Manny Kellough and Friends - Speaking Of Jazz (East to West Coast)

“MANNY KELLOUGH AND FRIENDS SPEAKING OF JAZZ

(EAST TO WEST COAST)”

Legendary drummer Manny Kellough and his musical friends perform a joyful set of standards and two originals.

With boppish solos from altoist Antonio Parker and trumpeter Michael Thomas, and vocals by Julian Hipkins, Ashley Kellough and Azure McCall, Kellough presents a set full of variety and happy vibrations.

Manny Kellough has had a wide-ranging career, playing drums with such notables as Billy Preston, Ray Charles, Freddie Hubbard and even the Rolling Stones. A bandleader since 2002, Kellough enjoys performing fresh versions of standards, music that makes audiences feel good.

 

On Speaking Of Jazz, Kellough gathered together some of his favorite instrumentalists and singers for a set of music that will make listeners smile. For the first eight numbers, he is joined by pianist William Knowles, bassist Wes “Suga” Biles, and (on most selections) altoist Antonio Parker and trumpeter-flugelhornist Michael Thomas.

 

The set begins with Knowles’ original “Generosity,” a joyful and relaxed piece that puts the spotlight on the beautiful tone of altoist Parker. “Secret Love,” which is modernized a bit, has boppish solos from Parker and trumpeter Thomas. Billy Preston’s goodtime “Nothing From Nothing” has a particularly effective arrangement that alternates between Parker’s alto and the singing of Julian Hipkins. Michael Thomas’ trumpet is showcased on Woody Shaw’s melodic jazz waltz ‘Katrina Ballerina.” Julian Hipkins returns for a version of “I Thought About You” that is taken uptempo in 5/4 time before switching to a 4/4 strut, and the singer is also heard at his most expressive on an optimistic version of “Smile.” The quintet performs “Happy Swing In ‘F,’” an original that lives up to its name before Ashley Kellough takes a heartfelt vocal on a memorable rendition of “When I Fall In Love.” The daughter of Manny, this is the first time that Ashley Kellough has worked with her father and her first time singing jazz; she starts off her career in jazz in fine form.

The last three numbers have Manny Kellough joined by pianist Matt Clark, bassist Gary Brown, and singer Azure McCall. “How High The Moon,” which includes some fine singing and a spot for Clark’s piano, also has the only drum solo of the project, a melodic chorus from the supportive leader. Azure McCall, who sometimes recalls Etta Jones in her sound and relaxed phrasing, is in excellent form on a slower-than-usual version of “East Of The Sun” and an upbeat “A Foggy Day,” also displaying some fine scat-singing.

 

Manny Kellough was born and raised in Los Angeles, started playing drums when he was eight and, by the time he was 13, was playing professionally. When he was 17, he worked with Ray Charles but most notable among his associations was 25 years spent as the original drummer with Billy Preston. Along the way he also toured with the Rolling Stones (1973) and worked with such greats as Barry White, Carmen McRae, Larry Graham (of Graham Central Station), Freddie Hubbard, and Quincy Jones just to name a few.

 

Manny Kellough, who has led his own band during the past 20 years, is always enthusiastic about uplifting the playing of his sidemen and being an integral part of the music rather than feeling compelled to feature himself excessively. His unselfish approach to music and the consistent joy that he displays can be heard throughout the enjoyable and always-swinging Speaking Of Jazz (East To West Coast). 

1. Generosity (William H. Knowles, Manny Kellough) 5:16 

2. Secret Love (Sammy Fain, Paul Francis Webster) 4:12) 

3. Nothing from Nothing (Billy Preston, Bruce Fisher) 3:55 

4. Katrina Ballerina (Cute and Pretty Ballerina) (Woody Shaw) 4:25 

5. I Thought about You (Johnny Mercer) 2:41 

6. Smile (John Turner, Geoffrey Parsons, Charlie Chaplin) 3:21 

7. Happy Swing In “F” (William H. Knowles, Manny Kellough) 4:12 

8. When I Fall in Love (Edward Heyman, Victor Young) 3:04 

9. How High the Moon (Morgan Lewis, Nancy Hamilton) 4:22 

10. East of the Sun (Brooks Bowman) 5:37 

11. Foggy Day (George Gershwin) 5:35 

Manny Kellough - Percussion/Producer (all tracks)

with East Coast Musicians:

William Knowles - Piano (tracks 1-8) & Co-Producer

Wes “Suga” Biles - Bass (tracks 1-8)

Antonio Parker - Alto Sax (tracks 1-8)

Michael Thomas - Trumpet, Flugel Horn (tracks 1-8)

Julian Hipkins - Vocalist (tracks 3, 5, 6)

West Coast Musicians:

Matt Clark - Piano (tracks 9-11)

Gary Brown - Bass (tracks 9-11)

