Dan Duval has released his sextet’s first album, Cut Your Own Wax and it is available for download. Duval has the most unique sound of any current Oregon Jazz composer. His sound defines Indie Jazz. That’s a compliment.
The album title, “Cut Your Own Wax,” is a nod to the state of the music industry today. A few generations ago, musicians had to rely on huge companies and unwieldy machinery to get records of their music printed. These days, however, it is unbelievably easy to get your music recorded and distributed. Musicians and audience members alike have benefited tremendously from these circumstances. The Dan Duval Sextet is just one tiny slice from the immense aural banquet that is so easily accessible these days.
Dan Duval
The Sextet:
Lee Elderton – alto, soprano sax, Mary-Sue Tobin – alto sax, Tom Garcia – tenor, baritone sax, Dan Duval – guitar, Joaquin Toler – bass, Todd Bishop – drums
Duval composed all the tunes and produced the album.
Watch for a full profile of Duval coming soon at OMN.
Guitarist Dan Duval is taking Indie Jazz in new directions. He is mixing in so many influences, this post could almost be filed under Melting Pot. The main influence however, is Dan Duval. He has carved out a singular style, rich in vivid emotion. Not that he’s sappy, he expresses all of the emotions available, including the tough ones.
He makes you take notice.
Take notice of his “Public and Republic” from the new Andrew Oliver album 82% Chance of Rain
His sextet will be playing at The Mission Theater as part of Ben Darwish’s monthly Notes from the Underground series, Tuesday, April 6, 8:30pm, no cover, 21+.In the band are: Lee Elderton, Mary-Sue Tobin, and Tom Garcia on woodwinds, Joaquin Toler on the bass, and Todd Bishop on the drums.
Also appearing will be End of Earth Sax Quartet. This is the highly anticipated debut of a new band with Reed Wallsmith and Sly Pig of the Blue Cranes, Mary-Sue Tobin of the Quadraphonnes, Tom Garcia of the Dan Duval Sextet, and Steve Pancerev of the Paxselin Quartet. The instrumentation is four saxes and drums.
They will play: “Procession of the Sardar: Ippilitov-ivanov. Where is My Mind? : The Pixies, Dazed and Confused : Led Zeppelin, Plantation Inn : The Mar-keys, A Change is Gonna Come : Sam Cooke, Holy Cow : Lee Dorsey, It’s Not Unusual : Tom Jones, The Magical Space of Dawn : Tom Garcia”
In the year-and-a-half since bassist/composer Sam Howard moved here from New York City (via Florida and via his Wyoming birthplace) he has established himself as one of the finest, most versatile bass players in town. He’s equally adept at electric or acoustic bass.
He can Funk. He can Jazz or play Country. He can compose a titanic piece for Jazz orchestra, or be happy with a George Jones tune. As you will read later, he loves waltzes.
His new album (which we premiered on OMN) is called “The Gettin’ Place.” The CD release gig is at Jimmy Mak’s Friday, March 12 at 8pm, $10. Also playing will be The Blue Cranes.
Sam on bass, Scott Pemberton on guitar, Andrew Oliver on keys, Russ Kleiner on drums.
Watch: “Ain’t No Catfish Worth Dyin’ For”
How long has it been between albums?
I guess since releases, three years, which wasn’t intentional. I guess it was because I moved to Portland in the middle.
Albums are still an important part of music, even if it’s less of a commercial venture. I think it’s an important part of the identity of the band and also to get the songs recorded in history so you can move on to other stuff. I’d like to record more frequently. Putting a band together and having enough material to make the album you really want to make is a nice thing.
That’s one thing I really like about this one. We did the two EP’s last year and got to record about everything and then pick the best stuff to use on this and some new stuff It’s nice to be able to pick and choose a little bit rather than put everything on there.
When you make those choices, is that a gut thing?
Somethings work better and you can feel it when you play them. You know which ones are the good ones. (Laughs)
You play so much acoustic bass, why all electric on this album?
