Guy Jones Interviews Jim Tomlinson in Stockholm, Parts II and III

Jim Tomlinson photographed by Goio Villanueva

As noted in earlier posts in Jazz Flashes, my Stockholm-based confrère Guy Jones, founder of the reissue label Fog Arts Records, has had the chance to interview Jim Tomlinson on three separate occasions that the British saxophonist/flutist visited the Swedish capital along with his wife, American vocalist Stacey Kent. You will find the first part of their conversation here. Back in 2018, a mere five months after their first meeting, Guy recorded a follow-up to their conversation, pretty much picking up where they'd previously left off. The second part of their chat was recorded at Stockholm's Humlegården and is a perfect companion to the first, since the two of them cover some different ground, but it was not to be the last. Being a frequent visitor to Scandinavia, Tomlinson met up with Guy for a third time at the same spot a year later, in October 2019, and on that occasion the discussion centered around British jazz greats such as Dudley Moore, Tubby Hayes, Johnny Dankworth, and Cleo Laine, among many others. All three podcasts, which may be found on the Fog Arts YouTube channel, should be of interest to serious jazz enthusiasts. The second part is available at the end of this post for your listening pleasure, while the third installment may be accessed here.

JIM TOMLINSON IN CONVERSATION WITH GUY JONES, Part II

Jazz Flashes Podcast: Drummer and Jazz Journalist Steven Cerra

Steven Cerra (Photo: Melody Cerra)

Any jazz fan who follows blogs currently published about the genre is surely acquainted with Steven Cerra's Jazz Profiles and the very informative, in-depth articles about jazz musicians that he offers there. The length and thoroughness of the posts, some of which comprise in excess of 100 pages of written text, make this blog unique and one of the most interesting on the internet. Rather than giving an overview of a style or of the history of jazz, Mr. Cerra is interested in focusing on individual performers, many of whom are rather obscure and not written about very often. This is a feature that has always attracted me to his blog, and for a while I've been wanting to interview him for an episode of the Jazz Flashes Podcast. That came together a couple of months ago, when he joined me for a chat from his home in Southern California, and you may hear the episode at the end of this brief post. As a drummer, Mr. Cerra was there during the heyday of West Coast jazz, in the 1950s and '60s, and throughout our conversation he reminisces about the West Coast scene and speaks fondly of musicians he knew personally, such as vibraphonist-pianist Victor Feldman or ace drummer Shelly Manne. He also elaborates on the rationale for the writing of his blog posts and speaks passionately about the past, the present, and the future of jazz. It was a pleasure for me to have Mr. Cerra as a guest on the podcast, and it's my hope that all readers of Jazz Flashes will find this episode interesting and engaging.

Guy Jones Interviews Jim Tomlinson in Stockholm, Part I

Jim Tomlinson and Stacey Kent

I've recently heard that my good friend Guy Jones, founder of the Stockholm-based jazz reissue label Fog Arts and occasional guest on the Jazz Flashes Podcast, has had the chance to interview the great British saxophonist and flutist Jim Tomlinson. The interview took place back in May 2018 in the lobby of the Scandic Grand hotel in the Swedish capital, which Tomlinson visited with his wife, American singer Stacey Kent, to play a few dates and give a talk on the collaboration between the two of them and Nobel laureate Kazuo Ishiguro.

Fog Arts founder and manager Guy Jones

Tomlinson is a versatile and engaging player who began his performing and recording career in the 1980s and who is well known via his albums as a leader, as well as his frequent collaborations with Kent on her critically acclaimed records. This 88-minute conversation offers a great deal of insight into the British reedman's art, covering all sorts of topics related to Tomlinson's life and illustrious musical career. The first part of the interview has been made available as a podcast on SoundCloud and on the Fog Arts YouTube channel, and readers of Jazz Flashes may access it at the end of this post. A second part of the conversation is forthcoming, and we're eagerly awaiting it.

Jazz Flashes Podcast: Chris Byars on His New CD, New York City Jazz

The sound of Chris Byars's band is forcibly changing due to the fact that his guitarist, Pasquale Grasso, hitherto one of the anchors of Byars's approach to jazz, has signed an exclusive recording contract of his own and is thus leaving the group. The New York-based saxophonist adheres to the motto that one shouldn't try to replace what's irreplaceable, and so he will be modifying the sound of his combo following the guitarist's departure. That's one of the many reasons why Byars's latest CD release, New York City Jazz (SteepleChase, 2018) is a must—because it captures the sound of this particular sextet for what may well be the last time.

