Wade Baker fits the Profile - A Jazz Half CD Review

Wade Baker – Profilin’

Wade Baker – Trumpet
Aaron Jacobs – Bass
Brian Bachelor-Glader – Piano & Keys
Rob Dixon – Saxes
Anthony Lee – Drums
Jeremy Cunningham – Drums
Eric Hergenroether – Drums
Phil Tipton – Drums

A common misconception in the art of music is the growth of a musician being measured by the number of record sales. While sales are obviously welcomed, and among the goals of a full-time musician for having a roof and food on the table, the true growth of a musician is measured by the quality of their music. From project to project, the intent is
to trend upward. This can’t be done without paying complete attention to detail.

In Profilin’, Jazz Trumpeter Wade Baker does just that. In this 10-tune project, he wears multiple hats as musician, writer, and producer. His intent on quality and detail is heard loud and clear when teaming with the Indianapolis-based Static Shack Studios and partnering with Dr. Jeff Harper and Cynthia Harper (Easter Bunny Records). Profilin’ is somewhat a “Rite of Passage” for Baker, showcasing a palette of tremendous skill and sound rightfully comparable to the music of any NYC-based jazz artist. This is achieved with the immeasurable help of Aaron Jacobs on Bass, Brian Bachelor-Glader on Keys, Rob Dixon on Saxes, and Drummers Anthony Lee, Jeremy Cunningham, Eric Hergenroether, and Phil Tipton (across various tracks).

The springy I Can Explain starts us off with a very tight rhythm section foundation. Wade and Rob engaging in a consistent and cheerful melody. The title track, Profilin’ is a swinging tune. From the opening note, Wade and Rob are locked into the precise melody with intermittent, almost teasing anecdotes from BBG on the keys. Halfway through, his organ solo hits a groove reminiscent of the height of the instrument’s use [for jazz] in the 50’s and 60’s.

Turning Tricks begins with a slight, psychedelic feel to it, with duo rhythms between Aaron and BBG. The staccato melody suggests a hint of funk to this tune, with solos from Rob’s sax, and BBG’s bending notes on the keys, solidifying it.

On a personal note, I was very fascinated with Ludlow Fiasco. From what I can only assume is Wade’s "shout-out" to the popular Clifton district, this number has a very straight-ahead vibe to it. Wade enters his solos with authority as Aaron takes his bass for a walk. The foundation of the rhythm section is nothing short of solid. With a deliberate tempo from start to finish, the group is clearly on a mission. The sound commands presence without becoming overbearing; and, (at the risk of revealing my preference for the straight-ahead sound), this has to be the cleanest delivered tune on the CD.

Other numbers such as the seductive 1900, and the closing number of the steady-sounding Minotaur surges forward in the same vein of quality and detail, and you won't be disappointed if you picked up a copy for your own enjoyment (available on iTunes).

There are so many details involved when it comes to putting together a studio-recorded CD. With Profilin', if I had to use one word to describe the detail I believe Wade Baker focused on, I would have to say “Balance”. Overall, this element was visible from the solos, to the varying tempos, to the crescendos and decrescendos. Baker has aimed the arrow of
quality at the target and hit the bullseye.

- jh

A 2011 Grammy Event Retrospective

In music (particularly Jazz music), as with other facets of life, I am hopelessly devoted to optimism. For me, this has proven to be a blessing and a curse. In virtually any situation I’m faced, my head acknowledges the reality (whether good or bad) while my heart looks for the “brighter side” of things.

Here enters the 53rd Annual Grammy Awards which aired Sunday evening, February 13th. Every year I have this internal battle when it comes to the Grammys. For example, I’m not that big a fan of the “Mainstream Machine” of Pop music, but I DO appreciate the diversity of music that is now considered “Pop” from songs that have crossed over from various genres such as hip-hop, R&B, and country. What’s that, you’d like to hear another example? Okay - I even have to reluctantly admit to myself that I have a small degree of guilty pleasure in seeing what Lady GaGa will wear next, or what will the artists’ live performances attempt to try and outdo each other to obtain the coveted, yet unawarded distinction of “Most Memorable Performance”; talked about for days at the water cooler.

