Connie Crothers Piano

Bill Payne Clarinet

Conversations
(NA1044)

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Connie Crothers and Bill Payne's CD "Conversations" has been voted one of the Top 10 Jazz CD's released in 2008 by Bill Shoemaker (Down Beat) and Art Lange (Point of Departure) in the recent Village Voice Jazz Critics Poll for 2008!

Reviews of Conversations:

All About Jazz/ New York, November 2008
By Marc Medwin

"Connie Crothers is one of the most versatile pianists on a scene that is so often mislabeled free jazz. Her pianism has been cultivated through long years of study and deep listening, evident in each tone, chord and gesture. Overwhelming intensity, at whatever volume, is juxtaposed with transparent beauty in a style that is as unique as it is unpredictable.

Crothers has the perfect partner in clarinetist Bill Payne, with this disc of dialogues belying a long musical relationship, as evidenced by the moment in "Conversation no. 3" when Payne plays a two-note figure, immediately following which Crothers flourishes downward to land on Payne's E-flat. In fact, counterpoint is the duo's MO throughout. It opens "Conversation 4" and is even more rigorous in the tenth conversation. Crothers' Tristano association is made plain in the latter, but as the tenth track heats up, bluesy inflections and clusters pervade, leading to a surprisingly trilled ending from Payne. By contrast, there are the Messiaenic sonorities of "Conversation 12," with Payne beginning in lower registers and with such rhythmic freedom it almost sounds like a movement left out of "Quartet for the End of Time."

The duo's rhythmic diversity is stunning. "Conversation 1" finds them establishing motoric rhythms in variously shifting meters seemingly without effort. If several of the improvised pieces do, in fact, invoke the high-dynamics usually associated with Cecil Taylor, such concerns are momentary and they reflect only one facet of this duo's remarkable ability to communicate quickly and efficiently on many levels. This is improvised music at its finest. "

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"Rather than a high-energy blowout, these collaborations leave space, are generally thoughtful and feature close communication between the two musicians, whether they are echoing each other’’s thoughts or offering a pair of contrasting voices. Sounding very much like ""conversations,"" the improvisations give Crothers and Payne opportunities to create new melodies and thoughts on the spot, and it often makes for an intriguing listen. It is obvious that they have played together many times before and have a familiarity with each other’’s playing even as they continually surprise each other."

--Scott Yanow, L.A. Jazz Scene

www.pointofdeparture.org
Issue 18, August 2008

There’s not a wasted note on these tightly constructed, pithy duets between pianist Connie Crothers and clarinetist Bill Payne. Each of the fourteen improvisations sprouts from an initial phrase played by each partner and grows by means of elaborations, variations, and recapitulations of the seed planted by the first notes. Throughout each improvisation, Crothers and Payne remain absolute equals, synchronizing their lines of development without there ever appearing to be a leader and a follower. But they are clearly listening to one another in these intimate dialogues. Each will pick up a hint from the other –mimic a contour, shadow a phrase – but use it only long enough to weave it into what he or she is doing. It’s a kind of a hall of fun house mirrors effect, where images are warped and reflected back and forth until they are utterly transformed. Tempos remain at slow and medium, but there’s lots of var iety in other aspects of their collaboration. “Conversation #2” is full of short gestures, Crothers making brief sweeping arcs as if she were juggling scarves, while Payne dips and arcs like a dragon fly. “Conversation #4” is a braid, a macramé construction of lines and knots of chords that form beautiful patterns. On “The Desert and the City,” Payne’s clarinet moves like a leaf buffeted by the wind, tracing long peregrinations, then wafting upward in little curlicues, or using multiphonics to jump in place. Crothers under girds and enfolds Payne with a kaleidoscopic progression of chords and note clusters. The precision with which they fit together is uncanny at time. Like all students of Lennie Tristano, Crothers is often branded as cool, but this is very passionate music, a product of intense concentration and discipline as well as emotional openness and depth.
–Ed Hazell

Bill Payne Biography:

Was raised in Harvey, Illinois. Originally wanted to be a trumpet player when I heard the Al Hirt Top 40 hit “Cotton Candy” when I was a child. My mother said that my Uncle had an old clarinet and asked me if I would play that. I didn’t know what that was but agreed to play it when I saw a clarinet player on ”The Lawrence Welk Show.”

Originally studied clarinet with Don Kramer and saxophone with Frank Derrick, Jr.
First road experience was with “The Young Americans” in 1969 then free-lance Chicago.
Joined “The Russ Carlyle Orchestra” in 1974…barnstormed around the country in a van playing sweet big band music in long forgotten ballrooms. Highlight for that gig was replacing the Russ Morgan Orchestra at the Dunes Hotel for ten week stretches twice a year in Las Vegas while Russ Morgan went on the road. Stayed with Russ Carlyle for two years then moved to New York City (for the hell of it) in early 1977.

Ran out of money in New York. Got a chance to audition for Ringling Bros. Circus in Philadelphia and got the job…my life changed totally. Moved on to the circus train and started a whole, new and exciting life. Spent the next 5 years with Ringling. In the meantime studied with Eddie Barefield on saxophone and Lewis Wyatt on clarinet in New York, flute with Wayne Crebo of The Boston Pops and Byron Baxter of the Houston Philharmonic. I met my wife Danise, who was a performer on Ringling, in a snowstorm in Greensboro, NC when a show was cancelled in 1979…married in 1981. Left Ringling and moved to New York City (again).

While in New York did theatre work: “Sugar Babies” “Gypsy” and others. Worked with the Circle Rep Theatre…Loves Labors Lost. Free lanced around New York. Was a ticket taker at The Empire State Building Observatory!!!

Studied with Connie Crothers (a big turning point in my life) for six months, met and played with Richard Tabnik, Carol Tristano and others.

Moved to Los Angeles in 1985. Played on cruise ships (Royal Viking Line). Toured with Margaret Whiting, Kay Starr. Worked with the Comedian Kaye Ballard, Harry James Big Band, singers Connie Haines and Art Lund. Free lance with Ringling Bros. Toured with Debbie Reynolds and Harve Presnell…others

Went to London England, played with the Gerry Cottle Circus. Was Musical Director for the LA Circus for three years. Toured with the UniverSoul Big Top Circus and other circuses.

Went back with Ringling in 2002 stayed for 2 years then moved to Las Vegas. More….

Started to work with the poet Mark Weber and his Band played concerts and recorded. Made solo recordings with Mark Weber.Recorded with Connie Crothers, Mark Weber, Roger Mancuso, Richard Tabnik, Mikael Vlatkovich, William Roper, Bud Tristano and others.