The first record wasn’t, I played some acoustic on there. I think it’s just more of what I hear in the songs and fits with the identity of the band better. I love playing electric bass. A lot of these tunes are so guitar-centric, it’s easier to jump in on it and get the sound. We’re kind of a throwback, at lease sonically.
Throwback to what?
70’s. The good analog instruments. We all listen to the Meters a lot, that’s one of our favorite bands, as a group, for sure.
George Porter, Jr a hero of yours?
Oh, yeah. Every single one of those guys is a hero of mine. I’ve been into finding records lately with the Meters as the rhythm section. Checking out Robert Palmer, Sneakin’ Sally Through the Alley. Those tracks are just perfect, every single part. Dr. John…some of those records.
I’ve got Desitively Bonneroo in my car right now.
That’s the one I’ve been rockin’. That’s unbelievable, man. So good. I like “Stealin,” just a bass line and some vocals is all you need. (Laughs.)
The music on your album was recorded over what period of time?
Two days. The videos in one day and the tracks in two days…full days, real full days with breaks for food cart lunch.
Playing together or separate tracks?
All live in the same room, no isolation booths.
Why did you do it that way?
I really prefer recording that way, if possible. Just because it feels good being right there next to them. Usually the first thing that gets isolated is the drums and for me to be in a different room from the drums feels like the most unnatural thing in the world, especially for this stuff. The connection with Russ Kleiner is the most important part of the music to me. That’s where everything comes from for me, the connection with the drums.
You knew him in college.
In Florida. We were 18, I guess. Lived down the hall from each other in the dorms and then we were roommates in college, played in all kinds of bands…funk bands, jazz…he’s my favorite guy to play with.
Who moved here first?
He did. He moved here about three years ago and I’m about a year-and-a-half.
He said what? You gotta come out here?
Pretty much. I knew he was loving it and he was playing a lot. He’s always played a lot and in great groups. The move to here from New York was big for him because it was like stepping out on a ledge, saying I’m just gonna do it.
Of course…a great player and a good attitude so, he was really doing it right off the bat. That’s something that attracted me.
Was it like that for you, too?
He gave me the biggest head start you could ask for. He sent an email out to every musician he ever played with here and said, hey this my buddy moving here and you should call him for sessions and gigs. Before I even moved here I had sessions set up with Andrew Oliver and Randy Porter and Chris Mosley…it was awesome.
I had gigs set up before I moved here. Russ set up…I think my band had six gigs before I moved here. The day I moved here, I drove into town. I think I got here the night before and then I woke up and Chris Mosley came over and we rehearsed in Russ’ basement for a gig at the Cave that night.
You had never played with Chris before?
Nope, that was it. The Cave was essential. I was hanging out there and met Mary-Sue Tobin who was playing with Andrew Oliver’s Sextet. Esperanza Spalding was there with her band because she was in town. Mary-Sue was having a party at her house…this was within a week of moving here, you know…she invited me and I met everybody. It was a house party but it was everybody…everybody. It was pretty much a fairy tale.
People are so nice. People are nice in New York but it’s different here. Everybody is eager to include everybody here.
Less competitive?
Yeah. New York’s New York. (Laughing) There’s a dude playing in the subway better than you. For sure, no matter what. But it’s harder to jam, nobody can jam at their house. You have to rent rehearsal space. A good gig is playing in Central Park for tips. It’s a different deal.
What’s your favorite tune on the album?
I dunno. I’ve played them all so much. I think Catfish is good. I think it captures the spirit of the album. I like the waltz, Our Time. We didn’t blow on it, we just played the head, but that’s one of my favorite tunes that I’ve written. People seem to like playing it.
I like waltzes. If it was up to me I’d have an album of slow waltzes. I think we’re going to play some at Jimmy Mak’s.
What kind of waltzes?
