Jonathan Poretz Sings His Way Into America's Hearts

Some artists might consider a musical theater role portraying a legend like Frank Sinatra to be potentially a career killer because of the comparisons to Ol’ Blue Eyes and then the prospect of not being able to get out from under that shadow and assert your own individuality as a singer. That however is not the situation with Jonathan Poretz, a jazz vocalist hailing from the San Francisco area who has spent almost two years depicting Sinatra in the production of Dick Feeney and Sandy Hackett’s Tribute to Frank, Sammy, Joey & Dean (the Rat Pack). As my fingers were busy, pounding out this article on my keyboard, Poretz was just returning from the Tribute’s four-night stint in Springfield Massachusetts. San Francisco, Las Vegas, Boston and Memphis are other favorite hosts for the production.

In January of this year, Poretz released his debut album A Lot Of Livin’ To Do and continues to demonstrate both on and off the stage the self-assuredness that all good performers have. While Poretz’s vocals have a swagger similar to Bobby Darin and are full of energy his offstage demeanor is more relaxed as he exudes a quiet confidence that seems to say, ‘I am living in the moment.’

The affable singer took time recently to discuss his CD comprised of vintage mostly romantic tunes and touring as a cast member in the Feeney/Hackett production.

Concerning his characterization by one reviewer as being jaunty Poretz says, “I am trying to be me as much as I can and that being said of the people that I listen to, clearly Sinatra was a master of the lyric and a master of rhythm. I am a huge fan of Mel Tormé and I appreciate Bobby Darin because of his swagger. Those guys are probably the foundation (of his style) and you can throw in a little Tony Bennett.”

Most of all however, Poretz brings his own life experiences, emotions and affinity for swinging standards to the songs he sings. Some of the vibrant energy that infuses the songs comes from his earlier days in music when he was part of a pop rock band in New York City, although he laughingly admits, “It is nothing that I would ever want released.” He also draws upon his experience in theater even prior to his days in the Tribute to Frank, Sammy, Joey & Dean (the Rat Pack).

“What resonated more for me (back in the day) was jazz and the standards. I love standards and most of them came out of Broadway shows. People forget when they listen to lyrics that they were written for a purpose and they tell a story and advance the story. I am keen to that,” he says before adding, “I am one with the rhythm and I am one with the music. I think what comes out of that is me as opposed to trying to be something.”

“People have said that I have a very natural old style of swing. (There are some) young people coming up today who try to sing swing jazz but it is not organic,” says Poretz. He makes the point that what makes it easier for him to sing this style of music is he has taken time to understand the music, the people who wrote it and the singers who performed the tunes.

Despite his brief foray into the world of pop rock Poretz has deep roots in the world of jazz that originate within his teenage years when he began singing with bands in his hometown of New York City. “I was very fortunate because the guys in those bands were pretty heavy hitters. I was surrounded by some fine players and I had to listen intimately to the music. It is different from being in the audience. When you are there in the mix, you get to absorb a lot of music. When I think about it a lot of my jazz foundation came from being in that mix, so when I began singing jazz it was very natural to me. I think if anything my natural sense of rhythm has given me a good sensibility,” says Poretz recalling his days performing with such luminaries as Charlie Shavers, Chuck Wayne and Joe Puma.

Those same sensibilities no doubt came into play when it came time for Poretz to choose the musicians that would play on A Lot Of Livin’ To Do. Drummer Harold Jones was a no brainer because Poretz frequently sings with the Harold Jones Boss Men big band. Jones also is a highly respected artist who performed with Count Basie, Sara Vaughan and in recent years with Tony Bennett. Jones’ beats can be heard on four of the tracks, “A Lot Of Livin’ To Do”, “My Time Of Day/I’ve Never Been In Love Before”, “On The Street Where You Live” and “Just One Of Those Things”.

“Harold sees himself as a session man who is supporting the singer, which is interesting because if you hear some of the old Basie stuff that he did he can take a solo like no one else. (he says emphatically) He is a great drummer! (he repeats the statement for effect) He is this metronome and his timing is impeccable. Harold just lays it down simply. All you need with him is a high-hat and you are going. He has the kind of drive that once that train moves it goes and just goes. It doesn’t matter what tempo you set, Harold will make it swing and I have noticed that many, many times singing with his big band. He brings simplicity to the sound,” says Poretz.

Unfortunately due to tour commitments with Tony Bennett Jones was not available to record the entire album, however it gave Poretz an opportunity to team up with another drummer friend Vince Lateano who often joins him for gigs. Concerning Lateano who Poretz refers to as a “wonderful accompaniment for a singer,” he says, “He sets me up beautifully (while singing). Vince has been my (performance) mentor in many ways. All of the little things that I have learned over the years have been a result of Vince.”

Noel Jewkes is another of the fine musicians appearing on this album and it seems as though there are few instruments that he has not mastered. Jewkes is equally excellent on the tenor sax, clarinet, flute and valve trombone. Jeff Neighbor and Pierre Josephs both appear as bassists, while pianist Lee Bloom also co-arranged the charts with Poretz.

“I first heard Lee at a club in San Francisco and was impressed by his lyrical sense. I introduced myself to him as a kid coming up and we hit it off immediately. Many of these arrangements evolved over time from performing them at gigs. I wanted to have some arrangements that were unique and not run of the mill (but at the same time) not complicated. I had a lot of the ideas conceptually and I was able to flesh them out working with Lee. When you add Noel Jewkes’ take on things sketches of the arrangements literally came together in the studio. We would do one take and on the second take most often we nailed it,” Poretz says.

During the past two years as a result of touring with Tribute to Frank, Sammy, Joey & Dean (the Rat Pack) Poretz has expanded his vocal range. “I really had to go to Frank (Sinatra) school and listen more intently than I usually did to nail his phrasing. I think as a result my singing is better partly from listening to him sing so much. I am a tenor but Frank was a baritone so by doing his keys, night after night, I have expanded my range considerably and it is a great bonus,” says Poretz.

If you live in the Bay area, you may want to try to catch Jonathan Poretz at LJ’s Martini Club, Jazz@Shanhai 1930 or The Ritz Carlton in Half Moon Bay. He can also be heard singing with the Starduster Orchestra big band
(http://www.stardusterorchestra.homestead.com/) and as the featured vocalist with the Joe Agro Sextet.

* Photo By Amy Tolbert Protected by Copyright

The Hot Latin Grooves of Johannes Linstead

On February 6, it was announced that Johannes Linstead one of Canada’s top guitarists was nominated for the nation’s top music prize a Juno Award. The Junos are Canada’s equivalent of a Grammy and Linstead’s guitarra Latina CD Café Tropical is being recognized in the Instrumental Album Of The Year category.

When contacted Linstead had this to say about his nomination, "I was thrilled when they announced my name for the nomination. However, what made it even more special were all the phone calls and emails I received from my friends congratulating me. It was beautiful to be surrounded by the love and happiness of those that really believe in me."

Linstead first appeared on the music scene as an independent artist in 1999 with his debut album Sol Luna Tierra, which sold more than 100,000 copies and made the Billboard charts. Since then he has released five other projects, while receiving high marks from critics, fans and those in the music industry.

The obvious question that people raise concerns his name, not exactly the type of name you associate with Latin vibes, leading the uninformed to question his authenticity as an artist. Those thoughts are quickly dispelled first when you listen to his music and secondly when you learn that although he grew up with an English father and a German mother he was immersed into Latin culture at an early age.

“Before I was born my dad lived in the Bahamas, he always loved the Caribbean and my mom taught Latin dance. When I was a little kid we always traveled to the Caribbean, Latin America and Spain,” Linstead says.