Azure McCall - Vocalist (tracks 9-11)

Ashley Kellough - Vocalist (track 8)

PREORDER

April 4 Kickoff for Giant Step Arts & KEYED UP!: Series of Jazz Concerts in Central Park

Artist-focused non-profit Giant Step Arts partners with Jazz Generation's KEYED UP! for new edition of acclaimed concert series Walk With The Wind

Free performances beginning April 4 in Central Park honor legacy of congressman and civil rights leader John Lewis

Featuring Wayne Escoffery/Jeremy Pelt Quartet, William Parker Trio, James Brandon Lewis Freed Style Free Trio, Melissa Aldana Trio, Chris Potter Trio, Antonio Sanchez Trio, Marquis Hill Quartet, Michael Thomas Quartet, Nasheet Waits, Mark Turner, Marika Hughes, and Immanuel Wilkins

"Sitting socially distanced on The Mall and listening to live jazz feels like an optimistic moment...Jimmy Katz and Giant Step Arts are plugging a gap with Walk With The Wind." - Dan Bergsagel, London Jazz News

Giant Step Arts in partnership with Jazz Generation’s KEYED UP! continues the acclaimed performance series Walk With The Wind honoring civil rights activist and congressman John Lewis. The concerts – curated by Jimmy Katz and Nasheet Waits – will take place at pop up locations in New York City’s Central Park.

Shows run from 11 a.m. – 3 p.m. and feature at least two bands. They will be rescheduled in case of inclement weather.

CONCERT SCHEDULE

• Sunday, April 4 – Note new location at The South End of the Mall

11 a.m. – Alto saxophonist Sarah Hanahan, trumpeter Giveton Gelin, bassist Phil Norris, and drummer Robert Lotreck   

1 p.m. – The Wayne Escoffery/Jeremy Pelt Quartet with Dezron Douglas and Johnathan Blake  

• Saturday, April 10

11 a.m. – Alto saxophonist Sarah Hanahan, bassist Phil Norris, and drummer Robert Lotreck 

1 p.m. – William Parker Trio with Cooper Moore and Hamid Drake 

• Sunday, April 11 

11 a.m. – Alto saxophonist Sarah Hanahan, bassist Phil Norris, and drummer Robert Lotreck 

1 p.m. – Melissa Aldana Trio with Pablo Menares and Kush Abadey  

• Saturday, April 17 – Chris Potter Trio with Joe Martin and Nasheet Waits

• Sunday, April 18 – Antonio Sanchez Trio with Donny McCaslin and Matt Brewer

• Saturday, April 24 – Marquis Hill Quartet

• Sunday, April 25 – Michael Thomas Quartet with Michael Rodriguez, Edward Perez and Johnathan Blake

• Saturday, May 1 – James Brandon Lewis, Freed Style Free Trio with Rashaan Carter and Chad Taylor; Aaron Burnett Quartet with Peter Evans, Nick Jozwiak, and Tyshawn Sorey

• Saturday, May 8 – Marika Hughes: The New String Quartet with Hughes, Charlie Burnham, Marvin Sewell, and Rashaan Carter

Other upcoming dates will include bands led by Nasheet Waits, Mark Turner, and Immanuel Wilkins.

“The pandemic has been disastrous for musicians, many of whom normally earn a living through live performances and tours,” says Katz. “We wanted to find a way to continue supporting musicians, bring them together with audiences safely, and enable them to have a payday! Walk with the Wind, honoring the legacy of the great American John Lewis, is one way we are accomplishing this, and the response has been tremendous.”  

The well-received series, which began August 28, 2020 with Wayne Escoffery’s trio, has also featured The Marquis Hill Quartet, the Michael Thomas Trio, Marcus Strickland Trio, the Eric McPherson Trio, the Leap Day Trio and the Joel Ross Quartet. 

Founded by renowned photographers Jimmy and Dena Katz in January 2018, Giant Step Arts is an innovative, artist-focused non-profit organization dedicated to commissioning and showcasing the work of innovative modern jazz artists. Giant Step Arts offers musicians the artistic and financial resources to create bold, adventurous new music free of commercial pressure. Giant Step Arts provides promotional material and publicity services, presents premiere performances and compensates artists, records performances for independent release, provides artists with CDs and digital downloads to sell directly, conveys complete ownership of masters to artists, and provides PR support for the recordings. “Giant Step Arts does not sell any music,” Katz says. “Our goals are to help musicians make bold artistic statements and to advance their careers.”

