D.C. al fine: Bud Shank

Saxophonist Bud Shank died yesterday at age 82 at his home in Tuscon, ending an amazing 60-year career.
I don't know where or when I first heard of Bud Shank, or heard Bud Shank, but he was the kind of jazzbo who seemed to always be around. He wasn't what one might consider an "A" list name, but his was an unforgettable name.
I plan to listen to his last release, 2007's "Beyond the Red Door" on Jazzed Media. Billboard gave it 4 out of 5 stars, and I'd agree. He would have been 79 or 80 at the time of the recording, but you'd never know it from his still-throaty sound. Bud wasn't the horn player to call for smooth fills, or soft backing -- I haven't heard all that much of his playing, but he always sounded like he was playing with energy and enjoyment. He was inventive when playing familiar lines, and dynamic when crafting his own solos.
Here's the Associated Press' report on Bud Shank:

TUCSON, Ariz. (AP) — Bud Shank, a flutist and alto saxophonist who worked with such famous acts as the Mamas and the Papas, has died. He was 82.
Shank died Thursday of pulmonary failure at his home in Tucson, according to his Web site and JazzTimes magazine. No phone numbers were listed for Shank's home.
A native of Dayton, Ohio, Shank worked with saxophonist Charlie Barnet in North Carolina before moving to California in the 1940s. There, he played with trumpeter Shorty Rogers and then pianist Stan Kenton.
Shank was one of the first jazz musicians to explore Brazilian music, and recorded a number for World Pacific, a world music label, from the 1950s to the 1970s, according to JazzTimes.
During his career, Shank worked with Sergio Mendes and the Mamas and the Papas. His flute work is heard in the latter's song, "California Dreamin.'"
Shank reached the Billboard charts in 1966 with his album Michelle, a collection of covers of pop hits.
More recently, Shank focused on his alto work and formed the Bud Shank Big Band in 2007. Shank was recording a new album in San Diego the day before he died.

A new jazz basement

There was a time when young musicians could play and practice as much as 18 hours a day -- in his biography "We called it Music," Eddie Condon said he and his pals in 1930s New York would get up in the middle of the afternoon, go to a paying gig, then head out in search of jams that would often last until daybreak.
Minton's Club in Harlem was a well-known after-hours destination for boppers in the late-40s and 1950s.
These opportunities gave rise to the great virtuosity of many musicians, and it's very difficult for players today to get anywhere near the same experience.
Up in North Jersey, Cory Dinkle is trying to hoping to create an open environment for jazz fans and players -- he posted an ad on Craigslist to see if anyone was interested. So far, he said he's gotten about a dozen responses -- now, they just need a location.
I wonder if anything like that would survive here ...

Ever have a song get in your ear ...

...and you can't get it out? This happens to me most often when I'm working on a song, trying to get the melody and harmonic structure to stick. Earlier this week, I came a cross an arrangement of "Fly me to the moon" by Ted Greene, who was a phenomenal guitarist. After playing the song few times, I kept hearing the melody, singing it about the house and then digging out CDs with recordings of it ... a recording by Paula West on Verve is my favorite at the moment -- I love the way she plays with the melody.

Parents, teach your children well

And teach them jazz ... a great way to start is with the WBGO Kids Jazz Concerts series, Saturdays at 12:30 p.m. These free shows, held at a variety of venues, will introduce jazz and jazz culture to kids. Check out the schedule at http://www.wbgo.org/, click on "events."

Thursday, April 2
Shanghai Jazz in Madison has a treat tonight: Gene Bertoncini will be onstage in the Bob Litwak Trio, with clarinetist Ron Odrich. www.shanghaijazz.com
The Rowan University Lab Band and Big Band will perform in the school’s Pfleeger Concert Hall. The show is free; begins at 8 p.m.

Friday, April 3
Peddie School’s Jazz Friday series continues with Guillermo Nojechowicz and El Eco, hosted by the Community Arts Partnership at 8 p.m. in Hightstown. Tickets are $25 — call 609-490-7550 to reserve. Read more about El Eco here
Guitarist Dick Gratton will be at the Chambers Walk Cafe on main Street in Lawrenceville, with sets at 6 p.m. and 9 p.m.
The Barry Levitt Trio, featuring guest saxophonist Zan Stewart, will be performing at the South Brunswick Jazz Café, 8 p.m. to 10 p.m. at the Herb Eckert Auditorium in the South Brunswick Senior Center, Friday. The trio is filling in for vocalist Marlene VerPlanck, who had to cancel due to an emergency. Admission is just $5, and light refreshments are available.
The Trenton Marriott at 1 West Lafayette, will have live jazz music from 5:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. No cover.

Saturday, April 4
Dick Gratton will be at The Farnsworth House in Bordentown from 7 p.m. to 10 p.m.

The New Jersey Jazz Society is hosting a Night of Jazz at the Theatre at
Raritan Valley Community College in North Branch, featuring Five
Play, Rio Clemente, vocalist Frank Noviello and Mark O’Connor at 7 p.m. April 4.
Tickets are $20 and $25 and are available at the box of´
fice by calling 908-725-3420.

Sunday, April 5

Dick Gratton makes his regular appearance at Hightstown's Sunday Jazz Brunch at Bistro Soleil, 173 Mercer St. Sets at 11 a.m. and 3 p.m.
The Somerset Jazz Consortium hosts a jam session from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. every Sunday at PJ's Coffee on Raritan Avenue in Highland Park.
Patriots Theater at the War Memorial presents "Red, White, Blue, Ragtime Revue," with Dave Wickerham, organ, and Dick Kroekel, piano, at 3 p.m. The show is being presented by the Garden State Theatre Organ Society. Tickets are $15 for adults, $13 seniors and children – call the box office at 609-984-8400. For more information, click here

Monday, April 6
Bill Charlap, Peter Bernstein, Ravi Coltrane, Lewis Nash, Nicholas Payton, Peter Washington and Steve Wilson will be at McCarter Theater for the Blue Note 70th Anniversary concert. Could you ask for anyone more? Go to http://www.mccarter.org/ to get your tickets.

Tuesday, April 7
Rhythms of the Night hosts one part of the Somerset Jazz Consortium at 7 p.m. (there's no cover!), while other members of the consortium head to the Home Town Buffet on Route 1 in Edison for a jam session from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. (Musicians: Check out the rules of the road for the sessions before going.

Wednesday, April 8
Cedar Walton, Javon Jackson, Buster Williams and Jimmy Cobb open a four-night engagement at the Iridium. http://www.iridiumjazzclub.com/

Thursday, April 9
New Jersey Jazz Society presents the Rowan University Lab Band and Big Band at Pfeeger Concert Hall at 8 p.m. -- it's a free show!

Get ready for JAM

Each year since 2002, the Smithsonian Institution designates April as Jazz Appreciation Month in honor of the birth of Benny Goodman. It's a great opportunity to catch some fine music at a nearby venue, or dig deeper into the musicians you dig.
Click here to visit the National Museum of American History's Jazz Appreciation Month Web page, with links to calendars and events going on.
But everyone's getting in on it -- click here for WBGO's plans to celebrate.