Lenny White's "Anomaly" Comes to Yoshi's

Alongside the late Tony Williams and Billy Cobham, Lenny White is part of my personal trinity of the greatest drummers of all time. I have seen all three, many, many times over their storied careers. There are none better. Williams, Cobham and White redefined jazz drumming in the '70s, giving birth to the jazz-rock era and paving the way for all who came behind them. According to Abstract Logix, his label's website, "Following his triumphant worldwide reunion tour with Return To Forever in 2008 and separate trio tours in 2009 with Chick Corea and Stanley Clarke and pianist Hiromi with Clarke, White was primed to put out his own recording, his first as a leader in ten years. With "Anomaly", the pioneering jazz-rock drummer returns to his roots, blending powerhouse backbeats and improvisational abandon in a bold, unapologetically aggressive manner that characterized the early 70s fusion movement. On that RTF tour he told sold-out crowds every night: “This is not a boy band, this is a man band. And we need to take back the music as musicians”. White rolls into Yoshi's in Oakland August 24th-25th with his "Anomaly" band.

“And I really meant that,” says White. “We need to restart a revolution so that we can take back the music and stop the fluff. And I’m hoping that this new album is a representation of that.” Accompanied by a crew of unsung guitar killers in Nick Moroch (a former member of White’s Astral Pirates), David Gilmore, Tom Guarna and David Bendeth, keyboardists George Colligan, Bernard Wright, Donald Blackman, (another Astral Pirate) and Vince Evans and bassists Victor Bailey, Richie Goods, Charles Fambrough and his RTF bandmate Stanley Clarke, White unleashes with Zeppelinesque fury on Anomaly, his tenth overall recording as a leader.

“I really wanted to rock out on this project,” says White. “Early on, David Bendeth said to me, “No one has made a jazz-rock or fusion record with the sound of a rock record.” So I said, “Let’s do it!” And one of the things for me that was a real boost before we got into recording was reading something that John Bonham had said in a book about the making of several famous Led Zeppelin tracks. Now, I have been a Led Zeppelin fan forever and ‘Black Dog’ had always been my favorite Zeppelin tune. But I actually recently rediscovered ‘In My Time of Dying,’ which became my new favorite Zeppelin tune. So I’m reading through this book and I got to the point where Bonham’s talking about constructing the track ‘In My Time of Dying,’ and he says, “We were kind of rocking a little bit more from a progressive standpoint at this point, and I had been listening to Tony Williams, Billy Cobham and Lenny White.”So that really made my day.”

Anomaly, it turns out, is an apt description for a record that defies all industry trends with its sheer audaciousness. “I would’ve never been able to make a record like this if I were on a major label today,” says White. “Most record companies are very myopic in how they market things. So they want you to do one particular thing and you’re not supposed to stray outside of the line. I don’t know any musicians who are myopic but when they come under the umbrella of major labels, they suddenly become that way because that’s what is demanded of you when you are part of a stable of artists”. But on this project, White was free to explore his musical vision with a no-holds-barred approach.

He opens the collection with the riff-driven funk-rock of ‘Drum Boogie,’ a tune he wrote for his Lenny White Group more than 25 years ago. Nick Moroch takes a particularly blistering guitar solo here. “Nick is an undiscovered guitar hero. A lot of people know about him but not enough. He’s really a brilliant musician. He can play any style, any kind of guitar. He’s amazing.”

The crunchy, grunge-toned ‘We Know’ is decidedly in a Zeppelin vein and features a fleet-fingered piccolo bass solo from Stanley Clarke. Producer David Bendeth also turns in a scorching guitar solo on this aggressive number. “David is one of the top rock-pop producers in the world today,” says White. “He’s produced recordings for platinum acts like Paramour and Breaking Benjamin. And the truth is, he used to play in my band long ago. When I called him to work with me on this project I went by his studio in New Jersey and he told me, “Man, I owe all of this to you because you kicked my butt so bad when I was in your band that I learned a lot and I use everything that you taught me with all these groups. “So it was great to be able to reconnect with him on this project.”

White’s longtime friend, singer/producer and collaborator Nicki Richards is featured singing on ‘Forever.’ Some liquid lines from Widespread Panic guitarist Jimmy Herring coolly shade her soulful vocals. Guitarist David Gilmore brings in his composition ‘Dark Moon,’ which features Bernard Wright on piano and Victor Bailey in a rare turn on upright bass. Gilmore’s fluid solo here is spectacular. “I went to Russia and took David as a part of my group there,” says White. And during that tour, David wrote this song for me. We pulled it out for this session and recorded it, and David sounds fantastic on it.” “Then on another tour we went to Warsaw with Polish pop singer Tatiana Okupnik and opened for the Rolling Stones.

