By Dee Dee McNeil
May 5, 2024
RODRIGO RECABARREN, PABLO MENARES, YAGO VAZQUEZ – “FAMILIA” – Greenleaf Music
Rodrigo Recabarren, drums; Pablo Menares, bass; Yago Vazquez, piano.
The New York jazz scene and the Miami jazz scene have come to exemplify a reputation of becoming welcoming nests for immigrant musicians. This trio is a proud and positive example of this. Drummer Rodrigo Recabarren and bassist Pablo Menares arrived in NYC from Santiago, Chile. Yago Vazquez transplanted from Northern Spain. The three men became friends in New York and then formed this dynamic trio. Their first album was released in 2017 (Desde La Lluvia) winning the Martin Codax Music Award in 2018 for Best Jazz Artist. During the Pandemic of 2020, while woodshedding, the three musicians began to blend their love of jazz trio music in with their cultural influences. This included the Galician rhythm called xota, and chacarera rhythms from South America. Vazuez introduced more of the Galician rhythms in a tune they named “Aninovo.” That translates in English to ‘New Year in Galiciano,’ also tapping some chacarera rhythm into this stew of Spanish culture mixed with American jazz. I love this arrangement, that starts out with their cultural rhythms blowing like a flag in the wind. Then, with a crash of Recabarren’s drums, they settle into an exploration of improv jazz at the piano of Vazquez.
The title of this album, “Familia” honors each man and his family in the New York Jazz community, along with their respective cultures and beloved families thousands of miles away. Each composition is beautifully constructed and played with passion. This is a wonderful album that shows how easily “Jazz Jumps Borders.”
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NATALIE CRESSMAN & IAN FAQUINI – “GUINGA” – GroundUP
Natalie Cressman, trombone/vocals; Ian Faquini, guitar/vocals; Guinga, guitar/vocals; Anna Paes & Sandy Cressman, vocals.
Cressman and Faquini have hit their stride with this recording, strutting in the glow of Brazilian music and their own unified talents. I have been listening to this duo for several years and this album is my favorite to date. Natalie Cressman’s beautiful tone on the trombone is intoxicating. Ian Faquini is a masterful guitarist, and they know each other so well that this music unfolds as natural as breathing in and out. They have added one surprise to their recording and that is the guitarist, composer, arranger and living legend, Guinga. In tribute to his legend, they have named this album in his honor.
Born in Brazil June 10, 1950, Guinga is a celebrated guitarist, singer and composer. He grew up in a suburb of Rio De Janeiro called Madureira. Because of his pale skin, as a child he was nicknamed ‘Gringo.’ He pronounced that nickname, ‘Guinga’ and it stuck. At age fourteen, he was composing notable music. He studied classical guitar and began accompanying famous Brazilian singers. Guinga himself has a smokey, emotional voice that transmits passion, note by note. You can hear him on their opening song, “Contradição.”
Their tune “Por Tras de Bras de Pina” is both melodic and joyful. “Par Constante” featuring Guinga is a walk on the bluesier side of town, with Cressman’s trombone moaning the melody in a very compelling way. Cressman makes me love and appreciate the trombone like never before.
Together, these original compositions and three amazing musicians entertain us, locked in the arms of their uncluttered arrangements, presenting the technical mastery of two instruments (trombone and guitar) along with their vocals and composer skills, they wrap us in a cocoon of beauty. The multi-colored butterfly that emerges flies into the universal realm of creativity, a mixture of Brazilian culture, jazz, and art. This is a splendid and artistic package of musical uniqueness that both sooths and inspires.
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SAM WILSON – “WINTERTIDES” – Canada Council for the Arts
Sam Wilson, guitar/composer; Jen Yakamovich, drums; Geordie Hart, upright bass.
It is said by some that conventional wisdom grows from hardship, and that experience produces great art. Certainly, this female guitarist has struggled against crisis, while working at producing her new album titled “Wintertides.”
