Went to bed last night thinking I really screwed up this week: that I spent way too much time on computer, where I filed a blog post each day, and listening to too much jazz (see below). Thought I should declare a formal hiatus until I got my kitchen more/less done. Got up this morning, and for the first time thought it looks more/less done. Lots of little things to do, but the construction is pretty much all in place. A lot of stuff is painted, and the "to do" list is getting short. So I don't know what I'll do this coming week: probably a little bit of both. The raw count will certainly go down, if only because the electricians are getting back from vacation to finish the upstairs wiring, and that will take some of my time.

Should be wrapping the column up at this time, but haven't changed gears yet. Did revisit a couple of albums just because I thought they'd be easier. Here's what I listened to this week:

Will Sellenraad: Balance (2007 [2008], Beeswax): Guitarist, from New York. Third album since 2000. Haven't heard the first two, but they seem to have a soul jazz focus. This quartet is advanced bop, with drum master Victor Lewis managing the beat, bassist Kiyoshi Kitagawa pushing a relentless groove, the guitarist drawing that out into long postbop lines, and alto saxophonist Abraham Burton building on all that. I've always been real impressed with Burton, and he's in his usual fine form here. B+(***)

Fareed Haque + the Flat Earth Ensemble: Flat Planet (2009, Owl Studios): Guitarist, b. 1963, don't know where but father is Pakistani, mother Chilean; lived in both parents' countries, plus Spain, France, Iran, and US, studying at North Texas State and Northwestern. Seventh album since 1988. Sounds like south Indian folk grooves -- most of the guests come from that direction -- spiced up with a bit of fusion. Wonder whether he got the group/title concept from Thomas Friedman. It certainly doesn't make sense in such well rounded, universally appealing music. B+(**)

Bipolar: Euphrates, Me Jane (2009, CDBaby): Quintet (swapping drummers), led by trumpeter Jed Feuer: b. 1948, grew up in Los Angeles, played piano early on, grounded in classical music, mostly has soundtrack work on his resume, is working on an opera based on Slaughterhouse Five. Wrote 4 of 14 songs here, with one more from pianist Craig Swanson. Rest are arrangements (one Swanson, rest Feuer) of classics (Bach, Brahms, Beethoven, Debussy, Faure) and a couple of pop songs (Bill Withers, Beatles, one from the Frank Sinatra songbook). Pretty light and sprightly, almost camp. Aside from the Faure, none of the classical pieces trigger my kneejerk reaction, and the Beatles' "And I Love Her" is rather pretty, despite the flute. B [May 5]

Linda Presgrave: Inspiration (2008 [2009], Metropolitan): Pianist, b. 1951, worked in St. Louis until 1998 when she moved to New York and started recording -- this is her third album since 2000. Piano trio with Harvie S on bass, Allison Miller on drums, plus extra sax on 5 of 10 cuts -- 4 with Stan Chovnick on soprano, 2 with Todd Herbert on tenor (1 of those with both). Mainstream postbop, mostly upbeat, with impressive command. Herbert makes the most of his time. B+(**)

Mark Masters Ensemble: Farewell Walter Dewey Redman (2006 [2008], Capri): Big band arranger, b. 1957, started playing trumpet, learned his craft under Stan Kenton. Eighth album since 1984 -- others include Jimmy Knepper Songbook, The Clifford Brown Project, and Porgy and Bess: Redefined. This one is dedicated to the late Dewey Redman, mostly featuring his songs, with one from Masters, two from the group, and "My One and Only Love." Arrangements are crisp and detailed, as you'd expect, but the main point is the solo space, and what makes it work is that Oliver Lake is the main focal point. B+(**)

Charles Tolliver Big Band: Emperor March (2008 [2009], Half Note): Trumpeter, emerged on the avant-garde (or maybe just the far postbop fringe) in the late 1960s, but faded into obscurity in the 1980s, making a minor comeback on the coattails of Andrew Hill's fin de millennium resurgence. I've long admired his 1969 album The Ringer, and hoped to hear more. He finally came back big time in 2007 with a big band album jointly released by Mosaic and Blue Note. I thought it was loud and sloppy, and tagged it as a dud. This live shot with pretty much the same group is also loud, but what seemed sloppy then seems more like rough and tough now. Tenor saxmen Billy Harper and Marcus Strickland stand out among the cast. Not sure what I really think yet, so I'll keep it open. [B+(**)]