White offers an intriguing re-imagining of Joe Henderson’s ‘Gazelle,’ a composition that he recorded with the tenor sax great in 1970 on the live Milestone album ‘If You’re Not Part of the Solution, You’re Part Of The Problem.’ White turns in an extended drum solo on this fresh remake of the Henderson staple. “That’s always been one of my favorite tunes of Joe’s,” he says. “I just decided to put a different slant on it.”

Guitarist Tom Guarna contributes the exotic ‘If U Dare,’ which he imbued with his distortion-laced tones and considerable chops. “Tom’s another one of these unsung guitar heroes out here. He’s one of those guys that the public doesn’t know that well. And I really do like to bring the focus on great musicians that people don’t really know about. Tom can really play! And he’s a science fiction fan too, so that worked for me.”

‘Election Day’ is a big triumphant-sounding number that pays tribute to the historic election of President Barack Obama. Almost orchestral in scope, it’s a kind of heavy metal ‘Fanfare for the Common Man.’ As heavy as James Gang, Grand Funk Railroad and Led Zeppelin rolled into one, this aggressive track features a remarkably grungy wah-wah synth solo by Wright and a stinging six-string solo by Moroch. “I wanted to have a rocking track that had strings like Led Zeppelin’s ‘Kashmir,’” says White. “And this fit the bill.”

‘Coming Down’ is harmonically sophisticated tune in six with a cool distortion guitar solo from Guarna while ‘Anthem’ is George Colligan’s humungous-sounding arena rock number. Guarna erupts on this emotionally-charged power ballad like Tommy Bolin on Billy Cobham’s Spectrum.

White and his longstanding friend and drumming colleague Mike Clark (from Herbie Hancock’s Headhunters) join together for a two-drum jam on ‘Catlett Out of the Bag.’ Opening with a quote from jazz drumming great Sid Catlett’s ‘Mop Mop’ lick, it develops into a funky, organ-fueled groove with punchy horn section and Maceo Parker-styled alto sax work by Danny Walsh, another White regular. “Mike and I go back almost 40 years,” he says of Clark. “We played together a few years ago in a band we started called New Brew. For this track we just went in the studio and jammed with Jerry Z, the organist who plays in Mike’s band. I have no problem playing two drum things because I do it from the perspective of having one guy with eight arms. And then afterwards we overdubbed some horns on there so it would sound like a big jam band.”

Perhaps the most stirring tune on the collection is ‘Water Changes Everything,’ an exotic African flavored number featuring a vocal choir consisting of Chris Williams, Vanese Thomas, Gregg Clark, Irene James, Michelle Weeks-Reynoso and Nicki Richards. White explains the meaning behind this powerful original. “Basically, I had written this piece of music and after the fact a friend of mine told me about a charity called Water where they build wells in Africa where people don’t have any water and have to travel six hours to get water in some cases, and it’s not really drinkable water. So we put some words together to address this issue and I got some of my great singing friends to sing on it. I wanted it to be like a ‘We Are The World’ kind of thing, where everybody sings a piece of the verse. And I think you get the message.”

Another thought-provoking number is the hugely orchestral ‘The Wait Has Lifted the Weight,’ White’s spoken word meditation on the Obama Presidency. As he explains: “The actual piece was a part of an opera I’m composing. When Obama’s election happened, I thought about a whole bunch of things and I wrote down what I was thinking about. And I would’ve loved to have gotten Laurence Fishburne or a great voice like James Earl Jones to speak those words. But it didn’t work out, so I decided to go on and do it myself. What I was talking about was that for so long black people in the United States have been waiting to have some sort of major respectability boost. And I think with a black president people are starting to shift their attitudes. And you know, we’ve been waiting a long time. So now that wait, which is time, has lifted this weight.

Bonus tracks on Anomaly (not available for Stateside release) are White’s ‘Inside Strait,’ a revved-up funk rocker he penned more than 20 years ago, and Colligan’s slamming jazz-rock number ‘Arpanet,’ which features more sizzling six-string work from Guarna and a soaring Mini Moog solo by the composer.

