Save the Date: CD Release Show 3/10 @ Coda

Hi Friends & Listeners:

I'm excited to announce that we've scheduled the official CD release show next month for the Ian Carey Quintet's new album on Kabocha Records, Contextualizin'. The show will be hosted by Coda Jazz Supper Club, a great new venue in San Francisco's inner Mission district. The details:

WHAT: Contextualizin' CD Release Show
WHO: The Ian Carey Quintet, featuring Ian Carey, trumpet & flugelhorn; Adam Shulman, Fender Rhodes piano; Evan Francis, saxophone & flute; Fred Randolph, bass; and Jon Arkin, drums (+ special guests!)
WHERE: Coda, 1710 Mission Street, SF
WHEN: Wednesday, March 10, 7-9:30pm
HOW MUCH: $5

I'd love to get as many folks out to hear us as possible, so if you can only make it to one show of mine this year, this should be the one.

The album will make its radio debut and be available online and at select stores on 2/16--I'll post the links once they're live--and of course copies will be available at the show.

Hope to see you there!

Update + CD Press Release

Hi Folks, Happy New Year to you all! As you'll see in the press release below, the Quintet's new album hits radio & retail in just under a month, which I'm excited about. We still don't have a venue for a CD release show (RIP Anna's), but are following up on several leads, so you'll be the first to know. In the meantime, here's the official press release announcing the new record:

Ian Carey Quintet to Release Second CD, "Contextualizin'," February 16

Band Led by Trumpeter/Composer Ian Carey also Includes Evan Francis, Adam Shulman, Fred Randolph, & Jon Arkin

January 21, 2010

Ian Carey's 2006 debut, SINK/SWIM, drew some critical attention to the Oakland-based trumpeter's original music and forward-thinking quintet, but his new recording, Contextualizin', is sure to turn heads in the direction of this gifted jazz trumpeter/composer. The new CD will be released by Carey's Kabocha Records imprint on February 16.

"Sometime when I was in my twenties," says Carey, now 35, "I realized that there are so many great, amazing players out there that the context in which I do what I'm doing is going to be how I differentiate myself, and for me that's writing my own tunes and doing my own things within them."

Carey's striking compositions--and one standard, "Just Friends"--are performed by the tight group of improvisers with whom he recorded SINK/SWIM (also on Kabocha) and has frequently worked in Bay Area club settings for the last six years. Saxophonist and flutist Evan Francis is his fiery front-line partner; Adam Shulman switches between piano and Fender Rhodes (playing with "understated virtuosity," in the leader's words); bassist Fred Randolph and drummer Jon Arkin ground and propel the music.

In the CD notes, Carey describes his realization that "What I played would help shape how I played (and vice versa, as it turned out). A song could be a story in itself, or a vehicle to inspire improvisational storytelling. (And sometimes, when everything is happening just right, it can be both.)"

The dropped "g" in the CD's title, Carey adds, "is a play on the high-concept, analytical stuff that people come up with to talk about their music." But when it comes to the music itself, Carey "asks deep musical questions," says composer/educator Bill Kirchner, "and comes up with compelling answers."

Born and raised in a musical family in Binghamton, New York, Ian Carey moved with his family to Folsom, California (near Sacramento) in time for high school, where he was inspired to begin studying jazz trumpet seriously. He studied classical trumpet for two years at the University of Nevada in Reno (also performing with the Reno Philharmonic), then enrolled in the New School in New York City and earned a B.A. in Jazz and Contemporary Music.

At the New School Ian studied trumpet with Cecil Bridgewater, Vincent Penzarella, and Charles Tolliver and composition with Bill Kirchner and Maria Schneider, as well as taking small group classes with Joanne Brackeen, Andrew Cyrille, Billy Harper, and Reggie Workman. He also performed with the likes of Eddie Bert, Rory Stuart, and Ravi Coltrane, and at venues such as the Blue Note and Smalls. Carey led his own Brooklyn-based quartet for several years before moving to San Francisco in 2001.

In addition to leading the quintet heard on Contextualizin', Carey has played around the Bay Area with the Contemporary Jazz Orchestra, 8 Legged Monster, the Realistic Orchestra, vocalist Betty Fu, and pianists Ben Stolorow and the late B.J. Papa. His main focus, however, has been on composing and performing original music with the quintet. In his CD booklet notes, Carey recalls a meeting with the saxophonist Steve Lacy in which Lacy observed that the trumpet "is a discursive instrument -- you know, it tells a story." With those words in mind, Ian Carey aims to say something with his music. He aims to tell stories.

Media Contact: Terri Hinte
www.terrihinte.com

Winter Update + CD Release News

Hi Listeners: I'd like to officially announce the upcoming release of the Ian Carey Quintet's long-awaited (by me, at least) new album, Contextualizin', on Kabocha Records, February 16th, 2010.



The album, which was recorded last May at Berkeley's Bay Records, features my long-time group of Adam Shulman on piano and Fender Rhodes, Evan Francis on alto saxophone and flute, Fred Randolph on bass, and Jon Arkin on drums, playing a set of eight original compositions, plus a re-imagining of the standard "Just Friends."

The album will be available for purchase and download at CDBaby, iTunes, Amazon.com and other online outlets, as well as in select Bay Area record stores. (Yes, they do still exist!)

Stay tuned for announcements about our CD release show, samples, and other goodies. Have a fine holiday season (please go to some jazz shows!), and I hope to see you in 2010!

2 Upcoming Shows + September Update

Hello jazz aficionados, friends, stalkers, and people who stumbled here looking for pictures of "Wynton Marsalis shirtless":

First, I'm genuinely stoked (as the kids say) to announce that the new, as-yet-untitled album by the Ian Carey Quintet is nearly finished. (I'm 90% done with mixing, which will be followed by mastering by Bay Area sound guru Ken Lee, then duplication, then...) The disc will feature 8 of my original compositions and one re-invented standard, and I hope to have it out by late fall.

