Hearing the Music In-Between the Synchronized Beats — Winter Jazzfest 2022 Review (Part 2)

By Gregory Burrus | Posted Wednesday, January 26, 2022

In today's Part 2 post about the Winter Jazzfest 2022 virtual marathon, we explore Jazz and the types Jazz within Jazz.

In Part 1 of exploring and sharing Winter Jazzfest 2022, “Winter Jazzfest 2022 – What’s It All About? Something for Everyone from the Comfort of Your Home”, I pointed out how it's really a festival that is a part of Northeast Jersey and a few ways to get there. 

I also demonstrated that pre-pandemic events such as the Winter Jazzfest 2020 contained over 21 stages over 11 nights, in Downtown Manhattan and Brooklyn, featuring over 700 artists and more than 170 groups (it’s impossible to see all in one night, so one usually attends multiple nights) and I reviewed the more traditional jazz performances. 

Well, this year’s pandemic-driven Winter Jazzfest 2022 virtual marathon contained 10 nights of programming across Manhattan, Brooklyn, and dozens of venues from around the globe. It contained over 100 groups and 500 musicians across 12 venues. That is, once again, more than anyone can listen to in 4 or 5 nights.

In this Part 2 Winter Jazzfest 2022 Review, I’ll introduce you to the Founder’s vision and my favorite WBGO Jazz Radio Station on-air personalities who are hosting the nightly sessions. Then, we’ll explore some straight-ahead jazz folks and also more of the avant-garde or free jazz jazz performances.  

The Founder, The Vision

The Winter Jazzfest founder is Brice Rosenbloom, and this visit and listening journey started on his Winter Jazzfest About page. I found statements like:

“… exciting and forward-thinking contemporary jazz music being made today… celebrates the music as a living entity, wherein history collides with the future in every note. Creative improvisation in the digital age continues to stimulate thought and emotion of its listeners… embracing innovation… defying instrumental boundaries and the old cliches of ‘What is Jazz?’”

Clearly, the festival is looking for more than straight-ahead and swing-type jazz, and clearly I need to hone some of my out-of-the-box listening skills. 

The other cool part of this virtual multi-day marathon is it was hosted by some of my favorite WBGO on-air personalities. 

Keanna Faircloth is the Host of WBGO Afternoon Jazz.

According to her bio on WBGO.org,

“She is a graduate of Howard University having majored in Music History with a minor in Classical Piano. Keanna has written for NPR Music, and worked for Radio One as an on-air personality, producer and voice-over talent […] she was recognized by Radio Ink Magazine as a 2019 African American leader in radio. […] Her mission to connect the jazz of yesteryear to the sound of today is what drives her, and she plans to continue to perpetuate the idea of ‘Sankofa’ - to ‘go back and get it.’”

My buddy Sheila Anderson, Host of Weekend Jazz After Hours, Salon Sessions and Sunday Night Music Mix, is the “Queen of Hang.” At the age of six, she fell in love with jazz and has been a member of WBGO for 33 years.

Sheila E. Anderson is a graduate of Baruch College, a (2017) Columbia University Community Scholar, and a inaugural Dan Morgenstern Fellow by the Institute of Jazz Studies at Rutgers-Newark (2020). She is also an author of several books, with her latest book being How to Grow as a Musician: What All Musicians Must Know to Succeed. 

And now, it’s time to listen to some great, unique, and thought-provoking live jazz music performances. Just click the pic to listen, as I bring you this more avant-garde view of the festival.

Samara Joy

Being from the Bronx, I am of course proud of my hometown winner. Only recently celebrating her 21st birthday, Samara Joy is a winner of the 2019 Sarah Vaughan International Jazz Vocal Competition. She has one beautiful voice and is being touted as one of America’s most promising young vocalists. At this young age, Samara has already performed in many of the great jazz venues in NYC, including Lincoln Center’s Dizzy’s Club Coca Cola, The Blue Note, Mezzrow, and the New Jersey Performing Arts Center (NJPAC). She has also been working with jazz greats such as Christian McBride, Pasquale Grasso, Kirk Lightsey, Cyrus Chestnut, and NEA Jazz Master Dr. Barry Harris. Many proclaim she has “a voice as smooth as velvet” and that her “star seems to rise with each performance.” True to form, her first album “announces the arrival of a young artist destined for greatness.” You can learn more by listening to her on her Fox5 News TV appearance. 

Angel Bat Dawid with the Cosmic Mythological Ensemble 

“NYC Winter Jazzfest artist-in-residence composer/multi-instrumentalist Angel Bat Dawid presents Afro-Town Topics: A Mythological Afrofuturist Revue. Inspired by Fats Waller, Dawid presents a new original score using the traditional framework of a musical revue (a type of multi-act popular theatrical entertainment that combines music, dance, and sketches) as a compositional blueprint with the intention of creating and exploring the production of new Afro sonic realities and futures.” — www.winterjazzfest.com

Nite BJuti with Candice Hoyes, Val Jeanty & Mimi Jones

Jazz Gender Initiative Supporters using improvised electronica, percussion/vox/bass. The artists are  @valjeanty + @candicehoyes + @mimijonesmusic.

