Jazz is my Favorite Teacher: Listeners' Series Vol. V

Everytime I dig into jazz I learn something new - about music, musicians or even about my friends and myself. Listeners' Series Vol. V started out as one show, then morphed into two shows with the goal of comparing bandleaders, and ended up being two and a half shows so different they can't even really be compared. In typical jazz fashion, the end result was not what I expected, but wonderful nonetheless. Please indulge me while I share what jazz has taught me over the past couple of days...

(Note: I am having trouble posting photos here but you can find some on my website.)

Night the first: Tony Inzalaco Quintet at Charlie O's
On Monday, July 31, Tanya Finks, Jennifer Miele, David Reinhold and I converged upon Charlie O's in the temperate San Fernando Valley to hear the Tony Inzalaco Quintet. Tony is a great drummer and bandleader in the bebop style and I was excited to get a chance to hear him again and share his music with my friends.

Personnel
Tony Inzalaco – Drums, Bandleader
Theo Saunders – Piano
Chris Colangelo – Bass
Nolan Shaheed – Trumpet
Benn Clatworthy – Tenor Sax

Lessons Learned at Charlie O's

• All of the players in the sextet are bandleaders in their own right - which suggests that they are very controlled players. No steamrolling or showboating - just great jazz.
• Jennifer Miele is already running 9 miles in her training group for the AIDS marathon.
• The tune "Quadruple Bypass" is structured to the chord changes of "I Got Rhythm". Those who joined the Jazz Tasting at the Tramp House would've gotten a kick out of that.
• Tony chews Juicy Fruit or Big Red when he plays. Furiously. And it works for him.
• When Tanya Finks laughs, the rest of the world wants to laugh too, regardless of why she's laughing.
• If you sit at the piano bar at Charlie O's, it's really loud. Sitting at the "regular" bar is a better way to go.
• Dave Ameele is a funny guy. A local drummer who went to check out Tony's band, he remarked, "This is the kind of music that makes you think these guys are gonna pack up their gear in a station wagon after the show and drive to Cleveland." Note to non-jazz fans out there - that's high praise.
• Tony Inzalaco's drumming is quintessential bebop - driving, punctuating, harmonic, amazing.
• As much as I love to hear fresh interpretations of standard jazz tunes, I am shifting toward enjoying original music tremendously - Tony wrote all of the songs they played at the show and they were fantastic!
  

Night the second, Part I: Tamir Hendelman Trio
The next night, Tuesday, August 1, David Reinhold, Jenny Stentz and I found ourselves at Hollywood and Highland. My intention was to compare Tony Inzalaco's quintet with the Jeff Hamilton Trio, since they are both led by drummers, but a last minute subsitution meant that we were going to hear the Tamir Hendelman Trio instead (piano-led). I've joked in the past about taking bribes to feature artists but as I work on this series it becomes obvious that the musicians maybe don't want to pay to have us show up at a gig, snap photos, and give our unadulterated opinion on their performance. So - I gave Tamir $5 to let us feature him again.

Personnel
Tamir Hendelman – Piano, Bandleader
Christoph Luty – Bass
Dean Koba - Drums

Lessons Learned at Hollywood & Highland

• Depending upon how far away from the stage you are, you cannot hear yourself think, much less hear the band. So if you go to Hollywood and Highland, try not to think.
• I don't think I've ever seen Tamir without a tie until now.
• David Reinhold and Jenny Stentz are two of the most politically and culturally informed young people I've ever met - I feel smart listening to them talk.
• Dean Koba is a delicate yet authoritative drummer who could quite possibly be the happiest person on the face of the earth. He never stopped smiling once all night. And not in a scary way.
• Either I'm following Dave Ameele around or he's following me, because this evening made 2 nights in a row that our paths crossed.
• Christoph Luty's arco bass style is incredible - strong and precise yet warm and inviting.
• My arch nemesis (insert scary minor chord here) will always be at these Hollywood and Highland shows.
• Men wearing Bermuda shorts, socks and sandals gravitate toward me.
• Tamir did an outstanding job leading the trio and keeping the crowd engaged. Oh, and he played his heart out on the piano - high energy with appropriate sensitivity. Great stuff.

Night the second, Part II: John Pisano's Guitar Night

9:00 p.m. rolled around and after snapping a couple of photos with the band and catching up, I was still not feeling like my jazz jones had been satisfied. Dave Ameele mentioned that he was heading out to Spazio for Guitar Night, and since my energy gas tank still had a couple of gallons left, I hopped in the car and drove over there. I was able to hear a few tunes at Guitar Night plus catch up for a few with Dave and Bill Selditz, the LA Jazz Society Treasurer.

Personnel
Doug MacDonald – Guitar
John Pisano – Guitar, Bandleader
Harvey Newmark – Bass
Jack LeCompte – Drums

Lessons Learned at Guitar Night

• Jack LeCompte was introduced to me as "the only drummer in LA you haven't met yet." Now that I've met them all, I suppose I should start meeting all of the pianists.
• Jacob's Creek Reserve Shiraz is yummy - nice oak (but not too much).
• I totally love jazz guitar. Had no idea.
• Flip Manne met her husband Shelly when she was a 19-year-old dancer. Just thinking about that makes me smile until my face hurts.
• When 11:30 p.m. rolls around on a weeknight, I get massively tired and have to go home.

So there you have it - the most recent jazz series and the resulting life lessons. Thanks for letting me share with you, and please join me on a future foray!