Largely self-taught on drums, native New Yorker White broke into the jazz world in 1968 with alto saxophonist Jackie McLean. The following year he participated in Miles Davis’ Bitches Brew, generally regarded as the album that birthed the fusion movement. He subsequently recorded with a Who’s Who in Jazz, including trumpeters Freddie Hubbard and Woody Shaw, tenor saxophonists Joe Henderson, Gato Barbieri and Stan Getz and renowned composer-bandleader Gil Evans, among others. As a member of Return To Forever from 1973 to 1976, White gained a solid reputation as one of the top fusion drummers of the day. “I'm basically a jazz guy, and that’s what I grew up playing,” he says. “But when this new thing happened with jazz-rock through Bitches Brew and bands like Tony Williams Lifetime and Return To Forever, I found myself on the ground floor of a movement. And this musical movement co-existed with other forms of music that came in during the latter part of the 20th century.

“I was fortunate when I started to make music,” he continues. “I made music at the same time that Igor Stravinksy was making music, at the same time that Jimi Hendrix and James Brown were making music, at the same time that Duke Ellington and Miles Davis and John Coltrane were making music. Led Zeppelin co-existed at the same time that Return To Forever did. All these artists co-existed at the same time and I listened to all that music and was influenced by all of it. So now when I put together an eclectic project I sometimes hear people say, “Oh man, what is he trying to do” ”But the truth is, I’m not trying to do anything. I’m just representing the music that I came up listening to.”

He represents it well on Anomaly."

Lenny White and "Anomaly" featuring Jimmy Herring, Chris Goods, Vince Evans and Tom Guarna
Tuesday, August 24th
8PM Show: $22
10PM Show: $14

Wednesday, August 25th
8PM Show: $22
10PM Show: $14

The Eighth Annual Jerry Day Celebration

This Sunday, the Excelsior Cultural Group and the San Francisco Parks Trust will present the 8th Annual Jerry Day Celebration at the Jerry Garcia Amphitheater, located at 45 John F. Shelley Drive. The first Jerry Garcia / Excelsior celebration happended in 2002 as a fundraiser for Crocker Amazon Playground in Jerry Garcia's childhood neighborhood - The Excelsior District. Spearheaded and conceived by Excelsior District natives and residents, this civic and cultural event is the largest event associated with the neighborhood. It's wholeheartedly embraced by the community and the city. In 2009, the festival received the "Best Community Building Event Award" from the City and County of San Francisco.

Jerry Garcia, as most people know, was one of the biggest musical icons of our time, the leader of the Grateful Dead, and a native son of the Excelsior District who grew up at 87 Harrington Street. This community celebration of Jerry Garcia originated in 2002 and has since gained a wide range of support across the Excelsior District and Southeast Community of San Francisco.

The 2010 Jerry Day Line-Up

Melvin Seals and JGB
Melvin Seals has been a powerful presence in the music industry for over 30 years with a long-established reputation as a performer, recording artist and producer. Melvin is most revered for his powerful, high-spirited, Hammond B-3 organ, and keyboards in the Jerry Garcia Band. Melvin spun his B-3 magic with the Jerry Garcia Band for 18 years and in doing so helped pioneer and define what has now become "Jam Band Music". From blues to funk to rock to jazz, Melvin Seals serves up a tasty mix with a little R&B and gospel thrown in to spice things up. Melvin and JGB brings an intuitive, expressive style, soul, spontaneity and remarkable chops to the table. With acoustic and electric ingredients and unique combinations of Stu Allen's guitar and amazing vocals, Jimmy Tebeau's savory bass, Pete Lavezzoli’s hearty drums and, of course, a heapin' helpin' of the wizard's magic on Hammond B-3 Organ and keyboards. Along with Shirley Starks and Cheryl Rucker on back-up vocals, the result is a most satisfying blend of natural organic grooves that challenges genre boundaries.

Their chemistry is the focus from which they create a spontaneous and high art where the sky is the limit musically. They offer an exciting, often psychedelic musical journey that changes nightly and keeps the audience dancing and smiling (and some staring in amazement) for hours. Adding his rock-gospel-soul-rhythm and blues touch with his funky style of playing, no wonder Jerry nicknamed him "Master of the Universe". Melvin continues to treat music lovers to his unique brand of melodic flavor with JGB.

Front Street and Friends
Front Street, a jam band based out of the San Francisco Bay Area, emulates the feel, excitement and energy of the Grateful Dead at their peak. Fronted by Stu Allen, lead guitarist and vocalist for Melvin Seals & The JGB Band, this band is sure please even the most discriminating dead head. Band also features John "Stewball" Stewart on rhythm guitar (Jelly), Sam Johnston on B3/keyboards (Box Set, Buffalo Roam, Grapefruit Ed), Jeff Faust on bass (Dead Guise, Workingman's Ed) and Mark Corsolini on drums (Dark Star Orchestra, Outlaw Family Band, Workingman's Ed, Melvin Seals & The JGB Band). The member of Front Street are “friends” with, “shared the stage” with, or “been in bands” with so many great musicians over the years, they decided to invite many of them to sit in on Jerry Day. You never know who will show up… should be great fun!