Cut in December 2016, the album finds Byars playing alto sax and flute in the comfortable company of Grasso on guitar, John Mosca on trombone, Stefano Doglioni on bass clarinet, Ari Roland on bass, and Stefan Schatz on drums. The program is bookended by two rather obscure compositions by Gigi Gryce ("Transfiguration" and "B.G.'s Holiday") and includes a beautiful ballad by Freddie Redd ("Dawn in the City"), two names that have influenced Byars greatly. "The General's Song" is a curiosity that the saxophonist learned from Saudi Arabian musician Tarek Abdel-Hakim during the course of one of his many trips overseas as a jazz ambassador for the U.S. State Department. The rest of the tracks are all Byars originals, and they are prime examples of his talent as a composer, as well as of the variety and depth of his influences: from the slow, intimate "Bridge of Locks," a melody that borders on the tone poem, to the jumpy "Quick Turnaround" and "Hot Dog." "Chess" is another bouncy number that references Byars's son's mastery of that ages-old game, and the Midde Eastern-sounding "No Message," one of the highlights of the set, is actually inspired on ancient traditional tune from Bahrain. On the whole, this new album by Byars is a testament to the rich music of this world-traveling saxophonist, as well as to the consummate musicianship of his magnificent band, with plenty of solos from everyone involved and a great deal of excellent bowed bass from Roland. A definite winner that serious jazz fans should seek out.

We recently caught Byars at his NYC apartment right before a recording session, and we had the chance to chat with him for about an hour for a new episode of the Jazz Flashes Podcast. Throughout the conversation we addressed the album, the impending changes in his band, and the impact that this will have on the sound of the tracks for a forthcoming new CD that we are impatiently awaiting. Hoping that the episode will be of interest to Jazz Flashes readers, it's available in its entirety here below.

Jazz Flashes Podcast: Interview with John Radanovich on Cuban Singer Benny More

In his native Cuba, vocalist Benny More (whose first name was sometimes spelled as "Beny" on record covers and whose nickname was "El Barbaro del Ritmo," i.e. "The Wildman of Rhythm") has transcended his status as a popular singer to become an iconic figure, someone who is still spoken of with reverence many decades after his untimely death in 1963. And there's good reason for that, judging by the handful of phenomenal recordings he made in the 1950s and by the few videos of live performances that have survived, many of which may be enjoyed on YouTube. Though he came from a humble background and had no formal musical training, he had a fantastic ear for music and composed unforgettable melodies such as "Que Bueno Baila Usted" or "Santa Isabel de las Lajas," among many others that have become standards of Cuban music. More was comfortable in very different settings: he drew heavily on his African roots for his rhythm tunes, got a great deal of inspiration from American big bands, and was a master of the more romantic bolero. Moreover, on stage he was quite the showman, a fiery performer who always knew how to get the best out of his musicians and who would become one of Havana's most exciting performers at a very exciting time in Cuban music--the late 1940s and the 1950s. When More sings, the listener simply has to stop and listen intently, almost mesmerized by his voice and irresistible charisma.

John Radanovich

Florida-based music critic John Radanovich, who over the decades has written for prestigious publications such as Off-Beat and Downbeat, became enthralled by More's music and personality to such an extent that he spent 15 years researching his life, including visits to Cuba at a time when it wasn't as easy for Americans to have access to the island as it may be today. The result is the only English-language biography of More, Wildman of Rhythm: The Life and Music of Benny More (University Press of Florida, 2009), a carefully researched and highly enjoyable book that is the perfect introduction to More the artist, the person, and the icon. A few weeks ago, Mr. Radanovich kindly agreed to guest on a new episode of the Jazz Flashes Podcast, and we had the chance to discuss in depth both his book and his love for More's music. The whole conversation, which I found extremely interesting, is now available to the readers of Jazz Flashes on the video below.

Jazz Flashes Podcast: Interview with Jazz Pianist Marc Devine

Marc Devine performing at Smalls

Not long ago I published a blog post in which I reviewed Inspiration, the debut album as a leader by New York-based pianist Marc Devine, a trio outing alongside bassist Hide Tanaka and drummer Fukushi Tainaka. Shortly after the review was published, Devine agreed to guest on a new episode of the Jazz Flashes Podcast and joined me from NYC to discuss the CD, his life and career, and his views on jazz and the current New York jazz scene, among many other topics. The entire 85-minute conversation is now available here below for any readers who may be interested in listening to it. For more information about the Marc Devine Trio and their excellent, swing-drenched debut album, please visit Devine's homepage.

