The Illicit Sextet Reunion

When: Friday, July 24, 2009 • Where: Artists' Quarter • Who: Steve Kenny, trumpet; Paul Harper, saxophone; David Roos, guitar; Chris Lomheim, piano; Tom Pieper, bass; Nathan Norman, drums

The band with the unforgettable name formed in the late 1980s, played a steady gig at O'Gara's in St. Paul for years, underwent personnel changes (one of the co-founders moved to New York), released their first and only recording, Chapter One, in 1993, was named Best Jazz Instrumental Group in the 1993 Minnesota Music Awards, and gave its final performance of the 20th century in 1997.

Twelve years later, they're back at the AQ for two nights.

In the 1990s, Jim Meyer famously dubbed them "the Cadillac of local jazz," and now I know why: Their music is a smooth ride, and not in a bad way. Their book is all originals and all the tunes are new to me; I missed them in the 90s and I'm here tonight because they're part of local jazz history and Lomheim is one of my favorite pianists.

As they play their first lengthy set (they start shortly after 9 and end at 11), people keep coming in until the house is SRO. We hear a tune by Dave Roos, then one by Tom Pieper called "Tribute" dedicated to Tom Harrell, the title track to their CD, a tango by Roos called "Entangoments," Lomheim's "Izzy & Lambchop," Pieper's "Pardon Who?," dedicated to George Bush Sr., and Kenny's "Little Big Horn."

Each tune is intro'd and outro'd by Kenny, who must have attended the same school of patter as Dave King: he's chatty, funny, and off the wall. We learn, for example, that "the Minnesota Music Awards went straight to our heads and we didn't play again for twelve years," that "Entangoments" is "twenty years old; it's in college now," that Lomheim's tune is "about sock puppets," and that "it's kind of creepy to thank people for showing up at a compelling jazz performance, but this is our national art form and I'm a patriot."

Did they get together and practice before this weekend's reunion, or did they just fall into step all over again? They play like old friends who are playing for old friends, which many audience members probably are. I've never heard any of this music before but I'm happy hearing it now. Listen to the mp3 at Kelly Bucheger's website. (Saxophonist Bucheger is the member who moved to NY; he's not here tonight, but he keeps the best and only web page about the group.) According to the facebook page, "the group has recently reunited." Does that mean there will be a Chapter Two?

Photos: The Illicit Sextet now (to come); the Illicit Sextet then

Debbie Duncan at the Dakota

When: Thursday, Jan. 8, 2008 • Where: Dakota • Who: Debbie Duncan, voice; Chris Lomheim, piano; Adam Linz, bass; Daryl Boudreaux, percussion; Kevin Washington, drums

We see Debbie Duncan at Barbara Morrison's show on Monday, then return to the Dakota on Thursday for Debbie and her quartet. We arrive in time for "Over Dere," a song for which I usually have little patience but I like pretty much whatever Debbie sings.

She moves effortlessly from song to song, style to style. And she knows how to get the best out of whatever band she plays with. There are moments tonight of pure magic when the energy can't get any higher or the music any better--during "After All" ("Mornin' Mr. Radio, mornin' little Cheerios, mornin' sister Oriole"), and during Debbie's own arrangement of "Afro Blue," accompanied only by Boudreaux and Washington. Voice-and-percussion now seems like the perfect way to do this song.



She sings "Love, Look Away" from Flower Drum Song and a swinging version of Cole Porter's "It's All Right with Me," ornamented at the end with scatting. And "Misty," a tune we've all heard a zillion times but not like this: She sings around the melody, not on it. Occasionally she lands on a melody note, but only briefly, like she's touching ground between flights.

In homage to jazz legend James Moody, who comes to the Dakota on Monday and Tuesday (Jan. 12-13), she performs "Moody's Mood for Love," which inspires an introduction. "Personally," she says, "I think this is one of the sexiest songs ever written, yet it leaves something to the imagination. It's one of those songs you put on when you're trying to get from point A to point Z in the course of an evening." Her between-songs patter is warm and engaging.

"Teach Me Tonight" is soulful and sincere, playful and bluesy; she ends with "Teach me! I'm willing!" and sends us out into the night. She's back at the Dakota on the 20th in "4 Women for Obama" with Yolande Bruce, Ginger Commodore, and Tonia Hughes-Kendrick, then again on February 7 with Adi Yeshaya. Debbie, do your many fans a solid and update your schedule on your Web site so we know where else to find you.

