Greg Hester Jazz

More Jazz Happening

Some other events that area jazz fans might find of interest:

Napa singer/songwriter/guitarist, Johnny Smith, has sent us his schedule for the month, and if you're anywhere in the San Francisco or Napa areas on a Friday or Saturday night during the month of December, you could do yourself a big favor  and swing by one of these venues to hear some outstanding  jazz standards and some classic blues by one of our own.

About Johnny's recent CD release, The Napa Valley Register states: "Just a Man is full of lovelorn blues and well crafted ballads. The arrangements are slick and upbeat, a real credit to an independently produced recording project.”

December 16, Saturday: Piccolino's Italian Cafe, 1385 First St., Napa;
                                     Johnny plays solo.

December 22, Friday: The Beach Chalet, 1000 Great Highway, San Francisco;
                                    Johnny performs with master guitarist, Mark Holzinger

December 29, Friday; The Beach Chalet; 1000 Great Highway, San Francisco
                                    Johnny performs with master guitarist, Mark Holzinger

And if you're looking for something to do on the evening of Friday, December 15, and you want to hear some great combo jazz, you won't go wrong if you stop by  Bistro Yoffii at 2231 Chestnut Street in  San Francisco where you'll see and hear the great Yancie Taylor and his Jazztet. He'll have Roy Brown on piano, Bud Spangler on drums, Fred Randolph on bass and  the good 'Jazz Doctor'
himself on vibes. Yancie and the guys always put on a good show, and you can have dinner there too. What a great idea for a Friday night date.

Carmen McRae/The Manhattan Transfer

Album Title: Part 1; Carmen McRae Live in Tokyo; Double Time Jazz Collection, Vol. 1 (2004)
Artist(s) Carmen McRae, Vocals; Pat Coil, Piano; Bob Bowman, Bass; Mark Pulice, Drums
Format: DVD
Recorded: 1986 Tokyo, Japan
Label: Double Time Jazz Collection
We're taking a brief departure from our usual but sporadic reviews of various jazz CDs and performances to bring to your attention a DVD of note. It's rare to find performers with the stature of a Carmen McRae and the Manhattan Transfer on the same disc (albeit, not the same bill), especially one that contains this much pure, solid entertainment value. The experience is truly as if you had bought your tickets and somehow got yourself seated in the front row.

Carmen McRae, for all of her faults, (which we'll touch on briefly as we go) could interpret material from the Great American Songbook like no other jazz singer of her generation. She had an uncanny just-behind-the-beat phrasing ability that set her apart from your average vocalist and even the great Ella was hard-pressed to keep up. Before Ms. McRae died in 1994 at the age of 74, she had been recording for the better part of 50 years.

On this 1986 performance, Ms. McRae walks onto the stage to polite, but less than wild applause, proceeds to the piano, picks up a microphone and begins to sing. No niceties. No jokes or introductions. She opens with That Old Black Magic a Harold Arlen/Johnny Mercer tune out of the forties and proceeds to promptly blow the lyrics of the first line. Thankfully, this doesn't set a pattern for the rest of the show as her succeeding numbers are performed, for the most part and as far as I could tell, flawlessly.

The song list for this performance is a delight for all of us who enjoy hearing the old standards being morphed into jazz idioms. She gives us a taste of Cole Porter (I Concentrate On You) Hoagy Carmichael (I Get Along Without You Very Well), Frank Loesser (If I Were a Bell), the Gerswin brothers (But Not for Me), Rogers and Hart  (Thou Swell). There arejazz standards like Billie Holiday's Gettin' Some Fun Out of Life and What a Little Moonlight Can Do. Ellington's My Old Flame, Antonio Carlos Jobim's No More Blues, Dindi and Nat Cole's I'm Just An Errand Girl for Rhythm and Beautiful Moons Ago  she concludes the show by adding some 70s pop culture with Barbra Streisand/Paul Williams' collaboration from A Star is Born, the insanely successful Evergreen and With One More Look At You. In all, there are 21 delicious tracks on this album, and every one a testament to Ms. McRae's overpowering style and towering presence.

