Cadenzas - Edition XXX
Jack Cortner - Sound Check
I promised to let you all know when the new Jack Cortner CD, Sound Check was released. This occurred in early September, but because I have been busy with final details for my UK tour and various dates throughout September and October, I haven’t had the time to write. Now it’s out! Sound Check, the second JazzedMedia release from Jack Cortner and the fantastic all-star New York big band is finally available.
As with Fast Track, Jack’s first CD, Sound Check showcases his arrangements of standard fare from the American Songbook plus several of his own compositions. I am again the main soloist, but there are a number of excellent solos delivered from pianist Bill Mays, trombonist Jim Pugh, saxophonists Jon Gordon and Dave Tofani, and drummer John Riley. The band is the same outstanding New York ensemble as on Fast Track, with those great brass and sax sections driven by the fantastic rhythm section of Bill Mays, John Riley, and bassist Jay Anderson. Guitarists Jeff Miranov or Jay Berliner also contribute on several tracks. The CD is engineered and mixed once again by Artie Friedman, one of the best acoustic engineers in New York, and jazz writer and author Doug Ramsey once again contributes the CD notes.
In my opinion (and that of many of the jazz DJs featuring Sound Check on their shows), this recording is a marvelously creative endeavor from Jack. I now have the CD up on my Web site. I need to tell you that 100% of the proceeds from the sale of this CD go back to Jack as an incentive to start working on the next CD. :-) (We can only hope!)
You can access audio clips and the CD notes from my CD Web page, and I will soon have reviews up for you to read. The link to the Web page for Sound Check is:
http://marvinstamm.com/music2.html#SoundCheck
Check it out, and decide for yourself!
On Tour With Steely Dan
So many people have asked me about my touring this past summer with Steely Dan that I’ll offer a small taste of my experience. To recap, in mid-April, I received a phone call from Michael Leonhart, the trumpet player for Steely Dan, asking if I would fill in for him for three weeks in Europe. Michael and his wife were expecting their first child, and he didn’t want to miss this marvelous moment. I had recorded on Donald Fagan’s last solo CD, Morph the Cat, so Donald was quite familiar with my playing. I’m sure Michael, Donald, and Walter Becker discussed the situation and decided I would be a logical choice to play for Michael. I was delighted that they asked me.
I had a great time on this tour. The music, the musicians and singers, the tech and stage crew, and Donald and Walter were all terrific! Most of them have been together for a good while, and they are like a family. They all show great respect for one another, which makes for a terrific tour. I have no idea how other groups interact, but there was nothing but positive “vibes” within Steely Dan.
The musicians -- the three singers, eight band members, and Walter and Donald -- were fantastic! Everyone is a first class player and singer! The horn section was comprised of Jim Pugh, trombone; Walt Weiskopf, alto and tenor saxes; Roger Rosenberg, baritone sax; and me! The rhythm section included Jim Beard, piano; John Herrington, guitar; Freddy Washington, bass; Keith Carlock, drums. Tawatha Agee, Catherine Russell, and Janice Pendarvis (who was subbing for Carolyn Leonhart) were marvelous as well. Through and through, this is a top-notch group!
We left the U.S. on June 23 and flew to Amsterdam. The group performed in Holland, Belgium, the UK, France, Italy, Switzerland, and Monaco. Throughout the Uk and Europe we traveled on first class sleeper buses. Besides individual bunks and two lounges where we could sleep, read, relax, and watch videos, these buses also had a small kitchen equipped with a fridge and microwave so we could have food and beverages while traveling. For some of the really long distances we had to drive, it was as comfortable as could be provided. There were three identical buses: one for the singers and rhythm section, one for the horn players, tour manager and accountant, and one for the tech and stage crew. We never had it this good when I toured with any of the big bands! Maybe I’ve been missing out on something!
I was to do only the European part of Steely Dan’s tour, but as it turned out, Michael asked that I stay for the subsequent week in Boston, as he needed a bit more time with his family. It was like the old road days with a great band. The players gave their all for every performance every night! Everyone cared for any missed note or any mishap - as few as there might have been. I love being a part of this kind of feeling! Guitarist John Herrington was the major soloist and always blew me away! Everyone else got to solo a bit as well, but that wasn’t the important thing. It was the music and everyone’s getting into the attitude of each song and making it happen. It was wonderful experience, and I was gratified to have been part of it all. It was a great time!
