By Dee Dee McNeil
January 15, 2024
AHMAD JAMAL – “EMERALD CITY NIGHTS – LIVE AT THE PENTHOUSE – 1966 – 1968” – Jazz Detective
Ahmad Jamal, piano; Jamil Nasser, bass; Frank Gant, drums.
Les McCann said, “I don’t know of any musician who doesn’t like Ahmad Jamal. Who else can you say that about? There’s no other person who does what he does. It’s his own music. That is, to me, the ultimate.”
Ahmad’s first CD opens with “Gloria” where Jamal explores the whole keyboard. His left-hand chops away at the rhythm and lays it down in perfect coordination with Frank Gant’s drums, while his right hand has a mind of its own, racing up and down the 88-keys to express melody and improvisation simultaneously.
“Ahmad Jamal is a miracle! He has the most powerful gift of anybody I have ever seen or known. And he treasured it; he took care of it. His gift is profound, as is his faith, his belief in the creator, which is so profound. All of that and his discipline have made him the amazing artist that he is,” gushes Monty Alexander.
Jamal’s creative treatment of the very familiar and popular “Misty” closes-out Side A of this first album. The trio skips along, spurred by Frank Gant’s drums and Jamil Nasser’s steady, dancing bass line. Gant takes a percussive solo midway through their twelve-minute presentation. Jamal teases us with improvisations that make you think he has left the song completely. Then he suddenly gets back to the melody with the flick of his fingers. Side B features the Henry Mancini composition, “Mr. Lucky” also played at a brisk tempo, with the three musicians tight as puzzle pieces, following Jamal’s lead.
The exciting thing about listening to Ahmad Jamal in the 1960s is his non-stop exploration of each song he plays. During this concert, he even runs his fingers across the piano strings as an exclamation mark! You hear this during his incredible delivery of Jobim’s “Corcovado” tune. During this arrangement, Jamil Nasser steps into the spotlight to present an up-tempo bass solo. But it’s the brilliance of Jamal’s imagination that is on full display while playing this tune. I have never heard this familiar Brazilian standard played at such a pace or with this type of deliberate improvisation. Ahmad Jamal’s genius of both technique and imagination is clearly captured during these historic evenings of music. This jazz journalist was spellbound throughout by the “Emerald City Nights” album, and you will be too.
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THE RODRIGUEZ BROTHERS – “REUNITED (LIVE AT DIZZY’S CLUB)” – RodBros Music
Mike Rodriguez, trumpet/flugelhorn/percussion/composer; Rob Rodriguez, piano/composer; Ricky Rodriguez, bass; Adam Cruz, drums; Anthony Almonte, percussion.
This project is a joyful blend of Latin cultural roots, Straight-ahead jazz and expressive original compositions. Their album “Reunited” celebrates the 20th anniversary of their first recorded release two decades ago. This album captures original music composed by the brothers that reflects high energy and multi-talents. Opening with “Gitmo’s Groove” Rob Rodriguez on piano has a spirited conversation with his brother Mike playing flugelhorn. They musically banter back and forth, with the piano shining brightly in the spotlight and Anthony Almonte’s percussive work prominent throughout. On Rob Rodriguez’s original song, “Guayaquil,” Ricky Rodriguez opens the tune with his memorable bass line and Adam Cruz is dynamic on drums, adding a funk feel to the arrangement. The trumpet solo of Mike Rodriguez is satin smooth and beautiful. This group fuses Afro-Cuban music with Brazilian under-tones, modern jazz and traditional Latin folklore. After so many unplanned years of COVID shut-downs and pandemic lockups, you can hear the excitement and happiness pouring out of these musicians to perform ‘live’ once more, offering their heart and soul musical energy to an eager audience. Every composition is well performed, beautifully written and creatively arranged. This is great jazz on every level.
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ADAM DEITCH QUARTET – “ROLL THE TAPE” – Golden Wolfe Records
Adam Deitch, drums/percussion; Ryan Zoidis, saxophone; Eric “Benny” Bloom, trumpet; Wil Blades, organ/clavinet; Featured Guest: John Scofield, guitar.
This is a contemporary jazz album, plush with funk and groove. Adam Deitch is the percussive engine that propels this music forward like a freight train. His drums are dynamic. This project was created on ProTools in the Deitch home studio located in Denver, Colorado. Deitch’s quartet took roots at the Boom Boom Room in San Francisco, when Deitch and organist Wil Blades played a last-minute, late-night show. Special guests included trumpeter Eric “Benny” Bloom and saxophonist, Ryan Zoidis. Adam Deitch knew immediately that he wanted to form a group with these dynamic players. Clearly, Deitch has a penchant for funk, hip-hop grooves, and electronic music. The outstanding thing about this recording is that even with a lean towards that electronic production, Deitch never loses the true funk and groove of strong rhythm and blues. His music is as hypnotic as a James Brown Groove.