I also wanted to tell you about a few shows I've got coming up which I think you'd enjoy. First up is this Friday, when I'm going to be playing with the Ben Stolorow Quartet, on a double bill with his new project with his sister Stephanie called "Stoli Rose" (Get it?!)

We'll be going on second, and playing original music by the band, plus a couple of rarely-heard jazz classics. Come on down!

WHAT: Stoli Rose + Ben Stolorow Quartet
WHO: Stephanie Stolorow, vocal; Ben Stolorow, piano; Ian Carey, trumpet; Noah Shencker, bass; Bryan Bowman, drums
WHEN: Friday, September 18, 8pm
WHERE: Square One Yoga Collective, Emeryville
HOW MUCH: $10 (That's only $5 per band!)

Next up is a straight-ahead jazz hoedown at the Epicenter cafe with the great Jack Riordan plus Adam Gay and Bryan Bowman. We'll be hitting the standards/jazz classics shed.

WHAT: Ian Carey Quartet w/ Jack Riordan
WHO: Me, trumpet; Jack Riordan, guitar; Adam Gay, bass; Bryan Bowman, drums
WHEN: Wednesday, September 30, 6-8:30pm
WHERE: Epicenter Cafe, San Francisco
HOW MUCH: Free!

Announcements: Jazz @ The Mixing Bowl, 4/25 & 5/2

One of the downsides of being a musician is that you rarely get the chance to walk to work. Fortunately, I have two opportunities to do so in the coming weeks--I'm going to be playing two Saturday day-shows at The Mixing Bowl Cafe here in Oakland, which is a cool new neighborhood spot I really like (and not only because it's two blocks from my house).

I'm going to be playing with a swinging rhythm section of bassist Noah Schenker and drummer Bryan Bowman, and we'll be joined by two special guest pianists--first, on April 25th, the great Ben Stolorow, recently back from a tour of Japan; second, on May 2nd, Adam Shulman, who has played with such notables as Bobby Hutcherson, Stefon Harris, Marcus Shelby, and a group called the Ian Carey Quintet (which I've heard is pretty good).

So come on down--it's free, the food and coffee is good, and we'll be playing everything from standards to originals to God-Knows-What. (Come to think of it, that's a good name for a tune...)

What: The Ian Carey Quartet featuring Ben Stolorow (4/25) and Adam Shulman (5/2)
When: Saturdays, April 25 & May 2, 11:30am-2:30pm
Where: The Mixing Bowl Cafe, 4920 Telegraph Ave (@ 50th), Oakland
How Much: Free!

Spring Update: Anna's 4/15, Make Out Room 5/4, Recording

Hi listeners--hope you're enjoying your spring and getting all the stimulus dollars you so richly deserve. It's been way too long since I posted an update, so here we go: I'm currently about a month into my annual music sabbatical, and enjoying having the time to practice, write, and listen. (And with so many people out of work, I'm definitely not taking it for granted.) It's also great to be able to get out to hear some of the great musicians around town, and hit some fine jam sessions at places like Savannah's, Club Deluxe, and 33 Revolutions.

I have two pieces of musical news to share--first, that the original Ian Carey Quintet (with Adam Shulman, Evan Francis, Fred Randolph, Jon Arkin and myself) has two local shows coming up. The first show:

What: The Ian Carey Quintet
When: Wednesday, April 15, 8pm
Where: Anna's Jazz Island, Berkeley
How Much: $10

Anna's is a great club, and one of the few jazz-only venues left in the Bay Area, so you should definitely come out to support it (and us)! We'll be doing a mix of originals, standards, and rarely-heard jazz classics. And the second show:

What: The Ian Carey Quintet + RW3 (with Kasey Knudsen, Nate Brenner, and Jon Arkin)
When: Monday, May 4, 9pm
Where: The Make Out Room, San Francisco
How Much: No cover

This will be a fun show in the Mission. We're sharing the billing with RW3 (a trio featuring Kasey Knudsen, Jon Arkin, and Nate Brenner, all great local improvisers). We'll probably be doing an all-original, more adventurous set than at Anna's--so each show should have its own different appeal. I encourage you to compare, contrast, and pester the band with questions about why my charts are so incomprehensible!

The other piece of news, and the reason it's great to have these gigs (besides the fact that it's great to have gigs at all these days), is that it'll be a chance for us to get fired up for (drum roll) ... recording our second album! That's right, we're finally getting back into the studio in May, which is exciting and terrifying (like many things these days).

Anyway, that's the latest. Oh, and one other thing: for any of my friends in the East-East Bay, I'm going to be playing a concert at Los Medanos College in Pittsburgh with the LMC Night Big Band on Tuesday, April 7, around 7:30pm. The band is led by local jazz heavyweights Erik Jekabson, Mike Zilber, and Jeff Marrs, and is chock-full of Bay Area talent. (And the Pittsburgh High School Jazz Band is opening up.) So come on out!

Fall Update, Kind of Blue, Jazz Education

Hi listeners-- I know it's been a while with no updates. Unfortunately I haven't been performing nearly as often as I'd like lately (an Obama fundraiser here, a street fair there), and with the recent closing of two more San Francisco jazz venues (Jazz at Pearl's and the Octavia Lounge), prospects don't seem encouraging. Pearl's was an especially tough blow, as it was home to the Contemporary Jazz Orchestra, which I really enjoyed playing with once or twice a month. But no excuses, we musicians just have to get out there and find new places to play.