It was while traveling with his family as a child that Linstead began to befriend some of the native musicians and took up a keener interest in Latin music. “When you immerse yourself in any culture it gives you a sense of the authenticity otherwise you are trying to interpret it secondhand,” he says which is why, “I taught myself Spanish and Latin dance. a (developing) friendship, learning the language and dance gives me a bit of authenticity even though I was born and raised in Canada,” Linstead concludes.

On the home front, Linstead and his family were falling even more deeply in love with the Spanish culture. “When I was a kid my dad loved everything Spanish, He bought Spanish furniture and our home had a Spanish décor. I also fell in love with the story of Don Quixote, saw the stage play and owned the record The Man of La Mancha. I listened to that record everyday after school and there were certain pieces that made me cry. It was something that touched me at a very young age, probably when I was about seven or eight. I love that story,” he says.

Linstead has honed his craft so finely that in 2006 he was able to walk into one of the bastions of Spanish flavored music, southern Texas. John Powers, with the Woodlands Community Associations located in an upscale suburb of Houston says, “I initiated bringing Johannes to The Woodlands for our concert series after I fell in love with the music from his CD Guitarra del Fuego. Typically, our artists are from Houston, Austin or San Antonio. We wanted to take our concert series to the next level with great talent and world wide appeal; we felt he could certainly do that for us.”

Powers reports, “The crowd responded to Johannes with repeated applause, cheers and calls for encores. They didn’t want him to quit. He was quite gracious during the intermission and afterwards with a long line of autograph seekers as he talked to the fans, “and on a personal note he adds, “His music takes me away to those Latin tropical exotic places that soothe my soul.”

Texas is not the only part of America that is sitting up and taking notice of Linstead’s music, in December of 2006, he toured with smooth Latin jazz artist Bryan Lubeck and Lubeck had this to say about the experience, “I recently wrapped up a tour with Johannes and what I learned is that he is the complete package. He is a great songwriter, one of the finest guitarists I have ever seen live and a showman who makes the audience roar after every song. The difference between Johannes and most great live musicians is his ability to capture that live performance energy and fun in the studio. He is a performer’s performer and a musician’s musician.”

Linstead says, “The common theme (throughout my records) is lots of strong percussion. On Café Tropical, I had my usual guys Alex Godinez and Anastasios Bigas (play percussion). Alex has his own salsa band so he has a rich knowledge of Latin rhythms and percussion.”

“In Latin music clave which is the pulse of the music is very important. I really need someone there who understands how clave works and how to play around it because I don’t want people who understand (the genre) to say, ‘That guy doesn’t know what he is doing.’ For me it is important to have the entire rhythm (section) following clave. In that respect Alex is very valuable to me,” says Linstead.

Percussion is such an important part of Linstead’s music that he taught himself how to play the West African djembe—well sort of. Laughing the singer/songwriter tells me how he came to play the instrument which looks like a goblet shaped tom drum, “I picked it (the djembe) up because when I was in the studio by myself I needed some form of percussion. I decided I had better get a little better at it and started practicing. I love playing it.” He plays the djembe on Café Tropical’s “Ole Ole Ola” and “Chica Chica”.

Adding texture to many of the syncopated rhythms on Café Tropical is highly regarded percussionist (tabla) Hari Pal who refers to Linstead as, “a rising star of Latin melodies and rhythm.” Pal can be heard on the more ethereal sounding “Tides of Eden”.

Linstead becomes reflective and says, “I have done six CDs of Latin guitar music and I feel that I need a bit of a change now, just to make myself happy. I have two ideas, one is to incorporate electric guitar and maybe to a few Santana like Latin rock songs or I can infuse classical music into what I do.”

If you think those two ambitions are at opposite ends of the spectrum consider his next comments, “What I would like to do is write a Latin guitar opera that incorporates a soprano voice and choir. I have a few songs that I have already written that I think would be perfect for an album like that. I would add some orchestration as well.”

For now, all his fans will have the eyes and ears focused on their television sets April 1 the day the Juno Award winners are announced.

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Discovering Sofia Koutsovitis

When Grammy Award winning composer, bandleader and pianist Maria Schneider invites you to tour with her, you seize the opportunity and that is exactly what Argentine vocalist, musician and composer Sofia Koutsovitis did. The native of Buenos Aires now living in New York City recently concluded a European tour with Schneider. Concerts were performed in Portugal, Spain, Austria, France and Switzerland. Koutsovitis who is a highly skilled vocalist had a unique performance role with Schneider’s orchestra. She sang the instrumental lines, providing a vocal rendition for various instruments in the orchestra.

I contacted Schneider while her band was in Madrid Spain and she had this to say about the young Argentine, “Sofia sounds really beautiful with the band. She has a lovely sound that is human and earthy all at once. She is able to blend in with the instruments while adding something very human to it. She creates such a broad spectrum of colors and sounds. Sofia is so creative and I know there is much to discover down the road.”

Koutsovitis leaves no doubt as to how she feels about the opportunity to tour with Schneider,” It has been my dream to work with Maria and I got a chance to do this with her.”

When Koutsovitis first came to America, it was as a student at the New England Conservatory of Music in Boston. The twenty-four year old at first struggled in an environment that was devoid of many Latin American students. “(In Boston) everything was difficult at first because of the language. It was difficult to know what was going on in the classroom. There wasn’t anyone around who could speak Spanish,” she says.

The most startling revelation that Koutsovitis made concerning her adjustment to Boston was, “Oh my God I have never seen so many rats in my life!”

Despite the linguistic challenges and the rats (not at the conservatory), Koutsovitis eventually emerged from the New England Conservatory of Music recognized as a skilled and versatile vocalist.

The highly respected vocalist, composer and vocal coach Dominique Eade observes, “Sofia Koutsovitis is a remarkable singer. Her rich, warm alto is equally at home with quick Latin rhythms and sensuous ballads. Her sound appeals right to your heart but her witty, intelligent interpretations and compositions will win your mind.”

Koutsovitis demonstrates her excellence and versatility as a singer with her 2005 project Ojalá. The album also highlights her skills as a composer.

The first two tracks from Ojalá are lively and more frenetic whereas Gris the third song from the CD is at times very relaxed and at others more experimental. In fact, Gris at some junctures is reminiscent of the music of Koutsovitis’ friend, fellow musician Monika Heidemann.

Koutsovitis has created a beautiful arrangement for Paulinho Da Viola’s Dança Da Solidão. It is a more relaxed tune whose melody takes advantage of the piano, saxophone and percussion instruments. Jorge Roeder establishes a strong bassline, which Koutsovitis confesses, has always been present in her music.

Talking about her CD Ojalá Koutsovitis says, “One of the things that we are incorporating is Argentine rhythms. Some of the Argentine music is from the folkloric traditions (such as) chacarera and zamba (not to be confused with samba). Some of the music is from northern Argentina where they have African influences. For the first song Ojalá we used black Peruvian traditions (such as) lando for the song, “You Don’t Know What Love Is”.” Other influences that can be found in Koutsovitis’ music include festejo (Argentine), Avantrio (Peruvian) and the rhythms of both Brazil and Colombia.

In terms of the musicians who appear on this CD, I tip my hat in particular to the percussionists, Richie Barshay (drums, cajón), Jorge Pérez Albela (congas, cajón, djembe), Jamey Haddad (surdo) and Leo Genovese (bombo).

Koutsovitis finds it interesting that so often the music of South America is grouped under the banner of Latin music. She says, “That (statement) assumes a unity in the styles from South America but they all come from different (origins).”

