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After listening to this superb CD, most should agree that Jeremy Manasia is high on the list of jazz pianists deserving wider recognition. Certainly the expansive expressiveness of Manasia's playing and his credentials warrant such an evaluation. While at the prestigious LaGuardia HS for Performing Arts in New York, he performed in all-star high school bands with the likes of Greg Hutchinson, Abraham Burton, Walter Blanding, and Eric McPherson. At the Manhattan School of Music he spent time touring with trumpeter Ryan Kisor's quintet along with Chris Potter, and he has also been a finalist in three major piano competitions, including the Thelonious Monk. Among Manasia's teachers during his formative years were Harold Danko, Garry Dial, Barry Harris, Chris Anderson, and Sophia Rosoff, and he himself is on the faculty of the Manhattan School of Music, where he has won numerous awards as an educator. Since 1997 Manasia has been a regular on the New York jazz scene, and has been heard with artists ranging from Jimmy Cobb and Javon Jackson to Nneena Freelon and Diane Schur. One finds a quotation from the legendary Rosoff, who also taught Fred Hersch and Brad Melhdau, in this CD's packaging, in which she states, "You can't think the music; you have to hear it and feel it. The performer is challenging himself/herself all the time; there's no question." This is Manasia's fourth CD as a leader and the third with bassist Barak Mori and drummer Charles Ruggiero, and the trio format makes clearly evident his talents as both a player and composer, and how he takes to heart Rosoff's observation.
Manasia's intro to "Postscript From an Argument" has enchanting classical overtones and his emphatic theme flows seamlessly from it, with a spurting ostinato serving as the bridge to his solo. The pianist tells a rapturous tale, with glittering and cascading motifs and runs, assisted by very sensitive Mori and Ruggiero. The contemplative opening to "Another Ordinary Day" leads to a standard-quality melody conveyed with both majesty and heartfelt emotion. Mori's booming bass tones and Ruggiero's shimmering cymbals elevate the impact of Manasia's absorbing, expertly paced and delineated solo that builds to more than one peak before finally subsiding with a subtle grace. "Night Demon" is a piece with a modal bent centered around a six-note motif, that transitions into a mid up-tempo for the leader's driving improv. His intricate, swirling passages are fully complemented by his steadfast left hand chordal configurations. Mori's solo takes a bluesy approach in appealing contrast prior to Manasia's reiteration of the pounding motif to close out the track.
Mori and Ruggiero's interaction creates a surging dramatic pulse to begin "Pixel Queen," with Manasia entering with his revolving, spiky theme. The pianist's solo is ceaselessly searching, never settling into cruise control, delightfully engaging in its melodic and rhythmic diversity. His lower register vamp then spurs on Ruggiero's explosive yet artfully developed workout pre-reprise. Leonard Bernstein's enduring "Lucky to Be Me," the album's only non-original, is faithfully and compellingly rendered, with Mori's insinuating bass lines and Ruggiero's tight rhythms allowing Manasia to sail freely into an improvisation that utilizes deliberation and space in tandem with blues-tinged colorations, resounding chords and trickling runs. Manasia's elegant voicings and nourishing piano sound are in ample display on the attractive and pensive "One Summer's Cradle." His solo is so structurally complete and so vibrant in its execution and creative staying power as to leave the listener in spellbound admiration. Mori's more concise statement is riveting and stirring as well. The harmonies of "Lily's Hamlet" recall "It Might As Well Be Spring" to some extent, but Manasia's exploration of its elements takes it in a refreshingly non-derivative direction. His solo proves that even at this brisk up-tempo he can remain lucid and continuously uncliched and inventive. His rhapsodic out chorus provides all you need to know about his ability to combine technical brilliance with passionate eloquence.
- Scott Albin
Manasia's intro to "Postscript From an Argument" has enchanting classical overtones and his emphatic theme flows seamlessly from it, with a spurting ostinato serving as the bridge to his solo. The pianist tells a rapturous tale, with glittering and cascading motifs and runs, assisted by very sensitive Mori and Ruggiero. The contemplative opening to "Another Ordinary Day" leads to a standard-quality melody conveyed with both majesty and heartfelt emotion. Mori's booming bass tones and Ruggiero's shimmering cymbals elevate the impact of Manasia's absorbing, expertly paced and delineated solo that builds to more than one peak before finally subsiding with a subtle grace. "Night Demon" is a piece with a modal bent centered around a six-note motif, that transitions into a mid up-tempo for the leader's driving improv. His intricate, swirling passages are fully complemented by his steadfast left hand chordal configurations. Mori's solo takes a bluesy approach in appealing contrast prior to Manasia's reiteration of the pounding motif to close out the track.
Mori and Ruggiero's interaction creates a surging dramatic pulse to begin "Pixel Queen," with Manasia entering with his revolving, spiky theme. The pianist's solo is ceaselessly searching, never settling into cruise control, delightfully engaging in its melodic and rhythmic diversity. His lower register vamp then spurs on Ruggiero's explosive yet artfully developed workout pre-reprise. Leonard Bernstein's enduring "Lucky to Be Me," the album's only non-original, is faithfully and compellingly rendered, with Mori's insinuating bass lines and Ruggiero's tight rhythms allowing Manasia to sail freely into an improvisation that utilizes deliberation and space in tandem with blues-tinged colorations, resounding chords and trickling runs. Manasia's elegant voicings and nourishing piano sound are in ample display on the attractive and pensive "One Summer's Cradle." His solo is so structurally complete and so vibrant in its execution and creative staying power as to leave the listener in spellbound admiration. Mori's more concise statement is riveting and stirring as well. The harmonies of "Lily's Hamlet" recall "It Might As Well Be Spring" to some extent, but Manasia's exploration of its elements takes it in a refreshingly non-derivative direction. His solo proves that even at this brisk up-tempo he can remain lucid and continuously uncliched and inventive. His rhapsodic out chorus provides all you need to know about his ability to combine technical brilliance with passionate eloquence.