In this month's JazzTimes and in a post on his blog, the great jazz writer Marc Myers takes a critical look at the cult of adoration surrounding Miles Davis' Kind of Blue (1959), which has been widely hailed as the greatest (or at least most essential) jazz album of all time. The post is definitely worth a read, as it places the album in the context of its time and looks at factors (on both the musical and the marketing sides) which contributed to its lofty stature.

After mulling the post over for a few days and seeing Marc accused of being a "reactionary nitpicker," I left the following comment which sums up my feelings about Kind of Blue, and why, for once, I agree with the "conventional wisdom":

I know Marc ISN'T a reactionary nit-picker, so I took this post as a legitimate question, and one that deserves to be asked periodically of any canonical artwork.

Aside from the question of whether KoB can be separated from its reputation, as I thought about this post I realized the more difficult task for me was separating it from my memories of the record. Although I'd grown up hearing my dad's copies of the Miles/Gil Evans compilations, KoB was the first jazz CD I bought myself, mainly because of its rep (and despite the cheesy cover the first Columbia CD issue featured). My first listen to it was a sort of rubicon, and maybe because of its reputation, I listened to it with a focus I'd never given any other album. It was moody without being somber; bluesy without being corny; intelligent without being effete; virtuosic without being cold.

And even though over the years I've come to see it in the continuum of Miles' output (and jazz history in general), it still remains above and beyond for me because of that near-religious response I initially had to it, and which has stuck with me.

The other records mentioned are great, too, but I hear them as great jazz albums, whereas KoB still feels like the Gutenberg bible (even if I hear it in Starbucks). How much of that is due to the hype-based expectations of a teenager, it's hard to say--but I'd still rather take it to a desert island than any other jazz record.

I also read an interesting post by the excellent New York jazz writer Howard Mandel talking about his visit to Berklee College of Music and the incredible number of young musicians still dedicating themselves to jazz even as the market dwindles. It reminded me of my student days, and I left the following comment:

I've often wondered whether it would've been helpful for someone to clue me in to the incredible imbalance of supply and demand in the jazz world when I was going into a mountain of debt to finance my jazz education at the New School... (I think I remember my roommate at the time telling me that the average starting salary of a Parsons design grad was over $50,000, and thinking that the average starting salary of a New School Jazz grad would be tips and a beer.) However, I probably wouldn't have listened if they had, since I was young and invincible and little things (like the fact that there seem to be more people making jazz than listening to it) couldn't faze me.

Howard nicely responded with this note: "... I don't mean to dissuade anyone from studying jazz; as you write the power of jazz to attract the young and invincible is stronger than financial considerations for them. Those of us involved in the music though ought to look at our society clearly, and consider how to work with the gap between what we're called to do and how we can live. This is what jazz musicians have done since the get-go. I think such reality-checks strengthen the musician and the music. Who said it was gonna be easy?" Damn straight.

Audio: 8LM on Baytaper + Bonus Live Quintet Tracks

Joe Cohen, Me, and Noel Jewkes with 8LM. Photo from Baytaper.com.

Hello, listeners, and a happy summertime to you all. I wanted to share two things with you: the first is that the great local music website Baytaper.com has posted photos and audio recordings from last months 8 Legged Monster show at Club Deluxe. The band featured local luminaries such as Noel Jewkes, Rob Barics, Vince Lateano, and others, and I really enjoyed playing with them. There's also a guest appearance by local trumpet phenom Mike Olmos, who stopped by and sat in on a tune written especially for him by bandleader Mike Irwin Johnson. So swing by Baytaper and check it out (and be sure to browse their extensive library of recordings of other fine local musicians).

Secondly, I promised to put up some recordings from my April Quintet show at Anna's in Berkeley for those who weren't able to attend. The band was smokin' (if I may say so), and we played some interesting new (or new to us, anyway) material. So here are two tracks for your (absolutely free) enjoyment--if you like what you hear, please consider buying our CD (if you haven't already).

• Sink/Swim (I. Carey): The title track from our CD, in maybe the best live version we've done.


• Sockdolager (I. Carey): A disjointed minor blues in 6/4 time, which I wrote in NYC years ago but updated for this group. Personnel on both tracks: myself on trumpet; Evan Francis, alto saxophone; Matt Clark, piano; Kurt Kotheimer, bass; Tim Bulkley, drums. Recorded live, 4/23/08.

Announcements: 8 Legged Monster + CJO

The Quintet @ Anna's. Click for more photos.

First, I want to thank everyone who came out to our show at Anna's last week; it's very gratifying to play in front of a knowledgeable and passionate jazz crowd. I made a bootleg of the gig which came out pretty well, so check back soon for some live mp3s for your downloading pleasure.

Next, I have two shows coming up in the next couple of weeks that I wanted to tell you about--the first is this Wednesday, May 7th, when I'll be playing with 8 Legged Monster, a 9-piece all-star group of Bay Area bebop warriors focused on "the excitement of densely arranged small group big-band with a nod to tradition that still brings new life to the genre through exploration." The band has been making some serious noise locally since their founding last year, and I'm excited to be playing with them for the first time. It's going to be loud and raucous and swinging, so I encourage you to come out and support this big little band.

WHAT: 8 Legged Monster
WHO: Michael Irwin Johnson, guitar and arrangements; Noel Jewkes, tenor sax; Rob Barics, clarinet; Joe Cohen, alto sax; Tom Griesser, baritone sax; Ian Carey, trumpet; Joel Behrman, trombone; Eric Markowitz, bass; and Vince Lateano, drums
WHEN: Wednesday, May 7th, 10pm
WHERE: Club Deluxe, 1511 Haight St., San Francisco; Phone: (415) 552-6949
HOW MUCH: $10

You also may have heard that the North Beach landmark Jazz at Pearl's was closing, and then not closing, this month; word is that at the last minute, the club found a new owner, but will be continuing in the same tradition--and most importantly, keeping its two resident big bands. So I'll be doing my part to help celebrate the new start by playing a week from Monday (May 12th) with the 14-years-and-going-strong Contemporary Jazz Orchestra. So stop by for some thundering big band sounds.

