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Jazz CG Review Notes:
Done
I keep notes on all possible Jazz Consumer Guide records in the Notes
section of the in-progress file. When I'm done with a record, the notes
get moved to here. Once you get past the main section reviews, I usually
wind up writing more about a record here than actually shows up in the
Jazz CG. Also some records here will never show up in the Jazz CG, mostly
because they're neither good enough to be Honorable Mentions nor bad enough
to be Duds.
- Howard Alden and Ken Peplowski's Pow Wow
(2006 [2008], Arbors):
I still think of Alden as a young guy, but he's
pushing 50 now. He came up well after bop became postbop, so he
never had to pay much heed to it, developing a swing style on
guitar that never really existed before -- real swing guitarists
(unless you count Charlie Christian, which most don't, or Django
Reinhardt and Eddie Lang, other stories completely) played rhythm.
(Oh yeah, George Van Eps was an influence, a pretty obscure one.)
He has a couple dozen albums since 1985. Peplowski plays clarinet
and tenor sax, where swing traditions are much clearer. He's a
year younger, also has a couple dozen albums. Don't know how many
times they've played together before -- at least 11 times, but
working in the same circles with each over 100 credits there are
doubtless more. This isn't even their first duo: they did one in
Concord's Duo Series in 1992 (which my records say I have ungraded
but I can't find). I'm not much of a duo fan, but works out pretty
well. Peplowski has a knack for tracing out clear melodies even
solo. Alden can pick him up with some rhythm, fill out his lines,
or add something on his own. The album wanders around quite a bit,
mixing Bill Evans with Ellington, Bud Powell with Cole Porter,
hopping off to "Panama."
B+(***)
- The Harry Allen-Joe Cohn Quartet: Stompin' the Blues
(2007 [2008], Arbors):
Allen is one of my favorite tenor saxophonists,
and his collaboration with guitarist Cohn (Al Cohn's son) continues to
be fruitful. The medley of "It Might as Well Be Spring" and "Spring Is
Here" is especially delightful. Still, this record doesn't quite deliver
on its promise. One problem is that "special guest" Scott Hamilton, who
pretty much invented the "young fogey" genre, never seems to mesh well
with Allen: the two distinctive tones don't fit together nicely, and
when they trade lines Allen may be too deferential. Hamilton only
appears on three cuts here, but seems to influence more. Or maybe
it's a weakness in Allen's originals (4 of 10, more than usual),
including the title cut, which doesn't stomp nearly hard enough.
On the other hand, the other "special guest" is a solid contributor
throughout: trombonist John Allred.
B+(**)
- JD Allen Trio: I Am I Am (2008, Sunnyside):
Proof
that my eyes are shot to shit, although I could try blaming the
typography, which at worst is illegible and even at large sizes
sows confusion. But it doesn't reflect well on my brain either.
Since I got this I had it filed under unknown Jo Allen. Finally
it dawned on me that we're talking J.D. Allen. I should have
realized that immediately, or no later than when I played the
record. Allen's a tenor saxophonist, from Detroit, b. 1972 (AMG
sez 1974), broke in with Betty Carter, won some prizes for his
1996 debut, and has stood out everywhere he's played since then.
This is basic sax trio, riding on the leader's tone and dynamics,
which are classic. Hype sheet starts by comparing him with Joe
Henderson. That's a good start, although I wouldn't go on to
call him "the Tenor of our Time." But it was stupid
on my part to have forgotten about him.
B+(***)
- Susie Arioli Band: Live at Le Festival International de Jazz
de Montreal (2006 [2008], Justin Time, CD+DVD):
Canadian
singer, originally from Toronto, now based in Montreal; interprets
standards mostly from the swing era, although she's also shown a
special fondness for country tunesmith Roger Miller -- two of his
songs here. Band credit adds "featuring Jordan Officer" -- Officer
plays guitar, wrote a couple of instrumentals, has been a fixture
in Arioli's band since 1998, but the band also features a second
guitarist, Michael Jerome Browne, as well as bass (Shane MacKenzie).
Drummer Rémi LeClerc is listed here as a special guess, but Arioli
plays a snare with brushes, and that mostly suffices. DVD repeats
the live CD tracks in slightly different order, adding 5 songs (or
6 counting "Nuages" in the extras). Hype sheet says she's sold 200k
copies over 4 previous albums. Crowd is packed, mood is romantic,
music mellow and tasteful.
B+(**)
- Joe Beck & John Abercrombie: Coincidence
(2007 [2008], Mixed Media):
Guitar duets. Mostly standards, plus one
original from Beck, two from Abercrombie. Abercrombie is by far the
better known, with a long string of albums on ECM. Beck has a pretty
scattered career, with fusion, funk, and soul jazz as well as more
mainstream records. Both are contemporaries (Abercrombie born 1944,
Beck 1945). This seems evenly balanced, conversational even.
B+(**)
- Louie Bellson & Clark Terry: Louie & Clark
Expedition 2 (2007 [2008], Percussion Power):
Two old timers, Terry born
1920, Bellson 1924 (as Luigi Balassoni). Both came up in big bands,
crossing paths in 1951 with Duke Ellington. Bellson by then had worked
for Benny Goodman, Tommy Dorsey, and Harry James. Terry was in between
stretches with Count Basie. Don't think there's a previous Louie
& Clark Expedition record -- most likely they're referring
back to something that happened even before their time. Back in the
day this may have been nothing special, but it packs a punch, and the
good vibes are palpable. Bellson has extra help on drums: Sylvia Cuenca
and Kenny Washington. There are extra trumpets too, but Terry is
credited with six solos. Release date is the official one given by
the publicist, who seems to like a lot of lead time. Looks to me
like the album is already on sale at CD Baby.
B+(***)
- Jerry Bergonzi: Tenorist (2006 [2007], Savant):
A mainstream tenor sax album for folks who love sax the way God,
er, Coleman Hawkins, intended it: broad, deep, full of spunk,
but dependably on the beat, and close enough to the melody you
can track it while enjoying the differences. A quartet, with
John Abercrombie's guitar fitting in better than the usual
piano, and standing out on the rare occasions he feels like
it.
B+(***)
- Cindy Blackman: Music for the New Millennium (2008,
Sacred Sound, 2CD):
Drummer, born 1959 in Ohio, raised in
Connecticut, studied at Berklee and with Alan Dawson. Has a pile
of records as a leader: 4 on Muse, 3 on High Note. Don't know
when this was recorded (AMG lists whole thing as 2004, which
looks to be wrong). Quartet, with JD Allen on tenor sax, Carlton
Holmes on keyboards, George Mitchell on bass. AMG classifies
Blackman as hard bop, which seems fair: this is solid mainstream
fare with nothing aiming towards postbop. Blackman's drumming is
heightened in the mix, but not heavy handed. It's her record,
and shows her off well. I'm even more impressed with Allen. He's
got a distinct tone, commanding presence, can move around and
flash some muscle. From Detroit, about 33, has two albums I
haven't heard -- the one called Pharoah's Children most
likely has nothing to do with Sanders.
B+(**)
- Carla Bley: The Lost Chords Find Paolo Fresu (2007, Watt):
The Lost Chords was a 2004 group/album name, the group
led by pianist-composer Bley and including Andy Sheppard (soprano and
tenor sax), Steve Swallow (bass), and Billy Drummond (drums). Fresu
is a well-regarded trumpet/flugelhorn player from Sardinia. He has a
couple dozen albums since 1985, almost all on hard-to-find Italian
labels -- a half-dozen filtered down to my shopping list, but I've
never managed to pick up any. He fits in very nicely here, topping
out Bley's melodies, including an extended meditation on bananas,
and burnishing Sheppard's sax lines to a bright brassy sheen.