- Scott Albin
Eric Reed on After Dark
Long before his 1st release, I was never shy about expressing my affection and appreciation for JEREMY MANASIA’s work. Generally, the average layman isn’t cognizant of the fact that, not only are musicians practitioners of the craft, we are also fans. There’s something powerfully hip about seeing a musician checking out a live set of another. (Have you seen that famous photo of Duke Ellington gazing admiringly at Ella Fitzgerald?)
Horn players have the luxury of being able to stand next to one another and be able to be fired up under one another’s tones. One of the things you don’t really see is pianists sharing the stage; this means that I actually have to make an effort to catch a Manasia set so I can truly appreciate his mastery of rhyming phrases, tempered pianistic approach and reflective solo work.
Furthermore, Manasia’s musical conception is freshly gritty, while avoiding beating the listener over the head with curriculum, as is demonstrated on the Cole Porter hit (from a 1935 flop), Just One of Those Things. More impressive to me, however, is when an artist can develop current significance, while only using standards as a small portion of his artistic arsenal. Jeremy zeroes right into the human emotion via a specifically personal composition like the affectionate Ria (short for Maria.)
While it’s fascinating listening to musicians in their 20s fire up the stage and blow off little old ladies’ wigs, I’ve profound respect for a performer of a different generation who knows how to create a relaxed atmosphere, something Jeremy has done here with the cool and effortless assistance of Barak Mori and Charles Ruggiero. Hopefully you’ll dig Jeremy Manasia shedding some light on what he does after dark…
- Eric S. Reed
Horn players have the luxury of being able to stand next to one another and be able to be fired up under one another’s tones. One of the things you don’t really see is pianists sharing the stage; this means that I actually have to make an effort to catch a Manasia set so I can truly appreciate his mastery of rhyming phrases, tempered pianistic approach and reflective solo work.
Furthermore, Manasia’s musical conception is freshly gritty, while avoiding beating the listener over the head with curriculum, as is demonstrated on the Cole Porter hit (from a 1935 flop), Just One of Those Things. More impressive to me, however, is when an artist can develop current significance, while only using standards as a small portion of his artistic arsenal. Jeremy zeroes right into the human emotion via a specifically personal composition like the affectionate Ria (short for Maria.)
While it’s fascinating listening to musicians in their 20s fire up the stage and blow off little old ladies’ wigs, I’ve profound respect for a performer of a different generation who knows how to create a relaxed atmosphere, something Jeremy has done here with the cool and effortless assistance of Barak Mori and Charles Ruggiero. Hopefully you’ll dig Jeremy Manasia shedding some light on what he does after dark…
- Eric S. Reed
Pixel Queen Review
NY Jazz Record
Pixel Queen is the third record to document the musical relationship that pianist Jeremy Manasia has with bassistBarak Mori and drummer Charles Ruggiero. Manasia's debut leader date--Witchery (Cellar Live, 2007)—featured a different rhythm crew, but this bass-and-drums team came aboard for After Dark (Posi-Tone, 2009), a pleasing trio-with-guests outing, and stayed for Green Dream (Cellar Live, 2012), an all-originals trio date. On this release, Manasia's fourth overall and first on the Blujazz imprint, this trio tackles six of the pianist's originals and delivers one standard—a swinging, happy-go-lucky take on Leonard Bernstein's "Lucky To Be Me."
Manasia and company come across as centrists here, delivering material that's neither conservative nor bold. It doesn't appear that anybody in this group is looking to redefine the piano trio format or break new ground; these men simply enjoy playing music together, furthering their connection through that process.
Manasia sets the album afloat, delivering a classically-inspired piano introduction that gives way to a waltzing vehicle ("Postscript From An Argument"). The follow-up tune—"Another Ordinary Day"—proves to be one of the stand out tracks on the album. A reflective piano introduces this lyrical ballad, which is transformed, deftly and subtly, into a light-and-bluesy swinger; this transition is so artfully executed that the ears barely notice it taking place.
Ruggiero's straight eighth groove bookends "Pixel Queen," as if to serve as a reminder that it's powering the piece, and a sense of comfort and serenity are carried through the aforementioned "Lucky To Be Me." The penultimate track—"One Summer's Cradle"—proves to be another album highlight. This bright-eyed, Brazilian-inflected number gives Mori some space to shine, and it focuses in on the rhythmic weave of the group. "Night Demon" and the album-ending "Lily's Hamlet" aren't quite as memorable as the rest of the material, but the group comes across as focused and energetic on both. These traits, in fact, define much of this work.
- Dan Bilawsky
Manasia and company come across as centrists here, delivering material that's neither conservative nor bold. It doesn't appear that anybody in this group is looking to redefine the piano trio format or break new ground; these men simply enjoy playing music together, furthering their connection through that process.
Manasia sets the album afloat, delivering a classically-inspired piano introduction that gives way to a waltzing vehicle ("Postscript From An Argument"). The follow-up tune—"Another Ordinary Day"—proves to be one of the stand out tracks on the album. A reflective piano introduces this lyrical ballad, which is transformed, deftly and subtly, into a light-and-bluesy swinger; this transition is so artfully executed that the ears barely notice it taking place.
