Back Again to the Two Questions: Pre-Holiday Edition

In this latest post, the familiar "two questions" have been answered by the versatile drummer, Mauricio Zottarelli, born in Brazil but for the past few years another fellow resident of Astoria. Mauricio has been a sideman with musicians such as harmonica player Hendrik Meurkens and keyboardist Hiromi but is currently focusing on his own music. There was the recent release of his CD, 7 Lives, and on Tuesday, December 22, he and his band will be gigging at Zinc Bar, located at 82 W. 3rd St., in Greenwich Village, NYC. The first set begins at 9:30 p.m.

Now let's read what Mauricio has to say:


1) Why did you decide on a career in music?

Deep question. Well, I don't think I actually had a choice. You know I think it's kind of a cliche and people say that all the time, but I did try to do other stuff before being a full-time musician. But I always did music, even, you know, as a hobby during weekends and things like that. I was always involved. And according to my parents, I was always playing drums since I was 2 or 3 and I didn't even know what I was doing, but I was always banging on stuff and interested in music from early on. My dad is a keyboard player and mostly by instinct--he didn't really go to school for music, but he loves jazz, and it also seems to be a common thing that happens with all the musicians. People have their parents as a reference and whatever they were listening to in their homes. So that's kind of what happened to me too, but I didn't get into jazz until much later on.

2) What is it you love about jazz that made you decide to focus on that type of music?

Well, basically, I love the freedom that jazz gives us and what you can do with it, and it's a lot more liberating in a way than playing other types of music. You know, it's deeper and it's something that when I started, I was playing heavy rock and I was interested in other types of music, not so much into the jazz thing that my dad was listening to. Then when I went to school and I started to understand more of what was happening, that really switched for me, though I still love heavy rock and still love all sorts of other music. But jazz is really interesting because of that freedom, and because of how you can express yourself in such a way that I don't think you have that freedom in other types of music. Maybe you do but it's a different thing, and that's what I really love about playing improvisational music. Sometimes you can do just anything and you can leave it open to whatever happens. It can be a great experience; it can be frustrating, but that's what I love about it. It's not having to plan everything out beforehand.


For a preview of Mauricio's music, watch his recent video at You Tube by clicking here. Also, be sure to check out his website: www.mzdrums.com.

Back to the Two Questions

In this current blogpost, the two questions have been answered by the incredibly-talented Russian-born jazz pianist and composer, Misha Piatigorsky. Actually, his music is about more than just straight-ahead jazz. It also encompasses elements of classical, Brazilian, rock, funk, and World, plus he's a darn good drummer too! Misha performs with many types of bands, in particular, his trio, his septet and the more rock-oriented Sketchy Black Dog. Furthermore, he's been the music director for Mark Murphy since 2002. Misha recently released the CD, "17 Rooms." It showcases his versatility as he, ably assisted by Boris Kozlov on bass and Ari Hoenig on drums, performs mainly originals, such as "Ballade of Edward vs. Edward Opus 23," "Kindred Spirit," and the title song, along with a few songs by other composers, such as John Lennon's "Imagine."

With all these projects, it's amazing that Misha had time to answer my questions. But he did, and his answers now follow:


1) Why did you decide on a career in music?

Well I think it's not a matter of choosing to make music my career. Making a decision that this is all I want to do. So a career or no career--that's a subsidiary sort of occurrence. I decided that this is what I want to do for the rest of my life. This is what I want to do everyday all day long. This is my hobby. This is my love. This is my food. So you do what you need to do and if you can work out a situation to make some money doing it, then you're in business.

2) What is it you love about jazz that made you decide to focus on that type of music?

Well I've always heard jazz in my house growing up and I was a classical pianist until I was about 16 years old or so. Besides hearing jazz I heard a lot of Beatles, because that's what my parents were really into. But my dad always played Oscar Peterson albums and different kinds of stuff--George Shearing albums--and I just got incredibly into it. When I was about 17, I started checking out different albums and different pianists, and I realized I really want to learn how to do that and how to make that happen. And the more I examined, the more infatuated I got with different pianists, with different horn players, musicians--just the sound of jazz. And there is such a round and open art form from so many different generations of great jazz musicians. And I started just eating everything up, you know--starting from anything from eating up the way Count Basie plays, to falling in love with Monk, Duke, you know, and then falling in love with the way Bill Evans plays, falling in love with the way Kenny Barron plays, falling in love with the way Chick Corea plays, Keith Jarrett. So I just started to focus on whoever I was infatuated with at that moment. If I heard something I was crazy about, I just needed to understand it and devour it.


To see videos of Misha Piatigorsky with his octet at the Iridium Jazz Club, as well as videos of his earlier gigs, click on this link.