B+(**)
- Paul Bley: Solo in Mondsee (2001 [2007], ECM):
Released for Bley's 75th birthday. Touted as his first solo piano
on ECM since 1972's Open, to Love. He's recorded numerous
solo albums elsewhere -- Penguin Guide mentions 12, most recently
Nothing to Declare (2003 [2004], Justin Time), recorded
after but out before this one. This one is slower, of course; per
Dr. Eicher's Rx, no doubt. I also like it a shade better, although
with solo piano I'm not much of a judge. Ten Roman-numeraled
variations, on what I'm not sure, but consistently interesting,
never dull. Bley has had quite a career, starting in 1953 with
the marvelous Introducing Paul Bley, a trio backed by guys
named Blakey and Mingus. A couple of years later he hired an
unknown alto saxophonist, Ornette Coleman. He also married a
pianist, Carla Borg; after she took his name and went her own
way, he married vocalist Annette Peacock. He moved into free
jazz in the 1960s, most notably with Jimmy Guiffre's trio. He
has a vast discography, which I've only occasionally sampled
and barely grasp, but often find intriguing.
B+(**)
- Ryan Blotnick: Music Needs You (2007 [2008], Songlines):
Guitarist, b. 1983 in Maine, studied in Copenhagen,
and recorded this album in Barcelona, although his home base
these days looks to be Brooklyn. First album. Website lists a
number of interesting musicians he's played with, but doesn't
provide any further discography, and AMG lists no side credits.
Quintet, with Pete Robbins (alto sax), Albert Sanz (piano),
Perry Wortman (bass), and Joe Smith (drums). I've run across
Sanz and Smith before on Fresh Sound, while Robbins had a
good album a couple of years back on Playscape. Split the
difference between those labels and you should get cool-toned
postbop with a quietly subversive avant edge, which is about
what Blotnick delivers here. I might even go further and say
that this is what cool jazz would sound like if anyone was
still making any. Mostly slow, but sneaks up on you. Robbins
doesn't stand out until six cuts in, one called "Liberty."
Could be I'm calling this prematurely, but it's awful subtle.
B+(***)
- Bo's Art Trio: Live: Jazz Is Free and So Are We!
(2007 [2008], Icdisc):
Bo is Bo van de Graaf, Dutch saxophonist
(soprano, alto, tenor). Don't have much background, but he's been
around since 1976, discography since 1981, mostly on BVHaast. Has
some sort of relationship with film composer Nino Rota. He formed
Bo's Art Trio in 1988 with pianist Michiel Braam and drummer Fred
van Duijnhoven. Like much of the Dutch avant-garde, the operative
concept here is humor -- most obviously on the two pieces where
Simon Vinkenoog shouts poetry over Braam's jokey, crashing piano
chords: D.H. Lawrence's "A Sane Revolution" from 1928 and a "Jazz
and Poetry" original, in Dutch, I believe. Those pieces may limit
the appeal. Van de Graaf's saxes are bright and edgy, bursting
with joy.
B+(**)
- Bridge Quartet: Day (2007 [2008], Origin):
First
album by group: Alan Jones (drums), Tom Wakeling (bass), Darrell
Grant (piano), Phil Dwyer (tenor sax). Jones (from Portland, OR),
seems to be the leader, but the group is built to showcase Dwyer
(from British Columbia) -- "Bridge" is a Sonny Rollins reference,
and Dwyer's likely to be happy with all the Rollins comparisons
he can gather. Grant is by far the better known player; he has a
relatively small role here, expertly done. Mainstream, but brash,
loud, wide open, a mother lode of tenor sax.
B+(**)
- Peter Brötzmann/Peeter Uuskyla: Born Broke (2006
[2008], Atavistic, 2CD):
Duo, stripped down from the trio that
recorded the excellent Medicina in 2004. The loss of the
bassist limits the color and shadings, but drummer Uusklya breaks
loose impressively. Brötzmann is credited on the back cover with
tenor sax and clarinet, but the booklet photos show him on alto
sax with some other instruments sitting off to the side, possibly
his trusty taragato. Does sound more like tenor, though. One can
argue that he's mellowing a bit, but that's sort of like saying
the Himalayas are eroding. First disc has three pieces totalling
57:51; second one piece at 38:24. The thin, harsh sound wears
over time, but the rough hewn musicianship can be dazzling.
B+(***)
- Rob Brown Trio: Sounds (2006 [2007], Clean Feed):
Actually, not sure of the date: notes say it was recorded on
November 23, but don't bother with the year. The title piece
debuted at the 2005 Vision Festival, so 2005 is also possible.
Brown's an alto saxophonist I've mostly encountered on William
Parker albums. He has everything you'd want in that role, but
has had trouble establishing himself on his own. It's hard to
find fault with this: he breaks the usual sax-bass-drums trio
format with Daniel Levin's cello and Satoshi Takeishi's taiko
drums and percussion; he varies the free jazz mix with a ballad
and a Tibetan folk song. It's almost a tour de force, but not
quite, lacking something you can't prescribe until it hits you.
B+(**)
- Chris Byars: Jazz Pictures at an Exhibition of Himalayan Art
(2007 [2008], Smalls):
Booklet folds out into a small
poster with said artwork, including a Buddha sculpture and a pair
of masks, evidently on display at the Rubin Museum of Art (on
Oct. 26, 2007, anyway). Byars is one of the best of the Smalls
neo-boppers, at least when he sticks to tenor sax in his quartet
with pianist Sacha Perry. This moves a bit out of his comfort
zone, with no piano and two extra horns: John Mosca on trombone,
James Byars on oboe and english horn. (From the photo, I'd guess
James Byars is his father -- something in the bio about coming
from a family of unnamed Juilliard-trained musicians.) The extra
horns add a lot of harmonic filigree which I found off-putting
at first -- a typical postbop move. Byars' own solos remain deep
in the bebop tradition, and they hold the extras in check.
B+(**)
- Cannon Re-Loaded: An All-Star Celebration of Cannonball
Adderley (2006 [2008], Concord):
An assembled studio
band, doing ten songs more/less associated with Adderley. Group
leader and alto saxophonist is Tom Scott, the all-star of
L.A. studio hacks. He doesn't break any new ground, but he's got
a gorgeous sound, swings hard, and carries the album. Playing Nate
is an underutilized Terence Blanchard. The keyboards are doubled
up with Larry Goldings on organ and George Duke on everything else.
Marcus Miller plays bass, spelled by Dave Carpenter on two cuts.
Steve Gadd is the drummer. I could do without Nancy Wilson singing
two songs, but have to admit that "The Masquerade Is Over" ain't
half bad. The Adderleys were respectable hard boppers who somehow
were remarkably popular, an equation that doesn't seem to be
repeatable any more, even though it's hard to imagine how anyone
could dislike them. This is an honest, somewhat obvious attempt
to bring them back and make them sound contemporary. Works
about as well as it can -- but 50 years ago we were different,
mostly younger (as I recall).
B+(**)
- Ralph Carney/Ira Cohen: The Stauffenberg Cycle (2007, Paris):
Cohen is another poet, b. 1935, spent the early
1960s in Morocco, publishing the "exorcism magazine" Gnaoua,
hanging with Paul Bowles, writing The Hashish Cookbook.
He has a voice with a big, friendly grin built in. Carney's main
instrument is sax, and he plays it more than on the Creely disc.
Also some clarinet, and more stringish country stuff.
B+(***)
- Ralph Carney/Robert Creeley: Really!! (2007, Paris):
Cover lists the poet Creeley in big print on top, adding "with music
by Ralph Carney" in small print at the bottom. The words don't leave
a lot of space for music, which Carney generally keeps discreet, on
occasion slipping in a little countryish string music.
B+(**)
- Evan Christopher: Delta Bound (2006 [2007], Arbors):
A young student of the New Orleans clarinet tradition, starting
with Lorenzo Tio Jr. and leading through Tony Parenti but with
no explicit reference to George Lewis. Whereas most New Orleans
jazz uses clarinet for contrast against the brass, this quartet,
with Dick Hyman textbook perfect as usual, singles it out. For
better or worse, without the competition Christopher never gets
the chance to go wild.
B+(**)
- Joe Cohn: Restless (2006 [2007], Arbors):
Al Cohn's
son, basically a rhythm guitarist, which means he tends to disappear
behind the horns regardless of how much swing he contributes. Co-led
a group that put out a terrific album last year, but most of the
credit went to his partner Harry Allen, who does that sort of thing
all the time. Here Cohn is alone on the cover, mostly working with
a mild-mannered alto saxophonist named Dmitry Baevsky. Their cuts
are uniformly nice. But on five cuts, Allen appears as a guest, and
he really slices the bacon. So in the end this is half a Harry Allen
album -- an inconvincing step forward for Cohn, but one with much to
enjoy.
