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Also this issue: The Bee's Knees Looking for the Perfect Beat Here Lay the Liars Beat Box And You Will Know Us by the Trail of Busted Ceiling Panels Feria del Barrio Money Mark Lynn Miles |
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September 5-11, 2002
the gig
Jazz clubs have long enjoyed a presence on the record shelves; ask any fan for a list of favorite platters and you’re likely to hear a “Miles at the Blackhawk” or “Thelonious at the Five Spot” alongside the stable of studio albums. But there have been relatively few clubs with an active hand in the record business. Peruse the vast collection of LPs made at the Village Vanguard -- a figure either fast-approaching or just-surpassing 100 -- and you’ll encounter at least a dozen different labels. (The longstanding Vanguard Records is a folk label with no affiliation.) Despite obvious situational advantages -- a nightly source of fresh material, a working sound system, a (hopefully) conducive vibe -- jazz clubs just don’t generally tangle with the tape.
Of course, there are reasons, both historical and practical. In the 1950s, when George Wein's Storyville was the sine qua non of New England's jazz circuit, the club proprietor founded Storyville Records for the purposes of recording and releasing music from the stage. His efforts paid off artistically -- the fledgling label was responsible for important early recordings by Lee Konitz, Bob Brookmeyer, Serge Chaloff and Joe Newman -- but crooked distributors and lack of capital did the venture in. It's hard enough keeping a nightclub from going under; trying to float an independent label at the same time is virtually impossible. I haven't seen the books for Michael Dorf's Knitting Factory Records, but I'd be willing to bet that the enterprise remains inked in red.
The ideal situation, it seems, is a partnership of some sort between label and venue. For the former, costs of recording are defrayed, production is a cinch, and you get the benefits of present-tense music played live. For the latter, economic incentives couple with promotional value. (Consider all those Vanguard records; they're a big reason why the club has survived all these years.) In recent seasons, though, the closest we've come to this cooperative model was a "Live at Birdland" series on RCA/Victor, which had barely begun when the label imploded its jazz wing.
This week, though, the idea gets a new lease in Philly -- as Zanzibar Blue launches the first in a series of live recordings on Random Chance Records, an indie based in New York City. Charles Fambrough's Live @ Zanzibar Blue is a tasty contemporary reflection of Jazz Messengers bop, featuring such stalwart contributors as pianist Bill O'Connell, saxophonist Joe Ford and drummer Lenny White. The bassist will be performing a record release in the club this week. (Sept. 6 and 7, 9 and 11 p.m., $20, Broad and Walnut sts., 215-732-4500.) Future releases are slated to feature other Zanzibar staples, like Fortune Vinson Cruse, Gloria Allende's Friends and the Webb Thomas Trio. Here's hoping the venture is a success -- and the imprint goes on to include an even broader spectrum of Philly's best.
To report a gig -- or any other jazz-related news -- e-mail Nate Chinen at n_chinen@citypaper.net.
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