by Scott Yanow,
GORDON GOODWIN’S BIG PHAT BAND
The recent passing of arranger-composer, pianist, and saxophonist Gordon Goodwin (1954-2025) has been a shock to the music world, particularly in Southern California. In addition to his countless number of arrangements for films, animated features, singers, and large ensembles (many of the charts are utilized by high school and college stage bands), he formed and led the Big Phat Band since the late 1990s. Unusual for most large jazz orchestras, the Big Phat Band’s live performances attracted overflow crowds and their recordings were popular without watering down the music. Gordon Goodwin knew how to put on an entertaining show and his arrangements for schools helped build up a large audience among young people.
With his passing, it would not be surprising for the Big Phat Band to break up. But Goodwin’s wife Vangie Gunn, who sang with the orchestra, is determined to keep what she calls “the family” together. Before his illness, Goodwin and his band had recorded their 13th album (soon to be released) and fortunately he was filmed in the studio discussing most of the songs.
At Catalina Bar & Grill, a large audience was present to hear the new music. Film clips of Goodwin were shown introducing many of the pieces, and on one song (“Change Is Good”) his recorded piano solo became part of the performance. Vangie Gunn was an excellent emcee and she sang a few numbers along the way including some wordless vocalizing as part of the ensembles.
Among the pieces performed were “Sing, Sang, Sung” (Goodwin’s exciting arrangement based on “Sing, Sing, Sing”), “Dax Thunder, Man Of Mystery” (a James Bond-type song), “In This Moment,” a complex and episodic “The Gnashing Of Teeth,” a tribute to Carl Stallings (“Hunting Wabbits”), and “Glitch In The Stimulation.”
The night’s music and general enthusiasm made one hope that Gordon Goodwin’s Big Phat Band will be able to continue in the future. Their music and team spirit are too vital for it all to end.
When one thinks of the top male jazz singers on the scene today, somehow Kenny Washington (no relation to drummer Kenny Washington) often gets overlooked. Based in the San Francisco Bay area, he has always been shy about promoting his own career and has recorded relatively few albums with the great majority featuring him as a guest artist with others rather than as a leader. That is a real shame because he is actually one of the best jazz singers around.
At Birds Of A Feather, Kenny Washington performed a set of duets with pianist Josh Nelson (who also played synth on some of the ballads). He sang such numbers as “Old Devil Moon” (which was given a swinging closing vamp), an inventive scat-filled “Blue Skies,” an uptempo “Too Close For Comfort,” a slow and expressive “You Don’t Know What Love Is,” “Route 66” (which had Nelson playing some offbeat ideas over his own bassline), “’S Wonderful,” a slow rendition of “Bewitched, Bothered and Bewildered” that was one of several numbers on which Nelson had a musical conversation between his piano and his synth, an exciting “Autumn Leaves,” “Fragile,” “On The Sunny Side Of The Street” (which had Washington whistling a chorus), “I’m Old Fashioned,” a lowdown version of “I Ain’t Got Nothing But The Blues,” the lesser-known ballad “Somewhere Along The Way,” and “The Look Of Love.”
Throughout the set, Kenny Washington displayed a strong and attractive voice, swinging phrasing, an occasional falsetto, and a real skill at scat-singing when he felt that it fit the song. If only someone could get him to record more often, he would start to gain the recognition that he deserves as one of the top male jazz singers of the past couple of decades.
LIA BOOTH
At Knolls Restaurant in Laguna Niguel, the Tom Dante 4 has a regular monthly gig. On the night that I caught them, they welcomed the great singer Lia Booth and the results were memorable. Drummer Dante, guitarist Dave Murdy, keyboardist Chris Barron, and bassist Ernie Nunez make for a mighty rewarding group by themselves. They play straight ahead standards, making them sound fresh and new with inventive solos, fearless playing, and an infectious and good-humored enthusiasm.
