WORTH CATCHING Around town

The Charles Tolliver Big Band at Iridium between Jan. 30 and Feb. 3 – and Jimmy Scott singing at the same club on Feb. 22-25 ... pianist Guillermo Klein at Merkin Hall on Feb. 15 for a program that also involves saxist Bill McHenry, guitarist Ben Monder, bassist Matt Povolka and drummer Jorge Rossy (the last-named also dueting on piano with Klein) ...


Trumpeter Wallace Roney’s group on Valentine’s Day evening at Abrons Art Center, 466 Grand St. on the Lower East Side ... trombonist Benny Powell’s outstanding quintet playing a free concert at 7:00 PM on Feb. 1 at Nubian Heritage, Fifth Ave. at 126th St. ... trumpeter Brian Groder’s quartet (featuring guitarist Rez Abassi) at Jimmy’s Backroom in the East Village on Feb. 25

Don't miss pianist John Colianni playing Sunday brunches at The Garage on Feb. 4 and Feb. 18 ... bassist Martin Wind leading a splendid quartet featuring Scott Robinson at Kitano on Feb. 23-24 .. multi-instrumentalist Dan Willis heralding the release of his Velvet Gentlemen CD (on which he plays eleven different woodwinds) at the East Village’s Nightingale Lounge on Feb. 17 ... tenor monster George Garzone appearing at Dizzy’s on Feb. 19 in the company of the Ayn Inserto Jazz Orchestra ...

Marcus Goldhaber singing at Penang’s Downstairs Room each Sunday evening ... Clarinetist Rick Bogart leading a trio at Seppi’s on W. 56th every Monday, Wednesday and Thursday starting at 8:30 PM (plus Sunday brunches, too) ... Guitarist Brad Shepik playing at Brooklyn’s Center for Improvisational Music on Feb. 3 ... and saxophonist Dan Pratt presenting his organ quartet at, get this, the famous Bohemian Hall Beer Garden in Astoria on Feb. 1 (and every first Thursday thereafter). Given this month’s climate, we trust they’ll be cooking inside by the fireplace, instead of outside under the elms.


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SPOTLIGHTS

IVAN LINS

BLUE NOTE / FEB. 27-MAR. 4

This Brazilian double bill brings Lins, one of the great bossa nova and samba composers, to the same stage as Trio Da Paz (Romero Lubambo, guitar; Nilson Matta, bass, and Duduka da Fonseca, drums/percussion) for a week that should conjure up the spirits of Carnaval in Rio de Janeiro. Lins, who sings in the relaxed style of a Brazilian Dean Martin, will be leading his own group from the piano, doing many of his songs that have been recorded here by the likes of Ella Fitzgerald, Sarah Vaughan, Carmen McRae, Kenny Burrell, Barbra Streisand, Frank Sinatra and George Benson. His latest CD? It’s Acariocando (EMI) GK

RALPH TOWNER

IRIDIUM / FEB. 15-18

An acoustic guitarist with a formidable “pianistic” technique, Towner co-founded the best-selling quartet called Oregon in 1970 with other former members of the Paul Winter Consort. The group, a precursor to New Age and World Music, was a band that combined classical, jazz, ethnic and Third World music in an acoustic setting that stretched the boundaries of chamber jazz. Joining Towner, who also plays piano and brass instruments, in this edition of Oregon will be original members Paul McCandless (oboe, English horn, bass clarinet) and Glen Moore (bass, violin, piano and flute), along with the foursome’s newest member, percussionist Marc Walker.


JAY LEONHART

TRIBECA P.A.C / MAR. 8

You’ve probably heard him sing about flying coast-to-coast while seated next to Leonard Bernstein. Leonhart, a jazz bassist and singer whose wry songs are often autobiographical vignettes, is also a sought-after accompanist (he’ll be backing Maureen McGovern at her Carnegie Hall concert on Feb. 9) and a solo act. (New Jerseyans can catch his one-man show, entitled “The Bass Lesson,” at Ocean County Community College in Toms River on Feb. 7.) For this “Highlights in Jazz” concert at Manhattan Community College, Leonhart will be part of singer-pianist Barbara Carroll’s quartet, along with reedman Ken Peplowski and drummer Joe Ascione. Vocalist Paula West’s on the bill, too. GK