For even more information about Misha Piatigorsky, check out his site at http://www.mishamusic.com/.

Justice for Jazz Artists

Justice for Jazz Artists is an organization attempting to get pensions for all jazz artists who work in NY clubs. Thanks to its lobbying the NY State Legislature, two years ago the 8.375% sales tax on admissions to jazz clubs was repealed. This money was to be redirected into pension payments, which would thus cost the clubs nothing but benefit the artists who perform in them. (Please note, however, that Musicians’ Local 802 does have collective bargaining agreements with Jazz at Lincoln Center and the New School for Jazz and Contemporary Music. Also there are several member-leader agreements already in place that provide pension and health benefits to jazz musicians.)

Justice for Jazz Artists has been striving to get as many names as possible on a petition encouraging the NY jazz clubs to do the right thing. On September 29, a rally was held at Judson Memorial Church. I had the privilege of being a part of this event. Great music was contributed by artists such as Jimmy Owens, Bob Cranshaw, Benny Powell, Bernard Purdie and Keisha St. Joan. Speeches were also made by some of them, as well as by Amiri Baraka and Councilman Alan J. Gerson. Then all the musicians in attendance who had brought their instruments picked them up, some of those without instruments picked up signs with slogans about our cause and we all marched, New Orleans-style, out into the street. Our destination was the Blue Note, for the purpose of presenting a copy of the petition to a representative of the club. We slowly proceeded there, using a carefully delineated route under the watchful eyes of some of New York City's Finest, the petition was dutifully presented, and we all returned to Judson Memorial to the accompaniment of one of Monk's songs as rendered by our marching band.

Those of us who consider jazz important feel it is a travesty that its practitioners have long been denied the right to a comfortable retirement. If you agree and want more information about Justice for Jazz Artists and its efforts, you can go to its site by clicking here.

Fat Cat

Been a while since I've done a post, mainly because I've been waiting for more of my jazzy friends to step forward with answers to my "two questions." (Hmmph!) As a result, my blog has been idle for too long. Therefore, I decided to do my latest post on a strange but interesting venue I've started going to when I want to hear good jazz but not break the bank, Fat Cat.

Fat Cat is located at 75 Christopher Street near 7th Avenue in NYC. Once I go down the stairs, the first one to greet me is a guy who takes the $3 cover (cash only). I pass the bar area, then head over to a small section filled with couches near what you might call the "stage." Meanwhile behind me are dozens of pool tables, ping pong tables, foosball tables, tables with chessboards and checkerboards on top, etc., as well as people loudly involved in the different activities. All this makes for an interesting non-musical accompaniment to the jazz, which bands of various sizes are attempting to play for whoever is seated on the couches and trying to listen.

The gigs I generally check out at Fat Cat are those with reed man extraordinaire Peter Brainin on tenor and soprano. One of the most memorable also included Mark Soskin on piano, Boris Koslov on bass and Mike Clark on drums. Great music played by some of the greatest musicians on the planet--it doesn't get any better than this! (Definitely not an upscale kind of club like Blue Note or Birdland, but with jazz of this caliber at wallet-friendly prices, who cares? Plus I kinda dig the weird atmosphere of the place!)

Mark Murphy at the Kitano in NYC

On July 31 and August 1 Mark Murphy had a gig which proved why the legendary vocalist's club appearances are still such exciting events. Although he is now 77 years old, his voice is still strong and surprisingly flexible, his phrasing, scatting and sense of swing are impeccable, and his sense of drama is masterful. The singer was accompanied by some of the finest musicians around today: Vinny Valentino on guitar, Jon Cowherd on piano, Boris Koslov on bass, and Willard Dyson on drums. (Personal note: when Mark sang "My One and Only Love," his performance was so profound it moved me to tears.)

The Kitano was sold out for two nights and a majority of the audience members were other singers, including ones who had participated in workshops which Mark conducted over the years. The love for the great legend was palpable and there seemed to be a long line of admirers who wanted to convey their good wishes during breaks. Everyone agreed that we had all witnessed a true musical miracle in the fact that Mark had managed to make his performance during all four sets even more moving than any of us had expected. A perfect example of a true jazz singer who doesn't let age stand in the way of continuing to develop as an expressive and powerful artist.

To see videos from the gig, click on this link, which will take you to a You Tube channel featuring videos by various artists. Go to "see all" at the right of the page, and a brief search will lead you to performances by Mark Murphy at the Kitano.

(Photo courtesy of The Jazz Paisan)


Special Note: For a discussion of Mark Murphy's entire career, go to my post from May 17, 2009, "The Fearless Singer."

