Laura Ogle April 29, 2018

Perspectives of Jazz
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Scott Wendholt/Adam Kolker Quartet, Live at Smalls Live Greenwich Village

Friday March 30, 2018 7:30pm

On Friday March 30th, 2018 I watched a live concert utilizing the online venue option of
Smalls Jazz Club in Greenwich Village. The band playing that night at 7:30pm was the Scott
Wendholt/Adam Kolker Quartet, they performed two sets, totaling two and a half hours. On the
trumpet is Scott Wendholt, then on the tenor saxophone there was Adam Kolker, on bass is
Ugonna Okegwo, and on the drums was the awesome Victor Lewis. While most of the band
members also compose their own music, some of their songs and inspiration come from the
greats like Charlie Parker, Miles Davis and Dizzy Gillespie.

The Smalls Jazz Club began in 1994 by a guy named Mitchell Borden. Its location is in
Greenwich Village which is in the epicenter of the New York entertainment mecca. There is a
$20 cover charge per set to watch the live concerts at the Smalls brick and mortar venue. If you
cannot make it to the club then you can go to www.smallslive.com and listen to this and other
wonderful bands for free, seven days a week. So if you are a jazz enthusiast then this is one of
the greatest places to hear some of the best jazz talent in the world.

Scott Wendholt is a high sought out trumpeter, composer and arranger. He was born in
Denver Colorado, but eventually migrated to New York to pursue his love of music. He’s played
with many big names like Don Braden, Christian McBride, and Kenny Garrett. Scott also toured
many places throughout the world such as Europe, South America, Africa, Japan as well as the
United States. Scott Wendholt has also been part of the big band scene in places like the Carnegie
Hall big Band, Maria Schneider’s Big Band, the Bob Mintzer Big Band and the Buddy Rich Big
Band.

Adam Kolker is a Grammy nominated saxophonist, composer and arranger. He’s

performe with names like Fred Hersch, Bruce Barth, and Judi Silvano as well as the Village
Vanguard Orchestra and the Maria Schneider Orchestra. Of his many talents, Adam was also an
associate professor at the University of Massachusetts at Amherst and Prinz Claus Conservatory
Laura Ogle April 29, 2018
Perspectives of Jazz
2018SPR_MUHI139S801_CLAS_31646_OL

in the Netherlands. Not only is he one heck of a saxophonist but he has been critically acclaimed
in publications like the Jazz Times and the Village Voice.

The program started off with a very extended introduction of the song Calypso. Victor
Lewis starts the song out with a slow and relaxed drum introduction. A few minutes in, Adam
Kolker takes over with a sax solo, then Scott Wendholt takes over for a trumpet solo, followed by
Ugonna Okegwo giving a solo performance on the bass, then a group finale, causing the song to
extend to 5 minutes over its original recording.

Next they played songs composed by Scott Wendholt, Adam Kolker, Victor Lewis, and
others. The 2nd song of the evening was a song arranged by Adam Kolker but composed by
Charlie Parker sometime in the 1950’s called, “Ah-Leu-Cha”. Next was another song arranged
by Kolker called, “Kevin’s Birthday Blues”. Ending the first set of the night was a piece from
their “AndThem” CD, based of chord progression to GiGi Gryce’s “Minority”, a melody that
Scott Wendholt wrote called, “New Minority”.

In the second set, the band played another lineup of great songs, including: “Green
Chimneys”, “Lucy”, “Buttercups”, and a composition that Scott Wendholt wrote as a contrafact
based on Dizzy Gillespie’s “Con Alma” and influenced a little by the Beatles. “Green Chimneys”
was written by Thelonious Monk in 1968 and named after the school his daughter Barbara
attended. Finally, the song “Buttercups” was composed by Victor Lewis. The type of music
being played at this time is considered a type of jazz fusion of sorts. Every member of the band
seemed to be enjoying each and every song being played.
Laura Ogle April 29, 2018
Perspectives of Jazz
2018SPR_MUHI139S801_CLAS_31646_OL

“Ah-Leu-Cha”

The song “Ah-Leu-Cha” is a bebop written by Charlie Parker in 1948. It is a contrafact of

the song “I Got Rhythm” and has been covered by big names such as Miles Davis, Dizzy
Gillespie, and Charles Mingus. This song features the saxophone weaving harmonically with a
trumpeter lead then it leads into an improvised blues. This song has an AABA format. This is a
song that is based around solos, so no matter what instrument are being played, everyone will get
a chance to have some fun.