B+(***)
- Marc Copland: New York Trio Recordings, Vol. 2: Voices
(2006 [2007], Pirouet):
The change from Vol. 1 was to replace
Copland's usual drummer Bill Stewart with veteran maestro Paul Motian.
Motian has made a whole career out of teasing pianists, and Copland is
notable enough he'll slot right into a long list that starts with Bill
Evans and extends through and beyond Marilyn Crispell. Gary Peacock
plays bass. He has a long history with Copland, and takes a large role
here -- in addition to his solo time he wrote four songs to Copland's
three (Miles Davis' "All Blues" is the only cover).
B+(***)
- Marc Copland: Another Place (2007 [2008], Pirouet):
Where Tim Hagans' Alone Together was arguably more centered
on Copland, the record with the pianist's name up front is at least
as much the work of front-line replacement guitarist John Abercrombie.
Hagans wrote no songs to Copland's four; here Abercrombie pens three
to Copland's two. Drew Gress repeats at bass. Billy Hart replaces
Jochen Rückert at drums. Where Hagans' trumpet seemed to ice the cake,
Abercrombie's guitar is much more sinuously intertwined. Copland has
been turning out well-regarded records at least since 1990, but I
missed him until I started working Jazz CG, and still haven't heard
any of his early work. But since 2004 I've heard five and they're
all rock solid -- including a previous one with Abercrombie called
Brand New.
B+(***)
- Lars Danielsson & Leszek Mozdzer: Pasodoble
(2006-07 [2007], ACT):
Bass-piano duet. Swedish bassist, born 1958,
has more than a dozen albums as a leader, many more as a sideman.
How many is hard to tell because there's a Danish bassist named
Lars Danielsson whose website claims to have appeared on more than
100 albums -- appears to be more of a funk/rock player, but he's
worked with Nils Landgren and took over a teaching position in
Copenhagen from NHØP. Mozdzer is a Polish pianist with the usual
Chopin in his closet. The two sound terrific together, in large
part because Danielsson's sound is so resonant, underscored all
the more by the brightness of the piano.
B+(***)
- Kenny Davern/Ken Peplowski: Dialogues (2005 [2007], Arbors):
Davern died in Dec. 2006, almost a year and a half after
these sessions. He recorded a number of Soprano Summit albums with
Bob Wilber, originally dedicated to Sidney Bechet, but he generally
preferred clarinet over soprano sax. Ken Peplowski joins Davern on
clarinet on most of these pieces, occasionally switching off to
tenor sax. The double-your-pleasure theme also involves pairing
Howard Alden and James Chirillo on guitar and banjo. Spotty but
marvelous when it all works. Ends with a nice reworking of the
Kid Ory classic as "Muskrat Samba."
B+(***)
- The Roger Davidson Trio: Bom Dia (2007 [2008],
Soundbrush):
Pianist, cashed in his classical training to specialize
in Latin music, or more specifically here in Brazilian. Trio is
augmented by guest percussionist Marivado dos Santos. Bright and
bouncy.
B+(**)
- Kris Davis: Rye Eclipse (2007 [2008], Fresh Sound New Talent):
Canadian pianist, based in New York since 2002, has
three albums now with this superb quartet, each showing advance.
Group includes Jeff Davis (drums; from Colorado, presumably not
related), Eivind Opsvik (bass), and Tony Malaby (tenor sax). The
early albums immediately appealed for Malaby's distinctive edge.
The pianist is developing a similarly rugged approach -- not just
offsetting block chords, but in a piece like "Wayne Oskar" she
leads off with intriguing abstractions then backs off as Malaby
slips in to finish off her thoughts.
A-
- Tom Dempsey & Tim Ferguson: What's Going On?
(2007 [2008], City Tone):
Dempsey plays guitar; Ferguson bass.
Just duets: slow-to-moderate, intimate, quite lovely. Couple of
originals, scattered covers, including Marvin Gaye title song,
"Stardust," Billy Strayhorn's "Isfahan," Charlie Haden's "First
Song (For Ruth)," two pieces from different Jones brothers.
B+(**)
- Alessandro D'Episcopo Trio: Meraviglioso (2005 [2007],
Altrisuoni):
Fine piano trio, leaning hard on four Monk
pieces, which set the rhythmic frame for a few originals, a trad.
Neapolitan song, and the title track from Domenico Modugno.
B+(**)
- Ramón Díaz: Unblocking (2007 [2008], Fresh Sound New Talent):
Drummer, originally from the Canary Islands, based in
Barcelona, runs a hard bop quintet that last time out (Diàleg)
I compared favorably to Art Blakey and the Jazz Messengers. Same
group, a little more varied, with one "trad." piece, a slow bit,
and some Fender Rhodes separating this from the 1960s. Blakey would
have loved to have worked with the front line here -- saxophonist
Jeppe Rasmussen, trumpeter Idafe Pérez -- and also with pianist José
Alberto Medina (who has good records on his own). But he would think
that the drummer should be a bit louder.
B+(***)
- Bill Dixon: 17 Musicians in Search of a Sound: Darfur
(2007 [2008], AUM Fidelity):
Recorded in concert at Vision Festival
XII. No idea what Darfur has to do with it. Nor any idea what the
big band was searching for, given that their sound is no surprise:
an elaboration and variation on a dozen other notorious free jazz
phalanxes. Seven brass (including tuba), six reeds (including bassoon,
counted once), bass, cello, drums, vibes (or sometimes more drums).
The slow stuff wavers menacingly; the ensemble work is unruly, with
one piece ("Sinopia") hitting gale force. Impressive on its own
non-negotiable terms.
B+(***)
- Dave Douglas Quintet: Live at the Jazz Standard
(2006 [2007], Greenleaf/Koch, 2CD):
Working off a copy from the
Wichita Public Library, which is too bad because I'll have to
give it back in way before I can sort it out. The music comes
from December 2006, and is part of a massive 12-hour set being
sold download only. The group consists of Douglas on cornet,
Donny McCaslin on tenor sax, Uri Caine on Fender Rhodes, James
Genus on contrabass, and Clarence Penn on drums. In other words,
it is to our era roughly what the Miles Davis Quintet was in
1965 when they recorded their 7-CD Plugged Nickel set. I don't
doubt that it's good to have it all available, and as much as
I dislike download-only product, I must admit it makes a lot of
sense in this case. The 2-CD release is an afterthought, meant
for those of us who don't have the patience to wade through the
whole thing. For me it still may be too much. Douglas is way
too fancy for my taste, combining amazing chops with ideas that
sail way over my head. Caine is in the same league, although
I find him easier to follow, and write off what I don't get to
his euroclassical passions. McCaslin certainly has chops to
match, but he doesn't give me the same sense of bedazzlement.
In any case, this is Douglas in full command. His pieces explode,
scintillate, dumbfound. I doubt that I'll ever figure them out,
and certainly don't have time now. I'll resume this if/when I
get another chance to listen.
B+(***)
- Dave Douglas & Keystone: Moonshine (2007 [2008],
Greenleaf Music):
Still can't say all the results are in, but I've
been dazzled enough to make the call. The new saxophonist, Marcus
Strickland, lives up to his illustrious predecessors -- Chris Potter
and Donny McCaslin. Still, the hottest horn on the record is the
leader's trumpet, reminding everyone why he wins all those polls.
You can chalk the front line up to sheer virtuosity, but interesting
stuff is happening in the engine room as well. Douglas has dabbled
with electronica for several years, but DJ Olive's scratching and
Adam Benjamin's Fender Rhodes have finally clicked.
A-
- Scott DuBois: Banshees (2007 [2008], Sunnyside):
Guitarist, b. 1978, based in New York. Recorded two previous albums
with Dave Liebman on Soul Note. This group consists of Kresten
Osgood on drums, Thomas Morgan on bass, and Gebhard Ullman on
tenor/soprano sax and bass clarinet. One thing I've noticed lately
is that some saxophonists seem to get much sharper with a guitar
guding them along. I've heard half-dozen or so albums by Ullman,
respect his ambitions as a free player, but until now I've never
really seen him hold it all together before. The Luis Lopes is
another like this, but DuBois is much more out front -- his solos
tend to be short but they strongly reinforce the pieces. Played
this half-dozen times and it keeps gaining on me.