Her trio - Pianist, Pat Coil; Bassist, Bob Bowman; Drummer, Mark Pulice - is the perfect group to accompany Ms. McRae. They are among the very best comp backups I've ever heard, and  while Coil, an extremely gifted pianist,  was allowed to stretch out to some degree, I'm sure the audience would have appreciated a little more.

Carmen McRae was, as a pure jazz singer - no doubt about it - one of the premier jazz interpreters of her day, but as a performer in a live show, especially in her later years, she might have benefitted from a few 'personality'  lessons. (She had a well-deserved reputation for being 'difficult' to work with) In this performance she appeared to be somewhat detached and disinterested - aloof to the point of near-arrogance. But we have to remember - she was a heavy smoker, and had been suffering for some time from emphysema (which forced her into retirement in 1991) and it's certainly understandable that her illness would have affected her on-stage attitudes and behavior. So let's give her a pass on that. On this album and on this night she shines with a clarity and a purity and a brilliance that only the brightest stars could ever hope to match.

Bravissimo!

Watch for review of the Manhattan Transfer on this same DVD. Coming soon.

A very busy December schedule:

Greg's going to have some very tired fingers before this month is over. Here's what he's got so far:

December 1, Fri: Main Street Station, Guerneville; with vocalist Vernelle Anders, 7-10PM

December 2, Sat: Main Street Station, Guerneville; with vocalist Elaine Lucia; 6:30-9:30PM

Dec 3, Sun. Rodney Strong Vineyards, Healdsburg; with Jim Passarell, Bass; 
          1-4PM

Dec 7, Thu: Santa Rosa Golf Club; (Private) with Lee Charlton, Drums; Vernelle             Anders, Vocals

Dec 8, Fri: John Ash Restaurant, Santa Rosa; with Vernelle Anders, Vocals; 8-10PM;  No Cover 

 
    Dec 9, Sat: Rodney Strong Vineyards, Healdsburg; with Jim Passarell, Bass; 1-4PM

    Dec 9, Sat: Private Party, San Jose; with Don Olivet, Vernelle Anders

    Dec10, Sun: Rodney Strong Vineyards, Healdsburg; With Jim Passarell, Bass; 1-4PM

    Dec 13, Wed: Dawn's Ranch Resort, Guerneville; With Elena Welch, Vocals; 5-8PM

    Dec 14, Thu: High School Band Concert; Cloverdale High School; 7-9PM

     Dec 16, Sat: Main Street Station, Guerneville; With Vernelle Anders, Vocals; 6:30-10PM

     Dec 17, Sun: Rodney Strong Vineyards, Healdsburg; With Jim Passarell, Bass; 1-4PM

     Dec 23,  Sat: Private party; With Vernelle Anders

      Dec 29, Fri: Main Street Station, Guerneville; With Vernelle Anders, Vocals; 7-10PM

      Dec 30, Sat: Dawn's Roadhouse Resort, Guerneville; Greg solo, surprise guests; 6-9PM

       Dec 31, Sun: Madrona Manor, Healdsburg;  New Year's Eve Party; With Jim Passarell,      
       Trumpet; Rob Wright, Bass; 8PM-1AM  (Dinner Reservations Required)
                            

Check back periodically to pick up changes, corrections or additions. And be sure to get out early and get out often. It's the best way to....Support your local piano player!

Drums Along the Russian River

Greg, who has gigged with him, says he's the most underrated drummer on the West Coast. For my money, you could make that the entire continent. He's certainly the most dynamic and exciting. Babatunde Lea, percussionist and drummer extraordinaire, performs regularly at clubs, festivals and colleges throughout the Bay Area, but from time to time, he has been known to stray from his San Francisco base to far-flung jazz outposts such as The Kennedy Center with Mary Stallings, The Blue Note, with Hilton Ruiz and at The Playboy Jazz Festival  (2001, 2002) with the Bill Cosby All-Stars. He's also been seen at Atlanta's Jazz Festival and Seattle's Bumbershoot Jazz Festival as well as their famous Jazz Bakery. He's turned up to perform at the world-class jazz Mecca, Yoshi's in Emeryville and at the presigious Monterey Jazz Festival. It's pretty clear that the man is in great, great demand.

