Jackson Browne as well as Charles Lloyd at Vibrato Grill Jazz on June 25, 2023 in Los Angeles. Lester Cohen/Getty Images for JFA
Continuing its goal to honor “jazz and blues … one musician at a time,” the Jazz Foundation of America (JFA) commemorated the heritages of long time sector exec Clarence Avant, tone saxophonist Charles Lloyd as well as pianist-producer-composer Dave Grusin at its yearly fundraising event on June 25. The mix supper, real-time public auction as well as performance was held at Los Angeles club Vibrato Grill Jazz.
JFA board participant Dr. Daveed Frazier began the night, inviting a target market that consisted of Bill Withers’ widow Marcia Withers, expert tag executive/manager Phil Quartararo, songs manager Joel Sill, movie author Richard Baskin, songs manufacturer Gregg Field, singer-songwriter Eric Benét as well as Vibrato Grill Jazz supervisor Eden Alpert, child of its owner as well as songs tale Herb Alpert. After the supper solution, JFA exec supervisor Joe Petrucelli opened up the real-time public auction, which saw visitors bidding process on things such as initial art by artist/architect Jim Watt. His items were repainted in actual time in tandem with real-time songs executed by jazz musicians the Antoine Drye Quartet as well as Bill Frisell. The cooperation — released as a way to profit jazz artists throughout the pandemic — is shown in the 2021 movie task 1000W.
Eden Alpert as well as Jimmy Jam at Vibrato Grill Jazz on June 25, 2023 in Los Angeles. Lester Cohen/Getty Images for JFA
Then it was time to praise JFA’s 2023 life time accomplishment guest of honors. As Petrucelli kept in mind prior to the video clip as well as live songs homages obtained underway, “We’re celebrating three singular forces in music. Their collective influence extends across the entire music industry and cultural landscape.”
Avant, also known as The Black Godfather, was admired in his video for being a “genius at connecting people and forging deals.” Among those bargains: Avant authorizing a yet-unknown Bill Withers to his tag, Sussex Records. Kori Withers, the late singer-songwriter’s child provided a sophisticated take on 2 of her daddy’s standards — “Ain’t No Sunshine” as well as “Grandma’s Hands” — gone along with by a band that consisted of Ray Parker Jr., Dean Parks, Patrice Rushen, Steve Jordan as well as Alex Al. Accepting the honor on Avant’s part was Jimmy Jam, half of the Grammy-winning songwriting-production duo Jimmy Jam & Terry Lewis.
Said Jam of his as well as Lewis’ long time connection with Avant, “He’s truly been a mentor and godfather; there would be no Jam & Lewis if it wasn’t for Clarence. To this day, he continues to teach us.” Jam after that brought Marcia Withers onstage. “I’m a cheerleader for Clarence, who deserves every accolade,” she claimed. “He recognized my husband’s talent when other record labels had turned him down.”
Ray Parker Jr. as well as Kori Withers at Vibrato Grill Jazz on June 25, 2023 in Los Angeles. Lester Cohen/Getty Images for JFA
In commemorating Lloyd’s unrivaled convenience, John Densmore kept in mind that the tone sax expert had actually tape-recorded with Densmore’s team The Doors. Densmore after that brought well-known saxophonist/composer Joshua Redmond onstage. With enhancement from Rushen, Jordan as well as Al, Redmond provided a fascinating efficiency of Lloyd’s “Sax/Drums Duet” as well as “Forest Flower” complied with by “Defiant,” which additionally included artists Dean Parks as well as Greg Leisz.
In resolving why he, a singer-songwriter, existed Lloyd’s honor, rock symbol Jackson Browne claimed, “I’m of a generation that grew up with jazz being performed at clubs like the Fillmore and at festivals … It’s been an honor and great gift to hear your music for all of these years.” Calling the honor “a very touching and great honor,” Lloyd kept in mind to target market giggling, “I never got good enough to quit. But I love music so much; it can change the world. And I believe in that.”
Dave Grusin as well as Alan Bergman execute at Vibrato Grill Jazz on June 25, 2023 in Los Angeles. Lester Cohen/Getty Images for JFA
Rushen, Michael Bearden, David Paich as well as Jeff Babko were the included keyboardists that did an assortment praising Oscar- as well as 10-time Grammy victor Dave Grusin’s large job that consists of racking up for movie (The Graduate, On Golden Pond, Tootsie) as well as TELEVISION (The Wild Wild West, Good Times) along with taping solo cds as well as co-founding fabulous tag GRP Records. Guitarist Lee Ritenour, a constant Grusin partner, additionally executed songs from an additional Grusin-racked up movie, Three Days of the Condor, with artists John Beasley, Tom Scott, Melvin Lee Davis as well as Wesley Ritenour.
Capping the Grusin homage was a shock efficiency by the male himself. Calling the night “such a gas” for obtaining the possibility to see “old friends from all the years of trying to do this stuff,” a spry as well as funny Grusin (“I better do this now before I totally drop off to sleep”) rested at the piano as well as wonderfully played 2 of his tracks, consisting of the Oscar-chosen hit from the Tootsie soundtrack “It Might Be You,” whose verses were co-written by Alan Bergman as well as his late partner Marilyn. Bergman was additionally accessible to existing Grusin’s honor.
In his psychological comments concerning his good friend as well as partner, Bergman claimed, “There are some people in life who transcend the friend category and become family. Not only is Dave an inspiring melody writer, he’s an intelligent and discerning [writing] partner; a unique man. The moment he puts his hands on the keys, you know it’s Grusin.”
