JAM Magazine: October/November 1997 Issue: KC/DC

by Gregg Ottinger

KC Musicians Bop at Blues Alley
Congress is in session and the cynics are everywhere. Labor Day is over, everyone is back from vacation, and the traffic is horrible. The Chesapeake Bay is threatened by diseased fish, the stop light near my house is still broken, and the mayor is more popular than ever. There wasn't much right in Washington, D.C. in mid-September. Not, that is, until Karrin Allyson appeared at Blues Alley on September 16.

Ms. Allyson's performance was fantastic, as well as unprecedented in many ways. First, it was her debut appearance at Washington, D.C.'s most prestigious jazz club, located in the fashionable Georgetown area (yes, it is in an alley). Second, she was allowed to bring her own band, a privilege that Blues Alley accords only to the biggest names and most talented jazz entertainers. (With Karrin were Kansas City's Bob Bowman, who last played Blues Alley in 1981 with Carmen McRae, and Danny Embrey, both of whom are featured on all five of her Concord CDs, including her latest, Daydream. On drums was New York-based Tom Rainey, who records with Jane Ira Bloom, Kenny Werner and Mark Helias.) And finally, not only did she pack the house (on a Tuesday, no less), but the audience was informed, attentive, and actually listened. (And the stop light near my house started working again the next day!)

The music was superb. Karrin and her trio had already been on the road for a week, appearing at Scullers in Boston and a couple of venues in Worcester, Massachusetts. And there was a taping session in New York for Marian McPartland's "Piano Jazz." So, by the time they hit our nation's capital, they were in great form.

Karrin began the evening with "How High The Moon," (with a scat from Charlie Parker's "Ornithology"), followed by "It Could Happen To You" (with a scat from Dexter Gordon's "Fried Bananas"), Duke Ellington's "Daydream" and Jobim's "How Insensitive," which featured a cascading guitar solo by Danny Embrey and some beautiful bow work by Bob Bowman. The high point of the set, to my ear, was Karrin's fine and mellow rendition of "Sunday In New York," on which she played a swinging piano solo backed by some dandy double stops from Bob. During her second set, she took a number of requests, including Gigi Gryce's "Social Call," "I Cover The Waterfront," and Jobim's "So Danco Samba," which is on the new CD.

In my view, Karrin Allyson is the best female vocalist performing today, hands down, bar none. If there were justice in the world, she, not Alanis Morisette, would be a millionaire. I have often said that it takes a great voice to be a good singer, but it also takes a great ear to be a great singer. Karrin Allyson has both, as well as timing, style, wit and grace. Naturally I was bustin' with joy to see a full house, as was Karrin ("Thank you so much for coming out on a school night!").

It was not a fluke. The Friday before her Blues Alley appearance, the Washington Post reviewed her new CD, giving her and it high praise. Reviewer Geoffrey Himes wrote that Karrin "may well have the most imagination" of the current generation of female vocalists, and that her scatting "doesn't follow the Ella Fitzgerald model of imitating a brassy trumpet but instead uses the softer timbre and rounded phrasing of a cello or flute... she brings a marvelous grace and intimacy to the album's one new composition, Ann Hampton Calloway's ballad, 'You Can't Rush Spring.'"

Daydream has gotten very good airplay on local jazz stations and, on the day of her Blues Alley performance, Karrin and the trio appeared at Border's Books for an afternoon session. She was also interviewed on WDCU-FM (Jazz 90).

Blues Alley's director of operations, Ralph Camilli, was clearly delighted with the performance and the crowd. "It was a wonderful show. She has a great voice. I thought she was particularly good on the blues numbers. And it was an excellent turnout for a Tuesday. We will definitely have her back."

I will certainly be there and so, I predict, will another full house of fans.

Washington, D.C. has finally discovered Karrin Allyson!

One Step Down Steps Up...
D.C. jazz fans got a scare in August when, after 35 years, the One Step Down jazz club mysteriously locked its doors and disconnected its phones.

Longtime owner Joe Cohen, who is seriously ill, had recently sold the club and the new owners, or at least the property management company that was leasing it, had, to put it politely, problems with creditors. In early September, however, the club re-opened with a new owner and new optimism. They still promise live jazz every night, with a jam session on Sunday afternoons. Good luck, One Step! May the vibes be with you.

...But WDCU Steps Down
Some truly sad news for D.C. jazz fans is that WDCU-FM, the best jazz station in the city for the past 15 years, has been sold to C-SPAN, which will discontinue the jazz format in favor of 24-hour news and public affairs. Although there are other stations that play jazz in the area, none have programmers as knowledgeable and as appreciative of the idiom as WDCU. And none feature as many hours of jazz programming (WDCU offered jazz 18 hours a day).

WDCU was owned by the cash-strapped University of the District of Columbia, which put the station up for sale. In response to my letter of protest, C-SPAN wrote: "The trustees of the University of the District of Columbia made the decision last spring to put the station on the market in order to address the school's serious financial situation. Without the sale, school officials have explained, UDC would close its doors." The station sold for $13 million.

Although a campaign was organized to block the sale, or at least preserve a few hours of jazz programming, it appears it will be unsuccessful. C-SPAN is steadfastly sticking to its plan of introducing the area's first all-public affairs format.

And the stop light near my house just stopped working again.

RETURN TO OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 1997 MAIN INDEX

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© Kansas City Jazz Ambassadors 1996-2001. All rights reserved.