The addition of Blades on organ and clavinet pushes the music forward in a creative and inspired way. These are not just loops! They are songs that thrive, grow, and expand as you listen to them. The key to jazz, which is improvisation, is clearly present in this awesome recording. John Scofield is featured on his brilliant guitar during their “Mushroom Gravy” tune.
“It’s tremendous fun to play with the quartet because they fully understand where I’m coming from and hopefully I ‘get’ them the same way. I think Adam and I have very simpatico concepts in music,” states Scofield in their press package.
However, it’s the title tune, “Roll the Tape” that makes me want to get up from my computer and dance across the room. It’s obvious that Adam Deitch is a brilliant groove-master. His mad drum skills shine like gold on this production. They reflect his knowledge of ancient African traditions that used drums as a language. You hear it when he solos. When he was in the 9th grade, his percussive eyes were blasted open while playing in a gospel church. You can sense that Deitch is experienced in black music, inclusive of gospel, rhythm and blues along with his Tower-of-Power type funk.
“I ended up becoming the drummer in two church bands in Nyack, NY where I grew up,” Deitch proudly shares.
Throughout this recording, Adam Deitch steps boldly into the spotlight to solo on his power-packed trap drums. He takes one moment of ballad relief when he plays his original song, “Alone Together” (not the jazz standard) and reverts to his tasty use of brushes. Other than that, this album features original music by Deitch, that is quite melodic, but always with his spurring, groove and funk drum talents. On the composition, “Language Interlude” Deitch speaks creatively without words.
“These interludes communicate freedom without any sort of song form and create full sentences within the drums. Most drum solos I play have some kind of horn hits or backgrounds and this was fun to play without anything else to authentically express how I’m feeling,” Deitch explained.
Adam Deitch digs his heels deeply into the music, and these arrangements leap forward under the power of his creative drum tempos and techniques. The addition of a gifted organ player like Blades creates a product that is both commercial and artistically jazzy. This is a crowd-pleaser!
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GERALD CANNON – “LIVE AT DIZZY’S CLUB: THE MUSIC OF ELVIN & McCOY” – Woodneck Records
Gerald Cannon, bass/composer; Lenny White, drums; Dave Kikoski, piano; Steve Turre, trombone; Joe Lovano, tenor saxophone; Sherman Irby, alto saxophone; Eddie Henderson, trumpet.
When you put together an all-star group of musicians to play the music of Elvin Jones and McCoy Tyner, what else do you expect except an album of excellence? Recorded ‘live’ at the famed Jazz at Lincoln Center venue, veteran jazz bassist, Gerald Cannon tributes his deep connection and respect for McCoy and Elvin, who he played alongside for fourteen years and nine years respectively. No one can deny McCoy and Elvin are great legends in the history of jazz music. Because of Cannon’s longstanding affiliation with both these masters, he is the perfect person to record this album of homage and respect. Gerald Cannon tightened up the solid basement of their music. A phenomenal bassist in his own right, Cannon was the common denominator that held the rhythm sections together, in both McCoy’s band and Elvin’s band.
Cannon was born in Racine, Wisconsin, where one of his mentors was Milt Hinton. The young musician relocated to NYC at age twenty-eight. It wasn’t long before he was on the A-list of bass players being called by notable jazz legends like Cedar Walton, Dexter Gordon, Little Jimmy Scott, Frank Foster, Stanley Turrentine, Eddie Harris and a bunch of others. He joined drummer Elvin Jones’ group after leaving the Roy Hargrove band and stayed with Elvin until his passing in 2004.
Cannon opens this album with “EJ’s Blues,” written by Elvin Jones himself, and thickened by Cannon’s smokin’ hot horn section. On Track #2, Eddie Henderson’s sweet, emotional trumpet sets the tone on the introduction of an original Cannon composition titled, “Three Elders.” It’s a ballad that he wrote and dedicated to his former musical partner and pianist, the late Larry Willis. This is followed by “Three Card Molly” written by Elvin Jones where Joe Lovano snatches the spotlight on tenor saxophone before passing the moment to Eddie Henderson and then to Dave Kikoski who puts the “S” in Straight-ahead and ‘Swing’ during his piano solo. Afterwards, Gerald Cannon steps front and center on his double bass to show the world why genius musicians like Roy Hargrove, McCoy Tyner and Elvin Jones wanted Cannon in their rhythm section. The ensemble plays beautifully on “Search for Peace” a familiar McCoy tune. One of my favorite tunes is Tyner’s “Blues in the Minor” where Cannon pumps his bass, walking briskly, step by step with Lenny White’s power drums during this driving arrangement. This recording has quickly became one of my favorite albums of the New Year. The official release date is January 19, 2024.
