LESTER BOWIE

Managing Editor:
Laurence Donohue-Greene
Editorial Director &
Production Manager:
Andrey Henkin
To Contact:
The New York City Jazz Record
66 Mt. Airy Road East
Croton-on-Hudson, NY 10520
United States
Phone/Fax: 212-568-9628
Laurence Donohue-Greene:
ldgreene@nycjazzrecord.com
Andrey Henkin:
ahenkin@nycjazzrecord.com
General Inquiries:
info@nycjazzrecord.com
Advertising:
advertising@nycjazzrecord.com
Calendar:
calendar@nycjazzrecord.com
VOXNews:
voxnews@nycjazzrecord.com
US Subscription rates: 12 issues, $40
Canada Subscription rates: 12 issues, $45
International Subscription rates: 12 issues, $50
For subscription assistance, send check, cash or
money order to the address above
or email info@nycjazzrecord.com
Staff Writers
David R. Adler, Clifford Allen,
Duck Baker, Fred Bouchard,
Stuart Broomer, Thomas Conrad,
Ken Dryden, Donald Elfman,
Philip Freeman, Kurt Gottschalk,
Tom Greenland, Anders Griffen,
Alex Henderson, Marcia Hillman,
Terrell Holmes, Robert Iannapollo,
Suzanne Lorge, Marc Medwin,
Ken Micallef, Russ Musto,
John Pietaro, Joel Roberts,
John Sharpe, Elliott Simon,
Andrew Vélez, Ken Waxman
New York@Night
Interview : Rez Abbasi
Artist Feature : Mike Reed
On The Cover : Lester Bowie
Encore : Bobby Previte
Lest We Forget : Chico O’Farrill
LAbel Spotlight : El Negocito
VOXNEWS
In Memoriam
CD Reviews
Miscellany
Event Calendar
JUNE 2016—ISSUE 170
4
6
7
8
10
10
11
11
12
Festival Report 13
14
41
42
by ken micallef
by ken waxman
by kurt gottschalk
by john pietaro
by ken dryden
by ken waxman
by suzanne lorge
by andrey henkin
Contributing Writers
Tyran Grillo, George Kanzler,
Matthew Kassel, Mark Keresman,
Eric Wendell, Scott Yanow
Contributing Photographers
George Council, Enid Farber,
Scott Friedlander, Radosław Kaźmierczak,
Alan Nahigian, Susan O’Connor,
R.I. Sutherland-Cohen, Jack Vartoogian
Fact-checker
Nate Dorward
nycjazzrecord.com
Jazz is a magical word. While acknowledging its complex history, in 2016 it is synonymous
with freedom. When you hear the word spoken it opens doors rather than closes them. There
should be a thousand definitions of the word, as different as the people who play it.
This month’s features embody that freedom. Late trumpeter Lester Bowie (On The Cover)
balanced entertainment and art like few could. His long-running Brass Fantasy is celebrated
at Tribeca Performing Arts Center with a number of original participants. Guitarist Rez
Abbasi (Interview) upends notions about his instrument as well clichés like fusion. His new
Cuneiform album gets release concerts at Greenwich House Music School and Red Hook Jazz
Festival. Drummer Mike Reed (Artist Feature) has brought together generations and styles
and built foundation in his adopted home of Chicago. He makes a rare-ish NYC appearance as
part of Vision Festival. Drummer Bobby Previte (Encore) splits his time between Manhattan
and Upstate yet hasn’t lost his urban groove. He leads a band at Red Hook Jazz Festival and
is at Cornelia Street Café with Jane Ira Bloom. And Chico O’Farrill (Lest We Forget) helped
change the entire trajectory of jazz by blending it with the music of his native Cuba.
“Liberté, Égalité, Fraternité” is the motto of France. It could be a jazz slogan too...
On The Cover: Lester Bowie (photo by Alan Nahigian)
All rights reserved. Reproduction without permission strictly prohibited.
All material copyrights property of the authors.
2 JUNE 2016 | THE NEW YORK CITY JAZZ RECORD