Nine Fingers

Nine Fingers
By Thom August
Leisure Books mass original

In the past, Chicago jazz has had to cope with the Windy City’s history of mob activity. For instance, the venerable jazz club The Green Mill was once co-owned by Capone enforcer “Machinegun” Jack McGurn. Pseudonymous author Thom August has renewed the association between jazz and Chicago’s organized crime in the new novel, Nine Fingers, the first mass market original to be reviewed here.

Fingers starts with a mob hit that does not make apparent sense. The syndicate’s top assassin, simply known as “the Cleaner,” kills a visiting businessmen and part-time jazz musician as he sits-in with a local ensemble. What appears to be a case of mistaken identity leads to more attacks on the group. It all seems to trace back to a mafia princess, and another visiting musician, mysteriously missing his pinky finger (and supplying the title). Fortunately, the investigating detective in need of career rehabilitation once gigged professionally, allowing him to go undercover with the band.

No real-life musicians make cameo appearances, but August sounds familiar with the lives of working musicians. The chief protagonist of Fingers and one of three perspectives from which the story is told is Vinnie Amatucci, the band’s pianist and business manager. Amatucci shows a talent for meticulous work, like tuning the piano and balancing the sound system before gigs. At one point he ruminates:

“Jo Jones always said that if you can hear the rhythm section of a jazz band it means they’re fucking up. You’re supposed to feel them, unless one of them is soloing. And I believe that. The trumpet and sax are up front, physically, and their sound is supposed to be up front, aurally. That’s the nature of the music.” (p. 66)

Whoever August is, he writes musical details convincingly. Those passages of Fingers reminded me of the jazz mysteries of Bill Moody, but this is much more hardboiled than the Evan Horne novels. The language is saltier and there is considerably more drug use and graphic violence. Particularly gratuitous is a way over-the-top sex scene near the novel’s midpoint which is quite explicit and frankly defies believability within the context of the story. (I won’t quote from it, but the dogs out there can find it starting at p. 184) Unfortunately, August is stuck with the ramifications of that interlude for the remainder of the novel, creating additional issues of credibility in later scenes.

What is believable is his depiction of the dynamics within the combo. The musicians are well delineated characters, like the under-achieving, over-thinking Amatucci. August deserves credit for not making the leader, trumpeter Paul Powell, into another icy stand-in for Miles Davis (which has been done far too often). Instead he is cerebral in interesting ways, and has some nice scenes with Amatucci. August describes one such encounter from the pianist’s perspective, as he approaches the trumpeter practicing long tones:

“I gave him a little nod and he turned back toward the lake, and continued for another few minutes, working steadily up in his register until it must have required a phenomenal effort to hold each note. But each note was like a rounded little pearl, fat and shiny and hard, even the high ones.” (p. 329)

There are some nice moments in Fingers, and there are some ridiculous ones as well. To its credit, jazz is not treated as mere window dressing—rather it plays an important role in the story. Usually jazz related novels are of the depressingly literary variety, which makes Fingers a real change of pace. If it was not twenty degrees outside, it could be described as a good beach read, despite (or because of) an occasional excess. It will be interesting to see how August develops as a hard-boiled jazz novelist, if Fingers spawns a series. After all, he has the music down cold.

Sabertooth is Dr. Midnight

Dr. Midnight: Live at the Green Mill
By Sabertooth
Delmark Records

Midnight to five—nice hours if you can get them. That’s Sabertooth’s regular Saturday-night-into-Sunday-morning gig, their so-called “After Hours Jazz Party,” at the Green Mill in Chicago. I’m guessing they are not morning people. At least they certainly sound like their in their element during Dr. Midnight, a live recording capturing a late night Green Mill session.

Though largely a soul jazz combo in the Stitt and Ammons mold of two tenors and an organ, Sabertooth’s tenor players Cameron Pfiffner and Pat Mallinger double on flute and claim influences as diverse as Coltrane and the Dead. Naturally, they maintain a late-night vibe throughout as on the up-tempo, but easy grooving opener, “Blues for C Piff.” Appropriately, Pfffner takes the solo honors before handing off to Mallinger, with Pete Benson laying down some grease on the Hammond.