Check Engine Light
Call it what you will: “the old folks” from the Neighborhood, from the “Family”, or even just Geezer Rock. "We’re just a group of old guys who get together to entertain our friends with music. We play some old familiar songs, some not so old: some original, some original takes on classics. Some of our songs are lost in space and time just like us..."

The 8th Annual Jerry Day 2010
Jerry Garcia Amphitheater
Free Admission. Donations Accepted. Live Music, Art, Food, etc.
45 John F. Shelley Drive / San Francisco, CA - 7pm
Melvin Seals and JGB (3:30pm), Front Street and Friends (12:30pm), Check Engine Light (12:00pm)

The 2010 Outsound New Music Summit

Outsound Presents, the home grown artist nonprofit collective of the Bay-Area returns July 18th - 24th for the 9th Annual Outsound New Music Summit, one of the most comprehensive experimental music festivals on the West Coast with another unique roster of talent. The festival seeks to build on its reputation for diverse and critically-acclaimed performances with headliners that run the gamut from the films of Martha Colburn, multi-phonic drummer Alex Cline, the siren voices of Amy X Neuburg to the unabashed performance noise of Chen Santa Maria.

Every summer since 2002, the New Music Summit spends a week in July showcasing some of the most innovative and pioneering new music that is happening in California and beyond. At first a celebration of the eclectic vanguard artists on the DIY Edgetone Records Label, the Summit now features a broad range of artists from across the US, Europe, Australia and Japan. It features world premieres and exclusive debuts, raging free improvisers to microtonal composition to experimental electronics to harsh noise, reflecting an incredible range of genre busting exploration and sonic creativity. The Summit promotes intermedia, fostering cross-pollination between disciplines of music, sound art, visual and media arts. It is committed to bringing highly innovative music and art to a growing audience seeking a new experience.

The 9th Annual Outsound New Music Summit takes place July 18th through the 24th at the San Francisco Community Music Center, the Summit’s home for the past three years. The festival schedule includes the much anticipated yearly Touch the Gear tm, a free hands-on expo Sunday July 18th where attendees can experience new sounds and the devices that make them. A build your own cardboard synthesizer (Skatchbox) demonstration Monday July 19th with grandmaster instrument builder Tom Nunn, pre-concert artist talks, and four nights of music featuring a diverse lineup of artists.

The schedule includes a rare collaboration between Los Angeles iconoclast drummer Alex Cline and former Shadowfax ‘extended technique’ and ‘frequency manipulation’ guitarist G.E. Stinson. Performance vocal art by the Cornelius Cardew Choir, Amy X Neuburg, and “spoetry” (spam poetry) from Reconnaissance fly. The program also includes a full night of experimental films by musician conceptual artist Martha Colburn with music by pianist Thollem Mcdonas, and the internationally-exhibited 2009 60X60 Film Mix from Voxnovis featuring sixty local and international composers to film by Patrick Liddell in sixty minuets.

The mission of Outsound Presents is to raise public awareness of avant-garde and experimental music and sound art. All events and works supported by the organization focus on the creation of experimental music, avant-garde musical composition, found sound, improvisation, creative music, new music, noise, musique concrète, minimalism, invented instruments, genre-bending music, and sound that is sculptural or textural in nature. Outsound Presents events also include film, dance, and intermedia works. Through its two year around music series, its fledgling community education program OutSpoken, and a palette of artist services, Outsound Presents connects audiences to new work and the innovative artists creating it.

FESTIVAL HIGHLIGHTS

Sunday July 18: Touch the Gear
Ever wanted a closer look at the gear on stage? Wish you could try it yourself? Touch the Gear is Outsound’s free public OutSpoken event that allows audiences to roam among over 25 artists and their sonic inventions, asking questions, making noise and learning how these often one-of-a-kind set-ups work. It’s a hands-on, family-friendly environment that demystifies the technology while inspiring creativity. 7-10 pm

Monday July 19: How to build a Skatchbox - Demonstration
At this OutSpoken event participants will lean how to build their very own experimental musical instrument from a cardboard box. Inventor Tom Nunn will explain the techniques and demonstrate the processes used. 7-9pm

Wednesday July 21: Blurred Lines
Experimental films by Martha Colburn, with a live score by Thollem Mcdonas. Also, the internationally- exhibited 2009 60X60 Film Mix from Voxnovis.com, featuring sixty local and international composers to sixty one-minute films by Patrick Liddell.