Jazz Flashes Podcast - Malcolm Macfarlane on Bing Crosby's Christmas Recordings

Despite the size and depth of his recorded output, forty years after his passing on a golf course in Madrid, Spain, Bing Crosby is still mostly remembered by the general public for his holiday recordings, especially the many he made for Decca Records between the 1930s and 1940s. These are classic readings of tunes that have become popular Yuletide standards, such as "I'll Be Home for Christmas," "It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas," and most of all, Irving Berlin's "White Christmas." Several years ago I wrote about these here.

Malcolm Macfarlane, co-editor of the ICC's BING Magazine

As the holiday season approaches, I've had the chance to sit down with my friend Malcolm Macfarlane, British co-editor of BING Magazine, the journal of the International Club Crosby, to discuss at length the importance of Crosby's Christmas output. On this new episode of the Jazz Flashes Podcast, Malcolm and I cover Bing's classic Decca sides, but we also delve into his holiday movies (1942's Holiday Inn and 1954's White Christmas), Christmas radio and television specials, and other holiday albums he made in the 1960s and 1970s, including I Wish You a Merry Christmas (1962) and A Time to Be Jolly (1971). All of these are the perfect records to get in a holiday mood Crosby-style. If you're interested in listening to our whole 75-minute program, it's available at the end of this post.

Like every year, Jazz Flashes would like to wish our entire readership around the world the happiest (and jazziest) of holidays! Thanks for your attention!

New Releases: Roger Davidson's Prayer for Tomorrow (with interview)

French-born American jazz pianist Roger Davidson has spent his whole career dabbling in several different kinds of music, from Caribbean to tango to classical. But his true passion, both personally and musically, has always been Brazil, as we can infer from his latest album, Oração para amanhã/Prayer for Tomorrow (Soundbrush Records, 2017). Davidson was born in Paris but soon moved to the United States and settled in the northeast, where he has been performing throughout his life. His music, always inventive and eclectic, has merited the enthusiastic approval of renowned jazz critics such as Will Friedwald, who has written that Davidson's new record features "brilliant musicians [and] great music."

Hendrik Meurkens

Davidson, who started his own label, Soundbrush, as an outlet to release different types of music that he enjoys and is passionate about, is surrounded here by some of the best Brazilian musicians on the current New York scene. Recorded live at NYC's Zinc Bar over the course of several dates in May and October 2016, the album finds Davidson in the company of his new trio—bassist Eduardo Belo and drummer Adriano Santos. The addition of the German-born Hendrik Meurkens on harmonica and vibraphone is welcome indeed, particularly since it brings variety and class to the proceedings with the inclusion of an instrument, the harmonica, that one doesn't get to hear often enough on jazz records these days.

The album showcases twelve of Davidson's new Brazilian-styled compositions whose freshness and diversity of rhythms and approaches always keep the listener interested. The interplay between the four participants is flawless and always full of little surprises here and there, and Meurkens's vibraphone and harmonica blend perfectly well with the overall sound of the trio, making it fuller and more attractive. Prayer for Tomorrow is a welcome addition to the catalog of Davidson's Brazilian outings (The 2003 Richard Rodgers songbook Rodgers in Rio is another good example of what the pianist can do with Brazilian rhythms) and will definitely leave the listener longing for more. Fortunately, Davidson is already working on more music in a similar vein with this same trio. A few weeks ago, Davidson joined us from a French restaurant in New York for a new episode of the Jazz Flashes Podcast. You may listen to the whole conversation, which was extremely interesting despite some minor technical issues, here:

Jazz Flashes Podcast: A Conversation with Jazz Discographer & Historian Noal Cohen

Rochester-born jazz discographer, historian, and musician Noal Cohen first heard the sounds of jazz at a very early age and was instantly hooked. And even though there were other interests in his life, he has devoted a big part of his time to listening to, playing, and studying this music, particularly the bop and hard bop of the 1950s and '60s. Now that he's retired and lives in Montclair, NJ, he has undertaken several important projects. One of them is his website, Noal Cohen's Jazz History Website, which features thorough, painstakingly researched discographies of jazz greats such as Gigi Gryce, Johnny Hartman, Elmo Hope, Lucky Thompson, Frank Strozier, Teddy Charles, and Herb Geller, among others. The site is also a treasure trove of LP covers from his extensive jazz record collection and information about the 1950s Rochester, NY, jazz scene, which was extremely active. His other project is a book he has co-authored with his friend Michael Fitzgerald—Rat Race Blues: The Musical Life of Gigi Gryce, the definitive Gryce biography, which has already reached its second edition.