Dr. Midnight is actually a pretty varied set, with an infectious calypso style “Mary Anne,” featuring nice unison work and interplay between the tenors. It is followed by the exotic “Tetemetearri,” introduced by Mallinger’s Native American flute. After Pfiffner enters, also on flute, Mallinger moves to tenor for an eloquent solo statement. It all has an appealing texture thanks to the subtle Hammond accompaniment and Ted Sirota’s supportive percussion.

The title track gets an extended spoken word introduction from Pfiffner that sounds like David Cross of Mr. Show channeling Rod Serling. It is the late night set. It is also the moodiest, freest ranging tune of the release. For Neal Hefti’s “Odd Couple” it is back in the pocket for some blues. Sirota and Benson provide a kind groove, as the familiar theme proves to be an accommodating vehicle for the reeds.

Surprisingly, Jerry Garcia and Robert Hunter’s “China Cat Sunflower” is the track that most stuck in my head (perhaps revealing my own collegiate “influences”). Evidently, Mallinger also has some Dead in his past as well. The combination of his tenor and Pfiffner’s piccolo just sound great over Benson’s Hammond grooves.

In his liner notes Michael Jackson writes that he recommends Sabertooth’s Saturday night sets to “outta towners.” That makes sense listening to Dr. Midnight. They bring wit and energy to their music, and when they finally wrap, it’s basically light outside. Dr. Midnight is consistently fun, crowd pleasing jazz, while mixing things up sufficiently to avoid sounding stuck in a groove, which is a nice trick.

Brown at the Green Mill

Ari Brown Live at the Green Mill
Delmark CD & DVD

Delmark deserves recognition from Chicago’s Chamber of Commerce. In addition to being the Windy City’s most celebrated independent label, in recent months they have brought forth a series of DVDs recorded by some of Chicago’s finest musicians in the city’s leading venues. Releases like Nicole Mitchell at the Velvet Lounge and Kahil El’Zabar’s Ethnic Heritage Ensemble at the Ascension Loft create enticing portraits of Chicago’s musical scene. For a live release from Chicago reedman Ari Brown, Delmark went to the Green Mill, considered the oldest surviving jazz club and once boasting Capone enforcer “Machinegun” Jack McGurn as a co-owner. The resulting Live at the Green Mill effectively showcases Brown and his Chicago-based ensemble, and further buttresses the burgeoning reputation of the local jazz scene.

Like Mitchell, Brown is comfortable in avant-garde settings, but for his live sets at the Mill, stays within a straight ahead, bop-based bag. Brown and company do take ample opportunity to stretch out though, with the seven tunes of the DVD averaging out to over ten minutes. They start with “Richard’s Tune,” an inviting workout, taken up-tempo, but not too briskly. It is an excellent bop showcase for Brown’s tenor and Pharez Whitted on trumpet. Pianist and brother Kirk Brown also displays a deft touch in his solo here, and throughout the sessions.

“One for Skip” follows, with Brown’s mournful introduction. Dedicated to a departed friend, it is elegantly elegiac. Brown has a rougher-hewn sound on tenor, and his ballad treatment here recalls the Hawk through its muscular sensitivity.

The DVD has the advantage over the simultaneously recorded CD with the inclusion of “Waltz of the Prophets.” Filmed over two nights, it appears from wardrobe clues tracks 1-3 came from one date, with the balance coming from the other night. Brown at one time played with McCoy Tyner, and one can hear an affinity in their music on the slightly exotic “Waltz.”

Brown switches to soprano (and changes shirts) for an explicitly titled homage, “Shorter’s Vibes.” Compulsively propelled along by Dr. Cuz’s percussion and Kirk Brown’s rhythmic piano, Brown’s solo is fittingly ecstatic.

Kirk Brown signals another change of pace on “Two Gun V,” augmenting his piano with some funky keyboard work. Not to be outdone, Ari Brown, starts on tenor, moves to soprano, and then proceeds to play both simultaneous, a la Rahsaan Kirk, over a solid groove from the rhythm section.

Brown and his band members are great musicians, who come strong in these consistently crowd pleasing Green Mill performances. They do not seem to tour New York often (at least as far as I have heard), so Live at the Green Mill makes a good case for visiting Chicago. Things definitely seem to be happening there.