As one might expect when your music is infused with so many cultural influences Koutsovitis’ songs also utilize an eclectic mix of instruments. Two of the unique instruments are a quiljada de burro otherwise known as a donkey jaw (yes you read that correctly!) and a cajón (ka-hone). Before we proceed, we should explain that the donkey’s have died naturally and are not being culled for the sake of making new instruments. Both the cajón and the donkey jaw have their origins in Peru during colonial times. African slaves were prohibited from owning and playing traditional instruments. The ancestor of the present day cajón was nothing more than a wooden box, which was used to carry everyday items such as fruits and vegetables. In fact, the word cajón in Spanish means crate or box. The cajón began to appear in modern day flamenco music and in more recent years it has been heard in a variety of genres.

Koutsovitis explains how the donkey jaw is played, “The teeth of the donkey are loose and they move when you hit it. You hit the jaw with your hand. You can also hit it with a stick,” she says before relating a humorous story, “In Lisbon (Portugal) I left it (donkey jaw) on the table in the hotel room. I came back to get it while two cleaning ladies were in the room. They looked at me weirdly.” Gee Sofia I wonder why that would be? She later convinced the maids that it was in fact an instrument and demonstrated how the donkey jaw is played.

Other less familiar instruments that can be heard on Ojalá include the surdo, guiro, melodica and agogo.

The chanteuse who is fluent in Spanish, English and Portuguese has set a torrid pace for herself during the first part of 2007. She will appear on Maria Schneider’s next project scheduled to begin recording in January. Koutsovitis will also be recording a new solo album. She already has already charted several original compositions. Geoffrey Keezer has asked her to appear on his next project. During the first part of the year, there will also be recordings with Folklore Urbano for their third CD Corazon as well as Alcatraz’s Afro-Peruvian album.

In Cambridge Massachusetts, you will able to catch Sofia Koutsovitis at the Regattabar Jazz Club in the Charles Hotel on January 27th as she takes part in a tribute concert to Antonio Carlos Jobim. She will be back in Boston on February 24th singing at the Ryles Jazz Club as well as fulfilling a television commitment. Jazz fans in New York City can slip over to Cornelia Street Café where Koustovitis will be appearing on February 8th.

Check out www.sofiamusic.com for Sofia's gig schedule and to listen to samples of her music.

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The Dyamic Duo

One would be tempted to refer to Andy Middleton and Sheila Cooper as the dynamic duo. During the late summer of 2006, the couple moved from Gotham City (New York City) to Austria with their seven-year-old daughter Calli. They write masterful compositions, Middleton is an accomplished tenor/soprano saxophone player and Cooper is a critically acclaimed vocalist and alto saxophonist.

Just a few days before celebrating their first Christmas in Vienna Middleton took time to speak with me on the telephone. We discussed his new teaching position at the Koservatorium Wien (Vienna Conservatory), the jazz scene in Europe and the new records Cooper and Middleton will soon be releasing.

Middleton was a veteran of an estimated forty-five European tours while he was still living in the United States so while settling into a new home was an adjustment understanding the music scene was not. He figures there are only four European countries in which he has not performed, those being Greece, Denmark, Sweden and the principality of Liechtenstein.

Selling a home in Brooklyn, your cars and many of your possessions would be intimidating to most couples but that is exactly what Middleton and Cooper did last August. Middleton is enjoying the growth and security that accompany being a professor teaching jazz theory and composition. He is also relishing the bountiful jazz scene in Austria and neighboring countries.

Middleton says, “One of the things most North Americans can’t know from their own experiences is that arts in general in Europe and particularly here in Austria have a very broad base of support among all groups of the populace.”

Middleton has discovered that the American government’s support for the arts pales in comparison to the situation in Austria. “Importantly for artists like me there is a lot of government support. In the United States support for the Arts, particularly under the Bush administration is a target. (The arts) have suffered a lot. Here no matter what kind of (government is in power) there is deep support for the arts. That translates into money. A lot of the small towns in Europe and (specifically) in Austria have a budget where they can bring in international artists to do concerts,” he says.

Middleton has discovered that jazz music is one of many facets of the arts community that receives the full endorsement of the average Austrian. “People come out and (support) all kinds of music. There is big support for jazz. The big concert hall here in Vienna has a full schedule of classical music but they also make a big deal about their jazz presentations. The clubs here in town present music of a high caliber seven days a week. Vienna is a small city with a little more than one million people but it seems as though there is a solid core of musicians here who have the support of the public in spirit and (in terms of) financial support,” he notes.

A jazz musician in Austria might find himself/herself performing in an intimate underground, cave like atmospheres with brick walls, and the audience seated within breathing distance of the performer. On the other hand, you could find yourself crooning from a high quality stage in a modern club with a top of the line lighting and sound system. The club may have theatre style seating and a professional sound engineer. At the top end, you have Vienna’s showpiece Porgy and Bess. Middleton describes the venue as, “a very nice and intelligently designed place.”

You get the sense when speaking with Middleton that life could not get much better. “I have a good time playing music with anybody because playing music is a joy. To play music with people who really hear music the way that I do and to play compositions that have a shape that we are really moving somewhere is my goal and I think I am achieving that with the people that I have been recording with and playing with,” he says.

“As I mature as a musician I recognize that being true to myself is more important than being new or different or revolutionary or whatever. What somebody else wants to call it is up to them,” Middleton says while discussing what label to apply to his music. “My job, my goal and my priority is to be true to what I hear at the moment. Surrounding myself with musicians who are like minded is really important,” he says.

Within the jazz community, Andy Middleton’s music might be considered somewhat eclectic. “I feel like I have a number of facets to my musical personality,” he observes, “If you listen to Nomad’s Notebook with Ralph Towner and Dave Holland that is more atmospheric jazz. It has (lots of) color. Playing straight ahead, jazz is something that I enjoy doing for sure. My most favorite things are to play original music or my own music. The swing feel with open-ended harmonic context is a very fertile for me right now.

As a player, I also feel like I can fit into many different contexts as a sideman.

Middleton attributes some of his growth as a musician to being married to Sheila Cooper. “It is absolutely helpful. We are quite different musically in many ways. Sheila has a lot better memory than I do so and she knows a lot more songs. We can offer different experiences to each other and we actually do that all of the time. We bounce ideas back and forth in terms of the business and the practicality of things. We have shared so many experiences as musicians that there is a feeling of closeness that comes from that in our relationship,” he says.

The husband and wife duo have assisted each other with the production of each other’s CDs and often will perform together. Middleton says, “Sheila is a singer and saxophone player who tends to play music from the standard repertoire. I am more of an instrumentalist and play my own compositions. We like to play together but it is always more of a meeting in the middle kind of thing. In general it is a positive and supportive environment for both of us.”

Those musicians include members of his New York based octet. In addition to himself on tenor/soprano sax the octet features, Cooper on alto sax, Scott Wendholt (trumpet), trombonist Alan Ferber, Darcy Hepner (bass clarinet), pianist Henry Hey, Matt Pavolka (bass) and drummer Owen Howard.

On the strength of a grant from Chamber Music America an organization dedicated to promoting both classical and jazz chamber music, Middleton is completing the final two arrangements for a CD featuring the octet’s music. The ensemble will then head into the studio.

Middleton’s other new project tentatively titled The European Quartet, Live features a much more intimate ensemble consisting of Tino Drado on piano, bassist Paul Imm, drummer Alan Jones and of course Middleton as the sax man. The four players originally hooked up in 2005 while on a two-week European tour. The new recording is scheduled for release in the spring. It will appear under the German label Qrious Music.

Sheila Cooper recently completed recording a duo project with renowned pianist Fritz Pauer. The release date will be announced soon.

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The Rory Partin Band

Rory Partin is a renaissance man in the world of big band swing music. Although he wasn’t born when many of the standards that appear on his new CD The Very Thought of You were first written, he sings them with the same charm that made Frank Sinatra, Bobby Darin and Nat King Cole household names.