	Search our site:		by Gregg Ottinger KC Musicians Bop at Blues Alley Congress is in session and the cynics are everywhere. Labor Day is over, everyone is back from vacation, and the traffic is horrible. The Chesapeake Bay is threatened by diseased fish, the stop light near my house is still broken, and the mayor is more popular than ever. There wasn't much right in Washington, D.C. in mid-September. Not, that is, until Karrin Allyson appeared at Blues Alley on September 16. Ms. Allyson's performance was fantastic, as well as unprecedented in many ways. First, it was her debut appearance at Washington, D.C.'s most prestigious jazz club, located in the fashionable Georgetown area (yes, it is in an alley). Second, she was allowed to bring her own band, a privilege that Blues Alley accords only to the biggest names and most talented jazz entertainers. (With Karrin were Kansas City's Bob Bowman, who last played Blues Alley in 1981 with Carmen McRae, and Danny Embrey, both of whom are featured on all five of her Concord CDs, including her latest, Daydream. On drums was New York-based Tom Rainey, who records with Jane Ira Bloom, Kenny Werner and Mark Helias.) And finally, not only did she pack the house (on a Tuesday, no less), but the audience was informed, attentive, and actually listened. (And the stop light near my house started working again the next day!) The music was superb. Karrin and her trio had already been on the road for a week, appearing at Scullers in Boston and a couple of venues in Worcester, Massachusetts. And there was a taping session in New York for Marian McPartland's "Piano Jazz." So, by the time they hit our nation's capital, they were in great form. Karrin began the evening with "How High The Moon," (with a scat from Charlie Parker's "Ornithology"), followed by "It Could Happen To You" (with a scat from Dexter Gordon's "Fried Bananas"), Duke Ellington's "Daydream" and Jobim's "How Insensitive," which featured a cascading guitar solo by Danny Embrey and some beautiful bow work by Bob Bowman. The high point of the set, to my ear, was Karrin's fine and mellow rendition of "Sunday In New York," on which she played a swinging piano solo backed by some dandy double stops from Bob. During her second set, she took a number of requests, including Gigi Gryce's "Social Call," "I Cover The Waterfront," and Jobim's "So Danco Samba," which is on the new CD. In my view, Karrin Allyson is the best female vocalist performing today, hands down, bar none. If there were justice in the world, she, not Alanis Morisette, would be a millionaire. I have often said that it takes a great voice to be a good singer, but it also takes a great ear to be a great singer. Karrin Allyson has both, as well as timing, style, wit and grace. Naturally I was bustin' with joy to see a full house, as was Karrin ("Thank you so much for coming out on a school night!"). It was not a fluke. The Friday before her Blues Alley appearance, the Washington Post reviewed her new CD, giving her and it high praise. Reviewer Geoffrey Himes wrote that Karrin "may well have the most imagination" of the current generation of female vocalists, and that her scatting "doesn't follow the Ella Fitzgerald model of imitating a brassy trumpet but instead uses the softer timbre and rounded phrasing of a cello or flute... she brings a marvelous grace and intimacy to the album's one new composition, Ann Hampton Calloway's ballad, 'You Can't Rush Spring.'" Daydream has gotten very good airplay on local jazz stations and, on the day of her Blues Alley performance, Karrin and the trio appeared at Border's Books for an afternoon session. She was also interviewed on WDCU-FM (Jazz 90). Blues Alley's director of operations, Ralph Camilli, was clearly delighted with the performance and the crowd. "It was a wonderful show. She has a great voice. I thought she was particularly good on the blues numbers. And it was an excellent turnout for a Tuesday. We will definitely have her back." I will certainly be there and so, I predict, will another full house of fans. Washington, D.C. has finally discovered Karrin Allyson! One Step Down Steps Up... D.C. jazz fans got a scare in August when, after 35 years, the One Step Down jazz club mysteriously locked its doors and disconnected its phones. Longtime owner Joe Cohen, who is seriously ill, had recently sold the club and the new owners, or at least the property management company that was leasing it, had, to put it politely, problems with creditors. In early September, however, the club re-opened with a new owner and new optimism. They still promise live jazz every night, with a jam session on Sunday afternoons. Good luck, One Step! May the vibes be with you. ...But WDCU Steps Down Some truly sad news for D.C. jazz fans is that WDCU-FM, the best jazz station in the city for the past 15 years, has been sold to C-SPAN, which will discontinue the jazz format in favor of 24-hour news and public affairs. Although there are other stations that play jazz in the area, none have programmers as knowledgeable and as appreciative of the idiom as WDCU. And none feature as many hours of jazz programming (WDCU offered jazz 18 hours a day). WDCU was owned by the cash-strapped University of the District of Columbia, which put the station up for sale. In response to my letter of protest, C-SPAN wrote: "The trustees of the University of the District of Columbia made the decision last spring to put the station on the market in order to address the school's serious financial situation. Without the sale, school officials have explained, UDC would close its doors." The station sold for $13 million. Although a campaign was organized to block the sale, or at least preserve a few hours of jazz programming, it appears it will be unsuccessful. C-SPAN is steadfastly sticking to its plan of introducing the area's first all-public affairs format. And the stop light near my house just stopped working again. RETURN TO OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 1997 MAIN INDEX ------------------------------------------------------------------------ © Kansas City Jazz Ambassadors 1996-2001. All rights reserved.