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Topic: What's Happening? / Route 66

Jazz guitarist Bruce Forman and his western cowboy jazz band Cow Bop, will be hitting the road this summer traveling on America’s most storied road, Route 66, for the upcoming 2008 Route 66 Challenge. Starting in Chicago, on May 12, 2008, CowBop will be playing a mix of impromptu and pre-arranged concerts as well as the street corners, dives and honky tonks they frequented on their first three Route 66 Challenges. All the while bopping their way back west to the grand finish concert at Southern California’s Jazz Bakery on May 26th.

All of the proceeds from performances, per-mile pledges, grants, and part of the CD revenue will benefit JazzMasters Workshop (JMW), a non-profit that Forman started in 2000. JMW recruits veteran musicians to mentor kids who otherwise might not have access to music lessons. Funds raised in 2008 will support two new programs for Boys & Girls Clubs in underserved areas. Cow Bop also hopes to inspire and challenge musicians and other communities along the way to begin programs with the help of JMW. “I expect and invite many musicians to find us out on the open road to come and play along says Bruce Forman. I’m throwing down the gauntlet here… it’s time to stop complaining come on out and do something!”

For donation information and the complete Route 66 itinerary and history go to http://playroute66.blogspot.com/

Topic: What's Happening? / Return To Forever Reunites

The quintessential jazz fusion band of the 1970’s, Return To Forever,” is reuniting. Yes, the epic combination of Chick Corea, Stanley Clarke, Al Di Meola and Lenny White will be touring together for the first time in almost thirty years for a summer tour of North America and Europe.

“Its actually happening, says booking agent Jack Randell with Boston based Ted Kurland Associates. After meeting several times last summer and early fall, Return To Forever members ultimately decided the timing was good to do it. “What made me want to do it,” Corea told the Times Don Heckman, “was just recalling how great the feeling was playing with these guys.”

Return To Forever started out as more of a Latin-tinged jazz ensemble in 1971, but Corea, influenced by John McLaughlin’s Mahavishnu Orchestra and some of the progressive rock bands of the 1970’s, steered the group towards a rock-jazz-fusion sound that ultimately achieved considerable commercial success with the releases of Light as a Feather-1973, Hymn of the Seventh Galaxy-1973, Where Have I Known You Before-1974, No Mystery (1975 Grammy Award), Romantic Warrior-1976 and Musicmagic-1977. A final re-orientation of the group that gave it more of a big band sound occurred prior to the 1978 folding of the group.

The foursome will play more than fifty dates across North America and Europe, featuring primarily classic music from their 1970’s chart topping albums. The tour includes top outdoor festivals such as the Montreux Festival, the Montreal International Festival, Spain’s San Sebastian Festival, France’s Nice Festival and the Freihofer’s Festival in Saratoga Springs, NY.

Topic: Players & Bands / Trane: An Alternate Take

Sometimes a few well-chosen notes are more powerful than a barrage of impenetrable sound…..

Topic: General Non-Jazz Music Discussion / Other musicians of interest

These are a few of my, womb to the tomb, non jazz music favorites.

Bob Marley
Stevie Ray Vaughan
Gypsy Kings
David Grisman
Leon Redbone
The Neville Brothers
Carlos Santana
Van Morrison
B.B.King
Eric Clapton
Seawind-new album due out soon.
Bonnie Raitt
Royal Crown Revue
Squirrel Nut Zippers

Topic: General Jazz Discussion / Voices that may surprise you

Don’t Forget Bruce Willis – Moonlighting.
Plays a little Harp (harmonica) also…..

Topic: Players & Bands / Young Players of Note

How about a female vocalist that also is a Ray Brown influenced bass player of considerable acclaim.

Kristen Korb is her name. A Vocalist, Bassist and Educator in one. Ultimately a very pleasant, if not overwhelming, addition to the world of jazz.

Topic: What's Happening? / Players Report

Spring is almost here, and for those of you that thought that the reporting of baseball players to their respective spring training camps was the only thing happening in Florida this time of the year, you were wrong. Jazz musicians are also gathering and it looks like Sarasota, Florida is the place to be.

