By Dee Dee McNeil
March 22, 2024
CHARLES McPHERSON – “REVERENCE” – Smoke Sessions Records
Charles McPherson, alto saxophone/composer/arranger; Terell Stafford, trumpet; Jeb Patton, piano; David Wong, bass; Billy Drummond, drums.
Charles McPherson has deep roots buried in my hometown of Detroit, Michigan. Attending Northwestern High School, he was part of an after-school band that included Lonnie Hillyer (trumpeter), the now historic drummer Roy Brooks, and Motown’s awesome bass player who was a jazz bassist first, James Jamerson. It was at a local, black-owned jazz club in the Motor City called the Blue Bird Inn and located on Tireman street that young Charles met Barry Harris. The renowned pianist would become McPherson’s mentor, friend, and father-figure. I think McPherson’s destiny was pretty much evident at the age of fifteen when he became acquainted with Barry.
Seventy plus years ago, Charles Mingus invited the fledgling saxophone player, a very young and still innocent Charles McPherson, to join his avant-garde jazz band. What better way to be catapulted into the music he loved?
On this current album release, you will appreciate the fundamental values and lessons McPherson has learned from his mentors and from life itself. You will love his ‘swing’ and deep appreciation for melodies, rhythmic adventures, and harmonic creativity. I can always count on McPherson’s music to be soaked in the blues. For example, on his arrangement of “Come Rain of Come Shine,” where his horn puts so much soulful blues into the presentation, I am tempted to cry. That’s the thing you hear, feel, find in the elders who play this music. It’s their honesty and vulnerability that touches the listener’s soul. Recently, Samara Joy brought her lovely vocals to McPherson’s stage at the Smoke Jazz & Super Club in New York City.
McPherson’s album’s opening tune, “Surge” is dedicated to Barry Harris, who passed away in 2021 at the well-lived age of ninety-one. McPherson says of his mentor:
“Barry established a real foundation for me on a technical level, harmony, theory, rhythm … but stressed the importance of being melodic with harmony. He also stressed the art, as well as craft. Inspiration and intellect holding hands. Head and Heart!” McPherson summarizes his lessons learned from the great pianist.
“Surge” is all of those things and more. It swings like a grandfather clock’s steady pendulum, driven by the awesome drums of Billy Drummond. Jeb Patton steps forward with a blues-laced piano solo that locks in with David Wong’s walking bass. The harmony created by Terell Stafford’s trumpet and McPherson’s alto sax sings the melody. It sticks like sweet chewing gum in my brain. All the pieces are there and in place, as we hear the puzzle come together. A waltz follows, another McPherson original. This tune is dedicated to his trumpet friend from high school, Lonnie Hillyer. “Blues for Lonnie in Three” waltzes across my listening room in a very freely improvised way.
McPherson may be in his eighth decade on this earth, but he has lost no creativity, determination, or command along the way. His full potential is on display during this production. I am caught up in the synergy between these explosive musicians. Every song brings joy and excitement that fills my heart and home. This album will be released April 26, 2024.
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TROY ROBERTS – “GREEN LIGHTS” – Toy Robot Music
Troy Roberts, tenor saxophone; Paul Bollenback, guitar; John Patitucci, acoustic bass; Jimmy MacBride, drums.
When jazz musicians get together musically, as peers and friends, the result is usually warm and exciting. That’s how I would describe this 16th record release from Troy Roberts, an Australian immigrant who has settled down in NYC. As a two-time GRAMMY nominated saxophonist, his reputation has placed him among the A-list of tenor players around New York. He’s a studio session First-Call saxophonist who can play just about anything. Some of the impressive name artists he has performed with range from the late Joey DeFrancesco to the iconic Van Morrison and the awesome Jeff ‘Tain’ Watts. I just reviewed him on an album with Pat Bianchi as part of his trio.
On this project, Robert’s has assembled some friends to interpret his original compositions. They open with “Green Lights,” the title tune. It’s a warm, moderate tempo funk tune pushed steadily ahead by the drum sticks of Jimmy MacBride and sung by the guitar mastery of Paul Bollenback. Five minutes into the tune, John Patitucci steps stage center to take an acoustic bass solo. Roberts shares the spotlight with his quartet members, but when he does step out front, his tenor saxophone is rich, warm and sweet as honey.
