny Cash's America
  (Johnny Cash)
  Robert Gordon & Morgan Neville, video directors; Robert Gordon & Morgan Neville, video producers
  [Columbia/Legacy]
  
• Anita O'Day The Life Of A Jazz Singer
  (Anita O'Day)
  Robbie Cavolina & Ian McCrudden, video directors; Robbie Cavolina, Melissa Davis & Ian McCrudden, video producers
  [AOD Productions]
  
• Love, Pain & The Whole Crazy World Tour Live
  Keith Urban
  Chris Hicky, video director; Blake Morrison, video producer
  [Capitol Nashville]
  
• The Beatles Love All Together Now
  (Various Artists)
  Adrian Wills, video director; Martin Bolduc & Jonathan Clyde, video producers
  [Apple/Capitol]