Teddy Charles: Dances With Bulls (2008 [2009], Smalls): Vibraphonist, b. 1928 (Theodore Charles Cohen); got his first break on piano playing for Coleman Hawkins as an emergency replacement for Thelonious Monk; cut a pile of records 1951-63, five called New Directions, another the legendary Tentet; then retired, moving to the Caribbean, opening up a sailing business; eventually returned to New York, where he still sails. This is his first studio album since: sextet, with Chris Byars on alto sax/flute, John Mosca on trombone, Harold Danko on piano, Ari Roland on bass, Stefan Schatz on drums. One Mingus tune -- Charles' resume includes Jazz Workshop work with Mingus -- the rest originals. The vibes can swing, bop, or just tinkle, and are most mesmerizing at high speed. The young horns are a little slick, happy to be here. Danko is one of those well-regarded pianists I've been meaning to get to but still have no feel for. B+(**)

Israel: Naranjas Sobre la Nieve (2007 [2009], Sunnyside): Been blogging about Israel the country today, which isn't really responsible for my annoyance with Israel Fernández the flamenco singer: the fact is the booklet contents are buried in a PDF file on the CD, inaccessible while I'm playing it, and the website is contentless without the acursed Flash plugin. Also my filing system has turned into a large dump heap, so finding the hype sheet is beyond my patience. On the other hand, if I liked anything about the record I might find some patience. Eighteen years old. Pictured at the piano on the front cover, but not exactly playing it, and I don't hear much of it on the album. Can't sing for shit, which may be a flamenco trademark -- not all that different from El Cigala, except that the latter makes an impression. Has a pretty good guitarist, at least in terms of flamenco-ish dramaturgy. C+

Eddie Daniels and Roger Kellaway: A Duet of One: Live at the Bakery (2005 [2009], IPO): Clarinet and piano, respectively; veterans who shouldn't need an introduction but probably do. Title suggests they go beyond intimacy to find some sort of unity. Sometimes, but most of the time one or the other is soloing, at a comfortable pace, on well worn standards. Has its moments, and Kellaway is one of the more dependable solo pianists around. B+(*)

Brothers of the Southland (2009, Zoho Roots): Southern rock demi-supergroup, produced by D Scott Miller, released on the blues subsidiary of a jazz label that gives me good service. Back cover sez the album showcases "the great Southern Rock singers Bo Dice (American Idol 2005), Jimmy Hall (Wet Willie, Jeff Beck, Hank Williams Jr.) and Henry Paul (Outlaws, Blackhawk) with Dan Toler (Allman Brothers Band, Dickie Betts), Jay Boy Adams (ZZ Top, The Band), Steve Grisham (The Outlaws, Gretchen Wilson, Charlie Daniels), Mike Brignardello (Faith Hill, Dolly Parton) and Steve Gorman (Black Crowes, Jimmy Page, Bob Dylan, John Corbett)." The only one of those names that registers in my mental rolodex is Hall, who has a previous Zoho Roots album, although I remember the Outlaws -- the target of one of the high points of my early rockcrit career (cf. Let's String Up the Outlaws). Still, I can't say that Faith Hill's bassist or a trip to American Idol is much to brag about. Nor is the album, although it's competent and derivative enough the Outlaws would have been proud to put their logo on it. Hall's sax is a plus, and Adams' emulation of the guitar greats is almost perfect. B [June 9]

Kendra Shank Quartet: Mosaic (2008 [2009], Challenge): Sextet, actually: saxophonist Billy Drewes and guitarist Ben Monder get "feat." credit on front cover. Shank is a singer, b. 1958, has five albums since 1992, most recently an Abbey Lincoln tribute. Quartet includes Frank Kimbrough on piano, Dean Johnson on bass, and Tony Moreno on drums. Album gives you a sense of how difficult it is to do new and interesting things in the generally retro jazz vocal niche, especially for someone who doesn't write much and doesn't want to be cast as a cabaret singer. She taps Carole King for the intro, juxtaposes songs like "Laughing at Life" and "Smile," works in some Rumi poems, grabs scattered lyrics to Bill Evans and Cedar Walton. Clear, clean voice; masterful control, with the restraint not to bury herself in scat; a band that fits tightly without being obtrusive. Nicely done, but nothing here I find myself caring about -- not even "All of You." B