For Troy Roberts, the color green represents tranquility, nature, positivity, but also decay, rot, greed and envy. The two sides of the coin, so to speak. He invites listeners to explore these themes when they listen to his music.
On track #2, you hear more of the Roberts’ horn style when he delivers his tune, “The Question.” The quartet blasts into another atmosphere when MacBride’s swinging drumsticks smash the up-tempo tune “Solar Panels” into my listening room. Patitucci’s fingers march across his acoustic bass with speed and precision, while Troy Roberts blows energy, melody and fluid improvisation from the bell of his horn. On a tune called “Harry Brown” the introduction sounds ethereal and spacey, like floating through a starry sky. It also sounds a little ominous, like the beginning of a mystery movie, thanks to the bass work of Patitucci. Soon, however, it moves into a blues-fueled shuffle that’s arranged quite contemporarily. Roberts’ saxophone work paints the color green all over this tune, braiding traditional jazz roots into his contemporary jazz arrangement. Roberts’ tenor saxophone sounds absolutely beautiful on his composition, “The Scotsman’s ballad.” The quartet blasts straight-ahead on “Stretch Armstrong” with Bollenback leading the way on guitar. When the arrangement features Roberts, they really hit their stride. Troy Roberts lets go of all inhibitions on this project, and his tenor saxophone shines. MacBride is given a platform to showcase his drum skills, sending this project out with a percussive bang. This album will be released May 10, 2024.
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BRAD TURNER QUINTET – “THE MAGNIFICENT” – Cellar Music Group
Brad Turner, piano/trumpet; Peter Bernstein, guitar; Neil Swainson, bass; Quincy Davis, drums; Cory Weeds, tenor saxophone.
The trumpet of Brad Turner sounds like a soulmate to the guitar of Peter Bernstein. They have a sweet instrumental merger on this original tune by Turner called “You’re Ok.” It ambles onto the scene of my listening room and slow swings across space. Neil Swainson introduces himself to us on his bass instrument, walking along at a moderate tempo and improvising during a tasty solo. The tune, “Barney’s Castle” follows at a speedy pace, with Turner and tenor saxophonist, Cory Weeds singing the melody in unison, until the last note of each phrase where they break into one-note harmony. When Weeds steps into the spotlight, it’s with tenor saxophone brilliance flying like colorful confetti out of his horn. This song is a celebration of Straight-ahead jazz, with Turner’s trumpet leading the way. Bernstein takes several bars to showcase his solo creativity on guitar. I am caught up in this tune and captivated by each solo, including the excitement that Quincy Davis brings to the project on trap drums. His solo is outstanding. Brad Turner has been at the forefront of the Canadian jazz scene for over two decades, releasing a steady stream of exceptional jazz recordings as a leader with this quintet, with a quartet, as a trio and as part of his acclaimed ensemble, “Metalwood.” When this quintet slips into “Slapped My Mind” I am enthusiastic about the swing-groove and the blues-base. On a song called “Virtue Signals” Brad Turner sits down at the 88-keys and plays piano to introduce us to his composition. I like it best when they swing, and that they do that on the title tune, “The Magnificent.” They fly on “Rosemary” like hungry seagulls diving for fish. They soar, play with energy, circle with excitement, and swoop with precision.
Every tune on this album is beautifully played and well-written. Brad Turner is a respectable composer, letting his bandmates explore each tune, to competently lend their talents and imaginative improvisations to this recording. It’s a joy listening to them.
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CHRIS ROTTMAYER – “BEING” – Shifting Paradigm Records
Chris Rottmayer, piano; Rufus Reid, acoustic bass; Matt Endres, drums; Russ Johnson, trumpet/flugelhorn.
This is pianist Chris Rottmayer’s fourth album release. He calls Madison, Wisconsin home, where Chris is a prolific composer, a jazz artist and a jazz educator. This current album is the result of studying the work of jazz pianist, Mulgrew Miller.
