Lenny White apologized last night for not having recorded an album for the past 10 years and for not touring as often as he wanted to. However, it didn't keep people away from visiting his club gig at Quasimodo. Although not a full house, most of the fans in the audience were just that - longtime White aficionados who like their drummer funky and powerful.

Mr. White started his first set with a couple of self-penned tunes to be released on his next album which will see the light of day in September. It was pretty clear from the start that bassist Richie Goods was the featured star of the show since his muscular and heavy electric bass was featured throughout the set in such a virtuosic manner that it prompted people to scream and shout. George Colligan was on keyboards and although he's one of the most sought-after musicians currently on the NY scene (also stated by Mr. White himself) and with his own band Mad Science, he didn't get as many solo opportunities as I had wished. But anyway his approach on the various keys was sensational. Also in the band, Mad Science member Tom Guarna on guitar who managed to throw in some rocking solos here and there and who reminded me of old Return To Forever material, the band in which White played the drums in the 70s together with a certain Chick Corea.

The material in the first set included, among the openers, a fresh and wild take on Wayne Shorter's Elegant People and a bass showcase from Mr. Goods on the standard My One And Only Love which was segued into I'll See You Soon, a piece from Mr. White's almost forgotten, but still in-demand 1978 album Streamline. White concluded the set with a piece written by his former employer Joe Henderson with which he worked as far back as 1970 and prompted him to say how old he is already. Called Gazelle, the piece was the perfect set closer and proved how tight the band could sound. As he's turning 60 later in the year, Lenny White was clearly in charge of the band and a highly concentrated and at the same time, pretty loose drum master.

Catch Lenny White & Present Tense this Friday in Cologne, Altes Pfandhaus.

The Women in Jazz Festival is now in its 14th year and in the past, this has always been a good overview on current music projects by the many women in the jazz world who by the way not only sing but play all kinds of instruments as well.

We here at JazzRadio try to prove this in our day-to-day programmes just tune in to listen.
This year's festival spreads over three evenings and is hosted by Dee Dee Bridgewater at Washington's Terrace Theater at the Kennedy Center on May 14-16th. The Washington Post says about the festival that it speaks volumes about the contributions women have made to jazz-and continue to make-both here and abroad.

On the schedule, you can find bassist and singer Esperanza Spalding who just performed over here in Berlin before an enthusiastic crowd, and singer Janis Siegel who is readying her next CD due out this spring and who recently gave a one-off performance in Cologne (see JazzRiff column 3/18). I came across clarinetist/saxophonist Anat Cohen at last year's Northsea Jazz Festival in Rotterdam and was simply stunned by the power and originality of her music. She will lead her Anzic Orchestra as well.

Also on the schedule, flutist Anne Drummond, vocalist Carmen Lundy, composer Maria Schneider leading her Orchestra, percussionist Annette A. Aguilar with her StringBeans Ensemble, saxophonist Hailey Mae Niswanger who has won the 2008 Mary Lou Williams Women in Jazz Competition, and Bridgewater herself.

For more info, visit www.kennedy-center.org

The alto saxophonist and flutist died in his home in Tucson, Arizona last week. He was 82.

To non-jazz enthusiasts, he was the one with the beautiful flute playing in the Mamas & The Papas' 60s hit California Dreamin'. And he had a hit album in 1966 with jazz versions of pop hits at the time. But most of all, his was the epitome of the West Coast Jazz style that started in the late 40s after his move to California from his hometown Dayton in Ohio.

He studied and played with Shorty Rogers, Charlie Barnet, and Stan Kenton before joining Howard Rumsey's Lighthouse Allstars. He was also one of the very first American jazz artists to embrace Brazilian music styles and later in the 60s also recorded some film scores. Shank's style was described as utterly melodic and expressive and evolved from the cool Charlie Parker bop to a highly unique and distinctive West Coast sound.

In the 70s, Shank formed a group which released a string of excruciatingly beautiful albums on Concord Jazz: The L.A. Four which featured Laurindo Almeida on guitar, Ray Brown on bass, and various drummers, Shelly Manne among them. These albums are sheer bliss and underline the fact that he was on par with the likes of Phil Woods or Jackie McLean. Although he was one of the first flutists in jazz, he then dropped that instrument to focus more on his alto saxophone playing.

The last two decades brought some more powerful playing with small group ensembles. in 2005, he formed the Bud Shank Big Band and his last album was released on Jazzed Media in 2007 and was called Beyond The Red Door. Shank was in the recording studio the day before he died for another recording session.

This morning, Claude Nobs, founder and head of the prestigious Montreux Jazz Festival, announced the line-up for the 43rd edition of the legendary Festival on the Swiss border of Lac Léman. Starting on July 3rd with the New York Salsa All Stars (with a rare European appearance by the great Dave Valentin), the festival runs again for two full weeks and three weekends.

Although the Casino, where most of the jazz concerts were held in recent years, is no longer part of the festival, there is still a lot of jazz to discover throughout. The CTI All Stars Band will perform music from the classic 70s jazz label founded by Creed Taylor and featuring, in its 2009 edition, Hubert Laws (who was also one of the original CTI musicians), Russell Malone, and Randy Brecker, among others (July 7th, Miles Davis Hall).

George Duke will be back and he has Rachelle Ferrell in tow. Together with George Benson, this promises to be another big night (July 13th, Stravinski Hall). One night will be dedicated to the late Nina Simone. Her music will be interpreted by Dianne Reeves, Lizz Wright, and Nina Simone's daughter, among others (July 11th, Stravinski Hall). John Scofield visits with his current New Orleans Funk project, Madeleine Peyroux, Melody Gardot, Jamie Cullum and Peter Cincotti are among the younger singer/songwriters scheduled to perform.

Longtime visitors to the festival like Marcus Miller, David Sanborn, and Herbie Hancock will return as well with their current projects. Expect also the unexpected: some musicans will turn up during other artists' shows as happened almost always in past festivals. The night of the Nina Simone tribute for example, the other of the two festival venues will host Grace Jones.

Anyway lots of great live music, interesting collaborations, sunny weather, and spectacular surroundings are a natural fact. visit www.montreuxjazz.com