WINNING SPINS BY GEORGE kanzler Tierney Sutton's last album, Dancing in the Dark, was a wonderfully warm, carefully nuanced collection of ballads "inspired by Frank Sinatra," some featuring lush strings and all intimately produced in the studio. I'm With the Band, her latest on Telarc, is a complete change-of-pace. Recorded live in two nights at Manhattan's Birdland at the end of this past March, it showcases her - to use the old but valid cliché about jazz singers - as an instrument in (and interacting with) the band: pianist Christian Jacob, bassists Trey Henry and Kevin Axt, and drummer Ray Brinker. Ranging from glacial to flagwaver tempos, the CD also displays her rhythmic versatility and daring. Hearing her negotiate songs in a live setting such as this is like watching an aerialist working without a net. The repertoire is firmly anchored in the heart of the American Pop Standards catalogue, with Irving Berlin (3 tracks) and Richard Rodgers (4 tracks) the only ones multiply represented. But Sutton and her band (arrangements are credited collectively to all) find ways to reinvigorate the most familiar songs. Berlin's "Let's Face the Music and Dance" is approached in an off-center, ruminative mood, Sutton's legato vocal carried over the basses and a barely rhythmic piano, while his "Cheek to Cheek" dances brightly in a tempo a bit fast for the title move, but changes up rhythms and time, with hints of a waltz. Sutton is particularly adventurous in her openings, either beginning a cappella or with the barest rhythmic accompaniment. The album begins with her wordless voice sculpting the melody of "Softly, As In a Morning Sunrise" as classical art song before the band joins her for the lyrics. She jumps into "East of the Sun (And West of the Moon)" scatting at a ferocious clip accompanied by finger-snaps before racing through the words (articulating them is a challenge in itself at this tempo) zestfully with the band. Her solo scat intro to "Devil May Care" morphs into the words as the band joins her on the bridge, and then she uses the lyrics to fashion an improvisation over and around the melody as the band swings on - a perfect match for the insouciance of the title. Sutton commands a supple instrument that can change timbre, tone and attack at will. Adept at long, flowing legato lines on ballads such as the piano-vocal duets on "Two for the Road" and "On My Way to You," she can also achieve a staccato stutter that rides faster tempos; or change a mood with a drawl, as on "Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea," or a coarsened tone in keeping with the song's persona, as in "The Lady Is A Tramp." Her two duets with drummer Brinker - "Surrey with the Fringe on Top" and "What A Little Moonlight Can Do" - are rhythmic singing triumphs. But what makes this album so rewarding, and so much fun to listen to, is the enthusiasm and palpable exhilaration in the performances. On "Dancing in the Dark," Sutton seduced the listener in a flickering, firelight intimacy; here she seduces with the bright brilliance of her jazz artistry. Tierney Sutton and her band will be at the Amaturo Theater November 9. spotlight by paul blair and Mark Sachnoff RAY KENNEDY HARRIET HIMMEL THEATER/ NOVEMBER 22 One CD under pianist Kennedy's leadership contains only songs associated with St. Louis. It also includes a Stan Musial harmonica solo, a spoken sendoff by Cardinals announcer Jack Buck and a guest shot by John Pizzarelli Jr. Good clean musical fun also characterizes the latest Pizzarelli albums on which Ray is part of John's trio. (He shines, for instance, on their recent Live at Birdland set.) For this appearance, though, Ray brings in a trio of his own: Joe Cohn on guitar and brother Tom Kennedy playing bass. PB MILTON NASCIMENTO BROWARD CENTER/NOVEMBER 6 One of the most prominent figures on today's Brazilian music scene - and perhaps its brightest light - Nascimento has become a huge international star. Nearly thirty albums have been released under his own name. Fans dote on his voice and value his compositions highly. He's recorded in the U.S. with Airto Moreira, Herbie Hancock, Wayne Shorter and others. His 1998 album Nascimento won a Grammy Best World Music Record of the Year. And he continues to influence whole new generations of singers and songwriters. Catching him live is an experience you'll remember. MS BUDDY GUY