She was trying to create a new recording in her rural hometown of Scotsburn, Nova Scotia, Canada. Feeling frustrated, Sam Wilson decided that if she relocated, her creativity might have a breakthrough. The province she moved to was experiencing a notoriously bitter winter season that discouraged movement. To her shock, at the same time a worldwide pandemic took center stage. She was encouraged to shelter in-place. Briefly, this situation had Ms. Wilson curled around her guitar in a fetal position.
On top of the new move to a strange place, the pandemic, the restrictions, the isolation, and especially since she grappled with chronic depression, this new adventure turned Wilson’s already rocky world upside down. Then something unexpected happened. Sam saw an ad for the Leña Residency on Galliano Island in British Columbia, just off Canada’s West coast. Thinking that maybe a change of scenery would remove the restrictions and a fresh climate would inspire her to compose, she applied for residency and moved once again.
The result is this wonderful album, released in early April 2024. Sam’s new location, on Galliano Island allowed the guitarist to walk the beach, enjoy natural gardens, and visit other nature places. The island inspired her to write songs like “Light Through the Bend” and “Into the Hollow.” The nature noises and quiet spaces spurred her creativity. Sam Wilson wrote “Dance of the Fungi” and of course the title tune, “Wintertides.”
The result of her experience is music steeped in a sort of melancholic pastoralism with folksy arrangements locking hands with jazz. She plays both electric and acoustic guitar on this project. Joined by popular Vancouver bassist, Geordie Hart, and drummer from Halifax, Canada, Jen Yakamovich, this trio brings Wilson’s compositions alive.
In addition to this current recording, Wilson frequently performs with acclaimed trombonist Andrew Jackson on such collaborative projects as the Jackson/Wilson Duo. On the title tune, you can almost hear the island wind blowing and the snow, falling on the naked forest branches, that moan and creak under the weight. Geordie Hart’s bass sets the mood and Jen Yakamovich uses mallets to coach the mood and magic out of her trap drums. However, it’s Sam Wilson’s inspired compositions, her tasty guitar licks that spur an emotional adventure with melody, and that endears this music to the listener.
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GABRIELA MARTINA – “STATES” – Independent Label
Gabriela Martina, voice/composer/arranger; Maxim Lubarsky, piano/keyboards; Vancil Cooper, drums/percussion; Kyle Miles, acoustic & electric bass; Jussi Reijonen, electric & acoustic guitar; Ben Rosenblum, accordion; GUEST MUSICIANS: Jason Palmer, trumpet/ flugelhorn; Khrys Williams, spoken word; Naseem Alatrash, cello.
The bass and drums open this album with Gabriela Martina’s soprano voice singing staccato notes atop the rhythm of her original composition, “Full Circle.” On her album, this Swiss composer and vocalist examines (from her perspective), the state of the world, the state of the union, and her own state of mind. Thus, the title of her latest album is “States.”
This album seeks to offer solace and comfort. Because humanity exists in a world of spiritual and emotional challenges, Gabriela’s music seems to be saying, we are all going through something. We all face challenges either mundane and worldly, or spiritual and personal. Gabriela Martina has written each composition on this, her sophomore album. The songs represent the readjustment in humanity after facing a global pandemic, worldwide political turmoil, and the effect of climate change. She addresses all, using her tension-and-release vocal presentation on the first tune, with the addition of Khrys Williams contributing spoken word. His prose offer both a pep talk and a plea, with a Hip Hop edge.
On “Come On Home” Special Guest, Jason Palmer, adds his spicy flugelhorn to the arrangement, while Martina explains lyrically what home means to her.
“… I think you kind of lose the sense of what home really means. For me, home has really come to mean the people I call friends and, in the best cases, the people I call family,” she says.