I caught him the other night at a small concert performance being presented by Jessica Felix and the Healdsburg Jazz Festival at the Grove Street Winery in Healdsburg, playing for the packed but small venue with his 'Friends', keyboardist, Glen Pearson; bassist, Geoff Brennan and reedman, the great Ernie Watts. And what a special treat it was to be able to hear these four present a full program of Afro-Cuban,  Brazilian bossa and Parker-esque bebop for three solid hours. The delicious complimentary Grove Street cabernet was just  the perfect accompanyment to the high-energy sights and sounds of Babatunda and his quartet.

One is immediately struck by Lea's uniquely designed drum and percussion set-up. It's not like any I'd  ever seen.  Besides the usual array of snare, tom-tom and bass, there are other percussion gadgets, bells cowbells, gourds, hand drums and what have you, interspersed among two giant ride cymbals on either side of his stool and which are placed - not in the customary horizontal fashion  - but are hung  on a vertical, which - I'm guessing -  requires less effort and time to reach with the stick heads. Two sizes of crash cymbals (which he uses more than any drummer I know of) and a high-hat set that appears to have an extra foot pedal attached so as to be able to work a percussion box on the floor with his left foot.

Now I don't want to create a false impression here,  because I'm sure that Lea is just a normal human being like all the rest of us, but I do want to warn you - if you ever attend one of his performances, and watch him as he turns himself loose, you may just be convinced -  nay, you will swear that this man has four arms. It's the only way to explain the incredibly copious amounts of music that emanates from this man's frenetic playing. Hands, arms and feet flailing at dizzying speeds - faster than the human eye can possibly follow, all in exquisitely timed sync.  One can only sit there and watch and listen in rapt wonderment as he not so much plays the drums, but rather attacks them. He seemingly overpowers and pulverizes them  into submission. During one solo, he came down on the crash cymbal with such ferocity that his stick shattered into several pieces. Without missing so much as a single beat, he grabbed a replacement out of thin air (or so it seemed) and raised it high over his head, as if to assure his awestruck audience that they needn't worry - everything was under his complete control.

Using his mastered technique at hand-drumming and 'stick-tricks', Lea is a showman as much as he is an outstanding musician, mesmerizing his audience with one-handed drum rolls, rim-drumming and  drumming on just about any handy hard surface that he thought would produce a sound.

Check out his latest CD release, Level of Intent wherein Babatunde demonstrates his outstanding musicianship - even though it would be virtually impossible to duplicate or to even present a fair representation of the wild, but always controlled, antics. The CD is especially enjoyable and certainly worth the investment just for his band, which consists of pianists Kenny Barron, Tommy James and the late Hilton Ruiz; Jon Faddis, trumpet; Frank Lacy, trombone; John Purcell, tenor, soprano saxes and flute; Marvin Horn, guitar; Charnette Moffett and Santi Debriano, bass; Frank Colon, conga and percussion

October Jazz Calendar

The booking schedules for October are coming in a little slower than usual, but we'll put up what we have so far. Keep watching this site for more additions and/or changes. And go out and see and hear these guys. If you enjoy hearing  good live jazz, you do our fine local musicians and yourself a favor by giving them your support:

Friday, Oct 6:
Main Street Station, Guerneville; Jazz/Pop Duo; Greg Hester, Piano; Vernelle Anders, Vocals; 7-10 pm

Saturday, Oct 7:
The Beach Chalet, 1000 Great Highway, Golden Gate Park, San Francisco; Johnny Smith and Friends; Johnny Smith, Vocals; Mark Holtzinger, Guitar; Justin Smith, Bass; 8-11 PM

