Lisa Hannigan, the acclaimed Irish singer whom The New York Times calls “exquisitely ethereal,” is poised for the release of her much anticipated solo debut, ‘Sea Sew’.

Set for release January 20, 2009 on ATO Records, the album has already garnered airtime on tastemaking radio station KCRW and earned early praise from The Los Angeles Times, which calls it “charmingly idiosyncratic.” Hannigan is currently supporting Jason Mraz on his 42-date North American tour.

Lisa Hannigan on amazon.com

Lisa Hannigan on amazon.co.uk

Hannigan’s chance meeting with acclaimed singer-songwriter Damien Rice led to a long period of collaboration and development. From the outset, Hannigan quickly generated attention for her own vocal performances and spent the subsequent few years touring the world, meeting wonderful musicians and friends, writing songs and contributing backing vocals on many friends’ records. Such collaborations included the Frames and Mic Christopher and Hannigan even sang with the legendary Herbie Hancock. She gradually found her voice, needing the microphone less and less.

During her seven-year collaboration with Rice, Lisa Hannigan compiled a notebook of songs and fostered the desire and confidence to put them onto a record. Hannigan, along with a talented band of friends - including Tom Osander on drums, Shane Fitzsimons on double bass, Donagh Molloy on trumpet, melodica and glockenspiel, Gavin Glass on piano, Lucy Wilkins on violin and Vyvienne Long on cello-recorded ‘Sea Sew’ over 14 days in Dublin.

In advance of the album’s release, Hannigan has made available the songs “Lille,” “Sea Song,” “Pistachio” and “I Don’t Know” for streaming via her website. “I Don’t Know,” the first single off ‘Sea Sew’, will be released early next year.

Lisa Hannigan Tour Dates:

(Dates and information subject to change.)

November 19 Minneapolis, MN Myth
November 21 Milwaukee, WI Eagles Ballroom
November 22 Chicago, IL Aragon Ballroom
November 23 St. Louis, MO Fabulous Fox Theater
November 25 Lakewood, OH Lakewood Auditorium
November 26 Richmond, VA The National
November 28 Richmond, VA The National
November 29 Atlanta, GA Tabernacle
November 30 Nashville, TN Ryman Auditorium

Lisa Hannigan Official Website
MySpace

Pannonica de Koenigswarter. Known fondly as "Nica" or "the Baroness," jazz's most generous and colorful benefactor in the 1950s and beyond had extraordinary access to Charlie Parker, Thelonious Monk, Art Blakey, Bud Powell, Miles Davis and many other jazz greats. Such access allowed Nica to compile an extraordinary collection of candid snapshots of the jazz greats she knew and assisted

In a handsome new book, Three Wishes: An Intimate Look at Jazz Greats, Nica's photographs have been assembled by her granddaughter, Nadine de Koenigswarter, who wrote a detail-rich introduction. Gary Giddins penned the forward. From the dozens of color and black-and-white images, we see clearly that Nica truly was jazz's best friend. The wealthy anti-socialite provided America's greatest jazz artists with much-needed camaraderie, health assistance, financial support and shelter. It's not a stretch to say that without Nica's financial and emotional backing, some artists might not have been as productive in the recording studio and clubs while others might have become ill and remained so longer.

Born in 1913, Nica was the daughter of Charles Rothschild, a banker and entomologist. Her formal first name, Pannonica, came from the name of an exotic butterfly her father discovered in Hungary. Nica married Jules de Koenigswarter in 1935, traveled to Africa with him, and served in the Free French army during World War II. After the war, her husband became a diplomat, plunging Nica into a life of stark loneliness that she soon grew to detest

After separating from her husband in 1952, Nica moved to New York, to the Hotel Stanhope across from the Metropolitan Museum of Art on Fifth Ave. Captivated as a child by her father's extensive jazz record collection, Nica began attending jazz clubs and concerts. At Teddy Wilson's home, she was introduced to the music of Thelonious Monk. In 1954, upon hearing Monk was to perform in Paris, Nica flew to France and was introduced to him. The two would forge an unusual relationship, despite Monk's marital status.

Back in New York, Nica achieved some tabloid notoriety when Charlie Parker died in her Stanhope Hotel apartment in March 1955 ("Bop King Dies in Heiress' Flat"). Nica had thick skin and ignored the flack. Art always meant more to Nica than stuff or the banality of color. When she wasn't club-hopping in her Bentley S1, Nica taught many musicians how to deal tactfully with club owners and helped Monk win back his cabaret card in 1957. She also convinced New York Mayor John Lindsey to scrap the discriminatory rule that required nightclub musicians to have their fingerprints on file.

Nica eventually bought a home in Weehawken, N.J., that was fondly named "the Cathouse," for the large number of felines she took in and the jazz artists who hung out there. In 1988, in failing health, Nica underwent triple bypass surgery but died during the operation. In accordance with Nica's will, her ashes were scattered in the Hudson River around midnight, in tribute to Monk's 'Round Midnight. [Pictured: Nica and Bud Powell at the Cathouse in Weehawken, N.J.]

