Many jazz aficionados remember Butch Morris’ cornet playing from his work with saxophone legend David Murray, appearing on such seminal recordings as Flowers for Albert, Let the Music Take You and The London Concert. However, it is his work as a conductor that was being celebrated during Black History month. Every Tuesday evening in February at 7:00pm the Knitting Factory in NYC presented BLACK FEBRUARY: 20 Years of Conduction - BUTCH MORRIS Conducts Band Big. On February 8, Band Big featured an

Celebrating the release of a fantastic new CD simply entitled the Jim Seeley/Arturo O’Farrill Quintet, this dynamic group took the stage at Cornelia Street Café Friday, January 7. Released on the Zoho label, the CD is highly recommended. The co-leader and trumpet player, Jim Seeley, wrote all of the compositions. The thing about these tunes that makes them special was revealed the day after I first listened to the CD. I certainly enjoyed the music the first time through but what struck me was

A force of nature, Jack DeJohnette is one of the elite drummers of the modern jazz era. An opportunity to see and hear him should not be missed. That point was brought home with an exclamation point on Thursday night at Birdland. Pouring his heart and soul into the performance, DeJohnette displayed incredible ferocity and intensity. Better yet, he and his band mates wrote new tunes, which brought out the best of this new super group. Danilo Perez was featured on piano, John Patitucci on bass and

When three heavyweights of this magnitude join forces, sparks are bound to fly. The anticipation and excitement of seeing a trio of this caliber is what jazz lovers live for. And when the musicians deliver a set as spiritually and musically satisfying as this group did, our obsession with this art form is affirmed and justified. Each of these musicians represents the top tier of professionals on their instrument. They make the impossible seem simple and their rapport is simply delightful. McC

A night of amazing music opened with Russell Malone and Benny Green taking center stage, a group typically headlining most shows. They are both incredible musicians and the rapport the have developed over the years is uncanny. They opened with a beautiful rendition of the Rodgers and Hart classic My Romance. This was followed by a Wes Montgomery classic entitled Jingles. Russell Malone started letting sparks fly with his improvisational prowess. Benny Green added an artistic solo that made me he