[Dixielandjazz] NY Jazz Scene intereting but (long)

[TCASHWIGG at aol.com]

Just received the following which might be of interest to DJML members in the 
East and the UK.

Tom Wiggins

> New York - February 8, 2004
> 
> The notorious cabaret laws enacted in 1926 in New York City banned brass and 
> percussion instruments except in specially licensed clubs.  Used to control 
> the mixing of races, the laws stifled jazz in New York for nearly sixty 
> years.  After the laws were overturned in 1988, there came a minor renaissance of 
> jazz in New York and a flourishing of new jazz clubs.  Smalls was perhaps the 
> most notable among them.
> 
> A labor of love for quixotic impresario Mitch Borden, Smalls was unusually 
> hospitable to listeners and musicians alike, both young and old.  The price 
> was low, the atmosphere was relaxed, and the music ran until dawn every night 
> of the week.  Over time, Smalls became one of the hubs of the jazz world and 
> played host to a thriving jazz scene of its own.  A generation of jazz 
> musicians in New York developed on the Smalls scene, giving it a lasting place in 
> the history of the music.
> 
> With the closing of Smalls comes the rise of Smalls' sister club, Fat Cat 
> (75 Christopher Street, NYC), and the hopes for a bright future there.  In the 
> future, Fat Cat will be experimenting with new formats involving multiple 
> bands nightly, continuous music, and other new themes, in an attempt to promote 
> a creative atmosphere for musicians where jazz lovers can drop in on any 
> night to hear the unexpected.
> 
> Smalls Records, created by philosopher-turned-jazz producer Luke Kaven, was 
> designed to complement the Smalls/Fat Cat scene by documenting significant 
> musical developments in jazz, with particular emphasis on the Smalls/Fat Cat 
> scene, its predecessors, and its successors.  Smalls Records pays particular 
> attention to older and lesser-known artists of high achievement in 
> consideration of the historical neglect by the major record labels.
> 
> Please join us in celebrating the launch of Smalls Records and the release 
> of our first four titles, available now through www.smallsrecords.com, through 
> CD Baby, and in stores beginning this month.  These are:
> 
> SRCD-0001 -- Frank Hewitt / We Loved You
> 
> Frank Hewitt was the master jazz musician in our midst, a veteran bebop 
> pianist of over fifty years on the NY scene.  He was the featured artist at 
> Smalls, performing once or twice weekly for nine years.  Only a few pianists after 
> Bud Powell and Elmo Hope ever achieved this level of mastery in our view. 
>  This album was originally to be provocatively titled "Get it? Got it. Good!" 
> but after Frank's untimely passing in September 2002, we decided to begin 
> issuing an anthology of his recorded work.
> 
> SRCD-0002 -- Across 7 Street / Made in New York
> 
> The weekly feature on Sunday nights at Smalls, Across 7 Street, was a treat 
> for serious jazz listeners.  The smart, dark-edged music, with its sinuous 
> melodies and brilliant harmonies, is the fruit of a long-term collaboration 
> involving a group of New York jazz prodigies who have been steadies on the New 
> York scene since their early teenage years.  The group features Smalls' 
> regularly-featured artists Chris Byars, Ari Roland, Sacha Perry, John Mosca, and 
> Danny Rosenfeld.  After many years together playing weekly at Smalls, the group 
> has accumulated an impressive book of original compositions, and developed a 
> kind of facility with them that one rarely finds.  This features the first 
> volume of original compositions from this unusual group.
> 
> SRCD-0003 -- Ned Goold / The Flows
> 
> Ned's approach to music is based on original inventions of his that also 
> work in the context of standard rules of harmony.  After many years working out 
> this approach, he's developed the facility to create an other-worldly swing 
> strongly rooted in a tradition that goes back to Bird and Bix.  To make this 
> record, Ned recorded forty-seven shows while on national tour, and distilled 
> some twenty-five hours of tape down to one disk.  The result is the best 
> representation of Ned's talents on record to date.  Even his alter-ego, nefarious 
> critic Arch Mendle, is pleased with this one.  Bassist Ben Wolfe, Ned's 
> long-time collaborator is on this one too, along with veteran drummer Ron Steen. 
>  A collector's item!
> 
> SRCD-0004 -- Ari Hoenig / The Painter
> 
> For Ari, the drums aren't just rhythmic instruments, they're melodic 
> instruments, and he takes this concept further than anyone else.  As a drummer who 
> can carry a melody pitch perfect on the drums, as well as one who can paint 
> with complex rhythmic textures, Ari is naturally suited to lead his own group. 
>  Here we present Ari's recorded debut as leader of his own group, featuring 
> his most conversant collaborator of long-standing, the dynamic Jean-Michel 
> Pilc.  The group is characterized by fluid time, sweeping dynamics, and wide 
> emotional range.
> 
> Look for an additional five distinctive titles to arrive in late spring!
> 
> For all direct inquiries, contact Luke Kaven (luke at smallsrecords.com).  
> For US dealer enquiries, contact Paul Schulman at Synergy Distribution at 
> (888) 387-6249.  
> For UK dealer enquiries, contact Graham Tanner at Jazz Matters (
> info at jazzmatters.com).
> 
> Come celebrate our launch and our current and upcoming artist releases at
> the Smalls Records Jazz Festival!
> 
> Wed Feb 18th thru Sat Feb 21st
> 
> Fat Cat Jazz Club
> 75 Christopher Street (west of 7th Ave)
> (212) 675-7369
> Subway: #1/9 : Christopher Street; ACDEFQ : W 4th St.
> www.fatcatjazz.com/
> 
> $10 music charge, $5 minimum all night.
> 
> NEW format / two SPECIAL nights
> FIVE bands each night / NON-STOP jazz
> 
> 
> Wednesday February 18th
> 9PM until 3AM
> 
> Chris Byars Octet featuring Sasha Dobson
> Grant Stewart Quintet
> Steve Ben Israel
> Across 7 Street
> Saul Rubin
> Ari Hoenig
> 
> Special Guests
> 
> Thursday February 19th,
> 
> 9PM until 3AM
> 
> Ari Hoenig
> William Ash Trio
> Ned Goold Trio
> Steve Ben Israel
> Sacha Perry Trio -- Tribute to Frank Hewitt
> Neal Caine Group
> Special Guests
> 
> Friday February 20th,
> 
> 10PM until 2AM
> 
> Ari Hoenig Group
> with Jean-Michel Pilc, Johannes Weidenmeuller, and Jacques Schwarz-Bart
> 
> Saturday February 21st,
> 
> 10PM until 2AM
> 
> Ari Hoenig Group
> with Jean-Michel Pilc, Johannes Weidenmeuller, and Jacques Schwarz-Bart
> 
>