The 28th Annual Sarasota Jazz Festival is set and ready to swing, says Gordon Garrett, president of The Jazz Club of Sarasota. The Sarasota Jazz Festival has a full bullpen of top notch players assembled and they will be presenting 13 top shelf events in just 7 days running from Sunday, March 2 through Saturday, March 8.

Combining a mix of ticketed and free concerts with international and local headliners, then coupling this with a loyal and enthusiastic fan base, promoters are anticipating well in excess of the 10,000 attendee levels reached for 2007.

Progress involves risk, you can’t steal second and keep your foot on first. Well, with names like Bradford Marsalis, Chuck Mangione, Marcus Belgrave and The Billy Taylor Trio at the top of the order, it looks like festival organizers have both feet safely planted on third.

Look for extra innings with this one…

Topic: Live Music Reviews / Bruce Forman and Cow Bop - " Count Basie on HorseBack"

Had a chance to see Bruce Forman and Cow Bop the other night at the High Desert Center for the Arts located in Victorville, CA., and if a similar opportunity arises in a town near you, I would highly suggest that you attend.

After fighting snow and ice I arrived at a small but intimate refurbished 150 seat WWII era USO building. The truth be told, this structure also houses many music lovers of the same aforementioned era that have irrevocable lifetime leases, if you know what I mean. (ghosts) Anyway, after arriving late and shedding some layers I found a seat in the rear of a nearly sold out acoustically inviting venue. The first thing I heard was this way out west, western hot jazzy sound with a very distinct drawl that would soon prove to me that these guys and gals had some scoobie-doo in their wahooo.

Cow Bop, formed in 2003 by internationally acclaimed guitarist Bruce Forman is the very best of a little known category called Cowboy Jazz and Western Bee Bop. Mix swinging extended grooves, thrilling harmonic improvisations, sweet vocals and tons of on stage fun and you have only begun to describe Cow Bop.

The group consisted of Bruce Forman up front on guitar drawing you in with memories of a Wes Montgomery, Pat Matheny and Django Reinhardt all mixed into one. The small in stature, big on sound Kristen Korb on stand up base keeping a tight Ray Brown influenced groove filled bottom and intermittently teasing you with Ella type scatting during her solos. Fiddler (violinist), Phil Salazar dazzling the room with a Bluegrass provincialism that made you think that Bill Monroe and Stephane Grappelli were both in the room. Pinto Pammy on vocals showcasing a variety of moods, shades and tones and constantly reminding you “That There’s No Place Like Home”. And rounding out this quintet was Mike McKinley on Drums. At a loss for words here due to the fact that at one point an impromptu short break was announced. This concluded soon after with a glowing McKinley returning from outside (somewhere around the dumpster area of the venue) with a simple cardboard box, he preceded to sit back down with group in tow and finished off the first half of the night playing his newly acquired drum, al-la Clayton Cameron, ultimately with what was to be the 1st of many standing ovations for the evening.

While only performing Country and Bluegrass standards there was still an ever present up-tempo swinging groove that displayed the groups unparalleled harmonic cohesiveness as well as its predilection for Bop.

Upon hearing Cow Bop for the first time be prepared to join the ranks of those who sing praises to the artistry, talent and creative abilities of Bruce Forman and Cow Bop…..

Topic: Jazz Questions (and answers) / Who Are Those Guys?

To understand the inclusion of Nelson Rockefeller, which is a must in my opinion, you must first read and understand John A. Hobson’s 1903 book “Imperialism”. He, in detail, describes an unavoidably growing tendency of the wealthy to use their political power as citizens of some States to interfere with the political conditions of those States where they had industrial interest.(guess where)

Also knowing that from 1953 to well into the 70’s the people in charge of our foreign and domestic policy were mostly on the Rockefeller family payroll. Jonathan Kwitnys’ “Endless Enemies: The Making Of An Unfriendly World” will shed some light on Nelson and family during these years and surprisingly lend some perspective on current times.

Enjoy your reading…..

Topic: Jazz Polls & Lists / Favorite Ballads of All Time

How about the Cole Porter standard “Love for Sale”. Cal Tjader does an interesting rendition of it on the “Concert on the Campus” LP. Tjader’s backed by Lonnie Hewitt-Piano, Eddie Coleman-Bass, Willie Bobo-Drums and Mongo Santamaria-congas.

Watch for the time signature changes on this stirring self propelled number…..