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LAWRENCE FIELDS – “TO THE SURFACE” – Rhythm N’ Flow Records
Lawrence Fields, piano/composer; Corey Fonville, drums; Yasushi Nakamura, bass.
A native of St. Louis, Missouri and currently based in New York City, pianist Lawrence Fields is making his debut recording for Rhythm N’ Flow Records. After a long swim through the waters of great musicians like Terri Lyne Carrington, Branford Marsalis, the Sax Supreme Quartet with Chris Potter and many others, Fields is finally coming “To The Surface” with this excellent trio production. DownBeat Magazine named him a “Rising Star” for the last five consecutive years. He has composed all the music, with the exception of “I Fall in Love Too Easily.” The trio opens with a composition he calls “Parachute.”
However, it’s the arrangement on the second tune that catches my attention. This composition is called “New Season Blues” and it’s played at a speedy pace, giving Fields time to establish his personality on piano, sometimes soloing while the bass and drums lay out. It’s a smart arrangement. The melody is catchy, with the first five notes reminiscent of a song I heard as a kid. My brain sings along, “When you wish upon ….” Each musician takes time to show-off their mad talents during this presentation, starting with Fields. Yasushi Nakamura on double bass takes a masterful solo five minutes into the piece, running his bass notes across space, like individual firecrackers, exploding with creativity. “Moving On” has Lawrence Fields tickling the piano keys with busy fingers that tap dance all over the ivory and ebony. He plays solo on this one, showing off his harmonic consciousness in the creative chords he chooses. A little over two-minutes in, his sidekicks join the mix and fatten the sound. Their title tune, “To The Surface” builds with crescendos, like blocks, stacking solidly atop each other. Fields takes the main solo with Fonville’s drums always coloring the tunes and pushing everyone forward. Nakamura’s bass are the nails that lock the piece into place. I would have enjoyed hearing more of a melody than the constant improvisational solo. It was like the tide rising ominously, than once twenty-feet high, splashing over the guardrail and drenching its surroundings with power and sound. Sometimes you just want to hear a phrase that encourages you to hum along or pat your toe. The melody is quite evident during the tune, “Yasorey.” But it was the tenderness and ease that Fields brought to the tune, “I Fall in Love Too Easily” that really spoke to my heart. Talking about melody, that song has one that’s unforgettable. It also gave me the opportunity to enjoy bassist, Yasushi Nakamura during his heartfelt solo.
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THE PALOMAR TRIO – “THE SONG IN OUR SOUL” – Turtle Bay Records
Dan Levinson, clarinet/tenor saxophone; Mark Shane, piano; Kevin Dorn, drums.
This album turns back time to the days of Benny Goodwin’s swing music. In fact, the name of this group (The Palomar Trio) is clearly a reference to Goodman’s performances at the Palomar Ballroom in Los Angeles during 1935. Around that time, the ‘swing era’ was blossoming. It’s the trio’s love of Benny Goodwin’s small group that inspired this album.
Reed man, Dan Levinson, pianist Mark Shane and drummer Kevin Dorn started jamming together during the pandemic lockdown, rehearsing in the music room of Shane’s home. They open this production with the Fats Waller composition, “Keep a Song in Your Soul” which reflects the title of their album. They pulled tunes from the 1930s era of popular songs, including tunes Ozzie Nelson’s popular orchestra used to play like “Roses in December. That song came from the 1937 film, “The Life of the Party.” I enjoyed their swinging take on “In A Shanty in Old Shanty Town.” Mark Shane’s rhythmic piano reminds me of the days of ‘Stride’ and he locks right into the drums of Kevin Dorn, like hand to glove. Dorn takes a showy solo, his drums reminding me of the Peg-Leg Bates tap dance days. This trio hands us old-school shuffles and clarinet solos by Levinson that capture a time when Bing Crosby and Rosemary Clooney’s music was popular. Not to mention, it was an age when a storm of New Orleans jazz soaked the nation under the umbrella of Louis Armstrong’s legendary trumpet songs. This album turns the hands of the clock back nearly 90-years, bringing us the historic music of that unforgettable ‘swing’ era front and center. If musical nostalgia is something you treasure, this is an album you will enjoy adding to your collection. It tickles the memory of those who recall those jitterbug, big-band dance days and enlightens young people who have never heard this kind of jazz until hearing these arrangements by The Palomar Trio.
