Joanne Brackeen and Rufus Reid have a lot in common. They are both originally Californians, have played with many of the same people, and both have made their mark in Jazz education. Mr. Reid was Director of the Jazz Studies and Performance program at William Patterson University for twenty years, and Ms. Brackeen is currently a professor at The Berklee College of Music in Boston. More important, though, each is a superb musician and they both swing like mad.
Joanne Brackeen is a "graduate" of one of the greatest of Jazz Universities, Art Blakey's Jazz Messengers, with whom she played for several years in the 70's. A better education it is hard to imagine. To my ear, her music remains true to Blakey's overall style (maybe a better word is "attitude"), even though her work is often further "out" than the Messenger's. Some of Blakey's legendary devotion to the music seems to have rubbed off on her. "Art called me his adopted daughter," she said "and he was the first person to say all the things I heard inside myself since I was 9 or 10." I first heard her play many years ago on Marion McPartland's NPR series, "Piano Jazz" and was just knocked out. I soon heard her in person at Bradley's and Zinno's, and I've been a fan ever since.
Although she has often played with saxophonists - Dexter Gordon, Harold Land, and Charles Lloyd years ago, then significant periods with Stan Getz and Joe Henderson, and Donald Harrison and Chris Potter more recently - I think that her solo and trio work is her best, and I find her most interesting when she plays her own compositions. As you will hear, she is a very strong - powerful is the right word - player, often vigorously percussive and always full of energy - a Messenger legacy, perhaps. Then, suddenly, very different music emerges, perhaps something soft, or a wonderful, deeply blues-rooted stride tune (Joanne "The Lion" Brackeen?). Listen to Knickerbocker Blues on her CD, "Popsicle Illusion" or Power Talk on the CD of the same name.
She appears regularly in New York clubs and travels the world frequently. Her playing has always been characterized by great clarity and transparency, even when she is at her most vigorous or playing "out." Ms. Brackeen is an individual - you can't miss her work. We are likely to hear a combination of standards and her own tunes in December. Pay attention to the latter - they are well worth it. Odd times abound, and her music never fails to be interesting. No one writes the kind of edgy, fractured tunes that she does.
You can learn much more from her website: http://www.jazzcorner.com/brackeen/
We are very lucky to have Rufus Reid playing bass. He's worked with everyone, including Kenny Barron at the first jazz concert ever at the Institute for Advanced Study about 20 years ago. His deep, expressive solos, usually plucked, but sometimes arco, are thoughtful, melodic, and inventive. I heard him most recently last month with Kenny Barron, Benny Wallace, and Ben Riley at Shanghai (don't miss this group if they come back!). He supported the band beautifully, and played deep, fat, and booming solos including a spectacular arco effort on Ellington's In a Sentimental Mood - not saccharin, but, as my notes on the evening say, "unspeakably pretty, evoking Ellington without sounding just like him."
There is an excellent interview with Mr. Reid by Bob Bernotas at:
http://www.melmartin.com/html_pages/Interviews/rr.html
and you can visit his website at: http://www.rufusreid.com/
Discography - these are just a few CDs I have and like. There are many others.
Brackeen:
Special Identity, Antilles, 422-848-813-2 A trio session (Eddie Gomez, Jack DeJohnette) from 1981 devoted entirely to her originals. This one is probably my favorite, and an excellent introduction to her tunes.
Live at Maybeck Hall, Concord CCD-4409, a solo concert from 1989 with two Jerome Kern standards and several Brackeen tunes. Excellent.
Turnaround, Evidence 22123-2 A 1992 quartet session with Cecil McBee, Smitty Smith and Duck Harrison. Excellent - listen especially to Ornette Coleman's "Turnaround."
Power Talk, Turnipseed TMCD.08 A trio with Ira Coleman and Tony Reedus from 1994. More standards and originals - a great "Caravan" and the "Power Talk" I referred to above. Everyone plays "Caravan" these days, but not like she does! Past the out-of-time opening, there is no point in this track when you can't tell immediately that it's Caravan. Yet the relation to Juan Tizol's venerable tune is remote - it is full of "Joanne-sims" - wonderful edgy runs and lots of percussion. And this is no Jarrett-like excursion into the purple desert (I love Jarrett, but his "desert" tunes make me want to reach for my revolver).
Pink Elephant Magic, Arkadia 70371 A 1998 trio session of mostly Brackeen originals with the excellent John Patitucci and "El Negro" Hernandez augmented with guests: Chris Potter, Nicholas Payton, Kurt Elling, David Liebman.
Popsicle Illusion, Arkadia, 70372. Solo, 1999. Lots of standards, but a few Brackeen tunes, too, notably Knickerbocker Blues, and Tevavivision.
Reid:
His work with Getz is brilliantly displayed on Anniversary, Emarcy 838 769-2. Getz, Kenny Barron, Victor Lewis, and Reid, all in spectacular form in Copenhagen, 1987.
There are two fine CD duets with bassist Michael Moore, Doublebass Delights and The Intimacy of the Bass: Doubletime DTRCN 117 and 198.
Art Farmer, Blame It On My Youth, Contemporary, CCD 14042-2, with James Williams, Clifford Jordan, and Victor Lewis.
Kenny Barron: The Moment, Reservoir, RSRCD 121
Mr. Reid is co-leader with drummer Akira Tana of the group "Tanareid." Try: Yours and Mine, Concord 4440.