WHAT: The Contemporary Jazz Orchestra, directed by Tod Dickow
WHEN: Monday, May 12th, 8pm & 10pm
WHERE: Jazz at Pearl's, 256 Columbus Ave., San Francisco; Phone: (415) 291-8255
HOW MUCH: $15

Announcements: Quintet, 4/23/08

Hello Listeners:

I'd like to invite you to come out to Anna's Jazz Island in Berkeley next Wednesday night for the first appearance of my quintet this year.

We're going to be doing a bunch of new material, including some hot-off-the-press originals, along with rarities from Keith Jarrett, Ornette Coleman, Steve Lacy, and other groovy composers. We just rehearsed yesterday, and I must modestly say that the band is smokin' (as the young folks say).

Please feel free to pass on this information to anyone you know who also likes good music (or jazz islands).

WHAT: The Ian Carey Quintet
WHO: Ian Carey, trumpet & flugelhorn; Evan Francis, alto saxophone & flute; Matt Clark, piano; Kurt Kotheimer, bass; and special guest (direct from New York) Tim Bulkley, drums
WHEN: Wednesday, April 23, 8-11:30pm
WHERE: Anna's Jazz Island, 2120 Allston Way, Berkeley (tel: 510-841-JAZZ)
HOW MUCH: Just $8

Travels: Portland Trip

Last week Linda and I decided celebrate the home stretch of my sabbatical and her spring break by taking a short trip up to Portland, Oregon (where she lived for a year or so after college). Although we were really only looking to explore and eat some delicious food, the trip wound up having some real musical highlights for me, as well.

I didn't know any musicians up there beforehand, but since I had heard there were some great players in town, we dug through the newspaper listings and were lucky enough to find a jam session the first night we were there. It was hosted by the great local drummer Ron Steen, and was at a cool little pub called Produce Row. They were nice enough to let me play quite a bit and hear some fine local players like bassists Scott Steed (formerly of the Bay Area) and Lea Ball, among many others.

Kate Davis & I with Ron Steen at Wilf's. More photos here.

Ron also kindly invited me to come by and sit in at his gig two days later at Wilf's, which is in the classic Union Station building downtown (with its flashing "GO BY TRAIN" sign). Also playing were pianist Dan Gaynor, who was a great soloist with a really nice touch, and 17-year-old phenom Kate Davis on bass and vocals, who will definitely be famous before long.

Another definite high point of the trip was my visit to the Monette trumpet and mouthpiece factory, where Dave Monette and his staff have been quietly revolutionizing the brass instrument business for the past few decades. First, Dean Comley treated me to a fascinating tour of the shop, where they make every part of their instruments and mouthpieces, "except for the rubber rings on top of the valve casings." They were just finishing a prototype of a new, hybrid instrument for Ron Miles (it looked a little like a larger, shorter trumpet, and was pitched in G!), which one of the employees demonstrated--it had a great, resonant sound.

Once we finished the tour, Dave Monette himself came in and gave me an impromptu clinic on the concepts behind his mouthpieces--perhaps the most crucial point being that standard trumpet mouthpieces were originally sized for trumpets in the key of A, and are therefore too long to "slot" correctly over the range of the instrument without requiring the player to make body adjustments which introduce unhelpful tension and effort. He asked me to a) play notes over three octaves with my old mouthpiece and posture, then b) had me repeat them with my tuning slide pulled out until my horn was in the key of A, then c) pushed the slide back in, and had me repeat them again with a Monette mouthpiece and the posture and breathing adjustments he suggested. The results won me over immediately.

After that, all that remained was for Dean to very patiently hand me a long succession of mouthpieces while we looked for the right combination of comfort, sound, range, and flexibility--a process which made me pity the captive audience of guys working in the shop, but which finally helped me find "the one," which I fortunately settled on with just enough time left for the short drive to the airport and to make our flight home. (And although I was expecting an "adjustment period," I used the new mouthpiece on Ben Stolorow's CD release party gig, and it felt great.) For any trumpeters visiting the Portland area, I highly recommend a making an appointment to visit to the shop, even if you're not a current customer of theirs. But I warn you, you may walk out a believer.

Finally, I should mention another great thing for musicians about Portland--its wide variety of used record stores. I made it to just a handful, and came home with way too many new (used) albums and CDs--all reasonably priced, and (most importantly) sales tax-free. My favorite of those I visited was the funereally named Vinyl Resting Place, way out in the North part of town. Fortunately my stack of finds (including Jimmy Rowles, Charles Lloyd with Keith Jarrett, Gerry Mulligan and Lee Konitz, Toots Theilmans with Joanne Brackeen, Paul Motian, etc.) wasn't quite heavy enough to push the suitcase over the limit--but it was close.

Announcements: 2 April Shows + Video

Hi Listeners, and apologies for the long break in posting here. I'm currently in the middle of a 3-month sabbatical and have been hard at work in "the shed," practicing, listening, and working on new music for my group. (More about that in a moment.) But I'm breaking my radio silence to let you know about two shows coming up in April, both of which I'm pretty excited about.

The first is the release show for a new album by the great local pianist Ben Stolorow called I'll Be Over Here (click to sample or purchase). Ben was nice enough to ask me to do the design for the CD, and then even nicer enough to ask me to sit in with his trio during the second part of the release show. Here's the details:

WHAT: Ben Stolorow Trio CD Release Show
WHO: Ben Stolorow, piano; Greg Germain, drums; Ravi Abcarian, bass; + Ian Carey, trumpet & other special guests
WHEN: Friday, April 11, 8-11:30pm
WHERE: Anna's Jazz Island, 2120 Allston Way, Berkeley (tel: 510-841-JAZZ)
HOW MUCH: $12 (there will also be a special one-night-only supercheap price of $5 for the CD!)