My UK Tour
I flew to London in mid-October to teach and play at six of the nine major music colleges and academies in the UK. Earlier this year I expressed to my friend, UK trumpeter Andy Bush, that I would very much like to come to the UK to play and teach there. Andy, whose father, Lenny Bush, was a first-call bassist in the London studios and a member of the BBC orchestra and big band, is a well-known professional trumpeter in the UK and knows most the trumpet and jazz faculty in the major schools. Andy suggested putting “feelers” out to everyone to see what could be arranged. He found a lot of interest and was quite successful in bringing about my tour.
[Combined with the interest the schools showed was the interest of Steve Shires of S. E. Shires Brass Instruments whose trumpet I now play, and that of Adrian Parker of Phil Parker Ltd., the largest purveyor of brass instruments in the UK. Both Steve and Adrian were very important and instrumental in co-sponsoring my tour, I appreciate greatly all they did on my behalf to make this tour a reality. As well, Adrian and one of his people, either Will in London or Hugh in Cardiff and Glasgow (both trumpeters) appeared at each of the six schools with me. It demonstrated a great effort on their parts, and they were magnificent in bringing it off. M.S.]
The schools at which I appeared were Trinity Music College, the Guildhall School of Music and Drama, the Royal College of Music, the Royal Academy of Music, the Royal Welsh College of Music and Dance in Cardiff and the Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Dance in Glasgow. I was at one of the schools for a three-day residency, two of the schools for two days, and three of them for one day of work. I conducted master classes at all the schools and also performed concerts at three of them. All this took place between October 20 and November 3.
The first school at which I taught was Trinity Music College. Trumpeter Simon Purcell is the head of the jazz division, and the big band with which I worked is led by trombonist Malcolm Earle-Smith. I sat in and worked with the ensemble throughout the morning and held a master class and workshop in the afternoon. The young musicians at Trinity are very fine players and their interest in a career in music is quite evident. They displayed a drive and a passion that was very refreshing. Eight students played for me during the afternoon master class, six trumpeters, a trombonist, and a saxophonist. All were very good improvisers, better than most of their typical American counterparts of the same age, eighteen or nineteen. This was a very good start to my tour.
The second school at which I appeared at was the Guildhall School for Music and Drama in the heart of the Barbicon in the old city of London. The head of jazz at the Guildhall is Martin Hathaway, who had received a great deal of his training at this same school. My three days at the Guildhall School included two master classes, two rehearsals and a concert in which I performed the Miles Davis/Gil Evans suite, Sketches of Spain. I had played two of the Davis/Evans suites in England several years ago -- Miles Ahead with the Guildhall School ensemble and Porgy and Bess with the London Philharmonic Youth Orchestra.
All of these concerts were conducted by Scott Stroman, a dear friend I met over thirty years ago when he was a trombonist in Ron Modell’s great jazz program at Northern Illinois University. Scott went on to earn his master’s degree at Miami University, then moved to London, where he became one of the leading figures in the London scene and was eventually asked to head up the jazz program at the Guildhall School. Many former students in his program now populate the musical landscape in the UK. Though Scott no longer performs as a trombonist, he is in great demand as a conductor in both jazz and classical genres and as a free-lance educator and adjudicator.
Tackling a Davis/Evans suite is always an awe-inspiring experience. To stand in the middle of an ensemble playing those Gil Evans scores is glorious! The music is quite difficult and the recordings of these suites are masterpieces, so it is a real challenge to perform the suite “live” to the quality and standards of Miles’ recordings. Also, Miles’ music is so ingrained in my mind that to play meaningfully while not copying him, yet paying homage to this classic music, is humbling to say the least!
Scott had the orchestra beautifully rehearsed and I am happy to say (and do so with modesty) that I feel the performance was excellent. I hope that doesn’t sound too self-serving, but I am pleased with the music and quality of performance that Scott, the ensemble, and I produced. I thank Scott and Martin Hathaway for bringing me to the school. It was an inspiring three days at the Guildhall.