“The music on this album is a mix of compositions from my doctoral dissertation at the University of Wisconsin-Madison and my master’s degree work at the University of South Florida. They are creative works born from examining Mulgrew Miller’s Playing with the Woody Shaw Quintet. I spent time transcribing Miller and trying to digest his and Woody’s harmonic language,” Rottmayer explains.
I am intrigued from the very first tune titled, “On the Street Where Woody Lives.” I am hooked on the energy and the compositional creativity of Rottmayer. This is my kind of jazz. It swings and breathes straight-ahead beauty with the contributions of the iconic Rufus Reid on acoustic bass and the sweet power of Russ Johnson on trumpet and flugelhorn. “Re-United” is another great tune that brightly features the horn of Russ Johnson. When Chris Rottmayer enters, he lifts the tune with his own improvisational piano solo. Then comes Rufus Reid stepping into the spotlight and glowing. He’s an obvious master of his bass instrument, followed by a solo from Matt Endres on trap drums. On this arrangement we meet the whole gang.
“Pigalle” is an area in Paris not far from a place I used to live called the Hotel Ventamille. Years ago, it was a red-light district and featured an assortment of interesting characters strolling the narrow Parisienne streets. Rottmayer plays this one as a ballad and it’s quite beautiful, with a sexy, emotional bass solo that tears at the heartstrings. There is a tenderness to this project that drips from this recording like molasses from a tree trunk.
“I was able to connect with Rufus Reid. Reid collaborated often with Mulgrew Miller, and recording with Reid has helped me to connect with Miller on a level deeper than I could through listening to recordings or through personal study,” Rottmayer praises his legendary bass player and former colleague of Mulgrew Miller.
Rottmayer includes a tribute to Paris, France with five songs named after famous places in that European city, including “Rue des Lombards” that is one of the most famous streets for jazz music in Paris and a tribute to the chaotic nature of one of Paris’s busiest train stations titled “Chatelet.”
Many of Rottmayer’s tunes are inspired by Miller’s musical language while he was working with Woody Shaw. For example, the tune “Re-United” takes the Wayne Shorter tune “United” that was famously arranged by Shaw and Miller, then changes it to 4/4 time and adds a new melody with a few formal elements borrowed from the Shaw arrangement. “Autumn Evening” is another lovely ballad that explores more of Miller and Shaw’s modal and harmonic concepts, perhaps pulling from the Miller composition, “Song of Modes.”
This is a tribute to the brilliance of Mulgrew Miller and Woody Shaw that spotlights both the piano and composer talents of artist, Chris Rottmayer.
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DAVID LARSEN – “COHESION” – Dayolo Music
David Larsen, baritone saxophone/composer; Zaccai Curtis, piano; Alex Apollo, bass; Wayne Smith Jr., drums; Darryl Yokley, tenor saxophone/composer.
The tight harmonies of David Larsen on baritone saxophone and Darryl Yokley on tenor saxophone opens the first tune on this album and capture my attention. Larsen and Yokley are the composers of these eight tracks. Six were written by David Larsen and two by Yokley. This composition is titled “Cohesion,” the album title. Certainly, this tune unites and introduces the band, presenting a united whole. It’s based on two modes played at once. In music language, that means the first chord defines the tonal center, while the melody is based on a similar mode a perfect fifth away. But it’s the second track titled “Down To It” that’s bebop personified. It reminds me of jazz from the 1960s. The tempo races and Alex Apollo steps out with an extraordinary bass solo. Larsen and Curtis lock horns and sing the melody harmonically. Their melody makes me want to sing along. This is a great song written by Larsen who steps forward on baritone saxophone to fire out his solo. Darryl Yokely follows, also empowering his tenor instrument to do his bidding and spreading his joy. Zaccai Curtis is notably dynamic on piano.
This quintet knows how to set a groove and swing an arrangement. Larsen is an artist based in Spokane, Washington who has performed and/or recorded with numerous artists including Ken Peplowski, Bill Mays, Delbert Anderson, Francisco Torris, the Spokane Symphony orchestra and jazz vocalist Halle Loren, to name only a few. I love Larsen’s song, “Fedchock.” When David Larsen steps forward to offer his baritone saxophone solo, I startled my household by shouting out “Yeah” during his soulful solo. There’s nothing I like better than a great baritone player. This song sounds like a jazz standard.