Next, I'm excited to announce the first Bay Area show for the Ian Carey Quintet in many moons. We're going to be playing Anna's in Berkeley (a few weeks after Ben's previously mentioned show). Although Fred, Adam, and Jon (of the original ICQ) are unable to make it, I've put together a heavy-hitting group of all-stars (each of whom has played my music before) to take up the torch--and of course the inimitable Evan Francis will be holding down his usual role as saxophonist/flautist and general inspiration machine. We'll be playing highlights from the Quintet book, as well as plenty of new compositions and arrangements (including tunes by Keith Jarrett, Andrew Hill, Adam Shulman, and Ornette Coleman), hot off the presses for the event. Here's the scoop:

WHAT: The Ian Carey Quintet
WHO: Ian Carey, trumpet & flugelhorn; Evan Francis, alto saxophone & flute; Matt Clark, piano; Kurt Kotheimer, bass; and special guest (direct from New York) Tim Bulkley, drums
WHEN: Wednesday, April 23, 8-11:30pm
WHERE: Anna's Jazz Island, 2120 Allston Way, Berkeley (tel: 510-841-JAZZ)
HOW MUCH: $8 (Wednesday cheap!)

Finally, here's some video from an impromptu show last week at the Parc 55, where I filled in for Betty Fu while she recuperated from a little under-the-weatherness. It features me, Noah Shencker on bass, Adam Shulman on piano (unfortunately out of the frame) and the favorite improvising vocalist of everyone I know, Lorin Benedict on the microphone. The tune is "Just You..." Enjoy!

Announcements: Trio, 12/14/07, CJO

Attention fans of good music:

I'm going to be returning to the Parc 55 this Friday evening to play some jazz classics, original compositions, and standards, with the able assistance of Messrs. Shulman and Farrell.

So come on down and experience the awe and terror of their mighty Christmas tree, which is like 500 feet tall and made out of some kind of green plastic. I dare you not to be filled with Holiday spirit after looking at that thing.

What: The Ian Carey Trio
Who: Ian Carey, trumpet and flugelhorn; Adam Shulman, piano; Lorenzo Farrell, bass
When: Friday, December 14, 7-10 p.m.
Where: The Parc 55 Hotel (we're on the mezzanine level), 55 Cyril Magnin St., San Francisco, just steps from the Powell St. BART station. (415) 392-8000
How Much: No cover.

I'm also going to be playing this coming Monday, December 17th with the outstanding Contemporary Jazz Orchestra at Jazz at Pearl's in their final show of the year. Shows at 8 and 10. Check it out!

Jazzwax on Sink/Swim

My CD, Sink/Swim, received a nice mention this weekend on a newish jazz blog called Jazzwax:

Seventies spirit—Ian Carey, who plays trumpet and flugelhorn, sent along a CD he recorded in 2005. It has a rich, introspective 1970s feel—especially with Adam Shulman on the Fender Rhodes piano.

Carey, who knows his jazz history, plays a warm horn with a Freddie Hubbard feel and is backed by Evan Francis (saxophones), Shulman (electric piano), Fred Randolph (bass) and Jon Arkin (drums). Many of the compositions and arrangements are by Carey, and the CD includes tight interpretations of Wayne Shorter's ESP and Herbie Nichols' The Spinning Song.

Jazzwax is written by New York's Marc Myers, and regularly features interesting thoughts on classic jazz (including a great series last week on the under-appreciated saxophonist Hal McKusick). I especially like that it reminds me of recordings I'd forgotten about, and supplements them with possibilities for further exploration. I don't get to talk and think about classic records nearly as much as I did back in my school days, so it's good to have a regular place to get back in the spirit.

(And incidentally, I'll take being mentioned in a sentence with Freddie Hubbard any day.)

Thanks + Photos + Bonus Audio

I just wanted to say thanks to everyone who came out to our shows last week at the Parc 55—I had a great time playing with Adam, Ron, and Noah, and with any luck I'll be able to play there some more in the future. For those of you who weren't able to make it, here's our version of the standard "I Love You," from Friday night.

• I Love You (Cole Porter) With myself on trumpet; Adam Shulman, piano; and Ron Belcher, bass. Recorded live, 10/05/07.

Also: last Saturday, I played with one of three pickup jazz groups (mine had Jeff Marrs, Eugene, and Evan Francis) that performed for the Fillmore Street "Indian Summer" Stroll, which culminated in a wild sidewalk jam session featuring 15 or so musicians wailing away amid the pedestrians. I told another musician it would be cool if random jam sessions just broke out all the time on sidewalks around the city--kind of like "Critical Mass." (Which then led to the mental image of thousands of jazz musicians clogging the streets and stopping traffic to play 500 or so choruses on "Now's the Time," as well as the unfortunate nickname "Critical Jazz.")

For more photos of this and many of my other gigs, visit my Flickr site here.

Announcements: Trio, 10/4-5/07

Hi Listeners: I'm going to be returning to the Parc 55 for two shows this week, filling in for Betty Fu while she travels the globe, secret agent-style.

I'll be joined by I.C. Quintet member Adam Shulman on piano, and either Noah Shenker (Thursday) or Ron Belcher (Friday) on bass, and we'll be playing standards and jazz classics, as well as some originals by myself and Adam.

So stop by, have a delicious cocktail, enjoy some live jazz music, and wonder how the heck it got to be October already.