A-
- Bill Easley: Business Man's Bounce (2007, 18th & Vine):
Saxophonist, mostly plays tenor here, but
claims a clarinet solo, and may work some flute in as well.
Born in Olean NY (1946?), moved to NYC in 1964, but went to
college at Memphis State, and got his first record credits
with Rufus Thomas and Isaac Hayes. Credits include a lot of
Jimmy McGriff, soul singers, Jazz at Lincoln Center. He's got
a robust, gutbucket R&B tone, and can bop a little. Starts
with "Straighten Up and Fly Right," which he describes as "Hip
Hop for senior citizens and their parents." Frank Wess joins
on "Mentor"; Warren Vaché on "Memphis Blues," where Easley
dusts off his clarinet.
B+(***)
- Something for You: Eliane Elias Sings & Plays Bill Evans
(2007 [2008], Blue Note):
For starters, I still
find Evans impenetrable, which isn't to say I'm immune to his
charms, although he really has to be doing something special to
overcome my resistance. Pianist Elias manages to evoke the same
conflicted responses, so she must be doing something right. In
general, she's a better pianist than singer. (Except when she's
doing Jobim. Maybe Astrud Gilberto skewed the field so far that
even Elias seems vibrant by comparison, or maybe she's just so
much more at home there.) But the paleness in her voice suits
the half-plus songs with vocals here, although only "Detour
Ahead" really catches my ear. Bassist-husband Marc Johnson
played with Evans, and managed to borrow Scott LaFaro's bass
for a couple of songs, so he's beyond reproach. Joey Baron is
exceptionally quiet, never reminiscent of Paul Motian. No idea
whether Evans fans will like this or not. I find it charming,
but can't claim I understand why.
B+(***)
- Duke Ellington and His Orchestra: Live in Zurich, Switzerland
2.5.1950 (1950 [2007], TCB):
Another newly released live shot,
picking up Ellington's Orchestra at what is generally considered to be
a relatively low point. Relatively is the key word there. The trumpet
section strikes me as nearly no-name (at one point Ellington introduces
"one of the world's great trumpet players": Ernie Royal; Ray Nance --
misspelled Roy -- isn't the only one I've heard of, but is the only
one I'd think of for an all-time Ellington list), and Lawrence Brown
is the only standard on trombone (where's Juan Tizol?). On the other
hand, kudos for filling the vacant tenor sax chair with Don Byas,
whose feature here is a high point. And Johnny Hodges, whose split
from Ellington during this period is often seen as critical, made
the trip, along with Jimmy Hamilton, Russell Procope, and dependable
Harry Carney. Mixed bag of songs, with more covers than expected --
"How High the Moon" (featuring Byas), "St. Louis Blues" (sung by
Nance), "S'wonderful," and a retooling of "Frankie & Johnnie"
(credited to Ellington). Kay Davis takes the wordless vocal to
"Creole Love Call." Set closes with "The Jeep Is Jumpin'," with
Hodges resplendent. Sound is so-so; kind of hard to get it right
with this group. Not a lot of live Ellington from this period, so
it has some historical interest, and sometimes transcends even
that.
B+(***)
- Mike Ellis: Chicago Spontaneous Combustion Suite
(2000 [2008], Alpha Pocket):
Ellis plays saxophones, listing
sopranino, soprano, and baritone in that order. Don't know much
about him: his website bio starts (or actually, working backwards
ends) in 1977 with him studying at Berklee with Billy Pierce.
Further studies with Ernie Wilkins, Clifford Jordan, and Steve
Lacy. Work with Alan Silva. A group called M.E.T.A. Later got
involved with Brazilian music. This is a single 19-part suite,
with a quintet, two trumpets (Jeff Beer, Ryan Shultz), bass,
drums, constructed is a lean, spare avant vein -- nothing much
happens, but the meandering holds your interest anyway.
B+(**)
- Mike Ellis: Bahia Band (2005 [2008], Alpha Pocket):
Recorded in Salvador, Brazil, with a mostly Brazilian band, picking
up a Professor of African Percussion at the Music Academy of Bahia
named Dou Dou Coumba Rose, a Jamaican vocalist from Guyana named
Ricky Husbands, a guitarist named Munir Hossn who claims Barcelona,
Paris, and Senegal among his homes but was born in Brazil. Mostly
guitar (Mou Brasil as well as Hossn) and percussion, setting up a
complex, rumbling riddim, which the horns -- Gileno Santana on
trumpet, Marcio Tobias on alto sax, Ellis on soprano -- ride along
with, although Ellis in particular remains sharp enough to cut the
grease. More elemental than Speak in Tones, and better for it.
A-
- The Engines (2006 [2007], Okka Disk):
Jeb Bishop
(trombone), Dave Rempis (alto/tenor/baritone sax), Nate McBride
(bass), Tim Daisy (drums); i.e., the Vandermark 5 minus Vandermark
with a switch at bass -- lately, McBride has been appearing on more
Vandermark albums than Kent Kessler anyway. Sounded real promising:
I haven't heard most of the recent work by Rempis and Daisy, but
their two Triage albums were super, and Bishop's departure from
the V5 signalled an interest in developing his own work. Results
are, well, mixed, with pieces from all four showing their distinct
talents but not jelling into anything coherent. Daisy continues to
impress -- I particularly like the spots where the band lays back
and lets him work out. Rempis tends to squawk, for better and
sometimes for worse. Bishop paints dark, dirty swathes of sound.
I'd be more impressed if I had lower expectations.
B+(**)
- Scott Fields Freetet: Bitter Love Songs
(2007 [2008], Clean Feed):
I've played this record a lot on the road
the last month, and it's never let me down. The avant-guitarist
has a tendency elsewhere to diddle in abstractions, but he plays
with remarkable logic here -- bitterness must focus the mind.
The Freetet adds bass and drums, bulking up the sound and
punctuating the emotions.
A-
- Erik Friedlander: Block Ice & Propane
(2005 [2007], Skipstone):
Solo cello compositions and improvisations,
inspired by trips across the vast American landscape. Pizzicato
sounds open and airy, like guitar; arco gets more volume and
intensity, while avoiding the squelch of violin and the deep
barrenness of bass. Or maybe he's just an exceptional cellist
and composer/improviser, because this is both more cohesive and
more consistently intriguing than most solo albums; a neat trick.
B+(***)
- Satoko Fujii Trio: Trace a River (2006-07 [2008], Libra):
This is easier for me to relate to than mainstream piano trios, like the
recent Marc Copland records. The crashes are good for an adrenaline rush,
and the quiet runs just bid time until all hell breaks out again. Drummer
Jim Black takes these twists and turns with exceptional relish. Bassist
Mark Dresser is often inscrutable and impenetrable, but his breaks can
hold your attention, and he can push a beat as hard as anyone. Fujii can
make earthshaking noise and still play fine figures in the cracks. Not
sure it all holds together, but it's a thrill when it does.
A-
- Stephen Gauci's Basso Continuo: Nididhyasana (2007,
Clean Feed):
Two basses provide the drive and drone, the
phat sonic middle, while two horns -- Gauci's tenor sax, Nat
Wooley's trumpet -- work harder at blending in than at standing
out. No drums, although now and then you do hear some percussion,
probably tapping on the heavy, hollow bass bellies.
B+(***)
- Dennis González NY Quartet: At Tonic: Dance of the Soothsayer's
Tongue (2003-04 [2007], Clean Feed):
Actually, only 34 minutes
were recorded at Tonic in 2003; the rest comes from a later studio
session, added when the label thought 34 minutes was too short to
release. This is the same group that recorded NY Midnight Suite
in 2003: González on trumpet, Ellery Eskelin on tenor sax, Mark Helias
on bass, and Michael T.A. Thompson on what he calls soundrhythium
percussionist. Each have typically strong spots.