Main Street Station, Guerneville; Jazz Trio; Greg Hester, Piano; Rob Wright, Bass; Yancie Taylor, Vibes; 7 - 10 PM

(Photo: Swingin' on Main Street)

Sunday, Oct 8: 
Compadres Mexican Bar & Grill, 6539 Washington St., Yountville; Johnny Smith,  solo  and Vocals; 4:30 - 7:30 PM

Saturday, Oct 14:
Holy City, Santa Cruz; Greg Hester & Don Olivet (Tenor Sax) back up the Blues Brothers in a live  performance.  Holy City is located off Highway 17 between San Jose and Santa Cruz, Take the Idylwild exit.

Grove Street Winery, 1441 Grove Street, Healdsburg;  'Groovin' at Grove Street' Jazz Concert, Featuring Babatunde Lea and Friends; Babatunde Lea, Drums/Percussion with Charles McNeal, Glen Pearson and Geoff Brennan;  8 PM; Admission $15 includes wine & light food,  A Presentation of The Healdsburg Jazz Festival;  For reservations call 707/433-6734

Sunday, Oct 15;
Compadres Mexican Bar & Grill, 6539 Washington St., Yountville; Johnny Smith and Friends; Johnny Smith, Vocals; Mark Holzinger, Guitar; Chris Justin, Bass; 4:30 - 7:30 PM

Friday, Oct 20:
The Beach Chalet, 1000 Great Highway, Golden Gate Park, San Francisco; Jazz Duo; Johnny Smith, Vocals;  Mark Holzinger, Guitar,    ;  8 - 11 PM

MainStreet Station, Guerneville; Jazz Trio; Greg Hester, Piano;  Rob Wright, Bass; Lee Charlton, Drums; 7 - 10 PM


Saturday, Oct 21:
The Marin Brewing Co., Larkspur; Johnny Smith, Solo   and Vocals ,  Jazz Duo; Johnny Smith, Vocals; Mark  Holtzinger, Guitar; 1 - 4 PM

Creation Salon, 16214 Main Street, Guerneville, Open House : Jazz Duo; Elena Welch, Vocals;  Gary Digman, Guitar; 7 - 10 PM;  Appetizers & Live Jazz

Friday, Oct 27:
The Beach Chalet, 1000 Great Highway, Golden Gate Park, San Francisco; Jazz Duo; Johnny Smith, Vocals; Chris Justin, Bass; 8 - 11 PM

Saturday, Oct 28:        
Inn At The Willows, 15905 River Road, Guerneville; Jazz Duo; Elena Welch, Vocals; Ed Wetteland, Piano; 7 - 10 PM..... Wine Tasting, Appetizers and Jazz 

A Swingin' September

Lots of good stuff happening around here in the harvest month of September. This is what we have so far. More to come:

                          SEPTEMBER
1,2: Fri, Sat: Dawn's Road House (Formerly Fife's) Guerneville; Greg Hester with Tom Belton, Drums.

(Photo:Greg Hester)

5:Tue. Main Street Station, Guerneville; Greg Hester with Jim Passarell on trumpet/flugelhorn and bassist, Steve Weber

7: Thurs: Madrona Manor, Healdsburg; Greg Hester with Jim Passarell, bass

8: Fri: Main Street Station, Guerneville; Greg Hester with Vocalist Vernelle Anders

8: Fri: Apple Box Deck on the Wharf, Petaluma; Pete Welker Quintet

9; Sat: Johnson Beach, Guerneville; Russian River Jazz Festival,  Featuring Vibist, Yancie Taylor

9: Sat: Mainstreet Station, Guerneville; Jazz Quartet; Greg Hester, Piano, Yancie Taylor, Vibes;
Rob Wright, Bass, Lee Charlton, Drums.