I found this extremely entertaining, but my description would not do justice to the performance so I'm glad I found this writeup of Nite BJuti by this Jazz Times writer:

“As I stood in line at the Moxy Hotel to pick up my Winter Jazzfest Marathon press pass, three female musicians set up in a corner across from the baked-good stands captured my attention. I couldn’t leave that spot for a full hour as the trio, Nite Bjuti, slung low bass cadences through Kansas City and New Orleans, visited Africa via electronic percussion and blasted beats, and traveled spaceward with vocals sampled, woven, spun, and finally ejected free to engage the cosmos. Percussionist LP / beat maker Val Jeanty, vocalist/sampler controller Candice Hoyes, and double bassist Mimi Jones were the biggest revelation of WJF (so far), creating dense sound vistas and pure improvisations. Jones’ heavy, funky bass slaps buffeted Jeanty’s turbulent rhythms and Hoyes’ unique vocals, the trio’s spiritual hookup immediate and profound.”

Zoh Amba — Loove Labs, Brooklyn

“Zoh Amba is a saxophonist and composer from Tennessee. While growing up in the mountains, Amba played in the forest and emerged into the sound world. After moving to San Francisco in 2018, she spent two years at the San Francisco Conservatory of Music, where she played at venues such as the Black Cat and SFJAZZ. Outside of school, she studied under saxophonist Hafez Modirzadeh.” — thelaurelofasheville.com

Amba has recorded and played with great sound painters like William Parker, Vijay Iyer, Matthew Shipp, Eric Harland, Marc Edwards, Cooper-Moore, and Francisco Mela. She just recorded her first record with Mr. William Parker and Francisco Mela, expected to be released in early 2022.

BBC Presents Ishmael Ensemble — Soma Centre

Ishmael Ensemble is a Bristol-based collective led by saxophonist & producer Pete Cunningham, who’s also a DJ and multi-instrumentalist. I found this to be representative of being at the intersection of “defying instrumental boundaries'' and the old cliches of “What is Jazz” as described in the Winterfest description. Lots of traditional instruments and electronic music for sure. They have said that “Ishmael Ensemble stage show is quite a big technical endeavor so it’s not really in our nature to do pop-up or jammed gigs as some bands do.” This performance felt more like rock jazz and next minute I felt like I was in an enchanted forest, but hey, what do I know, I’m just a listener. 

Amir Elsaffar — Hermitage Artist Retreat  

“Composer, trumpeter, santur player, and vocalist Amir ElSaffar has been described as “uniquely poised to reconcile jazz and Arabic music,” (the Wire) and “one of the most promising figures in jazz today” (Chicago Tribune). A recipient of the Doris Duke Performing Artist Award and a 2018 US Artist Fellow, ElSaffar is an expert trumpeter with a classical background, conversant not only in the language of contemporary jazz, but has created techniques to play microtones and ornaments idiomatic to Arabic music that are not typically heard on the trumpet.” — www.amirelsaffar.com

From my world of straight ahead and swing jazz, to the more avant garde performances, there’s nothing like discovering new music through the creativity of live music performance.  So what do you think?

I'm also very happy as this is definitely in line with my mission of KEEPING JAZZ ALIVE. If just one more person discovers one of the above musicians, that's fantastic! 

Let me know your thoughts.

About the Writer

Gregory Burrus books bands and produces, promotes, captures, and records live music events along with various community and private activities. 

My mission is to help my customers, which are community groups, live music bands, and local nonprofits, reach their goals and accomplish their missions while enjoying the day-to-day process of life. 

Learn more:  
https://24hoursofmusicjamboree.com 
https://gregoryburrusproductions.com 

Discovering History, Jazz and More in Out of the Ordinary Places During Your Travels

By Gregory Burrus | Posted Thursday, April 15, 2021

Back in 2015 while taking my daughter to college, we were snowed in (or was it snowed out?). Believe it or not, Buffalo Airport was fine but Newark Airport was not. Yes, Newark New Jersey Airport was snowed in and no flights were leaving Buffalo for Newark. Hence, we were stuck in Buffalo. We secured a hotel and looked for things to do. Being an avowed live music lover and jazz nut, we made some local calls and scanned the hotel guides. We also put a note out on social media, and our friends in New Jersey who originated from Buffalo supplied us with some great recommendations. So, sit back and enjoy our journey through Buffalo as we discover the live jazz music and show you why you should stop in Buffalo during your travels.