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SOFIA RUBINA – “I AM SOUL” – Independent Label
Sofia Rubina, vocals/composer; Evgeny Lebedev, piano; Anton Revnyuk, bass; Ignat Kravtsov, drums. MAIN STRINGS: string quartet.
Estonia is a small country in Northern Europe and the birthplace of Sofia Rubina. This country, with a population of about 1.3 million people, is located bordering the Baltic Sea and the Gulf of Finland. This album demonstrates how jazz has spread like sweet jam across all slices of earth. In fact, surprisingly, this small country hosts the largest jazz festival in the Baltics. Estonia first discovered jazz in the 1930’s, when the ‘swing’ craze swept their country, and by 1936, Estonia’s Philharmonic Hall was proudly presenting multiple jazz concerts. Today, this tiny country offers us the big sound of jazz vocalist, Sofia Rubina. This is her sixth album release titled, “I Am Soul.” She offers a unique approach to jazzily arranged tunes, including six original songs and she ‘covers’ artists like Bonnie Raitt, Chick Corea and George Duke. Rubina opens with a song she co-wrote titled, “Home” that allows us to hear the full range of her voice and her style. She is definitely a stylist. That is to say, she sounds like herself and has established a vocal presentation that is both unique and singular. Her pianist, Evgeny Lebedev, shines on this mix of 5/4 and 3/4 tempos. This song is fresh and challenging both melodically and timewise. Rubina’s voice plays like a saxophone, offering some expressive lines that establish her as an inimitable improvisor.
Track #2 is called “Taim” and is sung in her native language. The melody is infectious, and she sings it with emotional clarity and power. She sells the song, even though I don’t understand the lyrical content. “Morning Etude” is another original tune and is reminiscent of a Herbie Hancock composition, with its challenging melody and range. Once again Evgeny Lebedev soars on piano and the electric bass of Anton Revnyuk steps into the spotlight to show off his own talents. On the song “Surgery” we hear the power and influence of Ignat Kravtsov on drums. He adds a soulful funk to the arrangement and Rubina shows off a completely different side to her vocalization. It’s quite soulful, in her own sweet way. I hear blues in this arrangement and rhythm and blues in Rubina’s vocals. There is even a touch of gospel music gliding through her presentation, like a whispered prayer. She riffs and scats and has a choir of voices join in to lift the arrangement. I am impressed with her sincerity and style.
Sofia Rubina comes from parents who are scientists and music lovers. They encouraged her love of vocalizing, and she began voice lessons at age ten. According to her press package, she was influenced by Ella Fitzgerald, Dee Dee Bridgewater, and Dianne Reeves. However, she sounds nothing like any of these legendary jazz icons. Rubina has her own sound. She continued her study of music at the celebrated Vilandi Academy of Culture and at the Berklee Global Jazz Institute. A former album release titled “In the Land of Oo-Bla Dee” earned her Best Jazz Album of the Year from the Estonian Music Awards. She has won first place in several national singing and jazz competitions in her native country of Estonia. This talented vocalist has toured internationally in over fifteen countries. I expect that number to grow along with her popularity. Perhaps Sofia Rubina sums it up best when she says:
“This album is authentically me, who I really am, vulnerable, powerful, joyful, searching for meaning, trying to listen to my inner voice. I see musicians as channelers delivering messages.”
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PAT BIANCHI, COLIN STRANAHAN, TROY ROBERTS – “THREE” – Independent Label
Pat Bianchi, organ; Colin Stranahan, drums; Troy Roberts, tenor saxophone.
Anyone who knows me well knows that I love a jazz organ trio! Pat Bianchi is carrying the torch for organ jazz in a magnificent way. This trio opens with “Love for Sale” as they powerhouse off this disc, employing an up-tempo arrangement of this popular standard. What a wonderful way to start my day! Troy Roberts on tenor saxophone sometimes harmonizes with the organ lines, other times lays down his own masterful solos. At the tail of this tune, Colin Stranahan steps forward on drums, sharing his distinctive style and mad technique. This is a smokin’ hot threesome and their excitement is contagious. They swing the tune, “When Sunny Gets Blue” and I am on cloud nine.
Award winning Troy Roberts comes from a remote location of Perth in Western Australia. On this arrangement, Roberts’ saxophone is drenched in the blues, dancing atop Stranahan’s drums in a very soulful way. When Pat Bianchi marches to the front with his organ solo, my foot cannot stop patting. This trio really ‘swings.’