Radam Schwartz: Blues Citizens (2006 [2009], Savant): Hammond B-3 player, from New York, third album since 1995's Organ-ized (on Savant-predecessor Muse). Mostly blues licks, fleshed out with two saxophones (Bill Saxton on tenor, Bruce Williams on alto), guitar, and drums. Someone named Kice contributes a jiveass money sermon on "Pay Up." B+(*)

Scott Reeves Quintet: Shape Shifter: Live at Cecil's (2008 [2009], Miles High): Trombonist, has taught since 1976, currently at City College of New York and Juilliard, not to be confused with the actor and sometime country singer of the same name. Plays alto flugelhorn and alto valve trombone here, with Rich Perry on tenor sax, Jim Ridl on piano, Mike McGuirk on bass, and Andy Watson on drums. Cecil's Jazz Club is in West Orange, NJ; evidently named for drummer Cecil Brooks III. Postbop, I guess. Reeves' brass shadings are interesting, and Perry and Ridl provide strong support. B+(*)

Antti Sarpila Quartet: We'd Like New York . . . in June! (2008 [2009], Arbors): Not sure what business anyone from Finland has complaining about the winters in New York. The other three in this "truly international quartet" have been sighted frequently in each others' company lately: pianist Rossano Sportiello, bassist Nicki Parrott, and drummer Ed Metz Jr. They are masters of light swing, perfectly adequate backup for any Bob Wilber protégé. Sarpila plays clarinet, soprano sax, and tenor sax -- the latter a pleasant surprise. Draws some on Chopin, but this group can swing anything. B+(**)

Dave Bennett: Celebrates 100 Years of Benny (2006-08 [2009], Arbors): Clarinettist, b. 1984 in Michigan, all of 2 years old when Benny Goodman died, has two previous albums: Dave Bennett's Salute to Benny Goodman and Remembering Benny -- not sure if that's a niche or just a rut. This album is pieced together from three groups: a sextet that opens up on "I Got Rhythm" and "Stompin' at the Savoy"; a trio with Dick Hyman and Ed Metz Jr; another, quieter, trio with Bucky Pizzarelli and Jerry Bruno. Hyman and Pizzarelli get special guest billing, but both seem slightly out of character -- Hyman too heavy, Pizzarelli too light. The shifts between the groups confuse the flow. Did enjoy the closer, "Sing Sing Sing," natch, even if Metz is a bantamweight compared to Krupa, who still owns the song. B

Jon Hassell: Last Night the Moon Came Dropping Its Clothes in the Street (2008 [2009], ECM): But did it really happen if no one was conscious enough to notice? Violin, guitar, bass, keyb, "live sampling" (Jan Bang, Dino J.A. Deane), some cuts have drums credits (not that I recall any), with a light schmear of trumpet, all toned down and slowed down, even past Hassell's usual standards of fourth world ambience. B-

Nicole Herzog Septet: Time Will Tell (2007 [2009], TCB): Feat. Adrian Mears, trombonist, who wrote 3 of 8 pieces and is credited with arrangements. Herzog sings. B. 1983, Winterthur, Switzerland (near Zurich). Website in German only, but songs are in English and Portuguese (Jobim's "Agua de Beber"; she also does "One Note Samba"). First album, I think -- her website also refers to The Latin Side of Life, but I haven't figured out what that is. Mears is from Australia -- plays didgeridoo as well as trombone. He moved to Munich in 1992, his credits including a stretch with Vienna Art Orchestra. With two saxes, trumpet and trombone, the septet has a rich brassy sound, interesting in its own right. Less impressed by the singer, and the songs: obvious and unnecessary -- two Jobims, "The Man I Love," "Afro Blue," Frank Loesser's "If I Were a Bell." Mears' songs at least don't beg comparison, but "While My Baby Sleeps" is rather awkward. Still, he does have some talent for arranging the brass, and the rhythm section swings. B

Derrick Gardner & the Jazz Prophets + 2: Echoes of Ethnicity (2009, Owl Studios): Loud brass band, led by the trumpeter and his trombonist brother Vincent, the original sextet fortified with two extra saxophonists in Brad Leali and Jason Marshall, plus uncounted "disciples" on bass and percussion. Not bad when you just get one horn -- e.g., Vincent Gardner's trombone -- riffing over Afro-Cuban riddim, but the massed horns really rub me the wrong way, and it gets worse when they slow down. Don't have a technical explanation, so I'll just blame it on postbop, or too much ambition, or the misjudgments of euphoria. First album I've seen offering "very special thanks" to "Barack H. Obama for his inspiration and symbolism of hope for all of humanity." Easy to trip up on that phrase, "symbolism of hope." C+