B+(**)
- Bobby Gordon: Plays Joe Marsala: Lower Register
(2007, Arbors):
Marsala was a clarinetist from Chicago, 1907-78,
with most of his recordings on two Classics volumes from 1936-46,
plus appearances with Wingo Manone, Eddie Condon, Adrian Rollini,
and many other trad jazz artists -- although Dizzy Gillespie and
Charlie Parker also pop up. Marsala wrote or co-wrote all of the
songs in this tribute. Gordon was born in 1941, first saw Marsala
when he was 5, and wound up not only playing clarinet but taking
lessons from Marsala. Gordon has a dozen or so albums starting
in 1963, including a similar Pee Wee Russell tribute. This one
is a delight, with a first rate band including Randy Reinhart
on trumpet and James Chirillo on guitar, with pianist Keith
Ingham contributing arrangements.
B+(***)
- Grupo Los Santos: Lo Que Somos Lo Que Sea (2007, Deep Tone):
A New York quartet not obviously connected to Cuban,
let alone Brazilian, music, either by name or instrument: Paul
Carlon on tenor sax, Pete Smith on guitar, David Ambrosio on bass,
William "Beaver" Bausch on drums. I've been playing this opposite
Cachao for, well, a ridiculous number of times, and it's lacking
the extra percussion, the choruses, and Chocolate Armenteros'
trumpet from the classic stuff, but it holds up awfully well.
I've been impressed by Carlon before, but Smith is a revelation,
and not just on the two Brazilian pieces (a choro and a samba).
Bausch writes about half of the pieces, and may have more up
his sleeve than is obvious. There is a bit of extra percussion
on two tracks, which credit Max Pollak with "Rumba Tap" -- I
think that's tap dancing to a rumba beat. Sounds like it,
anyway.
A-
- Tim Hagans: Alone Together (2007 [2008], Pirouet):
Trumpet player. Most sources describe him as hard bop, but he's had
a rather checkered career, ranging from jazztronica to big bands to
that giveaway Freddie Hubbard tribute album. This quartet is about
as straightahead as he's ever come, and all the better for it. Much
credit goes to the rhythm section, aka the Marc Copland Trio, with
Drew Gress on bass and Jochen Rückert on drums. They're superb on
their own, and Hagans ices the cake. Starts with four Copland songs;
ends with three standards.
B+(***)
- Long Ago and Far Away: Kelly Harland Sings Jerome Kern
(2006-07 [2008], Origin):
Singer, presumably based in Seattle, MySpace
page says she's 57, which would mean b. 1950 or 1951. Second album
according to AMG; third according to her website, although there's
also a hint of a long-lost record on Epic with Charlie Daniels. This
one could not be more straightforward. The Kern songbook is redoubtable.
Support from Bill Mays on piano and Chuck Deardorf is all she needs.
Her voice and delivery are unaffected and charming.
B+(**)
- Frank Hewitt: Out of the Clear Black Sky (2000 [2008],
Smalls):
Fifth posthumous album, another piano trio, cut
in two late-night sets live at Smalls. Ari Roland plays bass,
Jimmy Lovelace drums. Mostly covers, including two from Rodgers
and Hart, Dizzy Gillespie's "Manteca," Tom Jobim's "The Girl From
Ipanema," and two takes of Erroll Garner's "Misty." It's probably
a good sign that the more familiar a piece is, the more intriguing
Hewitt's machinations become -- "The Girl From Ipanema" is plumbed
for ideas instead of atmosphere. Fairly mild-mannered bebop, witty
inside stuff, not a lot of flash. People may wonder why Hewitt
didn't get noticed, but he didn't do the sort of things that get
noticed, nor did he settle into a university and cut records to
bolster his résumé. He just hung out in the underground and played
stuff.
B+(***)
- Lauren Hooker: Right Where I Belong (2006 [2007],
Musical Legends):
Jazz singer. Dates her career from 1984, but this
is her first album. It's also pretty impressive. Her voice spices
'50s cool with a dash of Sheila Jordan and a knack for scat. She
arranges three standards, writes four originals, and adds words
to six more, including five jazz instrumentals, from Mingus, Monk,
Waller, Waldron, and Shorter.
B+(***)
- Charlie Hunter Trio: Mistico (2007, Fantasy):
Around the eighth cut, "Special Shirt," it finally dawned on me
what this is: jazz bubblegum. Maybe I'm oversimplifying. Title
cut came next and it's more phantasmagorical, almost a Pink Floyd
instrumental. The 7 or 8 out of 10 cuts are just slinky fusion
guitar over cheesy keybs and drums -- pop jazz, but before the
dark ages set in.
B+(**)
- Jason Kao Hwang/Sang Won Park: Local Lingo
(2006 [2007], Euonymus):
Park's zithers -- the 6-string bowed ajeng and
the 12-string plucked kayagum -- and voice make up the core here.
I can't decide, or even hazard a guess, whether he's playing folk
or classical or some sort of avant-garde that would seem as strange
in Korea as it does here. Hwang is easier: he knows his way around
classical Chinese music, but he's also a remarkable jazz violinist
who dances gracefully around the more static core.
B+(**)
- Dick Hyman/Chris Hopkins: Teddy Wilson in 4 Hands
(2006 [2007], Victoria):
Hyman's been around forever, but while
most jazz musicians try to establish their own sound, he's a
scholar and a chameleon, the guy you'd go to if you wanted to
sound just like any stride pianist you can name. The notes here
say that he's soon coming out with "an encyclopedic CD-ROM"
called Dick Hyman's 100 Years of Jazz Piano. He's the
obvious choice to do it all. Also mentions that he has three
duo-piano albums with Ray Kennedy, Bernd Lhotzky, and Chris
Hopkins. The only one I've heard is the one Hopkins sent me.
Hopkins was born in 1972 in Princeton, NJ, but grew up and
lives in Germany (Bochum, near Düsseldorf; American father,
German mother). Another swing kid, he cites a stellar list of
influences from James P. Johnson to Johnny Guarnieri (Waller,
Smith, Basie, Stacy, Hines, Wilson, "many others"; Ellington
must be among the latter, but I don't hear much that reminds
me of Tatum). Five cuts are solos, twelve duets. Normally I
react to solo piano as too sparse, and to duo piano as too
much of too sparse, but these pieces are utterly charming.
The secret, of course, is Wilson. I wonder how many younger
jazz fans even recognize the name compared to other names on
the influences list. Part of the problem is that a big chunk
of Wilson's discography is now routinely reissued under his
singer's name, Billie Holiday, but his trios and solos have
lapsed into obscurity as well. This record brings Wilson's
abundant charms back into focus.
A-
- Vijay Iyer: Tragicomic (2007 [2008], Sunnyside):
This took a while to sink in. The turning point may been when
I flashed on the notion that Iyer is a new generation McCoy
Tyner. Iyer has equivalent facility with the keyboard, although
he rarely if ever lapses into Oscar Peterson swing -- he draws
the line at, well, McCoy Tyner, but more often favors rhythmic
repetition and variation rather than line development. Like
Tyner, he generally works in a sax quartet, and like Tyner he
often overshadows, indeed overpowers, the horn. One might also
note that Iyer's saxophonist, Rudresh Mahanthappa, has a strong
Coltrane-ish streak, but that's not so evident here. Mahanthappa
has strong and weak outings, and he didn't make much of a first
impression here. He only plays on 7 of 11 cuts, often making
little more than a buzz around Iyer's prodigious piano. The
trio cuts open up more, not least because they give Stephan
Crump on bass and Marcus Gilmore on drums more room to shine.
One solo cut is further dampened, but logically impeccable.
A-
- Junk Box: Sunny Then Cloudy (2006 [2008], Libra):
Another Satoko Fujii trio, with the leader on piano, husband Natsuki
Tamura on trumpet, and John Hollenbeck doing percussion. A previous
album called Fragment, released in 2006, made my A-list. This
one has its amazing moments, but it also has plenty of rough stretches.
One highlight is Tamura's eloquent lead on "Soldier's Depression,"
rising then fading against Hollenbeck's fractured martial drums. On
the other hand, the next song starts off with a trumpet tantrum; after
blowing itself out, Fujii has a promising bit of dramatic piano, but
then that fades into what I can only guess is Tamura doing something
obscene. Hollenbeck seems up for anything, and there's a lot of that.
