bretprimack

Bret Primack, the Jazz Video Guy, has just posted "Don't Call Me A Jazz Musician" featuring Gary Bartz discussing his tenure with Miles Davis. The episode also includes some rare video of the 1971 incarnation of the Miles Davis band that includes Mr. Bartz, Keith Jarrett and Grammy winner Jack DeJohnette. 'Trying to answer the age-old question What Is Jazz is like pondering a zen koan," Bret explains. What started as the creation of former slaves in New Orleans has become a global umbrella of improvisation for many types of music. But what Billy Taylor calls America's classical music still gets no respect. Because of its origins, racism and back of the bus status for so long, many people simply don't take the music seriously, even though it's one of humankind's most unique forms of creative expression. And because the music has been largely ignored in the mass media, many people have a very one sided-idea of just what Jazz is. Perhaps they heard one track on the radio, or someone played them something, and they just didn't get it, they didn't hear it, so they assume all Jazz sounds the same. Bret believes that "one man's Kenny G is another's Albert Ayler." Gary Bartz doesn't want to be called a Jazz musician. Although he's one of the best alto players on the planet, he doesn't want his music categorized. His former employer Miles Davis felt the same way. Bret remembers the "the first time I heard Gary live, in 1971, when he was playing with Miles in a band that included Keith Jarrett and Jack DeJohnette at the Café A Go Go on Bleecker Street in Greenwich Village (Richard Pryor opened for Miles). The music was loud, funky, electric and for purists, not the garden variety straight ahead Jazz of their tastes. But that didn't stop Miles, who took his music further and further away from where he started with Bird and bebop." http://www.jazzvideoguy.tv

The latest installment of the Jazz Video Guy’s blog is “How Cool Is the Monterey Jazz Festival,” featuring highlights from the 51st edition of the extravaganza. Bret Primack, aka the Jazz Video Guy reports that he attended his “first Monterey Jazz Festival this past September, at the invitation of Jason Olaine, and not surprisingly, I had a ball. The quality and quantity of music, the food, the whole vibe and sense of community made it a tremendously uplifting experience. That's what Jazz is all about. At a time when the record industry is floundering, the MJF serves as an example that Jazz can be presented and enjoyed successfully.” Included in the ten minute video are excerpts from “Cuban Lullabies,” a special project created for the festival by a remarkable Cuban named Maraca, who plays the flute, wrote the music and arrangements, and led an all-star featuring the best Latin American musicians on the planet: Orlando "Maraca" Valle (flute), David Sanchez (tenor sax), Miguel Zenon (alto sax), Edward Simon (piano), Murray Low (keyboards), John Benetiz (bass), Giovanni Hidalgo (congas), Horacio "El Negro" Hernandez (drums) accompanied by the Monterey Jazz Festival Chamber Orchestra. This unique collaboration brought together musicians from several different cultures and produced some really beautiful, captivating melodies and vibrant rhythms. Thankfully, Maraca was able to travel from his native Cuba to the US without restriction. This time. In the past decade, it has been nearly impossible for Cuban and American musicians to collaborate because both governments have placed tremendous visa restrictions on these artists. Nearly every time Chucho Valdes has tried to play the Village Vanguard, one of the governments has stopped him, With a new President in the US, and a possible changing of the guard in Cuba, isn't it about time artists were allowed to collaborate, perform and travel freely? 

Cuban Lullabies celebrates the richness and diversity of Cuban music, both historic and contemporary and is a vivid demonstration of the joys of collaboration, as you'll see in this video. http://www.jazzvideoguy.tv Questions and more info: jazzvideoguy@gmail.com

I finally got a chance to shoot at the Vanguard. As part of my ongoing mission to keep Jazz from becoming invisible, I've just posted the latest installment of my video blog, "Joe Lovano: In The Music," which features the saxman's new group, Us Five, live at the Village Vanguard. I was in New York last month to document the group's first recording session, which will be released next year on Blue Note. The Lovano Vanguard shoot was the fulfillment of a lifelong dream because I started coming to Sunday matinees at the Vanguard in 1966, while I was still in high school. For a young Jazz fan, the place was magic, in fact it still is. When I moved to New York in 1968 to attend NYU Film School, I became a regular. Backstage, in the kitchen, I was able to experience, first hand, the funny, insightful people who create this music. As I got to know more musicians, I saw the connection between the person and the creation. And that's what I've tried to share, both in my writing, and now, as the Jazz Video Guy. http://www.jazzvideoguy.tv

Jazz Video Guy Bret Primack announces the debut of his new series, the Saxophone Summit Podcasts. The seven-part documentary focuses on their second Telarc recording, "Seraphic Light," which drops on June 3. The group, featuring David Liebman, Joe Lovano and Ravi Coltrane plays Birdland in New York June 10 to 14. The seven films, available starting today on YouTube and iTunes include: May 22: Message to Mike - Michael Brecker June 5: Cosmic Saxman - David Liebman June 19: Our Daily Joe - Joe Lovano July 3: Into the Light - Ravi Coltrane July 17: That's Phil Markowitz - Phil Markowitz July 31: All About Cecil - Cecil McBee August 14: Jabali - Billy Hart "I am really proud and inspired to be a part of the Saxophone Summit along side some of the most creative soulful musicians in Jazz," reports Joe Lovano. "This series of podcasts put together by Bret Primack gives everyone a rare view into some very intimate and private moments in the recording studio usually reserved just for us." Bret explains: "These films offer portraits of seven truly remarkable people, creating music guaranteed to survive the ages. Although Michael wasn't present, brother Randy joined the group for several tunes including his own 'Message to Mike,' so one of the portraits is a tribute to the late saxman and founding member of the group." Joe believes "we were very relaxed and comfortable with Bret and his approach in documenting the session. I'm sure you will feel the Celebration and Reflection of Michael Brecker and Alice Coltrane in the music and in these masterfully done short films." To view the Saxophone Summit Podcasts, please visit http://www.jazzvideoguy.tv For more info on the Jazz Video Guy, Bret Primack, please visit: http://www.planetbret.com

