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Carter’s new recording is “I Got Up!”
featuring saxophonist Bootsie Barnes.
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Hooray for the Madison
As much as this space has harped on the new Obama administration emphasizing jazz and having jazz in the White House, huzzahs need to go to the management of the Madison Hotel, only a few blocks away from the Obama mansion.
The Northwest DC hotel, which earlier this year stuck its toes in the waters with jazz occasionally and then featured a memorable night by eminent pianist Larry Willis during the Duke Ellington Jazz Festival in June, has now gone full throttle by expanding its jazz offerings to several nights of jazz a month.
The bonanza for area jazz fans is courtesy of hotel general manager Larry Beiderman and booking agent Elana Byrd, wife of bassist Joe Byrd, who is the brother of the late guitar legend Charlie Byrd.
“We've been doing [expanded jazz] for six weeks,” said Elana Byrd last month, “and it's been going very well … we had Dick Morgan for two nights last week (late August), and we sold out. We're having more fun than we can shake a stick at.”
As reported on dcjazz.com, every Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday evening, the Loews Madison Hotel (1177 15th St. NW) hosts the “Piano Jazz at The Madison” series with live piano jazz in an intimate club-like setting from 6:30 to 9:30 p.m. The performers each night are one of seven pianists from the hotel's “Pianists-in-Residence.” The roster is as follows: Bob Smith, with a cabaret style, performs Mondays; on Tuesdays and Wednesdays the lineup rotates among Dick Morgan, John Eaton, Robert Redd, Tom Korth, Stef Scaggiari and Bob Boguslaw. The Madison is also continuing its monthly jazz concert series, which takes place in the Palette Restaurant, featuring jazz artists of national stature. For reservations and more information, call Byrd at 410-269-0777 or go to www.jazzatthemadison.com.
Elana Byrd and Beiderman go back to the days when Elana was doing the booking for Joe Byrd, and Beiderman was the general manager at the Loews Annapolis Hotel.
“So when Larry moved to the Madison, he called me and said give him some time to get his feet on the ground, and he would call me, and we would do something,” said Elana Byrd. “It's working out well. The jazz fans in DC are really hungry for this, and the management is keeping the cover charges ($10 for the pianist series) really affordable."
The September lineup for the pianist series has Redd on Sept. 8 & 9; Eaton, Sept. 15 & 16; Bob Boguslaw, Sept. 22 & 23; and Dick Morgan Sept. 29 & 30.
Chad gets down with ‘I Got Up!’
One of our favorite persons, vocalist Chad Carter, has released his second recording as a leader, and "I Got Up" is further evidence that Carter is serious about stamping his imprint on Washington's jazz vocalist scene – a scene that doesn’t have a lot of male vocalists. Carter's recording, with expert backing by drummer Nasar Abadey, sax legend Bootsie Barnes, pianist Bob Butta and bassist James King, shows off the vocalist doing a number of standards plus an original blues.
Highlights include "Teach Me Tonight" and "Round Midnight," which takes an extra special turn into a gutsy melancholy that deserves notice. Carter is also one of our favorite people because he and his parents host the jazz series on Monday nights at Vicino's in Silver Spring (959 Sligo Ave.), a spot well worth venturing to if you get the chance.
Honoring the Saxmen
September is the birthday of John Coltrane and Sonny Rollins, as well as Cannonball Adderley, Andrew White, Chu Berry, Art Pepper and Clifford Jordan among other saxophone notables. Those honoring the horn in performance this month include the master Kenny Garrett at Blues Alley. Maybe the reigning alto player in the universe, Garrett always deserves a listen. Of our local sax stars, Lyle Link does justice to the instrument whenever he plays, and he’s at Westminster Church this month with Tony Martucci and Bill Heid.
September Highlights: Ron Carter’s Golden Stryker, Sept. 10-12, Bohemian Caverns … Kenny Garrett, Sept. 10-13, Blues Alley … Luis Faife, Sept. 11-12, Twins Jazz … Tony Martucci, Bill Heid, Lyle Link, Sept. 18, Westminster Church … Sabroso Latin Jazz Ensemble, Sept. 20, Twins Jazz ... Davey Yarborough, Esther Williams, Tribute to Moore’s Love & Peace, Sept. 25, Westminster Church … Lena Seikaly, Sept. 25-26, Twins Jazz … Eighth annual DC Jazz Preservation Festival, Sept. 26, Fourth Street SW community park …
September Birthdays: Art Pepper 1; Horace Silver, Clifford Jordan 2; Mickey Roker, Roy Brooks 3; Meade Lux Lewis 4; Andrew White, Buddy Bolden 6; Sonny Rollins 7;Wilbur Ware 8; Elvin Jones, George Mraz 9; Roy Ayers 10; Steve Turre 12; Chu Berry 13; Oliver Lake 14; Cannonball Adderley 15; Joe Venuti, John Hendricks 16; Brother Jack McDuff 17; Emily Remler 18; Muhal Richard Abrams 19; Chico Hamilton 21; John Coltrane 23; Gary Bartz 26; Bud Powell 27; Kenny Kirkland 28; Buddy Rich, Oscar Pettiford 30 |