CAREFREE THEATER/NOVEMBER 20 Grammy winner and Rock & Roll Hall-of-Famer Buddy Guy will surely tear things up during this West Palm Beach appearance. Born in Louisiana in 1936, Guy moved to Chicago in 1957 and soon began sitting in at the fabled 708 Club. Sunny Boy Williamson, Muddy Waters, Howling Wolf - he's played with 'em all. And along the way, he's had a tremendous influence on such rock guitarists as Jimmy Hendrix, Eric Clapton, Jeff Beck and Stevie Ray Vaughn. During his current tour, Buddy's calling attention to his newest CD, Bring 'Em In, on which guest stars like Carlos Santana, Robert Randolph, John Mayer and Tracy Chapman also appear. MS LOUIS HAYES HOLLYWOOD CENTRAL PAC/ NOVEMBER 18 When Floridians Cannonball and Nat Adderley recorded their best-selling late-50s and early-60s albums for Riverside, drummer Hayes was a vital part of their quintet. And though Louis' professional resume also includes considerable work with Horace Silver, Oscar Peterson, McCoy Tyner and John Coltrane, it's those years with Cannonball that everyone recalls best. That's why hearing him this month with the group he calls the Cannonball Legacy Band will be such a treat. For a taste in advance, check out a sparkling 2002 CD on the TCB label entitled Dreamin' of Cannonball. PB JERRY WELDON VAN DYKE/NOVEMBER 5 and 6 There's a decided swagger apparent in Weldon's tenor saxophone playing. He's earned it, too, as a result of work over the years in Lionel Hampton's big band, Mel Torme, George Benson and top B3 organists like Jimmy McGriff, Joey DeFrancesco and Jack McDuff. One of his most recent associations has been with the band that Harry Connick Jr. is leading. His roots seem to lie in the bebop tradition, though. His tone on the instrument is yards wide. He can swing you into bad health, as they say. And his outgoing personality on the bandstand make any group he leads a pleasure to hear. PB PAUL TAYLOR JAZZIZ/NOVEMBER 17 Smooth jazz saxophonist Taylor - one of the genre's most popular practitioners - is set for an evening at this club at Hollywood's Hard Rock Casino. When he's not out working as a solo artist, Taylor tours with the Rippingtons as a special guest and continues to participate in the "Groovin' For Grover" show. His current gigs are in support of his latest CD, Nightlife. It's his sixth release and represents a collaboration involving three top writers/producers: Rex Rideout, Barry J. Eastmond and Dino Esposito. Sharing the Jazziz bandstand with him will be Boy Katindig, Ray Mouton and KT Tyler. MS BUCKY Pizzarelli: ALWAYS IN PERFECT TUNE BY LESLEY MITCHELL-CLARKE Count John "Bucky" Pizzarelli as a charter member of a highly select club: jazz guitarists who've bridged the gap between swing and bebop, helped to reinvigorate and preserve the Great American Songbook tradition, and continued to perform in a wide variety of musical settings with a vital, take-no-prisoners attitude. Together, club members have exerted a formidable influence on both established and emerging jazz guitarists since World War II. In celebration of his 80th year (and his 63rd believe it or not in the music biz), Bucky brings his rhythmic signature sound to Palm Beach for several concert appearances. On November 17, 18 & 19, he will be taking the stage at The Royal Room of the elegant Colony Hotel with the young, brilliant singer/songwriter (and Telarc Recording Artist), Tony DeSare. De Sare has been called The real deal by The New York Post, and has a new duo CD with Bucky coming out later this year. In the spring, Bucky will also be appearing with the Palm Beach Pops under Bob Lapin’s direction. The series, entitled "A Circle of Friends," will focus on today's swing and jazz, with a smattering of classical influences. Concerts will be presented in two venues: the Florida Atlantic University Center Auditorium (April 1, 2 & 3) and the Kravis Center for the Performing Arts (April 5 & 6). Bucky's career began in Paterson, New Jersey, a working-class city close to New York that was once home to a sizeable textile industry. His first (and only!) teachers were his two uncles, talented professional musicians who'd chosen not to travel, and instead took steady factory jobs close to home. At 17, Bucky left home and hit the road with Vaughan Monroe. "I wanted to play with a band - any band, I didn't care," explains Bucky. "I got the call while I was on Christmas