Slow, slow ones. Slow country waltz. Play me one and I’ll be there all day. Sit at home listen to George Jones records and cry. (Laughing) You know that one, “Picture of Me Without You”…that’s a waltz…dum ta dum…two, three…da dum…two, three…that’s my kinda tune.
My dad and my mom are country music fans, they both play guitar and sing. When I was a kid I heard a lot of John Prine and Kris Kristofferson. Cheyenne is a rodeo town and they have concerts. First concert I ever went to was Willie Nelson. Rode my bike to it. Standing room in the dirt…pretty country.
When did the Jazz bug hit you?
When I started learning bass. I played piano as a kid and didn’t like it very much. Played cello and wasn’t good at it. I wanted to play the bass because it was the biggest one. Switched to bass in junior high. Played in the Jazz band at school.
My teacher gave me the Oscar Peterson record, Night Train. That’s was the first one that really caught…that was arranged and worked out. That’s catchy stuff. It really got me…and a Mingus record…a best-of..that Impulse double-disc…from there the rest is evident.
Doing any touring?
I’m doing the State Department tour with Student Loan, the bluegrass band. I’m not the regular bassist but I’m going…South America. It should be really interesting.
One of the most exciting annual events at the Portland Jazz Festival has come to be the Old Church performance of the Portland Jazz Composers Ensemble, led by Andrew Oliver and Gus Slayton. Their twice-a-year performances have become known as the best place to hear the newest works of our younger Jazz stars.
They play, conduct and compose. In their three years, they have premiered more than 25 new compositions by local and national composers. Every concert has been memorable and important.
Listen to Fearless Frogs from last Winter’s Old Church concert. Writen and arranged by Gus Slayton with alto saxophone solo: Mary Sue Tobin, keyboard solo: Andrew Oliver
Wednesday, Feb. 24 at 7:30pm, The Old Church, 1422 SW 11th Ave$10 students, $15.00 general
They tell us:
This concert will feature new compositions by Portlanders Andrew Oliver, Gus Slayton, Dan Duval, Reed Wallsmith, Kevin Van Geem, and Eric Allen, as well as several reprises from the group’s repertoire of works by Sam Howard and Ken Ollis.
This performance will feature some of Portland’s finest instrumentalists: Randy Mueller, Brooks Barnett, and Tree Palmedo on trumpets, Lars Campbell, Dave Bryan, and Doug Peebles on trombones, Mary Sue Tobin, Willie Matheis, Gus Slayton, and Mieke Bruggeman on saxophones, Andrew Oliver on piano, Kyle Williams on guitar, Bill Athens on bass, and Kevin Van Geem on drums.
Oregon Music News is happy to be a Supporting Sponsor of 2010 Portland Jazz Festival.
It occurred to me that I miss the kind of little chatty, gossipy newsy pieces I used to put in my old blog. From time to time, I’m going to put up The Music and the Hang. I’m pretty lucky to have this gig.
Saturday night in Portland.
Things started at Jimmy Mak’s where the Quadraphones were supposed to play first, and the Medler Septet second, except a couple of the players in the Medlers’ band had other gigs to go to. Farnell Newton had one at ‘the Mambo Room. No sweat, except for a mom who came up to Mary Sue Tobin between sets and was a little disappointed that her underage kid, who was required to leave at 9pm, had to miss the Quads.
Lucky for the kid Medler had brought them up onstage during his set for a tune. It helps that Ben Medler’s wife Michelle is a Quad herself. They played that incredibly lovely Phillip Glass piece that they do, and then stayed onstage for the set finale, a hot version of Caravan. There were fine solos by Mieke Bruggerman on baritone sax and Newton.
Bass player anomaly of the evening #1: Dennis Caiazza played electric bass on a tune or two.
Between sets, I kidded the always well-dressed Tobin on the fact that she wore jeans to a gig at the Mission last week, when she played with David Ornette Cherry. She scoffed, laughing and saying that, hey…she was wearing a jacket and heels.