 Anchor Bar

Being instant tourists, we of course came across the famous Anchor Bar which is the home of the original Buffalo Wings, originated in 1964 by Dominic Bellissimo’s mother with her secret sauce. The wings tasted great, the menu contained lots of regular bar-type food favorites, the service was fast and overall the atmosphere was lively and upbeat.

Live Jazz Music - Saxophonist Bilal NuGravee

The treat for us was that the Anchor Bar contained a reason for New Jersey Jazz lovers like us to visit Buffalo – that's right, they had some serious jazz. That night, they had a local Quartet with a really cool musician named Bilal NuGravee who played saxophone. While I didn't have a recording from that night, you can listen to a concert that Bilal NuGravee and the NuGravee Band performed at the Burchfield Penney Art Center which is right next to Buffalo State College. 

This was at a three-day John Coltrane festival in celebration of the jazz icon's 93rd birthday.

Bilal NuGravee is a brilliant saxophonist who studied with jazz legends Frank Foster and Archie Shepp, has classical training, and also has more than 40 years of performing various genres of music. Click to take a listen. You’ll love it, as these cats were swinging hard. 

The Terrace

Chelsea Burrus hanging at The Terrace at Delaware Park.

Another place for jazz is The Terrace at Delaware Park, located at 199 Lincoln Pkwy, Buffalo. The Terrace offers safe, comfortable sophisticated dine-in seating on their cozy heated patio or fireside dining room. Situated in the Heart of Fredrick Law Olmstead’s Delaware Park, The Terrace offers upscale casual dining with spectacular views and breathtaking sunsets. StepOut Buffalo puts it this way: “It doesn’t get more idyllic than live jazz overlooking Hoyt Lake in Delaware Park. The Terrace features live ‘jazz and cocktails’ every Friday and Saturday night.” Of course, check for adjustments during this pandemic.

PAUSA Art House

Chelsea Burrus on an annual trip visits PAUSA Art House.

The next stop on this jazz lover’s excursion is a bit more of an artistic place called the PAUSA Art House. The Cuban-born violinist Lázara Martinez co-founded PAUSA Art House in 2013. She is currently the sole owner and manager of all PAUSA business operations.

This place has gained a very good live music reputation, or as stated by StepOut Buffalo: “Although it’s relatively new, PAUSA has quickly gained a reputation as a go-to jazz spot. Sure, there are more high-profile places..., but PAUSA reliably books more jazz than those other places. It’s an intimate spot with the vibe changing based on who’s performing.“

Live Jazz/Funk Vocalist - Alice MacArthur

Above is Jazz/Funk Vocalist Alex MacArthur and her band (bottom), with Chelsea Burrus at the PAUSA Art House (top left), and (top right) is the PAUSA Art House Owner Lázara Martinez. The interesting thing was I discovered Alex MacArthur from listening to her magnificent voice at a jam held at The Historic Colored Musicians Club.

The Historic Colored Musicians Club 

“Originally, there was only one Buffalo musicians union, Local 43. This all white Local which was part of the American Federation of Musicians refused to include African American musicians. As a result, a separate union, Buffalo Local 533 was formed on February 3, 1917. Buffalo then became the eighth city in the United States, since the 1896 founding of the American Federation of Musicians, with racially segregated musician’s local unions.” (Men Working Together: The Colored Musicians Club of Buffalo. By Rachel Bernstein, https://www.cmctheclub.com/club-history)

Retired President of Local 533, Dr. Raymond E. Jackson said, “the musicians used to hang out after they finished their jobs at night. You could get a trotter – a plate of pork, a pig foot, a plate of beans and a bottle of beer – for 25 cents. On Sundays, musicians would utilize the club for band rehearsals, taking advantage of the free space and the piano it provided.”

“Musicians sign the door in the performers' lounge. This is a signature by Buffalonian Dr. Lonnie Smith, a world-renowned musician, composer and performer.” Read more from by Sharon Cantillon/Buffalo News here.  

Live Jazz Music At The Club

The jazz club, which is upstairs, hasn't changed much from back in the day.  Now, imagine you can still head on out to a place that, since the 1930's, 40's, and 50's, all the great stars of jazz who came to town stopped in at to jam with their friends and local musicians, such as Dizzy Gillespie, Duke Ellington, Billie Holliday, Count Basie, Ella Fitzgerald, Sonny Stitt, Gene Ammons, Lena Horne, Art Blakey, James Moody and so many more.