With all that said, I must say with sincere humility that I do in fact appreciate and love ALL genres of music, and the expressive work of all musicians. It is in fact, art, and whether or not it’s your preferred music, it is important to consider and respect its creativity.

When it comes to the Grammys, I have always complained (at least to myself) that awards in Best Jazz rarely, if ever, are televised. The same goes for live Jazz performances. With much due respect to the Academy, it almost seems with each passing year that music’s biggest night is constructed with Pop at the hub, while genres such as Jazz, R&B, Bluegrass, and Country linger on the fringes. But maybe I’m wrong; after all, I can only make this assumption from what we’re all given to see (on TV). I’m sure there’s a lot more that takes place off-camera than I’m aware of. But just in case there is a shred of my assumption that is accurate, there’s got to be a better way to balance this out. I know there’s only 3 ½ hours of allotted primetime for performances and award presentations. There is not enough time to televise every award given to every recipient. I get that. I also get the fact that with companies vying for advertising air during the show, this is about dollars, cents, sales, and ratings. Airing the part of the show with today’s A-list pop acts and yesterday’s legends is a strategy for locking in high viewership and ratings.

This is just how things are, and I totally accept that. It’s just, as a Jazz lover, it sometimes gets frustrating for me to see an opportunity in an event that has worldwide recognition and visibility, pass by the American artform that could SO use that visibility, and needs it. That said, the hopelessly optimistic side of me would like to note some “shades of splendor” from last night’s show, where acknowledgements in Jazz music were made:

• Jazz Drummer Roy Haynes was named among the short, dignified list of honorees to receive the Lifetime Achievement Award. For the man who’s been in the game for over a half a century, cited by many fellow musicians as a significant influence in other genres of music, and has played with Parker, Coltrane, Vaughan, Davis, and Gillespie (just to name a few), to say its well deserved is a major understatement.


• Neil Portnow, the recording academy President & CEO spoke on the Academy’s mission, that includes enriching the youth in artistic expression with their nationwide programs such as music sessions and camps, offering scholarships, as well as opportunities to perform on the biggest night in music; as part of the GRAMMY Jazz Ensemble and Camp Bands. Seeing the GRAMMY Jazz Ensemble perform (joined by Esperanza Spalding) as Neil Portnow spoke brought warmth to my heart.


• And of course there was Esperanza Spalding receiving the Grammy for Best New Artist, the first time ever for a Jazz Musician. While she was recognized as “new” in 2010, the quality in her music suggests otherwise; as Ms. Spalding is already on her 3rd album. Humble, eloquent, and gracious in her acceptance, her persona in receiving the award was very well represented of the class of the music itself.

I will continue to be optimistic throughout the year, leading up to the 2012 Grammys. Regardless how frustrated I may get at the sometimes seemingly “slighting” of the music I hold near and dear, I am willfully held captive by my love and passion for the art of music.

- jh

Upcoming event presented by Jazz for Peace and Venice on Vine

Few people can doubt the idea that music contains uplifting properties. The very act of listening to music can be a loyal companion through pain, and a beacon of light through the lowest, most discouraging moments of our lives, offering hope and inspiration.

When an organization that focuses on improving lives, and embrace and harness these powerful properties for the benefit of people, hope and enlightenment trancends from the people to the community. In short, EVERYONE benefits from this effort. Venice on Vine is such an organization; for 25 years not only offering employment to the highly underserved 25-60 population of inner-city adults, but also providing education to give these people a fair shot at moving forward to stability and independance.

Venice on Vine is partnering with the Jazz for Peace foundation to host a benefit raising awareness for the Venice on Vine organization. The event will be held at Memorial Hall on Saturday, March 19th at 7:00pm and features Jazz Pianist, vocalist, and composer Rick Dellaratta. SCPA Instructor and Jazz Pianist Erwin Stuckey will be on hand with his Trio to open the show. Memorial Hall is located at 1225 Elm Street (next to Music Hall), Downtown. For tickets more information, visit www.veniceonvine.com. Tickets can also be purchased there as well.