And Still More Answers to the Two Questions

The latest responder to my two questions is yet another talented Astoria neighbor, Carol Sudhalter. Besides having great chops on baritone sax, tenor sax and flute, she is the leader of groups which include the Astoria Big Band and the Astoria Jazz Band. With these ensembles she has showcased the music of Women Composers of Queens such as Emme Kemp, Sarah Mclawler and Julie Mandel in a series of concerts supported by grants awarded to her and her band from local and city-wide arts organizations including the Department of Cultural Affairs. Thanks to another grant, Carol's band also presented a Jazz History of Queens, which was narrated by Leonard Gaskin. Furthermore, she has presented several fine Italian jazz performers in the U.S., some of whom are currently working in New York.

Now on to my questions and Carol's answers:


1) Why did you decide on a career in music?

I had NO intention of going into music. My family were all jazz musicians and I think I didn't want to be in their shadow. I loved jazz and followed jazz bands around a lot and had little flings with musicians. But in college I was a biology major with intentions of having a career in science writing. As a kid, I was a birdwatcher and insect collector. The music in my house was Chicago style jazz: Bix, Frankie Trambauer, Bud Freeman etc. Later, in college, I linked into Django, Billie Holiday, Louis Armstrong. My tastes and exposure were not 'modern'. Even bebop came much later.

When I was between my junior and senior years of college, I had an emotional meltdown and began the long and painful road of psychotherapy. There, I discovered my center, and 6 months later, realized that what I wanted to do was PLAY music rather than follow bands around. I borrowed a flute from a classmate and started picking out the notes and playing along with records as I had always seen my brother and my father do. Soon I was sitting in with local bands. Like everyone else, I had been bitten by the bug, and it was straight downhill all the way, from there! A wonderful, rewarding, creative life with no material gain to show for it. I took up sax much later: first tenor, then bari and alto.

2) What is it you love about jazz that made you decide to focus on that type of music?

Jazz is what I heard at home since I was born. I studied classical piano and sang in glee club in both high school and college, and studied classical flute for 15 years, but always felt that being able to hear lines of improvisation in my head was something that not everyone had, and that if one had to choose, it was best to focus on that special ability. I try not to compare myself with others...Just try to bring out the ideas that are inherent in me, unique to me. I love playing classical flute when I get a chance! In another life maybe I'll do more of that.

I'm excited about my new CD to be released between September and December, recorded with several of my most highly esteemed Italian artists including a very savvy and accomplished 19-year-old pianist from Bari, Carlo Barile; and several New York artists from both U.S. and Japan, such as pianist Joe Vincent Tranchina and woman drummer Kaori Yamada.

The most exciting thing about this project was discovering a studio right here in Astoria with a brilliant engineer who handled the whole thing. It is at 30-80 33rd St. -- walking distance from my house -- the engineer, Slau, handled the whole thing, with kid gloves, lots of TLC, amazing ears and incredible professionalism. I recommend him to anyone. BeSharp Studios, 718-932-3660.


To see an example of Carol in action, click on this link.

More Answers to the Two Questions

This post features responses to my two questions from yet another fine jazz artist, vocalist Giacomo Gates. Rather than elaborate further, I'll just let him do the talking:

The first question: Why did you decide on a career in music?

I didn't wake up one day and decide to become "a jazz singer."
I had been involved with music as a kid, singing a song at the age of six, in front of a class of tap dancers.... 'cause I didn't want to dance.... I chose to sing!

I took guitar lessons from the age of eight to fourteen or fifteen, and played into my twenties. I played and sang "for fun".... self enjoyment...did gigs here and there, but never "chased it."

I got into the construction business and traveled around the U.S. going wherever the big jobs were....Alaska, Washington State, Arizona, Louisiana. I was reintroduced to the music, while attending a two week workshop at the Fairbanks Summer Arts Festival 1987. Headliners were Steve Allen and Sarah Vaughn.

I was encouraged by several of the instructors and also felt it was time for a change. Having been a fan of the music since 10-12 years of age, it just felt like it was time. I always enjoyed playing, singing, learning, and performing this music...Great American Songbook and the music that was then called Modern Jazz.

I moved back to the East Coast and began to sing locally, regionally, clubs, festivals, wherever I could. I actually just took another route for a while, and got an education that money can't buy, nor would I trade it for anything."

The second question: What is it you love about jazz that made you decide to focus on that type of music?

There's another kind of music? Norman Mapp wrote it, Betty Carter and Joe Lee Wilson sang it.... "Jazz Ain't Nuthin But Soul"

To get a virtual experience of Giacomo doing his thing (although this only hints at what a fine performer he is live), click here.

To learn more about the world of Giacomo Gates, go to www.giacomogates.com.