Martina grew up in Switzerland and released her first album in 2016 titled, “No White Shoes.” Downbeat magazine gave it a four-star review. She spent thirteen years living, studying, and working in Boston and New York City. While living in America, she established her own booking agency called “Red Velvet Sounds” and became cofounder and curator of a free improv concert series. At the same time, she was bandleader of her own 6-piece ensemble. In 2021, she left America and relocated to Amsterdam in The Netherlands.
On “The Circus” composition, Gabriela sings with a Pop music flair. On “Soso” she becomes a human horn and simply sings melody without words in a very Classical way. On “Dreams” she adds a lovely cello to the mix played by Naseem Alatrash.
This is experimental music. I cannot call it jazz, because it combines so many genres including rock music, European classical music, the improvisation that jazz inspires, but it leans heavily towards the pop genre. Martina has a very pop flavored voice.
The addition of Ben Rosenblum’s accordion on certain tunes brings warmth and European culture to her project. The trumpet of Jason Palmer gives a sensitive nod to jazz during his solo excursions. However, it is important to remember that the root of jazz is the blues. Also, one of the popular and expressive determinations of jazz comes from the ‘swing’ element in the music.
Although I find some of Martina’s compositions both melodic and creative, they sound more experimental, with a firm lean towards pop music. I don’t hear her ‘swing’ on a single presentation, and there is no blues base evident. If this talented vocalist wants validity to her claim of ‘jazz singer,’ she must be able to sing the blues and “to swing” her vocals.
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DAVE SCHUMACHER & CUBEYE – “SMOKE IN THE SKY” – Cellar Music
Dave Schumacher, baritone saxophone/arranger/composer; Manuel Valera, piano/arranger; Alex “Apolo” Ayala, bass; Mauricio Herrera, congas/lyá/itótele/Okónkolo/Chekeré; Jesus Ricardo & Josh Evans, trumpet; Peter Brainin, tenor & soprano saxophones.
Virtuoso baritone saxophone player, Dave Schumacher, blends soul jazz with Latin overtones in a beautiful way. His arrangements are rich with Latin spirit and sparkle. As a former member of the great Lionel Hampton’s Orchestra, he spent much of his life touring the world and soaking up the big band excitement. During this formative experience, Schumacher found a great love for Afro Cuban music. Later, he and his baritone saxophone joined Harry Connick, Jr.’s orchestra. He performed in that orchestra for two decades. In the 1990s, Schumacher accepted a gig call from T.S. Monk and joined the Monk band. At the same time, he played with Tom Harrell’s Octet. In fact, everybody who heard Dave Schumacher’s fertile, warm baritone saxophone sound was impressed. He was an in-demand musician. Relocating from Chicago to New York City, once again Schumacher found himself in great demand.
This album gives Dave Schumacher and his Cubeye Band an opportunity to showcase Dave’s love of Cuban and Latin music. His band presents a culturally rich production, with African and South American rhythms fusing their arrangements. The opening composition was written by Schumacher and is titled “Smoke in the Sky.” It is a wonderful example of his unique blend of cultures and creativity.
Schumacher says he was greatly influenced by Jerry Gonzalez & the Fort Apache Band. He travelled with them to perform in Japan in 1997. The other master musician who he admires is Art Blakey and the Jazz Messengers. You hear Blakey’s influence on an original tune Dave wrote called “El Dilema de Chegul Metralla.” Cubeye swings this tune in a very Latin way, brightly featuring Manuel Valera on piano.
Schumacher’s baritone sax solos are outstanding. His arrangements are inspired and fresh. This small group has a big, bold sound. The percussion solos on their first tune set the mood. The drums definitely establish the excitement. Schumacher’s horn lines bring his big band experience to the forefront. Tune #2 is an Eddie Harris composition. Both Schumacher and Harris are from the ‘Windy City’ and Dave has arranged this tune with the sophistication and inspiration of the great Wayne Shorter. The bata rhythms that dance beneath the arrangement add depth and interest to this song.
“I first heard Eddie play this originally as a 4/4 shuffle at Sweet Basil (a New York club) in the mid 80’s. it always stuck in my mind, and I reframed it in a 6/8 groove,” Dave Schumacher explained his arrangement.
