 Putter Smith  Chuck Manning  Jeff Colella  Tina Raymond | Jazz for the City: Putter Smith and Friends Saturday, June 3, 2023 at 7:30 p.m. Friends of Music at PPC ends its 2022–2023 season with our annual jazz concert, featuring the innovative, singing sounds of Putter Smith and Friends. Putter Smith was born in Bell, California in the first half of the last century and began playing bass at the age of eight, inspired by his older brother, the late Carson Smith. He made his performing debut, aged 13, at Compton Community Center. He has performed in concert halls and jazz clubs across the U.S., Europe, and Asia. Putter has worked with Thelonious Monk, Art Blakey, Ray Charles, Lee Konitz, Warne Marsh, Mark Turner, Toshiko Akiyoshi, among many others. Saxophonist Chuck Manning grew up north of Seattle, studied jazz performance at North Texas State University in the 70’s and later studied privately with saxophonist Joe Henderson. He moved to Los Angeles in 1980 and since has recorded dozens of jazz recordings and has been making thousands of appearances and collaborations with top jazz musicians in the Los Angeles area, across the U.S., Asia and Europe. Manning’s cocktail of musical influences include John Coltrane, Ornette Coleman, Joe Henderson, Bobby Bradford, Sonny Rollins and North Indian Classical flautist Pannalal Ghosh. If he’s heard it and liked it, it’s likely to show up in his playing. Chuck currently is playing in numerous groups such as his long-time collaboration with the Los Angeles Jazz Quartet, the Henry Franklin Quintet, the Bobby Bradford Mo’tet, Steve Huffsteter Sextet, the Robby Krieger Jazz group and his own quartet. Jeff Colella is an endlessly inventive, post-bop pianist, and one of Los Angeles’ busiest jazz musicians. Besides performing as a solo artist and with his trio, he maintains a very active schedule as an accompanist, recording artist, composer, arranger, producer, clinician, educator, and now author. His new book, “Love Music” is available online at mymusicmasterclass.com. Jeff’s long-touring stints include 16 years as pianist/musical director for the legendary Lou Rawls, seven years touring worldwide with the Jazz Tap Ensemble, and several years as Jack Jones’ pianist/musical director. He has recorded and toured with a broad range or artists, including Diane Schuur, Gregory Hines, Savion Glover, Sheila Jordan, Kenny Washington, Anita O’Day, Brian Stokes Mitchell, Peter Gallagher, the Bill Holman Big Band, Stacey Rowles, Larry Koonse, Judy Wexler, David T. Walker, Bobby Shew, Bob Sheppard, Scott Whitfield, and Kevin Mahogany, among many others. His compositions have been recorded by other jazz artists, most recently on Close Your Eyes, the BFM Jazz release from renowned saxophonist Bob Sheppard. His four albums as a leader include trio albums So Tender (2013, Self), Alone Together (2007, Sea Breeze), and Letting Go (1997, Sea Breeze), plus his latest release, Lotus Blossom (2014, American Jazz Institute), a critically acclaimed duo recording with renowned bassist Putter Smith, which was named #3 on NPR’s Jazz Critics Poll. He taught at the Musician’s Institute for nearly thirteen years and is presently on the faculty at World Mission University in Los Angeles, California. Tina Raymond is an accomplished drummer, composer, bandleader, and educator. Director of Jazz Studies at California State University, Northridge, she received the DownBeat Educator Achievement Award (2020), and is president-elect of California Alliance for Jazz. Her teaching credits include Los Angeles City College, The Herbie Hancock Institute, University of Michigan, Bard College, and Idyllwild Arts. Raymond is a co-leader of Esthesis Quartet with Dawn Clement, Elsa Nilsson, and Emma Dayhuff. In addition to leading projects of her own, she performs as a sidewoman with the likes of Bobby Bradford, Eric Revis, Rachel Eckroth, Vinny Golia, and Billy Mohler. Recent recordings include Divinations (to be released 2023), Esthesis Quartet Time Zones (Ears&Eyes 2023), Boom Session Volume III with Dan Rosenboom, Gary Fukushima, and Eric Revis (Orenda 2022), Trio Subliminal Cinema Infernale (Orenda 2022), and Bobby Bradford’s Stealin’ Home (Cryptogramophone Records 2022). Program:
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