Something About A Place
regionality was a THING
Plain and simple, I think of Prius drivers as overly polite, unaware of their surroundings, too slow, often not fully in their own lane; all of it to steer clear of because it’s potentially dangerous. Obviously, muscle-y ‘merican car drivers (like Chargers, ‘Stangs, old Firebirds, etc) are obnoxiously rude and aggressive. Little chopped and shopped Asian pocket rocket drivers (tricked-out, usually low, often with extra lights around the body, custom wheels - Toyota’s, Honda’s, etc) are super loud and obnoxious vehicles, but are, in general, very excellent drivers that flow like water. Jacked-up pickup trucks - strange( ! ) they’re usually black - are a bad combo of poor drivers who do not follow the rules of the road, have poor public speaking abilities (too profanity-laced), have little to no ethics, morals or manners. To be clear, this is a different breed from all the real life work trucks out there on the road. And, of course, tesla drivers are just plain smug inside their conditioned, clean environments.
Don’t even get me started on those ever-so-clever little stickers many, many tesla owners put on the back of their vehicles. Reminds me of a John Prine song from the Vietnam War era - “But your flag decal won’t get’cha into heaven anymore they’re already overcrowded from your dirty little war.
Now Jesus don’t like killin’ no matter what the reason’s for and your flag decal won’t get you into heaven anymore. The, “I bought before he went crazy” sentiment just shows how little the owner had been paying attention to the lies and the broken laws that made that car come to life. My thinking, the villainy is not worth the tech no matter how superior it may be (for the moment).
Okay, what the heck you ask…? All this is to say that while we can make some assumptions, they are solely that, an assumption; we all know what that leads to…! While I don’t like the look of a jacked-up pickup truck, or the practicality - seems tough to get into! - as my pal from the South would say, I “might could!” Doesn’t make anyone anything. But there is something about place, perhaps like the brand we drive, that did, and may still, have relevance. I miss the differences of regionality that the internet has robbed us of to a large extent. Food, dress, social etiquette all had regional discrepancies. As per music, obviously around the world there are differences, but even within our own states there used to be a more definitive style across the various parts. For Jazz there was, of course, the New Orleans style, so too a Kansas City sound, obviously a New York style. But these regionalities included Detroit, Philly, Texas (especially Houston), Chicago and L.A. (or West Coast). While the singular uniqueness may have diminished somewhat, I still think that place still holds relevant importance and has an impact.
While I always thought Houston Person was gifted the “Houston” part as a nickname to represent him as a member of the big, Texas Tenor team, he was indeed born in Florence, South Carolina and given that actual first name. While he is regarded as a master of the style associated with place - the Texas Tenor Sound—characterized by a big, warm, blues-soaked, and romantic tone, he’s not actually from there. However, Houston, the place, is indeed a hotspot of homegrown jazz talent; drummers sprout quite naturally and prolifically there - see Kendrick Scott, Eric Harland, Jeremy Dutton, Jamire Williams, and a bit further back in time, Stix Hooper and Michael Carvin - as do saxo players - Walter Smith III, Kirk Whalum, and to go back a bit further, Illinois( ! ) Jacquet, Arnet Cobb, Eddie “Cleanhead” Vinson. HSPVA - High School for the Performing and Visual Arts in Houston has a lot to do with all that. Kendrick Scott once told me after he and Eric Harland shared a stage and I remarked about how much fun it looked like they were having playing together, “Man, I’ve been watchin’ that dude from behind forever; all the way back to me lookin’ up to him in high school.” Brothers from the same place. Towns are important but I want to talk about regionality.
As a kid I remember looking forward to autumn for many reasons - cool weather, beautiful colors, Badger football games on the radio, and of course, Apple Brau (not technically an alcoholic "brau" [brew], it is a nostalgic memory for many who grew up in the 1970s). Apple Brau was a soft drink local to the area I was raised. It was sold in cans (I don’t remember bottles of it) only during the fall season. If you kept the cans in the fridge a little too long the can would begin to morph into un-can-like shapes as the apple cider started to ferment! Man was it tasty, and do I ever miss that cyclical product strategy. Most regions within our many states would have similar type seasonal/regional products.
Now our ease of interconnectedness mutes these regional differences. Though there are less definitive structures of sound associated with place in our modern world (anything can happen anywhere, obvs…) there are still scenes associated with place, at least to some degree. New York (again, obvs!) has a scene - everything, everyone, anytime, all the time - and style that remains as it always was, a little more angular, hard-edged and always expanding. It maybe even has two different scenes if you count the borough of Brooklyn’s musical happenings, or even three if you distinguish between downtown + Harlem and what happens (or maybe happened? I hope not!) at the Lincoln Center.
L.A. has a scene (though it has seemed a bit more muted to me the last couple years) -Hollywood inspired, sweeping soundtrack influence and ocean air crossed with origins of West Coast rap - the Compton scene of Terrace Martin, Kamasi Washington, Thundercat, Dinner Party, Kendrick Lamar, etc. It has a generous and mellifluous spirit; those cats are a crew in the best sense of the word, and they give back to the community and the kids that live now where they grew up then. I like the rap, neo-soul R&B and jazz that comes out of this hood. The L.A. musicians are the ones that taught me that there’s no need to differentiate between genres - “It’s all music.” Robert Glasper said in the Blue Note movie. So these guys, of a certain younger age, were adeptly able to blend everything they listened to as inspiration and taking-off points. Think Parliament-Funkadelic/George Clinton + Marvin + Dexter Gordon + NWA.