Ruggiero's straight eighth groove bookends "Pixel Queen," as if to serve as a reminder that it's powering the piece, and a sense of comfort and serenity are carried through the aforementioned "Lucky To Be Me." The penultimate track—"One Summer's Cradle"—proves to be another album highlight. This bright-eyed, Brazilian-inflected number gives Mori some space to shine, and it focuses in on the rhythmic weave of the group. "Night Demon" and the album-ending "Lily's Hamlet" aren't quite as memorable as the rest of the material, but the group comes across as focused and energetic on both. These traits, in fact, define much of this work.
- Dan Bilawsky
Pixel Queen Review
Midwest Record
Coming into jazz piano long after the original daddio era passed, Manasia is a former tyro that stuck with it. Steeped in daddio piano jazz without hipster affectation, Manasia and pals hit that groove the cool piano trios hit back in the day--particularly when the record label chiefs let them do an off the clock record and they really got to swing. This is tasty, super stuff that any fan of classic piano jazz is just going to flip for. Well done.
- Chis Spector
- Chis Spector
After Dark review
all about jazz
Pianist, composer and arranger Jeremy Manasia is the driving force behind After Dark, an excellent group of originals and standards rendered by Manasia, drummer Charles Ruggiero and bassist Barak Mori.
Manasia wrote most of the songs with classic jazz as his guiding principle. Up-tempo tunes like "Ruggburn" or the cool mid-tempo blues "Arch Eyes" are straight from the hard bop lexicon. In the spirited "Jake's Dilemma" one can hear whispers of Bud Powell's "Oblivion." There are subtle but substantial variations on the theme, such as "Search for Moonlight," another bop descendant that has influences ranging from Gershwin to Asian folk music. Guest star Ian Hendrickson-Smith's alto sax invokes Getz more than Coltrane on the samba arrangement of "Soul Eyes," but it neither mutes his own voice nor devolves into hollow mimicry. Jane Monheit's smoky vocals light up "When You Smile," a song whose structure and lyrics recall the golden era of singing and songwriting. And any yawns that might be induced upon seeing the title "Just One of Those Things" will be stifled quickly by Manasia's unique arrangement and the dynamism with which the trio attacks it.
Manasia continued his homage to the hard bop tradition during a lively CD release set at New York City's Smalls in late January 2009. The lineup was expanded to a quintet, featuring trumpeter Joe Magnarelli and Wayne Escoffery on tenor. The band played no tunes from After Dark; instead it showcased the music of trumpeter Kenny Dorham. The set opened with "Whistlestop," where ideas poured from Magnarelli's horn with such fury that it seemed that he wouldn't get them all out. Escoffery spun his wheels a bit initially but once he found a rhythm his solos were smartly conceived and resonant. Manasia comped deliberately throughout the set but played his own solos with the same fluidity he displayed on disc. The versions of "Sunrise in Mexico," "Escapade" and "Our Thing" were so tight and blistering that it made one want to run out and buy every single Kenny Dorham recording possible.
- Terrell Kent Holmes
Manasia wrote most of the songs with classic jazz as his guiding principle. Up-tempo tunes like "Ruggburn" or the cool mid-tempo blues "Arch Eyes" are straight from the hard bop lexicon. In the spirited "Jake's Dilemma" one can hear whispers of Bud Powell's "Oblivion." There are subtle but substantial variations on the theme, such as "Search for Moonlight," another bop descendant that has influences ranging from Gershwin to Asian folk music. Guest star Ian Hendrickson-Smith's alto sax invokes Getz more than Coltrane on the samba arrangement of "Soul Eyes," but it neither mutes his own voice nor devolves into hollow mimicry. Jane Monheit's smoky vocals light up "When You Smile," a song whose structure and lyrics recall the golden era of singing and songwriting. And any yawns that might be induced upon seeing the title "Just One of Those Things" will be stifled quickly by Manasia's unique arrangement and the dynamism with which the trio attacks it.
Manasia continued his homage to the hard bop tradition during a lively CD release set at New York City's Smalls in late January 2009. The lineup was expanded to a quintet, featuring trumpeter Joe Magnarelli and Wayne Escoffery on tenor. The band played no tunes from After Dark; instead it showcased the music of trumpeter Kenny Dorham. The set opened with "Whistlestop," where ideas poured from Magnarelli's horn with such fury that it seemed that he wouldn't get them all out. Escoffery spun his wheels a bit initially but once he found a rhythm his solos were smartly conceived and resonant. Manasia comped deliberately throughout the set but played his own solos with the same fluidity he displayed on disc. The versions of "Sunrise in Mexico," "Escapade" and "Our Thing" were so tight and blistering that it made one want to run out and buy every single Kenny Dorham recording possible.
- Terrell Kent Holmes
After Dark review
jazzreview.com
The New York piano player Jeremy Manasia has put together a wonderful trio recording, After Dark. It features ten original Manasia compositions, a Cole Porter song “Just One Of Those Things”. The jazz standard “Soul Eyes” by Mal Waldron and “I’m Wishing” composed by Frank Churchill and Larry Morey. Joined by bassist Barak Mori and drummer Charles Ruggiero the trio lays down a classic bop inspired groove that swings, gets bluesy and touches a classical lilt. A favorite trio recording for 2009. After Dark hits hard from the very first track. A Jeremy Manasia original composition entitled “Ruggburn” screams with delight as drummer Charles Ruggiero blasts out a thunderous rolling opener, seemingly insuring the alertness of the audience. The band jumps on board after four bars, they come on swinging, hot and heavy with lots of energy they pull each other back and forth in a dynamic tug of war that has each member displaying gifted musical abilities. Manasia hits full sounding dark chords, he mumbles in the background (reminiscent of Bud Powell), he adds fills, sustain, time and space. Playing melody, all the while swinging incessantly and running the keyboard with sweet sounding notes – the song progresses through a rhythmic bass solo by Barak Mori returns to a verse and builds to close in dynamic fashion repeating the melody a couple of times the trio hits a downbeat and fades to the next song.