I recently had the chance to chat with Noal about his life, his invaluable work as a jazz historian and discographer, and his personal views on jazz and its history, when he guested on the sixth episode of the Jazz Flashes Podcast. During our lengthy conversation, which ended up lasting for about two hours, Noal and I discussed his excellent Gigi Gryce biography (which he had already written about a few months ago in The Vintage Bandstand, here), his laborious discographical research on some lesser-known jazz greats from the '50s and '60s, his own work as a jazz drummer, and the many reasons why the Eisenhower years can be considered a golden era of high-quality jazz, among several other topics. I'd like to thank Noal for guesting on the podcast and for his time; our conversation was quite a thrill for me, and if you are interested in listening to it, you may access it in its entirety here:

Jazz Flashes Podcast: A Conversation with New York Saxophonist Chris Byars

Multi-instrumentalist Chris Byars has been very active in the New York jazz scene for several decades now. Though he is better known as a saxophonist, Byars also plays the flute and the clarinet, and he has done extensive work as a composer, arranger, and bandleader, as shown by a recent gig directing the WDR Big Band in Germany for a lovely concert celebrating the centennial of Thelonious Monk. Byars possesses a deep knowledge of the history of jazz and has devoted albums to revising and furthering the legacy of great jazzmen from the past who are somewhat neglected these days, like Gigi Gryce, Lucky Thompson, and Duke Jordan, to name but three. He has also been very active as a teacher and a world traveler, and as a Jazz Ambassador for the U.S. State Department, has brought live jazz music and musical education to over sixty countries across the globe. Byars took some time off his busy schedule to guest on a new episode of the Jazz Flashes Podcast, which you may access in its entirety here:

During our two-hour conversation we had time to cover a lot of ground, from reminiscing about Byars's first encounter with jazz to sharing memories about his jazz-related treks around the world to musing about the form and meaning of New York jazz. But we also had time to discuss three recent CD releases by Byars, all of them on the Danish SteepleChase label. The latest one, The Music of Frank Strozier (2017), is devoted to compositions by the underrated Memphis saxophonist arranged by Byars. Two Fives (2015) clearly shows the two sides of Byars's artistry: five tracks from jazz greats like Tadd Dameron and Duke Jordan, paired with five Byars originals that acknowledge the past of jazz while looking toward the future. Finally, With Due Respect (2016) is a date by legendary pianist Freddie Redd, now octogenarian, with arrangements provided by Byars. All three albums feature outstanding musicians such as Pasquale Grasso, Ari Roland, Stefano Doglioni, John Mosca, and Chris's father James Byars. It was an absolute pleasure to have the chance to converse with Chris Byars, and I hope the readers enjoy listening to our chat as much as I enjoyed being a part of it!

A Conversation with Guy Jones about Jan Lundgren's New Digital Reissues

Jan Lundgren

The Stockholm-based Fog Arts label has recently reissued three long-deleted albums by Swedish jazz pianist Jan Lundgren as digital downloads. I've already reviewed one of them in Jazz Flashes not too long ago, Jan Lundgren Trio Plays the Music of Victor Young. The other two are JLT Plays the Music of Jule Style and Something to Live For, the latter a Duke Ellington and Billy Strayhorn songbook. All three albums are available for download and streaming on all major internet platforms, and the Fog Arts people have further titles by Lundgren slated for digital reissue in the near future. For one of the episodes of the Jazz Flashes Podcast, which is available on YouTube and Podbean, I spoke with my good friend Guy Jones, the director of the Friends of Jan Lundgren fan club and General Manager of the newly formed Fog Arts label. You may listen to the whole conversation here:

Guy Jones

Throughout the podcast, Guy reminisces about how he became interested in Lundgren's music, how he started the Lundgren fan club, and how this new music venture came about. We also talk at length about the three Lundgren albums that are now available again after so many years thanks to the efforts of Fog Arts. All three CDs are highly recommendable and feature excellent guests such as singers Mark Murphy, Stacey Kent, and Deborah Brown, and legendary tenorman Johnny Griffin. I hope you enjoy the interview, and if so, please stay tuned for similar podcasts in the future!