Matt Lavelle and Morcilla: The Manifestation Drama (2008 [2009], KMB Jazz): Starts off with an ugly, arresting bass clarinet riff, followed by fractured piano and conga, with Lavelle soon switching back to trumpet (or more likely flugelhorn). It's a thrilling piece -- "God Love Sex" is the title -- but when he's done he's off to something else. Not all of the ugly turns sublime, and not all of the pieces to ugly. There's some simple bass/trumpet stuff that's haunting, and François Grillot's bass solo is a gem. Pianist Chris Forbes does a crashingly good Cecil Taylor bit, but can comp gently as well. Andre Martinez's congas give the record a tribal feel. Lavelle has been studying with Ornette Coleman, who's pushing him to find his own sound grammar. Not sure what that means. Feels like a work in progress. B+(***)

Bob Sneider & Joe Locke [Film Noir Project]: Nocturne for Ava (2007 [2009], Origin): Attribution parsing problems here: spine says "Bob Sneider & Joe Locke"; front cover has Sneider and Locke in relatively bright type, "Film Noir Project" in smaller and more obscure type. Locke is one of the 3-4 best known vibes players around. Sneider is less well known: a guitarist, teaches at Eastman School of Music in Rochester (Locke's home town), has 4 previous albums since 2001, including a Film Noir Project called Fallen Angel. I can't think of any recent movie music albums I've liked, but this one is quite nice, with contributions by John Sneider on trumpet, Grant Stewart on tenor sax, and Paul Hofmann on piano, plus Luisito Quintero's extra percussion on top of bass (Martin Wind) and drums (Tim Horner). Subtle. Will keep it open and see what develops. [B+(***)]

Bill Wimmer: Project Omaha (2008 [2009], Wimjazz): Saxophonist, from Lincoln, NE. Reportedly put this group together using musicians from Omaha, although two -- guitarist Dave Stryker and drummer Victor Lewis -- are known far and wide. Covers, ranging from Rogers and Hart to Tony Williams with the obligatory Jobim and one from Stryker. Rhythm section likes latin. Keyboardist Tony Gulizia likes to sing, and does a decent job with "I Thought About You" and "Cherry Red." B+(*) [Apr. 7]

Shawn Maxwell: Originals II (2008 [2009], Dangerous Curve): Also saxophonist (also flute and clarinet), b. 1976, from Aurora, IL. Second album, debut was called Originals. Leads a quartet with piano/keyboards, bass, drums. Postbop, given to high wails and fast runs on alto sax; impressive enough, but nothing much catches my ear. On the other hand, his flute feature ("Year Three") is dreadful, and the clarinet isn't much better. Adds guest guitar and trombone on one track each. The latter, by Johanna Mahmud on "Working Dog," is the best thing here. B-

Jim McAuley: The Ultimate Frog (2002-07 [2008], Drip Audio, 2CD): Skipped this over many times, not feeling up to a double CD, and not realizing who was on this other than the to-me-unknown guitarist. The one that should have done the trick for me was the late violinist Leroy Jenkins. Best known for his 1970s string trio Revolutionary Ensemble, Jenkins put violin onto the avant-jazz map almost single-handedly -- Billy Bang came later, and now there are a dozen or so good jazz violinists, notably including Jesse Zubot, who I mention because he runs the label that released this. McAuley turns out to be an enigmatic character, b. 1946 on a farm in Kansas, based in Los Angeles, with a previous record on Nine Winds from 2005 and a credit in Acoustic Guitar Trio, a 2001 album with Nels Cline and Rod Poole on Derek Bailey's Incus label. Reviewers tend to liken him to Bailey, which strikes me as convergence -- all solo avant guitarists are inevitably bound to overlap -- but then I can't claim to know or understand much about Bailey. In an interview I found, McAuley talks about John Fahey, which make sense, and recounts playing with John Carter and Horace Tapscott in LA, which also fits. The two discs include 23 duets plus a solo, "For Rod Poole." Seven duets with Jenkins date from 2002, the names just "Improvisation" with a number. They are slight, but the violin is bracing, the guitar gently picking around the edges. The other duos -- with guitarist Nels Cline, bassist Ken Filiano, and percussionist Alex Cline -- date from 2006-07, fleshing out the album refocusing it on the guitarist. Haven't really sorted out the guitarists, but the drum counterpoint is especially vivid, and Filiano is always invaluable. I almost never fall for abstract, minimalist, avant guitar, but there always seems to be an exception to every rule, and this is it. A-