This is a well produced recording, great sound and a wonderful feel and for me most importantly, everything flows smoothly. When a guest artist is introduced you know it is still the same album the theme is on track. Ian Hendrickson-Smith is guesting on “Soul Eyes” he plays tenor saxophone and lays down smooth, grand, rounded tones in a west coast style, alla Stan Getz.
On the song “When You Smile” composed by Manasia and Ruggiero, Jane Monheit makes a guest appearance, same thing – everything flows beautifully. The feel is vibrant and uplifting, with Monheit adding her lead instrument, vocals, to compliment the trios depth of musicality. An excellent tune.
The classical overtones are heard in songs such as “Ria”, “Search For Moonlight” and “Bayside Reflections”. Perhaps contemporary classical is a more fitting description. Or even contemporary jazz. I personally like Ellington’s classification of music, “There are two kinds of music. Good music and the other kind.” After Dark fits into the category of the first kind, Good Music.
- Paul J Youngman
This is a well produced recording, great sound and a wonderful feel and for me most importantly, everything flows smoothly. When a guest artist is introduced you know it is still the same album the theme is on track. Ian Hendrickson-Smith is guesting on “Soul Eyes” he plays tenor saxophone and lays down smooth, grand, rounded tones in a west coast style, alla Stan Getz.
On the song “When You Smile” composed by Manasia and Ruggiero, Jane Monheit makes a guest appearance, same thing – everything flows beautifully. The feel is vibrant and uplifting, with Monheit adding her lead instrument, vocals, to compliment the trios depth of musicality. An excellent tune.
The classical overtones are heard in songs such as “Ria”, “Search For Moonlight” and “Bayside Reflections”. Perhaps contemporary classical is a more fitting description. Or even contemporary jazz. I personally like Ellington’s classification of music, “There are two kinds of music. Good music and the other kind.” After Dark fits into the category of the first kind, Good Music.
- Paul J Youngman
Witchery review
thriving on a riff
Manasia's Cellar Live CD Witchery is from awhile back, and may have fallen by the wayside for not a few critics -- I'll confess that was the case for me. But now that I've got around to hearing it, I'm finding much to like. The CD is very well-crafted and swings deeply, as Manasia and a trio that includes bassist Hans Glawischnig and drummer Daniel Freedman tackle standards such as You Do Something To Me and I Should Care as well as several of the pianist's compositions. Manasia playing has a more schooled, orthodox feeling than does Hubert's, (I'd say that's true too for Tosoff, if the comparison must be made), but it offers different qualities to appreciate. The trio was recorded in 2004 at New York's Smoke jazz club -- almost a sister club to Weeds' Cellar, you might say -- and it reflects well on Weeds that he would put his label's weight behind an obscure musician who nonetheless makes some fine jazz.
- Peter Hum
- Peter Hum
Witchery review
O's Place Jazz Newsletter
We agree that is serious jazz coming from Manasia's trio. Jerry really swings on piano on “You Do Something To Me” and even with more of a swagger on “Witchery”. These are young players coming together having played with more notable talent and now saying something on their own. Jeremy has four originals here as well and we're convinced that what he is saying is worth listening to!”
D. Oscar Groomes
D. Oscar Groomes
Witchery review
It is impossible for me to take the long, long cab ride from JFK to Manhattan--up the Van Wyck to the LIE, past Corona Park to the Queensborough Bridge--as I do frequently in the course of my work, without the "Witchery" album playing in my head. You have created a magnificent soundtrack for the City.
(For the record--the song that USED to run through my head was the theme from "The Honeymooners". Rest in peace, Sammy Spear!)
I've bought several copies for some native New Yorker (and some from Bergen County who WISH they were natives) friends of mine; they all rave about it and say the same thing I've just told you. It reminds them of home.
Keep up the outstanding work. Looking forward to your next album. It can't come soon enough.
- RJ Jaimes
(For the record--the song that USED to run through my head was the theme from "The Honeymooners". Rest in peace, Sammy Spear!)
I've bought several copies for some native New Yorker (and some from Bergen County who WISH they were natives) friends of mine; they all rave about it and say the same thing I've just told you. It reminds them of home.
Keep up the outstanding work. Looking forward to your next album. It can't come soon enough.
- RJ Jaimes
Smalls review
unveiled arts
The stalwart pianist from Staten Island, Jeremy Manasia, and his local trio grace Smalls with another after-hours closer. Manasia's no stranger to the nighttime scene: his latest album, on Posi-Tone Records, is titled After Dark. Hence that full-flowing vibe to keep you riveted past midnight. You might recognize bassist Joe Lepore from Trio 65, the former Rainbow Room's house band, but his fluidic stylings are right at home with Manasia's cascading keys. Drummer Jason Brown is versatile enough to keep a dry hi-hat beat and then erupt into percolating fills. Consider this set your jazz nightcap and chaser.