Here's the exact story: Last year, Larry Applebaum from the Smithsonian contacted me, saying he found some material from Sonny's 57 debut, at Carnegie Hall. He sent Clifton Anderson, Sonny's trombonist and nephew, the disc. Clifton didn't have time to listen to it, and Sonny prefers not to listen. So they sent it me. Three great tracks, Mack The Knife, Some Enchanted Evening, Sonnymoon for Two, played by Trio that included Wendell Marshall and Kenny Dennis. I told Sonny he'd like the music. And that I had an idea, why not return to Carnegie Hall, 50 years after the fact, with another Trio to re-visit the same material. Then release both on his Doxy Records. Sonny liked the idea, and next Tuesday night, September 18th, is Sonny's 50th Anniversary Concert at Carnegie Hall. The first half includes a Trio with Christian McBride, and Roy Haynes, playing those same three tracks. The 2nd half of the concert, Sonny's regular group plays, with some new material written by Sonny, including JJ for JJ Johnson. Listen to highlights from the '57 concert: http://sonnyrollins.com/media/sonnyrollins...saryconcert.mp3 Watch the Podcast, 50 Years Later: http://www.sonnyrollins.com And please check out Sonny's redesigned website: http://www.sonnyrollins.com If you're in the NYC area, there are still some seats available.

I've just done a film about Trane and Sonny, as part of The Sonny Rollins Podcast series. It's called Like Sonny and features interviews with Sonny, Paul Jeffrey, Jimmy Heath, and a rare audio interview with Trane. Also, some cool video performances by Sonny (Tenor Madness) and Coltrane (So What). You can view on Sonny's site: http://www.sonnyrollins.com/podcasts.php (There's a link on this page to download the Podcast) or on my YouTube channel: http://www.jazzvideoland.com Hope you enjoy watching this as much as I did creating it!

Nine classic video performances, from 1957 to 2006, document the nine musical lives of the Saxophone Colossus, Sonny Rollins, in celebration of his 76th birthday, the one year anniversary of his website, the debut of his own label, Doxy Records, and his first studio recording in five years, Sonny, Please, available exclusively on his website. Paul's Pal - Stockholm '57 with Henry Grimes, bass; Joe Harris, drums. 7:27 Weaver of Dreams - Brussels '59 with Henry Grimes, bass; Pete LaRoca, drums. 3:58 52nd Street Theme - Rome '62 with Don Cherry, pocket trumpet; Henry Grimes, bass; Billy Higgins, drums. 5:07 Oleo - Copehagen '65 with Niels Henning Orsted-Pederson, bass; Alan Dawson, drums. 3:22 Four - Copenhagen '68 with Kenny Drew, piano; Niels Henning Orsted-Pedereson, bass; Tootie Heath, drums 4:06 Moritat - Tokyo '81 with George Duke, piano; Stanley Clarke, bass; Al Foster, drums 7:26 Smoke Gets Into Your Eyes - Prague '82 with Masuo, Bobby Brooms, guitar; Tommy Campbell, drums 6:26 My One and Only Love - Montreal '82 with Masuo and Bobby Broom, guitar; Bob Cranshaw, bass; Jack DeJohnette, drums 6:14 Serenade - Cerritos, California, April 11, 2006 with Clifton Anderson, trombone; Bobby Broom, guitar; Bob Cranshaw, bass; Kimati Dinizulu, percussion; Joe Corsello, drums 14:04 Note: The audio track for this live version of Serenade is offered as a bonus MP3 file with the purchase of Sonny, Please album downloads. http://www.sonnyrollins.com/birthday.php

Okay. The files have been re-encoded at the 192k bit rate! If anyone purchased and got the files at a lower rate, please email me via the site and I will send the URL to upload the files encoded at a higher rate. Thanks to Doug for his shoutout regarding the Ferguson Roulette Box. That was a difficult project, because Maynard wouldn't cooperate. He got ripped off my Morris Levy and never saw any royalties from the Roulette days.

It'll be available through retail channels at a lower price soon.

Bit rate is 56kbps - not that you'd find this out until after the download. Sound is awful. The jpeg of the sleeve that comes with the tracks is of some film on a Russian DVD! No download link was supplied and I had to send an email. All pretty shambolic. I complained and they offered a refund, which I accepted. Incidentally they said I was the first to do so. Quite why they don't put the bitrate on the website I don't know. Pass is my advice. Hello. I'm the webmaster for Sonny Rollns' website. I have just re-encoded the MP3 files at 160k bit rate. I hope that works for you.