What: The Ian Carey Trio
Who: Ian Carey, trumpet and flugelhorn; Adam Shulman, piano; Noah Shenker/Ron Belcher, bass
When: Thursday, Oct. 4th, and Friday, Oct. 5th, 7-10 p.m.
Where: The Parc 55 Hotel, 55 Cyril Magnin St., San Francisco, just steps from the Powell St. BART station. (415) 392-8000
How Much: No cover.

Announcements: Trio, 9/07; CJO 9/10

In case you missed last week's show at the Parc 55, you'll have another chance to hear us tomorrow evening. I'll be joined by two great young local players: on piano, Michael Coleman (of the Beep Trio), and on bass, Adam Gay (of Spaceheater). We're going to be playing a mix of standards, jazz classics, and originals. There's no cover charge and lots of comfortable couches, so come on by, have a cocktail and drink a toast to the end of the minor league baseball season. Or whatever.

What: The Ian Carey Trio
Who: Ian Carey, trumpet and flugelhorn; Michael Coleman, piano; Adam Gay , bass
When: Friday, September 7, 7-10 p.m.
Where: The Parc 55 Hotel, 55 Cyril Magnin St., San Francisco (Just steps from the Powell St. BART station.) (415) 392-8000
How Much: Zilch.

I'm also going to be playing again this Monday with the great Contemporary Jazz Orchestra at Pearl's in North Beach. So stop by and check out the giant sound of San Francisco's longest-running big band.

What: The Contemporary Jazz Orchestra
When: Monday, September 10, 8pm & 10pm
Where: Jazz at Pearl's, 256 Columbus Ave., S.F.
Tickets: $15

Announcements: Trio, 08/30/07

Hi folks, hope you've all been enjoying your summers, staying out of the poison oak, getting your wallet-making merit badges and avoiding the dreaded "Slip 'N' Slide burn." Now that regular summer is winding down and Indian (Native American?) Summer is on the way, may I suggest you celebrate by enjoying a delicious and nutritious after-work cocktail and taking in some fine jazz music? I have just the place in mind. ("How conveeenient," you say.)

Next Thursday, August 30th, bassist Noah Schenker and I will be playing at the Parc 55 Hotel, and we'll be joined by the great pianist Matt Clark, all the way from New York. Matt was a fixture on the Bay Area jazz scene for many years before heading East several years ago, and we're lucky to get a chance to play with him during his summer visit. We'll be playing a combination of standards, jazz classics, and originals.

Most importantly, there's no cover charge, so no one has to know that you nearly bankrupted yourself going to see Harry Potter 30 times.

What: The Ian Carey Trio, with special guest Matt Clark
When: Thursday, August 30, 7-10 p.m.
Where: The Parc 55 Hotel, 55 Cyril Magnin St., San Francisco (415) 392-8000
How Much: Nada.

Video: Ian w/ Adam Shulman & Noah Shenker, 7/14

I may have mentioned before that I've been sitting in pretty regularly lately with the excellent vocalist Betty Fu, who performs on Thursdays and Fridays at the Parc 55 Hotel in downtown S.F. I enjoy playing with singers, and don't get to do it very often--plus she usually hires great rhythm sections, so it's a win-win.

Anyway, a few weeks ago, Betty decided to give videography a try as well, filming us with her cameraphone during an instrumental. It turned out pretty well, I think.

The short video is below--it features myself on trumpet, Adam Shulman on piano, and Noah Shencker on bass. The tune is "Out of Nowhere." Enjoy!

Announcements: Adam Shulman Quartet, CJO

I'm happy to announce that after a slow spell, I'm going to be performing in three events in the next few weeks for your discerning ears.

The first is an event at the Red Poppy Art House called "JAZZ & THE PETIT CINEMA," which combines a performance by the Adam Shulman Quartet (presenting "all original compositions that draw from the idioms of modern jazz, late 19th century classical and pop rock") with short films from Future Shorts (which takes "the best international films and gathers them into a monthly compilation, featuring some of the most highly acclaimed shorts from around the world"). We're going to be playing music from Adam's new album, as well as at least one brand spanking new composition.

What: The Adam Shulman Quartet
With: Adam Shulman, piano; Ian Carey, trumpet and flugelhorn; Smith Dobson V, drums; and Devon Hoff, bass
When: Saturday, July 14, 9pm (doors open at 8:30)
Where: The Red Poppy Art House, 2698 Folsom St., S.F.
Tickets: $12-$15 suggested donation

I'll also be performing the next two Mondays with the Contemporary Jazz Orchestra at Jazz at Pearl's. The CJO is a San Francisco institution which has featured many of the Bay Area's finest jazz musicians over the years, and features a repertoire of 400+ arrangements from Duke Ellington to Thad Jones to local composers and beyond. This 16-piece big band also regularly plays host to great vocalists such as Kenny Washington, Duane Lawrence and Kim Nalley.

What: The Contemporary Jazz Orchestra
When: Mondays, July 16 & 23, 8pm & 10pm
Where: Jazz at Pearl's, 256 Columbus Ave., S.F.
Tickets: $15

I hope you have a chance to come out to some of these shows and support live jazz in the Bay Area.

Thanks + Daily Planet Article

First of all, thanks to everyone who came out to last week's shows. We had a great time performing at Anna's in Berkeley—had a good crowd, sold some CDs, ate some carnitas tacos—which was only slightly marred by accidentally leaving our car in the garage past the midnight deadline. (No harm done, though—Linda heroically got up early and rode the BART over to retrieve it the next morning.)

We also enjoyed our Friday show at the Parc 55 in the city (those of you who made it out got to witness my debut on my recently-acquired vintage cornet—something you can tell your grandkids about, I'm sure). We were filling in for the excellent vocalist Betty Fu, who performs there on a weekly basis, and with any luck she may call on us again.

