The Hang, the Horns, and the Cornbread

Happy Sunday, friends,

This week I had one of those musical experiences that reminds me why I fell in love with jazz in the first place.

Pat and I spent an evening at Birdland celebrating the Miles Davis Centennial with the Gil Evans Project, directed by Ryan Truesdell. Listening to those legendary arrangements come alive in a room that has heard so much jazz history was nothing short of magical. Gil Evans had a genius for orchestration that still sounds fresh today. The way he blended brass, woodwinds, rhythm, and space created entire worlds of sound. The power of the horns was breathtaking, and featured trumpeter Riley Mulherkar delivered a performance that had the audience hanging on every note. They performed songs from Sketches of Spain, Porgy and Bess, Kind of Blue and so many others.

Here’s a link listen to the recording Sketches of Spain.

You could feel the spirit of those historic Miles and Gil collaborations in the room. Shout out to Lewis Hayes on the drums who was back there killin’ it! We took a photo together below with him, Enzo Capua, and my wife Pat.

As inspiring as the week was, it was also marked by the loss of one of the true giants of our music.

The jazz world said goodbye to Sonny Rollins, who passed away at the age of 95. To call Sonny a great saxophonist somehow doesn’t seem like enough. He was one of the architects of modern jazz, a fearless improviser, a seeker, and a musician who never stopped growing. Whether you first encountered him through Saxophone Colossus, The Bridge, Freedom Suite, or one of his countless live performances, you heard an artist who was always searching for deeper truth in the music.

I was thinking about Sonny while listening to the Gil Evans music at Birdland. Both men remind us that jazz is not just about notes and technique, it’s about imagination, courage, and finding your own voice. Sonny’s enormous sound, his humor, his humanity, and his relentless pursuit of excellence influenced generations of musicians and listeners around the world. We mourn his passing, but we also celebrate a remarkable life. Ninety-five years, more than six decades of music, and a legacy that will continue to inspire long after we’re gone. Thank you, Sonny. The music plays on.

The excitement is building by the day for the Rochester International Jazz Festival June 22nd and 23rd. Of course, I’m looking forward to performing, but I’m also excited about something every musician understands, the hang. Seeing old friends, hearing new artists, discovering great players, and spending a week immersed in music. The lineup this year is packed with talent, and if you’re thinking about attending, take a look at the schedule. It’s shaping up to be a wonderful festival.

After Rochester, I’m heading back to one of my favorite rooms in the country—South Jazz Kitchen in Philadelphia, June 26-28, with Harlem After Dark.

Now, I’ll be honest. The first thing I’m looking forward to is the food, especially the cornbread.

If you’ve been there, you know exactly what I’m talking about. They bring it out in its own little cast-iron skillet with a generous dollop of butter melting across the top. It is indescribably delicious. Every time I think about South, that cornbread comes to mind.

But as good as the food is, the audiences are even better. They come to celebrate the music. Every performance there feels like a reunion among friends, and I can’t wait to return with vocalists Maya Azucena and AC Lincoln plus Rick Germanson on piano, Nimrod Speaks on bass, and Damon DueWhite on drums. It will be a weekend of songs from Harlem After Dark in Philadelphia.

I’m also getting ready for a special Juneteenth celebration in Gettysburg called 250 Years of Black Music: From Spirituals to Soul. There’s something deeply meaningful about bringing this music to Gettysburg, the place where Abraham Lincoln delivered the Gettysburg Address. I’ve actually been memorizing portions of the address as part of my preparation.

For the last few weeks I’ve been immersed in selecting songs for the program. It’s been a beautiful challenge. There are so many songs that deserve to be included when telling the story of Black music in America. Spirituals, blues, jazz, soul, each genre carries a piece of our collective history.

I’ve also got a new resonator guitar that I’m itching to bring onstage. I can already hear a few blues numbers in my head.

And that brings me to a question for you.

What songs would you include in celebrating 250 years of Black music? Send me your ideas. I’d love to hear them.

Finally, a little recording news.

My next album release is scheduled for August 28. Swingin’ Love Songs was actually recorded 23 years ago and never found its way into the world. The songs were written by the gifted composer Ike Joseph, who had a remarkable understanding of what makes a great jazz vocal song. Listening back, I hear echoes of the great storytellers like Tony Bennett, Frank Sinatra, Arthur Prysock, and Johnny Hartman, but these songs have a voice all their own.

The arrangements swing, the lyrics are intelligent, and the melodies stay with you long after the song ends.

I’m thrilled that these recordings are finally getting their moment. We’ll be releasing singles soon, and I can’t wait to share them with you.

Until then, keep swingin!

See you down the road,

Allan