I asked if she was going to go to the Brasserie to see Chris Mosley’s first gig during his return visit to Portland. She said of course she was. At the same time, a woman came up to her and asked if she could take a picture of the top Tobin was wearing…something with delicate chains (not in the S&M sense, however). The woman said it fit a short story she was writing. After getting enough light, she took a picture of Tobin’s top, no face. Very funny.
Tobin allowed as how the outfit was a gift from her mom and that, earlier in the day, when she went shopping for an outfit to wear at the gig tonight, she thought…why should I spend all this money when I have an outfit that my mom gave me which is just as good as anything I’m finding.
And here it was immortalized in a picture AND story.
Jimmy’s was standing room only for the first show. Farnell said he had a gig to play at the Mambo Room, said he wished they had two trumpets because it was Latin music and he’d like another one to play off of. He talked about having played golf with saxophonist Michael Phillips earlier in the week and then suggested that the Quads wear golf attire and get their picture taken on the golf course for their next album.
I’m not so sure about that.
Both Caiazza and JD, the King of Jimmy Mak’s, were pro-Saints but it sounded like they had their money (should they be betting gentlemen) on Indy. I bitched about how they stole my team from me in Baltimore, even though it’s been like 25 years ago.
The Quads took the stage with Leah Hinchcliff and Ward Griffiths. If it weren’t for the Quads and the odd Rob Scheps Big Band gig, I wouldn’t know where to go hear Griffiths, and I love to go hear Ward Griffiths.
On to the Candlelight
I slipped out into the rain and went to the Candlelight to hear some of Lloyd Jones’ set. Too bad that PSU has bought the building and the club is going to have to either move or die. I hope they stay downtown. There certainly isn’t a lack of empty spots to fill…For Lease signs on every corner, seems like.
Jones was funky and bluesy and everything you’d expect or want from him. The room was impossibly crowded, of course, but that’s part of the charm. Making a note to see Gretchen Mitchell there on Tuesday.
Caught the end of the Bobby Torres set at Brasserie Montmartre.
Bass player anomaly of the evening #2: Phil Baker playing electric bass. I know he plays it, but it’s infrequent. He said it was his first time playing at the club since it reopened and that he hadn’t played the club in the last three or four years of its previous existence.
Guitarist, Chance Hayden, who helps book the room, has a new band with Devin Phillips, Scott Steed and a trombonist (John Moak or Ben Medler, or TBA) which will play traditional New Orleans Jazz. They’ll be having their debut on March 4th at Wilf’s. The band isn’t quite set for that gig yet. Stay tuned. They don’t have a name yet. If you have a suggestion sent it to Chance’s Facebook page.
Scott Steed is one of those virtuosos who is known internationally but never plays around town (except for the odd Ron Steen Jam gig). Will be very exciting to hear him in this (or any) band.
Chris Mosely’s band was hanging out before their 11:30 show. He had Russ Kleiner on drums and Sam Howard on bass. Howard walked in in a fully tailored three-piece suit and tie, prompting admiringly snarky comments from his bandmates (and me). He said he had just come from a Valentine’s Day party that Ben Darwish had also attended. He thought Darwish had gone to play with Farnell Newton at the Mambo Club.
He also said that he was not playing at the party, just attending, so it was ok for him to eat the food. His new album is coming out soon. We’ll give you the first listen on OMN next week.
Mosley seemed to be genuinely happy to be back in Portland, not that he’s moving back, just glad to be reunited with his old bandmates and friends.
His beautiful sound was intact (nobody thought it wouldn’t be). What surprised everyone was that he started with a Kenny Burrell tune “Chittlins Con Carne,” a straight ahead minor blues which he attacked with obvious pleasure. Later, he told me it was the first jazz tune he had ever learned. He had apparently put some thought into what he would play first on his first gig back in town.
The subtlety and sublimeness of the moment was interrupted by a boar at the table next to me who had been roaring about his gambling exploits and showing off to a couple of women. After he got abusive, he and his friends got the bum’s rush. I found out later that the two women he was with had been discovered having sex in a stall in the ladies room.