Black Unstoppable

Black Unstoppable: Live at the Velvet Lounge
By Nicole Mitchell’s Black Earth Ensemble
Delmark DVD

For whatever reasons, jazz flutists, or flautists, have crossed over to wider popularity at a greater rate than other instrumentalists, as witnessed by the popularity attained by Herbie Mann, Hubert Laws, Paul Horn, Bud Shank, and Charles Lloyd in the 1960’s and 1970’s. If the decade is due for a new breakout flautist, Nicole Mitchell looks like a promising candidate, as documented live in concert at Fred Anderson’s Velvet Lounge on the new DVD Black Unstoppable.

In some ways Mitchell has greater affinity with more adventurous jazz flutists, like Eric Dolphy, Rahsaan Roland Kirk, and her onetime teacher James Newton. Yet her music has soulful and spiritual qualities that should enjoy a wider audience. In truth, Mitchell’s music can be heard in the funky-spiritual avant-garde bag that produced Pharaoh Sanders and Leon Thomas’s surprise hit, “The Creator Has a Master Plan.”

The title of the first tune, “The Creator Has Other Plans for Me,” even echoes the Sanders classic. It functions as a nice introduction to the Black Earth Ensemble, with a short but evocative cello preface from Tomeka Reid, and featuring swinging solos from Mitchell on flute, David Young on flugelhorn, and Marcus Evans on drums. It also gives viewers a tour of some of the Velvet Lounge memorabilia during Evans’ solo.

The stylistic similarities to the funkier Pharaoh are most pronounced on the vocal tracks featuring Ugochi Nwaogwugwu. “Life Wants You to Love” is something of a calypso, showcasing the tenor of David Boykin and the leader’s flute. “Love Has No Boundaries” is a soulful duet between Nwaogwugwu and trumpeter Young, who also solos impressively with the cup mute. Guitarist Jeff Parker gets to have his say as well on a very groovy track.

The third vocal, the concluding “Thanking the Universe,” has the same spiritual groove. Dedicated by Mitchell to Boykin, her “soul mate,” it appropriately features a blistering tenor solo. Despite the free excursions, most of Unstoppable, particularly the vocal tracks are accessible to the point of being downright crowd pleasing. Ironically, the freest, most challenging composition is probably the title track.

It is unfortunate that Oprah Winfrey seems to hate jazz, because Mitchell would seem to be a perfect fit for her audience, as a strong instrumentalist and composer, whose music offers a message of universal love and spiritual empowerment. She is also a prodigious bandleader, impressive particularly since women in jazz still face challenges, even today. She is even based in Chicago and now recording for the venerable Chicago independent label Delmark.

Regardless of the avant-garde aspects of Mitchell’s work, there is no reason why her music could not reach a wide popular audience. She swings hard and she her words speak to concerns of the soul, but she is certainly not middle-brow, like say Chris Botti, whom Chicago’s famous host seems to prefer. Too bad for those loyal viewers. Mitchell is an exciting talent, well worth checking out in Unstoppable.

Live at the Ascension Loft

Hot ‘n’ Heavy: Live at the Ascension Loft
Ethnic Heritage Ensemble
Delmark DVD & CD

In rare cases, particular places seem uniquely compatible with certain music. Chicago has earned a certain reputation as a jazz city and as home to well regarded avant-garde venues in recent years. Given the fiery looking cover art for the Ethnic Heritage Ensembles’ latest DVD (also available on CD) and its Chicago locale, one might mistake it for a free jazz blowing session. Yet, despite the adventurous credits of the musicians, leader-percussionist Kahil El’Zabar’s rhythm reigns supreme on Live at the Ascension Loft, making it a very accessibly session.

The Ensemble has changed personnel over the years, with its current configuration consisting of El’Zabar, trumpeter Corey Wilkes, guitarist Fareed Haque, and Ernest “Khabeer” Dawkins on tenor and alto. However, as El’Zabar shifts among his diverse arsenal of percussion, it has the effect of varying the tone and dynamics of the quartet.

The Ensemble starts with an enjoyable up-tempo workout, propelled along by El’Zabar’s “earth drums,” huge congas crafted by the percussionist. Dawkins makes an impassioned statement on alto, but Wilkes’ electrified solo, though an interesting stylistic choice, gives his ordinarily strong trumpet tone a pinched sound.

