Five Things Not To Do At A Jazz Club

Or My Big Annoyances

Last weekend I talked about a show I was at and how some in the audience didn't know what they were getting themselves into. So I was thinking what fun list could I put together for our friends and people who don't know how to conduct themselves at a jazz show. So here's what I came up with it.

1) Talking: Seriously. If you're going to a jazz club 98% of the people there are there because they wanted to see and hear the artist(s) on the bill. They do not want to hear a conversation about someones day other than their own or the artist. It's shows a lot disrespect for the artists, who trust me can hear but choose to zone you out. The rest of the audience can't do that. Talking at a rock concert is accepted only because the music is so loud you have to speak over it (if you need to speak). So if you're at a jazz club and the table next to you won't shut up, feel free to tell them to be quiet. Or always ask the host or wait staff. You paid good money to be there to hear some great music don't let someone spoil it for you.

2) Eating: Now there's nothing wrong with eating at a jazz club. Before it is annoying for other people to hear the clinging & clanging of silverware throughout a performance. The best thing to do is if you really want eat at the club (and there are quite a few that serve good food) is to get there early and try to order at least 45 minutes before the performance. This give you enough time to eat and have that first drink if you like and then you enjoy the rest of the evening.

3) Clapping After Every Solo: No this one is always up for debate. I'm not a big fan of clapping after every solo because it interrupts my own listening experience particularly on a piece that is complexed or very improvised. Also sometimes people are clapping at points in the tune that don't even make sense or aren't even a solo. Like I said this one is debatable but its how feel.

4) Violent Coughing: Now this one doesn't happen often. You usually have this at a play or musical where everyone is so quiet you can hear a pin drop. But every once in awhile you get some one who can't stop coughing but won't get up and go to the bathroom. It's okay, everyone will understand. As a matter of fact everyone insist that the people please go to the bathroom. Trust me this one has happened to me and I've rushed to the bathroom to recover. You'll feel better and will enjoy the show more.

5) Screaming Your Excitement During A Solo: Now don't get me wrong, solos are great and most time pretty awesome. But most times its pretty annoying to have someone all the way in the back of the audience screaming "Yeah!" "Uh Huh!" "Alright!" and whatever else has moved them so spiritually to scream out other descriptive. For me this like screaming "Freebird" at any rock concert. Not sure how much more I have to say about this one.

As always this is just my opinion. If you guys have any funny jazz club annoyances or stories please let us know. I hope these things don't annoy you as much as they do me but either way find a jazz club this weekend and go listen to some music. The artist will thank you. And you will definitely enjoy the experience.

Karin Krog

Karin Krog (vocals; b. 1937)

Norweigian chanteuse, Karin Krog, is probably one of the most under-rated jazz vocalists on the scene. While she is immensely popular oversees her stature in the U.S. may be that of cult figure. I think this may be due to lack of good distribution of her albums. She has recorded some highly influential and incredibly brilliant albums since the 60s. For me she doesn't have a bad record in her catalog.

She has said that her career started after seeing the Billie Holiday performance in Oslo. This was probably the impetus but Krog has definitely created her own sound and vision over a five decade career. Just as fellow country-woman, Sisdel Endresen has carved out a career utilizing jazz, vocal and electronic experimentation, Krog has been a stylistic and brilliant interpreter of songs (her own as well as standards). She is a vocalists who is unique yet still contemporary. Similar to Betty Carter, Nina Simone or Abby Lincoln. Krog was for sure one of the few to experiment with various styles throughout her career.

She started like many performing Swing, moving into bop and then reaching beyond jazz by incorporating and experimenting with sound treatments and electronics with John Surman and Steve Kuhn among others. She has also worked with some of best musicians on both sides of the Atlantic, including Dexter Gordon, Kenny Drew, Niels-Henning Orsted Pedersen, Archie Shepp and more. She made her solo debut in 1964 with the album By Myself (Verve) and among the many fantastic Karin Krog albums that are worth seeking out I would choose Some Other Spring (Meantime Records; 1970) which features a great line up of European and American players (Kenny Drew, Dexter Gordon, Epsen Rud and Niels-Henning Orsted Pedersen). Also You Must Believe In Spring (Meantime) and Where You At? (Enja) worth the hunt as well.

If you choose to just absorb the best of bunch there are at least two compilations that would suit anyone fine. First, Jubilee (Verve) is a two disc set of her recordings from the sixties to the nineties and is delightful listen. Second and probably the more widely available is the collection Raindrops, Raindrops (Crippled Dick Hot Wax). Don't let the label name fool you--this is great stuff. Its a single disc so its cheaper and covers some stellar material spanning 1963 - 1985).

