DownBeat August 1999 [antikvár]

t^HALLWAY RECORDS ^^^^HMCK EC: - * j^F^ Psul McKee s debut recording featuring Carl l^S Fontana and Bobby Shew. f " OALLERY COLBY Vetsrai) Chicago jazz artist and Maynard Ferguson alum M^rk Colby reiin^.^Miaml great m\ Scd^^l^butCD crafts^^^tt^ltodies 'and ricii>:^^l!reathing harmoni^^^om HarnU. Featuring Lsiriyl^liiil DanaKaiUKaíiHQfltzlÁ ^ SABSipS "!jf^ Italian virtuoso Paolo Bi Sabatino with an exciting debut featuring FabrizfO Bosso. Pietro Ciancagliiii ^^ Massimo Manzi. j 'Bemsha Swing" 'Caravan' HALCWAY RECORDS PO Box 47739-Chicago, IL60Ó7-073? 77^292,1891 til •773.292.1892 rax viiiteurwibite www.hai(wayrecords.com availflbli Ml Borden Books and Music amazon.com H DOWNBEAT rjn the beat AUGUST 1999 Hoops, Hot Rods And Jazz by Jason Koransky I knew it would ije a Starbucks morning in the middle of my three-and-a-half-hour midnight drive from Indianapolis to Chicago. I could have left the Indy Jazz Fest early to catch up on some sleep, but I just couldn't lake off in the middle of B.B. King celebrating Father's Day with his beloved Lucille and lens of thousands of his fans. Besides. I was having too good of a time soaking up Indianapolis' jazz tradition. Swing may emanate an odd ring in the land of race cars and basketball. But as this inaugural weekend festival made clear, the Circle City has jazz roots that date far back into the music's history. In a brilliant move, festival organizers made a point of exposing these roots. B.B.'s blues were simply the exclamation point on a four-day jazz and roots party that placed local jazz talent such as Freddie Hubbard, Dr. David Baker, Slide Hampton and the rest of his musical family, Buddy Montgomery, Jimmy Coe and his Big Band, Larry Ridley, Jimmy Spaulding and numerous others in the spotlight. Add to this list national acts such as Wayne Shorter and Herbie Hancock. Nicholas Payton. Sonny Rollins, Bobby McFerrin and Astral Project, George Benson, T.S. Monk. Robert Cray, Branford Mai salis and Cubanismo!, and you had a worid-class fest wilh a distinct regional identity. "People don't realize the jazz history that we have here in Indianapolis, but it's astounding when you look back at il," said Chuck Workman, a local jazz radio broadcaster. jazz record label owner, journalist and promoter who served on the festival's board of directors. "Back in the '40s and '.50s. we had more than 30 clubs on Indiana Street. I used to sneak in as a teenager lo lislen lo all Ihe local bands play And all of Ihc national louring bands used lo come Ihrough here lo check oui Ihe local lalenl." Bul loday. all Ihe clubs arc gon(>. as is Ihc ease wilh so many cilies across tlu-counlry. It wouNI be easy to lorgel Ihc jazz lierilagc in whal is now a ship tilled wilii new condos, parking lots and university l)uildings—and for decad(.-s Ihis has been the case. But ihe Indy Jazz I'est sel out to ciiange this, al least for a weekend. 'Lhe festival organized a group of artists who played al these clubs and billed them "Indiana Avenue Revisited." They performed several times in various configua-rations during the festival. The ornate Madame Walker Theater was at the heart of Indiana Street in its heyday It still stands tall, hosting the Rollins and Monk shows al the fest. In addition, a photo with more than 100 pillars of the Indianapolis jazz community, in the mode of the "Great Day In Harlem" photo, was organized in front of the Walker Theater. With hugs, smiles and even a few tears amidst all the reunions, this proved another rare opportunity for these often forgotten artists to share a piece of the spotlight, for a once glorious and active community to reunite and feel the camaraderie of musicianship. What the organizers of the Indy Jazz Fest did right in order to make the weekend a success was first devise a focused objective, and then plan their events around it. Sure, big-name acts such as King drew in tlie crowds, but once one was al the festival, it was impossible to leave without a sense for Indianapolis'jazz tradition, a straightahead, well-studied and serious approach to the music rooted in a Midwestern work ethic, but with a bit of urban flair. lliis festival served as another example of jjizz's ubiquity: It spreads far beyond traditional jazz hubs such as New York. Chicago. Boston and San Francisco. Iti the December '98 issue, we launched the column "Jazz Scene" (renamed "Scene") expose the world to the talented artiit^ and active clubs in cities such as Hartford. Conn Atlanta. Phoenix. Columbus. Ohio. Montreal and Buffalo. N,Y. With each on^ of these cohmuis, we learn about local Ih^ roes and an active community cominill^'" Ui bringing jazz out ot the untlorground- Now it's time add Indianapolis to l^' lisl. ^