The Michael Weiss Sextet
musical tour of the Caribbean," exploring
Jazz pianist Michael Weiss, 42, native of
South American music as well as early jazz.
a small Jewish community in Dallas,
began playing the piano at age 6, and
The JazzTimes Superband
has established a formidable reputation
as a sideman, bandleader, composer,
The JazzTimes Superband, performing on
arranger, recording artist and educator.
the Ford-Verizon Wireless Stage at 1:45 p.m.
He has worked with the top names
Saturday, Sept. 2, includes trumpeter Randy
in jazz, including Gerry Mulligan,
Brecker, part of a duo of Jewish jazz-playing
Johnny Griffin, Art Farmer and
brothers who grew up in Philadelphia, influ-
Nancy Wilson, Abbey Lincoln, Dr. John and Poncho Sanchez are among-this
Wynton Marsalis.
enced by a piano-playing father.
year's headliners at the Ford Detroit International Jazz Festival.
A New York Times music critic said
Michael Brecker, a tenor sax player,
Weiss "focuses the intensity of a tune as
appeared at the Ford Montreux Detroit
well as any pianist in mainstream jazz."
International Jazz Festival in 1998.
Fountain," 'All the Way," "High Hopes," and "Call
At 15, he discovered the world of jazz at
Randy spent summers at big-band stage camps,
Me Irresponsible."
Michigan's famed Interlochen Center for the Arts
then began playing R&B and funk in local bar bands
Although their original family name was Cohen,
and continued his studies at Indiana University.
as a teenager, "but I developed an ear for hard bop
Steve Kahn changed the spelling of his father's
From there, he swung right into a full-time music
and jazz by listening to all of the top groups," he said.
adopted surname.
career — to the slight consternation of his parents,
After attending Indiana University, he went on to
"He did this to establish his own identity,"
who are European immigrants.
explained sidekick Samuels. "I think the 'Ka' spelling New York City to seek his jazz fortune, eventually
"My mother has been sort of supportive of my
helping to form the popular Blood, Sweat and Tears
shows his Jewishness even more."
music career, but my father doesn't relate to the arts
group, then joining the Horace Silver Quintet.
Kahn, a UCLA graduate who moved to New York
at all," Weiss reflected in an interview from his
Forming the Brecker Brothers Band in 1975,
City, started his music career as an admitted "terrible
Brooklyn apartment.
Randy and Michael have teamed up, split up and
drummer with no musical training" and switched to
The musician, who is single, is happy to live in New
teamed up again several times over the years, while
guitar at age 19. "Then I took private lessons and
York so he can better experience Jewish culture and the
being hailed by jazz and pop critics alike as "a band
studied that instrument very hard," he said.
city's cultural diversity in general. "With the great
of
immeasurable influence and impact."
In the 1980s, he recorded a brilliant solo acoustic
Jewish influence on the New York cultural scene, I can
The band was the first group signed by the then
guitar album called Evidence, then, in 1994, dedicat-
participate more as a Jew than I did in Dallas," said
fledgling Arista Records in the 1970s.
ed Crossings to the memory of his father.
Weiss, who has a strong commitment to jazz education.
The brothers garnered seven Grammy nomina-
He also did an interpretation of his father's only
He serves as artist in residence at universities and
Christmas song, "The Christmas Waltz," on the Jazz tions before scoring a double-Grammy victory with
Out of the Loop. Randy won his first Grammy as a
secondary schools, giving jazz workshops and private
to thi' World CD. In other recordings, he has accom-
lessons.
soloist in 1998 for "Best Contemporary Jazz
panied Miles Davis, James Brown, Aretha Franklin
Performance." The brothers have drawn wide
"Jazz is an uplifting type of music, but it's really
and Quincy Jones. Performing around the world,
not for everyone. It often takes a back seat to other
acclaim and large concert turnouts with several
Kahn has become one of the most in-demand music
popular music," Weiss lamented. "There are just too
reunions, joining forces with other jazz greats.
clinicians and teachers.
many entertainment choices in general — movies,
Bob Berg, Joey DeFrancesco and Peter Erskine
Samuels, 51, who makes his home in Fairfield,
cable TV, the Internet. Jazz really has to strive to get
join Randy Brecker in the JazzTimes Superband.