His baritone saxophone sings a’cappela for a few bars before Mauricio Herrera’s percussive genius joins him on a tune called “Caridad.” The song is arranged by his pianist, Manuel Valera. The horn rhythms move in one direction, while the drums chop, chop beneath, always distinct, and culturally significant. I love this tune! Another favorite of mine is Dave’s arrangement of “Cal Massey.” Alex “Apolo” Ayala steps center stage on his bass to open a McCoy Tyner tune called “Walk Spirit Talk Spirit.” They close with one of my favorite songs that I’ve loved since my teenage years, an old Ahmad Jamal composition, “Poinciana.” However, this Schumacher arrangement is totally fresh and new. Dave’s baritone saxophone solo is smokin’ hot!
This Dave Schumacher album sparks the imagination and feeds the soul.
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ANDY MILNE AND UNISON – “TIME WILL TELL” – Sunnyside Records
Andy Milne, piano/composer/arranger; John Hébert, bass; Clarence Penn, drums. SPECIAL GUESTS: Ingrid Laubrock, tenor saxophone; Yoko Reikano Kimura.
You have special credentials when you can say you were mentored by Oscar Peterson, one of the greatest jazz pianists in the history of jazz. Andy Milne was a student of Peterson and is an accomplished pianist and composer himself. He’s Canadian-born and has won the Juno Award in that country twice. The Juno is similar to our Grammy Award. Currently, he is a professor at the University of Michigan. Recently, Andy helped design the new Canadian silver dollar that commemorated his mentor’s legacy. There sits Oscar Peterson, bent over his piano, hands raised in mid-motion above the 88-keys and forever emblazoned on that silver coin.
Milne and his Unison trio formed in 2017. In 2020 they released their debut recording titled, “The reMission” for Sunnyside Records. It won the jazz group their first Juno Award for Jazz Album of the Year. Busy even before he formed the trio, Milne has released eleven recordings as either a bandleader or co-leader.
No newcomer to awards, in 2008, Milne was awarded the French-America Jazz Exchange from Chamber Music America and formed Crystal Magnets, a duo piano collaboration with French pianist, Benoit Delbecq.
In late 2019, through Ancestry.com Andy Milne connected with his birth cousin. He had been adopted as an infant and this began his journey to self-identity, and ultimately meeting his birth mother. The life altering result of that connection to his birth heritage is expressed in this music.
Lush with European classical roots and a quiet beauty, Milne has composed eight of the ten songs on this album. The addition of the Koto instrument, played by Yoko Reikano Kimura, adds depth and mystery to his composition, “Lost and Found.” Most of these songs are beautiful, but moody. John Hébert takes an extended bass solo during a tune called “Beyond the Porcelain Door,” before Ingrid Laubrock flutters into the spotlight on tenor saxophone. Her solo is inspired. There is a palpable moodiness in these tunes and a feeling of pensive exploration. I keep waiting for an up-tempo composition to emerge, or a blues, to lift the spirit of this project. However, if you are seeking peaceful chamber music for meditation or massage, this album is perfect.
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FOREIGN AFFAIR TRIO – “SOUS LE VENT” – Zoho Records
Hector Martignon, piano/composer; Eduardo Dudu Penz, electric bass; Raphael Nick, drums; SPECIAL GUESTS: Luis Bonilla, trombone; Jean-Lou Treboux, vibraphone; Xavier Paternot, flute.
Hector Martignon recorded and mixed this project at Riverside Studio in Torino, Italy. The pianist, composer has, for many years, been spending an equal amount of time in America and in Europe. Predominantly, he has roots in Geneva, Switzerland. Hector Martignon spoke about those roots in his liner notes.
“Commuting between both cities (NYC & Geneva) for the last fifteen years or so, to visit my daughter Leticia and her children in Geneva, I saw a musical home flourish and thrive in both cities, to which this CD offers the finest testament,” Hector proclaimed.
