Heat Fund Fundraiser feat. Cameron Brown
It may look like the heating season is almost over, but for the most vulnerable among us this is the hardest time to keep warm. Fuel assistance funds have been used up and they rely on the Windham County Heat Fund to fill the gap. All net proceeeds raised from this benefit concert go directly to the Windham Heat Fund.
Tonight we celebrate Cameron Brown who turned 80 in December. Cameron is a living legend who has played and recorded with a who’s who in the jazz world since the mid-1960s. He is also a dear friend and a dedicated member of our community – he taught at the Summer Jazz Workshop for almost two decades. Tonight, Brown will be heard in two settings, the first as a duo with pianist Harvey Diamond. The second is with his New York quintet, Dannie’s Calypso.
The piano and bass duo came together in 2016 when fellow VJC Summer Workshop faculty member, Harvey Diamond was asked to perform at Mezzrow, a piano-centric bar in New York’s West Village. Diamond called Brown to join him, and, as the saying goes, “the rest is history.” To date, Cameron and Harvey have played Mezzrow a total of 15 times and recorded two duo albums. Their simpatico is palpable; Cameron has an uncanny ability to hear and follow the spontaneous nuances of Harvey’s extraordinarily rich harmonic palate.
The second set of the evening will feature a band that Cameron Brown organized to perform music that was inspired by his time in the bands of trumpeter Don Cherry and drummer Dannie Richmond. Dannie’s Calypso demonstrates the breadth of Brown’s prolific history, embracing bebop, swing, tightly scripted melodies, and even free jazz. Dannie’s Calypso reflects Cameron’s musical choices and also aligns with his way of life. One encounters a sincere commitment to integrity, respect for the jazz lineage, and a belief that creativity is our human birthright. Similar to Ornette Coleman’s landmark groups, Dannie’s Calypso is chordless (without piano or guitar). This gives the band members the freedom to improvise in an open environment where they are less restrained by the strict harmonic confines laid out by chordal instruments.
In a recent interview with Cameron Brown, I asked him about the origin of the group’s name. Dannie’s Calypso refers to a calypso-style composition by the drummer Dannie Richmond called “Soft Seas.” It memorializes Cameron’s 10-year tenure with Richmond, pianist Don Pullen and saxophonist George Adams. These three celebrated musicians were alumni of the Charles Mingus Quintet during the 1970s. Their quartet stood on the shoulders of Mingus’s legacy, but in reality, they had already moved on and created their own milieu. Jazz Times recognized their significance: “During the decade it lasted, from 1979 to 1989, the quartet was among the best working bands of its time.”
Harvey Diamond/Cameron Brown Duo
Harvey Diamond (piano):
Harvey Diamond has been described as “one of the unsung heroes of the Boston jazz scene since the mid-1960s.” In the 1970s, he was one of Lennie Tristano’s last students. Harvey has performed at Ryles Jazz Club, the Acton Jazz Café, the Regatta Bar, WGBH, and many other venues. Jazz Master Sheila Jordan stated “Harvey Diamond is a fantastic pianist. He plays from his heart and totally disappears into the song. He’s a real joy to sing with.”
Dannie’s Calypso:
Dave Ballou (trumpet)
Ballou first joined Cameron Brown in 1997 on a recording project with Sheila Jordan and Dewey Redman. He has performed and/or recorded with a wide range of artists including Gunther Schuller, Andrew Hill, Oliver Lake, Woody Herman, Steely Dan, David Sanford, John Hollenbeck, Wadada Leo Smith, Joe Lovano, Rabih Abou Khalil, Joe Maneri, Dewey Redman, and Billy Hart. Ballou is a Professor of Music at Towson University.
Tony Jefferson (drums)
Jefferson placed third in the Thelonious Monk Competition in 1992. He has performed and recorded with Eddie Harris, Kenny Drew Jr., Lonnie Smith, Eddie Henderson, Lou Donaldson, Frank Wess, Don Friedman, Cyrus Chestnut, Mark Whitfield, Jerry Bergonzi, Joey Calderazzo, Freddy Cole, Hank Jones, Benny Golson, Cedar Walton, Vic Juris, Charles McPherson, John Abercrombie and many others.
Lisa Parrott (saxophones)
Born in Australia, Parrott moved to New York City in 1993. She is the recipient of a 2024 CMA New Jazz Works grant and has been recognized in numerous DownBeat polls. Parrott has performed in all 50 U.S. states and played in numerous large ensembles including the New York Pops, the Artie Shaw Orchestra, Jimmy Heath’s Big Band, Marty Ehrlich’s Large Ensemble and the Diva Jazz Orchestra. Other performance credits include Dave Brubeck, Nancy Wilson, Johnny Mandel, Cindy Blackman, Gunther Schuller, Marty Ehrlich, and Allison Miller.
Jason Rigby (tenor saxophone)
Rigby’s path was set in motion when he heard Coleman Hawkins’ Body and Soul at age ten. Now based in New York City, Rigby has performed with the Vanguard Jazz Orchestra, Eivind Opsvik, Kris Davis, John Patitucci, and Billy Hart among many others. He appears on recordings with Mike Holober, Oranjjoolius, Fumi Tomita, John Irabagon, Mark Guiliana, and many others.
When reminiscing about his travels with Dannie Richmond, Don Pullen and George Adams, Cameron said that in the decade that they had toured together they had averaged 180 gigs a year. “The energy was off the graph compared to anything I’d ever been a part of – the intensity was incredible.” Sadly, none of the other members of that quartet made it to their mid-fifties. “They lived so hard, it’s as if they lived two days for each day of their lives.” Brown finished up our conversation saying, “I want Dannie to be remembered. That’s where the name of the band comes from.”
This concert is held in honor of our friend and neighbor, Eve Baker. All proceeds will go to support the Windham County Heat Fund.
Eugene Uman