The following Monday began with a trumpet master class at the Royal College of Music. The Royal College focuses primarily upon classical music, but also supports a jazz ensemble with which I was to perform a concert eight days hence. The students who played for me in this master class were excellent, and the music they performed was very well prepared. Their extremely high degree of instrumental proficiency speaks to the exceptional quality of training these young musicians are receiving.
Music and musicality are completely different animals because music is so subjective. There is no right or wrong—merely multiple ways to approach music-making. So, when working with students, I try to present the material not by negating what they may be doing, but rather by suggesting a few subtle techniques that might work to their advantage by opening new directions in their musical thinking. These Royal College students have attained such an unusual level of musical understanding that I could express these thoughts, and they knew exactly what I was talking about. This was truly a fine group of players!
I set out the next day with Adrian Parker and his cohort, Hugh, for one day in Cardiff, Wales, and the following two in Glasgow, Scotland. Our day at the Royal Welsh Academy of Music and Drama was organized by the head of brass studies and a very fine trombonist, Kevin Price. The schedule there included two master classes, the first with the brass players and the second listening to and discussing the music of the jazz students. Again, the level of playing was highly commendable, and I found working with these students to be quite rewarding. Only the trumpeters played for me in the brass class though there were many questions from others about building a career in music.
In the evening, I listened to three jazz groups and talked about ways that the various players, including those in the rhythm section, could approach things like emphasizing the melody, building a solo by using space, and developing their ideas rather than just playing a string of notes over the harmonic background. As always I stressed, too, the importance of the horn players allowing the rhythm section to be part of their solo as opposed to providing only background accompaniment. So much goes into creating a fine solo that these things need to be brought to the attention of young developing musicians. Playing jazz takes more than learning scales and arpeggios over chord changes that make the music; these are only the ingredients that go into the solo. But the key to a great solo lies in how one uses these elements to produce meaningful music rather than to create a technical exercise. There were some fine players at the Royal Welsh, especially among the musicians in the rhythm section. And again, it was another rewarding day.
I was up early the next day for the flight from Cardiff to Glasgow. A student picked me up and took me to the Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama to meet my host, the Head of Brass, Bryan Allen. After checking into my hotel and having some time to rest and practice, I returned to the school for the scheduled evening rehearsal. As expected, the ensemble had my music well rehearsed, so all that was left for me to do was polish it to my taste. We played three of my arrangements and rehearsed two standard pieces from the jazz repertoire with a sextet from the school. What makes this all such great fun is the interaction one can have with young musicians when they exhibit such an accepting and open attitude. I looked forward to the concert the following evening.
The next afternoon was devoted to a master class before concluding my Glasgow stay with the evening concert. I enjoyed several hours with the trumpet and jazz students. They played for me and we discussed ways that they might bring new and different elements they might not have considered into their music. As I explained to them, what I try to give is only the viewpoint gained through all my years of playing experience. I offer this for their consideration only, some of which may be of value to them, some that they will discard. What I always attempt to do is add to the students’ musical palette, not to dictate what I think they should do.
The concert in the evening opened with two pieces from their library which they performed brilliantly. I then came out to perform two Jack Cortner arrangements, “Caravan” and the lovely ballad, “Lover Man.” The sextet performed one tune alone before my joining them for Charlie Parker’s “Now’s The Time” and Ray Noble’s “Cherokee.” We closed the concert to a standing ovation with Mike Steinel’s “Samba De Los Gatos.” The audience appreciated the performance of these fine players from the Royal Scottish Academy and rightly so. They sounded marvelous!
After flying to London and spending the weekend nearby with my daughter and her family, I returned on Monday to London for a master class at the Royal Academy of Music. The Head of Brass at the Royal Academy is James Watson, for many years one of the leading orchestral players in London. The master class had been organized into two segments, the first directed to trumpet and career and the second to jazz. Jim’s classical students knocked me out! They played so beautifully, leaving me only to make general suggestions of a musical nature that might offer them a different approach as seen through the eyes (or ears?) of someone classically trained but with a focus on creative playing. Jim also urged me to talk to the students about the need for versatility in their playing as well as other aspects related to a career in music. Jim was able to stay for this whole segment, and I appreciated his being there. Though an outsider can only imagine the busy schedule of a “Head of Brass,” Jim very graciously took the time to suggest various discussion topics, substantially simplifying my day at the Royal Academy.