Thursday July 22: Sound in a Blink
a night of free improvisational music with Hunt/Allen/Orr (featuring Joshua Allen, Timothy Orr, & Randy Hunt). Also, Emily Hay /Motoko Honda duo - and to top it off, legendary drummer Alex Cline with guitarist G.E. Stinson.

Friday July 23: MultiVox
A night of performances infused by voice and performance art with Reconnaissance Fly, the Cornelius Cardew Choir, and Amy X Neuburg.

Saturday July 24: Soundscapes
A night of sculpted noise art with phog masheeen, Headboggle, Kadet Khune, and Chen Santa Maria.

The 9th Annual Outsound New Music Summit
July 18 - 19 Free public events start at 7pm July 21 - 24
Artist Q&A: 7:30pm Music Performances start: 8:15pm
San Francisco Community Music Center 544 Capp Street (between 20th and 21st Streets) San Francisco, California
All Ages | Wheelchair Accessible July 21-24: $12 General ($10 advance) / $8 Student Festival Pass $45 ($40 advance)
Advance general tickets at In Ticketing http://www.inticketing.com/evinfo.php?eventid=97125

Béla Fleck's "Throw Down Your Heart - Part 2"

Béla Fleck is often considered the premier banjo player in the world. “Throw Down Your Heart - Africa Sessions Part 2” includes fourteen new songs recorded during his journey from Nashville to Mali, The Gambia, Tanzania and Uganda. Fleck's goal was to collaborate with incredible African musicians, and look into the origins of the banjo and banjo music. This is also Fleck's second installment of his African musical odyssey and his first experiment with the idea of going direct to the listener online; no record company middleman, a popular concept being used in today's digital music world. For now, his website is the only place you can find and download this fabulous album.

A New York City native, he picked up the banjo at age 15 after being awed by the bluegrass music of Flatt & Scruggs. While still in high school he began experimenting with playing bebop jazz on his banjo, mentored by fellow banjo renegade Tony Trischka. In 1980, he released his first solo album, Crossing the Tracks, with material that ranged from straight ahead bluegrass to Chick Corea’s “Spain.” In 1982, Fleck joined the progressive bluegrass band New Grass Revival, making a name for himself on countless solo and ensemble projects ever since as a virtuoso instrumentalist. In 1989 he formed the genre-busting Flecktones, with members equally talented and adventurous as himself.

Throw Down Your Heart, the third volume in Béla’s renowned Tales From the Acoustic Planet series, is his most ambitious project to date. In on-location collaborations with musicians from Uganda, Tanzania, Senegal, Mali, South Africa and Madagascar, Béla Fleck explores the African origins of the banjo, the prototype of which was brought to American shores by African slaves. Throw Down Your Heart is a companion to the award-winning film of the same name, which Béla and director Sascha Paladino are currently premiering at festivals nationwide. Transcending barriers of language and culture, Fleck finds common ground with musicians ranging from local villagers to international superstars such as the Malian diva Oumou Sangare to create some of the most meaningful music of his career.

The music on the album is as adventurous and varied as anything we’ve come to expect from Béla, ranging from the tradition-based opening track, performed with a group of Kenyan women singers, to the exquisite title track, performed with the Haruna Samake Trio and Bassekou Kouate from Mali. Basseko, who comes from a long line of Griot musicians, is an incredible improvising player who plays the n’goni, the Malian banjo. The music he and Béla make together is gentle and melodic. Equally modern is his duet with South African guitarist Vusi Mahlasela, who is simply known as ‘the voice’ (and what an awesome and expressive voice he has). His music connects South Africa’s Apartheid-scarred past with its promise for a better future.

Nothing can quite prepare the listener for the sound of the giant marimba played by the Muwewesu Xylophone Group in Uganda. Says Béla, “The marimba is reassembled every day, and it seems to be played by a set group of men. Each one plays a certain musical part in the group. I think there are other people who know each of the parts in case someone is unable, or unavailable to play. Also there seemed to be kids who were being taught parts. But a spot in the primary team seemed to be a very coveted spot, and the men who played in this group were very serious and very good. The village did join in – in large numbers, singing and playing flutes and fiddles and percussion instruments. They also danced.” It’s a sound of pure joy.

Another highlight is “Djorolen,” a duet with singer Oumou Sangare, who delivers a vocal that expresses heartbreaking beauty and sadness. “As she points out in this song,” says Béla, “it is often the orphans, those who have lost their parents when they are young, who have the greatest problems in life.”