One of the premier crooners in music the Louisiana born Partin is the lead vocalist and bandleader of the Rory Partin Band. Listeners will enjoy his smooth rich vocals on favorite tunes such as “Walkin’ My Baby Back Home”, “Route 66”, “Mack The Knife” and “It Had To Be You”.

Before the album was pared down to ten tracks the band recorded fifteen songs between ten in the morning and midnight in just one day in the studio. “We just blew it down,” Partin says, adding, “Some of the charts we had been performing in live shows so they (members of his band) knew them pretty well already. Some were brand new. We would read the chart, cut it twice and move on. One of the reasons that I wanted to do it this way is to create (a live feel) to the recording. The solos (on the tracks) are all adlibbed.” The solos he is referring to come from tenor saxophonist Cole Burgess, trumpeter Jamie Simmons (Glenn Miller Orchestra and the Temptations) and trombonist Al Javorcky. Jimmy Bowland also provides some flute ad libs on “It Had To Be You”.

“One of the things I wish we had done a little more of on the recording is have fun with the lead trumpet. The next time I will have them cut up a little more,” says Partin.

“We’re more of a standard big band meaning we do some new stuff but not hard edged guitar driven ska. Ours is more traditional in the sense of swing. Our guys aren’t playing really outside so that you think, ‘Is that really in the chord?’ Sometimes like the other day at a gig I will lean over to one of the guys in the rhythm section and say let’s make this an open section. If I am in the mood I’ll take a solo just scatting,” he says.

“It is amazing when you think about it, songs that were written in the twenties, thirties, forties, fifties and sixties are still popular and still hits. When you look at my album there is no original stuff on here. When people buy a big band album they want to know most of the songs. For some reason with big bands it is the standards that people love and they want to hear them over and over again. This music has traditionally been passed down from generation to generation. My parents passed it on to me,” says Partin.

Partin also thinks the popularity of jazz is due to the fact it is identified as being very American. He also says, “I think the music reminds us of a time when things were a lot more simple. It reminds us of a time when we were proud of our governments and the things that we were doing.”

Concerning his album The Very Thought of You the crooner says, “I selected the songs that I have always enjoyed listening to and singing. They are just songs that I love. I love to sing songs that say something to me and speak to me.”

Wherever and whenever they have played the Roy Partin Band has received high marks from music critics. They have been the first choice when many gala events have been staged including six presidential inaugural balls (Ronald Regan (twice), Bill Clinton, Jimmy Carter and George W. Bush (twice)) the Rory Partin Band (prior to 2000 known as the Bo Thorpe Orchestra) have raised their profile not only among politicos but assumed their rightful place as one of the more highly esteemed group of musicians and vocalists in big band history.

Boasting talent such as Jeannie Dennis (Tommy Dorsey, Sammy Davis Jr., Frank Sinatra Jr.)and saxman Quitman Dennis who served as bandleader and arranger for Bobby Darin, the orchestra is a melting pot for both talent and a wealth of experience.

Partin’s own interest in standards began as a child in Moss Bluffs Louisiana. His mother Jacqueline’s musical taste buds first whet his appetite for the likes of Nat King Cole, Dean Martin, Bing Crosby and Perry Como. “At the same time she was playing Mahalia Jackson, Ray Charles and Al Green. I latched on to crooning. I always tried to imitate Bing Crosby when I was a kid,” says Partin.

Later in life Partin launched his singing career as a backup vocalist for gospel singer Larnelle Harris. After returning to school he was encouraged by one of his teachers to accompany him for an audition with Henry “Bo” Thorpe Jr. for a part in Thorpe’s orchestra. As it turned out Thorpe selected Partin over his teacher. Partin played trumpet and sang with Thorpe’s band for several years prior to taking a hiatus. During his time away from the band he was often called upon to serve as a substitute when one of the regular trumpet players couldn’t make a gig. Eventually Partin rejoined the orchestra fulltime.

Not long after rejoining the band in 1999 Partin learned that Thorpe was thinking about retiring due to his failing health. A group of musicians approached Partin and wanted him to join them in their endeavor to purchase the orchestra. Partin wasn’t too keen on that idea but did convince the band members that he wouldn’t change the personnel if he was able to purchase the orchestra on his own. Eventually Partin purchased the tour bus, rights to the name Bo Thorpe Orchestra, several hundred charts and the contracts for gigs already scheduled.

The transition from Bo Thorpe leading the band to Rory Partin assuming leadership was supposed to be more gradual however Thorpe became more seriously ill that fall. “I had to step up and just start leading the band. On New Year’s Eve he did a couple of sets as his swan song and then turned it over to me in front of the crowd,” says Partin, “Thirteen days later on January 13^th Bo died.”

Partin provides me with some insight into his first love, well after his wife pop singer Jeni Varnadeau. “If I am just sitting around singing usually it is soulful. Swing is something that I do. Usually when I am just singing from my heart and there is nobody but me and God it usually comes out soulful. What I try and do with the swing is bring that same soul and heart to it. It’s not about licks or a particular style, soul is a lot deeper than that,” he says.

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As children most of us allow ourselves to dream of accomplishing great feats or becoming something that adults often dismiss as being born of fantasy and would consider to be unrealistic. On February 23^rd, The Farmer Astronaut will open at theaters around the country and the award-winning twins Michael (director/writer) and Mark Polish (writer) (Twin Falls Idaho) seek to rekindle in us the desire to chase after our dreams as we live vicariously through the central character Charles Farmer.

Recently the two brothers took time to speak to Phantom Tollbooth about the film. I believe it (the film) is both (fantasy and rekindling) to several different types of audiences but what seems to be fantasy to some is reality to us. What I mean by that is putting your dreams in front of you and being tenacious enough to fulfill those dreams that (at times) look fantastical to others. You may not want to put your family in financial strife and (ask yourself) would you do that. When you are going after your dream you might not have a choice in those matters,” says Michael Polish.

Charles Farmer portrayed by actor Billy Bob Thornton had a lifelong dream of becoming an astronaut and was well on his way to achieving that goal when a family situation cut short his aspirations. Not to be denied Farmer spends the better part of a decade and every cent he has to build a rocket on his farm in Story, Texas. He hopes one day to launch his rocket into space with him aboard.

Thornton brings authenticity to the role born out of his own personal convictions, “Once you get something stuck in your craw, you gotta do it. What else can you do? Do you sacrifice everything to achieve that dream or do you crawl in a hole and give up? One way or another, the people who try are the ones we care about.”

Farmer encounters, as you would expect interference from several governmental and law enforcement agencies but will not be deterred realizing that this is his chance not only to realize a dream but to instill in his children the courage to pursue their own ideals.

In listening to Michael Polish describe why Billy Bob Thornton was chosen for the role of Charles Farmer it is reminiscent of the demeanor he brought to the screen in the person of Davy Crocket in the movie The Alamo. “He brings a nice silent quality to this role,” he says and adds, “Billy is a guy that we knew could carry both facets of Charles Farmer, he could be a rancher and he could also be an astronaut. He had the plausibility to do both and when we spoke to him he had the intellect of really trying to figure out what this guy is all about.”

Their own father inspired the Polish brothers and much of the character of Charles Farmer draws upon that inspiration. “My father led by example, was very active with us and he always incorporated us into what he was doing. He taught us what to do in every situation. He was a pilot by trade so he made sure we were incorporated in how to fly and what it took to be in aeronautics,” says Michael.