Saturday evening brought a performance at a wedding with the great Mitch Marcus and his big band, which featured the amazing spectacle of old ladies in their best formal finery dancing happily to a 7/4 funk groove (with a 15/8 feel superimposed). God bless San Francisco.

Finally, I wanted to mention that Justin Freitas of the Berkeley Daily Planet wrote an in-depth profile of myself and the quintet, which appeared in last week's edition of the paper. Here's a sample:

When Oakland-based jazz trumpeter Ian Carey was about 14 years old, he experienced something of a revelation. While he was growing up in upstate New York, his family attended church regularly, all singing in the choir. But when they moved back to Folsom, Calif., just east of Sacramento, Carey’s father searched the area in vain for a suitable church with a strong choir. Churches were plenty but choirs were not, and when he couldn’t find one he liked the family’s church-going days were over.

"I had always thought that we were a religious family," Carey says, "but once we got to California I found out we were really a musical family."

Thus one muse was replaced with another and a life-long obsession was born.

For the full article, click here.

That's all for now—hope to have more gig announcements soon.

Announcements: Quintet, 4/12/07

I'm pleased to announce that after weathering a dry spell, the Ian Carey Quintet is reuniting for our first East Bay show. The venue is Anna's Jazz Island in Berkeley, which is a nice room with a fine piano (and it's next door to some of the best carnitas nachos I've ever had).

Evan Francis, our regular saxophonist extraordinaire, is unfortunately going to be out of town, but the great Joe Cohen (of Jazz Mafia and Cannonball), who was a frequent guest of ours back in the House of Shields days, will be filling in. We'll be playing music from our CD as well as some new originals and jazz rarities.

There's an $8 cover, but that's less than almost anything else you can think of to do (outside) on a Thursday night.

WHAT: The Ian Carey Quintet
WHO: Ian Carey, trumpet; Joe Cohen, saxophone; Fred Randolph, bass; Adam Shulman, piano; and Jon Arkin, drums
WHEN: Thursday, April 12th, 8 p.m.
WHERE: Anna's Jazz Island, 2120 Allston Way, Berkeley. Phone: (510) 841-JAZZ
HOW MUCH: $8.

The Great Clifford Brown—On Video

Via Rifftides, Doug Ramsey's excellent blog, here's some incredible recently unearthed footage of the legendary Clifford Brown appearing on the Soupy Sales (of "send little green pieces of paper" fame) television show. Clifford was one of the great bop trumpeters of all time during his short career, which ended tragically early when he was killed in a car accident at the age of 25.



Clifford's playing was one of my biggest early influences on the trumpet—my first jazz trumpet teacher, Tom Peron (a great improviser in his own right and long-time fixture in the Sacramento jazz community), introduced me to Clifford's music while I was in high school, and I spent many hours fumbling through transcriptions of his solos on tunes like "Stompin' at the Savoy" and "The Blues Walk." A few years later, another teacher, the great Charles Tolliver, wisely recommended ditching the 19th -Century Arban's etudes I'd been practicing and use Clifford solos to develop technique instead. (There's a place for Arban, of course, but I believe his point was that if you want to be a jazz player, you might as well practice jazz as much as possible.)

As I became interested in more modern players, I drifted away from Clifford for a few years, but recently began listening to him again—I particularly like his "West Coast" album, Jazz Immortal (which can be found in this boxed set), and the beautiful Clifford Brown with Strings.

Although I always felt that Clifford's delivery—that is, his vibrato, phrasing, etc.—was a little bit over-expressive for my tastes (just a matter of subjective personal preference, of course), his line construction, harmonic vocabulary, and overall phenomenal chops are unparalleled and should continue to inspire trumpeters (and improvisers on all instruments) for years to come.

New Year's Update + Bonus Audio

It's 2007, and I thought I'd give a little update about what's going on musically for me and my co-conspirators in the new year, as well as provide a little downloadable jazz goodness for you, the listeners. First the update:

• I've been rehearsing regularly with the Joe Henderson Memorial Big Band, led by the excellent trumpeter and Bay Area native Warren Gale, Jr. It's been a great opportunity to play a book of superb arrangements and compositions by Henderson, Woody Shaw, McCoy Tyner, and other greats of the Blue Note era (as well as a chance to hear Warren tear it up on a weekly basis). Performances and a recording are planned for this year, so I'll be sure to keep you posted.
  
  
• I've been working on new music for the Quintet, and hope to premiere several new compositions at our next performance, which will be... soon, I hope.
  
  
• I've also been attending some fine jam sessions, including the Beep Trio session at Uptown in Oakland (unfortunately no longer happening), and the Michael Parsons Trio session at Octavia Lounge.
  
  
• Adam Shulman, the great pianist who has been a member of my Quintet for several years, recently recorded his second album as a leader, which will be released in the spring. It features saxophonist Dayna Stephens, bassist John Wiitala, and Jon Arkin (also an I.C. Quintet member), and I was pleased when Adam asked me to create the graphic design for the CD.
  
  
• Fred Randolph, longtime bassist for the Quintet, also released a fine album, New Day, featuring many local luminaries and some beautiful original writing by Fred.
  
  
• Rounding out the Quintet-member news, saxophonist Evan Francis released a CD last fall with his outstanding electro/jazz/hip-hop group Spaceheater, which cracked the Top 100 in the Electronic genre in iTunes.
  
  
• Finally, I've been listening to a lot of great music, soaking up excellent releases from Jacob Varmus, Scott McLemore, Joe Lovano/Gunther Schuller, and Ron Horton, among others. I also really enjoyed the week-long Bach Festival from WKCR over the holidays—that radio station is a treasure, and I'm glad that, thanks to the internet, I didn't have to give it up when I left New York.