“D’Gary Jam” is a fascinating amalgam that exemplifies the spirit of the album. Béla explains, “This track started its life in Nashville. We had a great jam one day, which went for 22 minutes straight, the whole take was really cool.

"This was in July, about 7 months before we went to Africa. I decided to bring the track along, and add people to it as we went, and even after the trip, a kind of science project, if you will. After things got added, I took some liberties with people’s parts and did a little audio sculpting.” Along with the great acoustic guitarist D’Gary, the track features, among others, Oumou Sangare, the legendary kora player Toumani Diabate, and Bassekou Kouyate."

As to the origins of the banjo, Béla comments, “When I went to Africa I found instruments and players that gave me a better sense of where the thing started. In Gambia and Mali in particular, I found what I was looking for!” This is especially apparent on the traditional song medley “Ajula/Mbamba,” performed by Béla and The Jatta Family from the Gambia. “The akonting could very well be the original banjo. Everyone around Banjul certainly seems to think so! Huge numbers of slaves came west from this area. We were told that the musicians were allowed to play these instruments on the slave ships, and that many lives were saved due to it.”

The 2010 Fillmore Jazz Festival

Every summer on July 4th weekend in San Francisco, Fillmore Street is home to the largest free jazz festival on the West Coast: The Fillmore Jazz Festival. The festival annually attracts more than 90,000 people from all over the City, the Bay Area, and beyond. Visitors gather to celebrate and enjoy a musical tradition of live jazz, rhythm and blues, and gospel as well as local culture and fine cuisine in the heart of the city by the bay. This year the Festival celebrates its 26th anniversary by once again blending art and soul from sunup to sundown, from Jackson to Eddy, presenting the music of old favorites as well as new ‘up and comers’ on multiple stages. You can also browse 13 blocks of fine arts and crafts, enjoy gourmet food and beverages, and participate in cooking demos by the Fillmore’s finest chefs.

Art and crafts include photography, painting, woodwork, metalwork, jewelry, pottery, clothing, hats, and children’s toys – over 200 artists and craftsmen. Delicious “street food” includes oysters, calamari, fish & chips, grilled chicken, bbq pork, jambalaya, tri-tip and even food from the new local restaurant, Out the Door. The event will also be pouring fine wine and beer. You can also participate in hourly cooking demos near the Fillmore Center Plaza, featuring chefs from noted local restaurants.

A Brief History

Against the backdrop of World War II, dozens of Fillmore Street Jazz clubs hosted the era's major musical talents, including Ella Fitzgerald, Duke Ellington, Count Basie, and Billie Holliday. Stars such as Joe Louis, Marilyn Monroe, Clint Eastwood and Sammy Davis, Jr. sparkled in the audience. At the legendary Jimbo's, Louis Armstrong went to check out Charlie Parker (the only known time they were under the same roof). Chet Baker snuck out of the Fort Mason barracks to jam all night, and John Handy played Bop City with John Coltrane.

In the 60s, Jazz historian David Rosenbaum ran the Melrose Record shop on Fillmore Street, employing high school student Maya Angelou. Zen Buddhism was first introduced to the West in the Fillmore, which became a creative home to artists including Isaac Stern, The Grateful Dead, Janis Joplin, Mel Blanc and Alan Ginsberg.

Although much changed following the area's redevelopment in the 1970's, the jazz spirit proved tenacious. In the 1980's, a renaissance gave rise to the next generation of the Fillmore District. Merchant associations helped launch the first Fillmore Jazz Festival in 1985, giving new expression to the storied neighborhood. In 1999, the festival came home to the newly revitalized Jazz Preservation District.

Performers who have graced Fillmore Street stages include Dr. Lonnie Smith, Denise Perrier, Lady Memphis, Kim Nalley, Pete Escovedo, Jules Broussard, Big Belly Blues Band, Brenda Boykin and Paula West.

Today, Fillmore Street once again hops with an acknowledging nod to the spirit that once filled the street. Boasting an eclectic mix of over 200 businesses: music clubs, shops and restaurants, it continues to echo the music of its birth, transcending boundaries, embracing diversity, and celebrating personal style.