After a few instrumentals, Lia Booth joined the group, performing “No More Blues,” “The Girl From Ipanema,” “Quizas, Quizas, Quizas” (the Spanish version of “Perhaps, Perhaps, Perhaps”), and a witty version of “Fever.” The second set included such numbers as “Whistle A Little Tune,” “Whatever Lola Wants, Lola Gets,” heated scatting on “Blue Skies,” a quietly expressive “I’ve Grown Accustomed To His Face,” “You Stepped Out Of A Dream,” and an extended version of “Twisted” with solos all around.
Each song was an adventure with constant improvising, plenty of spontaneous and surprising moments, and lots of swinging fun. Lila Booth is always a joy to see perform and the Tom Dante Quartet is well worth discovering. Together they performed jazz at its best.
AMBER WEEKES
Oscar Brown Jr. (1926-2005) was a genius in his own way. A social activist, playwright, poet, and actor, he was also a superb lyricist and a very good jazz singer who put on thought-provoking and entertaining performances. I was lucky enough to see Brown several times at the Jazz Bakery and he was always lively, enthusiastic, and brilliant.
Amber Weekes, one of L.A.’s most rewarding jazz singers, thought it was long overdue to pay tribute to Oscar Brown Jr. At Catalina Bar & Grill, a film clip of Brown was shown and then her “To Oscar With Love” show began. The impressive band, which included violinist Mark Cargill, flugelhornist Nolan Shaheed, Tom Luer on tenor and flute, pianist Tony Campodonico, bassist Edwin Livingston, drummer Fritz Wise, and a few guests, performed an instrumental version of “There Will Never Be Another You.” Then Amber Weekes joined the group and was featured on a long program with all of the songs (except the final one) featuring Brown’s lyrics.
Starting with “Mr. Kicks,” the set included “Afro Blue,” “Strong Man” (which was originally written for Abbey Lincoln), the humorous “But I Was Cool,” a slow and expressive “Black Baby,” “Hazel’s Hips,” the dramatic “Rags And Old Iron,” “The Snake,” and “Work Song.” Surprisingly “Dat Dere” was not included. Guest singer Adam “Aejaye” Jackson was effective on “Hum Drum Blues” and “A Lady’s Man” and there were many fine solos throughout the set by Cargill and Shaheed.
Amber Weekes, who was in top form throughout and really dug into Oscar Brown Jr.’s lyrics (which covered a wide range of moods and emotions) closed the celebratory night with the only non-Brown number, “I’m Always Drunk In San Francisco.” Her recent CD To Oscar With Love (which features some of the same musicians) will be reviewed in the near future.
JOE FONDA’S MEMOIRS
Most jazz musicians should write their memoirs. Each artist has had unique experiences and knows funny and heartwarming stories that would otherwise be lost if they were not documented. Imagine if (to name three examples) Joe Venuti, Jack Sheldon, and Freddie Hubbard had written their autobiographies.
Fortunately, bassist Joe Fonda has. Probably best-known for his association with Anthony Braxton and for co-leading the Fonda-Stevens band with pianist Michael Jefry Stevens, Fonda has actually had a pretty wide variety of musical experiences through the years. His self-published book, My Life In The World Of Music (176 pages), is well worth acquiring.
The first half of the book is particularly rewarding. It traces his musical experiences in the 1970s including touching reminiscences about his father who played trumpet and encouraged his son. Fonda talks about his early days discovering jazz, seeing live performances by veteran greats, attending Berklee, and playing standards at gigs. He eventually became involved with more explorative music, performing with avant-garde musicians but never losing the ability to play in a wide variety of jazz settings.
By the 1990s, Joe Fonda was playing and recording with a large number of different and overlapping ensembles. The narrative bogs down a little as he discusses many of the groups in similar fashion with their endless tours, concerts and recordings, but in general the book holds one’s interest throughout. It is impressive that, even as he was in demand for many different avant-garde ensembles (often in Europe), Fonda also enjoyed playing with tap dancers, for dance companies, and in blues-oriented bands.
