The Right time

Dan Moretti, on the record

by Michael Caito

On Tuesday, saxophonist Dan Moretti celebrated the release of That's Right (1201 Music), and as of last weekend 77 jazz stations throughout the country had already added it to their playlists. Meanwhile, a Boston Globe critic waxed decidedly less enthusiastic last week. Them's the breaks in the contemporary jazz world.

We telephoned the saxophonist/producer -- and newly-minted Associate Prof at Berklee -- last week at his home in East Providence.

Q: First things first. Anyone you'd specifically like to thank on the new one?

A: Bill Cunliffe and Greg Wardson, for their great tunes and for their production contribution, and Alain Mallet for his treatment of my tune "Tiara," without which this project would not have happened.

Q: How many nationally-released albums does this make?

A: Five in all got out nationally, but in between there was also that Christmas CD and Impressions, which didn't quite make it out there. [Those] plus the Brasilia CD [which featured Greg Abaté] are going to be in the catalogue of the new company, so as soon as this one stops making noise they're gonna re-release those and get 'em in the racks. They're based in New Jersey, and they're pretty big . . . huge catalog. I guess they own a couple of other labels too, though this is the only actual release they're working right now. They did re-release a Billie Holiday CD but I'm the only active one going on, so they're really pushing it.

Q: Over the years, have DJs consistently surprised you, as far as what they gravitate toward in your work? Is it a weird beast?

A: You can't second-guess yourself. If you think that you're going to create something, and put it in a format or in a mold that's gonna fit in with what you think other people are gonna like, chances are they're not gonna like it. What my experience has been is that the tunes I'veliked a lot were the ones they played, and that did surprise me. On the Saxual record for instance, "Waiting For the Call," one of my originals, got a lot of play, and I still get royalty checks for that record . . . from Spain. For some reason somebody in Spain picked up that tune and they play the hell out of it. Whether it's a TVshow or some syndicated thing Idon't know, but I've been getting decent royalty checks from that for four years.

Q: Nice.

A: It's funny, though, you never know where the stuff's gonna go.

Q: As for the Berklee Associate Professorship news, that's a recent development isn't it?

A: The promotion is new; this is my eighth semester teaching there, and I'd applied for early promotion. Iwas first hired into the Contemporary Writing and Production Department. I'd been able to teach some of the core curriculum, but had recently written material for two courses. One's called "Groove Writing." That's a fun thing, all these groove scenarios -- funk, Latin, soul, R&B. The other is Performance Arranging, an ensemble which teaches the kids how to write so that when they get out in the real world they'll be able to put together a book for their band. What happens is we write and play for the ensemble, talk about why this is good and that isn't, so they'll get a stronger idea of what it feels like when they go out on their own.

Q: In the vein of how Ellington composed when his lineup changed all the time, writing to individual strengths and weaknesses?

A: That's definitely part of it. They're gonna immediately find out who can play what and how well, so they'll tailor it. What happens is a lot of the kids have a very generalized idea of how those things work . . . until you get into a practical situation.

Q: Do you have problems touring with the Berklee schedule?

A: It's a Tuesday-Thursday gig so Ican always go out for four days straight. Spring break's coming up so I'm going to Florida, [Boosey &Hawkes and Shure]-sponsored clinics, Big Band shows, so that's a pretty full touring week.

Q: We both have feelings about the term "lite jazz." Your two cents?

A: You have a choice if you're a musician and a jazz player. You either wanna do this kind of music or you don't. For me, it's one of the kinds of music that I do. So my spin on it is that if a label is gonna support a release, pay for everything, get it out there nationally, promote it and get it in the racks, there's nothing about that that's gonna hurt me. There's nothing that's gonna be negative, except for some critics, the purist critics who can't see beyond the format.

And that's cool too . . . it's actually interesting how it works on that level. I've had people review CDs and know that they've never listened to it. Those people are out there, and there are also those who recognize that music is music. On this record, for example, there are two live cuts, and the rest of them are kinda mixed. Someone might say they don't dig the smooth jazz format, and I can say, "Well, I understand why they wouldn't," but if you listen to a jazz station you're gonna hear a lot of different stuff, and that's the important thing to understand. Even though it's supposedly pigeonholed, on the other hand it's pretty wide open.

I'm doing this because of a couple of reasons:one is Iwant to get my music out there continually, another is (laughs)I happen to like the tunes that Iplay, another is it was a production challenge, as far as how was gonna pull this thing together in the studio. The last and most important thing, is that a lot of people will listen and like it. Then, they'll come and see me play. Then Ihave an opportunity to take it to another level. And that's my philosophy on it.

[Marcus Miller], a friend in California has this nouveau-Big Band-film score thing happening. It's a weird concept, playing all these scores with a big band. In one sense the music isn't really challenging -- the tunes, I mean. But then again, there's blowing space for everybody because of their arrangements. He said they're filling houses in L.A., and now A&E are doing a live video. People are digging the stuff because they have something to hold onto, meaning the movie scores. [Then] once people get there there's this jazz thing happening on top of it.

So the way I feel about it is, some people want to put jazz in a museum -- make it concert hall-only. Talking to [Miller] last month, he said he's always up against the same thing as I am . . . being a jazz musician capable of doing a wide range of music. Having, in his case, the film score's parameters set in front of him. And within the context of that, sneaking in the jazz and having [fans] like it, not knowing why. For Marcus, that's not really how he does his thing, but he right in that [players] do need to keep innovating. I'll do this record, then do a totally avant-garde thing. Right now.