The high point, artistically and emotionally in the concert, is “MT,” El’Zabar’s tribute to the late Malachi Thompson, a Chicago trumpeter associated with the AACM and the ensembles of Lester Bowie. El’Zabar actually carries the distinctive melody on thumb piano, and all four musicians take stirring solos. It is a lovely tribute.

As El’Zabar moves to the traps for “Hot ‘n’ Heavy,” the complexion of the music changes subtly again. It becomes a showcase for Wilkes (one of Downbeat’s twenty-five trumpeters for the future this month), on both trumpet and flugelhorn simultaneously, as E’Zabar’s drumming and verbal exultations prod him further and further.

The disk concludes with “Black as Vera Cruz,” a Latin number that starts off in a contemplative mood, but picks up heat from the strong rhythm of the earth drums. Featuring impressive tenor work from Dawkins, Haque’s best guitar solo, and a hypnotic percussion interlude, it is a fitting summation.

The Ascension session is filmed in a rather straight-forward manner, with only occasional flashes of color, or overlaid images for effect. What comes across is the compatibility of music and location. There appear to be no more than maybe thirty audience members, but it is standing room only in that intimate environment. The very art on the walls enhances the rhythmic and cultural message of the Ensemble’s music.

Clearly, the Ensemble is a tight group that plays well with, and off each other. Their warm melodies and rhythmic drive would be appealing to even novice jazz ears.

Chicago Underground Chronicle

Chronicle
Chicago Underground Trio
Delmark DVD

Chicago has a history of avant-garde jazz that rivals, perhaps even surpasses, that of New York. There is still a vital scene in the Windy City, which is often documented on Delmark Records. While only bassist Jason Ajemian still lives in the city (according to liner notes Peter Margasak), the Chicago Underground Trio clearly have strong ties to the city and its experimental jazz tradition, as captured live in Chicago’s German Cultural Center on the new Delmark DVD (and CD) Chronicle.

More than a concert film, Director Raymond Salvatore Harmon creates visual distortions, first by projecting color and light against the walls of the performance space, and than layering more over the actual recorded performances, in post-production. As the performances build in intensity, the colors become stronger, exploding into fractals in a kaleidoscopic blur.

The set opens with “Initiation,” a long bass prelude from Ajemian, imposed over the only outside visuals—what appears to be the view from a rural road shot from a moving vehicle. The tune demarcations are a bit arbitrary, but when drummer Chad Taylor comes in, it signals the start of “Resistance.” It is nearly the nine minute mark before the full trio is heard, as Rob Mazurek’s cornet enters, and Taylor switches to marimba and vibes. The Underground might be freely improvising, but this is not an abrasive set. Indeed, Taylor’s concluding statement on vibes is delicate and soothing.

“Power” is the longest track, and could be album in itself, continuing with the moody atmosphere of “Resistance’s” conclusion. Around the twenty minute mark Mazurek has a muted solo that wouldn’t be out of place in a film noir soundtrack. Around the twenty five minute mark he comes back with open horn for some downright bluesy statements. Taylor then has an intriguing feature on mbira, which may sound exotic, but not at all scary. “Power” morphs again around the thirty-fourth minute, as the electronics kick in, overwhelming the musicians in the mix. It might be the most intimidating sequence for those just getting their feet wet in freer forms of jazz, before Mazurek’s cornet eventually leads the trio out of the electronic maelstrom.

For those open to it, there are some very exciting musical moments in Chronicle. It ends on a particularly accessible note, “Transcendence,” which settles into a pulsing groove and features some passionate cornet work from Mazurek.

Video documents of jazz are important, because there is something about seeing artists play at a high level that hits people at a visceral level. What is interesting about Harmon’s effects is that they intrigue by revealing and obscuring in equal measure. At various points, Harmon’s split screen and super-imposed video create the effect of an army of musicians on screen, while at other points, musicians seem to disappear and re-materialize before our eyes. For a group like the Underground the question is always how adventurous do you need to be to enjoy their music. In the case of Chronicle, if you have reasonably open ears, you will enjoy it.

(Corrections made 5/16)