In the very first song, “Prelude X” you hear Martignon’s deep classical roots as he plays piano. The story behind this composition is the sad and tortuous life of an Argentinian author, Jorge Luis Borges, who spent his final years in blindness. The classical arrangement at the beginning of the tune soon melts into jazz, with Martignon’s piano solo taking us on a beautiful, improvisational journey. Eduardo Dudu Penz sings along with his electric bass solo. It adds a warm, friendly feeling to his jazz improv.
Track #2, “Pasilleando” is Martignon’s tribute to his birthplace of Bogota, Columbia where he employs the Venezuelan-Colombian Joropo rhythms full of energetic spark and spice. Jean-Lou Treboux adds the vibraphone and Eduardo’s bass line dances beneath the joyful timbre of this arrangement. But it’s the brilliance of Hector Martignon on piano that makes this piece sparkle. Their interpretation of the Herbie Hancock piece titled; “NY Minute” invites Luis Bonilla as a special guest on trombone. The Title tune, “Sous Le Vent” is another one of the 24 preludes that is reconstructed as a Latin-tinged jazz arrangement in the Choro style. The flute of Xavier Paternot almost sounds like an accordion when he sings unison with the piano melody. I enjoyed his final composition on this album, written for the late Ray Barretto’s Jazz band in the early 90s and titled, “Gabriela.” Translated to English, the title of this album “Sous Le Vent” means ‘under the wind.’
Martignon would like the listener to share the shore and the space between New York and Geneva as they listen to his music, easy as the wind that fills the air between the two countries, or simply breathing in and out.
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GUSTAVO CORTIÑAS – “LIVE IN CHICAGO” – Pesafio Canpente Records
Gustavo Cortinas, drums/composer; Kitt Lyles, upright bass; Joaquin Garcia, piano; Matthew Davis, trombone; Artie Black, tenor saxophone; Drew Hansen, trumpet.
The bright, colorful album cover of Gustavo Cortiñas represents a tale of two countries. It’s an artistic fusion between Mexico City and the city of Chicago. This art depicts the complex relationship between these two cities and two countries. It also represents what Cortiñas considers his two homes.
Gustavo Cortiñas has earned a place of prominence in Chicago as one of the important drummers of our day. As reflected on this album, he is also a serious composer. He has penned every song they play. The first composition opens with the bass line of Kitt Lyles talking to the drum sticks of Cortiñas. The simplicity of the drumstick calling the concert to attention, like the tap of a teacher’s ruler, draws the listener in. When the horns enter, so does the melody. The band’s ‘Live’ performance has begun. Cortiñas is joined on this outing by his long-time sextet. They are familiar and comfortable with the material and each other. This is a blend of cultures, where Latin roots and mid-western jazz hold hands like lovers. Track #2 sounds like jazz from the 1930s. Titled “Hanaki.” It meanders along at a slow-swing pace, featuring a sweet trombone solo by Matthew Davis. When the piano solo follows, we get a taste of Chicago blues with a boogie- woogie base. Composer and bassist, Kitt Lyles steps into the spotlight next, walking his bass solo slowly across the stage, with the drums of Cortiñas egging him along. They both solo simultaneously.
This is a two CD set of fiery music that embraces the theme of this column, jazz jumping borders.
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ALEKSI GLICK – “WORLD TRAVELER” – Pinch Records
Aleksi Glick, guitar/composer; Jeff Koch, bass; Nathan Ellman-Bell, drums. SPECIAL GUESTS: Laureana, vocals; Eric Trudel, saxophone; Adam Ahuja, keyboards.
Guitarist Aleksi Glick’s new trio album blends smooth jazz, pop, and soul music into a beautiful ball of impressive original compositions and arrangements. The first tune rolls out, featuring the lovely vocals of Laureana on “She Told Me.” Although Glick straddles several genres, he remains true to his distinct musical vision. His music shows depth and artistic creativity as both a guitarist and composer. Glick has written nine of the ten songs featured on this “World Traveler” album. Representative of his world traveler concept, the songs he’s composed reflect a blend of cultures and genres.