2010 Fillmore Jazz Festival Entertainment Schedule

Saturday, July 3, 2010

California Street Stage
10:00 - 11:30: Farzad
12:00 - 1:30: Dave Rocha Quintet
2:00 - 3:30: Art Khu
4:00 - 6:00: Marcus Shelby Orchestra

Sutter Street Stage
10:00 - 11:30: Calvin Keys Trio
12:00 - 1:30: The Lost Cats
2:00 - 3:30: Brent Kimbrough Band
4:00 - 6:00: Pamela Joy Quintet

Eddy Street Stage
10:00 - 11:30: Curtis Lawson
12:00 - 1:30: Dynamic Four
2:00 - 3:30: Bobbie Webb
4:00 - 6:00: Native Elements

Jackson Street Entertainment Area
12:30 - 5:00: Bartron Tyler Group

O'Farrell Street Entertainment Area
10:00 - 12:00: The Jazz School Performance
12:00 - 6:00: San Francisco Balboa & Swing Festival

Sunday, July 4, 2010

California Street Stage
10:00 - 11:30: Dave Costa Trio
12:00 - 1:30: Houston Person
2:00 - 3:30: Kim Nalley
4:00 - 6:00: Fil Lorenz Orchestra

Sutter Street Stage
10:00 - 11:30: Russo Alberts Trio
12:00 - 1:30: Lloyd Gregory
2:00 - 3:30: Eric Muhler Jazz Quartet
4:00 - 6:00: Lisa Engelken Band

Eddy Street Stage
10:00 - 11:30: Consonance - (gospel group)
12:00 - 1:30: Eddie Gale
2:00 - 3:30: Manicato
4:00 - 6:00: Bayonics with special guest Big Brooklyn Red

Jackson Street Entertainment Area
12:30 - 5:00: Bartron Tyler Group

O'Farrell Street Entertainment Area
12:00 - 6:00: San Francisco Balboa & Swing Festival

Randy Weston Comes to the Jazz Heritage Center

After contributing six decades of musical direction and genius, Randy Weston remains one of the world's foremost pianists and composers today, a true innovator and visionary. Encompassing the vast rhythmic heritage of Africa, his global creations musically continue to inform and inspire. "Weston has the biggest sound of any jazz pianist since Ellington and Monk, as well as the richest most inventive beat," states jazz critic Stanley Crouch, "but his art is more than projection and time; it's the result of a studious and inspired intelligence... An intelligence that is creating a fresh synthesis of African elements with jazz technique". In partnership with the Museum of the African Diaspora, the Jazz Heritage Center will present a weekend focused on the life and music of jazz legend Randy Weston.

The Jazz Heritage Center will be showing two films about Randy Weston's life and will be featuring him in conversation with legendary jazz radio personality Dr. Herb Wong. On Sunday, June 27th, the Jazz Heritage Center will be featuring a special discussion with Randy Weston discussing his long career in jazz and the role of Africa in his music and life. He will also be discussing his new book, African Rhythms, slated for an October release. Prior to the discussion with Weston, the JHC will be showing, "Randy Weston on the Road," a 45-minute film which showcases Weston's lifetime journey from Brooklyn to Africa.

Randy Weston, born in Brooklyn, New York in 1926, didn't have to travel far to hear the early jazz giants that were to influence him. Though Weston cites Count Basie, Nat King Cole, Art Tatum, and of course, Duke Ellington as his other piano heroes, it was Monk who had the greatest impact. "He was the most original I ever heard," Weston remembers. "He played like they must have played in Egypt 5000 years ago."

Weston’s first recording as a leader came in 1954 on Riverside Records Weston plays Cole Porter - Cole Porter in a modern mood It was in the 50's when Randy Weston played around New York with Cecil Payne and Kenny Dorham that he wrote many of his best loved tunes, "Saucer Eyes," "Pam's Waltz," "Little Niles," and, "Hi-Fly." His greatest hit, "Hi-Fly," Weston (who is 6' 8") says, is a "tale of being my height and looking down at the ground.

Weston has never failed to make the connections between African and American music. His dedication is due in large part to his father, Frank Edward Weston, who told his son that he was, "an African born in America." "He told me I had to learn about myself and about him and about my grandparents," Weston said in an interview, "and the only way to do it was I'd have to go back to the motherland one day."

In the late 60's, Weston left the country. But instead of moving to Europe like so many of his contemporaries, Weston went to Africa. Though he settled in Morocco, he traveled throughout the continent tasting the musical fruits of other nations. One of his most memorable experiences was the 1977 Nigerian festival, which drew artists from 60 cultures. "At the end," Weston says, "we all realized that our music was different but the same, because if you take out the African elements of bossa nova, samba, jazz, blues, you have nothing... To me, it's Mother Africa's way of surviving in the new world."