The problem with the format is that it bleeds a little too much into the pop world. That's the one thing I don't like about it. For example, hearing a Janet Jackson tune then a David Sanborn tune. Gimme a break.

So I try not to send the CD to people who I know don't like it, if that answers your question. On the other hand, there's a lot more going on than meets the eye. And that's what I'm trying to get across.

Dan Moretti headlines the release party for That's Right (1201 Music) Saturday at Chan's.

STARS & BARS (SPECIAL THURSDAY MARCH MADNESS EDITION). Revolution recording artists Kilgore have parted ways with lead singer Jay Berndt. Marty, Mike and Bill are now actively soliciting demo tapes at POBox 2224, Pawtucket, 02861, or get details and read their European tour diary at www.revolution-online.com/ kilgore/. Marty O'Brien writes that "we're going to be accepting tapes from all over the country, but someone from the Providence [area] would be a great thing." Possible L.A. relocation, desire to tour involved.

RBR dynamo Ani DiFranco tix are on sale for her Civic Center gig next month; Up6 (Righteous Babe) debuted at #29 with a bullet in Billboard, but more recent news from the home of Hasek finds DiFranco soon releasing her second collaboration with Utah Phillips ("Utah's voice, more of Ani's voice, her band, and a big batch of stories and songs celebrating the early days of the modern labor movement . . . recorded in a living room in New Orleans before an audience of 40" quoth RBR). Tentative release date May 18.

Congrats to the Agents, nominees for Best New Ska Band in the 12th annual Boston Music Awards; they play the Ocean Mist Friday (with Justin Hines) supporting For the Massive (Radical). Awards to be distributed at the Orpheum April 22; this first Agents tour goes from the northeast south then around the country.

Also Friday, in Providence, Itchies drummer Jennifer Yakes plays her final show at the Green Room. According to guitarist Brian Dardeen her replacement "is Andy Tokarz, young Polish sensation, a protegé of Cranktone Stan Kozlowski." Dardeen also mentioned top-shelf Western Swing outfit The Spurs (take that, geek Gunners fans), featuring outstanding plectrist Jerry Miller, have about completed their new record. Stay tuned for the Spurs . . . the buzz is all good. The LUVs join the Itchies on Friday.

Your Saint Patty's Pick: Rachel Maloney, Chris Turner and Esteban O'Dubois perform at the Custom House from 6-9 p.m.

Music director Larry Rachleff, celebrating a freshly-inked contract keeping him at the helm of the R.I. Philharmonic through the 2001-2 season, retakes the stage Saturday at Vet's with soloist Sharon Isbin on guitar. She's the in-demand jazz/classical recording artist, and Rachleff must somehow find a way to match the 77-minute-long, almost unbelievably cool Shostakovich Leningrad which riveted attendees three weeks ago. Was the audience transported to a music conservatory rooftop, standing next to the composer peering down on his hometown of St. Petersburg as the invading Nazi horde shelled the crap out of it while his compatriots starved?

Yes.

The New London, Connecticut native will concurrently maintain his post at Rice University, and was quoted saying "I have found a second home within the Rhode Island community."

They Might Be Giants, who have some Rhody roots of their own, arrive at Lupo's, and www.tmbg.com is where you can now download many of their popular Dial-A-Song offerings as well as "some of the wilder songs" according to J. Flansburgh, whose Giants will upload 15 previously unreleased tracks in the coming months. Also on the mouse tip, former Barrington-ites the Slip, in the middle of a left coast tour, will perform live on the web Saturday at 6PM from a gig in Santa Cruz. Fire up the RealAudio and scoot to www.sco.com/palookaville for aud/vid from From the Gecko.

The Pataphysical Circus this weekend at AS220 features the daughter of legendary Mississippi blues/jazz great Mose Allison. Amy Allison has resuscitated the Maudlins, who appear along with Providence's Panic Band (formerly His Panic Band formerly Hiss Panic Band) Saturday on Empire Street. One half of the exquisitely tormented alt-country duo Parlor James (which she founded with Lone Justice's Ryan Hedgecock) Allison has a piercing, china-rattling voice that, once you work past its potentially enervating nearness to Fran Drescher's, shines from under her forlorn, emotionally tattered veil like the work of her self-professed heroine Loretta Lynn (who, for you whippersnappers, sounded nothing like dreck queen Drescher).

We may not hear splintery yarns packing as much gravitas again for a good while -- or at least until Kristin Hersh returns during the Space's annual Fool's Ball next month. This could prove the most unforgettable of host JT's Circuses to date. While we're not sure whether Saturday's will be the same Maudlins lineup (Rob Meador, Charlie Shaw, Simon Heathcote, Mark Amft, Steve Lewis) which graced their impressive '96 release The Maudlin Years (Koch), it's definitely the same Amy Allison who opened Parlor James' Old Dreams (Sire) several months back with a typically twisty and memorable cover of Tom Petty's "Turning Point" and never looked back. Or up. Or down. Just plain haunting, like that record's subsequent take on the trad oh-mah-darlin' "Clementine." Recommended.

Large Green:According to Forbes, musicians among the current top 50 revenue earners in showbiz are (rank first):

10. Rolling O'Stones, $57 million

11. Master O'P, $56.5

13. Celine O'Dion, $55.5

15. Garth O'Brooks, $54

16. Sean "Puffy" O'Combs, $53.5

21. Spice O'Girls, $49

38. Will O'Smith, $34

40. O'Metallica, $32

42. Dave O'Matthews Band, $30.