B+(**)
- Jon-Erik Kellso: Blue Roof Blues (2007, Arbors):
AMG lists Kellso
as born 1936, but his website says 1964. From Detroit. Plays
trumpet. Joined James Dapogny's Chicago Jazz Band in 1988,
appearing on a couple of my favorite trad jazz albums of the
'90s (Original Jelly Roll Blues and Hot Club Stomp:
Small Group Swing, 1993-94). Went on to work with Ralph
Sutton, Ruby Braff, Marty Grosz, Randy Sandke. This is the
third album under his own name, or fourth if you count a
featured slot with Johnny Varro. Although New Orleans is on
Kellso's mind, this is closer to the small group swing of
Dapogny's albums than it is to New Orleans-style trad jazz.
He does Jelly Roll Morton, but also Duke Ellington, and he
does a rousing retread on Monk's "Bye-Ya" as well as a
vibrant "Panama." The band helps out a lot, especially
Evan Christopher on clarinet and Matt Munisteri on guitar
and banjo -- in many ways Munisteri is the album's real
star, but his one vocal isn't one of them.
B+(***)
- Nigel Kennedy: Blue Note Sessions (2005 [2007], Blue Note):
Booklet says "Kennedy may be the world's best selling
classical violinist." Never heard of him, myself, but AMG lists
about 110 credits going back to the early 1980s. Also says,
"Kennedy" has always been a jazz player" -- mentions that he
studied Stephane Grappelli as well as someone named Menuhin
(no first name given; sounds vaguely familiar). He certainly
got the treatment here, with classic-looking Blue Note cover
art; Ron Carter and Jack DeJohnette for rhythm; Joe Lovano,
Kenny Werner, and Lucky Peterson dropping in here and there;
Raul Midón playing guitar and singing on one piece. Two songs
credited to Kennedy -- "Stranger in a Stranger Land" is a good
title. The others are mostly jazz staples like "Song for My
Father," but Ivory Joe Hunter's "I Almost Lost My Mind" is
especially appealing. The groups are nearly faultless, and
I like the sound of his violin quite a bit. He could have a
future if he decides to stick with it.
B+(***)
- The Ray Kennedy Trio: Plays the Music of Arthur Schwartz
(2006 [2007], Arbors):
Quartet, actually, with guitarist Joe Cohn also
listed as "special guest" on the front cover, although not on the spine.
Kennedy is a pianist. Don't know much about him: his website proclaims
"coming soon." This looks to be his second album -- the first is called
The Sound of St. Louis -- but he has a bunch of credits going
back to 1990, most frequently with John Pizzarelli. Schwartz (1900-84)
composed for Broadway and film, mostly in the '30s and '40s, mostly
with lyricists Howard Dietz, Dorothy Fields, and Frank Loesser -- at
least those are the credits whose words don't actually appear here.
The music is none too familiar, but never quite out of mind. Kennedy
brings a light touch and easy swing to the pieces, and Cohn builds on
that.
B+(***)
- Omer Klein/Haggai Cohen Milo: Duet (2006, Fresh Sound
New Talent):
Bass often sounds transparent on records --
part of the background, a source of extra resonance, but unequal
to any of the lead instruments. Milo's bass here sometimes seems
to be a mere extension of the piano, like an extra pedal that
gives the deep strings more freedom of movement. But the sonic
depth of the bass makes the piano sound richer and fuller, and
the presence of another keeps the pianist moving. I can't say
that Klein is a more adroit pianist than Bollani, say, but he
holds my ears closer, and doesn't disappoint.
B+(**)
- Omer Klein: Introducing Omer Klein (2007 [2008], Smalls):
Let me start with one more pitch for Klein's earlier
Duet with bassist Haggai Cohen Milo, on Fresh Sound New
Talent a couple years back. That's where I got introduced, and
was impressed with his subtle melodicism. Still, this is an
advance, and not just because added drums and percussion push
a much more upbeat rhythm -- actually, bassist Omer Avital may
have as much as anyone to do with that.
B+(***)
- The Klobas/Kesecker Ensemble: No Gravity
(2007 [2008], KKEnsemble):
Bay Area group. Klobas plays bass, has a classical
background as well as some jazz credits, teaches at Cal State
Hayward. Kesecker plays vibes and marimba. He's played with
Zakir Hussain in the past, and Hussain returns the favor here,
gaining a front cover "guest artist" notice. Hussain's tabla
doesn't stand out all that much, but contributes to the fertile
rhythms. The non-guest who does stand out is saxophonist Gene
Burkert. He's credited with woodwinds here, given no further
specifics. His tenor sax powers through the first piece, the
perfect foil for the rhythmic accents. His other horns are
less impressive, but the record picks up whenever the tenor
returns. Having trouble (some merely technical) getting more
info on these guys. Fun record. Amusing cover shot -- grins
well deserved.
B+(**)
- Joachim Kühn/Majid Bekkas/Ramon Lopez: Kalimba
(2006 [2007], ACT):
Musically you can attribute this to Bekkas,
a Moroccan whose voice, guembri, oud, and kalimba provide the
core of an intriguing world music album. Kühn adds the note of
jazz improv that kicks it up a level. While he mostly plays
piano, his Ornette-ish alto sax is more than respectable.
B+(***)
- Steve Kuhn Trio: Live at Birdland (2006 [2007], Blue Note):
Still don't have anything useful to say about this,
but it's real good, thoroughly enjoyable if you like piano trios
at all. Long at 75 minutes, but not tiring. A little bit of
everything from Fats Waller to a Debussy-Strayhorn medley to
Charlie Parker to Steve Kuhn. Experience at work -- times three,
actually, given that his trio-mates are Ron Carter and Al Foster.
B+(***)
- Steve Kuhn: Pastorale (2002 [2007], Sunnyside):
Another piano trio. Playing this after Chip Stephens reminds me
of the difference between college sports and the pros. Stephens
is very good at playing other people. Kuhn is, well, Kuhn. He
broke through with Kenny Dorham, John Coltrane (before McCoy
Tyner replaced him), Stan Getz, and Art Farmer. He recorded as
himself in 1963, and has worked steadily ever since. I haven't
followed him closely -- I'm not much of a piano person, and
don't care for some of his digressions, like the Latin-tinged
Quiéreme Mucho. Even this is a bit too inside for my
interest span, but he sounds terrific -- as he does on the
more recently recorded Live at Birdland, an HM if I
ever find the words for it. Major league bass and drums too:
Eddie Gomez and Billy Drummond.
B+(***)
- David Kweksilber + Guus Janssen (2003-06 [2006],
Geestgronden):
Clarinet and piano duets, recorded over -- or more
likely picked from -- a series of sessions, mostly live, but one
at Janssen's home. Like all such encounters, especially among the
avant-leaning, this seems small -- thin sound, moderately paced,
tentative, exploratory. Unlike most, the miniaturism maintains
its interest. And it does pick up a bit of groove at the end with
a barely recognizable "Honeysuckle Rose" -- a treat.
B+(***)
- Steve Lehman Quartet: Manifold (2007, Clean Feed):
First, apologies to Nasheet Waits, who has no problems with Lehman's
difficult music, and whose assertive free drumming makes the opener,
"Interface D." Lehman plays alto and sopranino sax, the latter on an
exercise titled "For Evan Parker" which I can't swear isn't a parody,
although I doubt it. Jonathan Finlayson's trumpet adds a freewheeling
second horn, and John Hebert is expert as usual on bass. Recorded
live in Brazil, this is more off the cuff than Lehman's Pi albums.
B+(***)
- Lisbon Improvisation Players: Spiritualized (2006,
Clean Feed):
Saxophonist Rodrigo Amado, on alto and
baritone this time, is the leader, mainstay, or hub of this
variable group. Dallas trumpeter Dennis González is the guest,
adding a low-key lyricism to Amado's tendencies to get rough.
Cellist Ulrich Mitzlaff joins in on the last two cuts. It all
appears to be group improv, and it's a bit hit and miss, with
some low volume sections that are hard to resolve, and some
blaring where they get stuck on one idea. But most of the
time it works, and it's interesting to see how González fits
in.