Jazz Generation was founded in 1999 to emphasize the importance of live jazz as an art form and the performing arts as a cultural asset. The Jazz Discovery Program (JDP) and The Jazz Standard Youth Orchestra (JSYO), and since 2014 KEYED UP!, an anti-poverty program, has offered services that support professional jazz artists in their performing careers, revitalize local businesses, and develop a new generation of audiences and performers. KEYED UP! Has quickly become a favorite NYC entity for musicians, audiences, and venues. Operating simultaneously in over 25 partner venues spanning from Jersey City to Boston, KeyedUP! Is proud to keep hundreds of musicians working and thousands of jazz listeners happy at no extra cost to partner venues.

Michael Thomas - Natural Habitat ( March 26, 2021 Sunnyside Records)

Developing as an artist requires an incredible amount of study and hard work honing skills. During this process, the burgeoning artist will naturally begin to find areas in which he or she feels more comfortable, their comfort zone. This concept reaches beyond a physical location. It can also apply to material and communal elements in the creation of art.

Saxophonist/bass clarinetist/composer Michael Thomas seems to have found his musical domain once he settled in New York City. His new recording, Natural Habitat, illustrates how his path to the City has placed him in a perfect spot, both physically and mentally, to create the best art that he can.

Originally from Florida, Thomas grew up playing classical saxophone and picking up clarinet and flute as doubling instruments in high school. He pursued music as an undergrad at the University of Miami and then went to Boston to get his masters at the New England Conservatory. His three years in Boston would be the most important years in the young reedist’s development. The inspiring tutorship of saxophone legends George Garzone and Jerry Bergonzi and the sweeping breadth of Miguel Zenón’s lessons bridged the gaps between many of the musical elements Thomas was juggling.

Thomas dreamed of reaching New York City, and the Artist Diploma program at Juilliard gave him the opportunity. His immediate contact with some of the best musicians in New York who were involved with the program, including Ron Blake, Steve Wilson and Frank Kimbrough, helped him break into the scene quickly. Working on Zenón’s Identities are Changeable large ensemble project really cemented his credibility, as he worked with a generation of musicians he had previously looked up to, as an equal.

For a number of years, Thomas found himself bouncing between Boston and New York for gigs, including those with his long-time friend and collaborator, trumpeter Jason Palmer. Boston remained an indelible part of Thomas’s maturation, the place where he wrote and crafted much of his original music, including a number of pieces on Natural Habitat.

His arrival in New York led him to change his approach to music making, as his pieces began to open up, becoming more flexible for the expression of the people he began to play with. One of the first musicians Thomas began having regular sessions with was bassist Hans Glawischnig, who he met through Zenón and who happened to be his neighbor.

The supportive Glawischnig was a natural selection for Thomas as he began to establish a quartet to play his music. Pianist Julian Shore was a Boston contemporary, though he had attended Berklee School of Music, and an obvious choice for the group with his attention to the needs of a band. Drummer Johnathan Blake was a more recent association, but one that brought an unbounded freedom to the band’s performances.

The compositions on Natural Habitat underline the comfort that Thomas has in his abilities to write pieces of vastly differing styles and sounds.

The recording begins with “Float,” one of Thomas’s older pieces whose melody sails over a complicated but naturally carried meter in 7/4 and then 5/4. The gorgeous “Different Time” allows Thomas to demonstrate his bass clarinet chops on a lush jazz waltz. “First” comes from a series of pieces Thomas wrote for a 2017 performance; this bright piece bounds with energy from Thomas’s alto and a stunning bass solo from Glawischnig. The swinging title track really cemented the idea of this project, as it was during a Boston performance of the piece in 2018 that Thomas really felt grounded in his place, both his concept and destination.

The tricky “Harbor” emerged from concepts that Thomas had developed with rapidly switching meters and complex harmonies, a musical riddle that he solved on a long evening walk alongside of Boston Harbor. The delicate “Fourth” is a ballad from the 2017 series that begins extremely slowly but builds into a scintillatingly dynamic saxophone solo. “Demise” also began as a rhythmic mystery, this time a lopsided 13/8 piano feature that Thomas shaped by adding bass clarinet and bass accompaniments.

Thomas wrote “No Words” as a freely played piece that he imagined someone could sing, the lyrical piano lines leading to Thomas’s pliantly emotive sax. The recording concludes with “Two Cities,” a piece Thomas wrote while bouncing between New York and Boston for a group of musicians who split their time between the two cities. The dancing piece has two opposing sections that are a study in contrasts and highlight the composer’s ability and breadth.

Though Boston helped shape Michael Thomas, it has been New York City that has allowed him to refine his craft and approach. Natural Habitat highlights Thomas’s dexterity as a musician and composer with an ensemble of that would make any soloist feel right at home.

1. Float

2. Different Time

3. First

4. Natural Habitat

5. Harbor

6. Fourth

7. Demise

8. No Words

9. Two Cities

Michael Thomas - alto saxophone & bass clarinet

Julian Shore - piano, Rhodes & synth

Hans Glawischnig - bass

Johnathan Blake - drums

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