The title of the book Three Wishes, refers to the question Nica asked many of the musicians she knew: "If you were given three wishes, to be instantly granted, what would they be?" Their answers appear throughout the book and are both whimsical and revealing. For example, Monk's wishes were: "To be successful musically, to have a happy family, and to have a crazy friend like you."

What makes the photos in Three Wishes so remarkable is their rawness. Many of the unpretentious snapshots show jazz legends "off duty." Lacking the professional photographer's eye or training to set up subjects, Nica simply fired off shots that today tell a fascinating silent story. They also are revealing, since we see jazz legends' faces relaxed rather than contorted or posed for a professional photographer's lens.

The unfiltered images wind up seeming like stills from some unfinished jazz documentary. There's also a quiet quality to them that doesn't exist in many professional photographs, which too often try too hard to tease out a subject's cool side.

Nica's photos in Three Wishes are delightfully un-cool. Which, of course, makes them extremely cool. Going through the pages, you're instantly struck by how unassuming these legends are. It's the same sensation you feel when viewing photos of movie stars without their hair or makeup done. We see artists sitting, eating, talking and playing their instruments. Most of all, we see photos of Nica's friends who just also happened to be jazz greats.

Ultimately, you come to view Three Wishes as a family scrapbook rather than the stylistic portfolio of a hot-shot magazine photographer. The difference between the two is that in Nica's book, you can hear the music playing.

Johnny Mandel redux. Last week more emails arrived in response to my interview series with Johnny Mandel. [Oil painting by Merryl Jaye]

From reader David Langer:

"Great piece on Johnny Mandel. I thought I'd pass along two of my favorite sides that feature Mandel's arrangements. The first is the 1955 Cy Touff Octet/Quintet side on Pacific Jazz featuring Richie Kamuca, plus Sweets Edison and the legendary Conrad Gozzo on lead trumpet on the octet numbers.  This is an extraordinary record that features Keester Parade.  The second is a circa 1960 Mel Torme big band date for Verve called I Dig The Duke, I Dig the Count." Check it out—it's a winner with Mel in top form, great charts and a fabulous band."

Editor's note: The Cy Touff date is here, and the Mel Torme date is here.

From Bruce Armstrong, grandson of Harry Reser, the bandleader who headed the Cliquot Club Eskimos and for whom Johnny's cousin played drums:

"I just recently became aware of JazzWax and have really enjoyed reading it. Your interviews and historical articles are excellent. There is no place else that I know of—Internet or print—that compares.

I really enjoyed the interviews with Johnny Mandel. Despite the fact that Johnny is an absolute legend of modern music, I have not read much about him. It filled in a lot of biographical gaps for me.

On a personal note, I really got a kick out of Johnny mentioning his cousin, Mel Rosenbach, as one who was an early influence in his making music a career. As Johnny correctly states, Mel was playing drums with Harry Reser’s Cliquot Club Eskimos at the time. Harry Reser was my grandfather. My late mother (Gerry) was Harry's youngest daughter.

I knew Mel quite well back in the 1970s. Mel would often visit my mother, and he had a million stories to tell about his years in the music business (he toured for many years with the international chanteuse Hildegarde) and about his young cousin, Johnny Mandel. What a small world!"

From Michael Palmer in Australia:

"Congratulations on the Johnny Mandel interview. Up to your usual high standards. I may have missed it but did one of my favorites not get a mention?  This would be Jo + Jazz, a wonderful recording that was hidden away for years and is now available on Corinthian. It features the magnificent Jo Stafford, Johnny Mandel, Johnny Hodges and Ben Webster.  Who could ask for anything more?"

The Night Has a Thousand Eyes. Following my post last week on the 1948 film theme song that wound up becoming a jazz standard, I received a bunch of emails from fans of the standard:

From Ira Gitler, the legendary jazz writer, producer and author:

"As your post appeared on my screen, I immediately readied myself as I scrolled down to hip you to Harry Belafonte's recording. Then, lo and behold, there it was in 10th place. I can't rate it because it's in a class by itself thanks to Zoot's solo, which I once described as listening to it from the back end of an empty ballroom."

From WKCR-NY disc jockey Sid Gribetz:

"The Night Has a Thousand Eyes is right up there as one of my favorite "obscure" standards. And the John Coltrane, and Horace Silver-Hank Mobley versions are both special to me, as they are on your list. A couple more for your consideration:

Nick Brignola, on Like Old Times. It's a little fast, but still captures the mysterioso meaningfulness of the song. And Dick Katz's piano trio on 3 Way Play. This one's a little playful, but still intriguing."

From reader David Langer:

"The song has always been one of my favorites. I first became aware of it in college through the John Coltrane recording, but always enjoyed Carmen McRae’s vocal version on her Second To None LP, a forgotten gem that is almost impossible to find as a CD. I bought that album when I was in college in the mid-60s and I still consider it one of Carmen’s greatest. Peter Matz wrote wonderful arrangements of a whole lineup of great tunes, including Once Upon a Summertime, Blame It on My Youth and In Love In Vain."