Tebbe Farrell, benefit Coordinator and Developer/Tutor with Venice on Vine is very excited about the partnership, and the opportunity to present the show to the community. "Jazz for Peace featuring Rick Dellaratta has raised funds for non-profits through jazz from UNICEF to The American Red Cross and, recently, to save the Mara River by Masai land in Kenya and Tanzania, Africa. Rick has played with everyone from Dizzy to Bill Evans and currently, Eddie Gomez. So come on out and support great jazz and your community!"

The life-changing properties of music, and an organization that changes lives. Please save the date for this fantastic show on March 19th, and support Venice on Vine with a trip to their restaurant (1301 Vine Street) for some delicious pizza!

- jh

A Call to Action...

Can you believe it’s been almost 4 years since the Jazz Half started showcasing jazz in Cincinnati through things like Artist Interviews, Reviews, and more? My, where does the time go?

While The Jazz Half attempts to make a valiant effort to keep you in the know with jazz news and events in the Tri-State, it’s reasonable to assume not every bit of news is covered, and some things are missed. For instance, you may have visited the website to look for a review covering a recent show, and it wasn’t there. Meanwhile, on the other side of town, another jazz lover actually saw the show, and it was mind-blowing! Wouldn’t you like to know or read about it?

I have always been of the mindset that The Jazz Half is for the community. It still is, and always will be. In addition, I have always believed that we as jazz lovers should share any information we have to help spread the word, and lift the music as a stronger voice. Therefore, The Jazz Half wants to give the community the opportunity to do this.

Let’s kick thing up a notch, and “add some spice” if you will. Starting here and now, if you’ve attended a jazz event and wish to share it with the community, send it to The Jazz Half! If you’ve taken pictures, feel free to throw them in. Whatever you share (with acknowledgement and full credit going to Y-O-U) will be visible for all to see on The Jazz Half Blog, the Inner Circle bulletins & newsletters, as well as the Jazz Half facebook group (currently in transition to a full-blown FB page) making it easy to share with all your friends. The same applies to upcoming events. If you know about a scheduled event that you don’t see on the calendar, let us know! It will be added to the calendar faster than you can say “Salt Peanuts” with of course, gratitude and credit to you for sharing with the community!

If you have any questions, feel free to send me an email at thejazzhalf@gmail.com. Thank you for your continued support in The Jazz Half, and more importantly, your love and support for jazz music, and live music in the Queen City!

- jh

The Jazz Half on iTunes

Welcome to February,

Can't remember if I have already mentioned this, but if so, it surely would have been at least a year ago; and it's worthy of a re-mention. The Jazz Half has a podcast on iTunes where you can hear and download exclusive interviews with regional, national, and international Jazz Artists. As I'm sure all you iTunes-savvy people are aware, the podcast is FREE, so please subscribe and LEAVE SOME FEEDBACK. Also, I just acquired a handy-dandy Kodak High-Definition Zi8 Pocket Video Camera to start Video Podcast Interviews. I tell you, this thing is the REAL DEAL - High Def, able to record in 720p (60 frames per second) or 1080p, built-in mic with additional mic input, HDMI input, and it's the same size as my iPhone (but just a touch thicker). It really packs a punch for its compact size. I tested it a couple days ago by recording a video interview with Jazz Saxophonist Ron Jones and his longtime Bassist, Sonny Stephens; so look for this quality video podcast in the next few days.

Okay, back to the iTunes podcast (sorry for the "Techie-Tangent"). For those of you who are familiar with the JH podcast, I added FIVE MORE INTERVIEWS just last night, including a chat with Derrick Gardner, leader of the Jazz Prophets! For those new to the podcast who wish to access it, simply open iTunes and type "The Jazz Half" in the search box. Or you can just click here. And please don't forget to subscribe and leave some feedback. Thanks so much - cheers!

- jh