vacation during high school and everything just fell into place. That happens a lot in the music business." everything just fell into place. Following army service near the end of the war, Bucky embarked on an impressive career that eventually included stints with both the NBC and ABC staff orchestras, as well as tours with Benny Goodman's orchestra. Through this period, he was also playing on a massive number of rock 'n roll chart toppers written by the likes of Burt Baccarach and Leiber & Stoller. In the 1970's, Bucky finally began to concentrate more on jazz, co-leading a duo with George Barnes and working with jazz greats like close friend Zoot Sims. Bucky cites Frank Vignola, Howard Alden and Russell Malone as some of his favorite guitarists on the current scene. He continues to maintain a busy performance schedule of his own, appearing at festivals, venues and jazz parties across the country and overseas. Happily, he continues to record frequently, too. These days, he's often heard in the company of guitarist/vocalist son John, Jr. and bassist, Martin Pizzarelli. Those who caught them playing together last month at the posh Manhattan snuggery called Feinstein's were earwitnesses to the carrying on of a grand family tradition. Buky Pizzarelli will play Royal Room at the Colony Hotel with Tony DeSare November 17-19. HOT FLASHES BY BOB WEINBERG AND PAUL BLAIR IN THEIR FATHERS' FOOTSTEPS Fathers, both literal and figurative, cast a giant shadow in the blues world. In the case of Big Bill Morganfield, his father was one of the greatest bluesmen ever: McKinley Morganfield, a.k.a. Muddy Waters. In the case of John Mooney, the influences of mentors Son House and Professor Longhair would leave indelible imprints upon his life and music. Born in Chicago, Morganfield was raised by his maternal grandmother in Fort Lauderdale. His relationship with his father was a long-distance one, but Muddy would visit him when touring through Florida. After Muddy passed away in 1983, Morganfield pursued a career in music, playing contemporary R&B because he felt he wasn't able to go as deep as he needed to in order to play the blues. However, after woodshedding, listening to lots of vintage blues records and playing blues in clubs around Atlanta, he finally found the confidence to tackle his father's music. In 1999, Morganfield's debut album, Rising Son, was released on the Blind Pig label. Accompanied by some of Muddy's former bandmates, Big Bill paid homage to his dad with expert reads of tunes such as "Diamonds at Your Feet," "The Same Thing" and "Screamin' and Cryin'." Morganfield's voice is similar enough to Muddy's that no DNA test is necessary, as if a glance at his broad face and high cheekbones didn't already give away the connection. In subsequent recordings, Morganfield has moved beyond the heartfelt tribute of Rising Son, finding an ever-more distinctive voice, and he continues to prove a fine songwriter. Still, Muddy's influence remains central in Big Bill's sound, whether it's in his brawny vocals or his excellent slide guitar. One of John Mooney's earliest influences was a grandfather who played a jazzy, ragtime-style banjo. Bitten by the bug early on, Mooney was playing gigs in his early teens around upstate New York. Joe Beard, a blues musician and club owner, introduced a 16-year-old Mooney to Son House, who was also living in Rochester. House's impact in the blues world was vast, in that both Robert Johnson and Muddy Waters had learned from him. Mooney, too, learned much from the Delta blues giant, playing gigs with him and taking lessons at his home - although House's religious wife would permit only spirituals to be performed under her roof. Mooney made his way to New Orleans in 1976, there absorbing the funky second-line rhythms of the region as laid down by The Meters, James Booker and Earl King. However, one of the musicians who really flipped his wig was the great Professor Longhair, whose rollicking piano style and original tunes had made him one of the Crescent City's most celebrated artists. Mooney combined the intensity of House's Delta blues with the funky syncopation of Fess' music to create a unique and winning hybrid. He's released a handful of amazing recordings over the past decade that showcase his powerful vocals and spark-throwing slide guitar style. However, there's simply no substitute for witnessing