When David heard these East Coast musicians play, Larsen knew he had to record with them. The baritone master was happy to include two original pieces by Yokley because he said,
“They reminded me of the great Wayne Shorter and John Coltrane compositions. They are a great challenge to play over, but well worth it!”
When this composer and baritone sax man met Yokley, Curtis, Apollo, and Smith during a countrywide tour they were making, he knew he wanted to record with them. He was sure they were the perfect group to interpret his original compositions. David Larsen brought the group out to work with students at Spokane Falls Community College and to appear as guests for their local jazz workshop. During that invitation, Larsen asked if they would like to go into the studio to record this album. What a blessing that they said, yes!
“This project was a great stretch for me as a player and composer, but it has been an absolute joy to put together, and I hope you enjoy listening to it as much as I enjoyed making it,” David Larsen summed up this production.
It was also a joy to listen to David Larsen’s music, his compositions and performance skills. The addition of these East Coast musicians is both successful and gratuitous.
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ONE FOR ALL featuring GEORGE COLEMAN – “BIG GEORGE” – Smoke Sessions Records
Jim Rotondi, trumpet/composer; Eric Alexander, alto & tenor saxophone/composer; Steve Davis, trombone/composer; David Hazeltine, piano/Fender Rhodes/composer; John Webber, bass; Joe Farnsworth, drums. SPECIAL GUEST: George Coleman, tenor saxophone.
Since their inception, in 1997, I have been a big fan of “One for All” with their very hip, very smooth, very brilliant bebop sound. Each of these musical members carries a wealth of history and awards on their shoulders. Each is a participant of “One for All.” They are educators, session players, composers, and busy, working musicians. So, you can imagine that makes getting together for an album a huge challenge. It’s been seven years between this album and their former release, “The Third Decade.”
This time, an added bonus is the blessed appearance of reed master, George Coleman. He comes walking into the spotlight on track #4, during a tune written by Jim Rotondi called “Oscar Winner.” His appearance jolts the energy upward fifty percent, and the guys were already smokin’ hot!
On the song, “Oscar Winner,” after George Coleman solos, Steve Davis brings his trombone to the party and settles in to woo us with his smooth trombone sound. Then the horns begin to harmonize in a chant-like harmony and the tension builds. The tune explodes with a number of solo’s that are both innovative and fresh. Each one tantalizes, like hot baked rolls out the oven dripping with butter. This is the jazz I love. Delicious jazz. Eight minutes of pure joy! When they step back from that swinging arrangement and feature George Coleman on their absolutely beautiful rendition of “My Foolish Heart,” these musicians spray my listening room with hearts and love notes; tones and improvisations that paint an old standard new in unexpected ways.
I love their take on Hank Mobley’s composition, “This I Dig of You” (once again featuring George Coleman). At the respectable age of 87, George Coleman hasn’t lost his adventurist spirit or iconic talent. He is still a force to be reckoned with. Hazeltine’s piano solo rises to the occasion after Coleman sets the studio on fire. Joe Farnsworth slaps his drumsticks into a power-packed solo excursion, while the horns dance, shiny as fireflies glowing in a powerful creative light. John Webber gets the last word on bass, like an exclamation mark. Then Webber marches into the next tune, swinging strongly on the Steve Davis original, “Cove Island Breeze” with his bass walking briskly, and arms tightly linked with the Farnsworth drummer.
“Our favorite quickly became Cove Island because it’s a very beautiful piece so close to home. The tune has that same kind of wistful, breezy swing,” Davis shard in the liner notes.
One of this writer’s favorite jazz standards is the sensuous ballad, “The Nearness of You.” All For One plays it like a sincere and honest love letter. The Davis trombone sings it, smooth and mellow, while Jim Rotondi brings his big, bright trumpet sound into the picture with gusto. Eric Alexander pulls the blues into the arrangement on his saxophone, flying into the solo space like a wild bird, singing “Heaven please save, all mankind” briefly, like a love whisper in my ear. I had to play this track twice.