- Brian Fee
- Brian Fee
review
jazz police
The now smoke-free Smoke Jazz is located on the Upper West Side of Manhattan. I stopped by on a no-cover night in April 2003 to catch regular performers "The Hot Pants Funk Sextet." The Hotpants' front line was a little weak, but drummer Joe Strasser was solid-fonky and a wild Wurlitzer solo by Jeremy Manasia made the night worthwhile for me. Manasia lives in a world where Bud Powell plays fuzzed-out wah-wah fusion, and I'd like to spend more time in that place.
- Jonathan Casey
- Jonathan Casey
Fowser/Gillece quintet review
It was two New York City-based bands squaring off, as the Fowser/Gillece group, led by tenor saxophonist Ken Fowser and vibraphonist Behn Gillece, won the competition over the fine Bruce Harris Quintet. The Fowser/Gillece Quintet’s winning performance opened with a sly, energetic blues by the group’s pianist Jeremy Manasia, called “Jeremy’s Other Blues.” Gillece’s ringing vibes work and Fowser’s warm, muscular sound took hold of the audience immediately, and Manasia stormed the castle with a spry, multi-faceted solo, springing nimbly among cheerful musical ideas. Another highlight was “The Hutch,” Gillece’s tribute to vibes great Bobby Hutcherson. But while the quality of the playing by these three, as well as bassist Adam Cote and drummer Jason Brown, was high throughout the band’s set, it was the empathetic interplay among all five musicians that made the performance shine. It’s not surprising that this quintet had substantial team chemistry on display. They’ve been together long enough to have recorded a fine CD, Full View.
JM interview
nytheater mike
Jazz pianist and composer Jeremy Manasia has already had quite an accomplished career. Having trained at New York’s prestigious Fiorello H. LaGuardia High School of Music & Art and Performing Arts (i.e. the school that inspired the movie Fame) and been a finalist for the Thelonius Monk Competition, he has since toured the world as a musician and played with such jazz luminaries as Charles Owens, Peter Bernstein, Ryan Kisor, Chris Potter, Marlena Shaw, Diane Schurr, and The Glenn Miller Orchestra.
Jeremy has also adopted the mantle of bandleader and recorded two albums of his own compositions. His latest one, After Dark, features Jeremy backed by two of New York’s finest jazz stalwarts, Barak Mori and Charles Ruggiero, and includes guest performances by two other notable jazzbos, Jane Monheit and Ian Hendrickson-Smith.
In the midst of a busy performance and teaching schedule (he’s a faculty member at Manhattan School of Music), Jeremy swung by the ol’ blog to talk about the roots of creativity, what it’s like to influence young minds, and his budding career as a film composer. Check it out…
(Editor’s Note: It should be stated, for the record, that Jeremy is also an old friend of this blog and its author. We went to high school together, way back in the day. FYI.)
Dude, I remember back in high school when you looked and dressed like a headbanger. You certainly didn’t look like someone who played jazz. How’d you first get interested in jazz?
High school and mom. I went to LaGuardia High School for piano, and as a piano major you need to take up a secondary instrument. I wanted to play saxophone, and was given the oboe. After a year I wanted out, and switched to double bass. This left a hole in my schedule, so I was tossed into the jazz history class (a senior level elective course) taught by Justin DiCioccio. This ultimately was an experience that would change the direction of my life forever.
My mom was also a jazz singer at this time, and was performing around New York City with very prominent jazz musicians like Harold Mabern, Ira Coleman and Bob Cranshaw. So all of a sudden I was surrounded by jazz everywhere. I also had a private piano teacher at the time, Peter Vianni, from Staten Island who was a jazz player and started to show me some voicing and improvisation techniques.
Yeah, I was a headbanger for a while. I came up on rock ‘n’ roll and folk music. Around the house I was hearing The Beatles, Joni Mitchell, The Stones, Bob Dylan, and also some early disco like Chaka Kahn and Donna Summer. Later on I became really influenced by The Beatles and John Lennon. I was really affected by John Lennon’s death, seeing how hard it hit everyone.
I naturally progressed into some more modern and harder rock, like Van Halen and Rush, and eventually got deep into the 80s metal scene, listening to bands like Iron Maiden, Metallica, and Judas Priest, long hair, leather jackets, and studs. After I was turned onto jazz, I went through a segue period where I was listening to artists like Pat Metheny and John Scofield.
When I look back at it all though, it does make sense, as all American music – rock ‘n’ roll, jazz, country, funk – it all comes from the blues.
Tell us about your new album, After Dark.
I’m really happy with my new record, After Dark. It has compositions of mine that span over a decade of my writing, and were carefully chosen for this date. The final track on the record, “Afterthought,” I actually wrote in college, more than 15 years ago. “Jerry’s Blues” is also an oldie, from around ‘97, ‘98. Most of the others are from the past two to five years.
I was really happy about the lineup on this record. Charles Ruggiero is one of my oldest friends, and someone whom I have played a lot of music with in my life. He was getting ready to move to L.A., where he is now, and I wanted to make sure we got this date in before he left. And Barak Mori was the obvious first choice for bassist, for the hookup he and Charles have, and his great vibe. Both of those guys took the music really seriously, and worked their butts off to play their best on this record. I could tell from the first rehearsal how good this was going to turn out, and how they were going to give their all in the studio. It made me make sure to kick it up a notch when we got in to the studio.