Mark Polish says that the parallels do not end with their father, “We have both been sons at the table of Charles Farmer and we have both been fathers at that table. We have (also) been Shepard and Charles Farmer. We drew from those experiences to make the movie as real as possible. Yes, some of it is fantasy but the reality, the family issues are what ground him (Farmer), and those are the things that we really wanted to portray. Luckily, we could pull from our own experiences and know the reality of putting your family in financial jeopardy. What you risk is what your reward is going to be and we were lucky enough that our reward has paid off.”

Virginia Madsen plays Farmer’s wife Audie and there are moments in the movie that were drawn from Mark’s wife Wendy. In referring to Audie Farmer while thinking of his own wife Mark describes the need to have, “a strong wife in your life that supports you and questions you but ultimately will be that strong foundation that you fall back on in a time of need.”

Mark talks about what Virginia Madsen delivered to the role of Audie Farmer, “She is very confident with her appearance and the way she acts. She has very good instincts as a performer and that was one of the things that we responded to when we talked to her about the role. Mainly it was that she is a mother who could respond to having kids as well as understanding the risk of a having a dream, failure of a dream and success of a dream. We wanted that to come to the role and she had those qualities. We thought she would do what she did. We were very fortunate to have her be a part of it.”

Although the movie is set in, the 1960’s an interesting dialogue takes place between Charles Farmer and the government agencies seeking to put an end to his astronaut dreams. He is asked how we know you are not building a weapon of mass destruction to which Farmer replies, ‘If I was you wouldn’t be able to find it.’ The scene comes off as more humorous than heavy handed and yet it is still successful in making a subtle political statement.

When asked whether the movie crew encountered any interesting government visitors to their location just outside Santa Fe New Mexico where they erected a mock rocket the brothers replied in unison, “They might have been out there but they wouldn’t have been able to find it!”

Michael says, “There is an element to the one liner, ‘A man builds a rocket,’ and you could live on that if you wanted to go down that path. It was (however) important to us to pick a time in American history where the Mercury Atlas rocket captured the nation’s imagination and the seven astronauts that were going to orbit the earth. That to us was exciting and not being of that generation, we really went into the details of how that was going to happen. What was it going to take, what vessel and what fuel. We used as many resources as we could to make this believable. We dived into it. What gets me inspired is learning about the subject matter that we want to explore.”

While some may argue that parts of this film may constitute fantasy, the brothers did their homework and the technical aspects of Charles Farmer’s endeavor have been well researched. “We wrote the initial draft with enough information to know where the launch and the re-entry would be. When we went into the second draft and really started sculpting the story, we started listening to a lot of the archival transcripts of the astronauts and that was fascinating. It was probably some of the most inspirational stuff to listen to astronauts talk back to mission control,” says Michael.

“You could really see through their communication what they were viewing as astronauts and we really wanted to convey that in the movie,” adds Mark.

The movie also contains a symbolic nod to Alan B. Shepard, Jr. the first American launched into space on May 5, 1961. The name of Charles Farmer’s fifteen-year-old son is Shepard (Max Thieriot). The symbolism was intentional says Mark, “We wanted the first born to be one of the first men to orbit.”

Shepard is equally involved in his father’s enterprise acting as mission control and a budding engineer. Just as the Polish brothers’ father involved them in his endeavors so the theme continues in the movie.

Bruce Dern was cast in the role of Audie Farmer’s father, while Michael Polish’s seven-year-old daughter Jasper plays the Farmers’ middle child (Stanley). Stanley derives her name from Stanley Kubrick. Mark Polish’s four-year-old daughter Logan makes her film debut as the youngest Farmer child, Sunshine.

The movie, which will be released as Warner Bros. Pictures presents a Spring Creek Pictures Production, a Polish Brothers Construction Production, was filmed in New Mexico due to favorable rebates made available by the state.

Moviegoers can view a trailer for The Astronaut Farmer at

http://theastronautfarmermovie.warnerbros.com/

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Tammy Trent Dancing Before The Lord

When God has given you a desire, chase after it and walk through every door that God opens for you. Although singer/songwriter Tammy Trent was speaking within the context of comparing her infant days in the music industry with the recent recording of the CD I See Beautiful the words, make a statement about the way she approaches her life.

Twelve years ago, Trent adopted her husband Trent Londerink’s first name as her surname for stage purposes. On September 10, 2001, her world was rocked when her husband died in a diving accident. After stepping away from the music scene to heal Tammy Trent slowly made her way back through music and sharing her story from the platform of conferences such as Revolve (for teenage girls) and Women of Faith. The release of I See Beautiful in 2006 signaled that the dance music queen had returned and done so in style.

Responding to my description of her song “Pray” as hip hop meets pop Trent laughs and says, “I love it, I love it. When I signed a record deal in 1994, the love of my life was definitely dance, hip hop and urban (music). I was listening to the sounds out of Detroit and Minneapolis. Laughing she says there wasn’t a whole lot like that coming out of Nashville. There was really good pop music but nobody was really doing any dance stuff.”

There are people who might think that Trent has not changed with the times and ten years later is still performing dance music while many Christian artists are into worship or pop rock. In response to that line of thinking Trent replies, “I want people to say, ‘I was a fan of hers ten years ago and she still has great stuff to this day.’ I think you have to keep changing with the sound of the times but stylistically this is absolutely who I am.”

Trent says, “A song like “Pray” really captures who I am. It is such a song of my heart. There were times that I walked through the door of my house, fell to my knees, was lost for words and did not know what to say. I felt lonely. I was hurting and going through the pain of losing a spouse. I remember reminding myself, ‘Tammy there is probably somebody praying for you right now. Someone is lifting you up before the Father right now. Get up, you can do this.’ I would get up, wipe the tears and say, ‘I can do this God.’”

Continuing to talk about “Pray” she says, “I could have written a ballad that would make us just want to worship God. “Pray” is a song of celebration. It made me want to get back up off the floor and say yes does anybody want to pray with me. Do you really want to pray with me? I think that is why I took this direction for the song. It makes you want to dance.”

Six weeks after her initial record release in 1994 and her single “Your Love Is For Always” debuted, the song rose to number one on the charts. “That started everything for me. I knew I was just following my heart. Until this day it is who I am musically. I love music that makes me want to dance,” says the singer.

The words to Trent’s songs are not merely filler used to satisfy a beat. She instead relies upon heartfelt true life experiences that infuse her lyrics. The lyrics are dropped into a blender with great beats and the combination creates excellent tunes. “I am a drummer so when you listen to any of my records there is this groove. Even on a ballad you will hear that undertone because of the drummer in me,” she notes.

“In 2007 I will probably spice up my set a little bit and throw in the drums. I think it is inspiring for other little girls that want to learn to play. I am going to bring them out on the road with my own band. I think there is something to be said for an artist that gets up with an acoustic guitar or somebody like Nichole Nordeman that sets up behind a keyboard. (Hopefully people will say) she’s not only a singer/songwriter but she can actually play an instrument as well,” says Trent.

The title track “I See Beautiful” and the track “Is This Love” are collaborations between Trent, David Garcia and Tim Miner. The songs are good dance grooves that celebrate God’s love. Miner and Garcia also produced both tunes. Miner who has been a solid R&B artist and a prolific producer puts a solid urban stamp on the tunes. Miner’s past clients have included Debra Cox, CeCe Winans, Anita Baker, Mariah Carey, Montel Jordan, Babyface, Teddy Pendergrass and Vanessa Williams. Garcia’s musical roots run deep in gospel, R&B and hip hop music. “I See Beautiful” and “Is This Love” provide evidence of Trent’s energetic vocals, and her ability to motivate people to get up and move.

“I See Beautiful” is Trent’s testimony of emerging from dark shadowy days to celebrate God’s divine intervention and guidance in her daily life. “I feel I just (need to) open up and share the honest places of my life with people. Those are the kinds of things that will reach out to people more than pretending I have the answers or pretending that everything is all good just because I have God in my life. I think I have learned to be an open book thinking that if that helps somebody then that is what I was created for,” she says.