The unique thing about this recording is that the musicians all walked into the studio and played a lot of these original compositions without rehearsal of any kind. They flew by the seat of their souls, so to speak. The result is some fresh and innovative improvisation on tunes like the opening composition by Eric Alexander, “Chainsaw” (that plays like a jazz standard), with the commanding drums of Joe Farnsworth pushing the group ahead forcefully. Alexander’s improvising soars above the busy bass of John Webber. David Hazeltine’s tune, “In the Lead” showcases the pianist but also brightly spotlights Rotondi’s potent trumpet. Davis’s trombone, and the smart harmonics the three horns create highlight a smart arrangement.
You have to be a master to walk into a studio, pick up the music charts, and in the midst of a room full of legends, deliver. Now I have them with me in my listening room and their music is absolutely thrilling, swinging and all-encompassing! This is an historic and well-produced album to add to any collection.
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THE TUCKER BROTHERS – “LIVE AT CHATTERBOX” – Midwest Crush Music
Joel Tucker, guitar; Nick Tucker, bass; Carrington Clinton, drums. Sean Imboden, tenor saxophone.
This quartet opens with a unique take on the familiar tune, “Skylark.” They play it in sort of a Reggae style, beginning with Joel Tucker setting the mood and tempo (7/4) with his electric guitar. Joel and his brother Nick are important jazz forces on the Indianapolis jazz scene. You will hear them in this intimate, ‘live’ setting of the Chatterbox Club, each quartet member taking a solo to introduce themselves to the receptive audience. Joel Tucker has composed the next song titled “Shakshuka.” It races ahead, saddled by Straight-ahead and driven by Carrington Clinton’s drums like a whip on a stallion’s flank. Sean Imboden is given free rein as he improvises on his tenor saxophone. The quartet has a tight, well-executed sound, like old friends who know each other very well. They share musical secrets and conversations with no compunction.
Joel Tucker graduated from Indiana University in 2012 and then relocated to Indianapolis where he plays with a wide variety of bands, moving from jazz to Hip hop, from Latin music to rock. He was featured at the Indy Jazz Fest tribute to Wes Montgomery along with iconic players like Pat Martino, Peter Bernstein, Bobby Brown and Russell Malone, and he has been a featured soloist at the Montreux Jazz Festival. The bassist, Nick Tucker also stays busy. When not playing with his brother, Joel, he takes the stage with Bobby Watson, Randy Brecker, Alan Pasqua, Rich Perry and Stefon Harris, just to name a few. He and his brother first formed The Tucker Brothers group in 2015. They’ve been going strong ever since, releasing an album called “Nine is the Magic Number first and that was followed by “Writing Prompt” and another called, “Two Parts.”
As they speed through jazz standards like “Caravan” and other songs we recognize like “You and the Night and the Music” you will enjoy their unique take on each arrangement. They also share their own composer talents with Nick contributing “Mantra” to the mix. It reminds me a little bit of an old Negro Spiritual my church used to sing: “Were you there when they crucified my Lord,” but it veers off into its own unique melody. I bet this song would sound great as a jazz waltz. Joel has written two more tunes, “Away” and another titled “Rhythm Changed.” All in all, here is a group of mid-western musicians who are making their own magic, pulling musical surprises from their instruments, and clearly entertaining their captivated audience.
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MARLON SIMON AND THE NAGUAL SPIRITS – “ON DIFFERENT PATHS” – Truth Revolution Recording Collective
Marlon Simon, drums/percussion/composer/Musical Director; Edward Simon, piano/Assistant Musical Director; Boris Koslov, bass; Roberto Quintero, congas/percussion; Michael Simon, trumpet; Peter Brainin, tenor & soprano saxophone; Alex Norris, trumpet/flugelhorn; Kevin Newton, French horn; Monica Ellis, bassoon; Rhumer Mora, Bongos.
Marlon Simon brings us an album that combines Latin American rhythms, European classical music, the Latin jazz tradition, and chamber jazz. You might say he treats each composition like a short story, some with unexpected resolutions. Opening with his composition titled, “Searching” the percussive members of his ensemble take stage center, setting the mood and the tempo. This short tune seems to be a preface of prelude for the title track, “On Different Paths.”
“On Different Paths is probably the most ambition tune on the record,” Simon is quoted in the liner notes.
