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Vermont Jazz Center presents: Something Else - All-Star Tribute to Soul Jazz “Something Else” is the name of the all-star band performing at the Vermont Jazz Center on October 5th at 7:30 PM. The name, “Somethin’ Else, ” refers to the 1958, desert-island-worthy recording by saxophonist Cannonball Adderley that enticingly featured trumpeter Miles Davis. The band “Something Else” is a 7-piece, 3-horn band organized by alto saxophonist Vincent Herring that draws on the rich repertoire of “soul jazz, ” a music that came to fruition in the early 1960s. Soul jazz successfully combined the sophistication of jazz improvisation with the danceable rhythms and messages of the Black popular music of the time. Artists performing that style in its formative years included Cannonball Adderley as well as Horace Silver, Donald Byrd, and Eddie Harris. One could say that soul jazz is an extension of hard bop, a musical style that melded gospel and blues-based grooves with bebop’s sophisticated language. Soul jazz embraced the potential of the music’s popular appeal and feel-good vibe. Its practitioners unapologetically promoted its character as fun, party music while simultaneously honoring its ability to convey progressive messages. The grooving rhythms of soul jazz later became the fodder for musicians like Herbie Hancock and George Benson and even Roy Hargrove who infused it with electronic keyboards, guitars and sometimes vocals or spoken word. The music changed with the times and crossed over to combine with popular styles, influencing bands like Sly and the Family Stone and Earth Wind and Fire. Much can be said regarding the commercialization of jazz, but in the hands of musicians like Hancock and Benson, soul jazz maintained an authoritative dignity because of its direct connection to the jazz lineage. To this day, soul jazz forms a respectable bridge linking the grooving public with died-in-the-wool, hardcore jazz fans. Something Else’s leader, Vincent Herring, notes that when combined, soul jazz and bebop formed the soundtrack of his generation. With this band, he celebrates how soul jazz’s viability has continued to flourish and observes that sixty years later its reach has expanded to include a new spectrum of listeners. Soul jazz’s short forms and funky rhythms have been easily adapted into the repertoire of up-and-coming young jazzers, even in high school learning situations. The tunes are groove-oriented and fun to play and listen to. Many of soul jazz’s “standard” compositions have become staples at jazz jam sessions. Herring states, “When we get together and play, we are having as good of a time as anybody else—we listen to each other and the music that we’re producing, and enjoying every aspect of it. One thing that will never go out of fashion is good-feeling music, and that’s what we provide!” The seven, all-star members of Something Else performing on October 5th at the Jazz Center will include Herring on alto saxophone, Jerry Weldon on tenor saxophone, Freddie Hendrix on trumpet, Mike LeDonne on piano, Paul Bollenback on guitar, Essiet Essiet on electric and acoustic basses and Jerome Gillespie on drums. Saxophonist/leader Vincent Herring’s main influences were Cannonball Adderley and Charlie Parker. He studied with Phil Woods and then joined and toured Europe with the Lionel Hampton Band before being hired by Cannonball’s brother, Nat Adderley. Herring remained with Nat Adderley, who he refers to as “a father figure, ” for 9 years. After Nat Adderley’s passing, Herring joined forces with the celebrated drummer Louis Hayes and trumpeter Jeremy Pelt to form the Cannonball Adderley Legacy Band. Herring continued to perform and record with other masters, including legendary pianists Horace Silver and Cedar Walton, with whom Herring worked for 20 years. Other highlights in Herring’s career include recordings or tours with Freddie Hubbard, Dizzy Gillespie, Art Blakey and The Jazz Messengers, Horace Silver Quintet, Jack DeJohnette’s Special Edition, Larry Coryell, Steve Turre, The Mingus Big Band (with whom he won a Grammy in 2010), Kenny Barron, Nancy Wilson, Dr. Billy Taylor, Carla Bley, Mike LeDonne, Carl Allen, Ron McClure, and John Hicks among others. He has appeared as a guest soloist with Wynton Marsalis at Lincoln Center and Jon Faddis and The Carnegie Hall Big Band. Herring is currently on the faculty of William Paterson University and Manhattan School of Music. The group’s tenor saxophonist, Jerry Weldon, has been on the jazz scene for over 45 years. After graduating from Rutgers University Jazz Studies Program in 1981, Weldon toured with the Lionel Hampton Orchestra and then joined with organist Jack McDuff’s "Heatin' System.” Weldon has released eight albums as a leader and toured or recorded with Joey DeFrancesco, Bobby Forrester, Dr. Lonnie Smith, Melvin Rhyne, Al Grey, George Cables, Cedar Walton, Roy Haynes and Jimmy Cobb, George Benson, Earl Klugh, Mel Tormé, and numerous others. In 1990 he toured the U.S., Europe, Asia, and Australia with Harry Connick Jr.'s big band. Something Else’s Trumpeter, Freddie Hendrix, is currently one of the most in-demand trumpeters in jazz. An