The song “Stop The World” is dedicated to the memory of Tammy’s husband. It was written by their friend Pete Orta shortly after her husband’s death and was sung at his funeral. As the megaphone vocals envelope the words “Somebody stop the world”, your heart breaks for Tammy Trent’s loss but you also find hope in her words. The song talks of shared memories, of carrying Trent Londerink’s heart deep within her hear forever. The tune speaks of a God who comforts us and breathes life back into us even during our darkest days.

“I think it was important for me to capture on this record that God has restored me and healed my life,” she says and then adds, ”There are some artists who feel called to write deeply thought provoking poetic songs. It seems to me that my music is a bit more conversational. I create songs that somehow will make you put your clothes on the right way in the morning and help you march out that front door to take on the day.”

The decision to enlist the services of four producers for the album (Miner, Garcia, John Mandeville and Tony Montana) contributed to a record that sounds alive and fresh. “I think when you are working on a record it is always a challenge to find something new in you. You are hopeful that a new producer will be able to capture that. Even thought I love dance, hip hop and urban I was also looking to capture them in a new way,” she says.

The courage to tell her story, back it up with her lifestyle and create danceable music has attracted a lot of attention. At the end of December, I peeked at Trent’s tour schedule for 2007 and it was booked solid. She has an ambitious tour that will visit thirty cities and is already accepting bookings into 2008. She also refers to the album I See Beautiful as her fastest selling album to date.

The Bible says David danced before the Lord in praise. Trent’s legacy will be that she inspired others to get up and with grateful hearts dance before God.

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Music Became Their Passport To True Love

The Kenny and Amanda Smith Band are modern day troubadours who like to mix old time rhythms with contemporary themes such as they did with their outstanding ballad “Mary Had A Little Boy” from their most recent CD Tell Someone.

The husband and wife team of Kenny and Amanda who front the band with their vocals and Kenny’s guitar licks blend bluegrass, southern gospel and country songs. While the traditional venue for the band has been music festivals during the summer months, smaller clubs during the winter and opening for acts like country legend George Jones, they have been experiencing rapid growth in their fan base from a surprising source. As the band enters, its sixth year satellite radio is introducing their music to a generation of fans who are discovering bluegrass for the first time.

Kenny says, “We have a really high standard as far as the sound quality in our recordings (is concerned). We have been really lucky to know some good engineers. Glenn Taber out of Charlotte North Carolina is really gifted at what he does. We like working with him. He is innovative and always comes up with new ways to capture what we do.” He makes the point that with satellite radio, you have to come up with a quality mix or the music program directors are not going to play your music.

To capture what Kenny likes to refer to as ‘a pure sound’ they utilize a much stripped down recording studio that places more emphasis on capturing an acoustic live sound than it does on electronic wizardry.

“Amanda and I listen to a lot of fifties and sixties country (songs) that are more simple and basic. They had good songs and unique voices. The people were all original and I guess that is what we like about that era,” says Kenny before adding, “I think that still is true with bluegrass. It is one of the music forms that are still governed by the artists that it is not controlled by the record companies.”

It would seem fitting that a bluegrass band would start to take shape at a bluegrass music festival but it is not exactly where one might picture you meeting your future spouse. Amanda recalls their first meeting, “Mom, dad and I went to a concert in Milton West Virginia because the Lonesome River Band was playing. I was expecting Tim Austin their other guitar player to walk out on stage but Kenny did and I really liked his playing. I wanted to go up and meet him after the show was over and I was hoping he didn’t have a girlfriend but of course, I didn’t want to come out and ask him. I just handed him my cassette tape with my phone number in it. I figured that was a more tactful way to give him my number without just asking him to call. It worked and he called me about a month later.”

Perhaps we should ask Kenny how he remembers things unfolding, “Amanda and I met at a Lonesome River Band concert (so far you are on the same page). I remember seeing Amanda earlier in the day and thinking there is a good looking gal and I really want to meet her!” Kenny however figured that she probably did not like bluegrass music and her parents dragged her to the festival (wrong). In fact, Amanda suggests it may have been more at her urging that the family attended the festival.

What happened next Kenny? “She walked up after the concert, handed me a cassette tape and said my number is in there. She told me to give her a call sometime and tell her what I think about the music (hmmm),” Kenny recalls. He phoned, discovered she was four hours away, but agreed to go out on a date anyway.

Eventually they married so he must have taken her out to a big fancy restaurant or won many prizes for her at the local fair, right. Not quite and true romanticists will be pleased to learn, “We got back to her mom and dad’s house (after the date) and while we were sitting on the couch she asked, ‘Do you want to pick?’ I thought this was great and we spent the next two or three hours playing the guitar (and singing). It was a dream come true.” While it is true they have lived happily ever after our story is not over yet so keep reading.

One of the keys to the Smiths enjoying a good marriage and helps them keep their careers in the proper focus is their faith in God. Amanda says, “Not everything (in life) is always perfect. There are always hard times and discouragement. It is nice to have somebody who wants to pray about it and it means a lot to be on the same page with everything. Our (faith) really comes into play for the decisions we make for the band. We share the same thoughts and beliefs. We can lean on the Lord to find our direction.”

“It is nice to have somebody who wants to pray about it and it means a lot to be on the same page with everything. The decisions that we make for the band that (faith) really comes into play. We share the same thoughts and beliefs and can lean on the Lord to find our direction,” says Amanda.

There have been many times when the couple has needed the Lord’s strength to see them through difficult days. Two weeks prior to the recording of Tell Someone Kenny’s father was involved in a fatal tractor accident. He says they felt so strongly about recording their first gospel album that they went ahead with the project. “I think at times like that you are closer to the Lord and drawing from that strength than any other time of your life. I think the songs that we chose really spoke to my heart,” he says.

As every musician or singer knows the music, industry can often lead to a frugal lifestyle. The Kenny and Amanda Smith Band have also known those lean years. “That is where faith becomes a big part of our lives and so it becomes a daily walk for Amanda and me,” says Kenny.

Amanda says, “This gospel album meant a whole lot because those songs go way back to my childhood. I have been singing gospel music ever since I was about three years old with my mom’s old record player and (later) in church with my guitar.”

Concerning their careers and their marriage Amanda says, “It is definitely a dream come true and to have the bonus of finding somebody that is a partner in life that shares the same dream and the same faith all wrapped in one seems almost too good to be true. We’re pretty fortunate.”

Music lovers attending a Kenny and Amanda Smith Band concert can expect to hear hard driving bluegrass mixed in with tunes that are more traditional and some southern gospel songs. Kenny says, “We might go to something really contemporary such as “Pacific Time”. It is stripped down to guitar, bass and Amanda’s vocals. She is singing about a west coast/east coast long distance relationship. (Next) we might go to a quick instrumental or a claw hammer banjo song that is rooted in an old time feel. Amanda’s voice fits hard driving bluegrass but it also fits ballads and slower gospel (songs).”

Just like some of the people whose music they enjoy, Ernest Tubb, Tammy Wynette and Buck Owens Kenny and Amanda Smith are carving out their own niche in the annals of bluegrass and country music.

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Cali God's Dance Sensation

It seems as though every decade has its teen music idols and our time is no different. Cali, a favorite of the Radio Disney Network has jumped into the spotlight to join contemporaries such as Katelyn Tarver and Miley Cyrus. Whether these young women eventually become as well known as predecessors such as, Britney Speers, Rebecca St James and Stacie Orrico remains to be seen.