Nuff said, but I’m still laughing.
Mosley continued. What have his months away taught us? How rich and unique and expressive his sound is. And how much we miss it. All three were joyful and playful, the reunion brought out the best in each of them, and that’s a lot of best.
Bass player anomaly of the evening #3: Sam Howard playing upright bass. Ok, maybe not so much anomaly. Maybe more I haven’t seen him play acoustic for awhile.
They were joined by singer Lindsey Stormo and (sit down) did “Nature Boy.”
Of course the band did some Mosley originals, filling the room with thought. Thought? Yes, you know, when the music is so good that you go somewhere else and it inspires thinking.
Not that I’ve ever had an original thought, but it’s nice revisiting other people’s.
Andrew Oliver sat in on piano for a fast bop finale. He had been drinking some sort of exotic beer. I guess if you’re at the Bra, PBR is just not the thing to do. Between sets the band gathered around the bar. Was a lot of laughing about the two women in the ladies room.
Mary Sue Tobin showed up and joined the band on soprano sax.
About 1:20am I decided it was about time to hit it. I like to walk out of a club while the music is playing and let it do a natural fade in my ears. I hope the Bra continues their late night shows.
Nice music. Nice hang. Dan Faehnle tonight. Oh boy.
Even though it won’t be out until April, you can listen to a tune from 82% Chance of Rain, the new album by the Andrew Oliver Sextet.
Listen to 800 Turtles:
Andrew says the title refers to, “the actual average number of eggs laid by each female sea turtle each year.”
The band remains intact from their last album, 2007’s Otis Stomp:
Andrew Oliver/piano, fender rhodes, wurlizter electric piano, Mary-Sue Tobin/soprano and alto sax and clarinet, Willie Matheis/tenor and soprano sax, Dan Duval/guitar, Eric Gruber/bass, Kevin Van Geem/drums.
On the track above, Willie Matheis is playing soprano sax.
They will be playing the tunes from the album and some newer material at Jimmy Mak’s on Friday, January 22. Opening will be Trio Subtonic.
We pair Jazz and Blues into one genre, but while there’s a lot of Blues in Jazz, the history of Jazz is not the history of Blues. Blues is part of the history of Jazz but not all of it. In addition, Jazz has evolved and undergone massive change, enough that there continue to be bitter arguments over what Jazz is and isn’t.
There are no arguments about what is Blues.
Because of the dynamic, ever-changing nature of Jazz, I’m going to deal with it more than Blues in this piece. Don’t get me wrong, I love Blues, it’s in my soul, but it’s not the elusive chameleon that is Jazz.
Especially in 2010.
What we find in 2010 Portland is yet another combining of Jazz with other forms. Andrew Oliver’s Kora Band, for one example. Ben Darwish’s Hip Hop and Afrobeat excursions, for another. There are lots of other young musicians who jump genre or, more precisely, combine their Jazz roots with other music in their worlds.
Part of this is due to the sad fact that, in order to make a living, many musicians must play more than one kind of music to survive, weddings included. But playing differing types of music is not combining different types of music in order to grow a new form, even though the musicians are probably informed by their Jazz training.
There are others like Dan Balmer who have been through many of the styles of Jazz which have developed in their lifetime. Balmer, known years ago for his versatility, was a flat-out fusion player. I’m sure he could whip out a blistering, lightning-fast solo in that style. He’s moved on.
Players like Mary Sue Tobin play in Soul bands, straight-ahead Jazz bands, Indie Jazz bands and sit in with the experimental bands like the ones Creative Music Guild brings in.
Gordon Lee
Today’s younger players are searching for forms they can call their own. This doesn’t mean that when a musician finds his or her voice, he’s stuck with it. Players like David Friesen and Gordon Lee continue to grow, even after having found their voices.
What’s fun and will be something to watch for in 2010, are the younger players (like Dan Duval, currently making his band into what he wants it to be) as they find and refine their own voices.