B+(***)
- Luis Lopes: Humanization 4Tet (2007 [2008], Clean Feed):
Don't know much about Lopes -- a couple of google matches appear to be
false positives. This one plays guitar, is probably Portuguese, wrote
all the pieces on his first album. The other players are slightly more
well known: Aaron Gonzalez (double bass) and Stefan Gonzalez (drums)
are sons of trumpeter Dennis Gonzalez. Rodrigo Amado is a Portuguese
tenor saxophonist who's put together a number of solid albums, both
under his own name and with Lisbon Improvisation Players (which has
been known to include Gonzalez père). Amado's full-voiced honking
dominates here, but a section where the guitar leads takes on much
the same melodic shape, so I figure the guitarist is always pushing
this music along even when he's not conspicuous. Another clue is that
this is probably Amado's strongest outing yet, mostly because he
rarely gets a chance to let up.
B+(***)
- Jean Martin/Evan Shaw: Piano Music (2007, Barnyard):
Following front cover; spine says Martin & Shaw but website says
Evan Shaw and Jean Martin. Barnyard Records is a Toronto label --
sent me four records, three featuring drummer Martin (seems likely
the label's his show). Shaw's an alto saxophonist, grew up in New
Brunswick, based in Toronto. These are duets, free jazz, presumably
improvs, with no piano audible anywhere. I like this sort of thing
quite a bit, but it hasn't yet risen much above par. One cut adds a
rap, or something spoken like that.
B+(**)
- Mat Marucci-Doug Webb Trio: Change-Up (2006 [2007], CIMP):
Third member of the trio strikes me as better known than the
two leaders: bassist Ken Filiano, who gets a "featuring" on the front
cover. Drummer Marucci wrote the pieces, excepting "Body and Soul"
and one group collaboration. Webb plays soprano sax, tenor sax, and
stritch, so he has the dominant voice, making this a basic sax trio.
Marucci is the senior member, b. 1945 in Rome NY, with 11 albums
going back to 1979, and side credits with Jimmy Smith and John
Tchicai, and a more performing credits, mostly mainstream. Webb
is younger, b. 1960, has three co-leader albums with Marucci and
a forthcoming quartet album under his own name, but it looks like
he's done a lot of session work -- his website claims 150 albums
but only lists 75; most are unknown to me, none avant-garde, some
big bands (Doc Severinsen), some retro (Chris Barber), more pop
jazz (Brian Bromberg, Stanley Clarke), quite a few not jazz at
all (Rod Stewart, Carly Simon, Holly Near). Webb lists most sax
weights (sopranino to baritone) on his instruments list, as well
as dozens of flute and reed instruments, whistles and ocarinas.
In his notes, Webb writes, "Living in Los Angeles, I don't often
get a chance to play as artistically as I would like, so I would
like to thank Mat and Bob Rusch for giving me the opportunity."
B+(***)
- Kate McGarry: The Target (2007, Palmetto):
Singer,
scats a little. Has three albums on Palmetto now, one or two before
that. The only other one I've heard had folkie airs, but she seems
to be aiming for dusky moodiness here. At least this feels like
she's trying to stretch, but it rarely feels right. The band is
built around Gary Versace's organ -- too peppy and eager to swing
for the music -- and Keith Ganz's guitars. Exception that proves
the rule: "Do Something"; best supporting actor: Donny McCaslin's
sax solo on "The Lamp Is Low."
B-
- The Pete McGuinness Jazz Orchestra: First Flight
(2006 [2007], Summit):
Trombonist, born 1963, based in New York
since 1986, most of his credits are with big bands, starting with
DMP Big Band's Glenn Miller Project, with Maria Schneider's
Concert in the Garden and Mike Holober's Thought Trains
among the highlights. Hype sheet also connects him to the Lionel
Hampton Band, the Woody Herman Orchestra, and the Jimmy Heath Big
Band. John Fedchock wrote his liner notes, and he's got a half
dozen or so New York musicians I recognize in the band, including
pianist Holober. Pretty slick as these big bands go. McGuinness
also sings on two cuts, including a run of scat.
B+(**)
- John McNeil/Bill McHenry: Rediscovery (2007 [2008],
Sunnyside):
McNeil is a veteran trumpet player; McHenry a relatively
young tenor saxophonist. Both mainline boppers, McNeil particularly
keyed to west coast cool. The rediscoveries are mostly bop era pieces,
1940s-1950s, including George Wallington, Wilbur Harden, Russ Freeman,
and Gerry Mulligan. Each contributes an original, McNeil to open,
McHenry to close.
B+(**)
- Eric McPherson: Continuum (2007 [2008], Smalls):
Drummer. First album, but has an impressive list of credits
starting around 1990. Studied with Jackie McLean, and has some
sort of relationship to Max Roach (M'Boom). Other credits
include: Jesse Davis, Abraham Burton, Myron Walden, Avishai
Cohen, Steve Lehman, Jeremy Pelt, Luis Perdomo, Andrew Hill,
Steve Davis, Jason Lindner, Charnett Moffett. Burton was the
name that caught my eye. An alto saxophonist with roots in
Belize, he cut two of the best albums of the 1990s (on Enja,
look for 1995's The Magician) but has scarcely been
heard from since. He appears here, playing tenor and soprano
as well as alto, plus a bit of flute, and he's rivetting on
all but the flute. Relatively short at 39:39, cut over three
sessions with two bassists and occasional guests, this is a
little scattered, but the pieces are interesting in their
own right. Carla Cherry does a spoken word piece over drums
and Trevor Todd's yirdaki (Australian instrument, may or may
not be same as didgeridoo). One cut subs Shimrit Shoshan's
Fender Rhodes for David Bryant's piano. But mostly, hope to
hear more from Burton.
B+(***)
- Ravish Momin's Trio Tarana: Miren (A Longing)
(2006 [2007], Clean Feed):
There's a disquieting moment here where
violinist Sam Bardfeld breaks into some sort of Scottish march,
reminding me that not all world musics are equally worthy of
fusion. Changing oud players from Shanir Ezra Blumenkranz to
Brandon Terzic may not have had much effect, although they did
lose the bass option in the deal. But Bardfeld isn't nearly as
interesting, at least in this context, as Jason Kao Hwang, who
brought a rich but little known Chinese classical expertise
into the mix. Still, the basic idea remains, which is Momin's
Indian percussion in a non-Western string context, and much of
this is as mesmerizing as its predecessor.
B+(***)
- Stanton Moore Trio: Emphasis on Parenthesis
(2007 [2008], Telarc):
Fusion drummer, has done some good stuff, notably
Garage A Trois, Outre Mer (2005, with Skerik and Charlie
Hunter). Trio mates Will Bernard (guitar) and Robert Walter (organ,
keyboards) have also put out consistently solid work, but this time
they all sort of melt down together, with ordinary grooves and
little sonic range or variety.
B-
- Paul Motian Trio 2000 + Two: Live at the Village Vanguard,
Vol. 1 (2006 [2007], Winter & Winter):
The Trio has
Chris Potter on tenor sax and Larry Grenadier on bass. The "+ Two"
are Greg Osby on alto sax and Masabumi Kikuchi on piano. Smells
like a quintet to me, but there is probably some arcane logic in
the division -- e.g., Motian, who made his reputation backing
pianists, for a long time avoided pianists in his own groups,
but this isn't the first time Kikuchi has appeared as an add on.
Motian is a slippery drummer, and he often throws the saxes off
their stride. They deserve credit for keeping their composure
and making something of the tricky terrain.
B+(**)
- Dave Mullen and Butta: Mahoney's Way (2006 [2007],
Roberts Music Group):
I'm not sure that Mullen won't wind up
smothered in smooth jazz jam -- his credits include keys and
sequencing, drum programming, vocals, flute and trumpet, as
well as his lead tenor sax and kiss-of-death soprano, which
position him well for the slick side. Still, he opens with a
slice of R&B honk called "Flip It," then introduces his
title cut with a rap. When he reaches for a soul cover, he
picks Stevie Wonder's "As," then turns it over to Nile Rodgers
for a hardcore funk beat, and roasts the True Worship Ministries
Singers with his tenor sax, lest they get too Godly on him.
