Aug 10

Aug 10 Jazz is Back

Cubs, Jazz, Musicians, Performance, Things to Do in Chicago

Live jazz is back. Both musicians and listeners are reveling in its return. Eighteen months is too long to go without music.

Several weeks ago, I ventured out to see saxophnist Isaiah Collier and the Chosen Few at the Jazz Showcase. It was a bittersweet return to live music because the club’s owner and nationally beloved jazz impresario, Joe Segal, died during the pandemic. His son, Wayne, has ably taken the helm, initially relying on local talent to fill the stage, which is not a problem because Chicago has a lot of top flight talent when it comes to jazz. Collier and his band are living proof.

At age 23, Collier is already achieving international recognition as a player to be contended with. His most recent album, Cosmic Transitions, was recorded in Rudy Van Gelder’s studio, which has produced many classic recordings over the decades, including John Coltrane’s, A Love Supreme. Collier’s album was the last one recorded by Van Gelder before his death.

Collier’s efforts warranted a 5-star review from the jazz-world’s monthly bible, Downbeat Magazine. Accompanying Collier were Mike King (Piano), Jeremiah Hunt (Bass), Drummer (Tony Michael Ode), and guests Tony Milano (Piano) and Issiah’s brother, Jeremiah (Drums). Collier played the tenor, alto, and soprano saxophones during the band’s set, which was straight-ahead modern jazz with a twist.

Next up: Bassist Marlene Rosenberg’s quartet at Andy’s Jazz Club. With her was ace guitarist Scott Hesse, a drummer and pianist (sorry, I didn’t write down there names). The fare for the evening were selections from the three M’s: Charles Mingus, Joni Mitchell, who collaborated with Mingus in the months before his death, and the Motown Songbook. My favorites of the evening were Mingus’ Fables of Faubus, “inspired” by Arkansas Governor Orval Faubus who sent the National Guard into Little Rock in 1957 to stop the integration of Little Rock Central High School, and Marvin Gaye’s What’s Going On.

Rosenberg, sometimes referred to affetionately as the Baroness by Stan Lee (her significant other), is a noted jazz educator who has played with such luminaries as Joe Henderson, Kenny Barron, Lewis Nash, Roy Hargrove, Stan Getz, Nancy Wilson, Makaya McCraven, Marquis Hill, and Jazzmeia Horn. So it is always a treat to see her on bandstand.

Next Up: Winter’s Jazz Club brought in the St. Louis-based Bosman Twins in July, with Marlene Rosenberg (Bass), Charles Heath (Drums), and an unidentified pianist backing the colossi of the saxophone. Of the my three outings, this one was the most rooted in the big tenor sounds of Sixties. Crowd-pleasing jazz, but nothing groundbreaking. Nevertheless, a very enjoyable evening of jazz with master showmen who had their synchronized moves down, whether that meant holding their saxophones in the air, strutting them about like the horn section from a Stax revue, or dancing and gesturing in unison. When they performed a number by jazz organist Richard “Groove” Holmes, I thought of Brother Jack McDuff, who I saw in one of Milwaukee’s jazz clubs back in the Seventies. An organ might have made more sense in this environment that a piano—no offense meant to the pianist, who I was told could also double on the organ.

Next Up: And for those of you who like the Blues, I caught Lil Ed and John Primer at Summer on State several weeks back. Both played the music that they are known for around the world. In one sense, Ed’s performance was historic. Imagine him sitting in a chair for an entire set and you know why this was so historic. As one of my images shows, Ed accompanied himself on drums.

You still have time to checkout Summer on State. It runs for several more weeks on Sundays on Chicago State Street beginning at Lake Street. Check the schedule for specific dates because the festivities take several weekends off.

Note: These images are being posted in one article because serious computer problems have hampered my photo processing for the last four months. After at least 100 hours of troubleshooting and countless technical support calls, I am now back up and running. It took a switch from Lightroom to CaptureOne, a second computer (Apple Mac-mini (M1)), a new WIFI mesh system, three new monitors, three hubs, new wires, new dongles, upgraded printing software, a new RAID drive, and a bunch of other stuff to get me back in biz.

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