10: Sun: Churchill Manor, 485 Brown St., Napa: Vocalist  Marti  Blackard with Greg Hester, piano; Graham Bruce, Bass; Kendrick Freeman, Drums

12: Tue: Piccolino's, Napa; Yancie Taylor plays with 'The Tarabinis'; Al Tarrabini, Accordion; Gloria Tarabini, Vocals; Terry Hilliard, Bass; Leigh Wycoff, Guitar (www.thetarabinis.com)

14: Thur: Madrona Manor, Healdsburg; Jazz Duo; Greg Hester, Piano; Jim Passarell, Bass

14: Thur: Bistro Yoffi, 2231 Chestnut St., San Francisco; Yancie Taylor Jazztet; Vibes, Yancie Taylor;  Piano, Loam Lemish; Bass, Ravi Abcarian; Drums, Bryan Bowman; 7:30 - 11 PM, No Cover

15: Fri: Armstrong Nat'l Redwoods; Jazz Trio; Greg Hester,  Gary Digman and Paul Distol

15: Fri: Grazianos's Ristorante, 170 Petaluma Blvd, North, Petaluma: Peter Welker Quintet; Jim Rothermel, Saxes; Randy Vincent, Guitar; Kevin Dillon, Drums; Chuck Sher, Bass; Peter Welker, Trumpet/Flugelhorn; Music starts at 6PM; No Cover (Phone 707/762-5997)

15: Sat: Rafter's Grille, 812 Fourth St., San Rafael: Jazz Quartet; Dave Haskell, Guitar; Steve Rubardt, Keyboard; Rocky Klemenok, Bass;  Tom Hayashi, Drums.

16, 17: Sat, Sun: Rubicon Winery, Rutherford, Ca., Yancie Taylor Trio; Keyboard, Noam Lemish; Bass, Adam Thompson; Vibes, Yancie Taylor; 2 PM - 4 PM; Admission Free

(Photo: Lee Charlton,Drums; Yancie Taylor, Vibes; Rob Wright, Bass: Don Olivet, Tenor)

19: Tue: Mainstreet Station, Guerneville: Jazz Trio: Greg Hester, Piano; Steve Weber, Bass; Jim Passarell, trumpet

21: Thur: Madrona Manor, Healdsburg: Jazz Duo: Greg Hester, Piano; Jim Passarell, Bass

21: Thur:  Zio Fraedo's, Pleasanton; Yancie Plays with The Tarabini's; Al Tarabini, Accordion; Gloria Tarabini, Vocals, Terry Hilliard, Bass; Leigh Wycoff, Guitar; Yancie Taylor, Vibes;
6:30-9 PM

22: Fri: John Ash & Co; 4330 Barnes Road (Near US101 & River Road) Santa Rosa; Greg Hester, Piano; Vernelle Anders, Vocals; 8-10 PM; No Cover

22: Fri: Graziano's Ristorante: 170 Petaluma Blvd. North, Petaluma; Peter Welker Quintet; Jim Rothermel, saxes; Randy Vincent, Guitar; Kevin Dillon, Drums; Chuck Sher, Bass; Peter Welker, Trumpet/Flugelhorn; Music starts at 6PM; No Cover; (Phone 707/762-5997)

23: Sat: Mainstreet Station, Guerneville: Greg Hester, Piano; Vernelle Anders, Vocals

23: Sat: St. Supery Winery, Napa; Yancie Plays with the Tarabinis; Al Tarabini, Accordion; Gloria Tarabini, Vocals; Terry Hilliard, Bass, Leigh Wycoff, Guitar; Yancie Taylor, Vibes;
11 AM-2PM

24: Sun: Hilton Hotel, 3555 Round Barn Blvd., Santa Rosa: Jazz Duo: Greg Hester, Piano; Adam Thompson, Bass; 11 am - 2 pm; No Cover

26: Bistro Yoffi, 2231 Chestnut St., San Francisco; Yancie Plays with Avotcja and Modupue, 7:30 - 10 PM; No Cover

28: Thur: Madrona Manor, Healdsburg: Jazz Duo: Greg Hester Piano; Jim Passarell, Bass