Photos by John Whiting.

Jon Pemberton Tribute to Lee Morgan

When: 4/11/08
Where: Artists' Quarter
Who: Jon Pemberton (trumpet and flugelhorn), Jim Marentic (tenor sax), Chris Lomheim (piano), Tom Lewis (bass), Kenny Horst (drums)

I've seen Pemberton play at least once before, with Chris Thomson at Rogue Buddha, but never as a leader. And I like the little I know about Lee Morgan's music. His CD The Sidewinder, recorded for Blue Note in 1963 with Billy Higgins on drums, is one of my faves.

Charles Lloyd always called Billy Higgins "Master Higgins" and I can't see his name without hearing "Master."

Since this is a Morgan tribute, all of the music we hear tonight was either written by him or associated with him in some way. It's an evening of solid hard bop (soulful, bluesy, muscular jazz with fairly simple melodies; I've probably put my foot in it with such a minimalist definition, but there it is and comments are welcome). We hear "Something Cute," "Afreaka" (which Cedar Walton wrote for Morgan), and "The Double Up." Lewis is the Zen timekeeper, the Buddha of the bass, a picture of serenity yet completely in the groove.



Several of us request "Sidewinder" and get it in the second set. It's a tune that seems very similar to Herbie Hancock's "Watermelon Man," relaxed and easy. "Sidewinder" is a 10-minute track on the original CD and that has never been too long for me. I could put "Sidewinder" and "Watermelon Man" and Horace Silver's "Song for my Father" and Jimmy Smith's "The Sermon" on one CD and play it over and over again and be happy. All hard bop.

Throughout the night, Lomheim, Lewis and Horst look often at each other, as jazz musicians do. Pemberton communicates with his band but he also watches the crowd, makes eye contact, checks us out. Marentic seems both part of the group and off on a planet of his own. At one point, Pemberton nods and gestures to Lomheim, which looks a lot like "Your turn for a solo." Lomheim bends over the keys and Marentic takes off on his saxophone. No problem, Lomheim comps, but it's interesting to see.



Good band, good music, good night overall. Here's "Sidewinder" live courtesy of Don Berryman.



Photos by John Whiting.

Jaleel Shaw

When: 3/7 and 3/8/08
Where: Artists’ Quarter
Who: Jaleel Shaw (alto saxophone), Chris Lomheim (piano), Billy Peterson (bass), Kenny Horst (drums)

After a blistering performance on Thursday 3/6 with the Roy Haynes Quartet, saxophonist Jaleel Shaw moved to the Artists’ Quarter for the weekend. I previewed his Twin Cities shows for MinnPost last week and had the chance to interview him by phone when he was still in NYC.

When he told me one of his goals for his own playing was to stay rooted, like Roy Haynes has, I asked him, “Who are your roots?”

Charlie Parker, Bobby Watson, Grover Washington, Johnny Hodges, Sonny Stitt. Right now I’m listening to a lot of tenor players, like Sonny Rollins, Coltrane, Dexter Gordon, Von Freeman, Dewey Redman, Joe Lovano, Joe Henderson. I always try to keep my ear open, to keep everything open. I’m listening to a lot of piano players lately, like Lenny Tristano, Herbie Hancock, McCoy, Keith Jarrett, Brad Mehldau.

Shaw has been to the AQ before, both with Haynes and on his own. He has played with Kenny Horst but never with Lomheim or Peterson (whom he introduces as “Bill” on both evenings). The music is as fine as what Shaw has taught us to expect in his previous appearances: fresh, imaginative straight-ahead standards and original compositions, played with confidence and a clear, strong tone. Tunes include “I Remember April,” “Bemsha Swing,” “I Can’t Get Started,” “Darn This Dream,” Cannonball Adderley’s “Nardis,” Joe Henderson’s “Inner Urge,” and selections from Shaw's new CD, Optimism.

Shaw brings out the best in the other members of the quartet. Everyone seems to be enjoying himself, and Billy Peterson draws my attention again and again; each bass solo tells its own story. As does each of the shirts he wears, but that’s another topic.

Davis Wilson, beloved AQ doorman, introduces the second night by inviting us all to share in “the precarious beauty of producing beauty on demand, which is what jazz is!”



Photos by John Whiting.