Aleksi’s debut album was titled “Guitar and Me” and established this talented musician as a competent composer and technically astute guitarist.
Many compositions on this sophomore release by Aleksi Glick have been inspired by his travels including pieces like “Nordic Bossa” inspired by a pause on the side of a road in Finland, or “Japanese Garden” written after spending a peaceful time on a picturesque park bench in Japan.
“Leaving LA” was written after visiting a rooftop in sunny Southern California. It’s arranged as a smooth jazz bossa nova at first, then broadens with a taste of progressive rock music creeping into the arrangement, showcasing Glick’s guitar when he takes on a spontaneous and energetic solo. Track #2, titled “His Spirit” has a touch of Americana to the tune. “A Tune for Vic” is all buttered up in the blues. Jeff Koch offers an emotional bass solo. “Guitar and Me” swoops us to Brazil, with the bright rhythms of Nathan Ellman-Bell on drums propelling the song ahead at a Samba pace and taking a boisterous, happy solo.
This album has a little something for everyone, featuring a super talented guitarist and his awesome trio. I enjoyed every song they played.
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HAKON SKOGSTAD – “8 CONCEPTS OF TANGO”- Ora Fonegram
Hakon Skogstad, piano/composer; Andreas Rokseth & Asbjerg Ryeng, bandoneon; Ole Scheyen Sjölin, double bass; Sveinung Lillebjerka & Anders Larsen, violin; Bergmund Waal Skaslien, viola; Marit Aspaas, cello.
Hakon Skogstad describes his recent recording release saying: “In 8 Concepts of Tango, I have taken inspiration from Astor Piazzolla’s Octeto Buenos Aires and composed 8 original works for 8 musicians, aiming to further expand the landscape of nuevo tango.”
Skogstad is a prize-winning pianist and composer. He holds degrees in Classical Performance from Oslo and New York, as well as a PhD in Artistic Research from NTNU, Trondheim. He has performed in ensembles and as a soloist throughout Norway. Additionally, Hakon Skogstad has played concerts all over the United States, in Argentina, Germany, Austria, Spain and Sweden. His work is dramatic, combining romanticism with Argentine tango interpretations. In this production, Skogstad merges the golden age of tango with a more modern musical concept, while wrapping this international musical package with classical technique. His piano mastery adds both excitement and beauty to this album.
I was surprised at the absence of drums, but these musicians are full of gusto and rhythm. Their precision talents lay rhythmic structure into each arrangement. The musicians Hakon Skogstad has contracted are all experts, masters of their instruments, with emphasis on the Argentine tango and classical music agendas. Both Bandoneon players are award winners. Asbjorg Ryeng holds a master’s degree in performance from the Norwegian Academy of Music. He’s popular throughout Norway, Europe and Argentina. Rokseth has broad experience as a tango musician, having studied and performed in Argentina. He too holds a master’s degree in performance from Codarts, Rotterdam.
The string section is sexy and made up of players who have performed in celebrated orchestras across Europe and South America. Every exciting piece on this album was composed by Hakon Skogstad. The compositions, the arrangements, and his incredible piano brilliance bring attention and celebration of the beauty contained in tango music. This is Hakon Skogstad’s third installment of his Tango trilogy of recordings.
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Tags: ANDY MILNE & UNISON, arts, CD Reviews, DAVE SCHUMACHER & CUBEYE, FOREIGN AFFAIR TRIO, GABRIELA MARTINA, GUINGA, GUSTAVO CORTINAS, HAKON SKOGSTAD, IAN FAQUINI, Jazz, jazz cd reviews, music, NATALIE CRESSMAN, new-music, PABLO MENARES, reviews, RODRIGO RECABARREN, SAM WILSON, YAGO VAZQUEZ
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