Conn., was born in Chicago and began playing
more attention for its niche and compete *for the
drums and the piano at 6. While attending college,
entertainment dollar.
he started focusing his energies on the vibraphone
"Some well-known Jewish jazz stars, like Steve
and marimba — "all part of the percussion instru-
The 21st annual Ford Detroit Internatidnal
Grossman and the late Mel Lewis, helped put jazz in
ment family," he pointed out.
Jazz
Festival takes over five stages in Hart Plaza
the forefront in the old days, and now it's up to the
"I've striven to develop a fresh new sound and a
on
Jefferson
Ave. in downtown Detroit Friday-
younger guys to keep it going. Jazz is experiencing a
creative approach to the vibes," he said.
Monday, Sept.1-4. Admission is free to the festi-
difficult period right now, but it will thrive, thanks
His parents were "a bit concerned about his
val, which runs from about noon to midnight.
to festivals like Detroit's."
choice of careers, probably like any other normal
Local high school and college groups will play
Weiss said he's "very excited to bring his sextet to
Jewish parent," he mused, "but I won them over and
in the afternoons and most of the headliners
Detroit," where he will help wind up the festival
made them proud when I played Carnegie Hall,
will take over the stages in the evenings.
starting at 9:30 p.m. Monday, Sept. 4, on the Ford-
with Gerry Mulligan."
Performance times for some of the headlin-
Verizon Wireless Stage. At 3 p.m. that day, he will
He also has performed with Oscar Peterson, Chet
ers,
all on the Ford-Verizon Wireless Stage, are
participate in a meet-the-artist session at the Pepsi
Baker, Stan Getz, Carla Bley and Frank Zappa.
the
Caribbean
Jazz Project, 6:30 p.m. Friday;
Jam Academy Stage.
The most exhilarating experience of Samuels' life
the JazzTimes Superband, 1:45 p.m. Saturday;
was when he spent a year in Israel at the age of 17
Dr. John, 7:30 p.m. Saturday; Nancy Wilson,
after graduating from high school. "I worked on a
The Caribbean Jazz Project
7:30 p.m. Sunday; Abbey Lincoln, 7:30 p.m.
farm and developed a real fervor for the Jewish peo-
Monday; the Michael Weiss Sextet, 9:30 p.m.
The Caribbean Jazz Project takes the Ford-Verizon
ple, a real sense of belonging," he said. "I loved it,
Monday.
Wireless Stage at 6:30 p.m. Friday, Sept. 1, featuring
and I learned to speak fluent Hebrew."
For a complete listing of performers and
two Jewish jazz stars.
He returned to Israel in recent years, "but things
times,
call the festival hotline at (313) 570-PLAY,
Dave Samuels is rated as the top mallet player of
had changed too much. It just wasn't the same
or
go
to
the Web site at www.detroitjazzfest.com .
his generation, and Steve Kahn has been listed
thing," he said.
WWJ-TV (CBS/Channel 62) will televise a
among the top 22 all-time greatest jazz guitarists —
Gaining international exposure as a member of
live jazz festival special from 9-11 p.m. Friday,
alongside Kenny Burrell, Django Reinhardt, Wes
the Mulligan Sextet, Samuels' awards include two
Sept. 1. National Public Radio station WDET
Montgomery George Benson and John
Grammys, five Grammy nominations and top hon-
will broadcast the entire festival, and NPR affili-
Abercrombie.
ors as best Vibes Player in both Jazziz and Modern
ates across the country will air the event from 6-
Kahn, in his early 50s, is the son of legendary
Drummer magazines.
11 p.m. each night.
song lyricist Sammy Cahn, who won four Academy
The Caribbean Jazz Project's newest CD is titled
Awards for Best Song by penning "Three Coins in a
New Horizons. The band describes its music as "a
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