The jazz segment produced several students who, accompanied by an excellent rhythm section from the school, played beautifully. The brass players (three trumpets, one trombone) all played well, but the real treat of the evening was James Gardiner-Bateman, an extraordinary alto saxophonist who displayed a gorgeous, full tone akin to that of Phil Woods. He had a terrific harmonic sense and played with very mature creativity. This young man is only twenty-three years old and all I could say to him was to keep doing what he was doing because he truly “had it all together!”
I spent my last day in London back at the Royal College of Music, where I had held a master class a week earlier, for the afternoon rehearsal of my final UK concert that evening. The gentleman who works with this band is Mark Armstrong, a very fine jazz and trumpet player on the London scene. The band, made up mostly of classical students, is learning a great deal about our genre of music from Mark. We rehearsed my three big band charts, “Caravan,” “Lover Man,” and “Strike Up The Band,” all arranged by Jack Cortner, and two small group pieces, “Manha De Carneval” and “Autumn Leaves.” Mark joined me on the two small group pieces and “Strike Up The Band.” The concert opened with the band playing Mark’s arrangement of “A Nightingale Sang In Berkley Square,” followed by one of his originals. Both were terrific performances. Mark brought me out for the remainder of the program, and the band and small group were both in great form. Mark is a superb player, and we had great fun playing together with both groups. This concert provided the perfect musical ending to my tour, and I do hope Mark and I will be able to share the bandstand again someday. I so enjoyed his music as well as both student groups, which were very good!
Earlier in that day I had enjoyed a delightful reunion at the Royal College rehearsal with trumpeter Ronnie Hughes, who came to observe us at work and to visit with me. Ronnie was one of the original members of the fantastic Ted Heath Orchestra, later becoming one of the top soloists at the BBC and in the London recording studios. Ronnie experienced a great career and continues to play today. I first met Ronnie years ago at the New York Brass Conference organized for many years by Charles Colin. At those conferences, Ronnie became very close with the great Mannie Klein, and, through the years, Ronnie and I also established a nice relationship. Ronnie is now eighty-four and looks great! It was a real treat to see him again. He lives not too far from my daughter, and we plan to get together when I return to the UK.
At each school I visited, I found the students to possess very strong musical instincts and attributes, and they had obviously worked diligently to develop their musical skills. They were highly focused, and their attitude toward learning was completely open and positive. I am convinced that one of the most important elements in this extraordinary level of student attainment is their being taught by top professional performers from the various music disciplines. UK music schools place primary emphasis on a faculty of performers rather than on people holding advanced degrees and adequate paper credentials. This is in contrast to our colleges and universities in the U.S. -- our conservatories and certain universities being the exception -- wherein administrations place the strongest emphasis on a faculty made up of people who have earned PhD degrees. Unfortunately, many of them lack the years of professional experience of their UK counterparts. I have often written about this upside-down value judgment, and what I observed throughout my current tour in the UK has only served to confirm my strong belief in the importance of a faculty of teachers with professional performance experience. I believe that in music and the Arts, experience is the key. An advanced degree is fine if combined with professional experience, but I believe the degree is meaningless without this experience.
On a personal note relating to the trumpet, I find that one of the most difficult problems on a tour like this for a “practicer” like me is finding enough time to keep up the “chops.” Unlike a strictly performance tour wherein I play all the time, I did only three concerts on this tour, with the rest of the time devoted to the nine master classes at all six schools. I commuted an hour or more each way, back and forth from my daughter’s home to London for eight days. Then I also had the three days of travel to Cardiff and Glasgow and back. Not having enough time to play my horn usually leaves me feeling a bit insecure, but it is wonderful to discover that after all the years of playing, “the chops” don’t go as quickly as one might imagine, and all the concerts came off beautifully. From a musical standpoint, nothing could have made me happier. Combined with all that I have written here about the efforts of everyone who did so much to make this a great tour for me, let me say how pleased I am and how much I thank all of them for giving me their very best—especially Andy Bush for arranging the tour, Adrian Parker and Steve Shires for their great support, and all the people at the schools for graciously inviting me to come and be a part of their special programs. Hail Britannia!!