Great shows in Chicago, January-February, 2007

For those of you in the Chicago area, there is a lot of great music coming up to help beat the Midwestern winter blahs. Of course, everyone here in the Windy City (where Jazzitude's headquarters are located) is currently fixated on the SuperBowl, but there is more to life than football (or foosball, as Helen 'Mama' Boucher would say). Here are some highlights:

**Patricia Barber at the Green Mill--Ms. Barber returns to her residence at the North side club. During the months of January and February she'll play her normal 9 P.M. Monday sets. She's a world class pianist, singer, and songwriter, and the opportunity to see her in this intimate, late-nite setting in the room where she developed her style and made her name is not to be missed. Other shows of note at the Green Mill include Chuchito Valdes' Afro-Cuban Ensemble (Feb. 2-3) and Matt Wilson's Arts and Crafts (February 24). 4802 N. Broadway; 773-878-5552, www.greenmilljazz.com

**Von Freeman at the New Apartment Lounge--Freeman is a Chicago original who plays at 9 P.M. on Tuesdays at the club, located at 504 E. 75th St.; 773-482-7728.

**Dr. John at Navy Pier--The good Dr. will play the Pier's Grand Ballroom on Feb. 9 at 7 P.M. Sharing the bill will be the incredible New Orleans saxophonist Donald Harrison, who is well worth the $10 admission price by himself. 600 E. Grand Ave.; 312-742-8497

**Allen Toussaint at Old Town School of Folk Music--Yes, you read that correctly. New Orleans legend Toussaint will play two shows at the Old Town School of Folk Music on February 16, 2007, at 7 P.M. and 10 P.M. Having seen Toussaint at the Steppenwolf Theatre's Traffic series in December, I can tell you this one is well worth it. Toussaint plays a generous helping of his greatest songs, plays piano, and talks about the stories behind the songs. Tickets are $24-$28 Phone: 773-728-6000, www.oldtownschool.org

Kermit Driscoll Gravely Ill; Benefit to be Held

Bassist Matt Driscoll is perhaps best known for his long association with guitarist Bill Frisell. Driscoll was part of Frisell's band from 1986 until the mid-1990s, and recorded a number of albums with Frisell, including Have a Little Faith, This Land, Before We Were Born, Where In the World?, and the excellent Live, a 1991 trio recording with Frisell, Joey Baron, and Driscoll.

Prior to his association with Frisell, Matt studied at both University of Miami (where he briefly studied with Jaco Pastorious) and Berklee College of Music, graduating in 1978. He moved to New York City at the start of 1980, and soon thereafter was employed by Buddy Rich. In addition to his extensive work with Frisell, Driscoll also worked with downtown composer-improvisers such as John Zorn and Dave Douglas, with whom he worked in a group known as New and Used.

Sometime in the second half of the '90s Driscoll unknowingly contracted Lyme disease from a deer tick bite. He suffered for years from headaches, joint pain, and deep fatigue before he was finally accurately diagnosed. Unfortunately, by this time the disease had entered its tertiary stage, making it very difficult to treat. Though Matt managed to remain active for a time after contracting Lyme disease, he found it increasingly difficult to work. He has managed to appear and play at a couple of benefits in his honor, but it is difficult. In his own words "With this disease you go up and down."

On Monday, January 29, 2007, Driscoll will appear, but probably not perform, at the largest benefit yet for his medical expenses. The lineup is to include Bill Frisell, John Zorn, John Hollenbeck, John Patitucci, Jon Ellis, and Kendrick Scott. The benefit will be held at 8 P.M. at Tonic, 107 Norfolk St. , Lower East Side, NYC. 212-358-7501, www.tonicnyc.com; cover, $25. Tax deductible donations can also be made payable to Emergency Relief Fund (Kermit Driscoll) and mailed to Bill Dennison, Musicians Union Local 802, 322 W. 48th St. New York, NY 10036.

DL Media publicist Matt Merewitz talked to Driscoll at the recent IAJE in New York, and learned that Driscoll's treatments are far beyond what insurance will cover, with antibiotics costing thousands of dollars a month. Contributions towards covering these medical expenses are greatly appreciated. If you can attend the show, it'll no doubt be a great night of music in honor of a man who, though he's never released a recording under his own name, has had significant impact on improvised music over the past 20 years.

Kurt Elling's 'Nightmoves' set for April 3 release

Kurt Elling's newest, Nightmoves, will be released on April 3, 2007. Elling's first release for the Concord label, coming after ten years recording for Blue Note, features his working group of bassist Rob Amster, drummer Willie Jones III, and pianist Laurence Hobgood. Hobgood has been a collaborator of Elling's for many years.