The reach, the journey and the struggle…sometimes with success and sometimes not is what is exciting about the current era in Portland.
The only Jazz/Blues fusion around these parts is being brought by David Vest and his Howlin’ Ra Project in which he mixes Sun Ra with beatin’ Boogie Woogie.
You have to admire these players. It is tough enough to make a living playing music of any kind, even the kind that draws huge crowds. At the moment it is particularly difficult. Clubs are closing and others tightening their deals with bands to insure their own survival.
It’s an exciting time musically, though. You’re in for a lot of musical satisfaction if you just keep your ears open for what’s new and keep enjoying our veteran masters.
CMG has long been the organization Portlanders have depended upon to bring in experimental, improvised music from all over the world. They’ve been on hiatus for a bit but are back in force with this and upcoming performances.
Rainey will be performing solo as well as leading a large ensemble including many of Portland’s finest improvisers and electronic musicians including: John Savage, Pete Swanson (of Yellow Swans), Jef Brown (Evolutionary Jass Band), Ilyas Ahmed, Joel Pickard, J Morales (Abusive Delay), JP Jenkins, Mary Sue Tobin, John Niekrasz (Why I Must Be Careful), and Matt Carlson (Parenthetical Girls).
About Rainey, CMG says:
Bhob Rainey’s music has become a model in the world of experimental sound. He is the founder of both nmperign (with trumpeter Greg Kelley) and the BSC, which he also directs. Collaborations with musicians such as Ralf Wehowsky, Le Quan Ninh, Gunter Mueller, and Lionel Marchetti, dancers Nicole Bindler and Yukiko Nakamura, and filmmakers Loren Boyer, Harvey Benschoter, and William Pisarri highlight Rainey’s broad experience and outline a complex body of work that continues to expand and surprise. His music occupies a charged space between synthetic and organic sound, bringing forth improbable sensual and narrative experiences through virtuosic extended techniques, homemade synths and sound processors, found recordings, and a kind of living silence that is apt to wreak havoc with the perception of time.
CMG has also announced these upcoming performances:
Feb. 19: Chris Corsano, Wally Shoup, C.Spencer Yeh,and Bill Horist
April 2: Wayne Horvitz, Briggan Krauss and Le Quan Ninh
In the past year, Soul Vaccination has really taken off. Always popular, their album Souled Out at Jimmy Mak’s spurred a lot of gigs.
Leader Dave Mills is on trumpet, Gigi Wiggins and Mark West on vocals, Louis Pain on organ, Edwin Coleman on drums, Leah Hinchcliff on bass and Max Rees on guitar. The band’s razor sharp horn section includes Gary Harris, Bryan Dickerson, Mary Sue Tobin and Lewis Livermore.
They play the Tower of Power canon (they take their name from a TOP tune, in case you didn’t know). They play Chaka Khan, Billy Preston, Stevie Wonder and all manner of related soul and funk.
It’s always a party.
They play twice in the same place this weekend.
Friday, November 13, and Saturday, November 14, 9:30pm Inn at the Quay 100 Columbia, Vancouver WA: $5
The monthly Indie Jazz Notes from the Underground series put together by Ben Darwish continues at the Mission Theater continues on Tuesday, November 3 when the Andrew Oliver Sextet plays.
The band is one of the most exciting newer ensembles in town and part of the explosion of young players in the past couple of years. It will also be one of first performances for saxophonist Mary Sue Tobin, returning to full-time gigging after playing in the pit orchestra for Ragtime for the past couple of months.
Movies at intermission:
Horace Silver Quintet + Elvin Jones — Denmark, 1968
Joe Lovano and Steve Kuhn Quartet: Remembering John Coltrane – Salzau, Germany, 2008
Ahmad Jamal Trio — Paris, France, 2005
Tuesday, November 3, 8:30pm, The Mission Theater, 1624 NW Glison, 503-223-4527, Free 21+
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