29: Fri: Mainstreet Station, Guerneville: 'Black Butterfly'  CD Release Party with the Sono Trio; Greg Hester, Piano; Rob Wright, Bass; Lee Charlton, Drums

29: Fri: Graziano's Ristorante, 170 Petaluma Blvd. North, Petaluma; Peter Welker Quintet; Jim Rothermel,  Saxes; Randy Vincent, Guitar; Kevin Dillon, Drums; Chuck Sher, Bass; Peter Welker, Trumpet/Flugelhorn; Music starts at 6PM; No Cover; Phone 707/ 762-5997

29: Fri: Bistro Yoffi, 2231 Chestnut St., San Francico; Yancie Plays with Avotcja & Modupue

30: Sat: Belvedere Winery, Healdsburg: Jazz Quartet: Greg Hester, Piano; Jim Passarell, Trumpet/Flugelhorn;  Steve Weber, Bass; Lee Charlton, Drums

Note: This schedule is subject to change at any moment. Don't take your eyes off this page for a second. All changes, additions or deletions will be posted the minute we hear of them.

Elaine Lucia

Every now and then along comes a singing voice that does justice to the grace and natural beauty of the one doing the singing. Such a voice is that of jazz vocalist Elaine Lucia.  That this lady who has been endowed  with such an abundance of exquisite charm and physical elegance could be granted yet more natural gifts seems grossly unfair to the rest of us mere mortals, yet, Ms. Lucia seems to have received a lot more than her share of talent. She has been blessed with a singing voice to match her gorgeous good looks.

I endured the 60 mile drive to Petaluma this past Sunday to catch her act at SoHo (formerly Zebulon's Lounge) since, just the day before I had heard her do a two-song guest shot at the Petaluma Jazz Festival with Gary Vongensen's jazz trio, at which time I became an instant captive.

She did not disappoint. Alluring at times; boistrous, bouncy and engaging at others. Funny, witty, delicate and eloquent, but always - always - classy and thoroughly professional.  And she can sing! Oh my, can she sing!

Appearing with a quartet of unbelievably talented side-men, Jonathan Alford, piano; Pierre Archain, bass; Alan Hall, drums; and special guest, guitarist Gary Vogensen,  Elaine brought the packed house to its collective feet, opening with Duke Ellington's I Like the Sunrise, her lead song on her newest CD, A Sonny Day, and she didn't stop until she'd gone through the entire album. Interspersed among a few standards such as Sunny and I Only Have Eyes for You were other, more obscure works which included Bacharach's In the Land of Make Believe  and the haunting Bossa Nova-ish Lugar Bonito. She sang Sea Journey, a Chick Corea/Neville Potter composition, and a technically demanding  piece with extremely intricate time signatures and harmonic structures. The band handled it flawlessly and Elaine sang it beautifully. Pierre Archain, who may be the most animated bass player these old eyes have ever had the pleasure of watching, seemed to thrive in the complex rhythms, as did drummer Alan Hall, who not only swings with the best of them, but handles the tricky Latin beats with all the deftness one would expect of a seasoned pro. Piano player Jonathan Alford is nothing short of sensational. Incredibly, he played most of this challenging program without the benefit of sheet music, or so it seemed from my vantage point. But either with  or without charts, the man was brilliant.

Probably the number one jazz guitarist in this entire musician-rich San Francico Bay Area, at least as far as any I've heard, is Gary Vogensen, performing on this night as a special guest artist, but who, on other occasions, records and leads a trio of his own. Gary was a perfect fit with this outstanding group of musicians. Few guitarists could have adapted with such apparent ease. My guess is that, in order for these guys to have been able to play these almost orchestral arrangements with such exacting precision, they would had to have spent many, many long hours at rehearsal. But without question -  such diligence and hard work has paid off big-time. Their performances were superb.

But back to Elaine. At the risk of being accused of indulging in blatant hyperbole, I feel compelled to make some comments on Elaine Lucia's work as a jazz singer:  I'll start by saying this gal's got chops. Major chops. There are unmistakable hints of Susannah McCorkle in her work. I'm convinced that Susannah herself, would sing Elaine's songbook in the same way, but probably not any better.