Nightmoves is being billed as an introspective album, with seductive, late-night songs like Michael Franks' title track, Alan Pasqua's "And We Will Fly," a version of the Sinatra classic "In the Wee Small Hours," (merged with lyrics to a Keith Jarrett solo), Ellington's "I Like the Sunrise," and a vocalese interpretation of Body and Soul, with new lyrics. Poetry, which has served as inspiration for Elling in the past, is present in the Fred Hersch setting of a Walt Whitman poem ("The Sleepers")--Elling worked with Hersch on his setting of Whitman's "Leaves of Grass"--as well as a take on Theodore Roethke's 1953 poem "The Waking."

The theme of the recording is a dusk-to-dawn journey through nightlife, and one's internal thoughts. Beginning with "Nightmoves" and ending with "I Like the Sunrise," the album is somewhat familiar territory for Elling. "The night really fascinates me" he says. "The things that happen int he night and the comfort that one can have being shrouded in darkness, in stillness, listening to music and pondering and considering...that has always intrigued me."

Watch for the April 3 release of Nightmoves and Jazzitude's full review.

--MIB--

Joe Zawinul's 'Brown Street'

The new Joe Zawinul release, Brown Street, has arrived from Heads Up, who are releasing it here in the U.S. on February 27. The 2-CD set features Zawinul along with Alex Acuna, Victor Bailey, and Nathanial Townsley. This small group plays along with the WDR Big Band, with arrangements by Vince Mendoza. Zawinul has stated that the objective was not to do a covers album, but instead to arrange the tunes (many of which were originally performed with Weather Report) in such a way that there was still room for the small group to groove within the written big band arrangements.

The arrangements are really nice, and the presence of horns allows Zawinul to be a little less orchestral with his trademark synth work. The small group is very cohesive, not surprising since Townsley is currently with Zawinul's Syndicate band, and Bailey and Acuna are both Weather Report alumni. The set list includes "In a Silent Way," "Black Market," and "Boogie Woogie Waltz." There are some great solos from the WDR players as well. A full review is forthcoming, but this one sounds like a keeper after the first two listens.

--MIB--

Alice Coltrane, widow of saxophonist John Coltrane, died on Friday, January 12^th at he West Hills Hospital near L.A., California. Her death was related to respiratory failure of some kind. She was 69 years of age.

Born Alice McLeod in Detroit, Michigan, Mrs. Coltrane studied classical piano and played organ in local churches. After some club gigs around Detroit, she left for New York City, where she was working with Terry Gibbs when she first met John Coltrane. Alice was the last pianist to work with Coltrane during this final phase of his career, from 1966 until his death in July, 1967. Mrs. Coltrane played not only piano, but also organ and harp, and recorded several albums after John’s death that are gems of the period and which explore areas that John had been in the beginning stages of exploring at the time of his death. Some of the avenues and suggestions that seem to arise from both John’s later work and Alice’s work as a leader have still not been thoroughly explored by jazz musicians to this day.

Mrs. Coltrane took a long time away from the music and recording world, founding an ashram, the Vedantic Center (now known as the Sai Anantam Ashram), where she led students in devotional studies. For her, as for her late husband, music was a highly spiritual undertaking.

In 2004 Alice Coltrane released Transliner Light, her first studio album in 27 years. It was a wonderful album, full of deeply spiritual playing that was also highlighted by the participation of sons Ravi and Oran. In addition to her sons, Alice is also survived by her daughter, Michelle, with whom she founded the John Coltrane Foundation to award scholarships to promising young musicians.

Listening again to Translinear Light, I am struck by the way that Alice Coltrane weaves together Eastern drones, American gospel, swinging jazz, free jazz, and gorgeous ballads into a performance that is celebratory and joyous. Accompanied by musicians as talented and varied as Jack DeJohnette, James Genus, Jeff “Tain” Watts, and Charlie Haden, Alice is able to put her many influences into a frame of reference that is at once familiar and yet also fresh. All listeners should be glad that Alice got the opportunity to record this final musical statement, one of the defining performances of her career. The world is definitely a poorer place without her.

An Elevation Service for Mrs. Coltrane (aka Turiyasangitananda) will be held at the Sai Anantam Ashram Center on Saturday, January 27^th at 1 PM PST. In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations to the following organizations:

John Coltrane Foundation (http://JohnColtrane.com/) --click on Donation under ‘Scholarship’

Musicares Foundation (http://www.grammy.com/musicares)

Habitat for Humanity (www.habitat.org/donation)

Yogaville Ashram (http://www.supportyogaville.org)

Jazzitude Blog: J.B.: Welcome!

Hello, and welcome to jazzitude blog, or J.B., as we’ll be referring to it. J.B. is a way to communicate a little more quickly and directly about what’s happening in the worlds of jazz, blues, classic r&b and soul, world music, and improvisational-based music. While the Jazzitude website will continue to offer reviews of new and reissued jazz recordings, DVDs, and books as well as articles and features on specific jazz musicians, musical styles, jazz history, and the rest, J.B. will be more like a conversation (or a monologue) about stuff I just read, or something I’m listening to right now that I want to talk about, or something I’ve just discovered. Music will, of course, be the primary topic, but we may occasionally bring your attention to something else. J.B. replaces the Jazzitude news page.