Tarver’s music pulls more at the heartstrings with love songs whereas Cali’s tunes are more firmly planted in dance/pop. For the most part Cali’s songs appeal to the mostly pre-teenage set. Her music taps into the five year old through fourteen year old girl audience. Think of Cali as ZoeGirl divided by three.

Cali who co-wrote six of the tracks from her self titled CD takes pride in the fact that her songs go beyond mere casual dance music and are considered good enough to be used in dance routines. She says, “My music has a hardcore good beat. I am trying to bring that pop element and putting a message behind it. I want it (her music) to stand out and make a difference.”

“Get Up” the number one track has a companion video that will soon appear on the Gospel Music Channel and can be viewed on her website or myspace site. The video was shot in a small town outside Nashville. The theme involves the young singer in trying to lift people’s spirits by encouraging them to get up and dance. The song becomes a metaphor for triumphing over life’s difficult situations. Cali says, “Get Up is one of my favorite songs because it is fun, energetic and you can dance to it.”

The techno grooved “Come Go With Me” with its programmed strings and funky megaphone vocals along with the harder edged “Can It Be” should attract a stronger following than the lead track “Get It Up”. The two songs evoke a stronger emotional response. Cali also pushes out more with “Come Go With Me” and “Can It Be”. This CD was designed primarily for a general market audience but “Can It Be” presents the boldest statement of faith. The lyrics contrast two different ways of approaching life. The first approach is to struggle alone, while slipping “on the ladder of faith”. The second approach is to turn to someone who is always there and can be relied on. Although the song makes no specific mention of Christ or God, it does open the door for the singer to share her faith when it is appropriate to do so.

“If I could, in a perfect world I would want to share my life with every single fan that I come into contact with. I do care about whom they are, what they are going through and want to be there beside them,” Cali says.

The young singer is not the least bit intimidated about serving as a role model for today’s youth. “That doesn’t scare me at all. I want to be a role model for kids out there. It is pretty exciting and is something that I am willing to take on,” she says.

Cali also is not afraid to be raw and emotionally bare before her fans. In her song, “Are You Listening” the singer asks difficult questions and wonders aloud why answers aren’t forthcoming. With a good remix, “Are You Listening” could be a blockbuster hit for both general market and Christian radio. Cali’s emotive vocals combine with thoughtful lyrics. What is needed on this song is a stronger supporting cast of musicians.

The CD is a photo album of Cali’s life. “It tells my whole story. I really put myself and my stories out there,” she says. The song “Sound So Good” provides a musical biopic of her teenage years. “It talks about a relationship I had with a guy in high school. It wasn’t a healthy relationship but I kept running back to him even though I knew he wasn’t fulfilling what I needed. That (the song) is really special to me because it tells my story,” says the singer.

The closing track “Never Let Me Go” brings her passionate heartfelt vocals to the forefront once again and is a tune that holds a lot of promise.

Although Cali is a self confessed lover of dance music this reviewer would question if that is the strongest card she has to play. As you listen to the R&B flavored “Shine” or pop driven tunes such as “Just Because” and the Scott Krippayne authored “Wonderful Crazy” Cali climbs from being an ordinary singer to being a very, very promising young artist. With the dance tracks, her voice often takes a backseat to music that frankly is quite ordinary. With the aforementioned songs, you get an opportunity to hear her vocals and the lady has a very pretty voice.

After Cali’s publicist, Brian Mayes arranged a meeting between the young singer and the Disney Corporation, the entertainment conglomerate agreed to bring her into the fold as one of their incubator artists.

A Cali fan club was founded by one die hard fan and she is besieged both by mail and in person at her concerts. Fans seek out her advice on a variety of subjects including boy problems, self esteem challenges and spiritual issues.

The Christian music scene and our youth could not ask for a better role model than a young woman who volunteers her time with Young Life, an organization that goes into high schools to establish relationships with students. As Cali says, “We get to know the kids on a personal level so we can earn the right to lead them to Christ.”

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Marcus Strickland In Touch With The Everyday Man

“If you are a jazz musician at a concert and all you see in the audience are jazz saxophone geeks and nobody else then there is something wrong. You have missed the point,” says Marcus Strickland an accomplished tenor and soprano saxophonist and composer. “There should be doctors, lawyers and beauticians there. There should be people from all walks of life. Life is much grander than just jazz music,” he concludes.

Strickland was making the comments during our conversation at the end of October shortly after he returned from his most recent European tour. Strickland’s point was jazz artists need to view themselves as being part of a much broader musical landscape. He believes that artists who are serious about their craft will become in his words “experts in music.”

Through taking a closer look at other genres of music, Strickland says far reaching benefits will be realized. Artists will learn how to incorporate other instruments and vocal styles into their music. Moreover, he says, “There are very specific intentions behind other genres of music.” Those intentions may be to convey a story, express an ideology or particular sentiment. It is through listening to different styles of music that artists will be able to remain current with their music rather than retrospective.

Strickland’s own approach to music goes far beyond merely staying current he is an innovator. One of his more recent projects the Twi-Life ensemble is an extension of that innovation. “I really feel liberated by starting the Twi-Life group because it represents the adventurous side of my brain. I feel like a little kid. There are so many things that I want to do with it and I can’t wait for the next record. It will contain rock grooves, ska grooves and Caribbean influences. There’s a lot of stuff going on there, things that I wouldn’t otherwise get (a chance to do),” he says.

Strickland draws upon the cultural diversity of New York City where he now lives and the ethnic influences in Miami where he grew up. He cites the example of a song from his current double CD Quartets Twi-Life, “(The song) “Brooklyn Street Fair” was written after I went through the Atlantic Antic Festival (held) on Atlantic Avenue in Brooklyn. While you are walking down the street, you can hear Caribbean music or Islamic music or Islamic chanting. You hear all kinds of things. It reminds me of Miami. You will hear (various styles of music). I am used to hearing so many different things at the same time and the groove on “Brooklyn Street Fair” really expresses that. It is constantly shifting through different grooves.” We share a joke and laugh as he refers to “Brooklyn Street Fair” as a confusing song and I suggest we call it a sophisticated composition. He thanks me.

During his more youthful days in Miami, some of the genres that affected his life included Afro-Cuban and Brazilian music. He also provides a humorous imitation of his grandfather complete with deep southern drawl to make sure I understand that the deep south has also put its stamp upon his music. “It’s a big melting pot. Like most people who grew up there, (it helped me) have a more open mind. I am very proud to be from Miami. I think it has really seeped into my music,” Strickland says.

The longer you listen to Strickland speak you become keenly aware that he is the jazz incarnation of icons from other genres like Bob Dylan, Joan Baez and Woody Guthrie who used their music as social commentary on events of the day. Today we might point to some of Strickland’s jazz contemporaries such as Chris Washburne and Stanton Moore. While Strickland’s music does not yet have the same overtones, it is not difficult to imagine that it might someday.

He speaks with ease about the historical significance of songs such as “Haile Selassie” found on disc two from this double set.

Strickland is also drawn to artists past and present whose music or lives made strong statements. “Recently I have been getting into Sela’s (Kuti) music. Sela (Kuti) was a Nigerian (now deceased). He was very prominent during the seventies and pivotal in the politics of Nigeria. He created this Afro beat music that was incredible. The lyrics are very powerful. He sang and played saxophone,” Strickland explains.

“Oumou Sangaré’s music is very political as well. Her music is geared towards supporting women’s rights. The music is very passionate and the musicians are impeccable. I have been listening to lots of her music,” he says.

“I have always been intrigued by Indian music because it grabs you. It has a drone throughout the whole song. It changes your disposition,” Strickland says. Recently his interest in Indian music led Strickland to take pan drum lessons. “It is just mind boggling how masterful Indian percussionists can be,” he says.