accomplished composer, arranger, and educator, he has performed and recorded with a wide array of jazz artists including the Count Basie Orchestra and the Christian McBride Big Band as well as pop stars Aretha Franklin, Stevie Wonder, and Alicia Keys. A graduate of William Paterson University with an M.M. in Jazz Studies and Performance from New Jersey City University, Hendrix shares his knowledge and passion for jazz as a faculty member at the Hartt School of Music and The New School. The group’s guitarist is Paul Bollenback whose scientist father relocated his family from New York to New Delhi, India when Paul was 11. While living in India, Bollenback cultivated a life-long interest in musical sounds and timbres that remains evident in his playing today. When his family returned to New York, he started gigging in local rock-and-roll bands. He was inspired to move on to straight-ahead jazz and fusion after hearing Miles Davis. He began recording in 1987 with saxophonist Gary Thomas’s Seventh Quadrant(with Renee Rosnes and Jeff “Tain” Watts), and in 1990 established a long-term working relationship with organ legend Joey DeFrancesco, with whom he recorded ten albums. Bollenback has appeared on the Tonight Show, Good Morning America, the Today Show, and Entertainment Tonight, and has played or recorded with Steve Gadd, Gary Bartz, Paul Bley, Charlie Byrd, Terri-Lyne Carrington, Herb Ellis, Geoffrey Keezer, Mike LeDonne, Joe Locke, Jack McDuff, James Moody, David “Fathead” Newman, Jim Snidero, Carol Sloane, Gary Thomas, Grady Tate, Stanley Turrentine, and many others. Piano titan Oscar Peterson recognized Something Else’s pianist, Mike LeDonne, as “one of the most talented pianists of this particular era – he’s incredible.” After graduating from the New England Conservatory in 1979, LeDonne moved to New York where he became associated with its thriving trad-jazz community. He toured Europe with Panama Francis and the Savory Sultans and was the house pianist at Jimmy Ryans, one of NYC’s oldest jazz clubs. He toured for a year with clarinetist Benny Goodman and went on to perform with such legends as Buddy Tate, Al Grey, and Roby Braff. After spending a year with the Art Farmer-Clifford Jordan Quintet, LeDonne became recognized as a hard-swinging, straight-ahead player, and joined up with modern masters like James Moody, Dizzy Gillespie, Stanley Turrentine, Charles McPherson, Sonny Rollins, and Bobby Hutcherson. He also spent time as an accompanist to singers Ernestine Anderson, Annie Ross, and Etta Jones. LeDonne worked as pianist and music director for the Milt Jackson Quartet and then was chosen to join the Phillip Morris Superband World Tour with Joshua Redman, Ryan Kisor, Jesse Davis, Christian McBride, and Lewis Nash. LeDonne can be heard on over 100 CDs as a sideman and over 16 as a leader. Bassist Essiet Essiet was born in the U.S. to parents who emigrated from Nigeria. Because his father worked for the U.S. and Nigerian governments, the family moved often, including stints in Europe and Africa. His early exposure to many cultures, languages, folkways, and religions fostered his worldview of strength through diversity. "Some musicians are purists, " says Essiet, "but I like to mix styles.” A list of jazz icons who Essiethas performed and recorded with includes Benny Golson, Johnny Griffin, James Moody, Freddie Hubbard, Bobby Hutcherson, Cedar Walton, Sam Rivers, George Adams, Pat Martino, Kenny Burrell, Jackie McLean, Frank Morgan, Kenny Barron, Louis Hayes, Ben Riley, Jimmy Cobb, Billy Higgins, Billy Hart, Art Farmer, Abby Lincoln, Dee Dee Bridgewater, Billy Cobham, Bennie Maupin, Al Foster, Eddie Henderson, Steve Turre, Jon Faddis, Bobby Watson, Victor Lewis, Kenny Garrett, Kenny Kirkland, Mulgrew Miller, Jeff "Tain " Watts, Mike Stern, Kevin Mahogany, Kurt Elling, the Fort Apache Band, Danilo Perez, Claudia Acuna, Geri Allen, the Blue Note All-stars, and Ralph Peterson. In 2000 he joined Danilo Perez's Motherland project, and for 2 years toured the US, Europe, and Central America. Something Else’s drummer is Jerome Gillespie, Jr. Raised in the rich environment of Houston’s jazz and gospel scene, Gillespie has studied at The New School for Jazz and Contemporary Music, the Manhattan School of Music, the University of Iowa, and the Juilliard School. Raised as a church musician, Gillespie infuses his sound with the soulful qualities of gospel. He is currently a busy free-lance musician based out of NYC working with jazz legends including Reggie Workman, Frank Lacy, Bobby Watson, and Antonio Hart. New Yorker magazine critic, Steve Futterman puts his finger on the pulse of what motivates Something Else. He said, “…the band wears its hard-bop heart on its sleeve …It practically dares audiences to sit still and remain on their best behavior.” The VJC invites you to join us on this evening of stimulating music. This concert is sponsored thanks to the generous contributions of an anonymous donor-couple who have been demonstrating their proactive support for the Jazz Center for years. VJC thanks sponsors for subsidizing our performances and making ticket prices affordable for all. |
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