Pictured above bottom is an event where I met Alex McArthur and her band - (top left) with Vocalist Melissa Kate, (top mid) Pianist Walter Kemp III and tong time member, and hall-of-famer, Charles Reedy who remembers one of his highest moments as an invitation by Al Tinney to play a tribute to Charlie Parker at the University at Buffalo. “This invitation from Al came accompanied with the complement that Charles Reedy had a sound close to that of Parker himself which is why he was being selected for the gig. Such fellowship and kind supportive words seem like a signature created by the Buffalo Club.” ("Colored Musicians Club 1918 - Present.” By Rachel Bernstein. http://www.math.buffalo.edu/~sww/0history/hwny-cmchistory.html)

I know we felt the camaraderie when we were there for sure, thanks to George Scott (President of the CMC) and other regulars – so much so, that we went back twice before we left town.

I know we felt the camaraderie when we were there for sure, thanks to George Scott (President of the CMC) and other regulars – so much so, that we went back twice before we left town. 

The CMC has also organized and sponsored the Queen City Jazz Festival since 2006. As Spectrum News reports, “If you are in the mood for some toe-tapping music, The Historic Colored Musicians Club is holding its tenth annual ‘Queen City Jazz Festival’ Saturday afternoon. The event features food, street shops and of course, jazz music, with more than 15 ensembles hitting the stage. It's the perfect atmosphere to bring your own chair and relax to the music.  The festival is located on Michigan Street, between Broadway and William.”

Jazz Museum at The Colored Musicians Club

George Scott, President of the CMC (green shirt), oversees daily operations of the non-profit, runs its interactive first-floor museum, and leads the George Scott Big Band in the club on Monday nights.

The historic Colored Musicians Club in Buffalo is celebrating a major milestone February. The month marks 100 years since the start of Local 533, the union that represented African-American musicians in the city during a time when segregation was legal and enforced.

The Colored Musicians Club is a historic landmark, a museum, a jazz practice space and a jazz club that links Buffalo to the history of Jazz in a unique and very historical way. It is truly a last of its kind left in the U.S.

The Colored Musicians Club is making sure that history is told and not forgotten, as it has a plethora of information on how Buffalo was an epicenter of Black musical influence. The club is going through a much welcomed expansion which can be read about here. Today, the Colored Musicians Club is the only remaining African American club in the entire United States and, as such, it actively encourages historical research and preservation of the history of jazz in Buffalo. 

African American Heritage Corridor Archway

Now, there is this unique archway that recently went up that continues the history associated with the Colored Musicians Club – The African American Heritage Corridor Archway, which is described this way by Archway Designer Valeria Cray: “The woman that’s on the archway, she represents a strong woman who has had to carry her out of slavery,” she said. “The baby on her back is coming out of slavery. The baby in her stomach will be born into freedom. The man that’s on the left, he represents the men, the strength that he had to carry his family through so many issues so they could be free.” (“New Archway Marks Buffalo's African American Heritage Corridor.” By Thomas O’Neil-White. https://news.wbfo.org/post/new-archway-marks-buffalos-african-american-heritage-corridor)

According to NPR Station WBFO, “The new archway marks Buffalo's African American Heritage Corridor […] The archway is located between William Street and Broadway, a significant stretch of African American history in Buffalo. The Michigan Avenue Baptist Church was a notable stop on the Underground Railroad for escaped slaves fleeing to Canada.  WUFO was the first black-owned radio station in the city and The Colored Musicians Club served as a union hall back when unions were segregated.”

This unique archway is the first archway in the City of Buffalo. 

Shout Outs

We have to give a shout out to a few folks who gave some direction in this endeavor:

• Ron Carter of East Orange, NJ

• WBGO On Air Radio Personality, the fabulous WBGO DJ Sheila Anderson who wrote the book How to Grow as a Musician: What All Musicians Must Know to Succeed

• Jazz Buffalo, which is dedicated to building jazz awareness and jazz appreciation in the WNY area

Step Out Buffalo sums it up: “Buffalo has a proud and diverse jazz tradition that continues to thrive. You can’t swing a tenor saxophone in this town without hitting at least one great jazz musician.”

Buffalo Porchfest

Gregory Burrus hanging at Porchfest 2018.

Buffalo Porchfest is a grassroots music festival that turns porches into stages for local bands and musicians for an afternoon. Buffalo Porchfest occurs biannually, every spring and fall, in the Elmwood Village in Buffalo, NY and is organized by volunteers and assisted/supported by the Elmwood Village Association.

Being from Jersey, I can tell you someone in my family makes this trip annually since 2016. Whether you are a musician traveling through, a history buff or a music lover, it's worth a stop over to check out the vibrant live music scene that I discovered. There's real Jazz and History in Buffalo. 

About the Author

Gregory enjoys all music genres, but his first love of jazz began as a boy when his mother and father played jazz on the good old record player at home and took him to clubs all over Manhattan. Greg is putting his expertise and knowledge gained from his former business environment to work producing music, art and community events across South Orange, Maplewood, Newark and other towns around the Jersey/NYC area.