Ironically, we had done a quartet date with Ian Hendrickson-Smith the week before, in the same studio, with the same rhythm section. As it turned out, Ian was not going to use the material from that session, so I thought it would be a great idea to include one of the tracks on After Dark, and that’s how Ian, and “Soul Eyes,” made it on the record. Which also thrilled me, because Ian is also one of my older friends that I have made a lot of music with over the years.
The record was recorded by Glenn Forrest, who is an unknown master of his craft. He is an engineer of a dying breed; the ones who don’t look at computer screens, but LISTEN to the track as it is being made. He gives great care, and has great knowledge on how to get the best possible sounds, and always does. There is no one that I would have felt more comfortable in the studio, than with G-Bleuy. He is just the man, and made a great sounding record.
About six months after it was recorded, I ended up signing a deal with Posi-Tone records to release After Dark . Posi-Tone is a L.A. based jazz record company who have been putting out great records for the past few years. Once the wheels got rolling everything slowly came together. The Jane [Monheit] recording session, the cover art, Eric Reed wrote the liner notes, and Charles and Nick O’Toole (co-founder of Posi-Tone) mixed the record in L.A.
After Dark is the record I always wanted to make, with some of my best friends, playing a variety of different compositions of mine, and a couple of standard compositions.
Jane Monheit does some guest vocals on the album. How’d you get her on board?
Jane’s husband and drummer, Rick, is old friends with the drummer on my record, Charles. They have all been great friends for a long time. And I have known them as well, just not as close as Charles. After we had recorded the music for After Dark, Charles really loved a song I wrote, then called “Chrisantics,” dedicated to my old teacher, Chris Anderson. Charles said, “I’m going to write lyrics to that song, and get Jane to sing it…” And lo and behold, “When You Smile” was born, and Jane did it. She was really amazing to work with, very professional, and just an amazing singer. The melody on “When You Smile” has a very large range and is very difficult to sing, but it just fit like a glove to Jane. I’m really happy and grateful to have her on the record, it really adds a nice special touch.
As a musician, who are some of your influences and inspirations?
An artist’s influences and inspirations fluctuate throughout the course of his/her life, and I can certainly say that what influences me today is drastically different from what did 10, 15 or 20 years ago.
That being said, the music that pulled me completely into jazz-dom was John Coltrane and his pianist McCoy Tyner. That was the first jazz that I really fell in love with. Albums like Crescent, Live at Birdland, and Coltranewere records I wore out and listened to multiple times daily.
After the fall into jazz-dom, I started expanding my listening and became influenced by pianists Sonny Clark, Wynton Kelly and Red Garland. This was during college, and I spent a lot of time with the great Blue Note records of the 50s and 60s by Hank Mobley, Lee Morgan, Freddie Hubbard, Wayne Shorter, Dexter Gordon etc., that frequently had these pianists on them, as well as McCoy, and Herbie Hancock.
During the years that I was studying in Holland, my musical influences started to really expand, and at the same time that I was being turned onto Herbie Hancock and Keith Jarrett, I was really learning a lot from listening and transcribing Bud Powell and studying with Barry Harris, and Dutch pianist Franz Elsan. Also around this time I was exposed to the piano music of Maurice Ravel, which has made a lasting effect on my life.
Through the years there have been so many varied musical influences, from Stevie Wonder and Donnie Hathaway to Billie Holliday and Sarah Vaughn to Duke Ellington and Thad Jones, to Robert Johnson and Ghanayan drumming. Nowadays, things other than music are greatly influencing the way I approach music. The work and philosophy of Jackson Pollock is very close to me right now, dealing with art and creativity coming from the unconscious. Also my zen practice is very influential to learning how to completely and fully express myself through art in a sincere way.
What, if anything, are you trying to achieve or communicate with your work?
I’m trying to achieve a state of total and pure expression. Ravel said that the real aim, the ultimate concern, is fullness and sincerity of expression. It is a personal struggle and spiritual path to allow myself to be honest and open in my expression, despite all of the inner critical voices. I believe a human’s greatest joy in life is to creatively express themselves, in any shape or form. There is always an open door in front of us every moment of our lives to be completely sincere in our expression, whether telling someone to screw off, showing kindness, creating art, anything. It is our greatest desire to be ourselves, fully, without any inhibitions. And I know that the people who have affected me the most have been the ones who have lived their lives in this way.
Nelson Mandela said, “Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness that most frightens us.” This is my path as an artist and as a person. And I find that the older I get, the more and more simple the message becomes. There are no limits to the imagination, and less is usually more. So there is this search for the boundless simplification. Like when you hear a tune like “Mood Indigo” by Duke Ellington, or “Don’t Let Me Down” by John Lennon. They are so simple, yet you have to ask yourself, “Where did they FIND THAT!” Duke Ellington said that every day he is looking for a melody. He’s never sure where or when he will find it. But from the moment he wakes up to the moment he falls asleep, he is searching, constantly looking.
You also teach budding musicians. How’d you first get into that and what do you like about it?
Teaching is a way of directly giving back all that I am thankful for having received from music. It is really a position of service, of giving and guiding.
Also, teaching is quite frequently an experience of looking into a mirror, and can be very challenging, while maintaining integrity for what you teach, with staying open enough for a teaching to enter yourself. I constantly learn from my students.
Teaching constantly challenges me to remind myself who I am, and to maintain the integrity of who I am and allow openness for this other person, this other expression that may be drastically different from myself.
The job of a teacher is to open someone up to the creative expression in the abstract that is within them. Yes, there are definitely techniques, and formalities that must be worked on and learned, and mastered. And these are tools that are acquired to be a vessel that can freely express him/her self, beyond the technique.