Contemporary North American elements can also be found in Strickland’s music. In recent years, he spent time learning how to program beats and admits to those influences in some of his music. His introduction to the guitar playing of Lage Lund who appears on his current album also changed his perception of how to utilize the guitar in jazz music.

The same enthusiasm that Strickland demonstrates towards creating new charts carries over to his approach in live performances. While speaking about the interaction between an audience and his musicians he says, “You can see on their (audience’s) faces that something is being done here that the previous audience didn’t see and maybe the next audience won’t see. That is the whole thing about jazz it is never the same. Even the way you play the melody does not sound the same each night. You are really striving to improve each time that you play.”

Whereas many composers start with a melody or lyric Strickland’s approach to his compositions is different. “A lot of times I come up with the harmony and bassline first. I build it (the song) from the bottom up. I just go with what I am feeling at the time I am writing the composition. After I write the harmony and the bassline, I try my best to sing the melody over it. I have a lot of harmony going on and I don’t want the melody to sound like that. I will try to sing the melody over it rather than play it. I have more technique on my saxophone than I do my vocal skills so placing this handicap on it forces me to be a little bit more lyrical. I find the songs become much more memorable than if it had a bop side to it,” he says.

Strickland enjoys the flexibility of playing both the tenor and soprano saxophones. “I really like the idea of having both of those instruments at my disposal. It gives me a lot of options. There are so many things that you can do with the saxophone,” he says.

It is often said that the saxophone comes closest to imitating the human voice. Strickland echoes those sentiments, “I find that the tenor sounds like a man and the soprano can sound like a boy. Many times, I find the tenor represents a mature person. When I am in the high register of the tenor it sounds like he is crying, feeling pain or anger. It feels like the emotional output of the tenor is a little more advanced than the soprano. The soprano feels like a less mature person who hasn’t experienced that many things.”

Continuing to discuss the horns he says, “The tenor and the soprano are an octave away. At some point, their ranges cross. The high register of the tenor sounds like the regular range of the soprano. If I have a composition that has a melody within that cross section of the soprano and tenor I then have to make a decision on which one I am going to play.”

Regardless of which of his saxophones Strickland is playing it is safe to say that he is one of the truly innovative people on the jazz music scene today. If you have not yet listened to his music, you may want to check out his website.

** Photo by Jimmy Katz protected by copyright

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Most jazz ensembles or bands have one or two primary composers but not so with the Tierney Sutton Band as I discovered during my recent conversation with the lead vocalist Tierney Sutton. All five musicians and Sutton present ideas to the group and work collaboratively on original compositions and new arrangements for songs previously recorded by others.

“Everybody has veto power over something that we play or an idea that we have. All the (musicians) in the band are very creative and knowledgeable people. They are always striving to find something different than they have found before,” says Sutton.

“These guys play on a lot of great records with a lot of great players. Our drummer (Ray Brinker) played on Genius Loves Company the last album recorded by Ray Charles, (while) Kevin Axt has played with Natalie Cole and Chuck Mangione. All of these guys have played on a million rock, country, television and film projects. For them to come to the table and say, ‘I want to be part of something that is different than anything that I have played or heard,’ means that there is a lot of stretching that goes on,” says Sutton.

As is the case with all the members of the band, Brinker has a broad musical vocabulary that includes working with such diverse people as Joe Cocker, David Lee Roth, Anita O’Day, Randy Brecker and Bonnie Raitt. He has also contributed to countless television and movie scores including the movie The Alamo. Axt’s resume also includes artists such as Melissa Manchester, Dave Koz and David Benoit. Trey Henry the other bass player in the band has worked with the likes of Maynard Ferguson, Henry Mancini, Herbie Hancock and Ray Brown.

When it came to creating her most recent CD On The Other Side, released on February 7^th, Sutton says all of the band members determined that they were going to push the envelope. “When we went into Capitol to record it we were all scared. I know I was frightened because I wasn’t sure that I was ready to sing some of the stuff that we had decided we were going to do. I always have complete confidence that they can do anything but I am often not sure that I can keep up with the corner into which they have pushed me. When we got into the studio we all felt that we were onto a different page in the creative process,” she says before adding, “What makes me happy is being involved in that kind of process with people that I respect, regardless of the results and whether I succeed or fail.”

With more than one hundred collaborative new arrangements under their collective belts the members of the band, do not lack for confidence however this time the stakes were higher. “There are always a few (arrangements) that take longer to bake but this time around it was the execution that was risky because it was the first time that we created arrangements that we didn’t even know how many bars there were. (In prior arrangements) the t’s were always crossed and the i’s were dotted. Some of this stuff is really freeform and might go in a very different direction,” she says before listing examples, “You Are My Sunshine”, and the first “Get Happy” (two versions recorded for this CD) are perfect examples of that (freeform). There is a freedom to some of the arrangements (to the point) where we did not know how long the sessions would be. The forms are different ways of playing the songs every time that we do them.”

Elaborating further on the chart style the band adopted for this CD Sutton says, “In typical improvisation you take some kind of form (and it might be) a chord progression of a certain number of bars. You know when the A Minor 7 is going to the D 7 and to the G Major. You know when that is going to happen. What we have done is create a communication process between us where the chords are going by but there is not a standard amount of bars between them. One or the other of us, sometimes two of us at a time will determine when the song progresses. The decision will be made in the moment and not predetermined.

As the Tierney Sutton Band continues to interpret and create new arrangements for standards, they do so with a confidence and enthusiasm that almost throws caution to the wind. When asked if they ever consider it to be a risk to perform a standard very closely associated with another performer Sutton does not hesitate in responding, “Our philosophy about that is if we are worried about it then it better be a really new and different treatment like the way we did “The Lady Is A Tramp,” (I’m With The Band—2005). We should take the song somewhere so far from where the original version is that the (listener) won’t be able to retain in their head the original one anymore. It’s not that we want to erase (the original composition), we just don’t want to be compared to it. I have said onstage that when we do “Route 66” (Something Cool—2002), in my mind no good comes from comparing me to Nat King Cole. That’s not the idea here. We want as little of that to go on as possible.”

Several elements have contributed to the fresh sound that the Tierney Sutton Band brings to old standards, the length of time the members have been together, their diverse musical backgrounds and the fact they are excellent musicians fronted by Sutton’s powerful vocals.

Although Sutton is reluctant to use words that have long since lost their meaning through society’s stereotyping she does so in this case in answering my question concerning what has contributed to the band’s success. “I think we have been a huge success simply because we have been able to keep this together for so long. That to me is success. Our growth professionally as a band has been really organic and I think that is very healthy,” says the Grammy nominated singer (2005 I’m With The Band, Best Jazz Vocal Album).

Sutton continues, “Now we are at a point where we make a living doing this music. We do this band as a priority meaning if any of us have other responsibilities we consult with each other and ask, ‘What is going on in July and is that a reasonable time for me to be away to take this other thing for two weeks?’ The growth of that and getting it to this point has been very slow like growing a plant.”

Aside from the challenges of being a jazz musician or vocalist trying to establish your career Sutton does see some advantages to taking a longer slower road to reach this point in her career. When she first signed with Telarc, her son was only two years old and she was committed to being at home more during those formative years. With the label’s support, she kept her tours down to between a week and ten days. She says, “From a parent’s point of view I am really grateful. From an artist’s point of view I am also very grateful because I was able to develop the stage part of it slowly, the talking to the audience part of it and the music part of it.

“The success part of it is that we have stayed together and have made a bunch of records that show what we are about to a certain degree,” she says.

Sutton says, “When I think of success I think of being a part of a process that is healthy, works and of us leaving a record of what we have done. We have done that even if we were to break up tomorrow and couldn’t do this anymore for some reason.” That they have and they have done it with style and excellence.

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