MARILYN CRISPELL

VILLAGE VANGUARD / FEB. 27-MAR. 4

It’s easy – but certainly not accurate – to characterize Crispell as a pianist totally intoxicated with Cecil Taylor’s keyboard approach. She’s a Taylor admirer, to be sure. But she’s also cited the work of Monk, Coltrane and Paul Bley as influences. There’s no mistaking this New England Conservatory grad for a bebopper, though. Her distinctive compositional work, her remarkable hand speed and the percussive effects she achieves have won her prominence on the avant garde scene. Festival audiences around the world hear her most often playing solo. At the Vanguard, though, it’ll be a trio adventure, with Mark Helias on bass and Paul Motian behind the drumset. PB

DAFNIS PRIETO

THE GATEHOUSE OF HARLEM / FEB. 16

We expect Jazz Gallery shows to offer the unexpected. And here’s something new: presentations at places some distance from the Gallery’s Hudson St. digs. The initial offering in their “Directions in 21st Century Music” series takes place at Aaron Davis Hall on CUNY’s Harlem campus and features the same Absolute Quintet that Cuban-born percussionist Prieto leads on his most recent Zoho CD – the one currently in contention for a Best Latin Jazz Grammy. By the way, they’ve planned future shows even further north: at Tarrytown Music Hall, the Paramount Center in Peekskill, the Bardavon in Poughkeepsie and the Hudson Opera House. Upstaters, rejoice! Consult www.jazzgallery.org. PB

VICTOR GOINES

DIZZY’S / FEB. 13-18

So what’s “mainstream jazz” these days? Maybe it’s typified by what Goines is playing. Take his most recent CD, New Adventures (Criss Cross), which reflects the best of the bebop tradition, celebrates the music of Sidney Bechet and Lester Young, and swings like mad throughout – even on the ballads. In addition to Goines’ saxophonics and clarinet work, those catching one of his sets at Dizzy’s will hear piano standout Danny Grissett, bassist Peter Washington and drummer Jerome Jennings, with Vanessa Rubin handling vocal chores. This guy’s so busy as administrator within Juilliard’s jazz studies program that it’s surprising he still finds time to accept club dates. PB

LEE ANN LEDGERWOOD

KITANO / FEB. 7

We can only conclude that Ledgerwood isn’t on everyone’s Top Ten Pianists list only because too few people have yet heard her play. But you can’t fault the Danish label Steeplechase, which has carefully documented her playing over the course of five fine CDs heavy on quality material by composers like McCoy Tyner, Wayne Shorter, Miles Davis, John Coltrane and Bill Evans (who’s perhaps her primary keyboard influence). Walkin’ Up is the most recent of these discs. Congrats to the bookers at Kitano for bringing her back. In this instance, she’s part of a group led by bassist Ron McClure, another Steeplechase artist with whom she’s also recorded. PB

FREDDIE REDD

MERKIN HALL / FEB. 19

Here’s a story local journalists ought to be all over: an American jazzman, active on the scene for a half-century but probably better known in Europe than at home, returns to the city of his most notable musical triumph to recreate the role for which he’s best known. Pianist Redd composed music for “The Connection,” a gritty Obie-winning 1960 play (and later a film) about heroin addicts, then appeared onstage as a hooked pianist. That score will be performed again with Redd at the keyboard, altoist Lou Donaldson filling in for the late Jackie McLean, Mickey Bass on bass and Ben Riley on drums. It’s a must-attend event. PB

T.S. MONK

BIRDLAND / FEB. 21-24

Yep, the son of that most famous of Monks – yet someone who’s neither overmining his father’s rich compositional lode nor coasting on family reputation. Instead, his drum work drives a terrific sextet: Freddy Jackson (trumpet), Tia Fuller (alto), Willie Williams (tenor), Helen Sung (piano) and Dave Jackson (bass). Their material? With about 80 tunes in the playbook, it’s exceedingly varied. Given his responsibilities as Thelonious Monk Institute director, work on that new CD has lagged a bit. But – contrary to what those non-smiling album cover photos suggest – he’s full of enthusiasm for life in general and music in particular, always eager to ensure that audiences genuinely enjoy themselves. PB

SCOTT HAMILTON

BOGARDUS MANSION / FEB. 16

They’re billing it as “The Return of the Two Tenors.” It’ll be Harry Allen’s superb quartet again welcoming Scott Hamilton, the saxophonist who was one of Harry’s earliest inspirations, as special guest. Hamilton’s a committed neo-traditionalist whose 1977 debut LP revealed him to be a 23-year old enamoured with then-less-than-fashionable Swing Era saxophone stylists like Hawkins, Webster, Young and Byas. The worm has since turned, of course, with Respect For Tradition now being hailed as The New New Thing. (We’ve always dug that first album’s title, too: A Good Wind Who Is Blowing Us No Ill.) Anyway, this bunch of hard-chargers can really deliver the goods. PB