At the right moments, a teacher also needs to know when to give a kick in the ass, to keep the student straight. Because what we are dealing with here, is pretty serious business, actually. When you start talking about true sincere expression with no limits, you are treading on sacred ground. Ground that has been tread on by many past masters, who have shown us the many ways. So it is important to be able to see when a student may be being lazy, or goofing off, and provide a good ass kicking.
Don’t get me wrong, it is all about fun, and reaching a point of real good feeling, warm groovy goodness. But that stuff is the most serious stuff there is, and can’t be taken for granted. We should be serious about having a good time, and making that warm groovy goodness with, and for, everyone we contact.
On top of everything else, you’re a budding film composer. Why film music?
Because I love movies. That simple.
As a child, movie music greatly affected me, probably more than I even realize. I would really get lost in movies, and hearing the music (when it is done well) brings you right back there. C’mon, Star Wars, Raiders,Superman… awesome music.
And also, the musician these days needs to have a little more versatility, besides just being a player. I love to write, I love the movies, and I get great joy out of putting music to a scene. It’s like being a child again.
Jeremy has also adopted the mantle of bandleader and recorded two albums of his own compositions. His latest one, After Dark, features Jeremy backed by two of New York’s finest jazz stalwarts, Barak Mori and Charles Ruggiero, and includes guest performances by two other notable jazzbos, Jane Monheit and Ian Hendrickson-Smith.
In the midst of a busy performance and teaching schedule (he’s a faculty member at Manhattan School of Music), Jeremy swung by the ol’ blog to talk about the roots of creativity, what it’s like to influence young minds, and his budding career as a film composer. Check it out…
(Editor’s Note: It should be stated, for the record, that Jeremy is also an old friend of this blog and its author. We went to high school together, way back in the day. FYI.)
Dude, I remember back in high school when you looked and dressed like a headbanger. You certainly didn’t look like someone who played jazz. How’d you first get interested in jazz?
High school and mom. I went to LaGuardia High School for piano, and as a piano major you need to take up a secondary instrument. I wanted to play saxophone, and was given the oboe. After a year I wanted out, and switched to double bass. This left a hole in my schedule, so I was tossed into the jazz history class (a senior level elective course) taught by Justin DiCioccio. This ultimately was an experience that would change the direction of my life forever.
My mom was also a jazz singer at this time, and was performing around New York City with very prominent jazz musicians like Harold Mabern, Ira Coleman and Bob Cranshaw. So all of a sudden I was surrounded by jazz everywhere. I also had a private piano teacher at the time, Peter Vianni, from Staten Island who was a jazz player and started to show me some voicing and improvisation techniques.
Yeah, I was a headbanger for a while. I came up on rock ‘n’ roll and folk music. Around the house I was hearing The Beatles, Joni Mitchell, The Stones, Bob Dylan, and also some early disco like Chaka Kahn and Donna Summer. Later on I became really influenced by The Beatles and John Lennon. I was really affected by John Lennon’s death, seeing how hard it hit everyone.
I naturally progressed into some more modern and harder rock, like Van Halen and Rush, and eventually got deep into the 80s metal scene, listening to bands like Iron Maiden, Metallica, and Judas Priest, long hair, leather jackets, and studs. After I was turned onto jazz, I went through a segue period where I was listening to artists like Pat Metheny and John Scofield.
When I look back at it all though, it does make sense, as all American music – rock ‘n’ roll, jazz, country, funk – it all comes from the blues.
Tell us about your new album, After Dark.
I’m really happy with my new record, After Dark. It has compositions of mine that span over a decade of my writing, and were carefully chosen for this date. The final track on the record, “Afterthought,” I actually wrote in college, more than 15 years ago. “Jerry’s Blues” is also an oldie, from around ‘97, ‘98. Most of the others are from the past two to five years.
I was really happy about the lineup on this record. Charles Ruggiero is one of my oldest friends, and someone whom I have played a lot of music with in my life. He was getting ready to move to L.A., where he is now, and I wanted to make sure we got this date in before he left. And Barak Mori was the obvious first choice for bassist, for the hookup he and Charles have, and his great vibe. Both of those guys took the music really seriously, and worked their butts off to play their best on this record. I could tell from the first rehearsal how good this was going to turn out, and how they were going to give their all in the studio. It made me make sure to kick it up a notch when we got in to the studio.
Ironically, we had done a quartet date with Ian Hendrickson-Smith the week before, in the same studio, with the same rhythm section. As it turned out, Ian was not going to use the material from that session, so I thought it would be a great idea to include one of the tracks on After Dark, and that’s how Ian, and “Soul Eyes,” made it on the record. Which also thrilled me, because Ian is also one of my older friends that I have made a lot of music with over the years.
The record was recorded by Glenn Forrest, who is an unknown master of his craft. He is an engineer of a dying breed; the ones who don’t look at computer screens, but LISTEN to the track as it is being made. He gives great care, and has great knowledge on how to get the best possible sounds, and always does. There is no one that I would have felt more comfortable in the studio, than with G-Bleuy. He is just the man, and made a great sounding record.
About six months after it was recorded, I ended up signing a deal with Posi-Tone records to release After Dark . Posi-Tone is a L.A. based jazz record company who have been putting out great records for the past few years. Once the wheels got rolling everything slowly came together. The Jane [Monheit] recording session, the cover art, Eric Reed wrote the liner notes, and Charles and Nick O’Toole (co-founder of Posi-Tone) mixed the record in L.A.
After Dark is the record I always wanted to make, with some of my best friends, playing a variety of different compositions of mine, and a couple of standard compositions.
