Lubow Photography -- Baltimore Jazz Musicans

Link to Hyena Records Lafayette Gilchrist Shoot

The Urbanite, #8, Feb 05 (Soundtracks of the City)

Jazz

“Man, the last time I heard a group like that, I had an Afro and money in my pocket,” says Keith Covington, owner of the New Haven Lounge in the Northwood Shopping Center. He’s talking about Mofofunka, a Hammond B3 organ boogaloo band that’s bad -- and that’s good! (Think George Clinton, Jimmy Smith, and Isaac Hayes.) The Baltimore jazz scene is filled with quality players like Mofofunka, just waiting to be heard. And what’s their sound? It depends who you ask. Benny Russell, head of the Jazz Department at the Maryland Conservatory of Music, sees Baltimore as a hard bop town, where R&B, gospel, and bebop meet. Andy Bienstock of WYPR sees a city of “funky little bars” providing a rich variety of styles. On one thing, though, everyone agrees: the local talent shines.

Barry Glassman -- whose website, baltimorejazz.com offers what’s happening and where -- says Baltimore’s top sax players match any in the world. Gary Bartz and Gary Thomas immediately come to mind. Internationally known and respected as masters in their own rights, these guys played with Miles. Another fine saxophonist is TK Blue, who uniquely fuses hard bop with an African/Caribbean sound. As for drummers, Baltimore is home to Dennis Chambers, the “most influential drummer on the world scene,” according to Russell, and the innovator of a double base pedal technique that sends the feet to Mach 1. On piano, Lafayette Gilchrist is the man of the hour. A player who respects traditional jazz, Gilchrist blends hip hop and funk with a modern percussive beat that drives a dark, spiritual sound uniquely his own. “This cat has to be listened to!” Covington says. Jazziz magazine agrees, naming Gilchrist’s CD, The Music According to Lafayette Gilchrist, one of the best releases of 2004. And on the B3 organ -- the instrument that defined the Baltimore sound in the ’50s and ’60s -- the master is Greg Hatza. “Intensity, drive, he’s got it all,” says Glassman. He created a stir at last fall’s Cape May Jazz Festival. “Everywhere I went,” says Covington, “all I heard was how the cat from Baltimore really turned the place out.”

In addition to those “funky little bars” mentioned by Bienstock, Baltimore offers two exceptional venues, each with its own signature. Covington’s New Haven Lounge has been Baltimore’s “Village Vanguard” since 1987. If you’re a top-notch bop-influenced or “straight ahead” player, it’s been part of your journey. On the other side of town, just south of Mount Vernon, An die Musik now offers an intimate concert hall, seating up to 75. This upscale venue showcases exceptional Baltimore-based musicians like bassist/composer Michael Formanek, an avant-garde player who can do it all.

And the future? “The new cats are coming,” says Covington. Hard bop, jazz-funk, avant-garde, and more, it’s there, in your neighborhood, just around the corner, just straight ahead.

LHL