Kudos to JHC Executive Director Peter Fitzsimmons for continuing to bring these stellar jazz legends to the Fillmore.

Randy Weston at the Jazz Heritage Center
6PM – 7PM Movie: Randy Weston On The Road
7PM – 8PM Interview/Q&A with Randy Weston

JHC Members: Free

Billy Cobham's "Palindrome"

Perhaps the most incredible drummer of our time is the world renown Billy Cobham. With a career spanning 4 decades, Cobham has performed with pianists Horace Silver and George Duke, legendary trumpeter Miles Davis, tenor saxophonist Stanley Turrentine, vibraphonist Milt Holland and jazz guitarist John McLaughlin, to name but a few. Cobham has also performed with the Grateful Dead and their tribute group, "Jazz is Dead", with the famed Peter Gabriel, Level 42 and many, many more. An inductee into the Percussive Arts Society Hall of Fame, Cobham is best known primarily for his jazz-rock drumming. Cobham’s latest release, “Palindrome” on the Multimedia Concepts label, is a return to those roots.

Percussionist, writer and educator Reid J. Kennedy reviewed Palindrome last January for the Jazz Police. It so closely echoed my own view of this album, that it bears quoting here. Kennedy writes, “The album opens with an updated arrangement of Cobham’s “Moon Germs,” originally released in 1975 on the Total Eclipse record. With its funky bassline, solid pocket, and tight horn lines, this track is a suitable microcosm for a majority of the album. “Moon Germs’” use of guitar and keyboard riffs is another common thread within Cobham’s arrangements. “Two For Juan,” revisited from 1987’s Picture This, opens with a driving theme played over the drummer’s relentless backbeat. The combination of instrumentation and melodic material produce a theme suitable for an action sequence on Miami Vice.

The tune takes a different direction as keyboardist Christophe Cravero and trombonist Marshall Gilkes take turns blowing over an interlude prior to the return of the initial groove and guitar solo. A mountain climb toward the original theme ensues, not complete without some space for Cobham. “Obliquely Speaking” is one of five new compositions on the album, though it bares multiple similarities to “Two For Juan.” The use of steel pan adds a tropical flavor to this track.

By the fourth tune, “Isle of Skye,” the ensemble sound is firmly in place. Listeners know what to expect at this point, and those in search of groove-oriented music with a Latin tinge will not be disappointed. This second new composition on Palindrome offers a few calming moments when the music breathes a relaxing sigh. “A Day’s Grace,” from 1981’s Flight Time, begins softly before giving way to the straight-eight feel that propels the tune. Guitar, keyboard, and violin all receive solo space before the melody returns. Percussionist Marco Lobo adds some tasteful rhythms to the conclusion. Riff-based “Mirage” is reminiscent of the Dave Weckl Band with shades of Dave Holland with Billy Kilson, and even recordings of Michel Camilo. It was originally recorded on the Focused album in 1997.

A close listen to “Cancun Market” reveals the level of intricacy that encompasses many of the melodies Cobham composes. Nearly two minutes of syncopated rhythms comprise the head and give way to a steel pan solo played by Wilbert “Junior” Gill from Cobham’s “Culturemix” band. Guitar and keyboard solos follow thereafter, prior to the head out. “Torpedo Flo” is in six and morphs through a variety of grooves and feels in that time signature.

Trombonist Gilkes returns for a tasteful ride over Cobham’s relaxed, pseudo-samba feel that continues during the keyboard solo, as well. “Alfa Waves,” originally from 1995’s The Traveler, is a samba in three and features the “string” section of the group. Bassist Philippe Chayeb, who is solid throughout the entire album, opens the blowing and is followed by violin and guitar solos. It should be noted that the violin parts are played by keyboardist Cravero. Interestingly, this tune is placed directly after the only other tune in three (or six) on the record. “Saippuakivikauppias,” the palindrome song, concludes the album. The catch here is that, like the title, the tune is the same forward and backward.”

All in all, Palindrome is a softer Cobham album and as Kennedy noted, many of the songs are from Cobham’s thirty year catalogue. I recognized many of the strains from Cobham’s earlier albums, particularly “Total Eclipse”, “Life and Times” and “Inner Conflicts”. For me, Palindrome combines all of the elements of Cobham’s rich musical past, from the ‘70s era of the Brecker Brothers to the Culturemix band of 2003 with Junior Gill.

Kennedy rightly concluded, “Cobham’s Palindrome looks into the past while moving forward with contemporary ideas. There is no denying the drummer’s ability to play in the pocket, and with this release, he has made clear his musical preferences as they stand in 2010.”