The pre-requisites for good jazz vocalizing can be summed up in just a few words: Range; timbre; breath control; timing; clarity, voicing and phrasing. A lot easier said than done. She possesses all of these qualities in spades. Add to that, a splash of pixie-ish playfulness and a sassy demeanor, with undertones of passion, pathos and pain, mix well, combine with three or four accomplished back-up musicians and it all adds up to a wonderful couple of hours of evening's entertainment.

Elaine's bio and other data can be found by clicking here:

 

Great Rhythm Sections Make Great Bands

Album Title: The Tenor Giants featuring Oscar Peterson
Artist(s): Zoot Sims, Eddie 'Lockjaw' Davis (Tenor Saxophones) Oscar Peterson (Piano) Niels-Henning Orsted Pedersen (Bass) Louis Bellson (Drums)
Recorded: 1975 (Various Dates, Venues)
Released: 2000
Label: Fantasy, Inc.

I gotta say it. Of all the albums in my collection, which is extensive - or even ones that I've ever heard, which is even more extensive - this may be the most stirring, soaring, hand clapping, foot-stomping, just plain swingin' eight cuts to ever reach my ears.

The three ballads, My Old Flame, (I Don't Stand) a Ghost of a Chance, and Don't Worry 'Bout Me, as you would expect from the two tenor-masters, are soulful blues-flavored delights, but when these five guys rip loose with The Man I Love, a swinging, up-tempo version of the Gershwin classic, or Mack Gordon/Harry Warren's jazz standard, There Will Never Be Another You, (my personal favorite) there won't be a still foot in the house.

(Photo: Niels Henning Orsted Pedersen)

In particular, in case anyone's been wondering how a real rhythm section should sound, check out Oscar, Niels and Louis Bellson here. In fact, the decision to place  'The Great Dane'  Pedersen and Bellson  on the same stage - whoever made it - was nothing short of brilliant. For my money, Bellson, who had just entered his fifties in 1975 when these cuts were recorded, and was performing at the very peak of his fabulous career, steals the show . You will never hear better small ensemble drumming if you live to be two hundred, than Bellson's dazzling performance on There Will Never Be Another You. No solos or other devices to draw your attention. Just solid, inventive, perfectly on time rhythms, and this rare collaboration with the hugely talented Pedersen is just more icing on the cake. Niels Orsted Pedersen (NHOP) - God rest his soul - longtime regular member of Oscar Peterson's various groups, was the equal of any bass player who ever lived, including the great Ray Brown, and Brown would have been the first to admit as much. (In fact, that's exactly what he did)

How about Sims, Davis and Peterson on this album? Wasn't this album all about them? Yep. The album title clearly tells you so, and I can confirm: These are two of the finest jazz saxophonists to come along in recent memory, and Oscar Peterson's credentials have been well established over the years with so much written material and accolades attesting to his maestro status in the jazz world, that anything said here would only be redundant.

But Pedersen and Bellson. Wow! They are simply beyond description. NHOP at any tempo is an absolute master of the lower pitched double bass, and if you're one of those fans who dig drum solos, you're gonna love the final track. Here, to slake the thirst of all you bepop drinkers, the group lays down a head-bobbing version of Dizzy's Groovin' High in which Bellson does a kind of reprise of his Skin Deep days when, with Duke Ellington's band, he recorded the new paradigm Skin Deep, and wherein he employs his trademark double bass drum technique. At his peak, whether soloing or comping, there were none better than the great Louis Bellson, who, incidentally, at 82, is still active; performing and writing music and books while directing  the powerful Musicians' Warehouse Big Band. He recently performed in concert at the Healdsburg Jazz Festival.
                                                                                                                     (Photo: Louis Bellson)

Make no mistake: The album cover may give top billing to Sims, Davis and Petersen, but it will be abundantly clear to anyone with two good ears and is paying attention: This album belongs to Louis and Niels.