Mooney live, as he flails away at his electric or National Steel guitar and sends chills up the spine with his haunting voice. Bill Morganfield will perform at the Bamboo Room November 11 and at the Sushi Blues Cafe & Blue Monk Lounge the 12. As for John Mooney, he will play the Bamboo Room November 18. UP IN CAPE MAY NEW JERSEY... This fall's Cape May Festival, taking place over the November 11-13 weekend, includes a Herbie Mann tribute featuring Dave Valentin and Larry Coryell; guitar work from groups led by Charlie Hunter and Joshua Breakstone; some high-energy organ playing by Gene Ludwig; Andy Bey's and Mary Stallings' vocalizing; blues by Byther Smith and the Night Riders; a program memorializing the late Oscar Brown Jr.; sets by Bobby Watson, Hubert Laws and T.K. Blue; hefty doses of Latin music; a Sunday gospel brunch; workshops and semi-formal jam sessions; workshops for young musicians; appearances by student ensembles; a wine-tasting; and lots of hanging out with listeners of a similar bent. It all takes place in at least a half dozen ventures around town. And that's not the whole story. Go to www.capemayjazz.com for that. ...AND DOWN IN ANGUILLA Anguilla, a mere dot on the British West Indies map, provides the backdrop for this year's Tranquility Jazz Festival. In fact, between November 10 and 14, it'll be the biggest show on the whole island, Marlena Shaw sings on the first evening. Friday's attractions include sets by Poncho Sanchez, Trio de Paz (with guests Stefon Harris, Claudia Acuna and Craig Handy) and Ravi Coltrane. Saturday evening will bring out Freddie Cole, Eric Alexander, Mulgrew Miller, Kenny Garrett and Nicholas Peyton, among others; while local groups bring things to a presumably swinging close on Sunday. For details about tickets and accommodation, www.anguillajazz.org is the answer. It'll truly be jazz in a minor cay. HOLLIDAY GIFT GUIDE BY GEORGE kanzler Some of the most legendary names in improvised music - along with one almost-forgotten giant of orchestral jazz - are represented this year by boxed sets and collections that would make ideal holiday gifts for deserving enthusiasts. Listen to the eight discs making up The Complete Clef/Verve Count Basie Fifties Studio Recordings (Mosaic) in order is hearing the development of a great band, the "New Testament" Count Basie Orchestra that became, by the end of the period chronicled here, the most popular post-Swing Era big band in jazz. Formed in late 1951, almost two years after Basie disbanded his final "Old Testament" band that he'd started in Kansas City in the mid-30s, the new one was more a well-oiled and polished vehicle for arrangers than its soloists- and rhythm-dominated predecessor. Norman Granz not only recorded this band as it was developing, but also cut the small group sessions with Basie included here too. By the fourth and fifth discs, the band had acquired all the pieces (Thad Jones, Frank Foster, Frank Wess, singer Joe Williams) that made it the classic, and best, version of Count Basie's "New Testament" big band. The six CDs comprising The Cellar Door Sessions 1970 (Columbia/Legacy) document six sets recorded over a four-day period in December of 1970 by Miles Davis' post-Bitches Brew electric funk-fusion band. Members at the time were Gary Bartz, alto and soprano saxes; John McLaughlin, guitar; Keith Jarrett, electric piano and organ; Michael Henderson, electric bass; Jack DeJohnnette, drums; and Airto Moreira, percussion. For Miles completists, these live sessions are quite a find. But only if you're into the fusion/funk side of his music. If not, it's just too much of the same thing, as the band explores slightly different ways of approaching a small basic repertoire of tunes played multiple times. The Complete Village Vanguard Recordings, 1961 (a 3-CD set on Riverside) represent all five sets that the Bill Evans Trio played on the afternoon and evening of June 25, 1961 at the legendary Big Apple club. This was the influential and highly interactive trio of pianist Evans with bassist Scott LaFaro and drummer Paul Motian. LaFaro died in a car accident less than two weeks after these recordings. They represent the apex of this iconic trio, and this new box set is the most complete version yet. New remastering captures every detail and nuance of their exquisite music. This year's most ambitious and comprehensive anthology