Raindrops, Raindrops features some great work with John Surman on a hauntingly funky and psychedelic "New Spring." Krog and her quartet (Steve Swalllow (bass), Jon Christensen (drums) and Steve Kuhn (keys)) show off some lovely Latin-tinged flavouring on "The Meaning Of Love." Her arrangement of "Maiden Voyage - Lazy Afternoon" is truly stunning, original and worth repeated listens. Raindrops, Raindrops is an absolutely essential collection if you'd like to get into the music of Karin Krog. Karin Krog just released a new album, Oslo Calling (Meantime) which continues her longstanding colaborative work with John Surman.

Karin Krog could easily be considered Norway's great jazz singer and these albums are just a short list of how true that statement is.

Lars Danielsson

Lars Danielsson (bass; b. 1958)

Lars Danilesson might not be well known amongst many jazz fans but he is building an exciting and diverse portfolio of work. He has recorded over 12 albums and performed as a sideman on countless of other releases. The bassist has worked with Charles Lloyd, Eivind Aarset, Nils Petter Molvaer, Jack DeJohnette, Viktoria Tolstoy to name a few. His style while quiet is beautifully orchestrated. He had a constant quartet in the '90s that featured Bobo Stenson (piano), Dave Liebman (sax) and Jon Christiensen (drums) that recorded a string of astonishing sessions that only one is readily available Far North (Curling Legs). That quartet definitely helped shape Lars Danielsson compositional vision and I think is responsible for his more adventurous recordings of late for ACT Music.

His current work on ACT has ranged from lush jazz orchestral dates to electronic influenced sessions (with help from Nils Petter Molvaer and Bugge Wesseltoft) and a beautiful, folksy, melodic duo recording with Polish pianist, Leszek Możdżer, entitled, Pasodoble. Pasodoble is probably the one I would recommend to most people as a good starting point. Its quite, spacious and lovely for any setting. With incredible and emotional interplay between the two musicians.

Another quintet release that might also be appealing is his most recent Tarantella. Tarantella is multi-dimensional and has a texture that seems to almost envelope the listener and carry you a delightful journey for an hour. Touching, honest and experienced, Tarantella shows serious growth from a bassist with two decades of experience working with some of the best musicians in jazz.

Just in the last few weeks Act Music released an amazing compilation spanning all of Danielsson's album on various labels. Entitled, Signature Edition (there are three other artists in this new artists specific compilation series), it may be more than the unitiated need but if you are familiar with his work which can be hard to find this is well worth getting. I found it on Amazon more else buy stumbling on to it--but I'm happy I did. There is a lot of material I couldn't find and most of it is included here. Signature Edition is a two disc set. There is a digital version but its only half the tracks.

Danielsson's seems to be able weave classical themes and jazz improvisation with incredible ease. Another reason why I find him an exciting proposition for anyone getting into jazz to check him out. I'm hoping that some time sooner rather than later everyone will get to hear Lars Danielsson.

Nnenna Freelon

Nnenna Freelon (vocals; b. 1954)
Homefree (Concord Music)

Nnenna Freelon is one of those artists you really must see live. While her albums are exceptional it is the live performance that has always been the clincher for me. I have to admit, I hadn't listened to a Nnenna Freelon album in awhile but listening to the new record Homefree (Concord) I was reminded why I became a fan just under 20 years ago.

Freelon interprets soul, pop, jazz and the American Songbook with the versatility not seen in most singers today. For anyone who hasn't heard Nnenna Freelon before your first impressions may be Billie Holiday or Sarah Vaughan but Freelon has developed her own distinct voice over the last two decades. This is an artists that when you hear her voice coming through the speakers you know it and she commands your attention.

Homefree, Freelon's 7th studio album, is another beautiful reconstruction of the American Songbook with delicate and well crafted arrangements of "The Very Thought Of You," "You The Night And The Music," "Skylark" and more. One of most exciting and refreshing things I've always enjoyed about Nnenna Freelon is her ability to turn a standard into her own. Her arrangements are not what you immediately expect from a jazz singer. I sometimes think how Tony Bennett, Peter Gabriel and Bryan Ferry can rearrange a classic and make you think they actually wrote the song.

The band are another reason for Freelon's creative versatility. With some truly elegant work from Brandon McCune (piano), Kinah Ayah (drums), Wyane Batchelor (bass) and the rest of her ensemble Freelon takes the listener on luminous journey filled with emotion, passion and occasional swathes of funky soul that shines on every tune. From the funky opener "The Lamp Is Low'" to the one Freelon penned number "Cell Phone Blues", Homefree displays her rich gift as both a truly fascinating vocalist and original arranger.

The one startling number for me was towards the end with the standard "Lift Every Voice And Sing" which includes a rap by Pierce Freelon. It's a little jarring but on second listen it settles into the Freelon cannon as another interesting revision on a classic. As with such vocalist as Claire Martin and Mark Murphy, Nneena Freelon has always been a risk taker and appears to enjoy the challenge of re-imagining what can be done in the vocalists songbook.

Homefree is definitely a diverse and rewarding experience. If you end up getting this, you might also want to check out Better Than Anything (Concord) which is a compilation of her previous six albums and makes for the perfect companion piece to Homefree.