Being a proud Mid-Westerner, I’m going to focus here on Chicago; also, I just passed through there for a few days, so it’s fresh in my mind. The AACM-inspired (Association for the Advancement of Creative Musicians) artsy, creative scene is alive and thriving (in a creative sense), it too is one that cross-pollinates genres and players and generations in a very solid, and generous Midwestern way. To my mind, it is one of the most interesting and exciting scenes in our (semi-) united states.
From the Chicago scene:
For me, it all begins with The Masters, The Art Ensemble of Chicago I had no idea what I was seeing/hearing when I first saw them in October of 1980 at Merlyn’s, a small punk-ish/new wave spot up the stairs at 311 State St. in Madison, Wisconsin. The percussion instruments stretched out far beyond the small confines of the stage, Famoudou Don Moye’s drum kit, Sonor, my dream kit, glowed, earthy in their warm wooden tones under the stage lights, Malichi Favors’ bass echoing with the natural warmth of its wood set against the metal arsenal of flutes, saxes, trumpets and the aforementioned bells, chimes, gongs etc of the various percussible things. It held such palpable anticipation; I can still feel it to this day.
Then they strode upon the stage, three in traditional face paint, one in modern Jazzman-like garb and one in a clinical lab coat… okay, this is going to be different and exciting!
They played with majesty, whim, glory, faith, kindness, humor and fierceness. The experience changed my musical understanding/appreciation forever.
The upstarts, and one of my favourite bands, Tortoise, (w/ Madison’s own Dan Bitney and AACM member, Jeff Parker) with their post-rock, blending of experimental rock, jazz, minimalism, improvisation, dub, and electronica:
I was lucky enough to catch their recent show (2 nights sold out very quickly; thanks D.B!) at The Great American Music Hall, in San Francisco, CA on Feb. 27, 2026. I told Bitney after the show that between his earlier punk band, the Tar Babies, and Tortoise, I’d been listening to him for 40-some years; I’ve listened to Coltrane for only a few more!!! Here’s a cut from their latest stellar record:
AACM member and in-demand cellist, Tomeka Reid:
I love her playing in almost every context (at least the one’s I’ve heard!), but she’s especially fierce and settled-in with her own longtime ensemble.
Talk about a generous guy, I do not believe they come any sweeter, more giving, or more artistically creative than Gustavo. He records with purpose and a message to give with every very differentiated album he makes. Traditional, futuristic, spoken word, folkloric… you name it and he is pursuing it. He often makes visuals (videos) to go with his songs. I find something new in his music every time I listen.
This is an older cut from this native Chicagoan, but one that I turn to often for its effervescent groove and his cool drum feature. He’s also an affable, intriguing and generous kinda guy, as witnessed at The Whistler on March’s Monthly Tuesday night Jam. His Trio (with Matt Ulery - b and Julius Tucker - p) plays a set as the house band and then he curates an evening filled with adventure. Some show up to be part of this scene, some to show off, some to try out things, a couple to perform a lost art (tap dancing), and all to have a very good time… Chicago style. All staged by Quin’s steady hand and steel-trap of a mind for who should go with whom up on the planks. I met Pete, the 87 year old drummer, and, according to Quin, the only guy who gets two songs; and indeed he did! I just had to tell Jackson Wheeler how impressed I was by their playing; which led to a longer conversation about the guitar players we love. Matt Ulery was up there providing the anchor with his bass lines for almost the entire evening; he finally got relief for the final 3 tunes. It was a very generous-spirited affair; a very Mid-Western night.
Chicago has many settings which properly present “jazz” music, like the biggie that was formerly known as Joe Segal’s Jazz Showcase, now simply Jazz Showcase; run by Joe’s son, Wayne. Joe (like Max Gordon, who ran the Village Vanguard) was one of the longest running promoters/jazz impresarios in the business at over 70 years. In those years the Showcase had numerous different homes, but it always had an enforced set of rules which included no smoking during the set (in the old days before no smoking laws) and no talking while the musicians were playing. When the establishment was in the Blackstone Hotel, just off S. Michigan Ave. my buddies and I would drive down to see David Murray, Freddie Hubbard…Betty Carter…. Delicious nights spent there.
However, what makes this city’s scene special is its smaller, neighborhood-y venues, like the aforementioned Whistler. There are many, but for me the highlights are: Constellation, Green Mill, Hungry Brain. These places put on shows many nights of the week and feature some very interesting series and jam sessions along the way. Just like old Joe Segal, who honored his hero every year with Charlie Parker month, his entire birth month of August dedicated to him and his music, Jazz Festivals happen in the warm months and are dispersed across the beautiful parks and places of Chicago. Like the city itself, it’s the neighborhoods that give it it’s soul and make it thrive; these jazz venues are a longstanding part of that soul of the city.
Scenes like this, still exist; some might be a tad more welcoming and generous than others, but the tradition continues to be passed down and around, hewed, shaped and crafted through challenge, fear or just a very generous spirit. Support your scene, because there is a part of this music for anyone and everyone.
Oh, by the way, about the cars, did I mention that I drive a Prius and a Subaru?!! I guess that makes me an unsafe old lesbian!
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What I’m listening to: Woody Shaw - For Sure! United; Night Music; Solid Sun-Mi Hong - Fourth Page: Meaning Of A Nest Don Pullen - New Beginnings
What I’m reading: Tomorrow, Tomorrow, Tomorrow
What I’m eating: Greek figs with goat cheese