Why Jazz Matters: Track 12

by Norman Provizer

If you are not a jazz fan, the odds are that you have never heard of Bob Belden. In fact, even if you are a jazz fan, there’s a good chance that the name of this Grammy Award-winning saxophonist and arranger, who was born near Chicago in 1956, might not ring a bell. Raised in South Carolina, Belden went to the University of North Texas and joined Woody Herman’s big band after graduating in 1978. In 1980, Belden headed to New York and worked with trumpeter Donald Byrd and the Mel Lewis Orchestra.

Over the years, the saxophonist/arranger released a number of discs, including albums that featured his take on the music of Prince, Sting and the Beatles (not to mention Puccini). He also put together explorations of Miles Davis with both an Indian and Spanish tinge. Based on his musical knowledge, Belden was also tapped to undertake Columbia Record’s reissue program of material from both Davis and piano giant Herbie Hancock.

But the reason I’m talking about Belden this month has to do with something a little different. In February, Belden, with his group Animation, traveled to Iran for a series on concerts; and, in doing that Belden became the first American musician to perform in Iran since the 1979 revolution in that country that overthrew the Shah and brought Ayatollah Khomeini to power. You can think of it as a mini-version of the ping-pong diplomacy that took place back in 1971 between the U.S. and China, only with musical notes taking the place game’s small, white balls – and without all the massive attention the ping-pong games gathered.

The brief, four-day tour by Belden’s quartet ended in Tehran with a concert that filled a 1,200-seat hall. Before that, Belden closed the annual Farj music festival that marks the anniversary of the Iranian revolution. Certainly, no one expects a visit by a jazz player to erase to tensions and conflicts that exist between the U.S. and Iran. But it’s not a bad start.

Remember that from the mid-1950s through the late 1970s, the U.S. State Department, initially with the support of President Dwight Eisenhower, organized numerous concerts around the world by jazz players from Dizzy Gillespie and Louis Armstrong to Duke Ellington during the Cold War to display America’s original (and multicultural) contribution to culture and the arts that had captured the ears of the world with its sound of freedom. While there was no U.S. government involvement in Belden’s visit to Iran, the idea that jazz can still play a role in cultivating relations among people is pretty attractive. There are some things, after all, that musical chords can do that drones can’t.

I mentioned that Belden has been involved in the reissuing of material from pianist Herbie Hancock. On March 17, Hancock is at Boettcher Hall in the Denver Performing Arts Complex along with pianist Chick Corea in an event sponsored by the Colorado Symphony. Hancock and Corea are two of the true giants of the modern-jazz piano (303-623-7876).

On March 4-5, drummer Kendrick Scott and his Oracle Band (with Taylor Eigsti on piano) is at Dazzle (303-839-5100), followed by guitarist Nir Felder on March 7, Swedish-born pianist Stefan Karlsson on March 13 and the terrific singer Rene Marie on March 14-15. During that time, on March 11, saxophonist David Sanchez, originally from Puerto Rico, is at Mount Vernon Country Club with his quartet that has Luis Perdomo, out of Cuba, on piano (303-526-0616).

Back at Dazzle, Israeli-born clarinetist Anat Cohen is at the club on Lincoln on March 19-20 celebrating the music of Brazil. Then from March 28 through March 31, Dazzle buzzes with the sound of the Hammond B-3 organ. On the first two-nights, it’s Tony Monaco who provides the organ sounds in a trio with Fareed Haque on guitar. For the next two nights, Dr. Lonnie Smith is the one leading an organ trio. Also during the month, at the Lone Tree Arts Center offers a tribute to the Great Ladies of Jazz with singer Kim Nazarian on March 23 (720-509-1000). And at the Soiled Dove Underground, trumpeter Ryan Montano is on tap on March 13 and guitarist Jonathan Butler is there on March 20 (303-830-9214).

Tags: Dazzle, jazz, why jazz matters, Norman Provizer, Bob Belden, Animation

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