Home of Musician and Educator David Marriott, Jr.
David Marriott, Jr. is a jazz trombonist, composer/arranger, educator, and blogger. A two-time Earshot Jazz Golden Ear Award recipient and winner of the 1999 National Jazz Trombone Competition, David is active in a variety of Seattle jazz groups, including the Seattle Repertory Jazz Orchestra, Zubatto Syndicate and his own critically-acclaimed groups Septology and Triskaidekaband.
In a big shocker Herbie Hancock wins Album of the Year Grammy for his album "River: The Joni Letters." Go Herbie!
Watch for my full 50th Grammy Awards coverage -- I'm writing three big posts for tomorrow, so check back at the end of the day Monday.
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It's official: Mega-List of Music Lists is a recurring feature here at Red Raspus: Musician in Seattle. Between my own usual clippings and some great links sent via e-mail, I've collected enough lists for a second edition. As I said in the first edition of Mega-List of Music Lists, read at your own peril.
How did I discover Sam Rivers? I can't really remember the exact circumstances, but in all likelihood it was either through researching Julian Priester and his discography, or possibly through his famous composition, Beatrice. I do know for a fact, however, that the first recording of his that I purchased was Fuschia Swing Song -- it was during my trip to Japan with Jay Thomas in 1999 that I found this classic Blue Note side on CD (it wasn't yet available in the US), and it stayed in my regular rotation for the rest of that year. His music is inventive, progressive, and challenging, yet deeply connected with the traditions of Coleman Hawkins and Sonny Rollins -- at least to my ears. He's still out there causing trouble with his Rivbea All-Star Orchestra in addition to numerous small group dates every year. All hail Sam Rivers! Happy Birthday! Enjoy the videos.
I grew up watching The Six Million Dollar Man and The Bionic Woman, so I felt a slight obligation to check out the new, revamped-for-the-present version of The Bionic Woman on NBC. I was very pleasantly surprised, and I'll probably keep watching the show -- especially since you can watch complete episodes online for free from NBC -- but I couldn't help and smile at this suggestion about seven minutes in by bionic engineer Dr. Will Anthros to his girlfriend Jaime Sommers:
Dr. Will Anthros: I'm thinkin' "Coltrane" if it's a boy, "Billie" if it's a girl.
I'm thinkin' writer/producer Laeta Kalogridis is a jazz fan...
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Any music fan -- regardless of style -- would appreciate the completeness of this new box set, Made in New Orleans. In addition to the CD and DVD of the Preservation Hall Jazz Band that are the true centerpiece of the package, the set also boasts numerous additional memorabilia items from New Orleans and the history of Preservation Hall. And on top of that, each package is unique, with a sticker on the cellophane touting that no two sets are alike. I had clipped an article from the Times-Picayune about this box set a couple of weeks back, but while browsing my local brick-and-mortar shop, I saw it on the shelf and knew I had to own it, if only for the collectible value, if not for the music and support it gives to New Orleans. So, here is an item-by-item detailing of everything in the box I purchased at Silver Platters today.
While most jazz history courses and books deal with the many great stride piano players like James P. Johnson and Fats Waller, the practitioners of boogie-woogie often seem to get little coverage and tend to be linked more with blues than jazz. That said, today we celebrate the centennial of Albert Ammons. Father of jazz saxophonist Gene "Jug" Ammons, Albert Ammons was one of the leading piano players and composers in the boogie-woogie style of the 1930's, along with folks like Jimmy Yancey and Meade "Lux" Lewis. A centennial concert was held yesterday in his hometown of Chicago, and as we always do on birthdays, here are a video of Albert Ammons performing with another boogie-woogie legend, Pete Johnson.
As I think I've probably said before, John Coltrane -- without question -- belongs in a select category of jazz musicians (along with the likes of Louis Armstrong, Charlie Parker, and Miles Davis) who have profoundly changed and influenced improvisational style and technique. In recent years, countless books have been written about him, unreleased recordings and videos have been found and issued -- he's even received posthumous recognition from the Recording Academy and the Pulitzer Board. I talked a bit about him recently in reference to an article where Coltrane was a described as a "role model for today's celebrities", but I also recently found a fabulous article written by Coltrane himself on his own influences and development. I've probably listened to Coltrane's music as much as anybody over the years, starting with Giant Steps sometime in my junior high years, A Love Supreme and Blue Train among many others in college, and finally getting into Ascension, Om and so many more since then. It is with great reverence and humility that I say, Happy Birthday, John Coltrane -- your wisdom, dedication, and innovation are missed, but your spirit lives on. Enjoy the videos.
Whether you know him as Bill Smith, jazz clarinetist with the likes of Dave Brubeck and Orchestra USA, or as William O. Smith, classical and crossover composer and longtime faculty member at the University of Washington, it's time to wish them a happy birthday. I feel quite fortunate to have been able to study with Bill when I was at the UW in the 1990s -- I took a few years of composition private instruction with him, and we also explored twelve-tone jazz improvisation in a small combo. With a recording career that goes back to the 1946 and the Dave Brubeck Octet, Bill is one of those few guys that truly managed to develop two different careers as a musician. Bill Smith was, is, and continues to be an inspiration for me as a musician, and certainly a model for the kind of musician I have always wished to be: one equally at home as a composer and improvisor, within classical and jazz. Happy Birthday, Bill! 