“With a saxophonist, there’s a lot more room to go different places. There’s a lot more harmonic freedom. I can play more lopsided phrases, or take things in and out harmonically,” Bianchi explains his choice of using Troy Roberts over a guitar player.
Pat Bianchi is a Grammy nominated New York based organist who has played with iconic jazz names like Ralph Peterson Jr., Pat Martino, Lou Donaldson, Chuck Loeb, Red Holloway, Joe Lock & Mark Whitfield. He started his musical journey playing the organ at age seven. By age eleven, Bianchi was hired to play his first professional gig. His parents enrolled him at the Eastman School of Music’s preparatory program for piano and music theory at a grade school level. He was on his way! Bianchi has released nine albums as a bandleader. In February of 2024, he will release this new CD titled simply, “Three.” Berklee College of Music students are lucky to have him as a jazz organ professor. You can also enjoy Bianchi’s Sirius XM Radio show titled, “Organized” that of course features an ear-full of great jazz organ players.
Every tune on this album will entertain, inspire, and impress you. Pat Bianchi proudly carries the legacy of the organ trio into the twenty-first century, like an Olympic legend running with the opening ceremony torch. This album is ‘Fire.’
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ROB DIXON/STEVE ALLEE QUINTET featuring AMANDA KING & DERRICK GARDNER – “STANDARDS DELUXE” – Independent Label
Rob Dixon, tenor & soprano saxophone/composer; Steve Allee, piano; Amanda King, vocals; Nick Tucker, bass; Greg Artry & Kenny Phelps, drums; Derrick Gardner, trumpet.
On his saxophones, Rob Dixon adds excitement and creativity to every tune on this album. On “Sway” he is fluid as water, with his saxophone notes tumbling from the faucet of his horn, bubbling and hot. Dixon was born in Baltimore and grew up in Atlanta, GA. He studied at Hampton University (undergraduate) and Indiana University for graduate studies. Like many musicians, Dixon spent important discovery years in New York. He worked with Illinois Jacquet’s big band four years, then freelanced with many notable musicians as part of the Indianapolis jazz scene. Also, he was part of the Cleveland Heritage Jazz Orchestra, among others. Dixon is a composer who has contributed five original tunes to this project. “Lucky Number 7“swings hard and features a soulful blues horn solo by Rob Dixon. He features Derrick Gardner on trumpet, and they merge to make smokin’ hot harmonies. Gardner is also a notable force on his horn during his improvised solos. On this Lucky Number 7 tune, Allee comes to the forefront with an outstanding piano solo.
This quintet embraces the lovely vocals of Amanda King on familiar standard jazz tunes like “Love for Sale” and “Caravan.” She does a wonderful job of swinging both tunes, enunciating each lyric with casual precision and selling the song lyrics. On the “Caravan” composition, Rob Dixon plays his soprano saxophone and on “Love for Sale” he switches to a gutsy solo improvisation on his tenor saxophone. Both sax solos are impressive. After Dixon solos, Steve Allee tinkles the piano to invite Amanda King back to the party once more. They slow their roll on “the Very Thought of You” where she presents her interpretation of this favorite. Amanda appears with just a trio at first. On verse two, Dixon re-enters the picture and tastefully accompanies the vocalist.
Steve Allee toured with the Buddy Rich Orchestra and has put his piano accompaniment on the stages of Slide Hampton, James Moody, Bob Mintzer, Randy Brecker, Phil Woods, Curtis Fuller and a host of others, too many to name here. He’s been based in Indianapolis since the early seventies. Although he does not contribute on this album, Allee is a composer whose music has been used on film and in television. He too has been a bandleader of both big bands and smaller ensembles, including trios.
When Derrik Gardner steps into the spotlight, he turns this group into a hard bob quintet. On the Dixon composition, “If We Must Die,” the trumpet addition soaks up the spotlight like a sponge. Allee’s piano accompaniment is strong in the background, reminding me of the Coltrane era. Steve Allee brings his piano solo stage-center with power and drive, then softly steps back to let us enjoy Nick Tucker’s bass improvisation. There’s an old saying that “You can’t lose with the blues” and when Rob Dixon plays his “Flat Tire Blues” you get the point. Kenny Phelp’s trap drums shuffle onto the scene and become a trampoline for Rob Dixon’s tenor saxophone to jump up and down on. Derrick Gardner’s trumpet comes screaming into the room and reminds you how much happiness the blues can inspire. This is an album that offers a little bit of everything for your listening pleasure. You get a taste of the ‘Standards’ and the Great American Songbook, but you also get a quintet that swings hard and introduces us to the original compositions of Rob Dixon. This album becomes available to the public the first week of February.
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