Community Pool: Deep End series announces new season at the Black Dog

Brian Roessler by John Whiting

Formerly known as Fantastic Fridays, the Community Pool: Deep End series is about to begin its fifth year—a respectable number for any live music series, especially one committed to improvised music.

The fall concerts begin on Friday, September 16, and continue through Friday, December 16.

Earlier this month, I spoke with bassist Brian Roessler, who co-curates the series with saxophonist Nathan Hanson.


Pamela Espeland: First Fantastic Fridays, now Community Pool, but always at the Black Dog Coffee and Wine Bar in St. Paul. How did that relationship begin?

Brian Roessler: During our first Fantastic Merlins tour in 2005, the last show we played was at the Black Dog. That was when we met [Black Dog owner] Sara Remke. She liked the music, and we liked playing there, so we hit it off and started talking. Eventually, she asked Nathan if he wanted to curate Friday nights there. We got to know Jean [Rochard, Remke's partner and founder of the French record label NATO]. He liked what we were doing, and we had a lot of interesting conversations, one of which led to our last record with Kid Dakota [How the Light Gets In].

PLE: Why the name “Community Pool”?

BR: Nathan and I share an interest in trying to use music, and art in general, as a way to build community. Not on a grand scale, but from the personal connection with other artists and with audience members. It’s a reflection of our view of the interconnected nature of the world and society, artists and listeners.

In the town where I grew up, the local swimming pool was called the Community Pool. I always thought that was cool.

Moo rules

Awesome little biz cards from us.moo.com. Primo paper, satiny finish, crisp print, 10 colors, fast, inexpensive.

This week's jazz picks for Minneapolis-St. Paul

Tonight and tomorrow (Friday–Saturday, Sept. 9–10) at the Artists’ Quarter in St. Paul: violinist Christian Howes. Jazz violin will never be as big as jazz piano or saxophone, but it seems there are more jazz violinists these days. Regina Carter is the world ambassador for her instrument; she’s deeply involved in her “Reverse Thread” project and just last weekend played the Detroit Jazz Festival. In the Twin Cities, we can hear Gary Schulte, Randy Sabien (who teaches at McNally-Smith but doesn’t play out as much as I wish he would), and, more recently, Kip Jones. Christian Howes is not from around here, but he will be in residence at the AQ this weekend. The Jazz Journalists Association recently nominated him for jazz violinist of the year, and he just won the Downbeat Critics’ Poll for rising stars/jazz violin. This will be a treat. 9 p.m. ($15)

All day Saturday starting at 11 a.m., it’s the Selby Avenue Jazz Festival. Now in its 10th year, held at the intersection of Selby Avenue and Milton St. North in St. Paul outside the Golden Thymes Coffee Café, it’s a full day of neighborhood, regional, national, and international jazz, plus State Fair food with a soul food twist. Gerald Albright is the headliner; other artists include Dick and Jane’s Big Brass Band, Walker West and the Urban Legends of Jazz, Salsa Del Soul, and Public Nuisance. Pippi Ardenia will MC the second half, and Larry Englund will record the Walker West/Urban Legends show for his forthcoming radio series on KBEM, Saint Paul Live! The festival is free.

Happy birthday, Sonny Rollins, and congratulations

Sonny Rollins and Clifton Anderson by John Whiting

Picture turning 81 (with a full head of hair) and learning on the same day that you've been recognized by the Kennedy Center for your contribution to culture.

The 2011 Kennedy Center Honorees, announced today, include Sonny Rollins, Yo-Yo Ma, Neil Diamond, Barbara Cook, and Meryl Streep.

John took this photo of Rollins with Clifton Anderson at the 50th Monterey Jazz Festival in 2007. It was our first year at Monterey with press credentials, and John's first time shooting Rollins. John was crouching at the side of the stage with his camera when Rollins saw him. Rather than frown or act annoyed, he turned toward John and started walking his way, blowing hard, playing to him. Being extraordinarily generous and enjoying it. John took so many pictures he filled up his SD card.

For the moment--I don't know how long it will be available--you can listen to Rollins' latest CD, Road Shows, Vol. 2, streaming in its entirety and as individual tracks at NPR.

More on Theo Bleckmann's show at Macalester-Plymouth later this month

Courtesy Theo Bleckmann

The latest press release from Macalester College (replaces an earlier blog post):

Grammy-nominated jazz singer and composer Theo Bleckmann will perform for Macalester College students, staff, and friends on Friday, Sept. 23 at 8 p.m. at Macalester Plymouth United Church, 1658 Lincoln Ave., St. Paul.

The performance is part of a two-day residency that Bleckmann is doing at Macalester College, part of the college’s New Music Series, funded by the Rivendell Foundation.