Bill Henderson: Beautiful Memory: Bill Henderson Live at the Vic (2007 [2009], Ahuh): Live appearance, on the occasion of Henderson's 81st birthday. He was one of the major male jazz singers of the 1950s, coming in just after the vocalese fad. Doesn't do much of that now: just his generation's version of what Louis Armstrong used to call the "good ole good 'uns" -- "You Are My Sunshine," "Old Black Magic," "Song Is You" -- plus an unnecessary Elton John song. I never was a fan, so can't credit much sentimental value. B

Sound Assembly: Edge of the Mind (2005 [2009], Beauport Jazz): Big band, led by David Schumacher and JC Sanford, who split composing/conducting duties. Neither play here, but elsewhere Schumacher plays sax and Sanford trombone. Both appear to be relatively young for this sort of thing, with careers starting in the mid-1990s; evidently they met at New England Conservatory, where both studied under George Russell. Band includes a few names I recognize: Dan Willis (alto sax), Alan Ferber (trombone), Deanna Witkowski (piano), John Hollenbeck (drums), Kate McGarry (voice, one song). Impressively complex, but not much fun. B+(*)

And these are final grades/notes on records I put back for further listening the first time around.

Hiromi's Sonicbloom: Beyond Standard (2008, Telarc): Sort of an American EST, less original -- that would be Bad Plus -- but a healthy mix of popular ambition and chops. Standards, aside from one remake of one of her own -- can't bedrudge her that -- and an unfamiliar Japanese title that you'll recognize as "Sukiyaki" (assuming you were conscious in the 1960s). Best taken with a dash of soy sauce: "My Favorite Things" and "Caravan" are amusing, and she runs through "I Got Rhythm" at record pace. Dave Fiuczynski's guitar is featured. B+(**)

Billy Harper: Blueprints of Jazz, Vol. 2 (2006 [2009], Talking House): Amiri Baraka talks his way through the first two pieces, then returns at the end with another story of Africa, the blues people, and the evolution of the music. Worth listening to, or even studying if you're not hip to the story. Harper vamps memorably along the way, then blasts open when he gets the chance -- throw in Keyon Harold's trumpet and Charles McNeal's alto sax and this sounds like a big band even though the musician count is six or seven (two bassists, not on all the tracks together). Harper sounds great on tenor sax; OK singing "Amazing Grace." Probably not the best place to hear him. B+(**)

Fernando Huergo: Provinciano (2006 [2008], Sunnyside): Argentine bassist swings both ways, making first rate postbop with Andrew Rathbun's sax and Mike Pohjola's piano leading the way, plus some curious tango featuring Yulia Musayelyan's flute and Franco Pinna's drums. B+(*)

For this cycle's collected Jazz Prospecting notes, look here.

Unpacking:

• Amadou & Mariam: Welcome to Mali (Because Music/Nonesuch)
• Beaty Brothers Band: B3 (Beaty Brothers): advance, Apr. 21
• Steven Bernstein/Marcus Rojas/Kresten Osgood: Tattoos and Mushrooms (ILK)
• Alison Burns and Martin Taylor: 1: AM (P3 Music)
• Sunny Crownover: Introducing Sunny and Her Boys (Stony Plain)
• Jimmy Greene: Mission Statement (RazDaz/Sunnyside)
• Hank Jones & Frank Wess: Hank and Frank II (Lineage): Apr. 14
• Søren Kjærgaard/Ben Street/Andrew Cyrille: Optics (ILK)
• Julian Lage: Sounding Point (Emarcy/Decca)
• Hugh Masekela: Phola (4Q/Times Square)
• Marcus Roberts: New Orleans Meets Harlem, Vol. 1 (J-Master Music): advance, Mar. 31
• Helen Schneider: Dream a Little Dream (Edel)
• Avery Sharpe Trio: Autumn Moonlight (JKNM): Apr. 14