He's Baaaaack

I had to take some time off recently while trying to recover from some kind of a debilitating illness (not sure exactly what it was) but, with the help of some miracle outpatient treatments at Kaiser Hospital in Santa Rosa, I'm back and I've haven't felt this good in years.

So this is a good time to jump back in, because there's gonna be some jazz happening this Sunday (August 6) 1:00 to 4:30 PM over at the Rodney Strong Winery and Vineyards, and I need to tell you about it.

(Greg Hester)

It's being called 'A Summer Celebration' , a festival of jazz, first by Greg and his quartet - Don Olivet, tenor saxophone; Rob Wright, bass; Kendrick Freeman, drums and of course Greg on acoustic piano. But a number of local jazz musicians have been alerted, and we expect many of them will be dropping by (with their axes, of course) and I imagine it won't be too long before a good ol' jam session gets underway.

Already it looks like Yancie Taylor, Bay Area vibesmaster, will be there. Ditto, tenorman Chuck Peterson and jazz flautist George Husaruk. We won't be too surprised if drummer Lee Charlton, bassist Steve Webber, vibist Herb Gibson, trumpet / flugelhorn player  Graham Bruce and his wife, vocalist Marty Blackard and Kent Cohea - a great reed player - all put in an appearance at some point, because they've all been alerted.

We expect a lot of folks to show up for this one. Greg's using this get-together as an opportunity to celebrate Don Olivet's birthday, so there may be cake involved. There will be a lot of other goodies too. Everyone is being encouraged to bring picnic stuff, and that usually means we can expect people like Dave Kinney, among others and in keeping with the competitive spirit of these events,  to show up with  linen tablecloth and napkins, crystal stemware, silver flatware and a whole basketful of exotic treats One time, to everyone's delight, he set up a candleabra centerpiece!. The man is nothing if not pure  class.

Of course Rodney Strong's world renowned wines will be poured, and the winery is graciously making its huge stage (think headline acts at the Healdsburg Jazz Festival) and lush lawn with picnic tables and umbrellas available for our dining comfort and listening pleasure. Leave it to Rodney Strong Winery to support jazz in just about any way they can.

There will be no admission charge and everyone is invited. Come on out and hear some real jazz music being played by real jazz musicians.

Oh - and one more thing. We'll be passing the hat.

Sonoma Jazz in May

A fairly busy month for Greg.:

Tuesday, May 9; Mainstreet Staition, Guerneville; Solo Piano, 7-9 PM. No Cover

Saturday, May 12; Main Street Station, Guerneville; Jazz Trio; Greg Hester, Piano,; Adam Thompson, Bass and featuring Elena Welch, Vocals; 7:30-10PM ; 5 Cover
(Photo; Elena Welch)

Friday, May 13; Passalacqua Winery, Lambert Bridge Road, Healdsburg; Greg Hester, Solo Piano; 2-5PM; No Cover

Saturday, May 13; Main Street Station, Guerneville;  Jazz Trio; Greg Hester, Piano; Rob Wright, Bass; Kendrick Freeman, Drums; 7-30-10PM; 5 Cover

Tuesday, May 23; Mainstreet Station, Guerneville; Greg Hester, Solo Piano;  7-9PM; No Cover

Friday, May 26; Main Street Station, Guerneville; Jazz Duo; Greg Hester, Piano; Vernelle Anders, Vocals; 7:30-10:30PM; 5 Cover

Saturday, May 27; Sonoma Jazz Festival, Sonoma Mission Inn, Sonoma;  Jazz Quartet with Greg Hester, Piano; Rob Wright, Bass; Kendrick Freeman, Drums; and featuring Vernelle Anders, Vocals
(Photo: Vernelle Anders)

Thursday, June 1; Madrona Manor, Healdsburg; Greg Hester, Solo Piano; 5:30-7:30PM; No Cover

Saturday, June 3; Cloverdale Plaza, Cloverdale; Greg Hester with the Gary Johnson  Quartet; 5-7PM; No Cover