Nelson Riddle. Rosemary Acerra, daughter of the late, great Hollywood arranger Nelson Riddle, has started a newsletter that focuses on news about her dad's recordings, scores and tributes. To subscribe to the thrice-annual publication, send a $20 check (payable to Nelson Riddle Music) to:

Nelson Riddle Music
186 Enclave Blvd.
Lakewood, N.J. 08701

And here's a great audio clip of Nelson Riddle being interviewed on the radio in the 1980s by writer and radio host Jonathan Schwartz, now of XM Satellite Radio.

Defending jazz magazines. WFIU's David Brent Johnson, host of the station's Night Lights jazz radio show, this week wrote an editorial that took exception with a blog post at the Princeton Record Exchange. The blogger argued that jazz magazines offer little more than "PR cliches and tame thinking." David wages a smart argument against that point. Go here to read both views.

Better Than: Trying to find some parking around the theater. Talk a bout a beating.

Download: UPDATE: We now have a slideshow for your perusing pleasures, with Dylan Hollingsworth's excllent work behind the lens.

TVOTR's Tunde Adebimpe and Kyp Malone. (Dylan Hollingsworth)

The drumbeats are the first sign--boom-CLACK!-boom-boom-CLACK!--repeating over and over again. Then TV on the Radio vocalist Tunde Adebimpe starts shaking--almost James Brown-like--as he shimmies and hops across the stage. The synth, the bass and, ultimately, the guitar lines soon follow.

Yep, you can practically see the crowd piece it together: This is definitely "Wolf Like Me." Everyone in the theater starts bouncing along with Adebimpe.

And I'm kind of fearing for my life, actually. The Lakewood Theater is old and rickety--especially on the balcony. But everyone, including myself, has cast our fears aside for the moment. Instead, we're bouncing along with the music, ignoring the fact that the balcony is literally bouncing with us, trembling like a trampoline below our feet.

Fortunately, the balcony doesn't snap off its bearings and crash to the foor beneath. Everyone lives, and there are no more terrifying life-or-death moments to be had in the remaining 45 minutes or so of the band's set.

But, still, it's clear: Seeing this show from the balcony is worth a scare. Throughout the venue, the system is turned way the hell up. It's loud. But on the floor level, the sound is way off; the hanging speakers above the floor--the ones that contain pretty much all of the bass amplifiers--are aimed at the balcony, and, on the main floor, it's mostly a top-heavy sound being heard. On the balcony, though, everything sounds great.

And TVOTR especially sounds great, funking up much of its sound, perhaps in an attempt to ditch the "studio band" tag that's dogged it since forming. Whether or not that's true, it's still impressive--and it works especially well as the band funks up its more well-known tracks, like the aforementioned "Wolf Like Me," the two new singles ("Dancing Choose" and "Golden Age") and "Staring at the Sun."

There was a palpable energy in the Lakewood last night. Maybe part of it was that so few people had actually ever seen a show there before and the new digs helped hype them up. But more likely, it was a testament to TVOTR's staying power, proof that this band has something special on its hands in the wake of its big, critically acclaimed Return to Cookie Mountain.

Yeah, they killed it last night.

And thankfully, no one died in the process.

Critic's notebook
Personal Bias: Never seen TVOTR before and I wouldn't really identify myself as a diehard fan, although, really, the more I listen to the new disc, Dear Science the more of a fan I've become. That disc is insane. Also: The Lakewood is gorgeous and I'm in love with the venue and it needs to host more shows, pronto.

Random Note: The crowd was pretty into The Dirtbombs' garage rock sound as opening band. But what was really cool about this act was the way it broke down its set. The band's two drummers continued to plod away at a beat as the band members around them removed their gear--and eventually started removing the drummers' gear as they were playing. It was an endearing little distraction--and made perfect sense. Why not keep some members playing as the audience watches the band break down its stage after a performance?

By The Way: Members of The Dirtbombs joined TVOTR on stage for its encore and finale, which, again, featured lots and lots of percussion. --Pete Freedman

TV on the Radio play the Lakewood Theater tonight, but this week's Aural Ambush is playing right now, after the jump.

Here's the entire song, without the added commentary:

--Patrick Michels

Hey, everybody, Chuck Potashner has posted a pair of new tracks on his MySpace page! You might know Chuck from his time in teamAWESOME! -- although if you ask us, dude's just plain awesome, team or no team. While both tunes he's posted are pretty swell, "Slightly Unhealthy Love Song" is the delightful little ditty that's holding us hostage right now, or as Chuck so eloquently puts it, we're "tripping over our shoes, walking into walls for you." Check it out after the jump, and then be sure to catch Chuck this Saturday afternoon at 1 p.m. at Belmar Park in Lakewood (801 S. Wadsworth). -- Dave Herrera