Dave Peck and his trio with Jeff Johnson and Joe La Barbera came to Jazz Alley last week to work on their next live recording, and it was a real treat to be in the audience on Wednesday night. I've enjoyed Dave's playing and compositions for almost twenty years, and this outing at Jazz Alley was no exception.
I first met Dave Peck back in the summer of 1989. It was my first year attending the Centrum Jazz Workshop, the summer after my freshman of high school. Somehow, I ended up way over my head in a combo directed by, you guessed it, Dave Peck. We played Sun Ra -- who was Sun Ra?! I barely knew about Charlie Parker and Louis Armstrong, let alone Sun Ra. Within a few weeks after that workshop, I was taking piano lessons from Dave up at Cornish. I've told many people, including Dave himself, I learned more about jazz improvisation, harmony and theory in the year I studied with him than most of my formal music education has provided. And he doesn't just know this stuff, either -- he really knows how to use it.
The names that most often come to mind as influences when you talk about Dave Peck are probably people like Keith Jarrett and Bill Evans, but Dave Peck brings something all this own to the table. Whether it's with standards like How Deep is the Ocean and East of Sun, or jazz tunes like Soul Eyes, the trio of Jeff Johnson -- certainly one of the strongest and most creative bassists in the Northwest -- and Joe La Barbera -- Los Angeles mainstay drummer and veteran of the Bill Evans Trio -- along with Dave Peck is sure to delight in both intellectual and emotional ways. They have a number of recordings available, both from the studio and live, and I strongly encourage you to listen if you haven't heard him before. A true cornerstone of the Seattle and greater Northwest jazz scenes, you'd be hard pressed to find a pianist anywhere with the depth of Dave Peck, or for that matter, a trio of musicians with the commitment to interplay, listening, conversation, and melody as the Dave Peck Trio.
Slammed! That's the only word I can use to describe my Labor Day weekend, as I ended up with five gigs between Friday night and Sunday night, and while I'm certainly not complaining -- I am a trombone player, after all -- I was exhausted by the time Monday rolled around. I ended up sleeping most of the day -- felt gooooood.
Gig 1: Friday night started with the group I play with at the Pampas Club at the El Gaucho, Micah Hulscher and Keys to the Country. A fairly uneventful night of standards, Americana, and other danceable stuff. The group generally plays on Saturday nights, but this week we ended up with both Friday and Saturday. Sadly, this gig is going away soon, but I can't say it surprises me too much, as the group is a little too upbeat and lively for the 60-and-over crowd, which seems to be the El Gaucho's bread and butter. Leader and pianist Micah Hulscher does a good job of giving a nice, upbeat but subtle vibe to the joint, and it's always a pleasure to play with these guys.
Gig 2: It was Anacortes Jazz Festival weekend, and playing with the Seattle Repertory Jazz Orchestra in the middle of the day. Recapping music from our Woody Herman and Louis Armstrong concerts, both concerts this weekend came off very strong, certainly stronger than average. In the trombone section, we had Bill Park subbing for usual bass trombonist Dave Bentley (see picture). I really think that the 1-2-3 punch of rehearsal-gig-gig seems to work well for this band, as was evidenced this weekend.
Gig 3: After the Anacortes gig, with no time to spare, I packed up my gear, got in my car, drove back to Seattle, took a quick shower and headed directly down to the Pampas Club for more music-making with Micah Hulscher and Keys to the Country. Once again, a fun, low-key gig, but by that point I was pretty tired, so it seemed to go a little slower than usual, and I certainly got fatigued more quickly than usual
Gig 4: Seattle Repertory Jazz Orchestra does Yakima! We've played The Seasons a few times before, but this time we played outside on a beautiful, hot Sunday afternoon. After the long day on Saturday, it was tough getting up and jumping right back into the car and driving for three hours, but I made it to Yakima with plenty of time to spare for picture-taking and beverage-consumption. An even stronger performance than the day before in Anacortes, everyone was having a ball onstage, energized by the crisp tempos and outstanding soloists. We're gearing up for an upcoming performance at Jazz Alley, so stay tuned to more from the Seattle Repertory Jazz Orchestra.
Gig 5: And so, for the second time in two days, I start driving back to Seattle at breakneck pace to make another gig. This time, it's down-and-dirty bar music with the band I like to refer to as "The Fuffering Suckheads," if only in the interest of public decency. Co-leaders Ron Weinstein and Mike Peterson describe the band as "punk jazz," and while I don't know if that's quite the right term, it probably comes closer to what we sound like than any other term I could think of. This was our first extravaganza at the Owl'n Thistle after getting fired from the Sunset Tavern for the third time, and we put on a good show down in Pioneer Square. While the band never "suffers" from over-rehearsal, the gig was a total blast on all fronts, with special thanks to the many guest singers -- CT, Billy Joe, Brad Mowen -- who helped to energize the evening (especially for me, who by this point, you can imagine, was dog tired).
And so now you've heard my story. I can't say that I wouldn't ever do that again, because all-in-all it was a pretty lucrative weekend, but I sure did pay the price. It took me most of Monday and part of Tuesday to feel normal again, and my chops were pretty tight on Tuesday and needed some flexibility studies to get back to functional. Hope you all had wonderful Labor Day Weekends as well -- anybody else have some crazy gig stories this weekend? Post in the comments, and feel free to check out more pictures from the weekend over at Flickr.
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