Incorporating technology ranging in cost from 99 cents to $999, Bleckmann will draw from jazz, new music, and performance art with a repertoire that includes jazz standards, Guillaume de Machaut, Meredith Monk, and his own compositions and improvisations. Bleckmann uses all facets of his voice, including extended vocal techniques as well as low- and high-tech devices. His concert is not intended as a showcase for electronic gimmickry but rather to inspire and open up the horizons of traditional jazz and new music.

Bleckmann has released a series of albums on Winter & Winter, including recordings of Las Vegas standards, Berlin kabarett, and popular “bar songs,” a recording of newly arranged songs by Charles Ives, and most recently “Solos for Voice and Toys,” in which Bleckmann brought just his vocal technique, emotional commitment, and suitcase full of evocative voice-altering gadgets to the project of recording delicate songs and poems at a monastery in the Swiss Alps.

He has been described as “from another planet” by the New York Times, “transcendent” by theVillage Voice, and “magical, futuristic” by the website All About Jazz.

The performance is free and open to the public. For more information call 651-696-6808.

Help Charmin Michelle make her next CD

Charmin Michelle by John Whiting

Let's say you're a jazz singer, and you regularly appear with a big band, and you're about to make your first CD together. You've been performing with each other for several years, and your repertoire now includes more than 80 songs.

Your CD will include 10. Which 10? Let your fans help decide.

Charmin Michelle is doing that for her planned CD with Jerry O'Hagan and His Orchestra, with whom she sings most Sundays at the Cinema Ballroom in St. Paul. 

She recently sent out an email with their song list. "We would like some input from all of you about the tunes we select to record on the disc," she wrote. "We would like to ask you to take the time to go through the list and pick out 8 tunes you would like to hear on the CD. You may rate them from one to eight if you wish." (The other 2 tunes will be instrumentals.)

If you know Charmin and you've heard her sing, which eight of these would you choose? Or: Imagine your favorite jazz-singer-big-band combination. Which eight would you choose to hear them perform? (I'm picturing Kurt Elling and the Bob Mintzer Big Band on "Makin' Whoopee." Wondering if Elling has ever sung that song...if he ever would, and how witty and sly it would sound if he did.)

A TISKET A TASKET

AC-CENT-TCHU-ATE THE POSITIVE

ALL OF ME

ALL THE THINGS YOU ARE

ALMOST LIKE BEING IN LOVE

AS TIME GOES BY

AT LAST

AULD LANG SYNE

BAUBLES, BANGLES AND BEADS

Jazz films, and the return of KBEM's REEL Jazz

For those who are interested, a reminder that the concert film Wynton Marsalis and Eric Clapton Play the Blues airs at the Showplace Icon in St. Louis Park (and other theaters around the Twin Cities) tomorrow, Wednesday, Sept. 7. Tickets $12.50.

More information is now available on In My Mind, the only jazz film (as far as I know) featured in this year's Sound Unseen.

When: Sunday, Oct. 16, 1 p.m.
Where: Trylon Microcinema. Tickets $10.
Description: (2010, Gary Hawkins, 100m, USA) Not your run-of-the-mill concert film here as prodigy composer Jason Moran revisits and interprets bebop pianist Thelonious Monk’s historic 1959 Town Hall big band concert. Moran sifts through photographs from Duke’s Jazz Loft Project and audio recordings made by Eugene Smith to present the life, times, and music of North Carolina’s jazz giant.

Related: The web page from Moran's Walker Art Center performance in 2009, with lots of links.

Just announced: KBEM's REEL Jazz film series is back with a new season.

This week's jazz picks for Minneapolis-St. Paul

Today (Friday, Sept. 2) is Leigh Kamman’s birthday. For more than 30 years, Kamman hosted “The Jazz Image” on Minnesota Public Radio, part of his 60 years in broadcasting. There’s never been a bigger jazz fan, or a more wonderful radio voice. Happy birthday, Leigh. May MPR play at least one jazz tune in your honor. 

Tonight at the Artists’ Quarter: Brandon Wozniak on saxophone(s), Peter Schimke on piano, Billy Peterson on bass, Kenny Horst on drums. Since moving to Minnesota in 2006, Brandon Wozniak has left a big impression on the Twin Cities jazz scene, playing with groups including the Atlantis Quartet, Monk in Motian, and most recently the Dave King Trucking Company. It should be fun to see him with these three. 9 p.m. ($10)

On Saturday, the Dakota hosts a tribute to Nick Ashford and Jerry Lieber, who both passed recently. Ginger Commodore, Dennis Spears, and Debbie Duncan will do the honors. Ow ow ow. Someone please tell me that Dennis will sing "Yakety Yak." Expect "Stand By Me," "Ain't No Mountain High Enough," "Ain't Nothing Like the Real Thing," and more great tunes from the 1950s-80s. 8 p.m. ($12)