Jane Monheit does some guest vocals on the album. How’d you get her on board?
Jane’s husband and drummer, Rick, is old friends with the drummer on my record, Charles. They have all been great friends for a long time. And I have known them as well, just not as close as Charles. After we had recorded the music for After Dark, Charles really loved a song I wrote, then called “Chrisantics,” dedicated to my old teacher, Chris Anderson. Charles said, “I’m going to write lyrics to that song, and get Jane to sing it…” And lo and behold, “When You Smile” was born, and Jane did it. She was really amazing to work with, very professional, and just an amazing singer. The melody on “When You Smile” has a very large range and is very difficult to sing, but it just fit like a glove to Jane. I’m really happy and grateful to have her on the record, it really adds a nice special touch.
As a musician, who are some of your influences and inspirations?
An artist’s influences and inspirations fluctuate throughout the course of his/her life, and I can certainly say that what influences me today is drastically different from what did 10, 15 or 20 years ago.
That being said, the music that pulled me completely into jazz-dom was John Coltrane and his pianist McCoy Tyner. That was the first jazz that I really fell in love with. Albums like Crescent, Live at Birdland, and Coltranewere records I wore out and listened to multiple times daily.
After the fall into jazz-dom, I started expanding my listening and became influenced by pianists Sonny Clark, Wynton Kelly and Red Garland. This was during college, and I spent a lot of time with the great Blue Note records of the 50s and 60s by Hank Mobley, Lee Morgan, Freddie Hubbard, Wayne Shorter, Dexter Gordon etc., that frequently had these pianists on them, as well as McCoy, and Herbie Hancock.
During the years that I was studying in Holland, my musical influences started to really expand, and at the same time that I was being turned onto Herbie Hancock and Keith Jarrett, I was really learning a lot from listening and transcribing Bud Powell and studying with Barry Harris, and Dutch pianist Franz Elsan. Also around this time I was exposed to the piano music of Maurice Ravel, which has made a lasting effect on my life.
Through the years there have been so many varied musical influences, from Stevie Wonder and Donnie Hathaway to Billie Holliday and Sarah Vaughn to Duke Ellington and Thad Jones, to Robert Johnson and Ghanayan drumming. Nowadays, things other than music are greatly influencing the way I approach music. The work and philosophy of Jackson Pollock is very close to me right now, dealing with art and creativity coming from the unconscious. Also my zen practice is very influential to learning how to completely and fully express myself through art in a sincere way.
What, if anything, are you trying to achieve or communicate with your work?
I’m trying to achieve a state of total and pure expression. Ravel said that the real aim, the ultimate concern, is fullness and sincerity of expression. It is a personal struggle and spiritual path to allow myself to be honest and open in my expression, despite all of the inner critical voices. I believe a human’s greatest joy in life is to creatively express themselves, in any shape or form. There is always an open door in front of us every moment of our lives to be completely sincere in our expression, whether telling someone to screw off, showing kindness, creating art, anything. It is our greatest desire to be ourselves, fully, without any inhibitions. And I know that the people who have affected me the most have been the ones who have lived their lives in this way.
Nelson Mandela said, “Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness that most frightens us.” This is my path as an artist and as a person. And I find that the older I get, the more and more simple the message becomes. There are no limits to the imagination, and less is usually more. So there is this search for the boundless simplification. Like when you hear a tune like “Mood Indigo” by Duke Ellington, or “Don’t Let Me Down” by John Lennon. They are so simple, yet you have to ask yourself, “Where did they FIND THAT!” Duke Ellington said that every day he is looking for a melody. He’s never sure where or when he will find it. But from the moment he wakes up to the moment he falls asleep, he is searching, constantly looking.
You also teach budding musicians. How’d you first get into that and what do you like about it?
Teaching is a way of directly giving back all that I am thankful for having received from music. It is really a position of service, of giving and guiding.
Also, teaching is quite frequently an experience of looking into a mirror, and can be very challenging, while maintaining integrity for what you teach, with staying open enough for a teaching to enter yourself. I constantly learn from my students.
Teaching constantly challenges me to remind myself who I am, and to maintain the integrity of who I am and allow openness for this other person, this other expression that may be drastically different from myself.
The job of a teacher is to open someone up to the creative expression in the abstract that is within them. Yes, there are definitely techniques, and formalities that must be worked on and learned, and mastered. And these are tools that are acquired to be a vessel that can freely express him/her self, beyond the technique.
At the right moments, a teacher also needs to know when to give a kick in the ass, to keep the student straight. Because what we are dealing with here, is pretty serious business, actually. When you start talking about true sincere expression with no limits, you are treading on sacred ground. Ground that has been tread on by many past masters, who have shown us the many ways. So it is important to be able to see when a student may be being lazy, or goofing off, and provide a good ass kicking.
Don’t get me wrong, it is all about fun, and reaching a point of real good feeling, warm groovy goodness. But that stuff is the most serious stuff there is, and can’t be taken for granted. We should be serious about having a good time, and making that warm groovy goodness with, and for, everyone we contact.
On top of everything else, you’re a budding film composer. Why film music?
Because I love movies. That simple.
As a child, movie music greatly affected me, probably more than I even realize. I would really get lost in movies, and hearing the music (when it is done well) brings you right back there. C’mon, Star Wars, Raiders,Superman… awesome music.
And also, the musician these days needs to have a little more versatility, besides just being a player. I love to write, I love the movies, and I get great joy out of putting music to a scene. It’s like being a child again.