This song includes rhythmic experimentation, using a ceremonial rhythm pulled from the Afro-Cuban religion and representing an orisha (a deity) by the name of Elegguá. This rhythm is mixed with Roberto Quintero playing Lalubanche figures on his congas. This almost sounds like a mild Samba on the bass drum, but with the feel of a joropo on the snare drum. The horn harmonies soften the groove and add that hint of chamber music to the production. The tune “Walking” (that sounds much more like someone running), follows the title tune. It features Venezuelan rhythms and a merengue groove. Peter Brainin dances atop the rhythm section, slapping a straight-ahead feel into place on his saxophone. Track #5 is one of my favorites on this album. It’s joyful and titled “Straight Ahead” although it is quite Latin and not at all bebop. Boris Koslov’s bass introduces us to “Pa,” a tribute song to the father of the Simon brothers. Another tribute song follows that is meant to honor both their parents, Hadsy Simon and his wife Daisy Morillo titled “Un Canto Llanero.” Perhaps Marlon Simon summed this project up the best.
“Music has been an unconditional companion throughout my entire life. It has been there in the happiest and saddest time. It’s been there to let me know where I am and where I need to be in my evolution as a human being. It was time to take a different path, explore, and do something I hadn’t done before. So, for this recording, I had to develop as a composer. When you work on something, you have no preconceptions. What comes out is really you.”
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CURTIS TAYLOR – “TAYLOR MADE” – Curtis Taylor Music
Curtis Taylor, trumpet/composer; Theron Brown, piano; Jonathon Muir-Cotton, acoustic& electric bass; Alex White, drums; David Castañeda, percussion; Marcus Elliot, tenor saxophone.
Curtis Taylor comes blasting onto the scene with a tune he calls, “Kham’s Dilemma,” composed as a tribute to his son Khamari who was born in 2018. Theron Brown is powerful on this tune during his piano solo. Taylor explains how he composed the second track.
“After the Rain is a happy, upbeat tune. I wrote this song during a visit to my mother’s house. I sat at the piano and this melody started to come to me while it was raining. I was having trouble coming up with the bridge of the song, which I finally finished right after the rain ended. So, I decided to call the song After the Rain.”
In 2010, on Gregory Porter’s initial album, (“Water”) Taylor received an unexpected call from record producer, Kamau Kenyatta. Kamau had heard the trumpeter play in Detroit at a jam session. He remembered him and was impressed enough to contact him to come play on Gregory Porter’s debut recording session. Curtis Taylor jumped on a plane, arrived in California, and made that happen. He is also pictured in a brief part of the “Don’t Forget Your Music” documentary about the Grammy-winning vocalist, Gregory Porter.
On track #3 of “Taylor Made,” it’s straight-ahead all the way. The band leaps into an up-tempo mode, speeding across my listening room like meteor showers. Taylor says he wrote this jazz tune as an effort to describe ‘nervous energy.’ The representation is clearly there, buried inside that spirited tune. The band trades fours with drummer Alex White on “Heightened Awareness.” Alex shows off his excellent chops at the song’s ending, during his solo, but he’s also powerful throughout. Marcus Elliot opens the arrangement on tenor saxophone. Then, trumpeter Curtis Taylor bathes in the spotlight, playing like his life depends on it. The arrangement was so good, I played this tune twice. It became one of my favorites. I think the mix on this song is exceptionally clean. Taylor’s music is invigorating.
A song Curtis titled “For Her” slows the groove down to a ballad with a pretty melody. In liner notes, Taylor says the songs remind him of a dancer he once knew.
Curtis Taylor is a native of Ohio and brings that driving mid-western energy to this project. He lived for a while in California and enjoyed the weather. Taylor became a guest lecturer at Cal State San Marcos. In 2021, he moved back to the Midwest to accept a position with the University of Iowa’s Jazz Department. Taylor maintains a very busy touring schedule to promote his new album, along with teaching at The School of Music in University of Iowa’s music department. This impressive album will be released to the public on April 12, 2024, available at Bandcamp, Curtistaylor.net, and all streaming platforms.
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Tags: Brad Turner, Charles McPherson, Chris Rottmayer, Curtis Taylor, David Larsen, Jazz, jazz cd reviews, One for All, Troy Roberts, Tucker Brothers
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