album is the 4-CD box called Progressions: 100 Years of Jazz Guitar (Columbia/Legacy). Like any endeavor claiming completeness, this collection can be quibbled with, i.e., if purporting to show all technical and stylistic innovations, why no Stanley Jordan? However, Jordan's unique touch/tap technique may well be the only missing link here, where everything from ragtime, Hawaiian steel, Western Swing and Gypsy guitar to rock stylists Jimi Hendrix and Carlos Santana is included. And as for swing, bop, hard-bop, soul and fusion, almost every significant guitarist is represented. Yet despite the staggering variety, what is really impressive are the similarities that emerge. Johnny Richards (1911-1968) is best known for his suite "Cuban Fire," which he composed and arranged for Stan Kenton's orchestra. But Richards also made some significant albums of his own, some with his working big bands, in the decade or so before his death. Mosaic Select 17: Johnny Richards (3-CDs) rescues six of Richards' LPs from that period from oblivion. "Wide Range," one of the original LP titles, best describes Richards' music. It ranges from chamber jazz to hell-for-leather big band swingers, from Afro-Latin dance rhythms to ambitious explorations of South American and African musical styles and forms. It was also some of the most exciting and adventurous big band music of its time, and very welcome back. Tenor saxophonist Sonny Rollins emerged from the cocoon of his two-plus years "sabbatical" in 1962, and during the next two years recorded a baker's half-dozen albums for RCA. Those albums have always been overshadowed, critically and popularly, by his earlier and later recordings, yet they contain some of Rollins best playing. The Essential Sonny Rollins: The RCA Years (RCA, 2 CDs) is a very good cream-of-the-crop selection from those albums, ranging from his supple quartet with guitarist Jim Hall to his forays into Ornette Coleman territory with Coleman's former bandmates, from his meeting with tenor sax forefather Coleman Hawkins to calypsos and standards in the company of such stellar players as Herbie Hancock and Ron Carter. Two single-disc albums of previously unknown classic live recordings released this year should be in every jazz lover's collection. Dizzy Gillespie-Charlie Parker: Town Hall, New York City, June 22, 1945 (Uptown Records) captures the creators of bebop developing, and playing expanded solos on, some of the music's iconic tunes, even before all of them had even been recorded in the studio. At Carnegie Hall, by the Thelonious Monk Quartet with John Coltrane (Blue Note), is the best live recording (courtesy of Voice of America) of this seminal quartet toward the end (November, 1957) of its almost half-year life. The Monk-Coltrane rapport is splendid - and Monk, obviously delighted to have use of a fine concert hall piano, makes the most of it. Jazz anecdote by Bill Crow Jazz bassist Bill Crow has written two entertaining books, available in paperback from Oxford University Press: Jazz Anecdotes, a collection of stories about jazz and jazz musicians, and From Birdland to Broadway, a personal memoir of life in the jazz world. You can order them from your favorite bookseller. A charter bus took Count Basie and his band to the Denver airport to catch an early morning flight to their next gig. At that hour, the airport was deserted. Then a flight landed, and some people came into the area where the band was waiting. Basie was wearing his favorite yachting cap. A lady came over to him and said, "Boy, take these bags, and get me a taxi." Basie jumped up, grabbed the bags and shuffled after her with exaggerated servility. He found her a cab, loaded in her luggage and held the door open for her. As she got inside, she handed him a fifty cent tip. He pocketed it and shuffled back to his laughing musicians. Lester Young went to a jazz club to hear some friends play. He intentionally sat in a dark part of the room, hoping not to be recognized, but someone spotted him, and he heard them whispering, "Wow, that's Lester Young!" "Maybe we can get him to sit in!" Lester leaned over to the table and whispered, "I don't dig being dug while I'm digging." A poster in a midtown New York musicians' hotel gave instructions on "WHAT TO DO IN CASE OF FIRE." Someone had penciled in: "Grab your coat, and get your hat. Leave your worries on the doorstep."