His originals have overreaching messages (e.g., his "Prayer
for Our Times") and one called "Lost Souls" breaks into a
chorus chant of "a love supreme." His other cover is a nice
sax ballad of "Bewitched" -- a soft landing at the end. The
synthesis strikes me as over his head, but for now at least
his head's in the game.
B+(**)
- Jovino Santos Neto: Alma do Nordeste (Soul of the Northeast)
(2008, Adventure Music):
Pianist, also plays
melodica (2 cuts) and flute (1 cut). Born 1954, Rio de Janeiro,
studied in Montreal, lives in US now. I picked this out of order
after seeing him write about the Felipe Salles record, which he
wasn't otherwise involved with. Compared to Salles, this seems
to be the real Brazilian Nordeste, with its tumbling profusion
of rhythm, guitar, accordion, and flutes. Neto ties it together
with piano. I prefer Salles' record because the sax pulls it
back into a recognizable jazz context. Three cuts with tenor
sax here, three more with soprano, are barely recognizable.
B+(**)
- Maceo Parker: Roots & Grooves (2007 [2008],
Heads Up, 2CD):
An alto saxophonist, Parker has played on dozens
of great albums, but he's never put his name on one before. He
joined James Brown in 1964, then moved on to George Clinton in
1975 and back to Brown in 1984. Both leaders spun off instrumental
albums, first as the J.B.'s, then as the Horny Horns. Since 1989
Parker has recorded a dozen albums, mostly underachieving the
modest goals announced in their titles: Roots Revisited,
Mo' Roots, Life on Planet Groove, Funk Overload,
etc. This looked like another, until I popped it in and it blasted
off into "Hallelujah I Love Her So." First disc is titled "Tribute
to Ray Charles," and works through "Busted," "Hit the Road Jack,"
a few more, climaxing with "What'd I Say." Parker sings a few --
he's more Cleanhead Vinson than Ray Charles, but that works for
me. Parker doesn't have the direct connection that Fathead Newman
has, but he started out when Charles was laying the foundation his
whole career was built on. Second disc is called "Back to Funk":
five originals and "Pass the Peas" from J.B.'s days. It's less
obvious and every bit as exciting. The secret in both cases is
the band. Directed by Michael Abene, the WDR Big Band Köln will
play anything with anyone -- their purpose, after all, is to
crank out radio shots with visiting dignitaries -- and they've
never amounted to much, but they have a ball here. Maybe it's
too easy: Charles ran a big band himself, and scaling Parker's
grooves up to J.B.-size is as obvious as it is fun. Parker
gloats in the dêjà vu. With Charles and Brown gone, he's just
the guy to honor them. [Note: Don't know when this was recorded.
Album appears to have been released in Europe in 2007, and
reissued in US by Heads Up, which has been picking up quite
a bit of WDR Big Band material.]
A-
- William Parker: Double Sunrise Over Neptune (2007
[2008], AUM Fidelity):
Recorded live at Vision Festival XII, three
long pieces built around repeated bass riffs that the conductor
farmed out to Shayna Dulberger, and a short bridge. With sixteen
musicians, favoring strings (two violins, viola, cello, bass,
guitar or banjo, oud, the leader's doson'ngoni) which elaborate
the themes over horns (trumpet, three saxes, whatever "double
reeds" Bill Cole plays), with vocalist Sangeeta Bandyopadhyay
trading off against the latter. Oh, also two drummers, Gerald
Cleaver and Hamid Drake. Whereas Parker's large groups in the
past, like his Little Huey Orchestra, tended to go unhinged,
this all flows together marvelously. Even a bit of wildness near
the end of the second piece, which seems inevitable once you
unleash saxophonists Rob Brown and Sabir Mateen, holds tight.
The singer runs close to the edge of the high-pitched squeak
that east (or southeast) Asian opera is prone to, but never
slips over. A remarkable piece of work.
A
- The Michael Pedicin Quintet: Everything Starts Now . . .
(2007 [2008], Jazz Hut):
Scantly-recorded tenor saxophonist from Philadelphia, his father
a Bill Haley-like rocker during the 1950s. Mainstream sax group,
backed solidly and sumptuously by Johnnie Valentino on guitar,
Mick Rossi on piano, Chris Colangelo on bass, and Michael Sarin
on drums -- all players I recognize. A throwback to the sort of
things Coleman Hawkins and Ben Webster used to knock off in the
1950s.
B+(***)
- Art Pepper: Unreleased Art, Vol. III: The Croydon Concert,
May 14, 1981 (1981 [2008], Widow's Taste, 2CD):
A hot set
with a group -- Milcho Leviev on piano, Bob Magnuson on bass, Carl
Burnett on drums -- Pepper toured often but recorded rarely with.
He calls them his favorite group, and they repay the compliment --
there seems to be no end to wondrous tapes from his last years.
A-
- Perez: It's Happenin' (2007 [2008], Zoho):
Name
seems to be Diana Perez, although the first name is hard to come
by. Born New York, moved to Los Angeles at 17, spent 10 years in
Europe, wound up in New York. Third album. Despite her heritage
(Cuban-Irish mother, Puerto Rican father) there's nothing Latin
here, not even the obligatory Jobim or the optional "Perdido."
Voice is plain, unaccented, with a depth and lustre that emerges
after the fact. Songbook is a mix of standards ("Blame It on My
Youth," "In the Wee Small Hours," "Detour Ahead") and vocalese
(Annie Ross on "Farmers Market," Giacomo Gates on "Milestones").
Band is about as straight as they come: Jed Levy (tenor sax, flute),
Ron Horton (trumpet), Steve Davis (trombone), David Hazeltine (piano),
Nat Reeves (bass), Joe Farnsworth (drums). They're strong enough
to lift this out of the ordinary.
B+(**)
- Ed Reed: The Song Is You (2008, Blue Shorts):
Age 78, second album, had a life that included four stretches in San
Quentin and Folsom, the sort of places you could pick up a band in
with someone like Art Pepper on alto sax. The band here is the Peck
Allmond Sextet, with the leader playing trumpet, tenor sax, flute,
cornet, and clarinet. The songs throw back to the 1950s -- could be
the Sinatra songbook, but somewhat more biased toward Ellington.
Reed fits the Sinatra model well enough -- mellower than the brash
young Sinatra, smoother and more elegant than the older one.
B+(**)
- Steve Reid Ensemble: Daxaar (2007 [2008], Domino):
Album cover claims "(recorded in africa)" in small bold print
against an outline of the continent. The title is evidently
an archaic spelling of Dakar, the capital of Senegal, where
Reid picked up trumpet (Roger Ongolo), guitar (Jimi Mbaye),
bass (Dembel Diop), kora (Isa Kouyate, also spelled Koyate,
while kora is also spelled korah), and percussion (Khadim
Badji), studio pros with Youssou N'Dour and Super Diamono
and others on their resumes. Kouyate also provides a vocal
on the first song, called "Welcome," which is the only thing
here that is unmistakably Senegalese. The rest are seductive
little groove pieces. While the Africans go with the flow and
flesh them out admirably, the real interest is in the keyboards
(Boris Netsvetaev) and electronics (Kieran Hebden, who also
does business as Four Tet), light and fleeting details in a
thick jungle tableau. Reid's a drummer with a Zelig-like list
of credits -- Martha Reeves' "Dancing in the Streets," John
Coltrane, James Brown, Ornette Coleman, Fela Kuti, Sun Ra,
Miles Davis -- despite spending most of his life in obscurity
as an exile, now snug in Switzerland. He got some notice in
2006 for The Exchange Session, two volumes of laptop-drums
improvs with Hebden, and that paid for his ticket to Africa.
Not the first time he's been back, but this time he brought
something extra to the party.
A-
- Barbara Rosene and Her New Yorkers: It Was Only a Sun Shower
(2007, Stomp Off):
A specialist in pre-WWII pop
songs, with tributes to Ruth Etting and Annette Hanshaw in her
catalog, Rosene rescues "Tip Toe Through the Tulips" from Tiny
Tim, and adds 22 more songs only specialists are likely to
recognize. The musicians, including Jon-Erik Kellso on cornet
and trumpet and Mike Hashim on soprano and alto sax dote on
this stuff, and Rosene can brighten any sad day.
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