Focusing on his musical career rather than his private life (once it gets past his early days), My Life In The World Of Music, which concludes with a 22-page discography covering 1981-2025, does a fine job of discussing the life of a constantly in-demand and adventurous bassist. It is available from www.joefonda.com.
BILLY HART’S OCEANS OF TIME
It would not be an exaggeration to say that drummer Billy Hart has played with practically everyone of importance in jazz of the past sixty years. While perhaps best-known as a member of Herbie Hancock’s greatest band (his sextet of the early 1970s), Hart’s endless resume includes important associations with Wes Montgomery, Miles Davis, Pharoah Sanders, McCoy Tyner, and Stan Getz in addition to being a bandleader and a member of the Cookers. While he has a strong identity as a drummer, Hart was always versatile and equally skilled at playing swinging jazz, infectious grooves, and freer explorations.
In recent times, he has often led a quartet that includes pianist Ethan Iverson. Oceans Of Time (Cymbal Press, 206 pages) was written with the participation of Iverson who, while organizing Hart’s memoirs and constantly asking him questions, let the drummer speak for himself. A musical autobiography rather than a personal one, the focus is on Hart’s playing experiences although there are also plenty of human interest stories about the artists who he encountered and worked with.
One learns about Billy Hart’s strong musical opinions, how he became interested in playing drums and jazz, the Washington D.C. music scene of the 1950s and ‘60s, the importance of Buck Hill and Shirley Horn in his life, his experiences working with Jimmy Smith and Wes Montgomery, Hart’s interest in avant-garde jazz and fusion, the periods with Miles Davis and Herbie Hancock, his opinions of his own recording sessions, his evaluation of other musicians including a variety of drummers, and the lessons that he tried to get across as an educator to students. There is also a section in which 22 drummers discuss Hart, and a list of over 600 jazz recordings in which Billy Hart was a sideman, uplifting the music of others.
Ethan Iverson should be congratulated for persuading Billy Hart to write his memoirs, and Hart of course should be saluted for a remarkable and still-active career. Oceans Of Time is available from www.cymbalpress.com.
Every recording deserves informative liner notes (I have written over 1,000) and every jazz musician needs a well-written press biography along with press releases that announce important events. I write all of these and more at reasonable rates. Please contact me at 661-678-3542 or at scottyanowjazz@yahoo.com for further information about my services. My latest book, Jazz Through The Eyes Of A Jazz Journalist (My Jazz Memoirs) is available from www.amazon.com.
My latest book, Jazz Through The Eyes Of A Jazz Journalist (My Jazz Memoirs) is available at www.amazon.com.
I have a new book that is available from amazon.com. Life Through The Eyes Of A Jazz Journalist. It is subtitled My Jazz Memoirs and is my 12th book and first in a few years. I discuss in an often-humorous fashion my early days and discovery of jazz, my period as the jazz editor of Record Review, the story behind my involvement with the All Music Guide, and I reminisce about some of my adventures as an amateur musician. Included are vintage interviews with Freddie Hubbard, Chick Corea, and Maynard Ferguson, encounters with Clint Eastwood, summaries of the Monterey and Playboy Jazz Festivals (including a full-length review of the 1985 Playboy Festival), memories of other events (such as the IAJE Conventions), and brief snapshots of many memorable club and concert performances. There is also background information about my other books, evaluations of the jazz critics who inspired me early on, and my thoughts on jazz criticism which includes advice to up-and-coming jazz journalists. Rounding out the book is a chapter on how the jazz writing business has changed over the past 50 years, and appendixes that include the jazz greats of the past, 86 jazz giants of today, 21 young performers to look for in the future, jazz books and DVDs that everyone should own, and a dozen enjoyable Hollywood jazz films.
Life Through The Eyes Of A Jazz Journalist, a paperback book, sells for $26 through Amazon.com Signed copies (which will take 2-3 weeks) are also available for $30 (which includes free postage) by sending the money via Pay Pal to scottyanowjazz@yahoo.com and by sending your mailing address to that E-mail.