Well, that's just a bit of what's going on. I'll keep you updated about upcoming gigs or other news as information becomes available. I'll leave you with a bonus track from a performance of the Quintet from last March, just before we left the House of Shields' nest for good:

• Groovin' High (Gillespie) Dizzy's bop burner. With myself on trumpet; Jon Arkin, drums; Adam Shulman, piano; Fred Randolph, bass, and Evan Francis, saxophone. Recorded live, 3/14/06.

Announcements: Contemporary Jazz Orchestra, 9/11, 9/18, and 9/25

Tonight, Monday the 11th, and the next two Mondays as well, I'll be playing with the Contemporary Jazz Orchestra at "Jazz at Pearl's" in North Beach. The CJO, a 16-piece big band, is a San Francisco institution which has been featuring some of the region's finest jazz musicians (and sight-readers) every week for over a decade.

The repertoire includes classic charts by Thad Jones, Charles Mingus, Oliver Nelson, and many other legendary arrangers, as well as original arrangements written specifically for the band. I consider it a privilege (and a challenge) to play with the group from time to time.

So come on out for some rollicking big band sounds!

WHAT: The Contemporary Jazz Orchestra
WHERE: Jazz at Pearl's, 256 Columbus Ave., San Francisco; phone: (415) 291-8255
WHEN: Mondays, September 11th, 18th, and 25th; sets at 8 p.m. and 10 p.m.
HOW MUCH: $15

Announcements: Eddy Ellis O'Farrell, 9/9/06

This Saturday night, I'm going to be playing a late show with Eddy Ellis O'Farrell—an eclectic rock/funk/latin band with a Zappa-esque twinge, led by singer and guitarist Michael Matias—at the Brainwash Cafe (and laudromat) in San Francisco. Evan Francis, my quintet's saxophonist, will also be playing with the group.

Come on down, and bring your laundry!

WHAT: Eddy Ellis O'Farrell
WHO: Michael Matias, voice/guitar; Ian Carey, trumpet; Evan Francis, saxophone; TBA, bass and drums
WHEN: Saturday, September 9th, 11 p.m.
WHERE: Brainwash, 1122 Folsom St., San Francisco. Phone: (415) 255-4866
HOW MUCH: Free.

Announcements: Rachel Efron Quintet, 9/2/06

This Saturday, I'm going to be appearing with Rachel Efron, a talented singer/songwriter/pianist with jazz, folk, and rock influences, at Anna's Jazz Island in Berkeley. It's also a chance to hear Ian Carey Quintet members Jon Arkin and Evan Francis, as well as bassist Dan Feiszli (who engineered our CD).

Hope to see you there!

WHAT: Rachel Efron Quintet
WHO: Rachel Efron, voice/piano; Ian Carey, trumpet; Evan Francis, reeds; Dan Feiszli, bass, and Jon Arkin, drums
WHEN: Saturday, September 2nd, 8 p.m.
WHERE: Anna's Jazz Island, 2120 Allston Way, Berkeley. Phone: (510) 841-JAZZ
HOW MUCH: Not sure, but probably around $10.

In the Meantime...

No new performances to announce as of yet, though we've got a lot of demos out there, so it shouldn't be long. (I'll also post a "recommended listening" entry soon.)

In the meantime, I've discovered that the video free-for-all site YouTube has become a real treasure trove of jazz history (at least until it gets shut down by copyright lawyers). Here's a great clip of Keith Jarrett (read my review of one of his shows here) playing Miles Davis's Solar...



There's also lots of classic Bill Evans, Miles & Coltrane, and even a trip to a trumpet factory with Mr. Rogers' Neighborhood. Enjoy!

Photos: Last Saturday at Octavia

First of all, thanks to everyone who came out last weekend to the Octavia Lounge. We had a great time playing and the room was perfect——intimate without being cramped. (And I hear the food was good, too.)

In addition to playing tunes from our CD, we premiered a couple of new compositions ("Disinvited" and "Contextualizin'"), and revisited some Thelonious Monk gems ("Ask Me Now" and the thorny "Four in One")——but I think the audience would agree that the highlight of the evening was Evan's blazing solo on "Chick's Tune" (by Chick Corea, naturally). Unfortunately the performance wasn't recorded, but hopefully we'll play there again and I can plan ahead to do some self-bootlegging.

The excellent photographer, writer and occasional pastry chef James Knox was also in attendance, camera in hand. Here are a few highlights:

Me and Dad and the sandwich board ("Chef's Cheesesteak"!)

It was especially good to hear Adam on a real piano.

Fred and Jon layin' it down.

Me and Evan trying to read and swing at the same time.

The entire set of 52 (!) photos can be viewed here. (If you like what you see, be sure and drop some compliments in James's comment box.)

We hope to have some more gig announcements for you soon. I'll also be posting some "recommended listening" notes on albums I've recently been wearing out. In the meantime, enjoy your summers and stay cool. (I mean that literally. Not "cool" like Snoopy when he puts on his sunglasses and listens to jazz. Although if you want to put on sunglasses and listen to jazz, don't let me stop you.)

Announcements: Quintet, 7/8/06

This is just a reminder of our upcoming show this Saturday at the Octavia Lounge--we'll be playing music from our recent CD, as well as some new compositions by members of the band (and most likely a few standards and jazz rarities). It'll be a good chance to hear the group in a nice room with a real piano, and may be our only performance this summer.

Hope to see you Saturday!

What: The Ian Carey Quintet (Ian, trumpet & flugelhorn; Evan Francis, alto saxophone & flute; Adam Shulman, piano; Fred Randolph, bass; Jon Arkin, drums)
Where: The Octavia Lounge, 1772 Market St., S.F. (Directions available here.)
When: Saturday, July 8, 8pm-12am
How much: $10